Chapter 2
Tuesday – 8:10am
The next morning, with the rain lightly pouring, Mayura got out of bed and approached a comatose Seina, who was in the other room from last night. She looked at her and started to tremble a bit.
"Keep it together, Mayura…" she thought in fear, "No one will suspect you of being a murderer, though I don't think she's dead; so it seems it is assault and not murder."
She kept thinking to herself about that moment and how she might be in trouble if she found out. She got dressed and headed outside.
Okay, so it has been since last night since she was badly hurt, but you realize that there are other members concerned about you, right?
She stepped out of her room with her abacus held tightly in her arm and an umbrella in the other. She walked very slightly, still thinking of what to do.
Mayura…
"Who was that?" She thought, "Who's calling me?"
Mayura shook her head and focused on getting to school. However, she kept hearing her name calling over and over again, every step she took.
"Okay… this is nuts," she thought, "Is someone stalking me? It's only 8:30 in the morning!"
"Mayura… don't play dumb," the voice called in a familiar sound.
She yelped and sprinted in panic to the school. When she got to the pathway to school, it was desolate.
"Huh? Where is everybody?" She thought, "Am I late?"
She dashed to school, thinking that she could be late again.
8:46am
Mayura arrived at the school, but saw that no one was there, including her fellow members of the Best Student Council. The bell rang and Mayura ran to class, still in a train of alarm.
She arrived at her homeroom, in the High School first year class. She looked around and found that no one was in class. She pulled up her chair and sat down.
"I wonder if most of the girls in my class are sick," she said, "I don't like being alone, but it'll give me enough time to check the budget on Seina, I MEAN, the school's budget!"
She panicked and calmed down.
"Man, I gotta forget that moment…" she groaned with her hand in her hair, "Oh, why did I do such an evil thing?"
She got up and thought of going to the other classes to see if anybody was there. However, she stopped by the door and heard a voice. It was Seina's.
"Well, I guess every student decided to not show up," she said from behind the door, "It would mean a lot to them if Mayura would help out."
Mayura gasped as Seina continued.
"In any case, what happened yesterday was an accident; and we at Miyagami Academy will do what we can… to send her to hell."
Sweat dropped from her hair, her knees shuddered, her heart was beating rapidly, and she did not say a word.
"I… I knew it… Seina… she knows…" she thought with a whimper, "Seina is still alive and she got up to warn the student body…"
She opened the door and cried out to Seina… but she was gone. In fact, there was nobody there; just a view of the forest, with a few dark clouds. She looked both ways in the hallways and gasped.
"I thought… Seina was…" she shivered.
She walked downstairs and went to the lobby. She sat down and was still in fear. She placed her hands on her head and was upset.
This is ridiculous! Seina was supposed to be dead! I can't believe I didn't kill her with that pillow! NO! No more killing instincts! I cannot let Seina get to me! She's in a vegetated state; and I don't want to feel sorry for myself, even though I was the one who shoved her.
As she was thinking to herself, a figure appeared with a small knife in her hand. She approached Mayura from behind, without noticing, and held the knife high.
"Mayura…" she spoke in a haunting voice.
Mayura turned around and saw Seina, in a tattered school uniform and deformed skin, holding the knife. Seina charged at Mayura. She shrieked and jumped out of the way of her knife slash. She dashed off to the front door and broke it down. She rushed outside in the rain and went to the SUV. She opened the door and tried to start the engine. However, she had trouble trying to drive it.
"CRAP! I don't have a driver's license!" She cried.
As lightning flashed, Seina appeared from behind, with a scowl on her face. She held the knife up with an evil smile and swung at the back seat window, shattering it. Mayura stumbled out of the car and staggered away.
"Seina! STOP!" Mayura shrieked.
Mayura ran really fast. She escaped Seina, who was not moving. She stood there with a demonic smile on her face. But as she lost sight of Seina, she tripped and fell in a puddle. She twisted her ankle and tried to get up, but couldn't.
"Now I know how I feel about Rino's clumsiness!" She cried.
Seina, for some reason, appeared from behind Mayura, held up a lead pipe and swung at her overhead.
CLANG!
"AHHHHHH!"
Mayura woke up, from the meeting room, with the other members of the Best Student Council watching on in concern, confusion, and a matter of perplexed motion.
"Had your nap, Mayura?" Vice-President Nanaho Kinjo asked her.
Mayura nodded and sat back up.
"Sorry… I kind of had a tough night's sleep," she responded.
"Well, focus!" Nanaho blurted.
Kuon Ginga, the other vice-president, added, "She's right. Just because Seina is out for a while, it doesn't mean the Best Student Council is going to slouch around."
Kuon also stated that she'll be the leader of the Covert Squad for the time being.
"Though, I must admit that you had to save her from an accident she had," Nanaho complimented, "It's not like you to go to the trouble and save a fellow member. Next time, leave the rescue missions to the Assault Squad."
"Sorry… I'm no hero," Mayura weeped, "I just… well…"
She sat down and was upset.
Was I imagining things?
"Mayura…" Kuon asked.
"I DIDN'T DO IT!" Mayura gasped.
"You don't mind if you leave the room for some air?" Kuon inquired.
Mayura chuckled, "Oh… right, uh, okay. I do need some air. Sorry about that."
Mayura got up and walked to the door.
"Poor kid… it's not every day a girl can be a hero, even saving a Best Student Council member," Nanaho thought aloud.
Mayura left the meeting room. Nanaho and Kuon continued the meeting.
10:57am
Following the meeting, Kuon was visited in the hallway by her fellow Covert Squad member, Kotoha Kutsugi. She informed her about last night.
"Miss Vice-President, Ayumu and I have reported about Miss Seina's accident," she stated, "It was NO accident."
"How so?" Kuon asked, "Did Mayura do this?"
"Huh? Why do you ask?"
"It seems Mayura was a bit jumpy over her sudden behavior and sleepiness today. In my opinion, we should have the Assault Squad capture her and take her in for interrogation. She should be a witness."
Kotoha then said that Ayumu saw that Seina fell through the barricade, but she didn't see who shoved her.
"I see… then we should investigate Mayura even further," Kuon insisted, "Thank you, Kotoha."
Kotoha disappeared in a swift black dash. Kuon grew worried about Seina.
1:29pm
Mayura went back to her room in the dormitory, and saw Seina, who was still unconscious.
"I get praised for something I did in an evil fashion," she thought, "The vice presidents are gonna hate me for the truth, if they ever found out."
She then imagined that she is choking Seina's neck. This thing could happen if Seina was awake.
Mayura slouched and cringed, "I did it… and I want to hide it from them… but why am I suddenly thinking of killing her?"
She got up and went to her desk.
"Oh, well…" she thought, "At least it'll give me enough time to study the budget without any interruptions. Though, having Seina's prone body could be distracting."
She thoroughly went through her papers, trying to see the monthly payments. However, she saw one of her sheets scribbled on… in blood. She gasped and the paper lightly swopped down to the floor. Mayura fell to the floor, in tears and in a quivering state. She looked at the paper and read it to herself:
"You did it… you did this to her, Mayura."
"No… who would've seen me shove her? This isn't right! How?" She cried.
She looked at a couple of her papers, also scribbled in blood:
"Quit hiding it, you murderer."
"You hate Seina, do you?"
"Stop being a spastic and turn yourself in!"
"You will die… one day."
She crumpled the papers up and tossed them to the floor. She grabbed her abacus and dashed out of the room. She slammed the door outside and squatted down in the hallway. She started to whimper.
Isn't it obvious now? About 20% of the school knows about your mishap. "An accident", don't make me laugh!
She whimpered, "I hate myself… I want to go home…"
Crying doesn't make it go away… you big fat liar.
She held her head tight and screamed, "SEINA! I'M SORRY!"
She got up and calmed down; she walked out to the hallway, still under a lot of fright. She then heard footsteps. She continued walking and was sweating from her head precariously. She kept walking in the dark hallway, with the lightning beginning to strike. A flash of lightning struck and Seina appeared from behind Mayura. Mayura turned around, and saw, through a flash of lightning, Seina. Mayura shrieked, but as the lightning struck again, she disappeared.
"Oh, god… I'm scared…" she whimpered with her heart rushing.
Mayura stepped out the dark hallway and headed to the lobby downstairs.
"I'm gonna get you, Mayura…" a voice called out, "I'm gonna get you…"
She started to sob. She went to the front desk and hid behind it. She crouched down and was nervously frightened over Seina's sudden appearance.
Just then, footsteps began to grow louder. Mayura began to shiver, hearing it from in the desk; she started to cry.
"No… she found me…" she whimpered with her tears leaking uncontrollably.
A hand approached her and touched her shoulder. Mayura let out a blood-curdling cry and smashed her abacus onto the person's head. She collapsed with her glasses on the ground. Another girl with brown hair and a short ponytail on her right side tried to revive her.
"Mayura! Are you crazy, wild, and somewhat nuts?" The girl shouted.
The girl was Assault Squad member, Rein Tsunomoto; the unconscious one in the black hair and glasses, was her partner, best friend, and #1 Assault Squad member, Sayuri Hida.
"Oh, my god! I am so sorry!" Mayura pleaded, but Sayuri didn't answer.
Rein held up her friend and woke her up.
"Mayura, what is wrong with you?" Rein snapped, "Normally in these rainy days, it's always Rino, Rino, and more Rino making trouble! You… you're nothing like Rino!"
Sayuri staggered away from Rein, trying to find her glasses. She lost them, when she was struck in the head.
"Rein, I'm sorry… I mean since Seina was out cold, I can-."
"Don't be like that! Seina is a great girl! She's an inspiration, an idol, and a helluva praised person that begins with I."
Mayura stared at both Rein and Sayuri and thought of something.
Rein and Sayuri could be witnesses; I better not milk this one up.
"My glasses… glasses… glasses…" Sayuri muttered, crawling around.
"Rein… Sayuri…" Mayura asked then, "Let's say, for arguments sake, if a Best Student Council member attacked another out of self-defense, what would you do?"
Rein said nothing; Sayuri found her glasses. She saw Seina's image behind Mayura. She held her wooden sword and pointed at Mayura. Lightning struck again, and she put away her sword, when Seina's image disappeared. Mayura was cringing over Sayuri's actions. Sayuri bowed and apologized.
"What's wrong?" Mayura asked.
"I… uh… never mind," Sayuri said quietly.
Rein asked Sayuri in a whisper, "Sayuri, what's wrong? It's like you've seen a ghost, phantom, and a poltergeist."
Sayuri murmured, "I think I saw Seina… except that she's a ghost."
Mayura stepped away and was nervous. Rein stopped her.
"Where are you going? Sayuri has something to say!"
"Leave me alone, guys," Mayura shivered, "I need to lie down."
Sayuri was upset that she saw a ghost. Rein then jabbed at her.
"You dummy, ding-dong, and doofushead!" She snapped, "You scared her away!"
Sayuri bowed in disdain.
7:28pm
The rain finally stopped, but dark clouds continued to ensue. The sky was pitch black. In Mayura's room, all slightly dim, she undressed into her casual attire and sat down on her desk, doing homework. She then remembered that Seina was still out cold in her room. So, she went to see how she was doing. When she got there, Seina's right hand had a knife covered in blood and a pair of glasses right beside it. The glasses had a crack and a trickle of blood on its left lens. Mayura gasped as she looked at the glasses.
"NO! Sayuri… She killed her…" she thought, "But… but that is impossible!"
She stepped out and went to Rein and Sayuri's front door. She pounded on the door and cried out to Rein.
"Rein! Rein! REIN! COME OUT!" She shrieked.
The door flew open and out popped Rein in her uniform, holding a deck of cards (Her trademark).
"SHUT UP! QUIET! BUTTON YOUR YAP!" She screamed, "I am busy with my card game!"
"Rein! Where's Sayuri?" She gasped.
Rein said nothing. She bowed her head and whimpered.
"Mayura-senpai… you killed her…" she whimpered, "You killed Sayuri, my best friend."
"WHAT?" She gasped.
She held up the ace of spades, covered with a bit of Sayuri's blood.
"I found this in my deck…" she growled, "It has your marks on it; it also has the letters written on it that shows who did it."
The blood on the card said "Mayura".
Mayura trembled in fear and stepped back. She tripped and landed on the floor. Rein held up a sharp fork. She was gonna jab it into Mayura. Mayura asked why she would do such a thing. Rein replied, in Seina's voice, "You killed me… Ichikawa Mayura… you killed me…"
Mayura shrieked and landed face-first into the floor. Rein held her neck down and held the fork upward.
"No... Seina... I mean, Rein..." She cringed.
"You killed me, and you killed Sayuri, our #1 Assault Squad member!" Rein screamed, in Seina's voice, "Now, you die! GOODBYE!"
In an instant, she lunged the fork towards Mayura's neck, like a knife.
However…
Rein placed both her hands on Mayura's neck and tried to wake her up. That moment wasn't a dream; it was a chimera of hers.
"Mayura-Senpai! Ichikawa! Mayura Ichikawa, wake up!" She cried as she tried to wake her.
Mayura got up and stepped back behind the wall, shaken with her eyes bugged out and her knees clattering.
"Please don't tell Kanade or the others! I'm just a treasurer!" She cried and pleaded on her knees, "I didn't kill Sayuri! I didn't mean to, but I didn't, period!"
"What are you talking about?" Rein questioned, "Snap out of it, control yourself, and regain control!"
Sayuri stepped out and saw Mayura and Rein in the dark hallway.
"Uh, Rein, did something happen?" She asked.
Mayura was in tears when she saw Sayuri.
"Sayuri! You're alive!" She giggled, "Oh, I'm so sorry!"
"Mayura! What's going on?" Rein inquired.
She then told Rein and Sayuri about earlier when she saw Seina holding a knife and Sayuri's glasses. She then showed them Seina, who was out cold. When they got there, Seina's body had NO knife and NO glasses.
Rein was snickering and laughed at Mayura.
"Oh, come on! That was a rich one, a laugh, and a whole joke of a thousand trades!"
Sayuri muttered, "It wasn't that funny."
"But… but she…" Mayura stammered.
"You need your rest, Treasurer; you're acting like a crazy girl, an uncontrolled woman, and a-!"
"OKAY! I get it!" Mayura shouted.
They left Mayura's room. Sayuri turned to her and asked if she'll be all right. Mayura nodded.
9:00pm
Mayura went to the bedroom and changed into her pajamas. She decided to do the homework tomorrow, since she had to go through the whole scary moment. But she grew worried about Seina… and also herself.
"Darn it!" She thought aloud, "What's wrong with me? It's like I'm seeing things that could happen to me!"
"Is it true you did kill Seina Katsura?" Her thoughts spoke aloud, "No, but you were gonna kill her. I think maybe Seina in a coma can lead to a curse."
"I'm cursed because of the damn budget! Not Seina!" She cried.
She pounded her fist on the wall and screamed, "I AM NOT CURSED!"
She calmed down and looked at herself in the mirror. She saw her reflection, even though it's dark out. She looked away and smiled.
"PHEW! What a calamity…"
She looked at the mirror again and saw her face, covered in blood and scars. She shrieked and staggered away. She tripped to the ground and bashed her head on the table. She fell to the floor, face-first, unconscious, and with blood leaking slightly from her forehead.
She was out in her blackened room for hours…
A faint giggle was heard…
