((Yukie Utsumi continued from START GAME))
Utsumi hadn't really had a destination in mind. She'd just picked a destination, and started running. She kept her eyes straight ahead, not looking to the left or to the right. A few times she thought that maybe she heard something, a cry, a shout, but she kept on running. Every now and again her vision would get fogged up with tears - emotion over the situation, or just the wind in her eyes? She didn't know - and she'd have to reach up and wipe it away with her sleeve. After a few times, it was blotched with tears and grime and sweat and she didn't know what else.
Before too long, she was wheezing, and had to stop and take a breath. Her heart was racing, thwapping and fluttering against her ribcage like a trapped bird. Her vision was black around the edges, the darkness pulsing and shaking every time she exhaled. Utsumi wasn't out shape by any means - she was pretty careful about her diet and always made time for exercise - but it'd been quite sometime since she'd run flat out like that, and now she was paying the price. Her stomach turned, soured by the big lungfuls of air she was sucking in, and she doubled over and retched a bit before spitting a string of drool into the grass.
She stood still, her hair hanging down around her face, staring at the ground. The world felt like it was spinning, cartwheeling around her. How could this be happening? How could any of this be real? They really wanted her to kill everybody? To fight them all to the death, just so she could stay alive? The thought of it was like a fist, gripping her guts and wrenching them out of position.
She wanted to lie down. Wanted to throw up again. Wanted to hide. Wanted to curl up somewhere and cry. Wanted to go home. Wanted to be anywhere but here.
More than anything else, she wanted to grab two fistfuls of her hair and scream. It wasn't fair! It wasn't fair at all! All of her life, she had done everything right. She had colored inside the lines and studied and done her homework, she had shown up every day with her uniform perfect and her hair brushed, and she'd been polite and well-mannered, and always shown respect to her teachers and deference to the Great Dictator, and none of it mattered. All of those evenings she spent at home alone poring over textbooks, all of the times she couldn't play with her friends because she had cram school or extra lessons or tutoring, all of it was supposed to pay off one day. She was supposed to get a handsome husband with good standing and a high-paying job, a closet full of the best clothes and a house full of the best things, and a nanny to raise the children. She was supposed to be happy.
"You'll thank us one day," her parents always said. But that day was never going to come, not ever. She had spent her entire life investing in a future that would never come to pass, a future that was going to be ripped away from her with a bullet or a knife or a baseball bat.
It wasn't fair.
She was so wrapped in her misery that she didn't hear the footsteps until it was too late. Someone, a girl, ran past in the distance. She couldn't see who it was. Utsumi thought about calling out to them, but she didn't have enough breath left to make herself heard. Only once the girl had gone did Utsumi think to wonder what the girl might have been running from. She hid behind a tree, trying to keep her breathing quiet. After a while, she thought she heard footsteps, not running but moving purposefully away from the area. Only when those had faded did she slip out from her hiding spot.
There was a house nearby, presumably this was where the girl and the mysterious second person had come from. Utsumi headed towards it, as stealthily as she could. She doubted anyone else was in the area, but she wasn't going to risk drawing attention to herself if she didn't have to.
I Wish I Was Back Home In Shiroiwa Again
Moderator: BRAU2 Director
Shogo Kawada (Male Student No. 5) picked up Utsumi quite easily anyway from his hiding spot in the sea of trees just northeast of the house with the well. At least he thought it was Utsumi; even with him being a classroom outsider, she was someone you pretty much picked up real quick on day one. The other two people that passed by not so much, but they weren't important right now; what was was that the house that now looked emptied was gonna get occupied immediately anyway.
"Looks like we got beat here," he grumbled, taking his binoculars off and handing them to Eto. "I think it's the class rep, but I ain't too sure."
Well, this sucked. Eto was looking kind of tired, and honestly Shogo really could've used a break too from carrying all this crap, so he was hoping they could've hunker down in the farthest area from the school. Shogo assumed no one else would actually travel this far, at least until morning. In low visibility in the confusion of the night, most people would've probably hung out in the main village area, though if there was a firefight down there then maybe that scattered them away. Oh well, them's the breaks.
He sighed and swiped his sweaty forehead with his hand. "We're gonna have to keep going for a little bit. I'm sorry."
"Looks like we got beat here," he grumbled, taking his binoculars off and handing them to Eto. "I think it's the class rep, but I ain't too sure."
Well, this sucked. Eto was looking kind of tired, and honestly Shogo really could've used a break too from carrying all this crap, so he was hoping they could've hunker down in the farthest area from the school. Shogo assumed no one else would actually travel this far, at least until morning. In low visibility in the confusion of the night, most people would've probably hung out in the main village area, though if there was a firefight down there then maybe that scattered them away. Oh well, them's the breaks.
He sighed and swiped his sweaty forehead with his hand. "We're gonna have to keep going for a little bit. I'm sorry."
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[[She was getting really tired of walking at this point]]
Megumi knew her feet weren't bleeding, because she was pretty sure to do that it would take a lot more walking, but that didn't change the fact that her feet still hurt. If this were a normal day...well, at a time like this she would still be asleep, but if the situation she was in was more normal she would have some time to sit down. But she didn't want to be left behind by Shogo, and she didn't want to sit around for too long and become a target for someone shoot at.
So she kept walking until Shogo came to a stop. And when he offered her the binoculars (was that what he was given as a weapon? if so that's unlucky) she took them and looked the way he had looked.
Oh, it was definitely Yukie. A very, very miserable looking Yukie, but Yukie nonetheless. Did she already go through something bad, or was she just generally tired too? Questions for another time, probably.
"That's Utsumi, yeah," Megumi said, bringing the binoculars down and offering them back to Shogo. "We might be able to talk with her though. I...don't really know her too well, but I'm pretty sure she's like, reasonable and nice."
Megumi could probably go a little further if the situation really required it, but she still wasn't sure it did yet. Yukie was a smart person. The kind of person that would probably try to bring the class together instead of tear it apart. Surely they could work something out where they all could get some more supplies, right?
Megumi knew her feet weren't bleeding, because she was pretty sure to do that it would take a lot more walking, but that didn't change the fact that her feet still hurt. If this were a normal day...well, at a time like this she would still be asleep, but if the situation she was in was more normal she would have some time to sit down. But she didn't want to be left behind by Shogo, and she didn't want to sit around for too long and become a target for someone shoot at.
So she kept walking until Shogo came to a stop. And when he offered her the binoculars (was that what he was given as a weapon? if so that's unlucky) she took them and looked the way he had looked.
Oh, it was definitely Yukie. A very, very miserable looking Yukie, but Yukie nonetheless. Did she already go through something bad, or was she just generally tired too? Questions for another time, probably.
"That's Utsumi, yeah," Megumi said, bringing the binoculars down and offering them back to Shogo. "We might be able to talk with her though. I...don't really know her too well, but I'm pretty sure she's like, reasonable and nice."
Megumi could probably go a little further if the situation really required it, but she still wasn't sure it did yet. Yukie was a smart person. The kind of person that would probably try to bring the class together instead of tear it apart. Surely they could work something out where they all could get some more supplies, right?
Utsumi, unaware that was she was being watched, gently pushed open the door to the house. It creaked loudly, betraying her presence to anyone who might have been lurking inside. Well, so much for not drawing attention. She shrank back from the door, her heart pounding as she waited for a hail of bullets to come spraying out from whoever might have been hiding within.
After a few seconds, she relaxed. If anybody was hiding inside the house, they weren't immediately hostile. That counted for something, right?
"H-Hello?" she asked, nervously pushing the door further open. "Is anyone in here? It's Utsumi. I'm unarmed, okay? I don't want to fight or anything. I just want to find a place to hide."
The house remained as still and silent as before. Only now did it occur to Utsumi to check the contents of her bag. There must have been a flashlight or something, right? They couldn't very well expect everybody to blunder around in the dark. She rummaged around - and sliced open her finger on something inside. "Aah!"
She clutched it tightly, wincing in pain. Her finger was slick with blood, oily and black in the moonlight. She looked at the dark house. The doorway yawned open like the gaping maw of a terrible creature. Distant windows put edges on some of the darkness, but it was nearly impossible to make anything out. Still... it was better than waiting around outside. She headed inside, and let the darkness swallow her.
After a few seconds, she relaxed. If anybody was hiding inside the house, they weren't immediately hostile. That counted for something, right?
"H-Hello?" she asked, nervously pushing the door further open. "Is anyone in here? It's Utsumi. I'm unarmed, okay? I don't want to fight or anything. I just want to find a place to hide."
The house remained as still and silent as before. Only now did it occur to Utsumi to check the contents of her bag. There must have been a flashlight or something, right? They couldn't very well expect everybody to blunder around in the dark. She rummaged around - and sliced open her finger on something inside. "Aah!"
She clutched it tightly, wincing in pain. Her finger was slick with blood, oily and black in the moonlight. She looked at the dark house. The doorway yawned open like the gaping maw of a terrible creature. Distant windows put edges on some of the darkness, but it was nearly impossible to make anything out. Still... it was better than waiting around outside. She headed inside, and let the darkness swallow her.
"Mmmmmmmm...," Shogo grumbled to himself as he looked through the binoculars again and watched Utsumi cautiously enter the house, though what she exactly said was muffled by the cries of the critters beginning to stir in the dark and uneasy stillness of the early morning.
And then silence for quite a while, the occasional movement or two passing by the windows as shadows. That seemed a good thing; if there was someone else in the house, they wouldn't be waiting patiently before blasting indiscriminately or stabbing someone fourteen times in the chest region. So, it was probably safe to call that she was alone.
Shogo took down the binoculars and rubbed his temples with his free hand. After several seconds passed that felt like minutes, he nodded his head and started to pack away the binoculars. "Okay," he finally said. "Yeah, let's try. But if something happens, we gotta just book it and go, all right?"
Looking left and right and back, Shogo walked away from their hiding spot first and moved towards the house with a purpose, taking care to watch all of his surroundings on the approach. He flagged Eto over as he neared the well and took a quick peak down before running along the wall of the house, past the windows and towards the door Utsumi had pushed through. The hinge creaked as it slowly pushed itself back ajar.
He rapped loudly on the door several times and waited for a response.
And then silence for quite a while, the occasional movement or two passing by the windows as shadows. That seemed a good thing; if there was someone else in the house, they wouldn't be waiting patiently before blasting indiscriminately or stabbing someone fourteen times in the chest region. So, it was probably safe to call that she was alone.
Shogo took down the binoculars and rubbed his temples with his free hand. After several seconds passed that felt like minutes, he nodded his head and started to pack away the binoculars. "Okay," he finally said. "Yeah, let's try. But if something happens, we gotta just book it and go, all right?"
Looking left and right and back, Shogo walked away from their hiding spot first and moved towards the house with a purpose, taking care to watch all of his surroundings on the approach. He flagged Eto over as he neared the well and took a quick peak down before running along the wall of the house, past the windows and towards the door Utsumi had pushed through. The hinge creaked as it slowly pushed itself back ajar.
He rapped loudly on the door several times and waited for a response.
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Megumi was fighting the urge to expect denial. Shogo had listened to her once in letting her follow along with him, he might listen again, or at least be nice about turning down the idea. She just needed to be patient while he thought it over.
She wished she was better at being patient though. She could wait no problem, it was just that she got lost in her thoughts when waiting. Sometimes it could be fine, like when she would take a shower and her body would just auto-pilot through the motions of bathing, but other times it wasn't so good, like the time she spaced out during a whole lesson last year and she had to rely on Kaori's notes to not fail a test. It hadn't gone wrong yet though, so maybe it would be okay?
...and she was doing it again. She would lose sight of her own hands if they weren't attached to her body.
Luckily it seemed like she hadn't missed anything, coming back to her senses just as Shogo agreed to the idea, giving his own terms to it. Megumi nodded, trying to keep a determined look on her face.
"Got it. Anything weird or freaky, we run."
She didn't expect anything like that to happen, but she also didn't expect to get shot not too long after leaving the school, so it was probably good to keep an open mind at this point.
Megumi followed after Shogo once he started making his way to the house. She made sure to watch where she stepped, just in case. It would suck to try and be stealthy at a time like this, only for her to step on a twig or roll her ankle by stepping on a weird rock or something.
Shogo got the door before she caught up to him, and she was tempted to say something to let Yukie know who was there, but...maybe it was better to just keep following Shogo's lead for now? Just stay quiet until Yukie noticed them. He was the expert here, or at least carried himself like one. Probably best to just do what he does.
She wished she was better at being patient though. She could wait no problem, it was just that she got lost in her thoughts when waiting. Sometimes it could be fine, like when she would take a shower and her body would just auto-pilot through the motions of bathing, but other times it wasn't so good, like the time she spaced out during a whole lesson last year and she had to rely on Kaori's notes to not fail a test. It hadn't gone wrong yet though, so maybe it would be okay?
...and she was doing it again. She would lose sight of her own hands if they weren't attached to her body.
Luckily it seemed like she hadn't missed anything, coming back to her senses just as Shogo agreed to the idea, giving his own terms to it. Megumi nodded, trying to keep a determined look on her face.
"Got it. Anything weird or freaky, we run."
She didn't expect anything like that to happen, but she also didn't expect to get shot not too long after leaving the school, so it was probably good to keep an open mind at this point.
Megumi followed after Shogo once he started making his way to the house. She made sure to watch where she stepped, just in case. It would suck to try and be stealthy at a time like this, only for her to step on a twig or roll her ankle by stepping on a weird rock or something.
Shogo got the door before she caught up to him, and she was tempted to say something to let Yukie know who was there, but...maybe it was better to just keep following Shogo's lead for now? Just stay quiet until Yukie noticed them. He was the expert here, or at least carried himself like one. Probably best to just do what he does.
Without light, it was nearly impossible to tell how big the house was. Even as her eyes adjusted to the gloom, she only seemed to see different shades of darkness. She felt her way along the walls, doubtlessly leaving bloody smudges all over the place, and the thought filled her with an unreasonable amount of guilt, as though the homeowners were due to come back and disapprove of her for making a mess. I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I'll clean it up as soon as I find some water or something, I promise!
Nothing in here felt like a light switch, or a first-aid kit, or a lantern. Trying to find anything in this place before sunup was a waste of time, she'd be better off finding a dark corner to hole up in until morning, and - was that the door creaking? Someone had followed her in! No, no, it was just the wind or somethin-
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Utsumi nearly jumped out of her skin. She wanted to dive into the nearest spot of blackness and hide until whoever it was went away.
No, that's stupid. They wouldn't have knocked unless they saw you go in. They know you're here. And if they wanted to kill you, they wouldn't knock, right?
It made sense. She took a few deep breaths, trying to compose herself, before she called out. "Wh-Who's out there?"
Nothing in here felt like a light switch, or a first-aid kit, or a lantern. Trying to find anything in this place before sunup was a waste of time, she'd be better off finding a dark corner to hole up in until morning, and - was that the door creaking? Someone had followed her in! No, no, it was just the wind or somethin-
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Utsumi nearly jumped out of her skin. She wanted to dive into the nearest spot of blackness and hide until whoever it was went away.
No, that's stupid. They wouldn't have knocked unless they saw you go in. They know you're here. And if they wanted to kill you, they wouldn't knock, right?
It made sense. She took a few deep breaths, trying to compose herself, before she called out. "Wh-Who's out there?"
Huh, that was easy; she actually said something back. Shogo flashed a quick glance at Eto and cleared his throat. He replied back in an authoritative tone like he was conducting a state police raid, peeking at the dark windows but staying clear of the door. "Oy, it's Kawada and Eto. We wanted to check the place out but you got here first, so we uh... wanted to make sure you knew we were around. And just like, wanted to make sure you were cool and not particularly murdery and like... yeah..."
He grimaced as that tone whimpered out and displayed his real brain fog negotiation skills, but he quickly recovered and flashed another look at Eto in case she wanted to add something.
He grimaced as that tone whimpered out and displayed his real brain fog negotiation skills, but he quickly recovered and flashed another look at Eto in case she wanted to add something.
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Okay, Yukie was definitely scared. That much was probably to-be-expected. Megumi would probably be freaked out too if she was in her place. Hell, that really was her when Hirono had run into her. And while Shogo tried to explain the situation and sound nonthreatening, it was clear that someone else needed to do the talking here. She just hoped she could actually be up to the task.
Megumi took a deep breath before speaking.
"Utsumi? I...I know we've never really been close or anything, but I promise we don't wanna do anything crazy or stupid. We just wanna find supplies and get some rest and...maybe talk a little bit? If you're willing to?
"You know. If you want. Up to you, I guess."
'Someone, please revoke my right to speak, before someone cuts my tongue out for being too annoying.'
Megumi took a deep breath before speaking.
"Utsumi? I...I know we've never really been close or anything, but I promise we don't wanna do anything crazy or stupid. We just wanna find supplies and get some rest and...maybe talk a little bit? If you're willing to?
"You know. If you want. Up to you, I guess."
'Someone, please revoke my right to speak, before someone cuts my tongue out for being too annoying.'
"Kawada and Eto..." Utsumi repeated. What did she really know about the two of them? Eto could be a bit odd at times, but she wasn't really a troublemaker, and Kawada... Kawada mostly kept to himself, as far as she could tell. He definitely looked like a bit of a delinquent, and some of the girls said that he ate lunch on the rooftop all the time - probably to smoke cigarettes or something.
Kawada's rather awkward speech about wanting to make sure she wasn't "murder-y" (Not a word, and if they were in class she'd have gently chided him for it) seemed genuine enough, and Megumi's plea sounded earnest. Neither of them seemed particularly dangerous, the way the Kiriyama Family or the girls from Souma's clique would. But if she let them in, she'd be outnumbered already, two to one. Could she really trust them?
She didn't want to. But that's exactly why she would. Because without trust, without grace and the benefit of the doubt... they'd just be mindlessly killing each other, the way they were being told to. Utsumi didn't want to believe that in whatever time had elapsed, that people would already be killing one another. She didn't want to believe that the two of them would kill her, just like that.
"A-All right. You can come inside."
She looked down at her hand, barely visible in the darkness.
"I don't suppose... either of you has bandages?"
Kawada's rather awkward speech about wanting to make sure she wasn't "murder-y" (Not a word, and if they were in class she'd have gently chided him for it) seemed genuine enough, and Megumi's plea sounded earnest. Neither of them seemed particularly dangerous, the way the Kiriyama Family or the girls from Souma's clique would. But if she let them in, she'd be outnumbered already, two to one. Could she really trust them?
She didn't want to. But that's exactly why she would. Because without trust, without grace and the benefit of the doubt... they'd just be mindlessly killing each other, the way they were being told to. Utsumi didn't want to believe that in whatever time had elapsed, that people would already be killing one another. She didn't want to believe that the two of them would kill her, just like that.
"A-All right. You can come inside."
She looked down at her hand, barely visible in the darkness.
"I don't suppose... either of you has bandages?"
The frown on Shogo's face washed away to a half-smile as he looked at Eto and nodded his head. Maybe this shit was gonna be easier the second time around with complete strangers, but it was never safe to make those kinds of bets. After all, there were already firefights breaking out; safe to say more than one person did know what kind of situation they got thrown into. Even country hospitality had its limits.
"Ok, we're coming in," Shogo announced, hovering a hand in front of Eto for a split second as he moved for the door first and pushed it back open, stepping inside. Even with the aid of the moonlight filtering from the entrance, there was no sign of Utsumi from this angle.
What he could see, though, was the drops of what looked like blood on the old wooden floors near the windows, nothing like a murder scene but still fresh and still somewhat alarming!
"I've got a few bandages, where are you? Are you hurt?" he called out, already starting to dig in his bag.
"Ok, we're coming in," Shogo announced, hovering a hand in front of Eto for a split second as he moved for the door first and pushed it back open, stepping inside. Even with the aid of the moonlight filtering from the entrance, there was no sign of Utsumi from this angle.
What he could see, though, was the drops of what looked like blood on the old wooden floors near the windows, nothing like a murder scene but still fresh and still somewhat alarming!
"I've got a few bandages, where are you? Are you hurt?" he called out, already starting to dig in his bag.
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The approval quickly brought a smile to Megumi's face, though it just as quickly turned to a look of concern mixed with confusion at the request for bandages. Had Yukie already gotten hurt? That...well, that wasn't very surprising, actually, but she couldn't help but wonder how she got injured. Was she involved in a shooting, or was it more innocent than that?
Well, she had plenty of time to ask, so no need to worry about it, right?
She still went back to a smile once Shogo looked at her. He took the lead and Megumi followed, keeping an eye on their back side. They knew Yukie was safe, so it was best to know that know one was about to come up behind them and shoot them, you know?
She didn't notice the blood before she spoke.
"I don't know too much about first aid, but I can help where I can."
It probably wasn't that serious...right?
Well, she had plenty of time to ask, so no need to worry about it, right?
She still went back to a smile once Shogo looked at her. He took the lead and Megumi followed, keeping an eye on their back side. They knew Yukie was safe, so it was best to know that know one was about to come up behind them and shoot them, you know?
She didn't notice the blood before she spoke.
"I don't know too much about first aid, but I can help where I can."
It probably wasn't that serious...right?
Utsumi stepped out into what had to charitably be called "the light," holding her stricken hand tightly.
"Thanks... I cut myself on something in my bag, and it's bleeding a lot. I can't even see how bad it is, 'cause of all the blood, and I don't want to touch it and make it worse..." She could feel herself rambling, going off topic.
She could make out the shapes of Kawada and Eto in the darkness.
"If there's something you can do to help me wash it off, and get it bandaged, that would be a big help."
"Thanks... I cut myself on something in my bag, and it's bleeding a lot. I can't even see how bad it is, 'cause of all the blood, and I don't want to touch it and make it worse..." She could feel herself rambling, going off topic.
She could make out the shapes of Kawada and Eto in the darkness.
"If there's something you can do to help me wash it off, and get it bandaged, that would be a big help."
"Only getting nicked is pretty charitable considering all this other shit," Shogo mumbled. Luckily he found what he was looking for—a bottle of water, some antiseptic wipes, gauze, and a pen light. Lucky what you could find just sitting around a little general store, though now he wished he picked up more medical stuff when he had the chance.
He threw his bag onto the dusty floor, a tangerine bounding out rhe opening and rolling to a stop a few inches away. He snatched a look out the window before tossing Eto the pen light. "Here, nurse, hold this for me but keep it out of sight of the damn window."
"Lemme see your finger." He ducked into a side room right across from the window, beckoning with his own fingers for Utsumi to follow him while setting his medical stuff down on a table and quietly arranging as much space out of view of the window as he could.
He threw his bag onto the dusty floor, a tangerine bounding out rhe opening and rolling to a stop a few inches away. He snatched a look out the window before tossing Eto the pen light. "Here, nurse, hold this for me but keep it out of sight of the damn window."
"Lemme see your finger." He ducked into a side room right across from the window, beckoning with his own fingers for Utsumi to follow him while setting his medical stuff down on a table and quietly arranging as much space out of view of the window as he could.
((Continued))
Kazuo Kiriyama (Male Student No. 06) emerged from the treeline and made his way toward the house. The shotgun was held in his hands but pointed down towards the floor.
He walked around the full perimeter of the house, eyes scanning and taking in all the details of the structure before approaching the front door and rapping on it with his knuckles.
Kazuo Kiriyama (Male Student No. 06) emerged from the treeline and made his way toward the house. The shotgun was held in his hands but pointed down towards the floor.
He walked around the full perimeter of the house, eyes scanning and taking in all the details of the structure before approaching the front door and rapping on it with his knuckles.