A/N: Nursing a cold with lots of Vitamin C and hot fluids. The endless days of cold wet rain where I live aren't helping my mood either. Thank goodness I still have a warm cozy house and plenty of thick blankets.
Chapter 8: Asakura Mihono
There was a stiffness to Chie's manner as she exited the drawing-room with a curt bow. Her departure left an uncertain atmosphere and although the fireplace was still merrily ablaze, there was a chill in the air. Everything was silent, save for the crackling of the ash logs and the sounds of the snowstorm outside. The strong gusts of wind and snow battered against the windows with a hollow shuddering sort of roar, like an invisible monster trying to break in. With a shiver, I picked up one of the wrought-iron pokers to stoke the red coal fire.
"I don't understand, Etou-san," I heard Sanae say. "You are suspicious of Setouchi-san...why?"
Giving a little sigh, Kanami replied, "Because of something Shidou-san and Konohana-san told me once—about how Setouchi-san held a grudge on them for the longest time. In 2018, Mokusa was defeated when the Special Ritual Riot Squad overthrew its Headquarters. None of the Osafune Tojis, except for Ellen-chan and Kaoru-chan, escaped. Since then, Setouchi-san was resentful towards everyone responsible."
With a pause, Kanami added, "She strikes me as a person who doesn't forgive people so easily. And also, she has the brains for a murder such as this."
My hand stopped, still tightly clutching the metal poker. Kanami's description of Chie brought back memories of a girl I knew all too well. I could still see that girl in my mind. Clutching her dead mother's cold hand with tears. Taking the burden of a duty left unfinished. Attempting to assassinate the woman she believed responsible for her pain. A girl who couldn't even remember an entire year of her life because she blocked it all out to hide her anger and sadness.
Kanami's voice brought me back to reality. "Hiyori-chan, are you okay?"
I must've been staring into the fireplace for a noticeably long period. Putting the poker back, I gave a smile to my girlfriend.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Was just reflecting on our interview with Chie," I lied.
One look from Kanami proved that she didn't believe me, but if she wanted to question it, she never got the chance. Reason being that Sanae exclaimed, "But there's no concrete proof that supports your assumption on Setouchi-san."
"I understand what you mean, Iwakura-san. However, as I've explained before, there is a little method I always use and that is thinking about the psychology of people."
As airheaded as Kanami could be sometimes, she did indeed possess an underlying keen perception of certain things. A perception that allowed her to read people easily—just like when she predicted my attack in my aradama-fused form. What was it exactly that Kanami once said? Something about how having a spar could help her understand others? Well, whatever her words were specifically, I highly doubted a sword-match would be of any use in the situation we were in now. We had to rely on our instincts and deductive reasoning alone.
Looking at her notes, Kanami said, "I will keep Setouchi-san at the back of my mind. However, right now, there are still quite a few suspects."
Ringing the bell pull, she suggested, "How about we talk with Mihono-chan next?"
When Ryosei brought our next interviewee in, I noticed how Mihono was visibly distressed. Though her lips were pulled into the cheery smile she normally had, her face was waxen.
Kanami's approach towards Mihono was a stark contrast to her handling of Chie. She was congenial and the tone of her voice was less peremptory, first asking to see Mihono's Toji ID handbook. I guessed due to them sharing the same mindset, it was easier for her to communicate better with Mihono. Having set her friend's worries at ease, Kanami proceeded with the inquiry.
"At ten o'clock, Fukki and I went to the billiards room to play a game of Eight-ball," Mihono said.
"Oh! You are a good player?" Kanami asked.
Turning her head to the left to perhaps hide a blush, Mihono replied, "I'm decent enough. It isn't anything like a good spar, as Fukki and I agreed. But it was a fun game nonetheless."
"How many rounds did you play?" I asked at random.
Still staring to her left, Mihono answered, "Quite a few. Definitely lost track of how many. Maybe about ten to fifteen rounds?"
"Ah. And what time did you finish your game, Mihono-chan?" Kanami asked.
Mihono gave a little jump. "W-What was that?"
Kanami repeated the question.
"A-At half past eleven," stammered Mihono. "I went upstairs to bed right away."
Exchanging a glance, Sanae and I silently agreed that something was wrong. Sure, Mihono's account seemed straightforward enough, but that didn't elucidate her anxious behaviour. Somehow, I believed Fumiko's death was only half the reason. Furrowing my eyebrows, I discreetly glanced at where Mihono was looking. What was she so fixed on staring at? There was only a bookshelf. Perhaps a certain book caught her eye? But which one? And for what reason?
With a cough, I asked, "And during that whole time, neither you nor Shichinosato Kofuki left the billiards room at all?"
It was evident that Mihono's attention was elsewhere. Although I learned from the past that staying focused wasn't one of her strong points, for some reason, right now she seemed more than just distracted. It was as though she was in a trance, hearing something that we could not.
"Sorry, could you repeat that?" she faltered, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.
"Did you and Shichinosato Kofuki leave the billiards room at any time?" I questioned.
"N-No. Both of us stayed put. We were both focused on the game."
Tapping her pen against her notebook, Kanami asked, "And what about Shichinosato-san? When you both left at half past eleven, did she...?"
"Oh, Fukki? She mentioned something about wanting more of that sparkling apple juice," Mihono said. "She went back to the drawing-room."
"Hm. By the way, Mihono-chan, did you know Fumiko-sama before you arrived at Hakuchou Manor?" Kanami asked.
"No. I never even knew she existed," was the reply. "And wasn't the Murasaki Family a bit anti-social in general?"
She reached for a cookie and nibbled on it thoughtfully, crumbs sticking to her lips. "I wouldn't know about people like her. Am just not very familiar with all these money-born Tojis overall. I don't think people of Fumiko-sama's social class are very sociable with...well, people like me. Something about them just gives me a weird feeling. And quite frankly, I'm too afraid to approach them.
"No, I assure you that I had no previous connection with Fumiko-sama. Something tells me she wouldn't have cared about nor wanted to initiate one in the first place. I know I seemed rather out of it last night at dinner, but I did notice the disgusted look she was giving Fukki and I."
As preoccupied as she was before, at least Mihono was observant and not totally oblivious to some things. Continuing on from our topic regarding Fumiko, Kanami asked Mihono about her first impression of the late Head of the Murasaki Family. Mihono could only shrug.
"She seemed like the average Toji to me—that is if I hadn't seen this whopping mansion. Still can't believe the size of this place. Excellent house for hide-and-seek though. It must've been lonely for Fumiko-sama after the last of her family passed away. I know that I wouldn't have been able to bear it. All of the empty rooms...there's just something creepy about it," Mihono said, with a shudder. "It sounds silly, but I can't help thinking about ghosts. Don't mention that to Kiyoka, by the way. She'd definitely get spooked by the idea."
"But we're not asking about Murasaki Fumiko's house," I sighed, trying to get Mihono back on topic. "What did you think about her as a person?"
Turning her head back slightly to look at us in the face, Mihono said, "I told you already. She just seemed normal to me. That's all. We didn't even talk with each other. Perhaps if I went on a few missions with her or even sparred with her, I may have had a more definitive judgement."
Then, with a nervous laugh, she added, "As ignorant towards me as she seemed, Fumiko-sama certainly wasn't like our temporary teammate, Hirona, that's for sure. That girl was so expressionless and had such a monotone voice. I could never understand what she was thinking."
"The reason why you asked you that question, Mihono-chan, is because we were wondering if you knew about Fumiko-sama's involvement in the 11/9 attacks last year," Kanami said.
Mihono's attention was on full alert now. "What? How?"
"She was the leader of the Takamagahara Faction, which the nineteen hijackers were followers of. Murasaki Fumiko was the one who ordered for the four trains to be used as weapons," I responded. "Reason being that she and her faction wanted recognition for their beliefs—to turn all humankind into aradama-fused beings."
The aghast that was on Mihono's face earlier was superseded by anger. Clenching her fists until her knuckles became white, she cried, "That's horrible! Just horrible! How could she even do such a thing like that?"
The cookie that Mihono had been holding was crushed to crumbs, now falling onto the pristine carpet. "I always believed Tojis were supposed to be fighters of justice. To slay aradama and save others. But for Fumiko-sama, a Toji herself, to have attacked the innocent without thought... Without even trying to just talk about her point-of-view... To just engage in violent action right away... It's just like when Tagitsuhime was still around, and Hitakami Makoto and the Tamayori Tojis... Why are Tojis fighting each other? Aren't we supposed to protect the good?"
It was like watching an innocent child come to terms with the cruelty of the world. The moment when naivety turns to cynicism and hopelessness.
"Unfortunately, that's the thing with life these days. When people feel unheard or alienated because of their beliefs and identity, sometimes they do evil for what they believe to be the greater good," I said, then after a pause, "I mean it. I know the feeling all too well."
"Hiyori-sama..." Mihono sighed.
A defiant spark glinted in her eyes, as she straightened her back. "But you're different! You were actually fighting for a good cause. Fumiko-sama was..."
Once again, Mihono turned her head to the left. Maybe to hide her tears this time.
"You are glad that she is dead, Mihono-chan?" Kanami asked, bluntly.
With a sniff, she nodded. "I'm sorry. I know it's wrong to speak ill of the dead, but I just can't pretend to have sympathy for Fumiko-sama. In my opinion, she deserved it."
Those last six words were the same ones Chie vehemently spoke. Kanami, Sanae, and I looked at one another.
"Um, Mihono...did you personally lose anyone that day? Just curious," I said.
"No." The reply was immediate and short.
"Not even mere acquaintances? Schoolmates? Faces in the crowd?"
"No."
Biting her lip slightly, Kanami leaned in a little closer to Mihono. "Mihono-chan, I am going to ask what may seem a rather impertinent question. But it is merely part of our inquiry routine. No offence need be taken, alright?"
As if sensing the seriousness of my girlfriend, Mihono leaned in also. "What is it?"
"Is there anyone, in particular, you believe more likely to have murdered Fumiko-sama?"
"No! They're my friends!"
"But they were not Fumiko-sama's."
Her face becoming grimmer than it was already, Mihono insisted, "None of them are responsible for this!"
"Alright, Mihono-chan. I understand."
Kanami was silent for a while, as she took down some last-minute notes. "We need not keep you any longer, Mihono-chan. You may go."
Ducking her head slightly, Mihono rose promptly. However, at the doorway, she turned back as if she remembered something just in time.
"By the way, ever since the butler guy told us the news, Kiyoka has been shaking like a leaf. She kept saying how she thinks you'll blame her because of the mystery game we played last night."
"Then, we shall get Nagata Ryosei to send her in," I replied, ringing the bell pull. "We'll console her, don't worry."
"Thanks, Hiyori-sama. If there's anyone I certainly don't believe is the culprit, Kiyoka would be it. Really, I doubt she'd have the nerve to strangle a mouse," Mihono awkwardly joked, before leaving.
A/N: Hm...what could have possibly made Mihono keep turning her head to her left? Was she looking at something in particular? Or is it because of something entirely different? Of the three suspects so far, who are you most suspicious of? Feel free to share your thoughts in the reviews or PMs.
In the next chapter, Kiyoka will be interviewed.