The Only One Who Can Do This

*Kiyoko Sasaki's POV*

//June 22, 2040//Friday//

I don't really want to doubt anyone at all. I really don't… But this time, it's different.

If I let my emotions come first rather than thinking rationally, then I might regret it. Kei was right, there is no way we can find the culprit if I look at everyone as my friends. For now, I need to set those things away and treat everyone as a possible threat right now.

"But first I need to know something from him."

I went inside the elevator, to go down to the first floor, and headed over to the cafeteria where Kei is at.

I am still not sure who the culprit is, or rather, I don't have enough information that can help me find out who it was. I believe that Kei has crucial information that I can use for this investigation. I went inside the cafeteria, and I saw Kei eating a sandwich that I think he made a while ago.

"Kei, can I ask you something?"

"Sigh… Can you at least let me finish my lunch first? I had a hard time making this sandwich by myself."

"You can answer me while you are eating the sandwich that you are holding."

"Sigh… What is it?"

Kei put down the sloppy sandwich that he was eating. I have something to ask Kei about even if I am not sure if what I am thinking right now is true.

My assumption might be wrong, but I have a lot of reasons to support this thought that I had inside my head. I sat down in front of him and began talking.

"Do you know about the past lives of these students that are here at Saitei University?" I asked.

"And what makes you think that I knew about their past?"

I knew he would ask that.

"There are a lot of reasons that I can think of. Earlier you told us that Hyakuzawa is the least likely to be the culprit. From what you said, it looks like you know something about Hyakuzawa that we do not know about, and this leads me to the next reason I thought of why you knew about the past lives of these students. Kei, I believe that you came here to this university with a lot of information about the students here inside that are alive."

"Are you just overthinking, Kiyoko?"

You are making me look like a fool with all of your questions, Kei. Unfortunately for you, I can back up the things that I just said.

"No, I'm not. You are Japan's Greatest Detective. Isn't it normal for a detective to check all the information of the people involved in a case you are handling? If the government knows that you are investigating this place, then that means that you have a background in these students just like me."

There was a long silence between us. Kei gave a long sigh and scratched his head.

"Okay fine, you got me. I know the background of every student who is alive that is inside this university. But you haven't answered my question yet. What makes you think I know the past lives of these students?"

"There is a slight difference between the knowledge that I have with these students and the things that you know about. Since you have a lot of connections with the government, I can assume that you also have information about their past lives that I don't even know about since I don't have access to that kind of information. But why would the government know something about the student's past life? The answer is simple."

"And what is it?" Kei asked.

"Some of the students here were involved in a tragic case when they were still young, am I right?"

That is the only reason I can think of, and looking at Kei's reaction to the things I said, it looks like I was right.

He took a bite out of his sandwich and sneered at me.

"Seriously, Kiyoko, your deduction skills are really terrifying."

"So that means what I said was correct?"

"Yes, you are right about that. The government has kept the cases that were handled in the past. As a detective, I can't help but read all of these cases, and there are students who are here inside that are involved in a case that I have been reading about in the past when I started to work with the government."

"So that means you know the past life of some students here inside?" I asked.

"Yes, I do know about it. But, why did you bring this up, Kiyoko?"

"Can you please tell me about the past lives of the students that you know?"

"No way. That information is confidential you know-."

"I'm begging you."

Kei stared at me while he was finishing his sandwich. I am hoping that he would give me the information that I need, and not something that he just made up because he just wants to. Well, it doesn't matter anyway, I can read him if he is lying to me or not.

"Sigh… If you are the one asking for it, then I guess it's fine."

Kei agreed to tell me all of the things that he knew about some of these students. The reason I can think of why he agreed on telling it to me is that I guess he probably thinks that he can also benefit from it if I find out who the culprit was with the information that he will give to me.

"Well then, this is what I know about them…"

Kei told me what he knew about some of these students that are here. From their past lives, and information that I didn't even know about them. Not just their career, and their talents, but also their personal lives that he learned from reading the cases that they were involved in.

After Kei told me everything, tears began flowing on my face. To begin with, I couldn't believe what I learned about these students that Kei told me was real. How can they even become the person they are now? In fact, their past lives are even worse than mine.

An awkward silence was created between the two of us after Kei told me about those things. I broke that silence and told Kei something.

"Kei, if I told you this, can you please promise me that you will not do anything rash, and follow everything that I will tell you to do?"

"What are you talking about?"

I wiped my tears off my face and looked at him with a serious expression. Kei's eyes widened, and based on his reaction to my face, he knew right away what I was talking about.

"Wait, do you mean that-."

It is right that I asked Kei about their past lives. Now I have connected all of the dots in this case. I nodded at him and said...

"Now I know who the real culprit is behind all of this."

Yes, from all of the information that I learned, that person is the only one who can do this.

******** TO BE CONTINUED ********