#da4u

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HI EVERYONE. MINIMOD HIJACK

And that was that. They’d done it. They’d finally bagged the Mastermind. The dead had been one hundred percent correct in their suspicions of Nao Tamahshiro after all, despite the small voice of doubt that had insisted, despite everything, on piping up in his mind at the last moment. He’d be able to go home safe and sound, back to his work, to his clients, to his family. By all rights, Yoshihiro Shirayuki should have been happy about this particular turn of events, or at the very least relieved, but…

“…”

How could he allow himself to be anything approaching happy in the face of Chitose’s impending execution? How could he allow himself relief in the face of something that he could have easily averted had he not been too cowardly to speak up and directly accuse CU?

He certainly could not Yoshihiro decided, and with that in mind, the dental hygienist shot Chitose one last glance, one last small, regretful smile before glancing away. He couldn’t allow himself to meet her eyes as she spoke words that caused his already aching heart to twist in his chest, and he certainly wasn’t willing to watch the kind girl who had help lift his spirits after the events that had kick-started this disgusting game suffer a brutal and undeserved demise that he could have easily saved her from.

And Yoshihiro certainly did not watch the ensuing execution, instead looking down at his shoes as he hot tears began to sting his eyes. But despite his best efforts, he heard it (oh, for the days when he could have just shut his hearing aids off and allowed the ensuing static to take over, what he wouldn’t have given…), allowing his mind to proceed to fill in the blanks and… it was a miracle that he didn’t turn around in the end. A miracle and a blessing. His last memory of Chitose, judging by the sounds of the execution, could very well have been as a charred corpse rather than the bright and loving, if self-admittedly misguided girl he had known. It was far better this way.

“I’m sorry, Chitose-chan. I’m… so sorry…”

Shallow apologies, he knew, but Chitose deserved that much, Yoshihiro told himself as he straightened up, wiping his eyes… before temporarily fixing Nao with the coldest, most hate-filled glare he could muster. Just for a moment, and he doubted the masseur cared in the slightest, but he was going to allow himself some expression of contempt before the end. 

After all, despite his words moments before, Yoshihiro did feel contempt for the masseur, maybe a bit before, now far more than a bit. And why not? At the end of the day, it was Nao’s fault that so many people were dead. That he had died once before. That he might not have even been Yoshihiro anymore. Was it so wrong for him to let himself indulge in a bit of hatred for a mass-murderer? Was it so wrong for him to actually look forward to the death of someone who had blood all over his hands, who probably didn’t even care that he did?

“Aaaaah, there’s nothing like a nice flaming crucifixion to start the day... Or something like that. Like my Monogranny always said, it doesn’t matter how they die, as long as it’s pretentious and full of heavy-handed metaphors!”

“Right?”

“Anyways, now that she’s out of the way, we can get to the important part. Hold onto your seats kids, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride!”

Oh god, what was this bear about to do? Sweat dripped down your neck, and you saw others dig their fingernails into their podiums. Waddling to a curtained off corner of the room, Monobear gave one last wink before pushing it aside, revealing a wooden crank almost as large as him.

“And heave… ho!”

Monobear jumped up, grabbing the handle and pulling it down. As the sound of machinery churned, you expected to be shaken off your feet, but… no, the courtroom wasn’t moving. It was the far wall, behind Monobear’s throne.