*INVESTIGATION*

*INVESTIGATION*

Let's what we have in this room:

-A used lint roller.
The floor is too clean not to have been cleaned in advance.
If this is the case, then the culprit couldn't have been Naegi. It'd have been obvious that the room is his and that there'd be his hair on the floor.

-Keys
So, these are Naegi's keys...Why'd they be on the floor? If Sayaka stayed here, she'd need them. But if the culprit killer her in the shower, how did he enter the room? Should have been left inside by her, I suppose. Why did she open the door?

-Scratch marks and gouges on the floor, walls and bed.
Obvious sign of struggle and fight. Did she fight not to get killed? Maybe. But if she left the room unlocked on purpose for the person to go in the room, why the battle marks? And why the bed too? She couldn't have been asleep.

-Notepad
It looks used. I should tell Kyouko about this. Maybe someone wrote something and disposed of it, as unneeded evidence.

-Tool kit
Untouched.

-Sakura's testimony
The rooms are soundproof, so nobody would know of the crime.

-Mondo's testimony
Nobody used their tool kit .Or at least, shouldn't have.

-Katana sheath
Has scratches on it. Katana not in it.
Perhaps someone used the sheath as defense? Against the sword?
But why would the sword be out of the sheath? Or, maybe the knife that killed Sayaka?

-Golden katana
Its golden colour is off in some spots.
I take its handle in my hand, scratch it. The gold wore off. Then, this was used as well.

-The body
Let's see.
The knife is in her abdomen. Killing weapon.
The position she's in makes it look like she stayed awake quite a bit before dying of blood loss. Resting.
The shower couldn't have been used at night time.
On her broken wrist there's a small tint of gold. That means she must have touched the Katana.
She must have broken her wrist while struggling. Possibly.
There's blood on the tip of her pointy finger. She wrote her dying message on the wall.
The way she wrote it must be upside down, due to her position.
I tilt her body a bit to see the message better.
....
The culprit's name is literally there.

Okay. I'm so disappointed already.And Kyouko saw me fuming.

Kyouko: Are you okay? How'd the autopsy go?
Me: I was expecting something more...Interesting. I just wasted my time investigating, when the answer was just...There.
Kyouko: *smiles* Like reading the last page of a book.
Me: Just disappointing...Oh well. See you at the Trial.

Just for the sake of not getting too exasperated,I started talking to the others.

Me: Oowada-kun?
Mondo: Hm?
Me: What do you think about this crime?
Mondo: Dunno...But what if the killer disposed of evidence before the guard duty?
Me: Like...Exactly after killing Maizono?
Mondo: Yeah. The trash room is on this floor. Could have easily tossed stuff there.
Me: Nice point. I shall look into that matter.
Mondo: That dirty bastard! Anyone who raises their hand to a woman is scum that deserves death. That's what my brother taught me! So if I ever find the son of a bitch that did this, I'm gonna pound his goddamn face in.
Me: That's very considerate of you and your brother, Oowada-kun. Thank you. I feel safe with you around! *giggles*
Mondo: Uh...Hum...
Me: But...What if the killer was a girl?
Mondo: . . .
Me: *giggles*
Mondo: That'll all get sorted out when the time comes.
Me: Don't worry. I'll make sure to find the killer.

Waste of time.
I don't even want to bother with the details of it. I'll pick the rest of up from Kyouko. The ending is spoiled..

I tried going to my room, but I met up with Byakuya, Leon and Hifumi.

Me: Hello. Did you find the killer yet?
Leon: How could we have?
Me: By investigating?
Leon: Hmm...The handbook says she was killed in Naegi's room...But the nameplates are weird.
Me: Maybe the killer, Maizono or Naegi changed the nameplates. Or maybe Maizono herself changed it, to confuse the killer.
Leon: H-huh?!
Me: You seem quite agitated, Leon. Are you quite okay?
Leon: Y-yeah...I guess...
Me: Don't need to be so shaken up though. We will catch the culprit, so no need to be afraid anymore.
Leon: *gulps* R-Right...
Byakuya: A plebeian like you talks high, as one who knows the truth about the case.
Me: Who said I didn't?
Byakuya: How could you possibly know?
Me: Perhaps because I looked at the crime scene...-No, the room the body was in for more than 5 seconds. I suggest you do as well.
Byakuya: Why bother with such mundane duties when I have others to fill me in with just the right information?
Me: Like who, exactly?
Byakuya: You.
Me: *fake gasp* Oh my, when did I say I was going to tell you?
Byakuya: You didn't. I did.
Me: *giggles* But I couldn't possibly spoil the ending of such an intriguing murder novel now, could I?
Byakuya: If you know the ending before going through it, then it's not so intriguing.
Me: But can you predict the outcome? Do you know who the culprit is before even opening the book?
Byakuya: *scoffs* Who said I didn't open it?
Me: If you had, then you'd have seen the name of the culprit written on the first page.
Byakuya: Wh-What?!
Leon: Did you just say you knew the killer by the time you saw the body?
Me: *grins* Positive
Hifumi:Then,Master Raven Black, who is the killer of Master Sayaka Maizono?
Me: It's....
Leon: Yes...?
Me: Won't tell you!
Leon: Eh?! Why?!
Me: Booooring.
Byakuya: I demand you at least bother to tell me.
Me: Look at the body, Togami-kun. That's all I'm going to say. I shall ask again when we meet for the trial. Don't disappoint me.
Byakuya:Why you insufferable...
Me: *close eyed smile* See you~!

Poor Leon, can't even hide his guilt and nervousness well.
Such a pity.

*Ding Dong Bing Bong*

Oh, look at the time! The class trial is about to start!

I get to the elevator room and see everyone there. I flashed them a bright knowing smile and go in the elevator.

The Class Trial room was huge, like a literal criminal debate by the judge.
17 places were assigned in a circle, so we could all see each other as we debate the crime.
Even Sayaka's and Junko's pictures were there.
Wait
...
17 seats?
That's...Bizarre.
I go to my seat between Byakuya and Celeste and flash Byakuya a reasing smirk and hide my face with my scarf, as he scoffed annoyed.

Me: Let's talk then.
Taka: I assert that the one who was murdered was Miss Sayaka Maizono
Me: Didn't figure that one out.
Byakuya: And the murder took place in Naegi's room.
Hina: In the bathroom.
Chihiri: So it seems most likely that the killer must have taken her by surprise while she was in the bathroom. She didn't even have a chance to resist.
Me: You didn't investigate the crime scene, right?
Chihiro: No...I couldn't let Junko's body alone....
Makoto: The way my room was...We can definitely assume there was struggle.
Chihiro: Between who and who?
Makoto: Maizono and the killer, of course.
Celeste: She must have been attacked in the main room first, then she ran to the bathroom to try and hide. The killer follower her in and that's where they finished the job.
Byakuya: That much should have been obvious after taking one look at the scene. It shouldn't even need explaining.
Me: Says the one who couldn't find out the killer...*sighs* You sure talk big...
Byakuya: Don't dare speak to someone far superior to you, you ninny plonker!
Me: *grins* I accept the compliment!
Hina: P-Please calm down...
Sakura: Next subject is the murder weapon.
Hifumi: Wow...This is starting to sound like a real trial!
Me: What did you expect? An online cheap lawyer simulator? Keh.
Taka: There was some kind of sharp object thrust into her stomach. Without a doubt, that's the murder weapon.
Me: *eye twitch* Y'know...Maybe the knife that has been randomly sticking out of her abdomen? Maybe?
Mondo: So the killer used some random knife they had on 'em.
Naegi: That's not true! I'm almost positive it was a kitchen knife.
Mondo: A kitchen knife?
Naegi: After the murder, we discovered that one of the knives from the kitchen was missing.
Me: Intriguing.
Mondo: Oh...Yeah, I guess that makes sense. You could sorta see the weapon sticking out of her stomach.
Me: *facewall* Captain Obvious...
Leon: Okay, so the murder weapon was a kitchen knife. But where does that get us? I mean, we all know Naegi killer her, right?
Me: You're making yourself suspicious by blaming others, are you aware of that?
Leon: Eh?!
Toko: He's r-right though...Naegi's room was the s-scene of the crime. What more proof do you n-need?
Me: Please stick to your romance novels. Investigation isn't your area of expertise.
Toko: *angry* Why you...!
Naegi: H-Hold on a second! I'm...
Kyoukk: Let's draw conclusions after we've presented our arguements. Otherwise, what's the point of the trial.
Leon: We can all talk all we want, it's not gonna chance that conclusion.
Me: I wonder...
Kyouko: I don't think that's true at all. I'm sure if we keep at it, something new will reveal itself.
Hiro: You really believe that?
Leon: So I guess there's no question that the kitchen knife was the murder weapon. But where does that get us?
Toko: Naegi must have taken it f-from the kitchen, right? He did it in s-secret, when nobody was in the d-dining hall!
Naegi: That's not true! I didn't take the knife from the kitchen!
Toko: Next you're g-gonna day you're not the k-killer, right? Go ahead and day it all y-you want...!
Makoto: What if I have a witness? Right, Asahina?
Hina: Huh?
Makoti: Just to be perfectly clear, the knife disappeared while you were in the dining hall, correct?
Hina: Y-Yeah,that's right...
Naegi: And at any point while you were there, did you ever see me come into the dining hall?
Hina: Umm...No, I don't think so...
Byakuya: You don't think so?
Hina: No, he definitely wasn't there!
Makoto: The knife disappeared while Hina was in the dining hall. But I wasn't there the entire time. In other words, there's no way I could have taken the knife!
Toko: Then how about this. What if the i-idiot swimmer girl and Naegi are in on it together a-and lying to protect each other?
Me: Monokuma!
Monokuma: Yes~?
Me: Let's say the killer has a helper. An assistant. Will the accomplice be labeled blackened too?
Monokuma: Each murder is allowed to have an accomplice, but only the one who does the killing will get to graduate.
Kyouko: So in other words, two people can work together, but only one of them has the chance to profit from it.
Mondo: There's no way anyone would work together, right...?
Chihiro: What if they did work together, but didn't know the rule?
Me: Monokuma! Are there any accomplices?
Monokuma: Didn't you say you knew who the killer is already?
Me: I do and I know there's no accomplice, but these id-...Guys are not easily convinced in the truth.
Monokuma: Good grief! Enough already! No, okay?! There are no accomplices in this case!...Oops! Did I say that out loud...?
Me: *grins* Thank you for your cooperation~
Naegi: Anyway, I didn't go to the dining hall and I didn't take the knife. So I'm not the killer!
Me: Finally.
Chihiro: Then who did?
Celeste: Hina seems the obvious candidate. After all, she just said she was in the dining hall.
Hina: N-No way! I swear it wasn't me!
Hifumi: Sure, but can you or anyone else prove that?
Sakura: I can.
Hina: That's right! Sakura was with me the entire time I was drinking my tea.
Leon: Uh...I hate to have to ask, but just to be sure, Sakura's...
Sakura: Me.
Leon: Right.
Hiro: Then couldn't either of them have grabbed the knife?
Hina: Actually, no. Because...Um...Well...
Sakura: I stayed in Hina's room last night.
Hina: I got so scared thanks to those creepy videos. I wasn't really thinking, I just asked her to stay over. Which means we have airtight alibis!
Toko: Doesn't that v-violate one of the school r-regulations?
Chihiro: We're not allowed to sleep anywhere but the dorms, but it doesn't say we have to stay in our assigned rooms.
Taka: It IS a problem! A boy and a girl spending the night together?! It's...It's...Unwholesome!
Me: Uhm...Ishimaru...
Sakura: But...I'm a girl.
Taka: Wh-?! You are?! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!
Celeste: But if it wasn't either of you, then what other possibility is there?
Hina: Well...One person did come to the dining hall while we were there.
Byakuya: Why didn't you say so in the first place...?
Hina: Because they're not here anymore.
Me: Maizono?
Hina: Yes. She's the one who came to the dining hall. And then later...She wound up dead...
Makoto: So...Sayaka did...?
Sakura: That's the only possibility. And thinking back on it, she was acting kind of unusual. When she came into the dining hall, she didn't even look at us. She just went straight to the kitchen. As she left, she said she just wanted a drink of water. But most likely...
Taka: Then the person who took the knife was the victim herself!
Makoto: I'm sure...She just took it for self-defense...
Me: Just like the sword, huh?
Byakuya: So you're saying the knife she took...Was taken from her and she was killed with it. In that case, you may not have taken the knife, but you still could have killer her.
Me: *sighs* And back to square 1.
Makoto: What?!
Toko: S-See?! He did do it, a-after all!
Me: You look and sound so perverse, Fukawa...
Makoto: No, you're wrong!
Kyouko: Hold on. It's still to early to decide conclusively that Makoto is the killer. Because, you see, if the room did belong to the killer, then they did something most bewildering.
Makoto: That's right! There wasn't a single hair on the floor!
Chihiro: So the culprit removed evidence?
Me: Yes. Naegi wouldn't need to remove the hair from his own room.
Mondo: Wait, so that means...?
Kyouko: Precisely. It's simply beyond reason to believe that the room's owner and the killer are one and the same.
Chihiro: Then, Naegi isn't the culprit?
Taka: But are you sure that's enough evidence?
Kyouko: There are plenty of reasons to prove that Naegi isn't the killer.
Sakura: I'd like to hear thise reasons.
Me: The shower room doorknob was broken.
Kyouko: It's fairly certain that the killer had some trouble getting into the bathroom.
Makoto: Yes...Doorknob broken and the top part is unscrewed.
Kyouko: In trying to bypass the lock, they ended up removing the entire doorknob. This proves Naegi is beyond suspicion.
Leon: So what? You're saying he wouldn't break the door in his own room? If the only choice is to break it, you break it!
Me: A boy's bathroom door doesn't lock, y'know. But Naegi's door was misaligned. The only ones who knew it were him and Maizono, correct?
Makoto: Yes...I only told her, when she came to swap rooms.
Me: Why'd he break the doorknob if he knew how to open it?
Celeste:But then,why would the killer even think the door was locked in the first place?Everyone knows you can't lock any of the boys' bathrooms.
Makoto:The killer must not have realized that it was my room.
Hifumi: What?! Are you saying the culprit didn't even know where he was? That's...Inconvenciable!
Me: But it's true.
Hifumi: SAYWHAAA?!
me: Shut up, Gopher boy.
Kyouko: To be more specific...The killer didn't know that Maizono and Nargi switched rooms, which lead to the misunderstanding.
Byakuya: Regardless, it was a pointless act. Wasting time trying to break down a door that wasn't locked is...
Makoti: Definitely something I wouldn't do, since I would've known exactly why it wasn't opening, right?
Byakuya: That is...A definite possibility.
Me: Disappointed already?
Byakuya: . . .
Celeste: Does no one have any other thoughts or questions? It does not matter how trivial they may seem.
Hina: I do have a question!
Celeste: Oh...You...
Hina: You don't gotta sound so disappointed! So um...How'd the culprit get into Makoto's room in the first place?
Leon: Maybe Maizono dropped the key somewhere and the culprit picked it?
Taka: Sounds way too convenient...
Chihiro: Maybe someone picked the lock?
Taka: Negative! Monokuma made it quite clear that the locks are unpickable.
Hifumi: Then, they could have knocked and said they wanted to talk or something and Miss Maizono let them in!
Makoto: That can't be...
Hifumi: And why not?!
Makoto: Sayaka was already scared, remember? That's why she asked me to switch rooms in the first place. I can't believe she'd open the door for anyone.
Kyouko: What if her being scared was a lie?
Makoto: Wh-What the hell is that supposed to mean?! Why would she lie about something like that?
Me: *giggles* To blame you, so she could escape?
Kyouko: I know you don't want to consider it, but look at this and tell me...Can you still deny the possibility?

So that's what the notebook was about.
Sayaka wrote a letter to a certain someone to meet at her room.
Great job, Kyouko~

Kyouko: Oh, and I should mention...Raven found the notepad on the desk in Naegi's room.
Makoto: Huh?
Kyouko: Which means,only someone who had been in Makoto's room before the incident could have written it.
Byakuya: Either Naegi, who lived there, or Maizono, who switched rooms for a single night.
Kyouko: So, did you write it?
Makoto: N-No..I didn't but...
Kyouko: Of course you didn't. The note has Maizono's signature.
Makoto: Why...
Kyouko: To get in touch with a certain someone. She must have slid it under their door to let then know she wanted to meet with them in secret.
Hifumi: If you got an invitation like that from the Ultimate Idol, what young man could resist?
Me: Gross...
Hifumj: Of course, I'm only into 2D so it wouldn't have any effect on me!
Me: Liar...
Celeste: But can we be sure anyone even got this note? In the note it said "my" room. Wouldn't that mean they'd have gone to Naegi's room?
Naegi: The nameplates on my and Maizono's rooms got switched.
Celeste: Got switched?
Kyouko: That's right. The nameplates got switched, just like the rooms.
Byakuya: So what you're saying is,the room Maizono was staying in, was actually marked as her room.
Kyouko: And the one who switched the names wasn't you, right Naegi?
Makoto: R-Right...
Leon: Okay...Then who did it?
Makoto: Maizono and I were the only ones who ever knew about us switching rooms. So...It must have been Sayaka...
Kyouko: You can also infer as much from her note.
Chihiro: But why...?
Kyouko: She wanted someone to.come to the room she was in and also hide the fact that it was Naegi's room.
Makoto: What...?
Kyouko: First, we must understand what happened after she invited the person into the room.
Taka: Whoever she invited over...Came in and...Attacked her!
Mondo: But we still don't know, you damned idiot.
Celeste: Sayaka fought with the killer there in the room, yes? Perhaps the answer to our previous question lies in the initial struggle.
Kyouko: Yes, I think you're right.
Sakura: That reminds me of that replica sword from the room.
Mondo: Oh yeah, what's the deal with that sword?
Makoto: Maizono suggested I should hold on tonight. I thought it might come on handy if I I had to defend myself...Seems pretty likely the killer used it to break Sayaka's right wrist.
Leon: How the hell could you possibly know that?
Makoto: Because there's something glittery on it.
Chihiro: Gold..?
Makoto: Sure is. Specifically, the gold coating from the replica sword.
Me: That gold sure comes off quickly...such cheap quality.
Taka: Got it! She got hit with the sword right there on her wrist!
Hifumi: And so the truth draws ever closer.
Hiro: Then it's about time to solve the mystery!
Hiro: When the fight broke, the culprit grabbed the sword and that's when the first blow was dealt! A sword-based sneak attack!
Makoto: That's wrong...! I don't think the fight started with the sword.
Hiro: Huh? Why not?
Makoto: Because the sword's sheath has been scratched. There's a gash here, like someone cut it
Chihiro: Like...the kitchen knife we found at the scene...
Mondo: Stop jumpin' ahead! Slow down and explain it so I get what the hell's goin' on!
Me: Oh, you, slowpoke *smiles* The one with the knife attacked the other one, who defended themselves with the unsheathed sword.
Sakura: So the sword was used initially as self-defense against the knife.
Hifumi: So the kitchen knife attacked first!
Me: I just said that...
Taka: So they took the knife and attacked Sayaka before she knew what was happening! So she grabbed the sword to defend herself, but then the culprit took that away from her. Then broke her wrist with that sword, took the knife and...Finished it...
Me: You're so off...
Kyouko: Sorry, but I don't Sayaka used the sword to defend herself.
Leon: Wh-?! How the hell can you not think that?
Kyouko: She never held the sword at all.
Makoto: Her palms were perfectly clean, so she couldn't have picked up the sword.
Hina: How can you know that just by looking at her palms?
Me: The worn off gold, y'know. It comes right off as soon as you touch it.
Hifumi: *perverted smile* Miss Raven, such an erotic thing to say...
Me: *eye twitch* Refrain from speaking,pest.
Hifumi: *sulks*
Makoto: *coughs* As I was saying, the sword already has a lot of gold off, so it's safe to assume it's because of whoever used it.
Toko: Maybe she w-washed her hands after she e-escaped into the bathroom.
Me: Doubt it.
Toko: W-Why are you saying that...Is i-it because I'm ugly?
Me: That too. But, there's no water at nighttime, right Monokuma~?
Monokuma: Yes, yes!
Toko: Oh...I d-didn't actually know that...I haven't taken a s-shower here yet.
Me: *sweat drops* Figures.
Toko: Y-You're no different! You s-smell like a big f-fat ugly donkey!
Me: *grins* Actually, my shampoo and shower gel say it smells like vanilla, lavender and cinnamon. Riiiight, Monokuma?
Monokuma: Don't I have the best taste in pleasant smells?
Me: Aesthetically pleasing.
Celeste: Worthy of royalty.
Taka: Then, the one who used the knife and damaged the sheath was Maizono-san?
Byakuya: The person with the knife attacked first and the sword was used as an impromptu defense.
Hifumi: Then the one who attacked first was...!
Makoto: M-Maizono?!
Kyouko: Now do you understand? She wasn't a blameless victim in this.
Byakuya: No, far from it. It's almost as if...She had been planning to commit a murder of her own.
Me: Ding Ding, we have a winner! She took the knife from the kitchen, then invited the culprit to the room she was staying in. And if it's true that she had the kitchen knife and attacked without provocation...
Sakura: Indeed...These are all the actions of an assailant.
Celeste: Naegi, Maizono was the one who suggested you two switched rooms, correct? Maybe the reason she wanted to switch rooms...Was to pin the crime on you. That is a possibility, is it not?
Makoto: Maizono wanted to -- on me?!
Celeste: That would also explain why she switched the nameplates. She wanted to get whoever she had targeted to go to Naegi's room, where she was staying. And by committing the murder there, instead of her room, that would implicate Naegi. But for that to work, the target had to be lured out while still keeping the room swap a secret. If the target knew she had switched rooms, they would have become suspicious right away.
Mondo: So that's why...
Hifumi: But doesn't that plan seem a little risky? Even if her plan worked, Master Naegi would just tell everyone they'd switched rooms.
Byakuya: I don't know...I'm not sure our soft-hearted Naegi is capable of that kind of cutthroat behaviour. I'm sure Maizono realized the same thing, which is why out of all of us, she asked him to switch rooms.
Me: And because they were middle-school friends...Sort of. She used Naegi-kun the whole time here. It would have been the words of an ordinary boy versus the ones of a pop idol...
Hifumi: You're saying she had all this planned out?
Mondo: Holy shit.
Celeste: Her plan backfired, in the end.She launched her attack with the knife, then found herself under attack in turn. That must be when her wrist broke and she was forced to drop the knife.
Sakura: The tables were suddenly turned on her and she died at the hands of the one she'd plan to murder.
Makoto: T-That can't be true! Because...Because...
Monokuma: You guys totally derailed the argument! You're being super boring right now! Hurry up and decide who did it! Wouldn't it be awful if I had to punish you all just because you ran out of time?!
Me: You mentioned nothing of a time limit...
Hiro: Yeah...We gotta hurry up and choose something...
Leon: It's easy just to say 'Hey,decide who did it!'. But there are just no more clues!
Me: Wrong. *giggles* The answer is in her Dying message.
Leon: Dinin-what now?
Kyouko: Dying message. She wrote something on the wall behind her, remember? 11037, written in her own blood.
Celeste: Before we get too far into that, I need to ask...Can we really be sure that Maizono wrote it?
Makoto: Her left index finger had blood on it.
Taka: I see...She broke her right wrist during the fight, so she'd have to use her left hand to write.
Hina: Then...What the heck do those numbers mean?11037?
Mondo: Hey Chihiro, you're a computer nerd or whatever, right? You should know all about numbers and shit!
Chihiro: N-No, that's not...Yes, I'm a programmer, but I don't see any kind of meaning in these numbers.
Me: *sighs* Hopeless until the end...
Mondo: Huh? What? What?!
Me: Those aren't numbers...
Hifumi: Look at the numbers assuming they're not mumbers. Don't these first two, 11, look less like two numbers and more like one letter?
Chihiro: Oh, you're right! Looking at it now,you could also read it as an N!
Me: Or just turn it upside down and read the word...
Makoto: Oh my god...Now I see! She wrote down the killer's name...
Me: Evrika!
Hina: Huh?! You just shot last the clue part and right on to who did it!
Toko: So wh-whose name did sh-she write...?
Me+Makoto: L-E-O-N.Leon.Kuwata Leon.
Leon: What the hell are you talking about? I-It's just a coincidence!
Me: One great detective once said that there are no coincidences at a crime scene.
Kyouko: Sherlock Holmes.
Leon: That's just a bunch of random squiggles that happened to look like my name!
Kyouko: No, it's not random at all. She wrote the message on the wall behind her as she was leaning up against it.In that position, she couldn't move to write normally and had to write upside down, as it were. And as a result...When you look at it standing in front of her, it end up getting flipped. Try it yourself, if you want. Write something sitting like her and the letters will be inverted.
Leon: Th-That sounds like one hell of a stretch to me...! I'm the killer?! You can't just go and say shit like that!
Me: Then why did you destroy evidence?
Leon: Huh?
Makoto: That burnt shirt piece I found laying on the ground by the incinerator, right?
Kyouko: As the killer stabbed Maizono, they must have gotten some of her blood on them. And to dispose of the shirt covered in the victim's blood, they threw it into the incinerator.
Celeste: But one piece burned off and got left behind...
Kyouko: And the killer didn't notice. If they had, they most certainly would have panicked. Isn't that right, Kuwata?
Leon: Wh-Wh-Wh-What?!
Sakura: But is one scrap of fabric enough to conclude that Kuwata is guilty?
Chihiro: Yeah...I mean, Kuwata's not the only one wearing white button-up
Leon: Th-That's right! There are plenty of other people here with shirts like mine! With just that one little charred piece, there's no way you can say for sure who it belongs to.
Me: But that's not the reason we found you guilty, again...
Makoto: You're right. If we look closely at how the shirt was disposed of, we should be able to figure out who the killer is.
Leon: O-Oh, yeah...That's a good point. I think I know what you're gonna say...You can't reach the incinerator without opening the gate in front of the trash room, right? And obviously you wouldn't be able to hit the switch to turn it on, either. You'd need the key to get in. And the one with the key was the person cleaning duty! So the killer had to be whoever was in charge of taking care of the trash, right?!
Me: Chillax...You're gonna burst a vein...
Hifumi: Hahahaha....GWEH?!
Leon: The key to the trash room. Whoever was on cleaning duty must've had it, right?
Toko: So the only one wh-who could get to the in-ncinerator was...the p-person in charge of the t-trash?
Leon: And you'd have to get close to the incinerator in order to destroy the evidence.
Makoto: That's not true! I think I know how someone could dispose of the evidence without using the trash room key!
Sakura: But if you can't past the gate, you couldn't possibly turn on the incinerator, could you?
Makoto: Yeah,you could.If you used this.
Mondo: What is it, some kinda glass ball? It's busted to hell...
Hiro: Actually, it was supposed to be a crystal ball. But uh...
Chihiro: But how would you use it?
Makoto: The killer simply took aim at the incinerator switch and threw the ball through a gap in the gate. All they had to do was hit the switch,and the incinerator would come to life.
Hifumi: Someone threw that...Through a gap in the gate?!
Makoto: Remember what you said before, Yamada? He had the key, so the only way the incinerator could have been turned on without his knowledge was because the killer was able to hit the switch without opening the gate. Once they'd gotten the incinerator going, all they had to do was ball up the shirt and toss it in!
Leon: H-Hey, come on...what the hell is this?
Kyouko: All you have to do is look at the scene to know that the killer never actually went inside the trash room. The shards of broken glass, the incinerator left running, the piece of shirt that escaped the fire...If the killer had been on cleaning duty, the evidence would have been taken care of much more thoroughly.
Leon: W-Wait, no...Just hold on!
Chihiro: But the distance from the gate to the incinerator has to be at least 30 feet, right? The accuracy you'd need to throw a glass ball that far and hit something that small...Could someone really do that.
Leon: Th-That's right! There's no way! It'd be impossible!
Me: How about the Ultimate Baseball Star? Would it be impossible for him too?
Leon: D-Do you have any idea how stupid you sound right now?!
Me: *pouts* Awe, but Leon-kun, I feel bad now...
Celeste: A target 30 feet away would surely be little challenge for the Ultimate Baseball Star.
Leon: Y-Y-Y-You can't be serious! I...! I...! I'm not the killer! These goddamn shit-for-brains have got it all wrong, I'm telling you!
Me: *glares* Prove it.
Kyouko: Still won't admit? Okay then...Naegi-kun, review the incident one more time to make his crime perfectly clear so we can end this.
Leon: Listen to me! What the hell do you mean, end this?!
Makoto: Say what you want, Kuwata. But all the questions have been answered and the truth has been revealed.
Me: *sighs* Just an uneventful case.
Makoto: Here's what happened!

I think I'd better take one more look back at the case from the beginning. Last night, the killer went to the room Sayaka was in. In other words, my room.
From what we can tell,Sayaka invited that person there intending to kill them.
She attacked them with the knife she'd taken from the kitchen earlier...But then something happened that she wasn't prepared for. They grabbed the fake sword I'd put in my room and fought back.
During the struggle, a strike from the sword broke Sayaka's right wrist ...And that's when she lost grip on the kitchen knife. Finding herself cornered, Sayaka panicked and ran into the bathroom.
The killer went after her, but couldn't get the bathroom door open.
What they didn't know was that my bathroom door got stuck easily and there was a trick to opening it.
Sayaka knew about that because I'd told her, but of course, the killer had no way of knowing.
So instead, the killer forced the door open, took the kitchen knife and stabbed Sayaka.
But with the strength she had remaining, Sayaka left a dying message.
To keep the killer from noticing, she wrote it on the wall behind her.
And with that, all her strength was gone.
With Sayaka dead, the killer quickly began destroying the evidence.
First, they took off their shirt which was covered in their victim's blood.
Then,they took the lint roller in my room and cleaned up the entire area. They wanted to make sure they got rid of any trace they'd ever been there...
Afterwards, the killer headed to the trash room to destroy their bloody shirt.
They tried to burn the shirt using the incinerator there.
But the trash room was blocked off by an especially sturdy gate, preventing access to the incinerator.
So they came up with a plan to use Hiro's crystal ball,which he'd left in the laundry room.
The killer managed to throw the ball through the gap in the gate and hit the incinerator's switch.
For any normal person,that'd be an impossible throw,but the killer had the confidence to take a shot.
And that's because the killer was the Ultimate Baseball Star.
The crystal ball, thrown with absolute precision, hit the switch on the incinerator which then quickly roared to life.
Having destroyed the final piece of evidence, they left the area with, I imagine, a sigh of relief.
But there was one thing they missed...
Part of the shirt they'd thrown into the fire burnt away and fell out of the incinerator.
The killer didn't notice this and so left behind a piece of indisputable evidence.
Isn't that right...Leon?!
Kyouko: So, Kuwata, do you object to anything that's been said?
Leon: Do I object...? Hell yes, I object! Of course I do! I object! I object! I object!
Me: With less yelling and more reason?
Leon: You need evidence! Where's the evidence?! It's all bullshit! I refuse to aknowledge it!
Makoto: The screws on the bathroom doorknob were removed. I wonder what kind of tool the killer used to remive them...
Mondo: I mean...it had to be a screwdriver, right?
Hiro: Oh yeah. I'm pretty sure the toolkits we got each had one inside.
Makoto: But the toolkit in my room had clearly never been used.
Taka: That's because the culprit didn't know it was your room! They thought they were in Maizono's room!
Chihiro: Only the boys got toolkits, so the killer naturally assumed there wouldn't be one in there.
Makoto: Then whose toolkit did the killer use?
Leon: Stupid stupid stupid!
Makoto: It had to be their own toolkit!
Leon: Stupid stupid stupid stupid !!!
Makoto: Kuwata,would you mind showing us your toolkit? If I'm right about this, then...The screwdriver will show some evidence of being used!
Leon: Stupid stupid stu...uh? Huh?
Me: And...He broke.
Byakuya: And if you say you used it for something else, you'll have to explain exactly when, where and why.
Kyouko: And let me say this right now."I lost it" isn't an excuse at this point.
Leon: Stu...Pid...Stu...pid?
Me: R.I.P.
Byakuya: So, you have no rebuttal?
Celeste: Then it would seem...We are finished here.
Monokuma: Puhuhuhu...Looks like you've reached your verdict! Then are we ready to cast our votes? You all have a lever in front of you. Use it to make your selection! Oh, just to remind you all...Make triple sure you vote for someone! You wouldn't want to be punished for something so minor, right?
Me: Roger that.
Monokuma: Okay! Then let's get excited!

~~~~Kuwata Leon-Guilty~~~~

Monokuma: Looks like you got it right on the money! The blackened was none other than Kuwata Leon!
Leon: Huh? H-Hold on a second...
Makoto: Leon...Did you really...Kill Sayaka?
Hina: I don't believe it...
Me: Why? We just discussed the crime scene.
Mondo: Son of a bitch! What the hell is wrong with you!
Leon: I didn't have a choice...It was kill or be killed. S-So that's why...I killed her first. None of you are different! One wrong step and you'd be the one standing here! It was complete chance that I wound up like this! I was just...Unlucky. That's all.
Me: *smile* It's okay, Leon. Most.of us believe that if we lie to ourselves, the lie will eventually come true.

Monokuma: You're in utter despair thanks to Sayaka's betrayal, right?
Me: *grin* Wrong~
Monokuma: Huh?
Me: Despair over a killer? Nope. And even so, a killer with a real motive, could be forgiven,under some circumstances. But a traitor? Never. So, put it this way. You've rid us of a despair-inducing reason~!
Toko: Wh-What's wrong with her?
Me: So thanks, Monokuma! You brought us new hope!
Monokuma: I thought you were nice, but you're being straight rude to me! Grr...I can't stand you and your stupid hope! Let's see how hopeful you all and the killer will be after the execution!

With a chuckle, I go to a trembling Leon and hug him tightly, then cupped his face with one hand, while the other was gripping his own.

Me: Don't worry about it, Leon. Don't think of it as the end of your existence. Make it the beginning of your dreams! You've been wanting to be a rockstar for so long...And now you're free to do whatever you want, not latched to the cruel reality we live in.
Leon: B-But...I...
Me: Leon-kun~
Leon: Wh-What...
Me: Close your eyes and imagine your dream. The stage, the fans, the thrill. You'll get over it fast...And then you'll be able to accomplish it.
Monokuma: Enough talk!
Leon: I...Raven...Can't...
Me: I will still write your song for you~
Monokuma: The blackened, Kuwata Leon, will recieve his punishment!
Leon: You mean...E-Execution? W-Wait a second! I didn't have a choice! I had to kill her! It was self-defense!
Celeste: How exactly was it self-defence? When you forced your way into the bathroom, did you or did you not use you very own toolkit? After she'd shut herself in the bathroom, you went out of you way to head back to your own room, then you went all the way back, broke into the bathroom and killer her. Am I wrong? You had many number of chances to stop what you were doing. But you chose not to-
Me: It's fine, Celeste-chan! It's over now. He knows what he's done. Let him end this...In hope.
Makoto: It's fine...It's enough. It's not all his fault after all.
Me: *dries his tears* That's right. So smile for me until the end and show all your fans how bright a rockstar can shine!
Monokuma: Let's hurry up and get to what everyone's been waiting for!The punishment!
Leon: *pleading* P-please...Save me...
Me: *smiles* Wait for me, Leon. I'll be your first fan, I promise.
Leon: P-please...!

He kept on clinging on my arm, hugging me in despair, crying for salvation as Monokuma announced his execution.
All of a sudden, a chain collar appeared out of nowhere and latched on Leon's neck, grabbing him away from me.
He kept a firm grip on me, but the chain was much stronger and with a pull, Leon was taken away from there and dragged to the execution place, as I fell on the ground, from the impact.

Leon has been found guilty.
Time for the punishment!

He's been strapped on a pole, on a baseball field,and baseball balls were thrown at him continuously...Until he died...And we were forced to watch.
Goddamn it...Monokuma and his Despair...

Monokuma: WHOOOHOOOO!! EXXXTREEEEMEEEE! Man, my adrenaline is pumping right outta control!
Me: Oh yes, totally. Although, I believe that killing him off is to our benefit. A ruthless murderer cannot be forgiven. Thank you for getting rid of our despair, Monokuma! Always so considerate~
Monokuma: You're really pissing me off right now...You took my excitement away, dammit! The look of despair on everyone was so enjoyable!
Me: *waves at him* Too bad~! Everyone, let's go back to our dorms and have a good sleep!

Everyone was reluctant to even move, but slowly, they all came to the elevator, silently.
Kyouko managed to pacify Naegi, briefly...

On our way to the dorms, Byakuya trudged behind and pulled my sleeve, so we'll be alone.

Me: What is it, Togami-kun?
Byakuya: The hell was that all about?
Me: Eh?
Byakuya: Don't act clueless, you lowlife! You know very well that your behaviour was odd. No...Bipolar.
Me: Oh, so you noticed?
Byakuya: One must be brainless not to.
Me: Or careless. Or...In despair?
Byakuya: What's with all of this?
Me: Why do you think I acted that way?
Byakuya: Just tell me, dammit!
Me: How could one who didn't even manage to see the obvious, understand the motive behind such irrational behaviour?
Byakuya: Tsk...! Don't dare speak to me like that!
Me: Then why do you bother asking me?
Byakuya: I demand answers!
Me: You could ask nicely...
Byakuya: Why should I?
Me: You can't force me to tell you. You have no power over me, nor over anyone here, inside the Academy. You're a nobody here. Just an ordinary plebeian like all of us. A simple please and a nicer tone would work, you know? It could get you a lot more help, then as the Togami.
Byakuya: Why...
Me: Hm?
Byakuya: Did you act like that...Please...?

With a sly grin, I grab his sleeve and take him to my room, where I had already tampered with the camera.

Byakuya: What the...?
Me: *whispers* Monokuma.
Byakuya: What about him?
Me: I don't want him to get any satisfaction from his Despair fetish. So I went against it with the thing he hates most. Can you guess what it is?
Byakuya: That would be...Hope?
Me: *smiles* Well done. Yes, Hope indeed. Then, do you understand why I also both comforted and bad-mouthed Leon, right?
Byakuya: So you wouldn't give that bastard satisfaction.
Me: Indeed...But I'm not sure to what extent it worked. Everyone else wasn't helpful, you see...
Byakuya: Well, not everyone can be blank-hearted after a they've witnessed 3 deaths in a day.
Me: Oh my, and did this scar you too?
Byakuya: Me? Keh. Of course not. I couldn't care less for those worthless incompetents.
Me: Am I as well?
Byakuya: Remains to be seen.
Me: How disappointing...
Byakuya: What...?!
Me: You, Togami...*sigh* Boring and annoying.
Byakuya: How dare you?! As if you're one to talk! Manipulating others in your favour? Faking that so called weakness of yours?
Me: *raises my hand* Ah, stop right there. You've got some things wrong here. As to be expected, though.
Byakuya: You're saying I'm wrong?
Me: Again. Yes. For one so confident to be so wrong...*sighs* Anyways. Yes, I did manipulate, in a way, some people. But just because I show kindness and people are inclined to follow and aid the beacon of hope, doesn't mean I did some kind of psychological trick.I was just nice to people. My disease isn't a joke and I feel quite offended by that. I have my receipt to prove it. Also, as you may have forgotten, my Ultimate Talent is the reason I'm unphazed by death. Although...*chuckles* using Taka to bring me hot chocolate every morning is quite nice, don't you think? You could do that to Fukawa too!
Byakuya: . . . Whatever. .
Me: Ah...Such a pity...I already bored you to death. Well, whatever, it's not like you like me anyways. You're just talking to me for information. So shallow...
Byakuya: *smirks* Is that so?
Me: Huh?
Byakuya: Perhaps one so confident as yourself in their own deduction skills can still be wrong from time to time.
Me: What do you mean? Am I wrong with...What?
Byakuya: Good night.
Me: N-...Night...?

With an irritated sigh, I changed into my sleepwear and got under the sheets, beat after such a long, tiring day, full of social interactions and exhausting, yelling extroverts.

Number of students: 13