Blurting out things like “XXX” and “XXX” in that Lolita voice, Miss Kurumiya is really something else!
“…Hmph. Igarashi, I’ll hear a detailed report from you in the discipline room. It appears that you were the one who caused this mess, isn’t that right? Though I beat the basic outline of the situation out of this Saotome asshole I caught in the hallway over there. Oh, and by the way…”
Kurumiya glared at Kyousuke.
“Why the hell are you here, Kamiya? Were you the leader? …Tch, typical. Well, that’s just fine. Come with us to the discipline room. You seem like you’re really underestimating me anyway, so…I’ll take this opportunity to really, truly discipline you. This time, for sure, you won’t escape!”
“…Ah.”
Kyousuke clenched his teeth and held back the objection that only made it as far as his throat. If she says I’m the ringleader, then I guess I must be the ringleader. It was due to his intrusion that Maina, who had been at her wits’ end to begin with, had gone even further over the edge and all hell had broken loose. If he was to be punished for that, then there was no helping it. He took a moment to strengthen his resolve before answering. “…I understand. Just, well, it’s only my first time, so…please be gentle.”
“Sure, leave it to me. With such an engaging quarry, I’ll really do a thorough job.”
“Wha—?”
There was no use arguing, so Kyousuke refused to bother. Dragging Maina along with one hand, Kurumiya approached him. She flung aside the iron pipe, and just before she could grab Kyousuke by the hair with her newly free hand—
“Pwease wait, Miss Kurumiya!” Maina mustered up her voice and shouted in protest. Kurumiya paused as Maina babbled on in her incoherent, infantile speech. “Kyo-Kyousuke had nuffing to do widdit! He just happened to pass by by coincidence… I was caught up in some trouble, so he… I’m telling you, Kyousuke had nuffing to do widdit!”
“…Maina?”
Without meaning to, Kyousuke looked at Maina’s face. Maina, who was being dragged along by the scruff of her neck, had done her best to speak up for him, meeting Kurumiya’s scornful gaze with dignified eyes.
“…I see. In other words, this was all your fault! In that case, I’ll need to make your punishment even more severe, for causing Kamiya trouble… No complaints, right, Igarashi?”
“Uhm…n-no complainds! I’m…I’m prepared!”
“Oh, is that so? …Hmph. Okay, then. In that case, I’ll be rough with you, just as you wish.”
“But…h-hey!! Wait a second, Maina—” Kyousuke’s raised voice was cut off by Maina’s powerful eyes. Her eyes, staring directly at him, communicated clearly what her silent lips did not. I told you to shut up is what they said.
“I am totally prepared…because the whole thing was my fault.” Wiping her tears and the remaining blood from her cheeks, Maina actually smiled weakly. Self-deprecation and resignation showed on her all-too-frail face.
In contrast with her steady eyes, her facial expression had changed faster than Kyousuke could open his mouth.
“…That’s just fine. In that case, why don’t you show me your resolve?” Kurumiya replied. “We’ll take our time and do it right, hmm? …Heh-heh-heh. Well, then, Kamiya. You go back to the classroom. It’s study hall.”
“Study hall? What on earth am I supposed to do in study hall—?”
“Nothing! If you cause any more problems today, I’ll break in every single one of you. My stress level is already approaching the limit… For now, I’m going to take it all out on this one. Come here!”
“Eh?! M-mmm-me?! N…noooooo!!”
Turning on her heel, Kurumiya disappeared farther into the school building, dragging Maina along.
The medical team was on the scene before he knew it, lifting the injured boys lying in the corridor onto stretchers. As they carried them away with a “heave-ho,” Kyousuke stood in shock.
He silently gripped the handkerchief that he had missed his chance to return.
“…Maina.”
It was lunchtime. Kyousuke had resolved to speak with Maina, who had just returned a moment ago.
Sitting in her seat, staring blankly out into space, Maina…
“—”
…was unresponsive. She’d been burned completely out.
She wore her school jersey, and despite the bandages and gauze taped to her cheeks, didn’t seem to have suffered any major physical injuries. It seemed like her wounds were mental.
“I’m sorry for being born. I was possessed by my secret power. I can never be someone’s bride. Stop already! Maina’s nothing but a tattered rag!” She went on and on, deliriously muttering to herself with empty eyes.
…I wonder what happened to her in that discipline room? Worried as he was, Kyousuke decided to try a different approach. Placing a hand on Maina’s shoulder, he spoke again, this time in his best impression of an angry Kurumiya. “Hey, you! I’m gonna discipline you!”
Maina jumped with a start. “Eee?! S-sss-sowwy! Besides what I already told you, I…huh?” In a moment, she’d come to her senses. Her eyes met Kyousuke’s, and as soon as she realized that he was not Kurumiya, her whole body relaxed a bit. However, her face immediately stiffened up, and she brushed away Kyousuke’s hand.
“I told you not to come near me! And please don’t touch me… I’ll hurt you, too, you know! Maybe I…I might even kill you! So please don’t come near me. Don’t come talk to me! Just like everyone else…”
The rest of the class surrounded them at a generous distance, leerily watching Maina shake with her arms wrapped around herself.
Not a single person tried to approach her.
Operating with little, if any, control on Maina’s part, her destructive clumsiness was something like a bomb with an unpredictable fuse. It was the kind of thing you’d want to avoid if possible. Even Kyousuke had to agree, but even so…
“Look here, this…this is something you dropped, isn’t it?” Trying to look nonchalant, he held the pink handkerchief in an outstretched hand.
Maina’s eyes opened wide in surprise. She timidly took the handkerchief with both hands and, after giving it a thorough examination, looked up at Kyousuke questioningly.
Looking back at Maina with her head tilted sweetly in puzzlement, Kyousuke laughed. “Well, then, thank you for earlier! For protecting me from Kurumiya. You really saved my ass!”
“Huh?! Ah, well…it was my fault from the beginning, so… I didn’t really p-protect you…” The cheek against which she was holding the handkerchief was slightly flushed, the same pink color as the cloth.
Kyousuke decided to broach the real issue at hand, as he took in this charming view of Maina. “However you want to think about it is fine. The fact is that I was saved because of you. So, well…to say thanks, let me treat you to a meal. It’s lunchtime now, so how about it?”
He had said “treat,” but in reality they were on a meal ticket exchange system. At any rate, that was the usual means of getting food.
“Huh? Lunch…? B-but, I’m…um, well…”
“Come on, you don’t have to worry about your clumsiness. I may not look it, but I am the vicious murderer at the top of the class. I won’t be killed that easily. Or is it me that you find disagreeable? Eating a meal with a murderer like me?”
Maina choked out an “…uhm” in response.
Right now, Maina was disgusted less with the students around her and more with the idea that she herself was a “murderer,” and Kyousuke turned that to his advantage. Though he was aware that it was unfair to ask her such a thing, knowing she couldn’t deny it.
The fact was, Maina, who he had cornered with his request, was panicking, whimpering like she was in trouble.
She’s probably fine, though. She did this once before, and just earlier she acted the same way, too. When she said, “Don’t come near me,” Maina had seemed very lonely, very bitter… The truth had been evident: If she had the choice, she would rather be with people
.
Of course she would. Naturally, she was frightened, having been thrown into a place like this. Anybody would be scared. Aside from occasionally killing people with her clumsiness, Maina was a perfectly normal girl!
“Say, Maina. Why don’t you eat with us today? You didn’t eat properly yesterday, either, did you? I can’t let you go on like that every day.”
“Whaa—?! Wh-why do you…?”
“Why? …Does it frighten you? Everyone around you is a murderer. You never know when a girl like you might be attacked. But with me, the top of the class, by your side, those other guys will think twice about even getting near you, won’t they? Surely you can relax better that way?”
Maina’s gaze drifted toward Kyousuke, who was grinning. “B-but…um…what if—if you attack me, what’ll I—”
“You don’t have to worry about that.” Unexpectedly, Eiri cut in. Looking over from her seat, she continued, “Because if he does try anything, I’ll…cut him to ribbons for you.”
“Where are you—?! You glanced down there just now, didn’t you? You definitely looked!!”
“…Shut up. If you keep acting so annoying, I’ll make sure to slice it on an angle, real thin. Like you would with a burdock root.”
“It’s not that narrow! Even so, slicing…it shrunk up just imagining that!!”
“…Sure it did. Though I’m sure it’s hard to tell, in your case.”
“What do you mean ‘in my case’?! You’ve never even seen it, so what the hell do you know? I’m suing you for slander, bitch!”
“…Is that so? If you do that, I’m raising sexual harassment charges. ‘He forced me to look at things I didn’t want to see’—that’s what I’ll say. They’ll cut your little mushroom off and throw it away.”
“They’ll do no such thiiingg!! What the hell, it’s getting smaller and smaller thanks to you!”
“…Say, Maina.” Leaving the incensed Kyousuke to fume, Eiri turned her gaze toward Maina. She glared with half-open eyes, her usual nasty murderous expression.
Sure enough, Maina let out an “eeek!!” and began shaking in earnest.
“What’s with that reaction…? You did the same thing yesterday at lunchtime, didn’t you? I don’t get what you mean by it.” Sulking, Eiri stuck her lip out like she was pouting.
Come to think of it, Eiri invited Maina to lunch yesterday, didn’t she? She had probably been thinking that since they were both girls, and since their seats were right next to each other, she ought to make some effort to be sociable.
Eiri looked disgusted at Maina’s obvious fear. “…Well? Are you coming or aren’t you? Which is it?”
“Whaa…? U-umm…I’m, uh…”
“Hey, Maina… Do you have any feelings of guilt about your crime? If so, why not consider this part of your punishment and come with us.” Eiri’s voice was smooth and distant, as usual.
Her forceful words had an effect and delivered a decisive blow. “Punishment…th-that’s right. Okay…since you put it that way, I’ll come with you.” Maina nodded assent, though she still seemed a bit confused. “…Yes, I understand.”
Seeing this, Eiri’s cheeks slackened a little. Her rust-red eyes even seemed a little happy. But when she realized Kyousuke was looking at her, she immediately returned to her usual sour look. “Hmph…well, let’s get going, then. People are waiting on you.” She turned away in irritation, rising quickly from her seat.
The cafeteria, which was only about the size of two classrooms, was crowded with students. There was a thuggish older boy with tattoos on his arms and an honest-looking youth in black-rimmed glasses. There was a girl with richly colored streaks in her hair and another who was as wide as she was tall, wearing a bob haircut, looking like Bob pp— “Wha—?!” He hid, fearing for his life.
“…Just a second. What do you think you’re doing all of a sudden?” Eiri demanded.
“Hmm? Oh, sorry…there’s someone I would really rather not meet face-to-face.”
“…Is that so? You’ve made that many enemies since entering school here?” she remarked. “It’s tough being the famous guy at the top of the class, huh?”
While Kyousuke was hiding behind Eiri, Bob leisurely left the cafeteria. Having escaped from any immediate danger, he pulled himself together and took a look around.
“Okay, then, wellll… Doesn’t look like she’s here—hey, ow, stop hitting me!”
They easily found the person they were looking for. Holding their trays, they headed straight for her. Loitering near a four-person table next to the window was a girl in a black gas mask. Even among the crowd of lunatics and murderers, she still managed to stand out.
“Hey, Renko!” Kyousuke called. “Sorry we’re running late.”
“……”
There was no response.
Fixing his eyes on Renko’s unmoving profile, Kyousuke cocked his head in confusion. If he strained his ears, he could hear from the gas mask—no, from the black headphones to the sides of it—some kind of shkshkshkshk noise leaking out. Perhaps she was listening to music or something. He put a hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention.
“Hmm? Oh, if it isn’t Kyousuke,” she responded. “Sorry, sorry. I couldn’t hear you over my music blasting.” Aware now of Kyousuke and the others, Renko felt around for the headphone controls. The shkshkshk faded, growing gradually quieter until before long it was inaudible.
“No, that’s fine, but…by the way, what kind of music are you listening to?”
“The music I’m listening to?” Renko replied. “It’s basically hardcore. GMK48 and stuff like that. It’s a forty-eight-person band whose members all wear gas masks. Their sound is impressively heavy.”
“Must be…it’s a band, right? What instruments do they use?”
“Guitars and bass and drums and percussion and a sampler. And they have one vocalist.”
“One?! Only one vocalist among that many members?! They must get drowned out by all the noise, for sure!”
“Kksshh… Don’t underrate me, Kyousuke. Surely I don’t have such a weak voice that I would be drowned out by a musical performance of, at most, forty-seven people? How rude, really!”
“O-oh, is that how it is…? Sorry…wait, what? Hold on a second. From the way you said that, it sounded like you were the vocalist for that band, but…? Hey—!”
—shkshkshkshk
“Don’t go back to blasting it! C’mon, cut it off.”
“No way!” Renko shook her head. “If I’m not constantly listening to music, I can’t compose myself. While I’m chatting, while I’m eating, during class…it’s ‘no music, no life.’ Kksshh.”
“Huh. Well, could you maybe turn it down a little? What a music lover you are…”
“…On the other hand, you’re ‘no gas mask, no life,’ aren’t you?” Eiri cut in, speaking nonchalantly and coldly in place of Kyousuke, who knitted his eyebrows.
Receiving this sharp, cutting jab, Renko raised her voice. “…Oh, Eiri! That reminds me, you’re here today, too! Whoa, it’s been so long since I ate a meal with somebody, I’m really in high spirits! Oh…by the way, who may I ask is that girl?” Pointing to Kyousuke’s side, Renko cocked her gas mask curiously.
“Eeek?!” Maina shrieked and clung to Kyousuke’s arm. The two arms holding him tightly had a soft, gentle feel to them but, despite their small size, also seemed quite solid.
Squeezing him tight, Maina’s teeth chattered loudly. “Her f-ffff-fface is mechanical looking! Is she a robot?!”
“Correct. You have found me out. That is exactly the case. I am a robot. Originally I was a beautiful young girl, but my body was used as a plaything for an evil secret society that did this and that, and finally in the end, I was demonically remodeled and turned into a slaughter machine, a tragic heroine! I can also shoot a charged particle beam from my boobs.”
The hell they do! Who would believe a story like that?
“Whaaaaaat?! Is that true?! A-amazing…”
She
believed it like it was totally normal.
Eyeing Renko enviously, Maina continued, “Your mask certainly seems to be packed with all kinds of features, doesn’t it? Like energy generators and stuff. It’s so big…and even though your head is hard from being turned into a machine, the rest of your body looks so soft…huh?” She blinked in surprise and wonder, as if she was looking at something marvelous.
“Geez, it’s not her face, it’s a gas mask…,” Kyousuke huffed. “She’s wearing it, silly.”
Indifferent to the whole situation, Eiri also gave a monotone “that’s right” and promptly sat down. …It was easy to guess what was on her mind.
Looking sidelong at Eiri’s flat-as-an-iron-cooktop chest, Kyousuke took his seat as well, in front of Renko. Maina hesitated, then took the last remaining seat—she slowly sat down on Kyousuke’s right side.
And then as soon as everyone was seated, Renko began talking to Maina, who was diagonally across from her. “We haven’t introduced ourselves yet, have we? Nice to meet you, I’m Renko Hikawa! I’m a student in the first-year Class B. My most attractive features are my big eyes and long eyelashes, my nice nose, and my sexy lips.”
“Ah, right! Um…I’m Maina Igarashi. N-nice to meetchu…” Maina’s gaze only lifted briefly to nervously flit around the table.
Watching Maina for a little while, Renko wordlessly fixed her eyes on Kyousuke.
“—”
Her facial expression was hidden by the gas mask, so he had no idea at all what she was trying to convey.
“…Uh, what is it, Renko? It’s kinda scary when you stare at me without saying anything, you know.”
“My most attractive features are my big eyes and long eyelashes, my nice nose, and my sexy lips…that’s the truth.”
“Right, I heard you. I was just gonna let it go, but I’m kind of at a loss since you repeated yourself. Do you need attention?”
“Don’t hold back! If it’s you, Kyousuke, I won’t mind even if you really dig into me…”
Murderer in the Flower of Death Page 9