Chapter 2

After class let out, we headed straight to the library to study together. As Matsuo and Yui had requested, I spent the afternoon teaching them to get ready for tomorrow's German quiz. Just a short session covering grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Then, when that was done, Matsuo took over and handed me a sheet of paper filled with math problems.

He said he wanted to see how well I understood the material he'd taught me yesterday. He insisted I stay put and work through every single problem until I finished. Of course, I still couldn't do them all smoothly. There were still some parts I got wrong or didn't nail perfectly. Matsuo just let me be, even when he knew I was using the wrong formulas. But on the other hand, Akane kept quietly pointing things out to me. She didn't actually correct anything, of course. But even that was helpful enough.

Akane is one of our friends. She sits at the desk in front of mine. She's not exactly what you'd call friendly—cold and quiet by nature. Her face is usually blank and emotionless, just about every second of the day. But at the same time, she's also pretty unpredictable. She just rarely shows that side of herself in public.

"Done."

I leaned back in my chair after writing down all the answers. My muscles were cramping up. This was way more painful than having to slaughter a pack of vampires, honestly. I felt like I didn't want to see the letters x or y for the next few days. Just exhausting.

"All correct, buddy. But you're not fast enough, buddy." Matsuo offered a little praise.

"Well, it's not like I'm racing anyone, right? And I couldn't have done it without you and Akane. Thanks a lot."

Matsuo nodded happily. Akane gave a small nod, showing no real reaction. But I could hear her soft voice say, "You're welcome."

"So, where to now?" Yui asked lazily, sprawled out on the desk. Matsuo had made her work through problems just like me.

"I don't have any plans after this," Matsuo said, packing his books into his bag. "No club activities today. What about you, Ko?"

"I've got nothing either. The Literature Club is empty because my senior is out. Besides, it's already late afternoon," I answered.

"Alright. How about you, Akane?" Matsuo asked—his voice softening a little.

"I don't have anything planned either." Akane, as usual, answered using polite Japanese.

"How about that café by the beach?" Yui suggested.

"I want to go there," Akane chimed in immediately. "Yui said the food at that café is really good. I didn't go with you guys last time. I want to try it."

A totally spontaneous response. I could see the excitement on her face. Clear as day. When she gets like this, there's no way to say no, right? This is Akane when she's motivated. She looks just like a typical high school girl, don't you think?

"What do you think, Ko?" Matsuo asked me.

"I'm down for whatever," I answered as honestly as I could.

"Then it's settled. Let's go!" Yui cheered loudly.

And then, a second later, a loud "Shhh…!" came from the librarian, scolding her. The librarian shot her a disapproving look. So Yui had no choice but to shut up immediately and bow an apology.

We continued our discussion in hushed voices so we wouldn't disturb anyone. Once everything was decided, we packed our bags and headed out of the library to go to the café we'd been talking about. I could see the happiness on Akane's face, even if she was holding back her expression a little. There's still so much I don't know about this friend of mine. She's a bit mysterious.

When we got to the shoe lockers, I swapped my indoor slippers for a pair of black Converse and then stepped outside, following my three friends.

The typical June air swept over my body. The sky was still blue. But on the horizon, the sun was slowly slipping into its bed, following the current before fully resting from today's shift. Normally, I'd head straight home after school and go on patrol through every corner of the city. But now, I was just strolling along, following three teenagers busy talking about food—completely clueless about the dark dangers of the night.

"Akane, what do you think of donuts? Do you like donuts?" Matsuo asked in a gentle tone to Akane beside him.

"I like donuts." Akane answered flatly.

"I actually prefer chocolate cake, but donuts are okay too," Yui interjected.

"I like chocolate cake too! Really!" Akane said, not wanting to be outdone.

"Which is better, chocolate cake or donuts?" Matsuo asked, confused.

"They're both good!" Akane and Yui said in unison.

"You guys are so greedy."

"We're still growing. What's wrong with that?"

"I want to get taller too."

"Then why not eat more vegetables or drink milk? That would help a lot more."

"But donuts and chocolate cake taste better. Right, Akane?"

"I agree, Yui. Especially if someone else is treating. I'm sure it'll taste even better!"

"You two..."

I could only smile watching the three of them. They've only known each other for a few weeks—and only because their desks are next to each other. But somehow, they've already gotten this close. Is it because Matsuo is too friendly, Yui too easygoing, or Akane too laid-back? I'm not sure. But this kind of situation is really enjoyable. Honestly.

"Hm?"

The evening breeze blew softly, swaying our uniforms and hair. I could smell a sweet fragrance carried on the wind. Maybe it was Akane's or Yui's perfume. But besides that, there was a salty scent swirling in the air. Faint and thin. But I could still smell it clearly. I know this unpleasant smell. No doubt about it—it's the smell of blood!

"Hey, Ko, what's up?" Matsuo's voice asked. Judging from the relaxed look on his face, he clearly didn't smell what I was smelling. Neither did Yui or Akane. But that's normal. They're just ordinary people. Besides, the smell was really faint. If not for the wind, even I probably wouldn't have been able to detect it.

"Sorry, I think I left my phone in the classroom. I'll go grab it. You guys go ahead. I'll catch up."

"Is that so? Alright. But you know the way, right?"

"Yeah, I know it. If I forget, I'll just call you."

"Okay. We'll head out first then. Don't take too long."

I gave a short nod and immediately turned around. But my steps weren't headed toward the classroom to get my phone—that thing had been in my pocket the whole time. Instead, I ran toward that salty smell.

***

The Frederick Sayoko High School complex is built on a hill, very close to a forested area. That land is also property of the family, of course, though it's not technically part of the school's territory. The fishy smell I caught was coming from there.

I walked quite a distance, following the dense line of trees along a rocky path, climbing up and down rolling hills, until I finally arrived at a grassy field. Right on top of a flat rock, I found a deer lying dead. Its mouth was foaming, and its lips had turned blue. The animal looked like it had been dead for quite a while. There were three wounds on its body, likely from gunshots. Looks like it was chased by a group of illegal hunters and managed to escape all the way here. Poor thing.

"I thought someone was dead, but it's just a deer. I guess my nose needs some retraining."

A year-long coma is bound to dull anyone's senses, right? I should have known.

Alright, now what do I do? I can't exactly take it home. I'd get arrested. Leaving it here isn't good either. Reporting it to the school would be a hassle. What would I even say when they ask how I found this deer? That could get messy, right?

"The only option left is to bury it. But how? I don't have a shovel. Maybe I should borrow one from the maintenance crew first."

Or... maybe not.

"Huh? What's that?"

I was about to take a step when I suddenly spotted something in the distance. Something you could call an ancient structure. A tower, to be precise. An old tower. It was located right in the middle of a field where nothing grew except a single, short cherry blossom tree.

"Was that building there from the start, or are my eyes just playing tricks on me?"

That's a hard question to answer. I hadn't really been paying attention to my surroundings since I spotted the dead deer. Still, anyone would be able to see a tower that big even if they weren't trying to look at it.

Before now, I didn't remember anyone ever mentioning this tower at Frederick Sayoko. Besides, why would it be built in the middle of a forest like this? It's weird.

But one thing's for sure: its existence made me suspicious. I couldn't just ignore it. So I decided to investigate right away, just to make sure it wasn't some secret organization's hideout. With that decision set in my mind, I took a firm step forward. Maybe I'd find a shovel there to bury that poor deer. You never know.

It didn't take long before I reached the tower's door. With a building that big, "gate" might be a better word. At first, I thought I'd have to put in some serious effort to open it. But unexpectedly, the door swung open with just one push—barely any effort at all.

"This is..."

I was at a loss for words for a moment when I saw the inside. The sight left me speechless. Rows upon rows of tall shelves lined every corner. Not just on the floor, but all along the walls, spiraling all the way to the top. And on every single shelf, without a doubt, there were countless books. Maybe thousands of dozens, hundreds of thousands, or even millions. Definitely more than I'd ever seen at the City Library.

From all of these discoveries, I think we can drop the metaphors. This building is clearly a library. A tower of books.

*** 

For reasons I couldn't figure out, I couldn't find a single staff member here. The building was empty, uninhabited. For a tower this full of books to be completely unguarded—it was a baffling anomaly.

But I didn't dwell on it too much. I just enjoyed my time, wandering from floor to floor, checking out every book I could see. There were lots of literary works and books I couldn't understand. Most were written in Latin, Cyrillic, and languages like that. But one thing I could say for sure: the majority of the collection here was decades, or even centuries, old. You could tell from the different types of paper. Besides, everything I'd found so far was by old, long-dead authors.

"Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. This is from 1774. My great-great-grandmother wasn't even born yet. This is really old."

But miraculously, every letter was still clearly readable. Even if a few pages were a little torn.

"I shouldn't keep this open too long. I'll just damage it more."

I put back the autobiography I'd taken from a shelf on the fourth floor. After placing the book back, I tilted my head up. The journey to the top was still really far. Maybe I'd find someone up there. I wasn't holding my breath, though. But if there was someone, hopefully they had a shovel. I also wanted some answers about this tower's existence.

"Hm?"

Again, I thought I saw something. It was peeking out from behind a shelf on the fifth floor. No, not something. Someone, to be exact.

"Hey."

I called out to that person. But they didn't answer. Instead, they immediately ran off.

"Alright, then."

That's a suspicious reaction. A librarian wouldn't just bolt at the sight of a visitor, right?—if that's even the right word for it. So it's safe to assume that person isn't in charge of this building.

So without wasting any more time, following my curiosity, I chased after them, climbing the spiral staircase from one floor to the next. There were nine floors in total I had to climb. That person had already disappeared by the time I reached the top. But I saw them go into a room at the far end of the floor. So I followed them inside.