Chapter 2 - Part 24
Eh? Is the door unlocked?
Moving after you're told is boring, so I made sure to be one step ahead!
However, removing what's inside is a huge no-no! There are others who want to investigate too! [leaves]
...
...Let’s go inside.
...Are you okay?
Obviously not... Being in here feels so perverse...
I get that, but you can’t let sentimentality cloud your judgment...
As if I don’t know that... He should take his own advice.
Then again, this investigation has sort of had the opposite effect on him...
...Whatever, let’s just get this over with.
...Huh.
Looks like we don’t have to look around that much. What we want is right on the bed.
Eh? On the bed?
Could this be what Monokuma was talking about?
The prize that was supposedly given to the first person who completed the game...
Then Chiaki was the first to play it, after all?
It’s probably like what I said before... She was doing it as a safety precaution.
Let’s see what’s inside. There might be something that’ll clue us into her reason.
I nodded and carefully picked up the envelope.
Inside... I saw several photos bunched together.
Hey, lemme see!
Hajime walked over to me and pulled out one of the photos.
Eh? This photograph...
This photo...
It’s a photo of Mikan, Ibuki and Hiyoko. It looks like it was taken in a school’s entrance hall.
It looks just like the game...
It must have happened on the first day in Twilight’s Truth Edition.
Girl B was annoyed because Girl A was late, and Girl D accidentally took a photo of them...
And that’s what this photo shows...
Does this confirm what Monokuma said? Are the events portrayed in the game really non-fiction?
If that game really is telling the truth, this photo was taken by Chiaki.
Did Chiaki... like taking photos? She *was* carrying a camera in the game.
But Chiaki seemed like such a recluse. What fun would she find in photography?
Staying inside all day in the same room... That wouldn't yield much inspiration, would it?
...Hey, there’s another weird photo in here.
Um... A broken flower vase...?
Don’t you remember Girl D showing Girl E a photo of a broken flower vase?
Ah, right! On the third day.
In the game, this photo was treated as some kind of damning evidence, wasn’t it...?
This next photo...
...
When Hajime looked at the photo, his expression turned grim.
What’s the matter? Is there something wrong with the photo?
Just... try not to freak out when you see it.
E-Eh?
Hajime flipped the photo around to show it to me.
Immediately, my hand flew to my mouth.
...Ah!
It’s a photo of a dead body...
Considering the piano in the background, I’m guessing this is the music room.
...Music room? Then that means...
Yeah, it’s a photo of the game’s first victim.
The one the girls found on the first day?
Yeah... The one whose death was blamed on a pervert.
Alright, there’s just one photo left.
...How bad is it?
As bad as the one you just saw. Are you okay with that?
...Yeah, I guess I have to be.
Hajime nodded and pulled the photo from the envelope.
He took a moment to look at it, then handed it to me.
A-Ah...
That pose... I’ve definitely seen it before.
Yeah... this must be Girl E, after she was killed on the fourth day.
I mean, it looks exactly the same as the dead body depicted in the game...
There’s no question then... the girl in this photo is undeniably Girl E.
Alright, that’s it. No more photos after that.
There’s no doubt about it... This was the prize for completing the game.
Which means... Chiaki really did play it first.
And those photos... They confirm the events of Twilight Syndrome actually happened in real life.
It’s all true... everything Monokuma told us was true.
Which also means our memories of Hope’s Peak really were stolen...
It's just one thing after another... It felt like we were in a movie.
Um, I think there’s something else inside the envelope...
Really? What is it?
It’s... a note?
“Try playing Twilight Syndrome
After you get a Game Over, press down 5 times for the real game.
Once you do, you should remember what you all did to my sister...
We’ll talk then.”
This note...
Doesn’t it sound like... it got delivered to Chiaki?
Yeah, it does. Which means...
Ah! Chiaki wasn’t the first to complete the game!
It was whoever sent this note...
And because of that, they received this envelope as a prize from Monokuma.
So... Nagito was telling the truth!
He said that when Chiaki came to visit, she’d already been wanting to play the game... and that must have been because she was delivered this note.
And so she played the game.
That explains why she was desperate to have me take over her duty. I thought she just didn’t want to feed Nagito.
She kept the entire thing hidden from me... Maybe if she told me about all this, I could have done something...
The question is... who completed the game first?
The person who first completed the game...
I think we’re done here.
This place did turn out to be important, after all...
Ugh, but I’m glad to be going. I don’t think I can be here much longer.
...
Despite everything we’d learned, he remained totally stoic.
I wonder what was going through his head, being in this room...
Was he like me? Was it a struggle just being here?
Hey, there’s still some things to investigate.
There can’t be much time left. We have to hurry.
...Okay, you’re right. Let’s go.
Mahiru and Hajime, what a coincidence. If something happens twice, third time's the charm, so they say.
Geh!? Nagito!?
What coincidence...? Are you a stalker or something?
Don't say that... I was just thinking about filling you in on the results of my investigation.
Is that so... What did you find?
I’ll tell you if Hajime drops to his knees and licks my shoe.
What... did you just say?
...
...Huh?
...Juuuust kidding. I was joking.
Really? It didn’t come across that way!
Well, it's about the footprints... The killer left their footprints in front of the beach house, right?
Wait... you found out whose footprints they are!?
If you want to know, I highly recommend you come to the beach house with me.
Can’t you tell me right now?
No, I think it’s better you see it for yourself.
Alright..
...
Actually... there’s something else on my mind.
Huh?
I’m thinking of checking out where Fuyuhiko’s at. See if I can wring a story out of him.
So, I’ll leave the beach house to you.
Hey... are you sure about that?
Fuyuhiko’s an unstable guy, you know. How can you be sure he won’t... *try* something?
I think it’ll be alright... If he does try anything, I can probably handle it.
Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. If someone like me tried to talk to him, it'd be impossible, but it might be different with Hajime.
I would advise listening to Mahiru, though. Fuyuhiko is the Ultimate Yakuza, after all... If he turns violent, it might not go your way.
I said I could handle him.
...
Anyway, I’ll get to it. See you later, Mahiru. [leaves]
...Bye.
Huh? Do you really want to keep hanging out with him?
W-What’s that supposed to mean?
Oh well, it doesn’t matter. He’s gone now.
Let’s go. We better be quick. We don’t have much time left, you know?
He wasn’t wrong... but part of me still wanted to grill him about Hajime.
Jeez, is he jealous or something?
Gah!? Nagito!?
Oh, don’t mind me, I’m just accompanying Mahiru to the beach house. Pretend I’m not here.
Uh... Uh...
That’s right. The last time Nekomaru saw Nagito was when he tied him up.
Definitely makes for an awkward reunion...
Well, serves Nekomaru right for doing such a stupid thing in the first place.
S-So, Mahiru... how’s your investigation coming along?
It’s going fine, I guess.
Another killing... What did Chiaki do to deserve this?!
All I can do for Chiaki is find out who the killer is and teach them a lesson.
...That reminds me. Sonia was here just a while ago... She seemed excited about finding some new information and headed toward the beach house.
Eh? She did?
Could she have found what she wanted, regarding the mask next to the body?
Last time I saw her, she seemed really distressed about it...
Once I’m back at the beach house, I should talk to her.
To bring such an insidious presence within my aura... it is an action unparalleled in its hubris.
Excuse me?
...I think he’s talking about me.
Your follower reeks of death and destruction... In choosing to cooperate with him, you have forfeited your soul to the Prince of Darkness.
Yeah, yeah, I get it. You don’t like him. Can we just set this aside and focus on the investigation?
Also, could you try being a little *sensitive* for once?
You are quick to decide for me, but a mortal holds no power over their king.
I still have much to discuss with you. For instance, I happen to know you fiends...
: ...were preoccupied with your infantile beach play...!
It matters not, for what I love is silence and solitude...
That's right... That's it... that's precisely it...
Oh, I see. You wanted to be invited.
You could’ve just asked, you realize?
You assume *I*, your future king, would take an interest in such juvenile conduct?
Bahaha! You will *know* when I’ve chosen to bless you with my presence!
This guy really wants us to think he’s important, doesn’t he?
Whatever, I need to return to investigating.
Which reminds me, you better have been working hard this time.
I don’t want to hear anything else about that stupid earring!
Speaking ill of the Devildog earring? Hmph, it comes as no surprise...
The boldest individuals.... are often the simplest.
Are you calling me stupid!?
Mahiru, we should really get going...
Hehe... Run along now, bold one. We shall meet again...
