“Sure. You should think only about her well-being. Because we’re all worried about her, too. So in other words, um…f-fawn over her more, okay?”
Eiri’s cheeks flushed. Playing with the end of her ponytail, she pouted her lips into a sulk. Her language was blunt, but every word and action showed her concern.
Looking at her like that, Kyousuke’s heart filled with gratitude and joy. “Ohh! Thank you, Eiriiiiii!” Kyousuke cheerfully rubbed his friend’s head with both hands.
“Hyaaaaaah?!” she shouted hysterically. Her whole body stiffened. “Wha-wwwwha-what…wh-what are you…wwwh-what—”
“—Huh?! S-sorry…” Regaining his composure, Kyousuke pulled away in a panic. “I didn’t mean to!”
Her hair disheveled, Eiri was blank with shock, and her mouth gaped appropriately. “……D-didn’t mean to…didn’t mean…” Her shoulders trembled slightly, and her face turned a very bright shade of red.
And then, her astonishment gave way to anger: “Y-you…! Even if you’re joking, don’t get carried away!!”
“Uh?! Wow, I’m really sorry…but look, earlier you said, ‘fawn over her’—”
“I didn’t mean physically, you idiot! Lecher! Pervert!” Eiri frantically combed her fingers through her hair as she piled on the abuse.
She took a step away from Kyousuke and hung her head. “I thought my heart was gonna stop…” she muttered. “E-even I wasn’t ready for that…”
“…Huh? What are you mumbling about?”
“I said you’d be better off dead!”
“D-don’t get angry… I said I was sorry. I was just so happy…”
“…Hmph. Save that stuff for the girl.” Eiri sighed, looking at him with narrowed eyes. She brushed her hair back again in irritation. “An-y-way! That’s all I had to say. Hurry up and get back to her. She’s probably starting to miss you by now.”
“…Yeah, you’re right. But seriously…thank you, Eiri.”
“Don’t mention it.” She waved nonchalantly and walked away, her usual careless attitude returned.
And yet, the last that Kyousuke saw of her, Eiri was still smiling slightly.
“You took forever, big brother! It wasn’t a number one, was it?”
Ayaka greeted Kyousuke cheerfully when he returned to the classroom. Maina had also stayed behind with her, but Renko, who had been talking with them before, was now gone. Before he entered the classroom, Kyousuke had peeked in and glimpsed the two of them staring silently at the floor.
Kyousuke recalled what Eiri had just said: When he wasn’t around, Ayaka was quiet and wouldn’t reach out to anyone. It seemed the relationship between her and Maina had yet to really improve. Kyousuke tried to suppress his feelings of disappointment. Right now I have to think only about Ayaka.
“Oh, sorry. I don’t know why, but for some reason my stomach suddenly didn’t feel so great…” Kyousuke had separated from Eiri in front of the boys’ toilets and returned to the classroom alone. “…Wh-what is it?”
Ayaka stared intently at Kyousuke as he tried to explain his long absence. “Suspicious…”
“Eh?”
“Did you really go to the bathroom?”
“O-of course I did…”
“Hmmm…” Glancing at the empty seat two desks over, Ayaka quickly stood. Facing Kyousuke, she leaned in close and sniffed him. “…You stink.”
“Eh?!”
Ayaka began to sniff Kyousuke’s whole body, frowning. Stomach, chest, shoulders, both arms… She dragged her nose over every part, sniffing and smelling.
Kyousuke was baffled by this sudden and eccentric behavior. “Just a… What are you—?”
“…Again. It’s Miss Akabonehead again.”
“Huh?”
“Miss Akabonehead’s scent is all over you, big brother!” Reaching the ends of his arms, Ayaka lifted her face and glared at Kyousuke. Burning anger roiled in her big black eyes. “Did something happen between you two?”
“N-no…”
“Liar.”
“It’s not a lie!”
“Oh, well, I guess it was nothing, then.”
“Of course! I just went to the bathroom—”
“Don’t liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”
The classroom fell silent at the volume and intensity of Ayaka’s voice. Between her fingers she held a long, fine thread—a strand of rust-red-colored hair.
Ayaka thrust the piece of “evidence” under Kyousuke’s nose. “Big brother! You had this stuck to your shoulder!”
Her voice was gentle and kind, and she smiled sweetly.
But her eyes were not smiling, and the light had gone out of them. “This is Miss Akabonehead’s hair, isn’t it? Why is filth like this stuck to you? I don’t remember seeing it before you went to the toilet, though… Tee-hee! Strange, isn’t it…? Definitely strange! Something definitely did happen, didn’t iiiiiit, big broooooother?!”
Ayaka’s smiling face completely changed. With a shrill cry, she kicked a nearby desk, sending it flying. Kyousuke was completely overwhelmed. He failed to respond.
Ayaka grabbed his collar and pulled him toward her, looking like she might burst into tears at any moment.
“You’re so cruel! Why do you tell lies, big brother? Why do you hide things from your little sister? Why do you always keep quiet? You’re cruel, big brother, too cruel… Your sister trusts in you, big brother, and despite that, you…waaaaaahhh. How come? Why?! Whywhywhywhy do you—”
“…Huh? What happened?” Eiri asked, interrupting Ayaka’s tantrum. Standing in the doorway, she surveyed the classroom, which had been seized by a strange atmosphere.
“”
Ayaka stopped. Slowly, she let go of Kyousuke’s collar. Very slowly, she turned to face Eiri.
“All right, you bastards! The bell’s gonna ring soon! Take your seats!” Their petite homeroom teacher stepped out from behind Eiri.
“…Ah.” Ayaka’s hand stopped midway across the desk. She had been reaching for a pencil cup with mechanical pencils jutting out of it.
Kurumiya scowled. “Hmm…? What is it, Miss Kamiya? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“No, no! It’s nothing. Just a little lovers’ quarrel…” Withdrawing her arm, Ayaka waved dismissively.
She was back to acting like a normal little sister. The change was too fast. It was impossible to keep up.
Eiri stood blinking, looking confused.
“Hmm…” Kurumiya put her hand on her chin. “Well, whatever. Hey, you pig-bastards, in your seats, now! This period there will be a pop quiz covering everything that will be on the end-of-term exams. You idiots better take it seriously.”
A chime signaling the start of class rang out as Kurumiya took her place at the lectern. With another inquisitive glance at the two siblings, Eiri returned to her seat. Ayaka smiled meaningfully, and Kyousuke dropped his gaze, unable to do anything but hang his head in shame.
Their scores on the pop quiz were pitiful.
“Miss Akabonehead, what did you do with my big brother during the break?”
Ayaka had approached Eiri’s desk as soon as class had ended. Eiri, who had actually been taking notes for once, stopped writing, put down her pen, and looked up at Ayaka with a friendly smile.
Several moments passed in silence, in which Eiri knit her eyebrows, looking puzzled.
“…When we passed by each other in the hallway, we just talked a little,” she answered. “That’s all!”
She had also answered Ayaka’s unspoken question. Eiri quickly returned to her writing.
—Bam! Ayaka slammed a hand down on Eiri’s pen. “That’s a lie, isn’t it?”
“…What? No it isn’t.” Eiri scowled at the interruption.
Ayaka presented her “evidence”—in her free hand, she held between her thumb and forefinger a long strand of rust-red hair.
“This belongs to you, doesn’t it, Miss Akabonehead? It was stuck to my big brother’s shoulder.”
> “……” Eiri glanced at Kyousuke. “Oh really? I wonder when it got stuck. How mysterious.”
“Isn’t iiiiiit? It’s sooo mysteeeeeerious. Yes, very mysterious indeed…” Ayaka’s temple twitched in anger. Waving the strand of hair back and forth, her tone grew firm. “Before my big brother went to the bathroom, he did not have anything like this stuck to him, I’m sure! Is talking with someone, just a little bit, enough to get your hair all over them? It isn’t, iiiiiiiiisss iiiiiiiiit?!”
“…It must have stuck to him when we passed each other in the hallway.”
“Ah, I see…not! There’s no way that’s true!! Unless…Miss Akabonehead, are you losing your hair? I’m going to change your name to Miss Akabaldy!”
“…And if you do?”
“I won’t! Don’t change the subject!”
“You’re the one who brought it up…” Eiri grumbled. She sounded fed up with the whole affair.
Ayaka showed no intention of letting up. She leaned in on Eiri suspiciously, pressing her for answers. “Even if that were the case, he still smells like you.”
“…Smells?”
“Smells. Your scent is all over my big brother’s chest—” Ayaka sniffed the air and grimaced. “Stinky! You smell just like a female pig!”
“…What did you say?”
“Oh, sorry. Forget ‘just like’…you are a pig! A big stiiiiiiiiiinky sow!” Ayaka held her nose and pantomimed fanning herself.
“……Tch.” Eiri clicked her tongue.
Kyousuke could not stand to watch any longer. “Hey now, that’s taking it too far!” he rebuked. “Just let it go.”
“Boo… Big brother…are you taking Miss Akabonehead’s side instead of your own little sister’s?”
“…Uhhh…th-that’s—” Kyousuke trailed off as Ayaka stared at him sadly and Eiri gave him a critical look. Recalling what she had said during the break, Kyousuke shook his head. “…No, I’m on your side. Of course I am!”
“Big brother…”
Ayaka seemed to be pleased by his reassuring answer. Her miserable expression changed to a broad smile in an instant.
“—Well, then, why are you really lying to me?”
“……Eh?”
“No, not ‘eh?’ You told me a lie. You said that nothing happened between you and Miss Akabonehead. Why would you lie to me if you’re really on my side, big brother? Why would you keep secrets with Miss Akabonehead? You’re contradicting yourself, aren’t you? It sure is puzzling.”
Throughout her verbal assault, Ayaka had never stopped smiling. Sweat broke out on Kyousuke’s back. “Uh, ummm…that’s, well—”
“I beg your pardon.”
A familiar voice rang out from the front of the classroom. A female student was peeking her head in through the doorway. The beautiful, Western-looking girl had honey-colored hair and emerald eyes.
“Miss Shamaya? What brings you to a place like this…?”
“Oh-ho-ho! I’m out on my midday patrol of the school. How do you do, everyone?” Shamaya leaned around the door and waved. She wore a yellow armband that read “Public Morals Committee.” Patrol or no, this was the first time they had caught sight of Shamaya—or any of the upperclassmen—in the old school building. It was obvious that she had some other purpose for being there.
“…She came out, huh?” Ayaka said, sounding annoyed. “That bitch…”
Shamaya continued smiling. “It’s been a long time, little sister. Your name was…Ayaka, yes?”
“Don’t address me so casually, please. It fouls my ears.”
“Ah, as ever you are an unsparing one… Well, that is fine.” Shamaya cleared her throat and looked around the room. “It appears that Miss Hikawa is not present…very good, very good! I shall finish my business without delay. Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho!” Her eyes shone as she smiled disarmingly.
The previous week, Shamaya had suffered through a terrible ordeal thanks to Kyousuke and the others. They still had not cleared up the misunderstanding between them, and she probably still thought—wrongly—that he hated her.
—There was no way that a genuine psychopath like Shamaya would leave it at that.
“Kyousuke dear. I’ve been thinking about a lot of things since that incident! Ever since I found out that you dislike me, night after night I’ve been thinking… I considered a gracious surrender, but…I cannot give up… I’ve made up my mind. Even if I have to be a little pushy, I promise that I will get my hands on Kyousuke! You may think me selfish, and you may find me annoying, but…in my own way, I must pursue my darling Kyousuke!”
As she finished, Shamaya stepped out from behind the door.
Held in one of her arms was a hard, white-lacquered case. It was rectangular, like the cases used to store musical instruments, and the surface was decorated with gold inlay.
“Ah!” Ayaka exclaimed the moment she laid eyes upon that case.
“Oh no—” Eiri went completely pale. She turned to yell at Kyousuke and the others in an urgent voice.
“It’s a gun! Run!”
“……?!” Their classmates froze in place.
Shamaya set the case on the floor and moved to undo the clasp.
“Eeek!!” Maina shrieked and dove under her desk.
Eiri pulled Ayaka close, as if to protect her.
Kyousuke, sensing danger, leaped to his feet, pushed aside his desk, and burst into a sprint. “Hyeaaaaaaaaah!” He tackled Shamaya just as she was about to reach the gun.
“Kyaaah! Mon Dieu!!” Shamaya kicked and struggled as Kyousuke forced her hands behind her back. “Ohh, Kyousuke darling…how very intense! Please don’t be so violent…at least at first! And what’s more, in public like this…my goodness. I am a closet masochist, but…this is too much, too soon! We haven’t even joined hands yet! And yet you intend to join our other parts, oh myyy!!”
“What the hell are you going on about?! You were about to shoot us!”
“…Hm? Shoot you? Whatever are you talking about, Kyousuke darling?”
“What do you mean, what am I…?” Kyousuke looked flabbergasted. “The gun—obviously!” He pointed to the case.
“Ahh.” Shamaya nodded. “But you’ve got it all wrong. This is a case for a gun, yes, but I currently use it as a lunch box. I simply could not find a better container.”
The inside of the case was indeed filled—not with a gun—but instead with gourmet food. One half was stuffed with an assortment of sandwiches, and the other with various side dishes like fried chicken, rolled omelets, meatballs, and wieners, all arranged artfully in neat compartments.
“……”
The tense atmosphere subsided, and a subdued silence descended upon the room.
Shamaya twisted around and looked embarrassed. “Ah, um…Kyousuke dear? If we’ve cleared up the misunderstanding, I’ll ask you to release me, please. Pressing closely against you like this, I…I don’t think I can hold back! Ha-ha! My dear Kyousuke’s hands…they’re so rugged and they feel so good… Ohhh, Kyousuke…! Feast not on the boxed lunch, but on your dear Shamaya—”
“I’ll pass.”
“…Aw.”
Kyousuke quickly stepped aside as Shamaya stood up, looking disappointed. Their classmates, realizing that it had all been a misunderstanding, grumbled and complained as they went back to what they had been doing. “What the hell…?” “You scared me.” “I wasn’t scaaared!” “It’s a gun, run! Not! Geez…” “Die!” “This is why she has small boobs…”
Ayaka laughed. “Tee-hee! How embarrassing, Miss Akabonehead! What a stupid mistake!”
“Sh-shut up! It’s because she was acting weird…”
“Your face is turning reeeeeed! Tee-hee! And anyway, how long are you going to cling to me?! Your dirty sow stink is gonna rub off on me! Get away!”
Eiri, who had been holding Ayaka in a protective embrace, grunted, “Kyuh?!” as Ayaka pushed her away.
Maina poked her head out from under her desk and looked around. “M-misfire…?”
“Oh-ho-ho! I do beg your pardon for the panic. I made a bento box for you all! Living on table scraps cannot be good for your health. It’s probably none of my business, but in order to impress my darling Kyousuke—or rather…I mean, in order to make all of you very happy, I worked through the night preparing it!”
Shamaya presented the case to Kyousuke. The side dishes, packed in tightly with no space to spare, would have been more than enough for the four of them.
“Miss Shamaya, you made all of this by yourself…?”
“Yes, of course I did! Cooking is my forte. It looks good, of course, but I can promise you it also tastes great. I carefully selected each ingredient. The meat was strangled to death during the night, and only sliced up at the last minute! It’s veeeeeery fresh.”
“It’s not human meat, is it?”
“……Of course not.”
“That was a long pause, wasn’t it?! When you say it, it doesn’t sound like a joke, you know!”
“Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho! There’s no need for concern, I promise you. It’s not human meat, it’s chicken. I borrowed a chicken from the coop in Purgatory Park. It put up quite a struggle, so I had a dreadful time of it…”
“No way, that’s ridiculous. If anyone found out, you would get in real trouble, wouldn’t you…?”
“Indeed. And, in fact, I have already been discovered. Not long ago I received a summons. It said, ‘You, too, shall follow the same fate as the chicken.’ Miss Mizuchi, who is the advisor to the Public Morals Committee, is famous for being the kindest teacher at the academy, but she is also famous for being the scariest when angered. After the previous scandal, I was beaten, viciously, for three days and three nights. I must have passed out nearly a thousand times.”
That’s sick! It’s amazing she even survived.
…And despite that experience, she was back to causing trouble, with no concern for her own safety.
“Oh-ho-ho!” Shamaya laughed, ignoring Kyousuke’s concerned expression. “This time I’m likely to die! But it doesn’t matter! If I can make my darling Kyousuke happy, I will be satisfied… After all, I am so in love with Kyousuke! I’ve made up my mind—I am ready to give my life in the name of love! So please eat, Kyousuke darling! Eat this meal, made by my own two hands and filled with my love! If you do that, I can die peacefully…” Shamaya’s eyes sparkled as she held out the case.
Murder Maiden and the Fatal Final Page 13