Danganronpa: Digital Daze

Chapter 18: Costumes and Music

Following breakfast, everyone split up to do their own thing. While I was watching everyone pair up, I heard a voice behind me. "Hey, Bera?"

I turned around, and to my surprise, Theo, Sayaka and Kaede were standing there, all looking at me. Curious, I asked them what they wanted.

Theo, in his "Where's Waldo?" costume, spoke up. "Well, I wanted to check out the Costume Room. While I still have no idea what my talent is, or how this costume pertains to it, that room draws my curiosity like none other."

"There's some really cute outfits in there that we could perform in, too!" Sayaka added, looking over at Kaede. Kaede blushed a bit as she regarded Sayaka in her bunny costume, which admittedly left little to the imagination, but Sayaka didn't seem to notice or mind.

Having no better idea, I join Theo and the two girls to the Costume Room, where everyone starts looking through the various outfits. While Sayaka and Kaede check out the dresses, skirts, and heels, Theo takes more of a focus on the jackets, hats, and other accessories. I just stand back and let them look through everything.

Sayaka and Kaede found matching sequin dresses. However, Sayaka's dress would have to me tailored, as the hem was a little too long on her. As for Theo, he found a booklet chained to a table, marked "Suggestions".

"It would appear as if we could write down anything we'd wish to obtain in this book, as it pertains to costumes."

Sayaka, Kaede, and I agreed with Theo's observation. Still holding onto Sayaka's dress, I asked if she wanted me to tailor it for her later today, and she eagerly accepted.

I left the three of them in the Costume Room and dropped the dress off at my dorm. I then ran into Yasuhiro, Celeste, and Kenchikka, who were speaking in the hallway near the bathrooms.

"Kenchico! You've got to hear my latest idea! It's perfect for-" Yasuhiro started.

Kenchikka waved him off. "First off, am Kenchikka, not Kenchico. Second off, have heard your last few ideas from others. All sucked. Don't waste my time."

Celeste continued. "Even I am not so ambitious as to throw good money after bad, and with you, Yasuhiro, any bet made on you is a sucker bet. I would prefer to simply leave the table, were you the dealer."

Yasuhiro continued to plead his case with the two girls, who largely ignored him as they walked on. At the meanwhile, I left them alone and headed back to the Second Floor.

The Exercise Room was empty for now, but it looked like Mukuro, Makoto, and Angie were in the Biology Room. Mukuro and Angie were discussing anatomy with one another, looking over a mannequin, while Makoto was looking over a book.

"Atua is watching over Hifumi, and has made Sonia one of his princesses."

Mukuro glanced over at Angie, annoyance clear on her face. Makoto didn't even look up from his book.

"Whatever you say, Angie," Mukuro flatly responded, with no emotion in her voice whatsoever.

I decided I had no interest in this topic, and moved on to the Music Room.

The Music Room was empty, but I heard talking in the Jam Room. Inside, Kaede was checking out a keyboard, while Sayaka was messing with some of the stage settings.

Sayaka looks up at me, stunning me in her bunny outfit, which I had already forgotten she was wearing.

"Hi, Bera! This stage is really something else! The lighting, the sound options, and even some of the pulley systems are state-of-the-art! You can lift yourself up while singing, or even a drum kit! Kaede and I could host one amazing concert here!"

Kaede looks up from her keyboard. "Yeah! There's a lot of neat things in this room!"

I looked over the room. The Jam Room looked a little more decorated, with musical notes decorating the front of the stage now. It looked like Sayaka and Kaede were working on decorations in here.

Kaede continued, adjusting her Elton John glasses. "Sayaka and I are working on a few songs together, that we can perform for everyone once we're ready. Chihiro said she can program a musical app for us to use for guitars and drums, and Kaito's volunteered if we need an actor to be lifted up into the air!"

Wow, so they've really put some deep thought into this, and are inviting others too?

"That's great! Awesome! Ummmm...do you need any help with your outfit, Kaede? I'm helping Sayaka with hers."

Kaede thought for a moment. "The dress fits me fine, and I can move around it in well enough. I'm mostly just sitting and playing the keyboard, anyway, so I don't need much."

I began thinking. "Maybe...a cute sheer scarf then? Something to accessorize the neckline of your dress?"

Kaede's eyes lit up. "You...you can do that? Of course!"

Sayaka eagerly agreed, adding that even if not everyone could see her dress, that no one could miss the sheer scarf, especially if I colored it to match the dress.

Beaming inside, I pulled out my E-Handbook from my hakama and took a picture of Kaede's dress to get the colors of it, and then leave the Jam Room, heading back to my dorm room.

As I approached the stairs back to the First Floor, Chihiro walked up the stairs, looking at her E-Handbook. Not wanting to scare her, I called out to her.

"Hey, Chihiro! Are you working on Kaede's and Sayaka's concert stuff right now?"

Chihiro nodded. "Yeah. Building the code from scratch, using the computer that's in my dorm. No internet access, though, but I can make programs from it. I'm even working on-" Chihiro's eyes go wide, her hand going to her mouth, and then she says. "I'm sorry, I'm...not ready to talk about that yet."

I put my hands up, pumping them back slightly. "Hey, it's ok, Chihiro. You don't have to share anything you're not ready to, ok?"

Chihiro nodded, staring off into the distance while fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. "Ok. Thank you, Bera. If it's ok with you, I'm gonna head to the Computer Room now."

I asked Chihiro if I can accompany her to the Computer Room, and she accepted, so we walked side-by-side together to the Computer Room. Angie was gone from the Biology Room; Mukuro was having a discussion with Makoto about keeping him safe, but I was too far away to catch most of it. Makoto seemed to be safe, though, and I was not about to get in Mukuro's way.

Sayaka and Kaede were still busily working away in the Jam Room, from the muted sounds I could hear in the hallway. Chihiro considered stopping in to check on them, but decided against it, and continued to the Computer Room.

Once we reached the Computer Room, I sat quietly while Chihiro plugged her E-Handbook into the USB port on the computer, then began working on the music creator program, making short test songs and checking out various guitar sounds and drum beats he created.

After several hours passed, with me providing only minimal interruptions, it was 4:30pm. Chihiro saved her progress on her program, shut it off, and unplugged her E-Handbook.

Shortly afterwards, an announcement went off from Monorakun.

"Attention Students, please arrive at the Gymnasium by 5pm. We're going to have a Costume Contest! Everyone will get to vote for their top three favorite costumes, and there will be prizes! You'll be dying to see what's in store!"

Chihiro's eyes went wide as she stared at me, and a chill went through me, too.

What was that raccoon plotting now?