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Miu woke choking.
Her hands clawed her throat as she gasped. She thrashed against the force holding her still until she fell out of her bed and crashed on the floor, pain sparking up and down her hip.
"…The fuck," she rasped, heaving. Leveraging up onto her knees, Miu glanced around. It was the same room she'd had since she first came into the dorms. There were less projects scattered around. Instead of sprawling over every available surface, a few were just stacked around her desk and chair.
Miu stumbled up and towards her bathroom, collapsing over the sink. She looked fine. Her hair was sleep-messy and she was still in her pajamas, but her neck was fine. She poked at it, humming. Pale, slender, and completely free of any signs that she'd been choking to death not ten minutes earlier.
She vomited in the toilet.
After she stood, significantly paler, she brushed her teeth and then rubbed her temples. Nothing was making any sense. She changed quickly and took a deep breath. It was time to figure out what the hell was going on.
Walking out she came face-to-face with a ghost. Chabashira walked down the stairs like she hadn't been stabbed in the back. Miu stepped back into her room and slammed the door. Her clammy hands struggled with the handle as she sank to her knees.
"What the fuck." She repeated it a few more times into her knees, as if that would make the world make any more sense.
Maybe this was hell? Or purgatory, or whatever. Miu didn't believe in that shit, but Miu had been dead about an hour before and Chabashira dead for days. Who the hell knew what was going on?
She stood, knees wobbly, before she jerked the door open again. Unsteadily making her way out and around the steps, Miu looked around at the dorm.
Nothing was out of place. It was the same old shitty dorm she'd been through hours ago when trying to rustle up everyone for the simulation.
While she stood there, Saihara's door opened and Momota came out rambling with Saihara nipping at his heels. She paused. If both of them were here and Chabashira and herself were here it meant one of two things.
One, Saihara had totally bombed the trial and everyone but Gonta died and were in this hell together with everyone who kicked it before. Or, two, something significantly weirder was happening to her.
"Hi, Iruma-san," Saihara said, ducking his head down a little. It was odd, because he'd started looking at her head around the time Angie went bonkers.
"Yo, Iruma, you look bad." Momota squinted at her oddly, like he hadn't looked like complete garbage when she had woken him for the simulation. He had no right to judge how she looked. "Everything okay?"
"You don't look any better, shit-for-brains!" Miu screeched, rushing out before them. She didn't want to talk to any of these people until she had a better idea of what the hell was going on. There wasn't anyone else on the way to the dining hall, but she went there anyway since it was what they always did.
And, yeah, everybody was. Her eyes darted around the full room. The only two idiots not in the room were Amami and Akamatsu. After Chabashira, it shouldn't have been a surprise, but there Hoshi, Toujou, Angie, and Korekiyo were. All of them were eating and chatting like they hadn't been dead hours ago.
Gonta and Ouma were there too, which struck out her first theory. Unless the big dick had killed himself after killing her, which could've killed everyone in the trial maybe. It would be a ridiculous choice, but anything could happen.
She kept her mouth shut and shuffled into the corner away from him and sat. Of course, Toujou practically teleported to give Miu a plate of food. While she'd missed that kind of table-side service, it was creepy as shit to get food from a dead person. She pushed the food around, saying nothing.
Ouma gave her a look from where he was halfway down the table and she scowled at him. To think she'd been guilty about killing him. He sure as shit hadn't been guilty about getting her ass ganked.
Her throat spasmed and she pushed the food away.
Momota and Saihara finally caught up and walked through the door, then, and she didn't have to worry about anyone noticing because the whole room wouldn't stop talking about how he'd taken his ugly hat off.
Miu wasn't stupid, she was a genius.
She remembered this. It was the day after Akamatsu's trial. He'd taken off his dumb hat and started his bromance with Momota. If she were right, they'd be getting their motives tonight and Toujou would haul off and kill Hoshi, then try to get the rest of them killed because she was apparently the goddamn Prime Minister—
Miu fumbled in her pocket for her Monopad, turning it on and flipping through it. The pool rule was missing, as well as the one about multiple murderers. She scrolled through the rules again, taking care to read each one.
The possibility of time travel was a spectacularly silly one. No one knew how to time travel. It was very likely impossible unless people figured out some new physics real goddamn quick.
But what other option was there? She was here after she died, with a bunch of dead people walking around. She remembered this day. The labs would open up and they'd all use the first flashback light and freak the fuck out.
It was the Ultimate Hunt one, which was pretty small fries compared to the meteors. Her finger tapped against the pad. Flashback lights themselves were pretty impossible, but they'd happened. Half the shit Monokuma and his kids did was strange enough to defy logic.
"Um, Iruma-san…?"
Miu already accepted about ten thousand impossible things from this place. What was one more? What other option was there?
"Iruma-san?"
If this were a dying dream or somebody else's simulations her actions wouldn't matter that much. But if it were real…they mattered a lot.
"Iruma!"
She might as well behave as if she had traveled back to right after the first trial. Dying meant she already lost everything, right? Buying into a second chance was nothing! This was why she was the gorgeous girl genius who—
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Someone said right in her ear and then shook her shoulder. She shrieked, whipping around to glare at Momota and Saihara, who were hovering over her.
"What's wrong with you, space idiot!?"
"You were the one who was just sitting there, doing nothing! You were actin' weird this morning too!"
"W-what? Don't yell at m-me! I'm fine. Can't a fucking genius think about better things than wandering around the school opening doors and getting dusty?"
"So you were paying attention!"
"Duh! Now buzz off, I've got shit to do." And then she pushed through the two of them and ran back out. Again.
It was the perfect escape and she'd managed to charm her way out of looking at any stranger. There was no way the two idiots back there had any idea she wasn't the same Miu they'd probably seen last night.
A cursory glance around the school, with care to avoid Momota and Saihara, proved that everything that had opened after the first trial was opening now. Her lab looked significantly less used, with only the camera parts strewn around.
Ouma hadn't gotten the chance to ask her to make all his shit yet.
She sure as hell wasn't going to do it this time. The things she'd made for Keebs weren't around either and that did hurt a little more. That had been the one death she really hadn't wanted to think about when planning Ouma's murder. Keebs liked her, which was a far cry from what the rest of her miserable peers thought about her.
Still—the meteors were a threat and it was only a matter of time before someone killed her. Had killed her. She had already died.
Shoving the few bits of work on the table off, she sank to her knees and sat with her head pressed against them. Her throat had started hurting, a clenching raw pain like that fucking toilet paper was around her neck again.
When the door to her lab cracked open, she wasn't even sure how long she'd been sitting there.
"Dammit."
Miu resisted the urge to pinch her nose. Momota again.
"You know if something's wrong you can talk about it, right? It's obvious you aren't alright. I didn't know you were that close to Akamatsu, but—"
"Ugh, can you leave me the hell alone?"
"It ain't good to keep that shit all buried! Look at you, you aren't acting like the Iruma I know."
She wondered what he'd say if she admitted she tried to frame him for murder. Call her rightfully crazy, since he didn't remember any of that, but if he could remember would he still be acting this way? No chance in hell.
"That's some inspirational speech and all, but I don't need it."
He frowned, looking all sympathetic and shit. How stupid.
"Everyone's got something to face. You just need to figure out what yours is and go face it head on. Talk it out, fight it out, go train, whatever. You can't just ignore it."
"Gross."
After speaking his name into the phone she hadn't felt guilty. Not like when she stood on the roof, hammer hitting her leg through the pocket. Her life simply had more meaning than his in that moment.
And maybe—
His death hadn't been real, yet. He'd still be there after Ouma died. Still be there through all of the trial. Miu wouldn't have had to face anyone else until the very end. Her head started to hurt in tandem with her throat.
Too tired to frown, Miu shrugged. "Fine, asshole, I'll talk to someone. Not you."
Unable to parse the lie, Momota smiled his dumb grin. "That's all I want! Now c'mon, I'm supposed to grab you for this thing we found. Angie was looking into it."
"I'm sure that kooky bitch was."
"She's not that bad."
He wouldn't be saying that after she started her cult and ended up terrifying him from the third floor, but what the hell did she know?
She followed him, tuning out his inane chatter. The gym was already full of everyone and she garnered some curious looks that she ignored. Half of them would be dead soon, anyway.
After some arguing (and seriously, had there been this much goddamn arguing the first time around?) the thing was finally turned on. The flashback light was just how she remembered it and after hearing more of the rehashed fussing about the pointless Ultimate Hunt, they finally were done.
She waved everyone off, staggering back into her room she laid on the bed. Staring at the ceiling she dug her palms into her stomach and sighed. If she didn't do anything, the future would probably be the same. Hoshi would die and then Toujou; and then the trio of Angie, Chabashira, and Korekiyo.
And then her.
"Fuck that."
She could always wait it out and change things after Korekiyo died. She could go after Gonta or Shirogane, who were both much stupider than Ouma and much less likely to turn her plan on her. She could do nothing and eventually get stabbed in the back as the obvious weak link. She could not kill Ouma and team up with him, no matter how much the idea made her lip curl and stomach curdle.
Then they'd die because one of the group would turn on them, like they always did. She'd decided to murder because she'd realized how close she was to dying. No one liked her. No one liked Ouma. Harukawa, Saihara, and Momota were all buddy-buddy. Shirogane hung off Gonta like he was the damn moon. Keebs was too damn nice, no one would murder him.
She'd die or die, no other option. If she turned to someone else, then what? There's no way anyone would believe her, and besides that no one was safe. Everyone had their own angle. She'd learned that by now. At the same time, it was clear she wouldn't be able to work alone. Miu needed an edge. The kind of edge Ouma had when he had Gokuhara.
No other option existed. The motives wouldn't stop coming, and everyone had a limit. In a few hours Toujou would hit her own and the cycle would continue.
The thought prodded something and she pulled out her Monopad again.
The rule she'd seen earlier still sat there on the page. It wasn't a rule Miu concerned herself with, because it hadn't mattered in the slightest. When she hadn't been planning a murder, it'd been too far away for her to care. When she had started planning, it was irrelevant.
The killing game and class trials will continue until only two surviving students remain.
When talking about multiple murders, Monokuma hadn't ever mentioned there being a limit on just how many one person could off.
Or—
If two people could make sure they were the only ones left.
~~~
Miu stayed up, staying still as the Monokubs bumbled in and left the motive video on her table. As soon as they left, she jumped up and grabbed the video, turning it on.
It was the same video as last time. Professor Idabashi's bruised face stared mournfully out of the screen before she turned it off and tucked it in her bookshelf. The one snag in her plan was the possibility that the Monokubs had fucked it up even further and given them all different motive videos than the first time around.
She'd have to keep an ear out that morning. Vaguely, she remembered that Gonta had Shirogane's and that Harukawa and Hoshi had each other's videos. The latter she wouldn't be able to tell since it happened right before Hoshi's death, but Gonta had blurted it out during breakfast last time so he should this time too.
She just had to wait.
And think of what she had to offer.
The problem with making murder plans was that Miu kept making plans for bombs. Effective for murder, maybe, but much more likely to cause collateral damage and piss Monokuma off. This was why she'd had the idea to murder in the sim. It'd been so much easier.
The announcement finally went off and she rushed out, sliding into a seat at the dining table. Toujou served her again and Miu watched the lines of her shoulders and face. Maybe Toujou was more tense because she'd gotten her own video again, or maybe she'd gotten Harukawa's and was freaking about the assassin. Miu couldn't tell.
Blah, blah, blah; the greetings washed over Miu like water as the conversation turned to the videos and how everyone needed to come to the dining hall, now, or else. Miu closed her eyes then rolled them.
If everyone could hurry the fu—
Saihara skidded in and everyone repeated the same crap. Miu wished she could scream.
"—But Gonta has Shirogane-san's—"
Jackpot.
She tuned everything else out after that point, making a vague agreement to not share her video, like it mattered. Momota and Ouma both were eyeing her up, which goddamn why couldn't her plan have actually worked out? At least she'd be free from nosy, suspicious bastards.
Ouma and Hoshi then started going in on sharing, which also didn't matter. They were all doomed anyway. She tapped her finger against the table, scowling, as the conversation finally started to settle.
Oh, shit, hadn't these plebs started making a bunch of dumb requests after they'd finished talking? She hopped up, startling Chabashira beside her, and cornered Toujou before anyone could speak to her. There were eyes on her back, but Miu ignored them.
Toujou merely eyed her curiously.
"Do you require something, Iruma-san?"
Miu lowered her voice as much as she could, leaning towards Toujou. "Hey, um. Can we talk? Privately?"
"I do need to reiterate that I reserve the right to refuse any unsavory requests." Toujou's gaze frosted over, though her expression remained perfectly placid.
"It's not fucking that! It's a different one. Though you are kinda frigid so maybe—"
"Very well. Give me a moment to clean up here, please."
"Um, thanks. I guess." Miu strode back to her seat. A few people looked disgruntled, but fuck 'em. Probably pissy because she got to Toujou first. Momota gave her a thumbs up so she flipped him off. He rolled his eyes, but thankfully ignored her.
The dining hall emptied until it was just Toujou cleaning the dishes and Miu sitting at the table. She watched her scrub each one.
Wild to think in a few days she'd be drowning Hoshi in the sink. Wild to think Miu had a hammer clutched in her hand just a day ago.
Wild to think of what she was about to ask.
"Ah, I'm done Iruma-san. Whenever you're ready, I will tend to your request."
Would she, was the thing. Miu frowned, picking at a hangnail and getting to her feet.
"It's kinda, uh. Is a little more sensitive. N-not in the dining hall, okay?"
Toujou narrowed her eyes.
Stomping her foot, Miu settled her hands on her hips. "It ain't like that! I already told you.I need to ask you something. Something sensitive."
"Fine, let us go to my room."
Miu trailed behind her, glancing furtively around. Luckily, no one had lurked to try and figure out what she was asking. No one was out in the dorm lobby either.
Toujou's room was nothing special. Clean to military precision, maybe, but no one really had a chance to fuck up the rooms yet, either.
"So what was your request," Toujou asked politely.
Miu swallowed. Her palms were sweating. Her head hurt. Her throat clenched.
"I—I…I have…a p-proposal."
"…A proposal?"
"Yeah! You know—" Miu had to swallow again. This was risky and she regretted asking, suddenly. Toujou might not have decided to murder Hoshi yet. Toujou might decide to murder her.
Tempted to back out and ask for something stupid (What had she asked for last time?) she wiped a hand on her skirt. Toujou didn't even glance at it. Her throat spasmed and she scowled.
"You're going to murder someone, right?"
Toujou tensed, eyes narrowing. Miu rushed forward, words tripping over themselves.
"Cause, I learned something. I got my own pad, right? And there's all this trouble out there that my inventions could help. And I know a maid-bitch like you has to be more useful than all those other plebs wandering around—"
Toujou didn't look convinced. Her face was still all pinched up. Toujou didn't show displeasure often and Miu's heart pounded frantically against the cage of her ribs. She needed something more, something that would convince Toujou that she needed Miu more than any of the other fuckers out there.
An idea sprang to mind. It was a gamble, but if it worked out then maybe…
"'Cause I saw something different, too. I didn't want to say it and freak everyone out, but I saw meteors. Hitting Earth. Hitting people." That flashback light had been terrible. When she blinked the images out of her eyes, Miu almost threw up. Everyone dead? Everyone gone? Nothing else had scared her like that.
Toujou's eyes were flicking around her face, the tight frown she wore crumbling away as she furrowed her brow. "You're…serious."
"Fuck, you better believe I am. And even if we don't do anything, someone is gonna get a motive that makes them wanna off us eventually. The state of the world would make anyone crazy."
"Meteors." Toujou glanced at her pad.
"Yeah! I ain't lyin'. And I know I can make something to help with them. You gotta have connections, you've been maiding out for the big wigs, right? So together we can fix this shit!"
The troubled look didn't leave her face.
"And you'd be…willing to kill everyone else to do that. Be altruistic?"
Miu bristled.
"It isn't like I wanna. You think Monokuma is gonna be all nicey when he murders them after they lose the trial? You saw Bakamatsu's punishment. Imagine what he's gonna do to a ton of other people. At least if I do it I can choose which way they go."
Miu didn't really care about that part. She'd been willing to let them all be punished through her plan anyway. But it sounded good, and maybe it was what she wanted now, after she said it out loud. Keebs didn't deserve whatever fucked thing Monokuma planned for him, at least.
Toujou wasn't looking at her now. She was staring at the wall.
"Why me? Why did you choose me, why tell me?"
Because you're going to totally be the next murderer sounded bad and crazy out loud, so Miu did not say it. She tugged her hair, instead, wishing that Toujou would just agree already.
"'Cause you got that maid-shtick. No way someone super important isn't in your vid that you wanna get out for. And—connections, like I said. I'm a fucking genius, so—"
"How did you know I got my own video?" Toujou's eyes were suddenly locked onto Miu's own. She sputtered, resisting the urge to curse. Again, the future you had that video didn't sound so good.
"I-I-I—that shitty Monokub said it last night. The yellow one. He mentioned he dropped your video off before mine. I thought that meant you got your own, but—"
Toujou sighed loudly.
"Monosuke isn't wrong. I also received my own. It looks like their error likely started somewhere in the middle of the night then, if both you and I got our own." She frowned, hand to her mouth. "In fact, it's likely more than just ourselves received our own in that case. Multiple people may be lying…"
Fuck yes, she was totally buying in. Miu nodded frantically.
"Yeah, that would be fucking awful, so we need to get ahead of it! We probably got, like, actually good reasons to get out."
She was practically sweating through her shirt. An infinite amount of ways existed that everything could go straight to shit. Miu rocked back on her heel, uncertain.
Toujou tugged at her apron, still frowning. She reached forward, grabbing her video and walking closer to Miu. She was close enough that Miu could smell her shampoo.
"Here, you should watch my motive video." Toujou pressed play.
The motive video was the same as the one Miu had seen in the trial room. She bit her lip and tried to look shocked. Toujou wasn't looking at her though, focused as she was on the video. Miu sure hoped this wasn't a request to look at her own, because she had no idea who the hell had it.
"As you can see…you aren't wrong. I do have someone…no something important to me that I need to return to. And with your information—meteors are certainly a national emergency worthy of the Prime Minister's attention. That he would ask me…" Toujou glanced up. "The whole country—how could we ignore that?"
Her one visible eye was wide, the whites showing. Her lip had a slight tremble to it and with how close they were, Miu could see just how clammy Toujou's cheeks were. The last time Miu saw her this scared was when she had watched her die.
She swallowed, trying not to choke. Reaching out, she settled her hands on Toujou's shoulders. She wanted to shake her. They were both going to die. Now was not the time to pussy out.
Instead, Miu rubbed small circles into Toujou's bony shoulders.
"Shit sucks, huh? But—"
With a squeeze, Miu let go.
"We gotta. It's the end of the world. What else are we gonna do?"
Something settled in Toujou, then, and her back straightened.
"Monokuma."
"H-hey! Don't call him!"
Too late, Monokuma popped into the room, chuckling.
"Don't worry! Your headmaster has already heard of your worries. You're looking for a little rule check, aren't 'cha?"
"Yes," Toujou said, hands clasping in front of herself. "The rules state that the killing game will last until there are only two people left, but do not have a rule against teaming up or killing multiple people…would doing that be against the rules?"
"Upupupupu! I didn't think ya had it in you! You either, Iruma."
Miu squeaked, darting behind Toujou a little more. "Y-you fucking bear, just tell us!"
"So rude, so rude…your headmaster just wants what's best for you!"
"So, would it be against the rules?" Toujou repeated, unruffled.
"Well," Monokuma drew out, tapping his paw to his chin. "It isn't like it hasn't been done before. I could make a rule against it, it is so early on…but we get such high ratings when a team-up happens! I couldn't disappoint my fans."
He stepped forward, looming despite his height.
"But I'm a fair bear! If you can't manage to kill everyone quickly enough, there will be an investigation and class trial and we'll see where it goes!"
"And who would be the blackened, in that case?"
"Why, whoever killed the first body found! It's a classic. Either way, it's entertaining! Chills, thrills, kills! This is the kind of creativity everyone wants!"
"Then…that works." Toujou's nose flared and she turned sharply away from Monokuma. "We'll have to plan this out, then."
"Oi, oi! Am I chopped salmon?"
"Go away, you fuckass bear!"
"Oh and this is the thanks I get."
"Yeah, 'cause we don't—"
"Well, good luck girlies." Monokuma gave a sinister smile as he interrupted, leaving as abruptly as he came. A chill lodged itself in Miu's chest.
"It will be fine." Toujou said, not sounding fine at all. "We just need a plan."
This was where she could back out, of course. But Toujou would probably kill her in return. And if she didn't—
It was the same problem she'd thought of earlier. Someone would come eventually.
"Do you think anyone had any idea why you came to me?" Toujou asked.
"I think Momota thinks I'm coming to you for like, emotional fucking support. How goddamn lame."
"It works, though. I can cover for you in that case." She tapped her fingers against the desk absently. "We really need a plan. I could poison the food, but Harukawa-san is acting oddly and it wouldn't affect Kiibo-san."
"I could handle him." Miu didn't want to, but she could make it easy. Something to switch him off, like going to sleep. He said he didn't sleep, so maybe it could even be nice. She clenched her fists to hide the trembling.
Toujou was staring at her hands this time, but she didn't say anything. Miu was grossly appreciative. She did, however, reach out and gently brought Miu's hands into her own. She traced patterns just under the knuckles.
It felt good. Warm and gentle. Miu wanted to flip her hands over, let Toujou hold them properly, but then she blushed. Resisting the urge to pull her hands away, she focused on the sparks of connection between each circular swipe.
"Please, I know this situation is unideal and it isn't something we should even be contemplating," Toujou said. "But I wanted to thank you—everything will be easier once we're out and can start fixing what's wrong. We could even do a memorial."
She hadn't quite lost her composure, but a frantic note suffused every word that stumbled out, her hands gripping the slightest bit tighter as she finished talking. The Toujou that Miu knew from her last moments slipped through; almost completely on edge and frantic.
Miu could relate. "O-okay. Fuck. I'm all in. You know that. Uh…thanks to you too. For listening."
Everything would have gone to the pits if she hadn't. Miu might've been the one with the genius plan, but Toujou had the decency not to pull anything stupid. She could thank her for it, this once.
And it sounded nice, almost. Going out, fixing the shit out of the world, feeling safe again, and building something nice for the losers inside. No one could forget them then, and Toujou and her could ride off into the sunset as heroes.
"So should we talk about it now or—"
"I think nighttime might be more prudent. There are a few things I need to finish and it's better to resist the urge to deviate from our routines."
"I guess that makes sense. Somebody might see something, though."
"Nightmares should work."
Miu opened her mouth to protest that she didn't even want fake nightmares when Toujou shot her a look, frowning harshly.
"F-fine."
"You did a fine job in deferring suspicion, so don't worry overly."
Toujou's smile curved up again and the jitteriness of Miu's heart almost startled her. Being praised felt good, any real sex god would know, but this felt different, somehow. She brushed it off, huffing. Just because Toujou thought she had a good plan…
"Yeah, whatever," Miu mumbled, shuffling towards the door. Toujou's grasp on her hands loosened, so she eased them out, trying not to notice the lack of warm connection. "I'll see you tonight, then."
"I will see you tonight, as well. Have a good rest of the day, Iruma." She shook her head. "Or—if that sounds insensitive, I'm asking that you please don't worry until our meeting time."
"You too, or whatever." Miu shut the door after, scowling at the floor. She wished Toujou could walk her back, give her another pep talk, leave her alone, or just do anything else. She didn't actually know what she wanted. Miu just didn't want this. Walking to her door alone after that, or whatever.
At least the walk back to her room was short. She collapsed onto bed fully clothed again and tried to really let everything settle in.
She was going to plan a murder. She was going to plan a murder with Toujou. Toujou who held her hands and was nicer than anybody had been in the past/future week. She wanted to vomit. She wanted to cry.
Instead she bit her forearm and hissed through her teeth. What was done, was done. Miu wanted to live, so she would live. No matter the cost. Toujou, at least, understood that.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck"
She still didn't know how she felt about it all.