“I… I think perhaps it may be better if we move in one big group…” You speak up nervously, hand raised with a timid gesture. You instantly suffer under the attention of everyone present – you had made the least noise prior to this little interjection, and instantly regret not continuing that course of action.
Tokigawa chuckles softly, giving you a polite nod. “Of course, ah… Shinoseki-san, was it? Why do you say that?”
“There… there are only twelve of us so it is not like we absolutely have to split up,” you say. “I just think it would be safer to stick together as long as we can… since, well, we don’t know what we are dealing with, and this hospital doesn’t seem right at all, plus whoever killed those people might still be out there…” Your voice trails off as you try to think of other reasons to give.
“I understand your concerns, Shinoseki-san, but surely splitting up will help us cover more ground in our search and find a way out faster?” asks Tokigawa. “There will be six of us in a group; I cannot think of a situation where a group of six would be in more danger but a group of twelve wouldn’t.”
“Oh, about that…” An unexpected person chimes in – Sakaki Okitsu, the author. “You can count me out, Tokigawa-kun. I’d prefer to stay here, in the lobby, or in the restaurant. I feel more comfortable here, and there may be clues here we have neglected.”
“Alone?” Okuyama’s eyes are wide as she questions Sakaki. “I mean, with all these dead bodies…” There are perhaps half a dozen corpses scattered around the lobby; two of them have collapsed scratching at the main glass doors. None of you had felt up to the task of moving the bodies into a more respectful, restful position for now.
“They are dead, aren’t they? It’s not like they’re going to come back to life,” shrugs Sakaki.
“Actually, I would prefer to stay here too,” says Sawada Junichi with a sparkling, made-for-TV smile. “Who knows, there might be rescuers coming through the main doors at any moment now!”
“The stars have decreed that I ward this floor against the tendrils of evil,” intones the fortune-teller ominously. “I shall remain here in preparation.”
Tokigawa lets out a calm sigh and shakes his head. “I see. Does anyone else have other plans of their own?”
“I’m okay with taking a look around.” “Same here.” “I would rather do something than sit around wasting time.” “A search of the place would probably turn up something interesting.” One by one, the others agree to go along and explore the hospital. Sakimura and Uehara would join Tokigawa, while Kayano, Maeda and Taketatsu would go with Okuyama.
Mori is the last to respond. “I have not decided yet. How about you, Shinoseki? Where are you going?” Surprisingly, he gives you a piercing glance and, with a carefree grin, places the question in your hands.
Stammering at the suddenness of his query, you reply, “I… uh… I think… we should stick together, no matter what we do.” It is what you opened your mouth for in the first place, and the question was not yet addressed. You cannot help but bring it up again; especially as it seems to cause a slight twitch of annoyance in some of the others at the mere mention of the topic once more.
“You are a bit of a wuss, aren’t you?” Maeda raises an eyebrow; compared to Okuyama and Tokigawa, she seems more amused than annoyed. “It doesn’t make that much of a difference, does it?”
“That is not possible, Shinoseki-san,” Kayano explains patiently as if to a child. “Three of us want to remain here, while the others are okay with investigating the rest of the hospital for a way to escape. If you want everyone to stick together, some people would have to be coerced to going along with the rest of the group. We shouldn’t force people into doing things they dislike.”
“That’s right,” says Tokigawa. “There’s no good reason for all of us to keep together, as long as we are moving in groups large enough to feel safe, right? We have to consider the advantages and disadvantages carefully in this situation, and I think I am proposing a rather balanced plan.”
What he is saying makes a certain amount of sense, but still…
***
00:55
A. “I think… no one should stay in the lobby. We should all go together. Staying in one place might be dangerous…” Continuing to push your point of view, you attempt to convince Sakaki, Sawada and Amanozaki to go along on the search. If it is only the three of them staying here, they would be the ones most at risk, wouldn’t it?
B. “W-We should all stay here. We… we can explore after we have all gotten some rest and gotten to know each other a bit more, right?” You attempt to convince everyone else to stay here. Getting some rest and finding out more about each other is preferable to you compared to an exploration of the hospital.
C. “You’re right… Then, I suppose I will go with your group, Tokigawa-san.” You give in and join Tokigawa’s group to search for a way out.
D. “Alright… I will go with Okuyama-san, then.” You stop being stubborn and join Okuyama’s group to search for a way out.
E. "If you say so... I will be staying here." If they are going to split up regardless of what you say, you would rather stay in the lobby.
F. “…” You say nothing more. You leave their group and begin investigating the hospital on your own. If they will not listen to your advice and stick together, you suspect you might fare better on your own, without any of them to weigh you down.
G. “Tokigawa-san… it was Tokigawa Kou-san, right? Aren’t you supposed to be on leave today?” You remember seeing his name written in the list you found on the doctor’s corpse. You attempt to raise suspicion about him and weaken his influence over the others.
