Chapter 81

An emergency layered on top of a crisis. Professor Shishido tried at once to shake Reira-san's body awake.

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing!? Wait, she's dead... she's dead? Reira-kun!?"

When her blood-smeared face moved, flecks of blood splattered onto Professor Shishido too.

Even when I said right away, "She's already dead! Please lower the body," he wouldn't listen. Whether from panic or shock, he kept shaking her.

The only thing I could do now was calmly examine the state of the corpse. I had to, so I could tell the police later.

At a glance, the cause of death was clearly a fall. The only place someone could pass through and push her from up there is the raised platform called the catwalk behind the horizon backdrop. She must have been shoved from the catwalk into the gap between this black curtain and the horizon backdrop.

Because Professor Shishido kept shaking her, something white fluttered from Reira-san's back and vanished into the sea of flames. Seeing that, he seemed to regain his composure.

He turned to me and blurted out—

"Right! We have to get out of here! Reira-kun's body..."

"I'll carry her."

Not Professor Shishido— I would be the one to shoulder her. If she were handled any more roughly, it would be too cruel to Reira-san.

Not caring that my clothes would be soaked in blood, I lifted her. I felt a heartbreaking lightness and almost sank into sentiment, but that wasn't what I needed to do now.

I had to protect her from the flames and hand her over to the coroner as intact as possible.

Still, I had no idea how we could escape. I worried that if we simply went on, embers might rain down from above.

Then I heard the President's voice.

"Oi! Over here! This way!"

Choking on smoke, I saw his silhouette waving broadly at me. Despite the crisis, he showed no panic as I ran toward him.

"President!? Why are you here?"

"A senior told me you were lost in the fire! I couldn't just stand there! I came to find you. Senior, he's over here!"

I could also see Senior Kiriyama's silhouette. Believing that heading their way would work, Professor Shishido and I forced our legs to move.

"Are you two all right!?"

"Yeah."

"Somehow... President, Senior Kiriyama, thank you!"

Guided by Senior Kiriyama and the President, I tried to exit through the back door. There the smoke cleared, and everyone could see— the blood-soaked Reira-san on my back.

"Wha—!? Th-that's...!?"

"...It's a corpse."

At the President's prompting, I explained. Then I asked Senior Kiriyama to inform the police again that another body had been found.

Senior Kiriyama must have been frantic over the arson alone. He'd never imagined a fellow circle member could be dead.

Fumbling his smartphone again and again, he attempted to call it in.

Paying no heed, the one who screamed loudest was her dearest friend. Even more shaken than Professor Shishido, she blinked rapidly.

"A corpse? What do you mean!? Stop this awful joke! Reira-chan! Reira-chan!"

The person who once more rushed to the body was Detective Chikage. In a hysterical voice I'd never heard from her before, she whispered into the corpse's ear.

"Hey! Wake up! Hey! Eh... is she really dead?"

Detective Chikage stared at me with a face twisted in agony; I couldn't meet her eyes. In that state I gave a small nod. I had no choice but to nod.

"Yes..."

"Why, why!? Why did she have to die!? Why!?"

Detective Chikage collapsed onto the ground. Ignoring the onlookers, she began to shed large tears. Her voice conveyed grief to everyone present.

The other circle members had been holding back tears, but at Detective Chikage's sobs they lost control.

I felt on the verge of tears myself.

In that state, Senior Kiriyama tugged my sleeve. His face was flushed red—clearly grieving the tragedy. Wondering what he wanted to tell me, I followed him away from the scene.

Before I knew it, he had pulled a carbonated juice from his bag. With a heavy expression he handed it to me.

"Hyoga-kun, you like this, right?"

"W-why now...?"

"I can't stand seeing you make that face. It's unbearable. When you look frustrated or sad, I feel crushed. Plus, after walking in this heat your throat must be parched..."

"Th-thank you."

I took the chilled soda from his warm hand and gulped it down. A sweet taste spread through my mouth, and my mind calmed little by little.

At the same time, the fizz tickling my throat spurred my resolve.

I'd use this murder case to expose the culprit and draw out the person behind it all. Detective Chikage's dear friend—she'd been badly hurt by an incident at her old school. Memories turned cruel had left her in despair. I can't forgive whoever gouged that wound deeper. My usual anger toward murderers, combined with sympathy for Detective Chikage, grew stronger.

Just then Senior Kiriyama asked how I felt.

"How are you? Calmer?"

"Yes. And at the same time... I'm going to do it."

"Hm?"

"I'll solve the riddle! I'll take on this murder case and catch the culprit!"

"Hyoga-kun...?"

"I've solved murder cases before. If you think I'm lying, just ask our President we met earlier."

"...All right. I'll help however you need."

"Please."

Thus, to uncover the truth behind Reira-san's murder, I returned to where her body lay, amid the sirens of fire trucks, patrol cars, and ambulances.

Detective Chikage and the drama-club circle members were still drowning in grief. Among them, one woman stood out with a different reaction—Misora-san.

I couldn't help but focus on her.

After all, right in front of us, wearing a cool expression, she declared—

"When this child died, I had an alibi, okay? You all saw me on stage, right? Don't you dare suspect me!"

I found myself glaring at her. It must be her. Misora—she must be the one who killed Reira-san!?