A/N: So at 46 pages and over 12,000 words, I decided to say fuck editing, I'm posting this shit now...yeah, this chapter is long, and I am sorry, but hey, it has a court case in it, so you all better enjoy it. Of course, this isn't a Class Trial, and I was only inside a court trial when I was five and we were dicussing my custody and all of that good shit, so I don't remember how it works. The only experiance with court that I have is in that Spanish show called, Caso Cerrado, which is a fucking awesome show, and a lot of funny shit goes on some times, if you are Boricua like me, you grew up watching this shit and you didn't miss an episode.
So, excuse my lack of knowledge on the actual proceedings of a court case, as I am only used to writing Class Trials and not actual trials. I hope you enjoy it though, as it is rather emotional at times.
So, for the final event of the Class duels, I have decided to base it off of a new show called Beat Shazam, I was thinking of doing Singing Bee instead, but it's the same premise. Basically, a song will be played and someone from either class will have to guess what song it is. If they guess correctly, they get a point, if not they get a penalty. The Class with the most points at the ends wins the title of Ultimate Class for the rest of the year. Then, we shall finally be able to see the concert, the finale for this arc where some shit happens. Pranks during the day, music at night. Then we move onto the Beach chapters, before finally reaching the beginning of the end.
Yes, this story is quickly approaching Despair, and at this point we're approaching it rather fast, as half of the events in my timeline have already taken place, And with the release of Daisuke's book, it marks the beginning of Junko's actual plot to take down Hope's Peak Academy. It will be a long ride that I hope you are all ready for, or should I say Despair?
I really wanna go to Akihabara at some point in my life, it is the Otaku capital of the world after all. That's why I decided to include it in this chapter, and I most likely will in future chapters...I was split between Akihabara, Shibuya, Ikebukuro and Ginza to be honest...I would have them go to Shinjuku, but that's the red light district, according to Persona 5 anyway.
Anyway, I won't bore you with anymore drabble, this chapter is long enough as it is without my fucking rambling...so snap into a slim jim and eat some ABCs and 123s, with meatballs preferably. Guess the references!
The End of Hope's Peak Academy
Zetsubou-Hen
Chapter 33
Trial
Hisashi sighed as he leaned back in his seat. He was sitting in the car with his mother and his step sister. It was rather awkward when the two of them were sitting next to each other. Mostly because Kyoko refused to talk to him. The girl had been busy glancing out the window, a bored look on her face. She had just been discharged from the local hospital after a horrible eating contest she had been put through. She was doing fine on the outside, and even if she wasn't, she wouldn't show it. Kyoko Kirigiri was the equivalent to an enigma. You never knew what she was thinking, even if you asked her nicely. You were bound to get an answer that would leave you questioning yourself more than her. That's who she was.
His mother looked in the rear view mirror, a frown on her face. She was in her mid thirties, a few years younger than her husband. She had long lilac colored hair and piercing violet eyes, much like her son. She had light colored skin, with a bit of make up on on her face. She was dressed in a black business suit, a white blouse underneath it with a bolo tie, which had the crest of Hope's Peak Academy on it. She was wearing a matching skirt which reached past her knees, along with some black panty hose and some heels. Her name was Yuriko, and she was the vice principle of the Reserve Course academy.
It wasn't a secret that her step daughter disliked her. Up until a few years ago, she didn't know her husband had another child. She remembered meeting him a few years back, after he had become the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy. A couple years later, she had Hisashi. He was always there for the boy, but was rather secretive when it came to it. She always wondered where he went for long periods of time. Sometimes, he would be gone for days, other times he would be around just as long. But it wasn't until Hisashi was seven years old that she was introduced to Kyoko. She had also found out that her mother had passed away.
According to Jin, his previous wife Mio has been diagnosed with a terminal decease. She had wanted everything out of life, and that included having a daughter. Thankfully, Kyoko hadn't been born with the same decease she had. The woman loved her daughter dearly, but her condition was beginning to worsen. She had told Jin to be happy, with whoever else he found. He refused, but eventually found Yuriko and had a child with her. He had told his wife about it, and she had wanted to meet the little boy, but her wish was never fulfilled. Kyoko resented her father because of that, and she hated Hisashi for robbing him of her mother. That's why she didn't speak to him.
She cleared her throat, adopting a smile on her face.
"Are you guys excited? You'll be having a little sister soon." she said.
"Pardon my lack of enthusiasm. Why would I be excited for getting another sibling? I have enough to deal with already, I don't need another sibling to deal with." Kyoko snapped. Hisashi grit his teeth.
"Christ, just welcome her into the family. She's been through hell already, we're the only ones who can take care of her. If you don't want to get to know her, or consider her family, there's the door. You can fucking leave if you want!" he cried angrily.
"I would if I could, but daddy dearest wants me to be here. As much as I hate it, I am obligated to be here. Be better hurry up too, I got an important case this afternoon." she replied, crossing her arms in a huff.
"Well...that went over well." Yuriko thought to herself. She heard her son sighed, glancing at his sister.
"Kyoko...I had a proposition for you...if you are interested in listening that is." he said. The girl glanced at him, a curious look in her eye. She shrugged, giving him a nod.
"Alright, how about we drop this whole sibling bullshit. Let's just be friends until you are ready to acknowledge me as your brother. If you never do...that's fine too. I've already come to grips with that, so I won't call you sis ever again if that's your choice. What do you say?" he asked, holding his hand out. She looked at him, eyes narrowed. She reached a gloved hand over to him, shaking it firmly.
"Fine, let us be friends then."
"Excellent, I wanted you to have this...as a sign of friendship." he said, handing her a black case. She opened it, eyes widening a bit at what was within.
Inside the small case was a hair clip. It was a butterfly, the wings had been carefully cut out, and decorated with purple sparkles. She glanced back at the boy, who had a firm look on his face.
"How much did this cost you?" she asked.
"Does it matter? It's a gift for a friend...I figured your braid looked sort of pain, and butterflies are a sign of life." he said, glancing away from her. She took the clip from the box, placing it at the end of her braid. She looked at it, a smile on her face.
"Thank you, my mother loved butterflies...this means a lot to me."
"Aw, this is so cute, I'm glad you guys are finally getting along!" Yuriko said, earning a glare from the young detective.
"So, what case are you working on now?" Hisashi asked, making small talk. Kyoko let go of her braid, turning to face the young man.
"I'm currently working on the Fuji case. We've already gotten all of the proof together and built it up. There is nothing stopping us from closing this thing. He doesn't even have a good defense." she said.
"Damn, I don't feel bad for him at all. I read all of that stuff in the paper, two counts of first degree murder, second degree murder, money laundering, there's no way he'll get out of prison any time soon." he said firmly.
"He'll be joining Utsugi on Death Row, that's for sure." the girl said, a smile on her face.
The door suddenly opened, and their father Jin Kirigiri came in. He sat down before the wheel, closing the door after himself. He sighed, grasping the wheel tightly.
"Something wrong honey?" Yuriko asked.
"The Steering Committee is hiding something from me, but no one wants to come clean. We're getting ready to select the new Ultimate Lucky Student. We're still suffering from the loss of Takao Morita." the man said firmly.
"What do you think they're hiding from you?" Hisashi asked curiously. The man sighed, leaning back against his seat.
"I'm not sure myself, and even if I did it's all classified information. So don't go sticking your noses into it. I know how the two of you are." he said firmly, turning the car on. He pulled out of his spot, driving through the lot and into the street.
"Why would I bother searching the academy for something like that? It's obvious whatever it is, is being held in a very secret place. I believe it has to do with Hajime Hinata's disappearance." Kyoko said firmly.
"Hajime dropped out several months ago...why do you think he's involved?" Yuriko asked curiously. Kyoko shrugged.
"Call it a hunch."
"You're hunches usually turn out true though...perhaps you should let her investigate dad, just to be safe." Hisashi said, earning a frown from his father.
"I'll consider it." the man said, ending the conversation.
They all remained silent as the man kept driving. They were currently going to the office where Kotoko was being kept. The girl had been making progress, and had gotten used to seeing Hisashi. When he had asked her if she wanted to live with them, she readily agreed. Jin and Yuriko signed the adoption papers and she had been accepted into the family. Kyoko had been a little upset, but she had agreed to at least give the little girl a chance. Hisashi hoped that they're strained relationship didn't make the girl worse.
They finally pulled up to the place, which was a hospital for young children and teenagers who had PTSD. She had been referred there after what had happened to her. Hisashi got out of the car, stretching his limbs above his head, yawning a bit.
"I'm gonna go get her..you guys wait here." he said, earning a nod from his mother.
"No, I'll go too." Kyoko said, much to his surprise. He nodded, walking toward the building. They walked inside, heading toward the counter. The nurse sitting behind it looked up, a small smile on her face.
"Hello Hisashi, you brought your sister with you this time." she said.
"Yes, she wanted to meet Kotoko formally. Is she ready? We wanna take her home with us." he said firmly.
"Let's see...yup, she's been approved to go home. You already know your way through here, so head on back." the woman said, handing him and Kyoko some visitors passes. She opened the door for them and they passed through them, heading down the hall.
The walls were painted with bright colors and various cartoon characters. There were toys everywhere, and the laughter of children could be heard coming from the rooms. They passed by a large play area, waving to some of the kids as they passed by. They continued walking, finally reaching a room with a bright pink door. He gave a few knocks on it and it opened up, the resident jumping into his arms.
"Big brother!" she cried, hugging him tightly.
"Whoa...hey sweetie...I can see you're already used to our new situation." he said. She nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Of course, I get the bestest big brother ever!" she said. He kissed her cheek setting her down.
"Well, we're here to pick you up. This is our older sister Kyoko by the way...she wanted to meet you personally." he said. Kotoko looked at the girl, who had a firm look on her face.
"She looks like she has a stick up the butt." she said, earning a chuckle from the boy.
"Don't worry, she grows on you. Help me pack her stuff eh?" he asked, earning a nod from Kyoko. Kotoko walked back into the room, grabbing her blazer from the top of the bed.
She was wearing a light pink dress shirt, with dark pink straps and vertical stripes. The she was wearing a matching black skirt, with a bright pink hemline. She was wearing a pair of long pink stockings, the left one having hot pink stripes, while the right had crossing hot pink lines. She slipped the blazer on, hopping onto the bed.
"Where are we gonna go big brother? You promised we would go out for ice cream, I want so chestnuts too." she cried out, puffing her cheeks out.
"I know, I know...we're meeting up with Saya at the park. We just gotta get all your stuff back home...you'll be returning to school on Monday." he said.
"Sweet! I missed all my friend, I wonder how everyone is doing?" she said.
"They're all doing fine, especially Hoshiko...she keeps asking about you." the boy said, handing Kyoko some folded clothes, which she placed in the girl's pink suitcase. The last thing he grabbed was a framed picture, two girls were on it.
The first one was obviously Kotoko, who had her arm tightly wrapped around the other girl. She was a little shorter than Kotoko, but not by much. As opposed to her, who had bright pink hair, the other girl had a soft sky blue as her hair color. She also had bright blue eyes, and wore a small pair of glasses.
She was wearing a long sleeved navy blue blazer, over a white dress shirt. She was wearing a crimson colored tie, which had a few numbers and formulas on it. She wore a matching skirt, and long sky blue stockings, with matching black boots. She was Kotoko's cousin, Hoshiko Azayaka, the Lil' Ultimate Science. Her parents had thought of her as useless, even though she was an extremely brilliant child. Then again her mother was the sister of Kotoko's mother, and that woman turned into a fucked up monster. Hisashi understood why Hoshiko was unappreciated, but he always made sure to praise her, whenever he did see her. Since Kotoko's situation was delicate, he asked to deliberately leave the names of those involved out of it. He had also told her friends not to say the word Gentle around her. They didn't understand why, but he was sure Hoshiko and Nagisa got why.
"My cousin is so totally adorbs! I just wanna eat her up! I can't wait to play with her again, I learned so much cool stuff, like that one time at the park where I saw two squirrels running around." the girl said. Kyoko's brows furrowed, looking at the little girl.
"How are any of those things related to each other?" she asked.
"Don't...Kotoko is always like this. She'll start talking about one thing and end with another." he said, earning a nod from the girl. He grabbed her hair brushed and knelt down behind her, starting the long task of brushing her lengthy pink hair. He gave her some candy, which she instantly started unwrapping.
"I was watching the eating contest your school had. Big sis Kyoko made a funny puke face." she said, causing the young detective to blush brightly.
"I did not...that cheese was disgusting. We still lost in the end."
"A valiant effort young knight, but when going against Class 77B, one does not tread lightly." Hisashi said in a deep voice, making Kotoko laugh. He grabbed a handful of her hair, tying it up with one of the pink hair ties. He did the same for the rest of it, until both ponytails were even. He stood up, shoving the brush into the girl's suitcase.
"Alright, you're all ready to go. Are we missing anything?" he asked, glancing at Kyoko.
"We got her clothes, extra pairs of shoes, all of the scripts she had written while here, toys and books. That's all of it." she said, glancing at the suitcases beside.
"Carry me!" the girl cried, jumping into Hisashi's arms, he groaned a bit, making sure he had a tight hold on the girl.
"Let's go, we gotta get your stuff home and meet up with Saya...maybe you can join us Kyoko. When was the last time you went out?" he asked.
"I would, but remember I got a case to work on this afternoon. Perhaps next time." she said, a look of genuine disappointment on her face.
"I'll save you some ice cream then sis!" Kotoko replied, hugging Hisashi rather tightly.
"Mind letting me breathe sweetheart?" he said, his face turning a bit blue. Kotoko loosened her hold on the boy, finally letting him breathe.
After making sure everything at the front counter was signed, Hisashi and Kyoko walked outside. The mid morning sun was shining brightly, the scent of blooming flowers filling the air. It was a beautiful spring day. Kotoko had jumped out of Hisashi's hold, content with walking outside, for the first time in awhile. He lead her toward the car, where Jin and Yuriko where, waiting for them.
"Hey, about time you guys got outta there!" Yuriko said cheerfully. Kotoko hid behind Hisashi, grasping his arm rather tightly.
"Hey, don't be scared. This is Yuriko, my mother...and from today on, she'll be yours too." he said. The girl nodded, walking toward the woman. She knelt down before the girl, ruffling her hair.
"You're such a pretty girl. Look at all this hair, it makes you look like a blooming flower!" she said.
"Thank you...do you mind if I call you Yuri for now?" she asked.
"Sure sweetie, let's get you home." she said, opening the car for for her.
"Actually, we have to meet Sayaka at the park, think you could drop us off there dad?" Hisashi asked.
"Sure, I'll help Yuriko set up our daughter's room. Do you think you could help us Kyoko?" the man asked.
"I have some time." the young detective said.
It wasn't long before they were dropped off at the park. Hisashi bid farewell to his family, taking a hold of Kotoko's hand. It had been a few weeks since he had last set foot in this park. It had grown a lot more beautiful as the Spring season started setting in. The trees were lush and green and the grass was steadily growing. Blooming flowers could be seen in all directions, and the fountain for once wasn't frozen.
Sayaka had been waiting patiently by the fountain. She was wearing a white ruffled camisole, with flower prints on it. She was wearing a matching blue skirt, with a black stripe running across it. On her feet she wore a pair of white high heel wedges. She had a small purse around her shoulder, and was busy looking at her phone. She looked up briefly, smiling when she saw Hisashi and his new little sister.
"Hey you two, I was wondering when you would show up!" she said happily. Hisashi gave her a hug, briefly kissing her lips. The Pop star blushed a bit, as they had never done that in public.
"You two are dating?" Kotoko cried out, eyes widened.
"Yeah, announce it to the whole world. I already got angry fans after me." he said, causing the little girl to huff in annoyance.
"Now now, let's not get into a silly argument. My fans don't matter right now, they'll just have to suck it up. How about we take a walk? It's a lovely day!" Sayaka said, earning a nod from Kotoko. She took both of their hands, and started pulling them along.
xxx
"So I came up with the title of the final event." Daisuke said, catching the attention of his friends.
All of them had decided to take the train to Chiyoda, to where the case was being held. It was a lovely day and they didn't want to waste it in a court house. Sonia suggested they take a walk instead and they had all agreed. Ryouta of course had bought himself a bucket of chicken, while Ibuki was walking around with her guitar, strumming the strings rather hard. Thankfully she hadn't turned her amp on, so she wasn't bothering anyone at the moment.
"Oh, what would that be?" Peko asked curiously. She grabbed Hiyoko's arm, pulling her along. The girl had been busy crushing every ant she could lay her hands on. Mahiru was too busy taking pictures of her surroundings to pay attention to what she was doing.
"It's something I call Beat Shazam. Basically, they'll play a snippet of a song, and someone will hit a button. If they guess correctly, they get a point. First to twelve points win. If you get it wrong, you lose a point and get a penalty." he said.
"That sounds rather fun...and we don't have to eat nasty food." Chiaki said, for once not playing her game. Fuyuhiko nodded in agreement.
"All of us combined have heard a lot of music...all we have to do is select the songs and we'll win!" he said.
"Yeah, but that wouldn't be fair would it? I decided to have someone select the songs, and no it isn't Chisa. I was thinking about asking Sayaka to not only select them but be the host." he said.
"She is the Ultimate Pop Sensation...it makes sense." Sonia said, nodding in agreement.
"It is a wonderful idea, nice job Daisuke!" Takane said, a smile on her face.
"It was nothing really...just hit me while I was vomiting blood into a bucket." he said, rubbing his neck. They all groaned, rubbing their stomachs at the same time.
"Let's not think about that...it's my first time in here, what is there to do?"
"Well...we're currently in Shibuya...we'll need to grab a connecting train by two o'clock if we wanna make it to the trial. We still got three hours...so what do you wanna do?"
"We're near Central Street, there's a Big Bang Burger over there. Oh, and there's the Gigolo Arcade too!" Chiaki said, grasping the straps of her bag.
"I was thinking about popping into Akihabara for a bit...it's been weeks since I checked out the land of anime goodness!" Daisuke said.
"I wanna go to Ginza! They have a new candy shop there!" Hiyoko said.
"Wait guys, clearly we have a problem...all of us want to go to different places...so why don't we just split into groups. Those that want to stay here in Shibuya join up." Peko said. Daisuke had to admit, she was thinking on her feet with this.
Chiaki, Ryouta, Fuyuhiko and Peko herself remained in that group. Daisuke was sure Ryouta wanted to head to Big Bang Burger, as he had mentioned the Cosmic Tower a few times before.
"Alright, who wants to head to Akihabara with Daisuke?"
Sonia and Ibuki got into his group. Takane looked a little split, but she joined his group as well. That left Mahiru and Hiyoko as the only ones to head to Ginza.
"Well then, this is it. We'll all meet up in Chiyoda station at two thirty, no later than that. If we're not there, just head to the court house." Daisuke said.
"Agreed, see ya later guys!" Fuyuhiko said, following Chiaki and Ryouta deeper into Shibuya. Everyone else head back to the train station.
"You're so mean Daisuke, you should come with me and big sis to Ginza!" Hiyoko cried, puffing her cheeks.
"So you can bleed me dry, not this time babe. Besides when was the last time you and Mahiru hung out together? You guys can take pictures and stuff." he said.
"I suppose that's true...come on then sis, I'll race ya to the ticket counter!" she cried, breaking into a sprint. Mahiru groaned, waving to her friends as she raced off after her friend.
Daisuke lead the other girls down into Shibuya station, looking at the time table for the next train to Akihabara. Luckily, they had made it in time for the next one. They each bought their tickets and walked down to the platform, seeing the large train pulling into the station.
"I haven't been to Akiba in forever! I wonder if the music shop has any new toys for me to play with!" Ibuki said.
"What about all the ones I bought you? Break them already?" Daisuke asked, feigning a hurt look.
"Absolutely not! I just wanna have every instrument in the world! Daisuzu started my collection, I want to continue it!" she said firmly. Surprisingly enough she hadn't been referring to herself in third person. She had said she only did that when she was truly comfortable around a person.
"Akihabara is the sacred land of all things anime! I hear there are maids all over the place, along with cosplayers, cat girls, the works!" Sonia said.
"My word, you get overly excited over everything don't you?" Takane asked curiously, earning a nod from Sonia. Daisuke chuckled.
"Trust me, she gets excited even for the littlest thing. I remember when we went to Asakusa, she practically dragged me through that whole damn park. It was a good time though." he said, kissing her cheek.
"I just wanted to have fun, and the ramen was delicious!" she said.
"Even though you ate a huge salad at the restaurant." he said, making her blush. The train came to a stop, the announcer calling all those to Akihabara. The four Ultimate students walked into the train, thankfully finding some empty seats.
"So Daisuke, are you going to purchase anything? Or just look around for your book to see if anyone is buying it?" Takane asked, shuffling her tarot deck, something she did to distract herself.
"I dunno, what do the stars say?" he asked curiously. She giggled, picking the top card from her deck.
"I got Hierophant, that usually means you aren't ready to challenge the status quo, it's a card of allegiance, and religion. I don't know how it fits into this situation." she said, placing the card back into the deck.
"Maybe the stars are trying to tell me that I finally got my revenge. I challenged the status quo when I wrote my novel, and it was a hit. I'm allied with all of you, who inspired the story in the first place. I got the last word without saying anything really." Daisuke said.
"That is a rather bold interpretation, with just a single card?" Sonia asked. He shrugged.
"I'm not sure, I'm not a fortune teller, so I couldn't exactly tell you. The stuff that I know is from reading one of Takane's fortune books." he said.
"I don't get any of this fortune mambo jumbo...I think it's just a yes or a no question!" Ibuki replied, focused on tuning one of her strings. She let out a yelp when one of them snapped.
"I guess that's karma for calling fortune telling mambo jumbo." Sonia said, holding back her giggles.
"Hardy har har." the Ultimate Musician replied, placing her guitar back in its case. She sighed, grabbing her phone from her stocking.
"Oh, there's a tattoo parlor in Akiba, I'm gonna go and get inked up. Come on Daisuzu, you said you wanted another one." she said.
"Hmm...I guess that would be alright. I can surprise the gang with some fresh ink. Alright let's go." he said.
"God, how can you two stand that? A needle digging into your skin repeatedly?" Takane said.
"Yes, I don't think I can deal with the pain." Sonia added, cringing at the thought.
"It doesn't hurt that bad, it's like getting tased." Daisuke said.
"You see, I would never want to get tased...why would anyone?" Takane asked curiously. He sighed, rolling his eyes.
They kept chatting quietly during the entire ride. After thirty minutes or so, the train arrived in Akihabara and they all got off. As soon as they left the station, they looked around, eyes wide. Or rather Takane and Sonia did.
All around them were signs, billboards, posters and everything dealing anime. There were people walking around dressed in full cosplay. Maids were running around, handing fliers to anyone who would take them. There were some people with stands, selling all measure of goods. Figurines, build it yourself models and various other things. It was truly an anime wonderland. Daisuke cleared his throat, standing in front of Sonia and Takane.
"Welcome ladies to Akihabara...we are currently in the Electric Town exit of the station. If we keep walking this way, we will reach the main part of the city. Better yet, we're in Chiyoda, so it isn't that far from the business district and the court house." he said, leading them further in.
"I've only seen pictures of this place. Look at it all, it's filled with so many cool things!" Sonia cried, her eyes glittering brightly.
"We need to check out GAMERS. I bet they have new manga on sale!" Ibuki cried.
"They have new manga every day of the week...alright it isn't that far from where we are." Daisuke said, leading them to the nearby store.
As soon as they walked in, they were greeted by a couple of maids, who were advertising for their cafe. Daisuke took out the handout, promising to check them out when they all had the time. They saw a large section filled with nothing but manga and anime. There was even a section that was selling his book, something that made him rather happy. He stood next to it, while Sonia took his picture.
"There you go, it might not be Mahiru level of good, but I think it's okay." she said, handing him the phone.
"Yeah, it's fine...goddamn it, we lost Ibuki." he said, glancing around the floor. Takane was standing at the front, her eyes glossing over some manga. Sonia was about to say something when a few girls walked up to him, all of them holding his book.
"Excuse me, you're the author right? Can you sign it for us?" the middle girl asked, holding the book to him.
"Um...alright I guess." he said, taking the book. He opened it and signed his name on the cover. He did the same with the other two. The third girl pulled out her phone, taking a selfie with him.
"Thank you so much!"
"No problem, glad you like it!" he said.
"That was random." Sonia said.
"Yeah, but it's alright...I'm sure there's a reason why Sayaka avoids this place though." he said with a chuckle. He turned around, seeing twenty more people, all with eager looks on their faces. He sighed, taking the first book.
"We're gonna be here for awhile." he said, handing the book back.
After around twenty minutes, and several signed books, Daisuke finally left the store, having picked up a copy of Pokemon X for his collection. Ibuki was grinning, looking at all of the stuff she had bought. Even Takane had found something, a vampire manga that had caught her interest. She had bought the entire series and was currently reading the first volume. Sonia however hadn't bought anything, too scared that she would buy everything in sight. With her wealth, she damn near would.
"Alright, our next stop is over here." Daisuke said, leading the girls throughout the area. Even though it had been awhile, he still remembered all of his favorite shops.
"This is all so amazing, and you back there were acting like a total star." Sonia said.
"I was not...I was just showing some appreciation, I mean, I wasn't expecting so many people to like my book. It isn't that good." he said.
"You're being modest, you're book is wonderful. You've got me and the rest of our friends completely hooked!" Takane said, glancing up from her manga.
"Daisuzu look, a tattoo shop...let's go get inked!" Ibuki cried, taking a hold of his hand. She yanked him hard, making him pull Sonia as well. Takane sighed, following her friends along. She didn't want to get lost after all.
It was a bit dark inside the shop. All around them were designs for every tattoo imaginable. There was one person currently getting a tattoo near the back of the shop. There was a neon sign in the likeness of the store name, hanging above the main counter. A woman looked up from her magazine, a curious look on her face. Daisuke instantly noticed all of the tattoos on her arms and neck.
"What are you kids doing here? Don't you have school or something?" she asked.
"Not right now, we're all from Hope's Peak Academy, so we don't need to be in class!" Ibuki replied, looking at all of the music themed tattoos.
"HPA huh, hey Buck, we got some HPA kids in the front!" the cried out, earning a grunt from the man in the back. She shook it off, standing a bit more erect.
"Normally we don't do this without a parent, but since you are the hope of our future, we can ink you up. I can see you already have one." she said, glancing at Daisuke's forearm.
"I got this one last year for my birthday. I've been wanting another one ever since." he said, a smile on his face.
"Yup, tattoos are like that kiddo...see anything you like?" she asked.
"I see a lot of stuff, maybe something musical themed." he said, glancing at some of the designs.
"I know what I want...a G clef on my waist, with a heart next to it." Ibuki said. The woman grabbed a piece of paper from the counter, along with a pen.
"Draw it out for me, make sure it's exactly what you want...I'll have one of my boys do it in in a few...are either of you getting one?" She asked, glancing at Takane and Sonia, both shaking their heads.
"They're too scared of the needle...I know what I want, I'm a Gemini, so I'll just have my zodiac symbol on my wrist. Except one side will have an angel wing, and the other side will have a demon wing." he said.
"Oh, nice idea...I'll sketch this one out personally." she said, grabbing a piece of paper.
"Are you okay Sonia? You don't look so good." Takane said, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.
"I want a tattoo!" she cried out, earning curious looks from everyone.
"Huh...I thought you didn't want one?" Daisuke asked.
"I changed my mind...if Daisuke is getting one, so will I. I am a loyal girlfriend after all." she said, placing her hand on her chest.
"She goes first." Daisuke said, earning a smirk from the owner.
"Sure thing, my name is Koyomi by the way, nice to meet you all." she said.
"What are you getting Sonia? You should get something big!" Ibuki said, capping the pen she had been given.
"Heavens no...I want something small...a swallow tail butterfly, on my wrist." she said, holding her right hand out. Koyomi nodded.
"I'll sketch one out, take a seat over there." she said. The blonde princess nodded, shakily heading toward an empty seat. She swallowed hard, looking at all of the inks and designs around her.
"Do you do piercings here?" Ibuki asked curiously.
"Yes ma'am...looking to add to your collection?" the woman asked, gesturing to her ear.
"Maybe, I was thinking of getting my tongue pierced, but I heard it hurts like shit."
"Nah, we use anesthetics so you won't feel a thing." she said, giving her a wink. The woman handed Daisuke her sketch of his tattoo idea.
"I love it, this is definitely it, I wanna see Sonia go first though...it'll be fine sweetheart, it wont hurt at all!" he said, reassuring the girl. She let out the breath she had been holding.
"I've played paintball before and that hurt like hell, this will be nothing." she said, a firm look on her face.
"I promise you, it won't hurt a bit...I'll do it personally and if it does hurt, you'll have it done for free!" she said.
"Seriously?" Daisuke asked.
"Well, I've never had anyone cry in pain before...so if she does cry, then you have my word it will be free. Here's the design I'm thinking of." Koyomi said, handing him the paper.
The paper showed a beautiful butterfly, with thick black lines running from the wings. The inside of the wings was a light blue in color, getting a bit darker toward the body. There were two thin tails extending from the bottom of the wings, along with two thin antennae extending from the top of the head. Underneath the butterfly's wings was a bunch of stars, symbolizing glittering dust.
"It's so adorable!" Takane said, gushing over the design.
"I think so too, it suits you." Daisuke said.
"Alright, let's do it then!" Sonia said, holding her wrist out. Koyomi rolled her eyes, transferring the design over to some wax paper. She cleaned Sonia's wrist off with some alcohol, carefully placing the paper on it. She transferred the design onto her skin.
"Just so you know, we use brand new needles with everyone and we install them here so you can see. All of our inks are also safe to use on skin. You'll have bit of swelling around the area, but that's normal. Also after the tattoo is done, it will be an open wound that needs to heal. We'll give you some cream to keep the area moist. Also if it starts scabbing, then it's important not to pick at it, it will ruin the ink." the woman recited, most likely having said that to every one.
"I'll help her take care of it, I remember all of the shirts I ruined with mine." Daisuke said, chuckling a bit. Koyomi grabbed the ink gun and a brand new needle, putting it in place. She hummed to herself as she grabbed the black in, dabbing the needle into it.
Sonia closed her eyes as the woman pressed the needle into her skin. She felt a dull pain on her skin, but it wasn't as bad as she imagined it to be. She decided to look away instead, not comfortable with seeing the process. Koyomi just focused on outlining the butterfly as perfectly as she could.
"So, what's your title sweetheart? I recognize your man from that book he just released. Kinda hard not to when his face is across the street from me." she said, earning a chuckle from Daisuke, who had been taken by another artist.
"I'm the Ultimate Princess, I hail from the country of Novoselic." Sonia said confidently.
"I'm tattooing a princess? What an honor, I'll make sure to give you the best tattoo this side of the world then." she said, giving Sonia a wink.
"What's wrong Takane? Have a change of heart?" Ibuki asked, watching the girl pour over the designs.
"I suppose you could say that. How would Kazuichi react if I got a tattoo on my bicep?" she asked curiously.
"Depends on what it is." Daisuke said, watching the artist slip the needle into the gun. He clenched his hand a few times placing it on the table for the man to start.
"I was thinking...maybe a telescope? I am the Ultimate Astronomer after all..so it would make sense." she said.
"No, do the Milky-way galaxy, that would leave an impact on anyone who sees it...you could also do a comet." the Ultimate Story Teller replied, earning a nod from Takane.
"Alright, I'll do a comet...there's supposed to be one passing into our galaxy in a few weeks, it can get it in commemoration of it." she said.
"I'll sketch one our for you right now, I just finished my customer Koyo."
"Alright Buck, go ahead and take her for me." the woman said, snapping her gum as she got started on the other half of Sonia's butterfly.
After a couple of hours, Daisuke and his friends all left that tattoo parlor, satisfied looks on their faces. He had payed for everyone's tattoos, and even gave Koyomi and her assistants a good tip. He glanced at his new tattoo, a grin on his face.
"Jared fucking killed it with this angel wing...making it all detailed and shit, I definitely love it!" he said. Takane nodded, looking at the one on her arm.
She had indeed gotten herself a comet. It was a medium sized rock, with a lot of detailed craters on it. Surrounding it was the tail of the comet, which extended from the main part, wrapping around her arm. It was colored a deep blue color, which faded into sky blue and then into a fiery orange. Around it was the vast darkness of space with a few twinkling stars around it. She had her sleeve rolled up to avoid getting ink on it. She had actually been looking for a bathroom so she could change into her sleeveless turtleneck sweater.
"I like mine too...I might get another one in the future." Sonia said, looking at the butterfly now adorned on her wrist.
"Aw, I can't look at mine...I gotta wear my shirt!" Ibuki said, a look of disappointment on her face.
"Don't worry about it, you can show it off at the beach next month." Daisuke said, earning a nod from the girl.
They arrived at the courthouse a few minutes later. He had texted his friends telling them all to meet up there instead of the station. Thankfully they were all there waiting for them. Fuyuhiko was about to say something when he caught sight of Takane's tattoo.
"Holy shit, you got inked up?" he asked.
"We all did." Daisuke said, showing off his new tattoo. Sonia did the same.
"Wow, even the Princess got inked, I wasn't expecting this...hey, will you pay for mine?" Hiyoko asked, earning a sigh from Daisuke.
"Sure, we can go sometime next week." he said.
"Sweet, let's go see your dad get his shit rocked." she said, taking a hold of his hand.
They passed through the usual body checks, something that annoyed Ibuki since she had piercings. Once they did, one of the workers directed them to the correct court room. They all walked in, seeing the pews were mostly filled. There was one near the front that had enough room for all of them. Ryouta was bit sad since he couldn't have food in the court room. He noticed Kyoko, along with another woman, standing next to the Plaintiff table. She looked up briefly, catching Daisuke's smile. She gave him a nod, a smile of her own on her face.
It wasn't long before the show got started. Ryusuke was brought into the court room, dressed in a fancy business suit. He was uncuffed, and directed toward the other empty table, the table for the defendants. The justice walked in, bowing formally. He hit the gavel three times, signifying the beginning of the session.
"Japan vs Ryusuke Fuji is hereby in session. I would like to thank the jury for being here today. I would also like to thank all of the ones present for being our witnesses." the man said, while the script was busy typing everything. He cleared his throat.
"Alright then, we'll start with the opening statement, Miss Feiji." the man said. Victoria Feiji stood up, bowing to everyone in the room.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you're honor, it is a pleasure to be here. Thank all of you for being here. What does it take, to make a man? I myself believe, that in order to be a man, you must be strong, smart, loyal, romantic...maybe a little funny." she said, pausing when the crowd chuckled.
"Yes, these are all qualities of a man, but they could also be the qualities of anyone. Including a person hellbent on getting what he wants. Do we forgive a romantic fool, for breaking a woman's heart and causing her death? Do we forgive someone who took our loyalty and drove it into the ground? Do we forgive someone, who was heinous enough to not only commit murder twice, but also drove his son to the point of suicide? We do not forgive these crimes, and we will not stand for it. I hope you, the people of the jury help me make the right choice today. We cannot let this man go free, not when so many crimes have been committed, and not when more will be committed upon his freedom. Thank you everyone for listening." she said, walking toward her seat.
"Shit, that was pretty good." Fuyuhiko muttered, earning a nod from Daisuke. He glanced at his father, who had a mask of emotionless on his face. He could tell the man was burning on the inside.
"Mr. Fuji, you have the floor." the Judge said, earning a nod from Ryusuke. He stood up, walking in front of the jury.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for being here. I am going to be my own lawyer for this case. I would like to first and foremost introduce myself. I am Ryusuke Fuji, loving father, and husband. I am a man who is a hard worker. I would never drive anyone to the point of suicide...and I would never rightly commit the crimes of which I am being accused of. I loved my ex-wife, but it wasn't my fault that her son passed away. That was his own accord, I am but a humble businessman, who will stop at nothing to ensure everything is right in the world. Thank you for listening." he said, heading back to his own table. Daisuke grit his teeth in anger. Sonia placed a hand on his own, calming him down a bit.
"Both sides have shared their opening statements...Miss Feiji, you may proceed with the case." the judge said firmly. She nodded and stood up, fixing her tie.
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the court. Do not be fooled by what his man has said, for he is nothing more than a liar. Days ago, I was pouring through the information about this case. I discovered he is in fact not a loving father as he so rightly claims. I discovered divorce records from his first marriage back in 2006. He divorced his previous wife, Maria Del Rio, not only that, but kicked her and her two children out of his home in the middle of winter. He had no remorse doing it either. He claims to be a loving father, and yet his own son calls him out on national television. This man is not a loving father, and we have the proof the refute it. Miss Kirigiri, if you would please." Victoria said, directing the case toward Kyoko.
"Thank you Victoria. I myself have proof of Ryusuke's vile behavior toward his own son, Daisuke Del Rio, and his daughter Erika Del Rio...when I interviewed them both, they had nothing but discontent toward their father. Not just that, here is a file containing the final conversation toward Ryuji Miyamoto, a young 21 year old who commit suicide. We recovered this recording from his cell phone." she said, handing a tape to one of the officers. He placed it in a casette player, pressing the play button.
"Do you feel guilt Ryuji? Well you should, you took a father from his daughter, a son from his mother and father. His blood is on your hands, and you must pay for it with your life. Your life will not be free of sin until your debt is settled."
"But Dad, it wasn't my fault. Sure, I was drunk, I'll admit...but he was the one who ran the stop sign."
"It doesn't matter Ryuji. You were driving drunk, going 85 through an intersection. You took a hard working man from his family, his five year old daughter is never going to see him again. You thought she was an infant, she isn't..she is five years old. That little girl will never see her daddy again...you will burn in hell for all eternity...you deserve to feel every ounce of guilt in your heart."
Footsteps were heard seconds later, along with the sound of a door closing. The officer was going to pause it, but Kyoko shook her head. The sound of scribbling could be heard, along with the sounds of crying. The sound of a drawer opening filled the tape, along with the sound of clinking. It didn't take a genius to figure out what everyone was listening too. After a minute of nothing but breathing, the sound of a gun being cocked filled the tape, followed by a loud gunshot that echoed through the room, the sound of the gun hitting the dull carpet below. The man finally paused the tape, letting it all sink in for the jury.
"What you all heard was Ryuji shooting himself. This was five minutes after this man left his home. It is my belief that he deliberately left the home, and left his supposedly locked cabinet open, giving the young man access to this gun. I don't know about you, but that screams murder to me. He did this so the boy would pay with his own life, a filthy vice for him to clear himself of sin." Kyoko said firmly.
Everyone started muttering, discussing things among himself. The judge slammed his gavel down, causing everyone to go silent.
"Mr. Fuji, how do you retort?" the man asked.
"I did not know the cabinet was unlocked. I keep a gun yes, but that is for my own personal defense. I have my permits and everything is up to date. If the boy was able to get to it, it isn't my fault. As for the conversation, I was just giving him some advice. I may have been wrong to say it in that matter, but I just wanted him to be even with God when it was his time. Of course, with the heinous crime he committed against that family, I doubt God forgave him." he said firmly.
"Asshole! You drove him to suicide, own that shit! Fucking own it!" Daisuke shouted, standing up from his seat. Ryusuke chuckled, shaking his head.
"Mind your own business boy, this has nothing to do with you." he said.
"Order in the court! Young man, I will not have you speak like that in my courthouse!"
"I'm sorry your honor, it won't happen again." he said, bowing formally, before sitting down.
"That reaction was enough proof wouldn't you say? If you must know, that is his son...matter of fact, do I have permission to call him as a witness?" Victoria asked.
"I'll allow it...young man, approach the stand." the judge said. Daisuke handed his bag to Sonia, who gave him a kiss on the cheek. Hiyoko did the same as he passed through the wooden gates, taking the witness seat.
"Do you swear to say the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" an officer asked, holding a bible to the boy. He nodded, placing a hand on it.
"I do." he said firmly, taking his seat. Victoria walked over to him, a smile on her face.
"Chisa's told me a lot about you...I'm a fan of your work." she said.
"Thank you ma'am...I'll give you an autograph later on." he said, giving her a wink.
"Ahem...Mr. Del Rio, you are Mr. Fuji's only biological son correct?" she asked.
"Indeed I am, a huge resentment in my heart." he said firmly, sneering at his father.
"Okay, how would you describe your home life with your father before you were...ejected from his life?" she asked.
"My home life? It was total hell...my mother and him would always argue, over the dumbest possible thing ever. He would always yell at her, for wanting to follow her dreams. He wanted her to be a stay at home mom, who did nothing but cook and clean, like some damn robot." he said firmly.
"Hmm...how did he act toward you? And Erika?"
"Erika was too young to remember anything, she was only four...but he expected her to be a strong young woman. He wanted her to grow into a woman that could fulfill her duties to her husband. He treated her like a doll most of the time."
"Objection, that boy is lying. How can we take his testimony as something credible when he himself dislikes me?" Ryusuke cried out.
"Overruled, I want to listen to this young man." the judge said firmly. Daisuke inwardly sneered. Being the Ultimate Story Teller did have its advantages.
"Please Daisuke, continue." Victoria said.
"Ryusuke never loved us...let's put that out there. He didn't love Erika and he certainly didn't love me. I grew tired of the arguments, so I lost myself in a book...Moby Dick...it was a wonderful tale. I could always find solace in that beautiful story. I dreamed of being in that world, I wanted to be far away from him, I wanted my mom and sister to be happy. So I set out to make that story a reality. At the age of six, I wrote my first story, sure it was on the walls, and in crayon...but I was proud of it. My father however, didn't think so." he said firmly.
"Why not? Aren't fathers supposed to be supportive?" Victoria asked curiously.
"Pfft, maybe in Family Matters or some shit, not in my life. He detested the idea, he always told me I would amount to nothing as a story teller. He took my pens and crayons, and had my teachers scold me whenever I wrote anything in school. I was yelled at from bringing my copy of Tom Sawyer to show and tell. I was put through hell, talked down every goddamn day of my life. And finally, when my mother had enough, he tossed us out into the street. But that wasn't the end of it, me and my sister almost died of hypothermia, on Christmas Eve. My mother almost lost her limbs to frostbite, we were on the streets for weeks, no food, water, money, or clothes. He almost killed all of us." he said firmly.
"I gave your mother money, I don't know what she spent it on, but she left my house with money. I also didn't toss her out, she left of her own accord." Ryusuke said.
"What about the alimony then eh? You're supposed to be supporting our asses until we're adults, but no...you are hogging the money for yourself! Even after we returned to Japan, you never cared about us. You talked my talent down, every day of my life you told me I was useless, to work like a true man to make my living. Fairytales would take me nowhere...that's what you said. And guess what, my novel, the one you said I would never write, is going to be a New York Times best seller, I did that...all be, and I did it without your support, because you never believed in me. But I did, my mother and sister said, Kizakura did, all of my classmates, my girlfriends, my teacher...they all believed in me, even when I didn't. So did your friend Takao Morita...he was the one who found him, and you fucking killed him!" Daisuke shouted.
"Order, Mr. Del Rio please control yourself." the judge said firmly. Daisuke nodded, wiping his tears away. He took a deep breath, clearing his throat.
"Those are some...very powerful words Mr. Del Rio, I can tell you weren't lying, and you bring up another point. Takao Morita was one of the members on Hope's Peak Academy's Steering Committee, a close friend to Mr. Fuji, and the one who discovered your talent. Would you say this man, your father, hated your talent?"
"With a passion, he resented me for having talent, when he himself wasn't able to get into the academy at my age. He wanted me to fail, so much so that he would ruin my publisher, take down anyone associated with them, and bring down the Academy as well." Daisuke replied.
"Your Honor please, now he's accusing me of stuff that isn't real!" Ryusuke snapped.
"Order, Mr. Del Rio, please refrain from unneeded accusations." the judge said.
"It was an honest answer, my apologies your honor." he said.
"So...this man hates the academy for not being accepted, and was willing to kill a man for revenge. He made his step son kill himself...anything else you may want to add?" the woman asked.
"Aside from maybe paying for his new step daughter to be in the academy, I can't really say anything else. He made my life hell, but he's getting his, that's all I got to say." Daisuke said firmly.
"No further questions your honor...Ryusuke, the witness is yours." Victoria said. Ryusuke stood up, fixing his suit as he walked toward the stand.
"Mr. Del Rio, do you hate me?" the man asked.
"Does a ten pound bag of flour make a really big biscuit?" Daisuke replied, causing the man to hiss under his breath.
"Perhaps I should reiterate the question...Mr. Del Rio, you resent me for what I did, but I was trying to make you into a respectable man. Is that a wrong thing for a father to do?"
"Do Woodchucks chuck wood?" the boy reacted.
"Your Honor, he isn't taking this seriously."
"Mr. Del Rio please, answer him honestly."
"Alright, to answer your previous question sir, there is nothing wrong with a father teaching his son to be respectable. What is wrong is for said father to force him into something he doesn't like, to down talk him and to say his talent is useless. It was because of you that I skipped a year of Hope's Peak Academy, it was because of you that I got into a relationship with Sylvia. It was because of you that I almost killed myself when she left me, because you talked her into it. And it was because of you that I missed out on the chance to meet the some of the best people on this planet.
My classmates, my best friends, my loving girlfriends...I could have met them all last year. I could have been friends with them, but I wasn't...because you told me my talent was useless. Because you made me feel inadequate, and because you made me feel like the worst thing on this planet. No further questions your honor." Daisuke said, getting up off the stand.
"Thank you Mr. Del Rio, your testimony was eye opening." the judge said, as the boy walked back toward the pews. He stopped looking at his father.
"By the way Mr. Fuji, thank you for always talking me down. It made it that much better when I reached for the stars. And now that I'm here, I can watch as you burn in hell for the rest of your life." Daisuke said, giving him a grin. He took his seat back next to the girls.
"Ms. Feiji, do you have any other witnesses?"
"Yes your honor, I have one more witness. He accepted a plea deal so he couldn't be charged with involvement. I would like to call to the stand Ryusuke's best friend and fellow lawyer. Craft Lawrence."
The man's eyes widened as Craft made his way to the stand. He took the oath, sitting down where Daisuke was previously. Victoria walked over to him, giving him a smile.
"A pleasure to see you Mr. Lawrence."
"Indeed, it's always nice to see my granddaughter." he said, giving her a wink. She smiled, clearing her throat.
"Your honor, I object. Those two are related, they could be plotting against me!" Ryusuke said.
"Overruled, another objection and I will dismiss this case until further notice!" he cried, slamming his gavel down hard.
"Mr. Lawrence, you are Ryusuke's lawyer, why aren't you here defending him?" she asked curiously.
"Because he is a vile man...I couldn't align myself with him after what he did. We did discuss the murder of Takao Morita...but I wasn't a part of it. The one who crafted it all was him, during one of our poker games. I was inebriated of course, so what I was saying was just a joke, he took it seriously." he said firmly.
"So...he hired a hitman to do the job..can you name him?"
"I cannot...I don't know who did it exactly, but I know he called the hit. I walked into his office while he was having that conversation...he also admit it to me several days back." the man said firmly.
"Ah yes, we have that on tape, Kyoko if you would." she said. The purplette nodded, handing the tape over to the officer, who placed it in the tape recorder, pressing play.
"Yes, that will work just nicely. No one will ever know that it was you who killed him...don't worry about it...payment is due in full, and you will get your check soon...of course, yes...the body...just toss it in the river, blame it on the Yakuza or something...they'll never be able to pin you down...of course, I'm Ryusuke Fuji after all."
"Ryusuke, we're going to be late."
"In a second Craft...yes, no one will know you killed him, or that I put the hit...I'll speak with you later."
"You...put out a hit? On who?"
"Doesn't matter, the job has been taken care of...that will teach the academy to mess with me."
The recording ended, causing everyone to start muttering again. The judge immediately silenced them all.
"That's very compelling your honor...that is a confession. This man, put a hit on Takao Morita, and that hitman took care of it. Our records indicate that this man was payed Ten Million Yen for this hit...but we don't know who it is. He may have not pulled the trigger, but he still killed him. How long would you say he had been planning this Mr. Lawrence?"
"Awhile at least, ever since he had discovered the fact. The fact that Daisuke, his son, had been selected to attend Hope's Peak Academy by him." Craft replied.
"No further questions...the witness is yours Ryusuke...although I doubt you'll be able to get anything worthwhile for your case." she said, walking back to her spot with Kyoko.
"Ryusuke, how will you proceed?" the judge asked.
"I have no questions for this...man." Ryusuke said.
"Indeed, you may leave the stand Mr. Lawrence." the judge said. Craft nodded, thanking the man before leaving the stand.
"Alright then, do either side have something else to add? If so, we shall wait after recess." the judge said.
"Let's end this already...it's merely a formality in this case." Ryusuke said confidently.
"Oh, you wish to end it early? Bite the bullet as they say? Even with the amount of evidance stacked against you? We haven't discussed the money laundering, the plot to take down the Togami Family, or Hope's Peak Academy." Victoria said.
"Like I said, I am not going to loose this case...I am confident in myself, I did not commit these crimes." he said.
"Well if you wish to end this, then please give your closing argument."
Victoria stood up, shrugging her shoulders a bit as she turned to face the jury.
"You've heard it all ladies and gentlemen of the jury. You've received a heartfelt statement from his son, you've received proof of his crimes, and his best friend turned on him. This man, is nothing more than a vile creature that needs to be punished to the full extent of the law. It is up to you, to make that decision...I rest my case." the woman said, heading back toward her seat.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the court...I must implore you, to make the right decision. I am innocent of these crimes, you know it, and I know it. I didn't commit any of these heinous acts...I would never kill anyone. That tape was most likely doctored by that young woman, the daughter of the Headmaster of Hope's Peak. That tape could have been fake, to put me in jail...come on, would I kill me?" he asked.
"We will now have a break for the jury to deliberate and decide on a verdict." The judge said.
"Actually, we all ready have a verdict, we don't even need to deliberate for this one." the head jurer said.
"Are you certain? Would you like time to discuss it?"
"No thanks your honor...we all are in agreement. We the jury, find the defendant, Ryusuke Fuji, Guilty of Two counts of First Degree Murder, one Count of Second Degree Murder, Money Laundering, Conspiracy to commit First Degree Murder, and Conspiracy to Take down a business." the woman said firmly.
"What? You can't be serious lady, I'm innocent!" Ryusuke cried.
"You are not innocent, you are nothing more than a snake. I myself have children and I would never treat them like you have. I already poured through his entire case, and have read up everything. We deliberated before hearing the case, but thought it would be better to listen to what you have to say. We will go with our original verdict...the jury has spoken!" she said firmly, taking her seat.
"Well, since the jury has made their verdict, I shall now decide the sentence. The defendant shall be sentenced to 75 years in prison for money laundering and conspiracy. He shall be sentanced to life in prison for two counts of first degree murder...of course this is all null and void after my next verdict. Ryusuke Fuji, you are here by sentanced to death, for the second degree murder of Ryuji Miyamoto. You wanted him to pay for his sins, but you will pay them for him. This court is adjourned." the man said, slamming his gavel onto the desk.
"No, you can't do this to me! It was you...you did this to me, you are horrible son, I hope you die in hell! I hope everything you love dies, so you can see the despair flowing everywhere around you. All of you are worthless, useless, I hope your children die before they are born!" he shouted, only to get tased by the guards. He was brought to the ground, and handcuffed, before he was dragged out of the court room.
"The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry." Daisuke said, walking toward the door of the courtroom.
"Daisuke, wait up...I would like to speak with you." Victoria said, causing him to stop. She caught up to him, giving him a hug.
"What's this for?" he asked.
"For what that man put you through...I'm sorry you had to live so long with him in your life. I can honestly say this is why I do this, so that people like him don't walk the streets. I was also able to get you a deal...all of his assets and money go to you, we have already paid back every business that had money taken from them in the past." she said.
"You were that confident you would win?" he asked curiously.
"Indeed, when he said he would be handling his own case, we knew we had him. I'm the Ultimate Lawyer remember? Now, I need your bank account information to send all of these funds." she said.
"Funds? I don't want them." he said.
"Huh...but Daisuke, we're talking about Four billion yen." she said.
"Four billion yen, all of that belongs to you?" Hiyoko cried out. The Courtroom had been empty by now, save for them and Kyoko who had been watching the boy closely.
"Indeed, it's what's left after we repaid all of the assets Ryusuke stole. That money belongs to you and you deserve it." Victoria said.
"Yeah, but I wouldn't know what to do with it...tell ya what...there is something we can do. I want you to donate two billion yen, to the local hospitals and orphanages, I want you to donate one billion to medical research, cancer, AIDS, all of that...the final billion yen...I want you to give it to the homeless. But before you do that...I want you to track down a woman named Rinka Hyoudo, she has two children named Irina and Ikki, I want you to give her 300 million yen." he said firmly. Victoria just looked at him oddly.
"Are...you serious? You want to donate all of this money, and keep none of it for yourself?" she asked, eyes widened.
"Mhmm...but I want priority to go to Rinka...she reminded me of my mother when we were kicked out. Her situation was pretty bad the last time I saw her...tell her it was a gift from her angel. We need to head back to the academy and prepare for the final challenge, Victoria, Kyoko...it's been a pleasure...thank you...from the bottom of my heart." he said, giving them a bow. He left the court house, a bright smile on his face.
"Four million yen...and he just donates it all...I can't believe it." Hiyoko said, shaking her head.
"That's our Dais, always thinking about others instead of him!" Ibuki cried out.
"I'm gonna rock his world tonight!" Sonia cried, following after the boy.
"Hey, it isn't your turn Princess, get back here!" Hiyoko cried out angrily, racing after the princess. Everyone just shook their heads.
"I can't even remember half of the things he mentioned." Victoria said.
"I did, I've already written it down." Kyoko said, handing the paper to the lawyer.
Xxx
It had been a few months since Rinka had felt so happy. The last time she had, it was when that mysterious boy handed her every dime he had for her and her children. She had used that money to get herself some food and fresh clothes, putting the last of it to an apartment in the city. It had been hard, but her life had turned around after the new year. She had gotten herself a job as a hair stylist and her kids were being put through school.
She was currently walking home from a long day at work, her long brown hair trailing behind her in the soft breeze. She was still wearing the apron with the salon's name on it, along with the tag. She had been living in Shibuya for awhile now, as it was where she had been living before. She knew where everything was so she didn't want to get herself lost. The elementary school her children went to was in Ikebukuro so it wasn't that long of a ride to take them on the train. She finally reached her apartment complex, sighing with relief. She walked over to her mailbox, placing her key into the slot.
"Bills, bills, bills...great, these things never end do they?" she muttered.
"Excuse me, are you Miss Hyoudo?"
The woman turned around, eyes locking with a young woman, who seemed to be in her early twenties, dressed in business casual. She sighed, giving her a nod.
"Yes, are you a lawyer? If so I am not going to sign anything for my ex-husband. The bastard refuses to pay alimony because we technically aren't divorced yet." she said, crossing her arms.
"I am a lawyer ma'am but I am not here for your husband. I am here to give you this." she said, pulling an envelope from her briefcase. Rinka took a hold of it, tearing it open. She pulled the contents, seeing that it was a check. Her eyes widened when she saw the amount.
"Three hundred million yen? This can't be real...this isn't real!" she said.
"Oh it is...this check was given to me by someone very special. He said to tell you, it's a gift from your angel." the young woman said. Rinka's breath hitched, her eyes tearing up.
"My angel...that boy from before...Daisuke...he did this?" she asked.
"Mhmm...we just won a big case, sent his father to jail for committing some crimes, he was left with four billion yen, and he donated it all...said he wanted to give 300 million to you."
"Oh my god...this is...I just..." she couldn't even speak from how unbelievable the story was.
"I couldn't believe it either...he's been through so much already. He could have easily spent that money for himself, but he wanted you to have a big share of it. So enjoy it, you deserve it after what's happened to you. And if you want to formally divorce your husband, I'll take your case Pro-Bono. I am the Ultimate Lawyer, after all." she said, giving her a wink.
"Wait...will you tell Daisuke I said thank you?" she asked.
"Of course, but I'm sure he already knows...he sends his regards to you and your children, and he hopes they are doing well." she said.
"They are...tell him that they're doing wonderfully." she said.
"I will, good afternoon Ms. Hyoudo." she said, walking off. Rinka smiled warmly, looking up at the sky, a hand on her wildly beating heart.
"You really aren't an angel, aren't you?"
Daisuke suddenly stopped walking, glancing over his shoulder. There were a bunch of people walking around him, as he was heading through the halls of Hope's Peak Academy. He thought he had heard something, but ended up shaking his head. He sighed, continuing to walk toward his classroom, not knowing that adventures his friends would lead him to.