Dangan Ronpa:return to Despair Academy

Chatroom Wonder

Kimiko...she was the strongest of all of us...and because she was the strongest she felt like she needed to bear all our worries.But she couldn't tell us about her own worries and doubts,because that would have made us panic.She was the strongest and the weakest of us.She just broke from the pressure of it all...she wanted to be safe and relaxed for the rest of her days...Once again,it's our fault a murder took place.

Minako walked next to me through the halls of the first floor.After Kimiko's execution,we didn't know what to do.It was always Kimiko who gave us the strength to take the elevator back upstairs to whatever horrors would await us next.It had finally hit us that there would never be someone to coax us into a meeting every morning,or to group us together to search the school.

Yoichi was a zombie.He couldn't move from where he stood at his podium,looking at the monitor where Kimiko disappeared from our lives.He wasn't even crying,just staring wide eyed into a void,his mouth gaping in what was either horror or shock.Yoshio took him by the shoulder and led him back into the elevator with the rest of us.He didn't resist,didn't respond at all.None of us had the heart to try and coax anything out of him.We were all unsure of what to say.So no one said anything the entire ride.

We walked out of the elevator and down the red glowing hallways.Minako was next to me,but I figured she didn't really intend for that to happen.While Minako and I walked together I was reminded once again of the first trial.

We made a promise...to trust eachother so no one else would become a victim...

...but she betrayed that trust...I am under no obligations to trust her again...

"Shizuko..."Minako finally said.It broke through the silence that surrounded all of us,and I saw Aya turn her head toward us,then away after realizing she wasn't being spoken to.

"...yeah?"I muttered back trying very hard not to sound annoyed with her.

"...I know why you don't trust me."

"Really?Is it because you haven't been telling me the truth?Is it because you keep disappearing somewhere when we need you most?Or is it the fact that you somehow keep becoming a suspect for murder?"I kept a sarcastic tone,really not in the mood to hear her try and get me to forgive her.

"But I promise I won't lie to you anymore!"She insisted."I just don't want this to happen anymore."

"Oh,I left out the cherry on top.You've been meeting with someone who very well may be a traitor!"I didn't look at Minako even once.

"I...I..."Minako stuttered.

"Or are you saying that you're going to tell me who you've been meeting?"I risked a glance at her from the corner of my eye.She looked nervous and panicked.She looked desperate and she looked exhausted as if she had gone a week without sleep.

"I...I can tell you...but only after they give me permission...I-I'm sorry but that's the way it has to be!I would tell you right now if I could I swear but if I do then..."She trailed off.

A realization struck me.

I searched my pocket for a piece of paper.I found an old gum wrapper that would suffice.

"You...wouldn't happen to have a pen on you would you?"I glanced in the direction of a security camera.By this point we had stopped in the hall,and everyone else was gone.

Minako followed the direction of my gaze and looked back at me."I should have a pencil."She dug in her pockets before coming out with a pencil the size of my pinky with no eraser.

I took the pencil from her carefully and started to etch my message.It took some time to get the lead to show up on the laminated paper,but after some time scribbling against the wall I gave my note to Minako.