Dangan Ronpa:return to Despair Academy

Death Check

There was no breakfast meeting.

Probably because no one felt like eating.

I know I sure didn't.

No one even came by to talk about the exploration of the fifth floor.No one cared about what it would have to offer us.

It's like Nagito said...we're purposely being driven into despair...

Well I shouldn't say no one came.

Igao did.

He would.It doesn't matter who dies,he knows that we have work to do for our friends.

I walked into the Dining Hall,seeing only Igao at the table.My initial shock was replaced by curiosity as I sat down next to him.He was drinking some hot beverage in a white mug.

"Where is everyone?"I asked.

He took a sip and answered."Akihiro went to the fifth floor this morning and immediately returned to his room.As far as I know no one else has so much as left their room today."

So he doesn't know about my and Minako's meeting...should I tell him about the simulation?He will probably get a good plan.He's really smart!Telling him might be our only hope!

"Hey Igao,remember how I told you after every trial I've received some sort of outside information?"I fidgeted nervously in my seat.

"Yes I recall you saying some such thing.Have you received another?"He placed his coffee down and faced me.

"I got a brochure about...a thing called the Neo World Program 2.0...have you ever heard of it?"

He looked at me blankly."Should I have?"

"No no no it..it totally makes sense that you wouldn't know..."Now I get to explain everything...yay...

Igao was looking calm like usual.It made me think how he would react to what I was about to say.

"Well,it's a virtual reality simulator created to induce despair,and we're in it."I rushed my sentence in some places,feeling my pulse pick up.

Igao paused."You don't know that."

"Huh?"

"We have no proof that we're really in that simulator.This could very well be real.I understand that you might be willing to believe anything at this point as you've lost quite a few friends...but you can't allow yourself to turn away from reality."

Well he believed the virtual reality part easily enough.

Now the real question...do I tell him about Nagito?Once again he's probably the smartest person here,so formulating a plan would need his help more than anyone's.

"Unless.."He trailed off raising an eyebrow."You have something else to tell me..."

"Igao d-..."I took a deep breath."Do you trust me?"

"Yes."He answered,no having hesitated at all.

"Huh?"His quick answer threw me for a loop.

"I do trust you Shizuko."He repeated."You've never given me a reason not to trust you.And like I said before,you can see the world in a way I am unable to...perhaps that is why I believe in you,that I know that you won't kill anyone."

"Well-I,uh..."I wasn't sure quite what to say to that."That's,good then!Good!"

"Don't get me wrong,just because I trust you doesn't mean I won't kill you."Igao folded his arms and turned away from me.