Danganronpa: ReProgrammed

All-Star Apologies: Part 7

The following day, after everyone had adjourned the morning breakfast meeting, Chihiro and Kyoko decided to privately go to the baths to check up on Alter Ego. Chihiro had estimated that by now, the files should almost have been fully decrypted, and that Alter Ego may need at least one more day before the program finished their job.

"That's something that I was hoping to bring up to you," Kyoko said as Chihiro tried to ask Alter Ego a few things by typing into the keyboard "do you still intend to let everyone know about Alter Ego once the files are done decrypting?"

"Yes, I do," Chihiro said "this may be our one and only chance to get any answers about the school. Everyone here needs to know. If there's a time to get excited, it's now!"

"Even now that Byakuya, Taeko AND Makoto have gone rogue?" Kyoko reminded him "and that someone among the group may be a spy and a traitor?"

"Emphasis on "may"," Chihiro reminded her "just because rumors of a reaper are circling around, that's all they are. Rumors. They don't have to end up being true...As for the others...I'm hoping that the information we end up finding will bring them to their senses..."

"That is if there is any information in the files in the first place..." Kyoko thought aloud.

"You know Kyoko, you're being uncharacteristically pessimistic about this..." Chihiro pointed out "why are you being so doubtful?"

"If anything, you're being too optimistic," Kyoko told him sternly "bear in mind, Monokuma isn't likely to stop putting pressure on us now of all times. In fact, I wouldn't be too surprised if he unleashed his next motive on us sometime soon..."

Chihiro stopped typing and froze as soon as Kyoko mentioned the idea of a new motive for murder. Noticing this, the purple clad girl shook the young programmer back to his senses gently.

"Are you ok?" she asked "what happened?"

"Nothing, it's just..." Chihiro said "now that you mentioned that...I just remembered something weird that happened yesterday..."

"What?" Kyoko inquired.

"I woke up early yesterday morning, and I overheard Junko and Makoto having an argument..." he told her "but after it was over...Junko spoke to me...and she was acting just as weird as she was when she saw that girl in the picture. She said something to me that...I didn't get it at the time..."

"Chihiro..." she said "tomorrow, Monokuma will unleash his next incentive on the group. When that happens...we won't be able to talk and hang out like we usually do..."

"That's..." Kyoko thought "disturbing..."

"I still don't know what she meant," Chihiro said "but it was all so-"

Chihiro never got to finish his thought. As he and Kyoko talked with each other, the familiar sound of the school bell rang out. It was still the morning, so the bell couldn't be chiming the night announcement...

Which could only mean one thing...

"Ahem! May I have your attention please?" Monokuma called. There was no monitor in the changing room, so Chihiro and Kyoko had to listen to the speakers outside "would you all kindly assemble to the gym? This is an urgent school meeting, and tardiness/bunking will not be excused!"

The sound cut off, and Chihiro felt his heart sink in his chest...

"Looks like whatever questions you had are about to be answered..." Kyoko got to her feet "for better or for worse..."