Chapter 1

VOLUME 1 THE RED EYE KNOWS

file 01: the locked room (TRANSLATION NOTES)

At the edge of the university campus, there was a forest .

Since the campus had been built on a hill, it wasnt strange .

Deep in that forest, there was a one-storey concrete building .

Nobody knew what it had been built for .

Now, it was just a deserted building .

Since it was deep in the forest, many students wouldnt notice it was there at all if they lived normal student lives .

There had long been rumours that ghosts appeared in that deserted building .

Someone claimed to have spotted a figure near that deserted building, but the figure had suddenly disappeared when chased . Another person said that theyd heard a pitiful cry of Save me, save me when they passed the deserted building . Somebody else said that it wasnt 'Save me but a curse: 'Ill kill you .

There was more to the rumours of this deserted building .

In the very back of the building, there was a locked room behind an iron door .

Nobody knew what was inside . The reason was that nobody who had seen it ever returned

1

Because of the strong, dry wind, the clouds had all floated away by noon .

The pale moon could easily be seen .

It was a full moon

Somebody had once said that moonlight absorbed noise . The night was so quiet that that nonsense seemed believable .

Miki, Kazuhiko and Yuuichi had been drinking at a bar when they missed the last train . Now, they were thinking of a way to spend the time before the first train .

Then, the topic of the rumour spreading across campus came up .

The three of them knew about the rumour, but none of them had ever checked it out .

'Lets go see if that rumours true, said Miki .

Kazuhiko and Yuuchi agreed to Mikis suggestion . They ended up sneaking into the university at night .

They climbed over the mesh fence, passed the back of the school building and went into the forest .

They pushed their way through the branches on a trackless path .

It felt like a little adventure .

The path was much harder to walk than Miki had imagined .

When they reached the deserted building, she was covered in sweat and she had sobered up . Miki had lost her initial energy and was starting to regret her decision .

The building had one storey with a flat roof and was built out of concrete . It felt cold rather than a building, it was more like a clump of concrete had just been left there .

'Since weve come all this way, lets take a photo to commemorate this, said Yuuichi .

Kazuhiko took the camera first and took a photo with the deserted building as a backdrop . The pale light of the flash made Yuuichis shadow appear on the dark wall of the deserted building .

Next, Yuuichi took the camera . Kazuhiko and Miki stood next to each other and turned towards him with a smile .

The flash lit up again .

Clunk!

There was the sound of metal hitting metal .

Mikis shoulders jolted in her surprise .

'Did you hear something just now?

Miki looked around . Kazuhiko and Yuuichi held their breath as they looked around and listened .

Rustle .

All they heard was the sound of branches shaking in the wind .

'Cant hear anything .

Yuuichi put his hand to his ear .

'What? Youre the one who suggested this, but youre scared now? said Kazuhiko coolly .

Miki glared at Kazuhiko sulkily .

'Im not scared .

Miki walked to the entrance and tried the knob on the rusty iron door .

Next, Kazuhiko tried the knob, but it still wouldnt open .

'For times like this, tada!

Yuichi took a thin metal hook out of his trouser pocket .

'Whats that? asked Kazuhiko .

'Well, just look . Ah, Kazu, give me some light with your lighter .

Kazuhiko lit up his lighter as asked and put it near the doorknob . Yuuichi stood in front of the door, knelt down and put the metal tool he had taken out earlier into the keyhole .

'What are you doing?

'Now, now .

A few minutes after Yuuichi started grappling with the doorknob, he stood up and turned it .

Creak .

There was the sound of metal scraping against metal as the door opened .

'Youre amazing! said Kazuhiko, sounding impressed .

'Anybody could do this with the right tools .

Yuuichi rubbed at his nose, seeming proud .

'Whered you get something like that?

'Online . Ill give you the URL later so you can take a look .

Kazuhiko and Yuuichi went inside with no hesitation .

Since Miki didnt want to be left by herself, she hurriedly followed them .

The cold wind from outside blew inside, lifting the dust that had gathered on the floor . The building was warm in comparison to how it felt outside, but it was so dark it was difficult to see her fingers .

Kazuhiko lit his lighter, but the small, flickering flame wasnt of much use so they couldnt see the inside of the building .

For a moment, a pale light flashed and lit up the room .

Miki jumped in surprise at that light . Yuuichi smirked when he saw how frightened Miki was . Yuuichi had used the flash on the camera .

'Im going home, said Miki .

'What? You scared? said Kazuhiko and Yuuichi at the same time .

'B-but I feel like somebodys watching me .

Miki clung to Kazuhikos arm, as if trying to hide .

For a while, the three of them looked around in the dark . Nothing was there but the complete darkness that covered the room .

'Its fine . Nothing to worry about .

After Kazuhiko said that to Miki, he started walking slowly by the walls .

'Hey, protect me .

Miki tugged at Kazuhikos arm .

'Yeah, leave it to me .

Kazuhiko casually patted Miki on the shoulder and then started walking again .

They passed through the room right at the entrance and went down the corridor .

The corridor was narrow enough for people to bump shoulders . On both sides, there were evenly spaced doors with windows . Behind those doors were rooms of about four tatami in size .

In each room, there was one bed, and nothing else .

The three of them walked along the walls to the locked room in question .

The room was at the end of the corridor .

It was an incredibly eerie room . The metal door looked heavy, clearly different from the other rooms . There was an observation window with iron bars . Besides the normal lock, the doorknob was bound to the pipe that went up the wall with chains and had a combination padlock .

'Cant open this, grumbled Yuuichi .

'Whats inside? Kazuhiko peered into the room through the window .

'See anything?

'Nothing . Cant make anything out in the dark .

The moment Kazuhiko gave up

Rustle .

Something moved in the dark . In the very corner of the room, where the shadows were darkest .

What was there? Kazuhiko stared at it .

Eyes!

Kazuhikos eyes met with the eyes of whatever was in the dark .

The eyes in the dark were unusually vivid . White, cloudy eyes . The blood vessels were showing . Eyes that were filled with hatred that felt like it would swallow everything up

Kazuhiko screamed and jumped back, falling on his behind .

'Whats wrong? Is something there?

When Miki called out to him, Kazuhiko opened and shut his mouth in his fright, but his breathing was erratic and he couldnt speak .

There was just the sound of his raspy throat .

Kazuhiko managed to get up with Yuuichis help .

'Did you see something? Yuuichi asked .

Kazuhiko looked to the door .

Yuuichi looked also .

The next moment, Kazuhiko and Yuuichi lost their words .

From the gap between the bars of the window, a hand so pale it didnt look like that of a living person reached out and suddenly gripped the shoulder of Miki, who had her back to the door .

Miki gasped .

Kazuhiko and Yuuichi were in front of her .

Then who was the person grabbing her shoulder?

She didnt have the courage to turn around and check . The blood drained from Mikis face .

She lost all her strength she couldnt even scream .

Miki reached out with a trembling hand to ask Kazuhiko and Yuuichi for help . However, Kazuhiko and Yuuichi couldnt move from fear .

Please save me

Miki spoke in a rasping voice . Yuuichi put his hand out towards Miki to try to pull Miki away from the door .

That moment .

Those eyes peered out again from the gap between the bars .

'Aaahhh!

Kazuhiko and Yuuichis heads both went blank . They screamed and ran away without looking behind them .

'Wait dont leave me by myself!

Mikis bitter cry didnt leave her mouth .

This was only the beginning of the case

2

After the morning lecture, Ozawa Haruka refused an invitation from a friend and left the classroom .

The wind was cold .

In just a rough outfit of skinny jeans and a grey parka, it was chilly, as was to be expected .

She regretted not wearing something warmer .

Since she had short hair, her neck felt especially cold .

Haruka was headed for the prefabricated two-storey building behind Building B in order to visit somebody introduced to her by Aizawa, an upperclassman from the orchestra circle .

There were a number of small four-and-a-half tatami rooms on the first and second floor which the university leant out to students for club and circle activities .

The room she was headed for was at the very end of the first floor .

Movie Research Circle .

Haruka checked the plate on the door and then knocked .

There was no response . She said, 'Hello, but the result was the same . She thought it was a bit rude, but she opened the door and peeked inside .

When she opened the door, her eyes immediately met those of the man sitting in front of her .

His skin was as white as porcelain .

He looked at her with half-closed eyes, as if he would fall asleep at any moment, and she found herself lost for words .

'E-er

'Could you close the door once you come in? said the man, interrupting Haruka .

She hurriedly went in and closed the door .

The man wore a white shirt with the first two buttons unfastened, so his chest showed through .

It was unclear whether he was showing it on purpose or he was just sloppy .

Judging by the hair as messy as a birds nest, it was probably just sloppiness .

Recently, the so-called bedhead hairstyle had been getting popular, but this mans hair was clearly just bedhead .

Besides the man at the front, there were two other men in the room .

Those two men were looking at a playing card while hiding it from the man facing her .

It was the five of spades .

'Sorry, but could you sit down? I cant concentrate .

'Ah, yes .

Haruka stepped away from the door and sat on the folding chair by the wall that the man gestured at .

Inside the room, other than the table, there was a fridge in the corner and a shelf next to it that had been covered with a cloth .

Rather than a clubroom, it felt more like somebodys flat .

The man who had spoken earlier closed his eyes and pinched his brow with his fingers, like he was thinking . Finally, he opened his eyes and his red lips parted .

'The five of spades .

He was right . Amazing!

The card that the men had been looking at earlier had definitely been the five of spades . Haruka couldnt hide her surprise, while the men let out cries of dismay and threw the card on the table .

'Damn . You got us again .

The men took thousand yen bills out of their pocket in a displeased manner, hit the table and left the clubroom .

'Please sit down . You have a request, dont you?

The man put the thousand yen bills in his shirt pocket and yawned as he spoke .

Haruka sat on the chair that the men had sat on earlier .

'Er, might you be Saitou Yakumo-san?

'Theres no might about it I am, the man responded .

This person is Saitou Yakumo

Aizawa had told Haruka to consult Saitou Yakumo of the Movie Research Circle if she ever had to talk about something related to ghosts .

According to rumour, he could sense the supernatural and might be able to help with things of that nature .

To be honest, she had been dubious before coming here and hadnt known what sort of ability he had .

However, there was the card from earlier .

Maybe he had read their minds or was clairvoyant, but he definitely appeared to have some sort of ability .

'So?

Yakumo urged her to continue .

'The truth is, an upperclassman from my circle introduced me .

'Who?

'Aizawa-san .

'Dont recognise the name . Who is that?

'Eh?

That didnt make sense . Since Aizawa had introduced Yakumo, shed been sure that they knew each other .

'Well, it doesnt matter who introduced you . Explain in a summary what youve come here for .

'Um, er, my friend is in trouble . Saitou-san, Ive heard that you were an expert on that sort of thing, so, er, I want you to help her

'Youve summarised too much . I dont understand at all . What is that sort of thing?

'Ah, sorry . Ill explain properly .

'By the way, who are you?

What an unpleasant guy

This persons expression hadnt changed at all the whole time . He still looked sleepy . It was like he enjoyed seeing people all flustered .

'Ah, my name is Ozawa Haruka . Im a second-year student at this university in the education department in the faculty of literature

'Just your name is fine .

Yakumo waved his hand like he found her bothersome and stopped her words .

Her anger towards this unpleasant person was escalating .

'So what do you want?

'The truth is, a few days ago, my friend Miki went to a deserted building on campus, since there was a rumour that ghosts appeared there . Then, it seems like she actually saw a ghost .

'What sort of ghost?

'I dont know the details either . I didnt go with her . She went with her boyfriend Kazuhiko and a friend called Yuuichi-kun .

'So you came all this way to tell me a ghost story?

'Thats not it . Ever since then, Mikis been acting strange . She has a high fever and shes been sleeping the whole time .

'The cold going around recently is a frightful thing .

'Like I said! Please listen until Im finished!

Unable to restrain her irritation, she spoke in a loud voice that even surprised herself .

However, Yakumo leant back on his chair, and his eyes still looked sleepy .

'So? What happened next?

Yakumo urged her to continue, running a hand through his messy hair .

She isnt just sleeping . She keeps on muttering things like Save me and Let me out of here .

'And the doctor?

'Of course a doctors been to see her, but besides the fever, apparently theres nothing in particular wrong with her body The doctor said it was probably something psychological .

'Something psychological

Yakumo crossed his arms and leant on the back of the chair .

'She lives alone, so I contacted her parents, but the call didnt go through I dont know what to do

She wanted to do something for her friend, but she didnt know what to do in a situation like this .

Meanwhile, Miki was wasting away .

'So you want me to look into the matter since her condition might be related to the ghost she saw in that room?

'Yes . Ive heard that Saitou-san was an expert on that sort of thing .

Yakumo took in a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling, like he was thinking about something .

'No good? Is that a no?

Haruka looked at Yakumos expression with wide eyes .

'Twenty-five thousand yen . Tax included .

'Eh? Youre asking for money?

'Are we friends?

'No, we arent .

'Are we lovers?

'Of course not .

'So, money .

'Why?

'Wouldnt it be strange for me to do something for you for free when were not friends or lovers?

What he said was logical in a sense, but somehow, she couldnt honestly accept it .

That said, she couldnt just leave things like this .

'I understand . Ill pay . Ill pay, but please let me defer the payment .

'Ten thousand yen up front . The remaining fifteen thousand yen after this is finished .

Haruka took a thousand yen bill from her wallet and put it on the table .

Yakumo shook his head . Haruka took out another two thousand yen, but Yakumo shook his head again .

'Youre missing a digit .

'Thats all I have on me right now .

Haruka waved her empty wallet in front of Yakumos eyes .

'I understand . Ill look into it, said Yakumo with a yawn, like there was nothing else he could do .

From the flow of the conversation up until now, she was dubious about whether he would actually look into it for her, but she had nobody else to rely on .

'Please contact me if you find something out .

Haruka put a memo with her contact information on it on the table, stood up and put her hand on the doorknob .

This is

She noticed something unbelievable .

Movie posters and photographs were stuck on the door .

In a gap between them, a pair of eyes and her own not very tall nose were reflected back at her .

It was a small mirror .

Shed been fooled .

'That playing card from earlier said Haruka, turning around .

'I was almost tricked . When you guessed the number of the playing card earlier, you were cheating . The mirror on the door from your position, you couldve seen the number on the card I see thats why you told me to move away from the door .

Haruka said that all at once with a face red from anger .

How could he! She was angry at how stupid she was for believing in this person for even a moment . This was why her friends made fun of her for being naive .

'Correct . Youre the first person whos seen through it .

Yakumo said that nonchalantly, not ashamed at all as he clapped his hands .

'Youre the worst . Please give me back my money .

'Why?

'Dont say Why . You tried to trick me out of my money . Please give it back .

She couldnt believe him . Taking advantage of a persons weakness . She really felt that way .

'Dont say something so rude .

'What was rude about it?

'I dont plan on tricking you . Ill give you back the full amount if I cant save your friend .

'How can I believe that?

This man called Saitou there was a limit to shamelessness .

'What can you do anyway? I came because I heard you had some sort of psychic ability, but arent you just cheating?

'Who said I had some sort of psychic ability? I definitely didnt . Just as you said, the thing with the playing card earlier was fraud .

There was no reason for him to sound so proud as he said that .

'If you dont have a psychic ability, how are you going to save Miki?

'Youre free to choose whether to believe what I am about to say next or not . If youll believe me, then you can leave it to me . If you wont, the exit is over there .

Yakumo gestured at the door .

'Ill give back your money too .

Yakumo put three thousand yen bills on the table .

'I can see things that other people cant .

'Is this a riddle?

'You can interpret it as you will . Whats the answer?

'I dont know .

'The spirits of the dead .

'Spirits?

'To put it simply, ghosts .

'Thats idiotic .

'Youre the idiot .

Yakumo pointed at Haruka .

Calling somebody hed just met an idiot

'But you said earlier you didnt have any psychic ability

'I did . I dont have a psychic ability . I can just see the spirits of the dead .

'Thats the same thing .

'It isnt . It isnt a psychic ability but a physical one .

'Physical?

He had been quibbling for a while it felt like he was just trying to make the conversation confusing .

'For example, you wouldnt call perfect pitch a psychic ability, right? Youd call it an ability they were born with or a talent Anyway, Im not clairvoyant and I cant use telekinesis . I was just born with the ability to see the spirits of the dead .

'If youre going to say that much, can you prove it?

'I dont know whether this will count as proof, but there is a ghost in this room right now .

Yakumo put his index finger between his well-shaped eyebrows .

She didnt have to check only the two of them were in here .

'You cant trick me with that .

'The ghost in here right now is your older sister . Your twin

'Youre lying .

She shook her head . Her fingers were trembling .

'Yes, your sister . Her name is Ayaka . She died in a traffic accident at the age of seven .

'How do you know

Her throat felt tight .

'I said so, didnt I? I can see her .

Even her childhood friends didnt know that she had an older sister .

Then why did this person who shed just met know? Rather than nonsensical, it was mysterious .

'You still think that your sisters accident was your fault .

That one sentence from Yakumo pierced deep into Harukas heart .

The blood left her face . Her head went blank she felt like she might faint .

The ball that fell to the asphalt .

The sound of the car horn .

The deep red blood kept pouring out .

'Your sister ran into the road to catch the ball you threw . Then

'Stop I That isnt I didnt think it would end up like that

Haruka shut her eyes tightly and covered her eyes .

No matter how I yelled, my sister Ayaka didnt move at all .

It was so sudden that I couldnt cry or scream .

My palms were dyed red with the blood from my sisters head .

Blood

She could remember the wet feeling clearly . She had frantically tried to stop the blood, but it was no good .

Shed felt her sister Ayakas life disappearing from her hands .

'I see So you threw the ball far away on purpose .

'Youre wrong!

Haruka lifted her head at Yakumos words and clenched her teeth .

Yakumo continued speaking regardless .

'You always missed the ball, but your older sister always caught it skilfully . So you threw the ball far away on purpose so your sister wouldnt be able to catch it .

'Stop it!

Her hands were shaking . Her breathing was ragged .

Why? She had never talked about this to anyone . Nobody should have known about it . Her eyes were filled with tears even though she didnt want to cry .

'Why are you doing this asked Haruka in a hoarse voice, wiping her tears away with her fingers .

Yakumo didnt reply to Harukas question .

After Haruka glanced at Yakumo, she picked up her bag and stood . She opened the door and tried to leave .

'If you dont believe me, theres more . Your sister says theres something she regrets .

'Regrets

'She was the one who hid your mothers ring . Your mother got angry at you then . The ring was stuck to the top of a shoe cupboard with gum . She was going to confess, but she couldnt say it

Haruka couldnt breathe . The corners of her eyes felt hot .

'I

'Also, your sister said she doesnt blame you, said Yakumo, interrupting Harukas words .

Doesnt blame me? Thats ridiculous . I mean, its my fault that my sister

She felt the urge to run away and fled from the room .

* * *

When Haruka reached the courtyard, she collapsed onto a bench .

The dry autumn wind made her short hair flutter .

The noise from the students passing by hurt her ears .

She looked down, covering her face with her hands .

The memories from her past she had never talked to anybody about them before .

A man she had just met guessed everything right in such a cold manner .

She thought that she would be assaulted by unstoppable anger and humiliation, but that wasnt actually the case .

It would be a lie if she said she didnt feel that way at all .

However, her heart felt a bit lighter

It was a mystery even to her why she felt that way .

Haruka took her mobile phone out of her bag and, after thinking for a while, punched in her parents phone number . After a number of rings, her mother Keiko answered .

'What is it?

Her mother said that first thing .

'Nothing really . I just

'Youve always been bad at lying . Something happened, right?

Her mother saw right through her after just that .

Haruka felt like shed cry if she talked at length .

'Hey, Mum . You lost your ring a while back, right? Back when Sis was still alive .

'What is this all of a sudden?

'Could you look at the top of the shoe cupboard?

'Why are you talking about that now?

'Just go and look .

'Fine, fine .

Her mother sounded exasperated . Then, the hold tone started playing .

It was Chopins Farewell[1] . Her sister Ayaka had been good at piano . Her slender fingers appeared to dance as they played this song that even adults had difficulty with .

While I wasnt good at music, not just piano . My rhythm was always off . I was always compared to my sister .

Not just for piano . Even for school and sports, I couldnt beat my older sister .

When we were together, we were often mistaken for an older sister and her younger brother .

Part of it was because of my short hair, but we were completely different even though we were twins .

I had even thought that having my sister there was unpleasant .

And then that accident

Just as Saitou had said, Haruka had thrown the ball far away on purpose .

She hadnt thought it would end up like that .

When she saw her grieving parents, how could she live in a carefree manner?

She had lived with the fear that somebody would someday find out how her sister died .

'It was there . It really was there .

Her mothers voice from the phone brought Haruka back to reality .

'Haruka, so it really was you?

'No, it was Sis .

'Eh? What?

Haruka hung up without answering her mothers question .

I didnt know where the ring was hidden .

So my sister really was

3

Haruka knocked once more on the Movie Research Circle clubroom door .

When she opened the door and went inside, a paper aeroplane was circling about .

'What are you doing?

'Throwing a paper aeroplane .

The paper aeroplane made a wobbly landing at Haruka feet .

'I can tell just by looking . Im asking why youre doing it .

Haruka picked up the landed plane . It was made out of a thousand yen bill .

'I was killing time until you came back .

'Go ahead .

Yakumo urged Haruka to sit .

Haruka put the plane she picked up on the table and then sat down .

'Could I ask you one thing?

Yakumo nodded as he stretched his arms behind him .

'This is the clubroom for the Movie Research Circle, right? Is there nobody in the club besides you, Saitou-san?

'There isnt . Since this is my room .

'What do you mean? asked Haruka, raising a shapely eyebrow .

The conversation was advancing naturally, but she didnt understand it .

'In the first place, the Movie Research Circle doesnt exist .

'But this is

'Its simple . I went to the student affairs office, borrowed some students name and applied for a clubroom to make a circle . Thats all . Its like a secret hiding place .

'Arent you just using this room as your own?

'Exactly .

'You really are the worst youre even deceiving the university .

'Ah, Ill give you back your three thousand yen .

Yakumo ignored Harukas objections and gestured at the thousand yen bills on the table .

'Because your trick was exposed?

'You came back because you didnt think it was a trick . Isnt that right?

She didnt deny it, but his know-it-all tone irritated her .

'Thats

'It was there, right? Your mothers ring .

Yakumo crossed his arms behind his head and leant back on his chair .

'How do you know that? asked Haruka, her eyes wide in surprise .

Yakumo didnt reply .

The way he stuck out his chin was like he was saying 'Ive already explained it, right? . But she couldnt accept that .

'Please tell me .

'Your sister told me .

'Stop lying . A fraud like you is just saying you can see ghosts so you can trick people out of their money, right?

Haruka leant forward as she said that, putting herself closer to Yakumo .

Yakumo tapped the table rhythmically with a long, white finger, as if he were considering something .

Finally, his finger stopped and his almond eyes looked right at Haruka .

'Then lets do this . Lets go to that deserted building together .

'By together, do you mean me and you?

'Who else would it be?

'Thats true, but

This person keeps on

'If you go with me, then you can tell whether Im a fraud or not . Like with the mirror on the door .

She couldnt reply right away .

It was just a coincidence that she saw through the trick with the mirror on the door . There was no guarantee that shed see through the next thing .

Haruka looked at Yakumos expression with her own black eyes .

She thought shed be able to see through him if he was lying, but that was naive .

His eyes were still sleepy and he had his chin in his hand .

'Well, it doesnt matter to me either way . To be honest, I dont care at all what happens to your friend .

Just from that one comment by Yakumo, Haruka made up her mind .

4

Yakumo wanted to meet up with Miki before they went to the deserted building .

At his request, Haruka brought Yakumo to the hospital Miki was in .

It was a twenty-minute walk from the university . After passing through the station and exiting from the north, the hospital was about two hundred metres down the main road .

While walking on the sidewalk, Haruka glanced at Yakumos profile .

He had a pencil-straight nose and sharp chin he would probably be popular if he kept his mouth shut, but he had an unapproachable atmosphere to him .

'What?

Yakumo looked at her coldly, like he had noticed her gaze .

'Can I ask you one thing?

'Only one thing .

'Can you exorcise spirits?

'I cant do something as handy as that .

'Eh?

Haruka was taken aback .

He was full of coincidence, but how did he plan to save Miki?

'Ill say this again, but all I can do is see the spirits of the dead .

'But you said youd save my friend

'I might be able to save her . Its an if situation, said Yakumo, as if it were completely obvious .

'Thats irresponsible . Theres no point to what were doing now then, right?

'That isnt true .

'Why?

'By seeing something, it means I understand that something is there . If I understand what is there, I can understand why . If I understand why, I might be able to remove the cause for it .

She understood his logic .

However, she didnt know what he meant specifically . She couldnt imagine it at all .

While she was doing that, they arrived at the hospital .

She didnt completely understand, but it seemed as if there was nothing to do but go with him .

The hospital was a four-storey building with white walls .

They passed the asphalt parking lot and wrote down their names in the visitors log as instructed by the nurse . Then, they took the elevator at the back of the waiting room .

'Could I ask you one thing too?

Yakumo spoke just as the elevator doors closed .

'If it isnt a rude question, replied Haruka guardedly .

'Three people went to that deserted building . How are the other two?

'Kazuhiko and Yuuichi-kun were both so scared they ran away, but Yuuichi-kun realised at the campus exit that hed separated from everyone and went back even though he was scared .

'I see .

'After getting back to the forest, he found Miki collapsed there and then he carried Miki back .

'Was she conscious then?

Haruka shook her head .

'Miki wouldnt wake up so he brought her right to the hospital . The next morning, Yuuichi-kun contacted me, and then I

'And how about Kazuhiko?

'I dont care about a guy like that . Even though hes Mikis boyfriend, he left her behind .

'Its not like I deserted her .

As Yakumo said that, the elevator doors opened .

At Harukas instruction, they went down the corridor and stopped in front of the third hospital room . After knocking, they went inside .

It was a large room with four beds, but besides the bed in the front that Miki was sleeping in, the room was completely empty .

An IV catheter went along Mikis arms .

It was probably for nutrients or something like that . Her eyes were open, but they were empty they didnt appear to be looking at anything .

There was sweat on her forehead and her face was pale . If Haruka didnt hear the faint breathing like air being let out of a balloon thered be no difference between Miki and a corpse .

'Even though shes in this state, the doctor said theres nothing in particular wrong with her body and that she was probably overworked from stress Do you think somebody who was talking so cheerfully yesterday could end up like this?

Haruka was agitated, but Yakumo didnt seem to be listening .

He stood by the bed and gazed at Miki . There was a wrinkle between his well-defined eyebrows, and Yakumos eyes, which had been sleepy until now, were grim .

'Do you see something?

Haruka spoke up, bewildered by Yakumo, who seemed like a completely different person .

'Who are you? murmured Yakumo .

ve me Save me Ple a se

Mikis mouth opened, and out came a voice that sounded like the groan of a beast .

Yakumo leant over Miki and put his ear near her mouth .

Let me out of here

Mikis mouth moved again and spoke .

'Where are you now?

Yakumo took Mikis face in his hands and stared into her eyes . When Yakumo looked at Miki, her eyes seemed to move slightly .

I cant see Where am I Let me out

'Where are you now? Tell me .

Miki made no response . Her faint breathing turned ragged .

'No!

Miki suddenly shrieked, threw her hands up towards the ceiling and arched her back .

What? What was happening?

While Haruka was confused, Miki dropped her arms, as if tired, and was as still as the dead .

Yakumo didnt say anything . He just sighed and left the hospital room .

'Wait .

Haruka hurriedly followed Yakumo out of the room .

Yakumo was leaning on the wall right outside of the hospital room and had a hand on the left side of his forehead and eye .

His breathing was ragged . His shoulders shook as if he were in pain .

'Are you all right?

Haruka approached Yakumo and tried to look at his face, but Yakumo quickly fixed his posture and started walking, as if to avoid her .

His left hand was still against his forehead and eye .

'Does it hurt?

Haruka chased after him .

'No .

'I think itd be better if you get that checked .

'Shut up! Yakumo said sharply as he turned around .

A cold sweat was running down his forehead . His wide eyes were glaring at Haruka .

'W-what is it said Haruka, accepting Yakumos pained gaze directly .

'Thered be no point in telling you .

'You cant know that until you tell me .

'You ask too many questions .

Yakumo started walking away quickly to get away from Haruka .

'Honestly! Just explain a bit, complained Haruka as she ran a bit to catch up to Yakumo .

'Hey, whatd you see in the hospital room? asked Haruka as they got into the elevator .

However, Yakumo didnt reply .

He had his back against the elevator wall and crossed his arms, looking displeased .

Honestly

'Why dont you just tell me? Youre the one who told me to go with you, Saitou-san .

'I regret it .

Yakumo ran a hand through his hair and finally started an explanation .

'Your friends possessed by the ghost of a woman probably around the same age as us . However, that would be when she died Her hair went to her shoulders and there was a mole underneath her eyes .

'And?

'Dark . A completely dark room Narrow The sound of water Hunger A heavy atmosphere Pain Terror Terror Terror

'What do you mean?

'If I could understand it so easily, I wouldnt be suffering . Think about me a little .

'Please dont talk to me like Im an idiot .

'Am I wrong?

When the elevator reached the first floor, Yakumo started walking briskly again .

Haruka had to run to catch up again .

* * *

The autumn sunset showed its unique colours .

The sky looked like a brilliant stained glass window .

When Haruka and Yakumo arrived at the station after leaving the hospital, there was a crowd .

It was rush hour, but it was clearly different from that .

The station was teeming with people who couldnt get onto the platform .

There were ambulances parked nearby and emergency personnel were still stepping out .

The words <Outward and inbound lines have been suspended because of an accident> were scrolling on the electric signboard that displayed train times .

'Because an accident occurred at this station, train operation has currently been suspended! As accident procedure is in place, please step outside the gates . We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience .

A train attendant was saying that message loudly . There were people trying to rush out and curious onlookers, so everyone was crowded together .

'Seems like there was an accident .

'You can tell just from looking, said Yakumo with his arms crossed .

This person really just goes on and

'Ah, Professor Takaoka .

Haruka spotted a face she knew in the crowd and called out .

'Professor Takaoka?

'A lecturer for one of my seminars . Please wait .

Haruka made her way through the crowd towards Takaoka .

'Professor Takaoka .

She bumped into countless people but finally reached the one she was looking for .

Takaoka acknowledged Haruka with a flat 'Ah .

He had round glasses and looked at first glance to be a man of delicate features, but his shoulders were wide and solid in his suit .

He gave an immaculate and refreshing impression .

With his gentle manner and friendly personality, he was rather popular with female students .

'Professor, did something happen?

Takaoka looked around, seeming troubled by Harukas question, but he finally spoke .

'Ichihashi-kun jumped in front of a train

'Ichihashi do you mean Yuuichi-kun?

Takaoka nodded .

'When you say jumped, do you mean

Her heart was beating loudly . Her throat dried up .

I cant believe it

'It was a suicide .

'Thats

More of her friends were meeting with misfortune . And they were the two who had tested their courage by going to the deserted building .

'I cant believe it either . I didnt notice at all .

Takaoka looked pained as he spoke .

'It isnt your fault, Professor .

'Haruka-kun, did you hear anything from Ichihashi-kun?

Haruka shook her head . Takaoka wouldnt believe her even if she told him .

The atmosphere was suffocating .

In the middle of that, somebody who looked like a station attendant called out to Takaoka and he walked away towards the stationmasters office .

'What was it?

Yakumo had walked up to her at some point in time .

'Yuuichi-kun committed suicide

When she said it aloud, she felt how terrible it was .

I didnt think hed do something like kill himself when I was talking to him on the phone yesterday

'Is Yuuichi one of the three who went on that test of courage?

Haruka nodded .

Her legs were shaking she could barely stand .

'It seems like itd be better to look for the one whos missing, said Yakumo as he ran a hand through his hair .

'He was normal yesterday, but

Her words got caught in her throat . She couldnt speak .

'I have no hard evidence, but I can say this . It isnt a suicide

Yakumo said that as he looked straight towards the station gate .

It was so unexpected that Harukas eyes went wide .

It isnt a suicide

'What do you mean?

'I said I didnt have any hard evidence, didnt I?

Yakumo had his hands in his pockets as he started walking with his gaze on his feet .

'Miki was possessed by a ghost

Haruka started speaking as she followed him .

'Thats impossible .

'Impossible .

'The ghost possessing your friend is afraid of something . She has no ill will .

'Afraid Ill will?

'Why dont you try thinking with your own head a bit?

This person keeps on

'Im asking because I dont understand even after thinking about it .

Yakumo suddenly stopped walking .

'I believe the incident this time involves somebody living, said Yakumo as he looked up at the sky with its lines of clouds .

Involves somebody living, he says

'What do you mean?

'Im going to investigate that .

'Huh .

'Thats all for today . Until tomorrow

After Yakumo declared that, he gave the duty of looking into Kazuhikos disappearance to Haruka, and they split up there for the day .

5

Harukas morning lecture ended, and she went to Yakumos secret hiding place after noon, as promised .

Even though it was after noon, Yakumo looked as sleepy as always .

'Good morning, said Haruka, sitting in the chair opposite Yakumo .

'And?

Yakumo brought up the topic at hand in a displeased tone .

Haruka explained to Yakumo that she had called Kazuhikos mobile multiple times, but it looked like the battery had been off, and she hadnt been able to contact him .

She had asked the acquaintances of Kazuhiko that she knew, but nobody knew where he was .

He had been missing since the incident

'Lets put things in order, said Yakumo, letting out a large yawn . 'Tell me once more in detail about the test of courage .

'Put things in order?

Haruka searched her memories, as Yakumo suggested, and started explaining how the three of them had gone on a test of courage .

There were a number of points when he asked questions, but Haruka couldnt respond .

She was just telling the story she had heard from Yuuichi as accurately as she could . She hadnt been at the scene herself .

Even if she wanted to confirm, Yuuichi was already dead .

When Haruka finished speaking, Yakumo ran a hand through his messy hair and then crossed his arms .

'What are you going to do now then? Haruka asked, knowing that he would get angry at her .

'Right . First, who is the spirit possessing your friend? Im going to look into that .

'Do you have any idea?

'If you ask whether I do, I guess I do?

'Youre always so vague .

'The world is full of vague things .

Yakumo stood up .

* * *

Haruka was brought by Yakumo to the reference room in Building A .

She had come to this room a number of times before .

It was a white-walled room of about fifty tsubo in size, lined with moving cabinets that went up to the ceiling .

The student registry and class materials were kept here .

'What are you going to look into here?

'I believe that the spirit possessing your friend was a student at this school .

'Youre not going to look at everything here, are you?

'I plan on it, said Yakumo matter-of-factly .

Searching from the very beginning would

'How many students do you think have enrolled in this school? Youll stay here until youre an old man .

Haruka sat in front of the rack of three computers at the back of the room and clicked the mouse .

That turned off the screensaver and showed a screen asking for a password .

'Searching with the computer is great, but what will you do about the password?

Yakumo crossed his arms and snorted .

'They organised the data here last year . Since they didnt have enough hands, a few students did part-time .

'And you were one of them .

'Yes .

'Do you think the password hasnt been changed since then?

That made sense .

But it was better than not trying . The password then had been the date of the schools founding in numbers .

She input the numbers with the number pad and clicked the enter key .

The monitor displayed the next screen . She felt somewhat triumphant .

'What dreadful security, said Yakumo with a sigh .

'Though looking into all of these documents would have been dreadful too, said Haruka with all the spite she had garnered until now .

For once, Yakumo didnt say anything back . Though he was acting calm, he must not have been inside .

Haruka clicked the file with the student registry . A screen listing name, address, birthdate, contact information and school department showed up .

'Are there photos too? said Yakumo, expressing his wonder as he looked at the screen .

'Just the past ten years .

'Thats enough .

'So who are you looking for?

'The name Yuri . I dont know the kanji .

Haruka typed Yuri into the furigana table and searched . There were almost two hundred results .

'This would be tough . Dont you have any other information?

'Theyre female .

'I know that .

'She has a mole under her eye .

'I cant search for that .

There, the conversation stopped .

They had suddenly become stuck . Haruka thought over it, but she couldnt come up with anything .

Yakumo ran a hand through his hair in his irritation, but he suddenly looked up .

'Absences . Or withdrawals . Can you search with those parameters?

That was right . That would lower the number drastically .

'I can probably do it .

Haruka searched again and found three people .

'Its her! exclaimed Yakumo upon seeing the second womans photo .

Shinohara Yuri . In the Arts and Humanities faculty, department of English . Absent .

She had long hair that was tied in the back with glasses that looked strong . Just as Yakumo had said, there was a mole underneath her eye .

Overall, she looked sensitive .

I

'I know this person, said Haruka, looking up at Yakumo who was standing beside her .

'A friend?

'We were in the same seminar in first year . I havent spoken to her directly, but Ive seen her a number of times before . At the end of last month, she suddenly stopped coming to school .

'What is the reason for her absence?

'I dont know But it seems like shes disappeared . Her parents asked the police to search there was a bit of a fuss .

'Disappeared, eh? said Yakumo, rubbing his sharp nose .

It was too much for this to just be a coincidence .

'Thats right! Professor Takaoka might know something! Haruka said quickly, unable to hide her excitement .

However, Yakumo was the picture of calm . He put his index finger in his ear like he thought her noisy .

'Talk more calmly . And whos Professor Takaoka?

'Did you forget? You met him at the station yesterday, right? Thats Professor Takaoka . He was in charge of our seminar .

'That isnt much help, said Yakumo with a yawn .

'Youre negative about everyone .

'Do you believe in anyone?

'Anyone besides you .

'Thats an honour .

Yakumo didnt seem to care about Harukas unpleasantness . He took a mobile phone out of his pocket and started making a call .

'Ah, Gotou-san? Theres something Id like to request

Yakumo started speaking it seemed like the call had connected .

Though Haruka couldnt hear the voice of the person on the other side of the line, she could get the gist of the conversation . Yakumo wanted the other person to look into everything about Shinohara Yuri .

Yakumo just gave his request and then hung up .

'Who was that just now? Haruka asked, unable to think of somebody who could respond to a search request .

'An acquaintance .

'Would that person know about news regarding missing people?

'I wouldnt call him if there wasnt the possibility .

That made sense, but what sort of acquaintance could it be if just one call was enough to look into a missing person?

While Haruka was thinking about it, Yakumo opened the door and left .

'Again?

He really did just do whatever he wanted . Though Haruka was fed up, she went after Yakumo and left the room .

'Haruka-kun .

Just as she left the reference room, somebody called out to her .

When she turned around, she saw Takaoka walking towards her the person they had just been talking about .

'Professor

For a moment, Haruka wasnt sure if she should chase Yakumo, but in the end, she stood there and waited for Takaoka to reach her .

'Yesterday must have been tough for you .

'No, no it must have been more so for you, Professor .

Takaoka had clearly been worn out yesterday . It made sense his own student had died .

On the contrary, Haruka wouldnt know what to do if he smiled at her .

'Thats not true . Though of course Im not well .

Takaokas expression softened, but that hurt even more .

'Anyway, you cant overdo yourself at a time like this .

'It goes for you too, Professor

'Thats right, said Takaoka with a wry smile, and then he walked away from Haruka .

'E-excuse me, Professor .

Haruka called out to Takaoka, who was about to leave .

Takaoka stopped walking and turned around .

'What is it?

'No, er

Haruka was lost for words .

She had called out to Takaoka because she felt like she had to ask him about Yuri, but she didnt know how to bring up the topic .

'Whats wrong? Dont worry about it and just tell me, urged Takaoka, who seemed to sense that Haruka was troubled .

She let herself talk as he said .

'Professor, do you remember Shinohara Yuri-san?

'I do . Shes on leave right now, yes?

'Yes . Shes gone missing .

'Is that so But why are you suddenly talking about Shinohara-kun?

Takaoka looked suspicious .

It made sense .

'I cant talk about it in detail now, but it might be related to the matter with Yuuichi-kun .

'Ichihashi-kun?

'Yes . Do you remember anything?

'Anything I remember, eh

Takaoka scratched his chin it looked like he was thinking .

'Anything is fine . Like how she was before she went missing, students she was friends with, or her boyfriend

Haruka listed a number of topics to help Takaoka remember .

'Her boyfriend

Takaoka seemed to have remembered something, as his mouth suddenly opened .

'Did you recall something?

'Ah, Shinohara-kun did have a boyfriend . Aizawa-kun, in the year above her .

'By Aizawa, do you mean the one in the orchestra circle?

'Yes, yes, that Aizawa-kun .

Haruka was so surprised she couldnt say anything else . The name that Takaoka had just said now was one Haruka knew .

'I just remembered something I have to do . Please excuse me .

She had to tell Yakumo as soon as she could .

Urged on by that impulse, Haruka made a bow at Takaoka and ran down the corridor .

After turning the first corner, she suddenly spotted Yakumo .

'Where are you going in such a hurry? said Yakumo with a yawn .

'Ah!

People cant stop suddenly . Haruka almost fell as she screeched to a halt and had to take a few steps back .

'I heard most of the story .

What kind of monster ears did he have? But if he had heard, that was easier .

'The boyfriend of the person named Yuri was Aizawa-san .

'I said that I heard .

Then be more surprised! Haruka bit down the urge to yell .

'Aizawa Tetsurou-san is the one who introduced me to you . Isnt that too suspicious to be just a coincidence?

'Youre a hundred times more suspicious .

Yakumo started walking briskly, seeming completely uninterested .

Really, what a man!

6

Yakumo led Haruka to a prefabricated building in behind the main school building .

It was used as the janitors room .

Why had they come here? No matter how Haruka asked, Yakumo didnt answer .

'Hello .

Yakumo spoke up at the entrance .

When there was no response, Yakumo opened the door and went inside the room .

'Hey . Is it OK just to go in?

Haruka couldnt bring herself to go in and peered into the room from behind Yakumo .

Right past the entrance, there was a long table and folding chairs . In the back, there was a refrigerator and a sink . There were tools like shovels and sickles against the wall .

'Hey, isnt this bad?

Haruka called out to Yakumos back, but she was ignored .

Haruka had just let out a sigh when a person appeared from the door in the back of the room .

'Eek!

Haruka leapt instinctively .

'W-w-what are you d-d-doing?

A middle-aged man in a grey uniform came in .

He had a thin face with deep wrinkles . The tip of his nose and his cheeks were red . His skin was dark . He looked like a stereotypical alcoholic .

Though Haruka didnt know his name, shed seem him around campus a number of times before .

This man, who was a caretaker for this university, always dragged his left leg as he walked .

Haruka didnt know if it was true, but there was a rumour that a female student had almost been molested by him .

It put Haruka a bit on guard .

'Im sorry for coming so suddenly . Actually, I was wondering if I could borrow the key to the deserted building in the back .

Even though they had been found trespassing, Yakumo spoke calmly .

'W-w-what do you want to g-g-go to that place for?

The mans voice was piercing, like a cicadas .

'Actually, my friends went to that building earlier for a test of courage .

'Test of courage?

'Yes . It seems like they dropped something important to them then, so I want to go look for it .

Yakumo kept speaking at random, like he had thought this up in advance .

The caretaker didnt seem to doubt Yakumos lie, but there was a wrinkle between his thick eyebrows he looked obviously exasperated .

'Please, Yamane-san .

Yakumo bowed his head .

The caretaker was called Yamane? It was the first Haruka had heard of it .

Yamane slowly dragged his foot over to the key box on the wall and took a key out, throwing it at Yakumo .

'Y-y-you dont have to return the key today . Im going home .

'Thank you very much .

D-d-dont do something as s-stupid as a test of courage again .

'So they do appear?

Yakumo pretended to be a ghost .

T-that isnt it The b-building is old . Itll be taken down n-next month

'I see . I understand .

Yakumo was about to leave when he stopped and turned to look at Yamane .

'Excuse me, but is there a dial-type padlock there?

'I-I-I dont know . Ive never had anything to do at t-that place, so Ive n-never gone in .

Yakumo bowed once more and left .

'Hey, why did you know that caretakers name? asked Haruka .

'His name was sewn on his uniform . What on earth were you looking at?

I see

* * *

When Haruka stood in front of the deserted building, the sun had already set .

There was just a faint blue at the line of mountains in the distance

It was quiet . The sound of the wind rustling the tree branches sounded unnecessarily loud .

With the creepiness of the building, the fact that Yuuichi was died felt heavier in Harukas chest .

If she didnt focus, her legs would collapse underneath her .

Even though this was for a friend, she had stuck her neck into something unbelievable . She was regretting her decision .

She glanced at Yakumo beside her .

He didnt look disturbed . He yawned and wiped away the tears that appeared in his eyes with his arm .

'Come save me if I need help .

Though he was a slippery man, there was nobody else she could depend on .

'Ill try, but I cant guarantee it .

It was like a politicians reply .

'I was an idiot for asking .

The biggest mistake was involving herself with this man named Saitou Yakumo . She felt that way .

'Are you afraid?

'Not really . Im fine .

Haruka tried to act strong when Yakumo said that, but if she didnt focus on her throat, her voice would tremble .

'Then, shall we go?

Yakumo stood in front of the door and stuck the key hed borrowed into the keyhole .

However, there was no point . The door opened before he turned the key .

The two silently pushed open the door and stepped inside .

They lit up the room with a torch .

Leaves from outside were scattered on the floor .

Every time they stepped on them, there was a crunching sound .

They went down the corridor to the back of the room .

The air was thick and cloudy . It made it hard to breathe .

Yakumo used the torch to light the rooms on the left and right while looking around .

Each room appeared to be fashioned in the same way . Square rooms with one bed, one window . Perhaps this had been used as a student dormitory .

Haruka gripped Yakumos shirt sleeve so that she wouldnt be separated from him in the dark . She walked carefully .

When Yakumo suddenly stopped .

'Your friend saw a ghost in the locked room at the end of this corridor, right?

'Yes .

'There was a dial-type padlock so they couldnt get in .

'This was something that was told to me, so Im not sure, but

'This .

Yakumo stooped over and took something in his hand .

There was the sound like change being rubbed together .

'Whats that?

Yakumo lit it with the torch so that Haruka would also be able to understand .

Haruka saw chains that hung to the ground and a dial-type lock .

'It doesnt look like its been cut . The numbers <7483> match Somebodys opened it .

Haruka looked at Yakumos face, unable to understand .

'The locked room has been unlocked

Yakumo put the chains at his feet and put a hand on the door in front of him .

A chill ran down Harukas spine . Yuuichi had said that something was in this room .

'Please wait .

She spoke without thinking .

Before Harukas inhibitions reached Yakumos ear, there was a rusty metal sound and the door opened

Haruka went stiff from fear, but nothing happened .

There was a deep darkness that made her wonder if her eyes were closed .

Yakumo used the torch to light up the room .

The room looked the same as the others . There was just one bed, nothing else .

However, something felt different .

A smell like something had gone bad pierced her nose .

'Its a bit creepy, said Haruka, looking into the room from behind Yakumos back .

'Its the window .

'Window?

With the light of the torch, Haruka looked around the room .

It was just as Yakumo said . Though the other rooms had had windows, though small, there wasnt one in this room .

Yakumo slowly walked into the room .

Haruka followed him, as if led in .

That moment, the air suddenly felt heavier, like she was underwater .

Yakumo silently looked around .

It didnt look like there was anything in particular in the room to Haruka .

'Is there something here? asked Haruka, gripping Yakumos sleeve tightly .

'Nothing . But there should be .

'If you find out what that is, will you be able to save Miki?

'I dont know, but its possible . The spirit that has possessed your friend is afraid of something in this room .

Yakumo knelt on the concrete and looked around diligently .

Haruka crouched too, but she couldnt find anything .

'Is it this

Yakumo suddenly murmured that .

'Eh? What?

'Look here .

Yakumo lit up the foot of the bed with the torch .

Haruka stared, but she couldnt understand .

'What is it?

'Here .

Yakumo pointed at a part of the floor .

It looked like something had been dragged . The bed had probably been moved .

But

'What about it?

'Why was only this bed moved? murmured Yakumo, as he tried to peer underneath the bed .

And then

<Watch out! Behind you!>

Suddenly, Haruka heard a girls scream .

Haruka turned around in shock .

A person was standing there . She couldnt tell what gender they were in the dark, let alone what their face looked like .

She could just tell that they had something like a rod in their hand .

They were waving it around . It was a shovel . It came down towards Harukas head .

Frozen by fear, Haruka couldnt move .

Thunk!

Haruka heard something that sounded like a large rock hitting the ground .

The strength in her body escaped her . She fell . It didnt hurt .

'Ugh

Haruka heard a groan and opened her eyes .

!

Yakumo was collapsed in front of her .

He was bracing his legs as he tried to get up . It looked like his body wouldnt move the way he wanted it to, as he stayed on his arms and legs .

Did he protect me? That was all Haruka could think in her confusion .

'A-are you OK

'Ru Run

Yakumo said that in a hoarse voice while pressing a hand against his forehead . Even if he told her to run, she couldnt just leave him here .

Its fine! Just run! yelled Yakumo .

Haruka stood up instinctively .

'But

'Its fine just go!

Pressured by Yakumos insistence, Haruka ran towards the door .

However, a dark shadow was waiting there .

Something hit her shoulder with a thump, thrusting her to the back of the room .

The dark shadow slowly approached her .

Even if she wanted to run, her back was pressed against the wall . She couldnt go back any farther .

The shadow picked up the shovel again .

All Haruka could do was grip her fists in front of her chest .

Its too late

Then, something suddenly hit that shadow .

The two shadows seemed to be fighting, and then they collapsed .

There was the sound of something hitting something else multiple times .

All Haruka could do was watch .

Suddenly, one of the shadows stood up .

'Were running!

She heard a voice . It was Yakumo .

He was OK .

<Down . >

There was a girls voice again . In contrast to Haruka, who didnt understand, Yakumo quickly responded .

Yakumo took Harukas head and forced them both to the ground .

There was a whizzing sound as the shovel went straight over her head .

It hit the wall and let off sparks .

Haruka was still bewildered as Yakumo grabbed her arm and ran out of the room .

'Aahhh!

There was a howl as the shadow came after them, waving a shovel . Yakumo slammed the door shut with his body . There was a dull thump .

Yakumo took the chains on the floor and wrapped them around the door right away .

Rattle, rattle .

Thump, thump .

It appeared that the shadow was trying to get out from the other side, turning the doorknob and hitting the door .

Suddenly, the sound stopped . Did they give up? Haruka had just thought that when

Bang!

There was an incredible noise .

It seemed like they were smashing their body against the door from inside .

Harukas body shook in shock . There was a slight gap between the door in the wall . Then, a gloved hand wormed its way out .

Yakumo grabbed Harukas arm again and pulled her along .

Haruka couldnt even scream .

'Were going!

Dragged along by Yakumo, Haruka started running .

Tree branches hit Harukas cheeks and arms .

Strangely, it didnt hurt . She just ran deliriously, with Yakumo pulling her arm

7

She couldnt remember where or why she was running .

When she noticed, Haruka was at Yakumos secret hideaway, the Movie Research Circle room .

Sitting on the floor, it hurt just to breathe .

Sweat fell from her forehead .

Her heart was breathing quickly and furiously within her chest .

'It hurts said Yakumo, pressing his forehead .

'You OK?

Haruka remembered that Yakumo had been hit with a shovel earlier and hurriedly spoke to him .

'Yeah .

Though Yakumo nodded, he was gritting his teeth with a frown on his face .

'Please show it to me .

Haruka went around to Yakumos front and looked at his face .

Yakumo lifted the hand he was using to press his forehead .

A bit above his right eyebrow, there was a cut three centimetres long .

The flesh looked like it had been turned inside out . Though the bleeding had stopped, it wasnt a shallow cut .

Haruka took out her handkerchief and put it to Yakumos injury .

'Its fine . Ill do it myself .

Yakumo took the handkerchief from Haruka and pressed it against the wound himself .

Then, a large teardrop rolled down Harukas cheek .

Eh? Why is there a tear

When she realised it, it made it harder to stop .

Why? Why am I crying?

'Was it frightening?

Yakumos palm gently touched Harukas shoulder .

It was very warm

The tension within her lessened at once .

Thats right . I was frightened .

Id really thought I would die when that shadow stood in front of me with the shovel .

Ive never been so afraid before . But Yakumo saved me and Im still alive

Haruka nodded . Led by her impulses, she gripped Yakumos shirt sleeve and started to cry loudly .

Yakumo just waited silently for Haruka to stop crying .

Haruka had never cried like this in front of somebody before .

Ever since her sister died, she had decided not to cry . However, this was the second time shed cried in front of Yakumo .

In front of this unfriendly and contrary person, for some reason, her heart weakened . That was baffling to Haruka .

'Sorry

After crying for a while, Haruka said that and wiped her tears with her palm .

Yakumo didnt say anything . That just made her more embarrassed .

'Show me your injury again .

Haruka forcefully took the handkerchief from Yakumo when he refused and looked at the cut on his forehead .

The bleeding had stopped completely .

'You should have it properly checked at a hospital .

'Its fine, said Yakumo in his usual curt tone .

'What do you mean, its fine? Think of the place what will you do if some strange symptom occurs?

'Youre so meddlesome

He always said one thing too many . That one sentence of his ruined everything .

'You know, youre

Haruka started speaking, but when she saw Yakumos left eye, she was lost for words .

Illuminated by the fluorescent light, Yakumos left eye glowed red like a blazing flame .

It was a deep red, more vivid than any shed seen before .

'I was born with it said Yakumo in an annoyed tone, perhaps noticing Harukas gaze .

'Its beautiful

'Hah?

'The eye is beautiful .

For a while, Yakumo looked puzzled, but he finally started laughing quietly .

That laughter became louder, until he was finally laughing while clutching his stomach .

What was so funny

'Hey, why are you laughing?

Haruka hit Yakumos shoulder .

'I mean Thats amazing . Beautiful? Theres something wrong with your senses .

'What?

Yakumo took deep breaths to calm his laughter before continuing .

'I thought youd scream . Or look like you saw something disgusting, or with pity

'Why would I scream? Nobody would scream after seeing something beautiful, right?

'Thats why I said theres something wrong with your senses . All the people who have seen my eye up until now have first screamed or acted like it was disgusting . Sometimes, there are people wholl look at it with pity . Youre the first whos done something as ridiculous as call it beautiful .

Ridiculous what an awful way of saying it .

After a few more breaths, Yakumo continued .

'I dropped my contact lens when I was hit earlier .

'Contact lens?

'Normally, I hide it with a contact lens . There are the ones you can change your eye colour with .

'You said you were born with it earlier

'Thats right . Its been red since I was born . And it seems like I was born with just my left eye open . I heard that even my mother screamed when she saw my red eye . Funny, right?

It wasnt funny at all . Being thought of as disgusting by his mother how deep an injury must that have left on his heart?

Haruka couldnt even imagine .

'Though I dont know if its because of that eye, my left eye can see things other people cant .

'Things other people cant?

'Thats right . I said it before, but I can see the spirits of the dead . It took some time for me to realise only I could see them . I was treated differently for it . Nobody believes me when I say I really can see them .

That made sense . Haruka hadnt believed it either .

She slightly understood why Yakumo took such a contrary attitude .

Nobody had faced him properly before .

Fright, fascination, pity the people that connected with Yakumo had had that as a pretext . Even his mother

She wanted at least to face Yakumo properly herself, without sympathy .

That feeling bloomed within Haruka .

'It hurts .

Yakumo spoke up again .

It looked like the pain came in spurts .

He got that injury because of me . I havent thanked Yakumo yet for saving me .

'Thank you for saving me earlier .

'Thank your sister .

'My sister?

Haruka cocked her head, unable to understand what Yakumo meant .

'At the time, your sister told me there was danger . If she hadnt, your brains would currently be spilt out on that rooms floor .

Haruka had heard a girl call out <Watch out> then too .

'That voice was my sister?

'It was . Shes always behind you . Shes watching over you .

'Really?

Haruka looked around, but she couldnt see anything .

'Its your choice whether to believe me or not .

'Sis

She might not have believed Yakumos words up until yesterday .

However, it was different now .

What feelings does my sister have while watching over me? How does she feel, and what does she think?

'If only I could see her too . Im jealous

Harukas eyes were teary again .

8

The next day, Haruka went to Yakumos secret hiding place in the afternoon .

It wasnt locked .

It was incredibly careless what with what had happened last night .

Haruka opened the door and Yakumo was right in front of her, curled up in a sleeping bag . Just like a caterpillar . Haruka poked him lightly with her toe, and he opened his eyes, seeming annoyed .

'Its past noon already .

Yakumo slowly got up, rubbing his eyes .

'It amazes me that you can live in a place like this .

Haruka sat on a folding chair and waited for Yakumo to dress himself .

'I go back sometimes .

'You have a home?

Without answering, Yakumo took a toothbrush out of the refrigerator and started brushing his teeth .

Why the fridge?

'If you have a home, why not just go back? Your parents must be worried .

'Worried? Theyre not .

Yakumo mumbled a reply while brushing his teeth .

He was talking just like a rebellious teenager .

'How can you say something so selfish? Why not think a bit about your parents feelings?

Yakumo nonchalantly gargled like he wasnt interested in what Haruka had to say .

'Hey, are you listening?

'Things I dont want to hear dont enter my ears .

Yakumo wiped his forehead with a towel as he sat down on the chair opposite Haruka .

'Respond if you can hear me .

'If they were worried, they wouldnt try to kill me, right?

'Eh?

'Im talking about my parents .

?

That was just more confusing .

'My red left eye . It can see things people cant . Maybe she was frightened? Or she hated it? I dont know, but one day, my mother took me out for a car ride .

Yakumo continued to speak in a disinterested tone .

'She kept saying 'Sorry" as she put her hands on my neck . She kept putting more force into it, so I became faint

Yakumo was talking about a tragedy that was beyond Harukas imagination as if it were something that happened to somebody else .

'A police officer who just happened to be passing by saved me . My mother ran away . Shes been missing since . I have no memories of my father .

'Thats

Haruka tried to say something, but she couldnt speak .

Haruka often heard stories like Yakumos on the news or in dramas, but she had thought of them as something from a world completely different from hers

'Im saying that in this world, there are parents that dont love their children and children who dont love their parents .

When Yakumo finished speaking, he let out a yawn, raking his fingers through his hair .

Behind that attitude of his that wouldnt let anybody in, there was an immeasurably large wound

'Im staying at my uncles now .

'Oh?

'Though my uncle tells me not to hold back, I cant cause him that much trouble, and there are circumstances .

Yakumo had already put the contact lens in his left eye, so it was black .

'I

Haruka lowered her long eyelashes and bit her lip .

I said something without knowing the whole situation . I feel so ashamed .

'Dont worry about it, said Yakumo, as if hed sensed how Haruka was feeling .

'Im sorry .

Haruka bowed her head .

'Why are you apologising?

'Because

'You didnt run even after seeing my eye . Thats enough .

Though Yakumo said that himself, he seemed to find the words that came out of his mouth unexpected as his face scrunched up like he had eaten something strange .

Haruka laughed a bit upon seeing that .

Yakumo glared at her . Haruka hurriedly covered her mouth and stopped laughing .

'Ive found out one thing from yesterday .

Yakumo quickly changed the topic . Perhaps hed felt very awkward .

'What?

'That shadow that assaulted me . It was definitely a living human being .

'How can you be sure?

'My eyes are convenient . My right eye can only see the physical . My left eye can only see the spirits of the dead, aid Yakumo, his index finger on his brow .

'So you could see the shadow that attacked you yesterday with your right eye but not your left?

'Exactly . Im also concerned about how the locked room was unlocked yesterday .

'But who couldve done it?

'Who knows? There are many candidates .

'The caretaker, Yamane-san .

That face came up in her head first thing .

'Its possible . He knew we were going to that abandoned building, and with the key, he could go in and out all he wanted .

'Aizawa-san might be related too .

'Aizawa?

Yakumo cocked his head .

'Remember? Professor Takaoka said this yesterday . He was Yuri-sans boyfriend . He introduced me to you, Saitou-san .

'Its not impossible, said Yakumo, crossing his arms and looking up at the ceiling .

'Thats quite negative .

'That isnt it, but something feels off .

'Then lets go ask him directly . And I think itd be good to talk to Professor Takaoka once more

'If you want to investigate, go, said Yakumo, interrupting Haruka .

'Do you mean I should go myself?

'Call it splitting up the work . There are a number of other things Im concerned about, so Ill be investigating those .

That would be more effective .

In the end, Yakumo and Haruka agreed to meet again in the evening and went separate ways .

Haruka had to make three promises to Yakumo for acting alone .

Dont go to places with few people .

Ask in a roundabout way when questioning people .

Contact him immediately once she found something out .

He also instructed her to be very careful, since there was what happened yesterday, though she probably wouldnt be attacked in the middle of the day .

* * *

After walking around for a while, Haruka found Aizawa in the cafeteria .

It seemed like hed skipped out in the middle of class . He was reading an employment magazine while drinking a can of coffee .

There were a lot of people here, so it was probably OK .

'Aizawa-san .

Haruka called out to him and sat in the opposite seat . Aizawa looked up and gave her a friendly smile .

He was short and plump cute, like a stuffed animal .

Haruka put Yuri and Aizawa together in her mind, but she felt like they didnt quite fit .

'How is it? Found out something?

Haruka shook her head .

Rather than finding anything out, she felt even more confused .

'But it must be tough for you, Ozawa . That Saitou Yakumos quite odd, right?

'Yes, definitely . That reminds me, he said that he didnt know you, Aizawa-san .

Aizawa laughed aloud .

'Of course . I must have been just like scenery to him . I just went with a friend once to see him guess the number on cards .

That was a trick . Haruka wanted to say that, but she stopped herself .

But still .

'Please tell me that from the beginning .

'But you looked troubled, and I didnt say I was his friend, right?

It was true that shed consulted her friend from the circle and Aizawa had just happened to be there and told her to talk to Saitou Yakumo .

Come to think about it, hed never said that they were acquainted .

'Well, thats so

'Seems tough, but hang in there .

Aizawa made a move to stand up .

'Ah, please wait .

Haruka hurriedly called out to stop Aizawa .

'What is it?

Aizawa sat down again .

Ask in a roundabout way

Haruka recalled Yakumos warning, but she didnt know how to bring up the topic and ended up asking the question straight .

'Aizawa-san, do you know someone called Shinohara Yuri?

'Shinohara Yuri

The moment Aizawa heard that name, his cheek twitched he looked clearly displeased .

There was something in that response . Haruka continued without any hesitation .

'I heard that you dated Shinohara-san, Aizawa-san .

'We didnt date .

'Eh? But

Aizawa clicked her tongue .

'I dont know who you heard it from, but we didnt date .

'Is that so?

'I just confessed to Shinohara and was rejected . And does that have something to do with this?

Aizawa was tapping his foot underneath the table .

'Is that really true?

'Theres no way Id lie about getting rejected .

That was true .

The conversation stopped there .

'Im going .

Haruka couldnt say anything . She just watched Aizawa leave .

9

Yakumo was in the reference room .

He moved the sliding bookcases and looked at the neatly lined up files .

He found what he was looking for immediately . As-built plans for the student dormitories .

Yakumo took the document on the very top of the bookcase out . It was considerably old . It was yellowed and smelt of mildew .

It said it was built in Showa 30[2]

Yakumo moved to the table and flipped through the pages .

The information was detailed, with a line map of the area and a rendering .

After about ten pages, Yakumo found building floor plans .

There were two floor plans . One was the first floor of the abandoned building . The other was for the basement

Yakumo looked at the floor plan carefully, following it with his finger .

He found it . The locked room had a door that went to the basement .

Yakumo took the key he had borrowed from Yamane yesterday out of his pocket .

There were three keys on the key holder .

One was the entrance door key . One was the room master key .

The last was the basement key .

The reason only the bed of the locked room had been in a different place was probably to hide the door to the basement . There had to be something there .

Taking care not to stand out, Yakumo left the campus and went into the forest .

It took more time than he expected to walk through the pathless forest .

Fallen leaves filled his shoes .

He might have been a bit naive . His regret grew the more his forehead sweated .

He silently walked along, brushing aside the tree branches .

10

Haruka looked at the clock it was just past three .

There was about an hour before she had to meet up with Yakumo .

She couldnt question Aizawa more . Haruka didnt have anything in particular to do, so she just whiled away time in the cafeteria .

She laid her head on the table and sighed .

Did Yakumo find something out?

It would annoy her if she were the only one who had found out nothing .

'Haruka-kun .

Haruka lifted her head when somebody called her .

It was Takaoka . His eyes were bloodshot he looked more exhausted than yesterday .

'Professor, theres something I want to ask .

This was a good chance . She could ask about Yuri again .

'Something you want to ask?

Though Takaoka cocked his head, he sat opposite her at the table .

'Er, about Shinohara Yuri-san, who you talked about yesterday

She didnt know if he would believe all the strange things that had happened to her, like Mikis state after the test of courage and the attack at the abandoned building . She just wanted more information, even if it was just a little .

Just, if he thought of something upon hearing her story

Takaoka covered his face with both hands and shook his head .

'Im sorry for saying something strange .

'No, dont worry about it . But I remembered something important upon hearing what you said, said Takaoka, lifting his head .

'Eh? Really?

'But talking here might not be a good idea . Lets go somewhere else .

Takaoka spoke in a lowered tone .

Haruka agreed to his suggestion and stood up from her seat .

11

Yakumo reached the abandoned building and put his hand on the doorknob .

It was locked .

Somebody had locked it after what happened yesterday .

Probably the person who had attacked them

Yakumo unlocked the door and stepped inside .

The light from the window made it easier to see than yesterday .

He headed down the corridor to the locked room at the end .

Here too

The chains were wrapped around and the dial-type lock was on . Yakumo put the numbers <7483> on the dial .

The numbers that had been there yesterday .

There was a click and the lock came off .

He took the chains from the handle, unlocked the door and carefully stepped inside .

Partially because there was no window, this room alone was impossible to see clearly in without the light of his torch, even though it was day .

He dragged the bed in the corner of the room with all his force .

Just as he expected, underneath the door, there was a one-metre square of metal floor .

To be more accurate, it was a door . There was a handle .

It was shut with a padlock with a keyhole .

Yakumo put the third key in it fit perfectly . He gripped the handle and pulled it up with all his strength .

There was the sound of creaking metal as dust flew up .

A square hole appeared, completely black .

He used his torch to peer inside, but he could see virtually nothing .

Yakumo decided to climb down the wooden ladder .

The wood creaked underneath his foot .

It was too late when he realised .

His foot slipped and he fell to the basement all at once .

His face twisted from pain after he hit the floor, but he forgot that immediately when a strong rotten smell assaulted him . He bent back and hurriedly covered his nose and mouth .

To look for the source of the smell, Yakumo picked up the torch he had dropped and illuminated different areas of the room .

He saw something like a black line on the wall .

He slowly approached the wall and focussed

'What is this

Yakumo spoke aloud without thinking .

It was a scratch in the wall .

Not just in one or two places . The whole wall was covered in scratches .

And these scratches werent natural or from a machine .

Yakumo put his hand up to it .

From the size, it was probably human .

Somebody had clawed the wall with their fingernails .

Some of the scratches had dark red stains on them .

Somebody had probably scratched the walls again and again to try to escape, even though they knew it was useless .

He found a detached fingernail stuck to the wall .

There was blood and even part of the flesh of the finger, but still the scratches continued .

Yakumo touched the scratch lightly with his finger .

'This is a real locked room

Yakumo suddenly felt something cold on his neck .

Yakumo looked up with his torch and saw two pipes on the ceiling .

Probably water pipes . Water was dripping from the place where they connected .

The woman who had been in here had probably lived here for a number of days with that water .

If she hadnt had those pipes, the time she suffered might have been slightly shorter .

This water had given her hope and pain .

She hadnt been frightened of something in this room she had been trying to escape from the room itself .

The question was who had kept her in here, and for what reason

12

After Yakumo crawled out of the basement, he quickly went down the corridor out of the abandoned building .

The cold wind made him feel revived .

He knew that Yuri had been stuck in that place, but he had no decisive evidence .

A corpse

The person who had locked Yuri in there had probably moved it .

'W-w-what are you doing here?

Somebody called out from behind him . For a moment, Yakumo stopped thinking . He knew that husky voice .

It was the caretaker, Yamane, who had a key and could go in and out of the abandoned building whenever he wanted .

Yamanes face was red from alcohol as usual, and he had a towel around his neck . He was holding a rusty shovel .

'Y-y-youre looking for this, right?

Yamane took a digital camera from the pocket of his work pants and handed it to Yakumo .

'I-i-it was on the ground there .

Yamane pointed at the forest about ten metres away .

Yakumo thanked him and took it .

This was probably the camera Yuuichi had used to take photos .

There was still battery left .

Yakumo turned on the camera and looked at the pictures on the camera monitor .

It was probably from some bar . There were a number of people drinking in a lively manner .

After about ten photos, a photo of the abandoned building came up .

First, there was Yuuichi . Then, there was Kazuhiko and Miki . Next was a close-up of Mikis frightened profile .

Then, in the back, there was a man in the back, hiding behind the corner of the room . He was dragging something .

It was too dark to see properly, but it was probably Yuris corpse

'What is this

Yakumos expression froze over . Then, he ran as quickly as he could .

Yamane yelled something from behind him, but Yakumo didnt have the time to pay attention to that .

As Yakumo ran, he called Harukas mobile .

However, the call tone just kept going

'Whered she go? muttered Yakumo as he kicked the ground .

<This way . >

A girls voice came from somewhere

13

Haruka was led to the rooftop of Building B by Takaoka .

They stood in front of the water tower right by the roof entrance .

The concrete roof had no fence just a ledge about thirty centimetres tall .

The view was good, but when she looked down, her legs shook .

Why did he bring me here?

Haruka had that question as she looked at Takaoka .

'Where should I start said Takaoka, looking at the reddish purple clouds, which were lit up by the setting sun .

'Wherever is fine, Haruka replied .

'I lied to you about one thing .

'Lied?

Haruka brushed her hair behind her ear .

For some reason, she couldnt calm down .

'About how Aizawa-kun was dating Yuri . That was a lie, said Takaoka with a blank expression .

Haruka had a really bad feeling .

Her heart was beating more quickly .

'Why would you make that up

At Harukas question, Takaokas thin lips twisted into a smile that showed his white teeth .

However, his eyes werent smiling . They were cold eyes .

'That was a failure . I didnt think Id hear Yuris name from your mouth . It was so sudden that I tried to turn the conversation around, but that was no good

Takaokas voice sounded faraway .

It was difficult to breathe .

Her ears were ringing . Run . Her instincts were telling her that, but her feet didnt move .

'Professor . Could it be that you and Yuri-san

'Thats right . I committed adultery with Yuri .

'Professor did you kill her?

Haruka was hoping for a denial rather than affirmation from Takaoka .

'Thats not quite it

Takaoka grabbed Harukas arm .

Harukas body froze in resistance, but she couldnt win in strength .

When Haruka tried to bite Takaokas arm, Takaokas fist hit the back of her head .

Harukas head shook, and she fell to her knees .

'Sorry, but youre going to have to die . Youre going to jump off the roof a suicide . Like with Ichihashi-kun .

Takaoka grabbed Harukas hair and dragged her to the edge of the roof .

No

Haruka frantically tried to resist, but she couldnt move properly from the pain .

'That was an accident . On that day, she said that she was pregnant . That she was going to tell my wife everything . That was against the rules . You have to obey the rules . Dont you think so too?

Takaoka words just sounded like an excuse to justify what hed done .

'But killing her for that

Even while bearing with the pain, Haruka glared at Takaoka in her anger .

'I didnt plan on killing her . We had a fight, and I hit her . Then, she stopped moving

'She wasnt dead .

Haruka suddenly heard a voice . A voice she recognised .

When she turned around to look, Yakumo was there .

There was sweat on his forehead . His shoulders were shaking .

'What are you talking about?

Takaokas face muscles twitched at Yakumos sudden appearance, but he played dumb .

Yakumo sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair before starting his explanation, though he seemed to find it troublesome .

'You must have noticed . In that basement, there are signs that she tried to escape .

Takaoka made no response . He just looked away, his cheek twitching .

Yakumo took one step closer to approach Takaoka and continue speaking .

'You probably thought that you had killed her when you saw that she had stopped moving, and you abandoned her in that basement . However, she had just fainted

There, Yakumo took a breath and looked at Takaoka with a piercing gaze .

'You shut a living person in that room .

'What proof do you have for your lie

'Dont play dumb .

Yakumos voice was full of anger .

'You saw them, didnt you? The basements walls .

'I dont know what youre talking about .

'The countless scratches . She made them in her frantic attempt to escape . A dead person wouldnt be able to do that .

Takaokas shoulders heaved as he spoke . His eyes were darting about .

'You were also the person who killed the student named Ichihashi Yuuichi .

Yakumo continued to pursue the wounded Takaoka .

'What proof do you

'I have proof . I should have noticed earlier . At the station, you said that a student called Ichihashi had jumped correct?

'Whats strange about that?

'How could you be sure he jumped? The police said there was no note and called it an accident .

'Thats

'Unless you witnessed his death, there was no way for you to declare that at that stage . You wanted to make it seem like he jumped in front of the train and committed suicide, right?

'Theres no reason I would kill him, said Takaoka in a shaking voice .

Haruka didnt know that reason either .

Though she could understand the reason Professor Takaoka might kill Yuri-san, Yuuichi-kun was unrelated .

Yakumos thin lips turned up in a faint smile as he continued to speak .

'After you shut Yuri-san in that basement, you had peace of mind . However, when you heard that that abandoned building was going to be torn down, you panicked . If her corpse was found, everything would be exposed . So you went back to move the corpse . Then

'He met Miki and the others, finished Haruka .

Everything was connected .

Yakumo nodded before continuing .

'You coincidentally ran into the group of three that had come for a test of courage, and you tried to hide . However, they took photos at that building . Without knowing that you were there

Yakumos eyes narrowed as he looked at Takaoka .

Takaokas body turned stiff, as if frozen by that gaze .

'I dont know what youre talking about .

'I have proof .

'Proof?

Yakumo took a digital camera out of his pocket .

'You want this, right?

After Yakumo said that, he threw the digital camera towards Takaoka .

Takaoka grabbed it with both hands . At the same time, the hand that had been holding Haruka let go .

Haruka used that chance to run up to Yakumo .

Takaoka looked at Yakumo angrily .

'Finding out that much is admirable, but if I destroy the proof, how will you prove it?

Takaoka was acting tough, but he was standing on a cliff .

'I forgot to say one thing .

After saying that, Yakumo took a digital camera memory card out of his pocket and showed it to Takaoka .

'The image data is here .

Laughter escaped Takaokas lips .

It might have been pointed towards his foolish self, for trying to hide his own crime .

'This is the end . The police have been called already .

Takaoka turned pale everything he had built up collapsed at once .

His laughter finally turned into tears

'Thats right Its the end said Takaoka in a hoarse voice, sitting on the concrete like his soul had left him .

Haruka heard the sound of sirens in the distance .

It echoed in her ears like a cry

14

Yakumo and Haruka were questioned by the police as witnesses .

Yakumo spoke for most of the time, with Haruka just nodding .

They gave the summary of the events . Neither Yakumo nor Haruka mentioned the spirit possessing Miki . Nobody would believe them if they did .

Haruka heard about this after, but Yuris corpse was found buried at the root of a tree only ten metres from the abandoned building .

Everything seemed so ill-prepared .

Another thing was that she wasnt pregnant . Her strategy for love had caused a misunderstanding, and in the end, two people had lost their lives . It was awful

'Hey . Well done .

After the questioning, Haruka was about to leave with Yakumo when a man in a suit called out to them .

He had a huge frame, like a bear, and wore a loose tie with a wrinkled shirt . The man had stubble on his face and a sleepy expression like Yakumos .

'What, if it isnt Gotou-san, said Yakumo, sounding displeased as he ran a hand through his hair .

'Dont just say What! You should be grateful to me .

The man called Gotou suddenly let out a loud voice .

Yakumo frowned and stuck his fingers in his ears .

'Youve put me through a lot of trouble . Please dont complain so much just because I made one request . Its childish .

'You

Gotou started speaking, but his eyes suddenly went wide when he spotted Haruka .

W-what?

Harukas shoulders hunched up unconsciously under that pressure .

'Hmm, murmured Gotou, rubbing his chin like hed understood something .

Haruka didnt know how to respond, so she quickly put a smile on her face and nodded .

'Shes pretty cute, isnt she? said Gotou with a smirk .

'What are you talking about?

Yakumo looked displeased, the complete opposite of Gotou .

'So youre that age too, eh, Yakumo? And shes cute .

'That isnt it .

'If you say cold things like that, shell get away .

'Like your wife, Gotou-san?

'Shut up! I dont need to hear that from you! said Gotou with a click of his tongue .

'If you have the time to worry about other people, please do your work for once . If the police had looked into this properly in the first place, I wouldnt have been involved in this .

Yakumos opinion made sense .

'Dont say that . The police havent got enough hands either . Girls of that age often disappear . If we had to look into all those cases, there wouldnt ever be enough people .

'Im glad you seem busy .

'Well, anyway, it was tough . Ill make the story fit with the paperwork .

Gotou hit Yakumos shoulder lightly and walked with a bowlegged gait .

'Hey, who was that just now? asked Haruka after she couldnt see Gotou any longer .

'Even though hes like that, hes a detective, said Yakumo, pointing at the direction Gotou had gone with his chin .

'Oh, you know a detective?

'Rather than know, its more that I cant avoid him .

'Cant avoid?

'Hes the one who saved me right before my mother almost killed me . A number of things have happened since .

'A number? Does he look out for you?

'That isnt it . To me, there are two types of people in this world . People who see my red left eye as a monstrosity, and those who try to use it . Gotou-san is one of the latter .

Haruka couldnt understand what Yakumo said .

Could you divide everyone into just two types? The relationships between people should have been more complicated and meaningful than that .

However, Haruka didnt know how to explain that, so she kept her mouth shut

'Now that Ive said that though, theres one strange person whos an exception .

Yakumo said just that and walked away briskly .

'Hey, by strange person, you dont mean me, right?

Haruka hurriedly ran after Yakumo .

15

A few days afterwards, Haruka went to Yakumos secret hideaway again .

Miki became much better after that .

She appeared to have forgotten everything that happened after losing consciousness at the abandoned building .

Kazuhiko, who had gone missing, returned to the university like nothing had happened . When Haruka asked him about it, it turned out hed returned to his parents home in fear .

Haruka was so exasperated she couldnt even be angry .

At the university, the media came because of the incident there was quite some fuss .

The news announcers commented that the entrance rates for the next year would probably be the lowest ever, and some students had transferred to other universities, thinking that the incident could have an effect on their job searching .

However, the clamour would probably fade away with time .

Even though it was past noon, Yakumo had his usual bedhead and sleepy eyes .

He was like a cat lazing in the sun .

'No matter when I see you, you always look like youve just woken up .

'Because you only come when Im just waking up .

Yakumo replied bluntly, as usual .

Yakumos slightly sulky expression was so funny to Haruka that she laughed .

'What do you need today?

He was clearly telling her to go home if she didnt need anything .

Haruka covered her mouth to stop her laughter and took an envelope out of her bag, placing it on the table .

'Whats this?

'The money, as promised . A lot of things happened, but Miki is better .

Yakumo pushed the envelope back .

'I dont want it .

'Why not?

'I owe your older sister a favour . Were even .

'A favour?

Haruka cocked her head, unable to understand .

'Your sisters the one who told me that you were on the roof .

'Sis

She tried to save me

Thinking that was enough to make her chest feel warm .

'Sorry .

?

'When I first met you, I called you a fraud, Saitou-san

'Dont worry about it .

'But

'And stop calling me Saitou-san, said Yakumo, pointing at Haruka .

'Then what should I call you?

'I dont mind if you just call me by my name normally .

Haruka felt like shed taken a step into his heart .

'I accept that your mysterious power isnt fraud, Yakumo-kun .

'Im very grateful .

Yakumo yawned, like he didnt care .

His actions were just like a cats .

'Im jealous of you, Yakumo-kun .

'Jealous?

'You can meet my sister, right? I cant meet her even if I want to . Ive always wanted to apologise and I have so many things I want to tell her, but I cant see her . .

Harukas voice was shaking slightly .

My sister died because of me .

She had carried that burden for thirteen years .

She couldnt put it down even if she wanted to . When she thought about how she would continue carrying it for the rest of her life, she couldnt help but curse her own sin .

'Dont blame yourself like that . I said this before, but your sister doesnt blame you .

'Thats a lie . My sister died because of me

'Then just ask her yourself .

Yakumo took off the contact lens in his left eye and turned towards Haruka with his red eye .

No matter how many times she saw it, it was a beautiful red colour .

It was like it was letting off a light of its own .

'Close your eyes .

Haruka closed her eyes like Yakumo said .

Her vision went dark

'Sis .

Suddenly, her sister was standing in front of her .

She looked just like she had then .

From the accident when she was seven

'Sis, sorry . At that time because I threw the ball far away

Haruka bit her lip . She forced the words out of her throat .

Ayaka didnt say anything . She just smiled .

That was enough .

Tears fell from Harukas eyes . She was helpless to stop them .

Ayakas incredibly warm and gentle smile .

It felt like all her pains were being washed away .

Haruka kept wiping her endless tears and opened her eyes again .

Ayaka had disappeared . Instead, Yakumo was standing there with sleepy eyes .

'Thank you

Yakumo looked up at the ceiling, like he hadnt heard anything .

'Ive cried in front of you twice now, Yakumo-kun .

'Three times .

Yakumo corrected her, putting up his fingers .

'Dont keep track . Im not crying because I want to .

Haruka used her handkerchief to wipe her tears and stood up .

'Im really thankful for all youve done . This is farewell then .

Yakumo didnt respond to Harukas words .

He just yawned .

Hes not honest at all

Haruka smiled and put her hand on the doorknob .

Would this really be farewell for her and Yakumo? That thought suddenly came to her head .

'Hey, what should I do if I want to meet my sister again?

Haruka asked that question, her back still facing Yakumo .

Yakumo didnt respond .

What did I expect? Haruka tried to cover up the words that had unexpectedly come out of her mouth with a laugh .

'Just open that door and come here .

Haruka hurriedly turned around .

Yakumo was leaning back on his chair with his usual sleepy eyes .

'Eh?

'Im saying you can come whenever you want . But Im taking money next time .

'Ill be negotiating the price next time though .

Haruka said just that and opened the door, leaving the room with a smile .

Even though the sky was the same colour as usual, it looked refreshing to her

NOTES:

[1] Since it was named Wakare no Kyoku () in the original text, I used the name Farewell, but Chopin never called it by that name himself even though it is known as that (or L'Adieu) . Its tude Op . 10, No . 3 and it is absolutely beautiful . HERE is Lang Lang playing it .

[2] Showa 30 is 1955 in the Gregorian calendar .