Chapter 2 - Part 18
Hey, Hajime... Can you give me a rundown of what happened after I left the diner?
You, Kazuichi, Ibuki and Mikan went to the beach house, right?
It wasn’t just us. Everyone went.
Eh? You mean Akane, Peko, and Sonia came with you?
After you ran out, we spent a couple minutes discussing the situation, and everyone saw it fit to just check the beach house together.
Akane and Peko got changed, and then we left.
Makes sense...
Yeah... and on my way here, I noticed something weird.
Huh? What was it?
There were a bunch of footprints outside the house’s side entrance. They were leading from the house and out into the tunnel.
At the time I was more concerned about the beach house, so I didn’t really pay it any attention.
Now, though... I think it might be important.
I mean, take a look yourself.
Ah...
I could see the footprints he was talking about... They led from the door and directly out to the beach.
Sorry for eavesdropping, but... Peko said she went for a little swim, right? Could those footprints be...
Unfortunately, I was investigating the first beach. I do not know anything about this beach.
Is that... really true?
From what I can make out here, these footprints begin at the beach house and lead to the tunnel.
Since I was swimming, my footprints would have begun at the shore.
Then... whose footprints are these?
It's no mistake that these are the killer's footprints... but I have no clue who that might be.
...
It’s too early to be making assumptions... but this is probably an extremely important clue.
Yeah... we should keep it in mind...
Hm... that's weird...
What is?
Well, I wanted to calm myself down a little, so I thought about getting a drink from that refrigerator...
When I opened it a few days ago... I'm pretty sure there was a larger variety of drinks...
Well, I guess I'm just imagining things. I mean... who cares about drinks right now, huh.
Um...
Seriously, it's okay. I've resolved it on my own, so just drop it.
Then why bring it up in the first place? Jeez, this guy...
Chiaki Chiaki Chiaki Chiaki Chiaki...
Th-This is too weird... Something this weird should only happen in song lyrics...
We... we must honor Chiaki’s wish... We have to put a stop to any more killings...
Although... if we succeed in finding the culprit...
Gah, why must this happen?
It’s okay. I feel the same.
But, you have to stick through this... We all do.
Right... There is nothing else we can do, is there?
...There is something different about Hajime, don’t you think?
I had the impression he was rather unsure of himself, so for him to suddenly spearhead the investigation like this...
You... aren’t suspecting him, are you? I’d be more concerned if he wasn’t taking this seriously....
I guess... you are right.
Hajime is definitely fired up... but that’s how it should have been from the start.
The guys here need to take some initiative, not expect the girls to bear the brunt of these investigations!
Um... is it just me, or are there not as many bottles as there was last time I was here?
...
Actually... that’s probably just because they’d been used since then.
Still... it might be useful to keep this in the back of mind, just in case.
Huh? The closet door is half open... That definitely wasn’t the case when I came here a few days ago.
That’s definitely odd... I better take a look inside.
Ugh! This place is a mess!
I was greeted with a large walk-in closet... that was extremely messy!
All sorts of items were strewn on the floor, and the shelves had been completely trashed.
There was barely any space for a single person to stand... How was this place so messy!?
We’d only been allowed access to this island for a couple of days... Are the others really that sloppy!?
I’m probably going to have to dig through all this stuff in case there’s any clues lying about...
I think I’ve checked everything here...
Chiaki... why did this have to happen?
Seeing her like this... For a second, it made me wonder if I was dreaming.
It’s the only thing that makes sense. There’s no way I can believe the alternative...
That Chiaki really is lying dead on the floor in front of me...
But... I have to believe. I have to accept it.
Because... that’s what Chiaki would have wanted.
Chiaki was lying against the beach house’s tunnel-side door...
That must be why I couldn’t open it... her body was holding it shut.
Maybe... she tried to escape as she was being assaulted... but only managed to reach this door.
That would explain the blood on the floor... It looked like she’d been crawling.
But... she ran out of strength halfway through, and lost consciousness just as she reached the door.
Though that’s only a possibility, isn’t it? I just don’t know anymore...
According to the Monokuma File, Chiaki’s fatal wound was caused by a blow from a “blunt object”.
It must be talking about this metal bat...
A metal bat...
...
It's the same... as Twilight Syndrome Murder Case, isn’t it?
Hm?
That Girl E character was killed during that game’s fourth day... and just like Chiaki, she was killed with a blow from a metal bat.
Wait... so you played that game after all?
...
Your reaction to that bat tells me you’ve played it too, yeah?
Ah... yeah, I did.
Then you should agree with me.
This case has gotta be connected to that game.
If we want to solve the mystery of Chiaki's death, we gotta take a closer look at it.
Um... but was there... anything useful in that game?
When I played it, it was complete nonsense... I started in the middle of the plot, for some reason, and got through two stages before getting a Game Over!
...Oh, so you haven’t actually beaten it.
Beaten it...?
I guess I did get a Game Over screen. That would mean there’s a way to win...
But, how the hell do you win? When I think back on it, it seems impossible.
I can show you.
...You can?
Sure.
Um... I guess that’s alright...
Letting a guy help again is embarrassing, but if he really does know how to beat that game...
But, I still need to investigate more of this place. As do you...
...Yeah, right.
...Eh?
This... is a mask?
Um... what’s this mask doing on the floor here?
Did the killer wear that... to conceal their face?
Isn’t that counterproductive...? A mask like this would attract a lot of attention...
...Huh? A mask?
Ahhh! *That* mask!?
Sonia, you recognize it!?
It’s “Sunny Witch ♪ Esper Itou”!
It is a super fun anime with a viewership surpassing 90% in my country!
That doesn’t sound right... and it’s not really an appropriate thing to bring up right now...
C-Could it be!? Was that mask placed next to the body!?
Um, yes... that’s where it was...
I-If that is true... Could it be...!?
...Sonia? Is something the matter? Is there something weird about that mask?
U-Um... please give me some time! [leaves]
Sonia pushed past me and ran out of the beach house.
Eh!? She just ran off!
...It looks like she knows something.
If that's the case, I shall wait until she decides to talk about it.
She seemed extremely shocked... I’m a little worried.
To elicit a reaction like that... there must be something significant about that mask.
