Fifteen men on a dead man's chest…
CHAPTER 1: Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum
DEADLY LIFE
"Hello? Koi? Are you like… awake? Or whatever?"
"Hmm… her eyes are moving…"
"Koi? Do you, like… remember how to talk? Or whatever?"
Words.
I remember now. These sounds… they're words, aren't they?
I… I think I know these words. They have meanings, I think…
And these shapes… they're people, right?
Yeah… I remember…
That person on my left… the tanned one, with bleached hair… that's Rin.
And that person on the right… the shorter one, with messy blue hair… that's Momoka.
"Rin," I whisper, without thinking. "Momoka."
"She's talking!" squeaks a voice. Yuna's voice.
"Well… that's progress," says Tsubasa's voice.
"I hope she's okay," says Jeff's concerned voice.
We're in a familiar place. There are rows of benches in front of me, descending down. The room is spacious, and has a slick wooden floor.
The gym. I'm up in the bleachers. There are people around me. Standing above me. Standing below me, further down in the bleachers. Some on the floor. They're all looking at me. Fourteen pairs of eyes, all staring at me.
"When did I get here?" I wonder aloud.
There's silence.
"Let me talk to her," says Naomi.
She walks up toward me. Rin and Momoka get out of the way. Naomi stands in front of me, then kneels so that her eyes are level with mine. She puts a hand on my shoulder. "Koi," she says, "do you remember who I am?"
"You're Naomi Shimizu," I say automatically. "The best mangaka ever."
She represses a smile. "Do you know where you are?"
"It looks like the gym…"
"But do you remember… what school you're in, and why you're here?"
I think for a moment.
"I'm in Hope's Peak," I reply. "Monokuma kidnapped us, and put us in a killing game."
She exhales, relieved. I hear other people do the same.
"Koi," Naomi says. "Are you fully lucid now?"
"Lucid," I repeat, trying to place the word. "Lucid means… sane. I don't know if I'm sane. I don't know if insane people actually feel insane."
Naomi hesitates.
"Listen, Koi," she says. "We had to carry you here, because you were in shock. Your eyes were open, and you were technically conscious—but you weren't responding to anything we said or did. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
I nod.
"Do you remember why you were in shock?" Naomi asks.
"Hey, wait a moment!" says Jeff. "That's too much, too soon!"
"Time is a luxury we don't have," Shingo snaps back. "We need her testimony."
"Koi," Naomi says, sternly yet reassuringly. "I'm sorry, but I need your honest answer. Do you remember why you were in shock?"
I do remember.
But…
"I had a nightmare," I say quietly.
Tears are dripping down my face.
People glance nervously at each other.
"Koi," Naomi says, her voice a bit softer. "I'm very sorry. I need you to hear this. I need you to understand. Nod, if you're ready to listen."
Tears pour out harder. I can barely see Naomi through the fog.
I nod.
"Hiroto is dead," she says. "He was stabbed in the heart, and killed. It happened sometime last night. A wound like that would kill someone very quickly—in a matter of seconds. There are no signs of a struggle. The evidence indicates that Hiroto died in his sleep." Naomi pauses. "You were there with him," she says, her voice softer yet. "It's very likely that his last thoughts were of you."
Tears cover everything. Snot runs down from my nose. Rin wipes my face with a handkerchief, and hands it to me.
"Do you understand what I'm saying?" asks Naomi.
"I think I understand," I say quietly. "Hiroto is dead. So. Those inside jokes we had together. Those don't really exist anymore. And those memories we shared together. I don't really share them with anyone now. And… all that time we spent together. I spent that with someone who doesn't exist anymore. I think that's what you're saying."
Everyone waits while I blow my nose and wipe my eyes.
"Koi," says Naomi, "do you understand why we're in the gym?"
I shake my head.
"There was an assembly," says Naomi. "Monokuma laid out the conditions of the investigation and class trial. It's the same as every previous killing game. If we don't find the culprit, then only the culprit will live, and everyone else will die."
Silence.
"Do you understand?" asks Naomi.
"Who cares?" I mutter.
Some people look concerned.
"What difference does it make?" I say hoarsely. "Hiroto's dead. If we catch the culprit, Hiroto will stay dead. If we don't, Hiroto will stay dead. It doesn't matter. Nothing matters. People can just die, and stop existing forever. Why should I care about anything?"
Naomi closes her eyes for a moment. Then she opens them.
"I know this is hard for you, Koi," she says. "When we heard you screaming—no matter how hard we knocked, you wouldn't open the door. In the end, Monokuma unlocked the door for us. By then, you'd fainted from hyperventilation. When your eyes opened, you were completely unresponsive." She pauses. "I'm sorry you don't have more time to process this," she says. "But the investigation has already begun. If we don't vote for the killer in the class trial, what happened to Hiroto will happen again to all of your friends here. To me, and everyone else."
"Ummm, maybe we should dial it back just a teensy bit?" says Akiko, gesturing with her thumb and forefinger.
"She needs to hear this," Naomi retorts. "I need to be blunt, so that she fully understands this situation." Naomi looks at me. "Koi," she says, "can you look me in the eye, and tell me that you don't care whether anyone here lives or dies? Can you look me in the eye, and tell me that our lives don't matter to you?"
I choke out a sob. I blow my nose.
I shake my head.
"That's right," Naomi says reassuringly. "I know you care, deep down. I know you want us to live." Pause. "Do you understand what you have to do?"
I nod. "I… I have to investigate," I say hoarsely. "We have to… catch the killer."
This answer doesn't seem to satisfy anyone. They look around anxiously.
"You guys… should go ahead," I say. "I'll catch up. I… I promise."
"Ah, crap," Tsubasa mutters, sighing. "She's not gonna make it easy, huh?"
"Koi," says Naomi, "do you understand why everyone's still here?"
I shake my head.
"If the killer confesses," says Naomi, "then our investigation is over."
"Did… did the killer confess?" I ask.
"Not yet," Naomi answers.
"So… I guess… we need to investigate…"
There's some murmuring.
"Koi," says Naomi. Her voice has changed. It's… sad, now. "Koi, please don't do this," she pleads. "Please, don't… don't make me say it."
"Say… it?" I repeat, confused.
"We're going in circles," Shingo says, annoyed. "Allow me to list the evidence."
"No," Naomi replies. "I'll do it. I've… gotten her this far." She looks at me. "Koi," she says. "The door was locked. Hiroto's e-Handbook was in his room. You were there with him, in his room, when we found the body. There are also three witnesses who saw you with Hiroto last night, shortly before he died. You were in Hiroto's room all night, including at his moment of death. During this time, no one else could possibly have entered the room." She takes a deep breath. "Do you understand, now?" she asks.
"No," I reply. I'm looking around, and seeing all these eyes on me, and feeling my breaths speed up. "I don't understand. I don't understand. What… what are you saying?"
"Koi, please stop!" says Yuna. Her eyes are watering. "I know you're not a liar! I know you don't want to kill us! This… this isn't like you at all! Please, just… just tell the truth!"
They're looking at me. Their eyes are stabbing me. I can't breathe. There's no air. No air.
"I fell asleep," I say, just barely steadying my voice. "And then I woke up. And Hiroto was dead. That's the truth. That's the truth. I'm not a liar. That's really what happened."
"Koi," Naomi says softly. "Koi, please."
"Please what? Please what, Naomi? I don't understand. I don't understand!"
"Please, Koi." She takes my hand. "Please. Just… confess."
They're all looking at me. They're all waiting. I feel the universe slipping away.
"But I didn't do it," I peep out. "Why… why would anyone think… I would never…"
I'm breathing harder and harder.
"Um, okay," says Akiko, "maybe let me try?"
She walks up to me. She also kneels, like Naomi, and takes my other hand. "It's okay, Koi," she says softly. "It's okay. This is all Monokuma's fault. Everyone knows that. He put you in this horrible situation. He manipulated you into doing something that… that you regret. Everyone sees how badly you regret it. It's really obvious how bad you feel about this. I promise—no one's going to hate you. We know you're not a bad person. But we need you to tell the truth, okay? I know it's hard. But you're strong. I know you can push through."
"I told you the truth," I reply immediately. "I fell asleep. I woke up. Hiroto was dead. It's the worst thing that's ever happened to me. It was horrible. That's the truth." I look around for a pair of sympathetic eyes. I find none. "You believe me, right? Akiko?"
Akiko smiles sadly. She rubs my hand. "It's okay, Koi," she almost-whispers. "It's okay if you're not ready yet. We can give you some time. But we need you to confess soon, okay?"
"But I didn't do it. I didn't do it. I didn't do it!" I'm yelling now. "I didn't do it! I didn't do it! I didn't do it! I didn't do it!" I'm shrieking. "I didn't do it I didn't do it I DIDN'T DO IT!"
I breathe heavily. I look around.
No one believes me.
I'm completely alone.
"Why…?" I pull my hands away, and cover my face so that I can cry and cry and cry. "Why is this happening? I don't understand. I don't…"
I have a realization.
Slowly, my breath steadies. Slowly, my tears stop. I put my hands on my knees, and look down at them, feeling a melancholy calmness wash over me. "I get it, now," I mutter. "I understand. I must deserve this." It's a soothing realization. I feel my tension wane. "I must have done something really bad. Maybe in a past life… or maybe in this one. I must have done something terrible. So… I deserve this. Because… nothing like this would ever happen to someone who didn't deserve it. So… I must deserve it." I nod to myself. "It all makes sense now. I'm being punished. That's why this is happening. I understand now."
There's silence for a while.
"Um," says Tsubasa, "I hate to be that guy, but… I think we're way past the point of rational argument, here."
"I agree," says Shingo. "If she's not going to confess, we have no choice but to conduct an actual investigation."
"Um," Mizuki says. "R-Rin… can you please… stay with Koi?"
"Yeah," Rin answers. "Sure." She sits down beside me, and starts gently rubbing my back.
"Um," says Mizuki. "E-everyone else… we should give them space, so… let's t-talk in the trophy room…"
I don't know how long I'm sitting there for. Just… staring into space, having scattered fragments of thoughts that never really coalesce into complete thoughts. The whole time, Rin is sitting beside me, lightly rubbing my back. Occasionally she'll whisper sweet yet meaningless reassurances. "It's alright, baby. It's alright. There, there."
There's a long silence without whispering.
"Rin," I say, breaking the silence. "You… know how much I liked Hiroto, right?"
"Of course I do," Rin says calmly.
"You know… that I would never do something like that to him, right?"
Rin hesitates.
"I don't, like… know what happened," she says. "Because I wasn't, like, there. But, like… even if you did do it? It's still fucking Monokuma's fault. Okay?"
"Oh," I reply softly. "I see. You don't believe me either."
"I just, like, don't pretend to know things if I don't know them."
I nod, pretending to be satisfied with this answer.
There's silence. Then I speak up again.
"If you really think it's possible that I didn't do it," I say, "shouldn't you be more worried? If everyone votes for me, and they're wrong… you'll die, too."
"Well," says Rin, "but, like… the same is true for you, though? So, like. If you're actually innocent. Shouldn't you be, like. Trying to prove it?"
I gaze at my feet. "I just can't bring myself to care about anything right now," I mutter.
Rin doesn't respond. She just rubs my back quietly for a while.
Then there's a noise. A door opening. The sound of footsteps.
I look up. Far in front of me—on the slick gym floor—is Kenji. We lock eyes for half a second. Then he looks away, and just stands there. His face is reddening a bit.
"Koi…" says Kenji. He's far away—in the middle of the gym—and he's not speaking up, so it's hard to hear him.
Then he looks at me, clenches his fists, and shouts: "I BELIEVE YOU!" His face turns bright red—but he keeps going. "I believe that you're innocent! I believe you're telling the truth! And… I'm going to prove it!"
He runs away, opens the door, and flees to the trophy room.
"Aw, isn't that nice?" says Rin. "Kenji is like, such a sweetheart."
I'm staring in awe at the space where Kenji just stood. I feel tears trickle down my face.
Rin notices. "There, there," she whispers, rubbing my back.
"Someone… believes me," I say. The tears pour out harder. "I thought I was alone. But I'm not alone. I'm not alone."
I wipe my eyes.
"Even if it's just one person. Someone believes me."
I wipe my eyes again. Then there's silence.
"If there's even one person," I say, "just one person who believes me…" I pause. "I… don't want to let him down. I… I want to prove that he's right."
"So," Rin says softly, "like… what're you gonna do?"
I take a deep breath.
"I need to investigate," I say. "It's the only way. I need to show everyone the truth. For… for Kenji's sake, as well as mine."
"I'll, like, be your investigation buddy," says Rin. "But, like… are you totally sure you're up for this?"
I nod. "I still feel… so much pain," I say. "But if I'm not alone… I can keep going. If I'm not alone, I can be strong."
Rin takes my hand. "I know you can, baby," she whispers.
I steel myself. I can't fall apart now. I can't just sit here and wallow in misery.
This is bigger than me. Bigger than my own feelings.
Because the horrible truth is… someone killed Hiroto. Someone murdered him.
And if we don't find out who… it's all over.
I take a deep breath. I wipe my eyes one more time.
Then I open my eyes, clench my fists—and stand up.
-INVESTIGATE-
We're about to leave the gym when a very unwelcome voice stops us.
"HOLD IT!"
We turn around, and see our ursine headmaster.
"You didn't hear a single word I said during that assembly!" says Monokuma. "You were just sitting there with those 'Heroic BSOD' eyes! That won't do! That won't do at all!"
"You," I growl through gritted teeth, fists clenched tightly. "I… I don't have anything to say to you."
"Yikes!" Monokuma says, recoiling and sweating. "Teenage girls sure can be scary! Especially when it's that time of the month!"
"Don't listen to him!" Rin warns, restraining me. "He's trying to get a rise out of you!"
"Actually," says Monokuma, holding up his black hand, "since you've decided to begin investigating, I figured you could use a little hint or two. I've compiled some information about the victim's body that might help you out. It's the Monokuma File!"
We wait.
"…Well, it's not a physical file this time," Monokuma explains. "That's too old-fashioned! I just sent it straight to the 'Truth Bullets' section of your e-Handbook. By the way, I also updated the 'Regulations' section of your e-Handbook. You should probably check it out!"
With that, Monokuma lifts a floorboard, and disappears under it.
"He's the reason this is happening," I growl, my teeth still gritted. "He… he…"
"I know," Rin says. "But you can't let your emotions take over right now."
I breathe deeply. "You're right," I admit. "I… I can't let Monokuma get to me. I have to investigate." I try to pull myself together. "So… what's this about a new rule?"
"He talked about it during the assembly," says Rin. "Apparently, like, our dorm rooms are unlocked now? And anyone can just, like, snoop around? It's totally lame."
I look at my e-Handbook, and check the regulations. Sure enough…
15. During an investigation, doors will become unlocked at the headmaster's discretion.
"I should check the Monokuma File, too," I mutter. I browse through the settings until I find the "Truth Bullets" section. I click on the Monokuma File, and read it.
TRUTH BULLET: MONOKUMA FILE #1
The victim is the Ultimate Attorney, Hiroto Oshiro. The estimated time of death is around midnight. The victim was stabbed in the heart, killing him almost instantly. A cutting knife was found lodged in his chest. The victim's body was found lying in his bed. Bloodstains indicate that he died in this position. There are no signs of a struggle.
I reread it, trying to memorize it.
Then I put my e-Handbook away.
"So, like… what now?" asks Rin.
"Well…" I hesitate. "In a murder investigation, the first step is… to investigate the body."
Rin stares at me. "Are you… totally sure you're ready for that?"
Again, I hesitate.
I nod.
"I'm doing this for Kenji," I say. "If I think of it that way, it's easier. If I think of it that way, I can get through this."
We leave the gym.
