Part 144: Chapter 6 Deadly Life, Part 8

The fridge--it's open!

: But I'm sure they were all shut tight last time I was here...

???: That must be why she passed out.



: She faints so easily...
: K-Kyoko!
: It's getting late, isn't it?
: Are you...okay?



: I'm sorry if I made you worry.
: N-No, you don't have to apologize.
: But listen, about this room...
: It's a morgue.
: Y-Yeah...



: I suspected as much. And Toko must have looked inside the fridge, seen what was in there, and...well, there you have it.
: You knew she'd fainted?
: I was on my way here, when Genocide Jack came running past me. I assumed she must have sneezed, but once I got inside, the real reason became clear.
: I imagine she came here to investigate, and when she opened the slot there...
: That's when she saw the body inside and dropped like a bag of rocks...

Why's everything gotta be so difficult with her?



: Anyway, we should close it up. Don't want to leave it hanging open like that...
: Yeah, good idea.
: Give me a hand with this.

Kyoko approached the fridge, hands outstretched. But suddenly...she stopped.

: What's wrong?





: Maybe we should wait a second before closing it.
: Huh? How come...?
: Because [Mukuro's body] is in here.

> Mukuro's body

: Mukuro's corpse...? Mukuro's body is inside the fridge!?
: Just like every other time, the mastermind probably brought it up here while we were in the class trial.
: The mastermind did it...? Because they assumed we wouldn't be doing the class trial over again, I guess...



: You may be right... Either way, now I can finally get a good look at the body.

Oh, that's right. Kyoko didn't get a chance to check the body during the last investigation.

: I need to do my own examination of the corpse as soon as possible. I'm going to find a clue this time, and I'm going to grab the mastermind by the tail...
: Okay, so...what should *I* do?
: Why don't you just...wait over there? I'll let you know as soon as I'm finished.

Just...wait over there? That's it?



: While we wait, let's reconfirm something we saw in the garden.



You know, I think I've seen a tarp like this somewhere before...



Ah, it's the same as the one I found in the garden toolshed...! And if I remember, that tarp...



It had a stamp on it that said bio lab.



And that's the tarp that was used to help camouflage the murder in the garden... At some point, someone got it from the bio lab and took it over there.







On the left side of the refrigerator, a bunch of blue lights are on.



: But these ones aren't...
: It would seem the blue light comes on when a slot is occupied.



So when someone's in there...the blue light comes on... Looking around, the number of lights that are on, including Mukuro's... There's nine in all.

: Nine... Nine lights...?





I should ask Kyoko about the group photo...



After all, she's in it too.



: Don't let me interrupt your investigation, but I wanted to talk to you about something.
: ...What is it?
: It's about that announcement Monokuma made earlier...
: You mean the one about a "hint" or something? I didn't take him up on the offer.
: Huh? Why not?



: The only reason he'd give us a "hint" at this point would be to confuse us, to cloud our judgment. I can solve this mystery on my own, without whatever hints he may have to offer.
: That's...a good point.

I wish I could go back and do the same thing, but what's done is done, I guess... Standing here looking at her...I don't think she's hiding anything from me. Is she right? Did the mastermind forge that picture as a trap to confuse us? That's gotta be it. There's no other explanation...



: Okay, Makoto. I'm done.
: Already? Jeez, that was fast!
: Anyone can do good work if they go slow. In that spirit, I'll make my [report] brief.

> report

: So, did you find anything?



: I paid careful attention to the wounds and the traces of blood. And it seems highly likely that the stomach wound and blow to the back of the head were inflicted after death.
: Really...?
: The burnt tissue made things a little difficult, but I'm completely confident in my findings.

So that means neither of those were the fatal injury, right?

: Then what *was* the fatal injury...?



"Due to the explosion, the victim's identity is unknown. They were, however, dead before the blast. The victim had been stabbed a single time with a knife, which went completely through the body. They had also been struck in the head with an object about as thick as a metal pipe. The body was covered with other wounds, but these were at least several days old."

: The only other option is those "other wounds," but the file said they were old.
: Where does it say they're old?
: ...Huh?



: All the Monokuma File says is that they were inflicted at least several days ago.
: I...guess I don't see the difference.
: Well the difference is immense, considering the impression they give.
: You seem to be equating "several days old" with simple "old".
: But that doesn't quite follow logically. "Old wounds," it makes it sound like they've been there forever, like they're not related to the murder.
: Are you saying...they are? But we all got the Monokuma File right after she was killed, right? So if the wounds were at least a few days old, there's no way they could've had anything to do with it.



: But what if Mukuro herself wasn't killed within the last few days.
: What...!?
: Certainly you can allow it as one of the many possibilities, can't you?
: One of...many?
: A detective doesn't have supernatural powers. There's no way to predict the answer from the beginning. Instead, the ideal detective begins by imagining as many possible scenarios as they can.
: They envision these possibilities without prejudice, without bias, using only their logic and common sense. Then, as they investigate, they test what they find against each of these possibilities.



: Of course, me telling you this doesn't mean you'll be any good at detective work. but beyond using that to solve this particular mystery, you should keep it in mind for the future.





: So, if there's anything else you'd like to know about [the condition of the body], now's the time.

> the condition of the body

: Come to think of it, there was on thing... Earlier, when I was looking at Mukuro's profile, it listed her height and weight...



: 5 foot 7 inches, 97 pounds. Vitals were...31-22-32. Did I get all that right?
: You remembered all that...?
: They are indeed consistent with the corpse.
: So then...
: And don't forget about the Fenrir tattoo. There's absolutely no mistake...



: Our victim in this case is, without a doubt, Mukuro Ikusaba...!







: Is that all you wanted to ask?
: Y-Yeah, I think so...
: Then it looks like we have no further business with Mukuro's body. Let's get going. It's kind of chilly in here...
: Oh, wait, are we not gonna put the body back? Don't you think it's kinda...sad, leaving it out like this?



: Sad...? Did you forget? She was our enemy once. A part of the Ultimate Despair.
: B-But she still got killed. She's still a victim...
: Have you ever heard the phrase "you reap what you sow"?
: W-Well, yeah, but still...
: ...



: You really are naive, you know that? It's really quite appalling...

But she could have abandoned me...but she decided to help me instead. So for someone like that, what does it mean to be "naive"?

*Grrrrnn* *Click*

: I think we've done all we can do here. Back to our separate investigations, yes?
: Ah, hold on!

I still have one more thing to do... Something I need to talk to Kyoko about...



I need to ask her about the pocketbook I found in that locker. If I don't do it now...



: Hey, Kyoko... I did have one last thing... I know I shouldn't, but I feel like I have to ask...
: Go ahead, then. Out with it.
: Have you really not seen your dad even once since you got here?





: What...?
: What do you mean?
: Well...you know all those lockers on the 2nd floor of the dorms?
: I do, yes. But to get into any of the lockers, you'd need the handbook of whoever the locker belongs to.
: Actually...I managed to get them open using that emergency handbook.
: The one you found in the headmaster's hidden room...



: So? Did you find anything worthwhile in the lockers?
: I found...a pocketbook. And after looking through it...I think it must be *your* pocketbook.
: ...What makes you say that...? Like I said, only the locker's owner should be able to get into it, right? I can't imagine those lockers belonged to any of us... After all, we only got access to that area just recently. What I'm saying is, there's no way I could've had access to any of those lockers. And if I *did* have a pocketbook, why would I bother putting it in a locker?
: Everything you just said makes perfect sense. But there was something written inside... It was about the headmaster--about your father.





: ...!?
: Could that mean... That video...is real, too...?
: Video?



: Makoto...I think everything is finally starting to fit together to reveal a cohesive picture. Although...I'm afraid that picture might be worse than anything we could have imagined.
: Wh-What are you talking about...?
: I need to go investigate those lockers, right now. I need to confirm what you just said with my own two eyes.
: Oh, let me give you the headmaster's handbook. That way you can--
: That won't be necessary. If I'm right about this, I shouldn't have any problem opening the locker with my own handbook. After all, it would seem that it's my locker.
: Your locker...?



: If you watch this, it'll all make sense.

A DVD...? And it says..."Class #78: Urgent Interviews"!?

: I found it in that hidden room, after you left.
: I don't have time to explain what I think it means, so just watch it and see for yourself. I think you'll realize exactly what it means... You'll understand why you found my pocketbook in a place none of us have ever seen before.

None of this makes sense right now... But I guess that means there's some important clue on this DVD...







: Oh, and now it's my turn. Do you have a second to listen to me ramble...?
: Ramble...?
: So as it turns out...the arrangements I'd made...didn't stick. What I mean is, I'm less and less sure of everything. Even my own feelings...

You're talking about your dad, right?

: I can never find the answers to the questions I wanted to ask. For the rest of my life...

And all because of the mastermind...



: But there's one thing I *am* sure of. When it comes to the mastermind, there's no room in my heart for forgiveness. I swore to destroy the mastermind. This is just one more reason to follow through on that.

Kyoko's eyes burned with the fire of determination... The determination to defeat the mastermind...

: It's strange...to be confronted with his death, and suddenly feel this way. I couldn't care less if my father had found happiness.
: So why is it...? Why does it bother me so much to know how he suffered...? It's ridiculous. There's just no understanding it, I guess...

She let out a small laugh as she said it. But her smile was filled with sorrow.



: So, that's it for my rambling. There's still much to do before I can consider my task complete.
: Yeah, you're right.
: But keep this in mind... There is only ever one absolute truth. Whether that truth serves justice or suffering... Whether it's the greatest truth, or the worst...
: What do you mean...?
: Even if the truth you uncover is filled with hopelessness...you still can't give up hope.
: A-Absolutely not! Because... Because all I can do is keep moving forward. That's pretty much all I'm good at, ya know?



: Indeed... Sorry if that was...strange.
: Anyway, I need to get going. I'll see you at the class trial... *leaves*





Leaving behind that final farewell, Kyoko was gone.

: I'd better get going myself.



I got that DVD from Kyoko... I should head to the A/V room to check it out.

Kyoko said something about hopeless truth... But no matter what happens, I *won't* lose hope. Even if it's the worst truth in the world...I can't afford to lose!



: Next time, we watch that DVD.