30 A New Phase

"There is someone else?" This question haunted Kaede's mind all day long. "Maybe Nagito was just messing with me—but if he was, why do it on such a personal level?" She tried to fit the pieces together, but she couldn't quite figure it out. There were too many loose ends.

She started to look around, suspicious of anyone who fixed their eyes on Shuichi.

"Umm… Kaede?"

The blonde musician was too focus on her thoughts. She even disconnected herself from reality for a couple of minutes, disregarding completely what she was doing.

"Is everything okay? You've been spacing out for a few times now" The boy sitting at the other side of the table called out to her.

His boyfriend and also the core of her actual problem.

It was dinner time, everyone was in the restaurant grabbing something to eat, before calling it a day.

"Hey Shuichi" Shuichi turned his attention at Kaede, who have been daydreaming for the last couple of minutes. "Have you noticed someone acting weird around you?" She just needed to know.

"Why the question?" Shuichi looked confused by Kaede's question, trying to deduce the origin of it.

"Just answer…" Kaede retorted in no time.

Shuichi took a few moments to think about it.

"Actually, now that you mention it. A few hours ago—" Shuichi was a few seconds away to get to the point when someone else interrupted their conversation.

"What ya chattin' about?" The perpetrator was none other than the Ultimate Inventor Miu Iruma, "How you're gonna fuck her tonight? Kahaha" Out of everyone who was in the room it had to be the one with the perverted mind in the room. Instantly Kaede glared daggers as soon as she finished saying her piece.

"Eeeek?!" Kaede's eyes were enough to scare off Miu and switch her attitude from annoying to apologetic. "Why are you—looking at me like that…?" Miu said on the verge of tears. "I get it—I'm sorry…" With this, she walked away, with her eyes staring at the floor.

"Well, that was…weird," Said Shuichi, who could do nothing but witness this scene.

"Hey, Shuichi! Kaede!" In came a second person to interrupt their conversation once more, but this time in a more friendly manner.

"Hey Kaito, how was your dinner?" Shuichi asked losing focus on the original topic completely. Kaede sighed and gave up on the question for now.

"Delicious as always! That chef doesn't stop to impress me" Kaito responded with a smile in his face.

"Right? It's amazing how he can prepare something new and delicious every single day" Shuichi said with admiration.

"Maybe I can ask him for a couple of tips. Back in the astronaut program, the food was crap, maybe I could cook my own meals from now on" Kaito said with inspirational eyes.

"What about you Kaede? Are you good at cooking?" Shuichi asked his girlfriend, trying to include her in the conversation.

"I know how to cook basic meals. Fish, rice, I know my way around with pork too" Kaede answered, leaving the important question behind, for now.

"Now that I think about it, we've never seen Hanamura-senpai around, just the day of the introduction" Shuichi commented.

"Yeah, that's kinda weird" Kaito agreed.

"Maybe, he is just too busy with all the meals he has to put out," Kaede said, "Think about it is not only our food but also the food for all the tutors. It is a crazy number of dishes."

"Maybe we should pay him a visit sometime to thank him" Shuichi proposed to his friends.

"That's not a bad idea!" Kaito said with excitement.

The trio kept talking for a few minutes when someone entered the restaurant.

"Good evening everyone!" Said Tsumugi accompanied by Rantaro, standing near the restaurant's entrance.

"Rantaro, Tsumugi. What brings you guys here? We usually don't see you this late." Kaito was the first one to greet them. Everyone else in the restaurant turned their attention to them.

"We need to make a quick announcement, about tomorrow's activities. Tomorrow's sessions are getting canceled, instead, we are having group activities. In the next days, we'll have more activities like tomorrow. The goal is to bring you all together as a group." Tsumugi explained.

"Would you mind telling us, what kind of activities will they be?" Korekiyo asked the pair.

"Unfortunately, that we cannot tell" Rantaro answered Korekiyo's question.

"Do I really need to be paired with these idiots? Not only that, but work with them?" A male high pitch voice asked, belonging to Kokichi Oma. "However, I will be willing to cooperate, if everyone follows my orders. After all, I am the Ultimate Supreme Leader, I am the most experienced out of everyone" Kokichi kept boasting about his leadership abilities.

"I'm afraid that'll not be possible Kokichi, and if you do not cooperate, you'll have to stay on this island for some extra weeks." Rantaro said with an ominous and intimidating voice, " You do not want that—do you?"

"Well, that is all from us. Have a good night and we'll see you tomorrow" The pair said their goodbyes and walked out of the restaurant.

With that, the day comes to an end. The sun sets down and rose the next morning.

Beginning a new phase in the orientation program.