Just One More Time

5 - Two Blackened or One?

"Who would've killed Gokuhara? He was so kind," Yumeno sighed.

"Maybe there's a second blackened we need to find?!" Ouma suggested with a grin. "You know, Harukawa's awfully suspicious! Being an assassin, I'm sure she could've done this without a problem!" That's right, Ouma outed her true Ultimate after the second class trial! How'd I forgotten about that until now? I suppose it makes sense since it's not a surprise to me.

Ignoring the Supreme Leader, everyone continued to ponder their suspects. "It's plain to see that it'd be someone capable of beating Gokuhara in a fight. If we can eliminate that suspect, perhaps our first blackened would be easier to find?" Shirogane suggested to the group, all nodding in agreement.

"Nyeh, what about Harukawa, Hoshi, Chabashira, Ouma, Saihara or Yonaga? All of them seem capable of either beating Gokuhara in a fight or outsmarting him," Yumeno advised.

"Everyone in that list who left the first crime scene is the suspects then for Gokuhara's murder," Amami pondered. "Which leaves Yonaga, Chabashira and Saihara."

"It leaves Yonaga and Chabashira," Momota reminded the game's protagonist. "Saihara left for a second but I brought him back. There's no way he could kill Gokuhara within less than a minute and still be outside Akamatsu's research lab. After that, we were together the entire time." Shuichi turned to the astronaut and smiled. Thank you.

"Yonaga, do you have an alibi?" Harukawa asked.

"She, Chabashira and I were together the entire time after the first murder. We were investigating Shinguji's dorm," Yumeno sighed.

"Oh! That reminds Tenko! She has some evidence to help the case but it's about Shinguji, not Gokuhara," Chabashira hummed.

"Let's try to find Shinguji's killer then. Keep in mind it may be the same person or something like a murder-suicide," Harukawa suggested. Shuichi hummed holding his chin in thought. I highly doubt it's a murder-suicide, both deaths were too violent for such a crime.

"We're at a dead end with Gokuhara's case so I agree," Shuichi smiled.

"Go ahead with your evidence Chabashira," Momota encouraged.

"Tenko found a written list called 'Potential friends for Sister'. All of the women's names were on there but some were crossed off or circled, and there were notes. The circled names were Akamatsu, Tenko, Harukawa, Shirogane, Tojo, Yonaga and Yumeno. He'd crossed off Akamatsu, Tojo and Harukawa's names and wrote 'Murderers aren't appropriate friends.' Iruma's name had also been crossed off with a note saying she was too vulgar and not respectable enough." As Chabashira talked, she frowned at the podium encasing her.

"What Atua just told me about Korekiyo must be correct!" Yonaga interrupted. "He planned to kill women that he considered respectable to befriend his sister in death!"

"There's no evidence proving that. That's a far stretch compared to a simple list." Ouma rolled his eyes, investigating his nails.

"I agree with Yonaga," Yumeno muttered.

"Tenko does too!"

"It's true," Shuichi whispered. Noticing a lack of conversation, the male glanced around to see everyone staring at him.

"What do you mean by that Saihara?" Momota asked, a hand on his hip.

"Um, well, Shinguji and I hung out a little while ago and the topic of serial killers came up. With him being the Ultimate Anthropologist, I didn't think anything of it. He admitted his... Uh... Secret... I thought it was a joke but I guess not," Shuichi muttered, playing with his hands.