Danganronpa Prodigy's: The Next Generation.

Chapter 9c: Instant Regret.

"Darn it!" Liam laid his head on the table as he lost for the third game in a row "how are you so good at this!?"

"Let's just say in my line of work," Kuroba winked "I'm good at reading poker faces."

The group was playing Domino. It was a card game that typically involved four players , but due to both more than 4 people as well as uneven numbers, everyone had split into teams of 4, with Kuroba offering to go by herself. Min was partnered with Shima, Neko and Liam were another team, and Keiko had decided to work together with his brother. Players aimed to shed cards by matching the preceding ones or, if unable, tap the desk and skip their turn until they can lay another card. Cards were played out to form a layout of sequences going up and down in suit from the 7 of Diamonds. The game was won by the player who was first to empty their hand.

Despite being by herself, Kuroba was easily smashing the competition. Her intelligence alone was enough to completely outmatch the combined intellect, or lack thereof, of Liam and Neko in particular. Min and Shima were both second place, with Keiko and Kai in third, but everyone was having fun, despite the fact.

Every now and then, Taka and Mondo would both come in to check on the kids, and as they did, things became a little more clear in regards to the parents. Notably, Mondo wasn't as rough, tough or scary as he'd originally come across. He definitely had a delinquent attitude about him, but now that the group had met Asuka, it was clear that he was far more mature in the matter. In between the games, he and Taka had struck of a conversation with Kuroba, in which she had found out that both of them were actually classmates of her parents back when they attended Hope's Peak. However, at the end of this game that the group had just finished, Kuroba suddenly noticed that Asuka was standing casually in the doorway, looking almost longingly at the group. Everyone noticed Kuroba's gaze, and followed the line to where Asuka was standing. She seemed surprised that she'd been spotted, so she stopped trying to hide behind the doorframe.

"Is everything ok Asuka?" Keiko asked "it's unlike you to just quietly watch..."

"Nah, I'm ok..." she shook her head "just wonderin' if Kai was doin' ok or something..."

"I'm fine!" Kai smiled "everyone's really nice!"

"Are they?" she asked "that's...good..."

The silence that followed this was a little awkward. No one said anything for the longest time, and the only noise that ensued it was Shima coughing.

"Hey..." Kuroba smiled "by any chance, would you like to join us? We're doing teams of two, but we're only 7. I could do with a partner you know?"

"Oh, that's a good idea!" Keiko smiled "come join us Asuka!"

"N-No thanks," Asuka shook her head, and averted her eyes "I'm good thanks."

Asuka hung her head as she walked away, and somehow, the air in the room immediately became even more awkward.

"Did I..." Kuroba asked "do something wrong? Is she still mad at me from the bathroom thing?"

"Asuka is one to hold a grudge, but...this isn't the kind of grudge she would hold for long," Keiko frowned, similarly worried "maybe I'll go talk to her..."

"Don't worry about it," Liam waved his hand "she's probably just going through a phase or something?"

Everyone simply nodded and handed the cards to Keiko to dish them out again. However, for whatever reason, Neko kept looking at the doorframe even after Asuka left. All of a sudden, he got up to his feet.

"Speaking of bathrooms, I'm gonna go to one myself," Neko said "the meal Mr Ishimaru and Keiko worked on was delicious, but now I need to go lay it to rest."