"Mr. Kunikida! The next exam is this upcoming Thursday, right?" Miyazawa Kenji asks brightly.

Without looking up from his work, Kunikida nods briskly.

"Er, are you all right, Mr. Kunikida? You shouldn't overwork yourself."

Kunikida tenses a little at his student's question, but he does look up momentarily from his work.

"Don't worry, Kenji," he soothes with a practiced air that has the boy relaxing immediately. "It's written in my notebook that I should tackle at least seventy five percent of my work at school so I won't be too overwhelmed at home."

Satisfied, the young boy bows his head in thanks and makes for the door.

As Kenji leaves, Kunikida feels his stern demeanor vanishing as he rests his special grading pen upon the front cover of one his binders as he thinks about the dark notebook he had recovered just yesterday. The notebook itself isn't the problem; it's the implications. There is just something alluring about the idea of writing someone's name down and then having that person...die.

If a person were to utilize the notebook, would they still feel like they're killing someone? Would it still be considered murder if one isn't there to witness the death?

Would one feel guilt?

Kunikida shakes his head at those thoughts. Why should he kill? Murder, save for in self-defense, should never be considered as an option.

But the idea remains.

And his thoughts continue to stew around in his brain.