Facing your demons

Mr. Hopp

     I woke up to knocking on my door. I assumed it was Gonta and got up. He always waited outside for me every morning. Once I stepped out he asked me how I slept. I told him I slept fine and we walked to the dining hall.
    
When we entered almost everyone glared at me or just stared. I didn't like it.
    
"Kokichi. You woke us all up. Again," Maki said coldly to me.
    
I sat down in my normal seat and looked down. I hadn't told anyone about my nightmares except Gonta, and he had promised to keep it a secret.
    
"What, the ultimate assassin need her rest so she can plot our murders?" I asked her playfully. She grumbled, but looked away and shut up nonetheless.
    
"Hey! You leave Maki-Roll alone!" Kaito yelled at me.
    
"Can you shut the f*ck up ya idiot?! I'm tryna eat here-!" Miu yelled at Kaito, getting cut off at the end by an announcement.
    
"Students! Make your way to the gym! We have a new motive!" Monokuma exclaimed happily.
    
"Oh yay! A new motive!" I said happily, getting up and practically bouncing into the gym.
    
"Oh of course you'd be happy!" Miu yelled. I called her a name and she started chasing after me.
    
When we got there, Monokuma had a box beside of him. It wasn't big, but whatever it was, it was definitely dangerous.
    
"Ok brats! Each of you has a special prize in this box here! Your prize is your motive! Have fun~!" He disappeared.
    
"How do we tell which one is ours?" Maki asked.
    
"Let's have Atua tell us!" Angie said.
    
"That's not gonna work, dumb*ss!" Miu yelled.
    
"I know! We'll just have Shuichi figure it out!" Kaito said happily.
    
The Monokubs music suddenly played and they appeared. Monodam was being quiet again, and Monophanie was talking to Monotaro.
    
"Hey! You! How do we tell which present is ours?" I asked them.
    
"We'll hand them out to you, that way you don't get confused!" Monophanie said.
    
They started handing them out. Everyone was happy with theirs, and nobody knew how it was a motive.
    
Finally, it was my turn to get mine. Monotaro reached inside the box and pulled out something I never thought I would see again.
    
Before I could even think things through or let my brain process what was happening, I screamed.
    
Everyone turned to me, but I didn't care. I remembered very well what happened last time he was around.
    
"Kokichi! Stop being dramatic!" Kaito yelled as Gonta and a few others rushed over to see what was wrong.
    
After a few moments, I had calmed down a bit. Questions were being fired at me, and I didn't know what to do. I couldn't decide between running or gaining control of the situation. I figured neither one would help me much, and that I would just silently get up, grab him, and leave.
    
So that's exactly what I did.
    
I stood up and walked over to Mr. Hopp. I picked him up and carried him in my hand as I walked out leaving everyone who had been questioning me confused and worried.
    
Once I was back in my dorm room, I decided to try and talk to Mr. Hopp. I explained to him that almost nobody here liked me, that we were in a killing game, and other stuff I felt he needed to know.
    
Then I realized something. Ms. Bo and Mr. Stripes were here, too! Miu had gotten Ms. Bo and Angie had gotten Mr. Stripes.
    
"Look. I know you want to eat kids souls or whatever, but I'm not the same girl I was three years ago. Heck, I'm not even a girl anymore. What I'm trying to make sure you understand is that there are some things you just shouldn't do around here. I beat you once, if I must I will surely do it again. Do I make myself clear?" I asked, trying to sound intimidating at the end.
    
After a few more hours of explaining where we were and stuff, I went to sleep. I sat Mr. Hopp on my bedside table and hopped (get it?) that he wouldn't do anything crazy.
    
But of course, fate didn't work in my favor.
    
I woke up to a strange noise. I opened my eyes and looked at my bedside table, where Mr. Hopp should have been, and realized he wasn't there.
    
He was gone.
    
And that could only mean one thing.
    
I would have to go find him.
    
I got up and peeked outside my door, hoping a student council member wasn't around.
    
Upon seeing nobody, I walked out and quietly shut my door behind me. I started walking toward the main school building when I saw Tenko and Himiko walking towards me. I darted behind a recycling bin and ducked down, hiding. During the whole orphanage-demon-crossover thing, I had learned how to hide like a boss. Which really came in handy in times like these.
    
"Himiko, did you see something?" Tenko asked, squinting through the dark trying to see a bit better.
    
"No, and Atua says that nobody was there," Himiko replied.
    
They continued on their way and I started walking again. Eventually, I had looked around for a few hours and found nothing.
    
I walked into the library and sighed in relief.
    
"There you are you silly Rabbit," I said, picking him up. I turned and started walking towards the exit when Angie and Kiibo entered.
    
They looked at me and stared.
    
"Kokichi, you should not be up. It is nighttime, you should be in bed," Kiibo said to me.
    
I groaned. "Kiiboy, you know nothing about human sleep needs. Why are you acting like you have any right to tell me, Kokichi Ouma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader when he should and should not go to bed."
    
"Hey! I have done a lot of studying on human sleep schedules! One more robophobic remark and I will report you to the proper authorities!" Kiibo said.
    
"He is right, Kokichi. Atua believes you should take your bunny friend and go lay down. You do need sleep, correct? Aren't you human?" Angie asked.
    
I groaned and walked off. I was sick of people always telling me what to do.
    
I looked down at Mr. Hopp and sighed.
    
"Told you they don't like me..." I said sadly.
    
I walked by the kitchen entrance on my way out of the school and I screamed. Something had grabbed me.
    
I looked over to see the entity using Mr. Hopp's hand to clutch me. I fought and wiggled, and I yelled and screamed, but nobody heard me.
    
Eventually, the entity let go and disappeared. After that, I was too tired to do anything. I sluggishly dragged myself back to my room and lay down.
    
That night, I had a nightmare. I was walking in an endless loop and over time I started to be chased by Mr. Hopp, Ms. Bo, and Mr. Stripes.
    
Eventually, I did escape. I woke up with a start and jumped out of bed seeing that Mr. Hopps was once again gone.
    
I looked under my bed and on the floor, but I didn't find him. I decided to go look elsewhere. I went into the dining hall but he wasn't there.
    
Next, I checked the gym.
    
Then, I checked the pool.
    
Then, I started checking some of the labs.
I looked all over, but I didn't find him.
    
I then walked into a random room and found him sitting on a table with Ms. Bo. Mr. Stripes was nowhere to be seen. When I walked towards them, the entity appeared.
    
"They'll all disappear...." It whispered. "Join me.... Esther....."
    
"I don't go by that name anymore! I told you that! My name is Kokichi Ouma!" I exclaimed angrily.
    
The entity laughed and then disappeared.
    
I grabbed Mr. Hopps and Ms. Bo. I took Ms. Bo to Miu who asked me why I had her, I explained that I found her and Mr. Hopps just sitting somewhere random by themselves and that I decided to bring Ms. Bo back to her owner.
    
"I'm going to bed now. Goodnight Miu!" I called walking off.
    
I was too tired and worried to keep up my lies.
    
That night I had another nightmare. I was back in the orphanage, and I was playing with Isaac and Molly. Everything was fine until Mr. Stripes and Ms. Bo grabbed them and their eyes started bleeding black. I turned around to see the entity again.
    
"Join me Esther. Join me and you can stop all of this from continuing."
    
"No way! I'll never join you! I'd rather die!" I yelled.
    
"So be it...." The entity said, as a giant Mr. Hopps started chasing me down the hall. The hallway was a lot longer than I remembered. I ran and ran and ran until I couldn't run anymore. I collapsed on the ground out of exhaustion and screamed in pain and fear as I felt tremendous heat around me.
    
I woke up covered in sweat. I smelled fire. I jumped out of bed and ran off to find it. I decided to take Mr. Hopp with me, just in case. Once I found the fire, I put it out using a bucket I found just sitting there on the floor. It was as if it was there on purpose.
    
About a second later, everyone had showed up except for Tsumugi. That was weird.
    
"What the f*ck did you do Co*kitchity?!" Miu yelled at me.
    
"What are you talking about?" I asked her coldly.
    
"Why did you start a fire?!" Kaito exclaimed.
    
"I didn't start it," I said.
    
"That's just another f*cking lie and you know it!" Maki yelled.
    
She ran forwards and started choking me. I was struggling to breathe. I dropped Mr. Hopps and tried to get her to let go.
    
We all smelled a little smoke as we realized that the fire had somehow started again. Tenko and Korekiyo took the bucket to go get more water and I looked around for Mr. Hopp.
    
"What are you doing now?!" Kaito yelled at me again.
    
"Looking for Mr. Hopp. It'll be very bad if I don't find him," I said. I stopped and realized I hadn't hidden my British accent.
    
"Why the f*ck are you talking like that ya b*tch?!" Miu yelled at me.
    
"What? Is the filthy animal turned on by British accents?" I asked her.
    
"Just find your dumb rabbit and go f*ck him!" She yelled at me.
    
"Tenko and Korekiyo have been taking a little while... Should someone just go check on them?" Shuichi asked.
    
"Yeah! Let's go, Sidekick!" Kaito said, grabbing Shuichi and dragging him off.
    
Finally, I found Mr. Hopp. One of his eyes had fallen out, and he had a small cut on his arm.
    
Shuichi and Kaito came back with the bucket of water, clear confusion on their faces.
    
"They're gone," Shuichi said, dumping the water on the fire and putting it completely out.
    
"What do you mean they're gone?!" Miu asked loudly.
    
"That's just not logical," Kiibo pointed out.
    
I had started walking back to my room when Maki hit me on the head with the empty bucket.
    
I fell on the floor and Mr. Hopp went flying to the other side of the room. He hit the wall and fell on the ground.
    
I got up and looked around. Everything was pitch black. I started walking in a random direction and eventually I found myself back in the orphanage.
    
Toys lay all over the floor and Mr. Hopp, Mr. Stripes, and Ms. Bo were walking through the halls. I kept going forwards, hiding from them and sneaking past and jumping over the toys that were in my way, and found myself in another loop.
    
The chandelier on the ceiling started swinging back and forth, getting worse the farther I went. The wallpaper kept changing, and the pictures on it kept showing different classmates of mine experiencing different deaths.
    
Eventually, the loop ended. I came into a small area filled with writing on all the walls.
    
"You are perfect"
    
"You are special"
    
"Join us Esther"
    
"Give yourself to us"
    
"We won't hurt you"
    
"Aren't you sick of being treated like that?"
    
"Don't you want revenge?"
    
"Join us Kokichi"
    
"Join us"
    
"Join us"
    
"Join us"
    
"Join us"
    
It went on like this for what felt like hours. Eventually, I started to be shaken by something. I heard people saying my name and I woke up.
    
"Leave me alone!" I yelled, jumping up and looking around frantically.
    
"It's ok Kokichi. Calm down. It's just me and Gonta. Angie went to go find something to eat," Shuichi said.
    
I reached over and hugged him before he could say anything else. He flinched a little in surprise but after a moment just put his arm around me.
     
"You're alive!" I said, forgetting my accent again.
    
"What you mean he alive? Course he is," Gonta said, confused.
    
"Uh yeah. Of course he is! Why wouldn't he be!" I said in gay panic, letting go of Shuichi and moving about a mile away from him by scooting to the other side of the bed.
    
"Gonta leave you alone now," Gonta said, standing up.
    
When Shuichi asked Gonta why he was leaving, all Gonta said was that it was a gentleman's duty and left.
    
"Sorry about that Saihara-chan," I said, looking away.
    
"It's fine," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed now.
    
"So what's going on Kokichi?" He asked after a moment.
    
"What do you mean?" I asked confused.
    
"Why'd you start the fire?" He asked again.
    
"I didn't start the fire! I was tryna put it out!" I yelled.
    
I couldn't believe it. I thought Saihara-chan would understand, but maybe I was wrong. Maybe I just had more false hope.
    
I thought back to Molly and Isaac for a moment. I really did miss them, but in the end, I never found them. All I remember is escaping the place and going to a new orphanage with Mr. Hopp. I lost him there and he actually made his way back to me, but over time I had gotten angrier at him for taking away everyone at the orphanage.
    
I was snapped out of my thoughts by Shuichi shaking me.
    
"Kokichi! Snap out of it!" He yelled at me.
    
"What, wanna tell me I'm lying some more? I wasn't, but of course nobody would believe me-" I said, getting cut off by Shuichi's lips on mine.
    
I blushed and kissed back, closing my eyes and appreciating that he was here. It only lasted a few seconds.
    
After we had calmed down he asked me a different question. An easier but also harder one.
    
It was easy because it had a very simple answer and wasn't to hard to understand. What made it hard, however, was that if I told the truth he wouldn't believe me, but if I lied he'd think I'd started it.
    
I didn't want either.
   
So I told him in all honesty, "It was Mr. Hopp."