The next day, Mochi attended classes as usual. The three of them had agreed to keep watching Professor Shūen until they gathered more information.
During lunch, Mochi, Miyu, Ami, and Sam shared the same table. Sam seemed restless; time and again he lifted his gaze, as if he wanted to say something, but stopped himself and looked back down. He repeated that same gesture three times until the trio of girls grew tired of it.
With an exasperated sigh, Ami broke the silence:
—Sam, if you want to say something, just say it already.
Ami's words had an effect. The boy cleared his throat and began speaking with a touch of nervousness:
—Tonight, along with a group of my friends, we're going to sneak into the university… We have this theory that these suicides were caused by the curse of a demon —he leaned forward over the table, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret—. That's why we're going to perform a ritual to expel it. I wanted to invite you three; the more of us there are, the better.
—Sam, stop saying nonsense. Demons don't exist… Besides, you know I don't like that kind of stuff —Ami replied, standing up with a frown before leaving, visibly upset.
Mochi and Miyu exchanged a look of complicity; both of them knew that Sam's theory was much closer to the truth than he could ever imagine.
Sam stood up, intending to follow Ami, but before leaving he turned to them:
—What about you two?
Mochi didn't need to look at Miyu to guess her answer; she could already picture the enthusiastic expression on her face. Miyu was fascinated by ghost stories and obsessed with anything related to them. However, they couldn't accept the invitation: they had arranged to meet with Zeke after class.
After their refusal, Sam ran off after the upset Ami.
The two girls looked at each other and burst into a giggle, unable to hold back at how amusing the situation was.
When they returned to the classroom, Mochi was surprised to see that Sam and Ami were already there, sitting together and talking calmly. Apparently, he had managed to soothe his classmate's bad mood.
Later, once classes were over, the three of them met again at the small ramen shop where they usually gathered. It was there that Zeke shared a new discovery with them:
—Turns out, at first, there were supposed to be six students taking part in the group suicide. However, it seems the sixth student's family noticed something was wrong with him and decided to get him treatment. Thanks to that, he's still alive.
—That's great! —Miyu exclaimed, jumping to her feet with overflowing energy—. So what are we waiting for? Let's go talk to him right now!
"Don't rush it. Even if we went right now, we wouldn't be able to meet him," Zeke said calmly, gesturing with his hand for Miyu to sit back down. "Since his condition wasn't very stable, he was transferred to a mental care institution. To visit him, you first need a permit signed by his guardians."
—Then let's talk to the family and get that permit,— Miyu replied with determination, standing up for the second time.
But Zeke's answer made her sit down again. Meanwhile, Mochi watched the exchange with amusement, almost as if she were enjoying an improvised play.
—That won't be necessary," Zeke countered, pulling a folded letter from the inner pocket of his jacket. "Just this afternoon, I skipped class and went to the family myself to get it.—
—Then what's the reason we can't go? Is it because of the time?— Miyu asked, this time calmer, waiting for the answer without leaving her seat.
Zeke sighed.
—The problem lies in how this institution treats its patients. They use methods straight out of the last century—keeping them permanently sedated. If we went to talk to him now, he wouldn't be able to answer us. I'm not even sure he'd be conscious.—
—That's horrible…— Miyu said, frowning with a look of disgust on her face.
—I can't believe places like that still exist,— Mochi added indignantly.
—I already notified the place that we'll be coming tomorrow. They stopped giving him the drugs today, so tomorrow we'll be able to talk to him normally.— Zeke turned to Miyu. —You'll come with me to see him.
Then he shifted his gaze to Mochi.
—Little Noa, you'll attend class like any other day. I need you to keep an eye on Professor Shūen's movements.
The group split up shortly afterward.
—
The next morning, Mochi attended classes as usual. When lunchtime came, she headed to the first row of seats where Ami and Sam always sat. To her surprise, she only found Ami there.
—Hi, Ami! Are you alone today? —asked Mochi, waving a hand as she approached.
—Hi, Noa. Yes, I'm alone. Guess what happened… —Ami rested a hand on her forehead and let out a weary sigh—. Last night a teacher caught Sam sneaking in here with his friends, and they all got suspended for three days.
—Oh, I see… good thing I didn't go with him, otherwise I'd be suspended too —Mochi replied in relief, placing a hand on her chest.
The two had lunch together with trivial conversations, and once they finished, they returned to the classroom to continue with the afternoon classes.
* * *
Meanwhile, Miyu and Zeke arrived at the institution where the student who had survived was receiving treatment. A nurse guided them through the labyrinthine hallways; the place was in very poor condition, dirty and neglected, with the paint on the walls peeling and falling off in pieces.
—Miyu, when we get there let me do the talking. He's not well, so we need to handle him carefully if we want him to tell us everything —said Zeke as he followed the nurse.
—Understood, Leader —Miyu nodded seriously.
They stopped in front of a door. The nurse unlocked the metal latch and turned to them.
—Don't take too long —she said curtly, before walking away the way they had come.
The inside of the room was depressing. There were no windows, and the walls were covered with white tiles that reflected the cold light of the single bulb on the ceiling. The bed was nothing more than a mattress without sheets or blankets. In addition, there was a stainless steel toilet without a lid and a sink of the same material with a short faucet and a single button instead of handles. Everything was designed to prevent the patient from harming himself.
Sitting at the edge of the bed was the young man. His gaze was tired and unfocused, with glassy eyes and a pale face.
His brown hair was matted and greasy, and he wore a simple cotton pajama.
Zeke stepped forward.—Hello, my name is Zeke, and this is Miyu. We're investigating what happened. Your parents told us that you were admitted here because you confessed to them that you wanted to commit suicide. Could you tell me what happened? —he asked calmly, careful not to upset him.
The boy replied with a hoarse and weak voice, as if he hadn't spoken in days:
—It all started a few weeks ago. Every night, without fail, I had nightmares… It got to the point where I couldn't sleep anymore. But it wasn't just me; my friends were going through the same thing. —He paused for a moment and continued slowly—. I wasn't myself anymore; I felt like my mind was betraying me. I tried to endure it, but I couldn't. One day, while I was walking home, I crossed the bridge, and the only thing I could think about was how long it would take to jump into the water… When I came to my senses, I was already standing on the railing. It was terrifying. That was my breaking point. I ran home and told my parents everything, and they brought me here.
—You said you had nightmares and didn't feel like yourself. During that time, didn't you tell anyone else? —Zeke asked.
—I did. We all told Professor Shūen together. That week we had a play, but no one felt well enough to perform. He simply ignored us… He told us we were exaggerating and that we'd get over it.
—I see… what you've told us is very useful to us —Zeke replied. Then he turned toward the door—. Let's go, Miyu.
Before leaving, he stopped for a moment and looked at the boy seriously:
—Don't worry. I spoke with your family before coming here and arranged for you to be transferred to a real institution, one that can actually help you. So this will be your last day in this horrible place.