Danganronpa: Shuri's School

Chapter 7: Confronting Danger in Grey and Red

At 7am on the dot, the monitor in my room changed from the Hope's Peak logo to Monokuma's face, announcing that it was 7am and Nighttime was now over, and to "get ready to enjoy another beeee-autiful day!" Rolling my eyes, I changed into a new uniform and left my room. I passed by Keebo's, Kirumi's, and Mikan's rooms on my way to the dining hall, but didn't see any of them. I waved hi to Ibuki and Hina as they headed towards the hall, and they waved back and said hi. However, Ibuki and Hina appeared engaged in a conversation, and I saw no need to interrupt them.

We all arrived at the dining room and ate in relative silence, no one seeming to have anything to say. I had some French toast, with powdered sugar and maple syrup, and a side of scrambled eggs that Kirumi offered to prepare for me. They were simply amazing! After eating, I put the dishes in the kitchen, where Ibuki volunteered herself to wash dishes, and headed back to my room.

Deciding that I couldn't stay in my room all day, I decided that I should speak with some of the others. I already had my fill of Kokichi and Nagito from yesterday, so I figured I should speak to someone else that I'm concerned about. Two people immediately came to mind; Maki and Peko. Figuring that I would need more time to figure out how to approach Maki, I decided to look for Peko first.

I found Peko in the courtyard, staring at the fountain. Figuring that surprising her was a terrible idea, I decided to call out to her instead. "Peko?" I asked.

Peko turned her head in my direction, but otherwise didn't move. "State your business," she flatly said.

"I just wanted to chit-chat for a bit, get to know who I'm in here with better."

"Understood. I don't mind. Let's have a seat." I followed her to one of the benches. Her black tights showed no leg through them, and I supposed her short skirt was for better movement with her swordplay.

Peko tucked her skirt underneath her, then sat down and smoothed her skirt out and placed her hands on her lap. I sat down next to her at a roughly 45 degree angle, facing her.

Peko started first. "Before we speak, understand that the boys and girls living here should respect each other. Don't try anything inappropriate, or..." She tapped lightly at the hilt of her sword. "I would prefer not to kill another student needlessly."

I swallowed a bit, knowing that some swordsmen hide a real metal blade inside a bamboo sword, using the bamboo "blade" as a hidden sheath instead. However, I decided I shouldn't be that direct with her yet.

"I understand," I nodded in agreement. "So how long have you been a swordswoman?"

"My entire life. Since the day of my birth, I was trained to protect my young master, with my life if necessary," Peko replied. "I cannot protect him while I am in here, but recklessness will serve no purpose in this place."

So Peko wishes to keep her cool. That's helpful.

"Alright. About your sword, is-"

"It is made of bamboo. A well-placed blow can render one unconscious, should the need arise. I am also trained with real swords, as well, but I do not have one here with me."

Whew, at least a bamboo sword's easier to deal with than metal ones. I looked at Peko, and our eyes met for a few moments.

"You have a certain...presence to you, Shuri. You look like you can handle yourself well, yet you don't seem aggressive. This confuses me."

"I have had violent patients in the past. Some were crazy, some were anger-prone, and one in particular had a violent split personality. I had to be ready to defend myself at a moment's notice, but in a way that would not cause unnecessary harm to my patient."