Volume 1
Chapter 3 Part
5
Translator : PolterGlast
A car drove past us
from the front, and I stepped behind Hikaru.
"I heard the
rumors, but it's pretty bad," Hikaru said when I finished speaking.
"Really, it's
become a rumor?"
"Yeah, they say
you ran away after yelling terrible parting words at your teacher."
"All I said was
'idiot,' it's a cute word."
"It is a cute
word, indeed."
"Hikaru is
smart."
August 28th.
It was already past 6
pm. As summer was coming to an end, the days were getting shorter, and even at
this time of day, the sunset was already about to end.
I, who was just
following Hikaru wherever he went, wasn't familiar with the geography of this
area. We were probably walking around the school area, but it was the opposite
side of my usual commute, so it was like walking through a completely
unfamiliar town.
I looked around as I
walked behind Hikaru.
I checked the internet
news every day, but so far, there didn't seem to be any reports of a murder in
this town. It could be assumed that Hikaru's parents' bodies had not yet been
found.
Still, let's be extra
careful.
What if the police
have already started questioning people and a passerby who knows the situation
sees us and calls 110? Hikaru is wearing a hat, but his aura can't be hidden,
and anyone who has seen a picture of him would definitely recognize him.
Since we had no
particular conversation, I asked him what was bothering me the most at the
moment.
"Why did you
choose Goto-sensei?"
"We're here, it's
over there."
Hikaru interrupted me
and walked ahead on his own. I hurried to follow him.
"What?
Here?"
I stared in amazement
at the magnificent Western-style house in front of me. A nameplate that read
"Goto" was attached to a pillar next to the gate.
"He lives in such
a nice house. That's unexpected."
"His parents are
rich, apparently."
Goto's house was a
grand, Western-style house. There was a luxury car parked in the garage, and
there was a small front yard as well. An ornate gate stood solemnly in front of
the driveway leading to the front door of the house.
Hikaru, who seemed to
have visited Goto's house before, looked familiar with the place. I've never
heard of a student being invited to a teacher's home. I thought it wasn't a
good idea, but according to Hikaru, he had only visited once to get a reference
book. I guess honor students are treated differently.
I had seen his midterm
exam results before and he had scored almost twice as many points as me in most
subjects. It's not that my grades were bad, but even without that, Hikaru
excelled. Was it the result of his mother's abusive education?
According to Hikaru,
the club that Goto advises is off on Mondays, and he should have already gone
home.
"His father
passed away last year, and his mother is in a nursing home. He lives alone in
this house now."
"Is he
single?"
"Yeah."
"That's
lonely."
Who's the lonely one.
Is it Goto, a single man living alone in a huge house, or is it me, who has no
future and is involved in a murder escape?
"Well, let's
proceed to the murder plan, shall we?"
Hikaru was in charge
of formulating the murder plan. I hadn't heard the details yet, and since
Hikaru had bought a plastic cord at the drugstore we stopped by earlier, I
assumed it would be strangulation, but I didn't know when or how he would do
it. I thought he should have told me in advance, but Hikaru stubbornly refused,
saying, "I'll tell you right before."
"I'll give you
instructions later, so just stay by my side for now," Hikaru said casually
and rang the intercom.
"Is that really
okay?"
Murder isn't something
that can be done on the spur of the moment. I thought it required a meticulous
plan, as I sometimes find it in mystery novels I read. However, since it went
against my policy to persistently ask when the other person said it was okay, I
didn't say anything more. Besides, the other party was the intelligent Hikaru.
Surely this won't be a problem.
While I was thinking
about this, the front door opened and Goto appeared.
"Welcome,
Natsuno."
Apparently, Hikaru had
contacted Goto in advance.
"Hello."
Seeing my former
teacher for the first time in a long time, my body involuntarily stiffened. I
entered the house, hiding behind Hikaru, but my heart was still pounding
uncomfortably.
It seemed that Goto
finally noticed me. He shrugged his shoulders and glared at me sideways. Before
he could burst out with his usual high-pitched voice asking what I was doing
here, Hikaru opened his mouth.
"I invited
her," Hikaru said with an honor student smile.
"May we come
in?"
Goto nodded with a
reluctant expression on his face. I tried to look apologetic for now.
After going up the
grand entrance hall, we were led to a table in the spacious dining room. During
that time, Goto never made eye contact with me. He probably hadn't forgiven me
for what happened that day.
While being wary of
what he might say, I sat down in the chair that Hikaru had pulled out for me.
"I was worried
because you've been absent since the opening ceremony," Goto said to
Hikaru.
"I just wasn't
feeling up to it," Hikaru smiled like an honor student.
"Well, it's
important to slack off sometimes."
I couldn't believe it.
He had constantly told me not to "slack off" or "be lazy"
when I was truanting. How could he say such childish things? I understand very
well that slacking off is a privilege for those who have worked hard. Still, I
was a little surprised to hear Goto say, "It's important to slack off
sometimes."
"So, what brings
you here today?"
We came to kill you, I
replied so in my mind. An inappropriate laugh escaped my lips. I never used to
like such silly jokes, but in the past few days, Hikaru had completely changed
my perspective.
"I wanted to ask
you about a math problem."
Hikaru took out a
notebook and a reference book from his backpack and spread them out in front of
Goto.
What are you going to
do? I asked in a whisper, but Hikaru, engrossed in his conversation with Goto,
didn't seem inclined to answer me. I concluded on my own that he was going to
attack when Goto let his guard down during the conversation.
I casually looked
around the room, making sure not to be rude. The furniture and decorations were
tasteful and perfectly match the atmosphere of the room. I wondered if Goto's
parents chose them.
After that, I watched
the high-level conversation taking place in front of me in a daze. Hikaru's
notebook was lined with difficult-looking formulas and diagrams. I was sure it
must already being taught in class, but my mind, which had been napping all the
time, was not able to retain such advanced content.
I realized that Hikaru
is really an honor student. Recently, the image of Hikaru in my mind had
completely shifted from "perfect human" to "crazy
murderer," so I was a little surprised.
Hikaru and Goto talked
about math problems for about an hour, and then it was time for us to leave. We
walked to the entrance with Goto. In the end, I never spoke to Goto.
"Come to school
tomorrow," Goto said, patting Hikaru on the shoulder.
"Haha, I'll
try," Hikaru replied in his honor student mode and opened the front door.
I was confused and
went outside first as Hikaru urged me.
Eh? Are we just going
to leave like this? I thought, the words almost coming out of my throat.
As I watched Hikaru
thank Goto with a smile, I wondered if there was a hole in the plan, but
then...
"Eh?"
A shock hit me on the
shoulder.
A few seconds later, I
realized I had been pushed by Hikaru.
As I regained my
balance, the front door closed from the inside and I heard the sound of the
lock being turned. Then I realized that I had been locked out of Goto's house.
"......What's
going on?"
As I stood there
dumbfounded, unable to comprehend the situation, I heard a dull thud from the
other side of the door.
"O-oi! What are
you doing?"
I heard the sound of
feet stomping hard on the floor.
"Hikaru?"
I turned the doorknob,
but it was locked and the door wouldn't open. I knocked on the door, but there
was no sign of it opening.
My heart started
pounding rapidly.
"Hikaru!"
I called out as I
yelled, and then I heard a voice from the other side of the door.
"......Ugh, ugh!"
I heard something
being punched.
Goosebumps crawled on
my skin.
"S-Stop it!"
Something collapsed.
"Ah,
uugh..."
Something groaned.
I knew that
"something" was Goto.
My mind went blank. I
knew what was happening, but my brain couldn't process the information.
"Hikaru!"
A loud shattering
sound.
I remembered the vase
in the entrance hall.
I realized my
breathing was getting faster.
I heard a vibration
and a dull thud against the wall or floor.
When the sound ceased,
a muffled, vomit-like voice shook my eardrums.
Then I heard nothing,
except the grunt of a starving beast. My heart kept pounding fast.
As I stood there
dumbfounded, breathless, about five minutes later, the door opened and Hikaru
came out.
"......You look
terrible."
I said just one sentence.
My voice came out surprisingly calm.
Actually, Hikaru, who
forced a weak smile at me, looked so painful that it made me calm down. The
fact that he was smiling like this after killing someone slightly shattered the
image I had of him, whom I had previously described as being able to
"behave normally even after killing someone". Come to think of it,
this was the first time I had seen him right after a murder.
He had a bruise near
his cheekbone. It must be caused due to the resistance. Reddish-black scratches
were running from his ear to his neck.
"Let's get out of
here," Hikaru said, taking my hand and starting to walk.
There was no one on
the street in front of the house. We walked away from Goto's house at a brisk
pace.
"Why did you left
me out?"
"Because you
would be a hindrance."
"What's that
supposed to mean?"
I couldn't understand.
Since he was an intelligent guy, he could have come up with any number of ways
to deal with it.
If my lack of strength
was the problem, we could just put Goto to sleep or push him down the stairs.
If it was impossible for both of us to kill him, I could have just watched him
from nearby. That alone would have made me an accomplice.
And yet, he drove me
away from the murder scene like an adult covering a child's eyes at a gruesome
scene. Is he playing me for a fool?
"Are you perhaps
being considerate of me? If so, it's unnecessary."
"No way. I
wouldn't invite someone I care about to this crazy game.."
It felt both true and
not true at all. I kept my mouth shut, feeling confused.
"......You said
we were going to do it together."
When I muttered that
accusingly, Hikaru lowered his eyebrows and smiled.
"Sorry."
"I won't forgive
you."
"That's a
problem."
"Shut up, you're
annoying me more."
With that, I shook off
his hand, which was still clasped in mine.
A lukewarm breeze blew
against my face. Only the edge of the western sky was still slightly bright, it
was almost night. I could hear voices coming from nearby houses. The smell of
something like hamburger sauce wafted over, and I wondered how many years it
had been since I last had a family meal.
As I remained silent,
Hikaru, who was walking beside me, nudged my shoulder.
"You've been
awfully quiet, maybe you got scared?"
The dull thud of the
punch to the flesh, the terrified scream of the man, the beastly grunts just
before he died.
There's no turning
back now.
"Not at
all."
I smiled. Hikaru
smiled back.
No need for despair. I
had long since abandoned such feelings. All I have is a little curiosity and
enough selfishness.
"About tomorrow,
I was planning to kill Goto too, remember? So, why don't we take a day
off?"
I said that as we left
Goto's house.
I liked the strange
combination of "murderer" and "game," and I wanted to spend
the next day playing. That was the reason I explained to Hikaru, and the other
reason was that I wanted to sort out my feelings.
I remember Hikaru
coming out of Goto's house. I wasn't scared, but honestly, I was a little taken
aback.
August 29th.
This time, instead of
going home, I stayed at the same hotel as Hikaru. In separate rooms, of course.
On the way from Goto's
house to the hotel near the station, we hardly spoke, and when we arrived at
the hotel, we went to our respective rooms without a word.
I had a hard time
falling asleep last night. My mind was racing, and I couldn't feel any
sleepiness at all. When I finally did fall asleep in the morning, I woke up
within a few minutes. The murder that took place just behind the door may have
had a narcotic-like excitatory effect.
I imagined what
happened behind the door over and over again.
Goto was startled when
Hikaru suddenly closed the door, and he took a step back with a dumb look on
his face. Immediately, Hikaru punched Goto and pushed him down, straddled him,
put the plastic cord around his neck, and tightened it with all his might. Goto
struggled with his feet, but Hikaru, who was on top, would be in a dominant
position and stronger. When Goto died, spitting out a yellowish liquid, Hikaru
would open the door and look at me in a daze.
I shuddered as the
image projected on the screen in my mind sent a chill down my spine. But at the
same time, I felt a strange excitement, as if sweet honey was flowing through
my brain. If this is what it's like to commit murder from behind a door, what
would happen if I actually did it myself?
On the contrary, I was
surprised by Hikaru's appearance. The murder by Hikaru that I had imagined
until now was much cooler, a brilliant and quick crime like a serial killer in
a movie.
As I thought about
this, I suddenly became concerned about Hikaru's condition. The clock was
showing 7:00 a.m. Hikari would have been awake by now. When I stayed at
Hikaru's grandmother's house, he used to nag me to get up early, and when he
stayed at my house, Hikaru was always gone when I woke up.
I dressed lightly and
knocked on the door of the next room. Contrary to my expectation that Hikaru
would come out immediately, I couldn't hear a sound from inside the room. It
was still early in the morning, so it was unlikely that he went out somewhere.
After continuing to
knock on the door for a while, it was opened silently.
"Good
morning," I said.
Hikaru, who peeked out
from the small gap in the opened door, had his hair disheveled, which was
unusual for him.
Hikaru covered his
face with his left hand, so I couldn't see his expression, but something seemed
strange about him. Feeling curious, I touched the back of his neck with my
fingertips, and I felt an abnormally high temperature.
"What's wrong?
Are you feeling unwell?"
Hikaru didn't say a
word.
I pushed Hikaru, who
was leaning against me, onto the bed, and ran to the nearby drugstore to buy
medicine.
I knocked on the door
first and opened it with the key. Hikari was lying down on the bed by the
window with his back facing to the entrance.
"I bought some
Pocari Sweat," I said, taking a pet bottle out of the plastic bag, opening
the lid, and placing it on the side table. "Want some?"
There was no reply.
I walked around the
space between the wall by the window and the bed, forcing myself to face
Hikaru. Hikaru's face was hidden under the blanket up to his forehead.
On Hikaru's palm,
which was thrown out of the quilt, there were marks from the plastic cord from
yesterday. The painful scars, which did not suit his supple and beautiful
hands, caused a stir deep in my chest.
Hikaru must have been
worn out. That's what happens when one kills three people. I remember a serial
killer in a movie I once watched saying that killing people is very physically
demanding. That serial killer said he would sleep for two or three days after
killing someone, but what about Hikaru? Depending on how long it takes for him
to recover, our future plans will also change.
It was refreshing to
see Natsuno Hikaru in such a weakened state. Although I had felt some sense of
uncertainty toward him, I had a strong impression that he was always composed
and relaxed. Even Hikaru, who is a perfect human being, must be exhausted by
the extraordinary situation since this murderous escapade began.
I reached over to the
bed and patted Hikaru's head a few times as if I were petting a stuffed animal.
I stroked his hair, admiring how perfectly shaped his head was.
"Everything went
smoothly when it was your parents."
As soon as I said
that, I regretted it. I cautiously looked at Hikari's reaction and was relieved
to see that he was still asleep.
I put the jelly I had
bought in the refrigerator and sat on the other bed. Then, while nibbling on
the onigiri breakfast I had bought at the convenience store, I checked the
internet news. There was no mention of Goto. I tried to probe Sasaki by LINE,
but the message was not read.
I wonder why Hikaru
chose Goto.
It's hard to believe
that an honor student like Hikaru was being bullied by Goto. No, in the first
place, since this game isn't about revenge, it doesn't matter if the motive is
just "I'm just a little annoyed," and that's actually how I feel.
Still, when it comes
to Hikaru, I tend to dig deeper.
His real mother,
stepfather, real father, and homeroom teacher. He probably hadn't seen his real
father for many years. Was it a long-standing grudge, or was anyone okay?
As I thought about
this, I chuckled. I would have never cared about other people's relationships
or emotions before, but I've changed a lot. Is it inappropriate to laugh at a
time like this?
"I feel like I've
become more human since I met Hikaru," I said quietly, thinking that he
wouldn't hear me.
Hikaru would say
something absurdly strange, and I would correct him with common sense. It was
strange that I was in the position of being the sensible one.
Does Hikaru have some
kind of special power? I want to know more about him. This is the first time
I've wanted to know so much about someone. Hikaru is making me feel that way.
"Rin, you were
human to begin with."
A hoarse voice came
from under the blanket.
Apparently, he was
awake.
"So you're saying
I've become normal?"
On the contrary,
Hikaru has become the insane one. Perhaps his head was screwed up from the
start and I just didn't notice it. After all, that's the only extent to which I
could understand others.
Even so, it's true
that the image of Hikaru that I had inside me had been greatly shattered, and
his existence to me has also changed greatly.
Natsuno Hikaru. A
perfect person with intelligence, good looks, and friends. A child loved by
God. A person who had attempted suicide. A murderer who killed three people.
Compared to this
profile, I was a perfectly normal human being.
"But well, normal
people don't try to kill people, do they?"
I laughed
self-deprecatingly.
Usually, he would give
a sarcastic reply, but not a single word came out, and I could only hear his
rough breathing. My self-deprecating remark, left unanswered, only left me
feeling empty.
I took off my shoes,
curled up on the bed, and buried my face in my knees. I stared intently at
Hikaru's back.
"......Please get
better soon."
I said so in a voice
that Hikaru would definitely not hear. It would be embarrassing if he knew that
I was lonely because I couldn't talk to him. I laughed to myself, joking that I
would die if Hikaru heard me.
Gradually, a pleasant
feeling of sleepiness came over me, and I slowly closed my eyes.
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