Spring, 2006.
The classroom television was showing the morning news. On-screen, a stretch of ruins lay cordoned off with police tape, charred rubble and twisted rebar heaped together while several people in hard hats gestured at something in front of the camera.
"An explosion occurred yesterday in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture-" The anchorwoman's voice came through the speakers, steady and professional. "The cause was a gas pipeline leak..."
Click.
Masamichi Yaga switched off the television with the remote. The instant the screen went dark, the classroom fell so quiet that only the occasional birdsong outside the window remained. Arms crossed and his back against the lectern, he looked down at the three figures kneeling before him.
"One of you said you would lower a curtain before leaving," he said, his voice measured, every word heavy. "So you left the assistant supervisor behind. Then you forgot to lower it."
He paused, his gaze moving across each of their faces.
Kneeling on the far left was Suguru Geto, a lock of bangs hanging neatly over his forehead, his posture straight and his expression calm.
In the middle was Satoru Gojo, his white hair sticking up with reckless abandon and his sunglasses pushed onto his head. A faint smirk lingered on his face, and even his kneeling posture was more crooked than the other two's.
On the far right was Shoko Ieiri, her short hair reaching her ears and her uniform worn neatly. With both hands resting on her knees and her eyes meekly lowered, she looked like the best-behaved of the three.
"Who was it?"
Masamichi Yaga's voice was quiet, but the question landed like a stone dropped into a pond.
As though tugged by the same string, Suguru Geto and Shoko raised their hands at the same time, both index fingers