Bachi was scared. Terrified, even. Before the case began, he had been convinced that he would be sent to jail, charged with criminal offenses, and marked as a killer for the rest of his life. The fear gripped his chest tighter than the bear ever had. But when the verdict finally came, he was cleared of all charges.
According to Japanese law, an animal may be killed if it attacks first and if killing it is the only remaining option for self-defense. That's exactly what happened with Bachi. At the moment of the bear attack, he had no other choice. He was angry, cornered, and running on sheer instinct. And though he survived—though he won—the trauma still lingered like a stormcloud in his mind.
After the court ruled in Bachi's favor, the jury addressed him and the others in a calm but formal tone.
"You are free to go. You may call your parents now and return home. You are not guilty," one of the members said with a light smile.
Bachi blinked in surprise. "We're not with our parents," he replied awkwardly. "We're here on a school trip. Also… this place is around 15.7 kilometers from home. It would take us at least three hours to get back, and we don't have any transport."
The jury member gave a slight nod and replied, "That's why your mother will be asked to pick you up from here."
Bachi hesitated, swallowing hard. "Oh, yeah. I… I u-understand."
The jury then asked, "What is your mother's mobile number?"
Bachi quietly gave the number, still shaken by everything that had happened.
Another jury member leaned forward and asked, "Are those other children your friends? Have they done anything illegal?"
"They're my friends," Bachi answered quickly. "And no, they haven't done anything wrong."
"Do you know where your teacher is right now?" the jury member asked, slightly raising a brow.
Bachi shook his head. "No. But… maybe she's at the zoo?"
The jury nodded. "Alright. Bring the children in."
The other students were called in and asked to provide their mobile numbers as well. The jury informed them they would only call their parents if the class camp was confirmed to have left without them.
After gathering the information, the jury instructed them: "Go with the guard. He has a vehicle ready to take you to the jungle area where your camp was set up."
Without hesitation, they all got into the vehicle and were driven to the forest campsite. As they arrived, Bachi spotted a local security guard standing near the zoo entrance.
"Hey," Bachi called out to the man, "there was a school group camped here, right?"
The guard turned toward him and said, "Oh yeah, there was a school camp. Are you part of that group?"
"Yeah!" Bachi replied. "Have they already left the jungle?"
The guard gave a nod. "Yes. They left just five minutes ago."
Bachi clenched his fists in frustration and ran back to the others.
"F**k this sh*t! They left us!" he shouted.
Kamiko's eyes widened. "Oh my god… What are we going to do now?"
"I guess the jury's gonna call our parents now," Bachi muttered. "That's why they asked for the numbers."
With no other option, the children all returned to the eight-seater vehicle and rode back to the courthouse. They stood once again before the jury, and this time, the jury made calls to each of their parents, explaining the situation clearly and in detail. They were instructed to pick up their children immediately.
Thirty-six minutes passed. The children sat in a supervised waiting room under the watchful eyes of the jury staff. The air was tense. Phones buzzed. Papers shuffled. Time dragged.
Finally, their parents arrived.
Over the next thirty minutes, each child was reunited with their family. Relief washed over them like warm rain. Tears were shed. Backs were patted. And as they walked out of the courthouse, the children shared one last look—one filled with silent understanding.
What they had just gone through wasn't something they could easily forget .
Their teacher—who had lost track of them during the chaos—called their parents in a panic. She explained that the students had vanished and might even be dead.
But each parent assured her that their child was safe, picked up from the courthouse, and had explained everything. The version the students gave perfectly aligned with the one told by the jury.
Kamiko's mother had to make two separate trips to collect both Alan and Kamiko, given that their mother was told to pick them at separate times . Meanwhile, Kashimo, Kaguro, and Bachi—despite all the fear and trauma—felt genuinely happy that they had returned home safely.
Hours later, as night fell and the house lights dimmed, the five friends gathered once again—this time on their Telegram group chat.
Kaguro:
"What is even happening now?"
Bachi:
"What do you mean?"
Kamiko:
"It is what it is, Kaguro. Maybe it's just a coincidence."
Kashimo:
"I don't know…"
Kaguro:
"Bachi, you killed a bear… and you're telling me you still don't know what's going on?"
Bachi:
"Aah, don't remind me of that! The trauma is still running through my veins. I'm scared. Terrified."
Kaguro:
"Okay… okay. But think about it. All this stuff: Reamism, Fujism, bear attacks, court cases… and we haven't even healed from the last incident!"
Bachi:
"By the way, what happened to Michelle?"
That message froze the chat for a moment.
Kaguro:
"I heard the news… she was executed."
Kamiko:
"W-What?! When??"
Kaguro:
"Just now. Early this morning, I think."
Silence followed. No one typed for several seconds. The digital space between them filled with invisible weight.
It was over. Michelle—the woman who had caused so much pain—was gone. Justice, perhaps, had been served. But that didn't erase the scars.
The chapter ends here.
— Arc 2: The Trip — Ends
To be continued...