Romantic Troubles of Duanmu-kun

Episode 38: The Turning of Interlocked Gears

“Niwa-kun is…”

Concern crept across the girl’s face.

“Before anything else, shouldn’t we call the police? Even if this is just someone’s sick joke?”

Only five minutes had passed since that stranger’s “crime announcement.” Had everyone been too shocked to think of this basic step?

“…”

The class rep seemed to have regained some composure as she nodded in understanding.

“Does everyone have their phones?”

She turned to address the group behind her.

The novelist paid no attention to his classmates frantically pulling out their smartphones. Instead, he crouched down at the front of the theater room to closely examine the projector.

Ogiwara quietly followed behind him.

“What are you doing?”

“If they used this method to deliver the crime announcement, they must have left some traces… Ah, as I thought.”

The novelist removed the disc and studied it carefully from every angle, but there were no markings to be found. The production number had been deliberately scratched off, leaving nothing that could hint at the sender’s identity.

“Is it really okay to handle potential evidence so casually?”

He didn’t answer, instead holding up his left hand with all five fingers spread. Only then did Ogiwara notice that Liang had been wearing gloves for some time.

“As for contaminating evidence… I’m not particularly concerned about that.”

The novelist’s tone remained calm.

…

“That’s… that’s strange…”

“Yeah, why…”

“No signal?”

“Mine too?”

“What’s going on?”

“What… what is this…”

Conversations drifted from behind them. Given the earlier “crime announcement,” anyone with half a brain would realize by now that something was very wrong in this Western-style mansion – that something “abnormal” was happening, or about to happen. Both male and female voices trembled with unusual tension.

“It seems this isn’t just a simple prank,” Ogiwara whispered as she crouched beside him.

“Ah… probably signal jamming.”

Due to their close proximity, the novelist caught the scent of shampoo from the girl’s hair. His nose itched slightly.

As expected, they couldn’t make any calls from the annex to the outside. Following that logic, all the doors and windows in the entire villa were likely sealed shut as well.

Indeed, the current scene was just like—

“Hey, isn’t this totally like those B-movies? You know, where a killer sends a warning, then everyone gets trapped in a house and runs around screaming…”

Mm-hmm, exactly right. Though maybe read the room a bit?

“Hey… hey, don’t say scary things like that…”

A classmate immediately cautioned him, their voice already warped by fear.

“S-sorry…!”

The male voice clearly noticed the group’s mood and hastily stammered an explanation.

“I-I mean… don’t worry too much, let’s just stay here for now. With so many people around, we should be fine…”

Generally speaking, in movies, the first victims of serial killers tended to be idiots who wandered off alone. Even in detective films, those who said things like “I refuse to stay with a killer” and chose to isolate themselves in their rooms typically met tragic ends.

Even the high school students who didn’t understand this concept found themselves nodding along with the boy’s words. At the very least, they could stay together.

While one person might cower in fear, a group could find the courage to face danger together. People who grew up in social groups often developed a curious bravery when in numbers, creating the illusion that they themselves had become stronger.

“Y-you’re right!”

“If anything happens, there are lots of guards at the main house! And the police will come back!”

“Should we barricade the entrance?”

Just as the high school students began their heated discussion—

“—Let’s all head to the main hall next.”

The novelist stood up, brushing dust from his pants as he spoke casually. Beside him, Ogiwara nodded without hesitation.

“…?”

The class rep, who had remained silent and hesitant among the crowd, turned her gaze toward them.

“Staying here leaves us with no escape route. We can all gather in the main hall. It has good visibility – we can see anyone coming from upstairs or the surrounding areas, and it’s more convenient for calling for outside help. Most importantly—”

The novelist clapped his hands together.

“Don’t forget, there are other classmates in this annex. They might not know what’s happening here, right?”

“…Liang-kun is right.”

Itou Maho nodded, as if having made up her mind about something, and decisively walked toward the entrance, pushing open the theater room door.

“Hey… hey…”

Yoshino Takashi was the first to follow.

Then came their friends.

The other students, exchanging uncertain glances, hesitantly fell in line.

…

What impressive initiative. And as expected, the class rep commanded quite a lot of trust.

The novelist thought admiringly as he exited the theater room last.

*

“Liang-kun, you actually thought that theater room was dangerous, didn’t you? That’s why you wanted to leave?”

Ogiwara whispered in his ear.

“Since they were able to tamper with the projector and sound system, they could just as easily have modified the room’s air circulation system.”

The novelist answered offhandedly while surveying the first floor.

…By the way, they’d already tried. As expected, the main door wouldn’t open. The attendants outside had vanished, and even shouting for help had brought no response from the outside world. The annex was like a tiny island in the sea, cut off from civilization. While they hadn’t tested every window in the mansion, those near the entrance had certainly been sealed shut.

“Besides, from any angle, this is more suitable for gathering than that cramped theater room, don’t you think?”

“What if they have heavy weapons, or if it’s a group operation? Everyone in the hall would be like targets…”

“No, no, no, if that were the case, doors wouldn’t stop them anyway…”

The novelist couldn’t help but retort.

“Moreover, it doesn’t match the motive mentioned in the crime announcement.”

“Do you really trust what that man said? I think… well, for instance, it seems more plausible that the motive might be targeting the Niwa family, like trying to kidnap their future heir.”

“In that case, there’d be no need to waste time. In crimes like that, perpetrators always consider time as the critical factor. They’d need to act quickly – they wouldn’t leisurely wait for him to use the bathroom before making their move. And that flashy crime announcement…”

“Also.”

The novelist’s gaze turned toward the screening room.

“Earlier, we heard sounds coming from there too, right? We can’t guarantee how people in other rooms might act – accidents could happen. Better to gather everyone together from the start.”