Isometric training was a type of muscle training based around holding a single position, like pushing an immovable wall. The little white lie seemed like less trouble than admitting that he really could close it.
“Think I’ve heard of that. So, you’ve been scowling at that names list for a while.”
“I figured I’d try to memorize everyone’s names.” Another white lie.
“Oh, is that all? I thought you were ranking the girls or something. Let me see.” Shota snatched the list away. Of course, it was Shota’s to begin with, so Yuichi couldn’t really complain.
Shota started making marks next to the girls’ names.
“Natsuki Takeuchi, Aiko Noro, Yuri Konishi. Those are the top three. The next tier are Miyu Hirata, Sayaka Haraguchi... and An Katagiri, I guess. She seems a little crazy, though. Still, I’m glad we got a class full of hot girls.”
Yuichi had been in no condition to think about it at the time, but looking back, he remembered that the boys had started whispering each time a girl got up to speak.
“This is gonna be a great year! Well, I’d better get going. Gotta say hi to my seniors in the soccer club.”
Everyone else in the classroom had left while they were talking. Shota stood up and left, too.
Yuichi couldn’t just stay in the classroom. He decided to visit the bathroom before heading home.
There were students from other classes out in the hall. “Peer” was the only label above their heads.
Yuichi went to the bathroom, did his business, and washed his hands, lost in thought.
He didn’t know what the labels were conveying. In fact, he didn’t want to know. He didn’t want to take them at face value. I mean, come on... There’s no such thing as zombies or vampires...
They had all read “Classmate” at first, but at some point, they had changed.
Did it say something above his head, then? Maybe there was something new there...
He looked up to check the mirror, but what he saw there was the last thing he expected.
“Serial Killer.”
Natsuki Takeuchi was standing behind him.
“Hey. You were looking at me before, right?”
“Um, this is the boys’ bathroom...” A chill went up Yuichi’s spine. He hadn’t even heard Natsuki’s approach. He’d been lost in thought, sure... but it was unbelievable that he hadn’t noticed her until she was right behind him.
Something pricked against his back. It felt like a blade.
“It doesn’t bother me, so it shouldn’t bother you. Now, answer my question. You were looking at me, weren’t you? Why? Do I seem that strange? I thought I was blending in.”
“You looked at me first, right? So I looked back at you...” He remembered how he’d panicked and looked away right after meeting her eyes. Maybe that was what had tipped her off. Certainly he’d been looking at her a little longer than might be normal, but that shouldn’t have been enough to give him away.
“Listen. I’ve had people look at me that way before. I recognize the shock in someone’s eyes when they find out I’m a killer. Would you please just tell me how you knew? It would be useful, for future reference.”
The knife at his back moved ever-so-slightly. It was a threat.
Yuichi was in a cold sweat. The label above her head must be true.
“Are you a... serial killer?”
She didn’t seem like she was about to kill him, so he treaded the waters carefully.
“I guess so. I kill people pretty much daily. But I don’t like to bring that into my everyday life, so I haven’t tried to kill anyone at this school. That’s why I’m surprised that someone has caught on already. So, how did you know?”
He wondered how best to answer her. He’d seen enough to know that any attempt to lie would backfire, so he opted for the truth.
“I see words above people’s heads. It says ‘Serial Killer’ above yours. There are others in class, too, like ‘Witch’ and ‘Zombie.’”
“...I believe you.” Natsuki’s eyes met Yuichi’s through the mirror before she gave her diagnosis.
“You believe me?” He was surprised that she accepted it so easily. He certainly wouldn’t, if someone said that to him.
“Yeah. There’s definitely a zombie here. A puppet, too, I think... ‘Witch’ I’m less certain about... but I wouldn’t be surprised.”
“...You make it all sound so matter-of-fact. How can you tell?”
“Wax food doesn’t make you hungry, does it? Even if it’s made to look just like the real thing.” She made that sound like it was the explanation, but it made no sense to Yuichi.
“I don’t get it! What is all this? Witches and vampires and serial killers? Where’d you all come from? Why are you congregating in my class?”
“Who knows? I’m sure it wasn’t intentional. There are quite a few others like me out there, so it probably only seems that way because you can identify us. But we usually try not to interfere in each others’ affairs, so you shouldn’t expect any problems.”
Natsuki withdrew her blade.
“Ah, well. It’s not as if I came here to kill you. But one word of warning: Don’t tell anyone else about me. If you do, I’ll kill everyone in this school, then disappear. If you want to see a bloodbath, go ahead and talk. But I’ve been looking forward to high school, and I don’t want to have you ruining my life here.”
And that was that, it seemed. Natsuki walked past the row of toilets and put her hand on the sill of the window to the outside.
“Best of luck to you this year, Yuichi Sakaki.”
With that, she leaped out the window.
“Huh?”
An instant later, the door opened, and a male student walked in.
His arrival must have been why she left so quickly. But he couldn’t believe she’d jumped out the window without a moment’s hesitation. The bathroom they were in was on the fourth floor!
Yuichi fled.
He knew he should have checked to make sure Natsuki hit the ground safely, but he couldn’t stand to stay there another second. His mind was a jumble of confusion.
Seeing a few words is no big deal? Of course it’s a big deal! He ran back to the classroom, grabbed his bag, then raced home at full speed. The speed itself caused heads to turn...