Danganronpa Midnight: Lantern Lament (Fanganronpa)

Chapter 1 - Post Trial and Execution

"Aha! All the votes have been tallied, so it's time for the results." Monokuma announced. "Please face the screen to the left of me!"

We did as we were told and watched intently as the screen flickered to life, displaying all sixteen of us. One by one, thirteen red bars appeared by Shunsuke's name, signalling thirteen votes.

So we voted Shunsuke as the blackened. Now we just have to wait and see if we were right or not.

But wait...there are fourteen of us, but only thirteen votes? Isn't that weird?

As if the screen read my mind, the final red bar appeared...

By my own name?!?

"What the...?" I mumbled, staring.

Someone voted for me?!? Why?

"Hm? It appears someone voted for Chiyo." Ryoko mentioned. "I wonder who..."

"It...It must have been Shunsuke right?" Hidemi's assumed.

"I'm afraid not. I voted for myself." He replied, shutting her down.

"Then...Then who?"

"Who cares about that now?" Monokuma loudly interrupted. "We've got more important things to talk about! Like the culprit. Now, did you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one?"

The screen then switched to show a large slot machine, all three of its panels lined with one of our faces. Monokuma's paw pushed the lever down as it began to spin around and around before finally landing...

On Shunsuke.

The slot machine's mouth opened and coughed out a bunch of confetti along with music and fake cheers, but was met with no celebration.

I got it right. Shunsuke killed Akemi.

"Puhuhu! Well, would ya look at that! The lot of you were correct." Monokuma laughed at our success. "The one who killed Akemi Furuya was indeed Shunsuke Ketsuyuki, the Ultimate Mortician!"

"N-No!" Kokoro cried. "I don't believe this!"

"Well, I do. I knew it was him from the very beginning!" Yukari huffed and crossed her arms.

"I think we deserve an explanation," Tatsuo spoke up. "Not just for what happened, but for your secret."

"I suppose that's fair." He sighed.

"That also means we deserve an explanation about your secret Tatsuo! Maybe Satoshi's too!" Ryoko giggled.

"I...Er...I'm not ready to tell you about that." Tatsuo looked away dejected. "Maybe...Tomorrow. If I'm comfortable."

"Hmph. Alright then." Ryoko rolled her eyes. "Satoshi?"

"N-Not now..." he repeated the same thing he said during the trial.

"Ugh, you all are hopeless." She groaned.

"No. I want an explanation too, Satoshi!" Hidemi stepped forward. "I mean...I can't believe you would kill anyone!"

"...D-Deal with Shunsuke first! Please!" He pleaded, trying to get it together.

"...Fine." She lowered her head. "Shunsuke, it's your turn."

"Very well." Shunsuke nodded. "It is true. Akemi approached me during the party and gave me the note. And I did visit him afterwards."

"So what drove you to kill him...?" Shouko wondered.

"I suppose it was when he opened his mouth...Akemi began discussing my secret, assuming I was listening. But the whole time, I just kept rewinding the moment over and over again in my head...like endless torture."