Chapter Three: The First Accusation
The silence in the classroom was a different kind of heavy now—not the silence of confusion or fear, but the silence of mistrust.
They were no longer a group. They were suspects.
Tatsuya Kuroda stood at the center, his arms folded, his expression unreadable as always. His voice, when it came, was calm and precise.
> "First, we need to fully understand the roles in this game. I don't know who the Killer is yet... but I'll do everything I can to find them."
He looked from face to face, gauging each reaction, each flicker of emotion. But before anyone else could speak, Aoi Himura stepped forward, arms crossed tightly over her chest.
> "Well, I'll start by saying this—Tatsuya's face already looks like he's the Killer."
Tatsuya's eyes met hers, impassive. He didn't flinch. He didn't frown.
> "Come on, Aoi," Ren said from the back, where he leaned against the wall, arms hanging loose. His usual lazy smirk was gone—his voice was serious, steady. "Don't go blaming someone just based on their face. That's not proof."
He paused, then shrugged with a quiet sigh.
> "You're only saying that because Tatsuya always looks so emotionless. I don't know what happened in his past to make him like that… but that doesn't make him the Killer."
> "Alright, everyone—calm down," Shun Hayashi said, raising a hand. His voice was composed, clipped, almost clinical. "Arguing won't help us. We need to start thinking clearly."
He glanced around the room, his gaze sharp and calculating.
> "The priority is figuring out who the VIP is. If we can identify them, we can protect them from the Killer."
That shut the conversation down.
No one said a word.
No one wanted to. The tension was a noose slowly tightening, and suspicion had already begun to divide them. One by one, they walked off, each to their own corner of the room—isolated by fear, by doubt, by what they might be hiding.
---
Tatsuya sat against the wall, arms resting on his knees. His mind churned behind his still features.
> No one wants to talk. Not yet.
But if we don't start working together, this game will tear us apart.
His fingers tightened slightly.
> I have to move fast. I need to understand the rules—completely—and figure out how to beat this game… before it's too late.
---
In a dim hallway outside the main room, two figures sat quietly.
Mei Tsukino and Shun Hayashi leaned against the cold wall, shadows curling around their feet. They spoke in hushed voices.
> "Do you think… you know who the Killer is?" Mei asked softly, her eyes distant.
Shun sat with his arms folded, expression unreadable.
> "I'm not sure yet," he said. "But I have an idea. We need to observe—closely."
> "Observe what, exactly?"
> "Emotions. Reactions. The VIP will likely be the most anxious one here. They have the most to lose."
Mei tilted her head, brow furrowing.
> "But… that's a problem. Tatsuya never shows emotion. His face is always unreadable."
> "Exactly," Shun replied. "He's a variable I can't predict. He's… disconnected. Dangerous in that way."
Mei nodded slowly, a slight chill in her voice.
> "Alright then. Let's figure this out. We'll find the Killer—before they find us."
---
Back in the classroom, Daichi tried his best to rally the group.
> "Guys, listen—don't worry so much," he said, his voice trying to be confident. "If we stick together, the Killer won't be able to touch any of us. They only get one chance per day, right?"
> "That's assuming no one lies or sneaks off behind our backs…" Aoi muttered, still scowling.
Ren raised an eyebrow, pushing off the wall.
> "You think that'll really stop them? What if they're already here with us?"
Daichi let out a nervous laugh, trying to hold on to optimism.
> "Alright, alright. But still—nobody goes off alone, okay?"
> "Let them try," Aoi snapped. "If the Killer even looks at me wrong, I'll knock their teeth in."
---
Later, Tatsuya found himself back in the hallway where Mei and Shun sat. He joined them wordlessly, sitting cross-legged against the wall. For a moment, the three just sat in silence.
> "Do you have any suspects yet?" Shun asked, breaking the silence with his usual blunt tone.
> "No," Tatsuya said simply. "Not yet."
Mei looked over at him, her expression curious.
> "Can I ask you something?"
Tatsuya didn't look at her. "...What is it?"
> "Why don't you ever show emotion?" she asked. "Even now, you're completely calm."
He finally turned his head slightly toward her.
> "…That's a secret."
Mei frowned.
> "Keeping secrets during a death game? That's suspicious. I think you could be the Killer."
Shun raised a hand.
> "Don't start accusing without proof," he said. "If he's not the Killer, you'll just cause more chaos."
> "If I see anything suspicious from him, I'll vote him without hesitation," Mei said, standing quickly.
But as she moved, her foot slipped slightly on the smooth tile. She stumbled, and something fluttered from her pocket and hit the ground.
A card.
It was only visible for a moment before Mei snatched it up and stuffed it away.
But it was enough.
Tatsuya had seen the symbol on it.
He kept his expression flat, saying nothing. His thoughts stirred behind his eyes.
> So that's her role… Interesting.
He stared ahead, quiet and composed as ever.
> I could use that.
Her role might be useful…
And in that moment, without a word, Tatsuya Kuroda took his first step toward turning the game in his favor.
Next in Chapter 4:The First Move