Akihiko woke up the next day feeling numb. Usually he just hid any sort of emotion, but he just couldn’t feel anything except wanting to cry but no tears would come. He cried for a few hours the night before until he fell asleep.

          He stared in the mirror. My eyes are red. How am I going to hide this? Akihiko slapped his cheeks to have the redness blend in. Red skin and hair, black and blue bruises, explosions of pink… Akihiko forced the image from his head. When his skin turned normal not too long after he changed and took a shower, he styled his wet hair into his face to cover his eyes. He took a deep breath, forced his shoulders back and marched out of his room.

         Quietly, Akihiko walked into the dining room and sat down with a bagel covered with cream cheese. He nibbled at his food, his appetite nonexistent. 

         “Akihiko! You good, little man?” A hand clapped down on his shoulder. Akihiko looked up and saw Mondo grinning down at him. 

         “Hm? Yes, of course. Thank you for asking.” Mondo’s face fell. 

         “Something wrong, Owada-senpai?” Akihiko asked.

          Mondo looked away in embarrassment. “Why are you lying?” He whispered.

          “Huh?”

         “I said, why are you lying!” Mondo yelled angrily. He clenched his fists.

         Akihiko jumped, then responded in a careful, controlled tone with a slight tremor. “Whatever do you mean, Owada-senpai? You asked after my well-being, and I answered. What else do you require from me?”

        “I want you to tell me the truth! What else?! For a child prodigy, you’re pretty stupid!” Mondo grabbed Akihiko’s collar. 

        “I t-told you the truth, O-owada-senpai. Let go of me.” 

        “No! Not until you tell me the truth!”

        Akihiko finally snapped. “YOU THINK I’M GOING TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH?! AS IF! LET GO OF ME YOU MUSCLE BOUND MORON, OR ELSE. I’LL. KILL. YOU.” In surprise, Mondo let go and Akihiko ran, fighting back tears.

          He turned the corner and ran into Monokuma, falling over. “Upupupu! Someone trying to kill ya?”

          “No.” Akihiko stood up and dusted himself off. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

           “Don’t be like that! I’m going to show you the new floor before everyone else! See?” Monokuma pressed a button, which opened the fence in front of the staircase. 

            Akihiko stared at the stairs. “Why?” Was all he could muster.

            “Cuz I felt bad for making you do the work for me in the execution.”    

             “You’re lying.” Akihiko said flatly. Monokuma clutched his chest.

             “My poor heart! I bear-ly stopped myself from crying. The least you could do is say thank you-” Monokuma leered. “Boy genius.”

             Akihiko froze. “How. Dare. You.” He wanted to punch the robot bear, but he couldn’t give him the satisfaction. He darted up the stairs before he could do something he’d regret.

             Boy genius…Leon, I miss you so much. It’s all my fault, I should’ve insisted on going with you… Akihiko walked towards a room labeled Locker Room. He went inside and saw two rooms, labeled Girls and Boys. There were two guns, each facing a door.

            Probably to dissuade people from trying to sneak into the wrong locker room. Rather odd when we’re in a killing game, but the mastermind follows their own rules.

           I wonder… Akihiko stepped towards the boys’ locker room. He noticed a card reader, presumably for a Monopad to be held up to. He took out his Monopad and held it up to the reader. Nothing happened.

           “…” Wordlessly, Akihiko tried the girls’ locker room. It opened. Of course it did.

           He closed the girls’ locker room door and went to the library he saw next door. Akihiko turned on a lamplight and surveyed the shelves. No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai seems like an interesting read. I’ll read that right now.

          Not too long afterwards, Byakuya Togami entered the room. He gave Akihiko a long look, then grabbed a book of his own and sat down nearby. A comfortable silence descended upon them.

         “…Momota-san.” Akihiko looked up in surprise. “Yes, Togami-senpai?”

         “I’m going to ask you a question, and I’d rather you answer it honestly.” Togami took a deep breath and pushed up his glasses. “Are you or are you not Misaki Momota?”

         “…” Akihiko decided to respond truthfully. “Yes, I am.”

          “Then am I correct in assuming you are transgendered?”

          “Although that turn of phrase is one I’d rather not use, essentially, yes.” Akihiko said, composed.

          “Fascinating. And I assume you want to keep it a secret?” Togami smirked.

          “…Yes.” Akihiko replied warily.

          “Then I would like to propose a price for my silence.” Akihiko groaned internally. I should’ve expected that.

          “But of course.” He said with a smile on his face. “It’s only natural. What is your price?”

            Togami crossed his arms. “You do what I ask, no matter what it may be.”

             “Fine.” Akihiko leaned forward in his chair. “But within reason. No helping with murder or getting away with it. Not will I do any sexual related tasks.” 

              Togami tsked. “Of course not. Who do you think I am? Some deviant?”

               “To be fair, you never know. Take Maizono-senpai for example.”

                Togami hmmed in agreement. “So are we agreed?” He held out his hand. Akihiko tentatively shook his hand.

              “Agreed.”