Four boys sat sadly reflecting on a bench. Mitsuru and the other girls had walked by a moment before, given them poison looks, and gone on ahead without speaking to them. Miserably, they lowered their heads again and tried not to remember too much about last night.
Junpei, however, found that the more he tried to put it out of his mind, the more he remembered. He shuddered suddenly.
Akihiko said tiredly, "What?"
"Mitsuru-senpai's knuckles are really bony, aren't they?"
Akihiko declined to answer. Ryoji stirred a little. "What I'd like to know is, where did she get Crisco at that time of night?"
Minato had been wondering the same thing, actually. Talk about being prepared! Akihiko said darkly, "She always keeps a supply on hand."
The other three turned to stare openly at him. Junpei dared to ask what no one else would have. "…how do you know that?"
Akihiko merely shook his head with the hollow expression of one who has stared into the abyss many times and seen it grin back. "I warned you. I warned you all."
Junpei bit his lip and Ryoji turned to Minato. "You're quiet…that traumatic, eh?"
"Oh, I don't know. It was actually kind of---" He stopped when he saw the stunned expressions on the other boy's faces. It was probably a good thing that they had to leave for the bus just then.