Just One More Time

5 - Executed Again

Shuichi remained silent during the trial, listening to everyone argue about Iruma's death. This is frustrating, no one's talking about the evidence, they're just talking about Iruma repeatedly. God, I hate this, but I can't blow my cover. "Hey, maybe Iruma's choker was too tight and she couldn't loosen it, so it killed her?" Akamatsu explained, distracting the group from their back and forth arguing.

"No, it's a button-clasp choker. It can't be tightened." Harukawa shot down the suggestion.

"The ugly bitch probably got horny and choked herself!" Ouma investigated his fingers, placing a hand on his hip.

"We're going to die... What a pain," Yumeno sighed. Himiko... I hope you don't hate me for lying to you. As long as you're safe, I'm fine with going through this again. At least your error's been resolved, and you're no longer suffering.

"Don't think so pessimistically, it'll get you nowhere," Hoshi stated. Odd, he's one of the most pessimistic people I've met.

"I may have some information that may be of use," Tojo interjected.

"Hurry up and say it then," Harukawa glared at the Ultimate Maid.

"Whilst I was cleaning, I happened to stumble across a white backpack hidden in the grass. I found it on the other side of the dorms from where Iruma passed away." Shuichi frowned, glancing around the group. They've done it before so they're capable of killing again.

"Did it match the one Akamatsu's wearing?" Amami asked.

"Yes," Tojo nodded with a slight bow.

"I can explain!" Akamatsu gasped with her hands in the air out of shock. "I'd taken it off for a moment and it disappeared, so I assumed Ouma decided to play a prank on me and left it alone. Plus, I have many more in my dorm so I wasn't worried."

Everyone turned to the Ultimate Supreme Leader with accusatory glares. Ouma glanced around, a smirk slowly growing into his cheeks as tears watered behind his eyes. A soft chuckle filled the room, erupting into laughter as Ouma clutched his stomach and leaned forward, bellowing. "Oh my God, that's such a stupid prank! I can't believe you'd think I'd do that!" Taking a deep breath, Ouma gathered his composure and grinned like a child. "That wasn't me, I'd let you know what I was doing beforehand. I'm not an amateur prankster!"

"I'd like to suggest some evidence as well," Shinguji interrupted. "Iruma's wrists seemed red as if she had been tied up. I believe she may have been tied up and strangled."

"By what though?" Kiibo sighed. They were right back to square one again, none of the evidence seemed to make sense.

"It... It was an ordinary rope from the warehouse..." Akamatsu mumbled.

"How do you know?" Chabashira asked. Akamatsu stared at the podium, her knuckles turning white from her grip on the black and blue metal.

"I can't handle the guilt, I'm so sorry!" Akamatsu screamed, tears pouring down from her violet eyes. "All I wanted was to go home, I should've never killed Iruma! She didn't deserve this!"

"Akamatsu, how did you do this?" Amami asked, pity drenching his green eyes.

Through her wails of despair and sniffs, Akamatsu began to explain her crime. "At 11 pm, I took a box of rope from the warehouse and brought it to my room to hide. Then, at 2 am, I pretended to be attracted to Iruma and lured her outside of the dorms pretending to, uh, wanna have sex. Once we were outside, I tied a rope around Iruma's wrists and pretended it was a kink so she wouldn't fight me. I sat on top of Iruma, took off my backpack and strangled her with the strap. As Tojo revealed, I chucked the bag because it had blood on it where the buckle scratched Iruma's neck."

"Akamatsu..." Shuichi whispered through the darkness, tears welling up in his golden eyes filled with sorrow.

"I cried the entire time, I told myself to stop, Iruma told me to stop... It was wrong, but I did it anyway," Akamatsu continued to cry, her body trembling.

"How could you kill someone?" Gokuhara gasped, trembling as he caught onto the situation.

"You were so nice to me..." Shuichi mumbled, tears dripping from his chin. Admittedly, he felt numb at the situation, not upset, but he knew crying would create the desired impression.

"Atua tells me you used your backpack, but grabbed a rope to choke Miu! Why was that Kaede?" Yonaga asked, her smile never faltering. It was creepy, but Shuichi grew accustomed to it.

"I... Thought my bag strap would mimic her choker... I'd never realised the choker was a button clasp."

"Tenko is disappointed, another woman should never resort to such degenerate behaviour," Chabashira glared at the blonde pianist.

"Why were her necklaces on the floor?" Amami asked, holding his chin in thought as he stared at the ceiling.

"Iruma took them off voluntarily," Akamatsu mumbled. As everyone finished voting, Monokuma cheered as a chain swung out from the roof, clamping around her neck and dragging her away. Shuichi watched as a familiar piano popped into view, tears streaming down his face as Der Flohwalzer began playing.

I can't stop this... I'm the reason everyone is dying this time... Akamatsu treated me as a best friend, then died before I could tell her the truth... Everything is my fault this time, not yours.

As the music ceased and the lid clamped down on Akamatsu's lifeless body, the group stood together in shock. Silence enveloped the group as they watched the most optimistic contestant's blood seep down the face of the piano. Akamatsu had motivated them to continue living, but she'd done the one thing she'd attempted to prevent.

A grunt of frustration pierced the despairing veil of silence, turning everyone's attention to Momota. "I swear I'll kill the mastermind for this."

"Agreed," Harukawa muttered.

"Whichever one of you is the mastermind, you will pay for what you're doing. This is sick," Kiibo sniffed.

"This despair is too much for such a plain woman like me," Shirogane wailed.

Why don't I feel anything? I should be screaming and crying, but I'm not, although I'm not happy. What's this feeling? Shuichi glanced around the group, all either crying or holding back tears. Ouma held a deceitful grin, but no matter how adept the male was at lying, he couldn't hide the despair swirling behind his purple eyes. It's now or never. Taking a deep, quivering breath, Shuichi broke the silence.

"I'll kill the mastermind myself if I have to..."