𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚒𝚎.

◇jerusalem◇

"i should tell them that i'm not afraid to die."

"that's fine, right, miss f/n?" you weren't sure why he was asking you, you just shrugged. "well then, miss nao. please.. give your justification. i see a lot that's illogical about nao's actions." well, he wasn't necessarily wrong. "...illogical, eh?" joe seemed curious as to what sou meant. "i suppose illogical is somewhat a good term, but it only works from an outside perspective. in a situation of grief, people aren't likely to act on logic, she was overthrown by emotion." sou smiled at you.

"ah, this is your field of expertise, isn't it, miss f/n? but aren't you curious what she was up to in the kitchen, holding the box with mishima? tell me what you were doing then, miss nao." was now a good time to mention that mishima wasn't in the box? "..because of the body collection announcement... i went into panic.. i took the box... and just sat and hid in the kitchen. i didn't even touch anything in the room... i know i troubled you all a lot... but i... didn't want to lose him..!" he was lost the second he got the most votes. "after everyone else, i inspected the kitchen, and found no signs of trickery. perhaps she truly was just hiding?"

you only found one thing in the kitchen. you took out the empty knife box again. "you really didn't touch anything? the box was empty when we got to it, you're the only one who could've taken it, nao." she quickly shook her head. "i-i don't know anything about that!" that.. definitely wasn't a very convincing argument. "hold on.. when and how did nao find the key to the kitchen, anyway?" joe questioned. "....it was open.. the kitchen door was unlocked at the time! so.. i ran in and locked it from the inside." does the timeline add up? "then someone else when in first, meow! that's who took the knife, woof!"

"hmmm.. maybe that's logical? it's super sketchy though.." didn't you and keiji find the key on the second floor? why would someone take it and just drop it aimlessly? "i-it's not sketchy in the least! i-i'll tell you anything!!" it was kinda sketchy. would nao really do anything like that? maybe she took it to protect the box, but why would she lie about it still? "well then, miss nao... tell us what you were doing in the kitchen." didn't you already have that conversation? "the whole time... i just sat and help the profess... the box!! i didn't move an inch!!"

"so you're lying, huh, nao." keiji suddenly spoke up. "wha...?!" he shrugged. "there was nothing in the box.. nothing at all." you nodded, as much as it didn't make sense. "what?! t-that can't be right...!! i don't know anything! the professor was with me the whole time!! where did he go?!" that was a pretty good question. "hmm.. is this an act..?" it really didn't seem like it, though acting is technically a form of art. "nao ain't that kinda gal! there's gotta be a reason it vanished!" this sounded like some horror movie plot. "the mystery of the vanishing head... if nao is just acting, then.. can't really put it together why she'd need to lie to us here."

"i... certainly lost sight of myself... but i've done nothing suspicious! and i don't know... why it disappeared!" could it really have just disappeared? "nao respected professor mishima! maybe her shock was so great that she unconsciously did something strange?!" that was a possibility. "it must've gotten swapped at some point with another box the kidnappers prepared!" how could that've happened? "the contents of the box warped, meow! l-like a dimensional teleporter thing, woof!"...right. " miss nao being manipulated by the kidnappers... is that a possibility..?" you hummed. "people in a manic state are more likely to easily fall into manipulation tactics.."

"joe, if it had been you who lost someone precious in that vote, what would you do?" joe thought about sara's question for a second. "if it were me... rather than grieve, i might just snap.. like 'who the hell voted for sara?!' ..i'd look for the culprit on the spot! 'course, i'd know full well it was miley to blame... but i might take out my anger in everybody else. that's what i mean! you don't always follow logic!... nao, i'm a little curious. maybe i've got a rough disposition.. but why didn't you think about looking for the culprit? i mean, it wasn't an 'accident'... that happened to someone you repected... because he was voted for.. ain't it.. more natural to get angry?" nao sighed."i-i... i don't think so at all... since i knew... no one's vote had any ill will."