With those predictions in mind, one week ago, I called the five of you to the terrace and jumped to my death before your very eyes. I was carried away on a stretcher, my body coated in blood.
But I didn’t die. I landed on the stone arch between the first and second floor, and jumped down from there to the flower bed—where Sayuri had piled soft mulch between the flowers, instead of shock-proof material, so as not to expose our scheme. I splattered the fake blood generously all over myself.
I was then taken to my father’s hospital. I ended up spraining one of my wrists and had a few cuts here and there. After I was treated, I snuck out of the hospital. I left a note behind saying that I ran off to live with Mr. Hojo. My father, who bears the shame of his daughter’s elopement, has been secretly searching for me all week. The principal and my father are hiding the truth from the students. And so, the rumors of my death went unchecked and spread like wildfire.
Right after I jumped, Sayuri brought a white bouquet of flowers to school and left them on my desk, crying—which inevitably confirmed the rumors of my death. Dramatic delusions will always trump reality at an all-girls school. And with that, I have cornered all of you until this very day. You must have been so full of anguish and terror, trying to decrypt the secret of the lilies.
Thus, I had my revenge and Mr. Hojo and I could live happily ever after.
I couldn’t have planned or pulled off this perfect scheme by myself. Sayuri Sumikawa was incredibly helpful. She predicted everything—that my father probably wouldn’t publicize my elopement, which would make the club members, who believed I was dead, identify a culprit to try to hide their secrets—and formulated a strategy. My beautiful mentor. I deeply admire her. She took my unformed plans for revenge and made them realizable.
✦ ✦ ✦
I am writing this from our new home. Mr. Hojo and I live a humble life. It may not be a life of luxury, but we are happy. I should really thank you for your little ploy, in a way; if you hadn’t betrayed me, I might still be hiding from people’s eyes and be limited to those confining meetings with Mr. Hojo.
After I write this, I will sneak into the salon. I will furtively attend the meeting tonight and laugh in the dark as I listen to your stories.
Then—you must not forget the finale.
I will also be bringing an item of my choice tonight.
We will have a flower stew. Did you notice the strong fragrance of the lilies?
The stem and flower of the lily of the valley contains a very potent poison. They are the cardiac glycosides: convallatoxins, convallamarin, convalloside…But you would know all about this, wouldn’t you, “Doctor” Sonoko?
The devious sidekicks who tried to overthrow the heroine must leave the stage. You have all come here today to commit suicide together.
Yes. That was why I had you write those stories.
Your stories will become your wills.
Stories where you mourn me, miss me, and reminisce about my life. You loved and adored me, you can’t quite accept that I’m not here—and through writing them, you each gradually come to terms with my death.
Reading them aloud tonight, you scatter your young lives…This salon will be the lovely casket that adds the final touch to your deaths.
This is the climax of my story.
For such sensitive, self-conscious, adolescent girls, this will be quite the sentimental ending.
Goodbye, foolish sidekicks.
You will never leave my story.
It will be told long after you’re gone. My—Itsumi Shiraishi’s—story.
✦ ✦ ✦
(End)