Kazuya's hands trembled as he reached for the locker, terrified that the moment he opened it, a pale hand would shoot out and grab him.
Having played his share of horror games and watched plenty of horror movies, he had at least some experience with how these scenarios usually played out.
"M-maybe we should... call Hayato-san over? I mean, we already found the locker..."
"Useless!"
Kawasaki spat the word out like venom.
"You're completely useless. Scared of this?"
But he didn't make any move to get closer himself.
"Then you do it! If you're not useless, hurry up and open it!"
Even a worm will turn. Kazuya's anger finally exploded.
"Haha, you're scared too! No wonder your girlfriend didn't dare come with you. She chose Hayato-san instead."
"Hayato-san, Hayato-san... why do you keep calling him that? You really think just because you suck up to him, he'll help you?"
Everyone trusted Hayato, believed he could lead them out of here alive, and showed him so much respect. Kawasaki had been holding in his frustration about that, and now it all came bursting out.
"At least he won't help you. Your girlfriend, though? Maybe he'll help her! After all..."
"You bastard!"
Kawasaki raised his fist.
Kazuya had seen it coming and stepped back, dodging the swing.
"If you want your girlfriend to trust you, show her your brain and your abilities. Let her see hope that you can survive. Otherwise..."
Kazuya suddenly froze mid-sentence.
Kawasaki seemed to sense something too and slowly turned around.
In that moment, rapid footsteps echoed from behind him. He felt something collide with him, knocking him off balance and making him stumble several steps forward.
Kawasaki looked up and saw that familiar figure. What should have been a white school uniform shirt was now stained with vivid crimson blood. Long hair hung loose around her face, and through the gaps in those strands, a blood-soaked, twisted visage stared back at him.
"A GHOST!"
Kawasaki's legs went weak. He scrambled backward, half-crawling.
Kazuya, who'd noticed her a split second earlier, yanked the locker open and shoved his right hand inside. Not caring what was in there, he grabbed whatever his fingers closed around and bolted past the lockers in the direction he'd come from.
Run! Run now!
As long as he ran faster than Kawasaki, he'd be fine.
Besides, from the looks of it, Kawasaki was definitely ghost bait now. Dead for sure. No saving him. And Kazuya would return with the hard-won evidence, making an important contribution to everyone's survival.
Kazuya felt almost light-headed with relief, but when he glanced back over his shoulder, his pupils contracted sharply.
The ghost was chasing me!
AHHHHH!
Kazuya ran even faster, his speed spiking beyond what he thought possible.
"Don't chase me!"
"Why are you chasing me?!"
"I left someone behind for you!"
"Help! Hayato-san, the ghost's chasing me!"
"I got the clue!"
Hayato and the two women had just finished searching the first-floor teachers' office when they heard the screaming and cries for help.
"You two, head upstairs!"
"If you run into danger, yell!"
Fujibayashi Ryou nodded vigorously and ran up the stairs, with Chiharu right behind her. Hayato sprinted toward where the voice was coming from and activated his time-stop to locate Kazuya, along with the ghost that wasn't far behind him.
Did Kawasaki die?
Hayato moved a bit further and spotted Kawasaki, completely unharmed.
Why didn't Kawasaki die? Is it because Kazuya is holding the clue in his hand that he's being targeted by that female ghost?
This time, Hayato tried poking the ghost again, only to find his hand passing straight through her body without any resistance.
Am I being targeted specifically in this game? Why can't I touch her? It's different from before! What's going on?
Hayato accepted this reality and grabbed Kazuya, dragging him a good distance away. Then he released the time-stop and started running while pulling Kazuya along.
"Hurry up!"
The time-stop wasn't giving him enough information right now. He needed to let the ghost chase him a bit to learn more.
"H-Hayato-san... thank god! I knew you wouldn't abandon me!"
Tears welled up in Kazuya's eyes.
"I found the locker, I got the clue! This thing here..."
"Don't talk to me! Just run!"
Hayato kept glancing back over his shoulder. But that figure seemed to have stopped and left. She wasn't chasing them anymore.
She left? So, that ghost was chasing Kazuya, not because she got a clue? Was it because Kazuya was no longer alone? But that doesn't make sense since Kawasaki has been with Kazuya from the start... Could it be because of the distance?
Hayato deliberately used his time-stop again to confirm. The ghost's figure had indeed disappeared. There was no sign of her anywhere in the surrounding area.
Not enough information to draw a reliable conclusion. Hayato went upstairs to rejoin Kazuya, then ended the time-stop and met up with Fujibayashi Ryou and Chiharu.
This was the meeting point that he and Fujibayashi Ryou had agreed on beforehand. If the two of them got separated for any reason, they'd regroup here.
"W-where's Kawasaki?! Where's my boyfriend?! Why didn't he come back?!"
Not seeing her boyfriend, Chiharu trembled as she shouted at Kazuya.
"Don't know. Maybe dead, maybe not."
"No, no! Kawasaki will be fine! He has to be fine..."
She refused to believe her boyfriend could die here.
Weren't you the one who left him because you felt insecure? Kazuya glanced over without saying it outright.
Kazuya ignored her and handed what he'd grabbed to Hayato.
It was a book. A literary anthology.
When Hayato opened it, a slip of paper fluttered out and fell to the floor.
Fujibayashi Ryou immediately crouched down and picked it up.
"Hayato-kun."
She handed it to him.
Using the light from the hallway, Hayato unfolded the note and read the text inside.
[I am ■■ Takuya ■■. If you're reading this note, you've been pulled into the supernatural incident at ■■ School.]
[I don't know how much of this paper's content has been affected, or how much useful information you'll be able to see.]
[For that reason, I've left notes with different wording but the same meaning in various places related to her, hoping they can help you.]
[Don't ask me why the notes are placed in locations connected to her.]
[Because only in places related to her can the notes remain preserved and provide help to those who come after.]
[By this point, I assume you already know who she is.]
[Yuuko ■■, the most popular girl at ■■ School. She was brutally murdered while alive, and her lingering resentment transformed her into a ■■ that now wanders the school.]
[Many students and teachers mysteriously disappeared. When they were found, they were all dead, and every single one had experienced something utterly terrifying before death.]
[The school fell into panic, and eventually, this school was permanently closed.]
[But the curse didn't stop.]
[She continues to take revenge on all living beings who enter this school!]
[Many people ■■, many people ■■,]
[But some people successfully escaped.]
Reading this far, everyone's eyes lit up. This was hope!
They wanted to know the method for escaping.
"This is great! We can find out how to get out of here alive!"
Nothing could be more exciting than this.
Even Fujibayashi Ryou's face showed a hopeful smile.
If they didn't get out soon, her big sister would start worrying.