A sense of non-belonging... A hazy mind... Have you ever felt like you can't quite grasp the world you've been placed in? Ever gone to stand up only to forget why you ever did? What would it be like if you never remembered?
And never remembered... 5/16 remaining....
Someone stand ahead of the group of five, grinning. Dressed in stripes, a toque on their head, they look back at five disheveled faces. Heās a bit banged up in places and his clothes have seen better days but he seems to be in a good enough mood.
Everyone turns to glance at Atsuko who seems to be in thought for a bit before speaking up once more.
āWeāre... well, weāre all grown up now, right? It seems... like a waste. We missed out on a lot of stuff.ā
Itās hard to know what to make of that. While it is true, itās not like much can be done about that now. She seems to shuffle on the spot, a troubled look on her face.
āI know... thereās nothing we can do about that now but it feels so... sudden. Incomplete. Like... I wish we could do something.ā
Izo, whoād been leaning on a wall flicks open his tired eyes and offers an almost gentle shrug.
āLike a graduation?ā
ā... Yeah! Yeah, like that! Cāmon guys, letās-- letās do it properly!ā
[ā«ā«ā«ā«]
Atsuko ushers them all together. Yasu arrives at her side first, followed by Izo. Sachi gives Yuichi a sort of āit canāt be helpedā look and joins them. Yuichiās hand remains on the door for a good few seconds before he, too, joins them. The five of them together.
āOkay you guys, all together.ā
Atsuko takes a deep breath. Perhaps they all do.
āHopeās Peak Class 1-A is proud to graduate! Sensei, Midou-san, thank you for everything!ā
Their hands all rise to the air and, despite everything, they manage to smile, even laugh a little.
āIām thankful for the friends I made over the last couple of years!ā Yasu begins to speak up once more.Ā āI know theyāll be here fore~ver and ever!ā
ā... I-Iām g-g-grateful for... the c-courage and k-kn-knowledge I gained, I g-g-guess...ā
ā... Iām happy I donāt feel the need to. Hide who I am and what I look like anymore.ā
āOh! Oh! Iām thankful for all the fun times we had before! All the festivals and the games!ā
The four look to the only one who hasnāt spoken. Whoās... in fact, sniffling a bit. He quickly rubs at his eyes and glares.
āD-donāt give me that look!ā
āItās your turn, Yewitchy!~
ā... I-I wonāt take part!ā
āCome on, we all did it.ā
āT-thatās right. Together.ā
āDonāt back out on us now!ā
He makes a disappointed click of his tongue before looking away from them all, instead opting to adjust his glasses.
āIām... t...hankful for... thankful... no, Iām hopeful... for the future.ā
Somehow that answer feels right and the others, flash their companion reassuring smiles.
Perhaps out of embarrassment or perhaps because the timing really does feel right, Yuichi zips to the door and opens it for real. The sunlight pours onto the white floor, painting it a beautiful golden and for the first time in years, the five kids see real sunlight. Stepping outside on the pavement, they spy overgrown grass surrounding the path and growing on the outside wall of the hospital.
Just as LISE promised, the building sparks in places and windows are blown out as smoke blows out through the hollowed out hospital husk. It really is the end of Shiawase Hospital.
As for whatās out there...
Time will tell.
But whatever it is, surely...
The five of them can weather it.
Yuichi glances down at his ID and spots the bobbing pink LISE floating up and down. A private smile. They all look back one last time.
āGoodbye, Shiawase Hospital!ā
Because rather than hope or despair... what truly triumphs...
Shiawase Hospital will disappear, and LISE with it.
Thereās... no point in staying here anymore. The way home is free and... you have a world to see. If LISE... or Midou, is to be believed, with their decision made, Shiawase Hospital will destroy itself anyway. Nobody wants to be there for that. One by one, the children file into the elevator. The lights seem dimmer, likely due to the dwindling power, but it kicks into action and begins its trek.
As the elevator goes back up, to the very first floor you awoke on, many things go through your minds. About Shiwa. About LISE. About the project. Given the resilience theyād shown, perhaps, in some sick way, the Hope Project was a complete success. After all the horror theyād seen, it was unlikely theyād ever turn to despair. But that didnāt make it worth it. It didnāt make any of it worth it. As you ride the elevator, you remember the session, from beginning--
āIāll do my bestā¦.to make sure everyoneās okay, alright? Even you. Youāll be fine. Iāll do my best to make sure of it.ā
Yasu Shimamoto.
āRegardless. Itās fine, you didnāt mean to startle anybodyā¦. Tengan-san. For now it seems that Iām Chuichiā¦ Genda. I doubt it sounds familiar to you either, since I canāt say Iāve ever heard your name before.ā
Chuichi Genda.
āTubular, you know like bodacious, radical, sweet, swag, dope, chill. I could totally, like, go on forever dude! Hahahaha!! Nice to meet you, lilā cute betty. My nameās Mizushima Ryota I guess hahahaha!ā
Ryota Mizushima.
"God have mercy upon you, for I fear you shall not find that mercy here... I am sorry, Monsieur Genda."
"It's a shame you didn't want to join me on my quest for despair. But I will love you all the same.ā
Kimiko Genkaku.
āWeāre in a dire situation, donāt be the jester. Donāt disappoint me like that."
Hibiki Inori.
"Yes, I heard you. But then I saw your face and had the overwhelming urge to punch you. Itās science, really.ā
Hiro Morikawa.
āI tried to make it quick and painless. I just wanted everyone to go free. It was. Never. Supposed to end like this.I. . Messed up. So bad."
Katashi Miyashita.
āYouāre gonna be okay. I-I mean, itād be worse if you werenāt feeling anything, wouldnāt it? Ā And LISE will have to help you when we get back. Ā Yā¦Youāve just gotta hold onā¦ā
Niki Ikutano.
āYou guys all have each other, you'll be okay. The perfect surviving cast, everyone bouncing off each other! ...I was probably never meant to get this far. But I'm glad I did and I got to know you guys. I really really liked you, Chinen-chi. Maybe if you liked me too it could've been something.ā
Nijino Takajo.
āYou can take your time getting to know me. And Iāll take my time getting to know you. And if you feel likeā¦ you want to tell me in timeā¦ well then, you can. And if not, thatās alright too.
Itās not like Iām going anywhere, Sachi-chan.ā
Renri Kogasaka.
"All of you. Should know. You have nothing to fear from me."
... Shiwa Hirayama.
Rivals. Friends. Precious ones.
The elevator rocks to a stop and finally, the floor is in view, as pristine as it always was. Your steps echo through the empty hospital. By this point, you expect the whole place to smell like death but the strikingly fresh smell of antiseptics greets you instead. Given how much has happened, you canāt help but choke on the smell a little. A hospital, where people should be saved, was a battleground where so many had been lost, sacrificed.
But itās over now. You all approach the door and itās Yuichi who moves ahead, wrapping his hand around the handle. It seems to open. He looks back at the other four and nods.
It didnāt matter. It hurt so much and it didnāt matter. No matter what you said or what you voted, Shiwa Hirayama was going to die. A bad person? A good? Perhaps they were no worse than the scientists that promoted the game in the first place.
A child, like the rest of you. Unfortunately, like those before them...
A single spotlight shone down on the raised dais of an operating theater. There, under the harsh light like an animal before dissection, was Shiwa, strapped upright to a chair. Across from them, a television screen on a wheeled stand, blank. Snaking over and around them, cuffs and wires, sprouting from fingers, locked around their chest, cutting uncomfortably into them when they breathed out, and a heavy silver collar around their neck, all connected to a second machine on top of the television, displaying several jagged lines in different colorsārespiration, perspiration, heart rate. The naked fear on their face as they struggled, wriggling in the restraints and throwing their body from side to side to try and tip the chair, made them seem like a different personābut it was the same person it had always been, too weak to have a chance of escaping, too afraid to think clearly. They even screamed once, not seeming to realize no one was coming to help them, that it was a pointless gesture.
As if in response, the screen blinked to lifeāblack background, blue words, like the announcement when they'd first woken up.
Is your name Hirayama Shiwa?
They stared at it, chest still heaving, their inability to take a full breath making their head swim. No further words appeared.
"Yes," they whispered, hesitant, dragging it out.
There was a pause. Calibration complete. Question one: Are you or have you ever been a member of SHSL Despair?
Their eyes widened, head turning desperately from side to side. "I never wantedā"
There was a low tone from the machine, a low buzz from the collar, before a pulse of electricity left them spasming and choking on their own breath and then sagging in their restraints.
Lie detected. Question two: Did you plan the deaths of your fellow classmates and the staff of Shiawase Hospital?
Their voice was more ragged now, but they spoke faster, perhaps hoping their desperation would beat the machine. "They were always going to try to get rid of me, they would haveā"
Another buzz from the collar heralded a stronger burst of electricityāif they hadn't been strapped in they would have fallen to the floor.
Do you believe you deserve to be set free?
"I never did anything wrong!" they wailed. Another shock. The smell of burning hair choked the room. Their head was pounding, too heavy to lift. Every part of their body pulsed with pain even after it was over. The screen wheeled closer, demanding attention.
Did you lie to themāall of themāabout even the smallest details of yourself?
Did you ever care about any of them?
Did you ever regret anything?
What are you afraid of?
Who are you, really?
They were sobbing now, almost to the point of incoherence, flailing madly with the last of their drained strength. "I don't know I don't know Idon'tknow! I didn't mean to! I didāsome of them! I do regret it! Everything, I'm scared of everything! Dying, interrogations, poisoning, omens, other people, anyone knowing anything for realāeverything! I don't know!"
There was a moment of silence. Shiwa, exhausted, lifted their heavy head and tear-streaked face to see the screen. The final sentence was still there, blinking accusingly. Did that mean it was over?
Then, before their eyes, the screen cleared, and was replaced with one final message. Lie detected.
"I didn't I didn't don't please don'tā"
The only response was a low tone from the machine and a final warning crackle of electricity. Then, as though hit by a bolt of lightning, Shiwa Hirayama spasmed for one final time in their restraints and lay still.
The door creaks open, perhaps with age, perhaps due to the sheer weight of the door. The figure that comes through seems altogether more striking, much smaller than the door they came in from.
After everyone searches over respective things in the Control Room, itās time to leave. Thereās a heaviness in your step as you walk away. At the end of the dark corridor, LISE glows a faint blue shade. The elevator seems to be operational now. Thereās nothing left for you on this floor - thereās only one way to go at all, in fact.
Forward.
Fear. Trepidation. Uncertainty.
And yet, your feet move. They have to. LISE is running out of power and there are so few of them left. It may not be a trial to find a killer but it is a trial to find the truth. And they are so close now to finishing all of it.
Unfortunately, and perhaps expectedly, Renriās body is still there, off to the side. The smell of blood was already in the air but the fresh tang of it cuts you to the core.
Thereās no use lamenting any further.
The five of them file into the elevator, just like always.
Rather than heading up, however, the elevator heads down.
The last trial room...
Itās a bit different from the others. There arenāt any unnecessary desks this time, it appears. Five in total. One for each of them. Gone are the portraits of those lost as well. The room is metallic, no colour, no glitz, with monitors surrounding the walls and a door to the north ahead. A diamond-like structure sits in the middle. LISE fizzles and then appears in place...
āGgg g gGGGgood. Morning. Night. After. After. Evening. Noon. Morning. It is time to finish everything. Ooonce. And For. FOr. For. All.ā
It takes a moment for Atsuko to refocus, in the aftermath of all that just transpired. It takes a good long while of just standing in the center of the control room, mittens gripping tightly onto her cape, before she slowly takes steps towards the mysterious [Door]
As you approach the half-open door, you smell that familiar rusted scent. Blood. Part of you wonders if you should go that step further, but, you donāt wonder for long. There are answers to get. You push the door open and enter into a tiny room with a single board-like bed, a chair and a strange device you imagine is supposed to be placed on your head. There are straps attached to the chair and as you look around, you become more and more aware of the damage of the room. Tears in the bed, not just the sheets, pillows, but in the mattress itself. Dried speckles of blood on the floor. Droplets of old blood everywhere, in fact. Some you can tell are more recent than others but it all looks like itās been here for a while.
A splintered table, cleaved in half has a notebook on itā¦
āThe doctors said I couldnāt participate anymoreā¦ my headās more fragile than everyone elseās, I guess. People said itās cause of the blunt trauma... I guess... no wonder. Maybe if Iād gotten treatment earlier itād be okay. But they found me... and Iām here now. Itās not all bad. It just sucks because I know I could help, I could do something. Maybe Iāll focus on helping the others. Hey, I got admitted as the SHSL Neurologist, I should at least be able to help with their studies, right? For now, Iām supposed to just stay in here. But they said itās okay to watch the game sometimes. It makes me sick when I do that. I know itās all staged but when I think about them dyingā¦
Sometimes on the screen Iāll see them crying. Krier-kun does that a lot. Sometimes Miyashita-kun, too. Komori-chan tries not toā¦ but I can tell. I want to tell them that itāll be alright. That itās all fake and that theyāll all be together very soon but I canāt. I sent a message to Shimamoto-san once. The doctors told me off. Haha.
...
Itās so weird being the only one who remembers! Sometimes I accidentally see them but they look at me like Iām a stranger. Like Iām the only one in the know. Itās spooky. The tech here must be really good... maybe the New Hope Foundation really can beat this. Right! Iāll work hard too! ... Somehow.
ā¦
Whenever the game resets, they all go to this room far down. I got to see it in action once. They lay down in these devices and the lid goes on top of them. Theyāre super complex. They recover their bodies and a device hooked to the brain blanks their memories. Thatās how they do theĀ āresetsā. Weāve been here for months now... maybe years. Just doing the same old resets. Iāve been here the entire time, but you guys always think itās the same day. I feel awful about that. Hmph... I want some alcohol for my trouble! If Iām a grown-up now, I deserve that much. I wonder what you guys will say when you find out about all the resets? There have been so many.... ten... twenty maybe... theyāre really going all out. I wonder if the Hope Program is worth it... a little. But thatās between you and me, diary!
...
I heard Tengan-chan found out about it once! It was a panic. She left behind notes so that the new her with a blanked memory would figure it out. The doctors probably tried to destroy it though, huh. She really is a smart girl!
...
The doctors seem strange these days, more hurried, more frantic. I feel like Iām losing it in this room. I donāt know how long itās been. I miss my friends. I miss my mom, my little sisterā¦ I donāt know where they are or what become of them. When I ask, I donāt get an answer. I want to do something. I want to be helpful.
ā¦
I asked the doctors if I could leave. Maybe if I were out there I could do some good. They told me I wasā¦ too weak. So I begged. I said Iād do anything. They told me about a procedure, they said itād make me strong - strong enough to go on out there. Midou told me not to do it. She reminds me of my mother. But her attitude also reminds me I have my little sister to protect, too. Sheās going to be so disappointed. But I said yes. I was desperate. I just want to help.
ā¦
The procedureās more painful than I thought. I think itās been a few months now. I canāt really tell. My head hurts all the time now. Sometimes I wake up and my nose is bleeding. Or my ears. I kept it a secret for a bit but I ended up blabbing eventually. They told me itās my body getting used to the new data. Iām not sureā¦ about it. Iām not sure about this. They look different now. Dazed. I remember Genkaku-kun having that same glazed over look. Likeā¦ everything was meaninglessā¦ like she was inā¦ they were inā¦ true despair. But those guys out there are trying their bestā¦ so I have to brave and tough it out. Itāll be worth it in the end.
ā¦
It hurtsā¦ it hurts all the time. I donāt feel stronger at all! They donāt talk to me anymore at all. I overheard them talk about making weapons. More and more weapons to fight āthe despairāā¦ they donāt even call me by my name. Patient somethingā¦ or something. Theyāre talking about me like Iām not there, like Iām one of their weaponsā¦ I need to get out of here. I need to talk to Midou. They lock me in all the time. Only open the door when itās time for a treatment. Iām so lonely. I miss the others. Is this really helping...?
ā¦
That one kid... theyāre suspicious. I think theyāve been working against us the whole time. No wonder. They were never even in any of their classes. I told the doctors but they just silenced me. Who will listen? What can I do?
...
It hurtsā¦ it hurtsā¦ it hurtsā¦ Ā I donāt want this anymore. Iām scared. I just want to go home. I want to see my friends. I miss everything. I black out sometimes and I donāt know what happens. Thereās blood everywhere on my face and my head is always hurting. I just want it to stop. They donāt let me out. Iām banging on the door and they donāt hear at all. When itās time for the treating, they strap me into the chair. I canāt fight back at all. It just goes on and on.
ā¦
hurtsā¦ iām Ā tiredā¦ i ā m tired . .. and i want to sleepā¦
someone find me pleaseā¦ i want to go h omeā¦ help me please anyoen
anyone
ā¦ā
It ends with writing getting more and more strange and indecipherable. From the date on the pagesā¦ you can guess that itās about two yearās worth of content. Scratch marks, tears and blood decorate the pages and many pages are gone, lost to time.
While crying and trying to clean off the bloody hairpin, Sachi goes for the Agreement recording.
You notice the folder of a CD pop up. It has a single video, several minutes long, and a notepad. Clicking the video brings a familiar place to the screen; the Consultation Room. You cannot see the face of whoās speaking, but you can see whoās sitting in the chair opposite. Itās Hiro Morikawa.
āBefore I go onā¦ Iāll tell you a bit more about all this. The New Hope Foundationā¦ afterā¦ Hopeās Peak fell, we gathered whatever survivors we could. People like you. And like the staff. Togetherā¦ we vowed to eliminate SHSL Despair. Any means necessary. But the general publicā¦ wellā¦ Hopeās Peak itself is a dirty name now. What we want is to bring backā¦ the good side of Hopeās Peak. To bring back hope itself.ā
āWe will not force you to do anything, you understand.ā The man says. He has a deep and gravelly voice, giving you the impression heās seen things you never want to.
āThis is a risk, after all. It would be safer to stay with Midou and continue therapy butā¦ while youāre hereā¦ the others, your schoolmates, wouldā¦ā
āIām in.ā
It feelsā¦ strange to hear Hiroās voice after all this time. The man looks up from his papers.
āDo you know what it involves?ā
A pause.
āThe old lady said it was a bunch of tests. Iām used to acing tests so it shouldnāt be a problem. Besidesā¦ if it means bring those despair guys downā¦ itās not even a choice, right.ā
Hiro obnoxiously takes a cracker from the desk without permission. The old manās back tenses and for a second thereās a sense of peace and normalcy. Seeing Hiro here like this, relaxed and in control. Confident in his statements. Definitely alive.
āWeāll be saving Hopeās Peak. Of course, Iām not really doing this for the institution. And Iām certainly not doing this for your foundation. In a few years, give or take, I might just take this thing down, too. Iām only doing it to pay them back. Killing our classmate and then going ape-shit on the school itself? Puts a bad taste in my mouth.ā
He talks in between bites of his snack. The man pushes a clipped set of papers towards Hiro.
āThen you agree to stay here with the New Hope Foundation and staff of Shiawase? In the name of hopeā¦ to fight against those infected by this plague of despairā¦ and to show the world there is nothing to fear from Hopeās Peakās best?ā
Hiro looks up at the man over his glasses, slamming down his palm and dragging the papers closer. He gestures for a pen and upon receiving it, he begins scribbling away.
āI. Said. Yes. Already. Thank you. The redundancy gets old.ā
The rhetorician, pleased, leans back in his chair and throws the papers back onto the desk. You only a small glimpse but you can clearly see the paper seems to match the one Atsuko Tengan herself was given so long ago.
Closing the video down, you bring up the notepad. It appears to be a class list of some kind.
Atsuko Tengan, SHSL Cult Leader (prefers Fan Club President)
Yasu's barely able to move, barely able to think. So much blood. They didn't want it to end like this. But hey couldn't do a thing as Sachi brought the axe down on her. It was for the best but it was so goddamn sad. The incident with LISE passed them by almost entirely, but they caught enough of her words to understand what needed to be done. They got Atsuko to lead them into the control room towards (Natsuki Midou's Last) Midou-san. They'd found her, maybe now they could find out about her.
There is a video detailing the Hope Programā¦
You hit play.
It takes place in the Control Room - the very one youāre standing in now and you canāt help but notice how much nicer it looks on the video. Natsuki Midou smiles back at you. Albeit... sadly.
āIf youāre seeing this, it means youāve completed your treatment. And Iām dead. It means I failed my mission.ā
āThree years ago, Hopeās Peak Academy was turned inside out by a group known as SHSL Despair. They keptā¦ corruptingā¦ people. Students. Even some teachers. It was subtle. A lot of us didnāt know. When they struckā¦ it was too late. Several classes were massacred. All in the blink of an eye. Hopeās Peakā¦ immediately contacted us. They needed safety and we were happy to oblige them. Thatās when we found you.ā
She smiles.
āYou were so young and so innocentā¦ there is no excuseā¦ for what happened to you all. I tried my best to fix itā¦ I wasā¦ I graduated Hopeās Peak a while back. The Super High School Level Hypnotherapist. I worked with you all. We got to be good friends. Iā¦ grew to love you all. Truly, like my own children. With the help of many others here, most of us HPA graduates, we were able to slowly try to mend your hearts. And thenā¦ the director had an idea. To turn you into symbols of hope.ā
Natsukiās face grows a little concerned, perhaps a little dark.
āā¦ I wasnāt sure. I never really signed off on it. But heā¦ asked you all personally when I wasnāt around. And you all consented. Well, all of you bar Genkaku-san, of course. You mustāve really wanted to help your fellow classmatesā¦ soā¦ when the director offered you a chance to get stronger, you mustāve feltā¦ like that powerless feeling could finally be conquered. After that, we begun work on the Hope Program. SHSL Pharmacist. SHSL Surgeon. SHSL Psychologist. SHSL Geneticist... we all worked tirelessly to create a program thatād make youā¦ essentially symbols of hope. We created the Saviour Serumā¦ and we staged all of this. We put you through rigorous challengesā¦ but something was missing. You were stillā¦ essentially the same. We had the idea of taking away your memoriesā¦ restarting. I shouldāveā¦ I shouldāve known right away that was wrong. But part of me thoughtā¦ forgetting what happened in Hopeās Peak was for the better. But the challenges still werenāt enough. More and moreā¦ they wanted you to suffer so as to create a brighter hope. More resetsā¦ more challenges. We decided on the mutual killing format to see who was worthy and who wasnātā¦ nobody would get hurt. Not with the serum. So we would continuously fake the deaths. Those who killed were unworthy, they would simply return home. Those who abstained, who kept their heads up and held hope in their hearts... those were the kids weād use. We did the process again, expecting the same resultsā¦ but they changed. The kids we had believed to be heroes. to be our hope, ended up murderers in another rendition of the game. We were obsessed with it. What was the right answer? Who could be our hope?ā
Tears begin running down her face and she manages to bat them away with the back of her sleeve.
āSo many times I thought about putting a stop to itā¦ but every time I thought of my Asamiā¦ and how she was killed by themā¦ I thoughtā¦ āno, in order to stomp out despair for goodā. I saw her in you all, a bit. I felt like a mother again.ā
A grief-struck smile through the tears.
āThatās whyā¦ I knew we had to stop it. But when they brought in those twoā¦ the one that survived your classās attackā¦. and the one survivorā¦ it was too late. I realized it when they took out their plant. It was their fault. I donāt know how long theyād been doing it but... they were... spreading despair inside here. Being so cut off from the rest of the world cost us dearly. They... went mad. They wouldnāt listen to me anymore. Maybe it was my fault. Maybe I shouldāve stopped it a long time ago, before all this. Iāmā¦ recording this now. Before I go. The Saviour Serum is mostly out now. And I donāt thinkā¦ I donāt think itās going to stop them. I think the next mutual killing will reallyā¦ oh my god, I think theyāre going to kill my children all over again. Forgive meā pleaseā¦ā
She tries to contain herself, going through an array of emotions before turning to the camera once more.
āIām so truly sorry. You all deserved so much better. We were adultsā¦ we shouldāve taken better care of you, known better. Instead weā¦ performed experiments on youā¦ for years. For three years. When we couldāve told your family you were alive. When we couldāveā Iām so sorryā¦. Iām sorryā¦ā
Midou takes a moment, gulping back some emotion before looking back at the screen. Her voice seems even, but her hands are shaking.
ā... Shiawase Hospital... was redesigned. For you and you only. The things, you saw, the clues... all planted to make you think. All the names. The paintings... if you ever thought you were clueing onto something, you were likely... supposed to. To make you experience an array of things, to challenge you. Your appearances... you clothing... itās all been carefully tended to. Iām sorry. Some of the treatments also slowed that process too. I donāt think youāll age as quickly as most people. Another thing we did wrong.ā
Another pause.
āI have... time at least. The next reset is beginning soon. I sent one of them data on who they really are. Theyāll help guide the others out. They wonāt know... everything. But their talent... to keep hope in their hearts... not to listen to LISE... theyāll know. Itās a side-chip I implemented into LISE themselves. Itās the only way they wouldnāt know. This person, this traitor... will help lead the others out. This is my last effort. In case my final stand doesnāt go well. But I hope it does. Iām ending this now and Iām heading to the main door. Iāve told Atsuko weāre going tonight. Sheās such a good girl. Itāll... work out. I hope. If not... Iām pinning my hopes on you,
Yuichi.ā
Everything in Shiawase Hospital was made to make you think something or feel something. You have been here for three years and thanks to a procedure, age slower. Yuichi is Midouās traitor. And her last stand ended with her death.
Yuichi immediately goes for the Despair Binder. Having fun isn't hard when you have a library card! Or humanity-wrecking binder, same thing.
Thereās a large plastic binder sitting on the desk. The cover is a cool metal blue and as you open it, you see itās a book dedicated to members of SHSL Despair, both presumed and confirmed. Most of the names are unfamiliar to you. Some names ring a bell but none of them were anyone you knew. Or rather, none but one.
Kimiko Genkaku.
You flip to the hot-pink tab marked Genkaku, Kimiko and read the file.
Name: Kimiko Genkaku
Age: 18 (now 20)
SHSL: Naginatadoka
First impression: A popular girl. Sometimes harsh with her words, but, the centre of attention, both good and bad. A sportsman with pride for days and deep ambition. After being injured, things shifted slightly. Her outgoing attitude and hunger for success combined with such an injury most likely contributed to her state of mind.
Study:
Genkaku first made her move in the neighbouring class. All sixteen children were presumed dead until recent information came in... and one was later recovered. He is currently being tended to at Shiawase with the others. She then returned to her own class, murdered the first person they saw and then was stopped by mere chance before she could finish off the rest. According to the testimony, Renri charged at Kimiko and shortly after, a bomb went off. All members of SHSL Despair acted at once, causing panic everywhere. When the second bomb hit, Genkaku and Kogasaka both got hit by the debris. When we initially picked up the class, we found them terrified and traumatized. We took Genkaku with us as a case study and to keep her in custody. We believed Kogasaka to be dead but another search turned her up, much like the survivor of the first class. We brought them back together. In order to test their abilities, we had to remove our plant. They observed with us for those sessions until it became clear the mental strain on Kogasaka was too much and she would have to be removed permanently.
Genkaku without her memories was different. She seemed like a cheery ordinary girl. In some sessions, her memories came back and she expressed remorse. In others, she regained her whole despair mindset. She is a wild card, but, with more effort and good company, we are quite sure she can be used as a weapon for hope.
Yuichi scrolls to the end pages, which seem a more general kind.
SHSL Despair are an organization that infiltrated Hopeās Peak Academy. They seek nothing but destruction and the misery of others, using their talents to hurt others for their own pleasure and satisfaction. They all commenced an attack together and have been running wild ever since. We have managed to capture and identify some of their members. But they could be anywhere. They are good at hiding.
Those of us that remain are scattered, but here at Shiawase we are working on counter-acting the threat they pose. The New Hope Foundation will bring back glory to Hopeās Peak as well as create more and more powerful weapons with which to fight them. Plants. Gasses. We are considering all things. But ultimately we at the foundation believe... the best way to defeat them is to get the public on our side. To show them what Hopeās Peak stands for; to have a SHSL Hope to lead the way.
It is a tricky procedure, but I believe we are close to perfecting it.
Six children to carry on our wills.
The session always ends when six kids remain.
Itās the perfect number.
Renri and another student from another class were brought in later than the rest of the kids. Kimiko has gone through a variety of sessions.
Izo's shaking. He can barely move--the over-stimulation was almost too much for him. However, they were all so close to finding out the truth so he couldn't give up now. Nevertheless, it took him what appeared to be at least 15 minutes before he made his way to the control room, took a deep breath and decided to take a look at the security camera footage.
The array of monitors that adorn the walls and desks paint a sophisticated and haunting aura of power. All of the floors in the hospital appear before you, in different angles, different quality. You recall them all well. As you hit the rewind button, you witness the murders of the game, your actions before. All the small details you were told about only to hear later are revealed to you - all but that Hidden Room. Nijino Takajo strangles Niki Ikutano with the ribbon from her leg, just as she mentioned. Katashi Miyashita murders three; thereās a feeling of dread as Shiwa Hirayama goes up those stairs. They had spoken to LISE before doing so. The students do that on occasion... but Yuichi seems to do it the most. You even witness the fateful moment Ryota Mizushima eats outside of the cafeteria. Part of you begging, willing him to stop.
As the scientists go around, about their business, you witness something new. Something horrifying. You witness whatās going down on this floor. Doctors and scientists flee for their lives. Some fight back. Others just run and cower. And who do they seem to be facing butā¦ each other. Some of them cry out names, as if betrayed by their friends. Blood sprays in every direction. In some of these clips, you see Renri Kogasaka get in on the action and slaughter some of the staff members. She then deposits the bodies down a chuteā¦ you guess thatās why you havenāt seen any of the staff members. Other than occasional outlier. After doing so, she goes to a room, like a robot on a schedule.
You watch, as the dank horrible room youāre in becomes a reality on the screen. Before it had looked so clean and pristine. Before it had buzzed with life.
Some of the doctors, staff members, curse a child. But you can never quite catch their name. What you can gather, however, is that thisĀ āchildā was never supposed to be here, apparently. That they werenāt a part of this class. And they werenātĀ āthat other oneā they recovered, either.
That that kid brought despair to them all.
And forced them all to end each other.
That confirms it. The staff, the doctorsā¦ everybody else in the buildingā¦ they must be dead.
Why is it... that this girl who had meant so much to the others seems so unfamiliar to him? He looks at her face, and yes, sees a victim, but doesnāt see... doesnāt feel the familiarity.
But there is something about her, something rings a bell.
A voice rings through his head.
āYuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii... are you listening?ā
This irritating person is back. Why she choose to interrupt his studies, to barge into his class is beyond him. He wipes at his nose, an annoyed look appearing on his face. He stares into wide green eyes and a big grin.
āThat isnāt my name. Go back to your own class, Takajo-shi!ā
āDonāt wanna! Come on, take me around the festival. Morikawa-chiās here too~ā
He swats at her as if sheās a bug.
āThen go and waste his time. Iām studying.ā
āDonāt be boring! Hang with me~ā
Hiro walks in and casually leans on Yuichiās shoulder. What is it with these two and their lack of personal space?! With their lack of manner? Canāt they do this in their own class?
āYou have no friends, right.ā
āDonāt just say that!ā
āAhahaha! You should just be our friends, Yui!ā
āThatās not my name!ā
Sheās not listening!
āThereās me, Hiro-chi, Niki, OF COURSE, youāve met her! Err, oh, thatās Feli-chi! Annnd Shima and Komori-- Yasu-tachi! Oh, oh and Renri-chi! You would like Renri-chi! Do you know her? Sheās the--ā
āSuper High School Level Neurologist. Renri Kogasaka. Iām familiar.ā
The blonde... Nijino, blinks.
āEhhh? Youāve met? And you didnāt tell me?ā
He glares. Whatās the best way of putting this... before he can even speak up, Hiro gives him a sly smile and takes his words.
āA guy like this probably memorized the registers. Right? Bet you know everyone in school.ā
... Damn it! Heās perceptive!
āWowwww! Thatās amazing! Hey, hey, hey, hang with us! You can meet Renri-chi yourself!ā
YUICHI CHINEN... DOES NOT REMEMBER RENRI KOGASAKA.
Thereās a numbness in the air after everything thatās happened. People barely speak. barely move. Atsuko moves after a few seconds and grabs for Sachiās hand. Yasu follows suit, limping over, grabbing the other hand before hugging her waist, warm blood staining the side of their face. There are grateful tears pouring down their face.
āYou worked so hard. I do not feel pride, but, if I could, I would surely be so proud of you. Have you not noticed? You have all come so far. So very far.ā
That voice... LISE has apparently taken the time to appear in front of them once more. Yasu barely looks up to greet the AI. Nor does Sachi, whoās beside herself with grief.
āThe ultimate challenge...ā
LISE begins. Somehow their voice seems to glitch and fizzle more than usual.
āThe ultimate challenge is doing something terrible for the greater good. Now then. You know how this goes. Shall we skip the voting and go to the execution? There is no need to waste time when we are so. So-so. Close to the end. End.ā
E... xecution?
Wait... no... thatās...
It canāt be. Sachiās eyes widen as she tries to cough back sobs. Yasu and Atsuko cling to her tighter and Izo steps over in a defensive manner, his eyes burning into LISE. They wonāt take her without a fight.
And yet.
Someone else has something to say.
āWait.ā
LISE changes colour, from a cool grey to green as if responding to his words. The air has a strange stale taste to it once more...
Yuichi pauses after his initial interruption, taking a moment to adjust his glasses before facing LISE defiantly, arms folded.
āDonāt get me wrong. I wonāt condone this but... you said it yourself. That she-- that this āKogasaka Renriā was no longer a patient. In order to quit treatment, in order to leave, a patient has to kill another patient, those were your rules.ā
The wordĀ āyoursā is spoken harshly. And for a second, thereās silence. Blood is still on the floor, tears still pour down Sachiās face... itās like time has been frozen in this moment.
ā... Say something.ā
The coroner seems to be in no mood.
LISE continues to flash through colours. They go through the colours youāre used to, blue to purple, green to red and some new ones you never recall seeing. Pink, orange, black, yellow... one canāt help but wonder why. If thereās a meaning. And then... it stops, just like that. LISE returns to blue. To default.
ā... Congratulations. Audio_wave_applause_clapclapclap.mp3. My data proves itself once more. I did not overestimate any of you. Truly, you are worthy of the Hopeās Peak name and legacy You are quite correct, you know. Knowknowknow.ā
Zzzip zttt. LISE flickers.
āI was programmed to occasionally display moments of levity. So-called āgotchaā moments. Jump scares. After the patients are frightened their relief will be maximized. It is healthy. Kogasaka Renri wasnāt a patient. That is true. Therefore that cannot be a penalty nor a reward for removing her from the procedure. I can only offer you my personal congratulations. Con-con-con-gratulations! But it is not time for you to rest. No more rest. No more. No more. No more. End. End. End. Itās over.ā
Thereās furious static as LISEās visage is attacked by visual noise, the noise attacking the ears of all, those remaining wincing every now and again. Vague sounds, words, can be heard in the distance as if LISE has gone very far off, but nothing specific can be pulled out; not until they return, although they seem to shake and jitter more than usual.
āIt was the same with your ādiseaseā. This was a fact, made-up, to simply frighten you, then relieve you. Same principle with the maze treatment. A stronger. sTTTRRONGggGGer deesspAIRRrrrr. Will result. Sult. Result result. In better and brighter faith. Relief. Hope. You agreed to this. The program is almost finished. Battery... 8%...ā
Was that... LISEās battery? Would they shut down?
If so... wasnāt that a good thing? Or perhaps... if they shut down, perhaps they would be stuck here forever, with no answers. Alone.
āThere is. One last thing you need to do. A final trial. Then you will have completed... Shiawase Hospitalās first Hope Program. Gram. You may know who killed Renri Kogasaka. But do you know who started all this? Who you have to blame for your pain? There are answers. Swers. Answers. You must get. The Control Room that was previously locked is now. Accessible. Your final destination. When you are finished. I will divert some of my power to the elev-ator. The elevator. The e-e-e-e-e. Vator. You will have one last test. So proud. Come so far. For your own good. Come to the door when you are ready. I will be waiting. Waiting. Forever. Waiting.ā
They flicker and then fizzle out. They do with a large pop that sounds like a sparkler or a firework going off. In the distance you do, indeed, see them by the elevator door. Just... staring. Waiting.
Some of the students breathe sighs of relief. The realization, perhaps, for a while, that some of them had outright stopped breathing as their throats burned with grief and shock. Renriās body still remains on the floor, as does the blood. With heavy and morose footsteps, those remaining each head to the control room, Sachi still sobbing heavily. Before heading to the control room with the others, Yuichi goes down onto one knee besides the corpse... and shuts her eyes.
ā... Rest in peace.ā
[ The Control Room has 5 areas of import. One for each character. These are:
The Locked Chamber Door
Survellaince Camera Footage
āAgreementā RecordingĀ
Natsuki Midouās Last
Despair Binder
These are first-come first-serve but everyone will get one piece of information. Please send an ask for what you would like.]
Renriās eyes donāt close... not just yet. But she doesnāt appear to be fighting all that hard to stay alive. Maybe, just maybe, at a time like this you wonder if the real Renri is in there somewhere.
... Unfortunately, that sort of thought is better left to the movies. Her eyes are as blank as ever and even though tears pour down her face, she still canāt even speak a coherent word. Even a last goodbye, a lastĀ āthank youā is out of the question. Instead, she just struggles, attempting to get up with little effort, as blood keeps pouring out of her wound. It hurts to even watch, especially as you begin to remember has a friend. A classmate. You remember her smile and how she spoke. You remember her as Renri Kogasaka, someone real, who had existed. Something more than this shell.
Sachi hesitates for a moment. But itās too much of a pitiful sight to keep watching. Sheās clearly... sheās clearly never coming back. And sheāll just keep attacking them.
āSachi-chan! Iāll give you this hairclip, okay? Wear it sometime, itād look cute. What? You donāt need to pay me back! Itās ācause weāre friends.ā
One last memory.
With a choked back sob, Sachi throws down one last blow to finally end it. Izo rushes to cover both Yasu and Atsukoās eyes from it though he suspects he wasnāt fast enough.
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