Motive Gone Wrong (Danganronpa V3)

Chapter 10: Flashback Light

The sleeping plan is established and someone makes an appearance. This leaves the group make a difficult decision to make...

Shuichi shifted uncomfortably on his blanket. The kitchen floor was certainly not very comfortable and was beginning to cause him a backache. The whole area was completely overgrown, even more so than the rest of the school.

How could a school get like this? How long did it have to abandoned to end up like this?

Weeds and grass-covered every crack in the floor. Moss and mould climbed up the walls and up to the ceiling as small vines hung from above them. Kiibo had insisted that he should pull out all the nettles and brambles to avoid anyone getting hurt in the night. The wallpaper was now almost nonexistent as nature had reclaimed its rightful place. Bindweed had wrapped its way around all the kitchen's work surfaces to the extent where they could never be freed. Small deep pink and white wildflowers peeked through various creaks and corners.

A damp, musty smell hung in the air, reminding Shuichi of the storeroom closet. Even though the room probably hadn't been exposed to rain in a long time, everything was slightly moist. Shuichi just shivered. The atmosphere wasn't nice, to say the least.

Two other blankets lay next to him; to his right was Kiibo's, and to his left was Kaito's. The boys had been situated in the kitchen, unfortunately, while the girls got to stay in the dining hall. Korekiyo's blanket was right in front of his, while Kokichi's had been crammed between two narrow work surfaces.

The room was cramped compared to the luxury of the cafeteria. 5 boys and one small kitchen weren't going to work out too well, especially when all of them didn't get along.

In the girls' corner, Tenko had insisted to be next to Himiko, while Tsumugi also decided to sleep near them too. Maki had chosen a spot well away from everyone and Miu slept close to her desk. The outsiders of the group were clear.

"I guess we can't train tonight..." Kaito sighed. Lately, both he and Kaito started a regime where they would train every night in the courtyard. It never was Shuichi's choice to start; he wasn't a fan of fitness. But in the end, he was glad that he did, because now Kaito was quite possibly his closest friend. Shuichi never even saw the training as something to help improve his body and fitness, that was just an added bonus. It's real purpose served as a distraction to what was going on around him.

He knew that when people feel anxious or depressed, it becomes harder for them to do exercise or hobbies, but in reality, that could be the thing which could help. His training with Kaito was a perfect example of taking his mind off of the situation at hand.

"You know..." Kaito began, leaning against the grimy wall in an attempt of getting comfortable. "I've been thinking about inviting Maki-Roll to come train with us too, I think she could really benefit from it."

"Huh, really?" Shuichi asked, surprised. "But why?"

"Well, I just think it would help her if she could open up to some people. If she keeps locking all of her thoughts and feelings away behind her stoic attitude, she'll end up going into overload. I don't want her to isolate herself."

Shuichi nodded. Everything Kaito said had made perfect sense. He couldn't help but feel the same for the small lair who purposely liked to distance himself from everyone else. But there was no chance that Kaito would allow Kokichi to join their training, not now. It was a shame, Shuichi still had no idea how he could help the boy at this stage.

Suddenly, a high pitched voice pierced through his thoughts.

"Everyone! Gather round!" Unmistakably, it was the voice of the headmaster of the school. The creature which had caused this mess in the first place. Shuichi could almost see the hatred which emitted from his classmates as the robotic bear came into view.