Masked Hope (Nagito x Fem!Reader)

Chapter 2: Class Trial Pt. 2

'Broken vase'. . .

That's it. . .! The sound the girls heard at the entrance hall wasn't the sound of the window breaking, it was the sound of the vase breaking in the classroom next door!

That means Girl E could've taken as much time as she needed to set everything up. She killed the high school girl, locked the door, escaped through the window, returned the key to the office, then waited for the other girls to arrive before breaking the vase. That way, she could act as if she had just rushed over like the others and avoid any suspicion.

Of course, that only leaves one unsolved question. . . how did the high school girl die? We know Girl E killed her, but there was no obvious murder weapon in the music room. Unless. . . could she have used the water tank? No, that's too big. Plus, there would've been blood on the tank. So what else in that room could be used as a weapon?

I looked at the diagram again. The only thing left is. . . the gravel? It's the only option left, but how can someone be killed with gravel?

You're thinking too literally.

What?

Gravel individually is harmless, sure. But what happens when you pile it in a bag?

You get a murder weapon. . . Who knew you could actually be helpful? That also explains why Girl E reported her swimsuit missing. If she put the gravel in it, then killed the victim, it would be covered in blood but the gravel would still be clean. It also supports the idea of a pervert being the killer if a school swimsuit gets stolen.

So after she killed the victim, Girl E dumped the gravel out and got rid of the swimsuit, then proceeded to act out her plan. She locked the door to the music room and escaped through the window, only to re-enter the school to return the key to the office. Afterwards, she went back upstairs and waited for the other girls to arrive before breaking the vase in the next-door classroom. Having caused the other girls to come upstairs to investigate, Girl E acted as if she'd just arrived. That's the truth behind the mystery of Twilight Syndrome Murder Case.

I tuned back into the discussion to see where everyone was.

"But the real important talk begins now. . ." I heard Nagito's voice first. "Girl E had someone who can be called an accomplice. That person was actually. . . Girl D."

I forgot about that part. . . Two days after the murder, Girl D confronted Girl E. She showed her the image of the broken vase and asked if Girl E was actually behind it. That led her to confess, eventually convincing Girl D that she was trying to protect her and that she did it out of fear. After Girl E leaves, she dumps the ripped-up photos Girl D took of the crime in the garbage, leading Guy F to find them.

"Huh? Mahiru is the accomplice. . .?" Hiyoko repeated out of confusion. "What is this? What does that mean?"

"The piece of vase that became an important clue in the music room murder. . . Girl D got rid of it." He explained.

"And. . ." Chiaki added. "Apparently the reason Girl E committed murder in the first place was to 'protect' Girl D. She was being harassed by the victim. . . Girl E found out and tried to stop it, and they ended up getting into an argument. . ."

"And she felt a rush of anger and ended up killing her. . ." Nekomaru finished.

"But she should've had a clear murderous intent." Nagito noted. "I mean, she choked her out and then bludgeoned her to death."

"She probably. . . made her unconscious by accident. . ." Mikan guessed. "A-And from there, she couldn't go back. . . I-I. . . I somewhat understand that feeling."