Anguish & Desire/Chapter Eighteen

This is Chapter Eighteen of Danganronpa: Anguish &amp; Desire, King Time!. In this chapter, the class trial continues and we're faced with another execution.

Author's Note: OKAy HERE WE GO SOMETHING I LIKE

The trial room falls into a lull as I finish my question. It was a simple one, really, but the meaning behind the words is what mattered.

Tomori only scoffs. “Excuse me, Rabbit?”

“It’s you, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re the one who killed Mio!”

“W-What?!” Yuka exclaims, jumping back from her stand. “Kimie-chan...Kimie-chan killed the scary lady?!”

“No, I didn’t!” Tomori exclaims, leaning forward in her stance. Her eyes shift from the panicked Yuka, back to me. “You better have some damn good evidence or no one’ll be able to stop me from whooping your ass!”

I can’t help but feel...threatened. There’s no doubt in my mind that Tomori is stronger than I am--and, she’s right, I’d want the same done if someone were accusing me.

Rai’s quick to lean forward as well. “Don’t threaten him!”

But...that’s why I’ll give her exactly what she wants!

I turn to Sasada. “Sasada, can you clarify something for me?”

“Of course,” she says, warily.

“Who knew who was going to be on guard duty last night?”

“Who knew…” Sasada trails off, bowing her head. “Well, besides Shimazaki, Shiho, and myself, only Tomori -- who was swapping places with him -- Azama, and you knew.”

I nod. “Shiho, Azama, did either of you tell that information to anyone else?”

Azama shakes her head. “Not me. I only knew because I was keeping them company, I went straight to bed afterwards -- I didn’t even see another soul.”

Shihi, too, shakes his head. “No. I felt it was...nothing worth noting.”

“You mean, you didn’t want anyone else to know you were helping the group?” Rai asks, tilting their head. “Is it because you’re a tsundere?”

“A...what?” Saishi asks.

“Anyways,” Nakata begins. “So what you’re saying is, Ken, the culprit had to have been someone who knew about the guard schedule, because…”

“...because,” I continue. “Who would risk going there to be overpowered by yourself, or Obinata, or perhaps even Satoshi.”

Shiomi pipes up. “Unless, of course, you’re someone like Nakata or Tomori, who are more than confident in your abilities.”

“Exactly,” I say.

“That’s not really conclusive proof, is it?” Tomori asks, placing her hand on her hip. “Like, yeah, I get it, that’s sketch, but that doesn’t point directly to me being the culprit, right?”

“Do you have an alibi?” Nakamoto asks, stretching his hands over his head.

“As we’ve discussed before, she does,” Obinata sighs. “She spent the night with Yuka, right?”

“Y-Yeah!” Yuka pipes up, jumping forward. “I slept over Kimie-chan’s last night and we cuddled all night!”

Tomori nods. “And, there you have it, I was with Yuka all night, so it couldn’t have been me. Happy, Rabbit?”

“Or, that’s what you want us to think,” Nakamoto says, raising his eyebrows.

“Not quite,” I say, turning back to Yuka. “Yuka, when you have me your testimony, you said you slept like a baby, and that Tomori was restless, right?”

“Yeah, so what?” she asks.

“So, what’s to say that while you were sleeping, she didn’t get up and kill Mio?!” Obinata fires out, pointing a finger accusingly at Yuka.

“Wait, I’m confused,” Satoshi says, now crossing his arms. “So here’s where we’re at, right? The culprit is someone who is, and I quote, ‘much taller’ than Sasada, right? No offense, Sasada is like four feet tall--”

“I’m five feet--”

“It was a joke, sorry,” Satoshi says, putting his hand up to cut her off. “So let’s say that crosses of Kitoaji, Yuka, Azama, Ken, and myself, okay? Why Tomori and not Shiomi? Why Tomori and not Nakata?”

Well...

“Yuka, can I ask you something?”

She nods her head. “Y-Yeah, Big Brother Ken…”

“I’m sorry to keep doing this to you, but--”

“It’s necessary for our survival,” Azama says, crossing her arms.

“I know that,” she says...she’s much more timid than before. I...don’t wanna keep doing this to her.

“Are you sure you didn’t hear or see her get up in the middle of the night? Not once?”

She shakes her head. “Like I said, I didn’t notice anything…”

“Sheesh, how long are you gonna keep pickin’ on her, Rabbit?” Tomori asks, tilting her head. “It doesn’t make ya look good.”

Is...Is she trying to antagonize me?

She continues. “Look, it took a while but Yuka comforted me...I fell asleep.”

Rai’s jaw drops. “W-Wait just a damn moment! You told Ken and I you didn’t get any sleep that night because of your head,” Rai says, standing on their tippy-toes beside me. “You also said whoever the culprit was probably pushed over the edge cuz of the motive, too! How do we know that wasn’t you?”

''“...I couldn’t get any sleep last night. I had this horrible fucking headache. I literally stared at my ceiling all night, telling myself to sleep...I just couldn’t.”''

“That’s right--!” I say, looking back to Rai who fiercely smiles at Tomori. “You did!”

Tomori only lets Rai’s comments catch her off-guard for a moment, before she regains her composure and clicks her tongue. “Lying? You two are gonna stoop to lying to prove your point?”

“Well, it isn’t a lie,” Nakamoto says, scratching the back of his head. “Um...we kinda heard that conversation from inside the Nurse’s Office, didn’t we, Nakata-chi?”

As if she’d seen a ghost, Tomori’s face goes white...r than usual. “...what?”

“He’s correct,” Nakata says, nodding her head. “We heard it.”

“Oh that doesn’t matter, give me a b-break!” Tomori exclaims, puffing out her chest and leaning her head back. “I meant it metaphorically, y’know? Like, y’know how people say shit like ‘I didn’t get any sleep last night’ but what they really mean is, ‘I got an hour or two’? That’s what I meant, sheesh.”

“It...isn’t substantial evidence,” Satoshi says, shaking his head. “It’s really not.”

“Oh, then how about this!” Shomi exclaims putting his fist in his hand. “I--I know how I looked to you all, s-so I didn’t blame her at first, but when I was making my apologies, Tomori wouldn’t accept my apology.”

There’s a pregnant pause, and Obinata sighs. “So, what?”

“I-I don’t know, it just...reminded me of Tani. How she was distancing herself from everyone so it’d be easier to commit a murder, y’know?”

Nakamoto frowns. “Y-Yeah, sorry about...that, too.”

“It’s fine,” Shiomi says.

“Speaking of distancing themselves, why am I the only one being accused of that?!” Tomori exclaims. “What about this fake-ass Host?!”

“Fake-ass host?!” Nakamoto repeats, throwing his face in his hands. “W-What did I do?!”

The model continues. “You didn’t accept Shiomi’s apology either, and, if I remember correctly, you also got yourself out of doing the buddy system with Saishi!”

“Y-Yeah! Why’d you do that, Nakamoto?!” Saishi asks.

“I-I-I already said, Saishi-chi! You’re too loud!”

“You’re tall enough, and strong enough, to be the culprit as well...so why aren’t YOU being questioned?!”

…

Was I...off?

Could it really not be Tomori?

I--I can’t be wrong about this.

But...it feels like we’re over-looking something important.

“Look, as far as I’m concerned, we’re all out of clues,” Shiho says, frowning to himself. “I got a killer headache, and I’m ready to get this shit over with…”

“Wait, that’s it!” I exclaim.

“What’s it?” Shiho asks.

“Well...um, remember when you said that your medicine went missing, Shiho?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.”

Shiho sighs. “Just to recap, it was for the migraine I got from the motive. After we were attacked, as previously stated, it went missing. You found it with the robe in the laundromat, right Azama?”

“Correct,” she says. “So, what about it, Ku-chan?”

“Well, if Nakamoto, Nakata, and Rai could back me up again, Tomori, you told us that the medicine MonoMech gave us was quick to heal your headache, right?”

“R-Right…”

“But, when we visited Shiho in the cafeteria…”

Rai’s quick to finish my sentence. “...his head was still hurting from the motive.”

“Not to mention, he was administered the cure first because he was one of the first people to find Mio’s body.”

Nakamoto rubs the back of his head. “So...what you’re saying is…?”

“Tomori’s the one who -- at the very least -- stole the migraine medicine!”

…

There’s a silence -- it’s long, cold, and I can feel everyone’s gazes shifting over to Tomori. She’s looking down at her stand, her body shaking, her eyes wide.

“Kimie-chan…?” Yuka asks.

“Tomori…” Satoshi starts, but trails off.

Those two are...the ones closer to Tomori. They...they probably don’t want this to be true.

“It--It wasn’t my fault,” she says, and as she does so, a tear drops from her face. “I didn’t want to do it--please, believe me...I just--I didn’t wanna die.”

“Was it…?”

“Yes, Rabbit, it was be-because of the motive. I was scared that if I didn’t kill, then I’d have been killed by the poison or by one of you--I just...I just had to get out of here alive!”

As Tomori pauses, she looks up to Yuka, and then back over to Satoshi.

“I did it, okay? I’m a piece of shit person who killed Shimazaki so that she wouldn’t die--I’m selfish. So just...vote me up, and, please...get this over with.”

“Damn right you are,” Obinata mumbles through gritted teeth...if MonoMech wasn’t about to execute her, I’m sure he would.

“Did someone say vote?!” MonoMech asks, nearly jumping out of his seat. “I’m ready to vote if you’re all ready!!”

“Wait a moment please,” Nakata says, crossing her arms.

“W-What more do you want from me?” Tomori asks, wiping her cheek dry. “What could you possibly want from me?”

“Walk us through it, please.”

“Through the murder…?” Tomori asks, and Nakata nods. “S-Sure. After Yuka fell asleep, I snuck into my bathroom where I kept my robe. I put it on, snuck out of my room, and went to Yosano’s room where I knew the baseball bat was. I knew it was there, cuz, during the first investigation I found it under her bed--and I got the knife from the kitchen. I went up to the Nurse’s Office, and, I knocked on the door--figured it’d be safer to let them come to me then just barging in. When Shiho answered, one quick swing was all I needed, and Sasada was easy--I coulda threw her across the room and she woulda been out. I stabbed Shimazaki twice in the gut, and I panicked when she woke and saw who I was...so, I ran away. Went back to m-my room, and wrapped my arms around Yuka like I never left.”

As she finishes her story, Tomori sighs. “Satisfied?”

“Very,” Nakata says. “But, are the rest of you?”

Wait a minute--!

“N-No!” Yuka exclaims. “Why?! Why did you--!”

“She already explained, Yuka,” Obinata says, crossing his arms. “She’s a lying, selfish, dim-wit.”

“I’m sorry, Yuka. I’m sorry, Satoshi. I didn’t want to do it, but--”

Satoshi only cusses to himself as Tomori trails off, and he puts his head down on his stand. “Damn it--!”

“I know sorry’s won’t change anything, so I’ll accept the punishment--”

“What about her bruises?”

“Huh?” Tomori asks, wiping away at her eyes again.

“What about the bruises on her throat?”

“What bruises--?”

“Ah, so you’ve noticed too, Ken?” Nakata asks, smirking to herself.

“Noticed what?!” Saishi asks.

“Y-Yeah, what do you mean?!” Yuka exclaims.

Nakamoto scratches the back of my neck. “How come you two are allowed to keep secrets?!”

“Hush, you three,” Azama says. “What bruises?”

I sigh. “There were bruises on Mio’s throat, weren’t there, Nakata?”

“Fresh bruises, too,” Nakata says, running her hand through her hair. “Now, for those of you that aren’t dumb, please explain what this implies.”

Shiomi gasps to himself. “You don’t mean--!”

“Are you implying that Mio was strangled to death?” Obinata asks, his jaw steadily moving toward the floor.

“I am,” Nakata says, turning back to Tomori. “And after hearing Tomori’s account, when she knew she had lost, she didn’t once mention strangling her, did she...?”

“No, she did not,” Rai says, their voice getting higher as Rai catches onto the drift of the conversation.

“And what does that supposed to mean?” Shiho asks, shaking his head.

I slam my hands together. “It means Tomori isn’t the true culprit!”

“S-Seriously?!” Sasada asks. “But she admitted it--!”

“Don’t misunderstand, she is the one who attacked Mio...but she wasn’t the one who dealt the final blow!”

“A-Are you serious?!” Nakamoto asks, throwing his face in his hands. “I thought we were done!”

“But...then who did?” Shiomi asks.

“Well, if you look at the rules, it should make itself apparent…” Nakata trails off.

The...rules…?

I immediately pull out my e-Handbook -- like I notice Rai and Satoshi next to me also doing -- and I flip to the rules.

''' Rule #1:'''

''No intentional breaking of any school property! That means the surveillance cameras and monitors, basically, anything else is fair game if it’s related to a murderrrr! P.S. No covering the surveillance cameras! I need them to ensure your safety!'' ''' Rule #2:'''

Violence against the Headmaster is not permitted under any circumstance!

Rule #3:

''In order to leave the school, you must kill another one of your classmates and become the BLACKENED! You will then participate in a class trial where you have to avoid being found-out!''

Rule #4:

''After three or more students discover a body, investigation time will start! Use this time wisely because after a certain amount of time the class trial WILL start!''

Rule #5:

''You can only kill up to two people at a time! No mass murdering!''

Rule #6:

''At 10:00PM, there will be a nighttime announcement! During nighttime, certain areas will be locked off and the water will be turned off until the 7:00AM announcement!''

It’s gotta be…*that* rule, right?

“You mean rule number four, right? The one saying that the body discovery announcement goes off after three students discover a body?”

Nakata smiles. “Correct. And remember, both Shiho and Sasada’s testimony?”

“The alarm didn’t go off until four people discovered it, right?” Rai asks.

“T-That’s right!” Sasada exclaims. “The alarm didn’t go off until Satoshi joined Shiho, Saishi, and I in the Nurse’s Office!”

“So, by process of elimination…” Nakata trails off.

“The culprit is either Shiho, Saishi, or Sasada!”

“S-Seriously?!” Tomori nearly shouts. “It’s--not me?!”

“It isn’t,” Nakata says. “It’s most definitely one of those three.”

“But...which one?” Shiomi asks.

“It’s Sasada--!” Obinata exclaims. “It has to be I was fucking right all along!”

Sasada’s face drops again. “No--! It wasn’t me--I promise!”

“You were the first one awake,” Shiho says, nodding his head. “You woke ME up. It’s gotta be you, it’s you, isn’t it?!”

“You were probably faking being asleep, Shiho!” Sasada exclaims. “It wasn’t me!”

“No it wasn’t me, bitch!” Shiho exclaims. “I wouldn’t betray you like this!”

“And what about all that talk about killing us with no hesitation?” Rai asks, crossing their arms and sticking their jaw out. “What about now? Now that you’re suspected you’re denying it.”

“F-Fuck you! I’ll kill you, you fucking fucker!”

“And there it is…” Tomori says.

“Sasada wouldn’t kill Mio--!” Saishi exclaims. “I know her better than that!”

“A-Anyone who’d threaten Big Brother Ken is bad in my books,” Yuka pouts. “I bet it was Shiho-chan!”

“You’re letting emotions get the best of you again!” Azama exclaims. “If we look at it logically, it was probably Sasada!”

“E-Exactly!” Nakamoto exclaims. “I’m sorry Sasada-chi, but you’re a loose cannon--how could it not be you?!”

“And now you’ll see I was right all along…” Obinata smirks. “I’m a genius.”

But…

“Tomori, remember what you told us? Whoever it was must’ve been in so much pain from the motive, right?” I ask.

Tomori nods. “Yeah.”

“Sasada wasn’t showing any symptoms or pains from the motive!” I exclaim. “It was probably Shiho!”

“But emotionally, she was losing her fucking mind,” Obinata says. “It’d make sense if she just...snapped. Saw her opportunity and took it.”

“I wouldn’t--! She was my patient--I...I almost found it.”

“She didn’t show the symptoms could mean she’s not the culprit--but maybe she’s the traitor!” Azama exclaims.

“N-No!” Sasada exclaims, twirling her hair. “I was trying to come up with a cure, and, I was onto something...that’s why I had no reason to hurt her!”

“Oh, that’s such bullshit!” Shiho exclaims. “I bet you’re just lying and making shit up now!”

“I’m not--you’re the killer, Shiho!”

“No, it’s you, Sasada!”

And, in the midst of their back and forth, he spoke. “Alright ladies and gentlemen, I’m bored, so...it’s time to vote!”

W-What?!

“N-No way...we’re not ready!” Satoshi exclaims.

“Vote Sasada,” Shiho says. “She killed Shimazaki!”

“No!” Sasada exclaims. “Vote Shiho--it was him!”

“Now, we’re gonna do things a little different today! Today, you’re going to input your votes into your e-Handbook, and send them to me! This way we get more suspense on where the majority goes!”

But--but--!

Fuck.

“Vote in thirty seconds, or it’ll count as a vote against yourself!”

I take out my e-Handbook, and I look at the options before me. It’s a little map of the trial ground, and a little pixel of each of us -- in the spot in which we’re standing -- is shown. In the top right corner, it says, “Tap on who you wanna vote for!”

But...who do I vote for?

I...don’t know.

It could really be either one, so...this is gonna sound really stupid, but…

...I’m going to vote with my heart.

I tap on Shiho’s head, and the text, “Thank you for voting for Yoichi Shiho!” appears on-screen.

“Well, well, it looks like time’s up, now...let’s see where the majority voted!” MonoMech exclaims. “This is excitingg!”

“By a vote of eight to five, the majority has voted for…

...Yoichi Shiho, the Ultimate Pianist!”

With a large gasp, Shiho’s face goes ghostly pale. “Are you fucking serious?!”

“Kiyo Azama, Zeshin Obinata, Isamu Shiomi, Kei Nakamoto, and Yoichi Shiho voted for Ukon Sasada, and Ukon Sasada, Ken Kijmuta, Satoshi Tsuda, Kimie Tomori, Madoka Nakata, Rai Kitoaji, Yuka Kihara, and Shuji Saishi voted for Yoichi Shiho!”

“A-Are you all stupid?!” Obinata exclaims. “Thanks you all, we’re--!”

“We’re gonna die--!” Azama nearly screams. “We were f-fooled!”

“N-No,” Sasada says, crouching in her spot. “It wasn’t--”

“And, the culprit who killed the Ultimate Arsonist, Mio Shimazaki, is…

...Yoichi Shiho!”

Shiho’s face goes white, and he throws his hands in his face.

“W-What…?” Obinata asks.

“You mean--Shiho actually did it?” Azama asks.

“Y-Yes...I did,” Shiho says, sighing to himself, moving his hands out of his face. “I killed Shimazaki.”

“But--why?!” Azama asks. “Why’d you do it?”

“When I woke up, I saw her,” Shiho mumbles, looking up at the ceiling. I saw Shimazaki crying, the poison taking over her body, the knife in her gut--and it dawned on me. It dawned on me that it didn’t matter what happened--someone would always betray you. In a world like this, everyone and anyone can betray you, and that’s why I did it. I played MonoMech’s game, and I lost. I took my opportunity -- I betrayed Shimazaki, her last moments were her begging me to help her, and instead I took her life. I took my opportunity to get out of this hell-hole, and I failed. I have no regrets, none. I just had to make sure I wasn’t the one to be betrayed.”

“Y-You monster--!” Yuka exclaims.

“And that’s why you did it…?” Nakamoto asks. “Because you were afraid of being betrayed?!”

“Precisely. It is a game where you have to betray others to get ahead and I’ll be damned if I let that happen to me again.”

“Again…?” I ask.

“Oh, you should’ve seen Shimazaki’s face when I first put my hands around her throat,” Shiho says, forcing a laugh. “The moment she knew I had betrayed her was...priceless.”

I could almost feel Obinata’s body shaking from where I was. “You mother fucker--!”

“I...don’t understand!” Saishi exclaims. “We were doing so well!”

“No, we weren’t,” Shiho says. “We were quite aware we weren’t when we first learned of the motive, no?”

Shiho turns away from the trial room, and I turn back to Rai, who rests their face on their stand.

“This is too much…” Satoshi says.

“I was honestly prepared to kill any one of you. I was always waiting for the moment when I could get Ken or Rai alone, I almost suffocated Sasada the other night when she fell asleep in the Nurse’s Office yesterday--but, I thought I had it won. I legit thought I had it won...I should’ve killed someone smarter.”

“Y-You’re a horrible person--!” Rai exclaims, lifting their head.

“You’re...worse than I am,” Tomori sighs.

“How so? You killed to save your own skin, I killed to save my own skin, too. Just because I own it means I’m shitty?”

Tomori gasps to herself. “That’s--!”

“Yeah, a little,” Satoshi says, rubbing his shoulder. “Actually, a lot.”

“Whatever,” Shiho says, crossing his arms. “MonoMech, let’s get this over with.”

MonoMech jumps back up. “Oh, I’m so ready!”

...I don’t think I am.

But…

“How can you be so calm, Shiho?!” I ask. “You killed Mio--you’re about to die!”

Shiho turns back to me and shrugs his shoulder. “I’m not scared of death. The only thing I fear is berayal.”

“Yoichi Shiho, you’ve failed to get away with murder, and thus you’ll face the ultimate punishment! Let’s give it everything we’ve got everyone, it’s puuuuuuunishment time!”

As Shiho stands in the center of the stage, the rest of us stand around him. It’s...scary, how calm he is. He stands tall, sweat drops down his cheek, and his body remains completely still. Much like Tani’s execution, the chain flies through the gymnasium doorway, and, latches onto Shiho’s right ankle.

That was when Shiho first showed fear.

His eyes widened and, as he bent down to tear at it, ano flew through, and wrapped around his other ankle. With one yank, he’s pulled to the ground, and he cries out; it’s all gibberish, and it’s all based on fear.

As he’s pinned to the floor, his eyes glue to the ceiling, and, likewise, the rest of our gazes shift upward.

There, on the ceiling, is a piano which hangs from another chain, and MonoMech sits on top of it.

“...how did none of us notice that before?” Nakamoto whispers to himself.

Almost as if he was waiting for us to catch on, the chain drops, and the piano falls…

...and falls…

...and falls on Shiho, who screams one final scream.

It...wasn’t a pretty scene.

If he survived the initial drop, he went unconscious instantly, and probably died from internal bleeding...god, I don’t know, I’m not a doctor. All I know is that he got crushed by the metal piano.

And, once it was over, there was a pause.

“...damn!” Nakamoto exclaims, turning away from the scene. “Shiho-chi is…”

“He’s dead,” Satoshi says, cupping his mouth with his hands, his eyes wide. “Oh god, I think I’m gonna be sick.”

“So...it was really him? Not Sasada?” Obinata asks, his hand over his heart.

“Indeed!” MonoMech exclaims. “Shiho really did kill Shimazaki!”

“Why--why do you keep trying to blame her?!” Saishi exclaims.

Obinata shrugs his shoulders and turns away from the group. “Nevermind, I was wrong. MonoMech, are we excused?”

“Yessir!”

Obinata nods, and with that, walks away from the remaining eleven of us.

“That dude really grinds my gears--!” Saishi exclaims. “Why is he still trying to blame Sasada?!”

“Dude, he’s just mourning,” Nakamoto says, scratching his chin. “He was the closest to Mio-chi, so, he just needs a moment.”

“Should I go talk to him?” Sasada asks, her voice quivering. “Do you think…?”

Nakamoto cuts her off. “No, I got this. You guys just do you.”

With that, Nakamoto walks off, and then there were ten. The rest of us...were, well, I don’t really know.

“Guys, I--”

Tomori’s efforts to speak are interrupted sharply by Yuka.

“You were...USING me, weren’t you?!” she screams. “You defiled Big Sister Chie’s prized possession...to MURDER someone! And you tried to use me to to get your alibi!”

Yuka’s screams were interrupted by Saishi, who put his arm around the girl. “It’s okay, young one.”

“Yuka, that isn’t true…” she mumbles, holding her arm. “It just happened, and…”

“I don’t wanna hear it,” Yuka spits back.

“I’ll explain everything later then,” Tomori says, putting her hands in her pockets. “When we’re all calm down and collected, I’ll apologize.”

...that doesn’t really sound genuine to anyone else, right?

Tomori then walks off, and Satoshi is quick to follow her without a goodbye or anything.

“This...sucks,” Azama says, her eyes still glued to Shiho’s smushed body. “He...he’s really gone.”

“Why are all the musicians being killed off so early!” Shiho exclaims, his eyes shifting between Yuka and Azama. “We’re not next are we?”

“Don’t even say stuff like that,” I say. “We...we’re all gonna get out of here, right? The rest of us...can escape, right?”

I...don’t even know if I believe my own words anymore.

There’s...something we’re not going to be able to repair here. I don’t think it’s possible for us to trust each other anymore.

“Ken’s right--!” Saishi exclaims, temporarily releasing Yuka. “The rest of us can get out of here together! We’re all on the same side, after all!”

“Are we?” Sasada asks. “It sounds to me like Obinata thinks I’m the one behind everything.”

I take a step forward. “But--we know that isn’t true, Sasada! At least, I do!”

“That kid is losing it,” Azama says, clicking her tongue. “I bet he thinks any of us could be behind this...so don’t worry too much.”

Nakata sighs to herself, and is quick to point to MonoMech, who sits on his chair. “Our real enemy, after all, is him.”

That’s right--!

MonoMech is the enemy here.

“So that’s why we shouldn’t give up!” I exclaim. “We’re in this together!”

“I love your opportunistic side, Ken!” Saishi exclaims in return. “Now, what’s our next plan of action!”

“Tomorrow the new floor will open up,” Nakata says, and she slowly begins her walk off the stage. “So I’m going to get some rest to prepare for the investigation.”

“Ah, a fantastic idea!” Saishi exclaims. “I reckon we all do the same, then!”

With that exclamation, both Saishi and Nakata disperse, and Shiomi and Azama are quick to follow...that only leaves myself, Rai, Sasada, and Yuka.

Rai’s the next to turn away from the rest of us...they’re still out of it. I’m not an expert at reading people, but I’ve been with Rai for basically fourty-eight hours straight, and...when Rai has that blank expression and can barely speak, you know it’s bad. “I guess I’ll do the same,” they says, scratching their cheek. “Ken...you can come to my room later if you want, but I’d prefer if you don’t...just give me some time.”

“Of course,” I say, and Rai skips forward a tiny bit to...put their arm around my shoulder.

Rai whispers in my ear a quick, “Thank you,” and quickly skips out of the gymnasium as well.

…

Yuka is crying -- it’s muffled but that’s definitely her. As I turn to her, I see her face is hidden in her shirt, her pink hair is a mess and a half.

I don’t know why, but I find myself subconsciously moving closer to her. “Hey Yuka, are you okay?”

“Big Brother Ken...why can’t they leave Big Sister Chie alone…?” she asks, and her face peeks back through the collar of her shirt. “W-Why do they have to keep hurting her…?”

I find my arms are quickly wrapped around her, and, her cries become muffled again in the fabric of my shirt. “I don’t know, Yuka. I don’t know.”

“She just wanted all of us to be happy and live…”

“I know.”

“So why do they have to use her--?”

“I’m sorry, Yuka,” I say, and my hand runs through her pink hair. “But...we can’t give up, can we? Sister Chie wouldn’t be happy, would she?”

“I’m not giving up, Big Brother Ken--I’m not!” she exclaims, lifting her head up, and staring into my eyes with her tear-stained eyes and cheeks. “I can’t...she wouldn’t be happy with me, I know that!”

“Good,” I say, and I offer whatever smile I can offer her. “I’m happy to hear that, cuz, I wouldn’t be happy either, y’know? I know I’m not her, but...”

“...but you’re just as good, Big Brother Ken! You might not be as cute or sweet or strong or anything--”

God, I’m hoping there’s a ‘but’ somewhere in here…

“--but, I love you too. You’re my best friend, after all.”

“I’ll take it,” I say, and she flashes a small smile, before digging her face back into my shirt. She’s...still shaking. She’s scared, I know that...so, I’ll stay here until she doesn’t need the comfort anymore.

When I look up from Yuka, I see Sasada’s now beginning to approach us. She’s shaking, too, not as bad as Yuka, of course, but you can still see it as she moves.

When she plants her feet a few inches in front of us, she tilts her head and smiles. “Th-Thank you, for believing in me--for not voting me.”

I flash her a smile, too. “What? Not gonna join the group hug?”

The question gets a small chuckle out of her, which ends with a slight cough. “You’re such a loser.”

“Me? No way…”

She gently pats me on the back, and tilts her head. “Can I ask...why not me?”

“I don’t know,” I say. “I just had a feeling.”

“That’s what we call, ‘women’s intuition’,” Yuka says, giggling to herself. “Maybe you are a girl and you’ve just been fooling us this entire time~!”

“Interesting theory,” Sasada says, nodding her head. “Very interesting theory.”

I...I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry right now. I know I’m not alone...I have others who’re with me. Who’ll be here for me if I need them--and I’ll be sure to offer that right back!

But...that doesn’t change what happened.

That isn’t going to get Mio back, alive, happy, bouncing off walls, working to get us out of here.

It won’t bring Shiho back...and, I know he didn’t like me, but...he didn’t deserve this. No one deserves this.

After Sasada left the gymnasium, and Yuka finally tore herself off of me and I took her to her room, I found myself in front of Obinata’s door.

I...don’t know what I’m doing here.

I keep having doubts about knocking, about trying to talk to him…

...but then I remember what he did for me when Yosano died. He...didn’t really comfort me, per say, but he didn’t exactly leave me high and dry.

So, that’s why I knocked.

It wasn’t instant, no, but the door opened a lot quicker than I had thought it would.

Obinata towers over me, his glasses nowhere to be found on his face, and he’s wearing the clothes from before.

“Have you come to try to talk to me like Nakamoto?” he asks, stepping into the hallway and closing the door behind him. “Because I don’t need it. I’m a big boy, I don’t need the guidance.”

“I know you don’t, but--”

“Ken, I’m fine,” he says, crossing his arms. “This wouldn’t be the first time I’ve dealt with loss. I’m sure it’s the same for you and for everyone else here...you have your methods of coping. I just like to be alone, I’m not one for meaningless words of comfort and hope.”

I guess I made a face, cause Obinata’s lips curve upwards just a tad, and he rolls his eyes. “Sorry if I just crushed your dreams, Ken, but that’s how it is.”

“Oh, it’s fine! I’m happy that you’re feeling better, then…” I say, and...I let out a nervous laugh. I heard myself do it, oh god…

“Get some sleep, Ken, I’ve heard we got a long day for investigating again,” he says, and with that, he turns his back to me, and re-enters his room.

Well…

...I don’t know if that was a success or what it was, but it’s a relief to hear he’s doing fine.

I have nothing else to do, so, I made my way back to my room, and locking the door behind me, I plop back on my bed.

...I’m tired.

It’s...probably a mix of the poison, the lack of sleep, the investigation, the trial, the stress...just a mix of everything that went horribly wrong these last two days.

This is probably the best night’s sleep I’m gonna get since I’ve been here, and...I hate to admit it.

But the second I crawl up and put my head on my pillow, I instantly fall asleep.