Chapter Three: Deadly Pairings
An hour later, the 14 participants filed back into the stuffy room, followed by Ren, Rini, and eventually Kohatio. Keeping their belongings close by, everyone sat in the same spot they had been in an hour ago.
"Now," Kohatio clapped his hands as a signal for everyone to calm down. "We return our attention to the envelope.
"Our dear friend Hatori found this envelope in the dead hand of Akito-sama just last night. This envelope contains the information you need to continue on this adventure. It contains the clues you will need to move on, the directions of the game, and, possibly most important, Akito-sama's will. His will is the directions of the game, the clues, hints, guides, and secrets to success...
"As you know, the object of the game is to find out who murdered Akito-sama. What you don't know is that, just like any other game, there is a prize for the winner."
Another uproar occurred, excluding those who thought this game was a waste of time.
"The prize," Kohatio shuffled a few papers around, "is… liberation of the curse (if it applies to you), the Sohma Estate, and… five million dollars."
Now everybody was interested in participating. Kohatio pulled a red piece of paper out of the envelope with an evil smile on his face. "And now I shall assign your partners."
"PARTNERS?"
Most everyone was surprised and a little upset. They had all been under the impression that they would be working alone.
Kyo sighed in anger. He had already been planning on how he would spend the money.
"Yes, partners. Your partner will be your best friend. You will live with your partner and work as a team. You can only share your thoughts of the game with your partner and your partner only. I will explain more later on.
"Now then… our first pair is… Kyo and Hiro."
"YOU'RE JOKING!" the first pair of partners said as they stood up at the same time.
"I'm not bein' partners with that brat!" Kyo exclaimed. He didn't really care that he was spitting everywhere.
"Surely you read the wrong names or something…?" Hiro suggested. "You don't really expect me to be with him?"
"No, it says right here in Akito-sama's own handwriting. No arguing. Kyo and Hiro, you will be assigned to the first room on the left side of the second floor…"
Hiro glared at the stupid man.
"What can't you think up partners yourself? Why can't we choose our own partners? Why do you need to read them off of a paper? Do you not have a brain? Without that paper, would you be completely lost? Does your whole life revolve around that paper? What if it said you had to kill yourself? Would you listen? Would you—"
"Hiro, stop, before I tell everyone your middle name."
With a grunt, they both gave up trying to argue and sat down again.
"The next pair listed is… Kisa and Kagura, who will be in the room across the hall from Hiro and Kyo."
Kisa was pretty much happy with being Kagura's partner, but couldn't help being a little disappointed. She had wanted to be with Hiro, Haru, or Onee-chan. She gave Kagura a weak smile, which Kagura returned unwillingly. Kagura had wanted to be with Kyo.
"Next up is… Shigure and Momiji, in the room next to the kitchen."
Shigure gave Momitchi-chan a high five and Momiji smiled the biggest smile he could. He was thinking about how fun the next few weeks would be. Being partnered with someone as great as Shigure and being assigned next to the kitchen! It was almost too good to be true!
"Well then… the next pair is Hatsuharu—"
Haru's face lit up. Rin hadn't been picked yet. He crossed his fingers furtively, thinking over and over Rin… Rin… Rin…!
"—and Ri—"
Haru felt himself smile.
"—tsu. Hatsuharu and Ritsu in the first room of the first floor hallway."
Haru's face fell miserably and he uncrossed his fingers. "GOMENASAI!" Ritsu shrieked. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I was chosen to be your partner! This must be the worst day of your—"
"Please be quiet, Ritsu," Kohatio commanded before Hatsuharu could agree that yes, it was the worst day of his life.
"In the room across from where I will be staying, the room closest to the stairs on the first floor, Isuzu and Yuki."
"WHAT?" Rin screeched. Yuki was also slightly upset, but too nervous to say anything. The room closest to the first floor stair case… that was 'his room'. The room with no electricity and the black walls. The room Akito was killed in.
Yuki swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
"What did I say, Isuzu? No arguing."
Hatori looked around at the other three remaining: Ayame, Kureno, and Tohru. He could tolerate being partnered with Tohru, or even Ayame, but surely not Kureno. There was just something about Kureno that gave Hatori the creeps. He was also worried for Tohru's sake. If she was paired with Kureno, there was no telling what would happen.
"Next to Kagura and Kisa's room, we'll have Ayame and… Hatori, meaning Tohru and Kureno will be in the room at the end of the second floor hall."
"NO!" Hatori, Yuki, Kyo, and Ayame shouted, all afraid of what Kureno might do to her, all except for Aya, who just wanted to deepen the bond between him and his brother and had forgotten that Yuki was already called. Hatori and Kyo had already narrowed Kureno down as the murderer.
Tohru, in opposition, looked frightened, but also somehow looked like she had been… expecting the news.
"Is there a… problem?" Kohatio asked, raising his exceedingly large eyebrows.
"Um, I'll be Kureno's partner, and Ayame can be with Tohru…" Hatori suggested as Yuki and Kyo silently fumed.
"My apologies, but what's written down is what goes. Surely you wouldn't want to flout your God's wishes?"
Hatori gritted his teeth back and forth to keep from ripping the overly large mustache off of Kohatio's face.
"Now that that's over, you will head off to your rooms. Tomorrow morning you will be given your first clue, and other information. Off to bed, all of you! I bid you good night!"
The 14 individuals, or 7 pairs, stood up and gathered their belongings. Yawning, they trudged out of the meeting room and went their separate ways to their temporary bedrooms in their most ominous temporary home.
-+-
"Where the hell is the light switch?"
Rin's temper had gone up even more by the time she and Yuki got to their room. Every little thing made her angrier and irritated.
"There… There's never been electricity in this room, Rin. I thought you knew that," Yuki responded almost calmly as Rin threw her pack onto the floor. It skidded across the span of the room and landed meticulously right next to the wall.
"And why would I know that? Why would you know that?" she demanded, but it dawned on her only after she saw the expression on Yuki's somewhat ashamed face shining from the light in the hallway. Feeling slightly embarrassed, she muttered something about going to find candles and charged out of the room.
Yuki stepped inside and closed the door inattentively, dropping his own pack and cursing Akito with all of his weak heart. Yuki had promised himself he would never return to this place as long as he lived, but once again, Akito had screwed everything up… Even when he was dead.
Why do we have to subsist like this? Why do we have to do everything he says, even in inscription, when he's not even around anymore to chastise us if we don't?
Yuki couldn't help but decided that—somehow—she had a hand in this. She would do everything she could to make sure his life was hell…
Although it was nearly pitch black in the room, Yuki could still see outlines as the moon reflected the snow through the window. Of course, there weren't many outlines to see: just the wooden floorboards, a nailed-in-the-wall candleholder, the old, musty window curtains, and he and Rin's packs. Nothing else. No beds, no dressers, no sign that existence was possible in this torture chamber. But there also was that door, the one he had never opened. Not the door to the hallway, but a mysterious door he had never before had the courage to open. Slowly, he neared the door and reached for the handle…
"Candles!" Rin grumbled, kicking the door open using her high heels with a armful of large candles.
"Alright," Yuki said in a droning voice, slightly snapping back into reality as he watched an additional person file into the room behind the horse, carrying a battery powered lantern and two sleeping bags.
"This room… brings back memories, doesn't it?" Rini Sohma sneered, throwing the sleeping bags on the floor and shoving the lantern into Yuki's hands while trying to look pleasant. "They might have beds for you by tomorrow, but I don't guarantee it so don't get your hopes up. My room's down the hall… but you won't be needing me, will you?"
Yuki shook his head and his mother left without a good bye.
"They better have frickin' beds for us by tomorrow…" Rin grumbled, taking her shirt off as she spoke to change her clothes.
"Uh… Rin… I…" Yuki started, turning away in an attempt to give her privacy.
"Oh get over yourself," she snapped, pulling a pair of sweat pants on. "You're so retarded…"
Yuki, who was getting more and more uncomfortable by the second, placed the lantern between their two sleeping bags and crawled into his own without changing. "Goodnight, Rin," he said after a while, but Rin was already asleep. Trying to ignoring his fear and, even more, the cold, Yuki forced himself into sleep also.
-+-
"So who do you think the murderer is?"
Kyo looked at Hiro angrily as he sat down on the bed in the middle of the room. "I'm not telling you!" Kyo snapped, but only sounded angry because Hiro had gotten the bed by the window. He had wanted the bed by the window…
"We're on a team baka neko!" Hiro retaliated. "It's not like you'd be cheating if you told me your suspicions."
Kyo sighed and turned the bedroom light off. "Kureno," he told the little brat, laying down on the bed and pulling the comforter over him.
"Yeah," Hiro agreed, doing the same. "I thought either him or Hatori."
"Why Hatori?"
"Well, I mean, Hatori found the body and the envelope, didn't he? He was the first one to find out."
"But he was bringing medicine for—"
"I think that's all talk, I mean it's a great cover! And what about Kureno, eh? I actually kind of feel bad for Tohru. Did she tell you why she was late to the meeting thing?"
"No… why? Do you know?"
"Yeah. I heard her telling Kisa on the way upstairs. Turns out Kureno held her up in the hallway for a chat."
"About what?"
"Well… I don't know that part. She wouldn't say. I just think… we should probably keep an eye on Tohru, huh?"
"…yeah. 'Night, kid."
"'Night, baka neko."
-+-
"To make this work, you're going to do everything I say. You'll know what I'm talking about in a minute… but let me just say… that I know who murdered Akito, and they will not be very happy about this little meeting, especially since you're here. All I'm saying is to be very careful. Never go anywhere by yourself, and obey my every command. By the time this 'game' is over, someone else may be killed."
"Why… why are you only telling me this?"
"I'm telling you to try to protect you, okay? There's some strange stuff in this house. You're the most vulnerable person here. Just trust me. Now, go…"