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V7 Story I – Part 05

“My brother’s headless body was suspended in this room,” Misaki began indifferently. “It was clear that he died by hanging, since his body was swinging. There wasn’t much blood, suggesting that his head was severed when he was already dead. His decapitated corpse looked like a headless chicken. His belly was bloated, and countless butterflies were perched on his skin. The combination of butterflies and decaying flesh was quite grotesque. Since then, I’d been questioning my sanity. I just hope the psychological shock doesn’t last long.”

Her finger, pointed at the ceiling, slowly lowered. Though her eyes still held no hint of madness, her demeanor was becoming increasingly erratic.

I was at a loss for words, unsure of what to say.

Should I deny? Affirm? Comfort her?

“I see. You are indeed in a rather precarious situation,” Mayuzumi said casually, biting on a piece of chocolate. “It’s good that you’re aware. It’s far better than insisting that there’s nothing wrong with you.” She was studying the ceiling.

A metal hook glinted at the spot Misaki was pointing at moments ago, something that her brother had installed after her grandfather’s death. Her brother’s corpse was hanging from a rope tied to the hook.

I frowned. What was a random tool doing in this room?

I surveyed the space once more. Contrary to the mansion’s size, Misaki’s brother’s room was small, furnished only by a bookshelf and a bed. The walls were adorned with mosaic tiles, creating a twisted pattern that resembled the human eyeball. There was no covering on the wooden floor.

The oppressive ambiance brought to mind a prison cell. And right now, it was infested with butterflies.

I turned my attention back to the hook, rubbing my chin as I went over the thought that had been weighing on my mind since earlier.

Could his brother have committed suicide?

“Could it have been suicide?” I asked. “I don’t know why the girl took his skull, but it’s impossible to hang someone at that height. And that hook… I can’t think of any use for it.”

The only evidence of murder was the severed head, which could have been removed after death. My own thoughts made me sick to my stomach. But if the girl was being falsely accused, her innocence had to be proven.

Misaki closed her eyes. A moment later, she shook her head slightly. “My brother could not have committed suicide. The day of his death was already fixed. I don’t think he would’ve hung himself before then.”

The day of his death was fixed?

What did she mean by that? Was her brother sick or something?

Mayuzumi walked past me, pulled a thick book from the bookshelf, and began flipping through its pages. I suppressed the urge to ask her what she was doing.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked Misaki.

“The day when he used up everything he inherited from my grandfather,” Misaki explained. “My brother was told to live as he pleased, but to die quickly in exchange. Sometimes there are people in my family who can’t think of others, and have abnormal tendencies. My grandfather and brother fell into that category. My grandfather used his exceptional business sense to build up his wealth. In exchange for inheriting all that, my brother was forbidden from unnecessary contact with people.”

I swallowed. Misaki just admitted to something abnormal. I looked around the room again.

Was the resident of this room a prisoner, then?

Pa?

My stomach squirmed. Uka whimpered. I rubbed my belly to calm her down.

“He informed me of his current situation through letters,” Misaki went on. “That photo of the girl was also from him. I didn’t send any reply, but one day the letters stopped coming, so I came to visit. That’s when I learned that he was hanged. Before that, I saw a girl carrying something round near the entrance. After my brother’s body was found, she was already gone. She must have run away. I realized that the round object the girl was carrying was my brother’s head.”

I pictured the girl running, carrying the decaying head. Did she wash off the flesh and contents until it became a neat skull?

So she could carry it easily?

I rid myself of the gruesome image. Any more and my belly could tear open.

Misaki lowered her gaze in remembrance of her brother. She said she ignored him when he was still alive, but now she was curious about him. It was all too common for people to only recognize the value of something after it was gone. She carried a heavy burden and wanted to know about her brother’s final moments.

“So that’s why you care so much about your brother,” I said.

“…What?” She sounded pissed. Misaki frowned and gave me a disgusted look. “If you think I’m mourning the loss of my brother, then you’re wrong. Why would I do that? He deserved the treatment he got. Please don’t tell me I should feel sorry. Ugh.”

I gulped. She was right. It was not my place to decide if she should feel sorry or not. But wasn’t it cruel to tell a person to live as they liked but die quick? At the very least, she should mourn his death.

“He tore open the stomach of my beloved dog.” Fierce rage blazed in Misaki’s eyes. “He pushed our cousin into the water and left her in critical condition. He left dead animals in the garden.”

Clearly, she had disturbing experiences in the past. I swallowed back the words. The fox’s face flashed in my mind.

Wishing misfortune on someone you hate was, in a way, a normal emotion.

“I understand,” I said. “It’s not my place to say anything.”

Misaki turned her gaze away from me.

“So then, why do you want to know the truth behind your brother’s death?” I asked.

Hating someone forever was difficult. Maybe a part of her was grieving, a feeling she wasn’t aware of, and that was why she wanted to know.

Misaki cast her gaze down and bit her lip. “I believe he did many things that could have gotten him killed. I kept ignoring him, but I couldn’t do that anymore. That’s all there is to it.”

A heavy silence fell. As we watched the ceiling, a black butterfly landed on the hook, spreading its wings. I tried to say something, but Mayuzumi spoke instead, silencing me.

“Just a reminder, Odagiri-kun. She’s not doing this out of regret or to honor the dead. Stop judging others using your own values. It would be rude to her if you later feel betrayed.” Her tone was melodious.

Mayuzumi stood before the bookshelf, a sinister smile curving her lips. She slammed the book shut.

I tried to say something, but stopped with a frown. “What are you doing, Mayu-san?” I blurted out.

Mayuzumi was piling books onto Yusuke’s arms, stacking one atop another. Yusuke’s legs quivered under the weight, like those of a newborn fawn. A bright orange butterfly perched atop his blond hair.

“Hello? No words for me, Odagiri-san?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Mayuzumi answered. “Since you’re not nearby, Yusuke-kun has been sacrificed instead. Poor thing… And this is the last one. Bingo.”

Mayuzumi snapped the thick book shut, its cover adorned with an ivory-colored flower.

Yusuke straightened himself, preparing for what was to come. But Mayuzumi didn’t add the book to the stack. Instead, she hugged it to her chest and gazed up at the ceiling. Several butterflies, blue as the trinkets adorning her ankles were perched atop her headpiece, flapping their wings as though they had always been there.

“All these books, except for one, were placed here as cover,” she added. “There are no creases or wrinkles on the pages. They’re too pristine. Only this one book has any significance. Now, I have a question for Misaki-kun.”

Mayuzumi’s eyes gleamed like those of a cat. Butterflies flitted around her, their erratic movements making me feel dizzy. I felt as if my consciousness was slipping away.

“Did your brother only send you one photo of a girl?”

“…”

Misaki remained silent, but I could see her shoulders quivering slightly. Mayuzumi rapidly flipped through the book.

I could see photographs. They depicted several girls, accompanied by pictures of butterflies.

“There’s only names and photos. All of underage girls. Did your brother only have one girlfriend?”

Misaki still didn’t answer. Suddenly, Mayuzumi let go of the book, and it crashed to the ground with a thud. Butterflies swarmed over it, covering it in vibrant hues like ants gathering around sugar.

“It seems to me that she had many girlfriends. I wonder where they all went?”

“I was told he drove them away every time they broke up,” Misaki spoke in a low tone. “That’s all I know.”

Mayuzumi flashed a chilling smile. She tapped Yusuke’s shoulder and walked away.