✦ Fashion Disaster! ✦

It started off with a single notification: a missed call from Megumi Ugumori. Their band’s bassist. The ping started Kagemori initially, as they hadn’t heard their phone go off in months,

Then another notification: a missed call from Kagemori’s mother.

As those who were alive left Hope’s Peak’s Most Excellent returned to civilization (and therefore, cell reception), Kagemori’s phone pinged with the soon uncountable number of missed call and text notifications. Worried messages from his bandmates, less personal tweets from fans on social media, business emails from booked venues booked inquiring if Deadman’s Party would be canceling their tour performances.

Most were ignored for now, that was a shitshow they could deal with later. Leaning a bit more against E.ve’s shoulder with a weary sigh, Kagemori returns their most recently missed video call. A white haired girl picks up the phone almost immediately, suspicious until she studies Kagemori’s face for a few tense, quiet seconds. Her sudden sobs likely disturbed everyone within earshot.

“You look like shit, hun!!”

“…thanks, Megumi…”

When the visual kei artist made the trip back to Tokyo, his bandmates were there to meet him. Blue, white, and brown hair joined Kagemori’s own purple in a group hug that threatened to topple them over. One misstep and suddenly Kagemori’s stumbling over Gou’s platform sneakers, Katsa’s laughing warmly and Megumi’s voluminous skirts cushion their descent to the concrete. Deadman’s Party is reunited and crying together on the pavement. No one’s mascara made it out untouched, but tears were dried in order to introduce the person somehow still holding Kagemori’s hand. It was, of course, E.ve. Who may have been fidgeting silently throughout the whole reunion. 

Breathless and smiling, Kagemori inhales to give E.ve some sort of introduction - Katsa and Megumi were looking at their joined hands expectantly - but first, the drummer (tiny terror that Gou is) blurts out something abruptly: 

“Arent’cha that one streamer guy?”

Considering everything that happened, Kagemori was initially hesitant to leave E.ve’s side for very long - what if this was a dream? What if they woke up back in Mirai.co’s clutches - one or both of them dead? It was obvious both of them needed some time to heal from the horrors of the mutual killing game, both in the physical and mental sense. So, after a quick post on social media explaining that they were fine and that Deadman’s Party would be postponing their tour for about a year, Kagemori went quiet on the public front for a bit. The prying questions were just… something Kagemori couldn’t face immediately. After a trip to get snacks and, perhaps, medical attention… rom-coms, cheesy vampire movies, and as many blankets as Kagemori could carry were then brought to E.ve’s apartment. The two of them holed up there for a bit, trying to feel ok again after… everything. Twilight and cuddles helped.

After some time, he would take E.ve (who would later just go by Eve) on an actual first date. Then a second, then a third. The two bros could be spotted raising hell on Dance Dance Revolution mats across Tokyo, splitting high scores across every arcade while shooting each other absolutely sappy glances. Saying that he made Kagemori’s heart sing wasn’t an overstatement. They helped keep each other stable in the time after the killing game… and Kagemori helped Eve through his confession to his fans and in finding out who he was outside of speedrunning games. 

Kagemori would visit their mother when they were ready. They chose not to mention the threat on her life that the first motive presented, as they still… had no idea how to sort through why she was targeted instead of their bandmates. To avoid their step-father, most of Kagemori’s time at home was spent with his younger half-brother. Their one-sided sibling rivalry seemed stupid now, so maybe Kagemori could start letting go of their jealousy.

It was for the best that their mother no longer represent them, at least as their band’s manager. That was one decision they’d thought about in the long weeks of captivity.

They had made some mistakes in the first 19 years of their life, but the effects of the fifth motive (reliving a night they’d rather forget) made them realize saving their fellow ex-gang member was not one of them. Staying out of touch with them WOULD be a mistake, so they’d take the first possible opportunity to visit a small farm in Osaka. Maybe Oleander would still want to see them, even after Kagemori had distanced themself from everyone to save their reputation.

They kept their word. Kagemori helped out with the reserve course protests as much as their body would allow, yelling themself hoarse while standing, hip cocked, in the front of picket lines. They were never one to be shy about fighting for the causes they believed in, so when Hope’s Peak’s president to hear out their demands… well, they felt a bit of smug satisfaction. But the voice in their head undermined the protest’s success with whispers of, “how many reserve course students lead to the killing game?” Perhaps it was a good thing they graduated that year. 

At some point during Kagemori’s time recovering from the killing game, they went on a short trip to Gwangju. They wished it was under better circumstances, but Mickey had promised to show them around. The promise felt more bittersweet now. Kkwaegori-kun the stuffed duck made the trip as well, but Kagemori decided to ultimately keep him.

They drew the line at wearing clear jeans in her honor because they were, in Kagemori’s mind, a crime against fashion. So were speedos, but… Still, Kagemori would make sure everyone remembered Kyung Min “Mickey” Oh and her work.

More than a year after the escape from Hope’s Peak’s Most Excellent: a promotional video posted to the Deadman’s Party social media page. Beginning immediately, all across Japan: The Phoenix Tour. Aptly named, as many critics speculated that the “kidnapping” crisis would end the band’s career. The highs and lows of the past two years were the perfect musical drive, so the band hit the road. With… one roadie even their bassist had grown accustomed to: Eve had shotgun now. Not that anyone minded too much, four was the perfect number to play Mario Party while Kagemori drove.

The tour went better than anyone could have expected, especially after the tragedy at HPME. Kagemori truly came alive onstage, aloof persona slipping away as they hit high notes and death drops. They were the now former SHSL Visual Kei Artist for a reason, as anyone with a ticket could see. Given the success of Deadman’s Party’s tour, the band had a bright future ahead of them.

Over time, Kagemori would be more comfortable being public about their relationship with their boyfriend. It wasn’t Eve - not at all. Kagemori’s first relationship was based on a secret, having it exposed almost ended their career. Their second: a publicity stunt, a lie that became too comfortable. The visual kei artist was hesitant sharing details at first, not wanting anyone else sticking their nose in their relationship. But… as apprehension wore off, so did Kagemori’s aversion to public displays of affection. They were happy and everyone should know, damnit! Only idols had to worry about their fans getting upset by that stuff, so Kagemori considered his bandmates  yelling “GET A ROOM!” at him to be character development.

The two were kicked out of many couples cooking classes in their attempts to learn how to make something that wasn’t cup ramen. Eventually, Kagemori got the hang of it. Kind of.

…but what of their relationships with their classmates?

Kagemori still reached out to Hinata sometimes, texting her his increasingly less clumsy attempts at sewing stuffed animals. The visual kei artist hoped she could be a better friend to Red than he could, at the very least. They’d ask for updates, hoping he was doing better but not pushing it further.

Reiko Eigawa… was someone Kagemori genuinely wanted the best for, as she was one of the many victims of Mirai.co’s schemes but one of the few they got to know better than others. They, at some point in transit back to civilization, asked about the ring that rightfully belonged to her. She had someone waiting for her on the outside, after all. Someone that would have appreciated her no matter how she came home, whether that was flesh and blood, a giant robotic mantis, or somewhere in-between. 

Of course, they kept in touch. Kagemori was happy for Reiko when, some time in the future, a ring remained on her finger. They weren’t often one for romance usually (says one half of the only endgame class ship), but the visual kei artist would insist on meeting the blonde journalist that she went on about. They had bad experiences with such people, but perhaps the love of his Reiko’s life would be an exception.

And there was the matter of Ubatsi - no, Kunie Sasamoto. The measurements had to be altered significantly, as Kunie now had lost two arms and gained a bit in height after being de-robofied, but Kagemori finally made them the leather jacket that they’d sketched before Riko’s death. Sometimes, the two of them would get together to sew and catch up (because Kagemori’s delinquent days were now, pointedly, behind them). Ultimately, Kagemori was happy that they’d get a second shot at life with their sister… and they’d hope to whatever god was out there that Kunie wouldn’t do anything shady and reckless. The shadows they’d seen during the final motive motivated them to keep a watchful eye.

Kunie and Riko had tickets to their tour whenever they wanted, wherever they wanted. That courtesy was extended to any of HMPE’s victims that they were, at least, on friendly terms with. Unfortunately, some bridges were burned in the killing game’s final moments.

They would never truly like Preston, not at this point. An understanding was reached between them before the mastermind trial, but it turned stale in the aftermath. However, Preston was important to Eve. Kagemori would respect that and, at the very least, be courteous to the one who helped Atsuko’s scheming. Maybe forgiveness could come some day, but it wouldn’t come nearly as quickly as Eve’s had. Especially not if Preston was still half-pining over Eve, Kagemori did have eyes after all. 

Their friendship with Atsuko Fujimoto, at least the one they thought they knew until the mastermind trial, was left behind at HPME: a dress design hastily torn out of a notebook and left in a trash can. Her influence on Kagemori lingered in the songs they would write in the months after the killing game… not that they would ever give her the satisfaction of knowing that.

Ultimately, Kagemori wasn’t the same person they were before Hope’s Peak’s Most Excellent. Kagemori Kanta was now far from an island, as they actually had a few friends (and in one case, much more than a friend) that were outside their band.

Change was a constant fixture of life, artificial or otherwise. In one moment, you can feel like you’re satisfied with everything you’ve already done in life, but in the next you’d realize that it has only been the first peak of your life so far, and there’s always room for more to come.

In the months that followed, that was the perception that followed one Kazunari ‘Kaz’ Aikawa as the paramedic returned to working life in the public service sector. To the surprise of many, however, the blonde soon announced his intentions of giving up his career as a full-time EMT, citing physical trauma that he had been subjected to over the course of their imprisonment in the confines of the Hope’s Peak’s Most Excellent modelling agency. It didn’t mean he would be stepping out of healthcare forever, as instead, he would now be pushing his focus towards developing robotics in field medicine, working closely with former ex-SHSL Social Roboticist Mina Choi to further research into intelligent prosthetics.

In a way, things certainly seemed to work out in the end. The prodigal child who inherited the legacies of his parents had finally found what many thought was his true calling in life, and as Kazunari slowly made his way to the forefront of the research facility that he had pioneered, he also demonstrated his first prototype: the orthopaedic “roboots” that gave him the ability to walk again in just no time at all after months of self-confinement to a wheelchair for recovery. Thus, the opening of Aikawa Biosynthetics went off without a hitch, though it would be amiss to say that no one noticed the subtle, miniscule changes.

Casual observers noted that Kazunari seemed more ill at ease and sickly lately than he had in many previous appearances and interviews. It was quite plausible, even pitiable; given what the students of the illustrious academy had suffered, it did look like the effects of the tragedy had finally caught up and taken its toll on the prodigy’s health, both physical and mental. Prayers and gifts came in large supply, wishing the ex-paramedic good fortune in his pursuits, and soon enough the hype died down, as most things not affecting the zeitgeist tended to.

Observant individuals noticed something else, though there was little they could do about it. Within the sea of tabloids and theories emerged a post that gained some traction, hinting that this Kazunari Aikawa was not the man he purported to be. After all, it was a tad bit convenient that a pair of contact lenses could have hidden his blue eyes for so long, or that press photos of the day after the students were freed showed that there had been absolutely no sign of the purported physical trauma he had supposedly endured in HPME. Whispers that his retirement came from being unable to keep up the duplicity or that the Aikawa family had paid someone else to do what their son could not, but ultimately nothing bore fruit. After all, it had been on public record that Kazunari Aikawa had been quite alive for the last eighteen, almost nineteen active years of his life. How could someone so prolific simply be replaced all of a sudden?

And those of you who know this man to be a stranger, also know why he’s standing in the podium spot where your old friend, nemesis, classmate and EMT was supposed to be. For all intents and purposes, it seemed like KZA mdl 005 “Zaizen”, otherwise better known as ‘Kaz’, had disappeared. Because it was almost like the android had never existed in the first place.

Almost.

“Anything to declare, mister-?”

“Aizawa.” The man confidently replied. “Suzukaze Aizawa. But please, call me Kaz. I’m here with my colleagues from work to enjoy a holiday. Is that enough of a declaration for you?”

The customs officer stared at him. He stared back at her, smiling indulgently. Eventually she caught on that he’d been joking and rolled her eyes. “Please step through the metal detector.”

Where he would have once made an apologetic excuse and subjected himself to a pat down, Kaz instead strode forward and collected his luggage on the other side of the conveyor belt without being stopped. Patting down his new hoodie to make sure all of his personal effects were in order, he combed a hand through his platinum-blonde hair, making sure not to disturb the new perm too much. A splash of freckles and turquoise eyeshadow accentuated the rest, and to those not in the know, it was hard to connect the dots between the ex-EMT and the Biosynthetic Humanoid model that he had requested to be transferred into half a year ago. 

Despite his initial uncertainties at propagating the same technology that led to the deaths of half of his classmates (temporary or otherwise) Kaz had come around to the idea eventually, once Mina and Midori reassured him it was now benign. Part of the decision had been made due to the convenience it would bring him; the other part came from the need to disappear as soon as his benefactors realized their son was waking up from his minimally-conscious state.

And yet, some things would continue to remain the same. As the amber-eyed android smiled at nothing in particular, Kaz waited as the rest of his colleagues - an unlikely bunch of people if the rest of the crowd staring and whispering had anything to say about it - followed suit into the lobby of the cruise ship. “You know, Detective, I think that’s a very bold way of announcing your re-engagement to the rest of the world.” He laughed, noting the ring she was wearing. “Please accept my congratulations - again - and I wish you both all the best in life and love.”

The person being referenced, having been searching through her bag as she waited for the others to make it through, quirked an eyebrow. A petite but firmly intimidating young woman brushed a longer lock of her hair cropped hair behind her ear as her fingers ghosted the ring decorated with a bird and germanic phrasing. 

“I thought you would have gathered th’ I don’t care what the world thinks, only what she does. I was going to propose but… well. Literally, it's better late than never?”

With an amused tut and sly twinkle in her emerald eyes, Reiko Eigawa placed her other hand in her pocket and stood. It was visually impossible now to link the woman before the former EMT to the terrifying mantisdroid once prowling the rooms of the modelling agency.

“Can’t be criminal to think I have the most beautiful partner in the world, hm? But I think we need a bit more healing before we seriously make any plans like that.” She rolls and cracks her wrist. “‘M just just glad I could get some time off so early.”

“You and me both, Eigawa-san. You and me both.” He chuckles as he goes over to help Senda with their new suitcase. Technology certainly had moved on a little since all of them had been inside the agency for so long, but they could also move with technology as it came to pass. 

Plus these luggage bags came sponsored courtesy of Koharu. While he didn’t keep in touch with many of his other classmates - understandably so, given the events that had transpired over the final trial - she’d been one of the few exceptions, and he had even volunteered to work for her and her archaeological crew as an on-scene medic once his mandatory holiday was well and truly over, whenever that ended up being.

He hoped things were okay with her, and resolved to check in with the Onowai family… later. Vacation first.

A couple of hours later found them all on the deck, lounging in chairs and finding things to do while relaxing under the sun. Talking was a free action, and there was much of it to go around. “It’s still kind of amusing, actually,” Kaz admitted. “I’ve spent so long focused on doing my job that I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do now that I’ve been effectively retired. You asked me on the way here why I booked this trip in particular, and to be honest… would you accept the explanation that it was literally the first search result on ‘vacation spots to take your friends’?”

Looking over from the side, a tall person with an undershave and ash brown hair tied off in a bun glanced at Kaz from over their sunglasses. As they spoke, their drawl mixed with franco-undertones came as familiar as it always had.

“Hmmm~ Well it’s pretty nice all things considerin’. So yeah, I think I’d take that explanation. Sounds like a very… you sort’ve idea. It’s cute!”

The entity once known as Selene, now undertaking the name Alycia Selena Pageau in her return to the living world, winked cheekily at the fellow android. They had kept their height and generally athletic stature, but a new addition of freckles peppered their nose and cheeks. Their personality and memories, however, remained intact throughout the process.

From the railing, the detective coolly looked over her shoulder with a chuckle.

“It’s not bad at all… leagues better than what I would’ve done, clearly. I don’t know about you two-?” Her attention was directed to the other two people sitting at the lounge chairs.

One of them, a taller individual in sunglasses and a hat, tilted the brim in acknowledgement. 

“It is my imperative that this was handled as best as it was. The odd drama came about here and there but oth- indeed.”

Helios, or Bartholomew Arseneau I, nodded back. His own body was every bit as wiry as it once was, albeit mechanical, and his hair was back to its natural black and was pulled over his shoulder in a short ponytail.

“This is far better than whatever was before. All of that pressure, ‘tcha! The world will know of my greatness once more. Is that not right, Senda?”

Sitting with their arms folded, the last person to speak had taken a while to formulate what it was they wanted.

“....Had… no other idea where to go, so… it is good, ah… yes.”

The figure formerly known as Kumi Asashima retained the same bone-white skin from prior, but their hair was cut in a sweeping black bob, retaining its natural curliness. The formal clothes from before were shed, and in their place was a collared shirt and skirt. 

“Yes. It is good. My… ah, siblings would think so. I wish they would have come, yes, ever since we reunited… a shame.”

Remembering their manners, they caught themself.

“That is not to say that I am ungrateful. I am.”

The ex-paramedic nodded back, not at all insulted. "Sorry I didn't take the initiative to invite them too, but I think they understand why it's just us five."

“See, Kazzie? There’s nothin’ you need t’ worry about.” The demigirl moved to sit next to Kaz, nudging his side playfully. However, they also caught a glimpse of something further in his expression and frowned. “You okay?”

He nodded slowly. “Yeah... I do have to talk to you about something privately though. Do you want to get something to drink at the bar?” He asked Alycia, getting up from the lounge chair. “It’s about… you know.”

“Ah… Yeah. Right.” Frankly, they had been quietly wondering that for the last few months - but with all of the adjustments it took to return to the outside world, it had admittedly fallen a bit off of the former circus performer’s mind. Standing up, they offered their hand to him.

“I’ll lead the way.”

As they both made their way over, Kaz thought about exactly what he wanted to say to them. It was hard enough trying to process emotions as a creation of artificial intelligence, but now, in a body where both heart and mind were real, living tissue and thus the feelings that came with it were quite real too? It was nerve-wracking, to say the least… but he’d risen to the challenge before, and he’d do it again to finally settle things once and for all.

“I have a crush on you.” 

Before Alycia can respond, he lowers his head to hide the extremely embarrassed expression that reddens his face. “That was probably too direct, sorry, but it’s the truth. I tried looking up explanations online for all of these confusing emotions I’ve had over the course of the last few months that we’ve known each other and every single one has pointed me in this direction. Koharu also had a hand in it admittedly, but you don’t have to humour me for it though, Alycia. Barty and you have only just started getting a grip on your new lives and settling things from your old lives and… there’s a lot of it to take in already and deal with from there.” 

Kaz peeks in from between his fingers, shielding a good portion of his face but maintaining a sliver of eye contact because he wants them to know he means it. “But I also want to be part of that life with you too. And regardless of your response, you’re still one of my best friends, and that also means I’ll respect how you feel about it and have your back all the same. Just… please tell me whether or not I might even have a chance?”

It’s actually kind of endearing to see Kaz this unconfident, as I imagine the other would agree. 

Sure enough, throughout all of this, the taller figure had developed a dumb grin on their face. It was that smitten sort of smile that pulled through when you watched someone you cared for ramble through something they cared about; or, in this case, finally trying to understand the feelings he was never supposed to comprehend in the first place.

It was a proud smile just as much as it was tender.

Reaching out, Alycia’s palm rested on the outside of the EMT’s fingers currently obscuring his reddened cheeks. Letting out a warm chuckle from their bar stool, they tilted their head to match their blue eyes to his as they gently pushed aside his own hand. Alycia’s smile settled to something softer by the time they spoke.

“Son rougeur est très mignon, Kazzie.” She hummed and brought her other hand up to cup his face gently before planting a quick peck to the blonde’s cheek and resting their foreheads together. “Though… I’m sorry y’were the last to realize.”

Yes, Selene had always been able to tell. Some parts of their memories from early in their revival as the flighty robot, as well as aspects of the so called ‘hostage situation’, had blurred. But somehow, the time spent with Kaz managed to remain crystal clear throughout the transitional process.

“Well considerin’ how ya met me, I didn’t see you at the time as someone I could care about beyond a friend… but I thought I told you somethin’ back before that final trial. I said that I wanted t’ be in yer life after all of it, right? Or, I at least tried to probably. ‘Cause I realized I was mortified of stoppin’ existing, but also to stop seein’ Helios, an’ the other bots… and you.”

Yes it felt sappy, almost painfully so if they were to be honest with themself. But, they felt they had a right to be after literally fighting their way back from death, in a strange way.

“...I wanna finally live a life again, Kazzie. I want t’ experience all of the things I was robbed of back then with these new eyes, new identity, an’ some new friends… you helped me get here. You didn’t give up on us or toss us away.” Alycia pulls their forehead away an inch or two, if only to wink at Kaz. “If I didn’t have ya in my life, I’d feel pretty damn robbed.” They chuckle. “Course I feel the same way, but I wasn’t gonna push when you were still figurin’ out yerself - and, y’know, I wasn’t exactly human lookin’... But, if that’s how ya feel? Well… That makes me real happy~”

If Kaz had been red before, he positively flared up when they pecked him on the cheek. It was reminiscent of a machine overheating, but instead of liquid latex and electricity it was bright, scarlet blood that rushed his head. Had he still been an android, perhaps he could’ve blown steam out the side of his ears, but instead he listens as they continue, and at the end, begin to try and utter a few words. “I… Oh… You mean… I was… W… Huh…”

He stops, shaking his head wildly. “...I’m sorry, I’m normally much more verbose than this, but I can’t believe… Was I… really that oblivious? I mean… Oh… So that’s what Koharu-san meant.” Kaz pauses, before sighing happily. “I guess my system’s caught a love bug after all. And it’s making me both dumb and very, very gay. I could attempt to run diagnostics on it, but I think… Well, I know I’d like to keep it close. Just like I would, uh, like to keep you close too.”

That last comment causes him to bow down so that Alycia can’t see the look of pure shame on his face once he realizes he said that aloud. “...I’m still learning the whole ‘flirting’ bit, sorry.” He mumbles something under his breath, running his hands through his hair awkwardly and trying to psych himself up to say it out loud. 

Eventually, he looked up with a smile plastered over his face, and moved to hold their hands. “I just… Cripes, it’s embarrassing to say it out loud, but I’m going to try, so… well, I love you. And I’ve apparently had the biggest crush on you for some time now so if you would have me, I’d love to be your boyfriend, Alycia. Please go out with… me…?”

While the moment was tender, and the taller of the pair seemed thoroughly endeared to the boy’s stuttering, they sat themself down on a nearby chair so Kaz didn’t have to crane his neck for the nearly one foot height difference.

“I think you could guess the answer t’ that, mon choupinet~” Coy as ever, they hum and give a little tug to pull the retired EMT closer for a proper hug this time. Quietly, they revel in the fact that they could actually wrap their arms around him now - unlike before.

His arms wrap around them too as a hundred little Kazzies squeed in unison within his mind, while yet more tap-danced away in his stomach. It was all he could do to keep a serene smile on his face, all the while resisting the urge to giggle like a ten-year-old or ask them to please call him more pet names. Something gnawed at his subconscious that maybe that was not the right thing to ask in public with little kids watching.

So instead he simply basks in the sensation for however long he can attempt to hold it for. Suzukaze ‘Kaz’ Aizawa was most definitely on cloud nine, and wasn’t planning on leaving it.

Having finally found it acceptable to sit, Reiko had made sure she was facing out towards the passing crowd, and was naturally first to catch the other two returning from the bar. While the woman didn’t say anything, the pair was given a knowing glance before she finally peeled her wary eyes off of the strangers mulling to peruse the novel she had brought.

Bartholomew glanced back too, eyes widened. There was a brief moment where his eyes downcasted, before he chuckled. 

As it should have been.

“I see you have a fine catch! Keep her well, or I will be most displeased.”

“My pleasure, though let’s be real. She’s the one keeping me.”

“Th’ both of you are weird.”

Kaz looked back upon the horizon, and kept his gaze on the clear azure sky. While the internal decision remained invisible to all but the mechanical mind that made it, he envisioned cutting the final threads that tied him down to his old life away, and setting free the kite that flew high. No longer did he have to worry about maintaining the identity of someone he now considered a friend and brother, or worry about disappearing once his purpose was fulfilled.

It was time to assert his own identity and find a new purpose in life. Kaz was here to stay.

“Come to think of it.” The thought came to him as the cruise docked, and he turned to Reiko. “Wasn’t Jiang-san supposed to come on this vacation too? I wonder why she turned it down...”

It was at this moment that the television screens around the cruise sprang to life. A beautiful grey-haired woman with rabbit ears and a handsome blond man in a half-mask turned to face the camera, smiling as they greeted the inbound passengers from the pier.

“Welcome to the Crescent Moon Hotel and Resort!” The pair declared. “We hope you enjoy your stay here, esteemed guests!”

Koharu remains at Hope's Peak. Not for any sentimental reason, nor for any reason of belonging. She stays for the logical reason: She came here because it was the best chance at finishing High School. And at the similarly she realized that thinking about it, graduating at Hope's Peak was basically the same as getting a degree in whatever field your talent fell into. So she forced herself to work through it, and eventually graduated.

Moving forward, she went to as an Archaeologist intern for her mother, Seiko Onowai, and though she did her best and was successful, it wasn't the same talent she had gotten herself into before, and no, it wasn't about it being work and not a passion anymore. She was depressed.

After the rally at Hope's Peak, everything kind of hit Koharu at once. For all her mother knew for sure, her daughter had had a bad breakup. Hanzo was the only one that knew the truth behind the killing game. And as much as she wanted to talk about it, she couldn't. She had promised. She had joined in on the idea she had previously been so against. What kind of justice was this?

There were only two people from the mutual killing game that Koharu kept in contact with: Kaz, under his new identity, and Mina. The only friends she still felt she had. Koharu invited Kaz to work on her Archaeological team once she had finally come into the field in full. There was always room for a trained medic. She had extended the invitation to Mina as well who had declined, but offered to make AI for them to make their jobs easier and safer, which Koharu happily accepted.

Years later, Seiko bought Koharu tickets to a concert, in an attempt to help her daughter out of this depression that she knew she could never know the full story behind. She respected Koharu's privacy, and helped in the only ways she knew how: Vacation time, and something to help take her mind off of things that wasn't raiding Auntie Reilia's wine cabinet. While not excited at first, Koharu agreed that she needed something and went to the concert. It was there that she met a girl, a foreigner, so passionate and excited about the music and Japan that Koharu realized what she had lost.

Once out, Preston had no desire to return to Hope's Peak. After all, it was no secret that he had helped the "evil" Atsuko carry out her plans, and even if no one blamed him for it, he was still grappling with how much he had thrown himself into his role, when maybe he could have tried something different. There were simply too many secrets to be kept from the prying eyes of hundreds of students who were most closely tied to the incident. Plus, he was sure there were a few people who would be uncomfortable encountering him in their daily life if they were to return to the school, and it would be unfair to put that on them when he didn't really care that much about going.

Upon returning home, his family, distraught with worry, welcomed him with tears. His sister, Charmayne, had stayed at home with them, too anxious for his safety, and had put her musical career on hiatus. Even his older brothers, who had been away for years, had returned to comfort their grieving parents. Preston developed a newfound appreciation for his family, who he had so callously expected to leave him behind. However, coward that he was, he never explained his true role in the incident to any of them. After some deliberation, the family all agreed to move back to Singapore to escape the ever-present eyes of the Japanese press.

With Atsuko in prison, he had to figure out his mess alone. Preston began visiting his local church daily, trying to find answers. After months and even a couple of years had passed, he began to deliberate going to university for religious studies. However, after all he had been through, returning to any institution of education frightened him too much.

Since the incident, Preston remained in constant contact with Atsuko, whenever he had the opportunity. He would write letters explaining what he was doing, how he was getting along, his deepest fears and moral quandaries. Though she was as annoying as ever in her replies, he knew that she needed his help. Perhaps, rather than trying to repent for his sins at the church, what he needed to do was try and help the one person he knew he could. For that reason, after two years, Preston decided to move back to Tokyo.

He and E.ve spoke regularly over instant messaging while he lived in Singapore. When he moved back to Japan, Preston began spending more time with him in person. He needed E.ve; he loved his forgiveness, his patience, his ability to provide his life with a little bit of fun. And the normal, dorky kind of fun, not the crazy, what-the-fuck fun that he got from Atsuko's morbid jokes and teasing. However, he knew that there was nothing he could really do to make it up to him. There would always be some strain there, some sense that Preston never really deserved the other's company. But it was okay. E.ve had other people in his life to make him happy, and Preston was content with that, and just seeing him every so often.

Now living on his own, Preston, after spending much of his past few years in solitude, made some attempts at connecting with others. Others who had nothing to do with the craziness his life had been ever since he had decided to apply to that stupid magazine. People who perhaps knew his face from a news article, but didn't care, knew not to trust the media when the man right before them was seemingly pleasant and unassuming.

He would be offered onigiri by the old woman who lived on the bottom floor. He would tutor his neighbor's child in cello playing, free of charge, and they would give him flowers in exchange sometimes. He would meet eyes with a stranger and realize that they knew him, and he would lament that he had not yet disappeared into obscurity. He would go to clubs where people would get drunk and loud, and he would not really fit in but people would try to include him, and he would end up kissing people and sometimes get their number, though he would always chicken out after the second or third date because his concept of romance was pretty fucked up from still being kind of in love with two other people, one of whom was in prison and who he expected to pop out of the bushes at any moment and cause him to die young from heart attack.

After five years, paralyzed with indecision and confusion about what to do with his life, Preston had achieved very little. He had friends, but he could not connect with them fully. He played his cello, but he always remained at the same level of skill. He had no motivation to go back to school or try and find a job; his family paid for his lifestyle, out of pity for what they thought he had gone through. He was always waiting, waiting for Atsuko, hoping that helping her would provide his life with some meaning, and dreading that it might actually not.

He had wanted a life where everyone would know him, but now, it was for all the wrong reasons. And there was no way to undo that, not with any amount of musical ability.

That was when Atsuko was released from jail. Preston hadn't even heard of the news before she and E.ve arrived outside of his front doorstep.

In cheerleading outfits. With pompoms.

[ It’s finally the end, everyone! After many months of turmoil, heartbreak, and triumph within the gory and glittering walls of Hope’s Peak’s Most Excellent - you’ve finally earned your freedom! The class, alongside the many others who fell victim to MirAi.co, have finally been liberated and are slowly trying to find a sense of normalcy...

But how do they go about it?

Rather than tell you what your ocs do with their newfound freedom (and, in some cases, returned lives), we have decided to let you tell the rest of their story! Do they continue to work on their talent and bud into their field? Do they become recluse and hide away from the public eye? Do they start their life all over again, trying to get away from the pain of his endeavor? Do they start families? Schools? Charities? Crime Organizations?

It’s up to you!

You all may now send in a submission to the blogs telling the tale of your unfortunate model post their time at Hope’s Peak’s Most Excellent! If you have any questions, you can always direct them towards the mod team or a fellow player for something more character-specific.

Both Living and Deceased Players may send in Epilogue Submissions

The mods will also be posting NPC epilogues at the end of the submission period, as well as some possible surprises. Either way, thank you for your support all these months!

With love,]

“And that is why we must join together in unity for a better world. It is not the fate of the nation that should rest exclusively on the shoulders of the students of Hope’s Peak, but the Reserve Course as well. We pledge to give further funding and attention to these other students and recognize them as just as valuable as any other attendee of Hope’s Peak Academy.”

The address rang out across a packed auditorium somewhere on the grounds of Hope’s Peak, all of whom had gathered in response to the acquisition by the headmaster to the students’ demands for change. 

“Now, to address questions about the nature of the abduction of the Hope’s Peak’s Most Excellent students. Atsuko Fujimoto, a student who assumed the title of Scholastic Ambassador, was the primary force behind the hostage situation. Fujimoto had forced Preston Ng, a cellist and captive, to work for her own benefit. She had others aiding her, but the information is being held for now for privacy reasons.”

Gasps of shock came from some of the crowd, while others were silent. They knew.

“This situation has been handled. Do not worry, there is no danger. In related news, agents have discovered that the CEO of Hope’s Peak’s Most Excellent was involved in illicit activities involving bribery and collusion with mirAI Company, a corporation discovered to be involved in confidential experimentation deemed as attempted crimes against humanity - including several counts of murder on no disclosed victims. The CEO, Youji Fen, had been living under an assumed alias and used several more, but has since been tracked down and arrested.”

Another pause.

“Additional benefactors taken into custody are Katsuko and Satoshi Shiroyama, Asaka Itomura, Akinori Fukuda, Kimiki and Otarou Asashima, and Huang Xiaozhu. Rest assured that they will face trial. Many workers complicit in company activities have also been brought to justice. Additionally, Keiko Kimura, Riko da Silva, and Mina Choi, members of Hope’s Peak’s Most Excellent, have agreed to stand trial. There is no set date for when this will happen, but they will be privatized. No further information will be released at the present.”

Somewhere else…

“My name is Riko da Silva, and I have worked as a professional whistleblower. I am aware that you have brought on further contacts who may corroborate the story that I acted as an employee of Hope’s Peak’s Most Excellent in an attempt to conduct an investigation into potential crimes, and have collected files and evidence in the process.”

A tall woman, world-weary, said her piece to an awaiting courtroom. 

“My sibling, Kunie Sasamoto, was also involved in the investigation process. I am aware that they may be present to offer further testimony. In the process, I became a firsthand witness to the crimes of this woman, Ailani Fan. She performed experimentation on multiple unwilling test subjects in what amounted to murder.”

The judge leaned forward and nodded his head. 

“If the next witness would rise to the stand.”

Slowly a young woman toting a cane and stark white lab coat is escorted into the room. With a small white fox in tow, marked with a service animal vest, the newest witness is sworn in before settling carefully into the stand. The judge studies the the newest addition as a well-dressed lawyer approaches.

“Witness, would you care to introduce yourself to the court and state your purpose?”

“O-Of.. course. Yes.”

A hand alights to the scientist’s chest as she scans the room.

“My name is Mina Choi and I am a practiced social roboticist, previous employee of Huang Xiaozhu, a-and an alumni of Hope’s Peak Academy. I have come to claim my witness to the workings of Hope’s Peak’s Most Excellent’s Modelling Agency and MirAI.co.”

A well-dressed lawyer steps forward to give the witness a small bow before speaking.

“Ms.Choi, is it true that you have agreed to testify against Ailani Fan of MirAi.co while claiming innocence of intentional involvement within their ranks?”

Mina nods slowly but firmly, her eyes locking onto the aforementioned woman sitting in the defendant’s chair. She is old, worn, and clad in red. 

“...Yes. I do.” She focuses back on the lawyer. “I laid witness to the results of Ailani Fan’s research and had my own work usurped by Fan to aid in her experimentation without my knowledge or consent….”

The discussion goes on as a mounting number of witnesses and victims of circumstances take the stand to affirm their testimony. People of all backgrounds, genders, ages, and specialties take the stand to share what evidence they can submit to the court to unify in their shared plight. All of them paint the same despairing picture without fail.

Eventually, an interpreter signs what an official declares.

“These charges of crimes against humanity, corruption, bribery, and murder have been brought against you. Do you have anything else to say?”

Glancing upwards, the woman in red, Ailani, stilled briefly, meeting the gaze of someone sitting at the other side of the courtroom, mouth open. They glanced back at her, their gaze breaking momentarily to look at the floor. Still, she lowered hers.

“I do not.”

With that, the official continues.

“We will deliberate. Court is adjourned.”

News was scarce, and eventually the memory faded from the minds of several. The change did not - Hope’s Peak entered a new era, frightening but optimistic. The trials against mirAI co. went by in favour of the students, though no certain result was gotten. 

The End! Or is it?

To the outside, everything was the same, but different.

The next few weeks went by in a blur. To the outside world, coverage was at first minimal - rumours of what befell the latest season of Hope’s Peak’s Most Excellent swirled and circulated. Was Huang Xiaozhu actually an imposter? Was Riko da Silva involved in covert espionage activities? Was HPME actually a giant money laundering scam pioneered by a crime syndicate? Headlines bellowed conjecture the nation over. 

When students emerged from wherever they’d been all of a sudden, the media went into a frenzy. The titles told it all.

Missing Hope’s Peak’s Most Excellent Students Found

Extra, Extra! Hope’s Peak’s Most Excellent Students Emerge From Harrowing Kidnapping Ordeal

Hope’s Peak Students Organize Protests Against Corruption

CEO, Prominent Figures From mirAI Corporation Arrested 

The nation’s eyes were on the group of joint-Hope’s Peak and Reserve Course students demonstrating in front of the school. Speaker after speaker cut to the rotten heart of the matter, and with talent like Hope’s Peak’s, people listened. Of course it was a blow to the status quo, but gradually, people turned erudite. 

“People of the nation, headmaster of Hope’s Peak. We want fair treatment for the Reserve Course! Too long have they been made to stay in the shadow of hope, but now, we can enact change. We can bring fairness to the admissions, fairness to our students. Change starts with you!”

Elsewhere… 

From a clinical office, eyes narrowed at the brightly-lit, high-tech screen in front of their eyes as it flickered. mirAI co.’s products hadn’t been nearly as good as of late - and to think this was meant to be their newest model. 

As the protests carried on, rage creased the individual’s features, and their hand reached for a transmission system.

“I demand order. As the headmaster of this academy, this tarnishes the image of our school. Who allowed them to assemble?”

A loud creaking of hinges heralded the arrival of someone else with a letter in-hand. Turning, the headmaster barked.

“Well? What do you want?”

In came a boy with soft brown eyes, disheveled hair, and a lab coat. He flinches when the person first raises they voice before shrugging it off and striding up to their desk.

“Pardon my intrusions, Headmaster.” 

The boy smiles, hands in pockets.

“Ah, Choi-san. My apologies.” The person loosens their tie and clears their throat. “I did not know it was you given what the news reported of her condition...? I should pay your sister a visit.”

“I am sure she would like that, but maybe not until she’s recovered a bit more. Speaking of her actually, I come bringing a gift. Mina asks for pardon for not being able to deliver in person.”

A skeptical eye lands on the student as a letter is offered forth. Glancing the sender, it reads: ‘In conjunction of unsatisfied past and present members of the Talent and Reserve Courses’. A set of wrinkled eyes slowly move from the envelope to the lightly smirking guest.

“...They know, Headmaster-san. With all due respect, it is not looking well.”

Silence.

“Are you threatening me, Choi-san?” 

The suit stands and narrows their eyes.

“No, no… There is no threat, only a desire to speak. The letter says our representatives. I am only the messenger until you call off security on the demonstrators.”

They settle further back into their chair behind the desk, hands clasping together as they rest their knuckles against their lips. For those few moments, the room remains unmoving in contrast to the vibrant protesting that is taking place on the screen.

“...You’ve all really tied my hands.”

The boy smiles softly.

“Is that not the point?”

With a defeated hum, the head of Hope’s Peak Academy slowly pushes themself to sit up straight. Sparing a long look at the protests on screen, they reach for the phone on their desk and type a series of numbers. After two rings they bring the microphone to their cheek.

As sunlight filtered in to caress floors and walls it hadn’t seen for so long, some didn’t wait to revel in the moment. Mina had turned her attention to the next item on the agenda - or rather, the natural next step. Together, herself and Midori rummaged around before producing those mementos you had familiarized yourself with over the course of your stay in this wretched, robotic hive. Tenseness marked their movements. The small keys, markers of the impossible tragedy that befell their owners as much as impossible potential, were passed around to those who had volunteered their services. 

Piece by piece, the mementos reached their rightful places. Tenser even, the duo of scientists nodded at each other and began the process of merging consciousness. Minutes of silence passed.

Meanwhile…

A test tube opened in a hiss and a rush of smoke. The body inside stirred and her eye fluttered open, glazed vision staring at the outside with wonder as if born anew. Around the area, more of the reunited robots emerged out of the metal prisons they had been confined within. Metaphorical tears were shed as the newly revived robots ran across the room to embrace and greet those they knew from prior. 

Several of you had reunions with those you knew in some form or another - whether apprehensive, teasing, exuberance, sadness or anything in-between. Minutes passed, and as the weight of the moment lifted enough to pose the question of what would come next, you heard it.

Hey- 

They’re down there-!

-help me with this, so like we-

And then, one voice broke out from the chatter, calling to those assembled. 

“Don’t worry, we’re coming to get you out!”

Wordlessly, various screens transition to a desktop friendly interface. It was familiar to those of you who had snooped through Mina’s computer so long ago, though several parts of the screen glitched and flickered in its current state. Pulling up a secure messenger with many missed calls from what must have been concerned family and friends. Scrolling through various contacts she debated who to call, eventually settling on one profile with a hesitant exhale.

“...L-Let’s try this.”

[ Calling… Choi Seohong ]

The scientist turns back to look at all of you with uncertainty. It possibly occurred to the class that most of you didn’t have too much of a grasp on the outside world by this point, so who knows what would happen when-

“Who is this? Hello?”

The display in the front shows a white tile ceiling with the shadow of somebody peeking out from the side. From the sounds of it, the receiver was a boy firmly in his mid-teens - landing him around the same age as some of you. It seemed the call camera had been turned off on your end.

“Uhm…”

The scientist faltered for a moment, taken aback by the voice.

“Who is this? How do you have my number? It’s all… eugh, so creepy!”

“Seohong. Uh- … 저예요” ‘It’s me.’

There’s a hush. Mina sends a glance to the rest of you before everyone’s attention is brought back to the screens as there’s a blur of motion and the sound of shifting. Suddenly, a teenage boy with brunette hair totting a gray hoodie and lab coat is staring wide eyed at the screen.

“Mina!?”

“Ah… 오랜만에-?” ‘Long time no see-?’

Next comes a concerned rush of questions that the Korean speakers in the room could understand were regarding where Mina had been, why she hadn’t called, how stressful things have been and the like. It took a few tries, but she managed to push her way back into the conversation with several apologies.

“Seohong, just… let me speak, okay? Have… What have you heard about us since we left? Anything…?”

The boy finally pauses in his rambling, sitting up and folding his hands. The way his brow quirks gives way to his trepidation and confusion. He fiddles with a necklace he pulls from beneath his shirt.

“...Reports said that those, uhm, students you were supposed to be watching… they disappeared. Authorities reportedly investigated the building and found… nobody. You all just… poofed!”

Reportedly… meaning it never happened. An expert cover up by MirAi.co, you were sure.

Biting his lip, the student looks desperately into the camera.

“Haah… Mina, if that’s really you, I wish I could see you. Are you safe? Where are you? Did they like… Were you kidnapped!?”

Despite the concern, the scientist seems to become at ease at hearing this person's voice. She chooses her words carefully.

“Not… quite. It’s okay… we’re safe.” A pause, “I’m not calling you just to chat, hun. I… I need you to get in contact with some people. I’m here with the students as well, t-though you can’t see us.”

A glance is sent over to Koharu and she motioned her forward.

“I promise I can explain this more when we’re in person, but you need to contact this group I’m about to give you - okay? And… You can’t tell anyone we’ve called you. Not yet. Once we’re in a better place, I’ll tell you where you can meet me.”

“...You’re scaring me.”

The scientist’s chuckle carries a noticeable strain beneath it’s warmth.

“Trust me when I say the scary part is over. Just… follow along, okay? That’s how you’ll make this less scary, and how I can see you again sooner rather than later.”

Seohong rubs at his face, clearly dejected at being kept in the dark. With a quiet whine and a noticeable pout, the boy nods. It takes several minutes to work through the call with the tension etched into Mina’s face as she spoke and recited the instructions to her brother. Both siblings made small talk as they waited for some files to be transferred back and forth through the freshly broken encryption.

Eventually, however, it was time to hang up. An awkward silence fell from the screen.

“Thank you, Seohong. I’ll… You’ll see me sooner than you know it.”

“Will I?”

“Yes, I promise.”

“Okay… I’ll hold you too it!”

Though they couldn’t see one another, each flashed an identical smile through the screen. Shortly after, the transmission was finally cut. Though, rather than sit in silence, Mina slowly turned the chair around to smile at all of you. While a flurry of emotions cycled through her warm brown eyes, determination shone the strongest out of all of them.

Slowly, the young woman rose back to her feet.

“Students… I believe it is time we announce that your trip to HP’s Most Excellent’s Modelling Agency has come to its conclusion.”

She doesn’t hide the grin creasing her dimpled cheeks.

“Please return to your dorms to collect all of your belongings and assist your peers who may struggle with the process.”

While the script was one you could envision Riko or Keiko reading from the start of the endeavor, Mina seems to take to it as best she can.

As the class filtered into the control room, some amicable conversation was held as people attempted to unwind from the chaos that was their final trial. Ailani, stock still and silent in the face of the laser arm between her eyes, made no move to interact with the students as they came in - merely glancing as some were jeering at the perpetrators while others ran to Mina for a hearty hug. A new bruise or two had started to take form on the young woman’s face and arms, but she seemed rather cheerful in spite of it as she spoke to those who came around. The bots outside also discussed sparingly with the students who came to see them.

Between the relieved conversation of the survivors and remaining staff, Preston and Atsuko  filed in and moved off to the side and were joined by Modelbot. Being shown the class’s mercy, they situated against the wall.

But, just as promised, there were important matters at hand and the small celebration that took place was quick to simmer down as the two scientists called for the gathered attention. While they were finally out of immediate danger, it didn’t mean that they were out of the woods quite yet. 

Matters of life and death were at hand, as you all know. It was also clear the answers weren’t bound to come easily.

Hope’s Peak Academy, and all associated names, had always been the nation’s shining beacon of hope. Over your stay here, however, that image for many of the class had become tainted. Not so much for many of you to see it as the great evil Atsuko Fujimoto and Preston Ng did, but ire was to be earned.

Classism, Pride, Bribery, Vanity, Coverups, Negligence… the higher ups of the institution were guilty of all of that and more. However, for just as much as it was questionable - the world over still admired it.

How could an institution that produced some of the most dubiously moralled, selfish people willing to dispose of and use people, children even, for their goals - while also fostering the many good-natured souls (human and robotic alike) that you had met? How could they assist the growth of countless influential figures, while extorting the students who attended the school by other means without so-called ‘Talents’...?

Nothing was ever black and white. Nothing was ever purely good or evil… Even yourselves, you found, were capable of acts you never thought possible on both ends of the scale.

In the end, no matter whether you were man, machine, or something else... people are fallible. However, even with that knowledge, you knew that there was always a light at the end of the tunnel. That light, for all of you, came from the sparkling chimes emanating from the monitors.

The conversation at present fell into a hush as Midori and Mina share a glance. The younger of the pair hurries to the panel, presses a few buttons, and transfers the display to the wall of screens for easy viewing.

> [ ENCRYPTION DEACTIVATED ]

> [ DISENGAGE EMERGENCY PROTOCOL?]

     [ YES? ] <

     [ NO? ]

. . .

[ EMERGENCY PROTOCOL REVOKED ]

[ SAFEGUARD FEATURES DISENGAGED ]

Throughout the basement, everyone feels a gentle rumbling and distant alarm beeping from above. Before you all have too much time to celebrate, Mina glances back to you, clearly relieved but determined. She finds she doesn’t need words to convey the feeling washing over everyone.

The walk through the hallways comes as surreal in the odd quiet of the place. The sound of shoes and a wheel, plus the one-off whisper or two, is what accompanies your departure from your final trial. You all had started with 24 people participating in what was supposed to be the opportunity of a lifetime. Now you were walking with just under half of them remaining at 11 though, had you acted further on you innate impulse or your tie breaker wasn’t as merciful, you very well may have been down to 10 or even 9.

13 dead lie in your wake. 13 lives, hopes, and dreams all crushed beneath the cruelty of 2 people’s design. 4 people were tempted to commit the unthinkable with 7 having to pay the price of this devious game, along with a duo in your midst who had orchestrated this from the start. The 9 of you, the innocent majority, are reminded of all that has been lost in the silence of your thoughts.

While you had lived by what must feel like chance, it is still a chance to do something - an opportunity, even - to maybe break the inner workings of a process that had been rumbling beneath the surface for far too long.

These were far from the first lives lost in the pursuit of something greater, but you can feel assured knowing that these will be the last.

The descent into the basement feels different this time, as the constant whirring and ominous atmosphere have all but dissipated in this context. The prowling bots who were once hunting for you are nowhere in sight and you all had witnessed the unraveling of Momoke. The same quiet fills the subterranean laboratories until you reach the designated room itself. There, the legion of robots both familiar and not had rested down in various parts of the hallway. Like the rest of you, they all seemed to need some rest of their own or maybe some time to reflect.

After all… what would become of them now? Some turn around to wave, like Ryou, Axobotl, Hisoka, Helios, and Selene; while the likes of Mamoru, Mantis, CMYK, and Green-san all watch with a calm but tired eye. You can sense some level of silent fear coming from them all, but they all seem glad that you’re safe.

Approaching the mysterious [ Master Control Room ] causes the two sets of double doors to open. An ominous buzzing greets you as you enter, accompanied by the flickering of a number of monitors. Similar to a security camera observation room, this area contains screens with live feed through various security cameras and 3 blackened screens which you presume to be the deactivated cameras of the Modelmascots. Immediately you catch Mina and the one referenced as Midori Morisawa talking briefly as the latter aims a gun at the woman in red - now identified as Ailani Fan.

From the other side of the room, K.I.T comes racing to meet the class and nuzzles against everyone’s legs with the exception of Preston and Atsuko - who have to narrowly avoid an aggravated fox biting at their ankles. Looking to where the emotional support fox had run from, a sight surprising but possibly not expected for some is an incapacitated Huang Xiaozhu. Donning his iconic burgundy suit, he looks far less put together thanks to his disheveled hair, unconscious grimace, and several extension cords tightly wrapping his body. The same treatment has been done to Ailani, in fact, though she remains awake.

After you’re given time to take this all in, Mina finally steps away from the computer and exhales the tension gripping her for a few hours now. She smiles at the 9 of you who had bested the odds and very clearly avoids looking at the Mastermind and Mole for the time being.

“I… I’m so thankful to see you all.” A smile graced her lips, “I was very worried but… I-I knew you could do it! I’m very proud of the rest of you and I’m sorry I couldn’t make it any easier.”

“Now, since I’m sure you’re wondering, Morisawa-san and I managed to find the decryptor for the system. It’ll take a little bit, but once that’s lifted we should be able to call for help finally - since that’s what’s been primarily blocking us off since this nightmare began.”

The roboticist puts a hand to her chest. She inhales and exhales slowly, still calming her nerves, as she finds the courage to continue speaking.

“While we have to wait… W-We would like to discuss some things with you.” Midori and Mina share a glance before they both eye the group of students. “We’ve been talking and, w-with what we have available, we need to come to some agreements as a group.”

Her attention turns to Atsuko and Preston directly, for once.

“As for you two.” It’s hard to remember a time the scientist has ever used cutting tone when in conversation, “I… I am glad that you were not slain, and you may participate in this discussion, but the decision is firmly your victims’ to make. With all due respect, Fujimoto-san and Ng-san, you have no right to decide anything for us anymore. Even if we have a common enemy.”

A glance is sent over to the CEO of MirAI.co to accentuate her point. As this occurs, Midori turned to the students at the prompting of their input, but not so much so as to take their eyes off Ailani. The gun was still being leveled at her, but their expression became less severe.

"Please take care of yourselves."

They turned back to the woman in the chair.

"See fit to do with me what you will. I originated the revival technology, and I... am deeply sorry."

That was all they seemed fit to say.

"That is all."

Mina nods evenly at Midori and watches the two of them with a wary expression before turning back to the class. One hand folded to her chest and the other gripping her crutch, she gives K.I.T a quick scritch or two before folding a loose lock of hair behind her ear.

Time stops for nobody. But, in this case, you all feel fortunate to know that your hours spent confined to these glamorous halls is finally coming to an end. Between the emotional back and forths of your classmates and your captors, a gentle ‘ping’ would ring out on occasion. When you carried your eyes up to the voting board, you were reminded of the task you all had been given.

[SPARE] or [EXECUTE]? [MERCY] or [REVENGE]? [HOPE] or [DESPAIR]? Was it right to give some pardon to those who had destroyed the lives of so many to get to this point? Would you be any better than them to enact on your desire for justice? Well…

[ EXECUTE ]

Atsuko: 3

Preston: 1

[ SPARE ]

Atsuko: 3

Preston: 5

It seems your minds were split. Luckily, or maybe not so, the screens began to blink with a new message.

[TIE BREAKER ENACTED]

On the displays, a small chibi Mina poofs on screen. Looking between the two options, she presses her tiny hands together before jumping up and hitting in her vote. She was still a participant of the Killing Game, wasn’t she? It takes a few moments for the new results to load.

In the end, it appears the cycle of bloodshed was decidedly coming to an end - at least within what remained of your numbers. Once enough time had passed, a satisfactory bell and the word S P A R E was presented on all of the screens. With that, an unconscious breath that had been held was finally released. Modelbot, in particular, had moved in-between Preston and Atsuko to wait for the verdict and clung to the Reserve Course Student’s leg in what was best described as relief.

“Thank goodness… Thank you…. Atsuko-san, Preston-san… I’m glad…!”

Once Modelbot clings to her leg, Atsuko kneels down to pull them into a hug, letting out a breath of relief. She hadn’t cared if she lived or died, but she was glad she still had a beating heart in order for her to be able to give the small bot at least one last embrace. Her little bot was safe, and she was able to at least hold them one more time.

“I’m here, little one. I’m here...I won’t leave you. Not until they make me. I won’t.”

She glances at all of you as she stands up, letting go of Modelbot but still resting a hand on top of their head with her fingers absentmindedly going up and down their head as though threading through hair.

“...Th...T…”

The words seem to be causing her physical pain to utter, but she eventually gets them out.

“Th...Thank...Thank you. For. The vote.”

Preston watches Atsuko with a softened gaze, relieved that she will live and that she is trying to be somewhat polite about it. But he doesn't smile. Now the only way is forward, and he had never given any thought as to how he would take the next step. He looks around at his classmates, but unable to bear meeting their eyes for too long, he returns to just looking down at his hands placed on the podium before him.

Modelbot hugs Atsuko tightly again, watching the class before they clear their “throat”.

“Ahem… Right. There’s still work to do, I-I guess…” 

Slowly, the small bot detaches from the blonde girl’s leg and moves before the podiums. Wringing their hands, they eye you all with that normal level of suspicion. But, this time, you’ll notice some level of thankfulness in their expression.

“Dr.Choi wanted you to join them down in the basement… If you follow me, I’ll take you there as asked…” A pause. “I- …” They shake their head, “N-Nevermind. Come.” 

Shoulders slouched with the weight of uncertainty, they tentatively push open the doors and marvel at how they swing open with ease this time.

The reveal that signified that the cycle had finally been broken, that things were beginning to change -- was it for the better, was it for the worse? The cherry blossom blooms to bring in the new, but the metaphor ends too sweetly, forgetting that it is those petals that fall so fast.

"Ne, there's no such thing as a stupid question, right? We might've been let outta our dumbo old choices, but MirAi.co won't have anything to do with this new set, right?"

He asks even though the person who gave him this new choice has disappeared from view. Chitose looks back at the current votes for guidance, flits his view between everyone before speaking up again.

"Fujimoto-kun sounds like she really wants to die. Preston-kun too. I mean, talking about how the world doesn't want someone like you..."

The brunet's face hardens as he trails off before he loudly declares:

At least they acknowledged his apology as sincere. Didn’t help what followed all that much though.

“...I have a name, Atsuko-san. If you’ll refer to Huang by his and Rika by hers, then I think I would appreciate it if you didn’t refer to me as just ‘the android’.” Perhaps it may be the lack of muted inflection, but you get the feeling that this is the most hurt Kaz has sounded ever since the start of your whole endeavour. “Whatever your true feelings towards us were, I always considered you a friend. Consider, in the present tense, if you and Ng-san both considered my apology genuine then at least I’m willing to try again. However, prejudice goes both ways, or am I meant to believe that you know everything about the Main Course to impose your worldview on us? That I’ve only barely been upgraded from one of them to 'the android’? Isn’t this the kind of apathy you wanted to change?”

He shakes his head, and his voice evens back out to a normal, pensive timbre. “And let’s put it this way, Atsuko-san. If you die, you’re effectively leaving Ng-san behind and alone to take the full brunt of whatever blame is shafted your way. Yes, you didn’t tell him it was a mutual killing game, yes, our enmity should be directed at you, but it is often easier to curse the living than to bemoan the dead. When all this is over, who are they going to remember? The girl who executed herself to prove a point, or the boy who has to walk out of here to face justice? Not exactly the pinnacle of wonderful partnerships there, requited or otherwise.” Kaz’s tone is tired, barely pleading, but for Koharu’s sake and his own, he had try and get her to see even the smallest hint of reason in that, at least. “While I can’t speak for everyone else here, I don’t particularly want to see you die here. Consider that you can still find a way to change what the world should be like when you’re still alive to make it work."

Atsuko’s speech almost moves Kagemori’s heart. But in the end, they stopped truly listening once Atsuko hit halfway through her fourth paragraph. Their attention span? Short. Their eyes? Kind of glazed over. Some people are melonheads to cope.

“Mkay… that’s the answer I was hopin’ for. If you never cared… I don’t have to, either.”

After a while, Kagemori would be fine. In the meantime, though, betrayal still ached like a fresh, swelling bruise that marked their heart blue and violet. Seemed they weren’t the only one feeling that way, as Kagemori is surprised when E.ve pulls away from Preston. Was the cellist trying to play both sides here?

Well, now they don’t have to worry about being overbearing. After a beat, E.ve’s hug is returned by Kagemori carefully, mindful of the bandages under his shirt. The kiss on their cheek does win a small smile from the visual kei artist that lingers while he talks to their captors. After E.ve finishes his painful speech, Kagemori ducks down and places a small kiss on his cheek. E.ve… now has a faint purple lipstick mark on his cheek. Sorry you had to see that, Hinata.

And then, there’s Midori Morisawa pointing a gun at who can only be Ailani Fan. And… Mina? doing her funky thing, protecting the class like usual. Man, Kagemori hoped she got a nice long vacation after this.

[EXECUTE] or [SPARE]

Well. The choices were obvious for Kagemori.

“…dunno who’s makin’ sure our mastermind doesn’t get away after this, but it’s not gonna be me unless you need help. Have fun.”

And then, something Atsuko says must be hilarious because Kagemori lets out a loud, sudden laugh without much humor behind it.

“You’re a real… piece of work. You’re tellin’ me… you got your classmates to unknowin’ly help commit murder? That’d be somethin’… if it was true. C’mon. You read the same emails I did, you’re full of shit.

You got your revenge on some of us… but was it worth the consequences your friends could face? Was this… worth it for you, Ng-san?”

Their next thought isn’t very funny. But, neither is watching Preston and Atsuko’s painful exchange when the USB drive is dropped. Their final statement is explicitly for Atsuko.

When his hand becomes empty once again, Preston holds it to his chest, touching his palm gingerly with his fingertips as if to try and savour the warmth of it while it still lasts. He can't blame E.ve. He can't. He's facing this same problem, as well.

He listens to Atsuko, looking over at her sincerely, absorbing her words as he always has. He hopes he can see conflict and maybe even regret there, but is beginning to doubt he can change her mind over the course of this trial. He is too late. Even she knows it; she's telling him that he would have lived if he had tried harder, been faster. He feels the guilt of the most recent deaths rest squarely on his shoulders.

He didn't want E.ve to tell Atsuko about his letter. He wishes now he had never written it, because it was a betrayal of Atsuko that had done nothing to make E.ve forgive him, in the end. Though perhaps the problem was that he ever thought he deserved forgiveness. Maybe this was why he had enjoyed her attention so much; she was the only one who didn't care that he was such a bad person.

Was that more important to him than justice, forgiven or not? He would like to think not, but he had been so desperate for love that it was almost like an illness, and no one could blame him for being so sick, could they? But this was a thought he didn't voice aloud, because he knew that yes, they could.

"... None of you understand."

He looks down at the USB held out to him.

"Atsuko... Please. You think I could accept my 'reward' after all of this? I don't care... Whoever sees me perform, if I'm not good enough to earn it on my own, there's no point, anyway."

He pushes her hand away, looking at her seriously.

"Can I not be scared of you and care about you at the same time? Can I not be scared for you?

"Please, come with us. There's still value in being alive, no matter the circumstances..."