Confronting Danger in Grey and Red

At 7am on the dot, the monitor in my room changed from the Hope's Peak logo to Monokuma's face, announcing that it was 7am and Nighttime was now over, and to "get ready to enjoy another beeee-autiful day!" Rolling my eyes, I changed into a new uniform and left my room. I passed by Keebo's, Kirumi's, and Mikan's rooms on my way to the dining hall, but didn't see any of them. I waved hi to Ibuki and Hina as they headed towards the hall, and they waved back and said hi. However, Ibuki and Hina appeared engaged in a conversation, and I saw no need to interrupt them.

We all arrived at the dining room and ate in relative silence, no one seeming to have anything to say. I had some French toast, with powdered sugar and maple syrup, and a side of scrambled eggs that Kirumi offered to prepare for me. They were simply amazing! After eating, I put the dishes in the kitchen, where Ibuki volunteered herself to wash dishes, and headed back to my room.

Deciding that I couldn't stay in my room all day, I decided that I should speak with some of the others. I already had my fill of Kokichi and Nagito from yesterday, so I figured I should speak to someone else that I'm concerned about. Two people immediately came to mind; Maki and Peko. Figuring that I would need more time to figure out how to approach Maki, I decided to look for Peko first.

I found Peko in the courtyard, staring at the fountain. Figuring that surprising her was a terrible idea, I decided to call out to her instead. "Peko?" I asked.

Peko turned her head in my direction, but otherwise didn't move. "State your business," she flatly said.

"I just wanted to chit-chat for a bit, get to know who I'm in here with better."

"Understood. I don't mind. Let's have a seat." I followed her to one of the benches. Her black tights showed no leg through them, and I supposed her short skirt was for better movement with her swordplay.

Peko tucked her skirt underneath her, then sat down and smoothed her skirt out and placed her hands on her lap. I sat down next to her at a roughly 45 degree angle, facing her.

Peko started first. "Before we speak, understand that the boys and girls living here should respect each other. Don't try anything inappropriate, or..." She tapped lightly at the hilt of her sword. "I would prefer not to kill another student needlessly."

I swallowed a bit, knowing that some swordsmen hide a real metal blade inside a bamboo sword, using the bamboo "blade" as a hidden sheath instead. However, I decided I shouldn't be that direct with her yet.

"I understand," I nodded in agreement. "So how long have you been a swordswoman?"

"My entire life. Since the day of my birth, I was trained to protect my young master, with my life if necessary," Peko replied. "I cannot protect him while I am in here, but recklessness will serve no purpose in this place."

So Peko wishes to keep her cool. That's helpful.

"Alright. About your sword, is-"

"It is made of bamboo. A well-placed blow can render one unconscious, should the need arise. I am also trained with real swords, as well, but I do not have one here with me."

Whew, at least a bamboo sword's easier to deal with than metal ones. I looked at Peko, and our eyes met for a few moments.

"You have a certain...presence to you, Shuri. You look like you can handle yourself well, yet you don't seem aggressive. This confuses me."

"I have had violent patients in the past. Some were crazy, some were anger-prone, and one in particular had a violent split personality. I had to be ready to defend myself at a moment's notice, but in a way that would not cause unnecessary harm to my patient."

Peko nodded. "I see. So what did you study?"

"Jujitsu. Particularly two sub-families of Jujitsu: Judo and Brazilian Jujitsu. I use Judo to use an opponent's size and strength against them, often using their momentum to throw them or ground them. Then, I would use my BJJ training to control their movements before locking a hold onto them. I would only apply enough pressure on my hold to get their attention, and attempt to calm them down. Once the patient calmed down, I would let them go and resume the session."

Peko asked, "And if they didn't calm down?"

"Then I would use one of several chokeholds to render the patient unconscious, then lay them on the couch until they regained consciousness. I never wish to hurt my patients, but uncontrolled rage is very destructive to yourself and to others. I have an obligation to keep myself, and my patient, safe during our sessions."

"I see." Peko nodded.

"Alright. Well, it's been nice talking to you. Before we go, I've got something for you." I gave her the fluffy grey cat plushy that I won yesterday from the Monoku-Machine.

Peko's eyes lit up. "Wh-what?! You're giving this to me? Is it really acceptable for me to accept this? Thank you, Shuri." She started petting it as if it were a real kitty, smiling to herself. "It's so fluffy and soft...and so cute, too." She hugged it to herself and petted its back more.

"I'm glad you like it, Peko. I hope to talk to you again later."

"Goodbye, Shuri. I will take this to my room, so no harm comes to it." She stood up, smoothed her skirt out, and briskly walked out of the courtyard, a smile still lightly on her lips.

Peko seemed to be a serious type, but didn't seem aggressive towards others. She seemed very polite, and seemed to have a high regard of this "young master" she has sworn herself to protect. She also seemed to have a soft spot for furry animals, and was very pleased with my gift. I still felt that I would have to watch her, but perhaps not as sharply as I initially thought. Satisfied with how the meeting went, I decided to look for Maki next.

I didn't see her in the Courtyard, the Game Room, or any of the classrooms. I didn't notice her in the Trash or Laundry Room, so I figured she could still be in her dorm room. I walked all the way down to her dorm room, across from Peko's, and rang her buzzer. A few moments later, Maki opened the door, seemingly unhappy to see me.

"I just want to talk for a little bit. I'm not causing any trouble with you, ok?" I decided a defensive approach would be best here.

Maki stared at me for several moments, then sighed. "Fine. Come in."

I came in, and she sat down at the corner of her bed. I sat down at the chair in front of her desk, facing her. She had on red thigh-high opaque stockings that, like Peko, showed no leg underneath, and also had a short, dark, pleated skirt on. Her hair was long, almost TOO long, and split into two ponytails on either side, nearly reaching her ankles. Her eyes were blood red, like her stockings, and they pierced holes into me.

An awkward tension hung in the room. I decided I better clear the air quickly. This was clearly a dangerous girl, and I didn't want her feeling like I was intentionally wasting her time.

"So...are you part of an organization, or do you freelance?" I asked Maki.

"I'm part of an organization called the Holy Salvation Society. And no, I'm not here on a contract." Maki showed almost no emotion in her response, except perhaps a combination of annoyance and boredom.

"Alright. I'm not gonna pry into this organization of yours; stuff like that, the less I know, the better off I tend to be."

Maki, for just a moment, flashed relief behind her cold demeanor. "You are correct. Knowledge is power, and power is dangerous in the wrong hands."

"Agreed." I nodded and leaned back just a little bit.

Maki continue to glare at me. "I suppose you want to know my background. I was raised in an orphanage, and helped raise the younger kids as I got older. Eventually, I was scouted by my organization, and I joined their ranks after a brutal training. I'd rather not discuss that training, if you don't mind."

"Understood. If my patients don't wish to speak of something, I don't pry unless I deem it necessary. This is not one of those times."

It was Maki who asked the next question. "Why do you enjoy asking people questions about their lives?"

"Because I like trying to help others with their problems. I grew up an only child, and I was never really popular in school, but people would always come to me with their problems. I never really understood why, but I always seemed to be able to help, so I just kept doing it. I also got very good at reading body language, since most people more or less ignored me anyway." It sounded harsh, but it was true.

Maki went silent, as if thinking of something, but said nothing for a while. I started to get up, and Maki stood up quickly, squaring up at me. "Do you want to die?"

I froze for a moment, but quickly spoke up. "I figured you were done talking to me, so I was going to take my leave. But before I go, I have something for you." I gave her the weighted cuffs as a present.

She took them, surprised, and said, "I didn't expect to get something like this from you. I have nothing to give in return, though."

"I didn't expect anything in return. I just thought you could make good use of these."

She looked over the black weighted cuffs, then nodded approvingly. "Thank you. You may leave now."

I showed myself to the door, and went back to my room to reflect on my conversations with Peko and Maki. Yes, they were both dangerous, but I didn't get the feeling that either one wanted trouble. They both seemed to just...want to be left alone, for lack of better words. They didn't seem hostile, but neither seemed to go out of their way to approach or befriend others. I wrote some notes down in my E-Handbook about Maki, Peko, Ibuki, and Kirumi, to go along with the notes I wrote yesterday about Kokichi and Nagito. I relaxed on my bed, expecting to have a relaxing evening by myself.

Hina and Akane, however, had other plans for tonight...