The fourth day of the girlsâ track and field confinement- The split within.
The early morning entertainment district is sad.
The dreams of old men have disappeared with the foam of beer and the wreckage of a nightâs pleasure is in a rubbish bag waiting for the rubbish truck to come.
Morning scene in the drinking street behind the station. Amidst the cawing of wild cats and crows fighting over territory, Fujiwara-san and I leave the hotel, hand in hand.
As a man, itâs hard for me to ask her to pay for the whole hotel, but I only have coins in my wallet to begin with. I tried saying, [Iâll let you pay here] with a superior attitude but she replied, [Yes, yes] with a wry smile, which made me feel a little sad.
[Gununu, chippaime] As I deliberately bite my teeth, Fujiwara-san looks into my face.
[TL: Oppai+Chiisai=chippai]
She wears no make-up at all. What about the fact that she looks prettier that way? Itâs a story that could shake the very raison dâetre of make-up.
âFuâmin.â
âWhat?â
âWhat? Itâs not what! This is the part where you say, ăWhat is it, MaâI âĄăFuâmin is the one who said, [Letâs do something loverly], right?â
ââŠAnywayâ
âAaa, you faked it!â
She sharpens her mouth. But I ask her, without care.
âYou stayed out overnight without permission, is that okay? Arenât you afraid you might get in trouble?â
âItâs okay. I sent a message to my mom. I told her Iâd stay at Misuzuâs place. I also sent a message to Misuzu to make sure she knows.â
âWhen did you âŠ..?â
âDonât underestimate a gyaruâs flick typing.â
Fujiwara-san then,[Fufuânn!] and puff out her poor chest with a smug look on her face.
âAnd so â it would be even more suspicious if I hurried home. Letâs go have a morning meal. I want an English muffin.â
âThen, Fujiwara-san will pay for it.â
âI wonât pay for someone who calls me Fujiwara-san.â
âMai, I want a morning meal on your money.â
As I said this, I picked her chin with my fingertips and brought her face close to mine and she gave me an indescribable look.
âYou look like youâre trying to be cool, but thatâs really the worst thing you can sayâ
ĂĂĂ
I myself was allowed to leave quite early yesterday, partly because there had been progress in the investigation.
However, when I returned to my flat, I could not find Misuzu-sama in my room. This made me panic.
Immediately, I interrogated my idiot sister, who showed signs of being upset that I had unexpectedly returned home early. The interrogation was a familiar one. [Spit it out, orah!] As I twisted up her chest, Misuzu-sama came back, as if she had timed it perfectly.
âOh, umâŠâŠâ
Misuzu-sama stiffens in the doorway. I smile affectionately and gently release Kyoko.
The air was indescribable, very delicate indeed.
When I asked her again, she told me that Misuzu-sama had met her boyfriend. What a rubbish thing to say. How could I allow another man to get his hands on the precious Misuzu-sama, who is in the care of Master?
At any rate, I asked Misuzu-sama to behave herself and lectured Kyoko until midnight. And this morning, while thinking about how I should apologise to Master, I left the flat.
âGood morning.â
âOou, good morning.â
When I arrived at the department, Inomoto-Senpai was just about to take his seat with a cup of coffee in his hand.
Today, I go to work at the station, not in the field. The investigation on campus was generally completed yesterday. The investigators will have a debriefing at 10.00 am, including a summary of the investigation up to yesterday.
As soon as I took my seat, Inomoto-senpai asked me a question with an air of interest.
âI heard that Anna Kamishima was here yesterdayâ
âYes, I was surprised.â
âWhat was she like?â
âIt feels likeâŠâŠshe had that kind of air about her, the kind of woman who could make people fall down with a laugh.â
Inomoto-senpai shook his large body and cowered his head.
âThatâs scaryâ
Inomoto-senpai had not yet discarded the theory that the Kamishima gang was responsible for the series of kidnappings, which had been completely dismissed by them, including Inspector Nakamura.
âHave you made any progress over there?â
The information that Master had given ăthe fence behind the clubhouse building comes off and leads out to a wooded area.ă was spearheaded by Inomoto-senpai.
âYeah, itâs a pretty big one. I found the victimâs student handbook. It was a first-year student named Yui Kayama. I think itâs safe to say that the route she took was through the fence and out the back.â
âI seeâŠ.â
âI donât know whatâs so certain about that.â
But thereâs no way she could have gone that way, since she just went straight into Masterâs ăroomă.
âJustâŠ..unfortunately, because of the rush of the press to the main gate, quite a few students went home the day after the incident via the wooded path. The path has been trampled over, so I wouldnât expect to detect any footprints or anything like that.â
âThatâs unfortunateâŠâŠ.â
âYeah, but if you think about it, if you want to move eighteen people, you have to make them walk on their own two feet. Thereâs no sign of a struggle and it would be too conspicuous and impractical to move a large group of eighteen girls by carrying them.â
âWell, I suppose youâre rightâ
âIâm going to try to find out if it was the OG or the advisorâŠâŠ who led themâ
Thatâs what Inspector Nakamura also said, that someone may have guided them. But this could be an interesting development.
If there is a connection between the OG or the advisor and Anna Kamishima, it will be a great reason to raid the Kamishima clan.
âIsnât it too convenient to use themâŠâŠ?â
ĂĂĂ
âHey, MoribeâŠâŠis it almost morning?â
ââŠ.. I donât know.â
I responded to Shima-senpaiâs question with my eyes closed.
In fact, several days have passed since we were trapped in a room without a single window. There is no longer any sense of time.
When I opened my eyes, I saw Yui, who had rolled over onto her stomach, regretfully crawling her tongue over the pet water tray that was still in front of her. As the daughter of a good family, she is probably not very good at holding back but her misery is even more pronounced because of this.
Although we, the girlsâ track and field members are still held captive. For the first time, we made contact with the culprit.
It was a few hours ago.
Suddenly, a creepy woman with a sloppy sackcloth on her head appears and places a tray full of water in front of everyone, one at a time.
It had been several days since our capture and our thirst was long gone. We jumped on the trays without a second thought. But as we were still tied up behind our backs, the only way to drink water was to stick our faces in and sip it, or to lick it off with our tongues like dogs.
It was a pathetic sight, but no one could resist the extreme thirst and for a while the dimly lit room was filled with countless small sounds of chattering water.
A few hours have now passed since then and the room is as dismal as a morgue. Although the thirst has been quenched, the stomach bugs are ăgukiruruă in various parts of the room, gnawing and asserting themselves in a lively manner.
âAhahaâŠâŠ Iâm about to die,this meâ
âStupid, youâre in your third year, why are you whining?â
At that moment when Captain Tashiro condemned Shima-senpaiâs words in a scratchy voice, one corner of the wall suddenly opened and light leaked out in the form of a door.
As we gasp, three figures enter the room.
One is the creepy woman in the headdress. She wears a feather-like object on one side of her back and is dressed in a leather riderâs suit that seems to stick snugly to her body.
The other is a foreigner with silver hair and blue eyes. She is quite beautiful, dressed in a British-style maidâs outfit.
And as soon as I saw the last one who came in, Shima-senpai let out a moaning voice.
âMa, Masaki, isnât that you, MasakiâŠ.?â
The woman, who entered as if led by two people in front of her, was dressed in a parasol skirt made of pink fabric and richly decorated with white lace. The tiara on her head reflected the sparkling light from the jewels. She was dressed like an anachronistic mediaeval princess.
She was probably about our age, with a childishly pretty face and only her breasts have half the volume of ours.
A luxurious chair like a throne suddenly appeared ahead of her as she walked.
It was in a place where nothing had been there before.
As we watched with bated breath, the princess sat down on a chair, the maid and the sackhead lady knelt on their knees on either side of her and an intense light came on behind the chair, making it impossible to even look directly at her.
To be honest, I can only be puzzled. What on earth are we being shown? At least to my eyes, all three of them looked like three participants in a costume parade.
âMasaki! Masaki! Youâre safe!â
Everyoneâs eyes are drawn to Shima-senpai, who suddenly raises her voice. It seems that the princess is an acquaintance of senpai.
However, when the princess turned her face towards Shima-senpai, she narrowed her eyes disapprovingly and shrugged her chin at the head-bag lady.
Then, the head sacked woman walked up to Shima Senpai and suddenly kicked her in the stomach with force, leaving her lying on her stomach and confused.
âGeboo!!â
âăăHiiiii!!?ăă
The kick was so powerful that she was lifted several centimetres in the air while in a prone position. A muffled cry, almost like vomiting, escapes from the Shima-senpaiâs mouth, while those around her choke back a scream, kicking the floor frantically and retreating behind her.
âUâŠuuuâŠ.â
âShima, get a grip, Shima!â
Shima-senpai is writhing, foaming at the edges of her mouth. Captain Tashiro hurriedly crawls to her side. Everyone around her, including me, retreated towards the wall at once, creating a large space in the middle surrounding the princess.
âIt is the height disrespectful to call out Masaki-sama. What shall we do, Masaki-sama? Shall I deal her away now?â
âLeave it.â
âI understand.â
When the maid politely bows, the princess looks around at us and opens her mouth.
âI am Masaki Haneda, the first favourite princess of the great Confinement King. I hope you now understand that itâs up to me to make the most of your lack of brains and to decide whether to kill you all or not.â
âConfinement King?â
I tilted my head at the unfamiliar name. Could it mean heâs the mastermind behind our captivity?
âWhat are you going to do with us?â
Suddenly, Captain Tashiro rises to her feet and shouts.
Everyone winded their eyes at this. After all, Shima-senpai had just suffered a terrible attack. She is not afraid of anything. However, it is not that we are uncomfortable with her behaviour. For better or worse, she canât read the air, this person.
But there is no real element of bullishness in this situation. This is different from protesting against the adviser. Probably in everyoneâs mind, a future in which Captain Tashiro would be treated badly would have flashed through their minds.
Surprisingly, however, the princess responded to the question with a faint smile.
âThere are four among you. Four of you have committed a mortal sin.â
âMortal sins?â
âTell them, Freesia.â
The princess tucked her chin and the silver-haired maid stood up and faced Captain Tashiro.
âOne of the favoured princesses of the great Confinement King. Those four are guilty of humiliating Mai Fujiwara-sama.â
Immediately, a faint gasping sound was heard. There must be someone who knows what sheâs talking about.
Then, the princess looked around at everyone and smiled kindly.
âSo Iâm going to give you a chance. If all the four come forward before I count to ten from now on, the rest of you will be sent home.â
âWa,wait! What happens to those who come forward!â
When Captain Tashiro raised her voice, the princess smiled a terrible, cruel smile.
âIâll let them go in the end. But I will cut them into pieces, stop the bleeding so they donât die, and they will be sent home by refrigerated courier after several years of literally cutting their bodies down to the bare minimum of viable organsâ
Everyone is speechless at the gruesome, hair-raising tale and the scene falls silent.
âOkay, Iâm going to count. One, twoâŠ.â
As the princess began to count, everyone began to look around at each other and then Yui screamed.
âWho!ăWho is it? Come forward quickly!ăDonât drag me into this!â
âCalm down, Kayama! Youâre selling out your own friend!â
âIâm not one of your friends! Let me go home! Send me home!â
Immediately, the other members of the club started shouting. I just felt [OroOro]. Even so, the princessâs counting doesnât stop.
[ăȘăăȘă:flustered]
âEight, NineâŠâŠ.â
âIt was me! Iâm the only one who did this! Let the others go!â
ââŠâŠTenâ
As the cursing fades away and the sobs of the club members echo through the air, the princess looks at the head of the department, who stares straight at her, and lets out a deep sigh.
âYou, what is your name?â
âTashiroâŠâŠTashiro Hatsu.â
âUnfortunately, we donât have the mentality that itâs beautiful to take a stand and defend others. Your chances of getting out of here are now gone.â
âI say I did it!â
âUnfortunately, Iâve got some of the characteristics of those major sinners. You donât fit them at all. ButâŠâŠis fine. For your courage, I will give you one more chance.â
âYouâre still playing withâŠ..us!â
âYes, we do. That is somewhat true in some parts. Entertainment is important. But you have to obey. Donât you agree?â
âEntertainmentâŠ..you say.â
Captain bites her back teeth in frustration.
âThose whom I am about to call, come here.â
The princess began to look round at each of us and suddenly pointed to a person.
âYou there. Come here.â
âYe,yes!â
âWhat is your name?â
âM,My name is Yui KayamaâŠâŠâ
âYou,next, come here.â
The one who got up quietly, without saying a word, was a second-year senpai.
âWhat is your name?â
âTakasago Keiâ
Takasago Senpai is a beautiful black-haired girl who is quiet and always has sleepy eyes. Despite being a tremendous pain in the ass, she is apparently quite popular with the boys, who call her Sleeping Beauty because of her idol-quality face.
âLastâŠ..you.â
âHya, hyaI!?â
[Saori intended to say hai;roughly saying yes]
The next one who the princess pointed to wasâŠâŠme.
I got up hurriedly and walked over to the princess as if to roll over.
âWhat is your name?â
âMo,mo,mo, mo, itâs Moribe Saoriâ
My tongue twitched with nervousness. The princess giggled at my stammering.
âThen there was Tashiro-san, wasnât there? Iâm appointing you and the other four to be the inquisitors.â
âInquisitors?â
The Captain stares at the princess with a glare.
âCaptain! Stop it! Donât make more trouble!â
I plead so in my heart. It would be nothing but reckless to defy them in this situation.
âThatâs right, Iâm asking the four of you to find the major criminal who humiliated the Confinement Kingâs favourite princess, Mai Fujiwara, on my behalf.â
âHo,How would that be possible?â
Yui asked the princess, her voice trembling.
âThe solution is simple. I will give you four whips. Until all the deadly sinners come forward, you must beat any pig at least a hundred times every day. If you do not whip them at least a hundred times, you will be dismissed from the Inquisitorial Board. You will go back to being pigs.â
âRidiculous! You want me to whip the club members?!â
Captain continued to defy. The princess looks at her and smiles a ridiculing, teasing smile.
âAraAra,are you afraid people will hate you?ăDonât worry. You inquisitors will be treated as my direct subordinates. If they cross you, the pigs will be jointly and severely punished. You will also be given a room for two, a hotel suite, clothes and a sumptuous meal. And letâs just say that if you successfully find all four of them, youâll be on your way homeâŠâŠâ
âYou bastard!!â
[Kisama!]
âAra? Are you dissatisfied? It canât be helped. Then you should be on the receiving end. Instead, yes,âŠ..how about you?â
âU, uchi?â
[M,me?. ăŠă word is often used by young women when it is casual, such as with friends.]
âWhat is your name?â
ââŠâŠ Shima, my name is Natsumi Shima.â
Shima-senpai looked confused when asked her name.
âWell, letâs replace her with you. Or do you want to make a face like that inflexible girl over there and refuse?â
Shima-senpai glanced at the captain and then said, [Iâll do it!ăIâll do it!!] nodded with a serious face.
âVery well. Then, you four will follow me. The rest of the pigs will be fed two meals a day from today onwards. We canât let them die an easy death by starvation.â
The silver-haired maid urged us to follow the princess out of the room. I glanced back and saw all the members of the club looking at us with reproachful eyes.
As we leave the room, the princess looks back into the room and opens her mouth.
âYes, you must be punished for your disobedience there. Lili, ăparalysisă please.â
As soon as the princess says thisââ
âHigu!?â
âPya!?â
Everyone who followed her to a new room suddenly began to jerk and convulse as if struck by lightning.