After the three of us had hanged each of those circle bouquets on every door handle of our already deceased friends’ rooms, we walked together in the corridor without any destination until Elena had suddenly excused herself that she had something to do in her room, and wanted to be alone for now. I was worried about her because the murderer might be particularly waiting for this kind of chance to strike their lone victim at a secluded place. But, she immediately insisted that there is nothing would be happening to her as she would be on her very guard for any incoming attack. I just didn’t have any chance to talk back to her. She replied to me in every way possible, and very detailed. Maybe she had already known what I was going to say next because my persuasion lines are just too clichéd.

After heard that her oneechan wished to be unaccompanied, Chika, also, proposed that she would just regroup with the others in the drawing-room. Then, as for myself, though I was also very impatient to find out the murderer as fast as possible, but I still couldn’t accept the way the twins were treating these cases with the belief that the reasons behind these murders are useless. So, they shouldn’t be discussing about it there. I would definitely not agree with that kind of theory though they might still could actually solve the cases. There wouldn’t be a murder without the slightest reason. Even animals would only prey when they are hungry for food, or have been pushed to the edge of their life. Every creature in the earth has that what so called as ‘conscience’. I believe that I must start from there. Maybe, I could think of some answers myself if I were to be alone in my own room too. Wait! Maybe, this was what Elena planned to do.

The three of us had parted to our own destination. I was, currently, entering my room key into its hole that had already been locked previously. It wasn’t just me alone who had done the locking after the searching, but almost everyone, as recommended by all of us. Yes, everyone had already been so scared that even had made them to directly displayed their own suspicion toward the others without any concern anymore. No one could be blame in this terrible situation to be honest. Really.

I threw myself down on stomach onto the soft bed as hard as I could. Suddenly, I had no energy to wake up anymore. My body had finally been so relaxed that all fatigues from before were beginning to take into effect. My fighting spirit had suddenly decreased to less than a half. Do I still devote to find out the murderer? … yes, of course. Do I want to take a rest? Yes, I want … for a while. Nothing … nothing wrong with this, right?

I weakly looked at the slowly spinning second hand of the side wall clock, and thought that would I just continue to be lying down until … until the fourth day had really come by itself? Couldn’t I just be an irresponsible person like that? My deepest heart sounded. Absolutely. Why? … because … hadn’t I sworn? Don’t I really so want to know!? Is there really someone among us that had betrayed us all, caused so many of our friends’ painful fate, and totally changed our supposed to be a memorable happy reunion into an unforgettable ironic tragedy for the rest of our life? If there really exists that someone, then, who is he or she exactly!!?

Despite everything so straightforward looking, my mind was still somehow struggling between just being an active or passive character. There is another self of me that I myself really hate. Am I afraid? Am I really beginning to become … crazy? Maybe. I will need to see a psychiatrist after this. But at least for now, … just let me rest for a while.

After a short but deep contemplation inside my head, I decided that I would just stay the same as who I was before. Why must I get confused over such an obvious answer? Though I am just considered as a normal human with normal intelligence. But, I still have that normal heart to be the truest human. I couldn’t be lazing around right now. I must focus back to my real objective for coming back into this room alone as soon as possible.

Sorry, my other-self, you lost again.

I flipped my body around to face up to the ceiling, and stretched my arms long wide. I closed my eyes for a moment, while taking a deep breath before releasing it with all my negative emotions. I began to think in an impartial and clear mind. I was thinking, thinking back to the first time we met yesterday, at the rendezvous area, the fountain park. No, must be even further than that, 9 years ago. Since the time I started to attend to middle school, my entire middle school period. Though I had forgotten most of those, but some extreme events, good or bad, would never be forgotten for the rest of my life. Which of those that seemed to connect with these crimes?

Around 2,700 seconds had passed but there was still absolutely nothing that could be think of except for the sudden death of our kindest friend in the class, Miyamoto Mayuu. And as Ryouta had said before, she was the one who had always been shielding Chika and him from the bullying of those delinquents. But, one day, that half foreigner girl had been found death, sitting in her seat in our left emptied classroom for the PE schedule. All of us were extremely stunned in this sudden unfortunate tragedy, especially the rumored to be her secret couple, Ryouta, and her dearest friend, Chika.

It just happened … so casually.

But, wouldn’t it be too obvious? It isn’t as though I was agreeing with the twins’ crazy principle, saying that the one who doesn’t have alibi or the obvious one wouldn’t be the murderer themselves just because it would be too easy to be suspected. But still, it would only be right considering from the perspective of the murderer. The reason behind these killings really is to get revenge for the one who was dearest to him or her ….

There is no point to think of so many different aspects at the same time. Maybe, I would just start from the simplest way first.

As Elena had said before, there are really just 5 persons to be considered of, and I would trust upon that. First, about Ryouta and Chika, the two of them are so closed with the only motive that seemed to be too deliberated to lure in that logic. Maybe the real murderer had already thought of that, and was using that sad history of ours to make them as the scapegoats? Damn that person.

Additionally, Ryouta was even attacked at the first night!

Then, what about the other three? I think, Kaede could also be considered as her friend. I remembered seeing the two of them sometimes talking closely together in casual girls’ chitchat. She really was so kind that she would accept anyone as her friends. Even Megumi who had always been so proud over her family’s wealth was also associated with her once in a time, maybe touched by her kindness. Though I was still somehow unconvinced whether the reason of Megumi’s unexpected attendance, like Fionna’s, in this reunion was just as normal as us. The two of them were only normal friends of her, and didn’t have any kind of special relationship, I supposed.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

The last one is Fionna, she didn’t even have the chance to be acquainted with the good girl directly, and just happened to know more about her very existence last night. Surely, she wouldn’t have had any relationship with her, right?

If so, then, how to explain about that real gun’s existence earlier? Did she really just happen to always bring it wherever she goes, even though in a reunion like this? Is it somehow connected with the crimes? Why didn’t she tell us the one who told her about this reunion? Did she really not have any secret behind it? Is she really just a quiet and calm but sometimes very eccentric young woman like what she had always been showing all these times?

Did she change?

Was every ridiculous thing she uttered from her very mouth before, just something in randomness?

Code name Bi …? Or a single alphabet of ‘B’? Then, with or without a car’s ‘a’?

Bi … a?

Hmm …?

Was that peculiar image, the Snow White, one of us? Is she the one who had killed all of them instead? That is the only answer for her stained blood! But, why is her knife the same with Elena’s finding? Why does she look so alike with Fionna?

But again, why was Ryouta spared at that time?

I didn’t even how the murderer killed those victims. Was there any special trick used?

Was I really not missing anything that might be the core for solving the cases?

What was this kind of feeling? This sudden coming back sense of experiences that seemed to have already been long forgotten yet still couldn’t be remembered?

A déjà vu?

Suddenly, the phone beside me rang out continuously. I was startled for a moment because I had never thought that it could actually work for the first time. I had even thought that finally we could make a call to the outside world to ask for help. But, that brief excitement was so quickly crushed down to pieces of delusion when I remembered it could only be used for internal. Instead, I ought to be more cautious, because it might be a call for something emergency, or even amiss that couldn’t be told directly to me inside the same mansion. But still, I quickly sat on the edge of my bed, and picked it up without thinking any further. Because, it could be also a call from my locked up underground friend.

“Um, hello?”

A very weak voice called on.

“Yoru-kun …, at last. You picked it up.”

“Kaede-chan? What is the matter? You are all right, right? Sorry, we are outside before. What can I do for you?” I was so worried that I had asked so fast and so many questions at the same time.

Her powerless voice went on to an emotional tone gradually.

“I am … sorry, Yoru-kun. Could you be … beside me … for a while now? There is a thing … I want to tell … to you … only. Please … I am … I am … begging you.”

I was shocked for a moment.

“Okay, okay, just … calm yourself down a bit now, okay? I will be there in a minute. I can bring Elena together, right? You don’t blame her, right?”

The pitiful young woman at the other end had finally ended her timid crying, and replied with her usual pretended to-be-still-strong line.

“Why should I? We are still … the old gang, right? Ha-ha,” she calmed my current feeling of very uneasiness down with an innocent reminder that I had never thought of since those gruesome murders occurred and ruined all this reunion’s atmosphere. She had even tried to end it with an awkward laugh to make her seemed as though not troubled at all.

“Of course we are! He-he. Then, what about asking Chika-chan together? She is also very worried about you, and ….”

Her tone suddenly changed to a little unsettled.

“Please …, just come with Elena-chan only. I … don’t want Chika-chan to see me in such … pathetic state,” Kaede said while almost cried again. She clearly didn’t want to shame herself further in front of her precious little sister.

“All right, all right. But, can I at least tell to the twins to ask for the key? I will tell them that it is just because Elena and I wanted to see you for a while since we are worried about you,” I supposed, she might also don’t want to let the others know about this secret meet.

“If … it is just to Kaigo-kun and Ringo-chan, then, I think it will still be okay. But please, Yoru-kun, don’t tell any other person besides them. I am afraid, very afraid of ….”

“Afraid of what!?” Was she finally going to confess out the one who had threatened her?

But, she, then, quickly changed the mood with a soothing answer. She seemed to be regretting over her previous too sentimental talk.

“Um, nothing. Nothing. Really it is,” Kaede whispered with an awkward act.

It seemed pointless to force her talk at the moment. So, I would just drop that specific topic for now.

“Okay, I will be right there as quick as possible!”