Shouko's classmate?
This was the first time in all these years that one of Shouko's classmates had come directly to her home.
"...?"
Shouko also glanced over in surprise.
Wasn't this the same Sakayanagi Arisu who had misunderstood that she was going to jump off the school rooftop a few days ago?
She was indeed her classmate.
But Shouko couldn't hide her confusion.
After all, even though they were classmates, they'd barely interacted before. Why was she here now?
"Come in."
Noticing her daughter's subtle reaction, Yaeko hesitated for a moment before stepping aside to let Arisu and Masumi enter.
"Excuse me."
Arisu nodded politely and stepped inside, with Masumi following close behind.
From start to finish, Masumi said nothing.
In fact, Masumi herself was feeling quite confused.
Earlier, Arisu had only asked her to collect information about Shouko, which she'd done. But tonight, right after finishing her review of the gathered information, Arisu had dragged her out without any explanation.
Even now, Masumi had no idea what was going through Arisu's mind.
Did she discover something in the files that Masumi herself missed?
The more Masumi thought about it, the more baffled she became.
"What's with the cane?"
Yuzuru, who had initially been wary, couldn't help but ask as she eyed Arisu walking with a cane.
Yuzuru wasn't particularly fond of her sister's classmates. After all, her sister had been bullied by some of them before. However, this one seemed… different.
"Oh, this?"
Arisu glanced at her cane and smiled lightly.
"Because of my congenital heart disease, I can't do any strenuous physical activity, so I need a cane to walk."
There was no embarrassment in her tone; she stated the fact plainly.
Hearing this, the room fell into an awkward silence.
Even Masumi, who already knew, glanced at Arisu briefly.
As for the others—Yaeko, Yuzuru, and especially Shouko, they looked at her in surprise.
None of them had expected Arisu to have a congenital heart disease.
The gazes directed at her quickly shifted to one of pity and sympathy.
"Are you feeling sorry for me?"
Arisu chuckled softly at their reactions.
"There's no need for that. My father is already arranging for a suitable heart transplant. Once a match is found, I'll be able to undergo surgery.
"The procedure might be risky, but as far as money is concerned, there's nothing to worry about."
Arisu's family was well-off, part of the elite, so finances were the least of her concerns.
"..."
Yaeko shook her head slightly and decided not to dwell on Arisu's condition.
Instead, she looked at her again and asked, "You mentioned earlier that Shouko's dark circles weren't caused by staying up late playing games. Do you know why?"
Arisu didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she turned her attention to Shouko, who was visibly flustered.
"It seems Shouko hasn't figured out how to tell her family yet," Arisu said casually.
"..."
Shouko stayed silent, her head lowering further.
It was clear to her now: Arisu really knew something.
Hesitating for a moment, Shouko picked up her phone and typed a short message to Arisu.
Please don't say anything.
The sight of those words immediately changed the atmosphere in the room.
Yuzuru, who had previously been sleepy, instantly became alert. She stood up and demanded, "What do you mean, don't say anything? Sister, what's going on with you?!"
"..."
Shouko kept her head down, refusing to respond.
Yaeko, on the other hand, had started to piece things together. She looked at her eldest daughter deeply before turning to Arisu.
"So, do you know what's happening?"
"Of course."
Arisu didn't hesitate to confirm.
"I can't help it. I'm just too kind-hearted. I can't stand by and watch someone so young throw their life away."
Despite her usual playful and mischievous nature, Arisu wasn't heartless. She wouldn't bother helping someone cruel or unkind.
But someone like Shouko, so gentle and kind her death would be an absolute tragedy.
Otherwise, why would Arisu be here, so late at night, with no real obligation to intervene?
"Wait, what?"
Both Yaeko and Yuzuru froze, panic quickly creeping into their expressions.
"What do you mean by that? My sister is going to die? That's impossible!" Yuzuru protested immediately.
"Is it?"
Arisu didn't answer directly. Instead, she gestured toward Shouko, silently prompting her to speak.
Yuzuru turned to her sister, her emotions running high.
"Sister, what's going on? Tell me! You're not going to die—right?"
Yaeko, too, stared at Shouko, her brow furrowing deeply.
"..."
Shoko still didn't speak, her head lowering further.
"Shouko!"
Unable to bear the tension, Yaeko called out her daughter's name, her voice trembling.
Her heart pounded as fear took hold.
What was going on? Was her daughter really going to die?
No. No, that couldn't be true!
But Shouko's continued silence seemed to confirm their worst fears.
"Do you want to know how I know this?"
Arisu's voice cut through the heavy atmosphere, this time directed at Shoko.
Hearing this, Shouko finally raised her head slightly, her expression filled with confusion and apprehension.
To be honest, even she wanted to know how Arisu had learned about this.
There was no way the other girl should know anything about her situation.
"Because all the girls who dragged you into the video room that day are dead."
***
For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 100+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.
Checkout my new ff: Starting With The Sefirah Castle In The Anime World