"The truth is that me and Shuichi already discovered Kaede's trap during the investigation." I began. "It was when we looked at the murder weapon that we realized she was a prime suspect."
"I see." Kiyo said. "And as previously deduced before, she had the most obvious opportunity to obtain the murder weapon out of the rest of us."
"I came to that conclusion at the time as well." Shuichi confirmed.
"For you to realize someone you were close to come up with such a scheme." Ryoma muttered. "That must've been quite a shock."
"It was." The detective admitted.
"B-But Shuichi and Sharla say Kaede is not culprit, right?" Gonta pointed out.
"That point has been made quite clear." Kiyo stated. "Which begs the question, how exactly did you come to this conclusion?"
"The moment we realized Kaede could be behind this, we needed to test it out for myself." I said.
"'Test' it..?" Tenko wondered. "Test what?"
"Kaede's trap." I responded.
"Hmm..." Kiyo looked at me inquisitively. "So at that point, you two had also figured out the method behind Kaede's trap?"
I simply nodded in confirmation.
"That seems awfully convenient." Maki muttered. "Is there anyone else here that can support your claim?"
As if on cue, Kirumi made an audible sound out of her mouth as if she'd realized something. "Ah, could it be?"
The anthropologist looked at the maid and asked "Something you'd like to say, Kirumi?"
"There may be some merit to what Sharla is saying." The maid said to the others.
Kokichi gasped excitedly. "What's this?! There's actually someone who can help prove Sharla's story to be true?! Gee, Kirumi, it's a good thing you're here otherwise I don't think anyone else would've supported her!"
Keebo glared at the supreme leader.
"Shuichi, I recall there being a moment where you climbed up the ladder in the library to observe something." Kirumi recalled.
"He did?" Tsumugi asked.
"Oh!" Gonta suddenly exclaimed. "If Shuichi go up ladder, then he must've been checking..."
"The stack of books!" Angie finished for the entomologist.
"And it was at that moment when you realized the peculiar setup of those books, right Shuichi?" Keebo asked.
"Me and Sharla were with Kaede in the room when she arranged them at the time." The detective explained. "So it would only be natural that I would connect those pieces."
"And that's why Sharla asked for us to leave you and her alone in the library." Kirumi concluded.
"She did what?" Tsumugi questioned again.
"I can attest to that." Ryoma admitted.
"Feh!" Miu scoffed. "So that was the reason."
"Ryoma and Miu, too?" Himiko noticed.
"Seems that everyone who was investigating in the library can give some support to Shuichi and Sharla's claims." Kiyo mentioned.
"Hold on." Tsumugi interrupted. "I was investigating the library, too. So why didn't I see all this?"
"Isn't it obvious, you bespectacled lesbo?!" Miu shouted. "It was when you took Kaede to the bathroom for a quickie when this all happened!"
"S-She did what, now?" Kaito asked as he blushed.
"Pay attention." Maki said as she sighed. "We already established Tsumugi took Kaede to the bathroom to prove she can't disguise herself as other people. Miu's just being an idiot."
"D-Don't c-call me an i-idiot..." The inventor stuttered. "Besides, it was that facial-haired idiot over there who took my words in that way!"
"Who are you calling a facial-haired idiot?!" The astronaut spat. "I'm not an idiot! You're an idiot for wording it that way!"
"Correction, you're both idiots." The caregiver snarked as she glared daggers ar the two.
"D-Don't call us idiots!" Both Kaito and Miu yelled.
"We're getting seriously off-topic here." Ryoma plainly stated.
"Indeed." Kiyo noted, deciding to lead the discussion back on track. "So with there being credence to Shuichi and Sharla's claim, if Sharla did ask for you guys to leave the library, I assume you followed her directions, correct?"
"No way." Tenko said in disbelief. "You all just left them alone in the library?"
Ryoma tucked his cap downward. "Hmph, I highly doubted they would try to tamper evidence that far into the investigation."
"I just thought they needed to be alone so they could tug one out." Miu said bluntly.
"Why in the world would you think that?" Tsumugi asked.
"Well, it's because Poo-ichi is a detective, right? Don't they have like... a fetish for old-ass libraries or something?" The strawberry blonde-haired girl answered.
"Didn't I just tell you to stop being an idiot?" Maki asked as she glared at Miu.
"S-Sorry..." The inventor meekly apologized.
"What about you, Kirumi?" Kiyo asked the maid. "Did you willingly leave Shuichi and Sharla alone in the library?"
"I know that it's my duty as a maid to fulfill a person's request, but I couldn't help but be cautious." Kirumi explained. "I agreed to Sharla's terms on one condition."
"Condition?" Gonta repeated.
"I asked that her and Shuichi have at least one other person with them in the library." The maid continued. "And at the time, the person who made themselves available to watch Shuichi and Sharla was K-"
"Kee-boy!" Kokichi suddenly shouted. "It looks like it's your time to shine!"
Kirumi paused. "Keebo?"
The robot smiled and stood proud. "Kokichi, I will interpret your statement as a regular saying and not you making a reference to my metal body. That's correct everyone, I was with Shuichi and Sharla in the library when we tested out Kaede's trap!"
Kaede, who was previously shutting herself off from the discussion, slowly raised her head in curiosity.
"You were?!" Tenko asked the robot.
"Why didn't you mention that before, you walking vibrator?!" Miu exclaimed.
"Believe me, I would've wanted nothing more than to tell all of you as soon as possible." Keebo explained. "It's just that I was only following Shuichi and Sharla's-"
"One moment, if you would." Kiyo interrupted. "Who was the fourth person?"
"Huh? Fourth person?" Himiko questioned.
"Let's assume everything up to this point is the truth." The anthropologist began. "And Shuichi and Sharla did indeed have the opportunity to test out Kaede's death trap intended for the mastermind."
"Which is supported now that Keebo confessed his involvement in this." Ryoma pointed out.
"Precisely." The long-haired boy agreed. "If the three were all in the library bearing witness to the results of their little experiment, there had to have been a fourth person involved as well."
"Oh!" Angie suddenly exclaimed, realizing the anthropologist's point. "Someone needed to roll the shot put ball from Classroom A!"
Kiyo nodded. "Again... precisely."
"Did they really need to go all the way to Classroom A just to roll a ball?" The former tennis pro wondered. "Couldn't they have just rolled it from within the library?"
"Me and Shuichi weren't sure if the results would've been accurate." I explained. "We needed to be as authentic as possible, which means the trap needed to be reenacted in it's entirety."
"It would've been careless for a detective to half-ass an experiment like that." Kaito supported.
"I agree." Kiyo nodded once more. "And assuming this all occurred as Shuichi, Sharla, and Keebo stated, we can safely conclude that a fourth person also assisted in this test as well."
"So who was fourth person?" Gonta asked.
"Kokichi." Kirumi suddenly said. "It must've been you, correct?"
"Huh?!" Tsumugi questioned. "Kokichi?"
"K... Kokichi..?" Kaede broke her long silence.
The supreme leader looked around the room and noticed all eyes were on him. "H-Huh?...M-M-Me…?"
"Why are you sweating?" Maki asked bluntly.
As the caregiver said, Kokichi's face was covered in sweat as he fidgeted with his checkered scarf. "I-I-It's j-j-j-just e-everyone's l-l-looking at m-m-m-m-m-m-me and…..I'm n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-not sure w-w-what t-t-t-to d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-do…."
"Kokichi... You're not being accused of anything." The maid snarked as she put her gloved hand to her forehead.
"Oh." The supreme leader smiled as he rested his arms behind his head. "Thank goodness for that."
"You sure recovered fast from that." Maki observed.
"So am I correct, Kokichi?" Kirumi asked. "You were the one who helped out Shuichi and Sharla and dropped the shot put ball into the vent from Classroom A."
"But why Kokichi, Kirumi?" Kaito questioned. "What makes you think it's him?"
"Because he was the one who I assigned to watch Shuichi and Sharla." The maid answered.
"Oh he was, was he?" Kiyo said.
"I guess the cat's out of the bag." Kokichi said happily.
"Oh great, now why didn't YOU mention that earlier?!" Miu exclaimed.
Tears started forming in the supreme leader's eyes. "I'm sorry...everyone was just ganging up on Shuichi, Sharla, and Keebo and I didn't want to get bullied either so I kept quiet."
"You were the one who was bullying Keebo, you degenerate!" Tenko shouted.
"So is it true?" Gonta asked. "Did Kokichi and Keebo help Shuichi and Sharla to test Kaede's trap?"
"That's correct, Gonta." Keebo answered. "With Kokichi up in Classroom A, he was able to roll five shot put balls into the vent to test the accuracy of the deathtrap."
"F-Five shot put balls?" Tsumugi said surprised.
"Five... shot puts..." Kaede muttered, seeming to put together some pieces in her own mind.
"Don't leave us hanging now!" Kaito became anxious. "What was the result of the test?"
"Shouldn't that be obvious?" Kiyo said pointedly. "This whole discussion came about because Shuichi and Sharla were so insistent on proving Kaede's innocence. They've been so certain that she didn't kill Rantaro, which could only mean..."
"Kaede's trap didn't work." I finished for the anthropologist.
"Y-You serious?!" Kaito quickly asked, wishing for my words to be true.
"Absolutely!" Keebo declared. "I saw the whole thing, and each of the five shot put balls missed their mark completely! It didn't land where Rantaro was supposed to be at the time."
"Really?" Tenko asked, her tone filled with newfound hope. "Did Kaede's trap really not work?!"
"If Kaede's trap no work, then that mean Kaede not kill Rantaro!" Gonta exclaimed, becoming hopeful himself.
Angie brought her hands together in excitement. "Hooray! That means Kaede gets to stay with us in the land of the living! I guess her meeting with Atua will be put on hold."
"Hahahahaha!" Kokichi laughed happily. "Exactly, guys! Kaede's not the culprit! And it's all thanks to Shuichi and Sharla!"
Me and Shuichi gave the supreme leader a slight smile, the two of us were wary of the purple-haired boy at first but now we were relieved that he was on our side.
"Yup!" Kokichi continued. "Thanks to them, they were able to figure out Kaede's trap while also having Keebo as a witness AND have me roll five shot put balls into the vent to confirm that it didn't work five-out-of-five times! Isn't that... ISN'T THAT..."
He suddenly made a sinister face.
"...the most convenient lie in the entire goddamn world?" The supreme leader finished.
"...Huh..?" Me and Shuichi muttered audibly.
"A... lie?" Gonta questioned.
"Are you refuting Shuichi, Sharla, and Keebo's story, by any chance?" Kiyo asked.
"Y'know...I was going to go along with their lie…" The purple-haired boy explained. "...but then I realized how utterly ridiculous that story was. I mean, don't get me wrong, I would want nothing more than for this lie to be the truth and have Kaede be innocent. Unfortunately, I'm a realist, and everything about that story screams 'wish fulfillment'."
"K-Kokichi!" Keebo pointed at the supreme leader. "What are you doing?!"
"Isn't it obvious..?" Kokichi started trembling his words. "I'm trying... not to die..."
"D-Die?" Shuichi was slowly becoming worried about the events about to transpire.
"Yeah." The small purple-haired boy started tearing up. "Because if I keep going along with this...everyone will think Kaede isn't the culprit and vote for someone else. But I can't let that happen! If we don't vote for Kaede, then everyone will die except her!"
"So you're saying that you still believe Kaede is the true blackened?" Kiyo tried to clarify.
Kokichi sniffled. "Of course I still believe that!"
"Kokichi, stop this!" Keebo shouted. "You were helping me, Shuichi, and Sharla test out Kaede's trap! I saw you holding the shot put balls! The two of us even put them back in the warehouse together!"
"Kee-boy..." The supreme leader started. "I'm no longer gonna lie for you, Shuichi, and Sharla... the truth is... after Kirumi told me to watch Shuichi and Sharla, Sharla told me to leave her and Shuichi alone in the library!"
Kirumi's expression turned dark. "She did what?"
"I did not!" I quickly exclaimed. "I told him to go to Classroom A and roll a shot put down the vent."
"So you did tell him to leave the library?" Kirumi confirmed.
"Well... yes I did." I admitted.
"So what if she did?!" Kaito cut in. "It was necessary for their experiment, right? And what about Keebo? Why would he lie for Shuichi and Sharla?"
Kokichi chuckled. "Isn't it obvious? He doesn't want Kaede to die so he decided to help Shuichi and Sharla come up with their grand whole lie of refuting the entire case! And also, Keebo's a robot, so like, he probably doesn't care if he himself gets executed cause he can, like, repair himself or something."
"Do you even know how machines work?!" Keebo yelled as he pointed his metal finger at the supreme leader.
"Wh... What's going on..?" Himiko was starting to become confused. "Is Kokichi telling the truth... or is he lying?"
"Of course he's lying!" The robot shouted. "Me, Shuichi, and Sharla wouldn't tell you this if it wasn't the least bit true!"
"Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing whether you guys are telling the truth about Kaede's trap not working." Tsumugi sadly stated.
"However..." Kiyo followed. "We have no way of knowing whether the opposite is true, as well."
"You mean if Kaede's trap worked?" Kirumi asked.
"Indeed." The anthropologist answered. "Did the trap work? Did it not work? These are scenarios that are sadly lost to time."
Kaito growled in frustration. "If only we knew about the trap earlier in the investigation, then we could've all seen it for ourselves."
"What's wrong with believing me, Shuichi, and Sharla?!" Keebo asked, getting more and more flustered.
"Even if we did believe you, that would only open up another can of worms!" Tsumugi said.
"Can of worms?" Gonta wondered. "Does Tsumugi also like taking care of bugs?"
"It's merely an expression, Gonta." Kirumi stayed patient with the entomologist.
"Oh... Gonta sees."
"What do you mean, Tsumugi?" Tenko asked.
"If Kaede isn't the culprit, then who is it really?" The cosplayer pondered. "How did they do it? Where did they do it from? We would have to answer all these questions but we just don't have enough time to do that!"
"I'm at 69%, in case anyone's wondering." Monokuma said.
"Wow, Pop, '69'?" Monosuke was unamused. "Really?"
"What can I say?" The twisted bear replied in embarrassment. "I'm as vulgar as I am cuddly!"
"I thought that was me!" Monokid shouted.
"We're running out of time..." Ryoma warned.
"Hey, as long as we still have time on the clock, we need to use as much as we can to solve this case!" Kaito tried to encourage.
"That's very optimistic of you, Kaito." Keebo complimented the astronaut. "But unfortunately we're running out of ways to convince everyone that what we're saying is the truth. What do you think we should do Shuichi….Shuichi?"
After a few moments without an answer, me and the robotic student looked at the detective, who was deep in thought.
"There was a saying that was told to me back when I first became the Ultimate Detective." Shuichi spoke aloud. "A little lie can support a bigger lie."
"A little lie can support... a bigger lie?" Me and Keebo parroted.
"Oh yeah?" Miu said. "Well my tight little vagina can support a bigger dick, what are you trying to say?"
"What I'm saying is that rather than try to contradict the bigger lie." The detective began to explain. "I'm gonna go for the little lie. That way the support will come crumbling down and we'll be one step closer to the truth!"
"Grrrah, are you even speaking the same language?!" The inventor said in frustration. "What the hell does that mean?!"
"It means I'm gonna expose your lies, Kokichi!" The uncapped boy yelled out.
"Oh?" Kokichi raised his eyebrows in curiosity. "What's this?"
"If me and Sharla can't prove Kaede's trap didn't work with our own testimony, then we'll refute your testimony to prove that you indeed helped us and rolled the shot put balls into the vent!" Shuichi declared at the supreme leader.
"Interesting..." Kokichi gave the detective his signature mischievous smile. "You really think you can contradict my claim?"
"Quite easily, in fact." I snarked.
The supreme leader chuckled. "Oh ho ho! Was that a speck of confidence I detected from the detective and the sniper?"
"If you were half the detective that Shuichi is and half the sniper that I am, you would've come up with a better lie for us to contradict." I countered.
The purple-haired boy's expression slowly went into full reset mode as he stared at me with a blank look on his face. Then he snickered.
Snickering turned into chuckling and the chuckling turned into laughter. The laughter suddenly grew in volume until Kokichi was finally laughing maniacally. His voice rang throughout the room as some of the others had wary looks on their faces. Me and Shuichi looked at our opponent as if we were analyzing his current actions. The supreme leader laughing in that state was not exactly a foreign concept to anyone, but the two of us noticed something odd. The volume of the sound, the tone of the laughter, something was different this time around. As if the other times before he was merely faking, and now Kokichi himself has found a genuine reason to laugh in this fashion.
"WHAT IS THIS FEELING I'M HAVING DEEP WITHIN ME?!" The supreme leader said in between laughs. "COULD IT BE SHUICHI, SHARLA, THAT, YOU'RE THE ONES?!"
"The ones what?" Me and Shuichi could only ask.
"THE ONES WHO CAN KEEP ME ENTERTAINED THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE KILLING GAME!"
Me and the detective looked at each other in realization before looking back at Kokichi. Hia laughter slowly subsided, but he continued in his deranged state. "If that's how you want to play it, then fine! Let us engage in a battle of wits! My brain against yours! The Ultimate Supreme Leader versus the Ultimate Detective! This battle was inevitable but I don't think anyone expected for it to happen so soon! So sit back everyone, and watch how a couple of pros show you how it's done!"
"Kokichi..." I didn't want to humor him. "This isn't a game. If you don't start taking this seriously we're all gonna-"
"I challenge you to a duel!" The purple-haired boy suddenly yelled at the detective.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Shuichi asked.
"Oh Shuichi..." Kokichi sighed. "I take things one hundred percent seriously one hundred percent of the time!"
"Is that right..?" Shuichi put a hand to his chin.
"Of course!" The supreme leader confirmed. "Oh, and speaking of 'one hundred percent', I suggest you hurry things up or else we'll all die and this will be for nothing~!"
"Don't you worry, I have a good idea on what your lie is…" The detective declared confidently.
Kokichi smiled and took a breath before giving his rebuttal. "So you and Sharla really insist that I helped you guys with your supposed experiment, but that's just ONE BIG LIE! The moment Kirumi left the room Sharla told me to leave the library as well. All to create this convenient alibi for herself and you saying that you proved Kaede didn't kill Rantaro. Doesn't that sound a little fishy to you?"
Shuichi thought about his next words before answering the supreme leader. "Sharla's actions are irrelevant at this point. The fact is that you helped us, and I can prove it!"
"Hah!" The purple-haired boy laughed. "Then reveal your hand, Mr. Detective! Where's the proof that shows my involvement? Did I leave any evidence behind? Were there any witnesses besides you, Sharla, and Keebo? Or maybe you set up some automatic cameras elsewhere and I got caught on film!"
I listened to his testimony very carefully and found the contradiction Shuichi was looking for.
"Were there any witnesses besides you, Sharla, and Keebo?"
There... I thought as Shuichi pointed straight at Kokichi, ready to contradict his statement.
"I'll cut through your-"
"No, that's wrong!"
Before the detective could finish his sentence, he was cut off by a voice. I turned to face the person who interrupted Kokichi and Shuichi's showdown.
"Kaede?" Shuichi called out her name as he saw the pianist had her finger pointed at the supreme leader, her expression in a state as if she realized something herself.
"Umm... Kaede?" Kokichi looked displeased at the blonde-haired girl. "What are you doing? Me and Shuichi are kinda having this dance right now and it's very rude of you to just cut in between us like that."
Gonta nodded his head. "Kokichi right, Kaede, it very ungentlemanly to interrupt dance between two people."
"Hold on a second, Gonta." I said before turning back to the pianist. "Is there something on your mind, Kaede?"
"It's just..." Kaede began. "Kokichi... you're lying."
"Hmm?" The supreme leader responded.
"You're lying." The pianist emphasized. "Because I saw you... I saw you walking around with the murder weapon!"
"You saw him?" Kiyo asked.
"Yeah, and it wasn't just me." The blonde-haired girl answered. "Tsumugi saw him too, right Tsumugi?"
"H-Huh..?" The cosplayer was taken aback before composing herself. "Oh, right..."
"'Oh, right'?!" Miu suddenly yelled. "'OH, RIGHT'?! That's all you two can say after you kept this from us the whole time?! Fuck me, why the hell is everyone hiding important information?!"
"S-Sorry!" The blue-haired girl quickly apologized. "I just thought it was one of Kokichi's pranks, so I didn't think it would be important to this case."
"Pranks?" Kirumi wondered.
"Well, when we stopped him and asked him what he was doing, he told us he was going to the warehouse because he suspected the killer left an important piece of evidence behind." Kaede explained.
"I see." Kiyo took note of the pianist's recollection.
"But like I said, it was all just one of Kokichi's dumb pranks." Tsumugi said. "Because when we went with him to the warehouse, he made a mess of all the sports equipment that was there, and then we took the blame and the Monokubs had us clean the place."
"Kokichi ran off before they showed up so he didn't take any of the blame." Kaede continued. "It took us quite a while to clean that warehouse..."
"Kokichi!" Tenko yelled. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
The supreme leader gave an exaggerated surprised expression. "Is the cat out of the bag, AGAIN!?"
"So you admit it!" The aikido master exclaimed.
A sigh escaped from the purple-haired boy's mouth. "Yeah...it's just...Rantaro's death hit everyone so hard...I thought a little prank would lighten up the mood…"
"That's what I thought." Tsumugi admitted.
"Was it really all just for a prank, though?" I questioned.
"What does Sharla mean?" Gonta asked.
I turned to the pianist. "What do you think, Kaede?"
She turned to face me. "Huh? Me..?"
"You were there, after all." I explained. "Did you really think it was just a prank?"
"I mean, you took the time to interrupt me and Shuichi's battle, so you must've had a good reason in doing so other than just to point out my 'prank'." Kokichi followed.
The blonde-haired girl bashfully twiddled her fingers. "You... You were holding the bloody shot put in your hand...That means the only time you were able to get it was when…"
"He was with Shuichi and Sharla in the library." Kiyo finished. "Which means Sharla must have given him the murder weapon to roll it from Classroom A. Kehehe, slowly but certainly the truth of this case peeks out at us."
"'Slowly' is goddamn right!" Kaito shouted. "Why the hell did you lead us in circles just to get to this point?!"
"Well SOR-RY!" Kokichi shouted back. "I just wanted to have a go at the Ultimate Detective, but then a certain blonde bimbo decided to butt in on that!"
Miu glared at the supreme leader. "Who're you calling a blonde-"
"NOT YOU!" The purple-haired boy yelled at the inventor.
"Heeeeee!?" The strawberry blonde-haired girl squealed. "O-Of course it wouldn't be me...why would it…?"
"Well what was I supposed to do?" Kaede said, knowing that Kokichi was referring to her. "I had no reason to keep what I knew to myself!"
"But that means you believe us now, right Kaede?" Keebo asked.
"Huh..?" The pianist questioned.
Shuichi seemed to become lost in thought as if something was slowly coming to him.
"You proved that fact yourself." The robot continued. "That Kokichi was indeed helping us test out your deathtrap."
"But he just walked into the warehouse with a bloody shot put and tripped." Angie pointed out. "How does that prove that Kokichi actually helped you guys?"
"Think about it." The robotic student replied. "Kokichi didn't go to the warehouse just to mess with Tsumugi and Kaede. If you connect his actions with what the two of us have told you then you'll know his true purpose."
"His true... purpose?" Tsumugi repeated.
"It..." Kaede hesitated before speaking. "It was to get the other shot put balls, wasn't it?"
"DING-DING-DING!" Kokichi imitated a boxing ring bell. "Another point goes to Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist!"
"Shuichi, Sharla, and Keebo did say that they were able to test out their experiment five times." Kiyo noted. "It makes sense for that to have been the moment they were able to obtain multiple shot put balls."
"But why did they need five?" Himiko asked. "Couldn't they have done it with only the original ball?"
"They probably wanted to test it out multiple times to further determine the accuracy." The anthropologist theorized. "Impressive, Shuichi. As expected of a detective, you leave no stone unturned."
"Or in this case, no metal balls unturned!" Angie added.
"Um, actually, I thought of that little detail all by myself." Kokichi said.
"Is that so?" Kirumi questioned.
"Are you sure this isn't another lie?" Maki followed.
"Geez, that's a little mean." The supreme leader pouted. "Fine, if you don't believe me, ask Shuichi. Right, Shuichi?"
He wouldn't get a response because Shuichi was thinking to himself once again.
"Shuichi?" Kokichi tried to get the detective's attention. "Shuichi, buddy?"
"Hmm, it seems he's a bit preoccupied at the moment." Ryoma noted.
"This is starting to become a recurring thing for him." Kirumi said.
"Though it is fascinating to see the actions of the Ultimate Detective in his element." Kiyo praised. "I would love to go into his mind and witness his inner machinations."
"Well if he's too busy jerkin' off his brain." Miu said. "Then he better hurry the fuck up and splurge his knowledge all over our faces!"
"Bleagh!" Tenko exclaimed in disgust. "I did NOT need that image!"
"Anyway." Kaito led all of us back to the discussion at hand. "Whether it was Kokichi or Shuichi, who cares about any of that? The point is Kokichi helped Shuichi, Sharla, and Keebo, and that means we now have four people who say Kaede isn't the culprit! So that means what they're saying HAS to be true!"
"That's quite a leep in logic..." Tsumugi muttered.
"Kokichi aside, me, Shuichi, and Sharla have no reason to lie." Keebo pointed out.
"Wowww, Kee-boy." Kokichi said, impressed with the robot. "You managed to do some damage to me and you didn't even need a rocket punch for that!"
"Like I said, I would not have such crude functions." The robot replied.
"Keebo does make a fair point." Kiyo said. "Their lives are on the line, so I don't imagine they would have it in themselves to lie."
"Maybe it's the exact opposite of that." Ryoma said.
"What do you mean?" The anthropologist asked.
The former tennis pro made a grim expression. "Let's say everything those three said have been true and they did test out Kaede's trap. However, results showed that the trap DID work and now they're trying to lie for Kaede's sake."
"What..? Lie..? No..!" I cried out.
"Now let me ask, if they are lying about the results of their test, then why?" The short man continued.
"Why..?" Himiko wondered.
"Why would they lie, knowing they would die by doing so?" Ryoma finished.
"Obviously it would be to protect Kaede." Maki said.
"Exactly." The former tennis pro agreed. "Maybe they realized Kaede's intentions for creating the trap and decided she deserved to live...rather than the rest of us."
"What?!" Me and Keebo exclaimed.
Miu became livid. "What a load of bullshit!"
The robot turned to the inventor in relief. "Yes, thank you, Miu, I couldn't agree-"
"I'm talking about you and Shyla, Keebo!" She responded.
"Huh?!"
"You're willing to sacrifice a genius, such as myself, to save Kaeidiot!?"
Keebo shooked his head. "N-No! We... I would never-"
"No way in hell is that true!" Kaito yelled. "These guys wouldn't put all our lives in danger just to save one person!"
"But...isn't that what they're doing, now?" Tsumugi said.
"Seventy-five percent!" Monokuma said happily. "Puhuhuhu!"
"Gonta not very good with numbers." The entomologist admitted. "Is that bad?"
"It is." Ryoma confirmed. "And all we've been doing is going around in circles deciding whether or not we believe Keebo, Shuichi, and Sharla."
"It doesn't help when one of them is off daydreaming!" Miu said, giving a non-subtle hint to the detective, not that he would notice.
"Well then, let's settle this once and for all." Kaito proposed. "Who here believes Keebo, Shuichi, and Sharla's claim that Kaede's NOT the culprit?"
Gonta immediately raised his hand. "Gonta believes them!"
Angie followed just as quickly. "Angie does, too!"
"I-It's not like me to believe in a degenerate male." Tenko began. "...But if it means Kaede gets to live, then I'll believe in those three."
"Are you all serious right now?" Maki asked in a harsh tone.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kaito asked the caretaker.
"You're all letting your emotions get the better of you." The twin-tailed girl said. "You believe in Keebo, Shuichi, and Sharla's words because you don't want Kaede to die. That's the only reason."
"What's wrong with believing in someone?" The astronaut's tone started to become just as harsh.
"This is a class trial to prove that one of us is guilty in murdering someone." Maki explained. "If we start determining guilt and innocence through emotion alone, we blind ourselves from the truth. The moment you put your own selfish 'feelings' in a class trial is the moment the truth is lost."
"Well well well." Kokichi smiled at the girl. "I didn't expect such cynical views from the Ultimate Child Caregiver."
Maki looked away from the supreme leader. "I'm just being realistic. Things like 'trust' and 'emotions' are irrelevant in a killing game."
"You..." Kaito clenched his fists. "How can you think that?!"
"Don't give me that." The child caregiver glared at the astronaut with dark eyes. "I barely know any of you, so why should I risk my life believing in a stranger's words?"
Keebo sighed. "I suppose we now know Maki's stance on this."
"Unfortunately I agree with her on this." Ryoma said.
Kaito looked at the tennis pro. "You too, Ryoma?!"
"I'm sorry." He apologized. "But I know better than to get my hopes up. It's a cruel world we live in, and I've had a firsthand experience in it."
Kirumi raised her hand. "I'd also like to group myself with Ryoma and Maki. After all, Sharla broke the promise she made with me back in the library, so I can't help but feel there's more foul play involved."
I gasped in horror. This was Reyn and Dunban's deaths all over again! "No... wait..."
"Great..." Kaito said in bitter sarcasm. "Then it's three for team 'Kaede did it'."
"It's OK!" Tenko said in hopeful optimism. "We still outnumber them, and with Himiko at our side, that adds another in our favor!"
"Nyeh?" The mage reacted. "Me?"
"You're on our side, right Himiko?" Tenko asked.
The red-head paused before responding, "...No."
The aikido master flinched back in shock. "HUH?!"
"I think we should just vote for Kaede." The mage explained. "Time's running out anyway, and it would be a pain to continue this trial when it's already gone on for so long."
"N-No..." Tenko looked at her friend with sadness in her eyes. "Himiko..."
"I ain't believing in them, either!" Miu exclaimed. "Why the hell should I when Kaeidiot herself says she's the culprit!?"
"H-Huh?" Kaede said, slightly surprised by the inventor's statement.
"Kaede..." I spoke to her. "Do you... still think you did it..?"
"I...I…" The blonde-haired girl hesitated. "Y-Yes...I still do."
Kaito gave a low groan in frustration. "Even now, Kaede?"
"I'm sorry..." The pianist sadly apologized. "I...know what I did...I just...I just can't imagine someone else would have…"
She's starting to doubt this. I thought as I gave low growl of determination.
"I'm with Kaede on this." Tsumugi said. "I can't, in good faith, go against her wishes."
That's it, me and Shuichi have been going through this the wrong way.
"What about the rest of you?" The cosplayer asked the opposing group. "Are you all willing to go against what Kaede herself believes?"
Rather than try to convince everyone else of Kaede's innocence...
"If it means saving her, then you're damn right we are!" Kaito declared.
There's only one person who I need to convince!
"But with Kaede and Tsumugi on their side, we're now tied!" Tenko informed her group.
"In that case, you can count me in to put the odds in your favor." Kiyo offered.
"Really?" Kaito was a little shocked. "Why?"
"I still doubt our four 'trap testers' would go to such lengths to risk their lives if there was no truth to their claim." The anthropologist explained. "Also...there are some other concerns that have come to light…"
"Other concerns?" Keebo inquired.
"By all means, pay no mind to my ramblings." The long-haired man dismissed. "But this should be sufficient, yes?"
"You're damn right it is!" Kaito shouted happily.
"Hmm?" Kokichi wondered. "What'd you mean?"
"We have the majority." The astronaut explained. "With Shuichi, Sharla, and Keebo, me, Kiyo, Tenko, you, Gonta and Angie-"
"Whoa whoawhoawhoawhoa." The supreme leader interrupted. "Why me?"
Kaito blinked at him. "...What?"
The purple-haired boy blinked back. "...I never said I'd join you guys."
"Oh come on!" Keebo yelled in exasperation. "Why must you always make things more difficult for us!?"
"Geez louise." Kokichi raised his hands in defense. "Didn't know robots could get angry."
"I'm not angry-" The robotic student realized his tone and composed himself. "You helped us with the test, so you know that Kaede's trap didn't work."
"Well that's not entirely true." The supreme leader pointed out. "Remember, I didn't actually see the results of that test, y'know, due to me being up in Classroom A."
"So you don't believe me, Sharla, and Shuichi?"
"It's not that I don't believe you guys." The purple-haired boy said coyly. "But you know how it is."
"No, I do not know!" The robot replied. "What exactly are your true intentions here?"
"Neeheehee." The supreme leader laughed. "What, indeed."
"I suppose that's that." Tsumugi concluded. "It's eight to eight on wanting to end this trial."
"Now hold on a second." Kaito tried to steer the discussion from it's current path. "Remember what I said before-"
"You said you would refuse to vote unless you heard what Shuichi and Sharla had to say." The cosplayer stopped him before he threatened his own life again. "You got what you wanted, so you can't use yourself as a hostage anymore."
"Tch, dammit." The astronaut cursed.
"But this can't be end..." Gonta said, defeated.
"I'm sorry, Gonta." Tsumugi told the entomologist. "Please allow us to make this difficult decision. In order for all of us to survive, we need to vote and we need to do it n-"
"It seems we're split right down the middle." Shuichi suddenly said.
"H-Huh?" The cosplayer said in response.
"Shuichi!" I called out his name. "Help us out, will you?"
"Hey, if it isn't, Shuichi!" Kokichi greeted. "Glad you could join us for this class trial!"
"That aside..." Monokuma also decided to join the conversation. "What was that I just heard?"
The detective glanced at the headmaster. "Oh, it's just that we just established two groups with opposing views... and it doesn't look like we're going to reach a consensus anytime soon…"
"Are you perhaps suggesting we hold a Debate Scrum?" The bear asked the hatless boy.
"A Debate Scrum?!" Monosuke exclaimed.
"B-B-But we already had one for this trial!" Monokid yelled.
"Funny enough, that one was about Shuichi, right?" Monophanie pointed out.
"Two Debate Scrums in one trial?" Monotaro questioned. "So we are competing for longest trial ever!"
"Shuichi." Kirumi turned to the previously quiet student. "What are you doing?"
"It's only fair, yes?" The detective suggested. "Let's all get a chance to say our piece before we decide on where we proceed from here."
"Is this wise?" Tsumugi asked. "After all, I don't think we have much time for-"
"Sixty-five percent!" Monokuma announced.
"I-It went down!?" The cosplayer said, surprised.
"Aww, I can't resist a legit Debate Scrum." The headmaster admitted. "I'm getting excited just thinking about it!"
"Damn straight!" Kaito yelled happily. "That's my bro!"
Shuichi curiously looked at the astronaut. "Uh…'bro'?"
"I am fine with this outcome." Keebo spoke with confidence. "This will be our last stand in swaying the others!"
"Oh ho ho!" Kokichi said with amusement. "Is that a challenge, Kee-boy?"
"Himiko!" Tenko shouted at the mage. "I'm not going against you because I want to! This is for the sake of our loving friendship!"
The red-headed mage pouted at the aikido master, clearly annoyed at this turn of events. "What a pain."
Kirumi sighed. "Very well, I will fulfill this request for a debate and hopefully you will see the error of your logic."
"And with a genius such as myself participating, you all have no hope of convincing us!" Miu told the group.
"They won't stop no matter what." Tsumugi lamented aside. "Well, even if it's painful, we'll just have to do our best and convince them, right Kaede? ….Kaede?"
The pianist didn't respond. All she could do was stare at me and Shuichi.
"Shuichi..." She spoke to the detective.
"Yes, Kaede?" He quickly responded.
"I…I..." The blonde-haired girl hesitated her words once more before she suddenly shook her head. "I'm the killer. That's what I believe right now."
The hatless boy breathed out calmly as he closed his eyes. "All right. That's okay."
I simply gave him a nod in confirmation. He returned it as we prepared for what was about to happen. Monokuma pulled out a key from behind him and inserted it into a lock that was in front of him. At that moment the podiums in the trial room started raising up one by one until the trial grounds itself started morphing into a completely different area. Sets of podiums now faced against each other as if it became an actual room for debating rather than for mere discussions.
On one side stood Tsumugi, Kirumi, Ryoma, Miu, Himiko, Maki, Kokichi, and Kaede. On the other side was me, Shuichi, Kaito, Kiyo, Angie, Tenko, Gonta, and Keebo.
The question that stood on all of our minds: Is Kaede the culprit?
Tsumugi began the debate. "Kaede was the one who set up the murder trap."
Shuichi was already quick to the draw. "I saw it with my own eyes that the trap didn't work."
"You were all alone in the library, so you could be lying." Kirumi was also quick to point out.
"Shuichi wasn't alone, Keebo and Sharla were also there!" Kaito defended his newly decreed soul brother.
"Then they're all lying to protect Kaede." Ryoma suggested.
"What would be the point of lying if their lives were on the line?" Kiyo asked.
Miu didn't answer the anthropologist and offered her own argument. "Kaeidiot says she did it, so what's the problem here?!"
"The problem is that even if Kaede herself believes it, that doesn't mean she did it." Angie was happy to counter.
Himiko was at her wits end. "Nyeh, this is such a pain...why don't we just vote already?"
"Himiko, if we vote now, then we'll all be killed!" Tenko did her best to convince the frustrated mage.
"Do you honestly believe that Kaede didn't do it?" Maki asked the group.
"Shuichi and Sharla prove that trap did not work, so Gonta will believe in Kaede!" The entomologist declared with complete sincerity.
"Well to be fair, it could've just been a fluke…" Kokichi said to his robotic opponent.
"How could it be a fluke when we tested it five times in a row?" Keebo retorted.
"Everyone please stop!" Kaede shouted in desperation. "I was the one who threw the murder weapon...I killed Rantaro...I'm the culprit!"
"No you're not!" I shouted back. "The real culprit is someone else and they're using you as a scapegoat!"
That was it. The one suggestion that could turn the case around; the one tiny step that could lead into a bigger leap into the unknown. I might not know the truth to the bigger mystery as of yet, but I was willing to do whatever it takes to get there and I knew I wouldn't be alone in this.
"This is our answer!" My group declared.
"Please don't do this!" Kaede quickly interrupted our momentum.
Me and the pianist were now at odds with each other.
"Someone else?" Kaede said in an offended tone. "If there was someone else, you would have shown proof already!"
"Kaede…" I sighed. "I'm sorry."
"Huh…?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't tell you sooner. All that guilt... all that sadness you built up inside yourself... It could've been prevented."
"You…" The blonde-haired girl began.
"What is it?" I responded.
"You...really do believe I'm not the culprit, do you?" The pianist genuinely asked.
"Of course I do." I answered. "And... I'm sorry you don't believe me."
"You're wrong." Kaede plainly said.
"I know." I said sadly. "It's only natural that you would think you were the one who-"
"That's not it."
"Huh..?" I questioned.
Kaede looked at me with tears starting to form in her eyes. "I want nothing more than to believe you. Every fiber of my being is telling me I need to. But...but I...can't help it...I just feel that…"
"Kaede... Kaede." I did my best to calm her down. "It's OK."
"...What?"
"It's going to be okay." I assured. "I'm here. You can trust me."
She seemed to realize something as tears started streaming down her face. "Sh-Sharla... please help me. I'm... I'm so scared..."
"It's going to be OK, Kaede." I assured once again. "Come at me with any concerns... any arguments... and I promise to refute everything."
If Shuichi can refute arguments, then so can I. I thought.
"OK... OK." Kaede did her best to compose herself as she prepared her rebuttal. "You say there's another culprit, but who could it be? The shot put ball was the murder weapon, so they would've had to know about my plan. Other than you and Shuichi, there was no one else who could've figured out my trap for the mastermind."
"While it's true I can't point out a specific person." I admitted. "Maybe there's a way I can prove that it's possible that another person could've killed Rantaro with a shot put ball."
"Then please tell me how." The pianist pleaded. "There's no other evidence that was left behind. Our cameras didn't catch anything or anyone out of place! Everything, even the way Rantaro died, matches up with how I designed my deathtrap."
"I'll cut through your words!" I shouted.
"Sharla?" The blonde-haired girl looked at me with hope. Those were words she must've wanted to hear.
"It might be a minor detail but..." I started.
"Please, Sharla." Kaede said to me.
"You said the way Rantaro died matches up with your plans for your deathtrap, but I wonder if it was truly accurate." I wondered.
"What do you mean?" Tsumugi asked.
"I doubted about this because we got the photos late into the investigation." I said. "But take a look at the one where Rantaro's looking directly into the flash."
"Mhmm, mhmm, I see." Kokichi followed my logic. "That would also had to have been the moment just before the supposed shot put fell on top of his head."
"That's it!" I quickly pointed at the supreme leader. "Say that again, Kokichi!"
The purple-haired boy tilted his head. "It would have to have been the moment the shot put fell on top of his head."
"Top of his head?" Kaede repeated. "But wait, the Monokuma File said that Rantaro was struck on the back of his head!"
"Exactly!" I agreed.
"Is that such an important point though?" Tsumugi questioned. "Gravity works in mysterious ways and Kaede's shot put could've fell on the back of Rantaro's head rather than the top of it."
Kiyo turned to the blue-haired cosplayer but remained silent.
"I placed the camera myself." Kaede explained. "I remembered not to place it too low or too high to make it seem less suspicious."
"And it's not as if the iron ball would come flying off the bookcase." Keebo said. "It would only make a simple drop."
"And look!" Angie followed as well. "The photo's showing Rantaro looking directly at the camera with his head straight forward! Also, I just love the composition of this photo! It gives off a nice eerie vibe that screams 'Someone's going to die'!"
"Someone did die…" Maki said flatly.
"But this should be enough, right Kaede?" Kaito turned to the pianist.
The blonde-haired girl stayed silent as she looked at me once again. I returned the gaze so she looked directly into my eyes.
"I am not the culprit." She said with newfound determination.