Love Hotel V3

Komaeda wasn’t the only one to have had the idea to visit Kirigiri that evening. When he and Akamatsu arrived, Togami, Fujisaki and Iruma were already there.

‘You too, huh?’ Amami said, when he opened the door.

‘It seems like you’re having a room party,’ Komaeda said.

‘That wasn’t the idea.’ Amami stood aside. ‘Come in.’

‘I said we should go somewhere better suited for this discussion,’ Togami said.

‘And increase the likelihood of Usami stumbling in?’ Kirigiri said.

Togami had apparently claimed the room’s single chair; Kirigiri was perched on the window seat, while Iruma was sprawled on the bed and Fujisaki on the floor beside her.

‘Seating is limited,’ Amami said. ‘I wasn’t expecting you to bring Akamatsu-san.’

‘I think he was just trying to distract me,’ Akamatsu said. She perched on the edge of the bed, looking about the room curiously.

Komaeda sat on the floor with Fujisaki. He had hoped Kirigiri might have an evidence board like on a detective show, but that was sadly not the case. At least Amami’s clothes weren’t hanging out to dry like he’d implied before.

‘I guess you want to know what happened earlier,’ Amami said. He stood against the wall, arms folded. ‘Iruma-san came up with a device that disrupts Usami’s functions, but we can’t use it too long or we’ll just get another Usami.’

‘I have to give credit where it’s due,’ Iruma said. ‘It’s only thanks to Akamatsu that I could do it.’

‘Me?’ Akamatsu said.

‘Sure. When you went after Usami at the pool that night, I got a pretty good look at her insides. Pulled out some useful bits and pieces.’ Iruma jabbed her thumb toward Fujisaki. ‘That’s what he’s been working on.’

‘You’re just going to tell these two everything, are you?’ Togami said.

Amami sighed. ‘I told you, Komaeda-kun’s the one who told us about the room with the wifi.’

‘And her?’

‘I’m not on Usami’s side, if that’s what you’re suggesting,’ Akamatsu said.

‘Forgive me for thinking we can’t count on your word in that regard.’

‘Always gotta have a stick up your ass, dontcha, Togami? Akamatsu is alright.’

Akamatsu gave Iruma a grateful smile.

‘I wondered before,’ Komaeda said, ‘but what was it you were doing with Usami, Fujisaki-kun?’

‘I don’t know if it will work,’ Fujisaki said. ‘It’s a sort of virus. If we can corrupt her replacement function … maybe it will help us get out of here.’

‘Ah,’ Komaeda said. ‘What a marvellous idea. I should have known that the people here would be able to come up with something.’

‘We weren’t good enough, though.’ Kirigiri crossed her arms. ‘Owari-san’s death shouldn’t have happened. We should have predicted the door would be trapped.’

Togami snorted. ‘She was rash.’

Kirigiri gave him an admonishing look. It had no effect.

‘Now that I know about it,’ Iruma said, ‘I should be able to work out a way to turn it off. We just need Usami outta commission.’

‘And whoever’s working with her,’ Komaeda said.

‘That’s the trouble.’ Amami ran his hand back through his hair. ‘We still have no idea who that might be.’

‘Does it matter who it is?’ Iruma said. ‘As long as we’re prepared to take them out –’

‘How are you proposing we do that?’ Togami asked.

‘Beat ’em up, duh. What’s the point of having big beefy guys like Nidai around if they can’t even take out one measly mastermind?’

‘You don’t think the mastermind could be one of those “big beefy guys”?’ Akamatsu said.

 ‘As if. The muscles squeeze out their brains.’

‘I don’t think we should underestimate the mastermind,’ Amami said. ‘After what they did to Hanamura-kun … I still can’t work out how that was done.’

They went silent, considering it.

‘So they got weapons,’ Iruma said. ‘All that means is we need weapons too. Lucky you got a genius inventor right here!’

‘I don’t have the first idea of what I would do with a weapon,’ Komaeda said. ‘Do you?’

‘That’s you,’ Akamatsu said. ‘I bet someone like Kuzuryu-kun wouldn’t have a problem.’

‘Find the mastermind and kill them?’ Togami said. ‘How medieval of you.’

‘No-one needs to kill anyone,’ Kirigiri said. ‘Our focus should be on preventing more deaths.’

‘What if that’s what it comes down to, though?’ Amami said. ‘Us versus them.’

‘Then we need to be very sure we know who the ‘them’ is.’

‘Speaking of,’ Komaeda said, ‘how did investigating Kuwata-kun’s death go?’

‘I can’t draw any conclusions yet,’ Kirigiri said.

‘It’s obvious,’ Togami said. ‘Tsumiki killed him, because she’s a madwoman.’

‘It’s possible that Tsumiki-san killed him, yes,’ Kirigiri said, ‘but she’s not the only one with opportunity, and “because she’s a madwoman” is hardly a compelling motive.’

‘Who else had opportunity, though?’ Komaeda said. ‘We were playing games all morning.’

‘That’s what I’d like to ask around about,’ Kirigiri said. ‘Not everyone was in the room the whole time.’

‘Things don’t stop happening.’ Amami tilted his head back against the wall. ‘For all we know, it was Maizono-san and she declared her love for Naegi-kun in order to remove herself from the situation.’

‘You think the idol bitch did him in?’ Iruma said. ‘You never can trust ’em, eh?’

‘That’s not what I meant,’ Amami said. ‘I’m with Togami-kun on this one, to be honest. It must have been Tsumiki-san.’

‘I don’t get it,’ Akamatsu said. ‘Why would she want to kill him? He was her patient!’

Amami looked over at Togami, who was the only one of them who had any experience of Tsumiki’s nursing. Togami kept mum.

‘Perhaps she didn’t want him to run away,’ Komaeda said. ‘Not like Togami-kun did.’

‘But that –’ Akamatsu stopped herself short, and she looked at Togami with fresh eyes. ‘Why did you run away?’

 ‘Because,’ Togami said, ‘she’s a madwoman.’ And Akamatsu was an idiot, he implied.

‘I don’t think we need to get into it,’ Amami said. Defensive of Togami, maybe, although Togami hardly seemed to need it.

The trouble was, they could talk about this for hours and never get anywhere. Because they didn’t have the information they needed to draw a conclusion. But the simple act of having gathered together must have given the others a sense of hope. Hope that they could escape. Hope that they could expose whoever was behind this. Hope that justice would be done, for whomever it was needed.

Bathed in the warmth of that hope, Komaeda could have almost felt it himself.

---

Before Komaeda and Akamatsu could retire for the evening, Amami asked to talk to him a minute. Privately – which in this case meant in the hallway.

‘I just wanted to say,’ Amami said, after they’d waved Akamatsu off, ‘I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable this afternoon.’

‘Uncomfortable?’

‘You know.’ Amami leaned back against the wall, arms folded and hunched in a way that made it seem like he was huddling. ‘With the kiss.’

‘That’s hardly your fault,’ Komaeda said. ‘I knew going in what the rules of that room were.’

Amami sighed. ‘Yeah, but I was being unfair.’

‘I promise you, it was much better than having to kiss Iruma-san.’

Amami looked haunted by the reminder of what they’d witnessed between Iruma and Fujisaki. ‘Yeah, that was …’ He shook his head. ‘Anyway, I just wanted to apologise.’

‘There’s really nothing to apologise first. But thank you, I guess, for even considering my feelings.’

Amami’s lip twisted. ‘You know, I really don’t get you.’

‘Oh?’ Komaeda didn’t think he’d said anything that odd.

‘Maybe that’s why …’ Amami shook his head again. ‘It doesn’t matter. I’m glad you came over, anyway. Even if it wasn’t to see me.’

‘I thought it might cheer Akamatsu-san up to be around people. She’s very worried.’

‘We all are,’ Amami said. ‘I’ll let you call it a night, anyway.’

‘Sure. Goodnight.’

Amami waved, and went back to his room.

It was quite late at that point; too late to visit Hinata. Komaeda did consider it, as he caught the lift back down to their floor. Hinata would probably be asleep, though. Unless he couldn’t sleep? But Komaeda would still be making him get out of bed. And Komaeda shouldn’t be leaning on Hinata too much. Because if he did, he was screwed.

There was no way that Hinata could love him. If he had, Usami would have had to declare it already. If he had, it would have cursed Komaeda to lose him. It was better, really, if all it was was sex and Komaeda pining hopelessly just because Hinata (who wasn’t really even that impressive) was nice to him (and also for some reason attracted to him). That didn’t make it love; it just meant it was convenient.

All the times Komaeda told himself that didn’t make a speck of difference. He was still overwhelmed by that yawing sense of irrevocability; he couldn’t take back the feelings that had already grown inside of him.

All he could do was trust Hinata not to get sucked in the way he was.

---

Morning came, and so did the verdict on Mioda and Gokuhara’s lives. Somehow everyone was up early that morning – they all looked some degree of horrible, even those of them like Tojo who usually looked most put together. Komaeda and Akamatsu’s weariness (Akamatsu’s tossing and turning had kept them both awake) hardly stood out at all.

Komaeda got a coffee and went to slip into the seat next to Hinata, who was sitting with Kuzuryu that morning for some reason that Komaeda couldn’t fathom. Maybe they had both just arrived early and it had been too awkward not to sit together.

‘You’re not going to say anything?’ Hinata said.

‘Good morning, Hinata-kun,’ Komaeda said.

Kuzuryu made a gruff, amused noise. ‘No-one’s up for niceties this morning.’

‘Mm.’ Komaeda drank his coffee, and wished he could lay his head on the table and have Hinata pat his hair. It was a very specific wish.

Mioda was sitting together with Shirogane and some of the other women – Akamatsu sat with them too.

‘Are you worried about Mioda-san?’ Komaeda asked Hinata. ‘She doesn’t look very worried.’

‘She’s convinced she knows what immunity is,’ Hinata said. ‘But I don’t know. Even if Usami told us what it was, I don’t know if I could believe her.’

‘That’s coz she’s just making it up. The rabbit, I mean,’ Kuzuryu said. ‘She’s just choosing. It’s 50–50, whoever she likes better.’

That was an idea. In which case, who would Usami choose?

Gokuhara didn’t look anywhere near as confident as Mioda. Koizumi was sitting with him, her hand on his knee.

If it were Komaeda, which one would he pick to die? The one who was most afraid of it, or the one who thought she could beat it?

‘It amounts to the same thing, doesn’t it?’ Hinata said.

‘We can’t know until Usami tells us,’ Komaeda said. He took another sip of coffee and closed his eyes. ‘Maybe something will happen before then.’

If Fujisaki’s virus could kick in and put Usami out of action … if Naegi and Maizono could burst back in the door … no, that image made no sense. If Oogami and Asahina could burst in the door, with back up …

‘You’re fucking kidding yourself,’ Kuzuryu said. Komaeda peeled open his eyes to look at him.

‘Is that what you guys talked about with Kirigiri and the others?’ Hinata said. ‘Making something happen?’

‘Oh?’ Komaeda sat up properly. ‘Did you know about that, Hinata-kun?’

‘Akamatsu told me.’

Komaeda frowned.

‘Last night,’ Hinata said. ‘She said you’d stayed to talk to Amami about something.’

‘Oh. She didn’t say anything.’ Did that mean Hinata had come to see him last night? Did that mean Komaeda should have gone over?

‘Well, it’s not like a big deal,’ Hinata said. But then asked, ‘What were you talking to Amami about?’

‘He just wanted to apologise about something-you-know-earlier.’ The words all came out sounding like one single long word, and then Komaeda stalled. ‘It really wasn’t that long. I must have just missed you.’

He was aware of Kuzuryu watching them – either with disdain or amusement, he couldn’t quite tell.

‘You could have asked me too,’ Hinata said. ‘We’re friends, aren’t we?’

‘Friends?’ The word had never sounded quite as implausible as it did then.

‘Yeah. When you went to talk to Kirigiri and the others.’

‘I didn’t think … but we’re friends?’

‘Yes. Do you want me to use a different word?’

‘Oh, no, “friend” is a marvellous word, truly. I’m just not sure I deserve such an honour …’

Kuzuryu’s eyebrows had gone up.

‘… but if we’re friends, then you should call me Nagito?’ He didn’t know why he said it. He lost his nerve halfway through, so it didn’t even come out as a statement.

‘I’m gonna leave,’ Kuzuryu said, ‘if you two are having a moment.’

‘You don’t have to do that,’ Komaeda said, but Kuzuryu was already getting up. He and Hinata gave each other a little nod, like they’d come to some agreement that Komaeda wasn’t privy to.

‘He didn’t have to leave,’ Komaeda said. ‘I’m the one that barged in.’

‘It’s fine,’ Hinata said. ‘We’ll talk later.’

‘What do you two have to talk about, I wonder?’ Komaeda let his eyes followed Kuzuryu across the room – only to see that Usami had arrived. ‘Hinata-kun, look.’

Komaeda felt a sick anticipation fill his body, as Usami came to address them all.

‘Everyone’s up early today, aren’t they?’ Usami said. ‘Usami is glad you’re all so eager. I know yesterday didn’t go as expected … we lost some of our dear friends … but today is a new day!’

‘Please,’ Koizumi said, rising to her feet, ‘can we skip the pep talk? We only want to know what you’ve decided.’

‘Koizumi-san, you must be worried, right?’

Gokuhara was holding onto Koizumi’s hand, even as she stood next to him. She looked braver than he did, in that moment.

‘Never fear! Thanks to you, Gokuhara-kun is safe for this round. You can both breathe a sigh of relief.’

Rather than sigh, Koizumi looked as if she might crumble. But Gokuhara looked at her warmly.

‘It is thanks to Koizumi-san,’ he said. ‘Gonta will try to deserve it!’

With the way Koizumi returned his gaze, Komaeda wouldn’t have been surprised if they were the two to leave next.

‘And now on to the sad news,’ Usami went on. Komaeda heard Hinata say ‘what’ beside him. ‘Mioda-san, your journey toward love ends here.’

‘Hang on, hang on, hang on,’ Mioda said. ‘That can’t be right.’

‘Rules are rules,’ Usami said. ‘Better luck next life.’

Mioda’s table were all on their feet.

‘That’s not fair.’ ‘That shouldn’t be the rule.’ They threw words at Usami, who kept her so-sorry face on.

‘This is why you have to grab love while you can,’ Usami said. ‘You don’t know what will happen tomorrow.’

‘No no no,’ Mioda said, and then she bent over suddenly, hands clasped to her ears. ‘What’s that noise?’

‘Iruma-san!’ Fujisaki yelled – Iruma still had her Usami-disrupting device, it seemed, which she shook herself to use then.

Usami froze, but Mioda’s distress was unrelieved.

‘It’s like a million tiny miners are pick-axing inside my ears!’

Hinata stood up, helplessly; Mioda was already surrounded by those who wanted to help. Komaeda saw her drop to her knees, still clutching her head.

He didn’t see the moment she died.

‘This wasn’t meant to happen!’ Chabashira was yelling. ‘Tsumugi, you said this wouldn’t happen!’

‘I just said what I was told,’ Shirogane said, tremulous. She fell to her knees next to Mioda’s body. ‘Ibuki-chan.’ Her voice cracked, but Komaeda had the strangest feeling that she was acting.

‘Komaeda,’ Hinata said, ‘this is going to keep happening, isn’t it?’

‘Unless someone stops it.’

‘Why? Everyone liked Mioda!’ Hinata’s face was screwed up; Komaeda thought he might be about to cry. That brought Komaeda to his side in a hurry.

‘Hinata-kun –’ He couldn’t say it would be alright. There was nothing hopeful in Mioda’s death; she hadn’t been striving toward escape like Owari had been. She had died cruelly and pointlessly.

Komaeda put his hand on Hinata’s shoulder, and Hinata reached up to clasp it, tight enough to hurt. Komaeda couldn’t complain at all.

He was thinking about what Usami had said. You had to grab love while you could. Because tomorrow the person you cared for might die needlessly at the hand of what was usually called fate, but here was called Usami. The bad luck that plagued all of them.

‘She said,’ Chabashira yelled. ‘She said Ibuki would be safe!’

‘It’s not Shirogane-san’s fault –’

There was a terrible noise, then, from the doorway. The people clustered around Mioda didn’t hear, but those closer to it did. Komaeda turned his head to see what it was, and couldn’t believe it.

It was an Usami, but an Usami that had gone wrong. She dragged herself along the ground, head twisted at an angle that would have been impossible in a flesh-and-blood creature, and would have given a toddler nightmares in a toy. You could see the metal frame that made her.

‘What have you done?’ she said, and at first it sounded like the normal Usami. But as she went on, the pitch of her voice rose and fell, like it was being distorted by some great gravity field. ‘How is Usami meant to guide you like this?’

‘Ugh,’ Enoshima said. ‘Mukuro, can’t you put that thing out its misery?’

Ikusaba didn’t answer, but she stood, pulled a gun from out of nowhere, and shot a bullet straight through the centre of the twisted Usami’s head. That sound got everyone’s attention; there were a few scattered screams from those who hadn’t noticed the Usami till now.

‘What is that?’ Sonia said.

‘It looks like Usami had a baby with a fucking giant-ass spider!’ Iruma said. ‘Fujisaki, this you?’

‘I didn’t expect my virus to do that,’ Fujisaki said. He sounded quite faint, although it was hard to tell if that was due to Usami or to Mioda’s death (or possibly the combination of the two in short succession). ‘I wanted to stop the replication altogether …’

‘You gone fucked up,’ Enoshima said. ‘Now we’re gonna get a new one of those every 15 minutes. Mukuro here doesn’t have unlimited ammo. Even though we’ve got unlimited Usamis.’

‘Such a monstrous fiend!’ Tanaka said.

‘It looks horrible,’ Sonia said. ‘But perhaps its behaviour will be the same?’

‘I see … the outside reflects the inside.’ Tanaka laughed. ‘That’s even more monstrous!’

Enoshima walked up and kicked the pieces of the corrupted Usami. ‘Geez,’ She crouched down to look at it. Komaeda hadn’t known her to take an interest in Usami before.

‘Iruma-san, can you try switching off the disrupter?’ Amami said.

‘We don’t want that thing back in any form!’

‘Just try it.’

‘Okay, but you’re gonna owe me!’ Iruma pressed the button on her device again, and it triggered the first Usami to come back to life again.

‘Phew!’ Usami said. ‘That was really horrible. Usami thought she was going to be a demon forever.’

‘It’s time for you to explain!’ Chabashira said. ‘Why’d you kill Ibuki after … after …’ She gritted her teeth, her eyes fierce enough that Usami should have backed off. If she were any natural creature.

‘… after?’ Usami said.

‘She should have had immunity! Even a stinking guy like Gokuhara-kun could get it –’

‘Usami thinks you’ve misunderstood something. Chabashira-san, do you think you get immunity by being intimate with someone?’

Chabashira’s eyes went wide.

‘Well, that’s part of it. But it only counts the first time. You and Mioda-san already used up that chance in the first round.’

‘You … you …’ Chabashira’s words were failing her; rather than speak any more, she launched herself into a spinning mid-air kick, with which she knocked Usami’s head clean off her body.

The head rolled for several metres, until it came to a stop beside Celestia’s feet. Celestia nudged it with her toes so that it rolled out of reach.

‘Great,’ Amami said with a moan. ‘Now we get the other one back.’

‘I think I need to sit down,’ Hinata said, beside Komaeda.

‘Are you alright, Hinata-kun?’

‘No.’ Hinata sat as suddenly as if his legs had given out.

Komaeda hesitated, and then he leaned over to hug Hinata from behind. It was an awkward position, though, and he couldn’t hold it. He sat as well.

‘Why did Shirogane think she knew what immunity was?’ Hinata said.

‘Perhaps she thought she’d deduced it?’

‘She said it was what she was told.’

Shirogane had drawn back from the others; she looked pale.

‘So someone told her the wrong thing,’ Komaeda said. ‘Or she lied.’

‘What do you mean, she lied? Shirogane and Mioda were friends.’

‘Some people take that word more seriously than others.’

Hinata looked unhappy with that comment.

‘I’m sure you’re right, Hinata-kun,’ Komaeda went on. ‘Someone must have told her the wrong thing. But who?’

‘I’m going to ask Koizumi,’ Hinata said, and stood up again.

‘Why would Koizumi-san know anything?’

‘Just a hunch.’

Komaeda followed him to Koizumi’s table. The whole room was in a noisy uproar; someone was talking about building a barricade to keep the corrupted Usami out; someone else was crying and being comforted. Kirigiri and Fujisaki were talking with their heads turned together – Komaeda would have liked to know what they were saying, but he stuck with Hinata for the moment.

‘Koizumi. Gonta,’ Hinata said. ‘How are you doing?’

‘This is all too much,’ Koizumi said. She was sitting very small and still.

‘Gonta still doesn’t understand why Mioda-san had to die,’ Gokuhara said. ‘It should have been me.’

‘It shouldn’t have been anyone,’ Koizumi said. ‘I can’t believe Naegi and Sayaka-chan were so selfish.’

‘I’m sure they didn’t intend for it,’ Hinata said. ‘I wanted to ask … did Shirogane say anything to you about immunity?’

Koizumi flushed with embarrassment. Or anger?

‘Gonta didn’t speak to Shirogane-san last night.’

‘She said it to me,’ Koizumi said. ‘She said she knew what it was and that I …’ Koizumi looked down and stopped talking.

‘She said you could save him, huh?’ Hinata said. Koizumi gave a short nod.

‘Is that really true?’ Gokuhara said.

‘She didn’t want to tell you,’ Koizumi said. ‘I’m sure she thought that if you knew, you’d never agree.’

‘I wouldn’t agree,’ Gokuhara said, ‘if it would hurt you, Koizumi-san.’

That was either very beautiful – Shirogane had known that about Gokuhara, so she’d asked Koizumi to sacrifice herself on Gokuhara’s behalf (to fall on his sword, as it were) – or it was very cruel, because what choice would Koizumi feel she had? It was one thing for Gokuhara to abstain and seal his own fate, and another for Koizumi to do that for him.

‘I’m sorry for asking,’ Hinata said.

‘I wish it wouldn’t have come up like this,’ Koizumi said, ‘but that’s not your fault.’

Across the room, Shirogane was talking to Akamatsu – or being talked to. Shirogane looked stiff, and Akamatsu was trying to argue her into something, perhaps.

‘Do you want to try the source?’ Komaeda asked.

‘Yeah, let’s.’

They said goodbye to Koizumi and Gokuhara, and approached Shirogane and Akamatsu.

‘Don’t you come at me too,’ Shirogane said when she saw them. ‘I didn’t know!’

‘I believe you,’ Hinata said. ‘I just wanted to know where you heard it.’

‘That’s …’ Shirogane looked shifty. ‘I talk to Usami, sometimes. I thought she might let something slip.’

‘And she just “let slip” what the conditions for immunity were?’ Komaeda said.

‘Obviously it wasn’t the whole story! If I’d known …’

‘What,’ Akamatsu said, ‘would you have slept with Ibuki yourself?’ Komaeda was surprised by how vehement her voice was.

‘I didn’t tell her who to sleep with,’ Shirogane said. ‘She chose Chabashira-san on her own. That’s all.’

‘Is that what you were doing too?’

‘Hang on,’ Hinata said, ‘what did Shirogane do?’

‘None of your business,’ Shirogane said.

Akamatsu looked frustrated. ‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘I can’t say.’

‘Akamatsu-san,’ Komaeda said, ‘when you said Shirogane-san was a big comfort to you yesterday …’

‘I said I can’t say!’

‘Of course not,’ Komaeda said. ‘I’m the only one who’s so indiscreet that everyone knows who I’m sleeping with.’

‘You –’ Hinata said.

‘Sorry, Hinata-kun, not everyone. That was an exaggeration.’

‘Don’t just say sorry to him,’ Akamatsu said.

‘Oh, should I say sorry for implying you and Shirogane had sex as well?’

‘That’s not even an implication,’ Hinata said.

‘Komaeda-kun!’ Akamatsu slapped him on the arm.

‘Akamatsu-san is always telling me I’m being insensitive.’ But it was better for Akamatsu to be mad at him than it was for her to be mad at Shirogane. She had a chance of getting free of here with Shirogane, after all.

Although who knew what would happen now Usami wasn’t a cute toy any more.

‘Doesn’t it bother you?’ Akamatsu said. ‘When you see someone’s upset, shouldn’t you back off?’

‘We’re all upset,’ Hinata said hurriedly.

‘And I was never very good at reading a room. Akamatsu-san, you have my apologies.’ He did mean it, right then.

Akamatsu looked thrown by his words. ‘I guess I’m sorry for snapping, then,’ she said. ‘I just can’t believe this is happening.’

Why couldn’t he say things like that, Komaeda wondered. Was it that nothing surprised him any more? Mioda’s death was terrible, but in some way he only cared because Hinata and Akamatsu cared.

He got told, sometimes, that there was something wrong with him. When he didn’t react the right way, or people accused him of making stuff up. Akamatsu was probably right.

‘I’m sorry to you too, Tsumugi,’ she said. ‘I shouldn’t have suggested … you know. I’m lucky that you care about me as much as you do.’

‘It’s alright,’ Shirogane said. ‘I understand.’ And she held out her arms for Akamatsu to hug her.

Hinata tugged at Komaeda’s sleeve. ‘Let’s go,’ Hinata mouthed; Komaeda nodded. It would have been nice if Hinata could have just taken his hand. If this was a world in which your lover could die tomorrow, they should at least have been able to hold hands.

But probably Hinata didn’t want to.

Once they were a distance away, Hinata stopped and he said to Komaeda, ‘I’m probably off-base here, but do you think Usami would really give Shirogane an advantage like that?’

‘Maybe she was planning to change the rules anyway?’ Komaeda said. ‘It could be that it’s different each round.’

‘Each round?’ Hinata said. ‘Can we really put it like that?’

‘That’s the word Usami used.’

‘What sort of “round” ends in someone dying?’

It would be pointless to answer; Hinata already knew the sort of game they were being forced to play.

---

They’d descended into a sort of disorder, after Chabashira had beheaded the last good Usami. But the corrupted Usami that dragged her way into the dining hall was just as capable of commanding attention as the cuddly-looking toy she had been before.

‘It’s exhausting,’ Usami said, ‘trying to rebuild yourself all the time.’ The strange up-and-down intonation of her voice had gotten worse. ‘You guys aren’t making it easy, are you?’

Her form might have been corrupted, and her voice, but the content of her speech was the same.

‘I thought I could let you all have a day off today, but after this, Usami thinks she can’t leave you unsupervised.’

‘No-one wants to look at your ugly mug all day!’ Enoshima called out. It seemed a very casual way to refer to the horror Usami had become.

After she said it, Enoshima stood up and headed for the door.

‘Um, Enoshima-san? Where are you going?’ Even an innocent question like that was threatening now Usami couldn’t control her voice. Or maybe this was the voice she should have had all along. ‘Usami just said –’

‘I’m going to the shitter,’ Enoshima said, ‘or did you want to start following us there too?’ She stormed out.

‘Ikusaba-san, can’t you shoot that thing again?’ Akamatsu said. Ikusaba seemed startled to be addressed.

‘There’s no point,’ Shirogane said. ‘Not if she’s just going to rebuild like this.’

Actually, Usami looked even worse than last time.

‘Geez, you guys are gonna hurt my feelings if you keep talking like this.’

‘Why we gotta respect the feelings of some fucked-up kids’ toy?’ Kuzuryu said. ‘I say we put her out her misery.’

‘Usami – thinks – you all – need – a time out!’

It wasn’t instantaneous, what happened next. Komaeda’s mind began to feel glaze over; he saw Kuzuryu direct Pekoyama to attack Usami, but Pekoyama didn’t make it. He saw Tsumiki try for the door, but it must have locked itself after Enoshima left.

‘I feel weird,’ Hinata said. ‘It’s like –’ He didn’t get to explain before he slumped down against the table.

Komaeda lay his head down on the table facing Hinata, and went to sleep too.