Chapter 130: Beyond Control

Yuriko woke up on the wooden cot, and feeling a sudden urge to urinate, she climbed down. Seeing Hanayako still fast asleep beside her, she tiptoed out of the classroom.

The atmosphere outside was thick and oppressive, shrouded in darkness. Yuriko groped her way along the hallway. "Based on the typical layout of a school, there should be a restroom near the gymnasium."

True enough, after only a few steps, a dilapidated restroom appeared before her. Yuriko entered cautiously. The floor was splattered with a thick, crimson liquid; she had no idea what it was. There were four stalls in total. Though hesitant, the urgency of her physical need compelled her to proceed.

Yuriko knocked on the door of the first stall, but it remained firmly shut, as if someone were inside. "Strange." She knocked on the second, and it too remained tightly closed. "Is someone in there? Hello?" She whispered, but no one answered. She knocked on the third, which was also locked tight.

Just then, the door to the fourth stall slowly creaked open.

"Huh?" Puzzled, Yuriko walked over and peered around the corner into the stall.

"Ah!" Yuriko fell to the ground in terror. Dangling from the top beam inside the stall was the corpse of a girl. A student ID tag hung from her—Sayuri Nomura. The corpse’s eyes were wide open, as if filled with undying resentment. Yuriko felt liquid run down between her legs, but ignoring the humiliation, she turned and fled, screaming.

Meanwhile, in the gymnasium, Hanayako woke up alone. Seeing the empty room, a sense of dread washed over her. "Where is Yuriko? Did she leave while I was asleep? Have I been abandoned?"

Hanayako pushed herself off the bed. The injury to her right foot seemed to have healed slightly, allowing her to limp. "Yuriko, are you there?"

She leaned against the walls as she made her way out of the classroom. The hallway was scattered with the same blood-red liquid.

"Looks like you’ve been abandoned," a voice suddenly echoed softly behind her.

Hanayako turned to find a little girl in red, holding a blood-stained pair of scissors, smirking at her. "Your companion left you behind. You’ll be here all alone, waiting for death." The girl’s expression was laced with mockery.

"No, Yuriko wouldn't abandon me!" Hanayako murmured.

"Don't believe it? You're all alone. To her, an injured person like you is just a burden, isn't that right? It’s only natural to leave you behind!" the girl continued, her grin widening.

"No, no, Yuriko wouldn't abandon me!" Hanayako screamed in disbelief.

"Poor thing, so pitiful. You’re going to die here, just discarded like trash. How pitiful, truly pitiful," the girl chanted, circling her.

"Stop it!" Hanayako covered her ears.

"Hanayako! Hanayako!" Suddenly, Yuriko’s voice called out from the distance. The girl in red vanished.

"Hanayako, are you okay? We need to find a way out of here, we have to find the others, quickly!" Yuriko panted as she ran up to her, her legs still stained with the foul, mysterious liquid.

"Wait, you were planning to leave me, weren't you? Why did you leave alone? Taking a burden like me must be a real inconvenience, right? You wanted to dump me, didn't you? Did you only come back because your conscience bothered you? Don't pretend—it's normal to run away in a situation like this! If you want to abandon me, just say it! I won't drag you down." Hanayako spoke as if on the verge of a breakdown.

"What are you talking about? We came here together, so we have to go back together! We need to find the others," Yuriko said, reaching out to her.

Hanayako slapped her hand away. "Why did you leave? Why did you leave me alone? Did you think you could find the others by yourself and escape? You think I'm a burden, don't you?"

"Hanayako, what are you saying? I wasn't going to abandon you, I was just—!"

"Just what? When you saved me from that monster, you hesitated, didn't you? You could have just pretended not to see me, then you wouldn't have to carry this baggage anymore. No one else is here, who are you acting for? It's disgusting."

"Hanayako..." Yuriko lowered her head, but then her expression darkened. "It’s true. In this situation, it’s easy to die. I didn't know what kind of danger we’d face, and yes, I was hesitant. Because an injured Hanayako is a burden, and honestly, we’re only in this danger because of you!"

"If only... you had died," Yuriko suddenly shouted.

Hanayako froze for two seconds, then burst into a hollow laugh. "So that’s how it is? Sorry for being a burden." She pulled herself up and limped past Yuriko, wandering aimlessly into the distance. Yuriko collapsed to the floor.

A moment later.

"Damn it, what did I just say? Why would I say that? I want to go back with everyone, including Hanayako. This isn't good. This place is eroding my mind. I have to find her!" Yuriko scrambled up. "I hope she hasn't gone too far."

She chased after the direction Hanayako had taken, calling out her name. Suddenly, at the end of the hall, she saw the restroom she had entered earlier. A sense of dread surged in her chest. "Hanayako!"

Yuriko rushed inside. A creaking sound echoed from the fourth stall. "Hanayako!" She reached the door.

"Ah! Ahhhhh!"

Inside, Hanayako had hanged herself using a rope. Her legs were still kicking, her tongue protruding, and beneath her feet lay the corpse of Sayuri Nomura, which she had used as a stepping stone.

"Hanayako! Why did you do this? No, I have to save you!" Yuriko looked around. "I need something to stand on."

She saw an iron bucket by the wall. Inside was a heap of unrecognizable flesh, with maggots writhing within. "Ugh!" Hanayako let out a final, pained groan.

"Ah!" Yuriko grabbed the bucket, dumped its contents on the floor, and rushed to Hanayako.

*Thud!* The bucket slipped from her hands.

"Why... why? Why did it end up like this?"

Before her, Hanayako was still. Her eyes were wide, her tongue stretched out, her face twisted in a resentment that seemed to blame Yuriko for everything.

"Why did you hang yourself? Why?" Yuriko collapsed to her knees, completely broken.