The Answer to an Impossible Question
Ding-dong, ding-dong ♪
The morning wake-up broadcast had become familiar by now. I listened to it as I made my way to the cafeteria.
"Yo, Deceiver! Finally showed up? You lucky bastard..."
I had barely stepped through the door before Mondo Owada was grinning at me with that sleazy look of his. I forced an awkward expression onto my face, and that was all the invitation Leon Kuwata needed. He had been watching from the side with naked envy; now he sidled over and whispered.
"Hey... Kei... I'll take you as my master, so... teach me how to look good in front of girls..."
"Yeah... I know you're not some forever-alone. Give me some advice too. I don't wanna get dumped eleven times..."
The sum total of my romantic experience was dating sims. I had no idea what to say, and while I stood there fumbling for words, a sudden shout erupted from nearby.
"H-huh...? A d-d-date?!"
"Ah— no— you don't have to say it that loud...!"
Maizono and Naegi were huddled together, both of them scarlet, murmuring back and forth in that unmistakable lovey-dovey register.
"Haaah... life..."
"Killing game, whatever... none of it even matters..."
The light died in Leon and Mondo's eyes. A moment later the two of them drifted to the far side of the table and began eating breakfast like a pair of abandoned dogs.
"Good morning, everyone! But you two! Why so lifeless?! Breakfast is the start of the day — it must be spent with vigor!"
The sight of those two slumped over their trays, picking listlessly at their food, flipped Ishimaru's switch. He launched into another sermon on the gospel of hard work, and the two of them still said nothing. I watched him go and let my thoughts drift.
Peaceful.
This was the kind of everyday I had wanted. No one dying. Everyone laughing and talking like ordinary students, living an ordinary school life — something small, and happy.
I was smiling, easing back a step so I could hold onto the scene a little longer, when someone spoke behind me.
"You. Those idiots may have fallen for your act, but I will not be so easily deceived."
I turned. Byakuya Togami was glaring at me. Yesterday's meeting had not gone his way, and he was still sulking about it.
"I had no choice but to keep a few secrets. That doesn't mean I lied to anyone."
"So you intend to play the shameless card to the bitter end. Fine. Do as you please. I will proceed in my own way."
Togami was someone I needed on our side — for the future, if nothing else. But between the way he had spoken to Kirigiri yesterday and the sheer unpleasantness of his tone, I suddenly wanted to land one clean hit.
"Move however you want. Just be careful wandering the school at night. You might run into a ghost."
".....!"
I had jabbed him right in a memory he would rather have forgotten. Togami bristled, winding up to snap something back — and that was when Monokuma popped out of nowhere.
"I set you all loose to murder each other, and what do I find? You've all gone and fallen in love... The genre's changed... the genre's completely changed..."
"That's enough. Get to the point."
Kirigiri had just come through the cafeteria door, and she cut Monokuma down with a look. He saw her, though, and kept muttering anyway.
"I liked him first... my own little Kei... my little Kei..."
He went on like that for a while, in a voice only he could understand, and then suddenly bellowed.
"Anyway! That's not what matters right now! Listen up, everyone! I've got an announcement for you today!!!"
"Wah! You scared me!"
"Don't jump yet! Save that reaction for the third motive I'm about to announce!"
Enoshima must have been getting pretty restless, announcing a third motive this early.
Then again, the original third motive had been ten billion yen — the kind of number that would have blinded Celestia into committing murder. Celestia currently owed me a wish. All I had to do was tell her not to kill anyone, and I was golden. Good. This time, I had the motive locked down for sure.
"The third motive is... ta-da... Heart-Pounding Spy Hunt...!"
Wait, what?
"Here's something I haven't mentioned until now... one of you is a spy, in league with the mastermind!"
What was this? The third motive was supposed to be ten billion yen...
"Within the next three days, that spy is going to commit murder! Because last night, I offered them a condition they absolutely cannot refuse!"
A spy... so that would be Sakura Ogami, then.
"And here's a little bonus for the rest of you! If someone finds the spy and kills them... I won't hold a Class Trial, and I'll let that person walk free!"
".....!"
The others started to panic. I was pretty shaken myself. Was this the moment the original story finally started twisting in earnest? Monokuma looked at all of us and laughed, then went on.
"And that goes for the spy, too! If they kill someone, I won't hold a Class Trial, and I'll let them walk free!"
I glanced at Sakura. Her eyes were closed; she was thinking about something in silence. At a glance she looked completely unmoved, but I could have sworn an aura was rolling off her.
"Anyway, I opened the third floor to make your murderous little lives a bit more convenient, so have fun killing! Puhuhuhu...!"
And with that, Monokuma vanished.
The silence that followed was broken by Togami.
"I will be going to the third floor."
"Wait...! We should all stay together and talk this—"
"I will no longer act alongside the rest of you. We don't even know who the spy is. Why should I put myself at risk by remaining in your company?"
"But—"
"I suggest the rest of you drop this pathetic friendship-and-romance charade and start taking the game seriously."
He stood, and without another word he left for the third floor alone.
"T-Togami-sama...!"
Fukawa hurried after him. A moment later Ikusaba and Celestia rose from their seats as well and disappeared in their own directions.
The rest of us sat in silence for a while. This time, it was Naegi who broke it.
"Then I guess we know what we have to do."
"Naegi? What do you mean?"
"We find the spy within three days... and we bring them over to our side, no matter what it takes."
"Th-that's the best option, sure, but... can we actually do that...?"
"We'll make it happen."
He said it looking straight at me and Kirigiri. Sharing what I knew yesterday had clearly given him some real confidence.
"Excellent! That is the spirit! Naegi! Allow me to throw this body of mine into the fire and aid you!"
"It'll be tough, but... we can do this. Even if we have to do it over donuts! Let me help too!"
"I can see it... the true face of the spy, hidden behind the veil... The hour has come for he who was once called the Seeker of Truth to walk this earthly plane once more..."
"That's the stuff! Sitting around looking miserable only helps the mastermind! Leon, you bastard! Stop slouching and get in here!"
"Tch... fine, whatever..."
"I... I don't know how much help I'll be, since I'm not very strong, but... I'll do my best!"
Everyone who had stayed behind fell in with Naegi. A relief. We still hadn't gathered the whole class, but this was more than enough to work with.
"I just did a reading, and the culprit's right here among us!"
Hagakure dumped a bucket of cold water over the rising heat in the room. No sense of timing, that guy. Of course he would only be dead-on when it made everything worse.
"...I will cooperate as well. To the fullest of my ability."
Sakura's voice cut through the sudden awkwardness. The others lit up at once, insisting that with her on our side they had nothing to fear from any spy. My own feelings were considerably more complicated.
"Kei, Kirigiri — you'll help too, right?"
Obviously. That was the entire reason I had told Naegi everything I knew yesterday, including the truth about Sakura.
"All right! For now, let's split up and get our thoughts in order. We'll meet back here at dinner and figure out how to talk the spy over to our side!"
With that from Naegi, we agreed to reconvene in the evening and went our separate ways.
Good. Naegi had carried us this far. Now it was my turn to move.
"Hey... Asahina. I wanted to ask you for a favor..."
"Hm? Kei? What's up?"
"Well, I've been thinking I should start working out... not that I've ever actually done it before. So I was hoping you could help me out..."
"Mmm... I can help, but why the sudden interest in exercise?"
"In a situation like this, there's no telling what might happen. I don't want my weak constitution holding everyone back. I figured I should build up some stamina."
"If that's the goal, Sakura would be way better at coaching you than I am. Want me to ask her?"
That would not do. If I approached Sakura directly from the start, she would put her guard up. I needed to get close to her naturally — through Asahina, who already trained with her all the time.
"Ahaha... if Sakura took over my training, I don't think there'd be anything left of me..."
"Well... you did say you've never worked out once in your life. Fair enough. Come on, then — we'll start with a basic fitness test."
"Hhhhk... hhhhk... how many... have I done...?"
"Zero! That's zero! I've told you a hundred times, that is not a push-up, that is folding your arms! Your stamina is actually terrible, isn't it?!"
I was doing this to get close to Sakura, I reminded myself. I was also fairly sure I was dying. Exercise and I were clearly not meant for each other.
"Hips up! Breathe out! Do it properly! Do you have any idea how embarrassing this would be if Kirigiri walked in right now?!"
"Nnnngh... I can't... my arms won't..."
"No excuses! You are not leaving this spot until you finish ten!"
"GRAAAAAAAAH!"
"Yes! That's it! Now do it again!"
I followed Asahina's orders and worked myself half to death for a while. Somewhere in the middle of it, I felt a presence behind me.
"Your form is still pitiful... but the will behind that effort is admirable. Continue in this manner, and you will see results."
"Ah! Sakura, you made it. You're a little late today."
"...I had matters to consider. That is why I am late."
Good. Sakura was here. Time to ease off the exercise and actually talk to her—
"Sakura! Can you take over Kei's training for me? I haven't been swimming lately and my whole body's stiff... I was gonna go do a few laps..."
"Very well. Kei. Today I shall correct your foundation, that you may grow strong. Rise."
"A-Asahina...! That's not what we talked about—"
"I was going to handle it myself, but you need drastic measures! You're so uncoordinated that the only way out is to get absolutely wrecked first!"
"Ah..."
"Then we begin. One hundred push-ups, to start."
I started Sakura's death training trembling with the genuine fear that if I collapsed, they might hold a Class Trial over it.
Sakura Ogami looked down at the boy collapsed on the floor, and thought.
His stamina is truly wretched. But that will of his is something else entirely.
She had put him through high-intensity work from the first moment, intending to instill discipline. The boy had clawed his way after her anyway, by whatever means he could find.
Come to think of it, he has always been like this.
When Maizono had confessed the truth to everyone, the whole class had been stunned — but no one more than Sakura herself.
To throw yourself away for the sake of another. How foolish. And how noble.
He had fought to stop the motives, unbowed by the mastermind or even by Sakura's own interference. He had held to his convictions and driven them through to the others, even when the mastermind tried to turn them against each other. Somewhere along the way, Sakura had begun to respect him.
"Next: one hundred squats."
"Hnnnnngh... hey... isn't this a little much...?"
"Will you surrender, then?"
"No... that's not... what I meant..."
Every time the word surrender left her mouth, the boy's face went serious and he clenched his teeth and pushed. He never lasted long before the exhaustion took him again, of course.
"Your body appears sufficiently warmed. Rest a moment."
The instant she said it, he flopped onto the floor and started groaning.
"What... earthly reward... am I even chasing... to put myself through this... haaah..."
If it is this boy... might he have an answer to the question that has been troubling me?
The thought came to her unbidden. She asked it lightly, as if it were nothing.
"If you... could save only one — the person you love, or a group of innocents — which would you choose?"
"Hah... hah... that's... why so... sudden...?"
"A personal question. You need not answer if you do not wish to."
The boy thought for a moment. Then he spoke as if the answer were the most obvious thing in the world.
"What...?"
"You have to save both. How do you pick just one?"
".....?"
"If you want it in more detail — you save whoever you can reach first. Then you take the ones you saved, and you go back for the rest together."
"That is not the nature of the—"
"So you'd give up on one side without even trying? It'd be hard for me, sure. But you're the strongest person in the world. It'd be a lot easier for you."
"......"
"Haaah, that answer your question? Can we call it for today, then...? Coaching from the world's strongest is brutal... If I ever actually had to fight you, I wouldn't last one punch..."
Somewhere in the last few seconds he had slipped back into that feeble, whining self from before. Sakura looked at him, and she smiled.
Your body may be weak. But that unbending heart of yours is far stronger than mine.
At last, Sakura Ogami had found the answer to the question that had kept her awake all night.