Hey, Weg! I binged this again over the past few days, and I just wanted to say that I still absolutely love and adore this story. It's just so well written and is genuinely one of my favorites here on the site. Hope college is treating you well, and I hope to hear more from you soon! :)

This is such a long chapter yess

After-death FTEs are a nice surprise, and I like the semi-canon way you did it. Really gives a ‘what could’ve been’ feel to previous events which only makes things sadder, aha. I’m curious what Kazuha and Takumi’s canon last conversation entailed, since I think they could’ve made good friends in another lifetime. It was touching (and, uh, a nice touch) to see Takumi reach out to Shizu towards the end. I feel really bad for what he’s gone through, to lose a friend to something as awful as a car accident. The talk with Kazuha was also sweet, and I really liked how you delved into her and Takumi’s values and motivations. Kazuha’s self-sacrificial tendencies and Takumi’s fear of loss are relatable, and it’s nice to see some hopeful conclusions at the end of their FTEs. Shizu’s assertiveness (and nosiness, haha) is used to great effect here. Though strategising comfort and assurance looks pretty hard.

I also liked the POV change (I ain’t against some experimentation) and insights into Chouki and Kogi. Both are still dismissive in their own way, and I honestly wanted Kazuha to wallop Chouki there (welp). Kogi still marching to the beat of his own drum, and I have this weird image of him being a widow mama duck who’s unintentionally amassed duckling followers. Yeah, I think, I think I need to have breakfast.

Overall, I didn’t think I needed this chapter till you posted. Great work, looking forward to the next update though of course rest easy. Till then :)

Fukima

I'm pretty sure Fumika is going to be involved in the first murder somehow, based on her behavior during the night and the elevator.

A bit late with the review (a lot late) but I just wanted to say that I loved this chapter. I really enjoy the idea of getting to know the cast even after they died. It makes both Takumi and Kazuha (and future killers and victims) much more likeable. Makes me feel sadder about their deaths ): anyways, very enlightening chapter. I loved it, and good luck with your workload. Don't push yourself too hard egg.

I was actually just thinking about this story! It was really interesting to get these free times from our two dearly departed. You always lose so much when a character dies, no matter who they are, that it’s nice to see them complete their arc, even if it’s just in an alternative “what if” kind of space. And now it’s just making me even sadder that we’ve lost them. Which is good! I like emotional engagement.

Good luck with your workload and I look forward to the next chapter!

Heya! Glad to see you again~

Oh, do we get to know more about the recently deceased? Nice! Seems we’re starting with Takumi~

I’d think either option is good, really- That he’s comfortable enough at all to not run off is a good thing, so I can’t say the reasoning matters all that much. Or maybe that’s just me, heh. Either way, it’s nice to see more from our favorite bagged compatriot.

Poor Takumi wasn’t expecting her to be staring at him. That’s fair though, I wouldn’t expect that either.

That’s... Actually a good question. How did he get his talent? I can’t imagine him as the sort to be okay with something that could lead to so much paranoia and stress... It’s just odd... Ooohhh. He had issues with money, hm? Poor guy- That must’ve sucked, especially since he didn’t want to be an Ultimate.

She does have a point, still... Why risk posting them at all? Hm.

—

I wouldn’t relegate every person in the infirmary to Samia. Could be dangerous, you know? Suppose it’s a fair assumption, though... She is the main person she knows of that’s been there.

Kazuha! Nice to see her again~ And Shizu, that’s... Okay, not rude, she’s just stating a personal fact, I don’t know what it is. Um. Moving on. Seems she’s looking for something, though... Sleep medication? Makes sense- Oh! For Joshua! This makes even more sense now~ Poor guy does tend to show up pretty late.

She has younger siblings?... It kinda fits, actually- Certainly explains why she wants to help. She’s nice, don’t get me wrong, it just... Adds to it?

—

Takumi time again! And yeah, the guy is gonna have to wash his stuff at some point- Even the thought of wearing dirty clothes for days on end when you have a choice is just... Eugh. Though, admittedly, I’m nowhere near as paranoid as Takumi can be. But still!

He really isn’t the type to sit and talk if he can help it- Unfortunately, this is apparently nothing in the face of Shizu’s determination. At least she’s honest?

So the bag is a result of severe bullying? Geez. That’s kind of... Wow. Poor guy. That it was bad enough for him decide that wearing a bag over his head around other’s was the better option is honestly really sad. Doesn’t seem to have gotten better with time, either.

—

Well that was nice of her- Like Shizu said, she didn’t have to do it. What a sweetheart~ And yeah, she’s got a point- No one is busy in here. Well, no one except the Mastermind, but that’s an entirely different story I doubt they’re thinking about at the moment.

I... Guess they really are like caged animals. They can only last so long before something happens, after all, especially with Monokuma’s motives.

So her parents get to spend more time with her siblings, but only at the cost of her own bonding time... Kinda sad, really, even if she hasn’t said as much. I’d say I hope they spend time together when they get out, but uh, unless this is the Neo World Program... That isn’t happening.

—

A scene from Kazuha’s point of view?... Huh. Wasn’t expecting this. Pretty cool, though!

Yeesh, sounds like she’s been awake for a while now- Either that or something really tired her out. I’d know, I’ve been there, done that. Not like I can force her to rest, though... Oh well. Wonder who’s making the noise.

Chouki! He’s as dedicated to fish as ever, heh. Does seem to get along with Kazuha well enough, though, that’s nice.

Everyone needs to sleep, I think.

—

Back to Shizu, it seems! Who is worried about Takumi... Blunt she may be, she isn’t heartless. Nice of her to be concerned for his health, even if he isn’t... Receptive to it. Better than no one worrying.

So he’s closed off because of someone else- Someone he cared for. Wonder who, or what the act situation is. Hm.

—

And a Takumi point of view! I feel spoiled~ But seriously, I’m very interested in seeing a bit of how his mind works.

Seems we get to see him interact with Kogi- That’ll be... Uh, interesting. He does tend to be a bit blunt and upfront with his thoughts though, so maybe that’ll help here? Not sure I’d say they’ll become friends over it, but Takumi does seem to appreciate honesty more than anything else, even if it’s a bit blunt.

Looks like our dear bagged friend here jumps to the worse conclusions first- Without thinking about the more pleasant options. Wonder if that has to do with what Shizu noticed earlier?

Huh. So Takumi applies his own thoughts to others?... Interesting.

—

Did she stay up all night or something? I mean, I’m exhausted just reading Shizu’s description of her... Granted, I’m already tired, at all times, ever, so that may not be a fair assessment, but still! Get some sleep, Kazuha!

Yeah, trying to take care of everyone is nice and all, but she can only do it so much before she collapses or something.

Poor Kazuha... She isn’t having an easy time of everything, is she? Wanting to help everyone because she thinks no one else will, becoming physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted... Girl needs a break, preferably soon. I doubt the others would be mad at her for it.

—

Takumi?... Huh. Didn’t expect him to go to her. Nice to see that he trusts her a bit, though! And hey, we get to learn more about him- Bonus!

Yuri it is, then... Seems he cares about her a lot. Sweet of her to stay by his side through so much, though!... Oh. Well, that... Makes sense, in a sad way. Poor guy seems to be dealing with a severe case of survivor’s guilt- I’m hardly an expert, but that’s what I’m getting. At least he’s opening up?

He has a service dog? Wonder what his name is... And what he’s like.

—

Hey, don’t act like falling asleep on a couch isn’t easy!... No, seriously, I’ve taken so many naps on a couch by accident. Admittedly, I’m usually laying down, but still. Anyways, moving on!

And now we see a bit more of Kazuha! Wonder what she wants to talk about?... Maybe the breakdown and what Shizu said earlier? It’d make sense, because it looks like she specifically sought her out, and she definitely looks better rested. Also, fun fact, I keep almost calling Shizu “Susie.” Help me.

Well, at least she’s gonna try, right? And that she’s recruiting Shizu to help out is nice, too! Certainly healthy, if you ask me.

... You know, this is all very sad in retrospect. I’m glad to know more, but it’s still sad.

Good luck writing!
~ AnonChan1

Ohh nice. Wasn't expecting this but I'm glad it's here. It's really nice to know more about Takumi and Kazuha, and they're both so interesting in different ways-though both of their stories hit me with the feels. I look forward to seeing how you tackle freetime events with the future dead. Keep up the great work!

Hi there weg, long time no see, I hope you're doing well and it's nice to see another chapter, even if it's a bonus FTE chapter, I still love your story.

So we finally get to see what Takumi and Kazuha are like as people, I really love this little addition to after the first trial, it makes me even more sad knowing their backstories now and I will say this again, your first trial was fantastic, it was mind boggling and it was fun to read.

Takumi you poor boy you, you need all the hugs in the world, someone order this boy a hug for everyday of his life! But no seriously, he is such a nice boy. I can sort of relate to his paranoia a bit, due to having personal issues of my own, it almost hits home for me. Poor guy, his girlfriend died saving him and he feels he's responsible, such a sweet boy. It was sad that he died first, but at least he gets to be with Yuri again. QwQ sadness.

Kazuha is definitely the overworking mom of the group, it seems she wears her heart on her sleeve and cares a bit too much. Concerning that she's been worrying over her family and the environment and animals, it would be reasonable that she would be a bit overprotective. Not to mention that her travelling a lot and her homesickness is kind of sickly sweet and sad in a sense. At least she cares about others, albeit over her own well being. Such a nice girl, it sucks she was the first killer, but the motive makes even more sense knowing her self sacrifice and true nature.

Overall I really do like these chapters weg, I wish you luck with your workload and if you'd like to talk, I'd be happy to hear you out, have a nice day and I hope you are doing well, bye bye.

A genderqueer gremlin kid… Soraru reminds me a lot of Takeru Gan from Danganronpa where Stars Fall.
BGM:
start: Ludesia- Darker than Darker
for Takumi: Francis Battle (8-BIT) - Super Paper Mario
for Sawaki: Shi-Long Lang ~ Speak Up, Pup! - Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth Music Extended
for dragging around Takumi: Noisy People - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies Music Extended
for Soraru and Sachi: Strange People - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice Music Extended
for Palaemon: Shipshape Aquarium ~ A Refreshing Sea - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies Music Extended
for Fumika: Professor Layton's theme [Extended]

WOAH. Damn that was quite the ride. I don't think I was expecting it to be Kazuha, so kudos to you for surprising me :) This was a great, and very eventful, chapter! Keep up the good work!

OwO long chapter nice and 24k! Jesus! good work, also just wanted to apologise before I get into the review. Despite the long chapter my review is kinda short (unlike the previous ones). But I will say (unless I've said this before) you did a good job, prolly not intentionally, of making me either like or dislike a character in the next chapter (for example Soraru, at first I found him annoying, now his a fav of mine). Now onto the review.

A bit late to the review party (and reading party). So the towels were used for cleaning blood and damn, my first theory with the body hiding in the freezer was (sort of) correct, at least hiding the body within it, didn't really think of him dying IN the freezer at the time.

Now we know why the sleeping pills were moved, to make a better murder mystery (or whatever). When Soraru was blamed I didn't really believe it (plus with how big the chapter was too), so yeah, knew he was safe. Now Joshua Hagakure Miller is up next in the spotlight but much like Soraru, I rooted for him to not be the killer, and yeah...he's not. But he was the one to hide in the Freezer Container.

And hey! Scrum Debate! Nice. And well, well, guess who is it. KAZUHA! The person I thought was the killer due to ironic reasons is correct, guess I'm truly a psychic. Nice execution too, now the killing game continues, I wonder what's in store next? and no worries, good luck with college. Wish you the best~

Oh my god, this was amazing! I don't think anyone saw that coming and you made the class trial play out super well! I can't wait to read the next chapter, you've really got something special here!

Hello hello!

Recaps have certainly never hurt anyone, even if it is just a personal one, as Shizu is likely perceiving it- I know it’s definitely helping me! As she said, he was killed last night and then set up to look like he was killed this morning... Poor Takumi.

More discussion on the cause of death, hm? Makes sense... Though I do wonder what it is myself. Part of me says the freezer still hasn’t come up- Maybe that has to do with it?

Towels... I’d forgotten about those, what with everything else going on. But it does make sense- Monokuma wouldn’t have anything to do with them, so only the culprit could. That they were left alone and not disposed of after use just further supports that- It’s with the things the culprit uses and only their things after all, right? At least, I think that’s what he said. Could be off.

Not a bad theory, Pal... Though wouldn’t that leave bruises or something?... Yeah, like he said, it would. Nice to knock another cause out, though.

Soraru... Hm. That might not actually be a bad idea? I mean, it’s an odd one, but it could definitely distract. Doesn’t mean it’s right or anything, but it’s definitely something to think about, in my opinion... Or not, whoops.

What does she mean the killer wouldn’t... Have... Oh. Ooohhh, I get it now. Though if it didn’t kill him, and the killer didn’t know... He’d have to be stored somewhere he couldn’t escape from if he woke up, which the killer would think would hide or lessen the scent of a dead body... No room in the fridge, so the freezer, maybe? It is pretty large.

I guess that’s one way to get everyone quiet... But fuck, I was right. What a terrible way to go... I hope he really was unconscious for that last part. He could be a jerk, but he wasn’t a bad person, and he didn’t deserve that.

Huh... Didn’t even know that about paper bags. The more you know.

My child does have a point, though- As far as I can tell, all they’ve done is straighten out the how of the situation, not the who... If that makes sense. Yeah, even Kogi agrees. And Chouki... Is sassy. I think. At the very least, he snarked at Soraru.

Damn. Well this isn’t good. Guys, now is not the time for a mass panic!... I mean, okay, it is, but not right in the middle of a trial! Don’t behave rationally, just this once.

Oh, wait, I figured out how to follow it! You used different parenthesis marks, right? Like (This), and [This], and {This}! Clever!

YO PAL WHAT THE FUCK. I mean, that’s super cool, but what. The everliving fuck.

I didn’t even think about it like that but... They’re right. That would be a good way to get the others out of their hair while they got what they needed to done... Oh right, the sleeping pills are also a thing! Though I don’t think what they brought up is quite the case- Feels off.

Ah, yes, Monokuma. That would be something he’d do, huh? Piece of garbage.

Well, we’re back on track, kind of! And Pal does bring up a point- The culprit would set up some sort of system to not get caught unaware, if we go with how they’ve done things previously... It makes sense, but I’m pretty sure it isn’t Soraru- For logical reasons! Which I shall not reveal in review on the chance that someone is like me and reads through them all~

But yeah, pretty sure they’re wrong on Soraru being the culprit.

Thank you Shizu and Kogi! Finally, someone other than Joshua (Whom I love, don’t get me wrong) defending my child. Even if they don’t exactly like xer, it’s still nice to see... Poor Soraru. Michio isn’t gonna defend you here.

Joshua did help, I suppose... Hm. But he feels like a red herring, you know?... Yes my child, defend your friend!... Hey, that rhymed!

Yes, okay, it looks like he’s clear- He definitely couldn’t know where the traps would be set up, after all, given how secretive Soraru can be with those things. This is good! I like Joshua, don’t want him to die yet... Ooor not. Damnit. Come on Shizu, prove him innocent! Let my child keep xer friend!

Samia you’re cool but you’re killing Joshua. You’re killing him, Samia.

This guy really can’t catch a break! I’m certain he didn’t do it, and Shizu is entirely right about people simultaneously claiming him smart enough to figure out Soraru’s prank while also being foolish enough to forget evidence. Yeah, people can be off in the morning, but there is a limit, damnit!... We’ll, guess it’s time for a scrum debate.

Oh, there’s another culprit? Do tell... Okay, not yet. You keep your secrets for now, Shizu. For now.

Joshua you’re great and I love you. I’m also lost so like. Spirit animal right here.

Kazuha?... Damn. It does make sense when I think about it, I guess... But why?... Ugh. I’m not sure if I should say “Poor Kazuha” right now, but I don’t know what’s going on. Why this. I mean, I get it, I don’t get why.

Damn, Shizu is good... The freezer messing with the time of death, Kazuha’s laundry, not seeing Takumi at all... She’s incredible. What the fuck.

Empty eyes? That doesn’t sound good... Kazuha, what happened to you?... Suppose it could just be impending death... The explanation Shizu gives works out, too- Even not knowing the blunt object is okay, because it isn’t important. They aren’t gonna die because they didn’t figure that out.

So that’s why... It makes sense, but it still sucks. The poor thing... She fumbled a bit along the way, but she did mean well in the end.

Great... Execution... Here we go... God, this is emotionally draining.

Fuck... Guess she was mauled, then- Must’ve hurt... Kazuhaaa... God, and the others had to watch... I mean, they always do, but the first is always the most traumatic, I think. Fuck.

Wonder where things’ll go from here. Hopefully slightly better, if only for a little while.

Good luck writing!
~ AnonChan1

Oh...my...god.…..that was...AMAZING!
*clapping intensifies*
I was totally bamboozled, that was such a great trial and a well executed one at that.

Here I was thinking it was Joshua, however at the back of my mind I knew it was too easy for him to be the killer. He doesn't seem that smart to plan ahead as such, considering the washing machines and the towels.

But still wow...Kazuha killed Takumi...talk about a twist! I mean I knew the freezer would come into play, but to think Takumi was left over the course of a few nights and then brought outside, was an ingenious idea and an amazing plan.

I never once suspected Kazuha as the culprit, but as soon as she was chosen, I was like...WHAT!? I did not expect that at all and for that, you sir deserve a round of applause for making an excellent first trial and killer, I never would have pegged her for the culprit, but considering the motive, it kind of makes sense for her to do it.

Now that I think about, animals as well as humans dying as a result of the poisoned water supply makes a lot of sense and Kazuha killing someone to prevent that sounds like something she'd do.

But still I'm shook AF. What an amazing first trial, weg, fantastic job, you deserve a medal. I loved every second of the trial and her execution truly was a heartbreaking one at that.

Also a good scrum debate as well, this is one of the best chapters I've read in a while and that's saying something.

Overall this was a well executed case and the overall trial had me on the edge of my toes, your choice in making these chapters longer made me really weary of who could die and kill and it was all worth it.

I'm rambling XD. Great chapter weg, I can't state it enough and take your time with college, we all know it's very time consuming and such. You do you, pal.

Thanks for a great chapter and I can't wait to see how you handle chapter 2, bye bye!