Battle Royale

by Косюн Таками

  After eating awful bread and water for breakfast, Takako decided to wait until 1 p.m. to leave the house. She'd been hearing what sounded like gunshots ever since the game started and hid in a corner of the abandoned house, but now she thought staying cooped up like that wouldn't do any good. She had to join up with someone—at least a friend she could trust—and proceed.

  Of course it was possible friends she trusted wouldn't trust her. But...

  Takako was a beautiful girl. Her upward-curving eyes were a little fierce-looking, but they matched with her sharp chin, well formed mouth, and nicely defined nose, all of which gave her an "aristocratic" look. Her long hair was dyed with orange streaks, which might look odd at first, but with her jewelry—which included earrings, two in her left ear, one in her right, designer rings on the middle and ring fingers of her left hand, a total of five bracelets on her wrists, and a pendant made from a foreign coin—she managed to assert her own look that made her all the more attractive. Her teachers didn't really approve of her hair and gaudy jewelry, but she got good grades and because she was the track team's star sprinter, she never got directly criticized. Basically Takako was very proud. She wasn't going to be bound by the silly school rules that the other girls followed.

  Whether it was—unfortunately enough—because of her beauty, or her pride, or whether it was because she was simply shy, Takako didn't have many close friends in her class. Her best friend was Kahoru Kitazawa, whom she'd known ever since elementary school, but she was in another class.

  But...

  But there was someone in her class whom Takako could trust. The student wasn't a girl, though. She'd known him since they were kids.

  And with him in mind, she couldn't help being preoccupied by something.

  When she left the school building Takako thought someone who'd left before her might come back. In that case, she'd have to leave with extreme caution. And it was best to leave the school by foiling the assailant's expectations.

  When she came into the hall, she peeked outside through the exit door. There were woods in front of her, and a hill on the left. The area to her right was relatively open. The assailant, if there was one, would have to be hiding in the woods or in the hill.

  Takako stayed down as she left the building and dashed to her right, staying close to the school building wall. The track star let her mighty legs cut loose. She didn't even have to think about it. She ran down the street through a cluster of houses and into a narrow alley. Then she ran toward the base of the southern mountain. All her energy was focused on getting away from the school and finding somewhere to hide. But...

  What if there had been someone in the woods or in the hill in front of the school who had no intention of attacking her? In other words...what if..."he," who'd left before her, had hid in the woods or the mountain, had been waiting for her? Maybe she'd lost her chance by running out of there at full speed?

  No.

  She didn't think so. What else could she have done? Anyone hanging around the school was jeopardizing his or her life. They had known each other since they were kids— it was nothing more than that. They had remained decent friends through all these years. She thought it was presumptuous of her to think that he—Hiroki Sugimura (Male Student No. 11)—would risk his life waiting for her.

  The important thing was finding someone now. Finding Hiroki Sugimura would be ideal, but she knew that was too optimistic. She'd settle for the school representative Yukie Utsumi or some average girl. As long as she was careful not to get shot, she could calm them down....If they were calm already, that would be even better (although the thought of someone calm under these circumstances was a bit scary too). To find that someone...that was all she could do for now.

  The one thing she knew not to do was to raise her voice. She had proof of that, now. From the abandoned house Takako had also seen Yumiko Kusaka and Yukiko Kitano die on top of the northern mountain.

  So Takako decided to leave the abandoned shack where she was hiding and climb up to the peak of the southern mountain. Once she was there, she'd descend the slope by circling the mountain, checking for anyone hiding in the bushes. She could throw pebbles at the bushes just as she'd been doing ever since she left the shack. Once she figured out who it was she could decide whether or not to approach that person. At noon Sakamochi had announced that the area around the peak of the southern mountain would become a forbidden zone at 3 p.m., but as long as she didn't run into any problems she'd be able to completely survey the area before then. Also, if there was anyone in the area then he or she would have to be out of there by 3 p.m. She'd have a better chance locating someone on the move.

  Takako checked her supplied wristwatch. It was 1:20 p.m. She usually wore bracelets so she never wore a watch, but she couldn't afford that luxury now. Then she touched her collar. "If you try to pry it loose it will explode." It was suffocating—not only the way it dug into her neck, but its mere presence. The chain of her pendant lightly tapped against the band.

  Takako decided to ignore it and gripped her ice pick (what good was this weapon though?) with her left hand. With her right she grabbed some pebbles and tossed them out in front of her to her left and right. They made a rustling sound in the grove. She waited for a while. No response. She moved forward. She took a deep breath, ready to run up the open ground between the bushes.

  Suddenly she heard a rustling sound. Someone's head popped out of the bushes, approximately ten meters to her left. She could see the back of his coat and the back of his head. Its hair was slightly disheveled but still smooth. His head turned left and right checking the area.

  Takako froze. She was in trouble. It was a guy. Guys were trouble. She had no particular reason to think so, but she had a hunch anyone besides Hiroki Sugimura was trouble. And she could immediately tell this guy was not him.

  Takako held her breath and slowly stepped back into the thicket behind her. She knew this would happen, but that didn't stop her from trembling.

  Suddenly the boy turned around. Their eyes met. The face, which had an expression of utter astonishment, belonged to Kazushi Niida (Male Student No. 16).

  Oh man, why did I have to bump into this jerk? What mattered now was that she was totally exposed and how dangerous that was. She turned around and started running back the way she came.

  "Wait!"

  She heard Kazushi's voice. The sound of him waded through the thicket, coming after her. "Wait!" Now he was shouting. "Wait!" Ugh—What an idiot—

  Takako hesitated for a few moments and then stopped. She looked back. If Kazushi had a gun and wanted to shoot her he'd have done that by now. More troubling was his shouting. It endangered not only his life but hers. Just as it was moments ago there didn't seem to be anyone in the area.

  Slowing down, Kazushi descended the slope.

  Takako realized Kazushi held a rifle loaded with an arrow in his right hand. It wasn't pointed at Takako right now—but if it was, could she dodge it and run away? Should she have stopped?

  No. Takako reassured herself, she'd done the right thing. Kazushi Niida was a forward on the soccer team. Top athletes like him were as fast if not faster than track runners. Even though Takako was a star track runner, he'd have eventually caught up with her.

  Either way it was too late.

  Kazushi stopped several meters away from her. He had wide shoulders and was relatively tall and well built. His smooth hair was long, which was the current fashion with soccer players, but now it was disheveled, as if he'd been playing in a close match that had gone into overtime. A smile emerged on his face, which was pretty good looking except for his bad teeth.

  What does he want? Takako thought as he observed his face.

  He might not have any harmful intentions. He might actually be thinking he finally found someone he could trust.

  But Takako didn't have a very good impression of Kazushi Niida. To put it bluntly, she couldn't stand his kind of chumminess. She also couldn't stand his arrogance. They'd been class
mates ever since their first year in junior high. (Hiroki became her classmate in second-year.) Without putting much effort into them, Kazushi was above average in grades and sports, but in spite of that—or maybe it had nothing to do with that—his immaturity really stuck out. He tried to impress others, and when he'd screw up he'd come up with some lame-ass excuse. Furthermore, and this was really stupid, but when they were first-year students, there were rumors that she and Kazushi were going out. (Junior high kids don't have anything better to do. Well, let them say what they want.) Every time the rumors got going again he'd go to her desk and touch her on the shoulder (how dare he) and tell her, "There's a rumor floating around about us." Takako would turn away and brush his hand off with the reply, "Oh, I'm so honored." She let it slide, scoffing at him on the inside ("Go away you little brat. You've got some nerve"), but now...she wasn't in the position to do the same thing.

  Takako spoke cautiously. She had to get away from him as quickly as possible. That's what it came down to. "Don't shout, you idiot!"

  "I'm sorry," Kazushi answered. "But you were the one who took off."

  Takako didn't mess around with her response. Get to the point, cut to the chase. Her best features. "The fact is, I don't want to be with you." She looked at Kazushi and managed to shrug her tense shoulders. Kazushi's grimaced. "Why?"

  Because you act like you're such a goody-goody, she thought.

  "Look, we both know why. Okay, later," Takako said as she got ready to run. Still, she felt herself hesitating as her feet trembled.

  She stopped.

  Because out of the corner of her eye she saw the weapon in Kazushi's right hand pointed at her.

  Takako slowly turned around, keeping a close eye on his fingers on the trigger of his bow gun.

  "What's this?" she asked.

  She casually slid the day pack off her left shoulder and caught its strap. Would it be able to shield her from the force of the bow gun?

  "I don't want to resort to this," Kazushi said. This was exactly what she couldn't stand about him. He was making excuses, but in fact he was trying to gain the upper hand. "So you better stay with me."

  That pissed her off. But that was also when she noticed something. When she was hiding in the shack her uniform skirt got caught on a broken door. The tear resembled the slit up a Chinese dress, and now Kazushi was looking down at it. His eyes were strangely glazed over. It gave her the creeps.

  Takako quickly moved her legs to cover them as much as possible. Then she said, "Give me a break. You expect me to join you with that stuck in my face?"

  "So you promise not to run away?" Kazushi spoke in his usual arrogant voice. He didn't lower the bow gun.

  Takako had to put up with him. "Just put that down."

  "So you won't run?"

  "Are you deaf?" Takako said sharply, and Kazushi reluctantly lowered his weapon.

  Then he assumed a smug tone as he said, "I've always thought you were fine."

  Takako raised her well defined, elegantly arched eyebrows.

  She was exasperated. After threatening her life like this, he has the nerve to say I'm fine!

  Kazushi's eyes fell on her legs again. He made no effort to be subtle, and his eyes were locked onto them now.

  Takako lifted her chin slightly. "So?"

  "So I won't kill you. Just stay with me."

  Takako shrugged again. Any hesitation she might have had was now wiped out by anger. "I told you I don't want to," she spat out. "Later."

  Takako turned to...no, this time she began moving backwards and staring back at Kazushi. Kazushi lifted his bow gun again. His face had the expression of a kid begging for a toy at a department store. Mom, I want it, I want it!...I see now.

  Takako quietly said, "Stop this."

  "Then...stay with me," Kazushi repeated. The way he tilted his head revealed how frantic he was trying to calm his nerves.

  Takako repeated, "I told you, no."

  Kazushi didn't lower the gun. They glared at each other.

  Takako couldn't bear it anymore. "You know...what do you want? Say it. You're not killing me off. I tell you, I don't want to be with you, but you insist. I don't get it."

  "I..." Kazushi stared at Takako with that leer in his eyes and said, "I'm saying I'll protect you. So...just stay with me. We're safer together, right?"

  "You've gotta be joking. You have the nerve to threaten me like that and say you'll protect me? I can't trust you. Get it? Can I go now? I'm going."

  Kazushi replied, "If you move I'll shoot you." He aimed the bow gun directly at her chest.

  By openly threatening her like this Kazushi lost any chance he had of keeping to a civilized code of conduct (not that he had much of sense of that to begin with). He stood still and said, "You better obey me, girl. A woman obeys his man."

  Takako was furious. Then he had the nerve to say, "You're a virgin, aren't you?" in a casual tone, as if he were only confirming her blood type (B).

  Takako was at a loss for words.

  "..."

  What...did this asshole say?

  "Am I wrong? Hiroki wouldn't have the guts to sleep with a girl."

  Kazushi said this because probably he, along with many of her other classmates, had the mistaken assumption that she was going out with Hiroki Sugimura. She had two reasons to be especially annoyed, though. First of all, her relationship with Hiroki was none of their business. Second, Kazushi's making fun of Hiroki pissed her off.

  Takako broke into a grin. She'd realized a long time ago how she could always grin when she was absolutely furious.

  So she grinned like this at Kazushi and said, "What's it got to do with you?"

  Kazushi might have misinterpreted Takako's grin. Kazushi grinned back. "So I'm right."

  Still smiling, Takako glared back at him. Yes, in fact you are right. I might look a little flashy, but just as you said, I'm a virgin. An innocent 15-year-old girl. However...

  It's none of your business, asshole!

  Kazushi continued, "We're gonna die anyway. Don't you want to try it once before you die? I'd be a good partner."

  Although Takako had never felt so angry in her life, she couldn't help but gawk back at him in amazement. Her mouth might have even hung open. His exasperating, outrageous behavior was bad enough, but now it was so out of control it was like he was from another world. Captain Columbus, that is San Salvador Island. Okay, they're barbarians. Beware of the barbarians.

  Takako looked down—and burst out in laughter. It was incredibly funny. This sitcom would have been a hit.

  She lifted her face. She must have been glaring at Kazushi, but she'd still give him one last chance.

  "This is my last offer. I don't want to be with you. Just put that down and leave me alone. Otherwise, I'll take it that you're going to kill me. All right?"

  Kazushi didn't move his bow gun. Instead he raised it up to his shoulders and threatened her, "This is my last warning. You better obey me, Takako."

  The fact that Takako felt a thrill at this exchange, which was in some ways the turning point of their encounter, may have been indicative of her personality. And from here on...she couldn't be held responsible for what would happen.

  Takako took a step forward to put an end to this conversation with this asshole.

  "I see. So you just want to rape me. Right? You think dying gives you the right to do anything?"

  Kazushi glared back at her. "That's not what I said ".

  What's the difference? She laughed at him inside. Let me guess what you'll say next. I don't want to rape you, but you better take off your clothes?

  Takako continued grinning as she calmly tilted her head. She said, "Right now, you might want to worry more about your life than about your lame-ass dick."

  Kazushi's face suddenly flushed. His mouth twisted as he spouted off, "Shut up! You really want to get raped?"

  Takako grinned and answered, "So the truth comes out."

  "I told you to shut up!" Kazushi repeated. "I can k
ill you if I want, you know!"

  He made her sick. She remembered how he tried to coax her into it just moments ago, saying, "I won't kill you."

  Kazushi paused and then boasted, "I already killed Yoshio."

  Takako was a little shocked, but she merely lifted her brow and remarked, "Huh." Even if it were true...given how he'd been hiding, he'd probably been terrified, then somehow bumped into Yoshio Akamatsu and ended up killing him by accident. After that, too scared of anyone stronger than him, he probably spent this whole time hiding. But knowing him, she knew that if he ended up surviving by hiding until he had one weaker final opponent, he'd say something like, "I have no choice" and kill him or her without hesitation.

  "I was thinking," Kazushi continued, confirming Takako's suspicion. "I decided this is a game. So I'm not going to pull any punches."

  Takako continued staring at Kazushi, still wearing that grin.

  Ah ha. I understand now. So whether it was by consent or by raping me you were going to fuck me and then kill me. As long as you could survive by having everyone else including myself die? I see. Did you calculate how many times you could fuck me too?

  Her spine tingled with disgust and fury.

  "A game?" she repeated after him and then gave a big smile. "But aren't you ashamed doing this to a girl?"

  Kazushi looked shocked, but then his face became sulky again. His cold eyes shone. "You want to die?"

  "Go ahead, shoot me."

  Kazushi hesitated. It was her chance. Takako threw the pebbles she'd cautiously taken out of her pocket at his face. As Kazushi covered his face to shield himself, she quickly turned around, dropped the day pack, and dashed back the way she came, all the while holding onto the ice pick.