Editing Ousama Game:Volume 1 Command 6

==Command 6 [Saturday, 24 October 08:06]==

There were two unread messages in the phone.

"Eh...One of them is from Chiemi that is telling us to hurry back to school...but how can we go to school with our mood now?"

"Yeah. You're right."

Then, he opened the other message.

*[10/24 Saturday 00:00
*From: The King
*Subject: The King's Game
*Body: This is the King's Game in which everyone in your class is participating. The King's command is absolute and must be done within 24 hours. ※ You can not withdraw from the game. 
*＊Command 6: Student Number 21 Hashimoto Naoya and Student Number 9 Ueda Kana— Every student will have to carry out a friendship popularity voting of the two of them. The one with the lower popularity will be punished. If the popularity voting is not carried out, both of them will be punished. ※ Spoilt Votes are not allowed.
*END]

The moment Nobuaki saw the message he lost his strength and dropped his phone onto the floor.

"I almost forgot...Naoya was the one appointed this time. Why should it be Naoya..."

"A popularity voting? The loser will be punished? Doesn't this mean someone must suffer this time? If I win, then Kana will be punished; if I lose, I'll be punished."

Naoya held his hand, agonizing. If he wanted to live he must sacrifice his classmate. The voters would also feel bad because the results will most probably decide the one who will die. 

This voting was really a voting of 'friendship'.

Nobuaki immediately phoned Chiemi.

"Are you at school now?"

"Yes. Why haven't you guys come yet? We still have lessons on Saturday."

"We'll be coming right now! I also have some other things to tell you."

"What?"

Nobuaki swallowed hard and said,

"The King's Game is real. Daisuke was hung dead right beside us."

"Eh? So...Daisuke is already...? So, what should we do about the King's command this time?"

"We must carry it out. If we don't, Naoya will be punished. I will be coming school now to explain to our class."

"..."

"I will do my best to safeguard Naoya!"

Nobuaki exclaimed and hung up the call.

Naoya who was beside him was still holding his head, kneeling on the floor.

"Let's go to school!"

"There's nothing we can do even if we go to school..."

Nobuaki gripped Naoya by the wrist and pulled him up forcibly.

"If we have to vote, then you must have more votes than Kana!"

"But then Kana will be punished..."

Looking at Naoya who was freaked out by fear, Nobuaki angrily reprimanded,

"Do you want me to see how you're being punished?! Though I don't know what the punishment is, it will most likely kill you! I cannot bear with such consequence!"

"Nobuaki..."

"I must not let you be punished! What I'm saying might be totally unforgiveable towards Kana, but still, you must win."

Nobuai and Naoya ran to school in quick steps. At the classroom door, Nobuaki pushed the door open and glared at Shouta defiantly<!--sharply-->.

"Nobuaki! You're late again. What's wrong with you—opening the door so violently? Have you not introspected enough?"

Nobuaki didn't hear a word of what the teacher was saying and charged to Shouta's seat directly. He violently threw a punch at Shouta's face, throwing Shouta off the chair and having a pratfall right on the floor. A deafening clamour stormed in the classroom. A few girls also screeched.

"It's all because of you that Daisuke is hung dead! It's your fault..."

Nobuaki fiercely scolded Shouta who was sitting on the floor, puzzled.

"Nobuaki! What are you doing? You can't hit others!"

The teacher hold Nobuaki from behind but Nobuaki still shouted,

"It's all because of you that Daisuke would..."

"Ouch! Why did you suddenly hit me? Do you want a fight?"

"A fight? No problem! But now isn't the time for this..."

"What happened to Daisuke? He haven't yet arrive to school today."

Hearing the Taichi's question, he said, pretending to be calm,

"No. Nothing."

And then he kneeled down in front of the teacher in request,

"I'm really sorry. I won't hit Yahiro again, nor would I argue with him. Although now is the time for class, I want you to give me five minutes! Please!"

"What the heck are you doing, Nobuaki? Stand up now."

Nobuaki lifted his face up, looked at the teacher, and continued his plea,

"Only four minutes, please!"
"Four minutes, right? If that's what you want, then four minutes will it be. Don't fight."

The teacher said with a bothered expression.

"I know! Thanks!"

Nobuaki stood up and patted the dust off of his knees. After the teacher went out of the classroom, Nobuaki walked up to the teacher's table and first apologised to Shouta.

"I'm sorry for hitting you just then!"

"Why did you suddenly punch me? Did I offend you?"

Shouta didn't look wanting to let matters rest and spoke out loudly, provocating Nobuaki.

"I know you're angry, but hear me first! If you still want to hit me, then do it."

"This is what you said!"

After that, Nobuaki turned to other students in the class and said in an extremely serious tone,

"The King's Game is for real."

The class turned into shrieks instantly. Shouta then sneered,

"How will that happen? Is your brain right? Have you gone nuts?"

Nobuaki neglected Shouta's response and continued,

"Yesterday, Naoya and I were worried that Daisuke would have an episode, so we stayed with him at his place for the night. Daisuke had no intention of hanging himself, nor did we wanted to suicide. But when we fell asleep, he was hung dead."

There was another uproar in the classroom.

"Daisuke is dead?"

"Is the King's Game for real?"

"Daisuke's dead...for real?"

Noticing that everyone was quite incredulous, Nobuaki continued,

"This is absolutely true. Hideki, Shitomi, and Daisuke all died because of it. In these short days all of them were hung dead. This isn't any coincidence."

Shouta asked sceptically,

"Was Daisuke really hung dead?" 

"Yes...Naoya and I are the witnesses. Inside the room where we slept, Daisuke...was hung dead at the other side of where we slept."

"Was he hung because of my command?"

Shouta's face turned miserably pale.

"Looking at the results, yes. However, you didn't know the King's Game was for real at that time, and so was I."

"I...What have I done!"

"I really want to punch you, and so I did.<!--what??--> Yet, I wouldn't blame it on you for this. After all, you're too angry for Misaki at that time that made you reproaching Daisuke."

"Actually I haven't thought of reproaching Shouta for Misaki's episode. After all, we thought the King's Game was only for fun."

Mami said as she looked at Shouta.

"Everyone thought the King's Game was only a farce and didn't thought the punishment was real. When Hideki and Shitomi died, I also thought it was a coincidence..."

Hiroko continued after Mami. Then a lot of students continued and said they won't reproach Shouta for this.

Of course, there were also some that couldn't forgive him. They just didn't say it out. When everyone started playing the King's Game in frenzy, they thought it was simply a joke.

"Nevertheless, I'm quite sure the King' Game is real for this time. The command of the King's Game this time is to carry out a friendship voting between Naoya and Kana. Does everyone want to vote?"

Nobuaki's question that sounded redundant was fleetingly rejected by Mami.

"Of course we'll vote! If we don't, Naoya and Kana will be punished altogether!"

"But whether the results go for Naoya or Kana, however we vote for them, one must lose, and the punishment may likely be the cost of their lives, do you still want to vote?"

After Nobuaki analysed the problem clearly, Mami who just rebuked him suddenly calmed down.

"Then it wouldn't be good...because we would be the judge of their lives. I can't do this."

"True in normal circumstances, but now if everyone refuses to vote then both of them will be punished. Therefore I think we should still vote. The premise is that Naoya and Kana are both willing to be voted."

Hearing Nobaki, an in-awe atmosphere filled the classroom.

"What does this mean?"

"If Naoya and Kana don't want to carry out the friendship voting, they will have to be punished altogether. So the final decision is on their hands."

Listening to Nobuaki, Naoya quickly replied,

"I have to participate in the friendship voting!"

"Naoya has already decided! How about Kana?"

Kana stared at the celing blankly for a while then said with determination,

"I don't want to be punished too! I'll also participate in the friendship voting!"

"It's decided then. No matter the circumstances, no matter how it ends up, you two can't grudge each other, because it was your own decision to do so! Also, everyone must think seriously of who to vote for."

"When will we vote then?"

Kana stood up to ask Nobuaki.

"There are only lessons in the morning, so let's do it at 1 p.m. in the classroom, shall we?"

"Got it."

"Then we'll vote in the classroom at one. Please be here at that time, everyone."

Naoya and Kana had agreed. Nobuaki ran to the staff room to look for their class teacher to go back to the classroom for the lesson.

"Sir, I've finished what I said. Thanks."

"Very well. I was afraid of Tasaki Daisuke so I phoned his place, but there wasn't anyone answering the phone. So I think he most likely wouldn't show up for class today. Have you asked him why he didn't come?"

"...I didn't."

"Is that so? If there is anything wrong with him please tell me."

"Yes..."

The teacher and Nobuaki walked back to the classroom together. The class had already pacified and returned to a calm state—at least on the surface that was.