The morning after the village mission, the air in Seiryu High was still thick with whispers around Tetsu. It wasn't as bad as yesterday's outright accusations, but he could feel the lingering doubt, the curious glances.
It was like a cloud of low-grade static following him around. He just clicked his tongue.
Whatever. Better than being public enemy number one, I guess.
His mind drifted back to the abandoned village of Shiraiwa and the events that followed the mission.
After the memory-altering machine had hummed and faded, resetting the villagers' minds, Tetsu and Saya had re-entered the quiet settlement.
The people, their memories erased, looked at them with polite curiosity. Saya, ever the professional, had immediately launched into her cover story.
"Good morning, everyone," she'd begun, her voice clear and authoritative, easily commanding their attention.
"My name is Matsumoto Saya, and this is my colleague, Fushimiya Tetsu. We are here as representatives of the government."
She spoke with such conviction, radiating an aura of calm competence, that no one seemed to question it.
Then, Saya had pulled out her phone and made a call.
"Drop it," she'd said.
Almost immediately, a low whirring had grown into the thumping roar of a helicopter overhead. From its belly, massive metallic boxes, gleaming under the weak sunlight, had descended on thick cables, landing softly in the village square.
After a moment, their sides had hissed open, releasing a cloud of freezing air. Inside were mountains of food, piles of warm clothes, and stacks of daily necessities.
The villagers had gasped, their eyes wide. Some had even whispered,
"Food… This amount is enough for three years!"
Saya had gestured to the overflowing boxes.
"These are the government's support for all of you. These supplies will sustain this village for the next three years. During this period, everyone here has this amount of time to find themselves a job."
A ripple of confusion had gone through the crowd.
"A job, but…" one man had started.
Saya had cut him off, her voice firm but encouraging.
"Everyone will be given permission to stay and work here in the city. You'll only need to prove that you can do it. We have free classes available just a minute's walk from here."
As she spoke, she pulled out a stack of brightly colored advertisement leaflets and placed them on top of one of the metallic boxes.
A villager, a hesitant elderly woman, had walked over and picked one up.
It read: "Free Education Program. Available Languages: Chinese, English, Japanese…"
Saya had continued, her gaze sweeping over the hopeful faces.
"For anyone with physical handicaps, a special teacher will come directly to this village every day. During these three years, everyone will be given 'special permission to stay' in the city. But after that, unless you have a fixed job, you will be moved to another country."
The villagers' faces had softened, many looking genuinely emotional.
"Why are you treating us so nicely? We're basically criminal, illegal immigrants," someone had asked, their voice trembling with gratitude.
Saya's expression had softened too, just slightly. "This village is better than we expected," she'd said.
"It looks like it's been well-managed. You all must have maintained the village's sanitary conditions during your stay. We thank you for that."
She'd then bowed deeply, a gesture of profound respect.
As she did, an old man from the crowd had bowed in return, tears in his eyes.
"No," he'd choked out. "You've given us more than we deserve. We should be the ones to give thanks."
Then, one by one, the other villagers had followed suit, bowing in unison.
"Thank you so much!" they'd chorused, their voices filled with overwhelming gratitude.
As the villagers happily laughed and embraced each other, Tetsu leaned closer to Saya, speaking in a low voice so no one else could hear.
"I never thought the Darkside Destroyer would go this far? This is… a lot."
Saya's gaze had been distant, thoughtful.
"Well. They're victims of the war between Anomalies and Anti-Anomaly Organizations. The rate of Anomaly attacks in China was so high that they had to heavily implement military measures, which led to their economic downfall. That's how we can help for now."
She'd started to walk away.
"Whatever we can do, we should, right?"
The flashback faded. Tetsu was back in the classroom, the hum of the air conditioning a stark contrast to the memory of the desolate village. Yeah, he thought, looking down at his desk.
Whatever I can do, I should.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the photo – Mio and Hideo, smiling, a secret shared between them. He traced Mio's face with his thumb.
It was late afternoon. Tetsu, eyes closed, leaned against the rough bark of a tree in the school garden, waiting. The garden was quiet, deserted. No one ever really came out here after classes.
He could hear the distant sounds of students leaving, faint chatter, but here, it was silent.
Until footsteps. Getting closer. Tetsu's lips curved into a small, knowing smile, his eyes still closed.
"So you've got a secret as well, huh?" he murmured.
He opened his eyes and turned.
"Hideo?"
It was indeed Hideo, walking towards him, his usual composed expression slightly marred by a flicker of curiosity.
Three hours before, at post-lunchtime, in the classroom.
The chalkboard, which had been clean, now had a hastily scrawled message in chalk:
"Come to '10/5' and get your photo."
"10/5? Is that a typo?" a student had mused.
"I think it means room 105."
"Is it our last year's trip photo?" another had wondered.
"It's strange," someone else had commented.
"I mean, we usually get our photos right in class. Why this time?"
To Hideo, however, the message had a different, secret meaning. Tetsu had seen him subtly glance at the board, then a flicker of recognition in his eyes.
Back to the present.
"Here," Tetsu said, holding out the stack of photos to Hideo, acting deceptively friendly.
"Your 10th of May photo with Mio. Under this tree."
Hideo took the photos, his gaze briefly falling on the top one – Mio's smiling face. His calm facade cracked just a fraction.
"What do you want to talk about?" he asked, his voice low, cautious.
Tetsu dropped the friendly act, his voice hardening.
"Why did you frame me? Why did you say that I murdered them?"
Hideo's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"You initiated the rumor, right?"
Tetsu pressed, a dangerous edge in his voice.
"Are you still trying to act innocent?"
Hideo countered, his tone cool, almost dismissive.
"Did you start the rumor?"
Tetsu insisted, stepping closer.
Hideo sighed, a long, drawn-out sound.
"What if I did?"
"You're wrong," Tetsu said, his voice quiet but firm. "I did not kill them."
"Then who did?" Hideo challenged, his eyes boring into Tetsu's.
Tetsu hesitated, a lie forming on his tongue. He couldn't tell the truth.
"I don't know," he lied, the words feeling heavy.
"Now, it's my turn to ask. Were you and Mio dating?"
Hideo's eyes flickered down to the photos in his hand.
"You saw it?"
Tetsu simply nodded.
Hideo sighed again, a deeper exhalation this time.
"Yes. So what?"
"So what, huh?" Tetsu's voice rose slightly, the indignation building.
"You said I was being too calm when Mio passed away, right?"
"Yes, I did say that," Hideo confirmed, his expression unchanging.
"Then," Tetsu leaned in, his voice laced with accusation.
"Why were you even calmer than I did, when I'm merely her friend, and you were her boyfriend?"
Hideo took a step, walking past Tetsu. As he did, he whispered, his voice impossibly calm, chillingly flat.
The words hit Tetsu like a blow. His eyes widened, a sudden, cold fury replacing his indignation.
He shoved Hideo back against the tree, his hands gripping his shoulders.
"You know," Tetsu hissed, furiously but keeping his voice low, desperate not to be overheard.
"I hate liars."
Hideo, surprisingly, didn't flinch. His eyes met Tetsu's, unflinching.
"Good for you. I'm not."
"Huh?" Tetsu breathed, his grip loosening.
"I've been telling the truth," Hideo repeated, his voice still unnervingly calm.
Tetsu stared, shocked, and let go of Hideo, stepping back. Hideo, seeing he was released, simply turned and began to walk away, his figure receding into the dappled shadows of the garden.
"Hey," Tetsu said, his voice barely a whisper, but it stopped Hideo.
Hideo turned back, his gaze steady, waiting.
Tetsu hesitated, the secret burning on his tongue, the weight of it immense.
"What if I say, I know who's the culprit?"
Hideo continued to stare, his silence a clear sign he was listening intently.
Tetsu's jaw worked. He swallowed, the word catching in his throat.
"E—"
He swallowed again, forcing it out.
"EERF."