Naegi wished he knew what Togami was thinking about the information that Kirigiri had apparently disappeared while working on an investigation with Mukuro Ikusaba – but he couldn't manage to read the other boy's expression at all. Togami might not be quite as good as Kirigiri at keeping his face emotionless, but he definitely had the ability to do it when he wanted – and he was choosing to do so now. Whether he wanted to hide his thoughts from the cameras or from Naegi, his face stayed frozen and blank as he considered Naegi's words.
Was he angry that Naegi had been involved in yet another risky plan with Kirigiri? Naegi wouldn't really blame him if that was the case – now that Kirigiri had disappeared, Naegi was feeling a little angry with himself. Maybe if he'd tried to convince Kirigiri to wait and think of a safer option instead of going along with her plan so easily, she wouldn't be missing right now. Of course, considering how Kirigiri usually reacted to being questioned, she probably would have ignored him and gone ahead with her own plan without his help, rather than letting him dissuade her – but he still could have tried.
But if Togami had been angry about that, would he really have been able to hide it so well? Naegi wasn't sure. His anger had seemed to overcome his guardedness in the past – but then again, that had been rooted in his fear for Naegi's safety. Togami didn't feel anywhere near so strongly about Kirigiri's wellbeing. They were barely even friends – Togami could hardly manage to be civil to the girl even at his best, and Kirigiri never wasted time on anything that didn't help her investigation. It all made Naegi a little disappointed to watch – he couldn't help feeling like Togami and Kirigiri were similar enough to be really good friends, if only they'd let themselves try.
And even if Togami insisted on refusing to give Kirigiri a chance – he still had to be concerned about her, didn't he? After all, they were all trying to fight the mastermind together. Her investigation could only have helped everyone if she'd been successful – and if something bad had happened to her, that would just make things worse for the rest of them.
But try as he might, Naegi couldn't see a hint of that on the other boy's face when Togami finally glanced back and Naegi and asked, "Where?"
Naegi blinked, trying to drag his mind back to the conversation so he could follow Togami's train of thought. Where…? Oh – he had to be asking where Kirigiri had gone.
"I don't know," Naegi admitted, not quite able to swallow the frustrated sigh that accompanied the words. "She didn't tell me. I don't even think she knew exactly what parts of the school Ikusaba was planning to open."
Togami narrowed his eyes, moving again so that he could reply. "So you're claiming that this Ikusaba really did let Kirigiri investigate some of the school's secrets – at roughly the same time that Monokuma went silent. Are you saying you think Kirigiri had something to do with that?"
"Maybe," Naegi said, once Togami had moved so he could safely hear Naegi's answer. "But I think it probably had more to do with Ikusaba. From what Kirigiri said, it sounded like she's probably the one who's been operating Monokuma."
That caused Togami's eyes to widen again, as Naegi had known it would. It was one thing to know theoretically that there had to be an actual human being on the other side of Monokuma – but putting a real name to the vague concept of Monokuma's operator made something different. And now, Monokuma had gone silent at exactly the same time his operator had betrayed the mastermind.
Naegi wasn't at all surprised when Togami shifted around again so that he could ask Naegi questions. Of course he would want more answers about the possibility that something had happened to both girls involved in this strike against the mastermind.
"Are you suggesting that there's also a seventeenth person in the school?"
Naegi blinked. "What?"
He didn't need to see Togami to know the other boy was rolling his eyes in impatience. "You've told me that this Ikusaba showed up and offered to let Kirigiri snoop around locked parts of the school. Now Kirigiri is missing and Monokuma, who is supposedly operated by Ikusaba, has been deactivated. You're obviously worried that something happened to them during this frankly stupid plan of theirs – but if everything you've said is true, the most likely way something might have happened would be if the mastermind had another agent here in the school."
Naegi caught his breath, his eyes shooting over to the security camera as if he'd be able to look through it to see an observer on the other side. He'd known that even if something had happened to Ikusaba, there was probably still someone watching them with the intent of keeping them in this game – but it hadn't occurred to him that such a person might actually be inside the school. But now that Togami pointed it out, it did make sense. Kirigiri hadn't just been worried about the security cameras when she'd told him about Ikusaba – her precautions had been focused on evading other kinds of eavesdropping.
But if Kirigiri had thought there was a chance there was a seventeenth person in the school in addition to Ikusaba – why wouldn't she have told him?
No, that was a silly question. Even when she wanted his help, Kirigiri only ever shared the bare minimum of information necessary for him to do what she needed. It wasn't how Naegi would have chosen to act, but he supposed that he could understand why she would behave that way – the more people who knew a critical fact, the greater the risk it might get back to the mastermind. And in this case, Kirigiri had been the one planning to take the greatest risk, so it was only fair that she should be allowed to decide what level of danger she was willing to bear. Naegi got it, he really did – but understanding didn't get rid of the twinge of hurt at the realization that his friend hadn't trusted him.
Naegi would have liked to say some of what he'd been thinking to Togami, to share his thoughts with someone who really did trust him without reservation – but the other boy hadn't moved so that Naegi could speak to him safely. Naegi frowned, trying to think how to phrase it so that it wouldn't mean anything to anyone who overheard.
"If you think that's true –"
"I don't."
Naegi nearly cracked his head into Togami's as he jerked around to stare at the other boy in confusion. What was that supposed to mean? If Togami didn't believe the theory he'd just suggested, then why had he said it in the first place?
"Don't do that," Togami snapped, his voice sharp with annoyance as he reached out to tug Naegi back into place. "You'll hurt your arm."
"It's fine," Naegi said, shaking his head to dismiss his concerns. "But –"
"Well, it won't be if you keep jarring it," Togami cut him off. He shifted around again until he could wrap an arm around Naegi's shoulders, keeping the smaller boy settled firmly in place against his side. "There. Much better."
It was better for more than just keeping still, Naegi realized as Togami bent his head to speak again.
"I see you haven't worked it out yet," Togami murmured into Naegi's ear. "I told you – the presence of a seventeenth person would only make sense if everything you've said is true. But you're missing an obvious possibility. This girl Ikusaba showed up claiming that she wants to betray the mastermind – but it sounds like all you have on that is her word. How do you know that Mukuro Ikusaba herself isn't the mastermind?"
