Chapter 144

Interlude III That thing with Grade 3 Class 3 is no joke, seriously. The head of the biology club died, right? Aren’t you a member? Yeah. Kouda was the head… On Monday morning, he collapsed in the clubroom, covered in blood. He was in Class 1, but his twin brother was in Class 3. That’s why he died? I heard that anybody related to Class 3 can get dragged into it, even if they’re in a different class or they aren’t a student. That’s too awful to consider. And the other brother, he also passed in a car wreck after Kouda’s funeral…they say. Same for the parents—they were in the same vehicle. The whole family? No way… I didn’t believe in curses, but…remember in May? One of the Class 3 students died, right? Oh yeah. I wonder if it’s real, this curse. The question is, what kind of curse is it? I have no idea. They say just knowing too much about it is dangerous. Ugh, brutal. I wonder if I should quit the biology club. Two of the upperclassmen are in Class 3. One of them hardly ever attends, but the other was good friends with Kouda, and when he died, that guy just happened to… Hmm? Sounds like you’d better not get too close if you can help it. My thoughts exactly. …Unfortunately, none of the many “countermeasures” we’ve attempted have been successful. This is terribly unfortunate, but…the “calamity” is here, so now all we can do is pray for the souls of the departed: Tsugunaga, Kouda and his family, and Takanashi’s mother. Everyone here has upheld the “countermeasures” since the beginning of April… I especially want to thank the countermeasures officers and Sou Hiratsuka, who took the initiative to become a “non-exister,” for their efforts. From now on, Hiratsuka will be leading a normal school life with the rest of us… ………… ………… ……Ms.? What is it? So does this mean…does this really mean that there’s nothing we can do? What do you mean? Are there any more, you know, “countermeasures”…? …There are none. At least, not as far as I know. ………… ………… The “calamity” has already begun. Our “non-exister” gambit failed to prevent it. I’m afraid there is nothing more that we can do… …No way. No way… ………… ………… …I’m so sorry. I apologize, everyone. Even I don’t know another way. But there is a class that stopped the “calamity” even after it started. Apparently, it happened three years ago. But why did it stop? No one can say for sure. We don’t really know; no one does. So… ………… ……But— But, everyone— Don’t give up… Don’t give in, everyone; don’t get careless, all right? Be vigilant about your surroundings. Take care when you’re on your way to and from school. Whenever you leave home, avoid getting caught in any sudden accidents. Maintaining your health is part of that. Remain vigilant at all times, and do your best to avoid opportunities for the “calamity” to strike… ……I will, too. As your homeroom teacher, I also have to be careful. No amount of caution is too great. Keep that in your mind, everyone, and please… ……Be careful.