Chapter 6: The Sinful Art of Hope- For Once

Finally, the chapter where the bad thing happens. Honestly, this chapter might've come a little sooner if I didn't decide to somewhat overhaul the initial murder I had planned since I felt it a little contrived. Mostly this only relates to the way the murder was committed and not who the victim/killer is.

On that note, apologies if you were the one who submitted the character who dies in this chapter! The killing game must start somewhere, and the character that died was the perfect way to get the ball rolling. I understand it is somewhat hard to continue following the story when your character dies, but I hope you do so anyway!

Ryohei glanced up from his breakfast the next morning to see Moca and North whispering to each other. They noticed him staring and quickly stood up from their table and made their way upstairs to the lounge. "What are they doing?" he asked Rentarou, as the two were sitting across from each other.

"Oh, it's nothing important," Rentarou said evasively, poking his scrambled eggs with his fork. "I wouldn't worry about it, really. Just try to focus on making your case."

"Yeah, I know," Ryohei grumbled. "You're going to be the last one I see anyway."

Rentarou blinked. "Oh, right, right. I forgot," he said, scratching his head sheepishly. "I'm not planning on coming in for an interview."

"Hm?" Ryohei wasn't sure that he had heard Rentarou correctly. "You're not coming?"

"Exactly." Rentarou took his plate and stood up. "Don't worry about defending me, Ryohei. I can do it myself."

"W-wait!" Ryohei tried to stop Rentarou, alarmed by his sudden declaration. "I'm supposed to be your lawyer! If I don't understand what you did, and I fail to defend you-!"

"And you won't," Rentarou said, walking away. "Have some confidence in me. I don't plan on dying anytime soon either." Before Ryohei could say anything else, Rentarou dropped off his plate in the kitchen, shoved his hands into his pockets and walked out of the dining hall, just as Kaori and Erik entered.

Erik raised an eyebrow, upon seeing Ryohei's annoyed look. "Is there something wrong, Mr. Kazuhara?" he asked, curiously, as Kaori frowned, waiting for Ryohei to answer.

"No," he replied, not trying to hide the frustration in his voice. "I'm just worried about my life expectancy now…" Seeing Erik's and Kaori's confused looks, he explained, "Rentarou says he isn't planning on showing up to tell me his crime. He insists that he can defend himself without my help."

Erik and Kaori exchanged a look. "Do you find him untrustworthy?" Erik asked, politely.

Ryohei flinched. "Well…" he mumbled; his eyes suddenly drawn to the floor. "In a way," he finally admitted. "Truth be told, I find his talent suspicious. Private investigators are people who I've never gotten along with."

Kaori blinked. "Do you think that he'll sabotage you?"

"No," Ryohei quickly answered. "Even he wants to escape. I can't see him purposely trying to be kept here."

"Kill?" Kaori asked.

Ryohei shook his head. "No," he said firmly, confident in his answer. "I just can't see that." He sighed. "I suppose I can let him defend himself. He is the Ultimate Private Eye. That type of detective work is leagues above what I can do." His eyes narrowed. "I just wish he would help out…" he muttered under his breath, so Erik and Kaori wouldn't hear him.

Thump!

Ryohei blinked when Ruby suddenly dropped a small box in front of him. He blinked. "What's this?" he asked.

"It's a lunch box," Ruby explained. "Mirai doesn't want you in the kitchen or dining hall this afternoon."

Ryohei frowned. "Why?"

All three of them exchanged a knowing look. "It's a surprise," Erik explained. "For now, Mister Kazuhara, the remaining three that you have yet to talk to are all right here are they not."

Ryohei blinked. "You're right," he said with a nod. "I suppose we'll go in order again," he said, standing up and tucking the lunch box under his arm. "That means Kaori… you're first."

Xxx

"Kaori Tachibana, age 17," Ryohei said, reading off his notes, the moment that Kaori and he arrived within the Archive Room. "You're known as the Ultimate Food Chemist."

"Yes." Kaori nodded her gaze on Ryohei sharp.

"Um… I was wondering…" Ryohei paused trying to think of the best way to word his question. "What exactly is a Food Chemist? I've never heard of that career before."

"It's a very simple job," Kaori said, brusquely. "I study chemical processes related to food. For example, I study the effects that different foods have on the human body and the chemical process that results in different foods. For example, I have written a paper on the effect that gluten has on the texture of bread and other foods." She shook her head. "However, I particularly specialize in studying food allergies."

Ryohei nodded, though most of what she talked about went over his head. However, he was able to understand what food allergies were. "So, what was your crime?" he asked.

Kaori explained what she had apparently done in a professional manner.

"Have you been there before?" Ryohei asked.

"Yes, I have." She nodded. "Is there still any way you can come up with a proper defense for me with that?"

"Yeah." Ryohei glanced at the newspapers he had stacked up behind him. The date went up the last time he remembered outside of the prison. "Just in case, do you remember any of your family members going with you? Or maybe any close friends?"

"My parents did," she answered.

"So, you don't have any close friends?" Ryohei surmised. When Kaori remained quiet, he chuckled. "I wouldn't worry about it. I don't have any friends either."

Kaori seemed mildly surprised. "Someone like you?" she asked. "I expected you to be popular."

"I was always too busy to make any friends after most of my childhood," Ryohei explained. "Being hired for so many jobs cut down on your time, especially if you spent the rest of your free time taking care of a little sister." He chuckled. "I did have some friends when I was little, but I honestly don't remember most of them anymore."

Kaori remained quiet, choosing not to comment.

Ryohei tapped the table, reminiscing about old times. "There was this one kid," he blurted out, as memories of his childhood replayed in his mind. "We were friends… at least from my point of view, we were. His father was a lawyer. He had a bunch of law textbooks in his office. My friend and I… well mostly I would sneak in there to read them." He looked suddenly wistful. "I wonder what happened to him. After my uncle died, I moved and never saw him again."

Kaori again did not comment.

"Sorry," Ryohei apologized. "I'm probably boring you."

"It's fine," she said shortly, as Ryohei and her fell into a mutual silence, letting Ryohei continue to jot down several notes. He would ask some questions and Kaori would answer them as best as she could.

After a couple of hours of this questioning, Ryohei finally placed his pencil down. "Do you have anything else you want to say?"

"A request," she answered, leaning forward, eyeing the nearby camera. "I was hoping you wouldn't mention that I don't have any close friends my age. My parents…" She winced. "Well, they would be disappointed."

Ryohei stared at her for a moment before laughing.

"What's so funny?" she asked annoyed.

He stifled his laugh, though the smile was still present on his lips. "Well, I just don't think we have to mention that! I would assume that after this situation is over, we'll consider each other mutual friends?"

Kaori did not comment and instead stood up, bowing her head. "Thank you for defending me," she said, turning her back on Ryohei. After a moment of hesitation, she said, "I appreciate it Ryohei." With those words, she left a smirked Ryohei behind.

Kaori and Ryohei Support Rank C Achieved!

Xxx

Erik arrived not soon after Kaori left, sitting down on the chair in a graceful manner. He nodded his head. "Mister Kazuhara, I'm ready to begin."

"Thanks." Ryohei smiled gratefully as he took a look at his notes. "To clarify, you're Erik Daae, age 17 and known as the Ultimate Composer, right?"

"That is correct," Erik replied with a nod.

"And your crime?" Ryohei pressed.

Erik explained his crime. "However," he added at the end of his explanation. "I cannot fathom a reason why I would ever do such things. I am rather… adverse to the methods." He placed a hand on his mask, before quickly withdrawing it, his arm falling back to his side. "Is there anything else you wish to know?"

Ryohei nodded. "Yeah, I was just wondering if you've been to these places before."

Erik hesitated, before nodding. "Yes, I performed in those places when I was a lot younger."

"Do you know what you performed?"

"It was several of the pieces that I created," Erik answered. "A mix of orchestral and classical. Unfortunately," He shook his head. "I couldn't tell you what exactly I had played at each place."

Ryohei frowned. That would cause some problems. But even so, he would've been able to find some mention of buildings being destroyed in that manner. It would've made some national news in the respective countries if not internationally. There would be some record…

He took some more notes before addressing Erik again. "You mentioned that you performed in these places when you were younger?" he asked. "You haven't done so recently."

"No," Erik answered with a shake of his head. "I seldom perform in front of a crowd anymore or even leave my home."

"Is that so…" Ryohei muttered, taking note of that. If that was the case, then it was likely there would be some eyewitness about Erik's whereabouts during those events. "Why is that?"

"Hm?" Erik blinked.

"Why do you no longer perform?" Ryohei asked. "You're known as the Ultimate Composer, but you don't perform your music?"

"I had… It's not something I like to talk about," Erik replied, firmly. "I apologize for asking this when I'm supposed to be cooperative, but may we please change the subject?"

Ryohei blinked. "Alright," he agreed, though he wondered about what Erik was trying to hide. He supposed it may come up in the trial. Perhaps afterward he could see if there were any stories, he could find related to the Ultimate Composer in the archive. "But I have to ask… did you not perform the music you composed?"

"No," Erik answered, calming his tense posture slightly. "I can sing."

Ryohei's interest perked. "Can you demonstrate?" he asked.

A nod. "I'll perform one of my older pieces," he offered, as he opened his mouth and began to sing.

Ryohei had been ready to write down notes but quickly found himself enthralled by the beautiful yet haunting melody coming from Erik. It was an incredible piece of music, one that Ryohei couldn't compare to the other trendier music he listened to with his sister. Every note flowed into the next and seemed to tell a story about revenge and atonement.

After Erik was done, Ryohei was a little shell-shocked. "That was incredible!" he breathed. "I've never heard anything like it before!"

"Thank you," Erik replied humbly, bowing his head. "I'm not sure how much it'll help during the trial, however."

"It's fine, don't worry about the trial," Ryohei dismissed. "If anything, you just made me more determined to defend you. If you were to die, then the world would lose an amazingly talented person!"

Erik looked touched. "T-thank you, Ryohei," he said again.

"Still," Ryohei said, his face turning once again serious. "Is still have some questions I need to ask."

Erik nodded. "Ask away."

They talked for the better part of an hour before Ryohei finally said he had enough. He sent Erik away, the haunting melody still playing within Ryohei's mind as the Ultimate Composer left the room.

Erik and Ryohei Support Rank C Achieved!

Xxx

Since Ryohei had been asked by the others to not enter the dining hall, he ate inside the Archive Room. He was just finishing the last of the rice, when Ruby walked in, there for her interview. She blinked once she noticed that he was eating. "Sorry." She hesitated. "Should I come back later?"

"No, it's fine." Ryohei wiped his mouth with his sleeve and put the lunch box aside. "Please sit."

Ruby sat down, as Ryohei checked his notes. "You just turned 18 and you are known as the Ultimate Curler," he said. "Is that correct?"

Ruby nodded.

"And I guess I already know your crime," Ryohei said with a nod.

"Well, um…" Ruby hesitated. "I … Well, I left some details about it out." She began to explain some of the details she hadn't mentioned before.

Ryohei nodded. While initially silly, Ruby's crime got a lot more serious with the added details. "And you think this is possible?" he asked. "That it would happen?"

"No!" Ruby almost said vehemently, before calming down. "They would never do anything wrong." She looked down. "Those guys on the phone call must've been lying…"

Ryohei gave Ruby a sympathetic look. "They are," he said firmly. "Whoever that was on the other side was most likely trying to trick you."

Ruby gave him a grateful smile. "Yeah you're right," she said with a nod. "There's absolutely no way it's possible."

"Glad you're feeling more optimistic." He nodded and turned back to his notepad, as Ruby watched him in silence.

After a few minutes, Ruby cleared her throat, causing Ryohei to glance up. "Ryohei there's something else I wanted to bring up to you," she said with a serious look on her face. "To be honest, it doesn't have anything to do with proving us innocent… at least I think it doesn't. But it's something that's been bugging me the past few days."

Ryohei raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Ruby took a deep breath. "Right… Well…" She leaned in. "I was just wondering how we were communicating so well right now."

"Er… what are you talking about?"

She deflated a bit and toned down the seriousness. "You're really good at speaking English," she complimented.

Ryohei blinked. "Um, thanks? We're speaking in Japanese right now, though. I don't think anyone's said a word in English."

"And you don't think that's strange," Ruby prodded. She shook her head. "To me, you're speaking English right now." She bit her lip. "I talked to some of the others. Zeyn… Isaiah… Nafia…Erik… we can all communicate so perfectly despite being from different countries. It just doesn't make sense."

Ryohei frowned and thought about it for a moment. "You're… right," he realized. He was a bit annoyed with himself that he didn't realize it sooner. Multiple people from different nationalities and countries and yet there didn't seem to be anything lost in translation. "That shouldn't be possible…" he murmured.

"You think it's strange too!" Ruby excitedly exclaimed. "Oh, thank god, I thought I was going crazy!"

"I wonder how…" mused Ryohei.

"Do you think they might've messed with our minds?" Ruby asked. "Maybe there was some hypnosis or something similar…"

"Maybe…" Ryohei said uncertainly, before finally reaching a decision. "But… for the moment I don't think this has anything to do with proving your innocence. I'll keep it in mind, but for now, I wouldn't dwell on it too much. This seems like a can of worms."

Ruby hesitated but nodded. "Alright," she said, standing up. "Do you need me for anything else then?"

"No." Ryohei smile thankfully. "Thanks for coming." He let out a sigh. "Since Rentarou isn't coming, I suppose you were the last one that I needed to talk to."

"I'll try to get him to come," Ruby offered. "Thanks for helping us with this. You're our savior." With those words, she left the room.

Ryohei leaned back in his chair, pondering the recent discussion. "Communication… huh…"

Ruby and Ryohei Support Rank C Achieved!

Xxx

Ryohei glanced at the clock and sighed upon seeing that it was already almost six. "So, I guess he didn't show," he muttered to himself, a little disappointed. Rentarou had stuck true to his promise and never came to visit Ryohei.

He placed all of the information he had gathered in a small folder and stood up, just as Moca suddenly burst through the door. "Huh-?" he spluttered. "Moca! What are you doing here?!"

Moca seemed just as surprised as Ryohei, but that was quickly replaced with a large grin. "I knew I would find you here!" she said, cheerfully, grabbing Ryohei by the hand. "Come on!" she said, pulling him out of the Archive Room. "Something's happening!"

Ryohei instantly grew alarmed. "Is it bad?!" he asked, as he tried to keep up with Moca's pace.

"Uh… yeah!" Moca nodded, as she turned the corner towards the bridge that led to the lounge just above the dining hall. Ryohei gritted his teeth, as various scenarios flew threw his mind. Another motive? Perhaps Monokuma or Monoline were tormenting his friends?

Or maybe… maybe someone was dead?

Ryohei and Moca burst through the door and into the pitch-black darkness of the lounge. "What's going on-?!"

Pop!

Pop!

The lights turned back on, just as Ryohei felt small bits of paper land on his face. North and Mirai stood on either side of him holding party poppers with smiles on their faces. The others popped up from behind a desk, the sofa, one even popped out of dumbwaiter in the corner. "Surprise!" Some of them cried, while others just smiled.

Others… well, Sho had been sitting on the couch when the lights came back on. He made a rather scornful grunt when everyone cheered and didn't meet Ryohei's eyes. Nafia was seated nearby, quiet, though looked a little surprised by the sudden noise.

"Um…" Ryohei flapped his mouth a little uselessly, as Moca circled him so that she was in front of him. "What's going on?"

"It's a surprise party!" Moca cheerfully exclaimed.

"I gathered that," Ryohei replied a little numbly. "But I was just wondering why we're having a surprise party?"

"It was Moca's idea," Mirai said, glancing at the Ultimate Part-Timer. "She came into the dining hall yesterday, demanding that we have a party to thank you for everything you're doing."

"Of course," Zeyn smirked, as he brushed his hair back. "I was the one who planned the entirety of it." He gestured nearby where there were several desks pushed together to make a small table. Some bottles of soda were placed on it along with what looked like a small cake, alight with candles.

"So, um…" Ryohei still couldn't process what was happening. "Whose birthday is it?" he managed to ask.

Nearly everyone laughed. Even Ayako and Sho cracked some smiles. "It's a little hard to tell what month it is without a calendar," Kaori drawled.

"It's a party for you, Ryohei," Rentarou said, raising a glass. "As a way to thank you for defending us tomorrow." A smile played on his lips. "Want a drink?"

"No, I…" Ryohei's voice died as he gazed around the room at his friends' smiling faces, finally understanding. They were all waiting for him to speak, this party the best way they all thought they could properly thank him.

So, this is… what I was working towards…

"Thanks, everyone," he said. "I appreciate the entire thing." He sheepishly laughed and scratched the back of his head. "It's just kind of poor timing. I mean… I still need to sort out everything for tomorrow." He bowed his head. "Sorry about this. I can't stick around for long. Please just enjoy yourselves without me."

"Well…" Ryohei glanced up to see that Ruby was holding a cake with a couple of lit candles. "At least blow it out. So, you have good luck tomorrow."

Ryohei smiled and blew out the candles. Nearly everyone cheered. "Thanks, everyone," he said again, giving everyone a wide grin and a thumbs up. "I promise I'll defend all of you. I'll make sure I prove everyone innocent! I refuse… to let anyone die here under my watch!" With those words and the sound of cheering behind him, he walked out of the lounge, his arm in the air as a sort of wave good-bye.

Yes. Ryohei would win. That was without doubt. He would do the right thing and prove everyone, all of his newfound friends, innocent. That was his promise. That was his… his…

…

…

H-His…

…

Red…

Bright red…

Everything… was turning dark…

…

…

M…Mo… I p-promised…

I p-promised… that… I would…

T-the… r-right…

…

…

…

"Well, you tried… for once."

Static.

Xxx

Zeyn yawned as he opened the door to his room and walked outside, as he blearily rubbed his eyes to try to get the sleep out of them. He was still somewhat tired from the party last night, but he was also somewhat of a late sleeper. It wasn't an amazing party by any stretch of the imagination, but it was somewhat nice to relax and just have fun for a bit after being stuck in this stupid prison for several days.

As he walked towards the entrance to the prison, he noticed that everyone was already gathered near there. They all surrounded Monokuma who was standing in the middle tapping his foot. "Um…" he said, looking from side to side, once he joined the group. "Were you waiting for me?" He pointed to himself.

"No," Ayako snapped irritably. "But where were you?"

Another yawn. "Sleeping," Zeyn mumbled. "So, are we going to start this or what?"

"We're still waiting on Ryohei," Moca explained, looking worried. "He hasn't come out of his room."

"Well, I can't take you to the trial without your lawyer," Monokuma said, with a tilt of its head. "I guess since Ryohei has gotten cold feet, we'll have to cancel the entire event and continue with the killing game!"

"No, wait!" North quickly said. "We'll go look for him!" He looked at the others, to see most of them nodding. "We'll split up. Search the entire prison. He's probably just holed up somewhere and lost track of time!"

"Well…" Monokuma fell onto its back and yawned. "I suppose I'll just have to wait here until you all come back…" A few seconds of silence passed before Monokuma started to snore.

After a quick discussion on how to split up, everyone formed small groups and went in different directions, looking for Ryohei.

Xxx

"Why are you following me?" Sho grumbled, sticking his hands in his pockets as he and Rentarou climbed the stairs to Ryohei's room. After everyone agreed to split up to search for Ryohei, he had chosen to head to the rooms, figuring that the prosecutor was just sleeping in. Annoyingly, Rentarou had chosen to follow him there.

"I'm curious," Rentarou replied with a shrug. "Where could've Ryohei gone at such an important time?"

"That's what we are trying to figure out, dumbass," Sho grumbled, as he walked down the pathway towards the door to Ryohei's room. However, the moment he got there he found something rather puzzling.

The door was slightly ajar, with a thin stream of light pouring outside from within. "He left his door open?" Sho wondered aloud, pushing the door. "Hey Ryohei, you there…" He recoiled once he witnessed the inside. "The hell?!"

Ryohei's room was a mess. The covers, pillows, and blanket from his bed were on the ground. His nightstand had been pushed over and the closet had been ripped bare, with all of Ryohei's clothes strewn about the floor. There was a large metal safe in the center of the room that was open, but empty.

"How interesting," Rentarou said, peering into the scene over Sho's shoulder. "What could've happened here?"

"No idea," Sho muttered. "Might some sort of stupid roleplay he was into." He scowled. "Let's just close it." He shut the door completely and heard a small click. "Hm?" He tried the door again, only to find that it was locked now.

"Is that how these doors work?" Rentarou asked, directing the question to Sho.

Sho opened his mouth to answer, only to get interrupted by the crackle of a nearby monitor. He turned his head to see that Monokuma was on the screen, sitting on a fancy leather chair and sipping a glass of wine. "A body has been discovered. After a set period of time, the class trial will begin!" The screen shut off immediately after the sentence was uttered.

Click!

Sho turned back Ryohei's door and tested the handle again to find that it was unlocked now. His mind was spinning. What had Monokuma said? A body had been discovered. That meant… That meant…

Sho whirled around and started to run towards the main building, with Rentarou following close behind.

It had to be a mistake… It just had to be a mistake… It just…

Xxx

"Where could've Ryohei gone?" North wondered aloud, as he, Moca, Haruto, and Kaori walked towards the dining hall, after splitting off from the others. "Today was supposed to be the day he's been working on for the past few days."

"Maybe he just fell asleep in the library, Back Cap!" Haruto offered.

North gave Haruto a weird look. "Is that supposed to be my nickname?"

Kaori, who was leading the small group, remained quiet, keeping a sharp look at their surroundings, as they made their way towards the dining hall. She didn't have a good feeling about the entire situation, but she tried to think of possible places that Ryohei might be. One of those was the dining hall. "Maybe Ryohei was eating and he fell asleep," she offered as a possibility. "He's been working non-stop; he might've been exhausted."

Moca skipped past Kaori and to the doors to the dining hall, eager to finally leave the prison. "Probably," she laughed, throwing open the door. "Ryohei you… here…?" Her voice died, as she stood there for a few moments before letting out a strangled gasp. She tried to back away but tripped over her own feet and fell to the ground onto her bottom.

"Moca!" North sensing something was wrong raced over with Haruto and Kaori. The three reached the door at the same time and all three skidded to a halt at the sight.

The body was against the door that led to the second floor and a large machete had been rammed through the chest area, piercing through the body and through the very door itself. Blood dripped from his gaping wound onto the floor creating a rather large bloodstain. His eyes were closed, and his arms, legs, and even head all hung loosely from his body.

Haruto's mind seemed to shut down. His hands were shaking, his mouth was moving yet not sounds came from it.

Kaori looked almost resigned by the sight, though the scene seemed to disgust her.

North could only stare at the body in shock, though his mind began to race with wild thoughts. Solutions, ideas, and questions ran through his head, but in the end, he kept returning to the same idea.

"Ding Dong!" North looked up at an upper corner of the dining hall where one of the monitors was hooked up. It turned on to show Monokuma sitting on a fancy leather chair sipping a glass of wine. "A body has been discovered. After a set period of time, the class trial will begin!" The screen began to fizzle and flicker after he said that until it was replaced by nothing more than television static.

They had lost.

It was the one thought that North had as he faced the truth head-on.

Ryohei Kazuhara, the Ultimate Prosecutor, was dead.

Alive:

1. Nafia 'Fia' Onyilogwu, Ultimate Traditional Healer

2. Mirai Watanabe, Ultimate Babysitter

3. Zeyn Zafrani, Ultimate Jetsetter

4. Ayako Hamasaki. Ultimate Footballer

5. Rin Cody, Ultimate Hunter

6. Haruto Satō, Ultimate Caricaturist

7. North Tchovsky, Ultimate Juggler

8. Isaiah Carter, Ultimate Amateur Astronomer

9. Moca Shiozaki, Ultimate Part-Timer

10. Sho Kawakaze, Ultimate Dart Thrower

11. Pauline Celeste, Ultimate Runway Model

12. Kaori Tachibana, Ultimate Food Chemist

13. Erik Daae, Ultimate Composer

14. Ruby Bradford, Ultimate Curler

15. Rentarou Kimura, Ultimate Private Eye

Dead:

16. Ryohei Kazuhara, Ultimate Prosecutor

Oh no.