Chapter VII: And That Is Why, Tanaka Takashi... (2/2)

1:43 PM

The entire school focuses on me, and it is all her fault. Two consecutive days of being dragged around by the student council president have been enough to put a target on my back. Wherever I go, hostile glares follow.

We are once again in the student council room, where Yukihara-senpai flips through some papers while Takashi stands stiffly, observing her and waiting for further orders.

Why didn't she read those earlier? Instead of bothering me earlier, she could have dealt with this.

"So? Shall we get straight to the main topic? We don't have all day," I ask, irritated.

"Oh, no need to be in such a hurry. I am almost done," Yukihara-senpai replies, tucking away the documents before continuing. "Very well. I have already received Tanaka-kun's report. Now, I would like you to share your impressions."

From what I understood, only Takashi was supposed to submit a report.

"I assure you, I didn't see anything more than he did. If I had noticed anything, I would have reported it for him to include in the document."

"That is not it. I want to hear your opinion, not just a mere description. What is your assessment of Hasegawa-kun based on what you observed last night?"

"It's hard to draw any conclusions. It might have been pure coincidence that the killer didn't act while we were watching Haruki," I respond.

"Do you think Hasegawa-kun noticed your presence?" she interrupts my train of thought.

"I have no idea. I can't deny it is a possibility. But at the same time, it opens other possibilities, as whoever noticed our presence might not necessarily have been Haruki."

"That is a hypothesis. Was the killer already in the hallways and deliberately chose not to act? However, that too would be quite a coincidence, do you not think?"

"Indeed. But the truth is, we didn't uncover anything relevant last night. Can we conclude this point?"

"I am not denying that. Unfortunately, we would need to repeat this experiment multiple times to infer anything, but we do not have that time," Yukihara explains as she stands and walks to the window.

Why is she in such a hurry? Is there something worrying her that she has not shared?

"Nevertheless, let us set aside this technical discussion and assume Haruki is innocent. This would significantly increase the likelihood that the killer is not in the male dormitories," she says, looking out the window as she continues speaking.

True. If we assume Haruki is innocent, the most natural explanation is that the killer observed us externally. Since Manabu confirmed no one left our dormitory, and we were monitoring Haruki's dormitory, the only plausible origin is the female dormitories.

But there is one issue with all this: the female dormitories were also being monitored by Natsuki and Yukihara-senpai herself.

"Have you considered that the killer might be a girl?" I ask.

"Hasegawa-kun remains at the top of my suspect list, but girls indeed occupy the next positions—specifically those in the dormitory under Nakamura's watch. For someone as cunning as this killer, bypassing her would not be difficult. She is undoubtedly the weakest member of our team."

An ominous feeling catches me off guard.

Is she being seen as a suspect? This is a problem. Ailiss is likely the second on Yukihara-senpai's list of suspects. After all, everything began right after she arrived at this school.

Strangely, I keep worrying about someone I have only spoken to once in my life. This proves the anomaly continues to affect me profoundly.

"Johann, you seem so distracted. Is something bothering you?" she shrewdly notices my reaction.

What is she, a witch? I cannot hide anything from her behavioral analysis. This makes me think the killer must be someone extraordinary to deceive her. With every passing moment, I feel like a key piece in this game.

"It's nothing. I'm just a little tired, that's all," I reply, avoiding her gaze.

"Do you not recall what I told you yesterday in this very room? You cannot lie to me," she says, turning to face me. "Tell me, did you think of a possibility that bothers you?" she asks, narrowing her eyes.

"I already said no!" I raise my voice, still annoyed. "So, could you stop interrogating me?"

Thinking about it, I might just be a terrible liar. Talking has never been a frequent practice for someone like me, putting me at a severe disadvantage regarding experience. Perhaps I should not have neglected my emotional intelligence so much.

Takashi interrupts our conversation at the worst possible moment.

"Know this: if you are hiding something from Yukihara-san, I'll treat you as a traitor and show no mercy."

Not that he doesn't already treat me in the most unpleasant way imaginable, out of sheer jealousy over Yukihara-senpai's attention toward me. So, I do not see much of a difference.

"Tanaka-kun, I thought you had already understood that you should not interfere in my conversations. At this moment, Johann remains our guest, and thus, you cannot act so rudely. Furthermore, if he does not wish to speak, he is not obligated to," she says.

Has she changed her stance? So openly and suddenly? From a cruel superior to a humanitarian figure? This lie is so transparent that even I can see through it.

The guy nods in submission. He is capable of changing his opinion in milliseconds just to align with her authority. How can someone lower themselves to such an extent? He has completely stopped thinking for himself.

Thankfully, his interruption stopped her from pressing me further, and she even took my side. If she had mentioned the foreign girl by name, I would have had no way to hide my reaction. Deep down, I probably know she is the most suspicious person in the entire school, but I want to deny it at all costs. Why? I have no idea—my thoughts are confused whenever I think of her. I notice the same happens when I am with Yukihara-senpai.

Everything still feels like a great mystery. What do these two have in common besides their beauty and toxic personalities?

"Yukihara-senpai, on a different note, could you tell me what you think about déjà vu?"

Her face shows a surprised expression, and then she responds.

"I confess I did not expect such a question. Considering your academic performance, it is something you should know well. It is a purely material phenomenon where the brain confuses recent memories with old ones..."

She essentially gave the same answer I would. Perhaps all this is just in my head—two supernatural events manifesting in the same place and time would be too much of a coincidence.

"Nevertheless... the possibility of another cause is not entirely null. However, this is not the time for such discussions. We can explore these hypotheses at a more appropriate moment. For now, let us focus on identifying the killer," she concludes.

I notice her voice tremble slightly at the end of her sentence. Could my impression from our first conversation have shaken her? If so, I could apply an inductive analysis and extrapolate it to Ailiss.

Why does my brain freeze when these two are involved? Could it be because the three of us are players? I hope not, as it would only strengthen the case against Ailiss.

But there is no guarantee the killer must be a player.

2:02 PM

"Yukihara-senpai, is there anything else you need from my testimony, or am I dismissed for now?" I ask.

"No, that is all. You may go if you wish. Should I need your presence, I will send a message through Tanaka-kun."

Finally, I think I'll head to an isolated place for now. Somewhere quiet where, Takashi will struggle to find me and assign any bothersome tasks like last night. I also need to clear my head about the possibility of Ailiss's involvement. Should I look for her? Well, I wouldn't even know where to begin.

I stand and walk toward the student council room's exit, but I am interrupted by a new comment from Yukihara-senpai.

"However, if you prefer, you may stay here and keep me company for the afternoon. What do you think?" she asks mockingly.

Is she serious? Takashi must be focusing all the world's hatred on me right now. How does she expect our teamwork to improve like this? I would not be surprised if she turned him into the killer, and I ended up as the victim.

As I expected, Takashi rolls his eyes at her comment.

For some reason, I am starting to care less about this. Playing along with her game to annoy Takashi might even be amusing. Honestly, it cannot get much worse than it already is—he definitely wants to kill me. Come to think of it, him losing it and killing me might not be such a bad idea; it would put an end to all this stress. Could that be her grand plan to end the game?

"Honestly, I'd prefer to rest a bit after lunch. But I could reconsider your proposal, Mikoto-senpai."

Hearing me address her by her first name, she smiles slightly. And, of course, Takashi grows even more irritated. His clenched fists indicate it is only a matter of time before he erupts.

Maybe I went too far by addressing her like that, letting myself get carried away by a habit that is not deeply ingrained in me. Regardless, it served as a good way to provoke him.

"Very well, I must treat my guests cordially. Why not serve us some tea, Tanaka-kun?" she turns to him and asks.

Now, she has gone too far. This can undoubtedly be categorized as bullying. I am increasingly convinced that this was not a good decision on my part. If I give her an inch, she will exceed all boundaries of good sense in her provocations. This girl's malice knows no limits.

"Fine. I need to fetch more tea from the kitchen," he replies, turning his back to hide his face.

All the utensils and ingredients are clearly visible in the corner of the room. Could he not come up with a better excuse to leave? And so he departs without even giving us time to point out his mistake.

"You're very cruel. Do you genuinely enjoy psychologically torturing your subordinates? That's not something one would expect from an exemplary student like you," I comment.

"I do not know what you are talking about. I have always treated the other student council members very well. I firmly believe they have nothing to complain about concerning me," she replies cynically.

This girl's venom is lethal; anyone involved with someone as deceitful as her is doomed to systematic suffering.

"Don't pretend you are unaware of how he views you. Even I, someone who struggles with empathy and sensitivity, can see it clearly."

Mikoto listens to my remarks, remains silent for a few seconds, and then speaks seriously.

"Psychological torture, you say? Such torture may indeed exist, but it is not something active or applied; rather, it stems from within him. The fact that I know how he feels should not limit my interactions with others or dictate what I can or cannot say. If he is hurt by it, that is solely his problem, a consequence of his emotional weakness."

I agree with what she says to some extent, but I find it unnecessary for her to force such situations. Her subordinates don't seem to grow stronger under such conditioning.

I still fear that I might get caught in her web and become another lackey for this girl. Or perhaps I am already trapped and have not realized it yet.

"If this toxic side of yours were widely known, you'd probably be as despised as I am, if not outright removed from your position."

"I disagree with your claim. The greatest proof lies in your performative contradiction, for even though our professional matters are concluded, you decided to spend your free time with me. Does that not indicate that I am a lovable person?"

Regarding her last question, absolutely not. But I must admit she has once again countered me effectively. My foreboding increasingly feels like an inevitability; there is no escape from her.

Our small dialogue is interrupted by the sound of shattering glass coming from the hallway.

What was that noise?! Did some students start a fight?!

My reaction is immediate; I stand and run toward the sound. She follows close behind me.

I try to check room by room in the block. However, we cannot determine the corridor or floor from which the noise originated.

"OH MY GOD!"

A scream redirects us to the source of the commotion. Turning another corner, I see a terrified girl standing before a red puddle where the body of a student lies.

What? Just like that? In broad daylight? The killer is not even considering the time and place for murder anymore? And all this blood? What exactly happened here? Was he stabbed?

"Wait, Johann!" Mikoto-senpai calls as she reaches the corridor and approaches me.

I cannot quite make out her reaction upon seeing the body, as I can barely divert my gaze from the victim's face. It is difficult for my brain to process this: how can someone who was conversing with me just moments ago now be in such a horrific state?

He was murdered. Takashi is dead.