Book 2} Chapter 12
Traitor, Part 3
裏切り者,パート3

I stayed quiet as I tried to eavesdrop. { Ray...? It had been Ray the whole time... }

"What are you talking about? What's wrong, Norman?" Ray asked, practically saying he wasn't the traitor.
"You already realize it, don't you? I set a trap for three people," Norman tells him. { Three people? How it Norman so smart? }

"To Don, "It's behind my bed." To Gilda, "It's in the ceiling of the bathroom on the second floor." I said that in front of you, Y/n, and Emma. But I actually told Don that it was in the dining hall and Gilda that it was in the library. I retrieved all of them just now. Out of four hiding spots, the only missing one was behind my bed. Don was merely framed. The traitor is you, Ray," Norman said.

I felt my heart sink as I laid my head on the door.
I need to hear why he's a traitor in the first place...

None of this could be fake... right?
He couldn't have done joined us to just turn us in, right?
We've been friends our entire lives... was that just acting? No, I won't believe that! Ray is my best friend, he has a good reason.

Flashback

"Raaaay!" I exclaimed as I jumped on his
"What is it?" he asked casually.

"Come play tag with us!" I said, playing with his hair.
"I rather read," he told me.

I smirked, "Then I'll read with you," I said.
He smirked back, "Let's see who can read faster."
"Game on," I told him.

He ended up winning.

"It's okay, Y/n," he teased.
"Shut up," I muttered, my head in my arms as I looked at the book.
He chuckled and ruffled my hair.
"You're cute when you're mad," he continued to tease.

"Whatever," I said, pink tinting my cheeks.

Suddenly, he grabbed me.
"Ah! kidnapghewoih---" he covered my mouth before I could finish.

When he let go of me, I opened my eyes.
I looked around to see we were still in the same place.
"Huh? Ray, where are you?" I asked.

I looked up to see his face making me scream.
He deadpanned. Then I realized I was laying on his lap.
I chuckled, "Sorry. Didn't mean to kill your ears," I said with a smile, patting his cheek as I picked up my book.

He rolled his eyes and picked up his own book.
"Just read, weirdo," he told me.

Another Flashback

"Hey, Ray, do you care about us?" I asked him with a smile.
He looked at me.
"Of course," he said.

"Then who is your best friend?" I asked.
"You," he answered, my eyes went wide in fake shock.

"Yayyy! We besties!" I said with a smile, hugging him. He hugged back with a slight sigh.

Flashback End

I heard a thump sound, then Ray hysterically laughing.
"Darn it. I thought I was doing so well," he said taking a breath.
"Since all three of you are so trusting I thought I could fool you longer. But you noticed a lot earlier than I thought. You're right. I'm Mom's spy," he said.

I closed my eyes tight. I need his reason first.

"When did you start to suspect me?" he asked Norman.
"The night Sister Krone came to the house," Norman replied.

"Right away on that night, huh?" Ray asked with a slight chuckle.

"Sometimes I feel disgusted in myself. I suspected you first. Even though you're my friend. But it was going to be the most problematic for me if you were the traitor. And from the enemy's point of view, your being the traitor was the best. You could interfere with our plans. From the perspective of controlling the situation, it was perfect. There was no one else better fitted for the job," Norman explained to him.

"That's why you suspected me, eh?" Ray said, I could tell he was smirking from his tone. My expression saddened. He was acting so cocky. But I know, I know Ray. He wouldn't be a traitor for no reason...

"I wished it wasn't true. Since that would be the worst case scenario. I also want to point out one thing. You're not just the traitor regarding this matter. Mom would never trust a sudden tip or a makeshift spy this much. You were already an enemy on that day..." Norman said.

That's right, the day that Ray followed us to ask about what happened at the gate.

"And Mom had already figured out the targets by sending in her spy that day. So how long have you been Mom's spy?" Norman asked him.

"Since a long time ago," Ray responded.

{ How long ago...? By his tone, it was probably years ago! That means he knew everything years ago. }

"So you're not just a spy but a subordinate of Mom!" Norman exclaimed.

Surveillance. Peacemaking. Improving the merchandise. In addition to Mom controlling us live-stock... She used Ray as the device to guide us in the direction she desired.
"That's right. Basically a sheepdog for a shepherd," Ray said.

With an air of nonchalance... pretending to be a sheep all this time... for years.

"You're only the dog and spy, right?" Norman said.
"Yeah." Ray replied.
"You knew everything, yet you conspired with the farm." Norman said.
"Yeah." Ray replied.
"So everything was a lie?" Norman asked.
Ray stayed quiet.

"I have a lot of things I want to ask you... but... what and how much did you tell Mom? And the tracking devices can be broken, right?" Norman asked him.

"What are you going to do, knowing that? Depending on my answer are you gonna cut me off?" Ray asked, his voice slightly muffled.

"No. I'm going to have you by my side, as you always were. "Though Ray, I have the situation under control." If that's the reason Mom's not shipping us out immediately... It would simply be dangerous to let you go. Aren't you glad? You can hide the mistake you made. You wanted to continue to spy on us, even if it meant framing Don, right?" Norman said.

"What do you want?" Ray asked, probably narrowing his eyes.

"Three things. One, continue to be with us and guarantee our safety. Two, shape all the information you have. Three, flip to our side. Become my spy now," Norman said, his tone sounding a bit cocky but sounding as if he was happy.

"Are you an idiot? If that was your objective from the beginning, you should have kept quiet and used me. You shouldn't have given me any room by threatening or negotiating. You shod have forcibly used me then abandoned me when you executed the plan. That would have been surefire method," Ray said with a scowl.

"Yeah, you're right. But... I've changed my mind. I want to believe you too. That you're my friend before you're my enemy," Norman told him.
Hey... I've said that before.

Flashback

I laid next to Norman as we read the small book.
It was about this normal family, they had a bit of conflict but they were happy.

That's until we came upon the conflict in the story.
There was a traitor in the family.

I lifted my head from Norman's chest and took the book from him.
"A traitor, huh?" I muttered, looking at the beautifully drawn picture. I then turned back to Norman with a smile.

"What would we do if there was such thing as a traitor in our house?" he asked me as he sat up to see what I was looking at.
I thought about it then I smiled.

"Well, I would still care for them. They were my friend and sibling before they were my enemy, no?" I said. He smiled back, "You've got a point," he told me.

Flashback End

"And there's a mystery that's been on my mind for a while. You're the one who hide little bunny, right? You did it for us. You're the one who set up the escape, right?" Norman asked him.

I thought about it. Then I realized how Ray could've done it.

"It wouldn't have been hard to fool Conny. Especially since you were in the same room as her. If Emma and Y/n didn't find the Little Bunny you planted in the dining hall, you were going to hand it to her," Norman continued.

" "I don't think Conny's actually gone." If you hadn't said that that night... we wouldn't have gone to the gate. You led us to find out the truth ourselves. The truth about the house. You wouldn't have done that if you were 100 percent on Mom's side. You were controlling us. Making sure we were cautious... controlling us the way Mom wanted. But at the same time, weren't you also keeping Mom under control? Using your position as a spy to the fullest... so we wouldn't get shipped out immediately. The truth is, you haven't told her where the real rope is. If you're our enemy, why did you give us a chance? Even though it meant going against Mom? You're not the actual enemy, right?" Norman asked.

Ray stayed quiet.

"You haven't given Mom and fatally disadvantageous information. And the tracking devices can be broken. Am I right? Tell me, Ray. Why did you decide to become Mom's sheepdog?"

I leaned my head on the door.
Please don't be a foolish reason...

Side Story Part 4:

The Next Day

No surprise, I ended up getting sick.
Luckillyyy, Mom let me stay with Norman!

Emma came skipping into the room.
"I'm here!" she said.

We both turned to you.
I smiled.
"Hi, Emma!"

"I told you, you can't," Norman told her.

"Here. This is for you," she told us, handing us cups.
We shared a look, then looked back at the cups.

"Hey, Emma!" We heard Mom.
"I really can't let you out of my sight," she muttered, grabbing Emma and carrying her upside-down.

"Norman, Y/n! Talk to you later!" Emma told us as we held the cups with confusion.
{ Talk... later... ? }

11/5/19
Word Count: 1655