It didn’t take long for Masakazu and Jack to meet up with Risa and Konomi in the nearby laundry room, and together the four students made their way to the grand hall. Upon their arrival, the remaining 14 students emerged from the room’s large doors. Each one of them were immersed in their own discussions, and it didn’t take long for the others to begin their own. From what little Masakazu overheard, the majority of conversations focused on the hotel and its lack of exits, as well as the findings of the individual students. While Masakazu stood leaning on a nearby pillar, he caught a glimpse of Ryoma wading his way through the crowd towards him.
“Is it true, Masakazu? Did you and Sumire really get shot at by a machine gun?”
Masakazu immediately frowned. He hadn’t exactly forgotten about the event, but being reminded of the deathly experience put a damper on his mood. “Yes, it is. It shot at us the second we tried to open the doors in the entrance hall.”
The strongman was clearly disturbed by the revelation, as he furrowed his brow. “You’re lucky you didn’t get hurt, you and Sumire. One wrong step and it’d be all over.” The chess player’s face must’ve showed signs of distress, because Ryoma’s expression instantly changed to a smile. “But I’m glad you’re both ok. Next time, let me do the dangerous stuff, alright?”
Masakazu didn’t have time to respond before Ryoma gave him a firm pat on the shoulder and walked off into the crowd once more. As he looked around, Masakazu caught sight of him talking to several more students before heading towards Kasumi. Masakazu really didn’t have anything more to add to the conversations around him, and decided it best to review his Electro-ID. The time showed at the top right in bold white letters. 4:23 PM.
Looks like whatever we’re here for is about to start soon.Masakazu looked at the tabs on his Electro-ID. He really didn’t feel like reading his fellow student’s information any more than he already had, so he decided to examine his map. The layout of the hotel was massive and seemed to be almost completely filled out, minus a few greyed out rooms. There seemed to be several commons areas, as well as restrooms. The entrance hall was the room furthest south, where he and Sumire had that unfortunate minigun incident. The student’s rooms were on the east side, which Masakazu noticed was titled ‘Dormitories”. The grand hall, where they were now, was smack dab in the center of the hotel, and had the staircases leading towards the second floor. Besides a laundry room, the second floor didn’t provide much in terms of diversity. As Masakazu took in this information, a loud mechanical whirl pierced his ears. He turned towards the source of the disturbance, and saw some sort of podium begin to rise in front of the double staircase. He looked around, taking note of the shock and confusion on his fellow student’s faces. Before anyone could comment on the matter, a voice spoke out.
“Is everyone here? Great! Time to get this show on the road!”
Huh?
The voice was the same as the one Masakazu had heard on the announcement, high pitched and extremely exaggerated. It was a type of voice that the chess player never expected to hear outside of a cartoon. He looked up towards the sound of the voice, and saw a small body standing on the railing of the double staircase. Without a second thought, it leaped off, letting gravity take it downwards. It landed on the podium with a soft thud, facing them all. Right there, on top of the podium, was a stuffed bear. It couldn’t have been that big, as it seemed to be dwarfed even by Risa’s small stature. It had two colored sides, black and white. It’s left eye had a strange red pattern upon it, and the teeth on the left side of its body twisted into an ominous smile.
“A...teddy bear?” Jirou was the first to break the silence, albeit with a large amount of confusion in his voice.
“Jeez, how many times do I have to tell you bastards? I’m not a teddy bear! I’m Monokuma, your headmaster!"
This statement did little to alleviate the situation, as the students resorted to giving each other bewildered looks. Jack soon spoke out, taking a small step away from the bear. “A talking bear...that’s our headmaster? Wait, how the hell can you even speak in the first place?!”
“Calm down, it’s probably just talking through a speaker or something.” Kasumi attempted to diffuse the forger’s concerns, but placed a hand to her chin in thought. “Although, the way it moved about is strange. It had very deliberate movements.”
Yubiseiharukana rolled her eyes. “Then that just means that it’s remote controlled AND has a speaker in it. Ain’t damn rocket science.”
The bear jumped up in response, balling his tiny hands into...fists? “Grrr, how dare you compare me to a common toy! I’ll have you know that my circuitry is top of the line! It’d make you all jealous!”
Kai, who seemed atleast a little unfazed, responded to the monochrome bear. “How would we be jealous of that? No one cares what your insides look like, dude.”
“Although, I am a bit interested. Would you mind giving me an interview? An overview of your schematics, perhaps?” Kimiko reached for her pen and notepad, eager for more information.
The bear seemed pleased by this, as he put a hand behind his head as he...blushed? “Aw, shucks. It’s great to be noticed...Hey wait, this isn’t the type of attention I wanted! Stop changing the subject, you bastards!”
But you mentioned your circuitry’s quality first…
“Ahem. Now, if I can get everyone’s undivided attention, I can get to the nitty gritty. Now then, let’s commence with your special entrance ceremony!”
Small traces of unease remained on the student’s faces, but they relented, giving the bear all the time he needed.
“First off, let’s talk a little bit about where you’ll be staying. You’re currently in the Sunset Grotto Hotel, an asset delightfully plucked by the prestigious Hope’s Peak academy for you lot to enjoy! There’s scrumptious food, splendid accommodations, and plenty of gorgeous amenities for all!”
“Except that you’re severely lacking on food.” Tetsuya broke the silence between the students, the subject of their food shortage clearly still affecting him.
“Yes, yes, wait your turn, waiter boy! I was getting to that. Anyways, where was I...hotel something something...oh, right! So, with all these wonderful things, you should all enjoy yourselves and have fun! After all, youth and vigor doesn’t last forever. And to make sure that the lot of you get plenty of time to experience it...you’ll all be living your communal lives here in this hotel.”
“And when will we be allowed to leave? I assume we don’t actually take our classes here, there’s no classrooms or databases for learning.” Takako questioned the bear.
“Huh?” Was the only response it gave before tilting its head in what seemed to be confusion.
“You heard her, when do we leave? Easy enough question, yeah?” Sumire crossed her arms.
“Sorry, it’s just that questions with an obvious answer are usually best left unasked.”
“What do you mean?” Masakazu finally put himself into the conversation, the bear’s tone giving him an eerie vibe.
“Well, I never said anything about leaving, did I? I said you’d all be living here. Period. That’s it. Forever. That kinda stuff.”
“...Excuse me?”
This statement caused a fair bit of unrest in the group, and several students began murmuring and talking amongst themselves.
“Settle down, jeez! Like Mr Tetsuya kindly stated earlier, food is a bit low at the moment. Fortunately, starting tomorrow there will be a steady stream of food and water, so starvation is not a concern!” The bear then put both of his hands on his stomach and tilted his head, giving off the vibe that he was proud. “We’ve got a huge budget, so no expense will be spared! You should just forget those dingy old lives you had. We’re completely cut off from the outside world, so you might as well consider this hotel your new world now.”
Ryoma stepped forward. “What do you mean, we’re cut off? Is that what the huge door in the entrance hall is about, as well as those metal plates on the windows?”
Masakazu’s heart skipped a beat. He had known about the door, sure, but the windows in the hotel were covered in metal too? Every revelation was enough to make him sick.
“Yes indeedy, my astute buff bodybuilder! No attempt you make to call for help will work, so go ahead and try!”
“This is some kinda joke, right? Cmon, it’s not nice to keep this up.” Jirou crossed his arms, his nervous demeanor clear on his face.
Takako nodded in agreement. “You already got a reaction out of us, so drop the act. I’ve experienced enough swattings to know when someone wants attention. I’ve seen the cameras, so let us out.”
The bear’s head dropped down, showcasing his dejection. “You poor things, living lives full of skepticism. Oh how I pity you. However…” His head then rose, and he placed his hands over his mouth. “I want you to know just how serious I am about this scenario, so I’m gonna let you in on a little secret. There’s one, just one way to leave this place...”
“Really?! Wow, thank goodness! I thought we were gonna be stuck here.” Risa’s smile grew upon hearing the monochromatic bear’s words.
“And what is that way out, exactly?” Kenji spoke up for the first time, glaring daggers at the bear.
“Well, I’m glad you’ve asked! It’s very simple, really...You just have to murder someone!”
If Masakazu couldn’t feel his heartbeat earlier, he definitely couldn’t feel it now. A chill ran down his spine. “M-murder?”
“Yeah, you know, murder! Stabbing, crushing, bludgeoning, burning, freezing, et cetera, et cetera, beautiful et cetera! Ahahahahaha!” The bear then opened his mouth and laughed, the teeth on the left side of his head opening with a fiendish expression.
Sumire balled her fists and began walking towards the bear. “What the fuck are you talking about? You want us to kill each other to get outta here? Fuck off with that shit! How ‘bout I just tear you apart right now?!”
“Just try it, you tattoo meathead! Lay a finger on me and you’ll regret it!” The bear then raised his left arm, brandishing a set of sharp, metal claws that sprouted from his hand. “This place has got rules, ya know! Break em, and I won’t hesitate to break you!”
“You think that’d stop me? If you whack any machine hard enough, it’ll stop working!” Sumire cracked her knuckles, her determination solidifying.
“Wait!” Ryoma rushed towards the tattoo artist, grabbing her by the arm. “Remember the machine gun incident? I don’t think hitting him would be a good idea right now.”
Sumire turned around, flashing an angry glare at Ryoma. “So do you expect us to sit still while this damn teddy bear dictates our lives?”
The strongman glared back, but his eyes showed no malice. “I expect you to calm down before doing something rash again.”
Ryoma’s reasoning seemed to work, as Sumire lowered her fists and cooled off. The bear shrugged, retracting his claws.
“You win some, you lose some I guess. Anyways, you bastards should check your Elecro-IDs. Any minute now you should get the rules to this lovely establishment.”
As if on cue, a sea of vibrations resonated throughout the crowd. Reluctantly, Masakazu grabbed his Electro-ID and turned it on. A new tab inserted itself at the bottom, labeled ‘Rules’. He clicked on it.
SCHOOL RULES
Rule #1: Students are required to coexist within the confines of the Sunset Grotto Hotel for the remainder of the unforeseeable future.
Rule #2: Nighttime is officially designated from the periods of 10 pm to 7 am. Some of the hotel’s facilities are unavailable during this time.
Rule #3: Destruction of hotel property, such as security cameras and monitors, is expressly prohibited. Offending students will be punished accordingly.
Rule #4: Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited. Offending students will be punished accordingly.
Rule #5: The areas and facilities of the Sunset Grotto Hotel are open for your exploration, with minimal restrictions.
Rule #6: Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes the blackened will graduate, unless they are discovered.
Rule #7: When a murder is committed, an investigation and class trial will begin shortly thereafter. Class trials are mandatory for all surviving students.
Rule #8: If the blackened is unable to remain hidden during the class trial, they will receive punishment for their crime. The remaining spotless will then continue their daily lives in the Sunset Grotto Hotel.
Rule #9: If the blackened can avoid detection during the class trial, they alone will have the right to leave the hotel. The remaining spotless will also receive punishment.
Rule #10: The killing game will continue until an acceptable amount of people remain.
Extra Rule: Headmaster Monokuma may add additional rules to this list at any time.
After he finished reading the rules, Masakazu lowered his arm and clutched his head with his free hand. This all seemed so strange and foreign to him. All these rules and conditions, specifically tailored towards the taking of another life.
Another laugh sounded throughout the grand hall. As Masakazu turned back towards the bear, he noticed his red eye had gotten brighter. “That’s it, there’s the look I was waiting so very long to see! All that lovely despair on your talented faces! It’s enough to make a bear emotional…” He then sighed, turning his attention back to the students. “I wanna make one thing clear, though. You all get a freebie today with these rules since it’s the first day and I’m a kind and generous bear, but if you even try and break one of these rules after I’m done talking, I won’t hesitate to remove you from the equation.”
“R-Remove…?” Konomi barely managed to stutter out, as she gripped her headphones.
“What did I say about questions with obvious answers? Short story even shorter, you break a rule, you die. And no, dying like that doesn’t constitute anyone leaving the hotel.” He then looked at his right wrist and shrieked out in horror. “Jeez, it’s been this long already?! I know it’s been forever and that I had to make up for lost time, but this explanation has gone far past the scheduled time! Well, I hope you enjoy your stay here in the Sunset Grotto Hotel, everyone! This concludes your special entrance ceremony. I get the feeling we’ll be spending a long, long time together...upupupu!”
With that last ominous message, the bear slid behind the podium and vanished from view. “Hey, wait up! I’m not done with you!” Sumire charged the podium immediately afterwards, until a flash of confusion hit her face. “Shit, he’s gone. Where the hell’d he go?”
“I don’t think that’s our biggest concern right now.” Yuuki began slowly moving himself away from the group, finding a comfortable distance a few feet away.
“That’s right, nya. These rules are more concerning, nya.” Hana agreed with the puzzle solver, taking out her Electro-ID once more. “Investigations and trials, nya? What are these supposed to re-purrsent?”
“I’m curious about the tenth rule, honestly. What exactly designates ‘an acceptable amount’?” Kimiko began writing down the rules upon her notepad, most likely sketching theories and notes for each rule.
Jack started frantically straightening his blazer as he walked towards the discussion. “How the hell can you all be so calm about this?! We need to find a way out, now! Didn’t you hear the part about him forcing us to kill each other?”
Yubiseiharukana rolled her eyes again at the forger’s paranoia. “Nice going, genius. Stop reminding us about that or we’ll never get over it.”
“But there’s no reason to worry, right? No one’s actually taking any of this seriously, right…?” Jirou asked with a hint of concern in his voice.
Just then, all eyes were on Jirou, and then they shifted to those around them. Masakazu stared into the eyes of the his fellow students, people who he’d gotten to know over the past few hours. Where he saw kindness or determination before, he saw depression and uncertainty. No one could be trusted, they couldn’t afford to be. That is how this horrible game was structured.
And with that, the true start to this awful game began. This potential that all of us had, our dreams, our futures...even our hope...in an instant, it was all dashed to the wayside. This hotel that had come into our lives...it was most certainly a hotel brimming with despair.
A despair that would change sixteen lives forever.
PROLOGUE - WELCOME TO DESPAIR'S HOTEL
CHAPTER END
REMAINING SURVIVORS: 16
Phew, just barely managed to finish the prologue before the end of the year! Cutting it a bit close, but hey, atleast it's a way better situation than what our lovely group has found themselves in, huh?
QOTD: If a psychotic bear came into your school and started telling you this stuff, how would you react? (Personally, I'd be a bit too bewildered to do much...)
I decided to make this one huge part for you all instead of cutting it into pieces, so enjoy the large post ^^. This marks the end of the prologue, and very soon the beginning of Chapter 1 will commence. I eagerly await that, as I hope you all do too! I had a blast writing the prologue, so it's just up from here.
Well, I suppose that about wraps up this ending segment. Until next time!
-♞ Chess Boi 
Love that teasing moment btw 
