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The convention center didn’t seem to get any less crowded as the day went on and the numbers on the monitors ticked higher. If anything, it almost seemed as if more people kept pouring in, either with the hope of trying their luck as walk-ins or just to soak in the atmosphere. Danganronpa audition week only came around once a year, after all.
Korekiyo looked down at the ticket in their hand, thumb brushing over the digits announcing their turn. 273. The monitors were showing 268. It was hard not to stare and wait for them to tick over to the next applicant, counting down the minutes until their fate would be decided. Winning a place on Danganronpa was what they’d been hoping for the last several years, one of the few bright spots of hope that made going on feel worth it.
“Getting nervous?” Yumeno asked, nudging gently against their side. They looked down into her soft eyes, mustering a weak smile behind their mask. She did have an uncanny ability to read them, second only to Sister. It should have been frightening, but they couldn’t bring themself to be scared of her. They shifted half a step closer, putting the ticket back in their pocket.
“A little. No need for you to worry though. I’ll do exactly what we rehearsed.”
“I know you will,” she said easily. “There’s no way I could doubt your ability to perform under pressure. If anything, I should probably be the one who’s worried, huh? I’m no good at public speaking.”
“You’ll do wonderfully.” It was easy to fall into the familiar habit of reassuring Yumeno, blocking out all the chaos and noise from the crowds around them. “I’ll lay the foundation, then you just have to keep it up, yes? We’ll definitely get in this year.”
“And then all that’s left is to win,” Yumeno finished. Her smile seemed like it might have been a little forced, but they appreciated the effort nonetheless. In answer, they wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into a sidelong hug for a few seconds. Unaccustomed to physical affection that didn’t come with violence, such things didn’t come naturally to them, but seeing her pleased reaction was always worth it.
“Precisely. All that’s left is to win. Accomplish what she was never able to do and escape from her shadow forever.” Going through the killing game would be a form of rebirth. They would be cleansed of every horrible experience and come out the other side, Yumeno along with them. Blood on their hands would be far easier to cope with than their home life ever was.
As they continued chatting, exchanging idle remarks about the sorts of things they might like to do once they were rich and famous, the numbers on the monitors kept climbing. They leaned back against the wall, cold leaching right through their clothes and into their very bones.
“It’ll be my turn any moment,” they said. 272 appeared a couple of minutes ago. Best for them to move closer to the door. Keeping the judges waiting would leave a bad impression.
“Yeah, guess so,” Yumeno replied softly, trailing after them through the hall. “I’ll be right behind you. Oh, and Shinguuji?” she added just before the door opened. “Good luck.” She leaned up on tiptoe and pressed a kiss to their cheek, just above the edge of their mask. Although they would be separated for ten minutes at the most, it felt oddly like a possible goodbye.