I wandered around the first floor of Hope's Peak Academy for a good while, but all I confirmed was that it's identical to the game. I found nothing useful.
Honestly, there were never any hidden routes to begin with, so discovering something new was a long-shot.
I still tore through every nook and cranny, hoping to score points with Kirigiri-senpai by digging up a campus map, yet the map was nowhere to be found. Where on earth did she get hers…?
In the end I decided to impress her by saying I'd checked the school's layout before enrolling and that this place matched Hope's Peak. Half bluff, half deduction.
Not that I'm doing this just to curry favor with Kirigiri; I also need the others to trust me.
With so many ordeals on the horizon, losing the kids' trust would be fatal. I plan to leverage every scrap of game knowledge I have to win them over.
Anyway, with a rare moment of downtime, I started thinking about my talent—the [Ultimate Counselor].
Before starting here, I'd visited the free counseling center where this world's "me" volunteers, just to test whether I could actually use that talent.
The results were unimpressive. I'd secretly hoped an [Ultimate] ability would manifest like a passive buff now that I'm in the Danganronpa world, but no such luck.
All I did was listen to their worries, nod in the right places, trot out the usual platitudes, and—boom—session over.
Anyone could've done that, [Ultimate] title or not; the whole thing felt pointlessly hollow.
Still, the kids seemed genuinely satisfied, laughing and asking to see me again. For that brief moment, I was pretty happy too.
If only I could wield [Counseling] as deftly as my in-game counterpart, this whole mess would be so much easier.
Lost in thought, I eventually noticed it was time to gather in the Dining Hall. Years as a shut-in have made me an Olympic-level day-dreamer.
Pathetic as it sounds, I actually like getting lost in my own head; it's strangely calming.
When I stepped inside, Naegi and Maizono were already there. Since Maizono is the one who kick-starts the killing game—Mukuro aside—she's my biggest concern.
If I can keep everyone from watching their motive videos, maybe Maizono won't snap and try to kill. I definitely need to handle those tapes.
The people in the videos are alive in Towa City right now, but the kids don't know that, so I have to stop them from spiraling into panic.
Monokuma obviously won't make it easy, but I still have to try.
While I watched the two of them, a pink aura practically radiated off them. My ribs felt chilly from pure third-wheel envy. Die, happy couple—well, not literally.
As I shot daggers at the lovey-dovey duo, Ishimaru burst in with his trademark gusto.
"Naegi! Maizono! And K as well! You three are the first to arrive! K! Excellent posture! Continue to apply yourself with that same dedication—"
I let Ishimaru's excessive pep wash over me, and soon the rest of the students filed in. Everyone except Kirigiri should be here—time to launch Operation Trust-Gain—
Huh?
Kirigiri walked in last. That's weird—she's supposed to slip in during the meeting. I stared at her, bewildered, and she glared right back.
Locking eyes with Kirigiri is always a treat, but the story drifting away from the game script is starting to worry me.
Could my presence as the seventeenth [Ultimate] be derailing the plot entirely?
Very possible. But I was ready for that. If I stay passive, paranoia will snowball into murder. I can't be rattled by a few variables.
Unlike the original, everyone gathered in the Dining Hall to share their findings. Since I've cleared the game a dozen times, nothing they said interested me, so I just nodded along.
Kirigiri, however, seems determined to shadow me. Arms folded, eyes fixed on my every move.
I don't know why I'm in her bad books, but maybe this is my chance to impress her. I cleared my throat and addressed the group, disguising game knowledge as speculation.
"I think this really is Hope's Peak Academy."
"What are you talking about?"
Frustrated by their fruitless search, the kids immediately perked up. My heart pounded.
"W-well, before I enrolled I looked up the school's floor plan online, and the layout here… it matches Hope's Peak almost perfectly."
"Huh? You sure about that?"
"I… I'm pretty sure, yeah…"
Owada's thug aura made me stammer. Crap—confidence check failed.
"His claim is solid. Take a look at this."
Thankfully, Kirigiri produced a campus map and backed me up. Kirigiri-senpai for the win.
"So it really is Hope's Peak… We weren't dragged somewhere else after all."
"You gotta be kidding me! This dump is that Hope's Peak?"
"If this truly is Hope's Peak, then what about the other students…?"
Of course they believed Kirigiri without question while barely registering my words. Can't deny it stings a little.
To be fair, I don't look trustworthy—scrawny, brooding, hardly leadership material.
Meanwhile, the sea-urchin Hagakure is still babbling about hidden-camera events. I swear, I want to shave that pineapple right off his skull.
I watched the bickering students and waited for my moment. It came sooner than expected.
"Regarding the night hours… how about we add a new rule?"
All eyes turned to Celestia. I zeroed in as well, ready to jump in.
"What if we ban roaming after hours? The official rules allow it, but we could impose our own restriction."
"W-why, exactly?"
"Otherwise we'll spend every night terrified… wondering if someone's sneaking around to kill us."
Faces darkened, but no one could refute her point.
"Of course, unlike the school regulations, this would rely entirely on cooperation…"
"Without some kind of rule, we might self-destruct…"
"As the representative of manliness, I'm in favor!"
"It seems everyone agrees, then. In that case—"
"Hold up! Good intentions aside, that rule can be abused."
"Excuse me? What did you say?"
Celestia frowned, but I stood my ground.
"If we lock ourselves in at night, anyone who breaks the rule gets an empty building all to themselves—perfect for setting up murder tricks."
Heads nodded at the unexpected angle. Thank goodness—they didn't dismiss me outright.
"Then what solution do you propose?"
"We post a night watch—someone to make sure no one's wandering around."
"An excellent idea. Any volunteers?"
Celestia looked around, but no one stepped up. Beating the urge to sleep is tougher than people think. Guess there's no helping it.
"I'll do it. If no one volunteers, I'll stand watch alone."
"Admirable, but if you're alone you'd be the one left with the perfect chance to commit murder."
…Hadn't thought of that. A scrawny, gloomy guy creeping around at midnight—yeah, that screams "suspect." I was racking my brain for a fix when—
"I'll keep watch with him."
Holy crap. Kirigiri-senpai just volunteered to partner with me. My heart thundered, but her eyes were still sharp with suspicion.
Ouch—still in the doghouse. But guarding the night with Kirigiri? Totally worth it.
"Heh heh… a man and a woman alone at night? How deliciously scandalous."
"I can protect myself. If anyone tries anything, they'll regret it."
Kirigiri swatted away Fukawa's fantasies and left the hall.
"Very well, we'll proceed that way."
Celestia sounded satisfied, and the group naturally dispersed for the night.
It was touch-and-go, but we got the night-watch rule passed. Even if I can't stop the motive videos, at least Maizono's potential murder attempt is neutralized. One less migraine.
Feeling much lighter, I headed for my room to crash f—
"Where are you going? Night watch starts now."
Oh. Right. Damn—it starts tonight.