-Yuta P. O. V.-

Komaru and I went to where the school store was located on the map in our handbooks. There was a lot of random junk all around. There was a vending machine in the corner and another black and white machine on the counter in the middle of the room.

Komaru and I just looked at it.

"What do you think this is, Yuta?" She asked.

I shrugged. "I have no clue. Looks like some kind of machine." I took a closer look. "It looks like it's full of... something. There's some kind of coin slot with a bear head crank."

"Hey look!" She grabbed a piece of paper that she saw folded up on top of the machine. She read it out loud.

"Instructions for the MonoMono Machine"

"So, I guess this is the MonoMono Machine." She said.

I nodded. "I guess. What's the instructions say?"

"Thank you for purchasing the MonoMono Machine! The only present dispensing machine that demons alike love! Using these instructions, learn the MonoMono Machine in 3 easy steps! Step 1: Insert Monocoin into the slot of the MonoMono Machine." She continued. "Monocoin? What's that?"

I suddenly had an idea. "Wait! Komaru! Remember those coins we found in our trash cans!?"

"Oh yeah! Let's try that!" She cheered.

I dove into my pocket and pulled out the pouch from earlier. I pulled the coin out and put it into the slot. "What's it say next?"

"Step 2: Turn the crank."

I turned the bear head shaped crank twice. The machine shook slightly, then an item came out of another slot in the machine. It was like a little plastic ball that was split in two.

"What's that?" Komaru asked.

"No idea." I answered. "What's the instructions say?"

"Step 3: Open the plastic ball to receive your present."

"Yuta, open it up! I wanna see what you got!" She was bouncing on her heels while looking over my shoulder.

I popped open the ball to reveal a thing inside it. It was a little bottle of liquid.

"Cool! Mineral water! I drink this all the time when I'm training!" I opened up the bottle and took a drink.

"I wanna try!" Komaru cheered as she put the paper in her pocket and pulled her pouch out. She popped her coin in, turned the crank, and grabbed the ball when it came out. She immediately opened it. She turned back to me, holding a small test tube with something inside it.

"What's that?" I asked, peering over her shoulder.

"I... don't know. Maybe there's something in the instructions." She put the test tube away and pulled the paper out again. "Ah, here's something." She said, pointing to the bottom. "For more information, please read the enclosed list of presents."

"Wait, but there wasn't another sheet of paper, was there?" I asked, before taking another sip of my water.

"No. And the list isn't on the back. Maybe it's somewhere in here. Let's take a look around."

I nodded. "Right!"

We then started looking through all the junk in the room. We split the labor into two parts. I searched behind and inside the counter while Komaru looked on the side we came in on. There was a ton of stuff all over the place. A suit of armor. Pots. Paintings. Cups. All kinds of stuff.

After a few minutes, I found a piece of paper with a lot of writing on it inside the counter. It said List of MonoMono Machine Presents at the top. I found it!

"Komaru I found the li-" I stood up to see over the counter to meet Komaru's eyes. She was leaning over the counter. I guess she was going to check on my progress.

She turned away, she cheeks the slightest pink. I guess I did startle her a bit.

"S-Sorry." I said, scratching the back of my head. "Anyway, I found the list." I handed the list to her. She seemed to scan the paper with intense focus, searching for what her present was. Suddenly, her eyes widened and her cheeks turned red. She quickly folded the list up and put it into her pocket.

"What was your gift?" I asked, climbing over the counter.

"I-It was nothing..." She said quickly and quietly.

"Okay." I said, taking another sip. "You want a sip?"

She seemed startled at the offer. "Y-You don't care about that kind of thing?"

I shrugged. "Well, kinda. I always keep my water separate from Sis's, but you seem like a healthy girl. One sip won't kill you OR me."

She hesitated. After a moment, she slowly took the bottle from my hand and took a sip, her cheeks red again.

"Why are your cheeks turning red? That's twice now. Do you have a fever?"

She shook her head as she shoved the bottle back into my hand. "No, I-I'm perfectly healthy."

I shrugged. "If you say so." I took another sip. Her cheeks turned redder. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She nodded repeatedly. "Yes! Y-Yes, I'm sure!"

I chuckled. "You're funny."

She fiddled with her skirt.

"So, what should we do now? I think we finished searching this room."

She shrugged and pulled out her handbook. "I'm not sure. Maybe there's something new in our han- Oh! Yuta look!"

I looked down at her handbook to see she opened the Presents screen. There was a bunch of question mark tabs in a list, with only one entry revealed. Rose In Vitro

"Is that the present you got from the MonoMono Machine?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. Well, Nagisa DID say that they could keep track of our belongings. I wonder what else this can do..."

I pulled mine out and turned it on. It displayed my name. Yuta Asahina. There was the icons again. Map. Truth Bullets, though, that one was still grayed out. Presents. Report Card. Regulations.

"Komaru, have you looked at the Report Card screen yet?"

She shook her head. "No. Let's check it."

We tapped the icon and a list of everyone trapped with us came up. Komaru was the first, then Takaaki, Aloysius, Takemichi, Kanon, Fujiko, Hiroko, Ayaka, Fuhito, me, Kameko, Kenshiro, Cheri, and lastly Taichi. "It's... all of us." I said.

"Let's look at ourselves." She said.

"Yeah." I agreed.

I tapped on my picture and a little screen with information on me came up. It showed my full name, Yuta Asahina, my height, weight, and... chest... And there was... a special ability?

"Komaru, does your profile have a special ability for you?"

She nodded. "Yeah. It says Ultimate Manga Lover. Do you have one?"

"Yeah." I said. "It says Ultimate Track And Field Star."

"I wonder what that means..." Komaru scratched her head, trying to think.

*DING DONG, BING BONG*

Suddenly the monitor in the school store flashed on. It showed a video of Monaca.

"This is a school announcement, meow! It is now 10 p. m. As such, it is officially nighttime. Soon the doors to the dining hall will be locked, and entry at that point is strictly prohibited. Okay then... sweet dreams, everyone! Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite, meow!" The monitor flashed off.

"Well, I guess the clock in the dining hall tells the proper time. Let's get back to the dorm!" Komaru said.

We ran back to the dorms and went to our rooms. I finished off my water and threw the bottle in my trash can. Then I got in my bed and went to sleep.

Even though nothing really happened...

I still have a bad feeling...

Something... Is out there...

And we're going to find it!