Volume 5 - CH 1.6

“I am Ophelia,” exclaimed a petite, uniformed figure clad in a black cloak. “She who the river could not hold. The woman on the noose. The woman with the slashed arteries. The woman with the overdose.”

Her slender arms and legs moved gracefully as the bottom of her wide cloak flared. She looked like a giant crow. Tied strings swayed beneath her short, ear-length hair.

The moment I saw her face, my blood curdled.

The blood in my entire body froze. A person I did not want to remember appeared before my eyes. He was staring blankly at me from a sea of red. I shook off the image from my mind together with the pain in my chest.

The girl was wearing a cat mask.

The mask covered the upper half of her face, hiding her expression.

The girl opened her arms. She spoke grandly to the empty audience seats.

She seemed like an actor doing a solo performance.

“Yesterday I stopped killing myself. I’m alone with my breasts, my thighs, my lap.”

Was it a play, a speech, a recitation? I couldn’t tell the difference.

Peculiar words echoed sonorously.

“I smash the tools of my captivity; the chair, the table, the bed. I destroy the battlefield that was my home. I fling open the doors to let the wind and the cry of the world inside. I smash the window.”

She stopped speaking and stood still, wrapping herself in her cloak.

Noticing our gaze, she turned her attention to us, tilting her head in puzzlement. Then, she suddenly flipped her cloak. Removing the fabric wrapped around her, she bent at the waist and gave a deep bow.

She lifted her head back up.

Black eyes gleamed behind the cat mask.

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.

There was a loud sound. Mayuzumi was clapping her hands in praise.

Her unusual behavior left me astonished.

“Hamlet Machine?” Mayuzumi asked the girl.

“Exactly! ‘Down with the joy of submission. Long live hate, contempt, rebellion, death. When she walks through your bedrooms carrying butcher knives you will know the truth.’ Who cares about a woman who just falls into the water and dies? Unfortunately, I do not love Hamlet.”

The girl put her hand on the mask. Slowly, she lifted the cat’s face.

Her black hair billowed before settling back down. She shook her head to fix her hair.

A human face revealed itself.

Cat-like eyes regarded us.

Her smile had the charm of a Cheshire cat. Even with the mask removed, the impression I had of her remained the same.

She was like a lovely cat.

“Thank you very much for watching,” she said. “I didn’t realize I had such nice audience. Please accept my gratitude. It’s hardly a solo performance, but the applause is flattering nevertheless.”

The girl leaped. She jumped off the outdoor stage, cloak flaring.

She landed on the grass with the nimbleness of a cat. Black cloth fluttered. She strode over to our table and pulled out an empty chair.

She sat down and crossed her legs. Slender legs peeked out from her short skirt. She put her heel on the leg of my chair and slurped down a cup of coffee.

The audacity. I was about to say something, but swallowed the words back.

A red flower adorned her breast pocket.

“Oh, you can have it if you want, little cutie.”

With a theatrical motion, she presented it to me. She placed her hand on her chest and bowed. My vision tumbled momentarily. My stomach rumbled, and I stiffened.

Who is this girl?

She remained motionless with her head down. I slowly reached out my hand and took the flower.

“…Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Would the lovely young lady want one too?”

She waved her hand like an illusionist, and a red flower appeared at the tip of her fingers.

Mayuzumi received it dramatically. “Ah, thanks. In my opinion, the words lovely young lady suits you more than me.”

“No, not at all. Please, I don’t like compliments. I don’t need flattery. You don’t have to be considerate, lovely cuties.”

The girl shook her head repeatedly. Then, she bolted to her feet.

Her cloak flared. She bowed again, gracefully.

“Because I’m a monster,” she said softly. She raised her forefinger and pressed it against her lips. “Don’t tell anyone, okay?” She winked.

I swallowed. I had no idea what she meant by that. Was it some kind of a line from a play?

…Monster?

“I must say, tea party members frequently leave. Be careful out there. The weather and the place does not seem suitable for an afternoon tea. People disappear often at this school. It’s unfortunate.”

The girl kept her voice low, as if sharing a secret. She switched the subject too abruptly.

I moved my chair slightly and shifted myself so I could reach her at any moment.

The girl interlaced her fingers behind her back.

She stared at us with a feline grin.

“I see. Thanks for the heads up,” Mayuzumi replied low. “Let’s hear what you have to say.” She locked her fingers together and rested her chin on them. “Who are the members of this tea party?”

The girl laughed. “You don’t have to pretend. You’re smart, so you should already know.” She clapped her hands, laughing, then turned serious. “I like fooling around, but I don’t want to be treated like a jester. You two are the talk of the town. Tsubaki’s friends have been summoned by the headmaster to meet with the amusing duo.”

The girl held out both hands to indicate us, opening and closing her palms playfully.

I looked around. One student was opening a book; another was pecking at a cake.

They didn’t seem suspicious of us.

“Only fools gossip in front of guests. This school has its own rules. If you want to gossip, do it secretly. Do things behind the teachers’ back. Act like an angel in public. If you peel back the skin, you’ll see it’s all rotten on the inside.”

The girl turned her gaze to me and shook her head dramatically.

“Oh, cutie. Did I just ruin your fantasy? To the men out there, the girls here seem like idols. Ah, my apologies. I suppose you’re not that naïve. Let’s get back on topic.”

Holding my gaze, the girl quickly switched the subject.

Clearing her throat, she said, “But there are some who break the rules. Such spoiled ladies are unfortunately sent to the fifth floor. Tsubaki and her friends clearly broke the rules. They often had tea at the café. I didn’t think they were attempting to escape.”

“…Escape?”

“Oh, yes. They snuck out of the academy. Youth is truly terrifying. People are impassioned and reckless. Sometimes they even strangle themselves without batting an eyelid.” She winked at me. “And one of them didn’t come back.”

One girl disappeared.

My eyes grew wide at the information. I half-rose to my feet so I could grab the girl’s arm at any moment. It clearly didn’t make any sense.

Why was she telling us this?

Mayuzumi bit down on a piece of chocolate. “I have one question,” she said, waving the candy around.

“Ask away.”

The girl put her hand on her chest and curtsied theatrically once more.

“What is the definition of a monster to you?”

The question she posed made no sense to me.

“A generic term for something that isn’t human,” the girl answered with a bright smile. “If it’s not human, it’s a monster.”

She flipped her cloak without warning. Blackness covered my vision. By the time I brushed the cloak aside, she was already far away. She stopped at the corner of the school building and waved her hand.

“My name is Jingu Yuri. I will see you soon!”

She kept speaking dramatically until the end.

I got up and followed her, but as I turned the corner, I saw no sign of her. A group of students passed by, laughing merrily. They must have heard the commotion, but they didn’t eye us with any suspicion.

It was like a daydream. I returned to my seat feeling uneasy.

Everything—I couldn’t tell exactly what—so far had been disturbing.

I couldn’t help but think that I made a fatal mistake.

I sat in my chair, dumbfounded. I didn’t feel like searching for the girl—Yuri. It was probably pointless to do so. I had no reason to believe that, but I just knew. She must have disappeared without a trace.

It felt like being deceived by a fox.

A chill crawled down my spine. A crimson scene flashed in my mind, and the fox emerged.

As soon as I saw him, pain filled my chest. I almost reached for empty air, but stopped.

I clawed at my palm. I twisted the burn scars and tore at my skin until it bled.

I had decided not to remember.

I had decided to forget.

I shook my head wildly and slurped down my cup. Not a drop fell, as Yuri had already drunk the coffee. I heaved a deep sigh and crushed the paper cup.

“If it’s not human, it’s a monster,” Mayuzumi murmured matter-of-factly.

Mayuzumi frowned in thought. Then she stood up and started walking.

A red flower bloomed on her back.

Setting the parasol on her shoulder, she said, “I take back what I said earlier, Odagiri-kun. I am not interested in this case, but I will offer my assistance. This one needs to be solved. The sooner we get this mess out of the way, the better.”

She shook her head. “I’m sure the next one will be even more annoying.” She sounded irritated. “Running away won’t make a difference.”

I suppressed the fear rising up my throat. If you thought about it rationally, the girl from earlier had done nothing wrong. But that cat-masked attire was too melodramatic.

I had already realized who she resembled.

He, too, had the flair for the dramatic.

But the fox should be gone by now.

I left him behind.

“Let’s go, Odagiri-kun. There’s no point in worrying about it. Go back to your assigned room. We’ll go out during dinner.”

“During dinner?”

“Yes, unfortunately.” Mayuzumi nodded gravely. “I heard those three had stopped going to class.”

I wasn’t sure what her plan was.

“The answer is simple,” she went on. “But we need to confirm it. What was Tsubaki-kun afraid of?”

I thought about the information we had gathered. Her odd last words—a dislike of flowers. Red petals scattered in the bathtub. Three frightened girls. Before the images in my mind faded away, Mayuzumi added.

“She was afraid of flowers.”