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V12 Story II – Part 05

The door slid open, and someone entered with a click of their footsteps.

Hair as white as an elderly’s stirred. Though lacking a mask, his slim frame bore a resemblance to that of the fox.

Mayuzumi Asato, wearing a calm look, stepped into the room, drawing the attention of the motionless students. I strode towards him and raised my clenched fist.

Before I could strike, Asato spoke, “Here we go again.” His expression was unchanged, but his voice was tinged with annoyance. “Could you please refrain from throwing punches without hearing me out first? While I understand it’s your way of confronting me, I haven’t done anything yet this time.”

“Oh yeah? After leaving that letter? Let’s hear your excuse, then. What exactly is that sack… no, that plush filled with raw meat?”

I pointed to the rabbit lying on the floor. Did the girl not make that under the fox’s instructions?

Asato shrugged at the sight, his lips curling sardonically. “I’d appreciate it if you stopped blaming me for everything. I mean, sure, I can’t claim complete innocence, but I didn’t see this coming. I dropped hints, but I can’t be held responsible for their radical actions. You’re being unreasonable, don’t you think? Let’s say I tell someone ill that drinking blood could cure them. What they do with that information is their choice. They could squeeze blood out of a fish, cut their own wrists, or slit someone’s throat. It’s not on me.”

Ignoring his drivel, I grabbed his collar. There was a crucial flaw in his argument. It should be possible to tell them beforehand that fish blood would do.

The issue lay in the intention of the person. If they were malicious, then excuses were meaningless.

“Spare me the excuses. You always twist facts. Now, tell me. What are you plotting this time?”

“I don’t know if you’re aware of this, Odagiri, but you’re only tough on me. Mayuzumi Azaka often limits the scope of her answer to the question asked, doesn’t she?”

His words caught me off guard. A twisted smile flashed through my mind.

He was right. Mayuzumi Azaka sometimes answered questions knowing the brutal consequences.

Tightening my grip on Asato’s collar, I forced myself to speak. “So what? I’ve never approved of her actions. Neither you nor Mayu-san are redeemable. Isn’t that right?”

“Yet, you plan to save my inhuman little sister, sacrificing yourself in the process. You’re going to repeat the same mistake you made with me and regret it.” Asato chuckled softly, then gave a tired shrug. “Your standards of right and wrong fluctuate based on whether you like the person or not. You’re such a hypocrite, Odagiri Tsutomu. Who are you to judge what’s redeemable or not? That’s irrelevant. You talk big, but you never stop depending on my little sister.” His voice was ice-cold.

Asato’s tone had turned sharper from when he was lying around in the office. Somehow, he had regained his previous demeanor. His comment felt like a slap in the face.

It was both a difficult and terrifying question. Was Odagiri Tsutomu really dependent on Mayuzumi Azaka? I tried to deny it, but no words came out. Confusion filled my mind. Asato studied me with an emotionless gaze, then smirked.

“It’s whatever. It’d be creepy if you were nice to me,” he said. “Allow me to answer your question. I’m not plotting anything. I just took advantage of an opportunity and returned the favor.”

Piercing screams erupted from behind. I whirled around. The students were scattering in all directions. Some stuck to the walls, while others hid under desks. They were too disoriented that they forgot they could leave the room.

They were scrambling to keep their distance from something. I followed their gaze and saw a misshapen silhouette squirming.

Crunch. Splash.

The rabbit was trying to get up.

Each time the rabbit propped itself up the floor, there was a squelch. Its body writhed as though a swarm of maggots squirmed within. Blood and flesh spurted from its seams.

The stench grew stronger. Someone retched. Despite its struggles, the rabbit managed to rise to its feet.

The girl who had brought it remained unfazed, her hands clasped together in what seemed like ecstasy. Behind her glasses, her eyes sparkled with joy.

“Yakko… It’s you, right? It’s me. Thank you, Mr. Fox! Oh, Yakko! I’m so happy. We did it!”

I stared dumbly at the sight. While the girl appeared genuinely delighted, to me, the sudden aberration was far from cause for celebration. The stuffed toy writhed and contorted in what seemed like agony or anger. At the very least, the rabbit was certainly not pleased with the current situation. Whether it could even think was questionable at best.

“I met that girl late last night,” Asato explained. “She couldn’t sleep, so she was taking a stroll. Despite being strangers, she poured out her troubles to me. Just like how clients constantly come to your office, it seems I’m always the one people confide in about their desires. She’s particularly perceptive. She must have instinctively sensed that I could grant wishes. It’s rather creepy. Being seen merely as a means to fulfill wishes, even subconsciously, is disconcerting.”

The fox’s expression did not shift one bit.

“And then she told me about the séance,” he continued nonchalantly. “She was anxious about the stuffed toy, so I suggested filling it with flesh and blood, to which she eagerly agreed. She then said: ‘You seem knowledgeable. I’d like you to attend the séance and, if possible, summon a spirit into the stuffed toy. I’ve heard a medium is actually necessary.’ So I agreed and shook her hand. That’s all. But I did set one condition: it would start moving at nine o’clock. I set a timer, basically.”

As the fox finished his explanation, the rabbit’s movements became increasingly erratic.

While the girl watched enthusiastically, the rabbit abruptly twisted its head. Threads snapped. It started shaking its head wildly. Its ear, now filled with flesh, swung like deadly weapons.

A grotesque lump of flesh oozed from a tear on its neck, landing on the floor with a sickening plop. Someone screamed. The girl’s eyes sparkled even brighter, sending a shiver down my spine.

This was no spectacle to be enjoyed. The rabbit clearly loathed its hideous form.

“Yes, Odagiri, your assumption is correct,” the fox affirmed. “Imagine the dead suddenly being thrown into that thing. You can guess how they’d feel, right? I don’t know how they died, but don’t underestimate the grudge of those who die young. I don’t care much for summoning the dead. Do you know how many souls are actually resting in peace in this world?”

With its head cocked, the rabbit froze, fixing its blood-soaked eyes on the girl. She returned a big nod. A misjudgment. I couldn’t imagine the fragile rabbit posing a threat, but it harbored unmistakable animosity toward those present.

I had to do something before it was too late, but before I could act, the fox grabbed my shoulder.

“Stop, Odagiri. You don’t need to get involved. It’ll resolve itself.”

“Let go, Asato! That girl’s happy she got to summon her friend. She doesn’t understand the danger. That thing should not be welcomed. I have to stop her before it’s too late!”

“Unbelievable. Do you really think she’s happy about that? You’ve seen this so many times. You should know. If you say you don’t, you’re just lying to yourself.”

I stopped in my tracks. Deep down, I knew.

The girl’s reaction was not normal. That rabbit was grotesque beyond belief. No one in their right mind would consider putting a friend inside something like that.

Also she had likely restuffed the toy after meeting the fox. The source of that flesh, whether human or animal, was unclear, but it was very fresh. She must have killed, then stuffed the meat. She had completed a horrifying task within a short period of time. Afterwards, she cheerfully visited the office. Her actions defied all common sense.

She wasn’t merely happy to have summoned her friend. She said earlier that this was no game. So what exactly did this mean to her?

“She’s the type who derives pleasure from fully committing to whatever interests her,” the fox said. “I don’t know why she wanted to summon her friend, but the friend isn’t what’s important. For her, the outcome is all that matters. And her wish has been fulfilled.”

The rabbit began to contort its body again. Threads snapped, and its insides crushed, fluid spurting from every seam. Some students retched. The rabbit twisted and leaped.

It lunged at the girl, its bloody eyes fixed on her. Though its glassy eyes showed no emotion, its hatred was palpable.

The smile vanished from the girl’s face instantly. I recalled her attitude towards the other students earlier. She hated being rejected. Just before the rabbit collided with her, she took a step back.

“She’s not really interested in the friend inside, especially if that friend rejects her,” the fox said softly.

Using the momentum, the girl swung her leg, and without any mercy, she kicked the stuffed toy away.

The rabbit’s stomach tore mid-air, spraying blood everywhere. Chunks of flesh burst from its torn back and stuck to the ceiling. The now-empty fabric fell to the floor.

The girl’s wish was to summon the soul of the deceased into the plushie, and it had been granted. Now it had ripped apart to the point that it could no longer be called a stuffed toy. After a few spasms, the gray fabric lay still.

Moments later, the meat stuck to the ceiling fell. Blood and flesh splattered across the floor.

“Aaaah!”

A female student hiding under a desk screamed. She scrambled to her feet, bumping her head, and fled, opening the door with trembling hands. Seeing this, the other students also bolted, pushing and shoving to get out of the classroom.

Only the toppled chairs, the grotesque lump of flesh, and the girl remained. She slowly turned to face us, wearing a completely different expression this time.

Dark, vacant eyes stared at us. She raised a hand and stroked her blood-stained right cheek. Adjusting her glasses, she heaved a deep sigh. Then, suddenly, she brightened up.

“Well, that’s that. I’ll be going now.”

She gave a big, satisfied nod, then pranced out of the room.

Profound silence fell once again. Only the fox and I, outsiders, remained in the classroom. No one else.