The air in the classroom felt heavier.
"Disappear…?"
Renji smirked, his usual playful expression carrying a hint of something far more sinister. "Yup. And now the real question is… who's next?"
Abe clenched his fists.
He had suspected Class 2-B was hiding something. But this? People vanishing as if they never existed?
Only now did he realize just how deep he had stepped into something he should never have touched.
---
A Whisper from the Past
The nightmares had started weeks ago.
Abe stood before an unfamiliar school. The windows were dark. The front gate was slightly open, as if inviting him in.
He took a step forward—
But then, a voice.
"Don't remember, Abe-kun."
He turned sharply. A girl stood behind him, her long, dark hair swaying. But her face… was missing.
Before he could move—
A sharp pain struck his chest.
He woke up, gasping for air.
This time, the dream lingered.
What am I forgetting?
---
The Hidden Truth of Class 2-B
Abe had been digging for answers, but what he found in the school library made his blood run cold.
An old, dust-covered file, buried beneath a pile of forgotten documents. The faded pages detailed something sinister:
Every year, one class was "selected" for a secret experiment.
Students placed in this class were either candidates for something greater—or sacrifices for something darker.
Abe's breath hitched.
So Class 2-B was never normal to begin with…?
But why?
Before he could process it, he heard footsteps approaching. He barely had time to shove the file into his bag before the librarian's voice cut through the silence.
"What are you doing here so late?"
Abe turned. The old librarian stared at him, her face unreadable.
But as he walked past her, she whispered—
"You should stop looking, Abe-kun. Before they make you disappear too."
---
A Silent Erasure
The next morning, something was wrong.
One of the desks was empty.
Abe frowned. Wait… wasn't this Yoshida-san's seat?
He turned to the girl sitting next to it. "Hey, where's Yoshida?"
The girl blinked. "Who?"
Abe's stomach dropped.
"Yoshida Karin. The girl who—"
He stopped.
The seat was perfectly clean, as if no one had ever used it.
Her name was missing from the attendance list.
No one remembered her.
Not a single person.
Abe felt cold sweat trickle down his back.
This was real.
People in Class 2-B weren't just transferring out.
They were being erased.
---
The Forbidden Place
Abe had to know the truth.
So that night, he returned to the library.
But this time, he wasn't looking for books.
Beneath an old reading table, he found it—a loose panel in the floor.
He hesitated. Then, with a deep breath, he pushed it open.
A hidden staircase led downward, dimly lit by flickering bulbs.
Abe descended, his heart pounding.
At the bottom was a massive underground chamber filled with filing cabinets and—
A desk. A single, active computer.
Abe hurried to it, scanning the screen.
His breath caught.
"CLASS 2-B STUDENT DATA"
Abe's fingers trembled as he scrolled through the files.
Psychological reports. Medical histories.
And then—
Surgical records.
Abe's stomach twisted. What the hell is this…?
Then his eyes landed on a file labeled—
"Project Class 2-B: Human Adaptation Trials"
Before he could open it—
A sound.
Footsteps.
Someone was coming.
Abe turned, his pulse skyrocketing.
He had to get out.
But just as he reached the stairs—
A voice.
"Going somewhere, Abe-kun?"
The click of a gun.
Abe barely had time to react before—
BANG.
Pain exploded in his leg.
He collapsed with a scream.
More shots rang out.
BANG. BANG. BANG.
His vision blurred.
Then—darkness.
---
The Exchange
Beep… beep… beep…
Abe's eyes fluttered open.
A hospital room. White walls. The sharp scent of antiseptic.
"…What the hell…?"
His body ached, but he was alive.
Slowly, he sat up and threw off the blanket—
Then froze.
His legs…
They were there.
Untouched.
No pain. No wounds.
Not even a scar.
His hands trembled as he reached down. His skin… felt different. Smoother. Paler.
Then—
A weak voice beside him.
"…Those are mine, Abe-kun."
Abe turned sharply, yanking back the privacy curtain.
Yoshida Karin lay in the hospital bed next to his.
But something was wrong.
Her face was pale.
Her breathing shallow.
And where her legs should have been—
Nothing.
Abe's stomach twisted into a knot.
Blood had seeped through the bandages on her thighs.
A crude, recent surgery.
His vision blurred. His body felt numb.
No.
No, no, no.
He had talked to her just days ago. She had been fine. She had—
His breath came in short gasps.
"K-Karin—what… what happened to your legs?!"
She smiled.
A fragile, ghostly smile.
"…They're yours now, Abe-kun."
His heartbeat roared in his ears.
The world tilted.
Then, before he could stop it—he vomited onto the floor.
---
The Puppeteer
Slow, deliberate footsteps.
Abe barely had time to recover before a figure emerged from behind the curtain.
An older man. Silver hair. Wire-rimmed glasses. A pristine white lab coat.
A gentle, almost fatherly smile on his lips.
"Ah. You're awake."
Abe felt bile rise in his throat.
"Who the hell are you?"
The man adjusted his glasses.
"You may call me Dr. Murase. I'm the head researcher of the Class 2-B experiment."
Abe's fingers curled into fists.
"What the hell have you done to us?!"
Murase chuckled. "Nothing unnatural. Just a little… adaptation."
He gestured toward Abe's legs.
"You see, Abe-kun, humanity is fragile. Weak. But what if we could break past those limits? What if we could exchange parts like tools—detach, replace, improve?"
Abe gritted his teeth.
"You took my legs. And you replaced them with someone else's… just to see what would happen?!"
Murase nodded. "And look—you're adjusting perfectly. No rejection. No mental breakdown."
His smile widened.
"You're a fascinating subject, Abe-kun."
Abe's breathing grew ragged.
He wanted to scream. To tear the man apart.
But Murase leaned closer, his voice calm yet chilling.
"Now tell me, Abe-kun… who is the real monster here?"
Abe's blood ran cold.
Because no matter how much he wanted to deny it—
He was still alive.
And he was walking with someone else's legs.
To Be Continued…