Danganronpa: Locked Doors of Despair

Ch.6 Deadly Life Part 6: Of Understanding, Upheavals, and Undead

[A/n] A few warnings. First of all, though I've stated this before, MAJOR, MAJOR spoilers form Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. If anything about its last chapter is news to you, prepare to be spoiled if you proceed. Also, my book of Free Time Events is, at this point, required reading, which I've also said before but I want to further emphasize. Lastly. This part is LONG. I probably overdid it. But hey, it's my very last investigation part! Enjoy, my lovely readers!

Ren, January 9th, 11:30 am

Not gonna lie, I was honestly really hoping that I'd never have to go into this damn passageway again. I've been running and crawling around all day and now I have to inch through this inclined slope while sore from yesterday and WHY did I think it would be a good idea to exercise a day before an investigation?! Sure, it was a nice bonding moment with Chimon, but he hasn't had nearly as much physical stuff to do!

As if reading my mind and disagreeing, Yuu pipes up cheerfully. "Honestly, this isn't the worst! I used to be pretty sporty, but it's been a while since I quit soccer. It's almost a little nice to be getting active again! The gym is intense but this is fun."

"I hate you," I retort automatically. A stiff silence falls over the four of us.

"Yuu, stop trying to puzzle out whether he's serious or not. He doesn't hate you," Gou corrects me.

"Huh?! Wait, yeah, I was just exaggerating! You're my friend!" I blurt out.

I hear a barely-stifled sigh of relief. Fujiko giggles. "You boys are, like, so adorable. None of you feel the need to hide that you care about each other!"

"Do any of you know CPR? Cause you all take my breath away..."

"Rennnnnnnn," Yuu groans.

"This climb isn't the only thing getting my heart rate up."

"But you're not, like, actually about to pass out, right? I don't want you collapsing on top of me. Oh, and I want you to not feel bad, obviously!" Fujiko rambles.

"I'm fine."

"Look, we've pretty much made it!" Gou encourages. In fact, he hauls himself up into the monitor room, Yuu right behind him, and then offers me a hand. He hoists me out of the tunnel with so much ease I nearly feel like I'm about to melt. Or maybe it's just my knees nearly giving out on me.

"Fuck, I am putty in your hands. You're so STRONG!"

He pauses and quirks his head. "Wait, I've known you for ages at this point and I still don't know. Do you have a type? It doesn't seem like it."

"That... feels incorrect. But I don't know what my type actually is. Holy shit, I've fallen for so many people and I still don't know my own type."

"Not that this conversation isn't incredibly compelling," Yuu says, sarcasm shining through his nerves, "but things are getting urgent and we really have to search!"

"I just don't even know what we could've missed! We searched this place all over just a few days ago!" Fujiko mentions, opening a bunch of cabinets and drawers.

"Time for another game of crazy ideas, gang!" Gou announces. I do everything I can think of. I climb on top of things to see if I see anything from a higher vantage point. I literally try and see if the office chair has a separate compartment. Gou fiddles with the computer, looking through a bunch of useless (and ridiculous) files. He looks so fucking done with all of this, and I pity him. At last, however, he pulls up a file and blinks, stunned. "What...?"