Chapter 2: Suspicion
When he was sure the door was locked, Keiichirou turned on Shirogane's computer, which he was never allowed to use. He picked up the knife and cut out a slice from the cake he kept in the mini-fridge. A knock on the door startled him, "Keiichirou? Is that you? Unlock the door!" Shirogane yelled. Keiichirou shut off the computer and hid the cake, "in a minute!" He called back. He got the cake back out and finished it, wiping his mouth and opening the door.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!" He said. Shirogane was fully dressed now, he frowned, going straight to his computer and turning it on. Keiichirou left the room and headed down the stairs. Zakuro and Mint came through the door, Mint holding a bouquet of roses. "We picked some roses for the house," she said, handing them to Keiichirou. He handed them to Ichigo, who was now standing in the hall and went to get a vase.
Lettuce began walking down the stairs, book in hand, seemingly absorbed. "Lettuce, pay attention to the stairs or you'll fall." Zakuro said, she then noticed that Lettuce's eyes were flicking between the stairs and her book.
Mint went upstairs, Zakuro went into the living room to watch TV, Ichigo went to her room to call Aoyama and Lettuce went into the woods, leaving her book behind. When Keiichirou returned the flowers lay astray on the table, he arranged them carefully in the rose-print vase.
He drifted up to his bedroom and the door was unlocked. He crept in, but that wasn't necessary since Shirogane was wearing headphones and was clearly watching a video. Keiichirou picked up the knife he'd used for the cake earlier, wiping it gently. He drifted over to Shirogane, tripping clumsily and knocking him unconscious.
He dragged Shirogane off to the spare room and locked him in, "just until he wakes up, he looked so anti-social sitting asleep at his computer desk," Keiichirou muttered to himself, walking away.
The gentle hum of Zakuro's show and Ichigo calling Aoyama drifted throughout the house. Keiichirou went to see what Mint was doing, he knocked on her bedroom door, and, receiving no reply, went in to check on her. A very gentle him could be heard from her walk-in wardrobe, which see insisted on having there. Keiichirou went and turned the handle. Locked. 'Why would Mint lock the door when she was in there? She never changes in there.' Keiichirou thought to himself. He pulled out his pocket-knife and continuously bashed at the door until it gave way.
He ran in and found Mint sitting there, appearing to be in a daze. He smiled.
The next day...
"First Pudding, now Mint." Zakuro sighed, a single tear dripping down her cheeks.
"And this time we don't know how she died." Shirogane complained. Lettuce had even got her head out of her book. "This is starting to freak me out." Ichigo whined.
"I'm gonna double on that." Keiichirou added. "Now we know we're all targets." Ichigo pulled out her phone and started texting Aoyama.
"I think it's best we don't contact anyone who is not resident here." Keiichirou said, snatching Ichigo's phone. "Just to be safe." Zakuro stared intently at Keiichirou.
"We're not safe anyway, it has to be one of us, within this house. The security is insanely secure!" Lettuce pointed out.
"What are you suggesting?" Shirogane asked, narrowing his eyes and glaring at Lettuce. "Nothing!" Lettuce spat back.
"Oh, nothing? You're suggesting it's sweet, innocent Ichigo, or wouldn't-hurt-a-fly-even -if-it-was-evil-Zakuro or always-makes-cakes-for-everyone-Keiichirou, aren't you?" Shirogane was yelling now.
"Hey, hey! Don't start an argument! I know the situation is tense but calm down!" Zakuro said calmly, standing between the two. "Two people! Two people we couldn't save. What are we going to do? It's highly likely none of us will survive this! Why not fucking panic?!" Shirogane screamed.
"Ryou, watch your language!" Keiichirou gasped, stunned.
"Everybody just shut up!" Ichigo yelled. Everyone silenced and stared at her, awestruck. "In any case, panicking is not the answer. Shirogane, shut down your computer and don't turn it back on. Zakuro, unplug the TV. Lettuce, keep reading books. To be extra safe, we won't use electricity for a while." Everyone did as they were told.