The worst part of it all is that I can clearly imagine who the psychopath responsible for this might be. He's standing a few meters away from me, looking down. His condition is deplorable, with dark circles as pronounced as mine, but what stands out is the anxiety etched on his face.
Such trembling doesn't stem from concern for the victims but from the nervousness of an aggressor fearing exposure.
"How long is this going to go on?" Shou asks rhetorically.
"Unfortunately, all we can do is wait," I reply.
"But haven't we waited enough?! Whoever put us in this hell, haven't they had enough fun already?!"
Interestingly, the behavioral anomaly seems to be diminishing over time. Perhaps the closer danger gets to someone, the less this so-called "adaptation" takes hold.
"We probably have to wait until the timer runs out or until one of the three players dies. If I'm not forgetting any rules, that's what was stipulated, Shoucchi," Manabu interjects.
"It can't just end like this. The culprit needs to be judged! But where the hell is he?! We don't even know that much."
More students arrive to investigate the scene, but few can stomach staying in the area. The sight is too gruesome for mere high schoolers; some curious onlookers even have to rush to the restroom to vomit. Yes, the reactions now are much more appropriate compared to yesterday.
Judging by the comments I overhear, the obvious will happen. Mikoto's sovereignty is once again in question. Her polished speech yesterday accomplished nothing. Apologies and grand phrases might have worked once, but they will hardly be accepted by the public again.
It's almost tragic. A flawlessly delivered speech was discarded in less than twenty-four hours. However, who could have imagined there'd be a hidden traitor so close to her? Things can't continue like this; sooner or later, Mikoto, despite her splendor, will collapse.
I wonder if I should confront Takashi to help her. However, that would greatly complicate things for me if my actions are misunderstood. For now, the best course of action is to sit and wait. Only after assessing the aftermath of this carnage will I be able to make any decisions.
8:20 AM
"Please, calm down. Speak one at a time; otherwise, I can't understand you. Can we agree on that?"
Keiko fails to establish order among the agitated students surrounding her.
"How do you expect us to stay calm? We want to see Kaichou!" one of them shouts furiously.
"Kaichou said no more deaths would occur! She owes us an explanation," another yells from the distance.
"Can we still trust the council?!"
Numerous voices express their collective dissatisfaction with the student council's performance.
This intrigues me. This is, in fact, the natural reaction for a group of adolescents lacking discernment. But why only now? And for how long? If the anomaly resurfaces, Mikoto might have a chance to maintain order for another day or two.
Then, ironically, the prime suspect appears and disperses the enraged students surrounding Keiko.
"Everyone, keep your distance. We'll hold a collective meeting in the atrium right now. Anyone with complaints, wait your turn to speak," he says with an expressionless face and wide eyes.
"Who do you think you are? Just because you're the vice president of the student council, you think you have authority?!" a student retorts.
Takashi's expression changes. He glares at the boy with a predator's gaze and pushes him aside.
After a few agonizing minutes of waiting, Mikoto finally appears with the crowd's anxiety reaching a fever pitch. My expectations aren't high; I doubt the same approach will work twice.
The stunning president walks serenely and positions herself before the restless crowd.
Takashi, Keiko, and other lower-ranking council members visually signal for the audience to quiet down. With everyone speaking at once, nothing can be understood.
"Kaichou, you said no one else needed to die! You committed to that!" shouts a boy who seems to be the same one who argued with her yesterday about his deceased cousin.
Mikoto remains silent for a moment to catch her breath before speaking.
"Yes, I did."
Her succinct reply creates a lull of quiet. No one expected such a brief and simplistic response from her, leaving us silent for a few more seconds, waiting for her to elaborate.
When she doesn't, the boy speaks again, more irritated.
"Is that all you have to say? This must be a joke! We trusted the council, and you won't even try to give us any clarification or justification?"
"I am sorry, I made a mistake."
Another short response? What does she hope to gain from this? Doesn't she realize she's merely burning her own image? At this rate, everything will collapse faster than I projected; we'll have a civil war within the student body in mere minutes.
"We already know that! Say something relevant!"
"Regarding what has already happened, I have nothing more to declare except my condolences. What is there to clarify? Nothing. We all know very well what happened," she pauses, scanning her audience. "Do not misunderstand me. I am fully aware that we failed in our oath, and this is because I made an error in how I treated you. I gave you too much freedom and, consequently, the murderer as well." She narrows her eyes menacingly.
Her speech takes an entirely different tone, one that feels very strange. She's never been one to redirect blame to others, as she's doing now. Despite apologizing and admitting fault, she's shifting responsibility onto us in practice.
"What do you mean by that? That it's our fault? You must be kidding us!" another student shouts.
"No, as I said, the fault was mine. I am merely explaining the reason for the failure. It is a consequence of me being too lenient with you. For this reason, we are changing the protocol from now on. Strict behavioral rules will be imposed on all students, effective immediately. Any infractions will result in severe punishment or even ostracism," she continues coldly.
Keiko and Natsuki's eyes widen. It seems even her own followers were unaware of this change in stance. The only one who remains unfazed is Takashi. Apparently, only he was informed of these decisions beforehand. Could he have influenced this shift?
"You must be insane! Do you think we'll just accept your orders like that?!" the same student protests.
Her change in stance was unpredictable, but the result of this assembly is unfolding exactly as I imagined. No, it's even worse. They wouldn't have accepted the same excuse again, let alone such a rigid position.
"Yes, I do. Whether willingly or not, you will accept them. Someone needs to take on the role, not of the student council president, but of a leader whose mission is to guide everyone out of this game. And such a leader cannot be as benevolent as I used to be. That is why I will correct my behavior."
The student remains standing, protesting against Mikoto.
"Your time to speak is over. Sit down immediately. I won't say it twice," Takashi commands.
"Make me sit!"
Takashi slowly removes his glasses and places them in their case. He then advances toward the boy without hesitation, grabs his wrist, and twists his body to force him to the ground. After immobilizing him, Takashi begins to twist the boy's arm and press his face against the floor.
So much violence. I didn't know Takashi had such sharp reflexes. Thank goodness he didn't decide to kill me yesterday out of jealousy over Mikoto.
The boy's friends don't seem pleased about this. I'd better leave now; a confrontation between them and the council is imminent. I want to be as far away as possible when it happens.
I barely had time to step away and turn around. In the blink of an eye, the students loyal to the council began using force to suppress a small rebellion sparked by the boy's protest. Despite the flawed speech, Mikoto still has enough support to give the council an advantage in this confrontation.
What was she thinking when she decided to act this way? I can't see anything good coming from this new behavior of hers.
12:32 PM
"This is making me anxious. I only saw them briefly, but it was enough to ruin my whole morning. Just thinking that we could be next..." Miyu says, sounding dejected as she drops her utensils onto her plate.
"We might really be the next targets. But I swear, I'll stay by your side to protect you, Miyu-chan! The killer won't stand a chance against me!" Shou proclaims enthusiastically.
Speaking of death, there he is. I'd like to say he's acting as if nothing happened, but his lack of professionalism is evident. Takashi has long stopped behaving naturally.
At first glance, he seems to be following his usual routine. Once again, he's tasting the food—forced by Mikoto, of course. However, the trembling in his movements continues to intrigue me.
I don't know how much longer he can keep following this script. Sooner or later, he might turn against Mikoto.
From his perspective, it wouldn't be difficult to attack her. But why hasn't he done it yet? Could he be using his authority to manipulate the council's rules? Mikoto might be useful to him in claiming more victims.
"Look, it's that rude foreign girl," Miyu remarks.
"Just thinking about how she treated us gives me chills," Shou adds.
Talking to her would be beneficial in satisfying my doubts. At the same time, I'd have something to report back to Mikoto. In this confusing situation, she might be the person most likely to have the answers I'm looking for.
I stand up and decide to follow her.
"Hey, Jocchi, where are you going?" Manabu asks, grabbing my arm.
"Why are you stopping me?! I can't lose sight of her!"
"You're being too impulsive, Jocchi. That's never been your style," he continues.
He's right. But it doesn't matter. I need to verify this hypothesis at any cost.
"Thanks for the warning, but I still have to check something," I lower my voice and reply as I pull my arm free.
"I knew it'd be impossible to convince you otherwise. So, at least let me come with you."