I forgot to post yesterday smh, just started a new job so I'm kinda all over the place getting resituated, sorry y'all :( This chapter is shorter than usual but I think it's great as it is. Anyway enjoy! I swear I'll post on time next time
*Dong, Ding, Bong, Bing*
"A body has been discovered! After a certain amount of time, which you may use however you like, the class trial will begin!"
"Hm. How interesting." Byakuya sounded confused. "Toko, did you happen to catch a glimpse of the body?"
"N-No," she stammered. "Wh-Who is it?"
"It's Hiro." I went to feel their pulse, but their neck was covered in blood. When I got closer, I could see the gash over their neck, near their jugular. "Who could do this...?"
"Strange," Byakuya continued, ignoring me. "The announcement went off."
"Yeah, that's what happens when a dead person's found! Just like last time!" How can he act so cold? Hiro is dead! Someone is dead, again!
"Yes, when three or more innocents find it," Byakuya scolded me.
"Yeah, I remember, Byakuya! I'm not stupid!" I wish he'd shut up.
"Evidently, you are. Now, if you're not going to be of any help-" He grabbed my shoulder and hoisted me up- "then move. Go find the others and fill them in."
"Fine." I felt totally defeated. We promised this wouldn't happen again, didn't we? Weren't we supposed to stop this? So why? Why would someone attack Hiro?!
"I'll go with her," Toko offered from the doorway. "I-I'm not good with blood."
"Good. Go on and get out of the way, then." He knelt down in front of the body.
I went over to Toko. "Let's go."
She just looked at me with dull eyes. "Sure."
We ran into just about everyone else searching on our way to the dorms and told them what we saw. Celeste and Chihiro were the only ones left.
"I don't know about Chihiro, but Celeste is probably still in the dining hall." I kept my eyes forward.
"Probably m-making Chihiro cook f-for her again," Toko muttered.
"Maybe." We walked in an awkward silence. I wonder how Toko feels about this. Happy it's not her? Scared that she's next? Guilty that she didn't say goodbye? A mix of all three?
"Wh-what did you guys end up doing after the motive?"
"Most of us decided to tell our secrets right then, to take the pressure off. Chihiro and Mukuro said they would in the morning. And Kyoko didn't say hers at all."
"...I see."
"Did you and Byakuya exchange yours?"
"No. He didn't want to."
"Oh. Um, what was yours?"
"It doesn't matter now, does it?!" She flared at her feet. "Hiro is dead. You all spilled your secrets for nothing."
We entered the dining hall. Celeste and Chihiro were sitting side by side, sipping tea. Chihiro was trembling so much I could see it from the door, but Celeste looked calm. In front of them was Celeste's tea tray.
"Hina! Toko! You're okay!" Chihiro looked relieved. "Thank goodness!"
"Indeed," Celeste smiled. "Care for some tea? Chihiro is quite the fast learner."
"No thanks." I don't think my stomach can handle anything right now.
"Are you sure? It is chamomile. It will calm your nerves."
"Hiro's dead," Toko blurted. She took a cup from the tray and started pouring herself some tea.
"Well, that is to be expected," Celeste replied, not missing a beat. "They were on guard duty, were they not? Still," she mused, "to be found anywhere besides the dorm hallways... They must have been moved. Whoever their killer, they must have been quite strong."
I hadn't thought about that. I need to put my grief aside again, and try to think about how it happened. "I'm going back. We need to know how they got there."
"I must admit, I am intrigued." Celeste stood up. "I will come with you, just for a look. Now, where did you say the body was?"
"They were in the boys' locker room."
"Hm? Are you sure? That is strange." She twirled a piece of hair. "If Hiro is neither a girl nor a boy, then how did they manage to get in the boys' locker room?"
"...Huh." Hiro was AMAB, so I hadn't even thought about it. Then again, who's to say Monokuma wouldn't have their e-handbook set to open the boys' locker room? "Well, maybe it's like you said, and they got carried in."
"Perhaps. I suppose a body would not count as someone sneaking in," Celeste agreed.
"So we already have our suspect pool narrowed down," Chihiro sighed in relief. "There's only six boys."
"W-Well... not necessarily." Toko shifted in her seat. "There is one way a girl c-could get in..."
"Really? This is news to me. Show us, then." Celeste took her cup from her swiftly. "Do not forget, we are on a time limit."
"I-It's in the main hall. Byakuya showed it to me. Check the mailbox, and y-you'll see." She glanced from Celeste's eyes to the cup in her hands. "Can I h-have that back?"
"There's a mailbox?" I don't remember seeing anything like that before.
"Alright then, if you do not wish to show us yourself, then I will not force you. The location is enough." Celeste handed the teacup back. "Hina, Chihiro, are you coming?"
"I'll stay. I don't wanna see any more of my friends... like that. Not again." Chihiro sipped her tea.
"I'm right behind you!" I'll power through this investigation, and the trial- for Hiro. "Let's go!"
In the main hall, there was a shelf I hadn't noticed before. It jutted out of the right wall near the hatch, and resting on it was a large black box. "I guess this must be the mailbox. Is this new?"
"It must be. This was certainly not here when we first arrived. I wonder what is inside." Celeste gingerly opened the side and reached in. "Ah! Now I understand." She pulled out an e-handbook. "These are what she was referring to. Take a look." She handed it to me.
I hit the power button, and when it powered up, a name flashed on screen: Kiyotaka Ishimaru. "This is Taka's handbook!"
"Indeed." She held up another. "And this one belonged to Sayaka."
"So you think the killer- if they were a girl- could've used Taka's or Mondo's handbook to get in the boys' locker room?"
"Exactly." She held up another one- Mondo's. "So there are two extra handbooks for the boys' locker rooms, and one extra for the girls'."
"But what about the rule against loaning out your handbook?"
She looked at me like I was the dumbest person alive. "I do not believe dead people are able to give things to the living, do you?"
"Oh, yeah. Good point." I put Taka's handbook away. "So we can't really rule out anybody as a suspect yet."
"Unfortunately, no. Such a shame. Although, we could always try to trick the other girls into telling us of the mailbox."
"They could still just play dumb." Gosh, and here I thought we were at least gonna have a narrowed suspect pool. Now it could be just about anyone.
"Damn you! How long are you guys gonna spend on this little back and forth?" Monokuma popped up. "You haven't even checked- the Monokuma File~!" He waved his paws over his head slowly as he said it.
"Yes, you do not need to remind us. We are not fools." Celeste pulled out her handbook. "Leave us, now."
"Aw, not even a 'please'? Gosh, you're so cold, Celestia!" He leapt for me, latching onto my leg. "I bet Hina wants me to stay, riiiiight?!"
"Absolutely not! Get off me!" I lifted my leg to kick him off, but Celeste gave me a strange look, and I hesitated. He let go on his own, hopping back.
"Gee! I thought you were gonna kick me away for a second there. I would've had to punish you! Oh, well. Good luck! Puhuhu... You'll need it." And with that, he disappeared.
"Ugh, I hate that stupid bear! Thanks, Celeste."
"Me? Whatever for?"
"Well, you knew that I'd get punished, right?"
"You were about to punt him right at me. I just wanted you to alter your trajectory." She looked down at her E-Handbook.
"Well, thanks anyway!" Regardless of whether she meant it, Celeste had just saved my life. She was always like that; you could never really tell how she felt about anyone or anything.
"Hm. Not much information that could be useful beyond what you told us already. Although, I suppose the time of death could be a factor. You did not happen to be out and about around two am, did you?"
"No, I didn't leave my room until Monokuma woke me up." I opened up the Monokuma File.
The victim is Yasuhiro Hagakure. The time of death is estimated to be 2 am. The body was discovered in the boys' locker room. The cause of death was a blow to the head. There's also an incised wound on his neck.
I feel like there's less information than last time, but I can't put my finger on it. "Doesn't this feel like less to you?"
"Whatever do you mean? This is all the basic information, is it not?"
"I guess so." I put the File away. "I guess we should check the body to verify it though." Bile rose in my throat at the thought of it, but I pushed it down. "Are you coming?"
"I suppose I might as well. I would like to see it for myself, if only once."
We got to the locker rooms as Kyoko and Byakuya were leaving. Byakuya glared at Celeste with disdain. "Oh, so now you've decided show up?" He looked behind us. "Where's Toko?"
"She is in the dining hall having some tea, like I wanted to do before our timed investigation began," Celeste replied. "The boys' locker room is not so different from the girls'," she mused, looking around at the room. "The only real difference is that poster- a different image, although equally ridiculous."
Before he could respond, Kyoko stepped in. "Leave it. We don't have time for bickering."
"Excellent point," Byakuya agreed. They went around us and out the door.
"I was not aware that they were friends," Celeste remarked. "Were you?"
"No, but maybe they're just teaming up for the investigation. Kyoko doesn't seem like the kind to care much for social divides, or social anything, honestly."
"You may be right. You are good at reading people." She smiled at me. "Then I am curious, what do you think of me?"
This is a trick question. She's an Ultimate Gambler, so she's totally trying to figure me out! "I don't know yet, but I'm sure I'll figure it out soon!"
"That is not an answer, but I will accept it for now." She strode over to the boys' locker room. "Oh my. They are quite wedged in there."
Sakura and Mukuro were standing at either side of the body, just like before. "It is most unfortunate," Sakura agreed. "They must have used that dumbbell there." She pointed at the bloody dumbbell in front of the bench.
"I mean, that definitely would've caused the blow to the head." I forced myself forward. I didn't look at their body again, not head on, but I pointed towards them. "But look at their neck."
"Their neck?" Celeste kneeled down beside them, Mukuro stepping aside for them to look. "Ah. The vein in their neck has been cut open. That was mentioned in the Monokuma File."
"That must be what killed them, then," Mukuro decided. "The killer must've gotten access to a blade somehow."
"Hm. I wonder..." Celeste stood back up. "I will ponder this. But for now, I will go clean up. I will have to be in proper trial wear, and I must retrieve my china from Chihiro and Toko."
"That's it? That's all you're gonna do? But you just got here!"
"Yes, that is all. I am afraid I do not have the field expertise to do much more, and besides, I am sure the rest of you will gather sufficient evidence. You did last time, after all. I wish you luck!" And she turned and left, just like that.
Well, I guess that's that. What did I do last time...? Collect alibis and testimonies! "Sakura, Mukuro, did either of you do anything last night after hours?"
"Well, Junko and I did leave our room around three to get snacks from the warehouse. We didn't see Hiro at all, though. Or hear them, actually." She leaned against the lockers. "Maybe we should've looked for them."
"It would've been too late anyway. The Monokuma File said he died at two. They were already gone." That's right; Junko and Mukuro are looking out for each other. If either of them did anything, the other would know.
"I'm afraid I have no alibi to provide," Sakura said reluctantly. "But I had no reason to kill. In fact, most of us didn't."
"Oh, right. Most of us shared our secrets voluntarily, so there'd be no reason to kill someone unless you didn't share," Mukuro agreed. "So that would leave Byakuya, Toko, Chihiro, Kyoko, and… myself, but I already have an alibi, of course."
"Yeah, but someone could've lied about their secret." If someone had a secret so bad they'd kill over it, then it would make sense if they lied to the group to make themselves seem innocent.
"But if they died here in the boys' locker room, then none of the girls could've killed them in the first place," Sakura realized. "So the most likely suspect..."
"...is Byakuya," Mukuro finished. "It doesn't mean every other boy is safe from suspicion, but it does narrow the pool somewhat."
So neither of them know about the mailbox... and if Mukuro doesn't, then Junko probably won't either. "Okay, I'm gonna keep investigating. You guys keep up the good work!"
"You as well," Sakura responded.
Okay, I need to keep getting alibis. And while I do that, I should try to find out where Hiro was actually killed, too. Clearly the dumbbell was the murder weapon, but that could've easily been taken out, used to kill, and put back. Think, Hina... Where would the rest of the class be looking?
I got back to the dining hall to see Toko sitting alone, fidgeting with her hands. "Toko? Are you finished eating?"
"N-No." She shot up from her chair. "I-I'm getting seconds."
"Wait!" Her skin was paler than usual. "You don't look very good. Are you feeling okay?"
"W-We were right. Someone died. We're h-having a trial soon. What about that is o-okay?" She pulled off her glasses and started wiping them with the hem of her sleeve. "I-I don't wanna go through all this again!"
Toko always wore her heart on her sleeve. The way she'd lash out and cower away from everyone reminded me too much of the part of me that was afraid- the part that wanted to hole myself up in my room and hide. Maybe that was why I kept reaching out to her. Helping her was like helping that part of myself. "I'm scared, too. But we'll get through this together, okay? You're not alone."
She wiped her eyes and put her glasses back on. "Y-Yeah. I know." She smiled hesitantly. "You don't have a-any self preservation. Y-You'd make a good meat shield."
"I'll ignore that for now, because I know you're scared." She makes it very hard to be her friend sometimes. "For now, let's keep working. We'll figure out who did this!"
"You can. I'm staying f-far away from the second floor." She started flapping her hands, jaw clenched. "F-For all we know, the killer could kill again."
She darted around me suddenly and ran out. I guess she's right, technically speaking. There aren't any rules saying you can only kill once. But no one's gonna bother doing that! Our secrets already aren't gonna be leaked.
I went back into the hallway and looked around. No sign of Toko. She must've gone to her room. I wonder if that's where Chihiro went too! I knocked on Chihiro's door. Nothing. Never mind, then. I looked all over the hotel, checking for any signs of a crime scene, but it looked totally clean to me. Of course, the red floors and walls in the dorm hall didn't help, but there wasn't any smell, either. Okay, what next?
I opened the door to the trash room and saw the gate was lifted. Good. Whoever's on duty must've left it up!
"Yo! Hina!"
Leon and Makoto were at the other end. "We've been checking the trash bags for any hidden evidence, but nothing so far. How about you? Got anything?"
"Not much. Just a bunch of questions. Did either of you happen to leave your rooms last night at all? I know it's a silly question, but-"
"Hey, sometimes the stupid ones end up being super important," Makoto assured me. "Like when Junko doing laundry saved us all last time."
Leon put his arm around Makoto's shoulders. "Yeah, that was pretty good luck, wasn't it?" He ruffled his hair.
"Gross! Let go, trash hands!" He squirmed away. "And actually, I might have heard something helpful."
"Wait, really? Why didn't you say anything earlier?!" Leon backed up real quick. "It wasn't you, was it?!"
"No! No way! Here, I'll tell you guys." He set down the trash bag he'd been holding. "Last night, before we all were in bed, I was gonna go to take a bath. I couldn't shower, since the showers were already off. When I left my room, though, I heard Hiro talking to someone. I couldn't make out the other voice- they were all the way down the hall. But I did hear Hiro say to meet them at the locker rooms later that night."
Wait, so Hiro went to the locker rooms themself? "You think whoever they were talking to is the culprit?"
"I mean, probably. No one else was out, as far as I'm aware."
"Woah..." Leon picked up a trash bag. "Dude, are you sure you couldn't make out the voice at all?"
"No. I only really heard Hiro. Sorry, I wish I could say more."
"That's okay, Makoto. Now we know why they were there, at least." That must mean they died right in the boys' locker room, after all! They must've used one of the E-Handbooks from the mailbox.
"Well, since we're here, might as well get this trash burned. Unless you wanna check us first, Hina? Triple check it?"
"Nah, that's okay." There's no way the killer would throw a blade in the trash, and there'd be no need to throw away anything this time since room swapping was banned. "I'm gonna keep looking around. Stay safe!"
"You too!"
I stepped out and leaned against the door. If Hiro really was killed in the locker room, why did it feel so off? Come to think of it, if they did go into the locker room by themself, then why were Taka and Mondo's handbooks both in the mailbox? Wouldn't Hiro have had one of them? Something feels off. I need to check the locker room again, thoroughly.
I reentered the locker room. "Hey, guys. I'm back." I stood in front of the bench and forced myself to look at them.
Their face and neck were still covered in blood, their jugular was definitely still cut open, and that dumbbell sure did also have blood on it. Their dreads had been pulled from their earlier knot, and were pushed up against the lockers, surrounding their head and neck. Wait... that's right! I've been so busy looking for blood in other places, I missed this completely! "Can you guys move their head off the lockers?"
"...Okay?" Mukuro leaned down and picked up their head and shoulders, making their hair fall past their shoulders. The lockers behind them were completely clean.
"Look! There's no blood!" I was right! They weren't killed here at all! "If they had been, then there'd be at least some blood there from the wounds, but it's totally bare!"
"Their locs were covering them, though. Wouldn't that have stopped it from getting on the lockers?" Mukuro countered.
"Maybe if there was blood in their hair, then sure. But their hair is almost completely clean, except right next to their forehead wound. See?" So if Hiro was meeting someone at the lockers, and they weren't killed in the boys' locker room, then that leaves...
"That is strange," Mukuro agreed. "Is there any blood on the carpet?"
I checked the carpet all over. It was totally spotless. "Nothing."
"Perhaps you should check the girls' locker room, then," Sakura suggested. "And while you're there, check the number of dumbbells as well."
"The dumbbells?"
"There don't seem to be any missing from the boys' rack. Yet, here sits an extra, covered in blood."
"Alright, then I'll check. I'll tell you if I see anything!"
I went into the girls' locker room and saw Junko sitting on the elliptical, picking at her teeth. She looked up. "Hina! What are you doing in here?"
"I came to look at the carpet." I looked down, and... Oh, no. There was a dark spot, but it was in the middle of the carpet, not the corner, and it was much bigger, and the color was redder. "That's not good."
"Yeah, someone must've been on her period and not noticed. I'm not about to go around asking, though. Like, I don't wanna embarrass anyone, you know?"
"That is not period blood." I explained to her the carpet situation. She cocked her head confusedly. "But like, that doesn't make any sense! Hiro wasn't even a girl!"
"You're right. It doesn't make sense. But somehow, they got in."
"But how would they even get into either one?"
"I don't know." I'd say they used a handbook from the mailbox, but all three of them were still there. So how? "So what are you doing in here, Junko?"
"I didn't wanna be like, chilling by the body or anything, but I didn't wanna be far away, either. So I've just been in here. Hey, do you think I should start working out from now on? Maybe I could make a new workout line or something, or exercise videos! Ooo, and Mukuro could help!"
"...Let's talk about that after the trial." I looked over to the dumbbell rack. One was missing. "Got anything to report from last night?"
"Nope! Mukuro and I've got a clean record, one hundred percent!"
"Alright. Just checking." Weird that she didn't bring up their snack break, but whatever.
"So like, what are you gonna do now?"
"Talk to the rest of the class, I guess." I've already looked at Hiro's body over and over, and I think I found the scene of the crime, so what else is there? "I'll see you at the trial!"
"Kaaaaaay! Good luck!"
I ducked my head back in the boys' room. "Yeah, turns out we were right. There's blood all over the carpet, and a dumbbell is missing." They weren't listening though; Kyoko and Byakuya had returned, and Kyoko was holding something. She raised an eyebrow. "Are you talking about the girls' locker room?"
"Huh? Yeah, we were thinking maybe that's where Hiro actually died. And it probably was, from the look of it." I stepped in further. "What's that? Evidence?"
"Nothing to worry yourself with," Byakuya scoffed. "Let the adults handle this."
"Actually, it sounds as if Hina's investigation has gone quite well," Kyoko countered. She held out the object to me. "Go ahead. Take a look."
The object was a small duffel bag with a dark earthy green color, which was unzipped. I reached inside and pulled out a blue tracksuit, stained with blood. Nothing else was inside. "Where did you find this? Was it in one of the lockers?"
"It was right by the body when we first got here this morning," Byakuya told me. "You must not have seen it. But the contents aren't what's most important. Take a look at the side of the bag, then you'll see."
Kyoko turned it for me to see. Stitched on the side was the name FUJISAKI. "That name sounds kinda familiar. Whose is it?"
Kyoko sighed. "We were hoping you knew. We were thinking it might be the surname of someone here, but neither of us can remember whose."
"If you do manage to remember, then find us," Byakuya told me. "Otherwise, try to stay out of our way. Since you've found the crime scene, we'll have to take a look at it."
"I think our temporary partnership has lasted long enough," Kyoko decided, setting the duffel bag down on the bench. He just scoffed and left. She turned back to look at me. "Hina, tell me again what you saw in there."
"There was a big stain in the middle of the carpet that looked like blood. And there was a dumbbell missing from the girls' rack. There aren't any missing from the one in here, but there's an extra that looks like the murder weapon."
"I see. I'd noticed the extra dumbbell myself, but I hadn't gotten the chance to look for myself." And with that, she knelt down and started to inspect the body.
We're that much closer to finding out the truth! Awesome! I looked at Sakura and Mukuro. Sakura gave me a thumbs up, but Mukuro was sweating, backed up against the wall and avoiding eye contact. Why does she look so freaked out? She was fine just a second ago. "Mukuro, are you alright?"
"Oh, yes, I'm fine. Just nervous, that's all."
"What about? Fujisaki?" Does she know who Fujisaki is? She does, doesn't she?
Her face became stoic and calm. "No. But I am concerned for my friends. If we don't find out who Fujisaki is, we could all be in grave danger."
That's suspicious, but I'll let it go for now. "I get it. I'm really nervous, too."
"Don't worry, Mukuro. We shall uncover the culprit," Sakura assured her. She looked over at me, smiling. "Our best are working on it, after all."
Oh boy am I a lesbian. Holy shit. "Sakura's right! We've got this! I'm gonna ask around and see if I can figure out who they are."
I tried to ask around and find out who Fujisaki was, but everyone had disappeared. I couldn't find anybody! "Everyone must've gone to their rooms. Ugh, and for all we know, Hiro is Fujisaki! We don't know if the bag is even related to the case! And we still don't know how Hiro got into the girls' locker room, because Sayaka's E-Handbook was still in the mailbox! Unless, of course, the killer found it on them and learned about the mailbox that way... Ugh! This is so frustrating! When I found out who killed Hiro, I'm punching them for making it so weird!" I punched the wall by the warehouse. It was a mistake. "Owwww!"
Hifumi popped his head out of the warehouse. "Hina? Are you okay?"
"Agh- Yeah, I'm okay. Technically speaking, anyway." My fingers hurt, but I hadn't broken skin, and my knuckles looked okay. Wait- Hifumi! "Hifumi! Do you know who Fujisaki is?"
"Fujisaki?" He thought about it. "Hrmmmmm... Hrmmmmmmmm... Hrmmmmmmmmm..."
"You can say no."
"No, I do know that name! It's on the tip of my tongue, I swear! It's just out of my vision..." He squinted his eyes so much you could barely even see them. "Uhhhhhhh... Oh! It's a last name!"
"Yeah, we kinda figured. We need to know whose last name it is." He's starting to drag this out a little too much.
"Oh, right. Uh, I'm not sure. Have you checked the class roster?"
"...The what?"
"You know, the roster. The one in our handbooks? Here, I'll show you." He opened up his E-Handbook- Hifumi Yamada- and opened up a page labeled Class 78. "Fujisaki, Fujisaki... Ah! Here it is!" He opened up a profile- Chihiro Fujisaki. "There you have it! Chihiro Fujisaki! No wonder it sounded so familiar! What did you need to know for?"
My mouth felt dry. "Um..." My mind began racing. Chihiro didn't tell anyone her secret. She would've been able to get into the girls' locker room, and find Hiro's body. She could've been the one to ask Hiro to meet up. She knows tech; she could've hacked their E-handbook to let them in. She might not have even needed the mailbox in the first place...
"Hina!" Hifumi was leaned over me, and there was a bottle of soda in my mouth. "Stay with me!" I was against the wall on the ground.
How did I get on the floor? I grabbed the soda bottle. "I'm okay. What- what happened?"
"You nearly fainted after I showed you Chihiro's profile. What happened? Is she..." He looked at his handbook. "You don't think..."
"Maybe. I don't know, not for sure." I want to talk to her myself before I jump to any conclusions. "Do you know where she is? I want to talk to her."
"Sorry, no." He scratched the back of his neck. "I haven't seen her all morning."
"Okay. Well, I need to talk to her, and soon."
"Alright. Then I'll help you find her!"
"Thanks!" I know Hifumi and Chihiro have been hanging out recently. This must be a lot for him, to hear that his friend might be the killer. Is that how Makoto felt during the last trial? Is that how Leon felt? Taka and Mondo were my friends, but I wasn't as close with Sayaka, even if we did have some similarities.
It's scary how fast friendships are forming and breaking in here.
We tried to look for Chihiro. We looked everywhere- her room, the dining hall, the school store, the AV room- anywhere we thought she might've gone. But we couldn't find her.
"I-I'm getting worried," Hifumi stammered. "What if something happened to her?"
Toko's words echoed in my head- For all we know, the killer could kill again. "I'm sure she's fine," I lied.
"Maybe." He adjusted his bow. "I'm still worried, though."
"Me, too."
"What's up with you guys?" Leon and Makoto caught up to us. "You look like someone died or something, ha!"
Makoto pat Leon's shoulder. "Not the time."
"Have either of you guys seen Chihiro? We need to talk to her, and fast!" There's no telling how much time there is until we're called for the trial! We're running out of time!
"Chihiro? What do you want with her?" Leon stroked his beard. "I think I did see her once, though. Where was it...?"
"She was going into the bathhouse, remember?"
"Oh, yeah!"
"Well, that explains why we didn't find her." Hifumi looked over at the bathhouse. "You'll have to be the one to look, Hina."
"I'm on it!" I went through the bathhouse's tinted doors, closing them behind me. "Chihiro?"
She was sitting on one of the changing benches, and in her lap was the missing laptop from earlier. I could hear her typing away on the keyboard, and light from the screen was shining on her in the dimly lit changing space. "You fixed the laptop!"
She finally looked up. "Hina! Yeah, I fixed it!" She closed the laptop and put it in an open locker, closing it almost completely. "Don't tell anyone, though, okay? I'm not finished yet."
"Oh, okay! My lips are sealed!" So the laptop didn't go missing; Chihiro took it before Monokuma could! I was so surprised, I almost forgot what I was here for. "Chihiro, can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, sure. Anything?"
"Did you go to the boys' locker room last night?"
She hesitated. "What makes you think that?"
Not a lie, but she's definitely avoiding answering the question. "Kyoko found a duffel bag with the name Fujisaki on it. That's your name, isn't it?"
"Oh." She sat back down on the bench. "Um, yeah, that's my name. You said it was in the boys' locker room?"
"Chihiro, be honest with me. Please." I really don't think Chihiro would kill anyone, but...
"I didn't kill Hiro. I promise I didn't! I... I did go to the locker rooms, but I didn't kill them! I wouldn't kill anyone!"
The doors opened as she spoke, and Hifumi stood in the doorway, eyes completely covered. "I don't mean to interrupt, but the trial is about to start! We need to head over there immediately!"
Chihiro shot up and strode quickly over to him. "Okay! Ready!" She looked back at me from the doorway. "I'm not the culprit, I promise."
Why did Monokuma have to announce it right then? I bet he did it on purpose. Well, no getting around it now. Whatever else I'm missing from Chihiro's testimony and everyone else's will have to come from the trial. I've done the best I could.
Let's just hope it's enough.
I was the last one to get to the waiting room. Everyone else was in conversation or watching the elevator, waiting for the doors to open. Kyoko walked over to me.
"Were you able to find out who Fujisaki is?"
"Um, yes, but-"
"Good. We'll need every piece of this puzzle to find the culprit."
"You don't think Fujisaki is the culprit?" I would've thought that would be the obvious connection. But she doesn't think so?
"Quite frankly, it's possible, but highly unlikely. I doubt that the culprit would leave any evidence as obvious as their own name, and when you consider how the body was discovered, it becomes quite clear what Fujisaki's involvement is."
"What is this?" Celeste moved to stand by us. She was wearing the same outfit she had at the first trial. "Do you have some sort of theory? I should like to hear it."
"You'll hear in the trial, just like everyone else," Kyoko told her. For once, she was actually smiling. "Besides, it's already time."
She was right. The elevator doors had opened, and Monokuma stood inside. "Hiya, class! I hope you don't mind, but I've done some redecorating since last time down there. I think you'll all like it!" He hopped out. "Now, go on in! One at a time, please!"
The three of us looked back and forth at each other. Whether we liked it or not, it was already time. Somehow, I feel like this investigation was faster than the last one. I'd better not be getting used to this.
I think I might throw up!
Once we were all in, the elevator doors shut, and we started the descent. As we all sank deeper into the ground, so did everyone's spirits. Any last remaining pieces of optimism and denial were stripped away as we watched the elevator doors. The occasional *THUNK* from the walls around us was the only sound. The small space felt bigger now, and emptier, with less of us here. Hiro... you tried to protect us up until the very end. Now, we'll avenge you!
The elevator came to its jarring end, and the doors creaked open. The courtroom was shinier this time- like everything around us had been coated in gold. The only thing to escape the Midas treatment was the black and white floors and the bloodred cushion on Monokuma's throne, which he was stretched out on lazily, paw dangling off the side.
"Oh, you're all down here? Finally! Man, that elevator really needs to go through some maintenance, don't you think? Ah, well. To your seats!"
Yasuhiro Hagakure, the Ultimate Clairvoyant, was killed by one of us.
They had vowed to protect us all, and treated us like their own family. And someone here betrayed their trust.
And so, the game began. That sick, twisted game of life or death...
A deadly judgment, a deadly deception, a deadly betrayal...
A deadly riddle, a deadly defense, a deadly faith...
A deadly...
Class trial!
Selfishness and Selflessness are Often the Same- Deadly Life- End
