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VOLUME 1 – THE RED EYE KNOWS file 01: the locked rooe of the university campus, there was a forest

Since the cae

Deep in that forest, there was a one-storey concrete building

Nobody knehat it had been built for

Now, it was just a deserted building

Since it was deep in the forest, many students wouldn’t notice it was there at all if they lived norhosts appeared in that deserted building

Soure near that deserted building, but the figure had suddenly disappeared when chased Another person said that they’d heard a pitiful cry of ‘SaveSomebody else said that it wasn’t ’Save me’ but a curse: ’I’ll kill you’

There was

In the very back of the building, there was a locked room behind an iron door

Nobody kneas inside The reason was that nobody who had seen it ever returned –

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1

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Because of the strong, dry wind, the clouds had all floated away by noon

The pale moon could easily be seen

It was a full ht absorbed noise The night was so quiet that that nonsense see at a bar when theyof a way to spend the time before the first train

Then, the topic of the ru across campus came up

The three of them knew about the ruo see if that rureed to Miki’s suggestion They ended up sneaking into the university at night

They climbed over theand went into the forest

They pushed their way through the branches on a trackless path

It felt like a little adventure

The path was ined

When they reached the deserted building, she was covered in sweat and she had sobered up Miki had lost her initial energy and was starting to regret her decision

The building had one storey with a flat roof and was built out of concrete It felt cold – rather than a building, it was more like a clump of concrete had just been left there

’Since we’ve come all this way, let’s take a photo to commemorate this,’ said Yuuichi

Kazuhiko took the ca as a backdrop The pale light of the flash made Yuuichi’s shadow appear on the dark wall of the deserted building

Next, Yuuichi took the camera Kazuhiko and Miki stood next to each other and turned towards hiain

Clunk!

There was the sound ofmetal

Miki’s shoulders jolted in her surprise

’Did you hear so just now?’

Miki looked around Kazuhiko and Yuuichi held their breath as they looked around and listened

Rustle

All they heard was the sound of branches shaking in the wind

’Can’t hear anything’

Yuuichi put his hand to his ear

’What? You’re the one who suggested this, but you’re scared now?’ said Kazuhiko coolly

Miki glared at Kazuhiko sulkily

’I’m not scared’

Miki walked to the entrance and tried the knob on the rusty iron door

Next, Kazuhiko tried the knob, but it still wouldn’t open

’For times like this, tada!’

Yuichi took a thin metal hook out of his trouser pocket

’What’s that?’ asked Kazuhiko

’Well, just look Ah, Kazu, give hter as asked and put it near the doorknob Yuuichi stood in front of the door, knelt down and put the metal tool he had taken out earlier into the keyhole

’What are you doing?’

’No’

A fewwith the doorknob, he stood up and turned it

Creak

There was the sound of ainst !’ said Kazuhiko, sounding iht tools’

Yuuichi rubbed at his nose, see like that?’

’Online I’ll give you the URL later so you can take a look’

Kazuhiko and Yuuichi went inside with no hesitation

Since Miki didn’t want to be left by herself, she hurriedly followed the the dust that had gathered on the floor The building arm in comparison to how it felt outside, but it was so dark it was difficult to see her fingers

Kazuhiko lit his lighter, but the s flame wasn’t of

For a ht flashed and lit up the rooht Yuuichi shtened Miki was Yuuichi had used the flash on the ca home,’ said Miki

’What? You scared?’ said Kazuhiko and Yuuichi at the sato hide

For a while, the three of the was there but the complete darkness that covered the roo to worry about’

After Kazuhiko said that to Miki, he started walking slowly by the walls

’Hey, protect ed at Kazuhiko’s arm

’Yeah, leave it to me’

Kazuhiko casually patted Miki on the shoulder and then started walking again

They passed through the rooht at the entrance and went down the corridor

The corridor was narrow enough for people to bump shoulders On both sides, there were evenly spaced doors s Behind those doors were rooms of about four tata else

The three of the the walls to the locked room in question

The room was at the end of the corridor

It was an incredibly eerie room The metal door looked heavy, clearly different from the other rooms There was an observation ith iron bars Besides the normal lock, the doorknob was bound to the pipe that went up the ith chains and had a corumbled Yuuichi

’What’s inside?’ Kazuhiko peered into the roo Can’t ave up –

Rustle

So moved in the dark In the very corner of the room, where the shadoere darkest

What was there? Kazuhiko stared at it

Eyes!

Kazuhiko’s eyes met with the eyes of whatever was in the dark

The eyes in the dark were unusually vivid White, cloudy eyes The blood vessels were showing Eyes that were filled with hatred that felt like it would s everything up –

Kazuhiko screa on his behind

’What’s wrong? Is so there?’

When Miki called out to hiht, but his breathing was erratic and he couldn’t speak

There was just the sound of his raspy throat

Kazuhiko et up with Yuuichi’s help

’Did you see so? Yuuichi asked

Kazuhiko looked to the door

Yuuichi looked also

The next ap between the bars of the , a hand so pale it didn’t look like that of a living person reached out and suddenly gripped the shoulder of Miki, who had her back to the door

Miki gasped

Kazuhiko and Yuuichi were in front of her

Then as the person grabbing her shoulder?

She didn’t have the courage to turn around and check The blood drained froth – she couldn’t even screa hand to ask Kazuhiko and Yuuichi for help However, Kazuhiko and Yuuichi couldn’t move fro voice Yuuichi put his hand out towards Miki to try to pull Miki away froain froap between the bars

’Aaahhh!’

Kazuhiko and Yuuichi’s heads both went blank They screa behind them

’Wait – don’t leave me by myself!’

Miki’s bitter cry didn’t leave herof the case –

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2

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After thelecture, Ozawa Haruka refused an invitation from a friend and left the classrooh outfit of skinny jeans and a grey parka, it was chilly, as was to be expected

She regretted not wearing so warmer

Since she had short hair, her neck felt especially cold

Haruka was headed for the prefabricated two-storey building behind Building B in order to visit somebody introduced to her by Aizawa, an upperclassman from the orchestra circle

There were a number of small four-and-a-half tatami rooms on the first and second floor which the university leant out to students for club and circle activities

The room she was headed for was at the very end of the first floor

Movie Research Circle

Haruka checked the plate on the door and then knocked

There was no response She said, ’Hello,’ but the result was the saht it was a bit rude, but she opened the door and peeked inside

When she opened the door, her eyes i in front of her

His skin was as white as porcelain

He looked at her with half-closed eyes, as if he would fall asleep at any moment, and she found herself lost for words

’E-er…’

’Could you close the door once you co Haruka

She hurriedly went in and closed the door

The man wore a white shirt with the first two buttons unfastened, so his chest showed through

It was unclear whether he was showing it on purpose or he was just sloppy

Judging by the hair as messy as a bird’s nest, it was probably just sloppiness

Recently, the so-called bedhead hairstyle had been getting popular, but this man’s hair was clearly just bedhead

Besides the man at the front, there were two othercard while hiding it fro her

It was the five of spades

’Sorry, but could you sit down? I can’t concentrate’

’Ah, yes’

Haruka stepped away fro chair by the wall that the estured at

Inside the rooe in the corner and a shelf next to it that had been covered with a cloth

Rather than a clubroom, it felt more like somebody’s flat

The man who had spoken earlier closed his eyes and pinched his broith his fingers, like he was thinking Finally, he opened his eyes and his red lips parted

’The five of spades’

He was right A at earlier had definitely been the five of spades Haruka couldn’t hide her surprise, while the men let out cries of disot us again’

The men took thousand yen bills out of their pocket in a displeased manner, hit the table and left the clubroom

’Please sit down You have a request, don’t you?’

The man put the thousand yen bills in his shirt pocket and yawned as he spoke

Haruka sat on the chair that the ht you be Saitou Yakuht about it – I am,’ the man responded

This person is Saitou Yakumo –

Aizawa had told Haruka to consult Saitou Yakumo of the Movie Research Circle if she ever had to talk about so to ruht be able to help with things of that nature

To be honest, she had been dubious before co here and hadn’t knohat sort of ability he had

However, there was the card from earlier

Maybe he had read their minds or was clairvoyant, but he definitely appeared to have soed her to continue

’The truth is, an upperclassman from my circle introduced nise the name Who is that?’

’Eh?’

That didn’t make sense Since Aizawa had introduced Yakumo, she’d been sure that they knew each other

’Well, it doesn’t matter who introduced you Explain in a summary what you’ve come here for’

’Um, er, my friend is in trouble Saitou-san, I’ve heard that you were an expert on that sort of thing, so, er, I want you to help her…’

’You’ve summarised too "?’

’Ah, sorry I’ll explain properly’

’By the ho are you?’

What an unpleasant guy –

This person’s expression hadn’t changed at all the whole ti people all flustered

’Ah, my name is Ozawa Haruka I’m a second-year student at this university in the education department in the faculty of literature…’

’Just your name is fine’

Yakumo waved his hand like he found her bothersoer towards this unpleasant person was escalating

’So what do you want?’

’The truth is, a few days ago,on cahosts appeared there Then, it seehost?’

’I don’t know the details either I didn’t go with her She ith her boyfriend Kazuhiko and a friend called Yuuichi-kun’

’So you cahost story?’

’That’s not it Ever since then, Miki’s been acting strange She has a high fever and she’s been sleeping the whole tihtful thing’

’Like I said! Please listen until I’m finished!’

Unable to restrain her irritation, she spoke in a loud voice that even surprised herself

However, Yakumo leant back on his chair, and his eyes still looked sleepy

’So? What happened next?’

Yakuh hisShe keeps on s like "Save me" and "Let me out of here"’

’And the doctor?’

’Of course a doctor’s been to see her, but besides the fever, apparently there’s nothing in particular wrong with her body… The doctor said it was probably soical…’

Yakumo crossed his arms and leant on the back of the chair

’She lives alone, so I contacted her parents, but the call didn’t go through… I don’t knohat to do…’

She wanted to do so for her friend, but she didn’t knohat to do in a situation like this

Meanwhile, Miki asting away

’So you want ht be related to the ghost she saw in that room?’

’Yes I’ve heard that Saitou-san was an expert on that sort of thing’

Yaku, like he was thinking about soood? Is that a no?’

Haruka looked at Yakumo’s expression ide eyes

’Twenty-five thousand yen Tax included’

’Eh? You’re asking for money?’

’Are we friends?’

’No, we aren’t’

’Are we lovers?’

’Of course not’

’So, e forfor you for free e’re not friends or lovers?’

What he said was logical in a sense, but somehow, she couldn’t honestly accept it

That said, she couldn’t just leave things like this

’I understand I’ll pay I’ll pay, but please let me defer the pay fifteen thousand yen after this is finished’

Haruka took a thousand yen bill from her wallet and put it on the table

Yakumo shook his head Haruka took out another two thousand yen, but Yakuit’

’That’s all I have on ht now’

Haruka waved her empty wallet in front of Yakumo’s eyes

’I understand I’ll look into it,’ said Yaku else he could do

From the flow of the conversation up until now, she was dubious about whether he would actually look into it for her, but she had nobody else to rely on

’Please contactout’

Haruka put a memo with her contact information on it on the table, stood up and put her hand on the doorknob

This is –

She noticed soraphs were stuck on the door

In a gap between them, a pair of eyes and her own not very tall nose were reflected back at her

It was a s card fro around

’I was al card earlier, you were cheating The mirror on the door – from your position, you could’ve seen the number on the card… I see – that’s why you told me to move away from the door’

Haruka said that all at once with a face red frory at how stupid she was for believing in this person for even anaive

’Correct You’re the first person who’s seen through it’

Yakumo said that nonchalantly, not ashamed at all as he clapped his hands

’You’re the worst Please give me back my money’

’Why?’

’Don’t say "Why" You tried to trick ive it back’

She couldn’t believe hie of a person’s weakness She really felt that way

’Don’t say so so rude’

’What was rude about it?’

’I don’t plan on tricking you I’ll give you back the full amount if I can’t save your friend’

’How can I believe that?’

This man called Saitou – there was a limit to shamelessness

’What can you do anyway? I came because I heard you had so?’

’Who said I had some sort of psychic ability? I definitely didn’t Just as you said, the thing with the playing card earlier was fraud’

There was no reason for him to sound so proud as he said that

’If you don’t have a psychic ability, how are you going to save Miki?’

’You’re free to choose whether to believe what I am about to say next or not If you’ll believe me, then you can leave it to estured at the door

’I’ll give back your money too’

Yakumo put three thousand yen bills on the table

’I can see things that other people can’t’

’Is this a riddle?’

’You can interpret it as you will What’s the answer?’

’I don’t know’

’The spirits of the dead’

’Spirits?’

’To put it sihosts’

’That’s idiotic’

’You’re the idiot’

Yaku somebody he’d just met an idiot –

’But you said earlier you didn’t have any psychic ability…’

’I did I don’t have a psychic ability I can just see the spirits of the dead’

’That’s the sa’

’It isn’t It isn’t a psychic ability but a physical one’

’Physical?’

He had been quibbling for a while – it felt like he was just trying to

’For exaht? You’d call it an ability they were born with or a talent… Anyway, I’m not clairvoyant and I can’t use telekinesis I was just born with the ability to see the spirits of the dead’

’If you’re going to say that much, can you prove it?’

’I don’t knohether this will count as proof, but there is a ghost in this rooer between his well-shaped eyebrows

She didn’t have to check – only the two of them were in here

’You can’t trick ht now is your older sister Your twin…’

’You’re lying’

She shook her head Her fingers were tre

’Yes, your sister Her nae of seven’

’How do you know…’

Her throat felt tight

’I said so, didn’t I? I can see her’

Even her childhood friends didn’t know that she had an older sister

Then why did this person who she’d just met know? Rather than nonsensical, it was mysterious

’You still think that your sister’s accident was your fault’

That one sentence from Yakumo pierced deep into Haruka’s heart

The blood left her face Her head went blank – she felt like she ht faint

The ball that fell to the asphalt

The sound of the car horn

The deep red blood kept pouring out

’Your sister ran into the road to catch the ball you threw Then…’

’Stop… I… That isn’t… I didn’t think it would end up like that…’

Haruka shut her eyes tightly and covered her eyes

– No matter how I yelled, my sister Ayaka didn’t move at all

It was so sudden that I couldn’t cry or scream

My palms were dyed red with the blood from my sister’s head

Blood –

She could re clearly She had frantically tried to stop the blood, but it was no good

She’d felt her sister Ayaka’s life disappearing from her hands

’I see… So you threw the ball far away on purpose’

’You’re wrong!’

Haruka lifted her head at Yaku regardless

’You always ht it skilfully So you threw the ball far away on purpose so your sister wouldn’t be able to catch it’

’Stop it!’

Her hands were shaking Her breathing was ragged

Why? She had never talked about this to anyone Nobody should have known about it Her eyes were filled with tears even though she didn’t want to cry

’Why are you doing this…’ asked Haruka in a hoarse voice, wiping her tears aith her fingers

’…’

Yakulanced at Yaku and stood She opened the door and tried to leave

’If you don’t believe rets’

’Regrets…’

’She was the one who hid yourwas stuck to the top of a shoe cupboard with gu to confess, but she couldn’t say it…’

Haruka couldn’t breathe The corners of her eyes felt hot

’I…’

’Also, your sister said she doesn’t bla Haruka’s words

Doesn’t blame me? That’s ridiculous I e to run away and fled from the room

When Haruka reached the courtyard, she collapsed onto a bench

The dry autumn wind made her short hair flutter

The noise fro by hurt her ears

She looked down, covering her face with her hands

The memories from her past – she had never talked to anybody about theht in such a cold ht that she would be assaulted by unstoppable anger and humiliation, but that wasn’t actually the case

It would be a lie if she said she didn’t feel that way at all

However, her heart felt a bit lighter –

It was a mystery even to her why she felt that way

Haruka took herfor a while, punched in her parents’ phone nus, her mother Keiko answered

’What is it?’

Herreally I just…’

’You’ve always been bad at lying Soh her after just that

Haruka felt like she’d cry if she talked at length

’Hey, Muht? Back when Sis was still alive’

’What is this all of a sudden?’

’Could you look at the top of the shoe cupboard?

’Why are you talking about that now?’

’Just go and look’

’Fine, fine’

Her mother sounded exasperated Then, the hold tone started playing

It was Chopin’s Farewell[1] Her sister Ayaka had been good at piano Her slender fingers appeared to dance as they played this song that even adults had difficulty with

While I wasn’t good at music, not just piano My rhythm was always off I was always compared to my sister

Not just for piano Even for school and sports, I couldn’t beat ether, ere often er brother

Part of it was because of h ere twins

I had even thought that having my sister there was unpleasant

And then that accident –

Just as Saitou had said, Haruka had thrown the ball far away on purpose

She hadn’t thought it would end up like that

When she saw her grieving parents, how could she live in a carefree manner?

She had lived with the fear that somebody would someday find out how her sister died

’It was there It really was there’ Her ht Haruka back to reality

’Haruka, so it really was you?’

’No, it was Sis’

’Eh? What?’

Haruka hung up without answering herwas hidden

So my sister really was –

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3

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Haruka knocked once more on the Movie Research Circle clubroom door

When she opened the door and went inside, a paper aeroplane was circling about

’What are you doing?’

’Throwing a paper aeroplane’

The paper aeroplaneat Haruka’ feet

’I can tell just by looking I’ it’

Haruka picked up the landed plane It wastied Haruka to sit

Haruka put the plane she picked up on the table and then sat down

’Could I ask you one thing?

Yakumo nodded as he stretched his arms behind him

’This is the clubrooht? Is there nobody in the club besides you, Saitou-san?’

’There isn’t Since this isa shapely eyebrow

The conversation was advancing naturally, but she didn’t understand it

’In the first place, the Movie Research Circle doesn’t exist’

’But this is…’

’It’s simple I went to the student affairs office, borrowed some student’s name and applied for a clubroo place’

’Aren’t you just using this room as your own?’

’Exactly’

’You really are the worst – you’re even deceiving the university’

’Ah, I’ll give you back your three thousand yen’

Yakuestured at the thousand yen bills on the table

’Because your trick was exposed?’

’You came back because you didn’t think it was a trick Isn’t that right?’

She didn’t deny it, but his know-it-all tone irritated her

’That’s…’

’It was there, right? Your ’