Part 131: Super High-school Level Update #118

The body is gone. Where could it be?





Perhaps someone moved the body into the shed...?

I should check, just to make sure...



I should've known. The body isn't here...

But, if it's not anywhere in the garden, could someone have taken the body over to that place...?
Maybe it's in the biology lab...?!

It's not just the body I should be thinking about, though. There was one more thing in this shed I should check again.

That tarp...

We used it as an important piece of evidence during the school trial...
I should check it again, just to be thorough.





The culprit used this tarp to protect the body from the sprinklers...

In that case, it's possible the culprit left a clue to their identity on it somewhere...

Huh...?



I didn't notice it when I looked at it before, but there is a small label stamped into the tarp.

"Biology Lab"...?

Does that mean the culprit took this tarp from the biology lab...?




Other items in the shed reveal no new information.





I don't think there's much more to investigate here right now...

Ah, at least the game is kind enough to let us know we're done here. Only one item left on the list of places to check.







............
So this is where you've been, Fukawa-san.



D...Do you want something from me...?
Do you want me to leave because I'm such an eyesore...?
N...No, it's not that... I thought you may have found a new clue or something...



T...There isn't any...
Not even a single one...! I couldn't find anything...!!



I...I thought that since this place is related to the murder, I'd find something here for sure...
...But there isn't a single suspicious thing left in here...!



G...Give it back!! Give me back my precious time...!!
F...Fukawa-san... Calm down...



C...Calm down...?!
W...What do you even know about the way I feel...?
No one will ever let me forget that I wasn't helpful...! You will all just laugh at me for being useless..!
No one is going to do that...



Byakuya-sama will...!

I... probably can't really deny that.



I hate you! You and everyone else who keep denying the truth! Why won't anyone ever just accept what I say...?!

Um... Since it doesn't seem there are any new hints here, it may be better for me to just take off...



Uu... Uuuuuuu...!!

Yeah, it's best to just leave her alone.



* ding dong ding dong *







Eh... This is a school announcement.
Are you bastards doing the best you can? I hope your investigation is going well!
So, listen. Since you bastards have been behaving, I'm going to be my kind self and give you all a hint!
Upupu... Anyone who wants to hear it should come to gymnasium, ASAP!!



W...What's up with that announcement? There must be a catch here...

It's too suspicious... It's obviously a trap.

It has to be one. But, still...

............

He said... we should come to the gymnasium, didn't he...?





............
Ah, Hagakure-kun!





...Eek! Naegi-chi?!
W...What's wrong? Why so surprised...?



N...No, it's nothing...
Did you come here to hear Monobear's hint as well?



I...I...
I've already been inside... I was just going back, 'right...?
Eh? You already got the hint? What was it?
............
I...I'm sorry, but I...!



Please excuse me!!



H...Hey, wait! Hagakure-kun!!

Ignoring me, Hagakure-kun ran away as if escaping from something.

H...Hakaure-kun...?

Why is he running away from me...?

I was just about to ask him about that notebook I found in the locker, too...

Could he really be hiding something...?



It may be a trap, but it's not like we have anything else on our investigation checklist.











Welcome, welcome! It's time for your final hint!
See that envelope on the floor next to your feet? The hint is inside!



The envelope next to my feet...?





Is this the envelope he's talking about...?



Upupu... By the way, I will not answer any questions about the contents of that envelope.
W...What is in there...?



Oh, just hurry up and open it!



With an uneasy feeling, I picked up the envelope...

...and peeked inside.



Inside the envelope was a single photograph.





I can hear you laughing. Stop it.

I knew each and every one of the people in it.

They were my friends... the people who arrived at Hope's Peak Academy with me...

No, wait...



Behind Maizono-san... that girl...!

I've never seen her before...

No, that's wrong. I have seen her!
I saw her picture in that file, along with Togami-kun...



Eh? Mukuro Ikusaba...?

So, is she...?!



W...What's going on here...? Why...?
Why is everyone together with Mukuro Ikusaba?
No, more importantly...



You there in the back. I meant it when I said stop laughing.

Everyone being in the same photo together is just weird...
They're all even wearing school uniforms I've never seen before...

No, strictly speaking, this isn't "everyone".

I'm not in the picture, after all...
It's just me... I'm the only one not in the picture...

The other fifteen are all in there...



But, it's not surprising that I'm not in there.
I mean, I have no memory of this photograph being taken...

Other than Maizono-san, who went to junior high with me, the first time I met everyone...

...was when I first entered Hope's Peak Academy.

So, it's not surprising that I'm not in this photo. What's surprising is...



...That everyone else is.
I thought everyone else also met each other for the first time that day...

But, the fact this photograph exists...



...Does it mean I was wrong...?

...!!
Did everyone...?
Is everyone but me...?



Upupu... Are you planning on standing here talking to yourself for much longer?



I can't have you just loitering here. You're going to get in the way.



What I'm trying to say is, please leave now.
B...But...!



Weren't you listening to what I said before?! I will not answer any questions!



Do you need all the answers spelled out for you, as if this was some kind of mystery game?!



DOmNIOEw:mcNIa@BAIrNmcBAOA?!

I don't think he's going to tell me anything...

...Shit!!






When all is said and done, the only thing I managed to achieve at the gymnasium...

...was confusion.

I left the room with a heavy heart.





What's up with that "final hint"...? I don't understand anything anymore...

Is that what Monobear is after?

Did he fake that photo just to get me confused...?



But, this picture looks too good. It doesn't seem fake at all...



So, is it true? Is everyone besides me...

............

I should go ask them directly.

That's the only way to know for sure.

I have to know!



Hey, at least Naegi is being reasonable about this. The magic map is useful in finding out where the others are right now, so let's do the rounds.





Oh, here you are, Asahina-san. There's something I want to ask you...



N...Naegi...?!



............
I...I'm in a hurry right now!!



...Eh?!

Asahina-san ran as fast as I've ever seen her out of the cafeteria, not even giving me a chance to stop her.

Asahina-san...

Why...?

Why... does it look like she's running away from me...?

Hmmm. Let's try the others, I guess.





Ah, Togami-kun...!



............
Um, there's something I want to talk to you about...
............
Togami-kun...?



Right now, there is nothing I want to discuss with you.
Don't start talking to me as if we're friends.



Ah, Togami-kun! Wait!!

He didn't wait, of course. He just walked out of the room without looking back.

Why...?
Why did he...?
Is he trying to run away from me...?

Curious. Who's next?





Ah, Hagakure-kun...!



...Eek!!
N...N...Naegi-chi!!
What's up with you? You seem shocked every time I try talking to you...



N...No...



No!!
I'm sorry, I have somewhere else to be!!



Hagakure-kun ran away as if he was escaping something.

Why...?

Once again, I couldn't even ask him about what I found in the locker room...
He just ran away again...

It's as if it's me he's running away from...

What's going on...?

Kirigiri is still back in the hidden room (which the game won't let us reenter), so let's try finding Fukawa.



Hmm. She's not here anymore. Oh well. We still have one investigation thread open, I think.





When I entered the biology lab for the second time...

The scene that appeared before my eyes was...



Her figure, collapsed on the floor.