Y/N POV: I looked at Shuichi reassuringly, he must know too...that Kaito is probably upset with him, I don't blame him at all for what happened, back then nor now, Kiyo's trial was hard for me to deal with, however, I'm getting better...he was able to give me hope like no other, strong enough to take down the very one putting us through so much pain. I've never felt like a man more than right now, so I will indulge in such, and maybe some day...I'll be able to let the very people who put me in such a miserable state go, to rot in the very back of my brain like they should've been a long while ago. "Talking about escaping is good and all, however, I must ask...where'd he go...? Kokichi..." I pointed out to everyone, once I spoke his name I felt a sense of anger I can't seem to describe run through me, I clenched my none injured hand as I looked towards the ground slightly. "Ah!" Shuichi yelled in surprise, it seems as if he felt it too. "I...haven't seen him. Even if I did, I'd be the one running away..." Tsumugi admitted. "I haven't seen him either. It's like he has completely vanished." Kiibo said. "Ah...Gonta no see him either." He admitted. "He's apparently really good at hide and seek, so he's probably just hiding somewhere..." Himiko pointed out. I felt an odd amount of eyes on me, I felt a weird feeling that replaced the anger, as if someone else was watching me. 

"We can't just...let that person...be. He's...a little too dangerous. No...not just a little... Because he... He enjoys watching us suffer. His face just screams that he's having fun whenever he sees us suffer. He's not normal... There's obviously something wrong with him." Tsumugi said. "If we weren't in this killing game, I would've assassinated him already... However, because Y/N survived his execution, perhaps it won't be so hard." Maki said, playing with her hair. "Believe me when I say that you don't want to test your chances, surviving that...was much harder than just swinging a pole around...If the Monokubs and that little bit of motivation weren't there I most likely wouldn't have made it out. I would be lying if I said...that the thought of Monokuma popping up out of nowhere isn't scaring me at least a little." I sweat dropped. "I forgot...Monokuma is still alive, isn't he?" Tsumugi questioned. "How do you plan to confront him? There's still a chance to avoid him till we escape, however...it's probably not the best course of action." Kiibo told me. "I plan to take my chances yet again, I want to do my part in helping everyone escape, not avoiding it, I'm always going to be better than him, no matter what... I still need to repent." I pointed out, smiling. "Are you sure? You can't just fight him if things get bad." Shuichi said. "Of course, that still, won't stop me though, I-I am the best, after all." I sweat dropped, and my eyebrows furrowed as my face slowly contorted into one of nervousness. "Y/N...still look scared." Gonta told me. "I-I'm not used to complementing myself is all, heh...I'm fine." I replied. "No need to be scared! Y/N has Gonta!" Gonta told me. "I-I...don't need your help, I'll be fine." I told Gonta quickly, I'll take help when I need it...and I don't think I need help at the moment. 

"Hey, if we don't do anything, we'll be killed by Kokichi next! I bet even know, he's hiding somewhere and plotting against us." Tsumugi sweat dropped. "No, actually...we're safe right now. Kokichi told us that his objective was to win the killing game. He wouldn't risk a murder that would so obviously implicate him." Shuichi pointed out. "But he would be planning to make us suffer some other way. Like how he used Gonta... Anyway, we need to find him as soon as-" "Here I am!" Monokuma yelled, just like I said, I almost jumped out of my skin, hiding my general figure beside Gonta's, perhaps help is something I need at the moment. "Nyeeeh! Monokuma!?" Himiko yelled. "What are you doing here? Weren't you destroyed by Y/N?" Shuichi asked him. "Puhuhu. Of course, I was, however, I have been created yet again to give you guys a pleasant killing game... And I cannot rest in peace knowing my rival is still alive." Monokuma said as his red eye glowed showing that he was irritated, I slowly stepped out from beside Gonta, looking at Monokuma from below me. "S-So...we meet again." I told him, thinking about the most cliché book line by accident, I felt my heartbeat increase as I clenched onto my uniform with the hand I was previously clenching. "I suppose we do." Monokuma said, glaring back at me. "I want to make a deal with you." I told Monokuma. "Wait, Y/N what are you-" "Shush." I told Kaito. "Is that so? Normally I would just kill you quickly right here however just by that, you've piqued my interest. This must be a reeeal good one, I don't wanna have to kill you and make a mess, I'll give you 30 seconds, and remember...anything lower than AMAZING will get you killed quicker than you killed my poor cubs." Monokuma told me. 

"I wouldn't think anything but perfect...If you let me live alongside my friends, any new conditions or rules you want me to live by to make my life harder I will happily accept, if not...then you will risk me telling everyone the secret to the killing game and the outside world...defeating the entire purpose of finding the truth and making the killing game true havoc...as if it wasn't already." I quickly explained to Monokuma. "Hmm, what secret could ever put the killing game out of line, Y/N?" Monokuma asked me, I leaned in towards him, doing my best at ignoring the pain in my abdomen, once I was on a good level for Monokuma to hear me and no one else was able to listen in...I spoke. "If I told everyone exactly who was putting us through this hell...the mastermind, that wouldn't go so well...now would it, Monokuma?" I asked him, chuckling a little at the end but winced when I felt a pain shoot through my abdomen as I slowly picked myself up. "It would be a gamble on its own to let you survive and along with all the rules you broke, it goes extremely against them if I let you live, I don't have a rule in case someone survives their execution. Though...however making you live under special conditions would liven up the killing game greatly, it's been a long time since someone has survived their own execution, this is quite the troublesome situation you've put me into..." Monokuma said. "Just name any conditions you want me to live by during the killing game, breaking any of them...I will allow you to kill me soundly." I told him. "...Hmm, what do you swear by?" Monokuma asked me. "...My hatred for you and the killing game." I answered. "Then you may consider it a deal, I've already thought up these...special conditions." Monokuma laughed. "So...is Y/N gonna live?" Gonta asked me, I didn't look at him as I observed Monokuma closely, just in case he tried to pull anything. 

"If someone were to kill you, It'll be considered a free ticket into getting out of here, no trial or anything, that should keep you on your toes. Secondly, in making your life harder locks from your dorm and Ultimate lab will be taken away, and one more thing." Monokuma said, I just raised my eyebrow in interest, urging him to continue. "You won't be mouthing out a word to anyone about the secrets to the killing game, I have eyes everywhere, so don't think that I won't know if you have, so...shall we shake hands to further establish out agreement?" Monokuma asked me. "Don't touch me." I shot back angrily as I looked away, these agreements are basically the killing game on hard mode, nothing special, despite how injured my body is, I won't allow anyone to hurt me in any way, I trust everyone here to some extent, It's Kokichi that I'm worried about, despite how I feel about him I will not be discriminate, if anyone dares to touch me in a way I don't like I will twist their arm in such a way that they'll find that they can perfectly imitate anytime on the clock, no exceptions. 

I smiled to myself as I found that forcing myself to watch drama movies with my sister was able to make me think up my arguments in a logical manner, there's no need to be nervous around anyone anymore if I know that I'll always be better than them then I will be fine. "I agree to your terms...is that what you wanted to hear?" I asked Monokuma. "Close enough." Monokuma answered, still quite irritated that he was agreeing to such things out of fear that I'll tell everyone something that I don't even know myself, does he really think that I know who the mastermind is? Or perhaps he already knows that I'm bluffing and is just keeping me alive to liven up the killing game, however...I guess he's not willing to take that risk. "Also...for taking the lives of my darling cubs, you can also expect a tone of surprises at odd hours of the day." Monokuma added, I didn't feel like I needed to make him elaborate what he meant by 'surprises' most likely just some death traps set out for me to walk straight into, I guess if I broke several rules at once it would only be fair for Monokuma to break some himself. "Are you...really going to let Y/N live alongside us? Not like I'm against it! This is just surprising is all..." Tsumugi told Monokuma. "When you make a deal, you stick with it...even if the person making the deal is still a rule breaker that disobeyed the rules to the killing game." Monokuma said angrily. "That good...that Y/N staying with us." Gonta said calmly, as if he was holding his breath for a long while and finally coming up for air. "Don't get this twisted, I'm not happy to make a deal with you, I just can't risk you telling anyone something that should be kept a secret...Puhuhu. Now that we've gotten that taken care of. I've still got business with you guys." Monokuma said, ignoring me. 

"It's our 'prize,' right? Hurry up and give it to us." Maki told the bear. "Caaaaaan do!" Monokuma yelled enthusiastically. "...You're being awfully compliant." Kiibo pointed out to him. "Of course. I can't refuse you all, not when I'm all alone and outnumbered...thanks to a certain someone." Monokuma said. "...Outnumbered?" Kaito mumbled. "But I'm used to being alone. Back in the day, I was alone from start to finish... Anyway, here's your prize this time! You get two keys! This one is the last real key, and this one is the real last key!" Monokuma yelled as he held up two very different-looking keys. "W-Well, what's the difference!?" Himiko yelled at Monokuma. "Now then, go find the areas that these keys will unlock. See ya later! Bye-onara!" Monokuma yelled as he left the Dining Hall. "So what should we do about this new area?" Tsumugi questioned. "I think we should prioritize searching for that new area over searching for Kokichi. It likely contains a Flashback Light, and we may discover some new facts." Kiibo pointed out. "So you're saying humans are low priority... Typical for a bloodless, tearless, machine man." Himiko said as she pulled down her hat. "I'm...not sure we're close enough for you to be making jokes like that..." Kiibo sweat dropped. "...What do you want to do, Kaito?" Maki asked him. "I'm worried about Kokichi, but... There's no point worrying about him all the time. Alright! Our first priority is to solve the mystery of this academy! Let's investigate!" Kaito yelled. "Maybe Gonta can finally be helpful." Gonta said. "Alright... Ah, I'll hold on to that..." Shuichi stammered out, gesturing to the keys Kaito was holding. "Oh...that's right..." Kaito mumbled, without even meeting Shuichi's eyes he placed the key in his palm, I quietly sucked in my breath as the awkwardness of the situation seeped itself in my skin.

"Kaito? Shuichi? What's the matter? You both seem different today." Kiibo pointed out. "Perhaps we should just go already." I told everyone, trying to ignore the tense atmosphere. I followed everyone happily as I looked around the academy, it feels oddly refreshing to see these places again, of course, I'm not happy to be trapped at this academy...just happy that I'm not dead, although death was something that I've been wishing upon myself for some time now...I'm rather happy that it didn't work...although there's still that twinge of guilt, I will do my best to repent, for everyone still alive, I have to become the best version of myself...and for Kiyo, no more wishing for death for me. "Is Y/N okay to walk?" Gonta asked me. "O-Oh, yes of course I am!" I reassured Gonta, as I grew a little more nervous of his piercing eyes. I put my energy back into the atmosphere around me as I watched Shuichi stick a key into a door that slightly resembled one of a checkered pattern, revealing a long staircase on the other side, making me gulp in the realization that we would actually have to climb it to see what's fully on the other floor, I gripped at my abdomen as I trailed behind everyone as they climbed the staircase...well, everyone but Gonta who just insisted on carrying me, it got a little repetitive when I had to continue telling him that I was fine to climb in my own, even when I clearly wasn't. 

Once I did manage to climb to the top it felt like I had climbed all the way to the moon, I guess...I was feeling a little fatigued, I shouldn't worry about that, it most likely means I'm pushing myself a little too hard...nothing...big. "Phew...finally reached the top." Shuichi sighed. I looked around, there wasn't much to see really, all the absurdly long staircase showed us was a hallway that ended with a door, a door that was obviously just another Ultimate lab, Kaito's Ultimate lab no less. "Finally, it looks like my research lab!" Kaito yelled, startling me a little. "Kaito!?" Shuichi yelled. "Nyeeeh...those stairs were long and such a pain. I'm tired... Someone give me a piggyback ride." Himiko mumbled. "D-Did they make us climb all that for a single Ultimate Lab?" I questioned, a little annoyed. "What do you mean 'just'? This is the main stage, and it's finally being revealed!" Kaito yelled a little too enthusiastically for my liking. "I-I'm tired... Hey...someone...give me a piggyback ride." Himiko requested. "Gonta would give Himiko piggyback ride...just a little busy at moment." Gonta said. "I-If you being busy counts as you making sure I'm fine, you must be one of the least busy people I know." I told Gonta. "Anyway, let's go inside. There might be something useful in here...probably." Maki said. "What do you mean 'probably'!? It's gotta be full of super important stuff!" Kaito yelled, standing his ground in defending his already beloved Ultimate lab. "Hey! Isn't anyone gonna give me a piggyback ride!? Even Y/N would do!" Himiko yelled angrily. "You must be really desperate to have a heavily injured person carry you, ask someone else." I sighed. "If Y/N insist he fine, then...Gonta will happily carry Himiko." Gonta told the magician. "As reliable as ever, Gonta." Himiko said with a rather smug smile. "Ah, let's go inside then..." Shuichi sweat dropped, opening the door to the Ultimate lab. 

Once we were all inside and began to look around, Shuichi looked visibly upset that Kaito wouldn't look him in the eyes, I've read about these situations before...the characters interacting were always so awkward, however it's normal to argue with a friend...if they were truly friends then I'm sure Kaito will get over himself. "Hey Shuichi, apologies if I'm slowing down the investigation by trailing behind." I apologized to the detective. "Ah, no...don't apologize, overworking your body will probably only make your injuries open back up." Shuichi pointed out to me. "...Perhaps so, however I'm still not that fragile...you shouldn't have to hold up the investigation just to make me feel better." I said. "You say that...but you don't mean it, do you?" Shuichi asked me. "Hm?" I hummed in response. "Your face says it all, you look rather nervous." Shuichi said. "I-I guess I still haven't changed much...how troublesome, character development always looked so much easier on paper." I sighed, Shuichi just went his separate way, observing the different atmosphere of the place. Character development takes more time than I would like it to, even Himiko and Shuichi were able to change quicker than I did, oh to be the more mentally sound...speaking of Himiko, I turned my head to look at her, I should talk to her...no more being a coward, face your problems. I straightened my posture, took a deep breath, and walked toward her, my face betraying the confident look I was trying to go for. "How about you give me a piggyback ride on the way back down the stairs?" Himiko asked me, catching me off guard. "Uhm... D-Didn't Gonta already agree to give you one? I'm in no condition to be carrying anyone." I sweat dropped. "You said you wanted to repent, didn't you? Then this is your chance to prove to me that you're not just a lonely person, so lonely that you'll be lonely in your next eight lives." Himiko told me. "...So basically, you just want me to be your servant?" I questioned Himiko, sweat dropping, before she could answer me I quickly walked away from her, at least as quickly as I could walk without damaging my body. 

I made my way towards the cockpit of the spaceship. "It looks rather nice..." I mumbled. "It's pretty cool! Perfect for my research lab!" Kaito yelled. "You can operate this? I mean, it's probably just a simulator, but..." Himiko mumbled. "Yeah...I've never even seen this machine, but I've trained with something like it... Well, I guess it'll all work out!" Kaito yelled. "What reckless confidence... I don't want to be in a vehicle you're driving now..." I mumbled tiredly. "But, wow. Is this really a simulator? I feel like it's too elaborate... Nah, no way it's real. I mean, what would it even operate?" Kaito questioned. "They made us climb all those stairs, just for a room that looks like a playground... I feel like this was a huge waste of time, but let's look around for anything useful." Maki told me once I had finally made my way towards her after talking with Kaito and Himiko however just as I was about to let her be I heard something shift behind me. "Oh... Hey. Come look at this." Maki told me. "Is...something the matter?" I asked her, watching as Shuichi walked towards the both of us. "I found this in the back..." Maki told both Shuichi and I as she took a semi-large file. "What is this? A file?" Shuichi questioned, I took the file from Maki's hands and looked at the front page. "The... Gofer Project?" I mumbled in confusion. Countries worked from all around the world to create a meteorite defense plan. However none of us can remember the details of such an event happening...there is no solid proof of any of this happening anyway, if everyone does find out the secret of the outside world...they must be reminded that this is all information from the mastermind, a cheap way to get us to cave in, my sister was not the kind of person to fall from something like this, not even from meteorites, until I find solid evidence that the world has ended, I will continue to cling onto my theory that everything is fine...I just can't believe something so big happened to the world.

"So...does the file have any information about the project...?" Shuichi asked me, I looked up to see everyone standing in front of me. "So what does it say!?" Himiko asked me. "Give me a few seconds." I replied as I opened the file, quickly reading through the words. 

"The Gofer Project. The last hope to save humanity from the disaster raining down from space. Burdened with this imperative project are boys and girls of exceptional talent. That is the purpose of the Gofer Project." I read out loud. 

"W-Well...what about the rest of it? What's it say!?" Kaito yelled at me. "Don't tease us! Just say it already!" Himiko told me, I mumbled something about manners before flipping the file over,