Fanganronpa: Destination Despair

Part 1/Chapter 13

There was a sickening silence that almost seemed to echo around the room. That is, until Mirai broke it. "S-Sachi-! L-Look, what did I do to make you paint me as the killer? I swear, I didn't do anything!!" she said frantically.

"...It's not that I want to do this... Mirai. You're the one that I investigated with, the one that calmed me down all this time. But... As far as I can tell... Everything is pointing in your direction." I accused.

"H-Hold on... Sachi, are you sure Mirai is the one that did this? I mean... she was so kind! She even helped Shikumo when he was feeling ill, remember?" Tomoka asled worriedly.

"...I can't say for certain it's her... but I feel like... she might be a little suspicious. I mean... who else could have gotten the rope?" I asked back, almost begging for someone to give me an answer. I really don't want to believe this... Mirai is such a kind person... I'd like to believe she'd never hurt a fly, but... Is that really true?

"Ahem," I heard Izumi clear her throat, trying to grab our attention. "I think that this is probably the best time to bring this up... considering you mentioned Shikumo being... 'ill', as you put it?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah, yesterday, when Sachi, Mirai, Haru, Aiko, and I were baking in the kitchen, Shikumo came. He apparently said he had really bad stomach issues... He even collapsed to the floor!" Tomoka began explaining, "That's when Mirai took Shikumo to his room so he could rest!"

"Mirai took him to his room..? You guys saw her do that?" Chidori asked.

"Well, it's true that she said that she was going to do that... But none of us actually saw her do it." Aiko mentioned.

"So you're saying that Mirai could've killed him then?!" Ishibuko burst. "Yeah, okay, definitely suspicious!"

"H-Hey, no, that's not what happened!" Mirai shouted.

"...Then do you care to explain?" Allie asked.

"Do you even have any proof?" Amy added.

"Y-Yes!" she yelled, and my eyebrows went up. "Look at the Monokuma File! It should've been sent to you after we found Shikumo's body! It clearly states that he was murdered at 11:00 P.M.!" she stated.

"W-What's wrong with that..?" Yukiya asked.

"When I took Shikumo to his room, it was around 5:45! That's over six hours later! I couldn't have done it then!" she shot.

"...Actually, now that I think about it, Mirai came back about ten minutes later! And it takes about five minutes at most to get to the farm from the hotel!" Haru noted. "There's no way she could've killed and his Shikumo like that!"

"...Okay... But... there's one more thing on my mind." I said.

"H-Huh? S-Something... else?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah. When Mirai and I were investigating the barn, we came across Aoi. You two agree with me, right?" I looked at Aoi, who happened to be standing next to Mirai. Then, I glanced at Mirai, too.

"Yeah, I remember. It'd be pretty dumb if you were to forget." Aoi said.

"Yes, I remember, too. But what does that have to do with anything?" Mirai asked, her eyebrows still upturned.

"When we saw Aoi there, she found a sewing kit, hadn't she? Mirai, if I remember, the weapon in your room was a sewing kit, right?" I asked.

"Y-Yes, but... I wouldn't have been able to get it!" she said.

"Why not?" I interrogated.

"Because... Sachi, you were in there, weren't you? We switched rooms, so you are the one that would've had access to it." she clarified.

"U-Uh-!" I said, astonished. C-Crap! I didn't mean to shift the blame onto myself!

"Holy shit! Did you just unintentionally out yourself?!" Ishibuko asked. He laughed and pointed at me, saying, "Damn! And here I was thinking that you were smart! Guess I was wrong! Hahahaha!"

"L-Look, that's not what I'm saying!" I said. "I made a little mistake, so it's fine!"

"...Is it, though? Because what you said at the beginning... You said the same thing, for us not to worry about what you were hiding. That racks up on the suspicion rate, doesn't it?" Izumi added.

"H-Hey, that's not-! That's not what's happening!" I yelled.

"...Yes, I agree." I heard Mirai say. Wait... with who..? I thought to myself, but Mirai clarified, "With Sachi, I mean."

"Really? Even after she just threw you under the bus like that?" Mars asked.

"Yes. Now, do you mind if I explain?" she said flatly.

"...Go ahead." Izumi replied.

"Well, when Sachi and I were looking around my room, there was something that was of notice to me. Something that should clear suspicion of her." Mirai hinted.

Something... that clears suspicion of me..? What could that be? I thought for a moment, and the thought finally came to mind.

Nothing was missing, and nothing new was inside it, which makes sense, since it's the room I've been staying in.That's what I had thought when we were investigating Mirai's original room.

"That must be it!" I shouted out loud.

Ishibuko pointed at me, "Woah! That's a total game moment right there! Y'know, from-"

"Don't say it," Mars warned.

"... Hello Despair!"

"He said it anyway..." Mars face palmed.

"...Right... Well, what I'm trying to say, is that I agree with Mirai!" I started, and looked at her, too, "You're talking about... How nothing had been changed, right?"

"Yes, that's exactly it! When Sachi and I had investigated the room that originally belonged to me, we both made note that nothing weird or off was there. Nothing had been removed, and nothing had been added." Mirai explained further.

"What if you guys decided to work together?" Chidori asked. "Like accomplices or something?"

"Oh, please keep in mind, kiddos!" Monokuma interrupted. "There is no use in accomplices, since only the person who did the guy in would get outta here!"

"Oh. Well I guess that explains that... Sorry guys." he apologized.

"No, it's fine..." I said.

"So does this mean that we're back to interrogating Mirai?" Amy asked.

"Woah, wait, didn't that already end?!" Mirai asked worriedly.

"I think it might be for the best if you explain why the rope was gone. If you can do that, then I think all suspicion would be cleared under your name." I told her.

"W-Well... I-I'd like to, b-but... I-I can't." she said slowly.

"...You can't?" Allie asked. "Why can't you?"

"...I-I just... I..." she rubbed her arm with her other hand nervously.

"Do you not have any evidence or something..?" Allie asked again.

"N-No, it's not that..." she looked down to the ground, and then to the side, and then up at me.

"W-What?" I asked nervously.

"Um... I..."

Then, there was a swift bit of movement that happened in the corner of my eye. I spun to the left, where it had came from. There I saw Marje with his hand high in the air, as if waiting to be called on.

"Marjie? Is there something you'd like to say?" Mars asked him. He nodded at this, and Mars made their way over to him.

Marje whispered into their ear, and when he was done, Mars raised their eyebrows and looked back at us. "He says that he might have proof that Mirai isn't the killer!"