"I am Byakuya Togami."
After saying those four words, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny turned his back on Nagito and Hajime.
To Hajime, that was the most half-assed introduction in the world.
"Yes, Byakuya Togami," Nagito said. "He may be a bit rude, but he's bound to head the Togami Corporation, one of the biggest businesses in the world right now."
Hajime shook his head. Byakuya Togami, huh? "This guy seems dangerous. I'd keep away from him," Hajime quietly said to Nagito.
. . .
Hajime's assumptions were correct, as during the very first meeting at the restaurant, two people did not show up. One was Fuyuhiko, and the other was... Byakuya.
"Hmmm..." Mahiru said. "It seems like both Fuyuhiko and Byakuya did not come to the restaurant."
Gundham snorted. "Perhaps they were whisked away by a bloodthirsty demon from the depths of hell?" he laughed.
Everyone ignored him, and Peko spoke up. "I talked to Fuyuhiko this morning, and he won't be coming."
"Okay, so that leaves Byakuya," Mahiru said.
"Like I would want to be part of you commoners."
Everyone spun around, and there was Byakuya, standing at the restaurant's door.
"Ah, Byakuya," Nagito said. "So you've finally joined us?"
"Shut up," Byakuya replied. "All I am here for is some food."
After taking some food and a plate, Byakuya turned and briskly walked out of the restaurant.
"Well," Mahiru sighed. "I guess that solves the other problem."
. . .
"Ooh! Ibuki has a great idea!" Ibuki shouted.
Sonia turned to her. "And what might that idea be?" she asked.
"We should throw a party to celebrate!"
Sonia clapped her hands. "That's a great idea, Ibuki!"
But when they invited Byakuya, he scoffed and ignored them.
"Now why would I want to go to such a stupid event?"
Ibuki pouted. "But Byakuya..."
Byakuya spun on her. "I'm only going to tell you this once. I am not affiliated with any of you, and I never will be."
He strolled away from the two.
. . .
On the day of the party (which is at night, btw), Nagito was selected for cleaning duty.
"For someone whose talent is being lucky, you seem to be pretty unlucky right now," Hajime said.
Nagito shrugged and smiled.
"Just get on with it and go, you bastard," Fuyuhiko grumbled. He would much rather be alone, but he didn't want to run into "that fucking self-centered asshole", as he commented to Peko. So he decided to join the party and the restaurant meetings as well. "But you guys are all fucking idiots," he announced on the first day he came.
Everyone went their separate ways, getting ready for the party. Teruteru cooked the most beautiful and delicious dishes that one had ever seen, and Nagito decorated the room quite well. "But," Nagito warned them, "I didn't have time to clean the storage room, so make sure you don't go in there. It could be detrimental to your guys' health. I don't want any Ultimates to lose hope because of this."
The party started smoothly enough, with everyone having a good time. Mahiru took dozens of pictures, Teruteru kept bringing in another dish after another dish, and Akane gobbled it all up. Peko and Fuyuhiko guarded the entrance from Monomi and Monokuma, Kazuichi desperately tried to get Sonia's attention, Gundham told stories about how he defeated many different wild beasts while Sonia listened, entranced, and... "SHIT!" Nekomaru bolted towards the door. "Where are you going?" Hajime asked.
"There's a time when a man has got to man up and SHIT!" Nekomaru thundered over his shoulder.
Ibuki posed in all, and I mean all, of Mahiru's pictures, Hiyoko cast insults at Mikan, Chiaki sat in one corner playing a game, Mikan sat in another corner by herself, and Hajime went and sat next to Mikan, talking to her.
At 11:30 P.M., things started going downhill. Abruptly, the power went out, and there was an instant reaction.
"We gotta stay calm!" Mahiru said.
"Don't step on my feet!" Hiyoko cried.
"My future is pitch black!" Ibuki screamed.
"Umm... wasn't the blackout... just in the kitchen?" came Teruteru's voice.
Suddenly, the lights turned back on. "Oh my my!" Ibuki said.
Hajime got up from the ground, looking around, and saw that one person wasn't so lucky. Mikan was on the ground in a very... compromising... position.
And that was when Byakuya decided to enter the building.
"What the... what is going on here?!" he demanded, his face darkening.
Mikan immediately got up, spouting apologies, but Byakuya shoved her out of the way.
"Byakuya?" Mahiru said. "What are you doing here?"
Byakuya turned to her. "I was trying to get some rest, but what sounded like screeching eagles pierced my sleep."
"Wait a minute..." Akane said, sniffing the air. "I smell something."
Nekomaru laughed. "It's probably shit."
Hiyoko glared at him. "Geez, are you not embarrassed one bit?"
"It doesnt smell like crap," Akane replied, nose twitching. "Smells like... blood."
Sonia glanced at Teruteru. "Teruteru, mayhaps you have some dishes with raw or bloody meat?"
Teruteru smirked. "I did not, but my loins have plenty of blood."
Sonia's eyes lit up. "Teruteru, go show Akane your tenderloins, then!"
"Certainly," Teruteru purred. He made his way over to Akane, but she suddenly pointed in the direction of the table in the back of the room. "It's coming from over there."
Hajime had a sick feeling in his stomach as Byakuya walked over to the table and lifted a part of the tablecloth.
What they all saw next was something that would be burned into their minds for some time.
. . .
It didn't look like Nagito enjoyed his death.
His face was grotesque, in a twisted shape, almost menacing. But there was no fear or horror in those eyes.
Everyone started yelling and screaming. Ibuki fainted, and Hajime barely caught her.
Byakuya, the only one who was calm, put a finger to his chin.
"A body."
Then he grew impatient. "All of you, stop acting so ignorant and childish. You, the gymnast, stop eating! This isn't the right time."
"That's right!" a voice rung throughout the room.
Everyone turned and eyed Monokuma.
"You should get on with your investigation of who the culprit is!"
Byakuya scoffed. "I don't need you to tell me that."
. . .
During the investigation, Byakuya collected one clue after the other, steadily accumulating evidence as to who the culprit was. Gundham didn't even have to lose his earring.
Byakuya beckoned Hajime. "Hajime, come over here, in the storage room."
"Why me?" Hajime mumbled.
Byakuya looked at him angrily. "Because you were closest."
The irons in the storage room were a dead giveaway that someone had tampered with the electricity.
. . .
"It was you, wasn't it, Teruteru Hanamura?" Byakuya pointed at Teruteru. "You were the culprit that murdered Nagito during the party. And don't even try to lie to me. I have solid evidence pointing to you."
Teruteru was speechless. Byakuya had ended the trial in a mere 10 minutes.
. . .
"EXTREME!" Monokuma exclaimed. Hajime and the others all stared at the blank screen, where they had just witnessed Teruteru's death, Akane sometimes even drooling. Throughout the whole investigation and trial, Byakuya had single-handedly solved the mystery himself, pinpointing the culprit almost immediately.
Nagito, the Ultimate Lucky Student, didn't seem so lucky right then and there.
He had planned everything from the start. He had rigged the blackout and hidden a knife under the table in the back of the room. But, Teruteru had found out about this plan, and used it to murder Nagito from under the floorboards. And now, Teruteru was burned to a crisp. Gone were two of his friends that had come with them to this godforsaken island.
As Hajime kept staring at the screen, he felt only one emotion.
Despair.