Kyoko is trapped, but not the way she thinks.

"Okay, funny story!" Monokuma started with a big, inappropriate grin. "Like a month ago, you should have gotten an email inviting you to become the official Hope's Peak Academy Detective in Charge of Investigations for the Headmaster? And I guess you deleted it, ignored it, or somethin'? You even remember an email like that?"

Kyoko only needed a moment to recollect. "Yes... I remember thinking it had to be a joke. Sure, it had a ludicrous title and a meager pay attached, but the terms made it sound as though accepting that position would put some poor idiot at your beck and call, to answer whatever pointless trifle you wanted investigated at any time."

"Not how I would describe it, but, moving on! I'm guessing you didn't read the '**** investigation' section."

"I thought that was a joke, as well. I didn't pay it much mind... in the unlikely event that someone murdered the Headmaster of Hope's Peak academy, why on earth would you have a student detective in a glorified intern position investigate it when the police were available?"

"Hey, that was supposed to be a valuable education opportunity, and you spat on my generosity! I cried about it for about a week, my feelings were so hurt..." Monokuma did an effective performance of crying his eyes out for someone with no body and beady little eyes... Suddenly, however, be stopped and grinned again. "Yeah, I was real broken up about it until the other person I offered the job to accepted."

Kyoko stared at Monokuma through the glass, slowly realizing what that meant.

Failing to read the room, Tsumugi decided to chime in. "Oh! So, um... that's good, right? That means Monokuma has a detective on call that will find and get our things back for us?"

"Nope!" the bear retorted in good humor. "It means Monokuma has a detective on call that will investigate his ****. Yep, my body has already started transmitting a code to let that helpful young man know exactly where I bit the dust. And he's on his way now."

By this point, Kyoko was remembering the details of that contract that she'd taken as a practical joke before. "Wait!" she started to protest.

As if in response, the '**** protocol' she had just remembered started to activate. The glass door in front of her swung open forcefully, and in spite of her immediate pulling, wouldn't budge from that position. The VIP door was open, and she could see both changing room doors open, as well.

At the end of the hall, there was a light on the stair... the secret entrance to that hall was open.

Immediately, Kyoko darted her head to the rack by the spa entrance. Both towels that had been hung there when she entered the bath were gone.

At that point, she knew she didn't need to look in the changing rooms. She could remember what she had seen a moment ago. That carried bundle had been too big even for two women's uniforms... Even for two women's uniforms and two towels.

"How close is your detective?" Kyoko demanded, urgently.

Monokuma had shifted from restrained giggles to open laughs. Apparently, he was more amused by Kyoko's situation than upset about his own. "He should be arriving in my office right about now. As you know, Kyoko, the '**** protocol' locks down most of the school so the culprit can't escape, while providing a direct path for the detective to reach me. Even though he doesn't know about this place yet, he'll be here to start investigating any second... Upupupu!!"

Tsumugi had gotten out of the bath at some point, and she put a hand on Kyoko's shoulder to try and calm her down. "Whoever the detective is, I'm sure he's a real gentleman. If we just hide in some corner and let him know we're there, he can finish his work and even help us out, right?"

Kyoko didn't even bother responding, her thoughts racing about what she would do in the limited time available. There was no point in telling Tsumugi what she'd remembered: the ridiculous terms of Monokuma's '**** protocol' and his intern detective position would require whoever he'd hired to investigate every nook and cranny of the crime scene, even if he didn't think it was necessary, or be subject to some eyebrow-raising fines. Seeing how much Monokuma was enjoying rubbing this in her face, she had no doubt he'd exercise that clause to have the detective make contact with them, even if they tried to hide.

There was barely time to do anything... Already, as she thought, Kyoko was covering herself with one arm across her breasts and one between her legs, feeling the time for any shyness about her hands was over. With her sharp mind, she ran through options one after another... The gloveless hand of the arm at her chest tightly gripped across her mouth as her face became a mask of concentration in the emergency.

Should she take Tsumugi's idea? She'd be counting on whoever the detective was to both be a gentleman and someone with money to spare. Otherwise, she'd be serving the two of them up for whatever inspection he deemed appropriate.

Could she pull off a trick, hiding in some area until the detective passed, then run by him on the way out? This area was externally soundproofed, but noises inside reverberated through the short hall. It was impossible for her pessimistic mind to imagine getting by without the detective turning around for a guaranteed view of the pair of pale butts escaping.

Could she retreat into the bath...? That seemed like a good thought at first, but she realized the heat had, at some point, turned off due to the '**** protocol.' There wasn't any obscuring steam anymore, and the water was totally clear. It'd be the same as the option of presenting their naked bodies to him.

... Could she just cover herself in a thick lather of soap suds? She didn't know if she had time to try it, and trying but failing that would be its own form of humiliating...

What she really wanted to do was turn the detective away at the door, to **** him out in spite of his obligation... Or to make herself even halfway decent, or to disguise herself... But how was she supposed to do that without a scrap of clothing to wear?!

As if trying to will some article into existence, Kyoko's steely eyes scanned the Monokuma stuffing scrapyard in front of her for anything useful. She'd come to a decision... but it was so crazy, she could hardly believe it herself. She locked her gaze on Monokuma's jeering face.

"Well?" the bear head giggled. "What'd you come up with, detective?"