#mikiro otomiya

[cc-hatredisland]

{.What Happened Here Isn’t Right.}

The screen switches off after fading to black and the reactions are mixed. Everyone’s in some state of panic or shock. I’m not sure how I feel. I can’t taste anything and my head’s all light. Did that really happen? ... Why? They killed him... I ... of course he did all that stuff but I didn’t want to... see that.

I tried shutting my eyes, but it kept replaying. Over and over. His desperate hand reaching for anyone. If I could, I’d give him mine. He’d pay for what he did... but not like this.

It’s all wrong.

“Youten, souten, hairen, youten, souten, hairen...!“

“D-d-don’t like this... d-d-don’t want this a-anymore...“

“Holy shit... he’s not really-- h-hey, this is a joke right, you didn’t just kill him for real, right?”

“Uuu... uuuuu... how horrible... h-how...”

“I... I’m sorry... I accused him, I... I made this happen.“

“... No... no, it’s not your fault, Chiyoda-kun, it’s not... it’s not our faults.“

“Oho? Is that how you see it, Kuma? I guess you have experience in the area of murder, though, huh...”

“But that’s no excuse. It really is all on you guys. You made the decision, not me! The blood’s on your hands. Tadashi Hanji may have killed Hinagiku Wakatsuki... but you all paid him back by killing him!”

“I... I did... I did this? But I didn’t want... I never wanted--“

“Mikiro...”

“I don’t get it! Why is this even happening?! What did we do?! What could we have possibly done to deserve this?“

“Who says you did anything? Whether you did or didn’t... does it matter? Really you could just call it bad luck. Serial killers do it all the time... find an unfortunate and make them bleed. It’s no different here, really. You can say you deserved it, give it a reason... or you can just accept it is what it is. You’re being punished because it’s the right time and place.“

“... And yet, you bang on and on about us being ‘awful people’.”

Kasahara has seemed pretty calm this entire time. At least, to me, she has.

“ Do they have to be related? It’s true! You are all awful, sinful people. So maybe on some level you deserve it. But really, it doesn’t matter to me.“

“... H... how can we get this to stop?”

I barely realised I’d said that until I remembered what my own voice sounded like.

“It doesn’t stop. Not until I say so, anyway. This was only day one and you guys almost flubbed it! You definitely need to go to detective school before the next one. Maybe ask Nagase to teach ya!”

“I w-won’t teach... I don’t want to teach ...”

“N-n-next one? N-n-no... you’re w-w-wrong... w-w-we’re he-he-heroes... w-w-we won’t f-f-fight each other... when you’re th-th-the real bad guy here.“

“Bad guy? Really? I’m not doing much, though! It’s just a little incentive. I don’t make you guys do anything. You might as well cough up your pride and admit it’s in your nature.”

“...“

“Well, we’ve talked long enough, I have some stuff to clean up! You guys should get back to your business...”

“Wait.”

“Siiiigh. Make it quick.”

“That note. Who was responsible for that? Tadashi Hanji did not put that note in her pocket. That remains unanswered.”

Patchnuki gives an obnoxious shrug.

“I dunno. That’s not my job. You guys messed it up, not me, sheesh. Never takin’ responsibility. If you want an answer, I guess I’d say... it would’ve have to had been one of you, right?“

That answer hangs in the air and leaves us all feeling cold and uncomfortable. I somehow feel Patchnuki knows that though. It must do. It just wants to make us suffer.

“Well... it’s been fun. Until next time kids! Outta my trial room, go on, get! I’ve got a surprise for you anyway!”

With nothing left to keep us in the trial room, one by one, we leave, Mikiro, clearly shaken, is assisted by Rie. Buki is on the floor, her knees having given out so I offer her a hand. She shakes her head before making it to her feet herself and leaving. I was the last to leave, along with Kumatani who kept staring at the blank screen for a good few minutes before ever moving even a muscle.

We file into the cramped elevator space and can’t help but notice Hanji’s absence.

I’m not sure how I felt about him. How anyone felt about him.

That stuff he said about killing his parents and all these people... it was so dramatic it kinda went over my head. I guess I just couldn’t believe it. How could a kid have that much anger? How could he be strong enough to do all that? Maybe I just didn’t care to believe it, even with evidence. He wasn’t a saint. He kinda sucked, actually, but... I just couldn’t believe he was that horrible.

My head emptied as the elevator rocketed further up, the empty feeling in my head just numbing everything. I barely noticed the door open. But there we were. Back where we started, in the main hall...

It looked different now somehow, darker. Maybe it’s because I could barely keep my eyes open. He drowned. We just let him down. Damn it. My eyes searched around the place for something to take my mind off things but it really was the same place. Same rug, same candles, same mysterious person...

... Wait. Huh?

[Next] >> [Previous]

[cc-hatredisland]

Trial. 01  {.As We Near the End.}

“... Really? I would expect this of Chiyoda-san. But even you? Have I been so antagonistic you would think I am capable of such a thing? Are you quite sure you are not merely going with the flow?”

I thought about it. It was worth thinking about. Manabu did seem to have something against Hanji. If anyone should, or would, it’d be Kumatani. But even he was being pretty impartial here. I thought of Manabu as... not quite a friend, but a pretty good guy. Was I being influenced by that?

... I don’t think so. If I just look at things neutrally then... there are unanswered questions. And I just want some clarity. It’s not like I’m calling him a killer. I just want to know the truth.

“I’m not. Somethin’ about what you said bugged me, so I brought it up. That’s all it is - I swear.“

“What a shame that vow means nothing.”

Hanji sighs and adjusts his glasses before speaking up once more.

“I want this taken care of. The more time you waste badgering me, the less time we have to confirm the culprit. So long as you understand the weight of this decision, I will explain myself.”

“It it fairly disgusting you all wish to turn this into a dirty kind of ‘he said, she said’. Regardless of who I name, would it matter? I would insist that my version of events is true. They would insist they never said it and that it is a lie. Worry not. Thankfully... nobody told me. I may have been in the room for but a second but it was long enough to realize certain things. Such as the true way Wakatsuki-san died.“

“Hold up. I hate to interrupt but like, you were the one acting like I killed her. If you’re saying you KNEW she was stabbed in the back... then, uh, what gives?“

“I meant my praise, Maki-san. I believe you implied you were the killer with the darts. I believe you knew this conversation would occur and that this would be proven wrong. With people defending you... nobody would think to really accuse you for the crime you are truly culpable for.”

“Now then. Allow me to continue. I could not imagine darts killing someone. And yet, that is all I saw in the front of the body. It led be to believe there might be another wound elsewhere. The back, that being covered at the time, seemed the most logical answer.“

“... Even if I do believe that... how do you explain the letter?“

“What letter? I merely said she was blackmailed. Have you forgotten the motive?“

“Secrets...”

“At the very least Otomiya-san has paid attention. Yes, secrets. Was it not you that suggested Wakatsuki-san could have even been a serial killer?“

“Certainly. It was a possibility. But that was back when I thought Anzai--”

“It matters not. The possibility is what matters. We are all strangers, as has been said. We do not know who possesses which secrets. We are all capable of much when faced with frightening knowledge. My theory is that the person who possesses Wakatsuki-san’s secret called her out via the messaging service.”

“The wh-- ohhh. That thing. I disabled it right away. Oops... i-if I missed something important... uh... sorry...”

“Hmm. If that were the case, would we not all be receiving that news?“

“You can target people specifically. Create a private message. Did you not even check? Honestly.”

“W-well, I must be forthright... I don’t... exactly... work very well with technology. It is better to do must things with your own hands and ability.“

Hanji sighs.

I don’t think think that particular reveal shocked anybody.

“... In any case. With a channel open, they called her out and killed her. Someone already hiding their name most likely had quite a bit to hide. If we find who has secret then we will--“

“I know.”

I froze. This little kid’s full of surprises today, huh?

“I have it.“

“... I beg your pardon?”

“I said: ‘I have it’. Meaning, Ranger-chan’s secret.”

“W-why is it, that nobody brings these things up until it’s too-- you see? You SEE?! This is exactly why I wanted everyone to confess their secrets! We wouldn’t be in this mess otherwise!”

And... You has that knife he was lying about too...

Was he... could he... be capable of something like this?

“I think... everyone has a reason for doing things. Judging them, looking down on them without the full story is pretty bad. I wouldn’t want that, so I don’t wanna put someone else through it, either. Besides, talking badly of the dead... sounds like bad news.“

“May I count this as a confession?“

“Nope. You can’t. Sorry, it’s not that simple. I was with Tenshi-kun for a good part of the night, anyway. I only left to get something to drink. All I can say is that... the secret’s not involved.”

“Then why not reveal it?! Why not reveal you have a dead person’s secret?! Don’t you think that could help us?! Think a little!“

“I’m sorry, Habanero-kun--“

“Haba-what now?!”

“I don’t want to upset anyone else so I’ll tell you. The secret I got... it said ‘Daisy is a murderer’. I didn’t even know her real name until she died. I promise.“

“A murderer... a murderer and you didn’t tell me! You didn’t tell anyone! How thoughtless and careless do you have to be to--“

“Shiratori-kun, please... calm down for now...”

“NO! I won’t! How can you defend him?!”

“I wasn’t, but--”

“A murderer! A murderer was in our ranks and he didn’t think to tell anyone! If he’s not the killer, don’t you think he’s at least to blame for that? She already struck again! Took Anzai-kun’s life! We could’ve saved her!!! We could have done... something... anything! Do you understand what you’ve done?! Do you understand what we could’ve done if you’d just--!!!”

The usually calm You sniffs. It’s pretty clear Shiratori’s harsh words got to him.

“... I’m... I’m sorry... I d-didn’t think...“

“Shiratori! That’s enough. I understand... I understand but... we can’t do this right now. He had... his reasons. We’ll talk about it later.”

The silence that follows is deafening.

“Well. We are no closer to our killer. I believe Seiyama-san can now also be added to our list of suspects but we have little to narrow it down.“

“... No... we do have something.“

“Oh?”

“You said... blackmailed through the cards, right? Through that... private messaging system.“

“Point. Get to it.”

“Yeah-- okay, right, sorry, uh... well... she had a letter. On her person.“

He actually seemed surprised.

“What?”

“I do not understand... why would...?“

“That would mean... it was placed after the fact, yes? A message sent, perhaps, like Panayomogi-sama’s own mark.”

“... You seem... surprised, Hanji-san.”

“I d... didn’t want to bring this up. Because I... actually wanted to trust you but... I want an answer... for once and for all...”

“Where were you... when we were all locked away?”

“... What? Nagase-san, is this a joke? We are running out of time--”

“I think! ... I think it’s... because... you murdered Wakatsuki-san. I think that... you two may have... known things. And worked together.”

“S... Seiyama-san... showed off his secret... I want to show off... what I have, too. ‘Anzai-san... was in a mutual killing before’. B-before um, you get mad, Shiratori-san and uh, anyone, um, else... I thought... since I had her secret... it wouldn’t be relevant. I mean, like, um... no one else knew. So I wanted to... just... keep it to myself. I’m not... good at confronting people and since... um, Shiratori-san showed off mine I felt, um... I didn’t want to... do that...”

But she wasn’t the only one who knew. I knew and...

Shit. Daisy... she knew, too...

“You are getting on my nerves, talking in circles. Yes, you have a dead girl’s secret. And you chose only now to release it. How magnanimous. Hurry up and explain why I am apparently, not only a killer, but in cahoots with one, too?“

“B-because! The monitors... Hanji-san, where are the monitors?”

“What?”

“I know. I know this isn’t um, about the case but... when we first exited and met you, y-you said something weird.”

“I tried to ignore it because... I dunno, maybe... I misheard. Like, um, maybe it was just something I couldn’t understand. An easy mistake. But everything about you d-doesn’t add up. And, pardon me for saying but... um... well, you fit the profile of a killer pretty well. Everything is explained pretty well if you... if you were against us from the start.”

“...”

“The house is a place you know well. Inside-out, even... you lock us up... wait for us to figure out how to open the door... and show yourself. You saw us on monitors... that’s probably true... but in the space that’s available to us... there’s no monitor, nothing that could show an image like that. You knew about the space behind the doors, the location of the elevator. R-really if you wanted to escape, I feel like... you could’ve. But you haven’t. It’s your own house but... you don’t seem too worried about where everyone is. F-for a second you, um, did, I admit but... if it were me... I wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else. B-but you... you keep everything to yourself. Telling no one anything. Throwing out accusations, dismissing your own suspicious actions. And then... there was... another thing... that stuck out... recently.“

“’She even went to return it’...“

“Knowing where all the weapons are... that’s one thing... but you knew Ogawa-chan was returning hers... the only way you could know that, the only way you’d know whose weapon is whose... is... if you placed them there from the start, right? I don’t think... um... I don’t think you can call my logic biased.”

“...”

A loud ringing fills that room, startling all of us. I was still trying to pick up my jaw from Nagase’s words when that made me jump. Swiveling eyes found the source was Patchnuki, shaking side to side like a goddamn alarm clock.

“Shit--! Goddamn my--”

“What the hell?! Turn that off! Turn it-- shut it off!“

“My ears! Geez!”

“Oh. Sorry. Awkward. Haha, I didn’t think my timer would be that loud, uhhh, yeah so I’ll fix that next time. Whoopsy-doopsy, gang, my bad. So. Did you guys have fun? I, uh. Well... if I’m being real with you, I fell asleep. Haha! Forgive me?”

“Wickedness is understandable but not always forgivable, Patchnuki-dono. I apologize, though I am already in service to a dark power and understand such ways, I cannot abide your actions.“

“I appreciate the apology. Understandable.”

That... was a really weird back-and-forth.

“Okay so, yeah, that was my timer so this trial is officially finished.”

“What?! I have barely had the time to defend myself from these latest--”

“Shh. Shh, shh. That’s your problem. Not mine. If you did your job, you won’t die. That goes for all of you! If you guess the killer right, they’re the only one that loses! Now isn’t that great? ‘But Patchnuki, how do I do the thingy? Do I unmask the culprit like in Scooby-Doo?’. No, you silly! You use the terminals in front of you! I updated it so that you can pick out America's Next Top Mod-- ugh, no wait, me and my trashy TV... no, I mean you can pick out the killer.“

“And hey! Don’t worry if you’re crap at this and let down everyone else. As long as there’s a majority... you win! So let’s play. Don’t worry kids, it’s only your lives at stake!”

I glance down at my podium and see the faces of everyone there. This kind of separation from humanity, from reality... it freaks me out. It’s like these people aren’t standing in front of me at all... like they’re just characters out of a book or something. The reality of all of this has kept nipping at my heels. Like, every time I think I come to terms with it, I remember it’s all real and how terrible it is all over again.

It’s just... not right. None of it is.

There were two horizontal boxes above all sixteen faces. Satoko Anzai and Hinagiku Wakatsuki’s greyed out faces were already in each of those boxes... as ‘Victims’. That meant you had to drag the face of the responsible party in the matching box... for the ‘Killer’. I thought of Wakatsuki’s cheerful laugh. Of Anzai’s trust in her. Of her confidence and pep. All as I dragged her icon to the Killer spot of Anzai.

Anzai had trusted her and Wakatsuki had betrayed her. I agreed with You, a little bit... context was important. But she was a killer. And if she was a killer... who knows what she was capable of? Who knows who she ever was? I wonder if I’ll ever understand.

Who killed her? That was the question I was left with.

You could conceivably say... she deserved it, I guess. It put a bad taste in my mouth to say but I think you could. But who, in the end, was responsible?

Yuunagi did use those darts earlier. If she’s as smart as Hanji says, then... she could’ve fooled us all. A double bluff? Man, I can hardly wrap my head around it.

Manabu’s had an issue with Hanji from the start. He told me about the rooms... he’s been kinda secretive.

Kurumi had the murder weapon. Hid it. Was even discovered on the scene. It seems pretty obvious when you say it like that...

You hasn’t told anyone he took his weapon. And he had Wakatsuki’s secret. He was with me but... I fell asleep. Could he have...?

And... Hanji. He’s a puzzle. I don’t know what he’s thinking or planning. Everything I thought I knew was kinda blown up by Nagase. But the guy didn’t even get the chance to refute it... how was that fair?

... I hate this. I need to do this but I hate this.

And with that, I swallowed my breath and made up my mind...

[Next] >> [Previous]

[cc-hatredisland]

Trial. 01  {.When You Trust a Little Much.}

I couldn’t help but wonder how long everyone took to make their votes. For me, I felt like years were going by... and the longer I took, the stupider I felt, honestly. Eventually I drag Hanji’s picture to the culprit box. The weight I expected to vanish from my shoulders remained as it was and I sighed.

A handful of seconds pass and then... Patchnuki, well, it does whatever weird gesture its doing now, some kinda twirling, rolling around thing. Complete with a fit of stupid giggles.

“Wow. Wooow. You guys took forever! This is only the first murder! If you’re this stumped now, how are you gonna manage later down the line? The first one’s usually a freebie, you know? Like, you know. Reeeal obvious? Huh. Guess you guys really aren’t the brightest.“

“You have wasted quite enough of our time jabbering on. Move on.“

“How could I forget! Your creed is ‘time is money’ after all! Well, okay, prissy pants, I’ll get right on that.“

Patchnuki seems to clear its... non-existent throat before continuing on.

“Okay, so, I’ve got all the details here. Your votes are in, no need to tally or anything, I can see a consensus already... but man, wow, not even unanimous? You’d be screwed if I made you agree! Don’t worry, I’m not that cruel. I know you hateful kids can’t help yourselves. This much is juuust fine.”

“Now then. Are you curious who you’ve sent to the guillotine? Is it the killer? Is it some poor sap hit with a shoddy frame job? ... Only way to find out... drum roll, please!”

Upon not hearing a drum roll, Patchnuki seems to frown and then makes a rat-a-tat-a sound itself.

“Believe it or not, you voted for... Tadashi Hanji!“

All eyes go to him, even mine. That was... my vote too. Was I right? It’s really messing with my head. His eyes are closed and he’s looking pretty... calm, I guess.

“Wow, Hanji. That’s gotta hurt, like, ouch. Can I hear your feelings on this one?”

“... 3.2.”

“3.2?”

“Correct... yes, I shall give you a 3.2 of 100... and even that is quite generous.”

I really... don’t like that look on his face.

“How truly foolish and stupid do you all have to be... to not realise it sooner?“

“W-wait... wait, wait, wait right a second here! What are you saying, Hanji-kun?”

“He’s saaaaying...”

Something seems to roll around. Ahead of us, on a big monitor, we can see the source. Slot machines, whirring and whirring. It clicks once. A cartoon face of Hanji. Second click. Third click. Synthetic confetti sprays all over the screen, the sounds of victory blaring through every corner of the room. The cheerier it sounds, the worse I feel.

“You got the killer! Yep, that’s right, congratulations you little detectives! Rejoice! Tadashi Hanji was the one to kill Hinagiku Wakatsuki after all!“

“No! That’s-- that’s not right, you didn’t, you couldn’t have!″

“I surmised this before but... let me be frank. You are not very bright, are you?”

“Quite honestly... none of you are. How many questions did you all have? Yet, how many did you ask? How many of you settled for vague and non-descript answers? Did you ever consider the very simple idea that I might lie? Well. At least one of you did.”

He glances at Manabu he glares back, arms folded.

“... You actually have me wrong. I was... I didn’t trust you, sure. But I didn’t think you were a killer... not until...“

“Not until I killed.“

“Shall I tell you something good? Do you want to know the reason Wakatsuki-san did what she did? It is quite amusing. You were really spot on, Nagase-san. A little too spot on, some might say.”

“We had to kill the survivor. That was the order.“

“Care to extrapolate?”

“Why not, Kasahara-san? The vote is over; there is nothing more to lose. Your friend Anzai-san has been through this before. She could potentially ruin this whole thing. We did not know who it was at first... not until the secrets came out. So when we found out, I had Wakatsuki-san kill her. And well, then I just had to snip the loose ends.”

“It was amusing, really. Did none of you wonder why it was Ogawa-san’s weapon in the body? Do you not find the coincidence of her weapon being in the body... and then her being the discoverer... a little... convenient? Shall I explain how that worked as well? I knew. Ogawa-san always runs that route. After several months, even with a lack of memory... I was sure she would take the same route. I lured Wakatsuki-san with a private message... hid behind the door... with Ogawa-san’s stolen weapon, I stabbed her in the back. Poor thing cried. Never expected it. It is the saddest of crooks that forget to watch their back. After that, I put in the darts... and when that idiotic jock burst in, I simply hid back behind the door. It is quite amusing, is it not? To think you were in the same room as the killer this whole time...”

Silence fills the room. There’s a lot of confusion, apprehension... uncertainty.

“W-wait... stop, this isn’t funny... you don’t... why? Memories? Murder? I-I don’t get it, man! This isn’t normal! What the hell’s going on?!”

“T-th-this is... not f-fu-fun... anymore... I d-d-don’t like this...“

“To so thoroughly plan a cold-hearted murder... Hanji-san, I... how... how could you do such a thing? Don’t you feel anything?!“

“So... y-you’re not even going to deny it? You were not possessed nor coerced? Not forced nor desperate? This is truly who you are, Hanji-dono?”

If anyone seemed desperate, it was Buki herself. A whole bunch of voices joined in. Yelling, asking, pleading... but it was Buki who received Hanji’s attention.

“Are you truly surprised? How much did you know about me, anyway? How much did any of you know? I said it from the start: I hate all of you. I want nothing more than for you all to disappear. That is precisely why I helped set this game up.“

“S-s-stop... p-please... th-th-this is--”

“T-that’s...“

That vision haunts me again... the one I had when I woke up. Hanji, as he pushes me back into the darkness. That was... true, right? Of course it was. I just couldn’t remember why... I... why couldn’t I...

“Why can’t we remember anything? You said it yourself. ‘Several months’...“

I’m glad someone else formed the words.

“Hmm. I wonder.“

“... Your doing as well, I suppose.“

“Maybe it is. Maybe it is not. What does it matter? Memories will not save you. Nothing will. All I had to was remove one person... and you all began tearing at each other. It was Ogawa-san, it was Shiratori-san, it was Maki-san... without any rhyme or reason, you point the finger and yell, no care in the world. It was, shockingly, only Nagase-san that noticed even half the things I said.“

“Why... why d-do all this, Ha-Hanji-san, I just don’t understand...“

“...I hate that simpering noise of yours. You expect pity for nothing. It’s disgusting, how little you try. I want to try complimenting you, but, every time I try you just ruin it with that noise.“

He sighs deeply.

“It was pretty nerve-wracking the first time... but I had to prove myself.“

“Mother never saw it coming.”

“I do not believe father was even listening. Dispatching him was much easier. After that... a series of useless bitparts. Teachers, helping hands... disgusting adults who think they have it all worked out. Ha. They just got easier and easier to get rid of. Then... Wakatsuki-san herself. She never saw it coming. And now I must ask... what are you going to do about it?"

“... This game is over, Hanji-san. I regret to inform you - you lost.”

A harsh laugh.

“Yes, congratulations. I shall be sure to send you celebratory cookies at a later date. Is that all? Did you forget? I helped create this game. How do you beat someone who cheats all the rules? Another boon of the law system. Once you make the right friends, you fear nothing.“

“... You’re wrong.“

“Ah, yes, of course... some things, even with confessions, never change. And how, pray tell, am I wrong today?“

“You were set-up, Hanji. I don’t know who you really are and what’s going on... but something’s for sure. You weren’t expecting that note.“

“...”

“Sure... we may have been yelling all aimlessly at times but... that note, that wasn’t a part of your plan, right? And in the end, it helped us get you. So were you really supposed to ‘cheat the system’?“

“Ha. I cannot say why there is a change of plans. But it does not matter. You are powerless to stop me. I have all the control here. Not Wakatsuki-san, not my father and NOT my mother! Me and me alone! I masterminded this! And there is nothing any of you can do to--”

“Time’s up! Man, I thought you’d use your last words on something more touching. Guess there’s no bleaching black out of a heart. As promised, you guys won! So only the killer dies. Happy days!”

“W-wait-- this is some kind of joke, is it not? This is not how you said...”

“Hanji-san, you have been found ... guilty. How’s that for ironic?“

Before he can get another sound out, before any of us can react, the vicious, visceral sound of chains clanks into the room. They wrap around Hanji’s throat and drag him out of the room, screaming. I’d... I’d never seen him look so scared. That seems obvious but the idea of someone that in control being so out of his element... it was horrifying, This whole experience was going so fast my head was spinning and I felt like I was two seconds from fainting. The horrible metallic sounds can still be heard in the distance and then... nothing.

I guess... what, that’s the end of it?

As I’m mulling this over, the monitor on the northern-most wall lights up. And it was about to fill the room with a gruesome sight...

[Next] >> [Previous]

[cc-hatredisland]

Trial. 01  {.To Bite the Hand That Feeds.}

“Anzai-san may have been trying to kill Wakatsuki-san.“

Shiratori’s hand slams onto his podium.

“No! There’s no way! Anzai-kun is not that sort of person!”

“Quite frankly... you don’t know her. None of us do. It’s to be expected, we’re strangers. Wanting to trust and knowing someone can be trusted are two different things.”

“You... you can pretend to be mature all you want! But Anzai-kun valued peace! She would never hurt someone! Especially if she had no reason to!“

“There is one, though. I mean, don’t we all have a reason?“

He wiggles his ID and I see his point.

“‘Wakatsuki Hinagiku-san is a serial killer’. That kind of secret would definitely put a peace-loving diplomat on edge.”

“T-that... that’s...“

“Anzai-kun would talk it out! I’m sure of it!!! I can’t believe you miscreants, so determined to smear a fine lady’s name you lose control of yourselves!”

“Gee, yeah, I wonder what kind of person would do that.”

“Ah, no, you misunderstand me. I’m not saying Anzai-san did anything. Just that it’s possible.“

“Possible helps no one. Do not speak up if you only wish to spout baseless what-ifs.”

“Ahaha. My bad...“

“If... if I might... may I be heard for a moment?”

“I examined the late Anzai-dono’s cadaver. The forbidden markings binding her neck were not that of mortal fingers, much tighter, more ominous, were they.“

What the hell?

“Uhhh? Dipstick to English, please.”

“Anzai-san was not strangled by hand. I believe that is her point.”

“Right you are, Hanji-dono! The area was swollen and dark, yes, but thinly wrapped, as if the bedsheets had come alive, possessed, and taken her from us."

That’s some imagery, alright. Someone had died but Buki was still Buki, huh.

“And yet, we have him claim he hid all the weapons.“

“I DID hide-- no, I confiscated them! I most certainly did!”

“Then how did she die? She wasn’t killed by hand.”

“Well, um... so... uh... we’re still missing one of the weapons, right? I think... yeah. Um... does anybody know where the last one is? ... I know it’s a long shot but... y-you know... you know you never know unless you ask so here I am... you know, uh, asking...”

The room goes silent.

“Regrettably... though Panayomogi-sama is all-seeing... I am not... and he has chosen not to share anything with me. My deepest and sincerest apologies.”

“I wanna stay as far as I can from weapons... so...“

“... Mmm. Nope. Me either. Sorry, I really don’t know anything.”

I try to make my stare seem natural. He lied so naturally. Do you call someone out on that? If I do, maybe it makes You seem suspicious... maybe we close in on the killer... but did he do it? If he didn’t, then... then I kinda betray his trust, don’t I? And I possibly derail things too...

Guess I’ll just keep it to myself for now...

“If no one’s gonna talk, then how do we figure this out? Damn it, we’re not getting anywhere!”

“Hmm, that is the question now, isn’t it?”

“Oh... I think I know this one. What if the killer used curtains?”

“Curtains.”

“Curtains.”

“Curtains.”

Mikiro seemed to deflate, shoulders sagging, willpower, going, going... gone.

“Yeah... like... the cop woudn’t have... y’know... they’re everywhere, so...”

“Nah, that’s not right.”

“W-well, I never said I was right. I was just trying to suggest something, okay?”

He was trying to help and I shot him down. Man, I felt like a jerk. I wasn’t trying to go out of my way, though, it’s more just... I felt I was close to the answer. Something that wasn’t a weapon... that could be used as one. Really that could describe a lot of things... but it had to be something thin, unassuming...

The reason it couldn’t be curtains or a table cloth is because everything kinda seemed, well, normal. If they’d been used, wouldn’t there be more of a mess? Why hide it in that case, too?

... Yeah... if this murder weapon was missing too... then why?

... That’s it!

“I’ve got it!“

“Please. Leave us in suspense. I enjoy that.”

“Clothing. Has to be.”

“... Well... everyone wears that. If it was clothes, how would we even prove that? No offense Kae-kun but that doesn’t help at all.“

Something more... something more...

“Well, if you think it’s someone’s clothes then surely there’s something more specific you can add. Leather, cotton, they’re quite different, right? I’m sure they leave different marks.“

“O-oh, they do!!! It’s very different, quite specific...”

“Then could you determine it?“

“Oh, um... I never got a look at the body, not really... sorry...“

“Check your ID. Please Nagase-san, it could help a lot.“

She gulps.

“Hmm, erm... I’m, uh, yeah, okay, I’ll do what I can.”

She fumbles for her ID, almost dropping it before scrolling through it, leaving us all in suspense.

“Well um... I think it’d had to be something... tight, yes, um... so a jacket like yours wouldn’t work, Chiyoda-san. S-something more like a belt or a scarf. Oh, or a cravat or tie, I think, those might also work, depending on the thickness and tightness of the culprit’s grip. And... oh? There’s something else...“

“A cut... there’s a cut on her neck here.“

“Ah yeah, sorry for forgetting that.”

“Hmm... that might rule out a scarf... if there’s a cut then it would’ve had to have had an edge... I’m... wait, I’m not actually sure what that could be... it looks to be quite shallow... but it’s definitely there. Something tight enough to strangle someone and yet... it has a point... that’s a brain twister... what could that be?”

Chika sighs as her head falls into her cupped hands. I try to think up some theories of my own... the room kinda falls quiet for a while.

And then it hits me.

“... I can think of something that fits the bill.”

[Next] >> [Previous]

[cc-hatredisland]

Trial. 01  {.Blame.}

“So I was in the lounge. Whatever, that doesn’t prove anything.“

“Get it now? This is why I had no desire to talk to you guys. You babble about ‘defending yourself’ but really you just want an opponent or something, right? You don’t care what I have to say at all. You have your mind made up. I look bad so I’ve done something bad. That’s all it’s gotta be.”

“I don’t think you did it, Ogawa. So just prove ‘em wrong, yeah?“

“Excuse me?! You don’t think she did it? After all this evidence?“

“‘All this evidence’... jesus, chill, I think she had the murder weapon, yeah, and I think it’s her’s, sure, but that doesn’t mean she did it.”

“Then explain her inconsistencies! Her lies! It’s obvious!“

“I have a suggestion.”

Thank god a reasonable voice is breaking through the chaos.

“Maybe Ogawa-san’s guilty. Maybe not. Bickering back and forth isn’t proving anything. So I propose we change our viewpoint.“

“I d-d-don’t follow...”

“I’m saying we should figure out what happened to Satoko Anzai instead.”

When he says it that bluntly I feel like a bucket of ice got tipped over my head.

“... Hmm... a valid argument, one supposes...“

“Anzai-dono was strangled... I believe.“

“Which means any of us coulda done it, huh.”

“I couldn’t have! I wouldn’t have! That’s illegal.”

“It sure is.”

“... Yes and no. I think that... while it sounds easy... Anzai-san... she would’ve surely struggled if her life was in danger... so it would’ve had to been someone stronger.“

“... Or someone she trusted.”

We all kind of jerked our heads up hearing those words.

“You can do the most heinous things to someone you trust. I realize how horrible that sounds... but we’re dealing with murder. I’m not sure it can get much worse.“

“Someone trusted... you say.“

“Not tryin’ to knock on the dead or nothin’ but Kimono-tan didn’t strike me as the friend havin’ type.“

“I respected Anzai-kun tremendously! But... she was... she rathered doing things herself. As it were.“

Maybe that was true but I knew some things about Anzai... and I wasn’t the only one. Now that I thought about it, where had we found Wakatsuki’s hat?

“Daisy.”

“Don’t go there, man, we’re talkin’ ‘bout the other one.“

“No, I mean... what about Dai-- Wakatsuki?”

“I feel as if you are getting at something... are you, perchance, aware of something the masses are not?“

“... Maybe... something like that. Me and Mana checked the rooms...”

“You c-c-can ch-ch-check the rooms? I had no i-d-d-dea...! How f-f-foolish...”

“After someone’s died... it seems like the rooms open up. Sorry for all the peeking I did.”

“... If I find out your were nosin’ were you weren’t supposed to...”

Manabu’s averted eyes and lack of response kinda paint a picture. I’m guessing he definitely saw something he wasn’t supposed to, yeah.

“Well... I AM sorry but... I don’t regret it. Some interesting things came up. I saw your weapons cache, Shiratori-san. And I also saw Wakatsuki-san’s hat in Anzai-san’s room.“

“Her... hat? S-somehow... somehow that seems rather l-lewd!“

“I did notice that it was missing... so Anzai-san and Wakatsuki-san met up and talked before... hmm...“

“Her ID was also in there. Which means...”

“If she hadn’t died, she wouldn’t have been able to go back to her room, right? I mean... s’not like it’s against any rules but... still pretty weird, right?”

“S-s-so... s-s-someone must’ve t-t-ta-targetted b-b-both of them! Bu-but why?”

“Seems like a whole lotta work. If I wanted out I’d just go n’ find the easiest neck to wring personally.”

“... Considering the previous events I might advise you watch your mouth lest someone rightly insinuate you had something to do with this.”

“Huh! I’m not worried ‘bout that. I ain’t done shit n’ nobody has proof otherwise so why worry? ‘Sides, if I really... really... wanted to take someone out... it’d be you, pretty boy.”

“My. Such flattery.”

“Still... killing two people, that’s just...”

“Paranoia is an addiction. It’s dangerous because you never know when you’re hooked. When your mind goes blank, anything can happen in that span of time... it’s very possible that... the killer doesn’t even remember what they did. That’s how potent it is.”

“W-what? D-does that mean they like, may not confess or...? H-hey, if they don’t know they did it, does that mean we don’t know if we did it? I mean, like-- did I do it? Does anyone know?”

Kumatani offers a small laugh.

“It’s possible. But unlikely. Because I’m not sure ‘two people were targeted’ is right.“

“If you wish to make such a generalization I think it only fair to hear some proof. Or theory, at the very least.”

“My pleasure.“

[Next] >> [Previous]

[cc-hatredisland]

Trial. 01  {.The Murder Weapon.}

“It was Wakatsuki’s belt. I’m sure of it.“

“And yet, for someone so sure, you take your sweet time mentioning it. How interesting.”

“Well... I’m not that smart, I didn’t come up with it ‘till now. But think about it -- what’s on it?”

“Buckles? I mean... right?”

“... Egads! Gosh! Golly! Ooh, he’s onto something! Wow... what a development! Um, o-oops... I lost it for, uh, a second there but... I think you’re right, Shimizu-kun.“

“The star buckle could definitely leave a cut like that. If you held it around someone’s neck... a belt would make those kind of markings, too.“

“Wait, wait, wait, do you guys know what you’re saying here? It’s like... you’re implying...”

“I am. It’s exactly what I’m implying.”

“Hinagiku Wakatsuki killed Satoko Anzai.“

My revelation feels almost unreal, the silence that follows deafening. But I don’t relent. I don’t see how I’m wrong when it matches up this well.

“Awawawawa! A huge betrayal! A huge reveal! W-why was this not told to me... I cannot help but wonder it...“

“... I see... I had assumed... perhaps Anzai-san had acted, but... that does match up.“

“But why? They seemed... I didn’t think Ranger-chan was that sort of person...”

“Seiyama-kun... we’re still just strangers. Compassion, trust... we can only ask... and assume so much of others. Especially at a time like this.“

“She trusted her, didn’t she? That negotiator girl. Sick. Just... gross. That’s why you can’t trust anyone.” 

“But if we’re assuming Wakatsuki-san killed Anzai-san... why? It’s true... they had spent a lot of time together. And if it was Wakatsuki-san then... she could probably get the drop on Anzai-san.“

“Furthermore... if she is guilty... then we’re dealing with two killers here.”

“Two bodies was bad enough... that’s just sick... I mean, who could...”

“Panayomogi-sama hungers for despair... I have long accepted that. Expected it in my own life. Still, to think two separate people would claim the lives of unsuspecting victims... I am truly aghast... one wonders if justice is true justice if it costs a person’s life...“

“There’s something else. Anzai... she had hair in her fingers. Light hairs. If we checked... I think they’d match Wakatsuki.”

“T-there was that, you are quite correct... that does appear to be rather frighteningly incriminating...”

“Then there we have it! Wakatsuki-kun murdered Anzai-kun! The evidence speaks for itself! We can’t be upset if she got her just desserts! ... Extreme though they may be, in this case... if it were me, she’d be locked up for life!“

“Evidence... is it...? Perhaps that could constitute as evidence. Not beyond reasonable doubt, but... not bad for amateurs.”

“... And yet I have my doubts you include yourself among said ‘amateurs.”

“... Well, I have been doing this for most of my life. It is natural I shine above such easy and normal reasoning.“

“You were doing this at the crime scene, too. You know we all get the boot if we mess this up, right? If you know something, you’re best off saying it.“

“Well. I do believe Wakatsuki-san ended Anzai-san’s life. That much is true. Your belt hypothesis was astute and, I believe, correct. I believe there is reasonable doubt but I do believe it to be accurate. Unfortunately we do not have the luxury of time nor forensics. This sort of assumption will have to do.“

“Not sure I’m comfortable with that...“

“I am eternally uncomfortable with you people being here but you do not hear me prattling on about it. Actually, it is interesting you speak up, Maki-san, for I was hoping to hear your thoughts on something.“

“Oh? Shoot.“

“Shoot. An interesting choice of words. I abhor dragging things out so let us cut this short. Maki-san, did you murder Wakatsuki-san?”

“... Hm. Interesting. If I did, I’d hardly say so, right?“

“Perhaps. If you had a scrap of honour or respect for the departed I imagine you would. But a trashy sort like you does not strike me as... such a respectable type.“

“Y... you take that back! Y-Y-Yuu-chan has been nothing been kind to me!”

Hanji shrugs, seemingly ignoring the protest.

“I would like you to explain the dart, Maki-san.“

“... Yeah! Yeah, you SHOULD explain that! You were the one throwing those darts willy-nilly before! Poor Anzai-kun! Once, twice, she could’ve been killed!”

“A dart? That’s all you got?“

“Given your previous offense as highlighted by our own... ‘esteemed’ Shiratori-san... I think that it is pretty relevant.”

“You’ve got me in a bind here, Tada-kun. I don’t see how I’m supposed to prove my innocence here.“

“That sounds like your problem. Not mine.”

“...While I do appreciate the questioning... and while I do respect you, Hanji-kun... I still think we’re overlooking the elephant in the room.“

“Oh my--”

“Yes! Because you know you’re guilty! We put it on hold to talk about the other murder but now that that’s gone and passed, you’re back on trial!”

“... The subject change makes little difference to me. The evidence points towards either two outcomes. Yuunagi Maki-san as a killer or Kurumi Ogawa-san as a killer.”

“The evidence... j-just that? I-isn’t it supposed to b-b-be more b-b-bombastic? With your g-g-gut!“

“It does not work that way in the real world, a place you may consider coming to sometime soon. The physical evidence is very often, enough.“

“... I suppose... that IS how it usually is, isn’t it?“

“So? What now? I guess you guys want to grill me again, that right? Well take your best shot. I’m not afraid of anyone.“

“Rather than that, I have a different idea. You found the body first, right? Well. Why don’t you just tell us the events leading up to that? Run us through your story.”

“... And expect a cross-examination after.”

Kurumi seemed uncomfortable, her pose tightening. But her glare was as fierce as ever.

“Fine. What do I care? I’ll tell you exactly what happened.“

[Next] >> [Previous]

[cc-hatredisland]

Trial. 01  {.It Was Me!.}

“My pendant definitely fits the bill, right? Tied around a string, it has an edge... that’d do it, right?”

“... Uhh... w-well... I think... the um, the string is a little... uh...“

“Dude, are you confessing or what?”

“What? No! I’m just-- saying-- like... hypothetically!”

“Do you know what was used or not? In reality.”

“I know... I know, I was just... saying... in case you were curious.”

“We weren’t.”

“... With... that out of the way... I’ll tell you what I really think did it...”

[Previous]

[cc-hatredisland]

Trial. 01  {.The Accusation.}

“There’s no need for any of this pomp and circumstance! The killer was found out a while ago!”

Well. Shiratori’s wasting no time here. I kinda feel things are only gonna get more hostile from here on out...

“Yes, you have been quite adamant about that.”

“Because! It couldn’t be more obvious!”

“Hey, uh, are we ignoring the whole someone dies no matter what part? Like... I’m rrreally not super comfortable with that. Just. Throwin’ that out there.”

“It is us or a killer. If they care so little they end another person’s life then I cannot say I’ll miss them terribly.“

“Yeah... but... like... I just... like... I don’t wanna do this. Can’t we just like... not do this?“

“... With this game set up the way it is... I doubt we could get out of it that easily. Do you really think we could just stride up to the door and leave?“

“Ding, ding, ding. Pointdexter’s right! Door’s all locked. And it’s only openin’ when the trial’s over.”

“I thought judges were supposed to keep their traps shut.”

“Hey, you heard me say I’m a heckler. Gave you a heads-up; can’t say fairer than that.”

Shiratori slams his hand down onto the podium.

“Even if we could escape! It’s wrong! We cannot avert our eyes to such a heinous act! I don’t agree with the punishment but justice is justice! And we all deserve that!“

“Ogawa-kun, I’m going to give you one last chance. Confess your sins and I will attempt to lighten your sentence.”

Some cross between a snort and scoff exited her mouth.

“Bite me.“

Manabu’s heavy sigh resonates with my soul in this charming moment.

“I get it. Everyone’s on edge. But let’s try to remember our goal here. Anzai and Wakatsuki are dead. We owe it to them to take this seriously and use the best of our abilities to--“

“Yeah, I get it! Poor Anzai, poor Wakatsuki! You know what-- I get it! It sucks! I wouldn’t wanna be dead either! But that’s not my fault and I’ll be hecked if I’m gonna take the fall for it! No way!”

“You’re taking the fall for it because you’re guilty! Admit it already! Admit your sin!“

“Alright, alright. This is getting a little hectic. You’ve been pretty vocal this whole time, Shiratori-kun. You’re a police officer, so that’s coming from some place of knowledge, right? Why not just fill us in?“

“Finally. Some sense. Yes, please give us a detailed report on why you believe the culprit to be Ogawa. And none of you... cut in. The last thing I need is more insufferable garbage spewed in useless protest.”

Shiratori doesn’t speak until he gets a nod from Kumatani. He clears his throat and begins.

“Tsukumo-kun and I were patrolling after our meeting. Only Tsukumo-kun and Wakatsuki-kun attended... who, if I might add, left rather early! We discussed what was on our IDs, the secrets and weapons and I quickly added those weapons to my stash. As I promised I would! The night is the perfect time for crime so I made sure to patrol properly. And what should I see but Ogawa-kun scuttling out of the Games Room! She seemed frazzled! I called out to her but the-- but... that rude person didn’t reply!“

He scoffs.

“I w-w-w-was there the whole time! S-s-so I c-can c-c-confirm it! We z-z-zwooped pl-place to pl-pl-place looking for tr-tr-trouble until we sp-sp-spotted her!”

“’Zwooped.’“

He couldn’t sound more scathing if he tried.

“Y-yeah like--”

Hirotsugu attempts to explain it with a gesture but Hanji’s no selling is pretty chilling. If looks could kill and all that...

Shit, that’s insensitive, huh.

“...Putting ’zwooping’ aside...“

“I took the opportunity to check inside the Games Room. There was some odd smell bothering me and I wanted to be thorough. And what should I see but Wakatsuki-san’s body? Just like you all saw. What conclusion am I supposed to draw? Ogawa-kun didn’t tell me about the body as she fled! She just ran off! She wasn’t concerned in the least! Furthermore, she was in the lounge, trying to hide something, no doubt! Her behaviour is more than a little shady! What other conclusion is there to draw?“

“When did you find her?”

“... Hm... it wasn’t long after she had passed, I believe... if the pertinent information on our cards is to be trusted. A handful of minutes, no more, no less.”

“I can more or less confirm that. I specialize in diseases but I know a thing or two about bodies.”

“A-ah... um... m-me too...”

“Any counter-arguments we need to hear?”

“...”

“Ogawa-san? ... Shouldn’t you defend yourself?”

“... I have nothing to say to ANY of you. You wouldn’t believe anything I say, anyway. Mr. Top Cop thinks he’s got it all worked out. He’s got a shiny badge, so why wouldn’t you trust in that?”

“We are giving you the opportunity to defend yourself. Don’t be difficult.”

“Yeah, c’mon Kurumes. I know you say all that shit about killing people but you wouldn’t really whack a guy, right?��

“Who knows. Anyone’s capable of anything! But... but...  for this... I... I didn’t do anything, okay?”

“Then why not report the body? If you’re not the killer, give us some evidence. Some explanation, just-- anything, please.”

“I’m not the killer because I’m not! What do you want from me?! I was... surprised, okay? Isn’t that obvious?“

She huffs.

“Besides. He,” she bobs her head in Shiratori’s direction. “hid all the weapons. If anyone was capable of killing someone, it’d be him, wouldn’t it?“

“... Hm... that is a fair point. I don’t think the murder weapon was ever found...”

“See? He just dug his own grave, bragging about his stash!”

“It is NOT a stash! And I was not bragging, I was being forthcoming! You might want to try it sometime!”

“Hold on a sec... Sugu-kun said he was hiding all of the weapons but that’s only the ones in plain sight, right? We all had one in our IDs. A weapon.“

“An interesting note. I naturally suspected some animal would succumb to base desires and looked in all the areas I imagined a... miscreant to hide something. I found sixteen lock boxes...“

“Wait, you... y-you know where all the hidden weapons are?“

“I see someone decided to attend class. Keep up, shut your mouth and listen. Six of those boxes were empty. And any weapons they protected, in the wind.“

“Ah! Worry not! I have three of those. Wakatsuki-kun, Tsukumo-kun and I all agreed I should hold onto the weapons. I then disposed of them in my room. Absolutely nobody should have been able to get them!”

“That still leaves three that can’t be accounted for.”

An uncomfortable silence stretches out. I eye You from across the room. He... showed me yesterday he had his. Is that worth talking about? I’m not sure... it’s confusing. Could You really kill someone? There was no way, right? I wasn’t sure... and that made my stomach turn. Before I can think any more on it though, someone else takes the stage.

“... Hate being coy, so I’ll come out and say it. I took my weapon.”

“... Yuunagi, you...?”

“Y-Yuu-chan, you couldn’t have... right?”

“Oh, tone down the fake surprise, come on. We’re in a kill or be killed situation, right? I didn’t want to take the chance. If someone comes for me, I want to be prepared. There’s nothing appalling about that.“

“There is if you’ve killed someone.”

“Well, I suppose there is that. But did I?”

She shrugs.

“I could’ve kept that information to myself but I wanted to be blunt about it. You can spend all day thinking about whether it’s a double bluff or not. I just thought I’d come out and say it.”

“... Even with that being said... that leaves two weapons missing.”

“Are we sure that Wakatsuki-san was killed with one of these weapons? We don’t want to waste time on a wild goose chase here.”

“Haha. Yeah. ‘Specially when the clock’s ticking. You only have an hour and a half to figure this out. Then you gotta do what you gotta do-- no matter how unsure you are!”

“Uhh?! Excuse me?! Information you didn’t mention earlier!”

“Yeah... sorry about that. I made a goofy-poo. Sowwy?”

Mikiro groans, sinking his head further into his hands.

“Thank you for the belated pertinent actually possibly crucial information.“

“You’re welcome.”

After hearing that, the police officer seems a little flustered.

“I-in any case. I’m quite sure that’s the case! I confiscated everything I could think of! And Wakatsuki-kun was stabbed with something. Perhaps if it were another kind of injury there might be some grounds... but a stabbing! Horrible! I wouldn’t allow that. Anything that could stab, puncture, slice or dice was taken away immediately!“

“We only have your word to go on. That means nothing. Especially if YOU’RE the killer! With all those weapons you’d be spoiled for choice!“

I feel like some parts are adding up here. And I finally opt to speak up.

“Shiratori was with Tsukumo, though. You were the one to see the body first and you saw Shiratori as you passed, right? You think he killed her, left and then returned to the scene with another person? What, to be really totally sure?“

“... Well I don’t know! It’s whatever, I’m just saying-- he has all those weapons.”

“I do think the key is in the missing weapons. And I think I found one of them. And... I think that one I found... is what ended Wakatsuki’s life.“

“AND YOU JUST THOUGHT TO BRING THIS UP NOW?! OF ALL THE--”

“ORDER! Behave yourself at once, Shiratori! We do not yap like savage dogs in this court!”

“Yeah, it’s delayed, my goddamn bad. But I was surveying the situation before saying anything. Could’ve been a red herring or something, I dunno. You were goin’ off on Ogawa, didn’t wanna add fuel to the fire. But now I’m feelin’ pretty confident ‘bout it.“

“About what?”

“About the murder weapon being Ogawa’s.”

“Excuse me?!”

“Think about it. Yuunagi volunteered it herself. She took her weapon with her for self-defense. Someone as jumpy as you... you’re bound to take one, too.“

Kurumi’s face pales.

“Well I didn’t. And you can’t prove it.“

“... Sorry, Ogawa. But I can.“

I give a nod to Mikiro.

“Me and Otomiya were checking the lounge after we heard from Shiratori. It was pretty well hidden. But there was a hand sickle covered in blood just wedged in there, stuck in the fireplace. Remind us. Where did Shiratori say you ran off to after you left the Games Room?”

“Aha! Caught! Just as I suspected! All that huff and guff and for what? An answer we already knew! Ogawa-kun IS the culprit!”

She grits her teeth, momentarily lost for words. It’s dizzying being in the moment like this.

But it’s not over. Not by a long shot...

[Next] >> [Previous]

[cc-hatredisland]

Investigation. 01  {.A Key Discovery .}

It wasn’t much, but, even getting a little out of Kurumi was important. That’s what I couldn’t help but feel, anyway. Getting anything else out of her was as likely as the killer just outing themselves so I figured it was for the best to go and follow up on her lead. Well, kind of her lead, kind of Shiratori’s, I guess. His testimony was pretty key. That’s why I was here now anyway, in front of the lounge’s door. I pushed it open and found I wasn’t alone in my search here. Well... I wasn’t but it didn’t seem like the person here was doing much in the way of actually searching. Given his expression, I couldn’t blame him, though. I guess he was still shaken.

“Otomiya.”

“Huh?! Oh... it’s just...”

Seemed like he couldn’t even finish that thought.

Maybe if he’d been hanging about here he’d already found something of note. Couldn’t hurt to ask, anyway.

“Have you found anything?“

“Uh... I... I don’t know. I don’t think so. Even if I had I’m not sure I’d even...”

I could kinda empathise with that. I mean, we weren’t detectives here. If a piece of carpet was scuffed from a scuffle or something how was I supposed to know? I guess if it was obvious I would but... being here, searching like this, it felt bad. Like a million things were going right past me. I know I’m not smart but it sucks to have it shoved in my face like this. Especially when... especially when those two deserve better. They deserve the truth.

“To be honest, I have no idea what I’m doing here. But I figure I gotta at least try. Otherwise I’ll be angry at myself later.“

“Mmm...”

He doesn’t seem sold. I take a brief look around the room. Nothing... seems out of place but I guess it wouldn't at a first glance. Right? I think.

“How long have you been here? Have you seen anything?”

“Can you stop asking me questions? Look, I just... I don’t know. I don’t know anything. I still can’t believe this is happening. Every time I close my damn eyes it’s all I see! And one of us is supposed to be behind this? Give me a break, how can I believe that...?”

I was actually wondering how I was holding up so well.

When I saw Otomiya like this... I realized this is how it should be, with the panic setting in and stuff. It’s not like I didn’t care. Hell, I still didn’t have the courage to go back to see Anzai but... I knew I couldn’t afford to do nothing, I guess. Someone had to do something.

Pressure makes diamonds or something...

Not that I’d ever consider myself one.

Still, the more of us that could work on this, the better.

“It’s messed up. I get it. I really get it, okay?! But are you happy just whining about it? We can’t change the crap that happened but we can get who did it. Anzai n’ Wakatsuki would do the same so let’s cobble together some stones and do our best, yeah? C’mon, man. Work with me here, let’s help each other out.“

He looked at me with weak and tearful eyes before finally brushing his sleeve across his face. It felt like he was half-hiding it (which was kinda stupid in retrospect since I’d... obviously already seen his face) and half just drying his eyes, best he could. I couldn’t help but feel I was kinda bullying him but I wasn’t really trying to. Guess I could add trying to motivate people to the list of shit I was bad at. 

If it was Anzai... she’d be able to motivate everybody, no problem. I had no doubt. And Daisy, she’d keep everyone in a good mood, even if the situation got all bleak like this.

“So?”

“Huh?”

“So what now, genius? You were the one talking all big. What do we do?”

Ah. So he was on board. Couldn’t help but feel a little happy about that.

“Well... I think there’s something important in the lounge. I guess... we just overturn everything until we find something that looks like it’s out of place.“

Well I never said I was an expert.

Otomiya sighed at my lack of direction.

“If I begin tearing this place up Hanji’d kill me.”

As soon as he’d said it, he paled and slapped a hand over his mouth as soon as he’d said it. Bad timing... and wording... and everything. But I got it. Sometimes people just said stupid crap.

“We’ll just do what we can. Anything’s better than nothing, you know?”

He seemed relieved I didn’t mention his slip-up. But, well, as per usual with the guy he didn’t really show it off much.

“You really have no plan here...“

“Sure don’t. Get with the program and help me do whatever I’m doing.“

Even I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do here but whatever, there was no wrong way to go about investigating, I figured. It might’ve seemed goofy to just stare at the floor and check under the sofas but I didn’t want to risk missing anything. Otomiya seemed hesitant to try anything at first. He’d lift up a cushion and throw it back before finally getting into the swing of things. With the two of us checking the room time seemed to pass a little faster. I didn’t even get discouraged with the lack of findings. I mean, somehow I knew something was here. I wouldn’t give up until I found something.

And boy, did I find something in the end.

I’d been digging around the fireplace, crinkled logs rolling out of place and coating my fingers in soot when I felt something out of place. It was stuck up around the top, out of view, wedged between some crags and stones. Something cold and sharp. I worked on pulling it out, not wanting to alarm Otomiya until I was sure I’d found something good. With some effort I pried it out of place.

It clattered onto the stones below and the sound out of my mouth escaped my mouth before I could stop it.

“Ahhh!”

“What? What? What happened?!”

The song writer rushed to the fireplace but as soon as he saw what I’d discovered he’d pressed his hands up to his mouth again.

A knife was one thing. But this was a hand sickle. And it was covered in fresh blood. This had been used... recently. And now that stuff was on my hands... ugh... the reality was hitting me again. Someone was really dead. They’d used this... to...

“W-where the hell did that even come from?! Why is this here?!“

I didn’t have any answers.

If I put what I knew together... Kurumi had come here... and this... thing was here... I wasn’t sure what that meant. She could’ve found it... or hid it... but with her personality... I didn’t know for sure. And asking her was gonna be... yeah, it wasn’t going to help at all.

“Why is it here? Huh?“

“Oh... I... don’t know. I just found it there...”

He sighed deeply but I had to give him credit, he really tried to keep himself together.

“So, uh... I guess... that’s like... that’s what killed... it’s what killed Wakatsuki, right? She was covered in... you know... so... that means...“

I frowned. I wasn’t sure where to put this thing. Was there a way to ruin evidence? I hope not. I didn’t want to mishandle what I had when I felt it was pretty damn important.

“... Yeah. It’s the murder weapon, Otomiya. We got it.“

Time’s running out.

But we have the murder weapon. That’s at least something... but... there’s something I haven’t done yet. And if I’m going to get close to solving this, it’s something I have to do.

“I’m gonna... hold onto this. You can tell everyone what I found, yeah?”

He nods, slowly. I don’t think he’d want to hold onto it anyway.

“And... I’m going to where Anzai is.”

“... Sorry, man... I want to help, but...”

I shake my head.

“Nah, you’ve done enough. Thanks.”

“I’ll continue looking around here... if I find anything, uh... well I’ll tell you. Or something.”

That’s useful. I nod and leave. I’m not sure I have too much figured out but at least the evidence is piling up. Still... I won’t know anything unless I go check on Anzai’s situation. I’d been avoiding it, but... there’s no real way to avoid it forever.

If I want to solve this...

Then I have to.

[Next] >> [Previous]

[cc-hatredisland]

{.The Reality of It All.}

Ding.

The ID updates with more information, another window. I swipe over to it and the gasp that escapes my mouth feels more like a stab.

Name: Satoko Anzai

Cause of Death: Asphyxiation

Time of Death: 1:43AM

No. No, no, no, no, no... someone else... someone else was dead. My hands can barely hold the ID. That’s what it meant, right? But who was that? I couldn’t think of anybody with the name.

Vaguely I sensed movement. Seconds later, people were pouring in, feet stomping in like a shot going off at a horse track. Every time I shut my eyes I see the body again. I try to edge away but I can feel my skin get clammier and clammier, even when I move away.

“Moving as you like, murdering as you like... I was right about you wretches. Good for nothing.“

“You really think this is goddamn time, buddy?!”

My head is throbbing. Fighting with each other even at a time like this? No, maybe that makes sense... I don’t know. More foot steps and someone else barrels into the room. I can’t help but notice only a handful of people are here... I want to look elsewhere, but my brain’s not comprehending any actions.

The door slams open and a triumphant Hirotsugu barrels in.

“D-d-d-don’t worry guys! We won’t have any trouble! S-sh-sh-sh-Shiratori-san f-f-f-figured it out! We got the culprit!”

My eyes widen and before anyone can ask, Hirotsugu’s gone. I rush after him and I feel others do too. It’s good to follow. An excuse not to think. All the noises blur together as I move up the stairs. To the Games Room... where we first met Patchnuki.

I can already smell the blood but my feet are moving faster than my brain’s responding. The door’s already ajar so I follow Hirotsugu inside.

Well... I guess Hinagiku Wakatsuki’s identity’s been revealed now. It’s the first time I’ve seen so much blood and my knees kinda give away. I thud against the wall, dizziness stripping me of all my thoughts and just stare. There’s arguing, loud sounds surrounding me but I just can’t focus on them. My head hurts. How is this happening...?

I know we’re kinda dysfunctional but are we really the kind of people that can murder each other like this?

“What’s going on here?“

I guess Kumatani finally joined in. Somehow it’s his voice that takes me back to reality. Or perhaps it’s just the appearance of a new person onto the scene. As my eyes adjust to the reality, I can see what he’s talking about already. Unfortunately there’s more than a body in this room... there’s a fight.

“Were you not informed?! I found the culprit!”

“What culprit?! Did you go senile early or what?!”

“You left the scene, informing no one of your discovery! If that does not make you the culprit, it makes you just as bad! You’re under arrest, Ogawa-kun!”

“Shiratori-san, calm down and think this through, there’s--!”

“I know what I saw! I will get justice for We-- for Wakatsuki-san!”

He seems a bit too heated... or set on his victim, I guess. I shake away the dizziness and step forward, trying to finally make sense of things or... take charge, best as I can.

“If you don’t have definite proof she did it, you can’t say she did it. Hell, we don’t know if any of us did it!“

“Oh, I can fill you in there. One of you deeefinitely did it! Though, I guess I should say one or more, huh?”

Patchnuki springs up uninvited near the pool table approaching the body. The chirpy nature of its walk pisses me off and I have a mind to march right up to it and throw it out the window. But I feel a hand holding me back.

Unexpectedly, it’s Buki’s. She has a grim look on her face.

“I really wasn’t expecting this... you guys are more eager than I thought! Still, guess you’re wondering what comes after this part, huh? Well, get ready cause you’re gonna like it! ... Wait, wait, wait, hold on a tick. You guys like games, right? Yeah, ‘course you do. Okay, so, this next part’s kinda like a game. You know, like... OBJECTION!“

It twirls and poses, pointing a chubby finger at Manabu who flinches.

“... That’s how it goes, right? The game with the suits and the badges and the stepladder and-- okay, you know what, I gotta get to the point here. You guys have to collect as much evidence as you can in two hours. After that, I’m taking you into my courtroom.“

“Your courtroom?”

I’ve never heard so much venom spat into two words.

“Yes, my courtroom. Anyway, so, it’s like... uhh, how does it go again? ... Right, yeah! Everyone presents what they found. And you guys try to catch the killer! Sounds fun, right? Just like a game of werewolf! The killer’s gonna be trying to run and you gotta spook ‘em out into the open. If you guys vote for the killer, they’ll get their just desserts. Won’t that be satisfying? You don’t wanna let these poor girls die in vain, after all! ... Bu~ut... if you get it wrong... well, the rest of you die. And the killer gets to have their freedom. Pretty good, huh? I wouldn’t mind some freedom myself. Or... Freedom Wars, yeah, that was a pretty good game too...”

A pause and I can feel the panic and rage build as Patchnuki continues to make a mockery of the situation.

“I told you all before. Kill or be killed. That’s the only fate you’ll get. It’s the only thing you people understand. I’ve wasted well, a good few of your minutes now. Whoopsy! Gotta let you guys have your fun, I guess. Ciao, ciao! I’ll be in touch!“

Thud!

I thought that was me at first. Mikiro had dropped to his knees, hands covering his ears as his face whitens.

“This isn’t happening... someone tell me this isn’t happening...!”

“It’s my fault... I... I brought the curse here... Panayomogi-sama, w-why didn’t you spare them? D-did I not bring you enough offerings? Why must you always... take away...”

“G-g-g-guys it’s okay! S-Sh-Shiratori-san already got the killer! We c-c-can move onto the next round?”

“Ah? Next round? What the hell are you on about?”

“Well... of the g-g-game! This is what it is, right? A sort of t-t-test! Or t-t-team-building exercise, you know?”

Kumatani opens his mouth but Rie bellows over anything he wouldn’t said.

“WAKE UP ALREADY! This is really happening!!! This isn’t a goddamn game or theatre show! Get that through your thick skull!”

“S...stop fighting, please...”

“And you! Can ya stop pretending in a make-believe spirit for just one second?! How ‘bout showin’ some goddamn respect for the dead?!“

Buki visibly withers under Rie’s scornful voice, her fingers digging into her skirt.

Somehow as everything around me goes to hell, I find my sense. Brushing my hair back and taking a breath, I clear my thoughts.

“... We need to... work together on this. We have two people... gone. If what Patchnuki said is true then... we’re all dead if we don’t get this right.”

“... Amazingly, Boy Genius here speaks the truth.”

“... Mmm. I guess... that’s the only thing to do.“

It’s the only way I can think of to honour them right now, anyway. I have no idea how I’m gonna find evidence. How I’m even going to stomach looking at a body.

But I’m going to try.

I have to try.

[INVESTIGATION: START]

[Next] >> [Previous]

[cc-hatredisland]

{.Mikiro.}

I climb the stairs up and finally locate Mikiro’s door with the help of my map. I’m getting used to the layout of the place now. I guess memorizing routes had always come naturally to me. It had to, or I’d never find my way in Tokyo.

There was no hesitation in my head now. I knocked on the door and called out for him. Daisy had taught me about the intercom so I made sure to hit that button before anything else. But... unfortunately... seemed all I was getting was silence.

Sure, in the times I’d seen him I’d never really described him social or even talkative but it still felt weird to be blanked this.

There was no fancy term for it.

I just felt bad.

Worry seeped in as I kept trying the door.

Then...

Movement.

“What the hell is your problem?! Do you LIKE being a public nuisance or what?”

I’ve never been more relieved to see this jackass.

The song writer stands in the doorway, his entire body radiating irritation. The headphones looked a little off-kilter, as if they’ve just been thrown off his head and he looked less than impressed. Now how was I going to tell him I kinda wanted to talk to him privately? Even thinking about asking me that caused me to sigh, my energy leaving me.

“I wanted to talk to you. That’s all.”

“Cool. Good for you.”

He’s about to shut the door and my mind races. He’s definitely being difficult. If he closes that door, he’s not going to open it again for me. I need to convince him.

“I know-- I know your--”

Mikiro squints. Like a startled animal he seems ready to bolt but isn’t quite ready to take off yet. The words are all jumbled in my head but I opt to plough on anyway.

“Secret. We all drew someone else’s secret. The one I got was yours, Otomiya. I wanted to--“

Before I can even get that thought out, he yanks me by the arm inside. I could easily break his grip, if one could call his effort that, but I kinda wanted this so there was no point in fighting him. Besides, if it went south I was pretty confident I could handle myself.

The door makes a thunderous sound as it shuts and I see panic in the song writer’s eyes as he turns to me, skin whitening by the second.

“What? What do you have? What do you know-- what did you read? Answer me!”

His mind must be swimming with possibilities. None of them good I’m guessing, from that frantic look on his face. Rather than explain it, I find the tab on my ID, making sure it’s the right one, before showing it to him. He tries to snatch it out of my hand but I’ve put enough force into my hold to prevent that. He should know his secret; but there’s no reason he should know mine. Hey, what can I say? I’m not that benevolent.

The expression on his face goes from anxious to explosive to downright fearful all in a handful of seconds. His body seems to go limp, like he can barely stand as he crashes into a wall, hands clenched over his face.

“Relationship? Are you kidding me...?“

Stressed fingers run through his hair, blue strands going here and there as the discomfort tightens on his face.

“It’s a lie?”

I feel I’m being too hopeful.

“... Nope. It’s real. You’re envious, huh? You must be! To be with THE Moeno Tsurumi! What complaints could a guy possibly have?!“

His words are forceful but he’s not angry, I can tell that much. He’s scared. He’s obviously just... scared. Putting on a brave face even now, I guess. Some people can’t take that face off. I might be the same way.

“What... did she do?”

Asking so bluntly seems stupid but it’s the only thing I can think of to say. I want to know and I feel like he wants to share it. But given the circumstances it’s all just... messy. It’s hard to be that open with someone you barely know.

“I... just...“

The way his nails go over his face makes me almost think he’s trying to tear his face off. It’s hard to watch but I don’t feel I should stop him. Or no, I don’t think I can even if I wanted to. That kinda stuff... it’s emotional, right? I can’t just make his trauma go away.

“I can’t... move. I’m trapped, I ... Tsurumi was a newbie. She was having a hard time so I tried to give her some advice. She told me... she fell in love with me. I wasn’t good with that but she insisted she could keep things professional... that we could just be friends.“

His fingers lace together as he leans on the arm of a chair, having pried himself away from the wall.

“That girl deleted my files. Went through every device I owned. She even put stuff in my food! I was sick because of her-- all because she didn’t want me working with another idol! Then she just began telling everyone we were dating. I just-- I couldn’t do anything. She was a lot more popular than I was. Spread rumours about anyone who got in the way. If I said no, she promised me she’d ruin me. ‘It would be your own fault. Don’t make me do it’... always saying crap like that...! ‘I love you, it’s for your own good’... yeah right...“

Mikiro slams his fist into the nearby wall, teeth gritted.

“... A relationship... is supposed to be something you care about. And want to protect right? I just want to get away from her. That secret you have there... it’s true but... at the same time it’s...”

I’ve heard enough. Honestly I couldn’t help but feel that... although Mikiro wanted to get this off of his chest he was also forcing himself to do it a little. Like he’d spent so long not talking about that he just wanted to say everything. Or anything. He just wanted to be free.

‘Tragic children’. Patchnuki had said that.

Given my own story and Mikiro’s, I could see the truth in that. But that still didn’t mean people were going to die. It didn’t mean we couldn’t rise about the stuff that haunted us. That we couldn’t be better.

“... I know this isn’t what you want to hear and stuff but... I’m sorry. You don’t have to say anything or--”

It felt too late for that so I tried to change it on the fly.

“Stew about it, or something. I won’t tell anyone else. I just... thought you should know. It’s one less worry, I guess. Like, now you know who knows and, well, now we both know that we both know.“

That sounded better in my head. He stared at me for a second, his usual demeanor enveloping his posture, eyes narrowing.

“Are you high?“

“Yeah, well. It made more sense in my head.”

“idiot.”

Back to this sort of routine, huh? I guess it’s better than him being upset though. With my part here done, I head for the door without another word.

“Wait.”

As I glance Mikiro’s way, I notice he seems deep in thought, his chin balancing on his hand.

“... I won’t say I appreciate it. It’s not like I wanted you to come. But. I guess worse people could’ve had my secret.“

That must be, quite possibly, the most roundabout way of thanking someone I’ve ever heard. I scratch the back of my head and shrug it off. Teasing him too much when he’s still got raw wounds seems like an asshole move, even for me.

“... Yeah, you’re welcome.“

He sputters out a protest as I leave, something about ‘it not being a thank you or anything’. Somehow my mind feels clearer than it did before. The door shuts behind me and there’s a clarity in my head. Simple communication and care. Stuff I’m not really good at, honestly, but I’ll try it if I think it’ll work. Mikiro won’t feel the need to hurt anybody now. He shouldn’t anyway. If we could all keep things on the downlow... we could do what Shiratori was trying to do without the whole, well, bull-headed Shiratori-like approach.

Still with clarity came boredom. And exhaustion, a little bit. Now that all the tenseness was gone, there wasn’t much left.

[Next] >> [Previous]

[cc-hatredisland]

{.It Wasn’t a Dream.}

The light that usually shines in my face, an unwelcome wake-up call is nowhere in sight and yet... I’m still awake. Either I’ve gotten better at waking myself up or I’ve had too much going on to sleep properly. Well... that said, I don’t even know what time it is. As my eyes work on, well, working, I glance around the room and well, I realize everything yesterday, crazy at it was, really had happened. I clear away the sleep from my eyes and just take a deep breath. My heart isn’t sinking as much as I honestly thought it would.

Part of me wants to just sink my head back into the pillow and see if this time when I wake up, it goes back to normal. I’m way too awake to do that too. I know it wouldn’t do anything anyway. Besides, there was that rule or something... I’d already messed up once. Had no real desire to make one strike two.

Throwing on my jacket, I make sure I have my card and everything else before I get to the Dining Room, which... unfortunately I do have to remind myself the location of. The smells get to me before I even open the door. It feels... welcoming, almost. I push open the door and see, surprisingly... most everyone. Everyone but Chika and Kumatani, looks like. Although I wonder how awake Mikiro is over there. There’s chattering and an actually pleasant atmosphere in the air. 

I’ve hardly entered the room when I feel someone snatch at my hand...

“Shimizu-dono! Good timing! I have prepared a most bountiful feast! It should protect us from the incoming darkness!”

... Oh. It’s Buki.

Somehow I have a hard time trusting the food if it’s her doing but... before I even realize what’s happened I’ve been dragged to a seat.

“And just between us...”

She leans in close to whisper something in my ear. It’s a weird ticklish feeling; not sure I’m a fan.

“Panayomogi-sama had no part of it! I did everything myself. The last thing we need is his meddling.”

I manage a dumbfounded nod, too tired to really put too much thought into her words but that appears to be enough for her as she goes trotting back to the kitchen in an aggravatingly chipper mood.

“So I guess you’re not much of a morning person, huh?”

I stare at Manabu who laughs.

“Didn’t sleep much.”

His smile seems to turn a bit wry. It hints at something, like he knows something but he doesn’t seem to acknowledge it. Maybe it was just like Patchnuki said... and everyone’d been haunted by some thoughts.

"Well, don’t mind it too much. Let Buki-chan take care of you. She’s been up since 5.”

“Excuse me?”

That’s about as alien as this whole situation is.

“Beats me. I’m not much of a morning person either.”

He winks and then goes back to talking to You. It was kind of incredible to actually see everyone here, even Ogawa and Kasahara though the two of them had made sure everyone knew how antisocial they were by sitting away from the group. Hell, Kurumi wasn’t even sitting.

The gentle clonking of Buki’s sandals alert me to her presence way before I even see her and before I can even blink there’s a plate of something warm in front of me. It’s steaming so much I can’t hardly see it.

“Du-duru-duruuuu~ Buki’s Magical Stirfry Morning Special! Eat it while it’s hot!”

I squint at the steam and begin to see the pieces of the meal and something in me feels... weird. It’s... really something homecooked. Maybe it’s the dream. That’s why my emotions are all messed up.

“Oh! The EGGS!”

Before she can leave I kinda grab for her wrist.

“Wait. Buki. Thank you.”

“Ah?! Of course! Well, your thankings please Panayomogi-sama greatly! ... And verily, myself as well!”

“Really.”

She gives me a very sincere smile before ambling off but not before waving one last time. I wonder how many people had thanked her... actually, I wonder how many people were used to this. Sitting with... other people. And not people they hated either. Eating real home-cooked meals and... having company. It wasn’t bad. It was probably the best I’d felt since I’d been thrown into all this.

I heard Kumatani’s voice somewhere from the kitchen so I suppose he was helping with the food. They’re both good chefs, huh? I guess that’s where he was though.

“Ahem! Alright now! Everybody listen up.”

Shiratori’s loud voice had surprised most of us. When I thought about it, this was probably the quietest I’d seen him so I definitely jumped. Rie accidentally slid from her leaning position and rather unfortunately, helped Mikiro bang his dozing face into the table’s surface.

“Ff rriCKing SHIT  I swear to fu--”

“No swearing!”

“No swearing!”

They actually said it in unison. Incredible.

Shiratori glares at Kurumi who turns away. I can already see that relationship’s going swimmingly. He coughs once more behind his hand and then gets to his feet, addressing the table.

“Anyhow. I feel we should now begin our second SFBSAE meeting! I have something very important to say first of all... I must confess, it’s been weighing on me...”

He taps his fingers on the table and the tenseness in the air is definitely palpable. And then... he swings his body into a deep bow.

“I apologize! Yesterday, though provoked, I uttered a curse.”

The tenseness in the air just... floats away. Just like that. I feel like most of us are lost for words. I take the opportunity to just have a bite of some of the stirfry instead.

“... It’s fine.”

You weren’t even there!

“You, however, Ogawa-kun, while I appreciate the forgiveness, are being nuisance! While everyone else agreed to work together, more or less, you simply told me to, quote, ‘get out and die’!”

“Were you not supposed to speak with her and Seiyama-sama in the morning?”

He coughs awkwardly.

“He knocked on my door in the middle of the night and started blabbing about this and that. He’s lucky I even gave him a response at all.”

Shiratori raises his finger and opens his mouth, fully ready to return fire when he suddenly seems to simmer down a little and opts not to fight her. That was oddly mature for him.

“Forgetting the insubordinate one... I think everything I said yesterday rings true today, too. I have already managed to round up a great many of any and all potential weapons. And they are now in a secret location.”

“Pardon me for cutting in like this Shiratori-sama... but... when was this? I was up rather early and did not see you once..."

He seems awful proud of himself.

“Well! Not to brag but I didn’t sleep until 3AM. And I only slept 3 hours! Regrettably. I’m usually more reliable...”

Sleep a little more! Geez!

“... Shiratori-sama, while I commend your vigour please do take care of yourself...”

“If Anzai-kun says it, I will keep it in mind!”

He salutes and then falls back into his chair, seemingly satisfied. The kitchen falls silent for a bit only to be interrupted by the door thudding open with a slam.

“I’m s-so sorry I overslept! I had a bad dream and well um, I was uh, bothered... by, um, something so... s-sorry! I’m late!”

“You are indeed! Tardiness is a crime!”

“That’s not a crime, Shiratori-san.”

Chika trips and almost seems to begin crying. Ahh. It’s kind of a welcome chaos. I kind of tune it out as I finish the rest of the food. It really was good. Somehow despite the horrible night this is one of the best mornings I’ve ever had.

I wonder what the rest of the day will bring...

[Next] >> [Previous]

[cc-hatredisland]

{.Electronic Words.}

I feel exhausted and somehow completed after I shut the door to the classroom. Like I did a lot in a day or something... even though all I really did was walk to places and talk to people. Still, yammering on and on to people in itself can be pretty tiring. It drains your energy and stuff... especially some of these guys. Wouldn’t be surprised if they were optimism vampires. Hearing this and that about how everything’s terrible and we’re all going to kill each other... geez, the more I think about it, the more that’d tire anyone out.

A shrill ringing catches me off-guard and it takes me a few more seconds than I’m proud of to realize it’s coming from that card. No, the uh, ID, that’s what it was called. Carefully picking it up, I flip it open and blink at the message left there.

SUGURU SHIRATORI: I HAVE DISCOVERED WE CAN SPEAK VIA OUR ID CARDS

 MIKIRO OTOMIYA: thats great, y r u usin all caps

SUGURU SHIRATORI: WHAT????

RIE UTSUMI: for lve of shit

This is the worst internet chatroom of all time. I glance down and see the keyboard appear when I hover near the bottom. So I guess that’s how everyone’s writing. And it seems like everyone has a face icon so I guess... muting is possible. That’s useful.

Very useful.

SUGURU SHIRATORI: OKAY!!! EVERYONE LISTEN THIS IS IMPORTANT!!! WE ARE TO CONVENE IN THE GAMES ROOM!!! GOT IT?

KURUMI OGAWA: die

SUGURU SHIRATORI: EXCUSE ME?! NO JOKES!!! GAMES ROOM!!! BE THERE OR I’LL WRITE YOU UP!!!

I’m really tempted not to arrive but I realize that avoiding Shiratori will mean spending more time with him and I’m not here for that. Besides, everyone else is probably going which means... well, I’m not sure what it means but I didn’t know about the IDs so maybe there’s more stuff I don’t know. It can’t hurt to check it out, anyway.

The classroom door slides open with a snap and out comes Tadashi Hanji. With another slam, the door’s closed. Man, even sounds can be passive-aggressive. He doesn’t even look my way before heading up the stairs. I’m surprised. So he’s complying with Shiratori too, huh. The door opens once more to reveal Manabu who’s has a worn expression.

“I’m not really sure he had to slam the door on me.”

“Haven’t you heard? Hanjis are too high-class for manners.”

That makes him laugh and somehow that makes me feel better. A face like that doesn’t suit the guy and he’s been pretty good to me so far despite the whole no trusting thing. Well, no, I guess that part’s fair. I’m not sure I trust him either. Or anyone here.

“I’m surprised. You’re going to the Games Room?”

I scratch the back of my neck.

“He’s just going to get worse if I ignore him.”

Like mould.

“Hahaha! Well, play nice, won’t you?“

Somehow I don’t even have the energy to spit out a vicious remark so I just sigh as I climb up the stairs. Jumping up the stairs like usual somehow seems rude when I’m with someone else... and that someone else has such an ambling pace.

“Still, good on Shiratori-san. I wouldn’t have guessed he’d send the first message.”

“You knew about that feature?”

“Hm? Yeah, I guess. It’s in the FastChat tab. It seemed a little... unreliable. So I didn’t bother with it.”

I can tell he’s being nice about it.

“Now that I know it works and works well I think I’ll use it more, though. It seems convenient. Besides, I think it’s better we all try to keep in contact.”

Keeping in contact, huh... I’m not used to it and I’m not sure I want to be. The idea I have to message someone everyday or relay everything I do sounds troublesome. Maybe it’s simpler than that. But in my head it just comes off as a pain.

My head snaps up when we reach the top of the stairs. It’s just a few steps to the games door and I take this moment to stride on ahead of Manabu. We’re at the door now so I figure it’s fine.

“Here we go.”

“How exciting~”

I swing the door open and I see...

Well, not everyone’s here for starters. Most people are but I can see the obvious absences of Kurumi and You. That’s interesting... I would’ve thought You’d be here. Ogawa’s no surprise though. Seems like she has zero intention of getting along with any of us.

“You two! Come inside! Don’t dally! We’re about to conduct our first ever Safety First, Battle Strategy Against Evil! Call it the SFBSAE!”

“Nobody’s calling it that. Literally nobody.”

... Oh boy...

Manabu chuckles and finds himself a seat. I can feel Shiratori’s eyes burn a hole through my hand so I shut the door but keep close enough to it in case Shiratori pisses me off so much I just want to leave Shiratori clears his throat and begins to address everyone.

I guess this is his first meeting beginning.

[Next] >> [Previous]

[cc-hatredisland]

Kitchen.  {.Mikiro: Talk.}

As I approach Mikiro I wonder if he always has that kind of expression on his face. It’s a sort of indifference but since he’s working so hard to keep it there I wonder how indifferent it really is. I can see his bruise is finally starting to brown and fade. A lumpy bag of frozen peas is on the counter behind him, maybe that’s also been helping. When his eyes meet mine, he immediately begins smirking something terrible. I have a bad feeling about a smile like that... like nothing good it going to come out of his mouth.

“Well look who’s up and about.”

Yep. He’s being a smug shit about it, alright.

“After such a shocking encounter I would’ve thought you’d be lying around somewhere.”

“And after an uppercut I would’ve thought you’d learn to keep your trap shut. Your face looks lonely without the swelling, you want your other side to match?”

The laugh he gives isn’t one of confidence.

“That’s a crappy joke.”

I raise my hand and he immediately raises his up defensively. I didn’t really intend to punch him this time but he was being such a smug punk I figured he at least deserved the scare.

“... Made you look.”

“What the hell! Way to be an asshole!”

Oh! Says this asshole! Geez, pot meet kettle, at least I’ll admit it. He rubs his wounded cheek again. Perhaps the flinch pulled a muscle or he just remembered the last time we got into a spat.

“Geez, what, do you punch everyone you meet or what?”

“Hey, I said sorry for the first time, didn’t I?”

I actually can’t remember if I did but I don’t think it matters one way or the other. Instead of deigning to reply, Mikiro attempts to glare a hole through my head before scoffing and turning away.

“This is a stupid, terrible day. I’m already over it. I was over it when I woke up! ‘Hey Otomiya-san, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. Hope’s Hill! The Hanji family! You’d be craaazy to pass up on it’! Sure. Okay! I’ll go. Fine then, what’s the worst that could happen? Oh wait, what’s this? Did you just wake up, get punched in the face by some twerp and then sit there as a stuffed tanuki waxes lyrical about murder. Yeah, thanks Mr. Kobayashi, I am so goddamn glad to be in this stupid shit program!”

... As he rants about it, I can’t help but feel bad for the guy. Everyone’s been trying to remain calm as far as I’ve seen or at least have this weird fiery determination. But Mikiro seems... to be acting decidedly normal about all this. Which makes me wonder if I’m the one acting weird.

“If someone comes at me with a knife, what the hell am I supposed to do?! Write ‘em a love song? This is no joke... shitty Battle Royale crap...”

His hand moves from his cheek to his fringe as he runs his hand through the strands vigorously, eyes wandering from this clanking pot to that person over there, suspicion clear in his movements.

“Look, it’s not gonna come to that.”

“Dude, you punched me in the face and this was before we even knew the shitty plot twist.”

Well he’s got me there. I don’t really have a good comeback. ‘Sometimes I instinctively punch people’? I guess I could try ‘I thought you were a kidnapper’. Neither sounds great.

“Yeah, well you’re not gonna die from a punch to the face.”

“You can die from anything these days.”

What may have sounded like a snappy retort just comes off as kind of petulant. And pessimistic.

“Well if you can die from anything these days I don’t suppose it matters where you are.”

That reply caught him off guard. His hand freezes in place for a second as he stares at me. And then, he takes two steps towards me and tries his best to look vaguely intimidating.

“L-look. If that’s a threat, I’ll tell everyone you said it and they’ll throw you in the boathouse or something.”

“Why would I want to kill you?!”

“You’re a jerk!”

“If that was enough for me I’d be in prison by now! You wanna try and guess how many assholes I’ve met?”

Our staring contest, pitiful as it is, is ended by Mikiro who huffs and then draws back, arms folded.

“Whatever! You know what? I don’t even care. It’ll be so typical if I die here. ‘It’ll change your life’! Wow! Yeah, death sure would be a change! Real permanent!”

This is going in circles.

“Just... cool your damn head. Otomiya.”

“It’s fine! I’m plen-ty chill. See?”

He yanks his shirt and gestures at the word on his shirt. It’s... in English though so I have no idea what it says. Maybe it literally says ‘chill’ or maybe it says ‘I’m going to die’ or something. I could believe either at this point.

“... No one’s gonna do anything drastic so don’t give ‘em a reason to. Sounds simple to me.”

“If even you get it, it has to be.”

I swear this guy can’t resist. I’m so stressed out by the constant sarcastic barbs with pessimism jam sticking it together that I don’t even have the energy to bite back at this point.

“Okay. Cool. I’m gonna count this as progress. Good talk, don’t get killed.”

“No guarantees.”

Thanks, Mikiro.

I left, thoroughly drained and done with this conversation.

[Previous]

[cc-hatredisland]

{.Jumbled Jamboree.}

When the small... thing... comes into view... it’s hard... to put it into words. I’m not sure what I was expecting but I’m not sure I can say it was anything close to this. More and more I can’t help wondering whether or not this is some big joke or something.

“Voted most huggable bedtime buddy of the year, it’s me, Patchnuki!”

You could just feel the silence. Someone coughed. I think it was Kasahara.

“Oh. It’s a portmanteau. Patchwork and tanuki. You get it?”

“I get it~”

“Oh man, I need a drink.”

“You’re underage!”

The... stuffed toy or whatever fat patchwork raccoon this was supposed to be did a little twirl and Rie and Shiratori were forced to turn their attention back to the toy. After getting its fix, the toy seemed to vault into the air and landed on one of the banisters. I think we were all too baffled to be impressed.

“Okay, so, I guess... you’re wondering what’s going on here, right? No doubt! I’d be puffing out my stuffing if I were in your shoes! Well don’t worry. It’s uh. Fine. I was just preparing for your arrival, that’s all.”

“Who are you?! What have you done with the staff?”

“Do you need your mama and papa, Tada-kyun? Well! Don’t worry about them! It’s been taken care of.”

“What... do you mean by ‘taken care of’?”

Patchnuki seemed to wiggle a bit before shrugging and a cold choking feeling hit me.

“Hey Hanji, get your weirdo toy to knock it off, it’s freaking me out!”

Hanji remained silent. I couldn’t even tell if he was being suspicious or not anymore. My head was filling up with bad thoughts. I’d been impatient before, unsure, anxious... but that was getting replaced with something worse. With some kind of... fear. Like something really bad was really happening here. Maybe I was alone in that thought. Others looked, well, fine. Daisy and You were as happy as clams. But... there was something wrong about all this. It wasn’t some prank. I could feel it.

This was something really, really bad.

“It hurts when you guys call me a toy! I was... actually hoping we’d be friends... I mean, we’ve all got so much in common after all!”

“We’re all in this together. You didn’t know? You’re Japan’s brightest, sparkliest students, filled with hope and determination and all that good stuff. Well, it’s supposed to be that way but... there’s something else connecting you, huh? Do you guys know what it is?”

“It’s... hatred! It’s pure, untouched, unfiltered, real n’ raw hatred! All of you have something in your guts, just burning at you! People! Places! Yourself! The world itself! You’re all strangers, aren’t you? You’re not the usual hopeful protagonist types. You’re a loooooot more twisted. Which is why we’re gonna have fun here, you guys n’ I.”

The pause is intentional, for effect, maybe, or just to make sure we’re all listening. I’m not sure I am. I’m kinda listening but I’m feeling so dizzy it’s hard to tell if it’s really registering. I guess part of me is still denying this whole thing even though the numbness in my hands and head prove otherwise.

“It’s a free school. So you’re gonna do some learnin’! Oh, on your own time, of course. You should do whatever you want. Make friends and indulge! That’s how this place was designed after all, right? From here on out, you’ll be living here anyway. Permanently. Don’t worry, your families and friends and whatevers will get over it so you can live the wonderful life you already dreamed of here!

Oh, but... remember, at the end of the day...”

“Most of you will probably die.”

“... Excuse me?”

“It’s a free school. So you’re gonna do some learnin’! Oh, on your own time, of course. You should do whatever you want. Make friends and indulge! That’s how this place was designed after all, right? From here on out, you’ll be living here. Permanently. Don’t worry, your families and friends and whatevers will get over it so you can live the wonderful life you already dreamed of here! Oh, but... remember, at the end of the day... most of you will probably die ”

Mikiro looked lost for words and he was whitening by the second.

“This was all pre-recorded and yet somehow I knew you were gonna say that! It’s you, right, Otomiya? Sarcasm’s not really funny when people don’t play ball, huh? But it’s true. I have every confidence that even though I’m giving you a ticket to paradise you’ll still end up killing each other.”

He staggered backwards, into Rie who steadied him. The two of them looked too shocked to say anything. No thank you, no jokes, nothing. Even the happy-go-lucky types were now looking concerned.

“... Pre-recorded, is it... and yet you have such perfect timing.”

It was Kasahara’s shoe tapping that broke up the silence, the sound bouncing across the walls.

“I know, I know. It’s hard to believe, right? How could I know Otomiya to that extent? Well, the truth of it is... I know all of you! S-u-p-e-r well! We’re all very good friends. I guess you wouldn’t remember. But we have met before. Really, I swear! Cross my paws! It’s possible we met just recently, in fact.”

My mind immediately cycles through everyone I've met. Not good. So many faces. They come and go. How many people have I met? In passing? A lot, I’d guess. Not good. My head’s hurting again...

As if to make my head ache that much more, Patchnuki’s squeaking up a storm again.

“Because! It’s possible... I’m in the room right now. Hee-hee-hawhawhaw! You get it, right? ‘Cause! If this is a pre-recording then~ any one of you could’ve been responsible for it. Or maybe I’m just a liar. Maybe this is some elaborate kidnapping and the power of friendship will triumph! But who knows? Well. I do! But that’d be telling! And snitches get stitches! I’ve got enough of those...”

“And I’m rambling! You guys should stop me when I’m rambling! Well. No, you can’t, huh. So. You’re wondering why this is happening... and why on earth any of you would kill each other, huh? Well, for starters, if you get away with it, I’ll let you leave. Scout’s honour! But beyond that... think of it as a challenge. Can you nasty little kids co-exist here or will you give into your demons? Well! I already know the answer though.“

“Like we need your permission. The door’s right there.”

“ARE YOU THINKING OF LEEEAVING?”

Kurumi jumped and so did I. How good is this ‘pre-recording’ exactly?

“You caaan’t! And you can’t damage me either! Utsumi! I know you were thinking it!”

“... Well you don’t win a prize.”

“You can’t leave. It’s impossible. Impossible, impossible, impossible! If you leave the playing area, this island’s gonna--”

“No--”

“BOOM!!!

Then none of you win. Isn’t that sad? It’s too sad! A story without a conclusive ending is the worst type! It’s fine though, you know! If you’re so confident, just don’t kill anybody. If you’re not as bad as I say you are... you can co-exist, right? Forever and ever, you can get along. Could be a paradise if you play your cards right. If you’re so confident you won’t give into hatred... then you have nothing to fear, right?”

“So! Are you all confident? You are, aren’t you? You think you’re so great! It’s just co-existing! How hard could it be? Well I admit it’d be pretty pathetic if Japan’s brightest couldn’t do that much! But-- well-- hee hee! Haw haw! I know you all too well to know you’re capable of it. So good luck! Kill your friends! Or don’t! I’ll be teaching some classes so if you ever need some ideas, cool poisons, neat weapons... yeah, you just drop on by! Oh and make sure you read the RULES! They’re on the... er... um... y’know, this is embarrassing. I forgot to uh, hand ‘em out. They’re still... well, you’ll find your cards in the Dining Room! When my runtime ends the doors should just, y’know. Open. You can ask your lovely host the directions. It is your house after all, Hanji!

You guys’ll be here for awhile so I guess I should finally let you get used to it... acclimating can take a while. And if you were thinkin’ ‘help’ll be on the way’ or something... well! Uh. Haw haw. Think again, I guess. Nobody’s coming for you kids. It’s part of the test, after all.”

The toy jumps from the banister and plods out of view, chuckling.

“I’m looking forward to it... really...”

There’s a moment of silence, respite, broken by Rie slamming her foot into the wall as she proceeds to curse up a storm. We’re all just... here. Left mulling over what we’ve heard.

“This... is... q-quite the entrance, H-H-Hanji-san! J-j-just like a TV show! V-v-very realistic...!”

You can hear he doesn’t believe it. Somehow that alone makes it hard to listen to, like a child desperately trying to claw to the idea Santa Claus is real or something. Hanji barely pays him a glance.

“T-this isn’t happening... it’s not... happening...”

“Everyone just-- calm yourselves! It’s just a stuffed toy, a mere prank. We’ll figure this out. Just form yourselves into a line and we’ll calm down. Help will--”

“Like anyone’s going to do that, moron! We’re stuck here! Get it? Face reality!“

“Ogawa-sama, there’s no need to... we cannot afford to panic here...”

“Anzai-san’s right. If we just remain calm, we’ll sort this all out. Nobody’s going to die.”

“I don’t want to! I definitely don’t want to die!”

“Hah... ahaha! Y-y-yes! This s-s-sure is realistic! I j-j-ju-just love the a-a-authentic drama!”

”Everyone’s so wound up... we don’t have a reason to kill each other. Right?”

If you kill someone you get to leave... the words swirl about in my head and I put my hand to my forehead.

As everyone’s voices ring out at once, it’s easy to just zone out. From the corner of my eye I see Hanji make his way up the stairs. But someone’s not satisfied with that. Not one bit.

“And where the hell do you think you’re going? Don’t you think you have some explaining to do?”

Even if Patchnuki’s gone... the trouble’s only just started.

[Next] >> [Previous]

[cc-hatredisland]

{.It’s Not a Game.}

“I hope you’ve learned your lesson now! I told you! Don’t go picking fights you can’t win. AKA, don’t go swinging your fists at me! Gosh, if you have so much energy, you have plenty of other people to fight over there.”

I’m vaguely aware it’s waving at the others. Manabu, You and Yuunagi come to my side, with worry in their eyes.

“Are you dead? Hey, are you okay? You’re with us, right? Tenshi-kun?”

“Kae-kun, breathe. Here -- we’re here. It’s okay now.”

Manabu looks at me and then gazes rather scornfully at Patchnuki.

“Bit harsh, don’t you think?”

“You should really read the rules. And grab your cards too! If you don’t grab those cards, you’ll get a really nasty shock!”

You has one of my hands and Yuunagi has the other. The three of them being there is both a weird comfort and a strike against me. If people are already this agitated it might mean I’m looking pretty weak right now... or pretty stupid, maybe both. Hell, even I think I was stupid. But it’s not like I can rewind time or something. As I begin to rise off the floor, Manabu flashes me a smile before going to the table to pick up IDs. I open my mouth to say something but You rushes me so fast I almost fall right back down.

“Hey, hey, are you okay? You’re not too sleepy? You remember me? You’re alright?“

“I... I’m ... okay.”

“Don’t get up so fast. I can’t imagine what you just felt.”

She visibly shivers and then averts her eyes. For someone who can’t imagine it I have no doubt that’s exactly what she’s doing now.

“There are a lot of things to check out on your cards... the rules, for starters, and a map of the place! Hey, it’s not like you all live here. Even I got lost when I took over the place. It’s really useful, trust me... speaking of useful, come on guys, your own rooms! I bet a bunch of you never had one of those before! Take this opportunity to leave your own teenage little dream. Ugh. Teenage dream. Love that song.”

Unsure of whether the joke didn’t land or whether no one actually cared Patchnuki lets an awkward silence stretch before attempting to clear its non-existent throat.

“Well uh, anyway. I’m gonna leave you guys to it. There’s a lot to explore so I bet you guys caaan’t wait! I’ll be sure to drop in every now and again... but if you can’t wait for that, just spin around three times and shout Patchnuki!”

As it says that, it literally spins around three times and then jumps out of view. There are gasps and muttered curses from several corners of the room. I become vaguely aware I’m worse off than I thought as blood begins leaking from my noise. Just what was that electro shock anyway?

“Oh-- your nose.”

“S’fine, I’ll just use my sleeve--”

But before I even get the words out Yuunagi herself does that. I look at her, a bit dumbfounded before saying quite possibly the most irrelevant thing I’ve ever said.

“That’s... gonna stain, y’know?”

“Wha-- oh, shut up, it’s fine. You need the help.”

“We could all do with some help... sticking together’s the best course of action about now. Do you need a hand getting up?”

I shake my head. My hands wrap around the legs of the table as I pull myself up. Yuunagi takes a step back but You looks on with concern, occasionally flailing his hands at me.

“Are you sure you’re okay? Don’t overdo it. You don’t wanna hit your head again.”

“I’m alright, Seiyama-san. Really.”

The smile on his face seems quite genuine. As I get to my feet feeling like a newborn giraffe, Manabu walks over to me and presses a card into my hand... orange... I guess it’s mine. He then hands two other cards to You and Yuunagi.

“Seems like we don’t want to be without these.”

He winks at me in particular before crossing over to Anzai and Daisy, handing out more cards. I guess a lot of people are too surprised to go pick them up. Daisy takes her card but Anzai looks too scared to take hers. No for a girl who should be so used to being in control... she looks... way out of her depth.

“How is this... how can this be... not again...”

“Anzai-san? ... ‘Again’?”

“I do not want a part of this, not again! I am terribly sorry but I cannot... I am-- sorry... so sorry!”

And with a swishing gesture, she takes her card and makes her leave. ‘Again’? I blink a few times trying to get that through my head. I think we’re all trying to figure that one out.

“I’ll check on her. Don’t worry, yeah? We’ve all got maps now after all. We’ll be fine n’ dandy.”

Daisy nods to us and then leaves chasing after Anzai.

“Is everyone just trying to out-vague each other here or what?”

“Otomiya-san! Behave!”

“No seriously, is everyone just gonna be all coy now or what? We gonna just let Miss Worldy Rich Probably All Powerful Negotiator Girl run off and be suspicious or what?”

“We are NOT calling people suspicious here! That’ll only make our situation worse. We must put our heads together to figure out how this happened... and how we can get out of it.”

“Did you forget the whole ‘help isn’t coming’ part?”

“I didn’t forget! But what sort of person listens to such an obvious villainous bluff? If we keep our heads, we’ll be fine. Everyone just needs to listen to me and follow my lead.”

“... That’s not happening.”

Kasahara shifts her weight from one leg to the other and tilts her head in an almost matching manner.

“I don’t intend to follow around a noisy bulldog nor do I have any intention of ‘working together’ with a bunch of strangers. If this situation is as grave as it sounds, I want to determine my options.”

And without another word, Kasahara also makes her leave although it’s to the sound of Shiratori’s sputtered protests.

“... I’m going too. Listening to you is just gonna give me a headache, anyway.”

“What?! Excuse me?! You all need to stay right here and listen to me!”

Mikiro turns to make his leave as does Kurumi who makes a dismissive gesture with her hand. If this guy is trying to promote unity he’s really failing at it. I stagger a little but thankfully You and Yuunagi have my back.

“Whoa there!”

“Hey, you said you’re alright. Did you really mean it? Do you want to lie down?”

He’s clinging to my arm now. I’m really stewing over it... this is some regret. Not only was my body still aching but now I had all these people looking all worried over me.

“It’s fine... really.”

“You can be a bit selfish, y’know. We’re in this together, it makes sense to have each other’s backs. And, between you and me--”

“I kinda like takin’ care of people. Don’t tell.”

“Ahaha.”

“You-chan, why don’t you give him some space? We can reconvene later.“

“That’d help. Is it okay with you?”

“Yeah, is it okay? Is this all seriously okay...?”

“It’s fine! I get it, y’know? People need their space. Just know you can holler if you need us, yeah?”

That’s... hard to believe, honestly. Weird to believe. That someone might actually have my back.

“... Wait, how are you gonna hear?”

“Uhh. The power of friendship?”

... Right.

She laughs it off and then trots away.

“I’ll give you some space, Kae-kun. I’m kinda curious about this place so I’m gonna have a look around.”

“Stop ignoring me! I have a plan for you guys to follow!”

That plan isn’t going to get very far.

“Mmm. If you say you’re okay, I’ll believe you but... um... look for me if you need some peace, okay? Bye-bye, Tenshi-kun!”

Actually, when did he come up with that nickname? I barely have the time to ask before he’s darting off too. Shiratori looks like he’s fit to explode over there and rather than address his ever-thinning group, he opts to stare down at his card. Actually, I should probably do that too, huh...

And then, after that...

Maybe I should go and take a walk myself.

[Next] >> [Previous]