[u]Present Day[/u]

Judging from the air surrounding and forcefully emitted from the Vice Principal, she's an authority figure I wouldn't look to actively buddy with as a colleague, or blatantly disregard if I were a student again. I move aside for her to pass not wanting to push my luck, then make my way back to the counseling office. Inwardly, I cringe as the bathroom excuse I give to the other counselor piles up with my other lies given today, and halfheartedly toss a prayer of forgiveness on top of it all. The other counselor at least seems to take me in stride without a hint of incredulity, continuing where we last left off by showing me my temporary office space before letting me settle in. I set up for the brunt of my work expected to begin at lunchtime.

Eventually I pass the time idly on my phone. When social media didn't suffice to engross me, I find myself tapping open the notepad app, then randomly away at keys while collecting my thoughts.

Why didn't the music teacher go to check on their own classroom themselves? And why was it unlocked, if band practice doesn't happen until afternoon? If I don't get any immediate visitors at the beginning of the lunch period, maybe I'll sneak out again to find that music teacher. Just to ask a few questions.

I nod to myself and start typing what would be my case notes. The only evidence I gleaned from spectating the student investigators was the broken glass, and I think I overheard the fox haired one mention a mirror. Beats me why a mirror would be connected to crime, though the shards could be sharp enough to cut something...or someone. I briefly search the web to update my knowledge on Death Husband, and add that context to my notes.

But now I return to thinking about connections between the particular students I met. Why them, and in such a hurry, when the scene was easily accessible to any set of prying eyes? The Death Husband case has been open for so long, yet with respect to the other counselor, the school has acted lackadaisically in a drastic situation where equal measures should be taken. Did the police ask them to remain open so they could catch Death Husband in the same place? I think back to their last update on Blood Eye, with no new victims nor leads. Well if everyone's so relaxed about everything, except for those students and I, perhaps...

I follow my whim searching for other cases related to Kage Private High. My heart leaps to my throat as the top search result shows the local news coverage of Blood Eye victims, related to some of the students. But I resist clicking the link, I'd avoided looking up who the Blood Eye had also left alive and hurting for their loved ones, not wanting to share the darkness and grief only I could be plunged into all this time.

In other news this is turning into one of the longer days in my life.