After speaking to Maki for a while longer, we went our separate ways. It's hard to tell with Maki, but I think I'm getting closer to her. I feel more confident saying we're friends now compared to a few days ago at least. I pulled out my Monopad as I walked back into the library. Still plenty of time left to use before the day ends. And with no one else to bother me, I can get back to reading. I grabbed the book I had before Kokichi pulled me out of the library and sat down at the table inside the library. I put on my headphones and turned on some relaxing music and started reading. Aaah~. This is nice. I don't get to relax with a good book nowadays with the killing game. So it's nice to just take it slow today. Lord knows I need it today more than ever with how bad things are looking here in the Ultimate Academy, but let's not think about that right now. Let's just enjoy this book.
After reading for a few hours, I managed to finish the entire book. It was hefty, but it was a surprisingly fun read. The author's really something. Toko Fukawa, I think her name was. I wonder what could have inspired her to write such a beautiful story about overcoming pain, sorrow, and one-sided love. It probably was based on something she saw or experienced. If that's the case, I hope not everything in that story was based on reality. That serial killer persona was too creepy for me. I closed the book and took off my headphones, taking a deep breath as I did. I then went up to get another book, only to jump from surprise when I saw who else was in the library now. Kaede was sitting across from me, deep in her own trance while reading a book of her own. And, to no one's surprise, it was a book about music. I stifled a chuckle as I moved towards Kaede and tapped her shoulder, making the girl jump in her skin as she turned to me. "I never expected to see you reading here." I told her with a small laugh.
"O-Oh, Rin. You scared me."
"I should be saying that. I didn't even know you were here until now."
"Yeah, you had your headphones on. I came by to ask if you wanted to hang out, but you were busy reading, so I thought maybe I'd read something too, and I sort of got engrossed in this book." She said sheepishly.
"Yeah. A book about pianos and music." I chuckled. "So, do you still want to hang out? We can stay here and keep reading if you'd like."
"No, it's fine. I've just finished this book anyway." Kaede said as she got up and put the book away. "I also have an idea of what we can do!"
"Oh really? What's that?"
"This!" Kaede cheered as she pulled out a deck of Uno cards. "We were talking about hobbies we need to get into, and playing a card game seems like a fun hobby." I chuckled at Kaede's enthusiasm and nodded.
"Sure. Sounds fun."
"Then let's go to the game room and get started." With that, I followed Kaede out of the library and walked over to the game room. We sat down at one of the tables and began our little game. Uno is a card game that has a lot of luck involved, so you would think winning wouldn't be so easy. However, it didn't take long to realize Kaede might have a lot of trouble when playing. "Blue 9." She said as she laid down one of her cards.
"Oh no. A blue 9. My only weakness." I said jokingly as I drew a card. "Just kidding. Reverse cards within reverse cards await you Kaede."
"What?!"
"Reverse blue!" I exclaimed as I placed down the card. "Now, reverse green and reverse red! But that's not all! Plus 2, baby! That means I have Uno!"
"Not so fast! I also have a plus 2!" Kaede said as she placed down another plus two. I smirked as I laid down my last card. "What!? Another plus 2!?"
"Wow. That's the third game I've won in the past 30 minutes." I said as Kaede let her head droop at the third loss she had to suffer.
"How are you so good at this game? It's supposed to be luck based…" Kaede moaned.
"I guess I'm just lucky. Or perhaps it's skill." I chuckled. "Still, I'm having fun. Want to play again?"
"Of course! I won't stop until I win at least one game!" Kaede exclaimed as I shuffled the cards and dealt them out. And so, the game began again, though this game seemed a bit more tense then the others.
"Alright. It's your turn." I said as I placed a red 5.
"I know, I'm thinking." Kaede mumbled as she put a hand on her mouth as she looked at her cards. Her eyes darted to each of her cards with hesitant glances before they landed on me. I returned a small smile before her eyes went back to her cards and she nervously placed down one of them. "Okay, it's your turn. Take your time."
"Oh don't worry. It won't take too long." I said as I looked at my cards. Hmmm… Do I place my skip down over her red 3 now, or should I do something else? I racked my brain with analytics as I thought about the best course of action for me. I found myself looking up at my opponent like she did with me earlier. The pianist was giving me a grimace, not looking forward to what my next move might be. I couldn't help but smirk when I saw it. "Alright, let's go with this." I said with confidence as I placed down a card.
"Whew...it's just a red 1." Kaede gave a sigh of relief. She then took another card and laid it down, causing me to smirk even more.
"You've activated my trap card." I jokingly said as I placed a plus 4 down. "I'll change it to yellow. Since your turn is skipped, I play this yellow reverse, and then this green reverse, which means I now have uno. And to finish it off, I'll place this wild card." Kaede could only stare blankly at what just happened, staring at the placed down cards and then switching to me before looking back at the cards. Eventually, she set down her cards with a groan as she placed her head in her crossed arms that were now resting on the table.
"Hoooow…?" She asked in a defeated tone. "How are you so lucky?"
"It's less so about luck and more about tactics." I told her. "Sometimes, I try to keep special cards like reverses and wild cards so I can use them in these opportunities. So I draw instead of playing them sometimes, but when I get a chance, I'm able to do stuff like that." Kaede groaned even louder when I explained my strategy for the game, causing me to laugh lightly.
"Well, I'm glad you're having fun with this. That accounts for something." Kaede said as she sat up again. "It is fun, even if you brutally destroy me in the game."
"Well, you got close to winning a few times. You're certainly luckier than me. You kept getting really good cards."
"Still lost 4 times though." Kaede told me.
"But that doesn't mean you aren't a challenging opponent." I responded. This was nice. Just talking with one of my friends, messing around and playing a silly game. It makes me feel like I'm a kid again. That's when something strange happened. I blinked, and suddenly, I wasn't in the game room anymore. I was in a different kind of game room, one that looked more cleaned up with actual proper equipment that wasn't broken like the one in the Ultimate Academy. There was also a soft rocking around me, one that gave me familiar feelings of concern, yet also feelings of relief and nostalgia.
"Your move, Rin." I turned around at the voice and saw a girl with blonde hair and green eyes in a grey and turquoise dress. Asuka.
"Yeah yeah, I'm thinking." I replied as I looked at the cards in my hand.
"You look confident." Asuka told me with a sly grin. "Are you sure you can win this time?"
"I always win." I told her as I placed down my card. The singer only gave me another smile at that.
"Don't think that means you'll win this time!" She claimed as our game continued. Yeah, those were good memories. Just acting our age and enjoying a simple, stupid game, despite everything going on around us. In those small moments, reality didn't seem to matter as much. We were just two friends, enjoying the other's company. A luxury we wouldn't get too often during that time in our lives.
...I miss her.
"Rin?" I'm snapped out of my daze as I turn back to Kaede.
"Sorry. I was just...reminiscing, I guess." I told her while rubbing the back of my neck. "It just...happens at random sometimes."
"You remembered something? What was it?" Kaede asked me.
"It was...a nice memory. It was small, but it was nice. It was just me playing a game with an old friend." I told her with a soft smile.
"...Do you remember who that friend is?" Kaede asked me, her voice and expression showing a bit of her curiosity.
"Yeah. You saw her before, when Tsumugi was...cosplaying as her. Her name is Asuka Wada. She was the Ultimate Singer."
"Oh, I remember her. She looked like an idol." Kaede nodded. "Umm, I hope you don't mind me asking, but do you remember anything about her?"
"A little. I've only remembered small things, but I guess there are things I remember about her." I answered. "Do you want to know?"
"If you don't mind. I would like to hear what you remember about your old friends." Kaede told me with an attentive look.
"Well, Asuka was a sweet girl from what little I've remembered of her. She was caring, kind, and she was well liked by a lot of people. She was confident in her skills, but sometimes her confidence faltered after she made a mistake, even small ones. She was mostly optimistic though, and she could bring a group of people together easily. She was a fun person to be with." I smirked as I turned to Kaede. "She was a bit like you, now that I think about it. You two would probably get along."
"You think so?"
"Yeah. Once we get out of here, I should introduce the two of you. Maybe you can perform together."
"That sounds like fun. I haven't done a performance with another Ultimate before." Kaede said with a smile. I held back a sad expression after I gave the suggestion. It would be nice if I knew if she was still… I bit my lower lip at the dreadful thought. I wish I knew, or am I wrong in that thought? Do I really want to know? I can't tell sometimes. I shook the doubt away. No, I told myself already. I'll believe in the best until I see otherwise. I'll have hope until it's completely off the table. That video might have given me some hope and then crushed it, but it didn't get rid of all my hope. "I'm glad you're remembering more about your past. Maybe you'll remember all of it soon." Kaede told me in a happy voice.
"Oh I don't know about that." I chuckled. "Would be nice though. It would mean another mystery of this killing game would be solved. I can see the headlines now. 'Rin Wakuri, backstory and character analysis'. " Kaede and I chuckled a bit at that.
"Well, I for one would love to learn more about you."
"Well, if I remember something definitive, you'll be the first to know." I told her.
"Right." She nodded. We continued to talk for a while before Kaede seemed to remember something. "Oh right! Have you heard, Rin?"
"Hmm? Heard what?"
"Himiko is going to try to perform her magic show today."
"Really?"
"Yeah. She was disappointed that she wasn't able to do anything before… Miu's body was discovered, and since everything is set up already, she's going to try to perform the show today. Want to check it out?"
"Sure. Sounds like fun." I nodded. "And I feel a bit better coming to the show now that it's been a day since the Insect Meet and Greet. Don't have to worry as much about making people upset by being there."
"Geez… You worry too much about these things." Kaede said as we made our way to the gym. When we arrived, we saw that most people were there at the moment. Himiko and Angie were finishing last minute stuff for the show, mainly checking the water tank and equipment there to see if they're still good from yesterday. Meanwhile, Tenko, Shuichi, Ryoma, Keebo, and Gonta were sitting in their seats and waiting for the show to begin. Hmm...not everyone's here. Kaito, Maki, Kokichi, and Rantaro aren't here. Perhaps they'll come later.
"Oh, Rin! Kaede! Welcome to our magic show! Whaddaya think? Isn't it divine!?" Angie asked us in an excited voice. She seems really pumped up for this, despite not being the one performing.
"It is impressive. I can't believe you guys set this up." I said as I gazed at their work. They had made a large stage in the gym that was behind the huge water tank they moved here. On the side of the water tank was a fancy red curtain that was to be spread out to hide the tank from view, and above everything was a smaller tank filled with water and...something else I can't really make out. There was also a timer above the tank as well, and there were many decorations hanging from the ceiling above us. "Production is a team effort, I guess."
"Yep yep! This would have been impossible with just me and Himiko. The others were a big help!" Angie nodded. "Everyone is so nice… Atua deserves all the credit."
"Shouldn't everyone who helped set things up get the credit?" Kaede asked with a disappointed look.
"Anyway, just sit tight. Once we're done preparing, we'll start right away." Angie told us, ignoring Kaede's question as she did.
"You need help with that? I'm not sure how helpful I'd be, but I'd like to help if I can." I said.
"Well, it's not really something you can help with, I think. The star of the show still needs to settle her nerves." Angie answered as she gestured to where Himiko was. When we turned to look at her, Himiko was shaking like never before. It just took one look to know that she was pretty terrified. Kaede and I gave each other a nervous look as we walked over to the shaking magician to make sure she was okay.
"Hey, Himiko. You okay?" I asked her.
"Y-Y-Y-Yeah! J-J-Just fine! N-Not nervous at all!" Himiko told me, still shaking as she did. "W-Well, maybe just a little. C-Cuz...the magic I'll be performing today is the Extreme Water Magic: The Underwater Escape Act. I-I've...never successfully cast it before."
"You never succeeded?" Kaede asked.
"It's pretty difficult. That's why I'm nervous." Himiko responded. "A-And...today...in order to raise the stakes…" Himiko slowly lifted her finger to the timer on the tank. "There's a time limit. If I don't escape from the tank within the time limit, piranhas will be dropped in… I'll be pureed."
"W-Wait, what!? Piranhas!?" I shouted in terror. My head shot up to look at the second tanking hanging from the ceiling. It's still too cloudy to tell, but I do see movement. So it's filled with piranhas, though they don't look like normal piranhas. "Kaede, did you know about this!?"
"N-No! There wasn't a piranha tank yesterday. Or at least, Angie and Himiko didn't get that far in their preparations." Kaede told me. "Where did you even get thoses?"
"Those piranhas...were in my research lab. Angie said we should use them for the show." Himiko answered Kaede.
"But isn't this a bit too dangerous? Surely you can reconsider." Kaede asked.
"Yeah, I'm not too sure about this either." I added as I looked at the group that was waiting in their seats. A couple of them had similar expressions of concern as well, mainly Shuichi, who had his usual worried 'in-deep-thought' expression, and Tenko, who was impatiently tapping her foot as her gaze kept darting from Himiko to the piranha tank. Out of everyone, Tenko definitely looked the most worried.
"Th-There's no need to worry. I'll instantly kill all the piranhas...with my magic." Himiko told us.
"I thought this was a simple escape act…" I muttered. "Are you really sure about this? The piranhas were Angie's idea, but this is your magic show. You don't have to use them if it makes you uncomfortable. With tricks like these, it's important that you are in a good state of mind before doing the trick." Himiko turned to me and gave me a nervous, hesitant nod.
"There's...no way I can stop now. Since Atua's watching the show and all." Himiko told me. I sighed as I bent down and gave her a serious look.
"I can't say anything about Atua or whatnot, but I believe in you and your magical talent. If you're really sure about this, then I'll wish you the best of luck. Just make sure you're safe. For your sake, and for the other's sake. Tenko would have a heart attack if you got even a scratch from this." I told the little magician. "For her sake, please make sure you don't get hurt."
"I...I will." Himiko nodded as she pulled her hat further down on her head. "I'm a skilled young girl...cause I'm a mage… Nothing bad will happen… I won't get hurt… Cause...everyone is watching, and they need this." I was about to ask about that last part when the gym doors opened.
"Sorry for being late. Just had to bring someone with me." Kaito said as he gave everyone a smirk. Maki, who was beside him, only huffed at what he said.
"You wouldn't stop harassing me again. This was the only choice I had." Maki grumbled.
"Hey, don't be like that. It'll be fun!" Kaito told her with a grin. Maki didn't say anything as she moved to take a seat in the back row.
"We're here too." Rantaro greeted us with his casual smile. Kokichi was right behind him and started giggling as he entered the gym.
"Nee-heehee… You all better make this worth my time. I'm a very busy evil supreme leader, so I don't usually attend small events like this, but I've made an exception today." Kokichi claimed with a cocky smirk. "C'mon, Himiko! Show us what you can do!" Despite his claim, Kokichi had stars in his eyes as he cheered Himiko on. Still a little kid at heart, I guess, even if he can switch to a serious threat in a brief moment.
"Everyone is here! How wonderful! We should begin the show now!" Angie said.
"R-Right." Himiko nodded. She psyched herself up one more time before heading up the stage and moving in front of the water tank. Kaede and I took our seats and we all began to watch the show.
"Thank you, Atua, for being with us today." Angie said with a lovely smile.
"Boo! Boooooooo! You're supposed to thank us first!" Tenko shouted angrily.
"Nyahaha! I present to you the mysterious, the miraculous, the amazing Himiko!" Angie shouted as she gestured to the still-nervous Himiko.
"N-Nyeh… Th-The magic I will perform today is the Extreme Water Magic…" Himiko stated with slight fear in her voice. "U-U-Underwater...Escape Act…"
"If you would please turn your attention to the water tank in front of you!" Angie told us as she moved in front of the water tank. "When the timer above the stage starts, Himiko will enter the water tank. Once she's in the tank, her assistant-me!-will draw the curtain in front of the tank. After 60 seconds have passed on the timer, a separate, suspended tank will open and drop in a school of piranhas! Oh my goodness!" Angie said as she pressed her cheeks together. "After the piranhas have fallen, and the curtain is opened, if, by some miracle, Himiko has been gobbled up, please give a big round of applause!"
"That's not very reassuring!" I shouted.
"I think she meant 'when Himiko has successfully escaped', right?" Rantaro asked. Himiko just gave an even more nervous expression before Angie started laughing.
"Juuuust kidding! It's a joke!" Angie told us with a smile, though no one was laughing, least of all Himiko. Now I was more than a bit concerned. I was half tempted to put an end to this right now, but...I didn't want to waste everyone's efforts and Himiko's courage. So I sat put a little longer, watching everything in front of me with a discerning eye.
"Gonta worry… Gonta have bad feeling…" Gonta mumbled.
"Me too, big guy." I nodded.
"It'll be fine, right? Himiko wouldn't be doing this unless she knew she could do it, right?" Kaito said.
"Ughhh…" Tenko groaned nervously before bringing her hands together in a prayer. "Atua…! Please protect Himi-" Tenko then stopped, realizing what she was doing. "Wait, what am I doing praying to Atua!? That's Angie's schtick!"
"You could pray to some other god if that's the only thing you're worried about." Kaede told her with a nervous smile.
"Nyeeeh… Well then, let's begin… The Amazing Himiko's Magic Show!" Himiko said with a more determined expression and her typical high-pitched voice. As soon as she made her announcement, the timer was set and started. She took a deep breath, and then she dove into the water tank. With a loud splash, she was completely submerged in the water of the tank.
"Okay! I'm closing the curtain!" Angie shouted as she moved the curtain in front of the tank, obscuring our view of what was inside it. And so we waited. Only ten seconds passed before I started tapping my feet and fingers nervously as I eyed the tank. Himiko hadn't just simply climbed out. Of course, that would ruin the trick since we'd all see her. Still, it was nerve wracking not knowing exactly what was happening. It's never pleasant, not knowing things. It's why I could never watch one of Yuuki's escape acts without panicking even a little. Even if I know it's a trick, the fact that I don't know how it works makes me nervous to no end. Another 10 seconds passed, and we were even more nervous. Well, everyone except Angie and Kokichi, who were all just smiling as they usually do.
"Himiko is still not out…" Tenko mumbled.
"It's only been 20 seconds, but it feels like it's been longer." Ryoma noted. Another 10 seconds passed. Tensions were high now as there was still no sign of Himiko.
"W-Well, do you think she's alright?" Tenko asked us, fear now apparent in her voice.
"Uhh… Gonta starting to worry. Should we do something?" Gonta asked.
"No way. That'd ruin the whole show!" Kokichi shouted.
"Be quiet and wait. She's fine." Maki muttered as she crossed her arms. Another 10 seconds, and still no Himiko.
"Sh-She still hasn't come out! Are you sure she's okay!?" Tenko yelled.
"Sh-She's fine, I'm sure." Kaito tried to sound reassuring, but his own nervousness was showing in his tone.
"G-Gonta can't take it anymore!" Gonta shouted as he stood up and ran up the stage.
"W-Wait a minute Gonta!" Rantaro tried to stop him, but it was too late. The mountain man was already on the stage before any of us could react. Angie pouted and threw her arms up in an upset manner.
"Aw, you can't do that! We're still in the middle of the show!" She shouted.
"B-But...if Gonta do nothing, Himiko get eaten by piranhas-!" Gonta said as he looked down, but when he did that, he stopped in his tracks, confusion now painted on his face. "...Huh?"
"Um… Less than ten seconds remain…" Keebo mentioned as he pointed to the timer.
"Okay, now I'm really worried. We should do something now! Before the piranha tank opens up!" Kaede shouted as we all got up from our seats.
"Himikooooooooo!" Tenko shouted, but it was too late. The timer hit zero, and a buzzer went off. And as soon as that happened, the bottom of the suspended tank swung open, and the murky water and shadowy shapes inside fell straight into the water tank.
"Huh? Huhhh?" Gonta exclaimed in confusion as he gazed down at the inside of the tank.
"Look! The piranhas!" Keebo shouted. Now almost all of us, except for the two already mentioned, were in a panic as we rushed towards the water tank.
"H-Hurry! The curtains! Open the curtains already!" Tenko shouted desperately as she ran towards the tank.
"Got it. I'm opening it now!" Angie shouted as she pulled back the curtains. But as soon as she did, the whole world around me changed.
BAM!
I blinked at the sudden change, but that didn't stop my eyes from widening in an all too familiar shock. The magic trick...something had happened. The escape trick...it's not supposed to be like this, right? No, that's an obvious answer. Why? Why did this happen for a third time!? We just wanted a break from the pain and sorrow! Why couldn't we have that? Nothing could stop my fear from surging inside me as I looked at the magic show stage. From the stage ceiling, something had fallen with a heavy slam as soon as the curtains were opened. All I could do was stare at what had fallen. Who...had fallen. It wasn't supposed to be like this… It couldn't have been. On the floor, in a straight jacket that was tied to some rope, was the body of-
"Behold! The magnificent Underwater Escape Act!"
"Huh!?" I nearly fell backwards as Himiko appeared right in front of us. I was completely and utterly dumbfounded. What happened to that large stage? Where is everyone? What happened to-
"Himiko!" I turned to face the source of the loud voice as I saw Tenko nearly tackle Himiko, bringing her into a tight hug.
"H-Hey! This was simple for a powerful mage like me." Himiko said as she tried to get out of Tenko's hug. After failing to do so, however, Himiko just accepted it, a small smile showing on her face. Everyone started clapping after that, the trick now over. I blinked a few times in confusion as I looked around at everything again. The stage was gone. Well, the other stage was gone, replaced by the water tank and the stage for Himiko's show. The dark stage with the spotlight shining down on the body… It was all gone. It was never there. I'm still in the Ultimate Academy with Kaede and the others, not… I had to take a few steps back and sat back down on a chair as I put my face in my hands, taking deep breaths all the while.
"Hey Rin. You okay?" Kaede asked as she moved over to me discreetly.
"Yeah...just...I don't know." I told her. "This magic show… It reminds me of…" I bit my lips before shaking my head. "I-I'm just not good with this kind of stress."
"Is that really what happened?" She asked me quietly.
"I…" I sighed before answering her. "I thought someone died. But everything's fine. No one's dead." I rubbed my hands down my face before standing back up. "I'm fine now. Don't have to worry about me. Just uneasy nerves and paranoia. The usual stuff, you know."
"You sure?" Kaede asked me.
"Yeah. Thanks." I responded before I took a deep breath, pulling myself back together. The others didn't seem to be paying much attention to me, focusing on Himiko and her trick.
"You're completely dry! How did you do that?" Kaito asked in an intrigued voice.
"It's magic! I told you all before. I'm a mage." Himiko answered with a proud look. She says that, but I noticed something about her that was a little strange. It's very hard to notice since Himiko has short hair and that big witch hat covering her head, but the parts of her hair that are visual seem to be glistening in the light. They look slightly damp. Her hair is still a little wet? But she looks relatively dry. I looked back at the water tank with a curious look. Kaito is right to point that out. If she had just escaped the tank, she would be soaked, but it's only a bit of her hair that's wet. Even her clothes are dry. Could she have escaped soon after she jumped into the tank? But how? Did she purposefully wait until the end of the timer to reveal herself for extra drama, or was that how long it took her to completely dry off to make it look truly magical? I turned back to Himiko, who was talking to the others with the happiest smile I've seen on her. I couldn't help but smile too at that. Who cares? I might be extremely curious about how the trick was performed, but if I figured it out, then it wouldn't be magical anymore. It's like what Yuuki told me that one time. 'Don't ruin the magic for people just because you figured out how the trick is done'.
"Anyway, you all should sit back down. There's still more where that came from." Himiko told us.
"More?" Shuichi asked. At that, the gym doors burst open, and Angie, who I didn't even know had left, came in while pushing a table with other magic related stuff on it.
"Of course! It's not a real magic show if there's only one performance! That was only the start!" Angie cheered. Everyone's faces lit up at that as we all sat back down and continued to enjoy the magic show. Himiko performed many tricks, some familiar and others completely different from anything I've seen before, but the whole time, everyone was having fun. This special moment between us all was really something we all needed. A break in the terror and suffering. We got to act like kids again, like normal people just living our lives. For that brief moment during the show, we all had forgotten our situation. At that moment, we were truly happy. Despite not being able to remember a lot of things about my own life, this moment, I was sure, would be one of the most cherished that I now had.
