Who is The Murderer?
"Huh, what’s wrong?"
We silently opened the door to the staff room.
"Nothing particular, we are just checking the number of survivors."
As I struggled for words, Kazuhiro stepped out from behind me.
The person I was looking at was Mr. Hayato Nabeshima, who was eating a rice ball with a snack in his hands. Compared to when I saw him around noon, his hair, which was usually pulled back in a tight combed-back hair was disheveled like Beethoven's, and the shirt he was wearing was wrinkled.
Next to him, who sip tea elegantly and chewing on a chocolate bar, is Ms. Misaki Shinjō, who usually treats students and listens to their problems in the infirmary.
Although I never got take care by her, I often talked with her when Shōta and Keisuke were injured. She looked as usual, except that sweat was dripping from her forehead, her long brown hair was somewhat disheveled, and she was not wearing the white coat she would normally be wearing.
"We're the only two adults now. The security guards, the cleaners, the lunch ladies, they're all dead."
Even Ms. Shinjō, who is usually so cheerful with us, had a hardened face today.
"Were there originally only two teachers?"
Kazuhiro sat in a nearby swivel chair.
"No, there were P.E.’s Mr. Kanetō, Physics’ Mr. Obata, and vice-principal’s Mr. Miki and Mr. Munakata."
"I see."
"Are you guys playing detective?"
Suddenly, Mr. Nabeshima, who had finished his rice ball, looked at me.
"Something like that."
"I would tell you to study when you have time for such things, but in this case, I have to rely on you guys. Kazuhiro's grades are rumored throughout the school, and I can tell by your classroom attitude that you're smart, too. If you want to know something, feel free to ask us. It's our duty as a teacher to teach students social common sense, and to protect them."
Mr. Nabeshima proudly thumped his own chest.
"Huh, but eventually, I couldn’t save many of them. I still think my life is more important than others. I failed as a teacher."
Mr. Nabeshima's voice suddenly became quiet.
"That’s not true. The teachers are still there to keep most of us, the students, calm. If the teachers were gone, I am sure everyone would lose hope for life and become desperate."
"And that is exactly what the killer wants."
We both tried our best to defend Mr. Nabeshima.
"You are right. You guys have given us hope for life."
Mr. Nabeshima looked at us as he put the empty bag of snacks in the trash can.
"If we survive all the experiments, will you come back to take my class?"
"Yes. Of course."
"Duty as a teacher, huh…"
"I guess the teachers are having a harder time than we are."
"Is it because of their families who would be worried about them, that they don't want to get rid of that pain?"
"That’s part of it. But more than that, everyone else is living life to the fullest, so they can't allow themselves to be the only one to retire first."
"Then, when there's only one left, they'll have nothing to live for, do they kill themselves?"
"No, I wouldn't. If it were me, I'd cherish the life everyone had given me."
"Well, you should moderate your heroics. We wouldn't be so calm if it actually happened."
"That same goes to you, Kazuhiro. You shouldn't intentionally lower your own bar and make others feel like they are in the same boat as you."
"It's just easier that way, right?"
"You say that, but when the time actually comes, you take the lead, just like you did before, right?"
"Well, I don’t know about that."
"Wow!"
Suddenly I heard a man's voice from the end of a dark hallway.
"Who is it!"
"It’s me! Finally, I found someone."
His face was reflected in the moonlight. There floated a pure white face that I thought might be a ghost. It appeared that way because the lower half of his body was exposed to the rain and wind, covered in mud, and difficult to see in the darkness.
"You…"
"Shōta!"
"There you are. By the way is it night already?"
" I see. He came back to life because we won."
Kazuhiro expressed relief.
"Awesome. I’m so glad."
Tears fell from my eyes.
"Hey, anyway. Don’t you feel hungry?"
