20: The Search Begins

Raia's research goes on the days after Osamu's death. He can't afford to lose any more time. He read every possible clue, especially about the history of the school. He also tried to talk to the other personnel and staff on the campus. Of course, he stayed alert assuming that all of the personnel in the university are human-eating creatures like Mr. Rayven. 

But after several attempts to gain new information, he got nothing. 

He was walking at that time while holding a bunch of books that he borrowed from the library. He was about to take a left in the intersection of the dormitory when he suddenly bumped into someone. 

All of the books fell down but he immediately took it back, trying not to expose the content of the books. 

"Are you okay?" he heard someone ask. 

"Y-yeah... I'm good," he answered. He slowly looked straight when he finally got all the books. It was Aki and June who bumped into him. When he saw the serious look from June, he immediately looked away and bid goodbye. 

He slightly nodded before he left without any words. Aki started walking again when she noticed June looking at Raia. 

"Hey, is there a problem?" Aki asked him. 

"Go ahead, Aki. I'll catch up later," June answered before he left to follow Raia. Aki was left confused as she painted a big question mark on her face. 

Meanwhile, Raia heard someone following him so he looked behind him. There, he saw June standing while seriously glaring at him. 

"What is it?" Raia tried to look serious and avoid stuttering but his eyes can't look more real as he kept looking away from June. 

"Where did you get that book?" June asked him pertaining to the books he was holding. 

"H-huh? What do you mean? I borrowed this from the library," Raia replied then he held the books tighter. 

June slowly approached him while keeping his eyes on Raia. 

"That book...we saw it in Mr. Rayven's office..." June stated then stopped in front of Raia. 

"T-this is not... It's a different book," Raia can't stop stuttering while his eyes keep looking at random places. He didn’t notice that one of the books he was holding is already familiar to June. He didn’t even expect that June would ever remember it. 

June aggressively took the book in his hands and even Raia didn't notice it until he had the book. 

"Wait!" Raia tried to get back the book but June already held it tightly. 

Their eyes met and Raia could see hundreds of questions in June's eyes. 

They are now sitting in front of each other in Raia's room while June is looking at the book. 

"So... what's the deal?" June asked him. 

"I tried to investigate it myself...but it's really hard to get more evidence as of now," Raia answered him. He already told June all about it that June digested calmly. 

"And what do you think those creatures are?" June asked him. 

Raia took another book and put it on the table so June could see it. 

"Ghouls?" June read the titles. 

"I've been searching for the creatures that match the physiques and characteristics that I saw last time and all I've got is this..." Raia stated before he opened the book on Chapter 5. 

"In here, it is stated that ghouls are demon-like being or monstrous humanoids that consume human flesh. I don't really know if that's the real thing but I assumed that they are something like that," I said before looking at him. 

"I get the point but...is Mr. Rayven really one of them?" June whispered while his hands are both on his chin. 

Raia could understand why June looks so lost. It's like a big bomb that suddenly falls into their hands. The farm, the goods, and even the ghoul thing, no one expects it! All the more for being a food supplement to the staff in the school. 

"What are we going to do?" June asked when he finally get over the shock. 

Raia look at the map that he drew and posted at the back of his room door. He walked towards it and opened the lights for them to see it. 

"As of now, I only have limited information about the ground structure of the university. I tried to talk to the other school personnel but all of them are very careful with their words. I couldn't even get a single piece of valuable information from them," 

June slowly walked towards him and looked at the map. “As I envisioned, the campus is in the middle of the island. It took us half an hour to get in here using the tunnel so it's safe to assume that the island is not as small as we thought when we first saw it. Based on its radius, which we could consider as the tunnel that we went through, it's probably around thirteen and a half kilometers. 

Raia took a pen and compute the radius and the circumference assuming that the island is somewhat in a circle form. 

"I think it doesn't matter if the island is circle or whatsoever, as long as we could give exact measurements of the tunnel to get out of here," 

He plotted the ratios on the board to let him see it while trying to figure out a way to get out of there. 

"And also, I'm planning to tell everybody about this sooner or later. I just can't escape alone and let others die in here. I did-" 

June suddenly cut me off. "No...you can't let them know," Raia looked at June, surprised at how serious he was when he said it. 

"What do you mean, don't let them know?" He asked him. 

"It doesn't guarantee us that they will believe us, right? Besides, we have no proof that the instructors are ghouls or any kind of monsters. Do you think they will just say "Okay, I'll go escape with you because you told me to," as easy as that?" June asked him while sarcastically acting Raia’s naivety. 

He looked down. He knew it was a bit odd for him to care for them even if he was not really close to any one of them. But he could see it. He could tell that Osamu wants him to save everyone and to save them from what Osamu experienced. 

"Besides..." June added before he turned his back at me. 

"We're not really sure if it's safe even if we successfully escape the campus, it harbors more risks than our gain,” June said before he walked out of the room. 

Raia was left dumbfounded while looking at the map. He knows where he's coming from. There is no assurance that the outside part of the campus is safe either. But he just can't ignore and wait to get killed in here to be served as food to those monsters. 

I need to do something. 

After their conversation, June went back to where he went earlier with Aki. There, he saw his friends laughing and talking at each other. He acted as if nothing happened when they looked at him. 

"Hey man, where did you go?" Kanaye asked him 

"Huh? In my room," he simply answered. 

"Really? I didn't saw you there. I went back to the dormitory and there's no one there," Kanaye added while raising his eyebrows as if trying to catch if he was lying. 

"I'm inside my room and took some self-grooming," June lied then tried to shift the conversation. 

"What's going on?" he asked them when he noticed that there are so many foods on the table. 

"Happy you noticed bro! Guess what? I think someone has a birthday today," Kanaye suddenly hangs his arms on June's shoulder. Arrogant smugness could be seen on his face. 

"Really? Is it your birthday, Aki?" June asked but she slightly shrugged her shoulders. He even looked at Amelia who is now eating in front of him but even the lady shrugged. 

"Oh I don't know whose birthday is it," June concluded before he looked at Kanaye. His friend felt ignored and insulted. 

His best friend didn't even know his birthday?! What kind of bullshit is that?!

"Argh!! Why don't you even know your best friend's birthday?! Bro! It's my birthday!!! MINE!!!" Kanaye shouted at his ears. June tried to cover it but he could already feel his eardrums bleeding. 

"Okay, fine fine...happy birthday," he simply greeted his friend. But it didn't make Kanaye happy. 

"Yeah great...what a lovely and energetic greeting that was, June. Impressive! I really felt the happiness in your heart that I was born in this world," Kanaye felt depressed after all that and just looked at his food. 

But June didn't bother to talk to him after that. Well, what do you expect? June hates drama and it's not his thing to do sweet greetings and such speeches. 

After that never-ending drama of Kanaye and his birthday celebration, June went back to his room. He was about to cross the intersection when Aki suddenly walked in front of him and just looked at him directly. 

"What is it?" he asked. He tried to shake her off but she's still pursuant to talk to him and didn't even take her sight away from him. 

"What did Raia tell you," she asked him. June was surprised but successfully hid his expression. 

"We just talked about the recent exam, why?" he tried to remain calm. 

"Really? But it sounds like it's more than that," Aki insisted. 

"Does it even matter to you?" June asked her back. 

"I guess..." June secretly rolled his eyes when he took his sight away from her. 

"We talked about guy things, are you satisfied now? We even talked about girls and stuff together. You good now?" June finally reached his limit when he walked past her. She remained in her standing while their backs were facing each other. 

"I know when you're lying, June...I know there's a catch," Aki said, which made June stop walking. 

This time, Aki is the first one to walk away that leave June speechless while looking at her back.