"Is that what you think...?" Hearing Kaede speak after that brief silence made your fists clench without thinking; the idea of being seen as some reckless fool or arrogant risk-taker... It wouldn’t be out of character, really, but it still stung — because you wanted Kaede to believe in you, to trust in your theory, even if you wouldn’t voice that out loud. “...That there’s a Mastermind behind all this? Someone pulling Monokuma’s strings and controlling everything?”

The library in this so-called school is, at best, eerie: old and musty, with invading vines winding through every corner, some roots even creeping over entire bookshelves. Far from an ideal place to stay, but perfect for hiding from prying eyes and ears... and sharing theories about the nightmarish situation you’ve been thrown into. Sixteen Ultimate Students, brought to a rundown school, with no memory of how they arrived, ‘looked after’ by a black-and-white bear with a terrible sense of humor and timing. It sounds like the plot of a horror game, but it’s real.

As the Ultimate Detective, this situation should be the ultimate challenge for you, yet you feel off-balance. Still, trusting your talent, you’ve investigated and looked into things alone, only to frequently find a blonde girl gently crossing your path: Kaede, maybe the only person you can truly rely on in this strange, isolated world. So, you gathered your courage, finally decided to share your theory with her, and...!

"..."

“...Of course. Of course!” Kaede’s voice broke the silence, lit with both realization and excitement. “It makes sense! If there’s someone controlling Monokuma and acting as the Mastermind behind all this, they’d have to be one of us, one of the 16, right? That would allow for tighter control over everything...” The Pianist paused, then looked up at you with a bright smile and a spark of awe in her eyes that made your thoughts spin.

“You’re not the Ultimate Detective for nothing, are you, {{user}}? Wow...”