"I finally found you, (y/n)!"

You were lounging in the library, textbooks and folders scattered all around the surface of the table you were at. Earlier that afternoon you had finished all your homework, but out of sheer laziness you left your supplies spread out on the table, picking up a novel to read until you were ultimately kicked out. There was still an hour left until the library closed when Kokichi plopped down across from you, his usual smile gracing his features.

You let out a sigh and set the book down, giving him the attention he demanded, "Hey Kokichi, what are you still doing here? School ended a while ago, shouldn't you have gone home by now?"

"(y/n)'s always so worried about me, I'm blushing," he joked, picking up one of your folders and mindlessly flipping through it, "I didn't feel like going home yet- woah, nice test score -so I decided to look for you, but I couldn't find you anywhere. I didn't know you went to the library after school."

"Yeah, I'm usually here every day. I don't feel like going home either, so I do my homework and relax until they kick me out," you explained, snatching back the folder and placing it in your backpack.

He leaned forward on his elbows, tilting his head to the side, "Why? Your house is so fun, I love going over there. Why don't you?"

"Well, I... I..." you trailed off, trying to put your thoughts into words. It was hard to explain what you felt so openly, especially to someone like Kokichi, but he was your best friend. He would understand, right? Taking a deep breath, you began, "Well, since my mom works late I'll be alone, and I kinda don't like being alone with myself. I get bad thoughts, I guess, so I come here for a distraction so I don't... nevermind. What I was saying was that it works for a while, but the library closes at five..."

His expression shifted slightly to where he almost looked worried. It changed back quickly as he leaned forward on his elbows, "I guess I'm gonna have to start coming over more, then."

Your eyes widened, shaking your head quickly, "Wait, no you don't have to! I don't want to bother you with this, it's just something stupid."

"Something stupid? The only thing that's stupid is you for thinking that. I want to hang out anyways. It gets totally boring after school when I have nothing to do, so what's better than spending time with you?"

Averting your eyes, you could feel your cheeks begin to heat up, "Alright, I guess. But are you really sure you want to? I meant it when I said you didn't have to, I'll be alright if I'm alone."

"I'm positive. Now let's get out of here, it's depressing. I heard this new arcade opened up downtown a few days ago and they have laser tag; I've been dying to check it out with you, but mostly so I can completely kick your ass. You know, they call me the laser tag king where I'm from."

You began to gather up your stuff, placing it in your backpack and zipping it up. Raising an eyebrow, you looked back to him skeptically, "Laser tag king? Okay, that's a lie."

"Yep, you know me so well (y/n)," he said, getting up from his seat and practically pulling you out of yours, "Now let's go, I'm getting impatient!"

With a smile you allowed him to lead you out of the library, almost too aware of how his hand lingered in yours even as you caught up to his pace.

"Rise and shine, ursine! This is an official announcement from the Ultimate Academy! It is now 8am, so please have a wonderful killing school semester today."

Rubbing your eyes, you blearily pulled yourself up from where you rested on your bed. Without even having to look, you could tell your hair was a mess. It wasn't a surprise, the previous night had been the roughest one since Kaede's execution. A bad feeling had made its way into the pit of your stomach earlier that evening, refusing to go away, leaving you in a state of unrest for several long hours. Constantly you were tossing and turning, frustration seeping it's way into your mind as you tried desperately to get some sleep. You couldn't tell what time it was when you finally did so, but the fatigue that clouded your head was a sign that it wasn't much.

Throwing the blanket from your legs, you noticed the monitor on the wall was still on. Usually it would just stop at the morning announcement, but as you watched it was clear that wasn't the case. After a bit of bickering between Monophanie and Monokid, Monosuke began to explain the reasoning behind their extended presence, "We dropped off some presents in your rooms, so make sure to take a good look at 'em. Well then, so long and bear well."

Confused, you took a glance around for anything out of the ordinary. At first you didn't spot a thing out of place, though a flash of color at the corner of your eye caught your attention. Sitting on the coffee table was a brightly colored tablet, similar to that of the of the Monopad and Monokuma File. With a groan you pulled yourself up, slowly making your way up to it.

Picking it up, you turned the colorful device around in your hands. The first thing you noticed was the fine print on the back, spelling out the words "Kubs Pad". You quirked an eyebrow at the name, but didn't question it so much as you tapped the screen. Instantly the tablet turned on, a video playing as soon as it did so.

Eerie music played in the background as your name appeared across the top, your silhouette outlined beside it. The worst part, however, was what the title described it as; your motive video.

Monokuma's dreadfully upbeat voice rang through the speakers, "Alright, back by popular demand is the motive video! Who's the most important person in your life? I wonder? Let's begin, let's begin!"

The picture on the screen suddenly changed, a photo of you and three other people replacing the previous display. It was one you recognized all too well. From the matching white outfits to the silly poses, it was from long before the game began. You could remember that afternoon it was taken like it had just happened yesterday.

It was during a skip day at your school a year beforehand, and Kokichi, as well as two of your closest friends, Kiyo and Hana, decided to wreak havoc at the local amusement park. It was the most fun you had for a while, being able to let loose and forget about all your stress. At the end of the day you had asked a stranger to take the picture for you, Kokichi's arm wrapped securely around your waist as the two girls stood beside you brandishing their most ridiculous faces. It was easily one of your most treasured photos.

"(y/n) (l/n), the Ultimate Hypnotist," Monokuma's voice spoke once again, "Due to her exceptional talent with the art of hypnosis, this young lady is already selling out full stadiums of people coming to see her shows. Impressive! But more than anything, this girl values her friendships above all. Growing up she lived quite the lonely life without having many friends, that is, until she joined the secret organization 'DICE' when she was fifteen years old. Ever since, the members, especially her two best friends, had become like family to her, but ..."

It changed again, and the scene before your eyes made you gasp. You and Kokichi were no longer in the picture, though your two other friends had remained. Instead of the fun and chaos of the amusement park raging in the background behind them, a dark wall took its place. Traces of blood smeared on the dark bricks, leading down to your worst fear. Kiyo and Hana were collapsed onto each other, their heads slumping together lifelessly. White uniforms were dyed red, blotches of deep maroon blooming over various parts of their bodies.

"Oh? But whatever happened to these poor girls? It's seems like they've met an un bear able outcome of some sort, but what caused it is a secret. Want to know what happened? Graduate and find out for yourself!

You felt your hands begin to shake with intensity as you dropped the tablet onto the carpet. What happened? Who had hurt them? Back at home they were your only solace from the stress of performing, and they were always there for you when you needed them. But as you remembered the horrid picture on the screen, you couldn't help but think of how you weren't able to be there for them.

It seemed that as soon as your tablet turned off, there was a knocking at your door. Taking a deep breath, you steadied the trembling that immobilized you and made you way over to it. Like you expected, Kokichi was standing outside, his Kubs Pad clutched in his hand with white knuckles.

"They have to be joking with this, right? There's no way I'd believe something would happen to my organization," he said, his voice not showing any fear. You would've believed it to be genuine, if not for how quickly the words came out, "Let me inside already, you have to see this laughable shit."

Obliging, you stepped aside and allowed him to take a seat on the chair in front of your coffee table. Scooping up your tablet from the ground, you sat on the arm of the chair and watched as he switched his on.

Just like yours, his started up with his name scrawled across the center, his silhouette displayed to the sides of the screen. After a moment it changed, a picture of the whole organization taking up the display. He stood proudly at the center, the rest of the members behind him striking various poses. You could see yourself near the back, your arm around Hana's shoulders as you smiled for the camera. It must've been from a month or two before you were put in the game.

Once again, Monokuma's voice sounded through the speakers, "Kokichi Ouma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader. He caused mayhem the world over as the leader of the secret organization, DICE. And by 'mayhem', I mean nonviolent crimes and harmless pranks." You let out a snort at this, but continued to watch nonetheless, "Anyway, with eleven loyal members working for him, they soon became like friends and family. The most important people in his life. But then..."

Just as suddenly as yours had, the screen had changed. Everyone except for you and Kokichi were locked behind bars, battered and bloodied. What was the worst, however, was the poses Hana and Kiyo were in. The same exact ones as your video, slumped together as blood stained their attire.

"A terrible event befell those precious people. What kind of a event? It's a secret! Graduate and find out for yourself!"

With that the screen went blank, the darkness reflecting your grim faces. His expression was unreadable, blank, but yours showed more fear than before. Curious, he quirked an eyebrow, "What's wrong? I already told you this has to be fake."

Not saying a word, you pushed your tablet into his hands and prompted him to watch the video. A fire of urgency filled your eyes, causing his heart to race. Just what was in there that made you so scared? Hesitantly, he tapped on the screen, watching it light up as your video played. At the end was when he caught it. Hana and Kiyo. They were identical to how they looked in his video. That had to be a coincidence, right?

"I swear to god, this better be a trick," you said, voice low in fear, "This has to be a trick. They couldn't just hurt a whole group of people like that. Right? There's no way the mastermind would be able to do that, is there?"

He shook his head, setting down both Kubs Pads on the coffee table, "No, they wouldn't be able to get away with this. Just think, if that many people went missing everyone would be in an uproar trying to find them. Not to mention the motive videos the others got. If something happened to their friends and families it would definitely bring suspicion."

"Yeah, that's right. They're definitely not stupid enough to actually harm them," you said, though it was mostly to calm yourself down. With a sigh you pulled yourself up from the arm of the chair, extending your hand out to him, "Do you think we should go and meet up with the others? They're probably in the dining hall by now."

He took it, tugging himself up beside you and straightening out his jacket, "Yeah, we should get going. Who knows how much those idiots are panicking."

Shoving both of the Kubs Pads into a backpack you found in your closet, you both left for the main building. As soon as you stepped into the hall, however, you ran into someone, Kokichi missing them completely as you collided with their chest. Letting out a surprised squeak, you stumbled backwards, being met with the startled face of Kaito. He flashed you an apologetic grin, "Oh, sorry about that (y/n). I was actually just coming to get you, we need everyone in the dining hall right now."

"Oh, we were actually about to head down there. Is this all about the motive videos?" you asked.

He nodded, "Yeah, the others asked me to go get everybody. Speaking of that, do you know where Miu is? I thought she'd be in her room but she wouldn't answer." He let out a small laugh, "I was ringing her door bell for like five minutes."

"She's probably in her lab, ever since it opened a few days ago she's been in there nonstop. But be careful when you go in there, I went to hang out with her yesterday and startled her so badly she threw a wrench at me," you explained, chuckling from the memory, "I guess she didn't hear me come in. Just be careful and you should be fine, save for a few blows to your ego."

"Nah, I'll be fine. A few insults can't hurt me, I'm a freaking astronaut for crying out loud. Well, I guess I'll get going. I'll see you both at the dining hall," he said, waving goodbye as he bounded out of the building to Miu's research lab.

You followed shortly after, Kokichi beside you as you made your way out of the dorms. Once you reached the outside, he turned to you, his face brandishing an impressed expression, "Wow, I didn't know you got long that well with Kaito. Am I going to be having some competition?"

"Nope, he's not really my type. I think I prefer supreme leaders," you joked, lightly nudging him, "Besides, I was just being friendly. Maybe you should try it sometime. But in all honesty, for some reason ever since the last trial I've been more sociable. I think it's my way of coping."

"Well if that so, then you and I are polar opposites. I've just been trying to distance myself from everyone here, besides you, of course. If I don't trust anyone, I won't be deceived," he explained, shoving his hands into his pockets nonchalantly.

You shot him a smirk. Even though you still shared a bit of that mentality with him, it was still fun to tease your boyfriend, "Woah, calm down there, edgelord. Don't start pullin' out the eyeliner. Wait a second, be quiet. What's that?" You held your hand up to your ear, "Is that... Welcome to the Black Parade? Yes, I can hear it clearly. It's coming right from you, Kokichi."

He shoved you back, causing you to stumble slightly, though you thankfully kept your footing. As you began up the stairs to the front entrance, he stopped you, "Remind me again why I'm with someone as stupid as you?"

"Because you like me," You teased, sticking out your tongue shortly after. He didn't retort, instead rolling his eyes as he continued up the steps. You stood in your spot for a moment, a triumphant grin spreading across your face, before starting after him in a sprint. Catching up in only a few seconds, you fell into step beside him and continued through the school in a relative silence.

Once you entered the dining hall, there weren't nearly as many people you expected. It seemed that only around half of the remaining class had been gathered, Kaito presumably retrieving the others. With a sigh you made your way up to the table, slinging your bag over the back of one of the chairs before taking a seat next to Shuichi. He glanced up briefly at the feeling of your presence, flashing you a smile that you gratefully returned.

One by one more people gathered in the dining hall, either taking seats or standing around the room. A chatter broke out amongst everyone, some talking about the videos while others spoke of nothing in particular. It was interesting to hear the conversations the others were having around you, listening to wild stories and amusing encounters. At one point, you ended up joining in on an exchange between Shuichi and Kaito (who had just returned), learning more about each of their Ultimates. Overall, it was fairly pleasant.

Finally, after what felt like forever, the last person arrived so you could start with the real topic at hand. Maki was the first one to talk, looking to Kaito curiously, "So what is it? Why did you drag us here?"

"Didn't I tell you? It's about the Kubs Pads, we can't not talk about them," he explained, "I don't know what exactly they are, but there's no doubt they're more motives from Monokuma. I'm just wondering why the hell they were all mixed up."

As soon as you heard that you could feel the confusion fill your mind. Trying not to draw attention to yourself, you carefully nudged Kokichi beside you, whispering to him in a low voice, "What does he mean? Mixed up? I thought we each got our own, did theirs get swapped around?"

"I'm guessing so, but that's really strange. We got our videos, but no one else that we know of got their own. I feel like this was done on purpose," he muttered back, "But for what purpose, I don't know."

Kiibo interrupted your small conversation, speaking in a worried tone to the whole group, "We cannot exchange the videos. Although we do not know why our motives were mixed up, as long as we don't exchange them, we don't have to see our motives at all."

"That's true, if we ignore them then we won't have a motive," Tenko said, "Then Monokuma's plan for us to kill again would be ruined."

Almost immediately Ryoma stepped up, "I'm against that."

"Huh? Against it? Why? If you see that video, it'll turn into a motive, right?" Tsumugi asked, her face showing the confusion everyone was feeling. Why would he be against it?

He gave a curt nod, "That's why I want to see it."

"You were saying something like that before," Kaito started, crossing his arms in anger, "That you don't plan on surviving. It might not matter to you whether you get killed or not, but we're different! We all want to live! Wake up already! You're like some zombie wandering around with no will to live!"

Ryoma shook his head, "No will to live, huh? Hmph, if that's how you see me, then so be it. But I've got no plans to change my opinion. That's just not cool."

"What did you say!?"

"Who cares?" Kokichi interrupted, kicking his feet up on the table. He waited for a moment to continue, taking in the others puzzled expressions, "Ryoma just stated his opinion. Actually, I feel the same way as him."

Kiibo shot him a glare, "Are you trying to cause trouble again?"

"No, don't get the wrong idea. I'm not saying we shouldn't care about killing or dying, but I think it'd be better if we didn't cooperate with each other. Actually, we definitely shouldn't cooperate with each other," he explained, a smirk forming on his lips, "Think back to all of Monokuma's actions so far. Whenever we tried to work together, Monokuma would retaliate with a plan to make us suffer. It happened when Kaede wanted us to cooperate, and again with these motive videos, right? Which means, the more we try to cooperate, the more he'll try to make us suffer."

It was silent for a few minutes, Kirumi being the first to speak up, "You are saying that if we do not rally together, we will not be made to suffer?"

"Yep! That's why I had no choice but to screw with you guys, but you ingrates didn't even notice," he taunted.

From your other side, you noticed Shuichi stiffen, "And you're not lying to us right now?"

"Whether I'm lying or not, what I'm saying is still true. Anyway, we shouldn't force ourselves to cooperate, let's just all do our own thing. Anyways, I'm warning you all for your sake, let's just exchange our motive videos instead of cooperating with each other."

Kiibo cocked his head to the side in confusion, "I cannot comprehend that logic."

"Whatever. Well, now that I've said I won't cooperate I can't afford to be seen with you losers. C'mon, Gonta. Let's go," he said, pulling himself up from his chair and motioning for Gonta to follow.

Gonta seemed puzzled but did as he asked, pushing his chair back and standing, "What? Gonta too?"

"We promised to think of a way to get everyone to exchange their motive videos, remember? Anyway, Kirumi, I'll hit you up when I'm feeling hungry," Kokichi said, leaving the room with Gonta in tow. As they passed you could faintly hear Gonta mumbling to himself, wondering when he had ever made a promise. You covered your mouth with your hand, stifling the quiet laugh that came from it.

A moment later Maki stood as well, "So are we all done here? Because I'm leaving. Kirumi, bring me my dinner later."

"I'm heading out too. Kirumi, could I get you to clean my room later?" Ryoma requested, turning on his heel and strolling out the doors.

Tsumugi sighed, resting her head in her hand, "You guys are relying on Kirumi too much. You're going to overwhelm her."

"I do not mind, serving others is the true desire of any maid," Kirumi said, though the way she spoke sounded strained. She may have loved her job, though you could tell the workload piling up was getting stressful.

Pushing back your chair, you pulled yourself up and straightened out your skirt, "Okay, I think I'm gonna get going as well. Don't worry Kirumi, I won't ask you to do anything for me. But if anyone needs me I'll probably be in my room."

The others said their goodbyes, a few promising to stop by sometime during the day, before you left. Their comments made you happy in a way, knowing most of them considered you a friend, though a part of you felt wary. Maybe Kokichi's way of thinking was right. If you stayed close to them, would you end up getting betrayed? Should you just try to distance yourself like you had before Rantaro and Kaede's deaths?

And just what exactly was Kokichi planning? Though you hadn't voiced it back in the dining hall, you couldn't help but agree with his ideas of exchanging the motive videos. Considering how you both had gotten your own, it would only be fair if the others received theirs as well. But even though the others rejected him, you knew he wouldn't give up so easily. So what on Earth was he plotting?

As those thoughts whirled around in your mind, you failed to notice where you had ended up. Your feet had taken you past the dorms, now heading down the trail to Miu's lab. Not that you minded all too much, Miu was an interesting girl, but why did your subconscious take you to her, of all people? With a shrug, you continued, knocking on the door gingerly.

A moment passed before she swung open the door, an angry scowl on her face, "What do you want, bitch? Are you here to scare me with that ugly face of yours like you did yesterday?"

You tried not to let her words affect you as you answered, "No, actually, I wanted to hang out. If that's alright with you, that is."

"Oh? Well I mean, I guess that's okay..." she trailed off, her face turning a light shade of pink. You guessed she didn't get many people wanting to spend time with her. Like a switch was flipped, she was back to her usual self, pulling you inside her lab, "Well, since you caught me in a good mood I'll show you my inventions! Follow me!"

Stumbling slightly, you allowed her to lead you to the center of the lab. The day prior you were too busy dodging the wrench Miu threw to get a good look around the room, but now that you were fully inside you couldn't help but gasp. The place was huge, various gadgets and tools hung up on the walls. In the center of it all was a table, one side more elevated than the other. It was far more extraordinary than you ever could've imagined.

Miu let out a loud laugh, "I see you like the place, huh? Well, of course you would, it's the lab of Miu-freaking-Iruma!"

"I have to admit, this is pretty cool. So, what kind of stuff do you invent?" you asked, your eyes still wandering around the room. Various wires ran across the floor, and an assortment of chemicals and beakers sat at a table off to the side.

"I'm glad you asked, I'll show ya!" she exclaimed, running off to grab something off one of the counters. It was large metal object, a screen on one side, "This baby is the first invention I created here, I call it the 'Hookup Counter'!"

You raised an eyebrow, "So, by the name I'm guessing it tells you how many people I've slept with?"

"Bingo! You're a lot smarter than that dumb face makes you look, (y/n). But let's test it out and see how many people you fucked!" she said, pointing the sensor at you before you could stop her. After a moment you heard a beeping, presumably giving her the result. She smirked, looking up from the device, "Huh, not too bad. So, who was it?"

Your cheeks flared a bright red as you covered the lower half of you face with your hand, "Um, an old boyfriend..."

It wasn't exactly a lie, but she didn't catch it either way. Letting out another laugh, she slung her arm around your shoulders, "But was it good? That's the real question here, it hardly counts as getting fucked if it ain't good!"

"I'd say it was pretty fun, but what about you, Miu? How many people have you-"

"Okay, on to the next invention!" she cut you off, hurriedly running to grab something else. You followed her this time to her table of inventions, looking over the plethora of metal and parts in awe. It was an achievement enough for her to be able to find anything in the mess, let alone create inventions. After a moment of sorting through it she found what she was looking for, holding up a ray gun. It was like something out of a science fiction movie.

She aimed it towards you, grinning from ear to ear, "This baby'll teleport underwear in a flash! I call it the 'Goin' Commando' gun! Just point this light at a pair of underwear, and you can send it anywhere you want! Whaddaya think!? Cool shit, right!?"

"Oh my god, try it on me," you asked, taking a step closer. If it could really teleport objects, you wanted to experience it firsthand.

Her eyes widened and she turned away from you, a sudden timidness about her, "W-What? No, I don't want you gross underwear! Who do you think I am, some kind of fucking pervert?"
"Miu, you made a gun specifically for the purpose of teleporting people's underwear," you pointed out, a giggle escaping your lips, "Even though they are a bit perverted, I have to say, your inventions are pretty cool. It's not every day you see a sensor that tell you how many people a person has slept with."

She seemed to brighten up at this, giving you a smirk, "Of course they're cool, they came from my mind!" She paused, taking a step closer to you, "Y'know, you're pretty alright (y/n); I'll treat you real good from now on! I mean, I'm not opposed to girls-"

Before she could finish, a knocking sounded from the lab door. Letting out a groan of announce, Miu stomped over to it, you close behind. Much like she had done with you, she threw open the door, glaring at the person who disturbed her. Timidly at the doorstep was Shuichi, jumping back when he saw her expression, "Oh, um, Himiko and Angie wanted me to get the word out that they're having a magic show tomorrow morning in the gym to lift everyone's spirits. They need a little help setting up tonight, so if you can they'd like a few extra hands."

"Oh, sorry but-"

"Nah, I've got better things to do than set up for some lame-ass magic show! This beautiful mind had things to invent!" Miu exclaimed, slamming the door before he could even get another word in.

You gave her a low whistle, "Savage. You know, a simple 'no thanks' would have sufficed. Poor Shuichi is probably scared to death."

"Whatever, it's not like I care anyways. I wasn't lying, I have better things to do. Now what should I invent, (y/n)? And don't give me any shitty answers! I'm trusting you, so I only want the best ideas, you hear me!?" she asked, taking a seat on one of the many chairs around the room.

You sat down next to her, tapping your chin i thought, "Hm, well you made the Hookup Counter, how about something that tells you the kinks of the person you point it at?"

Her eyes lit up and she instantly grabbed a pencil and paper, "You're a genius, why didn't I think of that!? This is going to be so fucking cool, (y/n)!"

A smile tugged at your lips as you sat back, watching her frantically doodle a blueprint for the device. You were right to come here, something about her eccentric personality was incredibly entertaining to you. It helped keep you mind off the motive video, instead focusing on the weird and sexual conversations she initiated. It wasn't that bad, though. In a way, she reminded you of your old friends, though with less of a filter.

It felt like forever as you sat there and talked, from either joking back and forth to delving into deeper topics. Even though the others had somewhat of a negative opinion about Miu, after a while you seemed to get along with her really well. She even toned down her more boisterous attitude with you, continuing to sit and chat even after the blueprint was long done.

You could've stayed there all night, had it not been for the rumbling you felt in your stomach. Bidding her goodbye, you left her lab and started to head over to the dining hall in hopes that there would be leftovers from the dinner Kirumi made.

The sun was just beginning to set over the horizon, giving the whole area a golden glow. It was quite pretty, if you had to be honest. A part of you wished you were blessed with the artistic ability Angie had, just so you could paint the sky. Stopping for a moment, you took a deep breath. Times like this were... peaceful. There was no worrying, no distrust. Just you alone with the fresh air of the outdoors, warmth from the sun hitting your skin.

Silence. It was comforting, even pleasant in a way. There was no talking, no noise except for the whispers of wind blowing through the courtyard. Smiling, you continued to the main building of the academy, only getting to the dorms before you stopped again. Shuichi had just sprinted out of the doors, a frantic look in his eyes. Spotting you across the way, he ran up to you, "(y/n)!"

"What? What's going on? What are you running!?" you asked, peering over his shoulder into the dorms to try and get some answers.

He did the same, though in a more paranoid manner, "Gonta... something happened. I just missed him, but it seems like he's gone into a rage. He's been checking all the rooms, I think he's trying to catch everyone. We have to get out of here before he finds us."

Just as he said that, the doors to the dormitories flew open as Gonta barreled out of them, coming to a stop right before the two of you. You let out a gasp, he had a different aura to him. It was almost as if you could feel the rage radiating off of his body. Narrowing his eyes, he looked between you two, "There you are... hey, where are you going?"

Shuichi grabbed your wrist and turned to run, pulling you after him. In seconds you caught up to his pace, but it was no use. You could hear Gonta's heavy footsteps behind you, before it all went black. There was no impact, you didn't even have time to think before you lost consciousness. It was as if you were thrown into oblivion in an instant, the only thing greeting you being darkness.

When you awoke you were greeted with the sensation of someone lightly hitting your face, as if they were trying to wake you up. In the background you could hear faint whispering from two voices, one of which with anger laced in their words. Curious, you tuned in on their hushed conversation.

"Why the hell did you knock her out, idiot? She's a girl, you don't go around knocking girls unconcious!" the first voice scolded. He sounded closer to you, most likely belonging to the person trying to wake you up. He paused his actions, his hand resting almost affectionately on your shoulder, "Especially not this one, I told you not to hurt (y/n)."

The second sounded more distant, but still near enough for you to hear him whisper, "Sorry, but she was running away with Shuichi. Gonta tried to slow down, but Gonta ended up running into them both."

So the second was Gonta, you thought. From the way he spoke, you could tell he didn't mean to harm you, but the first voice wasn't having it. He huffed, irritation clear in his tone, "Just go and get the others, I'll deal with this."

With that, you heard footsteps leaving the area, the opening and closing of a door soon after. The stranger muttered a few curses to himself, resuming his attempt at waking you up. After a moment you gave an annoyed groan, slapping their hand away and opening your eyes, being met with Kokichi's grinning face hovering over you.

"Morning, sleepyhead! You're finally up, (y/n)!" he exclaimed, moving his hand to rest on your shoulder once again. Unlike before, however, he fondly ran his thumb over the fabric of your shirt.

As your eyes adjusted to the brightness around you the shades of green in the room became clearer. Scrunching your eyebrows together, you started, "Huh? Where am-"

Before you could finish he let out a laugh, bringing his face closer to yours, "Wait, are you gonna ask 'who am I?' and 'where am I?' Well, you're definitely (y/n) (l/n), and this place is... I guess, hell."

"Hell?" you asked, sitting up and pushing him aside. Surrounding you was thick greenery, but unlike what coated most of the school, this was purposeful. Covering the walls were various pictures of different insects, as well as a plethora of containers most likely holding just that. You stiffened at the sight, "Is this...?"

"Oh, you're awake? You were knocked out for a lot longer than Shuichi was. This is the Ultimate Entomologist's research lab," A voice from behind you explained. Turning around, you saw the worried face of Tsumugi, as well as five other people trapped in the lab.

You pulled yourself up from the ground, a pain blooming from the side of your head. Letting out a hiss of pain, you placed your hand over the throbbing area, "Gonta's lab? But... oh wait, I was attacked by Gonta, and then..."

"The same is true of the rest of us. We were all seized by Gonta and brought here," Korekiyo explained, "Though you and Shuichi were the only ones to get knocked out."

"Gonta apologized for that," Kiibo added quickly, worried you would get upset, "Apparently he couldn't slow down in time when he tried to grab you."

You shook your head, though doing so made the painful throbbing worse. Gritting your teeth, you continued through the pain, "I'm not even worried about that, I'm just confused. Why did Gonta do this?"

"It's because of that guy. He was provoked by... him ," Tsumugi replied, her voice wary as she pointed behind you.

Following her gaze, you almost laughed at who she was referring to. Kokichi flashed you a smile, his hands relaxing behind his head as he spoke, "There's no use trying to escape. Gonta will just catch you again." He let out a chuckle, "He's so simple-minded. As soon as I told him that everyone who hates bugs was trying to get rid of them, he started crying and said that he would get you guys to love bugs, or something like that. And that's why we're all here! Welcome to the mandatory Insect Meet and Greet!"

Tsumugi narrowed her eyes at him, "You're terrible, you tricked Gonta."

"Isn't it great!? Only an evil supreme leader like me could do something so evil!" he exclaimed, "Oh, but the reason you're all here is simple. I thought we could throw ourselves a little screening party with all our videos. With all of you here, exchanging our motive videos wouldn't be that difficult at all. And I wanna see your videos, too, so I figured we could all binge-watch them together!"

Just as he said that, Gonta returned, holding both Himiko and Angie by the arm. He let them go as soon as the door closed, both looking around in confusion, "Thank you for waiting! Gonta brought Himiko and Angie!"

Angie deflated, disappointment flashing across her features, "Aw man, and I was just about to take a break, too. I just finished all the prepwork for the show."

"What's the meaning of this," Himiko asked, a similar expression on her face.

Kokichi ignored them both, raising an eyebrow as he turned to Gonta, "Hey, are these the only ones you brought back from the gym?"

"Oh, Kirumi was at the gym but she told Gonta she was too busy," He explained, "Sorry, not even Gonta is strong enough to overcome Kirumi."

"Hm, well I guess at least one of you is worthy of being called an Ultimate. Welp, nothing we can do about her. Are the others still hiding somewhere?" Kokichi asked.

"Oh, Gonta saw Miu but... Gonta's face got red hot. So, Gonta could not bring her. She used her... what did she call it? 'Secret woman weapon'? And then- Anyway, this is enough people, right? Insect Meet and Greet is off to smashing start!" Gonta said, his eyes lighting up. You could see his gaze flashing towards the insect containers in excitement, causing your heart to race.

Kokichi surveyed the room and nodded, "Yeah, sure. This is good enough. We should move on to the main event, anyway. Now, Gonta, go ahead and teach them just how wonderful bugs are. I gotta run an errand, but I'll be back. Don't let any of them leave, alright?" His gaze flickered over to you, "Actually, scratch that. I'm taking (y/n) with me, so don't let anyone but her leave, 'kay?"

"Wait, you're leaving?" Shuichi asked, taking a protective step closer to you. It was obvious he was uneasy about you, or anyone for that matter, going with Kokichi, but you couldn't be more relieved.

"Of course. Someone's gotta break into your rooms to get the goods," he explained, mimicking Shuichi and moving closer to you as well, "Lock picking is a cinch for someone like me, and (y/n) can go into the girls rooms for me. Now let's see, it's exactly nine p.m. right now. We should be back by nighttime. Welp, have fun with the bugs 'till then!"

With that, he grabbed your arm before anyone could object and tugged you out of the classroom, soundly shutting the door behind him. Instead of taking off like you expected him to, he stood with his back to the door, prompting you to do the same. He held a finger up to his lips, and seconds later several screams ripped through the silence. The fluttering of a multitude of wings accompanied it, sending a shiver up your spine. Oh how glad you were to be with Kokichi.

His hand moved from your arm to intertwine with yours, kicking off from the door and starting down the hall. He let out a chuckle as you fell into step beside him, "Aren't you happy you're dating me? I honestly could do this alone, but I know how freaked out you get over bugs so I decided to spare you from that whole mess. Originally, I was going to ask Gonta not to get you at all, but I thought that would look even more suspicious." He paused for a moment, gazing at you with sincerity, "Speaking of that, how's your head feeling?"

"Oh, my head?" you asked. You had completely forgotten about the pain that bloomed from your temple earlier, the situation providing you a distraction from it. But fortunately for you, it had seemed to go away during that time, "I think I'm alright, it doesn't hurt anymore."

He stopped, reaching over and brushing a lock of hair behind your ear. His eyebrows scrunched together at the sight of your temple, gently running his thumb over the area, "You're starting to bruise."

"I'm fine, I'll just tell people I got into a fight. Then they'll think I'm cool," you joked, waving his hand away.

"Oh, they'll never think you're cool, (y/n). Why would they believe something that isn't true?" he shot back, his look of sincerity traded for one more mischievous.

Instead of retorting you rolled your eyes and continued your walk back to the dorms, him catching up soon after. Unlike before, this time he wrapped his arm around your waist, keeping you close. Just the action alone was enough to bring you nostalgia, the feeling of him so near sending your mind back before you were plunged into this game. At your old high school he was always very affectionate, even before you were in a relationship.

Letting out a sigh, you leaned your head on his shoulder, "Do you remember the day I confessed to you?"

"Wait, you confessed to me!? When did that happen?" he teased, a smirk tugging at his lips as he pressed a chaste kiss to your cheek, "Of course, that's just a lie. How could I forget that flustered face of yours? You were blushing so much, it was adorable."

You playfully nudged him, "Shut up, you weren't any better! When I told you how I felt, your entire face went red!"

"Nope, I don't remember that happening. I do, however, remember that little speech you gave me. What did you say again? Something along the lines of, 'I've liked you for the longest time, Kokichi! Every time I think of you my heart starts fluttering-'"

"Hey, I never said something as cliche as that!"

"Are you sure? 'Cause that's what I heard. It's clear as day in my mind; you pulled me into a classroom one day after school and confessed your feelings in the light of the sunset. And I gracefully accepted, sweeping you of your feet."

"What is this, some kind of shoujo anime? Did I also leave a love letter in your shoe locker? Dot all my 'I's with hearts?" you asked, letting out a giggle as you leaned in closer to him, "I miss those days, though. I never thought we'd have to hide our relationship. It kinda makes me regret not taking advantage of PDA while I still could."

He paused, turning to face you as he tugged you closer. With a grin he pressed a quick kiss to your lips, pulling away before you had time to react, "What? Do you miss when I used to walk you to class?" His lips met yours again, more passionate this time, "How we used to hold hands in the hallway?" Another kiss. He began to lead you backwards, chuckling at your surprise, "When we would skip class and sneak into the bathrooms... alone?"

He had you pinned against the wall, his hands holding your wrists above your head. His lips ghosted over yours as he pressed his knee between your legs, voice lowing to a whisper, "Does this feel familiar?"

"You know I usually wouldn't be opposed to this," you started, gasping as his lips found their way to your neck, his leg pressing harder at the area between yours, "But don't we still have to steal those motive videos? You promised the others we'd be back by nighttime..."

His teeth gently bit down on the exposed skin of your collarbone, causing your breathing to hitch. There was no doubt it was going to leave a mark, but that was exactly what he wanted. Letting go of your wrists, he ran his hands down your body, allowing one to trail underneath your shirt, "They can wait a bit longer, it's not going to kill them. Or... do you want me to stop? 'Cause I will, if that's what you really want."

He began to pull away, a teasing smirk on his lips, but you just tugged him closer. Your mind was in a haze, eyes half-lidded as you wrapped your arms around his shoulders, "No, don't."

"Alright, anything for my princess," he purred, kissing you once more. This time it was rougher, almost needy, as your hands found their way to his hair, tangling in his long violet locks. You playfully gave his hair a gentle tug, eliciting a quiet moan from his lips. In response, his free hand traced downwards, teasingly rubbing at your inner thigh.

All of the sudden he pulled away, raising an eyebrow as he looked around in confusion. You opened your mouth to ask what was wrong, though he placed his finger over your lips to prevent you from speaking, "I think I hear someone coming."

As if on cue, the sound of heels clicked against the stone floor resonated throughout the dark hallway. Kokichi jumped back, grabbing the sleeve of your shirt and pulling you after him, pretending to walk down the hallway as if nothing had ever happened. You followed suit, straightening out your clothes before you could be met with the stranger.

As the heels got louder, the outline of the stranger became more clear. A flowy dress, accompanied by short hair and dark gloves. Kirumi. She appeared to notice the two of you as well, narrowing her eyes and quickening her pace. You stiffened, almost positive you had been caught red-handed.

"What exactly are you two doing out here this late?" She asked as she approached you, her expression stern, "It's nearly nighttime, what kind of business do you have on the second floor at this hour?"

The way she spoke, it was almost as if she was one of your teachers as opposed to your peer. You could feel yourself shying away from her cold stare, stuttering out an excuse, "Um, we were just-"

"Making out. Yeah we were totally going at it, tongues and all," Kokichi interrupted, his face unreadable. The way he said it, you couldn't help but give him credit. Though it was the truth, his tone made it sound like an obvious lie, one fabricated by him just for fun. It was clever, though you'd never admit it out loud.

Kirumi, however, wasn't impressed. She took a step closer, giving you a glare that sent shivers down your spine, "No, what were you reallydoing? It is completely irresponsible to be wandering around the academy this late, especially considering the circumstances."

"I told you what we were doing, or did you think it was a lie? I guess there's no way to know for sure, now is there?" he said, a grin spreading over his features, "Well, we're gonna have to get going. Got more places to make out at, you know? See ya!"

Without waiting for a response he took off, you close in tow. Together you bounded down the stairs, rushing through the vacant corridors until you reached the entrance hall, stopping for a moment to catch your breath. No footsteps could be heard from around you, thankfully Kirumi hadn't followed. With a shared sigh of relief the two of you made your way outside, starting towards the dormitories like you had originally planned to.

From there, getting the motive videos was easy. You already had both of yours in the backpack you had slung around your shoulders, so the only thing you needed to do was get the others. From experience you knew how skilled Kokichi was at picking locks, watching him open each door with ease. After he did so, he'd run in and grab the tablet, placing it in your backpack with the others for safekeeping.

In all, it only took around a half an hour to retrieve them all, though during that time the nighttime announcement had already been made. A part of you felt guilty for leaving the others in the Insect Meet and Greet for that long, but you were mostly relieved you didn't have to experience it for yourself. Though it was selfish, for you, the longer you were away from bugs, the better. To the point where after Kokichi had retrieved the last video, you nearly requested to be left behind, the thought of all those insects swarming around making your stomach drop.

In the end you decided not to abandon your classmates, reluctantly returning to Gonta's lab. As soon as you reached the door you could feel your heart begin to race, hearing the fluttering of the many different insects still flying around through the air. Bracing yourself, you watched as Kokichi pushed open the doors, clenching your fist as you followed him inside.

It seemed as if your classmates had given up, laying on the floor with tired eyes, too fatigued to fight back. Kokichi surveyed the area, visibly tensing up at the sight, "There are bugs everywhere! How nast- I mean, how nice!"

"Oh, you both came back! Come, we have fun! We're gonna have so much fun!" Gonta exclaimed, his face lighting up.

Kokichi scrunched up his nose, dodging an insect that flew near his face, "You know, as much as I'd love to do that, maybe we should call it a day, hm? The bugs look really tired, and a gentleman knows to do things in moderation, you know? So you clean up while I take care of business with the others."

Gonta nodded in compliance, and with that Kokichi turned to the others, placing his hands behind his head nonchalantly, "You guys okay? You all look like drowned sewer rats."

"That's because you're late! You said you'd be back by nighttime, but it's almost eleven p.m. now," Tsumugi said, eyebrows furrowing in annoyance.

Kokichi just let out a laugh, gesturing for you to take off your backpack. Obliging, you handed it over to him, allowing him to unzip it and pull out a few of the tablets, "Sorry, we ran into an unexpected snafu. But look, Kubs Pads! I even got the pads belonging to the people who aren't here! Now everyone can watch their motive video!"

"We said we don't want to," Tsumugi snapped.

"Well, it's late and I'm getting sleepy! So let's start already," He insisted, switching on the first one in his hand. Peering over his shoulder, you watched as it played for a moment, only to be turned off a second later. No one else seemed to notice, but you could tell it was his own.

Before he could play a different one, Kiibo stepped forward, "That's it! I won't let you do as you please! I didn't want to use this unless I absolutely had to- it eats up a lot of my electricity -but that's neither here nor there! I will stop you right here, right now!"

His eyes locked with Kokichi's, a dark glare gracing his features. His hand moved upwards, slowly reaching behind his ear to spin a mechanical dial. As he did so, various parts of his body began to glow, emitting a bright blue light throughout the room. After a moment, a high pitched squeaking sound came from the dial, similar to that of a tape being rewinded.

"Okay, right... there!" Kiibo said, pushing his palm against the dial. The squeaking stopped, instead being replaced with a very familiar voice.

"There's no use trying to escape, Gonta will just catch you again. He's so simple-minded. As soon as I told him that everyone who hates bugs was trying to get rid of them, he started crying and said that he would get you guys to love bugs, or something like that."

With that, Kiibo stopped the recording, looking up with a proud face, "So, what do you think!? You just saw my audio recording function for the first time!"

"Kokichi. What do you mean? Do you... not like bugs?" Gonta asked, his face filled with fury, "You say we would get them to understand how amazing bugs are. Was that a lie?"

You took a step away from Kokichi, watching as he looked at his nails, seemingly not concerned, "I wouldn't lie to you. I love bugs from the bottom of my heart!"

"Oh, so it's not a lie. Then Gonta is happy. Let's have fun with bugs all night! Who wants to pet more bugs!?" Gonta exclaimed.

Kokichi's face went stark white as Gonta moved to the lines of containers that filled the wall, prepared to open them at any minute. Before he could, Kiibo yelled out, "We must run while we still can! Someone grab the Kubs Pads and let's get out of here!"

Without a second thought Tenko grabbed your backpack from Kokichi's arms, bolting out of the room with the rest of you following shortly after. You stood frozen for a moment, but thankfully Shuchi pulled you out of your daze, grasping the sleeve of your shirt and tugging you after him. Stumbling for a moment, you quickly gained speed and made it out, the doors slamming shut a moment after.

As you steadied your breathing you braced your hands on your knees, the hall so quiet you could hear the muffled screaming coming from Kokichi inside. A twinge of pity went through you, but you kept it internalized. Though he was your boyfriend, you had to admit it was pretty comical.

Once everyone caught their breath Tenko was the first to speak, holding up your backpack curiously, "So, how do we return these Kubs Pads back to their rightful owners?"

"Hm, if only the Monokubs were here. I'm sure they'd help us," Angie mused.

As if on cue, Monodam appeared before you alone. It was a strange sight, being as he was usually accompanied by all the other Monokubs, though he quickly cleared it up, noticing your confused expressions, "THE-OTHERS-ARE-ASLEEP. IF-YOU-NEED-SOMETHING-I-CAN-HELP-YOU."

"Um, it's about the Kubs Pads. Kokichi brought them to us and..." Shuichi trailed off, gesturing to the backpack in Tenko's arms.

"I-SIMPLY-NEED-TO-RETURN-THEM. I-WILL-RETURN-EACH-ONE-TO-YOUR-RESPECTIVE-ROOMS, YOU-BASTARDS," He responded, taking the backpack before anyone could object and disappearing without a trace.

Shuichi took a step back, shaking his head, "Well, that was abrupt. Should we go back to our dorms? It's way past nighttime."

"That's true! We have the magic show tomorrow morning!" Angie exclaimed, letting out her signature laugh, "We didn't have time to do a rehearsal, but Atua is telling me it will be a divine show! We'll be waiting for you to come watch!"

"Yeah definitely, I can't wait!" you said, flashing a smile to the two girls. You had to admit, seeing a magic show performed by the Ultimate Magician would most definitely be interesting, and you'd be lying if you said you weren't excited.

With a few final words everyone went off to bed, filled with fatigue from the long day and the night your boyfriend had put them through. As you walked, you noticed the excited chatter from Angie and Himiko behind you, undoubtedly about the show, and the occasional grumble coming from Tenko. You let out a chuckle, the poor girls crush was clear as day. It was cute, in a way, reminding you of how you used behave around Kokichi before your relationship.

Everyone parted once inside the dorms, going off to their respective rooms with a chaste "goodnight". As soon as you got inside you flopped down in your bed, head filled with enthusiasm for the next morning as you felt your eyes flutter closed from exhaustion. Finally, everyone would have a fun distraction from this killing game.

-----

You couldn't be more wrong.

The next morning as you stood in the gym, nervously chatting with Shuichi about the extremity of the trick Himiko was performing, you witnessed something that made you wish you had stayed in your dorm.

As floating in the tank where Himiko had once been was Ryoma. Limp. Lifeless. Unresisting as the piranhas that surrounded him feasted on his flesh, showing no mercy until his body was just bones.

That morning, you screamed.

Fourteen/Seventeen