"Haa…"
Back in his room, Rinji lay on the bed staring at the ceiling.
He already knew who the dead one was this year. He also knew that killing the dead one would stop Class 3-3's calamity for good.
But just as he had said before, knowing all this ant nothing.
Even if this year's problem was solved, the ga would continue.
And if the curse that had lasted for twenty-six years wasn't completely broken, then just as his father had said…
He would never be able to return to his own ti.
"Karura, Ai, everyone in the student council… Honestly, I really want to see you all right now. But… if I did that, you probably wouldn't forgive . Well, I'm sure you, Karura, definitely wouldn't bla ."
Rinji knew how to end the curse completely, but he really didn't want to use that thod.
At least for now, he didn't want to.
Knock knock.
A sudden knock at the door.
Scratching his head, Rinji got up from the bed and opened it.
He thought it would be i, but he was wrong.
It wasn't the eyepatch-wearing girl with her cold expression—it was a girl with bright red twin-tails.
"Akazawa?"
Seeing her, unsure why she had co, Rinji still stepped aside to let her in.
"Sorry to bother you, Takamine," Akazawa said. "There's sothing I wanted to talk about."
"Co in."
Rinji turned back to sit on the bed again. Akazawa ca in without hesitation, sat down beside him, and twirled one of her ponytails around her finger.
"What did you want to talk about?"
"A day ago, my brother died."
"Huh?"
Rinji was a little surprised.
He had only heard that Akazawa had a brother, but the guy was a shut-in so he hadn't paid much attention.
After all, ho was the safest place. A shut-in was definitely safer than people always going out.
"How did he die?"
"He hanged himself. Didn't even leave a note."
"I see…"
"After graduating high school, my brother didn't go to college, didn't get a job, just stayed ho like a parasite," Akazawa whispered. "He never talked to us, kept pounding on his bedroom walls, and whenever he was around I was always terrified, scared that one day he'd snap and kill … I never thought he'd be the one to go first."
"Yeah."
"It was only after he died that I realized how close death really is to …"
Akazawa lifted her head and looked at Rinji, her bright eyes full of fear and worry.
"I really don't want to die…"
"I know. I won't let you die." Rinji tried to comfort her.
That was all he could really say.
He wasn't good at comforting people. The only thing he could do was make a promise and see it through.
"I really… am so scared."
Akazawa's body was pressed so close their chests were nearly touching.
He could feel her breath against his face, and when he realized her arms had wrapped around his shoulders, Rinji finally understood.
No matter how tough soone acted at school, when death lood close, sadness and fear would only grow stronger until the mask cracked.
And when that happened, fear drove people to desperately cling to anything that felt like salvation.
Looking at Akazawa in his arms, Rinji had no words.
In this atmosphere, it wouldn't be strange if sothing intimate happened next—but unfortunately, the man here was Rinji.
"Akazawa, what you lack right now is calmness and trust in ."
He gently pushed her away.
"Since I promised you all, then I will definitely…"
Buzz—
"Hm?"
At that mont, Rinji's phone buzzed with a text ssage.
Seeing the content, his brows furrowed, and he imdiately turned toward the door.
"Takamine…"
"I need to step out for a bit. Akazawa, stay here in the inn," Rinji said with a smile. "None of you will die. That's my promise."
With that, he left.
Akazawa sat blankly on his bed, watching him disappear, then sighed helplessly.
Since he wasn't there, she had no mood to stay either.
Just as she was about to stand and leave, the door suddenly opened.
"Takamine!"
i rushed in, startling Akazawa.
"Misaki?"
"…Akazawa? Why are you in Takamine's room?"
Seeing Rinji gone but Akazawa here, Misaki narrowed her eyes slightly.
"What's it to you?" Akazawa shot back coldly.
"…Forget it. Do you know where Takamine went?"
"Who knows?"
Flicking her ponytail back over her shoulder, Akazawa stared into i's eyes.
"And you? Why are you looking for him?"
"It's sothing very important."
"Care to share?"
"…We have to bring him back." i's voice rose for once. "He's in great danger right now!"
"What?"
---
Soti later, heavy rain poured outside the inn.
Rinji ran through the muddy ground into the forest.
He only stopped once he reached the cliff's edge.
Looking at the man before him, he asked slowly, "Old man, what was so urgent that you had to call out here?"
Isaac turned around. The uncovered eye not hidden by his bangs showed no trace of its usual smile.
He didn't answer Rinji's question directly. Instead, he said, "You should already be prepared by now."
"…You know?"
"To end the curse completely ans it can't be passed on," Isaac said flatly. "And the only way to stop it from passing on is…"
"To kill every student in Class 3-3," Rinji finished.
Hearing this, a faint smile appeared on Isaac's face.
"So you already understand. Will you do it yourself?"
"…"
Rinji didn't answer, but his fists clenched tight.
"It was my mistake," Isaac continued. "I shouldn't have let you attend classes with them, shouldn't have let you form unnecessary bonds with people of this era. It must be painful for you to do it yourself."
He stepped forward and patted Rinji's shoulder.
"If you really can't bring yourself to do it, then let handle it. You just need to leave."
But as Isaac tried to move past him toward the inn, a hand gripped his shoulder hard.
Rinji's eyes had turned blood red as he glared coldly at him.
"No."
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