Chapter 5 (f)

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I swear, if they repeat their rules another time, I am going to scream. And they were even mad at me because I was late. When will this pathetic ritual start? It is almost 6:00 pm, we should move already.

At least the eleven first year students aren't chitchatting and giggling anymore, the four occultism club members did a good job at scaring them. I bet they were properly trained for this, their expressions are dead serious. This is yet another proof that Teramoto isn't simply an amateur. She must have learned the tricks of the trade somehow. I am suspecting more and more that what her club really is about is not occultism itself, but the strategies and techniques to create successful cults. I cannot even count the many new sects that have plagued Japan for the past years. The lack of a truly dominant religion makes it easier to manipulate weak willed individuals into joining new religions. There is never a shortage of fools in this world. If my hunches are correct, Teramoto's ambition is to create her own cult, and considering her personality, I am sure she is a lot more pragmatic than what her crazy talks suggest. So, in other words, she must have studied how all those new religions were made, how they spread, and how they prospered.

There is still light, the days are becoming longer, but the sun is already close to the horizon. It will be night very soon, and darkness is the occultism's best ally. The upcoming fight is going to happen in the worst possible conditions for me, but that only makes it more exciting. I think it is only fair to give some kind of advantage to Teramoto, she is by far the most inexperienced between the two of us.

The tense and yet disturbingly still atmosphere suddenly livens up as soon as a dark human figure is spotted moving towards us. The first year students immediately start whispering between themselves again, but the authoritative voice of a senior club members promptly silences them.

The one who is coming is Teramoto herself, but I can only tell with certainty now that she is close enough. She is strangely clad in a black cape that covers her whole body from the head to the feet. I can barely see her face. No doubt this is all part of her show, and that is very impressive.

Teramoto comes to us walking slowly, without saying a word, without any unnecessary movements. She radiates an otherworldly presence, and that noticeably causes uneasiness on the young girls. She always had that proud air about her, but now she is almost terrifying, as if she wasn't even human. That is certainly the kind of impression that she wants to give, and from the look of it, it is working.

Club member: "The great seer has come! Everyone salute her as you were instructed!"

Following that command, all the girls respectfully bow, while joining their hands to form a triangle in front of their chests. This is another fine touch from Teramoto. I feel a little stupid by performing this pointless greeting, but, as they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. It doesn't hurt, it is just very lame, but if I tried to disrupt her 'magic' at this point, I would look like a loser, just like Nagaoka. I need to defeat her inside her own territory, that is the only way. Satsukawa awkwardly mimics us, while showing a decidedly disconcerted expression.

Club member: "Great seer! The twelve chosen young maidens are ready to partake in the mystical ritual, please grant us your protection!"

Teramoto reacts with a barely noticeable smile. She then extends one of her arms, bringing it outside of her coat. Her hand is holding a dozen of protective charms, but that is not what catches my attention. I knew already about this part, those trinkets are supposed to protect us from the evil influence of the demon or something. Garbage.

Rather, why is she wearing full length gloves? It makes me wonder... what else is that coat hiding? Is this some kind of cosplay? Another of her personal touches?

She must be wearing some kind of strange outfit, which explains why she is donning that black coat. She probably doesn't want to be seen wearing that outside, but I bet she will take it off once inside the shed.

Club member: "These protective charms were imbued with a powerful magic. As long as they are with you, the evil presence inside the shed won't harm you. All of you, take one, and don't let go of them for any reason! The consequences will be dire, should you be careless!"

If she usually wears that costume... then one of the mysteries that bugged me for the last few days suddenly can be explained. With those gloves she is not going to leave any fingerprints. No wonder we didn't find any, and no wonder she never worried about that. This is quite convenient for her, but I guess this is just a fortuitous coincidence. This girl isn't just clever, she is also very lucky.

I take the charm that is being offered to me, and, just as I imagined, it isn't anything particularly elaborated. This is probably just one of the cheapest charms that Teramoto's family sells. Mixing Japanese and western folklores... Beatrice would probably turn on her grave, if she was in one. And yet this isn't exactly wrong from the perspective of a proselytizer. Syncretism is fairly common, and it is especially effective on the most superstitious individuals.

Club member: "We will now proceed to the haunted place. Follow the great seer quietly!"

Teramoto nods slightly. She still hasn't opened her mouth. Everything about her is pretty unsettling, and the young students are visibly affected by that. They are not going see any spirits nor demons today, but this figure clad in black, to their eyes, is probably as much as scary.

Finally we start walking towards the abandoned shed. Teramoto guides us through the deserted school grounds, under a bright red sky. She is the pied piper and we are the rats, but the only sounds that can be heard are those of our footsteps.

There is something in the air, I can smell it. This is the 'smell' of magic, and it is strong. This is the strange sensation that I feel whenever a lie is elaborated enough to challenge rationality and common sense. I would have never thought that I would experience it again, and this is merely the beginning. If this gets stronger, it might break the boundaries between reality and illusion... Just like when Teramoto narrated that strange story in the gym, I feel like I am being pulled inside her world. There is a whirlpool around her, and it is calling me. I am moving towards its center, slowly but surely. It looks calm now, but it will get stronger later; it might become too much for me to handle. I must not get close, I must stand my ground. This is the world of humans; magic, spirits, demons, do not exist.

We have arrived, the abandoned shed is just before us. This is supposed to be exactly like every other gathering that was arranged in the past, but something is clearly different. In order to proceed, we need to trespass the police tape. In addition, I probably won't see the 'open sesame' trick, today. The door is still broken and there is no nothing to unlock.

Teramoto and the club members stop and look in the direction of Satsukawa.

Club member: "Do we have your permission, Satsukawa-san?"

Satsukawa: "Strangely enough... you do."

That place was analyzed and combed enough, after all. There is nothing important to preserve anymore.

Teramoto and the club members nod to each others, and then they proceed, passing below the tape.

I can't help giggling when I think that normally it was the demon who allegedly made possible to enter inside the shed. Today that role fell on Satsukawa.

Teramoto lingers for a while in front of the half-opened door. She moves her hand forward, as if probing for some kind of invisible force, and concentrates.

Teramoto: "E-nu-ma e-liš la na-bu-ú šá-ma-mu! Šap-liš am-ma-tum šu-ma la zak-rat!"

The first words Teramoto speaks are in some kind of language that I don't recognize. For all I know this could be just gibberish, but it is elaborated enough to sound authentic. I have no idea where did she get that from, nor what is the actual meaning of her utterances, but it further strengthened the otherworldly atmosphere that surrounds her. Even if nobody understood her words, everyone was fooled into thinking that Teramoto spoke to the demon, and that is the image that she wanted to convey.

She is breaking the barriers of skepticism and common sense one by one, and she still hasn't showed us anything yet. All that she needs is a bit of doubt. A small crack can turn into a giant hole and eventually cause the destruction the whole wall.

Teramoto enters first, and she is soon followed by three of her lackeys. The remaining stays behind, probably to give us instructions. She is the one who spoke before and ordered us around.

I am very curious to see how Teramoto is going to react now that she is back to the abandoned shed, after all that has happened. It has been more than week and it lost its red color, but the blood stain is still visible there right at the center of the magic circle. It is a rather morbid view. I have seen it already, but if this is the first time for her, she can't really remain unfazed. They say that the killer always returns to the scene of the crime, and in a cliched detective story, that is usually when he makes a fatal mistake. I don't think that is quite realistic, but it would be quite fitting for Teramoto to betray herself in this place during her ritual, if she was the murderer. Certainly there would be quite a lot of powerful emotions struggling inside her heart. However, I now realize that I can't reach any conclusions. I see her hesitating for a while, looking at that blood stain, but nothing more than that; I can't see her face well enough. I guess I can't even conclude with certainty that she has never seen this place since the day of the crime. She might have wanted to check the state of the shed, before starting the preparations for this last ritual.

Club member: "Enter inside, quietly, one by one. Sit down around the magic circle, and don't touch anything!"

The three club members inside are lighting the many candles scattered all around. The room brightens, and it almost looks like a different place. This is the first time that I see it well lit. It is an eerie light, but with so many flames burning, it is quite luminous.

At this point the young girls have completely lost any trace of hilarity. Even if not all of them believe that a demon is residing in this shed, this is still the place where one of their senior schoolmates was killed, and that is not something they can carelessly laugh about. I mostly see fear and uneasiness in their eyes now, but they know they can't turn back at this point. They reluctantly enter inside, and timidly sit around the magic circle as they were instructed.

Club member: "You cannot be allowed inside!"

Satsukawa: "Huh?"

Club member: "You would disrupt the balance required to perform the ritual with your presence."

Satsukawa: "Why?"

Erika: "You're a man, that's why."

Satsukawa: "I was never informed about this..."

Erika: "You should've imagined that, seriously."

Satsukawa: "Well, what am I supposed to do now?"

Erika: "As long as he remains outside, it's fine, right?"

Club member: "Yes."

Erika: "You heard her. Just remain here in front of the door. You might still be able to listen."

Satsukawa sighs and shakes his head.

Erika: "Come on! I'll tell you everything afterwards. This is the only entrance, anyway, it's not like I can go anywhere!"

Satsukawa: "I guess I don't really have a choice, do I? Just promise you won't do something crazy."

Erika: "Define crazy."

Satsukawa: "Do I really need to explain? Rather... now that you asked that, I'm worrying even more than before..."

Erika: "That was just a joke, relax! Did you forget? The door is broken, if there's an emergency you can go inside."

Satsukawa: "All right, all right! I'll stay here..."

Club member: "The ritual is about to start, all the chosen maidens must take position around the magic circle..."

Erika: "Yeah, yeah, I'm going. See you later, Satsukawa-san."

Satsukawa: "Don't get eaten by a demon."

Erika: "Very funny."

It is somehow comforting the fact that he didn't lose his humor in spite of the situation. This proves that Teramoto has still a long way before she can impress adults with her strategies. I feel a bit stronger now.

Erika: "Well then, this is going to be exciting. Don't you think so, Dlanor?"

Dlanor: "I am ready."

Erika: "And so am I! Let's go!"

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It's fun to pretend!

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"Higanbana no Saku Yoru ni: First Night"

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Playing with pets is fun!

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"Higanbana no Saku Yoru ni: First Night"

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Chapter 5 (e)

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Sumomo: "We separated briefly after that. Hitomi and I went ahead to our classroom."

Meito: "I stayed behind to check Andou's bicycle. In the end we decided to bring it to the lab, so we could work on it later."

Erika: "But you didn't."

Meito: "Not my fault..."

Sumomo: "Once we arrived at our classroom, Hitomi looked through the window, and after a while she witnessed them going to the do-it-yourself club."

Erika: "Jealous?"

Meito: "Nah... she just spied on me so she could tease me later, which she did..."

Erika: "Nothing else happened while the two of you were alone, Takamiya?"

Sumomo: "We weren't really alone, most of our classmates were already there..."

Meito: "I managed to rejoin them just in time, before Nagaoka-sensei arrived. Then homeroom started, and after that, it was just the usual boring stuff, until lunch break."

Sumomo: "That's when Hibari-san barged in our classroom."

Meito: "Ah, I remember that..."

This is yet another particular that I missed.

Erika: "Who was she looking for? Gotsuji?"

Meito: "Who else? She wanted to remind her that that day they were supposed to have some kind of special training for whatever reason."

Erika: "And Gotsuji had forgotten about that?"

Meito: "Typical of her. An argument ensued because she didn't want to train until that late, even though it was already decided."

Erika: "Hibari wanted to train until 6:00 pm, but Gotsuji wanted to end it 15 minutes earlier. Why?"

Meito: "Who knows..."

Sumomo: "I guess... she needed to meet someone..."

Erika: "That's right, she needed to meet someone at exactly 6:00 pm. And we all know where she was supposed to meet that someone at, right?"

Meito: "I don't understand. Why did she need to meet someone by that place? Why didn't she tell anyone?"

Erika: "Wasn't it because she wanted it to be a secret?"

Meito: "I just don't understand. What kind of secret was she trying to protect? She's always been the kind of person that would tell you everything straight, and she wasn't ashamed of anything."

Erika: "I think there's a lot that she hid from you, Oda. Don't you think so, Takamiya?"

Sumomo: "..."

Meito: "That can't be."

Sumomo: "I think... Furudo-san is probably right..."

Meito: "What... kh... I don't get it... I don't get this at all!"

Erika: "I already know what happened after Hibari left. You ate lunch together, and then there was that incident with Baba. Am I missing anything?"

Sumomo: "Hmmm..."

Meito: "I don't really remember anything strange about Hitomi, no matter how many times I relive that day in my mind."

Sumomo: "I've told you about lunch..."

Meito: "And I've told you what happened after."

Erika: "And after that?"

Meito: "What else is there to tell? We returned to our classrooms for the fifth period. When regular classes ended, each went their separate ways."

Sumomo: "That was the last time I saw Hitomi-chan..."

Meito: "I wish I could say the same... damn it!"

Erika: "Then, let's try to imagine what could've happened later."

Meito: "How am I supposed to imagine that?"

Erika: "Just do it. You knew Gotsuji, and I know many facts concerning this case. You guys just tell me your theories. I'll tell you when they don't match with facts."

Meito: "This is pointless..."

Erika: "It isn't. Takamiya, would you like to start?"

Takamiya: "Hmmm... When did Hitomi leave the gym?"

Erika: "According to her club members, she ended training at 5:45 pm, and then she went to the changing room with them. We can assume that she stayed there for about 10 or 15 minutes."

Takamiya: "We can't be certain she went directly to the shed..."

Erika: "Slash!"

Takamiya: "Uh?"

Meito: "Slash?"

Erika: "Yeah, slash! You're theory has been slashed! Would you mind to explain why, Dlanor?"

Dlanor: "Miss Hibari testified that she found the victim's message inside her locker very shortly after 6:00 pm. Then she immediately rushed to the abandoned P.E. shed, where she found Miss Gotsuji already dead."

Erika: "Considering this short time span, it's really unlikely that Gotsuji didn't go there directly. Which is why your theory has been slashed!"

Sumomo: "She's acting crazy again..."

Meito: "What the hell is wrong with her?"

Erika: "How rude! Stop questioning my methods!"

Meito: "Why should I even believe what Hibari said? She could be the one who killed Hitomi!"

Erika: "An interesting theory, but consider what we reasoned about earlier. Gotsuji was supposed to meet someone at 6:00 pm, while Hibari wanted her to be still training at that time. So, in other words, she can't be the one that Gotsuji was supposed to meet."

Meito: "Well, okay but... What if Hitomi was doing something wrong in that place and Hibari found out?"

Erika: "That's why I said this is an interesting theory, but that still means Gotsuji went there directly."

Meito: "Well... okay, but how can you be absolutely sure?"

Erika: "It'd be too long to explain, just trust that my deductions are absolutely true. If you really can't, just pretend they are, for now."

Meito: "What the hell is this... a game?"

Erika: "Takamiya, what do you think? Is Hibari a plausible murderer?"

Sumomo: "Hmmm... I don't know... I think Hitomi was really important for Hibari-san... but if she did something wrong against Teramoto-san..."

Erika: "Then you don't exclude this possibility."

She nods quietly.

This is getting pretty fun, I will play a bit with this theory with them.

Erika: "Okay, let's try to define better your Hibari culprit theory."

Meito: "I'm not saying that she must be the culprit..."

Erika: "I know. You really are new to detective work, Oda, aren't you? In theory making you first make assumptions and then you check if they match with the facts."

Meito: "I don't really care about that stuff..."

Erika: "Let's say that Hibari murdered Gotsuji, did she plan it beforehand?"

Sumomo: "Hmmm, that wouldn't make sense..."

Erika: "Correct! Then how did she find where Gotsuji was?"

Meito: "Maybe she became suspicious that Hitomi insisted so much to end her training earlier, so she followed her."

That wouldn't be possible, if she really remained in the gym with Yuu Azuma, but Yuu Azuma could be an accomplice.

Erika: "What about the mysterious person Gotsuji needed to meet?"

Meito: "Maybe Hibari arrived first."

Sumomo: "Hmmm, are we really so sure that Hitomi needed to meet someone there?"

Erika: "Oh, that's an interesting idea. Elaborate."

Sumomo: "It's just a thought but... maybe the shed was her objective, and she wanted to get done before it was too dark."

Erika: "Well that's not bad. It might work, if whatever she was planning to do was something quick. It was already dusk at that time."

Meito: "Wait a moment. Where did that message come from?"

Erika: "There's a possibility that Gotsuji wrote that message for a completely different occasion. Let's just disregard this issue for the time being. Takamiya, please continue."

Sumomo: "Hmmm..."

Meito: "Wait... wait just a moment. This is wrong. Why do we need to imagine the last moments of our friend?"

Erika: "Why not?"

Meito: "Why not? This is simply insane!"

Erika: "There must be a lot of confusion in your mind, Oda. You want to know what happened, but you don't want to think about it. How exactly do you expect to learn the truth, if you're not ready to face its darkest side? Well, it's not like I don't understand you, a long time ago I was also like that, but that's absolutely irrational."

Meito: "I... I know... it's just..."

Erika: "What about you, Takamiya? Don't you want to know what happened? Are you afraid to learn the truth?"

Sumomo: "..."

She takes a few seconds to reflect, her face is like a mask made of stone.

Sumomo: "I'll do it."

Meito: "Hey... are you sure? I've seen what happened there with my eyes already, but you..."

Sumomo: "I'll do it."

Erika: "Good. Imagine the scene within your mind. Gotsuji is in front of the shed, unknowing that Hibari is following her. What next?"

Sumomo: "... Hitomi opens the door... she must've found a way to open it."

Erika: "I see. What is she looking for?"

Sumomo: "I don't know. Something that she isn't supposed to take... or see..."

Erika: "That will suffice for now, we can learn what it is later. But Hibari is watching her."

Sumomo: "She has seen enough. She goes inside the shed as well, and catches Hitomi red-handed."

Erika: "Go on."

Sumomo: "Hibari is very angry, but Hitomi isn't the kind of person that would simply apologize. An argument ensues..."

Meito: "Let's stop this..."

Erika: "Continue."

Sumomo: "Hitomi wants to walk away, but Hibari doesn't want to let her go that easily, she physically prevents her from leaving the shed."

Erika: "In other words they come to blows."

Sumomo: "Hmmm... I don't know who attacks who first."

You are almost there, Takamiya. You are almost there.

Erika: "What happens next?"

Sumomo: "Hibari is very angry, she isn't in her right mind anymore. She takes the nearest object that can be used as a weapon."

Erika: "What is that weapon?"

Meito: "Wouldn't that be the sword?"

Erika: "Slash! Your theory is rejected!"

Meito: "Uh? Why?"

Erika: "What is that weapon, Takamiya? Come on, you should know it!"

Sumomo: "A hammer... I guess..."

Erika: "Correct! The victim was first struck by a hammer! So? Go on! Please, do tell me! What happens next?!"

Sumomo: "Hibari realizes what she has just done. After thinking it over, she decides to tamper with the scene to make it look like the demon did it."

Erika: "Slash!"

Sumomo: "Uh..."

Erika: "Gotsuji is simply lying unconscious on the ground. Sure that was an awful thing, but is that a reason enough to kill her? Hibari isn't risking that much even if what she has just done comes to light."

Sumomo: "She's stupid, so..."

Erika: "Slash!"

Sumomo: "Why?"

Erika: "'The culprit was stupid, that's why she did it!' Are you kidding me? Who's going to accept such a sloppy explanation?"

Meito: "But Hibari is that stupid! Damn... why am I even going along with this?"

Sumomo: "Maybe she thought that Hitomi was already dead..."

Erika: "Well, now that's more acceptable, but still a bit lame."

Meito: "Sumomo... stop this. This is ridiculous. Hibari isn't a murderer. You're getting dragged in that woman's unsavory games."

Erika: "Well, if it isn't a sudden change of heart! You're the one who first said that Hibari might be the culprit!"

Meito: "Shut up!"

Sumomo: "Hmmm..."

Meito: "Sumomo!"

Sumomo: "You're right, Meito-kun... We shouldn't imagine such things without proofs."

Erika: "You're not accusing anyone, you're just using your imagination. Proofs aren't necessary at all!"

Meito: "That's still wrong!"

Erika: "Ha! Ha... ah ha ha ha... Why don't you tell that to all those damn goats..."

Meito: "Huh?! What the hell are you talking about?"

Satsukawa: "There you are!"

The angry cop finally appears. It was bound to happen sooner or later, and I am very glad it happened later. I can say that I am pretty much satisfied at this point.

Satsukawa: "I've been looking for you everywhere!"

Sumomo: "I knew it... she escaped again..."

Meito: "Huh? Again?"

Erika: "What's the matter, Satsukawa-san? I've been here all of this time waiting for you. I wasn't hiding or anything."

Meito: "No... you were definitely hiding..."

Satsukawa: "Just tell me you didn't cause any damage this time..."

Erika: "Like I said, I never moved from here. I was just having a pleasant chat with these two. Right?"

Meito: "Well... it wasn't really pleasant, but everything else is true..."

Sumomo: "Yeah... she didn't do anything particularly strange..."

Satsukawa: "*Sigh*... What about your challenge with Teramoto, Erika? We're already late."

Erika: "Oh, don't be silly! There's still plenty of time! But, whatever, I guess it's time for me to show up."

Satsukawa: "Then let's go... and don't try to escape again!"

Erika: "Where do you think I'll go, anyway? Sorry, it was really entertaining, Oda, Takamiya, but as you can see I must go. I'm going to crush Teramoto and all of her lies under my heel. Her reign of falsehoods and deceits will end today. Aren't you thrilled?"

Meito: "If you can really do that..."

Erika: "I will. That's a certainty!"

Meito: "Then, show no mercy..."

Erika: "Ha ha ha! You don't need to tell me that!"

Sumomo: "Hmmm, I also think that Teramoto must be stopped. I'll be cheering for you. Good luck, Furudo-san."

Erika: "I need no luck, but thank you for your moral support. Just leave it to me. When tomorrow you'll come back, this will be another school. Let's go, Satsukawa-san!"

next->

Chapter 5 (d)

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It will happen very soon.

Teramoto sent one of her lackeys to tell me where I should go when they will start gathering. The appointed time is 5:30 pm, about 20 minutes from now. Everything is in order. Eleven first year students have already been selected to join us in this final ritual. It seems that, albeit the whole school is talking about this special event, no teacher has been alerted, or maybe they are just turning a blind eye. What matters is that so far there are no signs of potential interlopers, and It can be expected that there will be none. Something less to worry about.

But if what I have heard is true, then the actual ritual will start much later. There is no need to be in time just to listen to long and boring explanations about how to behave during the event. Right now there is something more interesting to witness.

Satsukawa certainly learned a valuable lesson a few days ago, so he knows that he shouldn't lower his guard around me. But I guess that he didn't imagine that I could vanish in plain sight. The point is that I couldn't really miss this rare chance. As soon as I spotted Oda and Takamiya together, I knew that I had to follow them. Considering this is already this late, normally they should be heading home. The mere fact that I have seen them going somewhere else inside the premises of this school, is enough for me to understand that at least one of them has something important to tell to the other. Well, the key point here is that I must try to eavesdrop on their conversation, and Satsukawa was in the way.

They are sitting on a bench, in a small green area behind the main building. It can't be said that they are being particularly secretive, but there might be still something interesting to hear. Fortunately in this place there are many things I can hide behind: trees, bushes and even small fences.

I must say it was quite funny how I fooled Satsukawa, I must refrain from laughing, or they will notice me. He just averted his eyes for a few seconds, and I quickly hid crouching between the small gap of two vending machines. The poor fool didn't even think I was still close by, and he started running in the direction he thought I was escaping to. The ironic part is that I am still pretty close to where we both were, and he is probably looking for me in some remote place.

Don't laugh! Don't laugh!

I am pretty close, I can already catch some words, but I need to go a bit further. I am behind the bench they are sitting on, but since they occasionally face each other, I still risk of being spotted. I need to quietly and swiftly move to the next hiding spot. It is about five meters from here, but I can do it. I just need to wait for the right moment. Turn your head, come on! Come on!

All right, now!

Sumomo: "Uh?"

Meito: "Ah?"

Erika: "..."

This is embarrassing. How could this happen?

Erika: "Aaah! Good evening, how do you do?"

Meito: "What in the world are you doing?"

Erika: "Me? Why? I was just passing by... Fancy meeting you here."

Sumomo: "Hmmm... nice to meet you again, Furudo-san."

Erika: "Am I interrupting something?"

Sumomo: "No."

Meito: "Yes."

Erika: "Really?"

Sumomo: "Err..."

Meito: "Not in that sense! We were just talking..."

Erika: "Good, I like listening to interesting discussions. Please don't mind me, and feel free to continue."

Meito: "Why do you need to stay?!"

Erika: "By the way, Oda, I'm glad to see you're starting to feel better."

Meito: "I don't feel better at all..."

Erika: "But the fact you're still here means that you resumed club activities, doesn't it?"

Meito: "I just realized that doing nothing all day makes it even worse. I thought that by working on something I could distract myself, but it didn't work that well..."

Erika: "I see, that's why you looked for Takamiya and asked her to cheer you up. Makes sense.

Meito: "That's not what I asked from her!"

Sumomo: "We were talking about Hitomi. It's been a week already..."

Meito: "It still doesn't feel real..."

Erika: "Don't tell me you were just brooding over her loss and remembering the days when she was still alive. Boring..."

Meito: "You're tone is completely different from the first time I've talked to you. The truth is that you don't really have any sympathy all!"

Erika: "Why would I? I didn't even meet that girl. Why should I care about her and not about any other person that dies in the world with each passing second? Do you feel sad for all of them? Don't be a hypocrite!"

Meito: "You wouldn't be that way, if you ever lost someone dear to you!"

Erika: "Now, you really said something absolutely stupid."

Sumomo: "Furudo-san!"

Erika: "Stop being such a drama queen, Oda, you're making me feel sick. You think you're so special just because you've lost a friend? What about those who have lost their entire families?"

Meito: "You say another word and I'll to punch you in your face, I don't care if you're a woman!"

Sumomo: "Meito-kun!"

Erika: "You're so self-absorbed that you don't even realize that you're not the only one mourning Gotsuji. But I don't see her acting all depressed and angry like you do!"

Meito: "What the hell are you talking about?! Who's..."

Sumomo: "..."

Meito: "..."

Erika: "Oh? Did you suddenly notice?"

Meito: "Shut up!"

Sumomo: "Both of you, give it a rest..."

Meito: "Damn it!"

Oda takes a deep breath. He realized that he should calm down.

Meito: "I'm sorry... Sumomo..."

Sumomo: "Why are you apologizing? It's nothing..."

Erika: "What a great girl! Well, Takamiya, I'm sure that Oda didn't bring you here just to chitchat. There must be a more specific reason."

Meito: "That doesn't concern you!"

Sumomo: "Meito-kun wanted to know more about Teramoto and her strange rituals."

Meito: "Hey..."

Sumomo: "The whole school kept talking about that since early this morning."

Meito: "Kh.. I've always known about Teramoto and her clique, but this whole ritual thing is completely new to me. I've suddenly learned a big secret about my world that I've always been unaware of for all this time. Both Sumomo and Hitomi have been part of that, and I've never been told a thing. I've found Hitomi dead inside that shed. I can't stand anymore all this shit!"

Erika: "Aaah, I'm totally with you on that. It's time for all the truth to be told, don't you agree?"

Meito: "..."

Sumomo: "By the way, Furudo-san, shouldn't you prepare for the big event?"

Erika: "There's still a lot of time. I see no harm in chatting a bit before that."

Sumomo: "Also... where's Satsukawa-san?"

Erika: "Oh, now that you mention that... Where did that man go, I wonder? Well, he'll probably show up sooner or later, no need to worry."

Sumomo: "Hmmm..."

Meito: "I'm going home, there's nothing for me to do in this place."

Erika: "Could you stay a bit more, Oda? I have a suggestion."

Meito: "What's now?"

Erika: "Since the three of us are all gathered here, it might be a good chance to talk about what happened on the day of the crime."

Meito: "Why do I still need to answer questions about that?"

Erika: "What I'm suggesting is a bit different. Think about it, I'm a great detective, and you're the two persons who knew Gotsuji the best in this school. Who better than us can shed light on this murder?"

Sumomo: "You're proposing to discuss about what truly happened that day?"

Meito: "Sorry, but I'm calling myself out. I've no intention to play detective games with you."

Erika: "How strange, I thought you wanted to know the truth at all costs."

Meito: "Of course I want to know what the hell is going on!"

Erika: "Then I'm offering you a chance to take an active role on that. Of course, if you have a better idea, please go ahead."

Meito: "Kh... The hell with you!"

Erika: "Well it looks that you'll join us, after all."

Sumomo: "All right... where should we start from?"

Erika: "From the beginning. Who met her first?"

Meito: "... I did. She was waiting for me in front of my door, like usual."

Erika: "Oh right, she waited for you so you could carry her schoolbag."

Meito: "Yeah... uh... huh?! Why do you know?!"

Sumomo: "Hem..."

Meito: "You told her that?!"

Erika: "Focus! What did you do then?"

Meito: "What do you think we did? We started walking to school."

Erika: "Anything relevant happened during that time?"

Meito: "Nothing. We just talked about inane stuff like usual. I kept grumbling like usual. She kept teasing me like usual."

Sumomo: "They joined me on the way to school. That's when we met that day."

Erika: "Do you remember Gotsuji telling you something strange or unusual?"

Sumomo: "Hmmm..."

Meito: "That was the usual garbage... nothing important at all."

Sumomo: "She told me that Meito-kun was a beast and that he tried to assault her. He he..."

Meito: "You don't have to tell her these particulars! Beside, that was totally false! Just Hitomi being her usual self!"

Erika: "Ha ha ha, I see. It looks like you used to have a lot of fun together. But was Gotsuji really her usual self? Wasn't she different?"

Meito: "Not at all."

Sumomo: "..."

Erika: "According to Takamiya, lately she was a bit strange."

Meito: "What? Really?"

Sumomo: "Hmmm... yes, I really think she was different."

Meito: "I had no idea..."

Sumomo: "Maybe it was just with me..."

Erika: "It's more likely that Oda was too dense to notice."

Meito: "Hey!"

Erika: "And in the end, men simply can't understand the subtle changes in a woman's heart."

Meito: "Kh..."

Sumomo: "So true..."

Meito: "Please, Sumomo, don't team up with her..."

Erika: "Did anything else happen on the way to school?"

Meito: "Not that I remember..."

Sumomo: "You had that accident with that girl from your club. Right in front of the school gates."

A girl from Oda's club? Junko Andou again?

Meito: "Ah, right. I got hit by her bicycle."

Erika: "We're talking about Junko Andou, right?"

Meito: "Yes... you know her?"

Erika: "How did that accident happen?"

Meito: "She had tinkered with her bicycle again. She has this obsession of fixing everything that is mechanical or that has electric parts. When there's nothing wrong with them, she wants to improve them. But that usually results in making them dysfunctional instead."

Erika: "In other words she goes on an endless cycle of fixing and breaking everything around her?"

Meito: "I never thought it that way... but yeah, that's a good way to describe her daily routine. She only does that with things that belong to her, though."

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