On the night after Mina dies, Sana dreams.
There are no metal bars blocking the classroom. No cameras on every corner of the place. The air smells.... natural, the smoke from cars and the aroma from freshly watered plants fill the air. There's the chirping of the sparrows stood erect on the outside trees' branches. Taehyung is dressed nicely, he's the first person Sana notices, school uniform clean and well-ironed. After him is who she recognizes as Jimin, then there's Chungha, Seulgi, and the rest of the students part of the merciless killing game they were in.
Warm hands touch her shoulder— Sana's back ironically feels cold, spine chilling in... fear? Excitement? Nevertheless, she looks back, but she hopes she didn't, because one thing Sana isn't really on the go with is dreaming of the deceased (she's already getting goosebumps from the fact all fifteen of them- dead or alive- are in the room.) Especially when the person is the very same that she'd cradled with a knife sticking out their abdomen, warm blood seeping on her white sweater.
Mina's smiling. The crinkles on her mouth are the same on her eyes. "Is everything okay, Sattang?" She asks. Sana doesn't say anything. Nothing is okay.
Sana's rooted still. Like Michelangelo's David sculpture inside the art room. Her heart is beating through her chest, feels the muscle retract and expand. She wants to wake up, reaching for Mina's face, because nevermind maybe she doesn't want to wake up. Passing in her sleep would be much faster and much more easier for her classmates. But then Mina's face disappears like water left outside for too long, and all thats become is air.
Suddenly the scene changes. Sana just wants to get her dream over with. There are cameras on every edge, a monitor on the middle top, and long tables partnered with chairs-- no doubt that the place was the dining hall.
There is no Taehyung, no Jimin, no Chungha, no Seulgi, and no Mina in this one. It's just her alone. It's suffocating, and her heart beats inhumanely fast. Sana closes her eyes, just wishes for it to be all over, but then there's a light so blinding that her eyelids are forced to be shut open.
Data room, one of the door's signs say. Outside the data room? That's oddly specific. Sana doesn't even have enough time to take in all that is happening to her. There's a girl in front of her and wait, isn't that-
Jihyo's touch feels so soft on Sana's cheek. It's the same way she reached out to in-dream Mina-- desperate and confused. But this time neither Jihyo nor Sana disappear like they're straight out from Avengers: Endgame.
Jihyo's eyes are pretty, really pretty that Sana can't help but stare. Her breathing calms down for the first time in her dream. Jihyo smoothens her cheekbones before she speaks.
"Are you okay, Sana?"
There are tears on her cheeks that Jihyo wipes at.
"I don't think so." Sana replies. It's more like a question.
As a response, Jihyo kisses her forehead, smiles, then she's gone.
--
Sana wakes up. Her eyes take some time to adjust to the ceiling. Her pillows are wet- from warm tears and cold sweat. Monokuma's morning announcement had just finished. There are creaks of doors opening from every side of her room and the heavy steps of the ones left in their little group.
There are minutes that are used for showering and dressing up before she leaves her room, then there are the seconds before she twists her doorknob. Seconds that turn into minutes where Mina's face flashes in her mind, both her lifeless body and the image in her dream. Then there are messy noises of people talking on eachother- echoing and pounding in her ears.
Namjoon's words clear them all away. He's been Sana's go-to advice-giver and storyteller. (Which does-- in Sana's opinion-- seem quite fitting for the Ultimate Botanist.) He one said that dreams are either mixed up fragments of the past, thoughts of the on-going present, or a very, very small zero point one per cent chance of the future.
What if it was all fake? What if Mina and the others were still alive?
Sana's thoughts are once again blocked out- not by another thought that would make her question her whole sanity- but by the light shuffling of shoes on the hallway after her. She opens her door, on the other side is Jihyo.
Sana's face heatens both in surprise and embarrassment. What the hell...
"Oh," Jihyo says, "I was sent to look for you."
Of course, Irene is still on that 'no one should arrive late' rule.
"Are you okay, Sana?" Jihyo asks, the phrase too familiar that Sana ends up questioning her life purpose for the nth time that day (and that was just the morning, by the way.)
"No... I'm not. I'm not okay, Jihyo." Sana's voice cracks, her throat hurts. Suddenly there are droplets of salt-water, her tear ducts have gave away.
Warm hands are on her again, but now it is much real. Velvety tan arms enveloping her in a hug. It's quite awkward because of the height difference, and that Sana's staining Jihyo's scalp with tears rather than the cliche front of the shirt. But that moment though, is when Sana selfishly hopes for her draining dream to be some ruined, messy past. There is nothing to do about something that has already been done.
So when Jihyo pushes Sana away softly, toes tipping to scarily kiss Sana's forehead on the same spot as in-dream Jihyo (it's funny how in-dream Jihyo is as tall as her. Sana's tears turn into joyful ones for a second.) Sana temporarily lets go of the day before, now picturing Jihyo, (and the others, of course. Sana was just.. too in the moment), and the shining light of hope in her brain— effectively clearing off— hopefully all— the emotionally draining thoughts of the day. Jihyo's lips turn upward and her cheeks tinged pink. Soft hands pull on Sana's when Jihyo whispers a small let's go.
The past can't be replaced, but Sana knows the future is in their hands. Hope will prevail.
Sana squeezes Jihyo's hand. Hope will prevail.
--
Two days later (without murders, surprisingly) Monokuma accidentally leaves the data room open.
Sana's pretty fucking confused.