tears of mercury | beastars

chapter 1. UPON THE FULL MOON

𖤣𖥧.𖤣𖥧𓆏𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
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A world where carnivores, herbivores, and the newly labeled species of omnivores coexist with each other. For the animals and humans of this world, life is filled with hope, romance, distrust, and uneasiness.

There are so many lives, shining like stars. . .

"STAY AWAY FROM THE SCHOOL!!!"

"Teachers, return all students to their dorms! I repeat—"

Police sirens and the gossiping of students within the academy filled the morning air. (Name) watched from her dorm window, afar from the noise, from everyone. She linger for a few seconds, her white sleeping gown and light gray blazer moving along with the morning breeze, a distant look within her eyes.

Then, she backed away, once again stepping inside the comfort of her own, sitting on a gray stool in front of an easel.

Her dominant hand moved gracefully, along with the soft music coming from the small radio placed above her dresser, she recognize the music as Gymnopédie No. 1.

She focused on painting, colors mixing together on the wooden pallette and onto the canvas. However, the peace she have woken up to was taken away from her fingertips when someone decided to burst through the wooden door.

"MIYA! THANK GOODNESS YOU'RE AWAKE!"

"Shouldn't we knock first? You knew she wouldn't like this."

"NONSENSE! I'M JUST A WORRIED FRIEND, UTA!"

(Name) rolled her eyes in displeasure, still in the process of painting. "You should at least start with a greeting, Masa." she stated with a little to no interest evident in her tone.

The blonde casually brush off the dry advice and sat on the black couch without any care, the brunette in tow, following the third year's actions but in a much more polite manner.

"We came here to inform you the bad news since you didn't like asking other people besides us on what's happening inside the academy. We know how shy you are!" Igarashi exclaimed with an understanding nod, thumbs tapping away on her phone screen.

"Are you in this, Uta?" (Name) asked, dipping and washing away her paintbrush to use another color in a mug filled with dirty water.

"Actually, no. I just got dragged here. . ." Chinen replied, hesitating with the right words to say. She doesn't want to be affiliated in any shenanigans that Igarashi is up to for today or in anything.

"I'm guessing you haven't heard the news circulating around the academy. Just this morning," Igarashi started, putting her phone away in her school blazer's pocket. Her attention now on the latter whose hand still working on the canvas. "An alpaca boy named Tem was found dead in Lecture Room 2." she added, watching as (Name)'s movements stopped for a moment before continuing. "The police think a carnivore who attends the academy killed him."

"This is really messed up. The alpaca boy who was devoured, he was also a member of the Drama Club—the only extra-curricular activity that any kind of species can join." Chinen stated, arms crossed in front of her chest. "Not only is it going to break apart the student body, but it will eventually pull the academy down if the Media hear about this."

(Name) hum in thought, washing her hands off of paint before taking her gym uniform out of the wooden dresser. "That is until the Investigation Team find the suspect first." she commented, both Igarashi and Chinen look at her expectantly.

"Do you already have someone in mind, (Name)?" Igarashi asked. In which she answered with a shake of her head, indicating that she doesn't have anyone to be suspected of. . . yet.