Part 35: Super High-school Level Update #31

............
.......mo...ing
..Go....rni....
Good...morning......



Good morning.
Uwahhhhhh!!





Upupu... That's a nice reaction... You certainly didn't betray my expectations!
W... what do you want?! Why did you come here?!



I'm trying to stir things up! So I came to wake you up personally instead of through a school announcement!!
For what reason...!?
Because it's funny.



But also... I wanted you to hear this directly from me...
Hear what...?



Should I say it...? You look so relaxed!
It seems "something happened" to one of your classmate buddies!
Huh...?





What's wrong? Your face suddenly looks like someone's who failed to commit suicide.
"S...something happened"...
...You don't mean!!



Upupupu. That part is for you to find out!
Good luck!



Something happened... to someone...

It... can't be!

No, I'm probably worrying too much...
Something like that... there's no way it happened again...

But, maybe...

No, I shouldn't think of that kind of maybes. In any case, right now...

The cafeteria. First I must go to the cafeteria!







Ah, Naegi!!



...Are you alright?



Have you also been approached by Monobear, and made haste to come here?
Hagakure-kun, Asahina-san, Oogami-san, and also...



............
Togami-kun...
Just you four...? Where are the rest?
Maybe they went ahead to find out what Monobear meant, or maybe...



They are involved in that thing that happened to someone...
"That thing"...?



It may have happened again...
A murder...

That's the worst possible scenario. The first thing that came to mind after hearing Monobear's words...



I...if that's what happened, is it because of that thing last night?



It can't be! They were just "memories", weren't they!?



"Just"...? I do wonder...
There should have been some people there who didn't think that way...
Eh...?



You're judging other people's sense of judgment based on yourself as a standard. Don't you see the danger in that?



Why didn't you say that yesterday...?!



Did you already forget? This is not a game of cooperation. It's a game where you destroy your enemies.



What advantage do I get from sending such a lifeboat willingly...?!



Are you still... saying those things...?



Yeah, what's wrong with you? You haven't been brainwashed or anything, 'right?



Wait. Before we go on we must confirm what the situation is...



That's right... Well then, let's split up and search the school.
Heh heh. I'm going...





Everyone else also left. As is standard procedure, I'm going to find where they're searching and see what's on their mind before conducting my own investigation. Aoi is next to the dorm rooms.





I tried knocking on everyone's doors... But there was no answer...
They probably went to find out what happened...
...Maybe they're on the second floor?
Maybe something happened... in one of the new areas that were just opened...

Sakura went looking in the trash room.





There is... nothing here...
Why are you here, Oogami-san? Did you... want to check something?



No...
I merely remembered your conclusions from the previous incident...
Eh?
If something indeed happened, perhaps someone is going to destroy evidence once more...
That is the reason I came to this place...

Hagakure is right outside the dorm area, in the school part of the building.





Hey, Naegi. So what do you think, honestly?
Eh? About what?



Togami-chi... Do you also think he's been brainwashed...?
I... can't really tell...
Shouldn't you know much more about the subject than someone like me, though?



What!? What do you mean?
I mean, you're a fortune teller, aren't you?



Naegi-chi... That's a pretty big misunderstanding, 'right?
Listen, 'right? Fortune telling...



Is completely different from dubious unscientific things like brainwashing and hypnosis!
Please try to understand that, 'right?

I don't think I'd call fortune telling scientific... But if I say that, he's going to get mad again...

Well then. Let's start investigating. The pool seems like a good place to start.





Nothing too suspicious over here. Let's go through the changing room.



Huh...?
...The door is unlocked? I thought it could only be opened using our cards...

* Ding dong ding dong *







For the "investigation" currently taking place, I have unlocked all the doors in the school. Please, feel free to investigate to your heart's content.



I...investigation...!?



As expected...
Togami-kun...!





Based on Monobear's words, there's no question a murder too place.
N...no...!!



: Furthermore, those changing rooms over there...
They're suspicious... Very suspicious... Don't you also think so?
Eh? Suspicious...?



It seems no one looked in them yet. Let's start with the girls' room, shall we...?


Togami-kun whispered those words, as if talking to himself...
And then, without waiting for my answer, pushed the door to the girls' changing room...



The door opened without a sound.



Inside... time stopped.



Chihiro Fujisaki (Youtube via Polsy)

On the wall: BLOODSTAIN FEVER

Eh................?

It required some time for the scene spread in front of me to reach my consciousness.

And then, once that happened...



UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!

A hideous scream came naturally flying out of my mouth...



CHAPTER 02 - WEEKLY SHONEN DESPAIR MAGAZINE / (ab)normal days part END