First Hunter Revealed

"… But what I can't accept is that you've kept it hidden from me. Am I not that trustable, Yukawa!? I didn't keep everything from you, but… You and Hirari, if you just told me what you're feeling, then I… I…" With tears flowing out of my eyes, I escape the room in rush.

"Saori!" Yukawa shouted.

"Look who suggested no fights? High school romance makes you crazy just like that," Rise boasted on the other corner of the room.

"I'll try to talk to her about this. Sorry for suddenly coming up."

"Yukawa," Manabu called him out. "There's something I should follow up on."

"What?"

"Hirari's suicide, I believe it."

"Good."

"But I'm still doing surveillance from you people. I'm not done yet."

"Okay," Yukawa said as he follows Saori into another room. He intended to talk to me about the fault he did, but when he opened the door at exactly 11 AM, he saw me drinking the poisoned water from the stash.

"NO! Saori, stop!" Yukawa shouted as he rushed towards me and pulled my face out of the stash. My face up to my chest are all wet, but I'm still not satisfied with my intake. My dry throat still craves something that makes it sooth and smooth.

"Water…" I begged with my sunken eyes that looks at the blank ceiling. My muscles synchronized with my light-headedness. My back is leaning on Yukawa's arm as I lie on the floor. "I need… Water…"

"What did you just do, Saori!?"

"I can't… breathe… Help…"

"What do I do?" Yukawa trembled, not knowing what to do next. I can feel his body in full tremor, opposite of mine. "Water… Where can I find one…"

He's completely clouded because the only water source we had was poisoned already. The obvious solution we have was already there, but it is destined to kill me. I'm already set to die, but I don't want to die yet, not until I solve this case.

"I'm sorry, Saori." Yukawa quickly picks up a beaker and put the water in it. He didn't waste time me drinking the water in it. After two glasses, I coughed after gulping the water down my dried throat.

"Yukawa… It's my… fault… I'm sorry," I stuttered with my whispery voice, still hard to talk continuously.

"You're not in the wrong, Saori. I…" Yukawa's tears suddenly went down his eyes. "I failed to protect someone again. History just repeats itself, playing with me. Goddamnit! If I could just end this all…"

He suddenly put me down on the floor and picks up the beaker. When he scooped the water, I realize that he was planning to do the same thing I did.

"No… Yukawa… Live…" I tried shouting but it turns into a mutter. My strength was all taken away by dehydration. I am too late.

He drinks the water until he was satisfied while I felt the same terror he has shown me. After he did, he looks at me with a guilty stare.

"You said you wanted to know my past. Are you ready?"

"Yukawa…"

He then sits near me and puts my head on his lap. "I'm destined to die ever since I did that greatest sin of my life. Every night that I sleep, I wish that I could turn back time to change everything, but all of it was the exact, same, and repeated event that happened like it's making me remember every single bit of me is made of a devil.

"I have a loving and caring uncle on the outside. He always goes smooth with conversations and motivates anyone with ease. Every word that comes to his mouth is inspiring, that is why I idolized him. It's my fault in the first place.

"My sister, Rita, she's kind and innocent, just like you. She's very soft and she always puts others first, and I took advantage of that.

"The same dream happened within the night at our house. Our uncle stayed in after a business tour from the nearest city, and we siblings are left. That night he talks to me, he said 'Savour your precious people not until they're gone.' That fool's voice is still fresh in my head every time I remember it.

"My nightmare starts when I wake up to drink something in the kitchen. My body just moves on its own. In the room, I can hear squeals of pain and the cries of fear. When I peeked, my sister's hands are tied above her head with her clothes completely torn down. She has bruises from top to toe.

"In front of him is my uncle who has the clear look of a devil in his eyes. In front of me, my sister, a minor, was violated as feminine by the man I look up to. Her face can't speak but with her cry, I can see her begging for help.

"That time, I'm completely enraged. Even in my dreams, that anger still resides in my head. I blackout the time my head pops off and before I knew it, my hand is already gripping a knife, stabbed directly into my uncle's spine.

"The first time I did it, I knew that my world will change. I'm shaking overly which made me lose the grip of the knife. My sister was there, lost her consciousness with her eyes open. No pulse, no breaths, and not even a blink, I was too late. My dad took the blame and was sent to prison, but my mom, until now, completely blames me for my sister's death and dad's condition.

"I realized that time is the deadliest weapon of all things visible through light. My hands are already tainted with blood, same with Hirari. I longed for an escape, a rest, a quiet place where I can't hear anything but myself. If such a thing exists, maybe Hirari was already there.

"If Hirari wouldn't be dead, I would be. She's more sensitive than I do. She'll make more than a better leader than mine. That's the reason I respected Hirari's decision," Yukawa said.

"Yukawa… I'm okay now," I said as I sit up. "I understand now… and thank you… for trusting me."

"I'm just returning the favor I owe you for trusting me. The poison should take effect by now, but I don't feel anything yet. Are you, Saori?"

I shake my head in response.

"I can't conclude that the water isn't poisoned yet."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"We have no way of telling which water is poisoned or not, but we should expect the effect in the next 24 hours."

"What are you planning to do now, Yukawa?"

"Let's go back."

The two of us came back to the room as if nothing happened. The groups are diverted as expected. Rise's group is still at the corner, Manabu is lonely at the distant chair, and the two boys talking out the window.

"Hey, you," Rise called me with a smug.

"W… What?"

"You're an idiot, don't you? Why did you cry when we don't have water? You should use your brain sometimes."

"I… I'm sorry."

"Don't mind her, Saori. Just follow me," Yukawa said. I continue following him as we go towards Murata and Ryo at the window. I have known Ryo earlier but I didn't have any contact with Murata earlier. The contemplative Murata has green eyes and short, greasy, black hair.

"Ryo, there's something I wanted to talk about. Let's move to the other room," Yukawa said. The two didn't deny it and followed us to the storeroom. They have seen drops of water near the stash.

"What is it that you want to talk about?"

"I voted Manabu and Rise. Can I ask who did you vote for? Please don't lie. I'm just reassuring things."

"Sara and Manabu," Ryo replied.

"Oh, I voted Misaki and Rise. I might have voted Sara too because the three look suspicious," Murata added.

"Then we have no issue here. The truth is, I have a plan, and we only have 24 hours to complete this," Yukawa said.

"Why is there a countdown?" Ryo asked. "Your lips, they're not dry anymore."

"Before we confirm the effects of the poison in our bodies, we need to act fast to find the 'sole' murderer."

"What!? Did you drink it!?" Murata exclaimed.

"It was completely an accident, but if we clear this before the poison took our bodies, then this game's owners might give us an antidote."

"Are you sure that there's only one hunter that we're going to find? We didn't even confirm the existence of two hunters yet," Ryo asked.

"There are still two hunters existing now, but we only need to hunt one."

"Why don't we hunt the two?"

"The sole hunter is the one killing us one by one, and for the other hunter, we don't need to find him…

"Because that hunter was me."