When the Detective Work is Done, I'll Die

Chapter 20

An hour, maybe two had passed. The lecture on incomprehensible technology, which had taken so much time, was coming to an end. Lop, the white cat, either bored by our talk or simply lulled by the sunlight streaming through the window, was sleeping contentedly.

Partway through, another student—a chubby high-school boy who introduced himself as the vice-president—entered the room.

"Sorry about that... I was in the bathroom... Wait, it's already this late? Sorry for dumping the trouble on you two!"

"It's fine. Teaching this tech to others is fun. Oh, right—Hyoga-kun and Tatsuya-kun? He's the vice-president. Same class as me."

According to Kanbara-senpai's introduction, his name was Murayama Hitoshi. His tone was gentle, but his expression was different. Glaring sharply at Murayama-senpai for being late, he had turned pale. Sweat was dripping down. Perhaps because of his constitution, drop after drop of sweat hit the floor.

Then the female teacher working in the corner murmured quietly.

"Now we're all here."

Our president seemed bothered by those words. I think she'd said it with a light heart.

"Huh? Did the reps gather today just for us? Sorry about that."

Kanbara-senpai, president of the PC Club, replied.

"No, this is all the members."

Our president chimed in again. Something sent a chill down my spine.

"Huh...? Isn't the PC Club supposed to be popular? Why are there so few... Hey, wait!"

Before the president could finish his rude remark, I clapped my hands over his mouth. I had a bad feeling about what he might say next.

But it was too late. Kanbara-senpai began to speak. The president had hit the switch for her hostile mood.

"Ah... one member with no backbone died, and a few juniors quit right after, like they were running away."

Murayama-senpai's eyes widened first at her words. He stepped closer, waving a finger to caution her.

"H-hey... about that story..."

She smacked that finger away with a sharp *smack*.

"What about that story?"

"Ouch!"

"It's the truth. Aaah... if only he hadn't jumped in front of that car, he wouldn't have died. Why did he have to die...?"

Kanbara-senpai rattled off something incomprehensible like a pure child. Murayama-senpai and Urakawa-senpai both furrowed their brows, directing terrible hostility at her. Even though I wasn't the target, I felt a pain like electricity running over my skin.

Still, perhaps because we outsiders were there.

The awkward atmosphere vanished within minutes.

Murayama-senpai forced a tense smile and told us, "Don't worry." I wanted to say, "No way, that's impossible," but it wouldn't help to drag it out; they clearly wouldn't tell us more.

Let's forget it. Surely nothing will happen. Anyone who's weathered society's rough seas has felt that stifling air you can't stay in.

Yet I felt something would happen again. I bore the ache in my chest from leaving the question hanging. Once this lecture ended, I'd probably never see these seniors again—that's what I thought.

That's how it was supposed to be.

The moment Kanbara-senpai finished talking about computers, she showed us her smartphone screen.

"Good work. Hey, want to play Werewolf now? Since we're all here, let's hang out."

Mixed feelings made me want to get home quickly. But if I alone refused and left, it'd be rude. If the president would just say we're out of time, that'd be perfect.

But the president seemed captivated by Kanbara-senpai's smile. "Y-yes..." His nose was practically twitching. What about finding Miiko? When I pointed out those two things, he shot back, "If I don't go along, how can I repay the favor of her waiting at school today?"

He had a point... Still...

If I don't get home soon, I'll miss Miiko's live stream. I can't miss even the slightest chance to talk to her. So I have to end this Werewolf game fast.

The players were me, the president, Kanbara-senpai, and Murayama-senpai—four total. Urakawa-senpai didn't have the smartphone needed to play Werewolf, so he sat out.

Murayama-senpai had been told in a firm "You're in, right?" by Kanbara-senpai and couldn't refuse.

The rules of Werewolf are simple. Among the set number of players, find the werewolves who attack the villagers. If the werewolves equal the villagers in number, the game ends with a werewolf win.

Conversely, eliminating all werewolves means a villager victory.

This time the roles were villager, seer, lunatic, and werewolf. The first two are on the villager side; the last two are on the werewolf side. The seer can on the first day divine whether a target is werewolf-side or villager-side.

Winning or losing wasn't what I needed now. I just had to end the game fast.

So I say one thing. While opening the Werewolf app, I speak to the three players.

"I've played Werewolf many times, so I'm strong."

Kanbara-senpai sneered as if to say, "So what?" Just that.

Fine. She must think she can win. Then I'll end it quickly. Before that, we discussed who would be killed on the first night.

The president brought it up.

"Come to think of it, in this game the first player to be attacked can't join the discussion, right?"

Kanbara-senpai answered with a laugh.

"But with four players, if one's gone it'll be boring. I know—let's make Kitsunesaki the first victim."

"Kitsunesaki?"

While the president wondered, the chubby Murayama-senpai pointed at the female teacher.

"That's her. Kitsunesaki Yayoi-sensei."

The moment her name was spoken, she whispered to Murayama-senpai. From what I heard, it was "Well, the lecture seems over. I'm not needed anymore, right?" After saying that, she left the room.

She left the door slightly ajar, but a few seconds later it was closed.

Maybe it was my imagination.

No, right now I had to focus on ending Werewolf quickly.

"Ah, thanks for explaining. Let's start. First, the cards—"

It began.

We could see each role on our smartphone screens. Mine was painfully generic.

With four players, today's discussion would decide everything. So if I wanted it over fast, I just had to decide instantly whom to vote for.

That said, I couldn't just declare "I'm the werewolf." Whether it was true or not, the discussion would drag on.

Therefore—what I should say is...!

"All right, let's begin the discussion."

Kanbara-senpai gave the starting signal. Normally this would be a tense moment to find the werewolf.

But I wouldn't let it. I immediately declared.

"President, are you the seer or the werewolf?"

"Huh?"

"Then are you the lunatic or the werewolf?"

"W-wait, what? I'm the villager."

Good. After seeing his reaction so far, I said:

"President, that's wrong. You're on the werewolf side. I'm the seer, and when I divined you, that's the result I got."

In Werewolf you can fake a role and sow confusion among the opposing team.

If I do that, the real seer should suspect me. This time the real seer has no need to hide.

Then another seer appeared. It was Murayama-senpai. He said, "I divined the president—he's a villager." Then one more. Kanbara-senpai raised her hand.

"W-wait a minute. Why are two seers appearing? I'm the real one. The president is innocent! Nothing suspicious!"

So I said:

"Fine. Then I'm the werewolf. Go ahead and hang me."

"As if we could! The lunatic possibility is still there!"

"Then the person who went out of their way to insist the president is innocent is the werewolf?"

"Ugh... which one is it!? Murayama? Or Hyoga-kun?"

Perfect. That should shorten the discussion. The real seer should know who's on the werewolf team.

After that, they just have to choose lunatic or werewolf. Then we wait for the president, who's almost proven innocent, to speak.

Once he says who seems the most suspicious...

"You know, I think... the suspicious one is... Kanbara, isn't she? She's making the most noise. Saying the president is innocent—well, yeah, after Murayama said so..."

I didn't care whether he named me or Murayama-senpai. But for him to pick her...

I wasn't sure why, but this was fine. Once everyone agreed, Kanbara-senpai would be hanged—mistaken for the werewolf.

After that, I just had to attack the president.

My victory as the werewolf. Apparently the lunatic was Murayama-senpai, the real seer Kanbara-senpai, and the villager the president.

Thinking to wrap it up quickly and go home, I headed for the exit of the PC room.

A threat closed in on me.

Kanbara-senpai staggered closer, radiating something like murderous intent. The white cat she doted on bared its claws and hissed "Sha—" at me.

"And I was finally the seer for the first time... Remember this. You won't get away with just a game. I'll make you regret forever for not siding with me in the game...!"

Drenched in cold sweat, I bowed hastily with the president and fled the school as if escaping. Really, what is this school? Suspicious students, suspicious teachers, weird rumors—there's no way to relax here.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something terrifying rules this lycanthrope academy.