Next Danganronpa 4: Despair Beyond Hope

Ch. 6 "The Depths of Despair Versus The Peaks of Hope" - Volleyball Scare

I wasn't sure if I would be able to ever sleep again. After losing someone so close to me, I am so much on my mind. How am I going to be a leader for this group? How are we going to defeat to the mastermind? Am I enough to do this? Whether is was because I cried myself to sleep or because I thought too much, but eventually I fell asleep. My eyes closed, and after a while, I started to dream.

...

Next thing I knew I was in a classroom.

Yorua: Hey, Ari. Are you doing alright?

I noticed I was alone in the classroom with drool all over my face and the desk.

Ari: Yorua?

Yorua: Yes. That's me. Now, answer my question. Are you okay?

Remember play along or else it will get weird.

Ari: Sorry Yorua. I guess I fell asleep in class.

Yorua: Oh, Ari... it's fine. All we did was notes. I'll let you copy mine later.

Ari: Thank you so much.

Yorua: You'll have to wait until after the volleyball tournament.

Ari: The volleyball tournament?

Yorua: You didn't forget did you?

Ari: Umm... no?

Yorua: It's alright, I guess. I'll just have to remind you as we walk there. C'mon follow me.

Ari: Uh, okay?

Yorua took my arm and we began walking towards this volleyball tournament.

Ari: So what is this "volleyball tournament"?

Yorua: It's the yearly tournament where every class chooses four students to play volleyball for the class.

Ari: Oh, so who volunteered?

Yorua: You really don't remember?

Ari: Nope.

Yorua: Well, Hisato volunteered first, so then you volunteered to hang out with Hisato. Then, the class kind of peer pressured Kazutaka to do it. To make him feel better, I decided to join.

Ari: I volunteered?!?

Of course, I did.

Yorua: Yeah.

Why volleyball? Of all things it had to be volleyball?

Ari: So where are we heading?

Yorua: The gymnasium is the main place for the event. It will be be over the course of four days since there isn't a lot of room for games.

Ari: Gotcha. I feel bad because to be honest, I'm not very good with volleyball or sports for that matter.

Yorua: I'm not really good at them either so don't worry. Let's just have fun with it.

Ari: Okay.

Finally, we reached the gym.

The two of us entered and then saw everyone practicing volleyball for the tournament.

Hisato: There you guys are!

Yorua: Sorry! I was running behind!

Ari: Don't lie for me, Yorua. I fell asleep in class.

Kazutaka: ...

Kazutaka is being quiet and not making much contact. I don't know if that's normal for him in this universe or not.

Hisato: Are you guys excited for this?

Ari: Honestly, not really. But I'll do my best.

Yorua: Same here!

Hisato: That's all I can ask for.

Kazutaka: ...

Hisato: I think we have to go play our first game soon.

Ari: Alright.

Kazutaka: ...

Yorua: Let's do this!

We walked onto the court and saw the other team. I couldn't exactly make their faces out.

Hisato: C'mon guys! We got this!

We began to playing volleyball. I mainly just tried to hit the ball when it was coming my direction. However, I could never control it. Most points were scored by Hisato to be honest. Surprisingly, Yorua actually was pretty good when hitting the ball towards Hisato. Kazutaka did his best and tried to hit the ball, but sometimes was unsuccessful. We did our best, but we couldn't beat the other team. We lost by 10-25 our first set and 13-25 our second set.

Hisato: Good try, everyone!

Yorua: There's always next year and at least we tried!

Kazutaka: ... Did we all try?

Yorua: What do you mean? I think we all put effort.

Kazutaka: You two did, but did Ari?

Ari: It may not seem like I did, but honest, I did try my best. I'm just not very good.

Kazutaka: Did you even try to save us?

It felt like my dream switched from a gymnasium to a dark environment with only Kazutaka and I standing there.

Ari: Huh?

Kazutaka: Our lives were put into your foolish hands! Who thought you as our leader would be wise?

Ari: I'm sorry—

Kazutaka: You are the worst excuse for a leader. You pretend to feel sympathy for those you lost, but then forget about them the next day. You sent four of them to their deaths. Let the others of us die when you could've stopped it.

Kazutaka's different. This isn't the true Kazutaka. Or maybe... it is? Hisato said Kazutaka was acting different when they met at the classroom.

Hisato: Hey!

Everything went back to the way it was. Hisato saved me. Why can't I ever save him? He rescued me in the first trial, and he tried to protect us when he killed Kazutaka.

Hisato: It doesn't matter, Kazutaka. It's just a volleyball tournament. You're acting an high school athlete in gym class.

Kazutaka: Hmph...

Kazutaka: Whatever.

Kazutaka left the room, leaving Hisato, Yorua, and I and a bunch of strangers.

Yorua: Well, I gotta go home. Ari, don't let what Kazutaka said get to you, okay?

Ari: Thanks, Yorua. See ya!

Yorua was the next to leave.

Hisato: Seriously, don't take what Kazutaka said into account. You're a natural born leader.

Ari: But if I don't have you by my side, will I be?

Hisato: Of course, you'll be. Everyone else believes in you, so why don't you?

Those words lingered with me. I tried to say something back to Hisato, but I began to hear something else.

???: Miss Ari, are you alright?