Chapter 50: Three Years Ago

Chapter 50: Three Years Ago

Ko Shinobu declined another conversation with them ever since their last; he sat in the classroom and refused to move no matter what. There was nothing the four of them could do; they could only come again tomorrow to avoid drawing attention from other NPCs. When that time came , they would seek out a chance to have a proper talk with him. After all, he seemed to be holding the most important clues.

Well end it here for today. Lets return to our rooms early and get some rest. Ruan Nanzhu confessed with a yawn, I am also quite exhausted.

Alright. Li Dongyuan had never objected to Ruan Nanzhus suggestions since they entered the door world. Whatever Ruan Nanzhu said, he did without hesitation; in a sense, it was quite considerate and gentlemanly of him.

The four of them ate something simple before returning to the school building, but upon arriving at the entrance, they saw the female newcomer walking around in circles with a panic-stricken face.

What happened? Lin Qiushi asked her.

The woman stammered, her voice plagued by heavy concern, That I have a friend who hasnt come back.

Where were you both going? inquired Ruan Nanzhu.

The old school building, The woman said, I went to the bathroom before coming back and saw that he was gone. I looked all over the entire building, butI still couldnt find him. I grew more afraid the longer I stayed, so I came back after that.

He went missing in the old school building? Li Dongyuan tilted his head and glanced out of the window at the darkening sky, There is no use in being hasty. Its impossible to look for him now that its after dark. I would suggest that you rest for the night; we will accompany you to take a look tomorrow.

Although the woman looked very afraid, she nodded her head. It seemed like she, too, wasnt keen on returning to the sinister-looking old school building at a time like this.

And so, the group of people returned to their own rooms to take a rest.

The more experience they gained from inside the door world, the more they understood what a disappearance indicated. When someone went missing in a world riddled with death traps, the chance for their survival was zero to none. From the looks of it, that womans friend was most likely already a goner.

As they all lay in bed, they analysed the clues theyd obtained today.

Ruan Nanzhu then mentioned a vital clue, Arent they going to take their final examinations soon?

Lin Qiushi replied, Thats right. Why?

Ruan Nanzhu: The current season is certainly not winter; the temperature is moderate, if not warm. That being said, theyre not taking the semester final exams students usually take before their winter vacation.

Lin Qiushi suddenly understood what Ruan Nanzhu was suggesting, Do you mean their college entrance examinations are soon?

Correct. Ruan Nanzhu stated, I reckon this is a crucial moment in time. Once final exam season ends, he will no longer be a student of this school.

The cogs in Xia Rubeis mind clicked in that very moment. So the final examination is actually the college entrance exam; doesnt this mean this is our deadline? What ifwhat if we still arent able to find the key by then?

Ruan Nanzhu smiled, There are two possible outcomes to such a situation: The first is that time will flow backwards and we will experience these past few days all over again. The second is that these supernatural entities will unleash a massacre and leave behind only one fortunate soul. The door will then open on its own. Either situation was terrible, regardless.

Xia Rubei dared not to speak any longer, and she shrank herself into a ball.

Mengmeng, how many doors have you been through? Li Dongyuan asked all of a sudden, You seem awfully experienced.

Mr. Meng, didnt anyone teach you that you should never ask someone else about their trump card? Ruan Nanzhu didnt even care to be polite, Moreover, regardless of how experienced I am, I wouldnt be able to compare to the Leader of White Deer.

Li Dongyuan raised a brow, That might not be necessarily so.

They went to get some shut eye after their discussion.

As he gazed dazedly at the bunk above him, his mind wandering elsewhere, Lin Qiushi slowly drifted off to sleep.

He had a dreamless night, one that was rather peaceful, as well. Lin Qiushi pleasantly welcomed the morning of the second day.

The four of them woke up on time at seven in the morning. After washing, they prepared themselves to accompany the woman from yesterday to check out the situation in the old school building.

My name is Luo Xiaoyu. The newcomer timidly introduced herself. Shed obviously had a sleepless night. Massive dark circles hung under her eyes, and fear and alarm enveloped her, You mean that he is dead?

More or less, replied Li Dongyuan. If hes still alive, he would not have spent the night in the old school building.New novel chapters are published on

His words held truth; Luo Xianyu hugged her arms as cold sweat drenched her entire body.

They arrived at the old school building and saw that its unlocked metal gates were still wide open. Luo Xiaoyu said they had unlocked it when theyd visited this place earlier. When she left yesterday, she had used a stone to stop it from snapping closed in fear of her friend being locked inside. She didnt expect it to be untouched since yesterday, but at least they were now certain that her friend hadnt left the school building.

On which floor did both of you lose contact back then? Ruan Nanzhu asked.

The fourth. Luo Xiaoyu remembered very clearly, At the end of the fourth floor was a classroom; it seemed to be the Class 2 of the Second-Years.

Hearing Class 2, Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu exchanged glances at the same time.

Let us go up and take a look, proposed Li Dongyuan.

The five of them went up to the fourth floor. As he walked onwards, Lin Qiushi listened to his surroundings intently, afraid of hearing the same thumping sound from earlier, because this would mean that Satchan was nearby. But thankfully, the sound never appeared even after they had reached the fourth floor.

At the end of the classroom was a classroom name plate with the words Class Two written largely in kanji. They passed by the classrooms window and saw what was inside.

The classroom wasnt huge by any means. One could see everything from the outside at a single glancedesks and chairs sat in the empty classroom, but the friend Luo Xiaoyu mentioned was not there.

Not here. Li Dongyuan said, Perhaps he went somewhere else. Why did you guys separate again?

Through her quivering lips, Luo Xiaoyu fretfully stammered, I went to the bathroom during that time, and when I came back, he was gone. I didnt even see him after that

Should we go to other floors to take a look? Lin Qiushi suggested.

No harm in doing so. Ruan Nanzhu nodded.

As the five of them headed into the direction of the stairs, a deafening clang echoed from behind them. It sounded like something had fallen from above and crashed heavily against the ground.

Everyone jumped at this sound. A few people began seeking the source of the sound and, very quickly, they noticedit came from the empty Class 2 from before.

Inside the classroom that had previously held only desks and chairs, was now a bloody corpse. That corpse appeared to have fallen from the ceiling, throwing the neatly arranged desks and chairs into primal chaos.

At the sight of this, Luo Xiaoyu could not refrain from crying out loud. Xia Rubei was slightly better off than her, as she had kept quiet, only taking a few, staggered steps back, with a shaky hand over her mouth.

Let us go in and take a look. Ruan Nanzhu said, before fishing out a bobby pin to pick the lock.

Lin Qiushi stood at the side as he watched the other, used to the way he worked. It was Xia Rubei who was both curious and scared, squatting down from afar with her chin propped onto her knees as she watched, looking a tad cute.

Before long, a furtive click sounded, and the uncomplicated lock of the school fell to the ground with a clank. Ruan Nanzhu entered first and was greeted by a scattered mess on the ground.

Having followed behind the other into the classroom, Lin Qiushi soon noticed something was odd, These things

Over?! How could it be over! What if she follows us to college, huh? How do we know with certainty that such a curse will even come to an end?! The others voice grew louder. He appeared to be in such distress that he had even fiercely slammed his palms against the table, Do you really not know anything?

I dont know! I dont know anything! Ko Shinobu yelled exasperatedly. If I knew, do you really think I would just watch all of them die so miserably?!?!

Then why arent you dead That person shouted back, YouYoure the only one alive and well!

Ko Shinobu grew furious at the others words. Foul expletives spilled from his mouth and he angrily roared, , What the fuck are you trying to say, huh! What the hell do you mean by I am the only one alive and well? Arent you alive too!!!

If not for the things you told me, I would not be alive. Now theyre all dead. What use is there for me to be alive? Let me tell you, Ko Shinobuif I find out that this matter is related to you in any way That voice turned dreadfully chilling and foreboding,, incomparably cold enough to make one shiver in fear, I swear to never let you get away with it.

Ko Shinobu exploded, cursing and swearing madly, Leave! Get the fuck out of my face, you goddamned traitor!

That person gave a cold laugh, and said, There is no need for you to tell me. I will leave on my own. You take care of yourself. And with that, he rushed out of the classroom, neglecting to notice Lin Qiushi and Li Dongyuan who were hiding around the corner, before quickly hurrying down the stairs.

Ko Shinobu cussed a few times after coming out of the classroom before finally calming himself, then he carried his bag and walked out of the classroom.

But upon seeing Lin Qiushi and Li Dongyaun the moment he exited the classroom, his expression immediately turned ugly. What in the world do you guys want I already said I dont know anything!

Li Dongyuan smiled faintly at him. Student Ko, we have not even asked anything of you yet.

Ko Shinobu cagily retorted, Well whatever answers you want, I dont have. Link I said, I dont know anything After stressing this, he turned on his heels to leave, but Li Dongyuan caught him at that moment.

What are you doing! The string keeping Ko Shinobus anger in check snapped.

The smile on Li Dongyuans face dimmed. Son, dont make me use force on you.

Ko Shinobu started, You

Li Dongyuan interrupted him, This school is experiencing frequent deaths, isnt it?

Ko Shinobus eyes grew wide as saucers.

Li Dongyuan continued, If you went missing all of a sudden, do you think theyll believe you were killed by a human, or a ghost?

Ko Shinobu stopped talking. It was obvious that Li Dongyuans words had caught him by the throat and threatened him with his own life. There were a myriad of happenings that occurred in this school, yet none of these mysterious incidents had reached a conclusion, none of these accidents had been able to be explained. One could say that everyone in this school knew that the school grounds were haunted by inexplicable things, things beyond logic and rationality.

If not all, he had a special identity, and it was being a student from Class 2 who was known for its vanishing students. Even if he went missing, the school would merely dismiss his disappearance as a supernatural incident, a matter they couldnt do anything about.

Fine then, what do you want to know? Ko Shinobu sized up Li Dongyuan then took a look at his own physique, before deciding to give up on struggling, What I know isnt much either!

Only then did Li Dongyuan let go, returning to his usual gentle smile with curved eyes. Lin Qiushi inwardly remarked from the side, that Li Dongyuan was most definitely a thug. Although he carried a particular gentleness whenever he smiled like so, he was, undoubtedly, an expert, if not more, at threatening others.

Linlin, dont look at me like that~ Li Dongyuan seemed to know what Lin Qiushi was thinking. He didnt even forget to explain, Im not usually like this.

Lin Qiushi: Then do you usually just skip the threats and go on to talking with your fists??

Li Dongyuan: Haha, your sense of humour sure is second to none.

Lin Qiushi: This person didnt even refute it.

Ko Shinobu crossed both arms over his chest in defiance,, obviously wary of and averse to Li Dongyuan and Lin Qiushi. He declared, Just ask quickly. I still need to go home.

Are you originally from Class 2? That person back there was a classmate from Class 2, wasnt he? Li Dongyuan asked.

Thats right, verified Ko Shinobu. He is also from Class 2.

How many of you are left in Class 2? inquired Li Dongyuan

Ko Shinobu replied, Just the two of us.

Li Dongyuan: So, you know what happened to Sachiko at school, dont you?

Ko Shinobus couldnt hide the fear that flitted across his features at the mention of this name. . As he violently trembled in place and gritted his teeth, he stiffly nodded.

Tell us about your story with Sachiko. Li Dongyuan said, As well as the sentence you mentioned yesterday, that shes not someone who should exist. Tell us what you meant.

Ko Shinobu wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. He cautiously explained, There is nothing much to say. When she was in our class, she was often bullied, and those people who got used to bullying Sachiko

Just like the writings in her textbook, they Died, didnt they? guessed Li Dongyuan.

How did you know about that? Ko Shinobu gaped at Li Dongyuan in sheer fright and alarm. .

Thats not all we know about. Li Dongyuan chuckled, That being said, think very carefully about your next words. If we notice any discrepancies between what you said and what we know then dont blame us for being impolite.

Ko Shinobu swallowed his saliva, hard, his gulp clearly audible. .

You know, sometimes humans are far scarier than ghosts. Li Dongyuan said, If that person with me right now decided to make a move, I reckon all of you would surely wish you were dead.

At the side, Lin Qiushi, who hadnt spoken a word this entire time, thought to himself: Li Dongyuan, did Ruan Nanzhu infect you with his dramatical antics, too? Out of nowhere, the man just decided to play out a drama and give Lin Qiushi the role of a villain who was not to be messed with.

Isnt that right, Linlin? Li Dongyuan even had the nerve to glance back at Lin Qiushi, eagerly awaiting the others response.

Lin Qiushi: Thats right.

If that wasnt enough, that outrageous Li Dongyuan even winked at him, shamelessly.

Lin Qiushi: From a certain degree, Li Dongyuan and Ruan Nanzhu are made for each other.

And yet, what was, perhaps, even sadder about this entire situation, was that Ko Shinobu fully believed in Li Dongyuans words. He threw Lin Qiushi a look filled with pure fear and panic, and even took a few frightened steps backwards. He anxiously insisted, I really dont know that much

Li Dongyuan demanded,So, how did Sachiko die? Why is it that all of your classmates died, yet here you, the exception, are alive and well?

Ko Shinobu began, It all started three years ago

Authors Comment:

I also watched Another before and knew the story, but the meaning of the person who shouldnt exist in this story is not the same as the one in the anime. Everyone will understand as they read. While Im at it, let me promote this anime. Its very nice to watch ~

Translated by Dust Bunny

Edited by Taida