...

...

Ashlyn: Who were those people...?

Miyoshi: Why do they look so... Familiar?

Chloe: That girl... We've seen her... The last flashback light that was her! The girl playing uhh Maki?

Miyoshi: Maki... That's right... She was a participant in Danganronpa V3!

Tan Liang: She survived the game, didn't she? And she's running away from Team Danganronpa...

Randi: And who were the two other people?

Sophie: The ones that survived with her, probably.

Randi: So she's a survivor of V3, and now she's getting captured by Team Danganronpa. Why do we need to know this?

Ashton: What happened to them after getting captured?

Sophie: Well, that's what we don't know...

Chloe: Were they killed???

Randi: No that's not possible! They survived that's not possible...

Sophie: No, it's actually the most possible option. Team Danganronpa was a way for the government to handle overpopulation, but when the public turned against it, the government realised that if they continued to allow it, the people would eventually go against them too.

Sophie: So they made it illegal after the 53rd season. When the three survivors left the grounds, the Team was probably forced to get rid of all evidence of the game so that future generations would not know about it and taint the country's reputation.

Sophie: This included getting rid of the people who survived the last game. They killed them because it was illegal to keep them alive.

Ashlyn: Then why are we here?

Chloe: That's right, if Team Danganronpa killed them and got rid of all killing game evidence, then why are we all here?

Ashton: Yea, that's a problem.

Sophie: There had to be some members of the public who still liked Danganronpa and wanted more seasons, so maybe...

Yu Xuan: But as you said, the government won't allow that. And I assume if they continue, they'll get arrested.

Hanako: Maybe they continued the seasons in secret?

Rachel: Well, going off what Sophie said, the government benefited from these seasons because they solved overpopulation. This means that the seasons were probably funding the killing games. That means without the approval and funding from the government, they'd probably be way under budget.

Ashton: And they wouldn't be able to pull off anything that's happened so far...

Chloe: So that doesn't answer the question, why are we here???

Sophie: If money's the problem, they could definitely solve it. Team Danganronpa is no small business, it's a big company. If they needed money, even without the government they would have people readily to fund them just for exposure. They could've gotten funds from the public too, the loyal fans who desperately need new seasons. They would happily give hundreds or even thousands to their favorite show.

Chloe: Okay so money is maybe out of the picture, but if the government is against this, how could they pull this off? In a huge mall mall nonetheless.

Miyoshi: I guess that's what we can't figure out...

Ashton: Wait, Sophie, what are you not telling us?

Sophie: I legit just told you everything.

Ashton: No you couldn't have told us everything this isn't like you-

Sophie: What?

Ashton: You normally don't tell us anything useful and now you're just, nice???

Sophie: What so I can't be a good person? I just have to be the bad guy all the time just because I try to make things actually interesting???

Ashton: So tell us, are you telling us everything?

Sophie: Why would I tell you everything? I have privacy you know.

Ashton: So you admit you're the Mastermind??

Sophie: No I didn't say anything like that-

Ashton: You're not telling us something and I can sense it.

Sophie: I'm telling you everything you need to know.

Ashton: But you're not telling us everything!

Sophie: Then why don't you tell us something, Ashton? Come on detective boy, you're always saying that I'm not opening up and telling you anything, but what have you ever told me?

Ashton: I've told you everything about me-

Sophie: And so have I, so stop saying that I'm not telling you everything, because of course I'm not, I have my secrets, and I'm not telling you anything more than what I want to.

Ashton: I just want you to tell us what you're keeping from us.

Sophie: I'm not keeping anything I want to share.

Hanako: ANYWAYS, how are they hiding all this from the government? It's a huge functioning mall and thru just killed all the staff to stream a killing game on the internet. Wouldn't the government know about it instantly?

Sophie: Well I don't know about how they made the government oblivious to the mall being used, but they could've made a special website that requires a different, mostly unknown search engine and a specific row of numbers and symbols that couldn't be typed accidentally.

Sophie: This could lead to the streaming page for the game so loyal fans could get the broadcast. Maybe they'd have to go through some kind of blackmail or trial to make sure that they wouldn't tell the police about these illegal acts.

Randi: So the people watching us are criminals?

Ashlyn: But how are they watching us?

Miyoshi: If you haven't noticed, there's security cameras in every room. Maybe they're showing all the security camera footage on the broadcast...

Tan Liang: So they can watch my every move? That's... Embarrassing.

Chloe: So now what do we do? We have this knowledge but what do we use it for?

Miyoshi: I guess we can't use it for anything yet. It might help us find the Mastermind, but I don't see the connection...

Tan Liang: I guess we can just leave now.

Ashlyn: Okay then, see you guys later.

I left the food court and headed to my room.

Hm. I don't really have anything to do right now, I guess I'll go find someone to hang out with.

- - - FREE TIME START - - -

Randi: Hey Ashlyn!

Ashlyn: Oh hi Randi, wanna hang out?

Randi: Yes yes yes! Of course I do! I'm so bored right now, so whaddya wanna do?

Ashlyn: I haven't drawn anything in a long time, want to come to my room and draw with me?

Randi: I can't draw so well, how about I just watch you?

Ashlyn: Um uhhh, sure...

Randi: Yay!

I spent some time drawing and Randi standing behind me pointing at the drawing and excitedly telling me how well I draw eyes.

Ashlyn: Do you have any request for me to draw anything?

Randi: How about a cat?

Ashlyn: Oh, I was expecting something more complicated but, yea, I can do that.

U drew a cat.

Randi: He's so cute! Can you tell me how to draw that cat?

I drew the cat again, this time a bit slower.

Ashlyn: You uh, wanna draw it?

Randi picked up the pencil and drew a smaller cat next to mine.

Ashlyn: Aww, that's a nice cat.

Randi: I used to draw small cats on my notes for my friends before... This. I love my friends, and I haven't been able to see them in so long. I wish I could leave this place, I just want to draw them a note one more time, before I... Before we...

Ashlyn: Hey hey it's ok... We'll, we'll escape together and then you'll be able to see your friends again.

Randi: But what if I'm killed? What if something bad happens??? I just want to talk to them one more time. I miss them, and I wanna go home.

I was hit by a sense of homesickness and reality. Randi was right, we might not make it out alive, and someone could seal that fate at any time. I wanted to go home too, I wanted to see my friends and my family. I wanted to go to that school I'd looked forward to going to for so long. I wanted to lie in my own bed and not worry about murders and executions. I just wanted to leave. I wanted to go home.

Ashlyn: I... Me too.

Randi: You know what Ashlyn, I'll survive. The rest of us we'll all survive and we'll make it out. Then we can finally go home and I can see my friends.

Ashlyn: I hope...

Randi: Thanks for being here with me, Ash.

Ashlyn: No problem. I'll go now, be careful okay?

Randi: Mhm! I got it.

Looks like I grew a little closer to Randi today!

I headed back to my dorm.