Part 34: Super High-school Level Update #30

Let's get right to it. You voted for Chihiro. She's hanging out at the storage room.







That toy bear... I wonder what makes it move...
A robot controlled by artificial intelligence... No, we don’t have the technology for something like that yet...
...Maybe it came from the future? A robot bear?



Spend time together / Go somewhere else



Sure, let’s talk together for a while...

I spent some time with Fujisaki-san.

I feel we became a little closer.
Should I give her a present?



Give / Do not give



Sunflower seeds: The seeds of a flower that grows facing the sun. If you eat them, they taste like peanuts.



A...are you really giving this to me...?
I’m happy... Somehow, I feel a little better.



Ow...
Ow ow ow...
...Fujisaiki-san, is something wrong?



It’s just... it started to hurt...
Eh? Did you get wounded somewhere?



No, that’s not it...
Last night, I got bitten by a mosquito...
A mosquito...?
I...is that all it is...? You said it hurts, so I thought it was something more serious...



Oh, did I make you worry...?
I... I’m sorry...!
No need to apologize. I just made a simple mistake...
But, was it really that big a bite that it hurts so much?
Yeah, it was... Here, take a look...

She held her white arm in front of me. Indeed, there was a large red bite mark on it...

Whoa, that large?
It’s gone beyond itchy... it actually hurts now...
But, a bite mark that can swell so much... Did you get bitten while you were asleep?



...No, I was awake.
Eh? You were awake and didn’t notice such a large mosquito?
Um... I noticed it, but...
Eh?



Last night, I suddenly noticed a mosquito resting on my arm...



But I left it alone, and it ended up drinking a lot of blood...
...And you just let it do that? You didn’t swat it away?



If I swatted it, it would’ve died, wouldn’t it?
Um, I’m sure it would have...
It was probably just hungry... I think that's why it drank so much of my blood...
I felt sorry for it... for being that hungry...
...It’s a mosquito.



Even mosquitos are living beings. It probably has a family somewhere...
I... I’m sorry...
I told you, you don’t have to apologize...
Anyway, you shouldn’t scratch it... It’s just going to get worse...



B...but... what should I do if it just keeps itching...?
If you press your nails against it and make a little cross mark, it will ease the itchiness.



Oh... I didn’t know that...



You’re amazing! You really know a lot, Naegi-kun!

I’m sure she didn’t mean to aim that puppy-like smile directly at me on purpose, but...

If she did, it sure can be a powerful weapon.



But, you know, it’s really amazing...
...eh? What’s amazing?
Isn’t this school supposed to be locked-up tightly? Where did a mosquito come from...?
Maybe... somewhere in this school... there’s an environment fit for mosquitos to grow in?

Such an environment inside the school...? Well, I can’t say it’s impossible...



Or maybe there’s a secret opening connected to the outside world somewhere!?

A secret opening...



Whatever it is, I’m sure we’ll all be able to escape.
If we all work together, I’m sure we’ll find a way.



Yeah. Working together is very important.



...but, I’m holding everyone back, aren’t I. I probably can’t be any help at all...
...that’s not true. The fact you want to help so much shows how strong your heart is!



...My heart is strong? Do you really mean it?
Of course. Let’s find a way out of here together.



Y... yeah...!
Heh heh heh... Thank you, Naegi-kun...

No skill from her yet, all we got is an SP upgrade.

After parting with Fujisaki-san, I went back to my room.



* Ding dong ding dong *







Ehhh, this is a school announcement...
It will soon be Night Time. But before that...
All students are required to attend a gathering at the school’s gymnasium.
Emergency! Emergency!





A gathering at the gymnasium...?

W...what’s that, all of a sudden...?
...........

I have a bad feeling about it...

A very... bad feeling...

I'm sure we all do. We can't keep Monobear waiting too long, but we do encounter several of our classmates on the way. First is Kirigiri, right outside her room.





Ah, Kirigiri-san! Did you hear the announcement?
...Yes.
I’m not so keen on going... but I guess we have no choice?



I can’t say it for certain... but I think resisting and staying here is not the best plan...
I’m going up ahead.

As always, we have no choice but following Monobear’s orders...

Next is Mondo, just next to the exit from the dorm area.





Oh, Naegi. Were you just about to go as well...?
Yeah... is everyone else already there?



...I think so.
I have a feeling if we ignore what the fucking bear says nothing good will come out of it...
Hey, Oowada-kun...
Are you feeling okay? What you did at the sauna last night didn't seem very healthy...



Huh? Who do you think I am? That kind of heat is perfectly fine for me!



But, you know...



To think I’d find the kind of brother who would go to hell and back with me in such a place... I never could have imagined it...
Well, in any case, I’m off to the gymnasium...

Honestly, What the hell happened between those two...?

Finally, Yamada is standing in the trophy room in front of the gym.





...Yamada-kun. Why aren’t you going in?



Oyoyo!!



N...Naegi Makoto-dono! Please try not to be shocked!
I... I’m sorry, but I really should go in quickly...



Don’t go... You mustn’t go...



That’s what my ghost is whispering to me...

That's a Ghost in the Shell reference, for those keeping track.

I also have a bad feeling about this... But we can’t just ignore Monobear...



Oof, again with your sound arguments...!
I guess we have no choice...

I should also go in...

Nothing else to do, so let's get whatever it is Monobear is scheming over with.





Hmm... What does he want with us this time, gathering us all in here so suddenly?



I do wonder what he’s up to now...



Heh heh... He won’t let us grow bored after all...



Why are you always cackling...? Can’t you put up a more pleasant smile...?
For example, a smile like the one a certain housewife in that popular cartoon show flashes just before the ending credits...

That would be Sazae-san, the star of a popular comic-strip and cartoon sitcom that's now over 3000 episodes long and is still being broadcast without fail every Sunday evening.



He shouldn’t be laughing at all in this situation... What’s up with that...?!



That should be my line.



W...what do you mean?



Nothing much. I’m just impressed with all of you.
You don’t want to kill each other. You also don’t want to live in this place. You just keep being negative, passing your days without any clear vision...
It’s impressive that you can keep acting so indifferent.



I... It’s not like we... stopped thinking about a way out...



Speaking of which, I seem to remember you insisting that the police will soon be here and rescue us all...
Whatever happened to that assertion? I don’t see any obvious attempts to come to our rescue...
T... that’s...



...Now that you mention it, what did happen on that front?



...It is indeed strange.
Something like this happens in a school located in the very center of the city, and the police never notices...



That incompetent police force...!



No, it may be that the mastermind is just that strong. He may be controlling even the police...



Ah! This may be unrelated, but...



If it’s unrelated you don’t have to say it.



No, I think I will, ‘right?



...It was yesterday. I was hanging around the entrance hall, ‘right?
And then...
I heard something...



Heard something... What did you hear?
A sound I couldn’t identify...



W...what kind of sound?
I told you, I couldn’t identify it...
But if I have to describe it...



It sounded like... a construction site...?
A construction site...?
It could also have been my imagination. I only heard it very faintly, ‘right?



It’s obvious... it was your imagination... Maybe your ears... were just ringing?

What, what?! What are you guys talking about~!?





The same short video that played at the end of update #4 plays here again, rendered with a few less students in the crowd.





Here he is...



The sound Hagakure-kun heard, that was no construction site...
...it was the sound of explosions!
...explosions?
You know... machine guns and such sound very much like construction work. Upupu...
W...what are you saying...?



Oops! From now on my mouth is sealed!!
It’s a secret...!!



In that case, just say what you can say.
What did you call us here for?



You’re greedy, aren’t you. Should we go into the main event so soon!?



Before we do that, won’t you listen to my silly grumblings?



Lately, I’ve been feeling down... My fur even lost its firmness and shine...
I think it’s because of these “boring days” we’re going through.



I’m yearning for those dangerous, witty, stimulus-filled days of yore!
In other words, can I be frank with you?



It’s way too boring here when no one is being killed!



Therefore, I decided to give you yet another motive!!

A... a motive...!
Something like... that video...?



Are you going to show us something strange... and try to entice us to kill again...?



Entice you to kill!? How disrespectful!!



I... I don’t know what you’re scheming, but no one here is going to kill another ever again!
Do your worse! We can take it!



That was a truly wonderful speech. I wish you all my luck.
But let’s put it aside for a second while I begin what I was set up to do.
Eh... today’s theme is...



“Embarrassing memories” and “secret pasts”!
Any living person surely has them. Embarrassing memories or things in their pasts they want no one to know about.



For this occasion, I have conducted my own research and collected such memories from everyone here!



Eh... inside these envelops I hold in my hand you’ll find this top-secret information.
I’m going to distribute them now, so please check for yourselves!!

As soon as he said that, Monobear threw the envelopes on the floor before us.
I quickly picked up the envelope with my own name printed on it...

And trembling, checked its contents.

In a single second, my entire body became tense!!

“Naegi-kun wet his bed until the 5th grade...”

Wha.....!



H... how...?



Why... does he know such things...!?

Everyone raised their voice instinctively.



The time limit is 24 hours!! If no one is killed by then...
I will reveal these embarrassing memories to the world!
Maybe I’ll announce them from a speaker in a car that goes through crowded places!



Kyaaaaa~, how embarrassing!!
..............
Is that... your “motive”?



Yes. Exactly. I’m sure you hate it! You don’t want that to be revealed, do you?
It’s something I don’t want anyone to know, that’s true. But...
I will never kill anyone... just to avoid that...!
...W...what did you say?!



He’s right! It’s really insignifcant! No one will kill someone for something as unimportant as that!!





...You’re mean.....
“Memories”... it’s something important that connects you bastards to the outside world...
I was sure there were some that you would never want anyone to find out...
I mean... I went to all that trouble to find them out...!



Sigh, It seems like we won’t have a murder this time, then! How disappointing...
...I suppose there’s nothing I can do.
Well then, in 24 hours, I guess I’ll have to satisfy myself by revealing all those secrets...
It’s such a shame... Well, see you later, guys...

Monobear disappeared into the depths of the gymnasium, keeping his dejected and disappointed face...



You know, I was surprised at first... but I think we may have been given an easy one this time.
I mean, having my secret revealed would be embarassing, sure..
But... it’s not something to kill anyone over... right?



Everyone, I have a good idea...
Let’s confess our secrets right here, immediately!!



If we do that, we don’t have to worry about them being a motive! Yes, it truly is a good idea! Well, I’ll start!
My embarassing past is...



I... I don’t want to hear anything embarrassing about you...!



What...!?



And also, I refuse. I don’t want to talk about mine...
Even if everyone forces me to... I don’t want to do it...!



I concur... It’s not that I don’t want to talk... It’s that it's impossible.



...When you say that it just makes us want to hear it even more. You should just try letting it out...



I will not speak.



Oh, come on, just say it...!



In that case...



Go on go on go on go on!



I FUCKING TOLD YOU I DON’T WANT TO TALK! YOU BAG OF LARD!!



Kyaaaaaaa!!



I agree. There is no need to talk.



F...Fujisaki-san, what about you...?



Um... I’m sorry... I don’t want to talk right now... B... but...
...I think it’s no good if we continue acting this way. I promise I’ll reveal my secret later...
I’ll do my best... become stronger... and tell everyone...



If you don’t want to say it you don’t have to. I mean, I don't really want to reveal mine...



With such resistance... it doesn’t matter how much you try, brother, we have to let it go for now...



I... I guess...
...But in any case, there’s no way someone will murder over something like that...

I hope... he’s right......
Who here can even have a secret big enough to kill over...?

There... isn’t anyone like that here, is there?



Well, let’s skip the secret revelations...
Just to be safe, everyone - stay alert for the next 24 hours!
Having one’s secrets revealed to the world is humiliating, but it’s not a reason murder someone!



So... don’t do anything rash...



When you talk that way, you’re doing the opposite of calming us down, you know...



A...ah, I’m sorry...

*Ding dong ding dong*







Ehhh.... This is a school announcement. It is now 10pm.
Night Time begins now.
The cafeteria’s doors will be locked shortly. You are forbidden to enter it.
Well then, good night. I wish you all have pleasant dreams...



Anyway, it’s already Night Time... Let’s return to our rooms for today.



I agree. Let us reconvene tomorrow...

Honestly, there was an atmosphere of discomfort hanging around us. But...

We tried to keep from acting too serious, left the gymnasium...
And dispersed into our rooms.



Pasts and memories we want no one to know about...
They certainly are things that connect us to the outside world...

That’s what Monobear said, and I must admit I didn’t understand the importance of those words at the time.

I truly thought no one will ever kill over such things.
But... I was probably just being optimistic.

That’s why... I didn’t feel too tense...



That was exhausting... I feel like I’m ready to collapse...



...as I entered my bed and went to sleep.

At that time, I wasn’t aware of the tragedy that was already taking place. I didn’t even have a tiny clue.



MONOBEAR THEATER



Hey, there. Will you listen to what I have to say?
I’d like to talk about people’s attitude toward the world...
Regarding the difference between “active” and “passive”...
For example... the difference between “I killed” and “I ended up killing”.
There are many people out there who do not understand that difference at all.
“I killed” and “I ended up killing” are two completely different things. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?
“I ended up killing” is something anyone can do, but the people who can truly say “I killed” are few and far between.
You have to be able to thing clearly and judge your actions, and then perform them. It’s a much more difficult thing than acting emotionally.
You have to be prepared for that. Prepared.
So, what I’m trying to say is...
I have absolutely no idea. Try to read between the lines, you idiot.