【019】Confession

The place Inoue-san led me to was a car parked in the parking lot right outside the shopping complex.

The interior was heated. Inoue-san handed me a warm green tea she’d bought from a vending machine.

“Sorry for the suddenness.”

That’s what Inoue-san said.

Composed and relaxed.

This is what they mean by a mature woman, I thought.

“So, what did you want to talk about…?”

Honestly, I was nervous.

There’s only one reason a detective would come looking for me. Necchi’s case. Was there some progress? No, there’s no obligation to tell an ordinary citizen.

Which means it’s better to assume she came looking for me because she found something out.

Could it be about Nana?

“Actually, I want to ask you about the groping incident that happened on October 18th.”

“October 18th…?”

An unexpected question. But I immediately knew what she meant. The groping incident would be the one where Tamura allegedly groped Satou-san.

But that’s not what actually happened. Misinformation spread through the underground school site, and he’s just receiving a false accusation.

The person who spread it was…

No, that can’t be.

“You know about that incident, right?”

“The incident where Tamura groped Satou-san, right?”

“Do you also know that it wasn’t actually Tamura-kun?”

“Yeah, well…”

“By the way, I’ve heard reports that Tamura-kun has been bullied since that incident. What do you think about it, Takahashi-san? Can you tell me your honest opinion?”

She’s good at steering the conversation, I thought.

Inoue-san probably had a lot of friends in her school days too. Her face is pretty, so she must’ve been popular, right?

I answered while thinking that.

“Honestly, it pissed me off.”

“?”

“If I knew he was innocent, I think there were a lot of things he could’ve done. If it were me, I’d get revenge. I’d post on social media, or get dirt on the bullies and threaten them. I’d do anything… But Tamura always acted like nothing was wrong. From the outside, that really pissed me off. So I basically ignored him.”

“Didn’t you think about helping him, Takahashi-san?”

Inoue-san’s words irritated me.

“Would you have helped him if you were a detective?”

I said it provocatively.

“Yeah, I’d help.”

An immediate answer.

Ah, this person would help.

I was convinced enough to believe that.

“I couldn’t help.”

“Yeah.”

I felt embarrassed. Why do I have to feel this way?

“You know about the underground school site that started the bullying, right?”

“Yes…”

My heart jumped.

I had a bad feeling.

Don’t say it. Please don’t say it.

Don’t make me realize.

“The very first comment that caused the bullying to spread—apparently it was posted right after the incident happened. So I looked into the people who were on that train, and it turns out there were five students from the same school. They were—”

“I don’t know anything.”

I said, cutting her off.

“Is that related to whoever killed Tanaka-sensei?”

“That’s right.”

Inoue-san smiled.

I got out of the car. As I tried to get away from Inoue-san, the car window opened.

“Takahashi-san.”

“What?”

“I never said anything about Tanaka-sensei.”

“—”

I’ve been had.

“Excuse me.”

Why does she have to make me realize?

I don’t want to realize.

I don’t want to know.

I don’t want to suspect.

My best friend, a murderer?

There’s no way that’s true.

I don’t want this. I don’t.

【Tamura Misaki】

“Uh, well…”

I stumbled over my words at Nanaka-san’s question.

Wait, that’s strange.

I haven’t done anything wrong.

I started feeling a bit guilty.

No, that can’t be right.

No, it’s just my imagination.

“What are you doing?”

Nanaka-san asked.

With a beaming smile. It was her usual smile. Yet there was something slightly off about it. I thought it was scary.

“A-actually, I’m thinking of proving my innocence.”

“Huh?”

The voice that escaped from Nanaka-san sounded like she was saying, “That’s unexpected.” When I looked at Nanaka-san, her eyes were wide.

She’s surprised. Surprised by something.

“At first, I thought it was fine even if I wasn’t proven innocent. But when Satou-san said she’d help me, I realized I was just giving up. That felt pathetic. If I can, I want to prove I’m innocent too. And—”

I hesitated for a moment.

Nanaka-san was surprised but listening.

I have to say it. I have to.

“I know this is weird to say now, but I want to become someone who can stand beside you someday, Nanaka-san.”

“…Huh?”

【Nakano Nanaka】

I wanted to know about his relationship with Satou Akane.

What they were doing. What kind of exchanges they had.

How should I ask? All of that was blown away by Misa-kun’s single sentence.

Wait, what?

What did he just say?

Huh? Wait?