Deadly Life
What lay before my eyes- the dead body of someone I knew- didn't seem real. I'd watched people die in movies and on television, and had even seen a few dead bodies on the news, but seeing one in real life was something else entirely. Of course, real or not, it was impossible to deny the significance of what had happened. This was our wake-up call that the killing game was not a joke or a prank, but a struggle for our lives. Kurogane-kun had just lost his life, and if the rest of us didn't find out who was responsible, so would we.
"That's Kurogane-kun!" I said. "He's dead, isn't he?"
Sensei knelt down near Kurogane-kun's body, careful to avoid touching or stepping in the blood nearby, and took his pulse. After a moment, she stood up, then nodded grimly.
"Unfortunately, it seems so," Sensei said. "I... can hardly believe one of us actually committed murder, but we're past the point at which we can afford denial or disbelief. We must investigate while we can, or we will likely share his fate."
I looked around the bathroom, even though Kurogane-kun's corpse smelled like the toilet did before I flushed it. There didn't seem to be any indications of a struggle, so it was most likely that the killer had taken Kurogane-kun by surprise. The most likely murder weapon, a bloody mallet, lay near Kurogane-kun's body, evidently abandoned when the killer made their escape. I briefly wondered if they'd set up some sort of elaborate death trap to kill Kurogane-kun from a distance, but there wasn't anything of the sort that would prove its existence. Instead, the killer had apparently attacked Kurogane-kun from behind and quickly fled the scene, judging by the bloody footprints- a large pool of blood had formed to Kurogane-kun's right, and the killer had apparently stepped in it..
I then saw Kurogane-kun's right index finger, its tip stained with blood, pointing to the kanji for my family name, hastily written in blood but still legible, beneath the urinal Kurogane-kun evidently had used. Since my uniform's blazer had a name tag, everyone here who'd spent any amount of time with me knew how to write my name without my having to explain it. Knowing that most people would look at the bloody writing before any other evidence and consider me a suspect, even though my conviction would result in my death and theirs, my first reaction was panic.
"H-he wrote my name?" I said.
"Calm down, Miura-san," Sensei said. "Apart from the fact that I know you were in the girl's bathroom at the time of the crime, there's an obvious problem here. Kurogane-kun's fatal injury appears to be on the back of his head."
I took a deep breath, as well as another look at the corpse. Sure enough, the injury had been inflicted on the back of Kurogane-kun's head. One might have assumed that he'd been trying to run away, but it looked like he'd been taken by surprise and killed.
"So he couldn't have seen his attacker," I said.
"It seems so," Sensei said. "If he had, he probably would have tried to escape or fight back. If it's the former, he would have probably gotten further away. If it's the latter, he'd have taken his fatal injury from the front."
I took another look at Kurogane-kun's body, and noticed some blood on his clothes, something that likely applied to his killer. However, the soles of his shoes were more or less completely clean. On the ground nearby, there were some bloody footprints that looked like they'd been made by a sneaker, and all of them were from the right foot.
"By the way, whose bloody shoe print is this?" I said.
"I don't know the person's name, but it most likely belongs to the culprit," Sensei said, as she took out her handbook and took a picture of the footprint. "Not only does Kurogane-kun not have blood on his shoes, but the pattern of the footprint is completely different. If we track down the shoes' owner, we'll be significantly closer to finding the truth."
I nodded in agreement. We were in a dire situation if Monokuma was telling the truth, and our lives were indeed on the line, but I believed that Sensei would be a useful ally.
The bathroom door opened behind us. We turned and saw Fukuda-kun, who was most likely here for the same reason I'd visited the girls' bathroom minutes ago.
"Miura? Edogawa?" Fukuda-kun said. "I don't want to sound like Mitamura, but what are you two doing in the boys'-"
"Fukuda-kun, wait!" I said. "Don't touch the body or anything else, or you'll contaminate the crime scene."
"Body? Crime scene? What are you ta-"
Fukuda-kun gasped in horror as he saw Kurogane-kun's lifeless body. Suddenly, one of the monitors in the hall came on, and I saw Monokuma.
"A body has been discovered!" Monokuma said. "After a brief period of investigation, we will hold a class trial."
As the monitor turned off, Fukuda-kun's eyes went wide.
"So... it's actually starting," Fukuda-kun said. "I didn't want to think any of us was the type to commit murder... but someone went and actually did it."
I nodded grimly. Even the more cynical of us would probably end up being shaken once they learned of it, but our success or failure in the class trial would depend on the spotless keeping a clear head.
"Fukuda-kun, there's something we must know in order to find out who is responsible for the murder," Sensei said. "Where were you about five minutes ago?"
"9:30?" Fukuda-kun said. "I was going running in the gym."
"So, just down the hall," Sensei said. "Were you doing it with anyone?"
"Not at all," Fukuda-kun said. "Earlier this evening, I asked Sakuragi if he wanted to work out, but he said he wasn't feeling up to it."
Sensei sighed and shook her head.
"I see," Sensei said. "It's unfortunate, but if you do not have someone else to validate your alibi, then it's harder to rule you out as a suspect."
"Maybe," Fukuda-kun said, "but aren't you two just as suspicious? After all, there's Miura's name written in blood."
"Yes, that's my name," I said, "seemingly written by a victim who was attacked from behind, while Sensei and I were in the girls' bathroom together. I have some idea of what it's like to be a suspect, since people will probably conclude that I did it, but we'll need to cooperate to find the truth."
"All right," Fukuda-kun said. "Sorry, I'm just a little tense, that's all."
Fukuda-kun then took a deep breath, and seemed to calm down a little bit, even if he didn't forget that there was a dead body in the room.
"In any case, Fukuda-kun," Sensei said, "while I can't say for sure that you were in the gym at the time of the murder, I also don't think you're a likely suspect. Based on my estimations, the killer ran toward the dorms. Besides, if you'd hit Kurogane-kun on the head with the hammer, you'd likely have blood on your clothes- particularly your shoes."
"I'm pretty sure mine are clean," Fukuda-kun said. "I'll show them to you if you two show me yours- deal?"
Sensei and I nodded, and the three of us took off our shoes. All three of our right soles were clean, and Fukuda-kun's hiking boots had a noticeably different pattern.
"Thank you, Fukuda-kun," Sensei said. "Not only is your shoe free of blood, but the pattern does not match. At least for the moment, you are most likely not the culprit."
We then put on our shoes again, in time for most of the others to rush in. First, Inoue-kun, Yuuki-san and Kagami-kun, standing in the doorway and propping it open. Less than a minute later, Katsura-san and Akasaka-san came. Shortly afterward, Mitamura-san and Sugiura-san arrived, at which point Monokuma appeared once again.
"All right," Monokuma said. "Now that most of you bastards are here, I'll get straight to the point. One of you lot committed a murder, and now you're gonna have to find the blackened 'whodunnit.' To keep things fair, I'm going to give you a little time to investigate this crime, and a special gift- the Monokuma File. It has everything you need to know about where, when and how the vic died."
Monokuma handed me a small tablet PC. Apparently, there was only one program on it- a document detailing the victim's death that included a white outline of the victim's body with purple circles indicating where he was wounded, as well as a text description of the body. I then read it aloud to everyone present.
Monokuma File 1
The victim is Shiro Kurogane, the Ultimate Shogi Player.
The body was found in the boys' bathroom on the first floor of the school.
The approximate time of death is 9:30 PM.
The cause of death is a single killing blow to the head with a blunt object. The victim is believed to have died immediately.
So far, everything- the name of the victim, the location of the body, the approximate time of death- matched what Sensei and I had found. Monokuma was anything but trustworthy, especially when it came to defining what we'd "need to know." Still, at this point, this seemed to be the only concrete information we had about the murder, particularly regarding the time of death.
"Can this Monokuma File be trusted?" Mitamura-san said.
"It sure can," Monokuma said. "I don't see any Ultimate Coroners here, or even an Ultimate Detective this time, so are you bastards gonna tell me I'm wrong about this?'
"I won't," Sensei said. "My father has experience investigating crime scenes, but he doesn't have the skills necessary for a detailed autopsy, and neither do I. Trusting you is a bit much to ask, but none of us have the expertise to refute your personal File."
"Gotcha," Monokuma said. "Well, here you go. The rest is up to you- here's hoping your daddy taught you some of his tricks. I'll tell you all when it's time for the class trial."
Monokuma then vanished once again, around the time the remaining students arrived. As panicked murmurs rose from the newcomers, Mitamura-san snapped her fingers, silencing us.
"May I please have your attention?" Mitamura-san said. "At approximately 9:30 PM, one of us murdered Kurogane-san. Under Monokuma-san's rules, unless we discover the culprit's identity, the other fourteen of us will be put to death. As such, if you are the murderer, please confess, in order to ensure that we do not convict the wrong person."
Hoshino-kun raised his hand, even though he didn't seem to be the type to ask permission to speak. A few of us, not expecting an actual confession, gasped in surprise or stared in shock... until Hoshino-kun spoke.
"Why yes, I did it," Hoshino-kun said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I might be willing to kill a guy who's unarmed, but even I'm not enough of a bastard to let the rest of you die so I can get out of this hellhole."
"Please do not take this lightly, Hoshino-san," Mitamura-san said. "Your life is also at stake."
"Of course I'm serious," Hoshino-kun said. "Come on, Mitamura, do you think anyone's gonna just take one for the team like that?"
"It would be the most responsible thing to do," Mitamura-san said. "All of us have misbehaved at various points in our lives, and the best course of action is to take responsibility for our transgressions, then work to atone for them. Perhaps Kurogane-san's murderer never intended to kill him, and by confessing, will ensure that no one but they will have to die."
While Mitamura-san was usually fairly convincing, there was something about what she said that rang hollow, even if I couldn't put my finger on what. Maybe it was because she didn't seem like the kind to misbehave- or at least admit to it. Maybe it was because, as Hoshino-kun said, we couldn't reasonably expect the culprit to confess, given what was at stake for them. Or maybe, now that one of us had committed murder, a crime that also amounted to betraying the group, I couldn't just blindly trust her.
"Yeah, good speech," Hoshino-kun said. "And what if you did it? Are you willing to do what you just said and die for us, too?"
"Then that'd mean that Reiko-chan went into the boys' bathroom," Yuuki-san said, as Mitamura-san hesitated. "Can you really imagine her doing something like that, much less killing Shiro-kun?"
"On the other hand, we can't necessarily assume that only the boys could have done it," Kagami-kun said. "If we prematurely rule out the actual suspect, then we've essentially dug our own graves- not that we'll be buried if we die here."
Mitamura-san nodded.
"It is true that we know little that could help narrow down the list of suspects," Mitamura-san said, "which is why we must investigate the crime scene. I will stand guard at the scene of the crime to ensure that no one tampers with it."
"By yourself?" Hoshino-kun said. "If you're the culprit, you might tamper with it and plant evidence so that we'd suspect someone else."
Hoshino-kun had a point. Of course, while any tampering with the crime scene would be a setback we couldn't afford, the only seemingly obvious incriminating evidence- my name written in blood- was a forgery done by the true culprit to make people think I was responsible. Perhaps that might give us some insight as to who was responsible, but for now, I'd have to convince the others that Kurogane-kun couldn't have written my name.
"If you suspect me, Hoshino-san, then you may accompany me," Mitamura-san said.
"I'll guard the crime scene with you, Mitamura-san," Akasaka-san said. "I don't think I could contribute much to the investigation."
"Thank you, Akasaka-san," Mitamura-san said. "Are you content with this arrangement, Hoshino-san?"
"Fine by me," Hoshino-kun said. "I'd rather take a look around and do some investigating on my own. My life's on the line, too, after all."
Mitamura-san nodded in understanding. Perhaps Hoshino-kun's motives were selfish, but his actions were for the good of our group.
"Good," Mitamura-san said. "Everyone else- please split up and find out who knows anything about the crime, particularly where everyone was at around 9:30 PM and how the weapon was obtained. All of you may investigate the crime scene under my supervision, and should investigate any other locations around the school that may be relevant to the murder in some way."
We nodded in understanding.
"I have a request, Mitamura-san," Sensei said. "While we investigate the scene, would it be acceptable for Miura-san to hold on to the Monokuma File until the trial for safekeeping?"
Mitamura-san looked taken aback for some reason, more so than she had been when Hoshino-kun had directly challenged her authority. Maybe she thought Sensei was asking too much, or maybe she thought of her as a threat to her authority. I had to admit that I was also surprised, since I thought Sensei would be the best choice for stewardship of this vital piece of evidence.
"If that is what you wish, then I shall allow it," Mitamura-san said. "I hope, for your sake, that your trust is not misplaced."
"Thank you," Sensei said.
"One more thing," Mitamura-san said. "If any of the boys need to use the restroom, you may use the ladies' room for now. I would rather not have any unnecessary foot traffic in the crime scene, after all."
"A wise choice," Sensei said. "Everyone, when we convene for the class trial, I would like all of you to bring the murder weapons you received, if you still have them. If you do, we can thus determine who used theirs, and whether the hammer used to kill Kurogane-kun was one of Monokuma's 'gifts' to us."
The others looked at each other warily. Not cooperating would possibly imply that they had something to hide, but some of them likely believed that doing what Sensei had to say would lead them into a trap. A part of me resented their distrust of someone who wanted to solve the mystery, and had as much to lose as they did, but I realized that not everyone could easily trust her given the situation.
Now that the meeting was over, Mitamura-san, Akasaka-san and a few others remained in the boys' bathroom, while others left, seeking out clues elsewhere in the school. Since no one knew who to trust, they couldn't uncritically accept anyone else's results, so the only logical choice would be to find the truth alone. I couldn't fault their arriving at this conclusion, even if I didn't think they'd succeed by themselves.
As we split up to investigate, Sensei pulled me aside, into the girls' bathroom, After I went in, she shut the door behind her.
"What is it, Sensei?" I said.
"I'd keep the Monokuma File to yourself for now, Miura-san," Sensei said. "It's most likely that the culprit- probably one of those who arrived after Monokuma left- wrote your name under the assumption that people would believe that Kurogane-kun lived long enough to write your name in his own blood, or that people would not know when. Perhaps if the culprit pursues either line of argument at the trial, they may reveal themselves."
"That makes sense. Then again, people probably will know when Kurogane-kun died, since only about 10 minutes passed before the body discovery announcement- less if you consider that we were there for a while before Fukuda-kun showed up."
"True. Then perhaps the time will be less of a factor- for now, we should find out where everyone was at 9:30, so that we can narrow down our list of suspects."
I nodded. I had to wonder whether things were really this simple, but Sensei had given us a good place to begin.
"By the way," I said, "it might be my imagination, but Mitamura-san didn't seem all that happy about your request."
Sensei shrugged, which was hardly surprising- I had to admit that I wasn't completely sure about my impression of Mitamura-san. Of course, someone with Mitamura-san's intense passion for decorum would fervently remain civil at all times- or at least seem to be- even when dealing with someone she disliked.
"It's hardly surprising. Considering that one of us committed murder, everyone's on edge."
"That might be true, but it sounded like there was something else going on- maybe she's suspicious of you or thinks you're undermining her authority. Of course, when it comes to investigation, you're probably the best of us."
Sensei shrugged.
"I'm not so sure of that. While I have researched crimes and criminal investigation in order to write my mysteries, and learned a little from my father, I don't have the training or equipment for advanced detective techniques. Fingerprinting suspects is impossible for me, as is using luminol to test for blood. "
"I thought so. Still, this entire thing seems ad-hoc. Even if you're not a detective, you're still vastly more competent at this than most of the others... which is what worries me."
My fate, along with that of all the spotless, lay in the hands of people whose knowledge of criminal investigations was based on what they saw on TV- I knew I was no exception, and even Sensei didn't think of herself as one, either. Those people would play virtually every role in the courtroom despite not having any legal background. All verdicts handed down would be final, with death being the only sentence.
"I understand. The one bright side is that regardless of everyone's skills, the fact that our lives are on the line will force them to take this seriously. Not all of us can investigate the crime, but any of us could remember something that will help identify the culprit. Let's get to work, and see what everyone else knows."
I nodded. While I'd always considered Sensei to be quite trustworthy and competent, I never had any intention of letting her do all- or even most- of the work. I was probably even more out of my depth than she claimed to be, but even I could pitch in to find the killer.
Sensei and I looked outside, and saw a set of bloody footprints from what looked like someone's right foot leading out into the hallway, past the school store and rec room, and finally ending just outside the dorms. Unfortunately, most of them were smudged by now, as everyone rushing over had stepped on them.
Sensei sighed in deep disappointment and frustration.
"It looks as though we couldn't preserve the rest of the crime scene," Sensei said, "so now, the blackened isn't the only one with blood on their shoes."
"I know," I said. "Of course, smudged or not, I don't see any footprints going into the dorms. Maybe the culprit took off their shoes."
"That seems likely," Sensei said. "If the trail led back to their room, we'd be able to identify the killer... assuming the culprit didn't deliberately walk to someone else's dorm."
"In other words, we'll need more evidence," I said. "I'll go around and ask everyone to see what they know, as well as whether their shoes match the footprint."
"I plan on doing the same," Sensei said. "I'll meet up with you when I've learned more."
We then split up, setting out to look for all the information we could gather. If this trial was a shootout, evidence would serve as our bullets, and the more ammunition we had, the more likely it would be that we'd be standing at the end.
While Sensei was looking for more information, I saw Inoue-kun examining the trail of bloody footprints, which seemed to end just after the rec room. It was most likely that the killer had returned to their dorm room, but I couldn't tell which one.
"Something I can help you with, Miura-san?" Inoue-kun said, as he noticed me.
"I'm just double-checking, Inoue-kun, but where were you at 9:30 PM?" I said.
"Still in the school store. Yuuki-san and Kagami-kun were still there after you left."
I nodded. It would be easy enough to confirm his alibi later, and it matched what I knew for now.
"Got it. Did you hear someone running by?"
"I did, but I didn't get a good look, since the doors to the school store were closed at the time. It sounded like they were going to the dormitory."
"That's what Sensei and I concluded. Do you know anything else?"
Inoue-kun sighed and shook his head.
"Do you want my honest opinion?" Inoue-kun said, and I nodded. "If you believe in any higher powers, you should make peace with them, because you'll probably see them soon."
I couldn't accept what Inoue-kun was suggesting, and not because I'd never been to church apart from when my parents and I went to a relative's wedding. The idea of dying so young, and likely in a horrific manner, without seeing my family or friends again was too awful to contemplate, so I was a bit shocked that Inoue-kun seemed to consider that fate inevitable.
"I appreciate the thought," I said, "but I'd rather figure out who's responsible for this."
"So would I," Inoue-kun said, "but let's be realistic. When it comes to voting for the culprit, there's only one right answer, fourteen wrong ones and little evidence to prove who actually did it. Edogawa-san's novels aside, none of us have any experience in criminal investigation or trials. I don't trust myself to find the right answer, so you'll have to forgive me if I don't have much faith in anyone else."
"I can't argue with that. On the other hand, I can't accept that fourteen people, myself included, are going to die here, without making anything of our lives or even seeing our loved ones again. If there is something- anything- you can do to ensure it doesn't come to that, you owe it to yourself and everyone else to try."
Inoue-kun nervously chuckled.
"You do believe what you're saying, I'll give you that. I'm still not even remotely optimistic, but I'll do what I can to help."
"Thank you," I said. "Just let me know if you think of anything."
As I walked away, I thought about what Inoue-kun had said. His analysis of the situation was depressingly accurate, especially with a clue falsely naming me the culprit, but the panic hadn't set in just yet. A wrong verdict would mean death for all of us, but it was because the stakes were so high that I couldn't afford to let the pressure get to me.
I found Yuuki-san standing near the door to the dorms, trembling. As someone who wore her heart on her sleeve, it was only natural that she'd most clearly show how troubled she was.
"Are you all right, Yuuki-san?" I said.
"Sort of," Yuuki-san said. "I've been trying to take a look at the crime scene, but I freak out every time I see the body, so I can't get anything useful out of it."
"I'm sorry," I said.
"It's fine," Yuuki-san said. "Besides, I can't think of anything besides the fact that Shiro-kun got hit in the back of the head. Technically, anyone could've done it, right?"
"Technically, that's true," I said, "which is why we'll need to narrow down the list of suspects. The culprit is most likely someone who was alone in the boys' bathroom at the time of the crime, and got blood on their shoes and clothing."
"Got it," Yuuki-san said. "Well, seeing as how you were with Sae-chan at the time, it can't be you, right?"
"Right," I said. "And you were with Kagami-kun and Inoue-kun, right?"
"Sousuke-kun and Shinichi-kun?" Yuuki-san said. "Yep, none of us left the store until the body discovery announcement."
Either Yuuki-san hadn't seen the bloody message or didn't believe it. Regardless of which was the case, it was good that not everyone necessarily jumped to the most obvious conclusion about the crime.
"I see," I said. "Would it be possible for you to show me your shoes? I want to see if they have any blood on them."
Yuuki-san nodded, then took off her shoes and showed them to me. The shoes were completely clean of blood, and the pattern did not match the one at the scene. With a solid alibi, no blood on her shoes, and a personality that wasn't suited to killing, Yuuki-san almost certainly was not the culprit.
"Thank you," I said. "I'm almost positive you're not the culprit."
"That's good," Yuuki-san said. "I'm trying to think of who it could be, but I'm drawing a blank. With you and Sae-chan on the case, though, Kaori-chan, I'm sure we'll find the real killer."
It was a bit surprising to hear that Yuuki-san was relying on me- partially because she was an Ultimate, and partially because I didn't have any particular talent in this area. Still, it was true that our survival depended on our success, and so I strove to do my best on the investigation- I owed it to myself and those who believed in me.
I found Hoshino-kun searching the dining hall.
"Oh, there you are, Hoshino-kun," I said.
"Ah, Miura," Hoshino-kun said. "I don't suppose you've had any more luck finding out where the killer got the weapon?"
"Not really," I said. "Of course, if it's from an area anyone can access, it doesn't really narrow it down much."
Hoshino-kun nodded.
"If you don't mind my asking," I said, "how's the rest of your investigation going?"
"That's none of your business," Hoshino-kun said coldly.
I sighed, but wasn't particularly surprised that Hoshino-kun wasn't getting much information out of people. Perhaps his natural suspicion and paranoia of most people caused him to disbelieve what information they might provide, or maybe his attitude didn't exactly make them willing to cooperate with him.
"All right," I said, "but even if you're not willing to give me any information, I have a favor I'd like to ask. Would you be willing to let me take a look at your right shoe?"
Hoshino-kun shook his head.
"No," Hoshino-kun said. "For all I know, this is a setup, and you might just have planted evidence. You might be playing detective, but how do I know you're not trying to throw us all off and cover up your own crime?"
"Good question," I said, "I'd like to say 'because my life's at stake,' but that could just as easily prove that I'm trying to cover up my own crime. At this point, I doubt there's any way to prove my good intentions to you."
"You got that right," Hoshino-kun said. "All of us have a reason to commit murder, and any one of us could have done it, so we have to treat everyone who's still alive as a suspect."
"That's true," I said, "but at the same time, we can rule some people out. For example, Sensei and I were together at the time of the crime, so we can vouch for each other."
"Yeah, right," Hoshino-kun said. "Not only are you constantly going on about 'Sensei this' or 'Sensei that', you're the only one Edogawa really talks with. Seeing how buddy-buddy you two are, maybe you're in cahoots."
It was hard to tell how true Hoshino-kun's suggestion that Sensei didn't "really" talk with anyone else was, even if I knew she wasn't the killer. Still, at this rate, while Hoshino-kun wasn't wrong to distrust the others, he probably wasn't going to find any useful information at this rate, so Sensei was the only one I trusted to solve this mystery.
"I know you probably won't believe me at this point," I said, "but I will find evidence that clears both of our names, and finds the true killer."
"Suit yourself," Hoshino-kun said before walking off.
I simply shook my head and resumed my investigation, hoping the others would be more cooperative.
Since most of the other students were investigating, it was difficult to pin down any one of them and question them. Kagami-kun, however, did confirm Yuuki-san and Inoue-kun's alibis, so I was all but certain that none of the three were guilty. Katsura-san also confirmed that she and Akasaka-san had still been playing checkers at the time of the crime, so that was another two suspects off the list.
While I was looking inside the laundry room, Mizuhara-kun stopped by, coincidentally returning to where I'd last seen him before the crime.
"Hello, Mizuhara-kun," I said "Where exactly were you at the time of the murder?"
"Let's see," Mizuhara-kun said. "I saw you at 8:40 PM, and put my laundry in the washer just after you left. Ten minutes later, Iwasawa-san asked me for help with hers, so I put it in and stayed here while it was washing. At 9:10 PM, I put my laundry in the dryer, and I put hers in ten minutes later."
I looked into one of the dryers and saw two pairs of overalls tumbling around, proof that Iwasawa-san had been there. I was glad that everyone had their own unique styles of clothes- if the culprit had to wash a blazer-style uniform that was practically identical to everyone else's, it would be much harder to tell whose uniform was whose.
"I see," I said. "No one saw you there at the time of the crime, though?"
"Unfortunately, no. That said, Sakuragi-kun stopped by to say hi just before the body discovery announcement."
"I see," I said. "To be honest, it is possible that you could have made it over to the bathroom, killed Kurogane-kun, and then gotten back here."
"Possible, yes," Mizuhara-kun said. "Of course, this begs the question- how would I know that he was alone in the bathroom?"
I had to wonder why, myself. The chances of two of the eight boys needing to use the john at the same time was somewhat slim, so I had to wonder if the culprit had specifically lay in wait for Kurogane-kun.
"Good question. I'm personally still trying to figure out if the killer specifically targeted Kurogane-kun or chose a random victim."
Hypothetically speaking, if you wanted someone dead, you could murder any of the other survivors and then get away with it, in which case that person would be executed with the other spotless. Then again, if you really wanted someone dead, or weren't confident that you wouldn't get caught, it would probably be best to just kill them yourself.
"To be honest, I'm not sure anyone liked him, but I can't think of anyone who wanted him dead," Mizuhara-kun said. "I mean, he did have a grudge against you, but it seems more likely that he'd try to kill you."
"That may be true," I said, "although he did tell me that he didn't want me dead. The real culprit must have assumed people would believe I wanted Kurogane-kun dead, since they wrote my name."
"That isn't too unreasonable of a guess," Mizuhara-kun said, "but if you think about it, everyone has a motive for killing- even the two of us. Still, if you're actually willing to investigate this case, I suppose it's worth my while to answer your questions."
"Thank you, Mizuhara-kun," I said. "For your sake, and that of the other spotless, I will find the killer."
It was clear that not everyone trusted me, nor could I trust them. That said, while they had reasons to betray our group and murder one of us, the spotless also had a vested interest in catching the blackened.
Inside the warehouse, I saw Iwasawa-san and Tezuka-kun looking intently at an open metal box. Rather than looking aimlessly, it seemed as though their search had bore fruit.
"Oh, hello, Tezuka-kun, Iwasawa-san," I said. "Did you find something?"
"It looks like someone opened this box of tools," Iwasawa-san said. "Out of all the tools inside, only a hammer is missing."
I looked inside and saw a bunch of tools that looked like they were meant for making a stone sculpture. They were quite cluttered inside the box, so it was hard to tell what was supposed to be there and what was missing.
Iwasawa-san then showed me another box of tools. I recognized the hammer as the same one at the crime scene, and noticed that the tools were lined up in a more orderly fashion. Until now, it had probably never been opened- or at least, someone hadn't rummaged around in it.
"That's definitely suspicious," I said. "But why didn't they take the whole box?"
"I honestly have no clue," Iwasawa-san said. "I didn't even know it was missing until Mr. Tezuka, who'd previously come here to get sculpting tools, mentioned the hammer."
"Yeah, I came by and got a box of tools on the first night," Tezuka-kun said. "I can show you to my room if you like- I've got the whole set in there, so I didn't just take a hammer to commit murder."
I paused to think for a moment. While Tezuka-kun had good reason to use those tools, he might also have taken the hammer- anyone could have.
"I see. Any idea who took the other hammer?"
"Definitely not me," Tezuka-kun said. "I know it sounds like I'm trying to save my own ass, but let me tell you- it really pisses me off when people use an artist's tools for murder. Iwasawa, you wouldn't like it if someone murdered people by stabbing them with pitchforks, would you?"
"Not one bit," Iwasawa-san said.
"There you have it," Tezuka-kun said. "I know you'll need evidence, but I hope this clears some of the suspicion from me."
"I know," I said. "By the way, Iwasawa-san, Mizuhara-kun helped you with your laundry, didn't he?"
"He did," Iwasawa-san said. "I met up with him at 8:50 PM, and then stopped by the laundry again at 9:20 PM."
"That's what he said," I said. "If you don't mind, I'd like to see your and Tezuka-kun's shoes, please."
Iwasawa-san and Tezuka-kun showed me their shoes- a pair of work boots and dress shoes, respectively. It was clear, even from a glance, that neither had blood on them or a pattern that matched the footprints, but I still felt as though I was taking a step closer to the truth. Perhaps the case couldn't be solved alone, but all of us had some role to play.
"Got it," I said. "I wanted to see if you had any blood on your clothes, but they look clean."
"Thank you, Miss Miura," Iwasawa-san said. "I usually don't care if my overalls get dirty while I'm working in the field, but Miss Mitamura takes appearance seriously, so I've been trying to follow her example."
A part of me wondered whether Iwasawa-san had cleaned her clothes, but that was unlikely, assuming she'd only just learned how to do her laundry. Still, while there was little to suggest that either Iwasawa-san or Tezuka-kun were the killer, I felt as though I'd gotten one step closer to finding the truth.
As I left the warehouse, I saw Sensei coming out of the trash room.
"There you are, Miura-san," Sensei said. "How are you faring?"
"I don't have anything that would point to a possible suspect yet," I said. "Some of us don't have alibis, but I haven't found any conclusive leads yet."
"I see," Sensei said. "This is just a hunch, but have you considered the possibility that the culprit disposed of their clothes somehow?"
"I have," I said. "Of course, the culprit would have to do one of a few things with the bloody clothes- hide them, wash them or burn them."
As I reached the latter point, I realized that must have been Sensei's reason for looking in the trash room.
"The incinerator hasn't been used yet," Sensei said. "As for the laundry room, it would take too long to wash and dry the clothes- anyone whose clothes were found there would be suspicious."
"I checked the laundry room," I said. "Mizuhara-kun and Iwasawa-san washed their clothes there, but they started before the murder."
"So the culprit's clothes couldn't have been burned or washed," Sensei said. "I'd suggest searching everyone's room, but I doubt they will necessarily cooperate. For now, though, let's return to the crime scene and see if we can find any new information."
Sensei and I then set out for the first floor of the school once again, hoping we still had time.
Upon returning to the boys' bathroom, we saw Akasaka-san standing guard at the door, which had since been propped open.
"Ah, perfect timing, Miura-san, Edogawa-san," Akasaka-san said. "I was hoping you two would come."
"Did you find something, Akasaka-san?" Sensei said.
Akaasaka-san nodded.
"I took a look at Kurogane-kun's body," Akasaka-san said. "You probably noticed that his right finger was used to draw the kanji for Miura-san's name, didn't you?"
"I did," I said. "What about it?"
"There's a problem with that," Akasaka-san said. "Kurogane-kun was left-handed. "
"Really?" I said.
"He challenged me to a shogi game the day after we arrived," Akasaka-san said, "so I had ample opportunity to see him use his left hand to move the pieces. As such, I don't believe he was the one who wrote your name."
"That's useful information," I said. "Anyway, would you mind showing me your shoes?"
"Certainly," Akasaka-san said.
Akasaka-san took off her shoes- a pair of black dress shoes- and showed them to us. There was a bit of blood on the middle of the right shoe, but the shoe didn't match the one that was at the crime scene.
"Thank you," I said.
"It's my pleasure," Akasaka-san said. "Anyway, why are the two of you here?"
"I wanted to ask Mitamura-san something," Sensei said.
"She's just over there," Akasaka-san said, pointing toward the rear of the bathroom.
We then walked up to Mitamura-san who was closely examining Kurogane-kun's body.
"Mitamura-san, I have a question," I said. "Where were you at 9:30 PM?"
"In my room," Mitamura-san said. "Sugiura-san and I had been washing the dishes and cleaning up until 9:25 PM."
I thought for a moment. Even if Mitamura-san had no qualms against entering the boys' bathroom, it would be difficult, albeit not impossible, for her or Sugiura-san to make it all the way over there in time to commit the murder.
"I have two requests to make," Sensei said. "First, I would like to take a look at Kurogane-kun's corpse in more detail."
"Certainly," Mitamura-san said. "I have used my handbook's camera function to capture a picture of his body."
Sensei turned the victim's body over, and checked his pockets. Kurogane-kun's key and handbook, the only two possessions we knew he had, were still in his pocket. What I noticed first, however... was that his fly was unzipped.
"So it's as I thought," I said. "The killer caught him off guard while he was... occupied. Since the Monokuma File says he died instantly, he couldn't have seen his attacker or written my name."
"Perhaps," Mitamura-san said. "Still, we must explore all possibilities, and you and Edogawa-san were confirmed as being closest to the crime scene."
"That's the problem," I said. "Wouldn't we want to get really far away from it?"
"A reasonable assumption," Mitamura-san said. "I will concede that the two of you are less suspicious than those of us who do not have alibis."
"That brings me to my second request," Sensei said. "I believe that when the culprit hit Kurogane-kun on the head, some of his blood fell on their clothes. I would like to search everyone's room, particularly those who do not have alibis- since no one appears to be wearing bloody clothing, and it is unlikely that they washed or burned those items, perhaps the culprit hid their bloody clothes in their room."
Mitamura-san sighed.
"That may be difficult," Mitamura-san said. "Most of you have recognized me as a leader, but not everyone will simply do what I say. As such, it is the other students' prerogative to grant or deny access to their rooms."
I sighed. Hoshino-kun was not alone in suspecting others- only blunter than most about it. Hardly anyone would be willing to let another student into their room, particularly now that one of us had committed murder. All these were reasonable concerns, even if they did end up making it a bit more difficult to find the actual suspect.
"A few of the people I questioned wouldn't even take off their shoes for me," I said. "Sakuragi-kun's been avoiding me ever since the investigation started, and Hoshino-kun even said that I might be a suspect for the murder."
"That is a reasonable possibility," Mitamura-san said, "even if it does not excuse his refusal to cooperate. Unfortunately, it seems you will have to find other means of identifying the culprit."
Before I could make a suggestion or say anything, the monitors then came to life to deliver Monokuma's announcement.
"It is now time for the class trial," Monokuma said. "Please head to the red double doors on the first floor- they will lead you to an elevator that will take you to the courtroom."
The monitor shut off. I checked my watch and saw that it was around 10:10 PM- apparently, Monokuma had taken a break from the Night Time announcement, since I hadn't heard it during the investigation.
"Already?" I said. "We didn't get much time to investigate."
"Indeed," Sensei said. "I suspect Monokuma wants us to feel desperate and scared- how better to do that than force us to go into the trial without adequate preparation?""
"True," I said. "In any case, I suppose we have no choice but to do as he says, do we?"
Mitamura-san nodded.
"Authority figures may not necessarily be benevolent or legitimate, but they do have the power to ensure that there will be consequences if you disobey them," Mitamura-san said. "As such, while Monokuma-san may not be a respectable leader, he does have the power to punish any who would cross him, so you are correct- we have no choice."
"I see," Sensei said. "We'll stop by our rooms to retrieve our murder weapon bags- they may be important evidence in the trial."
The three of us then parted ways for the moment. We didn't feel nearly prepared enough for the trial, but we knew we couldn't afford to fail, so all we could do was keep our wits about us and think carefully.
After Sensei and I briefly stopped by our rooms to retrieve our weapons, we headed to the red door, and opened it, to see a small room in front of an elevator. I noticed several of the students carrying the bags. This was somewhat encouraging- at least some of us trusted Sensei enough to listen to her.
"Good to see you all made it!" Monokuma said. "Please board the elevator, which will take you down to the courtroom. As for whether you'll be around for the return trip... Puhuhuhuhu... that's up to you bastards."
I pulled Sensei aside and spoke to her in hushed tones.
"So, Sensei," I said. "Do you have any idea who the culprit might be?"
"Not at this point," Sensei said. "As I said before, my expertise primarily lies in writing about mysteries, not solving them. For all we know, I might have committed the murder, thus playing the common trope of forcing the protagonist to realize the ugly truth about someone she admired."
I quickly shook my head, and not just because someone like Sensei turning out to be the killer would be quite a cliche- of course, so was Kurogane-kun's grudge against me being used as the basis for framing me for his death. I simply couldn't accept that someone like Sensei was a murderess.
"T-That isn't possible!" I said reflexively. "Like you said, I was with you at the time of the crime."
"I know," Sensei said. "All the same, Miura-san, you shouldn't rule anyone out solely based on your feelings. We all have reason to get out of here, so any one of us could have given in to the temptation and committed murder."
I was tempted to deny that I was letting my emotions cloud my judgment but knew that I had my biases. For all I'd told myself that no one here could be fully trusted, I'd desperately hoped that it wouldn't be Sensei. She wasn't just my favorite young author, or someone who'd achieved the dream I once had, but she was also the first person here with whom I'd had a real conversation, and struck me as a kind and intelligent girl. If she wasn't trustworthy, then who could I trust?
Of course, Sensei, being intelligent as I'd imagined her to be, had a point. The others, Hoshino-kun in particular, weren't nearly as convinced of Sensei's innocence as I was, and perhaps the time would come- if not now, then later- when I would have to convince them that she was not guilty in order to find the true culprit. To do that, I would need a good argument and solid evidence, not merely my gut instinct.
"Still," Sensei said, "while blindly trusting anyone is unwise, the same can be said for distrusting everyone. All of the spotless have a stake in finding the blackened, which is something that can only be achieved by working together, sharing evidence and ideas to put together the pieces of the puzzle. As such, you have to know who you can trust, and who is telling the truth."
"And you think you can trust me, Sensei?"
Sensei nodded with a reassuring smile.
"I do. Not only do I know where you were at the time of the crime, but in the three days we've known each other, you've given me the impression that you're an honest person at heart, and I haven't seen anything that indicates otherwise. Because of that, I believe we can solve this crime with the help of everyone else."
I nodded. While Sensei had reason to be hesitant to trust anyone, it felt as though she had thought things through, and believed that it would be wise- and necessary- to trust me. She was probably the most competent of us when it came to solving the crime, but she'd seen something in me, so for all our sakes especially hers, I was determined to not let her down.
Sensei and I then boarded the elevator. Judging from its size, seemed like it had originally been a freight elevator. It could easily carry all of our weight, but the fifteen of us were somewhat densely packed in- I couldn't swing my notepad without hitting someone.
We rode down in silence, contemplating many things, particularly the fact that in the best-case scenario, one of us wouldn't be around for the return trip. I couldn't help but feel pity for the killer, someone who only wanted to escape, but I also felt pity for the victim, and empathized with the other's desperate desire to stay alive.
Shiro Kurogane was the Ultimate Shogi Player. He and I had never gotten along, but while it was unlikely that we'd ever have become friends, I'd like to think I might have one day earned his forgiveness. His death meant we'd never have that chance, though, but the least I could do for him was find his killer. For his sake, and that of everyone else still alive, I swore I'd find the blackened in this class trial.
Author's Notes
The next part is what you've likely been waiting for- the first class trial.
Kaori does occasionally know more than she lets on, and will occasionally figure out the killer in advance, but may not reveal it to readers, for the sake of suspense. Seeing the story from her perspective also colors her view of Sae, particularly since Kaori hasn't yet seen her more shy and vulnerable side(in part because Sae confides in Kaori most).
Hoshino's meant to be a bit of a deconstruction of the "rival" character archetype. His cynicism and brutal honesty enable him to make harsh but necessary points, but because he doesn't have a very cooperative personality or enough intelligence to solve the case by himself, his contributions will generally be limited.
Again, there's a poll on my profile asking who you think the culprit is in Chapter 1. I'll take it down when I post the class trial.
And here's a brief omake, parodying the pink blood.
Omake
Katsura's POV
I stood in the laundry room, watching Akasaka-san's blazer tumble in the wash. Akasaka-san sat in a chair, clutching a tissue to her nose in order to stem the tide of blood from her nostrils, and while some had gotten onto her blazer, her black shirt- apparently inspired by a loophole in the dress code- remained clean. I'd done all the preliminary steps in removing the bloodstain, and hoped that my knowledge of washing business attire would see us through.
"I think I have some good news, Akasaka-san," I said. "Assuming everything goes well, there shouldn't be any stains on your blazer."
"Thagg yoo, Kadsoora-sad,"("Thank you, Katsura-san,") Akasaka-san said.
I was considering suggesting that Akasaka-san call me the easier to pronounce 'Komaki', while I called her 'Kuro' in turn, but while we'd hit it off well, we didn't know each other very well. I didn't mind being called by my first name, but I thought it would be a bit soon to ask Akasaka-san to do so.
"You're welcome," I said. "As part of my ongoing effort to maintain a neat and professional appearance, I also know a few things about keeping clothes clean. Bloodstains are particularly hard to deal with, but there are ways."
"Good," Akasaka-san said. "Ad leadsd our bloods nod ping," ("At least our blood's not pink").
I laughed.
"Pink blood?" I said. "Now that would be something. "I have a pink skirt suit and a pink flower-patterned kimono back home, but even if human blood is pink, I wouldn't want to get any on either of those."
A smile came to Akasaka-san's face, and we shared the hope that a nosebleed would be the worst blood-related incident we'd have to worry about as long as we were in this school.