What are they waiting for?! Just show up already!
"Hey, Jocchi!" Manabu's voice cuts through the tense atmosphere, relieving at least ten layers of pressure.
As planned, Manabu and Shou finally appear from the perpendicular hallway, allowing me to relax slightly.
Takashi removes his bare hand from his pocket. I turn toward him while Shou and Manabu join me.
Ultimately, I couldn't confirm if he was carrying a weapon. The original plan might be considered a failure, but simply being safe counts as a victory in this situation.
"Tsk," Takashi clicks his tongue, furrowing his brows.
"Is there a problem?" I ask.
"Sort of. The questions I need to ask you are personal in nature."
"Huh? What's so secretive that we can't hear it?" Shou interjects.
"These are investigative matters, which must be handled individually. So, if you'd excuse me, I'd like to finish interrogating your friend," Takashi states, his voice tinged with irritation.
Although I lack concrete proof, I'm confident of the murderous intent he radiated earlier. This confirms that he doesn't know I'm a player, or if he does, he's lost his mind. But if I weren't a player, it would be evident to my two witnesses who was responsible if they found me dead.
Assuming he has no awareness of the consequences of murder, why would he specifically target me?
"Excuse us? Not a chance! This is way too suspicious! We've heard nothing about the council taking such actions!" Shou exclaims.
"I thought you two understood that this is a private matter. Let me make it clearer this time. As vice president of the council, I'm ordering both of you to leave this hallway immediately," Takashi raises his voice.
Shou's flair for dramatic arguments is convenient in situations like this, but Takashi's persistence is formidable.
"They're not going anywhere," I respond.
"Don't make me repeat myself. If you continue to resist, all three of you will face the consequences of defying an authority."
"Jocchi, I think we should back off. This isn't looking good," Manabu comments.
Relax. We're at an advantage here. Despite his stubbornness exceeding my expectations, I can still exploit his weakness.
"I'm merely following the president's directive: not to walk around the school alone. Are you suggesting I disobey an order from your superior? I doubt she'd be pleased to hear about that," I counter.
Takashi clenches his fists tightly for a moment, then relaxes them and speaks.
"Fine. In that case, could you accompany me to the council room? Other council members will be present, so there shouldn't be any issues."
2:41 PM
I follow Takashi through the hallways to the door of the student council room. I'm aware that I might be walking into a den of snakes, but I can't refuse this request. My argument only holds as long as we're not alone.
He pauses for a few seconds in front of the door and looks at me.
"So, what's this about?" I ask.
"I wanted to explain this from the beginning, but your paranoia wouldn't allow it. I'm not the one you'll be speaking to," he says, opening the door.
Seated inside is President Yukihara Mikoto. So, she's the one who wants to talk? This makes the situation even more intriguing. What does the queen gain from speaking with a mere peasant living on the fringes of her reign? Even if she's seeking a confession about my role in the game, she shouldn't expect me to hand it over on a silver platter.
Takashi and I enter the room, and immediately, her icy gaze locks onto me. She closes several books and documents on her desk before speaking.
"Please, have a seat, Johann. Would you like a cup of tea?"
Oh, so she plans to start this interrogation amicably? I thought I'd be thrown into a torture chamber immediately. Very well, I'll play her game.
"No, thank you. But I must say, I'm surprised you know my name. I couldn't feel more honored," I reply.
I confess I'm slightly nervous. Typically, I lack the skill to feign friendly humor with someone like her... I must look utterly pathetic.
"I know more about you than you imagine. You should not downplay yourself; you are quite well-known in this school," she glances at some documents and chuckles softly. "Although, I admit, others' impressions of you are not exactly glowing."
"I'm flattered by the consideration. But I still don't understand what you want from someone like me."
"Alright, with formalities out of the way, I will get straight to the point."
She sighs, lowers her gaze briefly, then fixes her sharp eyes back on me.
"I know you are one of the three players," she continues.
Her statement leaves me stunned. Worse, I have no time to process how to react. It was an accusation so abruptly thrown at me that I couldn't prepare in advance.
How does she know this? Miyu is the only person aware of my status, and I doubt she'd share such information, given her worry. But Haruki was nearby at the time. Could he have noticed my reaction and informed her before his death?
Damn it, I can't let my expressions betray me. I'll start by feigning ignorance.
"Me, a player? How did you come to that conclusion?"
"How I discovered this is irrelevant to our discussion. I am merely stating a fact, and you should know that I am the one asking questions here," she responds curtly, her face expressionless.
She's trying to corner me into a confession. In that case, I'll simply deny it until the end. Most likely, she's using this approach with multiple suspects, hoping one of them slips up.
"I'm sorry to disappoint, but you're mistaken. I'm definitely not a player."
"Johann, have you not realized yet? No matter how hard you try, you cannot lie to me. You would need to be born again at least ten times to succeed."
"I'm telling the truth. I don't understand where you're going with this."
How long will she persist? Regardless, the burden of proof remains on her, so I have no reason to be shaken by a baseless accusation.
"You are relentless, are you not? You will keep denying it to the grave, will you not? Well, in the end, it does not matter. Just listen to what I say, keeping in mind that I know your situation."
"Should I take that as a threat?" I ask.
"Take it however you like; your opinion on the matter is irrelevant. I am not here to pass judgment, only to deal with concrete facts."
Where is she going with this? Does she intend to sacrifice me to escape the game or something similar? Given her influence, if she claimed I was a player, the entire student body would likely believe her.
"So, what now? Assuming your belief that I'm a player is correct, what do you intend to do with me?"
"I need you to carry out a vital task for me. It is nothing too complicated."
"And what would that be? Dying? Let me warn you; your conscience will weigh heavily for sacrificing an innocent."
"If that were the case, I would be trading the life of a supposed innocent for hundreds of others. You are good at math, are you not? Tell me, is not that a fair trade?" she smiles briefly before continuing.
I have walked into a den of vipers, and it seems inevitable that it will be my end.
"If you view it through a utilitarian lens, it does seem advantageous. May I know if my death will at least be painless?"
"Do not be foolish. I was joking. This is actually an investigation," she sighs. "The same way I identified you as one of the three players, I also have a list of suspects for the other two players and the potential murderer. And this is where your task comes in."
Now would be the moment for me to feel relieved, but with how things are progressing... the idea of a painless death still seems oddly appealing.
And what exactly is my role in all this? She could easily send one of her lackeys to investigate instead of me. The guy next to her would be perfect. Why gamble on someone as inexperienced as me?
"Wouldn't it be better to send someone you trust for such an important task?"
"The council has suffered significant losses, and I do not want to put Nakamura-san or Kobayashi-san in danger. With only Tanaka-kun, it would be difficult to investigate. Besides, you cannot be killed directly, and you are the perfect person to investigate the first name on my list."
"I have no idea who this is, but trust me, I'm not qualified for such an operation. I'm a disaster at anything outside theoretical knowledge. I'd probably be discovered immediately, as this conversation has already made abundantly clear."
Moreover, I strongly suspect the real killer is in this room with us. My instincts are still screaming that this guy is untrustworthy.
"Let me rephrase that. It was wrong of me to 'ask' you to complete a task. This is an order. And to answer your question, there is no one more qualified because the suspect in question has a similar background to yours."
What arrogance. Does she think she can just order everyone around? Still, it's wiser to pretend to accept her request. I can only imagine the consequences of confronting her while her popularity is so high. If she accused anyone of being the murderer, the entire student body would blindly believe her.
Wait… the suspect has a background similar to mine? Then it must be her. Honestly, I'm not surprised. She would have been my first suspect, too. Out of all the people to investigate, she's clearly the most challenging to approach.
"Are you talking about the foreign girl?"
"Exactly. So, you have already met her? That makes things much easier for you. You are halfway there," she says, adjusting her long hair.
"Sort of. We exchanged a few words, but I don't even know her name. Trust me, it won't be easy to approach someone like her."
"As you probably know, she is a German exchange student assigned specifically to my class. From her enrollment documents, I discovered her name is Ailiss von Feuerstein. Given her suspicious behavior, I am certain she is guilty. Do you not find it strange that all of this began right after her arrival?"
So, her name is Ailiss? It's quite an unusual name, even in the West, yet strangely familiar.
In any case, she has a point. It would be quite a coincidence. However, I still struggle to accept this fully.
"I understand. I'll help you, President. But as I said, this won't be an easy task. I can't promise any results."
"That is fine. While you handle her, we will investigate the rest of the list. By the way, you can call me Mikoto. And this time, it is not an order. If you find it inappropriate, feel free to disregard it."
Her sharp gaze softened for a moment. What emotion was that in her voice?
It seemed… slightly melancholic.
"Huh?!" Takashi reacts, surprised.
"Why so startled? Is there a problem with that, Tanaka-kun?" she asks, smiling ironically.
"No, my apologies," he says, adjusting his glasses.
What was she expecting, saying something like that? She can't pretend to be oblivious. From her smile, she must know exactly how her loyal subject would react. Is she intentionally trying to create conflict between us?
"Mikoto?"
It feels as though I've called her that for years.
Hearing it, she looks down and smiles softly. She raises her head and addresses Takashi.
"Tanaka-kun, could you leave us alone for a moment? Please use the time to patrol the hallway."
"Don't you think being alone with him is too risky? I still don't fully trust him," Takashi says, still irritated.
We're going nowhere at this rate. Perhaps volunteering to be a martyr wouldn't have been such a bad idea.
"Why are you questioning my orders? Are you implying that I have made an error in judgment?" she replies, fixing him with a cold stare.
"Forgive me. I wasn't implying anything. I was merely concerned about safety."
"Tanaka-kun, when I do not ask for your opinion, please just do as I say."
He nods and leaves the room, his face sour.
Should I take advantage of his absence to tell her the murderer might be right under her nose? No, I shouldn't act rashly without concrete proof. These strange emotions are clouding my judgment.
I'm genuinely worried about her. If my hunch is correct, she's at the most significant risk by being so close to the killer. But should I risk myself for her? She's the one who put me in this predicament in the first place; I shouldn't feel sympathy for her because of that.
And yet, despite her sharp demeanor… I can't help but feel some admiration. Am I falling under the same spell as the others?
Before I realize it, she's looking at me again with that same emotional expression. It's entirely out of character for her. My head pounds as if I'm on the verge of recalling something critical, but I'm pushed back just as I'm about to grasp it. This terrible déjà vu feels like I'm fighting against the tide.
"What was it you wanted to discuss privately?" I ask.
"Johann, though I chose otherwise, deep down, I hope you will someday understand the actions I have taken."
Understand what? Did my Japanese fail me, or does that sentence make no sense? Something about this doesn't add up.
"What are you talking about? I don't understand."
"Forget it. I should not have brought this up. It was a mistake to touch on this subject. Please, just forget this selfish remark of mine."