Despairful Music

Traitor

"So something must've happened on that walk!"

"That eliminates Nene as a suspect then, right? She was sleeping when I got back." Emu asked.

"But what would have happened between Tsukasa and the killer?"

"..."

"Well why don't we go over the clues we've collected. What haven't we discussed?" I suggested.

"What about the marks on his neck?" Ichika brought up.

"That's true. We still don't know what killed him, and what was the cover up," Nene agreed.

"Well if he was trying to frame Saki, it seems like the guitar would be the cover up!" Minori suggested.

"How would he frame Saki with a cover up if he was already dead?" Mafuyu asked.

"Maybe the real killer was the one trying to frame Saki?" Kanade questioned.

"But wasn't Tsukasa the one who was acting weird about Saki being there?" Honami asked.

"So then the strangling was the cause of death?" Minori asked, "I'm confused."

"You guys are overlooking the idea that Tsukasa and the killer were working together." Mafuyu rolled her eyes.

"Working together?" Kanade asked.

"Think about it. Tsukasa would never frame Saki. They must've had some sort of agreement to get together, kill him, and have Saki find it. The killer then turned it on him and framed Saki. Now, who would Tsukasa have worked with? The one he invited to the party. Kohane has to be the killer."

"Kohane wouldn't do that!" Kanade argued.

"Well, she did."

"Can you prove that?" I asked her. I would hate to think Kohane would ever do that, but... I couldn't deny it made sense.

"In fact, I can. You see I have this recording. I happened to catch Kohane sneaking around a few nights ago and followed-"

"NO!"

We all turned to Kohane. She looked really panicked.

"Don't show them the recording!"

Mafuyu crossed her arms. "Why not?"

She started crying. "I did it, okay? I had to! Just don't show them that recording, okay? They can't know..."

Can't know what?

Mafuyu smirked. "That should be enough proof shouldn't it?"

"WHY? WHY DID YOU DO IT?" Saki shouted.

"I just had too..."

"WHY? WHY?!!"

Mafuyu cut in. "Because she's a dirty traitor."

Kohane looked panicked again. "MAFUYU! STOP! DON'T TELL THEM!"

Mafuyu didn't even look in her direction. She just continued talking. "Kohane has known and been actively working with the mastermind this entire time."

"I SAID STOP!"

"That's why you killed him, didn't you? They told you to kill someone and you did it."

"I- I- I wasn't going too..."

"But you did."

"I-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" I yelled. Everyone shut up and looked at me, even Mafuyu. "Kohane. What happened between you and Tsukasa that night?"

"I... I guess you already know why I had to kill... so I went to that room to kill myself. Just because they said I had to kill someone didn't mean it couldn't be me, in my mind. Then he walked in on me. He was... He was so kind." She started bawling. "He assumed I was doing it because I couldn't live with myself anymore and he held me and tried to talk me out of it and- and- I ended up breaking down and telling him everything and he told me it would all be alright and then- and then... and then... Mikukuma caught us. She told us that a suicide was too boring. As punishment, she ended up upping the requirements to killing someone other than myself, and to framing someone else for it. Tsukasa volunteered himself... So we came up with the plan. I would've told you it was me! Really I would've! But then they would make more rules for me to follow. I couldn't have that..."

I got up from my podium, opened my arms, and let her fall into them. "I'm so sorry that had to happen..."

"It- it's fine. I'm not the one you should worry about. I'm so sorry about Tsukasa... I really didn't want to. I deserve to die. It's what I wanted from the start."

"Tsukasa-" Rui spoke up, "Tsukasa was such a selfless person. He may not have seemed like it, but he really was. I'm sure that he wouldn't hold it against you. So I won't either. I'm so sorry this had to happen to you."

Emu and Nene nodded, tears pouring down their eyes.

"Oh stop with the sob story. You killed and that's that! Anyways, let's get on with it, shall we?" Mikukuma yells as the podiums open up once again and the tablet underneath flickers on. "It's... VOTING TIME! Go ahead, choose who you think the killer is!"

Mafuyu, Saki, and Kohane were the first to select the killer. We all soon followed.

The TV above us all displayed 12 votes for Kohane.

"It seems that you guys would be... drum roll please... CORRECT! Kohane was the killer! Anything to say?"

Kohane tried to say something but Saki spoke over her. "You know the mastermind, right? Who is it?! I'M GOING TO KILL THEM!"

"I can't tell you."

"WHY NOT??"

"Because..." Kohane looked her straight in the eyes. "They're my friend. I can't betray them."

Kohane gazed at everyone in the room. "I don't know what else to say... I guess I'd just like to say I'm sorry one last time. I'm not good at speeches like everyone else, but... even if the mastermind is a good friend of mine... just... er, take them down, I guess. You guys can do it!"