#if you steered the discussion in favour of defending byakuya more people (enough to sway the vote) would've voted no

[detectivenyx]

... Yes.

You push down on the 'YES' button, and patiently wait for the other votes.

Eventually, the screen begins to tally up the votes - it appears to be an anonymous vote, only counting the numbers...

... which display 10 YES, to 5 NO.

"... You voted 'yes' on this?!"

Cold sweat drips from Byakuya's brow, as his eyes dart around the room. His hands, though just barely, shake, and you swear, being to his immediate right... you can hear his very pulse racing, now the vote has finished.

"But... but why?!"

"Seems pretty simple to me. Cooperate or die... and Byakuya has not chosen to cooperate."

"How... how are you so nonchalant about this?!"

"Weren't we all, about Touko's death? You especially. You barely reacted to-"

Junko is cut off mid-sentence by a loud beep. And with that as the only warning, something swings down from the ceiling.

Byakuya barely opens his mouth to further his lecture, before...

[SCHLCK]

You feel something wet and copper-smelling splatter the left side of your face and clothes. You turn your head... and see Byakuya now splayed in place, with a sharp wooden pike directly through his chest, life draining from his eyes.

"..."

"..."

"..."

The room is silent for a moment. As though... for but a moment, perhaps, what just played out may have been a hallucination.

But... when Junko, the first to get ahold of herself, turns to her right - Byakuya to her immediate right - and begins prodding his body...

"... He... he really is dead."

Junko, like you, is splattered with blood. She hasn't even taken the time to wipe it from her face.

"... Naturally. I suppose that... that's as harrowing a lesson as any."

"L-Lesson?! He was- he got fuckin' stabbed right in front of us!"

"Do you care to reveal your vote? Because I voted yes. To ensure this very thing happens to less of us."

"... I voted no. Uncooperative or not, we didn't have enough information."

"What we voted means nothing. Enough of us voted 'yes' to execute him."

The room falls silent, and the air soon grows thick with the stench of iron and the weight of the result.

"I... I'm sorry. I need to go."

Chihiro stands up, her hands covering her face, and quickly excuses herself out the door.

"..."

Sayaka soon follows without a word.

One by one, everyone stands up and heads back out. Several seem to look much more visibly exhausted than when they went in.

Soon, it is only you and Junko, left with the corpse of Byakuya Togami.

"... We sacrificed one guy to ensure we don't suffer thanks to him. I don't know if he was a vampire or not, but... we had to do that to survive."

"... Let's hope things get better tomorrow."

You tilt your head, pointing to the blood splatter across Junko's face, and noting how... calm she looks.

"Eh? Is it really that weird I'm not freaking out? Like... it's just blood. I've- er, not had the best life before becoming a-"

"Wait, why am I explaining it to you, of all people?! Like, I'll just... I'll go wash it off. As much of a bitch as it'll be to do."

Junko heads back out, leaving you alone with Byakuya's corpse.