Danganronpa: Until Proven Guilty

Intermission - 4: Emerge From Anonymity?

That was certainly an unexpected outcome.

I strain my eyes against the blue light of the screens. I have to fight the stinging and tingling against my retinas. The beams prick me like thousands of pins, but I keep my eyes fixed on the monitors. Just watching their faces.

They've reacted differently this time. Despite Haruka's hysteria, they seem less solemn. Not content, but not distressed. Simply callous, apathetic almost.

Perhaps too apathetic.

I hate Kaso - just like I hate all the others. Sin flowed through him creeping through every artery. And a personality so insufferable. I'd have killed him myself if it didn't entirely oppose my morals. People like him don't deserve to live, and yet, it's bare without him. Somehow every passing moment becomes more stale without his presence. Boring. Too boring. No one seems angry anymore. His death may bring them together.
I can't have that.

Reaching for the handbook on my desk, I open the call panel. He's probably waiting for me, cowering like a baby in his hideaway. Fixing his beady little eyes onto the screen of his handbook, desperately awaiting my call. It's cute to think of him like that, spluttering and stammering. Pathetic boy.

Almost as quickly as I press the call button, the dial tone cuts off and his shaky voice sounds through the handbook speakers.

"B-boss! I was waiting for you."

"I know," I simply nod, placing my handbook on my desk.

There's a brief pause, the silence barely filled by the crackling white noise and his occasional shuffling.

"I missed yo-"

"Enough with that," I quickly interject, "You know I'm calling for a reason. I'm not here to flirt."

"S-sorry," He says hurriedly, "I suppose y-you want to know about the trial?"

"I saw it all, you seem to forget," I sigh, rubbing my temples, "Is there something you think I've missed?"

He pauses again, occasionally uttering a meek little sound.

"D-did you see?" He asks, "I th-think they've noticed. The chips."

Those words catch me off guard momentarily. I'd forgotten about those. Despite all the effort we'd put in just to get them up and running, tracking their locations, they were so useless they'd end up lost in distant memory.

"Th-they seemed to malfunction a little," He continues, "And it made th-them flinch a little. It's happened a few times. Do you think they might get suspicio-"

"Turn them off."

"H-huh?" He almost gasps, "B-but we can't! We need to l-l-locate participants at all time!"

I shake my head, "We have the cameras. They're useless to us. Deactivate them. It will only waste energy."

He splutters, "I-I'm not sure this is a good-"

"It was a stupid idea all along," I sigh.

"I-it was my idea!"

"And it was a stupid one. Deactivate them."

I can still hear him whimper, but he stops talking. The sound of clicking starts, muffled through the call static.

"I-it's done. They should be off by 9am tomorrow," He sighs, breath wavering like he's about to cry.

"Good," I smirk.

"B-boss," He stammers again, "D-do you need me to do anything else?"

I lean back in my chair, stretching out my legs as all my bones crack simultaneously. Sitting inside hasn't done my body much good. My eyes haven't seen sunlight in weeks; just starting at the dim yellow lighting from the lamp above. Staring at the blackout blinds covering my window. I sigh. Perhaps leaving my room would be good, to feel fresh air against my skin, to feel  sunlight in my eyes. To eat a proper meal every once and a while.  But I can't anymore. I can't let them see me anymore.

"A-are you there?"

His voice returns me to my room from my head.

I blink, "Hm?"

"I s-said," He reiterates, "Do you need anything else from me?"

I pause, stretching out my fingers until I hear a loud crack, "Well, there is one thing you can do for me."

"Mhm," He mutters.

I lean closer in to the speaker, lowering my voice, "I think you should be a little more active. Go out a bit more. Speak to the participants. Kaso's death is making things awfully plain. Don't you think we should stir it up a little?"

"N-no!" He cries, "A-are you serious? Th-that would be...suicide!"

"Listen," I say, my voice becoming more firm, "You don't have to tell them anything. You don't even have to say anything. They already fear you, you cause them a lot of distress. Your presence alone will confuse them enough, it will scare them."

"A-are you sure?" He whimpers.

"Yes, absolutely."

He stammers a little, clearly unsure. But I know what I want.

Hovering my finger over the hang up button, I speak to him one last time.

"Thank you, Misha."