Just One More Time

2 - Someone Beat Me To It

Entering the gym, Shuichi looked around to realise he and Ouma were the last to enter, the group frowning at them with concern and suspicion. Right, no one likes Ouma, now that I'm wearing his scarf they'll treat me the same way. "Alright you little shits, I'm going to present a motive!" Monokuma cheered, the Monokubz arguing over the motive with annoying rambling. "The reincarnation motive! Whoever wins as the blackened gets to reincarnate one person from your past to reenter the outside world with you! Sounds great, right?!"

"Reincarnate?! Like... A ghost?!" Momota shouted, his face pale as his body trembled. Right, he's scared of the occult, isn't he? 

"Yeah, like a ghost. A big and scary one that'll rip out your organs and go boo!" Ouma laughed, teasing the muscular male who clung to Harukawa with terror.

"Shut up Ouma," Yumeno drawled, rolling her eyes. Monokuma and his children disappeared, leaving the group to marinate in the new motive.

"No one is going to kill, right? There's no way to reincarnate someone who's dead!" Shirogane shouted, her gaze flicking around panicked. I have to give it to her, she's a great actor, but I'm not sticking around for this.

"Come on, let's go," Shuichi whispered, grabbing Ouma's arm and leading him out of the gym towards the dorms. "Can we talk in yours?" He asked as they entered the circular hallway.

"Going straight to third base? Alright then, I'm down if you are Saihara~Chan!" Ouma laughed, unlocking the door and waving Shuichi in, locking the door again behind the two. Entering the bedroom, Shuichi noticed a familiar, large whiteboard with a photo of each contestant, words written underneath them. Just like the first game. Analysing the whiteboard, Shuichi noticed the word 'trustworthy' scribbled under his photo. There's no question mark this time. "Oh, I need to update this."

Ouma uncapped a whiteboard marker with his teeth, writing 'mastermind' underneath Yumeno's photo, separating it from the 'people left' section. "If you could bring someone back to life, who would it be?" The Supreme Leader asked, throwing his whiteboard marker to an unknown part of the disorganised dorm and jumping on his bed.

"No one, that wouldn't be fair on the people who know them. It'd be traumatising," Shuichi explained, sitting down next to Ouma.

"I second that. When people die, they should stay dead," Ouma mumbled, his hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. Yeah, especially when you try to bring back someone using a ritual but someone uses that as an excuse to murder two people. At least it doesn't seem that Ouma's planned an assisted suicide this time.

"Hey, Ouma, are you going to hate me if I become a murderer?" Shuichi mumbled. I just need someone to tell me I'm doing the right thing, I feel so disgusting even thinking about something as horrible and selfish as murder.

"Call me Kokichi, we're friends now, right? Anyway, if it's to save everyone, I don't think I could blame you. Why? You second-guessing this Shuichi?" Kokichi asked, turning to look at the detective.

"A little bit, I just don't think I can bring myself to kill someone." Especially when it's for my own gain, all I'll succeed in doing is saving myself from the loop. I've been lying to you Kokichi, Yumeno isn't the mastermind, why do you believe me? A chime played throughout the academy grounds, causing Shuichi to stand from his position on the comfortable bed. "I suppose I should go to my dorm now, I'll talk to you in the morning Kokichi. Please, keep this a secret between us?"

"Will do, my beloved!" Kokichi giggled, waving goodbye to the detective as he left the dorm, making his way to his own dorm for the night. Hearing multiple footsteps and whispering, Shuichi stuck to the wall.

"Come on Harukawa, you look like you can fight!" That's Momota's voice. "Join the plan, we need you!"

"Fine, let's just go." Harukawa's voice dripped with annoyed compliance. What are they doing? Listening to more footsteps, Shuichi noticed Harukawa, Momota, Shinguji, Gokuhara, Chabashira, Yumeno, Yonaga, Amami and Kiibo leave the dorms. Deciding to follow them, Shuichi kept to the shadows, focused on hiding from Harukawa most of all due to her assassin senses.

Shuichi followed them into the academy and down to the basement, watching as the group entered the game room. It's the same group as the first game, as far as I remember. When Akamatsu killed Amami thinking he was the mastermind, we hid in the classroom near the stairs back then. If that's all it is, I might as well go to bed, I need to rest for tomorrow. Turning around, Shuichi yawned as he travelled towards the dorms, finding himself in his bed in the blink of an eye, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

-*_*⏳*_*-

Startling the boy awake, a musical chime filled Shuichi's room, one that; no matter how often he heard it; had always sent a shiver down his spine. "A body has been discovered! Everyone make your way to the game room!" Monokuma's black and white face disappeared from the screen. Oh no, I should've stayed at the game room last night! I could've stopped this!

Scrambling to jump out of bed, Shuichi left his room and hurried to the game room, leaving his hat behind as he slammed his door shut. "Shuichi!" Hearing someone shout his name, the detective turned to see Kokichi running towards him. "Oh my God, I thought that maybe..." Trailing off, Kokichi didn't need to finish his sentence as he stared at the ground. "Maybe getting close to you was a mistake..." He mumbled, turning and leaving the dorm hand in hand with Shuichi. I care about you too, Kokichi.

Without further conversation, the two walked towards the game room, other classmates creating a crowd as they panicked, hurrying into the crime scene. Shuichi opened the door to see a heartbreaking scene. Even though he knew what to expect, the shock still froze his body temporarily. No matter how many dead bodies you see, the sight of a gruesome murder still affects the mind tremendously.

"Oh my God, this is horrible!" Glancing around the group, Shuichi noticed everyone going pale, one even gagged at the sight of the corpse with eyes contorted in a grimace of brief, immense pain.