[Ding, Dong, Bing, Bong]

I woke up from my beauty sleep as the bell rang. Like usual, the monitor glared to life, filling up with Monokuma irritating face once more. Then, as if like clockwork, the same announcement began to play. Boy, that isn't gonna get annoying soon enough...but then something odd happened.

The message wasn't over...

"Also...In other news, you all must have noticed the little presents laying in each of your rooms. Don't worry...it's nothing bad, but it will certainly make things much more interesting. Please collect your gift and make your way to the gym!"

Gift...? I checked the room for the 'present' and, to my surprise, found a file on the floor. As I picked it up, all I could see was the name written on the side: "Jane Foxy". What on earth could this be? I suppose that's what the assembly at the gym is for...I simply held onto the strange file and continued to the gymnasium where everyone was gathered...

"Hmm...why did Monokuma give us these files?" I heard Ryan ask as I walked by...

Jackson gripped the file he held with a bit of furiosity.

"Whatever reason...it isn't a good one...What I'm confused about is why my file isn't my own..."

Ryan seemed worried.

"Could this be...a motive? Or something like that?"

Monokuma appeared at his podium, suddenly, as usual...

"Yes indeedy! That's exactly what these are! A little kick in the pants in order to get this game moving....I must say, I really got creative with this one. For this first motive, I thought I'd go with a twist on an old classic. I'd like to announce your first motive...."Embarrassing Secrets and Memories"!"

Embarrassing secrets and memories...? Oh god...I hope no one finds out MY secret...it'd be embarrassing if anyone finds out about my...Well, that's not really important...and I wouldn't kill anyone over something like that!

Everyone else seemed to have mixed reactions about this...But Lora seemed to have a straight face.

"So...that's what's in these files? Secrets? Then why did you give me the wrong file...?"

Monokuma got a chuckle out of that.

"Oh! I did no such thing. Everyone got the exact file they need...That is the twist! Literally! No one has their own file, so now it's a search to find your own, however, will the holders of each file actually let you have it? What if your secret could put people in danger? What if you have a dark secret, one which could put them in danger? What do these paper files contain? Well...I'll just leave that to you guys to figure out..."

Everyone had worried looks on their faces. Were their secrets THAT horrible?  I now tried to calm down the situation.

"Guys, they're just secrets. I mean, how about we all share them right now? That way, there's no reason for us to murder anyone! How's that?"

As if on queue, Daniel angrily began to argue against my claims.

"Idiot! You don't even know what fucking secret it is! What if we all admit the wrong one? Besides! If it's bad enough to kill, of course no one would fucking say it!"

"Well, if I'm willing to sacrifice my reputation for sharing a secret, it'd be worth not being killed. In fact, I could share it right now if I wanted to."

"Dumbass! Weren't you listening?! You don't know what's in your file! You'll just be admitting random secrets that might not be within it! You'll just be wasting your time..."

Jackson now cut him off.

"That is true...there is a much better solution also...what if we just destroy the files?"

"Well, that might work..."

Waiting for Monokuma to ruin that idea in 3, 2, 1-

"Go right ahead if you want..."

But...?  I waited for the bear to give us the catch.

"No seriously, I don't care what you do to these things...it's all up to you..."

...HUH?  Well this was unusual...I couldn't believe it.

"Are you serious? No joke? No 'buts'? No fireproof material interruptions?"

"Not at all, you can burn these babies, rip them to shreds, and do what you want to them....they aren't as important as my master copy..."

COPY. Knew it...

"Yep...got a list of all 16 secrets you possess....and I feel like this motive is a little too easy. Let's say this! In 24 hours, I will release the full list to the public! Your darkest secrets exposed to all!"

Ryan then summed up everyone's thoughts in two words...

"Oh god..."

Everyone grew more worried now.

Kaiya couldn't speak "I-I...I..."

Daniel was stunned "No...no fucking way...!"

Monokuma just loved every minute of this...

"Yes way! You all need something to get your blood pumping. Your choices are simple: To kill or not to kill. What would you all do to keep something as personal as a secret..."

William wiped sweat from his forehead. 

"To kill or not to kill? ...That is the question?"

God...What is this?  We didn't have time to worry long though, because the bear suddenly said his goodbyes...

"Well then, I've got your brains working on overtime. Looks like my job here is done! Well then, please enjoy the rest of your day!"

He now vanished behind his podium...leaving almost everyone worried over the secrets and memories.  Takuma was the one to ask the most important question.

 "What...are we gonna do, guys?"

In the confusion, our self-appointed leader stepped forward.

"This motivation is meaningless. Surely you all have enough willpower to control your curiosity and worries. Still, we can not leave this for chance, so...how about we take some precautions?"

Once again, Ryan seemed to go with everyone's idea.

"Sounds to me like you have an idea."

The president gave a simple nod.

"There is a simple solution to all of this. The only way to survive a game such as this is to limit any potential for murder. As such, it might be wise to gather all available weapons and hazardous objects and put them under watch. This way, no one can easily pick off another student..."

"Hmm..."

*Ernest seemed like he was ready to say something.  His eyes light up and a grin ran across his face.*

"It's stupid and dangerous.....but, it just might work."

Rebecca stood by his side.

"I agree with Sir Fox!"

Jackson enjoyed the volunteering support.

"So then...wouldn't it be best to have us split into groups and collect said items?"

Lora now immediately headed for the exit. This prompted Jackson to act.

"And just where are you going?"

"Well, if you are all done talking, I'm going to collect some weapons and get this over with..."

He shook his head.

"It's not that simple. If people go off and collect weapons by themselves, who's to say they won't stockpile some for a future killing? It is best if we split or even little 16 into groups of 4, as to allow multiple witnesses in case someone dares to try that..."

The Gothic Guitarist now spoke up. 

"Normally, I'm against suspecting other friends, but...he has a point..."

"Glad you agree. If no one else has any complaints, I will divide us up. Kaiya, Dakota, Takuma, and Daniel will take the Kitchen and Dining area, Jane, Rebecca, Ernest, and Myself will investigate the hallways and available classrooms, Daryll, Ryan, Ash, and '13' will inspect the gym, AV room, and the stage, and Lora, William, Jason, and Paige will be in charge of the dorms and storage room.

If everyone understands their assignments, please hand your keys to group 4 and continue to your assigned spot. Take any weapons you find to the bath house, we can make use of a locker or two there."

Ernest looks at Lora in jealousy.

"...Lucky you, being with an actor...my favorite too..."

Jackson simply gave him a glare.

"Please focus at the task at hand. We have a lot to do..."

Everyone not in our group gave up their room keys and continued to their sections of the school. We, as well, made our way to the dorms. Paige was the first to speak once we arrived.

"Alright then....I guess we could either start with the rooms or go check the storage room..."

I tried to think of which would be best for us...

"Hmm...well, it's more likely that weapons would be in the storage room. I think we should check that room first."

"Oh...that make sense..."

This girl seemed very laid-back. Did she even care what's going on?  Lora now broke my line of thought with a new question.

"Well, if Monokuma allows weapons, what types are allowed, and what types aren't?"

William shook his head.

"My lady, you miss the point! Any weapon is dangerous! We mustn't let any escape our grasp! If anyone is to get a hold on one while the other weapons are stored, no one would have a way to defend themselves. This is an all or nothing situation!"

I guess it was...

"Really? What if there was a rocket launcher, or C4 bomb? Would the stuffed bear even allow that shit?"

Paige was quick to stop me, despite her response being as devoid of energy as her other responses..

"I don't think he would be that generous...I think the most we will be able to find are minor blunt and makeshift blade weapons. I don't think you need to worry about guns and bombs..."

The playwright nervously chuckled.

"Well...if you are sure."

I just finished my thoughts really quick before we moved on...

"Well, if there are guns, I bet they're permanently attached with silencers. Otherwise, if people heard the bangs of the bullets, the killer would be caught immediately."

Paige just focused on what we needed to do, only barely touching upon my idea with a simple reaction.

"I guess...look, let's just go check the storage room..."

Well, at least she stayed on task...I wonder what her deal is...? Regardless, we found ourselves in the storage room, lined with many boxes...I couldn't help but comment.

"Damn...I bet if the weapons are somewhere here, they would be in BIG boxes. Like REAL big."

The Historian sighed, making it quite clear that I was being foolish.

"And that would be your mistake when the small weapons are in the tiny boxes. Let's just check them all..."

William, unsurprisingly, was the one who had a loud exclaimation. 

"Hold up! I think I have a solution!"

He now went over to a corner and grabbed an already opened package.

"I already came in here yesterday while looking around and decided to help myself to some of the stuff in here. I then came across these!"

It was a pre-opened box of box cutters.  The box itself was a fairly good sized package, already half-full of the tools.  The Playwright seemed proud of his find; I was just confused...

"...Box cutters?"

"We'll be able to open everything in no time! Then we can turn these into the locker room!"

Paige stopped to ask the major detail we were already starting to overlook.

"But...how did you get the box cutter box open, if the cutters are in the box?"

"Well...It was already opened...I found it like this, and decided to profit. Now I can open any of these boxes!"

Okay...that's strange. Who opened it?  Lora must have read my mind, because...

"...Monokuma."

"What?"

She smiled as she began to explain her reasoning.

"It was the bear. It's clearly obvious. If there are weapons in here, then he wouldn't make it difficult to obtain them. Then again...A box cutter could be used to harm someone just as well."

William now just awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck

"Ah...that kind of explains why the box was already opened when I got here."

Paige simply walked over to the box.

"I guess we should get opening then..."

She slowly grabbed a cutter and began to open boxes. What was inside were some typical things. Clothes, preserved food, Non-perishable treats, and some school supplies. Honestly, not a lot of killing equipment.

"Well...at least we know there's more food in here."

The playwright simply looked over the supplies.

"I guess the only thing to worry about is the box cutters...I suppose we should pick it up and carry the box with us...We could use it to store the rest of the weapons..."

"Well, we can give the box cutters to Jackson...they technically count as weapons, I think."

Once more, Lora corrected my line of thinking.

"Yes...but he's suggesting we kill birds with one stone and use the half-full box to hold more weapons..."

"Uhhhh....! Fine...I think we should just check the dorms now."

And so we all proceeded to the rooms. We started in my room to get things started.  Will seemed the most impressed.

"I must say, this room is divine! The bear might be cruel, but his interior design is that of gods!"

I was kind of embarrassed by his response.

"Well, it's like an awards show, like the Oscars, Emmys, etc. And next to the TV is a collection of DVDs with movies and shows I've been in. Pretty cool..."

Paige now eyed the trophies.

"I don't see anything dangerous, but are these weighted...?"

"Let me check."

I lifted the Oscar and Emmy. Nope. They're light as a feather. So...impossible as a murder weapon.

"These...are fake."

"Well...at least they are safe..."

My focus now turned to William, who eyed the movies on my shelf.

"So, Will...what's your room like?"

"Well......."

We now arrived at the set up of what seemed to be a theater. It had an area to paint and design sets and costumes, and a lit up mirror for makeup. It was like the ultimate backstage area.  The Playwright rook great pride in it.

"Marvelous! Isn't it?!"

Paige seemed slightly impressed...or at least tried to be.

"Impressive...It looks so real..."

Great enthusiasm. She spoke as if she had no drive...I just paid attention to the details of Will's room.

"Well...there IS a chest next to your bed. Mind if we check?"

He shook his head.

"Go ahead...it is just a costume drawer."

"And this?"

Lora now held a bag large enough to carry a person...or two.

"That is my make-up bag! You need quite a diverse line of cosmetics to make a scene."

Lora now pointed at another.

"And this one?"

I tried to answer for him this time.

"Well...I guess that one could be a prop bag?"

I zip down the zipper of the bag, opened it up, grabbed something and...it was a spear!

"What the...?"

I inspect the sharp tip...perhaps it's just a prop? I got my finger closer to the blade tip...and it was fake. Thank god.

"Plastic."

William shrugged it off.

"Of course! I wouldn't have a real one, it's for a play I'm writing. Wouldn't want actors getting hurt, would I?"

The lucky student now directed us back to the task at hand.

"I found something else..."

William looked towards the painting area, were she stood, and suddenly freaked out.   He dashed over and pushed her aside before she could look at the paint.

"Careful! These aren't just any paint! You don't want to knock yourself unconscious...would you?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

I was confused about that as well...but I have some ideas.

"Is the paint...poisonous?"

This worried him, as he quickly moved his hands to signify that it was fine.

"No! It's just the fumes can be a bit much. If I don't wear a mask while using it, I get dizzy and pass out. It has a really strong smell...Mainly because this paint is special..."

Paige tilted her head, but still showed no emotion.

"In what way...?"

He now pulled a pose.

"Luminescence! When in a dark area, with little light, it chemically begins to have a bright shine! A beautiful way to get a great effect...!"

More confusion on my part.

"...The fuck does that mean?"

Lora was quick to clarify my stupidity.

"It's a special effect or something. Regardless, we need to take the paint too...if it knocks people out, it can be weaponized..."

A nervous William now responded frantically.

"Well...I guess....!"

"Yeah, and is it possible that it could be turned into poison, if done with some chemistry?"

I wasn't too sure...Paige just stepped up and added the paint cans to the box.

"Alright...next room..."

"Hmm...Rebecca's room...?" I suggested.

And so, one by one, we went from room to room, until we were almost done. All that remained was...

"Do not enter my room....!"

Lora's...

"Uh...why?"

Lora seemed a bit furious for some reason.

"My room is full of artifacts of some rarity. I wouldn't want any of you ruining such priceless variables. I can assure you everything in there is safe. Vases, Statues, and even some jewelries, all from different ages, and every single one of them is fragile. I will not allow you in, not for my sake, but for the histories..."

Hmm...for some reason, I find that very hard to believe...was there something that she wants to hide from everyone else?  William quickly intervened.

"Don't be absurd! We've all checked everyone rooms, so you must do the same!"

"Yeah...and if you don't let us in, we'll have no choice but to assume that you're planning a murder...sorry."

Lora still seemed angered, and our words weren't making her less so.

"Well then, seeing as I have the only key in, I guess I will take such assumptions for the sake of the artifacts. Assume all you'd like."

That was unexpected.  Will tried to get her to change her mind.

"But...my lady, don't you know what you're getting yourself into?"

"Believe me when I say, I care more for my collection than I do or any of you. If you look down upon me...I wouldn't care. As long as such treasures are in my possession, I will keep them preserved."

Looks like we wouldn't be able to convince her...so I decided to shift my focus on another idea...

"What would Monokuma even say in this situation...?"

Paige shot my reasoning down quickly though...

"Nothing much...he seems to respect our right to make decisions for ourselves. If she is going to be stubborn, than we should just be wary of her. Besides, if anyone does end up dead, then we will know were the weapon came from.."

After attempting to convince Lora to let us in her room and investigate for weapons, it became clear we wouldn't be able to move her. Defeated, we started heading to the bath house. Somehow, that girl is hiding something...perhaps she isn't all what she seems...then again, she could also be the world's worst museum overseer.

Once we arrived, Jackson was standing by a locker, waiting for everyone else to arrive.

"Ah! Group 4. Are you finished with the search?"

I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Well, we found a spear prop in William's room, but Lora wouldn't let us in her room..."

Jackson seemed a bit disturbed by that last detail.

"Where is she? If that is the case, I will have to speak with her."

Paige sighed and gave a simple answer.  It was clear she was tired of this...

"I think she ran off while we were returning the weapons to here."

"That is most troubling. Well, you are the last group, so I will lock up that box in a locker and go speak with her."

He now took the weapons and placed them in his locker. He then set the key to the locker within it and shut the door.

"There nice and secure..."

He then thanked us and walked off to find the girl. William couldn't help but go with him. That now left me alone with Paige.

"...Looks like we're the last ones here..."

"Well...I just hope it will prevent murders..."

The girl sighed, and proceeded to leave. She did say one more thing before she left.

"...I think you need some time to get you mind off all this...You just relax...it's no longer your problem..."

And with that, she left.  With all that work done...what should I do now?

[Free-Time Event]

Hmm..maybe I should go and see Ryan. I could use some help on sports with him. Checking around, I eventually found myself at the gym, where Ryan was trying to find some sports equipment.

"Oh! Hey man, you done with Jackson's errand?"

"Well...yeah."

Ryan put on a goofy smile.

"Cool...you want to help me out? I wanted to see if there is any more sports stuff. Basketball is the best, but it is fun to exercise with another game from time to time..."

"Alright. I'll help you out, dude."

Thus began the long search for something sports related. In the end, all we seemed to find is some tennis stuff. Ryan wasn't too thrilled.

Well, I guess that's all...Maybe the rest were taken as weapons?"

"Eh...probably. Maybe they LOOKED like weapons?"

I mean baseball equipment is obviously a bit dangerous, and I suppose a football could be a bit hazardous, but I think a few other things should have been left...

"Come on...there's gotta be something."

He shook his head.

"No such luck...Just the basketballs in my room and the net. I guess there is this Tennis stuff, but we don't have the right kind of net for that..."

"Well, why don't we just play something you're good at? Basketball?"

"It seems we have to. I love basketball, but I do like to diversify my exercises. It works, but without an actual game going on, it can get boring..."

"Well, we can do hoops...is that what they call it? Doing hoops...?"

He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah... I'm down for some 'one-on-one'..."

"Ah. Sure. Game on."

And so I was utterly destroyed in a game of basketball. What more did I expect going up against the 'Ultimate Basketball Star'? Still it was really fun, and I feel that me and Ryan became a little closer afterwards...

A bit tired and still a bit bored, I wondered who I should hang out with next. Maybe...Rebecca? She might be...'interesting'. So, with nothing much more to do, I made my way to her room.

"Rebecca? Becky? You here?"

No response, however, the door did seem to be unlocked.

"Hmm...?"

Yeah, seems I could get in if I wanted...Should I though? This seems like the situation that I've seen in the shows...I tried calling her out once more time.

"Yo! Becky!"

...Fuck it, I'm gonna look for her...I slowly opened the door to see something rather odd...not anything inappropriate...actually the opposite. Rebecca was wearing a pair of headphones while slowly removing her cardboard armor. She still had on all of her clothes, seeming to wear a t-shirt and sweats underneath, but as soon as she spotted me, she immediately started freaking out.

"Ah! S-Sir Bear! Get out! I'm not decent!"

"AH GOD! Shit...!"

But you're fully clothed! Why am I reacting like that?! I quickly covered my eyes and exited the room, blushing for no reason.

"I didn't see anything indecent, I swear."

I quickly said this to her, to calm her down. No seriously, there really wasn't anything to see, but for some reason I was going along with this...I stood outside for a few seconds when a voice came from the other side.

"Okay...Everything is alright now...you may now enter, Sir Bear..."

"A-Aye aye..."

I went back to her room. It seems she took the time to put her armor back on, making this situation still as pointless as before... She seemed a bit embarrassed about this for some reason though.

"I'm sorry, Sir Bear for showing you something so unsightly..."

You didn't really do anything, but I suppose I should say something...

"It's fine...Let's just ignore what just happened. So...Becky, you roleplay much?"

I really didn't know how to start with this one. She was a rather odd person when compared to the others.

"Roleplay? What do you mean?"

"You know, the way you dress, calling me 'Sir Bear', carrying a toy sword with you everywhere, stuff like that."

It was obvious she was playing with me...

"Silly Sir Bear, you have an odd way of addressing an adventurer. I doubt you even understand what 'magic' is..."

"What...? Of course I know what magic is. Haven't you read the book series where that kid gets into magical wizard school? Everyone heard of it since it became a movie series."

Rebecca now chuckled...she seemed to find my reasoning hilarious.

"You are awfully funny! Your odd talk of tomes and visions. It seems to me you barely understand the basics of the arcane arts..."

Becky...I've been in movies with magic! Literally...

"It is alright. I didn't actually see you as a mage though. I always thought you were much more the bard type. Or maybe a squire!"

Okay enough of this.  Time to change the subject...quickly.

"Uh...can we just hang out...?"

"Ah! Would you like to partake in a little card game? We could always bet some gold on it..."

"A card game? Hmm...sure. But all I have are dollars, not gold."

And what good would that do in here?

"Enough talk! Let us play!"

And thus began the most over-complicated game I have ever played in my life. So many rules, trap cards, data points, maneuvers, reversal moves, power plays, special abilities, and mana conversions. It was honestly giving me a headache. And with that...it felt like me and Becky grew a bit closer. I went back to my room, all tired out.

And as I enter my room-

[Ding, Dong, Bing, Bong]

Monokuma's usual night announcement came on, once again signifying that it was nighttime. I honestly was really beat, but then I remembered something. The file...should I look in it?

I held Jane's file out, examining it's exterior in great detail. Against by better judgement, I opened it up, grabbed the paper, unfolded it, and there it was...Jane's secret in my hands...

"Jane Foxy, the Ultimate Philosopher, is weighed down by the guilt over the death of her sister. The death was her own fault..."

I was shocked to find out the truth of her...her sister died...? And she caused it? My fucking god... I was speechless at this point. If this was her secret...which one did they have on me? Overcome by worry, I spent most of the night speculating, until the call of sleep overcame me...I dozed off...

***********************************

[Monokuma Theater]

What is the deal with secrets anyways? Haven't you ever wondered what the first true secret to ever exist was? What could have been so bad that some of the first lies were told in order to keep the secret? Did the secret holder ever tell anyone? Or was the secret lost in time. In that case, I guess it will always be a secret...

**********************************

[Ding, Dong, Bing, Bong]

Like every morning, the announcement came on, like usual, awakening me from my slumber. It was kind of hard trying to rest with that bear's voice constantly speaking. Should I tell the rest of the group about Jane's secret...or do I keep it to myself for now...? Maybe I should just ask her about it...

Whatever, it wasn't the time for that. Now, I should try to find everyone, and see what's going on. Today was the day our secrets would be exposed anyway, so I guess I shouldn't worry about keeping Jane's...

After changing and getting ready, I proceeded out into the hall where I heard something I feared the most...

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Was that...Kaiya? Oh my god! I HAVE TO HELP HER! NOW! I can't let a cute clown like her die! I ran in a panicked hurry towards the gym, where Kaiya's scream came from.

"Kaiya! Are you OK!?"

Daniel quickly joined in, seeming a bit crossed.

"Jesus fucking Christ...what the fuck was tha-!"

Both of us were brought silent by the sudden sight. The unspeakable horror among us made us want to scream...

Crimson blood was scrawled around the floor, circling a figure lying on the floor. Cryptic symbols and figures lined the bloody artwork, leading up to...

Rebecca. 

Her armor severely crumpled and her chest cut open, she laid there...lifeless...dead.

Rebecca was dead.

[Ding, Dong, Bing, Bong]

"A body has been discovered! All students please make your way to the gymnasium! The killing game is finally beginning!"

Such horror. Was this real? Who could have done this...? Who......?

[End of Chapter 1: Daily Life]

#You have collected a present! RPG cards have been added to your inventory#