Let me tell you about the time my entire high school class fought an evil spirit

[1] It was an unbelievable event, but it’s a true story. If you think I’m lying, feel free to think that. Honestly, just hearing the story makes it sound like fiction. Also, I’ll embellish it slightly to prevent identification, but the main parts are true. The title says we fought, but mostly it’s a story of us getting beaten down one-sidedly. I haven’t written it all out yet, so I’ll tell it slowly.

• [2] Please write faster. Looking forward to it.
• [3] Hurry up and write.
• [5] First, tell us the OP’s (Original Poster) specs (basic info).

[6] First, let me tell you about the specs of myself and my two close friends at the time. Me: A petite second-year high school student, conscious of what others thought, in the concert band club. I was pretty plain in class. I wasn’t bullied, but I felt like others looked down on me. Hosoki: A friend since junior high. Also in the concert band with me. Thin but tall. Matsuzaka: A close friend I met in high school. President of the science club. Not conventionally attractive, but strangely skilled in almost everything else.

• [7] Looking forward to it.

[8] First, about the school we went to. It was in a fairly rural area, neither high nor low in academic level – just a very ordinary high school. Our class had 36 students in total. We had bonded during the cultural festival before summer break, so there was no bullying, and we got along reasonably well.

Cultural festival: An annual student-led event held in Japanese schools. Classes and clubs often put on exhibits, plays, food stalls, etc.

[8] It all started about a week after summer break ended, when our class president was absent without notice. Our class president was the vice-captain or something of the boys’ volleyball team, a well-respected and serious person. Since he was absent without any contact, even our homeroom teacher said it was strange, and there was talk in class that maybe he’d been in a traffic accident on his way to school.

[9] Amidst this, one of the popular kids in class joked, “Hey, maybe he got cursed? (lol)”. At that moment, everyone was like, “No way (lol)”, but according to this popular kid, he and a few friends had performed a ritual similar to “Kokkuri-san” the night before.

Kokkuri-san: A type of fortune-telling or séance popularized in Japan. Participants place their fingers on a coin placed on a table, which is believed to move by spiritual force to point to characters (like the Japanese syllabary) on a board, answering questions. Similar to a Ouija board.

[9] And apparently, the class president was among the members who performed the ritual. “After the ritual ended, he complained about feeling sick and just left (lol). That pretty much confirms he’s possessed, right? (lol)” he said. Hosoki, Matsuzaka, and I weren’t part of that conversation circle, but we overheard it and were talking amongst ourselves like, “Aren’t those kinds of rituals dangerous if they actually work?” We ended up discussing occult stories from online forums (like 2ch).

Online forum (2ch): Widely used anonymous text-based internet forums in Japan. “2ch” (now renamed to things like “5ch”) is a prime example. Users post comments anonymously on specific topics.

[9] Later, during lunch break, the homeroom teacher called the class president’s home, but his parents said he should have left for school as usual. The whole class got hyped up talking about the occult. While telling scary stories, I think deep down, most people thought the serious class president had just skipped school for some reason.

• [10] Reading along.

[11] That day ended like that, but the next day, the situation became no laughing matter. The next day, having completely forgotten about the class president, I went to school as usual. When I entered the classroom, the atmosphere was strange. Everyone was silent, and those who were talking were doing so in hushed voices with grim expressions. Worse still, several girls were sniffling and crying. I asked Matsuzaka, who was already there, what had happened. Matsuzaka, with swollen eyes, told me, “The class president… apparently died yesterday.” For a moment, I remembered yesterday’s talk and thought, “What, the curse!?” but the atmosphere was too somber to say something so insensitive. Me: “Why did he die? Was it an accident?” Matsuzaka: “No, I don’t know the details either. I just got here and heard it from someone in class.” Me: “I see.” It was quite shocking, but I was relatively calm. I was sad and pained, but more than anything, my head was filled with the question “Why?”. Soon after, an emergency school assembly was held. The topic was, of course, the class president’s death, but the cause of death wasn’t mentioned at all.

• [12] So, what happened then!?
• [15] Everyone, please don’t go to haunted spots or play Kokkuri-san just for fun! It’s really scary. Especially when I haven’t even been a proper dutiful child to my parents yet…

Filial piety (Oyakoko): The moral concept of respecting, caring for, and looking after one’s parents. A value emphasized in East Asian cultures, particularly those influenced by Confucianism.

[16] The class remained gloomy all day, with the sound of sniffling constantly audible. Classes couldn’t proceed properly; it was either self-study or the teacher would start crying, unable to continue the lesson. During the end-of-day homeroom, our teacher, who hadn’t been seen all day, arrived. He had apparently just come from seeing the class president’s body. The teacher still didn’t mention the cause of death, but when one classmate cried out, “Why did he have to die!!”, the entire class burst into tears. It finally hit me, and I couldn’t stop crying either. Then, the teacher, also crying, told us, “It was suicide. A note was found.” Everyone was deeply shocked, and no one could speak anymore. The teacher tried to say something else but choked up, only managing to say, “Go home safely,” before leaving.

[19] Club activities were cancelled that day, and I went straight home without talking much to anyone. When I got home, my mother somehow already knew about the whole commotion and said, “You’ve had a hard time.” Even though I was a second-year high school student, I ended up sobbing in front of my mom. The next day, the class was still very somber. During morning homeroom, the teacher came and said, “The class president’s funeral is today. Anyone who wants to attend, please raise your hand.” I thought it must be the hardest hand-raising request ever, but the entire class raised their hands. Afterwards, we split into several teachers’ cars and went to the funeral. I couldn’t stop crying during the service, but once it was over, I felt like I had been able to say a proper goodbye. After that, we returned to school and had regular classes. The gloomy atmosphere lingered, but everyone in class seemed to have pulled themselves together, trying to act cheerful and carry on as usual. A deep scar remained in the class, but there was a sense of wanting to work hard for the class president’s sake from now on. However, the next day, another incident occurred.

[21] The next day, I was riding my bike to school. I always cross a large bridge on my commute, but that day, the bridge was restricted. There were lots of police cars and ambulances parked there, and a crowd of onlookers. Wondering if there had been an incident, I joined the crowd. I heard people saying that a high school student had fallen off the bridge. Thinking, “No way,” I went as close to the scene as possible and saw two bicycles lying on the ground. At our high school, we had to put school-designated stickers on our bikes for theft prevention, and I could see our school’s stickers on those two bikes. Furthermore, the sticker color was different for each grade, and the stickers on those bikes were the same color as the one on mine. I remember my blood running cold.

• [22] I hope the three people introduced all survive…
• [23] Maybe the OP (>>1) killed everyone, could that be the ending?
• [24] Part of me is actually looking forward to this a little.

[25] I got scared and quickly left the scene. By the time I reached school, the news had already spread throughout the campus. However, nobody knew who had fallen. The thought of it being a close friend made me frantic, but seeing Hosoki and Matsuzaka, I felt a wave of relief, however inappropriate. But Hosoki looked very unwell, only responding with “Yeah” or “Uh-huh” to anything I said. Later, homeroom started as usual, but two students were still absent. Two students from the baseball team hadn’t arrived. The teacher didn’t say anything, but I think everyone knew. The ones who fell today were those two.

• [28] Hosoki holds the key! (Master deduction)
• [29] ④ (This seems like a random comment often seen on Japanese forums)

[31] Time passed in a heavy atmosphere, and lunch break arrived. As soon as the fourth period ended, the homeroom teacher came in and started speaking. “I have something to tell you. I’m sure you all know by now, but today, two students from our class fell from XX Bridge and died.” Some students started crying, but most remained silent. I think everyone already knew. Suddenly, the popular kid who had talked about the ritual shouted, “It’s a curse!!” Teacher: “What do you mean?” Popular Kid: “Me, the class president, and the two baseball guys did a curse ritual!! The day before the president died!! I’m definitely next!!” Teacher: “There’s no such thing as curses!?” Popular Kid: “But the ritual worked!!” Girl A: “Hey, stop saying creepy things!” Girl B: “Yeah! People’s lives are really…” Hosoki: “It IS a curse!!!” Hosoki abruptly shouted and stood up. The class fell silent instantly. Hosoki: “I… I saw it!! I saw them fall off the bridge!! Baseball Player A suddenly stumbled and almost fell… Baseball Player B tried to help him, but they fell together!!” Girl A: “Isn’t that just an accident?! How is that a curse?!” Hosoki: “I saw it!! When I rushed over to where they fell and looked down under the bridge, there was a woman!!” Girl A: “Huh? You’re saying a woman was in the river? Wow, you must have great eyesight to see something like that!?” Hosoki: “No!! No!! Not in the river, she was floating!! Right under the bridge!! A woman’s ghost!!”

• [32] Who did they curse…

[34] I remember the class becoming deathly quiet. I was stunned, unable to process what was happening. Teacher: “Don’t talk nonsense!! There’s no such thing as ghosts!! Everyone go home for today!! Stay home!! Absolutely do not go outside!!” The teacher was furious, and that’s how the day ended. When I got home, my mother was surprised I was back early. When I told her what happened today, she just said, “Get some rest today.”

[35] Well, just listen thinking it’s a poorly made-up story. I went back to my room and immediately called Hosoki. To summarize Hosoki’s story: he was cycling some distance behind the two baseball players. One suddenly tripped and nearly fell off the bridge. The other tried to pull him back, but they both fell together. Hosoki rushed over, looked under the bridge, and saw a woman floating right below. He then ran away. It was incredibly hard to believe. First of all, it’s almost impossible to fall off a bridge just from tripping on a bike. At that moment, I thought Hosoki was lying.

[36] Thinking Hosoki was lying somehow made me angry, and I quickly hung up the phone. Next, I called Matsuzaka. I asked if she thought this incident was a curse. She said it was almost certainly a coincidence. Just because the people who happened to perform a Kokkuri-san-like ritual died consecutively, the curse story spread rapidly, but it was likely just an incredible coincidence. Regarding the ghost Hosoki claimed to see, she said it was probably a hallucination. If you saw two acquaintances fall right in front of you, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a hallucination or two. True, seeing friends fall off a bridge right before your eyes would make anyone lose their cool. Thinking about it that way, I felt bad for being cold to Hosoki. The evening news briefly mentioned the incident.

• [37] Reading along.
• [38] Faster.

[39] That night, the school called to say we should attend school as usual the next day. When I went to school the following day, no one was talking in the classroom. No one was crying either. In homeroom, we were told it would be self-study all day. We were also told that we would be called individually to the principal’s office during self-study. During self-study, the assistant homeroom teacher always sat at the teacher’s desk, and no one spoke a word. Except for the homeroom teacher coming to call students and students returning from being called, there was almost no sound. Then it was my turn to be called.

[41] When I was called to the principal’s office, the homeroom teacher, the principal, the vice-principal, and two men I didn’t know were there. I was told to sit in a chair like in an interview, and one of the men introduced himself. One was actually the mayor of our city. Now that he mentioned it, I felt like I’d seen him somewhere before. The other was said to be an influential doctor. First, the principal asked me to tell them everything I knew. I recounted the events so far, Hosoki’s story, and added Matsuzaka’s theory that Hosoki might have hallucinated (though it was her idea). The doctor and the mayor agreed with my account (well, Matsuzaka’s theory). The doctor said that with classmates dying one after another, everyone in the class was mentally exhausted. Because coincidences piled up, the Kokkuri-san story gained credibility, but he asserted that curses don’t exist. He told me we were physically and mentally tired now, so we should rest well over the upcoming weekend. Hearing that, I felt incredibly relieved. I could finally feel reassured that it was just a coincidence. The mayor said he would make sure this incident wouldn’t become a big deal. He seemed concerned about it affecting our university entrance exams next year.

[42] After everyone in the class had been called, the atmosphere in the classroom lightened up a bit. Everyone must have felt relieved after hearing from the doctor and the mayor. However, Hosoki alone remained gloomy. Matsuzaka said that it made sense he’d be down if everyone denied the hallucination he actually saw, and that we needed to support him. Matsuzaka truly was perfect except for her looks. Matsuzaka suggested the three of us talk for a bit before going home. Thinking about it, we hadn’t really had time to talk properly as a trio this past week, so we decided to chat for a while before leaving. Although we were told to go home early, we stayed behind in the classroom, eating snacks and talking. The snacks were a huge bag of Happy Turn (a popular Japanese rice cracker snack) that Matsuzaka had, which the three of us shared. We consciously talked about lighthearted things, like how we hadn’t been to club activities at all and how bad that was, or about anime. But amidst that, Hosoki started talking about the incident again, saying, “I definitely saw it. Can hallucinations look that clear!?”

[45] Matsuzaka and I nodded along, listening intently to Hosoki. Then I felt something was off. We were the only ones in the classroom, but wasn’t it too quiet? Shouldn’t we be able to hear more sounds from outside? There should still be plenty of people in the school building. Thinking this, I looked around the classroom, and in the middle of the room, a strange woman I didn’t know was standing there, having appeared out of nowhere. I was so shocked I couldn’t speak. Only pathetic sounds like “Ah, ah…” escaped me. Then Matsuzaka and Hosoki seemed to notice the woman too, but both of them froze. The woman wore a white blouse and a black skirt. Her eyes were abnormally far apart, and her arms were unnaturally long. And she was staring at us with a vacant expression.

• [46] Maybe if you offered her a Happy Turn, she’d eat it happily. Everyone loves Happy Turn.
• [47] Happy Turn is delicious, yeah.

[48] I wanted to run away immediately, but my body wouldn’t move out of fear. Hosoki and Matsuzaka seemed unable to move either. Then the woman took a step towards us. In that instant, Matsuzaka yelled, “Run!!” Her voice snapped me back to reality, and I threw open the window with all my might and jumped onto the balcony. I didn’t have the luxury of looking back to see what happened to Matsuzaka and Hosoki; I just ran towards the emergency stairs with all my strength. I was deathly scared, unable to think, just running. And just as I was about to reach the emergency stairs, I felt something grab my left leg. I thought I was going to be killed. I think I was quite frantic. Believing I wouldn’t make it to the stairs, I just vaulted over the balcony railing. By the way, we were on the third floor. At that moment, I truly thought, “Ah, I’m going to die.” Looking down, I saw the roof of a prefab hut used for storage right below. I thought if I could just land there properly… and then I passed out.

[49] I woke up to excruciating pain all over my body, lying in a hospital bed. When I tried to sit up, it hurt, and for some reason, various parts of my body were fastened to the bed, making me completely immobile. I yelled, “Is anyone there!?” and a nurse quickly came, followed by a doctor. The doctor looked at me and then removed all the restraints fastening me to the bed. Doctor: “This is XX Hospital. Do you know why you’re here?” Me: “Because I jumped off the school balcony.” Doctor: “Did you jump yourself?” Me: “Yes.” Doctor: “Were you trying to end your life?” Me: “No, I didn’t want to die.” Doctor: “That’s good to hear. You currently have severe bruising from your neck down your back. Also, the bones in your left hand, except for the thumb, are all broken. However, your life is not in danger, and both injuries will heal properly.” The doctor explained my condition like that. While he was talking, my mother rushed into the room crying. She kept saying, “Thank goodness, thank goodness,” while sobbing. I felt incredibly guilty. Apparently, I had been asleep for five days after jumping off the balcony.

[50] My mother didn’t mention the fact that I jumped. She just told me to rest for now. I was confused about the situation, but then I felt a strange sensation in my left leg. Curious, I looked down and saw a clear handprint on my left ankle, as if a hand was firmly gripping it. It didn’t just look like a mark left behind; it felt like it was being gripped in real-time. I thought I needed to do something about this, and just then, Matsuzaka came to visit. Matsuzaka looked clearly exhausted, her face pale. I asked her what had happened during the five days I was out.

[51] First, about what happened after the woman appeared in the classroom. After that, Matsuzaka bolted out of the classroom and ran full speed to the staff room. She apparently didn’t have the luxury of looking back either. Reaching the staff room, she urged the teachers to come to the classroom immediately. When they arrived, Hosoki was found lying on the floor, not breathing. The woman was nowhere to be seen. Hosoki was rushed to the hospital by ambulance but was confirmed dead upon arrival. The cause of death was asphyxiation. Apparently, he had shoved his own arm impossibly far down his throat. As for me, students doing club activities found me after I had crashed through the roof of the storage hut and fallen inside. I was then taken by ambulance, and although I don’t remember it, I apparently woke up once at the hospital. I was quite delirious at that time, trying to put my own hand into my mouth, but I was given a sedative and had been asleep ever since.

[52] After that, the school was temporarily closed. The day I jumped was Friday evening, and on Monday, a parent-teacher meeting for our class was held, with the mayor also attending. The school explained that there was no evidence of bullying and that the recent incidents were accidents. Also, apparently due to strong wishes from Hosoki’s parents, they were trying not to make the matter public. Regarding Hosoki’s case, they just kept repeating “under investigation.” My jumping was also “under investigation.” My mother apparently asked about the curse, but the school stated they had no intention of considering occult factors. School reopened on Tuesday, but most students in our class were absent. And on Tuesday morning, our homeroom teacher was found dead at his home. He had apparently suffered a mental breakdown. It was ruled a suicide. And today, Wednesday morning, the teacher’s wife stormed into the school. She apparently made it into our classroom and tearfully pleaded, “Give him back to me!” This led to the police being involved, and students were sent home early again today. It was all information I didn’t want to hear, and I burst into tears, completely overwhelmed.

• [53] Watching.
• [54] Watching~
• [59] Pretty interesting.
• [61] Is the continuation coming yet?
• [62] Interesting. Can’t sleep because I want to know what happens next!

[63] OP (>>1) here. I fell asleep yesterday. I plan to come back this evening and write the continuation. Also, I’ll answer questions after I finish writing everything. By the way, the incident with the two baseball players falling off the bridge, Hosoki’s death, and the teacher’s wife storming the school were reported on local TV and newspapers, although not extensively. I wasn’t told the details, but the mayor and police got involved partway through and apparently worked to keep it from becoming too big, so perhaps that’s why the reporting was limited.

[77] Hmm, is this heading towards getting identified? I’ll continue while adding some embellishments. After that, I was hospitalized for three more days until the next Saturday. During that time, various people came to visit me. First, my father. As soon as he saw my face, he yelled, “Why did you jump!!” I explained in detail what actually happened, but my father didn’t seem to believe me. Apparently, he thought I was being bullied and the bullies were forcing me to keep quiet. In the end, he just scolded me, “Don’t ever do anything that makes your mother cry again!” Next, the assistant homeroom teacher and the vice-principal. They asked about the situation at the time, so I told them the same thing I told my father. Then, the vice-principal told me about the current situation at school. What he said was mostly what Matsuzaka had told me, but I learned for the first time here that my father had been yelling furiously at the parent-teacher meeting. Then, police officers, the principal, and people from the Board of Education. Here, it was mainly confirming that there was no bullying and explaining the situation at the time. They said if the woman we saw was a suspicious person, it would be a criminal case, but they told me she wasn’t captured on the school entrance cameras. Also, they mentioned that they planned not to make a big deal out of this incident, so I should try not to cause too much fuss. And then Hosoki’s parents and his younger brother. They said, “Thank you for being his friend,” and I cried my eyes out. Finally, I promised them I would never forget Hosoki. Other friends and relatives also came, but I’ll omit them here.

[78] Afterwards, while I was hospitalized, various pieces of information came in. Our class was suspended, scheduled to resume the following Monday. One of the girls in class became mentally unstable and mass-emailed a picture of her self-harm (wrist cutting). Numerous reports of seeing the female ghost were circulating through emails within the class. However, none of the sightings matched the woman we actually saw, so Matsuzaka said they were probably lies or people mistaking something else for her. But since Matsuzaka and I had actually seen her, we couldn’t just dismiss it as hallucinations. Matsuzaka said she would assume the opponent was a spiritual entity and try to take whatever countermeasures a layperson could.

• [79] Matsuzaka, you’re competent.
• [80] Matsuzaka’s next…

[81] Amidst this, news came in that one of the girls had undergone an exorcism (oharai). She apparently paid a considerable fee, but heard that she felt lighter after the exorcism was done. The handprint was still on my left leg, and I was quite mentally distressed. Money issues aside, grasping at straws, I called the Shinto shrine where that girl had her exorcism.

Shinto shrine (Jinja): A facility for enshrining the gods of Shinto. Worshippers toss coins, clap their hands, and offer prayers. Exorcisms and blessings are also performed.

[81] The call connected, but they said they couldn’t perform exorcisms right now. Right after performing the girl’s exorcism, the Shinto priest (Kannushi) had gotten into a motorcycle accident, suffered serious injuries, and was currently hospitalized, they said.

Shinto priest (Kannushi): A cleric who serves at a shrine, performs rituals, and manages the shrine.

[81] His life wasn’t in danger, but he apparently wouldn’t be able to move for a while.

[82] On Saturday, I was discharged from the hospital. My back and neck still hurt, and my left hand was wrapped heavily in bandages, but I could walk without problems, so they said it was probably okay for me to go to school. Returning home after a while, I checked my phone and found a mass email sent to all classmates from the popular kid who first started saying “It’s a curse!”. The content was about the detailed procedure of the ritual. By the way, this popular kid hadn’t come to school at all since the day we saw the woman. I won’t write out all the details of the ritual, but to summarize briefly, it was a variation of Kokkuri-san. The difference from Kokkuri-san was that although it was a spirit summoning, the being summoned was supposed to be a “god” (Kami). Also, it wasn’t for fortune-telling, but a ritual to have the summoned god grant a wish. First, at the stage of summoning the god, you offer sake while reciting a poem to call the god. After that, you state your wish and offer a price in return for having it granted. The price could apparently be anything, but the more precious it was, the more likely the wish would be granted. And the price offered this time was, unbelievably, “the class president’s soul.” Apparently, it was mostly done as a joke, and nobody thought it would actually work. And the wish this popular kid made was, “an exciting school life where I won’t be bored.” Supposedly, if the ritual succeeded, the candle flame they had lit would go out, and the moment he stated the wish, the flame extinguished despite there being no wind.

• [83] Watching.

[84] Going out for a bit, will be back later.

• [85] OP (>>84), don’t die on us…
• [89] Whoa, this sounds like a true story… Offering a soul as payment is the worst. The timing of collection depends on the contract, but sometimes it’s immediate without a set deadline, so it’s no joke.
• [90] >>89 I thought these kinds of pacts were made with demons.
• [91] >>90 Rituals involving gods often require significant sacrifices, so just summoning one is extremely dangerous, and offering a soul as payment can’t possibly be safe. Even if this is fiction (bait), you should never do it. Anyone can make a contract. If you’re willing, even humans can do it among themselves.

[92] I’m back. I have work early tomorrow morning, so I’ll write as much as I can today. After the email arrived, mass replies started flying back and forth. There were voices fiercely criticizing the popular kid, voices trying to defend him, voices bombarding him with questions – it was quite chaotic. The popular kid’s excuse was that by “an exciting school life where I won’t be bored,” he had imagined fun school events happening all the time, making every day enjoyable. But in reality, his school life became exciting in the worst possible way. Within the emails, the opinion grew stronger that if the incidents were happening centered around the popular kid who made the wish, then maybe everyone would be saved if he disappeared. In other words, the idea was that if the popular kid transferred or vanished, perhaps everyone would be safe. There were some voices defending the popular kid, but basically, everyone blamed him. Then, one classmate suggested, “Talking over email won’t solve anything. Why don’t we all meet up once?” Everyone agreed to this, and it was decided that we would gather at school the next day.

[93] When the email exchange calmed down, I contacted Matsuzaka. I asked if she had come up with any countermeasures. She said that the more she researched, the more she realized it was impossible for amateurs to handle, so she concluded that having a professional exorcise (jorei) the spirit was the best option.

Exorcism (Jorei): A religious ritual to remove evil spirits or impurities.

[93] She and her parents had apparently called every place they could find that seemed to perform exorcisms, but almost all of them refused. This was because the news that the priest who exorcised the girl had been seriously injured had spread. Some places were willing to at least listen, but when she told them about the popular kid’s ritual, almost all hope was lost. There were some places that said “Leave it to us,” but the fees were exorbitant, and it seemed like a scam, so she gave up on them. However, Matsuzaka said there might still be a countermeasure. I asked her what it was, but she said she would tell everyone tomorrow. After that, she told me something very ominous. Why, out of all the classmates, did the woman appear before us on Friday? Probably because Hosoki had seen the woman when the two baseball players fell, so she appeared where Hosoki was, which was with us. If the woman appears before the last person who saw her, then maybe next time she’ll appear before me or Matsuzaka. That’s what Matsuzaka said. Of course, we didn’t know the principle by which the woman operated. But maybe because “exciting things” for the popular kid kept happening elsewhere – the teacher dying, the teacher’s wife coming to school – from Friday until today, the woman didn’t appear. Thinking about it that way, maybe when the exciting events for the popular kid stopped, the woman would appear before us to give the popular kid more excitement.

[94] Matsuzaka’s explanation was very convincing. I thought, then maybe we just need to constantly provide exciting events for the popular kid, but she said it would be impossible to keep providing stimulation on the level of someone dying. Feeling unconvinced, I ended the call with Matsuzaka and spent the night thinking of countermeasures myself. First, exorcism: everywhere refused, so asking someone was impossible. Constantly stimulating the popular kid wasn’t realistic. The quickest solution would be for the popular kid to transfer schools. However, the popular kid had said in the email, “I can’t transfer.” As long as the popular kid remained enrolled in our class, the woman would likely appear. In that case, maybe it would be better if the popular kid died. Because of their stupid prank, the unrelated Hosoki and the teacher had died, and Matsuzaka and I had gone through hell. I thought he deserved to be killed.

[95] The sun rose before I could get any sleep, and the day for everyone to gather arrived. My injuries hadn’t fully healed yet, so my parents drove me to school. My parents were worried about me and said they would wait in the school parking lot until the meeting was over. This day, instead of the classroom, the school lent us a conference room. We weren’t really supposed to be at school during the class suspension, but the principal gave special permission. When I went to the conference room, quite a few people had already gathered, and everyone expressed their concern for me. Matsuzaka was already there, talking with some other classmates. We were told that a teacher would wait in the hallway outside the conference room just in case something happened during the discussion. Then, at the agreed meeting time, the discussion began. Most classmates were present that day, but the girl who had the exorcism wasn’t coming, apparently. And the popular kid hadn’t arrived yet.

[96] I’m getting sleepy today, so I’ll stop here. I’ll try to come back tomorrow night or the night after to write the rest.

• [97] Eh, so soon? Thanks for your hard work.
• [98] Curious about the rest.
• [99] There are no head priests (Jushoku) at Shinto shrines. (Perhaps meant Kannushi/Shinto priest?)

Head priest (Jushoku): The head of a Buddhist temple, responsible for its management and operation. A different religious position from a Shinto priest (Kannushi).

• [100] >>99 Yes, maybe I meant Shinto priest (Kannushi).
• [108] It’s been a while since I found a thread I want to read to the end, even if it’s fiction (bait).
• [109] Hope the continuation comes soon~
• [110] >>108 Me too. I’m willing to be fooled for about half a year.

[111] OP (>>1) here. I’ll write as much as I can today too. Starting from where the discussion began. The discussion was facilitated by the boy who suggested “Let’s all meet up,” who was involved in the student council or something. Of course, this isn’t his real name, but let’s call him Takagi here. As soon as the discussion started, it turned into a gripe session about the popular kid. “Why isn’t he here?” “Nothing can start if the source of the problem ditches.” “Actually, if he died, wouldn’t it all be solved? I seriously wish he’d die.” These kinds of comments were flying around. Perhaps thinking things would get out of hand, Takagi shouted. “The reason I asked everyone to gather today is none other than to discuss how we can protect ourselves from now on! I understand the hatred towards the popular kid, and I also can’t forgive that classmates and our teacher lost their lives because of a stupid prank. But complaining about the popular kid won’t change the situation. Since this ridiculous incident is happening, let’s focus on finding a solution now.” I don’t remember his exact words, but Takagi said something along those lines. Then one boy raised his hand and said, “If everyone here kills the popular kid, won’t that solve it? We can all get our stories straight.” In response, opinions emerged from the class like, “He deserves to die. We should get rid of him before there are more victims,” sympathizing with this boy, and opinions like, “No matter how much we hate him, killing is absolutely wrong. We can solve this by getting him to transfer or drop out without killing him,” which weren’t defending the popular kid but opposed murder. Takagi skillfully managed the situation, saying, “It’s true that if the popular kid disappears, there’s a high chance the problem will be solved. However, killing him is too risky. No matter how well we coordinate our stories, cracks will inevitably appear somewhere. I think we should consider it as one possible solution, but let’s try to find a more peaceful option.”

[112] Other suggestions included asking the school administration to expel the popular kid, everyone searching for someone who could perform an exorcism, continuing to provide stimulation for the popular kid, and everyone preparing their own countermeasures against the woman to protect themselves. Just as Takagi asked which of these options would be best, Matsuzaka stood up. “The woman we saw is supposed to be a god, right? I don’t know what kind of god, but apparently, she grants wishes if you pay a price. In that case, why don’t we summon the woman again and ask for a ‘boring, ordinary school life’?” she suggested.

[114] Everyone in the class looked at Matsuzaka like, “Huh?”. Then Matsuzaka began addressing everyone. To summarize her points: First, about the plan to kill the popular kid. As Takagi said, the risk of getting caught was high. If caught, not only would university entrance exams be ruined, but the lives of everyone here could be completely messed up. Therefore, it wasn’t realistic. Next, the plan to get the popular kid expelled. It would likely be difficult to convince the school. Although incidents have occurred, it would be hard for the school to expel someone for such occult reasons. In that case, bullying him until he voluntarily dropped out would be more realistic. However, there wasn’t enough time to bully the popular kid until he dropped out. At this rate, the woman could appear today or tomorrow, causing another victim. If another victim appeared and the class was suspended again, the bullying couldn’t proceed. An immediate countermeasure was needed. Regarding the plan to find someone to perform an exorcism. She believed she had already contacted every possible place, but they were all refused. The number was over 200, apparently. Even if they started searching now and found someone, more victims would likely appear by then. And it would cost money. Since not all parents believed in the woman’s existence, this method wouldn’t save everyone.

[115] Regarding the plan to keep stimulating the popular kid. As she had explained to me before, it would be physically difficult. We didn’t even know what level of stimulation was needed to prevent the woman from appearing. If the required stimulation was “the death of someone close within the class,” then it was obviously impossible to keep providing such stimulation. Finally, regarding the plan for everyone to take their own countermeasures. Was there anyone here who knew an effective countermeasure? Were they planning to use morijio (piles of salt for purification)?

Morijio: A Japanese custom of placing cone-shaped or octagonal piles of salt near entrances or in corners of rooms for purification or good luck.

[115] Against an entity that could easily kill people? It was unlikely that any resistance from high school students with no training would be effective. By process of elimination, the expulsion plan seemed best, but even if the popular kid dropped out, there was no guarantee the woman would actually stop appearing. The very idea that the incidents centered around the popular kid was just a hypothesis anyway. Since the phrase “for me” wasn’t included in the popular kid’s wish, it was possible that it had become an exciting school life “for the entire class.” The fact that everyone in the class was actually experiencing the worst kind of excitement was also true.

[116] So, what should they do? In that case, they should get the wish itself nullified. Summon the woman again and cancel the wish. If this worked, a peaceful school life would return. However, within the class, some voices said “I see,” while others said “That’s absolutely impossible.” When Takagi asked how they would summon her, Matsuzaka replied, “We all perform the ritual again.” To the opinion, “Even if the ritual succeeds, the god who comes might not be the woman. What if we summon a different god?” she responded, “We’ll ask that god to drive the woman away.” At this point, I also asked a question I was wondering about. “How do we determine if the summoned god is the woman or not?” “You’ll be the one to judge that,” she told me. Honestly, I was bewildered, but I had an inkling. The handprint of the woman on my left leg. “In a way, I think you’re connected to that woman right now. If the woman appears, that handprint will likely change somehow. It’s highly uncertain, but isn’t this the clearest way?” Honestly, I wasn’t confident, but I replied that if we were going to try this method, I would do it. As Matsuzaka was explaining this, the conference room door opened. The popular kid entered.

• [117] Even if it’s fiction (bait), I’m curious about the continuation.

[118] The popular kid said, “Sorry I’m late,” in a voice that sounded like it could disappear at any moment. Immediately, curses flew from various parts of the class. Then one male student walked up to the popular kid and punched him square in the face with all his might. As the popular kid fell back, another boy started kicking him repeatedly while spewing insults. The teacher quickly rushed in from the hallway and stopped the male students. The popular kid just sobbed without saying anything. As the teacher helped the popular kid up, asking “Are you okay?”, I clearly remember someone saying, “He doesn’t deserve any sympathy.” The popular kid cried, saying “Help me,” but the surrounding students retorted, “We’re the ones who need help,” “Why are you playing the victim, after killing five people?” When the teacher raised his voice, saying “Hey, you guys!”, Takagi shouted, “Sensei, the popular kid seems to have something he wants to say!”

[119] The popular kid shook off the teacher’s hand and came to the center of the conference room. He opened his mouth, tears streaming down his face, but seemed unable to form words. All the while, heartless comments like “We’re the ones who want to cry,” and “If you have something to say, spit it out, scum,” were hurled at him from the surroundings. I felt a little sorry for the popular kid. It was true he had done terrible things, though. The popular kid knelt down and performed dogeza (kneeling and bowing deeply).

Dogeza: A traditional Japanese way of showing deep apology or strong supplication by kneeling directly on the ground and touching one’s forehead to the floor.

[119] He repeatedly apologized, crying, “I’m sorry.” He said he never intended to put everyone through this. He regretted doing such a thing just for fun. He said he couldn’t face the classmates and teacher who had died. The gazes directed at the popular kid remained cold, but among the girls, some said things like, “It’s okay now, what’s done is done, let’s think about countermeasures together.” I could never forgive the popular kid. But at that moment, I sympathized with him, knowing he hadn’t acted out of malice.

[120] In the end, somehow, the blaming of the popular kid stopped, and the discussion resumed. We told the teacher, “It’s alright now,” and he returned to the hallway. Though called a discussion, it was mostly Matsuzaka explaining. The question arose: if they performed the ritual and the woman came, would she simply agree to withdraw the wish? Regarding that, Matsuzaka said the chances were low if they just asked, “Please withdraw the wish.” In that case, they should pay an appropriate price again. If they offered a cancellation fee that satisfied the woman, it might work, Matsuzaka suggested. I wondered if such negotiation would work with a god, but all the classmates seemed convinced. It might be hard to convey through text, but Matsuzaka’s words somehow carried incredible conviction. I think it was because although the topic was very occult, her way of speaking and thinking was logical. The mood in the class was almost entirely leaning towards performing the ritual.

• [121] Oooh.

[124] However, the most important issue of what to offer as the price hadn’t been decided yet. The popular kid offered, “You can take my soul,” but Matsuzaka flatly rejected it. Even if peace returned in exchange for the popular kid’s soul, it was unlikely the popular kid would remain unharmed after losing his soul. If the popular kid died then, it could no longer be called a peaceful life. In that case, the god would have failed to keep the promise of a “peaceful school life.” What might happen then was anybody’s guess, so at the very least, all classmates present here had to survive until graduation. However, finding something as precious as a soul was difficult. Since it was a cancellation fee, maybe something less than a soul would suffice, Matsuzaka said, but at the same time, she added that for certainty, the more precious the offering, the better. Then Matsuzaka made an outrageous proposal.

[125] I wanted to finish writing everything today, but I don’t think I can fight off sleepiness. I’ll try to come back tomorrow night or the night after to continue writing.

• [127] You cut off at such a cliffhanger… Even if it’s fiction (bait), I can’t predict the development. What could be more important than life?
• [128] Curious.
• [129] This is the most interesting thread right now.
• [130] Interesting.
• [131] >>124 My guess is, everyone repeats a year! ‘We offer this year’s advancement!’ sounds about right? ‘Everyone’s pubic hair’ could also work.
• [132] >>131 No god would be happy receiving everyone’s pubic hair.
• [134] This female ghost is being called a “god” right now, but judging by the thread title, she’s actually an “evil spirit,” right?
• [135] >>134 No, what if the one summoned by the ritual was undoubtedly a god, and this woman is just one of many evil spirits sent by the god to provide excitement to the class as promised?
• [136] >>135 If that’s the case, then trying to negotiate with the female ghost now is completely pointless.
• [139] >>136 That’s a massive spoiler.
• [140] >>136 But this happened quite a long time ago, right? Not now?
• [144] OP (>>1), looking forward to it.
• [145] It’s been a while since I found an interesting thread. Hope OP (>>1) sees it through to the end.
• [146] Caught up. Curious about the rest.

[151] OP (>>1) here. I don’t have much time today either, so I’ll write as much as I can. Matsuzaka’s proposal was to pay the price by pooling 100 years of lifespan from the entire class. I kind of understood what Matsuzaka meant, but it didn’t quite click. Matsuzaka’s plan was: the 31 classmates present here would each offer 3 years of their lifespan. However, since everyone would likely be more satisfied if the popular kid paid a larger price, he alone would offer 10 years of his lifespan. 30 people offering 90 years, plus the popular kid’s 10 years. We would pay a total of 100 years of our lifespan as the price. Lifespan might rank lower than a soul, but it should be sufficient as a cancellation fee, Matsuzaka argued. For example, if I was destined to live to 100, I would actually die at 97. Hearing it explained like that, it seemed like a pretty good idea. If this succeeded, we could almost certainly spend the rest of our time until graduation without any more sacrifices. Also, since three years off our old age was unimaginable for us high school students, everyone in the class agreed to this plan.

• [152] >>151 Thanks for your hard work. Been waiting!

[153] With the decision made, we immediately began preparing for the ritual. One of the girls in class whose family owned a liquor store was instructed to procure the best possible sake. Takagi and several other boys went out to buy the necessary candles and a lighter for the ritual. The remaining members, under the popular kid’s instruction, started creating the special Gojuon chart (Japanese syllabary chart) needed for the ritual.

Gojuon chart: A chart organizing Japanese kana characters (hiragana, katakana) based on vowels and consonants. Sometimes used as a letter board in rituals like Kokkuri-san.

[153] It was decided that the ritual would be performed in the conference room as soon as preparations were complete. The class split up temporarily, each handling their assigned tasks. I stayed in the conference room, watching the creation of the Gojuon chart. I thought about helping, but my left hand was almost unusable, so I just sat in a nearby chair and watched. As I was idly watching the work, a sharp pain shot through my left ankle. I involuntarily gasped “Ugh!” and looked at my foot. A pure white hand was reaching out from under the chair, firmly gripping my left ankle.

• [155] Is this the climax, or is there still a twist?

[156] I can still recall the sensation of blood draining from my entire body. I was too terrified to look behind me, but I knew without a doubt that the woman was behind me. Too scared to scream, I just gaped like “Uah… uh…” Then one of the girls looked towards me and screamed. That scream threw the class into a panic. Unable to even turn around, all I could do was watch the chaotic classmates. Some tried to run, some collapsed, their legs giving out, even Matsuzaka froze, unsure what to do. Amidst the chaos, a girl’s voice rang out exceptionally loud and clear. “I hate you!! Die!!” Saying this, the girl punched the popular kid with all her might. For a moment, the room froze. The one who punched the popular kid was a quiet girl with glasses from a plain group. Everyone was stunned by the sudden action of this usually quiet, soft-spoken girl. The popular kid opened his mouth to say something, but before he could utter a word, she hit him again, shouting “Shut up!!” An icy silence fell over the conference room. The woman had vanished sometime during this.

[157] Whether this was taken as stimulation for the popular kid or stimulation for the entire class, I don’t know. However, it was clear that this girl’s actions had stimulated everyone, causing the woman to disappear. While everyone stood frozen in confusion, Matsuzaka yelled, “Hurry with the preparations!!” Less than 10 minutes later, all the classmates who had gone out returned, and the ritual began immediately. The participants in the ritual were the popular kid, Matsuzaka, Takagi, and me. The other members waited in the same conference room. The popular kid led the ritual. Matsuzaka and I were chosen because we likely had a strong connection to the woman. Having us, with our strong connection, participate might increase the chances of summoning the woman. Takagi was just there to make up the numbers.

[159] And so the ritual began. The prepared candles were lit. The popular kid offered the sake while chanting the poem to summon the woman. He continued chanting the same phrase over and over until the woman arrived. However, I felt no change in my left leg. About 10 minutes passed when suddenly, I felt the air in the room become heavy. It wasn’t just me; everyone present felt it and looked at me. But there was still no change in my left leg. We didn’t even know if my leg would change when the woman arrived, but everyone sensed that something non-human was present in the room. I told everyone, “I don’t know if it’s the woman.”

[160] However, whether the entity that arrived was the woman or a different god, the wish remained the same: “an ordinary school life.” Since this was the plan all along, the ritual proceeded without panic. The popular kid wished for “an ordinary school life” and offered as the price “10 years of the popular kid’s lifespan and 3 years of lifespan from each of the 30 people present, totaling 100 years of lifespan.” If the ritual succeeded, the candle flames should extinguish. However, the candles broke while still lit.

[161] What on earth had happened? Why did the candles break when there was no wind? Various thoughts raced through my mind, but I couldn’t sort them out. Before I could, along with a terrifying scream, the woman appeared in the center of the conference room. But her appearance was different from before. Blood streamed from her head, and her clothes were stained red in places. The woman screamed, “Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah,” flailing her abnormally long arms. Her bloodshot eyes were wide open as she screamed; it’s a sight I still sometimes see in my dreams. Just as we thought the woman was thrashing about, she fell through the floor as if it had never been there. It’s hard to convey in writing, but she sank through the floor as if being sucked in. When I realized it, the flames of the candles, which had continued burning even after breaking, were extinguished. Apparently, the ritual had succeeded.

From here is the epilogue.

[162] After this, unsure if the exorcism was truly successful, we went to a fairly large Shinto shrine in the city. When we explained the whole incident to the Shinto priest, some questions were answered. First, about the woman the popular kid initially summoned. We had assumed she was a god, but based on the story, the priest said she was likely not a god, but a powerful evil spirit. Seeing as she even took a soul, she was probably an evil spirit who wanted to become a god. Even though she wasn’t a god, she tried to grant the popular kid’s wish as if she were. But naturally, not being a god, her powers were limited. As a result, the stimulation she could provide within the scope of an evil spirit’s abilities was the deaths of those around. Probably, in the ritual performed by the entire class, we were able to summon a proper god. It’s apparently quite difficult for amateurs, but maybe the sake was good, which is why it worked. The summoned proper god likely saw the evil spirit impersonating a god and cast her down into hell. The candles broke because the evil spirit resisted. Still, everyone’s wish was granted, so the flames went out. That was the gist of the priest’s explanation. He emphasized that this was just a possible interpretation if one were forced to explain this incident.

[165] After this, we spent an ordinary school life and graduated. The popular kid faced cold stares from those around him, but thanks to Matsuzaka saying, “Even one case of bullying might make it hard to call this a peaceful school life,” he wasn’t particularly bullied. As for Matsuzaka, despite being the president of the science club, this incident led her to pursue the path of Shinto.

Shinto: Japan’s indigenous religion. It involves the worship of nature and ancestors, and believes in the existence of numerous gods (Yaoyorozu no Kami). Shrines are central places of Shinto worship.

[165] Apparently, the fact that no one helped when she frantically called for exorcisms deeply affected her. She said coolly, “I want to lend a hand to those who need help.” After graduating high school, I went on to junior college. After graduating from junior college, I now work as a temporary employee for the city. I’m living an ordinary, mundane life as a working adult. I don’t keep in touch with Matsuzaka much, but last week, when I visited Hosoki’s grave, I ran into her, and we reminisced about this incident. That’s what made me decide to start this thread.

• [167] Thanks for the hard work. Well, it was interesting.
• [168] >>165 Thanks for the hard work. It was interesting.
• [169] Thanks for the hard work! It was interesting! Matsuzaka is cool.

[170] What we lost in this incident was immense. However, I intend to live life to the fullest, for the sake of the classmates and teacher who died, even with a lifespan shortened by three years. Thank you to everyone who read until the end. I’m going to sleep now, but I’ll answer questions within the scope I can (without revealing identifying information), so if you have any questions, please leave them here. Well then, everyone, live a good life.

• [171] Thanks for the hard work. You entertained me for several days. Thank you.