Part 19: Chapter 1 Deadly Life, Part 4

: Next on the list, we need to get the DVD from Sayaka's room and also we want to check out the Trash Room. But first, someone's hanging out in the hall.



: Something doesn't seem right. The Monokuma File said Sayaka was killed in your room. I just can't stop thinking about it. Could it be...the nameplate?
: Nameplate? What's he talking about? The room nameplates?



Huh? This *is* Sayaka's room, right? But the nameplate has my name on it.



Huh? This is definitely my room, but the nameplate has Sayaka's name on it.

: The nameplates on my room and Sayaka's room were switched!?

So all that effort I put into switching rooms without anyone knowing was totally pointless. But, why would anyone do that?



: Well, we may as well get the DVD while we're here.





There can only be one thing in the trash can. Yup. The DVD with Sayaka's name on it.

: Sayaka got really upset after seeing whatever was in that video.

I wonder...what did she see? It might not be directly related to the case, but it might be worth checking out anyway.

: I'm sorry, Sayaka. I need to borrow this DVD.



: Next, the Trash Room.





There's a hatch on the floor.

*Rattle rattle*

The door won't budge. It must be locked.



There's a sturdy gate here. No way to get past...





: It's the end of the line. The trash room... This is where all the trash in the school eventually winds up.
: How do you get this gate open?
: No no no! No entry beyond this point! Only the person on cleaning duty is allowed in!
: Cleaning duty?
: No no no! No entry beyond this point! Only the person on cleaning duty is allowed in!
: Who's on cleaning duty?
: No no no! No entry beyond this point! Only the person on cleaning duty is allowed in!

This is stupid. It'd be faster to just go around and ask the others.

: No no no! No entry beyond this point! Only the person on cleaning duty is allowed in! *leaves*







: Back outside, Byakuya is the first person we run into. Let's see if he knows about cleaning duty.



: Byakuya, can you tell me anything about cleaning duty?
: ...No.



: You're like a child lost in the woods, you know that? A total waste of space.
: What do you mean?
: Taka's the one who has any interest in organizing things like that.

Oh, good point.



: Well he didn't directly know but he told us who would. Taka's in the 1st floor hallways but before we talk to him, we wanted to see if Chihiro could tell us anything about those numbers Sayaka wrote.



: One quick warp to the gym later...



: Hey, Chihiro. I was hoping I could ask you something.
: Oh, what is it?
: Before she died, Sayaka left a message. She wrote out the numbers 11037. Do you have any idea what these numbers might mean? Like, could they be a code or something?



: Umm... Sorry, no...

Chihiro slowly shook her head.



: I-I'm sorry. I just don't know.
: Okay. Well, don't worry about it. Thanks anyway for trying.

Even she doesn't know. Or, could she maybe know more than she's letting on? ...No, couldn't be.



: Now to speak with Taka.



: Cleaning duty, eh? As a matter of fact, Monokuma came and talked to me yesterday morning!
: Really!?



: He probably realized I was basically in charge, so he decided to talk to me directly! The topic of conversation was assigning cleaning duty!
: Oh, so you're on cleaning duty now?
: Actually, no.
: Huh? Okay, then who is?



: Hifumi was also there when we had this conversation. He volunteered right away, so I let him have it!
: So *he's* on cleaning duty, then.
: Indeed. But we'll swap out on a weekly basis. I'm sure you'll be up before too long.



: And when that time comes, I'll be counting on you!



: Back in the dorms, Hifumi is also hanging around outside Makoto's room.



: Umm...I'm looking for whoever's on cleaning duty.
: Cleaning duty? As a matter of fact, that's me. Why do you ask? It just so happens Monokuma talked to me yesterday and asked me to take care of it. Without someone on cleaning duty, the school would be flooded with trash in no time.



: So I formally applied for the position!
: I was gonna start this morning, but after what happened, I haven't had a chance to get started.
: And since you're on cleaning duty, you can open the gate in front of the trash room?



: Of course! It's my job to gather up all the garbage and toss it in the trash room. And to do that, they gave me the key for the trash room gate!
: But we're supposed to rotate once a week, so eventually you'll be in charge.



: Wait, hold on. You need a key to get in the trash room? And only the person on cleaning duty has access to the key? What's the point of going to all that trouble? Why not just leave the trash room open all the time so we can all throw things out whenever we want?
: That does seem more convenient.
: Actually...





: That must be why. If anyone could go in and out of the trash room whenever they wanted, then destroying evidence would be easy. The thrill would disappear, and things would become boring.
: B-Boring!?



: Anyway, more important than that...
: Hey fatty! Why'd you want the cleaning duty gig, anyway!?
: I-I just decided to volunteer for something I knew no one else would wanna do. What's the big deal!?



: Liar! I know why you did it.
: You wanna dig through all the girls' trash! Looking for...y'know...and poking around at it!
: What are you talking about!? All my love is for 2D!
: But there's all kinds of trash diggers like that! Maybe you'll get tired of 2D, and then turn to--



: I would NEVER get tired of 2D!
: After spending a significant amount of time comparing 2D and 3D, I voluntarily chose 2D! The only thing 3D is good for is to shower love and affection on 2D! Oh, and PVC figures!
: How are you not totally embarrassed to say stuff like that!?



: If you're so worried about Hifumi's questionable morality, there's a very easy solution. Whenever a guy has cleaning duty, Sakura can accompany then, from picking up the trash to disposing of it.
: Whaaat!?
: If you're as innocent as you claim, where's the harm in it?
: Kh--! That's not how it's supposed to--!
: Anyway, on another topic... Hufumi, since you were on cleaning duty, I have a favor to ask you.



: What, so now you suddenly want to join my party? Sorry, but you haven't triggered that flag yet. I mean, you haven't helped me recover from a past trauma, or save a village, or beat a boss.
: No, nothing like that. I was just hoping to get into the trash room and look around.
: Oh, okay!
: So easy...!

So, Hifumi and I headed down to the trash room.





: You'd like me to open the gate, wouldn't you?
: Bwehehe... You know, when I look at it, it makes me think. They said he killed his wife. He learned how to get by on the inside, but he never stopped dreaming. Get busy livin' or get busy dyin', he said. So him and Rita, they found themselves a way out...
: Whatever, please just hurry up!
: Okie dokie! Leave it to me!

Hifumi pulled a key out of his pocket and used it to flip the switch next to the gate.





: However, Mr. Naegi...



: Surely you aren't planning to use the trash room to destroy evidence, are you!? Y-You fiend! You planned this all along!
: N-No! I just wanted to see if the actual killer had tried to destroy any evidence or not!
: But the "actual killer" is YOU, isn't it!? You want to see if you left anything behind!



: Wait, maybe a parallel world...?

Whatever, let's just hurry up and keep looking.





This is the incinerator. It's way in the back part of the trash room. It's a good thirty feet from here to the gate.



Ah! And it's on right now!



: Do you see the green and yellow buttons next to the mouth of the incinerator?
: It's a pretty simple setup. You press the green button to get it going, and the yellow button to turn it off. Sooner or later you'll be on cleaning duty, so make sure you learn this before you leave, okaaaAAAYYY!?!?



: Huh!? Someone turned the incinerator on! Very strange... I'm quite certain it was off last time I was down here.



: Perhaps it was the work of a fairy...
: Hifumi! Do you realize what you just said!?
: Huh? The fairy?
: ...No. You said that last time you were here, the incinerator was off.



: Ah, yes. About that there can be no mistake. If I've got one thing going for me, it's my memory!
: Yesterday, as soon as I was appointed, I came down to check the place out. It definitely wasn't on then. I haven't been back to the trash room since then. And since I'm the only one who has a key to open the gate...
: ...it should be impossible for the incinerator to be on. And yet...

So that means someone was able to switch on the incinerator without opening the gate. But, how is that possible?







: There's something on the ground in front of the incinerator. It looks like a burnt piece of...something.
: A burnt piece...? Like a hunk? Like a hunk of burning love!?
: ...

Anyway. This is... It looks like a piece of cloth. And the shape... It's part of the sleeve from a button-up shirt! And now that I look at it, that's definitely blood on the cuff! Which means...!

: This is all that's left of some of the evidence the killer destroyed...

But there are lots of people here with white button-up shirts. This isn't enough by itself to figure out who the killer is.







There are shards of broken glass scattered around in front of the incinerator. It looks like it used to be some kind of glass ball, just about big enough to fit in the palm of your hand.

: Ngyah! Is that...?
: Do you know what this is?
: They say if you collect all seven a dragon will appear and grant you a single wish!



: Erm, kidding aside, it's the kind of thing you might see on any big-city street corner. Gaze into it, and it will show you a glimpse of the future. Just like that Meena girl who was on that quest to find that one guy!

Yeah, I get what you're trying to say. But who did this particular ball belong to? There's only one person it could be. They should all still be in the gym. I'd better go find out for sure.





: This whole thing is quite strange, indeed. When I was here last, the incinerator was off, and those glass shards and burnt clothes weren't.



: What does it all mean, Mr. Naegi!? Will you be confessing soon!?
: Why me...?
: Everyone already knows you did it! All the mysteries are being solved one by one!

It sounds like he's living out one of his comic book fantasies.



: That's all there is in the trash room. Next time, we wrap up the investigation.