Shogo Kawada(male student no.2,third year class C,second
district,Kobe,Hyogo prefecture)was sitting next to his girlfriend Keiko
Onuki(female student no.17) on the loud,crowded bus that would deliver them
to the Kyoto National Museum.The field trip was partially reward for good
behavior,and partially an educational venture.Shogo glanced at Keiko,
whom was by the window,and smiled.Keiko caught his glance and smiled
back.She was't extremely beautiful,but she wasn't ugly either.To Shogo,she
was the most beautiful girl he had
ever seen.When she smiled,her eyes would twinkle,and dimples would pop up
on each side of her
small,full lips.Her shoulder lenfgth hair,the same length as Shogo's,was
always shiny and smelled
of cherry scented shampoo.
The bus jumped after hitting an uneven patch in the road,causing Yu Song Kyung(male student no.13)to curse in his native Korean.He and his best friend Ming Lei Hwang(male student no.14)were the only Korean students in the class.Not that it really mattered,they spoke fluent Japanese(though they found the Goverment created Idainanihongo much too proper and sterile for their tastes)but it was unusual.Ming laughed at Yu's vulgar outburst,and Yu couldn't help but laugh as well.They have been friends a long time,their whole lives in fact.Both of their families moved to the Republic of Greater East Asia when they were old enough to walk.They have been through alot together.Their's was a bond not to be broken easily.
Shogo leaned over and whispered something into Keiko's ear that made her blush and playfully slug him on the arm.
"That reminds me.",she said."Are you still coming bird watching with me Sunday?"
"I don't know...",Shogo said craftily.
"You promised!",Keiko exclaimed.
"I know,I know.",he replied."I wouldn't miss it for the world."
Keiko said seriously,"Do you still have the bird call I gave you?"
"Of course."He pulled it from his pocket,along with a pack of Wild Seven cigarettes.
"I thought you stopped smoking...",she said,folding her arms across her chest.
Shogo just shrugged and shoved the whistle and the cigs into his pocket.He knew she was only looking out for him,but it kind of bugged him.He was 15,he was old enough to make his own decisions,smoking included.
"Shogo,I..."She sighed quietly."Never mind."
Shogo sighed a little louder than he he meant to."Keiko,listen.If you-"He was cut off by an obnoxiously loud remark,followed by howls of laughter from the back of the bus.
Takashi Matsune(male student no.10)had cracked a joke about Yuki Chiba's(female student no.18)boyish haircut,sending his cronies into raucous laughter.Yuki's face turned a deep crimson,but she said nothing in her own defense.Takashi always had something snide to say about someone.His goons,Ryu Niyama(male student no.6),Emiko Rokuge(male student no.11), and Fusuke Inari(male student no.15)never failed to laugh at Takashi's put downs.
Ms. Norioka,their teacher,reprimanded Takashi and resumed reading a book.Takashi ignored her and resumed joking about others with his friends.The bus suddenly turned off onto the wrong exit.Shogo noticed this and would've told the driver,who was wearing what looked like an oxygen mask,if he didn't feel so tired...He suddenly wantd to sleep,Which by now everyone else was doing.He resisted,but eventually succumbed to the effects of the Nitrous Oxide that was flooding the inside of the bus...
* * *
When Shogo woke up after what could've been hours,he found himself sitting at a desk along with the others in a small,dimly lit classroom.The room looked alot like the one at school, but that was probably beacause everyone was sitting in the seating arrangement identical to the one in Ms.Norioka's class.Shogo was sitting behind Mai Kinyota(female student no.1),a weird chick with hair streaked with blond,blue,and red and large,almond shaped eyes thick with eyeliner.Gothic,that's what she called herself.Mai was just waking up,smudging her eyeliner as she rubbed her eyes groggily.Shog noticed something about her that was a little off.Around her slender neck was a metallic collar.He absently fingered his own neck and found that he was also wearing one.In fact,the entire class bore the indignant restrictions.Being aware of it gave Shogo the unconcious notion that it was choking him.He ignored it and turned to Keiko on the right side of the classroom.She didn't see him looking at her.He was about call out to her,but was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing his throat and the front of the class.
The man standing in front of the chalkboard was about 30 years old,with short hair spiked up youthfully.He wore an expensive looking blue suit and matching suede shoes.He looked around the room at all the students,smiling.
"Wakey,wakey kiddies!",he exclaimed,almost giddily.
The class jerked their attention towards the man almost simultaneously.Scattered murmurs of confusion floated around the classroom.
"Where are we?"
"Damn,this can't be good..."
"Who the hell is he?"
"Anybody got a cellphone?"
"Where's Ms. Norioka?"
"Students!Students,please settle down.",he said,clapping his hands together.The class became silent.
"I am your new instructor,Masakatsu Michimoto."He wrote it on the chalkboard neatly. "And the reason you all are here-ooh,this is exciting-is because your class has been selected for this year's BR program!How lucky you all are!"
The class stared at Michimoto in utter disbelief.It was a joke.It had to be.But nobody was laughing.
*
* *
"Where is Ms.Norioka?!",Kyo Kamaga(male student no.5)demanded,finally breaking the silence.Michimoto chortled rudely.
"Norioka-San was quite averse to your participation in our lovely program,so,in order to maintain her silence,she had to be dealt with.Along with some of your parents,I might add."
Several of the girls started crying.Shogo didn't know what to say.Was he really going to be forced to kill his friends and classmates and...Oh God...Keiko?He would protect her.No matter what the cost.There had to be a way out of this...A loophole.Some method of escape.As if he was reading Shogo's mind,Michimoto spoke up.
"I know that for some of you the prospect of killing your friends might seem a little hard to swallow,and some of you are thinking of trying to escape,but let me assure you.Thanks to the collars you all are wearing,there is no way you can escape.So,your only choice is to fight!Don't worry,though.For some of you,it will be all over soonFor one,and only one,the death of your classmates will have been so that you could enjoy life."
"And how exactly are these collars going to keep us from escaping?",asked Akira Sakanai (male student no.7),a tall,lanky kid with short hair and wire framed glasses.
"Ah,good question.",Michimoto assured."The collars are fitted with explosives built inside.If you try and remove or dismantle them,they will detonate.Also,if you step into a 'forbidden' zone, they will detonate.Huh?Oh.You in the back.What's your question?"
Ryoko Watagawa(female student no.3) lowered her hand.
"W-what are forbidden zones?",she asked tentatively.
Michimoto smiled and turned to the chalkboard.He erased his name.He drew a strange, squarish shape with a tail at the bottom right corner that jutted out slightly.Then,he drew 10 evenly spaced vertical lines and 10 horizontal lines,graphing the shape he drew.He labeled the top horizontal spaces 1-10,and the vertical spaces on the left A-J.
"This is a crude interpretation of the island we're occupying.",he explained."In order to keep the 'game' rolling,certain areas will become 'forbidden'.This is to discourage 'camping'.The time is now 3:37 am.Forbidden zones will be announced in the morning at 6:00 am,the afternoon at 12:00 pm,and the evening at 6:00 pm.Oh,yes.There is a time limit people.3 days.If no one dies within 24 hours of the first day,you all die.If there are more than one of you left after 3 days,the remaining students will die and the game will end with no winner.Simple."
Shogo clenched his jaw so tightly it hurt.
"You don't really expect us to go through with this,do you?",he growled."This is fucking insane!"
"Tsk.Language,Mr.Kawada.",Michimoto clucked."There are ladies present.To answer your querie..."He scratched his head."Yes,I do expect you to participate.Because what a shame it would be to have to kill you in front of your lovely girlfriend,should you refuse."
Shogo would've said more,but decided against it for Keiko's sake.He looked over at her,who was by now sobbing into her hands uncontrollably.He turned his attention back to Michimoto and bared his teeth.I'm going to kill you,you bastard.Just wait...
"Well,I think we've wasted enough time.",Michimoto muttered to his wristwatch."Let's get this party started,huh?"He whistled shrilly.
The classroom door burst open and several special defense soldiers toting large gym bags entered the room.They set the bags down and retrieved more.In all,there were 36 gym bags,all piled neatly next to Michimoto.
"Inside these bags are 3 days worth of food and water,a map,and a weapon.",he explained. He produced a small envelope from his back pocket."I will start calling your names now,beginning with the student's name in this envelope.The order will correspond with your student number,and will go in boy-girl order.There will be two minutes between each name,in order to give each of you a little time to put some space between you.When I call your name,come up here and grab a bag,and get moving.This zone will become forbidden 20 minutes after the last student leaves,so I suggest you get moving.All right,let's see...Oh!What do you know?We're kicking it off with our very own Keiko Onuki!Come on up and get a bag,sweetie.Don't be shy!"
Shogo grimaced.He knew that he would get called a while after Keiko,according to his student number.It wasn't going to be easy to hook back up with her if she ran,which she most certainly would do,as every one would certainly do.He could only pray she would stay safe until he could find her and come up with some kind of way out of this mess.As Keiko proceded up front to receive her supplies,she was shaking so hard she almost couldn't walk.She grabbed her bag without a glance back and booked it out of the school.
36 STUDENTS REMAINING
The bus jumped after hitting an uneven patch in the road,causing Yu Song Kyung(male student no.13)to curse in his native Korean.He and his best friend Ming Lei Hwang(male student no.14)were the only Korean students in the class.Not that it really mattered,they spoke fluent Japanese(though they found the Goverment created Idainanihongo much too proper and sterile for their tastes)but it was unusual.Ming laughed at Yu's vulgar outburst,and Yu couldn't help but laugh as well.They have been friends a long time,their whole lives in fact.Both of their families moved to the Republic of Greater East Asia when they were old enough to walk.They have been through alot together.Their's was a bond not to be broken easily.
Shogo leaned over and whispered something into Keiko's ear that made her blush and playfully slug him on the arm.
"That reminds me.",she said."Are you still coming bird watching with me Sunday?"
"I don't know...",Shogo said craftily.
"You promised!",Keiko exclaimed.
"I know,I know.",he replied."I wouldn't miss it for the world."
Keiko said seriously,"Do you still have the bird call I gave you?"
"Of course."He pulled it from his pocket,along with a pack of Wild Seven cigarettes.
"I thought you stopped smoking...",she said,folding her arms across her chest.
Shogo just shrugged and shoved the whistle and the cigs into his pocket.He knew she was only looking out for him,but it kind of bugged him.He was 15,he was old enough to make his own decisions,smoking included.
"Shogo,I..."She sighed quietly."Never mind."
Shogo sighed a little louder than he he meant to."Keiko,listen.If you-"He was cut off by an obnoxiously loud remark,followed by howls of laughter from the back of the bus.
Takashi Matsune(male student no.10)had cracked a joke about Yuki Chiba's(female student no.18)boyish haircut,sending his cronies into raucous laughter.Yuki's face turned a deep crimson,but she said nothing in her own defense.Takashi always had something snide to say about someone.His goons,Ryu Niyama(male student no.6),Emiko Rokuge(male student no.11), and Fusuke Inari(male student no.15)never failed to laugh at Takashi's put downs.
Ms. Norioka,their teacher,reprimanded Takashi and resumed reading a book.Takashi ignored her and resumed joking about others with his friends.The bus suddenly turned off onto the wrong exit.Shogo noticed this and would've told the driver,who was wearing what looked like an oxygen mask,if he didn't feel so tired...He suddenly wantd to sleep,Which by now everyone else was doing.He resisted,but eventually succumbed to the effects of the Nitrous Oxide that was flooding the inside of the bus...
* * *
When Shogo woke up after what could've been hours,he found himself sitting at a desk along with the others in a small,dimly lit classroom.The room looked alot like the one at school, but that was probably beacause everyone was sitting in the seating arrangement identical to the one in Ms.Norioka's class.Shogo was sitting behind Mai Kinyota(female student no.1),a weird chick with hair streaked with blond,blue,and red and large,almond shaped eyes thick with eyeliner.Gothic,that's what she called herself.Mai was just waking up,smudging her eyeliner as she rubbed her eyes groggily.Shog noticed something about her that was a little off.Around her slender neck was a metallic collar.He absently fingered his own neck and found that he was also wearing one.In fact,the entire class bore the indignant restrictions.Being aware of it gave Shogo the unconcious notion that it was choking him.He ignored it and turned to Keiko on the right side of the classroom.She didn't see him looking at her.He was about call out to her,but was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing his throat and the front of the class.
The man standing in front of the chalkboard was about 30 years old,with short hair spiked up youthfully.He wore an expensive looking blue suit and matching suede shoes.He looked around the room at all the students,smiling.
"Wakey,wakey kiddies!",he exclaimed,almost giddily.
The class jerked their attention towards the man almost simultaneously.Scattered murmurs of confusion floated around the classroom.
"Where are we?"
"Damn,this can't be good..."
"Who the hell is he?"
"Anybody got a cellphone?"
"Where's Ms. Norioka?"
"Students!Students,please settle down.",he said,clapping his hands together.The class became silent.
"I am your new instructor,Masakatsu Michimoto."He wrote it on the chalkboard neatly. "And the reason you all are here-ooh,this is exciting-is because your class has been selected for this year's BR program!How lucky you all are!"
The class stared at Michimoto in utter disbelief.It was a joke.It had to be.But nobody was laughing.
*
* *
"Where is Ms.Norioka?!",Kyo Kamaga(male student no.5)demanded,finally breaking the silence.Michimoto chortled rudely.
"Norioka-San was quite averse to your participation in our lovely program,so,in order to maintain her silence,she had to be dealt with.Along with some of your parents,I might add."
Several of the girls started crying.Shogo didn't know what to say.Was he really going to be forced to kill his friends and classmates and...Oh God...Keiko?He would protect her.No matter what the cost.There had to be a way out of this...A loophole.Some method of escape.As if he was reading Shogo's mind,Michimoto spoke up.
"I know that for some of you the prospect of killing your friends might seem a little hard to swallow,and some of you are thinking of trying to escape,but let me assure you.Thanks to the collars you all are wearing,there is no way you can escape.So,your only choice is to fight!Don't worry,though.For some of you,it will be all over soonFor one,and only one,the death of your classmates will have been so that you could enjoy life."
"And how exactly are these collars going to keep us from escaping?",asked Akira Sakanai (male student no.7),a tall,lanky kid with short hair and wire framed glasses.
"Ah,good question.",Michimoto assured."The collars are fitted with explosives built inside.If you try and remove or dismantle them,they will detonate.Also,if you step into a 'forbidden' zone, they will detonate.Huh?Oh.You in the back.What's your question?"
Ryoko Watagawa(female student no.3) lowered her hand.
"W-what are forbidden zones?",she asked tentatively.
Michimoto smiled and turned to the chalkboard.He erased his name.He drew a strange, squarish shape with a tail at the bottom right corner that jutted out slightly.Then,he drew 10 evenly spaced vertical lines and 10 horizontal lines,graphing the shape he drew.He labeled the top horizontal spaces 1-10,and the vertical spaces on the left A-J.
"This is a crude interpretation of the island we're occupying.",he explained."In order to keep the 'game' rolling,certain areas will become 'forbidden'.This is to discourage 'camping'.The time is now 3:37 am.Forbidden zones will be announced in the morning at 6:00 am,the afternoon at 12:00 pm,and the evening at 6:00 pm.Oh,yes.There is a time limit people.3 days.If no one dies within 24 hours of the first day,you all die.If there are more than one of you left after 3 days,the remaining students will die and the game will end with no winner.Simple."
Shogo clenched his jaw so tightly it hurt.
"You don't really expect us to go through with this,do you?",he growled."This is fucking insane!"
"Tsk.Language,Mr.Kawada.",Michimoto clucked."There are ladies present.To answer your querie..."He scratched his head."Yes,I do expect you to participate.Because what a shame it would be to have to kill you in front of your lovely girlfriend,should you refuse."
Shogo would've said more,but decided against it for Keiko's sake.He looked over at her,who was by now sobbing into her hands uncontrollably.He turned his attention back to Michimoto and bared his teeth.I'm going to kill you,you bastard.Just wait...
"Well,I think we've wasted enough time.",Michimoto muttered to his wristwatch."Let's get this party started,huh?"He whistled shrilly.
The classroom door burst open and several special defense soldiers toting large gym bags entered the room.They set the bags down and retrieved more.In all,there were 36 gym bags,all piled neatly next to Michimoto.
"Inside these bags are 3 days worth of food and water,a map,and a weapon.",he explained. He produced a small envelope from his back pocket."I will start calling your names now,beginning with the student's name in this envelope.The order will correspond with your student number,and will go in boy-girl order.There will be two minutes between each name,in order to give each of you a little time to put some space between you.When I call your name,come up here and grab a bag,and get moving.This zone will become forbidden 20 minutes after the last student leaves,so I suggest you get moving.All right,let's see...Oh!What do you know?We're kicking it off with our very own Keiko Onuki!Come on up and get a bag,sweetie.Don't be shy!"
Shogo grimaced.He knew that he would get called a while after Keiko,according to his student number.It wasn't going to be easy to hook back up with her if she ran,which she most certainly would do,as every one would certainly do.He could only pray she would stay safe until he could find her and come up with some kind of way out of this mess.As Keiko proceded up front to receive her supplies,she was shaking so hard she almost couldn't walk.She grabbed her bag without a glance back and booked it out of the school.
36 STUDENTS REMAINING