The Unraveling Trial and an Unexpected Confession

Akino Atsushi: “Accomplice? No, it wasn’t me!”Takahashi Aki: “It wasn’t me either!”Amemiya Wakaba: “Hmph! Don’t you dare pin such a filthy crime on me!”Chisaka Erin: “Anyone who dares accuse me of being an accomplice had better produce irrefutable evidence, or I’ll make them regret it…”Katagiri Mimi: “Oh, dear… what’s going to happen with this class trial…? I really can’t take much more of this…”Osakabe Nanase: “E-everyone… please, please don’t be like this…”Kitajima Kazumitsu: “How truly pathetic… we’ve all begun to suspect one another. The idea of unity now feels utterly ironic.”Takagi Masahiko: “…Suzuki… what exactly is your intention…? Why are you sowing discord among us…?”Akahira Yuusuke: “Everyone, pull yourselves together! Trust each other! If we fall apart like this, we’ll all be wiped out in the end…!”Everyone began to harbor suspicions against one another. Those with sensitive natures were prone to constantly second-guessing others’ moods and intentions, yet the only outcome was a spiraling descent into anxiety, a fear of loss, and self-reproach. Ultimately, they brought about their own suffering, cornering themselves with no escape….The human heart… is the least resilient to being tested.Suzuki Minoru: “Oh dear~ I’m so terribly sorry for accidentally throwing everyone into such a panic… However~ this is precisely the stage I’ve been hoping for, hahaha! By the way! How about… everyone votes for the person they suspect the most! The outcome will be decided by majority vote. If the result is correct, the true culprit will be executed by Monokuma, just as everyone wishes! If it’s wrong… will the accomplice get to enjoy Western crucifixion, hanging, or perhaps the Eastern great nation’s *hǎi xíng* (TL Note: A brutal ancient Chinese punishment involving mincing the body into small pieces.)?”Suzuki Minoru: “Anyway, there’s no evidence to pinpoint the accomplice’s identity right now, is there?”Kamimura Anko: “I do!”With those two brief words, I burned through the reins that bound everyone there.Suzuki Minoru: “Oh? You truly pique my interest as always… So… what is this evidence you speak of…?”Suzuki, whatever your purpose in disrupting this class trial, I will exhaust every possible means to overcome this obstacle you present! Even fabricating evidence or lying would not be too much.Kamimura Anko: “Before that, I’d like to ask a few questions to those who rode the elevator…”Kamimura Anko: “Did any of you notice if the Monokuma pole had been tampered with just as you were about to enter the elevator?”Takagi Masahiko: “Hmm… I didn’t pay much attention to the pole at that time, but I do remember there was nothing at the elevator entrance.”Kamimura Anko: “Exactly! So, let’s assume the Monokuma pole already had a single loop placed on it. Given the range of light emitted by the student IDs of the three of us who went first, the other end must have been placed some distance from the elevator entrance. Alright, I’m going to ask you the second question now…”Kamimura Anko: “Yuusuke-kun, Amagasa-kun, did either of you notice anyone bending down or squatting to pick something up?”Akahira Yuusuke: “Huh?… I recall being the first to arrive at the first-floor lobby for the gathering… and as far as I remember… no one was picking anything up from the floor.”Amagasa Gen: “On that point, I agree with Yuusuke-kun.”Chisaka Erin: “Huh? Kamimura-san, why are you only asking Yuusuke-kun and Amagasa-kun?”Kamimura Anko: “Everyone, please look at the floor plan I’ve drawn…”I took out my notebook and turned to the first page.Kamimura Anko: “This shows the positions of the six of us before and after the murder. On the floor plan *before* the incident, Yuusuke and Amagasa were standing in front of me, meaning they were in the back row when entering the elevator. Those walking behind would have a clearer view of the movements of the people in front and beside them.”Kamimura Anko: “From this, I can confidently state that neither the accomplice nor the true culprit went to the first-floor lobby early in the morning to set up the trap! They must have used some method to attach the trap to the pole *while* simultaneously entering the elevator!”Akino Atsushi: “Could the killer have thrown the trap at the pole the moment they entered the elevator?”Kamimura Anko: “Theoretically, it’s possible, but I believe the likelihood is extremely slim… The environment at the time was pitch black, and the pole was about two meters from the entrance. Moreover, kite string itself is incredibly light. To achieve a single, accurate hit, the culprit would have needed a significant amount of practice, to the point of being able to hit it precisely even with their eyes closed, meticulously controlling distance and force. I highly doubt the time between last night and this morning would have been sufficient for such practice…”Suzuki Minoru: “Well, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with that… Anko’s reasoning directly eliminates everyone in the dorms as potential accomplices… Truly, Anko, you’ve managed to turn the tide by yourself. So, according to this line of reasoning, both the accomplice and the true culprit are among the six of us, then? Hahaha, choosing two out of five gives us ten possibilities, meaning everyone has a ten percent chance of winning the lottery!”Kamimura Anko: “There’s a limit to your jokes, Suzuki. Do you really believe I’m incapable of finding the accomplice?”Suzuki Minoru: “You’ve misunderstood me, Anko… In that case, I’ll refrain from further comments and quietly listen to your explanation with everyone else!”Kamimura Anko: “…Everyone, please compare these two floor plans. Can you spot any differences?”Akino Atsushi: “Hmm… huh? Suzuki-kun and Furuhata-kun’s positions have swapped…”Kitajima Kazumitsu: “Hmm… aside from that, there don’t seem to be any other differences…”He scrutinized the plans carefully.Katagiri Mimi: “Huh? Why did Suzuki and Furuhata swap positions?”Kamimura Anko: “Suzuki-kun, what happened? Why were you in Furuhata-kun’s position afterward?”Suzuki Minoru: “Oh, I told you before~ I was pulled over by someone~”He feigned an air of nonchalance, believing he could still deceive me again.Kamimura Anko: “Yet I distinctly remember you telling me then… that you were *bumped* by someone, causing it?”My gaze sharpened, fixing on his face. He actually intended to deceive me and everyone else in plain sight!Suzuki Minoru: “I truly didn’t expect you’d remember my words…”Suzuki Minoru: “Then… you surely remember the affection I expressed for you, don’t you?!”Like a mischievous child, he suddenly brought up the subject on a whim.Akahira Yuusuke: “A-hah?! W-what… what’s going on?! Did this guy just confess to you?!”Kitajima Kazumitsu: “Really… no way… this is truly… an unexpected turn of events…”Takagi Masahiko: “Huh…?”He stared at me, dumbfounded.Katagiri Mimi: “And then, and then? How did Kamimura-san respond to his confession?”Upon hearing news of a confession, Katagiri’s gossip-loving spirit ignited.Habara Kazuhiro: “Why do you get so exceptionally energetic when you hear gossip…?”Amemiya Wakaba: “Following this trend, I, this lady, predict Kamimura will surely be severely ‘trained’ by him, perhaps even played to death…”A sudden flush of crimson bloomed on her cheeks, the blush spreading from her jawline to the corners of her eyes and brows, as she drooled in self-indulgent ecstasy…Osakabe Nanase: “It’s… it’s over… Anko-chan is going to be… broken by Suzuki-kun! Anko-chan, I… I’ll protect you!”Takagi Masahiko: “You’re kidding, right?! Kamimura-san, you’re kidding, right?!”Kamimura Anko: “Argh… that’s enough, all of you!!”Suddenly, a vivid image of two large, naked men entwined together flashed through my mind! Involuntarily, goosebumps erupted all over my body…Kamimura Anko: “Who would accept a confession from this pervert?! All of you, stop these terrible fantasies right now!!”Suzuki Minoru: “Waaah… I… I’ve been rejected…”His face wore such a look of utter despair that for a moment, I almost felt pity for him.Chisaka Erin: “Hmm… girls should still have self-respect and self-love! Kamimura-san, well done.”Akino Atsushi: “As expected, he was rejected after all.”Akahira Yuusuke: “If he hadn’t been rejected, the heavens and earth would hardly tolerate me!”Takagi Masahiko: “Th-that’s… wonderful…”What on earth is wrong with these people…? It’s only been a few minutes, yet I feel like I don’t know them anymore…