it really could’ve been shibe. theory! what if somehow he already became obsessed with shiho during junior high? he would do anything to separate the bond between her and tenji since they were technically dating at the time and were childhood friends. so he pulled tenji’s junior high friends into participating in the tomodachi game. he used the fact that his friends were also obsessed with shiho and therefore tenji would resent shiho for having his friends be obsessed with her. then to top it all off he calculated that tenji being the person he is with a prosecutor father who’s close to shiho dad he would tell his dad about the tomodachi game and how shiho is involved and right when his dad would be on his was to shiho’s house he would be killed. and the most likely suspects ? shiho and her dad. that’s what i’ve theorized up to that part everything else is kinda a blur of what i think but overall shibe sus asf.
tl:dr - shibe is hella obsessed with shiho and possibly the real masterminded who’s started this from the beginning.
also ! as we all read he was really adamant about yuiichi real personality. and honestly he probably used yutori as a means to get yuiichi. shiho likes yuiichi which makes him a big nono for shibe. so he’d probably want to break off that connection as cruel as possible by putting in her head that he’s a ruthless monster who easily kills his enemies and has the same “look” (he emphasized on looks) as the guy who kidnapped her when she was younger. (he probably had a hand in that too). so therefore when shiho would confront yuiichi he would be very distrusting in her and regard her as an “enemy” while taking the side of the person who she knew was the real enemy. and come on seeing ur crush side with a two faced bitch? heartbreaking! sooo that’s what could’ve happened buuut yuiichi is kinda too cunning for that. shibe probs didn’t account for him passing out after being hit by shiho but yuiichi was pretending.
i know pauliana and the emperor are endgame but donau
man my heart :(((