Battle Royale

Shogo pulled it out. It was the size and shape of a thick notepad, but it was made of plastic or steel. The cover panel reflected the moonlight. After fiddling around with it, Shogo said, "Ah ha." He moved his body with the object in his hands and then looked down at the cover panel against the moonlight. He nodded and returned it to Hiroki's pocket. Then he thoroughly searched Hiroki down to his pant cuffs. He also checked his day pack and finally announced, "Okay. Sorry about that. You can put your hands down."

Hiroki unlocked his hands and picked up his day pack and stick. The stick appeared to be his weapon.

"Hiroki." Shuya broke into a smile. "Come on in. We have coffee. You want some?"

Hiroki nodded somewhat hesitantly as he went through the entrance. Shogo looked outside and then shut the door.

Hiroki stood still. With his back to the shoe cabinet that was filled with slippers, Shogo stared at Hiroki. The Remington muzzle was pointed down, but Shuya noticed Shogo's finger still on the trigger and felt slightly annoyed. He did his best not to let it get to him, though.

Hiroki looked at Shuya and Noriko again, and then glanced over at Shogo. That was when Shuya realized that Hiroki was troubled not so much by him and Noriko as he was by them hooking up with Shogo.

Shogo addressed the issue. "Shuya, Hiroki seems to want to ask whether it's all right for you guys to be with me."

Hiroki smiled slightly and looked over at Shogo, and said, "No...I just thought it was an odd combination." Still smiling, he continued, "Shuya would never be with you if you were hostile. Shuya can be pretty stupid when it comes to certain things, but he's not that stupid."

Shogo responded with a grin. He still kept his finger on the trigger though. In any case, for now Hiroki and Shogo were finished introducing themselves.

"Ah, come on, Hiroki," Shuya gave him a smile.

Then Noriko said, "Come on in. It's not our house, so I can't apologize for its messiness."

Then Hiroki smiled, but he stayed at the entrance. Shuya supported Noriko with his left hand and then pointed at the hall.

"Come on in. We'll have to get going soon, but we have a little time. We'll throw you a welcoming party."

But Hiroki stood still there. Shuya realized how he'd forgotten to share an important detail. Hiroki might have been appalled Shuya was using the word "party" in this situation.

"Hiroki, we can get out of here. Shogo is going to help us."

Hiroki's eyes widened a little. "Really?"

Shuya nodded. But then Hiroki looked down. Then he looked up again.

"Thing is...," he said and shook his head, "there's something I have to take care of."

"Something?" Shuya knit his brows. "Why don't you first come on in—"

Instead of taking Shuya up on his invitation, he asked, "Have you three been together all this time?"

Shuya thought it over and then shook his head. "No...me and Noriko were. And then..."

Then he remembered what happened this morning. It'd been a while since the image of Tatsumichi Oki's skull split open assaulted him, and once again he felt a chill run down his spine.

"...yeah. A lot of stuff happened, and we ended up joining Shogo."

"I see." Hiroki nodded and then said. "Hey, have you guys seen Kotohiki?"

"Kotohiki?" Shuya repeated. Kayoko Kotohiki (Female Student No. 8)? The one who, in spite of being into tea ceremony, seemed more playful than elegant?

"No..." Shuya shook his head. "We haven't but..." He thought of Shogo and looked over at him, but he also shook his head, saying, "I haven't seen her either."

Of course Kayoko Kotohiki had to be on this island. As long as her name wasn't announced yet in Sakamochi's announcements, she had to be alive. That's right—unless she was killed after 6 p.m.

Once again he realized how he was letting most of his classmates die and felt awful.

"What about Kotohiki?" Noriko asked.

"Oh..." Hiroki shook his head. "It's no big deal. Thanks. Sorry, but I have to get going." He gave Shuya a parting glance and turned to go.

"Hold on, Hiroki!" Shuya stopped him. "Where are you going? I told you we're safe with us, didn't I?"

Hiroki looked back at Shuya. There was a sad look in his eyes, but they still gave away that humorous trace of irony. It might have been a look all his close friends shared. Yoshitoki Kuninobu (deceased, damn), and of course Shinji Mimura, and—now it seemed—Shogo Kawada.

"I have to see Kayoko Kotohiki about something. So I have to go."

Something. What could that possibly be in this situation where moving around would only increase your chances of dying? Finally Shuya said, "Hold on. You can't go...not with any real weapons. It's too risky. And how are you going to find her?"