Week 5. Tuesday night. Contains DRV3 spoilers.

[whatsmytalentagain]

[It took him forever to just go and tell her what's on his mind. Hell, it would have taken longer if he hadn't almost blurted it out at the meeting.

... Yeah, it's not exactly blurting out and speaking when you've decided to communicate mainly through a notebook, but she said she could talk to him... So here he is, knocking on her door late at night.

If she awnsers the door, she'll notice that the notebook in his hand right now isn't the same multi-subject Fayflower brand notebook he's been using. It's the smaller one from last week.]

Comments

[throwabookatit]

[ Really, Rebecca doesn't expect to hear from him. He's not one of the younger ones she's talked to much, though he seems like a respectful young man. Still, there's no reason for him to come to her.

So, it's with mild surprise that she opens the door, with a yawn. ]

'Evening... Rantaro? Do you need something?

[whatsmytalentagain]

[He gives a listless nod before flipping through the pages... Seems he's written this confession beforehand.]

You said I could talk to you on Monday, right?

[throwabookatit]

[ Anticipating it, huh? He looks serious. Rebecca nods. ]

Come on in- or, is there somewhere else, you'd like to...?

DRV3 spoilers

[whatsmytalentagain]

[Nah, he'll come in here and shut the door. The rooms are supposed to be soundproof, right?

He sits down on the bed and turns the page... There's still hesistation, but he'll hand it to her. All of it.]

I don't know if I should tell everyone this, but my memories seem to be scrambled somehow. Last week I remembered being trapped in a similar situation like this, except there were 15 other teenagers with me and the robots hosting us were sadistic teddy bears explicitly telling us they got a kick out of seeing us kill eachother.

The week before, I remembered investigating this weird library with a secret entrance. Someone set up a death trap involving cameras and metal balls, but I think I narrowly avoided it. Then someone must have snuck up behind me and bashed me in the back of the head.

That tablet from Monday and this picture someone else found should be enough proof if you need it.

[Rantaro attatched a weird photograph of himself to this page...]

I don't remember how it got to that point, but... I'm sure I should have died from that.

[Rantaro has been hanging his head in shame since he gave the notebook to Rebecca.]

[throwabookatit]

[ For a moment before reading, Rebecca looks between the writing and the photograph. A long, long few minutes of reading, eyes going wide. The last part, she goes over, again and again... ]

...You...think you were dead, before this? Oh... Oh, god...

[whatsmytalentagain]

[He merely glances at her and gives her a sad, defeated nod.]

[throwabookatit]

[ Softly, gently: ]

Can I... Are you alright with me hugging you, right now?

[whatsmytalentagain]

[... Sure. Why not? He'll just lean closer for the hug.]

[throwabookatit]

[ She pulls him in close, though he's taller and ganglier. Really, she's given hugs to more people here than back home. ...Doesn't say much for her socializing. ]

Alright. Here. You're...alive here, okay? You're breathing...and I'm talking to you. [ Her voice is soft, gentler than he's likely heard. Practiced? ] I can promise you...you are alive right now.

[whatsmytalentagain]

[He's a little shocked as she pulls him in. It's... It's been a while since he let himself be cared about, huh? He's always been worrying about others and himself. This was a pleasant change of pace...

"You are alive right now." Yeah. That's true. He got a second chance outta nowhere. Even if this isn't any better than before, he's still here.

He nods in response. He closes his eyes and starts hugging her back. He lets his chin rest on her shoulder as he breathes some of the built up stress out in one deep sigh.]

[throwabookatit]

[ As he relaxes, she lets out a gentle sigh, and starts rubbing circles into his back. ]

That's right. It's alright. Just stay here right now. You can do that.

[ He's allowed, to just relax here. The fury of hers, it'll come. Who would kill a kid, who would put a kid through something like this? Twice? But, right now, she quells it. That's not what this boy needs. ]

[whatsmytalentagain]

[She'll feel him go slightly limp in her arms as he gently nods into her shoulder.

God, now he's being reminded of that maid... He never knew his mother, and his dad was so busy he hired a maid to look after him and his siblings. Best surrogate parent he knew.

... Man. What must Rebecca be thinking? She lose someone too? He doesn't know if he should ask.]

[throwabookatit]

[ What's she thinking right now? Well... It's something to the tune of his idea, at the meeting. The misinformed one, that as it turns out might have some truth to it. ]

...I can't...tell you who, but- it might do good for you to know...you're not alone in this. There are others, I know, who weren't...alive, before this place.

[whatsmytalentagain]

... Huh?!

[He pulls away from the hug and stares at her in shock. Is... Is she serious?!]

[throwabookatit]

[ She nods. The look on her face? Deadly serious. ]

I hope you'll understand if I...can't break confidentiality. It wouldn't be right of me to. But-- yes...this is absolutely something they can do.

[whatsmytalentagain]

[... He nods grimly before motioning for that notebook back.]

[throwabookatit]

[ Here you go, Rantaro. Notebook away. ]

[whatsmytalentagain]

[Thanks...]

I didn't know if I should have openly speculated about it before since I wasn't 100% how I ended up like that before... But if I'm not the only dead guy walking that makes that raising folks from the dead theory more plausible.

[throwabookatit]

It was for the wrong assumption...but yes, I'm sure, they have that power. ...If we can use it for ourselves...without giving in to them...

[ She sighs. ]

But, talking about that, out publicly... It's hard to know who to trust.

[whatsmytalentagain]

[He sets the notebook on his lap, frowning as he stares at the floor.

It really is hard, but...]

[throwabookatit]

Are you comfortable? ...Telling people about it? Because...if you bring it up, with certainty, they're going to want to know.

And...knowing some of them, they'll ask.

[whatsmytalentagain]

[He almost immediately shakes his head no.

He's only told one person about his death and another person about Monokuma's game. He hasn't admitted to both happening at the same time until now.]

[throwabookatit]

Then, for right now... Keep it silent, okay? Don't invite more trouble, in this place, if you can help it.