I'm hungry.... well, the sewing room is right next to the cafeteria, and the kitchen should probably be nearby....


The map on the cafeteria table said that the kitchen door was near the back of the cafeteria. I grabbed the white door and shoved it open, unmasking a cheerful kitchen with a red and white tiled floor, a black and white U-shaped counter, and several stools. Ako and Madoka were having a conversation over cake about desserts and family. 

I was debating if I should leave, for I didn't want to disturb them, until someone grabbed my right hand and dragged me over to a grill. 

"Ahhh!!!"

"Oh. Sorry. And you're Tsubomi, right? Well, in any case, you're just in time for my cooking lesson!" 

My vision stopped blurring, and I realized that Akane had dragged me in here while holding a spatula in her right hand.

"Yes... what are you cooking? I'd be glad to learn how!" 

Well, Akane doesn't seem to be annoyed by me.... although she does remind me a bit of Erika.... 

"Okonomiyaki! It's my dad's favorite, and I'll be glad to follow in his footsteps and teach you!" she said while pulling a cutting board and some cabbages. 

"Could you show me how to make it?" 

I've never cooked before, and the one time I did, I ended up burning myself.... Grandma ate some of it, but I think she was being polite.


"Sure! I just need to see if they have sauce. For a school being run by an insane teddybear, there's a lot of food here."

I'm kind of surprised he hasn't threatened to kill her yet; just about everything she says about him is an insult and he threatened to kill me yesterday over much less....


Something brushed against me while I was lost in my train of thoughts.

"Tsubomi, could you move-" Akane began, before she was cut off by the nearby TV turning on.

"Upupupupupuppuu... you sure are boring. No murders yet? I thought you'd be more desperate to get out of here... maybe you need some motivation? Just so you know, every single room in here is soundproof. No one will hear you scream when you die.... I love that sound."

Akane, Ako, Madoka, and I were staring wordlessly at the TV. My mind was paralyzed with fear as an image of a masked man with a knife came into my mind, and he was slowly stabbing me.... or-

"Oh, by the way, everyone needs to be in the computer room in five minutes if you don't want to die." he said as the broadcast faded away, leaving the room in a state of total paralysis, like we were frozen in a sheet of ice....

And Akane was the first to break it. 

"Sorry for being unable to give you your cooking lesson, Tsubomi. Tomorrow, I'll make sure to teach you."

"No... it's fine, I don't want to disturb you.... could you just write the recipe down for me?" 

I don't want to disappoint her when I inevitably fail at making her dad's favorite recipe. 


"Sure-just give me a second." she said while rummaging through her pockets before grabbing a pen and post-it note; she wrote down the recipe at near the speed of light. 

Rice.... eggs.... cabbage... you can add anything else you like, just don't forget the secret ingredient and sauce.


What's the secret ingredient? It's probably some obscure spice that I've never heard of, let alone can cook with....


"Sorry if it's really messy, my handwriting's horrible."

"No.... it's fine. Just... what's this secret ingredient?"

"It wouldn't be a secret if I told you!"

And on that note, we set off for the computer room.

The computer room looked just like the one in my school, except for the fact that the desks were arranged in a circle around a short cylindrical table. 

Honoka and Rikka were the only other people in the room besides me and Akane. 

"Here's yours." Honoka said while handing me a disc with my name written on the front. 

"Thanks.... so you got here early?"

"Actually, we've been here the entire day." Rikka added after handing Akane her disc. "Honoka and I were trying to find out exactly what was going on, but all we got were error messages no matter what we did, and then that bear popped in here and dropped off this box of discs."

"Monobear also told us to tell you that the punishment for not watching them was death." Honoka added as more people filed into the room. After the last person (Yuri) was seated in front of a computer, we all popped the disks in.

A video began playing as the lights dim. 

"Tsubomi! We're so proud of you for getting into Hope's Peak! I hope you'll follow in our footsteps as botanists someday." my parents say while sitting on our sofa with my sister. 


"My big sister is awesome! I want to be like Tsubomi!" Fubata says while cuddling her doll. 


The scene switches to our greenhouse. Grandma, Erika, and I are tending her cherry tree and planting daisies. 


"I'm so proud of you two. I love you both and I wish you good luck. Hopefully it's just as wonderful as it was during my time there."


"We'll tell you all about it! Come on Tsubomi, let's go!" Erika says while dragging me out the greenhouse door. 


And then the scene changes to my sofa at home, only it's destroyed and covered with.... my sister's body!? This can't be happening! 


Our greenhouse is destroyed, and... my parents.... their research.... the tree... Grandma's statue of Grandpa.... is all gone.

"Finally, we meet again, Karouko." a man says while pointing.... a gun... NO! Why! Why! WHy!?


"3.... 2.... 1...."


"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I screamed as the lights went back on.

There's no way my family could be dead! Mom... Dad... Fubata.... Grandma.... this can't be real!


Yayoi, who was sitting to my left, was crying and whispering "Why? Miyuki, why?" at the screen. To my right, Erika was staring at the screen like a statue. Mana, Rikka, Honoka, Miki, and Karen appeared to be loudly convincing themselves that the video was just a fake. Akane looked like she was about to punch the computer. Iona and Makoto seemed to be muttering names underneath their breath, Madoka had nearly collapsed over the keyboard, Ako was frozen with shock like Erika, and Itsuki was muttering the words "don't kill him" over and over. 

The only one of us who didn't react at all was Yuri. 

How is she so calm right now? 


"Uupupuppupu.... such lovely despair. I'm expecting a murder tonight!" 

After Monobear's words snapped all of us out of our minds, the room began to slowly clear out. I was waiting for Erika to leave, but she stayed frozen in front of the computer.

This is nothing like her! I though she'd either deny it or try to destroy the computer, instead, she's frozen?!


"Ah... Erika?" I said while lightly tapping her shoulder. 

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she screamed, and then sprinted out the door like she was being chased by a rampaging bull. 

"Erika! Wait!" I screamed, and began to run after her, except I collided with Yuri.

"Ah.... sorry!!! I just need to find Erika!"

"I understand." she said calmly. 

"Thanks.... hey, Yuri, what did you see on your disc?"

"I didn't have one."

Huh?


That's strange...

"don'tleavemeidon'twantobealonei'ddie..... HELP ME! SAVE ME FROM THIS HELL!"

Erika was curled up into a ball on her bed and alternating between whispering and screaming when I found her.

The first part sounds like something I would say! Well, I'm her friend, and she's done so much for me....


"You're not alone. I'm here for you, Erika."

"Tsubomi?" 

"Yes?"

"Promise me that we'll get out of here together. Please. And once we do, we'll go follow our dreams and head to Paris for the fashion and flowers..."

"I will. Should we shake hands?" I said while extending my right hand. 

"Yes. Let's vow to get out of here together." She shakes my hand and heads over to her sewing machine with pink fabric. 

"Do you want me to sew that shirt you designed for Miki?" 

"Yes... thanks, Erika."

She seems fine, but when I leave her room, I'm pretty sure I hear sobbing and loud bangs. 

Then again, they're probably all imaginary.


I head down the hall to my room and go to bed with death and insanity dancing in my head.

DING-DONG! DING-DONG!

"Uupupupupu.... good morning. Today's going to be fun, isn't it, Miss Hanasaki?"

What does he mean?!


I've got to check on Erika, and make sure she's okay.... I hope she's calmed down.


I push open the door to her room.

"Erika? E-ri-ka?"

ERIKA!!??!

Where... am.... I? 


"She's awake!" someone said, but I couldn't determine who.

"What's... going.... on... why...?"

A few people exchanged a series of glances before someone spoke. 

"This morning, we noticed that you and Erika weren't at breakfast. As you were also late yesterday, we didn't really find your absence that unusual, but it was kind of odd for Erika to be late, so Mana suggested that someone should find her." 

My vision had stopped blurring, and I realized that Itsuki was holding my shoulders and talking to me. She gestured to Iona, who continued filling me in. 

"I volunteered to go find Erika, and Mana went with me. We went to Erika's room and found her lying with her head in her hands in front of her sewing machine... and you were lying by the chair holding a knife."

Suddenly, a stream of images flew into my head.

Erika's body... the bloody wound on her forehead.... I though she was asleep, but.... 


I choked back a scream as Mana continued Iona's story. 

"We were trying to figure out exactly what had happened when the TV turned on, and Monobear told us that a body had been discovered.... and then we realized that one of you was dead. We weren't sure who it was at first, but he then popped into the room and handed us a file detailing the death." 

She handed me a black folder labeled "Monobear File 1". I began to read it while she continued explaining what had happened. 

Victim's Name: Erika Kurumi
Time of Death: Around 12:30 am
Cause of Death: Wound to head. 
In addition, there is also a minor wound on the back of her right hand.


My best friend... is dead. And I'm reading the details of her death. 


Every day in this school feels like a surreal nightmare...


"Would it really be wise for her to read that? She is the most logical killer, after all." Miki's words snapped me out of my thoughts, and she wasn't the only one who held that opinion. Karen, Ako, and Madoka seemed to agree with her, and Yayoi was crying and standing ridiculously far away from me. 

"Why would I kill my best friend? There's no way I'd do that! The only thing here with any motive to kill someone is Monobear!"

"Uupupupuppuuuuu.... no." 

Somehow, as if I'd summoned him, Monobear popped into the room and landed right in front of me.

"Idiots. Do you really cling to the hope that you're all just innocent pawns? One of you killed Miss Kurumi. And it's the task of the other 14 of you to find her killer."

WHAT!? It's like the horror story just mutated into a murder mystery!


"If I may ask, does this have to do with the second part of your conditions to escape?" Karen asked.

"Miss Minazuki is correct. The death is just the prologue to the real source of entertainment-a class trial of life and death!"

"If the 14 of you dolts can correctly identify Miss Kurumi's killer, the culprit will be executed." He was about to continue when Akane burst out laughing. 

"Miss Hino, this is not a joke. Shall I give you a sample of our executions? We have death by firing squad, being eaten alive by sharks, beheading.... ah, I love that one."

Akane looked extremely disturbed, while I was paralyzed with fear. 

Even if we win.... we'll have to subject someone to such a horrible death? 


"If the 14 of you do not identify her killer, all of you except for the culprit will die. The culprit, having managed to fool all of you, will graduate and leave the school. Any questions?" 

Leaving us on an ominous note of death and gruesome executions, he vanished.

The room was frozen in an eerie silence before Yuri spoke. 

"Shouldn't we assign someone to guard the crime scene?"

How can she be so calm!? First with the DVDs, and then after learning about our fates if we lose... or even win, for that matter.


"I'll do it." Itsuki said, releasing my shoulders. I almost fell, but managed to regain my balance just in time. 

She was about to leave the room when Ako said "Shouldn't someone else go with her? If the killer is who we think it is, Itsuki is the closest to her out of all of us and could be motivated to save her...."


"I'll go with her." Makoto said, before the two of them left the room. Iona, Akane, Rikka, Mana, Yuri, and Honoka followed them, leaving me in a room with everyone who believed that I was guilty. I quickly ran out of the room after Honoka, hoping that I didn't look too suspicious. 

I'm going to prove my innocence! Even though about 1/2 of them believe that I'm the killer, I'll prove them wrong! 


Erika.... I'm going to avenge your death!

Without thinking, I dashed into her room and ran straight into Makoto.

"Sorry! I'm just-"

"I understand. To witness the death of someone you love...." she began, before trailing off and staring at the bathroom door. 

"W-" I began, before noticing that the doorknob had fallen off and the door was scratched. 

That's strange.... could it have gotten knocked off and damaged by her killer?


Everyone except Akane and Mana were in her room and investigating. I didn't want to disturb them or their investigation, so I headed into the bathroom and tried to collect my thoughts. 

However, I was distracted by a bloodstain on the shower's floor. 

I feel dizzy.... why is this here? 


"Tsubomi?"

"AH!!" I screamed, before realizing Honoka was calling me. "Sorry! I'm just not-"

"It's okay. Anyways, we're just going to share what we've found, and if you want to join us in bringing your friend's killer to justice...."

I followed Honoka out of the bathroom and collapsed onto Erika's bed.

"There's something I'd like to show you on her body." Iona said while lifting... Erika's hand. 

Why is everyone else here so calm around death? First Yuri, and now her too? 


"The wound on her right hand does not look like it was caused be the knife we found, as it's wider it's tip." 

It looks like an eleven.... but....


"Furthermore, her death wasn't caused by the knife either. The head wound is too wide and shallow for the tip of a knife. It's also impossible for anyone to kill someone with the flat part of a knife, so please don't ask me that."

I know she's here for her military talent.... which is probably why she's so used to this, but...


Rikka was sharing her findings, but I couldn't focus. There was a trash can nearby... and I did feel like my stomach... 

Huh? Why is there a shirt in here? It's unlike her to throw clothes away...


I pulled the shirt out of the trashcan... and it was the one I'd designed for Miki. With a large bloodstain in the middle. 

My mind was frozen. I wanted to say something... but my lips weren't moving. 

Maybe I should try to investigate now.... I'm not really contributing anything to their discussion. 


I placed the trashcan by the sewing machine and tried to avoid looking at Erika's body. There was a spool of red thread on it, and I tried not to think about what she was doing when someone broke into her room and....

Huh? Why is there a knot in it? I'm the one who'd get 824908493284 knots in her thread during fashion club-and it randomly got thicker?


This didn't make any sense. 

Maybe the machine will-


DING-DONG! DING-DONG!

"The investigation is over. Please head to the red door by the entrance hall."

The seven of us exited Erika's room and dragged the red door open. The thread spool was lying in my pocket. Karen, Miki, Ako, Madoka, Yayoi, Mana, and Akane were all standing by a larger, golden door. 

"Uupupupuu... so you're all here. Please open the golden door and enter the elevator which will lead you to your fate. 

Madoka twisted the door open and we all got in. 

Erika.... I'll avenge you!


No matter what happens, I'll find your killer!

The elevator ride was silent until it hit the ground with a clank. The doors opened to an ornately decorated room with blue curtains and golden walls. 

"So, what do you think of the trial room? Isn't it perfect for a room that will decide your fates?"

No one said anything. 

"Hmph. Anyways, go take your seat." Monobear said while gesturing towards the circle of chairs in the center of the room. We all found the chair with our name on it and sat down. Honoka was on my right, and... a portrait of Erika with an X on it was to my left.


"Um... why is this here?" Yayoi asked, pointing at Erika's portrait. 

"Upppupuuppu... this is how we'll immortalize your dead classmates! And now, let the trial of Erika Kurumi-"

"Wait."

Monobear paused and turned towards Yuri. 

"Before we start, I'd like to ask you something." 

"What!?"

"Under what circumstances does a body discovery announcement go off?"

What does this have to do with anything?


Oddly enough, Monobear seemed to be thinking the same thing. "Miss Tsukikage, how does this pertain to the case?"

"It pertains quite a bit to the case." Yuri responded calmly. 

"Hmph. Fine, I'll tell you. A body discovery announcement goes off when three or more people who aren't the culprit find a body. Now can we please proceed-"

"Does the victim count as a person?"

"NO!" Monobear yelled. "WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING!"

Yuri's reaction to Monobear screaming at her was as emotionless as a statue. "It means that Tsubomi is innocent. And could you please stop screaming? You're scaring everyone."

How does that... oh! Only Iona and Mana went to find me, yet the announcement went off!

"But Tsubomi was lying by Erika with the murder weapon in her hand. Isn't that evidence significantly incriminating?" Miki asked.

"Only-" I began, but was cut off by Mana. 

"The announcement went off when Iona and I found Erika's body. As only 2 of us went, there had to have been a third person who'd found her body. If Tsubomi had killed her, we wouldn't have gotten one unless someone else came into the room." 

"But.... ah... the knife! Why would she be holding the murder weapon?" 

"The knife wasn't the murder weapon." Iona said, shocking Miki. 

"How?" she began, but was unable to finish. 

"None of her wounds match the shape of the blade. The head wound is the more obvious example; it's much too flat to have been inflicted by a knife." Honoka explained. 

"Isn't there a chance-" Karen began, but she was cut off by Iona. 

"If you were asking me about the wounds being inflicted by the flat side of the blade, that can't have happened. It's impossible to kill someone like that."

"How could you know that she was going to ask about that? Unless you're the killer and covering up your murder, maybe?" Akane blurted out. 

"If I killed Erika, the body discovery announcement wouldn't have gone off. And I'm used to people asking me questions like that." Iona calmly explained. 

"So we've confirmed that the knife wasn't the murder weapon, but why did she have one in her room?" Karen asked. 

That's actually a really good question. Why would a knife suddenly turn up in her room?

"You know, that reminds me.... she did go into the kitchen yesterday." Madoka said. 

"Erika?" I asked. 

Why would she go there? She's never really been interested in cooking.


"Yes. Ako and I were having some tea last night, and she came in around 9..."

"She was muttering a bunch of stuff about under her breath about how she didn't want to die and how she'd rather die than be perpetually alone..." Ako continued. 

"I asked her if she wanted some tea, but she screamed, grabbed a knife, and ran out the door." 

That's strange... wait, she was still affected by that DVD?! 


"I think she took the knife for self-defense, but she was acting really weirdly." 

Madoka and Ako's testimony confused me. 


Why would Erika run away from people? Why would she even bother with weaponry? And isn't she-


"So I understand where the knife came from, but shouldn't we do more work on finding the murder weapon?" Miki asked. 

"Right. I believe that she was killed by her sewing machine." Rikka said, to the shock of almost everyone. 

"Wouldn't it be harder to kill someone with that? There's already a knife...." Karen began, before Rikka cut her off. 

"It would be more logical to use a knife, but that's the only thing in the room which could've caused her wounds. Doesn't the one on her hand look like the ends of a plug?"

"I see. So she was killed with her sewing machine while sitting in her chair?"

Wait.... if that's the case, why is there a random bloodstain in her shower?


"Actually, that does beg the question of why the door to her bathroom was destroyed and the doorknob knocked off." Makoto added. 

"Maybe... the killer wanted to fake a struggle?" Yayoi said nervously. 

"No. The hand wound most definitely points to a struggle, and it wasn't inflicted after she died." Iona explained. "So the most likely course of action is that the conflict got into the bathroom, and she died there."

"Wouldn't there be more blood?" Ako said. "If you were to-"

"I agree with Iona. I found a... bloodstain in her shower and there's a bloody shirt in her trash can."

All eyes turned to me.

I feel dizzy... but I can't stop now!


"If Erika died at her desk, there'd be no reason for this bloodstain to be here." I said, gradually getting less nervous. "However, if she died in her bathroom, then it'd make more sense. The reason why there's a lack of blood has to do with the fact that her killer cleaned it up with this shirt I found in the trashcan."

"Yes, that's probably what happened." Yuri said. "Erika was killed in her shower with her sewing machine. The killer moved her body to her desk, cleaned up the blood with this shirt, and set up the knife as a diversion."

"That's great... except we still have no idea who did it." Miki said. 

"Actually, we might." I said while pulling the spool of thread out of my pocket.

Please work.... I hope I've got this right.


"How is the spool of thread related to the case?" 

"Um... doesn't the texture of the thread change after the knot?" I said while passing the spool to Honoka

Please listen.... 


"You're right, Tsubomi. It feels a bit like hair, come to think of it."

YES!


"So our culprit has red hair?" Madoka asked.

"Well, there's only one person in here with red hair." Yuri said, turing to someone. I followed her glance. 

And... it's...


Akane?!

"Why is everyone looking at me?" she asked. 

"You-you killed Erika!" Yayoi screamed. 

"How? I have no idea what you're talking about!"

I don't want to believe it either... the person who was going to teach me how to cook killed my best friend.... 


"Could I have a look at your hair?" Yuri asked. 

"Sure... what does this have to do with anything?" she said while pulling out a strand of her hair and passing it to Honoka. 

"It's... a perfect match." she said in a soft voice. "I'm sorry Akane, but you have to be Erika's killer."

"Ah.... ahahahahah.... it was in self-defense! She tried to kill me!!!" 

Why?! Why would Erika.... she can't have!


"You're kidding, right?" I asked, hoping that it was just another lie. 

"No! She invited me to her room around 12 am last night and tried to kill me!" 

"Erika... there's no way....."

"I grabbed her sewing machine in self-defense as she was going to stab me!"

This.... this.... there's....


"Miss Hino is correct. The cameras do not lie, Miss Hanasaki." 

"Cameras?" Yuri asked. 

"Haven't I told you that the entire school is security-cameraed?" 

"If you have footage of the murder, then why didn't you just show it to us instead of making us suffer through this trial!" Itsuki exclaimed. 

"Miss Myoudouin, please stop talking unless you want me to kill you. By the way... you've won! The killer of Miss Erika Kurumi is-drumroll please-Miss Akane Hino! And you said you wouldn't kill anyone. Hypocrites, the-"

"What killed Erika was your DVD!" I exclaimed, surprising everyone, including myself. "What she saw on her DVD must've horrified her into insanity and driven her to attempt murder! The only thing we have to blame is you!"

"Hmph. You dolts can't even take responsibility for your own actions. Anyways, onto the punishment! I have a special execution prepared for Miss Akane Hino, our Super High-School Level Volleyball Player!

Volleyball? I though she got into here for her cooking! 


There's so much I could've know about her.... which I'll never be able to know. We could've been good friends...


"Ahahahahah.... it was self-defense! I DON'T-" she screamed. 

"It's still a murder, Miss Hino. Goodbye."

"NO! PLEASE! I'M SORRY!!!!" she screamed as chains wrapped around her arms and legs and dragged her to her death. 

(---)

Execution of Akane Hino: The Soul of a Hotblooded Girl.


Akane is dragged into the destroyed remains of her family's restaurant, only everything is turned 90 degrees. She's chained to the grill, which is heated to 400 degrees (F). In addition, there are also spatulas launching flaming volleyballs at her chest and setting her on fire.