Hello, and welcome to the investigation to our first case! I had a little streak when writing this in, and it's now late at night! Hopefully this chapter makes the least bit sense to you all. Anyways, let us emerge ourselves into this investigation! One could only wonder why Wakana died, and how...
Glass-Lady-of-the-Opera: "Yes, everyone expected our poor florist to die. Haha, of course! Wakana will definitely be avenged!"
Wricano: "It's fine! Not everyone has to review, of course~ I'm glad I'm portraying Misaki to your liking, and please tell me if you want me to improve more on her character if she so happens to be written off. I'm glad you seemed surprised about how Wakana died! Haha, well, Watari does not seem to be a trustworthy person to both the characters and the readers here~ One can only wonder. Hopefully, I hope you enjoy this chapter too!"
ToonGuy: "Haha, well, I'm glad you try not to spoil yourself! Glad you enjoyed Masako's little screentime there. Watari will always be smug, so let's hope you'll just hate him from now on XD Group peace in this story truly is fragile. Glad you enjoyed the FTEs! Well, there goes Wakana. Let's see what happens in this chapter~"
PoisonBanana: "I know right?! Nobody could've ever figured that out! Well, let us see if you have an idea on who the murderer is after this chapter. Hope you'll enjoy this chapter!"
liammarklh88: "Yes, I'm seeing that everyone is not surprised over her death, but how she died XD I don't know whether to be happy or not about that. Well, let us see if Akio even is a murderer or if Watari's just trolling with us all. I'm glad I did your Kyatchi justice! He is a good boy for sure, and so is our Ultimate Butler! I like how you love Watari so far XD Akio is horrible at saving Wakana, he needs to die for that. Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter!"
Shyjoker: "Is that meant to signify you killing me?"
Lupus Overkill: "Oh god, another long review XD I always miss errors no matter what, huh? I hate myself. Nice thoughts though, all in all. Watari certainly is someone whom we should look after. Tomoyo is a genuinely sympathetic character, so of course she'd be sympathetic here~ Yes, Blanchard's little suggestion makes sense with his FTE. Kyatchi's was fun overall, and glad you know more about Decebel! Akio does try his best to come off as innocent, so yeah. Everyone misses our little florist, and hopefully you'll solve the murder from the investigation alone XD Nice thoughts, let's see if you're right!"
mayurie: "Well, welcome to this story, my dear wifey XD Oops, and sorry about us spoiling you with Wakana dying. You don't need to worry about reading everything in one day. Just take your time. You have life, after all! Well, I always love reading a review from you, so seeing your thoughts on the characters makes me giddy! Your thoughts on each character are interesting, and I love how you quickly analyze them XD Darn FanFiction seems to hate you sending out long reviews."
PainX65: "Very kinky, my boy."
TheRoseShadow21: "Everyone seems so sad about Wakana dying XD How despair-inducing. Yup, Akio's our prime suspect for sure. Oh, no, it's not. If it is though, then woah 0.0"
Meta King: "Welp, Yume's guilty of that then XD"
Static was heard. An announcement was playing throughout the school building.
"Ahem! Well, bastards, since the library's soundproof, I wanna hurry this up... Report to the library! There's something special in there."
The announcement was now gone, and it was silent.
Well, it was silent for a few seconds, but then door opened.
"W-Wakana?! Oh my god!"
It was Tomoyo who came in running first. Her hands were over her hands, eyes widened. Her entire body was shaking.
Akio held his breath. He couldn't bear to look at her.
Footsteps came rushing into the scene.
With more footsteps came more despair and distress.
"W-what is this?!" Ayako took a step back, stumbling to the ground. Her eyes were immediately watering with tears. Sobs escaped her lips. "Wakana... Why...?"
Everyone was rushing into the room.
Akio could hear the despair in everyone's voices. Those looks of pure despair were rotten to their core. They were petrified beyond belief.
"What the hell happened here?!" Kiyoko was running to Wakana. Her face was pale as she noticed the missing limbs from Wakana's body. She shuddered, then her eyes widening. She whipped her head back, now glaring at Akio. "Did you do this?"
Akio shook his head. He stood up as he noticed Kiyoko's piercing glare. "Of course I didn't! I-I just saw her like this!"
"Somebody finally bites the dust..." Kyatchi clicked under his tongue, eyeing Wakana. His expression was dark. He was leaning against the wall, close to the doors. "That's pretty insane, even more so than what people see in those war movies."
Ayako looked offended by this, eyes shooting up at the juggler. "N-not right now, Kyatchi!"
"I know." Kyatchi stared intensely at the short woman. "I just… didn't actually expect this."
"Woah..." Misaki was unable to say anything, eyes rapidly blinking. It was unknown if she was in utter awe or disarray, but she quickly ran over to Wakana, checking her pulse. She was still, then shaking her head. "She's… gone."
"Master Wakana..." Blanchard looked saddened at the sight. He bowed his head down. "May your soul rest in peace."
The eyepatch was switched. Viorel looked concerned as well. "What a brutal way to die. She died and left here as if she were an exhibition."
"Someone actually died..." Yume was staring blankly at the corpse. Her expression was conflicted in a mixture of emotions- those of pure confusion, sadness, and possibly, anger.
"I can't believe it." Keishi was murmuring to himself. He was standing away from the door, a few feet away from the library. "This is... This is all my fault."
"Not again, not again, not again…" Masako was pale. Her entire face was riddled with tears. Her lips were quivering and her body was shaking. She fell to her feet, shaking her head. "W-Wakana..."
Shinjimae was hugging onto Saki tightly. He was most likely sobbing in Saki's fur, his breathing shallow alongside his shoulders moving up and down. The poor dog was staring at the bloody scene.
"Wakana..." Hitomu was petrified. Guilt was written all over his face, but after a moment he quickly shook his head. He immediately ran over to Akio, comforting him. "Are you alright?"
Akio shook his head. "Of course not... This is horrible..."
Horrible, indeed it was. Everyone was unable to say anything. Their entire faces were riddled in discomfort, tears and sobs escaping others. No one was able to say anything to brighten the mood. There was nothing to be said.
"So, it was Wakana who died."
Akio looked back.
There was Watari, the detective leaning against the door frame.
"Watari!" Akio was glaring at the man. He was furious, especially after noticing the lack of care in the detective's face. "Are you the one who did this?"
"Me?" Watari blinked for a moment. He then smirked, waving his hand about. "You flatter me, Aki, but I am not capable of pulling off such a brutal murder. I supposed I should've expected you would say that though, my little murderer. Already pulling out the scapegoat card, hm?"
"What?!" The actor was disgusted beyond belief. "Why would I be the one who killed her?!"
Watari chuckled. "Obviously, because you are a murderer."
Akio frowned. He was about ready to grab the man into a chokehold when a smoke of air escaped the room. The air went into the man's nostrils, and he coughed. A moment passed. There was a clattering sound from above, and soon the smoke of white air disappeared.
It disappeared, and suddenly Monokuma was in the middle of the room.
"Yo!"
Tomoyo jumped back. "M-Monokuma?!"
"Finally!" Monokuma was grinning happily at the scene, his direction pinpointed at Wakana. He was eyeing the bloody scene from top to bottom. "We got a goddamn murder! It's also pretty brutal as well, so nice!"
"Why're you here?" Kyatchi asked, eyeing the bear strangely. "Are you to wallow in your glory of someone dying?"
"Nope, not only that, but to explain to you all about the next part about murders and the like!"
"The next part...?" Keishi looked worried. "What else can there be after murder?"
Monokuma laughed, excited as a child. "Well, my dear Keishi, obviously the trial comes next!"
"What?" Blanchard was curious. "What do you mean by that?"
The bear grinned, throwing his paws over his mouth. "I'm so glad I didn't tell you guys. This will be so despair-inducing, even for the murderer!"
"Trial..." Watari thought for a moment, then grinning. An amused expression escaped his face. His eyes were staring down at the bear, glittering. "I see. I suppose, from what you said, that that there will be a trial to figure out who the murderer is to Wakana's case, right?"
"Correct!" Monokuma whistled loudly. He didn't care if the Ultimates flinched by his obnoxious noises. "We will first hold an investigation, and then afterwards a trial will be conducted for you all to solve Wakana's case and find her killer!"
"W-what?" Tomoyo was shocked. "You never told us this. You expect us to figure out who killed her... What if we can't figure out who killed her?"
Monokuma grinned. "A wise question! Don't worry about it. Punishment comes for everyone but the blackened. If you were to find the blackened, then only the blackened will be punished! It's either one or the other. There's no escaping punishment for death."
"You really are toying with our lives," Yume mused, shaking her head.
"He always toys with us." Kyatchi shook his head, disappointed. "He's not a circus bear for nothing."
Keishi bit into his lips, averting his gaze. "Why…?"
Shinjimae was shaking. "W-what sort of punishment though? W-what if we don't participate in the trial?"
The bear rolled his eyes. "Worry about that when we get to the trial, alright? I don't want to ruin the suspense here."
Everyone was silent.
"Alright!" Monokuma raised his paws up. "So first off you guys will do an investigation! Figure out who killed Wakana and get some evidence to back up that claim because obviously- y'know- the killer will try to refute you."
Hitomu looked sadly at the florist. It was such a horrible sight. "Evidence on who killed Wakana..."
"Yup, so good luck! Oh, and I will also be helping you guys out in a bit. I'll send you guys the case file for Wakana's death..." Monokuma took out a smaller MonoPad. He began typing rapidly, but then smashed it. "... right now!"
It was instant. Notifications rang throughout the room.
Akio frowned. He slowly reached into his MonoPad and booted it on. There, he was sent straight into the menu bar, then finding an application that said 'TB' with now a red dot next to it. He pressed it.
There, Akio found himself eyeing a game-like screen.
On the left side was a item list, on the top holding pink-labeled numbers '1/ 12'. Next down was an item that said 'Case File #001', but afterwards down to the thirteenth slot there was nothing, only '?' to be seen.
Akio silently clicked to the Case File, and instantly he found himself eyeing the right side of the screen. There was a picture of Wakana's corpse on the right top, and on the bottom were words detailing her death.
Case File #001
Summary: Wakana had died in the library about 12:34 AM from being choked by a knotted rope. Her hands and feet have been torn apart from her body, and an additional injury would be her chest having been opened with a flower stabbed inside of it. These injuries have came after the murder.
Akio looked over to Monokuma. "Can we really trust you with this information though?"
"Hey, I'm a fair bear." Monokuma frowned, glaring at the actor. "Don't accuse me of being an unfair bear when I gave you that information!"
"Right..." Masako looked worriedly at the bear. "Uh, t-thanks?"
"No problemo!" The overseer grinned widely. "Oh, and also, I'll give you all some additional rules so you won't question it later in the trial!"
Another notification rang throughout the room.
Akio frowned. He swiped over to the rules, now finding himself eyeing an additional set of rules.
[Rule 6: Once someone dies, then an investigation and class trial will commence. Students will all be participating in these events in order to figure out who the blackened is.
Rule 7: The investigation will always start before a class trial. Students will always be given a Case File, provided by Monokuma.
Rule 8: In a class trial, the students will be figuring out who is the blackened. During this, all the Ultimates will have to vote on who murdered the victim. Not voting is prohibited.
Rule 9: If the students vote for the blackened, then only the blackened will be punished. If the students vote for someone else, then everyone but the blackened will be punished.
Rule 10: Additional rules will be added when necessary.]
Akio read through the rules with a frown. He was about to speak, however someone cut him off, speaking instead.
"Right, you did mention that killing will result in a class trial…" Kiyoko was eyeing the MonoPad for a moment, then looking back at the bear. "We didn't pay too much attention to it and almost forgot about it because we didn't for… this to happen."
"That's right." Tomoyo was saddened. She looked over to the dead body. "Wakana…"
"Yup, so it's your fault!" Monokuma laughed, wallowing in his glory. "Then again, I guess you guys don't want to think about shit on murder! Well, someone's dead now and you all have to participate in one, so too bad!"
"Stop laughing!" Ayako was in tears. "This isn't funny!"
The bear rolled his eyes. "Well, bitch, it is to me! It's funny to see you all hoping for the best, then having despair fuck you right up just like that! Seriously, don't you guys know how life is cruel already? You've been kidnapped and trapped here for example!"
Kiyoko pursed her lips, glaring intensely at Monokuma. "He's mocking us…"
"Of course he is." Watari smirked. "He does not feel pressured in the slightest bit because he has control over what we do. We're at his mercy, and that's why he is confident in mocking us."
Monokuma frowned, now suddenly stopping in his tracks. "So, you think I won't mock you guys if I didn't hold you guys in control?"
"It'd be nice," Kyatchi mused from the background, sighing. He was obviously disappointed with what he saw.
Yume shook her head. "He wouldn't bother trying anyways."
Hitomu looked annoyed at this, but turned over to Misaki. The woman was still observing Wakana. "Is what Monokuma wrote in the file accurate?"
Misaki nodded. She looked back to the cat keeper. "It is. She definitely died from having been choked. The burns around her neck signifies that a rope had choked her."
"Geez, you guys really just asked someone else?!" Monokuma groaned. "Guys, I told you all that I'm a fair bear!"
"Like we can trust that," Akio murmured underneath his breath. He was rolling his eyes.
"Well, nonetheless…" Watari was now turned to the overseer. "How much time do we have with investigating the crime scene?"
"Right." Kiyoko looked disgustingly at the bear. "If he limits us so harshly, then we'd have no chance of winning."
Ayako wiped her tears, sniffling. "A class trial…"
Monokuma threw the group a thumbs-up. A joyful look was on his face, complete with an obnoxious smile. "Of course I won't do that! I'll only bring forth the class trial if you guys got all the evidence needed to solve the case. I'm not that cruel. If you guys have all the truth bullets needed, then I'll announce where to meet for the trial. Okay?"
"I-I guess…" Masako was fidgeting about in place. "T-this is horrible…"
"Uhuh, uhuh, yeah, whatever." Monokuma scratched his head for a moment. He then stopped and walked over to the door. He was about an inch away from escaping, the bear turning around to eye the group. "Well! Anyways, I'll leave you guys to it! Tata, my babies!"
And Monokuma instantly ran away. He was nowhere to be seen now.
Everyone was silent. No one knew what to say.
A moment passed.
"I suppose we should investigate now?"
Watari grinned at the group. He was unfazed by this entire situation, instead walking over to Misaki and now observing Wakana's body. He was now eyeing the body.
Akio frowned. His heart was clenching. He couldn't even bear to think.
Wakana Takane had died, and he didn't know why.
It was frustrating. It was heartbreaking.
Akio hated it. He hated it so much that he bit into his lips until they bled crimson. Anger washed over his face. Disgust was entirely warping inside of his head. He hated it.
Why did Wakana have to die? Who would be that stupid to kill her? Why? Why?!
The actor grabbed at his chest. He was gritting his teeth.
Whoever killed Wakana will pay for this. I'll make goddamn sure of it.
Akio was glaring at his feet. His thoughts were circling around and around. It was a continuous cycle of his disgust and hatred. He didn't even return to reality until a hand had been grabbing ahold of his shoulder.
"Blaise."
The actor looked back. He was eyeing Hitomu.
The cat keeper was looking worriedly at him. Even Kazue and Reiji were worried as well, the two cats moving over to rub themselves against Akio. "Please don't fret," the cat keeper began, showing a small smile, "we'll definitely find out who killed Wakana. Let's keep our hopes up."
"Y-yeah." Akio nodded his head quickly. He didn't want the man to notice the vengeful look that almost took over his face. "Right."
"W-why even talk to him?" Ayako looked over to Hitomu. She was continuing to rub her eyes. "I-isn't he a murderer?"
"You're still on about that?" The actor was shocked, frowning. "I'm not the one who killed Wakana, if that's what you were thinking. I'd never kill her."
"That's what they all say," Keishi murmured underneath his breath, sighing. He just seemed disappointed with everything, eyes saddening as he looked back at Wakana.
Tomoyo pursed her lips. "Let's not discuss who's the murderer yet. We should investigate."
Masako nodded her head rapidly, tears spilling from her eyes. "W-what should we start first with though?"
"The body." Kyatchi pointed over to where Watari and Misaki were. "Wakana's dead body, that is."
Yume sighed. "Poor Wakana."
Akio held his breath. As much as he hated to look at Wakana's corpse again, he had no choice. He wanted to figure out who killed her, after all. He wanted to avenge the poor woman's death.
The actor walked over to Wakana's body. He flinched. The sight of her missing limbs and her bloodshot eyes scarred him. It was such a horrible sight that he almost threw up from just seeing her horrified expression- it was obvious that she wanted to scream for help.
I'm sorry, Wakana.
Akio sighed. Though queasy, he began to observe the woman's body more closely. He first looked over to what he noticed instantly- the flower.
The flower which had been stabbed into Wakana was that of a purple morning glory. A single flower that was still blooming with life, almost blossoming from Wakana. It was as if the poor florist was the seed that planted this beauty. A sacrifice, and a horrendous one.
The flower had been stabbed into a deep, long wound. It was a horrible wound with blood soaking the woman's torn clothes.
"Ugh…" The smell of crimson choked Akio. Even the sight of it made him gag. "Wakana…"
Misaki looked over to the brunette. Her face saddened as she stepped to the side, observing the wound. She frowned after a minute passed. Her gaze went back to Akio. "The wound's deep. I'd say about an inch deep. It'd have been a life-threatening wound if not for… well, the choking."
Akio shook his head. "Why though? Why does the killer need to make her look like this? Does it bring them fun?"
The surgeon's eyes widened. "I… I don't know. Murder is beyond my comprehension, Blaise. Hm, it looks like the killer stabbed Wakana with a knife. It's the same with her missing limbs."
"The murderer is most likely trying to make a statement." Watari's voice was indifferent. He was eyeing Akio in without a look of care. "This is obviously meant to taunt us. Most notably you if you weren't the killer."
Akio rolled his eyes.
"The murderer is meaning to taunt you for not being able to save Wakana." The detective shook his head, almost mockingly.
"That…" The actor growled. "That's stupid… Wakana's being treated so horribly…"
Watari shrugged. "Criminals do tend to overdo things. It's a case of adrenaline, pressure, and rush, my dear Aki."
Akio shook his head. He ignored the detective's words and continued to observe the body. He was now eyeing the hands and feet that were on the ground.
He held his breath, keeping himself from gagging. He did not want to lose it now.
Wakana's hands and feet were on the ground and were continuously bleeding, the puddle continuing to grow even more dense and thick. It was horrifying, and disgusting. It was just an awful sight.
Akio frowned, now eyeing the knife over the blood.
Knife
Summary: This is your standard knife. Not too sharp, and not too dull or long. It is a regular knife that's covered in blood.
Huh?
In the midst of the puddle, the man seemed to have noticed something. It wasn't the knife though. It was something else.
Akio bent down to the ground. He was inches away from the puddle. He frowned, hesitating. A moment passed before he slowly reached over to the shiny object, picking it up with the tip of his fingers. He brought it over the air.
Duct tape…?
Akio placed the blood duct tape to the ground. He was eyeing it carefully. It was a strand of duct tape that was about a mere inch long, just enough to create a small box.
What could this be used for?
A notification rang. Akio quickly took out his MonoPad. The Truth Bullet application was flashing light, and once he clicked onto it he noticed the number on top- '2/12'.
I guess this is evidence… Hm…
Duct Tape
Summary: There is a strap of duct tape that's hidden underneath the puddle of blood lying around Wakana.
Akio thought to himself for a moment. He wasn't sure of what to make of anything yet, and he seemed to have found everything he needed to find right now. There wasn't anything to be suspicious about on Wakana's body, and around her there seemed to be nothing left to observe.
I… I guess I have to look somewhere else then.
The actor sighed. He looked around the library for a moment, then eyeing the vase on the table. He frowned. His eyes glanced over to the morning glory that was stabbed into Wakana, then looking over back to the vase of flowers.
The flowers came in different shapes and forms. They were of different species and were in different colors. The actor wasn't sure whether or not the flower came from the vase.
"Curious about the flowers too?"
Akio found himself eyeing Blanchard. The butler was eyeing him curiously, all the more making the actor flustered. He nodded his head, meekly smiling. "Y-yeah, I am. Do you think that the flower stabbed into Wakana came from that vase?"
"It would be most likely," the butler said, nodding his head. "I do think that that is a possibility."
"It could come from somewhere else though." Viorel had the eyepatch switched. He was staring intensely at the vase, frowning. "Didn't Monokuma tell us that he was putting vases all over the school yesterday, Blanchard?"
The eyepatch switched. "Yes, he did. I believe that he told us that about twelve varying flowers would be inside of each vase, and in each room."
"Wait, really?" Akio's eyes widened.
Viorel scoffed. "Yes. He told us so yesterday when we were cleaning up the floors in this school."
"Really now…" Akio was now counting the number of flowers on the vase. A victorious smile crept on his lips. "Eleven. So the flower did come from here."
A notification rang.
Vase of Flowers
Summary: Inside of the library were a vase of flowers, eleven to be seen. Monokuma, as stated from Viorel and Blanchard, said that he'll put vases of twelve flowers in each room. The reason is unknown.
Akio frowned instantly.
Okay, I know that other than Wakana's poor… corpse are duct tape and the vase of flowers… but is that really useful?
Is there anything else here that could be useful…?
The actor thought to himself for a moment. He found himself eyeing the Ultimates inside of the room.
A sudden idea popped into his head.
I should talk to the others and see if any of them are suspicious.
Akio nodded to himself. It was a good idea, and a simple one. He looked back at the Ultimate Butler. "Hey, Blanchard, Viorel. I wanna ask you something."
It was Viorel. "What's wrong?"
"I was wondering if you guys had an alibi during this time period."
"Oh, I see." Viorel frowned. "Blanchard and I were, as we have always been doing, cleaning up the school. We were cleaning up this school after the nighttime announcement. Isn't that right, Blanchard?"
The eyepatch was switched. "Yes, Master Akio, Viorel is right. We were cleaning up the floors around here till the body discovery announcement sounded."
Viorel frowned. "A shame though. I don't think there's anyone else who can cover for us."
"What can be done." Blanchard sighed. "People are usually asleep after the nighttime announcement."
"I see…" Akio frowned. He wasn't exactly sure if the duo were lying or whatnot. "I guess I'll trust that."
Viorel snorted. "You better-"
"Quiet, Viorel."
Blanchard/Viorel's Chores
Summary: The duo said that overnight they were cleaning around the school.
Akio sighed, now watching Viorel and Blanchard argue.
Guess I'll go find the next person to talk to.
Then, the actor walked over to his next suspect.
It was Hitomu. The cat keeper was looking around the area, scanning in silence.
"Hey," the brunette greeted, heading over to Hitomu. "I want to talk to you for a bit. Is that cool?"
Hitomu's attention was grabbed instantly, the man turning his direction over to the actor. He nodded his head and smiled. "Of course. Please feel free to ask me anything. It is very much welcomed."
Akio smiled back. "Sweet! Uh, I just wanted to ask you about alibis and whatnot. I wanna know if you were with someone during the time Wakana was killed and if you know of any other clues that I might've missed here."
Hitomu was shocked. He was silent for a moment before smiling again. "Ah, I see. Of course, alibis are a must."
The actor chuckled. "Yeah, they are."
"Mhm." The cat keeper let out a tired sigh. "Well, I would say that I have an airtight alibi since the nighttime announcement. I was inside of Shinji's room to discuss about Saki and my cats. We were worried about why they were with us, so we were discussing about their needs and worries the whole night."
"Oh, I see." Akio nodded his head. "So you and Shinji are cleared."
Hitomu smiled. "I suppose so."
Hitomu and Shinjimae
Summary: The duo were hanging together after the nighttime announcement inside of Shinjimae's room. They were discussing about how to let their pets live in peace in this school.
Akio scratched his head. "Hm… Okay then! Well, do you notice anything strange or missing? Any clues?"
"Clues, hm." Hitomu cupped his chin. He thought for a moment, then nodding. Kazue and Reiji continued to nuzzle themselves against his feet. "Ah, yes, I did. In the kitchen I noticed that there was something gone, though I supposed that was the knife there… however, that isn't the case. I think that there is something else missing from the kitchen."
Akio frowned. "Really? Like what?"
"Not exactly sure. I apologize." The cat keeper sighed. "I would think that it might be another knife…? I know that something was missing because it is so noticeable to see it."
"I guess…"
Hitomu's Testimony
Summary: Hitomu mentioned that inside of the kitchen seems to be missing something. He said that what was missing was not only the knife inside of the library, but something else. He doesn't know what though.
Akio smiled. "Thank you though, Hitomu."
Hitomu nodded. "Of course. It's not a problem at all."
The actor watched Hitomu who now went back to concentrating, the cat keeper now thinking silently to himself. Akio decided to walk over to the next person, that person being Shinjimae.
"Are you okay?" The brunette asked. He noticed that the animal whisperer was still hiding himself in Saki's fur. "Shinji…?"
"I-I'm fine," the man said, speaking through sniffles and fur. "I-I'm just a bit teary, t-that's it. S-sorry to be a bother."
"That's fine. I know how you feel." Akio forced a small smile. "Is it okay if I ask you some questions though?"
Shinjimae nodded, slowly looking over to Akio. "T-that's okay."
The actor smiled. "Mhm! Alright, I just want to make sure… You were hanging out with Hitomu this whole night, correct?"
The animal whisperer's eyes widened, then he let out a small smile. "Y-yes, that's correct. We were talking about our animals…"
"Alright, just wanted to make sure." Akio chuckled. "Anyways, have you found any clues in this place?"
Shinjimae frowned. He eyed the man for a moment, but then nodded slowly. "Uh… F-From what I've heard, W-Watari seems to have something… I heard h-him murmuring to h-himself…"
"Watari…" Akio deadpanned. He knew it was to be expected. Watari was the Ultimate Detective after all, but he had a feeling that the shorter man would be unwilling to share much with him. Still, he had to try. He waved to Shinjimae. "Alright, I'll go ask him. Thanks."
Shinjimae smiled, stroking Saki's fur in the meantime. "Y-yes."
Akio grinned, but the moment he turned around he frowned. He honestly did not want to approach the detective.
Well, I have no choice, now do I?
Akio sighed inwardly to himself. He headed over to Watari.
"Hey."
Watari perked up at the actor's voice. A smirk escaped his lips. "Yeah, what's wrong, Aki? Do you require my assistance?"
Akio frowned. He crossed his arms, suddenly finding himself overwhelmed with a snarky attitude. "Wow, I never knew you could read my mind. What are you, a psychic?"
Watari grinned. Amusement was running through his face. "Aki, you have quite a way with words. It's a shame your personality doesn't match how heavenly your face looks."
"Aw, that's a nice compliment." Akio grinned. "It's a shame that it's coming from you."
The detective laughed. "Cute. It's nice to see you getting more and more pissy as time passes on. You really do want to clear yourself of being a murderer, huh?"
Akio groaned. "This is why I didn't want to speak to you… Ugh, anyways, are you free? I need to ask you something."
The detective smirked. He spun around in place, winking at the actor. "I'm not free, I'm expensive."
Akio deadpanned. "A-anyways, Shinji told me that you were murmuring to yourself about something. Do you know something?"
"You think I don't?"
The man groaned. "What do you know, Watari? Would you care to explain it to me, or will you just be silent and let us fail the trial?"
"I can't do something like that, my poor Aki. What I say may be related to our needed truth bullets, after all." Watari chuckled to himself, amused. He was definitely entertained from how Akio was acting right now. "But, my fellow murderer, are you sure you want me to tell you this? You might know this yourself."
"I'm not a- ugh, just tell me what it is."
Watari clapped his hands together. "Will do! Honestly, I think anyone would've known what I was murmuring to himself anyways."
The detective chuckled, then pointing up to the ventilation.
"Do you see that?" He watched Akio who nodded. "The ventilation right there controls this room's temperature. If you were a little bookworm such as me, then you would've noticed that this room always gets cold around nighttime. However, today is not the case."
Watari then walked over to the stepladder. He moved over to the ventilation, then pointing to the thermostat. "The thermostat is set at the heater, and it rests at a comfortable sixty-five degrees. Normally the thermostat here would be set at the cooler and would be low to about seventy."
"Why though?" Akio asked, curious.
The detective smirked. "To keep those in the library awake. I suppose this is either because Monokuma wanted those in the library to read and only read, or that he wants to keep this room cold when morning rolls in. I don't exactly know why, but this room is always stuffy in the morning."
"I see…"
Ventilation
Summary: Watari mentioned that during the library, about after the nighttime announcement, the temperature would drop to about seventy degrees. However, the library right at this time stands at the heater with about sixty-five degrees of hotness.
Watari jumped down the stepladder. He crossed his arms, tilting his head. "So, my dear Aki, where's my little thanks?"
"Huh? O-oh, right." Akio cleared his throat. As much as he hated to admit it, Watari have helped him. "Thanks."
The detective smiled. "No problem."
Akio sighed, now watching the detective. The shorter man seemed about finished with the library and was about to leave, but he found himself bumping to Tomoyo. Akio now watched as the duo left together.
Hm… Akio tapped his foot on the ground. I guess if the ventilation something to worry about, I should check it.
The actor walked over to the stepladder. He slowly made his way up the ladder, now looking over to the vent. He observed it silently.
The vent was big. It seemed like it could fit a whole person inside with ease. Certainly a powerful ventilation that will instantly cool or heaten up a room.
Akio smiled. He ran his hands over to the ventilation, his fingers gliding over the edges and through the blockage.
Huh?
The actor frowned. His finger had ran into something off. It was a screw. There was a screw over the top right edge of the vent, sticking out in place. The actor eyed it for a moment, eyes then widening.
A screw's loose… What the hell?
Loose Screw
Summary: On the ventilation is a screw that is loose from the edge. There is no specific reason for why there is a screw loose though.
Akio took a quick look at his MonoPad, scanning through his list of evidence.
Hm… looks like I have eight truth bullets… I need about three more, right? What am I missing? I know I need to ask the others for their alibis and all that, but clue-wise…
The actor eyed the MonoPad for a moment. A sudden realization ran through his head.
Fuck, that's right! Maybe Wakana's MonoPad has something.
The brunette looked back at Wakana's body. He headed over to the woman, eyes widening as he realized that Misaki was holding a MonoPad in hand.
"Misaki," the actor called out, rushing to the surgeon. She eyed him curiously as he pointed to the device. "Is that your's?"
Misaki smiled, shaking her head. "Nope. This is Wakana's. From your expression, I think we have the same idea, huh! You want to check if the device has any clues."
"Yeah."
The surgeon chuckled. She handed the MonoPad to Akio. "Here, you can look through it. I didn't find anything too mindblowing though. Nothing Eureka-shouting worthy in my eyes."
"Right…"
Akio began looking over the MonoPad. He instantly clicked over to the chatroom.
There were a few messages from different people. Akio instantly noticed his, his name in bold. He frowned, noticing the last message. It pained him.
Other than his own message would be the group chatroom. It wasn't anything special, as Akio expected.
Hitomu also seemed to have messaged Wakana, but it obvious that the man wanted everyone to meet at the dinner table. It honestly made Akio sad to see that Hitomu's plans went in vain.
There also seemed to be another person who messaged Wakana. Akio frowned, clicking onto the message. Wakana seemed to have been the last person to message the person, and it was obvious from what Akio saw on screen.
It's… only one message…?
Wakana had messaged Kiyoko, and it was definitely a cryptic message.
What the fuck?
Wakana's MonoPad
Summary: The MonoPad Wakana has opens directly to her chat messages, those being lastly of Kiyoko. Everything in the chat room was strangely deleted except for one that Wakana messaged, "I'm sorry". This message was sent in the afternoon, 2:36 PM.
Akio looked over to Misaki. "Uh…"
The surgeon shook her head immediately, throwing her hands up. "Hey, don't accuse me! If anything, I should be crying that you're a murderer and that you were the one who murdered Wakana! I didn't delete or touch anything. It was like that when I saw it."
Akio looked doubtful, eyebrow raised.
Misaki sighed. "Look, you can't even delete or add anything to the MonoPad. Try it."
The actor nodded. He clicked over to the edit button, but nothing happened. The screen was the same. Akio frowned. He then clicked over to the 'Type Here' box, but nothing happened. There was no keypad. Nothing had happened.
"See! I told you!"
The brunette sighed. "Yeah, you're right."
Misaki happily held her chin up high. It was a victory to her.
Akio awkwardly smiled at the woman. He then sighed as a sudden thought ran through his head. "Ah, right. Misaki, do you know anything else pertaining to this case? Any testimonies or alibis or whatnot?"
"Oh." Misaki suddenly cupped her chin. She swayed back and forth, her lab coat swaying to the breeze as well. "Well, I got nothing at this moment. However… Hm, I remember Wakana telling me something, though I think you already know by now."
Akio frowned. "What is it?"
The surgeon laughed. "It's just about you and her meeting in the library. Nothing special. I think she told me around morning. I then told Ayako about this since she was looking for Wakana."
Akio frowned.
Ayako, huh? I see…
"I see." The actor threw the woman a thumbs-up, winking. "Gotcha. Thanks."
Misaki's Testimony
Summary: Misaki said that she bumped into Wakana earlier and learned that Wakana was meeting with Akio in the library. She then said that she told Ayako about this.
Akio scanned the room, then immediately sighing.
I guess that means I'll have to ask Ayako later about this. She's not in here.
Akio then frowned.
What the hell am I missing? Is there something in this room that I'm missing? Am I supposed to talk to someone? Hm… Fuck, I can't falter here. I need to avenge Wakana's death.
Akio looked around the room for a second time. There was nothing to be seen. Everyone seemed to have left the scene alone for Shinjimae, Hitomu, and Misaki. He frowned.
I guess I'll have to go out and check.
The actor headed outside of the door. Immediately to the side he found Yume, the woman alone by her lonesome.
Akio raised a brow, turning to the woman. "Um, are you okay?"
Yume slowly looked over to the actor. She was leaning against the wall. "I'm fine. I'm just thinking."
"Right." The actor crossed his arms. "So, uh, do you have an alibi for what you were doing after the nighttime announcement? Any clues on this case?"
Yume frowned. She thought for a moment, then shaking her head. "I was alone the entire time in my room. I believe that I hold nothing noteworthy."
"Ah, I see."
It was silent.
Akio awkwardly scratched his head. "Well, thanks for the input. Bye."
Yume hummed her response.
The actor continued his pursuit. He looked around the area for a moment, then noticing the cafeteria. He squinted.
Right… Hitomu told me that something else was missing from the kitchen.
The actor quickly rushed over to the cafeteria. He slammed the door opened and was about to walk in when he noticed Tomoyo, the screenwriter speaking to Kiyoko. The two women looked over to Akio, and instantly the man saw the difference in their reactions.
Tomoyo looked relieved to have seen Akio. Kiyoko, on the other hand, looked more than annoyed.
"Hello, Blaise." The screenwriter shook Akio's hand. "Have you figured anything out about Wakana's death yet?"
Akio shook his head. "Not really…"
Kiyoko scoffed. "Of course you didn't. You're possibly the murderer."
Tomoyo gasped. "Kiyoko, please. We don't exactly know if he's guilty or not."
"But he's a murderer, is he not? Anyone here could be the murderer, but he seems the most likely. Besides, he was staying inside with Wakana, correct? He seems to have been the only one with her." The recreation worker sighed. "Nevermind that. Do you need anything?"
I seriously hate how she's blaming me when I'm close to Wakana… I'd never hurt her…
"Right…" The actor sighed. Though as frustrated as he was, he didn't want to annoy the woman further with his attitude. Instead, he calmed himself and began to speak. "Any clues you two find? Or do you two have alibis after the nighttime announcement or whatnot?"
"Oh, yeah!" Tomoyo nodded her head rapidly. She pointed over to the trash can. There were a lot of wet tissues and dust. "This wasn't here this afternoon. The tissues also seem fairly damp still, so we concluded that these were recent."
Kiyoko hummed her approval. "Yes, I would say that these have been here for about a few hours. I'd estimate about after the nighttime announcement."
"Pretty suspicious."
Akio eyed the wet tissues and dust. He frowned as a notification rang.
Trash Can
Summary: Inside of the cafeteria's trash can are wet tissues and dust. Kiyoko and Tomoyo concluded that these are fairly recent.
The actor read the truth bullet for a moment. He then looked back to the two women. "So, do you two have any alibis-"
A sudden bell was rung.
"Ahem!"
A familiar, high-pitched voice. Suddenly, it was Monokuma who rang throughout the school.
"You guys have found all the truth bullets needed to solve the damn trial! Now hurry up and meet in the gymnasium! Not coming will result in punishment, so chop chop!"
The obnoxious voice disappeared.
Akio was in shock. "What?!"
I still didn't check the kitchen and ask everyone about their alibis!
"I guess…" Tomoyo pursed her lips. Sweat trickled down her forehead. "I guess we're going to start with the class trial already."
Kiyoko huffed. "Well, I suppose we have no choice." She threw a glance to the actor before walking away. "It's obvious who killed her though…"
"W-wait! Kiyoko!"
Akio frowned. He watched the duo who left, silent in disgust.
Are people going to seriously suspect me of murdering Wakana or something? Tsk. This isn't good.
The actor held his breath. His heart was pounding.
I obviously didn't kill Wakana… I need to just tell them that and find the true culprit!
Wakana… I'll make sure I avenge you. I will not let your case lie in the dirt. I will figure out who killed you and avenge you for sure!
The actor held his chin up high, and began to walk.
An unsteady pace, but nonetheless a wannabe confident pace.
... And here is the end to this chapter! The trial will definitely be the part I will be most excited and terrified to write! I hope I will be able to excite you all with this, and hopefully you all have a better understanding of who killed Wakana! Well, hopefully you do, that is.
Of course, our truth bullets here may seem out of place and sudden... But well, it's vague for a purpose. Monokuma seems to do things at his own pace, and one could only wonder why he's helping the Ultimates to this extent.
Well, anyways, I'll see you all soon in the trial!
