We made it to the Bar to see everyone but Nao gathered around the man in stripes.
He has a gaudy hairstyle separated into two parts; the right half is blue and covers his eye, and the left side is shaved close to his head and colored into magenta and yellow stripes.
He's wearing a striped prison uniform that is frayed at the collar and sleeves, with handcuffs hanging from his left wrist. He also has a ball and chain wrapped around his waist.
"Y/N! Sara!" "Joe! Did you find Nao?!" "S… She wasn’t on the second floor?!" "Ya mean she’s up and vanished?!" Kanna started to shake. "…Oh no…"
"Just what is going on…?" Kai thought out loud. "Err, well… Now everybody calm down…"
Kai notices the man. "…Erm. Who is the person tied up there…?"
"Hmph, such an annoying bunch…" We turn to the man in stripes. "You all… plus this “Nao” makes everyone, right?"
"Oh, you woke up." I said to the man. "…Remove these ropes. So long as you don’t want me to crush you…"
"This guy’s… a little riotous. That’s troublesome…"
"Heh… All chicken, are you…?" "Um… Do you have a second?" I asked. "Hm…? You… Eee…" Then, his eyes widened as he looked at me. "EYAAAAAAAAGH!! Why is SHE walking around freely?! Hurry, hurry! Somebody capture her!!" "W… What’s this all’a sudden?!"
"I know! Oh yes I do! This girl is bad news!!"
"C…Calm down! Could you start at the beginning?"
"…And could you drop that weird tone of yours?" Reko said. He looked at Reko and listened. "Hmph, look at me, getting so disconcerted."
"Is this guy playin’ a joke on us…?"
"Listen, we don’t have time to spend on you. But… I’ll allow a little time for inquiries. We’ll decide whether to untie you after that."
"Say again…?! Hmph…! Do not try to act superior, blond rascal!"
"Oooh, scary. You two handle the questioning, Y/N, Sara."
"Whaaa?! We're doing that, too?!" "Okay..." I mutter.
"Mr. Policeman’s shakin’ over here.. Talk to me whenever you’re ready." 'Oh sweet Atua... Please let this guy not be annoying..'
After I was done praying I turn to Keiji. "Okay, you two ready?" "Ye.." "Okie-dokie. Then we’ll begin."
~Questioning~
"Just so it's clear, you and me are equals. Don't think I'll obediently listen to you."
"Tell us your name.." I ask. He smirks. "And what if I so no?" "Then we have no obligation to untie you." He starts to sweat. "W...Wait...! They're really chafing me! These ropes..! I get it... I'll tell you a little.."
'Nice job, Y/N!' "Ok, so what is your name?"
"…It’s proper for you to give your name first."
"My name is Y/N L/N and the is my friend, Sara Chidouin. Just Y/N and Sara are fine."
"…I am …Go…Gonbee Yamada… Call me Gonbee."
"…’Swone old-fashioned name."
"As if yours isn’t Cubetaro Hamburger?!" 'PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT-'
"Tha’s Q-taro Burgerburg to you!!"
"What's you occupation?" "My occupation is… err… well. A salaryman." I point at his clothes. "Dressed like that?" "Urk…!!"
"That looks like a prison uniform." Sara said. "Fool… Japanese uniforms don’t use this pattern! And the pajamas are vertically striped." "…You sure are knowledgeable on the subject."
"Why, you…! A trap?!"
"Hrm… This person seems quite tiring." Kai said. 'Wow, even getting told by Kai.'
"True, I was imprisoned for a somewhat long time after borrowing from people a bit too much…"
"…Larceny, then."
"Surely even you’ve accidentally perma-borrowed a video game or two, right?! That said, I was doing my time diligently, as a model prisoner! And yet suddenly, I was brought to this place…!"
'So even this person is a victim…? We know his name and occupation now… we’ll try asking something else.' "What do you know about the kidnappers?" Sara asks. "Such a pest!! Making me answer everything!!"
"Is there something you want to say to us?"
"Untie these ropes quickly, pigfaces…!" Gonbee demands. I look at the ground. 'Why is he so mean...'
"So mean…"
"Oof… Crocodile tears, yes?! It’s no use!!" Sara starts to sniff as if she was about to cry. Gonbee starts to panic. "I went too far…!"
"Then would you talk to us?"
"I knew those were fake tears!! No I won’t!!"
'Seems we need a little something more.'
"Can't you be calm , Mr. Gonbee?" Sara said. "...I'm always calm." "We're not your enemy. Can we stop arguing?"
"Hmph... True, all it does is make us hungrier. Well, I don't care for these methods. This is no equal conversation." I jump in. "You want your ropes untied, right? You know what I’m trying to say, don’t you?"
"Hmph… a threat? I thought you meant no hostility?"
"Flip your thinking. If our positions were swapped, Gonbee, do you think you’d untie us?" Gonbee was quiet. "Very well. I suppose I can tell you a little more."
"What do you know about the kidnappers?"
"Hmph… I have zero information. Before I was brought here… I had rare plans for a visitation. But when I entered the visiting room, no one came. By the time I started to find it odd, my senses were already fading."
'When you think about it… that’s astounding. The organization behind this… can free a prisoner? …If Gonbee is telling the truth, at least.'
"Why were you hiding the whole time?"
"When I awoke, I thought to myself… Yikes! This is a big yikes!… Indeed."
'I'm starting to love the way he talks.'
"A speaker said something about a trial, but it was all foolish. I had already committed myself to hiding. I locked the red door and lay in wait for a long time! Just like a tiger… waiting for its prey…!! However… several times, I did hear nearby sounds that were too dreadful for this world."
I tilt my head. "What were the sounds?" He looks at me. "…Don’t try and feign innocence." "Huh…?!" "Just put your hand to your chest and think…"
'Gonbee has some misconception about me.. What I’m most curious about so far is… those sounds. If I can confirm what they are, I might know the reason for his attitude…!'
"Is there something you want to say to us?" "Y/N L/N… How many have you laid hands on…?" I tilt my head. "Eh?" "I know your crimes… It’s no use playing dumb." Then, Sara spoke up. "You’ve talked some, but if you don’t tell us the important parts, we can’t untie you. Too bad."
"Gah… Surely I’ve answered at least a few of your questions!"
"Then I’ll cut just a little bit off your ropes."
"What’s the point if they’re not untied?!?!" Gonbee growls. "Can you calm down, Gonbee?" I ask. "Whaaat?"
"I think you’ve made some mistake." "Foolish… This perfection, mistaken…?" (I'm starting to hear Gundham) "That’s right. It’s because you’re so perfect that it’s easy to assume you’re mistaken."
"A blatant lie!! Don’t belittle me!!" I can feel a tik mark appear on my head. I grit my teeth. "This is going nowhere. If you don’t answer me properly, I’ll do something terrible to you.." "Oogh! Something terrible…?" I slowly reach for the gun I used in the Blue Room. "I’ll do… this." "Do what…?!?" He notices that I was reaching for the object.
He starts to sweat. "Don’t tell me… You’ll sh… shoot!! Hold on!! Haste makes waste, y’know?!" He gulped. "…Hmph. I’ll tell you. What you wish to know."
"Thank Atua! Now, what exactly did you hear?"
"…The sounds of a gunfight."
"Say what?!" Q-taro shouted. "My ears caught it… 9 gunshots… As many as 9 people… died…!!"
"Ah… That would’ve been Russian Roulette." Keiji said but Gonbee didn't hear him and continued. "I waited for the shots to cease, and opened the door to see the situation… And there she stood! The killer wielding a gun…!! And she stubbornly chased me with her friend…!! Y/N L/N!! It was you!!"
"Err… So you were scared and hid, got in a panic because of the gunshots… Then saw Y/N with the revolver, foamed at the mouth, and fainted?" "pffft-" "Don’t give such a biased summary, guys!!"
I clear my throat. "We’re in the same situation. Will you help us?
:…Did you hear what I said? Who would assist the likes of…:
I told him our story so far, and about the Russian Roulette game.
"Say again…?! All of this was a misunderstanding… caused by my too-superior insight?!"
"Mhm. Yep, that’s right."
"...Understood. Untie me."
"You gonna help us?" Keiji asks. Gonbee laughs. "Hahaha. You’re all fools. Who would assist someone they don’t even know after hearing about the Main Game? Someone among you will surely turn traitor! And only softhearted fools will die."
"It can’t be only me thinking that… Correct?" No one said anything after he said that. Silence came between us untill the sounds of footsteps ruins it. I see Joe walk towards Gonbee and untie his ropes. Gonbee seems to be in shock. "...What is this meant to be?"
"…I’ve given up on suspecting my allies."
"…Hah?"
"I just can’t imagine it! That there’s a bad guy among us…" "Mwaha… Given up on thinking, eh… What do you know about them? Hahaha…"
"Well yeah, I dunno anything, but… It’s what my heart says, so what else can I do! I’m not smart anyhow. So I’m gonna believe in this feeling."
"Hmph… you say such cheesy things. Oh well. As thanks for untying me, I’ll let you go without retaliation." "So… no will to help out." "I refuse. …But I won’t interfere. So long." Then, he walked off.