Chapter 4 - Ghost Ship
AN: Trigger Warning: autopsy and mild descriptions of a corpse. If you are uncomfortable with this, skip the first, second and fourth paragraphs Riku's POV. Rating has changed to M.
There's a dagger suspended in front of Aeron. A sliver of a spider's thread dangles it in the air by it's blade; the hilt faces his palm tantalisingly. Perhaps it's the sudden darkness of the hallway, or the ghost of eyes on his back, or the cold breath of threat around the corners, but without comprehension or second thought, he grabs the dagger and holds the blade outward. The handle holds an expectation of a smooth leather grip, but his hands feel nothing, almost like he's grasping air. His only confirmation that the dagger exists is its silent visual, the danger and apprehension of a clean blade real and present. The spider's thread retreats and slides to the floor, the end of it abruptly severed. Aeron feels a weight in his hand that shouldn't be tangible for something that seems like an apparition.
Then, Aeron starts walking, or maybe, the dagger moves and he follows. He steps over the spider thread and wanders down the almost black hallway. The dagger is most definitely an illusion conjured by his high-strung, feverish brain, but he has a hard time convincing himself that when the weight feels so very real and capable of _. Suddenly, he comes to a stop, or the dagger does. Looking closer in the dark, Aeron can see red splotches on the blade that were not there previously. As he continues to stare, the splotches grow wider, accumulating on the blade before it's coats the dagger, slathering it in red, overwhelming it's width so it drips onto the floorboards. Each splatter is an announcement in the dark, loud where his footsteps aren't, and Aeron feels forcibly frightened. He desperately wishes for the floor to conceal the sound, to hide the guilt that surfaces from nowhere. Aeron hasn't done anything, but the red is unmistakably blood-
The dagger is gone, and instead, he feels the real, tangible warmth of a hand that slides into his. He glances up, and there's Yakusuga, with her smile and unshakeable radiance. Aeron feels a ray of hope, a streak of comfort, then she collapses. In inconceivable terror, he drops to the floor and clutches at her hands.
"Why would you-" she screams says. Aeron hears her words with perfect clarity, her tone resonating through the hall with the exact same tingle of bells he always imagines when she talks. However, her voice no longer sounds like a figment of his imagination, but rather something that cuts through his ears with veridical lucidness.
He withdraws his hands. "What are you talking about?" he asks, and that's when he sees the wound on her stomach. He jolts, then he realises the warmth he feels is not Yakusuga's hands, but rather, the hilt of a red dagger that drips ominous warnings onto the floor. Suddenly, Aeron feels a foreign object pressed against the open vulnerability of his back. The pressure breaks through his skin and pushes deep into his spine, tearing seamlessly into his flesh, weaving past his muscles, snapping his nerves, flaming his-
Aeron wakes. His eyes are edged with the black of a retreating nightmare. Very soon, he forgets what he was so scared about.
Yakusuga's hand hovers over the small of his back, which must be why he feels the promise of threat and ache lingering from his dream. She notices him stirring, and turns to him with a cheerless smile that's so strained it looks more like a crack across her expression. Aeron takes pity on her, on himself, to be caught victims of such a dire situation, but nevertheless, he shifts cautiously away from her hand. Yakusuga catches on quickly and withdraws her palm with something akin to shame.
They're currently gathered back in the restaurant. Hayashi has his hands clenched white against the back of a chair, where he opts to stand instead of sitting. Hana has stopped trying to translate Hayashi's tempered words for Aeron ages ago, since he stopped paying attention. He has already passed his initial panic in a hazy stupor. Now, he only has a foreboding sense of detachment and a slight warriness of the murder right next door. Out of his fog of fear and trepidation, he feels the a pinprick of irritation that comes from uselessness and powerlessness in a desperate situation. What is Hayashi trying to accomplish, rounding them all up in a room, when one of them is the culprit? How are players like Pauline, Watanabe, and Flynn able to remain so eerily calm after witnessing one of them - a classmate who was breathing only mere minutes ago - die?
Hayashi slams his hand down on a table and Aeron can imagine the crack of his anger whipping through the room. His classmates flinch. One of them is a murderer, his mind hisses, eliminating any semblance of sympathy. Yamazaki, who Aeron discovered fuzzily from Yakusuga, is the Ultimate Sociologist, stands, possibly to play peace-maker, but the forceful relaxation of his shoulders betray just how tense he's feeling. By the hardened faces of the students around the room, no one is in the mood to be comforted.
RIKU WATANABE
Riku has no problem with corpses, be it fresh or decaying, but killing is something that is far more brutal and inhumane, something done with careful thought and an undoubted decision. It is absolutely unforgivable and she cannot stand aside to watch it simply happen without trying to do something about it. Once Riku lays out her tools, it is easy to forget that Natsuki was once a former classmate. On the steel table, the girl is merely another lump of flesh with seized body functions, no matter how pressing her potential identity is. A thing Riku finds awfully convenient are the tables, all of which are stainless steel, with elevating pedals and sinks attached to the left-ends, reminiscent of autopsy work surfaces. It's eerie, how the kitchen only has these tables, almost a murder was expected to occur here.
The murderer clearly knows what they're doing. Either that, or they had half the mind to deform the body in what Riku likes to think is the most exasperating, irksome way of removing identification from a corpse. Fingerprints are null, hair is non-existent, and she doesn't suppose everyone carries their dental records around like a wallet. Fortunately, everyone, including the potential culprit, is trapped in that damned, tiny room with Hayashi keeping an eye on who leaves and enters, so she can start checking for DNA, should the chance arrive that the murderer has left some form of evidence behind. She doesn't have the proper equipment to reach a conclusion with bone marrow testing, and she can't help but wonder if the murderer took that into consideration when performing the task.
First, she has to determine if the body really belongs to Natsuki, and analyse if the bare basics of information provided by that wretched bear is true. If she's lucky, she might even discover who performed the murder. She hopes, almost desperately, that her autopsy doesn't come to questionable answers and sceptic revelations. Riku can work, she can try and she can deduce, but if her information comes out as flawed or easily disputable, her trust as the Ultimate Anatomist becomes void. The last thing she wants is for people to doubt her integrity or intelligence. Unfortunately, as gratifying as her choices are now, she has no room or time to let her thoughts wander through what-ifs and maybes. Riku snaps on her gloves and clears her mind. She takes in the last, miniscule whiff of chemicals and burnt flesh, before it all vanishes when she pulls her surgical mask to her nose. She must work quickly - the investigators said they would shortly join her at the crime scene once they gather everyone's collective alibis. With the obnoxiousness of their chatter and theories, she doubts she'll be able to perform at her peak.
Riku goes through the fundamentals before anything else. There are two obvious options for her as of current: she can either start with analysing body structure to determine the age and sex of the recently deceased person, or she can start by searching for remains of evidence. Ethics aside, Riku thinks it's easier and faster to identify the body before she becomes lost in her work. Riku lifts the subject's arm in effort to determine the proportions of the body. There's small resistance, when its arm sticks to white, burned lumps of fat and drying blood, but she eventually pries it none-too-gently from its torso. The subject is thin, smaller than what one would call average, which, Riku thinks grimly, makes it the right size to fit into something as cramped as that oven. Isaac and Taira checked the oven dials. It was still ticking down from ten minutes. The heat was left on approximately 250 degrees celsius, and according to Yakusuga's testimony, left on for a little over thirty minutes. Riku grabs some measuring tape and pulls it along the length of the subject. A little under 147 centimeters. Considering the fact that the body was in the oven long enough to evaporate body fluids, it must've shrunken down quite a bit. If Riku were to take an estimate, the body should've been around 150 centimeters. Natsuki was 152 centimeters and was also a small individual. However, this is not sufficient enough to reach a flawless conclusion. Natsuki could've been easily replaced with someone of similar proportions. The real Ultimate Occupational Therapist could've be removed away from the scene, hidden somewhere, and this could be a hoax to scare them all into stress and fear.
Riku grits her teeth and snaps the tape away. It is not her job to speculate answers - that's for the investigators. What she must do is provide hard evidence, and she won't be able to do that if she continues to think about irrelevant alternative solutions.
There's a creak of the door being shoved open, and Riku doesn't glance up, assuming it's her unwanted companions. However, there's no chatter, or the sound of her name being called out. When she looks away from examining the subject's earlobes - which are pierced, another piece of evidence that points to the subject being Natsuki - and stiffens when she realises she does not recognise the person at the door. The intruder appears to be a tall male in a white lab coat. None of the students sitting inside the restaurant match his description.
"I read the report on the tablet," the unfamiliar person continues, seeing no issue with his sudden interference. "I'm here to help with the autopsy."
Riku remains ridgid. No one else should be capable of an in depth analysis other than herself. "Who are you?" she asks cautiously. She has a scalpel near the subject's head. Should worse come to worse, she has something to defend herself with.
The male tilts his head to the side curiously. He sighs, then, out of Riku's realm of expectation, pulls surgical gloves and a mask from the pocket of his lab coat. He slips them on quickly and without fuss. Just the movement alone indicates that this is something he's used to.
"People call me Kureshi Toboe. I'm Hope Peak's Ultimate Back-Alley Doctor." He moves closer and shifts to the other side of the table, where he winces at the sight of the body. "Looks worse, now that it's laid out on a table," he comments lightly. When Riku doesn't let up her stance, his face cracks into a smile. "Lighten up, will you?"
Riku watches as he pulls back the subject's left eyelid. "Why are you here?" she asks. 'Here to help' doesn't provide much context.
Kureshi gives her a look. "I just told you-" He cuts himself off when he sees the scowl on her face. For a second, his face peels back in what seems like absolute panic, before he extraordinary gathers himself. "The detective at the restaurant requested I help. He said you'd be lonely." His tone curls in an almost mocking manner. His eyes twist as he no doubt smiles wryly underneath his mask. "Clearly, that's not the case."
Upon closer examination, Kureshi's eyes are red and swollen. There are thick, dark streaks on his cheeks. He's been crying. However, Riku isn't deterred. She moves back to examine underneath the nails of the subject, demonstrating that she's fully capable of doing this on her own, and that his presence is unwanted. How very much like Isaac to say she needs a companion to help her. "I can do this myself. Go back to the restaurant and tell him he's stupid for thinking otherwise."
To her surprise, Kureshi laughs. Laughs. It's short and clipped. "No, you can't," he asserts, and it's like a blow to her head. "You're an anatomist - the limits of your knowledge in this stop at identification. As a doctor, I can do much more than you," he says, and his tone wreaths like a wicked, derisive snake. "Am I wrong?" He tilts his head to the side.
Riku grips tightly onto the edge of the table, dizzy from defensiveness. Her head implodes with blinding indignation. Her teeth grit until they creak. "You underestimate me," she says, and she can imagine her tone is not kind. In the face of sophistication, her patience for virtue shreds when she's being looked down on. "I'm the Ultimate Anatomist. I am capable of much more than you expect." She did not walk over needles of hell, over boundaries of barbed brick walls, over society's deeply rooted sexism and her own self-doubt, just to be undermined in this small moment of judgement.
Kureshi grins. "Good, you've lightened up. Show me what you can do."
Riku wordlessly accepts his challenge. If the investigators come in during her analysis, she doesn't notice, too caught up in medical terminology and the fire of her brain burning faster than it has ever before.
Eventually, Hayashi reluctantly let them out of the restaurant due to Yamazaki's request. Apparently, it was because keeping them all contained in a room would be too stressful and tense for all members of the class. However, there were conditions to their semi-freedom: they were not to travel to the places which they investigated prior to the incident, and that they were to go with two other classmates who they haven't partnered up with already. The investigators were excluded from these conditions because Isaac wouldn't stop protesting. Unfortunately, that meant Aeron had to seperate with Yakusuga. She gave him a reassuring smile as she left with Suzuki and Hisakawa.
Aeron himself is with Hana and Flynn. Hana effortlessly translates him every flicker of conversation, quick enough to the point that Aeron thinks she's doing it absent-mindedly. Currently, Flynn is suggesting that they investigate the crime scene first, because that's where most of the clues are likely situated. Hana and Aeron agree, and before long, they're off to the kitchen.
It's better than walking purposelessly, Hana reasons. I think it'll do us good to focus on something.
"But will Watanabe let us go anywhere near Natsuki?" Aeron asks this aloud to compensate for Flynn. He can still sense the rasp in his voice due to his wacky throat vibrations, but it's gradually getting better the more he talks.
Probably not, Flynn replies. But it's worth a go.
They hesitate in front of the kitchen's metal doors. The reality of what happened is still prominent and raw. When they walk in, they'll see Natsuki, figure deformed beyond recognition. They'll see the soot of crime hanging from the ceiling. They'll smell rancid chemicals and burnt flesh.
Flynn turns to them. Aeron sees his dilated pupils and Hana's creased forehead reflected in the Ultimate Environmentalist's helmet.
If you're not up for it, we can check out the helm, Flynn suggests instead. Aeron realises their wavering thoughts are just as evident to Flynn as it is to themselves.
Aeron is reluctant on an answer, so Hana replies in his steed. No, we can do it, she says, and straightens up resolutely. If we can help in some way, we will.
Flynn nods wordlessly and without further confirmation nudges the door open with ease. Immediately, Aeron is almost blown back by the smell. It's significantly lighter than what it was previously, but it still stings his throat when he inhales too much. He almost staggers back, and would have, if Hana wasn't stepping in alongside Flynn. With an obligation to follow, he, too, walks further into the smoky mess of the kitchen.
Watanabe makes no movement or indication that acknowledges their presence. He's shuffling through a bag with one hand, while the other lies on top of-
Aeron coughs when a sudden exhale is ripped from his throat. Hana flinches and curls in on herself. Flynn doesn't move. He expected that it would be bad, yet nothing could fully prepare him for the sight of Natsuki's limp body. Paired with the smell, Aeron's stomach and throat sting with a barely repressed need to vomit. He tries to shift his eyes, or maybe even relay to Flynn that coming here was a mistake, but he finds himself unable to move from the charred body of a former classmate. He's frozen rigid, his lungs tighten as a cold clamp constricts them.
The disturbance of their movement is enough for Watanabe to tear his eyes from the body to briefly glance at them. There's enough force and irritation in his glare to wordlessly tell them that their presence is a hindrance. Flynn steps forward. He must be asking to examine Natsuki, because Watanabe's scowl only turns disproving. However, Kureshi, the doctor he encountered earlier, who's working across Watanabe, seems happily eager to step aside. Flynn joins him and the doctor immediately starts talking fervently. Watanabe rolls his eyes, but otherwise ignores Aeron and Hana and goes back to work.
He turns to Hana and sees her visibly swallow. Her eyes are watery, but no tears have fallen over her lashes yet. He gently taps her shoulder and gestures out the door. Hana's gaze falls to the ground, considering his offer, but she clenches her fists and shakes her head.
I can do it, she affirms. She looks up. Her gaze turns to steel. Don't worry about me.
Suddenly, she glances across the room, and her hands start moving in translation. Come here, you can ask them for details later.
Aeron follows her gaze and his eyes land on Taira, whose face is soft with concern. He waves them over to the ovens. As they get closer, a small frown replaces Taira's friendly expression. He says something to Hana, who resolutely stares back in determination. She replies patiently while placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. Taira stops talking, and the frown on his face doesn't shift. Eventually, he sighs and pats her hand as something fond and oddly intimate takes hold of his expression. Aeron, despite not hearing a word, feels like he's intruding on something private. The investigator turns to him, and Aeron doesn't need translation to know what he's saying.
Look after her, okay?
Aeron, stunned to silence, nods.
Taira smiles, looking genuinely happy, and it's like a fresh breath of air in a harrowing situation.
"Where's Isaac?" Aeron asks, spotting the detective's coat draped over Taira's arm. The investigator stops to consider the question.
He should be here in...about two seconds, I believe, Taira answers ominously. Hana trails off the end of her translation, confused.
Suddenly, the oven snaps open, Hana and Aeron startle as Isaac comes tumbling out with soot and char on his grey waistcoat. He pulls his goggles off and catches himself before he falls while coughing with vigorous energy. Aeron vaguely manages to catch him saying, 'you can open it from inside!'.
Hana blinks, flabbergasted, and Aeron has no words. Taira simply hands the detective back his coat with hints of an amused smile on his lips. He is otherwise unfazed.
What was that? Aeron thinks, and Isaac turns to him as if addressed.
Just testing something, he says, and shrugs nonchalantly. He pats his suit clean of dust.
Hana gapes at Isaac's outlandish behaviour. In response to her complete shock, Taira's indifference quickly starts to decompose. He ushers them hastily towards the door.
On second thought, I feel like it'll be better if you let the four of us handle the situation in this room, he suggests while pulling open the kitchen door. Hana can barely get two words out before Aeron is guided away alongside her. When Flynn sees them at the exit, he nods in thanks to the doctor and joins them, despite the distraction in his gait. The very second Flynn's foot steps outside, the door is closed on them.
PAULINE CELESTE
They're walking at an extremely tense and quick pace down the hallway. It's honestly no trouble for her, but she winces in chagrin when Hino tenses at her heels clicking against the floorboards. It's a movement that distracts her resolute gaze on Hayashi's back as he leads them towards the bow of the ship. They walk in a silence that allows Pauline to hear the steadiness of her own pulse thrumming like instrumental music underneath her tanned skin. If she listens closely, she can imagine Hayashi's pounding beat and Hino's quivering heart. She imagines it so well, she's almost convinced it's real - their blood complementary to her melancholy tune. She sighs, quietly, causing Hino to glance concernedly at her and Hayashi to slightly turn his head around.
They continue walking, Pauline's heels going click, click on the wooden floor, until eventually, Hino's reserved voice rises above the sound. "I'm sorry, Pauline. I know you were close with...her."
Pauline ducks her head. Her hair falls over her face and she pinches her eyes shut. Her lips twitch uncontrollably in what might be considered a smile. Poor boy can't even say Natsuki's name. When she glances up, her eyelashes are heavy with unshed tears. She dabs at them quickly, but Hayashi notices. "It was unfair what happened to her," she says, voice moving calmly along with the pulse that throbs within her. "We need to find whoever did that. We need to make sure she rests peacefully."
Hino glances away, gnawing at his lip. Hayashi nods and sets his shoulders.
"We will find the murderer. We will bring justice to Natsuki," the bowler states. He smiles reassuringly at them. "Don't worry."
Pauline grins, though it goes unnoticed. Cute, she thinks.
The salty breeze rakes through her bun. She feels her hair drying faster as seconds pass by - she tugs it from its upkeep and lets it fall to her lower back. She can smell the thin strawberry scent of her shampoo as it is released from her tie. With the way Hayashi twitches slightly, she has no doubt he smells it too. She smiles to herself.
Eventually, they reach the bow of the ship. Pauline takes a second to appreciate the unpleasant stickiness of the ocean's breeze. Hayashi stares before he rips his gaze away. Hino goes to inspect the tip of the bow and between the crevices of metallic layers placed over the rim. Pauline looks at the sky. It's drearily grey, turning dark with the setting sun, and holds the heavy promise of rain. She smiles. Beautiful weather. Replenished with fresh air and the endless stretch of sky above her, Pauline joins the other two in inspection.
"The bolt looks loose there," she interjects, pointing delicately and curiously at a nut jutting out from a metal plate. The two lean in to scrutinise her observation, and she quickly snatches her hand away - before they accidently come into contact with her. They don't notice her sudden reaction, turned away from her while she fiddles with her nails.
"Odd," Hayashi says simply.
Indeed, Pauline thinks in reply. She digs under the crevices of her nails while they continue to gauge the bolt. Hayashi slips his fingers under a small gap and attempts to lift the metal plate. It budges slightly, before Hino jumps in and unscrews the loose bolt.
Hayashi lifts it a bit more, and Hino takes a welcome peer inside. There's an overarching silence before Hino retreats, and the plate is lowered.
"It's too dark to see properly," he reasons. Hayashi brushes his fingers off. Pauline listens, but doesn't look at him. "But it's hollow, from what I could make out."
Hayashi frowns. "Odd," he says simply.
Indeed, Pauline thinks in reply.
"Why don't we go back and see if there's anything we can use to unscrew the rest of the bolts?" Hayashi suggests amiably. Hino nods. Pauline smiles. With silent encouragement, the bowler leads the way once again.
Click, click. Again, Hino's timid voice breaks the rhythmic tapping. "Do you hear that?"
It's an obtrusive ringing - a chime that gets louder and louder the further down they walk. Pauline folds her arms over her torso. What did this mean? Eventually, they stop beneath a monitor, where the sound is resonating from.
"What-" Hayashi demands, before he is cut off by the flickering of the screen.
"Investigation time is over! Everyone, to the bow!"
Hayashi's lip pinches as he glances down where they came from. "That's eerie," he says.
Pauline gazes calmly at the monitor as it flickers out. She turns to Hayashi and Hino. "I think we should head down and wait for everyone. We can discuss our findings and get our facts in check," she smiles reassuringly when they both hesitate.
Eventually, Hayashi nods. "Alright, but you two should stay behind me," he insists. He begins his trek back down to the bow. Pauline stares at his back while she and Hino fall into erratic step behind him.
When they hear the announcement, they can't walk fast enough.
They're on the other side of the ship and two decks above the bow. Flynn races down the stairs, while Hana and Aeron struggle to keep up with his long strides. At one point, he offers to carry them both, but that would blow whatever is left of Aeron's pride out of the water, and Hana doesn't want to be a burden, especially in a frantic situation such as this one. They almost lose him when he rushes too far ahead, but he reappears after they turn the corner. Flynn briefly and insincerely apologises for losing them and slows his pace, though his shoulders are rimmed with impatience.
When they reach the bow, everyone but Watanabe and Kureshi are there. Hayashi spots them and smiles stiffly. We're waiting on two more, he announces.
Aeron immediately looks around for Yakusuga and almost sags in relief when he spots her talking with Takahiro and Suzuki. Almost like she feels his gaze, her eyes finds his and she smiles warmly. The girls beside her also turn to see what caught her attention. They grin and wave nervously when they see him. Hana peels away from his side to walk over to Taira, no doubt to ask for an explanation about earlier, and Flynn scans the crowd for someone who isn't here. He turns to Aeron and makes unexplainable gestures with his hands, something that looks like buttering toast in the morning mixed with a peacock's shake as it flourishes its feathers.
Aeron shrugs, though he is thoroughly amused at Flynn's attempt of communication.
Shaking his head, Flynn repeats his actions, though slower and with greater exaggeration. Aeron desperately wants to laugh, but he feels like he'll get punched in the face if he does. He could offer his book, but…
Aeron senses rather than sees the monumental turn of everyone's heads as they watch Kureshi and Watanabe's arrival. The latter doesn't acknowledge anyone - instead opting to jot something down in a small notebook. The doctor shrinks away from everyone's eyes, but perks up just as quickly when Flynn strides over to him.
So that's who he was looking for, Aeron thinks. Then he tries to understand how Flynn's dramatic hand movements correlate to Kureshi. Before he can finish his thoughts, Yakusuga is at his side and places a gentle hand on his shoulder. Her gaze briefly scans his face and arms for any exterior injuries, besides the ones from this morning. Despite being well, he lets her worry anyways - he grins in appreciation when she makes eye contact with him.
Suddenly, her hand tightens, almost painfully, and her gaze is ripped from his face to the front deck.
It's that bear again, and Hana is too frozen rigid to translate anything for him. He stares in mute horror as the bear hits a switch on the bow. The deck shifts beneath his feet. Yakusuga clings to his arm and clutches tightly. His classmates waver between running and waiting for the inevitable. Some stumble, but they all support each other in one way or another.
And so, they're lowered into the floor. Aeron watches as the sky disappears above his head.
"So, what do we start with?" Ken says.
Saito puts a hand to his chin. "To begin with, everybody's alibis."
Everybody rushes in to proclaim their innocence. Ken raises a hand to control their voices. "We'll go one-by-one," he suggests impatiently. "Hisakawa, let's start with you."
Hanako raises a brow derisively. Her mouth pulls into a sneer. "I was in the restaurant with everybody else. No one left the room long enough to commit the murder," she states, placing down an ultimatum that thumps like a stamp on a wax seal. "This is all a hoax." The succinctness in which she delivers her arguments challenge anyone to prove her wrong. She has a wild grin on her face - a result of adrenaline and elatedness found in the power of her position.
Toboe grips the stand so tightly his knuckles turn white. Eventually, with great will and patience for himself, he stands straighter. "The body is real," he asserts.
Gazes turn to Riku, who nods indifferently, unaffected by the stares. "We managed to confirm the authenticity of the corpse. The information that bear provided us is true - the body is certainly Natsuki."
The grin on Hanako's face fades just the slightest - invisible to someone who isn't paying attention, but everybody is, eyes all on Hanako, asking her, pleading her to retort. She is silent.
"T-That's impossible," comes a soft voice. Everyone turns to Amai, who fidgets with her fingers. "Mura-Murakami and I were in the kitchen most of the time - no one should've had enough time to enter and leave without us knowing."
Faces light up in hope, though Riku and Toboe keep their mouths shut in a grim line.
"She's got a point," pipes up Isaac. "Assuming there was nothing in the ovens but bread - since Yakusuga was baking in the morning, the culprit would only have time to act in the afternoon, which was when most of us were in the restaurant. Massive emphasis on 'most', by the way."
"Which is why it's important to get everyone's alibis," Saito adds, voice patient and calm in the turmoil of emotions flooding the room. "If everyone proves to be innocent, then we can really mark this off as fake."
Hanako grits her teeth, as if this is a chore for her. "I was with Flynn the whole morning, unfortunately." She doesn't react when mentioned classmate bristles. "After investigating the middle deck, we went straight to the kitchen, where I stayed until the incident."
Flynn cricks his head. "I can affirm that."
Hanako turns to Juudai, who doesn't hesitate. "I was on the upper deck with Hino."
Taiki nods. "I was with Yamazaki until the murder."
Pauline's bright gaze pacifies the apprehension in the room. "I was in the restaurant all morning with Watanabe, Natsuki, and Sasaki. Yakusuga was walking in and out, as she was inspecting rooms and cooking in the kitchen," she states calmly.
They go around the circle, everyone stating their alibis, getting their truths approved by witnesses. Eventually, they reach Toboe.
"I-I was...alone," the doctor stammers. "I was smoking by myself on the walkway, near the-the crime scene."
No one says a thing, but the implication hangs low over their heads. Gazes turn accusing, sharp, piercing. Toboe folds in on himself. "It wasn't me. I'm a doctor. I would- I would never-"
"Let's not be hasty," Ken cuts in, before the atmosphere gets too oppressing. His hands are clenched into fists.
"For once, I concur," Hanako interjects, throwing everyone off guard. "According to several witnesses, Natsuki was in the restaurant the whole time, correct? No one noticed her disappearance until we were called to the scene." her tone is reasonable, though not gentle, and her gaze demands rational thinking from her audience. Her grin is gone, and there is a miniscule scrunch of her brows as she considers her next argument. "If Kureshi was never seen entering the restaurant, he wouldn't have been able to harm Natsuki." She pauses. "Am I wrong?"
Everyone is silent. No one speaks up in disagreement. Toboe slumps in relief, though his shoulders still don't unfold. "Am I crossed off this list, then?" he asks tentatively.
"Not so fast, pretty boy," Isaac says, ignoring Toboe's scowl. "You said you were near the kitchen? How did you not notice anyone entering and leaving the kitchen?" Isaac grins, and continues without hiding the harshness of his next words. "Unless you did, and you're an accomplice."
Toboe flinches. "I-I really didn't. I was preoccupied."
Isaac merely raises a brow in response.
The doctor continues. "I was looking the opposite direction, plus, it's hard to concentrate on anything when I'm smoking, kinda."
Isaac laughs suddenly, the sound jarring as it cuts across the room. "Ha! A doctor who smokes - isn't that ironic?"
Shizuka chokes with the sudden shift of tone.
Flynn frowns. "Smoking is bad for the environment. The amount of air pollution it causes daily is insurmountable."
Toboe winces and glances at the ground. "S-Sorry."
"We're digressing," Saito says, pulling everybody back to topic. "About not noticing-" before his train of speech can be continued, Hanako cuts in.
"It makes sense, if thought about carefully," she says. "The roar of the sea, the smell of tobacco, looking the other way. His senses would've been occupied." She smirks. "Though it was stupid of him to not notice the murderer walk in and out right under his nose."
Everyone hums in some form of agreement. Toboe seethes.
"Let's not rule him out yet - or anyone else, for that matter, not this early in the trial," Ken says, before the painted illusion of innocence becomes too real to dispute. "What I want answered, however, is Yakusuga and Murakami's involvement in this." He turns to the two, who freeze up immediately.
"It's okay, Aeron, they just want to fill in some missing spots in your alibis. You too, Yakusuga. Don't fret," Hana explains kindly, while her hands translate for Aeron.
Amai hesitates. "Well, I-"
She stops when Aeron coughs into his fist. He hums as he clears his throat. "I admit that I was last to leave my room - a bit after noon, I think," he says outloud. His voice is raspy and scratchy from disuse, but his words are still audible.
Nanami's eyes bulge from her head. "He can talk?!"
Aeron, just getting the translation, gives her a look. "I'm deaf, not mute."
Nanami flushes and ducks her head. Sorry, she signs.
Aeron raises a brow in interest, but doesn't pursue.
"Why were you last?" Saito questions, the information new to him.
Aeron stops to consider his words. "I was...unconscious, for the better part. I only left when Yakusuga freed me with a knife I had in my room."
All eyes turn to Amai.
"Is this true?" Saito asks. Amai nods silently in affirmation.
Suddenly, a voice cuts through the room, aloof and cold with analysis. "We're getting nowhere with this. I suggest we all assume everyone's alibis are eligible for now, and move on to the how," Riku breaks the static discussion with a statement that rings truer than anything that's been said so far. "From the autopsy, I can affirm that everything on the tablet is accurate in its observations. That means Natsuki was stabbed to death, not burned."
"On the stomach?" Juudai asks incredulously.
"Obviously not," Riku denies in a matter-of-fact tone. "Her thigh. An artery was cut. Her death was quick."
Isaac hums. "Wouldn't that mean a lot of blood was spilt? There are no stains on the decks, hallways, and walkways."
Riku's eyes narrow. "Do you doubt my conclusion?"
Saito interrupts the forming argument. He turns to Riku. "You said she was in a state of undress when placed in the oven?"
Riku nods. "Correct."
Saito's mouth tightens in understanding. "Then I'm set. I know how this played out."
Isaac grins. "As expected of a fellow investigator! I knew all along, but I'll let you have the glory."
Shizuka frowns. "Somehow, I doubt that statement…" she mumbles.
Ken raises a brow. "Elaborate, then."
Saito nods. "Alright, the people I deem suspicious are: Hisakawa, Kureshi, Suzuki and Flynn."
Nanami looks around frantically. Her eyes line with tears. "W-What? You thi-think I..." she whimpers.
Flynn's heads tilts upwards. "What makes you say that?" he hisses. "What baseless idea are you working off?"
"You four were the only ones who flinched when I announced my knowledge," Saito says.
"So what?" Hanako defends, eyes blown open in disbelief. "It was surprising news. Unless you lied."
Saito huffs in what almost seems like a scoff. "Don't get me wrong," he starts, "I do know how it happened, just not sure about the 'who' part."
Isaac raises a brow. "Alright, seems I was wrong to go along with you. To me, those four are least likely to be the culprit."
Saito's head snaps to his companion. "What do you mean?"
Isaac rolls his eyes, and the tension between the two become palpable. "C'mon, I thought you'd get this. Flynn is the biggest guy here and he wears a helmet. He looks like he just stepped out of a Star Wars movie shoot. Hisakawa here is so obnoxious she's basically a walking magazine scandal." He shrugs off the indignant cries of the two he mentioned. "What I'm saying is: people have eyes on these two all the time, consciously or not. They shouldn't have been able to get anywhere without someone spotting them." He throws a pointed look at Toboe. "Even pretty boy would've heard them stomping their angry, grumpy feet everywhere - you can feel vibrations in the floor when people tread over the walkway, can't you?"
Toboe startles in surprise. He turns his eyes to the ceiling, considering. "Yes, I suppose so."
Isaac grins. "Fantastic."
Pauline tilts her head to the side. "What about the other two?"
Isaac's smile grows wider. "Easy. Dear Suzuki is Suzuki - as if she'd have the guts to pull off a murder without some sort of ultimatum from Monokuma."
Nanami offers a wobbly smile. "I'm not sure if I'm relieved or offended…"
"And pretty boy has a white coat - even if he did take it off, Natsuki should've had some sort of lingering scent of cigarettes on her. Judging by how strong it was when I first encountered him, he must've gone through at least five," Isaac states. "So pat yourself on the back, pretty boy. Your cigarettes saved your life."
There's silence as everyone considers Isaac's theories.
Saito frowns. "Isaac...Suzuki and Kureshi's reasonings don't account for much-"
Isaac snickers. "Just trust me - I have impeccable intuition."
"Our lives are on the line," Ken interjects. "We can't risk everything for instinct."
"If we could get back to the floor vibrations," Toboe says, hands wrapped around his elbows as he rolls words around his mouth. "I felt a pair of footsteps - from an individual - leave the kitchen...around thirty to forty minutes before Yakusuga and Murakami arrived to stop the fire."
Hanako's eyes narrow. "Why didn't you say so earlier? Dumbass."
Toboe glares back, "I didn't think about it until Isaac brought it up."
"Can you identify that person?" Saito interrupts eagerly. His expression lights with hopeful expectation.
Isaac grows impatient enough to throw himself against the brace of his stand. "Well, who is it?" the detective asks with vigour.
Contemplating, Toboe shakes his head. "I wasn't around any of you long enough to know what your paces sound like…"
"That's okay, just tap it out," Saito insists encouragingly.
The room falls into silence as Toboe pats out a gait onto the wooden stand.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
Everyone looks around in confusion. Many mumble to themselves as they consider who could match that pace. Everyone reaches tired resignation. Everyone but Taiki, who turns pale. He grips his brace as his feet tilt. His voice comes as a whisper - scared, apprehensive, and doubtful.
"Pauline…?"
Eyes snap to the model. Pauline's expression doesn't betray a single emotion.
AN: I apologise for leaving this on a cliffhanger. Thank you, everyone, for your support and patience so far - for dealing with my long absences and spontaneous updates. I want to announce that I will be discontinuing this story. I've reached a year where I need to prioritise my studies over everything else - it was enough of a struggle for me to put these chapters out and stay dedicated to the fandom already, so I can't imagine how much harder it will be to do so this year. I'm sorry for wasting the potential of everyone's OCs and for leaving this chapter open-ended.