What Are You?

*Kei Machida's POV*

//July 22, 2040//Sunday//

*GROWL*

"Aaah!!!"

And while I was lost in my own thoughts. The person who didn't do anything made an embarrassing noise that came from her stomach.

"T-This is awkward…"

Ichika lowered her head when her stomach grumbled, and I could see her face getting red out of embarrassment because of that sound.

"You should get something to eat at the cafeteria, Yua."

"But Sasaki and the others are still probably talking to Hyakuzawa right now while we are here. It would be awkward if I pop out of there out of nowhere."

Oh yeah, I remembered. Kiyoko and the others are probably talking to Hyakuzawa right now because Kanade told us that he is waking up today after she checked him up.

Kiyoko told me two days ago that all of them decided that they will be present at the cafeteria once Hyakuzawa showed himself to us, and I just agreed when she asked me to be there with them.

Kiyoko is probably pissed that I took this time to investigate rather than staying there. But sorry to say, I am not good with those kinds of things, and I hope that she can understand why I took Asahi with me, and maybe this girl who tagged along with us as well.

Yes… I'm not good with talking to people… Especially in those kinds of situations.

"I-I'll just go to my room, and get something to eat. You two stay here, and wait for me!"

Ichika hurriedly went inside the elevator, and right before the elevator closed, she looked at us with an ashamed face.

"A-AND DON'T TELL ANYBODY WHAT MY TUMMY JUST DID!!!"

*DING*

What the hell was that all about?

The two of us are the only ones left here. Asahi stayed silent as we wait for Ichika to get his food. But, I broke that silence immediately since I was curious about what this guy can do.

"Did you know from the start that there are cameras hidden everywhere in here?"

"I am aware that there are hidden cameras everywhere, but I didn't bother finding their locations. But when you told me on that letter to look for those things, I just knew right away where they are when I focused on finding them one by one."

"You are aware? Wait, then how come you knew that there are no cameras in your personal rooms as well as the hallways on every floor?"

"It is my room. After all, It would suck if someone is watching me, right? As for the hallways, while you are there in the Arts Room busy stalling for time just so that Ichi can't notice that we are finding the hidden cameras secretly, I looked at the hallway where we are in at that time, and I assumed that it was the case with the other floors as well."

This guy. To be honest, I thought Asahi was nothing more than just a famous director in the film industry. But…

He is something else.

He is sharp, and he is one step ahead when thinking about the situation that he is in. I thought that he was just a stupid guy who couldn't do anything special in this place. Planting a voice recorder while a crucial situation is occurring just like what happened to Megumin when she was poisoned. And even now, knowing where the cameras were right away that even I couldn't find. I wonder…

Is this guy really just a film director? But let us leave that for now. I'm still bothered about what we just found. There are rooms where hidden cameras are installed that can't be seen by the naked eye, and if Ichi wants to watch us closely, he should have installed cameras inside their rooms as well.

So why didn't he do it?

Honestly, this place… No, everything here is really-.

"You know I find this whole thing weird."

What I was exactly thinking came from Asahi's mouth. He is right…

It's strange.

"What do you mean?" I asked to know what is in his mind.

"I don't want to tell this to Yua, and I think that you or Sasaki are the ones who should know about this first."

"It's not only you who thinks that way. I also feel like this whole thing is strange as well." I replied back.

"Oh? Then I guess there is no point telling this to you."

"Just tell it."

Because even I myself don't know why I find this place odd.

"What do you mean that this whole thing is weird?"

Asahi looked at me and asked me a question.

"Machida, have you read or watched things about death games before?"

"I did. But why did you bring that up?"

"You know, there was a time that I am obsessed with reading a lot of mangas about death games, and right now, we are exactly in a death game where we participate to kill each other in order for someone to win."

I listened to what he is saying as he continued talking to me.

"Why do you think people who participate in death games don't hesitate to kill someone after some time when the game started?" Asahi asked.

"It's because they are desperate to get out of it."

"Hmm… Well, you are correct in a way. But do you know why they are desperate?"

"Why?" I asked.

"It's because they were given the motivation to do so."

When Asahi told that to me, I am slowly realizing why I find this death game strange.

"A mastermind that is hosting a death game needs to give the participants the drive to kill. Let us say for example that the participant's family is in danger because the mastermind is threatening them. That alone is enough for that participant to kill, and try to win the game, am I right?"

He does have a point.

"So why aren't we feeling that way just like how death games should be? It is true that Yua and Hyakuzawa tried to kill us because Ichi pushed them to do so. But shouldn't Ichi do everything to make us kill each other?"

Asahi turned around and laid his back on the wall behind him.

"Is it because Sasaki persuaded us that we can find another way to get out of this place without killing anyone? Is it because society labels us as someone special, and different from the rest that's why we deal with this thing differently? Are those the reasons why we sometimes feel that everything will be fine and that no one is trying to kill one another? No, those are only excuses that would come from the perspective of other people."

Asahi looked at the ceiling and put his hands in his pockets.

"We might be different from the rest, but we are still human. One threat or reason coming from the mastermind themselves can make the participants of a death game desperate to win no matter who they are. But this is why I think this whole thing is peculiar. If Ichi really is a God, he should be able to do everything, right? But why isn't he doing every way to make us kill each other?"

Everything that Asahi is saying made sense, and it was answering this question that I have in my mind for quite a while.

"So do you have any idea why this whole thing is strange?"

"No, I don't, and that is why I am telling all of these things to you since you might have an idea why this is the case."

The drive to make others do the unimaginable. Making someone's way of thinking immoral because of the desperation to get out of it.

Now it all makes sense. That is why I think this is strange. Sasaki might have given an impact on these people to think rationally in this situation, but that doesn't mean that her help alone made them like this. Ichi was the one who didn't do everything to make us kill each other. His effort was not enough.

But why didn't he?

"But you know, in my perspective as a film director. I can say one thing about this death game that Ichi made for us."

"And that is?" I asked.

"This death game is a complete joke."

Asahi said that like a professional criticizing a mediocre movie that was made by some proud amateur who keeps on bragging about what they just made.

It is true… This whole thing has a lot of flaws.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" I said.

"Sure. Ask me anything."

"You're not just some big shot director in the film industry, are you?"

"I don't understand what you are saying." He said with a blank face.

"Why haven't you told these things sooner? If you know exactly where the hidden cameras are right away, why haven't you done something?"

"I thought those were yours. I began to notice those hidden cameras after you showed up out of nowhere for the first time, and I assumed that you set those up for your investigations."

Those hidden cameras were set up after I showed myself back then? Ichi might have been more cautious when he knew that I was in here all along, and that is why there are a lot of cameras all over the place.

But still…

Right before I come to this place, I did a background check on the people who Shinohara thinks are the ones I need to have my eyes on. I knew Hyakuzawa, and Ichika's situation way before since I have looked at their cases in the past.

And as for the others, the only thing I learned about them is how they greatly excel at what they are good at.

But that doesn't make any sense.

I know a lot of film directors who are famous for their achievements, but they are nothing compared to this guy.

This guy is not just a film director, he is more than that.

"Ryo Asahi, what are you?"

His way of thinking is almost the same as mine, and Kiyoko's.

"Like what I said, I don't know what you are talking about. I'm just a famous film director in the past, and that is about it."

"Don't fucking lie to me. You have more potential than that, do you?"

"..."

He didn't say anything to me at all, and I was starting to get upset.

*DING*

As the tension between the two of us got worse, the elevator suddenly opened.

"Hey!"

Ichika came out of the elevator with a protein bar in her hand.

"Here! This is for the two of you!"

She lent the two extra protein bars that she was holding, and I unconsciously accepted the treat that Ichika gave me.

But soon enough, Ichika noticed something wrong between the two of us.

"What happened when I wasn't around?" Ichika asked.

Forget it. If Asahi doesn't want to talk about it then fine by me. I don't want to waste my time on someone who is so fucking stubborn about hiding something.

"It's nothing. I was just nervous to see you again, Yua."

And it seems to be that Asahi doesn't want to make Ichika worry about what we just talked about.

"Haaah?! What are you talking about?!"

Ichika was flustered by what Asahi just said, and Asahi just scratched his head.

"Let's go back."

The three of us started walking to go back to the cafeteria. We have been investigating for some time now, and I think that Kiyoko has successfully talked to Hyakuzawa with the others.

Hopefully, that is the case or I will be fucking going straight to Kiyoko's room while waiting for their sentimental time together to finish.

"If Ichi really is a God, he should be able to do everything, right? But why isn't he doing every way to make us kill each other?"

What Asahi just said was stuck inside my head.

He is right, with what Ichi can do to us, he can just easily make anyone here inside insane because of how terrifying he is.

It is not like these people don't have any loved ones or a happy life in the outside world that he can destroy it for his advantage to make us desperate to kill each other.

Didn't Ichi think of those things at all? No that's impossible. It's not like Ichi is dumb to not think about that.

Then why didn't he do it?

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