Shuichi, Kiibo, and Rantaro turned around. "Whoa Kokichi. You really liked them?" Rantaro asked. Kokichi's cheeks burned red. He covered his face and fell into your bed. "I thought you didn't care if anyone died?" Kiibo asked. "O-Of course I did..." Kokichi barely spoke. "I care about all of you... that wasn't a lie." He looked at the tear stained pillow. "What happened here?"
Shuichi and Maki looked at each other. "Um... we'll explain it later." Maki answered, looking back at the board. Kiibo tilted his head. "Why do some people have writing next to them, and others don't?" He was mainly looking at his, which had the words inner voice with a question mark.
"That's not really my main concern." Shuichi was looking at the second board, with pictures from Rantaro's investigation, Kaede, Tsumugi, a drawing of the shot put ball he found earlier, and a lot of writing. "Look here." The words next to Tsumugi's picture and next to the word "MASTERMIND" were erased. "Did they erase it?" Kaede traced her hand over the remains of the words next to Tsumugi's name.
"I don't see an eraser, but the white board would be oily or the ink would be streaky if they erased it with their hand." Rantaro pointed out. "It's either someone took the eraser, or brought one." Kokichi and Kiibo rummaged through the boxes. "Nope, none in here." Kokichi said. Kiibo nodded in agreement. "There wasn't an eraser at the crime scene either, not that I think they would bring one."
They heard a knock at the door. "I may be of some assistance." It was Kiyo. He walked up to the white board, and picked up a purple marker. He wrote: "Went to the girl's washroom at the time of death. Was there for about ten minutes." and put down the marker. "Y/N asked me about it a few hours after the morning announcement the next day. They wrote it on a sticky note, saying the words out loud. I thought it may be of use to you."
Kokichi smiled. "Man, you're kinda creepy, but thanks!" Kiyo chuckled. "Anything to help avenge one of the beauties of this world." Kokichi smiled awkwardly and mouthed to the others. "Help me..." Kiyo walked out of the room. "Also, I would like to inform you that this 'Motherkuma' Himiko mentioned is no longer online." Shuichi nodded as Kiyo left.
"Why doesn't this book have a title?" Rantaro asked, holding up a book that almost looked like the cover was made of stone. "Wait... that looks familiar!" Shuichi took the book and tried to open it. "Shuich, what's wrong?" Kaede asked, looking over Shuichi's shoulder. Shuichi handed her the book, and she attempted to open it as well, but it wouldn't. "Move aside." Kaito took the book and pulled at the cover, but it wouldn't open.
"What's the deal?" Maki held one side, while Kaito held the other, and they both pulled, but it wouldn't budge. "Um, before we break our fingers off, don't you think we should find out what it is?" Rantaro asked. Kaito put down the book. "Y-yeah, I was going to say that." Kiibo picked up the book and examined it. "It seems to be the same material as the Necronomicon from Angie's murder." Kokichi's eyes widened. "But why would they have that?"
Kokichi picked up a different book. "They.. they loved this book." He whispered. He noticed something sticking out from it and pulled it out. It was a flattened paper star. He assumed it was being used as a bookmark, but decided to try and unfold it. "What are you doing?" Maki asked.
Kokichi's eyes widened as he slowly unwrapped the paper making the star. "Eh?" Kaito looked over Kokichi's shoulder. "Are these times? Are we supposed to wait for them, because I don't think we can wait until 4:34am." Shuichi shook his head. "No, I don't think so. I think they would know that investigations don't last that long from all their... experience." The room went silent for a moment.
"Shuichi." He turned around and saw Kaede staring at the device you kept on listening from. Rantaro sat down next to her and tilted his head. "There's earbuds connected to it. Since when could you listen to music here?" Kokichi shook his head, his eyes filling with tears. "They weren't.. supposed to find that..." He wiped his tears with the back of his hand. "I just... made that of our moments together.. since.. you know."
Kaede tilted her head. "What?" Shuichi looked at her, and all he wished was that he could hide behind the bill of his hat. "U-um, we'll tell you that later, too." He looked back at the board you had made. "Maybe... it's a riddle?"
Shuichi sat down on your bed, Kokichi sitting right across from him. "You're good at riddles?" Shuichi asked. "I gave you the code to the vault, didn't I?" Shuichi nodded and looked down at the things spread on the bed. The paper from the paper star had different times on it, the paper found in your left hand, the Necronomicon, and the device you had were laid out in front of him.
"4:09..." He muttered, picking up the device. He went to the ninth second of the fourth minute. "...right?" and then it turned 4:10. "What are you doing?" Kaito asked, sitting next to the bed. "1:48..." Shuichi read on the paper star strip. He rewinded to 1:48 on the device, and everyone leaned in to listen. "Rantaro-" Kokichi seemed to get the idea and lifted the paper strip with the timestamps on it. "Left Rantaro?" Kaede echoed.
"3:01..." Kokichi read. Shuichi fast-forwarded to 3:01 and listened. "-left, right?" Kaito tilted his head. "I think it's just referring to the word left." Kaede assumed. "8:57..." Shuichi fast-forwarded. "Kiyo." Maki crossed her arms. "Right Rantaro, left Kiyo." She bit her thumbnail. "Maybe it's about positioning?"
"Yeah, but positioning of what?" Kaito wondered. "There's one more timestamp." Kokichi said. "9:23." Shuichi fast-forwarded and they listened. "-mastermind?" Rantaro looked up. "So... it's saying that the person in between Kiyo and I is the mastermind?" Kiibo nodded and put his hand on his chin. "But, what is it referring to? When were you and Kiyo in the same room with someone in between?" Rantaro shrugged. "We really didn't hang out before I died."
They heard the chime signifying the class trial was going to start. Shuichi put his hand on his chest. "Oh... this'll be the first trial without them..." Everyone looked down. "Don't be gloomy! Chin up and move forward!"
"Who said that?" Maki asked, looking around. Everyone looked around, but dismissed it. "Let's head to the Shrine of Judgement." Shuichi told everyone.
As they were walking, Maki came up beside Kokichi. "No, I didn't tell them." She said, making Kokichi turn to her. "Kaito didn't either. But I could tell they loved you, too." She walked ahead as Kokichi slowed his steps. His vision blurred as he watched everyone walk towards the Shrine of Judgement in front of him. "What'd I just say? Chin up and move forward!" Kokichi looked around and sighed. "I don't... know who's been saying that... but thanks." He whispered.