Chemical Engineering

Chapter Eighteen: Defensive Measures

Kumiko stood at her podium as the others did as well, looking at one another.

"Well, I suppose just like with the last trial we should first check out Alibis." Hiroko spoke, pushing her glasses up on her nose.

"Well, I was with Kumiko 24/7, making sure she didn't hurt herself while going through withdrawal." Ryozo said.

"Kei and I were hanging out, going through the school store." Hiroko clarified.

"Maiko and I were chilling until we got hungry and met up with both Aiyanna and Akiko to eat." Misaki explained.

"I was staying with Gin while we looked through a few rooms." Jiro confirmed.

"And I was with Kaori the whole time." Kenta announced.

Wow. Lying already??

"No, that's wrong!" Kumiko spoke, clearly talking to Kenta.

"The fuck you say?" His eyes flashed with rage.

"I already talked to Kaori and he said that you left after 10, 10:30. Which means..."

"You guys were not together at the time of the murder."

"So then..." Jiro started his thought. "Our unaccounted people are Kaori and Kenta, aren't they?"

"Not exactly." Akiko muttered, speaking for the first time since the bodies were discovered. "When all four of us were eating, he was in the kitchen, preparing food."

"That means, he was with you at the time of the kill?" Gin asked.

"Yeah. He made us pumpkin spice French toast." Aiyanna confirmed their story and Kaori's alibi.

"So that just leaves Kenta right?" Ryozo declared.

"Now wait just a fucking minute. Why the hell would I even need an alibi, when the motive was to stop the withdrawal symptoms? I don't even have any medications!"

"Wrong again. I saw it you know."

"The fuck did you see, twinkle tits?" Kenta snarled.

"Me and Ryozo found two bottles of medication that belonged to people who did not speak up about their medication."

"Who was that?" Maiko looked curious and annoyed, somehow at the same time.

"Benny, who had heart medicine..."

"What?" Akiko released a near silent gasp.

"And Kenta, who was diagnosed with Intermittent Explosive Disorder."

"What the- listen, why doesn't everybody just shut the fuck up already!" Kenta was growing more and more angry.

"The heck is that?" Misaki asked, head tilted like a confused puppy.

"Intermittent explosive disorder involves repeated, sudden episodes of impulsive, aggressive, violent behavior or angry verbal outbursts in which you react grossly out of proportion to the situation. Huh, sounds pretty familiar doesn't it?" Hiroko explained, glaring at the boxer.

Him attacking me for when I showed my anxiety meds, for no reason...

Or him choking me in the phone room...

Heck, even bringing up my parent's death...

These were signs of his diagnosis, wasn't it?

"Listen that doesn't have anything to do with this trial, so fucking drop it!"

"But it does! Especially since you were medicated and didn't tell anyone!"