“Lin Ze, a freshman…how strange…”
Looking at the familiar face in the mirror, Lin Ze felt a bit dazed. His mind was filled with many memories. For instance, he was now living alone in Tokyo, and his parents were traveling around the world, constantly on the move…
“Should I get dressed?” After washing his face and calming down, Lin Ze checked his phone for the time. It was Monday. He had to rush to school today.
There wasn’t much time to think. He should just go with the flow.
According to his memories, the school was not far from where he lived. Lin Ze had just left his house and taken a few steps when someone called out to him, “Xiao Ze.”
“Grandma Kobayashi?”
“You're as diligent as ever. Junsuke is always so slow. Wait a moment while I go get him.”
The grandma in the courtyard turned and walked back into the house. After a while, a figure came running out quickly.
“Lin Ze, let’s go.”
Kobayashi Junsuke… the name surfaced from his memory. He was Lin Ze's neighbor and classmate, and every morning when he passed by here, Junsuke would walk with him. However… this name was familiar.
He couldn’t figure out where the sense of familiarity came from, but seeing the familiar person in front of him, Lin Ze could only temporarily suppress his doubts and chat with him as they walked.
“Speaking of Lin Ze, do you have a target now? We’re in college, it’s time to officially date.”
“No, why? Do you have someone you like, Junsuke?”
“Hehe, I think the green 川同学 is pretty good.”
Kobayashi Junsuke looked a little embarrassed and turned to look at Lin Ze, but found that he was looking back.
“What’s wrong?”
Lin Ze withdrew his gaze, turned to him and shook his head. “Nothing, maybe it’s just my imagination.” He had a feeling that he was being watched, sending chills down his spine.
“What do you think of the green 川同学? She’s pretty, right?”
Here it comes again! The chill in his back seemed to intensify, but he didn’t notice anything unusual. “She’s alright. There’s a saying in Dragon Country, ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’ You like her so you think she’s pretty, but I don’t see it that way.”
“Haha, what are you saying, man? The green 川同学 is clearly beautiful.”
Imagination? The chill in his back seemed to lessen.
“The Kawakami classmate from class one is pretty, but she’ll probably never look our way. The Yamamura classmate from class three is also pretty, but she’s averse to dating. I heard she’s turned down over a dozen guys’ confessions.”
“Yes, yes. You, if you like the green 川同学, focus on her, and pay less attention to other girls.”
“I just heard about it. However, it seems like the new transfer student, Hiraki classmate, is being bullied by others.”
Hearing this, Lin Ze frowned. Bullying in Japanese schools is extremely severe, and he was disgusted by it. “Did the Hiraki classmate do something wrong?”
“No, you haven’t paid much attention to that classmate. I heard from the green 川同学. The Hiraki classmate is very kind and has a cute doll-like face. The students bullying her seem to be delinquents who just enjoy picking on the weak.”
“I see. After all, she’s our classmate. If we see something like that, we should try to help.”
Not only was bullying a serious problem in Japan, but people’s indifference was the norm. Therefore, Lin Ze still gave a reminder. Help if you can.
The two entered the classroom. Following Kobayashi Junsuke’s gesture, Lin Ze looked towards the corner in the front row. A doll-like face, a petite figure… Hiraki Hanako. The moment he saw her, Lin Ze remembered the scene of her transferring. She was quiet and didn’t draw much attention from him.
But Hiraki Hanako… again, there was an odd sense of familiarity.
While lost in thought, Lin Ze glanced at the doorway. At that moment, a girl just walked in from the door. Her pale skin looked somewhat sickly against her white dress. Her long black hair covered her face because of her lowered head. Her slender hands were clutching each other. She rushed to the back corner and sat down.
Cold sweat instantly rolled down his forehead. “Kawaguchi… Ka… Kayako?!” This name popped up in his mind out of nowhere. A sudden chill made his hands and feet feel icy cold. That’s it! The sense of familiarity! Kobayashi Junsuke! Ju-on!!!
There are many versions of this movie, but every version portrays the horror of Ju-on. It’s the ultimate embodiment of curses and resentment. Anyone who comes into contact with it, even the slightest touch, will be killed by Ju-on. Infinite resurrection, splitting into multiple selves, teleportation, resurrection, immunity to physical attacks, powerful physical attacks, mental attacks, control of long hair, control of emotions, control of thoughts, control of dreams, control of time, control of space, etc. This is completely unbreakable!
Kayako hasn’t become Ju-on yet, and I haven’t entered the plot. I still have time! Transfer… no! Go abroad! Thinking about this, Lin Ze looked at Kobayashi Junsuke and couldn’t help but look at him with sympathy. It’s not that I’m not a good brother, but I really can’t do anything about this.
No wonder I felt chills down my spine this morning on the way to school. Kayako has a deep obsession with Kobayashi Junsuke. She’s tracking him! While the two of us were on our way to school today, Kayako must have been secretly following and watching.
“No, why? Time travel is one thing, but why does something like Ju-on, an unbreakable curse, exist?” He spent the whole day in a daze, finally making it through to the end of school. Seeing Kobayashi Junsuke walking towards him, Lin Ze screamed in his mind, “Don’t come over!”
“Come on, Lin Ze, let’s go.”
“Ah… I need to buy something, you go ahead.”
“Alright, do you need me to go with you?”
“No, no, I’ll go by myself.”
Watching him leave, Lin Ze still sat there stiffly. He only breathed a sigh of relief after Kayako also walked out, then carefully left the classroom.
He chose a different route and arrived at a convenience store. He brewed a cup of ramen and was chewing on it listlessly when the sky suddenly turned gloomy and a light drizzle began to fall. Looking at the people rushing by outside, Lin Ze glanced at the street corner. A figure quickly retreated into the alley.
At that moment, Lin Ze felt as if his heart had been grabbed. “Kayako? No way… I must have seen wrong… Shouldn’t she be following Kobayashi Junsuke?”
But what if it wasn’t a mistake? He gritted his teeth and stood up. He bought an umbrella and walked out of the convenience store. The few steps he took felt extremely slow. “If it wasn’t Kayako, that’s the best. If it was Kayako, I can’t escape. Once Kayako becomes Ju-on, no matter where I run, I’ll die! I’ll take a gamble.”
He silently approached the alley corner and looked at the girl crouching in the rain. He was speechless. “Kawaguchi classmate?”
The girl was startled by the sound and trembled all over. Her lowered head slowly lifted. The boy’s umbrella shielded the falling rain, sheltering her.