Your POV:

    The announcement didn't mention that it was nighttime, but by the look of the room, I knew it was nighttime. I let out a yawn since I was tired from taking a nap while playing hide and seek with Kokichi.
    I rubbed my eyes to get the sleep out of them. I made a commitment to train with Kaito, Maki, and Shuichi every night. I did wonder however... is Kaito alright?
    He wasn't speaking much every since we started talking about the dead coming back to life. The thought made him nervous for some reason.
    *ding dong*
    My ears perked up slightly. I was tired, but I could've sworn that I heard my door bell being rung. The door bell kept ringing. Maybe Kaito was alright after all. Maybe I was just being too nervous.
With a small sigh, I walked over to the door to open it. The ringing still wouldn't stop. The only way for me to stop it was to open this door. When I opened the door, I was shocked to find...
Maki was the one at the door. It wasn't Kaito. This was worrying me even more. Was Kaito alright?
"M-Maki?" I asked.
"Kaito's resting. He says he's not feeling well...and that we should train without him." Maki explained, "and (y/n), why do you look so tired?"
"I was playing a game of hide and seek as a promise to Kokichi..." I explained in response, "I fell asleep in my hiding place, and I wasn't found until a few minutes before nighttime started."
"I see..." Maki muttered in response, "between you and me, he exposes everyone's secrets to get people to create suspicion."
"I guess you're right about that..." I muttered in response.
"He did that with you, and he did that with me..." Maki explained in response, "now let's go. I didn't come here to make small talk with you."
"So just you, Shuichi, and I..." I muttered, "alright. Hopefully it'll be quick tonight. I'm still tired."
With that, Maki and I went to the courtyard to meet up with Shuichi. It would only be the three of us today since Kaito wasn't feeling well. I was wondering why he wasn't feeling well though. It worried me that we wouldn't get to see his charismatic behavior tonight even if he never finished his part of training.
Before I knew it, the three of us were doing our normal push-up routine in the courtyard. It was honestly strange not seeing Kaito here. It was also very quiet. As we all did our push-ups, it was silent until...
"Hey..." Maki said.
"What is it?" Shuichi asked.
"I'm talking to the both of you," Maki said in response,
"I'm sorry," I replied with a tired tone of voice, "what do you need?"
"Why are you both training...?" Maki asked, "I don't think a detective or an otaku needs to do this."
"We probably don't need to do this, but..." I trailed off, "I tend to put myself under the bus a lot of times. Because of my observation skills, I tend to overthink and worry about the tasks I need to do..."
"Same with me..." Shuichi explained in response, "overthinking and worrying about what I 'need' to do... When I'm with Kaito, I feel like...all that stuff just fades away."
"I feel the same way to an extent..." I muttered nervously.
"Do you both...look up to that idiot?" Maki asked in response.
"Ah, I don't know if we'd call it "looking up" to him..." Shuichi explained.
"It's just that we've never been around someone so relaxed...and impulsive... I think that's something we've been missing for awhile," I explained.
Maki let out a sigh. It kind of seemed like I was getting to know what Maki felt. Even if it was a little, I was starting to understand her more. She was starting to open up slightly. This honestly did make me very happy. I was basically forced to share my past with everyone because I would've been voted for a murder that I didn't commit. If it weren't for my ability, Kaede would've surely been dead.
Maki had the choice to open her past to us. Something I never had the choice to do in the beginning because Kokichi found something out about my past and used it against me.
"I never realized until now how gross it is to hear men talk about being manly," Maki explained, as she sprang up from the ground.
Shuichi and I did the same after finishing our reps. Maki was quicker than us though. She always was. Her training as an assassin basically gave her that stamina and speed. I was slightly jealous of that. As an Otaku, I didn't need that... It wouldn't hurt to be more active, but my talent wasn't about being active.
    "You're really fast...as usual," Shuichi said nervously.
    "Y-Yeah..." I stuttered.
    "I used to be forced to do push-ups until I passed out. 100 push-ups is nothing," Maki replied, moving a strand of hair out of her face.
    "What?" I asked in response.
    "About Kaito... I sort of understand what you both mean," Maki explained, "but I'm a bit jealous of how carefree he is...even if he is useless. I was taught to only value the essentials... I was forced to abandon anything nonessential so they could mold me as they saw fit..."
    I was understanding Maki more from what she was saying. This was how she was raised. Doing push-ups until her body couldn't take it anymore. She was forced to take out nonessential things in her life, even nonessential things that could cause joy. That's why she was always so stone-faced, unbothered by almost anything.
    "After everything they did to me... I sometimes wonder what I am anymore," Maki explained, "I didn't ask to become this way. It just...happened to me..."
    'That's what life does...' I thought.
I was sad to even thing that this kind of life even happened to Maki. She never asked to become what her talent was. That was forced on her.
"After what I've been through...am I still even human?" Maki asked, "even Keebo acts more human than me."
I felt my eyes soften at this. Maki has been through so much, and she doubts herself as well. I now wanted to help her. She deserved someone to help her out. She needed it, maybe even more than I did.
"But...I had no choice but to—" Maki said, seeming to instantly cut herself off, "...why am I even talking to you both about this? You guys can't help me."
"Ah, but...I'm kind of the same way," Shuichi told her in response, "I never once *wanted* to be a detective. I actually thought it wasn't too great of a job. Uncovering people's secrets for money? ...It's the worst."
I don't know if I could say I knew how they felt. Yes I'm an Otaku. I never asked for that to be what makes me special from any other students. I wanted to be something more that helps others. Not just some nerd. I wanted to help people. That's one of the only reasons I've lasted this long. The drive to help other people out.
    "But now, I feel completely different. If it's going to help my friends, I'll do it," Shuichi said with a determined smile, "and it's Kaede, (y/n), and Kaito that have helped me see things that way. (y/n) is an Otaku, but she always helps us when we need it. She is special to all of us in some way."
    I was shocked that I was brought into the conversation. Did people really feel that way about me? Did people really think of me as that special. I knew I put myself down too much. I needed to get through that to help everyone.
"...I didn't ask for your story," Maki said.
With that, Maki walked away, leaving us both standing there.
"Ah, see you tomorrow, Maki!" Shuichi shouted out.
"See you tomorrow!" I exclaimed.
Maki didn't reply. She kept walking. It was the end of the training. I still couldn't get what Shuichi said from my mind.
There was still another thing bugging me. I really did hope Kaito was alright. He seemed off this morning, and I guess that carried on with him into tonight. Maybe he'd train with Shuichi, Maki, and I tomorrow.
I waved goodbye at Shuichi before heading back to my dorm. Even though I was tired, I was happy I didn't skip out on the training. I learned more about what Maki had to deal with. I could try and help her open up more with the information she gave us about herself.
    I noticed Maki when I walked into the dorm. She was being stopped by someone.
    "Welcome back, Maki! You finally came!" Angie exclaimed.
    I was shocked to see every member of the student council in the room. Aside from Angie, Himiko, Keebo, Tenko, Tsumugi, and Gonta were in the dormitory, waiting for us.
    "Y'know, Maki, it's not okay to walk around at nighttime," Angie explained with a creepy-like smile on her face.
    "Why? I'm not violating any school regulations, am I?" Maki asked in response.
    "Nyahahaha. Monokuma's regulations don't matter," Angie said in response, "but Kirumi's plan happened during nighttime, right?"
    "If no one was allowed to walk around at nighttime, that case wouldn't have happened," Tsumugi explained.
    "That's why the student council is trying to limit all nighttime activity," Keebo explained in response.
    "*Limit*... So, basically, you want to take our freedom away, is that it?" Maki asked in response.
    "Nyahahaha! You're so odd, Maki. What's more important—freedom or a person's life?" Angie asked.
    Maki was silent. This whole thing was concerning me. The student council were doing exactly what I knew they'd do. They'd start taking rights away from people. I know it's for a good cause, but not being able to have any freedom will make people more upset than happy.
    "Umm, we need to remove all worry and doubt, so everyone can have a peaceful life here," Angie explained, "cuz that's what Atua says. That's what Atua says. Atua says..."
    "People are afraid of you, Maki, so we'd prefer it if you were more careful," Tenko explained.
    That was the last straw for me. It was bad enough that they were trying to limit our freedom. Now they wanted to ridicule Maki. While I understand their reasoning, they know nothing about what really happened.
    I ran in front of Maki. I had an angry look plastered onto my face. I wasn't going to let anyone else say anything more about her.
    "You guys like to say you know everything, but you know nothing about Maki's past," I said angrily, "and nothing makes me more upset than when people make assumptions based on the surface on what's heard."
    "(y/n), what are you doing?" Maki asked, seeming to be in shock.
    "And what do you know about Maki then, (y/n)? Angie asked, "aside from the fact that she's an assassin."
    "I'm not going to tell you," I replied, "maybe you'd get the chance to know if you actually tried speaking to her instead of avoiding her."
    Maki seemed to be shocked that I even said this. Soon enough, we were basically sent to our dorms. I noticed Angie had a slightly different expression on her face. It wasn't her happy self. It looked like anger... I knew I defended Maki. She  probably got upset about that, but what I said is the truth. Both Angie and the student council didn't know anything about Maki. They won't know anything unless they try to get to know her. They didn't even know that she was forced into the talent she was given. She had no choice in the matter.
I let out a sigh in frustration as I walked into my room. I felt the tired emotion I was feeling before I went to training. That combined with what just happened made it worse. Going to bed would probably be a good idea right now.
I slowly got into the bed with a sigh, making sure I was covered up in the blankets. I closed my eyes not long after that, letting the world of sleep take me.

*ding dong, dong ding*

The sound of the morning announcement pulled me out of my sleep like a harsh tug of a rope. My still tired eyes slowly opened, being greeted with what was being displayed as the morning announcement.
That same Monokuma with bald spots was silently standing in front of the couch the Monokubs use to drink their weird drinks and make the nighttime and morning time announcements.
With that bald Monokuma not even speaking... it was creepy to say the least. It made my mind crawl with very bad feelings.
I had more things on my mind aside from the creepy morning announcement though. It was something I was thinking about for days... even before Ryoma was killed. It was all I thought about because I was anxious about it. I was anxious but I had to do it.
    This thing was finally confessing to Rantaro. It scared me to even try and make a move because I was so anxious that he'd just laugh and reject me. That's what I felt like mostly everyone would do. That's why I put it off.
    'What if he avoids me after I confess?' I thought, 'I don't deserve him...'
    Those are the thoughts that always went through my mind. I don't deserve him... what if he avoids me.
I found myself gripping at my (h/c) hair in response to these thoughts.
    "I won't know what will happen unless I try to make the move!" I told myself, "I can't be anxious about saying how I feel."
    That managed to calm me down a considerable amount. All I needed to write on a piece of paper would be "Dear Rantaro, Meet me at the swimming pool at noon. There's something I want to talk to you about, love (y/n)"
    That's all I had to write. The next thing I'd have to do would be to put it on his door and knock. That's all I had to do. When we were hanging out, he out his arm around me when I leaned into him. That's a good sign, right?
    The only thing I had to decide was when I was going to make the note. I could make the note today or tomorrow. That would be the best time to make it. I knew I'd decide when to make it after breakfast.
    I did my morning routine. I took a shower and I put on a fresh uniform. It's what I did every morning when I first got here. Once I was done with that, I left the room with damp hair. I would be finally able to greet Rantaro this morning.
    I walked up to his door and rang the doorbell a few times. Soon enough, the door revealed the green haired boy I grew to love over the time we were all trapped here.
"Good morning Rantaro," I said with a smile.
"Ah, good morning, (y/n)," Rantaro replied with a small chuckle, "did you sleep well?"
"I probably slept too much within the past day," I replied nervously, "yesterday, I had to spend the day with Kokichi because I promised him I would. We wound up playing hide and seek. I hid under a pile of books in the library, and I wasn't even found until a few minutes before nighttime. I fell asleep for most of the time."
When I explained the story to Rantaro, he seemed very amused by it. He seemed to genuinely enjoy it.
"So you beat Kokichi at hide and seek?" Rantaro asked.
"Basically," I replied, "he hid in Kirumi's Lab underneath a sheet in one of the dryers. It only took me a couple of hours to find him."
"I mean a couple hours beats a full day by a long shot. You basically out-smarted him," Rantaro explained, "having an arrogant ego in this situation is never good. The ones who are overconfident eventually die. Even if it's by a silly game, you proved to him that he shouldn't be arrogant."
"I get that..." I muttered in response, "Kokichi did seem worried when he finally found me."
"I mean anyone would be worried if someone went missing for that long, so I don't blame him," Rantaro replied, "with the situation we're in, it makes sense on why he'd worry."
"I guess you're right about that..." I muttered, looking down.
Suddenly I felt Rantaro place his hand on my head and rub my head softly. This caused a huge blush to form on my face as he made this gesture.
"I wouldn't worry right now though," Rantaro laughed, "put a smile on that face."
I slowly gave Rantaro a soft smile. He was very nice for trying to make me feel better. This situation we are in makes everyone a lot more anxious. He made me feel better just by a few words and actions.
I knew I had to bring up something to him. It was about the student council. About what happened last night after training.
"The student council are already taking rights away from people," I explained, "after training with Shuichi and Maki, the student council actually ganged up on Maki."
"So they're trying to target Maki, huh?" Rantaro asked, "while I can see why, I don't think it's fair to assume what will happen unless they know more about Maki's personality."
"Rantaro... she was forced into the talent she was given. She was forced to do it. This wasn't her choice," I explained.
"How do you know that?" Rantaro asked.
    I looked down and sighed lightly. The training was the answer. If Kaito hadn't dragged Maki out here, we wouldn't know her more than we do now...
    "Training," I replied, "Kaito invited Maki to come train with us."
"You did mention training during the last trial," Rantaro replied, "but if what your saying is true, how did she even become an assassin in the first place?"
"That... I don't know," I replied, "all I know was that she was forced to be an assassin, and they trained her half to death in the process. I just want to help her."
Rantaro smiled lightly and placed his hand on my head once more. He looked very lively for that moment, with his cute smile on his face. I felt heat rise to my face once more.
"I think you will help her," Rantaro told me, "I mean you've helped me."
'He must be referring to his sisters...' I thought.
That must be what's he's thinking about. That's the specific thing I helped him with. When we escape, I promised I'd help him. We were going to be staying together even after we leave this killing game. Just the thought of being with Rantaro was enough for me though.
I smiled lightly at Rantaro and hummed a little bit. I felt surprisingly positive now, and it actually felt pretty nice.
"Well you helped me Rantaro," I explained with a smile, "the least I can do is help you out when you need it. And I enjoy helping others."
"Your positivity is starting to show," Rantaro laughed, "that's a good thing. I'm proud of you for coming this far."
I blushed lightly at his compliment. He knew just what to say to get me flustered. It was a shock to me that he kept doing it. It's like he wants to see me as a blushing mess.
"A-Alright," I said with my blush, "we should head to breakfast..."
"I couldn't agree more," Rantaro chuckled in response.
With that, Rantaro and I made our way to the dining hall. There was a way outside that we were able to use. It had the look of a restaurant patio with many tables and chairs. This area would be perfect for anyone who wanted to eat outside and enjoy the fresh air. If we weren't in a killing game, I'd defiantly use it as a date spot.
While we were making our way to the dining hall, I noticed Maki standing there. I needed to make sure she was alright from yesterday.
"Hey Maki, are you alright?" I asked nervously.
"Yeah, I'm fine..." Maki replied in her usual quiet tone, "why did you stand up for me yesterday when the student council stopped me?"
"It's because I can't take anyone making assumptions without a reason for it," I replied.
That was the truth. I never like people judging others. Maki was no exception. She was forced into her talent, and everyone wanted to judge her based on that.
    "It's not like Angie cares about what we will say," Maki explained, "she will just give her *Atua says* speech and just ignore us..."
    "I get where your coming from Maki..." I replied, "but don't think I stood up for you because I pity you. That's not why I did it."
    "Yes, I know," Maki replied, "losing my freedom for now should be fine, but in the future, someone could easily become angry about this and commit a murder."
    "Maki, if I may ask, what happened last night?" Rantaro asked, trying to get a better grasp on the situation.
    "I was stopped by the student council on the way to my dorm. They told me I couldn't walk around at nighttime anymore because that's when Kirumi made her crime..." Maki explained, "I'm surprised they didn't talk to Kirumi about this first. I mean she already murdered someone."
    "I know...." I muttered, "we need to do something about this student council."
    "I agree, but like I said before... it's not like Angie is interested in whatever we are going to say," Maki replied.
    After saying that, Maki walked in the direction of the dining hall. What Maki said was pretty right though. Angie created a cult based on her "God", and now she's trying to rake away freedom. I can understand why nighttime should be limited, but I just don't like how they assumed Maki was going to murder someone. They never got to know anything about her.
    "I told you..." I muttered.
    "I never said you weren't telling me the truth," Rantaro laughed in response, "we do need to do something about this. If not, will will have truly lost to this student council..."
    "I agree," I replied.
    "Now let's get to the dining hall," Rantaro said, "it's only little ways away."
    "Alright," I replied with a smile.
    Rantaro and I turned left to go the direction of the dining hall outdoor entrance. It was only about a minute or two of walking before we'd get there. I was hungry though.
    Before making a right turn to get to the dining hall after we made our left, Kiyo was there. He asked for my assistance for something having to do with the Caged Child. He was asking for my help in the seance for some reason. He has been acting like this ever since he got that book. It creeped me out slightly, but I wasn't going to let that show.
    After that, we walked up to the outdoor entrance of the dining hall, and we both entered.
    The moment I entered the dining hall, there was a loud and angry shout. It was obvious on where it came from.
    "Q-Quit messing around!" Kaito exclaimed, "don't just do whatever you want!"
    "Hmmm? But I have Atua's blessing," Angie replied.
    "Yeah! We have Atua's blessing! And I'll throw any degenerate who won't shut up about it!" Tenko exclaimed.
    "Hm...I know you claim to be the student council or somesuch, but this is going too far, yes?" Kiyo asked.
"As we've said before, this is all to end the killing game and keep the peace," Keebo explained.
There was one thing that was going through my head at this moment.
'What is going on here?' I thought.
There was some sort of verbal argument going on between some people and the student council. I needed to know what was going on.
"Kaito, what's going on? What are you guys fighting about?" I asked.
"These guys did something unbelievable," Kaito explained angrily, "they blocked the manhole that leads to the underground."
"The manhole?" Shuichi asked in response.
"Gonta put heavy rocks on top of manhole, so no one can use it anymore," Gonta explained.
What was going on with the manhole? Why was it covered up? Why couldn't we access it anymore.... they blocked off something we could've used for escaping.... I soon would find out their motives... in more ways than one.

Hey guys! Another long chapter. Next chapter something will happen. This one was just too long to fit everything happening right now. So I hope you enjoy the chapter! Have more art in by next week!- CRUSIFIXdroid