Fates Foretold and Broken Paths

“Oh, Kamimura-san, Chisaka-san. Good morning!”

Having finished our conversation, Habara walked in and greeted us.

“Good morning,” we chorused.

“Habara-kun, you seem exceptionally energetic today,” Chisaka remarked.

“Indeed! I owe it all to Takagi-kun’s comfort and encouragement yesterday; without his help, I probably would have remained in a slump.”

“That’s wonderful. I was worried you might still be feeling down, Habara-kun.”

“Not at all, I’m perfectly fine now! Thank you for your concern, Chisaka-san.”

“Ohayo, everyone! Ah, a journey isn’t just about beautiful scenery; it’s also about irresistible delicacies. While we live, we must never forsake good food and stunning views~”

As Suzuki finished speaking, his gaze settled on my eyes.

Though his pupils shimmered with a dazzling brilliance, his stare made me profoundly uncomfortable.

“Suzuki-kun, good morning. I’ve just finished preparing the last dish, so everyone, please enjoy.”

“Say, Anko, how much longer do you think this wonderful life can last?” he whispered conspiratorially in my ear, a feigned smile playing on his lips.

“Firstly, please address me by my surname. Secondly, refrain from spreading such negativity to others.”

My brows furrowed, conveying my displeasure.

“Oh dear, oh dear, even your anger is so elegant. How could I possibly give up calling you by your given name?”

I finally understood what it felt like to be accosted by a man.

Suzuki’s attitude toward me was starkly different from how he treated others, and I knew I had to find a way to keep my distance from him.

****

“Good morning, everyone.”

Takagi was the next to enter and greet us, followed swiftly by the others.

“Oh, it smells so good! To wake up and be able to eat such a fantastic breakfast, it’s not an exaggeration to call this happiness!”

Arisumi exclaimed, excitedly walking over and casually grabbing a rice ball to pop into her mouth.

“Too lazy to even grab chopsticks? Are you perhaps some indigenous resident from the Americas? Or did you spend too long in India and return home without shedding your bad habits? Hmm, either way, neither compares to the effect a dumb pig would have.”

“I just didn’t grab chopsticks, that’s all… Honestly…”

“Amemiya, you really… should rein it in. That’s not how you lecture people,” Yuusuke interjected.

“Huh? Did this young lady mishear? Did some lowly servant just try to tell me what to do? Did I give you permission to speak?”

“As expected, I still can’t stand you…”

The chopsticks in his hand trembled slightly, and though no explicit anger showed on his face, I could sense the indignation of being mocked.

“Sigh… both of you just eat your food… such a peaceful atmosphere, ruined by you two.”

Takahashi spoke calmly.

“She’s right; let’s prioritize eating first,” Kitajima chimed in.

“Everyone… did anyone find anything interesting nearby yesterday?” Takagi asked the group.

“Ah, there’s a small convenience store nearby, but we couldn’t take any items.”

“There’s a broken elevator; pressing the button repeatedly did nothing.”

“There’s a treatment room nearby, but the door is locked, so we couldn’t get in.”

“The ingredients in the restaurant’s storage are quite plentiful…”

“And there’s a trash incinerator, but its exterior is also locked.”

“Ah… when I was tidying up yesterday, I found I could open the door to that place,” Chisaka suddenly interjected.

“You said you could open that door?” I sought confirmation.

“Yes, I tried it. Both locks could be opened with my room key.”

“Then did you go through the inner door?”

“Hmm? Oh… I wanted to go in and look, but my key couldn’t open that door.”

“…Is that so…”

“Kamimura-san, do you perhaps know what’s inside that door?” Ishii inquired, her curiosity piqued.

“That might be the room for inspecting the elevator’s internal mechanisms.”

“So, that means if we fix the elevator, we can go upstairs, right?” Katagiri asked excitedly, her face beaming.

“Probably…”

“However, setting aside whether that door can actually be accessed, which one of us here can repair an elevator?”

Suzuki incisively highlighted the crucial problem.

“This…”

“I don’t know how to fix it.”

“Me neither.”

“Takagi-kun, you know how to, right?” Takahashi turned her head to ask Takagi.

“Really?!” Yuusuke exclaimed in surprise.

All eyes converged on Takagi, mine included.

“W-wait! I know absolutely nothing about elevators…”

“You’re not… lying to us, are you?” Amemiya eyed him suspiciously.

“How could I possibly lie?! If I could help everyone, I would certainly do my utmost, but I genuinely don’t know how to fix an elevator…” Takagi replied with immense frustration.

“Please believe Takagi-kun. I don’t think he would lie,” I stated to everyone.

“My apologies… I just felt Takagi-kun had the aura of a repairman. I also believe he wouldn’t lie.”

“Why do I feel… like you’re insulting me?”

“It seems the elevator path is a dead end, and even the main entrance cannot be opened,” Suzuki explained.

“In that case, I’ll just smash the door down with a lead ball,” Ishii’s suggestion was met with a moment of silence.

“No, you mustn’t, Ishii-san! You’ll… be punished by Monokuma!” Nanase timidly cautioned Ishii.

“Monokuma again… Is it that new school rule announced yesterday? How utterly disgusting!”

“Not only that, the stairs to the second floor are also locked,” Takagi added.

“C-could it be… that there’s really no way to leave this place?” Akino Atsushi’s face turned purple with dread.

“This truly is… a difficult puzzle to solve,” Amagasa Gen murmured to himself.

“Everyone, why don’t we set aside the current problem for a bit and do something else, like play basketball?” Kitajima suggested to the restless group.

“Hmm… it seems we can only temporarily put this problem aside for now. We’ll revisit it when a turning point appears.”

To soothe their anxious minds, I also encouraged them to distract themselves.

“It seems… this is our only option.”

“We’ll have to stay in this cursed place for a while longer. It’s truly unbearable.”

****

After breakfast, everyone dispersed.

Since I was idle at the moment, I thought it would be a good opportunity to get closer to some people.

The girl cradling a crystal clear orb in her arms, Osakabe Nanase, captured my attention.

The Ultimate Fortune Teller… While I wasn’t particularly superstitious about mystical fortune-telling, I didn’t dislike divination, based on a certain curiosity.

“Osakabe-san? Are you free?” I asked her softly.

“Ah! I-it’s… Kamimura-san… Um… does Kamimura-san need something…?”

Her timid demeanor evoked a protective feeling.

“Osakabe-san, you can perform fortune-telling, can’t you?”

“Yes… but the results… might not be satisfactory… Kamimura-san… please don’t have too high expectations, okay?”

“Understood. I trust your abilities.”

“Um… thank you…” She shyly lowered her head.

“Kamimura-san, would you prefer a tarot card reading… or the crystal ball method?”

My earlier affirmation seemed to have lessened her wariness toward me.

“…The crystal ball, then.”

“Kamimura-san, please sit in front of me, not too far away… And before we begin, you mustn’t speak…”

“Understood.”

She closed her eyes, placing her hands on the crystal ball, but after a moment, her brow furrowed, and then she opened her eyes.

“How was it?”

“Um… Kamimura-san… please don’t be angry…”

“Rest assured, I won’t be angry, no matter the outcome.”

“Hmm… through the crystal ball, I seem to see Kamimura-san’s fate as fraught with hardship, a long and arduous journey ahead…”

“Is that so…”

“But!… Kamimura-san, don’t be sad! As long as Kamimura-san doesn’t abandon hope, things can still turn around…”

“Is that also… a result from the divination?”

“Ah… yes!”

“Alright, I’ve noted it.”

“Um!… Kamimura-san… may I call you Anko-chan?”

“Ah… you may.”

“Wonderful! This means we’re good friends now! Kamimura-san… you can also call me by my given name.”

“Of course… Nanase.”

I smiled at the adorable girl.