“Lin... Lin Ze, classmate.”
Kayako appeared somewhat flustered; to her, the boy looked handsome, sunny, and gentle, which made her secret admiration for him feel dark and despicable.
“It's raining so heavily, Chuan You, you're all soaked. Let's go to the convenience store to rest for a bit; it doesn't look like the rain will stop anytime soon.”
It seemed that he had come specifically for her. Since there was no way to avoid it, she decided to take the initiative and learn more about him. She wasn't sure which version of "Ju-on" this was...
“N-no... it's fine... I don't want to trouble you, Lin Ze. I'll just wait here until the rain stops.” The other party seemed unconcerned about why she was there, which relieved Kayako a bit, but her self-conscious and sensitive nature kept her from looking up at him. “Lin Ze is so gentle,” she thought to herself.
“Come on, you might catch a cold if you stay out here.”
Without giving her a chance to refuse, Lin Ze took a step forward and turned back to signal her.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Kayako finally stepped forward to follow him.
Standing beside Lin Ze and feeling his presence, Kayako felt a bit dazed. “I want... I want to keep walking with him like this, I want to lock him and myself together so we can never be apart.” At this thought, Kayako shook her head. “No, I can't think like this. Lin Ze is just being kind to me because he feels sorry for me; I can't have such shameless thoughts... but he is caring about me... Lin Ze...”
Lin Ze was unaware of Kayako's thoughts, but since he had made up his mind, he stopped overthinking and led her back to the convenience store.
“Hello, could I get a towel, please? And also a cup of ramen,” Lin Ze called out to the staff.
“Um... Lin Ze... I... I don't have any money...”
Seeing the shy Kayako, Lin Ze smiled at her. “It's okay, I'll pay for it. Don't worry about it; it's just a small matter.”
After receiving the new towel from the staff and unwrapping it, Lin Ze placed it on Kayako's head. “Quick, dry off. Don't really catch a cold.” He then turned to pay.
Holding the towel in one hand, Kayako stared blankly at his back, then instinctively pulled the towel down a bit and gently sniffed it. “The towel Lin Ze touched... it smells like him.” But as soon as Lin Ze turned around, she hurriedly picked up the towel and began to dry her hair.
She hadn't paid much attention before, but now that Lin Ze had finished drying his hair, he noticed that Kayako had very beautiful features, but her skin was too pale, making her appear gloomy and overshadowing her beauty.
“Eat a bowl of ramen to warm yourself up.”
Kayako nodded and obediently sat down at the table in the convenience store. Next to her was a bowl of ramen, which was Lin Ze's; he had run out to find her before finishing it. “I really want... I really want to take a bite.”
Unpleasant thoughts flooded her mind again, but then Lin Ze came over with a new bowl of ramen, which made her feel a bit disappointed.
“Chuan You...”
“Kayako... just call me Kayako.”
Lin Ze was momentarily taken aback by the sudden interruption, then nodded in agreement. This brief interaction made him realize that she was still just a sensitive and shy girl, not the terrifying figure of "Ju-on" that he had imagined.
“Alright, Kayako, I think this rain won't stop anytime soon. Let's rest for a bit, and when it lightens up, I'll take you home.”
“N-no... okay...” She instinctively wanted to refuse, but the words changed at the last moment. “Kayako, you can't refuse him. You've been like a mouse, stalking him from afar. Now that God has finally given you a chance to be with him, you can't miss it!” Her inner thoughts forced her to change her habits, but the words she spoke were still barely audible.
“Then it's settled.” Although Lin Ze didn't hear her clearly, he could tell from her lips that she agreed. Given the current situation, it was always good to know more about each other. Kayako's tragedy shaped "Ju-on," so he had to try to change that tragedy. “Where do you live, Kayako?”
“Over by San Ting Street.”
Lin Ze's eyes twitched slightly; that was still quite a distance from where he was... It must be tough for her to wake up early every day just to follow him.
“It'll be late when you get back. Do you need me to call your parents?”
Kayako shook her head, her expression unchanged. “No... they... aren't home... I don't know when they'll be back; they didn't come back yesterday either.”
“Is that so? Sounds a lot like my parents, haha. They left me at home when I went to college, then went off to travel and enjoy their couple life.” While saying this, he thought to himself that he wasn't being caring enough towards Kayako... It seemed more like a version of the story where Sakura was indifferent to her.
Kayako didn't respond, just shook her head. She thought that Lin Ze's parents must love him very much to have raised him so well. They were only enjoying their couple life now because he had grown up, while her parents... her alcoholic father... her unfaithful mother... no matter how she looked at it, they could never be like Lin Ze's parents.
“But Kayako, why didn't you go home after school today? Instead, you came over here? San Ting Street and this place are in opposite directions, right?” Lin Ze casually asked this question.
In an instant, Kayako's body stiffened, and her heart raced with panic. “What should I do? He asked after all. I can't let him know I'm stalking him. What should I do... what should I do...” In a moment of desperation, Kayako blurted out, “I lost my house key... so I was just wandering around.”
“Is that... really so?” That excuse was too obvious! “I was thinking of taking you home, but if you go home, how will you get in?”
Lin Ze's words made her lower her head. She felt her brain wasn't functioning well at that moment; that excuse was just too terrible!
“Clumsy.” Lin Ze took the towel and helped her dry the ends of her hair again, a gesture that made Kayako freeze in place.
“Do you have the phone number of a close female classmate?”
Hearing his question, Kayako shook her head. She was usually quiet and didn't make friends in class, so she didn't have any friends around her.
“...In that case... although it's not ideal... why don't we go to my house for a bit, and then I can call your parents to see if I can get in touch with them?” He looked outside as the rain gradually lightened.
In the original storyline, Kayako was infatuated with Lin Junjie, but they never ended up together. Due to her parents' indifference and marital unhappiness, a series of tragedies ensued.
It must be said that Kayako was a qualified virtuous wife and mother. Even though Zuo Bogan treated her harshly, she bore it without complaint. If it weren't for Lin Junjie, perhaps she could have continued living with Zuo Bogan? Or if she had ended up with Lin Junjie, would she have lived happily ever after? No matter what, she wasn't "Ju-on" yet, and she wasn't the innocent Lin Junjie who was ultimately wronged and died!