Masked Hope (Nagito x Fem!Reader)

Chpt. 1: Class Trial Pt. 2

"Um. . .Pardon me. Can I say something, please?"'

". . .What is it, Miss Sonia?" Kazuichi asked, his voice hinting bliss.

"I regret that I must return to this topic, but. . .I just realized something concerning the night-vision goggles." She informed. "If Byakuya was indeed wearing those goggles. . . how did the killer manage to navigate in the dark?"

"You're right. . . They wouldn't have been able to see anything without the night-vision goggles." Teruteru agreed. "But if the murderer had the goggles when they took the knife. . . then how did Byakuya see them?"

"Even if the knife bore some sort of mark. . . it would've been difficult to see it in that darkness." Nekomaru agreed.

"Hajime, wasn't there something on the knife that we discussed earlier. . .?" I asked.

"Yes, what if the glowing paint was the mark? With that, you'd be able to get the knife even in the dark." He explained. "In actuality, the knife we found under the table. . . and the duct tape stuck to the underside of the table were both marked with glowing paint, right?"

"Does that mean. . . the killer painted them in advance?" Mikan asked quietly.

"But painting them with glowing paint. . .?" Mahiru repeated. "It's as if they knew the blackout was going to happen."

"They had to have already known. That's why they used the glowing paint as a mark." Chiaki stated.

". . .Which means whoever set up the blackout is the killer!" Hiyoko added.

"That seals it. The killer is whoever was in the office with the circuit breaker. . ." Kazuichi concluded. "Which means it was you, Peko Pekoyama!"

". . .I am not the killer." Peko denied calmly.

"But. . . With Peko's height, I don't think she'd be able to reach the circuit breaker in the office. . ." Mikan doubted.

"I agree. I doubt anyone here could reach that breaker. . ." I added.

"I-I don't care about a technicality like that!" Kazuichi dismissed. "Peko's the one who tripped the breaker and caused the blackout! Since Peko was in the office she could've caused the blackout at any time"

"That's impossible. . ." Peko maintained.

"Huh? Why is it impossible?" Hiyoko questioned.

"Because I was not in the office," She admitted. "Not even before the blackout. . ."

"No, I think Peko is telling the truth." Hajime defended.

"Hm-hmmm, don't tell me you're crushin' on Peko?" Kazuichi sighed.

"I-It's nothing like that at all. . ." Hajime denied. "Nekomaru's account is actually Peko's alibi!"

"It's true, someone was occupying the bathroom for a long time shortly after the party started. . ." Nekomaru confirmed. "And it was finally freed up. . . after Byakuya's body was discovered."

Mahiru brought her hand up in realization. "Ah! Then the person who was in the bathroom that whole time was actually. . .!?"

"Everyone else besides Peko was in the banquet hall after the party started, right?" Hajime asked.

"I see. . . So there's no way anybody else could've locked themselves in the bathroom except Peko." Hiyoko guessed.

"I-I guess that would be. . .true. . ." Peko muttered.

"Y-You locked yourself in the commode?" Kazuichi questioned. "You should've said so earlier!"

"There's no way she'd actually say that! Gosh, you are so insensitive!" Mahiru scolded.