✔️More Than a Game (Oumasai/Saiouma)

23- Clues to a Hidden Mystery: Part 2

Saihara's POV:
Not Ryoma.

He didn't deserve to die. No one deserves to die.

So then... why?

I knew why. Everyone knew why. We were in the midst of a killing game, that's what. But Ryoma didn't just die... he was murdered, which is something different entirely.

Ding dong dong ding!

As Ouma peers into the tank, the body discovery announcement plays yet again, taunting me with every echo made by the bell. My fists clench up. Why... did another person die?

"A body has been found!" Monokuma announces yet again. "Everyone, please gather in the gym!"

"No." I run up to the tank, as if seeing it for myself would change anything. "Not again."

But the sight was enough to make me gag. It only confirmed the fact that I didn't want to accept: Ryoma Hoshi really is dead.

"Yep! Ryoma's dead!" Ouma exclaims. I stare at him. The easiness in his voice, as if these types of things happen every day. It's annoying in a way, and quite rude, but I can't help but envy it in the slightest. How can someone feel so much at ease even though they just saw a dead body? It seemed like a quality on it's on that I'd like to have.

"How can you be so...?" I shake the thought away.

"Well, we should pray to Atua for Ryoma's happiness in the afterlife!" Angie exclaims, using her Atua talk to cheer everyone up. She's like that too, but for a different reason. Unlike Ouma, who feels like I do but acts happy to shake it off, Angie actually does feel at ease.

"I feel too sick to pray to Atua..." Himiko says quietly.

Soon, everyone else comes in.

"AHHHH!" Tenko yells. "Wait, where's the body?"

"Ryoma's dead," Maki confirms, a dark tone in her voice as she stares down into the piranha tank.

"We know that, you fuckin' idiot!" Miu exclaims rudely at Maki.

"Ryoma... and Tsumugi?" Gonta realizes, staring at nothing in particular. "Why... they die?" Tears start to fill his eyes.

"Ugh, stop crying! You're just a big baby!" Miu says to Gonta.

"Ryoma shouldn't have died..." Kiibo says sadly.

"So Ryoma really is dead..." Kirumi mutters. "That was certainly unexpected."

"It wasn't unexpected at all! We haven't seen him since morning!" Kaito argues.

"So if we checked on him this morning, he wouldn't be dead...?" Himiko says.

"No. He could've been killed last night for all we know," Maki explains.

"I understand it was quite a surprise Ryoma is dead, but the question is, what will happen to the murderers? Or, perhaps Tsumugi and Ryoma were killed by the same person? But if they were killed by two different people, what should happen in that case? Will they both be executed, or will one get out for free... or... maybe Ryoma killed Tsumugi?" Korekiyo wonders, asking many questions like he does.