[A/N] Trigger Warning: Very, very, very mild derealization in the first scene. It's basically nothing, but better to be safe than sorry.

Yuu

The only time of day when I'm alone is the time I least wish I was: fear simulation time. I know I said this would be fine, and for the most part, it has been, but I'm still scared of what could happen if I hit my own. Azumi's waiting right outside, so I sit down, leg shaking. Monokuma spins the wheel yet again.

"Is today the day the lionheart Yuu Bando stumbles upon his fear?" he taunts as the thing whizzes around in a blur.

"Can't be that bad," I insist, trying to convince myself.

"Eleven. Darn."

"Okay, I don't understand you! Are you still trying to pretend you're our friend, or—?"

Before I can get even a semblance of an answer, the pod closes and I'm thrust into a whole new landscape. For some reason, I'm at the park; the rolling hills are filled with some families, couples, and the like, but I am here completely alone. Everything feels hazy, almost like how I felt when I knew I was hallucinating, except I'm ninety percent sure it's real-- as real as a simulation can get, anyway. And I come to the startling conclusion that I have no fucking idea how I got here. Again, I DO, because I got here through simulation, but in-character, I don't know. My heart starts to rush as I fumble around in a park I'm completely unfamiliar with and that I don't remember coming to. I pat myself down frantically, trying to figure out what I have on me. No wallet, no jacket, no food or water bottle, just my phone. I scroll through my contacts list, which is ridiculously short, and call my mother. It dials for a while before going to voicemail.

Holy shit. I have no money for a bus ride, no idea where I even AM. The phone rings. "Hello?!"

"Yuu, where have you been?!"

"How long did it take you to realize I was missing?" I ask, surprisingly not feeling particularly angry.

"Look, just go look for street signs, sweetheart, I'll come pick you up."

I scan my field of vision, hardly able to see the road in the distance, and I dash over there. In the process, people keep calling me by a different name, and the only word on my lips is "Why?!" I find my location and huddle by a bench, trying to calm myself down while people give me strange looks. Stoplookingstoplookingstoplooking. Damn, this one isn't my fear, but that part sure hits close to home. After what feels like an unbearable amount of time, a car pulls up. My mother's in the car, but there's someone else in the passenger seat. It's a guy who's a common customer at my family's shop, and a friend of my parents, but for some reason, seeing him makes my heart drop to my stomach. "YOU?! WHY ARE YOU HERE?!" I scream, scrambling away. "Why did you come back?! Why did you even leave in the first place?!"

"Yuu, darling, what's wrong?" my mother asks. "You don't usually act like this, what on Earth is going on?"

"I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T EVER KNOW ANYTHING! I don't know why I'm here, I don't know why it takes you so long to notice, I don't know why he's around, I don't know why I'm upset, I just know that I am!"

I consider running, but I don't know where I am and I could be miles and miles from home, so I begrudgingly get in the car, wishing I could just POOF away and wind up back home. The whole ride back, they're talking about the possibility of him moving in, and all the good times we'll have. And he talks about a present he got for my mom, and the present makes me even more anxious, and by now I'm crying and a curled up mess and they don't even seem to care. Can I please just vanish into the ether and never exist?!

I'm ejected. "What the fuck even was that?!"

"I wonder!"

"You are useless to me, goodbye." I shove down the light nausea and leave, opening the door wide.

"Ah! How was it? Are you doing alright? It was not too distressing this time?" Azumi dotes. I stand there thinking for a moment, and then I hug her. She gives a light squeal of surprise before reciprocating, squeezing me. "Did something terribly frighten you? You're comfortable with this?"

"I hugged Ren yesterday, cause he needed it, but I felt kinda bad, cause you deserved to be the first one."

"I am honored to have even been second," she smiles graciously. But then she turns away a bit. "Second to Ren. Agh, what am I even doing?"

"D-Did I do something wrong? Is there a problem that I hugged Ren first?"

"No, no, not at all. In fact, I am rather proud of you. My troubles are unrelated, and you needn't worry yourself with them. They're rather trivial, anyway," she explains bashfully, tracing shapes on the floor with her toes. The even, tempered tone of voice that I'm used to hearing out of her is wavering a little.

"I'm not good at this part. I show people I care by making shoes, but you don't wear shoes. Remind me why, again?" I tease. She giggles a bit, wearing a mischievous smile as she remembers our quarrel from all that time ago.

"I was not raised in a barn, I was raised in a circus, and they said going barefoot helps train muscles you don't normally use. Shoes are UNCOMFY!" she insists, stretching her leg straight over the top of her head and laughing. "Well, isn't that rather nostalgic?"

"Hey, um, what do you exactly do in the circus?"

"Contortion, of course, but all sorts of balancing acts, as well."

"So you do tightrope walking?"

"Indeed. Why?" she asks slowly, eyes narrowed as she inspects me.

"I'm gonna find a way to set up a tightrope for you. I mean, I'm t-taking a break from shoes right now, anyway. The pair I'm wearing was specifically made to compensate for the fact that I literally yanked out all the toenails on my right foot."

"I feel bad that your talent is now linked to trauma, and you do not need to trouble yourself on my behalf, but if you have your heart set on this, then you have my gratitude."

Maybe I'm not super good at comforting others. Maybe my hugs are clunky and maybe I'm only good at compliments when I'm not trying. Maybe I haven't talked to her about Bisque yet. But I'm just trying to figure out my place in the world, and if I happen to stumble into something that works here and there, then... maybe I can atone, bit by bit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chimon

"Okay, hook me up," I sigh, sitting down. It's already been a fair amount of time since this fear motive started. We've been able to identify a couple of them-- Azumi found Haruto's, scenario two, Nari's was pretty easy to identify as scenario nine, and Fujiko and I found Monterio's and Kana's-- ten and sixteen, respectively. The rest are a mystery as of right now, at least when it comes to the ones we wrote down.

I shut my eyes as he spins the wheel; the feeling of getting yanked back to reality is less overwhelming now, but I'd still rather not nauseate myself if I can avoid it. "Alrighty! Scenario seven!"

"Nice, a new one. Let's see it." I smell the air getting somewhat more stale, as if dusty. I open my eyes and find that I'm in a house, a creaky one, at that. It seems like the roof is leaking ever so slightly from rain. Instead of the oppressive sense of horror in some of the other scenarios, in this one, I feel an overpowering melancholy. I feed the cat (apparently I have a cat) and then go down the lonely hallway. I pass by a mirror, and do a double-take. Oh, I'm elderly. That explains the old person perfume smell in here. I'm wrinkled, and splotchy, and it's even a bit hard to see myself because everything is just a bit fuzzy. I look at my hands and they're frail and veiny. I head down to the basement, aches and cramps in all of me (especially my back). Despite that, I'm able to reach a photo album.

The earlier pictures seem pleasant. There are "family" pictures that include my parents as well as my oldest friend, so I'm assuming he's supposed to be a stand-in for a sibling I don't have. There's all sorts of things; pics of us playing with a sprinkler, pics of us dancing in my "childhood" living room, pics of us trying to make pancakes. Ha, this part's nice at least. I'd like that childhood. But as the pictures get more recent, someone else shows up, a girl at my school, and then things start shifting. Pictures of my friend and her on a date. And then another. And then engagement photos, wedding photos, baby photos, and as for me, well, it's always just me as the awkward third wheel, or me alone. Lots of birthdays and other such holidays pass by without a care, and there's a strong sense of wishing I could try again, but you only get one shot. I don't have anyone. They lived a full and happy life together, and I tried, I really did. Nobody wanted me. I close the book. I would curl up on the floor and cry if I wasn't sure I'd be incapable of standing back up.

What was wrong with me? I'm happy that they're happy, but my days are so lifeless. I'm getting the sense that nobody's paid for a caretaker for me. I'm just alone. I should hire one for myself, so at least I'll have someone in case I get to the age where I can't cook for myself anymore. At this point, I'm just waiting for it to be over. I should write a will. Holy shit, that's depressing. Fujiko? Fujiko, is your fear that fucking depressing? She's the only one I can think of, at least. It could, hypothetically speaking, be Ren's, but I feel like his would include sunlight, right?

I get a piece of paper and a pen and start trying to think of which nieces and nephews to give what to, failing to divide money evenly in my head. Even despite this, there's something holding me back from actually writing, as though there's an intrinsic fear unfurling itself from the pit of my stomach and creeping down my arms like a snake. I shake with a sudden rage born of powerlessness and chuck the pen as far away as I can muster, screaming in disappointment.

And then I'm back in the real world, and the pain from old joints eases up as I'm placed back into my youthful body. "Damn, that's a downer. I need to go reassure her," I mention, climbing out. I head towards the door, but then I stop.

"What are you doing?" Monokuma asks defensively, as if anticipating something bad. Time to be a spanner in the works. I get down on my hands and knees and inspect the machine all over. Carved into the metal almost haphazardly is the familiar acronym: WDR. But then, a ways away, in even smaller writing (which looks to have been there since manufacturing) I see a different name: Team Danganronpa.

"What the... fuck? Why does that sound so familiar? I swear I've never heard it before," I mutter to myself. I check each individual machine, and it's the same. WDR is basically drawn in, and Team Danganronpa is neatly pressed into the surface. Maybe learning about one will help us learn more about the other.

First, Fujiko. I charge out of the room, clutching to my new ring necklace, stumbling a bit because with growth spurts apparently comes a spot of clumsiness, and head up to the beautician's, not even bothering with her bedroom. She's doing contour and humming to herself. "Oh! Hiya, little dude! Wanna watch me do my makeup? I'm just wrapping up my skin, so next comes my eyes!" she beams.

"H-Hey, um, I think I saw your fear," I explain nervously.

"Ohhhhhhhh... okay. I haven't seen mine yet! I promised everyone that I would say if I found it. What number is it?"

"Seven."

"I got lucky number seven! That's exciting!"

"Are... are you okay?"

"Mine's pretty lame, right? If it's what I'm sure it is."

"That's not lame at all! It totally makes sense to be afraid of being alone!" I insist, almost angry at her for downplaying it like that. "Look, I'm gonna make absolutely positive that you won't grow old without anyone! And like, obviously we'd never date each other, but when we get out of here, we'll be friends forever, okay?"

"When?" she asks hopefully, harping on the specific word.

"WHEN we get out," I emphasize. "Also... I discovered something interesting about the machines," I add in a substantially lower volume. "We can tell the others soon, but I want your opinion first."

"Hmm... I have something important to tell you, too. Gou and I were gonna tell everyone after the trial, but we all got too caught up in what happened," she whispers. An information exchange occurs. And dear LORD, things are getting increasingly more complicated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Azumi

I do my best to soothe myself. Seeing my own fear was mildly traumatic, but the gnawing discomfort of knowing someone else's fear is not particularly pleasant, either. I head down to the gym, trying a trick or two on the rope ladder in the process, and I find Tozen doing wall sits. I join him. Flexibility and balance are always my priorities, but strength is important, too.

"H-How long can you typically last?"

"I think my longest was three and a half minutes, though I normally tap out at around two and a half."

"Damn, I can do two max," he sighs.

"Are you doing alright?" I ask.

"H-Huh? Wh-What do you mean?" he fumbles, seemingly taken off-guard.

"I witnessed your scenario today," I tell him.

"Oh... yeah, I saw it, too. I'm kind of annoyed how obvious it is. I mean, I guess it's POSSIBLE that a couple of people could misconstrue it, but it's not too hard to tell for anyone who's talked to me for more than a few hours. And even if they didn't, people can eliminate a couple of other options quickly enough," he mentions, avoiding eye contact and folding his arms across himself. He then immediately yells out slightly and gets out of the wall sit.

"Nobody will judge you," I remind him, "and frankly, I'm more concerned with whether you yourself are okay."

"It's fine. I'm fine," he dismisses, moving into plank position. I drop out of my own wall sit and join him.

"Take care of yourself," I plead.

"Always," he reassures me. Yes, but your definition of taking care of yourself includes sporadically becoming a workaholic, Tozen.

"We... should..." I ponder the end of the sentence, "light scented candles, drink coffee, and read. I have not read a book in far longer than I'd like to admit."

He makes a stubborn expression, but eventually relents. "Yeah, that sounds really nice."

"I will not allow you to drink your coffee black. I know you just drink it that way to avoid making it less healthy. You cannot hide your expression of unadulterated disgust."

"See, this is why I'm a tea person. I can drink that stuff without sweeteners no problem," he jokes, faltering out of plank position and rolling onto his back in exhaustion. "Could I shower first, though?"

"But of course! What, do you expect me to demand that you do all of this while drenched in sweat?" I laugh. "How long did you exercise?"

"Two hours. I am going to go not smell like a wet dog, see you soon."

I flop down on the floor as he leaves, giggling and kicking the air with joy. Agh, I'm excited, but this almost feels a tad bit unfair! Of course I'm doing this purely to help someone I deeply care about, but I also have to admit how desperately I'm looking forward to it.

I use an exercise bag to swipe up some candles from the Warehouse before going back to the main floor to brew a pot of coffee. I'm by no means a connoisseur, but a long time back, Joanie and Keiji sorted our selection from worst to best, and their favorites are fantastic, at least to an untrained palette such as mine. Extra grade Colombian coffee, I think. While I wait, I balance on the chairs, singing lullabies to myself. I by no means have a pleasant singing voice— it is painfully average at its best and slightly grating at its worst— but I sure do enjoy it on occasion. I allow myself to get lost in it.

And then I feel a light tap on my leg, and I nearly topple over. "Jesus Christ!" I exclaim in a moment of off-guardedness. "Oh, heavens, I apologize greatly, Tozen. Uh, but in other news, the coffee is done and I have candles! The type whose wicks crackle satisfyingly!" I point out, desperately attempting to wave away my embarrassment.

"Awesome. I'll pour us both travel mugs and then we can head up to the library," he decides, completely ignoring any potential humiliation that I am displaying. "How much sugar and creamer do you take, again?"

"Two creamers and about a teaspoon of sugar. You have my thanks." Exhaling deeply to gather my bearings, I accept a travel mug and we ascend to the third floor.

When we arrive, however, I am startled to discover Chimon and Fujiko hovering over the computer used for quickly locating specific books. "Oh! Azumi! Tozen! Help us out real quick! Chimon found something that could be really important!" Fujiko requests, eyes alight.

"What do you need?" Tozen asks dutifully, taking a sip of coffee. So much for candles and relaxation. Oh well, this takes far greater priority.

"Try to find a book titled 'The History of Danganronpa: Mass-Produced Thrills, Chills, and Kills.' It should be somewhere in the history section," Chimon asks. He and Fujiko take the bottom parts of the left and right whilst Tozen and I use the ladders to reach the top sections. With the four of us searching together, we find it with relative haste. "What the heck? Fifty-three chapters and an epilogue? What is this, a textbook?"

"Why were you looking for this? I do not believe I have ever heard of Danganronpa," I point out.

"Us neither! Or, neither have we? I dunno. Point is, Chimon found the name Team Danganronpa on each of the simulation machines!" Fujiko squeals.

"Then shouldn't we get the others? I don't feel comfortable keeping information this important from the rest of the group," Tozen urges.

"I concur. If this holds truths about who is holding us in captivity, it is better that we all know," I agree, clinging to Tozen's arm. He tenses up a tad, but allows it.

"Of course. Let's go get everyone," Chimon affirms.

The idea of finally finding some answers is simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying. Who knows what sorts of atrocities we might find within those pages? Sometimes, I wonder if living in blissful ignorance would benefit us. We could be an individual incident or part of a much larger plan, and wondering whether we are cogs of someone's machinations is almost sickening. Well... I suppose we must take the plunge. If this will help us go home, then perhaps we must face even more horror.