Despite Erika's death, Ayane Rika and Nae, did not give up their participation in the festival.

They would also be joined by Hirota and his girlfriend.
Ayane and the rest have been looking forward to this trip for a long time, against the backdrop of the events of 2004 in which only two students survived, as well as the previous years of the curse, the students of this class are making the most of life while they can.

Ayane and Rika will be spending the night along with Hirota, Nae and Ai at a summer house in Yamegawa.

Ayane packed up and said goodbye to Yuuna.

Meanwhile, Hirota greeted and spoke with Nae and Ai for the first time since his arrival.

Hirota: Hello Ai, and Nae. How are you doing?

Ai: Hirota?

Hirota: I know, it may seem strange to you, given the absence of my arm and one eye but I'm alive, probably my mother started to panic that I died and gave you the mistaken message.

Ai: Then what happened to your hand and eye?

Hirota: I had a serious accident 9 years ago, unfortunately I lost an arm and an eye, and almost died.

Ai: It's sad

Hirota: Well, it happens.
Anyway, have you met my girlfriend yet?

Nae: We had no contact with you most of the time, we don't really know anything.

Hirota: Really? But I was in Yomiyama 3 years ago after all

Nae: I don't remember it.

Ai: Me too.

Hirota: Nae, why have you been treating Ai like nothing but air lately?

Nae: Whom?

Hirota: Your sister, of course.

Nae: If you visited us more often you would know that I am an only child.

Hirota: Well, actually, Ai is standing next to you.

Nae: Hirota, there is no one here but you and me.

Hirota: But..

Nae: Please don't ask, because you probably won't believe me anyway...

Hirota: Ai?

Ai: Nae doesn't acknowledge my existence.

Hirota: Strange, but I won't get into it.

Nae and Ai then became acquainted with Asaka Hyuuga, Hirota's girlfriend.

Asaka was also puzzled by Nae's attitude toward Ai, but Nae persistently asked not to be questioned about it.

Soon, everyone arrived at the destination.
Yamegawa is a small village 20 kilometers from Yomiyama, before the founding of this city, Yamegawa was the seat of the Muneyoshi clan, in the Sengoku era there was a castle in this village built by Yukinosuke Muneyoshi, which was later demolished.

The Muneyoshi clan owned a lot of land in this village, which Shion sold to the Hiiragi family in 1979.

One of the highlights of the village was the annual festival.

Ayane had never attended it, and neither had Hirota.
While strolling past stalls selling various items, Nae asked Rika for a moment.

Nae: Non-existent usually return damaged yes?

Rika: It depends, but from what they say I think it does, and what does that have to do with it?

Nae: Do they also have memory disorder?

Rika: Do you have any suspicions?

Nae: I don't know if this is certain.

But I was convinced that my cousin Hirota died nine years ago in an accident.
Also, he claims to have been to Yomiyama 2 years ago.

Neither I, nor anyone in my family remembers that visit.

Rika: I see, but it must be a person somehow related to our class, and your cousin came to Yomiyama quite recently.

Nae: I was sure he died nine years ago.
I remember a trip to the other end of the country for his funeral.

Rika: But it's quite strange, Hirota is out of college, so it's impossible for him to be a student of this class, also is he old enough to be a teacher from 2004.

Nae: Did you hear about the curse reportedly striking twice nine years ago?

Rika: Nae, Ayane's father was responsible for the 1998/1999 winter murders not curse.

Nae: Yes, but perhaps the curse brought him down on the Great Clans?

Rika: Not only members of the Great Clans were murdered, A couple people from the 3-3 class of 1972 had also died.

And also many people who had contact with Ayane's father in any way.

Ogino-san's mother, for example, was killed by accident because Kobayashi had to flee his home.

I don't understand why Ogino-san has to take out his anger on Ayane...

After all, she was just a child at the time, she couldn't stop her father.

Rika and Nae were surprised by Kento who was also at the festivities.

Kento: Forgive me for eavesdropping.

But could it be that Hiiragi-san has found a non-existent?

Rika: It looks like it, but it's impossible, Nae's cousin couldn't be an extra, he's 25 years old and has no connection to our class.

Kento: A strange situation indeed.
I will pass this on to Miyake-kun, and we will discuss on the day after tomorrow.

Rika: Well, I guess I have no choice

Hirota went to get Nae and Rika, they had been gone for a long time and were not answering their phones.

While walking between the stalls, he passed Mei, Kouichi and their son.

Mei realized it was Naoki.

Mei: Did you see him Kouichi?

Kouichi: Hmm? Like, who?

Mei: I think I have seen Muneyoshi-kun.

Kouichi: Mei, I know this is painful for you, but Naoki is most likely dead.

Mei: Look after Mizuki for a while..

Kouichi: But..

Mei followed Hirota, she did not do it in a hurry, after a few minutes Mei asked Hirota.

Mei: Is there any chance that your name is Naoki Muneyoshi?

Hirota turned to Mei

Hirota: I'm sorry, but there seems to have been a misunderstanding here.

Mei: You do not have an arm, and also cover your eye with a black eyepatch.

You do this because you are being glared at by the sun because of your right eye.

Hirota: Umm, I lost my right eye in an accident 2 years ago, so you are wrong.

Mei: I'm going to ask for the last time, are you Naoki Muneyoshi?

Hirota: You should be the one to introduce yourself first.

Mei: I'm Mei Sakakibara, but you probably know me as Mei Misaki if I'm right.

Hirota: I'm Hirota Hiiragi, I'm not even from here, I came here recently.

Mei: Hiiragi you say...

Whatever, I mistook you for someone.

Hirota: No harm done, have a nice day.

Mei then returned to Kouichi and her son.

Kouichi: And what, was he Muneyoshi-kun?

Mei: It seems so, but he has also suffered memory loss.

Kouichi: What do you mean?

Mei: Now he lives as Hirota Hiiragi, probably doesn't remember anything, and is also nicer. I don't know if it's artificial politeness, but he seemed more sincere and cheerful than the Naoki I knew 8 years ago.

Kouichi: It's probably better for him, he can't remember anything of his tragic past.
But on the other hand it's kind of sad when everything you know and love is fake.

Mei: I wonder what caused his memory loss.

Kouichi: You never told me what happened the last time you saw Naoki.

Mei: I didn't want to tell you, and I won't tell you now.

Kouichi: Not at all?

Mei: Let me just say that he lost his arm then.

Naoya spotted Mei and Kouichi, shouted at them and waved at them.

Naoya: Sakakii!
Misaki-saan!

Naoya walked over to them.

Naoya: It's been a while Sakaki, and Misaki-san.

Mei: No longer Misaki-san Teshigawara-kun.

Naoya: Huh? Do you have a child?

Kouichi: Well um, Perhaps it was premature becoming parents at 23,
But we cope with everything.
How about you?

Naoya: Everything is fine, I would like to open my own store soon, in 2-3 years.

Kouichi: And how are others doing?

Naoya: Most are fine, what about Yuuya? You probably went to the Academy of Fine Arts with him?

Kouichi: Right.

In the evening, after finishing the first day of the festival, Ayane, Rika, Nae and the rest went to the summer house.
Nae fell asleep, she had another nightmare, she saw a mirror image standing in front of her.

Nae (Nightmare): Matsunaga's death was quite funny, wasn't it?

Nae: Shut up! How dare you?

Nae (Nightmare): Love is idiotic, you see, if her brother wasn't in love with Motogi-san he wouldn't have done this, and if Matsunaga hadn't made a human shield of herself, she would have survived too.

Nae: Shut up! this is called sacrifice, and it is a noble act.

Nae (Nightmare): Don't you think that if altruists like you sacrificed themselves, the curse could spare more lives?

Nae: Being altruistic does not mean being a victim!

Nae(Nightmare): I wonder, what would you do in such a situation?

Nae felt as if she was waking up, she saw Akito Yamazaki in front of her, who was chopping her alive.
It seemed to Nae that the pain was real, after some time she saw Ai in front of her, strangling her.

Nae woke up screaming

Nae: AI STOP IT!

Nae: Huh? Am I alive?

Ai woke up, hearing Nae's voice she felt hope that her sister would start to acknowledge her existence again.

Nae: Ai, let's end this stupid rite, I don't care, the curse had started so, it's pointless to avoid you anymore.

Ai: I understand, but do you know that Rika and Ayane will avoid you if they find out?

Nae: They don't need to know about it.

The curse started anyway, it doesn't matter.

Ai: Are you sure Nae?

Nae: Yes, apart from that, if someone was to come back, it would probably be Hirota, I don't know if anyone from 9 years ago ever came back, but everything points to it, you remember his funeral, right?

Ai: We were little then, but I still remember Aunt Ikuyo and Uncle Shuuhei's despair.

Nae: So we'll probably just have to avoid Hirota.

Ai: Definitely? After all, he was not related to our class, and he arrived in June, not April.

Nae: Matsunaga-san died on the day of his arrival.

Everything indicates that he is back.

Everyone spent the second day of the festival, where they met Isamu Takatsuki with his older sister, Yuu Shimizu with Yui Suzuki, and Shun Iwamoto.
Everyone had a good time at the end of the festival,

Asaka and Hirota were going to try stroopwafels.

When Hirota took a bite, he felt a wave of great sadness, which surprised Asaka, who didn't realize that such a stupid thing as toffee wafers could unlock really painful associations.

Even though Hirota had no memory of his life as Naoki Muneyoshi, tasting the waffles reminded him of sadness and the loss of an important person.

After two bites, Hirota threw the waffle into the trash and went to his car.

He was in a bad and gloomy mood all day because of these waffles.

When everyone returned home, Ayane was about to go to sleep when her phone rang.

Ayane: Ayane Kobayashi there may I help you?

Mei: I'm Mei Sakakibara, you offered to be a babysitter, right?

Ayane: Correct.

Mei: In 3 days you will come to babysit my son.

Does this suit you?

Ayane: Yes

Mei: I hope 2500 yen will be enough for you.

Ayane: Okay

Mei: Any other questions?

Ayane: How many hours would I have to take care of your son?

Mei: 5 hours, I pay you 500 yen per hour.

Ayane: Okay, I understand.

Mei hung up.
The next day, Kento Rika and Takuya began to discuss Hirota's case.
Takuya and Rika thought it was absurd for someone unrelated to their class to be an extra this year.

Kento had a different opinion, he believed that in the case of a curse all variants should be considered, and the date of Hirota's arrival in Yomiyama and the death of Erika and Tsuyoshi Motogi was not a coincidence.

Rika: Sakai-kun! this is absurd!, it was always a student or teacher of this class.

It had never been the cousin of someone in this class before.

Kento: And how can you be so sure?
We don't know this, their personal details are never seen, and everyone forgets about them.

Rika: Remnants of information may still be among former students of this class!

Takuya: I think Fuyutsuki-san is right, but then again maybe the curse somehow tries to become more effective every three years.

Rika: So let's question the survivors from 2 years ago.

Kento: As far as I know, only one person is unharmed, the other is in a vegetative state.

Rika: You know her?

Kento: My brother Kouji's classmate - Kaori Hasegawa.

Rika: She survived?

Kento: Do you know her too?

Rika: No, but I remember how she attacked Ayane in elementary school 9 years ago after her father's death.

Takuya: In that case, I think that before we take action on Hiiragi-san's cousin, we should ask Kaori Hasegawa.

Rika: I think it's stupid to have Nae's cousin as an extra, but I share Miyake-kun's point of view.

Kento: Let it be so, however, if we were to preventively order Hiiragi-san to avoid her cousin, or start avoiding her as well as Kobayashi-san and you, Fuyutsuki-san, it would be better for us.

Rika: Then how do you explain the resignation of one of the countermeasures?

Kento: You will resign the day before and someone new will be chosen to replace you.

Rika: Then if Hasegawa-senpai knows enough to rule out Nae's cousin, then let's stay status quo.

But if she says otherwise, let it be your way, Sakai-kun.

Kento: I'm okay with that.
How about you Miyake-kun?

Takuya: I support that too.

Kento: So it's settled.