Guest - Refer to chapter 7 for the answer. I'll keep making this story better with more thinking.

EveBlaze14 - I just read it and you were right. Lol!

flashfire912 - Hifumi's character by the murder is the kind wherein he keeps blaming Celes, Shiki and Naegi for his attempt. By the time he's pressured, he begins to lose it a little by having the powers of the anime universe assist him... or something like that. I read his character analysis in a website and I tried to portrayed that though I tried.

As for Hagakure, excuses are his specialty due to his slackish nature. Since it's graduation, he'd forget those students who rejected his readings AKA everyone and graduate without caring.

Avret - Thanks for idenitfying some flaws here. I'll correct them sooner or later.

Akorin Kokoro - He's Naegi after all. But will that last? Upupu.

Shyjoker - I read that part as well. Coincidence? I dunno really.


You kill and you end up dead.

Full of dread as the reaper approaches.

Closer and closer with the scythe on ready.

Mercy calls upon you that's a joke.

Culprit identified, punishment begins.

The end of the first?


Hope's Peak Academy : Underground Floor

- Courtroom

- Wednesday

- 11:11 a.m.


As we all made our final conclusion to our only viable culprit, I just made some realizations about having a class trial: It is very tiring to the brain in the sense of logic and what possible methods may take place; Second, in order to properly find suspects, we should figure out the timeline of events and then interrogate everyone who was at least close to the specified areas. Junko, Hifumi and Fukawa were never helpful as I would consider them as extras. A little understanding can help but would it suffice?

Graduating is very difficult upon what we have witnessed with the rest of us here, Kirigiri, Togami, Celes, Naegi and I to note. I may not be as smart as them but at least I can get back on track with said discussions. There's a least chance that you will leave the academy if you were good enough to plot an advanced murder at a certain level we cannot solve.

Hifumi finally lost it, speechless but shaking like you were in a mental hospital. I see the combination of tears and sweat that befall unto him, after being caught. But I can for sure say this, did he really want to kill or was he forced to by the motive AKA Monokuma. That's right. He is to blame for putting us here and trying to kill each other day by day or week by week. He wants suspense and loss of trust.

My thoughts were interrupted by the bear as if I was stopped by a referee for a fault I did not know about.

"That's a wrap everybody! I believe you all made your decisions on who the culprit is? If so, we shall proceed on ballot time!"

Our ElectroID's were beeping as a new tab on the main menu screen appeared glowing. It was labeled "Vote" which the function speaks for its name.

"Everybody, kindly chose and vote your wanted target by pressing on their portrait. Once everyone has made their decision, the slot machine in the middle of the courtroom will appear and reveal the correct case. Remember what I have told you back at the gymnasium so be careful!

Even though I know who to vote for, I decided to make a pause to look at the rest of us for their reactions. Some had sad feelings, some didn't care or wanted to do this for the sake of being alive. Monokuma was just there, sitting on his throne to wait for the moment of truth. Sometime after that, nothing happened because I haven't voted yet so they looked at the rest of us with words like "Who hasn't voted yet?" and "Is everyone finished?". Naegi called me out because I would presume that after making his vote, he looked at me. How would he know it was me anyway?

"Shiki, have you voted yet?" he asked.

"Oh.. not yet. My bad." I answered calmly.

I tapped on Hifumi's face and a loud clunk from the center of the room echoed. The platform opened wide as the slot machine rose up quickly and it began to function. It was highlighted with the words, "Who's the culprit" with Monokuma's half body on a suit plus the reels revealed pictures of our faces in different colors minus Hagakure's who lost its color. One by one, each reel landed on Hifumi until the third one made its point. I can hear the sound of confetti and applause together with money coming out from the machine. This kind of money was not the currency I imagined because the coin had the teddy bear's face. But what's the point though? Was this a sign that we are correct?

"First trial successful! Our killer of Yasuhiro Hagakure was none other than Yamada Hifumi!" he said with appraising arms.

"So it was you… THE FUCK!?", Oowada clenched his right fist with nothing but anger.

"Why did you do it?", Maizono said in a lonely manner.

"There's no point in figuring out the reasons for it. It all comes down to the motive." Togami spoke.

"It was going to trigger our deaths if none of us were able to kill or steal for that matter."

"I could say that he is our… sacrifice."

"S-sacrifice!? The hell you think he is!? He's human!", Leon argued.

"So what? He killed and will be killed. It's all in the mechanics of the game." He answered back.

"Y-yeah! He's always right! He should suffer!" Fukawa supported him.

"Would you guys stop for a minute and think about this?", I told them.

"Despite what reasons he has, I think he saved us from the motive. Whether you guys perceive it negatively or whatever, that's my opinion."

"So, you should be thankful that he saved all of us."

"But that doesn't remove the fact that he killed someone." Celes countered me with that statement.

"…"

"Any last words before your timely end?" Celes said to him.

"D…D….on't…"

"Don't… forget me."

"Of course you won't be forgotten! The execution alone should be beary memorable!" Monokuma interrupted him.

"Now then, shall we begin punishment?"

"W-wait! Please don't do this! Have mercy! Uuuhhh.." Hifumi ran towards Monokuma.

"Now, now! You committed a murder and failed to leave! What else can happen?"

"No! No! Please! Stop!"

"Time for a very excellent execution for our SHSL Fanzine Maker!"

"Wh…what…", Hifumi's final words before it all started.

He was trembling upon hearing those words from Monokuma, he fell from his back like a baby dropping to the ground as a result. Trying to utter the words for grace and the like, there was no escape to this eternal hell of despair and murder. Monokuma lets out a little mallet enough for him to handle and smashed on a red button with a screen.


HIFUMI YAMADA HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY!

COMMENCING EXECUTION!


Something was bound to happen around until a fast-speeding chain roared and cuffed Hifumi's neck and dragged him intensively to a caged room still with room enough for the students to watch. Afterwards, he was stuck to a chair on the arms and legs and a table appeared on the front along with a huge line of Monokuma and anime versions of himself. The contraption on the front line whispered him this question:

CAN I HAVE YOUR BLOODY AUTOGRAPH?

Hifumi was not able to answer due to the sudden tape that stuck around his mouth by surprise. This thing stepped on the top of the table and brought out a really good magazine realizing that he made that for everybody. Unfortunately, he was repeatedly hit by it and the fight grew in increasing numbers. With each hit, Hifumi grew several bruises around his body mostly on his face. Then sometime they brought out sharp items and asked him the same question. Unable to answer, the barrage restarted and he was stabbed everywhere and blood splattered all over the place. In the end, we can only see the shape of his body filled with so much blood.

Some of them used ballpens and sucked some blood into the ink tint and wrote his assumed signature on a piece of paper and gave it to each one of us and left.


This… is an execution!? Has he gone mad with the word punishment? Too extreme. Hifumi is without a doubt dead. He really kept his word on everything here. I would assume that this is the end of the trial?

"I… I can't take anymore of this..", Fujisaki was kneeling on the floor crying with a comforting Asahina and Sakura on her side.

"Dude, not cool." Leon surprised was shaking from looking at the dead.

"Y-you monster!" Naegi charged unto him but was blocked by Kirigiri by the arm.

"Naegi, now's not the time for this. You want to escape the school? We should keep investigating the area. We don't have a choice." She said.

As I made my way to the elevator entrance, Monokuma called me among the rest for something important.

"Shiki, may I have a word with you? It's a little present." he said.

"What for?"

"I meant what I said. Get over here." With that, I approached him just because he told me to. Why me though?

"Here's a little something for succeeding in today's case." He brought out a credit card that contained my personal information and other credentials.

"What's this for?" I asked.

"You'll find out soon enough. Have fun with it!"

"Aren't you going to give this to the rest?"

"Nope. Just you, besides you'll get lots of goodies if you take care of that!"

"Like an escape switch?"

"In your dreams! Upupu! Now get!" he pushed me towards the elevator so we can go up to our separate ways.

As we escalated our way to the first floor, Leon who was closest to me snatched it from my hands. Rude much?

"What do we have here? A credit card?" he said questionably while zooming in on it.

"You could have at least asked nicely." I reprimanded.

"How is that going to help us?" Junko said.

"That's what I am going to figure out. Now if you could return it to me then that would be nice." I told them as they tossed it into my hands.

"Now what do we do?" Maizono asks everyone.

"We continue our living in this academy." Celes responded.

"What is there to investigate after this? Nothing."

"Nothing? And what? Continue to let Monokuma provide us with more incentives to lead us to murder?" Naegi answered.

"We should keep moving forward, anything at all can help."

"I'm not going to waste my time with you peddlers." Togami irritated by this talk.

And that was the end of our conversation in the elevator trip. We parted ways into our individual interests as of I, going to my room to think about certain things before this credit card issue. Monokuma is smart enough to give only me this perk for a reason and what is that reason? He told me that I can get certain items from a certain machine around the school. Maybe he placed it for keeps? Was there a secret behind it? Solving it will be delayed after I find a way to contemplate on the first two dead people. Was there a way to continue on after the sudden deaths of Hagakure and Hifumi even though I wasn't close to them…

Maybe there is.


Hope's Peak Academy: First Floor

- Shiki's Room

- Wednesday

- 11:19 a.m.


I walked into my room thinking about a way to remember our losses. I sat down on my bed to remove my shoes and socks to get fitted with a pair of bed slippers to feel… free. I looked around my room for a while to get an idea which one popped up in my mind. I decided to get a corkboard if there were any at the storage room for this one to work out. No one said that it's not allowed to go outside without formal shoes. Before I did that, I checked to see if I still have that doll of mine around, turns out that it was still there. It's now a decoration so I should place it along with the rabbit stuff toy then I left.

I approached the storage room to find a big corkboard around here. I manage to look at one by the very corner of where I am standing at the moment. Took me a while to get there by slipping through miscellaneous items to avoid casualties. Wow! This is kind of big, will it fit though? Steadily exiting the room, I returned back while greeting Aoi and Junko who were also passing by.

By the time I managed to lift this thing all the way back, I required paper and pins to attach them into the brown surface. Out of convenience, I managed to find a few in one of the cabinets on the side of the bed. Placing these materials on a desk, I've planned to write a letter to the deceased so I may point out their good traits… and their mishaps just to balance it out.

Scribbles…


LETTERS TO THE DEAD I

YASUHIRO HAGAKURE AND YAMADA HIFUMI

To Yasuhiro Hagakure:

You were the first victim among the 16 in this mutual killing, so my apologies for Hifumi getting to kill you. But let me ask you a few things: You wanted to graduate right? Did you think about the idea I proposed? We left our dolls into our rooms and kept it safe, yet you found fake ones which you assume are real just by the storage door. You fell into his trap! What the hell? I thought you were smart enough to not be fooled by that. Sigh… Were you thinking about us during those moments? I don't know if you still care about us but, if you were still alive, I would teach you a lot of things on how to avoid stupidity and similar topics.

Now for the good traits you possess…

Wait, do you have any?

I think you do, like… being a silly person. Maybe. Ah! Your talent! You were right about me going psycho over my failed attempt of suicide. I will not deny that. I think that's it. Rest in peace, you will be forever missed.

P.S. I'll take some of your things in memory of you. Crystal ball and tarot cards. Don't be angry about it, I'll try to read about your thing…

Sincerely,

Shiki Takashi

Dated: July 16, 2014

To Yamada Hifumi:

Even though we never talked, or have been close at all, I can say this, you murdered him because you were forced by the motive. You had the guts to pull it off to save your own life. It's kill or be killed. I totally understand if we were to switch places, I would have gone for the same thing, except I chose to kill myself to save the rest of you. Maybe it should have been who took yours and Hagakure's place so you two would live. I should have been more obvious and swift with my moves.

Those last moments I see you cry on the courtroom, at least you are in heaven now with your dreams of writing more fan magazines, and that Mochi Mochi princess thing I peeked at your room. So in memory of you, I will take some of your things and Celes' sewing kit.

Rest in peace, you will be missed.

Sincerely,

Shiki Takashi

Dated: July 16, 2014


I know it's kind of short but that's all I can think about you guys while you were both alive. I stamped your letter into the corkboard on any position using the pins. So if anyone were to die again, this might be one way to cope up with your losses. Your deaths will not be in vain. Never.

Going to Hagakure's room first, the doorknob was locked. Why does it have to be unaccessible at this time? Is it because to respect the ill of the dead? Maybe I should call Monokuma out to unlock to explain what I am going to do.

"Monokuma! Get in here for a sec!", I shouted at the front of one of the surveillance cameras.

"Yes?" he popped out in a blink of an eye and he was just right behind me.

"Can you unlock the doors of the dead students? There's nothing wrong with it anymore right?"

"Ehem.. have knowledge for these people! Stealing their property is full of disrespect. I won't allow it."

"I just want to get a special item to remember them and I want to decorate more. Is that too much to ask?"

"…"

"Hmm…"

"Do whatever you want, my cameras can still see you though." Monokuma snapped his fingers to deactivate the locking mechanisms of the two rooms, then he disappeared.


Hope's Peak Academy: First Floor

- Hagakure's Room

- Wednesday

- 11:45 a.m.


Yep, we left the room just the way it used to be only Monokuma cleaned up the place and got rid of the blood stains on the floor. Instant janitor-Monokumas during class trials? Maybe.

So I rummaged through some things and found tarot cards, and some random decorations I can make use of in the near future. Then I found some more books about.. UFO? The paranormal right? Something I can read at least.

A crystal ball? Too heavy.

A box where I can put more stuff in, that's good.

Well, that's about it.


Hope's Peak Academy: First Floor

- Hifumi's Room

- Wednesday

- 12:00 p.m.


Wow.. this room is filled with pink and… is that a princess costume? I'm not getting that.

Now to look for some drawing materials..

Crayons? Child's play.

Pens, thin and handy. I'll take it.

It's a sewing kit, better return it to Celes later.

A sketch pad? Another into the collection.

I feel like I'm stealing now rather than remembering them, maybe I should…

Tsk.

Fine I'm returning them, except for the kit. But for the books, I love books so I'm not giving it back.

It's already 12:00. Time for lunch.


DAY 3: PAUSED

SURVIVORS: 14


Author's note: This is the final part of Chapter 1. I'm sorry if this chapter was a little short. I needed to add something to make it at least 3000 words. For all I know, a backstory wasn't necessary since it's Hifumi after all. The motive says so.

Reviews right now are about the entire chapter 1, what are your opinions on each character interacted with Shiki; relationships and such. You name it.

Thank you so much everybody for the past reviews! Chapter 2 now will focus on... bzzt! Secret!

Speaking of which, in this review, choose who to have a free time with. Second floor areas are now available. I'll label them down here:

- Classroom 2-A and 2-B

- Swimming Pool

- Sauna Room

- A/V Room

Characters not allowed:

- Celes, Fujisaki, Naegi, Maizono, and Aoi.

- Hagakure and Hifumi since they're dead.

That's all! See you soon!