Chapter 1: "Reunion and Joy"
The light was frightening. When light came in from the outside, a great fear accompanied it. Yet, because I was hungry, I also felt a little impatient.
"I'm hungry."
"...Yeah."
"I wonder when we'll get food."
"We won't get any until it's night."
"...But when we stay here for so long, it's hard to tell when night comes."
"...I hope the outside turns to night soon."
After that, no words were exchanged. With hunger gnawing at me, I just stared intently, intently, intently at the pitch-black space before me. And then, the light illuminated us.
"Couldn't we just write that the principal's name is Mototsune Fujiwara, the student council president is Michizane Sugawara, and the class representative for the second-year students is Hiromi Tachibana?"
"And how exactly would that appeal to anyone?"
Kaneko, the class representative, twisted his neck and groaned at the suggestion. It was quite an unexpected question, so his reaction wasn't surprising.
The class rep had been cornered near the classroom entrance, being asked about the unique features of our school for a pamphlet aimed at next year's prospective students. However, the school, or rather, the town itself, is pretty much a nondescript countryside. The only distinguishing feature that came to mind was the peculiar names of the school staff, names that seemed like they were jokingly given by parents. That was the best answer he could come up with.
"How about... 'Recently, a student from our school was brutally murdered'..."
"That's definitely not a good idea."
**Kaneko** looked disturbed and immediately shot that idea down. Maybe it was a bit insensitive.
"Well, how about we just write about the school's free-spirited atmosphere or its open environment?" In the end, the suggestion settled on a mundane and cliché response. Kaneko seemed to have heard it all before and gave a wry smile, exhaling lightly.
"To be honest, I'd rather be at my club activities right now."
"Club activities? Aren't they banned right now because they're considered dangerous?"
"With a tournament coming up, do you really think our club captain would care? We're going all out, even if it's unofficial, till late into the night."
Kaneko bragged like a proud elementary school kid who stays up late. As he did, a female student appeared, pushing past him as if to make her presence known. It was his classmate, Mayu Misono. She squeezed between Kaneko and the door and headed out into the hallway.
"Hey, wait!"
Kaneko quickly called out to her. Misono turned around, a stark contrast to her usual calm demeanor, almost glaring at him.
"What is it?"
"Ah, nothing..."
Kaneko seemed intimidated by her confrontational attitude and gave a nervous smile, looking around for help. Even though I noticed his plea, I just stared at Misono.
"...What?"
She asked again, her expression mixing surprise and suspicion.
Mayu Misono could easily be described as beautiful. No, to be more precise, she's exceptionally beautiful. To put it simply, she's very attractive. A true beauty.
Her semi-long hair, once dyed and now seemingly forgotten, had remnants of its brown color buried beneath her natural black hair. Despite the muggy warmth of early October, she wore a long-sleeved shirt that could be seen under her blazer.
"I have something to take care of."
Misono usually speaks politely, even to her classmates. This might come across as a way to keep others at a distance, but it seemed more like a defense mechanism. She gave off the impression of a small animal that's afraid of people.
"I'm sorry for stopping you. If you're in a hurry, you can go."
I answered on behalf of Kaneko. Misono whispered a quiet "I see" and hurried towards the stairs, her footsteps uneasy and unsettled.
Watching her retreating figure, Kaneko relaxed his tensed shoulders and took a deep breath.
"Was Misono always that intimidating?"
"Who knows... Maybe she's practicing for her role as a demon in the upcoming Setsubun festival."
I could explain the reason behind her attitude with almost complete certainty, but Kaneko was still pondering, his head tilted. It's been tilted since our conversation began.
"She's been leaving school unusually early lately..."
I looked back into the classroom as he mumbled an apology. I followed his gaze. Most of the students were still in the classroom, some packing up their textbooks, others chatting with their neighbors. Considering that Misono's seat is the farthest from the hallway, her speed in leaving was indeed unusual. "It's normal if she has something to do, isn't it?"
"Every day, though?"
"Maybe she does? Perhaps she's visiting her mom in the hospital or something."
That's a lie, though.
"Besides, even if you ask, you'll just get the same tired answers."
I offered some vague words of comfort. Kaneko, looking deflated, scratched his head with his index finger and finally straightened his neck.
"Well, maybe. But it feels weird hearing words like 'freedom' and 'openness' from her."
"Yeah, I get that."
Not really, but I agreed to move the conversation along.
"Anyway, I'm heading home."
"Hmm, alright. See you tomorrow."
We waved casually and parted ways. As I walked down the hallway bathed in the warm midday sunlight, the air felt stagnant. I briskly moved through this warm and muggy space, passing by the next classroom and quickly descending the stairs two at a time.
At the shoe lockers by the exit, after confirming that Misono had left the school premises about ten seconds earlier, I began to discreetly follow her from a safe distance.
Today, I had decided to play detective after school.
This town may be an ordinary countryside, but recently, its name has been mentioned on national TV more frequently, mainly drawing attention from the police. Two incidents had occurred. Well, there might be a possibility that both were committed by the same perpetrator, but opinions differ on how to categorize them.
There was a serial murder case and a single case of disappearance.
Over the past few months, the town has been plagued by these malicious acts. The murder was especially shocking, with the last such incident in this town dating back to the time when samurais roamed with their swords. A middle-aged man was found brutally murdered in an alleyway near the community center. His chest was slashed open, his eyes gouged out, all fingers of his left hand were severed, and one of his ears had a deep cut. The crime was seen as a game for the perpetrator, who was rumored to be mentally ill. The next victim was a seven-year-old boy, his face so mutilated it was unrecognizable. Following this incident, elementary schools implemented group commutes and ended classes by noon as a precaution. The community also began patrolling in the evenings, and the police offered full support. Yet, no substantial progress has been made in preventing further crimes or identifying the culprit.
Additionally, three weeks ago, a disappearance occurred. A fourth-grade boy and his younger sister, a second-grader, vanished at dusk. Despite warnings against playing outside recklessly, it seemed to have little effect. Unlike previous cases, no bodies were found, leading to speculations of a kidnapping. Whether these were acts of the same perpetrator is a topic of debate even among the police. A weekly magazine featured the case, emphasizing the kidnapping and attempting to link it to past incidents.
I had been tailing Misono for over twenty minutes.
Regrettably, this was my first attempt at tailing someone, and I wasn't experienced in stalking either, making me quite the amateur. Consequently, I wasn't sure of the appropriate distance to maintain. I briefly regretted not reading up on this; perhaps I should have bought a book on the topic. I keep a distance from Misono-san, enough to make her back seem as large as a dictionary, and follow her. We're walking on a rural path with no passersby, and there's nothing around to hide behind if the atmosphere becomes tense. If she turns around, I'm prepared to jump into an irrigation ditch. Fortunately, Misono-san proceeds on her way home without glancing back. To her, it seems like she's walking at a brisk pace, but her steps are unsteady, swaying from side to side, though she doesn't appear feverish.