Chapter 13
He looked up to Nagito, tears stinging his eyes. Nagito. Nagito? It couldn’t have been Nagito..
“M-me? But….Huh?” Nagito looked taken aback.
“I-it all adds up,” Hajime said in a weak and trembling voice, feeling as if his heart cracked in two, “You were closest to the outlet and wire…. You were here cleaning all day and had time to set this all up….”
Nagito’s lip trembled and he gave a nervous smile, “C-c’mon, Hajime, there...There isn’t a-a killer… I-I told you this…”
“Precisely. You told me. Told us. I-it...It would obviously be part of your plan…” Hajime wiped his eyes of tears that threatened to fall.
“I-I couldn’t have done it, though!” Nagito’s voice raised with panic, and he wrung his hands together, “I-I’m scared of the dark- it- it petrifies me- I didn’t- I couldn’t have-” his eyes pleadingly searched the glaring faces, looking about to cry. However, there was a flicker of recognition when he looked in the direction of Sonia, Teruteru, and Peko, and he closed his eyes, shaking his head.
“I-I’m sorry, Nagito, but we have no proof that your word means anything,” He felt his heart break more as he saw the boy tremble with his eyes tightly shut. God, he felt like he was going to throw up in the complete silence. Complete silence until…
“.....Aha…” Nagito gave a small and weak laugh, and opened his eyes with a small smile and a strange look in his eyes. The tiny laugh slowly broke out into loud, wheezing laughter, his eyes streaming with tears, “Ahahahaha!!! All of you…” he snickered with a sniffle, “Working so hard to reach your hope….It truly is beautiful….” he smiled widely, wiping his eyes, “Yes, well...If you decide I’m the killer...Then I suppose I am, aren’t I?”
“Y-you are…?” Hajime said quietly
“I plan to accept whatever conclusion you reach- If I am your conclusion, then I plan to accept it,” Nagito shrugged, fully clearing his eyes of tears.
“Hmph. Fuckin’ Psycho,” Fuyuhiko grumbled, “Just give us the damn vote already.
Hajime felt his heart shattering even further. He still didn’t believe it. Not to mention… Nagito’s words...They made it sound like he was only admitting to the murder because everyone else had decided that he was the killer… And if that were true...Then everyone would…
“H-hold on, everyone!” Mikan yelled.
Hiyoko rolled her eyes, “Oh, shut up, you fuckin’ whore-ass smelly-”
Desperate for an excuse not to blame Nagito- desperate for hope- he immediately cut Hiyoko off, “No, no, what is it, Mikan?”
“T-the autopsy M-Mahiru performed showed that t-the body was p-punctured by a weapon 5mm in diameter… A-and with my knowledge of weaponry, a k-knife the size of the one we found w-would be about 5 or 6 inches..”
“So...We’re back on square one?” Hiyoko whined, “Ughhh! So annoyiiiiiing!!!!”
“Gh- Square one?!” Byakuya yelped.
Nagito’s eyes were wide, looking around slowly, “Not...Not exactly…”
“Huh?” Hajime blinked.
Nagito took a deep breath, “Mikan knows what weapons are 5mm in diameter, right…? With her weaponry knowledge…?”
“O-oh! Yes! Uhm...Certain swords used for dueling could possibly be 5mm...Of course, I’m too clumsy to wield those...I usually almost stab myself in the eye...Ummm… There aren’t t-too many 5mm weapons I can think of...I do know that a-alot of times, when we had parties and s-such is the training camp, a couple kids would say skewers had the s-same diameter...B-but that isn’t very helpful, h-huh…?” Mikan said, looking down.
“No- no, it was actually very helpful..” Skewers… “Wasn’t a skewer missing from the dining hall…?” Hajime murmured.
Gundham spoke, “That is correct. One was missing from the dining hall, according to Teruteru. He was the one setting things up while I got ingredients, of course, so I trust my apprentice’s word”
Hajime thought for a moment, “If the missing skewer was being used...That means nobody in the dining hall would’ve been able to use it… But, then...How….?”
Chiaki hummed, “We can only conclude that the murder didn’t occur under the table…”
“H-huh? But that doesn’t make any sense?!” Ibuki exclaimed
“Think!” Chiaki said, “A place under the table, but not under the table!!”
“Errm…” Hajime thought hard, “Under the floorboards…?”
“Exactly,” Chiaki nodded, “Gundham has his earring back, too, right? So that means he knows the way under..!”
“Kehehe…” Gundham chuckled, “Yes, I had discovered the portal beneath the floorboards… Within the room of which contains storage, underneath piles of boxes…”
“So the killer got ahold of the skewer somehow and poked it through the floorboards…?” Ibuki tilted her head.
“But...How would the killer walk in the dark hall…?” Teruteru murmured, holding Buzo tightly.
“I couldn’t see anything in the hallway…” Kazuichi mumbled.
“But..” Hajime started, “It’s not impossible…”
“Yeah, they could’ve like...I dunno… Used a light or somethin’!” Akane nodded.
Hajime nodded, “Yeah! They could’ve used a portable stove…!”
“Ah...But Hajime...There’s a gaping hole in your argument,” Nagito said quietly, “After all, Kazuichi just said he wasn’t able to see anything...Meaning he wouldn’t have seen the light..”
“No, no! There was a firedoor that would’ve blocked out the light!” Hajime said, “And, if you add everything up- Teruteru is the only one that could’ve done it!!”
“M-me? Wha-?!” Teruteru shook his head in disbelief, “I would never-”
“Um...But...May I ask where Teruteru knew where to stab…?” Nagito asked
“Now wait just a moment, I-”
“Gundham would know!” Mahiru shouted excitedly, “He went under there himself!”
“C-c’mon, ya’ll-”
“Beneath the floorboards were nothing but black… Other than an eerie green glow near the vicinity of Byakuya’s body…” Gundham murmured.
“NOW HOLD ON!!!!”
“Fleurent paint...Like one the knife…!”
“NOW HOL’ ON YE MEA’Y INSE’S!” Teruteru screamed, his accent changing drastically.
“W-what did he just say…?” Kazuichi stammered.
“He said ‘Now hold on you meaty insects’,” Monokuma translated.
“WHE’E IN ‘ARNA’ION WOUL’ AI EVEN HI’E DA DA’N THIN’?!” Teruteru yelled.
“Where in tarnation would I even hide the damn thing?’,” Monokuma stated.
“Hmm...Gundham let you take over...You could’ve easily hid it in food...Like, perhaps, the meat on the bone?”
Byakuya looked dumbstruck while Akane yelled, “WHAAAAAAAAT?!”
Monomi appeared, holding the meat on the bone, “Is this what you mean?” she tilted her head, her ears flopping.
“YESSS! MEAT! GIMME!” Akane yelled, and Monomi obliged. Within a minute, Akane had eaten the entire thing and took out a skewer with a bone hilt, “Foun’ it” she said through a mouth full of meat.
“You just...You just ate something with human blood in it!!!” Ibuki yelped..
Teruteru gave a cry of dismay with wails as Hajime called for the vote and Monomi obliged, allowing everyone to decide the fate of the other…
*end*
-Chapter 14-
The vote rolled...And rolled… And landed on Teruteru.
“Correctamundo!!” Monomi cried out, clapping her paws together.
“I-I...I…” Teruteru stammered, “I just- It’s not what it looks like! I was trying to save everyone from him!!” Teruteru pointed an accusing finger at Nagito, “He was planning to kill someone!”
Nagito blinked a few times, looking confused, “I-I was?”
“You were!” Teruteru replied hotly, “I walked in on you taping the knife to the table!”
Confusion quickly turned to realization, “Ah...Yes...I suppose I was planning to murder…”
Silence.
“Well, um...if that’s all…” Monomi murmured.
“W-wait! Please, don’t! You promised we’d get some memories back if we killed! Please! Tell me what happened to my Mother!” Teruteru yelled.
“Ummmmm...Why?” she tilted her head.
“M-momma...Momma’s working herself to the ground on the farm,” Teruteru said quietly, “I- I need to know she’s ok…!”
“Wellll...Mmmmm...No, I don’t think I told you when I’d give you memories back….” Monomi thoughtfully leaned against the red button at her side, “Whoops!!!”
Suddenly, doors burst open, and a chain wrapped around Teruteru’s neck, suddenly dragging him off as he yelled. The doors suddenly snapped closed, and a large screen turned on to show what was happening.
Teruteru was holding on tightly to Buzo, while the rabbit trembled in fear. The two stood there quietly, looking around, until a rumble was heard and a stampede of pink and white bulls were making their way across the horizon. Teruteru placed Buzo down, ushering the rabbit to run until it finally ran, and then Teruteru started trying to outrun the bulls, but eventually was squashed under them. The video continued until they saw the dead body of Teruteru laying on the ground, smushed beyond recognition.
“Oh, God…” Sonia whimpered, staring at the scene.
“Cruel…..So cruel….” Mikan sobbed, Ibuki and Chiaki standing by her side with traumitized looks.
“Why did this...Have to happen….?” Hajime asked quietly, before wheeling around to Nagito, anger and hurt pulsing through him, “What did he mean that you were planning to kill?!”
“I was planning to kill,” Nagito said quietly, “Exactly as it sounds”
Hajime teared up slightly, “But- but- why?!”
“....Who knows…?” Nagito shrugged, turning away, “....” he started walking off.
“Don’t just leave, motherfucker!!!’ Fuyuhiko yelled, “We’re askin’ you questions!!!”
“I’m sorry…” Nagito said quietly, “I don’t like keeping things from such wonderful people such as yourselves… But I’m afraid I can’t tell you my reasoning,” and with that, Nagito climbed into the elevator by himself, and went up without the others.
Hajime’s anger and grief ebbed away, and all he was left with was an empty feeling. Nagito...What happened to you…? Is this the real you…? Or did something happen…? Why are you suddenly so distant….?
He gulped as the elevator came back down and everyone climbed on. His luck...Really sucked sometimes, huh?