Chapter 46

A few days after the incident. When the color of blue, reminiscent of my parting with Miiko, was about to take over the sky.

I was opening the door to a hospital room where a certain person was staying, still in my school uniform.

"......phew......"

The person lying in the hospital bed was Detective Chikage. She was sighing repeatedly while holding a smartphone in one hand. When I approached with footsteps, she must have let her hand slip and dropped the smartphone onto her forehead.

"Oww!"

"Detective Chikage, what are you doing?"

When I called out to her, she glared at me as if to complain about me seeing her embarrassing moment and sat up.

"What? I was just chatting on SNS because I was bored."

"Didn't you learn your lesson after being betrayed by followers?"

"I never said I learned my lesson. I'm just excluding the nasty ones and starting fresh."

"Sigh......"

She was tough in both mind and body. Even while talking with me, she occasionally looked at her smartphone screen and gave a small laugh.

I could only respond with a wry smile. There wasn't a shred of enjoyment in that laughter, but somehow the room felt warmer.

"So, Hyoga-kun...... before we start talking, may I ask you a question?"

"Sure, but what is it?"

I didn't particularly remember anything that would warrant being pursued. No, with her personality, she might say something like "Why did you steal my reasoning! I should have been the one to deduce it!" If that happened, I started walking backward so I could run away quickly.

However, because of such behavior, she gave me a cold stare.

"What's wrong......? It's not like I'm going to interrogate you or anything. I'm just wondering why you came to visit someone like me."

"Isn't it obvious? If it weren't for Detective Chikage, I wouldn't be here now. It would be too rude to receive your help and not come visit."

"I see."

If it weren't for the debt of gratitude, I probably wouldn't have come. I would have thought that a detective's injuries were none of my concern. From the perspective of hospital staff or police, a detective who gets injured while meddling in cases must be extremely troublesome.

But this time, that was me. And since she saved me when I was on the verge of death, all I could do was bow my head and apologize to her.

"I'm really sorry......"

"It's okay. Even if I had done the reasoning and presented the show, I would have been injured by the culprit's backlash anyway. My parents said that too."

"H-huh...... um, did Detective Chikage come to do the reasoning......?"

"No...... that's not it. I was called by your senior."

"Eh?"

As my eyes widened at this fact, she opened her mouth wide in an even more surprised manner.

"Eh......? You didn't hear? From that senior?"

"No, it's also the first time I heard that you exchanged email addresses with Detective Chikage."

"Getting contact information from suspects is part of a detective's job too. So...... then, do you also not know why Tatsuya-kun came there?"

"Yeah...... well."

Even after being taken to the hospital, I still didn't have the courage to talk to him. I kept being conscious of him and avoiding him.

"Well, I can't dig too deep into that situation. Ask Tatsuya-kun about the reason when you make up with him."

"Yeah......"

Hmm. It's puzzling. How that senior knew I was in danger. Even if Senior Urakawa called her, it feels a bit too early. There's quite a distance between the President's house and Jinro High.

No good. No matter how much I think, it's not clear. Thinking from his brain structure...... it's hard to imagine that he suddenly understood the answer to the mystery and decided to go catch the culprit.

I'm curious, but it's hard to ask him directly. I'll have to postpone it for later.

"Can't be helped, I wonder if I can ask......"

"Now now, don't look so disappointed. I'll give you some good information too. The cause of the tragedy at Jinrou Academy. About Professor Kitsunesaki and such."

"......huh."

"You don't look very interested."

"Well, if it's about the motive, it sounds interesting...... but...... huh?"

I understood Detective Chikage's words with a time delay. As I let out an "ah," Detective Chikage tilted her head while narrowing her eyes.

"I don't get the meaning. Are you naturally like this? Or just stupid?"

"......What am I? More importantly, how do you know such information?"

"On SNS, you can get any information. I got the story from someone claiming to be Kitsunesaki's classmate, so I can't be sure if it's true, but judging from the names of related people mentioned, it seems quite credible."

"Then please tell me."

I listened silently to what she had to say.

Kitsunesaki had been abused by her parents since childhood. Because of this, she became gloomy and was constantly bullied and teased in class. However, she had no one to talk to and just kept getting hurt.

Then both her parents died in a traffic accident, and she was passed around among relatives. A girl whose existence was rejected multiple times.

However, the girl just wanted to live peacefully. Perhaps she only wished to live a normal life without being blamed or bullied.

She must have sat in the closet in seiza position, crying that she hated everything.

Such a girl grew up to become a school teacher. Just when she thought there was a successful future ahead, she sank into an even deeper sea of despair.

Power harassment, sexual harassment, bullying from students, class collapse. Everything swallowed her heart. Even if she wanted to talk to someone, she couldn't.

Even after transferring to Jinrou Academy, it was the same. At first, she was able to live somewhat peacefully. But fate wouldn't allow it.

Vice-Principal Kanou appeared before her. He seemed to have taken a liking to Kitsunesaki. Day by day, his stalker-like behavior increased (from this story, I speculated that not only was I following Kanbara-senpai, but I also had a desire to be near Kitsunesaki and was walking around the PC Club).

Even if it's painful or difficult, you must never kill people. She must have told herself this. No matter what happens, you must not protect yourself above all else.

That's what she must have thought.

However, Kanbara-senpai created the trigger. The bullying of Senior Kishi. She must have felt she couldn't stop it. If she tried to stop it, she would also become a victim. She would also be killed. So she probably thought that if she just stayed quiet, she could live peacefully. That she could survive even being bullied like in high school......

But finally, what she feared most happened. Senior Kishi's suicide. Then Kitsunesaki knew she had to take responsibility.

I think that's when she broke. Her self-control. I'm sure she never thought she would kill her own student.

Who can prove that? The Detective Chikage sitting before me is showing it.

As she spoke, her voice became tearful before I realized it. She kept sobbing repeatedly.

She was also someone who had been cared for by Professor Kitsunesaki. And this is what she says.

"I want you to know...... that teacher was really a good person...... in the computer club...... she was truly a good person...... I talked to her many times about studies and my future...... she was a good person who listened properly......"

Detective Chikage's face, which had been expressionless until now, became crumpled. Without caring about appearances, she was pleading.

Please, please don't hate her.

And one more thing. It was also about Vice-Principal Kanou.

He too was a good person...... apparently. He was also a gentle male teacher who often told fun stories in class. Everyone laughed in class. He was such a pleasant teacher. However, after his divorce...... his family life didn't go well...... he tried to succeed only in his work, abandoning all kindness.

"Everything, everything...... changed in these past few years! My fun school life too, Kishi-kun, Kanbara-chan, Vice-Principal Kanou, Professor Kitsunesaki...... everything, everything became covered in blood......!"

Right after she screamed, I couldn't say anything. I didn't have enough life experience to comfort her. However, I understand.

That she cherished Vice-Principal Kanou.

The best proof is when I first met her. Detective Chikage believed in Vice-Principal Kanou. Because she believed in the academy's peace and the words Vice-Principal Kanou spoke, she probably thought the possibility of an outsider culprit was strong.

Otherwise, there's no way a detective who suspects everyone would forget about the possibility of an internal culprit!

"......Detective Chikage, thank you for talking to me...... not as a detective, but as Chikage-san, I accept those feelings. I'm sure...... what you saw was right......"

"Yeah...... uuuuuu......!"

I thought about talking about Miiko too. But I can't. In this current state of sadness, I couldn't bring up another topic. Moreover, her wounds still seem to hurt...... and I was also at my limit just enduring the pain in my heart.

Let's leave it at that for today, and I took my leave.

I left the hospital as is and went straight to a certain square. Miiko's stream is about to start soon.

I'll ask her directly. What should I do from now on.

How to erase the pain I'm feeling in my heart now.

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