*Ding dong, bing bong*

"Attention! Attention! Please gather in the gym as soon as you possibly can! Quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly!", Monokuma's cheery voice rang through the school.

This must be about the next motive... Sakura.

I let out a nervous sigh and made my way to the gym. Makoto and Sakura were already through the door before I could call after them. I lips formed a thin line, my nervousness prominent. I shook myself violently to try and get the feeling out of my body and opened the door before I could hesitate. Everyone was already there, including Monokuma.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road!", Monokuma cheered.

"You're about to give us your next motive presentation, aren't you?", Togami asked.

"Hmm?"

"You got us all together to present another motive, right?"

"I-Is he right...?", Toko stuttered.

"We have to go through this again...?", Hina muttered.

"Ugh...no! Not again! I can't take it anymore!", Hiro shouted in fear.

"I'm impressed by your level of dismay. You finally see just how low on the totem pole of life you really are.", Togami scoffed.

"No... No, no, no... No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no NO! That's not it at all. We're not here to talk about motive. The reason I gathered you all here is so that I could get rid of my grudge.", Monokuma revealed.

If he is going to announce the thing about Sakura, it may as well be a motive...

"We have a grudge against you, of course, but I don't recall *you* ever having a grudge against *us*.", Kyoko glared.

"I told you yesterday, didn't I? An eye for an eye, a fang for a fang."

"Stop beating around the bush! Just tell us what you're talking about!", Togami sneered.

"Well, Byakuya. You've already told everyone how one of you might be working as a spy for me, right?"

"Yeah, so, what about it?"

"Well today I'd like to tell you about that spy."

"What...?", Makoto sputtered.

"So guess what. The spy is actually Sakura Ogami !"

He said it so openly, it made it sound like it wasn't that big of a deal even though he'd just revealed a huge secret. I already knew, but hearing it from Monokuma himself made me go rigid.

"What...? What did you just say?", Hiro muttered.

"He said the spy is Sakura .", Togami repeated.

"Wh-What are you talking about? There's...there's no way Sakura's a spy! Right, Sakura?", Hina turned to Sakura, but the martial artist was silent. "Sakura...?"

"And I might just make Sakura fulfill the promise she made sometime soon... And if she doesn't...I can't be responsible for what might happen to that hostage of mine... Anyway, that's all I wanted to say. What you guys choose to do with that information is up to you. Roast her, boil her. Kill her, don't kill her. Whatever! Puhuhu... Either way, I can't wait...!", Monokuma disappeared shortly after that, his cackling echoing across the gym.

"U-Um... So what does this mean? I-Is it true? Has Ogre really been spying on us for the mastermind!?", Hiro stuttered.

"What are you saying!? There's no way!", Hina yelled.

"But that *is* wh-what the stuffed animal said, r-right?", Toko pointed out.

"Well he's wrong! There's just...no way!"

"Well, Sakura? If he's wrong, all you have to do is tell us.", Kyoko turned to Sakura, seeing the girl looking down at the gymnasium floors.

"...I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier..."

"What...?", Hina muttered, stunned.

"Then he was being serious for serious!? Ogre's been working for the mastermind!?", Hiro gasped in fear.

"I'm sorry...", Sakura muttered.

"Sakura...", I whispered, not knowing what to say. I knew her situation, but I couldn't bring myself to say anything. Thankfully, someone else advocated for it.

"So you've b-been lying to us all this t-time?", Toko grumbled.

"I-It's not true...! Sakura was probably...being controlled! There's gotta be some...some reason! She didn't have a choice, she was just...forced to do it!", Hina reasoned.

"Yeah, I'm sure Hina's right. The mastermind probably threatened her somehow, and Sakura had no choice but to do what she was told.", Makoto stated.

"Wh-What...? You're talking like y-you know that for a f-fact!", Toko scoffed.

"Because...I *do* know it for a fact. Because I saw it! I saw Sakura and Monokuma...fighting... And that's where I heard it... Monokuma mentioned a "hostage" a second ago, right? And during their fight, I heard Sakura say she'd decided to fight against the mastermind ."

"You...saw all that?", Sakura mumbled, surprised at the revelation that they were apparently not alone at the time.

"The mastermind took a hostage, so you were forced to swear loyalty to them, right? But in the end...you made up your mind to "betray" the mastermind."

"Which means Sakura isn't our enemy. She's a friend who we can trust without question. Is that it? Ridiculous. Do you live in some sort of alternate reality fairy tale. She was the mastermind's tool. You absolutely cannot trust someone like that.", Togami scoffed.

"H-He's right! We can't just believe whatever she says now!", Hiro nodded along.

"How can we even be sure she really *did* betray the mastermind? Maybe this is a double-bluff, and she's still doing exactly what the mastermind wants."

"Sakura would never do that!", Hina defended.

"Okay, then Sakura...if you really have cut ties with the mastermind, tell us who they really are.", I remembered what G's letter said about Sakura not even knowing who the mastermind was. I gulped and watched Sakura look down again in regret.

"Well... Sorry, I can't. Even I don't know that."

"You don't know? That just makes you all the more suspicious."

"W-Well, maybe the mastermind didn't want to risk it by showing her their face or something!", I reasoned.

"Shut up. I'm not finished questioning her. Next question. What's this about a "promise"? What did the mastermind order you to do?"

" ...I was told... to kill one of my friends.", Sakura revealed.

"I see. So even now, you've taken aim on our lives."

"You're wrong, I'm telling you! Sakura would never do that!", Hina yelled desperately.

"Y-You don't have to yell, we can h-hear you just fine. Don't you have an i-inside voice...?", Toko huffed.

"It's because you're not LISTENING to me!"

"Please, stop. You don't need to defend me anymore. I have to take full responsibility for this...", Sakura cut them off.

"How do you intend to do that?", Kyoko asked.

"By destroying the mastermind."

"What...?", Makoto and the rest of us let out noises of confusion.

"I'm going to challenge then. Even if it means we both go down, I *will* defeat them. *That* is how I intend to take responsibility."

"H-Hold on! What do you mean, if you both go down!?", Hina questioned frantically.

"Hina...I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this."

"What...?"

"I didn't know what to do. I went back and forth about confiding in you again and again... But I was scared. I thought if I told you, you might think less of me."

"S-Sakura!"

"I'm sorry...", with that, Sakura left, her head pointed straight ahead. A few seconds later, the nighttime announcement rang out.

"Well, it's nighttime. We should all go to bed.", Togami shrugged as he tried to make his way out, but Hina stood before him.

"Hold on! This whole thing with Sakura is--!"

"Over. She's our enemy. There's nothing more to discuss."

"No! Sakura is NOT our enemy! ...Why...? Why doesn't anyone understand her...?"

"What is it you think *you* understand? You didn't even know who she really was."

"Th-That's--!"

"Let it go for now, Hina. Talking about it isn't going to help anything.", Kyoko urged Hina, who was tearing up in defeat.

"B-But...!"

"Go to your room, cool down, and we can continue this discussion tomorrow.", Hina went quiet at Kyoko's suggestion. Everyone started to walk away, Hina trailing behind. I quickly held her hand to get her attention. She looked up at me with tears rolling down her face.

"I... I understand. She doesn't want to do this, I'm sure."

"K-Kuno... Thank you.", Hina hugged me quickly and left. I walked out of the gymnasium soon after, the air around me suffocating.

-- MONOKUMA THEATER --

As long as you're human, there will always come a point where you wish you could do things differently. Even a baseball player in the major leagues... Even a soccer player touring Europe... Even a famous singer who started her career as a backup dancer on a sketch comedy show... She makes a brilliant debut, but instead of going for more, she marries some third-rate actor and retires. Every human has regrets, has things they'd like to go back and change. But I don't! Cuz I'm a bear.

-- MONOKUMA THEATER --

The next morning, I made my way to the dining hall. Surprisingly, almost everyone was there... except Sakura.

"Ah, Kuno! Are you okay?", Hiro asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?", I muttered.

"You were late, s-so...we were worried a-about you...", Toko muttered.

"What a dullard...", Togami scoffed.

"I'm surprised you even bothered to show up, Togami.", I grumbled.

"They're "taking refuge" here.", Hina scoffed.

"Refuge from what...?"

"Don't make that stupid face. We have to protect ourselves against the mastermind's tool."

"... You did not just call Sakura a tool. Where is she?"

"All I know is, if she were here, I wouldn't be. The only reason I went out of my way to join the rest of you was as a safeguard against that threat."

"I think you forget how much of a threat I am too, you sON OF A--!!", Makoto held me back as I was about to go kick the prick's ass.

"Why...? Why do you hate her so much?", Hina questioned.

"Isn't it obvious? Because this makes things unfair."

"Unfair...?", Makoto muttered.

"The game should be fair to all players. The existence of a spy for the mastermind upsets that balance."

"That's a stupid reason!", Hina retorted.

"Stupid? This is a life-or-death game, is it not?"

"It IS stupid! You're a stupid idiot!"

"Before you get too far into your argument, maybe you should stop and think things through. Why did the mastermind reveal that Sakura was the spy to us?", Kyoko asked.

"They were getting revenge on her, right? Like Monokuma said, "An eye for an eye.""

"That may be part of it, but it's not the whole picture. Revealing that fact also meant to serve as the next motive the mastermind wanted to give us. The chaos and confusion born from suspicion. The hatred... In other words, this right here--the fighting, the bickering--is the trap the mastermind laid for us. Knowing that, will you still stand there and argue like children?"

"Th-That's not what I'm trying to do. It's just... I mean...how can I get you guys to believe in Sakura again?"

"If she really can beat the mastermind like she said, that'd go a long way in my mind...", Hiro shrugged.

"Idiot! You'd really ask her to do something so dangerous? What if something terrible happens to her!?"

"It wouldn't matter.", Togami shrugged.

"...What?"

"If Sakura were to die, that's one less person for the mastermind to control. I have no problem with that."

"Don't you *dare* continue!!", I shouted, wriggling to try and leave Makoto and Hiro's grip.

"In fact, if she did die, that would settle this entire issue, wouldn't it? It would put the whole problem to rest!", just then, Hina did something both surprising and satisfying in my eyes; she slapped Togami, the sound echoing around us."What the hell...?"

"You disgust me! You're...you're a monster! To say something like that... It should've been you. You should've been the one to die!"

"I should've died...? Interesting. Then are you planning to take care of that yourself? Go ahead. Try it, if you dare. That's how it works here, after all."

"You think I can't do it?"

"H-Hina! Calm down!", Makoto called from behind me.

"This is exactly what the mastermind wants. And it's exactly what Sakura *doesn't* want.", Kyoko explained to Hina, who seemed to unclench her fists slightly.

"What's wrong? Lost your nerve?", Togami scoffed, rubbing his cheek.

"... I'm leaving... I'll be in my room.", Hina grumbled, stomping out of the dining hall.

"That s-stupid cow...! How dare she...? She should d-die a thousand deaths. No, a million...!", Toko growled.

"YOU WANT TO SAY THAT TO MY FACE, YOU BITCH!?",I yelled, finally snapping. Toko squealed, running behind Togami in fear. Everyone jumped at my outburst. "You and that blonde prick are the last people to be judging Hina's actions. Be fucking grateful I didn't gut your "Master" right in his place. His blood isn't worth it.", I huffed and left for my room too.

CHAPTER 30, END!

❄︎☟︎☜︎ ❄︎☜︎☠︎💧︎✋︎⚐︎☠︎ ✋︎💧︎ 🕈︎☟︎✌︎❄︎ ☟︎☜︎ 🕈︎✌︎☠︎❄︎💧︎📬︎

(A/N: A free time event chapter is after this one... awkward :s)

(A/N 2: ALSO LOOK AT THIS FANART OF SAKURA GOD I LOVE HER HELP, THE BODY DYSMORPHIA IN ME IS SCREAMING HOLY CRAP-- SHE IS GORGEOUS WE DON'T DESERVE HERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)