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Fourth time’s the charm, right?
He couldn’t afford to screw it up again.
It was already a miracle he was even stepping into this place (again)… even after he messed up three times already. He wanted to beat himself, how could he have failed so many times? What was lacking in him when others who definitely did not deserve this honor got it before him?
Everything led him to this moment. Every second spent watching the series, figuring out the murder schemes, writing many, many theory posts (he was the top theorizer in the forum and yet this didn’t help with this application?), creating theories and reaction videos, writing fanfiction and attempting fanart, skipping school when necessary — after all, what’s the point in a non-Ultimate school even?
This was his chance. Four failures already… and five was the utmost limit for auditioning.
If he failed here, what was even the point of living? Of going back to the shit hole that is his life. No. No! He wouldn’t be pessimistic! He had to find hope in this situation. It was a test. And this would make him better than all other contestants who got lucky on their first try. He would show he deserved this so much more.
(and if he didn’t make the cut, what’s stopping him from changing identities and doing a little facial surgery here and there? Never lose hope, as they say.)
Sweating so, so much (he could feel the sweat dripping down his back, thank god he chose black this time around) and fiddling with his cap, he breathed in slowly.
‘Show confidence’, he mentally repeated to himself. Prove to them how much you love Danganronpa™.
The people in front of him were his gods. They would decide his fate.
He was the biggest fan there was, KomaedaKin9875 be damned. That asshole got almost everything wrong and their tier list was absolute crap.
No one published more posts than him. He had the second highest number of theories guessed in the forums (who cared about Clownedyoura$s, that user always ragebaited and dissed everyone. At least he was polite — well, as long as you didn’t diss Kirigiri, but no one in their right mind would do that).
He understood how the blackeneds and, of course, how the Ultimate Detectives thought. Kirigiri Kyouko, the ultimate goddess, changed his brain chemistry forever.
“You know these detectives are just fictional, right?” His uncle would repeatedly say when he was still alive, “Real detective work is nothing like that stuff. It’s the things I do, kid. Adultery cases are pretty much it.”
Ugh. He didn’t even want to remember that endless babble from his uncle. Not that he was a bad person, he was the closest thing he had to a guardian as a kid. But he always disapproved of anything Danganronpa™ and refused to sign his audition forms every single year since he turned 13. And that was unforgivable (thank god his parents were decent enough to sign since they were never around anyway).
Who the fuck cared about detective world in this hellhole? What mattered was the incredible intellect, calm and calm, calculating way the Ultimate Detectives showed their skill. Quietly observing from the sidelines, gathering evidence, always watching, always aware. Cornering the culprits in the trials without hesitation and saving everyone’s lives.
That’s what a real detective was.
His uncle never understood that until the end: becoming a true detective was the dream. Who cared about being some smoking alcoholic loser who only got adultery cases?
Oh no, that’s not him. That would never be him.
He was going to become someone useful, alright. In the right way. In the correct world.
He knew the ins and outs of the killing game world. His content was one of the most watched; he breathed and lived in that beautiful, enchanting world. So different from the awful, boring, and empty daily life everyone was forced to drudge through.
He was born for Danganronpa™. He was born to die in it.
Soon, very soon, he’d be out of this world with disgusting people and soon into the world of the Ultimates, the best the planet has to offer.
Though it didn’t seem like life would make this easy for him. Well, it never did. It’s the first time he’s gotten this far in the audition process, though. Of course, it killed him a little when he didn’t pass the first (or second, or third…) time.
But it was his fault: he didn’t explain well enough how Danganronpa™ was his everything, how he lived for it. It’s the humans who need to prove themselves to the gods, not the other way around.
As a contestant, he’d need to turn their eyes to him. The first time he was, admittedly, a mess. His words were all jumbled up and he was sweating nonstop — not like that stopped, but he wanted to think he got better at it; and now he only wore black, which helped mask the sweat stains! Even though he practiced so many times! The second audition was, unfortunately, pretty similar to the first one. And he had a whole year to prepare…
For the third audition, he decided to cite everything he created: his top performing posts in the forums, his analysis videos and, finally, going over trivia stats he painstakingly collected.
It didn’t work... yet.
He understands. He needs to show more, be more. Present something truly new.
It’s the 53rd season after all. They- no, he, no… everyone needs something new. Something fresh.
Finally, he has it: the Ultimate Detective who commits a crime! It’s genius! Sure, there’s been fanfiction, video discussions and whatnot about it, but no one has ever done it before!
Some people promise to be the best murderers only to end up victims or worse: completely useless, finishing the season without killing a single person. They’re disgusting. That’s the type of people who didn’t deserve to survive, much less have the honor of being in the series.
This is it, this is the season he’s making it.
And maybe it’s supposed to be the 53rd season instead of the past ones. He has a good feeling about this one. A robot joining in as an audience insert (god, how he wished he could follow the stream 24/7! But no, participating in it is even better), the continuation of the Flashback Lights feature, the Gofer project, they’re trying new things. The gods always come up with more for their audience and he’s so thankful.
Plus, this time, his fellow Danganronpa™ enjoyer is also auditioning. It took much too long for the long-haired occult enthusiast to join in. He was so smart (but not smart enough to steal the Detective role, thankfully), so polite and so pretty… he’d definitely grab a spot in his first try. Deep down, it’s kind of a good thing his sister died. It was thanks to her that he’d even become a fan, but she’d always been too controlling, too demanding of their time and personal space. Now with no one to hold him back, his friend is finally also auditioning! Oh, they’d definitely work together and commit the best murders! They already rehearsed their intended roles and recorded each other’s tapes. Sometime today, he’ll also be interviewed. They didn’t even see each other in this huge building and this sea of people.
This is it. He’ll be the very first detective to succeed.
Ignoring the trickle of sweat on his neck and back, his hands spasm, trying to hold onto something, do something. He couldn’t come here without his hat, but he’s trying not to fiddle with it too much. Everyone says it looks awful, but he doesn’t care. His detective needs a cap (because he needs it; it’s his shield from their eyes, the judging, the world).
One of the gods speaks. A bespectacled woman with cold, calculating eyes. He remembers her from the last audition. She was sitting by the sidelines then, quiet the whole time. Now she was in the center of the table, commanding the interview. Just having her look at him and acknowledge him sent thrills down his spine.
He answers quickly to every question they pose to him. They remember him! They know his top performing posts and videos, recall his previous answers (yes, Kirigiri is and always will be his favorite character, yes, he did indeed cosplay her a few times, and of course, there are photos).
For once, he tries to make eye contact with the gods sitting at the table before him. They’re not humans, so it ends up being a bit easier.
He tries to stop the nonstop flow of words inside his head. He has to listen, dammit!
“S—, this is your fourth try, it’s quite admirable!” She smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “As you know, the number of applications has only increased… This is the second round. We were intrigued by your tape.” She leans forward. “Could you tell us, in your own words: What sets you apart from the crowd?”
He’s prepared now. He goes over the points from his audition tape. Everything he’s meticulously prepared with his friend, rehearsed, lost sleep and meals for, and recorded himself nonstop.
“A detective has never killed before! Everyone is already used to them in their reliable, trustworthy position. Turning it on its head would make this season incredible! One for the ages! And his punishment was never done before. Not even close.” His idea is even more complex than season two’s Komaeda, but he knows it’s possible. He knows in his heart.
Ah! He almost chokes on his spit. He’s been talking for too long! Almost biting his tongue, he stops immediately. No repeats from past attempts.
The group in front of him is silent.
He can feel his heartbeat in his eyes, pulsing, almost close to a headache. He tries to breathe in, giving an impression of calmness and rationality, but it comes out ragged. Don’t fiddle with the hat, don’t clean the sweat off your hands, just stay still, they’re looking at him, stay still, damn it-
The bespectacled woman smiles. It now reaches her eyes, ever so slightly. So do the rest of the gods.
Some even chuckle — a good chuckle, nothing like the vermin at school who can’t understand, who laugh like hyenas, who are not Ultimates, will never be Ultimates, unlike him. He smiles.
He can breathe easy again.
“You won’t regret picking me! I’ll give you the best Danganronpa™ season ever!!” Was that too loud? No, of course not! He’s showing enthusiasm! That’s what they like to see!
After that, it’s a blur. They thank him, and he’s free to leave.
This time. This time, for sure!
After all, what was the point in being brought to this world if he couldn’t live (and die) in the right way?