Chapter Text

Kirumi Tojo gave a small, rare sigh.

It was… the end of their lives. There was nothing they could do – aside from the unthinkable.

She found herself somewhat humbled by the idea of their approaching fate as she finished making the tea, trying her very hardest to ignore that irritating music that the dastardly Monokuma was playing as loud as possible.

There was just over an hour left. If anything were to happen, it would probably happen now.

She finished stirring the tea, and poured three cups – one for Korekiyo Shinguuji, one for Tsumugi Shirogane, and one for Miu Iruma. Naturally, she didn’t make herself one, since she was far too busy serving the others. After all, they were all about to die.

As she moved from the kitchen and back into the dining room, she took note of the blaring speaker, and the activities of those present – Korekiyo was finishing a small plate of bland spaghetti that had been prepared by the Monokubs earlier, Miu was working on some sort of mechanical drone, and Tsumugi was sitting with her arms crossed, swinging her legs; she was visibly stressed, for obvious reasons.

Or, so she thought.

Tsumugi smiled a little as Kirumi brought over the cups of tea. She brought the others theirs, and then Tsumugi waved her over. She put hers down and stood next to her.

“Ah, thanks, Tojo-san.” Tsumugi thanked her. “Did you… want to sit down?”

She blinked a few times in a moment of bemusement. “If… you so wish.”

She moved a seat and sat down next to Tsumugi, her hands crossed on top of her lap. Tsumugi sipped the tea and grinned. “Tojo-san, this is amazing! I do wonder how you do it…”

Kirumi smiled. “Thank you, I am honoured by your praise.”

Tsumugi took another swig, before setting her tea down. She looked at Kirumi with a serious expression on her face. “Tojo-san… didn’t you want to, I don’t know… do something? Before we all… well, die?”

Tojo smiled and shook her head. “The only thing I wish to do is to die ensuring all the needs of others are served.”

Tsumugi closed her eyes and nodded somewhat sadly. “…Of course.”

She looked down at her tea, and took another drink – this one longer, and more rushed; she drank the rest of the whole steaming cup in a single swift movement. Then, she stood up, and turned to the four of us. “I do apologise; I’ll be right back. Just a… nervous need to relieve myself… I’m sure you all understand.”

Tojo nodded, whilst Korekiyo didn’t even look up from his pasta. Meanwhile, Miu looked up from her work and smirked. “Make sure to have a nice, long one! Oh, and bring back a sample maybe – if you’re into that thing, ha ha!”

Tsumugi raised an eyebrow and chuckled lightly, before walking calmly out of the room.

A few moments went by; Kirumi stood up to begin one last cleaning up of the area.

Then, a single rush went down her back. A feeling… a hunch. The hair on the back of her neck stood up, as if there was an odd feeling of déjà vu. She took a deep breath to get herself together, before placing her things back down on the table.

She took a moment, before turning to the others. “Ahem. I… will be back. I too need a small break. But, if I don’t return in 5 minutes, please come and check on me in the girl’s bathroom on this floor – hopefully I won’t be… disposed… and rather indisposed… but in any case. That would make me most grateful.”

They looked at her for a moment – possibly assessing the probability of her going to commit a murder – before nodding calmly.

Tsumugi took a moment to breath, before exiting.

The halls of the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles were remarkably quiet for the occasion, despite the blaring music. Kirumi took a moment to look around, before moving forwards, along the corridor, and found herself staring at the girl’s bathroom.

Quietly hoping to herself that the other side wouldn’t show a bloody corpse, she gently opened the door and entered.

“Tsumugi…?” Kirumi said gently, looking around.

The bathroom was empty. Nobody was here.

And Tsumugi hadn’t come back to the dining room on the same route. Kirumi blinked a few times, processing this information, before hearing a light clang.

She moved forwards, and found the small cleaning closet swinging shut. She’d been in here briefly a while ago to inspect the cleaning equipment, but she saw no reason why it would be open at this very moment.

She frowned. Full of anticipation and adrenaline, she went into the closet.

It was small, pretty empty aside from the cleaning stuff.

She sighed once more. Better than the alternative, she supposed. She leant back against the back wall of the closet in a relaxed manner.

And found herself rather surprised when it made a jarring noise and opened into a dark metallic hallway.

“What…?” She murmured to herself. She stroked her chin, deep in thought. She noticed the boring, wet mop, and took it in her hand – just in case, she thought.

And then she entered the stairway.

Clank, clank, clank. Even with her quietest foots, it still sounded rather rickety.

It wasn’t too long a corridor, although it did twist and turn a little. She found herself facing a tube-covered metal door with no handle or knob.

She took a deep breath. She waved her hand, and the door opened. She stepped quickly inside, and her eyes flared as she saw the inside of the room.

A massive Monokuma head.

Sofas.

Flowers.

And Tsumugi Shirogane, sitting on one of the seats, who glanced upwards from her Monopad and opened her mouth in surprise.