Another Episode 10: Aya's Sin
Weary and broken, I stumbled into my room to find on my desk another three tapes. The labels denoted them in order; Aya's sin was marked tenth, followed by Kojiro's sin and then Akira's. Raising an eyebrow, I gripped the first tape and popped it into the archaic VCR set up below my television.
It crackled and popped slightly before finally coming on.
The scene opened up to a dimly lit classroom late in the evening. Aya was leaning against the chalkboard. Akira, Maria, Narutoya, Kicho, Taka, Kei, Shiori, Michi, Sheena, Hiro, and Sho were all gathered together, sitting at, on top of, or next to various desks.
"Why did ya gather us to this damn place? Is it more bad news?" Maria speculated with an angry glare.
Aya fidgeted nervously as she stood at the front of everyone's attention. "See, this is hard for me. I just… What I have to say, I want no one to get angry, okay?"
Akira laughed. "Ha, you were pregnant by prom!?"
"No! What the hell!?" As sweat ran down her face, Aya shook her head. "It's about Lorraine."
Sho stepped forward. "You better not be buying into her bullshit." Sho pointed at Michi and snarled. "Look, I get it. You can't trust Kojiro. But you KNOW we'll be protected."
Aya sighed loudly. "Look, they wanted to tell you but… But I can't hold my tongue on this. I can't have you hurting Kojiro over false pretenses."
"False…pretenses?" Akira's attention was grabbed. "That dirty cop has his hands in the killings. That's Michi's proof at work."
"He covered it up, yes… But he didn't do it. The real killer confessed…to us."
Maria's yelling began instantly. "Who the fuck is this us, huh!?"
Aya hurriedly defended herself. "Okay, look… Ryuu was… Well, he found out because of some weird thing happening…" Sheena looked away, whistling conspicuously. "Ryoji overheard him ask the real culprit, and… And Ryoji told me and Naoya."
"Well, who is it?" Narutoya adjusted his glasses. "Shiori has ties to one of the victims if I recall."
Shiori recoiled. "Hey! I defended my life in self-defense! I'm not a murderer! I'm not!" Despite that, the guilt of her own incident caused her to erupt into tears. "I was the one who got hurt!"
"Tell us, please. It's important for knowing who we are safe around." Kicho pressed and Aya, feeling compelled, went to speak.
"Stop! I'm not having you do this, Ultimate Manipulator!"
Hiro glared at Sho after his outburst. "The what?"
Sho narrowed his eyes. "Hiro, I was given a lot of intel on us all. Kicho Taika is no mere store manager. She's the Ultimate Manipulator, an expert in coercion. Her and Narutoya both."
"Well, that's rude." Narutoya clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I'm not using this talent for my own gain."
"Unless you are… right now!" Hiro pointed at him with force.
Narutoya rolled his eyes and stepped forward. "I don't need to use my talent to use basic psychology. Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not her."
"You're worse." Sho's cold words stopped him in his tracks. "I ruined your business and you god damn know why. That isn't intel I needed from Shinji, trash."
"Well, this is getting away from the point." Take re-centered the group. "Who is it?"
Sho growled. "Don't say it! If they intend to say who they are anyways, why rush it!?"
Aya held her tongue. "I'm afraid she might… Well, with what Naoya texted us, I'm afraid that… I mean, Honoka kills criminals. Wouldn't Kotoko count?"
"Shinji would never allow it!" Sho stressed.
Narutoya rebuked him. "If Shinji can't prevent information from getting out, how could he predict our actions?"
"He can't." Kicho added with a sly grin. "That's why he relied on a volunteer, after all."
"Piss off!"
"If you had been forthright and told us what bad blood there was between us all, we might have just gone home. Instead you left this powder keg on a stand to blow. If you know of Nobunaga's crimes, you know damn well what he did to ME!" Her sudden anger shut Sho up. "We deserve to know what could very well end our lives! I won't associate with serial killers for the sake of some TITLE!"
"It's Honoka!" Aya shouted out. "Okay!? She… She killed them. Ryuu's partner, the counselor from Shiori's school… Kojiro's crook chief."
Michi stepped forward. "No, my calculations can't… They can't be wrong."
Kei raised his hand. "What I have not heard this entire time…is why I should care."
"That bitch… I trusted her!" Maria kicked one of the desks so hard it broke. "I ain't havin' this! First the school hires a murderer; then they let some dirty pig take the fall for PR? I'm tearin' this bitch down."
Akira put a hand on her shoulder. "Maria…"
Maria gave Akira a firm hand back on her shoulder. "I'm protectin' ya how I see fit. Ya took care of me; it's time I return the favor."
"Maria… You've grown up, huh?"
"My parents were killed. My brother…" Maria resolutely declared. "I won't allow this injustice against us ta stand! Honoka and this damn school will pay!"
Slamming the door behind her, Sho slammed his foot into a desk so hard it splintered. "You stupid fucks! Why can't you leave well enough alone!?"
"I was just doing what I thought was right!" Aya finally took her stand. "I can't lie to my friends!"
"So instead you got someone who trusted you LYNCHED!?" Sho sprinted out of the room, likely to report to Naoya.
Akira held her flask to her lips and took a small swig before hiding it in her jacket pocket. "Okay, well, I'm going to try the opposite. Let's figure out a way to get along, huh?"
"Gonna play truth or dare or somethin' stupid?" Hiro joked.
"Not a bad idea, short stack." Akira walked out after flaunting her slight height advantage, leaving Hiro steaming.
Hiro screamed after her. "At least I can fight!"
"You've never seen her in action." Taka sounded horrified as he thought of something known only to him.
…
*Memo*
If Aya had waited, preparations could have been made. Shinji could have been alerted in time to handle the growing fervor against Lorraine.
Her sin is one of a lack of trust in others and that cost everyone around her dearly. Hopefully her death shows she learned what it means to believe in those around her.
