Confinement King
chapter-59

Chapter 59: A Man’s Intuition is More Accurate than Expected

Thanks TrashPanda for the support…

「Hatsu-chan…… I’m thirsty」

「You’re not the only one who’s suffering, Shima」

「That’s true, but…」

Such exchange happened between Captain and Shima-senpai.

It had been a few hours since anyone had opened their mouths.

All the members of the club are already awake.

But it was only for the first hour that they screamed and cried at the sight of their indecent outfits.

The rest of the time, no one said a word, and they just lay their limp.

「I heard that people can live for a while without food, but not for long without water. We’ll have to do something about that」

「How to do that……」

「Listen, Shima. It is said that those who are lost at sea drink a “piss” to quench their thirst」

They must have overheard our conversation. And some people began to shiver and tremble in various places. I suppose that’s natural. Even I don’t like it.

「The only problem is, if I’m in a situation where I absolutely have to drink, “whose piss will it be”?」

「Is that the problem?」

I knew I shouldn’t say that, but I did.

「Oh, Moribe. Hmm, I think I can drink yours」

「Moribe-chan is likely to provide water, right?」

「Huh!?」

I couldn’t help but choke on my voice.

However, the two girls quickly shifted their target to another girl.

「How about…. Inui?」

「I think it’s more likely no」

This time, I heard a gasping sound in the distance.

Probably, it’s Mako that has just been mentioned.

Then, the first-year student who was lying next to Shima-senpai, who has ringlet hair and looked like a young lady, let out an exasperated voice. (*Note: ringlet hair -> drill hair)

「Senpai…… please stop this. We are all frightened」

Her name is Yui Kayama.

She is said to be a young lady from a good family, but she is weak under pressure and spends most of her time in the bathroom during the competition, which has earned her the nickname “Miss Bowel”. She is a gem of a girl who is sure to become the shame of the track and field club.

「Don’t worry, Kayama. You are the best of the worst」

「I’ll pass, too, Kayama……」

「Why is that!?」

「Why is that? ……Well, I just think that a nice young lady like you might have a protein or sugar problem from overindulgence」

「Isn’t that adult disease!?」

「But it seems you eat a lot of meat. You look like an animal」

「You’re so prejudiced!!」

I really don’t even know how many hours I’ve been confined.

I’m at my wits end…… I think. It is hard, and I can’t help it.

But why are these people so cheerful? When I thought about it, I realized that all three of them were long distance runners. It made sense to me.

◇ ◇ ◇

It was almost noon when I left the house and went to school.

I was dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt because I didn’t have any classes.

Thanks to Ryoko, I knew exactly what was going on.

And with the help of Lili, I was able to explain to them why I was near the girls’ track and field club room.

So, there’s nothing to be nervous about, even though it’s an interview.

I don’t feel it… but

「Ehehe… Fu~min is super cool in plain clothes too」

「Why are you following me ……?」

The young lady’s version of Fujiwara-san was walking next to me, clinging to my arm.

「I mean, an interview doesn’t have to take hours, does it?」

「Well, yeah, that’s true」

「Then let’s go on a date afterwards」

「I’ll be straight home」

「Then I’m going to your house」

「Please go back to your home. I beg you」

While we were having this exchange, we arrived at the school. The usual guard was not there, but there was a policeman in uniform at the entrance.

I told him that I had been called by Detective Terashima, and after exchanging a few words with someone on the radio, he opened the gate and said, “Please go to the principal’s office”.

When I got to the shoebox, two other policemen were waiting for me.

One of them asked Fujiwara-san, “Are you his escort?” She replied smilingly, “I’m his wife ❤”, and an indescribably delicate atmosphere arose.

The policeman let out a dry laugh, “Haha”.

I’m really sorry.

After regaining his composure, I was guided to the principal’s office, and the “escort” to the other room.

“Fu~min! Hurry up and come back!” Said Fujiwara-san’s after I dodge her throwing kisses and followed the policeman to the principal’s office.

On the way to the principal’s office, I saw Teruya-san walking toward me.

She was probably being questioned as well.

However, we didn’t exchange any words.

Teruya-san glanced at me with a curious look, “Why is this guy here?”.

Well, we had never exchanged a word in the classroom either, and although, our seats were so close, but our relationship was light-years away.

When I entered the principal’s office, I found a good-looking uncle with silver-rimmed glasses and Ryoko on the sofa, and the principal, as usual, sitting at the desk in the back.

As soon as I sat down on the sofa, the good-looking uncle opened his mouth.

「I’m sorry you had to come here today. Did you have any plans this afternoon?」

「Yes, I had a date with my girlfriend……. Well, she came with me as an escort, so we’ll go for a walk in the park afterwards」

Is it good? I feel it’s a little vain.

「I see. Well, I don’t want to keep her waiting, so I’d like to move on to the questions quickly……」

「Yes」

「Well then, the day before yesterday after school…… just after sixth period. Were you in the area of the women’s club activity building?」

「Y-Yes, I was there, but it was…….」

I made a startled face and pretended to be confused.

「Some people said they saw you there. It was just before and after the girls’ track & field club went missing……」

「I-I had nothing to do with that!」

「All right. Then what were you doing there?」

「Ugh……」

I pretended to groan and glanced at the principal. I saw Ryoko give a small nod. It seems that she understood my intentions.

「Principal, may I ask you to leave your seat for a moment?」

Ryoko said.

「Eh…. Yes, I understand」

The principal left the principal’s office with an air of reluctance. After watching the door close, I opened my mouth.

「In fact, on the break, I had a…… bad day, and while I took the fifth period, I got more and more sick and tired of it, so I skipped the sixth period. After that, I sat in the sun on the stairs at the entrance to the old school building」

「Sunbathing……?」

「Yes. I was dozing in the …… sun and before I knew it, it was the end of sixth period and everyone was leaving for school. And if the other people in my class found out I was skipping class, it would be embarrassing……」

「And?」

「I thought I’d go home via the “hidden passage”……」

「Hidden passage?」

「Oh, that’s what we call it. The fence behind the girls’ club building comes off if you lift it up a little」

The eyebrows of the good-looking uncle twitched.

Then, he looked at the uniformed police officer behind him and gave some kind of signal. I heard the door open and the sound of footsteps walking away. He probably went to check it out the place.

The place was surrounded by a high fence, several meters high, to keep the ball from flying out. On the other side of the fence is a forest road.

The day before yesterday, I actually got out of there after capturing a member of the track & field club.

If someone examines the area closely, they might be able to find my footprints.

However, I did not remove the fences at that time.

Because I used to get to the forest road.

The fence, which was could be lifted up, actually what I asked Lili to do.

In addition, I asked her to throw away one of the student handbooks of the track and field club members in the forest, just in case they started to investigate the forest road in earnest.

「I see… You’re skipping. I’m sure it’s hard to say in the presence of the principal. I understand what you’re saying, but I’m not impressed……」

「I’m sorry…….」

「So, did you see anything unusual there?」

「Nothing that comes to mind……」

「……Okay」

With that, the good-looking uncle glanced at his watch. It seems it’s a very expensive watch from a famous foreign manufacturer that I’ve heard of.

「Then….. earlier, you said that you skipped school because you were sick of it, but you didn’t leave right away. You said that you were basking in the sun at the old school building, but why didn’t you leave right away?」

I knew this good-looking uncle was much different from Detective Inomoto. He was able to get into the part of my answer that was a hundred percent a lie. Maybe he is really good at it.

However, I felt that it was not a good idea to lie on top of lies. Not all human behavior can be explained by logic, anyway.

「Eh….. W-why not? I think it’s because I felt kinda want it…… Yeah, kinda」

The good-looking uncle was watching me closely. I understand that. Next to him, Ryoko looked uncomfortable.

「Is that so? …….By the way, is your girlfriend from this school?」

「Eh, ah…… yes, she’s a girl in my class」

「I see…… Actually, you know. I’m going to get married soon, too. I’m getting married soon to this Ryoko Terashima-san」

「W-wait a minute, Inspector! What do you say all of a sudden?」

「Oh, is that so? Congratulations!」

「Yes, thank you」

What is it? What is this detective trying to say? Is he trying to trick me? I couldn’t help but be alarmed.

At the same time, I felt a little bad thinking that this was Ryoko’s fiancé. Because Ryoko is already mine.

「So, Kijima-kun. What kind of person is your girlfriend?」

「Eh? Um… I’m sorry. Is that related to the case?」

「No, it’s just small talk」

「O-okay…… that’s fine. At first, I was tired of her following me around, but… I just couldn’t …… leave her alone」

「So, she confessed to you?」

「Y-yes, she did」

Don’t look so surprised! No, actually, I was surprised too!

At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

「Come in」

”Excuse me!” The uniformed police officer who came in gave an ear-to-ear talk to the good-looking uncle.

The good-looking uncle’s face immediately changed.

「Kijima-kun! I heard that your girlfriend collapsed due to hyperventilation」

「Eh!?」

「I heard that she’s resting in the infirmary after giving her first aid, so please get her there as soon as possible」

「I understand!」

◇ ◇ ◇

In the place of Master who hurriedly ran out of the principal’s office, the uniformed policeman who went to check the fence at the back of the school came back.

「There is indeed one part that can be removed」

「I see…… Then, please allocate an investigator to check it thoroughly. Oh, right. Please ask Detective Inomoto to take charge」

「Yes, sir!」

When the uniformed officer left, Inspector Nakamura turned his head toward me and smiled.

「It was an unexpected harvest, wasn’t it? If it is possible to go out of the school directly from the back of the club building, it will be a very different story」

「Ehh, that’s…… true」

「Hmm? What’s the matter?」

「Umm…… Takehiko-san. Why did you tell him …… that we were getting married?」

「Was it sudden?」

「Ehh, pretty much…」

「Well…… at first I was just going to bide my time until the fence was checked. However, it seemed to me that he was looking at Ryoko in an unpleasant way. Well, just think of it as childish jealousy」

「Geez…… Takehiko-san!」

I showed my embarrassment.

In fact, my gut is boiling because I feel like I’ve exposed something embarrassing in front of my Master, but it’s for my Master’s sake. I guess I have to be patient here.

But Inspector Nakamura narrowed his eyes and said.

「I think it’s best to keep an eye on him for a while longer. As Inomoto said, he looked like a typical bullied child, with a strange air of confidence peeking out from time to time. He seems to be a type of person I’ve never met before」

That was, oddly enough, the same impression I had given Inomoto-senpai when I first met my Master.