Prologue, Part 5: The suspects

                                    

                                          
DAYTIME, 9:10 AM
                          
Monokuma was laughing at our misery, and the hopelessness of our situation. "Now I think you guys understand the thing that you're all lacking. Despair, there's not nearly enough despair in you for my tastes. You all have complexes, sure every teenager has one. But so few complexes become full-fledged despair, so that's why you're here. You're here to play a game that will destroy you all mentally, emotionally, and physically. A game that will drag you into the depths of despair. Hajime Hinata was originally supposed to bear the title of Ultimate Wannabe but as you saw he didn't really work out, he didn't want to play either so there were consequences for backing out of the game. Now as for the rest of you, I've given you a demonstration of my power. So I, your beloved headmaster Monokuma, will give you an ultimatum. Hear me out and take the test, or else you will all die just like Hajime Hinata. Once again, the decision is yours to make, and yours alone. So my precious students, what's it gonna be? Despair or death?" he asked as sharp claws shot out of his left paw, which he showed us threateningly as his red eye glowed brightly.
                          
We were all silent. Not one of us dared utter a single word.
                          
Monokuma laughed again. "Good, now if there aren't any more interruptions, let the game begin. Welcome to the Murder Mystery Tour."
                          
"Mur-Murder Mystery Tour?" Micho repeated in horror.
                          
"Yes, Murder Mystery Tour. Do you need to get your ears checked?" Monokuma asked condescendingly. "I also could've gone with tutorial, but I felt that would be a little cliché, so instead it's a tour of what your life is going to be like for the time being. A test to see if you can stick it out and play my game for real. Hajime-kun proved himself worthy by taking one of my other tests, but unfortunately he got knocked out of the competition before the real fun could even begin." Monokuma sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well, I wasn't expecting much from that talentless nobody anyway."
                          
I growled at that comment and deepened my glare at Monokuma.
                          
Monokuma laughed at my reaction and then continued his explanation. "Anyway, here's how things are going to happen. Hajime-kun's killer is inside the school as we speak and your job is to sniff them out."
                          
"Inside the school, more like standing right in front of us," I replied.
                          
"Eh? Whatcha talking about?" Monokuma asked as he cocked his head to the side.
                          
"You practically admitted that you were the one who killed Hinata-kun already! There we solved the mystery now let us out, none of us want to be here anymore!" I shouted at the psychotic bear.
                          
"Pfft...hahahahahahahahahaha!" Monokuma responded with a fit of loud laughter that forced him to grip his sides in order to keep his balance and keep him from falling off of the podium. Then after he was finished laughing he asked, "You didn't think it would be that easy did you? Honestly, a mystery that easy to solve should be B-rated for babies. This a M-rated game wise guy – or T-rated depending on where you live – that's why we can have cursing, blood and gore, and all the underlying themes – wink, wink – that your little heart desires. Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, I most positively, absolutely, with 100% certainty, did not kill Hajime Hinata. I just kind of forced the killer's hand. Ergo, my hands, I mean paws, are clean." Monokuma showed us his paw pads in retort.
                          
"What do you mean by, you forced the killer's hand, exactly? Izuru asked out of curiosity.
                          
"Finally a person who is willing to ask questions pertaining to the game. I was beginning to think that you guys fool-heartedly believed in that old saying curiosity killed the cat, or in this case person. Please, this is a mystery game, ask all the questions you want, by all means. I'll even give you a couple of free hints, to get more it's gonna cost you though, just like a real mystery game."