Behind the mask

~Haruki's POV~

I got carried away for nothing, Aron simply had the chance to find himself facing a test that was easier than expected. After all, why would the director do an impossible test doesn't make sense. Also no, Aron could never have won in just four minutes, he would never have won at all.

I begin to calm down when Naomi speaks.

Naomi : So now that we have the gun can you show us what you figured out ?

Aron : Yes, but for that we have to find a cat to be able to use our new toy against it.

After that we started to go looking for the 3rd computer to activate.

**********

We finally arrived at a dead end with a staircase going directly into the ceiling.

Kenta looks at the trapdoor that the stairs lead to before saying that they need to find a riddle to open it.

Me : Can't you just break down the trap door ?

Kenta : it's steel, but yes I can.

Naomi : I don't think it's accepted in the rules. Imagine if opening it by force got us out of the game, you'd look smart, you idiot.

Me : No need to insult me, I'm just trying to think of a quicker solution !

Naomi : Think better then !

Aron cut me off during my civil discussion with Naomi.

Aron : Instead of fighting like children, you'd better read the riddle.

Naomi : Yes, it's true, you're right. You see Haruki, Aron think carefully.

I dream, why is she giving me lessons ! I would have answered him but Kenta spoke up.

Kenta : "I am the beginning of the end, and the end of time and space. I am present in the darkness of night and the light of day. People search for me all their lives, but few who find me. Who am I ?"

~Aron's POV~

Naomi and Haruki, who had been noisy until then, began to think in silence.

Kenta : Silence. I think the answer is silence.

Naomi out of her thoughts.

Naomi : The silence ? For what ?

Me : Silence is the beginning of the end, as it often marks the end of a sound.

It is the end of time and space, because in silence, time seems to stop and space loses its sound definition.

Silence is present both in the darkness of night, where noises are often less perceptible, and in the light of day, when there are no particular sounds.

People search for it their whole lives, because finding true silence, free from all noise, can be rare.

Kenta : Exactly ! The enigma plays on the duality of silence, both present everywhere and difficult to achieve in its purity.

Haruki looks at Kenta confusedly.

He must surely realize that he underestimated him. Haruki seems to judge a person's intelligence based on their academic achievements, but the two are not necessarily related.

When Kenta notices him he looks in his direction before saying.

Kenta : You think I'm an idiot just because I narrowly passed the test ? I'm just not cut out for the school system, that's all.

Haruki is embarrassed to find that Kenta has guessed his thoughts towards him.

Haruki : Yes... Sorry...

Naomi : Hurry up and activate the computer Haruki ! 30 minutes have already passed, there is only one hour left !

Haruki : Yes yes ! It's okay, I'm going, no need to shout !

"THE THIRD COMPUTER HAS BEEN ACTIVATED"

We are about to leave when a man in white blocks our way

??? : I finally found you.

Naomi : What's the same as last time !?

As he rushes towards Naomi once again I point the gun in his direction and activate his chip with it. He began to shake in pain before finally collapsing to the ground.

Naomi : He... he looks dead there, right ?

Me : Yes, that's normal. He is dead.

The silence after what I just said shows that they are in shock and don't know how to react. After all it's normal, they have certainly never been in front of a corpse.

Me : In reality the chip activates an electrical discharge which burns the brain.

As I say these words Kenta grabs my collar and looks at me with rage and disgust.

Kenta : So you just killed an innocent person ! ! !

I sigh before answering

Me : You don't understand? If I wouldn't have killed him then Naomi would have died.

Kenta releases his grip slightly, his gaze reflecting complete incomprehension.

Kenta : What...?

Me : Remember, according to the rules activating the chip is supposed to eliminate a player not kill them. But actually being eliminated is like dying. If Naomi had been touched she would have been eliminated and therefore she would have died.

Kenta : How can you be sure ? !

Me : Look at the gloves the cat has.

Kenta let go of me so I could get the gloves and show him.

I put on the glove and activate a mechanism that releases a syringe filled with a purplish liquid.

Me : When the cat touched Naomi, the syringe would have injected her with this deadly poison.

Everyone started looking at me while still in shock.

Naomi : So... you saved my life ?

Me : Yes, we can say that.

Naomi threw herself at me, thanking me while crying both with relief and fear at what had just happened.

Me : But that's not what I wanted to show you.

Naomi releases her grip.

Naomi : So what is it...?

I walk over to the corpse and remove its mask, revealing a boy our age.

Seeing her face filled with pain and agony, Naomi couldn't hold back any longer and she started to vomit.

Haruki : But I know him... he's a classmate I had last year. He failed the admissions test so what is he doing here ? Unless...

Me : Did you finally understand ? In reality there are only two teams, the cats and the mice. The director said that the fake exam was only there to train the teams. The students thought that what the principal meant was to put them with those with the most points. But it's wrong. The truth is that the director wanted to say that there is the team of those who passed the false exam, and the team of those who failed this exam. The proof is that he asked those who had failed to go to the gymnasium, then he made them leave right after. The students had to leave to put on their outfits and thus prepare for the game, the people who gave us our new phones were also these students. The fact that the director asked us to put ourselves in teams of four was a trap, the rules only speak of two roles, but at no time does it say that you have to be in teams of four to participate. Students who lost the entrance exam were given one last chance, that of defeating the students who had passed and thus taking their places.

Kenta : But why make students kill each other ? !

Me : This establishment is considered to be the best in Japan, even in the world. All these students must have worked hard for months to try to get into this school. The pressure caused by the expectations of their parents and themselves regarding their future and their success pushed them to do everything to succeed. If you can't be part of the elite even though you have sacrificed everything to achieve it, then isn't it better to die ? If the only way for you to make your parents proud and succeed in life was to have to kill the people who stole your hopes to take their place, would you do it ? It doesn't matter what your answer is, because they have already made their choices.