When the Detective Work is Done, I'll Die

Chapter 23

Right after realizing that shocking truth, one mystery surfaced. Kitsunesaki the guidance counselor behind me must have been thinking the same thing.

When she moved closer to the body, she clasped her hands together, and with a face as pale as the corpse itself, she murmured,

"......Why would the culprit go to the trouble of staging a werewolf motif......"

Even though I'm practically an outsider, I answered that question before I could stop myself.

"I don't know. But the culprit must have had to take an awfully dangerous gamble, right?"

"A-a dangerous gamble?"

She looked at my face in puzzlement; apparently she had doubts about what I was saying.

Leaving her in the dark would be cruel, so I decided to explain.

"Exactly. To set up this scene, the culprit had to prepare so many props after the murder—that's insanely risky. While going back and forth to the crime scene carrying the props, if anyone saw them, there'd be no way to deny it. It's an outrageously dangerous gamble."

"Th-that's true, but......if everything was prepared beforehand, then it wouldn't be such a dangerous gamble......"

"Still far too risky. Even if the culprit prepared these props in advance, while doing so someone unrelated to the incident might have seen a person carrying a ball, or a person with a fox mask, or an occult book, or a bow and arrows. Anyone walking around with those would stand out."

"Ah......y-yeah, you're right......Ah, wait, you're an outsider too, aren't you?"

"Ah......"

"Anyway, let's leave this to the police. If we keep staring at something this awful, we'll just get headaches. And we really shouldn't be looking at the body of someone we knew. The grief will come flooding out."

The moment the conversation ended, I was practically shoved away from the scene as if I'd outlived my usefulness.

Still, Kitsunesaki the guidance counselor is remarkably composed. When she first saw the crime scene and was trying to get the other students out, she'd seemed flustered. Yet now that her own pupil is dead, she shows no sorrow at all.

Is she just the type who doesn't show it? Or does she not feel any at all?

I, sunk in gloom, can't tell. I do feel sad. She must have had friends who relied on her. She must have had a family who raised her. She must have had a future—precious, perhaps even one that might have saved someone.

The thought that it was crushed is unbearable; I can't forgive the culprit. I want to hurl both my grief and my rage at the murderer. Detectives will probably get involved in this case too. That guy might show up as well—the one who might be tied to Miiko's death......

After I learn everything about Miiko, I'll crush them in revenge. That alone is my purpose.

It's not that I'm happy the incident happened. I simply have a chance for revenge.

It's tragic, but I'll make the most of this opportunity.

Just wait. Detective and murderer. I'll crush you both thoroughly. In the name of someone who detests detectives.

"H-hey...... Things have gotten insane, huh!? Hyoga! Have you seen it already?"

Someone called out to me and I jumped. When I turned around, the President stood there drenched in sweat.

"You mean that Kanbara-senpai was killed by someone? Yes, I've seen it."

"......If only Miiko were here, she'd solve this incident for us......"

My heart nearly stopped. Faced with the President, who was thinking about Miiko, I had to cover for her.

"I'm sure she's just busy! I'll unravel the mystery of this case on my own, so please don't worry!"

"......Oh? I thought you hated detectives......"

Damn it. In trying to cover for her, I contradicted my own character. No choice—I'll just barrel ahead.

"Yeah! I hate them. But I can't forgive murderers either, and I also hate detectives who mess around with this case. So I'll fight as a detective myself and beat those two to death. Then I'll just die too."

"D-die......?"

That was too intense. I pressed a hand to my forehead and reflected. When I get carried away, I always end up using violent language.

"Ah......well, I mean I hate it enough to die. Playing detective makes my skin crawl."

"S-so that's what you meant...... Good. You do come up with sharp ideas sometimes. You've got talent even if you hate it. What a waste."

"Whether I like or hate something is my own business."

"Ah......sorry."

"Ah, no, I'm the one who should apologize. Anyway, before some detective starts spouting nonsense, I want to gather as much logical evidence as I can."

Saying "then," I waved to the President and ran toward where I wanted to go—but he followed. And one more person: taciturn Senior Urakawa came too.

Come to think of it, I'd been planning to meet these two. About Kanbara-senpai.

I suddenly stopped and started talking to Senior Urakawa. Just as he was about to stop as well, the President—unable to shed enough speed—crashed straight into a nearby tree.

At that sight, Senior Urakawa let out a small sigh. Had he actually laughed?

No, that doesn't matter right now.

"Senpai, did you see Kanbara-senpai's body?"

He nodded.

"Then do you want to solve this case?"

He paused a moment, then nodded. Well, if he'd said no, I'd just have looked for someone else.

"Then I have an idea—would you come with me?"

That question must be hard to answer. From his perspective, I'm a junior from another school he met only yesterday.

The one who lent me a hand there was the President.

"Would you help him out? He's really into solving mysteries too. I dunno if we can crack the case, but wanna take a shot together?"

At that, Senior Urakawa finally spoke.

"......I suppose that wouldn't be bad."

The instant he said it, I fired questions like a machine gun. Sorry, but I can't hold back.

"Um, first—does this school have a drama club or an archery club? And what's the security like? Any idea who the culprit might be? Also......"

"First off, both drama and archery clubs......exist. The archery range and the drama club room......are in the gym."

The gym sits flush against the side of the school building. We started talking as we ran there.

There's one thing I want to check. The culprit prepared the fox mask and bow and arrows for the motif. The fox mask is probably from the drama club, the bow and arrows from the archery club. I'm betting the culprit definitely set foot in both places.

So if there's something there that shouldn't be—something that normally wouldn't be left behind—it could be decisive evidence.

"Thank you. If evidence is lying there, the culprit can't talk their way out. Let's go look. And the security system?"

"There's no security system......"

"Huh?"

I'd assumed a private school would be loaded with funds and have security in place.

"All the guards hired for security quit...... And the security bells they used......were all broken."

"That was before the incident, right?"

"Yeah...... That delinquent group including Kanbara did it...... Made it look like accidents...... Easier to pull nasty stunts that way."

"Easier to bully people at night, you mean?"

"Yeah......"

"I see. So for the culprit, the lack of security cameras and everything made it the perfect situation to kill Kanbara-senpai—hard to leave evidence."

There's nothing in this school that can clearly reveal what happened. I'll have to examine every piece of evidence carefully to uncover the truth.

With that resolve, just as we reached the gym, Senior Urakawa gave his final answer.

"......I have no idea who the culprit is......but I know who the culprit wants to make the culprit."

"Huh?"

Those words carried heavy meaning. Though his face was calm, his heart couldn't possibly be.

"That's......myself. Urakawa Naiki......me."

The culprit wants to frame someone as the culprit......!? I stood there, mouth gaping in shock, showing him a truly shameful sight.