PARTUMRONPA

The familiar sound of Monokuma's voice is the first thing I hear as I force myself to wake up.

"Gooood morning~! Everyone, get a good night's sleep. I certainly hope you all did! Rise and shine, get ready for another beautiful day!"

I tiredly get out of bed and stumble over to the door, stepping outside into the hallway. After dragging myself over to the dining hall, I step inside to find the other students already present, all of them eating and chatting amongst themselves. Yakko is the first to greet me, noticing my half-asleep appearance.

"Hey, look who's finally awake! You look like you could use some coffee."

"Decaf caramel frappe, please…"

Yakko grins.

"Ooh, a coffee snob, eh?"

He stands up and goes over to the kitchen area, preparing the requested drink.

Meanwhile, some of the other students at the table turn to look over at me. (Including Stephanie, but she doesn't say anything.) I decide to pay no heed when Yakko comes back to the table and hands me the coffee I asked for.

"It's decaf, right? I don't think you're in any shape to deal with the extra caffeine."

"Thanks, bro…"

Yakko pats me on the back and returns to his seat. After taking a long sip of the coffee, my vision stops being hazy as the flavor of the drink fully wakes me up.

"ZOO-WEE-MAMA!"

Yakko laughs heartily at my reaction to the coffee.

"The power of coffee, ladies and gentlemen!"

Meanwhile, Stephanie leans over to me.

"Jeez, were you really that tired? You look and sound like a completely different person now."

"I always got a bite! Sometimes, it's not even there~…"

Stephanie laughs.

"Well, it's a cute look on you, I'll admit. But try to stay like that in a crisis, yeah?"

"What crisis would even be possible? We all agreed that we weren't gonna play this stupid killing game whether Monokuma likes it or not, remember?"

Stephanie rolls her eyes.

"I'd love to believe that we'll all stay united. But if there's one thing I've learned all these years of competing as a sportscandy, it's that people can be unpredictable in dire situations. Someone could snap and murder us all if given the chance. And then, that person gets to leave, while the rest of us are all dead."

"God, where's your Hope?"

Stephanie scoffs.

"Hey, I'm just being realistic. It's better to assume the worst than get your hopes up if you ask me."

I grimace at her statement & walk away, leaving Stephanie behind, and allowing me to take in my surroundings. There's a good number of people to talk to, so maybe I can find a more optimistic character among the mix. I keep scanning the room until my eyes land on…Liam & Borealis? How the hell did 2 of my best friends get here?!

Liam and Borealis appear to be deep in the middle of a conversation, laughing and chatting with each other. Upon closer inspection, I realize that they haven't quite noticed me yet.

"Besties?!"

Liam turns his head and locks eyes with me, & a grin appears on his face.

"Oh hey, who's here to crash our little conversation~?"

"O. My. GOD!"

I lunge towards Liam & wrap my arms around him like a dog. He laughs heartily and hugs me back.

"Whoa, easy there! Jeez, you act like you haven't seen me in years!"

"Bo, I haven't seen you either!"

Borealis, who was distracted from the other conversation, turns his head and looks at you. His eyes light up, and a huge smile spreads across his face.

"Ohmygosh, Nathan?! Is that you?! I can't believe you're here too!"

"I'm guessing you're the Ultimate Vampire?"

Borealis grins and nods.

"Yep, that's me! I've had powers for as long as I can remember. Although, being a vampire can be pretty annoying, all things considered. Being able to fly is pretty nifty, though."

"What about Liam?"

Liam smiles and takes the opportunity to brag, as he usually tends to.

"Me? Just your local Ultimate Crime Analyst! I can figure out just about anything. I mean, it was pretty damn obvious that both of you would end up being in this death game, so I guess my talent's already coming in handy!"

"AWESOME."

Liam grins even wider as if this is the validation he's been looking for.

"Damn, straight it is! Besides just analyzing crimes, I can sniff out anyone's weaknesses pretty quickly, too. I can tell just what makes a person tick."

& so, Liam, Borealis & I spend the rest of the morning catching up and chatting with each other. It's nice to be able to spend time with your best friends while you can. Eventually, the conversation starts to die down, and Liam speaks up.

"Well, it was nice as hell to talk here, but I think there are still others we should get acquainted with before it gets hectic here. There's a ton of people to chat with."

"You said it, lamb chops! See ya!"

Both Liam and Borealis wave farewell as I go to explore some more of the school. I decided to let my legs carry me around the school, as I was filled with positive energy from seeing my friends once again. As I round a corner, I run past the gymnasium, and for some reason, I feel oddly compelled to go inside. Maybe checking out the gym would be a good idea for now?

I take a peak through the door to see if anyone else is there at the moment. The inside of the gym looks relatively empty, save for one other person who has their back turned to the front doors. They appear to be examining the room quietly. To my surprise, it was the earlier mentioned Niles Cero, the Ultimate Prankster!

"(Oh my god, it's Niles! I can't let him see me like this!)"

God, why do I treat him like some kinda Senpai? Is he toned underneath that shirt? Is he even good in bed?! As I hide behind the door in hopes that I won't be noticed, my mind fills with thoughts about Niles. But from the inside of the gym, there's a quiet voice audible from where I was just hiding.

"I know you're there. I can hear your breathing. There's no use trying to hide from me right now. Your breaths were just barely loud enough for me to hear."

"Come inside," Niles says calmly. "You and I seem to be the only ones here right now, and it'll be more awkward if I don't confront you. Come in, please."

I consider it for a few seconds before finally caving in embarrassment.

"Uh…okay…"

I pull myself away from the doorframe and step inside the gym, revealing myself to Niles. The latter turns around to face me, a small smile on his lips.

"There you are. There's no use hiding from me, you know. I have heightened senses. What, are you not used to people being able to detect your presence or something?"

I look to the floor shamefully & cross my arms.

"Maybe…"

Niles gives me a once-over glance, and a hint of mischief appears on his face for a moment.

"You're an odd one. I assume I've never met you before, correct?"

His question makes me look back up against my will.

"Possibly…"

Niles leans against the wall, one hand on his hip.

"You seem to be on guard, around me. You've been avoiding me since I caught wind of you. Why is that?"

"Uh…n-no reason!"

Niles laughs faintly.

"You're a bad liar."

He takes a step closer to me, and I end up backed up against the wall to my embarrassment & possible enjoyment.

"Why are you so on edge around me? What makes you think I pose a threat to you?"

My face immediately turns red at the kabedon I found myself in.

"I-It's not exactly a threat! It's more like, uh…"

Niles smirks faintly, and a knowing look appears in his eyes as he gets what I'm trying to say.

"You're intimidated, huh? That's why you feel so uneasy being around me."

"Something like that…"

"Mhm, I thought so."

Niles is now standing barely arms-length away from me, and from inside, I somehow don't mind that I have nowhere to run. He leans one of his arms against the wall, next to my head. His eyes seem to examine my face as if he's analyzing every detail. For a moment, silence fills the air as I'm pinned against the wall. After a moment, he smirks faintly.

"You have very cute expressions."

He called me cute! YAAAASS!!!

"Uh…th-thank you?"

Niles chuckles faintly, watching me as I try my best to keep at least an accurate amount of composure.

"You're very skittish around me. No need to be so timid, I already told you I don't pose a threat to you. You're acting like a mouse and I'm a big bad cat that's about to pounce on you."

Please pounce on me, Daddy~!

"Uh…I, I, uh…OH, MY! Would ya look at the time? I think it's gonna be night soon, so I better get back to my room! Heheheheheh…bye!"

As I bolt out of there, Niles can't help but let out a hearty chuckle at my reaction. However, I managed to make it outside of the gym and successfully sprint back to my room safely, shutting the door behind me.

"Phew! That was close! Hopefully, I won't be able to do any more embarrassing situations like that…"

I spend the rest of my evening in my room, trying to recollect after that encounter with Niles. I think back to what he said before I left.

"You have very cute expressions."

I can't seem to get it out of my head, for some reason. Even after spending the night reading a few graphic novels & fanfics, I still can't get Niles out of my head! AAUGH! If only I didn't catch feelings so easily…

But eventually, I end up falling asleep... And the next morning comes quickly.

☆〜🙏🆚😭〜★

I wake up feeling grumpy and frustrated at myself, as I think back to the previous day. I can't stop thinking about that interaction with Niles in the gym. That's probably what got me so riled up, huh? Eventually, after waking up further and thinking about it some more, I realized I needed to get out of my room soon. After all, it's morning, so other people are probably already waking up for breakfast.

Leaving the room behind, I head towards the cafeteria once more. Hopefully, this time will lead to some more positive interactions. When I step inside the cafeteria, I notice that a few other people are already present. I decided to speak up & ask the question that everyone was wondering.

"Is anyone dead?"

A collective silence follows, & after a few awkward seconds, Borealis finally speaks up.

"No, there hasn't been a murder yet."

Many of the other students in the cafeteria let out a heavy sigh of relief, upon hearing Borealis' words. It appears that everyone is glad that there hasn't been a murder yet in the school. It's not like anyone has to die just yet, anyway!

"By the way, what's on the menu?"

I hear Liam's voice right next to me.

"Looks like there's a pretty big spread. It's a big breakfast buffet. There's some bacon and eggs, breakfast burritos, pancakes, waffles, and toast, too. Tons of other stuff."

"OHOHOHOH! I'm gonna get STUFFED tonight!"

Liam chuckles as he watches me get excited over the food.

"You're so easy to please, you know that?"

I ignore him & immediately get to work on the buffet. Everyone in the cafeteria could hear my stomach grumbling excitedly. They all found my ravenous eating quite amusing. I chow down on all sorts of yummy breakfast foods until I feel sufficiently "stuffed" as I said before.

I let out a sigh of absolute bliss, content with my stuffed stomach. Everyone in the cafeteria watches me as I finish eating. Liam lets out a snicker.

"Man, how do you have such a high metabolism, anyway? You're a black hole."

"Whatever. I'm gonna go explore the rest of the school."

Liam nods, giving me a wave of farewell as I get ready to head out of the cafeteria.

"Well then, go have fun with your exploring. I'll leave you to it for now."

I leave the safety and comfort of the cafeteria behind and set off to explore the rest of the school building. I don't have any plan in mind right now, I'm just exploring for the sake of exploring to pass the time. Suddenly, a demonic voice similar to a radio speaks out of nowhere.

"You shouldn't be traveling by yourself, my dear~. Unless you have a death wish, I suggest you be more aware of the fact that murder could happen anytime."

Chills being sent down my spine, I quickly look around everywhere, trying to find the source of the voice.

"W-wh-who's there?!"

He walks out of the shadows to reveal himself as Alastor Hartfelt, the Ultimate Radio Demon.

"Someone who knows better than to not use the buddy system~."

At first, I'm a bit taken aback by Alastor's appearance, since it's a little bit creepy-looking. However, he doesn't seem to pose a threat to me, so I calm down a bit.

"The…buddy system? So you're saying I should always travel with someone else?"

Alastor seems to be amused watching me be on guard around him. 

"Precisely, my dear! I see you're smart enough to know why the buddy system is beneficial. It would be a shame if something were to happen to you if you were alone right now. Or should I say, what if someone were to happen to you~? HAHAHAHAHAH!"

I start to feel a little peeved about how he hasn't gotten to the point of this entire interaction.

"Okay, enough with the chitchat. Who the hell are you?"

A sinister smile appears on Alastor's lips as I become a little more direct with him.

"I go by many names, you see. I am many things. But if you're asking who I am, I am Alastor Hartfelt, the Ultimate Radio Demon. Perhaps you've heard my name on the radio at some point?"

"Sorry, but I was born in the peak of Gen Z."

Alastor laughs faintly at my response.

"Ah, Gen Z, you say? You young-ins these days seem to only use streaming/on-demand type services now, don't you? You have no experience with the golden age of radio."

"Look, if you wanna hang out with someone who did, be my guest, but why did you decide to talk to me of all people?"

His expression remains a permanent yellow smile at my shouting.

"You were walking around the school by yourself, and you look defenseless. I thought I should let you know that you shouldn't be traveling by yourself. That's a great way to become a target for a murder, young one~."

"No one is going to kill each other. That's a promise!"

Alastor's expression changes to surprise for a moment.

"Oh, you're so, so naive, my dear~. I admire your naive sense of trust in humanity. But I'm afraid it won't last for long."

"Ugh…well, what else do you need from me?"

Alastor gives me a smirk, and the way he's looking at me now seems a bit off like he's contemplating something.

"I'd like to keep you safe, my dear. I don't think you quite grasp how vulnerable you are right now. You don't seem to have much common sense, so I don't think you would be able to protect yourself from a murderer."

"I can take care of myself, Al. & even if I was a target, I'd instantly fight back!"

Alastor hums to himself as he looks me up and down, taking in my determination.

"Oh? Fight back, you say? That's certainly a strong sentiment. You should be able to take care of yourself and fight back. But, I doubt that will happen. You're a sitting duck right now, just like everyone else here. Defenseless~!"

"RRGH, just leave me alone!"

Alastor watches as I stomp away from him, looking surprised for a moment. He didn't expect me to suddenly turn on him like that. However, he quickly regains his composure.

"Hah, you're a feisty one, aren't you? Very well, go ahead and march away. But I can't guarantee that you'll be safe~. HAHAHAHAH!"

With that, Alastor lets me storm off on my own. I continue to explore on my own for a little while longer, walking around the school aimlessly. Eventually, I stop in my tracks and rest against the wall. Just then, I began to wonder if I should've listened to Alastor's advice. After all, it's not smart, nor safe for anyone to wander around the school by themselves right now…

"UGH, I'm just letting him get to my head! Maybe I should ask Bo about him. I think they'd recognize each other from the Hazbin Hotel. I mean, that's all I can hope for, since Alastor was being suspiciously vague and cryptic on his reasons for talking to me…"

自由時間開始!

As I search for Borealis, I eventually manage to find him in the library, sorting through books. Borealis is unaware of my presence until I step closer to him, making him turn around and notice me. He seems a little surprised but quickly calms down when he sees that it's just me. Paranoia, am I right?

"Oh, you surprised me there. What brings you over here?"

"Hey, Bo. I just wanted to ask you about Alastor. Y'know, the demonic Bambi that hung out with you & Charlie at the Hazbin Hotel?"

Borealis seems a bit surprised that I had the moxie to ask him about Alastor. Their eyes seem to widen faintly when I mention him.

"Alastor? You're asking me about him, huh…"

It looks like I might've hit a sensitive spot for him. Borealis goes quiet for a moment, contemplating how to respond. After a few moments of silence, he finally talks again. However, his expression and voice were a little more serious than before.

"What exactly do you want to know? If you're asking about how he usually behaves, or what kind of person he is, I can tell you a little bit about him. But I won't be a Wikipedia article, just so you know. I'm not going to answer anything too personal."

I couldn't help but feel like there was more than meets the eye when it came to this…

"…What are you hiding?"

Borealis' expression changes into a stern frown as I ask him that question. Now I've hit the nail on the head! He lets out a short sigh and responds to me.

"I…I'm not hiding anything, exactly. I just don't talk about him on a personal level. We've been acquainted in the past, yes, but you're asking me about personal details about him. That crosses a line for me, especially when it comes to Alastor."

"Suit yourself."

After walking out of the library, I set my sights on something else I could do for now.

"I still have some free time left…maybe I could hang out with Niles again!"

自由時間開始!

Now, I'm on my way to find Niles. However, I stop in my tracks once I realize I don't even know where to go to find him… He hasn't mentioned where he hangs out, so it's going to be a bit tricky to find him.

"Shoot…"

I look around for anyone to ask until my eyes land on Regina George, the Ultimate Mean Girl.

"Who's that girly pop?"

Regina George is wandering down the hall on her own, minding her own business. It looks like she hasn't even noticed me yet, and is more focused on browsing through her phone than her surroundings. As I take a closer look at her, however, I can't help but wonder who exactly she is. After all, there's no doubt she ate with that outfit. Regina looks flawless and perfect in every way. Everything about her - her hair, complexion, style - looks gorgeous. I can't help but admire, yet envy how perfect she is. If only I could be even remotely as perfect as her…

Regina suddenly looks up from her phone & finally takes notice of me staring at her from afar.

"OOP! Sorry! I couldn't help but notice how much you slay in that outfit."

Regina gives me a look of surprise, apparently not having expected me to suddenly speak to her out of the blue. However, after a few moments, the surprised expression on her face fades and is replaced by an expression of pride and superiority.

"Oh? You interested in my fashion sense?"

Girl, I'd kill for your secret! (I mean, not literally, since we're in a killing game, but I'm sure you get what I mean.)

"Everyone wants to look as good and flawless as I do, I bet. I've always been naturally gifted, though. I just have good taste when it comes to fashion."

Even though her ego doesn't need more stroking, I still try to come back to it.

"How so? Are you the Ultimate Preppy?"

Regina looks a bit amused and even somewhat proud when I ask her that question. She's already on the high from being praised, but now I'm just boosting her ego even more.

"HA! No. I'm not the Ultimate Preppy. It's something much more than that. I'm the Ultimate Mean Girl… Regina George. It's a title I carry with pride, and I've earned it."

As soon as I hear that name, my face goes into shock.

"Wait…THE Regina George? As in the pink she-demon of North Shore?! As in someone who could humiliate a geek like me in a heartbeat?!?!"

Regina grins once she sees my face shift into shock and realization. She can't help but be amused that I know who she is, and am even intimidated by her status.

"Oh, sweetie…someone's done their research, I see."

She chuckles faintly to herself as she continues to look at my surprised expression.

"If that's really you, then does that mean you have…the book?"

Regina raises an eyebrow as you ask that question, her smirk still in place. I've hit the nail on the head again.

She lets out a soft chuckle and responds.

"Hm…maybe I might, maybe I might not."

She lets out a slight laugh once again as if she's being vague on purpose.

"Pics or it didn't happen."

Regina sighs and begins to scroll through her phone for a moment, and eventually stops and shows me the screen. It's a selfie of her standing with the Burn Book in hand, which undoubtedly looks like the Burn Book.

"There, you happy? Satisfied with just that?"

I couldn't help but feel slightly scared to see the contents, but still brave enough to at least try.

"Holy shit…so does that mean you already wrote stuff about everyone here?"

Regina looks almost amused by my reaction. She gives me a smirk as she answers my question.

"Mhm. You know it, girl. Everyone's already written in there, all about their secrets, pasts, and anything I think is worth mentioning. No one's safe, especially not you~."

Regina watches me open the book with an amused expression on her face. She knows I'm curious to see what's written in there, specifically about myself. I skim through pages upon pages of secrets, pasts, personal lives, and everything that could destroy anyone…until I reach my page. A cutout picture of me with the words 'Nathan Kümmer is a retarded faggot' written in all caps by pink Sharpie.

Regina chuckles faintly as she sees my reaction. It's not surprising that she'd be cruel enough to write that about me. After all, she's the Ultimate Mean Girl.

"Aww, do you like it? I put a lot of effort into it, you know. Well, that's part of being a mean girl, I'd say."

I couldn't help but shout at her for this entire situation I found myself in.

"How the hell did you know that I was gay & on the spectrum without me even telling you?!"

Regina chuckles again as I ask her about how she knew my orientation and identity, seemingly amused by the shock of it all.

"Oh, come on! I'm a mean girl, remember? It wasn't hard to figure out at all. I've got a good eye for that kind of stuff, you know. I can tell just off a glance."

At this point, I was just scared for my sanity, so I resorted to the only way out.

"I…think I'm gonna go before I get crushed by your plastic-ness. Bye!"

I sprint out of the commotion before any further damage to my self-respect. Regina can't help but chuckle as I run away, amused by how offended I seemed by her page on me.

"Tch… Can't handle the truth, can you, sweetheart? See ya~."

I finally leave after that encounter with Regina, not feeling too good about the whole situation. I can't blame her for what she did, but it still feels kind of shitty to have my secrets revealed in the Burn Book...but I decide to brush it off & focus on the task at hand.

"Still need to find Niles…maybe he's in his room?"

自由時間開始!

I start heading toward the dorm hallway, & after a moment of looking around, I finally spot the room that belongs to Niles & ring the doorbell frantically for him to come out.

"Niles? Hello? You in there? I never got to properly thank you for the compliment!"

Niles sounds a bit surprised to hear me from the other side of the door. After a moment, I hear footsteps approaching the door, and it eventually opens. He stands on the other side of the door, looking at me with an amused smile as he leans against the doorframe.

"What are you doing here? You're searching for me or somethin'?"

I scoff in a jestful manner at his question.

"You don't need me for that."

Niles gives you a smirk as he responds. He looks amused and entertained as you reply with yet another snarky comment.

"Pfft. You always got a lot of sass, huh?"

My confidence finally comes back after he says that.

"So I've been told~."

He chuckles faintly. It seems he's used to my sassy remarks by now.

"I'm guessing you came here for a reason. Why're you here? Wanted to hang out with me some more?"

A small blush appears on my cheeks, but I remain smiling.

"Only if you'd allow it."

Niles's smirk falters at my request, but he still looks like he's considering it. After a second, he speaks up again.

"Hmph… If you're polite about it, then I suppose I would."

He steps to the side and opens the door further, which is his way of allowing people into his room.

"Just don't get too comfortable in here. You gotta leave eventually, yeah?"

I strut my way inside (which is how I normally walk) as he closes the door behind me.

"I know, I know…"

After spending some time hanging out with Niles, the two of us get to know each other better, and get considerably closer. And of course, an inevitable make-out session ensues. Not that it makes us official, but I was just feeling spicy. The experience was worthwhile, & I'm honestly excited to hang out with him more in the future! But right now, I need sleep...

☆〜🙏🆚😭〜★

With the events from the day prior still on my mind, I finally wake up in my room after the sun has risen at 9:03 AM. The day is still just beginning, and I have no idea what's in store later on…

When I go into the hallway, I notice Charlie Morningstar, the Ultimate Reformer repeatedly knocking on Alastor's door, looking worried and anxious. Beside her is Liam, who stands with his arms crossed and his expression more stoic. Charlie seems to be trying to get Alastor's attention urgently, but there seems to be no response from Alastor at all…

"What's going on here?"

Liam and Charlie both look over at me as I speak, and Charlie seems relieved to finally have someone else to talk to.

"Alastor won't come out of his room. He's refusing to answer the door. We're worried something happened."

I'm way too tired for this bullshit...

"Oh, come off it already! I already promised that no one would kill each other because Mono-bitch said so."

Liam and Charlie both look at me in surprise upon hearing me address Alastor through the door. Liam looks somewhat concerned about it, but Charlie tries to hush me.

"C-Calm down, don't provoke him. We don't know what he'll do if you get him riled up right now..."

I shove it off & bang on the door to get his attention.

"AL! Get outta there! We can't stop this killing game without you!"

There's still no response from the other side. Charlie looks at me and gestures for you to stop.

"Please, don't provoke him! It's not a good idea to make Alastor upset unless you have a death wish..."

I promise I'm not usually this rude, it's just how groggy I get in the morning.

"& who might you be in all this?"

Charlie suddenly looks a bit offended by my question & she looks at me sternly like a mother about to scold her misbehaving child.

"I'm Charlie Morningstar. The Ultimate Reformer. And I'm Alastor's best friend here. I know him very, very well…and I know that what you're doing right now isn't going to do any good."

I ignore her & turn my attention to Al's door.

"You hear us, Al? Speak now or forever hold your peace, 'cause we're COMING IN!"

Liam looks almost panicky once again as I say that, and he tries to get me to stop, putting his hands up in resistance.

"P-Please, stop for a moment! You're going to make him angry. Just don't do something you'll regret…!"

Despite the pleas to stop, I kick down the door to see…

One of the most traumatizing experiences of my life yet: seeing a dead body right in front of me for the first time.

Alastor's corpse lay on the floor near his bed with his cane nowhere to be found. Pink blood dripping out from a crucifix stabbed deep in his back, his mouth & eye sockets like black endless voids compared to his permanent smile & demonic yellow eyes that he had yesterday. There was no denying it when it was all laid out in front of me. Lord Alastor Hartfelt of Pride…was dead.

"…W-What the fuck?!"

Liam and Charlie both looked horrified upon seeing what was behind the door and were completely shaken by the scene before them…

"Oh my god…"

Ding dong, dong ding~!

The jingle plays over the intercom as the monitor in Alastor's room flickers to life, showing Monokuma sitting in his office with a martini in hand. 

"A body has been discovered! After a certain amount of time has passed, the class trial will begin~! But for now, please head to Alastor's room to meet the recently deceased immediately." 

The monitor then shuts off.

☆〜🙏🆚😭〜★

The three of us stand in the room for a little while in shock, trying to process what just happened. It's hard to believe that one of you is already dead…

Eventually, Liam finally speaks up in a shaky tone.

"A-A...body? Are you f-fucking serious?!"

I shook off the despair of this tragedy & put on a look of determination.

"Where is a strong moral compass when you need it?"

Liam and Charlie are completely at a loss for words, still reeling from the shock. After a moment, Liam finally tries to say something back.

"I-I…I don't know. This can't be happening…what're we going to do?"

I turn to Liam & act like a commander of a military unit giving orders to his soldiers.

"I'll tell you what we're gonna do! We're gonna launch a full-on investigation to find who murdered that radio demon! & I want you to have the honor of being by my side."

Charlie is silent for a moment, still trying to process what's happening. But eventually, she responds.

"Y-Yeah! We need to find out who killed Al! He didn't have any enemies. It has to be someone here! This whole situation is too hard to believe…"

Liam nods in agreement, still looking shocked by the situation as he responds to us.

"Okay, yeah…we'll wait until everyone else gets here. There's no point in starting the investigation without them, right?"