Danganronpa v1 [Talentswap] [Female reader: You are Mukuro]

Chapter 2.4: Sparkling or Still?

Waking up to the blaring morning announcement, I clung desperately to my pillow. The expected haranguing of Monokuma's grating voice was as unwelcome to my ears as ever. I groaned and curled up beneath my blankets, for once feeling too poor to rise. Just five more minutes. Five more minutes to sit and not be personable. Five more minutes in which I could refuse my reality--one of captivity and surveillance and danger.

No secrets. No death.

"Get ready to greet another beautiful day!"

I groaned, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at the monitor out of pure frustration. The gesture was meaningless, but it just felt right.

"I hope everyone got their beauty sleep because today is going to be quite the full schedule!"

What the hell does that mean?

I shot up, realizing I needed to get to the dining hall. I sped through my routine, practically hopping into mismatched socks in my rush to be out the door and find out what happened. My hands were shaking, making the endeavor take even longer than normal. Catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror, my face was ghostly pale. It was a non-issue compared to the thought of what could be waiting for us, so I put it from my mind as I headed out the door and into the cafeteria.

Only a handful of the usual crowd was present when I entered the room. Each had a look of apprehension on their face--except Byakuya, who I was surprised to see at all.

We made eye contact upon my entering. "Well, someone decided to finally show up," he said.

"Don't say it like that," said Hina, giving him a sharp look. She looked to me with a relieved sigh. "It's a good thing you're here."

"Why?"

Hina bit her lip.

Instead of answering, Leon cut in, slinging an arm over her shoulder. "Because she's alive with us instead of embracing the sweet release of death, is that what you were going to say, Hina?"

Despite his usual carefree behavior, his manner seemed rather strained. In another circumstance, I definitely would have attributed his behavior to him trying to make a move, but today it seemed invasive, maybe even purposely so. It was as if he was trying to make her squirm.

"Ugh, stop it!" Whatever he was aiming for, it seemed to work. She grimaced in disgust, shrugging out from under his arm.

He let out an uncomfortably high pitched laugh, smile uncharacteristically forced. "I mean, why should I? That's what it is, isn't it? Another person lost their shit and we're gonna find someone's disassembled limbs underneath the floorboards, because that's the kind of shit school we signed up for." He was hyperactive, on edge. "Why did I even decide to come here. I didn't ask for this. Normal teenagers start garage bands and get girlfriends, apparently that would've been much for me!"

"Nobody's dead, we don't know that for sure--" said Hina as the same time that Celeste asked him, "You've read the Tell Tale Heart?"

Leon threw his hands up in the air, crying out in frustration. "I go to a school for crazy people!"

In the far corner of the room, I spotted Sayaka in quiet, rapt conversation with Toko. Upon meeting my eyes, she gasped so loud I could hear it across the room, rushing over to me in an instant.

"Mukuro!"

At once, I was ambushed by a crushing hug.

"Thank goodness, you're alright!" Her voice was muffled, face buried in my chest.

I could feel my face growing hot. "O-Of course I am," I said, unsure what to do with my hands, so I settled for patting her awkwardly on the back. "Why wouldn't I be?"