"Takamine, you…"
Although they usually tried to act normal, after learning they had advanced into the cursed Class 3-3, the students suppressed their fear. Because if they let it show, the smallest disturbance would have them on edge. Rinji's words, coupled with his profound smile, made the two boys imagine the worst.
Seeing their terrified faces, Rinji found it amusing.
"Relax, I'm not one of your so-called 'dead'."
"Then why did you come to our class?"
"Because… I'm an expert at handling such cases."
"Huh?"
Seeing their confused looks, Rinji explained, "Back abroad, I often dealt with supernatural events beyond ordinary understanding. By chance, I heard of the bizarre incidents plaguing Yomiyama North Middle for twenty-six years, so I came to investigate."
"Eh? Just for investigation?"
"Yes. If I can't personally be part of the incident, I can't uncover the truth. That's why I chose to enter Class 3-3 and become one of the cursed. When disaster befalls me, I'll be closer to the truth." Rinji smiled.
"…You really are crazy."
Naoya forced a laugh. Knowing the curse of Class 3-3 and still daring to come, in his eyes Rinji was a madman with no regard for his life.
"You've handled supernatural events before?"
Unlike Naoya, who was still focused on Rinji's strange personality, Tomohiko latched onto his claimed identity.
"That's right," Rinji said. "I'm an expert at dealing with the supernatural."
That was a lie. Aside from the unidentified creature in the sky back then, this was only Rinji's second time dealing with the supernatural. And the previous incident had been resolved by his father, not him.
But the two boys believed him. Hearing that Rinji had handled supernatural cases before, they seized upon it like a lifeline.
"So that means you can resolve Class 3-3's calamity?"
"I can't guarantee it, but I'll do my best," Rinji said. "Compared to your Countermeasures Group, I've dealt with far more incidents, and my methods are far more professional."
"That's great!" Naoya exclaimed.
Tomohiko, after some thought, adjusted his glasses and said, "Takamine, tomorrow I'll propose to Akazawa that you join the Countermeasures Group. With a professional like you, maybe we can survive this year's calamity."
"Survive the calamity? What are you thinking?"
"Eh?"
"After you survive, then what? Leave the curse to your kouhais?" Rinji laughed. "Trust the professional. I didn't come here to help you avoid danger. I came to end this twenty-six-year-old incident once and for all."
"…."
Rinji's extremely confident words eased their hearts somewhat.
On the way, Naoya and Tomohiko split off as their homes were nearby. Rinji lived in a hotel in Yomiyama, so his route was longer. Walking alongside him was Koichi, whose way home seemed to overlap with his.
"Um… Takamine."
"Yeah?"
"What exactly is going on in class? Everyone seems so strange." Koichi asked. "And what you mentioned before—supernatural events, calamities, the 'dead'—what are those?"
"…They didn't tell you?"
"No. Just that everyone's attitude is odd. When I first transferred, Tomohiko asked me if I believed in the supernatural. It felt strange."
"To put it simply, Class 3-3 has been cursed for twenty-six years. Every year people die. The students are searching for a way to break it. My curiosity drove me to come help."
Rinji then explained everything he knew to Koichi. The boy from the big city was shaken by the eerie truth.
"There's really such a thing?"
"So you were right to feel the atmosphere was strange. Everyone's afraid of dying. Especially since it's invisible and you never know when it's your turn. That sense of waiting for death can drive ordinary people insane. All they can do is try not to be victims."
"I can sort of understand now… By the way, Takamine, there's something I've always wondered."
"What?"
Koichi took a deep breath, looking at Rinji seriously.
"In class, there really is a girl named Mei Misaki, right?"
"Huh?"
"I'm sure I can see her, but it's like the others can't. When I ask, they say they don't know her. Yet she's right there. And whenever I try to approach her, she vanishes as if into thin air. I never see her in the classroom either…"
Koichi spoke hesitantly. Clearly, the classmates' behavior had messed with his head so much he was starting to doubt Mei's existence.
"Takamine, you said this morning you were going to look for Mei, so…"
"She exists."
"Eh?"
"Mei Misaki is real. The Countermeasures Group just came up with a ridiculous idea to label her as 'nonexistent' to avoid the calamity." Rinji smiled. "She's real. Those who claim not to see her are just pretending."
"…So that's it. Hearing you say that puts me at ease."
Relieved, Koichi exhaled.
"By the way, did you find her?"
"I did. We talked for quite a while. Most of the information I got about the curse came from her."
"What?" Koichi was shocked.
"When I tried to approach her, she avoided me and told me things like 'Don't get close to me.' Why would she tell you so much?"
"Because to her, I'm special."