by Косюн Таками
Kazuo appeared to be resting quietly. He might have been sleeping.
On the other hand Sho couldn't sleep at all, but he felt he was strong in that department as well. Naturally. Girls had more stamina than guys. That's what I read in one of those popular books.
What turned out to be a real drag instead was that he was a heavy smoker. The smell of cigarette smoke, depending on the wind direction, would give him away to Kazuo. No, the sound of his electronic lighter flicking open could be even more fatal.
Sho pulled out his pack of imported Virginia Slims Menthol cigarettes (he liked the name, though of course it was hard to get them in this country, but there were places that carried them, and all he had to do was steal them. He had piles of boxes in his room) and carefully placed the thin cigarette between his lips. He caught a whiff of the faint smell of tobacco leaves and that unique menthol odor and felt mild relief from his withdrawal. He wanted to fill his lungs with smoke—but somehow managed to suppress the urge.
I simply cannot die. There's too much fun waiting for me in my prime.
To distract himself, he lifted the mirror in his left hand and caught a view of his face with the cigarette in his mouth. He tilted his head slightly and examined his sidelong glance.
I am so pretty. On top of that, I'm so smart. It's inevitable I should be the winner of this game. Only the beautiful survive. That's God's—
Out of the corner of his eye, the bushes rustled slightly.
Sho quickly removed the cigarette from his mouth and put it into his pocket, along with his mirror. Then he gripped the Derringer and grabbed his day pack with his left hand.
Kazuo Kiriyama's slicked-back head appeared on the edge of the bushes. He looked to his left and right and then northward—directly to the left of Sho—up the slope.
In the shade of the azalea tree covered in pink leaves, Sho raised his brow slightly.
What's he doing?
He heard no gunfire. No strange noise at all. Was there something over there?
Sho looked over there, but saw no movement.
Kazuo emerged from shrubs. He had his day pack on his left shoulder and the machine gun slung over his right shoulder with his hand on its grip. He began climbing the slope, weaving his way in between the trees. He quickly reached Sho's higher position and moved on up. Sho then stood up and began following him.
Not at all in keeping with his large frame, 177 centimeters tall, Sho moved gracefully, like a cat. He carefully maintained the twenty meters behind Kazuo's black school coat that intermittently flashed between the trees. Sho's confidence was justified when it came to this sort of thing.
Kazuo's movement was also very precise and quick. He'd stop in the shade of a tree, check ahead, and where the vegetation got thick, would get on his knees and check underneath before proceeding. The only trouble being that...
...your back's wide open, Kazuo.
They must have covered a hundred meters. The observatory was on the top left. Kazuo stopped there.
The rows of trees in front of him were interrupted by a narrow, unpaved road. It was less than two meters wide, just wide enough for a car.
Oh...this was the path leading up to the peak. We crossed it right before we saw Kaori Minami's body.
On Kazuo's right, where he was looking, there was a space with a bench and a beige prefab toilet. Maybe it was a resting area for climbers on the way to the peak.
Kazuo surveyed the area and then looked behind Sho, but Sho of course had hidden himself away in the shade. Kazuo stepped onto the path and ran up to the toilet. He opened the door and went in. He stuck his head out and looked around again before he closed the door. He left it slightly ajar, maybe just in case he had to escape if something happened.
Oh my. Sho brought his hand to his lips. Oh my. Sho remained crouched, trying hard not to burst into a fit of laughter.
It was true, since Sho had started following him, Kazuo hadn't gone to the bathroom even once. He might have used the toilet in one of the houses he entered before sunrise, but in any case, it'd be impossible to hold it an entire day, so Sho assumed he took care of business hidden in the bushes. (Anyway, that's what Sho did. It was a pain not to make any sound though.) But turned out he was wrong. After all, Kazuo Kiriyama came from a wealthy family. Maybe the thought of going anywhere besides a real toilet was out of the question. He must have remembered seeing this toilet when he passed through here a while ago. That's why he came back here.
That's it, I'm sure. Even Kazuo Kiriyama has to pee. How cute.
He was pissing against the bowl now. Sho could hear it splashing against the bowl. Tee hee. Once again Sho tried hard not to laugh.
Then he remembered something and flipped his wrist over to check his watch. They were near sector D=8, which Sakamochi had announced would turn into a forbidden zone at 5 p.m.
The elegant italic numerals on the women's watch indicated 4:57 p.m. (he'd set his watch to Sakamochi's announcement, so it was accurate.) Sho took out his map and examined the northern mountain area. The mountain road was only marked by a dotted line on the map, and the rest area and public toilet wasn't marked in or outside the lines marking off D=8.
Sho suddenly became tense and unconsciously lifted his hand up to his metallic collar. He suddenly felt the urge to return the way he'd come but—
He looked over at toilet, where the sprinkling sound continued. He shrugged and exhaled lightly.
We're talking about Kazuo Kiriyama here, after all. Even if nature called, he would have checked his position. The reason why he cautiously looked over here before moving out of the bushes where he was hiding was to determine whether the toilet was in D=8 or not. And Sho's position was approximately thirty meters west of the toilet. Kazuo was closer to the zone than he was, so the fact that Kazuo was over there, in other words, meant that he was safe too. That's right. He mustn't lose Kazuo by succumbing to irrational fear. That would ruin his plan.
Sho pulled out the Virginia Slims he'd taken out a moment ago and put it between his lips. Then he looked at the dimming sky. At this time of year, it'd still be another two hours before sundown, but the darkening sky was now tinged with orange from the west, and the tips of several tiny clouds had become bright orange. It was beautiful. Just like me.
The sprinkling continued. Sho grinned again. You must have held it for a long time, Kazuo. It still continued.
Oh, I really need a smoke. I'd like to take a shower, polish my nails, and mix my favorite screwdriver, and as I sip this drink I'd have a nice relaxing...
It still went on.
Oh geez, I wish he'd stop. Hey, let's wrap it up, come on and let's get to work. But...it still continued.
That was when Sho finally knit his drooping, thick brows. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and quickly got up. He approached the toilet, moving along the shrubs, and squinted his eyes.
The sprinkling sound continued. And the door was left slightly ajar.
Just then a sudden wind blew by, opening the squeaky door. What brilliant timing. Sho's eyes opened wide.
Inside the toilet a government-supplied water bottle was hanging from the ceiling as it swung in the wind. Kazuo had probably pierced it with a blade because there was a very thin stream of water trickling out, fluttering with the wind.
Sho panicked.
Then he saw the back of a school coat below, weaving its way through the trees. He saw the unique slicked-back hairstyle which he could recognize even from behind this far away.
Wh-wh-what? Kazuo? But then...hey, but I'm...
As Kazuo disappeared beyond the shrubs, Sho heard a thud. It resembled the sound of a silencer, or a gunshot into a pillow. It was impossible to say whether the sound came from the bomb itself in the government's custom Program collar or from the vibration it made through his body.
Over one hundred meters below, Kazuo Kiriyama didn't even look back as he glanced down at his watch.
Seven seconds past five.
21 students re
maining
45
With a brief stir Noriko opened her eyes. It was past 7 p.m. She gazed at the ceiling of the room, now turned dark. Then she looked at Shuya beside her.
Shuya got up from his seat and removed the damp towel on her forehead. He touched it. Just as it was when he checked last time, her fever was almost gone. Shuya felt a wave of relief. Great. Really.
"Shuya." Noriko's voice was still dazed, "...what time is it?"
"It's past seven. You slept well."
"I..."
Shuya nodded. "Your fever's gone down. Shogo said it probably wasn't from septicemia. It was just a really bad cold. Probably from fatigue."
"I see " Noriko nodded slowly as if she were also relieved. Then she turned to Shuya. "I'm sorry for all this trouble."
"What are you talking about?" Shuya shook his head. "It's not your fault at all." Then he asked, "Can you eat? We have rice."
Noriko's eyes opened wide. "Rice?"
"Yeah, just hold on. Shogo cooked some." Shuya left the room.
Shogo was sitting on the chair by the window by the kitchen door. The last traces of light, more like particles of blue, closer to indigo, entered the window, but where Shogo was sitting it was almost completely pitch black.
"Noriko's up?"
Shuya nodded.
"How about her fever?"
"She's fine. It seems to be gone."
Shogo gave him a slight nod, then stood up, holding the shotgun as usual. He opened the lid of the pot on the gas stove. Shuya and Shogo had already had their share of cooked rice and miso soup. The miso soup base came from some strange leaves growing in the back of the building.
"Is the food cold?" Shuya asked.
Shogo gave him a brief reply, "Wait five or ten minutes. I'll bring it over."
"Thanks." Shuya returned to the examination room. He sat down by the bed and gave Noriko a small nod. "Wait a little. Shogo's going to bring some real rice."
Noriko nodded. Then she asked, "Is there a bathroom here?"
"Uh...yeah. Over here."
Shuya helped Noriko out of the bed. Supporting her with his arm, he showed her to the bathroom beyond the waiting room. She was still staggering, but she'd definitely recovered from the terrible condition she was in before.
Shuya helped Noriko return to her bed. As Noriko sat down on the edge of the bed, Shuya wrapped her shoulders with the blanket the way Ms. Anno had done for him at the Charity House when he was a kid.
"Once you've eaten," Shuya said as he pulled at the edges of the blanket, "I think you should get some more sleep. We're going to have to leave this place by 11 p.m."
Noriko stared at Shuya. Her eyes still looked slightly unfocused. "You mean—"
Shuya nodded. "Yeah, this zone's going to be forbidden at eleven."
It was part of the announcement Sakamochi gave at 6 p.m. Other zones included G=l at 7 p.m. and I=3 at 9 p.m. That meant the southwest border and the southern slope of the southern mountain. Since it was hard to tell exactly where the border of the forbidden zone was, the southwest shore area was all off limits now.
Noriko looked down at her kneecaps and touched her forehead under her bangs. "I was sleeping like an idiot."
Shuya reached out and touched Noriko on the shoulder. "Don't be ridiculous. You were better off sleeping. You need to rest more. Take it easy."
But Noriko glanced up and asked, "Did anyone else— besides Kaori—die?"
Shuya tightened his lips. Then he nodded. "Takako...and Sho and Kazushi."
According to Sakamochi's announcement, these four had died during the six hours after twelve o'clock. Now there were only twenty-one students left. Only eighteen hours had passed since the game began, yet Third Year Class B of Shiroiwa Junior High had been reduced to half its size.
"And one more thing," Sakamochi had said enthusiastically. "Sho Tsukioka was caught in a forbidden zone. So I want you all to be careful."
Sakamochi didn't say where Sho had died, and Shuya couldn't remember hearing a big explosion in the afternoon. At the same time he couldn't see any reason Sakamochi would lie. That big, boorish-looking guy who oddly enough acted really feminine, "Zuki" of the Kiriyama family, had gotten himself caught in a zone. As a result, his head was blown off. Besides their boss then, the entire Kiriyama family was decimated.
Shuya thought of telling Noriko about this, but after seeing how troubled she looked, he decided not to. He doubted that sharing any news about a guy's head getting blown off would have a good effect on Noriko's recovery.
"I see " Noriko said quietly and then added, "Thanks for this," and began taking off the coat she'd been wearing.
"Keep it."
"No, I'm all right now."
Shuya took the coat and draped the blanket over her shoulder again.
Shogo came in after a while. Like a waiter, he carried a round tray full of bowls on one hand. Steam rose from the bowls. As he lowered the tray he said, "Here you are, madame."
Shuya chuckled. "So she gets room service?"
"Well, the food isn't exactly first class. I hope it tastes all right though." Shogo put the entire tray on the bed and placed the bowls next to her.
Noriko looked down and asked, "Soup?"
"Yes ma'am," Shogo replied in English, which sounded pretty fluent to Shuya's ears.
"Thanks," Noriko said and took the spoon. She brought the bowl to her lips and swallowed a mouthful. "It's delicious." She raised her voice. "There's egg in it."
Shuya then looked at Shogo.
"It's our special, ma'am."
"Where'd you find that?" Shuya asked. All the fresh food in the refrigerator was rotten, probably because the government had moved the civilians out a while ago. All the other houses were probably in the same condition.
Shogo looked at Shuya out of the corner of his eye and grinned. "I found a house that kept a hen. It looked like it hadn't been fed in a while and looked pretty weak."
Shuya exaggeratedly shook his head. "When we ate I didn't notice any eggs."
Shogo lifted his brows. "I only found one. Sorry. I'm nicer to girls. That's just how I am."
Shuya laughed, sniggering.
Shogo returned to the kitchen and brought over some tea. Shuya and Shogo drank tea while Noriko ate her meal. The tea had a mild sweetness and a pleasant, nostalgic odor.
"Damn," Shuya groaned. "I feel like everything's fine, the three of us sitting around like this."
Shogo smiled and said, "I'll make some coffee later. Would you prefer tea, Noriko?"
Her spoon still in her mouth, Noriko smiled and nodded.
"Hey, Shogo." Shuya had more to say. Of course the fact was that they were still in this killing game, but now that Noriko seemed to be recovering, he was feeling a little gushy. "Some day the three of us, let's all get together for some tea. We'll sit on the veranda and enjoy the cherry blossoms."
It was highly unlikely. Nonetheless Shogo shrugged his shoulders and said, "I thought you were a rocker. You sound like an old man."
"I know. You're not the first one to tell me that."
Shogo chuckled. Shuya laughed, and so did Noriko.
Noriko finished her meal and said, "Thank you." Shogo gathered her bowls. He signaled with his other hand for Shuya's cup, which Shuya handed over.
"Shogo," Noriko said, "I feel totally fine now. Thank you so much. And I'm so sorry for all the trouble I've caused."
Shogo smiled and replied, "You're welcome," in English. "But it looks like the antibiotic wasn't necessary."
"No. I know this sounds weird, but I think it made me feel secure enough to fall asleep."
Shogo smiled again and added, "Well, you could still be suffering from septicemia. In any case, you should rest a little more. Take it easy." Shogo then said to Shuya, "Do you mind if I catch some sleep?"
Shuya nodded. "You tired?"
"No, not really, but it's best to sleep when you can. Once we leave here, I'll stay up through the night. Is that all right?"
> "Yeah sure, that's fine."
Shogo nodded, took the tray, and headed towards the hall. "Shogo, you should sleep here," Noriko said, signaling towards the bed next to hers.
Shogo glanced back at her from the door and smiled as if saying, no thank you. "I don't want to intrude on you two. I'll sleep on the sofa in this room." He tilted his head in that direction and added, "Please be considerate to your neighbors though if you get intimate."
In the dim room Shuya could see Noriko's face flush. Shogo then left the room. Beyond the half opened door, Shuya heard him walk out of the kitchen and into the waiting room. It became quiet.
Noriko broke into a smile and said, "Shogo's so funny." Perhaps it was because of the meal, her face seemed more animated.
"Yeah, he is," Shuya smiled too. "I'd never talked to him until now, but he kind of reminds me of Shinji."
They didn't resemble each other at all physically, but Shogo's crude and blunt speech and his ability to still be humorous through it all resembled The Third Man. Not to mention the way he was the anti-model student and yet managed to be incredibly smart and reliable.
