After staying for a moment after dinner, Juro is on his way to his room when someone suddenly steps into the hallway, blocking his path.
"Yuuma-san..." Juro breathes, placing a hand over his chest and heaving a sigh of relief *You startled me.*
Ryoko signs a half-hearted apology, expression blank, and gives a light shrug of her shoulders. She brings an index finger to her lips, holding it there for a brief moment, before she starts signing *Since you're busy playing leader, you might've not noticed it yet...* She pauses, glancing up to see if he's registering her words, before she continues *Things are tense.*
Juro sighs *Isn't that to be expected with the motive having been released?*
*I may not be able to hear, but I watch the group.* Ryoko points out *I can't put my finger on it, I can't read minds or predict the future, but something seems off. I figured since you're kind of the reliable one during trials, I should tell you to prepare yourself for one.*
Juro presses his lips together into a thin line. He doesn't like where this is going *You think someone's going to die soon...*
*Obviously.* Ryoko deadpans *You tried, but with the way things are, it's just not going to change anything. So don't be so disappointed that you can't function when it comes to that.*
Juro exhales. He doesn't want it to come to that, but Ryoko has a point as well. He should be prepared for the worst, be ready to fight for everyone's lives, if push comes to shove. However, it was worth trying. He won't go back on that decision, he won't regret it, even if someone still ends up dying despite everything they have done to prevent it.
*I still won't regret my decision.* Juro signs, looking Ryoko in the eye.
He swears the corner of her lips twitches for a moment, before she gives a curt nod *Alright.*
*Ah, Yuuma-san.* Juro signs before he loses her attention *I received your... regret.*
Ryoko facepalms. Once she lowers her hand she gives him a look *We don't talk about that motive. Everyone agreed on that. Don't go around breaking your own makeshift rules.*
*I believe that you won't hurt me.*
*Horrible idea.* Ryoko sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose *I may be this short, weak, deaf girl, but I could easily take a knife and plant it in your back with how stupidly trusting you are sometimes.*
Juro smiles a little *You would've done that by now then.*
Ryoko blinks a few times, but her expression remains mostly unreadable *Idiot.*
The sketch artist just shrugs *Don't worry, I won't mention the motive again. You can trust me on that, or try to at least.*
*We'll see.* Ryoko takes a few steps back *You're weird, Sasaki Juro.*
She's about to turn around when he signs *Do you want me to walk with you to the dorms? Safety in numbers.*
Ryoko doesn't respond for a moment, but eventually she nods and gestures for him to come along. They walk side by side as the sun begins to set, not exchanging any more words. Juro wishes the cardist well once they reach the dorms and, after a moment of hesitation, she returns the gesture.
Once he has locked the door behind him, Juro walks to the desk and grabs the letter the motive has been written on. It's still folded, keeping him from reading what's written on it. It's not necessary for him to read it anyways. He doubt he can ever forget its contents.
Pressing his lips into a thin line, Juro holds up the letter and tears it in half. He gathers the pieces into a stack and rips them apart again, and again, and again.
When the only thing that remains of the motive are tiny pieces that could likely never be put together again in a way that would be readable, Juro throws them in the bin next to his desk. He takes off his shoes and falls onto his bed with a heavy sigh, staring up at the ceiling with his hands folded over his chest. Today has been a long day and he feels drained, but he doesn't want to fall asleep yet to avoid ruining his sleeping schedule.
So much has happened these past few days. So many lives have been lost, so many secrets unveiled and yet there are still many left for the to uncover. Why them? What horrible thing could they have done to deserve such a fate? Who is doing this to them?
There has to be someone controlling Monokuma, right?
Juro manages to stay awake for a while, these thoughts and questions plaguing his mind, but eventually sleeps comes for him. He drifts off, once more sinking into the endless abyss filled with nightmares of familiar faces and the same painful memories that will forever haunt him.
~*~
The next morning, Juro doesn't wake up to the morning announcement.
Bing bong, dong ding!
"A body has been discovered! Please assemble at the main building."
Juro nearly falls out of bed while he gets up, quickly putting on his shoes and grabbing his backpack before he rushes out of his room. He nearly runs straight into Minoru, stumbling backwards in surprise and grabbing the doorknob to stay on his feet.
"Sasaki-kun, sorry." The ghost hunter quickly apologizes, before rushing over to one of the nearby doors, rapidly knocking on it "Eri!"
Silence.
At the desperation with which Minoru keeps knocking on the door, Juro can feel his heart sink. If there's no response now, there likely won't be any other response in the future. If Eri opened the door for anyone, no questions asked, it would have to be Minoru.
And yet it just stays silent.
"Eri..." Minoru mutters, gritting his teeth and resting his forehead against the door "Shit..."
Juro places a hand on Minoru's shoulder, biting the inside of his cheek and looking at the floor, before he dares to speak "Let's go... Maybe she's just already at the... crime scene, and if not..."
He doesn't dare finishing that sentence. They both understand the implications of it.
Minoru quickly wipes away the tears that gather in the corners of his eyes and looks up at Juro with a moment of hesitation, almost as if he's begging the sketch artist to tell him that this is all just a silly prank, before he nods. Juro heaves a sigh, keeping his hand on Minoru's shoulder as they start walking. They don't talk. Minoru keeps his lips tightly pressed together, nervously fidgeting with the flashlight on his belt. The only sound that accompanies them is of their footsteps and their breathing.
They're still breathing, someone else isn't.
The door to the main building is still open, and when they walk into the hallway, they can see the scene where Chinami, Arisa, Ryoko, Youta and Hachiro have already gathered.
There's blood everywhere.
It's splattered on the walls, gathered in a large pool on the floor, making a trail through the cafetaria.
And among the blood, with what looks to be a kitchen knife lodged into their abdomen, someone's body just lays there.
Juro holds his breath for a moment. It's like something is crushing his chest.
"D-Daichi...?"
YOU ARE READING
Cabin Fever
FanfictionHe was on his way to Hope's Peak Academy, but he woke up in an abandoned cabin near a lake in the woods. How could the life of Juro Sasaki take such a drastic turn? Well, that's what he and his fifteen classmates would like to know too. But finding...
