Running This Game With You || Saiouma Mastermind AU

Chapter XVIII - The Artist's Trial (Part II)

A/N: Sorry if this one's kind of short! And if it's a bit rushed, I kinda suck at writing trials. Thanks for being patient with me tho, you guys are awesome. <3

~Shuichi's POV~

"No," she paused, sending a glance over to her short, red-haired companion, "I didn't."

I noticed her wince slightly the second I opened my mouth. I immediately pushed down the urge to laugh at her obviousness.

I took a moment to breathe, thinking about how to make my next move. I watched as she stared in my direction, waiting with seemingly all the resolve she could muster.

"Hmm... he has a point. Where were you?" I ask in the tone I believe will least offend her, given the situation.

She furrows her eyebrows and glazed over the people filled room to the robotic white and black bear. You could really tell how much she was regretting her decision right now. It was cute, really.

"Well?" the tall, masked man questioned, only resulting in making the dark green-haired girl more perturbed.

"What?" the aggression in her voice growing more noticeable. Her eyes once again traveled all around the room. It seemed that she didn't know where to land them. However, they eventually landed on the floor by her feet.

"I never even saw Yonaga that day," she suddenly spoke after a long pause. If I was even slightly less observant, I probably wouldn't have noticed the slight gasp that came from the direction of the hat-wearing girl.

"Alright," Kokichi flipped around, swapping his attention between the two women surrounding him, "What'd Angie say?"

The green-haired girls eyelid flinched slightly at the small nod the shorter girl gave toward the boy in between them.

"Angie did mention that I could invite Chabashira, but I decided against it because it didn't seem like she liked Angie too much..." she said, checking the aikido-users reaction to the use of her last name. It was clear that she had gotten used to her friend using her first name, even in their short time together.

A silence flooded throughout the trial room. Kokichi directed a look towards the tall girl beside him. A look that said; "Huh, I never would've guessed."

"Well Missy, that's a second motive right there!" Kichi said as he spun around on the ball of his foot, changing the crowd's focus back to Chabashira.

"The first being the videos," he added offhandedly after noticing a few confused looks. He really didn't have to say that, anyone who didn't get that was probably too stupid to understand anything he said.

"I said, I didn't kill her!" The aikido-user yelled as a last ditch effort of proving her innocence, clear she was fed up with all the accusations.

"And, even if I did, you're never going to get me to admit it!" she glanced around the room, only to receive various looks of disgust, confusion, and pity.

"I don't even have a reason to do it! It's not like I didn't like just her, all of you guys a horrible and useless too!" she spat out. Her eyes widened as she realized what she said. She quickly turned towards her hat-wearing friend.

"Himiko..." she muttered, reaching an arm out, only to let it fall back down as she saw the shorter girl turn away from her.

"Don't," the magician said as she pulled the brim of her hat down so it covered her eyes, "And don't call me that..."

The red-haired girl took a deep breath and turned to face the girl she once thought to be her friend.

"You called me useless," she took another deep breath as tears clouded her vision, "and you killed my best friend."

Silence flooded the room once again. Everyone watched as the girl in question stood in silence. They waited for a response, but it didn't come. Not yet, at least.

————————————

~Tenko's POV~

...

She's right. I know she is.

Did I ever actually think I could get away with it?

With killing her?

Himiko would've died too.

I shouldn't feel like this.

Master is more important than her, right?

Isn't that why I did this? To find out happened to master?

Can I still be a hero of justice after killing my classmates?

After killing Himiko..?

...

No. I can't.

Sorry, master.

I hope you're alright.

That the video was fake.

I tried to save you, I promise.

I tried to get out.

But, I guess she was just too important to me.

~End of Chapter XVIII~