Danganronpa: Goodbye Despair

Chapter 46: DESCENT INTO MADNESS

As morning came for the second time since everyone was trapped in the Funhouse, Hajime was starting to feel this strange chill. Well, it obviously must be hunger. He sat up much slower than usual, then headed straight to the lounge.

Hajime: 'Hm...' When he saw the clock on the wall and the time it displayed, it was a miracle that he was able to wake up early. '6:30am. As I recall, it's bad if we don't gather at Grape Tower by 7am.' He didn't expect much from Monokuma, but he figured that going to the tower was the smart thing to do for now. Although his movements were slower thanks to his hunger, Hajime made his way to the staircase and headed down to the first floor of Grape House. Once there, he could see Akane and Chiaki already waiting. It looked like Chiaki was falling asleep while standing up, and Akane couldn't avert her eyes from the massive bronze statue of that person in the sailor uniform. "Morning, Akane... everything okay?"

Akane: "Well... I've been thinking about this statue. It isn't alive or anything, but it has a strong aura. I can't think of it as a regular human aura. This thing might be the most powerful creature on the island... yes! That sure gets me going! Whether it's an ogre or a person doesn't matter, it's fine as long as it's strong! Oh, looks like it's almost time. I'll head over to Grape Tower first."

Hajime: 'Is she thinking about fighting the strongest creature on the island? As much as I hate to admit it... Monokuma probably fits that description. That... or those Monobeasts.' As Akane made her way to Grape Tower, Hajime watched as Chiaki approached him with her eyes closed. "Good morning, Chiaki."

Chiaki: "..." She walked right past him without even replying, it looked like she was sleepwalking.

Hajime: "Chiaki?"

Chiaki: "...Ah, I was sleeping."

Hajime: "Sleepwalking can be dangerous, you know."

Chiaki: "I'll be fine... I think..."

Hajime: "You don't look fine at all... want to go to Grape Tower together?"

Chiaki: "I'm fine, but even if I start sleepwalking again... I know you'll be there to catch me." She said that with a smile on her face as she began walking to Grape Tower, leaving Hajime behind with his face turning a shade of red. He eventually snapped out of it and went over to Grape Tower as well, and it appeared that he was the last one to arrive.

Kazuichi: "Man, I'm tired... I'm seriously... so tired..." Everyone who gathered here had very pale faces.

Fuyuhiko: "Stop complaining... you're bringing me down..."

Kazuichi: "But I'm exhausted... not only can we not eat food, but we're being forced to come here early in the morning."

Hajime: "This isn't just about you... we're all getting screwed here."

Kazuichi: "But we're being screwed the most... obviously we're more tired than everyone else! I mean, we had to take the contact elevator to get here from Strawberry House. So we had to walk all the way from Strawberry Hall to the elevator, and then walk all the way over here! The longer you walk, the more calories you burn! So obviously we're more tired than you guys!"

Nekomaru: "Stop whining!" Couldn't have said it better myself, Kazuichi's whining was actually starting to get on Hajime's last nerve. Maybe it's because of the hunger, but Hajime's tolerance for annoying stuff became extremely low. Kazuichi had the nerve to complain about taking an elevator, how stupid does that sound?

Kazuichi: "Tch, you're fine... you don't have to worry about getting hungry since you're a robot."

Nekomaru: "I'm in a similar situation... I left my charger inside my cottage."