*Ryo Asahi's POV*
//July 8, 2040//Sunday//
"U-Ugh…"
I slowly opened my eyes and found myself lying down on a bed at the clinic where I saw Sasaki, Megumin, and Raku with worried looks on their faces when they saw me.
"Asahi, are you alright?" Sasaki asked.
"I-I'm not…"
My stomach really hurts. It feels like I am on the point of throwing up any minute now, and I am dizzy as well. It feels like my body was telling me to get some more rest. But, there is still something in my mind.
"That's because of the cyanide you drank earlier, Asahi"
Kanade walked straight towards the bed I was lying on, with a concerned look on her face. Kanade was really great, I didn't expect that she could treat someone who consumed cyanide that can kill a person in a matter of seconds. She really was great.
"Dude, you really are crazy, why would you do something like that earlier? I was quite surprised that you have the guts to kill yourself." Raku relaxingly said while he was scratching his head
"You're an idiot… Don't do that again, Asahi."
Megumin looked at me while tears were flowing on her face. No, not only Megumin, everyone was really worried sick at me.
"I'm sorry…"
That was all I could tell. It feels like shit that these people around are concerned for me. But, I don't like this at all. Why am I the one who they are worried about?
When I woke up, I was not concerned about myself at all, but I was thinking of someone else. She was the only one who I immediately thought of.
//June 27, 2040//Wednesday//
12 days ago, while I was reading manga inside the library, Machida and Sasaki approached me with disturbed looks on their faces.
"Asahi, we would like to tell you something."
Looking at the two of them, Sasaki was really hesitant about the thing she wanted to tell like a girl who was really nervous to confess her feelings to her crush. As for Machida, he was avoiding eye contact with me while scratching his head repeatedly. It was really awkward, and I am really in a good part of the manga that I was reading. But I knew right away what they were about to tell me.
"Sigh…"
I gave a long sigh and looked away for a second while putting aside the manga that I was reading then gave them a serious gaze.
"Ichika is the culprit, isn't she?"
The two of them were surprised, and from their reaction, I can tell that this was what Sasaki and Machida wanted to tell me.
"I haven't even said anything, Asahi. What are you talking about?" Sasaki asked.
I picked up my phone from the table and played a recording message that I had while showing the screen to them.
"Sasaki… I'm really sorry… I really don't want to doubt the culprit who did that to me."
The recording message kept on playing. It was about when Megumin asked us to leave the clinic except for these two who are in front of me right now.
The recording stopped, and I put away my phone and looked at the two of them again. They were speechless as if they did not know how to start this conversation again after I showed them that I knew something about what the three of them had talked about a few days earlier.
"I was also wondering when you two asked me if I helped Megumin cook for our lunch when someone poisoned her. Someone was impersonating me, right? And there is one person I can only think of who can do this thing to us."
"But, how did you record our conversation inside the clinic a few days ago?" Sasaki asked.
"It's simple, Kiyoko. This guy is a sneaky bastard."
From what Machida has told us, I guess he knew how I did it.
"While all of you were having an argument about who the culprit is. I slipped a voice recorder under the bed where Megumin was laying down and started recording."
Sasaki was the only one who looked surprised by my explanation. She gave us a long sigh and scratched her head.
"I felt stupid about not knowing about it." Sasaki said.
"I felt the same as well. I never thought that this guy had the balls to do something like that."
"I can't do something like this? What are you guys talking about?"
I pointed at myself with my thumb and continued talking with a relaxed expression on me.
"I am a Film Director. Placing cameras in different spots, and taking advantage of a heated-up situation to do something behind the scenes just like in filming are things I am good at. After all, I am the one who was supervising these kinds of things.
Sasaki and Machida looked at each other while he was scratching his head.
"Sigh… Then this makes things easier." Sasaki said.
The two of them went to the chairs and sat in front of me.
"Do you guys want some chips?"
I offered them the chips that I am having while I was reading earlier.
"No thanks, Asahi." Sasaki said.
I guess that was the obvious answer. It is 1:00 in the afternoon, and I bet that these two had a much healthier lunch than this snack that I was offering.
"Kiyoko, let's get straight to the point about what we came here for."
"Oh, Yeah you are right."
Sasaki explained to me everything that was in her mind on the day that Megumin was poisoned by someone.
She told me that I was correct, Ichika really was the culprit behind this. Sasaki explained to me that she thinks Ichika might have disguised herself as me when Ichika was interacting with Megumin and poisoned the food that Megumin was cooking for our lunch on that day.
I was quite surprised by what Sasaki had told me, and she was certain that this is what Ichika did.
What Sasaki told me was kind of similar to what I had in mind why I thought Ichika was the culprit, but it was still overwhelming that I guessed the culprit right, and it was Ichika who I am with all the time.
"You really are amazing, Sasaki… But how did you know it was Ichika all along?" I asked.
"It was thanks to Kei that I figured out who it was."
"Machida? How Come?"
"Asahi, do you know something about Ichika's past?" Sasaki asked.
Thinking about it, I do not have any clue about Ichika's past life. Whenever the two of us are together, the only thing that we ever talk about is the world of the film industry, and argue a lot from time to time but we never talked about our past life. But, there was one time that the two of us had opened up to each other.
"I remembered the second day we were inside here. Ichika asked me why I came to Saitei University even though I am a successful director. But, I do not want to tell the two of you anything since her answer was a secret between us.."
"Then, what was the reason why you went to this place?" Machida asked.
"Because I want to have a normal life."
"A normal life?" Machida added.
"Sorry, I don't want to talk about it."
"Sigh… What the hell? Then you don't know shit about her."
"Does this have something to do with what you two came here for, Machida?"
"Asahi, have you ever wondered why Ichika did that to Megumin, or the worst-case scenario, tried to kill all of us?"
What Machida asked me made me think a little bit, but there is only one answer that I have in my mind. I was really in denial about it, but it was the only answer that I could think of.
"Was it because of the reward Ichi has told us about? The ¥Two Billion reward?"
"You got it right."
"Asahi, I learned from Kei about Ichika's past life, and I wanted you to know it."
"Why should I know about her past life?" I asked.
"It's because you are the one who can understand her the most. You are always with her, to begin with."
I was quite surprised by what Machida had told me. Usually, if someone talks to this guy, it feels like he was looking down at us.
That was the impression that I had in mind with this guy. A person who underestimates people, who think he is better than everybody else. But today was different.
He looked serious about this whole situation, and there is no sign of him looking down at me while we are talking together.
"Let me hear it then."
That was the only response that came from my mouth right away. I hate to admit it, but Machida was right. I am the only person who Ichika talks with the most. Maybe knowing her past life will make me understand Ichika better.
"Well then Asahi, let me tell you about Ichika's past life."
******** TO BE CONTINUED ********