Danganronpa Revival Chapter 2, Class Trial, part 3, a dangan ronpa kibou no gakuen to zetsubou no koukousei fanfic

"Let me make sure I have this right," says Shingo. "Only three people—Jeff, Rin, and Jun—outperformed Akiko in the weightlifting contest. You believe the culprit must not be one of these people?"

"Exactly," I confirm. "Also, we don't know Emi's strength—but I don't think it's her, either. I think the killer is someone who we know to be weaker than Akiko!"

"But—huh?" Tsubasa says, scratching his head. "I'm getting kinda dizzy, here. Aren't those the only four people who could've swung the dumbbell?"

"That's right," Jeff says, looking down at his hands with troubled eyes. "I'm sorry, Koi, but I… just don't see how anyone other than Jun could be the killer. Is there really… someone we can trust even less than him?"

"No way!" says Yuna. "It was Jun, for sure!"

"Like, totally," says Rin. "I, like. Don't know where you're going with this? But, like. I am not into it."

"Listen everyone," I say. "For a while now, we've been discussing the details of the theft. It's time to discuss the details of the murder itself."

"The murder itself?" Shingo repeats, looking contemplative. "I must admit, I didn't get much of a chance to inspect the crime scene. I was too busy with other things. The gist of it—from what I can tell—is that Akiko seems to have been weakened before she was drowned."

"That… that seems right," Kenji says. "She must've been weakened with the dumbbell… and maybe with the ninja stars, too, somehow."

"I agree," says Jeff. "That has to be how Jun did it."

"No," I say. "I think we're being deceived. I think several aspects of the crime scene were set up intentionally to mislead us. If we talk more about how the murder was committed, I think everyone will understand why Jun can't be the—"

"FORE!" Rin bellows.

"F-four?" I stammer, completely taken by surprise. "Four of what?"

"Um, I said fore. As in, like. Get out of the way? Because I'm about to hit some facts in your direction."

"…What?"

"I, like. Know I said that I'd support you, or whatever? But I can't, like. Support this. Jun is totally guilty. And I can't let you, like. Talk us out of voting for him."

"…Huh?"

What's going on? Rin's random interjection… her fast, aggressive words… is… is this a Rebuttal Showdown? Should I be slicing her statements apart? I guess I'll do that in my head while Rin continues her verbal assault.

"It's, like, so obvious that Jun is the killer." (Cut, cut…) "I mean, like. Just look at him? Plus, like. All the evidence, or whatever." (…Cut, cut, cut, cut…) "Jun totally hit Akiko with that dumbbell." (…Cut, cut, cut…) "Which would've, like. Knocked her out cold?" (…Cut, cut, cut…) "Then that asshole fucking dumped her in the pool to drown!" (…Cut, cut, cut…) "Jun is, like. The only one who could've done it." (…Cut, cut, cut… ADVANCE.)

"Rin," I say, "if you think Jun hit Akiko with the dumbbell, then tell me the exact circumstances under which that happened."

"It went down in the weight room. Duh." (…Cut, cut, cut…) "Akiko was probably, like. Doing reps, or something." (…Cut, cut, cut…) "Then Jun took the dumbbell, and, like. Bashed her fucking head in." (…Cut, cut, cut…) "That's why blood was splattered all over the place!"

TRUTH BLADE: DRIPS OF BLOOD

"I'll cut through those words!" I shout. "Rin, there are a few things wrong with what you just said. For one thing, the blood didn't splatter. It dripped. Remember the blood-splattered bedsheet from the last trial? It had these tiny little dots, plus some splotchy streaks. But the bloodstains in the weight room are larger, more isolated dots.

"And it's not 'all over the place.' There's just a small section of the floor where blood dripped. It's all very close to the dumbbell itself. But… interestingly… there's no blood underneath the dumbbell's plates!"

Rin gives me a strange look. "Okay," she says. "So, like. What does that mean?"

"Think about it. If Jun had hit Akiko—if everything happened like you said—then blood would have splattered all over the place. But I don't think that's what happened at all!"

"But… the blood…" Jeff says. "That's… Akiko's blood, right?"

"I think so. But there's something I think we've gotten backwards. The killer didn't hit Akiko's head with the dumbbell. No… the killer hit the dumbbell with Akiko's head!"

I hear gasps and murmurs around me.

"Think about it," I repeat. "That's why there's no blood under the dumbbell's plates—because the dumbbell was on the floor the entire time!"

"I'm sorry, Koi," says Naomi, "but that seems like quite a stretch. How would the killer have even done this? Are you suggesting that it happened while Akiko was unconscious?"

"Nay, that is false!" Takeru shouts.

"Hey—that's Koi's line!" says Yuna.

"…Sort of," I mutter.

"Hahaha!" Takeru laughs, arms crossed. "Finally, I have found an opening! No longer must I hide my power! Now, having built up my chakra, I shall dispel the illusion jutsu which the assassin has cast upon us—and reveal the true nature of this assassination!" He assumes a fighting stance. "Heed my words! Akiko Narumi suffered no wounds! All damage was done to her former vessel after her spirit had departed from this world!"

"Um…" Jeff says, scratching his head.

"I see," says Shingo. "He's saying that Akiko's wounds are all post-mortem, not pre-mortem. That is—they occurred after death, not before."

"…Thanks for the translation, dude," Tsubasa mutters.

"It is as Koi stated," Takeru continues. "The blood in the training chamber fell to Earth in sluggish, lonely drips. This was not vital, aggressive blood obeying its heart's commands. This was the tragic blood of an empty vessel, allowing gravity to usurp its former master. Furthermore, there are no other signs of bloodshed. Akiko's wounds—were they inflicted on a being with a beating heart—ought to have expelled large quantities of blood.

"I was also intrigued by the apparent lack of bruising on our fallen comrade's corpse. Bruising, too, is the result of loyal blood being driven forth by a beating heart. Thus, slain vessels do not bruise when struck.

"Now, let the veil of illusion fall asunder! A corpse's head was struck against the weight! A corpse's arms were pierced by the shuriken! That is the truth behind the veil!"

"Um, okay," says Rin. "And why do you know so much about, like. Corpses, and shit?"

"These are things a shinobi must know," Takeru says, crossing his arms. "For it is our duty not to turn away from the uglier truths of this world."

"Oh, I get it," says Yuna. "Takeru—you're a true crime fan, aren't you?"

Takeru looks away. "Indeed," he mutters, "I have studied the darkest acts of this world's most heinous villains."

"Same!"

"So… do you all understand now?" I ask. "The killer wanted us to believe that the dumbbell had been swung. In other words—they wanted us to believe that they're strong enough to swing that dumbbell. Which means that the killer isn't that strong!"

"Regarding the two shuriken," says Takeru, "I believe this was a ploy to frame Rin—for her hair appeared atop the very seat where these shuriken were hidden. The assassin most likely noticed this hair, and used it in their scheme."

"Also," says Kenji, "if they killer knew that Jun was also a thief… then… they might've known that the stolen ninja stars would point to him, too."

"And… maybe also Jeff," I say, thinking. "If the killer saw him enter or leave Hiroto's office."

"Takeru gets roped in, too," says Jun. "Since they're his ninja stars." He shrugs. "'Course, hard to say how much of it was intentional. But you see how this killer operates, now. Throw shit against the wall. See what sticks. Hope for the best." He grins. "It's amateurish. Scatterbrained. Let me tell you. If I'd killed her, I'd have gone about things a whole lot smarter."

"What a horrible thing to say!" Yuna scolds. "Tell him off, Emi!"

"I agree with Jun," says Emi. "In truth, this is why I have difficulty picturing Jun as the culprit. This killer reeks of insecurity. Their actions indicate that they were driven by anxiety to create as many false leads as possible. This behavior does not fit the profile of an intelligent, experienced criminal such as Jun."

"H-hey!" Yuna says, surprised. "Why are you agreeing with him!?"

"Yuna," Emi says patiently, "if you have nothing to say, perhaps it is best to simply let others speak."

"She's a pain in the ass, right?" says Jun.

"I believe she means well. However, she can be quite a handful."

"What the heck!?" Yuna laments, clutching her head in both hands. "They're being all chummy now!"

"Wow," says Tsubasa. "Congrats, Yuna. Your annoyingness is the one thing that can unite Jun and Emi."

"I don't want them to unite like this!"

"Koi… you're wrong," says Jeff, his forehead straining with mental effort.

"I'm… wrong?" I reply. "About what?"

"Just because no one swung the dumbbell, that doesn't mean Jun isn't the killer. It could be a fake 'trick.' Maybe Jun expected you to figure out this 'trick' all along."

"Wait," says Tsubasa. "In that case… the killer doesn't want us to believe they're strong… but they want us to believe that they want us to believe that they're strong?"

"A double bluff," Kenji mutters.

"It's… possible," Shingo says, brow furrowed.

"It's more than possible," says Jeff. "It's exactly the kind of super-smart trick that Jun would come up with."

"No," says Shingo. "I have a hard time believing that. It would be a strange plan. There'd be many unnecessary risks. It's possible, but…" He puts a palm to his forehead, looking anguished. "Dammit. I hate to admit it, but… my certainty has fallen to just 70%."

"Hmm," says Momoka. "That's still… pretty high…"

"It's not nearly high enough. If we get this wrong, all of us will die."

Momoka, I now notice, hasn't been speaking much lately. I look at her—and realize why. She looks… exhausted. Miserable. Droopy eyes. A sad frown. Unsteady posture. Like she's trapped in a nightmare, waiting for it to end. Well, I can't say I'm surprised. Momoka was already in a bad place before Akiko's murder. There's only so much she can take.

My eyes shift to Mizuki—our Captain in distress. The distress is still there, for sure. Now, though, she's… staring at Akiko's crossed-out picture. Which is… progress? At least she's acknowledging the outside world. Sort of. She still looks catatonic, though, regardless of where her eyes happen to be pointing.

"So," says Tsubasa, "uh, even if there's 30% doubt… Jun is still the main suspect, right?"

"No," I say, my focus returning. "It wasn't a double bluff. I'm sure of it."

"But why are you so sure?" asks Yuna.

For some reason, I have trouble replying to this.

"I, like. Totally believe you?" Rin tells me. "Because I, like. Feel fucking stupid and embarrassed for not supporting you earlier. So I'm, like. Going to stick with you from now on? But, like. You need to persuade everyone else, though."

"Okay," I say. "To prove why Jun isn't the culprit… we need to talk about the circumstances of Akiko's death."

"Go on," says Shingo.

"Well… Akiko drowned… and she was wearing a bathing suit… so… the thing about that is… the thing that, um… that proves the point I'm, um, trying to make…"

Everyone's staring at me. My face starts to burn.

"S-sorry," I say, trying to smile through my embarrassment. "I'm not really good at this logical argument stuff. I'm pretty sure there's a good reason, but… when I try to think about it… all the facts sort of swirl around in my head, and blend together. It's a little overwhelming."

"Take your time, Koi," says Emi. "Consider each fact individually. Begin with the most basic known facts; from there, allow your mind to form new connections."

Consider each fact… starting with the basics…

I close my eyes.

I need to think hard about this. I need to figure out the truth.

And maybe I'll do some mental snowboarding, while I'm at it.

-LOGIC DIVE-

Question 1: Where have traces of Akiko's body been found?

A) The pool
B) The hot tub
C) Both the pool and the hot tub

…

Answer: C) Both the pool and the hot tub

…

Question 2: When using the pool and hot tub, which order did Akiko prefer?

A) Pool, then hot tub
B) Hot tub, then pool
C) She had no preference

…

Answer: A) Pool, then hot tub

…

Question 3: Did Akiko prefer to use the hot tub alone, or with others?

A) Alone
B) With others
C) She had no preference

…

Answer: B) With others

…

Question 4: Where did Akiko die?

A) In the pool
B) In the hot tub
C) In the weight room

…

Answer: B) In the hot tub

"It's all coming together!" I shout, opening my eyes, feeling a new energy flow through me. "Listen, everyone. Akiko's body was found in the pool—but that doesn't mean died in the pool!"

"Yeah," says Tsubasa, "I always found it hard to believe. I mean, when it comes to swimming, Akiko was more dolphin than girl. How the hell did someone get the better of her in her natural habitat?"

"It is hard to believe," Jeff agrees. "But… is there any other choice?"

"There's none!" Yuna declares. "Akiko drowned, remember? That could only have happened in the pool!"

TRUTH BULLET: HAIR BY HOT TUB

"No, that's wrong!" I shout. "There's another place she could've drowned: in the hot tub. And there's proof that Akiko was in the hot tub last night—proof that the killer overlooked! The area by the hot tub is mostly clean. There's only one sign that anyone's been there recently. And that sign is on the rim of the hot tub—a short, white hair. Akiko's hair!"

"Um," says Kenji, "just to make sure… this hair… couldn't have come from a while ago, could it?"

"That's doubtful," Shingo says, frowning. "I would've noticed it during one of my rounds. Also, Akiko liked to keep the pool room clean. It was… her favorite room in the school, by far."

"But, Koi," Naomi says, "even if Akiko did use the hot tub last night, she might still have gone for a swim in the pool afterward."

"No—I don't think so," I reply. "I remember something she said during the pool party…"

"Hey—wait a moment, Jeff!" Akiko shouts. "Where do you think you're going?"

Jeff stops. He'd been climbing the stairs that lead to the hot tub.

"Oh—I'll join you in the pool later," Jeff says, smiling. "I feel like taking a dip in the hot tub first."

"That's totally backwards!" Akiko snaps. "You can't go in the hot tub before the pool! You have to use the pool first, and then the hot tub, like God intended!"

"I—I didn't realize this was a religious thing!" Jeff replies, looking concerned.

Shingo—standing nearby—cocks his eyebrow. "Which god are you referring to, exactly?"

"It doesn't matter which one!" says Akiko. "Using the hot tub before the pool is against every religion!"

"Akiko may or may not have gone swimming in the pool," I continue. "But if she did, she wouldn't have done it after using the hot tub. She was very strict about this!

"In other words, the hot tub was probably the very last place Akiko went last night… and… the last place she would ever go.

"Now, ask yourself this: why would the killer try to hide it? Why would they dump Akiko's body in the pool? The fact that Akiko died in the hot tub has to be an important detail in this case—it must contain a clue about the killer's identity. And I think I've figured it out.

"I was actually there when Akiko first saw the hot tub. She was really excited, and wanted to test it out immediately. She said…"

"We have to try it!" says Akiko. "To… to make sure it's safe! C'mon, Naomi!"

"No, thank you," says Naomi. "I was just thinking—it's about time I headed back to the Captain and Quartermaster. They might need my assistance."

"But Naooooomiiii," Akiko says, pouting. "The hot tub could be daaannngerouuus. Help me teeesssst it. Pleeeeaase?"

"You can test it on your own, if you'd like."

"No way!" Akiko snaps. "Being in a hot tub alone is, like, the most depressing thing ever! It's totally pointless!"

"Even then, Akiko didn't want to use the hot tub alone. It's just not something she was interested in doing. If she was in a hot tub, she needed at least one other person to join her.

"Here's what I think. Akiko died in the hot tub—which she'd entered of her own free will. But she didn't enter it alone. There was someone with her. Someone Akiko had chosen to spend time with. Someone who doesn't want us to know it. And that person… is the person who murdered Akiko!"

"Oh—I getcha," Tsubasa says, snapping his fingers. "If Akiko's gonna hang out with someone else at night… there's just about no way it'd be Jun."

"Well…" Kenji says. "It does seem like an unlikely duo, but… isn't 'no way' an exaggeration? If… if Jun invited Akiko to the hot tub last night… for all we know… maybe she would've agreed to it."

TRUTH BULLET: TSUBASA'S ACCOUNT

"That's wrong, Kenji," I say. "I don't think Akiko would ever let herself be alone with Jun at night. And the reason for that is simple—because Jun is stronger than Akiko!

"A few nights ago, Tsubasa and Momoka were hanging out in the laundry room after the 10:00 announcement. Technically, they were violating Point Eight of the Pirate Code: 'going out at night is okay, but stay in groups of three or more.' When the Captain and First Mates caught them, Akiko got angry, and started yelling… at Momoka! She barely scolded Tsubasa at all—even though he was violating Point Eight, too! That's because Tsubasa is a lot stronger than Momoka. So, in Akiko's view, Momoka was the one putting herself in danger.

"Akiko seems to have had her own, personal interpretation of Point Eight. Here's her logic, as I understand it. In groups of three, everyone can keep an eye on each other. Groups of two, though, are less safe—especially if you're the weakest of the pair. The stronger person could overpower and kill you, and there'd be no witnesses… and then we'd all be in danger. That stronger person, though, is a lot safer with a partner than they'd be alone. They have someone looking out for them—someone who can't overpower them in a fight. In Akiko's view… only the weaker one is really doing anything wrong.

"Last night, Akiko violated Point Eight. She went out with one other person—not two other people, like Point Eight requires. There's only one way she would've done that. According to Akiko's personal interpretation of Point Eight, she'd barely be doing anything wrong… as long as she went out with someone weaker than her! There's no way she'd ever go out at night with someone stronger than her! So, the person with her in the hot tub…"

"…Couldn't… have been… Jun," Shingo says through gritted teeth, forcing the words out with tremendous effort.

"Fuck yeah!" Rin cheers. "You tell them, Koi! Fucking ream their asses with facts and logic!"

"Uh, Rin," says Tsubasa, "weren't you on the opposite side of this, like, ten minutes ago?"

Meanwhile, Shingo's clutching his hair, gazing furiously at the floor; he hasn't even adjusted his askew glasses. "Dammit," he mutters. "Where the hell did I go wrong? My Bayesian priors are usually so well-calibrated." Pause. "But I forgot that this is Danganronpa. I've been following the classic rule: 'horses, not zebras.' In Danganronpa, it's always a goddamn zebra. Normal probabilities are misleading in a world of outliers."

"One of your priors is way off," Jun says, grinning. "I told you before. If I was the blackened, you'd all be dead. You'd have nothing to go on." He chuckles. "Do you have any idea how many billions of dollars I've stolen, from how many banks, under how many aliases? I'll give you a hint: I might be directly responsible for at least one country's economic recession. Never once been caught. Never been suspected. Never even been questioned. When the crime's done, I disappear without a trace." His grin turns wolfish; he leans forward, clutching the podium. "You're a smart guy, Shingo. But you didn't know who you were going up against."

"Oh, please," says Naomi. "If you could win as the blackened so easily, Jun, then why haven't you done it yet? I suppose it's because you're such a good person deep down inside?"

Jun frowns. "Like I said. I hate rules. That goes for all this 'blackened' and 'spotless' shit. Those are Monokuma's rules. And I'd rather drink my own piss than play this game the way Monokuma wants me to play it."

"Hey!" says Monokuma. "I'm right here, you know!"

"Really?" Jun says, casually displaying his middle finger. "Huh. Must've forgot."

"What the—how dare you flip off your headmaster!"

"Huh," Jun says, shrugging with one hand, still flipping off Monokuma with the other. "Funniest thing. My hand just does that on its own, sometimes."

"Grrrr… why you…!"

"Jun," Jeff says, "why… why are you talking like this?" His face looks strained. Once again, he seems to be grappling with difficult thoughts. "Even if you're not the culprit… you're still responsible for Akiko's death."

"That so?" says Jun.

"If you hadn't messed with Shingo's… thing… in the trash room camera, it would have recorded footage of the second thief. We would've caught them before they committed murder. Akiko is dead… because you decided to break the rules for absolutely no good reason."

Jun frowns. "Well," he says. "I can't say I agree with that logic. But I don't see any use in arguing. Seems like you've made up your mind."

"How… how could you say that? Don't you feel even a little bit—"

"Jeff, please calm down," I interrupt. "I agree with you. And… I know how you feel. Remember how angry I was at Jun during the last trial? But, still… we can't focus on that right now. We still have to figure out who the culprit is."

"Koi is right," Shingo says, regaining his composure. "I assure you, Jeff—Jun will be dealt with. The Captain and I will make sure of it. That's an issue for after the trial, however."

I glance at Mizuki again. She's no longer staring at Akiko's portrait; she's back to gazing into the abyss of her own mind. I feel like I'm looking at a porcelain doll.

"For now," Shingo continues, "let's focus on the task at hand." He adjusts his glasses, smooths over his hair, and stands up straight. Already, he's snapped back to his normal, confident self. "Akiko was in the hot tub with someone—someone weaker than her."

"However," Takeru says, "this raises a new question—one whose answer may lie beyond even my own shinobi training. Recall that Akiko suffered no visible wounds prior to her demise. How, then, was such a powerful warrior felled by one who was her inferior in strength? The assassin must have used a secret, forbidden jutsu—one which drained our comrade's internal chakra, while leaving no external trace."

"Yo, Shingo!" Tsubasa calls out. "Translation, please."

"I see," says Shingo. "The killer couldn't overpower Akiko normally. They must've weakened her, somehow—but without wounding her body, since her wounds are post-mortem."

"Ah—I think get it," Tsubasa says. "So, that means Akiko was, like… poisoned, or something? Like… maybe the killer laced her food?" He touches his hair. "Nah, never mind—that's stupid. I mean, it's not like Akiko was eating anything in the hot tub."

TRUTH BULLET: CHOCOLATE ALMOND BITE

"I disagree," I say. "I think Akiko did eat something. At least, someone took a bite of it. A suspicious dessert was found on the second floor—in the trash can of the boys' bathroom. That dessert… is a partly-eaten chocolate almond bite!"

"W-wait a moment!" Yuna stammers. "Koi, what are you doing? I told you, that's totally irrelevant!"

"I'm sorry, Yuna—but I don't think we can ignore it anymore."

"This confection," Takeru says, "sounds similar to those which Yuna and I brewed three nights ago."

"Apparently, it's one of those. Someone must've pretended to eat theirs, and secretly stowed it away. Now it's half-eaten… and when Yuna inspected it, she found something interesting. Tsubasa's right—it is laced."

"Stop it, Koi!" Yuna pleads. "I—I'll give her a private talking-to later! You don't need to humiliate her in front of everyone like this!"

"Let Koi speak, Yuna," Shingo demands. "This might be crucial evidence."

"Totally," Rin adds. "We should all listen to Koi. Because she's, like. Really smart? And awesome? And also, like. Amazing? And beautiful?"

"Th…thanks, Rin," I say, blushing a bit. "Um… anyway… the chocolate almond bite—Yuna found crushed sleeping pills inside. They're the same type of pills that Momoka got as a present."

"Okay, fine!" Yuna snaps, pouting. "Now everyone knows. Momoka's been taking pills without a prescription. She did a bad thing. Okay? So let's get back to the murder, already!"

"Hmm?" Momoka says, tilting her head. "There were…sleeping pills…?"

Briefly, her eyes seem to widen. But it's barely noticeable. Almost immediately, her eyes droop, and her body droops, and she looks sad again—maybe even worse than before. Like there's more and more weight being added on top of her, and she's slowly being crushed.

"Momoka," I say, "please, be honest with us. When I showed you the chocolate almond bite earlier, you looked really surprised and upset. What… what triggered that response?"

"Hmm," Momoka mutters. "I told you… I don't know… anything about that…"

"Interesting," says Shingo. "You're still going to deny it, then?"

"Of course she is!" Yuna shouts. "Because she's embarrassed! She's depressed, and ashamed, and you're talking about her stupid decisions at a murder trial in front of everyone! There's no way you'll get a straight answer out of her! This is exactly why I was against bringing it up in the first place!"

"Y'know," Tsubasa says, "come to think of it, Momoka's been kinda mum for a while."

"Suspiciously so, I might add," Naomi says, brow furrowed.

We're all looking at Momoka. I feel her shrink under our collective gaze.

"I don't… like this…" Momoka mutters, her face drooping further. "I liked it better… when we were talking about… making out, and stuff…"

"Momoka, please," I say as softly and nonjudgmentally as possible. "Please, just… talk to us, a little."

"I don't… know what to say… I just want this… to be over…"

"Do you see the problem, here?" Yuna snaps. "Just… look at her! She was already feeling super mega ultra terrible—and then her friend was murdered, and the killer is someone she knows, and she has to be part of this awful horrible class trial where we all suspect each other! And now you're making her feel even worse! Do you have any idea how unhealthy this much stress is? If you make her feel any more stress, she'll… she'll have a heart attack, and die!"

"That's a real non-stressful thing to say, Yuna," Tsubasa quietly snarks.

"Yuna, I—I know that!" I snap back. "I know how horrible this is! When I woke up next to Hiroto's dead body—and then everyone started blaming me for it—you have no idea how that felt! I just wanted to give up on everything! But even then… even then, I didn't hide anything! I didn't keep secrets! It's obvious that Momoka isn't telling us the whole truth. So please, Momoka… listen to me!" I point at her. "I believe in you! I believe you're innocent! I promise to take your side! So please… please tell us what you know!"

This has no effect on Momoka whatsoever.

"Hmm," she mumbles. "I don't… know anything…"

"Maybe she's telling the truth?" Jeff suggests. "You mentioned those pills she got as a present, but… didn't those get thrown out?"

"We flushed them down the toilet," Naomi confirms. "However—only the pills we accounted for got flushed."

"Exactly," says Shingo. "It's possible that some pills had been secretly taken out of the bottle. This morning, in fact, we found further evidence that this had happened."

TRUTH BULLET: SLEEPING PILLS

"In Momoka's room," I say, "in a tissue box, under the tissues… Shingo and Rin found five sleeping pills."

"Hmm?" Momoka says. "Sleeping pills… in my room…?"

Once again, her eyes seem to flash open for a fraction of a second. It's so quick, I feel like I just imagined it. Then she's immediately droopy again. The invisible weight on top of her seems to be getting heavier and heavier.

"It was a surprisingly clever hiding place," Shingo admits. "Honestly, I'm impressed."

"Momoka," I say, "I know it's embarrassing, but there's no other choice right now. We need to know the whole truth."

There's a silence. Momoka's face is hard to read… but I can tell that there's a lot of pain behind those hazy eyes.

"Hmm," she mutters. "I don't know… what I'm supposed to say…"

"What you're… supposed to say?" Kenji repeats.

"You're supposed to say the truth," Naomi says, scowling.

Another silence.

"Hmm," Momoka mutters. "I don't… know…"

"Seriously?" Rin shoots back. "You're, like. Still denying it?"

"Momoka—" I start.

"STOP IT!" Yuna shrieks. "Stop tormenting her! She's not going to say anything, so please—just move on!" Yuna is really worked up now. She's tense, clutching the podium tightly… and she seems to be fighting back tears. "If she knew anything relevant to the murder, she would've said so! This is totally irrelevant—so just drop it, already!"

"I'm sorry, Yuna," I say, "but that chocolate almond bite is too weird to pass over. Why was it thrown out after one bite? It's almost like someone bit into it… and it tasted worse than they expected. Like they didn't know what was in it. If Akiko took that bite in the hot tub—"

"No way! I told you, that can't be how it happened! It would've only been one or two sleeping pills! There's no way Akiko died from that!"

"Uh, Yuna," Tsubasa says, "aren't you the one who's always 'You'll die!' this and 'You'll die!' that, whenever we, like… stub our toes, or eat a potato chip, or whatever?"

"I'm not an expert," says Jeff, "but if you're in a hot tub, and you take even one sleeping pill… that sounds pretty dangerous!"

"Indeed," says Takeru. "When training young shinobi, it is my duty to ensure their safety. To submerge them in water while sedated would be an unacceptable violation of this duty."

"O-o-o-of course it's dangerous," Yuna stammers. "It's super dangerous! You should never do that—never, ever, ever! But… but… but…" Yuna seems conflicted—like two of her instincts are clashing against each other. "But… I… I really don't see it. As a murder plan, it doesn't make sense. You can't just hope that a few sleeping pills are enough! Not for someone as strong and healthy as Akiko! Even if she started to fall asleep… the shock of drowning would wake her up right away! And then she'd be full of adrenaline, and ready to fight back!"

"You might think that," I say, "but… it's just so weird. Why was it thrown out in the boys' bathroom? Half-eaten, in a plastic bag? And why would someone put crushed sleeping pills in something like that? I find it hard to believe that this isn't related to the crime."

"It is quite suspicious," Emi agrees. "Though, I doubt that Momoka is the culprit."

"I doubt it, too," says Jeff. "Momoka would never… you know…!"

"She lacks the heart of a killer," Takeru concurs.

"Yeah," says Tsubasa, "I mean, to be honest… I just think she lacks the energy."

"There you have it, Momoka," Shingo says. "We're not accusing you. We just want to clear this up. The sooner you tell us the truth, the sooner we can move on."

Silence. Momoka doesn't talk, or move, or look at any of us.

"Ah, crap," Tsubasa whispers. "I think we broke her."

"This is ridiculous!" Yuna snaps. "Momoka put something stupid in her dessert—end of story! There's no evidence connecting her to the crime! None!"

TRUTH BULLET: CORNER DESK

"No, that's wrong," I calmly state. "Remember the book that disappeared from Jun's office? A Hacker's Guide to Lockpicking? Today, Shingo and Kenji found it… in classroom 2-A. It was… in the back-left corner desk."

"Hmm?" Momoka says. "The book… was in… that desk?"

Once again, something imperceptible flashes across her hazy eyes for an instant—and then the weight on her grows and grows.

"Yesterday," I continue, "our Manga Club met for the first time. Yuna, Momoka, Naomi and I were the four original members. Kenji and Tsubasa walked in briefly—so did Takeru, who became our fifth member. That whole time, one person was sitting at the back-left corner desk. That person… was Momoka."

No one speaks. People glance around nervously at each other. There's a noticeable shift in the atmosphere.

"I see…" Momoka mumbles, almost inaudibly. "It was… in… that desk… so…"

More silence.

"Momoka—" Naomi begins.

"But—still, though!" Yuna interrupts. "It's… it's probably just a coincidence! Or… or… or someone's trying to frame her! Yes—that's it, for sure!"

"If that's the case," Shingo says, "then we need Momoka to give us a detailed account of her time in that classroom. Actually, we need her testimony regardless of who the culprit is."

"Please, Momoka," I say. "Try to remember if you saw anything."

It's hard to describe the look on Momoka's face. It's like her soul is just barely attached to her body. Like she could turn into a ghost at any moment. She doesn't look eager to talk.

And… yeah, as expected, she doesn't say anything.

There are more anxious glances.

"Explain yourself, Momoka!" Naomi demands.

"Momoka…?" Jeff whispers.

Another silence follows—the longest one yet. There's a subtle change in Momoka's demeanor. Her hazy eyes grow hazier. More distant. A quiet resignation sets in. Like the weight has become too much. Like she's accepted that it'll crush her.

Then, finally, Momoka speaks.

"If… someone confesses… to being the killer… then… everything will end… right? If there's a confession… then… we won't… have to do this anymore… right?"

"I suppose that's true," Naomi replies. "Once the killer confesses, this trial will be all but over."

There's a brief silence.

Then Momoka speaks again.

"Then, I guess… I should confess… that I'm the killer."