Chapter Two The School Festival, Twenty Years Ago
“It’s kind of scary that there was a murder case in our school!” said Reina Kawano, who was Minami’s classmate and friend.
“Don’t worry, Reina, I’ll protect you,” said Reina’s boyfriend, Daichi Iwata.
“Oh stop it, it’s embarrassing!”
What a lovely couple. Minami felt a tinge of jealousy.
“So, is there anyone you like, Minami?” Reina asked.
“M-me!?” Minami dropped her textbook.
“How easy to read! Who is it? I can’t even guess.”
“I-It’s nobody!” Minami said, picking up her textbook.
Then there was a voice from behind that said, “Uh, uh, um...”
It was a boy named Jun Ooishi, who wore glasses and was famous for being a nerd. “Y, y, you d, dropped your p, p, pencil too.”
“Thank you,” Minami said, smiling. This time, Hideki seemed rather disturbed.
“Hi there, Hideki!” A beautiful and popular girl named Ayano Kumai came to Hideki’s side. “Let’s have lunch together!”
“Uh, okay-"
“Okay everybody, please be seated!” called the class teacher Ms. Kyoko Yamamoto.
“The bell has already rung!” called the other class teacher Mr. Shigeru Ohta.
“I would now like to begin today’s homeroom class. Starting with the annual Christmas project, we will have a dance party in the gymnasium on December 25th.”
A dance party... Minami glanced at Hideki. Just then, her eyes met his and she turned away. 'Oh no, I can never say it.' She couldn’t help feeling devastated.
However, Minami was not willing to give up. She wanted to dance with her love Hideki at the dance party. Therefore, she intended to ask him out before the dance.
“Do you know about the story of the school festival, twenty years ago?”
“What’s that?”
“You know the roof where there was the murder case? Twenty years ago, a girl high school student commited suicide after losing her love.”
'So losing love is so sad,' Minami thought. She looked at Hideki, and saw him having fun eating lunch with Ayano. Minami looked down. 'Do I have any chance...'
“Wow, what a pretty restaurant!”
Minami, Hideki, Reina, Daichi, Ayano and Jun were in front of a beautiful, illuminated restaurant.
“The price is not so high. Let’s go in!”
The inside of the restaurant was also gorgeous with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
“I’m so excited about the dance party!”
“Me too! I wonder what I’m going to wear.”
Just then,
“Hey, aren’t those two the suspects of the previous case, Kouichi Takizawa and Kanako Muroi?”
“You’re right! Kanako's husband just died and she’s still flirting with Kouichi...”
Just then, Kouichi stood up and went to the restroom. Kanako was looking at her cell phone.
“It seems they haven’t noticed us yet.”
“It’s scary. Another case might occur.”
Bam! Suddenly, there was a loud sound of a gunshot.
“What's going on?”
“What was that noise?”
While the customers of the restaurant shouted and moved about frantically, Minami ran straight into the men’s room. Kouichi was lying on the floor with blood on his head. The small window of the men’s room was open and the wall underneath was covered with blood.
“Could it be that...!”
Minami jumped out of the window and saw a black figure running off the narrow street.
“Wait!” Minami ran after the figure. However, the person turned at the corner. By the time Minami reached the corner, the person had already escaped, riding a motorcycle. “Damn!”
Later on, the police arrived.
Everybody involved went to the police station and received interrogation.
“The case occurred in an Italian resteraunt named The New World. The six of you were having dinner and noticed by coincidence that Kouichi Takizawa and Kanako Muroi were sitting nearby. Kouichi went to the bathroom and about a minute later there was a loud sound of a gunshot.”
This time, a policewoman named Nao Ikegami was in charge.
“Yes,” Minami answered. 'What a beautiful policewoman. I’d like to become like her.' Minami felt a little envious.
“And then, Minami went to the men’s room and found Kouichi lying with blood on his head. Minami went out the window and saw a black figure running down the narrow street near the restaurant and chased after that person. However, the person turned the corner and by the time Minami came to the corner, the person had gone on a motorcycle and escaped.”
“I’m sorry...”
“There’s nothing to apologize about.”
'Policewoman Ikegami is not only beautiful but kind too.' Minami looked at policewoman Ikegami with respect.
“Well, sounds just like how a high school student would do,” said policewoman Yui Mishima, snorting. “Oh hey, you’re here too, Hideki!”
Yui waved at Hideki.
“Minami, don’t put yourself in too much danger!”
John Matsushita put his hand on Minami’s shoulder.
“Uh, no, I’m fine thank you!” Minami said hurriedly. Minami and Hideki were both troubled by these aggressive policeman and policewoman.
