Hey guys! I wanna thank everyone for all the nice comments; it makes my heart full that people are enjoying my fic, and I'm loving the detective work! Enjoy the investigation, and leave your theories in the comments! I wanna see what you guys are thinking!
Drops of blood on the blue carpet stand out, dark and foreboding. They form a trail from the doorway to the middle of the room, where slumped over, eyes wide and bloodshot, a body lies, a large steak knife protruding from the center of its stomach, crimson blood staining the stark white of a once perfect, spotless uniform, the face of the victim painting a picture of deathly terror.
Kiyotaka Ishimaru, the Ultimate Moral Compass, is dead.
I saw Taka, my friend, lying dead on the ground. I saw Mondo kneel down beside him and pick him up, trying to shake him awake. I heard screaming- my own screaming, I realized. I ran to him, looking for a pulse, a heartbeat, anything.
"He... he's gone," Mondo managed, shaking. He pulled Taka's body close to him, leaning against the bedframe. "Why... why?!"
*Dong, Ding, Bong, Bing!*
Monokuma's voice floated from the speakers. "A body has been discovered! To everyone that's still alive, please head to the gymnasium immediately! Puhuhuhu! It's about time!"
I felt frozen. I couldn't stop staring at Taka and his empty eyes, once so full of determination and hope. I could barely keep my stomach down. Taka's dead. I looked at the rest of his body again, seeing the long, sharp knife. That means-
I felt myself being pulled back to my feet. I hadn't realized I was on the ground. "Hina. It would be unwise to keep Monokuma waiting." Sakura turned me around to face her. "Don't worry. I promise you, we will avenge him."
My tears were blurring my vision, making it almost impossible to see her. It was all I could do to nod and take her hand, and she led me out of his room- now a crime scene. Mondo followed us out, slamming the door shut and ramming it with his fist. "Dammit...!"
"So it's true then."
Wiping away my tears, I saw Kyoko standing in front of us. Her deathly calm demeanor hadn't changed a bit. She brushed past me and stood before Mondo and the door. "Step aside. I want to take a look for myself."
Surprisingly, he did as he was told, moving to lean against the wall. "Fine. Don't take long." His face had hardened with a steely resolve.
I tried to summon up some strength. "We need to go to the gym first, or Monokuma could get mad." I hoped I sounded a lot more confident than I felt.
Kyoko stopped in the doorway. She looked thoughtful. Then she backed out, closing the door again. "You're right." And she whipped around, heading for the gym. Mondo followed, keeping his eyes trained on the ground.
The class all turned to the podium, waiting. Watching. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen students that have learned what to expect. Then, springing up from behind the podium and landing on top is a black and white bear, with a crimson eye and a sinister smile. He looks at all his students and laughs.
"Puhuhuhu!"
"So, it looks like I was right! All we needed was a motive!" Monokuma cheered in a singsong voice. He was dancing on the stage, twirling and leaping with joy. "A body's been discoooovered! A body's been discoooovered! Nyohohoho!"
I could feel my sadness turning into anger. How dare he?! How dare he celebrate this?! "You're a monster! How could you sing and dance like this when Taka is dead?! I bet you're the one who killed him, aren't you?! Admit it!" My tears came rushing back, and I fell to the ground. I could barely keep my head up. "Taka... He's dead because of you!"
He stopped dancing, jumping to the ground in front of me. "Well, I suppose if you really wanna play the blame game, than you should probably know- I am not the killer of Kiyotaka Ishimaru! Don't just accuse your Headmaster of something so vile without any proof! Why, that's just shameful! Not to mention lazy!" He jumped up to land on Chihiro's shoulders. "You see, the killer..." He leapt to swing off one of Junko's ponytails. "is actually..." Landing on top of Sakura's head, he spun in a circle. "one of you!"
"Yes, we know that," Byakuya said, irritated. "Now, you mentioned something about a trial of sorts last time? Are we having that now?"
Monokuma jumped back to his podium. "Of course not! That'd just be ridiculous, a trial without having gathered evidence! What sort of judge would do that? Besides, I didn't even finish explaining the rules last time because someone interrupted me!"
"You are referring to Mondo's outburst, is that it?" Celeste asked.
"Precisely! Now, allow me to finish completely this time! I'd better not get interrupted again." He cleared his throat, pulling out a stack of cue cards. "When a body is discovered by three or more spotless students, the body discovery announcement will play. A certain amount of time will be given for the class to conduct an investigation to try and find out whodunnit. After their allotted time is complete, than the entire class will-"
"Have a class trial and vote for who we think the killer is, yeah, yeah, we remember," Junko interrupted. "Is that all?"
Monokuma's red eye glowed brighter. "No," he spat. "No, it's not." He turned over his last card. "If you vote correctly, the blackened is punished. But, if you pick the wrong one... puhuhuhu... then everyone besides the blackened will receive punishment, and the blackened will be able to go free!"
I felt my disgust morph again into fear. Punishment...
"So, uh, when you say punishment... what does that mean, exactly?" Leon asked, shaking.
"Great question! Punishment will be conducted via execution!" Monokuma said cheerily.
"WHAT?!"
"Punishment will be conducted via execution!"
Hiro fell to the ground, scooting back away from everyone. "No... this- this can't be real! I- I don't wanna die! Not now! Not here!"
"Well, too bad then! You're just gonna have to work really hard to find the identity of the blackened, aren't you? Now hop to it! One, two, three!-"
Monokuma flew back as Mondo rammed into him, pinning him down with his foot and pressing him into the stage. There was a manic look in his eyes as he lifted his foot and slammed it down, crushing his body into a pile of scrap. "How do ya like that, you lying piece of shit?!"
"How do I? How do you?"
Monokuma's voice echoed around the room. "Violence against the Headmaster is in clear violation of the school regulations. You, Mondo Owada, are due for punishment. Come to me, godly spear Gungnir!"
Mondo whipped his head around, desperately looking for the new Monokuma. "I'll find ya! I'll find ya and bash your head in, every single one of-"
It all happened so fast. One second, he was standing there, powerful and strong- the next, he was skewered, as spear after spear of dull gray metal ran through him from every angle, blood seeping from every wound, his face contorting from rage to pain to horror. He shook where he stood, looking down at his hands.
"What... fuck... Where did... not…. fair... Taka..."
His knees buckled, and he fell to the ground. And that was that.
"Jeezus Louizus! I didn't wanna have to kill anyone myself, but I guess you guys needed to learn that the rules exist for a reason!" A shiny new Monokuma flew down from the curtains on stage, landing back on his podium. "Anyway, no need to include old biker boy here in your investigation. He's got nothing to do with it! Seriously, I mean it! Isn't that just so nice of me, to volunteer that information for you?"
"How do we know we can take your word for it?" Kyoko demanded. "For all we know, Mondo was the killer."
"Well, because I know who the killer is, of course! My cameras are everywhere, remember? How else would I be able to make a proper verdict?"
"I see. That's somehow comforting. At least we know the verdict will be accurate."
"Naturally! Anyway, there's one last little thing I have to tell you all about. It's… drumroll please..."
"Wait, are we just gonna pretend that didn't just happen?!" Leon demanded. "You just fucking killed Mondo, dude!"
Monokuma growled. "Well, dude, excuse me for wanting to do this in a timely manner! It's not my fault he decided to break the rules!" He put a paw on his hip. "That was so totally a him problem."
"Whatever. You disgust me!"
"Awww, thank you! Now, where was I? Ah, yes. The tool I will be giving you is... the Monokuma File! In your E-Handbooks, you may have seen a page labeled with question marks. If you'll kindly reopen those now, it should say 'Monokuma File!' This file is a list of all relevant information regarding the victim's body that I have compiled for your use! After all, it's not like any of you would know how to perform an autopsy, right? Anyway, that's all the help I'll be giving you! Good luck! Your time begins... now!"
He hopped back up into the rafters, vanishing from view.
I felt like I'd just been tied down and shoved under icy cold water. Every moment was another shock to my system. First Taka, now Mondo... Who's next? Me? Sakura?
Kyoko spoke up, cutting through my despair. "We need to go about securing the crime scene before anything else," she told us.
"Agreed. If the culprit were to destroy evidence, we'd be pretty much screwed," Byakuya agreed. "Preferably someone strong should watch the body."
"I'll do it. I'm not much of a detective," Mukuro offered. "Besides, I've been around dead bodies before."
"Okay, so Mukuro will watch the body. Then that's done, right? What next?" Chihiro asked.
"Well, we can't just leave it at that. If Mukuro is the culprit, then she'd be in the perfect position to destroy all the evidence she wants. We need a second, obviously," Byakuya chastised.
"I shall watch over the body as well. Then there's no problem," Sakura offered. "We should go."
"Right," Mukuro agreed. The two of them nodded and left.
I knew I had to get back into action. It hurts, a lot, but for now, I have to keep moving. For Taka's sake, and for Mondo's. "Okay, great! Then that's done. Now let's look at the Monokuma File."
"I am afraid that there isn't much to work with that we could not already see," Celeste sighed. "Although, I suppose the time of death may come in handy."
"Maybe, but it's still good to have this information confirmed for us," Kyoko told her. "After all, appearances can be deceiving. Speaking of, I'll be checking the body first and foremost." And she disappeared into the hall.
"As will I," Byakuya declared, following suit.
I pulled out my E-Handbook. The page was there, just like Monokuma said. A picture of a healthy Taka appeared on the screen, with the area on his stomach where he was stabbed surrounded by a large circle. Under the picture was all the info Monokuma had given us.
The victim is Kiyotaka Ishimaru. The time of death is estimated to be 11 pm. The body was discovered in Kiyotaka's room on the first floor, in the dormitory. All evidence suggests that the death took place in the bedroom. The cause of death was a stab wound to the torso. There's also a second stab wound just above it, as well as a fractured jaw and a twisted ankle.
Okay, so not much, but any information is good information, right? I put the E-Handbook away. We already had the when, where, and how. All we need is the who... and the why. Finding out who killed Taka wasn't gonna be enough. If we were gonna move on from this, if I was gonna survive, I had to know why. Why Taka? Why right then, when he was trying to save us? I didn't understand yet, but I would. I had to.
Okay, Hina, think. Misaki used to show you that one weird crime show she liked all the time. How did they do it? First, they looked at the body. The body... I gripped my E-Handbook in my pocket. But I already have an autopsy, so I can skip that for now. What was next...? Alibis. They found everyone relevant to the case, and got alibis. In here, that's all of us.
I looked around the room. Most of the class had already left. Hiro was still on the ground, hyperventilating. Chihiro was there too, sitting on the floor and looking through her E-Handbook. I went over to Hiro first, kneeling in front of him. "Hiro, look at me, we'll figure it out, alright? We'll figure out who did this. So just try to breathe, okay?"
He was still gasping, but he managed to nod, sitting criss-cross and pressing his hands into his knees, forcing himself upright. After a minute, he managed to look at me. "Okay. I'm okay... I think."
"That's good, Hiro. See? You're okay!" I pulled out my E-Handbook and opened up another new page. This one was labeled 'Evidence,' and I was able to type things out. It also had a camera function. Perfect! "Hiro, can I ask you a couple things?"
He pulled out his glass ball, setting it between his legs, and pressed his hands together like he was gonna start praying. "Yeah, sure! Then I'll try to see if I contact Taka and find out straight from him who the killer is!"
Well, if he's a clairvoyant, then I guess that could work. "Okay, Hiro. I'm gonna ask this to everybody, not just you, okay? So don't get upset, but do you have an alibi for last night, around eleven?"
"Hm? Last night? I was in my room. I'm pretty sure I was already asleep by then. I tend to conk out as soon as my head hits the pillow." He closed his eyes then. "Alright, I'm gonna try calling to Taka now. Be very quiet so I can hear him, okay?"
"Alright," I agreed, standing back up. Shoot... The murder happened at night. Almost everyone's alibi will be impossible to prove, because everyone was probably just in their room! ...Well, almost everyone. I walked over to Chihiro, who'd started to stand shakily. "Chihiro, when did you first go to the school store last night?"
"Huh? Oh, I went a little after seven. I didn't leave until you and Sakura found me this morning," she yawned.
"You didn't happen to see or hear anyone else last night, did you?"
"Well, Mukuro stopped by to tell me about the plan for this evening, but other than that, no. And I don't know what time that was, either. Sorry." She started crying again. "I just... I can't believe this all happened so soon. First Taka was killed, right under our noses... and then Mondo, right in front of us..." She wiped her eyes. "It all happened so fast!"
"I know how you feel." I could feel myself starting to break down again. Keep it together! "But we've gotta keep going for them, right? And we gotta make sure it never happens again!"
Chihiro sniffled. "Right," she said quietly. She looked over at the stage. "I think I should stay with him for now. He deserves that, at least. I know I'd feel awful, dying like that and not even getting a trial." She hoisted herself up onto the stage, then looked back at me. "Good luck."
"Thanks." I turned and left the gym, going around Hiro. I don't know how that clairvoyant stuff works; I don't wanna break any connection he's got. I got out into the hall. Okay, whoever the killer is, they'll probably just say they were in their room, right? So I just need to find out who all wasn't, and find out if they saw anything. Chihiro said Mukuro visited her, so I'll start with her. And Mukuro's guarding the body. I swallowed back the bile rising in my throat. You don't even have to look at him; you just have to get in and out. You can do this...
I couldn't bring myself to open the door. I just stared at the nameplate. The little chibi Taka stared back at me, a big smile on its face. It felt wrong; Taka was gone, and I was left with nothing but a picture and a few memories. Taka...
The door swung open. Byakuya stared me down from the other side. "Well, look who decided to show up." He pushed me aside and sauntered out. "Well, I'm done. Kyoko's still poking around in there, though, so don't expect the corpse to yourself. Have fun." He waved dismissively, not looking back.
For once, I need to thank him. He's so irritating he snapped me right out of my funk! I stuck my tongue out, going into the room and slamming the door. Oops.
I hadn't gotten a good look of the room last time I was in there. Rows of books lined the walls, his desk was covered in papers and open books with even an abacus and a fallen coffee cup, and surprisingly, there was a set of weights in the corner. So Taka worked out sometimes. I didn't know that. Now we'll never get to train together.
Mukuro and Sakura stood on either side of Taka, and Kyoko was knelt on the ground, tracing her finger along the carpeting. She looked up when the door slammed. "Hey, Kyoko-"
"I was in my room all last night. Were you?" She stared at me with piercing eyes.
"Yeah. Actually, I wasn't alone." I looked at Sakura. "I got nervous, so I asked Sakura to stay with me. We were together all last night." I know that technically Sakura asked me, but I don't wanna embarrass her. Besides, it's not like it matters who asked who.
Kyoko looked back and forth between the two of us. Sakura nodded in confirmation. "Alright. One other thing. That knife in his chest. Do you recognize the handle at all?"
"The knife?" I think I'm gonna be sick. "I mean, it was a steak knife, right? Something you'd find in a fancy kitchen. That's what it looked like."
"Exactly." Kyoko started to stand. "A kitchen like the one connected to the dining hall. Interesting." She went to the door and left, leaving the door ajar behind her.
"She does that quite a bit, doesn't she?" Sakura said, stretching. "Leaving without comment."
"Yeah, it is kinda weird, isn't it?" Kyoko doesn't really talk to anyone unless she thinks she has to, I guess. "Maybe she just doesn't know how to talk to people."
"I know how that feels," Mukuro muttered.
"Oh, right!" I was so busy with Kyoko, I almost forgot why I came here. "Mukuro, can I ask you something?"
"Huh? Oh, sure. What is it?"
"Mukuro, I was talking to Chihiro, and she said that you visited her last night. When was that?"
"Oh, that was just after tea, before the nighttime alarm went off. I went straight to my room after that."
"Okay, and you stayed there all night?"
"Yes, Junko and I were in our room all night."
I looked up from my notes. "Huh? You and Junko?"
"Oh, you didn't notice? There are only fifteen dorm rooms. Junko and I have to share, since we're sisters. It's a little uncomfortable for her sometimes, having to share our living space, but at least we can watch over each other."
"Oh! Yeah, I'll bet! My little brother and I used to share a room, too, so I totally get it!" Well, that's two more suspects off the list, at least. Four down, ten to go! Now where do I go? Think... Oh! The murder weapon is from the kitchen! And the last person in the kitchen was Celeste, so I should ask her! And maybe I should check the kitchen for clues, too, just in case.
"Okay, guys, I think I've got everything I'm gonna get from in here, so I'm gonna go to the kitchen now. See you guys later!" I headed towards the door.
"Careful not to step on the evidence," I heard Mukuro say behind me. Evidence? I looked down at the carpet and saw what she was talking about- the splotches of dried blood standing out against the blue carpet. They started right by the door and became gradually bigger as they led to Taka. Poor Taka. Did he get ambushed opening the door?
I made it out the door to hear a perturbed Celeste shouting "Release me, you peRVERTED BUFFOON-"
Celeste was standing in front of her doorway, desperately trying to tug her feet away from Hifumi, who'd collapsed blubbering at her feet.
"You gotta believe me, Celeste! I'm telling you, I'm innocent! It wasn't meeeeee! It must've been-"
"Ah, HINA! How lovely to see you," she called loudly, waving me over as soon as she saw me. "Might I ask for your assistance? I seem to have found myself a bit stuck."
"Oh, Celeste, perfect timing! I was just about to look for you!" I rushed over to her. "Hifumi, let go of her! What's gotten into you?"
Still shaking, he scooted back, letting Celeste pull her feet away. "S-Sorry... I just... I don't wanna be next!" He grabbed my legs this time, looking up at me fearfully. His glasses were uneven and were falling off his face, and tears and snot were running all down his face, puffy and red from crying. "You believe me, don't you? I wouldn't hurt anyone! Please, I don't wanna die!"
"Okay, okay, I believe you, now let go!" I pulled one arm off of me, then the other. "Do you need to go have some alone time?"
He sniffed loudly, dragging a long line of snot back into his nose. "Yeah," he managed.
"Okay, well, why don't you go stay in your room for a little bit, okay? And you can come out for the trial." I pat him on the shoulders. "We'll find the real killer, don't worry."
"Okay," he agreed, standing back up. He went down the hall. Celeste and I watched him go. Then she turned back to me.
"Well, I suppose I owe you my thanks. Had he stayed there any longer, he may have gotten his... fluids all over my shoes." She cringed, pulling up her skirts to check them. Seeing nothing, she sighed in relief. "You arrived just in time. So thank you."
"No problem! Besides, I wanted to talk to you anyway." I pulled my E-Handbook back out. "See, I was looking back at... the body, and I noticed that the knife in his chest was one from the kitchen. So I was just wondering if, since you were in there all last night, if maybe you noticed anything?"
"Ah, so he was killed with the cutlery? Well, then, I shall be honest with you- I did not touch the kitchen knives last night. I did not need them, you see. Tea and scones do not require the use of them. However, I will say that I left the kitchen just before the nighttime announcement was made. No one else was in the kitchen after me, either. There would not have been time, you see, so it must have been taken before I arrived. Does that satisfy you?"
She smiled at me the way she usually did- strange, empty, and mildly threatening. She didn't say anything to make her suspicious, but... she didn't really clear herself, either. "I mean, that helps, but it doesn't answer my question. Did you notice the knife was missing at any point?"
She dropped her smile. "I am afraid not. Now, I must be off. I'd like to change into something more appropriate for the trial. I shall see you there. Good luck!" And before I could stop her, she vanished into her room.
Okay, so that wasn't super helpful. She was hiding something for sure... I guess it'll have to wait until the trial. For now, I'll head to the kitchen. I wanna get a look for myself, just in case the killer left anything behind.
So I went to the dining hall. When I got there, I saw Sayaka, shaking so much she looked like she'd fall out of her chair, and Makoto, desperately trying to calm her down. "Sayaka, it's okay. I'm right here, okay? You're not alone..."
It looked like they were having a moment, so I went around them as quietly as I could manage. I slipped into the kitchen, making sure the door swung shut silently behind me. The table was still covered in ingredients. Breakfast... It seems so far away now. I picked up the empty mixing bowl. I didn't even get to start baking before... Grief struck my chest, sudden and painful, and I nearly doubled over, tears filling my eyes yet again.
Why...? Why now, when we were all just starting to get to know each other? What could anyone possibly gain from creating this- this awful place?! What kind of game plays with people's lives?! I came here to become a better swimmer! I wanted to meet champion athletes like me! But instead, we're all gonna die here! We're all gonna die...
I felt a pat on my back. It was a single pat, awkward and off center, unsure. It was followed by a couple more, and the clearing of someone's throat.
"Listen..." It was Kyoko's voice. "I don't think we're all in danger of dying. Not now, at least. So don't give up yet. The truth will be revealed, one way or another. It always is."
There was shuffling, and through my tears, I could see her shoes moving past me. I pulled myself back up with the table. I wiped my eyes one final time. God, I must be getting so much sweat in my eyes. "Thanks, Kyoko. Is my face all puffy and stuff now?"
Kyoko, who'd made her way to the aprons, turned to look back at me. "There's some redness around your eyes, but not much." Then her face became quizzical. "Have you always had heterochromia?"
"You think I'm hetero?"
"It means different-colored eyes." She pointed right at my face. "I thought both your eyes were blue."
"Oh! I wear contacts! One of them must've fallen out somewhere." I went back down to the ground, feeling along the tile. "Here, contact lens... Ah, my eye is so itchy now, heh."
"It may have just been knocked out of place. Here, I'll look-" She kneeled down in front of me. "I can sort of see it. Hold very still..."
I tried my best to hold still while Kyoko moved the lens back in place. "There, how's that?"
"Oh, wow! Thanks, Kyoko!" We got back up. Ugh, contacts are so gross sometimes. "Okay, now it's time to collect some evidence!" I whipped out my E-Handbook. "Lay it on me, girl! Whatcha got so far?"
She just moved away from me silently, going back to the aprons and rooting through the dirty bin.
"Well, fine, then. I'll collect my own evidence. Hmph!" My eyes moved to the knives, all held up on a magnet on the wall, nice and neat in a row- all but one empty space. "This rack is definitely missing a knife!" I tried to envision the knife that had been used as best I could. "Now that I'm seeing them myself, the handles definitely match up. And I think the size might, too!"
"Hina, take a look at this." I put the other knife back and turned around. Kyoko was holding up an apron covered in dark splotches and staring straight at me. "Do you remember seeing this this morning?"
"No, I don't think so. The one I was wearing this morning didn't have any stains." I stepped a little closer. Those dark stains... they kinda look like-
"And you put yours right in the hamper?"
"I hadn't put mine on yet. It's right there on the counter." Sure enough, it was still sitting by the opened bag of flour, dangling over the edge. "But Kyoko, that apron. Is that-?"
"What, blood? It certainly looks like it," she said. "Was anyone in the kitchen this morning that you can remember before you?"
"There were a couple people here before me- Makoto and Sayaka, I think. But they were both in the dining hall, not the kitchen."
"I see."
*Ding, Dong, Bing, Bong*
The monitor flickered on. Man, there really is one of these everywhere. Monokuma was sitting in his usual seat, smiling cruelly at us.
"Erm, so, ah... I'm getting tired of waiting. What say we just get started, hm? It's time for the long-awaited class trial! Now then, allow me to appoint a proper location for the proceedings. Please go through the red door on the first floor of the school! Puhuhuhu. See you soon!"
Shit. I didn't even get to finish investigating! Kyoko put the apron back and went to the kitchen door. She stopped and looked at me. "Are you coming?"
She's waiting for me? Guess my ugly cry grew on her or something, heheh. "Yeah, wait up!"
Yeah, no, she didn't wait up. She was the fastest powerwalker I've ever met! I almost had to jog to keep up with her. We made it to the weird red door. She stopped and looked at me. "Go on."
"You want me to open it?" I went up to the door and slowly curled my fingers around the handle. I looked back at her. "You're not just making me test it for you, are you?"
"That's exactly what I'm doing. Now hurry up." Her face was still the same mask as ever.
Well, gosh, no need to be so blunt. I pulled the doors open. Inside was a plain white room with what looked like a door to an elevator at the other end. Some of the others were already inside. "All clear!"
Okay, last chance, Hina! Time to talk to everyone else and get as much info as you possibly can! You got this! I looked around the room. Toko, Junko, and Chihiro were all here. So were Leon, Byakuya, and Hiro. Just take it one at a time!
"Hey, Toko!"
Toko was pressed up against the wall. She glared at me. "S-Stay away from me, m-murderer! Stay away!"
"What makes you so sure it's me?" I leaned against the wall in front of her. She huffed, but she didn't move. "Besides, I've got a rock-solid alibi, because I was with Sakura all of last night. So you can totally trust me!"
"Oh?" She looked at me suspiciously. "How do I know you're t-telling the truth? Where's Sakura t-to confirm it?" She grinned wickedly, turning a bit red. "What w-were you even doing all n-night long, huh?"
"We had a sleepover and did our workout together in the morning. Are you okay? You look a little pink."
"I'm f-fine. Now go away."
"Seriously, Toko?" And here I thought we were starting to become friends! "Look, you know you can trust me, but how do I know I can trust you? For all I know, you're acting like this to make yourself less suspicious."
"Excuse me? I w-was in my room all last n-night like any sane person would've been. Get off my case!"
"Okay, fine. We'll just see if that holds up in the trial." No alibi, no information. What a bust!
"It w-will! You'll see!"
"Okay, if you say so!" I jumped back and spun around. Okay, who's next? I looked around and saw Leon standing alone, tapping his foot.
"Leon! Find anything good?"
"Hm? Nah, I wasn't really able to do much. I'm not exactly a private eye or some shit like that, ya know?"
"Yeah, I gotcha. I wasn't having the best time either. The only thing I really found was how good Kyoko is at this kinda thing."
"Yo, for real? Think maybe this kinda stuff is what Hope's Peak picked her for?"
"Yeah, maybe." I hadn't considered that, but she had seemed really comfortable during the investigation. "Anyway, I just wanted to ask if you heard or saw anything last night. Gotta collect alibis, right?"
"Alibis?" He glared at me, stepping back. "Are you trying to trick me? Make yourself look innocent? Huh?"
"No, that's not what I'm trying to do at all! Here, you tell me your alibi, and I'll tell you mine. Okay?"
He looked hesitant. "Fine. I was in my room before the nighttime alarm. I left once in the night, but it was around one in the morning, and I went right back to my room. Happy?"
"I mean, I guess. The time of death was eleven, so I guess that's fine, but why did you leave in the first place?"
"That's not important! I told you my alibi, now you tell me yours! We had a deal!"
"Okay, okay, fine! Sakura stayed with me in my room last night. Now, are you gonna answer my question or not?"
"Woah, you and Sakura? Nice pull!" He offered me a fist bump, grinning. "Congrats, man!"
"No, we didn't- ugh, nevermind." I returned the fist bump. "Now, why did you leave your room last night?"
He got all upset again. "Well, you weren't supposed to be the only one getting some last night. But they chickened out. Wouldn't even answer the door. I won't say who, cuz privacy and all, but like, shit stings. I mean, they could've at least said something."
"Wow, really?" I hadn't noticed anyone showing interest in Leon.
"Well, don't act so surprised! I am in high demand, okay? The girls can't get enough of me!" He put a hand up to his chin, gripping his lower lip in his teeth. "This is just a minor setback!"
"Oh, that's not what I meant! I just-"
"I know what you just meant! You think you're hotter stuff than me, is that it? Well, joke's on you! I've got double the options you do! Ha!" He laughed. "Aw, man, wait till I tell- ah, right."
He grit his teeth. I patted him on the shoulder. "Hey, keep your chin up! We'll be done with this soon."
"Alright. Well, I've done everything I can. I'm leaving it to you!" He gave me a thumbs up. But you didn't do anything? Whatever. Who's next?
"Hey, Byakuya, can I talk to you for a sec?"
"Hmph." Byakuya sneered at me. "Make it quick."
"Chill out, I'm not asking for much." Is he seriously enjoying this? "I just need to know where you were last night. Give me an alibi, and I'll be out of your hair."
"Oh, is that all you have to ask? I was in my room; I had no reason to be anywhere else, and I doubt anyone else did, either. If word of mouth is really what you're choosing to consider evidence, then you won't be much help at all." He said it all in his stupid matter-of-fact tone that really got on my nerves!
He's saying this to upset you, I told myself. He just wants to psyche you out. "Getting sassy with your fellow investigators? I don't think I'm the one who's no help here." Ha! Get a taste of your own medicine.
Unfortunately, he didn't care. "Believe what you want; what matters are results. Goodbye." And he flicked his hand in dismissal. Woah, his hands are really well manicured.
I looked back around the room. More of the class had shown up. The only ones still missing were Hifumi and Celeste. I need to hurry, before they get here! I don't have much time!
"Hey Junko, can I talk to you for a sec?"
Junko tilted her head back to look at me. "Hey, Hina! What's up?"
"I just wanted to know if you found anything during the investigation. Anything can help!" I may already have her alibi from Mukuro, but she could still have some information.
"Ugh, no! I feel so stupid, spending the whole time on a wild goose chase," she huffed, blowing her bangs out of her face. "See, last night before the alarm went off, I went to go get some laundry out of the laundry room, right? But on my way there, I saw someone leaving."
"Someone was in the laundry room right before nighttime?"
"Yeah, but like, they didn't leave with anything at all! No laundry or anything! And when I went inside, the only laundry in there was my own! So I thought, ya know, after Monokuma announced the investigation, that maybe there was something hidden in there. But there wasn't shit in there! And I wasted the entire investigation, too!" She crossed her arms, pouting.
"Okay, gotcha. Well, I'm gonna keep asking around then." I'm not sure how someone in the laundry room would come in, but I should remember that, just in case. "Don't be so down, okay? Leave no stone unturned!" Okay, a bunch of other people are here now, right? Who's next? I looked around and saw Sayaka and Makoto. That's right; I didn't get a chance to talk to them earlier! I hurried over to them. "Hey, guys! Find anything?"
The two of them were holding hands. Sayaka's face was pink and her eyes were red-rimmed. She just whimpered. Makoto looked at me apologetically. "We didn't really get around to investigating. Sorry."
"Oh, that's okay! It's a hard situation." Sayaka must be a super compassionate person to be affected like this. As far as I'm aware, she hadn't spoken much to Taka or Mondo at all. "But, hey, soon we'll figure it all out at the trial, and we'll all be safe again, right?"
They just looked at each other. "If we get the vote right," Makoto said uncertainly. "If we get it wrong..." He shuddered.
"We won't." I wasn't sure why, but I felt certain. I was confident now that the answer was close- I just hadn't figured it out quite yet. "We'll get it right. I'm sure of it! Just trust me."
"But if- if we- if we're wrong..." Sayaka's voice was shaky and staggered like Toko's. "We could- we could vote wrong- and then- then the killer- the killer will go free- and everyone else- everyone else will die! Because of the killer!" Her bloodshot eyes widened. "Everyone else will die..."
"Don't say that!" Makoto wrapped his arms around her. "You'll be alright, Sayaka. I promised I'd protect you, didn't I? It'll be okay..."
They're having another moment. I should leave them be. I inched away, looking around the room again. Hifumi had arrived and was standing by the elevator doors. Celeste still hadn't shown up. I should talk to Hifumi. When he was talking to Celeste earlier, it sounded like he might know something important! "Hifumi!"
"Whahuh?" He leapt back in shock. "Oh, Ms. Asahina. It's just you. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Hey, Hifumi. I was just curious about what you were trying to tell Celeste earlier." I made sure no one was looking, then leaned closer to his ear, making my voice a whisper. "It sounded like you thought you knew who the killer was."
He nodded aggressively, jerking his head out at a weird angle. Huh? "I have my suspicions on a certain... individual." He jerked his head a little further, taking some of his torso with him. Oh, is he pointing at something?
He stopped and sighed. "I am trying to be discreet here," he spat with gritted teeth. Then he froze. "Eep! He's coming!"
"What? Who's coming?"
"Hey, guys!"
I turned around. Hiro had approached the two of us. "Good news! I made contact with Taka, and now, I know exactly who the killer is! Straight from the victim's mouth!"
"That's great, Hiro!" I just hope the evidence lines up with what he has to say.
"Sure you do, Hagakure," Hifumi sneered. "Your clairvoyance is as genuine as you."
"Awwww, thanks, man! You're a good kid!" Hiro replied happily, reaching over and ruffling Hifumi's hair- or trying to. "Dang, how much gel do you use?"
"Enough!" he squeaked, ducking away.
Hiro still seems super friendly with Hifumi, but now Hifumi is scared of him. Why is that? "Hey-"
Before I could finish, I heard the now all too familiar sound of the monitor on the wall flicking on.
"Puhuhu... Is everyone here? Okay then! Please board the elevator in front of you, which will transport you to the courtroom, where all your fates will be decided. I'll meet you all down there. I'll be waiting~"
"Let's go. We shouldn't waste any more time," Kyoko said decisively, entering the elevator.
"Agreed. We've spent too much time waiting already," Byakuya declared, following her.
"Then let us be off," Celeste chimed, finally joining the rest of us. She was wearing yet another new fluffy lolita dress, this one entirely made of different shades of black and grey. I don't think she's worn the same one twice.
One by one, we all entered the elevator. Eventually, the doors slid closed with a *CLUNK*, and the elevator started to move. The cold steel descended down to the school's basement, clunking and clanking ominously all the way.
"I wonder if this is how a death row inmate feels when his time finally comes," I heard Makoto mutter behind me.
"Isn't it more like a defendant waiting to receive judgment?" Byakuya countered. "Unless you're implying that you're the one on borrowed time."
Oblivious to our anxieties, the elevator carried us further and further into the bowels of the school. And after what felt like an eternity, we arrived.
The doors opened to reveal a big courtroom, with a large throne and sixteen seats in a big circle- one for each student. Sitting atop the throne was him.
"Nyohoho! So you've finally arrived!" He hopped up, clapping with glee. "So, what do ya think? Doesn't it feel just like a real courtroom? It's like a Hollywood movie set, right?!"
"Not really," Junko said coldly.
"Aw man. Good thing I don't really care what you think! Now, everyone go find your assigned seats! I had your names etched into the stands! Hurry up now, come on!"
We all did what he said and found our seats. I ended up really close to the throne, with Junko on my left. To my right was a big black and white photo of Mondo, crossed out in hot pink paint. This is such a weird setup. I guess it's so everyone can see everyone. Even if they're not here anymore. I could practically feel the air getting heavier already.
And just like that, the curtain on the first case was open.
Kiyotaka Ishimaru, the Ultimate Moral Compass, has been killed.
He'd spent his final moments trying to find a way for us all to escape, but never got the chance to find the answer.
And the one who killed him is standing in this very room among us!
A deadly judgment, a deadly deception, a deadly betrayal.
A deadly riddle, a deadly defense, a deadly faith...
A deadly...
Class trial!
Chapter 1- Deadly Life- End
