another-dr-another

[another-dr-another]

hm. this is a little nonsensical, but {Monokuma File #03-2} might work against {we can’t solve this case}? higa's arm placement could be a good lead! maybe we talk abt why they didn't fall down after he died idk -iris

Maeda, narrating - Does that work?

Maeda - I don't think anything about Higa's arms tell us more about who the blackened is.

Maeda - Taira isn't right- she's the one who said there has to be a blackened.

Maeda - Even if we can't see how they did it, we know that it happened.

Maeda - But, Taira also made the point that I need to have something to argue in favor of, even if I don't have an argument.

Maeda - All I know right now is who I don't suspect. I don't think I have enough to actually argue that I can solve the case.

[another-dr-another]

Maybe {that would’ve interfered with the events we know happened} with {Taira's testimony}?

Maeda, narrating - …It’s sort of funny- in a way I’m using Taira’s words against her.

Maeda - But, I think that’s right. I can make an argument out of that! I just don’t have evidence; I’ve gotta use some reasoning.

~*~

Maeda - No, that’s wrong!

Maeda - Taira, could you elaborate on what you’re talking about?

Taira - …Why are you saying it’s wrong if you want an elaboration?

Maeda - …

Maeda, flustered - You know what I meant. 

Taira - …

Taira - Does someone else mind justifying?

Maeda - Everyone knows what she’s talking about, but no one wants to say it…

//His eyes flick around the room- briefly, he makes eye contact with Hatano, but wasn’t expecting to, so he looks away without much regard before he realizes she was looking back at him.

Maeda - !

//Maeda makes eye contact with her again- she smiles, bitterly.

Hatano - …

Hatano - This whole trial has gotten to be so fucking stupid. I can’t even… understand how the same people that survived the past trials are acting like this now.

Hatano - She’s talking about when Iranami died, Maeda.

Maeda - …

Maeda - Really not what I wanted to happen.

Maeda - …Again, I want to prove it wasn’t Hatano, so we can get more information on the blackened.

Kobashikawa - …

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - The argument we’re making is that Hatano couldn’t have been up last night, because she would’ve noticed that Iranami was missing, and gone into action.

Tsurugi - Hatano can’t have been awake, because it’s inconsistent with what we know happened last night; Iranami left for the dining hall after Hatano fell asleep.

Tsurugi - Do you think you have a different explanation, Maeda?

Maeda - …

Maeda - Could Hatano have just… not noticed?

Tomori - …

Uehara - …Dude.

Maki - Well- Maeda, sure, in theory, but-

Uehara - There shouldn’t be a theory about this! The only reason Hatano didn’t clock Iranami is because she was asleep! If she was awake, it wouldn’t have been an issue?

Maki - …

Maki - If, Hatano were going to kill Higa, she could’ve been preoccupied with that. 

Maeda - Yeah, and it was dark!

Maeda - Tsurugi and Kobashikawa were both awake and moving through the room, just like the blackened, and they didn’t notice Iranami was gone.

Maki - Wait- I’m not on your side here, Maeda. 

Maeda - Why not? Lemme explain!

Maeda - We know by now that by the time of the fight, the last time we know Higa was alive, Iranami was in the dining hall.

Maeda - Both Kobashikawa and Tsurugi were up, and didn’t realize she was gone. I know last night, I just- didn’t really think to look at where everyone was sleeping, just because it didn’t come to mind.

Maeda - No one would have had especial reason to look for her-

Hatano - Tsurugi should have.

Maeda - Ouh. Fuck.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - That’s right.

Tsurugi - …

//Tsurugi doesn’t seem sure of what to do with himself- but he’s definitely more composed than he’s been this trial. The same is somewhat true of Hatano… her pain seems… quieter, maybe, than Maeda would expect.

Maeda - …Should I just take the hit and step in to redirect?

Tsurugi - Actually- can we- sorry, could we pause the case discussion for a moment? Just… while we’re here, on the subject.

Maeda - Ohhh, Fuck.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - Hatano, I’m so sorry.

Tsurugi - I don’t… think I really formally apologized for last night- 

Tsurugi - I mean, I’m sure I said something at some point, but… definitely not the way I would’ve wanted to.

Tsurugi - Everything you said in the dining hall was correct. I said things would be fine, and everyone trusted me. Two people are dead, and out of all the cases, this is the one I should’ve been able to prevent.

Tsurugi - But…

Tsurugi - Past all of the accountability aspect of this… I’m also just really sorry.

Tsurugi - Like, for everything that’s happened, and everything you’re going to have to deal with in this situation.

Tsurugi - I could have done so much to prevent you from suffering what you’ve had to.

Tsurugi - I should have looked for Iranami, that was my job. I should have kept her safe, and I should have been looking out for you, but I completely fell short.

Tsurugi - I don’t… want to end this with some false promise about a grand change I’ll make, or some way I can prevent this. It doesn’t really matter at this point, right?

Tsurugi - What’s happened has happened, and it’s not… about preventing it from happening again, because who cares about prevention now?

Tsurugi - I just…

Tsurugi - I’m saying this because I feel terrible, and you were upset earlier about how I seemed composed, and I want-

Hatano - Kinjo, shut up.

Tsurugi - …

Uehara - …

Tomori - …

Tomori - …Hatano, please don’-

Hatano - It’s accurate, yeah? He mentioned what his “job” is- it’s not like we don’t know.

Hatano - Tsurugi’s always trying to get us to avoid his past, but like… why? Why don’t you want that to follow you, Kinjo?

Hatano - We’re allowed to know what sort of person you are. You can’t try and hide from us, then get us to trust you.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - …Okay.

Hatano - No. I don’t care.

Hatano - I said to shut up. Because I don’t care what you have to say. I don’t care if you agree, I don’t want to hear that you agree, I don’t want to hear anything. 

Hatano - I don’t want you to talk to me, or about me, or about anything I’ve said. You’d know that if you listened to me.

Hatano - No one wants to go to the fucking pity party you’re throwing to cry about how guilty you feel because you fucked up, and someone called you on it. It doesn’t matter, because it’s so… selfish!

Hatano - You- you said I was right about everything I said in the dining hall. Back then, I said that you wanted this to happen. That you’ve been letting everyone die.

Hatano - I get that you wouldn’t confess to that, not if you didn’t think I’d call you on it. But, is that why you said everything that I said then was right? So I’d know what you were admitting, and no one else would?

Hatano - You’re- you’re just gross. And I don’t want to hear you talk about her, because she never mattered to you. You don’t get to- to use her to make yourself look better. 

Hatano - I don’t want your shitty apology, that you’ve probably given one thousand times, because you’re a fucking cop, and none of this means anything to you.

Maeda - …

//Maeda’s head feels… so full, right now.

Hatano - …

Hatano - And I get. That I seem like… a massive bitch right now.

Hatano - But- I can’t even say to fix your act, or anything. Iranami had a family. Higa sucked, but he had people to! Kurokawa had her brother and Yamaguchi had his sister and Mekaru had all those people at the orphanage-

Hatano - And you’ve thrown out their fucking lives, and just- because it’s fun to you? Because you like playing hero, or playing God-

Maeda - Ah…

Hatano - Or maybe it’s just about having a case to solve!

Hatano - Or maybe, you did kill Higa, and you’ve just been trying to get us to trust you, and that whole thing earlier was just some stupid ploy to get everyone to feel bad for you-

Hatano - Because that’s your only alibi!

Tsurugi - !

Hatano - Right? RIght-

Hatano - I mean, fuck! Everyone’s saying it could’ve been me, because Maeda thinks I’m too stupid to have looked for Iranami, but what about you?

Maeda - Maybe I should just… walk backwards to my execution grounds. Maybe Monokuma will start up the mechanics if I ask nice enough.

Hatano - You let Iranami die. And you let Higa die. You ignored the signs she needed help, even though that’s your job, and you invited us all for a sleepover, even though no one fucking wanted to.

Hatano - But, we’re supposed to believe you’re innocent, to the point of you not being a suspect, because you’re so sowwy?

Hatano - You should have looked out for Iranami, because you should’ve checked on everyone when you were up.

Hatano - Honestly, having worked through things like this? I’m back to thinking it was you last night. I bet you were too distracted with using the chance to kill Higa to make sure everyone was okay.

Hatano - Or, maybe you didn’t do anything to kill anyone. But, you’ve been so fucking weird, you obviously did something.

Hatano - Whatever you did, you screwed up. And, Kurokawa and Mekaru may not have had someone to defend them, but Iranami has me, and I won’t let you use her for whatever the hell you’re doing.

Hatano - Kill Higa, manipulate everyone, insist on playing hero, tantrum when you’re called out, do whatever. 

Hatano - But for God’s sake, just shut up. Even the people who still like you don’t wanna listen to you right now.

Hatano - Everyone would be happier if they never heard another word from you. Nobody likes having you around.

//There’s a finality in her words that allows Maeda to start thinking again.

Maeda - Holy shit.

Tsurugi - …

//Hatano is clearly still upset- but she’s resolute. Looking to the other end of the conversation, Maeda can’t parse anything out about Tsurugi.

Tomori - …

Uehara - …

//Tsurugi… seems to just be looking at the floor. But, he isn’t staring. He’s just casually avoiding anyone’s gaze.

Maeda - …He seems completely unbothered.

Tsurugi - …

Maeda - Is he going to react? At all?

Tsurugi - …

Hatano - …

Maeda - …

Maeda - She… told him to shut up. I guess that it worked.

Maeda - …

Maeda - Jesus Fuck. Things got so bad so fast…. 

Hatano - …That’s resolved, then. I guess.

Kobashikawa - …

//He’s clearly concerned with what’s going on- but he isn’t trying to prompt Hatano into a response. Unfortunately for him, she’s happy to take the rhetorical invitation.

Hatano - I mean, all that matters to me is that that’s over. We can talk about whatever else now. That was my only issue.

Maeda - Yesterday feels like it was forever ago- so much has happened, it’s hard to… rectify things. I guess.

Maki - …

Maeda - Ah, back to the trial- Hatano didn’t seem pleased about my theory, either, but if she says she’s done with things, I”m happy to move on.

Ōtori - …

Ōtori - Where were we, then?

Hatano - Everyone was debating if it could’ve been me.

Maeda - Fuckkkk.

Maeda - I think we’re fine to discuss a different idea, thoug-

Hatano - No.

Hatano - You aren’t walking away from the argument you were making, Maeda. 

Hatano - Fuck, I forgot- what were you even claiming might’ve happened last night?

Maeda - My stupid baka life. Oh my god.

Hatano - You kept saying you’d prove it wasn’t me. If you meant that, you should be able to do it now. 

Maeda - I… there just isn’t really… merit-

Hatano - There should be. Nothing I said would’ve changed your theory, right? 

Maeda - …God damnit. 

//Maeda’s actions are now having consequences for him.

Maeda - I was saying you could have killed Higa, just because no one could confirm you were asleep. That’s it!

Hatano - …Huh.

Maeda - Yeahhh.

Maeda - The argument Taira was making was that you would’ve noticed… Iranami being gone, but, uh- other people who were up didn’t notice, so that doesn’t really hold up!

Hatano - …

Hatano - Yeah, no. The timeline doesn’t make any sense.

Hatano - Like, what reason would I have to kill Higa?

Maeda - I mean- same motive as everyone else, to be fair.

Maeda - …

Maeda - As a matter of fact…

Maeda - You were the one who argued we shouldn’t try to solve Higa’s murder, because no one cared about him.

Hatano - Oh.

Hatano - I mean, yeah. 

Hatano - I was like… right, about that, though.

Maeda - …Yeah. Yeah- you were totally right. No one’s come to his defense or anything.

Maeda - But, you know. It doesn’t really clear you from the disliking him motive.

//Hatano shrugs. She doesn’t really seem concerned.

Tomori - …

Tomori - Actually, sort of on that note;

Tomori - Isn’t it worth considering how feasible it was for people to have pulled off murdering Higa?

Maeda - Like earlier? When we checked strength?

Tomori - No- sorry, this isn’t too related, I guess.

//Tomori pauses for a moment, clearly worrying over what to say.

Maeda - …I wonder how she’s feeling after Hatano got after Tsurugi, actually…

//The thought causes Maeda to go look at Uehara.

Uehara - …

//Little to report. He doesn’t seem like he’s really paying attention. 

Tomori - I mean, like-

Tomori - Hatano was all the way across the room. If she were the blackened, she’d have to cross over everyone.

Tomori - I’m not saying that’s impossible…

Tomori - But, it doesn’t really make sense. I mean, especially with the main defense Hatano has…

Maeda - If she crossed the room, she’d have seen everyone- and might’ve-

Hatano - Yeah.

Hatano - That’s exactly my point. If I were awake, I would have seen Iranami. So, I can’t have been the blackened.

Tomori - Exactly.

Kobashikawa - …

Kobashikawa - What’s your reason for bringing up the proximity, Tomori?

Tomori - Oh-

Tomori - Just, on my mind? I guess…

Tomori - I don’t know…

Tomori - …

Tomori - I don’t think it’s Hatano. And… I get looking at this from every angle, but… I think that should maybe look like throwing out some theories, just random ones-

Tomori, faintly - …Basing what we discuss off a specific person isn’t… such a good idea.

Maeda - …

//She doesn’t sound soft, sweet, and reassuring. Tomori sounds stressed. The trial is getting to her.

Maeda - She’s still tied for number one suspect.

Maki - Do you really want to look at who was near Higa, then?

Tomori - …Yeah.

//God- she looks queasy.

Maeda - What’s with her? Tomori…

Maeda - Whatever. If we want to discuss this, then that’s what we’ll do.

Ōtori - …

~*~

Nonstop Debate: START!

Truth Bullets Bloodied Pillow Monokuma File #03-2 Room Layout

Ōtori - So… {we’re looking for somebody close to Higa}- physically?

Taira - Mhm…

Ōtori - But- {not Tsurugi, who was asleep right next to him.}

Kobashikawa - No- I don’t think we should put Tsurugi on our radar.

Tomori - If we limit it down to potential subjects, then {Taira would’ve been closest to Higa}.

Tomori - She could’ve gone over and killed him, no issue.

Taira - That’s true.

Hatano - You won’t defend yourself?!

Taira - {It wasn’t me.}

Taira - That’s it. Best defense I can offer.

Hatano - Ah…

Taira - I don’t think any of this matters, though. In fact, if you ask me, {we can’t solve this case}- it’s impossible.

Taira - But, that’s no help. So, let’s get out our measuring tapes, I guess. Whatever will help you all sleep with this. 

Tsurugi - …

~*~

Maeda, narrating - I don’t think anyone’s all too confident with this…

Maeda - To be honest, it feels like we’re all pretty uncertain. No one feels comfortable right now- not that the trial is ever comfortable.

Maeda - There’s just… an especially harsh energy, I guess.

Maeda - This doesn’t resonate right.

Maeda - But, whatever. Discussion is discussion. If we can narrow down any information, it’ll give us something new to work with.

Maeda - …Or, whatever we’ve been telling ourselves.

Maeda - You miss a hundred percent of the shots you don’t take! And- ninety nine percent of the ones you take blindfolded!

Maeda - I hate basketball. I like soccer more- now that Higa’s gone, I can say that. I can’t imagine playing against Higa.

[another-dr-another]

tairas "testimony" at {thats exactly what we've already done}, maybe? it counts out taira and makes tomori suspect - annie

Maeda, narrating - Yeah… I don’t know what evidence to use, but I really don’t want to go down this path. It’s so far from what I was thinking when we started the trial…

Maeda - I really don’t have a clue what I’m doing- is that obvious?

Maeda - Maybe I’ve been too dependent on Tsurugi… now that he’s not able to work with us and solve the trial, I don’t know what to do-

Maeda - Well, he’s still working with us. He’s just…

Maeda - Not… really succeeding. Or helping.

Maeda - Hm. Sorry, Tsurugi.

~*~

Maeda - No, that’s wrong!

Maki - …

Maki, genuinely - What?

Maeda - …

Maeda - We didn’t review everything. Not thoroughly enough.

Maki - …

Maeda - …

Maki, slowly - …What do you mean?

Maeda - …Shit. What do I mean?

Maeda - We should look at it again. Make sure we aren’t missing anything. 

Hatano - Oh, there’s no way.

Hatano - We’ve reviewed everything thirty times already! What could possibly be off?

Maeda - It’s not a matter of things being off! It’s- it’s us not looking in the right spots, or from the right angle.

Maeda - I need to sell that there’s really something there… that’s the whole point. I need to trust myself.

Maeda - I know that something’s off in the alibis for last night. Since I can’t find it, I need to get the others to.

Maeda - There’s an alibi that doesn’t feel right to me. 

Ōtori - Not planning on saying who’s?

Maeda - No. If… I’m not right, I don’t want to antagonize anyone…

Hatano - This isn’t making any sense!

Uehara - No…? This- this is right. There’s a clear cut answer, it’s weird we aren’t getting there. 

Maeda - …Please expand on that.

Kobashikawa - What do you mean, Uehara?

Uehara - …

Uehara - Sorry. 

Uehara - I think we’ve written people off for the wrong reasons. Taira and Tomori shouldn’t be our only suspects…

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - Kinda like I was saying earli-

Maeda - NO!

Maeda - We are not going back there. Jesus, Tsurugi.

Maeda - Let’s not start with that, okay?

Tsurugi - …Okie. 

Maeda - Good.

Maki - …

Maki - But why?

Maeda - Fucking Maki, man. I wish i was on her side instead of dealing with these stupid fucking convictions.

Maeda - My life would be soooo much easier. 

Maeda - Who do you think it is, Maki?

Maki - …

Tsurugi - I don’t think that question is very… good for the group's morale.

Maeda - But, everyone has something they believe, right? Then, it shouldn’t matter if you just… go with this.

Maeda - I’m so tired. I have to direct the trial, though… it’s so hard. 

Maeda - I don’t know why this one is so off course. It shouldn’t be too different… is the double death’s what’s thrown it off?

Maeda - Well. Not like I really get how class trials work, I guess.

Maki - …Sure. “Why the hell not” seems to be the reasoning we’re going with anyways.

Tomori - So… we’re reevaluating alibis?

Ōtori - Wait.

Ōtori - We’re looking at the alibis for the time of death, right?

Maki - As opposed to?

Ōtori - …

Ōtori - For the bruises.

Tomori - Oh. I was thinking the time of death?

Kobashikawa - …Do we need to revisit peoples' injuries? Is there any that we’re worried about?

Maeda - I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to ask about that… mostly because I really don't think I can hold up against any more questioning.

Tsurugi - Let’s go over the alibis from the murder again.

Maeda - God- fuck. Of course Tsurugi would say that…

Maeda - But, I’ll take it for now. 

Taira - …

Taira - Hm.

Taira - Maeda. Is there anything that automatically feels wrong to you?

Maeda - Oh… hm.

//Maeda tries to pause and think.

Maeda - Maki, and Ōtori both have corroborated alibis. And, since Taira, known liar, isn’t associated with either one, I think I can trust it- multiple people giving weird lies is too unrealistic to be a counter.

Maeda - I trust Tsurugi’s judgement on mine, Kobashikawa’s, and Uehara’s strength- besides, it kinda just makes sense. You need a certain level of strength to pull off a strangulation.

Maeda - Leaving Taira, and Tomori…

Maeda - …And Hatano.

Maeda - …

Maeda - …Huh.

Maeda - I mean… Maki and Ōtori have both been vouched for by someone. If we’re having a hard enough time making one person definitively blackened, then I don’t think we can start to say there was two people working together-

Maeda - So, Maki and Ōtori are probably genuinely cleared here.

Hatano - But… just because they were asleep at one point, does that mean they couldn’t have killed at any point?

Tomori - We have to come up with a way to explain how they’d wake up at just the right time… if we accept that couldn’t have happened, we have to accept taking Maki and Ōtori off of the suspect list.

Maeda - So… adding on myself, Uehara, and Kobashikawa…

Maeda - And, can we still go with Tsurugi’s judgement on people’s strength?

Tsurugi - ?

Maeda - …?

Tsurugi - …Maeda, you’re the only one arguing against it. Who are you asking? 

Maeda - A-Ah…

Kobashikawa - …Maybe we should consider some alternate explanations for people’s involvement.

Kobashikawa - Strength is something that can be a bit arbitrary, right?

Maki - We’re really just saying that some people wouldn’t have beta Higa in a fight. I don’t think that’s so crazy to argue.

Ōtori - Yeah… why are you trying to get yourself back on the list? Or- do you think it was Maeda, or Uehara?

Kobashikawa - A-Ah. I don’t… really know who I suspect. I just think we could try coming up with a second reason… some extra proof.

Ōtori - But, this isn’t really the best route to be going down… the only argument we had other than people being seen asleep is the whole thing we did about moral capacity to hurt Higa.

Maeda - That… fuck. 

Maeda - Ōtori’s wrong. There is another reason we’ve been using to clear somebody.

Maeda - …

//Maeda really doesn’t want to make that argument. He’d really prefer to leave that alone.

Uehara - …

Taira - Everyone who was cleared for strength would have reason to attack Higa.

Maeda - …I had reason to attack Higa?

Taira - Wouldn’t have been the first time.

Maeda - Fuck. Walked into that one.

Kobashikawa - …It’s true, we’d all have had reason… I guess. I don’t know, though. I just feel like we could stand to evaluate again.

Maeda - …

Maeda - I don’t agree. There’s… I don’t know, it just doesn’t feel right. Not that I know how to explain that, of course- it’s kinda just a feeling.

Maeda - Which, duh, obviously I don’t like following the thing that makes me look like a suspect. But really, I think we’re supposed to be following something else.

Maeda - …

Maeda - Upseettingly, I can only come up with one thing we haven’t fully explored. And it kinda sucks!

Tomori - …

Tomori - I don’t know. I get this is sort of… going against my best interest- but I think I disagree.

Tomori - The only person that’s really under suspicion then is Maeda, right? Because Maeda was awake last night, sort of, and no one was really around him…

Maeda - Fuck. 

Maeda - I- I think I actually need to bring up my argument. 

//The room is silent, as the class weighs their options. Maeda’s trying to think… but, when he does look up, he finds himself automatically looking at Hatano. 

Maeda - …I-I’m not about to… I couldn’t suggest that, right? That’d be crazy.

Maeda - It- It could track. Sure, whatever, it could make sense. But… to actually suggest it? To go yeah, fuck it, this is my theory?

Maeda - God- everyone would be so mad at me. 

Maeda - …

Maeda - Though… on that note, if we’re looking at personal relations…

Maeda - …

//A part of him starts to begrudgingly cave.

Maeda - Not like there’s too much we haven’t already dealt with… things are sort of… already…

Maeda -  And I guess, if I just put it out there, so we cover all the bases, it isn’t too bad…

Maeda - In a way, it’s kinda cool and chill of me, to just casually mention it, so we can immediately dismiss the theory…

Maeda - …

Maeda - Fuck. Yeah, no… it totally tracks.

Maeda - If we look at the layout of the room, there’s someone who’s obscured from anyone else’s natural line of sight.

Maeda - Which doesn’t mean anything! It just means we should bring it up, and decide it’s irrelevant, and… by then, we’ll have found something new to deal with.

Maeda - …

//Again, he looks around the room- no one’s… offering him anything. It seems the room is waiting for someone to speak, and given it’s Maeda who’s under suspicion, most expect it to be him. He doesn’t have a defense, so…

Maeda - Yeah. We have to push on everything. If it’s everyone's lives, then… nothing should be off limits.

Maeda - Hey- sorry, I got distracted. Uhm… a quick question?

Maeda - Why is Hatano off our list again?

Tsurugi - …

Tomori - …

Hatano - …What.

Maeda - Fuck. Reign it in, reign it in-

Maeda - Genuinely- just- trying to make sure I understand.

Maeda - …Let’s try it-

Maeda - The only reason I remember being mentioned is that she was asleep… but, did anyone see Hatano asleep?

Maki - …

Ōtori - …

Kobashikawa - I… feel like we don’t really have to have seen her asleep…

Hatano - Yeah, I feel like it’s pretty fucking clear by now that I wasn’t awake last night.

Maeda - Well- yeah, everyone has to have been asleep sooner or later, but… we know somebody was up and killed Higa.

Maeda - I get that I’ve established being awake, but… my name’s been cleared by Tsurugi’s account earlier, and I think I’ve been consistent enough with my testimony that it couldn’t have been me. 

Maeda - So, pushing aside the argument that it could’ve been me- can somebody clear up for me why Hatano isn’t a suspect?

//The room is silent.

Maeda - …Yeah. I’ll say Hatano could be the blackened. Why? Because- I can. And- someone needs to do something, and it has to be something other than suspecting me. 

Maeda - Maybe we’ll get a good argument out of this that we can use to work out who the blackened is. 

Maeda - It’s about exploring all the angles, right? I don’t think we’ll prove it was her, I just… think there’s more to be discussed here than in another debate about the established alibis.

Hatano - …

Hatano - Are you fucking kidding me?

Taira - Maeda… definitely a choice to bring this up.

Uehara - …A-Are we- sorry, is this seriously where we’re at? Am I- huh?

Tsurugi - …

//Tsurugi bites the inside of his cheek, and looks away. His evident contemplation is insanely reassuring to Maeda.

Maeda - Maybe I can defend this.

Maeda - It’s not because I think it’s her!

Maeda - I just want to make sure we’ve considered everything- like Kobashikawa was saying!

Kobashikawa, startled - !?!!???

Maeda - It’s not that she shouldn’t be considered cleared-

Maeda - Though… I’m really not sure if our logic holds up as well as our emotions… but I don’t think I could defend Hatano being the blackened. It’s not like I believe it- I just don’t think the evidence makes her spotless.

Maeda - -But, I think proving that she’s innocent can help us understand things better!

~*~

Nonstop Debate: START!

Truth Bullets Bloodied Pillow Higa’s Body Taira’s Testimony

Maki - Maeda, this is crazy!

Maki - I get not wanting to look at the suspects we have right now, but do {you really think it’s Hatano?}

Uehara - …That isn’t really a strong argument- like, character.

Uehara - But… {we don’t have any reason to think it was her}, so…?

Ōtori - No-

Ōtori - We’ve already ruled her out, that’s what matters. We’ve {narrowed down our suspects}, and she’s not on that list.

Tomori - …

Taira - …I think I understand where you’re trying to go with this, Maeda.

Taira - But, if Hatano were awake last night, {that would’ve interfered with the events we know happened}.

Taira - So, the argument doesn’t hold up. It goes against facts we’ve already confirmed. Doesn’t it?

~*~

Maeda, narrating - Okay. I don’t think I’ve really worked through what I’m doing right now.

Maeda - The point I’m making is that we haven’t fully discussed Hatano’s innocence.

Maeda - She’s off our list, yeah- but for something without much logical backing.

Maeda - I want to discuss it further… but everyone’s pushing against it, because Hatano last night is so tied to-

Maeda - …

Maeda - …Because discussing Hatano and what she’s gotten up to is a bit… sore.

Maeda - But, I feel right about doing this- I don’t think it was her! But I feel right in pushing on this. 

[another-dr-another]

{Trail Off In Thought} i think this will make things worse and i am all for it -iris

Maeda, narrating - I’ve got a lot on my mind, to be fair. 

Maeda - Let’s try to review where we are… we’ve solved Iranami’s case, because we know it was suicide via rule violation.

Maeda - She chose to stay behind in the dining hall, and didn’t make an effort to stay awake. We don’t know how the dining hall doors got closed, but it’s easy to say she closed them herself, to keep anyone from interfering.

Maeda - This means we have to solve Higa’s case, so a blackened can be executed. A class trial means a murder, means someone to punish. 

~*~

Maki - Monokuma, permission to leave my podium?

Maeda - We decided it must’ve been strangulation, after Kobashikawa left Tsurugi’s dorm to change out of his binder, a process that woke Tsurugi up. 

Monokuma - Permission Granted.

//Maki steps off of her podium. Some of the other students are already ready- Tsurugi, who lacks a jacket, holds his arms out, bent at the elbow, forearms facing up. Tomori lays her robe on her podium, and raises her arms up, before bending them back down, exposing the entirety of her arms, and lending her hands to fall slightly in front of her face.

Maeda - We’ve narrowed down the time it happened, but that hasn’t proven too relevant. For awhile, we tried to work out who’d been awake when the murder happened, but we didn’t get far there, since everyone could claim to be asleep.

//Maki reaches Tomori, who turns to face her. Her eyes scan over all of Tomori’s exposed skin, as Tomori watches her. Maki hesitates for a moment, before reaching to guide Tomori’s arms so she can check the rest. Tomori’s arms have a few light bruises- blues and browns, all small dots. Maki determines it’s nothing to worry about, and nods at Tomori. She smiles at Maki, then rubs at her arms before going to pull her robe back on.

Maeda - So, we tried to use a few other metrics to work out who had killed Higa. Maki, Ōtori, and Hatano all got confirmed as asleep, and it’s unlikely that they’d have woken up in the middle of the night.

//When Maki goes to Tsurugi, he smiles at well, crinkling his eyes at her. Again, she scans over the arms, then uses his wrists to turn his arms over. Some of the scars on his arms cross over and out of sight, so it takes a bit of attention to make sure it all lines up. Along with the plethora of scars, there’s also a myriad of scratches and bruising- but this was to be expected. Maki needs to look for something that seems like it could’ve been afflicted last night.

Maeda - Kobashikawa, Uehara, and myself got ruled out due to physical capability- Tsurugi had us squeeze his wrist, and said we couldn’t have gripped Higa’s neck tight enough, for long enough.

Maki - …What’s this?

Tsurugi - …Oh. Ah, uh…

//She’s pointing at one of the marks on Tsurugi’s arm- and it’s obvious why. When you look at the collection of bruises, it’s blatantly clear that it’s in the shape of a handprint. 

Maeda - Finally, we ruled out Tsurugi briefly, because he’s the only one who we don’t think could’ve killed Higa for being a prick. Of course, he then argued that he was the blackened, and had just forgotten about killing Higa.

Tsurugi - …

//He wraps his hand around the mark- it seems to line up perfectly.

Tsurugi - It’s my handprint. We can’t prove this- but Higa’s hands weren’t the same size as mine. 

Maeda - His argument was that he’d be physically capable of the kill, and he’d have been upset enough with himself to forget the murder to cope.

Maki - …

Maeda - But, he couldn’t explain everything, and when I started to point out some of my uncertainties with his account, he started to spiral, and kept contradicting himself. 

//Maki looks- there’s other marks on Tsurugi’s arms that match the pattern of the bruises she highlighted. They’re present on both arms, and keep a consistent size across their appearances. Noting that both arms are bruised, she notes that the bruises do vary in one way- it’s clear that all the bruises on his left arm were caused by a right hand, while the bruises on his right arm, caused by a left hand.

Maeda - We think that he convinced himself he was the blackened, because he feels stressed about not knowing who did it, and he just… inflated his guilt over the deaths to mean an actual homicide.

Maki - …Okay. That checks out.

Maeda - Kinda leaves us without anywhere to go from here…

//Tsurugi smiles- Maeda catches this, finally looking over to see what’s going on- getting slapped out of his thoughts as he realizes Maki is now one person away from him.

Maeda - FUCK. Guys. Y-You guys. You can not be doing this to me! I need to be paying attention to this! God!

//Maeda quickly rolls up his sleeves, shuddering a bit at the sensation as he brushes against his bruises. To distract himself, he idly cracks his knuckles, casually glancing at his arms- then startling.

Maeda - …

Maeda - Holy Fucking Shit.

Uehara - Heyyy.

//She looks over his arms- there’s some scratches, noticeably looking a bit gouged into his skin, and slight bruising. 

Maki - How did you get these scratches?

//The bruises Maeda noticed earlier have turned blue- though, he realizes…

Maeda - They haven’t “turned” anything! This- these are new!

Uehara - …

Maki - …

Uehara - …?

Maki - …?

//Yes, there’s new bruises on Maeda’s arms. These ones are purple- some tinted red, some hued blue- significantly larger than the marks he saw earlier. In fact, most of either arm is covered in a bruise, be it one from earlier, or one of the large, new ones. Maeda slowly moves his arms, watching the marks twist around with every turn.

Maeda - Oh my god???

Uehara - …Sorry, what?

Maki - …What’s the cause of your scratches?

//It looks… Maeda can’t even imagine what could have caused marks like these, let alone what led to him getting them-

Maeda - And not noticing?- ch!

Uehara - Ohh…

Uehara - …

//Maeda made the brilliant decision of checking to see if they hurt- they do! Pressing on them makes them hurt… a pain that pulsates through him. 

Tsurugi - I-It’s from earlier… you know what I’m talking about- you were there? Uhm- for part of it, at least.

Maeda - …

//He follows the course of his pain, and tries to check his upper arms- sure enough, there’s the same bruising (albeit somewhat fainter, less developed). While he checks his right arm, he brings the same hand up to his left shoulder, and gently presses his fingers to the skin, prodding around, until he’s gone to the same place as the pain- and triggering that wave again, when he pushes down, finding what he’s sure is another bruise.

Maki - …

Maki - Uehara, is that right?

Uehara - Mhm~

Maki - …

Maeda - What happened? Literally What. What the hell.

Tsurugi - …You only really got the tail end of stuff, right? It’s- this all aligns.

Maeda - …

//He slowly rotates his jaw… focusing on the ache that blooms when he does so, running along from where his jawline meets his neck, to the start of his chin. Maeda’s trying to map out the extent of his injuries, and he’s now fairly certain they stretch all the way up his arms, along his back, and to his jaw. Unfortunately, it’s more concerning than clarifying- what the fuck happened?

Tsurugi - Uehara was trying to get Hatano off and away, so there was a lot of grabbing- since he was grabbing her, she grabbed back to try and get him off!

Tsurugi - Plus, they did legitimately fight, too. I’m sure you get how easy it is to leave a mark on some people?

Maeda - …

Maeda - …Whatever. This is okay.

Maki - …

Maeda - Why would I care. This is fine. It doesn’t matter. I’ve got this! This is normal and fine.

Maki - …Yeah, alright, I get it. If that’s the story you’re going with, then… 

//Tsurugi laughs faintly, as Uehara zips up his jacket. Maeda feels his eye twitch, just once, as Maki approaches him.

Maeda - Howwww dare you. How fucking dare you. Go away. Oh my god. Fuck. Maki.

Maeda - Okay. Okay. This is fine. This is so fine. It’s totally not an issue. I can come up with an explanation!

Maeda - …Hi Maki.

Maeda - I’m so fucked. 

//Maki looks at Maeda’s eyes- then down at his arms.

Maeda - Augh.

Maki - …

Maki - What’s the story behind these?

//She takes him by the hands and slowly pulls his arms up, then gently rotates them around, as Maeda sweats.

Maeda - Uhm.

Maeda - …Great question.

Maeda - Kinda- hard to explain-

Maeda - They don’t really look like they’re from murder, right? I mean- !!!

Maeda - Fuck!- I almost brought up my alibi- I think if I’d have done that while we were all getting checked, it’d make me way more suspicious-

//Maki glances up at Maeda, then back to his arms.

Maeda - Though, I don’t think I’m doing too hot right now!

Taira - Maeda and I were roughhousing. 

Maeda - !?

Maki - Yeah?

Taira - Mhm. He’s anxious about confessing to it, we didn’t mean for things to get so out of hand. 

Maki - What happened?

Taira - We bumped into my bookshelf, and some of the books I had on it fell. 

Maki - …

Maki - Pretty brutal bruises from some books…

Taira - They’re amplifying the damage I dealt.

Maki - …

Maki - Maeda. How long ago was this?

Maeda - Fuck-

//He’s speaking faster than he can realize.

Maeda - Two days ago.

Maeda - Sometime… in the afternoon? Maybe around two, two-thirty.

Maki - Okay. WHy?

Taira - …

Maeda - …First rule of fight club. 

Taira - It’s just a way to get some energy out. Neither of us really like to work out, and I figured it’s good to have some experience fighting.

Taira - All in good fun. This one day just got out of hand, that’s all. 

Maki - …

Maki - Well, not like I have the authority to say that it makes someone the blackened- but, I’m assuming you’ve got some similar bruises, Taira? 

//She hums.

Taira - His are worse, but we’ve got the same spots, yes.

Taira - It’s just a way to get some energy out. Neither of us really like to work 

Maki - …

Maki - Okay. Lemme come look, then.

//It’s anti-climatic- but Maeda hardly notes it, too wrapped up in the realization that Maki’s really letting him go free. She drops his arms, and walks off to Taira. Maeda tries not to sigh in relief.

Maeda - Holy fucking shit…

Maeda - Ohhh my god. I can’t believe that actually just happened.

//He had no explanation for the bruises, and has no clue why Taira decided to step in and defend him.

Maeda - I mean… unless I’m amnesiac, she totally just decided to save me…

Maeda - Wait- this gives her an alibi, too.

//Maeda finally looks at Maki and Taira. Maki’s silently looking at Taira’s arms, while she looks away, eyes idly searching around the trial room- probably for a distraction, instead of anything in particular. As Maeda would expect… she’s got some bruises he can see.

Maeda - …

Maeda - Hi again, Inori.

Maeda - That’s so weird, though… if Taira’s saying those bruises are from a fight that didn’t happen…

Maeda - …

//Nothing… happens. His blood doesn’t run cold, and he doesn’t feel any creeping sweat coat him. All that happens is a dawning realization.

Maeda - …

Maeda - So. She has bruises she just lied to explain. Taira is one of the two suspects- and she just lied about why she has injuries on her arms.

Maeda - …

Maki - …Alright. Nothing that stands out as being incriminating.

//Taira nods. Maeda watches her as Maki walks away- she doesn’t look at him.

Maeda - …

Maeda - I’ll just… file that away, I guess. 

Maeda - I mean- obviously, that looks bad. But, Taira could have some other reason that she’s trying to keep from the group, right? Something more innocuous?

Maeda - Like…

Maeda - I know she’s lying. She wouldn’t have a reason to defend me, because now, I can say that she was lying, and not only is she caught in a lie, but she now has no reason for her injuries.

Maeda - It’s totally suspect. So, why do it? Why not keep me suspicious, and come up with a lie that someone else can’t disprove?

Maeda - …Also, I guess we’re in it together now. I lied too…

Maeda - God, why’d I do that?!

//Maki finishes checking Ōtori’s arms- silent the whole process, only nodding at him when she was finished.

Hatano - …What, nothing that caught your eye?

Maki - Nothing that Higa could’ve inflicted.

Maki - Though, I guess I am a bit curious. Were those burn scars, Ōtori?

Ōtori - Mhm.

Maki - Well, there you have it. He’s got burn scars, and- sure, yeah, a few marks. But nothing that looks like a homicide happened. 

Maki - Two bruises, one scratch, and the patterns don’t look like someone trying to push arms away or anything…

//Hatano hums, and tilts her head in nonchalant acceptance. Maki gently raises Hatano’s arms, checking the undersides and upper parts of her- Maeda can see some bruising from his podium.

Maeda - Ah…

Maki - …

Maki - Mmmmm… these are- from today, yeah?

Hatano - Mhm. 

Maki - …Cool. Heard.

Maeda - They’re from her fight with Uehara and Tsurugi-

//Maki steps away, opening Maeda’s view of Hatano. The most distinct mark is on her right cheek, bruise blooming deeper than the others already.

Maeda - …Shit. That’s from Tsurugi hitting her.

//Finally, Maki arrives at the last member of the group- Kobashikawa is the only person left before three portraits, the empty stand opposite Taira, and Maki’s own podium. 

Maeda - Damn… Uehara has injuries from Hatano, Hatano has bruises from him and Tsurugi, and I’ll bet Tsurugi has some bruising from Hatano too… 

Maeda - Yikes. 

//Kobashikawa didn’t remove any of his layers, opting instead to tug up his sleeves. Unfortunately for him, and interesting for the others- Maki seems to have noticed something on him. 

Maki - …?

Kobashikawa - …Yeah. Uhm-

Kobashikawa - I was doing some metalworking, and my tool slipped.

Maki - Metalwork?

Kobashikawa - F-For some jewelry.

Kobashikawa - It’s a weird pattern, right? I can explain it. 

Kobashikawa - The outer marks, those harsher looking things, they’re from sharp hooks, designed for fixing small chains, and pulling off detail work.

Kobashikawa - The inner mark is from the jewelry I was working with. 

Kobashikawa - The outer marks are from sharp hooks, designed for fixing small chains and detail work- inner mark is from said jewelry. The part I was working on was sharp, because I was reshaping it.

Maki - …Sorry-

Maki - How the hell did your tool slip, and it led to you getting scratched by the jewelry? Down your arm?

Kobashikawa - …Slip was a mistranslation on Ōtori’s end. It’s- the signs-

//Kobashikawa gently slips away from Maki, and grabs his whiteboard.

Kobashikawa - The tool got jolted. The chain of the jewelry got snagged because I tried to adjust my positioning, and it made the tool slip from my grasp.

Kobashikawa - He said slipped when I meant tugged. The tension exerted when the chain was caught caused the tool to fall towards me- especially coupled with me trying to grab it on instinct.

Maki - …Huh.

Maki - When’d you get into jewelry repair?

Kobashikawa - I know how metal works because I’m in aviation engineering, and I get gifted jewelry a lot.

Kobashikawa - Not- stuff that usually breaks, sure…

Kobashikawa - But I tend to sleep in things- you fall asleep easy as a pilot, and sometimes, when you don’t mean to.

Kobashikawa - I’ve warped things from pressure before, or caught chains on things, broken loops…

Kobashikawa - And- again, I work with metal. I have to know how things function. 

Maki - …

Maki - That jewelry you get- will it typically with silver spoons, or…?

Kobashikawa - …

//He smiles, and starts rolling his assorted sleeves down as Maki goes back towards her podium-

Maeda - Wait.

Maeda - Maki, did Tsurugi look over your arms?

Maki - Ah- shit.

//She had one foot on her podium, but steps back off-

Maeda - OH, please don’t get shot, please don’t-

//And walks towards Tsurugi.

Maeda - Oh thank god.

Tsurugi - Yayyy…

//Maeda watches as Tsurugi checks Maki’s arms. She’s had her sleeves rolled up for awhile, so it’s fairly uncermonious-

Maeda - Oh- I’d bet Tsurugi already glanced over her while she was nearby.

Taira - …Anything to note?

Tsurugi - One little bruise! Nothing suspicious.

Tsurugi - Well. I lied- big fucking bruise, Maki. How’d you get that? Just curious.

Maki - …

Maki - God. I stumbled trying to leave my room yesterday and hit my arm against the door latch.

Kobashikawa - Like, the metal bit?

Maki - Mhm. 

//Tsurugi whistles.

Tsurugi - Damn. Yeah, that def tracks.

Taira - Aren’t those a bit small for that sort of bruise?

Tsurugi - Size of the bruise can be wayyy bigger than the actual impact spot. Kinda liiiike asteroids and craters!

Taira - Hm.

Maeda - So, Maki doesn’t have anything for us to worry about… and she didn’t find anything, either. Right?

Tomori - Did… that get us anywhere?

Maki - …

Maki - No. Nothing to report from it, really.

//Maki synopsizes her findings- Tomori, gently bruised, Tsurugi, standard for himself, and Uehara, damaged from the earlier fight. Maeda and Taira, with the marks they (...allegedly) got from a brawl, and Ōtori, with his few marks collected alongside his scarring. Finally, Hatano was also sporting some damage from the fight, Kobashikawa, from his hobbies, and Maki herself, from stumbling.

Ōtori - Nobody’s implicated- we’re right back where we just were.

Maeda - Hm…

Maki - Yeah. I mean, I get it’s good we reviewed everything, but…

Maeda - Hatano, Tsurugi, and Uehara, all have pretty verifiable reasons. Maki didn’t seem concerned about Ōtori or Tomori, and no one seems worried about her. 

Uehara - …

Maeda - Kobashikawa can’t prove his claim… but while everyone believes Taira and I are each other's verification- I know Taira’s lying. 

Tomori - So… it’s just me and Taira, still.

Maeda - …Ugh. I hate that she said that.

Maeda - It’s totally suspicious that Taira would lie about the bruises, but I don’t know how I can try and figure out what really happened without everyone knowing.

Maeda - Could Taira even be the blackened?

Maeda - Could it be Tomori…

Ōtori - …

Ōtori - There has to be something that Higa left behind for us.

Tsurugi - …?

Tsurugi - What do you mean, Ōtori?

Ōtori - I mean… he just lied there and died? Didn’t leave a mark, didn’t do anything?

Taira - It’s probably he was too busy struggling to think to help us with a dying message or something of the sort. 

Ōtori - Well yeah, sure…

Ōtori - But there’s no way it was just some flawless murder with nothing for us to notice. It’s just well hidden, whatever the evidence is. 

Tsurugi - …

Maeda - It… could be a flawless murder. Uhm-

Taira - Let’s look at how we exposed Inori and Yamaguchi, then.

Taira - For both of them, it was clear they had a capability that distinguished them as the blackened. Inori knew the infirmary was open, and Yamaguchi had access to the pool room, and no alibi for the murder.

Nonstop Debate: START!

Truth Bullets Monokuma File #03-2 Room Layout Tsurugi’s Autopsy

Taira - Is there anything we’re missing about this murder?

Tomori - …Like what? What do you mean?

Taira - Something that only one person could have done- something that only the blackened would know, or something they did that proves it was someone in particular.

Tomori - Ah…

Maki - It feels like we’ve reviewed everything, though. I don’t think there’s anything left for us to notice.

Ōtori - Maybe not something that was left behind, not evidence from the murder… but maybe, {related to what happened before the murder?}

Ōtori - Is there some way to narrow down {who’d have been able to go after Higa}

Maki - There is- and that’s {exactly what we’ve already done}.

Maki - We looked at alibis, and ability, and relationship with Higa-

Maki - We’ve got it narrowed down to two people, that’s where we are right now!

Kobashikawa - …Should we just vote now?

Uehara - …Huh? The murder hasn’t… been solved yet.

Kobashikawa - No, it hasn’t… but it looks like we’re stuck in a guessing game- should we make the call instead of going in circles?

Uehara - …

~*~

Maeda, narrating - …Fuck.

Maeda - I’m totally with Maki and everyone here. There’s nothing we haven’t gone over.

Maeda - With what we know about the case… we don’t have any information to narrow things down.

Maeda - Fuck!

Maeda - I feel like we’ve had this realization six times, but it’s still hard to adjust to. 

Maeda - …

Maeda - Is that… hope?

Maeda - We don’t have any reason to push forward, but our desire to find the blackened. There’s nothing we have to use, and really, factually, we’re pretty obviously screwed.

Maeda - But… everyone’s still trying. I’m still trying, even though there’s no reason for me to think I’ll succeed. And, despite the fact it should feel pointless… I truly want to keep working forward.

Maeda - No way to achieve what we want, but still feeling… God. It really is feeling hopeful, isn’t-

Maeda - …

//Taira is looking at Maeda.

Maeda - …it…

Maeda - …

~“Give up on trying to have sound, bullet-proof logic for everything. All you need is enough to convince the others.”~

Maeda - …

Maeda - Right.

Maeda - When Taira and I were talking earlier, she made a point about knowing what happened, but not how to prove it.

Maeda - I think…

Maeda - The reason why we’re searching so hard for other evidence, is because no one’s entertaining the thought of it being Taira or Tomori.

Maeda - I mean, I guess we can’t rule them out… and hell, we have ruled out everyone else.

Maeda - But, everyone wants to find a different answer. It isn’t my place to say what we do- I’ll help everyone down the path they’re choosing. 

Maeda - …

Maeda - Whatever it looks like, I’ll be sure to keep the group moving. 

Maeda - No matter what, we have to push forward. If we want to see that future- if we want to have a future…

Maeda - I need to press on everyone harder. 

~*~ New Truth Bullet: Taira’s “Testimony”

[another-dr-another]

I think we should look back at that "cutting cartilage" statement that Tsurugi remembers because it is pretty clear Higa wasn't cut.

Maeda, narrating - Right!

Maeda - Maybe if we ask Tsurugi to explain that, we can get stronger proof that it wasn’t him.

Maeda - I may not like where that puts us… but the killing game isn’t something we’re supposed to like. What I can do now is get it right.

Maeda - If pushing Tsurugi shows that we’re wrong to suspect him, then all that matters is that we’re not choosing the wrong person.

~*~

Maeda - I’ve got a question, before we move on.

Taira - Oh?

Hatano - Say it. Whatever it is, let’s maybe not move on.

//Maeda nods.

Maeda - Right. Tsurugi, it’s about something you said.

Tsurugi, fed up - ?

Maeda - It was… maybe the last time you were testifying about what happened last night.

Maeda - You said that your remembered the sensations of killing Higa- specifically, reaching your hands to his neck- and feeling his cartilage cut.

Maeda - But, isn’t that inconsistent with what we know about his death? How could you cut his cartilage?

Tsurugi - …

//Slowly, Tsurugi smiles.

Tsurugi - I meant crack. His cartilage cracked.

Hatano - Don’t lie to us.

Maeda - !

//Tsurugi’s eyes go wide.

Hatano - We said that we aren’t letting you divert anymore. You’re trying to change what you said to hide that you’ve been getting your accounts mixed up.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - …Huh.

Tsurugi - Honestly, I don’t really know what to say. 

Maeda - …Because she’s right.

Maeda - I need to remember what I’m doing here. I’m proving that we can’t be trusting Tsurugi’s accounts…

Maeda - There’s a reason for all your inconsistencies. You’re trying to piece together a story to explain what happened last night- but it was way too impulsive. 

Maeda - You didn’t come up with something foolproof, and then when you try to pave over the holes in your account, you end up crumbling your foundation.

Maeda - You’re tripping yourself up because you don’t have anything factual to rely on.

Tsurugi - …

Taira - …It makes sense. It’s just been a desperate scramble for reasoning.

Kobashikawa - But why?

Maeda - …I think you’ll have to answer that for us, Tsurugi.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - I mean. I just say what I think… if I’m wrong, then that’s that… but I don’t think it’s a good idea to disregard fact because I slipped up on something like cartilage.

//As he speaks, he slowly draws his arms up, clasping his hands, and resting his chin on his knuckles- before immediately changing his positioning as he gestures with his clasped hands. Maeda clocks this. Tsurugi’s physically closing himself off.

Maeda - Keep pushing.

Maeda - But why are you slipping up! That’s what you can’t answer!

//Tsurugi’s been avoiding Maeda’s gaze- but now, he looks him in the eyes, as his expression sours.

Tsurugi - Oh whatever, Maeda.

Tsurugi - So, I was wrong! I said something that doesn’t make sense! That isn’t proof of anything!

Tsurugi - Hell, if anything, it’s proof of what I’ve been saying! You can’t trust me! I’ll go totally off the handle and- and do things that I don’t mean to!

Tsurugi - I’m an impulsive person! If I’m thrown out of what I expect, there’s no telling what sort of reaction I have.

//He’s gesturing wildly-

Maeda - Flailing. 

Tsurugi - Ha… Hatano pointed it out earlier. It’s- It’s not like I haven’t k-killed before.

Tsurugi - So I’m reacting a bit weird. This isn’t something I expected to be dealing with. The same way I don’t think anyone was expecting me to kill Higa.

Tsurugi - It’s an unexpected situation, so no one knows what to do. At the end of the day, it’s my fault that Higa’s dead. I deserve to be executed. Case closed, everyone moves on.

//…No one moves on. The class pauses for a moment, digesting Tsurugi’s latest argument. 

~“I failed you all. My attempts at making the trials easier to solve just made things worse. I didn’t encourage you all to learn, I made things feel stressful and hopeless.”~

Maeda - ...Wait.

Ōtori - …Hate to say it, but that tracks.

Ōtori - I mean… yeah. It’s unexpected. Tsurugi’s thrown off, and isn’t acting the way he’d like.

~“You two were next to Higa- did you hear anything?”~

Maeda - …That doesn’t matter-

Maeda - Hell, that’s not even accurate.

~“Mmm… I couldn’t have. You can’t sleep with hearing aids in.”~

Maki - But… none of how he’s acting has been violent… there’s a difference between being panicked, and getting violent.

Maeda - I don’t think he’s as thrown off as he’s trying to paint himself. I think he’s trying to mislead us.

~“Of the people who could have killed Higa last night, only one person lacked the stability to stop themselves when they snapped, and wouldn’t have been able to accept what happened.”~

Taira - Hm… there’s no saying how people will react to a stressor, you know…

Maeda - I mean. He’s definitely spiraling- Tsurugi’s right that he doesn’t know what to do, he’s been thrown into something he’s not used to,

~“I was right next to Higa, and I was awake during the time he was killed.”~

Maki - Sure… but would Higa have been able to get Tsurugi so freaked out that his only response would be to kill Higa?

Maeda - But, isn’t it possible that this is just a return of my earlier theory that he’s doing this out of stress because he doesn’t know who the blackened is?

Tsurugi - …

~“Y-You said that she’d be safe! You said we would all be safe, but two people died during the sleepover.”~

Maeda - I think there’s a bit more weight to that now- because I think I know why he hasn’t just fessed up to making a guess. 

Maeda - Tsurugi.

~“Can you keep going, knowing you’re just playing the mastermind’s game- content with living like that, until they don’t let you live anymore?”~

Tsurugi - What, Maeda?

~“Do you hate me, because I don’t want to do that?”~

Maeda - …

Maeda - Are you claiming to be the blackened not because you think you killed Higa- but because you think it’s your fault he died?

Tsurugi - KH!

//Tsurugi physically recoils.

Maeda - Hell yeah- I got him!

Uehara - …Oh, wow.

//Tsurugi looks… honestly, mad. For- for a moment, at least. It’s like Maeda ran over and whacked him, the mix of shock, and ��seriously, you dick?” on Tsurugi’s face. But… after a moment, he seems to compose himself a bit- enough to stutter out a laugh.

Tsurugi - Haha… seriously?

Tsurugi - I-I’m not stupid. If it’s some dumbass reason like that, then everyone gets executed, due to voting wrong. I’m saying I killed Higa because that’s what makes the most sense.

Maeda - Because you were the only one who believed in him, right?

Tsurugi - Mhm. And before you say that’s reason why it wasn’t me, we’ve already established that it proves it was me, because no one else would’ve been surprised to get attacked by him.

Maeda - But, you shouldn’t have been surprised either. You have gotten hurt by Higa in the past, yeah? We know how you’d react-

Maeda - It’s no more feasible to say you got upset and killed him, when we’ve already seen how you’d react, than it is to say someone else, who might be more prone to violence, killed him.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - Sure, you could argue that. But, we’re back to the issue of motive. No one other than me had motive to attack Higa then, because I’m the one who got into a fight with Higa last night.

Maeda - Well, yeah. I won’t deny that. But, if we’re talking about going back, let’s go back to the point of everyone fucking hating that guy.

Maeda - None of us lack a motive. The only argument is who lacks killing ability- and two minutes ago, you seemed like you were gonna get sick at your own suggestion that you’d have killed him, because you’re capable of murder!

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - …But, no one else was awake.

Maeda - Not at that exact moment, no.

Maeda - But before we got Kobashikawa’s full testimony, we thought that someone could have woken up during the night, right? There’s no evidence that goes against that.

Maeda - If we believe it isn’t you, then that’s fine! It just means going back to thinking that it was someone else, at a different time!

Tsurugi - All of this about going back, about ignoring evidence- Maeda, we were making progress!

Maeda - But progress in the wrong direction is bad progress, Tsurugi!

Maeda - Plus, we got here because of new evidence! Specifically, from your weird reactions!

Maeda - Your testimony about what happened doesn’t match up with what we know, you haven’t been able to defend yourself against our arguments, and it’s throwing any of your suggestions into question!

Tsurugi - !

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - …Because I’m unreliable now, right?

Maeda - …

Maeda - Shit… tread careful, tread careful…

Maeda - I want to go back to the point I made…

Maeda - Tsurugi- do you feel like Higa’s death was your fault? Like- say that I confessed now. My testimony was me trying to throw you all off, but the guilt is too strong.

Maeda - Do you think you’d feel responsible?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - I’m… at fault for Higa’s death, in a different way than I am the other five deaths. 

Maeda - …

Tomori - Tsurugi…

Maki - None of the deaths were your fault, Tsurugi.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - Why not?

Tsurugi - I mean- I get it, objectively. I didn’t mean for it to happen, and I didn’t make any choices intending for people to die, so I shouldn’t feel bad.

Tsurugi - But…

Tsurugi - If I… knew that things could go bad, and I chose to be optimistic… isn’t it on me? I thought that the party in the dining hall could go poorly, but I knew it was a risk.

Tsurugi - It’s my fault for getting drugged, because I’m smart enough to know leaving a drink is a risk, but I thou-

Tsurugi - …But I still drank. 

Tsurugi - …Not knowing any better is a fine reason, but I do know better. So, when bad things keep happening…

Hatano - …

Maeda - …

~“I don’t think you have the slightest concern here! You aren’t worried about us, because you don’t care at all, about anyone!”~

Maeda - …Yikes.

Kobashikawa - …

Kobashikawa - Earlier, when I felt bad for waking you up last night… when you talked with me about it, it reminded me of things you’ve said in the past.

Kobashikawa - What’s the point in beating myself up about it? I can sit and wish I’d done things different- but should I have known to?

Kobashikawa - It sounds like you had good reasons for the choices you’ve made- and if it wasn’t for right now, I don’t think anyone would be upset with you.

Kobashikawa - …

Kobashikawa - Everyone does things they regret. But… if you really tried to do what was right, then you should be happy with yourself.

Tsurugi - …

Maeda - Yeah… Tsurugi, Kobashikawa is right.

Maeda - Try letting up on yourself some… if you’re feeling guilty about all that’s happened, what are we meant to take away from it? You did your best, so let it be.

Tsurugi - …Maeda…

Tsurugi - You… said to go back to your point from earlier, right? I- I want to go back to something I said.

Tsurugi - In this moment, it’s not about the past deaths. Sure, there’s the… overall sort of pattern, with the type of person I am-

Tsurugi - But- those situations are different from Higa’s death.

Maeda - …You really do think it was your fault?

Maeda - Jesus… it’s like-

Maeda - He’s found someone he feels should be persecuted, and he’s so engaged with it, he can’t imagine letting that idea go.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi, tightly - Objectively, it’s my fault.

Tsurugi - I- I really did let everyone down, there. There’s no way around it. 

Taira - What do you mean?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - It was my room.

Tsurugi - It- the sleepover took place in my dormitory, and I was the one who told everybody it was safe, and I specifically invited Higa that day! I made sure he didn’t think he couldn’t come!

Tsurugi - Which, speaking of, I was the only one who was trying to help Higa, which he started to have so many issues with-

Tsurugi - And I was the one who was right next to him, and I was awake, and I- and I got into a fight with him! I- I got into two fights with him yesterday!

Tsurugi - And I told Higa, specifically to come to the sleepover!

Tsurugi - There was so many signs something was wrong! It was easy to fix things up after the first fight, and it shouldn’t have been! And the second fight was so weird, and it’s-

//Tsurugi stops. That’s it. He simply… stops. Stops his gesturing, his rambling, everything. 

Maeda - …What? 

Tsurugi - …

//He looks at Maeda, visibly panicked.

Tsurugi - It’s… all been my fault. And I don’t… know what to do.

Tsurugi - Which… is weird. Because usually, I know exactly what to do. But… nothing is working the way that it’s supposed to.

Tsurugi, weakly - And I don’t… think this is right? I don’t think… this trial is on the right course. This isn’t something we should be doing. 

Maeda - …

Maeda - Fuck.

Maeda - Wh-What is he on about?

Tsurugi - …Everything is at my fingertips. But… I just won’t reach far enough. And I can, so I should, but I’m just… not. 

Tsurugi - And no one else is able to get it. Because of the way the world is revolving.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - …But, I guess that’s not what the point is, huh?

Maeda, sweating - …

Maeda - …Wait. That’s a good thing- we should get back to the trial. 

Taira - …Hm.

Taira - You’re right. Of course, you should probably look into meditation, or something-

Taira - But, that isn’t our priority. 

Maki - …

Maki - Wait.

Maki - Is that it? We- we’re down our suspect? Not that I’m arguing! I just want to make sure I understand.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - …Okay. Yeah, I-I’m conceding.

Maeda - …Actually?

//It feels anti-climatic- but still, Maeda feels himself relax.

Tsurugi - I’m tired, and my head hurts… all the lights are flickering, and the skies full of flashing, and no one else is revolving at the same speed as the world. 

Hatano - …

Tomori - …

Taira - …

Hatano - …Is… Is this really it?

//There’s something in her voice that Maeda doesn’t like… but he’s too caught in trying to accept that Tsurugi isn’t their suspect anymore to dwell on it.

Kobashikawa - Tsurugi, do you believe that you aren’t the blackened?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - I could’ve stopped Higa’s death. No matter how we look at it… anything that happened last night could be traced back to me coming up short.

Tsurugi - I’d like it if I were the blackened, so no one else has to die…

Tsurugi - …But, dooming everyone is about the opposite of what I want to do. So, I’ll stop insisting on a theory without thinking it through.

Maeda - Ah…

Maki - …

Maeda - …I guess I can accept this as an ending. 

Maeda - Though, it doesn’t really feel real. We spent so long fighting on this… for a while, I really couldn’t think of any reason it wasn’t Tsurugi.

Maeda - But, despite his proximity to the murder, and… the fact he was up… and… and the fact he was capable of it… and had an interaction with Higa… that went badly for him…

Maeda - …

Maeda - …Uhm. Despite all of that, I managed to convince everyone it wasn’t Tsurugi!

Maeda - I don’t think I should second guess myself. If Tsurugi agrees with me, and he’s usually able to argue circles around me, then there’s no reason to worry.

Tsurugi - …Haha.

//He sniffles.

Tsurugi - You’re all so quiet… I feel bad, making you comfort me so much.

Maeda - A-Ah… I was lost in thought, I didn’t realize no one else had said anything…

Tsurugi - I promise, I’m someone capable who you can depend on. No matter what, I want to do the best for you all, even if I can get myself tangled up sometimes.

Tsurugi - Thank you for taking care of me. 

//The class is silent- no one knows what to say.

Maeda - Tsurugi’s using his forearms to lean against his trial stand… I can’t really see his expression. 

Uehara - …

Uehara - Jesus Christ…

Maki - …Hey, Uehara. Looks like your gut instinct was right, huh?

Uehara - …Oh, yeah. I- I forgot about that.

Maeda - Uehara looks… stressed. Which is weird- shouldn’t he have been glad Tsurugi’s been cleared?

Maeda - Well- actually, knowing him, I bet he’s worried about what Tsurugi’s thinking now.

Tomori - …

Tomori - I know that this means we’re back to where we were before Tsurugi’s confession. It’s looks like either me, or Taira, and I’m… really not happy with that.

Tomori - But, I’m glad we don’t think it was Tsurugi anymore either. 

Maeda - Poor Tomori. But, not like I suspect Taira, either…

Maeda - I mean- out of the two of them, I don’t know… 

//Still, the class is silent.

Kobashikawa - …

Kobashikawa - I wonder if there’s anything else in my testimony that could lead to us narrowing things down?

Hatano - Anything else you haven’t mentioned?

Kobashikawa - …No, there isn’t.

Hatano - Probably not, then.

Kobashikawa - …

Maeda - It’s weird to remember that earlier this morning, Kobashikaw wasn’t even thinking of what he experienced last night- and now he’s had to testify a good three times. 

Maeda - …

Maeda - Speaking of earlier-

Maeda - Tsurugi, do you want to sit down?

Tsurugi - …?

//He raises his head, and looks at Maeda- again, “?”.

Maeda - …Take a break?

Tsurugi - Ohhh… kind thinking, Maeda!

Maeda - …

Tsurugi - I think standing like this is switching the polarity of all my molecules, though. And they needed a good cleaning, so I might as well stay and let the wash cycle finish.

//Maeda’s stomach hurts.

Maeda - I wanna be in bed already…

Maeda - Let’s just execute someone and go.

//Not a murmur from the class. While everyone’s spoken, everyone went back into their own heads after their conversation.

Ōtori - …

//…Near everyone, has spoken.

Ōtori - Well, there’s no sense in just standing around. 

Ōtori - If we’re ready to get back to work, we should be trying to solve the trial. As soon as someone else feels ready, let’s debate. 

Maeda - …?

Ōtori - …

Ōtori - If we’re all in agreement that we don’t want anyone to die, then that’s because we’re all at least neutral on everyone left.

Ōtori - It’ll hurt to see someone die, but we need to persevere- for the other eight who will remain.

Ōtori - If we care for those people, we should want to see them survive. I want to live, and I want as many of you to live as possible. That necessitates an execution.

Ōtori - Better one than many. Let’s do our best to achieve that. 

Maeda - …Right.

Maeda - It’s inevitable that people will die. We can make sure it’s the blackened, not the spotless. 

Maeda - The people who deserve to die should die, and those that deserve life should live.

Tomori - …What do you want to debate, Ōtori?

Ōtori - I don’t know. But, we’ll find a metric.

Maki - …

//Maki sighs.

Maki - Okay. Jackets off, sleeves up. We’re checking everyone’s arms for marks.

Hatano - …What?

Maki - It was suggested earlier- Higa could have hurt his assailant, and left behind some marks.

Maki - It’s possible he didn’t- or possible that we can’t see who the blackened is based off that.

Maki - But, I can’t see harm in getting more information to think about, even if we decide to toss it out. So- jackets off, and sleeves up. 

Taira - Is there reason for everyone to, instead of only myself and Tomori?

//Maki shrugs.

Maki - Reason is “might as well”.

Maeda - …Good enough reason, honestly.

Hatano - Are we all just- going to try and see each others arms? Some of us are further apart than others.

Maki - …This is sort of banking on Monokuma letting someone leave their podium.

Hatano - Who?

Kobashikawa - …

Maeda - I’d suggest Tsurugi… he’d probably know what to look for- but a few people would object to that.

Kobashikawa - I don’t see a reason why Maki can’t. If she doesn’t mind, of course.

Maki - No- that’s not an issue.

Hatano - And who’ll check Maki?

Taira - Persistent…

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - I can, if that’s okay.

Maki - That works with me-

Maki - And it’s my arms, so that should be the end of that.

Hatano - …

//Maeda turns his gaze, as Uehara is the first to take off his jacket- immediately throwing it onto Tsurugi.

Tsurugi - !

//He stands still for a moment, before slowly grabbing the jacket, folding it, and resting it on Uehara’s podium. Uehara laughs to himself.

Tomori - …

~*~

Maeda, narrating - I wonder if my sleeve’s will roll up far enough?

Maeda - …

Maeda - Jesus. We actually cleared Tsurugi’s name.

Maeda - I… I kinda can’t believe it- though, sometimes it feels like all we do is defend Tsurugi against allegations.

Maeda - That’s uh- recency bias, though. He’s been up to a lot of shit lately.

{Roll Up Your Sleeves}

{Trail Off In Thought}

[another-dr-another]

{Question Tsurugi’s Recollection}

Lets see if he has PTSD and if irs bothering him.

Also Higa wasn't cut at all so no cartilage was cut.

Maeda, narrating - Yeah…

Maeda - God- it feels like I just can’t stand my ground against things.

Maeda - I wonder where we’d be if I acted more… constantly? Consistently?

Maeda - Anyways- I want to come to an agreement with Tsurugi. I shouldn’t let this opportunity slip away.

~*~

Ōtori - So… Tsurugi’s understanding of what he did last night has changed?

Maki - It isn’t just that. He’s… remembering more information now too.

Kobashikawa - …

Kobashikawa - Do we…

Kobashikawa - …Do we have to incorporate his testimony right now? A-Are we sure it wouldn’t be better to do what Maeda was sort of suggesting earlier, and try to reconstruct the events of last night without Tsurugi’s testimony?

Tomori - I mean…

Tomori - …How much do we want to try and throw out?

Maeda - None of it.

Maeda - We keep it all. Everything’s important here.

Ōtori - …I’m sorry, What?

Maeda - If Tsurugi’s willing to stand behind what he’s saying, we should trust it!

Maeda - If he did all of whatever happened with the lights and the sounds on autopilot, then that’s what happened.

Maeda - He killed Higa, and lost his cool about it- and kept losing his cool.

Tsurugi - …

Tomori - That’s…

Tomori - Maeda, do you really believe that that’s what happened?

Maeda - …I’ll place my trust in Tsurugi.

//Tsurugi gasps, then chokes on it.

Maeda - …

Tsurugi - …Sorry, sorry. I-I’m fine. Sorry- that was loud.

Maeda - …You’re fine.

Maeda - Anyways, having gone over the case… I can’t really think of any objections I have.

Maeda - If Tsurugi’s recollection is fully accurate, then it should be obvious what happened. He remembers going for Higa’s throat, and knows he’d be responsible for the lights.

//He’s tried to stay nonchalant with this- but he looks at Tsurugi now.

Maeda - Right, Tsurugi?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - …Mhm.

Tsurugi - I don’t like conversations like this. But it’s important to be brave, right?

Tsurugi - I’ll be super proud of you all if you can be brave- and I’ll be proud of myself if I can be a good example! So- so yeah. Maeda’s right.

Uehara - …

Hatano - …Let’s vote then.

Maki - Wait-

Maki - I don’t want to. I- I feel like we should look at this again.

Maki - Let’s test everyone against the theory. Is there anyone else that could fit?

Tsurugi - No.

Tsurugi - …No.

Tsurugi - Because, the theory involves my testimony, right? 

Tsurugi - I woke up Higa, because I was up, and he hit me. This set me off, so I killed him. No one else fits the metrics.

Maeda - …I feel like I’m losing this.

Maeda - …Plus, let’s look at the original reason why we suspected Tsurugi. It was because of his character, right?

Tsurugi - …!

Tsurugi - …

Uehara - …Sorry. Maeda, what do you mean?

Maeda - Oh, do you need me to remind you?

Tsurugi - …

Maeda - We think it was Tsurugi because he’s the only one who would’ve felt bad about killing Higa. Sure, it’s not what we’d expect of Tsurugi… but if he’s the type to kill because someone betrayed his hopes, it’s not like I’d know anything better.

Tsurugi - ……

Maeda - …Do you think I’m wrong? Isn’t that how you said it earlier?

Tsurugi - …Well- I don’t think- it- the context-

Maeda - I don’t think the phrasing is all too important here.

Maeda - Not like anyone faults you for it. You got fed up because he was being a dick. We all have a breaking point, you got pushed to it. 

Maeda - …

Maeda - If… this really is the truth- not that I think it is-

Maeda - I’m sorry it happened to you, Tsurugi. To be driven to murder… I’m sure it’s something you never would’ve done of your own accord. You’re a victim of the game. No one’s upset with you for that.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi, weakly - Don’t say it like that…

Maeda - Ah, I didn’t mean…

Maeda - …Well, maybe it’s good to be feeling things now. Again- not like anyone will blame you if you get upset and cry. 

Maeda - If we’re sure of our answer, there’s nothing stopping us from voting,

Maeda - Call it, call it-

Maeda - And… if there’s nothing stopping us from voting, then there’s nothing to prolong-

Maeda - Call my fucking bluff, come on-

Maeda - …Well, we all know what’ll happen, but… I don’t think anyone wants to hear it.

Tsurugi - …

Maeda - Come on, you can do it-

Maeda - So… if there’s nothing else to say, and we’re just killing time until we have nothing better to do- you’re free to react however you want. No one wants to go forward with the trial.

Maeda - Okay, please, someone needs t-

Uehara - …Fuck.

Uehara - I’m so sorry. We really can’t vote for Tsurugi.

Maeda - HELL YEAH!

Tsurugi - Yes we can.

Maeda - Uehara, what’s your reasoning?

Uehara - …

Uehara - It isn’t right. Tsurugi would never lay a hand on anyone-

Uehara - What, and we’re saying he killed because Higa got him mad?

Uehara - I’ve never even seen him get mad! And everyone’s supposed to suddenly believe that Tsurugi is the type that would ever think of violence, as a-

Uehara - As-

Uehara - …

Uehara - As a… as a way to control people, to… to punish them! We’re- we’re supposed to think he’d go and kill Higa over Higa being a douche, but Higa always sucked-

Uehara - …

Uehara - …And you still let him into your bedroom.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - …Stop it…

Uehara - I’m sorry, Tsurugi…

Uehara - But… I don’t understand what’s going on- all I know is that we can’t vote for you.

Tsurugi - I-It’s fine! It’s all- It’s all under control… I know what I’m doing.

Uehara - It doesn’t look like you’re doing anything. You’re letting everyone believe you killed Higa, but that isn’t true.

Uehara - If you won’t argue for yourself, I’ll do it. 

Taira - …You believe in Tsurugi’s character before you believe in his logic?

Uehara - …

Uehara - I think you would place a bet on where my faith likes to lie, Taira.

Taira - Hm…

Taira - Didn’t someone compare you to a dog, once?

Uehara - Recently, yeah. What the hell do you want to say about it?

Taira - I just felt like sharing.

Maeda - …Okay.

Maeda - Hey, how’s Tsurugi doing?

Tsurugi - …

//…Well, he doesn’t look happy, that’s easy to call. 

Hatano - Well… the argument here is just about the lights, right?

Maeda - Yeah- which, Uehara didn’t counter that.

Uehara - Don’t need to. This whole thing is stupid, and you don’t have any proof about the lights thing. 

Ōtori - …Well, “the lights thing” definitely did happen.

Uehara - But Tsurugi wasn’t involved!

Uehara - That’s what you can’t prove- and the reason you can’t prove it is because it didn’t happen.

Tsurugi - But can you prove anything?

Uehara - !!

Tsurugi - There’s no evidence that anything else happened, Uehara.

Tsurugi - All we have is the account I’m giving. If we throw it out, we don’t have any direction to go in.

Uehara - …

Uehara - It’s better that we stop and turn around than keep going the wrong way, just for the sake of progress.

Tsurugi - …

Uehara - …Right?

Tsurugi - …

Uehara - Isn’t… isn’t it about what’s best for the group?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - …Go away, Uehara.

Uehara - Oh. You don’t mean that.

Tsurugi - I do. Stop it.

Uehara - …

Uehara - I don’t know what you want right now. But I know that if you’re not going to hit the breaks on this, I will.

Uehara - Can I step down?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - …You shouldn’t be doing anything.

//Maeda stands and watches as Tsurugi starts to cry again.

Uehara - …

Maeda - …

Maeda - Tsurugi.

Maeda - If you’ve said anything that misled us, you should clear it up now.

Maeda - There’s no reason why we need to rush things. If we misunderstood what you’ve said, then- it’s like Uehara said. We can turn around, and still be making progress. 

Maeda - I don’t want to call him out for outright lying…

Maeda - Do we need to take a different path?

Tsurugi - …

//…For a moment, Tsurugi almost looks mad. But it quickly fades, getting replaced with hesitancy.

Tsurugi - …

Maeda - …

Maeda - …Well?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - I don’t know what to do.

//The class takes a moment-

Maeda - …Actually?

//-Then bursts.

Hatano - Oh, for fucks sake-

Ōtori, overlapping - No, nuh-uh. You can’t-

Maki, overlapping - …No, elaborate-

Taira, overlapping - Well, if we’ll still be here-

Kobashikawa, overlapping - We can’t keep down this path-

Hatano, overlapping - Seriously, it isn’t okay for you to do this!

Ōtori - -Just say that and expect us to accept it. 

Maki - What are you thinking? What do you think happened right now?

Taira - Might as well get comfortable. I don’t think we’ll be moving on-

Kobashikawa - -Of logic, it’s fairly obvious now that something’s wrong.

Maeda - …This isn’t alright. We can’t be letting ourselves make these choices anymore. 

Hatano - This is so stupid. I don’t care, I’m not letting you screw around like this.

Ōtori - There’s no good reason why this should happen. No reason I’ll accept, at least.

Maki - You need to put your thoughts into words, because everyone needs to work on this.

Taira - From this anytime soon. Which, I don’t feel too strongly about, but no one can hear me, so, like…

Kobashikawa - I think we’re at the point where people would rather throw out your account entirely, because it’s not meshing-

Maeda - If we don’t get it together, we’ll get ourselves killed.

Hatano - But, I’m pretty sure everyone’s fed up!

Ōtori - And I don’t think anyone else is believing this either.

Maki - No one’s going to stand down from this.

//Taira is drinking her cold brew.

Kobashikawa - So, work with us.

Maeda - Tsurugi, you need to tell the truth!

Tsurugi - !

Tomori - …

Uehara - …Tsurugi.

Uehara - Do you have a plan for where to go from here?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - …I don’t know…

Maeda - Damn it.

Tomori - …

Tomori - If everyone’s tired of hearing Tsurugi’s claims… let’s just try to work things out ourselves, yeah?

Maki - …

Maki - But Tsurugi, you clearly have different opinions than what you’re letting on. We can’t just ignore that.

Tsurugi - …No I don’t.

Tsurugi - I don’t know what’s happening…

Maeda - He really won’t answer.

Maeda - …Maybe that’s fine.

Maeda - M-

Maeda - Maybe I can clock what’s wrong.

Maeda - If I can name the arguments we have- the reasons we shouldn’t buy that it’s Tsurugi. 

Ōtori - …Well. I wouldn’t say that I don’t believe it was him.

Kobashikawa - …Why not?

Ōtori - He’s behaving poorly- he’s upset, and uncooperative.

Ōtori - …This isn’t too abnormal- not for Tsurugi, and not for someone who’s grappling with the idea of being executed.

Maki - …Really?

Ōtori - Mhm…

Maki - Really?

Maki - ?

Ōtori - !...

Maki - Really? Really, Ōtori?

Ōtori - …

Ōtori - …Anyways.

//Maki sighs, very audibly.

Ōtori - All we know right now is that Tsurugi’s… having a hard time making an argument. He could still be the blackened.

Maeda - …

Maeda - He could, but that doesn’t mean he is…

Ōtori - I just don’t think we can afford to dismiss him right now.

Ōtori - If it isn’t Tsurugi, then who is our blackened?

Maeda - …

Tomori - Right… it goes back to being me, or Taira.

//Maeda glances at Taira. She’s simply standing there, idly looking around the room.

Ōtori - …

Ōtori - As long as we’re confident with our answer- as confident as we can be- then I won’t be upset over it.

Ōtori - But, I think we need to keep in mind that someone here is the blackened. Someone murdered Higa. 

Ōtori - If we decide it isn’t Tsurugi, we have to decide that because someone else looks more feasible.

~*~

Maeda, narrating - …Fuck.

Maeda - I keep…

Maeda - …

Maeda - …

Maeda - I keep forgetting that this is going to have consequences.

Maeda - By proving it isn’t Tsurugi, I’m throwing us back to having to accuse someone else…

Maeda - But, if we accuse Tsurugi, we could die… I don’t believe it was him, so I need to make sure everyone agrees. Just thinking his testimony isn’t true isn’t enough.

Maeda - We can’t explain the lights, and we can’t explain the inconsistencies between Tsurugi’s latest testimony, and Higa’s injuries.

Maeda - I should start with trying to prove that something that’s off indicates it wasn’t Tsurugi.

Make your Argument!

~*~ //Note: This is the “just send in your thoughts” minigame, it’s back! Extrapolate- what about the unexplained lights implies it was Tsurugi? Or, is it easier if we use Tsurugi’s contradictions? You tell me, and I’ll tell Maeda!

[another-dr-another]

i really don’t think it’ll be good for tsu’s mental health if we start questioning his memory, so let’s {Debate with the Class}! -iris

Maeda, narrating - Yeah…

Maeda - Tsurugi’s… credibility is sort of under question too, huh?

Maeda - Let’s just talk with the others and see what we get. Hopefully he’ll sort himself out.

~*~

Ōtori - So… Tsurugi’s understanding of what he did last night has changed?

Maki - It isn’t just that. He’s… remembering more information now too.

Kobashikawa - …

Kobashikawa - Do we…

Kobashikawa - …Do we have to incorporate his testimony right now? A-Are we sure it wouldn’t be better to do what Maeda was sort of suggesting earlier, and try to reconstruct the events of last night without Tsurugi’s testimony?

Tomori - I mean…

Tomori - …How much do we want to try and throw out?

Hatano - …I’m confused.

Hatano - Why are we so hell-bent on this again? Tsurugi’s confessed five times over.

Hatano - He killed Higa, the end.

Maeda - …Well…

Maeda - …Is it really just that I don’t want Tsurugi to die? Is that the only reason we’re still debating on this?

Taira - Tsurugi’s confession isn’t reliable. We can’t count on him to tell us the truth.

Tomori - …Tsurugi isn’t lying to try and do anything wrong.

Tomori - We should handle this situation with more… levity?

Taira - Don’t use words you don’t understand.

Tomori - …

Uehara - I don’t think anyone thinks Tsurugi could have done it.

Hatano - I- I mean I’m definitely in that camp.

Uehara - …Are you? Actually?

Hatano - Yes??

Uehara - …

Uehara - Why? It wasn’t him.

//Tsurugi rubs at his eyes- either tired, or pushing back tears.

Hatano - …

Hatano - I’m not dealing with that bullshit right now.

Maeda - Wait, now I wanna know-

Maeda - Who feels comfortable voting for Tsurugi right now?

//Hatano and Tsurugi raise their hands.

Maeda - …That number’s gone down, then.

Maeda - …

Maeda - I would ask Tsurugi to talk about his argument- but I agreed to leave him alone, and it’s not like he… looks like he’s up to debating.

Maki - Let’s get back to the subject.

Maki - So, if we listen to Tsurugi, then anything that happened with the lights and the noises was just him acting on autopilot.

Maki - He… says he remembers a bit more about the murder, too.

Maki - The only opposing theory is-

Maki - Well, that he’s getting mixed up.

Tomori - …Could that really be it?

Maki - …

Maki, softly - Tomori…

Tomori - I- guys, come on…

Maeda - …

Tsurugi - …Tomori’s probably got a good point, y’know!

Maeda - H-Huh?! Tsurugi?

Tsurugi - I’m of super-sound mind! Super-sonic even! Speed of light!

Tsurugi - No one else has any recollections, right? No one else is confessing! So, there’s no reason to think it was anyone but me~

Tsurugi - And the lights and sounds are totally nothing! Ten thousand and one explanations for them, and none of them change the fact that I’m the blackened.

Tomori - A-Ah…

Maki - …Wait, so- we’re back to believing it was Tsurugi? Seriously?

Ōtori, quietly - He’s back to advocating for it.

Tsurugi - Well, duh! It’s easy to see!

Tsurugi - Like looking at the stars, so long as there’s no light pollution, y’know? You can even find UFO’s if you look like that!

Maeda - …I feel dizzy, nearly- he’s totally running circles around me! I’ve lost track of what we’re talking about.

Maeda - W…Wait, but- 

Tsurugi - But what? Do you really have a refutation, Maeda?

Tsurugi - There’s not a lot to be said! 

Tsurugi - I’m the blackened, I killed Higa last night, because I was up, and he was up, and it work with your testimony, and it works with what we know about both Higa and myself.

Tsurugi - I’m the only one we can vote for. No one else looks like the culprit, and I’ve got no evidence against me.

//He smiles, and makes a heart with his thumb and pointer finger.

Tsurugi - Simple as syrup~

~*~

Maeda, narrating - …Fuck.

Maeda - Okay, fuck.

Maeda - Letting Tsuurgi compose himself is not a good idea. I- I don’t know where we even went with that!

Maeda - If he can get himself together, he’ll be able to distance himself from the case again…

Maeda - And then, he can argue that it’s him, and do it so plainly, I don’t know what to say against it.

Maeda - I…

Maeda - I need to press Tsurugi while he’s vulnerable to it. 

[Question Tsurugi’s Recollection]

[another-dr-another]

{Something that Happened Last Night} hey hold on can we bring up the white noise + weird lighting. can we go back to that, bc i don’t think tsu’s story explains it -iris

Maeda, narrating - What happened last night!

Maeda - It’s a matter of Tsurugi’s actions then…

Maeda - …Or- maybe it’s not even about Tsurugi.

Maeda - …

Maeda - Maybe that’s what I’ve been missing. I’ve been too focused on what we think Tsurugi did, that I’ve only looked at that;

Maeda - What if there’s something else I’ve been missing, something I didn’t notice because it isn’t connected to him!

~*~

Maeda - Let’s go over what we know about last night's events.

Tsurugi - …Like, let’s reassemble the case?

Maeda - No!

Maeda - Not like that. That’s not what I mean.

Maeda - He makes me so stressed out some times…

Maeda - Let’s review everything we know, without Tsurugi’s testimony.

Ōtori - …Why would we throw out Tsurugi’s testimony? If we’re ignoring testimonies, we’d need to exclude your testimony too, and Kobashikawas?

Tomori - If we throw out all the testimonies, then we’re left with near-nothing…

Maeda - No- there’s a reason I think we should discount Tsurugis testimony specifically, for now. It’s different from mine and Kobashikawas. 

Maeda - Oh, what’s the word…

Maeda - It’s uhm- it’s guesswork, y’know?

Tsurugi - …

Tomori - …

Maki - …

Maki - You’re arguing that his testimony is conjecture?

Maeda - Yes! Yes, that’s what I meant.

Maki - …Hm.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - It isn’t. It’s logic.

Maeda - It feels circumstantial, though!

Maeda - Think about it. To what degree is this really based in logic.

Maeda - Tsurugi was capable of killing Higa, and they spoke at the start of the window of time Higa died in.

Maeda - Tsurugi was also saying earlier that he slept through the night. It’s inconsistent.

Taira - …

Tsurugi - I was tired earlier… and I was busy, so it wasn’t really on my mind.

Maeda - …You were busy trying to find a blackened, and you weren’t able to.

Maeda - We need a blackened, and it’s usually your job to come up with one. You couldn’t do it for us this time, so you’ve come up with someone that we can make fit into the role.

Maeda - It- all the evidence we have is just circumstantial!

Tsurugi - …

Maeda - …

Maeda - It’s…

Maeda - It doesn’t feel like Tsurugi wants to placate us, it seems like he really believes the stuff he’s saying.

Maeda - He’s not lying, he really is doing his best to help.

Maeda - But just because he believes it doesn’t mean I’ll be helping by buying into it.

Maeda - …It’s conjecture.

Maeda - There’s a reason why we should throw out Tsurugi’s testimony, but not mine or Kobashikawa.

Maeda - Tsurugi never said he remembers any part of the murder. Kobashikawa and I both remember what we testified about.

Kobashikawa - …

Tomori - …

Ōtori - …Well? Tsurugi?

Tsurugi - …

//He looks at Maeda- when he looks away, it’s almost like he’s scowling.

Tsurugi - I remember things leading up to the murder.

//His expression returns to neutrality.

Tsurugi - Maeda’s right, though. I don’t remember putting my hands around his neck and strangling him. 

//Next to Tsurugi, Uehara slowly turns away, and tilts forward.

Maeda - …?

Hatano - So you remember fighting with Higa, hitting your head, and crying?

Tsurugi - And kicking him awake, and getting pushed, specifically- when I hit my head.

Tomori - …None of that is murder.

//Uehara slowly turns his head, crinkling his nose then pulling it taught and flaring his bloody nostrils.

Maeda - His nose is bleeding again.

//Tsurugi seems to look at Maeda, then follow his gaze- jolting slightly before grabbing a cloth, and trying to get Uehara’s attention. Wordlessly, Uehara pulls the rag from him.

Tsurugi - …The memories I have are of being awake, and getting hurt, and being upset with Higa.

Tsurugi - That shouldn’t be discounted.

Maeda - But they aren’t memories of murder.

Ōtori - …Is Uehara okay?

Uehara - Nose bleed.

Ōtori - Yeah- I can see, but isn’t that, like, the fourth time your nose has bled this trial?

//Maeda is looking at Ōtori- so he can see in the corner of his eye when Kobashikawa ducks out of view again, and coughs.

Uehara - Uh- I dunno…

Tsurugi, upset - …

Kobashikawa - Ah-a-chu!

//Kobashikawa starts to quietly sniffle, between both sneezes and coughs.

Maeda - …Allergies, maybe?

Tomori - Kobashikawa, are you doing alright?

//He gestures at her- maybe even signing- but Maeda can’t see. He doesn’t think Tomori can either.

Tsurugi, overwhelmed - …

Maeda - Christ- we should have cold medicine, right? Kobashikawa should probably take some-

Maeda - What would help blood clot? Aren’t there foods that can encourage clotting?

Taira - …

Hatano - We should get back to the trial!

//To Maeda’s left, Uehara starts to choke a bit-

Tomori - Uehara, did you just inhale your own blood?

Uehara, sputtering - S-Sorry- stupid-

Ōtori - Shouldn’t you know how to deal with a bloody nose by now?

Uehara - Sh-ould- -st-stupid-

Tsurugi - …

Maeda - There’s so much going on- how can I get the case back on track?

Maeda - Tsurugi doesn’t seem like much help… maybe I should debate Hatano again?

Taira - …

Kobashikawa, still - Kh! K-hc- !

Ōtori - …Doesn’t your throat hurt?

Tsurugi -  …Ah-

//Maeda jolts as Tsurugi starts to sob.

Tsurugi, pitched - Mmmmmm…

Maeda - Oh, come on…

//Uehara is still sniffing and spluttering as the blood flows, Kobashikawa is coughing hard enough it’s like his lungs will pop out, and Maeda has no clue what’s set Tsurugi off this time.

Maki - …

Maki - Holy shit…

//It’s the softest noise in the room right now- Taira and Maeda are both silent, and Tomori, Ōtori, and Hatano are all speaking to someone or other, trying to manage the chaos. There’s only six people, six sounds, but it’s all so loud.

Maeda - …

Maeda - What needs to happen.

Maeda - Where are we supposed to get from here?

Maeda - …

Maeda - Should I just ignore everything? It’s not like they’re really issues.

Maeda - Kobashikawa is coughing because he’s sick and Uehara’s nose is bleeding because he got hit, and Tsurugi’s crying because he’s Tsurugi.

Maeda - Tsurugi doesn’t remember killing Higa.

Maeda - …We can accept his testimony, sure- but his theory isn’t fact.

Maeda - He said it straight that he remembers waking up, and the fight, but he doesn’t remember killing him.

Maeda - Let’s go over the case, including testimonies, then see what theories we come up with. 

//Uehara straightens up, still wiping at his face, but seemingly wiping at dried blood now, not fresh. He’s still getting his bearings after the latest nose bleed.

Maki - …Why?

Maeda - I-

//She puts her hand up to cut him off. To her left, Maeda can see Kobashikawa turning around to face the group again, though he’s still kneeling on the floor. 

Maki - I’m not arguing against you.

Maki - I just want to understand what your point is here. Why are we doing this?

Maeda - …

Maeda - I don’t think we can trust Tsurugi’s theory. I mean…

//He trails off- look at him. Currently, Tsurugi’s just standing still, crying. Maeda sees Maki look at him, before shifting her gaze back to Maeda. He can see it in her eyes- she knows exactly what he meant. 

Maeda - …So, let’s look at this case, with everything we know. We haven’t talked about it just with what we know Tsurugi knows. Since he testified, we’ve been including his theory that he killed Higa.

Maeda - We’ll take his testimony into account, and see if we get the same theory. 

Maeda - …I don’t want to do this by myself. I need to see what the others think- if we’re depending on my theories, we’re fucked.

Ōtori - …

Ōtori - We can say it starts with Kobashikawa leaving Tsurugi’s dorm, right?

Tsurugi - No…

//Maeda looks at Tsurugi- 

Maeda - Why is he objecting?

//Tsurugi doesn’t seem to want to contribute- he takes a step back, swaying in his posture as he starts to pull at his arms.

Maki - No, that isn’t right.

Maki - It started with the dining hall trip.

Ōtori - Right. We can start there.

Maki - …It was you, Uehara, Kobashikawa, Higa, and Iranami that left for the dining hall. You and Higa left first, then Uehara and Kobashikawa left together.

//Speaking of, Maeda watches as Kobashikawa slowly stands again, using his podium to pull himself up. 

Maeda - I don’t think there’s anything else to say there… everyone laid down to go to bed once they were back.

Ōtori - Mhm. Then, I realized that Kobashikawa was still binding, so I woke him up- around half an hour after the trip ended?

Maki - What were you doing still up?

Ōtori - Takes awhile for me to fall asleep. Plus, I was practically asleep when I remembered- Kobashikawa can probably account for that.

//Kobashikawa nods slowly.

Maki - Alright.

Maki - So, it was at that point that Kobashikawa woke Tsurugi up, and then left for his own dorm. Tsurugi sat in the doorframe of his room so the door would stay open for Kobashikawa, and so Kobashikawa would have an alibi.

Tsurugi - mmmm.

Uehara - …

Maeda - Eventually, Kobashikawa came back-

Tsurugi - I- I didn’t kn- It-

Uehara - …??

Maeda, overlapping - And he laid back down, as Tsurugi went back to his bed. 

//Maeda’s focused on the conversation- it’s Tomori who watches as Uehara grabs Tsurugi, who seems too distressed to really understand the hand on his shoulder.

Tsurugi - …It was dark. Oh my god, it was just so dark.

Ōtori - Right… which, according to Tsurugi’s testimony, that’s when he kicked Higa, and woke him up.

Tsurugi - But it shouldn’t have been. It shouldn’t have been. 

Ōtori - Then… one of the conversations Maeda heard was Tsurugi and Higa, when Higa accused Tsurugi of killing someone-

Maki - Oh- and the one he heard before was Kobashikawa and Tsurugi.

Ōtori - Right, right…

Tsurugi - I was so scared. I didn’t know what was going to happen.

Maeda - So, Higa and Tsurugi had that conversation-

Tsurugi - That doesn’t make it okay. I shouldn’t have, oh I shouldn’t have. No one thinks I could, I’m not supposed to-

Maeda - And Higa realized he was wrong, but it still escalated. Higa shoved Tsurugi, and Tsurugi remembers it made him hit his head against the bedpost.

Tsurugi - Oh, oh- you get it, right? Don’t you know??

Maeda - This is where we get to Tsurugi’s theory…

Maki - So…

Maki - As far as we know, the next thing we know happened is that Tsurugi laid down, and went to sleep. Higa might have been dead at this point- he might not have been. 

Tsurugi - I don’t know what to do. You’ve got it, right? You know what I mean?

Maeda - If we go off of Tsurugi’s earlier testimony that he didn’t hear anything-

Ōtori - Should we admit that as evidence?

Maeda - It tracks either way. He doesn’t remember hearing Higa die because he doesn’t remember killing Higa, or he didn’t hear anything because he was asleep.

Tsurugi - …

Maeda - What do we have after this…

Tsurugi - Uehara, I need you to understand.

//Maeda glances over at Tsurugi and Uehara. Uehara is looking at Tsurugi, and Tsurugi is looking at the floor.

Maeda - …

//Neither one says anything. Maeda didn’t catch a word they had said.

Ōtori - So… Higa dies at some point, and Tsurugi goes peacefully to sleep?

Maeda - …

Maeda - Wait.

Ōtori - …

Ōtori - I’m sorry to say it, but it seems pretty clear-cut. Tsurugi killed Higa. It may not be definitively proven, but it’s the conclusion that’s supported by what we know.

Maeda - That isn’t where my testimony ended?

Maeda - Wait.

Maeda - What about the lights?

Tsurugi - …

Maeda - And- And the sounds that I heard.

Maeda - Don’t we need to work out how those fit into our theory, too?

Ōtori - …It was Tsurugi, wasn’t it?

Maeda - H-How could it have been?

Maeda - Let’s say it was Tsurugi, for a moment- isn’t this just what we were saying earlier? That’s, like… way too much involvement for him.

Maki - …If we explain the lights and sounds as the blackened creating distractions, or subverting someone who woke up, then…

Tomori - Then Tsurugi doesn’t fit the profile we have for the blackened!

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - …

//Tsurugi’s eyes flick- from fixed on the floor, to across the faces of everyone in the trial room, then to his shoes.

Maeda - …?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - No, that’s wrong.

Maeda - …Dammit, Tsurugi!

//He shifts his stance, pointing at Tomori.

Tsurugi - That doesn’t mean anything./

//…Again, Tsurugi’s posture changes- he stays more open to the group, but briefly runs his hands through his hair.

Tsurugi - I…

Tsurugi - I killed him. My hands… I went up for the neck, and I could feel the cartilage get cut.

Maeda - …What? Cut?

Tsurugi - It… was some time after. I remember talking with someone. I don’t remember what was said, but I felt- I know I touched someone.

Tsurugi - I got myself together, and I went and laid down. I don’t remember falling asleep, but I remember waking up this morning.

Tsurugi - Actions on autopilot. Can’t be used to disqualify me.

Maeda - …

Maeda - This doesn’t feel right… it feels- almost disjointed.

Maeda - Tsurugi, are you sure you remember this?

Tsurugi - …Mhm.

Maki - …

Maki - Did this happen last night?

Tsurugi - …!

//The air in the trial room grows cold. Maeda swears he can hear the elevator creak.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - I don’t know what you mean.

Maki - …

Maki - …

Tsurugi, imploring - …

Maki, hesitant - ……

Hatano - …You’ve killed before, right?

Maeda - Jesus fucking Christ, Hatano.

Hatano - How do we know you aren’t just getting memories mixed up?

Maeda - …Shit.

Maeda - Shit, is that what’s going on?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - My experiences can be trusted. I know what I’m saying.

Maki - …But do you know what you remember? Or when it happened?

Tsurugi - Yes.

Maeda - !

//That was weird.

Maeda - …

Maeda - …Okay.

Maeda - So, Tsurugi… you remember killing Higa, then?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - Not clearly. But my other memories show to me that I did.

Maeda - …

Maki - …

Ōtori - …

Maeda - …Okay…

~*~

Maeda, narrating - Not okay. So not something I’m okay with. 

Maeda - I- If Tsurugi’s getting his memories mixed up, everything comes into question- SHIT!

Maeda - If Tsurugi doesn’t really remember what happened last night… we may not have a suspect.

Maeda - Fuck. Okay. Okay. Guess I might be getting what I wanted!

Maeda - I need to know what really happened. But, Tsurugi’s so avoidant…

Maeda - Should I press him- gently, but still… should I try? Or, is it better to try and work with the others for now?

{Debate with the Class}

{Question Tsurugi’s Recollection}

[another-dr-another]

{Something that Happened This Morning}

No guys hear me out it's not Tsurugi because... Because !!! He's totally innocent.... right....... (i will live in denial.)

Maeda, narrating - Something that happened this morning?

Maeda - …Hm…

Maeda - This morning, Tsurugi was one of the people to find the body… he didn’t really guard at all, except for when Kobashikawa and I had to leave-

Maeda - But he investigated Higa… then…

Maeda - …

~”I kinda want everyone to vote wrong. I think it might be the best choice we could make.”~

Maeda - …

Maeda - Even back then… wouldn’t Tsurugi have known that he didn’t know who the blackened was?

Maeda - I wonder why he’d say that, then…

Maeda - Maybe he… maybe it was an attempt to like- to feel better about the idea of the blackened winning? Like, it doesn’t matter if he can’t find the blackened, because maybe it’s best if they survive.

Maeda - Though, I shouldn’t bring up that conversation- it won’t look good for Tsurugi. 

Maeda - …Besides I probably said something about keeping it between us.

Maeda - Hm…

Maeda - Other than that, there’s the autopsy, of course.

Maeda - But I don’t think it really connects to Higa’s murder.

Maeda - And, bringing it up is just grounds for Hatano to get upset with Tsurugi again, and I don’t need that right now…

Maeda - Ultimately, if I look at anything after the murder, I’ll get accused of distracting the group, I think.

Maeda - Let’s check to see if there’s anything else we’ve failed to explain when it comes to the murder.

[Something that Happened Last Night]

[another-dr-another]

lets vote for tsurugi now lets just see what happens wheeeeeeeeeeeeee (AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA) - annie

Maeda, narrating - …

//The world sways, unsteady.

Maeda - …

//He anchors it in his stomach.

Maeda - Don’t wanna.

Maeda - I don’t want to do that right now. 

Maeda - …You’re working with me, right?

Maeda - …

Maeda - You like me! You like me, right?

Maeda - You agree with me, you want me to stay safe, and do what I’m supposed to. 

Maeda - So you care about me!

Maeda - You have t-

Maeda - …

//His face falls.

Maeda - Well. 

Maeda - You agree with me. I guess that’s all I can say for certain.

Maeda - …Wait-

//The world returns.

~*~

Maeda, narrating - If you agree with me, why are you saying we should vote for Tsurugi? I don’t feel like it was him.

Maeda - …You must be joking!

Maeda - I’m not going to do that. I won’t let everyone.

Maeda - Tsurugi’s been my friend since the start. I owe it to him to try and keep him safe- even if it isn’t logically correct, I shouldn’t give up on him.

Maeda - I know he’s a caring person. He deserves to have someone stand up and recognize that, instead of going numb and nodding their head.

{Something that Happened Last Night}

[Something that Happened This Morning]

~*~

Bad End Unlocked: 2/7

Available for viewing after completion of Before the Big Bang!

[another-dr-another]

{Reconstructing the Case Will Make an Issue Apparent}

Oof buddy I think ypu are the one in denial this time but leta keep being in denial because Tsurugi is innocent definatly

Maeda, narrating - God…

Maeda - Alright, alright, okay. 

Maeda - Yeah. If everything gets laid out, I can see a contradiction, if there is one.

Maeda - Or, I’ll think of something we haven’t gone over for Tsurugi specifically!

~*~

//Everyone is waiting for someone to speak

Maeda - I need to answer…

Maeda - They might be waiting for me to object- I’ve been Tsurugi’s strongest defender for a while now.

//No one says anything.

Maeda - Or… maybe they’re waiting for me to speak up and start breaking down the murder.

Maeda - That makes sense. I’ve definitely done that in the past.

//It’s quiet in the trial room.

Maeda - …

Maeda - No one is able to begin things the way I can. It’s up to me to make that decision, and it’s me alone.

Maeda - The only way anything will change is if I initiate it.

//Honestly, the room feels the same as ever, nothing to note.

Maeda - …

//It’s Maeda who feels viscerally wrong.

~*~

Maeda - I can’t. 

Maeda - I can’t let this go on. If they think it’s Tsurugi, then the trial won’t progress correctly.

Maeda - I need to divert things away- no one’s standing properly. Everyone needs to shift over and re-align.

Maeda - …

//Something painful, heavy and hot, mounts in his stomach.

Maeda - I can’t stand it.

Maeda - Everyone needs to move. It isn’t right.

Maeda - Things aren’t flowing, people are- are blocking the stream. It’s not right. I don’t like it.

Maeda - It’s making my skin itch. This isn’t right!

Maeda - I need to get them to move. We can’t go forward, we need to go to the side. 

//The pain in Maeda’s head is dense, cool in the way it numbs.

Maeda - It’s only a few inches, I think.

Maeda - The issue here is Tsurugi.

Maeda - …But, he wouldn’t have.

Maeda - He couldn’t have. It wouldn’t be right. It can’t have been like that…

Maeda - …

Maeda - Not how I knew him.

Maeda - No, no, no.

Maeda - Not how I knew him. Not how I knew him. He wouldn’t have.

Maeda - Tsurugi isn’t the sort, he’s never been.

Maeda - If he was, then Kurokawa wouldn’t be dead, and Inori wouldn’t be dead, and Mekaru wouldn’t be dead, and Yamaguchi wouldn’t be dead, and Iranami wouldn’t be dead, and Higa wouldn’t be dead.

Maeda - I can’t have been wrong, because we’re only here because of Tsurugi.

Maeda - If I was wrong, then-

Maeda - Then-

Maeda - …Then. 

Maeda - If I was wrong, then us being here is wrong. 

Maeda - If Tsurugi killed Higa, the killing game shouldn’t be happening- wouldn’t it just stop?

Maeda - That has to be right. If it isn’t like that, then the flow won’t be correct. It’ll be going the wrong way, and everything- everything will end up in the wrong place.

Maeda - The game will keep going, and Tsurugi didn’t kill Higa.

Maeda - …Right.

Maeda - That’s what’s right. I’m right. It’s okay.

Maeda - …Okay.

Maeda - I know what needs to happen. I know where I am, and I know where I need to go.

Maeda - …

Maeda - The inner core can change, without changing Earth’s orbit.

Maeda - …

Maeda - …

//When the world lurches away, it’s because Maeda dragged it behind him.

~*~

Maeda, narrating - …Uhm.

Maeda - …I can’t let the case get reconstructed.

Maeda - If I do, everyone will think it was Tsurugi, and he’ll get voted for!

Maeda - I can’t let that happen.

{Something that Happened Last Night}

{Something that Happened This Morning}

{Vote for Tsurugi, Now}

[another-dr-another]

nov 13th, 2005

Maeda, narrating - …Ugh.

Maeda - ...Wait, I've got it!

Maeda - If Tsurugi thinks well of the blackeneds, then why would he dislike Higa? And why are these both strikes against him?

Maeda - Let’s see what Hatano thinks!

~*~

Maeda - Hatano… why does Tsurugi think well of the blackeneds?

Hatano - …Oh, uh-

Hatano - He always said stuff like… that they weren’t really bad people. Which, they chose to try and kill everyone, all because they deserve what they want, and they want it now, and they’re more important-

Hatano - Which, that’s another contradiction with Tsurugi, because why would you say you care about the group before anything else, then be number one fan of the people that are willing to chuck us all out?

Hatano - But, he said they weren’t wrong for the murder, and the attempt to kill us all, because they were upset, or whatever.

Hatano - Because the mastermind scared them, made them feel like they needed to- and you’d rather cuddle them than acknowledge that everyone else who was scared managed to not commit murder.

//As Hatano glares, Maeda is suddenly reminded of Tsurugi’s existence. He looks over for the first time in a good moment- and is a bit surprised by what he sees. Tsurugi’s still crying sure, tears rolling down his face in a steady flow… but he’s breathing hard. And the last time Maeda saw Tsurugi breathing hard like that was also the first- it was back in the dining hall, when he backhanded Hatano. 

Maeda - …It’s panic.

Maeda - …You’re wrong.

//It comes so easily, he must have said it to try and assuage Tsurugi. 

Maeda - You know, thinking of the fight… Hatano isn’t saying that Iranami’s death is Tsurugi’s fault anymore.

Maeda - I think that’s a good sign that she might be accepting what happened to Iranami.

Maeda - ….Pointing out that she was wrong about that part of things definitely won’t help though.

Maeda - Tsurugi’s point about the blackeneds was that they were acting out of fear and panic, right? Like you said?

Hatano - …Yeah?

Maeda - That’s what he thought about Higa, too. 

Maeda - Tsurugi believed that Higa’s… actions were, like…

Maeda - …Shit, I don’t know how to explain it.

Maeda - …Tsurugi?

//Tsurugi looks at Maeda.

Maeda - …

Tsurugi - …

//Maeda doesn’t look at anything but Tsurugi’s eyes. It’s all he can do. Tsurugi looks haunted.

Maeda, severely uncomfortable - …

Tomori - …Bigotry is a way of punching down to push yourself up.

Tomori - It’s sold to people under the idea that it’s everyone for themselves. Resources is limited, and in order to win, someone has to lose.

Tomori - Some people deserve to lose, or don’t deserve equal access to things- and those who have less did something to deserve it.

Tomori - He’s coping for… whatever issues he has by believing in something that says he’s inherently better. 

Maeda - …It’s fear of attack.

Maeda - Both Higa, and the blackened- fear of something happening, and getting hurt, so you strike first.

Tomori - Mhm…

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - I’d fit that pattern.

Maeda - Shit.

Hatano - Yeah! None of what you’ve said makes it look like Tsurugi isn’t the blackened.

Maeda - …

Maeda - Fuckkk.

Maeda - H…Honestly, I’m not sure how we even got to this topic.

Hatano - Tomori’s defending Tsurugi, and it’s just going to get her hurt when he finally shows his true colors. Or, it’ll be a pain to deal with, if he does just lie until the end.

Maeda - …Wait.

Maeda - If Tsurugi has it out for everyone, why would he confess?

Tomori - Exactly!

Maeda - We can’t say he killed Higa because he hated everyone, because then, we don’t have a reason for why he’s confessing.

Maeda - Admitting he murdered Higa just means that he gets to be executed.

Hatano - …So you agree. He murdered Higa.

Maeda - …Fuck!

//Tomori sighs.

Maeda - Damn it… if I defend Tsurugi’s character, then I’m proving his guilt.

Hatano - The way you’ve proved it, there’s two ways things have happened.

Hatano - Tsurugi’s a saint, and he’s the type of saint to get angry and commit homicide, or he’s an asshole, who’s giving us a false confession.

Hatano - Which, there’s no reason to give a false confession- so, time to start accepting Tsurugi’s the blackened.

Hatano - And whether he’s injured or not, there’s no injury that should be making you commit murder!

Maeda - …Wait, did we get to this from the concussion thing?

Hatano - …I guess?

Taira - What was more important to you than paying attention, Maeda?

Maeda - Damn…

Tomori - Hatano thinks Tsurugi might have a concussion.

Maeda - Why’d you bring that up Hatano?

Hatano - …It’s just objective?

Hatano - He hit his head. That could cause a lack of control.

Maeda - That… sounds oddly ingenuous.

Maeda - …I know the word ingenuous? Wh-Where did I learn that? 

Maeda - Ah- advanced lit- THE TRIAL.

Tsurugi - Damage to… GABAergic receptors…

Hatano - Speak up?

Tsurugi - …

//Tsurugi sways on his feet, and doesn’t respond.

Hatano - …

Maki - …There’s a lot of weird things going on right now.

Maki - Let’s work out if Tsurugi’s the blackened. That’s what matters.

Ōtori - Who thinks it’s him, but wants to discuss more before we vote?

//Maki, Tomori, Kobashikawa, and Ōtori raise their hands. Tomori hesitated.

Ōtori - Who’s currently against voting for Tsurugi?

//Maeda and Uehara raise their hands.

Ōtori - …The three of you that didn’t vote- you’d all be fine with voting for Tsurugi now?

//Hatano nods- Taira doesn’t react.

Maeda - She looks more like she’s waiting for an answer from us, than the other way around.

Tsurugi - Yes.

Ōtori - …Alright.

Ōtori - It’d be a majority vote for Tsurugi right now- but even without factoring in those that don’t want to vote for him, the majority of us would rather continue talking.

Ōtori - Maeda, Uehara: what are your reasons?

Uehara - …It isn’t right.

Ōtori - Why?

Uehara - …

Maeda - …I don’t like it, but I don’t have much more of an answer.

Kobashikawa - Maeda, I didn’t know that you thought it wasn’t him. I thought you just wanted to explore every option.

Maeda - …

Maeda - There’s just… something telling me we’re looking at something wrong.

Maeda - …I wish I meant that. Really, I just don’t want it to be him- but if I act like I believe it, I’ll find some way to mean what I’m saying.

Kobashikawa - …Hm.

Tomori - …

Tomori - ………

Maeda - …?

Maeda - Tomori looks… unsure.

//Maeda looks at Taira, waiting for her input.

Taira - …

//She seems… almost bored.

Maeda - Huh…

Ōtori - The motive works, and the method of death works. Tsurugi was nearby, and the timeline fits as well.

Maeda - …The timeline. 

Maeda - Does the timeline fit? I can’t think of anything that would make it not fit.

Ōtori - Is there any other factors we need to consider?

Maeda - …

Maeda - Let’s maybe talk about the motive a bit more-

Maeda - Not Tsurugi’s motive. The one Monokuma talked about.

Uehara - …

Tomori - …

Tsurugi - …

Maeda - …Someone has to speak up.

Maki - …

Ōtori - …

Kobashikawa - …

Maeda - Oh my god. I jinxed it.

Hatano - …

Taira - …

Maeda - …

Maeda - What the fuck!?

Taira - I don’t think anyone wants to.

Maki - …

Maki - Did the motive go off again, since there’s been two deaths?

Ōtori - Monokuma said two murders, though.

Kobashikawa - Could we ask it?

Tomori - …

Tomori - Monokuma?

Monokuma - I Am Not At Liberty To Discuss The Status Of The Motive With Any But A Student Directly Impacted.

Hatano - …

Tsurugi - …

Uehara - …

Maeda - Well, shit.

Maeda - I could be affected, and not even know it, since I don’t really know what the motive entailed.

Ōtori - That seems like a bust, then.

Maeda - R-Really? We can still discuss the motive, even if Monokuma won’t give us information- Monokuma never gives us information!

Maki - ...

Tomori - ...

Kobashikawa - ...

Hatano - Nobody else wants to, Maeda.

Maeda - Ugh... damn it- even if it isn't connected to the case, I wanted to know more.

Maki - ...

Maki - I think we should go ahead and reassemble the case.

Uehara - !...

Maeda - R-Really?!

Maki - I'm not saying we vote... but I think we should put out all our arguments, from A to B, to Higa dying.

Maki - We can see if anything's weak, or doesn't line up.

Tsurugi - ...

Tsurugi - I know what happened. There won't be an issue with the case.

Tsurugi - It's a flawless understanding. I murdered Higa.

Tsurugi - I don't think I should reconstruct the case, though...

Tsurugi - I'll leave it all to you.

~*~

Maeda, narrating - Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Maeda - I don't want to reconstruct the case. I think if we get that far, it'll be too easy- Tsurugi's probably right, we won't see an issue with the case.

Maeda - We'll feel defeated, and give up... and I don't want things to end here.

Maeda - What could I bring up that might keep the trial going?

{Something that Happened Last Night}

{Something that Happened This Morning}

{Reconstructing the Case Will Make an Issue Apparent}

[another-dr-another]

long shot but maybeeee [monokuma file 3-3] with {it shouldn't really matter}? if the cause of death didn't matter it would've been in the monokuma file? idk never done this before

Maeda, narrating - Right! 

Maeda - The Monokuma file never named what killed Higa- how exactly he died!

Maeda - It's something we keep talking about- why don't we bring it up again?

Maeda. - We've put so much emphasis on it, on how Higa died, and how we know that, we should make sure it's compatible with Tsurugi being the blackened.

~*~

Maeda - Wait a minute!

Maeda - Actually, doesn't it matter how Higa died?

Maki - What do you mean?

Maeda - We talked about it a bit at the start- 

Maeda - Can we rule out strangulation or suffocation? We should be able to, shouldn’t we?

Maki - …Uhm?

Tomori - How does that matter?

Maeda - Because, if there’s an inconsistency, it could imply that we’re wrong.

Tomori - …Ah.

Maeda - Tsurugi. Can you say if you strangled Higa, or suffocated him?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - Uhm… suffocated?

Maeda - You don’t sound too convinced.

Maki - Wait- Tsurugi, what?

Tsurugi - …What?

Maki - Why are you saying you suffocated Higa?

Tsurugi - …Oh.

Tsurugi - Uhm. Sorry. We agreed it was strangulation, didn’t we?

Ōtori - …We did.

Tsurugi - Okay. I misspoke, I have to have strangled him.

Maki - …Did you misspeak? Or did you think you had suffocated him?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - I think… that I thought I had suffocated him, for a second. But I didn’t actually think it through and decide that, I just thought about it, and when you asked, I said what was on my mind.

Maeda - Why was suffocation on your mind?

Tsurugi - I was thinking about the pillow…

Maeda - Why?

Tsurugi - …

Maeda - …

Tsurugi - …

Maeda - …Why is he getting quiet now?

Maeda - If you aren’t hiding anything anymore, you should be willing to tell us what you were thinking about.

Tsurugi - Ah-

Tsurugi - I- I don’t remember how the blood got on there, that’s all. I get cut up a lot, it isn’t an issue.

Maeda - …But… what if it is?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - …Don’t latch onto that.

Maeda - !

Tsurugi - I don’t remember most of my injuries when I have them. It isn’t weird that I don’t remember some blood from some injury that got on some pillow.

Tsurugi - The reason I didn’t want to mention it is because it isn’t anything we can pursue.

Tsurugi - The only interest that would come up is if the blood is someone else’s, and that doesn’t matter here, because the blood was old and dried, and we know Higa didn’t make the blackened bleed because there wasn’t any blood on him.

Taira - Could we say the pillow having blood is proof he made his attacker bleed? If he were suffocated with the pillow, that’d explain why there’s blood on it, but not him.

Tsurugi - There’d be blood under his nails.

Taira - …Ah.

Maeda - Wait- but there’s nothing ruling out suffocation.

Tsurugi - …Well…

Tsurugi - …Maeda, why is this even on your mind?

Maeda - If it was suffocation, then you’d have messed with the body, right?

Tsurugi - …Yeah?

Maeda - Then it doesn’t make sense.

Maeda - If you messed with the body, it’d be an attempt to obscure the cause of death. 

Maeda - Not only does that not align with our understanding of your motive, but it also gives you way more conscious involvement than you say you had!

Ōtori - …I mean, he isn’t wrong.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - …That’d be an accurate way of understanding things, yes,

Maeda - Yeah!

Tsurugi - But that doesn’t mean anything. In fact, all it does is rule out suffocation.

Maeda - …Eh?

Tsurugi - After all, we have no reason to start to think it was suffocation. I strangled him, not suffocated, because I wouldn’t have manipulated the body to look like strangulation, due to my mental state when I committed the murder.

Tsurugi - We’ve clarified what the means of death was! We weren’t uncertain before, but now we know for sure, which is great!

Maeda - …Damn it. I thought I could be onto something there…

Maeda - Wait-

Maeda - Tsurugi, why do we believe it’s strangulation, again?

Tsurugi - …Uh?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - …

Ōtori  - It was because of the positioning of the body- his hands were up, implying he’d tried to fight them off.

Tsurugi - …No. Not- not quite.

Tsurugi - It was that- and the positioning of his legs. They were flat, like he couldn’t get them firmly planted, which would be the case if they were on his chest, strangling him. Suffocation wouldn’t look like that. 

Maeda - You said it was both his arms and legs, right?

Tsurugi - …Yes.

Maeda - Okay. Then, Higa tried to fight you off, right?

Tsurugi - We can assume so…

Maeda - Do you have marks? On your wrists- from Higa?

Maeda - You aren’t wearing your friendship bracelets. It’d be easy to check now. 

Tsurugi - Ah…

Tsurugi - …Actually, I haven’t really looked.

Maeda - …I’m not surprised.

Maeda - Well, look now, then.

Tsurugi - …

//He… looks at his arms.

Tsurugi - …

Maeda - …

Maki - …Anything?

Tsurugi - Uh… lots of things. I’m… not sure if any of them are from Higa.

Maeda - That does check out. There’s a lot of injuries on Tsurugi’s arms, and he said he can’t always remember all of them.

Ōtori - Any of them look like they could be caused by a hand?

Tsurugi - Mm…

Tsurugi - Lots of ways that could manifest. None of them on my arms though.

Maki - …Do you mind if I look.

Tsurugi - Go for it.

Maki - Monokuma, can I leave my podium?

Monokuma - Permission Granted.

//Maki jumps off her podium, and walks briskly to Tsurugi. He turns to face her, and stretches out her arms for her to check.

Maki - …

Maki - This?

Tsurugi - Ah… ‘S a scar.

Maki, incredulous - …Really?

Tsurugi - Permanent discoloration frommm… damage to the muscle? Uh-

Tsurugi - Oh- it’s from my own hand, see?

Tsurugi - Some of the cells died off, and they’re like… stuck under the skin, or something. 

Maki - …Okay.

Maki - You’re clear, then. No marks.

Maeda - Okay. Isn’t that weird?

//Maki speaks as she walks back to her podium. Tsu rubs idly at his arms.

Maki - Weird, but doesn’t disprove anything.

Maeda - I mean- wouldn’t Higa have been able to bruise him?

//Uehara looks at Tsurugi.

Uehara - …

//He takes off his jacket.

Maki - Higa probably would have, you’re right.

Maki - But it’s possible he didn’t grab consistently, or wasn’t gripping Tsurugi tightly to try and force him off-

Maki - He could’ve been hitting Tsurugi for all we know! 

//Uehara shook his jacket at Tsurugi until he’d both noticed, and taken it. Currently, Tsurugi’s fixing the hood of the jacket. 

Maki - Ultimately, this doesn’t disprove anything.

Maki - Tsurugi’s… still our best candidate.

Tsurugi - I’m the only candidate. 

//Uehara was doing… something with Tsurugi’s arms, but pulls away as Tsurugi turns to the group.

Tsurugi - There’s other people who could have, but no one else who’s implicated. I’m established to have been at the scene of the crime, doing things that align with our timeline. 

Maeda - …

Maeda - Isn’t… it circumstantial, though?

Tsurugi - It’s all we have. It’s confession, or bust.

Maeda - …

Maeda - We don’t have to vote until Monokuma calls the time. We’re fine to just… wait. Wait, and hope for something else.

Maeda - God. What am I missing? Isn’t there something? It can’t be Tsurugi…

Hatano - …Shouldn’t we vote, then?

Maeda - AAAAAAA

Tsurugi - !

//He’s visibly taken aback. Quickly, his expression changes from shock to light concern.

Tsurugi - Well… we don’t have to. We can still wait for a minute.

Hatano - …

//…Her face is still slightly pink-tinted from crying earlier.

Hatano - …You should be brave and face it.

Hatano - If you can shoulder all those other responsibilities, you can accept what you earned when you took someone's life.

Maki - …

Tomori - …

Maki - …

Maki - There’s no reason to rush the process. If we have more time to think, we should. 

Tomori - Yeah…

Tomori - And Tsurugi didn’t earn anything. That… isn’t a kind way of looking at things.

Hatano - It’s right, though, isn’t it?

Hatano - He killed someone, now he gets to die. That’s how it works.

Maeda - …

Tomori - It shouldn’t be how it works. It was an accident, it wasn’t intentional.

Tomori - I- If you were saying this about Inori, or Yamaguchi, I wouldn’t agree, but I’d understand, because it was their choice.

Tomori- Tsu- Tsurugi didn’t choose this. And the fact you’re saying all this makes me worried, Hatano. Because you didn’t act like this earlier, and this isn’t the time it’d make sense for you to start, so I don’t understand.

Hatano - …

Hatano - I don’t want to be around someone who’s capable of that.

Hatano - I wasn’t even thinking about Inori and Yamaguchi- but they both had to plan their murders, after they were motivated to.

Hatano - The mastermind didn’t even need to do anything to Tsurugi. He’s just… it’s a ticking time bomb, ready to go off.

Tsurugi - Uh-

//He speaks suddenly, cutting in as soon as he could.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - Don’t call me an “it”, please. 

Hatano - …

Hatano - It doesn’t matter.

Maeda - …Does “it” refer to Tsurugi, there? Ambiguous… or maybe I’m just inept, socially. I really don’t get what Hatano’s deal is, so maybe I’m just too lost.

Hatano - It was his choice, and it’s not good that you can be driven to homicide because someone upset you.

Tsurugi - …

Ōtori - …Hatano, you were saying earlier that no one cared about Higa, and solving his death didn’t matter. What’s changed?

Hatano - …

Hatano - That was before I knew it was Tsurugi.

Ōtori - Ah. So it is specific to Tsurugi.

Hatano - Of course! Tsurugi’s the one that’s been lying to us!

Tomori - Tsurugi didn’t know- again, he didn’t choose to kill Higa!

Hatano - But he knew he was capable of it! And he still chose to be around us- plus, if he was starting to get upset, he should have recognized that!

Hatano - If you can’t realize you’re a threat, and remove yourself from people, then you’re just selfish!

Tsurugi - …Mm…

//It’s not intended as a response to Hatano- it’s a hum of displeasure… that sounds to Maeda like he might be about to cry.

Maeda - If it’s not Hatano, it’s Tsurugi…

Tomori - Quit it!

Tomori - Tsurugi hasn’t done anything to deserve this. Expressing yourself is good, but you can get your feelings out there and acknowledged without trying to hurt people.

Hatano - It’s. just. fact.

Maeda, stressed - …

//Tsurugi keeps shifting, seemingly very uncertain of what to do with himself.

Maeda - He can’t speak up, because no matter what he says, Hatano will dislike it. If he says the right thing, it’ll put her at odds with it, and if he says the wrong thing, it proves her right.

//Tomori, on the other hand, seems more certain than she’s been in awhile. Since Tsurugi’s confession, she’s looked queasy, but now she’s standing steady.

Maeda - Still, though… knowing Tomori, she isn’t happy to have to speak out against Hatano right now. She’s definitely worried for how Hatano is doing… and this runs the risk of alienating her from the best emotional supports we have.

//Speaking of Hatano, she’s much harder for Maeda to read. Grief hangs heavy in the air near her, even when she isn’t wearing it as a shawl around her shoulders.

Maeda - The way Iranami’s death is affecting her… I honestly have no clue where she’ll go from her- with her argument, or her emotional state.

Hatano - …

Hatano - Actually, there was something I’ve been thinking about bringing up.

//The room grows tense.

Hatano - Is there a chance Tsurugi has a concussion? From hitting his head?

Tomori - …

Maeda - …Oh.

Maki - …Oh, shit-

Tsurugi - Mmm.

Maki - That… that could explain the amnesia. Holy shit.

Maeda - …Is Tsurugi concussed?

Taira - Hm~

Taira - Concussions can have an impact on a person's mood and behavior…

Maeda - Has he been acting weird-

Maeda  - The fucking hallway.

Maeda - Oh my god.

//The conversation continues without Maeda- he’s entirely tapped out of it as he remembers.

Maeda - I haven’t thought about it since I heard Tsurugi’s confession.

Maeda - Is… is it possible he was thinking he might be the blackened even then?

Maeda - Or his subconscious was trying to warn him…

Maeda - God…

Maeda - …

Maeda - …Uhm.

Maeda - …Fuck. Would Tsurugi ask us to vote incorrectly so he could escape?

Maeda - I don’t think he would… all he keeps saying is that he only wants to help…

Maeda - But, doesn’t he want to help the world at large? I don’t think any of us have accomplishments that outshine his when it comes to global impact.

Maeda - …Fuck. 

Maeda - I mean- Would it be better if Tsurugi escaped? Would the eight of us combined have an effect on the world that would outweigh what he could do?

Maeda - I’m not too familiar with everyone’s work, and you never know… maybe Uehara would go into the legal field in Tsurugi’s memory, or Tomori would become a renowned philanthropist…

Maeda - But, if everyone’s already trying their best, and Tsurugi’s best is just… better, already…

//A pitched whine throws Maeda from his thoughts.

Maeda - Tsurugi.

//Indeed. 

Tomori - Hatano.

Maeda - Well, that’s a good bit of context to get.

Hatano - What?

Tomori - Not okay! So far from okay!

//Whatever happened, it seems to have been the last push against Tsurugi’s shoddily-built dam. He isn’t reacting as severely as he has in the past, but we are back to tears, and he is back to trying to hide himself away. 

Maeda - At least he’s still standing.

Maeda - …

Maeda - Okay. Doesn’t look like I jinxed it.

//Again, Maeda’s missed part of the conversation.

Kobashikawa - Let’s just move on…

Kobashikawa - This isn’t the time to be arguing over morality- we can talk about that later. Let’s talk about the case.

Hatano - But doesn’t this matter to the case? It matters if Tomori’s able to accept that Tsurugi killed Higa or not!

Tomori - I’m not arguing against that, I’m arguing against you acting like he’s some violent maniac!

Hatano - And I didn’t call him that. I’ve just been trying to point out that he isn’t who he acts like he is.

Taira - How so? You should state your opinions clearly.

Hatano - It’s like I’ve been saying.

Hatano - Tsurugi’s goal isn’t to help us, or to get us out of here, or to make us feel better. He wants the game to keep going. 

Hatano - Because when the game keeps going, he can keep stepping in to help, and everyone thinks highly of him, and he gets to continue making all the calls, and having everyone do whatever he says.

Tomori - …

Tomori - Take that back.

Hatano - No! No, why should I? I meant it. I stand by what I say! 

Hatano - Do you have something you want to take back, Tomori?

Tomori - …

//She seems to take a moment to process, staring at Hatano with clear shock on her face.

Tomori - …

Tomori - You don’t mean that. 

Tomori - Y-You say it, and you do mean it- but it’s not true. And you know that, but- right now, your goal isn’t the truth. 

Tomori - I don’t want to talk about this until you’re in a different headspace. Because you should get help, and no one’s able to help right now, and that includes me, and my inability to work through what you’re saying with you.

Hatano - …

Hatano - You sound just like Tsurugi.

Tomori - …That’s high praise. I’m happy I have a friend like Tsurugi who understands me so well.

Hatano - …

Tomori - … 

Maeda - …Hey.

Maeda - Hatano, if you think poorly of Tsurugi, how does that fit in with the motive?

//Maeda can’t decipher the look Tomori is giving him, and it honestly frightens him, so he elects to ignore it, and focus on Hatano.

Hatano - …Because everyone’s saying his motive is that he liked Higa?

Maeda - That he was optimistic about him, so he would’ve forgot about murdering him after snapping.

Hatano - Ah. Easy. He’s just lying.

Tsurugi - KH!

//Tsurugi jolts. It’d be funny, if he didn’t seem so distressed.

Maeda - Anything’s worth discussing.

Maeda - Elaborate?

Hatano - …

Hatano - Aren’t you on his side?

Maeda - I’ll talk about anything right now. I don’t agree with how you see Tsurugi, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth talking about your theory for how the murder happened. 

Hatano - …Okay.

Hatano - Do you think you…

Hatano - …Do you think you’d start to see the way I do, if my theory makes sense?

Maeda - …Danger, danger, danger. Not a question that I want to answer. 

Maeda - No promises.

Hatano - Either way?

Maeda - …Huh?

Hatano - No promises either way. You aren’t saying you will, you aren’t saying you’ll shove your head in the sand.

Maeda - …Yeah.

Hatano - …

Hatano - Okay.

Rebuttal Showdown: START!

Truth Bullets: Bloodied PIllow Room Layout Tsurugi’s Autopsy

PHASE ONE

Hatano - I think Tsurugi’s telling the truth about how things started.

Hatano - I believe Kobashikawa- you’d be stupid not to- about leaving last night, and how he woke up Tsurugi.

Hatano - That definitely happened, there’s enough alibis that I don’t disagree.

Hatano - But, I think his account of what happened is wrong- and I think he knows it.

Hatano - He accidentally woke Higa up, and Higa accused him of murder. But, didn’t you say there was more to the conversation, you just missed it?

Hatano - I think Higa accused him of being complicit- complacent. Of not doing enough to stop the deaths.

Hatano - Higa might have landed on the same reasoning I did. He could have accused Tsurugi of enjoying the trials, solving the case and stringing us along.

Hatano - That’s what caused Tsurugi to “snap”- but it wasn’t some breakdown-induced blind rage, or whatever…

Hatano - It was intentional. 

BREAK!

Maeda - Could Hatano be right?

Maeda - Her account of Higa’s thoughts… honestly, I’m surprised she’s saying they could be on the same page.

Maeda - Anyways, her logic is honestly fairly sound, I don’t see any inconsistencies in this timeline,

Maeda - But, that isn’t enough. She has to have a reason for what she’s saying, otherwise it’s just a theoretical situation.

Maeda - I can see what you’re saying, Hatano…

Maeda - But I don’t see any reason to believe it!

Maeda - We don’t have a reason to think that Higa would believe that- or that there’s any merit to it! Tsurugi wouldn’t have killed to keep Higa from telling everyone that theory, because the theory isn’t true!

PHASE TWO

Hatano - But it is!

Hatano - Think about it. Mr. “crime rate reduction” has let {four people die in the past week}?

Hatano - That doesn't even count the two murderers that died as well- it’s been what, ten days? And six people are dead!

Hatano - Those aren’t the numbers we should be seeing if he actually cared about stopping anything. He openly {thinks well of the blackeneds}- what’s to stop him from being one himself?

Hatano - {Tsurugi had no reason to like Higa}, or to even care if he died.

Hatano - We know that something happened last night, he’s confessed that there was a fight, and he’s even stated that he’s the blackened!

Hatano - All he’s doing is {lying to save his image} because he got caught.

Hatano - …

Hatano - He never had anyone’s best interest in mind. {This game is just a lucky opportunity for him.}

~*~

Maeda, narrating - …Ugh.

Maeda - I don’t agree with Hatano’s perspective. I’m glad we talked about it, and maybe we can go somewhere with it…

Maeda - But I need to counter her perception of Tsurugi. It isn’t right, and I don’t want to lie and dig my grave there.

//Note: Remember, you can choose to absorb {italicized options}. Just a reminder- the timing of it totally isn’t relevant here. Totally. 

[another-dr-another]

just spitballing here bc i cannot figure out how my suspicions would translate to nonstop debate.. {Kobashikawa’s Testimony} against {it makes sense for you to be the one who killed Higa} ? -iris

Maeda, narrating - Could that be it?

~*~

Maeda - Hey, Kobashikawa?

Kobashikawa - ?

Maeda - Do you remember anything from when you got up last night that could help prove if Tsurugi's the blackened?

Kobashikawa - ...

Kobashikawa - I'm sorry, I still haven't thought of anything.

Kobashikawa - My only interaction with Tsurugi last night was when I asked him to hold the door, and when I thanked him as I came back in.

Kobashikawa - I laid down right after, and fell asleep rather quickly. I didn't catch any of the murder.

Maeda - Ah...

~*~

Maeda, narrating - And I can't think of anything either...

Maeda - At least, not as far as Kobashikawa's testimony goes.

Maeda - But there has to be something else we can look at!

[another-dr-another]

[advance] oh fuck

Maeda, narrating - …

Maeda - There’s no way.

~*~

Tsurugi - …

//The room is silent.

Tsurugi - …

//He’s clearly waiting for someone to say something.

Uehara - …Huh?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - It has to have been me.

Tsurugi - No one else lines up. Five students can be taken off for the reasons we talked about already- leaving Taira, Tomori, Uehara, and me.

Tsurugi - …Of that four, I’m the only one that could have done it.

Maki - Wait- you’re saying that like you had to prove it- isn’t this just a confession?

Tsurugi - …

//He looks away.

Maeda - …Oh my god.

Maeda - Do- Do you think you killed Higa and forgot?!

Tsurugi - …That has to be it.

Tsurugi - I- I shouldn’t have been taken off the list. Remember what I said about how amnesia happens when the culprit can’t accept what they did?

Tsurugi - I didn’t want Higa to die. 

Tsurugi - I was the one who had high hopes for Higa- who was thinking something could go different for him!

Hatano - Yeah, so why would you kill him?

Tsurugi - I-

Tsurugi - I didn’t mean to hurt him! R-Really!

Kobashikawa - N-No one thinks you wanted to… but- what exactly did you do?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - The- the thump was from him hitting me.

Tsurugi - Well- he cuffed my head, and I was off balance, so I hit my bedpost. I was still tired… so it startled me, and I cried.

Tsurugi - I… I remember seeing him grin, like he was trying not to laugh… then when I looked at him again, he was laying back down, to go to sleep.

Tsurugi - Like… like he could just freak out at me, and then hit me, and it would all be fine, and he could just roll over…

Ōtori - …You got mad.

Tsurugi - …Not really?

Tsurugi - I just-

Tsurugi - I wanted him to listen. He was dismissing me, because he was happy with how things had gone- and it wasn’t okay for him to act like that-

Tsurugi - …I wanted his attention. 

//He laughs, forcing it so obviously that Maeda cringes.

Tsurugi - He always wanted to get a rise out of people. Guess it worked out for him.

Maki - …

Maki - Hold on a second.

Maki - Why did he think you’d committed murder?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - The timeline Maeda gave was wrong.

Maeda - Fuck?!

Tomori - What do you mean it was wrong?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - Kobashikawa left for his dorm, then came back, then Higa died, with all the noises Maeda heard.

Tsurugi - When Maeda explained it, and when everyone was talking about who was asleep, it was assumed that everyone went to sleep after.

Tsurugi - They were treated as two separate events- the murder, and Kobashikawa leaving.

Tsurugi - But that isn’t true. 

Tsurugi - …In fact, that’s what made me realize something was off. It makes the most sense if we say that the situations overlapped.

Tsurugi - Higa… I think I kicked him, or something? When I was trying to get back into bed…

Tsurugi - He must have thought I had gotten out of bed to kill someone.

Maki - But why.

Tsurugi - I- I don’t know…

Tsurugi - I don’t- 

//He chokes, just a bit.

Tsurugi - I don’t remember…

Maeda - …

Maeda - If you don’t remember killing Higa… I don’t think you can just say that you did.

Tsurugi - N-No…

Tsurugi - No, I’m sorry.

//He squares his shoulders, and looks directly at Maeda.

Tsurugi - I murdered Higa. I’m the strongest person here, and I’d bet I have the most experience in fights.

Tsurugi - I was the one who was able to explain the difference between strangulation and suffocation, and I was able to explain exactly how they’d work.

Tsurugi - I was right next to Higa, and I was awake during the time he was killed.

Tsurugi - Think about it. It has to be one of us- does anyone make more sense?

Maeda - …

Maeda - It’s…

Maeda - …Tsurugi would be the first person I think of for capability… but could he have actually murdered Higa?

Tsurugi - …

//He stands there, dead silent. His expression is a mix of remorse and apprehension, but his posture is so firm. It’s hard to look at anything else- the room seems centered on him in this moment.

Taira - …

Tsurugi - …Sorry. I- I feel queasy.

//He looks to the side.

Hatano - …

Hatano - Shouldn’t you be used to talking about stuff like this?

Tsurugi - …I’m not used to confessing to homicide to keep eight people from dying.

Hatano - Have you committed homicide before?

Maki - Hatano.

//The comment throws Maeda- waking him back up.

Maeda - Okay.

Maeda - Tsurugi. Are you sure?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - There’s no other way this can end.

Tsurugi - We only have the one outcome… everything else is just dragging things out.

Maeda - …

//His voice is hardly above a whisper. 

Maeda - …No one ever wants to die.

Maeda - There’s always a chance. If we’re still discussing what happened, we can still come up with a different way of understanding it.

Maeda - Maybe… maybe you didn’t kill Higa.

//Tsurugi smiles- there’s tears in his eyes.

Tsurugi - I’m the blackened, Maeda. That’s the only way we can move forward.

Maeda - …But things don’t have to end here!

Maeda - We were convinced we were screwed, just… an hour ago? Half that? We had no clue where we’d go- even five minutes ago, we thought we were stuck with a bunch of suspects!

Maeda - If we don’t have to vote now, we won’t.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - There isn’t evidence.

Uehara - …The trial only goes on with a confession.

Tsurugi - …Exactly.

Tsurugi - If I hadn’t confessed, we wouldn’t have a way to narrow things down any further.

Maeda - But- you said you worked out what had happened when you realized my timeline was wrong!

Maeda - Think about what else we could be wrong about!

Maeda - Let’s go over what happened. Please.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - Maeda…

Tsurugi - Do you think I’m wrong? Or do you not want it to be me?

Maeda - …

Maeda - …I want to be confident in what we go with.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - Okay.

Maeda - …I don’t think I can go on without Tsurugi.

//It’s just a fact, plain and pure. There’s no justification behind it, no reasoning Maeda has to go through, no conclusion he’s reaching. It’s tacit information. Without Tsurugi, Maeda can’t move forward. There’s no way that Tsurugi’s dying here.

Taira - …

//…If Tsurugi wasn’t part of the game after this… Maeda may not be himself anymore. 

Tomori - …

//Tomori starts to bawl.

Maeda - !

Tomori - Uuuu…

Tsurugi - A-Ah!

Tsurugi - …

//He doesn’t offer anything. Everyone simply watches as Tomori slowly sinks to her knees, pressing her head against the bars of her podium.

Tsurugi - …Permission to leave my podium?

Monokuma - Granted.

//Of course, he goes to Tomori. It’s hard to see, but Maeda thinks that he’s giving her a hug from behind.

Tomori - …’M so sorry.

//She’s gently shushed by Tsurugi. Eventually, her tears start to subside into sniffles.

Maeda - …They’re so close… 

Maeda - It’s… god, I don’t like how it feels to “know” who the culprit is.

Maeda - It’s different knowing the trial will continue while I have someone that knows we know. We aren’t arguing against them… we’re just confirming that their name is on the tombstone.

Maeda - …

//Tsurugi returns to his podium after helping Tomori to her feet. She rubs at her eyes, and avoids everyone’s gaze.

Tomori - …Sorry…

Maki - You’re fine, Tomori.

Ōtori - …

Ōtori - I don’t think any of us want to lose Tsurugi. 

Ōtori - Of course, none of us should have to die… but Tsurugi’s contributed a lot, and he’s close with a bunch of people.

Maeda - …I’m sort of surprised to hear Ōtori saying that.

Ōtori - …

Ōtori - Tsurugi… do you think we’ll be able to solve the next trial on our own?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - There won’t be any more trials after this! If I’m getting executed, I’m going out on my terms, and I’m taking down the building!

Tsurugi - …Kidding, sorry. I would’ve planned something if I knew I’d be getting executed.

//…Maeda sees the way Tsurugi reels when the weight of that last word hits him.

Maeda - …Tsurugi’s going to get executed.

Tsurugi - …Um. Expecting there to be another murder, though?

Ōtori - There’s always the chance.

Tsurugi - Ah…

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - Hopefully the blackened won’t be as cool and capable as I am, and they’ll leave more evidence.

Ōtori - …

Ōtori - Let’s assemble this case, then. As practice.

Ōtori - You can continue to watch over us for now- if you don’t mind giving us guidance, like you have in the past.

Tsurugi - …

Kobashikawa - …

//Kobashikawa coughs- ducking to the floor, and turning away from the group as soon as it starts.

Tsurugi - !

Tsurugi - Man, you probably are coming down with something. Maeda, how have you been feeling? You two were around Mekaru the most when she was sick…

Maeda - …I haven’t really felt anything.

//Tsurugi hums as Kobashikawa stands back up.

Kobashikawa - …

Kobashikawa - …Tsurugi?

Tsurugi - Yeah?

Kobashikawa - …I’m sorry.

Kobashikawa - If I hadn’t woken you up last night, you wouldn’t have woken Higa, and you two wouldn’t have fought.

Kobashikawa - He’d still be alive… and you wouldn’t be blackened.

Tsurugi - …Oh.

Tsurugi - Kobashikawa, it’s fine.

Tsurugi - This… everything is so far from being your fault- or from you having anything to do with it.

Tsurugi - It was Higa’s choice to start shit. 

Tsurugi - And sure, we can say it was my ch…

Tsurugi - …My choice to- to kill him…

Tsurugi - …But I didn’t mean to hurt him. It was an act of panic and pain and desperation. 

Tsurugi - Being cruel to myself because something I didn’t want to do had an impact I didn’t want it to isn’t going to get us anywhere.

Tsurugi - Acting like it’s your fault Higa died, because you needed help with something entirely unrelated isn’t going to get us anywhere.

Tsurugi - There is no change you could have made- to yourself, or to the circumstance- that reasonably would have prevented this.

Tsurugi - You are…

Tsurugi - …Everything we’re going to discuss, you are entirely divorced from. 

Tsurugi - Again. Nothing you could change would have changed what happened.

Tsurugi - Making yourself feel guilty will only lead to you hurting. 

Tsurugi - If you feel like it’s your fault, that’ll hurt, because you don’t mean to cause harm. 

Tsurugi - And when you feel like a bad person because of something out of your control, that pain won’t go away, and it’ll start to screw you up.

Tsurugi - That ache is the thing that kills. That feeling of confusion, and pain, and the hopelessness you feel when you can’t get any of it to stop.

Tsurugi - Don’t entertain the thought for two seconds. You did your best. You can’t do anything else. Move on.

Maeda - …

Maeda - I don’t… know if I agree with that.

Maeda - Isn’t it important to acknowledge when you’ve screwed up? If you can’t face when you’ve screwed up, because it makes you feel bad, then you’ll just continue to be a bad person.

Maeda - …

Kobashikawa - …Okay.

Maeda - …But, I don’t think Kobashikawa should feel guilty. So I won’t say anything.

Taira - …

Taira - …Hm. I wonder what we’ll do without you, Tsurugi.

Tsurugi - …

//…His smile stays up for just a second too long. The silence feels strange, to Maeda.

Tsurugi - …What?

//He tilts his head- still smiling, eyes widening in question. 

Taira - You heard me.

//His smile falls, face shifting to neutral interest.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - …Huh.

Tsurugi - …Taira, I don’t think you were supposed to say that.

Maeda - What.

//Taira’s expression changes. Tsurugi’s has remained the same, still looking at her with a degree of curiosity- but Taira’s seems to shift three different ways in a third of section. She seems… confused, in a way Maeda’s never seen her be.

Maeda - What.

Taira - …

Tsurugi - …

Uehara - …What?

//Taira quickly schools herself, while Tsurugi seems to physically relax.

Taira & Tsurugi - It’s nothing.

Uehara - …

Maeda - …

Maeda - That was definitely something? What are you two talking about?

Taira - Don’t get so concerned with other people's issues, Maeda. It isn’t your business, so stay out of it.

Maeda - …

//Something inside of Maeda curdles.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - Really, it just isn’t anything that matters now.

Tsurugi - Hm… maybe after the trial…

Maeda - …

//Something inside of Maeda snaps.

Maeda - After this trial you’re dead, Tsurugi.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi, upset - I don’t want to hear things like that… shouldn’t we focus on right now?

Maeda - Right now, we’re working towards proving who the blackened is, and getting them executed! If you’re right, and it is you, then I’m way more concerned with you wrapping up anything you may have left to handle!

Tsurugi - …

//His face softens.

Tsurugi - Maeda…

Tsurugi - There’s no way for me to accomplish everything that I want to. All I can do is try my best with the time and the opportunities I have.

Maeda - I don’t want a speech.

Tsurugi - …

Maeda, narrating - I don’t get it.

Maeda - I don’t get how he can sit there, so calm, after confessing to a murder he doesn’t want to stand behind, and talk about whatever comes to mind.

Maeda - He’s calm, and he’s planning, and he’s acting like everything’s okay.

Maeda - But it’s not going to be okay- and it’s like it doesn’t even matter to him! 

Tsurugi - …I’ll try to keep things short, but I’m really bad at that. Sorry…

Tsurugi - Death is the only thing that’ll stop me from trying to help everyone. So, if I’m still alive, my priority will be everyone’s wellbeing.

Tsurugi - If you’re ever confused on what I’m doing, just remember that.

Maeda - …

Tsurugi - …

Maeda - …My shoulders hurt. 

Maeda - …

Maeda - Maybe I’m being unfair. It’s Tsurugi’s burden to bear, I shouldn’t be making things worse for him right now.

Maeda - …I’m sorry. Let’s move on with the trial.

Tsurugi - …Maeda, it’s okay for us to have conversations about-

Maeda - I know.

Maeda - …I know. Let’s get back to the case, please.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - Okay.

Maeda - …

Taira - …

Uehara - …

Tomori - …So… we think it was Tsurugi?

Ōtori - Let’s debate on it.

Maeda - …Wow. I’m surprised those two didn’t switch lines.

Ōtori - Tsurugi, you think it was you because you were awake last night, correct?

Tsurugi - …Mhm. And I do remember getting into a fight with him.

Maki - …Wait. You two fighting is different from Higa yelling at you. Which one happened?

Tsurugi - Uhm…

Tsurugi, weakly - The former, I guess?

Maki - Really? 

Tsurugi - …I was upset with him. I don’t remember too clearly, but-

Tsurugi - I think I was able to get him to believe I hadn’t committed murder, but I pissed him off in the process.

Ōtori - Well… that’d explain why he’d go back to sleep instead of trying to wake everyone up.

Taira - …

Uehara - …

Uehara - …What do we need for everyone to believe it’s Tsurugi?

Maeda - Huh.

Ōtori - …

Maki - I mean… I don’t know if anyone doesn’t believe it… I think we’re just trying to make sure we don’t have any doubts.

Uehara - …Ah. That sucks.

Maeda - …That’s his reaction to Tsurugi being the blackened?!

Maki - Do you have any issues with it, Uehara? If not, uh… what are you on about?

Uehara - …

Uehara - I don’t really have anything to share, I guess.

Uehara - Mm… if you ask me, I don’t think Tsurugi would have. But I’m not ultimate authority, so don’t listen to that.

Maeda - …?

Maeda - Hm…

Kobashikawa - …

Kobashikawa - I mean… is character a strong enough defense?

Tsurugi - Not if I’m saying it isn’t. Like Uehara meant, I know myself best. I know what I’m capable of.

Tomori - Mhm…

Tomori - Though, we should still look at every aspect of this case.

Tsurugi - Mhm.

Tomori - I mean, Tsurugi doesn’t remember the murder itself… there’s still the chance that something else happened. We’ll only know if we look at everything.

Nonstop Debate: START!

Truth Bullets Kobashikawa’s Testimony Maeda’s Burns Monokuma File #03-2

Hatano - What do we have left to discuss?

Ōtori - Well, we can start by checking Tsurugi against the things we used to narrow down the suspect pool earlier.

Ōtori - We’ve already talked about {Maeda’s timeline} a bit, so that should hold up…

Ōtori - Then, there’s the matter of strangulation versus suffocation.

Tomori - Mmm… {the evidence still points to strangulation}, doesn’t it?

Tsurugi - It does. Besides, {that shouldn’t really matter}, since I’m capable of both.

Taira - …

Kobashikawa - The last thing we discussed was the motive, right?

Tsurugi - Mhm.

Tsurugi - And again, we know that points to me. {I have the strongest motive}, because my behaviors and my recollection matches up.

Maki - Damn…

Maki - There’s more that points to Tsurugi, too… you said you woke Higa up, and that tracks! 

Maki - If we look at the rooms layout, {it makes sense for you to be the one who killed Higa}

Tsurugi - Right.

Tsurugi - It’s all there. {All the evidence points to me}, and everything works out if we say I’m the blackened.

~*~

Maeda, narrating - Shit…

Maeda - Really, I don’t know how to feel.

Maeda - Maybe I should be happy? It’s better for one person to die than eight, so I should be relieved when we’re certain who the blackened is.

Maeda - But… I went into this knowing I’d probably be upset about who gets executed.

Maeda - I should try and poke holes into this- it’ll make me feel better to be more confident, I’m sure.

Maeda - And if we end up convicting someone else… maybe it’ll be something I can come to terms with easier.

[another-dr-another]

:/ i don’t really wanna use {Who Hated Higa} as definitive evidence, bc they’re not as closely linked as the other two options, but it is worth discussing -iris

Maeda, narrating - We still have this option…

Maeda - I don’t know if it’ll be enough- but at least it’ll be something!

Maeda - As long as we’re making progress, I should be happy. 

Maeda - Let’s just see where this takes us.

~*~

Maeda - Okay. Who hated Higa enough to kill him?

Maki - …

Tomori - I mean… murder is a more drastic resort- I don’t think we can say anyone wanted him gone badly enough they’d risk their own life, and endanger everyone else's.

Ōtori - Right. 

Ōtori - I think it’s important we remember that, actually… whoever killed Higa put everyone’s life in danger. It has to have been worth it to them.

Maki - …Who hated him that bad?

Ōtori - …

Maeda - I don’t think we can say that anyone did.

Tsurugi - …

Maeda - …Let’s look at this the other way around. Is there anyone who we think wouldn’t have hurt Higa?

Tomori - …

Kobashikawa - None of us are… especially violence-prone- I mean, even if you aren’t just comparing us to Higa, that’s still true.

Taira - …

Maeda - …

Maki - …The only person we can clear from the list right now is Tsurugi, isn’t it?

//Maeda barely stops himself from sighing.

Maeda - Yeah, that’s what I thought too.

//Tsurugi’s head turns. Before Maeda’s even realized it, he’s made eye contact with Tsurugi. Immediately, Maeda feels frightened- because Tsurugi looks petrified.

Maeda - ???

//Tsurugi looks back to the floor, leaving Maeda reeling.

Ōtori - I mean, not like any of us had a positive opinion of Higa. Tsurugi’s going to be the only one who we think wouldn’t have killed him, huh?

Tomori - …Tsu didn’t think well of Higa either. He was just… sympathetic.

Tsurugi - …

Maeda - What’s got Tsurugi so off?

Tsurugi, suddenly - It was only me, huh?

Maeda - …Ah?

Tsurugi - …I’m not wrong, right?

Ōtori - …

Maki - …

//Finally, he looks up again- looking at Tomori this time.

Tsurugi - Tomori, were you optimistic?

Tomori - …

Tomori - I’m sorry. I really wasn’t.

Tsurugi - Don’t be sorry! I like your thoughts on things, Tomori, you’re smart. I trust you to know what’s right.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - …I did have hope for Higa, though. 

Maeda - …Is Tsurugi mourning Higa?

Kobashikawa - …

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - Do you all feel like I took it too far with trying to support Higa? Did I ever make you all feel bad with what I chose…

Kobashikawa - …Personally, I never felt that way.

Kobashikawa - It sucked that Higa was around- but it seemed like your presence helped him stay more… regulated.

Maki - Mhm…

Maki - There’s only so ticked off he can get without exploding- I think you gave him a good distraction to keep from getting upset with everyone else.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - …Okay.

//Something about Tsurugi’s response reminds Maeda of…

Maeda - Like a kid that got scolded, and had to be told they aren’t in trouble.

Maeda - …Is that what Tsurugi was getting at earlier?

Maeda - …

//Maeda watches Tsurugi. He seems to be lost in thought again, already moving on from the subject.

Maeda - …Maybe he’s mourning what he hoped Higa would become.

Taira - Then, is everyone agreeing to remove Tsurugi as a suspect?

Maeda - I think that’s right. I can’t imagine Tsurugi going over and killing Higa… I mean, so suddenly- and for what reason?

Maeda - Everyone seems to agree.

//Sure enough, no one speaks up.

Taira - …

Kobashikawa - …Is there anyone else we can clear off of the list?

Maki - …I mean…

Maki - …

Kobashikawa - …

Maeda - …Huh.

Maeda - Maybe it’s less about naming people we think liked Higa, and more about looking into who would’ve gotten physical with him?

Maeda - Would Uehara have? It fits his bill, right?

Taira - Hm.

Hatano - …

Hatano - It’s Maki and Maeda then, right?

Maeda - .

Hatano - No one else has a history of stuff like that…

Maeda - …Fuck. Does no one else- has no one but me fought Higa?!

Maeda - Oh my god.

Tomori - Maki wouldn’t have attacked Higa… she hasn’t in the past, that’s not what she does. 

Tomori - Any interaction she had with Higa was for the sake of bothering him…

Maeda - Oh, fuck me. I’m the only one who’s publicly attacked Higa.

Taira - Then, that leaves Maeda as the only person we’d suspect.

Maeda - Taira doesn’t think it was me, does she?

Maeda - But- that was so long ago!

Uehara - …First impressions…

Maeda - …He doesn’t seem like he’s trying to imply it was me, but I still don’t like that he’s saying that now! What the hell!

Ōtori - It’s true… we know Maeda would get physical with Higa, to try and stop him from doing anything… dickish.

Maeda - Shit shit shit shit.

Ōtori - But that doesn’t mean all too much, right? 

Ōtori - Again, the blackened was risking everyone’s lives to end Higa’s. When Maeda fought Higa, it was to help everyone. The intent was to help the group, not to hurt Higa.

Ōtori - So, I don’t think we can use it as a guarantee that Maeda is the only person who’d… consider the weight of everyone’s lives, and decide that killing Higa was more important.

Maeda - R-Right…

Maeda - It’s Ōtori who’s stepping up for me…

Maeda - My goal was to keep somebody safe, not anything else.

Maeda - I didn’t have any reason to be near Higa last night- besides, I have my testimony…

Tsurugi - …

//He’s clearly looking at Maeda. Maeda notices this, and looks back, trying to question Tsurugi- he can’t tell what he’s trying to convey. 

Maeda - ?...

//Tsurugi seems to be deliberating, but finally decides to speak-

Hatano - Then… who are our suspects?

//-But gets cut off.

Maeda - …I think Tsurugi was going to agree with me. I mean, I know I’m not the blackened, and Tsurugi thinks he’s working out what happened, so he should be on the same page as me- about my innocence, I mean.

Maeda - Mm… if we factor in everything we’ve discussed so far-

Maeda - We know from talking about who was asleep that it wasn’t Ōtori, Hatano, or Maki. Because we tested everyone’s strength, we know it wasn’t me, Uehara, or Kobashikawa.

Maki - Right. Then, we can take Tsurugi off, because he had faith in Higa.

Maeda - Mhm…

Maeda - If it isn’t Tsurugi, and he’s the only one we can take off our remaining list…

Maeda - …That leaves us with two people.

Taira - Myself, or Tomori.

Maeda - …Yeah.

Taira - …

Tsurugi - …

Maki - …

Tomori - …It has to be someone.

Maeda - …But, one of them? Is that really right?

Tomori - …

Tomori - …I’m probably stronger than Taira.

Taira - Really?

Maeda - Taira sounds genuinely surprised. I agree with Tomori…

Uehara - You wouldn’t have snapped and killed someone.

Taira - But you can say that I would have?

Uehara - …

Taira - …Hm.

//Tomori is clearly searching her head for a place to take the conversation, letting Maeda disregard her in favor of watching Taira and Uehara. Taira’s expression is steeled, while Uehara is glowering.

Uehara - …Whatever.

Taira - …

//The room is silent, everyone waiting in anticipation for someone to call out one of the two suspects.

Maki - …

Maki - Let’s- let’s go over our reasoning for striking people from the list, just quickly-

Maki - It couldn’t have been me, because Kobashikawa saw me asleep.

Kobashikawa - Yeah.

Maki - Couldn’t have been Ōtori, because Tsurugi saw him asleep. 

Ōtori - Right. And we know that being asleep that point means you aren’t the killer, because you wouldn’t have woken up so quickly.

Maki - Yeah- and Hatano slept the night through, after falling asleep before the dining hall trip.

Kobashikawa - Mhm…

Maeda - I… I agree with all of this. It wasn’t any of those three.

Maeda - Six left.

Maki - Okay…

Maki - Kobashikawa couldn’t have strangled Higa, Maeda couldn’t have strangled Higa, and Uehara couldn’t have strangled Higa.

//Maki looks at Maeda. In response, he nods silently.

Maeda - I’m clear, and so are two others. We’re down to three.

Maki - Then, we can take Tsurugi off the list, because he lacks motive.

Maeda - Mhm. Tsurugi had no desire to attack Higa.

Maki - …

Taira - …

Tomori - …

Maki - …I can’t think of anything else we can use.

Maeda - There’s… there’s nothing left. Taira, or Tomori.

Kobashikawa - …

Kobashikawa - They were both close to Higa… both of them have the capacity for strangulation…

Taira - …

Tomori - …

//Neither student says anything. Tomori is clearly more nervous than Taira is… but Maeda doesn’t know if it’s fear of getting caught, or fear of everyone voting incorrectly.

Maeda - …Fuck. Is there really nothing else we can use?

//Despite himself, Maeda looks at Tsurugi. The timing seems rather perfect- he watches at Tsurugi rubs briefly at his face, before steadying himself on his podium.

Maeda - …

Maeda - A reaction like that… is it Tomori? He seems nauseous, and they’re definitely closer than Tsurugi and Taira…

Maeda - …I don’t think Tsurugi and Taira really get on, actually.

Maki - …We said we’d discuss everything again, didn’t we?

Hatano - Do you have something new you’ve thought of?

Maki - …

Maeda - Anything’s good, Maki!

Maeda - I’d kill for something to work with… wait- no- I take that back. I would really like something to work with.

Maki - …Well…

Maki - Are we sure it was strangulation?

Maeda - Motherfucker, it’s the thing that cleared me.

Maeda - Godddd damnit.

Hatano - Why would we doubt that it was strangulation?

Maki - Our reasoning for it isn’t too strong. We need to question everything, so we can explore every outcome without instant dismissal- and we really don’t have firm proof it was strangulation.

Maki - We said it was strangulation because the position of the body doesn’t match with suffocation, right?

Maki - But, we talked about rigor mortis, so everyone should know that the blackened would have been able to manipulate Higa’s body after killing him, because rigor mortis wouldn't have set in.

Maki - If we remember that the blackened was up after killing Higa, couldn’t it be that they positioned him more like he was sleeping, to avoid drawing suspicion, in case anyone woke up?

Maeda - Shit… I completely get her reasoning.

Maeda - That’s true… but this just adds Uehara, Kobashikawa, and myself back to the list of suspects.

Maeda - Is there any evidence that makes it look like it was one of us?

Maki - Fuck, I don’t know. I just want to make sure we don’t bury ourselves before we’ve looked at everything.

Maeda - …

Maeda - And she’s completely right for it. She’s doing exactly what she should- this just sucks.

Maeda - I can’t think of anything that singles out anyone if it was suffocation… I mean, not anything that feels strong.

Hatano - Kobashikawa had two pillows, right? Could he have used one of them to strangle Higa, since he was up?

Kobashikawa - That means nothing???

Hatano - I’m just suggesting it! Don’t get touchy…

Maki - Not- suggesting it was yours, Kobashikawa-

Maki - But I really do think we could get somewhere if we could work out what the origin of that pillow is…

Maeda - The blood stained one?

Maki - Mhm.

Uehara - Tsu keeps spares in his room…

Tsurugi - …

Maki - Oh- Tsurugi, was the pillow just a spare you had?

Tsurugi - …

//He just looks at Maki. Maeda can see the same hesitancy to speak that he saw in Tsurugi earlier.

Hatano - …Why do you have spares?

Tsurugi - …

//His eyes flick towards her, then back to the floor. 

Hatano - …?

Tsurugi - …Mm-

Tomori and Uehara - Sleepovers.

Tomori - !

Uehara - …

Tomori - I-It’s because of sleepovers. I’ve spent the night in Tsurugi’s dorm before.

Hatano - Couldn’t go grab your own things?

Tomori - …

Tomori - Just because it wasn’t needed doesn’t mean it wasn’t nice…

//Tomori seems a bit stricken by what Hatano said- making Maeda think about it a bit more.

Maeda - …And Hatano was just suggesting it might be Kobashikawa… then, framing Tsurugi’s spare pillows as weird…

Maeda - I don’t think it’s anything malicious, though…

Uehara - Tsurugi just has a lot of stuff in his room. He also has bandages, and painkillers.

//Uehara shrugs.

Hatano - …

Ōtori - …

Ōtori - Okay, let’s stop for a moment.

Ōtori - Imagine that we hadn’t talked about sleep, or strength- who do we think could have killed Higa.

Maki - …You mean-

Maki - Like, from the perspective of who would have been willing to kill Higa?

Ōtori - To kill in general, since we’ve already established Higa wasn’t anyone’s friend.

Maki - …

Maki - Ōtori. You mean yourself?

Maki - You do realize you’re at the top of the list of people we think would attempt murder, right?!

Ōtori - Hey! Hey, I recognize that!

Ōtori - We can factor everything back in at the end- I’m not saying the points we made weren’t strong, I just think we should take a step back again!

Maki - …By making a new list that you immediately qualify for?

Ōtori - Yes! I was expecting this, it’s fine! I’m okay with being seen as suspicious!

Ōtori - Now who else is going on that list?

//It is silent.

Maeda - …No one wants to start pointing fingers.

Maeda - Who do I think might have killed Higa…

//…Maeda won’t even admit his theories to himself.

Maki - …

Maki - Somebody’s going to say me. I get that, it’s fine.

Tomori - Maki…

Maki - Tomori.

Maki - Have I ever done anything to demonstrate how strong I am?

Maki - I don’t think I have. But everyone’s in agreement about what I could do, without needing any proof to back it up. I won’t try and fight everyone on that.

Hatano - …Because you know we’re right?

Maki - …

Maki - Hatano.

Hatano - We’re supposed to talk about theories, right?!

Hatano - You were one of the people that bickered with Higa a lot- and now, with everything happening with Ōtori, you’ve totally been on him!

Hatano - And I’m not saying I’m against it, but… have you thought about killing him?

Maki - …

//Shock quickly gives way to anger- but Maeda recognizes the flush of Maki’s face, and knows exactly where that rage is coming from. Hatano’s line hurt.

Maeda, wide-eyed - …

//He doesn’t know what to say. No one seems to.

Taira - …Unrelated to Ōtori, but if you are physically capable, it’s good to be transparent about that. Lying and pretending that you couldn’t have killed Higa will only make you more suspicious.

Ōtori - …

//His eyes narrow.

Maeda - …Ōtori totally thinks it could have been Taira.

Maeda - I don’t know who I suspect… 

Hatano - …Well, we’re still really only debating about Taira and Tomori.

Hatano - Or, if we say it was suffocation, it could have been Kobashikawa, Maeda, or Uehara too…

Hatano - …Also, does everyone else actually agree that Tsurugi couldn’t be the blackened? Because I don’t think his defense is too strong. 

Maki - Okay, well, you just went from two suspects, to six, so let’s maybe make up our minds on how we’re approaching this?

Maeda - …

Maeda - I’m sorry, I’m so lost. How are we trying to see things right now?

Maki - …

Maki - Everyone, defend yourself. Explain why it couldn’t have been you.

Maki - Okay?

//…No one objects.

Maki - …Then I’ll go first.

Maki - I would be capable of the murder, but Ōtori’s confirmed that I was asleep. And because I was asleep, I wouldn’t have woken up after Kobashikawa got back, and been able to pull off the murder while Maeda was still awake to hear it.

Maki - …

Maeda - No flaws there…

Maki - …Who wants to go next?

//Tomori and Kobashikawa are the next students on Maki’s right and left, respectively. 

Maeda - Kobashikawa… generally does poorly with this sort of thing- but I think Tomori’s still trying to bounce back too.

Tomori - …

Kobashikawa - …

Kobashikawa - My only defense is that I wouldn’t have been strong enough to kill Higa.

Kobashikawa - …Ah- but, I couldn’t be the person who had the conversation with Higa, either! So, if we agree that person was the blackened… then it’s proof I’m not the blackened.

Maeda - …Oh. Because Kobashikawa couldn’t have been the voice I heard.

//On the other side of Iranami’s portrait is Hatano.

Hatano - I fell asleep early on. We know that I didn’t wake up until I left- for the dining hall this morning. 

Maeda - …She choked on one of her words… poor Hatano.

//Ōtori next.

Ōtori - I was asleep when the murder happened. Tsurugi saw it when he was going back to bed… that’s my only argument, though.

Maeda - Well… if sleep is sufficient for Maki, it should be a fine reason to take Ōtori off the list too.

Maeda - …

Maeda - Though, there’s also the argument about Ōtori’s kill-style- but I don’t need to point that out. 

//Taira stands on his other side.

Taira - …I don’t have any defense.

Taira - I was nearby, capable of it, and no one saw me asleep. 

//She shrugs slightly.

Maeda - …I guess it’s my turn. There hasn’t been anyone between Taira and I since the first trial ended.

Maeda - I… my only defense is that I couldn’t have strangled Higa.

Maeda - But… maybe my testimony helps? I don’t have a reason to bring up what I heard, unless I was actually trying to help.

Maeda - …Fuck, did I make myself too suspicious? What if I come across as trying to play-support…

Maeda - The problem is, if it wasn’t strangulation… I’m screwed. I had to offer something!

//A soft whine pulls Maeda from his thoughts.

Tsurugi - MmmMM~mMmm…

Maeda - …He’s crying again.

//It’s clear Tsurugi’s trying to keep himself together- he’s curled his chin towards his torso, and has his hands clasped and raised in front of his face. The sound is the byproduct of him trying to keep from openly crying…

Maeda - …

Maeda - And it wasn’t Tsurugi, either.

//But Maeda knows by now that Tsurugi won’t succeed.

Maeda - I don’t think he’s able to argue for himself right now… I’ll step in for him.

Maeda - Tsurugi isn’t the blackened, because he isn’t the sort to even lay a hand on anyone. We know from how he’s interacted with Higa in the past that he wouldn’t try to use violence to sway him.

//Tsurugi takes a shaky breath, getting Maeda’s attention back to him.

Maeda - ?

//Tsurugi doesn’t say anything- doesn’t even look up from the floor. He just continues to stand there, shaking. 

Maeda - …

Maeda - I don’t have anything else to defend him… but I don’t think anyone suspects him.

//In a better world, maybe Maeda would have asked to step off his podium, and go see Tsurugi. Here, he doesn’t do that. The trial continues.

Tomori - …I’m like Taira. There’s nothing saying I’m not the blackened.

Tomori - …

Tomori - So, I really don’t know what to say. Obviously, I know what I did last night… but everyone should make their decision based off logic. 

Tomori - I won’t try to sway you all… hopefully someone’s able to come up with something that proves who the blackened truly is.

Maeda - …Poor Tomori. I mean, it really doesn’t feel like it’s her- and even if it is, I feel bad for… the person she’s acting like she is, at least.

//They’ve gone around the whole circle-

Maeda - WAIT.

Maeda - Uehara, you didn’t defend yourself.

Uehara - …Oh. Yeah, uh…

Uehara - I mean, I don’t really have a defense.

Uehara - …

//He shrugs.

Uehara - It could’ve been me. That’s true.

Maeda - …

Maeda - …Well. No frills is definitely an approach.

Kobashikawa - Wasn’t the argument that you lacked the coordination?

Kobashikawa - That’d be true even if it was a suffocation… right?

//Again, Uehara just shrugs.

Uehara - I don’t have half a clue, to be real.

Hatano - …So Uehara’s on the list, then?

Kobashikawa - I don’t know that he should be…

Ōtori - …

Ōtori - You’re off, I’m off, Maki’s off, Tsurugi’s off.

Ōtori - Tomori, Taira, and Uehara don’t have any way of defending themselves.

Ōtori - …What do we think about Maeda, and his testimony?

Maeda - Fuck. 

Tomori - …

Taira - …

Maeda - God. Of course, neither of them would defend me… 

//Tsurugi’s stopped crying- but he’s still sniffling. 

Maeda - Tsurugi won’t step in right now… fuckkk.

Maeda - It’s so over I’m so screwed. Oh my god.

Kobashikawa - …I think Maeda was telling the truth about being asleep.

Maeda - KOBASHIKAWA!

Kobashikawa - We were playing chopsticks before I left for the dining hall… I remember that he was laying down when we got back, I checked for him specifically.

Maeda - THAT’S RIGHT!

Ōtori - Okay.

Ōtori - Taira, Tomori, and Uehara.

Hatano - …We’re going based off who seems the most likely, right?

Maki - …

Maki - If we can’t think of anything else… but we don’t have any reason to rush things right now. 

Hatano - …Okay.

Hatano - I do want to remind everyone, though, that one of those people has a known violence streak against people he disagrees with.

Ōtori - Hatano. I didn’t mention you when I was listing people we weren’t suspecting.

Ōtori - I’m starting to wonder if we really should take you off the list. 

Ōtori - It’s possible you woke up, and just didn’t notice that Iranami was gone! Since you slept early, you don’t have the excuse of just starting your REM cycle!

Maeda - Ah- is that the reason why we know it wasn’t Ōtori or Maki? I get it was because they were asleep- I didn’t know it was sleep cycles specifically. 

Ōtori - Maybe Higa said something to Iranami that upset her- maybe we’ve got the order of the conversation the other way around, and someone accused him!

Ōtori - Let’s all agree to try and be careful with out words, okay?

Hatano - …

//Immediately, tears well up in Hatano’s eyes.

Hatano - …

Maeda - …Jesus Christ.

//Maeda doesn’t want to think about that interaction. He’s so ready to move on from it, even though it just ended-

Maeda - Probably a murderer, versus keeps accusing everyone of murder… Hatano’s definitely got it worse, but it’s good someone spoke out on everyone’s behalf- but Ōtori…

Maeda - …

Maeda - I wonder what I’d think right now if Hatano had suspected me.

Taira - So, Tomori and I are still the viable suspects we have.

Maki - …And Uehara, if we say that the death was suffocation.

Maeda - So Hatano’s not a suspect. 

Maeda - …

Maeda - Uehara… Uehara has gotten physical with Higa.

Maeda - Hell… they fought the day Higa died…

Maeda - I… shit, I’m the only one who knows about that. Well- me, Uehara, and Tsurugi…

Maeda - …

//A chill runs down his spine.

Maeda - Earlier, I thought Tsurugi was crying because he thought it was Tomori… is it possible he started to cry because he realized it was Uehara?

//Maeda can’t help but stare at Tsurugi now. He’s stilled, and isn’t making any sound… but he’s still physically hidden away.

Taira - …

Taira - If we’re starting to make this argument, I will say- my vote is on Uehara before it’s on Tomori. 

Maeda - Eh?

Taira - Of course, that means slim little coming from a suspect… but most of the suspects are innocent. That’s just how it works.

Taira - But, if you look at it… isn’t it like Hatano said?

Taira - Neither Tomori or myself are the sort to use violence because we got provoked.

“~And in comes the enforcer- Wh- get off me!~”

Maeda - …Shit.

Maeda - I…

Maeda - I think… I could pretty solidly prove Uehara’s willingness to… to hurt Higa…

Maeda - But… whenever Uehara did things like that, his goal wasn’t murder… do we think he’d go that far?

Maeda - We’re talking like he isn’t here- Uehara, say something!

Uehara - …

//…He fidgets with one of his earrings.

Maeda - God…

Taira - Someone did.

Maki - …

//The class is just… silent.

Maeda - Have… we really solved it? Will Uehara not defend himself?

Tomori - …

Maeda - Tomori doesn’t look happy about this… out of all the suspects, she’s the one who’s reacting the most.

Maeda - …

Maeda - One of us killed Higa last night.

Maeda - Someone… someone got tired enough of what he was doing… someone got pushed hard enough… they just couldn’t take it.

Maeda - We’ve crossed off most of the class… and out of the people that’s left… 

Maeda - …I don’t think there’s anything else to work with- and after looking at everything, there’s only one answer.

//Maeda falls silent, waiting for someone else to say it.

Tsurugi - …

Maeda - …It has to be Uehara.

Tsurugi - No, that’s wrong!

Maeda - !

//A shock runs through Maeda.

Maeda - …Huh?

Maeda - I- I didn’t say anyth- I didn’t say it was Uehara! What is Tsurugi disagreeing with me on.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - You were too eager when you were cutting down the suspect pool. There’s someone that got taken off who shouldn’t have been.

Maeda - …Wait- does that mean you know who the blackened is?

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi, lightly - I think so.

Maeda - …

//He’s still reeling.

Maeda - …And? Who do you think it is?

Tsurugi - …

Hatano - …Tsurugi, don’t you dare keep it from us.

Tsurugi - I won’t.

Tsurugi - I’m checking my work. I- I don’t want to be wrong.

Maeda - …

//Finally, Tsurugi’s brought his hands down- lowering them earlier, when he finally spoke up. The tears have clumped his eyelashes together, but he looks significantly more stable than he has. 

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - Okay. Wake up. 

Tsurugi - I don’t- say that as a joke, or to try and throw everyone. But I need everyone to be alert, and to listen.

Tsurugi - Okay? Ready?

//…No one dissents.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - I want to start this off by saying that I’m sorry.

Tsurugi - I failed you all. My attempts at making the trials easier to solve just made things worse. I didn’t encourage you all to learn, I made things feel stressful and hopeless.

Tsurugi - I…

Tsurugi - …I want you all to know that I am proud of what’s been accomplished. I wanted to see you all do well for my own comfort, so I’d know you would be safe without me.

Tsurugi - It was never about you all proving yourselves, or anything like that. It’s astounding that you all were able to stand back up and try again when you needed to. 

Tsurugi - …Let me point out my perspective of the case.

Maeda - …

Tsurugi - Last night, Higa had a conversation with someone. He was able to look at them, and suspect murder.

Tsurugi - He got them upset, and lost in the fight that ensued. The blackened is someone who was able to win against Higa in a fight, and someone who could be upset by him.

Maeda - …

//The cold floods back in. Maedas too fixated on Tsurugi’s words to notice it. 

Tsurugi - The blackened hasn’t done anything to expose themselves. They’ve been able to go about the night, the investigation, and the trial, without cuing anyone into what they did.

Tsurugi - In fact, everyone was able to come to the conclusion that the blackened couldn’t be the blackened, because of how they construed what happened last night.

Tsurugi - …The “evidence” used to defend them is exactly what enabled the blackened to convince everyone it wasn’t them-

Tsurugi - It was misread, misunderstood. Everyone’s agreed on the crucial fact, but didn’t get what it truly meant. The blackened isn’t Taira, or Tomori, or Uehara. 

Tsurugi - Taira doesn’t fight people, Tomori doesn’t fight people, and Uehara was not capable of strangling or suffocating Higa.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - Besides- everytime Uehara got after Higa, it wasn’t for his own defense.

//He seems to flinch at himself- but quickly becomes even more composed, to compensate. He stands straight, but relaxed, head held high, gaze soft, rather than defiant. When Tsurugi speaks, it’s with full confidence, as certain as could be.

Tsurugi - Of the people who could have killed Higa last night, only one person lacked the stability to stop themselves when they snapped, and wouldn’t have been able to accept what happened.

Tsurugi - …

Tsurugi - I’m sorry.

Tsurugi - I strangled Higa last night. I’m the blackened of this case.

~*~

Maeda, narrating - 

Maeda - 

Maeda - …

Maeda - Huh.

[Advance]

[another-dr-another]

{who was asleep} because like. seems like the best thing to discuss among the options

Maeda, narrating - Mhm… because there should be at least one person we can prove wasn’t awake, right?

Maeda - Sleep homicide isn’t a thing, so we can narrow things down if we can prove anyone was asleep.

~*~

Maeda - Who do we know for a fact was asleep last night?

Hatano - Is there anyone we can prove was asleep when Higa died?

Ōtori - …

Maki - …

Kobashikawa - …

Ōtori - …Well, let’s start with you, Hatano. Everyone agrees that Hatano has to have been asleep pretty early, right?

//The class nods, or murmurs their agreement.

Maeda - Yeah, that’s right…

Maeda - If Hatano did wake up at any point in the night, she’d likely have realized Iranami was gone, and done something about it.

Maeda - Aren’t you off the list as well, Ōtori?

//He nods slowly.

Ōtori - Because of Tsurugi’s testimony, yeah.

Ōtori - And, I think I can vouch for Maki, too. It seemed like she was asleep when I woke Kobashikawa up.

Maki - !

Kobashikawa - Ah, that’s right. I remember noticing that Maki had rolled over by the time I got back to Tsurugi’s dorm- I could see her face, she was definitely asleep.

Maki - …

Maki - I mean, I won’t say that’s wrong- I know vouching for myself doesn’t mean anything, but I do usually go to bed early.

Maeda - So Hatano, Maki, and Ōtori are all off the list.

Maeda - Who else can we take off- fuck.

Maeda - Oh, fuck fuck fuck.

Tomori - …I think both Uehara and I were asleep. We were near Tsurugi, who was awake… we’d have remembered him getting up for Kobashikawa if we’d been awake at that point.

Uehara - Fuck- yeah, I don’t remember that.

Taira - …You said you don’t?

Uehara - Mhm. I wasn’t awake when Kobashikawa needed help, I didn’t see Tsurugi get up. I remember.

Taira - You remember that you don’t remember?

Uehara - Right.

Maeda - I’m so on the list. Son of a bitch.

Maeda - I established that I was awake at the time of the murder. Fuck.

Maeda - Taira, Tsurugi… shit, is that everyone without an alibi? God-

Maeda - I mean, not like I’m strong enough to kill Higa, though… but will the others buy that? What if Tsurugi and Taira have something that proves them innocent?

Maeda - Wait-

Maeda - Can we really say that all of these are fully reliable?

Maeda - Kobashikawa doesn’t have an alibi either… and he was established to be awake later than everyone else-

Maeda - But I said I wouldn’t suspect him!

Taira - Do you take issue with any of the alibis, Maeda?

Maeda - …I don’t want to suspect anyone, though.

Maeda - I just- I don’t think deductive reasoning is the strongest.

Maeda - Ōtori, Maki, and Hatano. I think those are the only three we can say aren’t suspects.

Tomori - …

Tomori - I mean… do we want to narrow it down, or do we want to only go with what we have full confidence in?

Tomori - Because… you could even argue that Hatano is the only one we know slept through the night. Both Maki and Ōtori could have woken up during the time frame Higa was killed in, and gone back to sleep by the morning.

Taira - Aren’t we going with the theory that it was relatively early in the night?

Tomori - …When did we start to think that?

Taira - Because of Maeda’s testimony. He woke up because of Kobashikawa and Tsurugi, and didn’t have time to fall fully asleep before the murder happened.

Tomori - Ah…

Maeda - So, we can take off Maki, Ōtori, and Hatano. 

Maeda - …Which puts Tomori back on the list. Sorry-

Maeda - Sorry, Tomori…

Tomori - Ah- No, it’s all fine! I don’t have any complaints, I’m glad everyone’s sharing what they think.

Tsurugi - …

Maeda - …Tsurugi, do you think you’re making progress?

Tsurugi - ……

Tsurugi - …I think so.

Maeda - Ah… that’s good! I’m happy to hear that.

//Tsurugi doesn’t respond.

Maeda - …

Maki - We were able to clear a third of the suspect pool by talking about this… let’s see if we can take off another three people by discussing something else, yeah?

~*~

Maeda, narrating - If we combine the people asleep, and the people who aren’t strong enough to have pulled off the murder…

Maeda - Taira, Tsurugi, and Tomori.

Maeda - Progress… but still not what we need.

Maeda - I think we only have one thing left to discuss, now. Hopefully it’ll take the last two people off the list, and we’ll be left with the blackened.

[Who Hated Higa]