Original chapter: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n0383ht/72/

 

 

 

A few minutes after receiving Chihiro's call, Kiori left her apartment and headed for a hotel within Hikarinomiya City.

 

She hadn't fully recovered yet, but she simply couldn't stay still anymore.

 

That being said, there was no way she could publish the information she'd gotten from Chihiro in an article. So, the first thing Kiori did was convey that fact to his parents.

 

Arriving at the hotel where the Shimakawa couple was staying, she took the elevator up to their floor.

 

The moment she reached the floor and the doors opened—Kiori bumped right into the Shimakawa couple, who looked like they were in a panic.

 

"Mr. and Mrs. Shimakawa?!"

 

Kiori was surprised.

 

Naturally, the Shimakawas were surprised as well.

 

The husband, Ryo, questioned Kiori.

 

"You're the reporter, Ushizawa san, right? What brings you here?"

 

"There was news that a survivor had been found, but our family hadn't received any contact—so I thought, maybe."

 

Ryo also knew that Kiori's relative was caught up in this incident.

 

If an identity had been confirmed, the family should have been contacted immediately.

 

The fact that she hadn't been contacted—meant exactly that.

 

Ryo's expression clouded over apologetically.

 

"I see... It's true that we received a call. It seems the one they found is Daichi."

 

"Congratulations, I'm so glad to hear that."

 

Kiori showed a smile.

 

But her pale complexion must have been obvious even to Ryo.

 

"But your niece is..."

 

"They haven't found a body yet. Until they do, I've decided to believe she's alive. More importantly, you're in a hurry, aren't you? Let's talk while we move."

 

Prompted by her, the Shimakawa couple got into the elevator.

 

"Have you called a taxi?"

 

"We were just about to."

 

"Then would you like to ride in my car?"

 

"Is that alright?"

 

"If you don't mind riding in a reporter's car."

 

"Of course we don't mind. Thank you, that helps a lot."

 

Now she had an excuse to head to the hospital.

 

Though she didn't think it would be a situation where she could easily ask around once inside.

 

The elevator reached the first floor.

 

The three of them headed to the parking lot.

 

"What is Daichi san's condition?"

 

"Well, about that..."

 

Ryo's wife's expression changed.

 

Pressing a handkerchief to her mouth, her shoulders began to shake.

 

"It's not very good, then."

 

"Yeah, we were told he's unconscious and in critical condition."

 

They got into the car.

 

Kiori sat in the driver's seat, while the Shimakawa couple sat together in the back.

 

The anxious wife leaned against Ryo.

 

Just because they knew he was alive didn't mean it was a situation where they could feel relieved.

 

"Um... we were told he's lost several of his limbs. Apparently, it's a miracle he's even alive."

 

"Modern medicine has advanced a lot. I'm sure they can save his life."

 

"I hope so. In whatever shape, just being alive is enough. Oh, and also."

  

"Was there something else?"

 

"Apparently, he was deliriously calling out, Big brother."

 

"Yuya kun, you mean. He still hasn't..."

 

"He hasn't been found. But maybe, wherever they were sent, maybe he saved Daichi."

 

Without knowing what happened at the academy, it was nothing more than a romantic's imagination.

 

But if they didn't imagine a beautiful story like that, their minds would likely break.

 

It was the same for Kiori.

 

While they were talking, they arrived near the hospital.

 

It seemed the Shimakawa couple had been instructed to enter through the back entrance instead of the main one.

 

However—

 

"Look at the sheer number of people..."

 

"The media is swarming the place. It's going to be difficult to get inside like this."

 

The moment the Shimakawa couple arrived—word would surely spread that either Shimakawa Daichi or Shimakawa Yuya was the survivor.

 

"Can you contact the hospital? I think it would be best to explain the current situation and ask for their advice."

 

"Y-Yeah, I'll do that."

 

Ryo called the hospital.

 

It seemed the hospital side was also aware of the surrounding situation, and thanked them for not carelessly showing themselves in front of the media.

 

After some discussion, it was arranged for them to slip inside by hiding in a delivery truck bringing in supplies.

 

Kiori parked her car in a parking lot a short distance away and headed to the rendezvous point with the truck.

 

Successfully slipping into the cargo bed alongside the Shimakawa couple, they headed inside the hospital.

 

◆◆◆

 

 

Getting out of the back of the truck, Kiori and the Shimakawa couple were greeted by a nurse.

 

Fortunately, it wasn't Chihiro, but naturally, suspicious eyes were cast upon Kiori.

 

"Who are you?"

 

A female nurse directed a sharp gaze at her.

 

Ryo hurriedly stepped in to cover for her.

 

"This person is an acquaintance of mine. We met because we both have relatives caught up in this incident. She kindly gave us a ride close to the hospital just now."

 

"I see... however, we can only guide family members inside. I must ask you to leave."

 

"I understand. I have no intention of trying to see Daichi kun. But, couldn't you at least let me wait somewhere inside the hospital?"

 

"...Since we are busy right now, as long as you do not get in the way."

 

That's fine, Kiori nodded.

 

Then, only the Shimakawa couple was guided toward the intensive care unit.

 

Left alone inside the hospital, Kiori observed her surroundings.

 

"It's... calmer than I thought."

 

It was undeniably busy, but it wasn't overflowing with corpses.

 

Since the vast majority of the bodies were severely decomposed, they were likely pronounced dead at the scene, and identity verification was probably being handled by the police over there.

 

At the same time, this meant a massive number of obvious casualties had occurred.

 

"It really is an insane incident..."

 

Now that she was here, her poor health came creeping back.

 

Feeling dizzy, Kiori bought a juice from a vending machine and sat down on a nearby bench.

 

While slowly sipping the warm honey juice, she spotted Chihiro down the hallway.

 

Chihiro hadn't noticed her yet.

 

Kiori stared intently, observing her.

 

"Why is she... so cool?"

 

And yet, at home, she could be sloppy, and she had a cute side too.

 

She loved her.

 

Always, since high school, for over 10 years now.

 

Chihiro had loved Kiori back, too.

 

It was a given.

 

It was so obvious that she thought things were fine just the way they were.

 

"If I had just hurried up and confessed, would something have changed?"

 

As she muttered that to herself, Chihiro suddenly turned toward Kiori.

 

Their eyes met.

 

For a moment, Chihiro looked surprised and bewildered—but her expression quickly shifted to a smile. She gave a small wave and walked off somewhere.

 

Though, that smile was terribly stiff.

 

Caught off guard, Kiori couldn't even wave back.

 

"Haah... I hate this, seriously."

 

She should have been happy.

 

No, a part of her was definitely happy, and that was exactly why she hated herself for not being able to react.

 

But at the same time, she also felt a flash of anger toward Chihiro for smiling so casually when they hadn't even reconciled yet.

 

How much easier would it be if she could just honestly express her love?

 

To begin with, since Kiori didn't need anything other than Chihiro's affection, there was no point in fighting like this—the moment she thought that, she recalled the day Chihiro had stayed out until morning.

 

"Ugh, ghh..."

 

She imagined it.

 

Chihiro being held by someone else.

 

Instantly, a wave of intense nausea surged up, and she clamped a hand over her mouth.

 

She barely managed to suppress it by taking deep breaths, but combined with her already poor health, a terrible chill washed over her.

 

"Are you alright?"

 

A passing nurse called out to Kiori.

 

She hurriedly lifted her head to explain.

 

"A-Ahaha... I'm fine."

 

"You look extremely pale."

 

"This is... I've been like this ever since the incident happened."

 

"Ah, you're someone connected to the victims."

 

"Well, yes."

 

Her reason for being here was actually different, but it wasn't a lie.

 

When Kiori answered like that, the nurse headed toward the vending machine.

 

Was she on break?

 

If so, this might be a chance to ask some questions.

 

"Excuse me, nurse. There's something I'd like to ask you."

 

"What is it?"

 

Asking about Shimakawa Daichi—there was no doubt she wouldn't get an answer even if she asked.

 

"Do you know a nurse named Tomizu san?"

 

It was the woman in the photo Renjo had shown her.

 

The name of the nurse working here who was murdered by the Kaisei kyou a short while ago.

 

Hearing the name Tomizu, the woman wore a surprised expression.

 

"You knew her?"

 

"I heard about her through a friend. I heard she took her own life."

 

"Yes..."

 

The nurse sat down next to Kiori.

 

It seemed she was willing to sit and talk.

 

And judging from her reaction, her colleagues also harbored doubts about Tomizu's death.

 

"But I just can't believe it. I can't imagine she was the kind of person who would end her own life."

 

"What kind of woman was she?"

 

"She was a bright girl. She had clear goals for her future, and we even went out drinking together the day before she died."

 

"The day before? Did she seem like she was burdened by any worries then?"

 

"Not at all. On the contrary, she said she found a good catch, and even went home with one of the men we were drinking with. She likes older guys, so she usually doesn't go off with guys our own age."

 

"So, it was a mixer...?"

 

"Yes, exactly."

 

A nurse, a mixer—Kiori had a thought.

 

The day Chihiro stayed out until morning, and the day Tomizu died should have been very close.

 

She wanted to ask if Chihiro had participated in it.

 

But right now, she prioritized extracting information about the incident over her personal desires.

 

"Could you tell me what kind of man he was, or anything like that?"

 

"Hmm... I don't mind, but what are you going to do with that information once you investigate it?"

 

"You're right, it was unfair of me not to reveal my identity. Actually, I am this kind of person."

 

Giving in, Kiori handed the nurse her business card.

 

The nurse read the company name aloud and looked at her with a suspicious gaze.

 

"A newspaper reporter?"

 

"A small local one, yes."

 

"How did a reporter get inside? No one is supposed to be allowed in."

 

"I'm an acquaintance of Mr. Shimakawa. Right when I was talking to the couple, the hospital contacted them to say their son was alive."

 

"So you brought the couple here? No wonder you got in. And come to think of it, if your goal was an interview, you'd be asking about Shimakawa san, not Tomizu."

 

"Well, asking about Tomizu san is also for an interview, in a way."

 

"Does it have something to do with the current incident?"

 

"It... might."

 

When Kiori answered, the nurse suddenly looked anxious.

 

"Do you have some idea about Tomizu san's death?"

 

"Um... well, it'll probably come out later anyway, so it should be fine. Actually, a complaint reached our hospital."

 

"A complaint?"

 

"It seems among the skeletal remains found in the school rubble today, they managed to identify one of the bodies. And they're claiming that person had already been cremated."

 

"Even though they were cremated... their bones were found at the school...?"

 

"In other words, they're suspecting the body was swapped out somewhere before cremation. The family called our hospital, since we confirmed the death. I'm sure they've gone to the crematorium and funeral home too, though."

 

"For what purpose would they do such a—"

 

At that moment, Kiori remembered.

 

The word "sacrifice" that the Ikuna couple had used.

 

If Hikarinomiya Academy was a facility of the Kaisei kyou, and it was used to summon God.

 

"No way. On a scale like that, those guys..."

 

"Do you know who did it?"

 

"...I have a suspect organization in mind. But I'm sorry, I can't drag you into this. Because there's a possibility Tomizu san was killed because of it."

 

"Killed?!"

 

"Please, keep your voice down. If anyone hears... it'll be really bad."

 

"T-Then, as I thought... Tomizu was killed because she spread that rumor..."

 

"Rumor?"

 

"There's a rumor that there's a room in the basement of our hospital where no one is allowed to enter, and they dismantle bodies there to sell them. Originally, it was just a silly ghost story... but a little while ago, Tomizu said she saw the hospital director disappear."

 

"Disappear, meaning..."

 

"She said she saw him walk into a dead-end room with no other exits, but when she checked, he was gone. So people started saying the secret room really exists, and maybe they're processing bodies there..."

 

The nurse named Tomizu had discovered the entrance to the secret room and was killed because she spread the rumor.

 

Or perhaps she had seen something even more core to their operations while chasing the rumor.

 

Either way, there was no mistaking that this was the reason she was erased by the Kaisei kyou.

 

"If she was murdered, letting it be treated as a suicide is just too pitiful for her. Her parents were suffering so much, too."

 

"I feel the same way. That's why—"

 

"Yes, the man from the mixer, right."

 

"And if you don't mind, information on the other participants as well."

 

"That's fine. I know their names and where they work, at least."

 

Thus, Kiori obtained the background of the man who went home with Tomizu.

 

After jotting it down in her notebook... steeling her resolve, she asked the nurse:

 

"Also, this is a separate matter entirely, but."

 

"Is there something else?"

 

"Was Aogara Chihiro participating in that mixer?"

 

"Aogara san? Hehe, no, she wasn't."

 

"Why did you laugh?"

 

"Because there's no way Aogara san would ever participate in something like that."

 

"You have a reason to be so certain?"

 

"She's always bragging about how she has a lover she's been living with for over ten years."

 

"Eh..."

 

"She's cool and beautiful, so she's really popular with the men, but she's so close with her lover that there isn't a single opening for anyone to exploit. It's a wonder they aren't married yet. So even if you invited her to a mixer, she'd turn you down instantly."

 

Kiori felt her face grow hot involuntarily.

 

A lover she's been living with for over ten years—there's no one else but her.

 

But to think she had been talking about her as her lover to everyone else, even though she hadn't confessed to Kiori herself.

 

It was embarrassing.

 

More than that, she was happy.

 

She was happy, but—that was exactly why it was so sad.

 

"U-Um, Ushizawa san? Why are you crying..."

 

"No... It's nothing, it's really, nothing. I see, Chihiro... didn't go to any mixer, then."

 

"Yes, she shouldn't have. Ah, but recently she's been lacking her usual energy, and she's been making more mistakes, so everyone is worried about her."

 

"Is that so... Thank you, very much."

 

"No problem. Please, do what you can about Tomizu's case."

 

Bowing to each other, Kiori left the spot.

 

Even so, she couldn't exactly go outside where the media swarmed, so she just moved to a different rest area further away.

 

While walking, she wiped her tears over and over again, but no matter how much she wiped, the drops kept falling.

 

 Passing doctors and nurses looked at her suspiciously, but feeling embarrassed by that only made her walk faster naturally.

 

"Why... then why... Chihiro..."

 

Her mind was completely filled with thoughts of Chihiro, and before she knew it, she couldn't even see the scenery around her.

 

Walking in that state, she inevitably bumped into someone.

 

"Ouch!"

 

"Kyaah?!"

 

It was a voice she recognized.

 

Falling on her behind, she looked up to see a surprised Chihiro.

 

"Kiori?! That's dangerous, you need to look where you're walking."

 

"Ugh... uu... uuuu...!"

 

There was a mountain of things she wanted to say.

 

But she was at work right now, and her words wouldn't come together anyway, and even if they did, she was crying so hard she wouldn't be able to vocalize them properly.

 

"Uwaaah, au, uguuu...!"

 

"K-Kiori, what's wrong? Why are you suddenly crying?"

 

Naturally, the gazes of the people around them focused on the two of them.

 

While bewildered, Chihiro placed a hand on Kiori's head.

 

"T-There, there. Did it hurt?"

 

"It hurt... it hurts... it really, even now, hurts..."

 

"I see... I'm sorry."

 

"You should be, it's your fault... I don't know, hic, what you're thinking. Chihiro, you..."

 

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry."

 

Biting down her embarrassment, Chihiro pulled Kiori tightly into a hug.

 

In the hospital hallway, bathed in the attention of various people, Kiori hugged her back fiercely.

 

"Let's take our time and talk when we get back home."

 

"Yeah, yeah."

 

"But, right now..."

 

"I know... you're working, right..."

 

Separating from her, Kiori sniffled loudly, her eyes bright red.

 

Still somewhat bewildered, Chihiro made an effort to direct the gentlest expression she could at Kiori.

 

"Lying about going to a mixer, or staying out all night. You just pretended to go out drinking and stayed alone at a hotel or something, didn't you."

 

"Eh? Ah, you figured it out..."

 

"You have to explain everything to me."

 

"Yes, you're right. I'll tell you everything. Um... depending on how things go, today..."

 

"You might not be able to come home, right? I'll probably be busy too, so whenever things settle down is fine."

 

"Thank you."

 

Chihiro reached out a hand to Kiori.

 

She grasped it firmly and stood up.

 

Then, looking straight into her eyes, she declared:

 

"Also."

 

"Hmm?"

 

"I love you."

 

Chihiro froze.

 

Kiori's face was flushed red all the way to the tips of her ears.

 

"I figured if I didn't say it now, you might run away again."

 

"I won't run away!"

 

"What about you, Chihiro?"

 

Prompted like that, Chihiro glanced around restlessly, mindful of the eyes on them.

 

Fortunately, there were no nurses or doctors in sight at the moment.

 

Everyone was far too busy to have the luxury of paying attention to the two of them.

 

Therefore, Chihiro answered clearly.

 

"I... love you too."

 

"I knew it. Since we're lovers who have been living together for over ten years, after all."

 

"Wh—How much do you..."

 

"Hehe, don't underestimate a reporter. Well then, see you later!"

 

Waving her hand, Kiori walked away.

 

Chihiro wanted to chase after her and interrogate her about various things, but she truly couldn't afford to step away from work any longer.

 

 

◆◆◆

 

 

The world is changing.

 

The stagnant time is moving forward.

 

It felt almost as if the curse cast by the Kaisei kyou was unraveling.

 

However, accompanied by a great many sacrifices.

 

After resting for a while, Kiori spoke with the Shimakawa couple and left the hospital.

 

The two of them said they would be staying at the hospital for the time being.

 

With the situation outside as it was, it would be difficult for them to leave anyway; one could say they had no other choice.

 

The destination Kiori was heading to was a certain office building in Hikarinomiya City.

 

It was supposedly the building where the company of the mixer participant was located.

 

By the way, she had already confirmed that the Hiyami Group had no connection to their capital or business partners.

 

The company itself was believed to have little to no connection to the Kaisei kyou.

 

However, the man working here was not the person who had acted alongside Tomizu.

 

She had investigated his company first, but a company by that name didn't exist in Hikarinomiya, let alone anywhere in Japan.

 

In other words, he had been lying.

 

It's highly likely he intended to lure Tomizu away and murder her from the very start.

 

That's why she intended to question the other participant of the same mixer, the one who brought that man along.

 

It was about two hours until his clock-out time.

 

She had no choice but to wait—or so Kiori thought, but luckily, her target happened to walk right past her.

 

It seemed he had just returned from outside sales.

 

Kiori hurriedly got out of her car and grabbed the man's arm.

 

"Hello, Furuse san."

 

"W-Who are you?"

 

"I am this kind of person."

 

When she presented her business card, the man named Furuse tilted his head in confusion.

 

"What business does a newspaper reporter have with me?"

 

"There should have been a man named Yamada at the drinking party you attended the other day."

 

"...!"

 

"Why did you just look away?"

 

"W-What do you mean?"

 

"Please let me hear your story. I won't take much of your time."

 

As she spoke, Kiori thought to herself that she was acting an awful lot like the police.

 

Her methods were forceful, and there was no doubt she was crossing a dangerous bridge.

 

But having taken the first step, she could no longer back down.

 

"I understand... but somewhere with fewer people."

 

"Yes, let's move."

 

The two moved to a spot in the shadow of the building.

 

There was almost no foot traffic, so the risk of being eavesdropped on should be minimal here.

 

"So, is there anything you know about the man named Yamada?"

 

"Does this have to do with the story about that nurse Tomizu dying?"

 

"So you know about that."

 

"I was talking with my friends about how messed up it is."

 

"What is messed up about it?"

 

"Because she was found dead the day after our mixer, right? And what's more, she went home with a guy nobody knew."

 

"A guy nobody knew?"

 

"The guy named Yamada. You see, the truth is... he suddenly contacted me on social media."

 

"A complete stranger?"

 

"I know Yamada himself; he was a classmate of mine in middle school. So I just assumed it was the same guy and set up the mixer, but..."

 

According to Furuse, since he had an acquaintance who was a nurse, he was the one who handled the setup itself.

 

And apparently, Yamada had his sights set on Tomizu from the very beginning, begging him to make absolutely sure she was invited to the mixer.

 

Moved by his desperation, Furuse used his connections to invite her, even though he had never met Tomizu personally.

 

"After the mixer, I heard the girl named Tomizu committed suicide. So I tried to verify it with Yamada on social media. But the account he used to contact me was deleted, so I used connections with my friends from back then to get another contact for him..."

 

"Were you able to contact him?"

 

"I was. But the real Yamada said that wasn't his account. When I investigated like he told me to, Yamada definitely had a different social media account. So then... who was that guy... the man we drank with at the mixer...?"

 

It sounds exactly like a ghost story, Kiori thought.

 

Just listening to it gave her the chills.

 

"Couldn't you tell that Yamada san was a fake just by looking at him?"

 

"He looked exactly like Yamada! Well, his behavior was a bit different, like he seemed older. He smelled a bit like coffee, too—which apparently hit right in the strike zone for that Tomizu girl."

 

"Is there zero possibility it was actually him?"

 

"But the real guy definitely has an alibi. He said he was drinking with other friends that day. And he uploaded pictures of it to his social media right at the time we were having our mixer. On top of that, when I asked him, he said he doesn't even drink coffee!"

 

"In other words, a fake with the exact same face approached you all just to kill Tomizu san?"

 

"I don't know anything! Even if you tell me it was a disguise, I couldn't tell at all. And I swear I'm not lying! I know it sounds like a ridiculous story."

 

"I understand. Because there's nothing more ridiculous than the incidents happening right now in Hikarinomiya."

 

Furuse seemed slightly relieved to finally be able to spill the story he had probably wanted to tell someone for a while.

 

He also genuinely didn't seem to know anything more, so she just exchanged contact info with him and ended the conversation for now.

 

Kiori remained there alone, pondering.

 

"To think the Kaisei kyou guys even have a method to impersonate someone else. Why do they even bother staying in a place like Hikarinomiya?"

 

It was probably to summon their God.

 

But if they turned their eyes to the broader world, there must have been paths to become an even larger organization.

 

It's exactly because they secluded themselves in a narrow space that their stagnation grew so deep and dense.

 

"But it's going to be difficult to track them from here. I don't even know who disguised themselves. But the fact that Renjo san had a photo means there's no doubt they have some connection to the police."

 

She had always thought this whenever Renjo showed her a photo.

 

The corpses in those pictures were all fresh.

 

Meaning they were taken immediately after death.

 

Given that, it was highly likely the police themselves were involved in the actual murders.

 

Which is precisely why covering them up as suicides was so simple.

 

 

 ◆◆◆

 

 

After that, Kiori finished her work at the company and returned home around 10 PM.

 

Even when she said, "I'm home," there was no reply from Chihiro.

 

Judging from how things were, it looked like she'd be staying overnight at the hospital again today.

 

It wasn't necessarily because of that, but Kiori dove face-first into the sofa.

 

"This apartment really is spacious when you're alone."

 

They moved here together a few years ago, but the rent was quite steep for one person.

 

If Chihiro really was planning to move out, Kiori would probably have to leave too.

 

"I made some good progress today, and I want to believe we can reconcile. I mean, I said I loved her... and she said she loved me back."

 

Despite knowing each other for so long, it was the first time they had clearly communicated their feelings.

 

Actually saying it out loud, it was so surprisingly simple she wondered why she hadn't just said it sooner.

 

Of course, she didn't consider that a proper confession.

 

It was like a provisional contract; she would definitely need to convey her feelings properly the next time they talked.

 

In a long speech.

 

"Just knowing Chihiro's feelings makes me feel so much better..."

 

Hugging a cushion tightly, Kiori's cheeks relaxed.

 

She really did love her.

 

She didn't want to part ways.

 

She felt that from the bottom of her heart.

 

In short, Chihiro had determined, for some reason or another, that she needed to distance herself from Kiori.

 

However, while carrying out that plan, seeing Kiori hurt became too much to bear, forcing her to abort it.

 

That was probably the gist of it.

 

"Come to think of it, before Chihiro started acting strange... did she go back to her parents house?"

 

It was only for one night, but there was a day like that.

 

Did her parents say something to her then?

 

For example,

 

『You don't happen to be in love with Chihiro chan, do you?』

 

Saying something like that while looking completely appalled.

 

In Kiori's case, she just answered plainly, 『Yeah, I am』

 

Even if they opposed it, she had no intention of stopping her love for Chihiro.

 

Because she knew perfectly well.

 

That she would never, for the rest of her life, find anyone she loved more than her.

 

"If that was the cause, then she's so weak. Chihiro does have a side like that, though."

 

Chihiro was often thought of as cool and intellectual, but she actually had parts of her that were much mentally weaker than Kiori.

 

Even while working as a nurse, there was a period where she clashed with her colleagues and fell ill. If Kiori hadn't been there, she might have led a much more constrained life.

 

The reverse was also true, of course.

 

While Kiori was grinning to herself thinking about Chihiro, her smartphone's notification chime suddenly rang.

 

A message had arrived.

 

In the sender field, it read: Tomizu.

 

"...Give me a break."

 

She had a violently bad premonition.

 

She didn't want to open it.

 

But she had no choice but to open it.

 

What arrived was an image and a message.

 

The image was—the corpse of the nurse she had spoken with at the hospital today.

 

In a room that looked like an operating room, she had been stabbed countless times from the top of her head to the tips of her toes with scalpels, and was dead.

 

And the message read:

 

『This is your fault.』

 

Nausea surged up.

 

How many times was this today? The swings in her physical condition were so extreme it felt like that alone could break her body.

 

But that wasn't the end.

 

A message from Furuse arrived next.

 

Her bad premonition continued.

 

There was no way a message arriving at this timing could be anything normal.

 

And true to her fears, there was an image of Furuse with his head blown off, and the threat:

 

『Stop now.』

 

The sheer visceral reality of it, because she had just interacted with them while they were "alive" right before this.

 

The sickness she felt was incomparable to the photos she had seen up until now.

 

Finally unable to endure it any longer, Kiori rushed to the toilet and threw up.

 

Fortunately, since it was before dinner, she mostly just threw up stomach acid, but throwing up wouldn't erase the memory of seeing the corpses.

 

Her stomach and chest churned, and just breathing made her feel sick.

 

"Ugh... Haa... Damn it... Taking human lives so lightly, doing something so sick and twisted...!"

 

Murderous intent—was unmistakably closing in on Kiori.

 

But at the same time, she harbored doubts.

 

Why that nurse?

 

Why Furuse?

 

Between someone who merely spoke about Tomizu's incident and Kiori who was chasing the truth, the latter was by far the greater threat.

 

In addition, the crimes were far too direct, and executed far too quickly.

 

In Furuse's case, she had just interviewed him a few hours ago.

 

Yet they already knew he and Kiori had made contact.

 

When they spoke, they moved to a place with no people.

 

There were no lookouts.

 

To begin with, from the moment she moved by car, there shouldn't have been anyone following her.

 

She had received lectures from Renjo and regularly checked her room and car for bugs or similar devices.

 

She had just recently completed a sweep because of the threatening letter she received.

 

Then how did they know?

 

Through occult abilities?

 

No, if they had a power that convenient, there would be no need to go out of their way to use guns to kill them.

 

They could just curse them to death.

 

But taking the trouble to leave photos and send them to Kiori like this—

 

"Is this... truly a warning?"

 

If so, it's far too gentle.

 

And directed only at Kiori.

 

That made it feel all the more eerie.

 

 

◆◆◆ 

 

From the next day, Kiori refrained from conducting interviews outside the company.

 

She didn't intend to yield to the threats.

 

But she couldn't bear the thought of others dying because of her actions.

 

At the academy, the removal of rubble continued, and the identities of the victims were largely becoming clear.

 

The vast majority of those identified were students or teachers, and none of the amusement park guests were included.

 

However, even at the most generous estimate, those students only accounted for about one-third of the total, leading to speculation that the remaining second and third floors might fall belatedly.

 

Furthermore, reports began to surface that the corpses were abnormally decomposed or deformed into grotesque shapes.

 

Even the news programs finally realized this was an incident where scientific reasoning served no purpose, and began reporting on its occult nature.

 

To further compound the chaos, the remains of unidentified foreigners and the skeletal remains of Hikarinomiya citizens who should have been buried were discovered one after another, throwing the situation into absolute confusion.

 

While the news related to Hikarinomiya Academy became a national topic, naturally, the one in the most chaos was Hikarinomiya City itself.

 

What became a particularly hot topic was the discovery of the skeletal remains.

 

As a result of investigations by agencies outside the city, it was determined that those bones had been buried at the school building before the academy vanished.

 

Moreover, just as the nurse at the hospital had said, bones that should have already been cremated and placed in graves or ossuaries were buried at the school building.

 

Swapping corpses could not possibly be executed without the cooperation of not just the police and the hospital, but the local government as well.

 

This raised massive suspicions, and the mayor faced fierce interrogation.

 

But even fiercer was the protest group formed primarily by the bereaved families of the discovered skeletal remains.

 

The bereaved families of the students caught up in the academy's disappearance, citizens angry at the city, and even people from other prefectures joined them, swelling their numbers into a massive crowd that surrounded city hall, the police station, and the hospital.

 

Naturally, Chihiro, a nurse, was caught up in it as well.

 

It had been difficult enough to leave when the media surrounded the hospital, but now it was a mob of protesters.

 

She had made a promise to Kiori.

 

She wanted to go home so badly—yet she ended up staying over for three straight days since that day.

 

The hospital also wanted to send their nurses home, but with the director himself and the doctors he favored having vanished into thin air, they were so short-staffed they simply couldn't.

 

However, the time for things to settle down finally arrived.

 

It was decided to transfer the admitted patients to other hospitals, reducing the workload.

 

Chihiro was finally released from work.

 

She wanted to see Kiori as soon as possible.

 

Thinking that, she stepped out of the hospital with a light step.

 

Then, as if waiting in ambush, a man's angry roar echoed from behind her.

 

"Give me back my sonnnnnnn!"

 

It was discovered later that the perpetrator was a father who had lost his son in the Hikarinomiya Academy incident.

 

Ever since seeing the decomposed, deformed corpse of his son, his mental state had become unstable, and he had been participating in the protests in a state of abnormal agitation.

 

And riding that wave of agitation, he attacked Chihiro with a stick he held in his hand.

 

 

◆◆◆ 

 

 

『Sorry, I got injured and have to be hospitalized.』

 

The moment Kiori saw the message from Chihiro, she bolted out of her house.

 

She sped in her car, heading straight for the hospital.

 

When she passed near the back entrance, she saw a group of police officers gathered there.

 

Was that where Chihiro was attacked?

 

The protesters were hurling some kind of abuse at the police, but Kiori couldn't care less.

 

Jumping out of her car, she pushed her way through the protesters sitting near the entrance, ignoring their angry shouts, and clung to the police officer blocking the door.

 

"My lover was attacked! Please let me in, let me see her!"

 

At first, her circumstances weren't understood and she was turned away at the door, but once they realized she was related to the attacked Aogara Chihiro, they finally let her inside.

 

Guided by a nurse, she burst into the hospital room.

 

"Chihiro!"

 

"Kiori... you came."

 

Wearing a hospital gown and a bandage wrapped around her head, Chihiro weakly raised her hand.

 

Kiori rushed to the bed she was lying on and clasped her hand with both of hers.

 

"You need to tell me these things properly! I only found out you were attacked after hearing you were injured, the blood completely drained from my face...!"

 

Yes, while Kiori was on her way to the hospital, she heard on the radio that a nurse had been attacked by the protesters.

 

Given the timing, it wasn't hard to imagine that it was Chihiro.

 

"I just didn't want to worry you."

 

"Worry me! It's okay to make me worry!"

 

"You're right... why did I hold back?"

 

"No more holding back. We decided we'd talk about everything properly, right?"

 

"Yeah, I will. Thank you, Kiori, for coming. I was so scared when I was attacked, but just seeing your face made me feel better."

 

The two stared at each other with teary eyes.

 

Then, a doctor arrived.

 

"Regarding Aogara san, she has a wound on her head from being struck by a piece of lumber. Also, she seems to have suffered a mild concussion from the impact. Both should heal with rest."

 

"I see, I'm so glad it wasn't severe."

 

"However... it seems the protesters are directing their anger toward Aogara san."

 

"Why Chihiro?!"

 

"The police have already lost all their credibility, so they likely resent the people being protected by them."

 

This involved people's lives and deaths.

 

The anger over Chihiro being attacked was strong, but it was also true that the police had done things they absolutely shouldn't have.

 

Naturally, the murder of Furuse and the others was included in that.

 

"Even so, that doesn't give them the right to hurt Chihiro..."

 

"Ideally, it would be best for her to transfer to another hospital, but that's difficult right now. It would be best for her to remain hospitalized until things cool down."

 

"Hehe, you sound like a politician."

 

"This is no time to be laughing."

 

After all, Kiori knew that murders had taken place in this very hospital.

 

After the doctor left, she asked Chihiro.

 

"Isn't there any way you can transfer to a different hospital?"

 

"Is this place really that scary?"

 

"..."

 

Kiori couldn't say anything.

 

If something were to happen to Chihiro because of her.

 

If that happened, Kiori would suffer far worse than if she died herself.

 

"Even though you said we'd tell each other everything, you're already keeping secrets from me."

 

"I'm sorry. But, to protect you, Chihiro..."

 

"You're thinking the exact same thing I was."

 

"Eh?"

 

"But in my case, my intentions weren't nearly that pure. In the end, I just ended up hurting you, Kiori."

 

"Chihiro..."

 

She was probably talking about the reason why she had been acting strange recently—or at least part of it.

 

Because she was trying to protect Kiori.

 

It might sound like an excuse, but Kiori honestly believed it.

 

Because there was no way Chihiro would ever want to hurt her.

 

"In a way, maybe I just couldn't fully trust you, Kiori. That's why, this time, I'm going to trust you."

 

"Once everything is over, I promise I'll tell you."

 

"I'll be waiting."

 

Saying that, Chihiro intertwined her fingers with Kiori's hand.

 

A comforting body heat transferred to her.

 

Just touching each other like this, Kiori felt as if everything was fulfilled.

 

Surely, Chihiro felt the same way.

 

That was probably why neither of them tried to move forward from there.

 

Because they thought there could be no greater happiness than this.

 

But things are different now.

 

She wanted to see it.

 

Even if it meant taking some risks, she wanted more than this, something beyond this.

 

"I really want to stay here longer."

 

"Then why don't you stay?"

 

"Because of the situation, they said no long visits allowed. But I'll come see you again tomorrow."

 

"How lonely..."

 

"You can use your smartphone, right?"

 

"I'm the one who's always been telling patients, 'Please refrain from phone calls in the hospital rooms,' you know?"

 

"Then it can't be helped, we'll just have to endure with text for now. I'm lonely too, you know; that apartment is way too big for just me."

 

Reluctant to part, the two finally let go of each other's hands.

 

The chants of the protesters could still be heard from outside.

 

There was no way she could break through the front entrance this time either, so Kiori was guided by a nurse and quietly exited through the back door.

 

◆◆◆ 

 

 

Returning to the parking lot, Kiori was about to get into her car.

 

When someone placed a hand on her shoulder.

 

Jumping with a start, she turned around to see a man standing there.

 

"Yo."

 

"Oh, it's just you, Renjo san. Don't scare me like that."

 

Renjo Masayoshi, wearing a black suit, was standing there.

 

"I didn't intend to scare you."

 

"I'd be surprised even if you didn't talk to me from behind. Why are you here?"

 

"Don't underestimate the police. I heard the missy's friend got attacked, so I figured you might be here."

 

"To see me?"

 

"We haven't contacted each other recently, right? I was getting lonely, you know."

 

"What is that, it's creepy."

 

"Even as a joke, that hurts, you know."

 

"If you do that to your daughter, she'll hate you. I... just haven't been moving around much lately, so I didn't have anything to report."

 

For the past three days or so, she hadn't pursued the Kaisei kyou at all.

 

The reason she used to contact Renjo so frequently was largely because Tsumori was acting as an intermediary.

 

"Then shall we have our first info exchange in a while?"

 

"Did you stock up on some fresh photos again?"

 

"Something like that. My car is over here."

 

Kiori followed Renjo's back as he led the way.

 

It wasn't that she suspected anything specific.

 

But for some reason, looking at his back, an unease she had never felt before swirled in her chest.

 

Right before getting into the car—Kiori realized the true nature of that unease.

 

Carried on the cold night wind, she caught the faint scent of coffee.