Danganronpa: Shuri's School

Chapter 15: Laundry and Hina's Therapy Session

I got up the next morning, got dressed, and realized I had no more clean clothes after today. I decided I'd hit the Laundry room after breakfast, to get that out of the way. I didn't feel very hungry, so I skipped breakfast, figuring that I would just eat an early lunch instead, and got to work on my laundry instead. I took my usual morning shower, then got dressed in my last clean outfit, then headed to the School Store.

At the school store, I scanned my E-Handbook twice. My first reward was a blow-up flotation donut, currently deflated, but looked like it had pink icing and purple sprinkles. I scanned my E-Handbook a second time, and a small sewing kit came out. I stared at them both blankly, wondering if whoever stocked this machine was delusional, but then I reminded myself that I kept coming here for more stuff. Who's the crazy one then, the stocker, or me?

I grabbed the black clothes hamper, and left my room, carrying the clothes straight down the hallway to the Laundry Room.

When I arrived, I was surprised to find Kirumi there. I figured she'd be in the Dining Hall, cleaning up after breakfast, but she was washing her own clothes as well, instead. She had her own hamper out, and was putting her tights into a mesh bag.

Kirumi looked at me, then my hamper, then approached me and curtsied. "Do you request for me to wash your clothes this morning? I can do yours and mine at once, if you request it."

I shook my head. "Nah, that won't be necessary. I can do my own. I do, however, wish to speak with you, if you have time." I loaded my clothes into the washer and, noticing a sensor, swiped my E-Handbook, turning it on. I chose my settings, and fired up the washer.

Kirumi nodded. "I can accept this request. What do you wish to speak of?"

I knew immediately what I wanted to ask her. "What's with the metal rings on the backs of your gloves? Do they serve any purpose, or are they just ornamental?"

Kirumi looked surprised, but only for the briefest of moments. An untrained eye wouldn't have seen it at all. "I...have not been asked about them. In truth, I do not know. However, they do not impede my ability to perform my tasks, so I continue to wear these gloves anyway."

"Also, why do you have your tights in that mesh bag? Why not just toss them in the washer like everything else?" I was genuinely curious about this.

Kirumi responded quickly, "It's to avoid getting the legs tangled up with each other, or the washing mechanism inside the washer. In the dryer, it helps avoid getting lint on them. Lint is very difficult to get off of a good pair of tights, but with a mesh bag, it makes washing and drying much easier. Plus, it also helps them last longer, and keeps them from getting stretched out."

Ok, so Kirumi is VERY knowledgeable about washing and drying clothes. I already knew this, but I was caught off guard by the sheer detail of the knowledge dropped on my head.

Kirumi and I talked for a while longer, and when the washers went off, we switched our own loads into the dryers, scanned our E-Handbooks, then talked some more while our clothes dried. We discussed food, cleaning habits, and even discussed concerns about the other students.

Kirumi was concerned about Mikan, while I was more worried about Maki. Kirumi thought Mikan was developing an unusual attachment towards me, which seemed to have started after I spoke with Mikan in her room. She claimed Mikan would look longingly at my door, and thought she saw Mikan follow me to and from the Dining Hall at dinnertime yesterday. I hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary, but I would be more wary, in case Mikan was plotting something.

As for me, I was mostly concerned about Maki. She rarely spoke with anyone, and almost seemed hostile to anyone except Peko. The one time I talked to her in her room, she threatened to kill me when I stood up to leave. As the Ultimate Assassin, she was NOT someone I wanted to piss off, then be left alone with.