Editing Ghost Hunt:Volume4 Chapter5 (section)

===7===

The school was deserted in the morning.

After we entered the school, we were a little in awe.

“I completely cannot sense the presence of anyone –“

The monk raised his head and looked at the school compound. It was like it was a rest day.

“Where is Naru?”

Ayako said, “Let’s go. Anyway let’s head to the Meeting Room to check.”

“If we are discovered by the teachers, won’t we be chased away?”

“We’ll deal with it when it arises.”

We crept silently to the Meeting Room. Next door was the Office. There wasn’t the shadow of a person around there.

“What happened?”

The monk studied the surroundings. The gymnasium was in front of us. Unconsciously we walked nearer to the gymnasium, and looked at it through the windows below, that were used to let light in.

“It is here.”

A whispered voice. I, too, bent down to look. The students were waiting in the gymnasium. It should be time for morning assembly. In the world closed in by the windows, I couldn’t hear any sound from inside. I could only see the figures of students lined up in neat rows.

“Let’s go, the time is now.”

With Ayako’s urging, we ran through the doorway.

We had already taken the staircase next to the door towards the third floor. We went all the way to the front of the Meeting Room, and peeked inside. Quietly opening the door and looking inside, we saw the figures of Naru and Lin-san.

“Yo.”

The Monk opened the door wide. Naru looked back and frowned.

“What are you all doing back here?” (naru)

“I was still wondering how you guys will do it.” (ayako?)

“Don’t you need our help?” (masako?)

“I’m here only to join the fun.” (monk)

“This isn’t an exhibition.” (naru again)

Naru sighed. Lin-san remained beside the table, and did not even raise his head. On the table there were candles and flat alms bowls made of metal. In the alms bowls were white notes with some Kanji written on them. Unknown incense burnt in the censer, filling the air with smoke. Lin-san sat very straight on the chair without moving, and held a straight golden colored knife in his hand.

Lin-san was about to make the curse… planned to take this curse with severe consequences and reflect it back to the cursers. The cursers: all the students who had summoned Worikiri-sama before. Of course, that included Yasuhara.

My body started shivering unconsciously. I felt that this job had come to the end of a phase.

“Lin-san, don’t continue anymore!” I could not help exclaiming.

“I beg you, Naru, please make Lin-san stop!”

Naru replied in a cool and severe tone, “Are you still saying these foolish things?”

“It’s not foolish! Nobody ever did anything bad! No one planned to curse Matsuyama to death!”

Naru’s ice-cold gaze fixed unmoving on me.

“Get out. You are interfering with work.”

“No!”

I grasped Lin-san’s shoulders.

“I beg you! Lin-san, please stop!!”

Just like that Lin-san gently closed both eyes without moving his body. Naru grabbed my hands.

“Get out.”

“No! Everyone is here, inside the gymnasium. Aren’t completely oblivious? About what they have done and what will happen to themselves.”

Without further ado, Naru pulled my hand and dragged me out of the Meeting Room.

“Naru, wait a while, don’t do this, don’t be this rough.”

Ayako’s voice halted Naru. That shoulder was also given a push, “Everybody out! Don’t interfere with Lin!”

“Hey, Naru.”

Naru studied us with a dark look.

“I’ve said it, everybody out.”

Masako was the first to leave. Next was the Monk. Following that was John and Ayako. I was the only one who persisted in staying in the Meeting Room. Grabbing my arm, Naru dragged me out of the meeting room.

“Naru! What exactly are you planning to do! Why do you save Matsuyama, but abandon everyone else in the face of death?! No one had any evil intention at all; they clearly never thought of cursing Matsuyama at all!!”

I felt that my words were heartlessly ignored. Naru forcefully dragged me outside, shut the door of the Meeting Room, then barricaded the entrance of the Meeting Room.

“Cold blooded.”

Naru did not reply.

“Everyone might be unconscious accomplices in activating the curse, perhaps they all wanted to kill Matsuyama. But, you, who plan to kill everyone like this, what does one consider you to be?!”

No response.

“A murderer. As long as the situation is resolved, the future consequences are irrelevant.”

His face wore a nauseatingly beautiful expression.

“Who will die, and who will cry, whatever happens it’s all OK.”

“Mai.”

In place of the completely unresponsive Naru, the Monk patted my shoulder.

“That’s enough. This is an inevitable situation.”

“It’s not a hopeless situation at all!”

If the curse is returned, what will happen to everyone? Okamura-san and her friends,  Araki-san and her friends, Miyazaki-san and her friends, and the class of 3-1? … Yasuhara…

Such a thing must not be done!

“… Mai.”

“No!”

Naru was really completely expressionless. Using a cold voice, he said, “Monk, take Mai away.”

“Ah ah. – Let’s go, Mai.”

“I said no!”

Carrying the struggling me, the Monk left the Meeting Room.

No, no, no!

This must not be done. It definitely must not!

The Monk brought me to the stairs and forcefully sat me down.

“Monk, go and stop him! Make him stop!”

The Monk gently patted my cheek.

“Believe in Naru.”

… Monk.

“Has Naru ever betrayed our hopes?”

“… But.”

“Has he ever?”

“… no…”

“Then believe in him. It’ll be all right.”

“But.”

“The young man Yasuhara is amongst those students. Do you think that I’m not worried?”

The Monk looked serious. His eyes took in my sorrowful expression. 

“… Ok…”

“Such a good child.”

I buried my face between my knees. Tears fell pitter patter, seeped through my skirt, and wet my feet.

The Monk sat beside me and gently caressed my head.

I don’t know how much time passed.

Suddenly a noise resounded from behind me. There was the presence of people. Unconsciously I stood up.

Just as I was turning, Naru etc was about to turn the corner in the corridor. 

“Is it done? Really?”

Ayako asked Naru.

“Ah.”

The moment I heard Naru’s answer, I raced down the stairs.

“Mai!”

That was the Monk’s voice. Don’t stop me.

It is done? Then what about everyone? Everyone waiting in the Gymnasium?

I rode the momentum and flew down the stairs. I dashed out of the door and ran towards the Gymnasium. I heard the sound of footsteps of someone chasing behind me and voices telling me to stop.

I arrived in front of the Gymnasium, placed both hands on the thick and heavy iron door, and pushed it open with all my strength.

… … … …

… … … …

… this is… what?!

I stared blankly at the scene in the Gymnasium.

On the floor of the Gymnasium, the neat rows were now scattered, into piles of human dolls.

“… but, just now it…”

I mumbled softly.

But the ones waiting here just now were people. It was really students lining up here.

I walked into the Gymnasium. I picked up a doll by my feet. It was a wooden board cut into a human figurine, and even had a note stuck on it.

Doll. I ran my fingers over the doll. Part of the arm and chest broke off and fell.

A white hand reached out from my side and picked up the broken pieces.

“… Naru.”

Naru looked at that fragment. He quickly looked around, checking the dolls around us.

It looked like every single doll appeared to have sustained damage somewhere. 

“Naru… this is…”

The Monk shouted.

“Confirm the state of the dolls. Gather the dolls that have not been damaged.”

“… Ah.”

The Monk wore a complicated expression of slight confusion and relief.

“Matsuzaki-san, Hara-san, … Mai.”

“—Yes.”

“You will separately check the names on the dolls that have not been damaged, and call those people. Their names are on the notes. Check the telephone numbers in the register, and then ask if this person is all right. Use the telephone in the office.”

“… Yes.”

At the same time, the Monk and John abruptly walked into the pile of dolls.

… don’t tell me this is…

There was a certain time Naru had previously used dolls. He had said that they were made by Lin-san. They are used as body doubles for people.

They were used as curse tools, by focusing one’s hate on the doll and driving a nail into it. And the reverse.

By taking sickness and transferring it to the doll, and letting it get cleansed by a flowing river, it is used as a tool to heal sickness.

Body double…

The curse was returned to the body doubles of the students.

To the dolls which were unfortunately as numerous as the number of students.