Loups-Garous by Natsuhiko Kyôgoku Read Free Book Online Page A

concerned?
    It wasn’t really any of their business. Thus revising her opinion, Hazuki stepped out under the rain and into the unsettling city. That was when it happened.
    Ayumi had turned away from Yabe’s face. Probably on purpose, so she didn’t have to look at her.
    No matter the situation, of course she didn’t like being looked at. Hazuki did not look at her either, so she wasn’t sure why she thought it. But for some reason she did. It seemed Ayumi had the same thought occur to her, and they both stopped moving.
    Wait . The sound just came through the shushing of the rainfall.
    Ayumi wasn’t sure whether she’d stopped or heard the call first.
    As she turned on her heel the pink-lensed Yuko Yabe was approaching them.
    â€œWait,” Yuko repeated.
    She was talking to Ayumi, because Hazuki had already stopped and turned around.
    â€œIs everything okay?” Yuko asked. Ayumi didn’t turn around. “Hey,”
    Yuko probed, and Ayumi said, “I’m fine.” Hazuki didn’t know what was going on.
    Yuko tentatively stared at Ayumi’s back, which showed no sign of turning about, and eventually put Hazuki back in her field of vision.
    â€œDid something…happen?”
    She asked as if her thoughts were deep somewhere.
    Hazuki probed further instead of answering. “What do you mean, did something happen?”
    â€œWell you’re…acting strange.”
    â€œYou don’t know then?”
    She apparently didn’t know about the murder that had taken place in the area.
    News had gotten out about an hour ago.
    Hazuki had confirmed it on their way here. If Yuko had been at home she should have known. This kind of emergency data would be displayed on any active monitor, no matter your profession.
    When Hazuki asked if she really didn’t know, Yuko said it was because her monitor was broken.
    â€œBroken?”
    Was there some kind of trouble? Even so, she should have been at home. Was she saying the main terminal was broken too?
    â€œMurder. In this area.”
    â€œMurder?”
    Yuko raised her eyebrows.
    â€œRandom killing under the North-South Line bridge.”
    â€œSo.”
    â€œSo?”
    â€œSo that person, after that thing…”
    â€œThis time it was a boy,” Ayumi said and turned her body.
    â€œHere.”
    Ayumi showed her own monitor to Yuko.
    Portable monitors have small displays, which made it hard for Hazuki to see, but she was sure Ayumi was showing information on the victim.
    â€œRyu Kawabata. Age sixteen. Son of an average insurance and hygiene clerk.”
    Ayumi brought the monitor closer to Yuko after speaking. The pink contact lenses reflected the screen.
    â€œThis is the victim.”
    Yuko stared at the monitor until the mist on her temple collected enough moisture to trickle down. Then, tensing her forehead, she glanced at Hazuki.
    â€œWhat are you doing with this?”
    That’s what I’d like to know , Hazuki thought.
    But…
    She couldn’t help but think Ayumi and Yuko were sharing some kind of information, just from having listened to the way Yuko spoke earlier.
    He wasn’t dead. Ayumi must have known why Yuko was absent from class today.
    Still…
    If that were the case, the way Ayumi saw Yuko looking at and then ignoring her, and then acting like she couldn’t get away from her fast enough, was all unsettling.
    As if Yuko noticed Hazuki was unusually deep in thought. What. What was it?
    â€œThat can’t be.”
    â€œDon’t worry, we didn’t come here to check on you,” Ayumi said.
    â€œWe’re looking for Mio Tsuzuki’s house.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œBecause it’s raining.”
    The raindrops grew heavier, lengthening. They fell harder.
    â€œHer house is over there, by where the car is parked.”
    â€œCar?”
    â€œYeah, one of those gas-consuming things that moved people around a long time ago.”
    On