Just One More Time

3 - Spools and Pools

"I can't see the shot put balls. They were here before, I swear," Shuichi mumbled, staring at the blank space on the industrial shelf. They'd agreed to hide the equipment to prevent the first murder, the First Blood Perk already in effect.

"Over there," Yumeno sighed, pointing behind them. 

"Those are pole vaults, Yumeno."

"Yeah, but one's missing..." Shuichi frowned, approaching the white and red sticks. She's right, one spot is empty.

"Atua says someone took it to use it to escape! Angie noticed it when she first came in here!" Yonaga peeked out from around the corner of a nearby shelf. 

Shuichi shouted in surprise, jumping backwards. "Yonaga! I didn't see you there. What are you doing?" He stuttered.

"Angie is looking for art supplies! Atua wishes to paint," Yonaga held a creepy smile as her hands flailed around the air. Shuichi noticed the woman gripping paints, a clean palette and a small canvas beside her feet. "Bye-yonara Shuichi! Nice to see you Himiko!" 

"Nyeh!?" Yumeno gasped, tugging on her witch hat to hide her rosy face. Before Yonaga had the chance to collect her items and leave, a bone-chilling chime echoed throughout the academy.

"A body has been discovered! Please make your way to the library," Monokuma cheered over the speakers. Shuichi's blood ran cold, his hands trembling as he assumed the worst. No... Akamatsu wouldn't have already planned everything, right? She needed my plan for hers to work, and the cameras and sensors are still all here. I made sure to check! We would've heard the shot put ball if Akamatsu killed Amami now... Right?

"Let's go!" Shuichi shouted, racing towards the basement with all the speed he could muster. He, Yumeno and Yonaga flew into Gokuhara, Ouma and Hoshi, the six of them bursting into the library to find a horrendous sight. A giant bookshelf hovered above the floor, books scattered everywhere around a ginormous splash of deep-red jelly. Iruma, Akamatsu and Amami stood around the body, terrified. They must've been the first to find whoever's under there.

Kneeling, Shuichi peeked through the crack between the bookshelf and the floor to see a mess of blue. Who is that? Stepping forward to get a closer look, an object crunched underneath the detective's shoe. Frowning, Shuichi looked down to find a broken pair of glasses, the source of the crunching noise. These look like... "Shirogane's."

"Puhuhu!~ Congratulations Detective!" Monokuma cheered, his face full of anger as he materialised from thin air. "It makes me sick. Anyway, because of the First Blood Perk, the blackened gets to graduate! Raise your hand if you're the student who committed this atrocious crime!"

Everyone glanced around the room, fifteen Ultimates standing around the corpse. Only moments ago, Shirogane had been walking amongst them, talking to them and laughing. Shaking his head, Shuichi forced the depressing thoughts and memories away. Shut up, it's all fiction, we're all fiction. Don't get attached to fictional characters, even if you are one of them. I feel so real, was Shirogane telling the truth? This isn't the time to fight it, Shirogane proved it after all.

Refocusing on the scene around him, Shuichi noticed no one's hands were in the air. Just like the first time. "What? No one's got their hand up?" Monosuke asked himself, pushing on his glasses with his paw. Shut up, no one likes you.

"I guess that means we're doing a class trial!" Monokuma cheered, throwing Monokuma Files at the students. "Have fun investigating! Remember, blame this trial the blackened, not me!" With his parting words, Monokuma and his five children disappeared, leaving the ultimates behind.

"I suppose there's not much left of Shirogane to investigate, kekeke," Shinguji cackled, swishing out of the room. There's always stuff left to investigate Shinguji. You know that, so why have you left? Shuichi pushed past everyone leaving the library, weaving through the piles of books stacked beside the fallen bookshelf.