Volume 5 - CH 2.1

Story II

Then, the cat escaped from its cage.

The cat was free for the first time in its life.

The cat had grown up in a cage.

The cat was raised with utmost care.

The cat was never once abused.

The cat was showered with love.

The cat was anxious and not happy about it.

The cat knew those who were persecuted and condemned.

The cat was now free from anyone or anything.

The cat laughed, holding its belly.

It’s time to play. Get ready!

There was not much time, though.

The cat has never played with anyone before.

Reisen Girls’ Academy was temporarily closed.

The students were transferred to a sister school in another prefecture, and the masked Yuri vanished into the darkness.

The sea of red flowers had burned to ashes. Nothing related to that incident remained at the school.

Mayuzumi sat down on the leather couch and flipped through the documents in her hand. It contained information on Jingu Yuri’s admission into the academy. She was an official student, apparently. But a few days before the incident, she had obtained a unique permission to return home.

But we saw her at the academy.

Mayuzumi picked up a piece of chocolate and munched on it.

“Surprisingly, her family, especially her grandmother, went frantic when they found out about her disappearance. Jingu Yuri was not an abandoned child.”

Mayuzumi crushed the chocolate between her teeth.

Resting her chin in her hand, she continued, “It was also her family that got her permission from the academy to leave. But she didn’t go home, despite really wanting to go home and have momentary freedom. She told her family that she was going to stay in the dorm.”

Yuri’s image appeared in my mind. She put on a cat mask and flared her cloak.

The sight of her bowing in the woods was exceedingly bizarre.

“There’s one piece of bad news. She’s probably an esper. That academy originally housed plenty of girls from families with supernatural abilities. Her clan, in particular, was obsessed with these abilities and introduced one into their bloodline. Not exactly uncommon. A hobby of the wealthy.”

I swallowed. She cast her gaze down listlessly.

She looked like a doll in her designer coat and frilled skirt.

Several small roses were attached to her ears.

“Everyone admires superhumans. But the idea of incorporating them into your own bloodline is beyond comprehension. Her family is shunned by other clans. And they’re also keeping the ability they obtained a secret. We don’t have any details.”

Mayuzumi let out a sigh and closed the folder. As I thought over the things she just said, the incident replayed in my mind.

The girls’ tragic story. The fox’s name coming up at the end. Jingu Yuri, who vanished in the flames.

A fox and a cat. How were they related?

“Is it possible that she has the same ability as the fox?” I asked.

Was the whole incident something she orchestrated alone?

Mayuzumi shook her head. “Who knows?” she said wearily. “But his existence was unique. The fox was born as a result of copulation between his mother and her own brother. Even within the Mayuzumi clan, his ability could not have been obtained without breaking taboo. I don’t think there’s any similar precedent. Besides, she lived in the academy, so she shouldn’t have known about him.”

But the cat’s appearance hinted at the presence of the fox.

Mayuzumi cast her gaze down in thought. Irritation filled her eyes. She hated boredom. But she detested the fox just as well. I was starting to get a headache too. I pressed my wriggling belly.

The fox had made his presence known once more. I wasn’t sure how to take that.

I left him behind. I might as well have killed him.

But once again, girls were sacrificed in the name of the fox.

How do I deal with this fact, and what do I do next?

“A cat…”

Who was that girl wearing a cat mask?

I recalled the way she stared at us defiantly from within the flames.

Where did she disappear to?

“I don’t want to get involved with her if possible,” Mayuzumi said. “She’s an abomination. But…”

“Yeah, that’s wishful thinking.”

“I’ll see you soon.”

Her dramatic line replayed in my head. She said she would see us again before disappearing.

I couldn’t even tell what was going on.

My palms balled into fists. The wound on my left hand ached. Why was I being tormented by someone I had decided to forget? I decided not to think about him ever again. But every time I remembered him standing in the spirit world, my breath caught in my throat. I tried to rid myself of the image, but to no avail.

Right as my confusion reached its peak, a phone rang.

Astonished, I turned to Mayuzumi. But she didn’t move. Lying down on the couch, she opened a new box. She picked up a small dog-shaped piece of chocolate and popped it into her mouth.

Ring.

She chewed and swallowed casually.

“I think it’s your phone,” she said.

“Oh.”

“Just because your phone rarely rings doesn’t mean you should forget your ringtone. It must be because you don’t have any friends. Poor thing.”

Mayuzumi pretended to cry. I ignored her and pulled out my cell phone from my bag. I pressed the answer button and held it to my ear.

“Hello, Odagiri speaking.”

“Oh, Odagiri-san.” A cheerful voice, to my surprise. “It’s me, Nanami. Are you available right now?”

I breathed a sigh of relief. But it was unusual for her to call me out of the blue. Maybe something happened.

“Do you need anything?” I asked.

“I thought about waiting for you to return, but if you’re not too busy, I was wondering if you could come. Um… It’s about that thing I wanted to show you. She’s fully recovered today, so she wants to talk to you.”

“Nanami-san. Can I put this away?”

I heard a high-pitched voice. It sounded familiar. I had no idea why she was there, and I couldn’t understand what Nanami was saying.

Fully recovered?

“Sorry, can you please hold the line for a bit?” Nanami said. “Yes, that goes over there. And please let that soak in hot water a little longer.”

“Okay. Um… And I’m gonna wash this…”

Crash.

I heard a plate break.

“Oh, no. You have to be more careful!” Nanami cried. “I’ll be waiting for you, Odagiri-san!”

“Wait, Nanami-san. Why—”

Beep, beep.

The call was disconnected. I pulled the phone away from my ear, flabbergasted. I turned to Mayuzumi; she looked exasperated. She apparently heard the voice too.

“Go ahead,” Mayuzumi nodded. “I totally forgot about her.”

I nodded back.

It was a little late, but we needed to check how she was doing.

Come to think of it, we kinda just forgot about her after the incident with the fox.

The voice on the other side of the phone belonged to Shiraki Aya.

Ding, dong.

I left the office and returned to my apartment.

I pressed the doorbell, but no answer came from the intercom. Folding my arms, I waited for Nanami. I needed to figure out what was going on. But I didn’t know what to ask her.

Why was Shiraki Aya washing dishes at Nanami’s place? What had she been up to until now? I was feeling oddly nervous.

The door slowly opened.

“Welcome, Master!”

Aya, dressed in an apron, greeted me with a smile.

Without saying a word, I pulled a cigarette from my chest, lit it up, and took a deep breath.

Several seconds later, I said, “So, is there a punchline?”

Aya clicked her tongue. “What does it take to please you, you closet pervert? You’re not interested in these tits?” She threw out her chest.

The small apron she wore was on the verge of tearing. The cat’s face printed on it was stretched hideously. Her ponytail was tied with a yellow scrunchie. She probably borrowed them both from Nanami. The two seemed to be getting along well, but what in the world was going on?

“What, no reaction? Tsk. Maybe something like, ‘Welcome home, dear,’ would’ve been better. Otherwise, hmm… I could’ve come up with something before, but I can’t really remember.” She started mumbling to herself. “I’m stuck in a rut… Need some variety…”

I snuffed out the cigarette I lit on an impulse. It was still long, but there was nothing I could do. After a few seconds of pondering, Aya looked at me.

“Whatever,” she said. “It’s been a while, Odagiri. As usual, you look surprisingly fine, despite looking like you’d drop dead at any moment. As you can see, I’ve finally made a full recovery. Sorry for calling you out here out of the blue. Come in.”

Aya beckoned me and went inside. I watched her go. I thought back to the incident with the fox. The sensation of blood running down my throat. Her bewitching smile. Her weeping visage, tormented by Aya’s death.

Something was clearly off here.