I'm dead.

Hiroshi Kōda ♔ 倖田 浩史   SHSL Good Samaritan affiliated with fatal frenzy current status: alive

[shslgood-deeds-blog]

[Open] - Task 17 - Game Over

[thedelinquentballerina-blog]

We have to keep going.  Even though it might look hopeless, we have to keep going.  We have to get out of here…We have to do this.

For our friends, we have to hope.

You didn’t get to say something like that and then die.  You especially didn’t get to say something like that and then ACCEPT dying.  It just felt…wrong.  And even if the facts said otherwise, well, the facts could go to hell.  Naomi would give them a first-class ticket there herself, courtesy of the Foot-Up-Your-Ass Express.

Even though she felt consumed by defiant fury, she slowed her approach when she noticed Hiroshi was crying, and put her hand on his shoulder gently - firmly, but gently.  …As usual, the other party here was going through something she couldn’t even begin to imagine.  What could she say?  What could she do?

She had to try something.

“I don’t care what he says,” she muttered.  “You didn’t kill him.  This reeks of a set-up, and I SWEAR we’re gonna get to the bottom of it.”

[shslgood-deeds-blog]

His sobs ceased as he felt a warm firm hand on his shoulder. Slowly looking upward, tears still staining his face, he quickly tried his best to wipe them away. It really was no use at this point though, he looked like a mess. Some party leader he was. Looking up at Naomi, his eyes widened slightly as he saw just how determined she looked. Her words filled with strength. Even though the logic behind her words were shaky at best, why did he feel so reassured?

“The... Bottom of it...?”

Looking back down at the beat up note in his hands, Hiroshi drew in a sharp breath, trying once again to hold his tears back. That’s right. Even though he’d messed up, no one here had given up on him just yet. They still believed in him. They were still a team, how could he have forgotten that? This was just what Monokuma had wanted. He’d walked straight into that bear’s trap again. Just because it had said he’d killed Mamoru Nomura, he refused to believe that without proof. Though the screens shown when they exited the virtual reality train car could be something to perhaps confirm Nomura’s death, that simply wasn’t good enough. Who could even believe that sort of bullshit that if someone died in a virtual reality game, they’d die in real life? That sort of stuff only happened in shitty tv shows and cliche video games.

Slowly pushing himself back to his feet, Hiroshi folded the note neatly and placed it back into his jacket pocket before offering Naomi a much more composed glance. “Yes, you’re right. Just because that bear said I killed Nomura-san, doesn’t mean I did. There’s no physical proof I killed him, or if he was even there to begin with. We did see him ‘die’ one time already.”

Clenching his hand into a fist, Hiroshi furrowed his brow, giving Naomi a determined nod. “Monokuma said there is no need to investigate. Then I say that’s all the more reason to do so. Let’s get to work to get to the bottom of this.”

[shslgood-deeds-blog]

[Open] - Task 17 - Game Over

This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be real. Hiroshi felt the world spinning around him as Monokuma’s words processed through his mind. He had killed Mamoru Nomura? Impossible, that was completely and utterly impossible. How could he have known? Was Nomura even alive? He certainly had said ‘for now’ within the game. But he still couldn’t believe that the game master had survived his earlier brush with death. All that felt too real to have been fake.

But then again, what he knew to be fake had felt so real. Within the virtual reality simulation, it had felt real even though he knew it was a game. What if they had been in a virtual reality since the beginning? As unbelievable as it might sound, he’d rather believe that than the insanity he’d had to endure for so long.

But now, Monokuma had said he’d killed Nomura? Was Nomura the one that had been healing them? He had said he would be... No no, this just can’t...

Taking in a sharp breath as he clenched his fists in his pocket, kicking the wall in frustration, it took a lot to keep himself from screaming. He’d killed. And now he was going to get punished for it.

“Damn it... Why... Why now. When I finally thought we’d make it.”

Choking back a sob, he continued facing the wall as tears streamed down his face. He couldn’t bare to see the others like this. Frozen to the spot Hiroshi slummped down to rest against the wall, bringing his knees up against him, he slowly took out the note he had received so long ago from Takumi Akiyama. Hiroshi stared at that piece of paper, wrinkled and stained with tears, words smudged but still legible. “I’m sorry... I failed. I’m so sorry.”

[thedelinquentballerina-blog]

[Task 16] Once Upon a Dream (OPEN)

Naomi was leaning against the wall just outside of Bronze Station, arms folded, eyes closed, and head awhirl.  As usual, the aftermath of a trial had left her feeling drained and confused on top of everything else this screwed-up place had to offer in the way of emotional rollercoasters.  She had planned to stay in her room until the most uncomfortable feelings had passed (that mob in Tsubaki’s execution…was it supposed to represent them?), but the voices on the intercom had changed all that.

Cooperate.  Play nicely.  Virtual reality testing…to unlock the exit.  A day.  Unanimous decision to comply.

As soon as she heard footsteps approaching, she opened one eye, then the next.  But who it was didn’t matter, as the statement was already out of her mouth.

“I’m doing this.  And just so you know, I’m pretty sure I can be stubborn about it a lot longer than anyone else…So what’s your vote?”

[shslgood-deeds-blog]

“My... Vote?”

Hiroshi blinked his tired eyes. Ah, that’s right. That message from the intercom. After the trial, Hiroshi had barely slept a wink. Toting a steaming hot mug of coffee in hand, he took a sip before slowly swallowing, letting out a sigh before turning his attention back to Naomi. “I... Honestly don’t think my vote would really matter. I don’t see what we have to lose. I don’t really care anymore myself. I’ll go if its a means of a possible way out. I’ve lost my hope, but everyone else... I’ve... Still got my hope in them. You included.”

Taking another drink of his coffee, Hiroshi closed his eyes. Why did he still trust in others? Why did he still... Care? Before he knew deep down, all he cared about was his own survival. His own escape. But escape to what? Hope’s Peak Academy? Home? His Family? How did he even know those things still existed outside the walls of the station? What did he even know to be fact or fiction anymore? He supposed, neither he nor the others knew. But yet... Naomi still kept trying. Perhaps she was stubborn. But perhaps that’s what hope was. And it was better than nothing.

“... So I guess... I’m going.”

Giving Naomi a nod, Hiroshi downed the rest of his coffee. “... What do you think awaits us though, Han-san?”

“Why in the world would something like virtual reality even be brought into this situation? It just doesn’t make any sense to me. None of this does but... We should at least prepare ourselves for whatever that might be ahead.”

[shslgood-deeds-blog]

[Open] - Task 15 - The Last Rose of Summer

[shslproselitigant-blog]

For a moment, Suzuka simply watched Hiroshi and Izumi’s investigation, turning over Haruo’s note once again. As neutral and unemotive as she looked, it was impossible to shake the frosty haze of panic that had come over her since the body announcement — oddly cold, but not quite detached, and definitely distracting enough to stop her from processing the situation as she might have liked. Even with the note thrust before her, she had barely processed Haruo’s words — but she nodded and let Hiroshi pass the note to Izumi anyway.

For a moment, the three of them investigated their respective areas in companionable silence, Suzuka joining Hiroshi in the search through the train car. Neither of them found much, it seemed, and Suzuka found her scrutiny flickering too frequently back to Izumi as they inspected the body. The fruitlessness of the search and the steadily encroaching feeling that she couldn’t occupy such a small (if unmoving) train carriage containing a body did nothing to help dispel the haze, though, and she had turned halfway to leave and inspect the platform when Hiroshi’s movement caught her eye.

In hindsight, perhaps it wasn’t just his movement that was notable. For a moment, the absurdity of seeing that image there almost did dispel the haze.

”What are those?” Suzuka squinted at the distinctive print of the boxers for as long as they remained in view, seemingly impervious to the concept of propriety. She exchanged a glance with Izumi, as though to confirm that they had seen too, but her eyes were drawn back to the ground before her gaze could convey the full force of her judgment. Perhaps what Hiroshi had dropped was more noteworthy than his questionable and inexplicably familiar choice of undergarments. On the ground, if briefly, there had been what seemed to be a note, and what seemed to be something altogether less identifiable. With exactly the same tone, and pointedly towards the objects in question rather than the altogether less useful subject of Hiroshi’s boxers, she repeated the question.

"And what are those?”

Hiroshi had gone so far as to speculate that part of the note might be removed, the conspicuous rip had been right there at the end, and— here, now, was another small slip of paper that had remained in Hiroshi’s pocket until now. The fact that it might have been an unrelated slip of paper was irrelevant; any efficient investigator would follow up on such blatant evidence, and vocally. Not to mention the second object he had dropped, though that seemed to have less immediate relevance to the case.

"Koda-shi. If you were planning to obscure things from us, you could at least have done it more subtly,” Suzuka gazed down imperiously through her glasses, the spaces between her words just as abrupt and stark as the look. If she looked away, it was only to unabashedly gauge Izumi’s reaction, who was equally a suspect at this point. Once again, the concept of personal privacy or conversational grace seemed to elude her.

There was a strategy beneath the antagonism, though — if Hiroshi truly had nothing to hide, and the items meant nothing, he would be able to explain himself. And if not, it was better that she had asked directly, as a neutral investigator should. The potential negative impact of her questioning wasn’t a factor she had considered, friends or not. With the chain of deaths thus far unbroken, she was beginning to think she had been far too easy on her friends. Feelings of friendship could wait until it was all over. For now, she would place her trust in her own plan.

[shslgood-deeds-blog]

His embarrassment only intensified under Suzuka’s scrutiny, his face must be on fire at this point, or at least redder than a vine ripe tomato. Swallowing nervously, Hiroshi coughed once more, unable to look neither the Pro Se Litigant nor the Paranormal Investigator in the eye as he stammered out an explanation. 

“L-look I-- I ran out of underwear...”

Almost letting out a sigh of relief as the topic of the conversation was directed away from his choice of undergarments, and to a more... Important topic. Taking out Alter Buddy’s console along with Takumi’s note from his pocket, he presented both the items to the two others present. Suspicion was the last thing he needed to be placed on himself.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make it seem like I was hiding anything.” Holding out Alter Buddy’s console first, Hiroshi proceeded to continue on with his explanation. “This is Alter Buddy. A navigational assistant that he had designed. I’ve been using it to try and find a way out, but other than a few things here and there, there hasn’t been a decisive way out yet from what I’ve found. If you don’t believe me, once the trial is over, I’ll impart to you everything I’ve found, which isn’t much.” Slipping Alter Buddy back into his jacket pocket, he slipped it back on before slowly and reluctantly unfolding Takumi’s note, holding it out to the other two quickly before retracting it back into his pocket. “None of these two items have anything to do with this case. That piece of paper was from... Akiyama-kun.”

Simply leaving it at that, Hiroshi stepped out of the train car, once again regaining his composure as memories of his old friend’s last words filled his mind. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Hiroshi let out an audible sigh before continuing on in his investigation. If there wasn’t anything within the train itself that would indicate why it was not usable at the moment, perhaps there was something to do with the scanner pad or the tracks itself?

Glancing back at the others for a moment, Hiroshi turned away, not pausing to wait for them, he walked over to the end of the train and peered over the tracks that lead to the other stations before turning back towards the card scanner itself. Looking it over, he thought about all the possibilities that could have ended up in both the death of Haruo Minami and Shizuka Gozen. Did they kill for the motive? Or perhaps did they simply kill to lessen the threat that the serial killer imposed upon all of them? Of course it all didn’t matter at this point. Both of them were dead.

Lifting his head as he once again emerged from his inner thoughts, he looked around the rest of the area of Central Station, planning his next course of action. 

[shslgood-deeds-blog]

[Open] - Task 15 - The Last Rose of Summer

[shslproselitigant-blog]

Suzuka hadn’t been on the platform when the body announcement had gone off, but she had come quickly enough, the sight past the train’s open doors greeting her all the same. It was a familiar sight by now — another body, another unnecessary death, splayed out without dignity or regard for the person (or in this case, she supposed, people) that they had once been. It struck her, suddenly, that the sight of a body was more normal to them now than fresh air, or grass, or the open sky. Normal was a strange thing, she supposed. She was all out of adrenaline rushes by now.

Hiroshi was already inspecting Shizuka’s body when she entered the carriage. Neither of them, she reckoned, were in need of exchanging formalities. Her steps were quiet and quick as she crossed the thin stretch of train between them — between her and the body, she reminded herself automatically, features tensing into a frown that she had to consciously smooth out before coming to a stop behind Hiroshi.

"…Bona notabilia,” Suzuka raised an eyebrow, staring down pointedly at the sword and the note in Shizuka’s grasp. That was the best greeting she could muster, it seemed. “How unexpected. Surely it would be in the killer’s interests to remove these things postmortem. If they could.” Her gaze followed the note impassively as Hiroshi wrenched it free, almost in the silent expectation that he would rip it in the process — but he didn’t, and it was only respect for his personal space that stopped her from peering over his shoulder to read it immediately.

Instead, her gaze wandered down to the sword Shizuka still clutched. Perhaps there was some discernible difference about the sword now that would yield a hint as to how Shizuka died? At the very least, it indicated that Haruo had been Shizuka before her death, and that was enough to make her feel justified in referring to the body as solely the latter. By the time she glanced back to Hiroshi, she estimated, he would have finished reading the note.

"…What are your thoughts, Koda-shi?" Belatedly, Suzuka stared at the note, leaving Hiroshi to interpret whether he should hand it over, read it aloud, or simply summarise. Her question, however, was deliberately left more open-ended than as to the mere note.

[shsl--paranormal--investigator]

It was almost right after the announcement went off that they realized Haruo Minami along with Shizuka Gozen were.. gone. They didn’t approach the train yet, but instead laid back for a bit to think it over. She was one of the people they interacted with the most lately.. it was strange to see her dead. Hell, she was fine this morning, so how could this happen in such a short time?.. Why weren’t they upset? That was probably something they needed to worry about on their own time.

Instead of wasting time, they went ahead and opened the file, looking it over.. Heart failure? Perking up, they noticed Hiroshi and Suzuka near the body and let out a sigh. If they wanted a good look at the body, they needed to work with them, they supposed. Striding over to the body, they weaved in beside the two.

"Don’t mind me, just looking around as well."

Izumi went ahead and rolled up her sleeves and checked other visible areas of skin to see if there were any injuries, before looking back up to Hiroshi. 

"Say, have you found anything yet? We might as well work together, eh?" Of course they noticed the note he picked up, but just decided to ask instead of plucking it out of his hand. Wouldn’t that be rude.

[shslgood-deeds-blog]

Though not too immersed in his thoughts, Hiroshi was still slightly startled as he sensed the presence of someone else enter the area. How long had he been standing there to not realize that people had come and gone? Though at the sound of foreign words, Hiroshi felt his shoulders relax slightly. It could only be one person he knew that would start a conversation with such words that no one here could possibly understand, and that was Suzuka Tsujio. And he being one of the many that didn't understand the meaning of those words, he understood the context of them... Or at least he guessed he did. Either way, he could say he was a bit relieved that she'd appeared on the scene. Suzuka was someone he felt he could still count on, not to mention he felt her to be a competent comrade in such a situation... But really, he supposed he had to admit, she was a friend to him. Looking over at Suzuka, he exchanged glances with the taller girl, pausing to think as he turned his gaze toward the note in his hand, reading it once more carefully. 

"That's true... But it looks like Minami-san.... And Shizuka Gozen, both wrote this in their final moments. Either the killer took pity on them, or she wrote this in their absence. Though, actually..." He paused as his eyes scrolled down to the bottom of the note, fingering the frayed edges of the torn note. "I feel that an important part of this message has been removed. Forcefully."

As he was about to continue onto his own thoughts about the killing, Hiroshi looked over as Izumi appeared on the scene. Giving them a nod in greeting, he stepped back as they further inspected Haruo's body. Watching them in silence with a stern expression, Hiroshi's thoughts wandered to the past... When Haruo hadn't been just something to investigate for their own survival... Like so many before her, her existence as a person seemed to fade before them. Hiroshi bit his lip at the thought. Really, in all senses it felt like it should disgust him, all the things that had transpired. But at this point, he and everyone else seemed to be beyond a point of return. Where death and murder had become the norm... And as Izumi rose and returned over to him and Suzuka, he wondered the question he'd been thinking about since their arrival that felt like it had taken place far in the past.

"Yeah, we were just talking about that... And, sure. We need all the help we can get... Here, you two should both take a closer look at Haruo's dying message. It would appear she and Shizuka Gozen wrote a note in their final moments."

Standing in between the two of them, he held out the note for both of them to read, not feeling it within himself to read those words out loud. Those words themselves felt like Haruo and Shizuka's screams as they both drew their last breath. He didn't feel like he could do either of them justice in a rendition of his own at all.

As the other two seemed to have finished reading the note, he handed the slip of paper to Izumi as he once again approached the body. Leaning down, he took a look at the ground and area around Haruo before focusing on her other hand, perhaps in the hopes of finding something else in her grasp. He then knelt down and looked up at Haruo's pale face, her eyes blank and staring forward, unseeing. Even though he knew her to be dead, he couldn't seem to hold her gaze for more than a second as he stood up once again. Turning away from the other two, Hiroshi scanned the rest of the train car in hopes of finding anything else that looked out of place to him. Once he was satisfied, Hiroshi slowly closed his eyes and took off his jacket, only to open them in surprise as something clattered out of his coat pocket along with the slip of paper given to him by Takumi.

"S-sorry--"

Hiroshi felt his face heat up with embarrassment, he bent over quickly to pick up Alter Buddy's console along with the note. Though not quickly enough. Standing up straight, his embarrassment thickened as he realized that he hadn't been wearing his belt like he usually did and probably just flashed the two in attendance his new underwear with an... interesting print on it that he'd gotten from the prize room. He couldn't say he cared much for Lady Justice, but those boxers were at least comfortable...

Hiroshi coughed in hopes to remedy the current situation he'd gotten himself in, though he doubted that neither of the two of them wouldn't comment on what had just happened.

[shslgood-deeds-blog]

[Open] - Task 15 - The Last Rose of Summer

Hiroshi blinked. Once. Twice. Three times. The scene before him remained the same as the body discovery announcement went off on the station's speakers. This couldn't be right. Haruo Minami? Shizuka Gozen? Dead? Impossible, that couldn't be the case. There had to be a mistake, she-- She had been a trained killer. She couldn't have gone down so easily... Blinking slowly as once again his surroundings blurred into the back of his mind, Hiroshi approached Haruo's body, coming to a stop in front of her as he looked the class president's body over. Cautiously, he reached a hand out and slowly waved his hands before her eyes.

No response.

Pausing for a moment, Hiroshi's glazed expression showed signs of strain as he bit his lip, this time reaching out to the piece of paper he saw clutched in her hands, along with a familiar looking sword. He attempted to hold down the sword with one hand as he had decided to pry the paper from Haruo's grip, but as soon as his hand touched Haruo's, Hiroshi flinched back, as if the black haired girl would spring up at any moment, sprightly as ever and threaten to kill him. But that of course wasn't going to happen ever again, and Hiroshi couldn't say that he didn't breathe a sigh of relief. But with Shizuka Gozen gone... So was Haruo Minami. Ever since the second murder trial and the reveal of the other girl's alter ego, he hadn't spoken much with the girl. To be honest, he'd always viewed her as irritating, like an overbearing mother... But in the end, he supposed it was just her doing her job... No. It was because she actually gave a damn about her classmates. He'd always known this... He couldn't say he ever hated her.

He'd always known the events of Shinya Zaizen's death... Hadn't been Haruo's fault. It had been Shizuka Gozen's. And though he couldn't say he'd gotten to be best friends with either Haruo or Shizuka Gozen. He could say that Haruo didn't deserve this.

Reaching over once more, this time unflinching, Hiroshi did his best to wrench the note away from Haruo's already stiffening grip. Holding it up, he inspected it closely, turning it around this way and that. 

"........ Tch."

[shsl--paranormal--investigator]

Task 14 / Japanese Yōkai: No Answer [Open]

Almost immediately after they picked up the phone, Izumi’s face just.. dropped. Sure, this place has done some things to them, though hearing their sister’s voice on the other line sent an arrow through their heart.

"Haruka? Can you hear me? It’s Izu-tan.. I’m fine.. Haruka?-"

They continued to whisper frantically into the phone before their anxious expression faded, and then they just held the phone by their ear, listening. Though their face seemed just as blank as usual now, they seemed incredibly tense and ready to snap at the next person to talk to them. Clutching the phone tightly, they closed their only visible eye and slowly hung it up.

Which, after that, they seemed perfectly fine. Maybe the shock of hearing their younger sister had worn off, and they continued listening to Monobear’s explanation of the call before.. sighing. They didn’t want to do this anymore.

”.. This is all so stupid.”

Turning around, they leaned against the wall by the phone and just slid down it, sitting on the ground and shoved their hands into their jacket pockets. Didn’t seem like they had anything else to say about the whole ordeal.

[shslgood-deeds-blog]

Hiroshi clenched his hand into a fist, standing against the wall near the phone booths. Another motive. Another reason for someone to kill once more. Just exactly what they needed. As he thought over his own voice mail he'd heard, Hiroshi turned to watching his other classmates, flitting from face to face before it rested on Izumi... The one he'd spoken to the least during his time here. Frowning, he watched them as they slid to the ground and just... Sat there. Cool as ever. He wondered just what was going on in the other's head. What had they heard? Was their blank expression and lack of an emotional reaction just a way to cope? Or... What? He felt like he understood the other to some degree... But at the same time, they remained an enigma. Needless to say, they didn't seem to be in the mood to converse... And neither did any of the others. But perhaps speaking of their experience might garnish some understanding between them all. Frowning as he found himself still clinging to the hope that they could all find a way out together, Hiroshi shook his head as he stepped over to where Izumi sat.

"... Kurosawa-san."

He paused, his hands still in his pocket as he glanced down at them before turning away to look a the others before returning his gaze to them. "Do you mind if we discussed... What just happened? I'd like to know. Do you think that that was a real call... Or just a recording?"

Frowning, deeply, Hiroshi pursed his lips before he continued. "It's ok if you don't want to speak of the contents of what you heard. But I'd like to ask. This motive... Would you kill for it? I... Heard my sister. She sounded distressed. I'm worried, but..."

Growing silent, Hiroshi stared down at Izumi as he awaited an answer, his hands in his pocket, gripping its' contents anxiously.

[shslgood-deeds-blog]

[Open] - Task 14 - After the Beep

As soon as he heard the announcement over the station's intercom system, he knew it wasn't going to be good news. As he was already in the area, he waited as the others slowly filtered into the area with similar jaded expressions of wariness. Turning to regard the phones, pursing his lips, Hiroshi recalled how it'd only been recently that he'd attempted to use these phones, just as Monokuma had said. He'd slammed the receiver back into place in frustration because, surprise surprise, nothing had happened. However as soon as Monokuma had countered his original thought, the phone began to ring.

"Wh--"

His eyes widened as he stood, watching as the other phones in the area began ringing as well. What the hell was going on? Seeing the others picking up the phones, Hiroshi himself cautiously turned to the phone closest to him and with a tentative motion, picked up the phone. And what he heard... 

His eyes widened even more as his breath hitched up in his chest. That voice... It was unmistakable, it was his younger sister's voice. Feeling his pulse rate go from a resting pace to one akin to if he was being chased, Hiroshi's grip tightened on the receiver as his other hand went up to catch a handful of his jacket. 

"S-Stupid big brother... Help... Help help help. Help me, I'm scared... I can't find Mom, Dad, or Hiromichi-- I, I came home with Gakuto, and everything was a mess... Where are you? Answer your phone darn it!! Please come home... Please... I know you don't answer your phone a lot, but please please please!! This is important and I--"

She was crying. It wasn't the usual whining cry he'd heard over and over growing up with the bratty girl, this one truly concerned him. Had something happened? His parents though frequently unavailable due to work, they were always just a phone call away from a short and terse conversation for him. Feeling his blood run cold, Hiroshi swallowed, his breathing a bit shallow as he spoke. 

"Musumi-- H-hey Musumi, calm down I-- I'm right here... Hey, Musumi?!"

No matter how much he yelled into the receiver, he soon came to realize that his sister couldn't hear him and soon after that realization sunk in, there was a clicking noise. And then, nothing. Muffled silence filled his ears once more.

The call had been disconnected. 

Shakily putting the phone back into it's place, Hiroshi stood wide eyed as he thought over what had just happened. He'd never heard his sister in such a panicked state before. Taking in deep breaths as his mind raced. That... Couldn't have been real, could it? How could he know that wasn't just a recording? Even if it was a recording... He could tell the fear in her voice was real. It felt so real and raw that he couldn't deny that even if it had been just a recording, whatever had happened had been dire.

Gathering himself up, his hands jammed into his pocket as he turned his gaze to his other classmates. Had they all heard something similar? By the looks on their faces, he could tell it had all been personal. So... That bear had tailored each and every call to every single one of them?

"Tch..."

Once again, that bear had them playing right into it's paws... Biting his lip in utter frustration, he stood there lost in his own thoughts as he watched the others. Knowing the pattern of things... They'd soon have another corpse on their hands.

[shslplaintiff]

injunction | task xxiii | open

She was so lost in thought, she almost didn’t notice the newsstand the first time she passed it, but she hadn’t yet circled around to investigate the tunnel before it registered. Spinning right around, nearly slipping, and darting right into the shop to the desk, she dug into the first newspaper she touched with the air of a starving person eating their first good meal in weeks. As she flipped page after page, her questions were thus: How recent was the newspaper, and what was the Hope’s Peak article about? She also wondered why the hell their captor would be taunting them like this, but that was a question for another day.

"Come on, come on, this has to be important, right—?”

Clambering up onto the stack of newspapers for a better look as she spread hers over the desk, she managed to clip one of the magazine racks with her elbow and send it toppling over with a metallic crash that probably could have been heard from Central Station. Should anyone barge in, attracted by the noise, they would see a fleet of crushed, glossy magazines scattered all over the floor, pages of spent newsprint fluttering down as they were scanned and tossed aside…and Tsubaki, sitting in the middle of the mess, thoroughly engrossed in her reading.

[shslgood-deeds-blog]

As Hiroshi wandered aimlessly through Gold station, glancing about at each storefront without much interest, taking mental notes on which ones he'd perhaps even consider investigating, he was suddenly knocked out of his preoccupation with the new area by another loud noise. Fearing the worst, Hiroshi did an about-face, quickly heading towards the source of the crash. Before he entered the store from which the noise emanated from, he realized that it was the news stand.

"Hey! Are you alright in the-- Mmpfh?!" Hiroshi called out as he gingerly stepped into the store only to be greeted with a page of newsprint to the face. Nearly slipping on glossy magazines scattered about the floor and falling over a tipped over rack in his confusion, many disgruntled and strangled screams escaped Hiroshi as he soon found himself crashing to the floor himself with a loud crash.

"O-ow ow ow ow..."

Nursing the back of his head as he tore away the newspaper from his face, sputtering all the while, Hiroshi winced as he slowly brought himself up to a sitting position as he gathered himself together, dusting off many a stray page.

"What's with this mess--" He grumbled before he turned to see Tsubaki, too focused in her reading to even possibly notice the chaos and disarray around her. Pausing for a second, Hiroshi turned around to look about the ground searching for another copy of whatever it was that Tsubaki had her nose in. Finding another copy of the paper, neatly folded and on top of a stack of ones that looked to be both identical in material and content. Opening up the pages, Hiroshi scanned through each of them absent mindedly... Until he got to an article on Hope's Peak Academy. And not just any kind of article... The article in question spoke of none other than the Good Samaritan himself.

"H-huh? Wait, what? Reserve... Reserve Course Alliance? Reserve Course Students...?? What's a Reserve Course Student?"

Turning his confused gaze to Tsubaki's as he searched her face in hopes for an answer. "This doesn't make any sense... I don't remember doing anything like this at all, hell I didn't even go to Hope's Peak yet, this doesn't....... Huh?"

Staring down at the article in disbelief, Hiroshi's gaze clouded over as the information he'd just obtained failed to compute with the information he knew to be fact. "This-- this has got to be a lie. Monokuma's just trying to fuck with us..."

But why. Why would that bear do such? The answer escaped him... But if it wasn't that bear's doing, what else could it be?

[shslgood-deeds-blog]

[Open] - Task 13 - Fool's Gold

Hiroshi's eyes blinked open. One slow blink after the other, he stared up at the ceiling as he turned his head to the side, slowly closing his eyes as he let out a long sigh, the sound of his body turning against the cotton fabric of his bed filling the empty silence of the room. Bringing a neatly folded sheet of paper up to his face, Hiroshi paused before biting his lip as he clutched it.

"Akiyama-kun. Akiyama-kun I'm sorry. I failed... I failed. I thought that this time things might be different. But what was I expecting. It's no use. You keep telling me that I should just head for the goal... But... I, I don't..."

A pause.

Silence once again filled the room as Hiroshi slowly sat up from his bed. "... Not gonna help me this time, Akiyama-kun? Ahah, I'm a lost cause I guess. I always was. Why did I even try to trick myself into thinking I even had any talent at all... After all, wasn't I just planing on faking it to make it at Hope's Peak?" Shaking his head, it really was all useless, right? Even if he got out, so what? He was still a nobody who couldn't even do anything to stop his friends from killing each other.

-Ping-

"Huh?" A small breath left Hiroshi as the noise from his pocket caught him off guard. Ah, that's right. Just like after any class trial they had in the past, it looked that new areas were unlocked. Perhaps by Nyanburu... That cat thing. Where had it gone...? It didn't matter. Just like them, it was powerless against Monokuma. It and Mamoru. They were both useless. If he hadn't been able to stop his friends from killing one another, why didn't those so called game masters do anything about it?

Reaching into his pocket Hiroshi guessed he could at least check out these new areas for a potential escape route. Looking through his transit pass, clicking on the maps section, Hiroshi's eyes widened as he saw the new area they'd gained access to.

"... Gold and Electrum station. A mall?"

He'd remembered in the past he'd frequented such underground malls that connected to department stores back where he used to live. He couldn't say he was fond of them, but they were quite the places to kill time after school. Looking at the map, he recalled back to what Alter Buddy had shown him. A map of the entire metro system they were stuck in. Most of the area's shapes resembled those of all the stations that had been opened up so far. So if logic served him correctly...

"One area left... Two to be exact, though I don't know how we'd go to that last station... Or if it even is a station. But, I wonder... How many of us have to die before we get there. There's hope in that an escape lies down the path we're treading. But to have such hopes... Is inviting an even greater despair."

Leaving his room, his door closing behind him with an audible thud and click, Hiroshi headed over on the train towards Gold Station, not even bothering to count the minutes that flew past him till he arrived at his destination. Stepping into the area, he was suddenly jolted to attention by the sound of a loud explosion. Barely having time to even think, Hiroshi bolted towards the direction of the sound, practically skidding to a halt in Electrum Station, his heart nearly stopping as he took in the scene.

"No..."

He watched in horror as he glared daggers at Monokuma. Just what the hell had happened?! Hiroshi gritted his teeth, standing by helplessly as Naomi was carted off by... Even more Monokumas. It was as if there wasn't anything this bear was capable of. Glancing about at Suzuka and Haruo, Hiroshi looked away before walking back towards Gold Station with his hands in his pockets.

Not even bothering to look at any of the stores lining the length of the underground mall, Hiroshi cast his eyes downward as he simply walked till he arrived at the end of the hallway. Looking about, his jaded gaze stopped for a moment on the trash bins at one end before he quickly whipped it away, grimacing at the memory of a death he'd wished hadn't had to happen. 

Going down the other way, he was met with another phone booth. It stood there at the end of the hall as if mocking him, just like the ones he'd tried to use in Central Station. There was no way it'd be functioning, right? Before he could really stop himself, Hiroshi continued down that way till he stood in front of the phone. Reaching out, he put the receiver to his ear. Scrutinizing the machine, he paused before pressing the 'call' button.

"Hello?"

... Heh, as if there was anyone to answer him at all.

[shslflowervagabond-blog]

{reaction 3} ēderuwaisu - reborn

[shslflowervagabond-blog]

Out of all the directions to expect a voice from, they definitely weren’t thinking of one from behind them. Instead of a graceful stop, they hurled forward, swiftly picking themself up in a tucked-in roll. Yeesh, it isn’t nice to scare people who have just been reborn like a Phoenix. This is their comeback, their moment! And somebody ruined the dramatic tension.

They spun around, a full 360 and a half more, to face the taller boy. The spin was unnecessary but they couldn’t help it, there was just so much energy and they wanted to keep moving.

“Kōda! Didn’t see y’ there! Th’ heck are y’ doin’ ‘ere?”

Before Hiroshi could answer, Ei cut him off and scooted closer.

“Ehh, doesn’t matter. That’s a really weird question. Obviously, I’m doin’ much effin’ better!”

They did another spin just to prove to him. See? Tip top shape. Ei took in a big breath, a wide grin stretching across their usually bland face.

"I’ve been through many things… I’ve finally unlocked my… my… better self! Doncha agree with me, Kōda? I feel great. Eheh… Aha-hahaha! Hrrk—”

In the midst of their laughter, it felt as if somebody smacked a brick against their skull. Ei patted their head, mentally reminding themself to not to push it too far. If they’ll remember that though, that’s a different answer…

[shslgood-deeds-blog]

Never in his life had he seen someone do such a dramatic and energy filled about-face. It was completely unlike Eiji at all. It was like it was someone completely different. Someone wild and unkempt... If Hiroshi could compare the Eiji he knew to something, it would've been the soothing side of nature with the wind rustling in the trees and the soft smell of fresh flowers. This person however. They were the raw, powerful, wild side of nature. Just looking into his eyes, Hiroshi noticed a new intensity that automatically put him on edge. 

"Well I uh--"

Getting cut off before he could offer an explanation about how he was concerned for the other, Ei had already moved on to answer Hiroshi's question. Well... Even though it was an answer, it was a useless one to Hiroshi as it explained absolutely nothing. This person felt so off, though they were smiling and laughing, Hiroshi could honestly say that he preferred the old Eiji to this.

".... I'd have to say you're defiantly a new person alright."

But... If they said they were much happier with themselves this way, that was alright with him. Though he didn't think whatever that triggered this transformation to be a positive force, He guessed he'd just have to wait and see the outcome. For now, he'd keep an eye on them.

"Just, don't strain yourself alright? I'm really glad you're happier with yourself, and you've found your inner strength, but its good to know your limits."

And no matter how many times they said how they were doing better... He couldn't be too sure about that just yet.

[shslflowervagabond-blog]

{reaction 3} ēderuwaisu - reborn

Mixed feelings, they couldn’t decide on one, yet there was no feeling of guilt dragging them down. Nothing. Did they think she deserved it? Life is precious, they know, but a fellow classmate just took two lives, both of them, they were on positive terms with. But was this right? Are they supposed to feel like this? Their emotions were all over the place. Eiji had pressed the button all too confidently, something they haven’t done ever since the very first trial. They wanted to cry but did not let themself. Not in front of everyone. Not again.

They watched the execution with a blank expression, almost mirroring boredom. Is this how mother would have wanted to see you? Eiji quietly reached for their necklace, tugging at it out of habit. Definitely not but she wouldn’t have wanted them to be in such a dangerous situation either, nothing’s that simple. Before they knew it, the janitor was gone. That was fine. Everything’s going to turn out fine in the end after all, right?

As silent as ever, Eiji left, quickly taking the train to Silver Station… then… Pewter Station? What could they possibly be doing?

Read More

[shslgood-deeds-blog]

He felt numb. So numb and tired from the trial. After watching Toragesa's execution, he followed the rest of his remaining classmates back into the train, leaning back on the seat he'd taken far away from the others as the train sped off back towards Central Station. Soon as the all shuffled back to the station where their apartments were located, Hiroshi began to think about those he wanted to talk to and if he really wanted to talk to anyone at all. Naomi was at the top of his list and Eiji was following in close in second. Eiji... The poor kid had been so brutally framed by Toragesa, an act done in complete cold blood. He could really sympathize. And then there was Naomi Han. He'd thought of Naomi as strong in the beginning when he'd first met her... Before all they had all started killing each other left and right. He worried that she wasn't going to be alright alone. Not only was she someone he considered one of the two friends he had left, but he had also promised Takumi he'd take care of her but--

... Promises. His thoughts broke off here. That's right, he'd broken his promise to Takumi with Tsubasa and Ruri's death. But at this point, he couldn't even bring himself to apologize to the Hockey Player anymore. It all just felt pointless. But at the same time, Hiroshi also felt that Takumi would tell him it wasn't his fault. Yeah. Yeah... 

Before long, Hiroshi was once again outside the door of his apartment. Like the last trials, he was planing on going back into his room and sleeping, or at least trying to, for a while. But it was then he saw Eiji go to board the train again. Frowning, Hiroshi watched as the florist left; not wasting too much time just staring, Hiroshi followed suit, whipping out his transit pass and scanning it, quickly boarding the train that soon came into the station. Following after them, Hiroshi stopped just outside of the obstacle course in Pewter station. A place he'd remembered climbing a wall with the florist and almost fell off of. Frowning at the memory, Hiroshi hid out of sight as he watched Eiji for a while. Just what were they doing? He could barely make sense of why they were even here when--

God what the hell was that? A laugh?

Narrowing his eyes he watched Eiji warily with their hair messed up and just... Laughing and talking to themselves. Had they lost their mind?! They weren't acting like their usual sleepy self at all! All of this was quite understandable yes, but he hadn't expected the florist to completely snap like that--

"Oh shit--" 

Hiroshi cursed under his breath as Eiji suddenly ran out of the obstacle course. Unsure of what to even do or say, Hiroshi raised his voice, calling after them.

"H-hey! Kobayashi-san-- Are you alright? What happened just now?"

[shslgood-deeds-blog]

[Open] - Task 12 - All Wrong

[shsliincho-blog]

"Oh shit? You should be blessed with my presence, Hiroshi Koda." She was joking, of course. Nobody should suffer being stuck with the great serial killer, she was glad to be back, although she wasn’t pulled back in the best of ways. All that mattered what she was back, there were two more dead teenagers in this station and she was with Hero-kun. From her previous memories of him, she didn’t have an exactly positive outlook on him. In fact, calling him Hero-kun was just to mock him.

Shifting away to look at her surroundings, she ignored Hiroshi for a moment to take it all in. It looked familiar, Shizuka had stopped by here to take a bathing suit and a few things, but she was never this far into the station. Squinting, she took a further look in the station. The last time she looked or checked, she was unable to access the area.

Placing her hands on her hips, she noticed her gloves were back on, as well as her clothing. Haruo was smart enough to dress herself when it was freezing cold, after all. A wide grin flashed across her face, turning around to face Hiroshi once he was done identifying the second body. “Attitude, huh? That’s how you wanna talk to a serial killer?”

That Shinya Zaizen was more useful than she first thought, it’s really a shame the poor bastard died— oops! Because of her small mistake, she forgot about that. She supposed it happened when Haruo was cold, it must have slipped from her hands and fell somewhere. Either way, it was odd for her to make a simple mistake like this, a simple mistake that lead to a serious of unfortunate events. 

She glanced up, hearing Hiroshi’s voice direct more at her than the machine in his hands. Shizuka frowned, he wanted her to cooperate? He had the right appeal though, she disliked the bear for revealing so much and losing important files and videos about her in the first place. Plus, she never intended to die, not by a bunch of inexperienced teenage killers. 

Frowing, she didn’t reply as her feet moved a slight inch, burying in the dirt as she suddenly lunched forward at Hiroshi, with the speed and intent of killing her victims. She slipped her hand inside her jacket, taking out her tachi sword, letting the scabbard go in her other hand. Pressing the back edge of the blade in Hiroshi’s neck, she narrowed her eyes.

"Listen— you don’t tell me to cooperate, I decide if I want to tag along in your investigation of ‘find the kid who killed my best friend’." Stepping closer, she gripped the blade tighter. "Let’s play a game Hiroshi Koda, a bet to entertain me enough to participate in this murder game with you." Backing away, she slid the sword back in it’s holder, tucking it in the side of her hip. "I want to gamble who can survive this, how about that?" 

Winking, she walked away, going around the purification facility to find any clues missed. 

[shslgood-deeds-blog]

In a flash, Shizuka was upon him before the thought to run could even process in his head. Hiroshi flinched, squeezing his eyes shut as the cold metal of Shizuka's tachi sword dug into the skin of his neck. The pressure hurt his throat and he felt like he just might suffocate from just being cornered by the likes of a serial killer.

Opening his eyes, willing himself to stare back at Shizuka. He wouldn't dare admit he was afraid of her. He couldn't show fear even though he felt the emotion course through his entire being. He couldn't let Shizuka know just how afraid he was. But it was already a little late, the expression he sported certainly wasn't one of unshaken bravery. So much for being a "hero"-kun... Though he knew that Shizuka had called him such to mock him.

"A-a game--"

Breaking off as he brought his hand up to his now freed neck, a cold sweat forming on his forehead as he took in a few deep breaths before shaking his head and glancing warily in Shizuka's direction. Why, oh why did she of all people have to show up again. God, he hated her. 

But he supposed there was nothing he could do for now. He was stuck with a serial killer and he couldn't do anything about it. He would't say whether or not he'd agree to such a game, gambling and the like never appealed to him, and such a gamble he wasn't willing to risk. He hadn't thought of him to be that big of a target, but looking around at those who have died as well as those around him who are still left... He wouldn't be that hard to kill. But perhaps, was it just because he didn't really stand out, that's why he hadn't been offed yet? People kept calling him a protagonist and while he agreed that he wasn't the flashiest of guys, but wouldn't it be better to kill him instead? Someone that doesn't stand out. Someone normal. Someone that can't do anything... He knew for sure others that had died could be more useful around than he would. And now that those like Takumi have gone. Other than Tsubaki and her kind heart. Who would remember him fondly and mourn him?

Frowning as his thoughts clouded his head, Hiroshi turned around and headed towards the gate out to the rest of Amalgam station, not turning around as he called out to Shizuka. "Fine. A game then. I don't know what either of us has to gain from such, but perhaps we should focus on finding who killed Mariya-kun and Egusa-kun. Wouldn't want us to all choose wrong and die before we either of us could win, right?"

Not bothering to see if Shizuka was following, Hiroshi headed back over to the platform and scanned his transit pass, boarding the train that came moments after. He figured that many of the others that had reached Ruri's body and the area beforehand had already had the area covered. He'd seen most of the people in Mercury station head over to Amalgam station as soon as the trains were working again, so he figured he might as well split up and cover more ground as Mercury station was much larger in area anyway. Stepping off the train Hiroshi walked by the burger stand with Tsubasa's body still laid out on the ground as he'd left him. For a moment he wondered where the bodies went after the trial, as they were never there when they returned.

Slowly turning away from the sight, Hiroshi headed further into the water park and over the bridge just above the lazy river. He glanced down at the water, frowning as he stood in thought. Ruri had been in the water purification tank. So perhaps there might be traces of blood within the water running through the area? Looking over, Hiroshi jumped as he noticed Shizuka right behind him. Holding back a yelp, he quickly pulled himself together and cleared his throat before nodding towards the water.

"A-ah, Gozen-san. Hi..."

"Mariya-kun died of poisoning. Diethyltoluamide poisoning to be exact. Though I'm not sure of what it is exactly, it sure sounds like some sort of chemical to me. He said something about drinking water... I think that's how he ingested the poison. So, I just wanted to check out the water in the pools first before looking at the tap water since, I doubt Mariya-kun would drink pool water--" Breaking off he paused as he thought back to all of the things Tsubasa did in the past.

"Actually on second thought, he might just have drank pool water, knowing him."

[shslgood-deeds-blog]

[Open] - Task 12 - All Wrong

[shsliincho-blog]

She had called out Hiroshi’s name in the hopes he had caught her, because she knew upon seeing the blood and wounds dripping down Ruri’s forehead, she would be gone and Shizuka would take over once more. Haruo didn’t want to leave though, she wanted to stay longer, to keep herself stable for at least one more day. Just this once, she could keep control of herself. That’s why, not only did her voice sound desperate, it sounded like a plea of help or maybe, a warning to him. 

Her body fell into his arms, her eyes were closed and there were tears dripping down from her eyes. She stayed in this state for a few minutes, until Hiroshi finished his talk with Alter Buddy, her body shifted, she was awake. Her eyes snapped open, a grin spreading onto her lips.

“WHAAT’S UP, HERO-KUUN~!?” Shizuka lurched up, avoiding knocking into his chin. “..What are these arms around me? Did she faint or something?” Looking around her, all she found was legs surrounding an area. She had the memories of Haruo, but she didn’t ever see the actions of what she did. Jumping out of Hiroshi’s grip, she glanced over at the body floating in the water. “..Well, that may be the cause on why she fainted.”

Her casual matter vanished as she placed her hat over her head, sliding her finger over the rim. “Haah..this is interesting.” The last time she was active, it was after the motive announcement, based on the memories Haruo had, she had taken control of the situation, despite that two people had died in different stations. This was certainly an odd situation they were stuck in.

"Ruri Egusa is dead and so is the.." She racked her brain for memory, "And Tsubasa Mariya, right?" Shizuka turned to Hiroshi for some answers, but she waved her hand as if she figured it out. "..What’s that?" She pointed to the device in Hiroshi’s hand, she raised an eyebrow. "I thought Shinya Zaizen died."

[shslgood-deeds-blog]

"Oh shit."

He knew that voice. It was the same as Haruo's the the intonations. The way her voice flowed was far from that of Haruo's. It was Shizuka Gozen, probably the last person he wanted to ever meet, especially because of the fact that she was a serial killer. Not necessarily the most welcome company if one valued their own life. But then again... Didn't someone say she only killed law breakers? Whatever, she still killed more people for Hiroshi to be comfortable being anywhere near her, let alone having her in such a close proximity to him as having her in his arms.

Ignoring her overly cheerful words, turning his gaze to Alter Buddy instead. He couldn't help but let out a slight sigh of relief as Shizuka stepped away from him, but soon he was tensed up once again. Ruri? Ruri was the one dead? That couldn't be, right? Pushing himself up from the ground with a grunt as he rushed over to the water tank to see the proof for himself, Hiroshi stood at the edge in shock. Though he hadn't been the fondest of Ruri... Seeing him dead was surreal. Suddenly he felt a rush of guilt fill his mind. The last thing they had done was find Alter Buddy together, and Ruri'd seemed torn that he was taking custody of the digital copy of his cherished significant other. He couldn't say he'd be alright with himself for being that heartless.... But how would he have known Ruri was...

"Tch... Idiot. You-- God fucking DAMN IT!"

Kicking the water purification tank in frustration, Hiroshi breathed in and out shakily as he glared over at Shizuka. "This? This' is Alter Buddy. A program made by Shinya Zaizen to help map shit and be helpful and something to talk to." Stopping himself as he realized that it'd be best to not take that sort of tone with a serial killer he sighed and shook his head. "Sorry. I'm... Upset."

Looking back to the water tank, he frowned. He and Ruri... They really should've been friends. For the both of them to hold such animosity towards the other... For things to have ended on a sour note... He couldn't help but wish he and the skater had become friends. Perhaps... As Ruri might put it, in another life? Looking down at Alter Buddy with exhausted eyes as he continued to look around the area for any clues.

".... Alter Buddy. I'll confirm with you that the second body is that of Ruri Egusa's. I'm sorry... You barely got to speak with him. I don't know what I believe in... But, Egusa-san couldn't have died without regrets. I'll find the truth. That's the least I can do I guess. What do you think?"

Look at him, asking an inanimate program such questions. Though thinking that the AI might have some sort of reassuring answer as somewhat comforting to him. Glaceing over at Shizuka once again, Hiroshi addressed her, this time with a much calmer but still firm tone. 

"Gozen-san. I know you're the type to march to the beat of a different drum. But would you mind helping us investigate? Though know that if you refuse, more suspicion will already be drawn to you. I am not going to state whether or not I believe you to be the one who killed either one of these two. But I'm not going to say you're innocent as well. I say with your status, you should honestly try and assist in this investigation because sadly, that bear has power over all of us. And I'm sure you aren't keen on dying and nor is Haruo, am I correct?"

His eyes didn't leave Shizuka for a second as he waited for her reply. Hopefully she'd be accepting of this offer... If not, he might just have to run.

[shsliincho-blog]

[shslgood-deeds-blog]

[Open] - Task 12 - All Wrong

[shslcarto]

shsliincho:

[shslgood-deeds-blog]

It was harsh to leave Koda-kun behind, she repeated in her mind as she stood in front of the train station, waiting for people to come around with everyone else. There was something wrong, like she suspected, it was best to return to the station, back to where Hiroshi was. She turned her back around everyone, closing her eyes. She needed to get her act together, but this wasn’t helping. Haruo needed more time, more trust in herself. She didn’t have right now though.

She took out her transit pass, watching as the train doors opened for her, she stepped off the platform without a word. In the distance, she could see the reunion of a certain law duo, and Ninsei and…Izumi? She raised an eyebrow, wondering where Ruri was, she had counted every single head but his. She closed her eyes as the doors closed, she felt the train move under her feet. Soon, she was back at the Mercury station, where temperatures were back to normal. 

Seeing Hiroshi still on his knees, she walked up to him, but as she got there, he already stood up. “The Amalgam Station?” She looked over at the other side, seeing nobody no longer looking down in the glass. “Yes, but I haven’t counted everyone. I suggest we go back there immediately.” Grabbing Hiroshi’s arm, she dragged him over to the platform, no body would move while they were gone right? It would take a simple few minutes. 

Walking into the train, she kept her eyes on Hiroshi, judging his expression and his body behavior, after all someone just died in front of his eyes. That someone being a classmate. She finally turned to look at the other side, but as she did a body announcement ringed in the back of her head. “..No.” She turned to face Hiroshi before running off once the doors were open. Not again, please let it be a mistake. She kept on running, her legs carried her over to the area Shizuka saw locked. Waiting for Hiroshi to catch up, she slowly approached the scene.

It was too late for her once her eyes caught sight what was inside. The water, still as it held the corpse of Ruri Egusa. She didn’t want to go, not yet.

"KODA-KUN—" She practically screamed his name as her eyes closed, slowly losing consciousness as she fell to her knees, falling forward towards the ground. 

Alter Buddy didn’t much mind the cozy insides of Hiroshi’s pocket, but hearing all the action happening and not being able to participate was becoming a bit dull. It was the panicked voice of Haruo Minami that told AB that enough was enough. A tone rang out from Hiroshi’s pocket before AB began speaking at max volume.

"Hiroshi Koda-san! I detected high levels of stress in Haruo Minami-san’s voice! I request you aid her as quickly as possible!"

The levels of high stress and tension in the area were indicating that… something horrible must have happened. Perhaps the Alter Buddy could begin to be of some help! Although he wasn’t programmed to aid in murder investigations, perhaps he had something to offer…

The first step was saving Haruo Minami-san!

"I see, then let's--"

Before he could finish his sentence, he'd already been dragged away towards the train platform, headed over to Amalgam Station, a place he hadn't been to before just yet. Barely able to give any protest as he glanced back at Tsubasa's body before letting out a sigh and following after Haruo as she went.

His expression didn't provide much other than another testament to the numbness he now felt throughout himself. He felt, and yet he failed to feel anymore at the same time. It blurred together into a mix of confusion as he focused his gaze forward towards their destination, arms crossed. Eyes, on the prize, Hiroshi Koda.

As the train quickly slowed to a stop at Amalgam Station, Haruo stepping off first with Hiroshi following behind in silence as he looked about the boardwalk. It must have been burning hot here while in the station adjacent, it was freezing. A trial of fire and ice indeed... But now wasn't the time to wax poetic. 

Especially not now.

Feeling a jolt, as if a lightning bolt had struck him, his heart stopping in his chest, Hiroshi's eyes widened as another body discovery announcement played over the intercom. No... No it couldn't be. Two? Two people dead in one day? His eyes locked with Haruo's for a moment, and he confirmed that the announcement hadn't been just a figment of his imagination.

"Tsk--"

Never mind that, right now he had to run after Haruo. Eyes on the prize. Eyes on the goal. The goal. Taking in a deep breath, Hiroshi dashed after the class president, he arrived just as Haruo began approaching the water purification tank. And in a split second, once he noticed Ninsei and Izumi on the scene as well, he knew exactly what he'd find in there. Blinking as a sudden voice blared out from his pocket.

"Alter buddy?!"

He didn't need to be told twice. Diving down, Hiroshi caught Haruo before she collided with the ground, grunting as he tried to stop his momentum, only to land on his back, hissing lowly at the pain generated from the sudden force of his back crashing against the floor. Sitting up as he held Haruo in his arms, he slowly inched Alter Buddy out from his pocket to see his face staring back at him. Looks like he'd forgotten to turn him off. Hopefully the battery would last, he'd need all the help he could get.

"Alright, now what. I should update you on what's happened, Alter Buddy. Another murder has occurred... This time, there seems to be two bodies. Tsubasa Mariya IX was one of the victims, most likely he was poisoned by drinking contaminated water. And another one... I haven't confirmed who that is just yet, but they seem to be inside the water purification tank. In any case, would there be any way you could assist us? I know you're more privy to the matter of cartography, but maybe you have some other functions?"

[youskateoryoudie-blog]