Chapter 8
Minori sat down besides Shizuku and Ichika, while Honami was off somewhere.
"Shizuku-chan, I… Don't think Hinomori remembers who she is… She says her name is Es and acts like she doesn't know me."
Shizuku looked at Minori.
"That can't be… I know Shii remembers me. She was probably being professional, she's such a hard worker…!"
She said, smiling briefly.
"I'd probably consider what Minori is saying, Shizuku. I mean, none of us have had contact with her just yet, so it'd be better to believe the word of someone who has, don't you think?"
Ichika suggested, quickly being brushed off by Shizuku.
"Shii would never forget, really."
There was a quick pause before Ichika asked.
"Oh, by the way, who's going up next? I think it's by numbers but I'm not that sure."
Minori grabbed some sort of label that hung onto the belts (? Around her right arm.
"Well, this says 002 and I was the second to go in, I think it is by numbers."
Instead of her arm, Shizuku found hers hanging on her back with the number 005 on it.
And finally, Ichika's had the number 004, making her the next.
"Not gonna lie, now I feel kinda nervous…"
She said, Shizuku putting a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sure you'll be fine, Ichika, Shii would never hurt anyone!"
Honami really wasn't entirely sure why she was going to Asahina's cell.
Maybe because she was Ms. Yoisaki's friend, maybe because of how she was acting recently, all creepy and emotionless, Honami really didn't know.
But nonetheless, she approached her cell.
"Asahina-senpai? Are you-"
She saw her, laying on the floor and completely unconscious.
She kneeled down, getting closer to Mafuyu.
"Asahina-senpai…?"
She looked at her closely, her hair was shorter, loose, and her eyes were devoid of any life as she slept.
But what caught Honami's attention almost immediately were her hands.
Her hands were tied up together.
Everyone had these sort of belts in their clothes ever since they got into the prison, you could still move around freely, but Mafuyu's went around her neck and around her arms and hands, to the point where Honami was certain that it would leave marks on her skin because of how tight they seemed to be.
"...Mochizuki..?"
Honami didn't notice Mafuyu wake up, she was startled and stumbled away from her.
"A-Asahina-senpai! Are your hands okay?! I noticed they were tied pretty tightly…"
Honami asked, making Mafuyu look down at her tied hands.
"I don't mind them… Is that all…?"
As Mafuyu finished her sentence, Honami jumped when Es' voice was heard.
Es sighed through the speakers.
"Uhh… Prisoner 004… Ichika,
come through the door, please."
"...Oh no."
Honami said under her breath, Mafuyu wasn't moving at all, just staring at her.
"I wonder how Kanade's doing…"
Honami turned around.
"Me too… I feel a bit bad to be here, thinking about Ms. Yoisaki…"
Mafuyu had fallen asleep again.
Honami went back to her cell afterwards.