Danganronpa: Hope Lives On

Chapter 1 - 4

(Karma; Day 7, 6:30 am, Karma's Room)

I wake up to the alarm clock going off. Hope also wakes up, groaning as she starts to sit up. I yawn, stretching before hopping out of bed. Hope rubs her eyes, still groggy. "Can't we wait a few more minutes?"

I smile, getting a new shirt on, tossing my pajamas in a heap of clothes with my towel from last night. "C'mon, everyone'll be wanting some breakfast."

She sighs. "Fine. Let's get going then."

She throws a shirt on and grabs some shorts, walking to the door.

(6:32 am, Dining Room)

"So, eggs and bacon again?"

"I think you literally just said why we shouldn't do that. Either way, Brooklyn is a vegetarian. Let's make something for her."

Hope thinks. "What about blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes?"

I smile. "And some waffles, too?"

She grins as I put my hand on the scanner. The door slides open, and Hope quickly runs inside.

She isn't more than a few feet in before her footsteps suddenly stop. There's absolute silence. I start walking inside. "Hope, what's wr-"

As soon as I step inside, I immediately realize why she had stopped.

An alarm suddenly blares throughout the room, but I'm too stunned to react to it.

"A body has been discovered. After a period of time, a class trial will commence. Attendence is mandatory, and failure to adhere to the rules during the investigation period will result in immediate termination."

I drop to my knees, staring at Morgan's corpse in shock. I hear Hope fall to the ground beside me, sitting against a cabinet. She's covering her mouth in horror, looking like she's about to throw up.

The one who had been the most hopeful...

The one who I had come to know like a friend...

The one who I helped...

She's lying in a bloody heap in front of me!

The door opens automatically behind me, remaining open instead of closing after a few seconds. I grit my teeth, furious. I stand up, looking to Hope. "Whoever did this to her will pay!" I announce.

Hope looks up, her tears still coming down. She sniffles, standing back up with a nod. "Y-yeah. We need to find out who did this."

I hear hurried footsteps behind us. After turning, I see Nina, Georgia, and Courtney running into the kitchen. Georgia gasps, covering her mouth in shock. "W-what..." she mutters, backing away.

Nina and Georgia stare in stunned silence, but Courtney walks forward, putting her hands on my shoulders. "Karma, I'm gonna need your help with this."

"What is it?"

She looks to the body. "We need to identify how she died. I'll need you to help search for evidence with me."

"What?"

"Trust me, Karma. I'm the Ultimate Forensic Scientist, this is what I specialize in. Can you trust me with this?"

I nod. "Of course. I'll do whatever you say."