Murder Princess and the Summer Death Camp

by Mizuki Mizushiro

  Breakfast for the freshmen students was the usual “garbage”: neatly assembled leftovers from the previous day. The menu for the teachers and the members of the Public Morals Committee, on the other hand…

  “Good morning, first-year students. Thank you for your efforts at your morning fatigue duties.”

  Shamaya, who visited Kyousuke’s table wearing a dazzling smile as bright as the sun’s rays, set down the plate that she held in her hand. On the spotless white plate were arranged a freshly baked croissant and soft-cooked omelette, as well as hot entrées and a cold ham salad, among other things. It was a luxurious buffet-style breakfast plate. The numerous dishes, rich in variety with a focus on Western cuisine, were lined up in a row atop a table covered in a white cloth.

  Kyousuke and the other first-year students were not even permitted to touch it.

  “L-looks delicious…mmm.” Maina looked like she was about to start drooling. Her dish—something resembling fried rice, which was made by throwing random ingredients together—spilled from her spoon as she gazed upon Shamaya’s plate. Everyone’s stomachs growled.

  “Oh my, oh-ho-ho. What a sweet young lady. Do allow me to impose myself and sit next to you?” Smiling, Shamaya sat opposite Kyousuke—to the right of Maina.

  To the left and right of Kyousuke, respectively, sat Renko and Eiri, who had been carrying on a huge argument from earlier that morning concerning the relative merits of large versus small breasts.

  The two of them looked momentarily at Shamaya as she made her entrance, but then immediately turned back to each other and continued their conversation, acting as though everything was fine.

  Shamaya’s expression stiffened. “You might have returned my greeting, at least… Well, it’s no matter.” She took a long, graceful sip of her cappuccino before turning to Maina, who looked nervous. “Come to think of it, I have yet to learn your name. What do you go by?”

  “Eee?! Ah, umm…I-I am…Mainya Igarachi!”

  “Well! What a lovely name, Miss Mainya Igarachi. Oh-ho-ho.”

  “Eee?! Ah, ahm…that’s not it, my name is Myai…Mainya Igarachi…Igarashi…it’s Maina Igarashi! Oh dear.”

  “My, is that so? And I of all people did you the discourtesy of mispronouncing it… At any rate, are you quite all right? You seem to have developed some sort of speech impediment.”

  “You seem to have some sort of brain impediment.”

  “—What was that?”

  “Nothing.” Eiri turned away as if nothing had happened.

  Shamaya looked at her in annoyance but quickly recovered, clearing her throat. “Anyway…Mr. Kamiya! Did you sleep well last night? I was so very hot, I ended up waking up several times. Thanks to that, today my skintone is—”

  “Heyheyheyhey, look, Kyousuke, at my smooth skin! I’m not wearing any makeup, but isn’t it so pretty? Kksshh. It’s altogether different from the skin of mature women like our upperclassman here, so smooth, and firm, and very glossy! Just like a baby’s. Waaah! Soothe me, Kyousuke!”

  “Owing to the mask, we cannot see your face at all, you know!” Shamaya snapped, the smile never leaving her face. “It’s your mental age, rather than your skin age, that is just like a baby’s, is it not?”

  Maina shrieked nervously as Shamaya forcefully stabbed a Vienna sausage with her fork.

  “……”

  Kyousuke, too, was feeling nervous. Shamaya’s eyes were not smiling as they reflected Renko and Eiri. The glimpse of the Murder Princess that he had seen in his upperclassman the previous night passed through Kyousuke’s mind.

  “H-hey…you guys, stop behaving that way toward your senior—”

  “Googoo, gaga!”

  “Stop it.”

  “Eiriii, boobies!”

  “I’ll kill you.”

  “Kyousukeee, boobies!”

  “I don’t have any… Hey, don’t press it!”

  “You can both just die.”

  “……Sigh.”

  Watching Kyousuke and the others engaging in this idiotic back and forth, Shamaya sighed wearily. Turning to face Maina, she spoke in an exasperated, maternal tone. “Listen now, Miss Igarashi…you must not become like these people, understand? You seem like a very good girl, so you ought not to take in such bad influences.”

  “Uh, yes…th-thank you very much…”

  “Good. Now, if anything is ever causing you any distress, please do consult with me on the matter, all right?” Satisfied with Maina’s small nods, Shamaya’s face broke out into a smile. It seemed that she had decided to stop engaging Renko and Eiri and only get involved with Maina.

  Even Maina, who had been nervous at first, seemed to be gradually relaxing around Shamaya, whose outward appearance was mild and gentle. By the time the meal ended, they were even laughing together like good friends.

  “My, is that so?! When you were doing laundry in the waterfall, an enormous crocodile… That certainly sounds like a calamity! It was likely Mr. Busujima’s dear pet. Were you hurt, Miss Igarashi?”

  “No, I’m just fine! The laundry got eaten, though. The underpants and stuff.”

  “My goodness! Well, don’t you worry a thing about it. Everyone makes mistakes; you mustn’t get too discouraged! It’s best to accept your discipline, and reflect on what happened. It’s best to blunder again and again, and be disciplined…and then slowly and carefully learn from it.”

  “Ah, um…I haven’t been disciplined yet, but I’m sure I will be, right?”

  “Hmm, I wonder. It was halfway Mr. Busujima’s fault after all… If there were no bear-print or bunny-print panties among the lost underpants, I don’t think it will be a problem.”

  “Eh? Are those the underpants you wear, Miss Shamayaaa?”

  “Absolutely not! I do not have such bad taste!”

  “—Who has bad taste, Shamaya?”

  That moment, from behind Shamaya, a deep yet girlish voice interrupted the conversation. Shamaya suddenly froze, a spoonful of yogurt midway to her mouth. The color drained from her face as she timidly turned to look…

  “Ah……M-Miss Kurumiyaaa?! N-no…it’s wrong! It’s wrong!”

  “Oh? Why don’t I let you tell me thoroughly what is wrong? Come!”

  “Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh, noooooooooooooooooo!”

  Gripping the nape of Shamaya’s neck, Kurumiya dragged her away screaming.

  After watching Shamaya, still protesting “It’s wrong! It’s wrong!” as she was pulled out of sight into the distance, Renko laughed. “Kksshh! Not bad, Maina! Pretending to get close with her, then after she let her guard down…dropping her all at once! Wooow, what a great play that was!”

  “Wha?! Th-thhhh-that’s not it! I was just…oh no.”

  “…Either way, it serves her right. She ought to be disciplined.”

  “D-don’t worry…Miss Shamaya. But, well…”

  No matter how young your outward appearance looks, it’s bad taste for someone in their twenties to wear animal-print panties. Kyousuke couldn’t help but sympathize with Shamaya.

  “…Phew, finally done.”

  It was after breakfast. Kyousuke wiped the sweat from his brow, surveying his clean, neatly arranged luggage and sparkling room: Not a single piece of dust remained. He took the guidebook out of his rucksack and sat down on the bed.

  “Leave both your room and your mind cleaner than when you arrived…hm.”

  Looking at the line in the program marked “Organize Luggage/Clean,” he suddenly frowned. The three-day two-night Prison School Camping Trip was only on its second day. Since they would be using the same rooms today and tomorrow, the phrase “leave them cleaner than when you arrived” seemed somewhat out of place.

  A major cleanup like this would ordinarily be done on the day when you leave a facility, wouldn’t it? He flipped absently through the guidebook, thinking the quandary over.

  “…Kyousuke?”

  A reserved voice. Lifting his head, he looked toward the doorway from which the voice had c
ome. There stood a girl with rust-red hair staring down at the ground on the other side of the iron bars.

  “Hey, Eiri. What’s up? Did you finish cleaning and get bored?”

  “Sure, y-yeah…that’s about right. Looks like you’re done, too.” Answering evasively, Eiri pushed the door to his room open.

  “What are you acting so nervous about?”

  “Shut up.” She quickly drew near the puzzled Kyousuke.

  “……”

  Whump. She sat down next to Kyousuke on the edge of the bed.

  “……”

  “……”

  “U-um…Eiri?”

  “What.”

  “Uh, well…how do I put it, you…”

  She was close. Ridiculously close. So close their shoulders were pressed together.

  From somewhere close by wafted a sweet scent, like candy.

  Sitting next to him, Eiri silently gazed downward and struck the floor with her heels. Rather than bored, she seemed like she was struggling to say something.

  Kyousuke decided it would be best if he quietly waited for her to begin talking.

  Eventually, Eiri took a deep breath. It was as if she were readying herself to speak.

  “…I’m sorry, Kyousuke.” Her voice was frail as she mumbled the three words.

  Kyousuke stared at her, surprised. Looking at her in profile, severe eyes locked on the floor, she seemed like she might start crying at any moment.

  “You’re sorry… Wh-what for? I don’t think you have anything to apologize for.”

  “…It’s nothing.”

  “No, it’s not nothing…”

  “…Sorry.”

  “No, don’t just say ‘sorry’…”

  “……”

  “……”

  “U-um…Eiri?” Kyousuke timidly broke the silence.

  When he did, Eiri turned her face away.

  “I’m sorry that I can’t be nice to you.”

  She said this like she was wringing it out of herself.

  “…Huh?

  Ignoring Kyousuke’s apparent confusion, Eiri continued purposefully, still staring at the floor. “Time and time again, I snap at you… I’m sorry. I always think I’ve got to be nicer, but the more I think that, the less I’m able to do it, and my words come out harshly… Then I get all irritated with myself for doing that, and my attitude gets even harsher. Recently it’s been going on and on like that, so I thought it was making you feel uncomfortable. Even under normal circumstances, things are so hard for you, but…the others and I have to support you, or it won’t work…but still I acted like that! I know my egotism makes me disagreeable, and it just adds stress and an unnecessary burden for you… Truly, I’m sorry.”

  Her tone of voice was dispirited. She was not at all like her normal self.

  Indescribable feelings welled up in Kyousuke’s chest as he listened to her speak. Something like happiness, and embarrassment, and anger— “Eiri…” Kyousuke replied as Eiri, who was gripping the edge of the bed tightly, bit her lip. “…No, I’m the one in the wrong here, not you. I didn’t have even the slightest idea that you were feeling that way… I’m the one adding unnecessary stress. Things are just as hard for you, after all… I feel like I want to support you, too.”

  “Kyousuke…” Eiri raised her gaze from the floor and looked at Kyousuke, who stared back into her tearful, rust red–colored eyes.

  “And anyway, you don’t have to feel like you need to be nice to me! Especially if it doesn’t come easily to you. Surely it’s best to act naturally. There’s no need for you to force it.”

  “……”

  As he spoke, Eiri kept silent, as if she was displeased for some reason, and chewed on her lip. Lowering her head again, she replied in a sulking voice, “You, um… Nice girls like that upperclassman Shamaya are your type, aren’t they?”

  That’s unexpected, coming from her.

  Kyousuke couldn’t help but stare fixedly at Eiri’s profile. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and she continued to glare at the floor.

  “…Huh? Y-you mean…in other words—”

  “Don’t misunderstand me.” Eiri turned her half-lidded eyes toward Kyousuke, who was clearly imagining all sorts of things, and starting to get flustered himself. Pausing briefly to sigh and hold her forehead, she then turned her whole body to face Kyousuke. “Look, Kyousuke. You, well… The instant Renko makes you fall in love with her, she’s going to kill you, right?”

  “Hm? Uh, yeah…that’s right. It sounds like I’ll be killed if it becomes mutual love.”

  “…Do you really understand what that means?” Eiri’s expression was stiff, and there was a critical tone to her voice. “It would be one thing if it was just Renko, but you’re also flirting with upperclassmen that you just met… Nothing could be more careless! When I see you acting like that, I get worried. As you are now, you’ll easily be charmed by Renko, and easily be killed…won’t you? That’s why—”

  Suddenly, Eiri leaned over and placed her head on Kyousuke’s shoulder. Through the cloth of her uniform, he could feel her slim, supple body, and from her hair, which was right under his nose, wafted the scent of her conditioner. On top of her knees, Eiri tightly clenched her fists.

  “That’s why I’m just going to do this for you. To make sure that you don’t get seduced by Renko or other dangerous girls—there’s no way around it—I’m just going to do this for you, got it?”

  “……”

  Kyousuke remained frozen in place, unable to respond.

  Unsettled, her eyes swimming, Eiri asked, “H-hey…what do you want me to do? You had all kinds of things done to you by Renko, I bet. I, too…those things…I should let you do a few more things than that, right?”

  “When you say ‘all kinds of things’…wh-what are you talking about?”

  “I…I don’t know stuff like that! I’m asking you because I don’t know, aren’t I?!” Eiri’s face grew more and more flushed as she yelled. And then she immediately looked down despondently, staring at her own legs.

  Eventually, breaking the embarrassed silence, Eiri spoke in a mumble.

  “For instance, that…lap pillow thing, and stuff?”

  “”

  Time came to a stop. Kyousuke halfway unconsciously looked at Eiri’s lap.

  Her pure white, bare legs extended from her charcoal gray skirt. During the winter, she wore knee socks to fit with the dress code, but now, with her summer gear she wore shorter, loose socks. Her smooth, glossy thighs were dazzling. It might have been his imagination, but it seemed like her skirt had gotten even shorter, at least compared to her winter uniform—

  “…Hey. Could you not stare so much?”

  “Uh, sorry…”

  Flustered, Kyousuke averted his eyes. Eiri cleared her throat with a cough.

  “…W-well? What’ll it be, Kyousuke? …Will you do it? Or not?”

  “Do what?”

  “The lap pillow thing!”

  “O-oh…”

  Kyousuke flinched as Eiri, bright red all the way out to her ears, shouted at him.

  It seemed like the words themselves made her highly embarrassed.

  Impatiently clicking her tongue, Eiri put her hands behind her on the bed.

  “…Here. How about a nap?”

  She presented her lap—or rather, her thighs, to Kyousuke.

  It seemed like the matter was already settled.

  Kyousuke gulped hard and nodded. “…O-okay.”

  Eiri, who was acting as the pillow, and Kyousuke, who was laying his head, were each just as shy as the other.

  Straightening up and collecting herself, she took a deep breath.

  Cautiously, he laid his head down on her bare, outstretched legs.

  “……”

  “……”

  Both Kyousuke and Eiri were silent.

  Finally, Kyousuke’s right cheek touched Eiri’s soft skin—

  “…And what might you be doing?”

  A pai
r of emerald eyes glared at them from the edge of the wall of iron bars.

  “……?!”

  Instantly, Kyousuke and Eiri jumped apart.

  Sitting up properly, the two of them shouted in unison, “N-nothing!”

  Her eyes wide, Shamaya made no response.

  Silently intruding into the room, she looked down at Kyousuke and Eiri.

  “And what might you have been planning to do?” she asked, this time in a lower tone of voice than before.

  Kyousuke’s pulse was beating quickly, and his whole body went white. He could feel Shamaya’s gaze on his cheek, but he was too frightened to look back at her.

  “…Uh, Miss Shamaya? Um, there’s a good reason for this—”

  “What might you have been planning to do?”

  “Ah, n-nothing… So, well—”

  “I’m asking you what you might have been planning to do.” Without hesitation, she brought her face closer, and in an even tone of voice, repeated the same question, pressing Kyousuke for an answer as he struggled to find the right words, overwhelmed by her sudden intensity.

  “…Nothing. We weren’t planning to do anything, we said,” Eiri spat disdainfully. “You’re just imagining filthy things all of your own accord, aren’t you? You covert lecher of an upperclassman…”

  Shamaya turned toward Eiri, anger flashing in her eyes. “Wha… Wh-who are you calling a corpulent lecher of an upperclassman?!”

  “I said ‘covert,’ not ‘corpulent.’ Do you think I care if you’re fat?”

  “M-my goodness…oh-ho-ho. I say, how terribly impolite of me! It’s just that I’m jealous, since your chest is so excessively slim. I beg your pardon, my underdeveloped lecher of an underclassman! Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho.”

  “Please, don’t worry about it, Miss Overdeveloped. It’s simply that I don’t have any useless blubber.”

  Their smiles could not hide the ferocity of the argument that Shamaya and Eiri were having as they squared off face-to-face. They weren’t as big as Renko’s, but Shamaya calmly folded her arms to emphasize her plentiful breasts, and Eiri placed her hands on her waist, standing in such a way as to show off her slender physique.