Romantic Troubles of Duanmu-kun

“I hope I can investigate this matter without Nishikawa-san noticing…”

The Novelist rested his chin on his palm, gazing at the busy students outside the window.

“I-I’m sorry, if it’s too much trouble…!”

“…No, it’s fine.”

He turned his head and asked with a serious expression.

“Class Rep, could you tell me more details about the situation? For instance, when and how did you notice Nishikawa-san’s changes? What unusual behaviors has she shown recently, and also…”

“—About that ‘suicide cult’ you mentioned.”

According to the Class Rep, it had started about two weeks ago. Nishikawa Mutsumi, who had always moved together with the group of girls in class, began showing unusual changes in her whereabouts—this was actually pointed out to the Class Rep by someone else.

After school, she no longer went shopping with her friends, always leaving school early. But she wasn’t going home—no one knew where she went. She also barely participated in any group activities within the small circles in class. For a normal high school girl, this seemed to be an incredibly unusual situation.

The Class Rep had become slightly concerned about this. In the following days, based on her observations, Nishikawa Mutsumi was indeed acting strange. During class and while walking, she often appeared distracted. Both her demeanor and movements gave off an impression of being absent-minded and inattentive.

Nishikawa-san’s friends had privately contacted her family, but they appeared completely unaware of the situation, and didn’t seem to be concealing anything.

Additionally, after school one day, the Class Rep had seen Nishikawa-san talking with people from another school outside the gate. Judging by their uniforms, they weren’t from Yuihara High School but students from Harumida High School.

“Harumida… that’s the nearby girls’ high school, right?”

The Novelist searched for this name in his memory.

Itou Maho nodded.

“I see… but what else?”

The Class Rep was cautious by nature and wouldn’t easily criticize others. If she would use descriptions like “not right,” it meant that the girl called “Nishikawa Mutsumi” had indeed undergone some kind of deviation from the norm.

“…Nishikawa-san… she borrowed money from me.”

Itou Maho’s voice was lower than before, possibly worried about being overheard by passersby, though it was an unnecessary concern.

“Not just from me, but from practically every girl she knows in class. The last time she asked me, Nishikawa-san even mentioned she was considering asking the boys…”

Concern appeared in the Class Rep’s pupils.

“If this continues, something… not good… might really happen…”

Setting aside the restlessness of adolescent boys and girls—

Why would Nishikawa-san be “short of money” to the extent of having to borrow from classmates? Since communication with her family hadn’t shown any problems or abnormalities, this meant it wasn’t due to family reasons.

Additionally, considering her connection with girls from other schools and her comment about “borrowing money from boys,” it was natural for the Class Rep to be worried.

Even in high schools that appeared like carefree paradises, shadowy secrets still lurked, such as networks of compensated dating. Nishikawa-san wasn’t particularly the popular type. However, as long as one was a young, healthy high school girl, they would always attract the desire of certain individuals in society.

Ah… that’s enough for now.

The Novelist forcibly interrupted his thoughts.

More than these concerns, there was something else in the Class Rep’s words that caught his attention even more.

“‘Suicide cult’… that’s what you said earlier, right, Class Rep?”

“Yes…”

The Class Rep seemed to understand his line of thinking a bit.

“That description is too specific. Normally, one would think of some new religious movement… but it seems this isn’t an ordinary strange group. Have you heard any rumors about this, Class Rep?”

Throughout human history, “mass suicide” and other tragic events often occurred within certain secretive societies and religious groups, such as the infamous “Peoples Temple.” On November 18, 1978, in this independent sect founded by Jim Jones in Indiana, a total of 914 followers committed suicide by poison at the cult’s compound near Georgetown, the capital of Guyana.

This premeditated mass suicide had resulted in 914 deaths, including 276 children. The suicide of nearly a thousand people was undoubtedly one of the most shocking events in history, a nightmarish horror that shook American society and the entire world, with far-reaching impacts that persist to this day—but regardless, that was only the final result, a method demonstrating fanaticism and madness, rather than the ultimate goal.

Conversely, the meaning of “suicide cult” would be that, from the beginning, the object of worship wasn’t a deity or great person, but rather the act of “ending one’s own life by one’s own hand” itself serving as the core of the belief. That must be it.

“…Yes.”

The Class Rep nodded as if impressed by his deduction.

“Actually, this and Nishikawa-san’s abnormal behavior are two separate matters. The ‘suicide cult’ is a rumor that has been circulating among girls for a longer time.”

“It’s said that people connect with strangers through anonymous forums online and arrange to commit suicide together. Those who have this desire and eventually carry it through disappear into darkness.”

“One day, several high school girls interested in this sort of thing established a club. They were ordinary girls who were either often bullied or completely unremarkable. Later, they accepted more companions in similar situations…”

Some were ridiculed for their appearance and figure, some were timid and cowardly by nature, some were born with physical or intellectual disabilities, some had traumatic experiences like rape or domestic violence causing severe psychological trauma, and some were simply ostracized by their class group over minor incidents, eventually becoming self-destructive, pitiful girls.

In this way, gradually extending its influence to every middle and high school in the Tokyo area, “that group” took in bullied and isolated girls—

“How should I put this… it’s like an ‘urban legend’ of sorts.”

The Class Rep carefully chose her words.

“Nishikawa-san might have been drawn into such a group…”

“Yes. She’s shown an unusually intense interest in recent news about mass suicides, and she keeps talking about such things.”

“…”

As if something had occurred to him, the corners of the Novelist’s mouth curved slightly upward.

“Class Rep, are you free after school today?”

“…Eh?”

The girl’s eyes widened.