Chapter One: To Survive

It was Kyoko who broke the silence caused by Monokuma's deadly words.

"So? What are you going to do now? Just stand around glaring at each other?"

She cut through the tension like it was butter and brought everyone back to their senses. Everyone decided to look through their handbooks in order to understand what the rules were and form a plan for escape. After some more back-and-forth, everyone decided to search the grounds for food and possible escape routes.

Alright...maybe if we all work together, we can find a way out of here without doing what Monokuma wants!

That fragile camaraderie was broken however by Byakuya's four words.

"I'll be going alone."

He brought up the point that searching alone would be best in order to minimize his chances of being killed by another student.

Come on man; it hasn't even been ten minutes here. Surely we can trust each other longer than that…

To make things worse, his attitude riled up the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, Mondo, who had been put off by Byakuya's snotty attitude and was ten seconds away from starting a fight with the Ultimate Prodigy. Abandoning all sense of self-preservation, Makoto tried to step in, interjecting "Wait, guys! The last thing we need to do is fight!"

Kyoko watched with concern as watched Makoto try to cool down the tensions.

Makoto, you're either really brave or really foolish. Or both…

Her fears turned out to be warranted, as Mondo turned his rage on Makoto and sent him flying into the wall with a single punch. Kyoko shook her head at Makoto's foolishness. Unfortunately, Mondo wasn't placated just yet.

"What, you finished already? Weren't you going to lecture me about teamwork and stuff? Get back up, you..."

"Stop..."

Her authoritative voice made Mondo pause and dissipated his rage. He watched as Kyoko calmly walked over to Makoto's still body and placed her fingers gently on her wrist while closing her eyes. After a few seconds, she lifted her hand off of Makoto and turned to glare at Mondo, making the otherwise tough biker quake in fear.

"You're incredibly lucky that punch only knocked Makoto out. If he had died, then we would all have been witness to your crime, and nobody would have graduated."

Mondo stood there, stunned at how he close he had come to killing another student. It was then that the Ultimate Pop Star, Sayaka, spoke up.

"Sakura? Could you please carry Makoto to someplace where he can recuperate."

The Ultimate Martial Artist nodded and lifted the fragile Makoto into her arms, walking out of the gymnasium with her temporary cargo. Kyoko smiled briefly for a second, reflecting on the boy's bravery at trying to stop an inevitable fight.

Perhaps he's not as cowardly as I thought. I may have to revise my opinion about him…

Turning to everyone else, she announced "Now with that little detail taken care of, we should split up and search this floor; we'll be able to cover more ground that way."

She then turned on her heel and walked away.

"Form whichever teams you like. I think I'll take Byakuya's lead and go alone. I search best by myself anyways."

Her boots left earthquakes in everyone's ears as she left the gymnasium, leaving the other students to their thoughts.

XXX

Makoto entered the dining hall with Sayaka at his right. The self-proclaimed assistant led Makoto over to the table where Mondo sheepishly apologized for hitting him in the gymnasium. Makoto smiled and waved it off, understanding how everyone was on edge with the current situation. The Ultimate Moral Compass Kiyotaka then called the meeting to order, and everyone shared what they had found out after scouring the first floor.

Okay, so we each have our own room, it's completely soundproof, there seems to be no escape from the first floor, and we have a seemingly infinite supply of food. At least we'll have privacy and won't go hungry...

It was then that the conversation derailed and everyone started yelling at each other, causing Makoto to shake his head.

Come on guys, if we can't survive an hour without getting on each other's nerves, we'll be playing right into Monokuma's hands!

"You're spending an awful lot of time yelling and carrying on."

The amused voice caused everyone to silence as they turned their heads to the entrance. Kyoko walked in, finally making her entrance.

Oh yeah; Kyoko wasn't here when the meeting started. I wonder where she went off to…

"Do you really think you can afford to do so? Have none of you accepted the reality of the situation?"

Makoto watched in awe as the stoic girl was unfazed by Kiyotaka's scolding of her tardiness.

Wow, nothing fazes her…

She responded merely by withdrawing a sheet of paper from her jacket and sliding it on the table, like someone handling a poker card.

"A map? Kyoko, where did you find this?"

"It doesn't matter where I found it. Just look at it. The building we're in right now is laid out in precisely the same way as Hope's Peak Academy."

"So this really is Hope's Peak Academy?"

Oh no; if I had known that this is what it was, I would have just torn that invitation into a million pieces…

"Well, in terms of construction, yes. But it looks like it's had a number of strange...renovations done to it."

"So, by renovations, do you mean the giant metal door at the entrance and the metal plates over the doors that even Sakura couldn't move?"

"It's possible. I don't know all the details yet. All I found was details about the 1st floor."

And if this floor received renovations...it stands to reason that the upper floors may have as well…

Makoto Naegi...he may appear cowardly at first glance, but he possesses the inner strength and quick thinking needed to adapt to our ever-changing imprisonment. I'm expecting great things from you…

Everyone had come to the sad realization that this was actually Hope's Peak and started panicking. Celeste then urged everyone to adapt to their imprisonment and proposed that nobody leave their rooms after 10 PM so that everyone's nerves would be as calm as possible. The motion was readily agreed to.

Makes sense. It's not like most of us want to be up late, so it's a good safety measure to calm our nerves.

At that point, Celeste left the dining hall, and everyone else soon followed suit, leaving Makoto and Sayaka alone in the dining hall.

XXX

The next couple of days passed by with little incident; Makoto spent time with Sayaka as they moved a golden sword into his room for self-defense. On their way back, Sayaka noticed the far-off expression on his face and inquired "Makoto, is something the matter?"

Makoto blushed and shook his head, assuring Sayaka that he was fine. In truth, he had run into Kyoko earlier at breakfast which made him remember how he had clung to her like a scared toddler in the gymnasium.

She probably thinks I'm a total creep now. I should go apologize...

That was how Kyoko had caught him staring at her. Intrigued, she walked up to him and said "Good morning. Did you need something?"

Makoto could only stay silent, not having thought of actually how to apologize, or form a coherent sentence since she caught him off guard.

Kyoko sighed and walked away from him, muttering "Well then..."

As she disappeared from sight, he could still hear her muttering "Why is Hope's Peak like this? Very bizarre..."

And that left Makoto, carrying a golden sword with the help of Sayaka Maizono. After placing it on a counter, Sayaka bid her goodbyes and they both went to sleep.

Luckily the next morning would yield better luck for Makoto. After breakfast, he ran into Kyoko who noticed him.

"Um...Kyoko?"

"Makoto. Did you need something from me?"

This time however, Makoto was prepared with what he wanted to say.

I'd better be. I spent all of last night reciting it…

"Listen, about the other day in the gymnasium, I just wanted to say I'm sorry..."

"Sorry? About what?"

Kyoko was honestly intrigued; Makoto had struck her as an honest, if occasionally foolish boy who was friendly with everyone.

What on earth does he feel the need to be sorry for…

"I mean about how I grabbed you in the gymnasium. I shouldn't have been in your proximity and clung to you like that. But I'm not a creep, HONEST, I was just really scared and..."

Kyoko couldn't help it; she started giggling, her glove failing to muffle her laughter. At last she got her giggles under control and waved her hand, leaving Makoto standing there dumbfounded.

"I'm sorry, Makoto. I'm just laughing because there's no need for an apology."

Her smile settling back into the same neutral expression she always had, she continued "It might have been uncomfortable at first, but we're all on edge. Most of what everyone else has done or said has been largely due to stress, and you are no exception. I'm not mad, and I don't think you're a creep. It's all water under the bridge, okay?"

Makoto beamed, grateful for Kyoko's forgiveness and nodded. Kyoko then turned around.

"Now if that's everything, I must be off. Good day, Makoto."

Makoto watched as she walked away from him, one weight off of his shoulders.

Well, at least all's forgiven. And she finally smiled at me, so we might be friends yet!

As she walked further from his view, Kyoko let her mind wander to their present predicament.

"Who set all this up? And why did they choose us? There are so many mysteries..."

As she entered her room, the smallest of smiles peeked through as her mind wandered to Makoto's apologetic antics.

It's not every day someone can make me crack a smile without trying. I'll have to be careful around Makoto Naegi…

XXX

Makoto yawned as he walked into the Dining Hall, having been rudely awakened by Kiyotaka.

For goodness' sake, Kiyotaka, couldn't you have waited just 30 more minutes for us to actually be awake?

He spotted Kyoko in one of the corners with her typical, stoic, and awake face. Makoto felt a hint of jealousy at how unfatigued she was.

What is she, a vampire or something? How else could she not be yawning this early like the rest of us?

Everyone soon became seated at the table, with Sayaka seated at his right and Kyoko seated at his left.

"Taka looks pretty impatient. We'd better get this started already..."

With that, Kiyotaka made the suggestion that everyone eat together every morning to build friendship. Though a couple of students complained, the topic quickly advanced to who the mastermind might be, with Chihiro speculating whether Genocide Jack might be behind it. As everyone bristled at the idea, Aoi changed the topic, expressing hope that the police would be looking for them by now.

"HA! You're putting your faith in the police?"

Monokuma then popped out of nowhere, causing Aoi to shriek.

Eh, he's done that so many times now it's lost shock value.

Monokuma then went on about how bored he was that nobody had started to kill each other yet.

"Of course we haven't; we're not savages. There's nothing you can say that'll start making us kill each other..."

At that moment, Monokuma exclaimed in epiphany about how everything was perfect, except for a preexisting motive.

Why did I open my big mouth?

Monokuma then instructed everyone to go to the A/V room in order to watch a video he had made for them.

"Good, then we can go watch the video right now. But before we do that, I'd like to know…" Kyoko turned her glare to the psychotic bear. "What are you? Why would you do something like this? What do you want from us?"

Monokuma grinned and replied "Despair." Before leaving the students, Monokuma finished "Do whatever you need to to uncover the mystery hidden within this school. I won't try and stop you."

He then vanished and left everyone to their devices. Sayaka moaned about how he left before they could find out anything useful.

Kyoko's eyes twinkled as she retorted "Really? I think we learned something very useful. He has no intention of standing in the way of our pursuit of the truth. Interesting…"

After some minor debate, it was decided that Makoto and Sayaka would preview the video first before everyone else. As they left, Makoto noticed the twinkle in Kyoko's eye, confused at such an out-of-place expression in these circumstances.

Have you figured something out, Kyoko? If you have, why won't you tell us…

XXX

Makoto felt like his entire world had been turned upside down. By that point, everyone had seen their DVDs, and with the exception of Kyoko, everyone had the same look of despair and fear on their faces. Sayaka was the worst off, who ran out of the room the second Makoto tried to comfort her.

Unsure of what to do, he started pacing, coming to a halt after he heard Kyoko mumbling "I see...So this is what he meant by motive. He wants to fuel our desire to leave so that we're more likely to start killing each other."

"Um...Kyoko?"

She opened her eyes at the question and turned to the shaken boy.

"What is it, Makoto?"

"It's just well...I was wondering what Monokuma put on your DVD..."

Kyoko turned away from him and retorted "Why should I tell you?"

"It's just well...all of us were pretty shaken up by them, but you seem really calm after viewing yours. I was just wondering what made yours any different from mine or the others. If you want, I'll tell you mine so it's fair. I saw..."

"Rather than have us share a secret that neither of us are thrilled to share, maybe you should spend your energy making sure that Sayaka doesn't do anything rash. I can handle myself fine without your comfort; she can't."

Makoto's eyes widened at the truth that crossed his mind.

"Crap, what was I thinking? Sorry Kyoko, I've gotta run!"

As he ran out the door, she called out "Makoto!"

The boy stopped in his tracks, turning back to face the stoic girl. Her eyes showed the faintest hint of concern as she advised him "Don't you do anything rash, either."

Surprised, Makoto nodded and rushed out, hurrying to find Sayaka, and leaving the others to their thoughts.

XXX

Makoto rubbed his eye as he walked into the dining hall, still trying to wake up after having traded rooms with Sayaka.

Weird, she's not here. Usually she and I come in at about the same time…

As he ate breakfast, everyone else started piling in, Kyoko murmuring "I suppose I'm late" as she entered the dining hall.

Okay, this is weird. Kyoko's always the last to come and eat, so why is Sayaka even later?

Everyone else seemed to be as confused as Makoto, wondering where Sayaka was.

"I got the sense she always has her stuff together..." Kyoko mused, causing a chill of dread ot crawl up Makoto's spine.

We switched rooms, she should be safe, but…"SOMETHING'S WRONG!"

Makoto dashed out, leaving Kyoko to yell "Makoto, where are you going?"

Makoto ignored her though and dashed over to his room, pushing open the barely-ajar door as he burst in. Makoto gaped with horror at the sight of the place; what was once a reasonably well-kept room had now been turned into a war zone. The golden sword was knocked onto the floor and out of its sheath, the table was turned over, and scratches were everywhere.

What...what happened? Sayaka...she was supposed to be safe…"SAYAKA!"

He then turned to see the bathroom door ajar. Gulping, he timidly pushed it open, and stared in horror at the sight awaiting him. Sayaka Maizono lay slump against the wall, a knife sticking out of her belly, sitting in a pool of her own blood. Makoto did the only thing he could think of; he screamed in terror, and fainted, falling backwards onto the carpet of the bedroom as the world blurred around him.

XXX

Kyoko continued to stare at the doorway, her eyes betraying her concern despite her neutral expression. Makoto's outburst and exit showed a decisiveness that both impressed and worried her. Before she could ponder it any further, she heard a deathly scream that made her blood run cold.

Makoto! You foolish boy, I told you not to do anything rash!

She stood up and yelled "COME ON!" before walking briskly through the entryway, leaving everyone confused, but obediently followed her.

It wasn't long before they reached Makoto's room where everyone save for Kyoko gasped in horror at the same frightful view that Makoto had witnessed, although her eyes had widened in shock at the grizzly scene.

"Ok...this school prank is no longer funny..." Yasuhiro spoke, making Kyoko roll her eyes.

This was never a school prank, Yasuhiro. This killing game is real…

"Oh my god; what happened in here?"

Aoi was in shock; this whole scene put things in a rather grizzly light for everyone. Only Kyoko and Byakuya kept anything close to neutrality on their faces. Everyone then noticed how the bathroom door was ajar, and out of the corner of her eye Kyoko could spot a human hand lying on the floor. Kyoko took a deep breath and walked over to the door, pushing it open. What she saw made even her want to vomit; Makoto passed out in front of Sayaka's bloody corpse. Everyone gasped at the sight and held down a similar urge.

"Who...who could have done such a thing?"

Aoi stuttered, with tears in her eyes. Chihiro was in the same boat, while Mondo and Kiyotaka were shaking in anger. Forcing herself to focus, Kyoko laid two fingers on Makoto's wrist, then stood up and revealed "He just fainted; he'll be alright."

Physically yes, but emotionally? He'll be devastated…

Before any of them could interject further, a familiar ring rang in their ears as the nearest monitor lit up to show Monokuma's face.

"Attention, would the remaining students please gather at the gymnasium at the earliest convenience for an emergency assembly? That is all."

Mondo seethed with rage as he roared "How could that pile of bolts think of calling an assembly at a time like this?"

"Yes, there's no sense in it!" Kiyotaka concurred. "Sayaka's dead, Makoto's unconscious, we should be tending to our deceased and wounded comrades, not gathering for an assembly!"

"That may be true, but it's probably our best bet to go anyways."

As everyone tried to voice their objections, Kyoko shot them down by continuing "With Sayaka murdered, we're already down one, and you of all people should be aware of the penalty for disobeying Monakuma, right Mondo?"

The Ultimate Biker Gang Leader shuffled in silent concession.

"We don't need to make unnecessary sacrifices. We need to pick our battles carefully, and there's no positive that could come from picking a fight on this. Besides...this may yield some valuable information about Sayaka's murder. Would you forgo that opportunity out of something like timing?"

"Okay, I agree with you on this one, but...what about Makoto? I mean...he's not exactly dead, and we can't just leave him alone like this..."

Kyoko smiled, making Yasuhiro nervous.

"Well, Yasuhiro, since you're so concerned about Makoto, why don't you be the one to carry him to the gymnasium with us?"

"M...me? But I..."

Yasuhiro shut up as everyone else glared at him, slumping his shoulders in defeat.

"Fine; I'll haul him over."

With that, Yasuhiro hoisted Makoto into his arms, following Kyoko as she walked out of the room. Throughout the entire walk to the gymnasium, Kyoko had her head cocked just enough to be staring at Makoto's distressed expression, her eyes softening in concern.

Whatever happens, it's not going to be good for Makoto…

Eventually they reached the gymnasium and gathered in the center. Yasuhiro huffed and panted as he ran up to join everyone.

"Okay...I carried him all the way here...now what do I do with him?"

Kyoko glanced over to one of the bleachers and replied "Place him against that bleacher over there. Make sure he's sitting up."

Grumbling slightly, Yasuhiro did as she asked, placing Makoto at an angle so that the bleacher would support his enough that he wouldn't slide on his back. Making his way to everyone else, the Ultimate Clairvoyant asked "Okey, now what?"

"...Now we wait..." Kyoko replied as everyone stared at Makoto, waiting for him to regain consciousness.

XXX

Makoto groaned, the world coming into clarity as he gingerly stood up, noticing the other students looking at him with worried expressions on their faces.

Am...am I dreaming…

Makoto's eyes then widened as the memory of discovering Sayaka's corpse rewound itself in his mind.

Sayaka…

Makoto bent over as if to vomit, then Aoi rushed over to support him.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Panting to keep himself under control, he meekly asked "So...that wasn't a dream? What I saw..."

Byakuya confirmed it, causing Makoto to sink to his knees in despair. A sense of urgency coming over him, he started to dash towards the exit until Kyoko grabbed his arm to restrain him. Try as he might, he couldn't escape her iron grip. Byakuya and Mondo yelled at him that it wouldn't matter how many times he checked; Sayaka was dead, and nothing would change that. Makoto though was inconsolable.

"WHY ARE WE ALL HANGING OUT IN THE GYM AT A TIME LIKE THIS?"

Makoto's tears finally leaked from his eyes, his arm finally going limp as he stopped resisting. He meekly cried, mourning over the loss of his former classmate. Kyoko's eyes softened as she took pity on the boy in her grasp.

"None of us want to be here right now, either."

The others revealed that Monokuma had asked them to come, and assured Makoto that they had thought of protesting under the circumstances.

"I'm the one who convinced them to come. Right now, we need to do whatever he says. We're his prisoners, right? It's not a good idea to defy him without reason. We don't need to make any more sacrifices than we already have."

Defiant, Makoto roared "Why should we listen to anything he has to say?"

Monokuma soon popped out of nowhere, shooting down Makoto's accusation that he was responsible for Sayaka's murder. He revealed that one of Makoto's classmates had committed the murder, and explained the class trial process.

You...you want us to send one of our own to the gallows? And if we get it wrong, then we all die? What kind of warped justice system is this?

Junko apparently had the same thought, outright refusing to take part in it, followed by stomping on Monokuma when he rushed at her. However, that led to perhaps the most gruesome sight that Makoto had ever seen; Monokuma made several spears materialize out of thin air, impaling Junko all over her body. He watched with horror as the light left Junko's eyes and she fell to the floor, dead.

First Sayaka, now Junko…

"..Why did you have to kill her? Didn't you say you would put her in prison or something?"

"I changed my mind."

"No, you've been wanting to kill this entire time."

Makoto watched the exchange between Kyoko and Monokuma with amazed horror, his mind still trying to solidify that this was actually happening. After receiving the Monokuma file, Makoto latched on to Monokuma's admission that the surveillance cameras caught the murder.

Wait, so you know who killed her and you won't tell us?!

"Wait, so then...you know who killed Sayaka?"

Monokuma revealed that if he hadn't, he couldn't possibly pass a fair sentence.

Yeah, more like you couldn't fairly torture us, you monster!

"That's a good point. The judge has to be able to make the proper decision. That's...somehow comforting."

Comforting? Kyoko, how exactly is this comforting?

Monokuma wished everyone luck, then vanished out of sight, leaving Makoto trembling in shock and denial.

This isn't happening. It's just a dream, it's just a dream, it's just a dream…

"Makoto"

The soft voice pulled Makoto back to reality. Kyoko had laid her hand on his shoulder as she stared him in the eye.

"Now's no time to wallow in your depression. The worst thing we can do right now is lose all faith in each other. That would lead to the same disastrous result as having total faith in everyone else."

She then turned to everyone else and advised "Cooperation is absolutely key at this point. Who you decide to trust or not trust is, of course, up to you."

As Celeste and Aoi argued about talking about the deceased, Kyoko brought them back on track by saying "Right now, exposing the killer is the most important thing. Because if we don't, we're all going to die here."

Everyone mumbled their agreement, if for no other reason than self-preservation. With that, discussion centered on the details in the Monokuma file. Celeste then noted that the murder took place in Makoto's room, causing most of the stares to fall squarely on Makoto.

Wait, you...you think I was responsible?

Makoto tried to explain that he and Sayaka had traded rooms and why, but it seemed to do nothing to alleviate their suspicions. It was then that Kyoko centered the conversation back to the investigation.

"I'd advise everyone from drawing premature judgments on this case. We're going to find out who the killer is...Because if we don't, we're all going to die here. Before we start searching for Sayaka's killer, we need to decide what to do about securing the crime scene."

It was decided that Mondo and Sakura would watch the crime scene to prevent tampering. With that detail set, Kyoko finished "Are we all done talking? We need to begin our investigation soon. At this point, we should split up. We need to get to the bottom of this and find out who killed Sayaka. We'll have to collect clues to form a foundation, then construct an argument to come to a final decision. If we get this wrong...Well, do I really have to say any more?"

With everyone chilled at the prospect of getting it wrong, Kyoko left the gymnasium, saying "Everyone pray for good luck" before vanishing out of sight.

Soon everyone else followed suit, leaving Makoto alone in the gymnasium.

I have to find out who did it...who really killed Sayaka. I'll bring them light, and prove my innocence. Otherwise, we all die…

XXX

Makoto gulped and entered his room, Mondo and Sakura standing against the wall as Kyoko kneeled in a corner.

"Hey, Kyoko...what are you doing?"

Without turning to him, she replied "Isn't it obvious? I'm searching."

Figuring that was all he's get out of Kyoko, Makoto turned to inspect his room when Kyoko stood up and asked "Are you a clean freak?"

What does my cleanliness have to do with Sayaka's killer?

Makoto was caught off guard by her out-of-the-blue question, but replied "No, I don't think so."

Then that confirms it...

Kyoko smiled and mused "Interesting. Just as I suspected, there's something very unusual about your room."

"Unusual? What do you mean?"

I mean, I don't normally decorate with metal plates and surveillance cameras, but I don't see what makes my room so different from everyone else's…

"I've searched your floor from one corner to another...and I didn't find one single strand of hair. Not one hair from the victim, and not one hair from you, even though you've been living here."

Of course; it wouldn't make sense for there to be no hair here, since I don't obsess about keeping my room clean.

Makoto then spotted the lint roller by his bed and grabbed it, inspecting it. His eyes widened with epiphany, the dots slowly connecting in his head.

"Kyoko, my lint roller's been used, but I haven't touched it at all in the three days that I've been living here!"

"Very interesting...Your room didn't have a single hair in it, and someone used your lint roller without your knowledge. In other words...someone other than you came in and scrubbed your room clean."

That just leaves one question…

"Was it Sayaka, or the killer?"

Looks like we're coming to the same line of thinking…

"That's the question, isn't it?"

XXX

Makoto stumbled out of the bathroom, his face green with nausea after investigating Sayaka's corpse and seeing her blood stain the tiles. He took deep breaths to compose himself, until he felt Kyoko's hand on his shoulder, her eyes swirling with sympathy.

"I know it's not pretty to look at, but it looks like you found it, right Makoto? The bloody numbers...That's most likely Sayaka's dying message."

11037...Sayaka wrote that as she died...but what does it mean?

"Do you often talk like an aspiring poet, Makoto?"

"H...huh?"

"You were going on about how her message was written with life itself."

Makoto blushed, embarrassed at how he had been talking without realizing it.

Kyoko smirked and assured him "Don't feel embarrassed. It actually wasn't half-bad. If we get out of this alive, you'll have to show me what other works of poetry you've come up with."

Makoto blushed even harder and murmured "Let's just get back to the task at hand..."

Kyoko nodded and revealed "The way she wrote the numbers makes me think she wanted to use her body to block them. If she wrote them in that location, while she was sitting the way we found her...it means she must have wrote them by turning only her hand toward the wall. If you were to write something in that position, do you know what the result would be?"

"The result?"

Kyoko shook her head and replied cryptically "Think about it."

If I just give him all the answers, he'll never be able to move forward…

Why is she keeping secrets from me? I don't have the patience for this nonsense!

Kyoko laid her hand on his shoulder and assured "I know this is frustrating, but you need to uncover the mystery of this case yourself...Otherwise, the case will end and you'll remain unconvinced."

Is that why she's being so cryptic? I guess I can understand that...doesn't make me feel any better though…

"There's one other thing I wanted to ask you about. Do you know how the door to your bathroom got broken?"

Broken…

Makoto's eyes widened in realization as he answered "Oh, you mean how it gets stuck?"

This piece of information threw Kyoko for a loop; she looked at him in surprise and exclaimed "Gets stuck?"

"Yeah, the door doesn't quite fit the frame right. But once you learn the trick, it opens no problem."

Kyoko's eyes closed as the gears started turning in her head, the answer to the puzzle becoming more clear to her.

"So the door doesn't quite fit the frame, huh? But actually, I'm referring to the broken doorknob."

"The doorknob?"

I thought the frame was the only problem. The knob is relevant too?

"You didn't notice? Well, just try closing the bathroom door. I'm sure you'll see right away what I'm talking about."

Confused, Makoto did as she asked and started to reach for the knob, only to find that it was hanging on by a single screw.

"What...what the heck?"

Kyoko smiled and revealed "Someone must have used a screwdriver or something similar to unscrew it. Whatever it was, it's obvious this was intentional."

"WHAT! This was intentional? Why would someone want to do that?"

"I guess maybe they were trying to get the door unlocked and ended up breaking the whole thing."

But why would someone need to break down my door? It doesn't lock…

Kyoko meanwhile was close to solving this mystery, but had one more question bugging her.

"I have just one more question for you...You mentioned earlier that your bathroom door would get stuck, right? Did you tell anyone about that?"

"N...No. Just Sayaka, when we switched rooms. It was pretty last-minute, so I wouldn't have had an opportunity to tell anyone else even if I wanted to."

"So what you're saying is, only you and Sayaka knew about it...Hmm...interesting. Then that clears that up."

Clears what up? I'm so confused…

Kyoko turned on her heel and walked out of the room, calling out "Well, see you later" leaving Makoto dumbfounded.

You didn't kill Sayaka, Makoto. Of that, I can be sure…

XXX

It wasn't long before Monokuma called everyone to start the class trial. Everyone was now standing on the other side of the red doors, waiting for the elevator to arise. Makoto stood around, tense and nervous.

Kyoko had her poker face on as she murmured "Let's get started."

Easy for you to say; you're not the automatic suspect here…

At last, the elevator appeared, the door opening. Everyone in front of them quickly filed in, anxious to get this trial over with. Before he could step in, a question from Kyoko stopped Makoto in his tracks.

"Are you scared?"

Is it obvious?

"I said it before, but it's up to you to uncover the mysteries surrounding this case yourself. If you don't, you'll never come to grips with the truth."

Okay, okay, I get it!

Pushing aside his nerves, Makoto took a deep breath and followed Kyoko, a feeling of dread washing over him as the elevator descended into the courtroom. Though to Makoto, it felt more like an elevator into hell.

Let's do this!

XXX

"Before we move on and start the trial, can I ask a question real quick? What's going on with...those pictures?"

Makoto felt nauseous as he saw what Kyoko was referring to; In the circle of seats stood two greyed-out portraits of Junko and Sayaka, with big red Xs across their faces.

Monokuma put on a pitying voice and replied "I'd feel awful if they got left out just because they died."

Yeah right; if you really felt awful, you wouldn't have trapped us in this Killing game to begin with!

With that, the first class trial had begun. The jury started out by clarifying the scene of the crime and the type of murder weapon. It wasn't long until Leon and Toko tried to blame Makoto for the murder, making the oby want to bang his head against the railing.

I told you, it wasn't me!

He however didn't have to say anything in his defense, as Kyoko interjected "Let's draw our conclusions after we've presented our arguments. Otherwise, what's the point of the trial?"

"Well, we can talk all we want, it's not gonna change that conclusion..." Leon huffed.

Methinks thou doth protest too much. What are you hiding, Leon?

"I don't think that's true at all. I'm sure if we keep at it, something new will reveal itself."

The trial continued with further debate, then hit another snag when Aoi was accused of being Makoto's accomplice when she confirmed that Makoto never went into the dining hall when she was there. When asked by Byakuya what would happen if a killer had an accomplice, Monokuma clarified that only a killer could graduate.

"So in other words, two people can work together, but one of them has no chance of profiting from it…" Kyoko clarified.

Monokuma confirmed that, along with the fact that there were no accomplices in this murder. With that particular detail, the trial continued to progress. It was eventually revealed via process of elimination that Sayaka had taken the knife earlier, much ot Makoto's shock. Unfortunately, this fact also turned suspicion back onto Makoto, as Byakuya theorized that he still could have killed her with it.

I'm telling you, I didn't kill her! Why won't you believe me?!

"Hold on. It's still too early to decide conclusively that Makoto is the killer, wouldn't you say? Because you see, if the room did belong to the killer, then they did something most bewildering. And until we unravel that little mystery, you simply can't declare that he's the killer."

Kyoko...you seem to be the only one actively defending me in this trial...but why?

When asked for clarification, Kyoko elaborated "Something was missing from the scene of the crime that by all rights should have been there. You know what I'm talking about, don't you Makoto?"

Something missing that should have been there...I got it!

"There wasn't a single hair on the floor!"

Kyoko smiled as Makoto explained that if he was indeed the culprit, there should have been some of his hair lying around since he was living there. When Celeste theorized that the culprit had wanted to remove evidence of Sayaka being there, Kyoko corrected "No. If that were the case, they would have had to do something about the body itself, not just her hair."

When Leon then asked why hair hadn't even been there, Kyoko answered "The killer got rid of it all, of course. To remove any trace that they had ever been there."

It was Mondo who realized the truth first; at his exclamation, Kyoko finished "Precisely. It's simply beyond reason to believe that the room's owner and the killer are one and the same."

I couldn't have said it better myself. Kyoko, thank you…

Makoto's hopes were deflated however when Kiyotaka expressed skepticism, asking if that detail alone could serve as the basis for such a critical decision.

Come on Kiyotaka; I didn't do it!

Yet again, Kyoko came to Makoto's defense when she replied "No. There are other reasons that prove why Makoto couldn't have done it."

At Sakura's insistence, Kyoko continued "Do you remember anything remarkable about the bathroom at the scene? Sayaka was attacked in the main room first, then fled into the bathroom, right?"

When Mondo confirmed those events, Kyoko continued "And how did the killer get into the bathroom. Did they have any trouble with it?"

Celeste expressed confusion, but Kyoko clarified "It's fairly certain that the killer had some trouble getting into the bathroom...There was clear evidence left behind. Do you remember, Makoto?"

Clear evidence left behind...I got it!

"You're talking about the doorknob, right?"

Makoto clarified how the doorknob had almost completely fallen off. Chihiro looked confused, asking what it meant.

"In trying to bypass the lock, they ended up nearly removing the entire doorknob. This is another bewildering act for the room's owner. It proves Makoto is beyond suspicion."

Leon tried to shoot down that theory, insisting that if a door is locked, then you'd have no choice but to break it.

Why are you so insistent on pinning this on me, Leon? I didn't commit murder!

Makoto didn't know whether to feel irritated or desperate. Kyoko merely shook her head and took a counter-shot.

"You still don't see? Okay, then...Let's take another look at how the incident unfolded. Hopefully that will help you understand. The incident took place in Makoto's room. Sayaka was first attacked in the main room. She then fled into the bathroom..."

As the debate went on, Makoto explained that his bathroom door got stuck because it didn't fit the frame quite right.

"So the reason the door didn't open was just because it was stuck...But the killer didn't know that, and assumed it was locked. So they tore apart the doorknob to get in" Kyoko clarified.

After Celeste expressed skepticism that the killer would have made a mistake regarding something that was common knowledge, Myoko smiled and countered "The killer could easily make that mistake, thanks to one important detail about the scene of the crime…"

One important detail...I got it!

"The killer must not have realized that it was my room" Makoto concluded.

Hifumi expressed shock at such a rookie mistake, causing Kyoko to smile and retort "And yet, he's absolutely right. Well, to be more specific...What the killer didn't know was that Makoto and Sayaka had switched rooms. Which is what led to the misunderstanding about the bathroom. If Sayaka had been in her own room, then…"

Kiyotaka and Sakura concluded that there would have been a lock to break through had Sayaka been in her room, and that in Makoto's room such force would have been unnecessary. Kyoko nodded in confirmation.

"Ultimately, we can't know if it came open by force or simply by accident, but...The killer must have been considerably confused, with no idea how they actually got the door opened."

Since Makoto wouldn't have needed to do this if he was the culprit, the revelation cleared Makoto of immediate suspicion and refocused the debate. Makoto looked at Kyoko with gratitude.

Kyoko...I owe you my life!

As much as he wanted to, this was no time to burst into joyful tears and shout his gratitude to the sky.

If we don't determine Sayaka's killer, it'll all be for naught…

With that, the trial continued to how the culprit could have gotten into the room in the first place. When Hifumi suggested that Sayaka had let the killer in, Makoto shot back that since she was already so scared, she wouldn't have opened the door for anyone, even him.

"...What if her being scared was a lie?"

Makoto stared at Kyoko in horror as those words left her lips. The mere thought of Sayaka lying to him about something so serious was unthinkable.

Shaking his head, Makoto yelled "Why would she lie about something like that?"

Looking at him in pity, she replied calmly "I know you don't want to consider it, but look at this and tell me...can you still deny the possibility?"

She passed Makoto a shaded piece of paper that caused him to gape in shock; it was a note from Sayaka asking someone to come to her room in secret.

"I found a notepad during my search, and I shaded in the top sheet with a pencil. And these are the words that appeared."

Aoi recalled how she had seen that on detective shows, to which Kyoko replied "It's a pretty old-fashioned technique, but even the classics can be surprisingly useful sometimes."

Ok, yes, it's very interesting, but can we PLEASE get back to figuring out Sayaka's murderer?

Kyoko continued "Oh, and I should also mention...I found the notepad on the desk in Makoto's room."

Wh...What? In my room?

"Which means, only someone who had been in Makoto's room before the incident could have written it."

As Byakuya deduced that only Makoto or Sayaka could have written it, she asked "So, Makoto...did you write this?"

"N...no"

"Of course you didn't. Because the note also bears a perfectly legible signature - Sayaka's signature."

She lied to me...why? "But why...why would she write that?"

"The note was likely her way of getting in touch with a certain someone. She must have slid it under their door to let them know she wanted to meet with them in secret."

Celeste tried to shoot down that theory, saying that if the killer had gotten the note that they would have gone to where Makoto was sleeping, but was surprised to find out that not only had the rooms been switched, but the nameplates as well.

"That's right. The nameplates got switched, just like the rooms themselves. As a result, the nameplate on Sayaka's room actually had Makoto's name. And the nameplate on Makoto's room had Sayaka's."

When Byakuya and Chihiro realized that the killer would have ended up at Makoto's room due to the swap, Kyoko continued "Plus, their rooms are right next to each other. So switching the nameplates would be no problem. And the one who switched the names was...Well of course it wasn't you, right Makoto?"

Makoto could only nod in confirmation.

So who swapped the plates...no...it couldn't be...but it's the only explanation…

"Sayaka..."

Kyoko nodded, elaborating "You can also infer as much from her note…She specifically tells the reader to check the nameplate. She would only have written that if she knew the nameplates had been switched."

When Chihiro wondered why she wanted to switch them at all, Kyoko explained "She wanted someone to come to the room she was in, and also hide the fact that it was Makoto's room."

When Aoi wondered why anyone would do something so perplexing, Kyoko mused "To understand that...we first need to understand what happened after she invited the person into the room. That's where the answer lies…"

Celeste mused that the answer lay within the initial struggle, to which Kyoko confirmed "Yes, I think you're right."

With their efforts refocused, the debate continued to what happened with the golden sword in Makoto's room. Yasuhiro hypothesized that the killer grabbed the sword and attacked Sayaka with it right out of the gate. Makoto shot that theory down, clarifying that the scratches on the sheath would have made it impossible to be used first in the fight.

When Hifumi asked how the sheath got damaged, Kyoko explained "If they got attacked with the kitchen knife, maybe they grabbed the sword as a defensive impulse. In that situation, there wouldn't be any time to actually unsheathe the sword."

Kiyotaka hypothesized that the culprit grabbed the kitchen knife first, then took the sword from Sayaka and killed her. Kyoko however shot that theory down with a shake of her head.

"Sorry, but I don't think Sayaka used the sword to defend herself."

When Leon asked why, Kyoko explained "Because she never held the sword at all. There's a certain part of her body that makes this clear."

A certain part of her body...wait...I got it!

"You're talking about her palms, right?"

Kyoko nodded her head, and Makoto explained how if she did use the sword, then the gold coating would have been all over her palms, and since it was so early in the morning, the water wouldn't have been working so she couldn't have washed it off. That had left only one possibility of events, leaving Makoto dumbfounded in horror.

"Sayaka? She took the knife?"

W...why? She couldn't have…

"Now do you understand? She wasn't a blameless victim in this."

As they Makoto frantically argued with the others about the possibility that Sayaka had planned to commit murder and implicate Makoto in her place, Monokuma complained and whined that the argument was being derailed.

"Makoto, right now you just need to concentrate on figuring out the answer to this mystery. If we can't uncover who murdered Sayaka, it's over for all of us."

Still emotional, Makoto took several deep breaths as he thought Okay, there will be time to figure out Sayaka's motives later. Right now we need to expose who actually killed her, or as Kyoko said, we'll all die.

Leon tried to object that there weren't any more clues to go on, but Makoto objected that there was one clue left; Sayaka's dying message.

Leon appeared confused, until Kyoko clarified "The dying message. She wrote something on the wall behind her, remember? 11037, written in her own blood. There must be a clue about the killer hidden in there."

Chihiro confessed that she couldn't see any meaning in the numbers, to which Kyoko smiled and interjected "...Of course. It's because they're not numbers."

They're not numbers? Then...what are they?

Hifumi hypothesized that the 11 was actually an N, but everyone was still stumped until Kyoko advised "Rotate the image 180 degrees."

Rotate the image...wait a minute...I see now...L-E-O-N. Oh god, I've got it!

Makoto immediately accused Leon of the murder, to which he objected that it was just random squiggles that looked like his name.

"No, it's not random at all. She wrote that message on the wall behind her as she was leaning up against it. In that position, she couldn't move to write normally, and had to write upside down as it were. And as a result...When you look at it standing in front of her, it ends up getting flipped. Try it for yourself if you want. Write something sitting like her, and the letters will be inverted."

Leon continued to object that he wasn't the killer, to which Kyoko objected "If you're not the killer, then why did you try to destroy the evidence? You know what I'm talking about, right Makoto? The evidence Leon tried to get rid of?"

The evidence Leon tried to get rid of...wait a minute...I've got it!

"The burnt shirt piece?"

Nodding, Kyoko continued "As the killer stabbed Sayaka, they must have gotten some of her blood on them. And to dispose of the shirt covered in the victim's blood, they threw it into the incinerator."

"But one piece got burnt off and left behind..." Celeste realized.

"And the killer didn't notice. If they had, they most certainly would have panicked. Isn't that right, Leon?"

Leon tried to object that a single piece of fabric couldn't prove that he was guilty. Makoto agreed, but elaborated that other things would reveal the truth, causing Kyoko to smile.

"Are you finally starting to understand? The answers to all the riddles are right here."

With that, the debate centered on how the shirt got put into the incinerator, which was locked behind the gate in the trash room. Leon tried to pin it on Hifumi, since he as on trash duty that week. Makoto hypothesized that the killer took Yasuhiro's glass ball from the laundry room and threw it through the gaps in the gate to hit the incinerator switch, then balled up the shirt and tossed it into the incinerator.

"All you have to do is look at the scene to know that the killer never actually went inside the trash room. The shards of broken glass, the incinerator left running, the piece of shirt that escaped the fire...If the killer had been on cleaning duty, the evidence would have been taken care of much more thoroughly."

When Makoto pointed out that such a feat would have been no challenge for the Ultimate Baseball Star, Leon started to sweat, ranting that it was all wrong, causing Kyoko to smirk.

Gotcha!

"You still won't admit it? Okay then...Makoto go ahead and review the incident one more time to make his crime perfectly clear. And with that, we can end this…"

As Makoto recreated the events of the murder perfectly, Leon sweat more and more, causing Kyoko to smirk.

Well done, Makoto.

"So, Leon...do you object to anything that's been said?"

"Hell yes I object!"

"Well then, I guess this is as good a time as any to present the evidence that proves you did it. Makoto...I believe you're in possession of that evidence?"

That evidence...wait...the doorknob, the screws...I've got it!

"When the killer removed the screws from the doorknob, they didn't use anything from your room to do it. Instead, they must have used something that belonged to them. So what did the killer use?"

Makoto realized that they had to use their own toolkit, since Sayaka's room wouldn't have had one, so they wouldn't have thought to ransack Makoto's room for a toolkit. Above Leon's repeated cries of "Stupid", Makoto demanded to see Leon's toolkit.

This will prove once and for all whether Leon's guilty or not.

"And let me say this right now...I lost it isn't an excuse at this point."

XXX

In the end, Leon was voted guilty, and everyone was forced to watch as he was tied to a pole and executed via a thousand baseballs at machine-gun velocity. Shock crossed everyone's faces save for Kyoko, who was as stoic as ever, and Monokuma, who celebrated with glee.

Makoto seethed with anger at the three deaths caused by Monokuma, psychopathic game. When the bear mocked him about how Sayaka's betrayal had left him in despair, that was the last straw for Makoto.

"FUZAKERU NA!"

Everyone looked at the normally peaceful and kind Makoto, shocked by this outburst of rage.

"You did this. It was all your fault, from beginning to end!"

He lunged at Monokuma, determined to make him pay for what he had done, but found himself restrained by Kyoko's firm grip.

"No, Makoto; that's enough. Don't lose it. Think about this, you'll never avenge her if you get killed too. If you really want to make her enemies pay for what they've done, you need to let it go for now."

Monokuma cackled and taunted how once the mysteries of the school were solved, everyone would think their living conditions were wonderful.

"I feel like there's some kind of deeper meaning hidden in there… Just like before…"

That's what everyone is waiting for after all…

"When you say everyone...who exactly are you referring to?"

Monokuma merely cackled and disappeared. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the struggle on Makoto's face, the struggle to remain composed after bearing witness to such horrible things. Wordlessly, she supported Makoto as they walked back to the elevator and to the dorm rooms. Shakily, Makoto reached into his pocket and pulled out his dorm key. As he struggled to place it in the lock, Kyoko grabbed his hand with her free one to steady it, then helped him twist the key and open the door. She then helped him to sit down onto the bed. She took one last look at his despair-ridden face as she turned around and walked out, gently closing the door behind her.

He needs time...as much as I want to tell him some things that couldn't be brought up during the trial, he needs time to regain his composure so that he can accept them…

As the door closed, Makoto's mind wandered to those he lost today.

Sayaka, Junko, Leon. Why did this have to happen to them? And why did Sayaka lie to me like this? I thought we were friends. No, I can't blame her entirely. It's all one...monster's fault. Damn that Monokuma! He took away their lives, and for what? For his entertainment?

Makoto lost his composure; he collapsed onto his back and cried, rivers trailing down his cheeks as he let out the clogged up emotions that had festered during the trial. And he cried and cried until he couldn't cry anymore, the soundproof walls ensuring nobody was privy to the torment he felt.

XXX

After a couple hours, his tears subsided and he felt he could think logically again.

I wouldn't have gotten out alive if Kyoko hadn't defended me during the trial. I should probably thank her when I see her again…

As he thought this, the doorbell rang twice. Forcing himself to stand up, he slowly walked over and opened the door to see Kyoko standing on the other side.

"Kyo...Kyoko..."

"Makoto. Can I talk to you for a second? There's something I want to talk to you about."

Nodding, Makoto opened the door fully and walked over to the bed, sitting down on it and grasping his hands in each other.

"It's about Sayaka, isn't it?"

Kyoko looked at him in surprise, expecting to have to guide him to the answer.

"I'm surprised you figured it out. I told you before the class trial started...You had to figure out the mystery of this case yourself."

I really wish I hadn't, honestly. I had no idea what Sayaka was planning. And now that I know the truth, how well do I really know my friends?

"Listen, Makoto. Sayaka meant to double-cross you. That's a fact you can never change. But even till the very end, she wasn't sure of her decision. That's why...as she lay dying, she was thinking of you."

Makoto scoffed, thinking Yeah right; thinking of how she could betray me!

"There's no way you could know that for sure. Only Sayaka could tell us, and she's dead now."

"Even if you can't ask her, you can infer it, don't you think? Her final thought...was how she could protect you."

Pro...protect me?

Kyoko smiled as she explained "The fact that she used her last ounce of energy to leave her dying message proves it. If she didn't care what happened to you, she never would have left that message. She certainly didn't have to."

I want to believe that, but after what happened today, I don't know if I'll be able to trust anyone at face-value ever again. Maizono tricked me because I was a fool and believed that she wouldn't kill anyone. Besides, it was probably more for revenge against Leon than concern for me!

"Well, maybe all she really wanted was to pay Leon back for killing her."

"That's certainly one possibility. But I don't think that's what it was. She was...uncertain. She wasn't sure she could kill someone...or deceive you. Which is why her plan failed. Her hesitation attracted failure. It's almost ironic when you think about it."

So she died...because she hesitated? Because she was unsure? She died...for nothing?

"Kyoko...why are you telling me all this?"

Because I don't want you to lose hope.

Kyoko gave a comforting smile as she replied "Because...you're the kind of person who can overcome this. Because you can move past the deaths of your friends - Sayaka and Leon - and keep moving forward. Without someone like that, the others would never be able to break free of such a desperate situation."

Move past their deaths? I'll be haunted by this forever; I could never move on…

"Kyoko. I could never move past their deaths. Sayaka, Junko, Leon, their deaths, their unfulfilled dreams, their anguish; I'm going to carry them with me for the rest of my life!"

Kyoko stared at Makoto in surprise, his determination catching her off guard.

You surprise me again, Makoto Naegi.

"So instead of forgetting them...you're choosing the hard road. Well, I have high expectations for you."

High expectations? Of what?

Makoto blushed at the thought of the stoic Kyoko holding him in high regard.

"By the way..." Kyoko interrupted "I have to admit I'm curious...How did you know I wanted to talk to you about Sayaka?"

Makoto smiled as Sayaka's funniest catchphrase came to mind.

This is too good to resist…"I'm psychic!"

"Huh?"

Makoto giggled and replied "Kidding. I just have good intuition."

I can't believe that worked!

He tricked me! I can't believe it. He's more clever than I thought.

Smiling, Kyoko murmured "Like I said, I have high expectations for you. Now if you'll excuse me..."

As Kyoko turned, Makoto called "Kyoko, wait."

Kyoko turned back, curious at what Makoto had to say to her.

"I just wanted to say thank you. You saved my life back there, Kyoko. You believed me when nobody else did, and I would be dead now if you hadn't guided me during the investigation and the trial. And don't tell me it was to save your own skin, because you could have exposed Leon without defending me as vigorously as you did. I owe you my life, Kyoko..."

Kyoko looked at Makoto, shocked at his heartfelt expression of gratitude, as well as the tears that were threatening to bubble over the surface. She laid her hand on his shoulder, forcing him to look up at her smiling face.

"You were innocent, that's all there is to it. And I know you'll get through this, Makoto. You have an inner strength that we need right now. Your optimism is what will keep everyone going in these trying times, and none of us want to see you lose the hope you hold."

Makoto blushed at Kyoko's praise, who was also slightly blushing at the speech she gave. Squeezing his shoulder in comfort, she turned around and walked away.

Opening the door, she turned around and told him "Sweet dreams, Makoto."

He watched as she walked out the door, closing it behind her. He clenched his chest with one hand, then laid back and crawled under the blankets, committing her words to memory as he slept.

I promise, Kyoko. I won't lose hope. If I fall into despair, then that'll only give Monokuma what he wants. In the memory of Sayaka, Junko, and Leon, I won't lose my optimism. I'll let that be my weapon against Monokuma's sadistic game.