Danganronpa: Dark Despair

Chapter 5 - First Blood

Kirin went back to their room to rest up in the period between then and the party. They knew it would be a fun time with everybody else, so they needed to rest up to have the energy required. They were planning on getting ready at 6:00. As they were pondering what to do other than take a nap for the 5 and a half hours in between, there was a knock on the door.

Kirin went over and opened up the door. Standing in the hallway was Sara. She entered the room and sat on one of the chairs beside the table.

"What's up, Sara?" Kirin asked. Sara looked over.

"Nothing much. I just wanted to see how you were doing again." She sighed. "I don't want you going into this party thinking about this. I don't want anybody doing that." Kirin nodded in response.

"I get it. You're worried. But I'll be fine." They put a hand on Sara's shoulder. "I am now going to go to sleep for a bit." Sara stood up.

"Alright. See you later." She walked out the door, leaving Kirin alone with their thoughts. They lay down, trying to sleep. But they couldn't.

So much stuff had happened that day. First, the video, and now a party. Kirin was excited but scared. Eventually, though, they fell asleep.

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Kirin woke up. What time is it? They checked the clock on the nightstand next to the bed. 6:00. The party was in an hour. They had to start getting ready. As they were doing so, however, another knock at the door sounded. Opening up the door, Kirin saw Tara and Sara standing outside.

"What's up?" Kirin asked.

"Just checking in. Making sure you were up and moving. Don't want you sleeping through the party, you know?" Tara chuckled. Kirin did as well.

"I get it. Yeah, I'm up. Just got up actually." Kirin waved their hand. "Come on inside, sit down for a bit, it's fine." The two entered the room. Sara claimed the bed, and Tara sat on the table. The three talked for a while, but it eventually hit 6:30, and the other 2 left to give Kirin time to get ready.

They locked the door after they left. They didn't like talking to people a lot, and they knew this party would be tiresome. Very tiresome.

It'll be fine, they thought. Tonight will be fine. We'll have the party, then I can sleep. I won't have to worry about any of this. With that burst of self-motivation, they kept getting ready.

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Suddenly, it was time for the party. Kirin was dressed in relatively fancy clothes, as well as they could with the limited wardrobe the students were provided with. They headed to Likasi's lab, where Dakai, Daichi, Ichina, Chinuki, and Kasa were standing outside.

"Hey, Kirin!" Chinuki waved them over. Kirin walked over as Chinuki began speaking again. "We all just got here. The door isn't opening."

"What do you mean? It's fine, right?" They walked over to the door and tried to pull it open, but Chinuki's words were entirely truthful. The door wouldn't open. That's weird, Kirin thought. The Research Labs can't lock. It's almost as if... somebody jammed it closed. But why would somebody do that anyway?

As they were contemplating the meaning of this, Sara, Tara, and Tashi all showed up. Kirin and Chinuki waved them over.

"Why are you all standing out here? Are we trying to surprise Likasi or something?" Tara inquired. Kirin shook their head.

"No, we just can't get in. The door's jammed." Sara walked up to the door. She started feeling around it.

"Kirin's right. The door is being held closed by something." Suddenly, Kasa started making weird noises. They all turned to him. "What are you doing, Kasa?" He hushed Sara.

"Stop talking. I need to focus." As they all watched, he started smelling the air. After a few seconds, he stopped, making a small gasp noise. "I smell... blood. Coming from inside the lab." Everyone gasped.

Blood. That can only mean... no. Kirin turned to Tara. "Tara, I need you to bust down that door. Right now." Tara nodded and ran at the door, but it held firm. By that point, everybody had shown up. The only person not with them was Likasi. They kept trying one at a time, but nobody could do it.

Eventually, they came to an agreement. Tara, Suchi, Todakati, Yigana, Kasa, and Dakai all lined up. Sara started counting down.

"On three. One." The six got ready to run at the door. "Two." Everyone held their breath. "Three." As Sara said the final number, they all charged, slamming into the door with such massive force that it fell inwards. The motion-sensing lights in the room flipped on to reveal the library. And inside, just on the left of the door, was the most horrifying sight yet.

The body of Likasi Natijo, the Ultimate Librarian, lay dead on the reception desk of her own Research Lab. The first murder had occurred. And with that, this life of dark despair truly had begun.

Remaining Students: 15