Archive of Our Own

When Himiko came to the dining hall the morning after the fourth trial, she'd thought to expect sadness. Maybe Ouma being a total jerk after what he'd pulled. Maybe she could've even predicted Momota's overwhelming optimism.

She didn't expect Iruma to be standing by the table, head resting on her hand and a scowl on her face.

Iruma died. Himiko could remember the awful gasping look on her face and the blankness of her eyes. Her avatar had been still, eyes just as empty.

The Iruma before her looked bored. Her neck was fine. She was even tapping her foot.

"Um," Himiko said, interrupting Momota. "Can anyone else see that?"

"See what?" Saihara peered around her, but his eyes skipped right over Iruma. Iruma's, on the other hand, locked onto Himiko's own gaze. Her eyes widened.

"The dining table? It looks normal…" Shirogane walked over to it, her hands brushing the table. She walked right through Iruma, who sputtered in shock and started cursing.

"No it's not that—"

"You aren't looking at anything." Maki was staring where Himiko was, which was precisely where Iruma was stomping forward towards the group of them.

Momota, who up until this point had been scanning the room, went pale. Not as pale as last night when he'd been coughing up blood, but it was still an unnatural shade on him.

She wanted to hit herself, she'd forgotten about Momota. He got so freaked out at spooky things, he'd probably freak out if she mentioned Iruma. He was already freaking out, honestly, and no one had even mentioned ghosts.

There was a choice to make, to tell or not to tell. Iruma finally stood before her and she tuned out the rant as her eyes flitted around the room.

No one even believed her about magic, and only Shirogane had been super insistent on the idea of ghosts during Korekiyo's trial. If she said anything, mostly everyone would think she was actually crazy.

Himiko frowned. Her head hurt, which gave her an idea.

"Nyeh, I'm sorry. I think I have a migraine. I'm seeing one of those things—"

"Oh, an aura!" Saihara seemed pleased enough to guess.

"Yeah, that."

"Oh, no," Shirogane fretted. "Those are supposed to get worse after you see it, right? Maybe you should go lie down…"

Iruma finally paused for air and was now giving her a nasty look.

"Y-yeah that sounds…good." Ugh, awkward. Shirogane smiled, though.

"I'll drop by with some painkillers later. You should grab something to eat before going to your room."

Himiko really had been neglecting Shirogane. Even if she faded into the background, she'd always been nice. Friends with Angie, too, and that was reminding Himiko that she hadn't even asked how Shirogane had been after Angie died.

Iruma crossed her arms and rudely gestured. There was a box of granola bars restocked in the pantry, so Himiko grabbed that and walked slowly out of the dining hall and down past the seating area before she booked it out of the school and to the dorms.

Notably, Iruma kept up. She practically floated, which made Himiko want to stop, but having conversations with ghosts wasn't something she thought anyone should be doing in public.

One, you looked crazy. Two, it ruined the spooky vibe.

She turned and slammed the door once in her room. Iruma just passed through it casually, scowling again. The absurdity of it all crashed down on Himiko. She was in her room staring at a ghost. And not even a ghost of someone like Tenko or Angie, it was Iruma, who Himiko didn't even like.

Weren't ghosts supposed to go to someone who meant something to them? Iruma should be with Kiibo or Saihara, the only two people who ever seemed to hang around her. Or Ouma, he'd been responsible for her death! Himiko hadn't even talked to Iruma one-on-one. It'd always been in a group of people.

Iruma, already impatient, let out an angry huff. "Okay, titless, mind telling me why you fuckin' ignored me. I get the others, they can't see my gorgeous self. But you—"

"Whaddya want me to say?! I didn't wanna look crazy. I would be talking to the air!" Himiko threw up her arms, she still felt crazy.

"I don't give a shit! I've been wandering around all day, tryin' to get someone to notice me and the moment someone does, I get ignored?"

"And I don't wanna look crazy!? Why would you haunt me, when Ouma killed you? I didn't do it, so no one is gonna believe I'm the one getting haunted!"

"Ugh, it figures that as soon as I die I get stuck with donkey-lips! For fuck's sake couldn't I get Sherlock Homo on my goddamn case?"

"You remember being dead?" Himiko said, blinking. Himiko wasn't the most educated on ghosts—that had been Korekiyo, who was also dead. Again, why couldn't the ghost she saw be Tenko or Angie? She missed them.

But most of the media she'd seen implied they'd be a little confused on the matter of their death.

"Why the hell wouldn't I? It happened yesterday. I remember—" She choked, face flickering to something lost. With a frown she shook her head. "I remember, okay? I didn't even believe in this spooky crap before I woke up like this."

Himiko opened her mouth, then paused. The grief on Iruma's face was so entirely different than any expression Himiko had seen her make before. It brought to mind the twisted way her face had set after her death and Himiko clenched her fists in her skirt.

She stumbled back a few steps, sitting in her chair. "Okay. Sorry. Is there…uh…anything you need? To move on?"

"Move on?"

"Yeah, aren't ghosts supposed to…do that?"

"How the hell would I know?" But Iruma was frowning and twirling a thick strand of hair between her fingers. "Maybe? There's no FAQ here, that's for sure."

"I guess that would be too easy."

"Maybe killing that little rat?" Iruma yanked the chunk of hair she was holding, before dropping it. "Like I'd be here without his trap."

That sounded like something a ghost would want. "I guess. I'm not doing it for you. Anyway…Didn't you try to kill him too? If you had, do you think he would be haunting you?"

"I wouldn't have been caught!"

"Saihara figured you out in like five seconds, but okay. Sure."

"That was because of Ouma!"

"You really think he would've blamed Momota? I mean, it took a lot to blame Gonta and Ouma told us. I didn't even wanna believe it." Thinking of Gonta hurt, but Momota was way closer to more people. Saihara and his argument had been so awful.

"You just don't understand my genius. You all would've been sitting there holding your junk, wishing you knew what happened. If everyone voted for someone different, I still woulda won, idiot!"

Himiko supposed that was true. Her nose still scrunched. Iruma didn't look much better, face jutting angrily, foot tapping the ground. Himiko wondered why her feet weren't going through it and then remembered she'd almost been floating while running. Ghosts were strange.

The doorbell ringing surprised Himiko so badly that she almost fell off her chair. Iruma laughed at her and then shoved her head through the door. Himiko shuddered while standing. This ghost stuff was way too creepy.

"It's four-eyes," Iruma informed her once her head was firmly in the room. "She'd got meds, I think."

Himiko dodged around Iruma to get to the door (just because she could go through Iruma didn't mean she wanted to) and opened it.

"Hi, Yumeno-san! I brought some headache pills." Shirogane held out the bottle and shook it gently. "We looked around the school. There's more open, like Momota-san's lab. We also have a hanger…but it's not very useful. We didn't really talk about a lot beyond that. I think Momota-san wants to do something, but he hasn't told us yet."

"That because of me?" Himiko hoped not.

"No, I think he was just being cagey because of Monokuma. Or maybe he's not entirely sure, yet? But I know it's not because of you."

"Oh, okay." Himiko reached for the bottle, but Shirogane held on. She bit her lip, looking down.

"Um, Yumeno-san…if you need to talk to anyone, I'm here. Or, well. All of us are here for you. Even Harukawa-san, I think. So, plainly don't hesitate to let one of us know if something is wrong."

She let go, smiling widely. Maybe Himiko's act this morning hadn't been as well done as she hoped, if Shirogane was pestering her like this.

"Okay. Thanks, Shirogane-san."

Shirogane's head tilted and she pressed a finger to her lips. "If you're sure. Just—don't forget, okay?"

"What a weirdo," Iruma said right behind Himiko. It took every bit of stage presence she had not to jump. Or—a spell. A balance spell. Himiko loved those. She swallowed, ignoring Iruma.

"U-uh yeah. I'll remember, promise."

"Anyway, I hope you feel better soon," Shirogane said, turning and walking away. Himiko stared at the bottle of Bufferin and sighed.

"Iruma, you're so rude."

"What?!"

Himiko rolled her eyes and headed back into her room, placing the bottle on her table. It wasn't like she actually had a headache, so she didn't need them.

"So like, do you need something? Ghosts have unfinished business or whatever."

"L-like I know!? I bet you just wanna get rid of me or whatever!"

Himiko did. "No, it's fine. I just wanna help. No one can see you, so wouldn't you wanna go where other people are?" The afterlife, she didn't say. It felt like crossing a line to bring it up. Iruma frowned.

"I don't know. I'm just here." Her expression twisted into something even more troubled. "D-did…"

"Nyeh? Did what?"

Himiko watched in fascination as Iruma's face went dark red. She shouldn't even have blood, so it was strange she could still flush. But then again she was moving. Ghosts were a type of magic far beyond Himiko.

"Did…anyone miss me? Was anyone sad?"

Himiko bit her lip. Not really would probably be too much. There was being truthfully blunt and there was telling someone dead no one cared—

Well. Someone had cared.

"Kiibo cared a lot. I bet if you went and saw him you'd see he was still really sad." She paused, tapping a finger to her thigh. "Saihara, too." She didn't actually know that, but he'd been the nicest about her besides Kiibo, so it probably was true enough.

"And, uh. Gonta seemed really torn up about it, even if he didn't remember." Iruma, who had begun grinning a bit, groaned.

"Remember!? He kills me and it turns out he set his goddamn wires wrong?"

"I thought you didn't know what happened when someone did that…?"

"I'm not an idiot. Why else wouldn't that fucker remember?" Iruma threw herself on the bed, which she also did not somehow go through. A lot of Himiko's assumptions of ghosts were really going out the window.

"Whatever. I bet the rest of you assholes cheered. As much as you hate Ouma, you hate me too, huh?"

The wall of Himiko's room had never been particularly interesting, but she found herself staring it down. It wasn't as if Iruma didn't know the way people felt about her, but she'd died. She found it hard to pester a ghost. The whole thing felt way more disrespectful.

"I told you, Kiibo cared. Saihara cared. You don't even like me or Momota or Harukawa, so why do you care?" Himiko finally looked back over. Iruma's face was blank. "And you just called Shirogane weird. It isn't like we wanted you to die."

"But you didn't care as much, huh?"

"Iruma—"

"Who cares! I'm going. Maybe I can make something heavy fall on that shitty twink's head. Just like Ama-whatever."

Iruma shot back up, doing her strange float-run towards the door. Irritated, Himiko stood too.

"If your stupid plan worked, you would've killed us all! Kiibo too. So why do you care?"

Iruma didn't answer her, storming through the door.

"Ugh, whatever." Himiko glanced at her bed, poking the bedding. It looked fine for having a ghost sit on it. Despite what happened, Himiko hoped Iruma got what she wanted. Wandering around the school as a ghost was probably the worst thing Himiko could think of.

She didn't see Iruma the rest of the night.

"Wake the fuck up!"

She did, however, see her that morning.

"Mghgnmm?"

"Wake up!"

Himiko reached out, vaguely, before her mind settled into a more awake state and she realized her hand wouldn't slap Iruma away, but just go through her. Groaning, she tried to bury herself in the covers more. But, that wouldn't be how Tenko or Angie would face the day, was it? They'd get up, move forward.

Himiko rolled out of bed, stumbling and almost falling. Iruma snickered.

Her morning preparations were done swiftly, since Himiko was half-scared Iruma would come barging in, and she came into her room fully dressed and pulling her hat on.

"I couldn't find that little shit anywhere. He's moving around, I guess. Must've pissed you all off really bad. Shittygane was muttering about him, even. I didn't think she could be that pissed." Iruma seemed in better humor at least. Her grin was wide and her legs swinging from where she sat on the desk.

"Did you manage to move anything?" Himiko asked, staring at where her legs met the wood.

"No, it's so fucking weird. Even if I push something with my ass it doesn't budge. But if I sit or lay down it's fine."

"Did you sleep?"

"What's with the forty questions? But no. I don't need that anymore." She scowled. "Such bullshit. I spend my life trying to circumvent sleep and now I can't do shit when I don't have to?"

There was a pause. Himiko wondered why Iruma came back when all they seemed to do yesterday was fight, but then it became obvious. She couldn't talk to anyone else. Himiko was all she had.

It was pretty sad.

Himiko huffed. "Sorry for being a brat yesterday. Everyone was really upset when you died. Except Ouma, I guess, but he doesn't count. I might've been mean, but I didn't really want it."

There. Himiko could walk with her head high. She had been pretty mean to Iruma in the trial and she didn't deserve that behind her back. If Himiko was gonna say something rude, she'd do it in front of Iruma.

Iruma stared at her, before turning her head to the side. Her hair covered her face.

"W-w-whatever. It's fine. S-sorry for running off. I shoulda said I was doing my genius experiments, like I was and not throwin' a tantrum or whatever."

"Okay."

"Okay."

A moment of awkward silence stretched between the two of them like taffy, before the morning announcement broke it.

"Ugh, I better get to breakfast. I totally ignored everyone yesterday."

Iruma followed her out and back to the school. Himiko supposed she had nothing better to do. Everyone was gonna be at the dining hall, anyway, except for Ouma again.

"Hey, Yumeno-san!" Shirogane greeted them once they were inside. "Feeling better?"

"Ah, yeah, thanks. Thanks for the medicine too."

"No problem! Let me know if you need anything else?"

"Uh, yeah." Shirogane was being so much pushier. Himiko chanced a look around but everyone else was eyeing her normally. Maybe she was just lonely? She transitioned into worrying about Ouma. Iruma hadn't really been wrong, Shirogane must've been really torn up about him. Apparently there had been more writing Shirogane hadn't mentioned yesterday.

And then Momota came butting in and started talking about how they were going to kill Monokuma. Iruma tensed at Himiko's side.

At first blush it was a terrible idea. Monokuma could clone himself and kill them in seconds. But…the Exisals weren't being used anymore. The Monokubs died. All that was left was Monokuma. Eventually, he'd have to run out, right?

So Himiko agreed and watched from the corner of her eye as Iruma tried to throw a chair. She mostly succeeded in stumbling through it and falling on her butt. Then she stormed off. Again.

Himiko blinked, missing something Shirogane said.

"Sorry, what?"

"I asked if you were okay?"

"You're asking that a lot…"

Shirogane flushed. "Sorry. I'm just plainly worried…We're about to do something major, you know? I just think we should be at our best."

"That's nice of you."

"Well, I'm here. Like I said before."

"Mhm." Himiko had no idea how she was going to take on the Monokumas. Her magic just wasn't suited for things like this. Shirogane wandered off and Himiko started the trek up to her lab.

They had until nighttime and she guessed Harukawa and Momota probably had some plan for most of the fighting. But it wasn't like she could sit around and do nothing. She wanted to blow that stupid bear up just as much.

She was still sitting there when Iruma came wandering in again.

"Why'd you run off this time?"

"Ohhhh? Missed me?" Iruma drew it out, coming way too close. Himiko startled, flushing, then noticed Iruma felt like nothing. Ghosts were supposed to be cold, right? But Iruma hadn't held to many of the rules of ghosts that Himiko knew from movies and books. So maybe real life was simply different?

She reached out carefully, trying to touch Iruma's cheek. The place her hand went through wasn't cold or hot, it was the same temperature as the air around it. Her face didn't ripple either, it was just as if she'd been turned transparent. Himiko jerked her hand back before it could go through Iruma's head. That'd be…way too intimate. And weird.

"Huh."

Iruma flailed backwards as quickly as she'd come forwards. "H-hey, if you wanna touch the goods you should ask." She straightened, another incongruous blush on her cheeks. "Not that I blame you. Who wouldn't wanna touch a golden body like mine?"

"The ghosts in the movies are way different…maybe Iruma is just special?"

Iruma sputtered again. Admittedly, she was cute like this, without a ton of people around to embarrass. She still hadn't answered Himiko's question, though.

"Why'd you run off this time?" She repeated.

Iruma pouted, but as the flush fled from her cheeks she stood straighter. "I guess it doesn't matter, since I'm dead. Ouma asked the same thing before…before…"

She trailed off. "Not that I trusted his ass or your all's asses. Mark my words, someone is gonna die cause someone's gonna flip on you."

Himiko stared at her, trying to work through the sudden burst of honesty. "Ouma…asked what?"

"Fight Monokuma."

"What?"

"Yeah. Then I said no and then the simulation happened. I meant what I said. You better fuckin' watch your back. No way is someone not gonna use this. Why'd you think I said no?"

Iruma hadn't seen the trial. She hadn't seen how Ouma acted. Why would he ask? Himiko prodded the thought like a loose tooth, but it didn't budge. Maybe he'd lied? But then…why?

"I dunno. Made me mad. I die and for what? You to do the same stupid plan? Ugh."

"You don't know that it's not gonna work. You haven't even tried."

Iruma rolled her eyes and left. Again. Himiko sighed, pressing her hands to her face. She wished talking with Iruma was easier.

Saihara came by and they spent the rest of the day together with no Iruma interruptions. She couldn't help but to keep looking behind herself to try and see Iruma, though. Saihara noticed and had also asked if anything was wrong.

Himiko blamed the nighttime meeting. Lying to Saihara was easy, but it also felt wrong. Like stealing a ball from a dog or something. If it were a case he'd sniff it out, but on social grounds he was more hopeless.

Walking into her room, Himiko also walked through Iruma.

"Ew, what!?"

"Don't ew me! Do you know how many people wanna be inside me?"

"No! And don't tell me!"

Himiko spun around. She wasn't going to apologize this time. Iruma didn't look mad or anything, though. She had a bit of a manic gleam in her eyes.

"God it gets so boring when you can't do anything."

Himiko could imagine. "Did you find Ouma, at least?"

"Yeah, he's in his room. It's messy as fuck, did you know that? Embarrassing, really."

Himiko wondered how anyone could get a messy room here. It wasn't like they had anything more than a bunch of clothes and weird decor. Maybe he threw it all around?

"Did you try to hit him?"

Iruma sighed, hand to her cheek. "Still nothin'. What kinda lame ass deal is it to be a ghost but you can't haunt anyone?"

"You have me, I guess," Himiko said without thinking. She didn't want to be haunted, but if all Iruma wanted to do was talk…that was fine. Himiko hadn't thought she'd enjoy it very much, but Iruma was a bit nicer when it was only the two of them. Some of it probably was a necessity, since Himiko was the only one she could talk to. Still, Iruma wasn't as bad as she had been.

Iruma fiddled with the ends of her hair, looking down. "Y-yeah, I guess you are blessed with me and my—"

A knock sounded at the door. Iruma huffed and shoved her head through. "Four-eyes again. Can this boring bitch stop interrupting me—"

Himiko ignored her to open the door. Shirogane smiled tightly. Across the way she could see Saihara and Kiibo leaving.

"It's go time."

Himiko followed behind Shirogane as they left for the dining hall. Her palms were sweaty and she kept licking her lips nervously. Iruma sulked behind her, still annoyed she hadn't been able to finish.

Momota led them to the gym where he'd apparently stocked every weapon. Iruma even whistled, brought out of her pouting. Himiko had no idea how to use any of them, but a knife was a knife. It couldn't be that hard, especially with her magic.

The gym door slammed open and with it came Iruma hissing like a tea kettle.

"Those are mine!"

Ouma came in, smiling and carting a dolly of weird looking hammers. Himiko stood on her tiptoes to get a good look. Pink bombs were also on the cart.

"My electro-hammers and my electro-bombs, oh you little fucking piece of goddamn—"

Ouma and Harukawa started bickering, which was interrupted by Iruma's loud shout.

"Just because you asked for them you fuck—"

And now they were accusing Ouma of lying, which set Iruma off on another tirade entirely. Himiko frowned, staring at all the pink in the inventions.

"They are," Himiko said.

"What?" Saihara asked, blinking at her.

"They're Iruma's things." She couldn't very well say how she knew, though. "Do'ya think Ouma's smart enough to invent all this anyway? Iruma's the only one smart enough to do all that."

"You aren't…wrong." Saihara went closer to them, ignoring Ouma's needling. Himiko ignored it too, chancing a glance backwards. Iruma was all flushed again, which made her snicker under her breath.

Luckily, everyone took it as her laughing at her own taunt.

"I can't believe I didn't think of this. I guess I thought it was pointless."

Himiko's grip on the hammer was sweaty. The last time they'd taken this road it had totally beat them up. She let the others go ahead a little.

"It would be hard to do on your own…"

"Huh!? I could do anything I wanted!"

Himiko ignored her as she smashed obstacles. It still wasn't easy, but she didn't have to dodge as many traps. The door at the end of the road was huge and she grinned through her heaving breaths.

And then it opened—

To devastation.

She watched Iruma slide through the closed door, resisting the urge to call out to her. She was already dead. If anyone could brave that wasteland…

Ouma appeared then, to rub salt in the wound. Himiko wanted to vomit. She wanted to cry and slam her hands on the ground. But she mostly just felt numb. Everything, for nothing. Amami, Akamatsu, Hoshi, Toujou, Angie, Tenko, even Korekiyo, Gonta, and Iruma—

He left, taking Momota with him. The devastation she felt reflected back on everyone's faces. Iruma still hadn't returned.

She couldn't remember how she made it back to her room. Her hammer was on the ground, strewn across the entryway. She struggled back to her feet and plugged it in. Iruma would be mad if she didn't. The thought didn't make much sense, but…what else was there? Iruma would at least be back.

No outside world. No master. No life outside of this. She might as well die. If she made it out she'd be with Tenko and Angie. If she stayed, she'd at least have Iruma. Himiko curled into a ball on top of her bed, sobbing.

She fell asleep like that, ignoring the announcement.

"Why are you always asleep!? The announcement played hours ago."

Himiko woke sharply this time. She sat up quickly, eyes locking onto Iruma immediately. She squeaked.

"What's the point of everything else! You saw all that!" The last word came out choked. Himiko pressed her hands to her mouth, unsure if she was going to vomit or cry.

"Yo, titless. It's fake."

"…what?"

"It's fake. FAKE. I went through it and it was just a wall. I guess it's some sorta hologram. Not as good as I could make, but—"

"What!?" If Himiko could have grabbed Iruma, she would've. She settled for grabbing her own shoulders, unable to control her breathing. "What are you talking about!?"

"Could you listen? It's fake as hell. And I saw what happened with that little cumstain after sticking my head back through the door. That was my controller."

"Your what?"

"Can you do anything but repeat me? Jeeze. I made it just like I made the bombs and hammers. Slap a transmitter on the Exisals and you could control them, easy. They're guarding Monokuma now."

"…Guarding?"

"Or, I don't know, keeping him in place? I have no idea what the fuck Ouma's doing but none of that stuff is, like, Mastermind stuff. It's mine."

Himiko stared at her feet, covered as they were by the sheets. Ouma's remote was actually Iruma's. There was no wasteland, it was fake. The Exisals were around Monokuma.

"I don't understand any of this," Himiko whimpered.

"And you think I do?"

Himiko grabbed her hair, scrunching herself as tightly into a ball as she could. Iruma sighed heavily. Himiko could see her sit on the edge of the bed from the corner of her eye.

"Look. There's one invention Ouma didn't bother with. I checked his stupid hanger. It isn't there. Momota's fine, by the way. Coughing his lungs out in the bathroom—which what the fuck, I didn't know he had the plague."

"He said it was a cold."

"And you all were dumb enough to believe that!?"

"…no. But it's not like we could do anything else." Himiko uncurled herself. "What's this other invention?"

Iruma grinned.

The other invention was in her lab, to no surprise. Himiko dug through the pile indicated, pulling out a weird transparent vacuum.

Nothing felt entirely real, like she was also a ghost floating around with Iruma. But…if everything was fake, then Himiko needed to know. She needed to face the truth head on, like Tenko would've.

"Okay now press that," Iruma said, indicating.

"What's it do?"

"Supposed to suck up bugs. Ouma came in here blathering about it being for Big Dick, like I fucking believe that now. Back then I figured he was just gonna butter him up for something." She huffed. "Not that he needed this to do it, I guess."

Himiko pressed the button, sucking the air. Standing there, she wondered how ridiculous she looked. Not that it mattered, only Iruma was here to see anything.

"Okay that's good enough. Go grab the microscope." Under a few piles of what looked like robot parts, the microscope case was surprisingly undamaged.

Himiko hadn't used a microscope before. She'd gotten out of most of her classes using her magic shows as an excuse. With surprising patience, Iruma helped her. Himiko peered through the scope and gasped.

"What!? What'd you see?"

"It's…a tiny Monokub…with a…camera?"

"Are you shitting me?"

"No…that's what it is."

Himiko had no idea what this meant. If Ouma was the mastermind…why ask Iruma to make this? It could be part of why he killed her, but…

"It's too weird."

"You're telling me," Iruma sighed. "I thought this would help, but I'm just more fuckin' confused…"

Himiko set all of it back, frowning. She really needed to speak to Saihara. He could probably crack this in half the time she could. Himiko had been proud of the investigation she'd done before, but this was some other level.

Someone was watching them.

That someone was probably the Mastermind. But if Ouma had Iruma make this then—what? Was it to taunt them? Or was something else going on?

And it struck her that someone had to have seen her talking to herself when she was really talking to Iruma. Did the Mastermind think she was crazy? Not that Himiko really cared, but she didn't want the Mastermind focused on her, Ouma or not.

As she turned back into the dorm, chewing on her thoughts, a new voice startled her and she jumped.

"Oh, Yumeno-san. Is everything okay?"

Himiko turned, seeing Shirogane. For some reason her mouth was dry. Shirogane cut an unintimidating figure, usually, but in the dim light of the moon it was hard to see her eyes. She could've been from a horror movie.

"Yeah, I just couldn't sleep…with what we learned."

"It's just plain awful," Shirogane said, a deep mournfulness infusing every syllable. "I just don't know what I'm going to do."

"Me either."

"Well, I guess I'll sleep again…what's the point of anything else, right?"

"Right."

Shirogane didn't move, though. Himiko turned awkwardly, heading back into her dorm. Shirogane stayed on the first floor and Himiko watched her until she shut her own door.

"Gonna call me rude if I say she's weird now?"

"She's prolly just freaked out. She doesn't know it's fake or about the cameras or anything." Himiko winced after speaking out loud, but the rabbit was already out of the hat. She wasn't incriminating herself more than she already had.

"The freak is freaked, big deal." Iruma flopped on the bed. "I wish I could figure out what the hell any of this meant."

"Yeah…if Ouma's the mastermind it explains a lot, but…"

"There's still too much weird shit, right?"

Himiko nodded, sitting gently beside Iruma. The bed dipped, but she didn't move.

"I guess I just don't know where to go…"

"Cuckhara could figure it out." Iruma snickered between words. "But I dunno. Maybe this is the shit I need to find out before I move on."

"You wanna move on?"

Iruma paused. She even stopped fidgeting.

"Fuck if I know."

"Well, whatever you do, let's do it in the morning. I'm tired."

"Again?! Are you going back to how you were before, donkey-lips?"

"No! It's just too much. You'd be doing the same if you could sleep!"

"Hah! As if."

"Whatever, whatever. Nyeh, let me sleep. I'll help you in the morning."

She finally roused Iruma and tucked herself under the covers, clothes and all still on. She hadn't been lying. Her brain felt overstuffed. Her emotions were still tilting wildly. First she thought she had nothing and now there was a conspiracy. Himiko needed a reset. Badly.

Iruma made to leave and Himiko outstretched a hand. She didn't want to be alone. She didn't want Iruma to be alone.

"Stay, please."

Iruma hesitated, before sitting at the end of the bed.

"Fine, I'll grace you with my glorious presence! Do you know how many fuckers would be salivating at the thought of having the great Iruma Miu in their bed! Your titlass ass should feel lucky—"

Strange as it was, Himiko drifted off to Iruma's rant, feeling oddly safe.

Himiko awoke to the announcement. Monokuma was still missing. She sat up, glancing around.

Despite the lack of wake up call, Iruma sat in the chair, face unnervingly somber.

"Um…morning?"

"I followed someone last night," Iruma said.

"Okay…?"

"They're the mastermind."

Himiko flung herself out of the bed. "What!?"

"But you aren't gonna fuckin' like it, cause I sure as shit didn't."

"H-how did you figure that out?"

"Cause I saw 'em make a flashback light."

Himiko trembled. Even when Ouma had said he was the mastermind it hadn't felt quite real. Part of that was most likely the circumstances around it, learning that right after seeing a devastated landscape had been overwhelming.

The implication someone could make flashback lights hit her. She'd known someone had to, but she figured they had been pre-made or something. Not that someone was going in and just…creating them, just like that. She wiped her palms on her pajama pants.

"They're making them."

"Yep. It was a real interesting machine. Wish I could take that apart—" The flush on her face said she was gearing up to something Himiko did not want to hear.

"Who was it?"

Iruma's face fell again. "You aren't gonna believe me, but it was four-eyes."

"…What?" How could it be Shirogane? "There's no way—"

"There is. You're gonna see the flashback light and who else would put it there?" Iruma scowled. "I'm dead, what do I get outta covering for anyone?"

Himiko's stomach could've been in her feet for how well she felt. Shirogane was so nice. They'd been friends, sort-of. There was no—

The doorbell rang.

Iruma sighed, getting up and poking her head out.

"Uglykawa at your door."

"Don't call her that," Himiko said automatically, heading to the door on autopilot. It was Harukawa.

"What is it?"

Harukawa looked more settled than she had the last time they'd seen each other. She even gave a small upturned grin.

"There's a flashback light on the dining hall table. I think it could really help us."

Iruma drifted into view, eyebrow cocked. Himiko swallowed, then followed Harukawa out.

The flashback light sat on the table.

Everyone thought Ouma put it there to taunt them. But he'd already taunted them so much that they were halfway to suicidal. She probably would've thought the same had Iruma not dropped a bombshell on her that morning.

But as she stared at it, the excuse became more and more flimsy. There was no reason for Ouma to put anything here. There was no reason for Ouma to use Iruma's remote or commission the BugVac or offer to fight Monokuma.

None of it made any sense.

Unless—

She swung her gaze over to Shirogane, who was wringing her hands. Himiko had trusted her. Shirogane had helped them out countless times. But—

"Don't look at her, idiot!" Iruma hissed. Himiko looked at the flashback light again.

But, Iruma wouldn't lie. She'd gone through so much with Himiko in the past few days. She couldn't…Himiko had to choose what to believe. Just like in the last trial. Just like in the trials before.

And Himiko wanted to pick Iruma.

Harukawa picked it up and hit the button. The light filled her vision and memories poured in.

When she blinked her eyes open again, the room erupted into chatter. Himiko stared at the used light, frowning.

All the other times she'd used the flashback light, it'd felt real. Like remembering where she put her charger or remembering someone's name. Like it was her memories.

This time, it hadn't. She could almost compare the experience to watching a movie. Was it because she trusted it less? Had finding out so much set her all askew? She made noises of agreement as everyone made plans to free Momota that night and headed to her room in a daze.

"So?" Iruma said once they were again in Himiko's room, sitting in the chair and preening.

"So, what?"

"So what the fuck did you see? The program had different options, but I didn't see what Shittygane picked."

"…Options?" Himiko whipped around, glaring. "Why didn't you tell me that?"

"Eep! I-it wasn't important?" Iruma simpered. "You knew it was a trap, anyway!"

Himiko groaned. She explained what she'd seen, with Headmaster Naegi and the Gofer Project. Then she explained the Remnants of Despair and how Ouma was apparently one.

Iruma's foot tapped against the ground.

"That sounds dumb as hell. How are you gonna send a bunch of people up to fuck and not have a medical room? Babies are dangerous!"

"That's what you have a problem with?"

"W-what? I mean yeah! I do! Plus it's gonna get incest-y. Though I guess Creepykiyo might enjoy that…?"

Himiko kicked her chair.

"S-sorry!"

"This is so stupid!" Was everything a lie? Himiko sat on the floor. It was just as likely Ouma was some Remnant of Despair. He'd killed Iruma and Gonta. But Himiko believed Iruma…were Shirogane and Ouma working together and turned on each other? That sounded implausible. She didn't know.

"I want," Himiko said, standing. "I want to talk to Ouma."

"Good luck with that, he locked himself in that hanger. It's got a code, cause I think you missed that part."

Himiko clenched her fists, eyes catching on Iruma's hammer. "I don't think that matters."

She grabbed it with Iruma hurrying behind her as she strode out of the room, hammer in hand. It was then, of course, she realized she had no idea what the hanger layout was like.

Iruma rolled her eyes at Himiko's hesitation. "Come on, brat. It's this way."

Himiko hurried after her, only pausing when they reached the Exisals marching around Monokuma's motionless body. Iruma tutted at her until she moved on, staring at the hanger's door.

"Okay, so all I gotta do is smash the control panel," Himiko said, stepping forward.

"No you're fucking not."

"Why?!"

"It's got an alarm."

"And I'm going to hit the panel!"

"It's still gonna go off."

"Then what can I do?" Himiko snarled, stomping her foot. She was so tired of this. She was so tired of everything. Iruma cringed, then floated closer to the door. It didn't go off for her, of course. Himiko pouted.

"U-uh…the Exisals go in the hangar, right? Getting out and doing the whole code would be a hassle, so they probably made it so you wouldn't have to? So if you nab one, you can go through the force-field. "

"Huh. You don't sound so sure about that."

"Well, what the hell do you know? I'm just saying. Especially if those tiny bears were moving them around! It'd be a pain in the ass to do it any other way."

She wasn't wrong. Himiko frowned. "Well you are better at this than me…and if it doesn't work I can always cast a spell to stop it from going off."

Iruma was still turned away, but Himiko got the distinct feeling she was rolling her eyes. Himiko rolled her eyes right back before hustling away from the door.

She backtracked, going back to where the circling Exisals were. Monokuma looked creepy, staring out from them blankly.

"Are they gonna hurt me…?"

"Probably not. I'd put 'em on autopilot if it were me guarding it."

She crept closer, but as Iruma said, they didn't move. She hit the blue one and it stopped, shuddering. The door popped open at the top. Monokuma didn't say anything, but his head followed the movement.

The other Exisals moved around it, not paying her any mind. She slipped into the Exisal and was faced with a new problem.

"How the heck do these work?"

"It's easy," purred Iruma as she climbed in beside Himiko. "I'll tell you what to do."

Himiko flushed and sputtered, while Iruma cackled.

And then she floated half inside of Himiko.

"W-what the heck! You can't just go inside someone!"

"Hah! I'm going inside of people all the time—"

"Not like that either!"

The unpleasant sound of Iruma squealing half inside her ear had Himiko shutting her mouth.

"A-anyway how are you supposed to help me? You can't touch anything!?"

Iruma coughed. "I'll just put my hands where yours are supposed to go. Then I'll tell you what to do for everything else. It ain't like we're fighting anyone. We're going like forty feet at most."

Pausing, Himiko glanced over the controls she had no idea how to use. "Fine. I trust you. Tell me what to do."

Another spluttered sound right in Himiko's eardrum had her flinching, before Iruma's hands came down and gripped the controls."

"F-first what you're going to do is—"

Himiko placed her hand over Iruma's own, gripping the controller. It was nice, working together like this. She hadn't really done it with anyone but Angie, and Angie had taken over most of the time. Iruma couldn't take control, of course, but she hadn't really tried to stop Himiko from doing anything either. She was helping Himiko, even though she didn't really need to.

Himiko doubted all this was going to help her move on and Iruma was smart enough to probably know that too. Even if it were because Himiko was the only one she could speak with.

"Thanks, Iruma."

"W-what are you thinking me for?"

"For the help, duh. Once I'm out of here…I'll look for a necromancy spell, okay?"

Iruma didn't say anything. Himiko could see her hand twitch out of her own before settling back down.

"Okay. Fine."

The door worked just like Iruma said it would. Himiko charged straight past the barrier and into the hanger.

Ouma was already standing, warily looking at the Exisal. He looked like he was about to run away.

"It's that button," Iruma hissed, her finger poking a blue button on the side of the console. Himiko poked it right after, the door hissing upwards.

"Yumeno-chan? Why are you here?"

He said 'you' like he was expecting someone entirely different. The real mastermind? Saihara? Himiko didn't know and didn't particularly care. She glared down at him.

"Yes, me. Ouma I want some real answers!" Iruma floated out of her, then, perching on the side of the Exisal. She was scowling.

"Real answers? I already told you the real answers. I'm the mastermind, idiot, and I set all this up—"

"That doesn't explain anything! Why'd you have Iruma make that vacuum, huh? Or your stupid remote?!" She scowled. "And we got that dumb flashback light that doesn't make any sense!"

"A flashback light?" Ouma's already barely there grin disappeared, his head tilting and staring her down. Unnerving, but Himiko reminded herself she had her own Exisal and Iruma to boot. He smiled again, meaner this time.

"Well, obviously I put that there to break your spirits more. I thought showing you the truth would be enough, but—"

A noise tore out of Himiko's throat, almost animalistic. She knew he was lying, he always lied, but this was actually the worst. She needed information now. How Saihara hadn't strangled him mid-trial was a question she'd have to ask later.

"And that doesn't make sense! I already know why it was made. If you're working with her, I just want to know!"

Ouma went still. "And I don't know what you're talking about, Yumeno-chan!"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up! Shirogane made that flashback light, so I wanna know what's going on—"

"Shhhh!" Ouma said. He was still smiling, but something in his eyes had gone frightfully blank. He reached behind himself, pulling out something pink.

Iruma perked up. It was her electro-bomb.

"I did not want to do this, but you aren't leaving me much choice." He threw it and Himiko watched it dissolve into static. "What are you talking about? You saw Shirogane-chan make a flashback light?"

Swallowing, Himiko nodded. She'd put it like that, but Iruma was the one who'd actually seen it. If Ouma thought she was lying…

But, she trusted Iruma now. There was no reason for her to lie. Not about this. Not to Himiko. Ouma wouldn't understand, because she was sure he wouldn't believe Iruma was there in the first place.

"Where?"

"The machine was in a second floor classroom. Uh, C. I'm pretty sure." Iruma shifted closer. She still was scowling, but it'd relaxed after her invention was used. Pretty sure it wasn't positive, but Himiko could hopefully cover for that if it wasn't.

"Um. Classroom C. Second floor."

"It's in a desk. It comes out of the lockers."

That was the stupidest thing Himiko had heard. She wished Iruma told her before now. Still—

"The machine thingy is in a desk. The light comes out in the lockers."

Ouma also looked as if that were the stupidest thing he'd ever heard. Fantastic, he was about to get rid of her and she'd learn nothing.

"If you don't wanna believe me, then whatever. But I saw what I saw." What she saw was Iruma telling her about it, but Ouma didn't need to know that.

"Himiko is that you?"

She glanced up. It had come from a door in the corner—

Momota.

Wow, she felt dumb. She'd forgotten all about him with all of the conspiracies. Ouma rolled his eyes, but relaxed when she didn't move.

"Keep over there, Yumeno-chan." He said, heading for the door. "And Momota-chan, don't do anything dumb."

Then he was at the door and they were arguing. Himiko couldn't hear them across the room, but Ouma was expressive enough that she figured it was obvious.

"I could go snoop," Iruma said, sounding like she'd rather eat bricks. Himiko appreciated the offer.

"I don't think it's that important."

"Good. I've had enough of these Momota testosterone-filled slap fights to last a goddamn lifetime. And I already had one of those."

Himiko snorted, surprised at herself. Iruma's face finally relaxed into a grin.

Ouma finally came back, Momota looming over him until he saw Himiko and rushed over.

"You doing okay?"

"I should be the one asking you that—"

"Everyone is fine. Now can we get to the supposed flashback light maker or are we going to stand here until the Mastermind waltzes in."

Iruma cursed at him and Himiko really had to resist the urge to snicker.

She had to abandon the Exisal to sneak back into the school, but the three of them weren't caught out by anyone on the way there. If Shirogane were watching, she wasn't making a move. Or maybe she couldn't, what with Ouma having the Exisal remote and Monokuma trapped? It'd be three against one if she confronted them directly. Himiko wished she knew.

Iruma led the way into a classroom and Himiko breathed a sigh of relief when Iruma led her right to a desk. Ouma leaned over Himiko's shoulder as Iruma pointed out what she needed to do. She followed the steps, swallowing her surprise as a computer popped out, filling the desk and blackboard.

"What the fuck?" Momota said, going to the board. Ouma frowned, scrolling the options too quickly for Himiko to see. Momota could see, apparently, because he started cursing again.

"All our memories are fake?"

"I didn't think they were real in the first place, but this is more excessive than I thought…"

Himiko bit her tongue. She didn't want to actually think about it anymore than she already had. Iruma glanced away too, jaw clenched.

A heavy clunk sounded and Ouma opened the locker door, pulling out a flashback light.

"So you were telling the truth…I just wonder if that means you were telling the truth about Shirogane-chan?"

"Shirogane? Huh?"

Himiko's mouth dried. "S-she's the mastermind. She made one last night to show us. It had Ouma as a Remanent of Despair. Someone named Enoshima was in charge of a huge disaster and you were a follower or whatever—"

"You're sure that was Shirogane, though?" Momota had the flashback light shoved into his hands as Ouma started to look over the settings again. "I can't believe she'd do something like that—"

"We all know you don't believe anyone would do anything, so you might as well shut up."

Himiko groaned as they started bickering. At least Iruma was there to share a look. At least it died down when Ouma shouted and pointed at the screen.

"Look. That plot point is on here. There's a place to put in a name as a Remnant."

Himiko peered at the options. Ouma wasn't wrong. There was a drop down list of names, even including those who had died. As he scrolled she noted there were only fifteen.

"Shirogane isn't on the list." She traced the names on the board lightly.

"I guess Shirogane-chan never thought anyone would find this. Stupid."

Momota mostly looked devastated. Himiko walked over, giving him a pat on the shoulder, sighing. At least she knew sort of what was happening now. At least she had prior warning.

Everyone else was going to get this dropped on them like bird poop.

They had Momota do the talking. Everyone else believed him enough to at least not attack Ouma, though Harukawa kept giving him really terrible looks. Iruma laughed every-time she did, so Himiko supposed it was fine.

Shirogane was gone by then and probably locked in the library room. After staring at it for a while, Ouma mentioned the first case and Saihara remembered Shirogane went to the restroom. Harukawa kicked down half the bathroom until they found the secret room and cornered Shirogane.

And what proceeded was the Biggest, Most Awful, Most Terrible Argument in human history.

Very little despair, though. All of it was aggravating, instead.

"No," Saihara said, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "We aren't doing another trial. I don't care."

Shirogane pouted from the floor.

"We could kill her," Harukawa suggested again.

"If she wants a trial she wants to die, so tragically we can't."

"I could kill you—"

"Okay!" Saihara yelled. "There has to be some way out of here that doesn't involve killing anyone."

Iruma, mostly checked out, finally perked up.

"Keebs has some parts. I managed to modify one of 'em and kept it in my lab, but with the others too he could blow the top off this joint."

"You couldn't have mentioned this sooner," Himiko hissed under her breath. Iruma stuck her tongue out. Himiko was woman enough to admit that it was cute, actually, and sighed.

"When I was raiding Iruma's stuff yesterday I saw some of Kiibo's stuff in there. Maybe some of it's useful?"

Luckily, Kiibo had an instinctual knowledge of his parts as he was able to install them all without Himiko trying to follow Iruma's instructions, when she shouldn't know anything about robots at all.

Harukawa and Momota dragged Shirogane to the courtyard where she went on a rant about a television show that no one was particularly listening to. Himiko stared down at her and into her wild eyes and felt sad.

Shirogane, who had been so nice, was the cause of so much of her suffering. Iruma drifted in front of her, shooing Himiko aside and standing in the way anytime she glanced over. It was…surprisingly sweet.

As Kiibo prepared to shoot the dome, Himiko reached out. She knew she couldn't actually hold Iruma's hand, but she really really wanted to.

Iruma must've too, because she reached out, her hands drifting in and out of Himiko's own. Close enough, but too far away. Himiko frowned as her ears rang from the shot and the glass breaking.

A bright light filled the courtyard. Himiko's eyes burned and she took a step forward, Iruma at her side. She swore she could feel warmth over her fingers. Then—

Himiko woke up. The ceiling above her was white. She tilted her head. Everything was white. There was an I.V. in her arm and a bunch of monitors.

The hospital? Had they all gotten out?

Himiko leaned against Miu's arm. She was mostly glad she could walk now. The first month at the Danganronpa Rehab Center had been hell.

But—

The one good spot was that Tenko was alive. Angie was alive. Miu was alive. Her ghostliness an after effect of dying in a simulation while in a simulation already. The guys in suits sounded really surprised it had happened.

Himiko was just glad she was the lucky one who saw Miu. It could've been anyone. It could've been no one, Miu doomed to wander around as a ghost while no one even noticed she was there.

"God, you can be annoying sometimes. You're getting me all sweaty."

"You want me to move?" Himiko would, even though she was really comfortable.

Miu sat silent before grabbing Himiko's hand and squeezing tightly.

"I'm not that much of a loser, give me some credit!"

Himiko giggled softly.