Murder Anniversary and the Reverse Memorial

by Mizuki Mizushiro

  “Not really.” Eiri casually interrupted Kyousuke’s apology. She stood hugging her Pooh Bear close, intending to take him back with her to the student dorms.

  “I a-actually…don’t mind?”

  She blushed.

  Kyousuke, who had been sure that she would respond with “It’s really a bother. You should just die,” was bewildered by Eiri’s apparently favorable reaction. “No, no. If you say that, it sounds like you’d be all right with having me as your husband.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Wh-what do you mean ‘yeah’…?”

  Kyousuke understood her less and less.

  Eiri squeezed her bear even harder. Burying the tip of her nose in Pooh Bear’s forehead, she fidgeted bashfully. “I’ve decided, based on recent events, that I’m going to stop being so obstinate and be more honest. I’ve come to understand that trying to hide what I really think is not a good way to live…and so I’ve thought it over and…my feelings for you, well I…d-don’t hate you, it seems. So, well…as long as it was all right with you, I wouldn’t really mind? …Wh-what do you think, Kyousuke? Would you hate it if I were your…bride?”

  “Eh—”

  The destructive power of her words took Kyousuke’s breath away. The surprise attack made his mind go blank.

  Yet Eiri’s expression was enthusiastic as she looked at him with upturned eyes. He didn’t feel any of her usual barbs. Rather, her nervous expression was gentle and sweet.

  Kyousuke felt his own face grow hot as his eyes darted back and forth. “Th-that’s…umm, well you see…” Eiri and Kagura and Fuyou and every member of House Akabane were intently watching him blush. A cold sweat broke out on Kyousuke’s back. “T-to have someone like Eiri as my bride, t-to be honest—”

  “Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh?! Oh noooooooooooooooooooooooo!!” Renko screamed deliberately. She grabbed Kyousuke’s right hand and started pulling. “Oh no, it’s already so late! If we don’t get going, we’ll be late! Hurry up, Kyousuke! Come on, quickly! We don’t have time for sappy good-byes! Fnnkksshh!”

  “Huh?! Hey, just a—”

  “Aaaaaahhh! She’s right—this is bad!” Ayaka grabbed his left hand. “We’re pressed, pressed, seriously pressed for time! If we don’t leave right away, we won’t make it!! Hurry, hurry, big brother!”

  Ayaka and Renko together began dragging him out through the gate.

  Busujima checked his wristwatch. “No, we’re still just fine. There’s really no need to hurry—buh?!”

  Renko shut her teacher up with a powerful body blow. “Come now, Eiri. You hurry, too! Surely you don’t want to face Miss Kurumiya’s discipline?!” she said as she and Ayaka continued to manhandle Kyousuke away.

  “Y-yeah…well…” Mumbling indecisively, Eiri turned to Fuyou. “Well, I’m going now, Mother. Um…thank you very much! It seems I misunderstood you. I thought you were more of a frightening person, so…I’m sorry.” She bowed her head.

  Fuyou covered her mouth and softly laughed. “Ho-ho. I don’t care about all that. There’s no denying that I can be quite ruthless. However, Eiri…you are my beloved daughter, born of me and your father, whom I loved. Never forget that.”

  “Yes, Mother…”

  “—And…” Fuyou lowered her voice and narrowed her eyes. The color of fresh blood stared at the girl wearing the black gas mask. Bringing her lips close to Eiri’s ear, she whispered, “Don’t lose, all right?”

  “……Yes.”

  “Don’t worry. It’ll be an easy victory for my big sister. If she makes a serious effort, it’ll be an instant kill… You should teach them a lesson. Show them your charm and strength.”

  “Ah-ha-ha…r-right? Okay, I’ll give it my best.”

  “Good. But it’ll be lonely with only that boy to take care of you, so…come home once in a while, okay? I will hold the day when I can see you again in my heart.”

  “Sure. Me too. Be well, Kagura!”

  “Okay. You be well yourself—”

  Leaving Pooh Bear on the ground, Eiri embraced her sister. Kagura embraced Eiri back, and they pressed their cheeks together lovingly.

  “My, my.” Fuyou smiled and waved her hand at Kyousuke and the others. “Everyone, thank you for your visit. Come again any time, all right? Kyousuke, you come back as a groom for certain. Ho-ho-ho.”

  “Ha…ha-ha…”

  “Please take care of my daughter.” Fuyou bowed very deeply, and Kyousuke could only respond with a stiff smile.

  A noted family of the criminal underworld, famous for their great number of assassins. With that seal of approval from the family head, Kyousuke felt his life drifting further and further away from normalcy…

  “Ahhhh, this is sheer bliss. It feels so good…”

  —Meanwhile, across the ocean from Japan, in a certain country, in a certain location, in a certain luxury hotel, lying sprawled on a towel-covered bed, Reiko Hikawa enjoyed a luxurious massage.

  She was not wearing a stitch of clothing. Rugged hands like rocks caressed her soft skin, made even softer by slippery essential oils. From her narrow waist, up to her shoulder blades…

  As the masseur moved back and forth, skillfully applying his strength, he melted away the exhaustion accumulated in the course of the day.

  Reiko inhaled the aroma of chamomile, which closely resembled apples. She breathed deeply through her nostrils, drinking in the heady scent.

  “…Hey, you. What the hell have you been doing this whole time?” Coming from the cell phone on top of the table, a lisping Lolita voice interrupted the background music.

  Facing the device set to speaker mode, Reiko answered in a carefree tone, “Getting a massage. I’m right in the middle of it, in fact, in the hotel’s very best suite room, having my fill of the very best sweet time!”

  “I see. How nice to have that kind of status…well, whatever. Hurry up and say what you needed to say. You’re the one who called me, so you must have something important on your mind.”

  “Yep. The truth is, Hijiri dear…I have a very important request for you.”

  “…Hm.”

  “Won’t you help me out?” she asked, an edge to her voice.

  The answer came back right away. “Of course. If there’s anything I can do, please tell me.”

  “…Thank you. Then, I’d like to ask—” She paused. In the quiet, the masseur’s hands moved from her back to her shoulders. The huge palms, nearly twice the size of Reiko’s, massaged her stiff muscles with expert skill.

  If only time could stop just like this…

  “…Hey. How long are you planning to wait?”

  “Huh?! Sorry, the massage felt too good, and I…spaced out. Anyway, what were we talking about?”

  “About your request, moron! Piss off and die!”

  “I said I’m sorry. Don’t get so upset. You’ll build up stress!”

  “…Hmph, thanks to you. I’m having a miserable time every day during Mohawk’s supplementary lessons. I’m the one who needs a massage.”

  “Ah-ha-ha. That must be the problem child you mentioned before! He’s head over heels for you, is he…? Hee-hee. You two are far more compatible than I anticipated, you know? I’m sure you’ll make a good couple.”

  “”

  “……Hijiri?”

  “Don’t say that again. I know you were probably kidding, but I won’t let you get away with that shit.” Like an echo from the depths of hell, Kurumiya’s menacing voice was dark and angry. Talk of that particular student awakened a terrible wrath engraved deep upon her heart.

  “Eee?! S-sorry…”

  “—And? What’s the thing you wanted to ask me?”

  “Ah, umm, that’s…well… It’s no big deal, though.”

  “I don’t mind. Hurry up and say it.”

  “Y-yeah…but I’d like you to hear me out without getting angry, okay?”

  “Sure. Don’t mind my slip just now; I promise it won’t happen again. I won’t get angry anymore. It’s you and me, right? Yo
u can be honest with me, Reiko.”

  “I want you to sing a song for me.”

  “……What did you say?”

  “I said, I want you to sing me a song in your cute, soothing voice. You know how they always play background music during a massage? I want to hear you instead of that.”

  “—Anything else?”

  “Nope.”

  “…………”

  “Oh, one thing, it looks like I’ll be able to come there around next month… That’s about it. Now about my first request, surely—”

  “I refuse.”

  “Ehhhhhhhh?! No waaayyy! You said, ‘If there’s anything I can do,’ didn’t you? Just now?! Why won’t you help me ooouuut?!”

  “As if I would help you with that, dumbass! Unlike you, idling your carcass in the spa, I’m busy… Listen to your favorite music on your own, bitch! Is this conversation over? If so, I’m hanging up, slacker.”

  “Ah, wait! Wait, Hijiri dear! You don’t have to sing, but at least talk to me… I want you to soothe my ears with your sweeeeeet Lolita voice—whaaaaaaa?!”

  Reiko’s body was suddenly flipped faceup. The masseur, who had mostly finished loosening up her back side, had taken more essential oils in hand and started working on the opposite side. He spread the oil without hesitation onto her bust, which had been pressed between the bed and her body—over her voluptuous breasts, which could not fit in even his enormous hands.

  “Ehh?! You’re going there now?! Just a—eeeeeekkk!”

  “……Later.”

  “Aaah, stooop! Cut it oooooout! Please wait! Wait, Hijiriiiiiiiiiiii!”

  —Click. Ignoring Reiko’s pleas, she hung up the phone.

  “……”

  The masseur continued silently massaging Reiko’s body, which had gone slack. From her chest to her collarbone, from her collarbone down her arms, from her arms to her fingertips—Reiko looked up at the masseur as he left no part of her body unattended.

  He stood more than six feet tall, with muscles like steel. The GMK48 band T-shirt that he wore looked as if it might burst at any moment. His massively muscled body was completely covered with tattoos, from the ends of his extremities to the underside of his chin.

  “Heh-heh. I taught you this just the other day, but you’ve already mastered it, have you? You really have amazing learning abilitiiieees! What will you learn next?”

  “……”

  The mute man did not respond to Reiko’s words.

  His face, as he silently continued his mistress’s massage, was…

  …Wearing an ivory-white gas mask.

  “But that’s great, isn’t it, Renji? It sounds like I can get them to let you come with me. If you do a good job for just a little longer, you can see your beloved older sister. Won’t that be fun?”

  “……”

  As before, Renji did not respond. However, the touch of his hands seemed to grow somehow gentler as he continued the massage.

  Reiko closed her ice-blue eyes. “I’m looking forward to it, too, Renji…because even among GMK48—among ‘murderers’ murders’— you two are the children I feel especially attached to. I want to see her soon… I have to see her and get rid of him. Get rid of that undesirable clinging to my daughter.”

  Surrendering her body to her own child’s fingers, she fell into a deep slumber.

  Psycome 4: Murder Anniversary and the Reverse Memorial / End

  AFTERWORD Master of Ceremonies

  Hello, or perhaps nice to meet you. I am Mizuki Mizushiro.

  In the dead of winter we have the year-end ceremonies, and at the height of summer we have Obon. Eiri graces the cover of Volume 4, which has been sent out without regard to any sense of the seasons. However, she’s wearing not a uniform but civilian clothes! Those hot pants are outrageous, aren’t they?

  Furthermore, this time the story happens in a fixed location, almost like an out-of-continuity issue, and aside from the cover it’s quite different from previous volumes. The stage is not set at the academy, the players are not murderers but assassins, the frontispiece is a centerfold, our main heroine, Maina, has been excluded…

  Among all these changes, as always I have only one page for the afterword, so I’ll move ahead to the thank-yous.

  To the person in charge, Ms. Gibu; the illustrator, Namanie; the designers at musicago graphics; the proofreaders; the PR team; my friends; my family; all my relatives; everyone who had anything to do with the publication of this book; the readers who support me by picking up this publication—truly, thank you very much! Thanks to you, it looks as though I will be able to continue the series just a little while longer.

  Volume 5 comes out next spring. The Killer Queen and Exalted Executioner and Suited Slayer… Shamaya and all the other upperclassmen will run riot at the athletic festival. At the same time, a certain person who acted behind the scenes of Volumes 3 and 4 will make an appearance on center stage—and with that, see you next time.

  Mizuki Mizushiro

  ~Written while listening to Enter Shikari~

  Thank you for buying this ebook, published by Yen On.

  To get news about the latest manga, graphic novels, and light novels from Yen Press, along with special offers and exclusive content, sign up for the Yen Press newsletter.

  Sign Up

  Or visit us at www.yenpress.com/booklink