Your POV:
Soon enough, the class trial resumed after a slight intermission. The Monokubs went around on how much of a shock this new evidence was.
I knew one thing. We backtracked a considerable amount. The time of death was now a questionable matter once again.
Since Maki saw Ryoma, we needed to find out the time of death after that. One issue was the fact that no one believed her. I could honestly see why, but I wanted to believe Maki. Hopefully Shuichi and Kaede felt the same way. We needed to make sure Maki's alibi stuck. That was my goal.
"We shouldn't listen to anything Maki says. She's just going to throw out more lies," Kokichi explained.
"But if we don't ask her for more details, how will we know for sure?" Tsumugi asked in response.
"I agree," Kaede stated, "it's too early to decide if Maki's lying or not. We need to figure it out!"
"I guess Kaede's right," Rantaro laughed, "let's try to figure out if what Maki's saying is a lie."
"I already told you guy's, we don't need to... I hate liars! Liar, liar, pants on fire!" Kokichi exclaimed in response.
"You're one to talk..." Himiko replied lazily.
I defiantly agreed with her. Kokichi would go out of his way to lie to other people. Basically he's lying when he says he hates liars. He'd have to hate himself if that were the case, and I think he prides himself in his lying.
"Maki, just ignore that degenerate! We'll listen to what you have to say!" Tenko exclaimed.
"It must've been...a little after midnight last night. He visited me at my research lab," Maki explained, "he wanted me to show him the motive video that I received."
That made sense. I could see that Ryoma would want to see his motive video. I'm sure he wanted to see what could be held against him.
We discussed the matter at hand. It was apparent that Ryoma had Maki's motive video, so he must've thought that she had his.
Maki explained that she didn't check the video that she got. She told us that she didn't want to know about it. That's why she avoided the video as a whole.
We all knew that Ryoma knew Maki had his motive video, but there was a question about this. Who was the one who told Ryoma that Maki had his video?
I thought of the events that happened yesterday. The only person who could've known who had each other's Kubs Pads would be the person who lock picked out doors to steal them.
That person was none other than Kokichi himself, and I was going to call him out on it.
"That would be Kokichi..." I muttered, "you checked the videos while stealing them. This means you must've known that Maki had Ryoma's video."
Kokichi was silent after that. Everyone took note of this. It was like he was even shocked that I figured this out.
Kaito then asked Maki what happened next. She simply told him that she told him to take it from her room. She keeps her door unlocked.
Kokichi then made a very rude comment about it, asking her if she was worried that someone would kill her in her sleep.
It kind of made me curious as well. Why was Maki so quiet? Why did she protect her lab from any prying eyes. I think she might actually be hiding something.
Maki then explained that she didn't know what happened next. She didn't even know if Ryoma was able to see his motive video.
According to Maki, Ryoma offered to show her motive video in exchange. She declined the offer just because she wasn't interested.
Miu was starting to act cocky with Maki, insulting her alibi. I needed to somehow prove that her alibi was true.
Everyone started getting into an argument about whether Maki's story was true or not. She said it was true, but the others disagreed a bit. Keebo even asked her why she didn't say anything sooner.
Her answer was the fact that she didn't want to be suspected. I could understand her motive in a way. It she had kept quiet, we would've voted for the wrong person as the killer. That's the truth of the matter.
Maki told us that Kirumi was right. Ryoma and Maki did have their own's motive videos. She thought it sounded fishy, so she avoided the topic to avoid suspicion.
Some people called Maki selfish for keeping that information to herself. I did understand why she did it. Kaito told us to believe Maki. I want to believe Maki too.
Keebo was saying that there was more we needed to confirm. If we needed to confirm something, then we should ask the one in the room that had the information about the Kubs Pads.
"Well then, why don't we ask Kokichi?" Shuichi asked.
"I agree," I replied, "Kokichi was the one who knew the information about our motive videos."
"Huh? What now?" Kokichi asked in response.
"You never answered my question," Shuichi replied, "were you the one who told Ryoma that Maki had his motive video?"
"Is that really important?" Gonta asked.
"Gonta, it is important," Kaede replied, "because if Kokichi told Ryoma...it becomes more likely that Ryoma visited Maki during nighttime."
"I see," Rantaro mused, "I think that they're asking Kokichi so they can see if his response will link to Maki's testimony."
"Now you understand why I don't want the lies Kokichi—I want the truth... not your stupid charade," I explained.
"Well, Kokichi? Did you tell Ryoma?" Tenko asked.
Kokichi was silent. I had no idea what that was going to mean for everyone. Would he finally tell us the truth... or would he lie.
"You said it earlier," Maki told him, "*I don't wanna die*, right?"
Maki did have a point. She had him trapped in a sentence he said earlier.
"If you really don't wanna die, then you better tell us the truth," Maki stayed coldly.
"Here comes the dramatic turnabout... Now I'm the one pressured by Maki!" Kokichi exclaimed, "ooookay, it's true. I told Ryoma."
"Just as I thought," Shuichi replied.
Kokichi explained to us that Ryoma asked him, and he told him what he wanted to know. The question popped up on if Kokichi watched the motive videos. He told us he wanted to wait until the screening party. He also checked the names on the videos so he could return them later.
Kaito explained that Ryoma must've seen Maki during night time. He told us that meant that Maki was telling the truth, but Kirumi told us that we couldn't confirm that yet.
Kirumi explained that Maki could've met Ryoma before nighttime. I thought of that as highly unlikely. The only time Kokichi could've told Ryoma about Maki having his video was an hour before nighttime. And I'm pretty sure Ryoma would've wanted to meet Maki in secret.
Kirumi explained that there was a small chance for Maki to be the culprit and because of that, she couldn't trust her entirely. She told us everyone's lives were at stake.
I did know that. All of our lives were on the line here. That's why we had to find out the truth. I can't let someone try to keep pinning the blame on Maki.
Everyone was getting confused from what I saw. Was it a lie, or was it not a lie? Kaito told us that Maki wasn't lying. I had to agree with him. If Kokichi told Ryoma about Maki, then he'd want to see her.
Himiko mentioned that this was a game of lies and betrayal. I slightly agree with that. Kiyo told us he was fearful of Maki's testimony since it was *too* convenient for her.
This was the topic now. Was Maki lying, or was she not lying? We had to determine that. It is going to be hard when people are randomly making accusations about her.
Maki told us she wasn't lying. She looked down as she said "I'm telling the truth..."
I sensed the truth in that statement. Who could lie with an expression like that? This didn't change the fact that o had to make it clear to everyone. I believed in Kaito, so that means I should believe in Maki too. If Maki was really telling the truth, this would change the future of this case. I couldn't give up now.
"I met with Ryoma the previous night," Maki explained.
"What a load of crap!" Miu exclaimed in response.
"Try to listen to what she's saying instead of just making false accusations!" I exclaimed in response to Miu.
"Heeeeeeee! D-Don't yell at me like that..." Miu replied.
"Maki only see Ryoma at night?" Gonta asked.
"Yes. I didn't meet with anyone else," Maki replied.
I needed to find where this argument would change. I need to focus.
"Did anyone see those two together!?" Tenko asked.
"Surely they would have come forward already," Kirumi replied.
"If no one can prove this meeting took place..." Kiyo stated.
My eyes widened slightly. This was where I had to step in... but I had to lie. I had to turn a lie into the truth. This lie would bring more possibilities.
"I will reveal the truth!" Shuichi and I shouted.
"I might not be able to prove they met, but I *can* prove Maki wasn't alone," Shuichi explained.
"Oh...?" Kiyo asked, "please explain."
"Shuichi, I got this!" I exclaimed with a thumbs up, "Kaito, Shuichi, and I train every night. This started a couple of nights ago."
This part was the truth. It was now the time to place the lie into the truth. I had to back up Maki.
"Yesterday, because of the Insect Meet and Greet, we had to start later," I explained.
"Huh?" Kaito asked.
"Ah, Kaito, don't worry. You don't have to say anything," Shuichi said nervously.
"So anyway, we were doing some frog squats on the school stairs...when we heard two people talking," I explained.
"...People talking?" Angie asked in response.
"We knew that one of them was Maki, but we couldn't pick out the other one," I explained, "but now that I think about it, it must have been Ryoma..."
"What?" Kirumi asked.
"U-Uh... Yeah, maybe! That was probably...around midnight!" Kaito exclaimed in response.
Maki was silent. She was probably shocked that we were making this story up to back her up.
Everyone was starting to get the same picture. They were believing us. Miu asked us why we sat on that information, but we simply replied that it was non-relevant until now.
Some of the others were trying to say that it wasn't Ryoma, but it couldn't have been anyone else. That was the truth in that lie.
Shuichi then asked us if anyone talked to her last night. If no one did, that leaves just Ryoma.
Kirumi told us that she would've checked if she heard a conversation during the night like this. She did have a point on that. Hopefully someone could give us an excuse...
Kaito told everyone that it was rude to eavesdrop. I agreed with that as well. Kaito really saved us with that line. If I heard someone at night, I would just make sure the situation is not deadly.
Everyone started to believe us. There were people who were still questioning our false testimony. I think everyone believed it though. Kiyo mentioned that if our *lie* was wrong, we'd join them in eternal sleep. I knew for certain that Maki wasn't lying.
"I'd be so surprised if Shuichi and (y/n) were liars, especially after we believed them for so long," Kokichi explained, "we wouldn't be able to trust anyone anymore! Well, it's not like they're lying anyway..."
Kokichi smiled at both of us as he said the last part of that sentence. He knew, didn't he?
Since it was now decided that Ryoma was alive during nighttime, Kaito and Maki weren't suspects anymore by Kaito's words. This also meant that the alibis from earlier no longer matter. This meant that everyone could be suspected.
We now had to pinpoint the time the crime took place. The crime had to be after nighttime began. The culprit could've made their move during the night. That was my opinion anyway.
"However, it should be clear now that the crime occurred after nighttime began," Keebo explained.
"But then when was Ryoma's body placed inside the piranha tank?" Kirumi asked.
"Well...the gym is locked at nighttime, so it must have been the next morning but..." Kiyo muttered.
"That's not possible. Himiko and I were at the gym, remember?" Angie asked.
"So did we fuck up by thinkin' the body got stuffed into the piranha tank!?" Miu asked.
"Miu, I don't think that's what happened. Remember, we have all of the evidence to prove that that is what in fact happened.." I muttered in response.
I felt a slight pat on my shoulder. I looked up to see Rantaro. He was lightly smiling.
"Keep up the good work. You really are helping this case roll along smoothly," he told me.
I blushed lightly. I nodded
in response.
"Thanks..." I replied.
I had to think about the time frame in which the body was put in the tank. Since Maki met with Ryoma around midnight, then it couldn't have happened before nighttime. It couldn't have been done after as well. The only time frame it could've been down was...
"The only time they coulda done it was during nighttime, huh?" Kaito asked.
"Did you forget the gym's not open at nighttime, dick cheese?" Miu asked.
"D-Dick Cheese!?" Kaito exclaimed in response.
"But that's the only possibility, cuz by morning we were already at the gym," Angie explained.
"Well what if they found another way in?" Rantaro questioned.
I looked over at Rantaro in shock. I thought he was going to side with me on this one.
"Rantaro, be serious. There's no way that could've happened," I replied.
Rantaro smiled at me with his creepy smile. It was like he was testing me.
"I'm not going to always agree with you," he said, "if the gym is closed, then no one can get in, yeah?"
"Kehehehe...I agree with Rantaro," Kiyo explained, "it may be possible they even slipped by without you noticing."
"No one can slip by me! I'm known far and wide as the *Snoozing Sorceress*!" Himiko exclaimed.
"What a terrible title for a guard!" Tsumugi exclaimed in response.
"Are you positive that you did not see it? You cannot enter the gym at nighttime," Kirumi explained.
I noticed something. Mostly everyone who was disagreeing was relying on the nighttime rule. There were ways they could surpass that rule somehow. That's something we'd have to think about once we all are on the same page. We are all getting split apart. Even Rantaro is not on my side for this one...
Everyone was falling apart. Our opinions were officially split. Kokichi brought up that we can't disobey school rules.
"Calm down, everyone! Gonta sure if we discuss disagreement—" Gonta explained as..
"I see through your arguments!" Monokuma interrupted him, "...Disagreement? What!? A disagreement!? You mean you're split down the middle again!?"
I knew we were broken up. If only we could agree on everything.
"Then, the Ultimate Academy is proud to present its very own morphenomenal trial grounds!" Monokuma exclaimed.
"Yippee! We've been waiting for this!" the Monokubs exclaimed.
We had to do this crazy thing again. This is what happened when a split opinion happened. We had to shoot down each other's statements. I had to prove to everyone, even Rantaro... that this crime happened during nighttime. I won't fail.
Monokuma took his key, and put it into a machine he made appear once more. The machine caused his pedestal to rise, as well as ours. We all rose up, and then we were separated into the teams.
There was the red team, and blue team. The members of the red team were Gonta, Kirumi, Kiyo, Kokichi, Miu, Rantaro, and Tsumugi. The blue team had Angie, Tenko, Himiko, Kaito, Kaede, Keebo Maki, Shuichi, and myself.
I had to do this now. We had to get everyone on the same page. We had to fight for it.
"Did the culprit move the body just before the morning announcement?" Tsumugi asked.
I knew who had this covered. It was Angie.
"Angie!" I exclaimed.
"I was in front of the gym with the others, before the announcement!" Angie replied.
"Is it not possible you simply missed the culprit?" Kiyo asked.
I knew Himiko had this one. I needed Shuichi and Kaede to work together too.
"Himiko!" Shuichi exclaimed.
"We were right in front of the door. There's no way we coulda missed them!" Himiko said in response.
"Remember, the rules state that you can't enter the gym at night!" Miu exclaimed.
I knew Kaito had this one. I wondered how he'd bring his topic to the table.
"Kaito!" Kaede exclaimed.
"Rules probably don't apply to corpses, y'know," Kaito said.
"The piranha tank is too far from the gym's entrance," Kokichi explained.
Shuichi had this one.
"I got this!" Shuichi exclaimed, "you might be able to reach the tank from the window above the stage!"
"The culprit could've avoided everyone by using that window to put the body in the tank," Rantaro explained.
I had the counter to this one. I can't believe I had to disagree with him, but I had to.
"I can handle it!" I exclaimed, "if you would've use anything to get to the window, the others would've been alerted by the noise!"
"But pool next to gym also off-limits at night," Gonta explained.
I knew who had this one. It was Maki.
"Maki!" Kaede exclaimed.
"Entering the pool at night is what's off-limits, not the pool area itself," Maki replied.
"But should we trust Maki's testimony in the first place?" Kirumi asked.
Tenko had this one.
"Tenko!" Shuichi exclaimed.
"It's ok, cuz we have Shuichi's testimony too!" Tenko exclaimed.
Soon enough, we knew we had won this argument.
"This is our answer!" we all shouted.
Since everyone was on the same page now, we needed to discuss the how the culprit managed to get the body into the gym during nighttime. Shuichi told us that the window was used for this. I agreed with him because there was no other way.
Everyone agreed that the window was higher than the piranha tank, but it was close by. One thing I was positive about... the piranha tank lid used as a divider. I'm pretty sure it was set up beforehand. Shuichi mentioned that as well. The others were listening and agreeing. We did agree that the lid needed to be placed carefully.
Kirumi mentioned to everyone that the window was too high off the ground. I did agree with that, but there must've been a way for the culprit to reach the window without going into the pool. Himiko told us that Gonta could've chucked him, but I disagreed on that one.
I wouldn't think that would be possible, because the body had to be placed carefully as well. Another avenue of discussion was the ladder. It was true that it reached the window, but it wouldn't work.
Shuichi and I explained that the ladder wouldn't work because it only reached the window on the stage. If the ladder was in the pool area, it would not reach the window.
There isn't anything in the pool area that's as tall as the stage. That meant this was the truth.
The ladder wouldn't be found in the gym as well if it was used. The culprit couldn't just carelessly throw the ladder through the window.
Some people tried blaming Gonta, but we had Kiyo to back us up. The body would need to be placed carefully to prevent the glass pane from shifting. That was an essential part in whatever plan the culprit had.
Kokichi decided to be rude and tell Gonta, even if steroids were involved, it'd be impossible. Gonta apologized for that, but he didn't need to. I didn't think he could do this crime, so he's innocent at least for now.
Kaito was telling everyone that he knew how the body was moved from the window. Kirumi was asking him to explain himself.
The thing that Kaito did instead was call Shuichi and I out on it and tell us to do it.
'It kinda seems like you're just having Shuichi and I do the work...' I thought.
The thing that Kaito didn't know however, was the fact that Shuichi and I haven't figured out what happened yet.
I knew that there was some part that the window played in this. I just didn't know how it was used yet.
Kaito was shocked that we didn't know how the body was moved from the window. It did serve him right though. I really like Kaito, but he can't just assume that we've figured everything out. There was still more of a mystery to solve.
I was told that we had to do something. I knew that... but... was I really important enough to take this task on. Am I really good enough to find the truth? Could I even call the culprit out.
"I don't think it really matters how the body got into the piranha tank," Maki explained.
'What?' I thought.
I looked at Maki with a confused look in my eye. What was she trying to say?
Gonta told us that he thought it mattered. He told us that we wouldn't figure out the culprit's trick unless—
"We're just getting sidetracked. It doesn't matter how it was done, just who did it," Maki explained, "we shouldn't focus on where we found the body. Instead, we need to focus on where he was killed."
"Where he was killed!?" Tenko asked in response.
"Wouldn't it be more efficient if we focused on the murder scene instead?" Maki asked.
Something clicked when I heard that. Maki gave us a clue. We were too focused on where the body was found. This caused us to ignore where the crime actually happened. Why didn't anyone think about this before? Maybe the culprit was steering us away from this topic.
The actual murder scene would have more clues about who the culprit could be. It could also explain how the murder was done.
Someone was defiantly sabotaging this class trial. That person was obviously the culprit. I just wish I knew who it was. I don't even know if everyone wants us to find the truth. It was something I had to do though. Even if it hurt me.
Shuichi thanked Maki for the helpful insight, but she just asked why he didn't notice it. She basically gave an insult to seem more cold.
I needed to get the possibilities for where the murder took place. I needed to do that without fail.
"First, let's establish the crime scene," Maki explained.
"Wasn't it the dorm room?" Angie asked in response, "Ryoma was relaxing in his room when he got attacked."
"But the cause of death was drowning," Keebo replied, "there is nothing in his room that could collect enough water."
Keebo was right about that fact. I still didn't hear any contradiction or agreement I could make yet.
"He's got a toilet, doesn't he!?" Miu exclaimed.
"Drown in toilet? Unpossible!" Gonta exclaimed.
"We should consider places where water is stored!" Tenko exclaimed.
I agreed with what she was saying. But where would there be enough water stored? I had a good idea on where.
"The only place that fits is the pool!" Himiko exclaimed.
My eyes widened. That wasn't possible. The pool couldn't be the only place for this to happen.
"No, that's wrong!" Shuichi, Kaede, and I exclaimed in unison.
I knew for a fact that you can't enter the pool at nighttime, so there must've been another place that water could've been stored.
"The pool can't be the scene of the crime," Kaede explained, "remember, Ryoma was killed during nighttime. No one is allowed in the pool at that time."
According to the Monokubs, a dead body would be considered an object. This was kind of a sad thing for me to hear. I didn't want anyone to be reduced to some sort of object. The cubs kept making irrelevant comments about this whole scene. It was obvious that they didn't care about the deaths.
We decided to press on after that. Now everyone knew that it was impossible to drown Ryoma in the pool. Now there was another question floating around. Where was Ryoma killed?
I had something as evidence that could be a clue on what happened. That was the scratched sink. There were very distinct marks on the sink.
My mind traced back to when I was in Ryoma's Lab. There was a pair of handcuffs missing from the bathroom. Those were on Ryoma, with the same scratch marks nonetheless. I think the crime took place in there. The sink has enough space for water to drown someone.
And I was right. The scratch marks on the sink did come from the handcuffs. It would assume that it happened there. The marks on the sink were consistent with the handcuffs. I was sure of it.
We also discussed the fact of how the handcuffs got to the tank. Ryoma must've been wearing them. It was only for a brief moment when we saw it though, because he was devoured seconds later.
The thought did occur to me. The culprit handcuffed Ryoma and then drowned him in his lab's sink. That's what the scratches were coming from. He must've struggled a significant amount.
Kokichi then made a comment about how Ryoma must've been very yummy. This comment made me very sick to my stomach. That look was present on my face. Kokichi was very inconsiderate when it came to these kind of topics.
Tenko was begging Kokichi to stop, but he kept doing it in spite of her.
Our next discussion was on how the culprit handcuffed Ryoma. It should be obvious. It was possible that they ambushed him and knocked him out before handcuffing him. That must've been it.
Kokichi was talking about how Ryoma couldn't have been ambushed. He then was silent for a moment before telling us to ignore him. I was slightly confused about his behavior though. It was like he wanted us to listen.
Tsumugi then asked Kokichi why he was talking to himself. She told him that he should pretend to eat, but close his mouth while chewing. She mentioned peanut butter squid being in the mouth and being so disgusting that you'll laugh. This was a Food Wars reference to me... what else could it be?
After that, we all agreed that Ryoma was killed at nighttime in his lab bathroom. He was drowned in the sink of his lab as well. The sink was large enough to hold enough water to drown someone.
Now there was a more pressing matter. How did the culprit carry Ryoma's body to the gym? That was something I wasn't even able to figure out yet. If we couldn't figure this out, then it'd be game over for sure.
The matter on Ryoma's Lab and the gym. There was a shortcut. Everyone seemed very confused on the fact that Ryoma's Lab had a shortcut. All you needed to do was look.
The shortcut that linked the places was the window. During the investigation, I noticed that the window from Ryoma's Lab and the one from the gym are across each other. This means that the windows were basically in the same spot, but across each other. The only issue is the fact that the gym window is lower than the window on the third floor.
Tenko tried to tell us that the killer dropped the body from the window from Ryoma's Lab. Kirumi simply told her that it contradicts some of the stuff we discussed earlier.
I agreed with that notion. The ladder in the gym wouldn't reach the window from the pool area.
We seemed to keep hitting dead ends. The reason for this was because we don't know how the body was placed in the gym. We would keep hitting dead ends until we solved that mystery.
I had to analyze the situation first. This was the only way I'd be able to make more sense of this...
The body was brought from where? The answer to that question was obviously the window from Ryoma's Lab on the third floor. I had to keep going. I needed to think...
The body was brought to the gym from where? The answer to this would be the gym window. That's where the shortcut from Ryoma's Lab is located.
How was it moved from the classroom window to the gym window? The answer to this would be from window to window.
I finally got it! I finally figured out how the body was transported. It was finally discussed that the body was transported straight from Ryoma's Lab.
Kaito told us that that couldn't be possible. I think we all knew that a body wouldn't be as simple as a baseball to throw. I don't think anyone aside from Gonta can throw the body like that.
There must've been another way. We are starting to fit the pieces together, but something's still missing from the puzzle.
Maki then said something useful. She told that the culprit could've used equipment. With the type of equipment that used, it could connect the two windows together.
A piece of equipment near the gym. All I could think about is the rope we found on the stage. It was safe to say that rope was involved with this in some way.
Angie explained that there was a mystery about that rope. Apparently, the night before the show, that rope was on the wing of the stage. The next morning, the rope was backstage for some reason.
It was obviously that the rope was used to connect both of the windows, but there was another question that needed to be answered. Was the rope long enough to connect the windows?
The rope was roughly sixty five feet in length. The width of the pool is about thirty five feet. The distance from the edges of the pool were about an additional sixteen feet. This sum total length is about fifty feet. If the rope was sixty five feet in length, the rope was in fact long enough time to connect both windows.
Another thing we had to figure out was how the culprit got the rope to both windows. The distance was too long for them to be able to just carelessly toss the rope across.
Gonta exclaimed that it could work. All it needed was just one more rope. Gonta was right. If there was another rope involved, all the culprit would have to do tie the two ropes from the middle of the pool and pull that rope from Ryoma's Lab.
We concluded that the rope used was the tennis cable. The cable was about fifty feet long, so it was long enough. Another piece of evidence that proved this was the state the net was in. Since the cable was out of the net, it made the net droop.
Now we had to figure out how the culprit used that rope to get the body from the third floor to the gym. We had almost all of the pieces. Once we figure out how the body was transported, we should have no trouble figuring out who the killer is.
"Eureka! I got it! Thomas Edison once said that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration..." Miu explained, "but in my case, it's 100% inspiration!"
I had no idea what Miu was going to say about the body. I didn't even know if she'd get it right.
"They handcuffed the body to the rope and slid it from one window to the other like Tarzan!" Miu exclaimed in response.
"The body would reach the gym window, but it wouldn't land in the piranha tank," Kokichi explained, "stop making such dumbass comments, and keep your smelly breath in your dirty mouth."
I knew that Miu was slightly odd and obnoxious, but Kokichi didn't have to be so rude to her.
"Kokichi, don't be so rude..." I told him.
"Whaaaaat? You're backing her up? Why?" Kokichi asked.
"Because it's the right thing to do... and I want to be friends with everyone here...." I replied.
We decided that the culprit would have to put the body in the tank, using their own hands. It made sense since it would be a crucial step in their plan. We needed to decide how the culprit did that though...
Kokichi did hint at something. He asked us if there's really a way to do that. He must've been hinting at something.
I thought about the events we had so far. How the rope was set up. All the culprit would have is one chance at this. There were no second chances.
Kaito told Shuichi and I that the stage was finally set. I was confused on what he meant by that.
"Listen up! You both do a good job here, and I'll put an end to this trial!" Kaito exclaimed, "it all starts with you two! You guys be the opening act, and I'll be the main event! And then together, we're all going to save everyone!"
"Together?" Shuichi and I asked.
"You guys got this! After all, you're both my sidekicks!" Kaito exclaimed in response, "I believe in you both! So I'm going to leave the rest to you guys!"
That gave me a push of courage. I could do this. All I had to do was think. I needed to think about what possibilities there were.
My eyes widened when a certain thought came to mind. The thing the killer used to transport the body.... it was a ropeway!
"The killer used something like a ropeway to move the body!" I exclaimed.
That had to be true. There was no other way that the culprit could place the body into the tank with their hands.
All that was left was to figure out what item they used for the ropeway. There were many possibilities from the pool. They had a poolside chair, but that would just fall off. It also had a skimmer. We all know why that wouldn't work.
There was one more thing that could probably work as a vehicle for the ropeway. That item was the inner tube we found in the pool. If you tied rope to the handles of the tube and connect the ropes on the top, that inner tube could be used as the vehicle. It was also made of sturdy rubber too. That sturdy rubber made it so the inner tube wouldn't break while being used. The gravity is what pushed it to the gym window.
And I was right about this once again. The inner tube was the only thing that could be used for this crime. The inner tube did have rope on it, but it was originally tied from both sides. This case was starting to become even clearer.
We were discussing what happened now. The culprit rode with the body to get to the gym window. We discussed that the culprit would have to place their feet on the windowsill to be able to place the body in the tank. It was a measure to have a more sturdy balance when handling the body.
They would remove the rope after using the ropeway. That's how they'd clean up the crime scene and make it so they couldn't figure out how they transported the body.
Another type of discussion was that the window sill was technically the gym. Wouldn't it count as stepping in the gym?
"Last time we got asked that question, we decided it was okay," Monosuke explained, "stickin' your body through the window is an automatic out, but standing on the sill is—"
"Wait, who asked you last time?" Keebo asked in response.
"...Eh?" Monosuke asked in response.
"It is quite possible that the culprit went to you to confirm the details of their plan..." Keebo explained.
".......O-Oh shiiiiit!" Monosuke yelled.
The Monokubs started to freak out about what the yellow/orange one said. He told them that he can't right it off as a joke if they kept freaking out.
This meant one thing... what they were saying was the truth. The culprit did use the ropeway to get the body to the gym.
With a setup this complicated, it's actually easy to take down. All the culprit had to do was detach the rope from the gym, and go back to Ryoma's Lab to pull it from the other side. It was a very smart plan... This did explain why the rope was found backstage and not the wing.
We also had another topic. That topic was about the inner tube that was in the pool. That was most likely an accident, not intentional. The tube most likely fell while trying to dispose of it.
The culprit had to leave the inner tube there because of the rule at nighttime. Since swimming wasn't allowed, the culprit had to leave the inner tube.
The culprit couldn't fish the inner tube out with a rope because the pool was so low. With the level of water in the pool, you wouldn't be able to fish it out with a rope. The pieces were coming more and more together.
We knew if Ryoma never met up with Maki during nighttime, it would've been the end.
Now all that was left to do was to decide who the culprit was. Kaito told Shuichi and I to take care of this one. It really did feel like he was trying to make us do all of the work.
I honestly felt very nervous on doing this. I hated the fact that I had to do this to one of my friends.
Kaito snapped me out of my thoughts. He told Shuichi and I to believe in our work and skills. He was cheering us on. I thought that was very nice. I felt like I had more courage. I can do this if I believe in myself. I can do this... I do mean something.
I knew who the culprit was. I at least had a good idea of who it could be. It was obviously someone with a high amount of intelligence. It had to be someone who is lightweight too.
It had to be Kirumi Tojo, the Ultimate Maid. I pointed at Kirumi.
"It had to be you!" I exclaimed.
"There's one more thing (y/n), Kaede, and I need to confirm...but Kirumi is the prime suspect," Shuichi explained.
"Me...?" Kirumi asked in response.
Some people were shocked that we even said Kirumi was the prime suspect. Some were just asking about it.
Kiyo told us that we should hear her testimony first. Keebo did ask if this was true. As much as I hated to say it, it was most likely the truth.
"I cannot believe you three would suspect me..." Kirumi explained, "if that is the case, then I will have to deny it. I will not let you make the wrong choice."
"The wrong choice...?" Kaede asked.
"If you do believe it is me, are you prepared to stand by that decision?" Kirumi asked, "I will refute your accusations with all my might...for everyone's sake."
This was going to turn into a heated argument. Kirumi seemed like she was trying to deny what was said. I had to find whatever contradictions she could say. I was this close to the truth. I can't let it slip by me anymore.
"I, of course am not the criminal," Kirumi explained.
"The crime was committed at nighttime...and you have no alibi, do you?" Kiyo asked.
"An alibi for nighttime?" Kirumi asked, "I believe most of us do not have one."
I need to think. Kirumi would have to have some kind of hole in her argument. I had to just think. It wasn't too late yet.
"I...I have evidence that proves you're the c-culprit..." Miu stuttered.
"Do you think we would fall for such nonsense?" Kirumi asked.
"The trick relied on complex mechanisms to work..." Maki explained, "but someone like you could be skilled enough to pull it off."
"Preposterous. That could have been done by anyone," Kirumi replied.
My eyes widened at that statement. That was wrong. We all had alibis for last night, but the only one that even relied on being in the gym was Kirumi. I had to call her out on the hole in her argument. I had to prove to everyone that she was the one behind this.
"No that's wrong!" Shuichi, Kaede, and I shouted.
We broke through the hole in the argument. I had to explain everything that I realized.
"No... the only one who could've done this murder is Kirumi," I explained with a serious look in my eyes.
"Well, the preparations in the gym, in any case," Shuichi explained, adding on to what I was saying.
"And why do you both believe that?" Kirumi asked.
We explained that in order to put the body into the tank, several measures had to be taken. The partition in the piranha tank, and the preparation for the ropeway. They had to take all of these steps just to set up everything in advance to what would happen that night. For someone like Kirumi, five minutes would defiantly be enough to set this whole scene up. That's what I believed.
"This is my selfless devotion!" Kirumi exclaimed.
I was slightly shocked. This wasn't something I've seen from Kirumi before.
"While I do understand where you three are coming from, I can assure you all this is just......a part of your petty imaginations! An empty theory created from nihilism!" Kirumi exclaimed angrily.
Kirumi sounded very angry. She never yelled at anyone. She was desperately trying to deny what we came up with. It made me sad to do this... but I had to. I had to find whatever hole Kirumi had in her statements. I couldn't give up now.
"If it were solely the rope and partition... I suppose five minutes might be enough time," Kirumi explained, "I accept that. However... The crux of your argument is naught but a guess."
I wondered what she meant by that. She was starting to get angrier.
"You all continue to force the facts to conform to your misguided narrative. When you consider that the crux of your argument is faulty...your entire case falls apart!" Kirumi explained.
"What do you mean by crux of the argument? How is it a guess?" I asked.
"I'm referring to the rope. Now, with that rope...it is possible to reach the gym window from the third floor window. But there is no evidence to indicate that this happened!" Kirumi exclaimed.
This was the contradiction. The marked window frame.
"I'll cut through your words!" I exclaimed.
After that, we did explain the window frame being marked from the rope.
Kirumi looked very nervous. We tried getting her to admit what happened. She was telling us that she has to save everyone. I wondered what she meant by that.
Kirumi told us that she cared about all of us. She tried telling us it wasn't her. She started crying too.
We were told to reconsider by Kirumi. Everyone else was reconsidering too. But... Kirumi was the culprit, and I had the last piece of evidence to prove it.
When we told her this, she started yelling again. This made it obvious to me that she was the culprit. She's never been like this...
The black fabric in the pool was the last piece. The culprit would've had to wear gloves.
Soon it was over. Kirumi's gloves were what the fabric was.
Soon enough, Shuichi did the final part... and voting time came.
We were actually right as well... I felt terrible about it...
Heya guys! This took me all week! Execution is the next chapter. Fanart competition is still on! We all know the prizes. Please tell me if you like this chapter! Stay cool!-CRUSIFIXdroid
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It All Started By One Single Tear (Rantaro x reader x YandereMastermind Kokichi)
Fanfiction(y/n) (l/n) was the 17th student to go into The Ultimate Academy For Gifted Juveniles with her talent as the Ultimate Otaku. What will happen when a green haired boy, who knows more than he lets on, and a boy who is a Supreme Leader and the mastermi...
