*Yuuki Kanade's POV*
//June 22, 2040//Friday//
A week has passed since Ichi told us about the ¥Two Billion reward, and it looks like everything is back to normal. I really hope what we are doing stays the same after what happened last week. Terrifying experiences, tempting offers, and our friendship with each other were almost ruined because of it.
"Aaah… I really hope things will stay the same as time goes by."
I have been getting along with everyone for the past month except for Machida, and Hyakuzawa.
Big sister and Raku are the two people I am really comfortable with. There are a lot of times that the three of us are together, and it really gives us a strong bond with each other.
Megumin, Asahi, and Ichika are also pretty nice. Sometimes, I am afraid to talk to Ichika because of her attitude. I think that if I make a mistake in front of her, I am going to be yelled at, and that will be really embarrassing.
Hyakuzawa is a terrifying person. There are a lot of times that I witnessed him attacking everyone here inside for the past month. Thinking about it, I am the only one who Hyakuzawa hasn't even attacked me yet.
"Aaah Kanade, Don't jinx it… I would die if Hyakuzawa started to attack me as well."
As for Machida… I am really uncomfortable around him. The way he acts towards us is really terrifying, and he might be worse than Hyakuzawa.
Machida gives off the impression that he is a person you should not be with. He acts like all of us are the tools that he can use, and he is making it obvious that how he treats us like that is intentional.
I am surprised that Big Sister is always around with him, and it seems like both of them are determined to find a way to get out of this place. Raku has been joking around telling me that the two of them might be a couple, but in my perspective, I am really worried that Machida might do something bad to Big Sister, and I do not want that to happen.
"Sigh… Time to work"
*SLIDE*
"Huh?"
When I was about to work on a new experiment inside the laboratory, someone opened the door. When I looked at who it was, I was speechless, and I don't know what to do.
"M-Machida?!"
"Yuuki Kanade, right?"
"Y-Yes that is me…"
I talked to Machida while I was bowing my head down. Just like what I said earlier, there are two people who I do not get along with, and one of those people is Machida. Actually, it's not because I don't get along with him.
It's just that I don't want to.
"Hey, can I ask you to do something for me?" Machida asked.
"Umm… I-I… YES!"
"Really? Great then."
I immediately agreed to help Machida without any thought because of my uneasiness.
Aaaah… Stupid Kanade, you agreed into helping someone like him without even knowing what he wants to ask me to do. Looking at Machida closely, his aura looks way more approachable.
That's right, Kanade, don't jump to conclusions when judging someone. Let me hear what Machida has to say first, even though I have agreed to help him straight away.
"S-So… What do you need me for, Machida?"
I was shaking, and sweating when I asked him what he wanted me to do. My hands were fidgeting like crazy, and my Rabbit Ears can't stop twitching. Big Sister, where are you? Aaaah… No, I should not rely on Big Sister too much, but still… Please don't give me a ridiculous request, Machida.
"Do you know what is inside that machine over there, Yuuki Kanade?"
Machida pointed his finger at a machine here inside the laboratory. From the looks of it, it seems to be something that you can use to cool different kinds of things by lowering its temperature inside.
Thinking about it, I have never checked that machine before since I am more busy doing lab experiments using only the basic equipment here inside the laboratory. But, what does Machida mean if I know something inside that machine?
"No, I haven't. Is there something inside that machine?"
"Do you want to know what is inside it?"
"S-Sure…"
No, I don't want to!
Have some guts Kanade! Why did you tell Machida that you are willing to know what is inside that machine? Machida is some bad news guy when he is around, and you know that much about him.
Aaah… Why am I always nervous in front of the people who I am scared of? The two of us walked in front of the machine, and I was really nervous about what is inside it
"Are you ready to see it?" Machida asked.
I nodded at him silently, and when Machida opened the machine, my body started shaking, and I was frightened by what I saw.
"W-What is this…"
It was Shinsuke's corpse covered in ice, but to be in this perfect condition, this machine can possibly reach a temperature of absolute zero. No, not possible, it really can. This place is ridiculous, a machine like this costs a fortune, and it is difficult to obtain one.
When I saw Shinsuke's body, it made me remember the first day we entered here at Saitei University. It was the first time I witnessed someone being murdered in front of my very own eyes, and it was really terrifying.
I collapsed on the floor and started breathing heavily when I saw Shinsuke's body here. It feels like I am about to vomit. Then that means, I have been doing my research for the past month with a dead body around.
"What the hell? Is this the first time you saw a corpse?" Machida asked.
"B-But how come Shinsuke's body is here inside?"
"You don't know about it? Kiyoko and Raku are the ones who put Shinsuke's body inside this machine."
"H-how did you know about that?"
"I saw them carrying Shinsuke's body on the first day when all of you had met. I am observing each one of you in secret, remember?"
"Big Sister and Raku put Shinsuke's body here inside?"
Machida looked at me like he was surprised that I do not have any clue that Big Sister and Raku did something like this. Machida chuckled, and then he started laughing.
"HAHAHAHAHA! How can you call those two your friends if they are hiding something like this from you? PATHETIC! HAHAHAHA!"
Here it comes, Machida's sadistic, and scary side. I hate to admit it, but Machida was kind of right.
The three of us were really close to each other, and this is the first time I found out about this. I think that the two of them hid this from me since they knew that I would be terrified of this kind of thing. But still…
Can't they just trust me even if this is who I am?
I kind of understand why that is the case because right now, I am more terrified witnessing Shinsuke's body here than Machida who was mocking me for being clueless.
"Now then Kanade. This is my request for you."
"W-What is it?" I asked.
"Since you are a professional in the field of Science, you have done a lot of dissections, am I right? What I want you to do is to dissect Shinsuke's body, and find clues on how he died from Ichi."
"B-but I have only dissected some frogs and cats… I have not done a dissection on a human being…"
"It's just a dead human being. What's the difference, Kanade?" Machida asked.
"B-But…"
"Is that a no?"
I stopped from my place while Machida was glaring at me with his cold eyes. I was terrified, and my body couldn't move. If I say no to this person, will he do something bad to me?
Will Machida kill me if I reject his request? But dissecting a human person is something I haven't and I won't do. In science, there are ethics that you should follow. There are also things that you should not cross the line, and dissecting a person is one of the things we shouldn't perform. But… What should I do? Big Sister… Help me…
Where are you?
******** TO BE CONTINUED ********