Uncertain [YTTD]

[42 - Inconclusive Proof]

a/n: i gave rendering a go again and i think i did...better? ahaha, anyways, here's the update. thank you for 70k reads (wow!), and happy holidays, everyone!

"Weeeell...satisfied now?" Ranger jeered, waving the glove around mockingly.

"No way..."

"Aaah...! Then sure enough, there wasn't a fake!" Nao cried out with watery eyes. "We've just wasted our time in vain...!"

Next to [Name], someone cleared their throat. "Not necessarily."

"Eh...?"

"Mr. Policeman's started to figure out these Floor Masters." Keiji had a small smile on his face, once again cracking his neck.

"...Ehh?"

"I could tell from Miley too. What you've got in common is..." He snapped his fingers. "You can't lie about the important stuff."

"..."

"That's why you're touching on the topic, but cleverly talking around it...but I noticed."

The doll swayed from side-to-side, tilting his head. "...Noticed whaaat?"

"Ranger, just now, you said...'that Reko was the real deal.'"

"....."

"Why didn't you say 'there's no fake'...?"

Ranger continued to stay silent, glaring at the blond man.

"Oh, if you forgot to say that...I'm giving you another chance."

"...Bastard...!"

"If you can't say it, that's the same as confessing. There is a fake Reko."

Reko spluttered. "What the shit?!"

"And it's relevant to this final attraction, too." He added.

"Huh...where's your proof?" Sou asked.

"It's just my detective intuition."

He hummed at his response, slightly smirking. "...Pretty persuasive."

"...???" [Name] looked between the two with confused eyes. "Now what just happened."

"I can feel it. The wound on Reko's hand... is the only clue the AI Mishima left us. Feels like his intentions are shining some light on us all."

"But..." Sara started, "...how could Reko's fake be related to this attraction...?"

"Sara, if the Reko Keiji and I saw," [Name] gestured to themselves and the mentioned man. "the same one that broke the monitor was actually real...there's only one person here who could be the fake."

Those words seemed to click, as Sara's eyes suddenly widened, her figure slowly backing away from the person she mistakenly thought was a friend.

"The Reko in front of us...is the fake...?"

"Wha?! Don't be stupid!"

"Yet Ranger said 'that Reko,' who punched the monitor, was real..." She pointed determinedly at the girl. "...So you having no wound on your hand...means you're the fake...!"

"W...Whaaat?! How does that figure?!"

"Can you prove you're the real one, Reko?!"

Grumbles grew louder next to [Name], making them turn their head curiously. The sight that greeted them was one angered, on-the-brink-of-blowing-up brother. His glare pierced the transparent wall, staring up at the platform above them.

"Right, of course he'd be upset...! I would too if my own sibling was being accused..."

Reko continued to sweat, stammering out excuses. "H...Hold the hell up! You seriously suspecting me?! I'm Reko! No matter how you look at it, I'm real, ain't I?! Please, Sara, don't confuse people with your weird ideas...! We're friends, right...? I thought I made a friend I could trust for the first time...!"

"Then please, give us proof—!"

"FOR GOODNESS'S SAAAAAAAAAAKE!!!!" Alice roared out suddenly, startling everyone. "Please, quit this foolishness! Don't you bully Reko any more! If you want evidence, I'll give it as her brother! That is the real Reko!"

"W-What's your proof?!" Sara asked hastily, still recovering from his outburst.

"The eyes of her brother by blood! I can't possibly be mistaken!" He insisted, then turned to face the blond man. "Keiji! You've been tricked by Ranger!"

"...What?"

"That Reko...was real! This Reko...is also real! That's what Ranger meant! This is a trap, I tell you! One meant to ensnare Reko! And yet you..." Alice's eyes narrowed at Sara. "...You're thinking of sacrificing Reko to save Gin, aren't you...?!"

"...Alice..." A soft whisper came from Reko, looking down at her brother.

"Listen to me! Sara Chidouin! I'm not panicking...! I'm making a composed judgement! A disguise couldn't possibly fool my eyes! Her behavior, the slightest gestures, her personality! In every way, that is the real Reko! I've been with her for 20 years! Even through makeup...I can see her true identity!"

He stared her in the eye, clear-cut emotion shown on his face. "Please...! Believe me, Sara!"

"Don't listen to him, Sara!" Nao shouted. "The point of this attraction must be to identify the fake and save Gin! Otherwise...someone will absolutely have to be sacrificed!" She paused, taking shaky breaths. "So...we just...have to drop that fake...!"

Reko swiveled around to face her. "Nao! Are you...trying to frame me...?"

"That there is the real Reko!" Alice yelled again. "If she were a fake wearing a disguise...I, her brother, would know!"

"If this Reko is a fake...when are you saying she was switched with the real Reko...?" Kanna wondered.

Sou nodded. "Someone could only have taken Reko's place when she was alone...was there any such time?"

"...And there's another big problem. What's the real identity of the fake...?"

"Agh, everyone's jumping to conclusions again..." [Name] muttered, scratching their head in annoyance.

"Perhaps you have an idea to narrow down the suspects, Mx. [Name]?" Mishima asked them, slightly surprising the high-schooler.

"Um...I have an idea of what's actually going on, but some of us are throwing around useless statements, so I can't really say anything." They quietly responded, watching the others disdainfully. "Besides, Sara's got it handled...I think."

"...Do you recall what Joe said?" He questioned, making their eyebrows furrow.

"...What does Joe have to do with this?"

The serious look on his face dissipated almost immediately. "His favor, that he entrusted you with. Miss Sara will continue to be burdened if she does this all by herself, and Joe knew this."

Their eyes widened. "Oh...you're saying that...?"

He nodded, a satisfied smile growing. [Name] took a deep breath to compose themselves, eyeing the increasingly-stressed brunette.

"Okay...let's see if I can help Sara out a bit."

a/n: oh my god i just realized i made a pun when i was describing alice i'm so sorry lmao