Chapter 14
I wasn’t sure how long the silence lasted. But it was heavy, and I just wanted to get things over with.
At last, Hanako spoke up. But it wasn’t helpful. “I...I can’t believe we have to go through this again.”
“It’s the only way,” Akira replied. “As a suggestion, we should start off with a recap on what exactly happened between last night’s roll call, and this morning.”
“Everyone was present last night,” Amaya began. “That much I can confirm.”
“And then we slept,” Isamu explained. “This morning, we happened to arrive late because Amaya was oversleeping. Chiharu and Akihiko arrived later while we were eating. However, Yasuo was never present. After we ate we split up into groups of four and searched the areas. Then my group, including Asami, Chiharu, and Akihiko found Yasuo lying on a duck floatie. There was no blood, so I assumed he was taking an early nap and decided to wake him up. I shook him by the shoulders and only then, was when blood began to pour everywhere.”
“So that’s what happened,” Kenji said. “But why did he bleed after you touched him?”
She scratched the back of her head. “Who knows?”
I should know, I thought. And if I remember about that specific thing, it would make sense as to why Yasuo bled after being touched.
“So when you got to the pool,” Nikko started. “You thought Yasuo was asleep.”
“A-And then…” Hanako’s voice trailed off. “You proceeded to shake him.”
“Well yeah,” Isamu replied, with one hand on her hip. “There was no blood on him so I thought he was sleeping.”
“That’s suspicious,” Amaya started. “That he started bleeding once you touched him.”
“Could it be?” Akihiko asked. “He was actually asleep and then murdered somehow?”
“Are you stupid?” Yuki asked, looking as though he was about to laugh. “Sleeping and then being killed? Do you know how ridiculous you sound?!”
“Then how did they suddenly make blood come out of him?” Genki asked.
“Without looking suspicious.” Chiharu added.
“I know, I know!” Taishiro called out. “The killer was hiding under that water, and then stabbed him from underneath!”
“No, that’s not possible,” I told him, cutting him off.
“Why not?” He asked. “That seems to be the only logical reason it could happen.”
“First of all, we would’ve heard someone swimming under there if that were to happen-”
“Your reasoning is invalid!” He bellowed.
I flinched, stunned by his loud voice.
“Not everyone has precise ears, Asami,” He started. “The killer could’ve been under there, and you wouldn’t even know.”
“Really?” I asked, incredulous. “Out of us four, none of us heard anything?”
“Yeah! They didn’t have to move all that much. If you cut down this possibility, you’re going to let them escape. Why are you trying to let them escape?!”
He’s completely losing it, I thought. If I don’t place some logic, things will go out of place. Also, I should know a solid piece of evidence that proves this contradiction.
“If Yasuo wasn’t bleeding before,” Tasihiro began. “Then someone stabbed him underneath. After all, the Monokuma file said he was stabbed.”
“That’s true,” I replied. “But that alone doesn't mean someone was hiding under the water. The water was deep, so if they wanted to stab Yasuo, they had to keep moving to make sure they were constantly near him.”
“They don’t need to do that,” He argued. “They could just hold onto him. Yasuo was on the floatie, so he wouldn't sink. And when Isamu touched him, the killer striked!”
“Holding onto Yasuo?” I asked. “How are they supposed to know when Isamu touched them? And even if they got away with it using that method, they would have been seen escaping the pool.”
“You could feel more pressure on the body,” Taishiro answered. “And since the killer stabbed the victim, blood diffused into the pool! You guys were probably too distracted by the blood on Yasuo, that you didn’t notice the killer escaped. Aha! That must be it, it’s settled! The killer was underneath-!”
“That’s not it!” I interjected. “Taishiro, just because he bled that second, doesn’t mean someone was underneath.”
He seemed to be taken aback. “How else would something like that happen? Unless…Isamu is lying.”
“I wasn’t lying!” Isamu said in shock.
There was another way, Someone else knows about this too. It’s about time I bring it up. “There is a way. Etsuko, you should have some sort of idea, right?”
He placed her hand on her hip. “What do you mean?’
“You’re the one who checked the pharmacy lab,” I explained. “And you found out something suspicious, right?”
“Oh yeah,” She said with the sudden realization. “For some reason, two massive bandage packages were missing. On the list, it said they’re supposed to be eight, but now there are six.”
“B-But I don’t see anyone seriously injured right now.” Hanako said.
“That’s probably because it wasn’t used for us,” Misaki responded. “But for Yasuo.”
“For Yasuo?!” Amaya asked. “Why would they do that? They’re the ones who stabbed him in the first place!”
“To make us interpret this the wrong way. Basically, they wanted us to think he was killed right at that moment.” Misaki said, before looking at me. “Was that what you were going to say?”
I nodded. “Yes. And if we think about it like that, it would make sense that the bandages were to hold Yasuo’s blood.”
“The details on the packaging said it was very delicate,” Etsuko started. “Which means it can get off easily.”
“So the moment his torso got touched by the water,” I continued. “The bandages must’ve fallen off and we didn’t notice because of the blood.”
“So it slid down when I was shaking him?” Isamu asked.
“That seems to be what happened.”
“I see,” Taishiro said. “I didn’t consider that at all. My bad, Asami.”
“No worries.” I replied.
“But if that’s true, how long was Yasuo resting there?”
“Quite a while,” Misaki replied. “His body was wet. However, his face wasn’t. It was cold, so it obviously has been some time since he was murdered.”
“Could it have been in those thirty minutes we didn’t see him?” Amaya asked.
“Who wasn’t there again?” Yuki asked.
“Akihiko, Chiharu, and Yasuo.” I said.
“Then one of those two is the killer,” Satoshi said. “Isn’t that right?”
“What?!” Akihiko asked in shock. “We didn’t do it!”
“Then what took thirty minutes for you to get to the dining hall?” Etsuko asked.
“Chiharu’s dorm is far away from mine, and it took time to convince her to come out.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t sure whether to meet up with you guys or not.” Chiharu agreed.
“Sounds reasonable,” Nikko started. “But is it really the truth? I mean, you reacted the most on the videos, meaning you were afraid and eager to leave.”
“Th-That’s true, but…”
“For now, Chiharu and Akihiko are just suspects,” Misaki said. “I suggest we discuss the time of death since it was not in the Monokuma file.”
Amaya crossed her arms. “They stabbed him, used the pharmacy’s packages, and set him on the floatie. Couldn’t be done in thirty minutes, huh?”
“On top of that, it looked like his shirt was clean,” Kenji began. “They could’ve gotten rid of the shirt he wore when he got stabbed, put the bandages in him, and replaced the bloody shirt with a new one from his dorm.”
“Th-Then where did the bloody shirt go?” Hanako asked.
“They probably tossed it in the incinerator,” Isamu replied. “That seems to be the perfect place to get rid of evidence.”
“When you put it all together like that,” Chiharu began. “It seems impossible to do it in thirty minutes.”
“But when else would it have happened?” Yuki asked. “You said it was impossible at night, didn’t you? Argh, now you’re just making things harder!”
“Could it have happened at night?” Genki asked.
“Impossible,” Taishiro spat. “Everyone was trapped in their rooms.”
“Well…there is someone who could’ve done it.” Hanako said.
“Really?” Akihiko asked.
Someone who could’ve done it, I thought. Hanako must be talking about that person. “Amaya, could it be you?”
Her eyes widened as she took a step back. “Wh-What?!”
“You’re the only one who could’ve left your room.” I explained.
“Y-Yeah,” Hanako agreed. “That’s what I was referring to.”
“What did you say, freckle face?!”Amaya asked.
Hanako started tearing up. “Ah!!! P-Please, don’t scare me!”
“There was evidence,” I said, before taking the piece of paper in my jacket pocket. I was holding it out to her. Recall this letter.”
Amaya ran her eyes through the letter. “What is this? I didn’t write this!”
“U-Um…” Hanako started. “Y-You know…I-It has your initials on it, so…” Amaya turned to her and Hanako started crying again. “N-Nevermind!”
“Anyway,” Amaya began. “I didn’t write that letter, because I received a different one like that. It told me to go to the dining hall,” She shoved her hand in her jacket. “Huh? Where is it? Dang it! The killer must’ve gotten rid of it!”
Nikko sighed with a frown. “Amaya… this is so unlike you. Acting so afraid and defenseless over such a weak argument like this.”
“It seems like this note says it all,” I began. “You had something to do with this case.”
“N-No, this is a setup,” Amaya argued. “I’m telling you, I didn’t write that letter!”
“But it’s true,” Chiharu began. “You were the only one who could’ve opened your door.”
“Which means you could’ve given that letter to Yasuo to invite him to the pool,” Katashi continued. “And from there, you stabbed him.”
“That’s it then right?” Taishiro asked. “Can we vote now?”
Yuki snorted. “If we end this easily, it means you suck!” He was looking at Amaya.
She glared. “Little rotten child, I’m not the killer!” She said it slowly, as if he was an idiot.
“Gah!” He cried out looking shocked. “I’m not a rotten child!”
“And Chiharu, you of all people should know it wasn’t me.” Amaya said.
“Why’s that?” Chiharu asked.
Amaya crossed her arms. “Because I’m the one who wrote those party invitations that were way before the motive.”
Chiharu suddenly looked appalled. “You’re right! But is it not possible for you to disguise your writing?”
“What?!”
“I see. Such a simple explanation,” Satoshi said. “Amaya could’ve simply altered her writing so she wouldn’t be found suspicious.”
“Wait-hold on!” Amaya roared. “I disguise my writing, but I’m also the one who can leave my room freely? Isn’t that kind of fishy?”
“You probably didn’t consider that possibility,” Katashi replied, before crossing his arms. “Someone like you just isn’t capable of thinking that far ahead.”
Amaya clenched her teeth. “I can’t wait to punch your teeth out.”
“Wait, but Amaya being the killer?” Akihiko asked, with a worried voice. “That can’t be possible!”
“Why not?” Etsuko asked. “You’re just going to believe in people who murder?”
“We don’t necessarily know that…”
“Then we have to accuse!” Yuki cheered. “Amaya is completely stumped. She clearly can’t prove her innocence! Ahahahaha! Stupid pirate!”
Everyone is accusing Amaya, I thought. But is that really okay? I could feel a roll of sweat coming down from my forehead. Could I?...No, I need to find any contradictions that may be said.
“The only person who could’ve gotten Yasuo out of his room,” Taishiro started, before raising his voice. “Was Amaya Furuya herself!”
“How many times do I have to tell you?” Amaya asked. “I didn’t do it!”
“Yasuo received the letter,” Hanako started. “S-So he f-followed what the letter told him and w-went to the pool.”
“He believed the letter.” Chiharu said.
“And then…” Etsuko began with a mischievous expression on her face. “She stabbed him!-“
“No, that’s wrong,” I interrupted. “Something is not right, Etsuko.”
“Why?” She asked, her voice in irritation. “He was stabbed wasn’t he?”
“Yes but, we haven’t really identified what exactly stabbed him.”
“What stabbed him?” Taishiro asked.
“W-Well, I’m pretty sure a knife is a common thing to use to s-stab someone.” Hanako replied.
“Even if that’s true,” I started. “Amaya had her swords right?”
“You’re right,” Akihiko agreed. “But, what difference does that make?”
“Couldn’t she just wash the swords after stabbing him?” Yuki asked.
“Maybe, but we could also see the stab mark left on Yasuo,” I answered. “It was only one stab, right? Was anyone able to examine it?”
“I have.” Misaki replied.
“You did?” Chiharu asked. “What did it look like?”
“I tried not to be messy when I removed his jacket from his torso to get a clearer picture of the wound,” Misaki began. “It was a pretty large line.”
“Large?!” Akihiko cried.
“But…Amaya’s swords are thin and long,” Taishiro said. “If she used her sword, wouldn't there have been a short line?”
“Correct.”
Nikko shrugged. “Well, who’s stopping her from using a knife? A knife is something anyone could use, so Amaya could’ve just used that.”
“She must’ve used the knife because her swords would’ve left a shorter mark.” Etsuko said.
“So is the killer really Amaya?” Satoshi asked.
“It’s not me!” Amaya yelled. Her voice toned down. “Look, someone sent me a letter. They-”
“Where’s the letter?” Yuki asked with a glare. “Why don’t you show us it?”
“I already told you, I don’t have it. They must’ve taken it-”
“Liar, liar!” He shouted, before laughing. “Guys, we have a liar on our hands! Let’s hurry and vote already!”
“Yuki,” Kenji started with a stern tone. “Pressuring us into voting sounds kind of suspicious.”
He grew pale. “Wh-What?!”
Amaya placed her hands on her hip, looking at Yuki. “Looks like it's not so fun to be suspected, is it?”
He immediately started sobbing. “She’s bullying me again!”
I raised my hands up in concern. “Guys, we need to focus.”
“You’re right but how are we supposed to decide?” Genki asked.
“How about, we think of it the other way round?” Misaki suggested.
That caught me off guard. “Misaki, what do you mean by that?”
“I mean, let’s think of what Amaya said about having s letter, and what would happen in that scenario.”
“Huh? So Amaya isn’t the killer?” Genki asked.
“I’ve been telling you guys that!” Amaya yelled.
“But Amaya was the only one who could’ve left her room!” Etsuko pointed out.
“That’s why I said let’s assume she’s not the only one,” Misaki replied. “Of course, we need her testimony for what she did when she received the letter.”
We’re going to believe in Amaya? I thought. Not a bad idea, but…can we really believe her testimony without any proof? Well, I suppose you don't need logic to believe in others. If that’s the case…Then I will believe in Amaya too!
120Please respect copyright.PENANA8OlAxlPGfT
“Okay,” Amaya began. “It happened last night. I received a letter lying on my doorknob, it told me to go to the dining hall from Yasuo. I did as the letter said and headed into the dining hall, but no one was there. Then, someone pulled me and put a wet cloth over my nose. It had a strong scent and then I lost consciousness. When I woke up, it was 7:30 a.m, and I was back in my room.”
“If that’s the case, they must’ve put you to sleep to get rid of the letter you had.” Misaki said.
“Yeah,” Amaya agreed. “Now that I think about it, the letter I had and the letter Yasuo had was the same writing.”
“So b-both letters were written by the killer?” Hanako asked.
“That must be it if that’s the situation we’re going for,” Taishiro replied. “But who is it?”
“If it’s anyone else, they must’ve escaped their room somehow.” Chiharu said.
“Ah, I just realized something.” Akihiko said.
“What is it?” I asked him.
“If someone wrote a letter to Amaya after everyone was in their rooms, then that means they were never in their room in the first place.”
“Huh? But I placed chairs on everyone’s door after the night roll call.” Amaya said.
“They could’ve gone to the dining hall after that, and their door was closed to make you assume they were in there.” Katashi said.
“What a wicked…!”
“B-But they would have to return to their room after committing the murder, right?” Hanako asked.
“She’s right,” Satoshi agreed. “But how are you supposed to place a chair outside of your own door?”
“Akihiko should know that,” I said. “He searched the rooms.”
“Well I didn’t find much,” He replied. “Only a yellow string in Nikko’s trash. It was from the supply room. But again, it doesn't mean anything.”120Please respect copyright.PENANAsl90l0NHof
After a moment of silence, Chiharu spoke up. “Ah, I know how they must’ve done it. And because of that I know who the killer is.”
“You know the killer?” Kenji asked.
“I-Is that true?” Hanako asked.
“Is it not Amaya after all?” Genki asked.
“Nope. There’s another way,” Chiharu replied. “Think of it this way. After the murder, they got a string from the supply room. After that, they moved the chair away from their door to open it. Then, they tied one end of the string to one of the legs of the chair and let the other end slide under the door. They went into their room, closed the door, and since the open end of the string is on their side, they would just have to give it a little tug to loosen it. Both ends would be empty and the killer would just have to toss it away to make it look like it was nothing.”
“Wow! How did you think of that!?” Satoshi asked, appalled.
“Simple logic.” Chiharu said.
“But how does that show who the killer is?” Genki asked.
“No, she made it very clear.” Akira replied.
“Can someone just say who it is already?!” Yuki whined.
I knew that string meant something, I thought. And with that evidence, I can finally see who the true murderer is. “Nikko. It’s you, isn’t it?”
“What?!” He asked, panicked.
“You’re the killer,” I said. “Aren’t you?”
“Nikko is the killer?” Genki asked.
“What are you talking about?” Nikko asked, trying to keep a light tone. “There’s no way that’s possible.”
“Why?” Misaki asked.
“I mean, I’m not that smart you know,” He explained. “Chiharu was the one who came up with that bizarre explanation.”
“Still,” I replied. “That string was found in your trash.”
“Th-That’s…!”
“Nikko, what is the meaning of this?” Taishiro asked.
Katashi let out a sigh. “This is why we shouldn’t trust each other.”
“Katashi, shut up,” Chiharu snapped, before turning to Nikko. “Did we get anything wrong?”
“W-Well,” He began to look conflicted until he finally had the urge to speak up. “Actually you did get something wrong! Very wrong! Extremely wrong!”
“What?” Akira asked.
“Remember?” He began. “Monokuma announced that the fitness room and the pharmacy lab close at night? If so, it would be impossible to put Amaya to sleep and take the letter from her.”
Shoot! He’s right. I began to think harder. It’s impossible to get it at night, but...I could’ve sworn I saw something in a strange place. That thing needed to be stored beforehand… “Nikko, you’re wrong. There is a way to have that drug with you.”
“How Asami?” He asked, getting irritated. “Break down the doors? Did you already forget that’s against the rules?”
“You must’ve had it with you before dark,” I explained. “And stored it somewhere. That’s what that piece of glass in the fridge was from, right?”
He gasped.
“Broken piece of glass?” Taishiro started. “Does that mean the bottle broke?”
“And that’s why they used a cloth,” Amaya said. “All that liquid got absorbed into that and made me sleep immediately!”
“H-Hold on!” Nikko called out. “You’re just saying things right now! That broken glass could be from anything-!”
“Even so, what was with that yellow string?” Misaki said. “The only thing you carry around is a surfboard, so a string couldn’t get stuck in that.”
“Wh-Who cares about that!?”
“No, Nikko,” I said. “The string was the key to this trick. And if you won’t admit your crime, then I’ll make you!”
120Please respect copyright.PENANAd8NnHsGTVl
[It happened after the night roll call, The killer went to the grocery store for items to write two letters. One to send Amaya to the dining hall from Yasuo, and one letter to send Yasuo to the pool. Amaya usually keeps watch for about an hour and the killer couldn’t deal with that, so they placed the letter on Amaya’s door. She did as she was told and headed to the dining hall, expecting Yasuo to be there. When she realized it wasn't the killer came from behind and put her to sleep, so she wouldn’t keep watch anymore, and to make her suspicious since the drug was strong. They stole the letter she received and took her to her room. After that, they used the other letter to bring Yasuo to the pool. Yasuo headed to the pool and just then, he got stabbed by the killer. The killer already had supplies from the pharmacy beforehand which was 2 massive bandage packages. They placed one on his stomach underneath his shirt, and the other on his back. They removed his bloody shirt and replaced it with a new one from Yasuo’s dorm. They then placed the duck floatie on the pool before gently putting Yasuo there, making sure he didn’t touch the water. They tossed the letter in the pool’s trash as for their trap, and dropped off the cloth, Amaya’s letter, the rest of the medicine bottle, Yasuo’s bloody shirt in the incinerator. They headed to the dining hall to wash the knife and place it where it was originally. After that, they pulled off their last trick. They took a string from the supply room, and moved the chair away from their door. They tied one end of the string loosely around one of the legs of the chair, while sliding the open end under their door. They went inside their room and closed their door. Since the open ended side of the string was on their side, they did a gentle tug and undid the other end of the string, pulling the chair to their door. After having both ends open, the killer took it in and tossed it in their trash, making it look like it was nothing. And waited for the night to pass. Just as they expected, everyone was worried about Yasuo’s disappearance, and discovered his body at the pool. Without the knowledge that he was dead-it was just as the killer wanted. To make it look like he died at that moment when the blood suddenly poured out from being touched. Isn’t that what happened Nikko Yamaguchi, the Ultimate Surfer? You were behind all of this?]
120Please respect copyright.PENANACFSvJH3Jdl
120Please respect copyright.PENANAv0rymSJgJ2
He suddenly looked defeated. And at last he spoke. “Yeah...you’re right. That’s what happened. I did it.”
120Please respect copyright.PENANA8aXZ4AGM2r
“Well,Well,Well,” Monokuma started. “It is the moment we’ve all been waiting for! Please locate your lever and cast your vote! And when the votes are tallied, who will be the blackened?” He laughed after a few moments. “Correct again! Yasuo’s killer was Nikko Yamaguchi!”
120Please respect copyright.PENANARoKoQucV4o
Akihiko gasped. “So it’s true!”
“Wh-Why?” Hanako asked, rubbing her teary eyes. “I thought we were friends.”
“I obviously didn’t want to.” Nikko replied.
“‘Didn’t want to’,” Katashi mimicked with a scoff. “What a lame excuse.”
“I’m serious!” Nikko yelled. “I just...had to, y’know. Those videos...my family. I had to see if they’re safe or not.”
“But why did you kill Yasuo?!” Amaya asked. “Why him over anyone else?! Why couldn’t you just kill me instead, huh?!”
She was filled with rage. But I don’t blame her. Her and Yasuo were friends and now he’s gone forever.
“I have two reasons why it was him,” Nikko replied. “Firstly, I had to frame it on you because you were the only one who could’ve left your room while everyone was trapped in theirs. And second…” He paused, before speaking again. “I don’t want to sound like a jerk or anything, but I don’t know how else to say it.”
“Just say it.” Katashi said.
Nikko sighed. “Fine. Yasuo was useless.”
“Useless?” Amaya asked before snapping. “Useless?! Yasuo was never useless! He was one of the smartest people here-Ultimate Historian, in case you have forgotten. And if it weren’t for our cooking skills, you would be eating piles of shit during the party!-”
“Amaya, calm down!” I called out. “We have to at least let him explain his story.”
She reluctantly stood still and calmed down. She let out a low growl. “Fine.”
120Please respect copyright.PENANAiT1t3xsbwe
“There really wasn’t much of a story,” Nikko started. “It wasn’t at all like Kaede’s situation. This one was just straight up. I mean, sure he looked confused when Amaya wasn’t there, but that’s nothing. And also, what I mean by useless was he didn’t really contribute to anything. He just agreed with everyone, so he was kind of like a side person really. I figured if I killed him, it wouldn’t really affect anything.”
120Please respect copyright.PENANAKjVscWtsqV
“B-But,” Hanako started. “You lost. S-So that means-”
“I’ve prepared a special punishment for the Ultimate Surfer!” Monokuma announced.
120Please respect copyright.PENANAxRPktG9IB6
“Is my family okay?” Nikko asked. “Can you at least tell me that?”
Monokuma laughed. “Let’s give it everything we got, it’s punishment time!”
“Nikko!” I called out before it was too late.
120Please respect copyright.PENANA9YG1awzk2Q
He was suddenly on a huge surfboard on the surface of the ocean. Monokuma held up a match to light it behind the surfboard Nikko was on.
-Surfing Blue: Nikko Yamaguchi’s Execution-
The surfboard was blasting through the sea and stopped at a waterfall. Then it turned down and continued blasting through and went underwater. Nikko held his breath, as the surfboard continued to drive down. Then, a shark swam up and ingested the surfboard and Nikko himself.
120Please respect copyright.PENANAUMTpJMYoQX
120Please respect copyright.PENANAU9LFhCiik1
“Ahhhh!” Hanako screamed.
“Are you kidding me?” Taishiro asked.
“Well, that seems like the end of it,” Monokuma said. “You should now go to your rooms.”
He disappeared once again, leaving us alone in the trial room.
“I can’t believe this happened again,” Akira said. “We are so sorry. We completely overlooked the possibilities of the night murder.”
“Nah, don’t blame yourself,” Amaya started, tears rising in her left eye. “It was my idea. And, my fault for falling over a dumb letter.”
“N-Now what?” Hanako asked. “It’s possible to murder someone at night?”
“Okay,” Isamu said with a sigh. “We’re going to have to block off some rooms that seem dangerous.”
“But with what?” Akihiko asked. “There’s not much to block with what we have so far.”
“We’ll have to see what the new hallway has.” Akira replied.
“Oh yeah,” Genki said. “Since this trial is over, a new hallway opens up.”
“Do you think there would be a clue this time?” Taishiro asked.
“Clues are usually hidden.” Kenji replied.
“We can still try.” Etsuko said.
“Well, for now, we should sleep.” I suggested.
120Please respect copyright.PENANAjqZV8gEOR1
120Please respect copyright.PENANAK82Be44UYi
120Please respect copyright.PENANAbdOje32VT7
That night, I slept restlessly.
120Please respect copyright.PENANAbIK0IjNsQe