"How's Sakuragi doing today?"
"The 'color' around her has vanished. It's strange. Normally, once someone is shrouded by death, there's no escaping it."
The next day, Rinji came to school as usual, bringing no stationery or textbooks—just food.
At lunch on the rooftop, the two people treated as 'nonexistent' by the class talked about what had happened yesterday.
"I only left after I saw Sakuragi return home. Just in that one hour from when she left the classroom until she got back from the hospital, there were thirteen accidents in total, six of them fatal. Protecting just one person already left me mentally drained."
Rinji leaned against the railing, covering his face.
If he hadn't known about the curse beforehand, he would never have believed one person could have such bad luck.
"Enough complaining. Can you see who's next?"
"Not yet. The calamity doesn't appear every single day."
"Looks like I get a break today then."
Rinji smiled, sat down, and opened his lunchbox.
As soon as he did, the rich aroma drifted out.
Mei: "Smells good."
Rinji: "Want some?"
"I brought my own."
Mei opened her own lunchbox, revealing several simple sandwiches neatly arranged.
"Your family doesn't usually cook?"
"My mom doesn't cook."
She took a bite.
"Did you make yours yourself?"
"No, my old man did." Rinji said while eating. "He said he wanted to practice feeling like a father ahead of time, so he got up early to make it for me."
"…That sounds a bit odd."
Why would a father say he wanted to practice being a father? Mei couldn't figure it out and didn't try. Every family had its own story.
"Anyway, your dad's cooking seems pretty good. Is he a chef?"
"No, a farmer." Rinji laughed. "They say he couldn't cook at all before. Every time he tried, he set the kitchen on fire. It was only after meeting my mom that he started practicing hard."
"They must be really close."
"Yeah."
---
"Yukari, how's your mother?"
"Not too bad. Her right leg's fractured, so she'll be stuck in a cast for months." Yukari smiled. "Thanks for asking, Izumi."
"That's good to hear."
Akazawa felt relieved to learn Yukari's mother wasn't in serious danger.
"Looks like Takabayashi's case was just an accident. If we can last the semester like this…"
"Um, Izumi…"
"What is it?"
"About the 'nonexistent person' plan… don't you think it's time to end it?" Yukari said hesitantly.
Her words made Akazawa frown.
"End it? Why? The only reason we've been safe this long is thanks to it…"
"But Takabayashi already died, didn't he?"
"That might have been an accident."
"But…"
Yukari bit her lip, unable to argue further.
She just didn't want Rinji to be treated as someone who didn't exist anymore.
The one playing that role was supposed to be lonely, ignored by everyone, and might even end up twisted by it. They were the ultimate sacrifice.
Yukari felt Rinji had every reason to resent his classmates for erasing him. But when she was in danger, he still stepped in to save her.
In her mind, she gave Rinji a noble character he didn't even claim for himself.
"In any case, the plan continues," Akazawa said. "Right now, it's still the most effective measure. I can't expose the whole class to danger."
In the end, Akazawa rejected Yukari's proposal.
---
"Holy shit."
Rinji stood at the back of the crowd, looking at the ambulance parked by the school.
His twitching brow showed just how annoyed he was.
It was only noon, and another death had already happened.
The victim was a boy named Maejima Manabu. He had been playing soccer on the field, but while dribbling, he accidentally stepped on the ball and fell.
If it had only been a fall, it wouldn't have been serious. But there happened to be a sharp stone sticking out of the ground.
It lodged itself right into his temple. Even though the ambulance came quickly, everyone knew the result.
"What kind of ridiculous death is that?"
The second death of the month.
"…Mei, didn't you say no one would be in danger today?"
"I really didn't see the color of death on him."
Mei spoke quietly beside Rinji.
"But once the color appears, I can't predict when it will strike."
"…"
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault. I was too naive." Rinji's brow furrowed tightly. "The moment I look away, something happens. I can't keep too much distance from them after all."
Because of the second death, the already heavy mood in Class 3-3 grew even darker.
Akazawa kept staring at Maejima's body being carried away, her fists slowly tightening.
"Izumi…"
"I know."
Seeing Yukari's worried look, Akazawa forced a smile, then clenched her teeth and turned toward Rinji.
When Rinji and Mei saw Akazawa and Yukari approaching, they instinctively turned to avoid them.
"Wait, Takamine, and you too, Mei."
"…"
"The plan has been abolished."
"Huh?"
Rinji stared blankly at Akazawa, who explained.
"I'm sorry… but after two deaths in a row, the calamity isn't being stopped. So…"
"…"
Rinji didn't care whether the plan worked or not. Back when Misaki first had an accident, he already knew it was useless.
What really bothered him was that if he was no longer the "nonexistent person," wouldn't that mean he couldn't openly slack off anymore?