The Ultimate Researcher (Danganronpa2 x Oc!)

Dangerous Talents and Photographs

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The hotel site; a place with black fences enclosed around tiny huts on a boardwalk, which were aligned like some sort of neighborhood. Behind it, Yumiko could see a silver building in the distance, tinted gold in the sun. She would look forward to exploring the place later, but for now, she was focused on introducing Hajime to the rest of the students who resided on this island. There were seventeen of them, and they'd only been introduced to four so far. She hoped future interactions with other Ultimates would be just as pleasant as some of them had already been.

Near the back of the fenced in Hotel Site, she could see a pool with a couple lounging chairs around the perimeter of it, and as they approached the gold tinted building, she saw just how elegant looking it really was.

"Wow...this is a pretty nice hotel...!" Hajime suddenly exclaimed, crossing his arms and smiling at the large building a couple meters away from them. Yumiko looked up at the sign on the building. Hotel Mirai...She thought. What an interesting name for a hotel...

"It looks like it's named after the Japanese word for 'future'," Nagito commented. Yumiko sighed. This confirmed it. They had no need to worry about food or living arrangements. And although foreboding still lingered around her chest, she couldn't help but smile. This truly was...a wonderful experience that she'd remember for the rest of her life. If they were to get off this island, it would be an interesting story she could tell to her friends....

...her...friends. Yumiko clenched her teeth, an uncomfortable feeling welling up inside her throat. Something was definitely wrong. She must have had some friends, correct? Friends were very important for one's mental health and social status. So surely herself before coming here had to have made some friends. But weren't friends...supposed to remember each other? So...why couldn't she recall any of their names? It was almost as if a mental block in her mind prevented her from researching any of the answers in her limitless supply of knowledge; like that same form of amnesia that prevented her from remembering how she got into that classroom. A door and then...nothing.

A blurry face and then...nothing.

"Yumiko?" Nagito had turned to face her. "Ah, you seem unusually quiet, I'd expect an Ultimate Researcher such as yourself to introduce some facts to us..." Yumiko's face blushed a deep scarlet and she quickly snapped herself out of it.

"EEP!" She exclaimed, drawing a chuckle from Hajime. "I'm sorry...I got lost in thought."

"Like I said, no need to apologize." Nagito then laughed and added, "When we were told to live on this island, I was worried we'd have to pitch a tent or something..." Yumiko chuckled.

"I was also worried about living arrangements," She commented, clasping her hands together. "I don't think we have to worry about that anymore..."

"Right, if we can live in a grand hotel like this, I don't think we'll have to worry about being comfortable." Yumiko looked around at the tiny huts, pursing her lips. There...was that word again...living. That foreboding feeling was stronger now. She had to keep a realistic view of everything. There was nothing to worry about on this island; no danger, no shortage of food, no uncomfortable living arrangements...but they hadn't even attended Hope's Peak Academy. They had a life outside of this.

...and her step-dad.

"Comfort isn't an option," Hajime retorted. "We don't even know why we're being forced to live on this island." That was true...Usami had been pretty vague as to why they were forced onto this tiny bit of land in the middle of a vast ocean. Her only answer was to get along with other students to...nourish hope. But that couldn't possibly be the only reason? Were they in some kind of trouble? In a spontaneous burst of astonishment, Hajime shouted: "...how can you just accept this?! You're way too excited about living here!"