It's been a busy couple weeks, but here it is! I was surprised by some of y'all's theories after last chapter, but I'm happy to see people getting invested in and reacting to the story! Seeing all your comments these past couple chapters makes me happier than I could've imagined, so I put extra work into this trial to make it good for you guys, especially since finals season is about to start and I won't be able to put in as much time for the next couple chapters. Don't forget to comment afterwards what you thought of the case, and enjoy the trial!
CLASS TRIAL- ALL RISE!
Monokuma wriggled around, settling into his seat and smiling cruelly at us. "Now, let's begin with a basic explanation of the class trial! So, your votes will determine the results. If you can figure out "whodunnit" then only they will receive punishment. But if you pick the wrong one, then I'll punish everyone *besides* the blackened, and the one that deceived everyone else will graduate!"
"So, the killer... They really are one of us?" Makoto asked nervously.
"Of course!" Monokuma confirmed.
"But how will we know for sure the verdict is honest?" Sayaka asked.
"Monokuma witnessed the murder on the cameras. He already knows the answer," Mukuro reminded her.
"Before we move on and start the trial, can I ask a question real quick?" Kyoko asked. She pointed at the picture of Mondo, then at another between Sayaka and Mukuro with Taka's image. "What's going on with those pictures?"
"Well, I'd feel just awful if they got left out just because they died. Friendship can penetrate even death's barrier!" Monokuma answered. "Anyway, I think that just about does it for the preamble. Time to get started! First up is the case summary! Now, let the class trial begin!"
So this is it. The trial for Taka is about to begin. I'll find the killer, and save everyone I can! Everything I've found, everyone I've spoken to, anything could become important. I have to be ready for whatever's brought to the table. "Okay, so the case summary. Where do we start?"
"There's no need. I already know who the killer is!" Hiro announced triumphantly.
"Whoa, already? How can you be so confident?" Junko asked.
"Simple! While everyone else ran around looking for clues, I contacted Taka's spirit from beyond the grave! Turns out his spirit was tethered to the school. Lucky us, huh?"
"Do you honestly expect us to believe that?" Byakuya scoffed. "Clairvoyancy isn't real; you're here because you're a scammer. Why should we care what you have to say?"
"Woah, hold on, kid. I really did talk to Taka! And I know who the killer is, one hundred percent guaranteed! Why would I lie?!"
"Maybe because you're the killer, and you're trying to cover your tracks," Hifumi suggested. "But humor us. Who do you think the killer is?"
"I don't think, I know," Hiro asserted. "And I know that the one who killed Taka is none other than our other dead classmate, Mondo Owada! Case closed!" He grinned victoriously, crossing his arms.
Hold on, I know that's not true! "Wait just a second, Hiro. What was the first thing Monokuma told us about the culprit?"
"Huh? What are you talking about? He never told us anything about the culprit," Hiro said, confused.
"Actually, if I recall," Celeste remembered, "he did tell us one thing. After Mondo's punishment, we were told his death would not affect the investigation."
"Because he wasn't involved at all with the murder," Byakuya finished. "So actually, he's the only one who we know for certain is innocent. You'd know that if you paid any attention."
"What? No way! Well, I guess that's true, but how do we know Monokuma's telling the truth?" Hiro demanded. "He could totally just lie to try and kill us all if he wanted to."
"That's certainly a possibility," Kyoko said calmly. "But I doubt that. If he were going to kill us all, he'd have done it already. And besides, there's nothing more to be gained from lying to us about the culprit. Don't you think?"
"Well, I guess you're right. Man! I really thought we were gonna be done just like that," he groaned.
"It'll take a lot more than that to prove your innocence," Hifumi sneered.
"Let's move on." Kyoko took charge. "We're meant to be discussing the basics, and making sure everyone's on the same page."
"You're right." Okay, a basic summary. I can do that. "The victim was Kiyotaka Ishimaru, the Ultimate Moral Compass."
"You didn't need to specify that," Byakuya interrupted.
"His body was found in his room, near his bed," Mukuro continued.
"Killed right out of bed... What an awful way to kill someone," Chihiro sighed mournfully.
"Actually, I don't think he was killed getting out of bed. The blood on the floor should prove that."
"Huh? Blood on the floor?"
"That's right," Kyoko confirmed. "There was a small trail of blood on the carpet of the room. It started by the door and led to his body."
"He must've first been stabbed in the doorway and pushed back towards his bed," Sakura theorized. "He was likely knocked off balance as well, and forced to the ground. That would explain the twisted ankle in the Monokuma File."
"His mouth was likely forced shut to keep him from screaming, with enough force to fracture his jaw," Byakuya continued, "and was then stabbed a second time, with the culprit even going so far as to twist the knife around in his torso. How delightfully vicious of them. If you ask me-"
"Now for the subject of the murder weapon itself," Sakura cut him off.
Alright. We need to know where the murder weapon came from, and why. So let's figure it out!
"The Monokuma File described it as a 'sharp object' which was lodged into his torso," Mukuro read off.
"W-Was it still there?" Toko asked. "What w-was it?"
"Did you not even bother to look for yourself?" Byakuya demanded.
"I-I couldn't! I can't l-look at bloody stuff like that!"
"Actually," I remembered, "it was a knife, Toko. And it was covered in blood, so it's probably good that you didn't see it."
"Makes sense," she said smugly. "What other sh-sharp object w-would be used to kill someone?"
"True, a knife would be an easy choice," Celeste agreed. "But do you not find it strange? It was left ambiguous in the Monokuma File."
"Maybe it was meant to draw attention to the weapon," Hifumi suggested. "To make us think about where it came from!"
"You're probably right, Hifumi," I agreed. "The knife used wasn't just some random knife; it was a knife from the kitchen here in the school."
"Those kitchen knives did seem fairly sharp," Mukuro thought. "It would make sense why someone would choose them as a murder weapon."
"One of the knives was missing from the kitchen during the investigation," Kyoko confirmed. "So there's no doubt that that's where it was from."
"I suppose it did look similar to a kitchen knife," Sakura agreed. "So then, that's settled."
"Okay, so the murder weapon was a kitchen knife. But what can we get from that?" Makoto asked. "How are we supposed to know when it was taken, or by who?"
"He's got a point," Leon agreed. "It's not like we had anyone on watch or something."
"Hang on! We might not be at a dead end just yet." Maybe it's luck, maybe it's connected, but we do know about who was in the kitchen last night.
"Wait, really? How? Unless..." Makoto's expression turned to one of fear. "Hina, are you saying you were in the kitchen last?"
"What? No. The girls all had tea in the dining hall last night. We were in there until it was almost nighttime, maybe around nine thirty or so."
"That is true. By the time we had all left, there would have been no time for anyone else to enter without receiving punishment," Celeste agreed. "We were all there in the dining hall- well, except for Chihiro."
"Sorry, Celeste," Chihiro apologized.
"So you're saying there were eight of you in the dining hall last night? For how long?" Byakuya demanded.
"Well, most of us were only there for like, a couple hours," Junko replied. "I mean, we all got there around eight or so. I guess to know for sure, you'd have to ask Celeste. She's the one who organized it, after all."
"That's true! Celeste is the one who invited us all there, and organized everything. She even made all the scones and tea herself!" Sayaka remembered.
"Celeste, is that true?" Makoto asked.
She smiled. "It is. I had noticed how the videos had affected everybody, and thought some tea would help to calm our nerves a little."
"H-Hold on," Toko realized. "I-If you organized everything yourself, th-then wouldn't that mean that you'd have all the t-time in the world to take the knife?"
"Well, I suppose it would," she agreed. "But I did not. I had no use for it, and I'd hate to get blood on my clothes. Most of the services here are adequate, but I'm afraid it would be most difficult to clean blood out properly here so that it would not stain."
"That sounds like an excuse," Leon accused. "If you really got blood on yourself, then couldn't you just hide the dress in your room? No one would ever find it."
"It is not a matter of hiding. I have formed my wardrobe with the utmost care, and losing even a single piece of it would break my heart." She folded her hands over her heart and sighed. "It takes a lot of work to maintain this sort of ensemble. It is worth it, of course, but nevertheless, replacing it would be a great hassle. Especially now, in our new living arrangements."
"Just a moment. There is something that could explain that," Kyoko interrupted. "There was something Hina and I found in the kitchen."
"Oh! That's right!" Somehow, I'd almost forgotten about that. "We found an apron with dry blood all over it."
"Ooooh, so the killer would've worn the apron to avoid getting any blood on themselves! I get it!" Junko beamed. "Celeste, care to comment?"
Celeste just smiled, lacing her fingers together. "I did not take any such apron from the kitchen, nor did I take the knife. It would have been impossible for me to remove them from the kitchen undetected, because the dining hall was full of people in the time that I was there."
"Hold on, that's a lie! You were the last one to leave the dining hall, right? You could've taken it then!" Sayaka argued.
"I may have been the last to leave, but I never said I left alone, now, did I?" She looked like she was about to start laughing. "I may have planned for tea, but I was not planning for murder. And I was most certainly not alone."
There she goes again. Earlier, she said she was never alone in the kitchen. But did any of us ever go in the kitchen besides her?
"You're making it sound as if you had someone helping you," Byakuya spoke, pulling me back out of my thoughts. "So? Who was it?"
"Really? What ever gave you that impression?" Celeste stared him down. "Are you trying to diminish my efforts?"
Something's not right. Celeste is hiding something- or someone- for sure. If there was only a way to figure it out!
"So, to clarify, we're supposed to believe it's not you?" Byakuya scoffed.
"Because it was not me," Celeste repeated. "I had no motive to kill Taka, nor did I have the opportunity to collect the materials necessary."
"How are we s-supposed to believe you?" Toko demanded. "You were a-all alone in the kitchen f-for who knows how long?!"
"None of us even went into the kitchen, except for you," Junko added.
"Actually, one of us did go into the kitchen!" I remembered. "Right, Sayaka?"
"Huh? Me?" She looked confused.
"Remember when Toko's thumb started bleeding? You went into the kitchen to get a first-aid kit."
"Oh, right! I nearly forgot! Yeah, I went to the kitchen... Oh my gosh, you're right! There was someone else in there!."
"And you're only telling us this now?" Byakuya said, indignant. "Tell us, then. Who was it?"
"Well, that's just it. I don't remember," she said hesitantly. "I mean, I was only in there for a few seconds, and I was really just trying to find the first aid kit. But I think I remember seeing someone crouched in front of the ovens."
"You think?" Byakuya pinched the bridge of his nose angrily. "Do you not care at all? Everyone's lives are on the line, you know."
"Think back. What details about this person do you remember?" Kyoko asked. "Were they tall or short? What color was their hair?"
"There is no need for that," Celeste interrupted. "I was not alone in the kitchen. Therefore, I could not have snuck anything out without being noticed. I am innocent, and we are all wasting precious time."
"There is no time to waste in this trial. Besides," Kyoko replied, "you may have had eyes on you, but clearly, there were times when this other person was alone. We need to know the truth."
"The truth? The truth is that we left the dining hall together, just before nighttime. There is no need to know who-"
"Forget it, Celeste," Hifumi interrupted. "You don't have to hide me anymore."
"Hifumi?" So that's why he was crying to Celeste earlier.
"Celeste was working with you? By choice?" Leon asked, incredulous.
"No need to sound so shocked, Mr. Kuwata! Ms. Ludenberg was simply able to recognize my superior talent with baked goods!" Hifumi declared triumphantly. "So, naturally, she asked I prepare the scones for tea."
"I merely required his pastry skills, nothing more," Celeste continued. "Do not think that I would work with someone like him under normal circumstances."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means your obsession with manga and the world of garish animated fiction is, quite frankly, distasteful."
"It is not! Manga and anime are sacred pieces of our culture!"
"I hate to interrupt," Makoto interrupted, "but can we maybe move on?"
"So, just to summarize," Mukuro said, "Celeste had Hifumi make scones for everyone in the kitchen before and during tea."
"And because the two of them left the dining hall together, then either one of them would've noticed had the other snuck out a kitchen knife and apron," Sakura finished.
"That is right. Neither Hifumi nor I took the knife or apron from the kitchen," Celeste smiled. "Now, are you all done pestering me? Good."
"Which begs the question: Mr. Hagakure, is this your handiwork we're discussing?" Hifumi demanded.
"Huh? Me?" Hiro asked, confused.
"When Celeste and I went into the kitchen, who did we find there but you, Mr. Hagakure!" Hifumi declared. "And if I recall, you didn't leave empty-handed. Did you?"
"Is this true, Hiro? Are you the culprit?" Sayaka plead.
"No way! I'm not the culprit! Sure, I grabbed a couple things from the kitchen, but not the kitchen knife! And definitely not an apron!"
"W-Well then, what d-did you take?" Toko asked. "And wh-why?"
"I filled a mixing bowl with different things I could use to increase my spiritual awareness! That's all!"
"Your spiritual... What?" Leon asked.
"I was thinking that if I could reach the outside, I could send a cosmic SOS, or at least figure out our location!" Hiro explained. "But all I got was a weird red and black smog. Something's clogging up my spiritual vision outside the walls of the school."
"That doesn't make much sense," Sakura muttered.
"But the point is, I didn't do it! I swear! I'll even show you everything I got from the kitchen if you want! Some salt, cinnamon, lavender, a few snacks in case I got hungry-"
"You don't have to give us an itemized list," Byakuya scoffed.
"But that's impossible! You were the last one in the kitchen before us! Who else had the time?!" Hifumi argued.
"Actually, he didn't seem to have any sort of apron or knife on him when he left," Celeste countered. "At least, not that I remember. Those are hard objects to conceal on your person, especially when directly confronted. Regardless, we do not know how many entered the kitchen before us, and questioning everyone on their activities in the kitchen the day before will likely only cause more confusion."
"That's true. The culprit could just say they never went there, and we wouldn't be able to tell the difference," Chihiro agreed.
"Well, not everyone," Makoto interrupted. "Sayaka and I stayed together all day until she went to that tea thing."
"That's right," Sayaka agreed. "But still, Celeste is right. Not everyone can say that they had someone watching them all of yesterday."
"Alright. Then let's try looking at the kitchen from a new angle," Kyoko suggested. "Instead of trying to find when the knife and apron were removed, let's focus on when the apron was brought back."
"I was wondering about that myself. Specifically, why would evidence like that be left out in the open?" Byakuya asked.
"Yeah, couldn't they just hide it in their room or something?" Leon agreed.
"I'm not sure." I tried to think. Why would incriminating evidence like that be left out in the kitchen? It doesn't make sense. The obvious choice would be to just stash it in their room and not let anyone see it. The reason someone wouldn't just do that, or couldn't... That's the crucial point here.
"Maybe hiding it in their room wasn't an option," I realized, "because they weren't in their own room to begin with."
"Are you saying that you think the killer is someone who spent the night away from their own room?" Sakura asked uncertainly.
"Well, yeah. I mean, why else would they hide the apron in the kitchen and not in their own room-" Wait. Sakura stayed in my room last night, not hers. Did I just incriminate Sakura? "I mean, it can't be Sakura, though! I mean, I was with her the whole time. It has to be someone else."
"N-Not necessarily," Toko countered. "I m-mean, what if the two of you a-are working together, a-and lying to protect each other?"
"We're not! I swear!" Sorry, Sakura! "And even if that was possible, couldn't that mean that Celeste and Hifumi could be working together too?"
"The idea that I would ever work with the likes of Hifumi and murder another to leave these very comfortable accommodations... What sort of harlot do you take me for?" Celeste demanded, breaking her calm exterior for a moment.
"Hey! Words can hurt, you know!" Hifumi sobbed.
"Actually, since we're on the topic, I'd like to ask the bear a question," Byakuya interrupted. "If the blackened does have an accomplice, do they also become blackened?"
"Nope! A blackened may have an accomplice, but only the one blackened may have the opportunity to graduate. Didn't you read the regulations? There can only be one blackened at any given time!" Monokuma replied cheerily.
"So two people can work together, but one has no chance of profiting," Kyoko summarized.
"What defines an accomplice?" Makoto asked. "Do they just help cover up the murder, or commit it? What if they don't know they're covering a murder?"
"You're only an accomplice if you're purposely helping the murderer commit the crime! Okay?" Monokuma replied, annoyed this time.
"So that means Sakura and I are airtight! We were with each other the entire time!" Phew!
"Well, what if there is an accomplice this time, and they didn't know about the rule?" Chihiro asked.
"Ugh, enough about accomplices already!" Monokuma screeched. "There are no accomplices in this case!... Oops. Did I say that out loud?"
"Oh, okay. Great!" She glanced at me apologetically. "Sorry, Hina. But I had to make sure."
"That's okay, Chihiro. Better safe than sorry, after all!"
"Maybe we're looking at this from the wrong angle," Junko suggested. "Right now we're saying 'hey, the killer must've been in someone else's room.' But that doesn't make sense, does it? I mean, they could've just hid it anyway when the other person was asleep."
"That's true," Mukuro agreed. "If the killer couldn't hide the evidence in their room, then it must've been because they couldn't get into their room at all."
"But that's impossible. We all had our own room keys," Hiro reminded us. "The only way we wouldn't be able to get into our own room was if someone lost their key. And everyone's still got theirs, right?"
"I know I haven't lost mine," Sayaka said. "But even if I had, it'd be dangerous, wouldn't it? I mean, sleeping outside of the dorms is against the school regulations."
"That's true. I nearly fell asleep last night, and if Hina and Sakura hadn't shown up, I might have," Chihiro agreed.
"Hold on, back up. Were you not in your own room last night?" Byakuya asked.
"Well, no. But my key wasn't lost or anything. I was just in the school store, trying to find some tech I could use to contact the outside."
"And is anyone able to confirm that you were, in fact, in the school store the entire night?" he pressed. "You could've easily killed Taka and hid the evidence without anyone noticing."
"Hold on, Byakuya," I interrupted. "It's impossible for Chihiro to have hid the evidence in the kitchen at night, because the dining hall is closed during nighttime."
"Hina and I found her at five am, before the dining hall was opened," Sakura continued. "And she didn't enter the dining hall until after seven, with Hina, Mukuro, and myself."
"That's true. If she'd been trying to hide evidence, one of us would've noticed," Mukuro confirmed.
"Hey, yeah! That's right! I wouldn't have had a chance to hide the apron in the kitchen!" Chihiro said happily.
"Hold on," Kyoko said. "We can't remove Chihiro from suspicion just yet."
"Oh, I'm sorry... Did I do something suspicious?" Chihiro asked. "I really am innocent, I promise!"
"No, not necessarily. But we still need to consider: How do we know when the apron was brought to the kitchen?"
"What do you mean? Wouldn't it have to have been taken to the kitchen before everyone arrived for breakfast?"
"Not necessarily. Hina and I didn't find the apron until close to the end of the investigation. It's entirely possible that the culprit could have removed it from their room and taken it to the kitchen to try and dispose of the evidence."
"But why would they need to do that?" Hiro asked. "Wouldn't it be faster to take it there right away?"
"Perhaps they were afraid of being seen by the other students, and waited until everyone was already distracted with the investigation," Celeste suggested.
"Okay, that makes sense, but why would they need to put it in the kitchen? Wouldn't it be dangerous if someone found it there?" Taking it to where the murder weapon came from? Why hide it there?
"Possibly to try and hide it in plain sight," Kyoko suggested. "When I found the apron, it was flipped over in the dirty bin in the back. The other aprons had also been arranged to cover it. By hiding it with the other aprons, the culprit was trying to keep us from thinking to look there."
"Wow, I guess you're right. I never would've thought to look there." Kyoko's really good at this stuff!
"yeah, me neither," Leon agreed. "But I still don't think Chihiro could've done it. After all, if she really was the killer, then leaving it in the school store would've made the most sense."
"Yeah, like, no one suspected her, so she could just hide it with all the junk in there and no one would even find it," Junko continued.
"And Chihiro never left the gym during the investigation," Hiro told us. "So she wouldn't have had time to put it in the kitchen anyway."
Chihiro was tearing up. "You guys..."
"Don't worry, girl! We've got your back!" Leon assured her.
"Yeah, we all trust you!" Sayaka agreed.
"Trust..." Makoto said. He hesitated. "Sayaka, we trust each other, right?"
"Of course I trust you, Makoto. Why? Is something wrong?"
"Maybe. I'm not sure. But right now, I'm going to trust my gut and be honest."
"Makoto, what's going on?" She sounded apprehensive all of a sudden.
"I'm sorry, Sayaka. But I have to break our promise." He breathed in deep, then out, very slowly. "Chihiro wasn't the only one outside of her room last night. Last night, Sayaka and I switched rooms."
"Wait. So that means you were the one in Sayaka's room, and Sayaka, you were in Makoto's room?" Leon asked.
Sayaka sighed. "Yes, it's true. But I'm not the culprit!" She looked around at all of us. "We had a good reason for switching rooms, I promise! You have to believe me!"
"Yeah, we're innocent! There's a real reason why we had to switch rooms," Makoto agreed.
"Okay... The two of you switched rooms for the night. Why? And how can we be sure that neither of you left your rooms?" Makoto seems unsure of himself. And Sayaka... She seems so afraid. Whatever it is that they know, it could be the key to solving this whole mystery!
"Last night, after I got back to my room," Sayaka began, "I heard scratching at my door. I got scared and couldn't look. Eventually, the sounds went away, and when I opened the door to look, no one was there."
"Sayaka came and told me about what happened," Makoto continued, "so we decided to switch rooms for the night. That way, if anyone came back, at least Sayaka would be safe."
"I was so afraid after what happened. I didn't leave my room until Makoto knocked on my door, after the morning announcement went off. I barely got any sleep."
"And how do we know that Sayaka's story was true? She could've made it up to get into your room, Makoto," Byakuya suggested.
"I know it wasn't made up," he defended, "because later that night, someone did come knocking on the door."
"Just a second, Makoto. Around what time did someone come to the door?" That's it, isn't it? What I was told just before the trial!
"The time? I think it was around one or so. Why?"
One am, huh? Sounds familiar. "Makoto, I think I know who came to your door."
"Wait, seriously? How? Who?"
"Well, I'll have to ask to know for certain." Before the trial, someone told me he'd tried to go to a girl's room last night, around one am. "How about it, Leon? Did you go to Sayaka's door last night?"
"Yeah, I went to Sayaka's door. How was I supposed to know Makoto was in there? My bad, dude," Leon apologized.
"Leon?! You were the one trying to break into Sayaka's room?" Makoto looked horrified.
"Actually, he wasn't trying to break in. He was invited. Right?"
"Yeah, Sayaka slipped me a note last night asking to meet up." He turned to face Sayaka. "Guess you forgot to tell me what room you were in, yeah?" His smirk disappeared as he looked at her. "Sayaka?"
Sayaka didn't say anything. Her eyes were wide and unfocused, and she was hugging herself tightly.
"Sayaka, are you okay?" Makoto reached out to touch her shoulder.
"Don't touch me!" She smacked his hand away. "You... It was you, wasn't it? Oh!" Tears started running down her face. "I... I trusted you, Makoto, and I...!" She started weeping, legs wobbly and knuckles white as she gripped the stand.
"What? No, Sayaka! I'm innocent! I'd never take advantage of you like that!" He tried to plead with her.
"If... if that's true, then why did you want to switch rooms?"
"I didn't... I mean, I did! But I was just trying to help you! I wanted to keep you safe!"
"So you wanted me to stay in your room, is that it? So you could hide evidence and- and frame me!"
"No, of course not!"
"I could be wrong," Celeste mused, "but Sayaka, is this an act of desperation? You do not look to be well. Is there something else you are hiding?"
Sayaka looked back up at all of us, big blue eyes scanning each of our faces. "No... No! You don't really think... I mean, it's impossible! I'd never do that!"
"Well then, let's see if your story holds up. You switched rooms with Makoto because someone tried to break into your room, correct?" Kyoko asked. "Around what time did that happen?"
"Well, it was a little bit after I'd left tea. So... around nine fifty?" Sayaka said uncertainly, sniffling. "There was scratching on the doorknob, like someone was trying to pick the lock."
"And after the scratching noises, you went straight to Makoto's room?" Kyoko pressed.
"Yeah, that's right. I stayed in Makoto's room for just a few minutes, when it was nearly nighttime. Then we decided to switch rooms for the night."
There! That just might be it! "Sayaka, are you sure you went to Makoto's room from your own? You didn't stop anywhere else?"
Sayaka turned to face me. "Of course I did? Why would I lie about something like that?" she asked. "Where else would I have been?"
"I don't know, but there is one other thing I'm curious about. Junko?" What Junko told me in the waiting room... That's the key!
"Oh. Em. Gee! You're totally right, Hina! I nearly forgot!" Junko knocked a fist against her forehead lightly. "Sayaka totally lied just now."
"Really? Do tell," Byakuya said, smirking.
"Yeah, last night, a little bit before ten, I went to go and get some laundry out of the laundry room? And while I was walking up the hall, ya know who I saw leaving?" She pointed a finger out at Sayaka. "You, doll! And you weren't carrying any laundry, either. I thought it was kinda weird, what with none of the machines running when I got in there."
"So lemme get this straight," Leon started. "Sayaka, you lied about someone trying to break into your room, got Makoto to sleep in your room, slipped me a note asking to meet up, sent me to the wrong room, and lied about it? Why the hell would you even do that?" he demanded, face turning red.
Sayaka didn't say anything. Her head was down, blue hair spilling out all around her, eyes shadowed in darkness, lips quivering. "You're all making something out of nothing," she managed to say. "It all doesn't mean anything, I-"
"I wonder, why would you even need to go to the laundry room in the first place if not to do your laundry?" Byakuya wondered.
"Perhaps she needed a place to hide something before speaking with Makoto," Celeste laughed. "Like a knife, or an apron."
"I didn't have either of those," Sayaka plead. "Please stop-"
"That reminds me," Mukuro spoke, "you and Makoto were the only ones in the dining hall when Chihiro and I got there with Sakura and Hina this morning. Did the two of you arrive together?"
"It doesn't mean anything!" Sayaka begged. "I-"
"No, we didn't," Makoto realized. "Sayaka was already there when I got there."
"Stop it, please!"
"Say," Hifumi added, "you didn't happen to take anything extra from the kitchen when you grabbed that first-aid kit, did you? Like a knife, maybe?"
"NO! You're all wrong! I'm completely innocent! It doesn't make any sense at all! Stop accusing me of something that I'd never do!" Sayaka's sobbing became stronger than ever, gasping for breath between every statement.
"You know, I kept the apron I wore that morning, when we made breakfast together," Makoto continued. "I kept it hanging in my room. I wonder, if I went back to my room, if it would still be there."
"You can't explain this!" Sayaka cried. "This is all just- just panicked speculation! I-I'm completely innocent! You don't have any real proof! You can't prove I did it!"
"Actually, I think we can." I don't want to believe this, but the evidence is overwhelming. With everyone's testimonies, and the clues we've found, there's no other possible option. I have to make her see that! "Let me tell you exactly what happened, Sayaka. We'll see if you still think there's no proof.
"After we were all shown our motive videos, you couldn't take being here any longer. You decided to do the unthinkable, and kill. So you came up with a plan to take the evidence off of yourself, and get away with murder.
"You got your chance to grab your murder weapon at tea, when Toko chewed her thumb open by mistake. When you went to grab a first-aid kit from the kitchen, you also stole a kitchen knife, and stowed it away. Of course, we were all too distracted to notice at the time with Toko's injury, but when else would you have had the chance? You were with Makoto all day before tea, after all.
"After tea was over, you needed to create a story that would make you appear innocent. Something that would make you seem like a victim, rather than a suspect. So you wrote a note for Leon, asking him to meet you in the middle of the night, and slipped it under his door.
"In order for your cover to work, you couldn't be in your own room, so you went to the laundry room and hid the knife. What you weren't counting on was Junko seeing you on your way out.
"You went to Makoto's room and made up a story of someone trying to break into your room. You got him to agree to switch rooms with you, and with that, you had all the freedom you needed to move throughout the night. Not only that, you also found what you needed to keep the blood off your clothes- Makoto's apron. So you went back to the laundry room, grabbed the knife, and got ready.
"At sometime around eleven, you went to Taka's room and knocked on the door. When he answered... you stabbed him right in his stomach and forced him further back into his room, leaving a trail of blood on the carpet. You must've really forced your free hand into his mouth to break his jaw like that, even going so far as to twist the knife around and stab him again to make sure he died and tripping him so he twisted his ankle. And since you were wearing an apron, it managed to catch all the stray blood that would've gotten on your clothes.
"Later that night, the rest of your false alibi was put in motion. Leon went to your room, just like you'd asked him to, and knocked on the door. What he didn't know was that it was Makoto in your room, not you. Makoto probably heard this and thought 'oh no, Sayaka was right, someone is after her,' and never answered. Since the bedroom doors are made to prevent tampering, Leon had no way of getting in and seeing that it was Makoto in there. And since the rooms are all soundproof, no one else saw or even heard him.
"The killer had successfully gotten away with murder, but she still had one piece of evidence on her- her blood-soaked apron. She couldn't leave it in Makoto's room, and risk him finding it. So as soon as the dining hall opened the morning after, she went straight in and went to the kitchen, where there's a laundry bin for all the used aprons. The killer pulled up the dirty aprons and put the bloody one at the bottom, covering it with all the other aprons and hiding it from view.
"And that killer... the blackened for this case... is you, Sayaka Maizono!"
I stared into her horrified, tear-stained eyes. "Did I miss anything? Anything at all, something that could prove it wasn't you? Please?"
She didn't say anything. She just bowed her head, avoiding everyone's eyes.
"Well, answer her!" Leon demanded, face turned scarlet.
"Sayaka?" Makoto plead. "Please, tell her she's wrong! Tell me that she's wrong, that you're innocent!"
She just stared. "I'm sorry..." she managed, her voice now nothing more than a hoarse whisper.
Monokuma sat up, excited. "Have you all come to a verdict? Then it's voting time! Please use the lever in front of you to cast your votes! Oh, and please make sure you do vote! You wouldn't want to be punished for something so minor, would you? Who will be chosen as the blackened? Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one? What's it gonna be?! What's it gonna beee?!"
In the corner of the room, curtains were pulled back to reveal a giant lottery machine. It was made all of gold, and across the top was an image of Monokuma wearing a suit, complete with a top hat and cane. The three slots began spinning wildly, until all three slowed down and landed on Sayaka's face. As it stopped, the whole machine lit up, confetti coming out of horns in the corners and the word 'GUILTY' flashing in red below the slots.
"Uh oh! Looks like you got it right on the money! The blackened of this case, the one that killed good ol' Taka... was none other than Sayaka Maizono!" Monokuma announced, leaping off his throne.
"So it really is true, then." Makoto stumbled back, falling to the ground. "You really killed him..."
"You lying bitch!" Leon marched away from his seat and right for Sayaka, rolling up his sleeves. "You sick, conniving-"
"Leon, wait!" Makoto pushed himself back up. "Just... just let her explain herself first." He turned back to Sayaka, tears streaming down his face. "Please. Just tell us why."
She looked back up at Makoto. "Why...? Why?" Her voice exploded, loud and clear, filled with anger. "Why not? You all saw those videos! I'm surprised you all didn't do the same!" Her face turned red hot with anger. "Do you all care so little?! My friends- my family- they're in danger! Their lives are being destroyed out there without me! Everything we've worked for will be gone! I had to get out, not just for me, but for them! Why not sacrifice one stranger for the sake of everything we've worked for?"
"One stranger?" Byakuya scoffed. "Last I checked, you put everyone's lives in danger."
"You must respect her dedication to playing the victim," Celeste replied.
"I didn't know he'd kill all of you!" Sayaka cried. "But so what if I had? We're all nothing but strangers! I don't have to care about you! My career- my family- mean more to me than any of you ever could! You have no idea what we've all gone through, and I'll be damned if I let it be taken away now!"
"All of us?" Makoto asked, eyes welling up. "Is that really how you feel?"
"I-" I couldn't move. I could only watch as Sayaka's sudden rage evaporated, her face melting from red-hot anger to broken sadness once again. "Makoto, no- I didn't mean you-"
"Then why did you say it?" He asked. Somehow, he wasn't angry at all- just hurt.
She started to hug herself tightly, shaking where she stood. "In that video, I saw them. All the other girls I perform with. They all mean so much to me, you know. They're the family I never had." She pulled at the skin on her arms tighter, gripping them so hard her knuckles were white. "They'd all collapsed. He said they'd never see the spotlight again. That none of us would! Don't you see?" She reached out suddenly, grabbing his hands. "He's done something that can never be fixed! He's hurt my family! He's ruined us all! But if I come back..."
Her face contorted again, a manic smile twisting her features. It was scary. No, it was beyond just scary- it was horrifying, twisted with despair. "If I come back, I can fix it! I can put us back on top! I can keep my dream…. I can't lose it! I won't give up, never! I have to keep going! You get it, don't you?! Why I had to do it?! I can't rest for even a second! I'll do whatever it takes, no matter what! Nothing else matters as long as I keep my eyes on the top!"
"Even if it means betraying your friends?"
She jerked around, pulling him with her and shoving him towards Mukuro,. She caught him easily and set him upright as Sayaka took off, weaving around the class and trying to make it back to the elevator.
"I don't think so." Mukuro was a bolt of light, appearing in front of her without anyone seeing her move. In the blink of an eye, she had Sayaka on her knees, hands twisted behind her back. "You don't get to run away from your actions. That's the life of a killer. You have to face what you've done." She put a foot on her back, forcing her to kneel to the ground. "Show respect to those you've hurt. Now."
She released her. She didn't move from where she sat. Instead, she shifted, pressing her hands to the ground in apology, her whole body trembling. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't want to. I'm sorry..."
"What you've done is unforgivable," Leon seethed, stalking towards her. "You used me. You used him-" He pointed back at Makoto- "and you killed someone. You get that? Our lives aren't a fucking game. Our feelings aren't your fucking toys." Sayaka tilted her face up to him, and he lunged forward, grabbing the collar of her shirt and forcing her to her feet. "People like you disgust me." He pulled back his free arm, closing his hand into a fist-
I dashed forward, grabbing his arm before he could follow through. "Leon, enough! She's not the one to blame here."
He glared at me. "Don't tell me you're defending her?!"
"Hina?" Sayaka gasped.
"I'm not excusing what she did. It was an awful thing to do." I released his arm, and he dropped it and Sayaka, watching me. "But there's only one person to blame for this, and that's him." I turned to Monokuma, who'd somehow procured a bowl of popcorn. He bounced back to his feet.
"D'awwwwww, widdle old me? Did I do it? DId I cause you despair?" He looked delighted, clapping his little metal paws. "Yaaaaaay! I was a little worried it'd be inadequate, what with this being my first ever class trial and all-"
Sayaka pushed herself back up to face Monokuma. "You! Keeping me here, and destroying my family! Lying to us all! Hina's right; you're the one to blame!"
"Whaaaaa? Moi?!" He held up a paw to his forehead, swooning. "Oh, but I'm not the one that killed poor Taka, am I? That was all you! Speaking of which-" He jumped back up to his throne, pulling out a gavel. "I'm getting bored. So let's hurry this up, shall we?"
"Hurry it up?" Chihiro asked. "What does that mean?"
"He must mean Sayaka's punishment," Celeste told her, "now that she has been found guilty."
"So execution has come," Byakuya said smugly. He faced her, pressing a hand to his chest and bowing. "Well, it's been fun. You've certainly made the first round interesting. Thank you for that."
"But that's not what I wanted!" Sayaka cried. She looked around at the rest of the class, eyes settling on Makoto. "I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you."
"Now then," Monokuma announced, "I've prepared a bear-y special punishment for Sayaka Maizono, the Ultimate Pop Sensation!"
"Please don't hate me when I'm gone," she whispered. "I just wanted to make people smile. That's all I ever wanted."
"Let's give it everything we've got! It's..."
"Survive for me, okay? Promise me."
"...PUNISHMENT TIME!"
A red button rises from the front of Monokuma's throne, stopping before him. He raises his gavel high to the sky, the polished wood catching the light, before he slams it down with full force. Above him, a wide monitor opens up and flicks on, revealing an older, 8-bit image of what can only be Sayaka.
SAYAKA MAIZONO HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY.
An 8-bit Monokuma slides across the screen, dragging the Sayaka away by its neck.
TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT!
The real Sayaka watches this, terrified. Her eyes dart from classmate to classmate as they all look on, a mixed bag of anger, sorrow, and contempt. Suddenly, a metal clamp is closing down around her neck, and she's pulled from where she stands, away from her classmates and friends, into the dark chamber that's opened in the wall to swallow her whole. She reaches out for someone, anyone, to save her, but it's too late. She's pulled through, and the wall slams shut. She tries to fight against the restraint on her neck, but to no avail, as she's pulled down the long tunnel and towards her end.
The girl's flung into the air, the metal collar releasing her, and she lands on a small platform, just managing to avoid falling. The platform is surrounded by large spikes on either side, all poised to snap shut around her- a gargantuan bear trap. Before her are bloodred curtains, which open to reveal a crowd: a crowd of cheering Monokuma fans, with her classmates being ushered into the front row. One of the Monokumas tosses a microphone onstage, and she catches it. Her face begins to turn blue as a Cheer-Meter rises near the stage. Above her, a sign glows in red lights:
Miss Idol's Final Performance!
Music begins playing, and she begins to sing. She sings out to the audience, every word filled with the passion of an Ultimate Pop Sensation. But there's something else there: despair. The crowd roars, loving every second of it. She reaches out for her audience, but doesn't dare move, as the Cheer-Meter rises higher and higher. For a moment, there's hope: she'll live after all! But like everything good in this game, it's short-lived. The crowd's cheers turn into jeers, Monokumas on Monokumas trashing the house and crowd-surfing each other. One is thrown to the Cheer-Meter, hitting his mark and destroying it. Sayaka watches in horror as the music screeches to a halt. Gears begin whirring beneath her ominously. She looks out to the class and sees a chance. She leaps from the platform-
SNAP!
The jaws catch her, leaving nothing but a single arm hanging out, still reaching for a glimmer of hope. Blood gushes out from below, coating the trap's teeth like a grizzly finishing its kill. The arm goes limp. The trap is lowered under the stage and into the depths below. The class watches on, powerless and afraid. Every face is tainted- Aoi Asahina, Makoto Naegi, Junko Enoshima, Byakuya Togami, Sakura Ogami, Yasuhiro Hagakure, Celestia Ludenberg, Leon Kuwata, Toko Fukawa, Hifumi Yamada, Kyoko Kirigiri, Chihiro Fujisaki- tainted beyond repair.
EXECUTION- COMPLETE
