#ginjirou

Hope's Peak Academy... or Neo Hope's Peak Academy, rather. The prestige of such an institution had not been lost on Ginjirou Sotomaru. Despite the recent reopening, in his position he had heard the name many times over the course of his life. A shame that nobody in the family would be attending due to the closure, and so on. Preserving the family name and such. But here Ginjirou was, one of the members of the first class to attend the new Hope's Peak Academy. A monumental achievement, and one he was in no position to refuse. So when the time came, he packed his bags and set off.

Though, he hadn't exactly expected any situation like this. 

Passing out at the front gate and waking up inside certainly wasn't very becoming of him. And he already had a device to tell time, he didn't need another watch. Though, rules were rules, he assumed. The AI seemed helpful enough as well. A few of the rules seemed a bit... strange, to say the least, but he was sure that the AI was busy as it was, going through each of the students individually to give out instructions. He supposed he would inquire about this later.

Yuuki was... unimpressed. What the fuck was with this place? Marble flooring? A hot dog stand? What was with this shit? It was all... so unnecessary. Just give them a normal kitchen, come on. Yuuki's stomach grumbled; they hadn't eaten anything since waking up, so naturally...

They made a beeline straight for the nearest place they could get a cup of coffee. Yuuki was still groggy from their nap, and that anime boy AI waking them up didn't make them feel any better. Kinda made them feel worse, actually. Imagine making a computer that can think and then giving it the face of an anime boy. Kinda cringe, bro. Kinda fucking cringe. I may love him, but Yuuki's still kinda miffed.

Of all the things to find inside the school, an indoor garden wasn't what Ginjirou had initially expected, and certainly not one to this degree. Though, he couldn't argue that it wasn't a pleasant place to be in. Serene and peaceful, especially given the strange circumstances of the day. It was a welcome change of scenery.

Ginjirou Sotomaru found himself pacing the cobblestone pathways, taking in the sight intently and attempting to familiarize himself with his new surroundings. He didn't even notice another student until he was directly in front of her. He paused, looking down at her.

( tw: vehicular homicide )

As instructed you look down at your bracelet and see that a video has indeed started playing on it. From what you can make out the video appears to show Ginjirou standing in a busy subway station with several passengers moving around. Though the other occupants of the underground railway all seem to be moving in a rather unnatural way. Rather than walking they appear to just float across the floor without their feet touching the ground. As they pass by Ginjirou you watch as he effortlessly pushes the floating humanoids into a train cart that had just arrived at the station.

Their lifeless bodies float towards the entrance to the cart as he pushes them forward but when they reach the door instead of floating on into the cart the seem to just launch themselves in. Their bodies fly forward into the cart and sprawl out onto the floor or seat that they land in like a puppet with its strings cut. Wait, it seems like these people might actually be just that! On further inspection they all seem to be mannequins, not real people. And the reason why they're all floating is that they all seem to be pulled along by a string connected to the ceiling of the underground tunnel. When they reach the cart they become disconnected from the strings holding them up and fall lifelessly to the ground in their cart.

After Ginjirou finishes pushing several dozen mannequins into the various carts on the train currently stationed in the tunnel the vehicle begins to take off. Apparently it had finally reached full occupancy, although he was used to being able to fill these types of trains with significantly more bodies. Regardless as the train takes off he becomes left alone in the tunnel as more mannequins continue to enter. There's not too much he can do while he waits for the next train to arrive and while he stands there waiting he is pushed back and forth as several of the mannequins slam into him at a quick pace. One such mannequin nearly topples him over into the tracks of the railway, but luckily he manages to catch his balance before that can happen.

Finally the next train pulls into the station and he is quickly able to relieve some of the congestion in the station by stuffing the carts of the train with the excess mannequins. In no time he is able to cut down the total occupancy of the station by well over half before the train closes its doors and takes off to wherever it might be heading.

As time goes on more trains arrive at the station and he continues to pile more and more of the lifeless bodies into them before shipping them off. However a growing problem becomes more and more apparent. The amount of mannequins continuously entering the station seem to greatly surpass that amount that he is able to clear from the station with each train that shows up. At first it becomes just a little crowded but after a while it becomes difficult to even move around with all of the mannequins floating around. It's almost like being stuck in a theme park on opening day.

Eventually the amount of mannequins becomes too much for him to control and despite his best efforts they forcefully rush him off of the platform straight down onto the train tracks below. Dozens upon dozens of the mannequins follow him on his descent down, their wires snapping as they move past the platform. As he hits the ground several of the mannequins come crashing down on top of him, pinning him down to the ground. But he refuses to let this stop him. Painfully he claws his way out from underneath the pile of lifeless body and eventually is able to pull himself free.

Once he no longer has the dead weight of several mannequins resting upon him it becomes easier for him to stand up and prepare to climb up and on out from the train tracks. Except when he finally looks up the platform seems to be much higher up than it had been before. Were the train tracks really this deep the whole time? Well, no. Unbeknownst to him the platform had actually been lifted up almost like some sort of elevator contraption while he had been stuck underneath all of the mannequins. With how high it had been raised there's no real way for him to climb out, even if he used the piles of mannequins as a staircase. To make matters even worse he hears the distant rumbling and whirring of the next train preparing to pull into the station.

Then suddenly it happens. A spotlight appears from the ceiling, calling attention to a lever that he had never noticed before planted in the ground next to the tracks. In fact, he wasn't sure if it even had been there the whole time. His bracelet begins to vibrate as a short animated GIF begins to play depicting a diagram of a train heading down a path towards a pixel art version of his face. Next to his pixel is what appears to be a lever. Suddenly the pixelated lever is turned and the train suddenly switches course down another tunnel which appears to have several pixel art people tied down to the tracks. At this point it becomes clear, either he lets the train continue down the path towards himself, or direct it onto a group of innocent strangers.

He hesitates for a moment before rushing over to the lever and pulling it. After all the GIF never specified who the people tied to the rails were. For all he knows they could just be more mannequins and it's not like a few more of those getting roughed up would cost him any sleep.

Just as promised the rumbling of the train seems to subside as it sounds like it switches onto a new course. It seems like he had actually managed to save his skin and possibly avoided his execution after all. Maybe this had all just been some kind of messed up text.

But then he hears it. The rumbling returns, but this time from a different direction. He quickly spins around to see the train rushing in from the opposite end of the tunnel straight towards him.

The tunnel was a loop the whole time.

Well, the deed was done, wasn't it. The votes had been cast, and Ginjirou's fate was set. He would pay for his crimes with his life, like he had hoped. No one else would have to suffer because of him.

“I am… very sorry, Raya-sama, but it is the truth. Sasanari-san said it himself, did he not? I am responsible for Kamikawa-sama’s death. I am… truly sorry. To Kamikawa-sama, and to all of you. Kokonose-sama, Kujou-sama, your feelings are completely understandable. To be honest, I do not think I would want to be forgiven for this. I understand the severity of my actions. I only wish that Kamikawa-sama hadn’t…”

He stops, catching his breath before he gets too emotional. He’s stronger than this. He’s Ginjirou Sotomaru.

“You all wish for an explanation, do you not? Very well. When Izayoi-sama was attacked and the button to kill Raya-sama’s hostage was pressed, I knew that… I had to act fast. My greatest quality has always been my efficiency, after all.” A poor attempt at a joke. “I believed that the more poison that I used, the faster my victim's death would be. The… less pain they had to feel, or the less time they had to suffer. I don’t think I could forgive myself for causing someone a slow, painful end, even in my own death.”

“Only one slice of the pie was poisoned, though I wasn’t paying much attention to which one. While that was intended to make it more fair, that even I could have fallen victim to my own poison, I will admit… there probably was an effort to make myself feel less guilty by choosing a victim at random. I think that… the best case scenario would have been that I would have eaten the poisoned slice and died, but… I suppose we can’t always be very lucky.”

Ginjirou pauses for a bit, allowing his words to linger. He waits a minute, before speaking up again.

“As for why… Sasanari-san provided the point when he announced the motive. If nobody did anything… twenty-six people would have died, rather than thirteen. I felt like, well, I couldn’t just sit there and do nothing. I’d never want to kill anyone, but I felt that if I didn’t act, I’d have the blood of twenty-five others on my hands rather than thirteen or one. It was… a sacrifice I was willing to make, I suppose, and I price I am more than willing to pay with my own life. If nothing else… perhaps I have bought you a bit more time to escape.”

He pauses again, shaking his head. 

“Ah, I am sorry. I don’t want to make myself out to be a martyr, really. I suppose there were…  selfish motivations behind it as well. Although I trust Isshiki-sama… I don’t think I could bear to lose another brother. Not when I could have prevented it this time.”

With that, he exhales, motivations and explanations done unless further questioned. He raised his face up again, a small, melancholy smile present on his face, perhaps the only time he’s actually smiled while he was here.

“I understand if you hate me. Please do, if that will prevent you from feeling any sort of sadness or remorse over my death. It is no one’s fault or responsibility besides my own. I… have never feared death, though I am sad that it had to come so soon. Perhaps it is for the best, dying now rather than living through a future I didn't want on the outside. …Though, I would appreciate it if you granted me one final request.”

With that, he removes his watch from his pocket, unfastening the chain from around his coat button. He turns to Namiko at his side. If she’ll accept it, he places it into her hands.

“This… used to belong to my brother, before he... If you could, please give it to someone for me. Uh… his name is Kyo Kato, but he’s gone under the name Kinichirou Sotomaru for a while. And tell him that… I’m sorry.”

With that, he returns his gaze to the rest of the cast. His smile is back on his face, and there are tears forming at the corners of his eyes.

“I am sorry to have to leave so soon, and for not being more help. Please let this be the first and last time you ever set foot in this room for a trial. I have the utmost faith in your ability to escape from this place.”

He bows again.

He sighed again, though not out of frustration. Given his participation in cooking, as well as helping prepare the pie, he had expected a few accusations to come his way. And he had had the entire trial to prepare for them, anyways. Still, the entire situation of being accused of murder… it would unnerve anyone, Ginjirou included. 

Ginjirou looked up to face the rest of the room, face showing its usual level of expressionlessness. 

“I see. Logically, I see why I would be suspected. It is understandable. However, Raya-sama has requested my defense, yes? I feel it would be rude to deny it, and I wish to attempt to prove my innocence as well.”

He clears his throat, taking a deep breath, before holding up a gloved hand.

“I believe that Raya-sama stated that she wears gloves, so any cyanide she would have used would remain. However, this does not account for the possibility that she removed her gloves while cooking. Checking her hands for any traces would not be useful either, seeing as she likely would have washed her hands after she finished cooking. As you can see, I wear gloves as well, though I removed them while cooking so they would not get dirty, and washed my hands multiple times, so I am afraid that my argument may not strengthen my defense.”

He lowers his hand. Thank you for the lesson in kitchen hygiene, Ginjirou. Maybe actually learn how to cook before you go lecturing others about it.

“Additionally, Saitou-sama would have had the most time alone with the pie. I was helping multiple people, so I would have been busier. Logically, Saitou-sama would have had more opportunity to add the poison, and it would not seem suspicious, seeing as she would just have appeared to be cooking her own dish.”

“Of course, I will acknowledge your points as well. I am aware I do seem rather suspicious. I knew where the poisons were, I was part of the group that was cooking, and I had time to myself with the pie. However, in addition to that, we still have reasons to believe that Saitou-sama or Raya-sama could be the killer. Out of all of us, it is very likely that one of us three is the culprit.”

Ginjirou glances around the room, looking from Raya to Shoko, surveying everyone. He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and stands up straighter, fixing his posture. His eyes open again as he begins to speak.

“There is, of course, the pressure of picking the right one of us. After all, if the wrong culprit is selected, an innocent will be executed. That is… the worst possible scenario, so we must be sure of the correct culprit.”

“This trial has gone on for far too long. And, quite frankly… I do not wish for anyone else to suffer because of my actions. So, when you have the choice to vote for Saitou-sama, Raya-sama, or myself…”

Ginjirou closes his eyes once more, before removing his hat and bowing deeply.