It's the middle of July 2007, so far this month no one has died, some of the class 3-3 have illusory hopes that the curse will go away, the realists that is Midori Asano or Kento Sakai know that anyone can die.

Kento has slowly regained his reputation in the classroom.

He has apologized to Yuu and Yoshito for the wrongs done.

Yoshito did not respond to this apology in a cultured manner, Shimizu in turn forgave Sakai for everything.

Rika, Kiyono, Takuya, Ayane and Tomomi did not know what to do.

However, the countermeasures were not disbanded, they continued to ensure the safety of the classroom.

Nae revived during this time, was more cheerful as well as getting more sleep, however, no one knew about the gradual takeover of her personality by the other Nae.

The Nae that did not exist before, the new Nae.

No one noticed this transformation, only Ai noticed her sister's strange hyper-elegant behavior

Although she came from a wealthy family, she did not behave like a aristocrat.

Besides, Hiiragi's family was not from the aristocracy, unlike the Great Clans, and was also well-mannered.

However, compared to her peers, she was no different, to say the least the former Nae.

The old Nae was also present, however, a new version of herself
dominated her.
She did not know whether she was herself or not.

However, she felt good about it, because she wasn't suffering anymore.

In the meantime, countermeasures have introduced a couple of new rules.

1. A distance of 4 meters from the railings had to be maintained when climbing to the roof of the school.

2. Signs were put up urging people to stay safe near stairs.

3. For starting fights, a student in grades 3-3 would be immediately expelled from school.

In this way, it sought to reduce the gruesome sights of previous years' disasters on the school grounds.
Because of his methods during his time as Head of Countermeasures, Kento Sakai earned the nickname "Inquisitor" or " Vigilante".
Many people turned away from him, however, he did not care.

Yuu Shimizu forgave him for what Kento did to him.

It gave him food for thought as to whether he was doing the right thing.
As Kento sat pondering this his older brother Kouji approached him.

Kouji: Well, hey, why are you sittin' there?

Kento: No, it is nothing that matters.

Kouji: I have been helping Minori with her learning, maybe I could help you somehow too?

Kento: Do I look like someone who would need to be tutored?

Kouji: Something seems to be troubling you
I "d like to help you.

Kento: Let me repeat: Its not necessary

Kouji: With such an attitude you will never be liked in your class.

Kento: Liked? That's nonsensical, I'd rather be hated than smiling at everyone like an idiot.

Kouji: It seems that our parents have messed with your head quite a bit.

Kento: And seemingly where is our mother wrong?

As she says: There are two types of people - those who take advantage of others, And those who are taken advantage of - because they are insufficiently intelligent. And seemingly where is our mother wrong?

As she says: There are two types of people - those who take advantage of others, And those who are taken advantage of - because they are insufficiently intelligent.

Do you think she was wrong?

Kouji: That's not how the world works, someone has a greater intellect and someone has a better physical condition.

Everyone is worth the same.

Kento: The better-off poor physically work for the rich, while the stupid rich ruin businesses.

People from the poorer strata of society strike it out mostly through their intelligence.
Kouji: And have you considered fortune?

Have you perhaps heard of Timothy Dexter?

Kento: Who?

Kouji: He was an American businessman who did seemingly meaningless business.

However, he managed to get rich despite being unintelligent.

Kento: It is always possible to win the lottery.

Kouji: In that case, how do you imagine a sapiocratic society?
There would be a division into states of society looking at intelligence?
Such a system would quickly collapse.

Those born into wealthy families would be against confiscation of property and living in poverty simply because of lower intelligence than their parents.

This is how the upper stratum of society would be transformed from the brains of society into mere nobility.

And we would go back to the Middle Ages, so to speak.

Kento: Well, I didn't think about it, maybe you are right.
But I still don't understand why I need the idiots in my class.

Kouji: I guess you wouldn't want to spend your whole life alone?

Kento: It seems terrible, one that a lot of people live this way.

The biggest problem is old age, when all loved ones are gone the only thing left with you is your impending death.

Kouji: That's why people still have children these days.

But probably when immortality is invented there probably won't be such a need anymore.

Kento: Immortality would probably involve replacing the organs with the devices that would do exactly what the organ does.

Kouji: Would we still be human?

Kento: This is a good question, and many people would probably oppose it for religious and ethical reasons.
Personally, I would rather be an immortal cyborg than die alone and afraid of death.

Kouji: Either way, it is impossible to achieve total immortality, after all, we will die someday anyway, whether in 100 years or even if 1,000 years.

Kento: Eh, whatever.

Ayane, Rika, the Hiiragi sisters, and Isamu Takatsuki spent time after school at a cafe.

They mostly talked about daily life topics and because Rika and Ayane were related to countermeasures there were also discussions about increasing security in the classroom.

After an hour, slowly everyone was going to go home.

Rika: I think that's probably all I wanted to talk to you about.

Pardon me, but I'll be on my way.

Ai: I think me and Nae will also go.

Isamu: Can I go with you guys?

Rika: Isamu, but.. Well... if you insist.

Isamu: Hey Kobayashi-san how about you?

Ayane: I will join you probably as well.

Nae: Could you spare me a moment Ayane?

Ayane: Yeah, of course.

Rika: In that case we are on our way, see you Ayane...

Ayane: Bye Rika.

Rika, Isamu and Ai went to their homes, Rika, the Hiiragi sisters and Ayane lived relatively close to each other, while Takatsuki's home was in a completely different direction.

Ten minutes after they left, Nae gave the signal for her to leave as well.
Ayane was quite confused, She had no idea why Nae wanted to leave the cafe 10 minutes after Rika and the others.

Nae: Umm Ayane let's go another way, I know a shortcut.

Ayane: Oh, okay.

Ayane and Nae were walking through Yomiyama Park, at one point Nae had stopped.

Nae: Hey Kobayashi, did you know about Fuyutsuki is ill?

Ayane: But for what?

Nae: Did she really not tell you?

Weren't you surprised that Iwamoto-kun resigned as a countermeasures assistant?

Ayane: Rika persuaded Iwamoto-kun to give up this job so that the two of us would work as long and she would live?

Nae: It's a little strange that Iwamoto-kun, and I know about it. And you, as her best friend, don't know about it yet.

Ayane: And could you tell me what she is sick with?

Nae: It is quite a rare disease, especially for young girls, It's called the Fabry disease.
I talked to Hirota, he studied medicine, so he told me that Rika will die around 40-50 years old, however, as we are exposed to the curse, she may progress faster.

I have heard that cancer and other diseases progressed very quickly in some victims of the curse from previous years.
Rika might not be an exception, I doubt that she will die in July.

However, her illness may accelerate, even if she doesn't die this year or next, she may die soon after.

You know, I have a theory.

Ayane: Ayane: 20 years of disease progression in just a few months? If the curse was already to kill her through illness, she would probably get cancer or a more "rapid" disease.

Nae: Anyway, do you want to know how to save her?

Even preventively?

Ayane: Okay, go ahead

Nae: Let me warn you, I'm not kidding.

Ayane: Okay?

Nae: It is necessary to "replace" someone's death.

Ayane: Wait a minute...I don't think you mean...

Nae: I think you'd rather it be Rika who lives instead of, let's give an example. Ogino-san, or Kambe-san.

Ayane: Are you trying to manipulate me?

Nae: No, why? I just warn you that I intend to put it into practice.

I care about Fuyutsuki-san, you and my sister.

I can sacrifice the rest of our class.

Ayane: In that case, why are you telling me this? Do you want me to help you?

If so, know that I am not going to put my hand to it...

Nae: If you don't want to get your hands a little dirty then at least you could not tell anyone about it?

Ayane: What if I do not agree?

Nae: Hey Ayane, you're not going to report me, are you?
You can't live like an angel all your life, sometimes you have to turn a blind eye to the bad.

I do not expect to cooperate with you, only to keep a secret.

Ayane: Just promise me that if 2 people die in a given month you won't kill anyone.

And you will do it only in an extreme situation.

Nae: Well... it's almost the middle of July, no one has died yet, I wonder how Rika's condition is.

But maybe you're right.

Ayane: I would also ask you not to kill Ogino-san, Kambe-san or others who are bullying me.

Nae: Do you suffer from Stockholm syndrome or something?

Ayane: No, nothing like that, I just don't want to be associated with it.

Nae: In that case, who would you be willing to sacrifice?

Ayane: No one, but if I had to it would probably be Takana-kun or Sakai-kun.

Nae: An Otaku and the deposed "dictator" hated by most... good choice Kobayashi-san..

Nae patted Ayane on the back before walking toward her house. Ayane never saw the dark side of Nae; she spoke of her macabre intentions with stoic calm, as if killing another person was as much an activity for her as spreading butter on bread.

Ayane was nailed down after this conversation, she knew nothing about Rika's illness, and she also began to doubt her, since Rika was her best friend.

Ayane returned home depressed.

This was noticed by Yuuna.

Yuuna: Is something wrong?

Ayane: No, it's nothing important

Yuuna: You can always tell me you know.

Ayane, however, decided to tell part of the truth after thinking about it for a while.

Ayane: I had a bit of an argument with Nae Hiiragi

Yuuna: So, in the end, is her name Nae or Ai?

Ayane: Ai is her twin, although they don't look like it.

Yuuna: From what I remember she was always friends with you, what was the issue?

Ayane: I have started to hold an important position in the class, and I think Nae is just jealous.

Yuuna: Did she insult you?

Ayane: No but as she talked to other people in our class she wondered why I was in this position, to be honest it is not some very important position in the class.

Yuuna: Or maybe she was just surprised?

Ayane: I've been getting along better with my classmates for some time now.

Yuuna: I guess that's good?

Ayane: But Nae has just changed her approach to me.

Yuuna: In my opinion, you should find better friends, it seems to me that Nae may be a phony, she may have only been hanging out with you for fun.

Ayane: I find this hard to believe, because we have been friends since the first year of middle school, although I was more friends with Ai than Nae.

Yuuna: Why don't you ask Ai why Nae is like this towards you tomorrow?

Ayane: It's probably for the best.
Thank you, Yuuna

Yuuna: You're welcome, I will always support you.