Kousuke had been captured and was now a hostage. The mission had failed.

Miho was outside, standing where she had left off. Zero was in shock, face still devoid of emotion. Takumi and Machiko were silent and contemplating, unsure of what to do.

The Ultimates came running in one by one. The villagers had left, going back where Mr Miyamoto and Monokuma were. The bear had told everyone the news, and now the class was running over to the trio.

Koro wrung his hands as he nervously looked around. He scanned the area. A frown appeared on his face and he looked over to the group. "Uh…where's Hisashi?"

Everyone's gaze fell upon him. The paramedic held his breath - he hated the sudden attention turned towards him.

Takumi's eyes widened. "O-Oh! Sorry about that, Time Lord, but your boyfriend's asleep right now."

Koro frowned. "Uh, why didn't you wake him up then?"

"To not worry you," the investigator chuckled awkwardly as he looked at Koro. "He overworked himself making the clocks and Kousuke wanted him to rest. We didn't want you to worry about him overworking himself."

Koro averted his gaze. His thoughts were only filled with his boyfriend.

So he's still overworking himself? He promised me to not do that anymore…

He felt betrayed, but he quickly shook his head. He walked towards the house. "Excuse me, but I'll go find Hisashi."

"K-Koro!"

Koro ignored the calls thrown at him and he made his way over towards Hisashi's place. He moved into the house, kicking off his shoes on the doorstep. He walked towards the hallway before sliding the door open, finding Hisashi who was hugging the pillows.

The paramedic sighed, relieved.

At least he looks fine…

Koro heard footsteps behind him. He looked back to find the Ultimate Mandolinist eyeing him with a smile.

"Hello~" He greeted in a singsong voice. He strummed his instrument without a care in the world. "Hello, our beautiful paramedic~ Takumi is asking you to wake Hisashi and come back so we can discuss what to do~ They're inside Miho and Kagami's place~"

Koro nodded. "Right, sorry about that…"

The mandolinist laughed. "It's not a problem at all, my dear friend. I always love to see you and your lover together, alongside Miho and Kousuke. You are all beautiful in your love~"

"Ah, t-thank you…" The paramedic blushed. He quickly looked back to Hisashi, noticing the horologist murmuring in his sleep. Koro smiled for a moment, but grounded himself and moved closer towards his boyfriend's face. He brought his hands out and cupped the shorter boy's cheeks. "Hisashi, wake up."

Hisashi's brows furrowed. He began roll left and right. "Mm…"

Koro giggled at the sight. He continued to touch Hisashi's cheeks. "Wake up."

Another sleepy moan escaped the horologist's lips. He moved about for a moment before he slowly opened his eyes. He squinted at the bright light above him, but they instantly widened once he saw the person in front of him.

"K-Koro?" Hisashi threw himself up, and sat in Koro's lap. He looked around nervously before throwing the paramedic a sly smirk. "What? You miss my cuddles already?"

Koro sighed. He looked over to Hyoushi before looking back to the horologist. Koro shook his head. "We can talk about this later. We need to go."

Hisashi frowned. He slowly stood up from his seat, eyes turned to Hyoushi. "What's going on?"

Hyoushi simply smiled. "Let's go now. There's a lot you missed out on, Hisashi."

Koro gave Hisashi a look before following Hyoushi outside. The trio dashed towards Miho's place. They went inside where they found the group, Miho and Takumi's faces were written in a mixture of worry and determination. Everyone seemed impatient as they waited for the duo to speak.

"Sorry we're late," Koro apologized, as he bowed his head down.

Miho chuckled, amused. "It's fine! Don't worry about it."

"What's going on?" Hisashi looked around the group curiously. Worry escaped his tone of voice. "What happened?"

Kiyomiko crossed her arms and huffed. "Long story short, Kousuke's been taken as a hostage."

Hisashi's eyes widened. "What? How? Did the plan fail?"

Koro noticed Zero's expression - guilt. The drama club leader averted his gaze.

"I suppose so. Our plan has been exposed by the devils themselves," Seishin said, irritated by this fact, and his face scrunched up in disgust. "Now we have lost our mortal leader."

Zero bit into his lips. "I'm sorry. It's my fault."

The spirit medium frowned. "Do not worry about the past, mortal. It is foolish to worry about the past. We should think about our next course of action instead against these heinous devils."

The drama club leader was shocked. He looked at Seishin for a moment, then averted his gaze. A small smile escaped his face. "Thank you…"

Kimiko crossed her arms. Her attention was focused on Takumi. "So? What are we going to do now?"

"Maybe we should just wait it out?" Chiyoko suggested, a yawn escaping her lips. "If we show that we don't care, then maybe they'll let him go…"

Chizu shook her head. "That sounds like a bad idea."

Takumi nodded. "Nonetheless risky. We still have the bombs inside of us."

Miho frowned. Her nose scrunched up as she pondered on what to do. "Well, obviously, we need to save Kousuke, right?"

Chizu was uneasy by this. She was cupping her hands, eyes looking down at the floor. "I don't think that's right."

The acrobat turned to Chizu. "Why?"

"Our plan could fail again, and Mr Miyamoto and Monokuma might not let us go a second time." The cartographer held her breath, worried. "They might just grow tired of our attempts to stop them and kill us on the spot."

"She has a point." The lucky student looked blankly at Miho. "It's too risky to save Kousuke."

"Agreed." Kimiko crossed her arms. "However, there doesn't seem to be anything else that can be done…that is, other than to get rid of the bombs in our bodies."

"Impossible!" Machiko threw her hands up. She looked to Kimiko who eyed her curiously. The wedding crasher grinned. "Kimi's right though about nothing else being able to be done! Maybe saving Kousuke is our best option!"

The bacteriologist was stunned. "Machiko, I think you missed the point I was saying…"

Anna worriedly eyed the group. "Can we vomit the bombs out of our body?"

Kenta frowned. He looked over to Anna and shook his head. "That won't work. Besides, that isn't healthy to do."

Koro didn't do anything to counter the food critic. He was right, and the paramedic didn't want to publicly admit that he had tried vomiting the bomb out of his stomach earlier.

"I have to agree with Chizu and the others though." The food critic awkwardly scratched his head. "I think it's too risky."

"B-But there's nothing else that we can do!" Miho threw her arms out, a desperate look on her face. "If we do nothing, then we'll die and Kousuke will be tortured! We can't just sit here to die!"

Kagami placed a hand on the acrobat. "Miho, I know he's your boyfriend, but you need to calm down-"

"I am calm!" Miho said, breathless as she stared at Kagami. Unable to do anything, the tailor backed off with her hands up. Miho clenched her hands into fists, eyes staring at the ground. "I-I just can't believe this is happening… If only I fought Monokuma and Mr Miyamoto, then I could've prevented this!"

Koro bit into his lips. He was stared at the acrobat. Miho's face was entirely written with desperation and guilt. She loathed herself.

Kagami sighed. "Well… I suppose I can help you. I am worried about Kousuke."

"Really?" Miho was shocked.

"What're you even going to do?" Kiyomiko stared at the tailor. "How are you even going to save Kousuke?"

Miho smiled as she turned to the lucky student. "We'll raid the place!"

The paramedic frowned. Is that really a good idea?

"W-What?" The girl was thrown aback. "Seriously?"

Takumi shrugged. "I mean, it sounds like an idea. If we break into the place and surprise them perfectly, then we might be able to save Kousuke and find the remote."

"That's…" Anna fiddled with her fingers. "That sounds crazy."

"Will it even work?" Chizu looked doubtful. "Miho, I seriously think that's a bad idea."

Machiko rolled her eyes. "Bah! It will work. I rather take the risk than die like a stupid coward."

The cartographer looked offended and her eyebrows furrowed. "Are you calling me a coward?"

"I mean…" The wedding crasher shrugged. "Wouldn't you guys rather take the risk of saving Kousuke than to wait and die like little shits?"

"Uh…" Hyoushi smiled awkwardly. "Should I play a song to lighten the mood?"

"W-what?" Chizu stammered, baffled. "Why're you implying something like that? You're being rude right now, Machi-"

Miho quickly intercepted the argument, stepping in the middle. "Let's not fight right now. Chizu, calm down."

"M-me?"

Miho's eyes widened. "Chizu, wait! I didn't mean to call you out like that."

Chizu was hurt. She looked at Miho for a moment before she shook her head. She turned around and suddenly bolted out of the door.

"C-Chizu!"

The acrobat bit into her lips. She chased after the girl, and the two disappeared from the scene.

Koro worriedly eyed the door. "Miho… Chizu…"

"Uh…" Hyoushi strummed his instrument. "I'll start singing now?"

Takumi raised a hand. "No need. Those two will be back. Let's just continue where we left off, my fellow friends."

"Right…" Chiyoko cupped her chin. "We left off on Miho's plan, right?"

"I mean, I'm willing to help her." Machiko smiled at the group. She didn't care that she had hurt the cartographer's emotions at all - or at least that's how Koro perceived her blank expression.

"I'll probably help Miho out too," Kagami said, as she smiled at the group. "I rather not wait for my own death."

"The plan to just raid the place sounds…" Kiyomiko scoffed. "It sounds stupid."

Kenta scratched his head. "It does. I rather not risk it - sorry."

Seishin crossed his arms, a huff escaping his breath. "I shall do what I can to prevent our deaths and save our mortal officer from the heinous beings."

"Oh, you're helping?" Takumi eyed Seishin curiously. The spirit medium nodded, making Takumi chuckle. The investigator tipped his cap. "I, too, will support a lovebird's cry for help. She can count on that."

"Even you?" Kimiko was shocked. She thought for a moment, pondering. She then sighed. "I suppose I could help as well."

"Really?!" Machiko clapped her hands together. Excitement overwhelmed her as she threw an arm around the uneasy bacteriologist. "Good thinking there Kimi!"

Kimiko frowned. "Let go of me…"

Chiyoko yawned, stretching her head. "I think it's risky, so I will have to back down on this one."

Anna nodded her head. "Yeah, me too. I'm sorry."

Koro wasn't sure of what to do. He wanted to help Miho. He was worried for Kousuke, but at the same time he knew how risky the plan would be. He glanced over to Hisashi. "What're you going to do?"

"Me?" Hisashi looked over to Koro. He then cupped his chin and hummed, thinking loudly to himself. A moment passed before he snapped his fingers. A sly grin was on his face. "I'll stay back here and watch!"

"W-what?" Koro's eyes widened. "You're not going to help Miho and the others?"

Hisashi laughed, shaking his head. "No, I just feel like I'd be in their way if I were to help. Besides, I know you're going to follow me, so I don't want you to be harmed. Aren't I just the best?"

Koro smiled at his boyfriend, however, he couldn't help but frown. "You know I'm still going to talk to you about you overworking, right…?"

"Ack." The horologist feigned a hurtful look. "Oopsies."

The paramedic watched Hisashi who whistled, ignoring him. Koro rolled his eyes playfully before he glanced back at Takumi and the others.

"Uh, I'll stay back with Hisashi, if you don't mind."

The investigator nodded, and he smiled at Koro. "That's fine. We're not forcing you or anything, Time Lord."

Why does he keep calling me that? Shouldn't he call Hisashi that anyways?

Hyoushi strummed his fingers along the strings. "I'm sorry~" he began in a singsong voice, "But I think that it's best for me to stay back~"

"Well, obviously, that's the right choice." Kiyomiko rolled her eyes. "I'm staying out as well."

Seishin looked over to Zero. "What're you going to do, mortal?"

"I'll…" Zero bit into his lips. He looked hesitant, but within a moment he looked up at the group, now determined. "I'll help out as well."

Takumi twirled his cap as he began to speak. "So, if memory serves little ol' me right, then those who will be helping Miho will be Machiko, Kimiko, Seishin, Kagami, Zero, and myself. The rest of you will be staying, is that right?"

Koro bowed his head. "I'm sorry about that."

"No, it's fine. Like I said, we're not forcing you to help or anything. I'm sure there's more ways for you all to help us." The investigator chuckled. "Maybe you can find a way to get rid of the bombs still."

Kiyomiko scoffed underneath her breath. "You think?"

Koro looked hesitant, but he nodded his head regardless. He did not want to bring the others down with his negativity. "I-I'll try my best."

"Alright, alright, let's cut the serious tension now!" Machiko clapped her hands loudly. It echoed throughout the room. "Let's relax now! We got this whole shit settled now. We got our groups and all that jazz."

Takumi threw the wedding crasher a thumbs-up. "Yes. All we need to do now is wait for Chizu and Miho to come back. Miho's the one who will be orchestrating this raid, so for us we'll have to discuss things with her."

"Have you had dinner?" Kenta eyed the group curiously.

Koro looked over to the food critic. The sudden question made his stomach growl.

Kenta smiled. "Guess I'll cook food then. You can all sit tight."

Kagami grinned widely, watching the food critic leaving to the kitchen. "Nice!"

Kenta, having gone to cook, had settled the Ultimates down. Most of the class were now relaxing over the place. Chiyoko was sleeping on a nearby couch while Seishin was talking with Hisashi and Zero. Machiko was busy nagging Kimiko, and Kiyomiko was having her own time to herself. Hyoushi and Anna had left to help Kenta. Takumi seemed to be waiting by the door, on the lookout for wherever Chizu and Miho ran off to.

Koro sighed, sitting down near a table. He was held onto a glass of water while he observed the room.

"Hey Koro."

The paramedic looked to the side to find Kagami. The tailor walked over towards him, then took a seat down next to him.

"Um…" Koro couldn't help but worry. "What do you need?"

Kagami shook her head. She moved her platinum blond hair back over her shoulders. "It's nothing. I just wanted to see how you were doing. I thought you'd be nagging over Hisashi right now."

Koro blushed. He gulped down his glass of water. "I-I'll do that later. He just woke up to this mess, after all."

"That's true." The tailor sighed. "I just can't believe we ended up in this mess."

The paramedic nodded. "Yeah… Me neither…"

Koro thought back to when he first met Kousuke and the others.

He was nervous around the group. The first time he had met the group of Ultimates, he felt like he didn't belong. Everyone was different, but everyone looked confident. Everyone acted the opposite from him.

Kousuke was a hardworking class president. He always tried his best to appease to the principal and he was always the one who would help others. Koro found himself admiring the police officer, and even more so whenever Kousuke helped him.

Kousuke was a great person, and Koro soon found himself not only opening up to him, but to his other classmates.

Kagami was one of them. She was one of the people whom Koro found himself closest to.

She was one of the people who helped me pursue Hisashi too…

Koro found himself smiling at this little tidbit, and he noticed Kagami staring at him. He blushed and quickly cleared his throat. "S-so, you'll be helping Miho save Kousuke, right?"

"Mhm." The tailor crossed her arms, sniffing. She smelled the food that Kenta was cooking. "Hm, is Kenta cooking fried chicken?"

"Huh?" Koro sniffed the air. His stomach grumbled. "Y-Yes, most likely. It smells good."

Footsteps were heard, and suddenly Koro found himself being tackled.

Hisashi's arms were over the paramedic. He was embracing him tightly. "Hey, flirting when I'm not around, eh!"

"O-Of course not!" Koro blushed furiously. He felt Hisashi's warmth around him.

"You two are so showy." Kagami sighed. "Get a room, you two."

The paramedic gasped. "K-Kagami!"

Hisashi smirked almost flirtatiously at the girl, winking. "Don't be jealous because I get to see him naked~"

Koro blushed even harder. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. "W-What? Don't say that!"

The tailor sighed, shaking her head. She was looking blankly at the paramedic. "Shouldn't you be lecturing him, Koro?"

"R-Right!" Koro grabbed ahold of Hisashi's hands, releasing himself from his grasp. He scooted over to the side as Hisashi pouted, knowing what was going to happen. Kagami had left the area. The paramedic forced himself to sternly eye the boy. "Hisashi."

"I know, I know." Hisashi averted his gaze. He was sitting next to the paramedic. "I'm sorry."

Koro frowned, shaking his head. "Sorry doesn't cut it. Hisashi, please. I don't want you to overwork yourself. It's not healthy…"

The horologist nodded. "Yeah, I know. Sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."

Koro eyed Hisashi, noticing the saddened look on his face. The paramedic sighed, reaching out to hold his boyfriend's hand. "It's fine. I'm just glad you seem fine. Just please don't overwork yourself again. We promised."

"I know." Hisashi awkwardly smiled. "Let's pinky promise then!"

Koro chuckled. The duo locked their pinky fingers together, and the promise was made. The paramedic smiled. He was sure Hisashi wouldn't break their promise a second time.

"Time to eat," Kenta said, calling out from the kitchen.

"NICE!" Machiko screamed loudly as she ran into the kitchen, ignoring the others who were around her.

Kimiko sighed and followed the wedding crasher.

One by one, everyone began moving their way into the kitchen. Koro stood up from his seat, since Hisashi ran excitedly into the kitchen.

Takumi walked by the paramedic and sighed.

"Uh… What's wrong?" Koro asked, noticing the investigator's stressed out expression.

"Oh, nothing." Takumi smiled wryly at the paramedic. "Chizu and Miho just came back. It looks those two aren't on speaking terms."

"Oh, really?" Koro pursed his lips, worry written all over his face. He looked ahead of the investigator, finding Miho and Chizu who silently walked past by. The paramedic held his breath. "Uh…"

Takumi shrugged. "I don't know. They most likely must've argued while they were gone."

Really? Koro held his breath. They should just apologize to each other…why is everything so difficult?

"Ahem!" Takumi smiled. "I guess I should tell Chizu and Miho about the plan. Let's go eat."

Koro nodded hesitantly. He was worried for the two girls, but shrugged as Takumi headed first into the kitchen. The paramedic was about to walk inside before noticing something out of his eye. He walked over to the back of the room, looking left to find a small hallway. He looked ahead to find a wooden door, closed and hiding in the darkness. Koro frowned.

Is that another entrance? Huh, Hyoushi and I don't have a backdoor at our place…

The paramedic thought for a moment, but frowned. He decided to heed it no mind and walked into the kitchen, finding everyone who were seated. He seated himself next to Hisashi and Hyoushi and grabbed ahold of his bowl as he opened the rice cooker.

"Thanks for the food~" Hyoushi cried in a tune.

Kenta nodded. "It's not a problem at all."

Koro bit into the food. His eyes widened, a wide smile on his face. "This tastes so good!"

"I'm glad you think so." The food critic was pleased by this, biting into his food. His chopsticks were stuck back into the rice.[a] "I was hoping you would like the seasoning I applied in the food."

Miho chuckled as she gnawed down her food. "Yeah, it's good."

Everyone ate their food. They thanked Kenta for the food and soon afterwards everyone had finished. Kagami and Miho said that they would wash the dishes, and Takumi decided to call it a day. Everyone was now leaving to their houses.

Koro was walking towards his house alongside Hyoushi.

"I wonder if Kousuke's okay…"

Hyoushi heard Koro mumble to himself. The mandolinist strummed his instrument as he entered into the house. "Don't fret, Koro~"

"I-I know that." The paramedic shook his head sadly. He took off his shoes as he walked into the house, sliding the door behind him. "But I still worry about how Kousuke's doing. Monokuma and Mr Miyamoto want us to kill, so…"

"Don't worry!" Hyoushi walked over to pet the raven's hair. "Just please don't worry~ Kousuke will be fine~ We'll all be fine."

"I hope so."

Koro made his way over towards his room and he opened the sliding door. He threw himself on the futon and dug his head under the pillows. A sigh escaped his lips.

I feel bad for not helping Miho… I wonder if they would be able to save Kousuke and find the remote…

Koro looked outside the window. It was black and cloudy.

I seriously hope Kousuke's alright. Ugh, I wonder how I'm going to help if we aren't even joining Miho's raid.

Koro hugged the pillows and kicked his feet up. He heard Hyoushi brush his teeth in the other room.

How do I get the bombs out of our bodies? I don't know… It's hard to think of it without vomiting it out…

Koro recalled back to when he tried to vomit the bomb out. He shivered.

Let's not think about that… Bombs… Bombs…

The paramedic groaned. He buried his head underneath the pillows. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't come up with anything.

Koro threw the blankets over his body.

I guess I'll rest for tomorrow. We have a stressful day ahead of us.

Koro held his breath. To think about potentially dying, and to think about Kousuke eternally suffering under the villagers' demise, nonetheless Monokuma's - it made him queasy.

The paramedic closed his eyes and forced himself to sleep.

The sun was shining. It was a clear, sunny today. The skies were a beautiful blue color.

Koro woke, his pillows and blanket scattered on the floor. He heard Hyoushi in the distance, whistling a tune as the aroma of food was waved into his nostrils.

Mm…porridge, huh?

The paramedic got up from the futon. He carefully laid the pillow back in its original spot, then folded the blankets, setting them in the middle. The raven then slid the door open, making his way over to where Hyoushi was.

Hyoushi instantly noticed the paramedic, since he just finished cooking the porridge. He smiled widely at him. "Hello, Koro!"

Koro smiled back at the boy. "Hello, Hyoushi."

"Mhm~" Hyoushi grabbed ahold of the pot, moving it to the table. "The porridge is hot, so be careful. I just cooked it~"

"I know. Thank you." The paramedic walked over to grab a bowl, then sat down around the table. He grabbed the ladle and poured the porridge into his bowl, and dipped his into the soup. Koro blew into the bowl and took a sip from his spoon. Hot, but delicious.

"I'm guessing you like it?" The mandolinist chuckled at Koro's pleased expression. He took a seat down himself and began to grab a bowl of porridge.

A few minutes passed by. Koro and Hyoushi were eating their food in silence. It was an awkward silence, but a short one.

Hyoushi stopped the silence abruptly, after all.

"Koro, I'm surprised you didn't wake up earlier."

Koro was baffled. He furrowed his brows as he stared at the mandolinist. "Uh, excuse me, but what are you talking about?"

Hyoushi's eyes widened. "You didn't hear the explosion? It happened around a few hours ago."

"Really?" Koro's heart was racing. "What happened?"

The mandolinist smiled awkwardly. "I'm not exactly sure. I went outside to check, but there was nothing near our proximity. Takumi and Kimiko walked around the village to investigate, but there was nothing to be seen."

"Huh? R-really?" The paramedic was shocked. "So it happened far away from this place…?"

"I guess so." Hyoushi tapped his fingers on the table, but then smiled. "Well, we shouldn't fret over it. We should be more focused on our situation and cheer each other up~"

Koro smiled inwardly to himself. Hyoushi can be a bit too positive…

A few minutes passed by, and soon the duo had finished their food. They spent their time washing the dishes, and soon they were now free to do what they want.

Well, free, that is, until there was a knock on the door.

"I'm coming!"

Koro ran over to the door, sliding it opened. There was Miho, the acrobat waving happily his way.

"Hello Koro!"

Koro smiled back. "Hello, Miho. Do you need something?"

The acrobat nodded her head, albeit a nervous look on her face. "Yes, well, Takumi and I were discussing about things and we thought that you and the others could help our group by keeping a lookout for us."

"Lookout?" The paramedic frowned. "Uh… So, I'm assuming you want us to watch over your group to make sure you'll be safe during the raid?"

"Exactly!" The girl giggled. "If it's not too much of a bother, I'm just hoping you guys will hang out together and make sure that we're safe during the raid. We're planning it at nighttime, so…"

"Ah, I see." Koro nodded his head, slowly. He noticed Hyoushi listening from the distance. "O-of course. I'm more than willing to help you, Miho."

Miho threw him a thumbs-up gesture. "Thanks! We want you all to hang out at my place, or if not roam outside at that time."

The paramedic acknowledged the girl's words with a nod. "Did you tell the others about this?"

"Yup!" Miho saluated Koro. "We got everything planned out. Even Sana didn't mind watching over us."

"I see."

"Well, we're gonna do the raid around nighttime, so when the sun sets just meet up at my place!" Miho waved. "Bye for now!"

The girl was gone as she dashed away somewhere.

Koro sighed. He took a look down at his feet.

Well, since the door's already open, guess I'll head out and check on Hisashi. I hope he's doing fine.

The paramedic bent down to tie his shoes, and afterwards he made his way over to Hisashi and Takumi's place. He knocked on the door, waiting.

There was no response.

Koro frowned.

I know Takumi might be with Miho and the others for the raid…I guess Hisashi went out too?

Koro cupped his chin, pondering on where the horologist could've went.

Maybe he's out with Seishin and Zero - no, those two are in Miho's group.

Hm…who's not in the raid again? There's me, Hisashi, Hyoushi, Sana…

Koro sighed. He gave up instantly.

Well, I'll just go around and find him.

The paramedic began to walk away from the main area, making his way down the stairs and towards the shrine.

The shrine made him remember back a few days ago. He recalled when they had met Monokuma. That event was what caused this entire mess to begin with.

Koro shuddered and continued down the pathway. He eyed the tree leaves which hovered above him.

The tree leaves were rustling and bustling about. They covered the pathway in a mixture of shadows and lights. Sunshine was broken into little fragments, and although Koro would've considered this a beautiful sight, it honestly wasn't considering the situation he was in.

Koro was now in front of the shrine. He looked around the area. No one was nearby, and he couldn't help but feel like he had wasted his time.

Well, he's not here. I guess he's near where the empty buildings are.

The paramedic turned around. He was just about to leave when the bushes began to rustle.

The bushes were rustling loudly and clearly, and the wind was blowing.

There was something there.

Koro gulped. He found himself taking a step back, worry written over his face.

"Uh…" The paramedic gulped. "W-Who's there?"

A moment passed by. The bushes were continuing to rustle about, and Koro continued to hold his breath. Sweat trickled down his head and his heart raced.

The rustle stopped as something made its way through the bushes.

It was Monokuma.

"E-eek!" Koro fell on the ground. His entire face was white. "M-Monokuma!"

Monokuma sneered at the paramedic. It was laughing at his fear. "I can't believe it! You looked like you were about to shit yourself there, Cocoa Butter!"

Koro was sweating profusely. "W-What do you want?!"

Monokuma grinned. "Oh, nothing! Just checking how you're doing, Mr. Paramedic. You know death's coming closer by the second, right~?"

"T-The bombs…" Koro forced himself back to his feet. He worriedly looked down at his stomach, then shook his head at Monokuma. "S-Still, we won't kill someone."

The bear rolled its eyes. "Ugh, fucking same ol' same ol' goddamn 'Oh my god we won't kill someone - human beings aren't like that'! Dude, you really gotta stop smoking pot."

Koro was flustered. "N-No! It won't happen."

"Is that what you really think?" Monokuma chuckled. "You know that as time ticks away, second by second, slowly and slowly…the more crazy you get? It's insane, believe me."

The paramedic gulped, shivering. Monokuma's words tickled his ears horribly. It was like an eerie siren.

"Well, anyways, time to get back to work! I can't let Mr Miyamoto do paperwork without me!' Monokuma skipped its way down the path, but then stopped abruptly down the middle. It then turned back to Koro. "Oh, and if you're wondering where your little boyfriend is, he's just hanging out with Anna-Banana around the empty buildings."

"Uh…"

Koro was thrown aback, however before he could say anything the bear had left. He didn't expect the bear to help him, at all.

I guess I'll go there then…

Koro headed back and walked away from the shrine over towards the empty buildings. He strolled through the first building and scanned around the area. It was empty, nobody to be seen. Koro looked through the doors and windows, but there had been yet a sign of Hisashi or Anna.

The paramedic frowned, continuing down the path. He looked around left and right, behind and upfront. His steps were slow and steady.

A minute passed, and soon he heard murmurs.

Koro followed the direction of the faint voices - forward. He tiptoed his way over and peeked over a building.

There was Anna and Hisashi, the duo both engaged in a conversation.

Koro frowned and peeked at the horologist and storyteller. He wondered if he should move out and greet the duo, but immediately decided against it as Anna began to talk again.

"... Yeah… was thinking…"

Koro squinted at the scene. I can't really hear them well from here, but… I don't want to move forward since I'll be caught…

Hisashi smiled. He had spread opened his arms. "... worry…! … you in no time…"

"Really?" The storyteller's eyes widened, however a look of confusion was written over her face. "... didn't think… sorry…"

The horologist frowned and dropped his arms to cross them. "... apologize… get him… it'll be done!"

Anna seemed content with what Hisashi said. She jumped a bit in her pace as she waved to the horologist, now making her way.

Koro quickly ran into the building, locking the door. He hid underneath the window, in darkness as he heard Anna's footsteps becoming softer by each passing second.

The paramedic sighed inwardly to himself. What was that about?

Koro was about to stand up, but he then heard Hisashi sighing close in proximity. The horologist seemed to be making his way out as well and his footsteps disappeared after a moment.

The raven pursed his lips. He peeked outside the window. Both Anna and Hisashi were gone from sight. He frowned and unlocked the door, as he headed back outside.

Uh…well, I can't just chase after Hisashi now. He might be annoyed if he knew I was eavesdropping on him. I wonder what he and Anna were talking about though.

Koro observed the area. His eyes were focused on the blue sky. The sun was still brightening up the scenery.

"Oh, Koro?"

Koro's honey eyes widened, his head snapping back. He found Kiyomiko who was eyeing him curiously. "Oh, hello, Sana."

Kiyomiko scoffed in return. "Mhm."

"What are you doing here?" The paramedic asked, curious.

"I was going to the grocery to get food. That's all."

"Oh, I see." Koro watched the lucky student who made her way over to the grocery store. He smiled and followed her. "I'll help you."

"Huh?" Kiyomiko eyed Koro for a moment, then frowned. She then sighed as she entered into the building. "Sure, I guess. Do whatever you want."

Koro nodded happily and headed into the store. He began to help fetch the groceries needed, and after a short while the duo headed back over towards Kiyomiko's place.

The paramedic was carried a few bags, and Kiyomiko herself carried one. The duo walked in silence.

Hm… Koro snuck a look at the lucky student. What should I talk about to get rid of this mood…

Koro's thoughts were unneeded though, as the duo were now at Kiyomiko's house. The lucky student took ahold of the bags Koro were holding.

"Uh…" Kiyomiko awkwardly glanced to the side. "Thanks."

"It's no problem."

Kiyomiko nodded.

Koro smiled sweetly. He watched as the girl closed the door.

Hm, guess I should check on Miho and the others.

The paramedic headed his way over to Miho's place, knocking on the door. A moment passed before the door opened, revealing Miho.

"Oh hey!" Miho smiled widely at the paramedic. "Welcome in!"

The raven smiled, walking inside of the house. He followed Miho over to where the group was, papers spread over the table. They were planning the raid throughout the entire day, and that was obvious from how some of the Ultimates looked tired.

"Hey Koro!" Machiko yelled, not at all tired and her face brimmed with excitement. "You here to listen to how juicy our raid's gonna be?!"

"U-uh…" Koro felt overwhelmed by the girl's burst of energy. "Y-Yes?"

"Great!" The wedding crasher threw her hands up. "Woot woot!"

The paramedic sweatdropped, but looked over to Takumi. "How is planning going?"

The investigator smiled. "We have everything figured out. Now we have to wait a few hours before the plan is set in motion."

"That's good to hear," Koro replied, nodding. "Uh, how are is the raid going to go?"

Machiko's smile widened as she spread her arms out. Koro looked behind the girl to find a ton of items laid about.

"Uh…" Koro couldn't help but questions the items inside the room. There was a broomstick, a bamboo stick, and many more. He supposed the items came from the grocery store. "Are those supposed to be…?"

"They're weapons," Zero answered as matter-of-factly.

"T-They are?!" Koro was shocked, but then loosened his composure. He had a feeling that the items would be used in such a manner, after all.

Seishin crossed his arms as he eyed the weapons. "This was all we could do, mortal of healing."

"He's right." The drama club leader looked at the paramedic. "We couldn't find actual weapons, after all, or else the villagers and Monokuma would be in risk of being hurt or rebelled against."

"It's risky," Kimiko began. She still looked unsure of her decision to help the group, "but I suppose it's better than nothing."

"Yup, that's right!" Miho grinned, proud of this fact. Her smile then softened as she eyed Koro. "Do you want something to drink? We have a few hours before we start, so loosen up a little!"

"Ah…" Koro smiled awkwardly. "I suppose I could afford to drink tea."

Though I know it won't be milk tea.

Miho nodded and headed out the room.

A few minutes passed by and soon Koro got ahold of his tea. It was green tea, to be precise - hot green tea.

He chuckled inwardly to himself.

I knew it.

Still, he didn't care. He sipped his tea as he listened to Miho and the others around him. They continued to talk about the raid, but at the same time the group began to talk about different things. Random topics reached to and fro, and as hours after hours passed, it was soon nighttime.

There was a knock at the door.

"Wait!"

Miho quickly dashed towards the door.

Koro looked back to find Hisashi and the others, and they all walked inside, present in the room.

"The sun has set." Hisashi grinned as he walked towards Miho's group. "I'm guessing that means the plan will be in action?"

Kiyomiko crossed her arms, bemused. "We're just here to watch over you guys, correct?"

Takumi nodded, taking over Miho's role. "Yes. I want you all to watch over us. We want to take precaution over this plan, after all. We have little time left."

"Little time left…" Chizu murmured to herself, looking down at her stomach. She knew exactly what Takumi meant.

"Don't worry." Anna smiled wholeheartedly at Miho and her group. "We'll make sure your plan runs along smoothly."

Hyoushi strummed his mandolin. "Hmhm~ I'll sing a tune to soothe your souls."

"No thanks, but it's appreciated!" Miho giggled, amused by the mandolinist's antics. "We need to get this started as soon as possible anyways."

Kenta nodded as he looked around the room. "Mhm, so we'll either be watching over this place or roam around outside."

Takumi grinned and twirled his cap. "Yes, so some of you should stay inside here, and the rest of you should roam outside to watch for us. The people who are inside here provide us extra support if we and those who are watching outside are in trouble."

Hisashi threw his hands over his head. "Well, I'll probably stay outside and watch you guys raid the place. I'm interested in seeing you scare our little enemies."

"I'll shall support you then~" Hyoushi sang, eyeing the horologist who grinned. "I'll stay outside as well~"

"I'll keep an eye outside as well." Anna smiled sheepishly at the group. "I am worried about you all…"

Koro thought for a moment, but then nodded his head. He looked to the investigator. "I'll watch outside too, if you don't mind."

"Mhm, that sounds good," Takumi began, then frowned as he continued, "however, I do want to make sure that you guys are safe. The people who are staying here should be protected as well."

Chizu averted her gaze. "I'll stay inside."

"I suppose I would like to stay inside too." Kenta eyed Takumi awkwardly.

"Alright." Takumi looked to Kiyomiko and Chiyoko. "Then I'm supposing you two will be guarding the front and back door."

Chiyoko raised a brow. "There's a back door?"

Miho's eyes widened. "Ah, right." She gestured Chiyoko over to the side, then pointed down to the back left. "It's down that hallway."

"Oh…" The stylist yawned. She rubbed her eyes. "I see. Okay, guess I'll protect the back door."

"That leaves me with the front door." Kiyomiko sighed, obviously not wanting to cooperate. "Fine."

"I guess that's settled then," Zero muttered.

Machiko threw her hands up the air, as her fists gripped two broomsticks. "Yes! We shall now commence Operation Save Everyone!"

The wedding crasher dashed out the door, leaving everyone to sigh. Kimiko quickly followed suit, holding what seemed to be a torch.

Miho chuckled. "Guess they're eager." The acrobat then looked to the side of the room and eyed the weaponry. She grabbed ahold of a bamboo stick and saluted the group. "Guess we'll be going now. Wish us luck!"

Anna nodded her head rapidly. "Good luck!"

The rest of Miho's group had grabbed their weapons, charging out of the door. It was now silent, as half of the group was now gone.

"Hm…" Hisashi eyed the opened door. He then smiled. "Guess we should watch over them now!"

The horologist skipped his way out of the door, Anna and Hyoushi following suit. Kiyomiko groaned as she headed over to guard the front door, Chiyoko groggily moving to the back. Kenta and Chizu settled themselves in the house.

Koro observed the room for a moment as his heart raced. The timer was ticking down and he didn't know if this plan would work.

Well, I shouldn't worry now. I'll just go watch them with Hisashi and the others.

Koro headed out the front door and closed it behind him. He waved to Kiyomiko who rolled her eyes and chased after the horologist's group. The trio watched Miho and the others run down towards the building.

"Well, they're eager," Hisashi whistled, amused at the sight. He heard Machiko screaming in the distance.

Anna was jumping about in place. "I hope they'll succeed."

"Don't fret, Anna!" Hyoushi chuckled. "They'll be fine~ We'll be saved~"

Koro smiled as he listened to the mandolinist's singsong voice. Despite how overly positive Hyoushi was in any given situation, that positivity did wonders to Koro's mental health. He was glad that the mandolinist was around to cheer him and the others up.

A few minutes passed and Koro heard screaming. There was yelling in the distance.

Hisashi perked up at the sounds. "Guess they're fighting?"

Koro nodded slowly. "It sounds like it…"

The paramedic's heart was racing. His worry for Miho and the others were overwhelming him.

Time was continuing to tick down, and their lives were on the line.

A few more minutes passed. Screams and yells continued to sound off in the distance.

Koro was fidgeted more and more. As time passed by, the paramedic couldn't help but notice how heavily he sweated. His hands shook, and his glance went back and forth from object to object.

Time was overwhelming his head. Worry continued to overwhelm him, and he couldn't take it any longer.

Koro grabbed ahold of Hisashi's sleeve. "Uh…I'm going to go check on Sana and the others."

Hisashi looked over to the paramedic. He noticed that the raven was worried, and smiled. He ruffled Koro's hair and chuckled. "Yeah, sure. Make sure you tell them that I love them!"

"Uh, sure."

"Hey, don't look so worried." Hisashi smiled sweetly. "We'll get out of this alive. I know it."

Koro smiled and released Hisashi from his grip. He dashed over towards the house, while he eyed Kiyomiko who was tapped her foot along the dirt.

"Hm?" The lucky student instantly noticed him. "What do you need?"

The paramedic shook his head. "Uh, I just wanted to check on you and the others."

"Oh, I see." Kiyomiko eyed Koro strangely, but shrugged and opened the door. "Go ahead. Kenta told me he was going to fetch some items from his place though, so he might not be here yet."

Koro smiled and walked over into the house. He sighed to himself, relieved that he couldn't hear the screams and yells in the distance.

Well, he couldn't hear those noises, but he heard his own heartbeat - it pounded. Time was continuing to tick by, and Koro knew that they were inching closer into explosion.

They will die soon if nothing was solved.

The paramedic held his breath. He shook his head and increased his pace.

No, don't think about that. We'll be fine-

Koro fell to the ground.

"Ow!"

The paramedic landed on his chest. His body began to ache immediately.

Ow…how did I slip? Is the floor really this slippery? Am I just clumsy?

Koro wasn't sure. He looked behind him.

Red.

There was a pool of red liquid.

There was a pool of red, crimson liquid on the ground.

Koro's eyes widened. He scooted back, and hit himself against the kitchen wall. His heartbeat was raced erratically, and his breaths were shallow. He felt like he was hyperventilating, and adrenaline raced through his blood.

N-No…

The paramedic forced a chuckle.

There's no way that's blood… It must be… It must be ketchup…

Koro shakily stood up. His brain told him that he was wrong, but he damned hoped he was right. He took one step forward, and then another.

He continued to take a few steps before he was mere inches off from the liquid.

He held his breath, and he shakily bent down.

He reached his hand down. Fingers touched the red liquid.

No, this feeling… It's blood!

Koro whipped his hand back, fingers painted in blood. He couldn't hear himself breathing. He hyperventilated, eyes darting back and forth.

What should I do? What should I do?! Whose blood is this?!

Koro looked back and forth. There was nobody inside the room.

S-should I tell Sana?! I need to tell Chizu and Kenta about this! Is this meat blood? Maybe it's blood from the meat packages?!

Koro knew that was wrong though. It was a vital mistake.

The paramedic shook in fear and confusion.

A sudden realization shot through his head.

Wait! No no no no! This is bad!

W-what if people suspect me as a killer?! What if they think I did something?!

Koro's head ached. He began to imagine the looks of disgust from his classmates, especially those from his own boyfriend.

No! I-I need to leave!

Koro looked back and forth. Where will he run? He looked at the front door. It was closed, but he knew Kiyomiko was outside. He bit into his lips. He looked over at the back door.

Chiyoko's there though!

Koro was breathless. His breaths continued to be shallow.

What should I do?!

His eyes darted back and forth. He looked something, anything. He just needed to escape from the possibility that somebody might pin him down in a negative light.

His eyes stopped darting back and forth. They were focused on an overly long white apron that was hanging over a pole.

I-I could use this!

Koro ran over to the apron, taking it down. He quickly began to clean the blood off his shoes, then throwed the cloth over his head. He covered his entire body with it and began to make a run for the back door.

I'll take my chances!

The paramedic opened the back door and sprinted out, heading into the bushes, uncaring if Chiyoko saw him or not. He continued to run and hide behind the bushes, making his way around the entire area.

He ran over the area in a circle, making sure nobody was around to see him. He dashed straight towards his house, jumping into the opened door.

Koro ran into his room and quickly began to change. He grabbed ahold of his pair of black pajamas. He threw the clothes over his bloody ones and tossed them aside, changing into his sleeping wear. He didn't care about how the others would react to his simple black t-shirt and pajama pants, only caring about making himself look less suspicious.

Koro crumpled up his clothes and looked around the room. He decided to stuff his clothes into the closet, hiding it behind the extra pairs of blankets, pillows, and futons.

Is this good enough? I-I think I'm good.

It was hard the breathe. Koro couldn't help but recall back to the pool of blood.

Whose blood did that even belong to? There was so much blood… If it's that amount of blood then…

The paramedic knew - it was a vital injury. An injury that caused that much blood to leak would mean death.

Koro bit into his lips.

A few minutes passed as the paramedic paced back and forth.

I… I should go back to Hisashi and the others. Oh no… Sana wouldn't have known that I left… Oh no…

Koro instantly regretted using the back door.

Still… I don't want Hisashi to worry about me. I'll just… I'll just go meet him.

Koro hesitated, but slowly got out of the house. He closed the door behind him and began running forth towards where Hisashi and the others were.

Or, where only Hisashi was.

"H-Hisashi!"

Hisashi looked back. His eyes were widened. "Oh, Koro! Uh, what are you- Actually nevermind that, where were you?"

Koro instantly noticed that look of worry and fear. "W-What happened?"

"Miho and the others came back running."

"D-Did they get Kousuke and the remote?"

"No. They were empty handed, but…" Hisashi went pale. It was obvious that he was struggling to speak, his lips quivering. "Monokuma told them that someone was murdered!"

"What?" Koro knew it. "Who?"

"I-I don't know, but I've been looking for you." Hisashi grabbed ahold of the paramedic's hand. He was squeezing it. "They ran into Miho's place. Let's go!"

Koro nodded, being dragged by Hisashi into the house.

The house where he saw the pool of blood.

The front door was already opened, and everyone was inside the house, mixed expressions of fear and disgust on their faces.

The Ultimates were crowding the closet door.

Murmurs were escaping the room.

"Oh my god…" Kiyomiko was stunned.

Anna was sobbing, unable to hold back her tears as Miho rubbed her shoulders."W-Why is this happening…?"

They're all… Someone's dead.

No way. Why?

Who's dead…

Koro and Hisashi made their way through the crowd, forcing the closed circle to open.

The paramedic's eyes widened, and he fell instantly to the ground.

"And right here is the victim!"

Monokuma was sitting on top of the victim-

-and that victim was Chizu Sakusei, the Ultimate Cartographer.

Chizu was lying atop of a bloody carpet, her body having been crushed. It was obvious to tell from her body, her arms and legs stiff as well as her body. Blood was soaking the girl's poor clothes, a knife stabbed deeply into her stomach. Her eyes were rolled back, and her expression was that of horror.

Koro shuddered. Tears fell from his eyes in a messy manner.

She was dead. Chizu Sakusei was dead.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!" Machiko was enraged, anger directed at Monokuma. "You! Did you do it?!"

Monokuma tilted its head. "Huuuh? What do you mean by that?"

"You bastard!" Miho's eyes were watery. Her hands were clenched into fists. "Y-You killed Chizu!"

"You think I did it?" Monokuma growled. "Bitch, I was busy making sure you and your squad of arsonists didn't burn down the fucking building earlier!"

Kagami was staring at the corpse for a moment, then let out an intrigued smile. "So someone killed under this stress."

Kiyomiko threw the tailor a disgusted look. "Why the hell do you look so calm?"

Takumi cupped his chin for a moment, then staring at the bear. "So… I'm guessing what we have to do next is to participate in a 'class trial', right?"

"Yup! Absolutely right!" Monokuma clapped its paws together. "Woot! Finally, I get to witness a fucking class trial! God, I've been dying to see some high schoolers fight one another."

"So we have to investigate… and then a class trial…" Takumi murmured to himself, keeping note of what he heard. "... Didn't you say that the murderer will be executed if we find them?"

"Yessir!" The bear cackled. "Isn't that great? You get to do Chi-Chi justice!"

"T-This…" Kenta clutched his arms and shook. "This is sick."

Chiyoko worriedly eyed the bear. She played with her hair. "What if you were the one who killed her though?"

"Like I'd do that? Get the fuck outta here." Monokuma rolled its eyes. "The villagers know that I didn't kill her. We know who killed her, so now it's up to you brats to figure it out yourselves for our entertainment."

Koro held his breath. The bear was taunting them, its red eye glowing.

"Anyways, good luck with investigation! I won't be helping you guys with anything, so good luck~" Monokuma jumped down from Chizu's body. "No notes, no nothing."

Monokuma then stopped. "Well, I'll help you a bit."

"Why should we trust you?" Miho was shaking. "Y-You… You make us kill…"

The bear rolled its eyes. "Like it matters to me? It's not my fault you guys actually killed one another. God, high schoolers are so stupid."

"H-Hey…" Hyoushi's voice shook. It scared Koro to see that even the mandolinist was devoid of happiness. "A-Aren't you going to release Kousuke? And what about the bombs?"

"Oh." The bear smirked. "About Kousuke… Well, how about I let him rest for a bit? He'll watch you all suffer with me and Mr Miyamoto later. And don't fucking worry about the bombs. They've already been shut down. They're gone from your bodies."

"Really?" Kagami's eyes widened.

Kimiko frowned. "You're not releasing Kousuke then?"

"Aw hell no! I want you all to take this seriously! Investigate like the little shits you are."

Koro bit into his lips, silent. He hated how the bear was taunting them.

Chizu…

The paramedic clenched into his fists.

If only… If only I was here earlier, then maybe I could've saved her!

Monokuma grinned. The room was devoid of life.

Literal life, and metaphorical life.

"Well, now that you guys seem ready, let's get this investigation started already!"

Here is the long awaited chapter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, especially from seeing the story in Koro's perspective (I will admit that I chose the perspective through a random generator to make it fair). I also hope that the length was to your liking, nonetheless the most important thing that happened in this chapter… I can only hope that the case for this victim's death will entertain you all.

Wolffang1795: Yes, that is right. It is only a matter of time before everyone falls. I am glad you enjoyed what happened and can only hope that this case will be interesting to you.

RioA: Thank you, I am glad that you liked it. The flashback about Zero certainly was interesting. I'm glad you enjoyed reading through the group conducting their plan, despite them having failed. Hopefully you will enjoy this case.

ToonGuy: Your thought on Kousuke was interesting to read. It may or may not be important. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, and hopefully you will enjoy the case to come.

Lowrietial: Thank you very much! I am glad to have you by my side.

TheRoseShadow21: I'm glad you enjoyed the twist. Thank you very much.

liammarklh88: I am happy that you enjoyed the twist at the end. That is interesting to know. I'm glad you enjoyed the supposed fight between Miho and Machiko. I hope you enjoyed seeing the story from Koro's perspective this chapter then. Yes, I will try to insert more dialogue with your character. Thank you.

Crimson Spider Lily: I am happy you enjoyed the flashback regardless. You do have a point with those statements you said, and I will definitely keep those in mind in the future. Yes, the screen time between each character is quite hard for me to manage, and I will try to balance it out in the future whether that be through each case, etc.

ThePersonOfNothing: Well, unfortunately you were right. Hopefully we will figure out who the murderer is soon.

jaughy: That is fine.