The Jack of Hearts | Chishiya Shuntaro

4

The second round had come to an end, but those who had witnessed the incident knew that it did not go as smoothly as the first. Those who were unaware of the boy's deception or those who had missed it, gasped in shock as they watched the screen. The photo of the bully was the first among the twenty to darken, and a mixture of panic and shock dominated the guardroom, filling the air with a low hum.

As usual, Ippei, Chishiya, and I were together. In front of us, the members of Urumi's group were either talking in pairs or panicking with mixed feelings. I could catch some meaningful sentences from time to time, but they were mostly cutouts.

"I can't believe it; why he..."

"...bully. I am so scared, I..."

"...did the jack start killing? I don't want to be..."

''..I don't get it..."

"...he could be the jack..."

Confusion and uncertainty were etched on everyone's faces, even those who had watched the events unfold clearly. Their concerns were expressed through their words and gaze, sometimes accusatory, sometimes fearful, as they cast wary glances toward the bully's partner. It wasn't hard to understand. Even if someone else told the bully the wrong symbol and got the same result, his partner would still get all the focus.

I looked at the boy, who was looking desolate and defeated, standing across from me. I could see the toll the accusations and blame took on him. He was visibly sad and miserable; the weight of guilt seemed to hang heavily over him. His hands were fidgeting nervously, betraying the inner turmoil he was experiencing. Despite being surrounded by people, he felt alone, as if the entire room was aligned against him. I could sense the psychological pressure mounting on him, and I couldn't help but feel for him in his moment of vulnerability. It was a heart-wrenching scene that I couldn't stand this time. I couldn't stand to see him so consumed by sadness and misery. My feet moved on their own, but when I realized this, I didn't regret it anyway, and no one stopped me this time.

As I approached, I could see clearly that he was fighting to hold back his emotions, and I could sense the effort it took to keep it together. The loneliness was wicked, especially in this game, and I could understand him.

The humming in the guardroom slowly turned into silence, then a whisper. I could feel many eyes on me.

''Hi.'' I didn't know how to start, so I tried to say what was on my mind directly. "I'm so sorry you went through all this. But don't feel alone, okay?" He didn't look at me while I was talking. "I will help you win the game. I believe you are not the jack, unlike some people here. Don't pay heed to them."

''Huh?'' He raised his head in shock, and I could see a few tears running down his cheeks. ''Why do they think I am the jack? I-I am not. I swear. I- I just wanted to protect myself.''

"I know. You don't ha-"

"I didn't intend to kill him. B-but he told me to say club. He put the idea in my head." He whispered. "I just wanted to feel strong for once.''

"Wait. Who told you that?" I was a little taken aback as I didn't expect the conversation to go that way.

"T-the guy in the blue shirt." When that moment came before my eyes, I quickly turned my head in his direction.

He was sitting on the floor, his eyes fixed on someone opposite. There was the same sinister smile spread across his face. I turned my body where he was looking and noticed Chishiya's gaze that locked onto him likewise. The intense eye contact was eerie, and the two of them were locked in a silent showdown as if they were trying to see into their very being.