Naegi shook his head, looking down at Kirigiri's picture like it could answer all the questions he wanted to ask her. Why hadn't she told him any of the information from her profile? He knew she didn't like to talk about herself, that she held all her information close until she had a good reason to reveal it… but as smart as she was, she must have known that keeping her own past a secret only made her look more suspicious. If she'd told him the truth, or even dropped a hint of it, then he would have had some way to counter the painful accusations Togami kept making in her absence.
"That isn't the only explanation," Naegi said, looking back up into Togami's stony face. "It… it could make sense, what you're saying — but so could other things. Maybe the mastermind decided to put our class through this instead of one of the other years because we've got the Ultimate Detective — that's just as likely. I mean, if none of us had turned out to be any good at investigating, it would've ended with the first trial… and they wouldn't have had anything to broadcast."
"But that doesn't explain why she didn't tell anyone," Togami countered at once. "She wouldn't have been able to get away with that if we'd simply attended the academy as we all expected — she would have had no choice but to identify herself and her talent. Something about this situation changed her mind — and don't say it was the killing game. The rest of us all identified ourselves when we met in the entrance hall, before we ever saw Monokuma — all of us but her."
That was true, Naegi realized, thinking back to that first day. He'd known most of his classmates already, from the information he'd found online, but they'd all introduced themselves anyway. But Kirigiri, the only one he hadn't heard of from his research, had refused to share anything beyond her name. He'd thought at the time that maybe she was just shy and not comfortable being confronted with a big group of strangers… but after a few weeks in her company, the thought that she would allow her actions to be dictated by shyness seemed absurd. She was always controlled, her face a blank mask because she chose to keep it that way — so whatever her reasons, Togami was right. Kirigiri had deliberately chosen not to share her past.
"I guess," Naegi said reluctantly. "But being cautious doesn't mean she knew anything for sure, or that she was in on the mastermind's plan." He shook his head. "And… it doesn't help us now, either. We can't use any of that to identify her. And the picture's just an ordinary school portrait, only her head and shoulders." He glanced at it again, then at the text beside it. "It lists her measurements —"
"But we already had those in our e-handbooks," Togami cut him off. "And with the state of the body, I doubt we could get close enough measurements for an accurate comparison."
Naegi winced at the thought of going back upstairs armed with tape measures, and trying to look closely enough at that wreck of a body to figure out what shape it had been when alive. "No," he agreed, his voice barely rasping in his throat. "That… that wouldn't work."
"And that biography is hardly worthy of the name," Togami went on, scowling down at it. "She must have spent the majority of her life in detective training — but there are no details about precisely what that involved. I doubt she'd have been an active fighter, but a talented detective would certainly have had skills that would be of value to Fenrir. Without any specifics on her life, there's no way to rule it out."
"But being recruited into a dangerous mercenary organization seems like a pretty big thing to leave out of someone's history, right?" Naegi asked.
"Not if the Hope's Peak administrators were unaware of her affiliation," Togami said. "Fenrir's membership roster isn't exactly common knowledge, even among elites."
Naegi frowned. "Well… what about Ikusaba? I mean, we know she's a member of Fenrir, right? She admitted it to Kirigiri, and showed her the tattoo and everything. Does it mention Fenrir in her profile?"
"If it says anything at all." Without bothering to explain that cryptic remark, Togami began flipping back through the pages again, passing Ishimaru — and stopping on a page with a slender, dark-haired girl staring into the distance with all the intensity of a rifle's scope focusing on its target.
"Mukuro Ikusaba," Naegi murmured, staring down at the picture. She looked cool and collected, even more of a blank slate than Kirigiri — and yet the strongest flash of her personality echoed through his head at the sight. He knew just how she was about to tilt her head to avoid the camera flash, or the way she'd balanced on her feet to spring into action at a moment's notice. He almost expected her to look over the photographer's shoulder and catch his eye and —
He shook his head sharply. With the class trial getting closer with every passing second, he didn't have time to let his imagination run away with him like this. He forced his gaze away from the disconcerting picture and began skimming the profile.
Mukuro Ikusaba returned suddenly to Japan, and in the background an entity floats, close but just out of reach. The entity known as… the Ultimate Despair. Right now, I can't be sure if this is a single person or some kind of group. But there is no question that Mukuro Ikusaba has some sort of connection to it.
Naegi blinked. "What is this supposed to be? It's not like the other profiles." He reread the first sentence, pausing to consider the word returned. It seemed like a strange way to begin the very first sentence in someone's profile… And as he frowned down at it, a few spare scraps of paper tangled with the spiral spine of the notebook caught his eye. He reached out to tug one out for a closer look, unthreading it from the curling wire.
Togami looked up at the movement. "What exactly are you trying to do?"
Naegi held up the thin scrap of paper. "Look at this — it's like there used to be another page right before this one that got torn out. And isn't there something strange about Ikusaba's profile?"
"Yes, it starts in the middle," Togami said, nodding. "So you think this is actually the second page of her profile? I suppose it's possible…" He frowned. "But why would anyone bother to tear out just one page?"
"To hide information about her?" Naegi wondered.
"From who? This room was locked, remember?" Togami said. "And even if they removed it as a precaution, why not take both pages and keep hiding her existence entirely?"
"Maybe they hoped no one would notice the difference?" Naegi flipped a page backward, comparing Ikusaba's profile to Ishimaru's. "I mean, if you're just going through the book quickly, they look pretty much the same. You wouldn't necessarily think that this one profile had two pages."
"Except that they left the picture," Togami said. "Anyone looking through this would stop and read more about a person they didn't recognize — and once you start looking more closely, it's not too difficult to figure out that part of it is missing."
"Then… maybe it doesn't matter if we know the profile exists, as long as we don't know what's on the missing page?" Naegi asked, trying to think it through. "I mean, Ikusaba actually introduced herself to Kirigiri, so there's not much point in trying to hide her existence. We already know she's involved somehow."
"Wow, you guys are really studying ahead, aren't you!"
Naegi jolted upright in the chair at the sound of the cheerful voice, looking up to find Monokuma grinning up at him from right beside the chair.
"I mean, here I was all ready to come tell you something super interesting," the bear went on, "but it turns out you know it already!"
"Something interesting?" Naegi repeated, watching Monokuma warily. "You mean… about Mukuro Ikusaba?"
"Aw, and here I thought she was going to be my best trump card!" Monokuma sighed sadly. "Well, even so, I guess I'd better make sure. I don't want any of you to start complaining about how unfair it all is later on!"
Out of the corner of his eye, Naegi saw Togami taking a few steps away from the desk, moving to a place where he'd be able to read Naegi's lips while still keeping an eye on Monokuma. He would have liked to have his boyfriend closer, in arm's reach in case either of them needed the comfort of a touch… but it was probably more important for Togami to be able to follow at least Naegi's half of the conversation.
"I don't think I ever told you how many participants there actually were in this game, did I?" Monokuma said. "When you first gathered in the entrance hall, there were only fifteen of you. I think that might've led you to a little misunderstanding."
"Because there are really sixteen students in our class, not fifteen," Naegi said, nodding. "Mukuro Ikusaba is one of us."
"You won't even let me be the one to say it?" Monokuma shrank back, looking hurt. "How cruel! Maybe the game participant making the rules should add a new one about not stealing the headmaster's thunder!"
"What's he going on about now?" Togami asked, in what he might have intended as a lowered voice.
Naegi looked from Monokuma to Togami. "Uh — he's just confirming that Ikusaba really is here in the school."
"You aren't even paying attention!" Monokuma raised his arms in a simulation of anger. "It's not like she's been sneaking around playing hooky while the rest of you stayed in class like good little students — she's the sixteenth participant in the killing game!"
"Okay, fine." Naegi figured it was better not to argue, even if the two things sounded pretty similar to him. "Ikusaba's also the sixteenth participant in the killing game."
Togami frowned. "But we already knew that." He turned to Monokuma. "Why bother showing up to tell us something we already know?"
Monokuma shrugged. "I told you, this game is desperately popular. With so many viewers, I wanted to be sure everyone was on the same page. Just imagine all the hate mail I'd get if I didn't play fair with you all!"
"He wants to make sure everyone watching knows, too," Naegi said, when Togami looked at him. "So that it's all fair."
Togami clenched his fists and glared at Monokuma. "You expect us to believe that you care about fair play? After everything you've done?"
"Of course I am!" Monokuma retorted. "I'll have you know that a proper school life is built on dedication to organization and order! Which is why even I, as the school's headmaster, have to follow the regulations myself!"
"Wait… you have to follow the rules, too?" Naegi blinked. "And… a minute ago, you said that the person making the rules is another participant in the game…"
"Whoops! I guess you really are smarter than you look!" Monokuma clapped his paws over his mouth, but that did nothing to hide his toothy grin. "That's enough for now, huh? I mean, I've been giving you two an awful lot of hints these past few days, even if you've ignored some of the important ones — any more and the audience might start to think I'm playing favorites!"
"Ignored…?" Naegi echoed, puzzled.
"Well, you can't expect me to give you all the answers!" Monokuma said. "And speaking of answers…"
Before Naegi could move an inch, Monokuma sprang forward and snatched the student roster off the desk.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Togami demanded, taking a furious step forward. "We weren't done with that!"
"Sorry, but you haven't leveled up your security clearance anywhere near enough to get access to this kind of material!" Monokuma laughed, holding the notebook close. "Who knows what you might try to do if I left it here — you might even stoop to stealing it! There's no rule against robbery, you know, so I wouldn't even be able to punish a thief!"
"What if we promise not to take it out of the room?" Naegi suggested.
"Hmm…" Monokuma tilted his head. "Sorry, no can do! You don't have a very good track record with promises."
Naegi couldn't stop himself from flinching back at the reminder of how he'd ended up breaking his promise to Togami. He'd entered the hidden room even though he'd said he'd tell Togami first… and even if he'd done it to try to protect Alter Ego, that didn't make it all right. Promises had to mean more than that, because…
… Promise you'll stay…
The words echoed through Naegi's head so clearly that for a moment, he thought Togami had actually spoken them. But no, Togami was glaring at Monokuma, silent and outraged at his inability to participate in the conversation, not asking Naegi for a promise he didn't know how to keep. And it couldn't be a memory, because when had he ever heard Togami speaking that way, broken and pleading? It hadn't been a real promise, he knew that… and yet… the words wouldn't leave him alone.
"Promise you'll stay," he repeated to himself, staring beyond the office around him into a world he couldn't comprehend.
"Huh? You want me to stay by your side?"
Monokuma's bright response yanked Naegi out of his tangled inner thoughts.
"No — no, that's not it," Naegi said hastily, flushing at the realization that he'd inadvertently spoken the strange words loud enough for the bear to hear.
"I see how it is — you were so devastated by my disappearance that you can't stand it when I leave your sight, even in the middle of your very first date!" Monokuma laughed gleefully. "Sorry, but I'm gonna have to let you down gently — an honest headmaster couldn't possibly let a student go on pining for him! You'll just have to settle for the boyfriend you've got — I'm sure he won't mind being second best!"
Naegi's ears burned at Monokuma's leering grin. "That's not what I meant!"
"Oh? It's not?" Monokuma tilted his head, red eye burning into Naegi's gaze. "Then what did you mean?"
"I meant… well…" Naegi found himself pressing back into the chair, trying to put more distance between Monokuma and himself. "I don't know…"
"Hmm…" Monokuma's usual bright smile broke across his face, and the sense of pressure disappeared. "I guess it's true, ignorance really is bliss!" He laughed. "And if that's the case — how about I give you one last little tidbit for the road?"
"What?" Naegi blinked, feeling a little like he was starting to get whiplash. "I thought you said we'd gotten too many hints."
"That's true — but this one isn't exactly a hint," Monokuma said cheerfully. "It's more like… revenge."
"What do you mean?" Naegi asked cautiously, not liking the sound of that at all.
Monokuma grinned at him. "You used up one of your precious trip tickets just so you could search for more information on that shifty Kirigiri, right? Well, I can't let it be said that anyone leaves one of my trips feeling unsatisfied!" He snickered to himself. "You know how she wears those stupid gloves day in, day out, all the time?"
"Y-yes?" Naegi said, his mouth going suddenly dry with dread.
"Well, she wears them to cover something really nasty that she doesn't want anyone else to see!" Monokuma threw back his head and laughed wildly. "Now that really is all you get! Enjoy the rest of your date!" And with that, he disappeared.
