That Wasn't Supposed To Happen

Iudicium Declinationis et Infortunii-Part 2

"You accuse me because of a mere book?" Byakuya asked, the smirk still present on his face.

Something was wrong about this... right?

"Not only that," Kyoko began, looking right at the heir. "While you've been acting weird ever since the motive, you were different this morning. Almost as if you knew something happened."

Byakuya didn't respond to that. Instead, he just stood there, not even trying to defend himself.

"Plus, he's the only one of us who would actually go that far! I bet he's the traitor!" Hina said when Byakuya didn't speak.

"It does kinda make sense..." Hiro said uncertainly.

"So, are we all certain that Byakuya's the murderer?" Kyoko asked, though there was a weird hint to her tone.

"Obviously. He probably stole Hiro's crystal ball to kill Hifumi with before strangling him after the throw didn't kill him..." Taka said, glaring at the blonde who still didn't say anything in response.

There was something wrong with what Taka said... Something doesn't line up.

Chihiro looked to his left, hoping- almost knowing- that there was something that he could defend Byakuya him.

Byakuya went to push up his glasses with his right hand when it suddenly lowered and he used his left hand instead. Right!'

"That's wrong, Taka!" Chihiro said, confidence for once clear in his voice. "Byakuya couldn't have thrown the crystal ball which enough force causing it to break."

"And why's that?" Sakura asked, her voice calm while her eyes were cold, staring right at the heir.

"Yeah! He may not look like it, but he's on the stronger side," Hina added, now also glaring at Byakuya.

"And you know this because of what happened between the two of you. Am I right, Hina?" Kyoko asked, one gloved hand under her chin.

Hina nodded and Chihiro took that as his chance.

"And because of that incident, Byakuya's arm got injured which means that he couldn't have thrown the crystal ball! At least not with enough force for it to break, since there also would have to be a specific distance between the two of them. Otherwise there would have been no reason for the crystal ball..." Chihiro rambled.

"But his book was there, right?" Hiro asked, a bit confused.

"It was. No one else here reads mystery novels as far as I'm aware," Kyoko said, looking at everybody to see their reactions.

"So, the evidence leads back to me..." Byakuya said in an amused tone, as if he didn't care.

Why? Why is he doing is? Does Byakuya know something that the others don't? Or is he really the murderer?

Kyoko shook her head. "I'm not saying that. I'm only saying that your book was at the crime scene," Kyoko said, that same hint of something weird present in his voice.

"So it isn't Byakuya?" Hina asked, though Chihiro wasn't listening to her.

There was something special about what Kyoko had just said. Chihiro knew that. He just had to figure out what.

Why would his book be at the crime scene if he weren't the murderer?

"It must be! He's just... lying," Taka said, the same anger present as before.

Chihiro had to figure this out since for some reason Byakuya wasn't defending himself.

He was at the crime scene, but didn't kill Hifumi. Why?