02.04.1998
Ayato is shocked after Naoki was poisoned by ricin.
Naoki met with Noboru Saruta, his friend from elementary school.
Ayato: Hey Noboru, Can deaths caused by the curse be the result of internal factors?
To summarize... Can a curse take over someone's mind, for example... to kill another person?
Noboru: I don't know, I guess so, I've heard different stories... Are you asking about Naoki?
Ayato: Yes, I'm worried about him...
Noboru: Kubodera-sensei told us that his condition is tragic, he will probably die or wake up from the coma in a few years.
That's why he was sort of "kicked out" from our class, but I heard that some guy from Tokyo was going to join us in Naoki's place.
Ayato: It's cruel... he's still alive...
Noboru: Well, I don't know, he never liked us, Sakuragi from my class wanted to be nice to him, so he told her to shut up and leave him alone. He also had arguments with Akazawa at the beginning of class 2-3. Misaki was probably the only one he got along with, but it seemed more like tolerance and occasional conversations than something more.
Ayato: I think I went to kindergarten with some Sakuragi, but I don't remember... I think I went to kindergarten with someone named Sakuragi, but I don't remember... her name is probably the same as my sister's... Hmmm... Yukari, right?
Noboru: Yes, her name is Yukari, she is one of the countermeasures officers in our class.
Ayato: Countermeasures officer?
Noboru: She will make sure that the curse does not attack anyone.
Ayato: I think I know what you mean..
Noboru: I have a feeling the curse won't strike this year.
Ayato: What about Naoki?
Noboru: As far as I know, he was poisoned back in March. So it's probably not the curse.
Ayato: I see. I hope you are right that the curse will be prevented this year.
Noboru: Oh, and we'll have a teacher's assistant
Ayato: Teacher's assistant?
Noboru: Yes.
Ayato: I haven't seen anything like this before, but you are quite a special class.
Noboru: Hey Ayato, cheer up..
Ayato: I'm worried about Naoki... he was supposed to confess his feelings to the girl... but unfortunately someone poisoned him.
Noboru: Do not give up. Muneyoshi-kun was always a badass, even though he didn't like me or anyone else in our class. I have to hand it to him. Although he can be cruel.
I doubt that such a poison would defeat him...
Ayato: Naoki is not Chuck Norris... Saruta-kun..
Noboru: Oh, you are right…
Ayato: But hope dies last...
Ayato met with Misaki Fujioka at the hospital.
Misaki: I heard what happened to Naoki... please Ayato... tell me it's not true...
Ayato: I'm sorry too... but let's hope he will recover from this...
Some people survive poisoning...
Misaki: I heard that it is supposedly a strong poison, rici or something
Ayato: Ricin Fujioka-san. It is one of the strongest and most difficult to detect poisons. It's a miracle Naoki survived this long after being poisoned... He should be dead by now.
Misaki: He is too strong for just any poison... he will definitely survive... I'm sure of it...
Ayato knew the statistics about ricin poisoning, about survival rates. However, he didn't want to bring Misaki down.
Ayato: In fact, the chances of survival are quite high, about half of all cases...
Misaki: And this is supposed to be one of the stronger poisons?
Ayato: It activates after some time... it can be undetectable for a long time, that's its strength...
Misaki: But I guess Naoki was brought here early...
Ayato: Fujioka-san, do you want to know what Naoki thinks about you?
Misaki: I'm sure he'll survive this, so I'll wait until he wakes up...
Ayato: He could be in this coma for a really long time...
Would you like to know before you... you know... forget about him?
Misaki blushed.
Misaki: I will never forget him... Especially since I have a precious person who acts a bit like him...
Ayato: Is this your "special" guest?
Misaki: Yes, I will introduce her to you as soon as I get out of the hospital... it's a pity Naoki won't be with us...
Ayato was walking through the hospital corridors when he noticed Sanae Mizuno trying to wake up Kaito Muneyoshi..
Sanae: Muneyoshi-sensei! Please wake up!
Ayato came to help Sanae.
Ayato: Can I you?
Sanae: No but thanks. It's a mental breakdown, not a blackout.
Kaito: I just lost the last member of my family... If Shion was there, he would be furious...
Ayato: Is it that bad?
Kaito: It's a matter of one week... It's still a miracle that he lives so long after being poisoned...
Sanae: Doctor, you should take a vacation for a while...
Kaito: I have other patients...
Depressed Kaito got up and walked away towards his office.
Ayato: Ma'am, can I visit a friend? Naoki Muneyoshi his name is...
Sanae: Maybe you can, but he's not in the best condition...
Ayato visited Naoki in his room, Naoki is on respirator, and is in a medically induced coma.
Ayato looked at him. Regret, anger and anxiety appeared on his face.
After he left his room, he went to the park. He spent a few hours there, sitting on a bench and remembering the moments he spent with Naoki and Misaki, the sun had already set.
A mysterious voice suddenly spoke to Naoki.
Akira: You must be friends with that boy they poisoned a few days ago...
Ayato: Excuse me, but who are you?
Akira: I'm just an observer... But maybe I can help you...
Ayato: Yes, I knew him...
Akira: I think you meant to say that you know him, after all, Muneyoshi is still alive.
Ayato: It's a matter of days...
Akira: You're really unlucky... You'll soon lose two of your friends..
Ayato: Two? What do you mean?
Akira: You know Misaki Fujioka, right?
Ayato: How do you know this?
Akira: Hahaha, I'm just an observer, I see some things in this city.
Ayato: Will Fujioka-san die too?
Akira: From what I know, the Hironiwa clan wants to force her family to repay the debts... Her family doesn't pay them, so Misaki will probably be killed in a cruel way as a show. To intimidate her family...
Ayato: What? Her parents are indebted to the Hironiwa clan?
Oh my God… She should run awal from this city... It won't end well...
Akira: The Hironiwas influence extends far beyond this city... It's futile.
Ayato: Both of my friends will die? And in a cruel way?
Akira: By sacrificing Fujioka you will save Naoki...
Ayato: What?
Akira: Muneyoshi's chances of survival increase if you sacrifice Fujioka, you must change the order of death in his class's curse...
Ayato: I have to kill... I have to kill... I have to kill Fujioka?
Akira: Oh please… She will die one way or another... Either the Hironiwa clan will gut her and throw her on the street somewhere, or leukemia will kill her.
Ayato: Wait, so Fujioka is also susceptible to the curse? It's not like she goes to class 3-3, she doesn't even go to Northern Yomi.
Akira: You probably don't know it, but yes. Her relative is a student of this cursed class...
Ayato: She has a relative?
Akira: And you have no relatives? After all, your grandfather is the brother of Mahiro Anju himself, the leader of your clan.
Ayato: How do you know so much?
Akira: I'm just an observer...
Ayato: You know too much for an observer...
Akira: (sighed) Okay, I'll tell you, I'm a cop.
Ayato: Oh, you're a policeman. But what did Mahiro-sama do?
Akira: I don't know if I can give you this information...
Ayato: Never mind, so you're saying that Fujioka will die anyway and Naoki can still survive it?
Akira: He found himself in the hospital quite early, normally his chances of survival would be high, but the curse lowered them.
So you can do your friend a favor. You can give her a gentle and quick death. And save Muneyoshi at the same time.
Ayato: I can't... I just can't... It's cruel...
Akira: You are cruel, Mr. Anju... you regret Fujioka's gentle death and you want Muneyoshi's death...
Ayato: Is that what you call mercy?
Akira: Naturally, think about it for a moment...
Ayato he thought about what Kobayashi was urging him to do... he was shaking with fear... However, after 5 minutes he made a decision.
Ayato: F-fine… I will do it…
Akira: Great, so wait outside the hospital tomorrow at 10 p.m.
The next day, Ayato couldn't sleep, he was cut off from the world at school, he was worried whether he had made the right decision... he tried to reject the intrusive thoughts about Fujioka with whom he was in love, he was also in love with Naoki, but he was not jealous of either Naoki or about Misaki. His intrusive thoughts approved of Fujioka's murder, Ayato had enough and shouted "Stop!" in class.
The teacher and other students looked at Ayato like he was a freak.
On the same day, he left school early.
He also called his sister who was studying philosophy.
Ayato: Y-yuka? Can we talk?
Yuka: I'm on break right now, so why not? What do you want to ask about?
Ayato: Umm, I read "Needful Things" and I wonder if Ace Merril was right with mercy killing his partner.
Yuka: I haven't read it, but you're asking about the morality of mercy killing?
Ayato: I had a thought about this...
Yuka: In my opinion, if a person dies and will continue to die for a long time in terrible agony, then it is moral.
Ayato: Aha, sorry for taking up your time...
Yuka: It's okay... how's things going at home?
Ayato: Everything is fine...
Yuka: Anything else you want to ask?
Ayato: In another book, the main character had a choice between killing his friend or losing both.
He killed his friend, who was sentenced to death anyway... while saving his other friend.
Yuka: I didn't know you liked thrillers, and with such a deep philosophy.
Ayato: A friend recommended it to me, do you think the main character did the right thing?
Yuka: It's hard... But if he had to choose between saving one of his friends... and losing both of them. He had to choose the lesser evil.
Ayato: I see. How's college going?
Yuka: I'm a double major, mathematics and philosophy, and I'm doing fine.
Ayato talked to his sister for some time before hanging up.
Ayato came to the hospital at the appointed time.
One of the nurses greeted him and gave him a cyanide syringe and a chloroform wipe.
At the same time, Kaito tried to leave for home. However, Sanae blocked his path.
Kaito: Mizuno-san can you explain to me what are you doing?
Sanae: The floor is not dry, the cleaning lady just washed it.
Kaito: But there was no cleaning lady here.
Besides, the floor is not shiny... So it hasn't been washed...
Sanae: Use another exit from the building, doctor.
Kaito: If you insist...
When Kaito left, Mizuno called another nurse who took Ayato to Misaki's room. Ayato stood frozen and couldn't move.
Sanae took the chloroform wipe from his hand and smothered it on Misaki's face.
Misaki was in a deep sleep, she didn't even realize that she had been sedated with chloroform.
Sanae: Go Ayato-sama!
Sanae chuckled a bit, it was a terrifying experience for Ayato. As he was about to insert the needle into Misaki's vein, he heard Sanae's voice with him.
Sanae: If you shake like that, you won't hit the vein. Eheh
After several minutes Ayato injected the cyanide into Misaki's veins. After he did that he run away, throwing the a syringe with a needle in the garbage can.
Ayato couldn't stand it and vomited, he had just killed his friend. He cried and cursed himself. He felt like the worst criminal.