The voice continued. "Listen up, everyone—" It was a girl's voice. Noriko said, "It's Yumiko." She was referring to Yumiko Kusaka (Female Student No. 7). She was a tall, energetic girl who batted fourth on the girls' Softball team.
"I'm going to go check this out." Shogo's face stiffened. He took his shotgun and stood up. He began walking east into the thicket towards the voice.
"We'll go with you."
They weren't done talking, but Shuya tucked his Smith & Wesson in front and offered his shoulder to help Noriko up. Shogo glanced back at them, but said nothing and began walking. Once they reached the end of the thicket, Shogo stood still. Shuya and Noriko too stopped walking. With his back towards them, Shogo exclaimed, "Why they're…"
Shuya walked up right behind Shogo, and like Shogo he and Noriko poked their heads out of the thicket.
It was a mountain peak. There was a viewing platform between the trees scattered on the peak. It was probably five or six hundred meters away from the foot of the mountain, where they were. But they could still see it clearly. The platform was a crude construction, resembling a shack with a missing wall. There were two figures standing under its roof. Shuya's eyes widened.
The voice reached them. "Everyone. Stop fighting and come here—" Shuya saw an object held in front of the taller figure's face—it was probably Yumiko's. Was it a megaphone? The one cops use to address criminals cooped up inside buildings under siege? It felt slightly absurd ("Put down your weapons and come out with your hands up"), but he could see how her voice could reach not only them but the rest of the island.
"And the other one?" Shuya whispered.
Noriko replied, "It's Yukiko. Yukiko Kitano. They're really close."
"This is really bad," Shogo said with a grimace. "They'll get themselves killed totally exposed like that." Shuya bit his lower lip. Basically Yumiko Kusaka and Yukiko Kitano were attempting to convince everyone they should stop fighting. They were doing what Shuya had considered but gave up on after he was attacked by Yoshio Akamatsu. They firmly believed no one really want to play the game. They chose that spot to be as visible as possible. Or maybe they were already near that location.
"I'm sure no one wants to fight like this. So let's get together here—" Shuya hesitated. He needed more time to process the situation—plus the conversation they were having hadn't been resolved. What if—it was unlikely—but what if Shogo was against them?
In the end Shuya spoke to Shogo, "Can you look after Noriko, Shogo?" Shogo turned around. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm going over there."
Shogo knit his brows and said, "What are you, stupid?"
His putdown angered Shuya, but he simply answered, "What do you mean? They're risking their lives doing this. They have no intention to play the game. They really don't. So they can join us. Besides, you just said they were endangering themselves."
"That's not what I meant." Shogo bared his teeth. It was an odd thing to notice, but they looked remarkably healthy. "I just told you. It's best to stay put in this game. How far do you think that spot is from here? You have no idea who you'll encounter on the way."
"I know that!" Shuya shot back.
"No, you don't get it. Everyone knows about those two now. If anyone attacks them, then the enemy's going to wait for others offering themselves up like you. With more targets—" What gave Shuya the creeps wasn't so much Shogo's warning but his calm tone of voice.
"Please—everyone come here. We're alone here—we're not fighting!" Shuya slid his shoulder loose from Noriko's right arm.
"I'm going."
He gripped the Smith & Wesson and walked out of the bushes, but Shogo tugged on Shuya's left arm.
"Stop it!"
"Why!?" Shuya's voice grew louder. "You want me to just sit back and watch them get killed?" He raised his voice uncontrollably and blurted out, "Or is my leaving going to decrease your chances of survival? Is that it? Is that what's going on? Are you our enemy?"
"Shuya, stop it…" Noriko moaned, but Shuya wasn't finished—then he saw how calm Shogo looked even as he still held onto his arm.
Although they hardly resembled each other, Shogo's composure reminded Shuya of the former superintendent of the Charity House, Ms. Anno's elderly father. After his parents died when he was still a kid, this man, who was the only authority figure and guardian he knew, sat down with him. He also wore the same kind of expression.
Shogo said, "It's none of my business if you want to die, but if you go now and don't return, then you'll drastically decrease Noriko's chances of survival. Have you forgotten that?" Shuya took a deep breath. Once again Shogo was right.
"But—"
Shogo calmly continued, "I'm sure you must know this, Shuya…but loving someone always requires you to not love others. If you care about Noriko, don't go."
"But…" Shuya felt like crying. "So what are you suggesting? We just let them get killed?"
"I didn't say that."
Shogo released Shuya and turned towards the peak where Yumiko continued her shouting. He held his shotgun.
"We'll be decreasing our chances of survival slightly. Only slightly." Shogo pointed the shotgun into the air and pulled the trigger. The gunpowder blast was ear-shattering. Shuya thought his eardrums had been blown out for a moment. The sound reverberated against the side of the mountain. Shogo's left hand pumped the shotgun, ejecting the spent cartridge. He followed with another shot. The sound rippled through the air.
I get it___The gunfire will scare off Yumiko Kusaka and Yukiko Kitano, forcing them to stop and go hide instead.
Yumiko's voice, amplified by the megaphone, stopped. It felt as if Yumiko and Yukiko were looking down where they were. But we're hidden by the bushes, so they probably can't tell who we are.
"Come on! Shoot some more!"
Shuya was riled up, but Shogo refused, "No. Someone might have already figured out our location with those two shots. Any more could be fatal for us."
Shuya considered it. Then he tried to point his Smith & Wesson into the air. Shogo once again tugged at his arm.
"Stop it! How many times do I have to tell you?"
"But—"
"We can only hope they've hidden themselves now."
Shuya looked over at the peak. Then he heard it again. Once again, Yumiko Kusaka's voice shouted,
"Stop it! I know none of us want to fight—"
Shuya shook off Shogo's grip. He couldn't take it anymore. He wanted them to hide somewhere safe no matter what. He had his fingers on the trigger of the Smith & Wesson when—
All of a sudden they heard a distant, rattling sound like that of rapid typewriter tapping. Then Yumiko's shriek, "Urgh—" reached them. Of course her cry was also amplified by the megaphone. After a moment's pause, "AIEEE—" a scream that sounded like it came from Yukiko Kitano. This too reached them courtesy of the cheap megaphone. Under the platform roof on the mountain peak, a tall figure appeared to collapse and Yukiko's screaming continued, "Yumiko!" followed by a loud thud, the sound of the megaphone hitting the ground. Shuya heard the rattling sound again but this time it was much quieter. Shuya realized the megaphone had also been picking up this sound as well. Once the megaphone was broken, the sound was drastically reduced. And now the figure of Yukiko also collapsed into the shadows of the short trees, disappearing along with Yumiko from their sight. Shuya and Noriko's faces turned white.
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