Part 143: Chapter 6 Deadly Life, Part 7

: Hello, welcome! Welcome, hello! Are you ready for your final hint!? Well, it just so happens to be in the envelope on the ground in front of you!

The envelope...?





This must be the envelope...



: Puhuhu... And just so you know, I won't be answering any questions about what you find inside!
: Wh-What...?
: Don't worry, just get on with it!

Monokuma's cryptic words didn't make me feel any better, but I picked up the envelope...and opened it.



What I found was...a single photograph.





It featured a bunch of faces I recognized extremely well. It was everyone who'd come to Hope's Peak at the same time as me.

: Wait, but...



: There's someone behind Sayaka... She's the only one I don't recognize...! Wait, that's not true. I *do* recognize her! That's right... When Byakuya and I were in the headmaster's room, and we looked at that file...



: Mukuro Ikusaba...? Then this girl is...?



: What...? Why...? Why is Mukuro here with everyone else? And even more than that...



Just having everyone here posed like this is weird enough by itself. And we're all wearing matching uniforms. I don't remember anything like this... AND now that I'm looking at it...it's not even everyone.

I'm...not in the picture. I'm the only one not there... The picture has all fifteen other students...but not me.

But I guess that makes sense. After all, I don't remember ever taking a picture like this... I went to junior high with Sayaka, but the first time I met everyone else...was when I arrived here at Hope's Peak Academy. So it's natural for me not to be in this picture. But what's definitely *unnatural*...is that everyone else *is* in the picture.

I thought everyone was like me, and didn't know each other till they got here. But if this picture is real...



...then could that mean...?

: Could it be...? Everyone else...? And just me...? Everyone here except me is...?
: Puhuhu... How long are you gonna keep up this rambling soliloquy of yours, Hamlet?
: You're kinda gettin' in the way standing there, ya know?



: So...I mean...get out!
: B-But--!
: I told you, I'm not fielding any questions!
: What kind of mystery would this be if I gave you all the answers? That'd be totally out of left field!



: dugretTt/r@@2e!-- brRRrqffqZZzzkkKk>3

I guess that means he's done talking.

: Dammit...!





So in the end, all I found in the gym...was even more confusion. And with that confusion in hands, I left the gym dejected.





: How does that count as a hint? It just made me even more confused...!

Is that what Monokuma was going for? Did he put together a fake photo just to confuse me...?



But it looked so real, so full of life. How could anyone fake that...?



Which would mean...everyone but me...

: ...

Maybe I should just ask everyone directly. That should clear all this up.

: No...I HAVE to clear all this up!





: Alright so we need to talk to the others. They're currently scattered around the school. Byakuya's in the archive, Hina's in the Dining Hall, Hiro's in the Garden and Toko's in the Bio Lab.









: Oh, Byakuya!



: ...
: Listen, do you think we could talk?
: ...
: Byakuya...?



: I have nothing to talk to you about.
: Don't talk to me as if we're friends. *leaves*



: H-Hey, Byakuya! Wait!

But of course he didn't. He just walked away.

: What the...? Why was he acting like that? Like he was purposefully trying to avoid me...







: So this is where you've been hiding. Listen, I was hoping to talk to you...



: M-Makoto!?



: ...S-Sorry! Gotta go! *leaves*



: What...?

She ran off so fast, I didn't even have time to ask her to stop.

: Hina...

Why...? Why won't you talk to me?







: Hey, Hiro!



: Gwah! M-M-Makoto!
: What's going on with you? Every time I see you, you freak out like that.
: N-No, I...



: No! Sorry, but I'm in a big hurry! *leaves*



Once again, he ran off like a terrified rabbit.

: Hiro...what's wrong?

I still wasn't able to talk to him about the notebook I'd found. It was like he was avoiding me... Like he was afraid of me...

: Why...?



: This is very strange... Everyone is acting really suspicious.



♪ Music fades out. ♪

I decided to visit the bio lab one more time. And the first thing I saw when I got there...





...was her, passed out. Again.

: Huh? Toko...? T-Toko! Are you okay!?

No... No! She's not...dead, is she!?





: Kyeeehahahaha!
: Uwah!
: It's cold... It's super cold! It's so cold, I think I might catch cold!
: If you keep taking naps in places like this, I'm sure you will...
: What, I was asleep? Ahh, I musta fainted again!



: I bet you were standing there, staring at me, getting all excited! Weren't you!?
: No...I wasn't...
: Oh, then what? Hot and bothered? Straight-up horny!?
: Um, okay, so...why did you pass out?
: I dunno! Last thing I remember was me waking up just now! What'd you do to Miss Morose!?
: Oh, that's right. Your memory stops and starts each time you switch...



: Bingo bazinga! We share some basic knowledge, but our memories are very much separate!
: And don't say it like it's a bad thing! It's a blessing as far as I'm concerned!
: Cuz even if *she* forgets something, I totally remember!
: So it's like double the memory!

Uh, no...it's more like half.





: But all I wanna know right now is, where's my little darling!? Tell me now, or I slit your throat!
: I-I don't know. I'm sure Byakuya's around somewhere, doing his own investigating.
: By himself!?
: I assume so...



: I knew it! I totally knew it! I'm a total pro when it comes to all things Master!
: Anyway, I gotta hurry! I can't even imagine how lonely he must be right now!
: Kyeeeeehahahahahaha! *leaves*



Toko shot off, her eerie laughter echoing behind her.

: Ah, I totally forgot to ask her about the picture...

Well, there's no point asking Genocide Jack anyway. Besides, I have more important things to do right now. Why did Toko faint? There's gotta be some reason for it...



: Sorry this one was kinda short. The update would become way too long if I continued on from this point so next time we'll pick up by examining this open morgue unit.