-Five Years Later-

Why? Why do I still come back here...? I asked myself as I looked down at the grave of Ouma.

Sitting there still was the bottles of panta I had given him every single year on the anniversary. Every single year where I reminded myself how I killed him.

Everyone keeps telling me I couldn't have known, but I should have. I'm a bloody detective for goodness sake. I should have saw through the lies, or have not lost my temper.

Thought this out rationally and collective...not said all those cruel things I wish I could take back.

Then...he would still be here. By my side...that boy I fell in love with all those years ago. Not that I deserve him.

Kaito even has started to move on from Maki and unfortunately couldn't visit her grave this year because he was in a space exploration.

And Kaede was happily in love again, dating Rantaro. Everyone is moving on with their lives after the deaths and Tsumugi's betrayal.

She has been in prison for five years now for a life sentence on the slaughter of eleven people. DICE plus Maki.

She had confessed to everything once I started interrogating her...

-Five Years Ago-

"Tell me exactly what happened in the warehouse and the events leading up to that night" I asked getting out a pencil.

Tsumugi looked uncomfortable. She was already in a prison uniform and had hand and ankle cuffs.

"I was hurt...and I thought hurting back would take away the pain" she answered simply.

"You were hurt? How?" I asked and she took a deep breath.

"A long time ago I moved to this town, I was in first grade...I didn't have a lot of confidence in myself back then...this school was supposed to be where I made my first friends.." she started off her voice sounded weak.

"Then on that day, when I was making my introduction, all because I didn't greet him because of how shy I was at that time...he doused me along with his friends in soda..." she recalled.

My eyes widened a bit, that did sound a bit cruel. But she still killed people...no. You owe it to Ouma to hear the full story. No more assumptions without evidence to back them up.

"After that everyone started bullying me or treating me like I was one of them because of how much they seemed to prank me...because I never fought back" she admitted.

"I grew angry...and hated them for what they put me through...the constant pranks...the bullying...their constant meddling in my life never gave me anything...I hated them...until the point I wished they were dead" she choked up.

"We all have that secret wish right? When someone is mean or hurts us we secretly wish they didn't exists or were dead...even for a second...I acted on my wish" she told me.

"Next thing I know I hired an assassin...and then some of DICE were dead..." she recalled.

"At first I was revolted with myself...I hated myself for what I had just done...I even threatened Maki by lying saying I would destroy her orphange and Kaito...I figured out about them online on the blog...the Hope's Peak one..." she said.

"It was a bluff...just really good looking props...I am the ultimate cosplayer right? I can make props..." she admitted.

"Eventually...I realized killing them didn't make the pain go away...it only grew bigger...even as some died from their injuries afterwards it still grew...." she recalled.

"I thought to myself...if they are all gone...will I finally be free?" She asked herself in a way. Her eyes were distant as if staring off in a far away place.

"So...when two of the members commited suicide...and one was considering and I happened to notice and record...I was making a school project actually...I pushed them" she admitted.

"Then it was just Ouma, the one who started it all...and at that moment I was content" she recalled.

"I thought I was finally happy...until I got to Hope's Peak..." she told me. Her voice cracked more.

"I thought there I could make friends...but in such a diverse and interesting group...I was again just plain old Tsumugi....I still didn't make friends...and when he came I thought I found a reason why" she admitted.

"Him, he always followed me around...like a curse...and I decided if I made his life h*ll the one who started it all then that will be enough" she told me.

"I made videos and used Maki to slowly break him down...even with your help he just continued to break...he didn't tell you huh?" She asked.

"How his friends were murdered? By...me I guess..." she seemed to tell herself.

I shook my head. He never had. He told me it was his fault...I just thought it was survivor's guilt.

"Now look, look what I did" she told me. She sighed, "he's dead isn't he? I could see it in his eyes...when we left...his sanity breaking...he looked like me when I made my decision to kill..." she recalled.

"Now here we are...so...do you hate me Saihara?" She asked looking me directly in the eye.

I didn't answer. I didn't know how to answer.

"Thought so"

-Present-

I don't hate her. I won't forgive her for the murders. I won't forgive her for what happened. But I don't hate her.

I hate myself.

I looked up at the clouds...it was a nice day. I could see kids playing in the distance, "IM TWE WULER!" A little boy screamed.

He reminded me of Ouma for some reason. Wonder if that's what the group was like?

Guess I won't ever know.

But..."hey Ouma...I'm sorry...I promise you...for as long as I live I won't ever give up on people...I will find the truth and not drive them over the edge...I hope one day...you can forgive me though...I'll see you again soon" I said out loud.

I knew he didn't hear me but...I hope it reached him. I placed a bottle of Panta and went home.

-/-/-

"I wasted my life" I told her looking as Saihara walked away.

"There's nothing you can do now" Chiasa told me as I continued to watch the boy I loved walk away.

"I shouldn't have died" I told her, she sighed "you'll meet again...somehow...come on" she guided as she stretched out her hand towards me.

"Let's go, they've been waiting a long time Kokichi" she teased as I took her hand.

I gave one last look to Saihara who was barely a dot.

"Goodbye, Saihara Chan....Shuichi"