Part 94: Super High-school Level Update #84

We're done with the right side of the room, so let's turn our attention to the left, starting with the door.



This door is the only exit from the recreation room...

It can't be locked, and there are no signs the hinges have been removed...
The only out-of-place thing about it is that the window that's set in it is broken...

...but that's because I broke it when I entered the room.

Other than that, I can't see any signs it has been mechanically messed with using a thread or something similar.
In other words...

There isn't anything strange about the door itself.



How about the chair that was blocking it?



This chair was the reason the door wouldn't open before.

But there is no sign of a thread or anything else used to manipulate it from the outside...

In other words, I can't imagine this chair had been messed with...

Hmmm. Having checked both the door and the chair...

The reason we couldn't open the door was because someone wedged this chair under the handle.
That prevented the handle from being turned around, and so the door wouldn't open.

Furthermore, there are no sings that the door or the chair have been tempered with...
The culprit couldn't have shut the room down from the outside. They must have done it from inside the room.






Observant readers probably noticed something else suspicious near the door.



There's a plastic container on the floor next to the door.



This is a can of protein. But there's nothing inside.
Oogami-san probably drank it. She did that a lot...
She even treated it as the ultimate medicine.



You shouldn't buy into that. It isn't actually medicine.
I know that much...



Nevertheless, this can of protein...
There's a label on it. It says "Chemistry Lab A-2"...

Now that I think about it, Oogami-san did say she found some kind of premium protein in the fourth floor chemistry lab.

...She probably brought a can down from the lab over to this room.



...There's something strange here.
...Eh? What is it?



There's glass scattered around the protein can.
Light-blue shards of glass... They're from the window I broke.



Those shards aren't just around the can, there are also a few under it.
...Is something wrong with that?
I can't say anything concrete yet, but it's something to keep in mind.
At the very least... it may become an important clue.



An important clue... What does she mean?






Time to turn our attention to the others in this room. Maybe Togami has something to share?



...What is it? Don't get in my way. Go somewhere else.

He looked at me in contempt. I decided to walk away before he gives me a soul crushing speech.



I guess not. Asahina will probably treat us better.



It's totally obvious who the culprit is this time...



It's either Togami, Fukawa or Hagakure!



They were all very clear about how Sakura-chan was their enemy...
Don't you agree, Naegi!?
U...um... I think we should investigate a little more before we can say for sure...
............
In that case... I'll tell you something else.



Sakura-chan called those three out. She invited them to this very recreation room.
...Eh!?
Do you remember this morning, when me and Sakura-chan left the infirmary together?
At that time, Sakura-chan went somewhere alone...
But she told me about it when I met her later.
She said she left notes in each of their rooms...
The notes asked them to "Come to the recreation room before noon".

"Before noon"... That's close to the time of death...!

I'm not lying. I heard it from Sakura-chan herself.
I tried to stop her, y'know...



But she wouldn't listen. She said she just wanted to talk to them and that I shouldn't worry...
And then... this thing happened...



If I insisted a little more at that time... I could have saved her...
A...Asahina-san...

I could tell her it's not her fault... but it would be useless.








If Togami-kun, Hagakure-kun and Fukawa-san were called here by Oogami-san...

...If they were called to this crime scene around the time she was murdered...
I should probably confirm that with the people involved directly.



One of them is right here.



...What is it? Don't get in my way.
Um... There is something I want to ask you...



...Keep it short.
Is it true that Oogami-san invited you to the recreation room?



I see. So you know that much...
So, is it true?



It's true there was such a note stuck in my room's door.
But who'd be stupid enough to accept that kind of an invitation? That monster probably just wanted to kill me.
So you didn't go?
Of course I didn't. I threw the note away. I didn't see Oogami even once today.

Togami-kun says he didn't accept the invitation... I wonder if he's telling the truth...?

But... as long as I don't have any evidence against it, I should probably believe him.



If you have nothing more to say, go away.
S...sure... Thank you.






...How are you doing, Naegi-kun? Are you done looking around this room?
Yeah, I think so...



...In that case, you should go get some more information. I am guarding the crime scene, so I can't leave this room.



Therefore, I decided to make you investigate for me.

Shouldn't she at least ask me first...?

Ever since our fight, she became really pushy...

But... there's no doubt we need to question the people involved.
The two remaining people Oogami-san invited to the recreation room... I should go hear what they have to say.



Those two must have gone back to the dormitory.



We'll start with Fukawa, just because her door is closer.





I pushed the door bell...

* ding-dong *

And soon after...



What...? Who...?

I was surrounded by an aura of negativity... and in addition...

An aura of rottenness...

What...? What do you want...?
You've... reverted back to Fukawa-san, didn't you. You're no longer Genocider.
D...don't talk to me about her... I...it makes me feel sick...
A...and I was just starting to feel better...

I fail to see anything better about her...

...Um, I have something to talk to you about. Is now a good time?
............
Feh...!

Fukawa-san made a crude disapproving noise but came out into the corridor.





W...what do you want...? You said you had something to talk to me about...
I...if it's something indecent, I won't accept it... I'll sue you for sexual harassment...

Something indecent

Um, you say you don't like this "indecent" talk, but...
Isn't it you who keep talking about such things, Fukawa-san?



W...wha!?



A...are you trying to be smart with me? Someone in your lowly position?
N...no, I didn't mean...



Y...you can't...! The only man allowed to be smart with me is Byakuya-sama...!
Aaaaah... I'll give my body and my soul to him...
Only to Byakuya-sama...



Ahhhhhhhhhhh

I...I'm not sure how to respond to that.



Ah!
............



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

This is awkward...

Something to talk about

I want to talk to you about being invited by Oogami-san to the recreation room...



...Wha!!



I...I know nothing... I don't know anything...!
...Togami-kun already confirmed he was invited.



Eh...? She also invited Byakuya-sama...?



Ah! I said "also"...!



T...that was a clear giveaway that I was invited as well, wasn't it...!
S...sure. So, do you have anything to say...?



I...it's true that I got a note...
B...but... I never went... I was too scared to go...!

Hmm... Fukawa-san says she didn't go to meet Oogami-san...
...Is she telling the truth?

As long as I don't have evidence against it,I should probably believe her.

I...I've had enough... I'm going back into my room...



Fukawa-san hurried back into her room.






Next.



I rang the doorbell...

* ding-dong *

And soon after...



Naegi-chi... What's up? Do you need something from me...?

Something

There's something I want to ask you. It's about being invited by Oogami-san...



H...h...how come you know that!?



Ah...! Did you read my mind? Did a strange power awaken inside you?!



But, I wasn't the only one who was invited, 'right?!
I heard it from the Ogre herself! She also invited Fukawa-chi and Togami-chi!
Eh? You heard it directly from her? When did you talk to her?



Ah...! T...that's...!



It was when she came to invite me!!
Didn't she just leave a note...?



Right... a note... a note...



She came by to deliver it by hand!! That's when she told me!

He's being... way too suspicious.

So, did you go to meet her?



I...I didn't go! Why would I?!

Yep. Suspicious...



The last time I met the Ogre was when we took Asahina-chi to the infirmary!
I've never even seen her after that!!
By the way... can I see the note she gave you?
The note... do I even still have it...? Um...

Hagakure-kun searched inside his pockets, and then...



Sorry! I don't have it!!

Flashing a stiff smile, Hagakure-kun took his hand out of his pocket.

Then, suddenly, something came falling down in front of my feet.
Something that was in Hagakure-kun's pocket...



Hm...?



Ah...



AAAAAAAAAAAA!!

Hagakure-kun picked it up with a speed I didn't imagine he possessed...

...and stuffed it back into his pocket.



Heh heh. That was just garbage. I forgot to throw it away...
Garbage...?



A...anyway! I was invited by the Ogre but I never went to meet her...
Please excuse me!!



Hagakure-kun ended the conversation without waiting for a reply, and escaped back into his room.

He said that thing was just garbage, but...

It wasn't garbage at all, was it.






Um... What should I do now that I heard from Fukawa-san and Hagakure-kun...?

I should probably go back to the crime scene and search it some more. Other than that...



There was an empty can of protein at the scene. I should look into that as well...

It most likely came from the chemistry lab.

Where should I start...?