She couldn’t stand it. Kuchina decisively turned her back on Asumi and Moena. Her footsteps sounded extremely loud as she walked—no, ran away.
She felt an unbearable urge to look back.
Why?
Asumi wouldn’t be following her. She wouldn’t come chasing her. She was bound to be taken aback. She might be angry. Definitely annoyed.
She hates me…
That was what Kuchina wanted. If Asumi hated her, it would simplify the situation. She probably wouldn’t get involved with Kuchina again, and neither would her friend Moena. Yukisada Hayashi was kind of like a hanger-on, so she didn’t have to consider him. Sousei would probably say something, but she could just kill him if he was alone with her.
Takarai won’t die even if I kill him. I could just keep killing him until he stops coming near me. Until he gives up. Until he hates me…
Why did she feel that way?
Asumi Shiramori likely hated her now.
What did it matter if Sousei Takarai did as well?
Yet thinking about that made her chest ache. Not just her chest, either—a sort of numbing pain was running through her body.
“If you do eat it, I promise you’ll want to eat it again.”
She had to admit he’d been right.
“I know that. I know.”
Perhaps that man even knew that, right now, she was wandering aimlessly around school.
There’s no way… There shouldn’t be…
For one thing, he’d never mentioned anything about Sousei Takarai. There’s no way he wouldn’t have said something if he knew.
Maybe he’s just choosing to stay silent…
Kuchina stopped in the hallway of the building with special-purpose classrooms. She wasn’t out of breath, but she was suffocating. It felt like her neck was being strangled.
It’s because that man says things that are so misleading… He does it on purpose. He makes you suspicious and anxious, then tries to manipulate and control you…
That was his strategy. He didn’t get his own hands dirty, but he used other people for everything. That’s why he tamed them. Made deals. Threats. He used whatever means necessary and everything at his disposal.
The hallway was empty. The bell would be ringing soon. Kuchina needed to get back to the classroom before morning homeroom began. It would be fine if she arrived just in time. Otherwise, Asumi or Sousei might say something to her.
But Shiramori probably hates me, so—
Her chest ached again. Asumi’s sad-looking face appeared in the back of her mind.
I’m sorry…
She closed her eyes.
I’m sure I’ll dream tonight… I’ll dream of killing Shiramori and Shigee. They’re different from Takarai. If I kill them just once, then that’s it. That goes without saying. It’s pretty likely that I’ll kill the two of them. I should keep my distance. I shouldn’t approach them; there’s no way. That was careless. It was a mistake. It’s all my fault. I’m sorry…
Kuchina opened her eyes again and looked behind her. She’d sensed something. Before she turned around, she had thought there was no way that could be the case. The hallway was quiet. Kuchina would have noticed if someone was walking toward her. She was no amateur.
It was a male student. His eyes were narrowed, and there was a slight smile in the corners of his mouth.
In a word, the impression he gave off was neat. In two, it was too neat.
As far as Kuchina knew, his hairstyle never changed at all. She’d never even seen him with a pimple, either. There were boys who wore something like perfume, probably because they were concerned about body odor or smelling sweaty, but he didn’t seem to smell like anything.
“Miss Hitsujimoto,” Yukisada Hayashi said, bending his neck just a little.
Kuchina carefully watched his every move with extreme caution. She didn’t do it intentionally, though. It was unconscious.
I can’t kill him.
Of course, she had no reason to take the life of a classmate. Kuchina just had a habit of sorting people based on whether or not she could kill them, so this thought wasn’t unusual for her.
She was surprised by the conclusion she came to watching him.
Yukisada Hayashi was just standing there not doing anything. His arms and legs were straight, as was his posture. He was almost like a scarecrow. Defenseless.
Yet he had no openings.
She wouldn’t kill him, not even in the worst-case scenario. Yet for some reason, it didn’t seem like she’d be able to.
Yukisada snorted.
“You’re running away again?”
Kuchina felt dizzy. Her face was hot. The blood had gone to her head.
Well, should I kill him…?
She wasn’t serious. The thought had just flitted across her mind. She should simply ignore him and leave.
“I’m not running away.”
For some reason, she couldn’t stand to remain silent. She had to at least say something back.
“That so?” Yukisada said with a casual shrug.
That was all. He backed down without a fight and turned around.
As Kuchina watched him walk off, she suddenly felt like she could kill him at any time. She could silently approach him and touch the nape of his neck or somewhere else. She’d considered it many times. There was no way she could see herself failing.
In the meantime, Yukisada had gone down the stairs and out of sight.
Just now… Was that because of my mental condition? It warped my judgment…
She certainly hadn’t been calm.
If I’m losing my composure, even with people I can easily kill…
Kuchina leaned against the wall.
Anyone who could easily kill people and keep their composure wasn’t a decent person.
I’ve never once thought I’m a decent person. Not for one second…
The bell would be ringing soon. Kuchina didn’t want to face Asumi or Sousei, but she still intended to go to the classroom.
“What was that all about…?”
During lunchtime, there were a reasonable number of students walking up and down the roofed walkway between school buildings. The weather was nice, so there were also quite a few people playing ball games and enjoying themselves on the school field, which was visible from the walkway. Others—including Sousei Takarai, Asumi Shiramori, Hina Shigee, aka Moena, and Yukisada Hayashi—were chatting on the parapet, leaning against it or propping their heads on their hands.
“I wonder what we should do…,” Asumi said, resting against the wall with her gaze lowered.
Seriously, what should we do…?
Sousei also wanted to make a constructive suggestion, but he couldn’t think of anything at all.
“Yeahhh…” Acknowledging what Asumi had said was the best he could do.
“Miss Hitsujimoto just disappears, doesn’t she?” Yukisada said, his tone flippant.
Sousei looked over at Yukisada, sitting beside him, to see that he was watching the school field. There was even a smile on his face.
“She’s only ever in her seat during class,” Yukisada continued. “Even before, as soon as lunch break started, she was gone. She was so fast.”
“…It kinda seems like you’re finding this amusing, Yukisada…”
“Really?” He looked at Sousei out of the corner of his eye and covered his mouth with his hand. “I don’t think I am.”
“You always seem like you’re having fun, Hayashi,” Moena said, sounding somewhat discontent.
Yukisada nodded. “Because I am, pretty much every day. In fact, I want to know if you think there are that many things that aren’t fun.”
“There are, though!” Moena puffed out her shiny cheeks. “Like a few weeks ago, someone said the name of one of my favorite candies on TV, and then it all got sold out! I put in an order online once a month, but I haven’t been able to buy it at all since then! That snack is one of my super staples, and now their sales in eastern Japan have been put on hold! It’s nothing short of a tragedy! A huge tragedy!”
“It’s always food with you!” Asumi pointed out, and Moena proudly put her hands on her hips.