The dinner was held again for us who were still living freely up to this very moment. But, why did we need to describe with such detailed information about who were the only ones having this particular dinner? Why were we in such a gloomy mood during this reunion right now? Didn’t we just have a full set of 12 people whom were having a happy and nostalgic moment of eating together like in the middle school period just at the last night? Why did all of us have to be forced down to this kind of pathetic state? Though I had already perfectly known its truest answer. It was just too clear and painful that I wanted to just not realize about it. I was very sure. It wasn’t me alone who was thinking like that. All of us here … were the same.

The good-looking meals were, again, made by the women, and served by the men. Just like at the last night.

Everyone was in silence. It was either because all of us were so aware of how serious the situation that we were all facing right now, or it was just that all conversation materials had already been fully used up during the time we should have spent on leisurely enjoying the reunion time with the other members, the topic about the murder cases.

But, it wasn’t so long before this boring and tense aimless dinner was terminated without any warning. Maybe, she was so sure of that since she had witnessed with her very own eyes to it. Maybe, she had taught of that since the third case murderer had already been caught and locked up separately, then, they had won this battle of wits while the first and second case murderer would have been scared off already. Maybe, she had let her guards down a bit just because of all of those. But, she should have realized that it wasn’t exactly like what she had been thinking up until now. Since, she had been particularly poisoned by the same meals that we were all having together at this very moment.

Her well-nurtured face, which was still struggling in purple, faced upward, contorted. With her hand trying to reach something invisible beyond her view. We fell into the horror of something indeed … cursed.

“I … I am very … sorry, … Ma … yuu ….”

That blonde fashionable woman really had conveyed her earnest and deepest regret in an apology which we had never heard from such a self-proud rich lady ever. But, she had now collapsed to a soulless body in front of us.

It really reminded me of my best friend’s death again.

“Sniff, sniff. Bad deeds added,” hissed by the two of the most matching ones in appealing rhythm.

Screams came off from those who were still survive. Some of us were trying to puke out what they just ate, afraid that the same poison had been mixed in it. Only Fionna who was so calm as though her fear had been transferred to the twins who acted even more exaggerated than any of us. Her action is proper indeed. After all, we had eaten those meals already. There is no use to puke it out anymore. In the end, no one else had been drugged. It really is … just one victim in this particular incident.

“How … how is this happening … again!? Megumi-chan is the first one to pick it as well!” Chika asked while she was still trembling very hard, and biting her own right index fingernail. She really was in horror right now.

“She had been poisoned to death, not sure if the drug is the same with the one used in Kazuki’s murder or not,” Kaigo explained professionally while still examining mildly on the new body.

“Kaede shouldn’t have the chance to strike this one,” Ringo announced professionally while still examining mildly on the poisonous food.

“All of those doesn’t matter now! We must go to check for Kaede-chan right away!!” Elena exclaimed impatiently to us.

“Yes! Let us bring this sorrowful fact together with …,” Kaigo frowned seriously.

“… the delicious dinner to cheer her up, no?” Ringo smiled innocently.

“We must take the food from the new cans that have never been opened before,” Ryouta suggested awkwardly.

“Yes, I think we should let Kaede-chan to fresh-open it herself as well,” I said.

“I will go to get it now!” Elena volunteered.

Our long black-haired friend, then, quickly went to the kitchen, and opened the upper cabinet to get some ready to eat food cans and its opener. After she had returned back to us, we all rushed together onto the underground anxiously, and headed toward that left alone member’s place through the hidden stairs passage again. The darkness in it was just the same as on the daytime since it couldn’t be darker than that already. We really couldn’t advance at all without the light.

We finally reached in front of her locked room, and I was the one who unlocked the door that was also known as the prison gate for her by using the storage room key that I had always been keeping all along since my last visit with Elena. Some of the others seemed to be confused by that key’s fact though. But, I didn’t have the time nor the mood to explain it right now.

“Sorry for the intrusion,” joked by the twins hospitably.

The storage room was lightened already. We went deeply through the high racks’ space, and had finally met with Kaede who was still sitting and leaning silently against the wall on her previous place, not even moved an inch from there. Did she really not move at all since the last time? She just looked as silent and blank as that time after the morning incident, as though hadn’t recovered at all, making that secret meet with her previously seemed like just a mere dream. I turned to Elena, and she looked back to me. She was just as confused as I was. The lunch that had been delivered before still hadn’t been touched slightly until it had already looked all expired and left spoiled.

“Kaede-chan, the person who had falsely accused you before …,” Ringo said sentimentally.

“… Megumi-chan, had been poisoned to death in just this recent dinner, in almost the same way of murder that had been falsely accused to you before,” Kaigo said sentimentally.

But, our silent prisoner just continued not to respond with any kind of reaction. She was just sitting still and spaced out.

Elena placed the food cans and its opener that she had been carrying all along these times on the floor in front of our muted friend. She didn’t open it for her because it was also for Kaede’s own sake, so that she could eat it whenever she wanted. Though it didn’t seem that would be happening any time soon.

Ryouta suddenly thought of something, and asked eagerly.

“Ah, yes! Because …. If Me … Megumi-chan was killed with the same way as Kazuki-kun while Kaede-chan is still locked up here, then, Kaede-chan wouldn’t be his murderer, right? Then, we should release her right away, right?” our leader was also very concerned about our exiled participant’s condition this entire time.

“Ye … Yes! Yes, that is right! Kae-nee isn’t a murderer. Let’s release her from this room now!” Chika also very supported that suggestion.

“Sorry, it is still not enough to clear out …,” Kaigo said coldly.

“… Kaede-chan as the main suspect of the third murder, sorry,” Ringo said coldly.

“No … way …,” the little sister couldn’t accept it, yet still couldn’t do anything but to close her mouth unbelievably with both of her small hands.

“Why is that!?” Ryouta looked a little agitated.

The twins, of course, excited.

“The why …, you ask?” Ringo inquired playfully.

“The reason …, you want?” Kaigo inquired playfully.

The siblings of eccentricity grinned, and announced proudly.

“All of what you had said is just not enough-enough!!”

 “How can …!?” Ryouta was still going to protest at them. Elena cut in weakly.

“For now, still … what that had been said … is true.”

I knew it was the time I should back her up before the others despised her further.

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“Yes, please! Just do as what they said. I am … also thinking of the same too.”

“Yoru-kun, you can’t be …,” Chika also looked at me unbelievably. But, there was nothing else I could do, right? I just needed to avert my gaze away from her, and everything should be fine, at least for now, right?

So, this was what would become for acting as a bad person. What Elena must endure at the last time. This kind of uncertainty about what is true, what is wrong. Was I going to regret it? It really was so painful and disturbed.

“Fionna-chan,” Ringo called.

“What about you?” Kaigo asked.

“Neutral, … I supposed. But I guess you two don’t even need my vote from the first place,” the foreign detective answered coldly.

“As expected from our other cutie member. You immediately grasped the meaning of what we asked. Ha-ha,” the twins were clapping happily, before announcing their holy conclusion.

“Then, there are 4.5 people that said it is okay to leave Kae-nee here,” Ringo said as though she is Chika.

“Then, there are 2.5 people that said it isn’t okay to leave Kae-nee here,” Kaigo said as though he is Chika.

“It is … decided, then,” Elena whispered unwillingly.

Finally, our main reason to come down here had been fully ‘accomplished’, and everyone was leaving her already. But, I still stayed there stubbornly. My other gang member who saw me didn’t plan to go with the others had also stopped to accompany me silently from behind.

“Yoru …,” Elena murmured weakly.

“Leave me,” I said fragilely.

“Let’s go already ….”

“Leave me!!!”

I talked back loudly while still facing elsewhere. I knew that I didn’t need to shout like that to get the young woman behind me to understand. But, I was just … couldn’t restraint it. I was so messed up this time.

Elena had understood more than she needed to, and had really left hesitantly until there were only two persons inside this damp storage room.

I asked grievously in a low voice, yet still forcefully.

“Kaede-chan, why …? Why do you need to take all blames up to yourself? We already know that you aren’t the murderer. So, why do you still …? We are …, Elena too, Kazuki too, are … the best friend, the gang members, right? So, tell me, please. Kaede-chan, please.”

But, the woman in question still hadn’t spoken a single word.

“Please, I am begging you, Kaede-chan. Why did you change again? I … I also so wanted to know why … how my … our best friend died.”

I unconsciously dropped my tears onto the floor. After so long that I had completely forgotten about this kind of deepest sorrow and despair inside my heart, I finally remembered just how relieved it is to be crying so loud and unrestrained from anything. But my heart was still feeling like being squeezed so hard that I was almost unable to breathe anymore. The burden was still there, unresolved at all.

The expression of the female gang member in front of me was just as placid as stone before it finally flinched slightly. She seemed to be really have been moved by my truest feeling to seek for the truth just now. I noticed that smallest change from a glance, and immediately faced at her directly with a pair of still teary red eyes. But, she already went back to her previous expressionless countenance. After waited silently again for a few more minutes, she was still sitting there blankly, and not answering at all, though I was so sure that she really had moved for just that one seconds. It was already … sufficient. I was expecting too much in this kind of unlucky situation. She really didn’t want to talk about anything. Maybe, she really didn’t know a thing. I understood her. She must have had her own reason.

Finally, I, also, turned around, and left her alone again in that place. I walked toward the door where the others were still waiting quietly at the outside. Elena must have said something to halt them from leaving without me despite everything. I really thank you, Elena, … and sorry too.

I was the one who had locked up the prison door again before leaving together with the others, and lastly, had also done the same for the the underground entrance. Now that all of us had known that our prisoner was still safe and alone in the basement, we were just going to do what we wanted to do from now on, freely, whatever it was.

I would just go straight back to my room alone. Somehow, I sensed somebody were talking shadily on my behind. I subconsciously turned around at them. There were three persons whispering secretly at one corner of the kitchen, the twins and the foreign woman. They immediately stopped awkwardly, and the first even waved innocently at me. But, I ignored them. Though they seemed disappointed, whatever happened now, I would just have reacted the same.

After that, as usual, I could still hear that real pairing siblings’ inappropriate laughter.

Finally, I reached my destination, unlocked, entered, locked and bolted it up before sitting to lying on my cold bed. I was thinking something, maybe. Why had everything become so confusing and messed up?

My mind was starting to calm down to the normal usual me. So strange, had I gotten used with those murders already? Since when? How could I get used in … those inhuman behaviors?

I laughed at myself.

Is this myself?

I know that I mustn’t let my guards down. But, I really was feeling very sleepy right now. Maybe, somewhere deep inside me … was thinking that nothing matters anymore. I was sick of all of these, everything. I had had enough. Just let me rest, alone, and even being killed isn’t a bad idea.

After all, my life had already been ruined, too ruined to be restored. My friend, my trust, my conscience, my mind. Everything …, single damned thing.

I remembered the exact same feeling just in this afternoon, and my previously restored fighting will had already been defeated so easily in such a short amount of time. This last shock, was just too strong, or it was just me who was just … too weak.

I pathetically laughed at myself again. It really was a loud and self-sorry laugh.

Even now, I was a shame to my other-self.

I had already closed my eyes, and readied myself to bewilder in my own wild imagination again when the intercom phone beside me rang noisily. Yes, it was waiting for my answer again. I immediately thought of Kaede as the one on the other side of the line. Did anything happen to her?

“Hi~.”

I didn’t even have the chance to say anything first, and the first word that came out of the phone had made it felt like not an emergency at all. Also, it had the leisure greeting tone that usually came from a person who has a lot of time to be gossiping around. But, I still expected it as from my confined gang member since it heard like a female voice.

“Yes? Kaede-chan?”

The voice at the other end seemed to be chuckling.

“Nooope, I am the 13th middle school reunion member …, or the still ungraduated one, Miyamoto Mayuu.”

Some moment was definitely needed to fully comprehend what was going on.

Ah, at last, this is what I had been waiting for so earnestly after all these time. This is the end of everything so appalling, and the suffering of this reunion.

“What the …!!”

But I realized that I couldn’t trust it yet, yet had also believed it to some degree. Since, there is no one that would be playing such a prank at this moment, except for the true murderer ‘herself’ who most likely wanted to mock us, for being trapped in the reunion as she had planned, for being scared as she had planned, for being killed one by one as she had planned. Everything must have been planned from long ago. But still, addressing herself as my already long deceased poor ex-classmate is a too big of a joke. This really is a revenge for her carried by someone inside the mansion right now!

The rude jeering voice went on with a bit of seductive tone.

“You see? I had called you before this. But, why did you not pick it up? It was so cold of you.”

I was very agitated, and replied impatiently.

“I am not in the mood to play with you!! Who are you!? Where are you right now!!?”

I don’t really concern about who she is, but that is also just a normal question to be asked to an unknown caller, right? There is only one thing that I really so wanted to do right now. I only … wanted to beat her up so heavily, very-very heartlessly for what she had caused to all of us. No matter she really is a female or not. Now, really is the real perfect timing.

The cold voice answered.

“Look under your bed cushion, please.”

Tough she had pointed me to a certain location. I was certain that it wasn’t the answer which I was expecting for, yet I still followed her instruction to see what really was over there. I found a small piece of folded paper, then, I automatically opened it.

I was completely taken aback for its content.

“This is ….”

That small paper was scribbled with ugly cursive handwriting, but it was still readable.

The rich daughter will be poisoned during the second dinner.

It really was as though a paper of future that could tell what would happen next. Why did I think like that? Because, since the last time I left for the secret meet with Elena and Kaede, my room had been locked up until just now. That unanswered phone, the second call was actually a warning for it? It was me who was too late to pick it up. The time had already passed.

The murderer, or the prophet’s lecture continued.

“You know? I had already given you the chance to prevent the previous homicide. So, it was your own fault that the poor Takagami was killed so pathetically. If you just took up my phone before, then, everyone should have been still happy-happy together.”

I felt even more resentful toward the coward caller.

“Don’t mess with me, you damned liar!!! You wanted to play a game with me!? To announce more of your murder plan!!?”

“Ha-ha-ha. Nope, the chance had already been given. I only killed the woman who had foolishly accused the innocent one with the same method of that crime. Simple as that. She defiled my holy name, you know? I am extremely satisfied now. How perfect of a feel! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha,” she laughed as though as an evil witch.

What an insane person!! Boiling blood was running through all my nerves up to my head.

“Come out here, right now!!! What do you want with me!?”

She grunted.

“You are as stupid as your look. Instead of wasting your time searching for me. All of you should have released that Sasaki already who was innocent from the first place.”

“I already know that fact from the start. Kaede-chan isn’t the murderer of Kazuki!”

The phone was hanged up abruptly by the other end. My head was filled with the reverberating disconnected sound for a while before it cooled off after I had finally placed down the received as well, still unbelievably. Why did the murderer call me? Did she really have killed Megumi just because she had false accused Kaede? Then, should I tell the others? But, doing so would render all hard efforts from Elena and the others wasted. But again, this might be the real biggest clue ever to solve the cases. I think I should at least tell Elena alone for now, and maybe she could track down some hints from this call before we could really release Kaede from the suffering that she was enduring all these times once and for all.

The phone rang out shockingly again after my steady decision had just been made.

Though I had never wanted for it either, but this time … was a little more like the one that I had expected from the start. The voice was a little different though.

“He … help! help me, Yoru-kun!! Ahhh!!!”

Then, came the sound of something rather dull fell onto the floor, likely some cardboards from the high racks before yet another rough disconnected sound was produced by phone.

“Tut-tut-tut-tut-tut ….”