Who Cares?

*Kei Machida's POV*

//July 22, 2040//Sunday//

"Kei, are you okay?"

"I'm sorry… I'll admit it… Way back then when I first met you people, I only see everyone as tools that are beneficial for me. If you people serve no purpose to me back then, I wouldn't hesitate to kill someone."

"O-Oi… What are you talking about, Machida?" Ichika asked.

"You heard me correctly. I will not hesitate to kill you people back then. Even if I am Japan's Greatest Detective, I am also a murderer who has killed countless of criminals in the past."

Everyone was shocked except for Kiyoko who have already known from before.

"But still! Why would you kill people?!" Ichika said.

"It's because that was my purpose. My purpose was to get revenge on the person behind the Ruination of Kanagawa.

"So then that means, when you tried to kill me with a knife when I attacked you before…"

"Yes. I didn't hesitate to try to kill you at that time, Hyakuzawa."

"Huh? Machida tried to kill you back then, Hyakuzawa?" Megumin asked.

"Yes. It looks like he did."

Everyone went silent thinking about their own thoughts about what I just confessed.

It was the expected reaction. They were afraid that a murderer is sitting right in front of them.

I killed countless criminals back then. When I confessed that I see them as tools that I can use, who wouldn't be terrified?

The feeling of uncertainty where one expects you to do good so they wouldn't die by my hands. Everyone was getting anxious, and afraid of me.

Shouldn't I have told them?

"Is it still a big deal that you are a murderer at this point after all the things that we've been through?"

Kiyoko's words caught everyone's attention.

"You said that you see us as tools you can use for your own benefit, right?"

"Y-Yes-."

"Who cares if you treat us that way?"

Kiyoko got my attention, and I wasn't expecting her reply at all.

"People use others for their own benefits consciously or unconsciously, and that is inevitable. There is nothing wrong if you were using us as long as you wouldn't do anything bad. Well, your intentions are wrong, and I am glad that you admitted it. You even apologized in front of everyone."

Kiyoko, you are one of the first people who knew that I am a murderer, and you accepted me for whoever I am. So what is the point? What are you trying to tell us?

"But I want to ask you. From the very beginning when you tried treating us like these tools you are talking about…"

Wait… Are you trying to…

"Are we people incompetent, and useless to begin with?"

From how anxious I become, I began to ask questions to myself on what Kiyoko asked me.

Are they truly useless from the very beginning?

Even if I don't see them as tools, even if I don't use them like objects that I can dispose of whenever I feel like it.

"No…"

That was my answer to her question.

"Kei, let me tell you something. Just like what I said before…"

Kiyoko pointed her finger at me, and it somehow made me startled because she is like a teacher lecturing her students.

"I believe in these people. Their strengths, and what they can do, I know that everybody here is trying their best to get out of this place without killing each other."

Her words didn't just strike me.

"Even though you were just using us in the first place, we couldn't deny the fact that you still helped us in this situation that we are in. We are also thankful for you, Kei."

Kiyoko was also trying to convince, and remove everyone's doubts with her words alone.

"I-I mean without your help, we wouldn't be able to find any clues about this place, Machida."

"Raku was right. It was surprising that you are a murderer, but I think that you wouldn't worry about killing any of us. Just like what Sasaki said earlier, we are not some people that are not doing anything in this situation." Asahi said.

"W-Well I know that I have been fooling around trying to hurt everybody here before. But I will do my best now to be of help."

"You're right, Hyakuzawa! You will help me with the dishes again tomorrow, right?"

"M-Megumin…"

Everybody laughed, and it was like they have forgotten how serious the things I just said to them about me being a murderer.

"I want to help everyone here as well! Why wouldn't I after everybody accepted me even though I also tried to kill them?" Ichika yelled.

"I-I want to be of help to Big Sis… N-No, to everybody here!"

Again…

"See, I told you, Kei. Don't underestimate us."

It's because of Kiyoko that everyone is acting like this.

Honestly, I'm impressed. I couldn't say anything else, and I just smiled at what they are saying.

"Is that all you have to say, Kei?"

"Yes, that's all that I want to say."

"But I'm still wondering, why would you bring up the Ruination of Kanagawa incident that happened 11 years ago?" Raku asked.

That's right I still need to explain that to everyone.

"I have heard this from Hyakuzawa earlier. Five days ago before the first day of school at Saitei University, a strange man approached him, and gave him an invitation to become a student in this school."

"Huh, how come? I thought only selected students can come here? And in just five days? What do you mean?" Ichika asked.

"I was an ex-convict that was imprisoned for three years and seven months. I was just recently released from jail five days before the first day of school."

Everyone was surprised as well as I am because I didn't expect that he would open this in front of everyone.

"T-Then how old are you?" Raku asked.

"I'm 21 years old."

"HAAAAAAH?!"

That's right, everyone expects that they are just the same age as everybody else. They wouldn't expect a 21-year-old dude to come here.

"Oi! Oi! Machida is a murderer, and now we learned that Hyakuzawa was a prisoner before? How did you go there? Did you do something wrong?" Raku asked.

"I-I don't want to say anything else…"

"O-Oh… My bad…"

Raku suddenly stopped acting hysterical when he saw how bothered Hyakuzawa is with his question.

"Machida, did you say that someone invited Hyakuzawa to this school? Then who is it?" Ichika asked.

"A tall slender man with a weird accent. Does this man ring a bell to any of you?"

As expected from their reactions, this incident was famous, and everyone knows what happened 11 years ago.

I mean, who wouldn't? The Ruination of Kanagawa is something that not only Japan took their eyes on, but the whole world as well.

People around the world are curious about what happened back then. Who was the one behind it? Why did it happen? Who are the people who helped the one behind it to take over Kanagawa? How did they take control over a prefecture in Japan in just a few months? Even the people who were ignorant most of the time know about this incident.

And I believe that these people know the things that happened as well.

"I read this in a journal once that was written by Aya Nakano. A tall slender man with a weird accent who combines French, and Japanese with his words." Asahi said.

"Thinking about it, When he gave me the invitation to this school that was from the director or Ichi who we know today just like what he told me back then, he suddenly vanished into thin air. That was something that no ordinary person can do."

That letter that was given to Hyakuzawa from the director of this school? And that man also vanished in thin air? That's some new information that I got from Hyakuzawa. Then what I have in my mind is true.

"Wait! Are you telling us that the person who you are talking about is…"

"That's right, Ichika. That person…"

Even if I was about to tell them, my heart couldn't stop beating, and I was sweating like crazy.

"Was one of the four nobles who were under the command of the leader behind the Ruination of Kanagawa. The craziest of them all yet the most loyal out of all the four nobles. The duke."

"OI! THAT'S INSANE!" Raku yelled.

"Wait! If what Hyakuzawa said about the letter that was given to him by that man came from the director who was Ichi all along is true, then that means…"

"Wait, Asahi! This is absurd! There is no way that this is true!"

"Let's not turn a blind eye, Ichika…"

I looked at Kiyoko, and she was clenching her fists. I remembered what she told me back then, she also witnessed the aftermath of the Ruination of Kanagawa.

"The duke wouldn't follow anybody except for the leader behind the Ruination of Kanagawa. Then that means, Ichi is not just any other human. He is also the one behind the Ruination of Kanagawa…"

What Kiyoko said made her into tears.

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