"I'm not saying I think you did it! But... well... you were the last one who was with Seiko last night. And... you were the first to find her. Then, when you came to show us the body, you got us as a group. I mean, it may have been because we're the first people you stumbled across, but body discovery announcements don't trigger unless three innocent students come across the body. And... well... if you grabbed only two other students and the announcement didn't trigger, that wouldn't look good. So... I don't know, I just-"

"No, no, it's okay," Sora sniffled, wiping his tears. "I understand. I'm suspicious. On top of that, I'm one of the people without an alibi. So... this makes sense. I didn't do it... but I don't think I have any proof-"

"Was the note written in pencil?" Rantaro interrupted.

"Hmm?" Maikeru hummed.

"The note. Can I see it?"

Maikeru paused for a moment, then shrugged and passed the note down to Rantaro. The ultimate adventurer looked it over, squinting at the small letters.

"It's written in pencil. Slightly smeared. Sora, are you right-handed or left-handed?"

"Right-handed," Sora answered immediately. "Why?"

"Lefties tend to make the graphite smear when they write. Looking at this note, whoever wrote this was probably a lefty. It's not certain... but..."

"You think he's innocent," I finished.

"I do," Rantaro agreed. "I don't like jumping to conclusions... but I really do."

I believed him.

I had no reason to. Heck, I hardly even knew Rantaro, but I believed him.

"So, we're back to suicide, then?" Keiko asked.

"Looks like it," Yuuki breathed. "The phone call must have pushed her over the edge. I'm gonna be honest, when I got the notification this morning that it was my turn, it did fill me with a sense of dread. Even though I knew I wasn't going to take it."

Everyone else more or less agreed, when Monokuma suddenly stood up.

"Wait, wait, WAIT! I'm just now realizing something!" Monokuma gasped. "Not everyone got their chance to experience my super awesome motive! One unfortunate student got left out! Oh, this is terrible!"

"Oh, that IS terrible! Whatever shall we do!" Kichiro gasped sarcastically. "How could you do this, Monokuma?! You've gone too far this time!"

Ahmya visibly rolled her eyes as Monokuma eagerly nodded, then turned his gaze to Ruji.

"Well, you know who you are," the bear giggled. "So... do you want your phone call, Ruji Sasaki? Your time is now..."

The bear made a small, old-fashioned phone appear before the ghostbuster.

Ruji went pale. I could see the sweat start to drip from his forehead.

He wanted that phone call. I could tell.

But he didn't want to disappoint us.

We all had our eyes on him as we waited for him to make a decision. He looked at me as if silently asking for an answer, but I didn't help him. I couldn't move. I couldn't guide him.

"It's okay, Ruji," Maikeru finally said. "Take it."

Ruji's breath hitched as he winced and turned to face the security guard. For a moment, he wasn't Ruji. He was his brother's younger brother. In that same moment, Maikeru wasn't Maikeru. He was someone else's older brother. Someone who understood.

"Okay..." Ruji whispered, nodding and turning his gaze to Monokuma. "Okay."

"Okay!" the bear laughed. He carried the phone over to Ruji and waited for him to dial in the number.

Ruji's hands were shaking as he put the numbers in, then held the phone up to his face.

"H-Hello?" he whispered.

There was a pause, then tears slipped down his cheeks.

"I-I'm okay. I mean... I'm scared, but I'm still here," Ruji whispered into the phone.

There was another pause.

"Yeah... yeah, I miss you too.... more than anything." he sniffled. He was crying now, clutching Maikeru's still-lit flashlight to his chest. "I... I don't know what to do without you. I'm trying so hard, but I miss you. Heh, now I'm embarrassing myself in front of everyone. I just... I'm so scared. I want you back. I want the dog. I want-"

The line cut off, and that was the end of the conversation.

Ruji gasped and clutched the phone closer. "Hello?" he asked, desperate. "Hello? Please, don't go yet. I... I need to tell you I love you. I need to tell you in case I don't get out. I... please..."

He dropped the phone, then covered his face and continued to cry, all while everyone else watched awkwardly.

I could almost feel his heartache. His pain. I wanted to run over to him and hug him tight, but I was too afraid to move. Too afraid of punishment.

"It was me."

Everyone suddenly turned their attention away from Ruji.

"W.... what?" I asked, completely shocked.

Maikeru's eyes were wet. He was quiet. His face looked soft.

"It was me," he repeated, quiet. Gentle. "I did this."

I shook my head no.

He was working with me to solve this. I was with him just last night. It couldn't have been him.

I didn't want it to be him. Not after we were finally becoming friends. There was still so much more I wanted to learn about him.

What the heck was he doing?!

Ruji had fallen silent.

"It was you?" Yuuki asked.

"Yes," Maikeru breathed, bowing his head. "I... took the phone call. Right before Seiko. I called my sister. She... I was all she had. We used to have a younger brother too... but he's gone. He's been gone. And I... I was so horrible to him when he was here. My brother needed me once, and I wasn't there for him... now my sister needs me, and I'm still not there. I just need to be there for her. But... I can't do this anymore. I can't do this to Ruji's brother. I..."

He looked up at Ruji for a brief second, then shook his head and looked away.

"I can't do this to you," he said, his voice breaking.

"But..." I whispered. "Seiko..."

"She helped me," Maikeru explained. "I... I went back to the hangar alone last night. I just... needed to get away from everyone after that phone call. Then... Seiko showed up, looking for a way out. We got to talking... and we decided to do this together. I would help her, and she would help me. I promised her... when I got out, I'd save her lab and her coworkers. In exchange, she gave her life so I could escape and find my little sister. She... she's the one who wrote the note. She's the one who handed me the rope. But... I'm the one who tied it. I'm the one who kicked the chair aside. It was me. It was all me."

My heart throbbed.

Not him... not like this.

It couldn't end like this.

Why? Why did this all have to happen?

"N-no," Ruji whispered, his eyes wide and glassy. "No, you're lying! S-stop! Please, stop!"

Maikeru shook his head, his gaze softening for the ghostbuster as more tears slipped from Ruji's eyes.

"Well, it looks like we've come to a verdict," Monokuma started.

"No," I whimpered, covering my ears and shaking my head. "Please, no! Not yet! We're not done!"

"We're done," Maikeru breathed, casting me a small smile that broke my heart. "It's voting time."

"Please, just stop!" Ruji begged. "It's not voting time! It... it could be someone else! You could be lying!"

"I'm not lying," Maikeru said as the levers appeared before us. He looked down, then cast his vote. As did everyone else. Everyone except for me and Ruji.

"Vote, guys," Maikeru breathed. "Please?"

I shook my head and looked at Ruji, who fell silent. Tears continued pouring from his eyes as he trembled.

I wished it was Seiko who did this. Heck, a part of me was wishing it was Sora. I know that sounds terrible, but I was finally getting through to Maikeru, and now he was leaving.

"I... I don't want you to go," Ruji whimpered. "Maikeru... you're my... I... you're my friend. I don't want you to leave yet!"

His back straightened slightly as Ruji called him a friend. He seemed to let out a breath, then nodded at the lever.

"Vote, Ruji," Maikeru said. "We're all waiting on you."

I looked over at my own lever. I hadn't even noticed that my hand was already wrapped around it, my vote for him having been cast.

Ruji shook his head no and bit his lip. "Who will I talk to each night when I get scared of the dark?" he whispered.

"You have that light," Maikeru said, forcing a small smile. "You'll be okay."

"No, I won't," Ruji whispered, shaking his head and clutching the flashlight closer. "Just... why would you... I..."

"Ruji, it's okay," Maikeru promised again. "You're the ghost guy, right? Maybe we can meet again."

Ruji nodded, though I could tell he didn't really believe that.

He wrapped his fingers around the lever and made his vote.

"Aaaaaand, the results are in!" Monokuma sang. "Did you make the right choice? Or the dreadfully wrong one? Puhuhuhu!"

We all waited for the results. Surely enough, Maikeru was voted as the blackened.

"Cooooorrect!" Monokuma yelled. "The one guilty of killing Seiko Okazaki, the ultimate chemist... is none other than Maikeru Afuton!! The ultimate security guard!! Congratulations!"

I shook my head, not wanting to believe my ears. I didn't want it to be true.

"Don't be sad, Suki," Maikeru whispered, turning his gaze to mine. "I... knew the risks when I did it. I had a feeling things would end like this."

He turned to face Monokuma, looking unafraid.

"Well, why don't you get this over with?" he asked. "I won't give you the pleasure of seeing my fear any longer."

"Oh, brave are we?" Monokuma teased.

"You have no idea," Maikeru replied. "I've been prepared to die for years. Do your worst."

"I'll break you," Monokuma giggled. "I always do! Now, it's time for Maikeru Afuton's super special punishment! Let's give this everything we've got. It's... PUNISHMENT TIME!!!"

Monokuma pulled out a small red mallet and hit a red button before him.

"Wait, please!" Ruji whimpered, holding one of his hands out as Maikeru was taken away. We couldn't save him, though.

Maikeru was dragged to what looked to be a birthday party, surrounded by kids that looked like Monokuma in strange-looking animal-themed masks. Everyone was jumping up and down, dancing and singing a distorted tune along with what looked to be two large animatronics with sharp teeth. He turned around himself, his eyes wide as if he was looking for someone when everyone around him suddenly lifted him into the air, parading him up to the singing animatronics. He tried to kick and shout, but the masked people below him wouldn't let go.

There was a quiet music box that placed an eerie melody in the background as he was lifted up, his head placed inside one of the animatronic's mouths. He screamed, shouting for someone whose name I didn't recognize.

The fearless expression had melted away. He was kicking and squirming to get lose.

Then, there was a snapping sound, and the animatronic's jaw closed on his head.

And everything went dark.

"....Wow," Kichiro said, slowly clapping. "What a twist that was. So heartbreaking... now that's good entertainment. Looks like Maikeru just got unlucky."

No one else spoke. How could we? Maikeru was gone.

Ruji dropped to his knees, covering his mouth and allowing loud sobs to echo throughout the trial room.

Another trial had ended.

This nightmare was over. For now. But at what cost?

As we each filed out, we all walked with our heads down and our feet dragging.

Once we got back to our cabins, most of us simply went to bed without a word.

I walked up to my door and reached for the handle, ready to run inside and hug my pillow. Ready to let sleep take me away from this cruel world, when someone cleared their throat from behind me.

I turned around to see Sora.

"Oh... hi..." I muttered, feeling guilty.

Earlier I thought he could be a murderer...

"Hi..." he replied, giving a weak wave. "Are... can I talk to you? It'll be quick, I promise."

I nodded, then sat down on the ground, since there weren't really seats. He let out a breath, then sat down next to me. He took off his goggles and started to shine them.

"I... I know you guys thought it was me," he muttered.

"Oh..." I replied. "Sora, I'm so-"

"No, no, you don't need to apologize," he quickly interrupted. "I just... I want to explain why I was... I want to tell someone my story. In case I... I want you to know who I am so you... I'm not a murderer." He was fumbling through his words, which was a little uncharacteristic of him.

"Sora, I know-"

"No, you don't," he stated. "You don't know me, and that's the problem. So... I want to... I need to explain why I was there."

I nodded and waited patiently for him to compose himself.

"Alright..." he breathed. "I... I'm sick. I've been sick my whole life. I spent most of my teen years in a hospital trying to get better. I'm a little better now... but I still don't have long. When I was in that hospital... all I ever wanted was to get on a plane and fly away. Far away from all the diseases, all the needles, everything."

I felt my heart practically stop.

I would have never guessed something like this. Sora usually seemed so cheery and bright.

Why was he hiding something as big as this? Was he afraid people would see him differently? Or did he think it just didn't matter?

"When I was in the hospital, I had a friend. His name was J.D. We both were super sick, and had no other family, so we saw each other a lot. The two of us... we'd talk about flying away together. Even after I got released from the hospital, I'd come back to see him and talk to him about my pilot lessons. I'd talk about all the stuff I was learning and how someday, we were going to be free."

"That's sweet..." I breathed.

"Yeah... he's still in there. And... I know I probably won't make it out of this game... but when I saw that hangar, I got excited. I thought maybe... just maybe, I could build a plane and save you all. I thought maybe I could do something worthwhile with my life before it ends."

"Aw, Sora-"

"I was going to call him," he continued, cutting me off. "JD. Just to... just to check and see if he was still alive. I just wanted to tell him to hang in there. I wanted to say 'Wait, don't leave yet. I'm still here. We can still fly away from all of this. Together.' But... I got too scared. I didn't make the call. And... I don't really know what else to say now."

I bit my lip, then carefully placed my hand on his shoulder, afraid of how fragile he was now.

"That's okay," I breathed. "You know... someone wise once told me that sometimes we have to be strong."

He nodded and placed his goggles back on his head. "Really?" he asked.

"Yeah," I smiled. "But... someone even wiser told me that it was okay to be weak, too."

He looked up at me, then cracked a small smile.

"Goodnight, Suki."

"Goodnight, Sora."