Chapter 31
It was a quiet day in the prison, as most days usually were after the incident.
Aside from the occasional sound of Asahina and Akiyama playing the piano together, Honami talking to Shinonome or even Shiraishi talking to what seemed like no one at all.
The only noise in Tsukasa's daily life was the noise of the murder replaying in his head.
Emu's face, Rui looking at the scene in complete and utter well hidden horror, Nene's suddenly trembling hands.
It all replayed exactly how it happened in his head.
He'd been stupid and he'd dragged his best friend down with him.
Even if no one found out, that fact was still there.
And it was killing him.
He'd accepted the fact that he'd eventually die in that prison. He'd forced himself to. But that didn't make it any better, the piercing anticipation of his second interrogation made a hole in his stomach.
He'd await the time his sister's childhood friend's voice would be heard through the speakers everyday after the end of the first trial.
And that day, it happened.
"Hello, prisoners. Today marks the start of the second trial."
Shizuku and Rui ran towards his cell.
"It's time already, isn't it..?"
He whispered to himself as the two of them helped him up.
"I'm afraid so, yes."
Shizuku chimed in.
"It'll be alright, Tsukasa! Shii is pretty nice, you know that!"
Rui sighed.
"Hinomori…"
He sighed, turning back to Tsukasa.
"Tsukasa…"
"Rui. We can't get our hopes up here, you know that, right?"
He nodded.
"Indeed. That's what happened in the last trial and this is the result of that."
"That being said, we'll start with the first interrogation.
Prisoner 001. Tenma Tsukasa."
Shizuku gave him some last words of encouragement before he crossed through the door.
"001, hello."
Es greeted him, with just a bit of hesitation. Tsukasa stepped forward, getting away from the door.
"Long time no see, Warden!"
He exclaimed, Es nodded quietly before glancing at his arm.
"God, 001, are you okay?!"
She reached for his broken arm, but Tsukasa got out of the way immediately.
"I can assure you my arm is fine!"
"No, it's not. Who bandaged it anyway? I'm not sure we even have doctors here."
Tsukasa stayed silent for a moment.
Shiho… didn't know if there were doctors? She was the Warden, right?
Did Shiho not know everything about Milgram?
"001?"
"Ah, yes, it was Asahina that did this. She made sure all injured prisoners were still in a uhm… good shape. Almost, if you get what I'm saying."
Es sighed.
"I've seen 002's state, if that's what you mean."
He nodded, also speaking again.
"So...you're aware of what happened to everyone?"
"I have an idea, yes. Jackalope told me just as I woke up."
Tsukasa hesitated slightly.
"... Did that rabbit tell you about them..?"
…Them?
Es had never heard of a "them".
Maybe 008 but they were innocent. Plus, Jackalope only mentioned their relationship with 010 and 002.
"Who is this… 'Them' you talk about? Is it 008?"
Tsukasa shook his head.
"You haven't heard anything… I guess it really was just me."
She stepped slightly away from him, a confused look on her face.
"001, what are you talking about?"
Tsukasa chuckled dryly, Es still awaiting an answer.
"I don't know what they are. But they talk about me. Like a second judgement, reminding me of my guiltiness whenever there's a chance. I've looked around, asked Rui and Shizuku too. By the looks of it, they can't hear them."
Es thought for a moment.
She didn't recall Jackalope telling her about prisoners hearing voices. Of course, she admittedly didn't know everything about Milgram but this was completely new to her.
"What do they say exactly?"
Tsukasa sighed in annoyance.
"Some of them pity me, others laugh at the verdict I was given, some even know my si--"
He stopped for a second.
"Warden. May I ask you something?"
"Sure, go ahead."
He got Saki's letter out of his pocket, it was as crumpled as it could be. It was barely legible.
Es' eyes widened.
"How do you know Saki? I mean, this letter could be fake… But even if it was, you don't remember my sister at all."
Es was taken aback by Tsukasa's sudden question about what was probably Es' worst decision as the Warden.
Not only that, his choice of words.
"I… don't remember Saki?"
He quickly corrected himself, shaking his head.
"Sorry, that's not the word, is it? I'm telling you, these voices are driving me nuts. I meant uhm…
You two have never met, if I'm not mistaken."
Es attempted to stop Tsukasa's train of thought, change the subject maybe.
"001--
He hummed, staring thoughtlessly at the letter's contents.
"Yet you've got her handwriting down cold. Did you get Honami to do this? Ichika, maybe?"
Es suddenly yelled.
"001!"
They both went quiet right after that, Es sighed.
"I'm afraid I can't exactly tell you how I got ahold of that letter."
Tsukasa laughed dryly, running a hand through his hair.
"I should have expected so."
Change the subject, Es. Come on.
"You've been talking to 006 and uhm…"
Tsukasa replied quickly, noticing the slight awkwardness when mentioning Shizuku.
"Rui and Shizuku, yes! They've been helping me recover from Shiraishi's attack quite nicely!"
009's attack…
But how on Earth did they get involved in that?
"Oh, yeah. I remember Jackalope mentioning 002 and 009. But, my question now is… how did you get your arm broken?"
He looked at his arm bitterly recalling the incident.
"I honestly have never seen Shiraishi like that. Even Akiyama and Shinonome are surprised."
She glanced at the injury.
"How did it happen? Shiraishi doing… that, I mean…"
"Hm… well, Rui and I… we were discussing what to do next because of our verdicts… then, and forgive my messy memory, it happened quite quickly, we heard screaming coming from Hanasato's cell."
Es nodded.
"Go on."
"We went to check and then, I kid you not, Hanasato went flying out of her cell."
Tsukasa tried to remember it as best as he could.
"Then, Shiraishi chased after her, if I'm not wrong, Shinonome was the first one to try to stop her after I did. Then, Ichika and finally the others were able to stop the incident from going on further."
It did happen quite fast, next thing he remembered after that was Asahina checking his arm, his hands still trembling while Akiyama was out to get Shinonome.
Asahina didn't say anything about the matter.
"001? You've gone quiet."
He'd zoned out all of the sudden.
"Ah, forgive me, I was thinking of something else just now."
Es hummed in curiosity.
"Might I ask what that something else is, 001?"
Tsukasa quickly replied.
"It was nothing relevant."
"I see. Well…
I've seen you write quite a lot, 001."
Tsukasa jumped a little, wincing and holding onto his bandaged arm.
"Ah… yes, I write letters for Saki, it was quite the luck that my right arm is healthy."
Es remembered glancing at Tsukasa's cell from the cameras.
"It seems you write a lot of them, there are sheets of paper scattered even outside of your cell."
Tsukasa nodded.
"I must admit, my hand is getting a bit sore."
He thought for a moment.
"Es."
"Yes?"
Tsukass hesitated for a long minute.
"...001?"
"Fuck it. Why did you give me that letter? I mean, that must've been against some kind of rule, right?"
Es frowned, questioning if she should answer the question or not.
He was right in that assumption. Yes, giving him that letter was against at least 10 different rules.
Es had no idea why she did that. Saki was nobody to her, 001 wasn't someone close to her either.
She had no reason to risk it like that.
"I
… I don't know…"
The two of them heard the machinery whirring sound followed by the bell.
Es hadn't missed that at all.
"Alright…
Es looked to the side, still frowning a bit.
"It seems it's time already."
"Prisoner 001, Tsukasa…
Come now, sing your sins…"