killing fever | opaquii & molotov

[molotov]

xxx「 ✧ 」 ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ 「 𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐔 !! 」

the model gave ichiro a confused look, hardly able to process the grim turn of events. “w-what?” that’s when he realized the knife had slipped from his pocket, an incriminating mistake that shin and yui seemed to take full advantage of. his alarm grew with yui’s words. for a moment his voice caught in his throat, struggling to even respond. he shook his head in disbelief. “n-no, no i would never hurt him! she-she’s lying.” his voice raised in protest, not soon after had junichiro’s weight left his arms. benjiro chose to follow after ichiro and enmei. having his fair share of survival skills, he had been wounded enough times in the wild to have the experience, and the scars to prove it. mitsuru watched them leave, silently pleading that somehow his friend would make it out alright. yoshi was the one to help him to his feet, but seemed intent to keep him from following the group to the infirmary. leaving him to the mercy of the group.

mitsuru’s eyes darted from person to person, mere blurry images, but he could practically feel their stares of wariness, fear and disgust. as yui continued to spout out her lies. the carpenter‘s feigned innocence made him feel sick to his stomach, it made a fury ignite in mitsuru. “how dare you throw this on me, you vile roach!” he spat, trying to pull away from yoshi. though after a moment he caught himself, taking a deep breath as he tried to keep himself calm. aiko broke that chance with an interjection in defense of yui, having previously put in the effort to comfort her along with akari “don’t you speak to her that way!” she snapped. being attacked from all angles was far too overwhelming, his brain fumbled for the right words to prove his innocence as panic flooded over his features. he spun to the group, desperate for someone to come to his defense. his eyes darted from rika, to yoshi, then to mikito. they had all bore witness to shin’s behavior, he had to believe they were somewhat suspicious. “i.. never laid a hand on him.” no one spoke up in that moment, the doll-maker refused to even look his way. “listen to me, yui and shin were working together, they ambushed junichiro and-” he was interrupted by shin. “you’ve got some nerve puttin’ the blame on us, after what you did. you got caught with your own weapon and you’re still actin’ like you’re innocent.” mitsuru spun to face the track-star, unadulterated anger thrust forth once more upon hearing his voice. pulling away from yoshi’s grip, mitsuru’s hands clenched into fists. alas, before he could do anything someone grabbed his hand. he spun to meet the crimson gaze of katagiri. “akari has a point, i’m afraid you’ve just lost your privilege of freedom, mitsuru.” the model tensed. “what are you going to do? i told you i’m not the threat here!” mitsuru protested, pulling away. the interrogator responded with a pointed stare. “says the man so eager to attack another? i am simply taking a precaution. you’ve been out of line since day one. i’m not taking any chances until we get to the bottom of this.” katagiri answered simply. “if you’re truly innocent, then you’ll comply. if you resist i will have no choice but to use force.” katagiri warned, shooting him a stern glare. mitsuru stood there in silence, turning his gaze back to yui and shin, looking at them with utter loathing. he felt like he was trapped in a nightmare; his best friend was dying, junichiro’s attacker’s had gotten away free, he could barely defend himself - he felt pathetic, utterly incompetent to help bring justice to his beloved friend. mitsuru lowered his head in defeat, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. katagiri placed a hand on his shoulder, swiveling her head to oda and yoshi. “there’s a small storage room in the lounge, we can keep him in there until we figure this mess out. would you mind helping me escort him, just in case things get out of hand?” katagiri asked the pair.

he refused to meet anyone’s gaze as he was led to the lounge, eyes holding back silent anguish. he was promptly restrained with his hands behind his back, tried to the heavy mental shelf behind with a spare rope in the cramped storage room. his rough restraints were uncomfortably tight around his wrists, but he hardly acknowledged it. “i’ll come back later when you’ve gathered your thoughts, expect an interrogation.” with that she stood up and opened the door. “-don’t let yui or shin get anywhere near that infirmary.” mitsuru spoke. the interrogator paused in the doorway only a moment, before she stepped out and closed the door, encasing mitsuru in darkness.

[opaquii]

╔═══════╗
◇──◆──◇──◆ JUNICHIRO ◇──◆──◇──◆
╚═══════╝

It was by a miracle that Junichiro had survived, even though there was a lack of knowledge on how to treat such wounds (a scuba diver and a hunter could only know so much) the infirmary offered everything they needed and more. He was cleaned and stitched up, all they needed to do now was monitor him in case he got an infection. A few days had passed since that night when he finally woke up, still groggy and extremely thirsty. Junichiro struggled to speak, letting out a grunt instead to grab the attention of the person by his side.

"Oh thank god." Ichiro sighed, rubbing his face. He looked as if he hadn't slept for days, which would track. "I was beginning to worry, Benjiro said it would take time but..." He didn't finish his sentence, instead helping Junichiro sit up slightly to drink some water. "T-Thanks." His voice broke in the middle, clearly unused. As he looked around, it seemed like they were the only two in the infirmary, and the bright glow from the window told him it was early morning or at least midday. "Where's M-Mitsuru?" He coughed into his arm, laying back down.

Ichiro averted his eyes at his question, and the tattoo artist couldn't pinpoint if he looked upset or angry. "Do you not remember what happened? He ran back to us with you in his arms, then we found a bloody knife on him." He explained with a sigh, "We're keeping him locked in the lounge, we can't have him hurt anyone else." Junichiro had to take a moment to register what he said, only replying with a confused "huh?"

"That can't b-be right." He remembered their argument, and he remembered how he went in the dark to try and find Mitsuru- but the rest was just fog. "I know we were angry at each other, but he'd never do that to me." Junichiro shook his head lightly, staring at the ceiling, "There must be another explanation."

-

Another few days had passed until Junichiro was cleared to start walking a little bit. By now the pain in his side had gone down to just an annoying dull hum, it was tolerable. He argued with Ichiro and Katagiri to let him see Mitsuru, but they disagreed each time. Junichiro took it into his own hands, waiting until the late night to slowly but quietly walk to the lounge, finding that the door knob was tightly jammed with rope and wood since it didn't have a lock.

"Mitsuru?" He whispered against the door, hoping he'd be awake. Instead of waiting for his answer, Junichiro started to pull the wood and rope away, hoping he'd remember well enough how to tighten it back up again. Seeing Mitsuru was like a light at the end of the tunnel, and he quickly hobbled to him before kneeling down to hold him in his arms. "I m-missed y-you." Junichiro sobbed, "T-They keep telling m-me it was you b-but I d-don't believe it!"

[molotov]

xxx「 ✧ 」 ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ 「 𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐔 !! 」

the time confined to the dark room went by agonizingly slow, the only indication of what time of day it was came from the little light that seeped through the cracks of the door. even still, the days and nights melded together in one miserable unending limbo. mitsuru ate very little, talked even less when it was made clear he wouldn’t be believed no matter how earnest he came across. it was hard to read the interrogators view on the situation at this point. katagiri was one of the only people to visit him, and while she had treated his minor wounds, and provided him with food and water. she didn’t seem to think one way or the other. her interrogation’s had remained fairly consistent up until a few days ago, long since had his connection with the outside world seemed to die down completely. well - apart from one single person, shin seemed quite intent to torment him. sometimes he’d bring him food only to place it out of reach, occasionally he’d spit in it, or drop it. other times he’d simply come around the bang loudly on the door, just to startle him out of sleep; small things that no one would bat an eye over, nor believe, and mitsuru could only sit there and act unperturbed.

sleeping was really the only thing he could do, just not too well with the help of nightmares and shin’s nightly disruptions. the model had accumulated noticeable bags under his eyes, his hair an uncombed mess, a dark bruise had formed across his nose, and a deep scratch down his cheek despite the bandages. as if he couldn’t accumulate enough back pain he was forced into a slouching position every time he tried to sleep, thanks to the restraints, he had very little room to move. all the while, not gaining any new developments on the state of his friend, or any hope he would be freed despite his efforts to comply. he couldn’t help but recall their last real interaction, their fight - would that really be the way things would end between them? the bleakness of his situation had long since set in, dark, hopelessness consumed him and for awhile he sat there at an utter loss.

mitsuru had long since nodded off, oblivious to junichiro’s arrival. a soft snore escaping him as he shifted with the sudden noise. the model raised his head groggily, jolting upright when he realized the door was opening. fear overwhelmed him as he blinked a few times, his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness. the model made out the familiar outline of a person he didn’t think he would ever see again, his heart leapt with the sight. “junichiro..?” he whispered, for a moment he wondered if he was dreaming. “is that r-really you, y-you’re alive? your wound, sh-should you even be walking?” his panicked questioning was interrupted by the sudden hug. a surefire way of disproving his assumption that he was still sleeping, this was real. “ichi..” he nestled deeper into his embrace, careful to avoid brushing up against the area he had been wounded. he so desperately wanted to wrap his arms around junichiro, unfortunately his restraints wouldn’t allow it. “it wasn’t, i swear on my life, it wasn’t.” mitsuru murmured, almost by routine. “wait, have you- forgotten?” he asked, without waiting for an answer. “shin and yui.” he muttered slowly, guilt and frustration clinging to the edges of his words. “it’s my fault. i-if i hadn’t run away, if i hadn’t o-opened my stupid mouth- you would’ve never gotten hurt.” he leaned his head into junichiro, shutting his eyes tightly as tears ran down his face, he was silent for a moment as he tried to organize his words. “i’m so sorry ichi, i’m sorry for pretending like i n-never hurt you - like i never left you, like i haven’t been a h-horrible friend since the start.” he sobbed, his restraints cutting into his wrists as he pulled closer. “you’re the only light in my life, and i have taken that for granted time and time again. i know you didn’t need me back then, but i needed you.“ his voice trembled, words earnest. “you mean so much to me, ichi, but i haven’t been fair to you. i’ve been terrible, i wish i could take it all back- i wish i hadn’t abandoned you.”

[opaquii]

╔═══════╗
◇──◆──◇──◆ JUNICHIRO ◇──◆──◇──◆
╚═══════╝

Junichiro pulled back to listen to him speak, cupping Mitsuru's cheeks to wipe the tears away. He wasn't too surprised to find out that it was Shin and Yui, the latter had gone into the infirmary a couple of times to take a peek at him and then leave. But she never spoke, or walked closer than the doorway. "It's o-okay I can walk now." Junichiro assured him softly, scooting closer so Mitsuru wouldn't have to pull on his restraints, "Please- don't apologize, we can talk about it properly once I get you out of here okay?" The tattoo artist gave him a worried look, taking the moment to scan Mitsuru's condition, "What have they been doing to you?" His tone turned to drip in disgust, angry at how tired and hungry he looked.

He couldn't stand seeing his friend restrained in such a way, it was obvious Mitsuru had barely any room to stretch out. Junichiro moved to sit behind him, "It's the same rope as outside." He noted, starting to untie the tight and intricate knots, "I'll let you free- but just for now, if I let you walk around it won't help our case." It hurt to say, but they had to try and appease the group until Junichiro figured out a way to convince them of the truth.

Junichiro finally pulled the last bit of rope away from Mitsuru, letting him rest against the wall. "... I did need you back then." He quietly answered after a moment of silence, looking up at the ceiling. "And I need you now, we can figure this out." The tattoo artist was careful to avoid pressing on his wound, latching on to Mitsuru's side and resting his head on his shoulder. It felt like they haven't seen each other in months, when in reality it had been almost a week at most. "I hated sitting there," Junichiro sighed tiredly, "Obviously not as much as you hate being here, but it was still miserable." He sadly smiled to himself, "I woke up thinking I'd see you by my side, I was wondering where my best friend went." It wasn't Mitsuru's fault for not being by his side, but that didn't make it any less scary for him.

The more Junichiro thought about how Mitsuru was being treated, the angrier he got. He was still just a suspect, what happened to innocent until proven guilty? There was no reason to tie him up, the door was barricaded already, the least they could do was let him walk around the room.

[molotov]

xxx「 ✧ 」 ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ 「 𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐔 !! 」

the model would’ve continued to splutter out a torrent of apologies if junchiro hadn’t asked him to stop. it was hard to prevent a flow of emotions from spilling out after all that had transpired. guilt was written all over his features, even when he nodded along in agreement to hold off on discussing it. he couldn’t help but tense as junichiro observed his current state, he suddenly felt all too self-conscious. when was the last time he had looked in a mirror? he felt like a mess, he wanted nothing more than to run back to his cabin and clean himself up. mitsuru turned his gaze to the floor, blinking away the remaining tears as he tried to get a hold of himself, he stifled another sob. “d-don’t worry about it.” he sniffled, his eyes trailing to the remnants of food scattered across the floor, a shameful look tracing his features. the last thing he needed was to hear about how awful he looked. “what matters is that you’re alive.” it was too humiliating to admit the extent of shin’s visits, being pushed around by the track-star wasn’t worth the mention. what truly matter to him was that he had reunited with junichiro, he just needed to make sure an incident like that would never happen again.

the little hope in his eyes was short lived. knowing his freedom wouldn’t be permanent filled him with dread. were they so unconvinced of his innocence that they didn’t believe the victim? as if things couldn’t get anymore messed up, they would deny ichi’s own words. feeling the rope loosen from his wrists, mitsuru immediately slackened, weakly leaning against the wall. “thank you..” he mumbled, staring down at the nasty red rashes across his wrists, his hands numb and tingly. a sigh of relief escaped him as he visibly eased.

the model shut his eyes for a moment, only opening them when his friend once again spoke. tears were quick to return, giving a sad smile of his own. ‘best friend’ he was struggling to convince himself he was deserving of that title anymore. “i guess we’re both guilty of saying things we didn’t mean, then.” mitsuru murmured, shaking his head wearily. “trust me, i wouldn’t have left your side if i had the choice to see you. unfortunately, as you can see, i got a little tied up.” he jested halfheartedly, flexing his hands to get the blood flowing again. as the other man drew nearer, mitsuru adjusted himself so that he could wrap his arm around junichiro. gentle, as he observed the other man’s face for a moment. “katagiri seemed intent to keep me in the dark about your condition, they wouldn’t tell me anything about how you were doing.” he explained, frowning with the thought. “you told them the truth, though, didn’t you?” mitsuru asked, brows furrowed. “how much longer am i going to be stuck like this?” he wasn’t sure ichi had the answer to that, and his fears only grew as more questions blossomed forth. yui and shin had pinned the entire attempted murder on him. not helped by the incriminating cut on his leg from the broken glass. apparently while he and ichi had been in the store, he had carelessly allowed traces of blood to touch the floor from the cut, which certainly didn’t help his argument. so not only was he being perceived as a killer, but an incompetent one at that. people’s suspicions were only fueled by his behavior, and at the end of the day, he had burned too many bridges to convince anyone he deserved to be defended. “-and what about you? what if shin and yui try and finish the job? you’re not safe out there. i don’t know what else to do to prove i didn’t do it.” emotion swelled in his voice once more, and his gaze drifted to the floor. “i have been interrogated for days, i have told katagiri nothing but the truth, and i’ve been compliant all the while. yet, those two monsters continue to walk free, and i am treated like this. i don’t get it. am i really that awful? be honest with me, have i been horrible?”

[opaquii]

╔═══════╗
◇──◆──◇──◆ JUNICHIRO ◇──◆──◇──◆
╚═══════╝

Junichiro let out a sad chuckle at Mitsuru's jest, trying hard not to cry once again. "She probably didn't tell you in case I didn't make it... it's not like we had a doctor or anything." He replied softly, "I told them it wasn't you, but at that point I couldn't really remember what had actually happened, it's like I had a fog over the memory." Junichiro felt guilty of that, it wasn't something he could have controlled- but shouldn't he have tried harder to remember? "But I knew it wasn't you, I was sure of that."

The tattoo artist frowned, unsure of how to answer, "...I don't know, I'm sorry Mitsuru." His voice died down at the end out of shame. Junichiro held onto the model's arm, scared he'd somehow disappear if he didn't, "I'll talk to Katagiri once she comes to the infirmary, she'll believe me- she knows I wouldn't lie about something like this." He assured him as much as he could. Junichiro let out a sigh, hiding his face in Mitsuru's shoulder as he listened to him talk. Well... he did burn most of his bridges and make the group tense around him, but was that really enough to have everyone automatically agree that he was the culprit? Unfortunately, yes.

"Our old plan did make things more difficult... but that's not a reason to have you locked up." Junichiro shifted in his spot, trying to stop his legs from falling asleep, "I'll fight to get you out." He purposefully avoided actually answering Mitsuru's question, it wouldn't help. The tattoo artist stayed with him for a few more minutes, before tiredly moving away. "I should go before we get caught..." Junichiro mumbled, his eyes drooping, "I'm sorry." He was apologizing for leaving Mitsuru alone once again, and for tieing his red wrists with the rope on the floor. Although he made the knot looser, just slightly so the model could rest easily.

Junichiro opened his mouth to speak before promptly closing it, now wasn't the best time to voice what he wanted to say. "I'll see you tomorrow, maybe." He whispered one last time, before slipping out and barricading the door.

[molotov]

xxx「 ✧ 」 ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ 「 𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐔 !! 」

the mention of a lack of a doctor sent mitsuru into a panic, it hadn’t occurred to him that no one had any medical expertise - it begged the question, who had treated such a severe wound? he decided it best not to ask, or else risk worrying over junichiro’s condition even more than he already was in that moment. the loss of memory certainly didn’t help, as if their luck couldn’t get any worse ichi’s cloudy memory kept them unconvinced.

mitsuru didn’t know what to say, by this point he was at a loss—junichiro didn’t seem any more hopeful on the matter. even his attempt at assurance didn’t give him much confidence that katagiri would change her mind. while he knew he wasn’t completely guiltless, he hadn’t suspected his behavior was bad enough to dictate this outcome. mitsuru went silent as his restrains were tied back into place. this time it was that much more gentle, not as tight as before. as junichiro got up to leave, mitsuru’s distress only grew. “w-wait a second.” he tried to mutter with his friends exit, the sound of the barricade being put back into place soon after. “promise me you’ll be safe!” he called out, not all too certain he could be heard at this point. alone once again, he leaned his head against the wall. a sad smile tracing his lips as he closed his eyes, voice quieting to a whisper. “je t'aime…”

—————

birdsong woke mitsuru that morning, an odd sound—but not an unwelcome one. the model’s eyes snapped open to an intense light glaring down from the trees. he winced with the sudden bombardment of sun, his eyes had spent the past few days adjusting to darkness, they weren’t prepared for the intensity of the sky. shielding his face, he realized he was sprawled out on his back, lying on the lush grasses of the forest floor. mitsuru lifted himself to a sitting position, gritting his teeth as he stretched out the numbness in his limbs and the stiffness in his back. something was clearly wrong, but where concern should’ve been was merely apathy. he was just glad he was finally free - at least for the moment - he took a deep breath of the fresh air, shutting his eyes as the warmth of the sunlight seeped through the trees.

after a moment he let his eyes scour his surroundings, quick to take notice of the other unconscious bodies around him - amongst them was a familiar grey-haired individual. “this can’t be good.” he ran a hand through his messy hair, looking down at his black button-up. he didn’t remember the last time he had been able to take a proper shower, nor eat a decent meal. it was enough to leave him contemplating if he could take the opportunity to do so. until his eyes drifted back over to ichi. taking a moment to get to his shaky feet, he slipped passed a few of his unconscious peers and knelt down beside his friend. nudging him to wake up, mitsuru’s eyes worriedly drifted to the sight of the tattoo artist’s wound. his brain quick to recall the events of the night he had been attacked. he took in a sharp breath, shaking away the image and trying to calm himself. “junichiro, wake up. something’s wrong-“ a shriek drown out his soft words as he spun to face aiko. “h-how did you-“ she stammered in a panic, her eyes wide as she tried to understand the scene before her. “what’s going on?” mikito murmured sleepily, rubbing his eyes a moment as he sat up from the grass.

mitsuru recoiled with the sudden commotion, more and more people started to awake to their strange predicament. some seemed too focused on how they ended up outside, while others had turned their sights on him and junichiro. stumbling back to his feet, mitsuru was intent to leave, but backed directly into benjiro. for a man built like a brick wall, he was surprisingly silent. “mitsuru, don’t you dare try to run.” katagiri’s voice rang out, the interrogator was quick to react to the chaos as she pulled herself to her feet and approached. on cue, benjiro placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him from moving. “why? so you can throw me back into a closet, and leave me to rot?” mitsuru seethed, trying to wriggle out of the hunter’s grip to no avail. “how many times do i have to repeat myself, before you get it through your thick skulls? i’m not the dangerous one here.” the model insisted. briefly managing to slip from benjiro, he was once again halted, this time by shin. the man didn’t seem all too happy with his scapegoat running free. meeting his eyes, shin raised a finger to his lips, before his amber gaze slowly drifted junichiro’s way in unspoken warning. letting out an exasperated sigh, mitsuru shrugged off shin’s hand and slackened back into benjiro’s grip. “i’m too tired for this.”

[opaquii]

╔═══════╗
◇──◆──◇──◆ JUNICHIRO ◇──◆──◇──◆
╚═══════╝

At first it felt like Junichiro was weightless, just floating in a dark abyss. Flashes of light sparked beneath his eyelids, and soon he found himself back in the courtyard of his high school.

"Mitsuru?" He watched as his friend huddled with a group, far from where the tattoo artist was, but still sneaking glances every few moments. Junichiro tried to walk closer but realized that he was rooted to his spot- could he not walk? Or was this just a replay of a past memory? "Mitsuru, do you want to eat lunch together?" The blond looked back at him, at first considering before his face turned into a cringe, egged on by the people around him. "With you? No way."

"Oh."

It was a memory, he remembered it now. It was around the time that Mitsuru started to shift away from him, they'd meet less and less, and his friend would avoid him at all costs. It was that damned group, what a shame.

At least it was a dream, one where you'll only remember bits and pieces of when you finally awake. Junichiro silently watched as the group walked off, along with his friend. One thing changed, it didn't hurt as much now. The abyss had lifted, and the sunlight hit his face, making him groan uncomfortably when he shifted onto his bad side. Junichiro took a moment to gather his bearings, blinking his eyes open to see that everyone was laying on the surrounding grass- the grass?

"What's going on?" He spotted Mitsuru being manhandled by Benjiro and Shin, suddenly feeling protective. The memories of the night before seeped back into his mind, they were practically torturing him in that room. "Leave him alone, you've done enough damage!" Junichiro stumbled up, clutching his side.

Yui grabbed on to his arm to stabilize him, but not before whispering just enough for him to hear, "You better be quiet, don't want your friend getting hurt..." Unfortunately everything was still foggy, but he knew what Yui had done, Shin as well. He glared at her like he wanted to kill, but kept his mouth closed. Junichiro trusted Mitsuru with his life, if he said it was Shin and Yui, then it was Shin and Yui, now all he needed to do was remember.

"Katagiri, he's not dangerous I promise, we just..." How could he explain without outing the two? Any other excuse would still pin it on Mitsuru, and that was certainly not helpful. Akari silently shook her head, taking a glance at Aiko to check if she was too close to Mitsuru. "We need to tie him up again... or something."

"I think the more important thing at hand is what are we doing outside." Rika loudly noted over the group, at the entrance of one of the cabins. She jiggled the door knob, but it didn't budge, "It seems that we are locked out."

[molotov]

xxx「 ✧ 」 ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ 「 𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐔 !! 」

mitsuru tensed as his friend rose to his feet, clearly still in no condition to be out here by the look of it. feeling helpless to assist him made the sight that much more distressing. benjiro’s hand promptly loosened around the model, glancing from the grey haired man to the blonde in confusion. katagiri however, did not falter. “unless you can give me a solid story, i’m afraid these precautions are necessary to keep people safe.” she sighed, giving junichiro an apologetic glance before she swiveled to rika. it seemed their troubles were getting worse by the minute ‘locked out?’ mitsuru’s frowned deepened. “that’s riiight!” a maniacal laugh cut through the commotion, as a familiar bear presented himself on a nearby stump. “see, i’ve been thinking, you guys have it way too easy.” the bear started, placing his paws on his nonexistent hips. “i figured it’s about time i give ya some extra incentive.” monokuma offered, a sinister glint in the robots dead eyes. “-and by that you mean?” katagiri spoke up, eyes burning with hostility as she kept close to junichiro. “take a deep breath, enjoy the scenery, it’s time to appreciate all nature has to offer because everything man-made is now off-limits.” the black and white robot announced cheerfully, hopping about excitedly in an eerily cartoonish manner. “from this moment forward, until a murder has occurred. you suckers better get comfortable living in the great outdoors.” the commotion of the group only intensified, yet katagiri had no issue speaking above it. “was the attempted murder not enough for you? junichiro’s in no condition to be out here.” the interrogator spat, gesturing to the tattoo artist. “not to mention we have a suspect to monitor.” the bear waved a paw dismissively as it continued. “-no electricity, no running water, no shelter, no nothin’! not my fault someone couldn’t finish the job.” monokuma persisted. “anywho! that’s all for now campers, have fun! and remember, the forest is filled with danger.” with one final villainous cackle the bear was gone. leaving the group to process the sudden turn of events.

mitsuru was at something of a loss, one unfortunate event after another had led them here. in no shape to survive in the wild, with two predators lurking amongst them. mitsuru stared at the ground blankly, a sigh escaping him as he ran a hand over his face wearily. the one to speak up first was benjiro, quick to try and bring assurance. “hey, don’t worry! i’m not called the ultimate hunter for nothing. i go out on hunting expeditions with my father in the wilderness for weeks on end. this is no biggie.” benjiro assured, cocking his head proudly he gave an encouraging thumbs up. “stick with me and you guys will be survival experts in no time flat! no one is dying on my watch!” in the midst of his proud rant, benjiro had forgotten to hold onto the supposed murderer - mitsuru having inched away from the large man. he snuck a concerned glance towards junichiro, opening his mouth to speak but promptly shutting it when he realized katagiri was staring at him. “junichiro, mitsuru, i would like a word with you both.” she muttered gesturing over to the side of a group for a little more privacy. mitsuru’s gaze didn’t leave the ground as he moved over to meet the two. “as you can see, our situation has become rather complicated. thanks to this… motive we no longer have the right accommodations for you at the moment.” the dark haired woman sighed, hesitation creeping across her stern features as her red eyes moved to ichi. “so i’ll ask you this, junichiro. do you genuinely trust mitsuru?” katigiri stared down the tattoo artist with unyielding intensity. guilt creeped up mitsuru’s chest with the words, struggling to meet his friends gaze.

[opaquii]

╔═══════╗
◇──◆──◇──◆ JUNICHIRO ◇──◆──◇──◆
╚═══════╝

Junichiro was not looking forward to seeing that damned bear again, but today was not his day. He silently listened to Monokuma talk, biting his lip in worry when his eyes surveyed the outside conditions. He'd have no access to clean water or medicine now, but his wound was mostly healed, wouldn't he be fine? Once Yui noticed Katagiri move over to the tattoo artist, she let go of Junichiro's arm and shifted to stand elsewhere. It was obvious Junichiro wouldn't spill anything... yet. He moved his hand away from his side after a moment, glancing down to check if he bled through his bandages and shirt- so far it was all good.

Benjiro's words did nothing to ease his anxiety. Even if the guy had no problem surviving outside, what was the chance everyone in the group wouldn't struggle? "Well... nice to know we have at least one person that is competent." Yoshi muttered under his breath, face slightly sunken in from not sleeping the night before. Junichiro crossed his arms tightly over his chest, uncomfortable as he felt a cold breeze through the group, where would they sleep at night? Just huddle around like penguins? His eyes quickly jumped back onto Katagiri, nodding and then following her away from the group. He finally gave Mitsuru a soft smile, assuring him it would be okay before dropping it when his friend looked away.

The intensity from Katagiri was quite... strong, but Junichiro had no problem matching her stare. All this tugging around seemed to have hardened his spine a bit. "I trust him." Those three words held a lot of emotion, and Junichiro silently considered that might have been the one time he genuinely showed just how true it was that he placed his life in Mitsuru's hands, why wouldn't he? "And I hope you trust me." He prayed that she would get it, she had to have realized by now that something was amiss, a small piece of the puzzle was not yet there.

"He didn't bruise you did he?" Junichiro turned to the side to meet Mitsuru's eyes, stepping closer to check his shoulder. "I wish Monokuma had at least left me a roll of bandages." The tattoo artist grumbled, brushing off the stares from the group, it wasn't that important what they thought right now anyway. "We should probably find a more suitable place for all of us to stay at, this just wouldn't do." Rika announced a second after, choosing to ignore the weird interaction between the two. She nodded towards Katagiri, "Somewhere covered perhaps? We need to make sure someone keeps an eye on Junichiro's condition, and Mitsuru's... habits."

Ichiro seemed to have finally appeared after being so quiet, most likely shaken up and confused at first. "I can watch Ichi." He was quick to take that role, sending Mitsuru a distasteful look, but saying nothing else. "Benjiro, you should probably check his wound every once in a while too, I think that should be the top priority." Rika agreed with Ichiro's comment, starting to march towards the dining pavilion after taking a look at everyone. "I recall the dining area having a large open deck, we can sleep on there to avoid the dirt."

"Would we not get in trouble for that?"

Akari remarked quietly, but it made Rika stop and hesitate, "Oh." On second thought, Monokuma would definitely punish them for even taking a step on the deck. "The dirt it is then..."