CHAPTER 2 · 8 · Pure

“I think Ciel and Akiro took it.”
When we walk inside the infirmary, Chloe and Andi are in the middle of a conversation. Keith is searching through some sort of small cupboard, while Oscar looks over Mina.
Ah..! I knew he was awake, but it somehow hadn’t fully registered. Having just seen him lay… dead-like… I feel weirdly happy seeing him sit on this small white bed.
“Oscar..!”
“It’s so good to see you”? Is that what I should say? I’m oddly speechless.
He turns to us.
“…Hello.”
Chloe does the same.
“Oh, Neo, Ciel, it’s you…”
“Oh, it’s Ciel and Neo! My favourite witnesses!”
Andi sounds a mix of nervous and genuinely enthusiastic.
“W-witnesses..?”
Ignoring the girls, Ciel walks past me and around Mina’s bed to look at her, facing Oscar.
“It’s just that you guys remember how Keith and I are crazy knowledgeable about the pouches of blood, right?”
Hm… Hmm… I think I know what she means.
“What a nice day to shut the fuck up,” Keith mumbles without looking at us.
“It… doesn’t really matter, though, Andi.”
Chloe turns her head to Ciel, this time.
“Andi’s saying one of the pouches is missing, but you’re the one who took it, right, Ciel?”
“Hm?”
They were staring at Mina, but they abruptly look up. There’s nothing they can do… There’s no use in me getting closer… She’s still visibly fainted, but I can see that she breathes.
“Yes. I took some bandage and whatever seemed right to attempt a transfusion from here.”
“Yes… I see…”
“A transfusion? W-what? Did you really think you could do a transfusion on your own?”
“I… I…”
Ciel clenches their fists and shakes their head. Once again, their voice becomes high-pitched with what feels like… panic, to me.
“I don’t know! I just had to try!”
“Hey, I was..! I was really asking, you know!”
“Shut it.”
“Wh-who? Me?”
“Yes… Please.”
… Keith continues to read what look like identical boxes of medicine, and sighs.
“…Since you asked nicely for once, I almost feel like doing it.”
“I don’t think there’s a nice way to ask someone to shut up…”
“You do not get to decide of that for her.”
“I, uh… Ciel lowers their voice, I agree, but we have bigger problems at the moment.”
…And Keith still doesn’t move at all.
“In any case, ahem… One pouch of blood is missing, and that makes sense. But Keith is looking at something else…”
“I am.”
Chloe sighs.
“Uuuh… What is it?”
Finally, he turns to me. Keith throws one of the box towards me and I tense up, but manage to catch it.
“Like you probably remember… Andi and I inspected this room that one time. We found these boxes of sleep medication, and nothing else.”
“O-okay?”
I look at the box in my hands. Unopened, it’s called “Zzzzzzzer”. I, uh… I think I’d remember if I’d ever seen this brand before.
“Have a blast reading the box.”
There’s nothing but the logo on the front, but I immediately understand the reason for his sarcastic tone when I flip it up. The warnings and ingredients on the back of this box are bright pink for some reason… And I recognize this font… It’s Comic Sans MS!


I feel too stupid reading this on my own. I read the second part aloud.
“Warning… Do not drive, but it’s not like there’s a car around here, is there? Not recommended to pregnant women because of the weird chemicals I don’t know. Potential secondary effects include long-term insomnia and a slight scent of almonds.”
Maybe I should have read it in Monokuma’s voice.
“Almonds..? Oh, just like Isabella’s perfume, then.”
“Really?”
I didn’t pay much attention, but I guess Isabella had a slight, sweet scent the last time I talked to her. It didn’t really surprise me that she’d be wearing this kind of perfume.
“Thanks for the info.”
“Pardon..? Oh!”
With wide eyes, Chloe slaps her mouth. Why? What’s wrong? “Thanks for the info”, he says… To the info that… Isabella…
“Oh!”
“That’s beside the point for now. A shitton of these boxes are missing.”
“What do you mean… “a shitton”?”
“A shitton as in, most of them. There were 20, now there are 4.”
Oh, wow. I don’t really know what to say…
I didn’t really expect him to be this helpful.
“That’s… super weird.”
“Oh, I thought you’d listened.”
Keith turns his head to Andi, expressionless. She grimaces, but says nothing.
“I think I’d rather you talk, after all.”
She tilts her head to the side… A little more… A little more… And smiles bitterly.
“I knew it.”
I wonder what she knew, but it doesn’t matter right now. Ciel sighs loudly and walks around the bed again to get back next to me.
“Aside from your discoveries, we were looking to hear your testimonies.”
“That’s right…”
I glance at everyone in turn, and Oscar last. I meet his gaze, and he’s expressionless as always, but not in the way that Keith is. When I say Keith’s expressionless, it’s like he’s pulling an “expressionless” expression. When it comes to Oscar… It’s like there literally is nothing to see.
This is why when he laid still… The only thing that scared me was that he wouldn’t move.
“Our testimonies..? As in?”
“Just tell us what you did today, and what or who you saw.”
“Oh… Well…”
She starts to bite her nails, but realizes it and stops.
“I ate breakfast, and then… I went upstairs and sat with Isabella in front of the fashion room. She was asleep, so I uh, I woke her up…”
Keith groans, for whatever reason.
“Chris joined us shortly afterwards. I don’t think she ate breakfast, since she brought a banana and ate it next to us.”
“Okay…”
Chloe’s testimony might be a little long, but that makes sense. She has the strongest link to this case among us, so it’s probably important that we listen to the details of what she says.
“We spent the morning together, and we… didn’t see anyone else, at any point, on the second floor. I don’t know what hour it was exactly, but… At some point, Chris left to search for cushions for us to sit on… She said she was going to the auditorium.”
I nod.
“We saw her there… It was 11:30!”
“O-okay, uhm... Then… We suddenly heard a loud noise from the floor underneath. I was in the bathroom but… it had woken up Isabella, so it didn’t take us too long to rush downstairs… Where we found Mina stuck underneath Oscar. She asked us for help, and we tried to move Oscar but, uh… He was too heavy. Also I guess we panicked and uhm… didn’t notice that his arm was stuck under the shelf.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, no, please, we were careless… Uhm… In any case, we didn’t know what to do, so I called for help. I found Neo and Ciel walking up the stairs, so… You tried to help too, and then the three of us left to call for more help.”
“Yeah… That’s right.”
Ciel and I went upstairs… She went downstairs.
“I found Chris in the auditorium and brought her upstairs. I continued to call for help, and Alice, Akiro and Jan joined us right afterwards.”
While Chloe speaks, Andi moves closer to Keith.
“Alice kicked away the shelf... Around the same time, Ciel came back also calling for help, so Akiro went with him… Chris and Jan carried Oscar… They brought him here, and Alice took Mina, and uhm… since we heard the announcement… Isabella and I hurried to the church.”
“So far, everybody’s testimonies align.”
“I think… that’s all.”
“Okay.”
“…Thank you.”
I can’t think of anything else to ask. Chloe was caught up in this mess… It’s clear she didn’t do anything wrong.
“How about you two?” Ciel asks, turning to Keith and Andi.
He’s holding his own back again. Andi simply stands next to him, staring at her own nails.
“You saw me leave the dining room, after which I spent the entire morning in my room on my own. I came out after hearing the body discovery announcement, at the same time as Andi. I took a minute to help her calm down, but we quickly got there. We saw a bunch of people inside the infirmary but headed straight to the chapel.”
Once again… I didn’t expect such a detailed reply from him.
Andi nods.
“Yeah… We saw that Oscar was on a bed with Chris, Jan and Alice around. We couldn’t see Mina from outside but I guess she was already there too.”
“O-of course. Alice brought her.”
Andi shrugs and laughs nervously.
“I believe ya.”
“And you, Andi?”
“Hmm…”
She tilts her head to the side once again.
“I told you I would mess with the vending machines, right? I did that for a while, but I didn’t manage to steal anything, and I was worried about breaking the rule about breaking stuff, so I just stopped. Since I was alone and I didn’t have anything to do, I figured I’d stay in my room until lunchtime.”
“I see… So neither of you have an alibi.”
Keith shrugs, but only slightly.
“No alibi it is.”
“Wait… Really?”
“Well… They were both alone.”
There has to be something else… Like… We were outside for the most time and never saw either of them leave the dormitory, so it’s obvious that they stayed there. I don’t know if Mina would think that’s enough proof, but I know for sure I’d have noticed somebody walk by when we were searching the glass dome.
…
So then, who did it? I facepalm. Everything aligns in a way in which no one is the culprit.
“See? If you didn’t ask me to fuck off, I would have had an alibi!”
Andi puts on a pout.
“…So would I. I guess that’s a good point…”
Good to hear that Keith is finding at least one reason to hang out with Andi in the future…
“You should stand your ground a little more, she adds, starting to smile a little, else you might start to think it’s a good idea to stay with me next time.”
He flinches.
“You’re a fucking tool.”
“Thanks!”
I think this enthusiastic answer was a reflex. She’s too used to this…
“In that case… Oscar, if that's al-”
Ciel tries to change the subject, but they suddenly interrupt themselves and at first, I don’t know why. I turn to look at Oscar, thinking that maybe he did something weird, but then I see her..!
I see Mina move and try to sit up!
Oscar notices our reactions and turns around.
“…Oh my God.”
He stands up to get closer to the girl, placing his large hand against her thin shoulders.
“Mina. Please tell me you are okay.”
…And at first, she doesn’t say anything.
Keith and Andi both walk a little closer to the center of the room, a little closer to the scene. Mina frowns, grimaces, then looks at each of us in turn.
She buries her head in her hands and tries to lean back, cuing Oscar to remove his hand and place it on her arm instead.
“Tell me who died.”
My entire body tenses up. Two thoughts invade my mind at once… Mina never heard the body discovery announcement / she somehow realized just now.
“Benjamin Pan, Ultimate Fortune Teller.”
“Damn it.”
“Please tell me if you are in pain.”
…
“Physically? No.”
Oscar sighs in relief.
…A rare case of him expressing his feelings.
Chloe takes a few steps forward and stops in front of the other bed, which must have been used for Oscar.
“You were quick to tell, Mina. I’m very glad to hear you’re okay.”
“It was evident,” she says from under her own hands.
“R-really?”
“First, a trap for me… And Neo and Ciel being covered in blood.”
“A trap?!”
“Oh? Uhm… I’m sorry.”
I don’t know why I said sorry, but… I look at my own clothes. Without my overshirt, I’m mostly wearing black, so it’s not too obvious, but I can definitely feel it. There’s some blood on my shoes too.
I glance at Ciel too… Thankfully, their t-shirt is spotless. They’re also wearing black trousers, so I can’t really tell just by looking…
In any case, Mina doesn’t say anything else.
“Maybe… Do you need some time first..?”
The detective takes her hands away from her face, but still doesn’t reply, staring at the ceiling.
So we’re met with silence again, but after a few seconds pass, Oscar turns back to us.
“I will tell you our testimony for now.”
…
“Oh. Okay.”
It took me a while to respond, and it seems that no one else knew how to react. Mina’s acting weird, and I definitely want to talk to her more… But if Oscar judges it better to share his testimony first, I trust him.
“Mina and I spent the morning together. I visited her room at the morning announcement and she showed me a letter.”
He reaches for his pocket and takes out a piece of paper, which he hands forward to no person in particular. Without thinking, I walk towards him and grab it.
“Maybe you should read it out loud.”
…Yes.
But I don’t do it immediately.
For a second, I feel weird, like I’m being sent back to the second floor. But the infirmary is much brighter.
It is a note entirely written in cut-out letters.
“I found the mastermind. Meet me in the storage room at exactly 11.30AM. On your own to draw less attention. Don’t tell anyone”
…I try to sound it out that there is no period at the end, and shove the piece of paper in Ciel’s face as soon as I’m done reading it.
They clench their teeth.
“Shit.”
“Mina found this in her bedroom when she woke up in the morning. We agreed to go together even if the person had requested the opposite.”
“So… This letter is the reason you went to the storage room.”
Oscar nods, still without expression.
“Benjamin also got one, but it told him to go to the church at the exact same time.”
“Ah.”
“Wh-what? Really?”
“Yes… It was written the same way.”
“I’m sorry. Because of our carelessness, you have lost your friend.”

...

I instinctively look at the floor. Yeah… I’m so sad. But… No. This feels unfair.
I have to look at Oscar again.
“Please don’t say that. You weren’t “careless”. You couldn’t have done anything about it.”
“I wonder.”
He closes his eyes shortly.
“Still, you two have my condolences.”
…
“Thank you. Please go on.”
“Okay. At 11.30, Mina and I went to the storage room together. I opened the door, and she walked inside, but she tripped on something. At that moment, I knew there was a trap, and I jumped over her to take the hit instead of her.”
“S-seriously?”
He nods again.
“Something hit me behind the head, and the shelf fell on top of me. Because of my weight, I knew Mina was stuck under me, but…”
…For a second, he says nothing, looking into emptiness.
“I am very sorry. I was stunned by whatever hit my neck. I felt that I was going to faint, and tried to remove the shelf off of me, but I only managed to make it fall on my arm and I fainted.”
… So the reason he was over her… Was that he tried to protect her.
“Thank you for helping her. I failed miserably.”
“What makes you think you failed?”
I can see Oscar’s eyes turn to Keith and stare at him in silence for an instant.
“Instead of saving Mina, I put her in danger. And when I had to move, I couldn’t do it in time.”
“Thanks to you, Mina wasn’t hit by a heavy metallic shelf, but instead covered by a human body. That is much safer by all means. Being such lightweight, she was also in a lot more danger than you when it came to getting hit in the neck. You did a perfect job of guarding her with your body.”
Huh.
Down to the way he speaks… Keith is acting completely out of character.
“Hehe… Look at you…”
…He immediately becomes bright red.
“I guess you are too smart for me.”
While her attitude has been very nervous – probably not too differently from mine – since the body discovery, Andi seems to smile easier when she is teasing, or generally talking to Keith.
I don’t understand her… But maybe what she’s going for is right for her.
“No..!”
In a feat of mankind I thought only possible for the Ultimate Writer, Keith becomes even redder.
“Oh for fuck’s sake, leave me alone.”
She playfully sticks out her tongue.
“…I understand what you mean. Thank you for reassuring me.”
“Ahem, ahem…”
He fake-coughs in the back of his hand to give his blood time to go back to the rest of his body.
…Reminds me that I should get changed eventually. It’ll probably be freeing…
“Of course…”
“... I’m guessing that’s all of your testimony?”
“I woke up with Alice and Jan next to me. They informed me of the body discovery announcement and I told them to go. I also received the “Kumakuma file”.”
“I see.”
“What’s that?”
In the bat of an eye, Oscar takes out his Monopad and opens the app to show it to Mina, who stays still. He scrolls down.
“There is also an inventory of the clues.”
“Wait, what?”
What’s he talking about? I have to take out my own Monopad again. I open the black app—fuck. I didn’t want to see this again…
I quickly scroll down, and find a list of the most important clues I found… No, that’s not even true. There are other clues.

- STORAGE ROOM : two thick metal rings glued to the floor, right of the door, and ceiling, above where the shelf used to be.
- STORAGE ROOM : metallic cord attached to ring on the floor, passing through ring on the ceiling, with a metal case attached to the highest end.
- STORAGE ROOM : metal case on the floor.
- STORAGE ROOM : crushed pile of binders on the floor.

I think I know where that came from…

- STORAGE ROOM : fallen shelf with feet sawed off. One foot glued back to the middle.

“I don’t remember there being a list last time…”
Chloe’s reading over my shoulder. Me neither… Is it possible that I missed it?
She turns to Keith and Andi, who are also looking at their own Monopads.
“Do you know if we’re done looking here? We should investigate outside too.”
It sounds like this discovery revived her will to investigate.
“Yes chief. We found nothing else chief.”
“… Just the missing sleep medication.”
“Now that Mina’s awake, we could go… Right?”
“Yessir.”
“…Okay, let’s do that… Now.”
Chloe looks at me and smiles awkwardly before she leaves, and the two others follow her without further comment.
“…It looks like you guys have been doing a good job.”
While I was watching the others leave, Ciel walked towards Mina, back where they’d been standing a few minutes ago. When I notice that I’m alone in the middle of the room, I do the exact same thing.
“We’ve been trying our best, but we’ll need your help at the trial.”
“And you’ll have it.”
…
Mina’s a little troll, and I can’t stand to hear her so monotone.
“How are you feeling?”
She doesn’t answer immediately, but moves her arm up, as if she were attempting to reach for the ceiling.
“Confusion, worry, and then comes… depression.”
“Why do you feel depressed?”
“I am but a young girl in the face of death.”
…
No one knows what to say.
“Always on the crime scene after the fact, such is my destiny. And underestimating those who surround me… I thought I was smarter than the killer.”
“You trusted me and I didn’t feel killing spirit in anyone.”
“Still, I knew… and it’s in the face of my own feelings that I feel guilt.”
“Your feelings..?”
She lets her arm fall back next to her.
“The disgusting detective smiles at the idea of a worthy opponent.”

“You’re making me feel overwhelmed… and I’ve been conscious the entire time.”
After a while, Ciel finally spoke up.
“I’m sure you were already a little overwhelmed anyway.”
“...Yes.”
That’s a way to put it. I don’t really know what to do of Mina… She’s still blankly staring at the ceiling.
“I’m also a little sad, so a little devil on my shoulder is telling me to stay fainted and just wait for things to happen on their own.”
“You… You can’t do that..!”
It’s probably useless for me to even say it, because she already knows. We’re waiting for her to carry us to salvation.
“I know. Part of me just wishes to indulge in the little girl thing and ask my mommy for a kiss.”
…
“I can—”
“No.”
“Okay.”
I want a kiss.
Ah… Crap. I’ve thought something like that before. Is everything just gonna remind me of Ben now..?
“I can carry you if you feel weak.”
“Hmm…”
She sighs, and finally sits up.
“I think I’ll take you up on that. Besides…”
She inhales deeply… And reaffirms her voice.
“I don’t know how long this investigation has lasted, or how long it will last. I can’t waste any time. I need to at least inspect the body!”
With that said, she grabs Oscar’s arm, who takes that as an incentive to grab her and place her in front of him, sat on his other arm.
Huh?
“I’ll need one of you to come with me and walk me through what you already uncovered.”
“Huh?”
She changed her tone and attitude in a snap..!
And now she wants us to go back..?
“Ah, no!”
Ciel immediately tenses up and violently shakes their head.
“I don’t… I don’t think I can do it…”
“Understandable.”
She points to me.
“Can you do it?”
…
I quickly consider it.
“Yes.”
I know he’s dead, but I’d feel even worse if I didn’t see him in person at least one last time.
“In this case, Ciel will inspect the surrounding rooms. It didn’t look like any clues were uncovered on the rest of the second floor, and I need to know why.”
Ciel swallows their spit and nods.

We had to run after Oscar… Uh, at least he recovered quickly.
Ciel and I are completely out of breath when we reach the top floor, but continue to follow the bodyguard to the church blindly. Next to the door…
Someone is lying on the floor.
“Huh.”
Oscar stops right after he passes her, and both he and Mina blankly look at Lois. She’s lying on the side… Fast asleep.
Catching my breath, I instinctively crouch in front of her.
“L... Hhhh… Lois?”
Ciel kneels next to me as I tap her shoulder – very lightly, in fear that she’ll get mad at me.
“Hmpf…”
Fortunately, she doesn’t take very long to wake up. Keeping her eyes closed, she frowns and grimaces…
“Try to work with her, Ciel. Neo, come with us.”
Oscar takes the incentive to walk through the door, and I immediately stand up…
But looking at the open door less than a metre away from me, I suddenly start to feel dizzy.
I know what’s inside, and it drives me nuts.
…But I don’t have a choice. Ignoring my feelings… I take two steps forward.

The scene hasn’t changed, save for Lois being outside.
Isabella and Chris are still here, and the latter pulls a face that makes it clear she doesn’t know what to do. One girl is still kneeling in the same spot, the other is leaning against one of the benches.
And in-between them…
I thought it’d hit me harder. Is it that I already accepted his death? I’m able to look at Benjamin, lying there, without freaking out. It’s weird, because I still feel like he might get up at any moment… I almost feel upset that he’s pranking me, even though I know that’s not what’s happening.
Part of me thinks…
This is annoying, because I’d just gotten attached to him.
“This is the letter, right?”
Ignoring the girls, Oscar walked in and set Mina on the ground. She’s already kneeling next to the body.
“…Yes. Ciel put it there, but they found it in his pocket.”
Still, there’s something surreal about this setting. That we’re inside this dark chapel doesn’t help… But seeing the detective inspect Ben’s – someone who was breathing, and talking to me just yesterday – body isn’t much better. Hoping for a hint of reality, I look up and search for Chris’ gaze.
“Finally some good news, right?”
What does she mean? She was already looking in my direction, no less lost than she seemed when we got in, but now turns her head to the detective.
“… I’ll let the girl work and celebrate another time.”
“We don’t know how long it is before the trial, so Mina needs to focus.”
Oscar takes a step backwards, illustrating that he’s giving her all the space she needs.
“Hm.”
Now both Chris and Isabella are staring at Mina blankly. Chris’ reaction makes sense… But Isabella could as well be a statue.
“Did he die in this position?”
“Uuuuh…”
Yes.
“Yes.”
“Hm-hm.”
“He was still alive when I found him, by the way. He was sitting but, uh… I made him lie down before he died.”
The sweat on my temples feels like electricity.
“I see.”
What is she looking for? I don’t know what exactly is listed in the Kumakuma file. What else does she need to know? Suddenly, I’m making myself rush.
“The wound goes through his torso and back. We found a sword in the classroom.”
“A fucking what?”
“How thick was the blade?”
Did I look? I saw it. I remember…
“Kinda thin…”
“Corresponds.”
“O-okay.”
“I have a mission for you, Neo.”
“Ah?”
…That’s sudden. This thought alone makes me realize how fast my heart is beating – what exactly is making me so stressed, just now?
“Fetch me some make-up remover, and a cotton pad.”
“Huh?”
“Please hurry.”
“Uuh… Uuuuh…”
Why me? Why now? Make-up remover? Oh, what the hell. Hurrying is what I feel like doing anyway.

I rush out and run to the make-up room. Ciel and Lois aren’t in the hallway anymore, so maybe I’ll find them in there?

No, I don’t. Make-up remover? Why the heck does she need that? Is it a detective secret? Maybe it is. I can’t waste too much time, so… Make-up remover.
What does that look like?
There are a few pink and blue bottles on the dressing table… The pink ones say “100% acetone”. That doesn’t sound like something for your face… The blue ones are… “Make-up remover”. Bingo.
I grab one and a pack of cotton pads, and rush back to the church.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!”
Oh-oh. I wasn’t gone very long… And yet, it seems Mina managed to do something to upset Isabella.
“Zzzzzzzer. With two tabs missing.”
“Give this back, you brat.”
Isabella reaches for Mina, who’s reading the back of an aluminium tablet. I can see Oscar ready to get moving from the other side of the room, but the small girl chucks her treasure towards Isabella, who awkwardly catches it.
“Don’t worry. I’ve seen enough.”
“Seriously, what’s your problem?!”
“Maybe try to ask next time, instead of jumping someone and taking what's in their pockets…”
“Uuuuh…”
Is that what happened?
Isabella is bright red, but I think it’s in the sense she might say “I’m livid”… Ironically.
“Ah, thank you, Neo.”
Mina walks up to me and snatches the pack and bottle out of my hands.
Man…  If I’m not already overwhelmed…
She kneels back next to Ben’s body and douses a cotton pad in remover.
“Weirdo…”
“Uhm, what are you doing now?”
“I don’t know.” The question wasn’t directed at me, but I still thought clearly, “I don’t know.”
She places the cotton pad on Ben’s face and scrubs it all over.
…What?
“The fuck?”
I get closer. This is too weird. Does she th- wha-
What’s wrong with his face..?
When she’s done, she stares at the cotton pad.
…
“Nothing.”
Indeed, it’s completely white.
“But… What did you expect?”
“I was looking for…”
“ANYWAAAAAY! I’m bored, so the investigation is over. Everyone head to the elevator now, okay? I’ll kill you if you don’t!”
…

...
Emily’s…
Kumakuma's voice came out of the speakers, deafening as always…
I close my eyes.
It’s like she’s still there… Like she’s witnessing this.
Emily, who died first.
“Foundation. I was looking for foundation.”