Never Say Never
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa or the characters associated with it.
Chapter 3
Act 22
"H-Hey! Be careful, will ya?!" Hiro groaned as Mondo roughly tore the top half of the robot suit off him, completely freeing the clairvoyant from the cumbersome cosplay. With a relieved grunt, Hiro sat on the floor and scowled up at Junko. "What took you so long?! It felt like I was stuck in there for days!"
At the far end of the pool, next to the now opened locker, stood the newly freed Hiro. Surrounding him were Mondo, who'd helped remove the suit. Junko, who was currently glaring at the clairvoyant for his comment. And finally, standing behind her were the figures of Byakuya and Toko, with the latter nervously fidgeting near the pool's edge.
"We were gone like five minutes…" Junko corrected him, folding her arms over her chest. "I told you that Kyoko and I would come back with reinforcements and we did! You should be thanking me, not complaining!"
"That's right!" Mondo abruptly joined in, looking more frustrated than he should have been. "The only reason we found you is because of Junko here! Show her a bit more respect!"
After the verbal tongue lashing, Hiro shuddered but seemed to calm down enough to say, "Yeah…that's true. My bad."
"I'm more concerned about how you got into the suit rather than how long it took to get you out," the cold voice of Byakuya pierced the pool's echoing atmosphere. "Do you really not remember putting it on? Or are you simply putting on an act for us?"
"What?! You think I shoved myself into that freaky robot suit?!" Hiro retorted leaping to his feet with renewed enthusiasm.
"You claim to have no memory of putting it on, nor do you have any evidence that this supposed 'attack' in the rec room took place, including the note used to call you there," the Affluent Progeny continued, as if not even hearing the clairvoyant. "Quite suspicious…and considering you've been 'missing' all morning, that makes you a more likely suspect—".
"I'm telling you! It's all true! Now will someone please tell me why we're having another class trial?!" the clairvoyant shouted, frustrated but nervous at the same time.
"M-M-Master was g-getting to that, you oaf!" Toko abruptly spoke up, making her presence known for the first time since they'd arrived. "H-How dare you in-interrupt, Master Byakuya! We should h-have just left y-you in—!"
"When I want your opinion, I'll tell it to you," the Togami Heir quickly snapped, silencing the flustered writer, and making her stare down at the floor, a lewd expression overtaking her features. Scowling at the fact that his reprimand only increased her infatuation, Byakuya decided to ignore her and turned back to Hiro. "I don't have time to waste briefing you on every minor detail. Perhaps you should make yourself useful and find that note you claim instructed you to meet in the rec room so late at night."
Seeing that he wasn't going to provide even a modicum of information related to the trial, Junko stepped up and said, "All you need to know is that something happened between Hifumi and Celeste in the art supply room, and we need to investigate it."
Instantly, Hiro's face became hot and his mouth hung open as he stammered, "Y-You mean…they were 'going at it' in the art supply room?! And Monokuma wants to punish them for it?!"
As Hiro stupidly misinterpreted the situation, Junko's own face flushed as she obviously realized she should have worded her explanation better. However, before she could correct herself, Mondo openly scoffed, "Yeah, but's its fucking obvious what happened! I saw it with my own eyes!"
"R-Really?!" the clairvoyant shouted, unable to contain his shock.
"Damn straight!" the biker continued before anyone could stop him. "I busted down the door and saw Hifumi about to pound Celeste into the floor! Doesn't get much clearer than that!"
At that moment, Junko, Byakuya and Toko realized that Mondo hadn't quite understood what Hiro had meant by 'going at it'. And it was only going to get worse…
"I saw that and kinda lost it," the biker continued, hanging his head in what could have interpreted as bashful, "I couldn't stand to just watch, so I—".
"W-Wait! So Hifumi was going after Celeste?!" Hiro yelled in surprise before briefly pondering. "I-I mean, I guess that makes sense, but I never figured he'd be so aggressive!"
Mondo shook with anger but managed to control himself. "Exactly! I couldn't believe my fucking eyes, man. Then again, I've seen some crazy shit before…personal experience an' shit…"
Hiro's eyes bulged, almost out of their sockets, his brain seemingly ready to implode from the terrifying information that he was misinterpreting. All the while, Junko looked on with a horrified expression, trying to find a place to cut in and expose the truth. At the same time, Byakuya seemed to be enjoying the misunderstanding, a cocky smirk accenting his features. Finally, Toko looked between Hiro and Mondo, almost with a hint of confusion, as if she wasn't sure which of them were dumber.
"Anyway," Mondo started up again, hunching his shoulders, getting seriously. "I tackled Hifumi off of Celeste and held him down. I was gonna pound him myself when—".
"Wh-What?! You were gonna...?!" the clairvoyant shouted again, coming to another 'realization'. He took a tiny step back and said, "Dude, I, uh…didn't know you swung that way?"
With more confidence than was necessary, Mondo promptly retorted, "Dude, I'll swing any way I need to ta get the job done!"
A look of abject horror spread over Hiro's face as he paled, completely dumbfounded.
Undeterred by his classmate's expression, Mondo immediately continued, "But anyway, before I could pound Hifumi, Sakura came in and—".
"Sakura joined in too?!" an increasingly frantic Hiro screamed, the mental image in his head scarring him for life.
A spark of anger rose in Mondo as he shouted, "Would ya stop interrupting me?! I'm almost finished—!"
"You didn't finish?!"
As Hiro's horrified shrieking rang out, another sound, one even more terrifying, resounded all around them.
*Ding*Dong*Bing*Bong*
The nearby monitor suddenly roared to life as the image of Monokuma slowly came into view on it.
Well, well, well, I never figured we'd be needing to go through this kind of trial again. But, I'm not the one who breaks the rule! That's all on you, guys!
Anyway, let's get this class trial of mutual bullying underway! Please go through the red door on the first floor of the school!
As the monitor returned to its usual blackened screen, the five students all felt themselves tense…but not for the same reasons.
"Dude! Do we seriously have to figure all this out at the trial?! It seems like we already know too much about it already!" Hiro practically screamed, desperately trying to bleach his brain after absorbing the info from Mondo.
"It's so fuckin' stupid," the biker concurred, or at least thought he did. "We know Hifumi's the guilty one, but we still have to have this bullshit trial!"
At that, Hiro finally looked confused. "Wait…how is it Hifumi's fault? Didn't they both want to—?"
"You sayin' she wanted it be like that?!" Mondo abruptly cut in, his rage returning. "Are you one of those bastards that think women are easy targets?! Huh?!"
Hiro began to shudder and stammered, "W-W-What?! That's not what I—!"
"Alright, that's enough!" Junko finally found the strength to interrupt, her face almost completely flushed by this point. From frustration or flusterments…not even she was certain. She opened her mouth to continue but found herself cut off.
"We can discuss this fully at the trial," Byakuya told them, earning shocked expressions from everyone. And it only took a moment for Junko's expression to shift angrily. Unfortunately for her, the Togami Heir didn't give her time to interrupt. "For now, I suggest that both of you prepare yourselves. Even if this is an open and shut case, it's still a class trial after all."
His words took a moment to sink in, but eventually both Hiro and Mondo seemed to understand.
"Fine!" the biker grunted.
"R-Right…" the clairvoyant agreed.
With slow, heavy footsteps, the two of them began heading toward the exit on the opposite end of the pool, leaving a furious Junko standing there, glaring daggers at Byakuya.
"You are an evil man," she said plainly, easily seeing through his intentions.
For his part, the Togami Heir merely scoffed, seemingly amused. "It will bring at least a modicum of entertainment to the trial…especially considering it's such a simple case."
He turned and began toward the exit, Toko nipping at his heels while sending a chilling glared back toward Junko as she followed her prince. Left alone near the locker, Junko took a moment and rolled over the robot suit that Hiro had been confined to. Her eyes widened as she noticed a small clasp in the back, a feature that Mondo had innocently neglected to mention when removing the suit from Hiro's person.
"A simple case, huh?" she muttered, standing upright, and shifting her gaze between the locker and the robot costume. "I wonder…"
"No concrete evidence pointing to either party. Only circumstantial findings and opposing testimonies…"
Kyoko stood in front of the red door leading to the trial room. Most of the other students had already arrived. Leon, Sayaka, and Chihiro stood together on one side of the room. Being the closest to the red door when it went off, it made sense they were already there. Chihiro was having trouble with balance but managed to hold herself up, while the baseball star and pop sensation stood on either side, just in case.
Sakura was still guarding Hifumi, and had been there when she'd arrived with Makoto and Taka. Not that she wasn't expecting that, considering the martial artist wasn't one to go back on her word. At the same time, Hifumi fidgeted nervously, but not in the way she'd expected. Criminals often try to disguise their nerves before being convicted…but Hifumi showed a worry that seemed aimed at everyone else. That worried Kyoko, as she waited for everyone else to arrive.
Junko, Byakuya, Toko, and Mondo had gone to get Hiro, but hadn't arrived yet. The same went for Celeste and Hina, who were supposed to be visiting the gambler's room to clean her up after her 'ordeal'. Despite evidence to the contrary, the amnesiac girl couldn't completely write off Celeste as a suspect. The gambler had been acting out recently, but Kyoko wasn't sure if anyone else had noticed. Well, maybe Junko had…but she couldn't be absolutely sure of that.
For the moment, all she could do was wait, so she decided to at least be semi-productive and run through all she knew so far.
Kyoko's eyes closed as she concentrated on her minimal findings. She examined the equipment room and found a small, mostly dried blood stain on the back of the door, much to Makoto and Taka's surprise and horror. Taka insisted that it wasn't there when he'd arrived, but admitted that he hadn't checked it upon arrival…meaning he didn't have any clue when it occurred who whose blood it belonged to. After that, the Disciplinary Chairman recalled his encounter with Mondo, but she would need to speak with the biker in question in order to be absolutely sure if that testimony was accurate.
Unfortunately, after that, the school bell rang, signifying the end of the investigation, leaving her with only a scrap of evidence and a lot of unanswered questions.
"Something's missing…" Kyoko couldn't help but think, slowly opening her lavender eyes. "Even with Makoto's information, we still can't be sure who attacked whom in the art supply room. Both of them are suspicious, but for different reasons. And then there's the matter of Junko…or should I say—".
"Hey, Kyoko?"
A concerned voice next to her snapped her out of her thoughts, turning her head to glance at Makoto. She hadn't realized he was standing next to her, something she mentally reprimanded herself for, before calmly answering him.
"What is it?"
He paused for a moment, a bit uncertain but still brave enough to ask, "Where were you and Junko this morning?"
Even though she didn't show it, Kyoko felt herself tense. "Investigating," she said plainly, as if answering a simple question. She hoped that would be enough to satisfy him, but deep down she knew it wouldn't.
And just as she predicted, he nervously asked, "But…where? Taka and I looked all over but…we couldn't find you…"
Kyoko felt something inside her sink as he questioned her, an almost guilty feeling, even though she wasn't lying to him. It was obvious that Makoto was simply worried about the two of them, but he was asking a very delicate question, and he must have sensed that it was a more difficult question than he'd realized. At the same time, the amnesiac girl couldn't keep herself from feeling a bit warm inside. The fact that he actually cared about their well-being, even in this kind of situation, was admirable, to say the least. He wasn't accusing either of them of being involved…he just wanted to make sure they were alright. It was…very Makoto-like.
Almost unintentionally, the tiniest of smiles graced her lips. A reassuring smile, one that she hadn't expected to use, but came out anyway.
"Once the trial starts, we'll clear up any confusion about where the two of us were," she told him, her voice firm but gentle. "I promise."
Kyoko suppressed her own shock as she spoke. She hadn't meant to add that last bit. 'I promise', was not something she said often and certainly not the kind of thing she'd normally say. At the same time, she'd said it, and it bound her to that promise. After all, Kyoko Kirigiri was a lot of things, but she never made a promise she didn't intend to keep. And that also meant…she needed to keep her promise to 'Junko' too…
"Okay, thanks," Makoto said, shocking her out of her thoughts as he nodded to her. "I trust you…and Junko. I'll wait for the trial and we'll get this whole thing figured out together!"
At that, he gave one of his trademark smiles, the kind Kyoko never imagined could affect her. Strangely though, she could feel a kind of strength coming from him, one that had been growing ever since their first class trial. Makoto wasn't the fragile little child she'd initially thought him to be. He was maturing…maturing into a man…a man that she—
"Well now, it looks like a few students are running late!"
Tension suddenly gripped the room as Monokuma slunk in from some unknown corner, glancing around the room with his contrasting eyes. It seemed to be doing an internal head count, and sighed deeply upon finishing.
"So many tardy students," the bear said almost gleefully. "Don't you think they need to be punished, Mr. Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru?"
Upon hearing his name, or rather his title, Taka stood at attention. However, something seemed off. Kyoko noticed that he'd been rather quiet in the last few minutes, something decidedly uncharacteristic about him, especially lately. Not only that, she could have sworn she'd seen the stark white of his hair flicker black from time to time…perhaps he was internally conflicted?
Whatever the case, his hair was pure white again as he announced, "Tardy students need to be disciplined, that I agree with! I will go and search for them myself—".
Just as he said that, the red doors swung open slowly, revealing all of the missing students. One by one, they filed in.
Byakuya scoffed at everyone, as usual, and walked directly in front of the elevator leading to the trial ground, as if eager for it to open. Like a shadow, Toko slunk behind him, her gaze fixated on him the entire time. Mondo immediately went to Chihiro's side, thanking Leon and Sayaka for watching over her while he was away. Hiro glanced at Hifumi, and then to Sakura before twisting his face, turning away and looking kind of sick. Behind him, Celeste and Hina came in together, each of them angrily glaring at Hifumi for a moment before standing on the opposite side of the room, as far away from the fanfic creator as possible. Finally, Junko came in last and moved to stand next to Kyoko and Makoto, nodding firmly to the amnesiac girl, who nodded in kind.
Kyoko wanted to ask the Fashionista what she'd found but knew this wasn't the time for questions, especially when Monokuma began shouting.
"Aww, now don't that just beat all!" the bear said, slightly amused but slightly annoyed. "Just as I get ready to give Mr. Chairman here the power to punish the tardy students, they show up! Talk about coincidences, huh?"
Instantly, something about the bear's words echoed in Kyoko's mind. He spoke of coincidences, a factor that was largely related in this case. After all, there were far too many coincidences surrounding Celeste and Hifumi's incident that hadn't come to light yet. Such as how Celeste always saw something that no one else claimed to have seen…which always led them to discovering Hifumi.
At the same time, she noticed a few angry glares were focused on Taka, who didn't seem to register them as he replied, "I would never punish a student for simple tardiness! After all, detention is not a punishment! It is a time to reflect on past wrong in order to right one's behavior!"
"Textbook definition of punishment…" Leon muttered, only to be elbowed by Sayaka.
Luckily, neither Monokuma nor Taka acknowledged this comment. Instead, the half and half bear laughed heartily and said, "Alright then! Let's get things rolling!"
As it spoke, the doors to the elevator opened, showing them the path they needed to take.
"Step inside and confront your destinies!" Monokuma roared before disappearing once again, leaving the students alone.
"As if we really need a trial," Mondo openly complained glaring furiously at Hifumi. "Unlike the last few times, we already know what happened! I'm not going to let you get away with what you've done!"
Hifumi flinched and tried to speak up but his voice died in his throat. In his place, seemingly from out of nowhere, Junko spoke up, "We'll know the truth soon enough."
"We already know the truth!" Hina protested, narrowing her gaze at the Fashionista. "Celeste is obviously the victim! I was there, and I know what I saw—!"
"Perhaps we should save this discussion for the trial itself?" Byakuya interrupted, already heading into the elevator. Turning back to face everyone, he sneered, "Stop wasting time and get in. Some of us would prefer not to spend the entire day listening to the ramblings of plebeians."
"Th-That's right!" Toko immediately concurred, practically dashing into the elevator, and standing behind Byakuya. She glared at everyone else and shouted, "C-Come on! You heard Master! L-Let's just g-get this over with!"
Everyone, including Byakuya, groaned at her demand, but slowly, everyone started shuffling into the elevator. Once everyone was in, the doors closed, and a buzzing noise echoed as the metal case began to descend into the depths.
Kyoko stood next to Makoto and Junko, and eyed them closely. Both of them held concerned expressions. Makoto's was obvious, his worry for everyone's safety apparent. And for the first time since they'd met, Kyoko could see beneath Junko's hardened visage.
"If everything she told me is true…" she quietly thought to herself before hardening her features. "…The class trials will only get more difficult from here on out."
As the metal cage descended into the bottomless darkness, Celeste ran through her story one last time.
"Hifumi was the one who attacked me in the rec room. He pretended to be grappling with Hiro in order to disguise his intentions. He hid the number 3 hammer in the nurse's office when I left to find Hina. Finally, he lured me into the art supply room to—".
In the middle of her thoughts, something warm grabbed her hand that hung loosely at her side. Startled, she snapped her head over and was shocked to see Hina clasping her tanned hands over her own pale palms. The warmth was unexpected, as was the strange feeling that bubbled up from deep within. She lifted her gaze up to see Hina staring directly into her eyes.
The swimmer leaned closer and whispered, "Don't you worry. I'm on your side. I won't let anyone call you a liar."
Somewhere, deep inside, Celeste felt something break. She wasn't sure what it was, but something inside her soul definitely shattered. However, she pushed that feeling away, kept it buried deep down where no one, not even she herself, could find it. After all, it was far too late to turn back now…
Celeste gave Hina's hands a little squeeze, keeping up her act and pretending to let the swimmer's confidence influence her. At the same time, the swimmer smiled brightly, like always, and held onto her friend's hands firmly.
As Hina turned her face away, Celeste was all but certain that her plan was going to succeed. With Hina's unwavering determination, and the lack of physical evidence, her escape was practically guaranteed…along with the execution that would befall Hina and the rest of her classmates.
Hina's faith in her was like signing her own death warrant…and it was Celeste who had handed her pen. No…it wasn't Hina's fault. It was her own. She was responsible for manipulating such a trusting girl—No, that wasn't right either! It was Hina's own fault for being so easily manipulated! Hina should have been more suspicious of her from the start! She should have known that Celeste was only going to manipulate and hurt her! She should have known that…she should…have known that…from the very beginning…
"You idiot…" Celeste whispered so silently, not even she could hear it.
For the first time in her life, Celestia Ludenberg wasn't sure if those words were genuine or not.
The trial room looked vastly different from the last time they'd been there. Blue and teal wallpaper, crescent moon cutouts, and ugly gray curtains replaced the once red and orange walls of the room. Was the mastermind changing the room each time for added effect? Or were there multiple floors with different designs to each trial room? Either way, it didn't really matter. Not with Monokuma rattling off the bullying trial rules to the room of nervous and anxious teenagers.
"—then I'll punish everyone besides the attacker! Wouldn't that be great?!"
As Monokuma finished the explanation of the class bullying trial, only a single person seemed confused about the proceeding.
"Uhh, excuse me?" Chihiro nervously asked, holding her hand up like a good student. As everyone turned to her, she flinched and slightly hung her head as she asked, "I…I'm not quite sure what's going on here. Sayaka and Leon told me we need to have a 'bullying' trial but…what exactly is a 'bullying' trial?"
"It's a way for Monokuma to try and execute us without anyone actually dying!" Leon shouted, disgust blanketing his words. "He came up with it after Mondo attacked you to try and get us all killed—".
"Now hold on a second!"
The room shook as Monokuma interrupted the baseball star, it's mechanical face somehow reddening with rage. Leon shrunk back a bit, fighting the intense fear the bear had instilled in him. Even so, he didn't back down, staring accusatorily at the demented teddy bear. Completely undeterred, Monokuma cleared its throat and paused for dramatic effect.
"I can't let a comment like that slide," the bear explained, its voice almost too calm. "I implemented these rule in order to maintain order in the school. Without order, you'd never get your pizza! And everyone would get hungry, and die! From starvation! Oh, and it's also a way to ensure you never forget one tiny…little…factor."
"And that would be?" Byakuya chimed in, his curiosity piqued.
Chuckling to itself, Monokuma slowly answered, "I may be the headmaster, but I'm not directly involved in your daily lives. If you want to attack or murder each other, it's all up to you. I gave you all a choice to live here peacefully, but as you can see, someone among you doesn't feel that way! Rather than endlessly doubting your friends I've given you all a way to identify the one disrupting the peace of this academy—!"
"In the hopes that we'll turn on them?" Junko cut in, her voice harsh and eye narrowed.
Monokuma shrugged and replied in a sing-song kind of tone, "If that's what you waaaant, then I won't stop you. After all, without rules and regulations, society as we know it would fall apart! Isn't that right, Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru?"
All eyes suddenly fell upon Taka, who wasn't expecting to be brought into the spotlight. However, he only hesitated for an instant before shouting, "O-Of course! Without rules and regulations, order could not be achieved!"
Even as the words left his lips, everyone could sense the hint of frustration in his voice. Despite all his recent faults, it was clear that Taka did not truly align himself with Monokuma. And even if his tactics had been questionable, it was obvious that he didn't wish to side with the venomous snake of a teddy bear. And yet, because of his stance on upholding the rules, he was forced to agree with their captor…and it obviously left a sick taste in his mouth.
"Does that answer your question, Chihiro?" Sayaka abruptly asked, her voice soft and tender. The petite programmer nodded, probably not completely understanding everything, but knowing enough to get on with the trial. With that cleared up, the pop idol's expression darkened as she continued, "Okay then…where do we start?"
"Good question," Sakura commented, her deep voice rumbling in uncertainty. "We don't exactly have a clear grasp of the sequence of events. Perhaps we should begin there?"
"Good thinking," Makoto concurred, glancing around at everyone. "Alright then, why don't we start with where everyone was this morning and work our way—?"
"There's no point in that!" a determined Hina abruptly shouted. "We know that Hifumi's the culprit! He lured Celeste into the art supply room—!"
"And seduced her into having an orgy!"
Dead silence haunted the room as Hiro yelled those words, immediately earning various kinds of stares and glares. Only two students weren't in shock over the clairvoyant's words; Junko and Byakuya. The Fashionista heaved a heavy sigh, a part of her pleased this was getting taken care of right off the bat, rather than later on in the trial. Meanwhile, the Affluent Progeny slowly let a snide grin widen on his cheeks as he waited for the chaos to unfold.
Unable to conjure words quickly enough, the students listened in horror as Hiro continued, "Hifumi probably used an anime pick-up line or something and totally seduced Celeste! He was pounding her into the floor when Mondo walked in on them! But then, for some reason, he joined them, but went after Hifumi instead of Celeste! At least until Sakura decided to—!"
"WH-WHAT THE FUCK?!"
Hiro shut up as those words hit him, like a punch to the gut. He glanced over to Leon, who had shouted, and saw an expression of pure shock and horror. Only then did the clairvoyant begin looking around at his classmates, seeing their wide-eyed and mortified visages.
Most of the girls, such as Hina, Sayaka, and Sakura, appallingly glared at Hiro, though they still seemed to be shocked. Chihiro was looking around at everyone frantically, struggling to piece together if what she'd heard was true or not. Kyoko and Junko seemed almost unfazed, as if they were used to his illogical antics, their cold exteriors hiding the utter disappointment they must have held for Hiro. Mondo's jaw hung open in utter shock, desperately trying to understand how Hiro had come to that entirely insane conclusion. Meanwhile, Taka's face twisted in rage, his aura beginning to surge as he felt his disciplinary rage building. A lewd smirk spread of Toko's lips as she mentally pictured the scene, stealing a glance at Byakuya and silently wishing the roles were switched to her and Byakuya in the art supply room. And even though the Togami Heir noticed the writer's perverse gaze, he managed to completely ignore it and simply revel in the madness he'd allowed to take place.
The worst of them was undoubtedly Celeste and Hifumi, both of them having vastly different reactions.
Celeste's expression was a mixture of furious anger and nauseating disgust. Her pale face almost seemed to turn green and she bit back the bile that rose in the back of her mouth, a slight gagging noise coming from her throat.
Hifumi's face burned, his glasses fogging as he mentally conjured what Hiro had talked about. And although he seemed rather embarrassed, there was also a hint of disappointment, as if he wished that's what they'd been doing, instead of what truly happened.
"H-H-Hiro!" Makoto abruptly shouted, his cheeks a bright shade of pink. "Th-That's not what happened! Who told you that they were…they were…?!"
"Fornicating?" Byakuya offered, knowingly adding more fuel to the fire.
"That!" the lucky student latched onto, fighting off the blush that scorched his cheeks.
All eyes turned to Hiro and he suddenly felt completely unsure of his assertion. Sweat poured down his back and matted his wild hair as he struggled to understand what he'd gotten wrong.
"M-Mondo told me that he found 'Hifumi pounding Celeste into the floor' in the arts supply room!" the clairvoyant defended, throwing the biker under the proverbial bus. A look of horrified realization came over Mondo as Hiro continued, "What else was I supposed to think?! I even asked him to make sure!"
"N-No, you didn't!" the biker growled back at him, his face burning with embarrassment. "You as if they were 'going at it'! Ya know! Fightin' and shit!"
Hiro's face suddenly twisted in realization before shifting into frustration as he shouted, "That's not what 'going at it' means! It means 'having sex'! I should know! My mom reads enough trashy romance novels for the both us—!"
"WILL YOU BOTH SHUT UP!"
The entire room shook as Aoi Asahina roared at the top of her lungs. Slowly, the class turned to see her, red face and panting heavily. It wasn't clear if she was flushed from second-hand embarrassment or from raw anger, but in either case, she wasn't to be trifled with at the moment.
Bearing her teeth at the clairvoyant, the swimmer shouted, "First you accuse Celeste of being an attempted murderer, and now you think she's some kind of loose woman! What's wrong with you?! What did she ever do to you, Hiro?!"
"W-When did I accuse her of being a murderer?!" he stammered, now completely lost as to what was going on.
"Perhaps we should take this time to explain exactly why we've been called here? As it seems that some of us are not entirely sure…" Sakura offered, mostly glaring at Hiro but also taking in the confused visage of Chihiro.
"Story time? Really?" Monokuma chimed in, fidgeting in the judge's chair. "Are you sure you have time for that? After all, we can't spend all day discussing what type of pounding the goth gambler was getting in the steamy supply room."
The implication was vulgar but it's meaning was not lost on most of the students. Monokuma wanted them to realize that, while there wasn't a 'time limit' per se, most likely they would only be allowed a certain amount of time to debate before having to vote. For a few moments, no one said a word, the implication from Monokuma dominating their thoughts.
"In the interest of fairness," Junko suddenly pipped up, her firm tone drawing everyone's attention. "I think we should be allowed time to explain the situation to everyone…for various reasons."
Slowly, Monokuma tilted its head, like a dog that was trying to contemplate the complexity of human behavior. Strangely though, the bear was silent, as if considering the notion seriously. Just as the silence began to buzz in everyone's ears, the demented bear roared!
"Roaaaar! Very well! I'll allow it! For…fairness!"
Although a bit shocked by their captor's sudden show of understanding, Sakura wasted no time in moving forward with her explanation.
"It began this morning, after the morning announcement had sounded…"
"Junko agreed to that way to easily" Mukuro pondered as Sakura explained the events of this morning. "I expected to have to fight for the time we'll need but Junko gave it to us without any complaints…and that worries me more than anything else."
Junko had been increasingly quiet lately. Leaving authoritative matters to Taka, having Monokuma go on 'vacation', allowing them to keep Alter Ego as long as they have…it all had to be part of some grand scheme her sister was concocting. Unfortunately, the soldier had no idea what it could be. It was almost as if she was letting them try and gain the upper hand…which didn't make sense! If Junko wanted to win the game, she shouldn't have given them any kind of advantage…unless
"Is Junko…not trying to win the game?" Mukuro scolded herself, watching the chaos slowly subside as Sakura finished explaining the events she and Mondo had seen in the art supply room. "But that doesn't make sense. Wouldn't she get the most despair if—".
"…and that is why we must have this class trial, to determine which of them tried to kill the other," Sakura's explanation came to an end, meaning the soldier no longer had time to contemplate her sister's motives.
"Focus on the trial for now," Mukuro told herself, lightly shaking her head. "There'll be time to figure out what my sister's up to later…especially now that I'm not exactly working alone."
The soldier's eyes flicked over to Kyoko for an instant, feeling at least a tiny bit more assured.
"Now that that's been settled," Byakuya finally came into the conversation, sounding satisfied with its conclusion. "There is something we need to confirm before we begin our discussion in earnest."
"And that would be?" Junko practically snarled, not bothering to hide her disgust, obviously a bit miffed that he allowed the Hiro scandal to occurring the first place.
Barely acknowledging her, the Togami Heir let out a little scoff before asking, "Where exactly did you and Kyoko disappear to this morning?"
Narrowing her gaze, Junko's lips pursed into a frown, more than likely having expected this topic to rear its ugly head eventually. Even so, she seemed nervous, apprehension clearly visible on her face.
"I did promise that I would reveal that information at the trial," Kyoko suddenly answered, stealing a glance at Makoto, who smiled softly. Taking a deep breath, the amnesiac girl began, "After we split up to search for our missing classmates this morning, Junko and I went to the second floor. I decided to check the classrooms while she searched the pool area."
"You mean to say that you split up?" Byakuya questioned, pushing up his glasses to stare down his nose at her. "Didn't we agree to travel in groups to avoid suspicion? How odd that the two of you seemed to forget that so easily…"
Junko scowled while Kyoko remained stoic, neither of them responding to his taunts.
"We agreed to meet at the pool lobby afterwards, to discuss our findings," Kyoko continued, ignoring the Togami Heir's crass comments. "But when I arrived, Junko was nowhere to be seen."
"That's because I found Hiro stuck in the locker at the far side of the pool," Junko confirmed, stepping in to fill the gaps. "I couldn't get him out on my own, so I went to get help and found Kyoko—".
"Approximately what time was that?!" the obnoxious loud voice of Taka rang out, his hair still a white sheen with flames burning in his eyes.
Caught off-guard by the question, Junko's jaw hung slack as she tried to answer. "I…I'm not really sure…sometime around 11am…maybe?"
"Preposterous!" the Disciplinary Committee Chairman shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at both girls. "Makoto and I were already searching the second floor around that time! We searched the pool area and did not see a trace of you!"
Neither of the girls let their expression betray them. Besides a hint of confusion for his statement, both Kyoko and Junko simple glanced at one another and shrugged, turning back to Taka with perplexed gazes.
"We were in the pool area this whole morning," Junko reaffirmed, tilting her head in confusion. "How could you have missed us?"
"Not to mention that Hiro remembers seeing us there," Kyoko said patiently, glancing at Hiro expectantly.
"Uh…yeah, I remember both of them trying to get me out for a while. I have no idea what time it was though, since I was poorly packaged sardine at the time…" the clairvoyant vouched, still trying to comprehend the entire situation.
"But that is impossible!" Taka shouted again, his voice stinging everyone's ears. "I made periodic checks using my wristwatch! And I can guarantee that Makoto and I never saw either of you until this afternoon! Isn't that right, Makoto?!"
Startled from being put on the spot, the lucky student stammered, "Uh…I don't really know about the time or anything, since I wasn't really paying attention to it…but I agree that we didn't see either of you the entire time."
As he finished, he gave an almost apologetic look. Makoto obviously didn't believe they had anything to do with the attempted murder, but he still felt guilty for having to call them out on their disappearance.
With that testimony fresh in everyone's mind, Chairman Ishimaru slammed his fist onto his podium and shouted, "The only explanation is that the two of you were hiding somewhere while the attacks took place! Even if you weren't involved with that attack itself, it is suspicious that you would be absent for so long!"
As he hurled those accusations, murmurs from the other students started to file in:
"They were missing for an awfully long time…" Sayaka regretfully mentioned, aiming a worried expression toward the Fashionista. "We were really worried about the two of you."
Junko hung her head a bit, but said nothing…as if she couldn't for some reason.
"And it's odd that both Makoto and Taka couldn't find them…" Leon added, curious but a bit worried himself.
"But they don't have any reason to lie to us," Sakura pointed out. "They weren't involved with the incident involving Hifumi and Celeste, after all."
"That we know of," Byakuya insisted, a smug grin spreading over his lips. "Until we know exactly where the two of them were, we cannot rule out that they somehow had a hand in—".
"We were in the pool area, I can assure you of that." Kyoko's stern voice cut through everyone's ramblings, her stoic features unexpectedly hardening.
Unfortunately, Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru was not deterred, growling angrily as he shouted, "Cease with your lies this instant! I demand to know where you were hidden! If you cannot explain your absence this instance, I will be forced to take disciplinary measures—".
"Did you check the girl's locker room?"
A slew of gasps rang out as Junko asked that question. Even the accusatory Taka and the brazen Byakuya held shocked expressions as this new idea came to light. However, it took the Disciplinary Chairman only a few seconds to recover.
"Are you suggesting that we simply missed each other during our search?! That's inconceivable!"
His words were met with a cold gaze from Kyoko, who only slightly narrowed her eyes at him.
"Do you have another explanation?" she inquired, her voice almost ruthless. Taka flinched but said nothing, although it was obvious he was struggling to come up with another idea. Seizing that opportunity, the amnesiac girl averted her gaze from him and said, "No matter how unlikely it must seem, considering that Hiro can testify to our presence, and the fact that we did spend a short amount of time traversing through the girl's locker room, the only conclusion is that we somehow missed each other by pure coincidence."
Kyoko's words carried a certainty with them that no one could argue. Not even Taka could muster the words to refute her after that display, a fact that obviously infuriated him, given that he was gritting his teeth so tightly they threatened to crack. On the opposite side, Makoto let out a relieved sigh as he let a small smile grace his lips, a silent 'thank you' etched into his face.
Just as the matter was just about settled, a certain Affluent Progeny had to add his opinion.
"Pure coincidence? Isn't that a funny thing…" Byakuya mocked, folding his arms and letting out a deep sigh. "However, given that we have no evidence to the contrary, not to mention the fact that your 'absence' doesn't really have an effect on this case, I'm willing to let the matter slide."
"Nice to know we have your pardon," Junko groaned, glaring daggers at the Togami Heir. "Just don't expect either of us to thank—".
"Can we please get to the actual purpose of the trial?!"
Everyone's eyes widened as Hina's normally cheery voice was replaced with an angry shout that racked through their ears like nails on a chalkboard. Her bubbly expression had been exchanged for a frustrated glare, one that she slowly drug around the room until it fixated on the entire class.
"We all know that Hifumi's the culprit who tried to attack Celeste! Let's just vote and get this over with!"
The fire and intensity of her words bore into the students, creating a silence so palpable that it threatened to consume all of creation. Even Sakura was taken aback by the swimmer's abrupt show of frustration, staring at her friend in a mixture of disbelief and horror. However, Hina didn't waver in the slightest, a hard expression set into her face that none could hope to circumvent. And with that, she once again called her classmates to action.
"It's voting time! Everyone cast your votes!"
Perhaps for the first time in her life, Celeste was utterly speechless. She hadn't said a word since the trial began, refrained from commenting on Junko and Kyoko's bizarre disappearance, observed the class as they began to draw conclusions…and already victory was within her grasp.
Hina's reckless insistence was working completely in her favor. The swimmer had become more than a useful Pawn, she'd taken on the role of her Knight in this metaphorical game of chess. And even though Celeste was certain that someone would refute her, it boded well that Hina was so willing and dedicated to assisting her. She was already three steps ahead of the rest of the class, and gaining further momentum.
Her dream…her castle…was suddenly within reach!
That's why, she was shocked when her own voice called out, "Perhaps we should discuss the matter further before proceeding to a vote."
In truth, Celeste herself had no idea why she'd spoken up. Everything was proceeding even better than she had planned. All she had needed to do was stay silent, and let everyone come to a false conclusion. And while she was certain it wouldn't go quite as easily as she envisioned, she had been in a far more advantageous position before she'd spoken.
And yet…she'd said those words, those words that, deep down inside, she knew would come back to haunt her…
As if they'd suddenly been struck by lightning, unparalleled bewilderment spread through the entire class. Hina, in particular, openly gasped as the friend she was trying to defend refuted her, her deep blue eye meeting Celeste's crimson orbs, desperately searching for understanding.
"C-Celeste…" she murmured, as if unsure of what she'd heard. "…W-Why? Why should we wait?! We both know that you're innocent!"
Innocent…Innocent…Innocent…Innocent…Innocent…
The word stung Celeste to the core. She wasn't innocent, she hadn't been for a long time. Her innocence had been lost years ago, gambled away along with the rest of her previous existence. Taeko Yasuhiro had been innocent…but Celestia Ludenberg came into this world devoid of such a thing. Ironically, that had been a source of pride for her at one time, believing innocence to be a form of weakness she needed to expunge from her being.
But…to be called such a thing—No, to have someone else truly believe her to be innocent…it hurt. Because she knew the truth, the horrible truth about not only this situation, but about herself as well. She had always heard that the truth hurt…but she never imagined it could be so literal.
Despite that, she managed to persevere, almost immediately thinking of a way to twist her own words to her favor.
"Because," Celeste began slowly, letting all the attention fall back onto her. "If I am to prove my innocence, then we need to discuss it until everyone is satisfied."
"Agreed," Kyoko abruptly concurred, glancing toward Hina. "Until we hear both side of the argument, I believe we should abstain from voting. Only when we all of us are truly convinced of who the true offender is should we follow through on voting."
"B-But!" the swimmer frantically countered, her voice strained with worry. "If we let Hifumi try to weasel his way out of this, we'll all be killed! We shouldn't give him the chance to—!"
"It is alright, Hina." Celeste spoke softly and calmly, drawing the swimmer's eyes to hers again. "We must do whatever is necessary to convince everyone of my innocence. Only then will I be truly absolved of my—".
"OBJECTION!"
A voice of conviction echoed through the room, and everyone's head turned to see Hifumi, his chest puffed out, arm outstretched, and an accusatory finger pointed directly at Celeste.
"I won't let everyone be taken in by your lies!" the fanfic creator shouted, his vocal tone lowering as he spoke in dramatic fashion. "I will reveal the truth to everyone! For the sake of our futures…I will cut through your deception and reveal—".
"You see?! He's already trying to deceive us!" Hina brazenly interrupted him, stomping on his self-confidence until he was completely silent. With almost malicious fury, the swimmer roared, "He can't be trusted! We should vote now and save ourselves the trouble—!"
"…Hina!" a stern voice cut her off, shocking the swimmer into silence as she turned to face Sakura, the martial artist's expression grim. "I know how you feel, but you need to calm yourself."
Taken aback, Hina immediately shot back, "W-What are you saying, Sakura?! I am calm!"
"No, you're not." As Sakura spoke, a strange mixture of anger and worry dominated her features. Her face hardened and her arms were folded tightly over her chest. She looked Hina up and down for a moment before giving a tiny scoff. "You're letting your concern for your friend obscure your judgement. I understand how you feel, but we must approach this situation calmly."
Hurt crossed Hina's face as she took in Sakura's words, tears stinging the corners of her eyes as she shouted back, "Do you doubt her too?! Do you think that Hifumi's the one who's actually innocent—?!"
"Of course not!" the martial artist suddenly shouted, her voice making everyone, especially Hifumi, tremble. Realizing her outburst had frightened everyone, Sakura took a deep breath before continuing, "I also believe that Celeste is innocent, given what I witnessed in the art supply room."
She sent a fearsome glare toward Hifumi, who shuddered and fought to keep his bowels from emptying.
"However, I also believe that we must discuss it with everyone. So that we can work together and prevent any further distrust that may occur," Sakura said carefully, turning her head to smile warmly at Hina. "I know this may be difficult, but please, have faith in our classmates…"
Hina flinched at those words, hanging her head as shame overtook her. "You're…You're right, Sakura." Lifting her head, glancing around the courtroom and said, "Sorry about that, guys. I just…I didn't want…"
"It is fine, Hina." Celeste's smooth, soothing voice answered her apology. The gambler smiled at her, just as she always did, hands folded together with her head tilted to the side. "I am truly blessed to have such a great friend willing to stick up for me."
Pink flushed Hina's cheeks as embarrassment flooded her. "No, no! I'm just doing what any good friend should do!" she insisted before her blush faded, and her expression turned stern. "Alright then! Let's get the trial underway! I'm gonna prove that Celeste is innocent!"
Not a moment after her bold declaration, a deep chuckle echoed across from her, it's origin none other than Byakuya Togami.
"Well, for once I can admit that I was mistaken," he smugly claimed, staring down his nose at his classmates. "This trial had been anything but boring. Perhaps there is merit to be found in this kind of tediousness."
His words brought back most of the tension that had dissolved over the last few minutes, earning him more than a few angry glares. However, like water off a duck's back, he paid them no mind, grinning maliciously as he waited for the trial to continue.
As the consensus to resume the trial was reached, Kyoko cleared her throat and said, "Now that we're ready to proceed, I suggest that we hear both parties' testimonies."
"Agreed," Byakuya concurred, his smug grin still in place. "Finding holes in their testimonies will lead us to the culprit. Now the only question is…who wants to go first?"
Celeste opened her mouth to speak but was outbid when Hifumi shouted, "I'll go first!" He whipped his head around and glared at Celeste angrily. "I won't let anyone be deceived by your lies any longer!"
Rather than becoming upset, Celeste chose to say, "If you wish. I have nothing to hide. Go ahead, tell them your little story…"
Her crimson eyes shimmered with confidence, as if nothing he could possibly say would change his fate. Gritting his teeth, the fanfic creator furiously shot his gaze out toward the entire class.
"What I am about to tell you is the truth! The whole truth! Nothing but the truth! I swear on the honor of the Four Great Mangaka!"
"I must convince them of my innocence! Or else we're all going to get executed!" Hifumi reaffirmed for himself, gathering up his courage as he began his tale.
To Be Continued…
Greetings, my beautiful readers! What a crazy trial so far! Who will manage to convince the students of their innocence? Will Hifumi's truth outweigh Celeste's lies? Will Hiro ever stop being an utter idiot?! (Spoiler Alert: No, he won't) You'll just have to wait for the next update to find out!
I have good news for you all! There will be another update very soon! Exactly one week from today! I wrote out a great deal of the trial but decided to have two separate updates rather than one incredibly long chapter. After that, unfortunately, my schedule will be sporadic again. I'm slowly working on getting this trial done, and I hope that you're all enjoying it!
As always, comments/reviews are most appreciated! Tell me what your feelings on the story are, now that I've begun to diverge greatly from the game's usual trials. Also, on my youtube channel, I'll be posting a review of DRV3 sometime soon! I hope you'll all enjoy that!
Until next time, have yourselves a great day, my beautiful readers!