Previously, we were on the mission to find the mysterious figure behind the incidents that have been occuring from a long time. We might have got our hands on a new clue today….
The next day at school, I felt the fatigue from last night's hunts settling in. I tried my best to stay alert during class, but when history period rolled around, my energy dipped to an all-time low. I was struggling to keep my eyes open, my head dipping towards the desk.
Suddenly, I heard Kaito's voice cutting through my daze, "Teacher, Izumi is trying to sleep."
I jolted upright, blinking in surprise. My gaze darted around, only to realize that the teacher had already noticed my condition. Her stern eyes were fixed on me.
"Izumi, out of the class, now!" she said, her voice sharp and final.
I sighed, rubbing my eyes as I slowly stood up. "Yes, teacher," I mumbled, following her order and leaving the classroom. As I walked past Kaito, he waved at me with a smug grin on his face. I shot him a glare, but he just smirked in return.
Lunchtime came around, and all the members of the club were supposed to gather in the club room. By the time I arrived, everyone else was already there, except for me and Mei. Kaito, standing near the door, looked around and asked, "AMM, why are Mei and Izumi not here yet?"
Takashi, who was sitting across from him, glanced up and said, "Didn't they say they were going to form a meeting?"
Kaito nodded, "I'll go and find them."
Just as he was about to step out of the room, I walked in, stretching my arms lazily. "Oh, you guys are already here," I said casually, walking over to my assigned seat and plopping down with a yawn. "Did you guys have your lunch?"
Yumi shook her head with a small smile. "No, we thought we'd have it together. We even brought our lunch here," she added, pointing to the neat stack of lunch boxes they had laid out.
"I see" i replied
"Anyways, Kaito," I started as I stretched my arms over my head, "why did you bait me to the teacher earlier? What's your deal, man?"
Kaito chuckled, crossing his arms. "Ah, you noticed? It was just too easy. You were practically begging to be called out, dozing off like that in the middle of class."
I shot him a look, unimpressed. "Still doesn't mean you had to rat me out."
He shrugged casually. "Hey, better you than me."
Takashi, trying to change the subject, asked, "Ahm, where's Mei? Didn't she call for this meeting?"
I leaned back in my chair, giving them a mischievous grin. "Well, about that..." I trailed off for a moment, reaching into my pocket as if I was about to pull out something important. "Here's a message from Mei."
I cleared my throat dramatically and, with a smirk, began, "First of all, I apologize for forming a meeting and not showing up for it. Now, for the important part. We have, after a lot of investigation, found the suss of this mystery we have been looking for. And I have came to a conclusion as to who it might. And I am definite about it. So, I request all of you just for this once.' Let's Hold A Rendezvous After School '."
I finished the message with a sly smile, leaning back in my chair.
Takashi frowned slightly, raising an eyebrow at me. "What's with that smile?" he asked, clearly suspicious.
I shrugged, smirking as I replied, "Who knows?"
Kaito clapped his hands together, breaking the tension. "Well, let's have our lunch before the bell goes," he said, trying to shift the mood.
Takashi nodded in agreement, "Umm, yeah."
And so, we began eating our lunch in silence. The atmosphere in the room felt tense and formal, like everyone was on edge. There was an air of nervous anticipation, as if we all knew something big was about to happen but weren't quite sure what. The weight of Mei's message lingered in the air, and none of us could shake the feeling that the rendezvous after school would reveal something significant.
Everyone was supposed to gather in the club room after school, but when I arrived, only Kaito was there. He was sitting by himself, muttering under his breath.
"What? Again? What are they even doing? It's been 15 minutes since I got here." He spoke with a mix of frustration and curiosity. "Hum, I wonder what Izumi meant earlier. He sounded serious, like it was something important. If it's true, we might finally be able to avenge those who lost their lives to that girl... And maybe this time, I won't be the loser."
Just then, Takashi walked in, spotting Kaito sitting alone. "Hey bro, what's up?"
Kaito raised an eyebrow and responded dryly, "What took you so long?"
"I was busy looking for Yumi," Takashi replied, scratching the back of his head. "Thought we could come here together."
Kaito smirked, interrupting, "Oh, you mean spend some time alone together, huh?"
Takashi's face turned red. "Nooo, it's not like that!" He stammered. "I just thought she'd already be here, but…"
"Well, she's not," Kaito said, leaning back in his chair.
Takashi sighed and plopped down on a nearby seat. "Then I guess I'll just wait here with my only dear friend," he said, emphasizing the last part.
Kaito didn't miss a beat, deadpanning, "Takashi, are you gay?"
Takashi froze. "Hehhh?!"
Kaito burst into laughter. "Just kidding, man! You were blushing right there!"
"No, I wasn't!" Takashi protested, clearly embarrassed.
Moments later, I entered the room and saw the two of them still bickering. "Oh, hello there, you two." I greeted them with a grin. "Looks like the ladies are running late, huh?"
Takashi nodded, still a bit flustered. I shrugged, taking my seat beside them, and we all sat there, patiently waiting for Mei to show up.
I slid the door closed behind me with a soft click, the dim light of the room casting long shadows across the wooden floor. "Izumi, you're finally here," Kaito said, his voice breaking the silence as he sat up straighter. Without replying, I made my way over to the table where Kaito and Takashi were seated.
The air felt unusually thick, as if something unspoken hung between us. I sat down and reached for the book resting on the table, the one Kaito had recommended last week. As I thumbed through its pages absentmindedly, I could feel their eyes on me.
Takashi leaned forward. "Izumi, is something wrong?"
I didn't look up from the book. "Not really."
Kaito's smile was laced with curiosity. "Izumi, you're really building up the suspense here. Spill the beans already."
I turned the page, my tone slow and deliberate as I asked, "What is it that holds the most value in your life?"
Takashi blinked, taken aback by the question. "Why are you bringing that up?"
"Just answer it," I said, still not looking at him.
He hesitated for a second, then shrugged. "Um, my family, I would say."
"I see." My voice was soft, distant. The room seemed quieter, the ticking of the clock more pronounced.
Takashi frowned. "Why do you ask?"
"Who knows," I muttered, flipping another page.
He huffed, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "Just speak it up already. You're acting shady."
I closed the book gently and stood up, stretching my arms as if loosening some unseen tension. "Well, well. That's an apology from my side. I think it's time now."
Kaito and Takashi exchanged confused glances as I slowly turned toward them, my gaze fixed on something far away, beyond the walls of the room. "So, speaking hypothetically," I began, my voice taking on a slightly darker tone, "if I asked you to believe that in this world of ours, there exists another place—one we don't see—where ghosts, spirits, demons, magic, and monsters all exist, and are unknown by the common person...what would you say?"
The room felt colder all of a sudden, the dim light casting sharper shadows. Takashi laughed awkwardly. "Are you having a fever or something?" His tone was light, but his unease was evident.
Kaito cut in, glancing between me and Takashi. "Izumi, don't mind him...but seriously, are you in your right mind? You've been acting strange all day."
I looked up at him, my expression unreadable. "If that's what you think, I guess I am."
Silence settled over us again, the weight of my words hanging in the air like the tension before a storm. The room, once familiar, now felt almost foreign, like we were teetering on the edge of something we couldn't yet understand.
I stood and said, "You guys are totally innocent in this case." My voice was low, almost distant, as I walked slowly toward the exit. "This world is filled with a variety of beautiful things. But behind that beauty lies an absurd lie, one that deceives the common eye. The truth is never meant to be seen through this mask of nature. However," I turned to glance at them, "since you're already involved and you're my friends, I've decided to let you in. To know 'The true face of this world'. The truth behind the lies. The mundane life you think you know."
Both Takashi and Kaito stared at me, completely bewildered by my words. They exchanged confused glances, trying to process what I was saying. I smirked. "You'll understand soon."
Just then, I heard a soft voice behind me, "That really took you long."
I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. The door slid open, and Mei stepped in, her presence shifting the air in the room. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she said calmly, her eyes scanning the room. "It seems everyone is here, so let's begin."
Takashi interrupted, "Wait, Yumi isn't here yet—"
But Mei cut him off swiftly, her voice cool and direct, "We don't have time for that. Let's dive right into this mystery and who we believe is the culprit."
All eyes turned to Mei, the room now charged with a tense anticipation. The quiet hum of the fluorescent lights overhead seemed to echo louder.
I spoke up, showing Kaito the book I had picked up earlier. "Kaito, you've read this book, haven't you?"
Kaito nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing.
"And Takashi, you did as well, right?"
"Yeah," Takashi replied, his curiosity growing.
I glanced at both of them. "In this novel, there's a mystery about an urban legend where people disappear without a trace. As the story unfolds, we start realizing some disturbing similarities to our own situation. In the novel, everyone searches for the culprit all over the city, in every possible place… except one. The most unexpected place."
Kaito and Takashi's eyes widened in realization. The pieces were starting to fall into place.
Mei took the lead from here, her tone now more serious. "Yesterday, Izumi and I went on a little detour to a victim's home. The former vice president of the supernatural club."
Last night
The two of us had been walking home together, the sun dipping low behind the horizon, casting a golden hue over the streets. "That was pretty interesting, right?" I said, glancing at Mei.
"Yeah," she replied with a soft chuckle, and we shared a laugh as we approached the railway crossing. The familiar clanging of the crossing bells rang out, signaling the train's approach. We stood there, waiting for it to pass, when Mei suddenly nudged me with her elbow.
"Look," she said, nodding toward a man on the opposite side of the tracks. "Doesn't that guy look familiar?"
I followed her gaze, and my heart skipped a beat. There was no mistaking him. "That's definitely Sayori-senpai's brother."
Mei nodded. "Yeah, it is."
As the train roared past us, we kept our eyes on him. The moment the train was gone, the man started walking down the street.
"Let's follow him," Mei said decisively. "If we can get to his home, we might find some clues."
I agreed, and we trailed him from a distance. After about an hour of weaving through side streets, we arrived at a modest house. The doorbell rang, and we could hear an elderly woman's voice from inside.
"Minase, go and get the door!" she called out.
"I'm busy, Mom. You go!" Minase's voice replied.
The door opened, and an elderly woman, who must have been Minase's mother, greeted us with a warm, if puzzled, smile.
"Good evening, ma'am," Mei said politely. "We're cousins of Minase's brother's friend. He asked us to give this notebook to him."
The old lady smiled and welcomed us in without question. We followed her through the small entryway, noting the simple but cozy interior—wooden floors, family portraits on the walls, and a faint smell of tea lingering in the air. She led us to Minase's room.
As the door slid open, I stepped in with Mei behind me. "Takiyama Minase," I said firmly, my voice cutting through the stillness of the room.
Minase spun around, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Who are you two?"
"We're friends of Sayori-senpai," Mei said, her voice calm but carrying an edge. "Or should I say, we're here as avengers."
Minase blinked, confused. "What are you talking about? And how did you even get in here?"
Mei didn't flinch. "We're here to collect information on your late sister."
After some explanation, Minase, though reluctant at first, agreed to help us. We spent the next couple of hours talking about Sayori. The most important discovery we made was finding not one, but two diaries—Sayori's and the president of the supernatural club's.
As we combed through the pages, it became evident why Sayori was targeted. She had uncovered the truth about the mysterious girl we had been investigating. She had encountered this girl three times—once in her first year, again during her research into the urban legend, and the third time… the last time, when she lost her life.
But the most shocking detail was in the final pages of her diary. There were photos—grainy, unclear, but unmistakable. They showed someone standing in front of her house. And that person, though barely recognizable, looked just like… Yumi.
Both Mei and I were stunned by the revelation. We didn't want to believe it, but as we pieced everything together, it became undeniable. The mysterious girl, the one we had been searching for all this time, was Yumi.
Back to present
Back in the club room, the atmosphere was suffocating with tension. Mei and I had just laid everything out for them. Takashi shook his head in disbelief. "There's no way that's true," he said, his voice trembling.
Kaito, however, was silent, his expression unreadable, his mind clearly racing with thoughts.
------
Last night we didn't just gather up the info we also dug up some details on Yumi by scouting her home.
And the conclusions we came up with were- The culprit is Yumi, and the house she lives in doesn't belong to her. We couldn't find any traces of the original family who lived in the house; we just know they existed. And the last one was…A ginormous being was detected somewhere under the ground, but all we could find was his aura scattered around the city but no real being. The aura was so tremendous even I could feel it ,yet we never found out it out.
Is there a connection between that being and Yumi
To be continued…