Danganronpa/D4DJ One-Shots

Triple Dog Dare, Triple Date Despair

"Ehhh..." Saori's face and voice were filled with doubt. They'd only just arrived at this... triple date, and she was already questioning every life-decision that ever led her to this point. The one semblance of comfort she had was Rika's arm slung casually around her waist. Ordinarily, it would make her blush and stutter, flustered and embarrassed, but today...? Whether she realized it or not, the Ultimate Calligraphist instinctively cuddled closer to her girlfriend, the Ultimate Arsonist, for protection.

Rika cast her a look of surprise, but then flashed the smuggest smile either of them had ever seen from her before. Oh, yeah, I still got it! Rika Seto is... flamin' HAWT! She gave Saori a little squeeze, and that finally evoked a jolt and a squeak out of her. Don't worry, Saori, I got my firepower turned down! No scorch marks today! Just my SMOKIN' good—

"HEEEE! Oh, I'm so sorry! Sorrysorrysorrysorry! Sorry to have kept you waitiiiinngg!" Rika and Saori's heads jerked over their shoulders in surprise. Racing toward them was second-year Ultimate Nurse, Mikan Tsumiki. Strutting beside her with a confident and cocky smile to rival Rika's was first-year Ultimate Fashionista, Junko Enoshima.

"Heeyy girrllzz!" Junko flashed a peace sign, smirk growing even broader as she watched Mikan stumble and trip her way over to the two third-years. Saori winced in second-hand embarrassment as Mikan went flying over a loose stone in the parking lot. After spinning through the air and rolling several feet forward, she landed directly in front of Rika and Saori with her skirt up and her legs wide open.

"Yaahhhh! I'm s-s-s-so s-s-s-sorry you had to s-s-s-see something so- so- so- so unslightlyyyy!"

Saori couldn't help but look away, and in doing so, caught another glimpse of Junko's cocky smirk. A chill ran down the Ultimate Calligraphist's spine. There was just something off about her, that girl, and it didn't feel quite right... Saori made a comparison in her mind to Rika, for they were both seemingly extroverted and bubbly girls with pigtails as big as their personalities and their, well... Saori blushed, but there was something innately different in Rika that Junko lacked.

"S'all right, girlfriend! C'mon! Up you go!" Grinning blithely, as if completely, situationally unaware, Rika reached down and grabbed Mikan's bandaged hands, lifting her back up and clean off her feet before setting her down on the ground again.

"W-woah...!" Mikan looked at her with starry eyes. Saori looked back at Rika as well. The smile on her face was honest and earnest, like that of an innocent child or young puppy dog. The smile on Junko's face, though...? It was similar, but, no... there was something so, so wrong about it...

"HEEEE! Oh, I'm so sorry! Sorrysorrysorry to have made you all WAAIIT!"

Now, Saori exhaled, more exasperated and tired than embarrassed, and she again caught a glimpse of Junko's face. This time, even she looked annoyed, but the look was gone even quicker than it had come. Rika turned around again, still smiling blithely at third and final couple to reach the little diner. Neo Lone and Sophia Smith, American transfer students, Ultimate Diva and Empath respectively. While Neo glided effortlessly out of the car, face completely flat and empty, Sophia came scrambling over to the other four with her arms outstretched.

I swear, if she trips on the same—Saori didn't even get to finish the thought before Sophia howled again and fell flat on her face. Oh, well, at least she kept her legs closed...

"Ohhhh! I'm so sorry, sorry, sorry! I've made such a fool of myself in front of you all! Ugghhh... I deserve it down here, with my face on the pavement! I'm such a worthless, useless, pathetic—!" She continued to grovel like a dog, belly on the ground, whining and yelping pathetically. "Neo should use me as a doormat and a foot-wipe because that's all I'm good—!"

"Sophia. Stand."

Just like that, seconds before Rika could cheerfully pick up the other depressed, anxious, purple-haired girl, Sophia practically teleported to her feet because of how fast she jumped. All she needed was to hear Neo's soft, low, commanding, authoritative tone and she was the world's most obedient lapdog. If Neo said "jump", Sophia already knew how high. She had everything about Neo memorized, and could read the Ultimate Diva better than anyone else in the entire world. Such was the power of the Ultimate Empath! Though her personality was... nowhere near as impressive or powerful as her Talent, kinda like Mikan.

Meanwhile, my Talent and personality are BOTH lame, Saori thought glumly.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Miss Sophia! Are you all right?! Are you hurt?!" Mikan raced towards the other purple-haired girl with her arms outstretched. Saori winced again, but this time Mikan stepped over the stone that she and Sophia previously tripped on. "Do you need any first aid?! Bandages?! Painkillers?! Emergency services?! Surgery or amputation?! What if something got infected?!"

"Down girl!" Junko cut her off with a cheerful laugh. Then, her voice flipped a switch. "Now."

Mikan stopped dead in her tracks, mouth still open mid-ramble and arms still outstretched towards Sophia, who had since begun whimpering and shying away from the Ultimate Nurse, hugging herself, eyes glued to the parking lot pavement in fear and shame.

While Saori found herself unable to look Junko in the eyes after that harsh and sudden shift in her tone and expression, it was Neo's turn to eye her with surprise, and even a bit of interest. A like-minded commander? Hmm... Was it a power display? Was she attempting to up-show me?

But before she could question it further, Rika clapped her hands together excitedly. It was time to go inside! "I heard Teruteru and Maho cooked up something special for today's menu!" she grinned, practically drooling already.

"Oh, God, that poor girl," Saori sighed sympathetically. Teruteru was only in Mikan's class, but everyone knew of his lecherous and lewd, perverted reputation. And although Maho did indeed despise him, whenever he got too lost in his cooking, he almost became a different person. Saucy, spicy jokes were still his main dish, but he took meal prep quite seriously, and could sometimes even intimidate and impress Maho with his level of seriousness and devotion to the craft. Then again, he wasn't the Ultimate Cook—ah, Chef—for nothing.

"Well! C'mon, girlie! Let's go inside!" Junko slapped Mikan's back in a chummy way, but she hit so hard that, with another shriek, Mikan went flying forward once again, though this time through no fault or intention of her own. Even Rika cast Junko a surprised look this time.

Sophia, meanwhile, clung to Neo's arm and cowered behind her, looking between her and Junko with the fallen Mikan with wide, spiraling eyes.

"Get off me!" Neo hissed, wrenching her arm free of Sophia's grasp. Sophia yelped again while Neo strode forward without her, ignoring Mikan as well. However, the Ultimate Diva stopped immediately at the door, crossing her arms and turning back to Sophia. Yet again, Sophia yelped and scrambled forward to hold open the door for the other girl.

For what felt like the millionth time that day, Saori winced, once again reconsidering this triple dog dare of a triple date (quickly turning into despair), but when Rika wrapped an arm around her waist again, this time more protectively and intentionally than before, some of the tension fell away from Saori's shoulders, and she followed Rika and the others inside the diner.

What a group they made! Three confident blondes (well, Rika was a ginger, but close enough), and three low-esteemed, purple-haired girls. Sophia and Mikan were still shrieking in front of them while Junko tried—and failed—to start a friendly conversation with Neo. Saori could only wonder what the main course would be like...