Chapter Text
Students gathered in the gymnasium after finding themselves in an unfamiliar place.
Rantaro was the only individual in the group who appeared to have some idea of their current situation, compared to the others, who all appeared shocked, confused, or baffled.
This was just sickening.
Rantaro, the winner of the previous killing game, finds himself in another. In an even troubling state this time. Similar to the previous one, it begins with everyone having no understanding of anything; everyone panics. Soon, Monokuma announces the rules of this horrible killing game, and then the murdering begins.
His ultimate goal here… is to survive.
He feels sick to his stomach at the idea of repeating the same pattern. Going through the same cycle. In a world where people have died and gone through different kinds of conflicts, this homicidal game is even more insane. Another level of messed up.
Though he is filled with disdain, Rantaro quietly observes the situation and does not lose his composure.
Shuichi noticed that Rantaro was still in pretty good shape. 'Impressive...Even in this situation, he somehow managed to stay relaxed…’ Shuichi thought as he glanced towards the mysterious individual.
They met a lot of different people, but only one of them stood out to Shuichi.
Rantaro Amami was calm and a laid-back guy who seemed to have forgotten his talent, but he was also dependable and easygoing. Similar to a big brother. Rantaro has good looks but also gives the impression of being a player or womanizer; he disputes this and even became upset when Kaede brought it up. Shuichi has no personal grudges against Rantaro, but it makes sense that he would be skeptical of him.
Rantaro was genuinely understanding and wasn’t bothered by those who were suspicious of him.
Shuichi looked at Rantaro, who was talking with Kaede, and squinted. They were having discussions about a certain subject, most likely how to get out of the murdering game or find out information about the outside world. Shuichi was in the middle of a conversation with Kirumi but ended up not paying attention. He continued to stare at Rantaro despite having limited vision due to his hat, and he made sure to listen to what was being said between the two.
'I wonder what they're talking about...I was sure I heard my name.'
Kirumi clears her throat to end the conversation after noticing that Shuichi is no longer listening. Hearing Kirumi cough to get his attention, Shuichi quickly turns to face her. Kirumi put her hands together and smiled at Shuichi. "Shuichi, if there is anything else I could help you with, please don't hesitate to call for me."
Shuichi hurriedly straightened up and lowered his head to Kirumi. "Ah- Okay, thank you. It means a lot."
"Mhm, I'll be on my way. Gonta and Korekiyo are waiting for me in the dining hall." Kirumi turned and waved at Shuichi. "I’ll be seeing you later, Shuichi." Shuichi nodded and fixed his hat.
Shuichi turned back to face the two, who were still chatting. He wanted to say hi, but he didn't want to interrupt them or give the impression that he was eavesdropping.
When the night-time announcement was made everyone went back to their dorm rooms. The sixteen students were guided to their rooms by Monokuma. They're going to spend their first night in the closed off school knowing that there would be a possibility of murder—definitely not something good to think of especially since they are most vulnerable when asleep, Rantaro knew this and thought to check his 'special' and 'odd' Monopad. The Survivor Perk Monopad. He was aware that he held the title of Ultimate Survivor, so he decided to inspect the peculiar gadget.
Since he seemed to be the only one with the Survivor Perk, Rantaro got up and decided to leave his room to look into the matter more.
'Whoever is behind this killing game is fucking crazy' he thought to himself as he clutched his Monopad, he inhaled deeply, looked around, and then stepped out of his room.
He went outside into the courtyard and gazed up at the artificial sky, which was beautiful yet empty.
Rantaro remained cautious because he was sure he had heard a noise earlier. He began searching for clues but avoided the restricted areas out of fear that the mastermind of this game may discover him. He instead chose to search through the areas that were already open to them.
He spent some time looking around before taking a seat on a bench. He was exhausted, and to no one's surprise, he’s gained nothing from his quick investigation. Rantaro stared at his Monopad frustrated.
'Obviously I wouldn't find anything, dammit if only we weren't limited to some places-' Rantaro looks up, his eyes narrowing as he hears a sound again, this time he was sure they were footsteps.
Rantaro glances around, trying to find the individual.
'They're probably behind me...'
He sighed. "I know you're there. You don't need to hide."
The individual in question made a startled sound and cautiously stepped out of the pillar they were hiding behind. Rantaro turned to see who it was, thinking he might recognize someone much like Kaede or Kokichi, who have a reputation for being curious people who follow others. Yet Rantaro blinked in surprise to realize that Shuichi was the one following him. Typically, a detective would go investigate a suspicious individual to find out what they're up to, though Shuichi didn’t seem that way.
Shuichi stumbles, "Uhh..." then clears his throat. "Hi, I'm sorry for following you. I was just..." he says, placing his hand on his cap. "I decided to investigate because I couldn't sleep."
Humming, Rantaro observes the nervous mess. Rantaro believes Shuichi is trustworthy, but he might be hiding his true intentions. He might even be planning something. He wouldn’t know. They just met, after all.
With a chuckle, "Oh yeah, that makes sense," Rantaro made the decision to maintain his alertness and make sure he returned to his room without being killed. "You are a detective, after all," Rantaro states. Even if he wanted to trust Shuichi, it’s difficult, given the fact that they were participants in a death game.
Shuichi winced, "Oh no, I'm just an apprentice... I'm not an actual detective, but I do what I can." It was quite dark, and Shuichi looked pretty eerie with his hat on, but Rantaro sensed that Shuichi appeared unhappy that he had brought up the word ‘detective’.
“You should really head back to your room, considering that it won't help you sleep better to think about the killing game all the time.” Rantaro stood up from the bench, about to leave.
Shuichi interrupted him, "Ah, I wanted to ask." Rantaro turns to Shuichi, waiting for him to continue. With a clear throat, "Out of curiosity...what made you want to investigate alone?"
"What do you mean? I'm investigating because of the killing game."
“No.” Shuichi spoke up. "I meant that, why were you alone? "
Wanting to give Shuichi the impression that he was growing impatient and that he should stop talking, Rantaro crosses his arms and takes a step closer. (to also see him clearly.)
“If you're out here by yourself this late, you could easily become a target for murder," Shuichi states as he notices a shift in Rantaro's demeanor, but he doesn't back down and keeps talking. “Also, I noticed that you made sure no one else was around when you were conducting your investigation, which suggests you don't want anyone else to find out.”
“It sounds like you’re accusing me of something.” Rantaro stares, his expression stern.
Shuichi falters, feeling a bit threatened by Rantaro's intense gaze. “I had my suspicions… but after observing you, I quickly dismissed my concerns that you might be the mastermind.”
Rantaro raised a brow. “I suppose that’s a good thing?”
Shuichi nods, curling his fist slightly.
“Though…”
He hesitates before clearing his throat again.
“I believe that you know more than you let on."
Shuichi walked towards him, feeling much more confident since he knew he had him cornered.
"So tell me, Rantaro Amami.”
Shuichi had a stern look on his face. “What do you know about the killing game?"
Even though he claimed to be just an apprentice, Shuichi was a pretty skilled individual and could point out things that others didn't notice. With enough information, Shuichi managed to connect the dots. He was a real detective. Rantaro was impressed by Shuichi's guise and felt his lips curl up into a slight smile.
The two stared at each other before Rantaro chuckled, rubbing his neck. "That's amazing, you caught right on Shuichi."
Rantaro then arched his brow as Shuichi simply stared at him, Shuichi’s face remained expressionless; he didn’t look angry or surprised. Rantaro placed his hands on his hips and looked at Shuichi. "You don't seem upset that I know something crucial to the killing game?” he asked, looking at the detective with a menacing aura.
“I could easily be a threat to you." Clearly, he can't just give up information to someone he doesn't yet trust.
"It depends on what you know. Although you don't seem to know much, what you do know might hold the key to stopping the person responsible for this killing game.” With his hand on his chest, Shuichi spoke. "I am willing to gather all of the information we have to stop this game."
‘His statement seems genuine, I guess I was mistaken about him even though it's too convenient to have a detective in this kind of situation.’ Rantaro closes his eyes to think.
Shuichi remained still, waiting for a response. Rantaro chuckled as he turned to face him after subtly looking around. “Alright then.” Rantaro nods. The detective seemed confused when Rantaro extended his hand, but he followed through. "My name is Rantaro Amami," Shuichi accepted his hand and shook it. "And I am the Ultimate Adventurer." Rantaro smiled.
Rantaro shares some of his knowledge to Shuichi, but not all of it. All that was said to him was that he acquired a ‘special’ monopad. He went so far as to invent a story, claiming that perhaps Monokuma had mistakenly uploaded classified material on his tablet.
A detailed map of the school was included in the Monopad.
“I see. So you chose to do your own investigation since you had this information in your monopad and knew that no one else did.” Shuichi went over again after Rantaro’s explanation.
“Correct.”
This new discovery impressed Shuichi, who humbly spoke again. “How come you kept your talent a secret? Why did you pretend that you’ve forgotten?” Shuichi tilts his head curiously.
‘That’s because I’m not the Ultimate Adventure. I just had that title when I used to travel, and I can't even remember what my real talent was! I’m actually the Ultimate Survivor! One of the participants in the previous killing game!’
Was what Rantaro would say, but he couldn’t possibly tell Shuichi that.
"Well, I’m not exactly an open person.” Rantaro looks away with a cough.
“Being friends with strangers is not something I would easily do. I don't really enjoy socializing that much, unlike how it seems.” He gives a lighthearted chuckle.
“Oh, I get that.” Shuichi fidgets with his hat a bit. “I don’t like socializing either.”
Rantaro looks at Shuichi and smiles as if saying that he is already aware of that. "Anyway, I’m pretty sure that a few others here were also lying about their talent.”
Shuichi nods in agreement. “I got that feeling too.”
Shuichi and Rantaro begin talking about how they will cooperate in their current situation. Shuichi was making sure to note whatever idea or evidence he could get his hands on, and Rantaro still doesn't trust him. They’ve also come to an agreement that it’s best that no one finds out that they talked to each other. Their interaction should remain a secret.
Shuichi and Rantaro exchanged their goodbyes and returned to their own rooms after finishing their conversation.
After everyone had gathered in the dining hall the next day, Monokuma told the students about their first motivation: the "First Blood Perk." He stated that the first murderer would receive a reward for starting the Killing Game, which would be a chance to leave the Academy without having to face a class trial. Some of the students became more and more angered with Monokuma and their situation after learning this information.
As Rantaro hears Monokuma's statement over the speakers, he murmurs to himself. “It seems that Monokuma has shared the first motive for us to murder each other.”
This caught Shuichi’s attention. “You knew about the motive?”
Rantaro flinches and quickly blurts out. “I-It’s also said in the monopad that Monokuma gave me…”
“I see…” Shuichi puts his hand on his chin. Rantaro scans his surroundings anxiously in case someone overheard them talking. After all, nobody was meant to know that he and Shuichi were conversing.
Instead, the other students were concentrating on getting frustrated with Monokuma's news, especially Kaito, who was making a fuss. He sighs in relief when he sees no one looking their way.
Shuichi attempts to take the tablet from Rantaro. “What other information is in your monopad-”
“I'm sorry, Shuichi, but I can't just give this to you.” With a swift movement, Rantaro turns away from Shuichi. “I can tell you what I know, but you could be in danger if you had this in your hands, and I still don't fully trust you.” Drawing a separation between them, Rantaro turns his head away.
Shuichi flinches a little at being turned down, but he quickly puts his hands away. “Right- I’m sorry.” With a clear understanding, Shuichi places his hand in his hat and clears his throat.
To prevent Kaito from causing any more trouble, Monokuma and the Monokubs sent their Exisal out from there. With a sense of frustration and worry, everyone went on their own. After their little disagreement, Rantaro also went his own way, much to Shuichi’s dismay. Shuichi decides to investigate on his own for now instead of only relying on Rantaro for clues. He finds some things and eventually discovers something in the library.
He would’ve instead gone to Rantaro and immediately told him of his discovery, but given that they had conflict earlier, Shuichi decides to let in Kaede with what he knows. With Rantaro’s tablet and the knowledge he possessed, Shuichi was certain that Rantaro was already aware of the library anyway.
Before he went to Kaede, Shuichi puts dust on top of the card reader as trap for the person who would swipe their card on it later. Shuichi gone over to Kaede in her dorm room and told her about how he was also skeptical about Monokuma and the killing game. Shuichi led Kaede to the academy's basement library, where he had found a secret door hidden behind one of the numerous bookcases.
He explains that he doesn’t want anyone else to know about what he found. Kaede was shocked and took a while for her to take it all in. With their promise made, Kaede returns to her room.
For now, Shuichi is left alone with his thoughts. Although he is certain that someone is operating behind the scenes, he can be absolutely certain now that he has the card reader in the door. If all goes according to plan and his trap functions, they can eventually identify and pinpoint the mastermind.
“It seems that you’ve been moving quick, Shuichi.”
Shuich hears someone's voice. His heart begins to race, afraid that someone might’ve discovered him and Kaede in the library. He looks over his shoulder in a hurry.
Whatever fear he had in him left quickly after he saw the person who spoke.
“Rantaro…” He let’s out a sigh of relief. He looks down. “I’m glad it’s just you.”
Rantaro hums to himself as he approaches Shuichi without saying anything else. “Hmm.” Rantaro was smiling but it was clear in his expression that something was bothering him.
Shuichi watches while Rantaro simply remains still with his arms folded. His eyelids closed due to his forced smile, which gave off an odd impression.
“Rantaro…” Shuichi starts. “Are you constipated?”
Offended by his assumption Rantaro struggles. “WHA-” He pulls his arms back and rests them on his side.
“Of course not! No!” Almost like a child, he clenches his fist and yells at Shuichi.
Shuichi simply blinked in shock at Rantaro's reaction.