Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, we're now at the closing argument and post-trial, where the group will hear Hina's reason for lying about Sakura's death. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.

Chapter 83: Watching Chapter 4: All Star Apologies Part 17

The screen switched to the comic style closing argument, showing Sakura placing a letter beneath Hiro's door. "This case began when Sakura asked a number of people to meet her in the rec room." It then showed Hiro, Toko, and Byakuya receiving their letters. "Specifically, those people were Hiro, Toko, and Byakuya."

"But one of them headed out a bit earlier than the others - Toko." Act 2 then began, with Toko being shown in the rec room. "She got there one step ahead of everyone else and looked around for a good hiding spot. And she found it. She crawled into the locker to get out of sight." Pictures of Toko going in, and hiding inside, the locker, were shown next, as well as a picture of Sakura entering the rec room. "Then, from inside the locker, she saw Sakura enter the room."

Act 3 was then shown, the first picture being Hiro entering the room. "Next to arrive was Hiro." The act then showed Sakura giving him candy, which the fortune teller received nervously. Then it showed Hiro backing up nervously, into the shelf of Monokuma bottles. "When he got there, he mistakenly thought Sakura was going to try to kill him, so he panicked."

Act 4 featured Hiro attacking Sakura from behind with the Monokuma bottle, a limp Sakura and the fortune teller in a panic. "Without thinking, he grabbed a nearby Monokuma bottle and attacked Sakura with it. Thinking he killed her, he hastily began covering up his crime." The scene then showed Hiro's eyes turning towards a magazine and using it to write 'Toko' with Sakura's blood. "He took a magazine from the table and forged a dying message from Sakura."

Seeing this played out, slivers of guilt began seeping into Hiro's heart. The fortune teller felt himself shrinking once again, an uncomfortable look of shame coming across his face.

'Well… what was I supposed to think? How could I think that she was thinking something else?' Hiro tried justifying in his head. 'There's no way anyone could've figured Ogre was planning to kill herself! No way at all!'

"Toko… by writing her name, he was hoping to pin the murder on her." Next was Hiro running away and a still hidden Toko. "But, of course, Toko had witnessed the whole thing. So as soon as the coast was clear…" Pictures of Toko getting out of the locker room, and then grabbing the forged message, were next. "...she jumped out of the locker room and hid the magazine on the shelf with all the others. But in her rush, she made one little mistake…" The next two panels were the writer putting the magazine on its shelf, upside down. "She put the magazine upside down."

"Soon after, she watched as Sakura slowly opened her eyes…" The screen then showed an awakened, bloody Sakura, and a shocked looking Toko. It also showed the writer fainting, with Sakura catching her. "She also saw the blood dripping off Sakura's head and fainted. This caused her personality to switch back over to Genocide Jack." The next panel was an awakened Jill. "When she woke back up, her second personality also saw the blood-soaked Sakura… and she freaked out."

Panels of the serial killer grabbing a Monokuma bottle and attacking Sakura with it were the next to be shown. "And, just like Hiro, she grabbed another Monokuma Bottle and attacked her. This explains why there were two wounds on Sakura's head."

Now it was Toko's turn to look uncomfortable, shifting in her seat while keeping her eyes covered. While it was Jill who committed the act… it didn't stop the feeling the guilt, slightly aware that she accidently set herself up to faint like that in the first place.

'They could've talked to her… could've worked things out! If they weren't so afraid, none of this would've happened!'' Hina ranted, an angry glare forming from her tear-filled eyes, 'Why?! Why couldn't they just trust her for a bit?!'

"Assuming Sakura really was dead this time, she set about disposing of the evidence." The next two panels were Jill gathering up shards and chess piece, and her running away. "She gathered up the broken Monokuma Bottle shards, and the queen chess piece."

"And that explains how Sakura was attacked twice with the same type of weapon." Act 5 was next, the first panels being Sakura getting up and holding her bloody head. "But even after those two blows, she was still alive… so then, what was Sakura's actual cause of death?" The bottle of poison was then shown. "It was the poison that Sakura herself got from the chem lab. She turned the rec room into a true 'locked room' scenario and then drank the deadly mixture." Pictures of the bloodied Sakura looking up, and then drinking the poison were next. "And there, she took her final breath…"

At the sight of Sakura drinking the poison, Hina let out a choked sob. Others also held sorrowful looks across their faces, with Chihiro tearing up alongside Hina.

Sakura, however, held a more angry look across her face, frustration forming alongside her sorrow. 'Why?' she repeated to herself, 'Why would you commit this crime on ourselves? Why even think of giving up on life… of leaving my friends like this…?'

Could her heart really be that weak? Would something like this killing game really push her to a breaking point?

Finally, there was Act 6, the first panels featuring Makoto, Kyoko, and the culprit finding the now dead Sakura. "Later on, the rest of us discovered that her body was in there… we had to smash the door's window to get inside." Panels of Makoto breaking inside, the luckster and Kyoko gathering around Sakura's body, and the culprit at the back were next. "But someone already knew what had happened, knew that she had committed suicide…"

The next scenes were the culprit spotting the bottle, snatching it, and quickly walking from the scene. "And that same someone quietly snatched the bottle of poison from off the ground…" Finally, the screen showed the culprit looking from the background while the others were gathered, pulling out the protein can, and placing it around the broken glass. "...and while nobody was looking, replaced it with an empty protein can. They did all this to place all the suspicion on themselves, in an attempt to guide the trial to a false conclusion."

'But… why?' Hina found herself asking for the dozenth time, her tears still dripping, 'Why… would I do this? I would've sent my classmates to their deaths… sent myself… sent Makoto…'

"And the one who went to all that effort…"

The closing argument then ended with the picture of Makoto and the culprit, the former looking up sorrowfully and the latter looking down with tears sliding down their cheeks. The silhouette then revealed itself to be Hina. "...was you, Hina."

"And with that, all the contradictions have been cleared up." Kyoko faced the room with a resolute gaze. "I assume everyone has accepted the results of this trial."

No one went to refute her statement. "But… why?" Chihiro asked, his eyebrows furrowed in both confusion and anxiety, "Why would she do this?"

"Maybe she was trying to hide it?" Sayaka guessed, biting her lips, "Something similar to what Mondo did with Chihiro? She could've tried to hide that Sakura killed herself to preserve her memory."

"Perhaps it was revenge?" Celeste suggested, looking down in thought, "Could she have blamed Byakuya, Toko, and Hiro for this? And with that blame, try to make them pay for their crimes?"

"But they won't be the only ones affected," Taka argued, "Makoto and Kyoko would be executed as well. Hina herself would also be executed. She can't have forgotten that fact, no matter how much grief or rage she must be feeling."

'...I don't think she has forgotten,' Kyoko thought, eyes narrowed, 'But she went and did it anyway. Cause she found that an acceptable trade off to take down the others.'

The screen switched back to the trial room, first showing a solemn Makoto. "That's the full truth of the case…"

Hina could let out sobs now, her tears still falling freely down her cheeks.

"Sakura… took her own life," Makoto declared softly, "And you claimed to be the killer to hide the fact, isn't that right?"

"..." The girl was silent, no longer able to deny anything, but refusing to confirm what he had said.

"That's… what happened?" Byakuya questioned in pure disbelief, "But… Makoto, how did you-? How did you manage to-?"

Seeing the distressed Byakuya got the students to perk up, if only slightly and temporarily.

The Togami heir looked at the lucky student with astonishment. "How were you able to uncover the truth… that even I couldn't discern?!"

"Huh?" The luckster looked a bit startled at the question. "Oh, well, I mean…"

"Oh, maybe because he isn't an arrogant douche?" Leon suggested mildly, "Maybe that has something to do with it?"

"Because he doesn't see himself as infallible?" Taka added firmly, "Perhaps his modesty is why he was able to figure out the mystery?"

"Because he actually values friendship and kindness?" Sayaka pointed out dryly, "He doesn't think that we're all so capable of throwing our bonds away at the drop of a hat?"

"There's definitely a good number of reasons why Makoto figured out and you didn't…" Junko stated, visibly holding back a giggle.

"You still haven't realized?" Kyoko was the one to speak up and answer. "We don't all act according to calculations and cost-benefit diagrams. That's what makes us so complicated. That's what you don't understand, and that's why you couldn't solve this case."

"Gh-!"

"See? Didn't I tell you?" A smirk entered Kyoko's face. "When you dismiss other people's feelings, it'll always come back to bite you in the end."

"..." The Togami heir could only be silent, unable to make any refute or retort at the detective's words.

Seeing the Togami heir's disheveled look gained some more smirks, chuckles, and giggles from the students. "Wow, Kyoko. You did not let up when it came to Byakuya," Leon whistled, a smirk across his face, "He's looking like he got shot in the chest or something."

"Not feeling invincible now, are you asshole?" Mondo taunted, a grin across his face, "Togami definitely got taken down a peg with this one!"

"Not only by Makoto and Kyoko… but by Hina, of all people," Celeste added, an amused smile clear across her lips, "If it weren't for the first two, Byakuya would've been fooled by someone who's known to be rather scatterbrained. And I'm sure you know this Byakuya…" The gambler turned towards the Togami heir, her smile getting slightly wider. "That's why you haven't been saying anything this entire time, hasn't it?"

Byakuya didn't dignify the gothic-wearing gambler with a response, or even a look. But that reaction alone was enough to confirm it to the students, and for their laughter to increase slightly.

"Okay, Okay. I think we can all agree you made your point," Monokuma interrupted impatiently, "Did you guys forget already?! You still haven't voted yet!"

The students blinked, processing what Monokuma had said.

"Oh…"

"That's right…"

"There's still the voting…"

"Almost forgot about it, really…"

"Is there even a need…?"

"Oh yeah… that's right…" Kyoko said, rather absentmindedly.

"You seriously forgot?!" Monokuma exclaimed incredulously. The bear's head then dropped depressingly. "Urrg… I can feel my energy draining outta me…"

"With the killing itself being a suicide… there's really no one to be executed," Taka realized. However, that realization came with some mixed feelings, evident by the look on his face. "While I wish that Sakura didn't die at all… much less by suicide… the fact that there won't be an execution… but is it really-"

"It's okay, Taka," Sakura reassured the moral compass, stopping his moral conflict, "I wouldn't blame you if you feel relieved that no one else would be executed. It's not something I would wish upon anyone, even with my death."

"It's a slight moral dilemma," Kyoko sighed, "But we'll need to find the silver linings where we can, especially with these cases."

No one could really disagree with that. Even Hina, heartbroken as she is, couldn't find it in her to protest this.

"Well, whatever. You don't really have a choice, anyway. You just gotta do it!" the bear then said, a weak attempt to regain that dread, "Maybe you don't want to, but please grab your lever and cast your vote! So, who will be chosen as the blackened…? Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one…? What's it gonna be? What it's gonna beeee…?"

For once, there wasn't that feeling of dread that came from Monokuma's words. A few even snorted at the bear's attempt to bring up that dread.

However, the desire for answers was still there, many wondering just why Hina would do this. The swimmer herself wanted those answers, was almost desperate for them.

Once again, the screen switched to the slot machine. The slots rolled around before landing on a grayed out Sakura. Lights flashed out once more, with cheers and coins flowing out of the machine.

The scene went back to the students, all six of them off of their podiums and gathered around one another. "Yeah, that's right. The one who killed Sakura was Sakura herself," Monokuma announced with a lot less fanfare. He then turned away, preparing to leave. "...Okay, we're done here."

Once again, a few students found themselves snorting. "Someone sounds disappointed," Leon remarked dryly.

"Of course. Bastard doesn't have anyone to kill; why wouldn't he be disappointed?" Mondo scoffed, "He was probably hoping that everyone would get the wrong answer."

"I wouldn't put it past them…" Mukuro muttered, looking at Junko from the corner of her eyes.

The fashionista herself almost pouted, missing the usual dread that came from these trials. But she quickly cheered up, knowing that the info about to be revealed will more than make up for it.

"So that's the whole truth, huh? I see…" Byakuya mused, still shaken up by all the reveals, "But there's still one thing I don't understand. Hina…"

The Togami heir turned towards the tear-stained girl with a bewildered, angry glare. "...why did you cover up what happened?" he questioned, "If the truth hadn't come to light, you would have died along with the rest of us. And yet you…! Why did you do that?!"

"Yeah! We almost died there!" Hiro joined in, scolding her angrily.

"And here's the last, pressing question to this entire case…" Byakuya declared, his eyes narrowed at the screen.

The others found themselves just as tense, almost eager for answers. The tension felt eerily similar to when Celeste had confessed to her reason for killing…

"Because…" Hina began, unbothered by the angry looks being given to her, "That's exactly what I wanted!"

However, the way the tension dropped couldn't have been any more different.

For the dozenth time, the air went frigid as the body temperatures of several went cold. Eyes went wide with shock, horror even, as Hina's reason for doing this passed through their heads several times.

From absolute horror, like Sayaka and Chihiro, to mere incredulity, such as Byakuya and Celeste; from the pale faced Hiro, to the gawking Hifumi. Almost no one was immune to the effect this reveal gave.

One exception was Kyoko, who merely closed her eyes in solemn silence. 'Looks like I was correct,' she thought to herself, 'She wanted to take them down, even though it meant killing herself. Even though it meant killing me and Makoto.'

'...I can't imagine the grief you're feeling, Hina,' Makoto thought empathetically, 'Not only did you lose your dear friend, but it was also by suicide. That couldn't have been easy to go through. But still…'

The lucky student felt his fists and teeth clench, the hurt that he's been suppressing bubbling up. 'You would really sacrifice me… Kyoko… yourself, even… just for the sake of revenge?'

Junko now had to suppress a grin, the reactions being exactly how she envisioned them. 'Yes! This is despair, people! This is what happens when you fall into despair!' she shouted maniacally in her mind, 'Despair drives us to do so many unpredictable things, makes you think things you never otherwise would've thought! Makes you want to share that feeling with everyone else, to make themfeel that same hurt you're feeling! It's such an amazing, wonderful feeling!'

Sakura… Sakura was stunned by this, shaken, even. "Hina…" The idea that her dear friend would kill someone, anyone, was unfathomable to her. It wasn't in the realm of possibility in her mind.

So, to hear that Hina would do this, attempt to kill everyone, even Makoto and Kyoko, to avenge her death… it hurt the martial artist to an almost choking degree. It filled her with shame and guilt for choosing the cowardly route.

And finally, Hina… the girl found herself broken once more. She found her body going limp as she stared numbly at the screen, almost unbelieving at what came out of her own mouth. She was… she'd really planned on killing everyone, didn't she? Have all of them, herself even, Makoto even, executed?

It was one thing to want Hiro, Byakuya, and Toko dead… to have them pay for their crimes, if any of them was the killer. But to actually act on it… to drag Makoto and Kyoko along… she couldn't have ever imagined being capable of that.

Makoto's eyes widened in shock. "What…?"

"I mean, the reason Sakura died… is cuz all of you pushed her into a corner," Hina declared, "You… you all killed her… so that's why… I couldn't let her be the only one that died!"

"Wh-Wha-...?" Chihiro stuttered in distress, mouth covered.

"She… really was trying to take revenge?" Taka breathed out in horror, "Even if it took down Makoto and Kyoko? Even if it ended with her own death?"

"I mean… should we really be surprised?" Mondo pointed out, despite looking flabbergasted himself, "I said before that a powder keg was being built up; it just needed to be lit. Is it surprising that Sakura's death was the thing that did? A suicide at that?"

"But… but she was gonna kill Makoto and Kyoko! Kill herself for this!" Sayaka exclaimed, various emotions playing within her heart, "Was she really gonna sacrifice herself, drag in two innocent people, just for revenge?!

Junko decided to answer this one, taking note of something else she just picked up on. "From her words… it seems like Hina also blamed Makoto and Kyoko for Sakura's death."

"..."

Once again, a profound silence hit the group, as several of the students gave disbelieving looks. Surely she didn't…?

"You d-don't mean…" Genocide Jill stuttered, taken aback, "You were gonna t-take us all with you?!"

"We have to atone for our sins," Hina repeated unwaveringly, despite the tears still leaking from her eyes, "Because everyone… even me… we all killed her."

"She actually… blamed them for Sakura's death…?" Sayaka asked, her voice shaky, "She thinks Makoto and Kyoko… are just as responsible…?"

"But… how does that make any sense?" Leon exclaimed incredulously, "Makoto and Kyoko didn't say a damn thing about Sakura! The most they did was keep the peace. So how are they responsible?"

"And it's not just that… Hina also blames herself as well," Chihiro spoke through his covered mouth, "She thinks she also killed Sakura."

"Hina…" This time, Makoto was unable to suppress the hurt he was feeling, this little revelation being too much for him. It was clear on his face that the lucky student felt upset at the blame being placed on him and Kyoko. That Hina blamed herself for this.

Hina found her stomach dropping even further, almost shattering like glass. The girl had her mouth covered, nausea starting to fill her. 'Why… why would I blame Makoto for this?! Blame Kyoko?!' she screamed in her head, 'They did nothing! Nothing to hurt Sakura… nothing to…!'

"We all have to pay for our crimes…"

"F-For serious?!" Hiro exclaimed, stepping back fearfully, "That's-!"

"You still don't understand? Then let me explain…" Slowly, the girl took out a piece of paper from her pocket. "Do you realize just how much despair Sakura was carrying with her when she died?! Look at this…"

She then showed them the letter in her hand. It read, "Such brutality has made me desperate. So instead of waiting to be killed, I'll do it by my own hand."

Several eyes widened at the sight of that note. "A suicide note…!" Hifumi gasped audibly.

"So that's how Hina found out about Sakura's death…" Taka grimaced in displeasure.

"And now we know why she decided to off herself…" Mondo growled, his fist clenched, "She was driven into a fuckin corner!"

Hina could only stare, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks once more. All this information was becoming too much for the young swimmer.

Makoto looked at the screen with an agape mouth, unbelieving at what had just been read. 'I… I can't believe it.' the lucky student couldn't help but think, 'This… this doesn't sound like Sakura at all. Not at all like that strong-willed martial artist we've come to know!'

There was no denying that Sakura killed herself; it's pretty much clear that suicide was the route taken. Regardless, Makoto refused to believe that his incredibly strong-willed classmate and friend would give in to despair!

Sakura found herself close to growling, self-hatred fueling her heart. How could she be so weak? So lacking in will that she would so easily give in to her own despair?!

'You knew this would happen! It should be no surprise that our classmates would react like this!' the martial artist raged in her head, 'This shouldn't have been enough to break you! You should've been strong enough to persevere!'

"Th-That's…!" Makoto gasped in shock.

"I found it on the ground, in front of the rec room," Hina explained, "It's… Sakura's suicide note."

"Suicide note…?"

"Thinking back, I should have seen it coming…" the swimmer said dejectedly, "It was right after Genocide Jack attacked me. Sakura got mad and stormed out of the nurse's office…"

A flashback was then shown, of Hina running after a moody Sakura. "I ran after her, and…"

"Sakura, calm down!" Hina pleaded with her, "You don't have to worry about me, I'm fine!"

"I… can't calm down…" Sakura growled, her fists clenched, "I don't care if I suffer for this. It's my fault, after all. But now you're suffering because of me… you tried to protect me, but because of me… my closest friend got hurt!"

"S-Sakura…"

"Because of me…" the martial artist repeated to herself, "...my friends are all going to kill each other. This is all… my responsibility."

"Sakura…" A look of sympathy entered Makoto's face, mixed with some anguish. How much guilt did the martial artist hold in her heart? How much blame did she place on herself?

Some of the others also held sympathetic looks, especially Sayaka and Mondo. The two couldn't help but think back to their future selves' mistakes, to what could've happened if they hadn't murdered or attempted to murder.

The screen then cuts back to the trial room. "Sakura… thought she was responsible," Hina continued on, "She thought everything was her fault. Which is why… she wanted to find some way to get everyone to forgive her. So, she asked to meet with… them."

If Hiro could get any whiter, he did now. Toko, who's been shaking ever since the post-trial reveal, started looking pastier than usual. Byakuya merely bowed his head, his expression unreadable.

The scene went back to the flashback, showing a shocked and worried looking Hina. "You asked to meet with those three?" she repeated what she's been told, "You can't! Don't you see how dangerous that is?!"

"Don't worry. I just want to talk to them," Sakura assured her.

"Talk about… what?" Hina hesitantly asked. The only response she got was silence. "Listen, don't do it. If they all gang up on you at once, even you…"

"Hina…" Sakura spoke up, cutting her friend off, "Please, don't think of things like that. They're not my enemy. They're… friends."

"S-Sakura…"

If any of them thought the surprises were done, they would be wrong. Most of the students were caught off guard by Sakura's statement. "She… actually thinks that?" Leon voiced incredulously. He turned to the martial artist herself. "You would actually think that?"

"Even with all this shit, you still want to call them friends?" Mondo voiced his own disbelief.

Sakura was silent for a moment, taking a deep breath to compose herself. After that moment passed, she nodded. "Yes. I would no doubt still see them as friends," she confirmed.

"But… they hated you! Feared you! Wanted nothing to do with you!" Hina pointed out fiercely, unable to stay silent at this, "Byakuya saw us as nothing but enemies, and Toko followed right after him! Maybe you could argue a case for Hiro, but he clearly showed that he doesn't value that friendship! How can you see any of them as friends after that?!"

"We are still those that survived the killing game," Was Sakura's calm retort, "Those of us that manage to persevere despite the betrayals and murders. They may not feel the same way… but that doesn't change that I view them as friends. At least, that's my guess as to what my future self's thoughts are."

The others could only stare at the martial artist in shock. A look of guilt started growing on Hiro's face, slowly starting to acknowledge how wrong his future self's actions were. Toko held a similar look, Sayaka's speech from earlier playing in her mind; the writer honestly couldn't feel more pathetic than she did now.

Makoto, however, wasn't surprised by this. To be able to call those that hate her as friends, to still look at them with any sort of camaraderie, is something he expected from the strong-willed, Ultimate Martial Artist. Which… 'It makes that note so much more unbelievable.' he thought to himself, 'I can't imagine Sakura ever giving up like that! Not in any scenario!'

"She clearly believed…" The scene went back to the trial room, with Hina still speaking. "She… completely believed… in all of us. If you'd just talked to her, you would've understood. She was a friend to all of us… and yet… and yet…!"

Flashes of Hiro's attack, Jill's attack, and Sakura's own self-poisoning were briefly shown before heading back to the trial room. "You trampled all over her feelings. And then you did the unthinkable…"

Both Hiro and Toko found themselves flinching, before shrinking further in their seats.

'I… really am pathetic, aren't I?' Toko couldn't help but think. Here she was, thinking that no one cared for her and that everyone is out to get her… yet there are those in her class that would see her as a friend.

"N-No, that was just a… a misunderstanding!" Hiro attempted to explain himself.

"Don't stand there and call it a misunderstanding!" Hina shouted back, having none of it, "She believed in you… and you wouldn't even listen to what she had to say. Without asking a single question, you tried to kill her… do you have any idea how desperate she was, seeing you act like that?!"

She held out the suicide note once again. "That's what her suicide note means…" she said tearfully, "'So instead of just waiting to be killed, I'll do it by my own hand.' That's how far you pushed her…"

'How… how I was supposed to know that she just wanted to talk?' Hiro attempted to argue with himself once more, 'How could I know that she wasn't planning to kill me? Kill anybody? She was Monokuma's spy! One of the strongest of the class! I couldn't help but misunderstand!'

That was what the fortune teller tried to tell himself. Unfortunately, his own thoughts felt weak.

Yet another flashback was shown, displaying a horrified Hina. "Sakura! What happened to you?!"

"H-Hina… you came…" the martial artist managed to say, blood dripping from her head wounds.

"Wait right here! I'll help you out!"

Before the swimmer could move or do anything, Sakura spoke up once more. "H-Hina…"

"Huh…?"

"I… I'm so glad I got to meet you…" Sakura confessed.

"W-What's wrong, Sakura?" Hina stuttered, her worry spiking, "Why are you talking like that…?"

Instead of answering, the martial artist said, "I… have a favor to ask."

"A favor…?"

"I'd like… some protein," Sakura requested, "Could I ask you to…?"

"Y-Yeah, you got it! Just hang on, I'll be right back!" With that, the swimmer ran out of the rec room at a frantic pace.

The screen then turned black. "That was… the last conversation I had with her."

Hina covered her mouth once again, this time to hold back the gut-wrenching sobs. While it muffled her voice, it didn't stop the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Damn…" was what all Mondo could say, eyes turned away from the screen, "Just… damn."

"It's no wonder Hina reacted the way she did," Taka said in agreement, holding his knees in a tight grip, "It's still shocking to see what she would resort to, but… I can see just how it would be too much for her to take in."

Hearing her friend's cries once more made the martial artist want to comfort her. But she felt inadequate, knowing that she was the direct cause of Hina's anguish. So, in her inadequacy, she instead turned to Makoto.

The lucky student caught her gaze and, after a moment of silent communication between the two, nodded his head. He got up from his seat, and quickly went to where Sakura and Hina were sitting. Hesitantly, he sat down at Hina's other side. He didn't let himself hesitate when he wrapped his arms around Hina.

Hina, recognizing Makoto's presence, immediately latched onto him, her sobs coming out more freely. The lucky student continued to hold her, doing his best to provide any comfort.

The screen lit backup to show tears streaming from the girl's eyes once more. "I went to the chem lab to get the protein she'd asked for. When I got there, I saw the powder. And that's when I realized… I saw that someone had taken something from the poison shelf. Sakura… so I ran back to the rec room as fast as I could. But by the time I got there, it was already too late…"

The next flashback was the grief-stricken Hina looking through the rec room door. "Sakura!" she shouted desperately, "Let me in! Please, open the door!"

In her desperation, she banged on the door, hoping to get her attention. But there was no reaction from the martial artist. "Why…?" the swimmer asked herself, tears beginning to leak, "Why?! Why did she have to die!"

'Could… could I have stopped this?' Hina couldn't help but think through her tears, 'Could I have kept her from doing this? If I had just been more adamant about her not meeting with them… if I just convinced the others she wasn't a threat…!'

Makoto, as if hearing her thoughts, squeezed her tighter, silently telling her not to blame herself.

Once again, the screen went back to the trial room. "She had weaknesses, just like any other person. If she got cut, she bled. If someone hurt her, she felt it. That's weakness… that's normal…! And yet…"

Hina gave the group a withering glare. "You all blamed her… I tried to protect her and I suffered for it. And that just added to the weight she had to carry…! And I didn't even realize it…"

"Hina…" was all Makoto could say.

"We all killed her… all of us." Hina declared firmly, "We pushed her into a corner… and murdered her. People like us shouldn't be allowed to live!"

"And that's why you tried to lead us astray," Byakuya growled, anger forming across his face, "You did your best to make us arrive at the wrong conclusion during the class trial."

"In your grief and anger, you decided to take revenge on us," the Togami heir followed after his counterpart, his head still bowed, "In your path to revenge, you decided to forfeit your own life, to drag Makoto and Kyoko down in the process, to justify it by saying that we all killed her, including yourself and them." He then clicked his tongue in disgust. "How despicable."

Hina found herself flinching at the Togami heir's words, with some of the students taking offense. "You better watch it, Togami!" Mondo warned, standing up, "You're asking for-"

"For what? A pummeling? A slap on the cheek? To be hated by you plebeians?" Byakuya interrupted, undeterred in the slightest, "Funny. Weren't you already doing that due to the actions of my future self?"

That piercing question caused a number of them to flinch, momentarily struck silent by Byakuya. The Togami heir continued on. "You all were willing to demonize me thanks to my counterpart's actions; a few even tried to attack me over it. Yet when it's a dear friend that commits such a horrendous action, you're willing to overlook it? Even when she targets two people that have nothing to do with these events?"

No one could offer any retort to what he said. Both Taka and Mondo looked away, remembering their desires to teach Byakuya a lesson. Leon bowed his head, also aware that he isn't guiltless of this, while Chihiro had a clear guilty look across his face.

Makoto and Kyoko decided not to say anything, knowing that the affluent progeny is correct in his words. While his counterpart was vile, the present Byakuya had done nothing. Yet their classmates were willing to push their anger, hatred even, on him.

"...It's the fact that you had that potential months ago that gets us." Sayaka was the one to speak, her voice subdued. At first glance, the idol even looked composed, but it was clear with a much better look that she was anything but. "Like I said before, Byakuya, I can't keep ignoring how you were at the beginning of the year. It's also the same with Celeste, with myself, and now… Hina too…"

The idol looked at the swimmer with a furious, almost betrayed glare. "Hina… I get that you were grieving… that Sakura's suicide and the note accompanying it, were such a shock… but to blame Makoto and Kyoko? To even think that they were at fault for this? To say those things about yourself?! TO SAY THAT NONE OF YOU DESERVED TO LIVE?!"

By this point, the Ultimate Swimmer found herself shaking, heavy guilt now swimming with her sorrow. Even if she agreed that Hiro, Toko, and Byakuya deserved it… that she herself deserved to die… how could she have placed the blame on Makoto or Kyoko? Was it because they didn't do anything to help? To say something in support of Sakura?

But… it was trying to defend Sakura that pushed her to the edge, wasn't it? And didn't Makoto reveal to everyone what he saw to help Sakura? So then why should… what made her think…?!

"I think that's enough," Makoto looked at Sayaka with a firm, yet gentle, glance, "I understand why you're angry, Sayaka… and there are some things that I would like to say. But let's save it for later." He spared the girl in his arms a sympathetic look. "This whole trial has taken a toll on her as it is."

Sayaka's glare softened, unable to refute Makoto's words. After all, she was in the same position as Hina was, wasn't she? Faced with her crimes, unable to do anything but to take in the guilt, the self-loathing…

Silently, she sat back down. She's still angry at Hina, for multiple reasons, but she won't let that anger blind her to how affected the swimmer is by this.

"Sakura died hating all of us. I wanted to free her of her regrets." A fresh wave of tears left Hina's eyes. "But even that got found out. In the end, I wasn't able to do anything for her… I could never face her after this…"

"That isn't true…!" Sakura, who stood silent in the midst of that brief conflict, couldn't help but growl, "Hina… I would never hate you! No matter what weakness my future self had felt, I would not die with resentment in my heart! Especially not for you!"

Of that, she's confident in. Even if she had felt desperate, even if defeat and cowardice had taken over her heart… she would not resort to blaming her classmates. No, the blame would be solely on her.

"Sakura…" Hina looked at her friend, a new pool of tears swelling in her eyes. A feeling of gratefulness and relief swelled in her heart, but at the same time, the guilt grew even more. Guilt at the fact she even considered the idea that Sakura died hating her.

Suddenly, Monokuma popped back up. "I'm sorry to interrupt right when you're about to deliver the final tearjerker, but…" he began. "...it's just taking so long, long, long, LONG! I'm about to fall asleep over here!"

"SHUT UP!" practically half the class shouted.

"Do you think we give a fuck about what you feel?!" Mondo growled.

"None of us are there to entertain you, you damn sicko!" Leon shouted right after.

"Perhaps they should've joined them physically from the start. Mondo and Sakura could've provided plenty of entertainment…" Celeste said 'sweetly', a dark aura emanating from her.

"Go crawl back into whatever hole you keep hopping from, you sick monster!" Sayaka exclaimed viciously.

"I mean, do you really think you have any idea what Sakura was actually thinking when she died?"

And just like that, the heat that was gathered up so quickly evaporated just as quickly, leaving confusion and suspicion from the group.

"Huh?"

"What did he just…?"

"What's he trying to…?"

Is he implying he knows better than…?"

"What did you say…?" Now Hina directed her glare at the monochrome bear.

"Everything you just said is nothing but your interpretation, right?" Monokuma continued, unperturbed, "Your own opinion on what her suicide note meant?"

"O-Of course I know what she was thinking!" Hina stated defensively, "Cuz her and me-!"

"Well, what I'm really trying to say is…" Monokuma interrupted, "...don't you think the entire foundation is shaky? What if it was really… like this?" The bear then holds a folded letter, titled 'Last Testament, Sakura Ogami'.

At the sight of that letter… more than a few pairs of eyes widened. "That… that son of a…" Makoto stuttered, fury starting to bubble in heart, "He swapped Sakura's suicide note!"

That caused several more eyes to widen, as well as a few mouths to drop. "You mean to say that the note Hina had found wasn't from Sakura, but fabricated by Monokuma?" Taka summarized in shock.

"Then… that would mean that all the actions Hina had taken…!" Chihiro realized.

"Was thanks to the fucking! Bear!" Mondo growled in unbridled fury.

Sakura looked at the scene with shocked, widened eyes… before wrath began twisting across her face and encompassed her entire body.

"What… is that?" Hiro asked nervously.

"Isn't it obvious?" Monokuma said in retort, "A suicide note. Sakura's suicide note."

"Wh-What?" Makoto exclaimed in shock, "But Hina already…"

"Oh, I wrote that one. It was all me, baby," the bear admitted easily, "This is the one Sakura addressed to Hina and put in her room!"

"Wha-...?" Hina found herself staring at the screen, mouth ajar and expression paralyzed. It seemed almost as if her brain stopped working.

"I… I knew that the note seemed off," Makoto muttered loudly, mostly to himself, "Sakura… she's one of the strongest people I know. Someone willing to see those who hate her as friends, willing to face down Monokuma and resist him. I couldn't imagine that she would kill herself out of desperation, of all things. But…"

He directed his eyes towards the screen with a furious, almost scary-looking, glare. 'I didn't think that a fake suicide note would be made! Didn't think that the Mastermind was this rotten!' Guess it showed what he knew.

"What? Then…" Hina looked at the note in her hand in petrified shock, and then turned her eyes back to Monokuma. "You… lied to me?"

"Oh, don't say 'lie'! It makes it sound so dirty!" the bear refuted, "I just thought I'd liven things up a bit! I can't help it if you totally took my little scribbles at face value. It didn't even have Sakura's signature on it!"

Those words struck Hina like nothing else had, her skin turning more ashen. 'I fell for it… like an idiot, I took his bait and thought it was Sakura's,' she thought dazedly, 'Just like I did during the last trial… and future me was going on about how she knew Sakura's feelings… yet I took that note and took it at face value!'

Was she this stupid? Was she this blind? How much does she really understand Sakura, when she would easily believe that she died full of despair and hatred?

"You filthy little…!" Makoto cried out angrily.

"I'm not filthy! I didn't do anything," Monokuma interrupted with his own anger, "Did I falsify evidence? Did I affect the outcome of the class trial? The case played out between you and you alone. You were the ones jerking each other around."

"YOU FABRICATED A DYING WILL, YOU SCUM!" Makoto finally lost it, standing up from the couch he was on. Looked at the bear with complete hatred. "You messed with Hina's feelings and pushed her onto that path! She went and falsified evidence thanks to YOUR note! LIKE HELL YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

Many students looked at the lucky student with shock. While they have seen this righteous anger before, it was days ago and it was something they still aren't used to.

Junko, however, merely pouted. 'I did squat!' she whined in her head, 'The results would've been the same with or without that note! Not my fault Hina fell for the note like an idiot!'

Sakura, meanwhile, is in agreement with Makoto's anger. "That dishonorable fiend… how dare he try to pin this on Hina!" she snarled in rage, "How dare he try to shred any sense of responsibility!? His actions moved Hina to do these despicable things! With that fabricated note, we can only guess as to how she would've reacted without it!"

"And he knew. He knew that Hina would have this sort of reaction," Kyoko stated coldly, arms crossed, "Likely hoping that Hina would succeed in killing all of us, have that sudden twist to make this more enjoyable for him."

'...That sounds like Junko,' Mukuro mentally agreed with the detective. Her sister probably revealed the note to break Hina's spirit even more, and to get the class to turn on her for trying to kill them all over a fake note.

If there was one thing the soldier was confident in, it was how under-handed Junko can get.

"Heck, even if the will had factored in, it still woulda been between you guys. So what's the problem?! This is all part of the production process! Okay, and… scene! Cut!"

"So then, what did she write in her real suicide note?" Kyoko cut in.

"I'm glad you asked! For your benefit, I shall read it using my melodic, angelic, harmonic narrator voice!" Monokuma declared.

At this, several students tensed up, all ears focused on what's going to be read.

"But you know… haven't you ever been curious about the whole 'suicide note' thing? Who come came up with the idea of leaving a note when you kill yourself in the first place?"

"And isn't it just so unfortunate? Killing yourself is just so final, ya know? You can never hear the rest of their story. The truth is lost in darkness. Gives me the willies…!"

"Just get on with it!"

"Shut up and read the note!"

"No one cares about your rambling!"

"Could you get on with it, please?" Kyoko interjected once again.

"Okay, okay, jeez! Talk about a buzzkill…" the bear complained, "Alright, here we go."

'We figured out the mystery of who killed Sakura…' Kyoko mused.

'We found out why exactly Hina tried to cover up her suicide…' Celeste unknowingly continued.

'The only left now is…' Sayaka thought anxiously, gripping her skirt.

'...why? Why did she do it?' Makoto unknowingly finished, as tense as his other classmates.

And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Next will be the continuation of this post trial, including the execution of Alter Ego. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.