Toko Fukawa

The halls of Hope's Peak Academy had gone eerily quiet, save for the distant hum of the ventilation system and the occasional creak that echoed through the dormitory. Ever since the killing game had begun, every student had retreated into their own routines, desperately searching for something to distract themselves from the constant fear that someone could become either the next victim... or the next killer.

One dorm room, however, wasn't nearly as silent as the others.

The muffled sounds of a video game filtered through the partially closed door, accompanied by the rapid tapping of buttons and the occasional burst of music from the television. It was one of the few things left that could almost make the academy feel normal.

Hidden just outside the doorway, someone stood perfectly still.

A single nervous eye peeked through the narrow gap between the door and its frame.

It belonged to Toko Fukawa.

She had clearly been standing there for far longer than she should have been.

Every few seconds she'd quietly adjust her glasses, clutch a notebook tightly against her chest, then lean forward just enough to catch another glimpse inside before quickly pulling back again. Her breathing was uneven, and her face had turned a deep shade of red that refused to fade.

"W-What...? I-I'm not... staring..."

She muttered the words under her breath despite nobody being there to hear them.

"I-I just happened to walk by... a-and then... then I wondered if y-you were still alive...! T-That's all..."

Another glance.

"...A-And maybe I wanted to see what game you were playing..."

A pause.

"...A-And maybe... just... maybe... you looked kind of..."

Her face somehow reddened even more.

"N-No! Forget it! I-I wasn't going to say anything weird!"

She squeezed the notebook tighter.

"I-It's not like I care what you're doing every minute of the day..."

Another tiny peek through the crack.

"...O-Only... most of the day..."

The game inside suddenly stopped.

Silence.

Toko froze.

Her eyes widened as movement came from inside the room.

"...H-Huh...?"

The doorknob turned.

She instinctively tried to pull away, but in her panic she reacted far too slowly.

"Ah—"

SLAM!

"GYAAAH!!"

The dorm room door swung shut directly onto the fingers she'd left wrapped around its edge.

Toko stumbled backward, frantically yanking her hand free as she clutched it against her chest.

"I-I-I-I DIDN'T MEAN TO—!"

Before she could flee, the door opened again.

She locked up completely.

Every muscle in her body stiffened.

Her face turned scarlet.

"I-I-I...!"

She shrank into herself, avoiding eye contact as her shoulders trembled.

"Y-You... y-you weren't supposed to notice..."

"I-I wasn't spying! O-Okay, maybe it looked like spying, b-but it wasn't real spying! I-I was just... observing! There's a difference! Probably!"

She nervously adjusted her glasses with shaking fingers.

"I-I mean... s-someone has to make sure you don't get murdered by some p-psychopath around here..."

"...S-So I was... checking..."

"...F-For your safety..."

She glanced away almost immediately.

"A-And maybe I memorized your schedule..."

"...A-And maybe I know what time you wake up..."

"...A-And what time you usually eat..."

"...A-And how long you spend in the shower..."

"..."

She went completely silent.

"..."

"..."

"...I-I wasn't counting!"

She buried her burning face behind the notebook.

"J-Just forget I said that!!"

"W-Why are you looking at me like that?! D-Don't misunderstand! I-I don't think you're special or anything!"

"...I just..."

"...I just don't want anything bad to happen to you..."

Her voice became barely audible.

"...Because if someone else killed you..."

"...I'd..."

She cut herself off immediately, shaking her head so hard her braids bounced.

"N-No! Forget it! I-I shouldn't have said that either!"

"I-I'm disgusting... aren't I...?"

She laughed weakly at herself.

"O-Of course I am..."

"I-I keep following you around... peeking through your door... memorizing things I definitely shouldn't know..."

She fidgeted anxiously, unable to keep still for even a second.

"I-I know normal people don't do that..."

"B-But I..."

She hesitated.

"...I can't help wanting to know you're okay."

Another long silence settled over the hallway.

"...S-So..."

"...A-Are you going to yell at me now...?"