| Period 2: The Bonds Of A Curse | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Period | 2 | |
| Volume | 1 | |
| Previous | Period 1: The Devil's Game | |
| Next | Period 3: Mary's Dining Table | |
The Bonds Of A Curse is the 2nd chapter of the Zekkyou Gakkyuu series and manga volume 1.
Premise[]
Sakahara-senpai is a popular student admired by many, while on the opposite spectrum is Kurosawa, the most unpopular student of Ai's class who is rumored to curse people. After her beloved class pet is taken away from her, Ai will do anything to get revenge on the one responsible...
Yomi's Introduction[]
As Yomi wanders around the classroom she speaks of hatred and how it can appear at random.
Summary[]
Ai and her friends head out to feed Kotaro, a small puppy the class has been taking care of. After momentarily worrying he's gotten loose and finding Kotaro peeing on Ai's shoe, they recall when she found him one rainy afternoon. He was hiding in some bushes and he was dirty. The girls gave him a bath and asked their teacher if the class could take care of him as he didn't belong to anyone.
Suddenly, Kotaro's barks alert the girls to their gloomy classmate walking by. One of the girls suggest they avoid Kurosawa, but Ai doesn't agree as they mention a rumor about her. It's said that Kurosawa curses people she dislikes. They watch as Ai approaches her with Kotaro to see if she would like to pet him, but this frightens Kurosawa and she turns away. Ai's friends remark on her kindness and Ai begins to wonder if everyone is wrong about Kurosawa, noticing Kotaro's tail is wagging. He calms down when two upperclassmen approach, one complaining over the urine stench and blaming Ai for it. The other one is quick to point out Kotaro is at fault and tells him to stop picking on Ai. She's surprised by how nice Sakahara was, but for some reason Kotaro is unhappy.
Ai is working on his dog house when Kotaro returns with a doll in his mouth, being chased by an angry Kurosawa. She snatches the doll back as Ai recalls the rumors about her, but rather than focus on it she notices a bag of dog biscuits in her pocket. She suggests Kurosawa stay to give one to him and she hesitantly agrees. The girls begin to bond while feeding Kotaro, who pees on Ai once more. She complains until seeing how happy Kurosawa is; she doesn't seem that scary. It's then the girls notice Kotaro has an injury, and Ai is quick to assume it was his own recklessness that caused it. She asks Kurosawa, who decides to leave after remarking that Ai is "blissfully ignorant".
Ai is confused as she returns Kotaro to the finished dog house, and she mentions that she spent a while working on it. Soon winter will be coming, but this will keep him warm. She also wonders if he will have grown up by the time graduation approaches. Kotaro is very happy, and together they lay down for rest.
The mood becomes somber the following day when Ai arrives with a bag of groceries; bandages, milk and steamed buns Kotaro likes. Everyone appears to be in dismay and they try to keep her from seeing the destruction before them- Kotaro's dog house was destroyed. She is shocked to discover not too far off is the battered corpse of her beloved puppy. She drops her bag as everyone helplessly wonders what happened, returning inside when class begins. Ai is given permission to stay behind.
She cries for some time until overhearing Sakahara and his friends coming her way, and she seeks shelter nearby. She becomes grief-stricken as his friends remark on his cruelty towards Kotaro. He would bring a leash and attach it to his bike to make Kotaro run alongside him. Sakahara complains over how weak Kotaro was, then he suggests they not speak of the poor dog anymore; with a smile that alarms Ai. He mentions that his source of stress relief is gone, and Ai recalls the mysterious injuries and odd behavior Kotaro exhibited recently: Sakahara was the one responsible. Kurosawa knew about him being a cruel person all along.
Filled with anger and seeking revenge, Ai briskly locates her gloomy classmate. She mentions the doll Kotaro stole from her and asks to borrow it.
The following day, Ai and Kurosawa are preparing a burial spot for Kotaro when Ai's friends approach with shocking news. Sakahara was killed in a strange accident; somehow his clothing was snagged by a bus he was standing near. He was dragged for miles and nobody was aware, so by the time they realized he was there his body was horribly mutilated. It's so bad that nobody can even look at it without feeling sick. The girls feel remorse for their upperclassmen while Ai and Kurosawa exchange a glance. Ai smiles and prepares to head off with her friends, thinking about how Kotaro can rest easily now that he was avenged.
Yomi's Epilogue[]
Holding the torn apart remnants of the Sakahara voodoo doll, Yomi crushes it and drops it into the trash. Ai and Kurosawa crossed a line people shouldn't under the influence of hate, but anyone is likely to do this. Once the line is crossed, there is no going back.
