Taruhi Hoshī

**Taruhi Hoshī** is a supporting character featured in Danganronpa Kirigiri. She is a researcher that participates in the Twin Abilities Research Center Case Duel Noir.

## History

### Prior Life

Prior to the Duel Noir, Taruhi was a genetics researcher that was still in grad school, but was struggling to make ends meet. As a result, when she received a black letter from an Ashvins for help conducting research on twins and would pay handsomely for it, she took the job without a second thought.

### Twin Abilities Research Center Case

On January 11th, Taruhi arrived at the center with three other researchers: Tōya Tsutsumi, Kamato Hachisuka and Kaoru Nagate. The four of them would conduct experiments on Suō Kyūren and Shikon Kyūren. At first it would be just simple ESP experiments, but later on, the main route of these experiments would be to conduct pain tests to see if pain to one twin transferred to another. The goal was to see if a new form of secret communication could be garnered from this.

That night, the detective that would tackle the case, Kyoko Kirigiri arrived to the center and found Tōya and Taruhi knocked out after ingesting cans of drugged coffee. After awaking them, she points out from the screens on the monitor room that Suō Kyūren, one of the test subjects for the center, had already been murdered with a knife sticking out of his chest. All three head towards the room Suō was in and, with Kyoko looking from mirror that gazed into the room, Taruhi and Tōya open it to confirm the younger twin's demise. Kyoko's investigation of the room concludes the killer could have only entered the room, and that she's a detective, which flabbergasts Tōya. Tōya then informs her that a jamming signal has been set up, thus preventing calls from coming out.

Wanting to check up on the other twin, they head to the room containing Kaoru Nagate and Kamato Hachisuka (who were sharing a meal), informing them of the situation and Kyoko's presence. Kaoru, since Kyoko isn't a member of their team, wants to boot her out, but Tōya vouches for her legitimacy and that if she was the killer she would have done in both Tōya and Taruhi. After informing Kyoko on how the locking system works (which had a different padlock registered to a different researcher each fingerprints), Kamato urges them to check on Kamato, and so the group does. Though first, they went into the monitor room and witness the display of a robbed person murdering Suō, which convinced Kaoru and Kamato of the urgency of the situation.

As they they head over to Shikon, talk of the murder leads to the group discussing the possibility of it being Ashvins. Ashivins was the person who hired all four of them to conduct the experiments, and that they have never actually met him, aside from following the orders he left behind. The invitation came in a black envelope and promised a 3 million yen reward for their efforts. As Kyoko presses into the research done, all Tōya says is that it involves the research of twins as apart of a psychological study. Something Kyoko asks, in a cold manner, if such research involves locking twins up in small rooms and chain locking the exits. Tōya stutters out that he was just following orders, but before he could go on any further they reach Shikon's room. Similar to last time, Kyoko watches from an outside window to see the body, while the others enter. Like with his brother, Shikon is found dead. She reports that they died around the same time and that the killer could have only left from the room.

Tōya confronts this and demands an explanation to make sense of why this happened, though Kyoko only shrugs. Kaoru believes Ashvins is the one responsible for this, though his reasoning earns skepticism from the others. When Kyoko asks if anyone met Ashvins, its met with a general 'no' and that they only gotten an invitation in a black envelope that promised big payment for their services. Kyoko concludes it must have been what the Committee wanted and explains about their existence, alongside what a Duel Noir is, as well as pointing out that Ashvins was likely to be the challenger here instead of a member of the Committee.

Kaoru is skeptical and believes that such explanation were a lie, and that Kyoko was Ashvins. Tōya is uncertain and decides to back up Kyoko's claims, citing that the info they did have on Ashvins proved that he had had enough experience in a field that Kyoko, a junior high school student, could not have. Kaoru doesn't budge and says that Kyoko set her own fingerprints at the master key (which Kamato points out would be odd since Kyoko was the one that told them about the Committee). After some pressure to comply, Kyoko gives in, but when her fingerprints failed, Kaoru simply suggested it was her toe prints. Kyoko was adamant of not doing this, since she finds such a thing embarrassing. As she tries to back away, Tōya goes to grab her, but ends up getting flipped onto his back as a result of an aikido throw from Kyoko.

Taruhi is the one to get to her, with Kyoko going through with it as long as the men get out of the room. During this private meeting, Kyoko questions who was the one to lock up, with the answer being that it was Tōya. Once that was done, Tōya says Ashvins isn't amongst them. He believes that Shukon killed himself via an icicle that melted away. Kaoru thinks its stupid, but Kamato wants to hear Tōya out. Tōya claims that Shikon cut the video feed to his room and killed his brother before himself with an icicle. Tōya's reasoning is was that the kids probably didn't want to be treated as test subject by researchers and it was their way of sticking it to them. Kamato refutes that Shikon would have no way of getting to Suō since the padlocks only react to the specific researcher's fingerprints and Kyoko confirmed there was no secret passage out.

Taruhi believes that if they want to solve the murders, they need to solve the locked room first. It is then that Kamato suggests his idea. Basically, according to the Twins of Corsica theory, Shikon died after Suō was stabbed since, allegedly, twins feel the same pain. Tōya wants him to shut up since Kyoko was there, but by then Kamato ignored it and revealed the 'reason' for why they were here (with Kyoko saying nothing but giving them a chilly expression). The group heads back to the monitor room where Kyoko says she's leaving and will call the police. Kaoru and Taruhi object considering the danger and the fact she's a schoolgirl, which causes Tōya to volunteer to take Kyoko in his car, whilst the others remain behind.

## Appearance

Taruhi is described as looking a bit like a party gal, and wear a black sweater underneath her Centercoat. In addition, she wears matching red lipstick and nails.

## Personality

While her looks may give the impression she's a wild party girl, Taruhi has been noted to be extremely intelligent and on the verge of developing cutting edge genetic research. She's also shown to be rather empathetic compared to her colleagues, such as understanding's Kyoko's embarrassment when the others wanted her toe prints to confirm her innocence and running off in a panic to check on Suō once she sees that he has been stabbed. However, given that she was willing to go along with the project, which would have involved hurting said twins, it can be said that she is willing to put aside her morals in order to make ends meet.