Part 8

Ran: (Who knows what might happen if I tried to brute-force my way through the forest in its full denseness. I can always try it later- right now this place is showing a lot of promise, after I recovered the memories pertaining to Koizumi-sensei.)

Ran: (Before this, I didn't remember a thing about Koizumi-sensei, but after she took many actions which lined up with the way my lost memories of her described her, I recovered those memories.)

Ran: (Little things like the way she'd turn pages in a textbook by licking her middle finger- but more importantly, the last sentence she said to me before I regained my memory. That implies that-)

Koizumi: I'm sorry! I- I wanted to wait until you were done before I took my turn! But they...

Koizumi's eyes were flickering here and there anxiously, and her shoulders were pulled in tightly.

Koizumi: They said that I'd gotten wet from the rain too, and that I needed to take a shower quickly as well, and then they shoved me in here...

Ran: Ah, uh... yeah.

Ran: They're completely right actually. I should have showered together with you from the start. Sorry.

Koizumi: No, it's fine... It's me who's too scared to be with you, Ibuki-san.

Ran: I know. Don't worry, just- hurry up and get yourself a hot shower, don't catch cold standing there.

Ran: (Koizumi-sensei looks pretty much the same as in high-school, except for her height.)

Ran: (Pale skin, and a super thin waist that was noticeable every time she put on a tracksuit and led us at the track.)

Koizumi washed her hair diligently. Her hair was very thin, and she had a lot of it.

Ran: (Koizumi-sensei should be thirty by now. It's been many years since she was in high school.)

Ran: (Why would she appear as a high-schooler here? What is going on with this school's timeline?)

Ran: (Hell, that's not even mentioning Tama. Tama's easily a whole century displaced...)

Koizumi: E-excuse me.

Koizumi, after spraying the shampoo suds off her hair, entered the bath as well. Ran makes room for her.

Koizumi: After being rained on for so long, it's so nice to have a warm bath...

Koizumi: Oh, and, I should apologize for making you stumble, Ibuki-san.

Ran: What?

Koizumi: You know? When you fell to your knees in the forest?

Ran: (Oh. Right.)

Koizumi: Ibuki-san, you're sure you're completely alright? Do you think maybe you should visit Takei-san's nurse's office again after this?

Ran: I...

Ran: I'm sorry...

Ran: I'm sorry.....

Ran and Koizumi said their farewells to each other at the dorm rooms' entrance, and each retired to their respective room.

Notes have been updated.

The key to solving the mysteries is memory?

Seriously, I'm more and more confused what the point of the whole murders thing even is

Miss Sakura's situation and mine aren't quite the same

The hot water in the bathroom's pretty comfortable, maybe it's spring water that they're drawing from who knows where ♨️

Sai: Wow, you look like you're out of it. Didja take a hit to the brains in the fall?

Ran: ...Sai, have you ever met me, before?

Sai: Eh? What's that question supposed to mean? There's no way I'd forget anybody as depressing as you.

Ran laughed a bit, her face buried deep in the pillow, letting out a thick muffled sound.

Ran: Yeah, you're right, there's no way I'd ever forget anybody with your hairdo, either.

Sai laughed as well.

Sai: So what's with that question? Not like you to ask a question for no reason.

Ran: It's nothing.

Sai: Alright, you've had a real tough day today. Get some rest.

She hoped that she wouldn't dream about Koizumi Hyuga that night.

Thankfully, Ran doesn't dream. She slept until she awoke naturally.

Ran: (Wow, Sai really DOES go swimming every morning, doesn't she.)

Immediately, she notices something wrong.

Ran: (There's no natural sunlight in this corridor, so this hallway light is usually always on.)

Ran: (Has the electricity been cut?)

Ran: (Sai probably finished swimming and went right to the classroom. Miss Sakura...)

Tama: Good morning, Ibuki-san!

Ran: Mm, good morning. Anything going on?

Tama: The power to the dorm has gone out. Asakura-san and Takei-san are working on trying to fix it.

Aya: Ayyyyy, Ran-chan.

Aya sidled up to Ran and casually dangled an arm on Ran's shoulders.

Aya: Anytime a situation develops here, we usually just let the three of them deal with it.

Ran: Is that so. They do seem reliable.

Ran: (A power outage? Where does the school get power from in the first place? A local generator? Or do they get power from outside somehow?)

Ann: This is the first time we've run into a power outage, actually.

Ann approached the group from the washroom's direction, and took a place next to Ran.

Ann: Morning, Ran.

Ran: Miss Sakura!

Ran immediately approached Ann and took both of her hands with her own, in the process leaving Aya bereft and shoulderless.

Ran: Miss Sakura how'd you sleep last night you're hungry right do you want breakfast let's have breakfast together Miss Sakura.

Aya: Oh, so that's your personality, huh, Ran?

Ran: I have literally been acting like this the whole time.

Ann: I'm doing quite well. How about you, Ran? Yesterday must have been quite a day for you. Did you sleep well?

Ran: Mm-hmm! I slept great! Look, Toyama, miss Sakura cares about me so much!!

Miho: Wh- hey! Stop! Lemme go.

She said that, sure, but she sure wasn't physically trying to get Aya off her or anything. Still, Miho's token resistance gave Ran a small feeling of satisfaction.

Miho: It won't affect classes.

Miho: The only problem is that, we won't have power for the noon, so it might be hard for Yano-san to make lunch.

Aya: Ah, don't worry about it, Sai's incredible. She'll definitely have something delicious for us even without electricity.

Ran: Hah, I sure would like to see what she could possibly come up with. Mark my words, if she starts boiling water to make us all ramen I'm going to mock the hell out of her.

Sai: Oh, the power's out? Then let's have a barbecue for lunch.

Ran: (Fuck. That actually sounds delicious. God dammit.)

Aya: YESSSSSS.

Miho: Oh, it's been a long time since we've had a barbecue. Let's do it like last time and carry the tables to the dorm building's entrance.

Tama: Asakura-san, please allow me to help you with the grilling today as well.

Makoto nodded and patted Tama on the head.

Ran: (I'm suddenly really looking forward to lunch. Damn, Yano sure is powerful.)

Ran: (I've checked out the curriculum for today- it's two segments of physics. I wonder who's teaching it? Asakura seems plausible.)

Tama Indou walked up to the front of the classroom.

Ran: (WHAT THE FUCK YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME. Our modern physics lecturer is a fucking Taisho-era person??)

Tama: Ibuki-san, how was it? Was my lesson easy to understand?

A new student like Ran Ibuki was surely a valuable source of feedback for any educator seeking to improve their lesson plans.

Ran: Honestly, it was great. Physics is a real hard subject to teach, Tama. How'd you learn to teach it, anyways?

Tama: Thank you very much for your praise! Actually it was because I completely didn't understand physics at all, and I really wanted to learn it, so I actively volunteered to be the physics teacher.

Tama: In order to not hinder my classmates, I worked very hard to learn it, and most importantly, Asakura-san helped me a lot.

Ran: (So they all picked the subjects they wanted?)

Ran: I see. You must really not want to be apart from Asakura.

Tama: That's right! That's why I can really understand the feelings you have for Sakura-san, Ibuki-san. It's because I feel the same way!

Miho: Yano-san, could I ask you to help teach me how to cut meat properly again, this noon?

Sai: Sure. There's a lot of cutting you have to do for a barbecue, so work hard and learn well.

Miho: Thank you!

Ran looked at Ann. She was chatting with Koizumi and Aya, and occasionally Ran could hear the sound of laughter from their direction.

Ran opened her eyes wide. She felt as if she'd been transported to the past. Perhaps that was what these four years of labor had been for- to be able to sit in school uniform again, in a classroom oncemore, with Ann Sakura.

Even though there was a small note of dissonance in her heart, the joy of being with Ann Sakura again was enough to overwrite it for the moment.

Ran: (It doesn't matter. No matter what happens, as long as it's with miss Sakura, then it isn't a problem.)

Even though, relative to Tama's lessons, Aya's lecture was a little less stellar, her writing on the chalkboard was surprisingly organized and neat. Ran felt like she could learn several days' worth of lessons just by staring at Aya's notes on the chalkboard.

Still, watching Aya try to be serious as an educator, Ran couldn't help but crack up.

Ran: (Seriously, it feels like Aya herself wants class to be over already, and the class period's only halfway over.)

When it came time for class to actually end, Aya let out a great big sigh of relief and her whole body slumped down.

Immediately after that, Aya slammed herself into the empty chair just in front of Ran's seat.

Aya: Aaaaaaaahhhhhh, I'm so fucking dead on my feet. This is more exhausting than a whole hour's worth of strumming a B-major chord.

Ran: Your reference's going over my head, but I felt like you did a decent job, teaching-wise.

Aya: Ho ho! But of course!

Ran: You got Miho to write the notes though didn't you.

Aya: Oh fuck- I mean, uhhhh, what do you mean?? Of course I wrote them myself-

Miho: If you keep taking credit for my work I won't write any more notes for you in the future.

Miho lightly bonked Aya in the head, before taking out a black cellphone and handing it to Ran.

Miho: Koizumi said she broke her phone yesterday, and reminded me that I should get you one as well, so that you can contact us more easily.

Miho: With a cellphone, even if you run into trouble again, you can call us for help.

Ran: Oh. Thanks.

Ran: (Though maybe I just don't know enough about phones, it's not like I'm an expert. Maybe I just don't remember this one. Well, for now, I guess I can only use this one here.)

Ran: (Once class is out I'll go find miss Sakura so we can get a selfie together for my new cellphone's wallpaper!!!)

Ran: (Miss Sakura I've got a cellphone now! Let's eat together at the barbecue at lunch, I wanna help you with grilling!)

Ann replied immediately.

Ann: (Sure, thanks, I'm looking forward to it.)

Ran put away the cellphone. Her heart was full of joy. Before she'd become lovers with Ann Sakura, she'd often exchange text messages with Ann before bed. Though, at the time, the topics of their discussions hadn't been anything close to 'romantic'.

Ran put away the cellphone. Her heart was full of joy. Before she'd become lovers with Ann Sakura, she'd often exchange text messages with Ann before bed. Though, at the time, the topics of their discussions hadn't been anything close to 'romantic'.

Especially after that time Ran's arm had been cut off.

Ran: ...Why am I here helping you prepare meat for the barbecue, Sai, instead of spending my precious time with miss Sakura?

Sai: Because you don't do any of the work at school or in the dorms, so the least you can do is help me out with the barbecue. Right, Miho?

Miho was too focused on cutting the beef to answer Sai.

Ever since Miho had won Sai's permission to help with the preparations, and Sai had shown her how to prepare the meat chunks, Miho had poured her heart and soul into preparing the meat, with a frankly terrifyingly singular focus.

The singularity of the focus did not help at all the fact that she was just so unbearably slow, though.

Sai: Miho really wants to learn to cook. Every time she comes here to ask me to teach her, she takes it way too seriously.

Sai was a real fast hand with the meat skewers, finishing one every few seconds. In comparison, Ran felt like she was a struggling novice.

Ran: Were you in the barbecue club in middle school or what, jeez.

Sai: What kind of school would have a barbecue club?

Sai didn't even need to look at her skewers while she was skewering. She looked right at Ran while her hands continued to do the work more or less automatically.

Sai: Me and my little sister just held a lot of seaside barbecues, before. Eventually I picked up a thing or two.

Ran nodded, before realizing that she'd crafted a seriously lopsided skewer. Again.

Ran: (...Sai can eat that one.)

Sai grabbed Miho's hand.

Sai: Okay, that's enough.

Miho: What is it, Yano-san? I still haven't cut enough, have I?

Sai: Nah, it's fine. You and Ibuki carry the skewers out so everyone can start grilling, alright?

Sai looked pointedly through the window, where an impatient Aya had already started pounding her fists on the table demanding the barbecue be served already.

Sai: Leave the rest to me.

Miho: ...Aya is being such an embarrassment.

Ran: Yano, you can make more skewers later. Come eat with us first.

Sai: Trust me, you're gonna want someone to make up the deficit when you run out of skewers.

Sai took the knife from Miho and started chopping meat with a quick rhythm.

Miho: Incredible...

Miho felt like Sai was using a completely different tool than she'd been using.

Sai: Okay, that's enough gawking, go and start barbecuing already. Take the skewered ones and start the grilling already. They're all champing at the reins for meat.

Ran: Okay...

Ran turned away. Behind her, she could still hear Sai's chopping happening with terrifying speed and precision.

Ran: (...On second thought, I should probably eat the lopsided ones myself.)

Ran: (That was delicious. I'm absolutely and completely stuffed. Let's go find miss Sakura and take a tour of the campus to help digest.)

Ran: (I can finally see miss Sakura's face clearly. Let's take even more photos later.)

Ran: (Oh, she had the same thought as me, then.)

Ran: What about Asakura? Don't you need to, follow her around, or whatever?

Tama: Asakura-san has gone to repair the generator. She said that it was loud in there and that the air wasn't very good, so she told me I didn't need to follow her there.

Ran: (Ah, I see. I'm the backup choice, then.)

Ran: (But, eh, sure. I've already decided that I don't need to be so impatient with trying to make a breakthrough on miss Sakura.)

Ran: (Starting from other people and approaching the goal in an indirect way is also perfectly viable.)

Ran: Very well, then. I'll be counting on you to be my guide.

Tama: So, Ibuki-san, where are we off to next?

Tama: You still haven't visited the new changing rooms, right, Ibuki-san? Let's go check those out!

Ran: (Not only have I already visited them through recall, I absolutely never want to swim ever again.)

Ran: Let me try.

Ran: I've seen this before. The door's not locked, it's just stuck. Probably the locking cylinder's gotten jammed.

Tama: Wow, Ibuki-san, how'd you know? That's incredible.

Ran: Just have some experience is all. Do we call Asakura to fix this?

Tama: Mm-hmm! Looks like it'll be a busy day for Asakura-san today.

Ran: Still is a bit strange though. Ever since I've come here, Sai's always taken every opportunity possible to spend time in the swimming pool.

Tama: Could it be that... she's the victim this round, and she's already been killed and her body hidden?

Tama sounded quite uncomfortable. Ran could tell that she was just worried for Sai's safety.

Ran: Possible, but, since it's Sai, for all we know she'll come floating to the surface of the pool anytime now, belly-side-up, like a fish.

Tama laughed.

Tama: If Yano-san heard you say that, she'll be quite cross, I'm sure.

Ran, establishing her death-flags: Well, it's not like she can hear us anyways-

Ran: AAAAAAAGH!

Sai: Well well well. Look what kind of opportunity my choice to enjoy some light diving won me.

Sai: Perhaps now I will pull you into the water, and make you come floating to the surface of the pool belly-side up like a dead fish now, hmm?

Ran: Well, you're not going to murder me while Tama is watching, so.

Sai: Eh, I just changed on the other side this time. I'll call Asakura to check it out later.

With that, Sai kicked off the side of the swimming pool and went back to taking laps around the water.

Sai: Done letting you screw around with me now.

Ran: CLEARLY YOU WERE THE ONE SCREWING WITH ME THOUGH???

Tama: Well, it seems like we've been dismissed, Ibuki-san. Let's be off.

Ran: Mhm. Let's get out of here. And then never come back to the swimming pool ever again.

As they left, Ran thought about Tama's predictions to herself.

Ran: (Tama's right- there really hasn't been a body discovered yet...)

Tama: Why? Did we forget something?

Ran: Nah. Just, we ate a lot today. I'd feel bad leaving it all for the on-duty students to clean up today. Let's head back and lend a hand.

Tama: You're right, Ibuki-san. Let's help where we can.

Aya: Ran-chan? What're you doing here?

Tama: Ibuki-san felt that it'd be unfair to leave all the cleanup to you two, so she can to help!

Aya: Oho? Ran-chan's got a helpful side as well, then. Goody goody!

Aya: How about it, Miho? Wanna do it with them as well?

Miho furrowed her brow a little. After a moment, she pulled her hand from her mouth.

Miho: Sure, of course...

Tama: Then, let's begin, Ibuki-san.

Ran: Uh... sure.

Ran: (These two, seriously... What were they even up to.)

The four of them, working together, quickly finished the work. Ran, though, felt that the mood was weirdly awkward, so she and Tama quickly took their leave from the dorms together after that.

After that, Tama took Ran to the lab room and the art room. These two rooms were rarely used, so the two of them didn't stay for very long.

Ran: (Even though we only took a quick look, all the tools and equipment was there. If someone actually wanted to study properly here at this school, they wouldn't see any trouble for lack of equipment.)

Ran: (The real problem is, of course, what's going to actually happen the day they all graduate? Is the school really just going to let them leave as normal?)

Ran: (Everyone else I could maybe see, but what's going to happen to Tama and Koizumi-sensei? Are they going to get sent back to their own timelines or something?)

Ran: (There's no way, right. This ought to change their futures MASSIVELY... or does it mean that the Koizumi-sensei I knew really did spend time here when she was younger?)

Ran: (No, that's even more impossible. No matter what the truth is, manipulating time is no small feat. If the true culprit behind this whole scenario has that kind of power, then I'm in some serious trouble.)

Ran: Ah- yeah? What is it?

Tama: I want to go visit Asakura-san. It's been a long time already, and she still hasn't contacted me. She hasn't even replied to my texts.

Tama: I don't know if something's happened. Maybe she's in trouble and needs my help. Or even...

Ran: I'm sure that it's just that fixing the generator is taking a lot of time. You go ahead and look for her if you're worried. I'll keep looking around.

Tama bows hastily and then runs off.

Ran: So that's why she's been checking her phone over and over this afternoon, huh.

Ran: Well, just me now. Where to now?

Ran: Feels like it's about to rain. Let's visit one more location, and then head back to the dorms.

Ran: (Y'know, Aya and Miho were actin kinda strange in the kitchen. Maybe I should visit the music room and see if I can catch Aya.)

Ran: Do you always practice the guitar here?

Aya: Yep! But there's no power today, so I can't use the electric guitar. All I can do is play the piano today.

Aya: Note: I do not know how to play piano, ehehe.

Ran: Can't you just play the guitar anyways?

Aya: Sure, I guess, but, eh. Not in the mood.

Ran: Then why not just go back to the dorms?

Aya, Oh, I'm sure you already know why, Ran-chan. That's why you came all the way out here to find me, wasn't it?

Ran: The kitchen thing, yeah?

Aya nodded.

Aya: Thank goodness you two came to help. Otherwise I bet I'd have been stuck cleaning up with Miho for ages, and then I wouldn't have had a chance to skedaddle out here!

Ran: Mm-hm. I noticed what you two were up to, though I don't think Tama did.

Aya: Haha, yeah, that sounds about right. Though I think Tama-chan oughta already have plenty of experience with this kind of thing herself.

Ran: Eh? Seriously? With who, Asakura??

Aya: I mean, who else?

Ran: I'M PRETTY SURE THAT'S A CRIME,

Aya giggled.

Aya: Tama's the same age as us, you know.

The question of age made Ran think about Koizumi again.

Aya sat down on the piano bench, and swung her legs back and forth, staring at the tips of her own toes.

Aya: Probably I was a little too aggressive.

Ran walked to the side of the piano, waiting for Aya to continue.

Aya: Because I got the impression that Miho's starting to like you. So I couldn't stay patient.

Ran: Ridiculous. Takei's just suffering from a serious case of being-way-too-nice-to-everyone-itis. She just cares a lot about others, that's all.

Aya: Mm-hm, Miho does indeed actively take care of people around her who've gotten themselves into trouble. And she's got the capacity to back up her desires to help, too.

Ran: Right, so, what've you got to worry about? Takei-san just saw that I was in a real rough spot, so she's been keeping an eye on me.

Aya: Well, I get jealous easily, that's why. But there's also something else.

Ran: What?

Aya: Well, I wanna do something nice for you every once in a while and, y'know, take care of you as well.

Ran Ibuki stared at Aya with widening eyes. She was starting to get nervous, and she couldn't help but keep trying to guess what was going to come out of Aya's mouth next.

Aya raised one of her legs into the air and perched it on top of the piano.

Aya: And not the kind of care that exists between classmates or good friends. It's a stronger feeling. Like I can't let you go no matter what.

Ran, face shadowed: (If I'd had so many people who cared about me in high school, would I have turned out differently?)

Ran: (Well, I had miss Sakura then, so there's no difference really. Just one her is enough to make up for any number of other people.)

Ran: Aya, c'mon, what's with the sweet-talking.

Aya: Whaaaat, I've always been concerned about you, alright?

Aya made an exaggeratedly seductive face, and then stuck her tongue out, before continuing.

Aya: Is it possible that I knew you from before? Like when we were young we built a sandcastle together or something?

Ran immediately tensed up, expecting a serious headache to hit her, the way it had when she'd recovered her memories of Koizumi.

However, nothing happened.

Aya: Ahhhh, I'm just kidding. If I'd ever seen you and then forgotten about you, then I definitely wouldn't think to be concerned for you here and now!

Ran: Yeah, I guess you're right.

Ran quietly let out a sigh of relief.

Ran: Well, since you seem to be in a good mood, I'll take my leave, then.

Aya: Oh, shoo, shoo. Thanks for coming to visit me by the way!

Ran: Right, also, one more thing.

Aya: Eh?

Ran: Next time you two want to make out, find somewhere where others won't bump into you by accident. It's just way too awkward, otherwise.

Aya laughed again, and flippantly waved a hand at Ran in response.

ann: you fool! i am behind SEVEN ALTERNATIVE ACCOUNTS!

Implying ran goes to therapy