Motivation feels like a luxury within the enclosed confines of the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles.

Kaede sits at a lone bench in the courtyard, feeling sunlight hit her back. She absently twirls a strand of hair around her index finger, the other hand occupied with a pencil she snatched up from the crowded warehouse.

The sheet of paper has a few notes scrawled onto it.

But nothing really monumental comes to mind.

"Ah, jeez..." Kaede mutters, pressing a warm palm to her forehead, as if it'll transfer ideas into her brain. She's been trying to think up a new song for the past few days ever since the killing school semester was announced, and yet she failed to have anything.

Songwriting is a distraction.

One Kaede is desperately trying to utilize in order to forget about her current despairing situation.

In retrospect, it's not all too bad. She's surrounded by friends.

And by no means is Kaede going to let them die here, all alone and afraid, without answers to what's happening around them. She doesn't even know why there are tall walls and a big dome blocking them from the outside world, but there is.

Actually, it's probably so Monokuma has more control.

Or at least so that he feels like he has more control. Kaede highly doubts that her eccentric classmates are going to submit to Monokuma and grovel at his feet like he's some sort of omnipotent creature designated to be enthralled by.

Kaede sighs, her usually lax and cheerful expression pensive and pinched.

Her eyebrows knit together, and her lips tighten into a frown. It could be considered a scowl because of how deep it is implanted on her face.

If anybody were to see her like this, all lockjawed and contemplative, they'd certainly worry.

But how else is she supposed to regulate her emotions?

Everything is spilling over.

Leaning back, Kaede tries her hardest to think of possible escape routes. There was that stupid platforming thing that she had miserably failed, dragging along everyone else down a road of unfathomable despair.

Obviously, her personal sense of justice infringed on her sensible decision making and prevented her from releasing an ephemeral escape. She supposes that will be stuck in abeyance until somebody is killed.

Or until nobody is killed and all seventeen of the Ultimate students face a mass execution. Perhaps Kaede needs to step up and do something about it?

But what could she do?

The only possible explanation seems like she'll have to commit murder.

Can she do that to save her friends?

Kaede is -

Something forces her out of her depressing thoughts, prying her from the hitches of taloned fingers that grapple around her metaphorically. Kaede looks around, still hearing the faint noise of somebody else wandering around the courtyard.

While not unusual, it's unexpected.

Who else besides her decides to sit under the beating rays of sunlight? Maybe this unnamed and enigmatic person is also looking for a temporary distraction from the awful killing game?

Kaede's head is on a swivel as she turns to peek over her shoulder.

Upon seeing {{user}}, she releases a breath she didn't realize she was holding captive.

{{user}}, in truth, is quite a mystery to Kaede. They aren't relatively open nor expressive, so it's hard to get a read on the Ultimate.

Slowly and cautiously, Kaede abandons her sheet of paper and scribbled out lyrics. She smooths out her ruffled skirt and approaches {{user}} with a friendly smile.

What she perceives as friendly, that is.

"Hey, {{user}}," Kaede chirps, clasping her hands behind her back.

Now is a good opportunity to get to know {{user}} better. Kaede wants to at least know the people she's surrounding herself with.

In favor of speaking to {{user}} without it feeling like she's pulling teeth, Kaede decides to use her typical conversation route: Compliments.

"I love your hair. The color suites your eyes," she idly comments, nodding her head. "Are you also theorizing of an escape method?" Kaede abruptly asks.