Shiinamachi-senpai's Safe Day:Volume 1 Chapter 3 B-Part

Status: Incomplete

Chapter 3 B-Part - Life and Mind

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• Refers to the hill of Golgotha at Jerusalem, also called the place of the skull.

That night.

Senpai, Shiki and I, the three of us, were gathered in Senpai's room.

"Okay, next up, we must take what action we could."

Senpai looked nervously at me and Shiki.

"Today's event is one those listed in my 'story'. Together with the earlier attack incident, I am sure this is a trial that we must work hard to overcome."

"How was today's event described in the story?"

Shiki asked in her usual tone of indifference.

"From what I heard Senpai said, it was something like the story's real beginning is a path that gradually becomes clear amidst the gap between life and death'."

"Gap between life and death… It means Kaguya's experience? Or something else?"

"Well… I'm actually not too sure either."

I see. So even if something was written in Senpai's story, it didn't necessarily mean it would be Senpai's own experience. It could also be interpreted as: in a particular person's gap between life and death, a path will gradually become clear.

"No matter what, the story's content probably isn't referring to the attack incident in the street."

"I agree. Although that incident was very dangerous, to me or some other person, it probably doesn't count as being in a gap between life and death. More importantly, we didn't see a path gradually becoming clear…"

The earlier situation was dangerous indeed but there was no new information to clear up anything. Instead, the mystery around the assassin was getting harder and harder to understand. The only thing I knew was that the enemy's skills were inferior to my mother's, but still at terrifying level of competence.

Shiki also started thinking about Senpai's story with her chin resting on her hand, occupied with deep thought.

"'The story's true beginning'. According to my guess, these words should mean: what happens today will clearly decide the future direction of Kaguya's story."

Hearing that, Shiinamachi-senpai nodded very calmly.

"Yes… That's why, I've decided to take a bit of a risk tonight."

Hence that was why Senpai decided to hold one of those "Shiinamachi-senpai's Stayover Gatherings" tonight?

Indeed, it was already evening, but so far, nothing special had happened.

Hence, the gathering to be held tonight was very likely where something would happen.

"However, what I'm more afraid of is… If we wrongly suspected Fujisato-san and Kuhou-san, then it's possible they might get caught up in the affair."

"That's true. If neither of them are culprits then they will surely get pulled into tonight's story."

"Hmm, I see…"

I finally understood why Senpai was making a gloomy expression.

Senpai was on good terms with Fujisato and Kuhou, so suspecting them must make Senpai feel very guilty. Not only that, if they turned out not to be culprits, then they also get swept up into the incident.

I hope nothing was going to happen. But since Senpai is a Nightkin and must live according to the plot in her story, then something was definitely going to happen tonight.

When my thoughts came to that, my feelings turned gloomy.

No, how can I get demoralized now?

To protect Senpai, I must protect her heart and soul.

Simply protecting her body was meaningless. Not only must I protect her life, but I must also allow her to live without worry for the rest of her days, that's my proper mission. In other words, suspecting Fujisato and Kuhou was already tormenting Senpai and Senpai was also worrying about them getting exposed to danger if they were not culprits.

Hence, the only thing I could do was to confirm carefully whether Fujisato and Kuhou were suspicious. Once they were confirmed not to be the culprit, I have to take care not to let them come to harm.

For this goal, I must do everything I can.

I took off my glasses and closed my eyes.

My mind became unbelievably calm.

To me, this seemed like an important decision.

In the past, I never got involved with anyone. Instead, I even went as far as to kill people without hesitation. Under professional tutelage, this was the mindset I used to hold. But now, all I want to do is protect my family, friends and the girl I love, that's my current feeling.

Okay. I've already decided how I will be confronting things. Clenching my fist hard, I put on my glasses again.

"Monjirou, it looks like you've increased your motivation substantially."

Shiki seemed to see through my determination from the side, her blue eye staring at me the whole time.

"Yes, I have to protect Senpai and not let her come to any harm. Isn't that why Senpai chose me?"

"Indeed. For a Nightkin, choosing vassals is one of the few freedoms permitted by their story. And through those choices, a Nightkin can enable themselves to attain the content of the story more easily. Hence, Monjirou, do your best."

Few freedoms.

Living alone in this kind of place, Senpai needed to muster her courage just to do something like going out. No matter how long-lived, no matter how unlikely it was to die, her life was bound to the story. That must be quite unhappy.

Precisely because of that, she used one of her few freedoms to choose me. That's why I need to help Senpai feel more reassured and happier. I must find ways to improve her situation.

"Senpai, I've already decided. I will find the culprit who killed us."

"…Yes, Jirou-kun."

I expressed my determination to Senpai and she nodded happily at me in return.

The final result was: Fujisato and Kuhou were still not yet cleared. Faced with these two close friends, I must take action that constitutes betrayal.

However, not suspecting does not necessarily equate to trust.

If one of them was really living in pretense…

Then living under an equally fake mask, I really hoped I could do something for her.

In a certain sense, this was a kind of enlightenment. I finally understood that being honest and open to friends actually needed a great deal of courage. In the past, I never knew that interacting with people was such a burdensome and tough task. In the past, I was treated as a killer and raised under those conditions, completely not knowing how to interact with people. Precisely because of that, I decided to get to know people better on every occasion. This was something I've always kept firmly in mind.

"Senpai, whether or not they are culprits, the best result is that they can maintain their friendship with you henceforth, Senpai. Or rather, I selfishly hope that this would be the happiest result for you and those two. I have decided to take action with this as the goal."

Perhaps I was simply imposing my own views on others, perhaps this was just my own selfish thinking, even to the point of expression my willful delusions.

Hence, I wanted to follow this idea through to the very end. This represented the thoughts of my current self.

"Jirou-kun, thank you…"

Senpai's eyes looked a bit moist and her voice was trembling.

To think that Senpai would be so touched after hearing my determination, to the point of shedding tears.

This was totally unrelated to her identity as a Nightkin, not a human, or the fact that she held wondrous powers…

"Shiinamachi-senpai", this person, always lived in this peaceful manner.

For this, I, Sakuradamon Jirou, must do everything I can. That was it.

"Looks like your motivation is at max. Now let's come up with a plan and strategy."

Shiki suggested, prompting Senpai and I to nod vigorously.

"Okay. So… Let me think… Shiki-san, Jirou-kun, what should we do?"

"The first task is to get a grasp on the situation. First of all, Kaguya, please explain what kind of power is the immortality you passed to Monjirou."

"Oh okay. I understand."

Shiinamachi-senpai took a deep breath and placed her hand on her chest.

"…That power is a special ability belonging to the Nightkin that allows 'immortality' to be imparted to others. It is a gift that holds power over life and transcends death, otherwise known as--Divine Gift Thanatos."

"Thanatos…"

"In Greek mythology, Thanato is the god resulting from deifying death."

So that was the proper name for the "immortality" I now held.

Gifts had names and this gift was currently inside me. That made it much more easier to understand.

"The main feature of this gift is of course not dying, but… More precisely, it is more like the ability to resurrect from any form of death state."

"Not dying" was completely different from "resurrecting from any form of death state".

The former meant not entering a state of death while the latter referred to rising from a state of death.

In other words, in terms of results, my body would still die. Since a while ago, I was thinking it was "my body being capable of regeneration." Looks like I had to correct this idea.

"Understood. So because Kaguya went to pick up Monjirou who had died from the drug, he was able to resurrect."

"Yes. To make Jirou-kun rise from death, it requires from me… A certain 'ritual'."

Oh I get it now?

Indeed, after my first death and after getting drugged to death by Shiki in the second instance, I saw Shiinamachi-senpai when I woke up.

So the reason I resurrected was that Senpai was carrying out a ritual.

"After completing the ritual, Jirou-kun will recover back to 'a perfect state of living. No matter how heavy his wounds or how much blood he had lost, or even some kind of severe disease, he can resurrect from all cases and return to perfect halth."

"In Freud's psychoanalysis, the word Thanatos is defined as the "death instinct". His theory mentions that humans are driven by an instinct towards death and what opposes this force is the so-called life instinct. If you think about it on this level, it can be seen that it's quite correct as a name for a gift that opposes death."

While listening to Shiki's explanation, I touched my chest with my hand.

Death instinct.

To that someone like me with professional killing skills would obtain this power, it sounded really ironic.

"In other words, if you got killed somewhere that Kagugya cannot reach, you will end up staying dead."

Shiki's blue eye gave off an eerie feeling while it gaze straight at me.

"Yes. If I cannot perform the ritual, Jirou-kun cannot resurrect… If his dead boy is left unattended, hmm… Well, as long as it hasn't disintegrated completely, resurrection is still possible."

"There's no problem even if he turns into a rotting corpse or a pile of bones, is that it?"

Although the hypothetical situations brought up by Shiki were quite unsettling, I was quite curious about how far the dead body could decompose and still resurrect.

"Yes… Indeed. I think so."

I can still resurrect from that? Thanaotos really was resilient, living up to its name as a gift named after a god.

"In other words, resurrection is possible under any circumstance… As long as I make sure I die somewhere that Senpai can find me, is that it?"

"Yes. But it would be best if it's somewhere closer to me… Oh, but as much as possible, don't die, that would be better, right?"

Of course. After all, I don't hope to experience death frequently!

"That time when I drank Shiki's drug and entered a state of suspended animation, I definitely still revived."

"Ah yes. On the verge of death… In other words, in terms of bodily functions, a state where survival is almost guaranteed to end. Even in that type of state, regeneration is possible."

"Shiki, you made me drink something so terrifying back then?"

"Yes. That drug will force the human body into a state of suspended animation. For three days, the body will only function at a minimum level and the flesh will not rot. But unless an antidote is injected, revival is impossible."

She really made me drink something so dangerous.

"No matter what, resurrection cannot happen unless from near death, is that right?"

"Yes… Indeed."

Senpai made an apologetic look, hence I really wanted to cut off the topic here.

"Kaguya, I have a question."

At this time, Shiki raised her hand.

"Suppose he was annihilated without leaving an body, then the ritual cannot be conducted, right?"

"Ah yes. Well… At least the head must remain…"

"Survival is possible even if the head is severed. Okay, then death is permanent if everything above the neck exploded, right?"

"Hmm… Yes."

After listening to Senpai's answer, Shiki's gaze fell upon on.

"Hold on, don't make that 'very good' look, okay?"

"To be able to interpret my facial expressions, I'm impressed, Monjirou."

"Come on, I'm begging you, don't kill me again!"

"I will consider it. Good luck."

She probably thought she had just delivered an awesome pun.

I guess I shouldn't retort in this case.

"Anyway, I've already understood my gift. As long as Senpai remains safe and sound, I am immortal, isn't that right?"

"Yes… Jirou-kun, I'll be relying on you."

Senpai bowed deeply to me and I nodded in response.

She was my savior to begin with. Paying my debts was the correct behavior for me as a person.

"But come to think of it… I'm quite curious what Shiki's gift is."

Her gift was called Satori, hence I originally thought she had the power to read minds but that was not the case. With such a frail and petite body, I really wondered what kind of special power resided in her?

"Oh, hmm… Satori is a very simple power."

Senpai glanced at Shiki and Shiki nodded slightly.

"My gift is the Demonic Gift Satori, this special power will heighten all senses."

Shiki explained while frequently combing her bangs.

"The easiest to understand part is that this ability will increase the sensitivity of senses such as vision, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Hence, I can deduce people's psychology based on visual and audio cues then through scents and odors in the air, I can analyze the situation on scene. Then by touching with my hand, I can get a grasp of an object's characteristics."

I see, so that's why it was called Satori.

Although Shiki could not read people's minds, conversely, she was able to read a greater variety of information.

A human's psychological state will often appear in their eyes, their attitudes and their movements. Sometimes, we are able to tell what happened previously based on odors and scents left in the air at the scene. Some people can guess an object's shape and traits just by touching it so if the tactile sense was sharp enough, doing what Shiki said was possible.

Precisely because of that, Shiki covered her eyes with her bangs, controlling the amount of visual input and her body was dressing in clothing that virtually covered her entire body. Using Satori would gather too much information. Once that information overloaded the senses, it might degrade her body as well.

I recalled the dark computer lab management room.

Sitting there in that room without external stimuli, living peaceful days without any stimulation, that was her everyday life.

"I get it now…"

"Monjirou's pity confirmed. Based on my judgment, if I give him a push here, this could very well develop into sexual harassment behavior."

"Hold on, why did you force the conversation into that direction…"

"…"

Shiki reacted to my scolding by turning her gaze out the window with some annoyance then said:

"After my senses were heightened, many symptoms were left behind which is why I've become afraid of loneliness."

"Is that the backstory you just made up?"

"It's true yo."

She didn't say "it's true" but "it's true yo", that felt even more suspicious.

"Hoho, you don't need to be so worried. Satori is a gift that can be switched on and off freely. People possessing this gift can still live like a normal person, yet heighten a particular sense when required."

This gift's original owner--Shiinamachi-senpai--explained, prompting Shiki to turn her head to a different direction.

Shiki was clearly lying, I see.

"In other words… How should I put it? The weakness of this gift is that it could get dangerous if excessive stimulus is picked up while a particular sense was heightened. Something like that?"

"Yes, that's correct. If there's too bright a light when vision is enhanced, then the eyes will lose function temporarily. Corresponding consequences will occur for the other senses when enhanced as well."

"For example, if touch is enhanced, then injuries will be worse if you get hurt…"

"This gift can enhance the sense of touch but it cannot block the sense of touch."

Getting hurt will feel pain. In other words, Shiki must use this gift with precise timing or else she could suffer a great deal of harm.

"As long as I am present, as soon as those two girls make a weird move during this 'heart-thumping☆group of girls' pajama party, let's wardrobe malfunction' gathering, I will be able to tell immediately."

"Then I'm very relieved. But there won't be any wardrobe malfunctions, right?"

"Rather, your head will fall off."

"That's even more weird!"

Whatever, after all, I won't die. Rather, even if I died, I could still resurrect.

Thinking that, I looked at Shiinamachi-senpai only to see a troubled look on her face.

"What's the matter?"

"Oh nothing… If I had to resurrect Jirou-kun in front of everyone… It's a bit… I think it'll be kind of difficult…"

Why would Senpai find it difficult…? Just as I wondered, instantly, a certain thought flashed through my mind like an electrical current.

Oh right, while I was asleep, it felt like Senpai kissed me.

More precisely, it was while I was dead.

In other words, at the time, I decided on my own to assume it was Senpai's kiss, but it very well could be true.

However, if that really was the case… That's way too much of a shame! Those were my first and second kisses, but I ended up not remembering them at all!

Was the ritual Senpai mentioned a kiss after all?

I really wanted to know…

"Hoo…"

I really couldn't bring myself to ask the blushing Senpai to confirm this.

"Okay, so what's meant by 'Divine Gift' and 'Demonic Gift'?"

"The powers possessed by Nightkin can be divided into different types. Different types of gifts each have their own characteristics. My thinking is… The demons, devils, gods that appear in legends, folklore and fairy tales could very well be Nightkin or their vassals who possessed these gifts."

"According to what I have already confirmed, gifts can be categorized into Divine Gifts, Demonic Gifts, Heroic Gifts, Angelic Gifts and Fallen Angelic Gifts."

My Thanatos was a Divine Gift while Shiki's Satori was a Demonic Gift.

"What's different about the characteristics of different types of gifts?"

"Divine Gifts refer to all sorts of phenomena controlled by gods. Demonic Gifts can confer bodily characteristics that go beyond human knowledge. Heroic Gifts can turn a part of the body into a hero's weapon or defensive gear. Angelic Gifts and Fallen Angelic Gifts can cause 'miracles' to happen. These are the known characteristics that have been confirmed."

I was very surprised to find out that gifts had many types and each had their own features. In other words, when facing off against an enemy who had a gift, the type of gift was a very crucial factor.

To be honest, I had absolutely no idea how to neutralize Divine Gifts, Angelic Gifts and Fallen Angelic Gifts… But what's common between Demonic Gifts and Heroic Gifts seems to be the body, so I should be able to find ways to counter those.

"I get it, so that's how gifts are categorized!"

I also understood that playing to one's strengths was key in a fight against an enemy who possessed a gift. Clearly there was no way to handle things simply using the concept of "I just need to defeat the opponent before I fall under their control."

"So… Senpai, I'd like to confirm one more thing."

"Ah yes, what is it?"

Senpai rubbed her hand on her cheek and turned to me.

"Senpai still holds one final gift. What kind of special ability is it?"

"Oh, it's called… Angelic Gift Sariel."

Shiinamachi-senpai brought up this gift with some hesitation. I was waiting for Senpai to explain this gift's features but she made a troubled look, seeming to be pondering how to phrase her explanation. Hence, Shiki looked up and answered for her.

"Kaguya is not sure about this gift's nature."

"Not sure about its nature? Meaning that she doesn't know what kind of gift it is?"

"Yes. That gift can be categorized as an Angelic Gift but also a Fallen Angelic Gift. As for the miracle this gift can bring about… It seems to be control over souls."

…Indeed, after listening to this explanation, I found it hard too to understand what kind of gift it was.

"I don't understand what kind of power it is… If my memory were intact, perhaps I'd know, but…"

Angelic Gift Sariel?

Indeed, it was still impossible to figure out just form the words "control over souls." Angelic Gifts and Fallen Angelic Gifts could apparently cause miracles but… Wasn't my resurrection itself like a kind of miracle too?

"S-So basically… Senpai no longer has any gifts she can invoke voluntarily, right?"

"Yes, indeed… That is correct."

In other words, we should not place any hope on that gift.

Looks like Shiki and I had better try harder to safeguard Senpai's safety.

I made my decision and clenched my fist hard.

"I also have one question to confirm with you, is that okay?"

Shiki raised her hand and stared straight at me.

"Monjirou, what on earth are you hiding?"

"Hiding…?"

I didn't now what Shiki was asking and could only blink nonstop.

"Yes, I have concluded that you have withheld information about your right shoulder's scar."

In that instant, my right shoulder's scar suddenly felt a pain from its depths.

Shiki's blue eye stared straight at me.

…That's right, by this point, it'd be better to stop withholding things. Just in case the worst situation arose, then even if it meant abandoning everything, I still must protect Shiinamachi-senpai, Fujisato and Kuhou.

However, talking about that still made my current self feel very uncomfortable.

"…"

I closed my eyes temporarily, puzzling over how to say things, then finally picking the right words and phrases, I forced them out of my throat.

"This scar was carved by my mother… In it is hidden the skills harbored deeply in the bloodline of our clan as killers. It's something like secret techniques sealed inside there."

I spoke grimly while Shiki listened very seriously. Senpai kept looking at with a worried look

"My mother said that using the power sealed in this scar meant being prepared to abandon everything."

"Abandon… everything?"

Senpai's voice trembled a bit. Yes, what I think "everything" meant included the bits and pieces of life I've built up with Senpai as well as the friendships I've established with others. Once I use that power, everything will turn back to blank state like a brand new sheet of paper.

I could imagine myself after using it, which is why my mother told me at the time: "you must hurry to become a person who can make that decision."

"I think… After using this power, I won't be myself anymore. I'll turn back into that killer, no feelings, treating everyone as objects… Rather, a killing machine."

"A killing machine."

Shiki repeated the words I uttered.

"That's how I've always lived in the past. The Sakuradamon Jirou right now is actually recent… The personality cultivated after I tried hard to live every day with my sister and other people like a normal person. If I entrust everything to that 'killing machine's consciousness' again… This personality will surely disappear. The seal will turn me into a creature that lives only for slaughter. This is the truth hidden behind this scar."

Pressing my right shoulder with my left hand, I told the truth.

Because I trusted Senpai and Shiki, I decided to tell them about my final resort.

If I lost my life, Shiinamachi-senpai could still resurrect me.

But if I lost my soul… Nothing can reawaken again.

"Jirou-kun, your soul will vanish…?"

Shiinamachi-senpai's voice kept shaking.

…Probably because she had experienced memory loss before? That's why she felt a deep resonance after haring about losing one's soul.

That's right, behind this scar was not a power to protect but a force that purely existed for slaughter.

Precisely because of that, my mother told me I must be prepared.

"If that's the case, we should forget about Monjirou's scar and strategize from scratch."

"Yes, indeed. I don't want Jirou-kun to abandon everything."

The two girls' words made me feel gratitude surge from the bottom of my heart.

"…Shiki, thank you. Senpai, thank you very much."

I bowed my head deeply as I heard their sighs which sounded like smiles.

Like this, we spent over two hours to hold a strategy meeting.

What kind of gift does the enemy have? If I really had to go toe to toe with the opponent's killing techniques, I don't know how scary things will get. However, by making good use of the gift and skills possessed by Shiki and me, perhaps it was possible to put up a fight.

A vassal's power was meant to allow the user to transcend the world's laws and natural phenomena.

In other words, gifts were superpowers that were totally not bound to scientific concepts, hence it was impossible for us to predict.

In the most likely event, we would have read the situation at hand and make decisions on the fly when the trouble was already happening.

And through Shiki's judgment, I had to take action to oppose.

For this purpose, we had to overcome a risky factor.

Namely…

"In that case, I'll tell them directly that I am no longer immortal."

Since the culprit already knew that the Senpai survived despite getting killed, they would need to confirm if Senpai still held that gift if they wanted to murder Senpai again.

Hence, we were going to use this fact as bait.

"So, Jirou-kun, Shiki-san… I will be counting on you two."

"Yes, I'll definitely protect you well, Senpai."

"Understood. The risk is admittedly high but according to my judgment, the probability of success is also very high."

Shiki and I nodded vigorously.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

"Wow! So the legendary clock tower looks like this inside!"

Fujisato swept her gaze around the library monitors' office with an impressed look of admiration.

"There's air-conditioning, a heater and you can cook here. It's very convenient."

Kuhou explained proudly as a library monitor.

"What, how can that be possible!? Aren't the library monitors getting too special a treatment?"

In fact, the library monitors had been assigned a wonderful place so there was nothing we could refute.

Initially, the preservation of books could be used as an excuse for air-conditioning and heating but once the electric stove and the microwave oven were added, it was impossible to use that excuse anymore.

However, once you entered Shiinamachi-senpai's room upstairs and noticed that it was essentially a fully functional suite, then having these things here would seem perfectly reasonable.

"Fufu, however… I'm really looking forward to Senpai's legendary room!"

Fujisato giggled with an excited look.

Seeing her like that, Kuhou smiled calmly.

Which of them was the culprit… It was very hard to decide.

However, Senpai's story seemed pretty accurate so something was definitely going to happen tonight.

…If possible, I really hoped I was able to protect them all.

Was I being too selfish in thinking that?

I was only able to make these friends and develop deep friendships with them because I had "a normal human soul".

Till now, I still really didn't want to suspect them.

"Monjirou-senpai, what's the matter? You look kind of unhappy."

My junior was worrying about me with sincerity.

I really wanted to accept her gentle well wishes.

"Nothing… Nothing much, I'm just spacing out."

"Really? Yes, today was quite hot during the daytime, so it could be a light heat stroke. You need to drink more water and don't strain yourself, okay?"

Kuhou provided concrete advice besides worrying. She really knew how to take care of others and it felt like she was the senior instead of me.

"You can sleep earlier tonight, okay? Then we can all enjoy the view of Monjirou's sleeping face together!"

Fujisato joked a bit with me and I knew it was her way of showing her care.

"That would make me feel quite troubled. If I fall asleep, my glasses will run all over the place by themselves!"

"Eh, really!? How does that work?"

"If I sleep first, you'll find out!"

"Oh, but you're just saying that when you're actually planning on staying up desperately, right!? However, if I accidentally fall asleep first, don't you dare peep at my sleeping face or else I'll have you take responsibility for that!"

"Oh I see. Does marrying you work?"

"Eh, you're way too direct!"

Seeing Fujisato go bright red, Kuhou and I laughed together.

The mood was the same as usual.

Precisely because of that, I hoped that this relationship won't break down in the end.

"Party preparations complete. Please come up, everyone."

Shiki poked her head out of the library clock tower management room and called out to us from upstairs.

"Okay! Monjirou, Nagi, let's go!"

"Yes, let's."

Fujisato ascended the staircase with happy footsteps while Kuhou advanced step by step steadily. When they stepped on the wooden stairs, the stairs creaked naturally. Kuhou followed after Fujisato closely and it felt like Kuhou could catch and protect Fujisato even if she took a wrong step.

Following after them, I went up the stairs then looked back at the library monitors' office.

The door was already locked. The lights were off. No one was hiding there.

Unless the enemy could pass through walls or teleport, under such conditions, no one should be able to enter this building. I also heard Senpai mention that her room has a barrier erected so even people with gifts had no way of intruding her room.

In other words, in this instant--

"Fujisato-san and Kuhou-san, welcome."

If Senpai did not open the management room's wooden door personally like right now to invite visitors into the room, no one could invade Senpai's room.

"Great! Shiinamachi-senapi, thanks for having us!"

"Pardon my intrusion, Senpai."

Then the two girls stepped into Senpai's room… Hmm, I really didn't sense any suspicious presences.

Shiki nodded at me lightly unobtrusively, telling me that she did not sense anything special either.

With that, once the door to the clock tower management room was shut--

--A locked room was born and no one else could possible invade from outside.

At the same time, this meant that the culprit could be one of these two girls…

No, there's no problem.

Even if that were true, there would still be no problem.

I kept persuading myself.

Then I stepped into the room--

Click.

I heard Shiki lock the wooden door.

Then everyone chatted nonstop, this continued for a few hours.

"Ooh…"

I'm the only one who was making a strange groan.

Once girls started chatting enthusiastically, I find it impossible to join in as a boy.

The cakes they tried nearby, making DIY jewelry, trivial things that happened in school, etc. Most of the time, it would be Fujisato excitedly bringing up all sorts of topics then the other three girls would smile then share their own thoughts and experiences. Watching them I really couldn't help but smile. But because there wasn't much continuity between their topics, whenever I came to my senses with a start, I noticed that they had already changed topics so most of the time, I was unable to keep up with their pace.

They looked quite happy, this laughing quartet… Even a mild sense of smiling had surfaced on Shiki's face. Seeing this scene, I could help but think: Maybe I shouldn't force a stiff smile in consideration of everyone, instead I should nod quietly and pretend to be a boy who's good at listening? But thoughts aside, I was in fact reach my limit.

Just at this time, I noticed that everyone's cup was almost empty so I happily walked to the kitchen. The kitchen was some distance from the living room, on the far side of the suite, so they could not see my figure. Finally able to relax, I took this opportunity to stretch.

The tea party was going smoothly. Although it had yet to enter the pajamas party stage, as soon as midnight passed, the girls would probably start changing. At the same time, the dangerous experiment was going to start too. Shiki was frequently checking but Fujisato and Kuhou did not make any suspicious moves.

I somehow got the feeling that things won't end peacefully but somewhere in the depths of my heart, I really hoped that everything conclude here.

With these two feeling smashing and tugging away in my heart and still participate in a casual girls' conversation… I really was unable to accomplish such a delicate mission.

I reorganized my thoughts and opened the fridge. For this party, the fridge was stocked with drinks, cake, pudding, etc that we had just bought. If we didn't finish eating and drinking all this stuff, I'm sure Shiinamachi-senpai won't have to worry about the issue of snacks and junk food for quite a while.

The most popular drink was oolong tea, hence the oolong tea bottle was currenly empty. If I had to hazard a guess, the girls didn't really want to drink high-calorie beverages like cola or orange juice, etc.

Based on that, the next popular drink was probably barley tea.

Deciding that, I took out the bottle of barley tea.

"By the way, Senpai, what's your opinion of Monjirou?"

Probably because she saw me run over to the kitchen, Fujisato discretely asked Senpai that question in a quiet voice.

Oh Fujisato, I have gone through special training after all so my hearing is actually pretty good. Even if you lower your voice like that, I can still hear you.

Thinking that to myself, I still couldn't help but perk up my ears when I heard others discussing me.

"Eh, I-I of course… think he's a good guy…"

"Hmm? Senpai, do really think he's just a good guy and nothing else?"

Kuhou, you shouldn't force Shiinamachi-senpai any further. Although "just a good guy" feels a bit pathetic, this kind of question is really hard to answer honestly in front of others, right? And the person in question is still in the kitchen, you know?

"I find him… very reliable…"

Senpai's voice grew smaller and smaller. I know that Senpai probably lowered her voice on purpose possibly because she was worried I'd hear her, but I was very curious about what was to come.

"Oh dear, let's stop talking about me. Fujisato-san, Kuhou-san, how do you two feel about Jirou-kun?"

This question piqued my curiosity equally. I regarded these two cute girls as friends but how did they see me? I'm sure any boy in my position would really want to the know the answer, right?

"I think Monjirou is super cute! And he's super amusing!"

Hearing Fujisato's answer, I thought to myself, "what the heck is up with super cute" while unable to suppress a smile on my lips.

Although a girl's definition of "cute" could be quite broad, judging from what Fujisato said, it probably meant that I was not hard to deal with.

On a totally unrelated note, this kind of topic was especially potent when someone happens to overhear others talking about him when he was not supposed to be listening. This has been proven in psychology that this was very suitable for manipulating one person's impression of another.

The more a piece of news was obtained by chance, the more certainty you'll believe in it. This is actually a natural psychological reaction. In other words, right now in my heart, my opinion of Fujisato was rising straight up.

"Monjirou, what's so funny with barley tea in your hand?"

"Ugh!"

I came to my senses to see Shiki already standing behind me without my noticing.

"Nothing. I really want to leave the kitchen but they seem to be chatting about a topic that's not so appropriate for me to appear…"

"You're clearly not going to the washroom, yet delaying your return to your seat. This is very easy to rouse other's suspicions."

"True…"

"If you start making out with me passionately here, then there's a perfectly legitimate reason for not returning to your seat."

"Although that would constitute a reason for me not returning to my seat, the result afterwards will be very tragic."

"If making out passionately won't be accompanied by any problems, you're going to put it into action?"

"Sorry, even if that were the case, I still won't do it."

"Monjirou, you're such a naughty boy."

It's been a long while since I last heard the term "naughty boy." If I remember right, it meant someone mischievous.

"I'm a bit curious about listening further to see what they'll chat about…"

I really wanted to know how everyone felt about me. But more importantly, I wanted them to speak freely without reservation, to build up a deep friendship. This was my greatest wish.

"I can understand. If anyone is mixing fake emotions into this kind of dialogue, I might be able to detect it from their voice."

So Shiki came running here to read things outside of what was being discussed. Currently, she was covering her left ear with her left hand, looking like she was making a "I don't want to listen" kind of gesture but probably making volume adjustments in fact. To avoid disturbing her, I stopped my motion of pouring barley tea into the paper cup.

"Kuhou-san, then what do you think?"

I heard Senpai asking Kuhou with a very interested tone of voice.

"Hmm, I like Senpai quite a bit. I think Monjirou-senpai and I seem particularly drawn together by fate."

"Really?"

"Yes. There are more things in common between us than I thought, so I'm quite interested in him."

"Eh? Meaning that Nagi, you're actually, towards Monjirou…"

"Who knows? If I could develop romantic feelings for Senpai, I think that would be quite happy actually."

Kuhou said these words honestly. Just listening to the words alone, even I felt a little embarrassed but for some reason, her words--

"…I can sense a kind of loneliness in her words together with a kind of resignation feeling towards the world."

Hearing Shiki's comment, I confirmed that my feeling was correct.

Loneliness and resignation.

Although I couldn't see Kuhou's face while she was talking, would her face be filled with sorry actually?

"Oh my, the topic seems to have taken a gloomy turn? Oh right, I'd like to ask Shiinamachi-senpai too."

"Oh okay. Please ask?"

"Yesterday, Monjirou-senpai told us some interesting things. We talked about deductive games, gifts and other topics. When I was listening to Senpai, I thought… Although it's just a game, but why would Senpai still be able to tell everyone that 'the culprit is short in height' after getting murdered?"

Oh, that was the part I wasn't able to explain well. If I said that Senpai actually didn't die, then it would be quite weird for me as the person providing information.

"Oh okay, that's because… Within the story's setting, in the end, I didn't die."

"Haha, I see. Then in real life, Senpai will die like an ordinary person?"

"Yes… I think right now, I probably would die."

The instant Shiinamachi-senpai answered in that manner…

All the lights in the clock tower management room went off, plunging everything into darkness.

"Wah, what's going on, a power failure!?"

I heard Fujisato cry out in a panic but could not hear the other two girls' voices.

"Monjirou."

Next to me, I heard Shiki call out sharply then I felt someone pull my left hand.

"Shiki, this is…"

"I don't think there is any need to ask at the moment."

The current situation was clearly quite suspicious.

As soon as Senpai answered Kuhou that she can die right now, this abnormal situation immediately happened. In other words… Everything had started already?

Probably thanks to her gift, Shiki ran in the darkness without hesitation. My entire view was dark. By chance, I looked at her, only to see--

A faint golden light fluttering in the air, looking like a butterfly.

That was… Shiki's left eye.

The golden left eye normally covered by her bangs was moving currently with the light, as though encouraging me.

I heard some kind of sound.

It sounded like someone stepping hard on the floor.

That was the sound from that time!

"In that case!"

I charged towards the direction Shiki had pulled me then took off my glasses.

Next, I threw a knife at the location of foosteps.

"!"

Separated by darkness, I heard someone suppress their breath on the other side.

Clang!

I heard the sound of a thrown knife getting deflected.

"Wah, what's going on, what on earth is happening!?"

Fujisato cried out in a panic.

At the same time, someone pulled the curtains open.

Outside the window, there happened to be a full moon in the sky, its faint moonlight streaming into the room.

The figures illuminated under the moonlight was…

First of all, it was Shiinamachi-senpai pulling the curtains.

Next to her was Shiki, trying to protect her.

Then--

"Kuhou…"

My junior--Kuhou Nagi--was standing there, a large knife held in each hand.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Translator's Notes and References

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