Chapter 1 - Part 13
Teruteru, you’re searching the kitchen?
...Yeah, of course.
Man, that blackout totally surprised me...
It doesn’t look like Byakuya is here. We should look elsewhere.
Do you think we’ll find him?
We have to. He... doesn’t look like he can hide in many places.
Yeah...
Nuuuuughhh...
What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be checking the toilet?
You know, like a man?
Y-Yes, but... it appears someone else is using it...
And...the door's been shut since before the party even started...
Damn you! The bathroom is for everyone! How dare you hog it!!!
Yelling at them won’t make them want to come out.
Th-This is bad! Oh shiiiiit!!! I'm going to SHIIIIIIIIIIT!!!
Gwah-wah-wah-wah! The more I try to hold it in, the more it wants to come out!
H.-Honestly, you need to think before you speak!
More importantly, someone’s been using the toilet since the party started? Who’d be in there for so long?
If they’ve been in there since the start of the party, it can’t be Byakuya, right?
I have searched the hallway, but...there is no sign of Byakuya.
Where did he go? Is he outside?
I’m about to check that out.
...
...
Oh, hi Mahiru. Why are you out here?
Um, we’ve had to pause the party.
Howawa! Why? I didn’t even get a chance to participate!
Well, there was a power outage just before...and when the lights came back on, Byakuya was gone.
Gone?
Yeah... so I’m checking to see if he went outside or something.
...
...Nope, nobody came out.
O-Okay... If he hasn’t gone outside, he must be in the building then.
...Maybe.
...
Mahiru! Did you check the entrance?
Yes, I did. I spoke with Chiaki, but she never saw anyone leave.
Th-That's weird... No one was inside the storage room either.
He wasn't in the kitchen, obviously.
Or at the office...
...Nobody was in the office?
Huh? What about Peko? I thought she was supposed to be guarding that area.
Well... actually, not even Peko was there.
So... Peko is also missing?
Maybe those two took advantage of the blackout to have themselves a major makeout session in the bathroom...?
*snort* *snort* Truly, truly outrageous!
...Hm? Hmmmm?
Did something happen, Akane?
Well... Do any of you...smell somethin'...?
Wh-When partially digested food is absorbed by the small intestine, it's decomposed by bacteria, releasing gas...
Which is mostly absorbed in the intestinal tract, but whatever cannot be absorbed is excreted from the anus.
Th-Those are the mechanics of farting... But...farting isn't something to be embarrassed about!
No, I'm not talkin' about that...
...It smells like blood.
B-Blood?
*Sniff* *Sniff* *Sniff*
Akane twitched her nose, then pointed to the back of the room.
It's comin' from over there...!
From... that table...?
What is it about this table..?
It’s... under there...!
...Eh?
The smell... is coming from under the table?
Mahiru, you are not planning to check that table are you?
I am nervous for you! Perhaps someone else can do it?
...I can do it.
Ah. Thank you, Hajime.
Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just look under it!
Hajime quickly walked over to the table and reached for the tablecloth.
As soon as he gripped it, fear shot through my body.
My mind began to spin as it tried to piece together what could be under that table.
It latched onto one specific possibility... a possibility I tried desperately to ignore.
It can’t be... There's no way...
Please...
Please don’t be...
*Fwoosh!*
In one sweeping movement, Hajime ripped the tablecloth from the table.
