Ｄａｒｌｉｎｇ 浦ゆン

【ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ｏｎｅ】

The light of my computer screen reflects onto my eyes as I read through lines of digital text. I feverishly click through the dialogue of the various characters, devouring every word the sprites utter like candy. Danganronpa has been my obsession for years, but my favorite game has always been the second one. The ultimates are so colorful and diverse and the storyline is incredibly complex, yet somehow easy to understand. I can't count the amount of times I've played it.

Right as the first class trial is coming to an end, an odd notification pops up on my screen.

Ｈｅｌｌｏ ｔｈｅｒｅ！ Ｗｅ ｈａｖｅ ｒｅｃｏｇｎｉｚｅｄ ｙｏｕ ａｓ ｏｎｅ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ ｍｏｓｔ ａｖｉｄ ａｎｄ ｄｅｖｏｔｅｄ ｐｌａｙｅｒｓ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ ｇａｍｅ， ａｎｄ ｈａｖｅ ｔｈｕｓ ｄｅｃｉｄｅｄ ｔｏ ｇｉｖｅ ｙｏｕ ａｃｃｅｓｓ ｔｏ ａｎ ｅｘｃｌｕｓｉｖｅ ｍｏｄ． Ｗｏｕｌｄ ｙｏｕ ｌｉｋｅ ｔｏ ｐｌａｙ ｉｔ？
Ｙｅｓ／Ｎｏ

Because I'm not insane, I click the latter. Immediately after I do so, the letters begin to glitch and morph. It now reads:

Ｙｅｓ／[̲̅Ｙ][̲̅ｅ][̲̅ｓ]

Panicking, I click the first option. Is it a bad decision? Yes! However, the second button looks like it came directly out of digital hell and I am too scared shitless to leave the game. If I did, it would most likely do far worse than cause a minor malfunction. If refusing to participate wasn't an option on the screen, then they must have taken precautions to make sure that I couldn't simply turn my computer off. To be fair, I'm relying on the knowledge I've obtained from novels and fanfictions, but it is the only reference I have to go off of at the moment. School doesn't teach you what measures to take when some sort of cryptic message pops up on your favorite game, after all.

The screen begins to glow. It is soft at first, almost like sunlight filtering through a white curtain, but it progressively brightens to an almost blinding point. I grab a random book off of a nearby shelf and position it in front of my eyes in a desperate attempt to block out the burning rays, but to no avail. I can feel my mass rearranging itself. Some parts of my body are being taken away from and others are being added to. My flesh smoothes out and reshapes itself, my skin following suit. My eyes grow and my bone readjusts. All the while, great pain tears through my entire body.

Just before I lose consciousness from the agony, the alterations stop. My legs give out from under me, and I collapse onto the floor, panting and quivering. Drool drips out of my gaping jaw and my eyes pulsate to the point of intense aching.

"Hello!"

I jolt up, frantically looking around to find the unknown speaker. "Show yourself, fuckface!" I rasp, nearly vomiting in the process.

"So mean!" the voice whines. "You'd
think that someone as devoted to the fandom as you would recognize the voice of your beloved headmaster."

"When your entire anatomy has been altered in the most unpleasant way possible you tend to momentarily forget a few things," I croak, wiping the saliva off of my lips.

They cackle. "You're spirited. I like that. Here's a hint: It's punishment time!"

My eyes widen in shock and realization. "Monokuma?"

The demonic bear steps forward, bowing gracefully. "Yep! The one and only."

"How can this be?" I say. "You're an entirely fictional entity! Am I in some sort of self-insert Wattpad fanfiction?"