🥺

𝗗𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗔𝗡𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗣𝗔: 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗬 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗖

𝗜𝗧𝗦𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗛: 𝗬𝗛𝗦 𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

[𝗗𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗬 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘]

𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁?

[𝘆𝗲𝘀] 𝗇𝗈

𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜......

❝𝘐 𝘊𝘈𝘕'𝘛 𝘋𝘖 𝘛𝘏𝘈𝘛 𝘚𝘌𝘓𝘍𝘓𝘌𝘚𝘚 𝘋𝘌𝘝𝘖𝘛𝘐𝘖𝘕 𝘖𝘍 𝘠𝘖𝘜𝘙𝘚... 𝘉𝘜𝘛 𝘐 𝘜𝘕𝘋𝘌𝘙𝘚𝘛𝘈𝘕𝘋 𝘞𝘖𝘙𝘒𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘏𝘈𝘙𝘋 𝘍𝘖𝘙 𝘚𝘖𝘔𝘌𝘖𝘕𝘌,❞

-𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙐𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙐 𝙃𝘼𝙉𝘼𝙈𝙐𝙍𝘼, 𝙎𝙐𝙋𝙀𝙍 𝘿𝘼𝙉𝙂𝘼𝙉𝙍𝙊𝙉𝙋𝘼 𝙂𝙊𝙊𝘿𝘽𝙔𝙀 𝘿𝙀𝙎𝙋𝘼𝙄𝙍

I don't know how, but I've wound up back in my dorm. I don't know when, but I laid down on my bed and stare at the ceiling. I don't know why, but I can't even bring myself to move.

It feels like time doesn't pass. I just feel stuck. Stuck in this thick layer of guilt and fear that just won't leave us alone.

I rub my eyes repeatedly as if it'll somehow bring me back to reality. When it doesn't work, I simply try to sleep. I can't stand laying here for hours again doing nothing but wallowing. I try to imagine everyone smiling. Laughing. Everyone as friends before the first murder. But every single time I close my eyes, I only see their faces as I have recently seen them:

scratched out. scratched out.

scratched out. scratched out.

scratched out. scratched out.

scratched out. scratched out.

scratched out. scratched out.

SCRATCHED OUT.

scratched out. scratched out.

scratched out. scratched out.

scratched out. scratched out.

scratched out. scratched out.

scratched out. scratched out.

scratched out. scratched out.

Just when I think I'm going to spend the next hours of my life wasting away in guilt, someone knocks on my door.

I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out, so in the end I just listen as the door opens on its own.

"Funneh?" Rainbow's voice calls out, "hello?"

"I'm here," I remark.

"Hi," Lunar says, "Evelyn sent us. She said that she knows you'll regret wallowing around, so we have to get you."

"I don't wanna go anywhere," I sigh.

"It's been a day," Lunar rebuttals, "come on. Don't be all mopey now. Not when we need you."

"Yeah, come on, Funneh," Rainbow encourages as she grabs my arms and yanks me, pulling me off my bed and onto the ground, "whoops."

"Well, don't break her literally!" Lunar exclaims, crouching down to help me, "but really, come on. Or else we'll drag you."

"How are you guys so... normal? How are you not upset over what happened yesterday?" I question.

"We're not, Funneh," Lunar sighs, "but there's no point in crying over something we can't change. All we can do is keep moving forward. For their sake. You know, in their honor. That's what you said, right? What you even told Aly?"

"Besides, if you keep focusing on the rain, you won't be able to see the rainbow afterwards!" Rainbow pipes up.

"Was... was that a pun?" Lunar inquires.

Rainbow suppresses a smug smile and continues to try to help me up, "Mayyyybeeee."

"I'm leaving," Lunar immediately says, standing up and starting to walk away.

Rainbow bursts into a fit of giggles and still tries to pull me up. I smile softly as she yanks me to my feet. Upon seeing my expression, she grins wider and claps her hands, "Look! You're smiling!"

"Yeah, I am," I slowly admit.

She pinches my cheeks and yells, "Lunar! Lunar! Look! My pun made her smile!"

Lunar pokes her head back into the room, glances once at me, and says, "Hallelujah. Now, come on. It's already breakfast and I'm starving!"

"Wait for us!" Rainbow calls out, "don't let everyone eat all the good stuff first!"

"Too late. I call dibs on the potato chips," Lunar laughs in the distance as Rainbow hurries out of my room.

I laugh a bit, a small wave of giddiness washing over me from the comedic relief. Upon realizing that I'm smiling once again, I think back to Lunar's words.

"But there's no point in crying over something we can't change. All we can do is keep moving forward. For their sake. You know, in their honor. That's what you said, right?"

"Focus on the rainbow, huh?" I ponder Rainbow's words aloud, considering their meaning before rubbing my eyes and face.

Keeping a small smile on, I try to think about the future rather than the past. I have everyone else. We have each other. And as long as we can continue to hope, we can get out of here.

Balling my fists up in anticipation, I start jogging out of my room to catch up with Rainbow and Lunar. As I run after them through the corridors, I laugh out, "Save some for me, tooooo!"

°°°

"So, not everyone is taking the ordeal well...?" I quietly ask Evelyn beside me at the table after spending a good while at a quiet breakfast.

"Not everyone. While most of the others have managed to keep their spirits up by listening to the others try and cheer everyone up, some are still upset over what happened yesterday. As you can guess, it's mostly just a few like Aly, Valerie, Draco, and Kyran," Evelyn explains.

"I see," I murmur out, "it... makes sense. I'm still... really upset over everything, too."

Evelyn shrugs and shakes her head. "Not everyone can get used to this so easily. Or for people like you, they don't 'get used' to the situation. Rather, they stay positive and look toward a better future, which is the only thing that keeps them from being scared."

"What about you?" I ask.

She shakes her head once again as she grabs her now empty plate, standing up and slowly starting to leave the table.

"Not even I am completely used to death. Especially something this awful. I don't think anyone is," she pauses momentarily. "Now, I've got things to do. I'm sure you do, too, Funneh. Enjoy your free time."

I sit in my chair, swinging my legs back and forth, staring at my plate. Tapping my nails against the surface of the table, I think.

But thinking at a time like this is boring. Especially when there's so many things to think about, majority of them being scary or upsetting. So instead of spending time alone or sleeping the day away, I decide it's best to spend some time with someone.

With that in mind, I pick up my plate and stand up, making my way to the kitchen. I think I have an idea of who to talk to for a bit.

°°°

𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐨𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐟𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞

"Kyran, there you are!" I announce, hurrying over to beside him as he stands in the hallway.

"Huh? Oh, hi, Funneh," he murmurs, "did you need something?"

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐊𝐘𝐑𝐀𝐍?

[𝘆𝗲𝘀] 𝗇𝗈

𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜......

"Hang out? Uh, sure, I guess," Kyran agrees, slowly shrugging as he starts to walk, "but I didn't really have anything planned to do. I guess we can just talk. Unless you have an idea."

"But I don't wannaaaaa," Kyran whines, slowly dragging himself behind me as we walk down the corridor.

"But we have toooooo," I say, mimicking his own complaining tone in retaliation.

"Don't mock me!" Kyran pouts, crossing his arms.

I withhold a laugh. He reminds me of a little kid.

"Haha, sorry, sorry," I giggle out, elbowing his arm playfully, "I'm just messing with you, dude."

He pouts again and this time I do laugh. He doesn't find my teasing entertaining, though, and continues to sulk.

"Okay, okay, I won't laugh," I say, knowing that I will most definitely still laugh, "don't be all mopey, edgelord."

"I'm not a—!" he sighs and shakes his head, "whatever. But why do we have to do this?"

"Because new areas of the school opened up again!" I explain, quickening my pace to something that almost resembles skipping, "don't you wanna see if there's a way to escape?"

"Um, no," he denies, "not like this. Every time we explore a new part of the school when it opens up, something bad happens. I don't like it."

"Don't be a baby, Kyran," I plead as we approach the hallway that was previously blocked off by an iron barred gate, "come on, it'll be fine!"

"Said every person in a horror movie."

"Hush! Come on!"

"Fine. But if we die, I'm blaming you," he gives in.

I laugh.

°°°

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐊𝐘𝐑𝐀𝐍 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐊𝐘𝐑𝐀𝐍 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫!

𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐊𝐘𝐑𝐀𝐍 𝐚 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭?

𝗒𝖾𝗌 𝙣𝙤

"I don't get why we have to take an elevator to get up here," Kyran whines, stepping out past the metal doors.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I mean, why do we have to take an elevator at all? This is the third floor; it should be accessible through stairs just like the second floor was." Kyran crosses his arms.

"I dunno. That's just how Yandere High School was built," I loosely excuse with a shrug.

"What is this area anyway?" Kryran inquires as we wander down the hallway, glancing at each room.

"It looks like an elective corridor," I suggest, "and that makes sense, right? Because on the second floor, there's a dance room. And up here, it looks like more fine art classes."

"Don't talk about the dance room..." he mumbles, shaking his head in a small paranoia.

I place a hand on his shoulder. He flinches for a moment in what seems like fear before sighing. "Don't think about it so much," I say, "it hurts a lot, I know. But we have to keep going."

He groans in annoyance, "Ugh, did Rainbow and Lunar get to you, too?"

I shrug. "Sorta. But they're right. We can't change the past. What happened already happened. But we can change what happens in the future. And if we keep moping, there's no reason to keep going."

"That's sooo easy for you to say," he murmurs.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I mean," he starts to explain, "that not everyone is like you, Funneh. We can't all just look on the bright side of things. We're not optimists."

"But—" I try to argue back, but he retaliates.

"It's easy for everyone to say to not think about something or to get over it, because they aren't going through it or because they're stronger than you so they can actually handle it. But not everyone is like each other. They say we're created equally but apparently not, because not everyone can go through the same things and turn out the same," he rambles.

"But Lunar's not an optimist," I claim, "and she still believes what I believe."

"You don't... have to be an optimist. You just have to believe. But some people can't go through things and be expected to be strong throughout it." He frowns. "I don't wanna be here anymore, Funneh."

"Hey, hey," I say, still keeping my hand on his shoulder, "I know. None of us want to be here. But we are. So instead of fighting losing battles, let's win the war, yeah? We're all here. And we all got each other. So come on."

He doesn't move for a little bit. Just stands there, like he can't process my words. To lighten the mood, I poke him on his cheek and say, "Besides, if Gold were here, I'm sure she would say you aren't weak."

His face flushes and I laugh. "Wait, I was right? Oh my God," I jump up and down. "Aww. I was just guessing. But really, I mean it. Now, let's go."

This time, he follows behind me as I continue to wander down the hallway.

°°°

"Are you crazy? Sword Art Online is not better than My Hero Academia."

"In terms of morals, Sword Art Online is definitely superior," I defend.

"But My Hero Academia puts more effort into the backlore," Kyran defends.

"It does not."

"The characters have reasons as to why they are who they are, and why they act the way they do in M.H.A," he argues.

"It has more fillers, though," I chime.

"Sword Art Online is just more focused on the plot of the game and the issues of how they'll return to the real world," he points out.

"Yeah, okay, but My Hero Academia is just... I don't know how to explain it. The characters are all mostly easygoing and if not, they're seen as a bully or mean character. Yet, everyone in the fandom still likes those antagonistic characters," I say.

"Are you saying they're plainly written?"

"That's not only it. Instead of explaining how everyone suddenly started developing quirks, the reason is, 'one day, everyone woke up with these powers called quirks.' In Sword Art Online, they give reasoning as to why everyone is how they are by explaining what happened with the game," I add.

"But not everyone wants characters who are heavily —and only— defined by their pasts. If you take away their lore, they're basically any other person you can meet on the street," he says, "plots drive the story, keep it interesting."

"From where I am, Sword Art Online does a better job at keeping these characters as people who have survived, too. In My Hero Academia, not so much. Yeah, they're strong. But the people winning the boss battles and stuff are always the same characters. The same main characters. Whereas in S.A.O, every character in the beginning is relatively strong," I defend.

"Not every character is created equally. Not everyone is as strong as the others," he rebuttals.

I shrug. "Fair point."

"See? My Hero Academia is just as good, if not better," he insists.

"I mean, My Hero Academia is good. I won't say it isn't. But its plot is given away and the characters are either happy, emotionless, or mean. There's nothing more than that. And they're fixed on so many characters at once, showing the lores and dealing with the issues. It's still good and interesting, but I'm just saying, it's not the greatest," I counteract.

"But many people love it for the character personalities and the relationships. The fight scenes are fun, too," he add.

"Yes, that's true. But it's clear what the outcome will be. Kinda predictable," I admit.

"But does that make Sword Art Online any better than My Hero Academia?" he questions.

"I suppose not," I slowly confess, "since they both equally tug on heartstrings. That's... what intrigues someone to watch an anime, right? The characters, funny scenes, sad scenes, shipping scenes, and fighting scenes. It's just that... in my opinion, the best animes are the ones where you can't predict and there's always some sort of ongoing conflict that stops every so often."

Kyran says, "But to compare animes, you can't say which one is better. No one really can, right? The plots, art styles, characters; just about everything is different. It just kinda depends on the audience themselves. In retrospect, each anime is great in their own ways to their own respective fans."

🥺

"Well, look at you, Ultimate Manga Collector. That knowledge goes past mangas," I encourage, poking the side of his forehead before laughing and joking, "big brain."

He waves my hand away, pushing aside my comments, and asks, "What else is in this hallway?"

"From what I saw? An art room, an F.C.S room, a drama room, a fashion design room, and a few more regular classrooms," I explain.

"Great. Now, let's go," he rushes.

Now it's my turn to whine like a little child. "What? Whyyyy? I wanna explore them."

"Nuh-uh!" he denies, "every time a room is searched, nothing good ever comes out of it!"

I clasp my hands together. "Pleaseeeee."

"No way. Go on your own," he declines.

"I don't wanna get murdered either!" I jokingly say, "I wanna explore but not by myself."

"But why do I have to go?" He frowns.

"Just in case I need to push you in front of me before a killer can grab us," I laugh out.

He does not find my joke amusing.