Masashi wanted to apologize to Mari. Having seen how awful Maiha had been toward Kasumi, and the latter's unsightly reaction toward the former, Masashi regretted having told Mari to leave his room. After dinner, however, he felt incredibly tired and so thought to talk to her tomorrow.
Before going to bed, he set off some more of Arashi's remaining fireworks, as he had forgotten to do so yesterday. At this point, however, he had no expectation that the fireworks would be seen by anyone passing by.
Is there even anyone passing by…? Masashi thought as he tucked himself into bed. Or has Brightmere Research somehow accounted for this?
Realizing that it was a waste of time to think about it some more, he shut his eyes and fell fast asleep.
The next morning, however, he was awoken by a certain announcement playing on the monitor:
"Good morning, everyone!" Monokuma said. "I have something special for you! Please go to the ballroom in the Moonlight City as soon as you can! If you don't… well, I'll be very disappointed in you. And surely you don't want your good old Captain Monokuma to be disappointed in you, do you?"
Once the announcement ended, Masashi groaned. At this point, he had grown used to the routine of the group being given a new reason to think about killing, and after three times, it was pointless to think that it would not work. It was not an inescapable situation, but if he wanted to prevent another tragedy, he had to be ready for whatever the mastermind might throw at them.
After getting ready, he left his room, and it was then that he saw a certain girl coming out of her room.
"Mari!" he said as he rushed up to her. "The announcement… It's another motive, isn't it?"
"At this point, it's to be expected," she said. "There's nothing we can do about it now, though. We have to learn what the problem is before we go about dealing with it."
Surprisingly enough, she did not look at all cold toward him. Maybe she was focused more on the upcoming motive, but Masashi felt less coldness coming from her.
"Um, Mari…" he said, figuring that it was best to let her know now. "Listen… after we learn what the motive is… could I talk with you about something?"
"Hmm… Is that so?" she said with some reluctance. "Well, whatever it may be, now's not the time for it. We have a greater problem at hand."
Glad to hear no refusal from her, he nodded, and the two then trod all the way to the ballroom in the Moonlight City. There, all the other students had already arrived. Masashi quickly noticed that Maiha and Kasumi seemed to be avoiding each other, as they stood at opposite ends of the room. Such a sight only reaffirmed his certainty that it would take a lot of work to get them to come to friendly terms.
"Took you long enough to get here," Sayua remarked, standing beside Tanjiro and Hikari.
"What do you think Monokuma will show us this time?" Sorao asked, looking awfully relaxed, despite the tension in the air.
Faye groaned as she looked around with a mix of fear and disgust. "I wish I didn't have to go through this... but I don't think he'll do the same thing as before and tempt us with money."
"You can be far more imaginative than that, can you not?" Haruyuki remarked. "And I dare say that none of us are invulnerable to the thought of killing. All it takes is a push, however insignificant it may look at first."
"That, of course, means that you are not exempt as well," Maiha said, leering at the art critic.
Haruyuki smirked. "I don't wish to brag, but I am far harder to tempt. To wit, I am more of a beholder than a doer."
Masashi then glanced toward Sorao, beside whom stood Kumi. Unlike the others, most of whom looked greatly uncertain, he simply glanced down at the floor with a pale and indifferent face, as if he had given up on worrying about what might come.
"Oh, don't worry, little buddy," Sorao said with a smile as he gave him a pat on the back. "Everything will be all right. We're all here for you."
"That's right. There's no need to worry," Masashi said in an attempt to cheer him up. "We've all learned our lesson... We won't be like Arashi."
In response, the storyteller gave only a small nod, looking almost like a doll that a little kid would carry around with him. Masashi wanted to say more, but what could he say to cheer him up? Sister Hikari had been a mother figure to him, whence with her death, Kumi felt forlorn, despite the support offered him now.
"Puhuhuhu! Time to get this show on the road!"
Shutting the eleven survivors up with his words, Monokuma popped up from beneath the floor.
"It's about time!" Sayua said, raising her hand in frustration. "Now just tell us what the motive is and let us get out of here!"
Monokuma giggled as he gave them a coy look. "You don't have to look at me like that, you know. It's sending chills down my spine!"
"I don't care!"
The bear sighed as he hung his head down. "Sheesh, my words sure fall on deaf ears here. But really, I'm actually a pretty nice guy! You can ask all my online buddies! They all call me a sweet bean and the like!"
"I... doubt that," Tanjiro remarked, looking more resigned than irritated.
"And what exactly will you do to show that you're a 'pretty nice guy'?" Mari asked, staring deeply at him.
"Don't worry, I'm getting to that!" Monokuma said coyly. "To begin with, you know that if you end up as the blackened, you get to go back home. But don't you feel that this reward is a little unsatisfying?"
"Huh? Wh-What do you mean?" Hikari asked, growing pale.
"I mean, it's nice and all to go back home… but at the same time, I know that you guys have made friends here," the bear said as he looked down at the floor sadly. "It's such a shame, isn't it? If you win, everyone else dies."
"So what?" Sayua asked, scowling. "What's your fucking point?"
"Puhuhuhu… Now this is where I show how much of a nice guy I am!"
Opening up his arms, Monokuma looked up at the eleven students with an ever so sinister grin.
"If the next blackened wins," he declared, "they get to take someone along with them to the outside world!"
The revelation drew gasps from the students, even those who were usually more stoic.
"Surely you jest!" Maiha said, looking at him with great consternation. "Are you saying that two people can leave this place alive?"
"That's right! That is, if the blackened chooses someone to escape with!" Monokuma answered. "Of course, the blackened can always choose to escape alone, but come on, this is a once-in-a-killing-game opportunity! You'd have to be a total dumbass if you passed this one up!"
"U-Unbelievable!" Kasumi uttered, her voice choking up.
Shock and awe were written on everyone's faces. Masashi himself did not know what to say, feeling as if bereft of his senses.
Monokuma chortled. "Man, that sure shut you guys up, didn't it? I'm not hearing your usual cries of outrage… I kind of miss them, to tell you the truth. Wow, is this what they mean by 'you don't know what you have until it's gone'?"
"Wow... I didn't think you'd do this, dude," Sorao said, looking mildly shocked.
"There's one thing I still don't understand," Mari said, looking awfully grave. "How exactly does the blackened 'choose' someone to escape with?"
Monokuma laughed briefly as he clutched his belly. "Good question! And the answer is... these!"
He then took out a bunch of dully-colored papers and passed one to each of the eleven students. Masashi looked down at his and read it silently.
Monokuma Contract
I hereby declare that if I become the blackened, the designated partner and I will be allowed to leave Brightmere Mirthyard if I win the class trial. However, if I am correctly voted as the blackened, then the designated partner and I agree to undergo punishment.
Contract Owner: Masashi Kousaki
Partner:
"Puhuhu… Rather simple, isn't it?" Monokuma said.
"H-Hang on!" Faye cried out, pointing at him. "About the last part… When you say that the designated partner and the owner have to undergo punishment…"
"Well, just to make it perfectly clear," Monokuma said, sounding slightly irked, "in my dictionary, 'punishment' and 'execution' mean the same thing!"
"I can't believe this!" Kasumi said, quivering a little. "If another killing happens, then there's a chance that three of us will have died once it's all over!"
"Ah, but don't you see what this means?" Haruyuki replied, recovering his cool. "This effectively ensures that the partner cannot betray the blackened without suffering the consequences."
"In other words, the partner is bound to the blackened," Tanjiro said with disgust. "And as a result, this is much more than a simple incentive... It's a high-risk, high-return investment."
"Wh-What exactly do you mean by that?" Hikari asked.
"It's simple, truly," Maiha answered. "Because the blackened and the partner will receive the same reward or punishment, it is in the best interest for the partner to help the blackened win the killing game."
"So you're saying the partner has all the more incentive to act as an accomplice!" Sayua said.
The conclusion that they had drawn silenced the students as the dread on their expressions grew and grew.
"Puhuhuhu… That ought to have made things a bit more interesting, yes?" Monokuma said. "Will you do nothing and continue playing the killing game, at the risk of your own life? Or will you think about killing and escaping with someone of your choice? I look forward to your answer…"
Once Monokuma disappeared, for a moment, all stood dumbly, still taking in their newly offered temptation. What broke the silence was a certain sound that rang through the air. It came from everyone's Monopads, which had let out a notification. When Masashi took his out and turned it on, he saw a new page instead of the homepage:
Contract Rules:
1. To become your partner, the partner must sign his or her name on your Monokuma Contract. The deadline for doing this is the end of the class trial.
2. All Monokuma Contracts are handed down by Monokuma. If your contract is missing or damaged for whatever reason, you may ask Monokuma for a replacement, as long as it has not been signed already.
3. Once a contract is signed, it may not be nulled. The physical paper itself thus may be destroyed.
4. You may have only one person as your partner. Likewise, you may choose to be the partner of only one person.
5. Any breach in the above rules shall result in immediate punishment of the rulebreaker.
"Oh, my," Haruyuki muttered in surprise. "It seems that there are many rules to this motive."
"I-I don't quite understand them!" Kasumi replied, looking more and more shaken. "Wh-What's the point of all this?"
"Obviously, they're meant to govern our use of the contracts," Mari answered as she looked down at the rules again, her brow furrowed. "I imagine that the mastermind wants to prevent certain scenarios from playing out."
Faye groaned as she slumped over a little. "I… I don't like the sound of this one bit. I can't help but think that this motive is more 'dangerous' than the other ones."
Mari nodded. "I agree. The reason is that it's exploiting something that has changed over time."
"Yeah, our relationships with each other," Sorao replied. "Had this motive been shown earlier, I don't think it would've worked as well. But at this point in the killing game, most of us have made friends here. And killing for someone else's sake sounds easier to justify than killing for money."
"I take it that you don't plan to suggest that we simply ignore this, then," Haruyuki responded.
Sorao nodded grimly as he extended out a hand. "Imagine if there were someone among us that you adore as a friend. You'd want this hellish game to end, but formerly, you knew that it'd cause that person's death if you won, so that stopped you from thinking about murder. But now… that's no longer an obstacle. Don't you think so, Masashi?"
"Wh-What?" Masashi said as Sorao gave him a sidelong glance. "Well… That I can't deny."
"S-So what should we do?" Hikari asked.
"Surely you're not going to expect us to wait for rescue forces, Masashi," Sorao said with a disapproving frown. "I'm sure at this point, it's likelier that lightning will strike all the ships here."
"Ugh… I wish you hadn't worded it like that," Tanjiro replied. "But I admit, our current attempt to reach out to the outside world has met with no success…"
"W-Well…" Masashi said, losing more and more of his composure.
Every passing second, the students' hopes that outside help would come waned and waned, and the new motive, a rather strong temptation, did not help matters at all. At this point, he could not but feel tempted to kneel before it in utter helplessness.
"Let's prepare a countermeasure, then."
It was Mari, among the few to be composed in the face of this threat.
"Countermeasure?" Kasumi said, tilting her head a little. "What do you have in mind?"
"The only way for the blackened to escape with someone is by having Monokuma approve of the contract," she explained. "Hence, as long as we ensure that none of the contracts have been signed, we can stop the others from trying to kill for the motive's sake."
"Oh, sure, you can say that so easily," Sayua retorted. "But how are you gonna go about doing it?"
"How about you and Masashi confiscate all our contracts?" Tanjiro suggested. "That way, we don't have access to our contracts, and so we can't get anyone else to sign them."
Mari, however, shook her head profusely. "I'm afraid that won't work. Remember Rule #2: 'All Monokuma Contracts are handed down by Monokuma. If your contract is missing or damaged for whatever reason, you may ask Monokuma for a replacement, as long as it has not been signed already.'"
"Ah," Masashi said as he saw what she meant. "If we take the contracts away, those without their contracts can probably convince Monokuma that their contracts are 'missing'. And I guess Monokuma won't go with the interpretation that favors us."
Faye heaved a heavy sigh. "And simply having us all destroy their contracts won't work, either, for the same reason."
Masashi eyed the rules with more and more disdain. It was all too clear that the rules had been written in such a way that it was hard to stop the others from using the motive. He had a feeling that Brightmere Research had had experience with this motive before and thus had refined the rules over time.
"U-Um... how about this?"
It was, of all people, Hikari, who looked rather keen to speak, and all looked at her with bemused or interested glances.
"What is it?" Tanjiro asked.
"I-I have an idea on what to do," she explained. "E-Every time we meet up for breakfast and for dinner, we all meet up at the dining room. Since we're all together, then, we can show one another our contracts."
"What? Show each other our contracts?" Faye said.
"Y-Yes. As Mari said, the blackened can't escape with an accomplice if the blackened's contract hasn't been approved," she continued. "S-So... as long as all the contracts remain unsigned, we can rest easy that no one has fallen for the motive, r-right?"
"Hmm… That… makes sense," Masashi said. "It's pretty simple to just check our contracts, and it's hardly intrusive."
"I agree!" Kasumi added.
"I suppose it's not too much to ask us to show our contracts every now and then," Haruyuki said. "Of course, I don't plan to partake in this motive any time soon, but if you must scrutinize me, then do what you will."
"There you go again with that," Sorao remarked, smirking. "You really are insistent that you aren't tempted by this motive."
The art critic clicked his tongue with a slightly disapproving look. "I'm saddened that you mistrust me so. I wish nothing but to behold the events to come."
Maiha snorted with derision. "Indeed, I can think of a greater threat than you. I won't be surprised if a certain thief is already scheming now."
"Oh, shut up!" Kasumi said, snarling as all composure left her face. "Can't you stop picking on me for a damn second?!"
Sorao cried out in surprise, raising his hands up. "Whoa! Where the heck did that come from?"
"Yeah, did I hear that right?" Sayua said, pointing at the two women. "I could've sworn I heard Kasumi tell the rich chick to shut up!"
"Yeah, that reminds me of how she acted during Futaba's class trial..." Tanjiro added, he and the others looking somewhat bemused.
"Uh, don't mind it too much," Masashi quickly interjected. "I've talked to her about her behavior, and she's chosen to be a bit more open about her emotions, that's all. It'll take some time to get used to, I think."
Haruyuki nodded keenly. "And it's only natural for her to feel a little upset at Maiha's sudden accusation toward her."
"Erm... really, now..." Tanjiro said, he and the others looking slightly skeptical. "Well, at least she's... staying true to herself, I guess."
"Well, when you put it that way, it makes sense that she's letting out a bit of pent-up anger," Sayua remarked. Though she looked more doubtful toward Kasumi than the others did, Masashi had a feeling that she was saying this to curry favor with Tanjiro. "It's at least likelier than that storyteller twerp saying anything intelligent."
Maiha scoffed as she looked condesecendingly at the thief. "I might have known that your fellow commoners would be lenient toward you. But as I have said time and time again, you have far few reservations about murder—"
"Uh, let's not talk about that kind of thing, shall we?" Faye said suddenly. Though sharing the same skepticism as the others, she looked keener to stop any further argument. "I don't think it's best to rouse suspicions among us."
"Yeah, I agree," Masashi added. "Your accusations only serve to heighten our mistrust, and it doesn't particularly paint a good picture of your intentions, too, Maiha."
"Tch..."
Maiha said nothing in return, appearing to understand Masashi's warning, but as she faced away from the others, she gave Kasumi a great loathsome glare. In return, Kasumi glared back at her before looking away with a much cooler expression, albeit still tinged with some frustration.
In any case, most of the others seemed to approve of Hikari's suggestion. Of course, Masashi doubted that this countermeasure would solve the problem wholly, but it was a good enough effort to hinder any potential conspirators.
"Hmm… Gotta say, that sounds pretty good."
Much to Masashi's surprise, Sorao seemed to approve of Hikari's suggestion, even though he had anticipated more gainsaying from him.
"Y-You really think so?" Hikari asked, looking surprisingly embarrassed, as Masashi hardly ever saw her look that red.
Sorao smiled in response. "Of course, girl. I don't want this killing game to continue, you know."
"In the meantime," Mari said, "do what you usually do and try your best not to think hard about the motive."
"Um… I guess we can do that for now," Tanjiro replied sheepishly. "Mind you, there's no way I'd ever think about murder. I truly hope the rest of you have the same reservations as I."
"O-Of course," Hikari answered. "I-I'd never kill anyone… E-Even if I get to take one person with me, th-that still doesn't make murder right."
Most of the others showed like sentiment, insisting that they would not fall for Monokuma's new trap. Of course, given the looks that they gave one another, no one had proven to be fully convincing. Moreover, Masashi noticed that Kumi, staying silent, looked not at all frightened or shaken by this. Rather, there was a great look of indifference on his face, as if he did not care about what was going on about him. He had not even besought Maiha and Kasumi to stop fighting when their argument had begun again.
"Remember: make sure that nothing happens to your contracts," Mari concluded before her expression grew sterner. "If you refuse to show your contrast if asked to, we will suspect at once that you are hiding something."
As everyone was leaving the ballroom, Mari approached Masashi. "Don't you have something to talk with me about?"
It took him a few seconds for him to see what she was talking about, which was a bit silly, given that it had been he who had asked to talk with her.
"Right... Let's go, then."
He led her all the way down to the students' living quarters in the woodland kingdom. When they went into his room, he sat down on his bed, while Mari sat at a nearby chair.
Ugh, how should I begin?
This was the moment that he had been waiting for, and yet, only now had it occurred to him that he had not planned on what to say.
"Um... Mari..." he began, his voice shaky. "Let me just say... I've been thinking about what I said to you that day. And I… I'm sorry for what I did."
Mari said nothing, but widened her eyes slightly. She must not have expected him to apologize, especially like this.
"I never should've yelled at you. I never should've kicked you out of my room," he continued. "It's just that… when I learned about that side of you… I… I was..."
"Shocked?" she finished for him.
"That's putting it lightly," he replied, feeling slightly easier as he went on. "I never would've thought that you believed that much in fate."
Mari sighed, though she looked not at all annoyed. "Well… I guess it's not so surprising that you should have been shocked. I had already known that my thoughts about death were a bit atypical, but once I had actually told you, it truly became apparent how different I was."
"Yeah… It sure was a shocker," he said. "And I couldn't believe it, either, when you told me how you were… you were… all right with dying."
"Did I… really come off that way to you?" she said, sounding somewhat careful.
He nodded. "You're so certain that you're destined to die early… and when I heard that… I grew angry."
"May I ask why?"
"To be truthful… I'd been thinking about what we'd do after this killing game."
He paused for a few seconds, at first unsure as to whether he ought to continue. But he figured that at this point, he might as well let it all out.
"And I thought that maybe we both could… continue to hang out. After all the time I've spent with you, I've grown to like you, and I... don't want you to leave me."
The more he went on about it, the more attached he felt about what he had envisioned for the future. He had wanted nothing more than his normal life back, but this time, he had thought that she could partake in it as well. Of course, it likely sounded silly to her. She had lived quite a different life, having narrowly survived being struck by lightning and thus wanting to live her life to the fullest before death should claim her. But all he wanted now was to tell her what he wanted.
"Is that how you feel about me?"
To his surprise, however, there was no derision on her face at all.
"I didn't know you thought of me in that light…" Mari said. "If truth be told, I thought of you as a friend. But I didn't think that you felt that closely toward me."
"Well… how can I not?" he replied sheepishly. "I've spent quite a bit of time with you these last few days. And when Sorao exposed my secret, you helped me with your lie, even though you didn't need to. It's only natural that I feel grateful toward you... right?"
"If that's what you really think, then I can see how my thoughts on destiny shocked you," she replied, sounding more and more unsure. "I suppose then... I ought to say sorry as well."
"Wh-What?" he said. "What for?"
"If truth be told... I felt rather displeased after you kicked me out," she explained. "I couldn't believe that you had acted that way toward me… I felt so disrespected that I didn't want to have to deal with you. That is why I went out of my way to avoid talking to you unless I had to."
"O-Oh… That's why…"
Mari sighed. "I suppose that my behavior wasn't fully right as well. Instead of trying to avoid you, I ought to have talked with you again and delved into your anger."
Masashi groaned as he hung his head down. "No… I was the one in the wrong. Your grievences toward me were understandable."
"Well, what will you do now?" she asked. "Are you planning to change my mind about how I think about my life?"
"If I have to answer... I don't know."
Should he try to change her mind over time?
Or should he leave things be and ignore this difference between them?
As long as they were both happy in the end, he hardly cared about which was the correct answer.
"Well, that's all right. I don't know as well..." she said. "To tell you the truth, I don't really know how to think about all this."
"You don't?"
"I've seldom talked about my thoughts on fate with others. And this was the first time when I received such a reaction as yours. It honestly surprised me to see you be so upset."
"Ah, well... I can see why."
"I still think it's right for me to believe in fate. But after hearing how you feel about me, I'm actually a bit unsure on how to think about all this."
"You now doubt yourself?"
"Are you surprised?"
"A little, yeah."
An awkward silence soon hung over them, and it seemed that neither of them had any idea on how to continue the conversation.
"So... I guess we don't know how to work this out," he said.
"If that's the case," she said with a small smile, "then how about we stick together for now? It's better than going about this alone, is it not?"
Masashi could not but smile back upon hearing that. "Let's do that."
He did not know how things would change henceforth. But what he knew for sure was that he wanted Mari to be by his side.
"What do you plan to do now?" she asked.
Masashi stopped for a few seconds. "I don't know, really… I think I'll check up on the others to see how they're doing."
In particular, he wanted to talk more with Maiha about the whole debacle with Kasumi. Even though she most likely wanted nothing to do with Kasumi, and vice versa, he could not stand to see them like this. They were both unhappy, and though he doubted that they would ever become good friends, at the very least, they could be much less hostile toward each other.
"What about you, Mari? What's your plan?"
She crossed her arms. "I've been searching through the ships for clues on the mastermind. So far, I haven't uncovered anything, but…"
The look in her eyes grew darker.
"I can't say how important this is, but I noticed something in the library," she replied. "Come on, let me show you."
She then stood up and headed for the door, and he followed after her without a word. They headed over to the merry-go-round room in the third deck and went through the open door to the library. Mari stopped once they arrived at the library's main room, whose only remarkable feature, besides the shelves lining up its walls, was the great table at the very middle.
"Look at this."
Mari walked to one of the shelves at the right end of the room and removed a few books therefrom. Afterwards, she reached into the open space and then moved out of the way. Masashi peered into the space and let out a small gasp.
"What in the world?"
There was a small panel embedded onto the inside of the bookshelf. It had only a smaller rectangular pad that looked like some kind of scanner, and though it did not look at all threatening, something about it unnerved him greatly. Moreover, the panel seemed to have a slidable cover that looked exactly like the rest of the shelf.
"Did you discover this while checking the library?" he asked.
She nodded, though she looked slightly more sorrowful in her countenance.
"I discovered it after I began my search for clues about the mastermind. Unfortunately, Atsushi and I must have overlooked it in our search a while ago, since we were more focused on other parts of the library."
"Can't really blame you for that. This library's pretty dark, and it's hidden behind some books, so it's not easy to notice the hidden panel at the inside of the shelf," he replied. "So what's the purpose of this panel?"
Mari looked downwards in contemplation. "I have no evidence to back me up here, but I have a feeling that this library hosts a secret, and the panel is tied to it."
"A secret? You mean, like a hidden room?"
Mari leaned forth toward him as her eyes glinted. "This library was meant to be a hidden room... so the secret would then be a hidden room in a hidden room!"
"Uh, you could put it that way, I guess…" he replied, slightly taken aback by how excited she was at her conclusion. "It looks like the panel acts as a scanner, so do you think there's a keycard or something lying around here?"
"Maybe, but if there is, I haven't found it yet," she said, excitement still in her voice. "Now that I think about it, do you think that the library's secret is tied to the mastermind?"
"The mastermind?"
Though he knew that the mastermind likely was one of the surviving students, he still tried to avoid thinking about it. It was one thing to suspect that someone among them was plotting to commit murder, but it was another thing to think that one of them was responsible for all this hellish suffering all along. He wanted to put all the blame on Monokuma and Brightmere Research.
"Maybe," he said. "I guess it would make sense if there were a hidden room here that only the mastermind could access. But I wonder what the room's for, then."
He and Mari thought up a few ideas on what the library's secret might be and its tie to the mastermind, but in the end, each idea was groundless, and all they had was mere speculation. It was even possible that the panel was meaningless, though Masashi found it too weird to dismiss as a background element.
"Um, I think that's enough about the panel for now," he said. "Is there anything else that you've found?"
"Actually, there is one small thing."
Mari pointed at another shelf. This time, however, Masashi saw nothing that stood out, except that there was some space available. Hence, the remaining books leaned toward one side of the bookshelf. The sight itself was rather unextraordinary, and so it took a few seconds for him to see what Mari was trying to say.
"Is there supposed to be a certain book there?" he asked.
She nodded. "The books on the shelves are all perfectly lined up, so when I noticed the leaning books, I thought that a book had gone missing."
"Oh… Is that it?" he asked. "Sounds like someone simply took out a book to read it in the bedroom or something."
"It's possible. I only mentioned it because I clearly remember the shelf having all its books before Arashi's class trial," she answered. "But when I searched the library in the morning afterward, it was gone, which meant that someone had taken the book earlier."
"Hmm… That is a bit weird. Do you remember what the missing book is?"
She shook her head, however. "Unfortunately, I've never paid great attention to this shelf, so all I can tell is that a book is missing from it. I can't recall what it is… All I can recall is that it was a... dictionary."
"A dictionary? Guess that person must have really wanted to learn new words," Masashi remarked.
"That, or perhaps that person thought to use it as a makeshift murder weapon," she said jokingly.
I can't imagine how I'd feel if I were killed with a dictionary of all things... he thought. I guess there are more humiliating ways to be killed, though.
"I can ask the others about it," he said. "Maybe they know something about it."
"True. I too am unsure of the book's relevance, but I think you should keep it in mind just in case," she replied. "Anyway, that's about it. Unfortunately, my search of the three ships has turned up nothing else."
"Three ships? Which ship haven't you checked yet?"
"The Moonlight City. When we investigated it, we didn't give it a thorough search, and I have a feeling that my search this time will yield something."
"All right, then. In the meantime, I'll go check up on the others and see how they're doing," he said before he thought to add one more thing. "And Mari… if you need me to help you with anything, please… please tell me."
She nodded firmly, keeping her smile. "Of course. I'm your deputy, after all."
Masashi headed back to his room and relaxed for a bit, feeling a little tired from all the talk about the motive and the library. Afterwards, he left his room and walked up to the dining room. There, he saw Sorao, Faye, and Kumi sitting at a table.
"Ah, you all right there, buddy?" Sorao asked gently. "I bet you feel pretty unsure about how things will turn out."
Kumi was looking down at his book of tales, which lay on the table. Weirdly enough, he looked not at all frightened. Instead, he showed what Masashi could only describe as utter indifference. His eyes showed little life, and the only part of his body that moved was his hands when he slowly flipped through the pages.
"What are you guys talking about?" Masashi asked.
"Ah, nothing much, really," Sorao answered, looking at Masashi with a smile. "I'm just trying to cheer him up because of, well… you know, the motive."
Faye let out a dreary sigh. "I'm cooking some crepes for our breakfast, though most of the others have already grabbed snacks from the kitchen. And moreover, you don't need to worry about me. I'm focusing my efforts on my cooking, so the motive's hardly on my mind."
Sorao chuckled heartily. "That's the right attitude to have. Besides, if we keep checking up on one another's contracts, we can prevent anyone from teaming up, yes?"
"I…" the storyteller muttered, continuing to look down at his book. "I… I feel so… tired."
"You do?" she said with some concern. "Is it the monsters?"
Kumi neither shook his head nor nodded. "I… I don't want to see them again… I want this… I want this to end already…"
"Oh, man… Guess the nightmares must've gotten to you, buddy," Sorao replied sympathetically. "And, you know, this kind of reminds me of something."
"What?" Masashi said. "What exactly is it?"
Sorao furrowed his brow while stroking his chin. "Well, you see, a long while ago, I heard tales from some of my classmates that something like it had happened to them."
"Th-They did…?" Kumi looked up at him, some life returning to his expression. "Did they… see any monsters?"
"Yep. It was pretty terrifying, apparently. As they lay in bed, they saw… some kind of shadowy beast in the corner. It seemed to be looking at them with an evil sneer, and let me tell you, it sent chills down my body to even imagine it. Upon seeing it, my classmates wanted to scream… but…"
He gulped and shuddered. "They couldn't. For some reason, They couldn't say anything, nor could they even move their limbs. And one of them even said that the beast even seemed to utter a bunch of weird things… like how it was going to choke him…"
"Wait, really?" Faye said, eyeing him concernedly. "Are you sure that wasn't a dream?"
It sounded rather detailed to the point that he doubted that Sorao was making it up, and yet, for some reason, something about it made Masashi lean toward not believing it.
Sorao shrugged. "I think it may have been a nightmare for those guys, but who knows?"
He then looked at Kumi with a small smile, as if keen to hear his answer. "So... what do you think, Kumi?"
"S-Sir Sorao… Your classmates must've seen the monster as well..." he said, whimpering. "I-It's like that for me, too… Whenever I see monsters lying around in my room, I can't say anything or move. They must've cast a wicked spell on me to wreak their mischief…"
The monsters cast a spell on him? Masashi thought. Wait a minute… didn't he say something like that yesterday?
"Hey, Kumi, wakey wakey," Sorao said as he shook him softly.
His shaking, however, seemed to do little. It was then that a groan came from the sleeping storyteller, who slowly opened his eyes. Seeing that sign of life relieved Masashi more than he expected.
"F-Fairies…"
"Huh?" Masashi said as he and the others looked about him, wondering whether Kumi was seeing something that they had missed. But a quick glance around his room yielded nothing new.
"Fairies… Thank goodness... No monsters..." Kumi said, looking straight up at the ceiling.
"What the…?" Tanjiro mumbled, looking at him uneasily. "What's going on with him?"
Mari approached him and gently tapped his shoulder. "Kumi, please look at me."
"L-Lady Mari…?" Kumi mumbled, not turning his head as if worried that he might be being deceived. "I-Is that you?"
Mari then leaned forth, so she was now right in his line of sight. "Don't worry. It's me. Can you see me now?"
"Oh... Thank goodness you're really here, Lady Mari." Kumi then let out a short giggle. "First, fairies, and now, you... I didn't think I'd see you so soon."
What in the world? Masashi thought, growing confused. Is he... seeing fairies right now?
"How about you get up for us, buddy?" Sorao asked rather casually. "We've been waiting for you, you know."
"S-Sir Sorao…" Kumi muttered. "Sorry, but... earlier... the fairies... here in this very room..."
"What?"
Kumi giggled as if recalling a fond moment. "The fairies must've cast a spell on me to stop me from moving... I'm sorry I didn't get out of bed earlier..."
Masashi would dismiss his ramblings about fairies and monsters as nothing more than figments of his dreams, but something about his voice led him away from that conclusion. Moreover, Sorao claimed that some of his classmates too had seen monsters while lying in bed. Was it all a nightmare that they had somehow experienced collectively, or was there something more to it?
"I see... It's unfortunate that you've been haunted by monsters. If only I knew what they are..." Sorao said as he glanced to the side.
"Weird, strange, and eerie… That's the only way I can describe it," Faye said. "I've never had such an experience before. Not even my nightmares are like that."
"Yeah, same," Masashi added.
Sorao shrugged nonchalantly. "Neither have I, but that's what the little guy and my classmates experienced. I don't know how to explain it, dude."
"N-Nightmare…" Kumi shook his head profusely. "The monsters… I'm sure they'll be back…"
Man, this killing game must've done a number on him, Masashi thought as he ground his teeth. It's sickening how it's made him have those horrible nightmares.
"Oh, by the way, could I ask you guys something?" Masashi asked. "Do any of you know about a book that's been taken from the library?"
Sorao gave him a confused glance as he opened up his hands in surprise. "A book... Sorry, dude, but I can't really help you there."
"I don't know as well," Faye added. "I hardly ever go to the library, anyway."
Kumi said nothing, but shook his head once Masashi looked at him. He figured as much, anyway; he doubted that Kumi would be in the mood to go to the library and read anything other than his own tales, given his current emotional state.
"Oh, I'd better check up on the crepes!" Faye said. "I think they're about done cooking!"
She hurried off to the kitchen and came back with a dish of crepes. After she bade them all to try them, each took a crepe and took a bite thereof.
"Mmm... Delicious!" Sorao said, nodding enthusastically. "Once again, Faye, you really have outdone yourself! I'm glad that in this nightmare, we at least still have you."
Faye chuckled heartily. "Oh, you don't need to say that..."
Meanwhile, Kumi continued to eat his crepe, looking none too happy, though nothing about his face suggested that the snack displeased him.
"Kumi, what do you think of it?" Faye asked, putting up a smile.
"It's... good," he said plainly.
Faye waited for a few seconds, perhaps awaiting more of his answer, but no more words came out from his mouth. Once the realization hit her, she looked concernedly at him. "Erm, is that it? Don't you have more to say?"
"N-No... not really."
"Ah, buddy, don't forget your manners!" Sorao said cheekily. "Say 'thank you' to our amazing cook, will you?"
"Oh... thank you," he said almost robotically without looking her in the eye.
As Kumi continued to eat his crepe, Masashi glanced over at Faye, and for a split second, he could have sworn that she was glaring at Kumi, giving him the evil eye as if he had just insulted her. Just as Masashi was about to say something about it, Faye let out a sigh and shook her head before grabbing a crepe and eating it.
I guess she's just a little tired, he thought. I guess that's all I'll get from them. Time to look elsewhere.
Bidding them goodbye, Masashi then headed off to the Egyptian palace and went to the bumper car room. As soon as he saw the bumper cars, he recalled the time when he and some of the others had participated in a competition of sorts. It had been his idea of entertaining Kumi while Sister Hikari had taken a break from her self-imposed duty to take care of him. In the end, Sayua had won, and Kumi had gotten last place, and yet, everyone had enjoyed it.
Why did things have to turn out like this? Masashi thought wistfully. Why couldn't we all stay happy?
"Reminiscing, are you not?"
A certain man's voice snapped Masashi out of his train of thought. He turned around and saw that it was Haruyuki, who was accompanied by, of all people, Sayua.
"Yeah… I'm thinking about the bumper car game we held a while ago," Masashi answered. "You know, I think you should've joined in. All you did was watch us from the sidelines."
Haruyuki chuckled merrily. "I was not particularly interested in partaking in the game... but perhaps next time, I shall think about it."
"Well, if we're playing again, I'll trounce you easily, as I did the others last time!" Sayua said, looking haughty as usual.
"By the way… I have to say, it's kind of weird to see you together," Masashi replied. "I'd figure that you'd spend time with Tanjiro, Sayua."
Sayua scoffed as she glowered. "Well, there's no one better to spend time with than this weirdo, now that Tanjiro's all about that Hikari chick now! I don't see what he sees in her. I mean, what does she have that I don't?"
"Do you want us to answer truthfully?" Haruyuki asked snidely.
"From what I can tell, Hikari's a little interested in music, which Tanjiro likes," Masashi said. "You are aware of what he's written, right?"
"O-Of course I do!" Sayua said, flustered. "Something something music, something something history..."
"What a telling description," Haruyuki remarked, his amusement waxing. "If you want to catch his eye, then perhaps you ought to show something that interests him."
"Well, I have just the right idea!"
Monokuma popped up randomly, making the three of them take a step back in response.
"What the hell do you want?" the blonde cheerleader said, scowling.
"Hey, hey, I'm just trying to help!" Monokuma said. "From my time in watching several TV shows and chatting with my online buddies, I'm an expert at this stuff!"
Oh, boy... Masashi thought, knowing that it was all a waste of time.
"To get that yutz to look at you again," Monokuma said, pausing for suspense, "let him see you in your swimsuit!"
"Wh-WHAT?" Sayua yelped.
"Why, that's unexpected," Haruyuki said, gaping a little and sounding quite calm. "I didn't expect you to go with the fanservice solution... but thinking about it, I suppose it's natural that someone like you would say such a thing. What do you think, Masashi?"
"I... guess that would catch his eye, though for a different reason," Masashi said, having a strong feeling that Tanjiro would be at a loss of words upon seeing her like that.
"It's worth a try, isn't it?" Monokuma said cheekily. "If you don't act soon enough, he may fall head over heels for that Hikari girl."
"HER?" Sayua said incredulously. "Come on, don't make me laugh! Just look at her! There's no competition here!"
"Ah, but there is more to it than looks, is there not?" Haruyuki said. "Then again, I'm not surprised to hear a superficial statement from you."
"Grk..." Sayua groaned as she clenched a fist. "Damn it, why did that spirit channeling girl have to get involved with him?"
"So, uh, does that mean you won't do it?" Monokuma said disappointedly. "Oh, well... I guess I'll have to look elsewhere for some swimsuit action, then."
Making a melodramatic moan, he slunk away for a few seconds before disappearing in his usual manner.
"Hmm... Quite an interesting turn of events has befallen us, don't you think?" the art critic asked. "It's already exciting enough with the introduction of the motive."
Sayua ground her teeth as she let out a scoff. "It's all a waste of time... It'll take more than that to fall for that dumbass bear's bait."
Masashi groaned as he glanced upwards a bit. "I have a bad feeling about this."
He then asked them about the library's missing book. Unluckily, he too knew nothing about it, and at this point, he had a feeling that he would not get any answers from anyone.
After bidding them goodbye, he walked around the Egyptian palace some more before going to the pirates' cove. He walked down to the Pirates' Rest Spot, and as he heard voices coming therefrom, he entered the room and saw Tanjiro and Hikari sitting at a table.
"I-I see… I-I didn't know that about those instruments before," Hikari said, showing a small but somewhat forced smile. "It's impressive how much you know about music history."
Tanjiro chuckled as sheepishly as he usually did. "Oh, um, thank you. I don't often talk about my interests with a lot of people without them feeling bored in the end, so to hear you say that is…"
"Uh, what are you guys talking about?" Masashi asked, the two apparently not having noticed him.
Tanjiro looked up at him with a somewhat surprised look. "Ah, Masashi... Nothing much, really. We've been chatting a bit about music."
"H-He's so informative about the subject," Hikari said, sounding a little happy. "I could listen to him for hours."
The two of them truly looked happy when talking about the subject. It was no wonder to Masashi that lately, Tanjiro had spent more time with Hikari more than with Sayua, and it was also good that Hikari had made another friend after Murphy's death and now looked happy. Maybe sooner or later, she would fully shed the gloomy air about her.
"Hikari… Do you mind if I ask you some questions about you?" Tanjiro asked softly. "I've been talking about myself for a while, but I've been wondering a few things about you."
"O-Oh… Go ahead."
"To begin with, you don't seem to like your spirit channeling powers. I guess you must've had a few bad experiences with them."
Hikari let out a small groan as she gazed to the side. "Y-You can put it that way… For most of my life, they're my only aspect that people care about. Once they're done with my powers, they don't care a whit about me."
"Ah… That's horrible," Tanjiro said with much consternation. "To be seen only as a tool because of your powers… How despicable those people are. And how despicable I would be to request you to…"
"T-To what?"
"Erm…"
Tanjiro turned a little squeamish as he tried to come up with an answer.
"If truth be told, I've been thinking about how wonderful it would be to be able to talk with historical figures. Imagine if I could talk with the musicians of yore! I could learn about their techniques as well as their struggles. You'd help me a lot with your powers, but…"
"Y-You… You really think that?" Hikari eyed him with much surprise, but there was not a single bit of disgust in her voice.
He heaved a sigh. "It's a selfish wish of mine, but I know that others have used you for like purposes, so I don't want you to use your powers if you really don't want to."
"Th-That's…"
"Erm, anyway, I guess we ought to talk about something else," Tanjiro said with his sheepish expression.
Hmm, they seem to be doing all right, Masashi thought, having been listening silently. They don't seem uneasy about how things are, and I doubt Tanjiro and Hikari would be tempted to murder, even with this motive.
Before he should leave, Masashi remembered to ask Tanjiro and Hikari about the library's missing book. He had expected them to be of no help when they gave him only puzzled looks and was about to leave when Tanjiro asked him to stop.
"Actually... I think I know what you're talking about."
"Wh-What? You do?" Masashi replied.
Tanjiro nodded, albeit with hesitation. "A while ago, before the third class trial, I briefly read a few pages a certain book out of curiosity. But just yesterday, when I was in the library, I wanted to look for it again, only to find it was missing."
"Huh, really? So what kind of book was it?"
"It was... a dictionary of clinical disorders."
Dictionary of clinical disorders... Not what I expected to hear, Masashi thought. It definitely has a bit of an ominous vibe to it as well...
Unfortunately, Tanjiro knew nothing more about it, and so Masashi thought to leave him be with Hikari. He left the room and walked around the ship's lower decks some more. When he entered the room with the great shooter, he briefly recalled the sight of Sister Hikari's corpse lying there. It was rather startling to see how all traces of her death had been erased, as if it had never happened.
Monokuma sure does a good job in cleaning things up, I guess, he thought. I guess he does it after the class trial.
When he headed down to the lower third deck, where the pool and the boat ride were, he saw a certain woman standing by the pool and approached her.
"Maiha? What are you doing?"
She turned around. "I am simply thinking about the current state of affairs. Is that not apparent to you?"
"Well, er, I'm just a little worried about you," he said.
"Worried? For what reason?"
"You know, what happened yesterday. The way you and Kasumi acted… wasn't exactly pretty. Don't you think so?"
Maiha scoffed, showing no concern at all. "I may have chosen my words better, but in the end, I was right about her. What was wrong with pointing that out?"
Masashi did his best to hold in his sigh and keep his cool. Though he knew that it would take much work to have her give up her prejudice against Kasumi, he still had to deal with her stubbornness in the meantime.
"It still wasn't right of you to act like that. Didn't you promise me that you'd try to get along with us?"
She winced as she bit her lip. "I admit, most of you have been much more tolerable than I thought. But that wretched thief! I can't stand her and how much you can easily trust someone like her!"
"Maiha…" he muttered, taken aback by how heated she looked. "Have you ever had a bad experience with people like Kasumi, then?"
She nodded firmly. "Of course I have. Do you simply think that I think lowly of you commoners simply on the many accounts that my parents tell me?"
"Then could you tell me about it? I can't really understand your point of view if you don't tell me the whole story."
Maiha sighed annoyedly as she crossed her arms. "Very well, then… It's nothing complicated, truly.
"When I was but an elementary schooler," she began, her tone now calm and wistful, "I would spend time with a good friend of mine. He was Mafuyu Hideyoshi, who would later become my ballroom dance partner. We would go to different places to while the time away.
"It so happened that one day, I was to meet up with him at a library," she continued. "As I made my way there, however, I accidentally bumped into a commoner. Neither of us was hurt, and I didn't notice anything strange at the time, but when I arrived at the library, Mafuyu suggested that I buy us a snack.
"And it was then I noticed it," she said, her tone turning grim. "My wallet was gone. It was nowhere to be found in the library, and it didn't take me long to realize that the commoner had stolen my wallet!"
"Oh… that must've been quite shocking to you…" Masashi replied. "What happened next?"
The loathing in her eyes grew.
"Mafuyu offered to pay for the snack with his money instead. Afterwards, we spent the day together, and I filed a lost item report, though I never got a response on that. The whole experience was enough for me to think less of commoners and the like."
Masashi said nothing at first, waiting for her to finish her tale. But only when she said nothing, and the two stared at each other in awkward silence did he realize that she was done.
"Wait… that's it?" Masashi said, amazed. "That's the reason why you don't like commoners?"
He had imagined something a bit more dramatic such as how a thief had ruined her parents' reputation, or a thief had stolen a family heirloom, but the reality had been far simpler than he had thought.
"That is but one reason out of many," she said coldly. "My parents had already told me tales of the vices that you commoners show. I had already known that I was to beware of commoners, but this… this was the first time that I had truly known what they had meant."
"I… I can see why that must've been a shock for you," he replied, taken aback by how wroth she was.
"Commoners… In their desperation, they'll steal from others, not caring about the ones that they've hurt," she said with disgust as she ground her teeth.
Though the event that had sparked her prejudice had been far less heart-wrenching than he had thought, in the end, it had affected her greatly. She had already had preconceptions about commoners, but it was the event that had confirmed to her that commoners truly were vicious.
"I'm sure that Kasumi Ayukawa, that wretched thief, would side with the commoner who stole my wallet," she continued, her tone full of loathing.
"Wait a minute, what makes you think Kasumi would side with the thief?"
She rolled her eyes as if it were obvious. "Thieves help their own kind. She'll say that the commoner was right in stealing a wallet from a little girl who had done nothing wrong. And she'll justify it by saying that since I'm rich, I shouldn't feel bad at all that I was robbed of my wallet, and I ought to understand that people have to steal to survive."
That...
He had to admit that it sounded like something that a poor thief would say. Maiha had no lack of wealth, so her being robbed would hardly be of any concern. But in the end, she had still been an innocent girl, and her theft, though insignificant, nonetheless made her begin to look down on commoners.
Maiha clicked her tongue as she looked disapprovingly at Masashi. "I know what you're about to say. You think I'm wrong to assume such a thing about that wretched thief."
"I certainly think you're too quick to judge Kasumi like that."
She looked not at all moved, however. "You tire me ever so much with your defense. But then again, it's not too surprising for a commoner to be soft on another commoner, even if that person is a filthy thief. Quite frankly, I'm disappointed to see such behavior from you, Masashi."
"Well... thank you for telling me your story."
That was all he could say, as he saw no further use in talking about Kasumi for now. Before he let her be, he briefly asked her about the clinical dictionary, but unsurprisingly, she knew nothing about it. Afterwards, he began his search for Kasumi, the only one whom he had not seen since the group meeting.
He let out a sigh as he walked through the hallway. Why must there always be a problem?
At this point, he saw no way to persuade Maiha to even think about reconcilation with Kasumi. Though he could try to talk with Maiha some more, he had a feeling that it was too soon to try again. It had been only a day, and things were still heated between them.
I ought to let her cool down, he thought. Maybe she'll have reflected on her actions and seen how awful she acted, just like I did with Mari...
He had no doubt that at heart, Maiha was not an evil woman, and she could act kindly toward commoners if she wanted. After all, she seemed to have no grievances toward those like Faye, whose skills she had often praised, and she was open to talking with those like Haruyuki, whom, Masashi suspected, Maiha thought to be more intelligent and insightful. Indeed, given enough time, she would get along with most of the others. It was only Kasumi whom she particularly loathed, and now, he knew that the feeling was mutual.
When he entered the arcade in the upper decks, he saw Kasumi standing by the gift shop's counter.
"Ah, Kasumi, there you are," he said. "There's one thing that I want to ask you. It's about what you said about Maiha yesterday."
"O-Oh… really," she said, slightly surprised as all the glee on her face fleeted. "What is it?"
"Do you still stand by what you said?"
"Well, yes!" she said, quickly raising her voice as a bitter frown appeared on her face. "I don't get why she keeps treating me far worse than you guys! Not that she treats you that well, of course, but still!"
"Well, funny you should say that. I've just talked with Maiha, and she's told me a few things."
He then told her the reasons behind her class prejudice and her particular loathing of thieves. As soon as he was done, Kasumi stared at him with incredulity for a few seconds.
"That's it?" she said. "That's the reason why she doesn't like me in particular? That… That's stupid!"
"How so?" he asked.
"Why does she think that I'd approve of what that guy did?!"
"Well, you are a thief, so she naturally assumes that you have no qualms about what he did."
It was then that she extended her hand out before his face, as the frown on her face was replaced by a cocky smirk.
"You have but one thing wrong, Masashi!" she declared. "To steal from others, even if it is for mere survival, is what a petty thief does... but such does not belong in the realm of a phantom thief!"
She then struck a pose. "As part of my work, I always let my targets know beforehand of my upcoming theft. They can then prepare for my arrival, and a fair challenge ibetween me and my targets is thus formed!"
Masashi blinked twice as he took in the whole thing. "So it's mainly about the challenge for you... Then I take it you don't like thieves who steal just for wealth."
"Well, no!" she said, dropping her majestic tone and returning to her normal posture. "I mean, I get why those people steal. Because of their circumstances, they may find it necessary to rob others. But still, I don't like that kind of thievery!"
Huh, kind of funny to hear that from her, Masashi thought. But then again, a while ago, she said she wouldn't want to be a pirate… I guess it makes sense she's not a fan of all kinds of thievery.
"You know, maybe you should tell Maiha that. You should tell her that what that thief did back then was wrong."
"Wh-What? Why should I?!"
"I think she'll be rather surprised to hear that from you," he explained. "As long as she thinks of you as someone who justifies all theft, then she'll never try to be friendly with you."
Kasumi, however, shook her head profusely. "Even so, I don't want to talk with that woman anymore! She's awful! She's always trying to get rid of me, and now, you're trying to stick up for her? Come on, what gives?!"
Ugh... As if I needed to be reminded this isn't going to be easy.
Kasumi let out a sad groan as the anger on her face fleeted. "S-Sorry about that, Masashi... I didn't want to get upset over it, but..."
"It's all right... I understand how you feel."
Once again, he could see that now was not the right time to have her reconcile with Maiha. Upon seeing the lack of progress made here, Masashi groaned as if his head ached. What could he do but wait for the two women to cool down?
"Oh, one more thing."
As he had done with the others, he asked her about the missing book from the library.
"A dictionary about clinical disorders?" She scratched the back of her head. "Sorry, Masashi, but even if I wanted a book from the library, a clinical dictionary would be at the bottom of my list. And I'm pretty sure that goes for most people."
"Huh... is that right?"
With her answer, it meant that no one knew anything about the clinical dictionary. But that meant that it had somehow disappeared, and he doubted that Monokuma had anything to do with it.
So one of us must have lied to me about it! he thought. But why? Why would anyone lie about taking the clinical dictionary?
It must be important in some way, if the one who had taken it out had deliberately lied about it. Since the book had been taken out the day after Arashi's trial, it must have nothing to do with the current motive. In that case, for what reason had that person taken it without telling the others?
Soon, a certain question arose in his mind, one that he wished that he did not have to answer.
Does someone among us suffer from a clinical disorder?
Here it is! The motive! This time, the blackened, if successful in the class trial, is allowed to choose one person to escape this place with, provided that the other person sign the blackened's contract before the class trial's end. From what I've seen, choosing someone to escape with is a pretty common idea for a motive, and at this point in the killing game, there are definitely quite a few people this appeals to.
By the way, I'm glad that there will be some new Danganronpa content soon. It's been a while since V3 came out, and it'll be swell to delve into Danganronpa again, even if there's no new killing game.
Anyway, now that you know this chapter's motive and have seen how the characters have developed so far, what do you think will happen? Which characters do you think will fall for the motive? Which characters do you think we'll say farewell to soon?
