281-285

*Chapter 281: Art*

As he spoke, Inoue poured the well-mixed plaster into the mold, carefully setting it in place. Only then did he wipe the sweat from his forehead and glance at the various plaster statues surrounding the art department.

"Now that I think about it, Sensei, your artistic style is quite peculiar. None of your sculptures have heads."

The art department was filled with an assortment of plaster figures.

However, all of them shared one striking feature—they were missing their heads. This created an eerie, unsettling atmosphere throughout the space.

"It's not because I find making heads troublesome that I leave them out," Tanaka replied. "It's precisely this incompleteness that makes the sculptures unique. If they had heads, they would be nothing more than ordinary plaster statues, and that is not the kind of art I pursue."

"Art doesn’t need heads. While human facial expressions can convey a range of emotions, from joy to sorrow, history has shown that artworks featuring expressive faces are actually quite rare. Instead of focusing on such details, why not eliminate the source of expression altogether? When a statue lacks a head, it transcends conventional artistic boundaries."

"Sensei, your ideas are truly unconventional."

"Not too long ago, though, your sculptures still had heads."

This wasn’t the first time Inoue had heard Tanaka discuss his artistic philosophy.

A few days earlier, Tanaka had suddenly changed his perspective, discarding a large number of completed works and replacing them with these headless sculptures.

His abrupt shift in direction had significantly tightened their schedule, leaving little time before the upcoming exhibition.

"I just had an epiphany about the true essence of art."

As he spoke, Tanaka turned to look at the surrounding sculptures, a fanatical gleam in his eyes behind his glasses.

"The human head is truly unnecessary. Its existence distracts from the artistic beauty of the body and has reduced society to a superficial, appearance-obsessed culture. A head without a body is meaningless..."

"Sensei, isn't that a bit extreme?"

Listening to Tanaka’s increasingly bizarre reasoning, Inoue couldn't help but interject.

"If art doesn’t need heads, does that mean everyone should just cut off their own?"

"Alright, maybe I’m overthinking things."

Prompted by Inoue’s words, Tanaka reluctantly withdrew his gaze from the statues.

"For now, just help me make one more plaster statue, and then you can go home. The rest can wait until tomorrow. If I make too many at once, I worry it will stifle my creative inspiration."

"Well, if you say so, Sensei. Though honestly, I don’t feel tired at all."

---

*Kyoto, Metropolitan Police Department*

"Ino-san."

Yamamoto looked at the girl in front of him. Ever since she had entered the police station, she had remained silent.

"You should know why we called you here."

The deaths of three female students had alarmed the Kyoto police, who were in charge of the Keiko case.

The deceased girls all shared an eerie characteristic: their bodies had become unnaturally shriveled, just like Keiko’s.

More disturbingly, according to their families, all three had been in perfect health the day before. In less than a single night, they had transformed into withered corpses.

Such an inexplicable death defied all logical explanations.

After investigating the school lives of the deceased girls at Horikawa Municipal High School, the police naturally turned their attention to Ino.

Aya Ino was the person in their class most closely associated with the victims.

However, this connection was far from amicable.

In truth, Ino had been their victim—she had endured relentless bullying from them since transferring to the school.

According to her classmates, she had been the primary target of their torment.

This gave her a strong motive.

But motive alone wasn’t enough. The deaths had all occurred in the victims’ own homes. If not for their bizarre conditions, their cases might have been ruled as suicides. The lack of any clear evidence made it difficult to proceed with an investigation.

---

*Interrogation Room, Kyoto Metropolitan Police Department*

Yamamoto studied Ino’s silent, downcast face.

If she had been a regular person, he could have used different methods to extract the truth.

But she was just a middle school girl.

And the case itself was too bizarre—there were no clear leads. Bringing Ino in for questioning was already the furthest they could go. Since she was considered a witness rather than a suspect, they had no legal grounds to detain her.

Taking a deep breath, Yamamoto calmed his emotions.

He opened a file, pulling out photos of the victims one by one and laying them in front of Ino.

"I assume these three people are familiar to you, Ino-san. You can imagine the horrors they must have faced before they died. Clearly, what happened to them wasn’t caused by an ordinary force—perhaps something… extraordinary. But what would be the reason for such an act?"

For the first time, Ino raised her head slightly and glanced at the photos.

Her expression, previously unreadable, changed slightly. Her eyes flickered, and in a barely audible voice, she muttered, "They got what they deserved..."

Hearing those words, Yamamoto felt a surge of excitement.

Throughout the entire investigation, the most frustrating part had been Ino’s absolute silence.

But now, she had finally responded.

Clearly, she harbored deep resentment toward the victims—possibly even enough to be a motive for murder.

"Why do you say that?"

Seizing the opportunity, Yamamoto pressed further.

But Ino had already reverted to her previous silence.

She gave him one last glance before lowering her head once more.

Yamamoto sighed in frustration, his expression weary.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 282: Illness*

*Knock, knock—*

Inside the interrogation room at the Kyoto Metropolitan Police Department.

Just as Yamamoto was at a complete loss with Ino sitting in front of him, a sudden knock came from outside the door.

“Yamamoto, there’s no need to continue questioning him.”

Stepping out of the interrogation room, Inspector Nakamori entered with a stern expression.

“Why, Chief?”

Hearing Nakamori’s words, Yamamoto immediately showed a look of confusion. He turned his head slightly to glance at Ino inside the interrogation room, a trace of reluctance in his voice.

“Inspector Nakamori, I have a strong feeling that the deaths of those three female students are closely tied to Ino. If you just give me a little more time, I’ll be able to uncover everything behind this…”

Seeing the pleading look on Yamamoto’s face, Nakamori shook his head.

“I understand how you feel, Yamamoto, but there’s no need to continue. Not long ago, several more students from Horikawa Municipal High School were found dead at home. Their cause of death was identical to the previous victims. And after further investigation and interrogation, someone has already confessed to everything.”

“The murderer of these students… is Keiko Watanabe.”

“Keiko Watanabe?!”

From the start of the case, Yamamoto had sensed something strange, and he had even begun to suspect certain things.

However, hearing Nakamori explicitly name the culprit still left him visibly shocked.

Keiko Watanabe was the very same girl whose body had been dug up from the time capsule during the recent Horikawa High School reunion.

In truth, not only Yamamoto but even Nakamori himself found it hard to believe when he first heard the testimony.

If everything was exactly as the student had claimed, then investigating this string of murders would become an incredibly difficult challenge for the Kyoto police.

---

*“Name?”*

“...Ryo Ishiyama.”

Inside another interrogation room, a student on the recorded footage was responding to the officer’s questioning—unlike Ino, he wasn’t silent, but rather visibly nervous and fearful.

“Alright then, Ryo Ishiyama. Can you tell me why you did this?”

The officer slid a file in front of him, pointing at the photo of a shriveled corpse.

“But most importantly… how exactly did you do it?”

Under the officer’s relentless questioning, the high schooler, Ryo Ishiyama, had no strength to resist. Especially after they brought up his family’s situation, his mental defenses crumbled instantly, and he confessed everything.

“…I never thought things would turn out like this. I just wanted to teach Kawasaki a lesson… to make sure he wouldn’t bully me anymore…”

“I only meant to try it out—I called the number and told Keiko Watanabe his name… I had no idea she would actually kill Kawasaki…”

“The Keiko Watanabe from the time capsule…”

Watching the recorded footage of Ryo Ishiyama, Inspector Nakamori turned to look at Yamamoto.

“This rumor has been circulating around Horikawa High School in recent days. After hearing about it, Ryo Ishiyama followed the legend’s instructions and made a call to Keiko Watanabe.”

“Ino, just like Ryo Ishiyama, was also a victim of bullying at school.”

And with Ryo Ishiyama’s case in mind, Yamamoto almost instinctively connected it to Ino’s situation.

“There’s no doubt about it—Ino must have called Keiko Watanabe too. She’s the one who killed those three female students.”

However, while Yamamoto was visibly excited at uncovering the truth, Inspector Nakamori’s expression remained one of deep concern.

“This is no longer just about investigating a few student deaths, Yamamoto.”

“There are many more students at Horikawa High who have suffered from bullying. If news of these deaths spreads…”

As Nakamori’s words sank in, Yamamoto’s initial excitement quickly faded, replaced by a growing sense of unease.

Thinking through the implications, a cold sweat broke out on his back.

---

*“Mr. Tanaka?”*

Early the next morning.

Inoue arrived at the art club room, only to find the door locked.

With a puzzled expression, he reached out and knocked on the wooden door of the old school building, calling inside.

“…”

Silence.

Just as Inoue was about to assume no one was there and turn to leave—

Cough, cough…

A sudden bout of coughing came from inside. Moments later, a blurry silhouette appeared through the frosted glass at the top of the wooden door.

“Who’s there?”

“Oh, you’re inside, Mr. Tanaka.”

Hearing the voice from within, Inoue paused in surprise.

“It’s Inoue,” Tanaka replied between coughs from inside the club room.

“I’m feeling a little unwell. I just took some medicine and must have dozed off—I didn’t hear your knock.”

“Are you okay, Mr. Tanaka?”

Hearing Tanaka’s explanation, Inoue nodded, then asked with concern, “Did you stay up too late working yesterday? If I’d known, I would have stayed to help you.”

“It’s nothing serious, just a minor cold. Some rest and medicine should have me back to normal by tomorrow.”

Through the wooden door, Tanaka’s voice sounded weak.

“Sorry, Inoue, for making you come all this way for nothing. Looks like we won’t be able to work on the plaster sculpture today.”

“It’s no problem at all—plaster sculptures can wait. Your health is the most important thing, Mr. Tanaka.”

Shaking his head, Inoue reassured his teacher from outside the club room.

But then, he hesitated for a moment before adding, “Still, given how you’re feeling, are you sure you should be staying here in the art club room? Maybe I should take you to the infirmary to rest.”

“No need. I prefer staying in the art club. I feel more at ease when I’m surrounded by the plaster sculptures.”

Tanaka declined firmly.

Seeing his teacher’s insistence, Inoue decided not to press further. He simply offered a few more words of concern before turning to leave the building.

*Thump, thump, thump—*

Just as Inoue turned away, a sudden, heavy thudding noise echoed from inside the art club.

“Mr. Tanaka, are you alright?”

Hearing the sound, Inoue instinctively asked in concern.

“I’m fine.”

A muffled response came from inside the club room.

“I just accidentally knocked over a mold, that’s all.”

---

Leaving the old school building where the art club was located, Inoue’s expression remained troubled, his mind still preoccupied with thoughts of Tanaka’s condition.

Something about Mr. Tanaka today felt… off.

He seemed noticeably different from usual, but Inoue couldn’t quite put his finger on what was wrong.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 283: The Second Suicide Note*

"Mai, why?"

As Inoue walked anxiously through the school, he suddenly witnessed a heated argument between a male and female student nearby.

"We were perfectly fine before..."

"I already told you, Kojima, we're over."

"So stop pestering me, and don't go around telling people I'm your girlfriend. If you keep bothering me, I'll call the police."

The girl, called Mai, looked annoyed as she warned the boy in front of her, who refused to give up.

Then, without looking back, she turned and walked away, leaving Kojima standing there in heartbreak.

Watching this breakup drama unfold, Inoue shook his head.

However, after witnessing their argument, his worries about Mr. Tanaka subsided a little.

"Maybe I'm just overthinking things. Anyway, Mr. Tanaka should be fine by tomorrow, so I can ask him then."

With that thought, Inoue felt much more at ease.

Picking up his pace, he walked past the heartbroken Kojima and instinctively glanced at him.

It was obvious—he really liked Mai.

...

"Endo, you just missed a great show."

At the school gate, Shimada smirked as he watched Endo arrive. He had just witnessed the breakup.

"What did I miss?"

Noticing the schadenfreude in his friend's tone, Endo scanned the area in confusion.

His eyes swept over Inoue before landing on Kojima, who was standing still, wiping tears from his face.

"That guy just got dumped."

At Horikawa High School, not everyone was as 'lucky' as Kojima to have had a girlfriend. So when Shimada saw him getting dumped, he showed no sympathy—instead, he found it amusing.

"Really? Man, that sucks for him."

Endo glanced at the tearful Kojima again.

It wouldn't be long before the entire class found out. If he were in Kojima’s shoes, he’d probably just take a few days off—at least to avoid the embarrassment.

"Alright, we’ve seen enough. If we don’t go now, we'll be late for class."

Endo turned his gaze away and reminded Shimada, who still seemed reluctant to leave.

"Oh, right. Speaking of which, Endo, did you find out who left you that suicide note?"

As they walked toward the school building, Shimada recalled what had happened the day before and asked.

"No."

Endo shook his head, still looking puzzled.

"I thought about it all night, but I just can't figure out who did it."

Whoever it was knew his name and had deliberately placed the note in his shoe locker, meaning it was someone he knew.

But no matter how much Endo wracked his brain, thinking back over his entire middle school life, he couldn't recall anyone who would hate him enough to leave a suicide note.

"Maybe it was just some weirdo messing around. You know, there are plenty of strange people at this school."

Shimada offered some casual reassurance since neither of them could figure it out.

"Maybe you're right..."

As they talked, they reached the shoe lockers.

The moment Endo opened his locker, both of their expressions froze.

Inside, another envelope lay quietly.

"..."

Endo stared at it in silence for a long time before finally reaching out to pick it up.

Flipping it over, he saw the same familiar words on the back—*"Suicide Note."*

Pulling out the letter inside, he read:

"I, Endo, will die in two days."

Aside from the changed death date, the note was identical to the first one.

"Who the hell has this much free time?!"

Seeing the countdown to Endo’s supposed death, Shimada grew irritated.

If even Shimada was this annoyed, Endo—who was the actual target—felt it even more.

"Whoever it is, I’m going to find out."

Endo’s eyes locked onto the words "two days."

Taking a deep breath, he clenched his teeth, using all his willpower to resist the urge to rip the note to shreds.

Instead, he carefully folded it back up and placed it inside the envelope, tucking it away despite Shimada's confusion.

He stared at the shoe locker with his name on it, determination flashing in his eyes.

...

"Did you hear? Kojima got dumped by Mai from Class A."

"No way, weren't they fine just recently?"

"It's true! I saw it with my own eyes—Mai told him to stop bothering her."

"That bad?"

"Not just that. I heard he even cried."

Lying on his desk in the classroom, Kojima listened to the chatter around him.

His expression darkened further, and his already red eyes threatened to tear up again.

"Poor guy..."

"Sigh, losing someone you love at such a young age..."

"If I were him, I don’t think I could handle it. How’s he even managing?"

As Kojima wallowed in sadness, the voices around him didn’t fade—they only grew louder, like whispers right next to his ears.

"Stop talking about it."

Unable to take it anymore, Kojima lifted his head and shouted in the direction of the voices.

"..."

However, as soon as he spoke, everyone around him turned to look—faces filled with confusion.

Seeing their reactions, Kojima's anger shifted to bewilderment. He glanced around the classroom, only to realize that the teacher was lecturing at the front of the room, and the other students were all attentively listening.

"What are you doing, Kojima?!"

The teacher, holding a textbook, glared at him.

"Or are you telling me to stop my lesson?"

"I wasn’t talking to you, Teacher, I was—"

Panicked, Kojima quickly tried to explain.

He had definitely heard voices. But...

"No more excuses."

The teacher didn’t give him a chance to continue.

"I don’t care what your reason is. If you don’t want to listen to my lesson, then leave."

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 284: After School*

"Attention all students, school is over!"

"Students still on campus, please leave immediately and go home. Do not linger in the school grounds..."

In the afternoon, the school broadcast echoed through the campus.

Kojima walked out of the teacher’s office, looking frustrated.

Due to his sudden outburst during class, the teacher had given him a stern scolding.

But Kojima was sure he had heard those strange whispering sounds—yet no one believed him.

"What bad luck."

Carrying his shoulder bag, Kojima left the classroom with a dejected expression and let out a sigh.

Breaking up with Miharu was already painful enough, and now this incident had made things even worse.

Dragging his shoulders down, he took heavy steps out of the school building. As he reached the school gate, he couldn't help but turn back, hoping to catch a glimpse of Miharu.

However, it was nothing more than wishful thinking.

After being stuck in the teacher’s office for so long, Miharu had likely already gone home.

...

"Mr. Tanaka?"

At the old school building, in front of the art club room.

Inoue called out.

"..."

Standing at the entrance of the art club, he waited quietly for a few minutes, watching the unresponsive building.

"Could it be that Mr. Tanaka has already gone home to rest?"

Remembering what Mr. Tanaka had said earlier that day, Inoue hesitated for a moment outside the door before eventually deciding to leave.

...

"Are you sure you don’t want to walk home with me, Endo?"

After changing his shoes and stepping out of the school building, Shimada looked at Endo, who remained standing there.

"I forgot something upstairs, so I need to go back and check if it’s still in the classroom."

Hearing Endo’s explanation, Shimada replied, "If it’s just grabbing something, I can wait for you. I’m not in a rush to go home."

"It’s fine."

Shaking his head, Endo rejected Shimada’s offer with a polite smile. "Our homes are in opposite directions anyway. If I can't find it, you’d be waiting for nothing."

Seeing Endo’s insistence, Shimada didn’t press further.

"Alright then, Endo. I’ll head home first. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

Waving goodbye, Endo watched as Shimada walked away, his figure gradually disappearing into the distance. Only then did Endo turn back to look at the shoe lockers behind him.

In truth, Endo had lied.

The reason he stayed behind wasn’t because he had forgotten something in the classroom—it was because of the ‘suicide note.’

He was determined to catch the person who had left him the note and teach them a lesson.

With that in mind, Endo took off his shoes, placed them in his bag, and carefully hid in a secluded corner of the shoe locker hallway. He cautiously peeked out, keeping his eyes fixed on the lockers.

...

Horicawa High School.

As students gradually left, the campus grew quiet.

The lively atmosphere of the day faded, leaving the school with an eerie silence.

At dusk, the last rays of sunlight dimmed, and the final glow over Horikawa High School slowly faded away.

Standing in the dimly lit hallway of the school building, Endo glanced at the darkening sky outside the entrance. Doubt crept into his mind.

"Maybe that guy won’t come. Maybe this was just a cruel prank."

With that thought, Endo clenched his bag, ready to head home.

Staying out this late, he would need to come up with a reasonable excuse.

However, just as he was about to step out, a vague shadow appeared at the entrance of the school building.

"Is that—?"

Seeing the silhouette, Endo quickly stopped in his tracks and ducked back into the hallway corner.

Due to the dim lighting, he couldn’t make out the figure’s face, but judging by the uniform, it was definitely a student from Horikawa High School.

"I finally got you, you bastard!"

Hiding behind the hallway corner, Endo watched as the figure slowly approached the shoe lockers, his expression growing more excited.

At this time of night, there was no doubt—this was the person who had left him the suicide note.

Under Endo’s watchful gaze, the figure stopped in front of the shoe lockers, reached into their pocket, and pulled out an envelope, about to place it inside one of the lockers.

"Gotcha! You bastard!"

Without hesitation, Endo leaped out from his hiding spot and shouted at the figure.

"...!"

Startled by the sudden voice from inside the building, the figure in front of the shoe lockers flinched.

They turned their head toward the dimly lit hallway, caught a glimpse of Endo’s silhouette, and immediately turned to flee.

"Don’t run, you bastard!"

Seeing them escape, Endo quickly gave chase.

But in his rush, he didn’t have time to put his shoes back on. As he watched the figure getting further away, he gritted his teeth and hurled his bag in their direction like a projectile.

Smack!

"Bullseye!"

The bag, carrying his shoes, drew a perfect arc through the air and struck the fleeing figure’s shoulder, making them stumble slightly.

Even Endo was surprised at his accuracy.

However, despite the hit, the person managed to regain their footing and vanished into the night.

"Damn it, I was so close!"

Frustrated, Endo picked up his fallen bag, dusted it off, and retrieved his shoes to put them back on.

He had almost caught them—but in the end, they had escaped.

Running a hand through his hair in frustration, Endo retraced his steps back to the school building. As expected, he found an envelope lying near the shoe lockers.

Because of his sudden appearance earlier, the figure hadn’t managed to place the suicide note inside the locker, dropping it instead.

Picking it up and opening it, Endo saw the same message as before, just like the one he had received that morning.

‘I, Endo, will die in one day!’

The only difference was that the date had changed from two days to one day.

Technically, this note was meant to be found the next morning.

Which meant that if his guess was correct, this person would likely attempt to deliver one last note tomorrow morning.

Even though it seemed absurd—who would return after being caught in the act?—Endo had a strange feeling in his gut.

That person would come again.

Until the final note was delivered.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 285: Red Lines*

"I'm back..."

Kyoto, Kojima Household.

Returning home, Kojima greeted his family weakly.

"You're back, Yoshikuma. You're a bit late today."

Seeing her son return, Kojima’s mother inquired.

"I got held up on the way because of something."

Kojima didn’t want to tell his family about his breakup with Miharu, nor did he want them to know that his teacher had kept him after school.

So, he casually came up with an excuse to brush it off and quickly changed the subject by asking about dinner.

"By the way, Mom, what's for dinner tonight?"

"Tonight? Tonight, I made your favorite—curry..."

Hearing Kojima’s question, his mother didn’t press further about his return time and instead responded with a smile.

"That’s great! I haven’t had curry in so long!"

Although Kojima wasn’t in the mood to eat at all, he forced himself to put on a cheerful expression and exclaimed enthusiastically to avoid raising any suspicion.

...

"How unfortunate..."

Late at night, lying in bed.

Half-asleep, Kojima seemed to hear faint whispering.

"He has no idea what he's missing out on. They were a perfect match..."

"Yeah, if he loses her, he might never be happy again."

"I always thought they would be together forever. Who would have expected them to suddenly break up?"

"Isn't there a way to bring them back together?"

"Of course, there is. We can..."

In his half-conscious state, the murmuring sounds continued to echo in Kojima’s ears. However, he couldn’t determine whether it was real or just part of his dream.

...

*The Next Morning.*

"Yoshikuma, wake up! You’re going to be late!"

Hearing his mother’s urging, Kojima got up and realized, to his surprise, that he had overslept.

"I’m leaving!"

He rushed out in a panic, running all the way to school.

At the last moment, he managed to arrive just in time.

"Phew~"

Standing in front of the school building, he let out a deep breath, calmed himself down, and went to his locker to change shoes.

"Kojima, you’re here."

As he entered the classroom, a few familiar classmates immediately gathered around him.

"So, how are you feeling after a day? Are you still upset about breaking up with Miharu?"

Hearing his classmate’s words, Kojima, who had just been relieved to make it on time, instantly felt a wave of sadness wash over him.

However, he didn’t want to show his vulnerability in front of his peers. Forcing a nonchalant expression, he replied, "I’m totally fine. It’s just a breakup—it’s not a big deal."

"Come on, Kojima, don’t pretend. Everyone knows how much you liked Miharu. You two were always together on the way to and from school. Now that you’re alone, it must feel awful, right?"

"I already said it’s nothing. Honestly, if you guys hadn’t brought it up, I would’ve forgotten all about the breakup."

Even though he was hurting inside, Kojima stubbornly kept up his facade.

"Speaking of which, Kojima, have you thought about doing something drastic because of the breakup?"

Hearing this, another classmate jokingly interjected.

"No way, I’m not that extreme."

Even Kojima couldn't help but frown at the comment.

He liked Miharu, but not to the extent of harming himself over a breakup.

"Here, let me see your wrist."

Seeing Kojima’s reaction, one of the classmates grabbed his wrist, pretending to check it seriously.

In reality, they never expected Kojima to go that far—they were just teasing him.

"..."

However, when the classmate's eyes landed on Kojima's wrist, their teasing expression quickly turned into shock.

They stared at Kojima’s wrist, then looked up at him again.

"Kojima, I can’t believe... you actually..."

"What are you talking about? Stop acting."

Seeing his classmate’s serious expression, Kojima rolled his eyes and looked down at his wrist.

The next moment, his expression froze as well.

Red lines crisscrossed his wrist.

"What the hell is this?!"

Kojima’s face filled with shock.

Meanwhile, his classmates exchanged uneasy glances before trying to console him.

"Kojima, it’s just a breakup. You don’t have to hurt yourself like this..."

"Yeah, think about your family. If you do this, imagine how heartbroken your parents would be."

Hearing their concern, Kojima didn’t feel relieved at all. Instead, he became more agitated and quickly explained,

"No! I never did anything like this! I have no idea why these red lines suddenly appeared on my wrist!"

Just the day before, his wrist had been perfectly fine.

Sure, he had cried a little before bed because of the breakup, but he had never done anything as extreme as self-harm.

Besides, if he had cut himself, he would have felt pain.

Yet the red lines on his wrist didn’t hurt at all. If no one had pointed them out, he wouldn’t have even noticed them.

Even though Kojima desperately tried to explain, his classmates refused to believe him.

After all, compared to his words, the visible red lines on his wrist were far more convincing.

...

"Mr. Tanaka?"

In front of the old art club building.

Inoue reached out to knock on the tightly shut wooden door.

Creak—

Before he could knock, the door suddenly opened from the inside.

Moments later, Tanaka, wearing a long-sleeved coat and a face mask that covered everything except his eyes, appeared in the doorway of the art club.

"Oh, Inoue, you’re here."

Seeing Tanaka, Inoue pulled back his hand and glanced at the teacher’s pale face beneath the mask, unable to hide his concern.

"Mr. Tanaka, how’s your health? Are you feeling any better?"

"Much better."

Tanaka’s voice was muffled by the mask.

Pushing up his glasses, he lowered his gaze to meet Inoue’s and, with an expressionless face, said,

"Now, we can continue creating even more bodies."

(End of Chapter)