Hello everyone! I don't think I'll update this quickly ever again – this was already half done when I posted Chapter 1, and I have a bit of a busy schedule at college, but I'll aim for one every two weeks.
Also! While this story does shift the focus to a small set of characters, the others are definitely around doin' stuff and I don't want to forget about any or reduce them to caricatures. If you spot me doing something I shouldn't be, or vice versa, be sure to let me know! And now, enjoy.
Chapter One, Part Two
There was no reason he shouldn't have figured it out.
Everyone around Hinata was screaming and shouting their rage or disbelief, but he felt no need. He couldn't feel anything. Not grief, not sadness, not anger. The pieces were coming together in his mind and there was no way to stop them. The knife. The glowing paint. The blackout setup. The fact that the murderer knew when and where to strike...
"But how can that be? He was never anything but kind to anyone!" Sonia's voice felt as though it were coming from a million miles away. He didn't want to see it. He hadn't wanted to see it. But then he started thinking of things that weren't evidence - Komaeda's calmness, Komaeda's incredible self-assurance, Komaeda asking him whether he was worried…
Nidai punched the railing of his stand, and the sound brought Hinata back to reality. "I will not believe this until I know the full truth!" he shouted. "Explain yourself, Togami!"
"Well…" Togami's expression was neutral, but Hinata could swear his hands were shaking. "When I put the night-vision goggles on, I saw Komaeda following the lamp cord to the table. I attempted to go after him, but by the time I arrived, he had already been killed. The knife found near Komaeda's body –"
"Must have been the murder weapon!" Mioda yelled.
"N-no…" Tsumiki said. "He was stabbed with a very thin object …"
"Precisely. It was not Komaeda's murder weapon." Togami did not meet Tsumiki's eye as he spoke. "The knife was covered in glowing green paint, as was a piece of tape found on the bottom of the table. I believe Komaeda placed the knife there while he was cleaning the lodge, based on this and other factors."
"Other factors?" Koizumi said. "That's awfully vague."
"I'm not withholding anything, if that's what you think. I'm just not going to deprive a detective of his credit." Togami looked over at Hinata. "Hinata, you know what I'm talking about, don't you?"
"I…" It was right on the tip of Hinata's tongue, but his mouth felt like lead. There were so many things he could say, but so little motivation, now, to say them.
"Would you prefer if I said it?" Togami folded his arms. "You look distressed."
"No, no…" Hinata shook his head, and gritted his teeth. "It was…the air conditioners and the irons, wasn't it? He triggered the blackout."
There were more gasps of shock. "He must've rigged the chopstick thing, too!" Owari said.
"I knew something was suspicious about that," Pekoyama said. "But the way he strung us along, how could anyone suspect him?"
"But if he wasn't killed with the knife, then where IS the murder weapon?" Saionji said. "We could talk about big bro Komaeda forever and ever, but he didn't kill himself and I don't want to die."
"B-b-but what if he did kill himself?" Hanamura gripped his stand and trembled. "T-t-there's no proof he didn't!"
"Alas, if he had, the proper instrument would be there, wouldn't it?" Tanaka said.
"That is true," Togami said. "And I should also mention, though you may choose whether or not to believe me, that I did not see anyone enter or exit the table but Komaeda."
"But that doesn't make any sense!" Kuzuryuu said.
"The floor. The floorboards. Someone could've gone under," Hinata said, barely aware that he was speaking. "That's how."
"But who? And when?" Togami said. "Do you have any idea, Hinata?"
"I…" Hinata tried to remember everyone he'd seen in the room after the blackout, or anything else that could possibly be evidence. Nothing was coming. He'd run out of conclusions. "No. I don't know."
"All the other evidence they left behind, and you don't know?"
"No, I…I can't remember very clearly..."
"Are you thinking about Komaeda?" Togami narrowed his eyes. "Don't you remember what I said about letting grief get in the way-"
"Togami-kun, that's enough." Nanami's voice was soft, but it still brought the conversation to a halt. "There are fifteen of us here. There's no need to drop all the responsibility on Hinata-kun."
"That's not what I was doing." Togami folded his arms.
"I know that. You wanted information. But Hinata-kun's told us all he can, and there's no reason to bring up Komaeda-kun anymore. We need to focus on finding the culprit for now." She turned to face Tanaka. "Tanaka-kun, how did you find your earring again?"
Compared to the hullaballoo around Komaeda, the task of finding his killer was more straightforward than it had seemed. Tanaka's earring ("You mean the Devildog Earring?" Tanaka insisted twice) had fallen into the crawlspace under the lodge, which Tanaka had entered through a secret passageway in the storage room. This revelation led to several more, namely confirmation that the killer must have known about Komaeda's plot in order to move during the blackout.
The discussion loosened Hinata up a little. He soon concluded that, in order to find the trapdoor, the killer must have needed a light source. This led Togami to recall the portable stove he'd found in the kitchen – and that, faster than anything, led suspicion to fall on Hanamura.
Hinata wasn't sure which was ghastlier: what he'd learned about Komaeda before, or what he, in those next few moments, learned about Hanamura. He grew more and more frantic, and his speech less and less intelligible, with every offense mounted against him. The murder weapon in particular was the subject of much debate – but in a flash of inspiration, Hinata brought up the missing skewer.
When he did, a change came over Togami's face. His eyes widened, and his mouth hardened to a thin line. "Hanamura," he said, "you told Hinata and I that the fifth skewer was missing. Where was it?"
"TH'NOFIFSCKR!" Hanamura shouted. ("There's no fifth skewer," Monomi said.)
"There was a fifth skewer and you know it." Togami slammed his fist on the trial stand. "I searched every inch of that kitchen. Where could it possibly have been?"
"NWHR!" ("Nowhere!")
"No, it wasn't. It was…" Hinata tried to remember what he'd seen in the kitchen, anywhere the skewer could have been hidden – and one large object leapt out at him. "It was the meat." He tried to look at Togami, and not at Hanamura. "He hid the skewer in the meat on a bone."
If Togami had been shocked before, it was nothing compared to now. His face froze, and he gripped his trial stand with both hands. He hardly moved as the others debated whether this could be done, and didn't even turn to look as the meat was produced and eaten by Monobear. "That can't be," he repeated, too quietly for anyone to hear. "It was right there…I passed right over it…"
"I think we've heard all we need to hear!" Monobear said, waving his paw. "Now, please use the switches in front of you to vote! Oh, and I won't have anyone refusing to vote! If you do that, I'll feed you to the Monobeasts!"
It was interesting, in a twisted sort of way, to see who voted when. Kuzuryuu, Tanaka, Owari, Souda, and Saionji pressed their hands down immediately. Nidai, Pekoyama, Sonia, and Koizumi hesitated for a moment, perhaps while they thought about what they were doing, before hitting the button. Hinata knew he couldn't wait any longer – he was the next to vote, for Hanamura, of course. Mioda and Tsumiki came after, both looking heartbroken. Hanamura moaned, long and loud, before he too voted – for whom, Hinata could not tell. Once he had, Nanami lowered her head and pressed her own button.
There was a tense pause. Hinata was just wondering why nothing was happening when Monobear leapt up. "Togami-kun," he singsonged, "What did I just finish saying?"
Togami didn't answer. He continued staring at the switches, his face twitching with anger.
"You may not believe this, but I really don't want to have to kill you, Togami-kun." Monobear sat back down, and slouched against his seat. "There's no pomp, no circumstance, no point to it at all! You don't really want to throw your life away for something that abstract and immovable, do you?"
When there was still no response, Monobear laughed. "So there we have it! And what will they do without your amazing leadership, I wonder-"
"Enough." Togami slammed his hand hard on the switch. "It's done. You can stop."
"Upupupupu, I'm very impressed with you! By a unanimous vote, the student who killed Nagito Komaeda is…Teruteru Hanamura!"
Monobear leapt and danced in his chair, and Hanamura shrieked and wailed louder than before, denying his guilt with every breath. The rest of the courtrooms' occupants looked about as numb as Hinata felt. Mioda fidgeted wildly with her hair. Koizumi bit her lip and held her hand over her eyes. Nidai didn't even attempt to hide that he was weeping, while Tsumiki looked remarkably dry-eyed. Togami was looking down, and his hair had fallen over his face. His nails were digging ridges in the trial stand.
Hinata couldn't take his eyes off Hanamura. He hadn't been particularly close to him, but he'd never once thought him capable of murder. Why this had happened, he couldn't imagine, but he didn't have to wonder for long. Nidai asked Hanamura, tears still streaming down his face, just why he had done it, so he told them what he'd found Komaeda doing, and what Komaeda had said to him.
"If not tonight, it'll happen tomorrow. Or the day after. I don't care how long it takes... I will start this mutual killing... no matter what."
With the urgency of the trial, no one had had any time or desire to consider Komaeda's motive, least of all Hinata. He'd figured he'd just wanted to get off the island, like Monobear had said he could.
"I love every one of you 'Super High-school Level' students. I revere the 'symbols of hope'…I don't want you to lose to something like mutual killing…"
He wasn't prepared for this. He couldn't comprehend it. He could understand desperation, or fear, but the logic entering his brain was beyond his understanding. It was impossible to imagine Komaeda could say anything like this. Komaeda was his friend, Komaeda could never…but he could, and Hinata was hearing the proof.
"The stronger the despair that stands in its way, the stronger everyone's hope becomes. Isn't that so? I want to make your hope shine... That's all there is to it...The thing I desire is the strongest hope - the hope that can crush all despair!
No one was numb anymore. They were terrified. Tanaka muttered to himself in confusion. Sonia cried out, saying just how horrific this was to hear. They were two of the few; most, like Hinata, were silently running through memories of Komaeda in their minds, trying to find any sign, any justification for what they were hearing. "Is this real?" Hinata felt himself mouthing. "Is this…really real…?"
"Is that what you think? You think... I'm a little crazy? But... isn't that what love is all about?"
"He was…" Hanamura shook with a fresh wave of anguish. "He was a m-monster… a-and I thought…if I could stop him…I…I…could…p-protect…everyone…"
"Really? Really?" Monobear laughed so hard Hinata thought he might fall out of his chair. "What a little liar we've got! That, or just an idiot. Go on, Hanamura-kun. Tell us why you really wanted to kill someone. Anyone."
Togami's head snapped up. Hanamura cried harder than ever, but the motive that came out through his tears was somehow…simple, compared to what they'd heard from Komaeda. Lost memories. An ill mother. It was almost a relief.
Soon Hanamura could no longer speak. He simply stood at his post, crying and crying as everyone looked on, many with tears in their own eyes. Hinata didn't feel any coming. After all that had happened, he didn't know what to feel at all.
"How awful, how awful! Don't you all think so? I see you do!" Monobear was sitting lopsided in his chair, tapping his paw against the banister. "But now that everyone's had their quaint little moments of truth, it's time for –"
"Hanamura."
Everyone looked at Togami, and as they watched he released his grip on the trial stand, stood up straight, and pushed his hair out of his face. His expression was unlike any other in the room, as it looked neither fearful nor upset. Hinata might have called it determined, but for an unusual hollowness in his eyes.
"Yes, yes," Monobear said, waving his paw, "it's time for Hanamura to –"
"Hanamura," Togami said, turning to face him, "if I have any time before that bear keeps talking, there are a few things I need you to clear up for me."
"Hey! That's Monobear to you!" Monobear raised a shaking fist.
Hanamura looked at Togami, then at Monobear, then back at Togami. His wails had stopped, but tears still slid down his face. He nodded vigorously, and Togami returned the nod in acknowledgement.
"Thank you," he said. "Your murder…you chose Komaeda above any of us to kill because of his behavior towards you, correct?"
Hanamura rubbed his hands together nervously. "Ha…hoawawa..."
"A simple yes or no will do."
"Yes, no, I mean, yes!" Hanamura looked down at his hands, as if in awe that they were still moving, that he was still living.
"And by extension, you decided to kill because of Monobear's motive, didn't you?"
"I…I…" Hanamura looked over at Monobear, who was tapping his paw ever faster. "I don't r-r-really understand w-what you're doing, here…"
"Yeah, neither do I," Kuzuryuu interrupted. "What do you think you're trying to pull?"
"It looks like he's stalling," Souda said.
Togami shot them a look, and then turned back. "If you can answer any of my questions, Hanamura, then answer this one. Without Monobear's input, or even without Komaeda's, do you think your concerns for your mother would have affected you to the point you would kill for them?"
"Th…" Hanamura was now rapidly slamming his fist into his palm. "Th-that's an unfair question…it d-didn't happen that way at all…"
"Then let me try again," Togami said. "If anything had stopped you, any hitch in the plan…perhaps the discovery of your weapon, or the assurance that there were other routes of escape, other ways to find out what had happened…" Much to Hinata's surprise, his voice had grown thick with emotion. "Do you think you would have attempted the murder again? Ever?"
"Other ways…" Hanamura's hand stopped. "B-but…what? What was I supposed to do? Huh?! It would've taken…t-too m-much time…!" Despite his words, Hinata could see that something had changed in Hanamura's expression. Was it regret? He wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't.
"I see…that was all I needed to hear. Thank you." Togami looked askance for a short period of time, enforcing an uncomfortable silence.
"Your cooking was excellent," he finally said. "Truly worthy of your title. I'm going to miss it, I know. But I hope, for the sake of everyone else, that you continue to improve."
"Continue to improve…?" Hinata wondered aloud. "What are you talking about-"
Before Hinata could finish his sentence, Togami turned to face Monobear and Monomi, folding his arms. "Monobear, there is no need to execute Hanamura. I volunteer myself to go in his place."
For a second, one could hear a pin drop in the courtroom. Then, all at once, everyone exploded.
"Volunteer?" Owari slammed her fist on the trial stand. "What? What the hell?!"
"The darkness of the soul…required to even fathom such a thing…!" Tanaka's voice was distorted with shock.
"Nononononononononono…" Mioda clawed at her face, her eyes wide with terror. "Nononononononono…"
"Wha…wha…" Hanamura shook more than ever. A wild grin was fighting its way to his face, but he held it back with a shout. "WHAYE THINK YE'DOIN?!"
"Exactly what I said," Togami said, folding his arms. "I trust I don't need to repeat myself, Monobear?"
"Hm…volunteer, huh…" Monobear made a show of tapping his paw against his chin, then lifted that paw high in the air. "Okay!" he said cheerfully.
Hanamura made a soft, keening noise and shook violently, but everyone else's shouts doubled in volume. Hinata felt so numb, so out of touch with whatever he might be feeling, that everyone else's emotions became crystal clear to him. Sadness, fear, anger, confusion…they were all there inside him, but he didn't know which ones to assign to anyone else.
"But you didn't do anything!" he finally shouted. "It's like you said, isn't it? Monobear and, and Komaeda - they're the ones responsible!"
"Togami-kun, you're not under any obligation to do this," Monomi said, looking down on him with concern. "Pwease reconsider…"
"None of the rest of us feel the need to sacrifice ourselves." Pekoyama was clearly trying to sound stern, but her face betrayed her horror. "Do you even understand – ?"
"Of course he doesn't!" Kuzuryuu shouted with such force that Hinata could see a tiny vein throbbing in his forehead. "He thinks he's better than us. That's what this is about, isn't it?!"
"What I think is a matter between me and myself, and I've considered as much as I need." Togami kneaded his temples. "Monobear, can we begin soon?"
"Sure thing, Togami-kun! Just step on over here and I'll – GNAAAAHH!" Monobear leapt forward, baring his claws in Togami's face. "Did you really think I was going to let you do something so STUPID?"
The silence fell again. Everyone's eyes were on Togami. He'd flinched slightly at the claws, but now he stood motionless as Monobear jumped up and down in his seat. "The rules are very clear – only the culprit gets executed!" he shouted. "No one else! No heroic sacrifices or last-minute martyrs or anything! None! No negotiations! NOTHING!"
He sat back in his seat in a huff. Hinata could hear someone hyperventilating to his left, and knew immediately that it was Hanamura, but he couldn't look at him, or away from this. Togami turned slowly to face the rest, and his expression surprised Hinata – he looked sad, defeated. He took a deep breath, and lowered his head. "I suppose it was worth a shot," he said softly.
"Worth a shot…?" Koizumi shook with anger. "Is that all you can say?"
"Yes, Koizumi, yes it is." Togami looked at Hanamura again. "I'm…sorry."
"Y…you…" Hanamura had gone very, very quiet. He sniffled many times before he could continue. "You…"
"This could have been avoided." Togami looked at the floor as he spoke, and Hinata could only just hear his words. "If you had come to me, I would have been willing to listen to your concerns. I could have told you that we would work together to find a way to restore your memories and find information about your mother. For you, and for everyone here right now who is afraid of anything at all, I would have doubled and redoubled my efforts-"
"Arrgggh! Why do you keep assaulting my ears with all these speeches, speeches, speeches, speeches?" Monobear threw his hands in the air, and waved them with anger. "It's as if you actually think you're an important character or talent or human being! Nope, I'm done, I've decided. Done listening to people who think they're in charge. I think it's time I showed you bastards who really was."
"No…" Monomi sobbed. "No…no…this isn't right at all…"
"I didn't ask for your opinion, little sister, or your existence at that. When you were born I begged our mother to have some good sense, and sell you rather than raise you, and yet she insisted on raising you! What's the sense in that? But I digress." Monobear grinned. "Teruteru Hanamura, it is now time for your punishment…!"
"Upupupupu! EXTREME! What an explosive beginning to our island life! And it went off without a hitch, I'd say…"
If Monobear said anything else, Hinata blocked it out. Just when he thought things couldn't sink any lower, just when the thought of the actual execution had gotten lost in the trial, it had happened, and it had been far worse than he'd imagined. It had been comical. Unrealistic. Cartoonish to the point where he could hardly comprehend that Hanamura had really just been killed.
All around him, emotions ran high. Some were in tears, others looked about ready to punch Monobear, and the rest looked neutral, almost hollow. Hinata was sure this fit with how he felt, even though he could feel the anger boiling in his bones.
Kuzuryuu was the first to strike, demanding their memories back from Monobear. Monobear gave an answer that amounted to laughing in their faces and vanished, closely followed by Monomi when they posed the same question to her.
Everyone began talking at once. Souda was convinced Monobear and Monomi were working together, and was talking loudly and enthusiastically about it to Sonia, who was politely disagreeing. Owari announced that she was going to beat Monobear's ass and was inviting anyone who felt the same to join her; Mioda agreed enthusiastically, while Nidai attempted to talk her down with little success. Hinata ended up contributing smaller pieces to larger topics – "They do look pretty similar", to Souda's, or "I don't think that's going to work," to Owari's. He did get into a conversation with Tsumiki about how unbelievable it was that Komaeda had done what he had, but it ended up falling apart when she interrupted him to apologize for wasting his time.
Nanami was the next person he spotted after that. She was looking outside the circle, where Togami stood. Hinata hadn't even noticed he wasn't participating, and neither had anyone else – or so it seemed until he saw Koizumi make a split second's awkward eye contact with him before biting her lip and looking away.
When Hinata looked back at Nanami, she had just turned away from Koizumi. As he watched, she walked over to Sonia and stood on tiptoes to whisper something in her ear. Sonia's eyes went wide when she finished. "Well, of course," she said softly, "But are you sure we're the right people for it?"
"Huh?" Souda said. "What's this all about?"
Nanami said something Hinata couldn't hear. Souda's eyes went wide, and he grinned awkwardly at them and said something else. Nanami nodded and turned away. "I understand. We'll be right back, Souda-kun."
Nanami and Sonia walked away from the crowd and over to Togami. For a moment Hinata wanted to join them, but a split second's hesitation locked him out of the situation as Nanami approached Togami. "Ah, Togami-kun," she said. "Are you alright?"
Hinata could swear Togami looked startled, but not for long. His eyes narrowed, and he folded his arms across his stomach. "Why are you asking?"
"We…" Nanami put her finger to her chin, but when she didn't speak again for several seconds, Sonia jumped in. "We were concerned, Togami-san," she said. "You're over here by yourself, after all."
"That's not what I meant," Togami said. "Shouldn't you already know the answer? You're not "alright" either, are you?"
"Well, no. Not at all," Sonia said. "To have two of our friends die so horribly, and for Komaeda to behave in such a way…but that's another matter. You, in particular…" She bit her lip. "My Japanese isn't very good. I fear saying it wrong…but you seemed rather forward, back there..."
Your Japanese is better than mine half the time, Hinata thought – but he'd save that comment for later. He knew exactly what Sonia was trying to say, because it was exactly what had been on his mind. He stepped forward. "I think what she means is, you jumped at the chance to sacrifice yourself. That's not…really normal."
"Hinata…" For a moment Hinata thought Togami looked surprised, but then it passed, and his scowl returned. "Hmph," he said. "Is that all?"
"Is that all?" Sonia looked quite stern. "Togami-san, your life is-"
"Important? Of course it is," Togami said. "My name is Byakuya Togami. By my nature, fiscally and intellectually and cosmically, my life is worth more than most others. Wouldn't it make sense, then, for me to forfeit my life for a noble cause?"
This didn't make a lick of sense to Hinata – it was actually kind of making his head spin – and Sonia was looking quite confused herself. "Whatever you perceive your life to be worth matters less than a monkey's uncle," she said. "This cannot be sensible in any situation!"
"Any situation? I'm surprised you're reacting this way, Sonia Nevermind." Togami stepped closer to Sonia. "As the princess of Novoselic, I would think that you, more than anyone, would understand. Under the right circumstances, wouldn't you be willing to die for even one of your people?"
Sonia's eyes went wide. "Well, of course, but, I-"
"Hey! You've got some nerve, talking to Sonia-san that way!" Hinata did a double take – he hadn't even noticed that Souda had been paying attention, let alone the small crowd that had gathered around him. Tanaka was stroking his chin with one hand and a hamster with the other, Kuzuryuu was scowling, Saionji was rolling her eyes, and Mioda was looking at Togami and rocking back and forth on her heels.
Sonia narrowed her eyes at Souda. "Souda-san, it's really alright-"
"Not to me it ain't." Kuzuryuu folded his arms and looked over at Togami with about as much malice as he could fit onto his childlike face. "I was right, wasn't I? About you thinkin' you're better than the rest of us?"
Togami returned Kuzuryuu's glare, but he didn't look vindictive so much as exasperated. "I don't feel like getting in an argument right now," he said. "It's late. We should be heading back."
"Byakuya-chan doesn't mean we're going back to the party, does he?" Mioda said. "Or…"
"Do you actually think the party's still happening?" Saionji said. "If you do, your head's even emptier than your music."
"Of course it isn't happening. It's more important now to get as much rest as we still can. We'll regroup tomorrow." Togami turned and walked toward the elevator. "It's good we pulled through this. It is."
For a moment Hinata thought this might have been a lead-in to another speech. Perhaps one about how they should unite as a group, or learn from the mistakes Komaeda or Hanamura had made. But Togami stepped into the far corner of the elevator without another word, and the rest of them followed just as silently. Hinata could only imagine what any of them were thinking.
He was the last one to leave the trial room. As he left, he passed Komaeda's portrait, and found himself thinking of the party, and the very last moments he'd seen him alive before the room had gone dark. His serene expression remained in Hinata's mind even as he tried to think of other things.
It was three in the morning when they emerged. Some of them remained in front of the mountain, continuing their conversations, but Hinata knew that he didn't want to be around anyone else any longer. He said a blanket good-bye to whoever happened to be listening, and headed back to his cottage.
Once inside, he kicked off his shoes, turned out the light, and threw himself onto his bed fully clothed. Twenty minutes later, he hadn't even shut his eyes. Hanamura's screams were filling his ears, and his execution was playing over and over again in his mind.
He grabbed the sides of his bed and yelled as loudly as he could, but it didn't come close to drowning out the noise. He pushed himself up and punched his pillow in frustration, then punched it again, and again, and again. But then Komaeda's face flashed in his mind, just as his fist connected with the pillow, and suddenly he couldn't bear to touch or even be in the same room as it anymore.
He got out of bed, put his shoes back on, and headed outside, bracing himself against the chilly night air. There were no lights in the windows and no one on the boardwalk, and when Hinata laid eyes on Komaeda and Hanamura's cottage signs he was sure he didn't want to be there, either.
He started walking, leaving the cottages behind. He didn't have a destination in mind at first, but when he saw the poolside in his peripheral vision, it seemed like a good one. It was tranquil, it had a good view of the stars, and it was completely deserted…or so he thought until he got there.
Togami was sitting on the beach chair farthest from the path. He had changed from his food-stained suit into a fresh one, and his wet hair suggested that he had washed the grease out of it. He didn't see Hinata at first, as he was looking up at the sky with the same unreadable expression he had slipped in and out of all night.
Hinata wasn't sure whether or not to leave Togami to his thoughts, but before he could decide, Togami turned his head. "Hinata," he said, his eyes wide at the sight of him. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"
"Shouldn't you?" Hinata walked closer, but stopped several feet away. There was a beach chair near him, but he did not sit.
"Perhaps," Togami said. He folded his hands in his lap, and looked back up at the sky.
There was a short silence, which made Hinata feel very awkward. "If I'm interrupting you –"
"You're not," Togami said. "You and I are out here for the same reason, aren't we? In that case, it's more like you're joining me."
"That's reasonable," Hinata said. His legs were beginning to ache, likely from all the standing he'd done during the trial, so he did sit, one chair away from Togami.
"Of course." Togami paused. "Hinata, should I be alive right now?"
"Huh?"
"If I hadn't tripped on the carpet, I might have reached Komaeda before he reached the knife. If that had happened, it is likely that Hanamura might have killed me, instead of Komaeda."
"That's…" Hinata felt his vision begin to swim at the very thought of such a scenario. "That's a big logical leap to make. You have no way of knowing that."
"I don't, but that's not the point." Togami turned to face Hinata. He could read him all of a sudden – he looked subtly, but unquestionably, sad. "Do I have any right to be living right now, when Komaeda and Hanamura died due to my negligence?"
"Hold on." Hinata folded his arms and leaned them against his knees. "To be honest, Togami, this all sounds like a lot of hyperbole. I don't think you're to blame for anything, especially not anything they did."
"Do you really?" Togami laughed bitterly. "I suppose that would make sense to you."
"And why just to me?"
"There's another thing I withheld from you all during the trial. Not on purpose, but simply because there was never an opportunity to share it." Togami reached into his suit pocket, pulled out a folded piece of paper, and unfolded it. "I received this letter last night. I'm sure you can guess who sent it."
Hinata looked at the message on the paper. In neat handwriting, it read: Watch out. The first murder will occur tomorrow night. It is inevitable.
"I…I can." He not only guessed – he imagined. He saw Komaeda bidding him goodnight with a smile. He saw Komaeda taking a sheet of paper and a pen, and writing the words. Had he been smiling? Laughing? He could hardly stomach either thought.
"This letter is the entire reason I arranged tonight's party," Togami said. "I wanted to catch whoever wrote it, and keep everyone safe, including its writer. And yet, two deaths occurred. And why?"
He folded the letter back up. "I didn't search any of the lodge rooms beyond the main hall and kitchen. I didn't even know they were unlocked. If I had, I might have located and neutralized the irons and trap door. No blackout for Komaeda, no access route for Hanamura. I didn't question the needless lamp on the needless table. If I had, there would have been no knife and no signal."
Togami's hands balled into fists in his lap. "And the meat on a bone…it was right there. I passed directly over it. I didn't question Hanamura when he said one was missing. I didn't stretch the limits of my suspicion, and because of that…"
"Togami, I was there too. I didn't think to search it either –"
"But you weren't responsible for everyone!" Togami rounded on Hinata, and the anger and pain in his expression were nothing like he had ever seen on his face before. He felt his own eyes widening in response.
After a second Togami jerked back, covered his head with his hand, and took several deep breaths. "I'm not…" He shook his head, took another breath, and began again. "I'm not…don't get the wrong idea, Hinata." He removed his hand, revealing neutral features. "This isn't a collapse."
"Are…you sure?" Hinata felt, more strongly than ever, like he really was intruding on something. "It's not anything shameful –"
"Whatever you think is shameful isn't happening," Togami said. "Maybe your inferior mind is imagining something, but how can I expect a simple commoner's judgment to trump my own?"
It was such a radical shift back to typical Togami behavior that Hinata was no longer sure what exactly 'typical' was. "Well, okay," he said, not entirely believing it. "But…you're not responsible for everything just because you got a letter."
Togami looked blankly at him for a time, then at the ground. "I appreciate your attempt at input," he said. "But this letter gave me knowledge you did not have. I could have used it to its fullest extent." He sighed; Hinata watched his stomach rise and fall as he did so. "I could have caught them. I could have talked to them…"
"You really don't know if that would've worked, though. On Hanamura, maybe, but Komaeda?" Hinata felt a twinge of tension. "The way Hanamura spoke about him…well, I don't know. I'll never understand what they were thinking. I've never had the urge to murder anyone."
"Not even now?"
"Especially not now."
"I see." Togami nodded. "I hope you're not trying to trick me."
Something in the way Togami spoke unnerved Hinata. "Not at all," he said.
"Good." Togami nodded. "Don't let him trouble you, Hinata. Much could have been different, but where is now, he can no longer hurt any of us."
"I don't know about that," Hinata said.
"He's in the past. The past only has the power we give it." Togami shifted slightly in his chair. "Nothing I have said to you tonight is to be shared with any of the others. Do you understand?"
"I literally had no plans to say anything."
"I would hope so." Togami stood up. "I don't think I'll be sleeping any time soon. I'm going for a walk."
"Hmm," Hinata said.
"And it's nothing against you, but I'd like to be alone."
"Hmmm." Hinata hadn't had any intention of following him in the first place. "I'll…try to go back to bed, then."
"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow, Hinata."
Togami walked away from the poolside and towards the beach. Hinata watched him until he disappeared into the palm trees, then got up and walked off in the opposite direction. He tried to think of what he'd just heard on the way back to his cabin, but with little success. He was very, very tired all of a sudden, and his brain was not working as well as he usually preferred.
19 DAYS LEFT
And there you have it. See you later for more fun!
- Carth
