A Morning Without Incident, A Night of Misguided Meditation

Ding, dong… ding, dong.

“Good morning, everyone! It’s morning, seven o’clock! Time to wake up!”

“Now, go all out today too!”

I slowly opened my hazy eyes, greeted once again by the familiar ceiling.

….

‘Huh…? I racked my brain, thinking back and forth, yet no information about a death surfaced in my mind.’

‘Could it be… that no murder occurred between last night and this morning?’

To confirm my suspicion, I hastily completed my morning ablutions, then rushed to the dining hall for the assembly.

Besides Chisaka Erin and myself, the dining hall was empty.

‘Did I arrive too early…? It’s seven-thirty now, so I’ll wait another half hour.’

“Oh… morning, Kamimura-san.” As always, it was Takagi Masahiko who offered me the morning’s greeting.

“Morning.”

Over the next half hour, others continuously streamed into the dining hall, and a quick glance told me that almost everyone had arrived…

‘Hmm? Where’s that kid Suzuki Minoru?!’

‘Surely he isn’t sleeping in his room?! He doesn’t seem… like the type who loves to oversleep…’

‘Could it be…?!’

I abruptly burst through the door, then sprinted to Suzuki Minoru’s room and knocked forcefully.

There was no response.

In those brief seconds, a wave of panic washed over me, yet I didn’t cease knocking.

“Suzuki Minoru! Are you in there!” I finally couldn’t help but shout his name.

Still, there was no response.

‘Could he… not be in his room?!’

Without a moment’s hesitation, I turned to search for him elsewhere, but just then, the sound of a door opening echoed from behind me.

“Eh? Anko? Did you come to wake me up?” I spun around, and standing before me was, undoubtedly, Suzuki Minoru.

“Are… are you alright…?” My gaze swept over him, searching for any tell-tale signs, but he was perfectly dressed.

“Me? Hahaha, do I look like a man in trouble…? Speaking of which… Anko, why are you especially concerned about me today…? Could it be… Ah~ you should have said so earlier, Anko, I like you too—”

“Bang!” Before he could finish, I had already slammed the door shut.

‘Yep, he’s still the same, everything’s normal.’

Startled by my earlier outburst, everyone had exited the dining hall and followed me.

“What happened?” Noticing the commotion, Habara Kazuhiro stepped forward, asking me curiously.

“Ah… I was just worried that someone else had met with an accident… but it seems there’s no serious issue. My apologies, I startled everyone.”

“It’s inconsequential, especially since… something like that happened yesterday.” Chisaka Erin skillfully came to my rescue.

“Indeed… I’m also terrified that someone might do something dreadful because of the [Motive] video…” Takahashi Aki expressed her deep concern about the current situation, fearing that any slight misstep could lead to one of them quietly disappearing in the next moment.

“I don’t think we need to worry… Everyone was safe last night, and it’s the same today! Hmm… that’s what I believe.” Akino Atsushi declared, thumping his chest, his words genuinely easing the tense and uneasy atmosphere.

“Yeah, I think you’re right; everyone should liven up a bit, stop being so gloomy…” Yuusuke Akahira then flashed a brilliant smile, hands on his hips, revealing his pearly white teeth.

“That’s true… Everyone’s been so down lately, I’m finding it hard to adjust, hahaha…” Kitajima Kazumitsu chimed in, adding a bit of levity to the atmosphere.

“Just now, I actually thought you were going to confess to Suzuki Minoru…?” Amemiya Wakaba’s words nearly made me spit blood.

“Huh?! Really?!” The young Katagiri Mimi also crowded closer, looking at me with curiosity.

“Have you ever seen anyone confessing their love by frantically knocking on a door first thing in the morning…?” I retorted, sharply refuting her statement.

“So, did anyone encounter anything unusual last night?” Chisaka Erin once again came to my rescue, smoothly transitioning to a crucial topic.

But in the next second, my heart pounded, a surge of tension throughout my body causing my pulse to quicken abruptly.

‘Surely… no one noticed what I did, right…?’

“Not really…”

“I didn’t see anyone suspicious either…”

“Everything seemed quite normal…”

The continuous stream of replies from everyone gradually calmed my racing heart…

“Oh… speaking of which…”

Takahashi Aki’s sudden remark made my delicate body tremble, sending my recently calmed heart racing once more.

“Didn’t Kamimura-san miss dinner yesterday?”

“She was the first to arrive and the first to leave the dining hall.” Chisaka Erin, yet again, helped me out of a tight spot.

“That’s right, when I came to the dining hall, none of you were there, and I returned to my room immediately after finishing my meal.” I explained, feigning composure and speaking without haste.

“I’m sorry… I overthought things…” Takahashi Aki offered me a wry smile and a sincere apology.

“It’s alright.”

“In that case… let’s all keep an eye on each other today! For everyone’s sake, and for our own!” Habara Kazuhiro declared with conviction.

“Alright then… everyone is dismissed.” After Takagi Masahiko spoke, everyone dispersed in different directions.

‘I’ll head back to my room first and collect my thoughts.’

So far, every one of them was safe and sound, and my ability didn’t seem to have activated.

While this ability appeared mysterious and infinitely potent, it wasn’t active… it could only be put to use when I slept, making it far too passive.

‘Still, having it is better than not; after all, this is my ultimate, unique talent!’

‘There’s nothing to do in my room anyway, so I might as well go for a walk… perhaps I’ll stumble upon an unexpected surprise.’

****

After dinner, I returned to my room early, as usual. Regrettably, there had been no unexpected “surprises” throughout the day; I had merely taken a simple stroll nearby…

Ever since the first murder occurred, I had felt a constant undercurrent of anxiety each day.

‘Perhaps I should try that kid Suzuki Minoru’s unique psychological therapy—Zen meditation? Let me recall how he did it…’

‘First, isolate yourself from all external matters, allowing no stray thoughts in your mind; then, strip naked, place your palms upwards on your crossed thighs, roughly a little below your navel…’

‘No, wait?! Why would I strip naked?! That step seems entirely superfluous?!’ I hastily put my underwear and clothes back on.

‘Seeing myself bare-chested, wearing only a skirt, felt inexplicably perverse…! Could it be… could I have been infected by that Suzuki Minoru guy?!’

‘But… my appearance just now was utterly indecent…! Even I felt incredibly shy!! Being bare-chested with just a skirt… I could barely tolerate it myself!’

I sat cross-legged on the bed, meditating without a single stray thought for a long time… Then, I slowly opened my eyes.

‘How did thinking lead me to suddenly want to sleep…? An invisible, intangible wave of drowsiness swept over me, and I couldn’t help but yawn, tears welling in the corners of my eyes.’

Unable to resist, I decided to sleep… I removed my underwear, pulled the soft blanket over me, and peacefully drifted into slumber.

Good night, night.