September 3, 2016

Zekkyou Gakkyuu Tensei [Chapter 15 - Memeko-san's curse]


Yumi narrates, “Hello everyone. Let’s start today’s horror class. *sees someone tapping the back of another person’s shoulder* Would you turn around without any precautions when someone pats your shoulder.. Is it inevitable that the other party is someone you know? If it is someone of unknown origin, what will you do..” Lesson 15: Memeko-san’s curse. [<- guesswork from 目目子; = eye].

In class 6-2, a girl lightly pats Haruka’s back. [guesswork from 春日] Haruka turns around with a finger poking on her cheek. Her friend laughs for she got taken in. Haruka asks Eri [guesswork from 愛里] what’s up with that when they are no longer kids.

Eri says that her reaction is so dull. “Fine. Haruka’s strong personality is also very cool By the way, have you heard about the ‘Memeko-san’ rumor.” Haruka asks what, is that another urban legend.
Eri exclaims that it isn’t so for it is said to be real. “A kid in our neighborhood had encountered her!” Haruka doesn’t believe her so Eri starts to tell her the story. “When she was all alone, there is someone who patted her shoulder from behind..”

Flashback: A hand tapped the left shoulder of an elementary girl. She turned around and is shocked to see a messy haired woman. “When she turned around, she had eye contact with Memeko-san. After 24 hours, her eyes were taken away.” Haruka comments that Eri likes to listen to this kind of stories.

Eri exclaims that it is interesting and there is really someone who saw her!! “That neighborhood kid’s eyes were taken away and she is currently hospitalized now.” Haruka just lamely says that she believes it already. Haruka thinks that she had heard this kind of rumor countless times since she was young and a majority of it is just that, just rumors that’s all so she isn’t a bit afraid of it..
Haruka calls out that she’s home. Then, she sees her brother, Chiharu [guesswork from 千春]. She tells Chiharu that he’s home early today. Chiharu says that it is because there are exams today. Haruka says that she never saw him review.

Chiharu says that there’s no problem for he only has to seriously listen during class. Her brother is really good in studies and he is also very good in sports. He is an all-round genius but he is a bit strange. Chiharu is reading books regarding mysterious things like UFO, occult, etc.

While they are eating some snacks, Chiharu tells Haruka about hearing a neighborhood kid getting hospitalized. Haruka says that she doesn’t believe it one bit. Her brother tells her that this story is very interesting and probably, it is passed down from another place.
“All living things have their own reasons to exist. One only has to investigate a bit why that child is hospitalized then one can discover the root cause about this kind of rumor being passed around.” Haruka thinks that there it is, her brother’s catchphrase. She says that most likely, there is someone who got nothing to do and just make up this kind of rumor..

The next day in school, Haruka greets Eri a good morning. She notices Eri looking glum and nervous. She is actually trembling in fear. At the toilet, Eri tells Haruka and friends that she met Memeko-san. Haruka asks if she wants to frighten everyone. Eri tearfully says that she isn’t..and she’s telling the truth. “Last night..when I’m going home after the club activity..”

Flashback: At the shoe lockers, Eri is putting away her school shoes when someone lightly patted her shoulder twice and said, “Eri-chan.” Eri turned around and said, yes? Then, she is shocked to see a long haired woman. End flashback.
Eri shouted that person is absolutely Memeko-san!! Haruka wonders if she’s just joking. Eri says that there is only one way to break free from Memeko-san’s curse.. “That is..to use the same way of patting someone else’s shoulder.. then the curse will be transferred to someone else.. What am I to do, Haruka.. What should I do..”

Haruka just looks worried for her friend. In class, the rumors about Eri had spread so everyone is whispering and avoiding her. Haruka doesn’t like that but then everyone doesn’t want their shoulder to be patted..and they are even mocking Eri. A couple of girls whisper out loud that they won’t want to get a bit close to Eri. Eri overhears this and she becomes teary-eyed. Haruka is quite displeased. Haruka lightly pats Eri who became startled.

Haruka suggests that Eri pass it to her. “You only have to pat my shoulder then you can transfer the curse on to me, right? Then, let me help you out, Eri.” While the other girls are muttering over this, Eri tensely reaches out to Haruka.
Haruka thinks that she doesn’t know if Memeko-san really exists or not but to be able to break away Eri from this nightmare.. Eri lightly pats Haruka’s shoulder and says, “Memeko-san, Memeko-san, I offer this child’s eyes to you..”

At home, Haruka informs her brother about the curse being passed on to her. Chiharu asks why she did that. Haruka says that he told her that every living thing has their reason to exit.

If they can find out the root cause, perhaps, they can prove that this kind of curse is simply a fake. Chiharu looks at the clock and tells her that there is still 20 hours so tonight, don’t sleep and spare no effort in researching. Haruka says yes.
The next day at school, Haruka gloomily thinks that it is no good, there is a huge pile about this kind of rumor yet there is no clue at all. Her cellphone rings. Her brother informs her about a report 14 years ago which he found at the library.

“There was a girl who filed a complaint regarding wearing contact lens which caused her eyes to have an abnormal condition. Due to the improper way of using it, her eyes got infected by germs and in the end, it led to the loss of her eyesight. Afterwards, the girl committed suicide and died. The Memeko-san rumor also started to spread 14 years ago. So, it is very possible that rumor is real. I’ll contact you again.”

This made Haruka nervous for the rumor is real. She goes in class and everyone including Eri starts to avoid her. Haruka thinks that like this, it is also no good for her to ask others more about this situation.
Then, she is surprised to see on the glass that there is a shadowed woman standing behind her. She nervous quickly looks away and tells herself that she cannot turn around and look. “No way.. Memeko-san is real--..”

Soon, Haruka is sitting on a bench by the school’s courtyard. It is already 2:25pm. She nervously thinks since Eri passed the curse to her, 23 hours had already passed.. “Only..one hour left.. will I..die..!?” Then, she overhears a girl saying that Haruka seems to have left early. Haruka turns around to see Eri and a couple of girls.

Eri says that she can breathe a sigh of relief and it is really great that that the curse was passed on to Haruka. “Even if it isn’t good to say it in front of her, but it’s really great that the curse isn’t on me anymore.” Haruka is really tempted to pass the curse back to Eri but she couldn’t do it. “It is actually too scary to pass this curse to someone else. I..will die, right..”
Then, someone lightly pats her shoulder twice and says, “Haruka-chan.” Haruka becomes really nervous for her eyes will be taken away. She is startled when her cellphone starts ringing. It is her brother who asks how she is. Haruka nervously tells him that Memeko-san is currently behind her..

Her brother tells her that he found it, a way to get rid of the curse!! He tells her to first cut a wound on her finger and let the blood come out. Haruka is puzzled. He tells her to listen to him and it will be alright. Haruka nervously got a box cutter knife and slashed her finger.

Chiharu says okay, press the finger on her eyes and then turn around to tell Memeko.. Haruka nervously says, turn around!? Her brother says yes. Haruka nervously rubs her eyes with her bloodied finger. She turns around and says, “Me..Memeko-san, Memeko-san, there are no eyes here that I can give to you..”
Memeko-san seems disappointed. Starting to cry, Haruka thinks that if this method is a failure then, Chiharu..papa..mama.. Someone grabs her wrist from her eyes and asks her if she is alright. Haruka is surprised to see her brother. He asks her if she is hurt. She says no..

She wonders if she is saved. Her brother shows her some clippings on a book. He tells her that he found someone using this similar method to save a child. “In the end, Memeko is a blind woman.. It is possible that because of this, she is looking for eyes everywhere. That’s right. Every living thing has its own reason for existence.”

Haruka cries in relief as her brother pats her head. At the clinic, Chiharu helps treat Haruka’s finger. She asks her brother if the Memeko-san curse had already disappeared. He tells her no, Memeko-san’s goal is she wants eyes. “I think kind of resentment won’t easily disappear. I think the curse has probably been directed to some other place.”
At the toilet, Eri is putting on her lipstick. Her friend says that she’ll go ahead. Eri says okay. Then, someone lightly pats her back twice and says, “Eri-chan.” Eri immediately turns around and says, yes? She sees a creepy blind woman whose eyes had slashes and tears of blood. Memeko says, “Eyes..I have found them..”

Yumi narrates, “Even if she escaped it once, the curse still cannot disappear. It is possible that Memeko is still wandering around looking for eyes until now. If there is someone who pats your shoulder, you also shouldn’t immediately turn around. Perhaps, she is.. *someone pats Yumi’s back* ... Ku ku, excuse me.. *turns around* Then, see you next time.”
Comment: I guess Haruka is lucky to have a brother like Chiharu or else, she would get more than what she bargained for when she helped a friend. It doesn’t help that Eri isn’t going to return the favor and left Haruka to deal with it on her own.

It is vague if the victim will just lose her eyes or will die..maybe die from massive bleeding when the eyes are taken? Maybe that is what Haruka instinctively thought. Well, the rumored child seems to have survived it since she is hospitalized. Of course, that is just hearsay.

I do wonder why as Yumi hinted Memeko isn’t satisfied with the stolen eyes. Maybe, it is a repeated ‘rejection’ wherein the eyes just couldn’t match. Still, she’s a ghost so the eyes might be prone to decay. I guess because of the ‘dead end’ with Haruka, Memeko will go back to the pervious one who told her to go to the next victim to keep the curse going. Scans by 离境

Quote of the day:
When you face a crisis, you know who your true friends are. - Magic Johnson

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the recap, kat! I hadn't read this chapter yet! ^o^

    What did you think of the last chapter, "Complementary Life"?

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    Replies
    1. You're welcome, Pomelote ^^

      I don't think it's scary and seems a bit confusing. Everything one receives has a price to pay later on.

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