Haruki is dead? Does this mean someone has started to act? It's only the beginning of the second day. Damn, I didn't expect things to escalate so quickly.
No. Who am I trying to fool?
I've known from the start that this would happen. The moment the rules of the game were declared, it became inevitable.
It was unlikely that the other two selected players would patiently wait for the game to end, risking their lives as I am.
"He's dead? How? He was supposed to have spent the night in this room," Shou asks.
"We found his body in the hallway," Takashi replies.
"WHAT?! Who did it?!" Shou shouts.
"We don't know who's responsible for the murder yet. Anyone who was close to him might know more details. I'm heading there now. If you want, you can join me."
Finding the culprit won't be easy. We're at a disadvantage with no proper investigative tools at our disposal. If the game hasn't ended, it means Haruki wasn't a player, both for his misfortune and ours. The murderer attacked the wrong target.
07:04 AM
I've seen corpses before, at funerals, but the impact of seeing a freshly killed body is entirely different—especially when it's the result of someone else's will. If I focus, I can almost perceive a dark aura surrounding his body, like a lament—a curse cast upon the world by his unjust and untimely departure.
Haruki's body lies sprawled in the atrium while the other council members examine it. There's no visible wound. This leaves only one likely cause of death: poisoning.
"Johann! Manabu! Let's find the bastard who did this to Haruki!" Shou exclaims, clenching his fists.
"We should leave this to Takashi and Kaichou. They're better equipped to handle this. We'd probably just get in the way," Manabu replies.
"I know, but we can't just sit here doing nothing. There must be some clue!" Shou insists.
Putting Shou's plans aside, something about this murder bothers me. It's all too strange. If the game continues, it means Haruki wasn't a player. Was he killed by mistake? Or was the poison intended for someone else?
"Haruki-senpai… who could do something so cruel? He was kind to everyone. This is so unfair," Natsuki murmurs, arriving at the atrium.
She's accompanied by Keiko, Miyu, and other girls who came to examine the body. Apparently, Haruki was well-liked by everyone, or at least acted in a way that ensured he was.
"First Asahi-kun, now Haruki-kun. This game has already taken two of our dearest friends in such a short time," Keiko adds to Natsuki's comment.
The girls seem deeply shaken. In the end, we lost the two most popular boys in school within the first two days of the game.
"Ah, Johann-kun, there you are," Miyu approaches me, her gaze distant. "I was shocked when I heard about his death."
"Death is common enough, but we never expect it to happen around us. In this anomalous situation, I can't say I was shocked."
I still believe it was only a matter of time before this began.
But so soon…
Manabu steps away from the group of students gathering around Shou and joins Miyu and me as a spectator.
Miyu turns to him, saying, "It looks like the boys are determined to work together. Look, Shimizu-kun is really motivated to seek justice. Aren't you going to help him, Manabu-kun?"
"I'm a realist. There's nothing I could do," he replies.
I honestly didn't expect to hear something sensible from Manabu.
Shou is building quite the rally. Although I'm not a fan of his methods, it might be beneficial if they unite and avoid suspecting each other.
"Shimizu-kun, I agree with you! Let's find the culprit!" Miyu says, motivated.
"That's right! We'll avenge Haruki!" Shou declares passionately.
Do they really think they'll achieve anything this way?
The atmosphere abruptly shifts as a single sentence cuts through their excitement like a projectile.
"I killed him."
One sentence ends Shou's rally. Everyone turns their attention to the speaker of those words.
The student council president, Yukihara Mikoto, enters the scene, drawing everyone's wide-eyed attention to her supposed confession. Seeing no immediate reaction to her declaration, she tosses a strand of hair behind her shoulder and continues.
"What would you do if I were serious? Would you have the courage to direct all your supposed fury for justice or revenge against me?"
Some students sigh in relief, realizing she was only proposing a hypothetical scenario.
"W-We…" Shou tries to respond.
The president's overwhelming presence catches him off guard. He has no answers. But I don't understand why she's pressuring him. What does she gain from this?
"Paralyzed, huh? It shows your resolve is lacking. You only talk, but when faced with the supposed killer, you would do absolutely nothing. Do you realize this is not a game? We do not have time to fantasize about heroism or revenge. Leave the investigation to the council."
"Relax, Shou. Look on the bright side—you were insulted by a beautiful girl," Manabu tries to console him.
Shou just stares at the ground, dejected after having his moment stolen by the president.
The sharp-witted president is now in the opposite corner of the classroom, surrounded by students who, minutes ago, were part of Shou's rally. In the end, they just want someone to follow, and to them, the president is a far better leader than a defeated Shou.
09:22 AM
Hours later, the environment remains tense. The students are once again dividing into groups to confirm their respective opinions.
The president and vice president seem to be doing everything possible to maintain order. Since this morning's incident, they haven't stopped working for even a moment.
Natsuki and Keiko's conditions aren't much better for contributing to the council. Losing someone so close in such a sneaky manner can't be easy, making it nearly impossible to stay focused on their duties.
Keiko, though deeply shaken, still manages to help with the investigation and maintaining order. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Natsuki.
With this void in the council, the president has to fill the roles of the other four primary members. Usually, this wouldn't be difficult for her. But getting a group of frightened teenagers to cooperate isn't a simple task.
I spot Miyu. She's looking around, trying to navigate the crowded atrium after the president's recent speech.
Is she looking for those two idiots? She fixes her gaze in my direction. Her initial expression of relief gradually transforms into that of an angry mother. She's heading toward me, quickening her pace. Looks like she has something to say.
"Johann-kun!" she exclaims irritably.
"What is it?" I respond, exhausted.
"What do you mean, 'What is it'?! I was worried about you! You can't just disappear like that! I thought something might have happened to you."
"Please, keep your voice down. You're drawing attention. If you were really so worried about me, you should try to keep this conversation as discreet as possible. Anyway, I don't understand why you're so worried. If I had been killed, you'd know immediately since the game would end, wouldn't it?"
She composes herself to maintain discretion and replies.
"Well… that's true, but it doesn't matter," she crosses her arms and looks away. "You should have said where you were going anyway."
There's no point arguing with her right now. I might as well take advantage of her being alone to confirm something.
"Did you tell Shou or Manabu about it?" I get straight to the point.
"No. I kept it a secret. But don't you think we should tell them?"
My decision to keep this hidden seems to have been the right call. Having those two behave like her would be even more stressful.
"For now, no. You did well to keep it to yourself."
I resume observing the courtyard as if she's not even next to me.
"Hey!" she nudges me.
"What now? What's the problem?"
Will this girl ever leave me alone? I just want some time to think, to clear my head, and reach a conclusion.
"The problem is that you're vulnerable. We need to figure out a way for you to survive."
"At this point, no one is going to kill me. It's too early for another player to manipulate anyone."
"Didn't you see what happened to Hasegawa-kun? There's a maniac here! You can't just wander around the school alone."
"A maniac, maybe, but not a stupid one. Killing Haruki didn't result in his death. The rules are in my favor. You should be more concerned about your safety than mine."
To be honest, I'm not so confident in that anymore. I didn't anticipate a murder happening this early.
Miyu bites her lip, unwilling to accept my reasoning.
"Ugh… you're so stubborn. So what's your plan? Sit around and wait for someone to come after you?"
"Not a bad idea. It's actually quite tempting."
She sighs and sits beside me. It seems she's given up on warning me about the supposed danger I'm in.
"You're such an idiot," she finally says. "But don't worry."
She stares off to the side for a moment, her face showing evident frustration, then turns back to me and says.
"But I'm serious—be careful. I don't want you to die. You're a good friend."
"Got it."
She smiles again, looks ahead, stands up, and begins waving.
"Over here!"
It's Manabu and Shou passing through the courtyard. When they spot us, they walk over.