CHAPTER 16
STRANGE BEHAVIOR
The wooden door closed with a soft yet firm click, severing the last remnants of dim light from the library. Darkness engulfed them, so profound that their eyes strained to perceive even vague shapes in the void.
Kyoichiiro immediately heightened his guard. His senses sharpened, attempting to map this unfamiliar room. Aetheria's short, slightly hurried breaths beside him were distinctly audible in the total silence.
Kyoichiiro: (His voice low, calm, yet clearly gauging the space) "What is this place? It's so dark and quiet."
His words echoed softly, quickly absorbed by the damp darkness. He did not panic; the absence of light made him focus on his other senses.
Aetheria: (A small, trembling voice, as her hand sought and tightly grasped Kyoichiiro's sleeve) "Kyoichiiro-san... what is this place?"
Her grip was strong, reflecting her fear of the unknown environment and the uncertainty of why Amura had brought them here.
Kyoichiiro: (Answering in an analytical tone, while his eyes slowly adjusted) "I can't identify it yet. The architecture feels... incongruous. A hidden room behind a public library usually has a special purpose, but to be this dark without any light source? It's inefficient."
He stepped forward slowly, one hand slightly raised as a sensor, his feet carefully testing the ground. Aetheria followed closely behind, still holding on.
Their steps were mere whispers against the dusty floor. After a few paces, the tip of Kyoichiiro's shoe struck something solid and low.
Kyoichiiro: (Letting out a soft grunt) "Damn... What's this?"
He crouched, his right hand groping ahead of his feet. His fingers touched a dusty surface, then traced its shape. The object felt long, flat, and sturdy. Kyoichiro rubbed the dust clinging to his fingertips, feeling its fine texture.
Kyoichiiro: (Muttering, more to himself) "Dust... but underneath..."
He pressed his palm against the object's surface. It felt hard, cool, and very smooth. With his knuckles, he tapped it gently.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sound of solid, high-quality wood. Kyoichiiro's expression shifted slightly, his eyebrows rising in deep curiosity.
Kyoichiiro: (Analyzing in a whisper) "Wood. But sanded extremely smooth, probably varnished with quality finish. The shape is long and linear... Is this a table?"
His mind raced. A table in a pitch-dark room? He felt along the side of the object, trying to discern if there were table legs or other supports.
Kyoichiiro: (Turning slightly toward Aetheria, his voice firm but not loud) "Aetheria, you should stay behind me. Hold onto my shoulder if you need to. We don't know what's in this room yet."
He wanted to ensure Aetheria was in a relatively safe position, shielded by his body from any unseen danger.
Aetheria: (Nodding quickly, even in the dark) "M-hmm."
She shifted her grip from his sleeve to the back of his robe, drawing closer. Kyoichiro felt her obedient presence following him.
Moving more cautiously, Kyoichiiro stepped forward again, avoiding the object. Just two steps later, his foot met something lower. He crouched, feeling around. It was shaped like a horizontal wooden plank supported by four legs. A bench.
Kyoichiiro: (Tapping the bench once more) Tap. Tap.
"My guess was right. This arrangement... rows of tables and benches. This resembles a classroom or a lecture hall."
His logic was working. But why was a hidden classroom here? And why was it pitch black?
Suddenly, from a direction they hadn't approached—likely near the door—came a louder clack, followed by the sound of something sliding and a firm metallic click.
Kyoichiiro: (Reflexively turning his body, his right arm extending to the side to shield the space in front of Aetheria, his posture lowering slightly into readiness)
"The sound of a lock? Amura... what is the meaning of this?"
His voice was flat, yet beneath that tone lay sharpness and high alert. His eyes, now better at distinguishing large shapes, stared toward the source of the sound.
Before any answer came, another series of clicks echoed, this time from the ceiling. Then, with a faint electric hum, bright white light suddenly flooded the room.
Kyoichiiro and Aetheria reflexively squinted. The light came from rows of long fluorescent lamps embedded neatly in the high ceiling. The revealed room left them silent for a moment.
The room was vast—even larger than the library section they had explored. The floor was made of dark, aged wood, the walls of brick partly covered with wooden panels. Most striking were the dozens of sets of dark brown wooden desks and chairs, arranged in neat rows facing a large blackboard at the far end. However, the arrangement wasn't perfect; some desks looked shifted, a few chairs overturned, as if the room had been abandoned in haste. Dust covered most surfaces, but not as thickly as one might expect—there were areas that appeared recently wiped or sat upon.
And among the rows of desks, walking from the front near the blackboard, was Amura. His face bore his usual wide smile, but something seemed forced at the corners of his eyes.
Amura: (His hands raised, palms open forward in an apologetic gesture) "Sorry, sorry! I startled you!"
He approached with quick steps. "Bringing you to a place like this without a clear explanation... that was truly wrong. My apologies, Kyoichiiro-san, Aetheria."
Kyoichiiro's eyes didn't blink. He narrowed them, his gaze like a scalpel trying to dissect every micron of expression on Amura's face. The stare was focused, intense, and full of unspoken questions.
Under such scrutiny, Amura's smile slowly stiffened. He blinked three times in quick succession, a nervous reflex.
Amura: (Thinking to himself, panicked) Oi, oi... I misstepped. It feels like I'm being watched by an apex predator ready to pounce...
To fill the increasingly tense silence, Amura suddenly closed his eyes and grinned even wider, both hands balled into fists in front of his chest as if celebrating something—a gesture completely out of context that only made him seem more suspicious.
Kyoichiiro: (Without changing his expression, he began walking toward Amura) "Amura."
Just the calling of his name, but its tone weighed heavily on the atmosphere. His steps were firm, his eyes still locked on Amura's, trying to read the intent behind his strange behavior.
He walked slowly, observing his surroundings while keeping focus on his target. When he had covered about five meters, the edge of his right shoe suddenly caught on something hard and sharp between the floorboards—a protruding nail.
His balance vanished. His body pitched forward.
Aetheria: (Gasping, face pale) "Kyoichiiro-san—!!"
But before Kyoichiiro could crash into the row of desks, a shadow darted forward with incredible speed. Amura, moving with agility utterly incongruous with his casual demeanor, closed the distance in an instant. Both his hands caught Kyoichiiro's body firmly, preventing the fall.
Amura: (Voice anxious, expression genuinely worried) "Kyoichiiro-san! Are you alright?!"
His breath was slightly labored, showing the effort he had just exerted.
Kyoichiiro, who had braced to catch himself with his hands, slowly stood upright with Amura's help. He straightened his dusty robe, then looked directly into Amura's still-concerned face.
Kyoichiiro: (Nodding once, his voice neutral) "My apologies, I was too careless. Thank you."
His thanks were sincere, yet his eyes remained observant. He noted how Amura's reaction had shifted from tension to genuine concern, and now back to a guilty expression.
Amura: (Letting out a sigh, his shoulders slumping) "No, no... it's I who should apologize. For making you both tense and bringing you here like this."
He bowed his head slightly, his smile fading, replaced by a rare look of earnest seriousness.
Kyoichiiro: (To himself) I see... His reactions are consistent. His guilt appears genuine. But that doesn't answer the main question.
He closed his eyes briefly, gathering his thoughts. When he opened them again, his gaze was calmer but still filled with curiosity.
Kyoichiiro: "So, what did you want to talk about? You said it was an important conversation."
He glanced around the old classroom. "And why must it be in a place like this?"
Amura: (Nodding, gesturing for them to sit) "We should sit down first. It might take a while."
From behind Kyoichiiro, Aetheria approached with flushed cheeks. Her lips were pursed, her eyebrows furrowed. She folded her arms across her chest.
Aetheria: "Hmmmph!"
A small sound of protest, full of displeasure. She was clearly still upset about being startled and led into a frightening dark room.
Amura: (Smiling wryly, nodding repeatedly) "Sorry, sorry, Aetheria."
They then took three benches from the nearest row. Kyoichiiro arranged them in a loose triangular formation: he sat facing Amura, Aetheria sat at Kyoichiiro's right side, slightly angled inward. Kyoichiiro sat with his back straight, ankles crossed, hands resting in his lap. His expression was patient yet ready to analyze.
Aetheria remained seated with her arms folded, cheeks slightly puffed, her eyes fixed on Amura with a disgruntled stare.
Kyoichiiro: (Nodding to Amura) "Go ahead."
Amura: (Sitting, his body leaning forward slightly, hands clasped between his knees. He took a deep breath, his face turning serious—genuinely serious, unlike his usual cheerful or feigned expressions so far)
"Alright. So..."
He paused for a moment, choosing his words. The vast, silent room seemed to hold its breath, filled only by the white light from the ceiling lamps and the dust motes still swirling from their movement. The tension, once laden with suspicion, now transformed into anticipation of revelation. What was Amura about to disclose? What secret lay behind his enigmatic behavior?
And in that hidden classroom full of mystery, the real conversation was finally about to begin.