Dangan Ronpa:return to Despair Academy

Island Memories

We were walking back to our dorms,and once again we were missing two people.Shoichi's and Masaru's presence had subconsciously been giving me a feeling of normalcy.They reminded me a lot of the boys who I knew from my old school,except none of them were famous.

Kimiko's head hung low,and nothing Yoichi said or did made her frown disappear.Akihiro was sulking,as usual,but his gaze was directed at the floor instead of at what lay ahead.Tomoko trod at the back of our group,and occasionally I heard a small sniffle from that direction.

There's going to be hell for this.I thought.Shoichi had killed Masaru for the sake of getting his brother out of jail,but still to have done it in such a horrible way.

Can we really forgive the killers?No matter what their reason for doing it,they killed one of our friends.But they were our friend too!Am I just supposed to hate Fumiko and Shoichi?Yoshie,and Masaru...they're gone...are they angry with the one who killed them?

I started to ponder this,when Minako started to walk beside me.Neither of us said anything for the longest time.We just walked side by side,letting what happened in the courtroom hang between us.When we got to my dorm she stopped and turned to me.

"I...can't thank you enough...for what you did for me in there..."Minako didn't look at me.Is that what she does when she isn't acting?

"I just want answers."It may have come out sounding cold,but I didn't have the time or patience to deal with manners.Minako simply nodded her head,that bouncy haircut of hers swinging dully."Why did you lie?Where did you go?Why couldn't you hear the Monokuma announcement?Who have you been writing to?"

Minako grimaced,as if she were afraid I would say something like that.She finally looked me in the eyes and said,"I can only tell you that I lied because I had to protect someone."

"Is this the same someone that you've been writing to?"She looked down again."Tell me who it is!You promised you'd explain!"

"I would tell you if I thought it would do any good."she sighed heavily."It's just...everything is so messed up!"

I was getting extremely annoyed with her."So what the hell can you tell me?!"

She looked back into my eyes and it all came rushing out,as if she had been waiting to say it."Everything Monokuma has told us so far has been true.About the world ending,about a traitor,about it having happened before,it's all true."

"I know that."I accidentally blurted.Minako looked at me confused.I silently cursed myself.You never told her about the videos idiot!Or about the Internet being down!

Minako shook this off and continued."I have a plan that could take down Monokuma and this school!But right now...I need to keep you guys in the dark.I promise I'll tell you before all of this is over!"

She was about to walk away,but before she did I asked her one more question."Is the person you've been writing to the traitor?"

She paused for a second.Without turning to face me,she shook her head.Then she continued down the dark hallways to her dorm.

At the end of the last trial I was certain that if there was anyone I could trust in that school,it was Minako.But as I stood there,looking into the space where Minako disappeared,I knew things had changed between us for the worse.

I stepped into my dorm and was met with a nice surprise.

My laptop!

It was sitting on my bed,all in one piece.I rushed over to it and checked it out.