Never before in my entire life had I been as stressed out as I was during July's exam week.
The case wasn't going anywhere; we had absolutely no leads. The last thing I needed was the stress of exams to add to my mounting frustration. Nevertheless, I did my best to study diligently.
The exams were hard, but I was confident in my knowledge. I managed to come away with an exceptionally high score, which was certainly more than could be said of Kanji and Rise. I didn't blame them, though. Neither of them were adapted to the "high school scene".
With everything that had been going on lately, I was grateful that my friends were here to support me. Somehow, they managed to make me forget about the problems that constantly loomed over me. It was just as well, because Mitsuo had not shown up at all since that night after Morooka's death. Even if he were here, he definitely wouldn't be the person to talk to about murder.
I was relieved that exams were over, and summer vacation was almost here. It would certainly give us more time to get to the bottom of the murder case. It was important that we solve the mystery as fast as possible. However, before we could do anything, we would have to wait for the next victim to appear.
Monday night, I raided the refrigerator for anything that caught my eye. Looking thoroughly, I found a cup of barley tea, most likely left there by Dojima. Throwing caution to the wind, I drank it, only to find that what was in that cup was definitely not barley tea. Nonetheless, it was delicious, so I quickly downed the stuff. Feeling tired, I decided to retire for the night.
I was in the process of making my futon when I noticed the soft pitter-patter of rain. Through my fatigue, I tried to recall what that meant. Rain...I knew rain meant something.
...
Of course. Rain signified that I should check the Midnight channel for the next victim.
I walked over to the couch and grabbed the TV remote. Not bothering to sit down, I pressed the button to turn on the TV.
At first, there was nothing but static. However, the image slowly became clearer on the screen. The person in the image was...
...
No way...
Mitsuo's image was displayed vividly on the screen. He had his back to the wall. The area surrounding him seemed to be made of...Legos, or something like that. It reminded me of the games he always talked about. He remained silent for a good while before finally opening his mouth to speak.
"You all think you can see me...?"
I could definitely see him. That question seemed somewhat redundant.
"You all think you know everything about me...?"
What was he trying to say?
Another moment of silence. In that moment, it seemed that his image was staring directly at me. That stare seemed somehow...pleading. It vanished quickly, though.
Suddenly, a small smile appeared on his face.
"...Then try and catch me."
The image faded back into static. I stared blankly at the screen.
...What did that mean?
What was he even doing in there? I knew that no normal person could go inside the TV. That meant he either had to be a victim, or...
No.
I refused to believe it.
My thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of my cell phone. Upon answering it, I heard Yosuke's voice on the other end.
"Hey, did you see that?"
I did see it.
"Who was that guy? I don't know him..."
It occurred to me that I had never really talked about Mitsuo around the others. All they saw of him were the comics that I had shown them.
"He looked really gloomy...like a zombie..."
I couldn't deny that. I had seen him looking sad before, but this was different. He looked as if he had given up on everything. He almost looked...suicidal.
I heard Teddie in the background. Yosuke relinquished the phone to him.
I listened as Teddie explained the situation to me. Apparently, the Midnight Channel was showing the suppressed emotions of the people who were trapped inside.
...Were those really Mitsuo's suppressed emotions?
Had he really given up on life?
Teddie wanted to know what our course of action should be. I didn't know what to tell him. I wanted to go in there and find out what was going on right then and there, but prior experience had taught me that being so rash wasn't in anyone's best interest.
"We need to come up with a plan first."
"Gotcha! I knew I could count on you, Sensei!" Teddie's cheerful response made me feel a little better. It was good that he could be so optimistic about this whole situation. One of us had to be, and it certainly wasn't going to be me.
I talked with Yosuke again before hanging up. Chie called almost immediately afterward, and I recapped the conversation to her. She agreed that we should get to the bottom of the case, after which she headed off to bed. I figured I might as well try to get some sleep as well. I returned to my futon and settled down in it. In the silence of my room, I let out a sigh.
What had I gotten myself into?