Book 6: Chapter 9: [Conch Flame] (1/2)

Casey was the kind of girl who always had a lively smile. She was like a caring and dependable big sister who would take Monica's hand to guide her.

Now Casey was walking next to her while clinging onto Monica's hand. The hand she held was moist and cold with sweat, and she could tell that she was shaking slightly.

As Monica stared at her hand, Casey smiled unreliably with a pale face.

”Sorry, I showed you something embarrassing.”

”N-No, I mean, after what happened… who wouldn't?”

”Haha, I guess so…”

Casey smiled awkwardly as if she was trying to smile like she usually did but failed.

The way she laughed, her pale face, and her unreliable, shaking hands… they cut into Monica's heart.

The two were walking across the corridor of the east school building. There was still some distance ahead before they could reach the infirmary.

Monica bit her lip, then slowly opened her mouth.

”The rope used to bind the wood… had a cut mark made with a blade.”

”What, then… that wasn't an accident… was there a cut in the rope from the start? Did someone from the supplier had intended to take someone's life?”

At Casey's words, Monica shook her head.

”No, if you paid close attention to the cut of the rope, the blade was inserted halfway into the rope… the rest was left for it to cut naturally… I've got that result from my calculation. If you put a cut of that depth in the rope, it takes only a few seconds for the rope before it completely tears off…”

”I don't know the exact weight of the wood, but from what I estimated” announced Monica, then followed by her speculation.

”it would snap after five to fifteen seconds elapsed.”

They could leave a cut in that rope before it was completely torn off in ten seconds.

In other words, the rope wasn't cut before it was brought to the school, but someone put a cut in it on the spot.

And Monica also knew. For outsiders to enter this school, they would be examined before the school gives them permission. Let alone knives, even bringing a single pair of scissors was not allowed. So to get all the necessary tools, they must submit a request before they could borrow it from the school.

”…and since people from suppliers weren't allowed to bring in knives, the one who cut it can't be them.”

It made the expression on Casey's face disappeared. And yet, Monica still staring at her shaking sweaty hands.

And then, Monica gulped and said.

”…did you cut the rope, Casey?”

Casey instantly tore away her hand from Monica's.

She then walked a few steps ahead of Monica to stop suddenly before turning her body around to look back at her.

What appeared on her face was the same cheerful smile as always.

”Haha, I guess you caught me… yeah, I did it.”

To her surprise, Casey confessed easily, then pulling a small craft knife out of his pocket and flashing it at her.

At which made Monica let out an ‘ah' voice.

”…why?”

”To tell you the truth, I hate you, Monica. Actually, I was planning to make those woods fell on you as a prank, or so I thought. But then I screwed up and the wood fell on me. Oh, man, I am totally screwed up, am I?”

Casey's tone of voice and the way she laughed might have made her think looked as usual. However, there was something about her behavior that she couldn't shake off. Casey's words sounded strange, it was like she spoke the lines she had memorized.

She was speaking faster than usual, and her eyes never looked straight at Monica.

Casey was lying.

”…I know you're lying.”

”I'm not lying. I've hated you since the first time I saw you.”

Casey's words stab into Monica's heart.

Whenever the word ”hate” used, it always ended up hurts people's hearts. If it was the usual Monica, she might have running away in tears.

But the discomfort feeling felt stronger in Monica's chest.

”Casey, are you hiding something from me?”

”I have nothing to hide, really. I just hate you. That's the only reason I was trying to harass you.”

Casey lifted the edge of her lips slightly in a snarl and looked at Monica with a very nasty look on her face.

”Do you remember the previous tea party, when your tea leaves were dumped down?”

”Yeah.”

”The truth is I was the perpetrator.”

The tone of her voice was easy-going without a hint of guilt. Yet, Monica did not feel any anger. What welled up inside was only the sense of discomfort and sadness.

In which, Monica lowered her eyes then muttered a few words.

”…I know.”

”What?”

Casey blinked in surprise, and then Monica clutched the hem of her uniform and said.