The Weight of Expectation and the Cost of Vengeance

Monokuma: “Oh, my? The video just ended like that…? What an anticlimactic finish, wouldn’t you say?”

This familiar pattern of events often occurred in the world I once inhabited.

A child’s character flaws are often linked to their home environment, and Takahashi’s parents were a classic example of this.

They were far too demanding of their child.

Yet, these exceptionally talented parents seemed unwilling to consider their child’s perspective, appearing to disregard their mental and physical well-being.

The world of the naturally gifted starkly contrasts with that of those who achieve through diligent effort, and in terms of knowledge, a certain conflict inevitably arises between the two.

Takahashi’s parents seemed certain their daughter would inherit their talents as well.

Katagiri Mimi: “What a strict pair of parents… Compared to them, my mom and dad are incredibly gentle with me.” She murmured, her brow slightly furrowed.

Chisaka Erin: “Indeed… If I had never been cherished by my parents throughout my life, what meaning would there be in my existence…?”

Takahashi Aki: “That’s not true! My parents love me very much! Don’t you dare spout such nonsense!” Hearing Chisaka’s words, she instantly flared into a rage.

Akahira Yuusuke: “If they truly loved you… you wouldn’t have needed to hide that award certificate, would you?”

Takahashi Aki: ‘…’

The fury that had just swelled within her suddenly dissipated, leaving her speechless as if doused with cold water.

Takagi Masahiko: “Um… Takahashi, why are you so certain that the person who tampered with your shoes… was Amemiya?”

Suzuki Minoru: “You didn’t just rush over and attack them without a word, did you?”

Takahashi Aki: “Heh heh… It wasn’t quite like that… Before that, I patiently waited for her to respond to me~”

Takahashi Aki: “Unfortunately… that woman not only played dumb, but she actually insulted me…! She provoked me time and again!”

****

“Takahashi, are you sure the escape route is that ventilation shaft…?”

“There’s no mistake, Amemiya… Monokuma himself told me it was a ‘gift’.”

“Speaking of which, why are you wearing a raincoat? Is that some new trendy way to dress?”

“Ah… sometimes I like walking in a raincoat; it gives me a special sense of security…”

“What a strange idea…”

“But… how are we supposed to climb up there?” Amemiya Wakaba gazed upwards, a pensive look on her face.

“There’s a ladder inside; I’ll get it for you now.”

Amemiya Wakaba climbed the ladder to the ventilation opening, exclaiming with immense excitement: “This vent really can be entered! But it’s incredibly dusty in here… Ugh, it’s giving this young lady a real headache!”

The ladder was inexplicably pushed over, and Amemiya Wakaba, who was at the top, tumbled to the ground.

“O-ow… so painful… my arm and… my knee… What exactly are you doing… Takahashi?!”

“I’m going to ask you something, and you must answer truthfully.” Takahashi Aki’s expression suddenly turned ice-cold, her eyes concealing a hint of murderous intent.

“W-what…”

“Before the competition started that day at Hope’s Peak Academy, did you tamper with my bag…?”

“Huh…? This young lady doesn’t understand what you’re talking about… What competition? What… bag…?”

“Heh heh… You don’t understand, do you? Then I’ll be blunt: Did you ruin my dancing shoes?!”

“Dancing shoes? What nonsense are you talking about now…? Besides, isn’t this our first time at this academy?”

“First time? Heh heh heh… I don’t know if you’re truly amnesiac or just pretending, but at the very least, I can tell you this isn’t our first time.”

“W-what…? This young lady lived at Hope’s Peak Academy before…? But how do you know that?!”

“How I know is no longer for you to know… Right now, I just want to know from your own lips if you were the one who ruined my shoes?!”

“This young lady said she doesn’t know, didn’t she?! What more do you want from this young lady?!”

Seeing Amemiya Wakaba’s indignant expression, Takahashi Aki, in a fit of rage, snatched the blunt object she had hidden behind her back and swung it directly, smashing it violently against Amemiya’s head.

“Ahhhhhh!!! It hurts!! It hurts so much!!!”

Amemiya Wakaba collapsed to her knees, clutching her battered head with both hands, screaming in heart-wrenching agony.

“Weren’t you so arrogant just now?! Go on then?! My dear young lady…?”

“Y-y-you lunatic!!! I told you I really can’t remember…! What more do you want from me?!”

“Is that so… you can’t remember… then I’ll help you regain your memory!!!” No sooner had Takahashi Aki finished speaking than the blunt object in her hand swung violently towards Amemiya’s occiput again.

“S-stop! Ahhh!!!”

“Well?! Have you remembered anything yet?!”

Her relentless beating never ceased; having lost her sanity, she seemed to gradually immerse herself in the sadistic pleasure of the torment.

“P-please… spare… me…” Amemiya Wakaba’s voice grew fainter and fainter, as weak as a silken thread, like a fish stranded on shore.

Yet, Takahashi Aki, consumed by her pleasure, no longer registered any faint movements until she was panting with exhaustion and finally stopped.

“Hmph, hmph… Hey, wake up.” She tried to rouse Amemiya Wakaba, who had fallen into an eternal sleep, only to see Amemiya lying motionless in a pool of blood.

“Hey!”

‘…’

“What…? Already dead?”

Just then, a faint creak came from the front door.

“!” Takahashi Aki reacted swiftly; sensing something amiss, she immediately retreated and hid behind a wooden cabinet, first glancing through a gap to discern the identity of the newcomer.

****

Takahashi Aki: “You’ve all deduced what happened next, so there’s no need for me to elaborate.”

Suzuki Minoru: “Interesting… I actually hadn’t realized that you and Amemiya had previously studied at Hope’s Peak Academy… Is my memory loss truly playing tricks on me?”

Chisaka Erin: “But upon reflection, perhaps more than just the two of them lived there before.

It’s possible the memories I’m missing are precisely about Hope’s Peak Academy…”

Akahira Yuusuke: “Takahashi, I have to ask… were you blinded by hatred?” His voice carried a hint of coldness and seriousness.

Takahashi Aki: “Is that so? Heh heh heh… Indeed, my mind wasn’t clear at the time; all I could think about was making her wish she were dead! But I never imagined human life could be so fragile…”

Kitajima Kazumitsu: “I don’t believe Amemiya would commit such a vile act… Besides, how can you be so certain that she also lost this part of her memory about Hope’s Peak Academy?”

Takahashi Aki: ‘…’

Akino Atsushi: “Yes, if that were truly the case… then Amemiya would have died with an unsettled grievance!”

Takahashi Aki: “Impossible… It must have been her… It must have been her!”

Monokuma: “Puhuhu~ As an insider, I can tell you that the person wasn’t Amemiya~?”

Takahashi Aki: “Y-you… what… are you… saying…?” In that instant, she seemed to return to the lifeless puppet of her body, frozen in place, her eyes losing their luster and becoming utterly vacant.

Takahashi Aki: “Impossible! Absolutely impossible! No… you’re lying! I won’t believe your nonsense!” Her frantic emotions erupted in less than a second, startling everyone around her.

Monokuma: “Believe it or not~ I’ve said all I need to say, hmph~”

Takahashi Aki: “How… could… this be…” The next moment, she crumpled to her knees, hands bracing her weak, numb, empty shell of a body.

Suzuki Minoru: “In the end, you’re just a clown, aren’t you? Hahahaha!!” Suzuki’s frenzied laughter pierced the air, emphasizing Takahashi’s pitiful and hateful state.

Kamimura Anko: “Suzuki, stop for a moment.

I want to ask her a question.” I immediately found an excuse to curb his outburst.

Kamimura Anko: “Takahashi, why did you spare me at that time?”

Takahashi Aki: “Who knows…? Perhaps I just came to my senses…”

Kamimura Anko: “But even so, you still intended to frame me…?”

Takahashi Aki: “Because… I still wanted… to gain their affirmation!! All this time… why… have I never been properly praised by them… W-why…”

Finally, in her last moment, tears gushed forth like a spring, glistening as they spilled over and dropped to the floor, yet no one came to comfort her in her utter despair.

I knelt before her, then extended my right hand.

Kamimura Anko: “Shall we get up?”

She slowly raised her tear-streaked face, staring at me for several seconds, then slowly grasped my right hand and struggled to her feet.

Takahashi Aki: “I’m sorry, truly… I’m sorry to everyone… I was so confused…”

Monokuma: “It’s getting late, so I’ll begin the execution now~”

Takahashi Aki: “I don’t ask for forgiveness for what I’ve done, but I only hope that in the future, everyone… won’t be as… impulsive… as I was…”

Monokuma: “Let the heart-pounding punishment time begin!!”

Arisumi Momoko: “…Goodbye…”

Katagiri Mimi: “May you find someone who loves you in your next life…”

Ishii Yoshimi: “Sigh…”