Chapter 03: Immortal Boy and the unknown Killer
It’s been around two weeks since Kirisaki Kyouko and I have become lovers.
As for me, I was the same as ever. The rumour of Kirisaki and me dating already spread throughout the school and a few guys in cla.s.s teased me about it, but I just glared at them without saying a word and they shut up. The advantaged of not putting up a brave front.
It was lunch break and I stood up with my lunchbox in hand.
Ugg. A soft voice that sounded disgusting and fake to even those who don’t know the truth.
As expected, the one who draw closer to me was a demon emitting a sweet fragrance. It was Kirisaki Kyouko.
“Again with your jokes, Ufufu.”
…You hate eating with me that much?”
“I see. Eating together with someone like me sure is displeasing… Ugh, Ughhh”
“…I get it.”
“Kirisaki-kun”
“…Stop stabbing me into the back as an extra to the hug.”
Like I said, stop twisting it!
I would love to record this obscene words, which were mumbled in a small voice, on tape.
It was then when I heard a sharp voice.
Kuon was confronting two female students.
One of the girls raised the bread in her hand.
The other girl held the juice cartoon in front of Rin, when Rin lowered her head.
“Keep it together. At least get a little errand done right.”
“Fine. We’ll count on you then.”
“After all you’re a ‘good girl’, who can’t refuse any favours.”
“Thank you, really. It’s quite convenient.”
The two of them left with a “See you~” while laughing shrill.
“…Kirisaki, excuse me for a bit.”
Don’t put your finger into the wound on my back while saying that!
The attention on me was gone, so I approached Rin. Kirisaki was following behind me.
Rin looked my way. Then as always, she smiled like she just had remembered something.
“What’s up?”
Nogi and Sakurano were surely the names of the two female students from earlier. I was impressed that she remembered her names, or rather something might be wrong with me, who still hasn’t remember most of my cla.s.smate’s names by the end of the second year.
When Kirisaki asked that, Rin shook her head.
“They just pushed that onto you. Are you fine with being used like that?”
“With what?”
“Why wouldn’t I? Buying it doesn’t take all that much time. Rather, it’s quite distressing not being able to eat what you want. I have to try harder next time.”
More than I was angry, I was weary, so I unintentional let out a big sigh.
“Aw, how mean.”
“Just like she said. I’m not going to say anything about your kindness, but you need to be more careful or you’ll be taken advantage of.”
Rin crossed her arms and pondered. But soon enough she said with a smile.
….She’s beyond help. A good girl with muscles for a brain.
I tilted my head with a sigh and told her “Anyway, be more careful. Next time they behave like earlier, call me over” and headed with Kirisaki to the rooftop.
“You’re strangely concerned about that girl.”
“I am?”
“Usually you treat others like trash, yet you went to her and gave her some advice. I’m a bit worried.”
“Am I wrong?”
While putting a pea with peanuts sauce into my mouth, I nodded. It was frustrating how I couldn’t deny that.
“The age where honest people are seen as idiots, huh. Reminds me, she also changes the water for the flower in the cla.s.sroom, doesn’t she.”
“I see.”
Kirisaki finished her bread and pulled out a pet bottle filled with some red fluid. I thought it was blood, but it turn out to be simple grape juice. How misleading.
“Hm?”
Kirisaki took off the cap from the juice. took one gulp and then shook her head.
Surely she had noticed that she made a displeased face despites her words.
“Kirisaki”
With my chopsticks I put a meatball into the mouth of Kirisaki, who looked my way. The surprised Kirisaki closed her mouth and chewed for a while, then said a single word.
“Don’t get jealous.”
“I- I’m not jealous or anything.”
I looked up to the sky. It had annoying blue colour today again.
“…I see.”
When I said that, Kirisaki answered “Of course” and ducked her chin.
“Well, okay then. ….But how many people have you done in so far?”
“There are times when I just can’t hold back myself. My memories is vague for around thirty minutes at these times. I somewhat remember it, but it doesn’t feel real to me. If I had to describe it, it’s like I’m watching myself on a TV. When I came back to my sense, there’s a corpse in front of me.”
“…And I always regret it afterwards. I feel relieved, but a guilty feelings still remains.”
“I hate myself the most at these times. I don’t know how I should handle this feeling. So I force myself to forget about the victim….. I know that’s selfish of me.”
“…About that, there’s something on my mind.”
“Well, it just might be my imagination. It’s simply a matter of a possibility.”
When I looked at her questioning, Kirisaki opened her mouth halfway, but closed it immediately again.
“Then don’t bring it up.”
“What?”
“Which?”
Then she drunk up the grape juice and put it on the ground.
Then she pulled up her skirt, allowing me to peek at her well-known bear-patterned panties, and pulled out the knife from her holster. …Hold it. My instincts were telling me with all their might to run away.
Kirisaki’s eyes were directed at me and were clouded by desire. She made an expression like an embarra.s.sed maiden with flushed cheeks.
“I could. That half-a.s.sed stab to your back earlier turned on my gears.”
Kirisaki jumped at me. I was pushed to the ground hopelessly and Kirisaki rode on top of me.
“I’ll have you… take responsibility.”
Then I was attacked. Quite literally.
The h.o.r.n.y stabbing demon called Kirisaki Kyouko stabbed me around 16 times and in the end petted my wounds. It was an experience not even a maniac suffered and seeing as I was no M, it was merely a adversity to me. I felt like taking a shower while crying.
She took off my uniform beforehand, so I avoided the tragedy of having it riddled, but the countless wounds on my body were covered with scurf and hadn’t healed completely yet, so I would surely have a hard time when I took a bath.
Encouraging myself like that, I turned the k.n.o.b and opened the door…..Oh? It wasn’t locked.
I tidied up her stuff, took off my own shoes and entered the house.
“Sis, you’re home?”
“Welham hom.”
“It’s convenient how meat immediately gives you power. You’re home early.”
“How sad. When I was in high school, I was more….”
“…Reminds me, you were doing three part-time jobs for living expenses, right? Such a gloomy youth.”
“You’re welcome. Don’t you have a girlfriend? You’re at that age. Go on a date after school or so. I’ll be sure to trail you.”
It’s better I don’t mention that I’m being chased by some weird girl. For own sake. And for the standpoint of my sister.
“Ah, I slipped away for a bit. I’ll go back once I finished eating this.”
I took the black tea from my sister and gulped it down.
“You keep getting fatter since you only drink sweet stuff like this.”
“Right, you’re just plump.”
“That’s just a roundabout way to say you have chubby cheeks.”
“…Onto the next news.”
“Another of these incidents.”
“Today in the early morning a man, who had collapsed on the street, was found by a woman on her way to work in **City ** District. The man’s body was cut with something sharp like a knife and the man was already dead. His chest was covered with a big cross-shaped wound, so the police investigates particularly with regards to the serial killer incidents that happened all over the country. …We’ll now connect to your correspondent on the scene. Nonaka-san?”
“Yes, Nonaka here. Right now the police is still investigating the scene. About three weeks had pa.s.sed since the last incident without anything happening at all, so the incident was thought to stay unsettled, but this recurrence has raised the tension within the police force.”
My sister started grumbling with an annoyed tone. But my situation was far from that.
“Where to? You only just came home.”
I stood up full of go and started heading for the entrance hall. I knew where I had to go.
I was a fool for trusting her. Now that I thought about it, there was no proof for what she said. If she lied in order to keep me in check, then I was truly a fool for not doubting her in the least.
“d.a.m.n!”
At that moment.
“Mh? A visitor?”
“Who is there?”
“U- Umm, I—”
“My name is Kirisaki Kyouko and I’m currently in a relationship with Node-san… Is Node-san at home….?”
Her ‘now you have done it’ face p.i.s.sed me off quite a bit.
“Oh my, I’m sorry that I don’t have anything prepared. Just take your time! Do you want some juice? Kugito, we still had some snacks, didn’t we? Like some chocolate. Aw geez, I’m a bit careless, so I don’t know where stuff is in the house. I’m sorry.”
“No, not all… I apologize for coming over so suddenly. There was something I wanted to discuss with Node-san….”
“So~ cute~!”
“How cold of you, Kugito. Why didn’t you tell me that you had such a cute girl besides you.”
“You don’t need to be embarra.s.sed. Or did you thought I would worry when I knew you had a girlfriend? Oh please, I’m not that overprotective. Rather I’m worried about that drawn back character of yours. Even as a high schooler, you didn’t find a single girl and always made a stupid s.p.a.ced out face like a dog in the summer heat. But you still had it in you after all.”
“Like I told you, Sis, she’s…”
“Ah, ehm….His gently side….”
Listen to me, even if it’s just for five minutes!
“Eh? Ah, right. d.a.m.n. It just got so interesting.”
“Just get out of here, you pervert.”
Kirisaki saw her off with a smile and the moment the door closed, she was back to her usual boldness.
“…Don’t speak about my sister right now.”
“Let’s start by how you knew where I live.”
Is that so. Well, I somehow expected that.
“I know.”
“…It’s about what was in the news, right?”
Breathing out. Kirisaki shook her head and looked up to me.
“Huh?”
“…What do you mean?”
“Just what I have said.”
“The incident reported in the news wasn’t done by me.”
“Everything I told you was the truth. As long as I have you, there’s no need for me to become the . Therefore I haven’t killed a single person since I met you.”“If you don’t believe me, we can’t proceed our conversation. If you insist on doubting me, then we’re done here.”
“…Okay.”
“Thanks.”
“So, what’s going on.”
“My guess is— Someone is imitating my crime.”
“Probably. …Do you have a computer?”
Kirisaki nodded in comprehension and stood up.
“Then let’s go to my room. ….I have some clues.”
In the room that was as plain as before, Kirisaki served me some tea, opened the lid of her notebook and turned it on.
“You like to read?”
“What’s your favourite?”
I involuntarily spouted my tea. This answer was so different from her character.
“No… I only had expected something more b.l.o.o.d.y.”
I see. “But still, Doraamon?”
“Guess you can look at it like that. By the way, which character do you like?”
“Yet another weird pick.”
“I like n.o.bita though. I sympathize with him, since he’s aware of his own stupidity and laziness, yet is ready to risk is life.”
Kirisaki said amused and moved the mouse. This might have been the very first time I had such a normal conversation with her.
She turned the notebook so that I could look at it too. We were both peeking at it. The screen showed a black background with white gothic letters that said
“A private website on the internet… A so called homepage.”
“Yeah.”
“To tell the truth, this is an underground site. Average people can’t access it.”
“It means under the surface. Only those who cleared a certain condition, will get a mail from the admin with a pa.s.sword.”
“What’s this site for?”
Geh.
“…Isn’t that a problem?”
Kirisaki clicked accustomed on the BBS. A common tree BBS popped up. While we had no computer at home, I knew at least these technical terms from just now, because we have a computer cla.s.s at school. That’s how it was. I had no idea though who I was explaining myself to.
“What do you mean?”
Saying that, Kirisaki clicked a random thread t.i.tle.
“….I feel sick just by reading this.”
“Wouldn’t get such a site get taken down immediately? Announcing crimes on the internet is a hot topic these days, isn’t it?”
“But what if someone of the partic.i.p.ants goes to report it to the police?”
“Beside?”
“Yeah. …Though to me it only looks like the site is promoting crimes.”
“…That you can’t see the other party’s face?”
“Right.”
“Well, because it’s feels better. Rather than admitting to one’s own boring self, it’s more fun to spent time by pretending to be someone really great. After all, you won’t get into a close relationship with those you meet on the internet anyway.”
“So what?”
“Just tell me your conclusion already.”
Anyway, try to imagine what would happen to these people if they hadn’t had the internet.”
“Exactly.”
In short it was like this: These abnormal and perverse crimes that were described on the board, weren’t necessarily all conducted in real life. There was a possibility that people, who wanted to do these actions, but couldn’t accomplish them in the end, just acted out their on this site and thus gained a temporary satisfaction. Before they knew it, these people would be in a world where they “…I understand. So, you’re a regular on this site?”
“Why would you do that.”
Well, if desire could be answered by the mere thought of “I had s.e.x”, then mankind would have gone extinct long ago.
Kirisaki typed into the board’s search function and pushed the enter-key.“In Lewis Carroll’s
Then she stopped at a certain result and clicked the b.u.t.ton to show the entire thread.
…I see. That certainly fit this site.
The thread t.i.tle was .A confident post from someone that seemed to have an acquaintance with the police. stated that the crime was committed precisely at midnight.
I asked the criminal herself. Kirisaki slightly shook her head.
Now that she mentioned it. Back then, I thought it was strange.
“But the thread stated ”Of course I had no intention to agree to that. But
“Just a habit.”
Scrolling further down, there was another reply by . Guess he must have hit the word limit, as it seemed to continue from where the previous post left off.“Giving information only you know to show off that you understand the person the best and when everyone’s attention is caught and they start praising, you switch over to the opposition. A typical example of a critic with a strong need for admiration. It’s not just the , there are a lot of people like that on the internet.”“Well, to begin with it wasn’t done to get people to complain. I ignored him at first too. But.”
“Lately, the crimes of our G.o.d, the , are too artless. The initial beauty and philosophy are gone.”“Our G.o.d might be dead. As sad as it is, we no longer can do anything about it. But, we cannot let our G.o.d’s glorious deeds go to waste. We need someone to succeed our G.o.d.”
Guess I wasn’t the only one to think that, as there followed replies asking about the meaning of March Hare’s word. That prolonged the thread abnormally, before he answered again.
“Not that I really care, but he sounded quite arrogant. I thought one needed to be even more mannered on the internet than in real life.”
“But there was no reply?”
“Guess that’s the ‘something on your mind’ that you mentioned on the rooftop. Even I have some brain cells I can use. I figured it out mostly. You didn’t get a reply to your mail. Then there were no more replies to this post. You had no more clues, so you gave up. But then.”
Kirisaki nodded on my words.
“…How many of these hot-topic crimes were your doing?”
“That means, the crimes there were done by March Hare—”
Kirisaki sighed.
“…I see. So, what are you going to about it?”
Kirisaki made a perplexed expression. I pointed to the screen while saying with a accusing tone.
“Even if you ask that.”
“a.s.suming that we’re going to punish him somehow, just what do you expect me to do when I don’t know his name, address or even face?”
“So we can’t do anything even though we know what a dangerous nutcase he is, huh.”
“Is our only choice is to leave him be…?”
“But there’s nothing we can do, is there?”
Kirisaki puckered her lips displeased. Guess she didn’t like how we currently weren’t even on the tail of the criminal that was mimicking her. Despite being a serial killer, Kirisaki was just a simple female high school student. When she didn’t have an investigation power like the police, there was no way she had any original connections.
Kirisaki looked my way with her almond eyes.
“What do you take me for? Even I have an average sense of justice.”
What a coincidence. For me too.
“I see. Now that half-a.s.sed att.i.tude is more like you.”
Kirisaki said while closing the site.
“What is it?”
She turned off the notebook.
“…But.”
“No, no such thing.”
I kept quiet. While I was opposed to it, Kirisaki was certainly right. There was nothing I could do. I hated my own incapability a bit.
“… May I speak?”
“Well, who do you think was it that throughout smashed that so called “normal life” with a hammer to oblivion?”
“It was you!”
“To h.e.l.l with you ‘all I did’! In which world would you find a crazy guy that answers ‘Geez, you’re so helpless. It’s no big deal, so I’ll forgive you.’?”
“Point the finger at yourself before you point it at me.”
I slapped her without mercy on the cheek.
From who! Actually, it means something else!
I stood up while pressing my temples.
“You…”
“…can’t be. So stupid. I’m going home.”
“Maybe not by surprise, but I’m sure you’ll strike me.”
My head was filled with the peaceful thought of how I’m going to explain the situation with Kirisaki to my sister.
Now that I thought about it, Kirisaki’s words made perfect sense.
Well, whatever. Like Kirisaki said, that all didn’t concern me. The possibility that the country-wide operating criminal will show up in this small city by chance is zero. I’ll follow her order and forget about it. j.a.pan police, give it your all in catching this nutcase. I’ll hold down the other one.
“Huh, Kugi-chan.”
“Yo. On your way home? Quite late.”
Rin draw closer with small steps and slapped my back.
“I’m a delinquent, so this is just perfect.”
“What’s the point of being a delinquent then?”
“Then you’re a honour student, Kugi-chan?”
“Worship me!”
“Gya! My hair! What chat for!”
I lightly laughed when Rin angrily puffed her cheeks.
“No need to specially ask that. Aren’t we walking together already?”
“But you sure are a rare kind.”
“Why?”
“No way.”
“Your underling, huh…Then I need to add ‘yo man’ at the end of every sentence.”
“Well, it’s fine. After all I’m doing as I please.”
I walked besides Rin on the dusk-coloured road.
I thought about what Kirisaki would say if she saw us like this, then wondered why I would even think of her now. That monologue pained me.
“Nah, nothing. I was only pondering who it was that said that a random coincidence was an inevitability.”
“? I don’t really get it. You say some difficult stuff, Kugi-chan.”
“…Was that a bit of sarcasm?”
But when I thought about it, Rin really did only talk about average stuff. About what she watched on TV yesterday, about the delicious cake she ate recently, about the interesting new game, about a touching movie, etc, etc.
“That’s what a young female high school girl is about. But it’s not like you’re doing good deeds all day, right.”
“And?”
“Hee. That’s a first. I’m curious what your type of man is.”
“Why?”
“That’s not like you. You’re always so annoying energetic around me.”
She called me an idiot. I wasn’t sure how I should take this out of context insult. I guess I should get angry for now?
What was she getting angry for.
“What’s up.”
“Excuse me for second.”
In time, the traffic light changed to green and Rin crossed the crosswalk together with the kid. I followed behind them.
When we arrived on the other said, the mother thanked her, but Rin only answer “No problem”. Then she squatted, patted the child on the head and said “See you”. The child nodded and said “Bye, bye” while waving it’s hand, then left together with it’s mother.
Rin didn’t boast about her natural conducted good deed, made a face like she only did what she had to do and faced towards me.
“Hey.”
“What?”
“Mh?”
“Like what?”
I scratched my head.
“It’s not like I’m doing it because I want something in return.”
“Mhm. ….What can I say.”
“When I leave troubled people alone, my chest gets this funny restless feeling. Like it’s saying that I didn’t do anything, even though there was supposed to be something I could have done. And there is no guarantee that someone is going to do something about that restless feeling of mine later on. So I think it’s better to make a move, so that I don’t get that feeling to begin with.”
“….Besides, you can do it too, Kugi-chan.”
“You’re pretty considerate to me in various ways. Even today.”
But that was only because it was you. I wouldn’t care for anyone that I don’t know.
“Well, yeah….”
Rin said with a smile.
“….You’re amazing.”
“I do, something wrong with that?”
I shook my head.
“That’s not true. Though things like today do happen sometimes…. When I do the greening campaign on Sunday or when I help out at the nursing home, I’m often told ‘Thank you’. Don’t you think that’s a precious gain? I mean, it doesn’t happen all so often that you get thanked every day.
What to say, you’re second to none.
“You’re not worthless!”
“…I tell you I am.”
“That’s not true. Everyone is needed by someone, just by being alive.”
“Then, why aren’t you allowed to be happy, Kugi-chan?”
“….I don’t get what you’re saying.”
“But that’s not good at all.”
“To presume by yourself that you’re unwanted. That’s rude to the people who think that you’re needed.”
“There is.”
“IS!”
“You don’t get it, Kugi-chan…. Don’t you remember it?”
“You saved me during the freshman year when I was bullied by the boys.”
“For you it might have been something trivial, but for me it was something to be really thankful of….Since I was small, I tried to be kind, but was hated instead and bullied a lot. At these times I thought I should just stop being kind. But then you saved me and when I told you the reason for the bullying you simply said:”
“You’re an idiot.”
“…But you also said that I’m great and respect worthy. I was really happy. It was the first time someone acknowledged the things I had done.”
“As you see, you can’t decided by yourself what others think of you.”
“So, never think that you’re worthless.”
“I’m sure even Kirisaki would find it sad.”
“Besides, I also think it’s sad.”
“Makes it look like it even denies my feelings of l….”
“….Hmpf. See you!”
“Ugh!
“…Are you okay?”
“Th- Then, see you!”
“…What an oddball.”
—Then, why aren’t you allowed to be happy, Kugi-chan?
I recalled Kirisaki’s words.
I’m sure the risk I’m shouldering in order to live is that I don’t have it.