Chapter 9 - The Wonderful Counselor
Why is Mai Zono holding a knife? Is he already preparing to stab someone?
Cautiously observing Mai Zono’s state, it was truly pitiful. His expression was frozen like a stuffed doll, his entire body trembling, and his eyes filled with madness.
“Um… Hello…”
This can’t continue. Since he’s armed, I can’t handle him alone. I should retreat and bring reinforcements.
As I backed away cautiously, watching Mai Zono’s every move, heading toward the front door…
—Bam!
Suddenly Mai Zono kicked off the ground and charged straight at me as I approached the door.
“Uwah!”
I managed to dodge by throwing my body sideways, but Mai Zono had already slammed the door shut behind me. He turned his back to the entrance and slowly raised the knife, aiming it at me.
I considered shouting, but realized the room was completely soundproof. Shouting would only provoke him further.
Then should I use force? But due to my small stature, among the students, only Fujisaki could physically overpower me.
If he hadn’t been armed and I hadn’t been unarmed, hand-to-hand combat would be impossible without martial arts skill.
Ultimately, the only option left was persuasion. But could I really talk sense into Mai Zono, who seemed to have reached the end of the Despair Disease?
“Hey… First, calm down… Let’s talk it out… Okay?”
Oh damn. In my panic, I blurted out something an extra would say right before dying. Asking someone approaching with murderous intent to talk it out was naive.
If I had known this was coming, I would have brought something like a molotov cocktail. I knew this dangerous situation could arise but hadn’t brought a self-defense weapon.
“The situation we’re in is definitely impossible to accept, but killing each other would just be playing into the blackmailed’s hand…”
“…”
“Of course the video was shocking. I felt my heart break when I first saw it! But in situations like this, we need to keep our composure…!”
“…”
Damn, no matter what I said, there was no reaction. It was like a person whose soul had been ripped away. Mai Zono continued approaching me, driven only by despair over the situation and hatred toward me.
“Please don’t give up! There’s still hope for us! I have a plan! Just give me time to explain!”
“Stop…”
“This is all the blackmailed’s scheme! They’re trying to make us kill each other!”
“Stop…”
When Mai Zono got right in front of me, I desperately tried to persuade him, but he only closed the distance between us.
“Pull yourself together! Do you really think what you’re doing is right!? Please don’t…”
“Shut uuuup!!!”
Mai Zono screamed and lunged at me. The knife came flying toward my face. But I had been prepared and grabbed his arm.
“Oof!”
But I couldn’t withstand the recoil from the lunge and fell while still gripping his arm.
“Shut up and die!!!”
Mai Zono, now on top of me, began putting all his strength into the hand holding the knife, aiming to stab my face.
I struggled desperately to escape, but my body had been overexerted for days, so my strength was gone.
“Stop… talking… nonsense…!”
“Gah… Please… calm down…”
“I can’t calm down! My life has been denied! My group! My members! My lifelong dream!”
“If you kill me here… then what? If I die in your room, of course you’ll be suspected…?”
“So… stop… saying… nonsense!!!”
The tip of the knife touched my face. A sharp pain stung. Even though it was just a small cut now, if it continued, the knife would carve deep into my face.
“I… I’m going through so much… Why aren’t you bothered at all? Why don’t all of you suffer as much as me…? Why…? Why…?”
Even in the original story, Mai Zono had tried to kill, but he had still maintained some sanity by switching rooms and sending notes to Leon.
But the Mai Zono before me had given up on everything and was only showing blind hatred.
Even if I killed him, he would be framed and executed. But he wasn’t thinking about any of that. He was pouring every ounce of strength into killing me.
I had to escape this situation somehow. I racked my brain desperately. What was Mai Zono’s weakness? Was there something more precious than his idol group…?
It was a split-second moment, but my survival instinct flashed and the answer came to me. Good. Let’s gamble. If this doesn’t work… I’ll die here.
“Naegi would be so happy if he saw your current appearance, right?”
Mai Zono flinched slightly and started to waver. The pressure on me lessened a bit. This was my only chance.
“Yahaaaaat!”
With a shout, I twisted my body to the maximum and pulled away. Mai Zono lost balance and fell, dropping the knife. I quickly kicked it far into the corner before he could pick it up.
“Haa… Haa… That was really dangerous…”
I almost became the victim of chapter 1. I worried Mai Zono might rush for the knife, but he didn’t move from his fallen state.
As I approached to check on Mai Zono’s condition, a sharp pain hit my face. Touching it, I found a large cut. Probably cut badly while twisting earlier. Oh no, it’ll leave a scar.
“…”
Mai Zono had now sheathed the murderous intent and was staring blankly at the floor. Watching him give up everything and become powerless reminded me of my old self, and anger surged up.
“Hey, earlier you asked why everyone doesn’t suffer as much as you, right?”
“…”
“Actually, everyone is suffering just as much, just not showing it. I was suffering to the point of death too.”
“…”
“You saw my motivation video, right? The orphanage kids in my motivation video all had heart wounds. Most were orphans who had suffered domestic violence or bullying and had closed their hearts.”
“…”
“When did those kids smile the brightest?”
“…?”
“When your idol group appeared on TV.”
“…!”
For the first time, Mai Zono’s blank expression changed to one of surprise. I continued speaking, suppressing my rising anger.
“The kids who always had the same expression as you now smiled so happily whenever your idol group’s performance came on. And the leader, you, were the most popular among the kids.”
I had once asked the orphanage kids who in the group was the best. The kind-hearted ones said all members were best, but when Mai Zono was in close-up, the kids reacted with such enthusiasm that it was clear Mai Zono was the most popular.
“Since you came to our academy, the kids lit up and asked for autographs. They were so cute.”
The orphanage kids were probably in Towa City now. They were probably anxious, so I needed to end this killing game quickly and go save them all.
“To the kids, you were a safe haven and refuge. And not just the orphanage kids, many people in the world got joy and life energy from watching you. You were a world-class idol, after all.”
I had watched Mai Zono’s music shows and variety programs after coming to the Danganronpa world, and it was always nice seeing her smile energetically and work hard at everything.
I didn’t want this broken Mai Zono showing weakness like my old self. That’s why I was talking excitedly, which was unlike me.
“So, you can’t break down here. You have to survive till the end without giving up and give hope back to everyone.”
I wanted to add that the outside was already desperate, but I held back. Because that Enoshima was probably watching closely. That guy was probably very disappointed that no killing had happened yet. Damn despair pervert.
Looking at Mai Zono, tears were welling up in his eyes. Yeah, better to cry and express emotions than stay blank.
“Anyway, that’s all I wanted to say. Think carefully about what I said. And this knife here is dangerous, I’ll take it. Then goodbye.”
Since I had no more energy left, I staggered toward the door, opened it to leave, but added one more thing.
“And later, give me an autograph. Actually, I’m your fan too.”
With that, I left Mai Zono’s room.
…
…
“Autograph…”
Mai Zono, left alone, muttered the boy’s last words.
“I’m your fan…”
That was right. As an idol who made everyone happy, what was the meaning of an idol’s existence? It was the fans who liked idols.
All the fans in the world, the orphanage kids, and the boy who had almost killed me but still persuaded me till the end… All of them had felt joy watching me as an idol.
If I broke down here, how much sadness would my fans feel? If I broke down here, I wouldn’t be qualified as an idol.
So, for my fans, I couldn’t break down again. I had to survive till the end, revive the group, and bring joy to my fans once more.
Exhausted both physically and mentally, Mai Zono’s eyes slowly closed before consciousness faded. Just before it cut off, he recalled the boy who had saved him from becoming the killer by asking for an autograph.
“You really… were a wonderful counselor…”
Finally, Mai Zono closed his eyes and slept with the most comfortable expression since being trapped here.
…
…
Coming out of Mai Zono’s room, Kirigiri seemed to be wandering around with an uneasy expression. Why was she like that? I approached, and Kirigiri saw me and jumped in surprise.
“Huh? What’s with her…?”
Confused because I didn’t understand the vibe, the cut on my face started hurting again. Only then did I realize what a mess I looked like.
“You… What is that appearance…?”
Yeah, in the middle of a killing game, if someone came out of another person’s room holding a knife, clothes covered in blood, and a big cut on the face, it was suspicious, let alone scary.
“I’ll explain later… First… right now…”
I wanted to explain in detail to Kirigiri, but my body and mind were at their limit. Consciousness was fading. Ah… the world was spinning…
“I want to… rest…”
With those words, I collapsed in front of Kirigiri, who still had a surprised expression.