Chapter 1: Between Happiness and Sadness (Daily Life 1)
I flickered my eyes opened as I heard a sound of alarm. It's already 7 AM. I took a deep breath and hoping it's all just a dream. No it's not. It's not just a dream. I'm looking at my nightstand table, then open the enveloped.
"Good morning, Naegi." X?
"X? It's that you?" I asked.
"Yes, I'm... sorry to wake you like that, Naegi... I guess you already found the envelope on your nightstand, right?" I opened the enveloped.
I found a coin, carved with X symbol on it. What is this coin? "Well... inside the coin, it's kind of lucky charm from me? It will helped you go through this. Don't trust anyone, Naegi. Including someone who close to you."
I furrowed my brow. What does that mean? Why she wants me to keep it? The door opened showed Haruto sighed. "I thought you were sleeping."
I put the coin and envelope inside the drawer, then walked to the bathroom. "What do you want? Need something?"
I cleaned myself, then get dressed. "Well..." he sits on my bed, looked at me, and smiling. I admit, his smile so bright.
Do we... have some close relationship before? I dry my hair with a hairdryer. We walking side-by-side. "Where..."
"Everyone was waiting for you." He said.
My heart beating fast and my face turned red. "Everyone or you?" He chuckled. I can feel a bit relaxed whenever near him. "Thank you." Haruto smiled, then ruffled my hair.
I want to trust you, Haruto, but... can I?
This situation makes me wonder. What's the point for being here? I took a deep breath and sighed. What Duo Neko and X said last night, was a joke, right? I wish this is just a dream, but no. It's not a dream.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
I took a deep breath, then meet a guy. Is that... "Arthur Hitome?" He jolted and looked at me. What is he doing?
"A-ah... yeah." He sighed, then put his hands inside the pocket. I thought he was an adult. It turns out he just a teenager like me. He was that famous film's director. He only played with famous artist such as Keanu Reeves, Vin Diesel, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Gal Gadot, and a lot of more S tier list actresses and actors.
"Where you guys heading?" He asked.
"W-we're going to dining hall. Do you want to..."
"Yes! Let's go!" He walked behind us. The air start to become thick surround us. X maybe right. I shouldn't trust anyone even him?
"So Arthur, what film you made? I heard... you like producing a lot of Box Office. All of your movies got 10/10 both from the storyline and acting." Haruto said, try to break the ice.
Arthur scoffed. "Movie is a art, Doc. I never thought we've got the youngest doctor that world have." All these people made me realized how lucky am I. SSA it's not an ordinary high school you found in life.
"What about you, Naegi? You've got lucky or something? 'Cause I don't see any talent in you." You right, I've got no talent.
None of us start to speak again, until Arthur opened the dining hall. A lot of students already gathered in the dining hall. They seems like enjoyed their meal and Duo Neko wears a chef's hat and uniform.
"You're not going to poisoned us, aren't you?" The guy, who was wearing a dark grey jumpsuit glared at him.
"Hehehe... no. We're already have a deal, right X?" He flipped the pancake perfectly.
"Right. Him and I, we're already have a deal. I guarantee his cooking will become your new favorite." I take a seat next to Haruto, then cleared my throat. X. Who are you? Where you're hiding?
"Hurry up!" The suited guy yells at Duo Neko.
"Calm down, Yashiko!" Seems like everyone already forgot about revelation about last night.
"Naegi?" I looked Aoi and she just looked at me, wrinkles showed on her face. "Are you okay?" I took a deep breath and sighed.
"I don't know." I sighed. "Can we escaped without killing to each other here?" Aoi just shook her head and sighed. "All the laughter we had today. Will it last longer?" Aoi tapped my hand and smiled.
Her expression is unreadable. I don't know what does that means. Haruto stood up and start to introduced himself. "Alright... since we're a strangers. My name is Haruto. I'm that first youngest doctor in the world, nice to meet you." He take his seat again.
Everyone start looked at me. Right, this is my turn...
I stood up and right now everyone looked at me "I'm Naegi, and my talent is..." I just sighed and give them a smile, "I don't know my talent, yet" I sat down and looked at Haruto.
"Nice try" I gave him tongue out. Haruto chuckled and sighed. "Maybe... we should spend time together, right?"
Maybe I should trust him. What X and Duo Neko said only deceiving us. It's their jobs to deceiving us. I'm holding his hand tight. My heart beats faster. Are we that close, Haruto? Why I felt something different between us?
"I think it's my turn" A girl with sporty looking and calm face, stand up from her seat. "My name is Tsumiko Hatsuya, I'm a drummer from the best band in the world, Metalican." Tsumiko sat and gave me a warm smile.
Saichi stood up and exhale. "I'm Saichi, the Ultimate Detective." He said coldly and firm. "I... want to get some fresh air." He glance cynically to Haruto. What's wrong with him? Did something happened between the two?
What happened between them? Haruto and Saichi look weird today, is there something wrong? I shook my head to get rid of the thought. Maybe they only have a little disagreement or a conflict.
"My name is Nakamura Harukage. I'm a football player." He took a deep breath, the slammed the table. All of us looked at him. "I want to say..."
Nakamura got a pie on his face, "shut up!" A guy wearing a dark grey jumpsuit, sighed. "Alright, I'm sorry. I don't mean to..." everyone focused on him. Haruto let go of my hand, then stand up.
"I just need some fresh air." Haruto went out of Dining Hall and Kaede looked at me. "Naegi, are you okay?" I just nodded silently. I'm looking at Haruto's back as he disappear from behind the door. What's wrong with him?
"You alright?" Aoi asked. I did not response to her question, instead. I take a sipped my juice and looked at him.
"My name is Yashiko, and I'm The Ultimate Businessman. I'm sorry about what I did to him. It's just... stressed because we trapped here." we all looked at him silently. He's right.
We know all of us stressed about everything happened and it's made us realized how worse it could be. Will they killing to each other or... just try to find a way to get out of this space ship? I took a deep breath and sighed.
Aoi stood up and looked at surround her. "My name is Aoi Sakurage and I'm the Ultimate Attorney. I agree we're trapped her, but... what else we can do now is... we're try to survive and be cautious. We can't killed anybody."
She's right. "Don't give what they want." She continues. I'm looking at the four corners on this dining hall. CCTVs are everywhere. We can't escaped without being seen, except for... the vent. Saichi said, the vent it's connected to each other. That means, it could be an escape room somewhere or somehow.
"I guess..." All the eyes looked at me. "There's a vent in each room, but Saichi said... it's locked. What do you think, it's that enough for us to escape?" None of us dare to speak. Maybe it can be more consider as a clue or just a useless hint I gave them.
"Not bad, Naegi." Aoi finally spoke. She sighed and looked at them firmly. "What if... we checked the vent? Maybe we can find something there." All of them nodded in agreement. I sighed in relief and try to neutral my heart rate.
"Okay, fellas it's my turn!" Kyoto took a deep breath and exhale her breath slowly, "I'm Kyoto, Nice to meet ya!" She gave a big smile. All of us shift to a girl, wearing a yellow jumpsuit. She's looked intimidating and there's a tattoo on her arm. A dragon tattoo.
She put the fork elegantly, then sighed. "My name is H. I'm an assassins." She said coldly. Her voice was firm and detached. H?
Duo Neko gets inside of the dining hall with envelopes in his hands. "What do you want?" He just giggled and sighed.
"Since I'm easy to get bored. So... I gave you motive." He distributed the envelope to us.
What? A motive? Minutes ago, we already forget about it. "What if..." I accidentally switched H's enveloped with her name written on it. She jumped onto me, then pointing me a fork.
"You saw it!?" I'm sweating all over my face. Saw what? She snatched the envelope, then sighed in relief.
Duo Neko pushed H to the side, then glared. "You can kill, but you can't do a violence behavior to another student!" I just silently looked at H been dragged by Duo Neko, then I passed out.
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I flickered my eyes open. I found myself on the stretcher. "Oh you already wake up!" She said. She wears a lime jumpsuit and brings me a tray of foods. Ah... dinner already? "It's already lunchtime and X told me to bring a food for you."
X? How kind she is. She helps me to sit. "Thank you..."
"My name is Hinako. Nice to meet you." A cute name. "We're a classmate, Naegi. Don't bothered for asking a help." I'm nodding my head and sighed.
"Does anyone dead yet?" She furrowed her brow. "I mean..." I don't have a courage to tell her why. I'm looking deeper into my glass until a door opened. We're looking at the door and showed a girl wearing a glasses and shy.
She wringing her hand. I gave her a thin smile. "Y-you already awake?" I'm nodding my head and start eating my soup. "X worried about y-you and she..."
Thank you for your kindness. "I..."
"M-my name is Miru." Her voice was low. I'm nodding my head and sighed. Miru." I sighed, then looked at the round window. I see Mercury and sun from here. It's beautiful, but until when? It will become our scenery everyday.
I took a deep breath and sighed. I should not give up.
"Naegi!" Haruto approached me. I can see wrinkles on his face. "Are you alright?"
I scoffed and sighed. "I'm fine. I just..." He hugged me tight.
"Oh... I thought you've been sick." He sighed in relief. I furrowed my brow, looked at him. What are we, Haruto? Why I'm feeling like this? My heart pounding fast whenever you near me.
He lets go of his hug, then sighed. "I just..."
"It's fine." It's awkward. No words can describe this moment. Maybe we're a couple? I'm looking at his face. Does he was my boyfriend all along, or we just... a best friend? Whenever I tried to remember our past, it hurts. What are we, Haruto?
I lay my body on the stretcher, then sighed. "What are we?" I mumbled as asked him. I stared at him.
He furrowed his brow. "w-we're a..."
"Sorry interrupt your... conversation a bit." X? Great! She knows how to disturbed us, right? I took a deep breath and sighed. She knows how to ruined everything. I'm looking at Haruto, he seems relieved.
"Naegi, I hope you're alright, but... please don't forget our plan. W-we're have a date." I furrowed my brow. A date!? I'm looking at Haruto, he smiled and nodded his head, then left me.
I sighed. Alone again. I stared at the white neon strip lamp attached to the ceiling. Why everything became more complicated?
I'm massaging my forehead and sighed. I fall asleep as my eyelids grow heavier.
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I flickered my eyes opened and seeing Miru put a tray of food on the night stand. "Um..."
"It's fine, Miru. Thank you." She looked down and sighed. She helps me to sit and leaned on the headboard and start eating. A female, wearing a mask and H followed her.
"You should apologize, Hanabi." X? It's that you? Hanabi?
Hanabi sighed and looked at me. "I'm sorry, Naegi. I just..."
"I get it, Hanabi, It's just... an accident, beside..." X already left the room with Miru. She pulled a chair and sits on the chair. "Have you already opened the envelope?" I tried to break the ice between us, but she still silent and looked down.
What X done to her? I picked the plate and start eating. "How about you? You already opened that envelope?" I shook my head.
"I haven't opened my envelope." She hummed. Hanabi. "Hanabi..."
"Just called me H, please." She stared into my eyes. Her eyes showed her vulnerability. "I don't have parents, but... a sister. She needs me. I'll do whatever..."
"I have sister too..." I sighed. "We're both the older and have responsibility to protect our loves one." Hanabi nodded in agreement. We both looked at the outside of the window.
"Please, don't killed each other... this is just a trap, Naegi. You shouldn't... trust me or anybody in this spaceship." I stunned.
I only silent and my mind racing wild. I took a deep breath and nodded my head slightly. "People in this spaceship... no one dare to stepped out of their room." What? They not get out of the room?
"What about Aoi? She..."
Hanabi stand up, then left me there. She tapped my shoulder and smiled. "Don't kill other, Naegi. Trust me." She tapped my shoulder several times, then leave. I stared into the bowl and sighed. Who cooked for me if they don't want to get out?
X or Duo Neko? Haaa... I don't know how to react to this situation? It's already been one day. Last night, X revealed that we've been kidnapped, and know...
"Naegi?" I'm looking at the metal door opened. Aoi smiled, as usual. "How's your condition?" She asked.
I took a deep breath and Hanabi's words keep playing inside my head. "I-I'm good." I continued eating my food. She's nodded her head and sits on the chair.
"No one wants to stepped on their room after Duo Neko gave that envelope. So... what about you? You already opened yours?" Aoi still Aoi. She still in her usual self. I put the empty plate on the night stand, then chugged all the water.
"It's been a matter of time before the first murder happened, right?" She's right. Maybe we just wait until someone... start to kill. We enjoyed watching outside the space while have a small chat with Aoi.
Author's POV
X walked to her room and found Duo Neko there, sitting on her bed. "You're being nice or you just being..."
"I'm here to help them. I don't want carried the burden of guilt." He smirked, walking passed her. He gave back the picture frame.
"From know on... you're not my sister-in-law." He said as slammed the door. X sighed, she looked at the picture, then smiled.
"We're not in-law, again." She mumbled as took off her mask.
TBC