Witness

It's been about 4 weeks, going on a month, since I started hanging out with Koyomi.

Time passed, just like always.

It doesn't feel that way, though. It's like time with her passes so seamlessly that you barely even notice it passing at all.

Koyomi seems to not have many opinions, which can make her very difficult or very easy to talk to.

You can say whatever you want around her, and she won't bat an eye, which is somewhat comforting. But if you need her for something, it's like she no longer exists.

One thing I've learned is to never treat her differently based on how she acts. She is never "not" Koyomi Sano, so it's merely more confusion to try to rationalize her changes.

The beginning of summer was coming up, and the heat was already getting to me as I walked along my route to school. I had always preferred the winter.

It's strange though. Whenever it's summer, everyone always says "Oh, I wish it was winter", and during winter, everyone always says "Oh, I wish it was summer."

But when the time actually comes, and the seasons change, we simply just repeat this endless cycle of indecision.

So, do I want it to be summer or winter?

Who knows.

The murders had become more frequent. There have been 3 more since the first one a few weeks ago.

All of the crime scenes were left with the same strangely familiar logo nearby.

These thoughts faded as I saw Koyomi come into view beside me.

Apparently, she had moved into an apartment complex not too far from me, and our routes to school happened to collide with each other.

We met eyes, and I smiled a bit at her. She didn't return the favor, as expected.

She doesn't express much, even when she's happy.

I wonder, does she even feel happiness at all?

"Hey, wanna hang out after school?"

"Yeah," She replied almost immediately.

I don't know why I ask anymore. It's pretty much a given that we'll walk home together.

I've started to get dirty looks from some of the other boys though.

They seem to hate that a no-life like me has warmed up to the new girl so quickly.

The school began to come into view.

"I'm gonna go on ahead," I said, breaking off of our extremely short interaction. "See you later."

I looked back and she simply nodded.

After walking ahead, I passed through the gates and into the school.

Being only 7 in the morning, the amount of students was sparse.

No issue though, I prefer it that way. I hate having to navigate through the giant flocks of students congregating in the yard and halls.

The campus was large and hard to navigate as well, though.

I walked through the halls, many of which held significant memories for me.

I had spent nearly 4 years here, after all. It's not as though I felt nothing for this building.

Whether it was laughing along at some joke someone made in the middle of class, gathering around a petty fist fight, or watching some random guy ask out the school idol, I was always here, witnessing it all.

Heh.

A witness. That's who I am, deep down.

Always there, never the center of attention, just recording it in my memory.

I didn't mind it that way, though.

I'm sure that I would just make everything awkward, anyway.

Besides, someone needs to remember everything for our class reunion in 10 years.

It seemed I had arrived at my homeroom class.

Shoving away my thoughts, I entered.

"...?"

Something was out of place.

Something contrasted the beautiful light of the early morning.

Dark red.

No, that's incorrect.

Blood.

Yeah, that's what it is.

In front of me, lies the source of said blood.

A dead body.

Cold.

Lifeless.

Empty.

"...Shirou. Shirou. Shirou."

Suddenly, I became aware of the voice I was hearing.

What was I doing?

Wasn't I just in homeroom?

So why am I sitting slumped over on a bench?

Someone handed me a bottle of water.

Looking up, I saw Koyomi standing in front of me.

Realizing just how thirsty I was, I gratefully took it and promptly began to chug it all down.

Liquid.

Dark red liquid.

Blood.

My memories connected.

Eyes widening, the water I just drank threatened to burst right back out of my throat.

"She's dead...I saw it."

A loud sound protruded from the front of the school, specifically the wail of ambulances and fire trucks.

"Shirou Tanoshi?"

A deep, unfamiliar voice called my name.

"Y-yes?" I said.

"Come with me," He asked, or rather demanded.

Something about this man made me feel as though I couldn't do otherwise.

"Where are you taking him?" Koyomi asked, a slight hint of defensiveness.

"Just to ask him a couple questions."

She still looked unsure.

"It's fine," I told her reassuringly, and began walking away with the man.

I took one final look back at her, and tried my best to smile.

"Was that real? What I saw, I mean," I asked, once we had walked a bit.

"Unfortunately, yes," He replied, and gave me a sympathetic look.

He then stuck out an arm to stop me from moving forward.

A stretcher rolled past us, carrying a black bag on top of it.

I knew what it was as soon as I saw it.

My head swirled, and the deep, heavy feeling of nausea filled my stomach.

"Maybe...if I had just gotten there sooner…"

I thought of their family, how it would feel to be them.

"Hey. The second you start blaming yourself, the second you start saying "what if", is the second you'll never move past this."

He planted a hand on top of my head.

"Besides, there has to be a reason for such a young girl to be killed. The world would be a very cold place if there wasn't."

He waved a hand for me to keep moving.

We walked a bit more, out and past the school yard and onto the street.

He brought me to a car and motioned for me to get in.

Seeing no way around it, I decided to just go along with him.

I sat down, waiting for him to start the car.

But before he did, he turned back to me.

"I'm Inspector Shinya." He reached his hand back, and firmly shook my hand. "Before we leave, I want to clarify some things. In no way are you a suspect. We simply want to ask you some questions. Plus, you don't seem like the murdering type," He said with a slight smirk.

"I wish I could say that's reassuring…"

When we got to the police station, I filed out one of those report things about what had happened, and then Inspector Shinya took me into one of those interrogation rooms. He told me her name and showed me a picture of her, and proceeded to ask me the average questions. Did I know her? What was she like in school? Did she have any enemies?

Unfortunately, I couldn't offer him any useful information.

I'd never seen that girl once before in my life.

I find it kind of sad really.

Well, that's a given. She's dead, after all.

I think the right word would be meaningless.

Why was it me who discovered her body?

Oh, that's right.

I'm a witness. I record the events that others create.

But then again, what exactly am I being held witness to?

I didn't see her die.

I didn't know her before she died.

So, what's the point of me witnessing her dead body?

To me, she's just that single picture from our school yearbook.

To me, she's just that empty shell of a human that was left bleeding on the classroom floor.

Is that all a stranger is?

Someone who will just die without me knowing them? Without me witnessing their livelihood?

If so, then what's the purpose of me?

I am a witness.

No

Stop.

Stop thinking.

I'm overthinking this.

Someone died, and it has nothing to do with me.

That's okay.

That's how it should be.

That's-

"Shirou. Your mother is here."

Inspector Shinya's deep voice shocked my thoughts away.

I looked up to see my mom's tear smeared face, half smiling, half sobbing.

I don't think I've ever been happier to see someone.