Danganronpa: ReProgrammed

All-Star Apologies: Part 18 [Deadly Life]

Leaving Kyoko and Mondo to investigate the stage area, Chihiro and Makoto walked over to the other group that was currently investigating the music room. That group consisting of Taka and Mukuro. Both of whom seemed to be intently staring at a wall.

"Um...what're you guys doing here?" Makoto scratched his face, understandable confused.

"Hm? Oh, greetings!" Taka smiled as they approached "we were just carefully examining this area over here?"

"Forgive me if this sounds rude but from where we're standing, it looks more like you were just staring at a wall..." Chihiro observed.

"Oh, no, of course that's not it!" Taka exclaimed "right Mukuro?"

Mukuro didn't say anything. She didn't even turn to face them. Taka sighed.

"She's not even listening..." he groaned

"By the way, how is working with Mukuro?" Makoto asked "it must be a bit different from other people, huh?"

"Well, I'm pulling through, but in all honesty, she's barely said a word to me besides the occasional "yes" or "hm" whenever I point something out to her," Taka said "and since we've yet to turn up with much, she hasn't even made those sounds at all for the most part."

"That...sucks..." Chihiro glanced towards Mukuro. The girl was facing away from them, but it was apparent that she was still hearing everything they were saying, even if she didn't respond.

"Ah, it's fine..." Taka smiled "her presence is good enough...is what I keep telling myself at least..."

"She's something alright..." Makoto commented "but back to the point...Why were you two looking at the wall?"

"Tell me something," Taka asked "is there any other room in the school that has an air vent other than the bathrooms?"

Chihiro gazed at the wall and understood what Taka was getting at. Air Vents weren't exactly a common thing to find in the academy.

"Do you know where it leads?" Makoto asked.

"No, I don't," Taka said "but that's why I'm standing here deliberating. I'm wondering whether I should test and find out."

"Test?" Chihiro repeated "how will you test it?" 

"How do you think?" Taka asked "I'll crawl through it."

"Huh? R-Really?" Makoto asked "is that allowed?"

"Well, I'm not expecting it to lead outside of the academy or otherwise," Taka sighed "Monokuma wouldn't be so careless, at least I'd imagine he wouldn't be...However, I find it quite weird that this vent is just barely hanging by it's hinges..."

"Oh, you're right...!" Makoto realized "then...can you really get through it?"

"Hm...Hngh..." Taka grit his teeth before finally declaring "you know what? I'm doing it! I'm crawling through this vent!"

Before anyone had a chance to stop him, Taka strode up to the vent on the wall and opened it. He then proceeded to squeeze his lean body inside and crawled through it.

"Can you even fit in there?" Chihiro tried to peer after him, unfortunately unable to see much other than the honor student's behind.

"Ngh...J-Just about...!" Taka grunted "I must say, it's quite clean in this vent! Whoever takes care of it does a damn good job!"

"It's clean?" Makoto asked "clean how?"

"Can't you see?" he said "it looks very recently cleaned. Not a speck of dust anywhere!"