Free Another, Vol. 2 by Yukito Ayatsuji Page A

transformation in the way everyone in class behaved toward Mei, too, demarcated by Mr. Kubodera’s death. Not as if they had discussed the issue and decided to do it. I thought it was probably a more gradual, invisible change.
    For example, when this happened—when I was talking to Teshigawara during lunch on Thursday—Mei was at my side. And Teshigawara acted as if she really existed , and even addressed one or two comments to her himself.
    Teshigawara wasn’t the only one. In a reversal of the way everyone had acted up until last week, they had stopped treating Mei as if she were “not there.”
    However, Mei’s personality was not exactly what you would call social, so it was nothing more than a subtle change, one you wouldn’t even notice unless you were deliberately looking for it. But still, the news would get around soon and teachers would probably start calling her name in class and calling on her for answers.
    Mei Misaki, being treated by all those around her as someone “there.”
    Of course this was the way things should have been all along. But I actually found it oddly unsettling to see people acting that way…
    The third-year Class 3 classroom on the third floor of Building C had been put off-limits immediately as the scene of a violent death. The class wound up being hastily moved to an empty room in Building B (the ancient desk and chair Mei had been using were left in Building C). And as a solution for the absence of the head teacher, the assistant teacher, Ms. Mikami, would obviously take the position of “substitute head teacher” for the time being, except…
    In the room we’d switched to in Building B, the empty seats were strikingly obvious. Maybe that was to be expected. More than half of the class had gone home early the day of the incident—totally understandable. The day after, and the day after that, the number of students who used Mr. Kubodera’s death as a reason to stay home from school had risen quite high.
    “I mean, sure, I guess.”
    That was Teshigawara’s comment on the situation.
    “No one’s gonna see something horrible like that and not be affected. I guess anyone with normal nerves probably wouldn’t want to come back for a while. If we were still in that room, I’d be gone too, no question.”
    “Kazami’s been out this whole time.”
    “That guy’s been wimpier than anyone else I know, ever since he was a kid. Plus he was in the very front seat. I’m shocked he didn’t pass out, actually.”
    Teshigawara spoke bluntly, but at root it really was affection for his “childhood friend” that he’d be “better off without.” With the next breath, he added, “I tried calling him last night, and he actually sounded happy. I couldn’t believe it. He said he’ll be here tomorrow.”
    “I wonder if some people just aren’t going to come back until after summer break. It’s only a couple more days, after all.”
    Without a second of hesitation, Teshigawara replied, “No way they’re coming back.”
    Mei had been listening to our conversation in silence, but at that, she murmured, “Some people might have even left town by now.”
    “Left town?”
    Teshigawara’s face looked kind of shocked, and Mei gave a slight nod. “Yup. I hear there are plenty of people who do it every year. They get out of Yomiyama for summer break.”
    “Because the danger doesn’t reach outside Yomiyama, you mean? I wonder if that’s true.”
    “According to Mr. Chibiki, there’s a pretty good possibility that it is, anyway.”
    “Hm-m-m. So then, what? The kids who booked it told their families what’s going on?”
    “Maybe so. But there’s that taboo against talking about this stuff, even with your family, so…It’s a tough problem.”
    “Hm-m-m.”
    The bridge of Teshigawara’s nose filled with wrinkles, then he spat, “I don’t even know.” Then he turned to look at Mei again and said, “Anyway, you really are a weird one, Misaki. You’re wrapped up in this,