Early in the day, Alchie said she had a big announcement and gathered everyone at the auditorium.

“What’s up, Alchie?” SiRReN asked.

“Well, I thought the healthiest way for us to get closer would be to complete a project together. We were all talking about the musical, and I figured what better choice than one we’re all familiar with?” She produced a script and passed out a copy to everyone. The title read “The Wizard of Oz.”

“That’s a wonderful idea!” Sakura beamed. “I’m sure this is just what we need!”

The group eventually decides the fairest way to decide roles is through auditions. After some quick line reads, the choices seemed clear.

“Looks like I’m Dorothy!” SiRReN cheered.

“Tin man.” Cesar sighed. “Well, not too bad a choice I suppose.”

“Scarecrow was my favorite, so I’m satisfied.” Sakura said.

“Looks like I’m the lion, amiright?” Slezak laughed at his comment, but nobody really seemed to understand the joke.

“Pink isn’t really my color, but I’m happy to be Glinda.” Sayako smiled.

“Green is definitely not mine, and I think I had enough of paint after the last trial.” Flo sighed. “Still, if it makes everyone happy then the witch is a fine role.”

“Can’t be too upset with Oz.” Matt shrugged. “Don’t really like having to show my face that much anyway, so it fits.”

Charlie frowned. “...do we really need a person to play Toto? Whatever, it’s just a play anyway.”

“Better a dog than a tree.” Van took a deep breath. “Whatever, throwing apples seems a lot better than memorizing lots of lines anyway.”

Everybody else was delegated to various crew jobs, which they seemed content with. Except for one person…

“Wait, what about me?” Ryuji asked. “Don’t I get a role?”

“We didn’t forget about you, Arisato-kun! You get to be a tree too!”

“A-All I’m doing is throwing apples?!”

Alchie shook her head. “Sorry, but you kind of sucked at that too. You’ll be the normal, non-living tree in the scene where Van begins to throw apples. Director’s orders.”

Ryuji began to shake. Tears started at the corner of his eyes but he kept them back. “I can’t be a tree! I’m supposed to be Dorothy!”

The class was taken aback. It was unlike Ryuji to have an outburst like this. Well, it wasn’t, but it was still surprising all the same.

“It’s not a big deal, Ryuji. You can be Tin Man if you’d like, I don’t mind being a tree.” Cesar offered.

“Don’t pity me!” Ryuji snapped. He seemed shocked at his own words so he reeled it back a bit. “I-I don’t want to be given a role, that’s the biggest insult to an actor! I want to earn it!”

“You’re not an actor though, Mr. Arisato. Not anymore, at least.” Arthur was simply being observational, but the look Ryuji gave definitely indicated it wasn’t the right thing to say.

It shouldn’t have been a big deal at all to give Ryuji the Dorothy role. After all, the point of the play was to help with the group camaraderie. He couldn’t be that bad, right? Well, he was. He really, really was.

“Ryuji, you need to see this as an opportunity!” Sakura’s smile lit up the room. “You’ve always been an actor, now’s your chance to be anything else. We all have new talents, and we all have new areas to grow now.”

“Shut the fuck up!” The words completely silenced the room. Ryuji didn’t seem to be as apologetic this time, he maintained his anger.

“Let’s step out a bit.” Van suggested. “C’mon man, we’ll have a chat.”

Ryuji ignored him and stayed focused on Sakura. “I’m sorry your talent was so meaningless to you, but what I lost is a little more significant than folding paper. I’m an actor! That’s always what I’ve been! T-That’s what I’m going to be!”

“You should apologize to Sakura.” Crimson glared at him. “That wasn’t ok.”

“No, it’s fine.” Sakura insisted. “Ryuji, I should’ve chosen my words more carefully and-”

“Forget it.” Ryuji seemed to calm down now, and seemed most upset with himself out of anyone. “I-I think I just need to be alone for a bit.”

Ryuji left the room, leaving everyone feeling...awkward to say the least.

“Don’t worry about him.” Sakura insisted. “I’ll be sure to talk to him later.”

“He has a point, you know.” SiRReN said. “You don’t really know how we’re feeling. Considering you don’t care and all.”

“Hey, let’s stop that.” Flo walked between the two fighting.

“Why? She’s right.” Charlie was the one who spoke now. “I...damn it, I’ve practically felt blind these past few days.”

“I don’t think this is healthy for any of us.” Amachi butt in. “We all got our roles, so let’s just head back and practice our lines, ok?”

The group departed without saying much else.

It was around 1 PM and a large group had already gathered outside of the temple. Amachi had decided to do a headcount.

“Himawari-san, Callow-san, Ranpo-kun, Slezak-kun, Waterfield-kun, Cesar-kun…I guess that’s most of us.”

“And SiRReN’s probably inside?” Arthur asked.

Sakura nodded, and opened the door to the temple. It was heavy, and required a good amount of effort to force open.

Death is the heaviest weight, after all…

The group was not prepared for the image before them--the first thing to catch their eye was the face of SiRReN, almost peaceful as if in a deep sleep while half-covered in blood. The body was in a half-fetal position, with a knife between the shoulder blades. The blue dress was dirty and tattered, with ruby red slippers shining brighter than the blood. But perhaps the most disturbing part of it all was the arrangement of paper cranes surrounding the corpse, forming the perfect image of a pentagram.

A yelp pierced the horrible silence that blanketed the group.

“C-Cesar, calm down.” Van advised. But his face was white as a sheet, and he couldn’t hide his trembling.

“S-SiRReN!” Sakura screamed, tears running down her eyes. She pushed through the arrangement of cranes and grabbed the corpse, hugging it close.

“C-Come on, SiRReN. Wake up...please?” Sakura pleaded. But SiRReN would never reply to her. The killing game had begun anew.

DING-DONG! “A body has been discovered! Please head over to the temple as soon as possible.” Monokuma’s voice disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

In some time, almost everybody had gathered outside the temple, but Matt and Flo seemed to be absent. Patience was running thin.

“Hey-o!” Monokuma popped up. “Wow, lookie here, you guys look more down than yesterday.” If looks could kill, then Monokuma would’ve been vaporized by the class on the spot. “Yikes, ok sorry.” He shrugged.

“Bastard, we’re sick of playing your game!” Arthur yelled. “Who killed SiRReN?!”

“Upupupu, you want to know who killed SiRReN? Too bad! You really must’ve lost your talent if you think I’d spoil the mystery before the end.”

“Just give us the Monokuma file and get out of here.” Crimson said.

“Hmph. The Monokuma file is a privilege, not a right. You kids have been nothing but disobedient, so guess what? The kids gloves are coming off for this trial: you’re not getting a Monokuma file!”

“H-Hey, that’s not fair!” Ryuji shouted.

Monokuma rolled his eyes. “Since when I have ever been fair?” He disappeared again, without a trace.

Amachi sighed. “I guess we may as well get started without Flo and Matt?”

“That seems for the best.” Slezak nodded. “If they haven’t shown up by now, then there’s no way to tell when they will.”

“Let’s split up again then.” Amachi suggested.

“Right. Cause that worked out brilliantly last time.” Charlie said.

“L-Let’s just get this done, ok?” Sakura said, trying to soothe the group.

“Alright.” Slezak looked down. “I’ll stay at the crime scene with Sakura, Amachi and Arthur can look at the auditorium, Charlie and Van can look at the library, Cesar and Crimson can check out the beach, and Ryuji and Alchie can look at the pharmacy.”

Everybody nodded in agreement and then headed off to their respective assignments. Eventually class trial attendance was called and they all got on the elevator and headed down to the courtroom.

Almost everybody thought of SiRReN, the Ultimate Cosplayer, as they descended. Her lively attitude, her companionship with the class, her ability to inspire hope...her smile…

The same thought rung through those heads: “The one who killed SiRReN is…one of us.

“We can’t forgive the killer, we have to find them no matter the cost, and we have to solve this case so we never have a trial again.”