Danganronpa: String Theory (DrV3)

4.24 - Echo of a Person

Right!

"I'll be right back, I wanted to unlock their rooms to see if they were in there," I say as I wiggle away from Angie's hold, grabbing bobby pins off of my vanity and tossing the box of needles from Kirumi's lab from where I was storing it in my dress. It's just easier with bobby pins, since they're longer when you stretch them out.

Thankfully, the dress I'm wearing isn't so long that I'll step on it in my rush, but considering my petite stature to the height of the puppet that was originally wearing this dress...I could probably still clip the hem on accident with my toes.

"They're locked, how are you-" Kaito seems to register the "how" to his question when I worm past Korekiyo at the doorway, who has obviously abandoned Tenko and Kokichi. "Oh, duh. Like I didn't see you break into your own room just now."

Wait. If Kaito is saying Gonta and Kokichi are still missing, then the person downstairs can't be Kokichi. Not to mention, Kokichi would never settle for dissolving into the background, he would have run up to us to get front row seats to the commotion. He always wants to know what's happening- call it curiosity or because it's just the smart thing to do in a killing game.

I stop and look back down to confirm my analysis.

Everyone else who it could be is accounted for- except Maki who left to get Kirumi. But she was behind Rantaro and I, so...

On cue as if summoned by my train of thought, Maki pushes open the doors and walks in with Kirumi in front of her. Both of the maid's hands have been cuffed behind her, and her state after her fight with Rantaro (and possibly me after that), is all the more apparent now that she's standing up rather than sitting with her knees up to her chest.

"Whoa! She looks as bad as Rantaro...!" Kaito is the first to speak from behind me, pointing his flashlight down at her.

"She's...is she okay?" Shuichi questions, leaning over the rails to get a closer look.

"Who cares?! She's been trying to murder Prairie relentlessly, the only thing we need is to keep her locked up!"

"You'll never guess what else I found in her lab," Maki says when we all make our way down, leaving Kiibo to care for Rantaro in my room as we join Maki.

Kirumi notably shifts so Maki is between us when I get too close- brave on my part, but the reaction is definitely confusing for how many times she's tried to antagonize me. I'm not the only one that finds this strange, because Korekiyo raises an eyebrow at me when I look around to see if anyone else finds it weird.

I shrug discreetly in response and turn back to Maki when I see her lifting up one of those black duffle bags that come with flashlights from the warehouse. She's holding it by the shoulder strap with the same hand she's carrying her own light in. At her silent insinuation, I reach out and unzip it myself to see what it could be.

Almost immediately my eyes register a bunch of syringes, too many to really warrant anyone but the Monokubs holding. They're not just any syringes either, these are definitely the Hotel Kumasutra love fantasy syringes. There's only one empty syringe in the bag, with the rest of them full of a blue liquid that shines green and purple when hit with the light in different angles.

"Love Hotel syringes! But how? We burned the hotel down and everything...! Himiko is the first to object, her expression twisting with dismay as she reaches out to pick one out and stare at it.

"Then...Kirumi was behind all of it?" Tenko speaks up for the first time, hands flying up to her chest and neck protectively in what looks a lot like an unconscious reaction.