288 The Scenario Seems Wrong Again! (1/2)

Saki definitely wasn't shivering because of the cold wind.

”I can't recall what happened clearly, as my memories are hazy… I just remember that I seem to have witnessed something incredibly scary, and I was frightened to the point of screaming…

”Mayuzumi pushed me down on the ground and shielded me with her body. When I saw that thing approaching, I fainted, and I don't know what happened after that… when I woke up, it was already the next morning.

”Everyone else collapsed as well. For a moment I thought that they had all died, but they soon woke up just like me… I tried to rouse Mayuzumi, but I couldn't get her to wake up; I soon noticed that her face was hot to touch…

”Two others were just like Mayuzumi; they wouldn't wake up and were gripped by a fever. One was the club president, and there was another girl as well. We called an ambulance and took them to the hospital.

”It took an entire day for Mayuzumi to wake up. Her fever lasted for an entire month… and she had nightmares every day…” The editor's voice was filled with deep regret. ”It's all my fault… I caused… Mayuzumi to become like that.”

”No, that was just an accident,” Seiji told her in a serious tone. ”You didn't expect such a thing to occur. Nobody could, so that's why it was only an accident.”

”But if it wasn't for me…”

”Editor Yoshizawa, you may have pushed Sensei to join the activity, but you weren't forcing her against her will. You didn't have any bad intentions; you just wanted to spend some time together with your friend.”

”…Even so, I still make a mistake.” Saki lowered her head with a dark expression.

Seiji sighed inwardly when he saw Saki's glum expression.

It explained why Editor Yoshizawa cared so much about Peach-sensei and strove to protect her—it was due to this incident in the past.

Because she believed that she'd made a huge mistake, she was filled with deep regret. She felt obliged to protect her good friend.

Her resolution was truly astounding; she even… sacrificed herself.

Before Seiji loaded, Editor Yoshizawa had done her best to stop Shouhei Hirai and was killed in the process.

Seiji could even imagine the scene that must have occurred.

Shouhei Hirai… Seiji had met him one time already, but didn't feel like he was evil back then.

And judging from Sensei and Editor Yoshizawa's description of Shouhei Hirai during college, he was, at most, just a rash and stupid college student in possession of a bad temper. Even Sensei herself, who was the one treated rudely by him, didn't feel that he was actually evil or anything like that.

Seiji thought back to Shouhei's blank expression during their fight.

He seemed akin to the Terminator… or a robot; it was like he was being controlled.

Natsuya Yoruhana had also mentioned the possibility of someone placing a curse upon him.

There were countless questions.

Seiji hoped that Mai would be able to discover the truth.

'Oh yes, I almost forgot…'

”Editor Yoshizawa, you said that this incident from ten years ago may be related to Sensei's current nightmares. Is it because Sensei's current nightmares are similar to the nightmares from that time?”

Saki nodded. ”When I saw how much discomfort Mayuzumi was in, I recalled the scenes from that time… do you think that it's possible… that the aftereffects of that incident have remained dormant till now?”

Seiji brooded over her words in silence.

”The water's so cold!” Mayuzumi suddenly shouted.

The ocean waves were now lapping at her feet, and she laughed as she rose from where she was sitting and walked back to them.

”Saki… what's the matter?” She noticed that something seemed to be wrong with her friend.

”Nothing… I'm just a little cold.” The editor forced a smile.

”Eh… Sorry for making you accompany me here.” Mayuzumi took Saki's hand into her own. ”Your hand is so icy. Let's go, we don't have to stay here anymore.”

”I'm alright,” Saki said. ”It's rare for us to come to the ocean, so stay here and look around for a little longer.”

”I've seen enough already. We can go back now.”

”How could we? We've barely just arrived—”

Saki was cut off mid-sentence when a boy's jacket was suddenly placed around her.

Of course, it was Seiji's. He had taken off his own jacket and put it on Saki.

”Now you should be warmer,” he said, smiling. ”It's rare for you to come here, so we should at least walk around the shore and see a little more of the sights.”

Mayuzumi and Saki were rendered speechless.

'Haruta-kun always makes looking cool seem so natural,' the manga author inwardly sighed.

'This jacket… has his smell and is really warm…' was what the editor felt.

”Saki, are you still cold?” Seiji asked.

”Not anymore. Thank you, Harano.”

”No problem.”

And so, the three of them left a trail of footprints behind as they slowly walked down the shoreline.

”By the way, Harano, you said this morning that you had something important to discuss with me face to face. What was that about?” The editor suddenly remembered to ask about this.