Have you heard of Misaki?
She was in the 9th grade, class 3.
Was there someone named Misaki in class 3?
It happened 26 years ago.
She'd been popular since the 7th grade.
She was smart, pretty, and had a great personality.
Both the teachers and students adored her.
There's always someone like that in every grade.
But shortly after starting the 9th grade,
Misaki died.
How?
I heard it was an accident.
Of course, everyone was completely shocked.
Until someone said it.
Said what?
He pointed to Misaki's desk and said,
"Misaki's not dead. She's right there."
And that was...?
Well, it was just an act.
But since then, class 3 continued to act as if Misaki was still alive.
That's kinda creepy.
They continued the act until graduation.
Do Not Enter
The principal even arranged to have Misaki's seat included in their graduation ceremony.
Isn't that a good thing?
If that were the end.
There's more?
The rest of the story is...
yoru wo oou mabuta hirake
Open your eyes and bare the darkness within
magaki kage wo osoreru nakare
Don't fear the evil in them
honokuraki hitsugi kara
Like a puppet that was
umiotosareta ningyou no you ni
disgorged by a gloomy coffin
karada wa akaku kogoe
your body is covered in blood-red ice
kokoro wa yami ni ayasaresodatsu
and blackness is the cradle of your soul
kimi ni boku ga mieru kai
Can you see me?
tsunagu te no tsumetasa ni
I can feel the chill of your hands
senketsu no tsume tateru
Raise your blood-stained talons
mayu yosete goran yo
Scowl at the world around you
kowashiaou saki ni
Let us destroy each other
tsuzuku nazo ni michiru ketsumatsu wo
and evade a future where all is clad in doubt and confusion
hane mo ashi mo mogareta mama
Otherwise, with our wings and feet ripped from us
kokuu no naka kuchihateru yori
we will rot away under this empty sky
mou hitori boku ga ite
There is a second me
dareka wo itai hodo aishiteiru n da
which loves someone so much it draws blood
saa docchi ga maboroshi darou ne
Tell me now, which is the real one?
Rough Sketch
How are you feeling? Does it still hurt?
I'm fine.
My, what a way to start your life here.
You poor thing.
Um...
I'm sorry, Grandma.
Goodness, no. Don't you worry about that.
You couldn't help it.
Um, does my father know?
I haven't told him.
Yousuke is in India right now, isn't he?
Want me to tell him? I have his number.
No, thank you. I'll call him myself.
That's probably best.
That Yousuke, he's such a dutiful man.
In all this time since Ritsuko died...
That's the Yomiyama River flowing through the center of the town.
Can you see the grounds beyond it?
Um...
You mean that building?
Yes.
That's the school you'll be attending.
Is that the same school you went to, Reiko?
Yep. That was 14 years ago, though.
So my mother went there, too?
That's right.
My sister, Ritsuko, went to Yomi North, too.
Yomi North?
Yomiyama North Junior High.
Oh.
Public schools and private schools differ a bit,
but it just takes some getting used to.
I'm sure you'll get used to it in no time.
I hope so.
You'll be fine.
Once you're out of the hospital,
I'll help you prepare for life at Yomi North.
Oh! Now you're reading a novel by Stephen King, mister horror lover?
Well, I'll leave you guys alone.
We're 9th grade students in class 3 of Yomiyama North Junior High.
I see.
I'm Kazami. Kazami Tomohiko.
This is Sakuragi.
Nice to meet you. I'm Sakuragi Yukari.
And this is—
Akazawa Izumi.
Did you want something?
Oh, yes.
Sakuragi and I are class officers.
Akazawa is in charge of countermeasures.
We're here today as representatives of class 3.
Countermeasures?
You just transferred here, right?
We heard you were starting school on Monday, but that you suddenly fell ill.
So we decided to visit you on behalf of the entire class.
Here. These are from all of us.
You're from Tokyo, right?
Yeah.
And you attended a private school there?
Why did you transfer?
For family reasons.
Is this your first time living in Yomiyama?
Yes.
Oh. I figured that you used to live here.
I've visited before,
but I've never lived here.
How long did you visit for?
I can't say.
I don't remember.
I was still young, so... maybe a while?
Here.
I've copied the notes from the start of the first term.
Thank you!
I think my first day will be after Golden Week,
so I'll see you then.
Um, Sakakibara?
Yes?
Well...
Sakakiba—
Your first name's Kouichi, right?
May we call you Kouichi?
Sure.
We look forward to getting to know you, Kouichi.
Same here. Thanks.
Are you sure you haven't lived in Yomiyama before, Kouichi?
I don't think so.
Dad
P-Pardon me.
Are you a student at Yomi North?
Do you have something to do on the second basement level?
Yes.
But the second basement level is...
I'm delivering something.
My poor other half...
...is waiting for me there.
Hey, wait up.
What's your name?
Mei.
Misaki Mei.
Mechanical Room - Boiler Room
Morgue
Good morning, Rei!
How are you?
Good morning!
Good morning! How you doing?
Good morning.
It's two in the morning over here.
India's hot as hell!
What's up?
You start school today, don't you?
I'm calling to wish you good luck. Be grateful!
Oh, sure.
How you feeling?
How're things since you got out of the hospital?
Can you hear me, Kouichi? I wanted to say—
Hang on. The signal's bad over here.
I'm feeling better.
You don't have to worry.
Yeah, pneumothorax isn't the end of the world.
I had one when I was a kid.
Really? I didn't know that.
I never told you.
I didn't want anyone telling you it's hereditary.
Is it?
I actually had it twice, but never again after that.
So if it's hereditary, you're all done.
I sure hope so.
Just think of it as something that's in the past,
and go enjoy your life.
I won't let it bother me.
Thatta boy! Remember to tell your grandparents that I said hi!
Man, India is seriously hot!
Good morning, Rei! Good morning!
Rei is your name, you know.
Cheer— Cheer up!
Sure. Thanks.
Moving along.
The third thing you need to know to prepare yourself for Yomi North is:
Always uphold the class rules.
Okay.
Things might be different in Tokyo,
but here in Yomiyama, the group matters more than the individual.
I think I can handle that.
Good.
Now, the fourth thing you need to know is—
Kouichi!
Breakfast is ready!
She said, "Breakfast is ready", Kouichi.
Good morning, Grandpa.
Good morning.
Are you going back to the hospital today?
No, I've been discharged.
I start school today.
Ah, school.
You're already in junior high, aren't you?
Yes, yes.
Must be good to be young.
I'm in the 9th grade now.
I'll be in high school next year.
If only that hadn't happened to Ritsuko...
Kouichi! Go eat your breakfast.
Coming!
Why, Rei? Why?
I hope you'll be able to get along with everyone.
If you have any troubles at all,
please don't hesitate to talk to me.
You can also talk to Ms. Mikami, the assistant homeroom teacher.
Yes, sir. Thank you.
We look forward to having you with us.
May 6 (Wed.)
Kouichi Sakakibara
I moved here because of my father's job.
I'm living with my grandparents.
And, um... it's nice to meet you.
Please give our new friend a warm welcome.
Help out each other, and work hard together,
so that you can all graduate in prime health next March.
You can take that seat over there, Sakakibara.
Yes, sir.
Are you better now?
Yes, I feel much better.
How does this town compare to Tokyo?
It's not that different.
But Tokyo sounds so great!
Rural areas like Yomiyama have nothing going for them these days.
That's for sure.
Nothing interesting happens here.
Tokyo has its downsides, too.
It's so noisy, you can't relax.
I guess it might seem that way, if you've lived there.
You think so?
I'd love to live in Tokyo!
I like it better here. It's much quieter.
You're surrounded by nature, too.
That's something you'd only hear from a Tokyoite.
I heard your dad is a college professor.
And that he's currently doing research in a foreign country.
How did you know that?
Everyone knows.
Mr. Kubodera told us.
I see. Did he mention my old school, too?
Pretty much everyone knows.
Ms. Mikami talked to us, too.
I see.
Sucks that Ms. Mikami isn't our homeroom teacher.
She's beautiful, and she has a hot body!
Well, um...
Oh? You're not into pretty women, Kouichi?
It's not that.
What kind of girls are you into, Sakakibara?
Give me a break.
By the way, what country is your dad in now?
India.
Spring marks his first year there.
India, huh?
I bet it's hot there.
I wouldn't be able to do it. I hate the heat.
Consider yourself lucky, Teshy.
No matter how hard you try, you're never gonna do research in a place like India.
Yeah, yeah! I'm well aware.
What's wrong? Is something bothering you?
No, nothing.
But I was wondering about the other girl who visited me.
Akazawa, was it?
Is she absent today?
Yeah, looks like it.
Hey! Why don't we give you a tour of the school during lunch?
It's tough not knowing where stuff is, right?
Good idea. Let's do it.
Thanks.
I appreciate it.
Ready!
You look like you want to run.
Yeah. I love running.
Yeah?
So, you've run before.
Um, yeah.
I hear you have a heart condition.
I was born with it,
so I don't know what it feels like to run.
I wish I could run with all my strength.
You might be able to someday.
Yeah, you're right. Maybe someday.
I'm gonna...
...go to the nurse's office to lie down.
Are you okay?
It happens all the time.
I can get there by myself.
Sakakibara?
Where did Takabayashi go?
To rest in the nurse's office.
Oh...
I fell yesterday and sprained my ankle.
We don't have gym with another class?
Only class 3 is different.
Classes 1 and 2, and classes 4 and 5, have gym together.
You walked around during lunch with Kazami, Teshigawara, and the others, right?
Yeah.
Did they say anything to you?
They just gave me a tour of the school.
That's all?
Yeah.
I see...
If we're not careful, Akazawa will yell at us.
Hey, Sakuragi?
Yes?
I've been wondering...
Where's Misaki?
The girl named Misaki Mei.
You know, the one wearing an eyepatch on her left eye.
I didn't see her in the classroom at lunch.
Sakakibara?
Hey, Misaki.
You're watching gym class, too?
Are you allowed to be up here?
I don't know.
But there's no point in watching from up close.
And you? Are you allowed up here?
I don't know.
Were you drawing something?
How do you write "Mei"?
With the character that means "cry".
The same character used in "resonate" and "scream".
I see.
So, do you remember meeting me at Yomiyama Hospital the other day?
In the elevator.
You got off at the second basement level.
Did that happen?
What did you go to the second basement level for?
You said you were delivering something.
You were holding some kind of white doll.
Is that what you were deliver—
Might be. I hate being questioned.
Oh, sorry.
I wasn't trying to force you to tell me.
I just, well...
Something very sad happened that day.
You are Sakakibara Kouichi, correct?
Yes.
Your classmates haven't told you yet?
Told me what?
They associate your name with death.
But not just any death.
A cruel, irrational death that took place at this school.
This school is in a place close to death,
especially the 9th grade's class 3.
It's much, much closer to it than any of the other classes.
To... death?
You really don't know anything, Sakakibara?
Nothing at all?
Nobody has told you?
About what?
You'll find out soon enough.
You shouldn't try to get close to me.
You shouldn't talk to me anymore, either.
Why?
You'll find out soon enough.
But...
Good-bye,
Sa-ka-ki-ba-ra.
Are you getting along with your classmates?
I suppose so.
Is something wrong?
No, nothing.
Just as the colors fade from old film
iroaseteku firumu no you ni
tashika na ima mo izure kasunde
the things I feel in the present fade from memory sooner or later
nande mo naku waraiatta setsuna no jikan to hikari
as will the short-lived times of happiness and innocence we enjoyed
tsunagatteyuku kioku no soko ni
I believe that the memories we have in common
dareka ga mitsukeru tame aru to shinjiteru
harbor the potential for finding love again deep within
ima demo
Even now I believe that
Speculation