Danganronpa Zero

Volume Two, Chapter Three (part one)

The sun's dazzling light beat down on the pavement outside the dormitory so brightly I couldn't help but squint my eyes though it wasn't strong enough to feel on my skin. In fact, I even shivered a little as the chilly wind ran past me. Despite all this I felt relaxed and stress-free as I sat down on a nearby bench and let out a deep sigh.

Ah, what a peaceful day.

I wanted to shout my thoughts out to the wind - I tilted my head to the side suddenly. Huh? Wasn't there somewhere I needed to go?

I took ̳Otonashi Ryouko's Memory Notebook' out of my backpack and opened it up so I could verify what it was I was supposed to do but my hand suddenly stopped. By chance the page I opened my notebook to was covered by a drawing of a man. My heart thumped a little faster.

"Eh, Matsuda-kun... ?" I couldn't spot any differences between the picture and the real thing but my heart was only beating a little faster. Perhaps, it's not really all that similar after all. "Hmmm, I guess if I change it a little it'll look more like him... ?"

It wasn't that I couldn't remember Matsuda-kun's face, I just needed to use my heartbeat in the place of my memory.

Maybe it's the eyes, or perhaps the mouth... I thought to myself as I drew. After some time my heart was almost pounding like it would in front of the real thing.

"Yup! That's probably more similar!" I patiently examined it as I gazed at it, Matsuda-kun. Matsuda-kun. Matsuda-kun. I repeated his name in my mind - See? My heart's pounding.

My heart beated harder as I brought the portrait closer to my face. As I drew more, it made the feeling stronger. I don't think I'm perverted or anything like that but I didn't want to kiss it in just a non-sexual way - I suddenly tilted my head to the side suddenly.

Huh? Wasn't there somewhere I needed to go?

With that thought in mind, I bid farewell to Matsuda-kun's picture and began flipping through my notebook. After turning through the pages for a short while - I finally remembered, at the same time I could feel my mood take a dramatic drop. I don't know why exactly but my whole body started to tremble. I remembered - I remembered that ridiculous murderer's confession.

That's right. Enoshima Junko also told me her purposes that time.

Kill your beloved darling, Matsuda Yasuke.

"She said... even if I don't remember... I'm still involved..." I was still trembling, she couldn't be right. I should quickly warn Matsuda-kun of the crisis he's in! I need to go to the biology building in the east district - that's where Matsuda-kun's neurology research is!

"I have no time to lose!" I jumped up from the bench and started to sprint with all my strength. Right now it was either break time or lunch time and the school was crowded with students outdoors. I pushed past people as I ran at full speed across the pavement. Of course, the people I pushed past would scream and cry things like "WAAH!" and "KYAA!" - but I didn't care.

Anyway, I was running across the pavement, leaving my thoughts behind and sprinting as fast as I could. I left any unneeded, idle thoughts fly away with the wind, my bullet of love was shooting directly towards where Matsuda-kun was.

I cut directly through the Central Plaza and arrived at the east district, I continued pushing past the other students and practically dived towards the biology building. My throat was dry and felt painful, in an instant I was leaping up the stairs. My breathing was erratic and heavy, I continued to push down my thoughts like how much my throat hurt or how much I'd like to take a rest out of my mind and kept sprinting. As soon as I arrived at the lab, I didn'tbother to knock on the door, instead I threw it open.