Well hello! Here is a new chapter of Azure Redi-fanfiction. I start planning the next chapter. See you in the next chapter.
Shizuka, and Ran were walking in the forest with backpacks on their backs. They were on their way to Sonoko's family's mountain villa to spend a relaxing weekend there.
There were dark clouds in the sky.
"Hey...That's weird. Sonoko's family's mountain villa should be right here", Ran said reading the map she got from Sonoko earlier.
"Hey, could it be that we're lost?" Shizuka asked.
"Oops! No, not at all!" Ran said embarrassed. "W-We're just taking the scenic route".
"So we're lost after all", Shizuka thought. "The next time we walk in the forest, I'll read the map".
Finally, the girls stopped in front of a suspension bridge in front of a gorge, on the other side of which was a large, 3-story mountain villa of Sonoko's family, which looked a bit like a mansion. On the 2nd floor of the villa, there was a balcony that looked like a large veranda.
"We did it!" Ran said pointing to Sonoko's family villa. "Look Irene-chan, there it is! Hey, there's someone walking over there. I wonder if he's going to the villa too".
On the suspension bridge walked a tall man wearing a brown top hat and a dark purple robe with black shoes on his feet. When the man stopped, he turned to look at the girls, and his face was completely bandaged with white bandages, and only his black eyes were visible.
The girls were startled by the man, who then took off running across the bridge towards the forest behind the Sonoko family's villa, eventually disappearing from sight.
"Kind of a scary guy. Better be careful if there's even a guy like that around here", Shizuka said.
"Y-yeah", Ran said.
The girls walked towards the front doors of the mountain villa, which were double doors.
"You girls are late! What are you doing?" Sonoko asked after opening the front doors of another villa.
"Sorry, Sonoko!" Ran said.
"I'm having trouble inviting you and Irene-chan to my family's villa, and you two are showing up late!" Sonoko said. "When you consider the strangers here, it's harder to find love!"
"Find love?" Ran asked.
"Are there others here?" Shizuka asked.
"Yes. They are my big sister's friends. My big sister organized a reunion of her old film club members here for this weekend", Sonoko said.
"So your big sister is here", Shizuka said.
"Exactly, and we came here to meet some fine men!" Sonoko said. "And then we have a dreamy romance with them surrounded by nature! One of them is chubby, another is a guy who likes video cameras, and the third is really gorgeous".
"Sonoko won't change then", Shizuka thought:
"Are all your sister's friends here male?"
"Of course not, because there is a famous woman here. Come in". Sonoko said, leading the girls inside the mountain villa, and closed the door behind them.
"I hope the storm isn't approaching", Shizuka said looking out the window of the mountain villa as the clouds in the sky seemed to be getting darker and darker all the time. "Because if a storm approaches, we might not be able to take photos here".
Sonoko nodded like Ran.
"Where is that man you mentioned earlier?" Ran asked Sonoko, putting the slippers on her feet like Shizuka.
"What do you mean?" Sonoko asked. "My older sister's friends are now in their rooms resting after a long journey".
"When we came here, we saw a rather scary man walking on the bridge in front of this mountain villa. Did any of your sister's friends say they saw such a man when they came here?" Ran asked.
"Yeah. He had bandages tied in front of his face", Shizuka said.
"Tying bandages in front of his face? Nope. None of my sister's friends have yet mentioned seeing a man like that when they came here", Sonoko said.
"Then it's really better to be careful of a man like that", Ran said.
"Well there are locks on the doors and windows of this mountain villa. You have to share a common room on the second floor", Sonoko said pointing to the second floor of the mountain villa.
"Okay!" The girls said to go to the floor Sonoko mentioned to find their room.
"What? There are lots of rooms on the second floor!" Ran said walking forward up the mountain of another mountain with Shizuka following Ran. "Where is it? Where is our room?"
Ran opened one of the doors to see a tall man with short hair who was currently putting on a shirt. Ran blushed in embarrassment, and quickly closed the door:
"Sorry! It was my mistake!"
Ran then opened the other door to see a man wearing glasses putting on a sweater.
"Aah!" The man shouted in embarrassment.
"Sorry!" Ran shouted closing the door. He opened the third door again to see a single man smoking a cigarette, wearing no clothes and with long hair. "Aaaah!"
Ran closed the door again.
"Ran-san, you should knock on the door before you open it. That way you'd avoid embarrassing situations like that", Shizuka said.
"I guess you're right", Ran said. Then she opened one door again to see an empty room with 2 beds:
"Here's a spare room".
(Later)
Everyone was sitting at the table in the dining room of the mountain villa.
"I see. So you were all in the same film club when you were in college?" Ran asked.
"Yeah, and they were all in the same filmmaking club when my sister was a college student", Sonoko said. "These five were good friends back then, but it's been two years since they last saw each other. Umm, I'll start the introductions next to you, Ran. He's Oota Masaru-san, who used to play the lead roles often".
Masaru was a tall man with long black hair. He had a white suit, a green shirt, and gray shoes. Oota was a 24-year-old man who smoked cigarettes:
"Night".
"That's the same man that Ran saw earlier, when that man wasn't wearing any clothes at all", Shizuka thought after noticing the matter in question. "Is Sonoko in love with Oota-san? Of course Oota-san is handsome, but his looks pale in comparison to Kaito-kun's".
"Next, I'll introduce him. That cameraman is Hiroki Sumiya. He was in charge of filming the film club," Sonoko said looking at the man holding the video camera.
Hiroki was a man of medium height with short, black hair and a bit of bangs. He was wearing a brown jacket, a blue T-shirt, gray jeans and black shoes. He was 25 years old:
"Hey".
"He's Takahashi Ryoichi. Takahashi-san was in charge of making the props for the movies the film club shot", Sonoko said.
Ryoichi was a short, fat-looking man with messy, short, black hair. He was wearing a light blue blouse, a green undershirt, dark blue pants, and slippers. He wore glasses. He was 25 years old. His skin was fair, and his eyes were black:
"N-nice to meet you".
"I-I'm sorry I didn't knock before I opened the doors to your rooms when I was looking for our own room earlier!" Ran said.
"It's okay", Ryoichi and Sumiya said.
"Didn't you knock on the doors of their rooms when you opened the doors of those rooms?" Sonoko asked.
"I don't. Could we not talk about it since it's a little embarrassing?" Ran asked.
"Next is my sister, who was in charge of make-up and costumes at the film club. She's also looking for a man!" Sonoko said looking at Ayako.
Ayako was 24 years old. His skin was pale. His eyes were blue. Ayako was of medium height with long, brown hair that she had tied into a ponytail with a pink hair band. She was wearing a pink suit, a white undershirt, and green slippers:
"Well, well!"
"The last one is Ikeda Chikako-san, who was the director, screenwriter and director of the film club", Sonoko said.
A 24-year-old woman was sitting at the table. The woman was of medium height and had short, straight, brown hair. She was wearing a purple shirt, a white skirt, and green slippers. She had a purple necklace around her neck, and crystal-shaped, pale earrings in her ears:
"Nice to meet you".
"Are you the same Ikeda Chikako-san who wrote the 'Ao okoku'-movie currently in theaters?" Ran asked.
"Of course. He wrote that script as a student, and it made him a star, didn't it?" Ayako asked Chikako.
"Stop presenting those old stories!" Chikako said.
"I heard there's talk of another movie, the one you wrote", Oota said.
"Well, Ikeda-sensei, do you want to say something to your fans?" Hiroki asked standing up, filming Chikako with his video camera.
"Stop it, Sumiya-kun!" Chikako said.
"Sumiya's love for the camera has not changed at all", Oota said.
"Yeah, I just can't give it up!" Sumiya said, then shot Takakashi. "But Takahashi, did you gain weight again?"
"I must have gained a hundred pounds", Takahashi said, touching his stomach with his right hand.
"You don't fit in the movie", Sumiya said.
"Heh heh! I knew it!" Takahashi said.
"Heh heh! Being with you all makes me remember all the good times in college", Ayako said but then looked sad. "Atsuko...Atsuko would have probably wanted to come to this meeting".
The other members of the film club were nervous about what Ayako had just said.
"Atsuko?" Ran asked.
"Was there even a woman named Atsuko in their film club?" Shizuka wondered curiously after seeing the reactions of Ayako's friends when Ayako had just mentioned Atsuko's name.
Dhak! Chikako angrily slammed her palm against the surface of the table, and then stood up:
"Don't talk about Atsuko!"
"Chikako", Ayako said.
"I took time out of my busy schedule just to come here to relax", Chikako sat back down as she noticed the others looking at Chikako curiously. "Don't talk about a person who died two years ago".
"Why doesn't Chikako-san want to talk about Atsuko? Did they maybe have some kind of fight 2 years ago and never reconciled?" Shizuka thought. "I'll ask Ayako-san about Atsuko later, just to be sure, because "Chikako-san clearly wants to avoid talking about Atsuko".
"I'm sorry", Ayako said.
"Hmph! Famous people must think differently than us common people", Oota said.
"What?!" Chikako asked.
"Stop that", Ayako said standing up. "I'm going to make dinner, so behave yourself until then".
"Is the storm approaching?" Shizuka asked looking out the window of that hall to see that the clouds in the sky were now even darker.
"No way! Then I'll finish repairing the roof!" Takahashi said standing up. "The weather report said that it will rain tonight".
"Okay", Ayako said. "Sorry for the trouble, Takahashi-kun. Be careful!"
"Yeah", Takahashi said from the dining room.
"Let's leave this job to Takahashi because he's used to making props for movies", Sumiya said. "Well then why don't the rest of us play cards?"
"Yeah, let's play!" Sonoko said.
"Hey, where are you going Chikako?" Sumiya asked as Chikako left the dining room.
"For a walk. I'm going for a walk", Chikako said.
"Wait, Chikako!" Sumiya followed Chikako. "Didn't Takahashi say it was going to rain today? Hey, Chikako!"
After a while it really started to rain.
"I'm sure it's going to rain hard", Ran said standing with Shizuka in front of the dining room window. "Because of the rain, we can't enjoy the fact that the leaves of the trees are now changing colors".
"Hey, hey, Ran!" Sonoko said walking next to Rani and Shizuka. "Don't you think Oota-san is really cool? He's so cool and handsome! He's like totally my type!"
"Really?" Ran asked.
"Oh yeah. You clearly only have Araide-sensei on your mind", Sonoko said, surprising Rani. "Too bad Araide-sensei couldn't come here!"
"Stop it!" Ran shouted, blushing.
"Looks like I was right about my suspicions about Sonoko", Shizuka thought.
"Girls, what was your first impression of Chikako-san? I think Chikako-san seems a bit arrogant".
"Chikako has always been a bit arrogant. Never mind that arrogant snob", Oota said walking in front of the girls.
"Sorry for talking about your friend like that just now", Shizuka said.
"It's okay. Some people don't like Chikako because of her arrogant nature. The success of Chikako's Ao okoko movie has clearly gone to Chikako's head, making her even more arrogant", Oota said looking at Rani. "Hey, you. Wanna go for a walk with me?"
"I would!" Sonoko said, but Oota walked past Shizuka, and Sonoko, still looking at Ran.
"Aren't you doing anything now?" Oota asked Rani.
"B-But it's raining outside", Ran said.
"Hmph! Walking in the rain is classy", Oota said, leading Ran outside. "Alright, let's go!"
"H-hey!" Ran shouted.
"That man treats me like a wall rose because of Ran! Why do all the good-looking men look at Rani with those eyes just because she's cuter than me?!" Shizuka, and Sonoko thought jealously, though for slightly different reasons.
Shizuka had long been really tired of men treating her like air because of Rani's cute looks. Now Shizuka was angry with Oota because of that matter, even though Shizuka wasn't even interested in Oota.
Sonoko's jealousy towards Ran, on the other hand, was due to Sonoko being interested in Oota.
Oota walked with Ran under an umbrella after they left the mountain villa with Shizuka and Sonoko following them wearing another umbrella.
"I can't believe this, Ran", Sonoko said. "Ranhan only looks at Araide-sensei with that eye!"
"Ran is a real man cuff! I'm definitely not giving Kaito-kun to Ran!" Shizuka thought.
"I'll get my revenge on Ran by taking Araide-sensei away from Ran!" Sonoko said angrily.
"Remember Araide-sensei's age!" Shizuka thought.
"So you like a doctor named Araide Tomoaki?" Oota asked Rani.
"Yeah", Ran said after telling Oota about that.
"But Araide-sensei doesn't notice you because you're younger than him, and he still thinks you're a child?" Oota said. "Forget that doctor, and rather choose a man who is clearly interested in you. Like me, for example".
Oota stopped with Ran and next Oota tried to kiss Rani.
"H-hey!" Ran was surprised, as was Shizuka, and Sonoko.
Zhah! Lightning roared, startling Rani.
"Storm!" Ran shouted starting to run forward.
"Hey! Tch!" Oota said.
"I guess you were right about the storm", Sonoko said to Shizuka as they ran past Oota, following Ran to make sure Ran didn't get lost in the forest again.
"True. Let's find Ran-san, and quickly return to your family's villa!" Shizuka said.
"Yeeeeek!" Ran's scream was heard in the forest and the girls ran to where Ran was to see the masked man who had been on the bridge earlier standing in front of Ran and that said man had just slammed the ax he was holding in his right hand into the ground.
Ran fell to the ground in shock as the man pulled his ax blade from the ground. "Ran-san, that's the same man we saw earlier when we came here!" Shizuka shouted as she recognized the man.
"The same man?!" Sonoko asked.
"That man used to walk on the suspension bridge in front of your family's villa when we came to your family's villa!" Shizuka shouted.
The masked man fled into the forest, running towards the Suzuki family's villa.
(Later)
"A man masked with gauze?" Ayako asked after hearing the girls' explanation after they returned to the Suzuki family's villa.
"Yes! He just tried to attack Ran with an axe!" Sonoko said. "That man ran away when we arrived at the crime scene!"
"Are you serious?" Sumiya asked.
"Yes! Didn't you see that man, Oota-san?" Sonoko asked. "Oota-san, you were also in the forest back then, just like us, Chikako-san, and Sumiya-san".
"No, I didn't see that man", Oota said after looking at Chikako, and Sumiya. "I started looking for Ran-chan after she ran away after being startled by lightning".
"We didn't see that man, did we, Chikako?" Saumiya asked.
"We?" Chikako asked. "How would I know? You left suddenly".
"It started to rain, so I came to get an umbrella", Sumiya said.
"Or was it that you ran away because you were afraid of the thunder", Chikako smiled cockily.
"Chi-Chikako!" Sumiya got angry.
"What?" Chikako asked.
"Stop it", Ayako said to Sumiya, and Chikako.
"The argument led to those two breaking up when they were dating(The reason I came up with for Chikako and Sumiyama's breakup.)", Oota said.
"Hey, sister, did you see that guy?" Sonoko asked. "He ran towards this villa after running away from the place where he tried to attack Ran".
"No, I have no idea", Ayako said. "Did you see him, Takahashi-kun?"
"I was on the roof fixing the roof and I don't think he came here. But I saw a creepy guy by the rope bridge when I got to that bridge when I first came here", Takahashi said. "I couldn't see his face very well, but he was wearing a dark cloak and a hood".
"Sounds like the same guy who attacked me just now, doesn't it girls?" Ran asked Shizuka, and Sonoko.
Shizuka, and Sonoko nodded.
"I saw that guy too when I first came here", Oota said.
"I saw him too", Sumiya said. "But I thought he just lived here".
"That's not possible!" Ayako said. "After crossing the bridge there are two or three villas, but on this side the closest villa to the bridge is on the other side of the mountain".
"Then who is that man?!" Oota asked.
"Y-anyway, let's call the police!" Sumiya said.
"Y-yeah", Ayako went to call the police as the others followed her to the room where the phone was.
(Later)
"What? The phone isn't working?" Oota asked.
"But it worked earlier this afternoon!" Ayako said holding the phone receiver in her hands. "Maybe lightning hit the phone line earlier".
"I-I think it's him!" Takahashi shouted looking out the window. "That bound man cut the phone line! He...He...Aaaaaa!"
"Hey, Takahashi!" Wait, like Shizuka, Oota and Sumiya followed Takahashi, who ran out of the villa screaming in fear. "Wait!"
"Aaaah!" Takahashi yelled, stopping in front of the suspension bridge to see that the bridge had collapsed.
"What's going on? What's wrong?" Sumiya asked, stopping with Shizuka, and Oota next to Takahashi. "The bridge is broken!"
"Now we might need a helicopter to get back to Tokyo, as moving around in the forest is now extremely dangerous in case we run into that bound man", Shizuka said.
"What's wrong?" Ayako asked as she came to the front of the bridge.
"The bridge is broken", Sumiya said.
"Huh?!" Ayako worried.
"The bridge probably fell because it was so old", Oota said.
"No! I don't think that's the reason the bridge was destroyed", Shizuka said as she saw the ax marks on the bridge's support pillar. "Judging by the traces of the abutment of this bridge, someone destroyed this bridge with an ax by cutting the ropes of the bridge from this abutment".
"They really do look like the marks of an ax blade", Sumiya said looking at the buttress.
"But who did this?" Ayako asked.
"I-It was him! That bound man did this!" Takahashi shouted.
"I see. The bound man destroyed this bridge to make sure we stay here. I guess he doesn't like us because he went to such lengths to prevent us from leaving here. Ayako-san, does your family have some enemies?" Shizuka asked.
"Undeniably, the business world is very competitive", Ayako said.
"Stay calm!" Chikako shouted. "A bound man? That's ridiculous! Attacking a girl in the woods, cutting a phone line, taking out a bridge. It was all just so he could have fun watching us cower in fear. Being scared now would be exactly what he wants us to do".
Chikako returned to the villa.
"Chikako", Ayako said returning with the others to the villa.
"Anyway it's already dark so we have no choice but to wait overnight and head back to Tokyo in the morning", Ayako said as she followed Chikakoa to the upper floor of the villa.
"Also, the bound man everyone is so worried about might still be lurking for us in the forest", Chikako said to the stove handle in her room.
Ayako nodded.
Then Chikako saw a small piece of paper under the door of her room:
"Huh?" Chikako picked up the paper, and read the text written on it, after which she was shocked.
"What's wrong?" Ayako asked.
"I'm going to bed early. I suddenly started to get tired. I don't need dinner", Chikako went to her room, opening and closing the door behind her.
"Chikako", Ayako worried.
(Later)
"It stopped raining", Shizuka said as she helped Sonoko, Ran, and Ayako prepare dinner in the villa's kitchen. Shizuka had just looked out the window, and noticed that the rain had stopped.
"I'm sorry I made you guys help me make dinner, Ran-chan, and Irene-chan!" Ayako said placing the warm pot of soup on the table.
"Don't worry. I always do this at home", Ran said.
"Don't worry", Shizuka said.
"What a reunion this has become", Ayako said. "Everyone is acting so cold now".
"It's because you talked about it", Sonoko said to Ayako.
"You mean Atsuko-san you talked about earlier? Did Atsuko-san and Chikako-san maybe have some kind of fight and they never reconciled, which is why Chikako-san doesn't want to talk to Atsuko-san now?" Shizuka asked. "Ayako-san, I got the impression from Chikako-san's previous talks that something happened to Atsuko-san two years ago".
"I don't think this is the time to talk about it, Irene-chan", Ran said.
"Atsuko committed suicide", Ayako said. "Two years ago...he was a member of my filmmaking crew. But one day he hanged himself in his room. Besides, none of us got together anymore, even though we were such good friends. So I invited everyone here since it's been so long since we last met, so don't ask about it again , Irene-chan. As far as I know, Chikako and Atsuko didn't have any quarrel before Atsuko committed suicide".
"Alright. Can I ask you one more question about Atsuko-san? Ayako-san, what kind of relationship did Atsuko-san you mentioned earlier have with you and the other members of your film crew?" Shizuka asked.
"Tokumoto Atsuko was a person who was afraid to face things, and wanted to run away from problems rather than continue with them. Atsuko was also a kind person. Takahashi-kun was in love with Atsuko," Ayako said, showing the others Atsuko's picture:
"Atsuko-san looked like this".
Atsuko was a woman of medium height with short, black hair. He dressed in the typical uniform of the University of Filmography, which consisted of: Jacket, shirt, tie, skirt, shoes, and socks. He wore glasses. He had fair skin and blue eyes. He was 23 years old.
"Thank you", Shizuka said.
"Please", Ayako said.
Then the girls took the dinner to the dining room, and set the dining table.
"I'm hungry", Oota said as he entered the dining room with Sumiya, who was using his camera, where the girls were currently bringing food.
"Hey, where's Chikako?" Sumiya asked.
"He said he was tired so he went to sleep", Ayako said. Ayako then looked at Takahashi who was climbing the ladder down from the roof of the villa on the balcony of the villa. "Takahashi-kun, dinner is ready!"
"I'm just here for a minute!" Takahashi shouted.
"Well? Did you fix the roof?" Ayako asked.
"Yeah, just now", Takahashi said, walking from the balcony to the upper level of the villa's dining room.
"Alright, smile!" Sumiya said filming the others with her camera.
"Hurry up and come down, Takahashi! The food is getting cold!" Oota shouted.
"Okay, because I'm on my way there", Takahashi said. Then Takahashi suddenly went to the balcony, and looked out:
"Who are you?!"
"What's wrong?" Oota asked.
"Someone's by the downstairs window!" Takahashi shouted.
"Next to the window?" Sumiya asked looking out the window with the others and they saw a bound man running past the window carrying Chikako into the forest.
Everyone was startled.
"Chikako!" Sumiya shouted opening the dining room window.
"Damn it! It's too dark to tell where they went!" Oota shouted as she ran to the window with the others.
Shizuka took one of the flashlights from a nearby table, and climbed out of the window, lighting the flashlight, and then ran in the direction the bound man had taken Chikako.
"Irene-chan!" Ran yelled worriedly.
"Alright! Let's follow that girl!" Like the others, Oota took the flashlights from a nearby table, and then climbed out of the window with Sumiya, turning on the flashlights. "You other girls lock the door and wait here! Takahashi, hurry up!"
"What?! Me too?" Takahashi asked.
"Of course!" Oota shouted.
Soon the men were running next to Shizuka in the forest, looking for Chikako.
"W-Wait for me!" Takahashi shouted as he ran behind the others with a flashlight in hand.
"Ah!" Shizuka stopped when she saw a bloody leg on the ground that had been severed from her body just below the knee. She was wearing a purple high-heeled shoe:
"It's a woman's leg!"
"Could you could it be Chikako's leg?" Oota asked.
"Aaaah!" Takahashi fell on his back to the ground, and pointed with a flashlight at a bloody hand on the ground:
"Here's a hand!"
The hand was bloody, and it too had been detached from his body.
"What's going on? Everyone spread out and find him!" Oota shouted.
"Chikako!" Chikako!" Sumiya yelled, and took off running to the left. "Chikako, where are you?"
Clack! Sumiya tripped over something but didn't fall to the ground. He stopped, and looked at the ground to see that he had just tripped over Chikako lying on the ground.
"Chikako?" Sumiya asked, bending down and lifting Chikako up:
"Chikako, try to last! Chikako!"
Then Chikako's head fell to the ground, and everyone was startled.
"Aaaah!" Sumiya shouted.
"Someone clearly hated Chikako-san!" Shizuka thought.
(Later)
"What?! Chikako is dead?" Ayako asked Shizuka, and the men who had just returned to the villa and told her that Chikako was dead.
"Yes. The bound man killed Chikako", Sumiya said. "He was already dead when we found him".
"I-It can't be!" Ayako said.
"We came back here from the forest after I put my jacket over Chikako's body", Sumiya said.
"Why would someone have killed Chikako-san?" Ran asked.
"T-this is my fault!" Ayako cried. "This is my fault because I arranged this reunion! I...I!"
"No, Ayako. This is not your fault", Sumiya said. "This is the fault of that bound man! He murdered, and killed Chikako in front of our eyes!"
"W-what if that bound man attacks again?" Sonoko asked.
"Heh! Let's lock the doors and windows and we'll be safe", Oota said. "Chikako might have gone out alone at this time, and that's why she was kidnapped so easily. Let's try to forget about this, and go to sleep".
"Wait and think about your words!" Sumiya said.
"He's right. It's already late", Ayako said.
the group dispersed to lock doors and windows.
"Okay! The front door is now locked", Sonoko said.
"Let's go to our rooms now", Ran said. "Now what, Irene-chan?"
Shizuka pushed the door of the shoe rack open:
"Chikako-san's slippers are not in this shoe rack", Shizuka said.
"His slippers?" Ran asked.
"If Chikako-san had gone out, wouldn't she have left her slippers here, or in her room?" Shizuka asked. "What if Chikako-san didn't go out this season?"
"What do you mean?" Ran asked?"
"What if that bound man broke into Chikako-san's room to kidnap Chikako-san?" Sonoko suggested.
"It can't be like that, Sonoko", Ran said. "Irene-chan, and the men went into the forest to look for Chikako-san, and the rest of us were wearing slippers at the time. When I locked the windows of Chikako-san's room recently, there were no signs of a break-in".
"But", Sonoko said.
"I think the killer somehow lured Chikako-san into the forest", Shizuka said, closing the door to the shoe rack.
"Maybe", Ran said.
"Sonoko-san, is there a back door here?" Shizuka asked.
"T-there's only one back door here", Sonoko said.
"Let's check that too", Shizuka said.
Sonoko led her friend towards the back door of the villa, and put on the ceiling lamp of the back door of the villa:
"That back door is here. Hey! Chikako-san's slippers are here!"
"True. And besides, there are dirt marks on the floor in front of the back door. I see. The killer probably lured Chikakon-san into the forest. Chikako-san didn't want anyone to find out, so she went into the forest through the back door of this villa, leaving her slippers here", Shizuka said. "But how did the murderer lure Chikako-san out of this villa?"
"Well, let's tell the others how Chikako-san went into the forest", Ran said as she and her friends walked away from the back door of the villa, and Sonoko turned off the overhead lights near the back door.
(Later)
Shizuka and Ran were in their room and Ran locked the window while Shizuka sat on her bed.
"Now the room is safe, Irene-chan", Ran said after drawing the curtains in front of the window.
"Alright", Shizuka said.
"Don't worry. I'm ready to use karate against that bound man", Ran said.
"Says the girl who screamed in terror as that bound man attacked said girl in the forest", Shizuka thought.
"Do you know why that bound man tried to attack you a couple of hours ago?" Shizuka asked.
"I don't know", Ran said as she went to lay down on her bed.
"Maybe he's one of your karate opponents whose face you damaged really badly earlier, and now he wants revenge on you", Shizuka suggested as she laid down on her bed.
"I have done no such thing!" Ran said. "Good night".
"Good night", Shizuka said, turning off the ceiling lamp.
"But if the murderer once lured Chikako-san out of this villa, then why did the murderer appear to us in front of the first floor window?" Shizuka thought. "And why did the assassin try to attack Ran earlier?"
Then there was a rustling against the ceiling and the window.
"Outside, I guess it's raining again", Shizuka thought.
Squeal!
"What was that?! Like the door just broke!" Shizuka sat up, and saw the bound man enter Shizuka and Ran's room through their balcony. The man started to approach Rani. "How did the bound man get in?!"
Shizuka then saw the bound man holding an ax, and grabbed the reading lamp on the bedside table, which she quickly threw towards the bound man, hitting the man's hand, causing the ax he was holding to fall to the floor of the room. Clack!
"The bound man is going to kill Ran again!" Shizuka worried:
"Wake up, Ran-san! Wake up! Wake up!"
"Oh yes! Ran sleeps really soundly!" Shizuka took her flashlight from the table and turned it on, causing Shizuka to shine her flashlight on the bound man, seeing through this cloak that the bound man was thin. Shizuka then prepared to scream as loud as she could. "WAKE UP, RAN-SAN!"
Ran woke up, and sat up to see a bound man just picking up his ax from the floor of the room. Ran was startled:
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"Ran, Irene-chan! What's wrong! Open this door, Ran! Irene-chan!" Sonoko shouted from the other side of the door.
The bound man escaped through the balcony, and Shizuka opened the door.
"What happened?!" Sonoko asked.
"The bound man just broke into our room and tried to kill Ran-san again", Shizuka said. "I had to wake up Ran-san, and the bound man just escaped through the balcony. How did he get in, and why did he try to kill Ran-san again?!"