Special thanks to MikoGalatea, the beta reader of my story and who really help me and my basics English.
Chapter 5
In the control room, Shiori sat on a chair with Mari on her knee, comforting the little girl while she cried on Shiori's shoulder.
Mari had told her about how she used to be Tsuwabuki's best friend. How, when they were little, he promised to marry her. How he changed when he met Nanami. How one day, when she wanted to know where Tsuwabuki was, she got her answer from a student who saw him and Nanami entering the building. And how when she was in that building, everything suddenly burnt.
Shiori was sad that a young girl died in such a way. She immediately believde Mari when she told her how horrible Nanami was. For the teenager, all was clear: Nanami was a witch who brainwashed an innocent boy, and only Mari deserved him.
''Mari, I swear I'll do everything I can to get you together with this boy.''
''What can we do?''
''I don't know... but I am curious... How did the fire start?''
''I have no idea, but I'd like to know as well.''
Shiori then had an idea.
xx
Shiori went to a room annexed to the control room that was labeled ''archive''. It was a large room with a machine that bore some resemblence to an old computer from the fifties. All Shiori had to do was type a date and a place on the machine. Mari helped her, although she didn't completely understand. When it was finished, a videocasette came out of the machine.
''With this, we'll see how that happened!'' Shiori indicated.
''Ah?'' Mari had never seen a videocasette before.
They returned to the control room, and Shiori put the videocassette in a VHS player. On the television, they could see Nanami burning down her bedroom while Tsuwabuki was sleeping in the bed.
''NANAMI!'' Mari yelled.
''That girl is Nanami? Why did she burn down the building?''
''Because she's a bitch! Now I have proof to show to Tsuwabuki. She probably wanted to kill him, and she got killed by accident!''
''What a monster!'' Shiori commented.
Shiori rewound the videocassette before taking it out and giving it to Mari.
''Thanks for your help! Do you want to come with me?''
''No... I want to go find someone.''
Now that Mari's problem seemed to have been resolved, Shiori wanted to find Kozue and talk with her. She truly missed her new friend, and she hoped Kozue would forgive her. So while Mari went away, Shiori tried looking for her friend with the television screens.
xx
Kozue was unconscious on a bed. Someone looked at her with a smile.
''Now the next part will start,'' that person thought.
xx
Ruka was in his apartment. Despite the fact that he was now considered to be Kanae fiancée, they still didn't share a room because Kanae wasn't ready, and eveything Kanae wanted, Ruka agreed to. ''It is normal after all,'' thought Ruka.
Ruka was writing at his desk about what he planned to do in the next week in the fencing club when he suddenly heard a voice behind him.
''Hello, Ruka.''
Ruka turned his head to see a woman unknown to him. She looked a bit masculine and seemed too old to be a student.
''You could had knocked. Are you a new teacher?''
''I am Sanjouin Chigusa. I am not really new. I've been here since almost the beginning.''
Ruka was about to ask what she meant by that, but then he noticed something.
''How do you know my name?''
''I've known it ever since my magic ball showed me you.''
Ruka laughed. He thought she was joking.
''Magic ball... Are you a witch?''
''Maybe... I can read people's souls, and yours was special.''
Ruka felt uncomfortable. He wanted to tell the woman to get out, but he couldn't; there was something preventing him from doing so.
''I see you and your lover Kanae have a good relationship... But that is normal for someone like you.''
''What do you mean?''
Sanjouin smiled.
''Ruka, do you remember how you arrived here?''
''Of course! I walked to the academy.''
''Why?''
''I had heard about Kanae's misery and I wanted to make her happy.''
''And how did you learn about it? What did you do before this? How was your childood? How are your parents? Your family?''
Ruka thought about all those questions, and strangely, he didn't have any answers. He knew nothing about himself before he arrived at Ohtori to make Kanae happy. He tried his best to remember at least one important detail, but he found nothing.
''I... I don't know... How is that...''
''You are not human.''
''W... What...''
''You see, Ohtori Kanae was so upset by the death of her prince... so sad... so miserable... that she wanted a new prince. She hoped so much, each day... that you were 'born'.''
''I... don't understand...''
''You are a living fantasm. The perfect prince who only exists to make your princess happy. Everything she wants, you want too.''
Ruka tried to find an argument against what she said, but he couldn't. He knew that was the truth. He wasn't really human, but worse than that, he didn't really have freedom. He was a puppet; someone who only existed to make someone else happy.
Ruka freaked out. Furious, he threw every object he could find on his desk to the floor. But that didn't make him feel any better. He bowed his head and tried his best not to cry. Sanjouin petted his hair.
''I know how you feel. I want to help you.''
''H... how?''
''You are a prince, aren't you? Well, I am your good fairy. I could use my magic to make you a normal human, but sadly, my powers are limited because of an evil witch.''
''There's... an evil witch here?''
''Yes. She is disguised as a normal student, so you wouldn't know she is a witch. You have to defeat her so I can get all my powers back. But don't kill her. She just need to be humiliated.''
Ruka was so desperate that he believed everything she said.
''Tell me who this witch is!''
xx
Tsuwabuki had convinced Nanami to come out of her bedroom and go outside with him. When they walked out into the corridor, however, they met familiar figures.
Tsuwabuki pointed them out. ''Hey, Nanami, there's your friends!''
When Nanami saw then, she feels guilty that they died because of her, even if they disliked her.
''So you died in the fire too?'' asked Keiko, who didn't really seem sad about Nanami.
''Who is that boy?'' asked Yuuko.
Tsuwabuki was in his teenage form, so she didn't recognize him.
''I'm Tsuwabuki Mitsuru!''
''The little boy?'' Aiko asked. ''How is that possible?''
Before Tsuwabuki could answer, a voice came from behind him.
''Tsuwabuki!'' Mari said.
He turned his head and was annoyed to see Mari again.
''Mari, stop following me! Look, I'm an adult now! With an adult girlfriend!''
''Will you still think that after you find out what your 'adult' girlfriend did?''
Mari showed the videocassette.
''What is that?'' asked the boy.
''Here's something that will prove Nanami is evil! Follow me and we will see the truth.''
Tsuwabuki was tired of Mari insulting Nanami, and now that he was older than her, he slapped her. The young girl fell to the ground. Tsuwabuki then took the cassette and broke it in his hands.
''Don't know how that thing works, but I bet you can't use it anymore.''
''Jerk!'' Mari cried. ''You couldn't see her true colors? She deliberately caused that fire!''
Nanami reacted badly and was now completely afraid. Even without proof, it was clear on her face that she did what Mari accused her of. Keiko understood it quickly.
''Nanami... it is true, isn't it?'' Keiko frowned.
''I... I... I... can... can... explain...''
''BITCH! DO YOU KNOW HOW WE SUFFERED IN THAT FIRE?!'' Keiko yelled.
Keiko pulled Nanami's hair, making the blonde girl cry out.
''Interesting! A ghost can still suffer!'' Keiko said.
''Even we should find out how much a ghost can take!'' Aiko said.
''She deserves it, after all!'' Yuuko said.
Tsuwabuki was confused. How could Nanami have burned down the building? But then he remembered that everything Nanami did was right, so he reasoned that she must have had a good reason to do it! And he didn't want his sweet, innocent princess being bullied by obviously evil witches.
''Don't touch her!''the boy shouted.
He punched Keiko in the face and threw her on to the other two girls. He took Nanami by the hand, and they ran away.
Mari watched it all without being able to do anything. She placed her hand on her cheek, where Tsuwabuki had slapped her. It hurt a lot. Tears formed in her eyes.
''Idiot...'' she whispered.
xx
Meanwhile, Shiori searched for Kozue everywhere inside and outside of the school. For a reason she didn't understand, she couldn't find Kozue with the televisions. Shiori was afraid that somehow, Kozue had succeeded in going away from Ohtori.
She decided to move from the control room and search for Kozue by herself.
''Kozue! Kozue!'' Shiori cried in the corridor.
Shiori quickly annoyed everyone; not only did she shout the name of her friend every five seconds, but she also went in every room of the academy. And it really was every room.
''Sorry, did you see my friend Kozue?'' Shiori asked one group of boys.
''A girl!'' yelled one of the boys.
''What is your problem?'' Shiori frowned. ''I just asked one question!''
Shiori either didn't realize she was in the boy's locker room, or she didn't care.
''This is embarassing! I'm shirtless!''
''I'm naked!''
''Go away!''
Shiori walked away, furious.
''They aren't very cooperative!'' she complained.
xx
Unbeknownst to her, her behavior made her get the attention of Kaido. When he heard that she absolutely wanted to find a friend, he found it interesting that someone else had the same goal as him.
It was easy for him to find her. She was in the hall and she asked the same question to everyone. He get the impression he had seen her before, but he didn't remember where.
''Excuse me.'' Kaido said to Shiori. ''I know you want to look for a girl...''
''Do you know where she is?'' Shiori asked hopefully.
''No... in fact, I don't even remember her name...''
''Kaoru Kozue! And mine is Takatsuki Shiori!''
''Good, huh... I spoke to you because I also happen to have a similar goal. You see, I'm here because I want to find a friend of mine. And she's female, too.''
''Oh, that's interesting! We could help each other! Tell me her name.''
''Her name is...''
''I FOUND YOU, WITCH!''
An angry Ruka suddenly appeared in the hall with his sword in his hand. When he advanced in her direction, Shiori realized he was talking about her.
''W... What is he doing?'' asked the girl, afraid.
