Fanganronpa: Epigone

Chapter Five- Blind Veils

After exiting the trial room, every student made their way to the dining hall. There were no words said and the school felt more emptier than ever. Masaru knew they all were still thinking of Nao and her reasons which conflicted them. She wanted to do something right but instead caused a huge loss that affected everyone.

Masaru's eyes were then drawn to the kitchen where the pleasant smell had slightly faded away and made his way back there. The kitchen was the same as usual except for the food that sat on one of the silver counters. Masaru looked down at a platter of fluffy pancakes that were next to two bowls covered in Saran Wrap.

A bowl of rice and a bowl of miso soup.

Once again, Masaru's body reacted on his own and he couldn't stop the tears from streaming down his face. He tried to stifle his sobs that desperately wanted to get out and his knees buckled underneath him as the other students made their way to the kitchen as well.

Masaru felt someone bend down to rub his back and could tell it was Umeda although he didn't look back. He hated to show this vulnerable side of himself but these emotions were out of his control as he had to come to the fact that this would be the last breakfast he'd ever enjoy in this hell of a school.

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Masaru stayed inside his room for the rest of the day and night. Even when the morning announcement rang, signaling the next day, he still did not move and only clutched the fountain pen that was in his hand. He had felt grief before after his former classmates deaths such as Shoji's but this... this was different. He didn't care about his memory dreams, the killing game, escaping or anything else he had been worried about before.

Masaru's stomach rumbled as he buried his head into his pillow but the thought of eating anything not made by the one who always fed them was unappetizing. He heard movement from outside his dorm and was glad no one tried to drag him out of bed and just let him be.

Time passed as Masaru hoped he soon would hear the nighttime announcement but instead a knock surfaced at his door and he groaned loudly.

"I know you don't want to talk," Priscilla's voice came from the other side, "no one does. But I really think we need to discuss what happened."

What's there to discuss? Masaru thought but still lifted his heavy head from his pillow. He staggered over to his door and opened it to reveal Priscilla who was surprisingly still in her night clothes. This was the first time he'd seen her in this attire.

Priscilla stepped inside his dorm carrying Shoji's laptop and Masaru honestly didn't think he was up for a conversation right now. She sat down at his desk and Masaru stared back at her with puffy red eyes.

"Uh... how are you feeling?" Priscilla attempted to ask but Masaru said nothing. She then sighed. "We need to discuss what Seto brought up during the class trial."

"What?" Masaru questioned.

"You even said so yourself, this motive was a bit strange. Everyone else's cards had ridiculous and pointless facts on them so why was Nao's different?"

Masaru thought back on it. "The card Matsuyama got about me was strange as well but the one Nao received seemed like it was made specifically for her. Almost as if they were targeting her for something..."

"Or targeting her as the next blackened," Priscilla said what they were both thinking, "it's like someone was trying to get Nao if not both her and Matsuyama, killed."

"But that would mean this whole thing was rigged," Masaru said, "maybe someone overheard our conversation in the dining hall about 4WD.CO."

"What do you mean?" Priscilla asked, "Monokuma was shut off during that time and the others were looking for a way out." She tapped her foot. "Umeda was the other one present but considering that he hasn't left his room just like you, I doubt he has anything to do with it."