Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Danganronpa series. I only own Hikari Seishin and her family. I also do not own any video games I mention in this fanfic.

Note: I try to make the story as canon as I can with obvious creative liberties. Please let me know if any of the original cast is OOC and I will do my best to fix it. I really hope I got Fuyuhiko's character down in this chapter. He's actually one of my favorites.

Chapter Thirteen

Finding Evidence

The three teens stood at the entrance of Jabberwock Park expressing varying levels of shock. In front of them was none other than Komaeda Nagito. He smiled happily at them, waving. "Why hello there, Hinata, Nanami, and Seishin. I'm glad you guys are doing well."

"K-Komaeda!?" both Hajime and Hikari shouted in unison. Hikari's left eyebrow started to twitch.

What the hell…Why is he here? Hikari glared at the Luckster, clenching a fist. The boy simply chuckled, crossing his arms.

"It feels like…it's been a long time since I was able to talk to you three like this," Nagito said fondly. "Even though we haven't spoken…for just a few days…"

Because you up and went all psycho a few days ago! However, Hikari bit her tongue, keeping her anger in check.

Chiaki blinked, tilting her head to the side. "…Why are you here?"

Nagito uncrossed his arms, placing a hand on his hip and looking downwards wistfully. "Well, there's no need to worry about a loser like me…" He sighed softly with a frown. "More importantly, did you hear? Apparently Koizumi got killed this time. Jeez, how horrible… She was the heart of our group, always spirited and very eager to talk… For her to be killed… If only I could have taken her place, I would have gladly done it…" Each word Nagito said was like a dagger stabbing into Hikari's chest, the idea of Mahiru being gone forever sinking into her soul. Then Nagito smiled brightly and exclaimed, "But still…you guys will be able to shine because this outcome is full of despair, right!? That's right, no matter how dark the despair, hope can shine much brighter and stronger!" He closed his eyes and chuckled, Hikari's fury becoming more and more unstable, her body shaking. "Hehe! Though I do feel bad for Koizumi, this is quite exciting! How will everyone overcome despair this time?" At that point, the Spirit Medium couldn't take it anymore, lunging at him.

"You asshole!" Hikari growled.

Luckily for Nagito, Chiaki and Hajime noticed Hikari's intentions of walloping the Luckster, each teen grabbing one of Hikari's arms, holding her back. Chiaki held onto Hikari's right arm tightly, puffing out her cheeks in anger towards Nagito. "Looks like…you feel no remorse." Hajime gripped Hikari's left arm, making sure not to let go, but Hikari could tell from the corner of her eye that Hajime was restraining his annoyance at Nagito as well.

"So why are you here? Who told you about Koizumi?" Hajime asked dryly.

Nagito closed his eyes, smiling sheepishly. "Y-You don't have to make those scary faces. I'll tell you, you know…Monomi." Then Monomi appeared next to Nagito holding her paws together, smiling.

"Yes, it was me, Monomi," the rabbit confirmed happily. Hajime and Hikari gaped at her.

"You…why'd you untie Komaeda without anyone's permission?" Hajime asked, frowning.

"Um…" Monomi blinked, watching the teens' reactions and noticing they didn't seem appreciative at all. Her ears slowly drooped forward, tears forming in her beady eyes. "D-Did I do bad? I just wanted everyone to get along…and, you know…cooperate…" Chiaki and Hajime let go of Hikari while Monomi was talking, seeing that their friend looked like she calmed down. Hikari turned to the stuffed rabbit.

"There's no way in hell we'll get along!" Hikari yelled, pointing at Nagito who just smiled innocently.

"Yeah," Hajime agreed, his look stern towards Monomi. "You already know what kind of guy he is!"

Monomi cowered, her paws covering her head. "B-But…fighting among friends is what Monokuma wants you guys to do…" Hajime still stared at her silently. Hikari crossed her arms, also making no comment. Nagito stepped in front of Monomi, his hands up cautiously.

"Hinata…Seishin…you should forgive her," he pleaded. "Monomi is making a valid point, too."

"…You have no right to say that!" Hajime snapped at the Luckster, making Hikari blink in surprise at seeing Hajime lose his temper. However, Nagito appeared unfazed.

""But now's not the time for friends to fight. There's going to be a class trial for Koizumi, right?"

"Th-That's right!" Monomi nodded, looking determined. "That's why everyone must work together and have Monokuma…"

Hajime closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "…Enough!" Hikari frowned, gently placing a hand on his forearm. He let out a tired sigh, letting his other arm go limp at his side. "Enough already…just…go away already…" Hikari felt her heart break seeing Hajime look so emotionally exhausted.

Fortunately, Monomi took the hint even though the rabbit felt unwanted. "…U-Understood," she sobbed before running away.

Hajime turned to face Nagito. "Komaeda, you too…hurry up and get lost…"

Nagito stared at Hajime with an unreadable expression and arms crossed before his carefree smile formed on his face. "Well, I'm a little lonely but…I guess I'll do that. I already saw the True Ending of that game, so there's really no reason for me to be here."

"…True Ending?"

"So, although I might be a little late…I, too, will do some investigating for a while. I will try to be useful…in my own way."

Chiaki blinked at the Luckster, her hands gripping her backpack straps. "Who do you want to be useful to? The killer? Or us?"

"…Isn't it obvious?" Nagito asked with a chuckle. "I will always be on the side of hope." He stepped around the small group of teens and headed out of the park. Hikari watched him apprehensively.

I have to keep my guard up around him…Who knows if he'd implicate me this time too…And what does he mean by the true ending of the game…? Chiaki has to know about it too…

"Hey hey. Let's just move on and start the game," the Gamer suggested, already walking to the ominous arcade machine.

"…You're right," Hajime mumbled while he and Hikari followed Chiaki. When they reached the game, Hajime looked at Chiaki. "Hey, can I ask you something? Is there a walkthrough for this game?" Both girls blinked in confusion.

A walkthrough? What's that? Hikari wondered, ignorant of almost all lingo concerning video games.

"I feel like I'm just going to repeat the 2nd Day and 4th Day again, and then get a Game Over…" Hajime began to explain, running a hand through his hair. "So if there is a walkthrough, can you tell me about it?"

Chiaki's eyes sparkled as she raised a finger knowingly. "When you get a Game Over…that's the walkthrough."

"…Huh? What do you mean?"

"Do you want me to tell you?" Chiaki asked enthusiastically, stepping forward and leaning close to Hajime, causing the boy to blush. "I'll tell you if you want." Hikari glanced away, pink dusting her cheeks, frowning slightly. "There's a hidden command."

"…A hidden command?" Hajime managed to say. Chiaki nodded and stepped back, her passion for games emanating from her face.

"You should have seen it too. You know, that thing that was displayed on the Game Over screen."

"Is that…?" he blinked before staring at the Gamer. "Are you talking about the message that says, 'Down five'?"

"Right," Chiaki answered. "Just so you know…that doesn't mean you down five drinks or something…" Hajime sweatdropped and Hikari couldn't help but snicker. She knew Chiaki meant it seriously which was why it was so funny to the Spirit Medium. Chiaki carried on in her usual manner as if she didn't notice her friends' reactions. "It means you have to press down five times." Hajime broke out with a grin as though a light bulb turned on in his head.

"Then the hidden command is…!"

The pink-eyed girl smiled gently with pride, happy that he figured it out. "You just have to press the down button five times when you're on the title screen. If you do that, you…should be able to go to the real game."

"S-So that's the trick… Just as expected of the SHSL Gamer," Hajime said in awe. Hikari bit the inside of her cheek, trying to appear calm. She definitely felt a blow to her self-esteem from that especially since she was unable to use her own talent.

What am I even doing here? It seems they don't need me around…I just feel like a third wheel… Hikari thought sadly, seeing Chiaki and Hajime bond even closer in front of her eyes. She closed her eyes before she remembered why they were there in the first place. Koizumi… That's right…I want to be more useful in this investigation for her sake instead of trying to contact her soul fruitlessly. I want to contribute more to the class trial… While the bespectacled girl was convincing herself to stay despite her heartbreak of watching her friends become better friends without her, Hajime turned to the arcade machine and started up the game. Once the title screen appeared, he pressed down five times. All of a sudden, the title screen changed. The change wasn't drastic, but noticeable. The screen went darker, giving the screen an eerie tone. Instead of saying "Investigative Edition" below the game title, it shows "Truth Edition."

"The screen changed… She was right…" Hajime murmured. Hikari stared at the screen, feeling creeped out from vibe it was giving off.

"This is the real game… Twilight Syndrome Murder Case's Truth Edition," Chiaki said to Hajime's left, Hikari standing to Hajime's right. Hajime stood there, taking a breath before he nodded in determination, hitting the start button on the controls. A quick loading screen later, small blocks of text scrolled upwards on the screen. Hikari's eyes flitted across the screen, reading the synopsis of the "Investigative Edition."

"We open with a specific murder case. A tragic killing that occurred within the grounds of the academy that the girls attended. Based on their understanding of the crime scene, the police ruled that the incident was the work of a pervert who snuck into the school grounds. However, there was a secret behind that incident. Even before the janitor first discovered the body, there were students who witnessed the crime itself. The students were five high school girls. They didn't want to get involved in the incident, so they tried to hide the fact that they were the first to discover it. However, tragedy befell those girls. Several days after the incident… One of the five girls, Girl E, is murdered by someone.

"What in the world happened at this once peaceful academy…? By playing the missing '1st Day' and '3rd Day,' you will be able to understand that mystery. All the answers you seek are hidden in this Truth Edition. Will you be able to reach the truth?

"Now then, let's start with the '1st Day,' when it all began." Another loading screen later, "1st Day" showed up on the black screen in eerie text. A few seconds passed as that faded away and the entrance of a school appeared where four high school girls were meeting.

The shortest girl, Girl B, waved her blocky hand. "Jeez, we're gonna go home late because we had to wait for slowpoke Girl A," Hikari read to herself as Hajime continued the dialogue between the girls on the screen.

"Come on Girl B, you don't have to be that mad!" Girl D said, standing behind Girl B.

A light flashed quickly and both Girl A and Girl B jumped in surprise.

"Heeey, don't go taking photos without permission! People might mistake us for good friends!" Girl B shouted at Girl D.

Girl A spun 180 degrees to her left to face Girl B. "I-I'm not your friend!?"

"Whaaaat? There's no way I'd ever be friends with a nasty, trashy, pigshit like you."

I think I've heard that somewhere before… Hikari mused before she focused back on the conversation, making sure she didn't miss anything as Hajime kept proceeding.

Girl A looked around. "Huh… Is Girl E here yet?"

"Ah, apparently she forgot something. She told us to wait just a little longer!" Girl C replied.

Girl D raised her pixelated arm slightly. "She can't find her school swimsuit…"

"Her swimsuit, huh… Maybe it got stolen?" suggested Girl B.

"S-Stolen!?" exclaimed Girl A.

"You don't know? A pervert has been spotted in the area recently. Kehe…you should be super careful, Girl A. A chubby weakling like you makes the perfect prey…"

Girl A stepped back in fear. "Hey, stop it… Girl A's getting really scared," Girl D said.

"Kyahaha! It's fun to bully Girl A!" Suddenly, a loud noise sounded off, alerting the characters to look for the source. "It sounds like it came from the 2nd floor! Let's go!"

The game seems very…dated… Hikari thought as Hajime played through the game as Girl A. She also noticed that the characters acted very familiar. It's as if I know them… Hajime guided Girl A up the stairs to where the girls meet up with Girl E in front of the music room.

"Girl E! What happened!?" asked Girl A.

"I-I don't know… I walked by the front of the music room just now…" Girl E answered. "And then…I suddenly heard the sound of glass breaking…"

"Is…someone in there?" Girl C asked.

"That's what I think but…I think the door is locked. I can't get it open." Girl B walked to the door, turning the knob and making a rattling noise.

"You're right. It's locked," confirmed Girl B.

"Did someone lock it from the inside!? Is someone really in there!?" screamed Girl C.

Girl E waved a hand. "Um…if we use the key from the teacher's lounge, we can open this room, right?"

"I'll go to the teacher's lounge and get the key to the music room!" Girl D volunteered. "The teachers are probably gone by now, so I'm sure we can bring over the key in secret… But…I have a bad feeling about this!" Girl D ran off screen quickly.

The arcade screen went black for a moment before the game loaded the same location, Girl D running back on screen. "I found the key! Nobody was there so it was super easy to get!" Girl D said.

"Then let's open it right away!" said Girl C. Girl D stepped to the door and a muffled scraping sound was heard.

"Okay."

"…Girl A, you lead the way!" ordered Girl B. Girl A turned around and jumped in surprise again.

"Huh!? M-Me!?" Girl A squeaked.

"C'mon, hurry hurry!" With that said, Hajime pressed the directional pads to enter into the music room which consisted of chairs, a stage and a grand piano. Moving Girl A toward the windows, Hajime saw another high school girl laying on the floor, leaning against the wall, a broken window, and a tipped over fish tank. Water, glass, and gravel littered the floor by the girl's body. Hajime had Girl A inspect things closer.

"S-Someone's…laying on the floor…" Girl A stuttered. The other girls ran into view, Girl B walking right up to the body, squatting down.

"This… She isn't laying down… She's dead," Girl B stated.

Girl D jumped, taken aback. "D-Dead!?"

Girl E walked backwards a few steps. "That's impossible…why…?"

Hikari kept her eyes glued to the screen, very puzzled. Is this scene what our killer tried to copy? If so…where's the metal bat? Oh wait…maybe this isn't it since Hinata questioned about the bat with Nanami…

Girl B stood up. "I mean, this…looks like someone murdered her."

"Murdered…huh!?" Girl C shouted. Girl B turned to Girl C, waving her arms.

"Seriously, shut up! What's gonna happen if the killer notices us!?"

"Wh-What should we do…? What should I do?" Girl D whispered. Girl B looked around the crime scene before nodding.

"I see, so that's what happened," Girl B said. "I found the killer's escape route."

Could it be the window? Hikari thought. Hajime had similar beliefs because when he was able to move, he guided Girl A to the hole in the window next to the dead body.

"Ah, the window is broken…!" Girl A exclaimed.

"The sound from the entrance hall was probably the window breaking," Girl B surmised. "Someone probably locked the music room door from the inside, and after killing this girl… They broke the window and escaped outside. Looks like she got hit by something when she died, but I can't seem to find anything bloody here… What happened to the weapon? Did the killer take it?"

"Sooo…the killer just ran out the window!?" Girl C asked.

"But…if they just wanted to run away, they could have opened the window. Why did they have to break it?" Girl A wondered.

"Th-They were probably trying to leave in a hurry… Look…there's evidence," Girl E said, pointing to the broken fish tank. "The fish tank by the window is tipped over, and all the gravel is scattered…"

"They must've accidentally tipped it over when they were frantically trying to get away," Girl B concluded.

"It's not too high to jump from the 2nd floor, so maybe they thought it'd be safer than using the hallway…"

"B-But…is that really it…?" Girl A questioned.

Girl B faced Girl A. "I mean, to lock the door, you'd have to either lock it from inside the music room…or use the lounge key."

"Oh, when I went to get the music room key, it was in the teacher's lounge…" Girl D spoke up.

"So the killer wouldn't have had time to return the key before they broke the window…"

"Then, the door could've been locked from the inside…" said Girl C. "That means the killer was inside the music room."

"Also, to get outside from the music room, they'd need to have passed by us in the entrance hall… But we didn't see anyone pass by… Which means the killer's only escape route was this window."

Girl E fidgeted nervously. "I-It's probably…that pervert I heard about… He's the one who snuck inside the school grounds."

"Huh?" Girl A asked.

"My school swimsuit…was stolen. I couldn't find it anywhere."

"Then…the pervert who stole Girl E's school swimsuit also murdered that girl over there!?" Girl C shouted.

Girl B placed a hand on her chin. "They…probably locked the music room so they could rape her, but she ended up resisting…"

"So, they frantically tried to get away, broke the window, and escaped?" Girl A pondered out loud.

Girl E was still restless. "I-Isn't…it bad if we stay here much longer? I mean, I don't want to get involved in something like this… And the killer might still be around, too…"

Girl C jumped. "That's bad! Uber bad! We better hurry up and run!" She then turned and ran off screen.

"B-But…" Girl A stammered. "Don't we have to report this to the police?"

"Don't you know what happens…when you report this kind of stuff to the police? You become the prime suspect just because you found the body first. I definitely don't want that!" Girl E reprimanded Girl A before bolting off screen.

Girl B placed a hand on her hip. "Yeah…it'd be best if we left the room how we found it…just lock the door, leave everything as it was…" Girl B nodded to herself before walking away.

"Ah, hey! Please wait…don't leave me!" Girl A cried, running after Girl B. Girl D was the only one left in the room as the screen transitioned to a loading screen. Hikari watched as "3rd Day" showed up on the black screen.

So the second day must have been in the edition that they first played… Hikari thought, noticing the game skipping over a whole day. The game loaded a different scene, that of the outside of the school. Only Girl D and Girl E were present.

"Sorry, did I make you wait?" Girl E asked Girl D. "So, what's up? You asked me to meet here, don't tell me you're gonna confess your love to me? Huh…what happened?" Girl E questioned when Girl D remained silent.

"Um…I want you to look at this photo…" Girl D said as she handed something to Girl E. "On the day of the incident…I found this when I peeked into the next-door classroom as I was going home… And I couldn't help taking a picture…" A picture of a broken vase and scattered red flowers appeared on the foreground of the screen before disappearing seconds later. "What do you think these broken vase pieces mean? That sound we heard from the entrance hall wasn't the sound of a window breaking…"

Girl E backed up slowly. "Wh-What is this… I…I don't know anything about this vase…!"

"And if that's the case…the killer didn't escape from the window…"

"S-Seriously…I don't know anything!"

"…It's okay, I made sure to throw it away…"

"…Huh?"

"If anyone found it…you'd be in trouble, right Girl E?"

"Are…are you trying to blackmail me?"

"O-Of course not…that's not what this is about… If there's something you're hiding from me… I want you to say it. I mean…we're friends, right?"

"You…you didn't say anything either… I knew, you know. I knew that girl who got killed was tormenting you…"

"Huh…?"

"No, she wasn't just tormenting you. She was seriously making your life a living hell… That bitch…was in your photography club back in middle school, right? She was probably jealous of your talent… So she… I'm supposed to be your best friend! If you'd told me…none of this would have happened…"

"Girl E…d-don't tell me you...!"

"That bitch…thought she could do anything she wanted because of her family's influence… And I just couldn't stand it anymore! You know…at first, I tried to talk to her. But that bitch…started talking shit about how she'd target me next time, so… I felt…a sudden rage…and before I knew it, I was choking her… And then…she lost consciousness…but things would've been worse if she woke up, so… That's why I had to do something about it…!"

"Th-That's…!" Girl D stammered, backing up a few steps.

"It's not my fault…or yours… It's all her fault!" Girl E screamed, running off screen.

"Ah! Girl E!" Girl D called out as the screen transitioned to what appeared to be the outside garbage area and incinerator. Girl E ran up to the garbage area, looking around before she dumped something there and ran away. A new character walked on screen after Girl E left.

"That bitch…Girl E, was it…?" Guy F muttered, facing off screen. "Word is she was with her on…the day of the incident…" He walked to the garbage. "Looks like she threw something away here… What was it?" The boy bent down and picked up the discard item before jumping in shock. "What the hell is this photo!? This vase is… Could it be…the sound of breaking glass…was actually this…? If it wasn't…why did she secretly try to get rid of this…?" Boy F turned to the left side of the screen. "That bitch…what the hell did she do to my little sister!? Looks like I need to ask her a few questions… And if that bitch really did…that…" The screen slowly turned black, the dialogue box still visible. "I will never… I will never forgive her!" Then Monokuma popped up on the screen, paws on his stomach laughing with the words "GAME CLEARED" in bold letters above him.

Hikari blinked, tilting her head as Hajime stepped back a little. So…that's the game? Hinata didn't do much at all.

"Now you've filled in all four events from the 1st Day to the 4th Day," Chiaki told Hajime. Hikari tilted her head to the other side, frowning slightly.

I still feel a bit lost, but I think I got the gist of the game… The scene with the metal bat must've happened on the 4th Day if my inferences based on the 3rd Day are correct… If the game and Koizumi's murder are connected, then a boy must've… Hikari thought deeply before Chiaki interrupted her stream of consciousness.

"Looks like the ending's staff roll started."

"…Staff roll?" Hajime repeated in confusion.

"You should be able to find out what you wanna know if you look at it…probably." Hikari sweatdropped slightly towards her best friend. Hajime raised an eyebrow before all three of them turned back to the arcade screen. Sure enough, the ending credits started to scroll upwards from the bottom of the screen.

Producer…Director…Supervisor…Plan/Scenario…Programmer…Graphics…Sound… All of these are Monokuma… Hikari thought, looking nonplussed. He sure likes to put himself on a pedestal… Oh…the Cast is different… Tsumiki…Koizumi…Saionji…Mioda…Sato…Kuzuryuu…Kuzuryuu… Wait…why does it have Kuzuryuu on there twice…? Hikari wondered as the last credit scrolled up as "Producer Supreme…Monokuma."

"W-Wait! Just now…!" Hajime shouted, his eyes wide in realization.

"See, didn't I tell you?" Chiaki said, a finger in the air. "What you wanna know is gonna be on there."

"So…did they really get involved…?" Hikari began to ask before Monokuma, in his usual manner, jumped out of nowhere next to the Spirit Medium, throwing confetti at Hajime.

"Yaaay! Congraaaats! Miracle congratulatiooooons! You have finally beaten Twilight Syndrome Murder Case!" the bear cheered, jumping up and down in glee, grinning as Hajime grumbled, dusting himself of confetti. Hikari was a bit surprised that Monokuma's sudden appearances don't have an effect on them anymore.

Might be losing his touch… Hikari thought as she crossed her arms.

"Now that you guys have played this game through to the end, you should already know… That's right, that game is a nonfiction game based on an actual past incident!" Monokuma declared, looking rather pleased with himself.

S-So…it is true…? Hikari bit her lip, eyes widening.

"By the way, 'nonfiction' means an original story based on historical facts or records."

Hikari stared at the devious stuffed animal. "So…what part or parts of the plot were made up by you exactly…?" Ignoring her, Monokuma continued talking.

"Buuuut…even if this is nonfiction, you guys probably don't remember it. Well, that can't be helped," Monokuma sighed heavily. Hikari's eye twitched in annoyance, glaring at the bear as he tilted his head back and laughed uproariously. "The school life you no longer remember is the setting for this story."

I swear these stuffed toys only have selective hearing… Monomi's the same in that respect… Wait…what the hell did he say!? Hikari gawked at Monokuma, finally processing what he just told the three teens before him.

The bear tried calming himself down, his paws covering his mouth. "Puhuhu… At any rate…congratulations! Now then, as for the ending prize that I'm supposed to give you as a reward for clearing the game…" He turned his back to them, arms crossed. "…I won't give it to ya!"

"Ending prize…?" Hajime asked.

"Why not?" Hikari questioned, her hands on her hips. Monokuma spun around, laughter spilling from his mouth loudly.

"There was only one ending prize, and I already gave it to the first person who beat it!" Monokuma answered, his teeth on his black half looking razor sharp as he laughed. "Puhuhuhu…Too bad…how disappointing!" With that, he vanished smugly.

Hajime scratched his head. "Did he say…ending prize?"

Chiaki tapped a finger to her chin, staring into space. "Hm… Like…I was told the same thing when I beat it too." She frowned and sighed dejectedly. "Man, I was too late. If I'd known something like this was gonna happen, I would've played the game sooner." Hikari sweatdropped again, but understood what she meant.

If Nanami was able to beat the game first, Koizumi most likely wouldn't have been killed since Nanami didn't seem to be involved in that incident…if it really did happen… Nanami wasn't on the staff roll…

"But the ending prize wasn't the problem," Hajime pointed out. "It's what Monokuma said earlier… He mentioned how he used our school life as the setting of the game…" Hajime frowned, his eyebrows furrowed. The girls watched him for a moment quietly.

"It looks like…there's something on your mind," Chiaki said, staring at him.

"…Huh?"

"Monokuma probably said the same thing to everyone else who's beaten the game. That this game is nonfiction… That it's the 'missing link' that existed in our forgotten school memories…"

"So do you believe it? Do you really believe…our memories were taken?" Hajime asked, looking at both girls for their input.

Hikari crossed her arms, closing her eyes, tapping a finger against her arm. "I'm not sure…it could be possible…but it's also possible that Monokuma is just trying to get us riled up…I need more proof." Hajime and Hikari then turned to the Gamer for her response.

"I don't know but…instead of thinking about that right now, we gotta focus on solving this mystery first," Chiaki answered. "Whether we believe it's the motive or not, it's clear that a murder did occur."

"Oh…you're right, Nanami. We only have so much time until the class trial," Hikari conceded, frowning.

Hajime placed a hand to his chin. "If that's the case…then I need to question them directly. If I do that…I might be able to learn something."

Hikari raised an eyebrow quizzically before realizing that he wanted to talk to those whom the game's characters were based off of. "You mean…?"

Chiaki nodded. "You're talking about the people whose characters appear in the game, right? Then I'll go too."

"S-Same here…!" Hikari nodded energetically, her hands clenched into fists. "M-Might as well, right…?" Hajime sweatdropped slightly and Chiaki blinked blankly as Hikari felt the familiar feeling of embarrassment creep into her face.

"Then let's hurry and ask the others," the Gamer stated before she got fired up as well, grasping the ends of her hood excitedly. "And while you're at it…ask them how it feels to be characters in the game." Hajime sweatdropped even more at that last comment. After a moment of awkward silence, he walked to the park's entrance with the two girls in tow. "Ah, also, if you want to gather your thoughts about the content of the game, talk to me anytime."

"…I see, thanks," Hajime said, looking over his shoulder at Chiaki. "That's a huge help."

Hikari smiled forlornly, her eyes to the ground. I'm glad she's able to use her talent to help us with this investigation…if only I could do the same… She wasn't sure if the next encounter with Nagito was a blessing or a curse, but it certainly brought her out of her self-loathing thoughts.

"Why, hello there Hinata, Nanami, and Seishin. We meet again," Nagito beamed.

Hikari shot him a deadpan stare, feeling her body tense up. Unfortunately…

Hajime was equally as entertained, feeling like a dark cloud was hovering over them. "The timing's too perfect… You were waiting here, weren't you?"

"…Ah, so you caught me?" Nagito chortled. Hikari gawked and glared at the Luckster. Hajime smiled weakly at Hikari's reaction.

If I had to compare…Seishin is like a pissed off cat… Hajime thought, now picturing Hikari with cat ears and a tail, fur standing on end and hissing.

"Wouldn't it be best if we traveled together?" Nagito proposed cheerfully. "If you've beaten the game, we must think similarly, right?"

"No!" Hikari hissed, glaring up at the lackadaisical teen.

"Haha…you agree, Seishin. Maybe I'm being a little too conceited. A guy like me thinking similarly to you guys…"

Hajime shook his head a bit to bring himself out of his overactive imagination of Hikari the black cat chasing angrily after a carefree Nagito the white dog. Hajime sighed a little. "…It's okay, just make your point." Hikari bit her tongue to keep herself in check, not wanting to be seen as troublesome in Hajime's or Chiaki's eyes.

Nagito crossed his arms, glancing at the plain boy. "Well, there was an airport on the 1st island, right? I told them to meet up there."

"…Them?"

"Why, the characters who appeared in Twilight Syndrome Murder Case, of course… The girls must be busy with their own investigations, too. It'd be a waste of time if we both questioned them, no?"

Hikari blinked in surprise. "Whoa…really? That makes a lot of sense…"

Nagito grinned. "Wow! Seishin complimented me! I feel so honored!" Hikari growled and placed her hands on her hips.

"Hey! Shut up! It doesn't mean that I forgive you!"

"Anyway, if you want to hear what they have to say," Nagito began to say, turning to Hajime and Chiaki as if he didn't hear the Spirit Medium's words, "you should come with me. I'll go on ahead and wait for you guys." He walked off with his signature lighthearted smile.

Hikari crossed her arms as Chiaki looked at the ground with her hood over her head. "Jeez…that guy really gets on my nerves…" Hikari uttered quietly.

"…What should we do?" Hajime asked, a hand on his hip, looking at his friends.

Chiaki tilted her head, her hood slipping off from that movement. "Hmm, I guess the only thing we can do is go."

Hikari breathed out her nose, still a bit irritated. "Nanami's right… It seems that's our next move to solving this mystery…"

"…I guess you're right," Hajime said reluctantly, not looking forward to working with Nagito either.

When the trio arrived at the airport, Nagito waved them over to where he gathered those who appeared in the arcade game. "Ah, Hinata! Over here!" Hajime, Hikari, and Chiaki walked over to find only some of them present.

Well, Koizumi obviously couldn't be here…but where is Kuzuryu…? Hikari scanned the airport, but the Yakuza was nowhere to be seen. There was only Ibuki, Hiyoko, and Mikan who showed up.

"Um… The names on the staff roll for Twilight Syndrome Murder Case were…'Tsumiki, Koizumi, Saionji, Mioda, Sato, Kuzuryu'…" Nagito affirmed in thought before relaxing with a smile. "I really wanted Kuzuryu to come too, but he locked himself in his cottage and wouldn't come out for me."

I wonder why… Hikari thought bitterly.

"So, unfortunately, he's absent. It's probably because I'm so incompetent…I apologize." Hikari fidgeted uncomfortably, feeling a tinge of guilt for mentally belittling him when he ridiculed himself all the time.

"What!? It's okay to be absent?" Hiyoko gasped. "I thought you said we'd get executed if we didn't come."

"…Executed?" Hajime murmured and blinked.

Mikan's eyes watered in fear. "I mean…you said Monokuma had something important to tell us, right? W-We came because you told us that…"

"Sorry! That was a lie!" Nagito proclaimed with a laugh.

"A lieeee!?" Mikan squeaked, eyes wide.

"Grrrr…you tricked us…!" whined Ibuki who gritted her teeth, upset that she was fooled by the Luckster.

"Wh-What the heck…!?" Hiyoko sneered, glaring daggers towards Nagito. "F-Fine! Then I'm leaving!"

Nagito stepped in front of Hiyoko, preventing her from leaving. "Can you wait until we've finished our business with you? Right, Hinata?" Hajime blinked before he gave an exasperated look towards Nagito. Hikari stood beside Chiaki as Hajime took the initiative and began asking questions to Mikan, Ibuki, and Hiyoko separately.

"Hey, do you have a minute?" Hajime asked the timid Nurse. "There's something I need to ask you… Have you played Twilight Murder Syndrome Murder Case, Tsumiki?"

She smiled weakly. "N-No…since we said we weren't going to play that game… Also…I'm not really good at video games… I'm pretty slow…and I panic instantly…" Hikari smiled to herself, glad that she wasn't the only one with that thought process concerning the arcade game.

Chiaki tilted her head, blinking. "Anyway, can you tell us about your relationship with Koizumi?" The Spirit Medium sweatdropped.

That's one way to phrase it… Mikan thought likewise, looking a bit confused.

"R-Relationship…? With Koizumi…? W-Well…I-I first met her… Um…when we first gathered at the classroom with everyone else… And after arriving at the island… I did have a few conversations with her but…" Mikan started to panic, tears falling down her cheeks. "O-Oh! Could it be… Did Koizumi hate me?" She brought her hands to her face, sobbing. "Ngh…that's definitely it… She hated me…" Hikari walked over to her, rubbing her back, looking at the frazzled Nurse sympathetically. "But…even though she hated me, for her to actually invite me…she must've been a really kind person…"

Hajime blinked. "…Hm? Invite?"

"To the girls' get-together?" Hikari asked softly, puzzled.

"Ah, um…Koizumi invited me this morning…"

"…This morning?" That would've meant before breakfast… but I talked to Tsumiki about the meet up this morning. Tsumiki didn't say anything about seeing Koizumi during breakfast when her absence was brought up… Hikari frowned slightly, trying to make sense of a possible timeline for the morning.

"Sh-She looked very serious…and she was wondering if we could all meet up so she could discuss something… B-But…I already had plans to go to the beach… So I had to decline…'cause I needed to prepare for that… And when I did…she made this lonely face and said that she'll reschedule for another day… B-But…if only I went with her… This wouldn't have happened… WAAAAAAAAH!"

"Don't think like that…" Hikari said comfortingly. "The outcome might have stayed the same or worse if you went with Koizumi… I mean, you might've been killed too for all we know." Mikan squeaked in fear at the thought. Hikari smiled weakly. "S-Sorry… My point is that you might not have been able to help Koizumi if you were with her, so please don't blame yourself for Koizumi's death."

"I-I see… Th-Thank you, Seishin…" Mikan hiccupped, trying to calm herself down. "Y-You are so nice to me…" Hikari nodded compassionately.

So, Koizumi must've talked with Tsumiki after breakfast… That's the only logical explanation I can think of if Tsumiki is telling the truth, which I think she is. Could Koizumi have played the game and beaten it? Hikari thought to herself as she saw Hajime and Chiaki talking with Ibuki. Once Hikari was sure that Mikan was emotionally okay, she walked over to them.

"Um…do you know what she meant by 'everyone'?" Hajime asked the Musician.

The punk rocker frowned, scratching her head. "Nope, I didn't ask."

"I see…"

"I see…" Nagito repeated, standing close to Hajime who grasped his chest after he felt his body jolt in shock from Nagito's sudden appearance. "Looks like we've obtained some pretty valuable testimonies. Based on that… It seems like Koizumi also beat the game."

"Why…Why do you know that?"

"If she hadn't, she wouldn't have chosen these people to talk to. Because she beat the game, she talked to the people who appeared in that game," Nagito said before he crossed his arms with a smile. "…Just like what we're doing right now."

Chiaki frowned. "But…in her case, it was much more serious…probably. I mean, she was forced to learn that she was involved in that game."

"That's true…" Hajime concurred, nodding slowly.

"But I'm surprised," the Gamer remarked, blinking. "I never thought Koizumi would play that game…"

"Likewise…" Hikari whispered softly.

Hajime turned to Nagito suspiciously. "Komaeda, didn't you tempt her into playing that game?" Hikari blinked and whipped her head to face Hajime and Nagito.

Wh-What…? Did he really do that…? How would he know about the arcade game in the first place if he's been tied up in the old hotel building?

"Wait…you tempted her, right? Just like you did to me…"

"What!?" Hikari blurted out, taking a step towards the boys.

Nagito frowned as if hurt by that accusation. "Tempt…? That's a rude thing to say." He glared and pointed a finger at Hajime angrily. "That's disrespectful toward Koizumi!" Hikari blinked, taken aback by Nagito's retaliation. "There's no way her feelings would change just because a useless guy like me tempted her." The black-haired girl stood there, still blinking, processing what the Luckster just said as he continued talking. "At that time, she was already considering giving that game a try. All I did was give her a little push… That's all it was, obviously!" The more Nagito talked, the more Hikari could feel her rage building up in her petite body.

"You son of a…!" Hikari swore loudly as she attempted to jump at Nagito for the second time that day. Using their brains and quickness, Hajime and Chiaki held Hikari back, Hajime wrapping a lanky arm around her waist and Chiaki holding both of the Spirit Medium's shoulders. Hajime scowled at the white-haired instigator.

"Wh-What the heck…!?" he shouted at Nagito irately. He merely shrugged.

"I'm a bit disappointed, Seishin," Nagito sighed, frowning. "I had a feeling you wouldn't have played the game…that's why I tried to tempt you with other means since I can coax you much easier than I can with Nanami who obviously played the game. You really did seem to have had an impressive amount of self-restraint this morning… But alas, here you are, attempting to take my life, not once, but twice within the past couple of hours!" Hikari squirmed in Hajime's and Chiaki's holds, growling furiously.

"Not a chance in hell! I just want to beat the living shit out of you!" Hikari screamed, shaking in rage. Nagito stood there calmly, smiling with his arms crossed while the other girls looked on in shock, Ibuki giggling.

"Oh oh oh! Yandere Seishin came out again!" Ibuki grinned cheekily.

Chiaki stared at Hikari sternly. "Seishin…calm down. He just wants to antagonize you. Just ignore him."

"Nanami's right, Seishin," Hajime agreed, looking down at her. "You're better than falling for his provocations."

Th-They're right… Hikari thought bitterly, lowering her arms and closing her eyes. She still felt the adrenaline rushing throughout her body causing her body to tremble. Nevertheless, she took a few deep breaths to relax. When they felt that she was okay on her own, Hajime and Chiaki slowly let go.

Placing a hand on his hip, Nagito moved to the side as if nothing out of the ordinary just happened. "But more importantly…isn't it better if we listen to what she has to say? She's being as quiet as ever… I'm counting on you…Saionji." Hiyoko bit her bottom lip, glowering at Nagito for turning the attention on her. "If Koizumi spoke to everyone in the game, she should've talked to you too, right?" Hiyoko's eyes wandered to the window, pouting, still being uncharacteristically silent.

"Well, Saionji?" Hajime asked the Traditional Dancer. The blonde started laughing a bit forcefully.

"Kyahaha! She never talked to me at all! Man, what a surprise. I didn't expect you to ask me such an easy question. Sooooo…I'm just gonna go back to my cottage now! Bye bye!" With that said, the kimono-clad girl briskly walked out of the airport.

"Ah! Hey Saionji!" Hajime called out, wanting to ask her more questions.

Nagito chuckled. "Looks like…it's okay to say she ran away. Yeah, she's clearly suspicious. That's pretty much decided."

"Decided…?"

Ignoring Hajime, Nagito placed a hand to his chin, thinking. "Regardless, it looks like we're finished here, so why don't we part ways for now? There's…still something I need to investigate."

"Gladly…" Hikari muttered under her breath. Nagito smiled as if he was able to hear her. Or am I just that easy to read…?

"I'll see you later," Nagito said before he walked away with hands in his pockets.

Unsure of what to do, Hajime looked at Chiaki and Hikari. "What should we do? Should we go back to the scene of the crime one more time and investigate?"

"It is very important to investigate the scene of the crime," Chiaki reasoned, "but let's head over to Koizumi's cottage first."

"…Koizumi's cottage?"

"If she beat that game, it's best if we investigate there…I think. She…might have that."

Hikari tilted her head. "That? Do you mean the ending prize? Alright, I'll stay with you, Nanami."

"If that's the case, I'll go too," Hajime said with a nod. "You're okay with that, right?"

"Uhh…" Chiaki hummed. Both of her friends sweatdropped.

"Of course, Hinata," Hikari said softly, her cheeks a light tinge of pink.

The three teens stopped when they reached Mahiru's cottage. Hikari fingered her necklace nervously. Is it really okay to go in…? I mean, I still feel like I'm intruding upon her space even though she's…

Hajime raised an eyebrow, staring at the door. "The door…looks unlocked…"

"Phew!" a familiar yet very unwelcomed voice sighed heavily. Hikari looked down to find Monokuma popping up out of thin air, looking proud of himself. "Moving after you're told would be too third-rate, so I made sure to be one step ahead! However, removing what's inside is a huge no-no! There are others who want to investigate too!" The stuffed bear left just as quickly as he appeared in front of the three teens who just blinked blankly.

So he unlocked the door… Hikari supposed as Hajime went to the door and opened it, letting the girls enter first before walking in himself.

Mahiru's cottage wasn't as different as the cottages Hikari had seen before. The bulk of the furniture was the same: canopy double bed, flat screen television, a couple of potted plants here and there, tan sofa, coffee table, and the ever-present surveillance camera and monitor. The bedsheets were slightly different, having black dots on the sides that reach over the sides of the bed, a couple of stacks of books sat on top of the coffee table, and in the farthest right corner of the room was occupied by a white wooden corner desk and chair. Photos scattered all over the desk's surface and a camera laid on the edge of the desk. Above the desk on the walls had two huge corkboards where more photos were placed decoratively.

This…This definitely Koizumi's room… Hikari thought sadly, feeling a weight in her chest as she inspected the cottage with Hajime and Chiaki, smelling a slight floral scent lingering in the air.

"Then I should…" Chiaki began to say as she looked around, "try looking for a naughty book." Hikari turned to Chiaki feeling as if her jaw would drop to the ground in sheer shock. Hajime looked just as flabbergasted, eyes wide and his face heating up.

"…Why!?" he asked in a shaky voice.

"Now now, I was only kidding," Chiaki said blankly.

"Kidding…are you that kind of person?" Hajime wondered out loud. Hikari smiled gently to herself, the dread lingering in the air began to fade because of Chiaki's attempt at humor.

"But…it looks like we don't need to search for it. Check out that thing on top of the bed."

"…On top of the bed?" The three teens walked closer to the bed where a large manila envelope was laying.

"Hey hey, could it be…? This might be it. The ending prize Monokuma gave to the first person who beat that game…"

So maybe Koizumi was the first one to play the game… Hikari thought as Hajime carefully picked up the envelope, a girl on each side stepping closer to him.

"…What's inside the envelope?"

"Let's find out…" Hajime replied as he opened it, turning over the envelope which caused the contents to fall out onto the bed.

"Are those photos?" Hikari asked, blinking. Chiaki picked up a photo and gasped, her eyes widening.

"Ah, that photo…" Hajime and Hikari moved to see the picture better. They both were quite surprised at what they saw.

"Is this…Is this Tsumiki, Mioda, and Saionji?" Hikari gawked. The photo indeed showed the three girls standing around in an entrance hall, all three wearing the same school uniform.

"It's…just like that game…" Hajime said breathlessly.

"Yup," Chiaki confirmed. "There was a similar scenario during the 1st Day in Twilight's Truth Edition. Girl B was in a bad mood because Girl A was late, and Girl D tried to cheer her up by taking her picture…" Chiaki glanced down at the other photos and gasped again, picking up another picture. "…Look at this photo, too." She moved the photo for everyone to see it clearly.

The photo of the broken vase of flowers… Hikari thought as she stared at the supposedly incriminating photo from the game.

"Is that…the same photo Girl D showed Girl E on the 3rd Day?"

"As I recall…" Hinata started to say, "a broken vase was in the classroom next to the music room…"

"But still…this photo is more shocking." Chiaki picked up yet another photo, revealing it to Hajime and Hikari. They couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"This is a photo of…the murder scene…" Hikari mumbled, stunned as she was looking at a picture of a dead high school girl next to the stage where a grand piano sat. Blood was pouring down from the girl's head, staining the same uniform as what Mikan, Ibuki, and Hiyoko were wearing in the first photo.

"This is an actual photo…of a dead body… Since there's a piano behind the body, it looks like it's in the music room," Chiaki explained as Hajime stared at the picture, completely speechless. "If that's the case… Could this be the photo of the first victim?"

"You mean…it's the victim of the murder that occurred on the 1st Day?" Hajime asked, his voice breaking slightly.

"Yeah…the one they blamed on a pervert. And one more…this is the last photo." The Gamer picked up the remaining photo that was on the bed. Hikari gasped, seeing a high school girl with long dark green hair, wearing the same uniform as all the other girls, slumped against a wall. She also had blood seeping out of her head and a bloody metal bat was nearby.

This is almost exactly like the murder scene in the beach house… Hikari thought, covering her mouth with a hand, shaking.

Hajime winced when he looked at the photo. "This is probably…the photo of Girl E after she got killed on the 4th Day," Chiaki concluded. "I mean, it nearly matches her body in the game… Yeah, there's no mistake. This is a photo of Girl E." Hajime looked down to see Hikari trembling, the girl having scooted very close to him in order to see the photos.

This must be her first time seeing this image… She did say that she hasn't played the game… The plain-looking boy gingerly placed a hand on Hikari's upper back. "Seishin?" The stunned girl blinked and moved away once she realized the close proximity of the two.

"S-Sorry…I wasn't expecting to see that…and looking like how Koizumi ended up…" Hikari whispered, feeling her throat close up as she held back a sob. Hajime frowned, wishing the killing game never happened.

"With that…we've finished looking at all the photos," Chiaki announced, her eyes moving between her friends with a bit of concern.

Hajime cleared his throat. "So, based on all these photos…"

Chiaki nodded. "Yeah, it seems pretty clear. This is the ending prize." She picked up the manila envelope and raised an eyebrow. "…Huh? What's this?"

"…Is there something else?"

"There's…a note inside the envelope…" Chiaki said as she took out a folded up piece of paper. Hikari and Hajime huddled around the girl to read what it said.

"Try playing Twilight Syndrome. After you get a Game Over, press down five times for the real game. Once you do, you should remember what you all did to my sister… We'll talk then."

"Huh… Maybe the first person to beat the game and receive the ending prize…wasn't Koizumi," Chiaki acknowledged softly as she stared at the piece of paper in her hands.

"Someone else sent this to Koizumi…" Hajime commented, "…and that person is the one who actually received the ending prize. Koizumi wasn't just lured there by Komaeda, she also received this envelope…" Hikari and Chiaki nodded in agreement.

"Yup… And that's why she played that game, right?"

But who…? Hikari closed her eyes, trying to remember what happened in the game. She suddenly blinked as if the answer flicked her on the forehead. Maybe…it might be Kuzuryuu since his name was in the credits… Does he have a sister?

"I'm glad we came here to investigate. Because we did that, we discovered a very important clue," Chiaki confirmed.

Hikari smiled a little. "You're right. We did. I just hope we'll be able to solve this…" Having finished their investigation in Mahiru's cottage, the three teens walked outside to find themselves encountering Nagito yet again.

Nagito beamed, waving at them. "Hinata, Nanami, and Seishin, what a coincidence. If something's happens twice, third time's the charm, so they say." Hikari already felt her body tense up when she saw Nagito, biting the inside of her cheek.

Hajime frowned, his eyebrows furrowed a bit. "What coincidence…? Are you a stalker or something?"

"Now now…" the white-haired teen held out his hands in appeasement. "Don't say that…I was just thinking about filling you in on the results of my investigation."

"Results…did you find something?"

Nagito scoffed lightly and stared at the tie-wearing teen contemptuously, a hand on his hip. "I'll let you know if you drop to your knees and lick my shoes." Hikari felt a vein throb above her eyebrow, clenching her fists tightly.

Don't lose your cool, Hikari… the Spirit Medium mentally advised herself. You don't want to be a burden to Nanami or Hinata… She glared darkly at the Luckster who caught her gaze and smirked slightly.

Hajime just blinked blankly at him, not sure if he heard right. "…Huh?"

Nagito chuckled, his expression becoming relaxed. "…Juuust kidding, I was joking." Hajime sweatdropped as Hikari gave Nagito a deadpan stare, not amused at all. "Well, it's about the footprints… The killer left footprints in front of the beach house, right?"

"Did…did you find out whose footprints those are!?"

"If you want to know, I highly recommend you come to the beach house with me."

"…With you?" Hajime asked hesitantly.

"…Of course, you'll come with me, right?"

Hajime frowned and glanced at Chiaki and Hikari. "…What are you two going to do?"

Chiaki pulled her hood over her head, her hands gripping the hem of the hood. "Hm…I'm going to try to talk to Kuzuryuu and see if he can tell me anything."

Hikari smiled weakly at Hajime. "I was actually going to stick with Nanami. I wanted to ask Kuzuryuu a couple of questions too." Plus, if I spend any more time with Komaeda than what's absolutely necessary…I might become a blackened… Hikari thought miserably. Sorry Hinata…

"So we'll leave this to you," Chiaki asserted.

"Yeah, that's definitely a good idea," Nagito concurred. "If someone like me tried to talk to him, it'd be impossible, but it might be different with a girl. Just be careful that he doesn't get rough with you…"

Chiaki tilted her head and turned back to Hajime. "I guess this is where we part. I'll see you later, Hinata." She walked off, hands on her backpack straps. Hikari gave a quick wave and a look of sympathy towards Hajime who seemed that he really didn't want to be with Nagito alone.

Hikari walked briskly to catch up with Chiaki. "I forgot to ask this earlier…what do you make of Saionji's behavior at the airport? Do you think she was lying about not seeing Koizumi this morning?" Hikari couldn't really tell what Chiaki was thinking when her hood covering her head, shadowing her eyes.

"I think so… She was acting suspicious then as well as earlier… Remember when we saw her running past us to the island's bridge? She ran from the direction of the diner and the beach. Then there's Kuzuryuu… Hmmm…I still need more clues…" Chiaki responded with a pensive look as they approached Fuyuhiko's cottage.

"Well, here goes…" Chiaki said as she knocked on the door. "Kuzuryuu, it's Nanami and Seishin. We need to talk to you." Nothing but silence answered back. The girls glanced at each other after a few seconds went by. The Gamer kept knocking on the door. "Kuzuryuu, we have to talk to you. This is very important." As Chiaki was trying to persuade the Yakuza to open the door, Hikari walked around the cottage to peer through the windows to see if he was actually inside. However, the blinds were tightly shut, preventing Hikari from looking in. "It's about Twilight Syndrome Murder Case. We also have to ask about your whereabouts during Koizumi's murder." Hikari walked back to Chiaki with a discouraged expression.

"The blinds are shut," Hikari told her best friend in a low voice. "I have no idea if he is in there or not."

Chiaki sighed softly, thinking about what the right move should be at that point. "Let's stay a couple more minutes before we head back to the crime scene for any last minute investigating." Hikari nodded, looking at the door as Chiaki began to rap her knuckles against the wood nonstop for five minutes. It was not until Hikari noticed Chiaki's hand turning pink that the Spirit Medium gently grasped Chiaki's wrist. Chiaki blinked and stared at her quizzically.

"Um…Nanami…I don't want your hand to get sore…" Hikari smiled weakly, sweatdropping as Nanami slowly nodded. Hikari let go as Chiaki placed a finger to her chin in deep thought.

"I guess he isn't here or that he really doesn't want to talk…" Chiaki assumed. "We shouldn't waste any more time since who knows when our investigation time will be up. Let's just head back to the beach house."

Hikari stared at Fuyuhiko's cottage silently, feeling her body frozen at that spot. It's like…I have to be here for some reason… She smiled towards Chiaki. "You go on ahead. I think I'll try to talk to Kuzuryuu. Don't worry about me. I'll do my best."

Chiaki blinked again before nodding in agreement. "All right. I'll see you later…at Monokuma Rock if not the beach house." Hikari winked in acknowledgment before trying to knock at the door herself as Chiaki left the premises.

"Come on, Kuzuryuu!" Hikari shouted, still knocking. "I know you're in there! Just open the door so we can talk!" Patience waning, Hikari huffed in annoyance before she started banging the door with her fist. "I'm not leaving until you open this door!" She continued slamming her fist against the wood even after there was a click and the door finally opening. Hikari stood immobile with her fist in midair, mere inches from the Gangster's very irritable face, his hand gripping her wrist tightly.

"God, you are the most annoyin' bitch I ever met, you know that?" he seethed, glaring at her. "I just want some peace and quiet and I can't even get that with you idiots around." Hikari winced slightly, trying to hide the pain as the Yakuza tightened his hold to scare her into leaving.

"I…just have a couple of questions…" she tried to say calmly, attempting to hide the pain felt in her wrist, grimacing somewhat. He scoffed and stepped aside before pulling the startled girl into his cottage, Hikari skidding on her front onto the large white rug in the middle of the room. "Ow…" She glanced around the room not just out of curiosity concerning Fuyuhiko's taste in interior design, but also to see if there were any clues connecting to Mahiru's murder or Twilight Syndrome. Like all the other cottages, Fuyuhiko's contained the standard cottage furniture: a canopy bed, a flat screen television and TV stand, a tan sofa, a wooden coffee table, a couple of plants scattered about the room and the usual surveillance equipment. A dark wooden dresser sat in the farthest right corner from the door where a couple of glasses stood and various bags of food items littered the coffee table. In addition, there were a few traditional Japanese decorations adorning his room: a small picture of black inked kanji on the wall between the two blinded windows, a white dragon made of paper Mache sitting on a wooden shelf above the bureau, and a traditional Japanese dragon painted on a three panel room divider. Okay…no signs of any weapons in here… Hikari slowly got on her hands and knees as Fuyuhiko closed the door and walked to her.

"Talk. Now."

Hikari stood up shakily, adrenaline starting to run through her veins. Is this really smart to be in a room with a Yakuza…alone…? What if he really did kill Koizumi? Would he kill me? "U-Um…"

Fuyuhiko scoffed, getting very impatient. "If you're not going to talk, bitch, then get the fuck out!"

Hikari felt her heart pound in her chest, stepping forward as Fuyuhiko neared her. "W-Wait…! Um…Did you play that game…Twilight Syndrome Murder Case?" He crossed his arms defensively.

"Tch…Like I said before, I don't want to end up like Togami or Hanamura."

He didn't really answer the question… Hikari thought with a blank expression before continuing her inquiries. "So…if you did play the game, did you beat it?" She sweatdropped slightly as he just stood there, an eyebrow slightly arched. "Uh…did you get the ending prize?"

"Do you see something like a prize around here, idiot?" he said, making a snide remark.

Hikari bit the inside of her cheek. What is it with today… Is it piss off Seishin day for guys? Souda and Komaeda are just annoying, but Kuzuryuu's more like a porcupine or hedgehog...he's so prickly… "Okay…do you know anyone else who played the game or did you tell anyone how to play the game…if you played the game," Hikari added quickly when Fuyuhiko narrowed his eyes towards her, Hikari trying not to make him suspect that she knew that there was a high possibility that he sent the ending prize to Mahiru.

"…No," he replied after a long moment of silence. Hikari watched him closely, leaning forward a bit.

"You sure…? You paused before you answered…"

"The fuck!? I said no! It doesn't matter if I paused or not!" he yelled, infuriated. Hikari took a step back, seeing that the Yakuza was really restraining himself from a full blowout. "Are we done yet!?"

"J-Just one more…" Hikari said meekly, hands raised a little, figuring out how to phrase her question. "D-Do you have a sister?" She closed her eyes tightly, expecting Fuyuhiko to straight up smack her in the face. When she felt no contact, she slowly opened one eye and then the other, feeling a bit concerned. Fuyuhiko stood where he was with eyes wide open, his skin a pale white. "K-Kuzuryuu…?" Snapping out of it, he hung his head, the lighting in the room making shadows hide his eyes.

"Get out…" he whispered. Hikari frowned, moving to him, a hand slowly reaching to him to comfort.

"Kuzuryuu…I…"

He slapped her hand hard, lifting his head to reveal pure anger in his eyes, his body trembling. "Get the fuck out of here you bitch or I'll fuckin' kill you!" Hikari clung her hand to her chest and quickly ran past him to the door, slowing down when she heard him whisper a name. "Natsumi…"

Natsumi…? Is that his sister's name? Hikari thought as she glanced back silently to see him with his back still turned towards her, his body still trembling and fists clenched tightly. Hikari frowned, understanding the pain of losing a sister and wishing she could do something to ease his grief despite the probability of Fuyuhiko being Mahiru's killer, if everything she learned in the investigation was true. She stood in front of the door, staring ahead before taking a deep breath. It hasn't worked ever since I got here…but I'll try…for his sake. She nodded to herself with determination, pushing away all the doubts from previous failed attempts to reach the afterlife. She closed her eyes slowly, remembering what to do for this to work, a hand resting on the door handle, all thoughts concentrated on one person. "Kuzuryuu Natsumi…"

Fuyuhiko growled, noticing that Hikari still hasn't left and spun around in a rage. "I thought I told you to…" The Yakuza felt his voice leave him when he came face to face with a girl with grayish olive eyes and blush marks on her cheeks similar to his own. "Wh-What the fuck…?"

The girl smiled gently. "Hello Onii-chan."

Days Left: 15
Survivors: 14