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Chapter 1 - A Sad Party of One
Deadly Life
- START -
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"No...No way..." I stared at the body, ignoring the whispers from the crowd surrounding me. I could feel my mouth hanging wide open from the absolute shock I was facing.
There, right before my eyes...
Was Akemi...
Although, he looked completely different to when I had last seen him just a few hours ago. He was paler and his eyes were shut, never opening again. His body was sat upright against the counters, surrounded by unnatural bloodstains.
My eyes then landed on both of his wrists. Akemi's sleeves had been pulled all the way up to his shoulders and revealed two long vertical slices, one on each of his wrists reaching his forearms. The wounds looked strange though, slightly charred with a crimson hue which covered them, the mark producing a harsh smell of burning flesh.
But even after all that, the hard truth was that Akemi...Was dead.
I couldn't believe it. I had literally spoken to him just last night. He was so glad about his change in character and even apologised.
But...I never properly accepted it. Crap, now I feel terrible...
Akemi didn't get to apologise to the rest of our classmates either like he wanted to. And that secret he tried to keep that he was planning to pursue yesterday night, did he manage to do that too?
Akemi...What happened to you?
And...Why? I know you used to be an asshole, and that's probably how everyone will remember you as now. You never got to say sorry...
And so brutally too. Those long cuts look super precise and deep.
There...surprisingly isn't a lot of blood though. I wonder why that is.
"It appears the game has finally begun." Ryoko smiled, standing behind me and looking at the body. "How exciting."
"Exciting?!? More like annoying." Yukari said. "I can't be pissed though. The guy was a jackass."
"You...You can't say that. He's dead." Tatsuo sighed.
"So? That gives me more reason to speak my mind." She scoffed. "Why are you sad, huh? He wasn't creepy to you, so I don't get it."
"No one was supposed to die. That was the plan..." he glanced back at Akemi's body. "I suppose someone just didn't care."
"No duh."
"This isn't the time to start bickering, ok guys," Finn spoke up. "I mean...The poor guy got murdered, you know."
"Obviously! But...who did it? And why?" Kairi wondered.
"I don't care...I'm just pissed that they ignored the entire point of my party! It was about getting along, not stupid murder." Akihiro exclaimed.
"Can you try to take this more seriously?" I groaned.
I left that group of people who eventually started to slowly argue about what to do to meet with Hidemi and others who were scattered around the dining hall.
The attorney was crouched by Kokoro who was clinging onto Shunsuke.
Damn, even the Ultimate Mortician seems down, staring off to the side.
"T-This...T-This is awful! I can't take this...I want to leave!" Kokoro cried onto Shunsuke's shoulder.
"I get what you mean Kokoro...But you have to stay strong ok?"
"She is correct." Shunsuke nodded slightly.
Hidemi spotted me, said one more thing to Kokoro and walked over.
"Who...Who is it?" She asked.
"Akemi."
"I-I see..." she took some time to process it. "I'll go take a look for myself. We need to get ready for the investigation."
"Investigation? You're...already worried about that?!?"
"I..." Hidemi realised what she said and held her face in her hands. "No...I don't mean to sound cold. I just...I just want to find the culprit. So we can assure safety for everyone else. I'm sorry for wording it like that."
"It's alright...I should've thought of the investigation too." I forgave her but looked around the room. "All of these guys must really not want to see the body."
"Yes. I assume they're uncomfortable or something." Her eyes lingered on Satoshi though, who was sitting at one of the tables, staring at his hands.
There were other people here too, like Kenjiro, Yuna and Shouko. They were just keeping to themselves to think about what had happened, but Shouko was slightly happier.
She's probably thinking about Akemi as a ghost right now or some dumb shit.
Everyone else like Tatsuo, Finn, Ryoko and Yukari were in the kitchen, still talking around the body. I guessed that was everyone.
All of us except Akemi, obviously, and...Shimura?
That's weird. Knowing him and his medical knowledge I'd guess he'd be the first one here. I wonder where he is.
I followed Hidemi back into the kitchen, Ryoko perking up.
"Well, miss defence attorney? What's your verdict on the crime?" She playfully asked Hidemi.
"It's..." she stared at each of his wounds for a bit before gulping down nerves. "It's definitely gruesome."
"But alas, I was in the right!" Ryoko clapped at her own self proclaimed victory. "I knew a murder was to happen soon. I was dying of boredom, so I guess this will finally kick off the killing game. Mass murder, distrust...Something I can-"
"Stop it Ryoko." Hidemi sighed.
"Hm?"
"One of our friends has died and that's what you care about. That's...despicable."
"Friend? Ha, he was no friend to me." Ryoko took the time to laugh. Hidemi didn't bother trying to talk to her any longer and instead just shook her head, seeing as she most likely wouldn't listen.
Geez, I can sense the tension between them. Their opposing views won't help at all.
"Now ladies, ladies! Calm down now. Your most dearly missed camp councillor is here to help!" Monokuma announced his entrance.
"Ah, finally someone who I might agree with," Ryoko smirked.
"Finally some action! Watching that party was a total snore. Only lonely losers would enjoy something like that."
"Hey! I don't want to hear it from some ugly mismatched bear." Akihiro argued.
"But whoever did this must have been extremely happy with themselves. The guy got carved up pretty good! The burning smell really adds to the...taste of all your crying!" He cackles. "Puhuhu!"
"Are you here just to rub this in our faces?" Tatsuo asked.
"Why, of course not! I'm insulted you would even think that, moron! I'm here to explain the investigation and upcoming trial!" He declared.
"Oh right. The class trial..." Kairi remembered.
"S-So, you're saying we have to find his killer...?" Yuna added, walking into the kitchen.
"Obviously! It was one of you who killed him, so you gotta catch that culprit and get rid of them!"
"And how do we know you didn't do it?" Finn wondered.
"Because that's against the rules! You should know that already!" Monokuma growled. "But, as I've said, you need to investigate! Find evidence, ask questions, whatever! Then in an hour or two, the trial for your lives will begin."
"A-And...what exactly will happen in this trial?" Kenjiro spoke up, following Yuna into the room.
"You will find out soon enough!" The bear grinned, showing off his sharp teeth. "And before you begin, let me give you a gift."
Monokuma reached behind his small round body, and out of nowhere pulled out what seemed to be some sort of tablet. He held it up in the air proudly, and I snatched it out of his hands.
"It's...just another weird handbook," I said.
"No, no, no! It is anything but that. You didn't bother to check the back at all." The bear yelled.
I was unsure but turned the thing over in my hands to see the black and white pattern. In words branded on the middle, it said 'Monokuma File.'
"Monokuma file? What the hell does that mean?" Yukari examined the tablet from behind me.
The bear grinned, holding his stomach in pride. "Why, it's a state of the art device which tells you all the basic things you need to know about the murder! It's so practical, useful and attractive that they named it after me." He laughed.
"Right. Totally." I ignored his attitude with a sarcastic reply.
"Now if that all understood, have fun investigating campers! Or don't. I don't really care."
With that, the bear disappeared once again.
"So...Investigating," Yuna said.
"How are we even supposed to do that? It's not like we're detectives!" Yukari groaned in annoyance but stopped. "Hey, let's just get the forensics guy to do it. That's his job."
"It's not that easy." Tatsuo shook his head.
"And how would you know, huh?" She glared at him.
"Why do you always act like this...?" He sighed at her behaviour.
"Listen, everyone." Hidemi projected her voice, speaking to us all. "I know most of us are probably scared or worried about investigating the body. But...let's try our best ok? Any bit of information, whether told or found will help us find the killer. And we have to. Not just for Akemi but our safety."
"I doubt people want to watch someone get punished afterwards though." Ryoko discreetly giggled.
"...Let's start, alright?" She requested, and everyone agreed. We soon split up, with some of us leaving the dining hall or staying whether it be in the dining room or kitchen.
I held the Monokuma file in my hands and paused for a moment.
Someone...is really dead.
True, I'm no idiot. I had a feeling it would have to happen soon, but still...I didn't think it would be this bad.
And now me and my classmates have to solve and find the killer like we're a bunch of ace detectives. And that's obviously not true. Some of the guys here are absolute idiots.
But it's not like I have a choice. We have to find Akemi's murderer to make sure we're safe. They'd also have to get executed though...I'm not sure if some of the people there could handle that.
Never mind. I should stop thinking to myself. That's not going to solve or fix anything. I need to get started.
Well, before I start, I suppose I should say...good luck where ever you are Akemi. You were a moron but...Although I never forgave you, I could tell you weren't the worst.
"Alright." I exhaled and clutched the tablet in my hands. "Let's get started."
-
Investigation: Start
-
I was about to swipe the screen on but heard some commotion in the dining room.
"Again? What now...?"
In the dining room, I saw Ryoko talking to Satoshi.
"The people are wondering whether you will choose to help or not. Will you really put some rebellion over the lives of your oh so precious friends?" Ryoko teased him.
"I've already said no. Stop asking." He avoided everyone's gaze and stood up, marching towards the door.
Ryoko does make a good point...But her approach is totally wrong.
Well, the approach I'm thinking of doing doesn't sound that great either, but Satoshi is important. He's strange and has a super big secret, but his talent is crucial right now.
Maybe I could use his secret to my advantage and get him to help...
I rushed over and grabbed Satoshi by his arm before he could leave. Forcefully, I pulled him outside and dragged him around the corner so no one could hear what I was about to do.
"Hey?!?" He tried to pull away and began rubbing his arm when I let go of him. "What is your problem?"
"You have to help us investigate." I simply told him.
"Are you serious?" He couldn't believe it. "Didn't you hear what I said? I've made my choice, ok-"
"I have got your secret."
The colour left his face the second I mentioned that. Now, it was filled with an intense panic as Satoshi denied it, shaking his head.
"You...You...Know...? N-No. I don't believe it."
"You killed someone. I'm not lying now, am I? You have no reason to not believe it."
Satoshi caught a breath in his throat, his eyes shutting. He started to sweat and even began trembling at the mention.
"S-Stop...Why do you have to bring that up anyway..."
"Look." I crossed my arms. "I don't care why or how you did it right now. But...just do your forensics stuff, ok? That's all you have to do. For everyone else too, I guess."
"I...I..." he stammered.
"Or...I'll reveal your secret," I concluded, turning my head up so I could glare at his face.
"H-Huh?!?" Satoshi took a step back in disbelief.
"The motive is over now that someone got killed, so people probably won't care. But I'd still tell."
"N-No...You can't! I-I...I can't..."
"I know I must be sounding like an asshole right now for saying this, but you're being selfish." I sighed. "We need to find this killer, ok? So get your science stuff before I spill."
"Me? I'm...the selfish one?" He repeated. "No...Y-You're the one whose...W-Who-"
"I don't get the problem." I continued. "You're the Ultimate Forensic Scientist, are you not? On top of that, I'm not the one who killed someone-"
He harshly turned away, refusing to hear more. Satoshi clutched his head in anguish as he rushed back to his cabin.
"Satoshi? Satoshi?!?" I called out to him. "What the heck?"
I was bluffing! I wasn't actually going to reveal it. It's not like I'm that big of an asshole. I just wanted him to help. Geez...
He did seem to get pretty freaked out when I mentioned that secret...Maybe I was too harsh for that...
It's still not my fault though! He's the one that stormed off.
"Chiyo." I heard someone say. I looked to see Hidemi had left the dining room in search of me but had seen the final parts of Satoshi and me's interaction. "What just happened...?"
"It's Satoshi." I blamed him. "All I did was ask him to help with his talent, but he's ran away. He seemed super scared."
It's not like I was lying, since it was kind of the truth.
"Oh..." she sighed. "You shouldn't have done that."
"Huh? Why?"
"Satoshi, he..." she was about to continue, but stopped herself. "I can't explain it. But I think I know what you're referring to with his attitude. I'll be back after a quick word with him. I will help you investigate in a bit!"
Hidemi quickly smiled before following Satoshi, a sense of urgency in her steps.
Well, I suppose I'll start this investigation alone. That can't be too hard I guess...But Satoshi's talent would seriously be useful right about now.
I found myself back in the kitchen, where most of the people had left except for a few stragglers. I was face to face with Akemi's body; the Monokuma File in my hand.
"Looks like I should read this now..."
First Case
-
The victim was Akemi Furuya, the Ultimate Conspiracy Theorist.
The time of death was 01:03 am.
The body was found in the kitchen.
The victim was discovered at 7:24 am by Finn, Tatsuo, and Kokoro.
The causes of death are the wounds from his wrist to elbow which led to him bleeding out. Other injuries or items of interest include the burns on said arms and the markings on his neck.
-
Well, that was a lot. It did give some useful stuff like the time he died and the things of interest, but other than that, all it did was kind of state the obvious.
The time of death is a bit strange though. A bit over half an hour after the cleaning crew left, and twenty minutes after we spotted Satoshi outside.
I wonder if that had anything to do with it.
Truth Bullet - Monokuma File
Before I went up to the body, I took a look at the counters first. They were generally tidy after the work the people responsible for cleaning did last night, so that wasn't weird.
The odd thing was one singular knife that was out of place and covered in blood.
Well, if that doesn't scream murder weapon, I'm not sure what will.
I doubt the killer was able to clean it since the water gets shut off during nighttime. It was a pain for the crew to clean without water too.
I avoided touching the handle and poked the blade of the knife, immediately retracting my hand as my fingertip was met with intense heat.
"Shit." I shook my hand to try and get the pain to go away while I thought. "Why the hell would a knife be this hot?"
"I think I have an idea," Tatsuo said from behind me.
"Hm? And what would that be?"
"Think about it. With the burns on his arms, where else would they have come from?"
"That does make sense..."
Truth Bullet - Knife
"You can also tell by his wounds themselves." He added, studying the cuts from afar.
"For real?"
"Take a look for yourself."
I considered it, but ultimately decided to go over and kneeled in front of Akemi's sat up body.
I've seen all kinds of stuff, but I've never been close to an actual corpse before.
Part of me thinks it's gross but another is finding this a bit cool.
Never mind. That's...weird. Especially after what happened with...her.
I shook off the feeling and lifted up Akemi's right arm to my face. I examined the wound. While I did, I heard Tatsuo speak.
"So, how are you holding up?"
"I'm...Well, obviously I'm surprised this even happened. But, I guess I'm kind of playing it down."
"Huh? And why's that?"
"Um...To not lose it, I suppose."
"I see." He nodded. "I take it you've also had someone close to you get hurt or die. I'm kinda feeling the same way."
"Yeah..." I sighed and answered truthfully, but glanced back at him. "Hey, what do you mean 'also?' Are you saying you've experienced it too?"
"U-Uh." He realised what he had said and immediately refused to speak on the topic further. "You...You didn't hear that."
"Right...Sure I didn't."
There's something going on with him...I wonder who that someone who got hurt or even died was.
Just then, I discovered what Tatsuo meant about the knife.
"You're right! His wounds have been cauterised..." I let go of Akemi's limp arm. "The killer must have let him bleed out and then done this to stop any further mess by burning and covering the wound."
"I can see that." Tatsuo nodded, already ignoring our conversation that happened literally a moment ago.
Truth Bullet - Wounds
"That's a good theory, Chiyo." Hidemi emerged, coming into the room. "You're starting to get the hang of this already."
I got up and glanced at her. "You're back already? That's impressive."
"Oh, why thank you!"
"So, where is Satoshi?" I kept looking behind Hidemi to see if he was there.
"Satoshi? Right...I barely managed to convince him."
"Wait, seriously?" I perked up and grinned. "Yes! Hidemi, you're the best."
"T-Thank you! Again." She accepted the praise but then continued. "It took a whole lot of talking but he finally accepted just to get us all to stop. I can't help but feel bad for him though..."
"At least he's finally cooperating." I shrugged. "So when's he going to get here?"
"He's collecting his things, so a few minutes."
"That's good," I said but noticed something. "It's...kinda breezy in here."
"Hm? Really?" Hidemi replied. "Maybe close the window. It is wide open right now."
"Oh yeah. That makes sense."
While Tatsuo, who was now joined by Hidemi, continued to look at the body, I tried to get to the window. It was pretty high up, so I had to stand on the counter just to reach it.
Once I got to it, I attempted to close it, but every time I did it would just swing back open. That's when I saw it.
"The windows lock...It's gone." I said.
"Huh?" Hidemi craned her neck upwards to see. "How bizarre. It was working yesterday. Let me take a look."
She joined me on the counter and inspected the window, pondering to herself. "It seems to have broken off. The direction of where the small metal bars the lock was attached to suggest so. It was yanked off in an unusual force or movement."
"Woah, you're able to tell all that...just by some scrap metal?" Now I was the one who was amazed.
"Ha...sorry if I went too far." She awkwardly blushed.
"No, no. In this situation, too far is a good thing." Tatsuo dismissed her from where he was.
"Although...I think a person could manage to fit through it. The problem is how would they get in from the outside." She continued to think.
"Couldn't they just get out from inside? Or use the door?" I presumed.
"I mean, yes...But I don't really see a point of getting out from in here. They would just use the door in that case. I suppose why the door wasn't used is another mystery." She said. "But Chiyo, could you climb out the window and see what's outside?"
"Can't...I just take the door?" I asked.
"You could, but I want to see someone use the window."
I sighed but gave in. "Fine. Since it's you asking."
I used some momentum to jump up to the window and then pushed myself out, sliding down onto the other side.
For the fall, I was expecting to land feet first in some dirt or sand but instead landed on one of the chairs from the dining hall.
"That's totally not out of place," I smirked. "The killer must have forgotten or not had time. How reckless."
I jumped up and back into the kitchen, sliding myself through the window to softly land on the counter.
"The killer used one of the chairs from the dining hall outside. That's what they used to reach the window." I explained.
"I see. And they left it..."
"I did notice a missing chair this morning in the dining room," Tatsuo added.
"Hm. Now we just have to locate the lock for the window." She nodded.
"Do you mean this thing?" Tatsuo held up a small and crushed piece of metal and handed it to us.
"Yes! This is it. Where did you find this?" Hidemi examined the lock.
"It was stuck to Akemi's hoodie."
"So does that mean the killer slipped Akemi's body through the window?" I theorised. "That's how the lock broke and got caught on him."
"Maybe..."
Truth Bullet - Window and Lock
I was about to get down from the counter, but Hidemi stopped me.
"Hold on a second." She kneeled down, picking up what appeared to be a small piece of fabric. "Now this is a clue..."
"Is it really?" I asked.
"Of course. Look at it yourself."
She handed me the fabric before stepping down from the counter. I studied it in my hands and realised what she had meant.
"It's covered in blood!" I exclaimed. "It looks like it got ripped off someone's shirt too..."
"Hm...I suspect that similar to the lock, it got ripped off as the culprit was sneaking out the kitchen and then soon fluttered down onto the counter." She began making scenarios in her head.
"That makes sense. But it sucks that it's so bloody...I can't even tell what colour it is. Well, except for the colour of blood." I complained but Hidemi reassured me.
"Don't worry. The fact that it came from a shirt is enough to begin to narrow down some suspects."
Damn...She is seriously amazing at this. I feel like I'm just helping her investigate rather than us working together.
I guess that's just one of Hidemi's many talents. If she's this good, I wonder how great Satoshi is supposed to be.
Truth Bullet - Ripped Shirt Piece
"I think I've found a jackpot," Tatsuo spoke up, digging something from under the counters.
"Huh? What is it?" Hidemi faced him as he pulled out what seemed to be a pair of black gloves.
"Those must be the killers...Does anybody wear black gloves?" She wondered.
"My gloves and Ryoko's are white. Yuna's are brown...And Shouko, Satoshi and Shimura's are black." He listed off the names.
"So those must be our main suspects!" I concluded. "This is easy!"
It makes sense too. I'm not sure about Shouko, but Satoshi's secret could be a good motive...As for Shimura, he hasn't even arrived at the crime scene yet, so that automatically makes him suspicious.
"Hold on. Take a look at his."
Tatsuo presented us with the gloves which had a little white symbol on the bottom.
"Wait...That's the symbol on Akemi's t-shirt!" Hidemi pointed out.
I examined the design on his T-shirt and the gloves and yep...The same eye design.
"These...These are some of the stupid gloves he was talking about!" I groaned. "Are you kidding me? Those are really going to be important?"
"What do you mean?"
"Akemi was rambling about his merchandise and brought up a bunch of gloves he sells. These gloves are probably some of that merch!" I relayed the information.
"But where would the killer get them from?" Tatsuo was confused.
"Maybe...His lab? We still need to investigate there too." Hidemi guessed.
"That might be the answer. We'll find out when we take a look there." I said. "But I guess Shouko, Shimura and Satoshi are not main suspects if these aren't even their gloves in the first place."
I'm kinda bummed out too. I was starting to think that I had almost solved the whole thing already.
Truth Bullet - Gloves
"Aha! There you are, buddy!" I heard someone happily announce behind me. We turned around to see Finn on all fours, peering under a counter. He reached his arms out and pulled them back to reveal the missing Archie the Second in his hands, alive and well.
"Oh man, you really scared me. You must have been locked here all night...But you had me worried, ya know!" He started speaking to the creature in his hands but then grinned. "Aw...I can't stay mad at you."
Finn used his fingertip to pet the spider before giving it a light high five, the thing returning the gesture with one of its legs.
"That's...so freaky." I bluntly blurted out, Finn noticing our presence.
"Oh, hey you guys." He stood up, the creature crawling up his sleeve. "How's the investigation coming along?"
"It's going pretty well if I do say so myself." Hidemi proudly answered. "I'm glad you found Archie."
"Same here. The little guy has never been gone that long. He must have really been attached to something or someone here. The poor guy got locked in too."
"Couldn't he have just climbed out the window?" Tatsuo stated the obvious.
"Well, yeah. But then he would be even more lost outside. Archie's trained and super smart, so he knows not to just crawl around...unless he's exploring of course. In that case, I seriously can't stop him." Finn rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled lightheartedly.
"Hm..." Hidemi was deep in thought once again. "If your spider was here all night...He might be an important witness."
"What? You're...You're kidding?" I stared at her, not believing something so...bizarre. "It's a spider. It can't be a witness! Next, you're gonna tell me a parrot is an important witness."
"It does sound weird..." Tatsuo agreed with me.
"Ok, maybe witness is the wrong word...An important bystander? He was locked in here all night, so he might prove useful." Hidemi rephrased it.
"And by he...you mean the spider."
"Yes! Archie!" She nodded.
"It's...It's a spider!"
"I know!" She smiled. "He might have some stuff to say!"
"I...I...Whatever."
After that, I just sighed and gave up. It looks like a spider is really going to be a piece of evidence now.
Truth Bullet - Archie the Second's...Account?
"If you keep that up Hidemi, Archie and you can become besties in no time." Finn grinned.
"That would be very fun." She seemed to like the idea. "However Chiyo and I should get going. We should go investigate Akemi's cabin. Would you two like to come?" Hidemi offered them both.
"Nah, I think I'm going to stay here and keep an eye out on the people in the dining hall." Tatsuo waved his hand as a sign of refusal.
"Same here. Some of the people in the other room are really down. I gotta help them out too." Finn gave his reason.
"That's perfectly fine. I wish the two of you good luck!"
Hidemi and I started walking out of the room but I pulled her over away from the others.
"Didn't you say Satoshi was coming? Where the hell is he?" I asked.
"Hm...Probably running behind. Don't worry, I told him to conduct his investigation here. Plus, I can trust Tatsuo and Finn to keep an eye on him." She replied.
"Right. I just hope he doesn't back out of his word and run away. Plus, that was way more than a few minutes."
Hidemi was about to say something in defence of Satoshi but stopped herself.
"How about we keep going? Some fresh air will allow us to think too!" She changed the subject.
"If you say so." I shrugged.
-
"How are we going to get inside? The door is locked shut." I continued to bang on the door, but it wouldn't budge.
"I guessed that would have happened. Our only option might be to call for Monokuma." Hidemi suggested, but I shut that idea down immediately.
"No way. I don't want to rely on that bear." I shook my head. "This has to open someway..."
I took a few steps back, but just as I was about to try and force the door open, someone had swung the door open from the inside.
There, in the doorway, was Ryoko.
"My oh my. There is no need for such force, Chiyo." She playfully said.
"Oh...Ryoko."
"But, how did you get inside?" Hidemi asked.
"I simply just asked Monokuma to open the door for me. I told him it was for the investigation." She explained. "The bear is cute, although not exactly intimidating to me. I was checking and going through almost every cabin anyway."
Talk about a breach of privacy...But I suppose it might help? In some weird way...
I guess that's just how Ryoko is.
Hidemi glanced over at me as a way to say 'I told you so.'
Whatever. The bear is the least reliable person here.
Person...? Thing...? Bear?!?
What exactly is Monokuma?
Again, whatever! Now is not the time.
"So, are you two just going to stand there or are you going to come inside and take a look? Trust me, you'll be very pleased with the number of clues in here." Ryoko teased us with what was lying in the room before returning back inside. I was about to follow her in but Hidemi grabbed my arm.
"Before we go in...Let's discuss the motive."
"Hm? You mean all the secrets?"
"Yes." She said. "You have to agree with me that the motive has to have something to do with the case, right?"
"Oh, absolutely." I nodded. "I would be shocked if it wasn't."
"Here's what I'm thinking...Akemi had the killer's secret or vice versa. Somehow the two found out and that ended up getting Akemi killed." She stated her theory but dismissed it. "I know it's vague, but I'm trying to get an image as to why this happened, along with maybe a series of events."
"No, no. It's fine."
Truth Bullet - Motive
"Thank you...I know my theory might not be entirely accurate, but with more clues and our knowledge, I know we can solve this!" She cheered.
"Hm...So that means you like investigating with me, huh?" I smirked at her as she blushed. "I know we make quite the duo but I wasn't expecting the investigation to go so smoothly. I'm glad."
"T-Thank you-"
"Hello!" Ryoko tapped on the window to get our attention, interrupting our moment.
Seriously...? Did Ryoko have to do that now?
"I'm sorry, but are the two of you really just going to stand there? Come inside and start investigating already!" She continued.
"Ok, Ryoko! Calm down." I yelled so she could hear. "Sorry about her."
"It's fine. Let's just go inside so she can relax." Hidemi smiled.
We entered Akemi's lab to see Ryoko with her arms crossed, waiting for the two of us.
"My god...I did not expect this procrastination!" She said. "I expected better."
"Whatever. What's in here exactly?" I asked.
"Well, just take a look around. That will answer your own question."
I did as Ryoko instructed and examined the room, seeing it to be a mess. Cracks on the glass sliding door, photos and books torn and on the floor, bed sheets flung across the room...
That was just the furniture. The walls were covered in scratches and markings where a fight had probably taken place.
"These are clear signs of a struggle, don't you think? Akemi and his killer most definitely fought in this room. Who provoked it? Only time will tell..." Ryoko gave her ideas.
"No, you're probably right. It's safe to say to crime started here with all the damage. Then something happened in between here and the kitchen which resulted in Akemi dying and getting wounded fatally in there." Hidemi added to her theory. "Could the motive be the cause for the fight?"
"I have absolutely no clue." I shrugged, walking over to one of the chests of drawers in Akemi's cabin. Preferably the one that was damaged the least.
Truth Bullet - Signs of a Struggle
On top of the counter, I found some sort of scrunched up piece of paper.
"God, this place really is a mess..." I said as I undid it, noticing some writing. "Huh?"
"Chiyo? What is it?" Hidemi peered over my shoulder.
"I found some sort of note..." I told them before reading it out loud...
"Hey ____
I really have to talk to you.
Don't worry, it's nothing too bad.
You should come to my cabin after you are done with your work after the party. We can talk there.
The time doesn't matter, I can talk whenever. Don't be scared!
I really hope you come!!!
- Akemi"
"Now that is very interesting." Ryoko took the note out of her hands and read it herself. "Although, who is it addressed to?"
"That's the thing. The name is ripped off so we don't know." I pointed out.
"Akemi must have sent this to someone then. That person...Must be the killer." Hidemi inferred from the context.
"They must have ripped their own name off," I added. "They got the note, came here, fought him and left it here. Does that make sense?"
"Perfect sense." The attorney smiled at the timeline of events. "You're a natural already."
"Wow...T-Thanks."
Ryoko looked suspiciously between the two of us before loudly clearing her throat.
"Ahem...If I could continue." We immediately stopped talking when we saw her cold piercing glare. "It's obvious the killer is a member of the cleaning committee."
"Hm? You can't be sure of that." I tilted my head.
"Really? Then what else would 'work after the party' mean?" She carried on. "Akemi sent the killer this note, knowing they would be cleaning and waited for them. It's simple."
"That...Makes sense now that you mention it."
Hidemi tapped her finger against her shoulder. "The killer might not definitely be from the cleaning committee...but it does make the whole of that committee suspicious."
"I'm glad we can finally see eye to eye on something, miss defence attorney," Ryoko smirked at her, but I sensed some malice behind it.
"Ex...Excuse me?" Hidemi replied, obviously confused, but continued. "We can't be too sure yet. But the note does tell us why the killer and Akemi met. Akemi gave the killer a note...Most probably during the party."
The guy barely talked to anyone during that party though. Is that really the case?
It's our best option...I guess.
Truth Bullet - Note
"Well, then who was a part of the cleaning committee. Those should be our prime suspects." Ryoko questioned us. "I was just sooo bored at that meeting yesterday, I couldn't be bothered to pay attention."
"...The committee consisted of me, Chiyo, Shunsuke, Finn, Kokoro, Kenjiro and Akihiro, of course. Shimura did also stay behind, but that was just to talk to Aki." Hidemi went through the names, listing them off while counting on her fingers.
Shimura...Why do I feel such unease hearing his name now? Is it because he's still not here? He was fine yesterday...
"Now that's quite the intriguing list of names." The grandmaster nodded. "And what time did this crew leave exactly?"
"12:35."
"How can you know the exact time?" I asked Hidemi.
"I checked the clock before we left, so judging by that, we probably got to our cabins at saw Satoshi around 12:40."
"Excellent." Ryoko seemed to remember that for later. "Then what would be the order of people leaving?"
"Well...That would be Akemi, then you, then everyone except the cleaning crew and then...the cleaning crew." I told her.
"And that's perfect! I'm one step closer to solving this mystery." She proudly clapped her hands. "Thanks, ladies."
"Don't you mean...we're close to solving it? Not just you?" Hidemi attempted to correct her.
"Hm? Oh, yes, sure, whatever. 'We are'...or something." She rolled her eyes, air quoting what Hidemi had said.
"No need to be rude..." she murmured under her breath just loud enough so I could hear, me humming in agreement.
Truth Bullet - Cleaning Committee
Truth Bullet - Hidemi's Account
Truth Bullet - Order of Leaving
"I suppose I should tell you all an important piece of information I have as well." Ryoko played with one of the curls in her hair. "If you want me to, of course. I'd be happy to keep it all to myself."
"Are you kidding me? Spit it out! It might be important, you know." I instructed her.
"Alright, since it's you asking, Chiyo." She smiled. "Last night, I didn't really feel like falling asleep, so I sat at my balcony and admired the night sky. But, oh no! It was at this moment I saw the killer beat Akemi! They then opened Akemi's sliding door and dragged him outside over his balcony railing!" She dramatically re-enacted it with her hands.
"Seriously? Obviously, you should tell us this!" I reprimanded her.
"Anyway, I retreated back to my cabin as the killer, dragging Akemi by his legs, walked past. They went to the kitchen, although Akemi certainly wasn't dead yet. He seemed to be unconscious though..." she mentioned.
"This is extremely important. Akemi fell unconscious in his cabin, and was killed in the kitchen." Hidemi said. "Thanks for that, Ryoko."
"Hmph. I expected more praise, but oh well." She sighed.
Truth Bullet - Ryoko's Account
"Anyway, we're done here, ladies. And I appoint myself as the leader of your little duo." Ryoko placed a hand on her hip. "Well, it's a trio now."
Looks like we don't have a choice but to follow Ryoko. God knows what the hell she's going to make us do.
As we left the room, I noticed a few boxes stacked on top of each other. The top one was open slightly, a pair of gloves identical to the ones in the kitchen slipping out of it.
That basically confirms me and Hidemi's theory about those gloves being a part of Akemi's merch collection instead of someone else's.
-
Ryoko, Hidemi and I started to make our way out of the cabin area, but the attorney stopped a few steps behind me and Ryoko, staring at one particular cabin.
"Hey...Why is Shimura's door open?" She pointed to what she was looking at, his door halfway open.
"How weird. When we ran to the dining hall this morning, was it open?" I asked her.
"I don't think so..."
"Well, maybe it's another mystery to solve! Let's go take a look." Ryoko seemed excited to go inside.
"R-Ryoko!" Hidemi called out to her. "We can't just barge in!"
"Does that really matter now? I've searched almost every cabin here so what's the difference? Besides, you just barged into Akemi's lab, did you not?" She gave some flimsy reasoning as an excuse so she could waltz in immediately after.
"The thing is Akemi is dead, so there's kind of a big difference..." I rolled my eyes. "Looks like we're seriously going inside."
"I'm sorry Shimura." Hidemi apologised to the air as if he were there. "Let's catch up with her."
We reached the door to Shimura's cabin. Hidemi placed her hand on it and gently opened it wider so we could get a look inside...
And what we saw was another nightmare.
Before us, laying motionless on the floor was Shimura. His glasses cracked and his wrist was surrounded by...
A detached wristband?
"Well." Ryoko examined the scene and then spoke. "Who would have thought?" She marched over and kneeled down beside his body, picking up the wristband. "It seems like our ever so important Ultimate Toxicologist has been killed. Slain by a mere accessory."
"Wait...He's...He's really dead?!?" Hidemi's exclaimed, rushing over to his side.
"Check for yourself."
Ok...if he's dead, then maybe there isn't much of a difference to Akemi.
But Shimura?!? Dying?!? What the fuck?
I joined the two I've them, surrounding his body. He was indeed still, eyes closed shut.
"I don't believe it...He was fine yesterday." Hidemi commented.
"Exactly! So...So how?!? How is he now dead?" I exclaimed.
"How about we check what special rule he got? That could give us some information." Ryoko said, studying the band. "Hm...It's not powering on. How peculiar."
Right...The wrist band is only activated when it's around someone's wrist. If it's detached...then he really must be dead.
"It looks like you ladies have finally discovered him! I should give you a prize." Monokuma appeared, standing on Shimura's bed. "Now do you believe me? Those straps are no joke! Trust me, I tried one myself."
"Now is not the time for games, bear. Tell us what happened!" I demanded.
"What else is there to know? He broke his rule, got poisoned and died. Unless there was some trickery involved, that's all that happened! Pretty sad, huh?"
"His rule...What was his rule?" Ryoko asked.
"Like I'd tell you! Find out yourself." The bear grinned. "I've got to let everyone know about this terrible discovery, so I'll be seeing you!"
"Can't you just do an announcement? You did one for Akemi!" I said.
Hidemi nodded, pointing it out. "Right! There are three of us, so an announcement should have triggered."
"Those announcements are reserved for murder victims and murder victims only! I don't want any punished deaths getting in my way! That would be a waste of time."
"But wouldn't an announcement be more efficient than just telling everyone one by one?!?" I argued.
"Stop trying to challenge me already! Do you want to end up like him too?"
I was about to fight back, but held my wrist, feeling my own strap.
Shit...if I'm not careful, I could end up like that...
"And that's what I thought! Now, time to go deliver the news to everyone."
And with that, Monokuma had disappeared once again.
"That damn bear..." I clenched my fist and turned back to Shimura. "How could he just die like that?!?"
"I...I don't know." Hidemi sighed, while Ryoko kept fiddling with the wristband.
I raised Shimura's wrist and saw the mark of where the band had pricked him, his vein popping out slightly from under his skin.
Wait a second...
I grabbed his other wrist and saw skin indentations where the band should have been.
This...This doesn't make sense! If the needle pricked him on the other wrist...Then how was the wristband on the other? That just doesn't make sense.
I glanced up to see the camera in his room had been covered as well with his lab coat, obscuring its vision.
How suspicious...
Just what were you doing in here, Shimura? Would you really just die like that?
I got up and left the two at Shimura's body to find an open notebook on his bed, the page reading about his wristband.
Wait...His rule is written on here!
"Guys, check this out," I called them over and read out what Shimura's rule was.
'It's not allowed for you to witness violence take place between campers excluding yourself'
"Woah..." I said after reading that.
"So, is that the reason to why he died?" Ryoko asked, Shimura's wrist band no longer in her hands.
"Seems so. I still kinda can't believe it."
"Perhaps...similarly to you, Ryoko, he saw the conflict between the killer and Akemi from his lab! I mean, Ryoko, your cabin was on the right of Akemi's cabin and you still saw it and the culprit dragging him away. If Shimura's cabin was on the left...it's likely he saw it too." Hidemi went through another idea.
"I...I guess that makes sense."
But is that really it? Is that all there is to his death?
And why would the cameras be covered?
And why is the indentation on the wrong hand?
And now that I think about it...Why does he look like he has no symptoms of poisoning whatsoever? No side effects...No markings...Not even some blood.
Why...Why is this so strange?!?
"Now ladies, I'm sure you want to mourn this poor guy's death...God knows why. And I don't mean to sound heartless, but we must continue investigating." Ryoko led us. "We're not here for him. We're here to find whoever killed the nuisance."
"But...Are you sure we can just leave him?" I wondered.
"Who cares?" She shrugged. "Hm. I certainly do not."
Without another word, Ryoko left, brushing dirt off her dress.
"Are...Are we seriously still going to follow her?!?" I asked.
"...Chiyo, I don't mean this to be rude but Ryoko, despite the way she goes about it, is somewhat right," Hidemi replied.
"W-What?"
She wistfully sighed once more. "The trial is for Akemi, not Shimura...we need to continue investigating. I'm sorry."
I took a moment, but exhaled. "Fine. I kinda get it. I just think this is kinda crazy."
"No, it's fine. I understand. And I'm sorry again."
Before we both left the room, I paused.
"Wait! We should take his wristband." I suggested.
"Hm? Why? It doesn't work anymore."
"They will allow us to track who had a wristband. There are only five people with them, and excluding Shimura, that's now four." I explained my idea.
"Oh..." she seemed to pause, but smiled. "That is a nice plan! Let's go get it then."
I turned on my heel to walk back to Shimura's body to retrieve the band but stopped.
It had disappeared.
But...But how?!? It was just here a moment ago! What is going on?!?
"Where did it go?" Hidemi took a step back.
"I-I don't know!" I exclaimed. "Did Monokuma take it or some shit?"
"At least we know he had one. Maybe it will turn up eventually." She tried to lighten up the mood. "That makes one out of five."
Actually, two if you count me. But it's not like I can tell Hidemi that.
Well...Not right now, at least.
"What are you waiting for?" Ryoko yelled from outside. "Let's go back to the kitchen already!"
"Alright, we're coming! Calm the hell down!" I yelled back a response.
-
After leaving Shimura's now creepy cabin, we were on route to the kitchen again. Satoshi must be hard at work now using all of his equipment.
We strolled past the fountain. Now, two out of sixteen lanterns that hung around it were put out.
Those must represent our lives...
But I noticed something else, floating in the water.
"Hey...What the hell is that?"
I pointed towards a large white cloth now covered in water. There were faint blood stains which were now staining the water too, probably being washed off by it. The cloth was even invaded by small bits of wet paper, most likely left by Finn's prank last night.
"A bloody cloth. It looks like it's from the kitchen." Hidemi pointed it out.
"Weird. Why would the killer just dump this here? Could they have not washed it?" I asked.
"No. The water shuts off during nighttime, remember." She reminded me.
"Right..."
"The killer presumably left it here with the water that remained still from the day, waiting for morning so more water would come to wash the blood out." Ryoko assumed. "This would be the only place with water, despite it not running. So they used it to clean the blood up in the kitchen before disposing of it here."
"Ooo! That's a good theory too, Ryoko. The two of you will be pros at this in no time." Hidemi complimented her, but Ryoko only replied with a cold stare. "Um...Ryoko?"
Why is it always awkward and uncomfortable whenever the two of them interact? It's not like it's their fault, but the feeling is way too strong...
This is some pretty useful information though.
Truth Bullet - Bloody Cloth
"U-Um." I heard someone approach us from behind, interrupting the uncomfortable atmosphere. "Satoshi...He told me to get y-you guys."
I'm so glad people are here to always interrupt my thinking whenever it gets tense between Hidemi and Ryoko.
"Huh?" Hidemi looked over her shoulder and looked relieved. "Oh, Kenjiro! That's great."
"Why did he send you though?" I wondered.
"I...It's probably because I was closest to him." He sighed.
"Right. What does he need us for?" The attorney asked.
"He found s-some things. Although he seemed very i-irritated."
"I see." She nodded. "Maybe you could talk to him. You could help! He might need someone like you in his life right now." She offered.
"Oh...I've already offered."
"And?"
"He said n-no."
"Oh, ignore him Kenjiro. He's always like that." I dismissed Satoshi. "Let's just get to the kitchen."
"A-Alright. And...I'm sorry about Shimura too."
Looks like Monokuma finished telling everyone.
-
Kenjiro, Hidemi and I returned back to the dining hall. Ryoko left us halfway through the journey with the excuse of 'needing to conduct important business.' None of us said anything though, so she just left anyway.
In order to make it to the kitchen, which had the door tightly closed and shutters dividing them pulled down, we also had to walk past a now even more distressed Kokoro, who was now panicked over Shimura's death as well while Shunsuke attempts to comfort her.
I guess everyone has got it rough, huh?
Hidemi opened the kitchen door, and we were met with an intense darkness. In the corner in front of Akemi's body was Satoshi, holding a bright blue light and focusing on some glowing substance on the floor. He harshly turned around once he heard us walk in.
"What is your problem? Can you please close the door!"
"Ok, I'm sorry!" Hidemi apologised before quickly closing it.
"First you force me to work against my will and then you interrupt me." He sighed. "I can't believe this. Are you going to make me examine the other guy too?" Satoshi folded his arms.
"You're the one that called us over!" I defended Hidemi and myself.
"Yeah, I did, but I expected you to knock." He put the light away into a bag. "I've got a few things for you."
"Oh really? Let's see it then."
Satoshi went pale once he saw me, but lowered his head and went back to his bag.
Geez...It sounds like Satoshi isn't gonna forget what I did earlier. Was I that much of an asshole or something?
"I-I..." Satoshi's hands trembled slightly as he looked over all the equipment once again. He took a deep breath and tried to continue. "I found traces of blood in an unusual pattern with the luminol."
"Luminol?" I repeated.
"Satoshi sprays it on surfaces where blood might be. Then, by turning off the lights and shining a UV light on it, it makes the traces of blood glow. It helps find where blood was maybes cleaned or smudged." Hidemi explained on his behalf.
"Ah, that makes sense." I nodded.
"From the pattern of the blood, I assume...something was placed under him to stop the blood from spilling, but some got cut off and spilt anyway."
He's not that bad when he's explaining stuff. Satoshi might be getting into it too.
"That something must be the bloody cloth from the fountain!" I grinned at my deductions.
"O-Ok..." he replied. "I also found no fingerprints."
"Huh?"
"Fingerprints are usually left behind, but there were none on the knife. None on Akemi's neck either." He pointed out.
"But...Why would there be fingerprints on his neck?" I wondered.
"H-Have you not seen the markings?" Kenjiro tilted his head.
"Markings...?"
I went over and studied his neck after Hidemi turned the lights back on. That's when I saw it. "He has some weird bruises..."
"Signs of strangulation. Manual too."
"Huh?!?"
"He got strangled, and the killer left bruising." He explained again.
"Then...What does manual mean?"
"It means he was strangled with the killer's hands instead of a cord. But there are no fingerprints. Their hands were definitely hidden." Satoshi's concluded. "Maybe on the spot strangulation?"
That's probably due to the gloves.
Truth Bullet - No Fingerprints
"So...Am I done here?" Satoshi took his own gloves off and slipped them into his pocket. "I want to leave right now."
"Are you sure?" His stepsister asked.
"I've already done what you guys forced me to, ok. I don't need to be here." He closed his bag and harshly snatched it up, looking pleadingly at Hidemi. "Just...let me go. Please?"
"...Alright. Thanks again."
"You should be thankful. I can't be here anymore anyway..."
Satoshi turned away and left the kitchen, his jacket blowing behind him.
"Is he seriously just going to leave?" I judged him.
"Just...Let him go for now, ok Chiyo." Hidemi weakly smiled, trying to reason with me.
I feel like she knows something about him the rest of us don't...
"Anyway, thanks for being us, Kenjiro." She also thanked the other boy who was behind us. "Chiyo and I will now be consulting the people in the kitchen."
"That's fine..." he nodded.
I followed Hidemi out into the kitchen and tilted my head in confusion. "The kitchen? Why?"
"The people here are our classmates and might have important information. It's crucial we talk to them. Does that make sense?" She explained.
"Yeah...Alibi's and stuff, I suppose."
We first walked over to Kokoro and Shunsuke who were huddled together, leaning against the wall and comforting each other.
"Sorry to interrupt, but we're here to ask questions." Hidemi began.
"O-Oh no! You...You suspect us! Me and Shunsuke! We...W-We would never kill! Not Akemi and not Shimura! Believe us!" Kokoro desperately cried.
"N-No!" Hidemi denied it. "Shoot. I shouldn't have started off like that..."
"Yeah, plus Shimura wasn't murdered. His...His wristband got him." I cleared up her misconception.
"T-That's worse!"
"Kokoro, my dear, you must calm yourself. They're only here to inspect our testimonies and confirm our innocence. We have no reason to be suspected." Shunsuke held her hand to ease her.
"Well...A-Alright...But we're innocent! I swear!"
"So, what were you two doing last night?" Hidemi asked the obvious question.
"We were deep into our slumber, still in our places of rest," Shunsuke replied in some cryptic way.
"We were asleep!" Kokoro answered way clearer.
"Right...I should have guessed that." Hidemi shook her head. "What about during the party and cleaning duty?"
"Me and Shunsuke were practically together the whole time from when we came till when we left! Aki greeted us, and so did Akemi...Akemi!" She realised what she just said and got all gloomy again.
"As for our cleaning duty, Kokoro assisted in clearing tables while I was organising the kitchen. You were there as well Chiyo, pushing down the unfortunate substances in the sink. Afterwards, I locked the kitchen and we all departed."
"Yuck. Thanks for reminding me." I flinched, remembering the grossness in that sink. "I gotta say, your apron was nice though."
"Why, thank you!"
"Finn was at the fountain...Hidemi, you were using the broom to sweep the floor. Kenjiro took out the trash and Akihiro...talked to Shimura the whole time." Kokoro finished Shunsuke's explanation for him.
"Wait...the kitchen was locked all night?" Hidemi pointed out what he said.
"Why, yes it was. Why?" Shunsuke repeated.
"That actually helps a lot..." she thought to herself, tapping her finger against her chin.
"You're right. It is pretty important now that I think about it..." I nodded.
Truth Bullet - Cleaning Committee Routine
Truth Bullet - Locked Kitchen
"Then, where's the key?" Hidemi wondered, but we got interrupted.
"Looking...Looking...Hm? You mean...This, right?" We glanced back to see Shouko on all fours, lifting the kitchen mat up and pulling out a key.
"Ah, yes!" Shunsuke laughed. "Oh my, your power is absolutely seeping right now! I believe a spar is in place."
"A...Spar? No thanks." Shouko bluntly declined, dropping the key into my hands.
"It's...covered in some dust." I noticed before loudly sneezing.
"Bless you! Are you ok?" Hidemi, held my shoulders as I sneezed once more.
"I...I can't hold this. I-" I sneezed again. "I have a dust allergy..."
"Oh! Hand it over!" Hidemi quickly took it out of my hands to protect me.
"Thanks..."
"The key was only used this morning to open the kitchen! It's no wonder there's a bit of dust..." Kokoro said.
"Hm...I can also see the shape of the key in the dust." Hidemi noted. "It most likely wasn't touched all night. Good to know."
Truth Bullet - Kitchen Key
Ding dong, dong ding!
"Huh? Another announcement?" I turned to the monitor.
"Well, I'd say the investigation was deathly...Boring! Snore! Since I'm so bored of this, let's start the trial! Make your way to the clock tower and you'll see what happened next." Monokuma declared, the screen buzzing off when he was done.
"The...clocktower? That place is far too small for a trial!" Hidemi gasped. "How will anyone get to speak?"
"That's what you're worried about?" I cocked my eye at her.
"R-Right...We should get going. I wonder how this trial will play out..."
"What do you think it will be like?" I asked.
"Knowing Monokuma...Probably almost nothing like a real trial."
-
All, now fourteen of us were tightly packed into the small waiting area. Some were lucky enough to sit on some of the sofas provided, but most of us had to stand, including me.
"So...Won't this be fun?" Ryoko smiled, sparking conversation.
"Fun? This is anything but fun!" Akihiro cried.
"For real...Everyone's bummed out." Finn sighed.
"Oh, lighten up! How will we find and execute a killer with you all so...depressed? You'll need all the help you can get! I'm fine, however." She laughed.
"H-How can you say that...?" Kenjiro stuttered.
"We...We have to execute someone!" Kokoro realised.
"Hm? I'm right though. You're all too sad to think straight! It's not like Akemi was that valuable anyway. His theories might have been useful, but he as a man was worthless to me. Shimura...Is a confusing case." She continued. "Ah! Yet again I'm the victim of stating my opinion!"
"And what an interesting opinion it is!" Monokuma spoke through the speakers. "Now that you mopey lot have arrived, we can get the trial underway."
"A trial...in here? It's pretty cramped." Tatsuo pointed out.
"Not here, dumbass! Your transport is right...here! Puhuhu!"
All of a sudden, the glass walls of the elevator fell apart and up came large rusty fences, increasing the size of the lift. Lanterns hung to provide light to the elevator as the glass rebuilt itself to create windows in the metal frames provided.
"What...What the heck just happened?!?" I exclaimed.
"I had to improve the elevator for you all to fit! Now hop on board. The trial awaits!"
Monokuma's voice disappeared as the iron doors to the lift rattled open, sinisterly inviting us to enter.
We all looked at each other with unease, but Ryoko pushed past us to get on early. Without a choice. the rest of us entered one by one. In my opinion, it still felt a bit like a tight squeeze.
I was standing, my shoulder pressing against Hidemi's. We gave each other small grins of encouragement before the lift's doors closed shut. The walls of the elevator clanged together about to move, which was weird since none of us pressed a button. The only buttons available were to go up to the clock and bell or go back down to the ground floor where we were currently on.
I guess Monokuma is controlling the elevator too. But the only way is up...I doubt a trial would work there either.
Unexpectedly, the ground beneath the elevator split open and we were plunged down into darkness, some of my classmates rushed to grab one of the railings to hold on for dear life.
Ok...So up isn't the only way. Seems like we're going underground.
The elevator was dimly lit by lanterns before what seemed to be crystals embedded in the rock walls of the cave we were thrown into glowed, providing us with a variety of bright colours. I glanced around the crystals, admiring the sight through the window.
It...was kinda cool.
Not great to distract us from a murder trial with pretty lights, though.
"You should check the evidence." Hidemi's suggested, tapping on my shoulder. "It'll help your understanding of the case."
"Huh...? How can I do that?"
"The truth bullet app on your handbook! It finally unlocked."
"Oooh."
I pulled my handbook out of my bag and as Hidemi said, the app was now available. I gently tapped on it, all of the pieces of evidence being displayed.
Well, I'll be damned. I was nervous that I couldn't note anything down in my notebook 'cause of that rule. This app is the next best thing...
Truth Bullets
-
Monokuma File
-
Knife
-
Wounds
-
Window and Lock
-
Ripped Shirt Piece
-
Gloves
-
Archie the Seconds...Account?
-
Motive
-
Signs of a Struggle
-
Note
-
Cleaning Committee
-
Hidemi's Account
-
Order of Leaving
-
Ryoko's Account
-
Bloody Cloth
-
No fingerprints
-
Cleaning Committee Routine
-
Locked Kitchen
-
Kitchen Key
-
Damn...That's a lot of evidence.
And I still don't know who the hell the killer is! How can Satoshi and Hidemi do it so easily?!?
I looked over at the attorney during the long ride and noticed her expression.
"He was going to apologise, you know," I mentioned.
"Hm?"
"Akemi. During our walk last night, he went on about how he was gonna apologise for what he said and how he acted to us all. But...I didn't accept. I told him I needed to see some proper change and now...the guy's dead."
"Oh..." Hidemi sighed but seemed a bit relieved. "I'm glad he was able to acknowledge his actions though. Akemi, if you can hear us, I forgive you."
She spoke to him as if he was there.
"...I forgive you too." I joined in.
The lift crashed to a stop and the doors rattled open once more. The crowd slowly scattered into the next room, leaving us to think.
A class trial...
Not one, but two people are dead.
Akemi and Shimura.
And now we gotta find Akemi's killer and execute them.
On paper, it doesn't sound that hard, but in reality...
Will I be able to actually do it? And am I seriously doubting myself...?
-