"Death, Then Murder" Episode 9

An afterimage of fresh blood flashes behind my eyelids. A woman who vomited blood right in front of me. A woman killed by a husband who possessed her unborn child. Just remembering it sends a sharp, piercing pain through my chest as if it were being torn apart. My whole body is numb, as if a microcurrent were running through it. A smell of blood, which I haven't even smelled, stimulates the back of my nasal cavity. It's hot. Breathing is difficult. My heartbeat pounds against my chest. When I gasp for air, my hyperventilation worsens. It's painful. Even when I open my eyelids, darkness spreads. My whole body is being pressed by something. It clings to my skin, which is damp with sweat.
When I move my limbs blindly, there is a rustling sound of fabric. Whatever is clinging to me seems to be a comforter. As I struggle to peel it off, my field of vision opens up, and a small, cramped room comes into view. Dust dances in the cluttered space. The artificial light of the ceiling light pierces my eyes.
"The fourth one..."
I finally realized that I had possessed a new person in the middle of a web conference. What happened to the tortoiseshell cat owner? I have an unusual feeling of unease, but there is no way to check on her safety. Perhaps this won't be treated as an incident this time.
Besides, right now, I have to worry about myself more than others. Within the next ten days, I need to have someone who knew me when I was alive call my name to revive my memories and clear my lingering attachments. My heart feels like it's going to burst because of the tortoiseshell cat owner, but I need to pull myself together as soon as possible.
After steadying my ragged breathing and checking my whole body, I realized that I had possessed a woman. She is slender, has little muscle, and is bony overall. Her clothing consists of a T-shirt with a stretched-out collar and sweatpants with frayed hems. When I touch my hair, grease sticks to my fingertips. A sour smell, as if sweat had fermented, drifts from my armpits. This person might not have bathed for a while.
I also want to check my face, but I don't see a mirror in the room, which is less than six tatami mats in size. When I put my feet on the floor to head to the washroom, a dry, crunching sound rang out. Surprised, I looked down and realized I had stepped on a bag of potato chips. Moreover, that's not the only thing on the floor. A massive amount of items are scattered all over the floor, leaving no room to step.
Walking carefully on tiptoe, I headed toward the entrance and opened the door. I had imagined a narrow apartment hallway, but beyond the darkness-shrouded corridor, I saw stairs leading down. It seems to be the second floor of a detached house. Just thinking about the possibility of a housemate makes my heart rate soar.
When I slid my gaze downward, I saw a stir-fried vegetable dish covered in plastic wrap and rice on a tray. Sensing the situation somehow, and pushed by a bad premonition, I closed the door and returned to the room.
An unhygienic body, a messy room, the second floor of a house, food left in the hallway. This person is likely a shut-in living at their parents' house. If that's the case, if I suddenly go downstairs, I'll surprise my family. First, I have no choice but to search the room for personal information and the reason for being a shut-in.
I resumed walking on tiptoe and searched for a smartphone to gather information. However, it was neither on the bed nor on the desk. I had no choice but to crouch down and search as if crawling on the floor. I pushed things aside like digging for potatoes.
It took time, but I managed to find the smartphone. The screen is cracked, and the battery is dead. I dug through the floor again to find a charging cord, connected it, and finally, the smartphone turned on. I immediately checked LINE, a treasure trove of personal information.
The registered name is "Yuno." There are twelve friends. Since it's extremely few, I checked the friends one by one, and my eyes stopped on a certain name.
Among the friends is "MO," which means Moe-Momoko Suzuki. The icon is the same, so there's no mistake. The smartphone slipped from my hand out of surprise.
What kind of connection could there possibly be between this shut-in woman and Moe-Momoko Suzuki? My heartbeat is pounding loudly.
The moment I picked up the smartphone and tried to tap "MO" with trembling fingers, the door was suddenly knocked on.
"Yuno, are you awake?"
I heard a middle-aged woman's worried voice through the door. It's probably her mother. Did the noise I made while searching the floor earlier echo? I wasn't being considerate enough.
"Aren't you hungry? I'll make something warm."
My stomach growled in response to those words. The moment I realized my stomach was empty, nausea welled up. I want to fill my stomach as soon as possible to suppress the nausea caused by hunger.
However, is it okay to respond to her mother's voice immediately? Now that I'm not sure how much this person usually communicates with her mother, I hesitate to answer easily.
"...I'll warm up your dinner and leave it here again. I'll also run a bath for you."
The mother said that in a voice tinged with loneliness and left from in front of the door. The pleasant sound of her footsteps going down the stairs echoes all the way here. Even if the living space is divided into the first and second floors, it seems that people's presence is immediately conveyed. It's a somewhat nostalgic feeling. Did I also live in a detached house when I was alive? I don't want to lose even a tiny fragment of memory now.
After a while, I heard the sound of someone coming up the stairs. Along with the voice saying, "I'll leave it here," something was placed on the floor. It's probably the rice she warmed up for me. Sensing by the sound that the mother had left, I immediately opened the door and pulled the tray inside. The inside of the plastic wrap is clouded white with steam, and countless water droplets of various sizes are attached to it. When I hurriedly removed the wrap, steam billowed toward my face. The smell of bean sprouts tickles my nasal cavity. It's the smell that stimulates my appetite the most, even though it has the least flavor. It's just a messy stir-fried vegetable dish without even a fancy name, yet it looks more delicious than any other dish in the world.
Perhaps it's because it's the first home-cooked meal made by someone other than myself since I possessed this body.
Without caring about manners, I shoveled the stir-fried vegetables into my mouth greedily. To trap the flavor in my mouth, I stuffed it full of glossy white rice. When I took a bite, the taste of happiness spread. Tears flowed naturally.
"Delicious..."
While chewing on the crunchy texture of the bean sprouts, I realized that I was terribly lonely. I should have been involved with various people, but that was only through others, and no one knew the real me. That's why I was always alone. Crushed by the pressure of raising a child and clearing lingering attachments, nearly killed by a possessed person who had become an evil spirit, and having my nerves worn down by watching people die right in front of me, yet I still have to fight to avoid killing the people I care about. All by myself.
"Delicious..."
But the food that fills me now is the love of another person itself. Even if that love isn't directed at me, a meal filled with selfless love fills both my heart and body. Just with that, I felt like I could somehow hold onto my heart, which was as fragile and ready to snap as a basting thread. I have to hold on for the next ten days, until the very last second.
Having finished my meal in no time, I picked up the smartphone again. The chat history has been deleted, but the friends exist. I shouldn't be hesitating when I have a way to check.
I sent a message to "MO."
"Are you alive?"
It wasn't read immediately. I have no choice but to wait patiently. Having closed the smartphone, I reached out to the floor, which was overflowing with items, once again to check this person's personal information.

I woke up at twelve noon. Yesterday, while searching for personal information, the cluttered floor became annoying, so I cleaned the room. In the process, I was hit by sudden sleepiness and fell asleep as if I had fainted at dawn. Now, a large amount of items have been moved to the wall, and the dark brown flooring with noticeable fine scratches is exposed. When I peeled off the futon and got up, fine dust danced. The dust, bathed in the light spilling through the gaps in the ill-fitting curtains, fell while shining and swaying like snow.
In my hazy consciousness, I remembered the personal information I found out yesterday.
This person's name is Yuno Yuzuki. She is a sixteen-year-old first-year high school student and seems to attend Moriyadai High School, which is two and a half hours away from home one way. However, there is no trace of her wearing the uniform, and the textbooks are like new. When I rummaged through my belongings from junior high school, the notes in my notebook stopped around June of my third year. She probably became a shut-in from that time. It is highly likely that she is only enrolled in a high school where you can get in just by writing your name.
However, the crucial cause of her being a shut-in was unknown. The LINE chat history is all deleted, and I can't find any diaries. It seems to be a single-mother household, but she doesn't look like a toxic parent, and the possibility of problems in the home environment is low.
But I am concerned about the fact that some textbooks from junior high school are missing and the number of gym clothes doesn't match. They might have just been disposed of, but I can't deny the possibility that they were lost due to bullying.
In any case, at this stage, I can only speculate. To solve the mystery of Yuno Yuzuki, I have no choice but to take action. When I made up my mind and left the room, there were two rice balls in the hallway. While thanking my mother in my heart, I accepted them without hesitation. Yuno Yuzuki's body seems to get hungry often despite being frail.
When I went downstairs after eating, my mother wasn't there. She might have gone to work. I carefully washed yesterday's dishes and quickly took a shower. When I returned to the room and put on the uniform that was as good as new, I left the house clutching the small amount of money that had been sleeping in the back of the drawer.
The time is past 13:30. If it takes two and a half hours from here, I might arrive at school after school hours. Even so, if I can find even one acquaintance of Yuno Yuzuki, I might be able to hear various things. Even if the possibility is low, I have no choice but to act on whatever I can since I don't have time.
When I passed the nearest station to Naoki Yagura on my way to school, I felt an indescribable emotion. I had definitely possessed him, but now he is a stranger with no connection to me. Thinking that, a sense of loneliness pressed on my chest.
I arrived at Moriyadai High School after school. While students were coming out of the school gate one after another, the spirited shouts of the sports clubs echoed from the schoolyard. The fresh energy of teenagers was overflowing from everywhere.
If Yuno Yuzuki, who is a shut-in, suddenly appeared, her acquaintances would surely have some kind of reaction. I am prepared to speak to any student who looks at me with suspicious eyes.
However, there was no one who reacted like that. Maybe she doesn't have any acquaintances. If Yuno Yuzuki has never been to this high school, even the teachers might not know her face.
I am disappointed that the action I took with determination was meaningless. I wasted a few precious hours. When I sat down next to the flower bed, feeling at a loss, I felt a presence behind me.
"Yuzuki?"
When I turned around, there was a nostalgic face.
"Yoshinaga..."
After saying that, I covered my mouth with both hands. There is no way he, a university student, could be in a place like this. It must be someone who looks exactly like him.
However, the boy in the school uniform who looked like Yoshinaga let out a strange "Eh?" and then frowned and grabbed my wrist. I was pulled up with great force and had no choice but to stand up.
"Um..."
"Come."
The boy who looked like Yoshinaga kept pulling me along. What on earth is happening? While I was confused, I soon arrived at the backyard of the dim school building. Perhaps because the sun doesn't reach it, it's damp even though it's summer. The overgrown weeds are eerie. The fresh, green smell fuels my anxiety.
He stopped abruptly, let go of my hand, and turned his face toward me. He has a short haircut and a baby face, looking exactly like Yoshinaga, but his hair isn't styled with wax, and there is no mole the size of a bean on his cheek. His eyes, which would normally have a gentle atmosphere, are narrowed, and he is wrapped in a menacing atmosphere. I can feel a quiet but intense anger from him.
"You finally came?"
"Eh?"
"To school."
"...Y-yeah."
"What do you mean by this?"
Receiving his blunt and cold voice, I instinctively braced myself.
"What do you mean..."
"It's nice that you can redo things whenever you want."
I have no idea what he's talking about, and my mind goes blank.
"Sari-chan is never coming back."
The fist of the boy who looks like Yoshinaga is trembling.
"I can't forgive you. Because I can't forgive you, I went out of my way to take the entrance exam for the same high school as you."
"Eh."
"For this day."
He closed the distance between us step by step. His left hand is shoved into his pocket. A bad premonition in times like this often comes true.
"Goodbye."
It was a split second. The boy who looked like Yoshinaga gripped a fruit knife with both hands and charged at me.
I'm going to be killed.
My defensive instincts reacted faster than usual, and I dodged his attack just in time. However, I lost my balance and was slammed onto the weed-covered ground. The grass was colder than I imagined, and it mercilessly chilled my bare skin. As the pain of the fall spread throughout my body, the boy who looked like Yoshinaga got on top of me with a sinister expression.
The strength of a high school boy is immeasurable.
This might be the end.
But I can't end it yet.
"...Are you okay with being caught?"
Even though my fingertips and toes were trembling, the voice that came from my throat was extremely calm.
Perhaps this statement worked, as the movements of the boy who looked like Yoshinaga slowed down, and his expression twisted.
"I-I don't care. F-for Sari-chan's sake."
He is shaken as if his earlier ferocity was a lie. The blade of the fruit knife he is gripping tightly with both hands is shaking left and right like a high-speed metronome.
No, that's not all. His whole body is trembling.
"Even if you kill me, Sari-chan won't come back, will she?"
This word was a gamble. It also carried the risk of him flying into a rage and stabbing me in the chest. However, as I predicted, he flinched.
The reason I was able to think calmly even though I was afraid of being killed is surely because I have witnessed the real murderous intent of an evil spirit. I don't feel that from him. He is just trembling weakly like a newborn fawn, barely putting up a front.
"S-shut up!"
"Hey, Yoshinaga."
When I said that, the boy who looked like Yoshinaga stopped moving completely. He is frozen like a bronze statue. Aiming for that opening, I kicked him in the crotch with all my might.
"Ughhh!"
The boy who looked like Yoshinaga threw away the fruit knife, covered his crotch with both hands, and collapsed on the spot. He is letting out beast-like groans. Taking advantage of that, I retrieved the fruit knife that had fallen onto the weeds, entered "110" on the smartphone's call screen, and thrust it at him.
"I'm calling the police now."
"Ugh... ah... stop..."
"If you don't want that, do you swear not to kill me?"
He nodded vigorously while writhing in pain.
"Then, there is one more condition."
"W-wh... wh... at..."
"Tell me."
I said to him, who had teary eyes.
"About Yuno Yuzuki."

We moved to the library in silence and faced each other across a bookshelf. Because this bookshelf is a metal rack without a back panel, we can see each other's faces through the gaps between the books. With this, he can't easily attack me, and I have the intention to run away at full speed if he makes any strange moves.
"What is your name?"
First, I decided to probe for his personal information.
"Daichi Suenaga."
With those words, I was convinced. He is definitely Yoshinaga's younger brother. I never thought I would be nearly killed by the younger brother of someone I could trust.
"Why do you know Yuno Yuzuki?"
"Why is Yuzuki asking such a thing?"
I flinched for a moment at being asked back, but I realized there was no need to be shaken. After all, I am in a position where I can report Suenaga for attempted murder at any time. It is important not to lose a resolute demeanor when dealing with a dangerous opponent.
"I have no memory. But if you tell anyone about this, I will turn you over to the police."
"...Memory, huh."
Suenaga said in a voice with implications. In this day and age, a person with good intuition would realize it's possession. I continued speaking before he could ask me troublesome questions.
"I'll ask you again. Why do you know Yuno Yuzuki?"
"...We were in the same junior high school. Nishimizutani Junior High."
I believe that junior high school is very close to my house. I saw it on the way to the station. If the cause of her being a shut-in is in her junior high school days, she might have been a shut-in to avoid meeting acquaintances in the neighborhood.
"Then, why did you try to kill Yuno Yuzuki?"
Suenaga's soft eyes, visible between the books, shone as sharply as a blade.
"Because Yuzuki abandoned Sari-chan."
I gasped at his intense demeanor. I stepped back a few steps, anticipating that he would attack again.
"...What do you mean?"
"Yuzuki was bullied in her club in junior high school. Sari-chan, who was in the same geography club, couldn't stand it and reported it to the teacher. But in retaliation, Sari-chan became the target of bullying this time. She was bullied in an insidious way that wouldn't be caught by the teacher. Yuzuki knew about it but did nothing. Even though she was helped herself."
My heart ached at his story. The cause of Yuno Yuzuki being a shut-in is definitely bullying. Perhaps she couldn't save the girl named Sari who helped her, and she ended up carrying an even deeper darkness.
But is that something that should be paid for with one's life? I sympathize with the girl who protected her, but it would be difficult for Yuno Yuzuki, who carries emotional scars, to stand up to the people who bullied her.
Besides, I also feel a sense of discomfort with Suenaga's actions.
"Why did you target Yuno Yuzuki instead of the main culprit of the bullying?"
"That is--"
"She didn't directly participate in the bullying. Even so, to target her life, isn't that an act of tormenting the weak?"
"...The main culprit moved away and fled. I don't know where they are."
A hateful light dwells in his eyes.
"Sari-chan was a tough girl, so she didn't even tell me, her boyfriend, about the bullying."
Hearing that he was her boyfriend, I understood the strong resentment. But I cannot accept that those feelings are directed at Yuno Yuzuki.
"Think carefully. Yuno Yuzuki is a victim. There is no reason she should be hurt. No, in the first place, there is no such thing as a person who deserves to be hurt."
When I said that with strong feelings, Suenaga's expression twisted. His eyes are covered with a film of tears.
"But... but..."
"But what?"
"But... no matter what, Sari-chan won't come back."
"What do you mean?"
"Sari-chan jumped off the roof and died."
Hearing the shocking fact, my body stiffened. I had been taking a resolute attitude toward Suenaga until a moment ago, but I find myself sympathizing with him not a little.
"That's why I hate them. The main culprit of the bullying, Yuzuki, the teacher, I hate them all. Because, for Sari-chan--"
Suenaga let his emotions break down. His crying voice echoes in the quiet library.
"I can't see her anymore."
Those words pierced my chest. It's an obvious thing, but if you die, you can't see them anymore. And if my memories from when I was alive are revived, I will likely be tormented by the same pain of not being able to see the people I care about, just like him.
Cracks are forming in my anger toward Suenaga. The reason empathy outweighs rage is because it's not someone else's problem. Feeling deeply moved, I looked away from him as he sobbed like a child.
Then, a certain book caught my eye.
"Aeginetia indica..."
The cover featured a picture of the plant that Grass Heart taught me about, and the words slipped out before I could stop them. However, regretting that I had let something unnecessary slip out, I bit my lip instantly.
"Eh, you know about Aeginetia indica? You mean the 'thought grass,' right?"
Suenaga stopped crying immediately and widened his eyes. I feel a high-viscosity gaze. Suenaga, who has strong attachment and suddenly changes completely, is in contrast to the straightforward Yoshinaga.
No, perhaps these brothers might be similar. I was surprised by the strength of Yoshinaga's feelings for Manager Nishimiya and the abnormality of the timing of his confession. I feel that while Suenaga's actions are just intense, his essential personality is close to Yoshinaga's.
"Hey, the current Yuzuki doesn't have memories, right?"
"Ah, ah, yeah..."
Suenaga disappeared from the bookshelf in an instant and came right next to me. I braced myself, anticipating being attacked again, but he grabbed both of my hands with joy.
"Sari-chan."
"...Eh?"
"You're Sari-chan, aren't you?"
What on earth is this person going to say?
"I know, you know. People without memories are highly likely to be possessed. That they don't have memories from when they were alive."
"No, um..."
"You, you're definitely Sari-chan. There are rarely people who know about Aeginetia indica."
Unable to grasp the situation, I can only be stunned.
"Hey, Sari-chan."
Overwhelmed by his momentum, I can't find the words.
"I want you to go on a date with me from now on."

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