A thousand questions rushed through my brain per second as I was made to sit inside a rather shabby looking vehicle. The seats were rather comfortable and my ass didn't complain but everything else was completely uncomfortable, or I shall say more appropriately that it was unbearable. I was sure this was how it felt to enter the gates of hell in eternal suffering.

Miss Mana sitting beside me with her long arm reaching around and holding my shoulder in place, and two purple haired and red haired girls sitting in front of me each stepping in on my feet. I couldn't run away even if I wanted to so jeez calm down with the hostility. Though the complaint started and died inside my body.

[So since you go to the same school as us, you are most likely aware of who I am, right?] asked Miss Mana in a tone devoid of any expression.

I simply nod my head. It was after all quite clear with the school uniform I was wearing

[Hmm, this is quite troublesome. Clearly, you just stumbled onto this scene of the crime by accident, even deleted the evidence, and also haven't been a pain to deal with so far, thus I can't just "deal" with you like normal]

Heh? What's this? A joke? An understanding murderer.

[So are you going to bark at anyone about what happened back there?]

[Bark? lol why would I do that, I don't know what happened "back there" What is Miss Mana talking about haha] My nervousness caused me to mix in quite a young people's slang in between my words.

[That's quite a good answer but it's just that I don't know if in the future you will bark or not]

[haha nothing I can do there I'm afraid but what am I going to bark for?] that's a YOU problem, not mine, I have already forgotten what happened back there. Playing a hero didn't produce any good results so I might as well abandon such thoughts of heroism, I still have a dream I want to achieve along with my friends.

Though I feel sorry for the guy that fell victim I'm not strong enough to put his justice before my own life. I'm a weak and very selfish girl.

[You are right, that it is indeed a ME problem as I don't quite trust you. But you see Miss -?]

[Mayuri]

[Miss Mayuri, please look at this situation from my shoes as I have looked done the same for you]

How can I see from the shoes of a murderer, I haven't killed anyone, hell I haven't even killed an ant in my life, there's no way I can empathize with you but that doesn't mean I can't understand a little bit where she's coming from but that's the end of my understanding, nothing more I can think of here. I mean how am I supposed to empathize with someone I find to be an utterly repulsive and disgusting human being?

[But I also see that it's quite a difficult task for you to see things from my perspective, hmm, what to do, what to do I must implore]

I don't know, I'm not going to "bark" at anyone for the rest of my life, don't get me involved in your own problems.

[Mana, if I may suggest a solution, how about we make her spend some time with us?]

wait wait wait what is this purple haired girl spouting nonsense for

[Continue]

and why are you allowing it!? I don't like where this thought process is going.

[If she spends time and gets involved with us, we will have plenty of evidence to show that she's indeed a part of our group. So she will find it quite hard to snitch on us since she will also get in trouble]

That's quite some evil plan coming from the mouth of such a fair beauty but why would the snitch be jailed

[Though she may or may not get jailed, we can get out quite easily regardless, then we can punish her. What do you think?]

wait...so Miss Mana belongs to some powerful family? Is she the daughter of a police commissioner?

[hmm, for that to happen I would have to ask my father for a favor which would reduce my ranking quite a bit]

ranking? what's this? a game? Is her father running a family game or something

[yeah but I'm sure we can climb back up. As I see it, I think this is a suitable plan that fits our code]

Murderers with code of honor. The thing is so ridiculous I can't even laugh at it.

[Also Sister Mana, I don't think this girl will tell on us anyway, she seems to be smart in the head, am I right?] the red haired girl asks with smiles plastered all over her face

I quickly nod my head in approval [Of course, of course, I'm the top of the class in our year so my head is quite good!]

But I really don't want to hang out with these detestable people, I don't care about teachers but what would my friends think when they see me hanging out with these girls?

[Alright, let's go with that. Miss Mayuri, you will hang with us during recess and after school until it's midnight, is that clear?]

[I mean I heard it clearly but what should I say to the friends whom I hang out with in school and I have coaching lessons after school too]

I try to throw in reason in hopes of making them reconsider the plan

[Bring your friend along if you want as for the later, we will drop and pick you up from the coaching center, here's my number just send me the location today]

haha...that's quite a quick solution she offered.

[Wow! Alright then! Welcome to the party Miss Mayuri. I am Rose and this one is called Jasmine, you already know about sister Mana, let's shake hands to celebrate this new friendship] the red haired one speaks loudly but very clearly. With her hands extended there was no way I could simply refuse.

It may seem like I have a choice of my own and my own will here but unfortunately, that's really not the case. I'm afraid if I retaliate or refuse them they will not find it hard to make life a living hell quite easily.

Thus the only choice is to accept and endure this suffering until they release me or trust me enough to let go.

As the "discussion" or blackmail comes to an end, the car becomes awfully quiet. Miss Mana is looking out the window while Miss Jasmine and Miss Rose are playing some sort of game on their smartphones. I am not really good with silence but I rather stay quiet and let everything settle down in my head.

A few minutes pass and the car suddenly stops

[Alright, Miss Mayuri, you have reached your home, please leave carefully]

huh? How do they know where I live? wait, Is this their way of telling me that they can so easily find out where I live? An unspoken threat

I gulp the heavy saliva down my throat and open the door to get out.

[[[Stay Safe!]]]

All three spoke out in unison and waved their hands at me as I just stood still like a dead zombie and the car quickly left the porch of my house

"Stay Safe"

What a bunch of nice criminals.

Are the string of words I never thought I would ever usher out in my entire existence.

...

Today has been quite an eventful day, a major tangent to the formulaic life I'm used to living. Just four or five hours ago I was certain of almost everything that would happen in the future and how I was going to go on in my life but this unfortunate event has completely crushed that in just a few hours.

I Sigh again, getting tired that in these past few hours, I have sighed more than a years worth of sighs. 

My room is dark with a dim but warm lampshade sitting to my right. I stare intensely at the lamp and soon warm liquid starts pouring down my eyes. 

I don't like crying, it makes me feel like I'm some weak girl who needs others' help and protection. Even the money I take from my parents for my education and daily necessities makes me feel guilty, but those sacrifices that I can't live without until I become independent. 

I wonder if Miss Mana cries as well. Nah, that isn't possible, how can a cruel murderer like her even cry, she doesn't have any right to cry when her actions have devastated the life of that guy's family. 

She also has no right to show empathy and kindness towards me, a witness to her crimes. Even though she can't she still does.

Does that make her eviler? I don't have an answer to that but her short, neck length silver hair does make her look like some supervillain. Tomorrow I would have to hang out with them during lunch break and after school, I need to come up with an excuse to tell my friends why I can't hang out with them for a few days. I'm sure I can earn Miss Mana's trust in just a few days and then she will allow me to go back to my usual place.

At least that's the plan I have been thinking of, even if the plan is dumb I still have something coherent, some clear vision of what to do from now on. Tears stop in their tracks and their lingering cold and moist effect on my cheeks make me feel uncomfortable, I really don't like crying.

Sighing again, I switch the lampshade off and drift off into sleep