The Peculiars' Tale Chapter 24

THE PECULIARS’ TALE: CHAPTER 24

Translated by: whosays25

Edited by: seiji96

/24/ Murder the Past: Tamaki

-Morris-

 

“… We’re going to play the game called…’Wink Murder’…” said by Miss which caused everyone’s violent reactions.

“What’s that?”

“Cool! It seems things have thrill now that Miss is in-charge!”

“I’ve watched this before! Imitating Death Bell, men!”

“I want to go home for real!”

“This sucks.”

“Everyone, shut your mouth!” Everyone became silent when Ireneo yelled.

Miss walked around the circularly arranged chairs. She urged us to pick a card from a container. When it was my turn, I picked one of course.

Then she winked at me.

I simply put the card that she gave on my jacket’s pocket. From my other pocket I carefully took another card. The card that she gave last evening when we found a chance to speak again without being found by the others.

“What is this for?” I asked after she handed me a card, ace of hearts.

“You’ll use that tomorrow. You, Morris, will bet on the game.”

“What game?”

“You’ll know tomorrow. You’ll have your chance to peek at everyone’s past.”

“For what purpose?”

“We’re just in the first step. I want all of you to remember the past by staring. And…be ready for this.”

 

I returned to my senses and peeked at the card hidden by my palm. Miss Karen had already started her explanation about the game mechanics.

“Our first activity is easy. You’ll just stare at each other. But there will be a ‘murderer’. Now, I’m sure that you know already your cards. Make sure no one else see that. There’s only one person with the Ace of Hearts card who will serve as the ‘murderer’. The six people who got the Ace of Spades will be the detectives while the rest are civilians. The objective of the murderer is to murder by winking at the civilians without being caught. Once you’ve been winked at, automatically you’d be out of the game and would have to came out of the room.”

“The detective’s role is to catch the murderer but once he has been ‘winked’ by the murderer, the game would be over since he already caught who the murdered is. The civilians can accuse who the murderer is, but once he guesses wrongly, he’s also out of the game. Same rule for the detectives.”

She commanded us to put our flipped cards on the desk.

“I hope you’re all ready. The game wouldn’t end as long as the murderer is not caught.”

On this game, I am the one who puts the bet. It depends on me on how I will make this revolve. What I need to do is to make this game took time as long as possible without being found out. My desired change will start now and I had been waiting for this for so long.

“The game starts…now.”

And then there’s a long silence, no one’s talking. Everyone is looking at each other. I looked at Miss who was now out of the circle and she mouthed, ‘What now?’

What now, Morris? What are you going to do? Like a lightning flash, I ‘murdered’ three people. They automatically raised their cards up and took the initiative to exit the place. Fortunately, they were all civilians so no one caught me. But someone raised a hand.

“I think I knew who the killer is.”

“Who?” Miss asked.

Then he pointed at Lily who’s sitting beside me. However, Lily denied that she got the Ace of Hearts. My classmate who guessed wrongly came out of the circle.

What’s next? Thirty six out of forty students left.

Silence returned in the room.

It seems I would be difficult now because many eyes were guarding against me, and one of them is Tamaki. Our spot was opposite with each other so I could see clearly the eyes of Tamaki.

It could be said that it’s such a miracle that he joined us in this recollection. And now, I looked deeper in his eyes. I am being pulled towards his pasts.

“Senji Tamaki.” He paused after he saw Miss Karen in front of him. His forehead creased and he was puzzled on how Miss found him inside the club he usually frequented. The club was noisy, full of smokes and dark.

“What are you doing here? Are you here to bring me to school and give me detention?” He sneered and pulled a pack of cigarettes and lighter.

“Give me that.” Miss ordered. Tamaki ignored her but she suddenly snatched it from him so he couldn’t react immediately.

“What is your problem, huh?” He shouted with rage. Miss Karen laughed, pulled a cigarette and lit it. Tamaki’s jaw dropped after witnessing that, then he shook his head.

“You will be going for the recollection tomorrow.” She declared.

“I won’t participate in that senseless activity.”

“You will join us whether you like it or not, Tamaki.”

“Great, I can report you to school for what you are doing.”

“Teachers are human too. We can smoke.  And I’m an adult. Anyway, you have to go.”

“Why are you insisting that I join ha? Isn’t it better without a chaos bringer in your outing, huh?”

“Lucille asked me to.”

Tamaki became stiff, stuttering and shivering. Before he spoke again, he first filled his glass with alcohol and drank it in one gulp.

“A-are you kidding me? Lucille is dead.” There’s a fury in his voice.

“I know. She’s one of my former students.” With her blank expression, she replied.

“T-then how? W-why?”

“If you will go, then you will find out how and what’s the truth.”

He punched the table hard and with extreme anger, he faced Miss. “The moment I found out that what you have said were all bluffs, even if you are a woman, I will make you pay for it!”

They measured each other with their eyes but Miss Karen never showed fear or worry.

“I considered that as your agreement. I’ll see you tomorrow.” And before leaving, she dropped her cigarette on Tamaki’s glass.

I temporarily stopped reviewing Tamaki’s memories. I learned that was what actually made him join the recollection. I wonder what Miss will do to show him the truth and the answer she mentioned. Especially now that it’s about Lucille.

I resumed viewing what’s behind Tamaki’s eyes and since I can control the time in his eyes, I brought myself to the older times.

Two years ago…

“Morris, yoh!” He strongly patted my back. That was Tamaki’s normal morning greetings to everyone.

“Yoh, men. Good morning!” He was always followed by Roman Tadeo and Cris Baldemor. The three of them were the class mood maker and even if they are noisy, they still could put up with everyone.

“Mr. Tamaki! Get out of my class! Now!” It was normal for him to be scolded and be forced out due to his trolls and pranks. He doesn’t care about how people see him. As long as he knows that he’s correct, he’s going to fight for it.

‘Senji, our group has a meeting later. I hope you’ll cooperate.” It was Lucille.

Almost everyone in the class doesn’t believe in him. They didn’t believe that he could do something fruitful. Except Lucille.

“I’ll assume that you’ll be going.” She believed in him, always.

Sometimes, Lucille even offered her help for his studies. It’s like she’s an angel and he’s a devil. Even though it seems their difference is like heaven and earth, still, Tamaki fell for her.

“Morris!” He gave me a fist bump, energetically. One afternoon at the rooftop, the place where we always hang out to whenever we want to kill time and think about some things. I always gaze at the sky while he always bring out his cigarette to smoke.

Tamaki was once my best pal.

“Yeah, what’s the matter?”

“Let’s have a man talk here. I have a question for you.”

“What?”

“Do you like Lucille?”

“Why did you ask?”

“Nothing. I thought your seats were close and your feelings too.”

“Lucille is my best friend, Senj.”

“But you said that you like your best friend.”

“I still have another best friend, Senj. It’s Jill.”

“Ahh… The hell with your tactics, Morris. What a best friend farce. But thank goodness that you’re referring to Jill.”

“Sus, it’s obvious you’re so dead in love for Lucille. Do you think I didn’t see how you lost your demeanor whenever she’s around? You think you’re so cool?” I laughed at him loudly.

“What did you say? Do you want me to beat you up now?”

“I know you want me to set you up with her, but nope, you have your own feet. Hahaha!”

“Damn you, don’t play with words. I’ll beat you up.”

We used to have those good bud moments. I trust him. I know he could protect someone he cherished.

Lucille and him continued developing their feelings for each other. Almost every day, they are together in the library to study.

Lucille was the reason why he’s trying to change his miserable life.

She was his light.

But that light faded.

“L-lucille. I love you.” It’s one afternoon at the library when he confessed his love to her.

“I know.”

“D-don’t you like me too?”

“I like you, Tamaki.” His heartbeat was fast. “But I’m sorry. We can’t be together.”

“W-why?”

‘I’m pregnant.”

 

And every part of him shattered.

“Was it true, Morris?!” It was a dark and ominous day. That time, I couldn’t speak. “Answer me!” My collar almost got wrecked due to Tamaki’s strong grip. I don’t know how to explain it to Tamaki.

“Senj, enough.” Tadeo tried to stop him.

“Don’t try to interfere, Roman!”  He was gritting his teeth and his eyes were so sharp. “You. You’re the father!” Tears were running down his face. “You’re the father of what Lucille is carrying in her belly!”

Wrong. It’s not true. I want to tell Tamaki this but no words escaped my mouth. I couldn’t do anything but also cry like him.I couldn’t tell Tamaki the truth. I couldn’t meet his stares.

“You’re an animal!”

I received every punch and kick from him. I received it without resisting. Tadeo and Baldo couldn’t do anything aside from watching.

And what’s more painful until now was he still doesn’t know the truth. Tamaki was not permitted to learn about it.

Tamaki was gradually consumed by the demon. The light illuminating him slowly faded. Accompanied by my class’ change, eventually he hated the world, and me.

Lucille was no longer coming to class. No one knows the reason aside from me. But I decided to not disclose anything,  the reason why they became blind about it.

Three months later, Lucille died.

“You and Jill were to be blamed why she died! It’s your fault!”  He made the classroom a huge mess. Jill was dumbfounded when the issue was exposed to our whole class. Everyone was shocked. He was being consumed by too much rage and fury so no one could control him when he started wrecking things.

That commotion was the reason why he was suspended. If his parents didn’t plead for him, he should be expelled.

Then, everything changed.

Jill.

Tamaki.

Everyone.

No one was unaffected.

I stopped peeking on Tamaki’s past. He’s still glaring at me when out of the sudden, I winked. He brusquely exited the room while being stared at by everybody.

“Gosh, he’s out.”

“I thought he was the killer.”

“Thank god, he’s out.”

It’s difficult to disclose the truth because there are things which are not easy to explain, like my kind.

The kind of  whatt I am, Lucille, and Miss Karen.

We’re Peculiars who exist in this planet.

I supposed, this is a curse.

“Morris, I’m going to die soon.” I was the only one who knew about Lucille’s disease. “I will pass away from this world, Morris. I feel that it’s going to be soon, soon.”

She summoned me in the hospital that day, on that span of times when no one was aware where she was.

“Stop saying that.”

“I’m still dreaming those things. The visions are still not stopping. Morris, I have a huge favour for you. Expect that I will treat that I owe you big time even when I’m already buried underneath. You don’t know how big and pure my trust is for you.”

“What is it?”

“I want you to protect Jill. She’s my best friend and you know that. The three of us were so happy. I want Jill to be happy.”

“I can’t understand you, Lucille.”

Instead of answering, she handed me a sketch pad.

“I can see the future through dreams, Morris. And everything I saw, I drew.” I couldn’t believe what has been drawn there, since almost everything is about Jill.

“I want you to distance yourself from Jill, it’s one of the best thing that you could do because someday in the future, when you and her can’t be together, you’ll end up hurting yourselves.”

I was completely devastated.

“I have to add another thing.” I remained looking at the sketch pad, as I scanned the pages, it seems someone cut the air I breath.

“I’m pregnant, Morris. The father of my child is one from the Memoire.”

I closed my eyes but I can’t stop the memories flashing in my eyes. I hurriedly opened it though, and Tamaki was no longer opposite me.

“A-are you alright?” Lily asked worriedly.

“Yeah.” I fixed myself.

This is not yet finish. There are still many eyes around me. Through my peripheral vision I could make out several preying eyes.

The eyes of Lord Ireneo.

 ***

T/N Note: It took longer than expected. Haha. This is also the longest chapter I encountered so far.

Chapter end