Ahhh it's out it's finally out and it didn't take me a month to finish. I loved working on my first class trial it was good practice to work on my writing style. Special shout out to Captain Imagination who has been reviewing all of my stories lately I really appreciate your comments. Anyway now that's out of the way let's get on with the chapter.
Chapter 6: A Deadly Class Trial
"Okay, now that we're here, I just have one thing to say." Emily started,
"And that would be?" Monokuma wondered, paw on his cheek.
"The one who killed Sayaka is that man over there!" She accused, pointing to Byakuya.
"What I would never. Even if I did do it, you wouldn't have known it was me." Byakuya defended with an arrogant smirk.
"Oh, so you're saying even if you didn't kill her, you'd still kill one of us!" Asahina accused,
"Hey, q-quit picking on B-Byakuya and start accusing the l-lolita chick at least she's s-suspicious enough to consider m-murder." Toko rebutted,
"Say that again I dare you." Celeste challenged hands resting on her chin in a quaint way. But her eyes had a sense of danger to them that said. If you vote for me, you're toast.
One by one, everyone started accusing each other of Sayaka's murder. The courtroom seemed more like a first-grade argument than a life-or-death class trial. That was until Monokuma broke us up.
Okay, order! Order in the class trial! Settle down. Everyone break it up!" Monokuma yelled, smacking his gavel on the podium. When did he even get that? I wondered. We all quieted down as Monokuma cleared his throat and began to explain the rules.
"Now then, let's begin with a basic explanation of the class trial," Monokuma began, "So, your votes will determine the results. If you can figure out "whodunit," then only they will receive punishment. But if you pick the wrong one…" Monokuma paused for dramatic effect. "Then I'll punish everyone *besides* the blackened, and the one who deceived everyone else will graduate."
I felt uneasy that someone else would die whether we find the culprit or not, but I had to push it down for Sayakya's sake. She would want this killer brought to justice. I can't waver now.
"And the killer is one of us, right?" Makoto doubled checked,
"Of course!" Monokuma confirmed hands to his mouth in mock laughter,
"Okay then…" Taka spoke up, "Everyone close your eyes, and whoever did it raise your hand." He ordered.
"That has got to be the stupidest way to salve this. No one is just going to confess; we're going to have to force it out of them." Junko rebutted,
"For once, I agree with the strawberry biscuit." Toko agreed.
"Strawberry biscuit? Hey, has anyone ever told you if you don't have anything nice to say, you don't say anything at all!" Junko scolded, offended by Toko's statement,
"Hey, just be happy I e-even acknowledged your entire e-existence in the first place!" Toko insulted, pointing at the fashionista.
"Before we move on and start the trial, can I ask a question real quick?" Kyoko asked, ignoring the quarrel between the girls. And eyeing the picture of Sayaka grayed out with a red X drawn in blood.
"What's going on with… She paused for a moment. "Those pictures."
"I'd feel bad if Sayaka got left out because she died. Friendship penetrates even death's barriers!" Monokuma explained,
"Friendship… Penetrates?" Hifumi sweated over the gross implication.
"Not that kind of penetrate, you grossed out fanfiction writer!" Toko yelled, as disgusted as the rest of us.
"Okay, moving on, what about that other empty seat?" Celeste inquired, "There were only fifteen of us, to begin with, so why are there only sixteen seats?" The gothic gambler wondered.
"Oh, no reason, it's just our little courtroom here can technically fit up to sixteen people." Monokuma explained, "Alrighty that about does it for the preamble. Get ready to get started. First up is the case, summery. Now let the class trial… Begin!" The monochrome bear cheered,
"Alright, let's go over this case from the top. If anyone notices anything out of the ordinary or suspicious, please speak up. We need all the clues we can get." Cindy encouraged.
"And remember, if we can't salve this, we all die. No pressure." Mimi smiled cheerfully despite this being the wrong time to be optimistic.
"Y-You can't just drive a truck l-load of pressure and say no p-pressure!" Toko scowled,
"But she's right. We can't let fear overcome us. If we want to solve Sayaka's murder, we need to remain calm and work together." Kyoko spoke up.
So, it's about to begin the debate to decide who we think the killer is. Anything I found, anything I noticed, I have to be ready to speak up about anything. Because this isn't just about me, everyone's lives are on the line! My friends, Makoto's, and my own if I can't set the record straight, everyone will think Makoto did it. I can't let that happen. I won't let an obvious factor blind everyone. And so, the non-stop debate begins.
"I assert that the one who was murdered was Miss Sayaka Mizono!" Taka started,
"Well, duh, we know that part already!" Junko followed up in annoyance.
And the murder took place in Makoto's room." Byakuya recalled a finger on his glasses.
"In the bathroom…." Hina trailed off, remembering the scene.
"So, it seems most likely that the killer took her by surprise while she was in the bathroom. She didn't even have a chance to resist." Chihiro explained sadly, tears already forming in her eyes.
"No, that's wrong!" I shouted.
"Huh, what's wrong?" Chihiro shot up.
"What you just said about Sayaka being unable to resist her attacker. That's wrong." I stated,
"How? Don't tell me you're the one who did it!" Hiro shouted.
"Just a second, Hiro. Try to remember how my room looked..." Makoto cut in, "With the way things have been damaged, I think it's safe to assume there was a struggle." He explained,
"A struggle between who and who?" Hiro asked,
"Between Sayaka and the killer, you dummy!" Mimi pointed out angrily, puffing her cheeks out.
"So, you're saying Sayaka wasn't caught by surprise in the bathroom?" Chihiro questioned,
"No, fortunately. Sayaka was able to fight back before she was killed." Amy confirmed,
"She must have been attacked in the main room first. Then she ran into the bathroom to try and hide." Celeste theorized, fist over her mouth in thought. "The killer followed her in, and that's where they finished the job."
"That much should have been obvious after taking one look at the scene. It shouldn't even need explaining." Byakuya stated arms crossed,
"Oh, I see s-sorry." Chihiro apologized, looking down in sadness.
"It's okay, Chiro, you made a good theory," I reassured her.
"Okay, so what's next?" Hiro asked,
"Why don't we talk about the cause of death?" Chole suggested, "After all, Emily, Amy, and Kyoko were in Makoto's room investigating that." The blond recalled,
"That's right, did you girls find anything?" Mondo asked,
"The cause of death was confirmed in the Monokuma file. Sayaka's cause of death was a stab wound to her stomach from a knife." Kyoko relayed her hands on her chin.
"We also confirmed that she broke her wrist, but we couldn't find the cause." Emily continued,
"So, I guess Sayaka was killed with a random knife someone hand on them," Mondo concluded,
"No, that's wrong!" I shouted,
"Huh, what do you mean? I'm sure it was the knife." Mondo replied with a frown.
"No, I'm not saying it wasn't the knife. I'm saying it wasn't a random knife someone brought with them." I clarified,
"How does that make any god darn sense?" Mondo questioned, already getting annoyed,
"What Dakota means is it wasn't just any knife but a kitchen knife someone took with them," Makoto added,
"Huh, a kitchen knife?" Mondo asked in shock.
"They're right. When Kyoko, Amy, and I were investigating, we noticed one of the knives was missing from the kitchen." Emily recalled,
"Which means that knife is the murder weapon," Sakura concluded,
"Oh yeah, I guess that does make sense. You could sorta see the weapon sticking out of her stomach. And if you look real close, I could totally see that being a kitchen knife." Mondo realized,
"Okay, so the murder weapon was a kitchen knife. But where does that get us?!" Leon asked, closing one eye in thought. "I mean, we all know Makoto killed her, right?"
"That's r-right, Makoto's r-room was the scene of the crime." Toko stuttered, "What more proof do you n-need?" She questioned,
"Now hold on just because Sayaka was killed in Makoto's room doesn't mean he did it." Emily countered, "After all, have you forgotten that he and Sayaka switched rooms last night?!"
"That's right this morning Dakota saw Makoto come out of Sayaka's room," Hina remembered,
"And both of them retold the same story. That Sayaka came to them after someone tried to break into her room. It would be odd if one of them told us that story. But, since Sayaka came to both of them last night, I think it's safe to say that neither of them has anything to do with her death." Sakura decided,
"Not so fast. Sayaka might have come to Dakota and Makoto last night, but that doesn't mean neither of them killed her." Byakuya spoke up.
"W-What do you mean?" Toko asked,
"Before we go any further, I'd like to ask the bear a question." Byakuya turned his attention to Monokuma.
"So, you ask, and I shall answer. So, what do you want?" Monokuma spoke up, paw on his chin.
"If there is an accomplice in this case, does that mean they also become blackened?" Byakuya inquired,
"Each murder is allowed to have an accomplice, but only the one who does the killing will get to graduate." Monokuma explained,
"So, in other words, two people can work together. But only one of them get to profit from it." Kyoko clarified,
"Then there's no reason anyone would work together, right?" Mondo questioned,
"But what if they did work together, and they just didn't know the rule?" Chihiro suggested,
"Ugh, good grief enough already! No, okay!? There are no accomplices in this case!" Monokuma butted in, "Oops did I say that out loud?" He realized,
"Thanks for the tip, you worthless bear." Junko thanked, flashing her Cheshire grin.
"Anyway, Makoto and I did not go to the dining hall! Or take the knife if that's what Byakuya was getting at." I defended, "It's true I saw Sayaka go to Makoto's room, but that's it. We're not the killer!"
"It's true. They have an alibi." Amy finally spoke up.
"An alibi?" Cindy questioned,
"Now you decide to speak up about that?!" Byakuya's voice raised in annoyance, thinking everyone was wasting his time.
"Hey, we're sorry there wasn't a good time to point it out!" Emily cut in, "It's true though, Dakota and Makoto weren't seen at the dining hall last night. Right, Hina?"
"Yes, I'm sure I told you this earlier, but I was in the dining hall last night to get some tea. When I was making it, all the knives were still there. But when I went to wash my glass, one of the knives was gone." Hina recalled,
"And did you see Dakota or Makoto enter the dining hall during that time?" Mimi asked,
"No, I don't think so," Hina said doubtfully.
"You think?" Byakuya pushed harshly,
"No, I'm positive neither of them came into the dining hall last night," Hina replied with more confidence.
"I think that should be enough to prove Dakota and Makoto's innocents for now," Kyoko said plainly.
"Okay, so if neither of them grabbed the knife, then who did?" Chihiro asked,
"Hina should be the obvious candidate. After all, she did say she was in the dining hall." Celeste spoke up, leaning forward.
"No, no way, I swear it wasn't me!" Hina panicked,
"Sure, but can you or anyone else prove that?" Hifumi challenged,
"I can," Sakura spoke up,
"That's right! Sakura was with me the entire time I was drinking my tea!" Hina defended herself,
"Uhh… I hate to ask, but just to make sure Sakura's…." Lean trailed off, trying to remember who Sarkua was.
"That would be me." The muscular fighter clarified,
"Right." The former baseball player remembered.
"But then couldn't either one of them grab the knife?" Hiro questioned,
"Not without the other noticing. It would be kind of hard to hide it, with the type of clothes they're wearing." Cindy pointed out.
"That's a good point because Um, well." Hina stuttered,
"Hina, is there something you want to tell us?" I wondered,
"I stayed in Hina's room last night," Sakura admitted,
"What?!" We erupted,
"It's true. I got so scared thanks to those creepy videos. I wasn't really thinking, so I asked her to stay over." Hina confessed, "Which means we have airtight alibis."
"You s-stayed over? D-Doesn't that v-violate one of the regulations?" Toko asked shyly.
"Not necessarily. All it says is we need to sleep in the dorms. The rules never said we had to stay in our assigned rooms. They should be fine." Chole replied,
"No, they're not! A boy and a girl sleeping together! It's it's. unwholesome!" Taka shouted,
"But I'm a girl." Sakura corrected calmy,
"Wh-You are?! oh oh my gosh, I am so sorry!" The moral compass apologized profusely,
"Jeez, even I know that. Did you even read her student profile?" Junko questioned annoyingly,
"But if it wasn't either of you, then what other possibility is there?" Celeste wondered, staring off into space.
"Actually, there *is* one other possibility, right Hina?" Sakura checked,
"Oh yeah, that's true! One other person did come to the dining hall while we were there." The Burnette remembered,
"Why didn't you say so in the first place?" The progeny scowled,
"Because she's no longer here," Hina replied sadly,
"Wait, are you saying Sayaka herself came into the dining hall?" Mimi questioned, eyes wide at the revolution.
"Yes, Sayaka came into the dining hall, and later she turned up dead," Hina confirmed,
I sighed in defeat; I was beginning to doubt Sayaka was in any danger. To start with, If it's true she lied to us about being scared, then what did she think she would gain from this? I understood she was worried about her friends. Everyone was thanks to those videos. But did she have to go this far? I pushed those thoughts to the side and kept focus on the discussion.
"If what you said was true. Then I think it's safe to assume Sayaka herself grabbed the knife." I spoke up,
"Wait, Sayaka was the one who grabbed the knife?" Makoto asked in disbelief,
"That's the only possibility." Sakura concluded, "And thinking back on it. She was acting kind of unusual."
"Unusual? How so?" Cindy questioned,
"When she came into the dining hall, she didn't even look at us. She just went straight into the kitchen. As she left, she said she just wanted a glass of water. But most likely…" The fighter trailed off,
"Then the person who took the knife was the victim herself!" Taka finished,
"I'm sure… Makoto paused before finding his voice. "I'm sure she just took it for self-defense." The luckster voiced, though even he seemed unsure of his reasoning.
"So, what you're saying is the knife she took. Was then taken from her and killed with it?" Byakuya questioned, ignoring Makoto's statement, "If that's the case, you and Dakota may not have taken the knife, but one of you still could have killed her." He reasoned,
"No, that's wrong, we didn't even see a knife when Sayaka came to us. Right, Makoto?!" I asked the lucky student, desperate for an answer that would clear our name.
"Yeah, that's right. I don't remember Sayaka having a knife on her when she came to me," Makoto replied,
"Hmmm, that's very interesting, but can we really trust that clam?" Hifumi questioned,
"Hold on. It's still too early to decide conclusively that Makoto and Dakota are the killers, wouldn't you say?" The mysterious ultimate cut in, "Because you see, if the room did belong to the killer, then they did something most bewildering. And until we unravel that mystery, you simply can't say Makoto's the killer." Kirigiri explained,
"Bewildering? What the heck are you talking about?" The biker gang leader questioned,
"Something was missing from the scene of the crime that by all rights should have been there." Kyoko clarified, "You know what I'm talking about? don't you, you two?"
Something that should have been at the scene but wasn't. That must be a crucial point. If I could figure out what that something is. Then that should be enough to clear Makoto's name. I closed my eyes and played a mental game of hangman to figure out what was missing. And just like a lightbulb going off, I remembered there wasn't a single strand of hair in Makoto's room. I was about to state that, but he beat me to it.
"Now I get it!" Makoto shouted, "That's right, there wasn't a single hair on the floor!"
"So, the culprit got rid of some evidence?" The programmer questioned,
"Yes, and if I were the culprit. Why would I need to get rid of all the hair in my own room?" Makoto questioned,
"And to add to that, if Makoto were the killer, then he would have done something about Sayaka's body as well. Not leave it where it could be easily found." I added,
"And it wouldn't be unusual to find my hair at the crime scene if the crime scene was in my room!"
"The reason all the hair was gone. Was to remove any trace that Sayaka had ever been there. That makes sense, does it not?" Celeste inquired, fist over her mouth,
"No, if that were the case, they would have to do something about the body itself, not just the hair," Kyoko replied,
"Plus, we've already established that Sayaka and Makoto switched rooms if the killer wanted to cover up the fact that Sayaka was there. Then why did Makoto state that fact several times already? It would just make him more suspicious." Cindy pointed out.
"Ah ha ha ha, very true, very true." The fanfic writer agreed,
"Okay, then why wasn't there any hair on the ground?" Leon asked,
"The killer probably used the lint roller in Makoto's room to remove any traces of them being there." Mimi theorized,
"I agree with that. We found evidence to support that Makoto's lint roller was used." I confirmed,
"Wait, then that means!" Mondo said in astonishment,
"Precisely. It's simply beyond a reason of doubt that the room's owner and the killer are not the same." Kyoko stated,
"Then, Makoto isn't the culprit?" Chihiro asked hopefully,
"No, he isn't. That's what we've been trying to tell you we have nothing to do with Sayaka's murder." I said,
"But are you sure we can decide something so important based solely on the absence of hair?!" Taka spoke up,
"No, there are other reasons that prove why Makoto couldn't have done it," Kyoko explained with a confident smile.
"I would like to hear these reasons," Sakura said,
"You're talking about the bathroom door that was broken into, right?" I checked,
"That's right. It seemed the killer had some trouble getting in. You know why, right, Dakota." Kirigri questioned,
"Wait, how is Dakota going to help? It's not even her room." Leon asked. Kyoko didn't answer and closed her eyes.
I knew why she was doing this; she was challenging my knowledge of the case. If it's a test, she wants I'll give her the answer she's looking for.
"You're referring to the broken doorknob, right?" I guessed,
"Wah, how's that supposed to help us?" Mondo questioned,
"It makes sense once you know the truth about my bathroom door. You see the door doesn't fit the frame right, because of that the door gets stuck. To use it, you need to turn the knob and lift the door as you pull." Makoto explained,
"Wait, so, you're telling us that your door gets stuck? How is that connected to the broken doorknob that doesn't make sense." Leon retorted, crossing his arms,
"Once you think about it makes perfect sense why the killer had to break the doorknob to get inside. What if the killer thought Makoto's room wasn't his room?" I suggested,
"What, how is that even possible? Everyone has a nameplate on their doors that state who's is who. The killer could easily look at the nameplate and know that Makoto's room is his room." Celeste countered,
"Are you sure about that, Celeste? After all, if the killer knew it was my room, they were in. Then why go through the trouble of breaking down my door when it's been stated that only the girls' bathrooms lock." Makoto questioned,
"Hmm, when you put it like that, it sounds plausible. Okay, you've convinced me carry on." Celeste agreed, resting her chin on her hands,
Wow, that was easy . I thought how out of character that was,
"Anyway, what Dakota said is true. The killer didn't know about Makoto and Sayaka switching rooms. And because of that, it led to the misunderstanding about the bathroom. If Sayaka had been in her room, then." Kyoko explained,
"Then there would have been a lock on the door, and they would've had to breakthrough." Taka realized,
"But because the killer didn't know it was Makoto's room, they automatically assumed Sayaka locked the door," Chole explained,
"And in doing so, they gave us one huge piece of evidence. I gotta admit if they didn't do that, then Makoto would still be in deep water." Emily admitted,
"Ultimately, we can't know if the door came open by force or simply by accident. But the killer must have been confused, with no idea how they got the door opened." Kyoko explained with a hand resting on her chin.
"Regardless, it was a pointless act. Wasting time trying to break down a door that wasn't locked is." Byakuya stated,
"Definitely something I wouldn't do since I would've known why the door wasn't opening, right?" Makoto asked,
"That is a…." The affluent paused. "Definite possibility." He sighed,
"Anyway, I think that settles it. Makoto is not the culprit that killed Sayaka." Cindy cut in,
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Then who is the killer? We better find them soon because we've been going back and for hours now." Junko said, crossing her arms.
"I'm sorry, but I give up! Quit without saving!" Hifumi declared in his fantasy voice.
"Hold on. We can't give up yet. I'm sure there's still a break in the case just waiting to happen. We just need to talk about it a little more." Amy encouraged,
"Does no one have any other thoughts or questions? It does not matter how trivial they might seem." Celeste questioned,
"Oh, as a matter of fact, I do have one question!" The swimmer spoke up,
"Oh… You…" The Lolita frowned,
"You don't gotta look so disappointed!" Hina snapped,
"Hina, don't mind her. Please ask your question." Sakura encouraged,
"Okay, so um um…." Hina paused, thinking for a moment before speaking again. "Well, I was just wondering, how'd the culprit get into Makoto's room in the first place?" The swimming pro wondered,
"Hmm, yes, how did the killer get inside?" Sakura replied, closing her eyes in thought,
"Maybe Sayaka dropped the key, somewhere and the culprit picked it up. That's a possibility, right?" Leon suggested,
"I don't think, so that seems way too convenient," Taka stated,
"It also doesn't add up. If Sayaka was as scared as she said. Then there's no way she would do something so careless." The ultimate herbalist added,
I looked down; I knew it was time to come to terms with Sayaka planning to murder someone. I took a deep breath and voiced my theory. "Unless, what if Sayaka herself was the one who let them in."
"What? Sayaka let them in? But we agreed not to open the door for anyone." Makoto explained, "Even if we knew it was us." He added softly,
"Makoto, we're all desperate to get out of here. And because of those motive videos, the desire to leave became much stronger. So, as much as I hate to admit it, Sayaka may have planed murder from the start. Only for it to backfire in the end." I explained, tears starting to form. I didn't want to face that possibility. I didn't want to believe that Sayaka was tricking us for her gain, but it was the only thing I could think of with the evidence presented to us.
"But would Sayaka really do something like that? I mean, I get it the motive videos frightened all of us. But to kill someone and leave us in the dust just doesn't seem like something she'd do." Hina stated finger to her mouth,
"Unfortunately, Dakota's on the right track," Kyoko spoke up.
"She is?" Makoto questioned shock showing in his eyes,
"Yes, she is. I know you don't want to consider it. But look at this and tell me. Can you still deny the possibility?" Kyoko said, holding up a note that read.
"There's something I wanted to talk to you about, just us two. In five minutes, come see me in my room. Check the nameplate to make sure you don't get the wrong room. Okay? -Sayaka," I read aloud,
"Whoa, I don't remember seeing that note! Where did you find it?!" Emily shot up,
"I found a notepad during my search, and I shaded in the top sheet with a pencil. And these are the words that appeared." Kyoko explained,
"Oh man, I've totally seen people do that on those detective shows!" Hina spoke up, impressed, "When you write, it can leave an imprint. Sketch over the next sheet, and you can see the words when I saw that. I was like, "Holy carp! I better make sure I rip out the piece of paper before I use it from now on."
"It's a pretty old-fashioned technique. But even the classics can be useful sometimes." Kirigri stated,
"Even though that's very clever, how does that help us solve the case?" Junko asked,
"Oh, I should also mention. I found the notepad on the desk in Makoto's room."
"Huh?" Makoto gasped,
"Which means, only someone who was in Makoto's room before the incident happened could have written it," Kyoko explained,
"So, it was ether Makoto who lived there or Sayaka who switched rooms for a single night." Byakuya thought aloud,
"Well, it wasn't Makoto. I can confirm Sayaka came to him." I reminded,
"So, Makoto…" She paused. "Did you write this?" Kyoko asked to confirm my statement,
"No, I didn't' but-"
"Of course, you didn't. Because the note also bears a perfectly legible signature- Sayaka's signature." Kirigri explained,
"But why? Why would she write that?" Makoto wondered,
"It's just as Dakota said." Celeste cut in, "Sayaka saw her video and freaked out over the contents. Not wanting to leave her friends in danger, she planned a way to get out. However, it would have ended tragically no matter what happened since none of us know about the trial system. It's as I said, Sayaka couldn't adapt to the situation and chose the easy way out." She explained bleakly.
"The note was probably Sayaka's way of getting in touch with someone. Her victim." Amy stated matter-of-factly,
"If you were to get a note from the Ultimate Pop Sensation, what young man could resist?" Hifumi asked, "Of course, I'm only into 2D, so that doesn't have an effect on me!
"But how can we even know someone even got that note?" Celeste wondered, "And honestly, even if they did. I do not think they are at all involved with what happened."
"How so?" I wondered,
"Yeah, Celeste, what makes you say that?" Chihiro wondered,
"Hmm-hmm, would you like to hear what I have to say?" The gambler chuckled, "Very well, then pay attention." She said, head resting on her hands,
"Sayaka and Makoto switched rooms, correct? But in the note, the place they were asked to come to. It specifically says my room." Celeste explained,
"I see. So, if anyone read that note. Then they would have gone to Sayaka's room." Chihiro understood,
"Exactly, the room that Makoto was staying in."
"No, that's wrong," Makoto shouted, much to my surprise,
"That's wrong? How so? It's common knowledge that you switched rooms with Sayaka. Plus, as I've mentioned before, the nameplate on the door would have told them that it was your room. How is that so hard to understand?" Celeste questioned, hands on her hips,
"The nameplates on my and Sayaka's rooms got switched," Makoto responded,
"They got switched?" Celeste asked, not expecting the development,
"It's true I almost went into Sayaka's room thinking it was Makoto's. I didn't notice it was Sayaka's room until Makoto stopped me." I explained,
"And because Makoto and Sayaka's rooms are next to each other. Switching the nameplates would gather no suspicion." Byakuya reasoned,
"Which means if someone *did* do what the note said. They would end up in Makoto's room, where Sayaka was." Chihiro explained,
"And the one who switched the names were. Well, of course, it wasn't you, right Makoto?" Kyoko confirmed,
"Right." He replied, avoiding eye contact,
"Okay, then who did it?" Leon questioned,
"Sayaka, she's the only one who could have done it," I answered,
"Sayaka and I were the only ones who knew about switching rooms. So, the only one who would even know how to switch the nameplates…" Makoto paused Was Sayaka." He realized,
"You can also infer that much from her note." Kiri added, 'She specifically tells the reader to check the nameplates. She would only have written that if she knew about the switched nameplates."
"But, why would she switch them in the first place?" Chihiro asked,
"She wanted someone to come to the room she was in and *also* hide the fact that it was Makoto's room," Kyoko replied,
"I think I'm starting to understand the sequence of events for this murder. First, Sayaka came to both Makoto and Dakota, hoping to switch rooms with them and frame them for murder. Then she wrote the letter asking someone to meet with her. After that, she switched the nameplates and went to the kitchen to grab the kitchen knife and went back to the room waiting for her victim to show up." Amy explained,
"But somewhere down the line, it all went downhill. The victim realized what was about to happen and defended themselves with the replica katana. That's why the sheath is scratched up. The victim didn't have much time to react and grabbed it out of impulse." Emily continued,
"Then I'm guessing during the struggle the victim must have hit Sayaka with the sword to disarm her and broke her wrist. And we know that because there's gold coating on Sayaka's wrist, the coating comes off easily, so it's easy to get it on you." I theorized,
"Then, in her panic, Sayaka went into the bathroom, and the killer tried to follow her only to find the door was locked. Except the door wasn't locked, it was stuck." Makoto explained,
"But because the nameplates were switched, the killer thought it was Sayaka's room and used some method to break the doorknob as a way of lock picking. Once cornered, they used the knife and struck Sayaka down." The rich blond finished, "I have to admit if it wasn't for the screw-up. This was a pretty interesting murder plot." He smiled smugly,
"So, we know the series of events. Sayaka was the ringmaster behind this whole thing. So what? It still doesn't answer who done it, so you guys are the detectives who are the killer?" The strawberry blond asked impatiently,
"We don't know yet," Emily answered. My eyes shot open, shocked at the lie Emily told.
"You don't know? Even after everything we just talked about, we still don't know the person who killed this chick?" Mondo questioned, clutching his fist,
"Yeah, we've looked everywhere, and we still have no idea who killed Sayaka." Emily shrugged nonchalantly,
"Emily, what are you doing? We know who did it. Why did you lie to them?" Her sister hissed,
"Shh, play along. I know what I'm doing." The mischievous DJ winked,
"Hey, you're being awfully boring right now." Monkuma cut in, "Come on, hurry up and decide who done it. It would be awful if I had to punish you just because you ran out of time."
"He's right. I think it's time we settled this." Mimi shot up with determination.
"Makoto, I know it's hard to come to terms with Sayaka's actions, but. We need to focus on solving this mystery. If we don't, it's all over for us." I stated with a blank face.
"But how? We've already covered everything. As far as clues go, there's nothing left." Makoto replied, disheartened,
"No, that's wrong! Have you forgotten about Sayaka's dying message?!" I yelled, my confidence growing stronger,
"Dinning? Wait, what did you say?" The former baseball player asked,
"The dying message. She wrote something on the wall behind her, remember?" Kyoko inquired,
"During Sayaka's final moments, she wrote a series of numbers with her blood, see?" Emily asked, showing a picture on her student handbook.
"11037. That's what she wrote." I confirmed playing along with Emily's lie,
"Hey, Chihiro? You're a programmer. Do you know what this means?" Byakuya asked,
"No, I don't 11037 is not a code I'm familiar with." She replied,
"Hold on, before we get too far into that, I need to ask?" Celeste spoke up, "Can we really be sure Sayaka is the one who wrote it?"
"Yes, we can. We found blood on her left index finger. She used it to write that message down." I assured,
"I see, she broke her right wrist during the fight. So, she'd have to use her left hand to write." Taka understood,
"Sure, I think we can agree that Sayaka wrote it. But still, what the heck does it mean? 11037?" The swimming pro questioned,
"Hmm. Just because they look like numbers doesn't mean they are right? What if it's something else?" Cindy suggested,
"But what else could it be? When I look at it, all I see is what everyone else sees." Junko Stated,
"Hmm, now that I'm looking closer…." Hifumi piped up, "Yes, I think I see something."
"You do what is it then? Spit it out!" Mondo encouraged hastily,
"Look at it, assuming they're not numbers. Don't these two numbers 1 1 look less like two numbers and more like one letter?" The fanfic creator replied,
"Now that you mention it, it does look like there is a faint line connecting the two ones. When you fill it in, it kind of looks like an N." Mimi realized,
"They're right! Nice job, Hifumi, you came through for us." Chihiro beamed,
"Bwehehe! Our little gray cells are really getting excited now!" He snickered with excitement,
"But even if that is an N, N037 makes even less sense now." The martial artist commented,
"Hey, Kyoko, any ideas?" Mimi turned her attention to the lilac woman. She was quiet for a moment. Then she spoke up.
"Rotate the image 180 degrees."
"You mean read it upside down?!" Junko questioned shockingly,
"Wh-what good will that do?!" Toko questioned,
"Just do it. It will make sense. Sayaka didn't write down numbers. She wrote down the killer's name." Emily reassured,
"Think about the order of the message and match it up to someone here." Amy instructed, "Dakota, Makoto, I know you can do it. You're on your own from here on out."
This was it; it was the moment of truth; it was time to commend the killer for their crime. I looked around at everyone and noticed Leon was sweating. I looked at Makoto, and with a nod, we rose from our seats and like firing a bullet.
"You're the only one!" We shouted, pointing to the baseball player.
"Huh, what me?" He stuttered,
"What?! You just shoot past the clue part and right on to who did it!" Hina started tensely.
"But why Leon?" Toko asked,
"The key to solving this mystery was simply to rotate the writing 180 degrees." Makoto began to explain, "If you turn the message around. It becomes the letters L-E-O-N or more accurately Leon!"
"Wh! What are you talking about?! it's just a coincidence!" He argued, "It's just a bunch of random squiggles that happen to look like my name!"
"No, it's not random at all." Kyoko spoke up, "Sayaka wrote that message on the wall behind her as she was leaning up against it. In that position, she couldn't write normally and had to write upside down."
"And as a result. When you look at it standing in front of her, it ends up getting flipped." Emily added, "When we were investigating, Amy and I discovered the secret, and with a little bit of help, we uncovered the message was your name."
Wait, so you're saying you knew Leon did it the whole time?" The biker asked," Why didn't you tell us that in the first place!?"
"Sorry, I didn't want any room for argument if I told you Leon was the one who killed Sayaka at the beginning of the trial. Then the courtroom would be chaos." The brunette explained,
"Hold on. We haven't even decided I'm the killer. You can't just say stuff like that and expect everyone to believe you!" The ginger interrupted,
"Are you sure about that? Because look at this piece of cloth I found in the trash room. Along with this broken glass ball." I stated, holding them up,
"What do those have to do with the case? It's just a worthless piece of junk." Byakuya scowled,
"At first glance, it seems like that. But it's actually a burnt-off sleeve from a white shirt. Leon's shirt!" Makoto pointed out.
"Wh- What are you talking about? I never even went into the trash room. Didn't you know it's locked? Only the person on cleaning duty can get in. Leon questioned,
"That's true. But if the killer stabbed Sayaka, they must have gotten some blood on them. And if that's the case, then it's only natural to assume they would try to wash the blood off or destroy it through any means necessary." Mimi voiced thoughtfully,
"And that's what happened. Hiro left his crystal ball in the laundry room last night. And this morning, we found the incinerator was on. Hifumi stated it was off the last time he checked. So, the only logical conclusion is that Leon saw Hiro's ball and used it to turn on the incinerator." I deducted,
"But how would he do that?" Toko cut in, "The incinerator has to be at least 30 feet from the door. There's no way he would be able to make the shot." The writing prodigy refuted,
"Actually, it's easier than you might think," Amy assured,
"How i-is it because you think I'm u-ugly?!" Toko yelled,
"No, of course not! What I mean is the crystal ball is palm-sized. If the correct amount of force is used and the ball is thrown at a certain angle, then hitting the on switch on the control panel is doable." Amy explained much to everyone's confusion,
"Um, can anyone translate that for me?" Mondo asked,
"Yeah, Amy, I know you're a science wiz. But in English, please." Junko pleaded,
What can I say? My sister is a living encyclopedia." Emily stated,
Amy let out a sigh at not being understood and begin to rephrase her statement "In other words, with the right-hand eye coordination, it's possible that someone could hit the on switch with some effort. Especially Leon, as a baseball player, would need good aim for his pitches. All he would need to do is throw the ball at the control panel, ball up his shirt and throw it into the incinerator. With that, the shirt will catch on fire and burn away." The bookworm explained,
"But in the end, the shirt didn't burn all the way. Because a tiny piece of the sleeve fell onto the floor, I doubt the killer noticed, considering they didn't try to get rid of it during the investigation." Cindy pointed out,
"So, it's safe to assume whoever killed Sayaka must have aimed. Wouldn't you agree, Leon?!" Makoto questioned the former baseball star.
"D-Do you have any idea how stupid you sound right now?" Leon panicked,
"A target thirty feet away would surely be little challenge for the Ultimate Baseball Star." Celeste reasoned, leaning forward,
"Y-Y-Y-You can't be serious! I I." Lean shuttered, "I'm not the killer! You guys have got it all wrong, I'm telling you!"
"You still won't admit it? Okay then, Dakota, Makoto go ahead and review the incident one more time. To make his crime clear. And then we can end this." Kyoko instructed,
"You got it, Kyoko. Makoto, take it away." I said, knowing he could handle the case review.
"Listen to me! What do you mean, end this?!" Leon yelled,
"Say what you want, Leon. But all the questions have been answered, and the truth has been reviled. Now here's what happened." Makoto begins to explain,
"I think I'd better take one more look back at this case from the beginning. Last night, the killer went into the room Sayaka was staying in. In other words, my room. From what we can tell, Sayaka invited that person intending to kill them. She attacked them with the knife she'd taken from the kitchen earlier. But then something happened that she wasn't prepared for. They grabbed the fake sword I'd put in my room and fought back. During the struggle, a strike from the sword broke Sayaka's right wrist. And that's when she lost her grip on the kitchen knife. Finding herself cornered, Sayaka panicked and ran into the bathroom. The killer went after her but couldn't get the bathroom door open.
What they didn't know was that my bathroom door got stuck easily, and there was a trick to opening it. Sayaka knew about it because I'd told her, but the killer had no way of knowing. So instead, the killer forced the door open, took the kitchen knife, and stabbed Sayaka. But with what strength she had remaining, Sayaka left a dying message. To keep the killer from noticing, she wrote it on the wall behind her. And with that, all her strength was gone. With Sayaka dead, the killer quickly began destroying evidence. First, they took off their shirt, which was covered in their victim's blood. Then they took the lint roller in my room and cleaned up the entire area.
They wanted to make sure they got rid of any trace of ever being there. Afterward, the killer went to the trash room to destroy their bloody shirt—they tried to burn the shirt using the incinerator there. But the trash room was blocked off by an incredibly sturdy gate, preventing access to the incinerator. So, they came up with a plan to use Hiro's crystal ball, which he'd left in the laundry room. The killer managed to throw the ball through the gate. For an average person, that'd be an impossible throw, but the killer had the confidence to take a shot. That's because the killer was the Ultimate Baseball Star the crystal ball, thrown with absolute precision, hit the switch on the incinerator. Which then roared to life.
Having destroyed the last piece of evidence, they left the area, which, I imagine, a sigh of relief. But there was one thing they missed. Part of the shirt they'd thrown into the fire burnt away and fell out of the incinerate. The killer didn't notice this and so left behind a piece of indisputable evidence.
Isn't that right… Leon?!" Makoto asked as he concluded his closing argument.
"It seems Hiro simply forgot his crystal ball in the laundry room. You went there to try and wash the blood out of your shirt, and that's where you saw it, right? Seeing the ball, you thought of a way to take care of everything." The Luckster added
"So, Leon? Do you object to anything that's been said?" Kirigiri checked,
"Do I object…?" He paused, "Yes, I object! Of course, I do! I object I object I object I object! I mean, all of this is just stupid theories! You need evidence! Where's the evidence?!"
"I think Makoto's statement is all the evidence you need. You broke into the bathroom and stabbed Sayaka. And her dying message proves it." Amy stated calmly.
"And how would I even do that?! I Don't have anything on me that could break into a bathroom!" The baseball star yelled,
"Oh, is that all you needed? Dakota, Leon's in a state of panic. It's up to you to talk through his panicked state." Emily explained,
"But what can I do?" I shot up,
"When the killer removed the screws from the doorknob, they didn't use anything in Makoto's room to do it. Instead, they must have used something that belongs to them." Kyoko smiled,
Something that belongs to them Could it be the toolkit? I questioned,
"I refuse to acknowledge you! You're stupid! Stupid stupid stupid!" Leon yelled, "Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid!" As he continued his rambling, I knew it was time for my first Panic Talk Action.
"Where's your evidence?!"
"The fact that the doorknob was screwed off is evidence in itself. The boys' bathrooms don't lock!"
That's a lie. I never went into Makoto's room!"
"Even if you didn't go into Makoto's room, how do you explain the message on the wall?
"Stupid if I were the killer, then I would have had blood on me!"
"You could have easily changed your clothes. All of us have the same outfits we had on when we got here. And even if you didn't, you wouldn't be able to wash it off with the water turned off." I refuted,
"Where is the proof that I broke down the door? Without proof, I refuse to acknowledge your clam." Leon countered,
"Simple… I paused. This was the final strike. "You're toolkit." I countered, striking Leon silent.
"The screws on the bathroom doorknob were removed. I wonder what kind of tool the killer used to remove them?" I questioned teasingly.
"I mean, it had to be a screwdriver, right?" Mondo answered,
"A screwdriver that belonged to a boy's toolkit. Only the boys have toolkits. The girls have a sewing kit. So, unless someone lost or got theirs stolen. I think we can conclude it's Leon's or Makoto's." Mimi explained,
"It's not mine. I checked it's still unused." Makoto confirmed, "Which means it had to be their very own toolkit."
"Stupid stupid stupid!" Leon spouted,
"Leon, do you mind showing us your toolkit? If I'm right about this, then. The screwdriver will show some evidence of being used." Makoto concluded,
"Stupid, stupid stu…Uh, Huh?"
"And if you say you used it for something else, you'll have to explain when, where, and why." Byakuya cut in,
"And let me say this right now. "I lost it" isn't an excuse at this point," Kyoko added, which hit the nail on the head as Leon broke down into silence.
"So, you have no rebuttal?" Byakuya smirked,
"Then it would seem we are finished here." Celeste sighed as she twirled her hair.
"Puhuhuhu." Monokuma giggled, "Looks like you reached your verdict! Then are we ready to cast your votes? You all have a lever in front of you. Use it to make your selection! Oh, just to remind you all! Make triple sure you vote for someone you wouldn't want to be punished for something so minor, right?" Monokuma asked we all stayed silent.
"Okay, then let's get excited! Who will be chosen as the blackened? Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one? What's it gonna be? What's it gonna be?!" Monokuma cheered way too happily for our predicament.
I didn't want to do this. Sure, Leon killed Sayaka, but this would never have happened if it wasn't for those motive videos. I closed my eyes as I pulled the lever to cast my vote, and we all waited with bated breath to see the results. A slot machine with our faces on the wheels began to spin, and sure enough, Leon was found guilty. We should be happy at solving a murder case, but how could you be satisfied knowing you sentenced someone to their death. Sure, we survived but at what cost. I was shaken out of my thoughts when the one casing our suffering hopped off the throne and started congratulating us.
"That's right, the one who killed Sayaka Mizono the Ultimate Pop Sensation was Leon Kuwata!"
"Huh? H-Hold on?"
"Why Leon?" I found it in me to speak. "Why did you kill her?! You could have walked away. Sure I would have been mad. But I would've understood considering the situation we're in. Please just tell me why you killed her?" I pleaded, tears streaming from my eyes.
"It's not like I wanted to kill her! When she invited me to Makoto's room, I thought I would be nice and try to cheer her up a bit. We were all scared of those videos, so I thought she needed some comfort. But then she pulled a knife on me, and that's when it all sank in." Leon explained, "I didn't have a choice. It was kill or be killed. So, that's why I killed her first."
"You do realize this could have been different if you walked away when she locked herself in the bathroom? None of this would have ever happened other than a reminder of the dangers we're facing." Cindy stated,
"None of you are any different! One wrong step and you'd be the one standing here! It was a complete chance I wound up like this!" The ginger yelled, taking us all back.
"So, you're no different than Sayaka. You couldn't cut ties to the outside world. And so, you fell victim to your own selfish needs, how disappointing." Celeste looked away disappointedly,
"Leon, if you don't mind me asking. What was in your video?" Amy asked, face stern.
"What was in mine? It was, it was…" He paused as if struggling to recall it. "It was my cousin." He stated,
"Cousin? You have a cousin?" Hina questioned, covering her mouth.
"Yeah, I do. She's been my baseball manager since I started playing. Sure, she's a little arrogant and has been trying to ask me out since middle school. But she's family, and that's something I can't ignore. I guess I can understand what Sayaka was going through. The thought of losing our loved ones sent me into a panic as well, which is why I had to leave even if it meant killing someone to get out of here. But I guess that isn't justified now, is it?" Leon let out a sad chuckle and bowed his head.
"You know, looking back now, I wonder if it was all a ruse to bring us despair? There's no way that bear could have kidnapped everyone, right? That's what I told myself, and yet I still ended up like this. I really am a loser."
I sympathized with Leon after seeing my parents; I thought I was going to lose it too. But somehow, I kept it together. Even if Sayaka tried to frame us, that doesn't make her a bad person. She just reacted in a way that's understandable for our situation. Leon was just an unlucky victim, and Sayaka was his unfortunate killer. Oh, how the tables turned. And what cruel irony befell us all.
"I don't hate you; you may have killed Sayaka, but I don't blame you for any of this." I stated, "After all, it's your fault we're even in this mess!" I yelled at the monochrome bear.
"What my fault? No, no, no, I didn't give Sayaka the knife. I didn't break into Makoto's room. This murder is 100%, Leon. And it's time for his punishment." Monokuma announced,
"What! You, you mean execution?!" Leon realized,
"That's right, you disrupted the peace, and now you need to pay. I've prepared a very special punishment for Leon Kuwata, the Ultimate Baseball Star."
"Wait, I had to kill her. I was protecting myself in the heat of the moment! it was self-defense!" He defended,
"How, exactly, was it self-defense? When you broke into the bathroom, did you or did you not use your own toolkit? After she shut herself in the bathroom, you went out of your way to head back to your room. Then you came all the way back, broke into the bathroom, and killed her. Am I wrong?" The Ravenette double-checked fist over her mouth. "You had several chances to stop what you were doing. But you chose not to. Is it not because you had an unclouded intent to commit murder?"
"Celeste, that's enough. What's done is done. There's nothing we can do about it. It's time to face the music and pray it doesn't happen again." Chole came to Leon's defense.
"Does this need to happen, though? Is there a get-out of execution card or something Leon can do to save his life?" I wondered,
"Nope, though that's not a bad idea for the future. But I can't stop now; the audience is begging for it. Now let's give it everything we've got. It's punishment time!" Monokuma announced, much to Leon's dismay.
It all happened so fast. First, Monokuma hit a button with his hammer then a screen flashed to life saying.
Game Over
Leon was found guilty.
Time for his punishment!
A pixelated Monokuma was seen dragging Leon off-screen, and the torture began. All of us stood in shock as a metal collar came out and hooked Leon by the neck dragging him to his execution. He was carried to a baseball field with Monokuma as the batter.
"This can not be good," I said to myself, and it wasn't.
"I will now use a punishment method I like to call "The 1,000 Blows." Hang on to your hat's sports fans because this is going to be a close one!" Monokuma cheered,
The ball machine roared to life, spiting ball after ball at Leon. More started to hit the former baseball star Monokuma hitting them with fantastic speed. Then, the balls came to a stop, and Leon Kuwata was dead. Beaten and bruised, I couldn't stand the sight of my former friend looking like that. I started feeling lightheaded, and it all went fuzzy. I could barely hear everyone's shocked screams or Makoto yelling at Monokuma for the murder. What I did know was that was the most traumatizing thing I ever witnessed, and I knew it was only the beginning. I registered Makoto picking me up and helping me to the elevator. I clanged to him like a lifeline; I didn't want that to happen to me.
"Guys, is Dakota okay?" Makoto asked, concerned,
"I think so. It seems she's in a state of shock. Hopefully, she'll be fine tomorrow." Kyoko stated matter-of-factly.
"Makoto…" I mumbled, "Please don't let me die here. I don't want to end up like the others. I don't want to die without knowing what's happening in this school."
"Don't worry, Dakota, I won't fail you. Sayaka may have fallen into despair, but I know you won't. You're stronger than that. I know we'll get out of here together." Makoto reassured with a confident smile.
"How, how do you know that?" I questioned to make sure,
"Because I'm psychic." He replied,
"What?!" I shot up, knocking me out of my daze.
Makoto simply chucked and replied. "Just kidding, I just have good intuition."
Even if it was a cheesy way to honor Sayaka, I was able to smile, knowing Makoto's heart was filled with both light and hope. When we got back to the dorms, we checked Makoto's room to see if Monokuma cleaned up Sayaka's body, and sure enough, the bathroom was clean as if nothing ever happened. Makoto brought me back to my room and tucked me into bed.
"Good night Dakota, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Good night Makoto, Sleep well," I replied drowsily,
He kissed me on the cheek and went to the dining hall to report back to the others. I barely registered the nighttime announcement as I fell into a restless sleep.
Act one To Survive Completed.
Surviving Student's
19
To be continued.
It's done after months of working on it we're finished with the first act thank you to everyone who has commented, Favorited this story the only thing left is a segment I like to call "Behind the Murder" which will go into detail of the victims murders. Anyway now that the first act is over if anyone has any questions for my I'll be happy to answer it as long as it's not spoilers. Hope everyone has a good day or night and I'll see you all next time.