I walked to school feeling unsure, Momota's last words ringing over and over again in my head

"yeah...I know...so I'm going to trust and believe in you all to take care of him!" He said

I'm not sure I can...how am I supposed to even help when I don't even understand what's going on? When I don't even know what happened to him?

Everyone is always telling me 'Ouma should be the one to tell you' bit clearly he can't because he just started talking! And I don't even know what triggered the change for him to finally speak again! Clearly it was something Momota did...and I...I don't have what it takes to do what he did. I just can't!

And he is getting bullied...well his mother did seem to be trying to fix that. But... Ouma's first words to me rang in my head.

"Y-Your...w-wrong"

And his mother...she had scars all over her body...it's just like Ouma...they both have scars...only hers left a more physical mark and Ouma's not counting his disabilities psycological. I wonder...what's going to happen? When I finally figure out everything, will I even be prepared?

"Saihara!" Someone called and I turned around to see Kiibo and Akamatsu. I waved and they ran over.

"I'm sorry about Momota, it's going to be weird having his seat empty in class" I said and they nodded.

"Nothing we aren't used to" Akamatsu said with a shrug "after all, most chairs in our class are now empty" Kiibo said sadly looking down.

Yeah, most of the seats even on my first day were empty. Ten to be exact, I wonder why, I mean what would be the purpose of having so many desks yet no students to fill them?

"Why are all those chairs empty?" I asked "I mean you used to have other class mates right? Like the ones in the photo you found Akamatsu"

Akamatsu stopped and covered her mouth as I noticed tears. Oh no, I think I triggered a nerve, I felt myself freaking out and Kiibo sighed "they don't go to school anymore..." I raised an eyebrow "what happened?" I asked.

"It has to do with the incident, a lot of bad things happened" Kiibo explained quietly "you actually are sitting in the seat of one of our old classmates"

"Oh, who is it? Aren't they going to come back one day like Momota?" I asked and Kiibo stopped.

"Her name was Tsuki Otome, and no she isn't coming back to class" he said simply as he grabbed Akamatsu's hand and they walked faster to class.

"Wait!" I called "I have more questions!" I called and Kiibo looked at me apologetic "I'm sorry, it's to soon..." and they left without a trace.

Ugh...that still doesn't answer a lot of my questions...but as of right now I did learn something. The incident affected more people than just Ouma, almost half the entire class! Problem is, I still don't know what happened to them.

But it must have been equal or worse than Ouma seeing as they don't even come to school anymore.

Still, how can I figure more out...wait. The desks. It might be crazy, but I never opened my desk and it used to be hers, and I researched in the school district each student keeps the same desk throughout all of their school days so it must still be the same!

All of them! So it might have clues as to who they used to be and what happened!

Filled with determination and hope I charged forward to class with one task in mind.

-/-/-

"And remember class to always wash behind your ears or someone is going to complain about them" the teacher said bored before packing up. It was the end of the day and they seemed tired. It was the first time I had seen them in three days.

Ok...now to wait till everyone has left, I have a feeling they wouldn't like me poking around in the desks...it is a bit prying. But I really need to know!

As soon as the coast was clear and everyone left I opened my desk.

Inside were some dead flowers, albums or books, and some kind of mask.

I took it all out curiously and opened the album to see it full of photographs of Ouma and people who I had never met before. Some were of them at a cafe, and of them at amusment park. Overall just seemed to be a big collection of everyday fun that this group seemed to have. It didn't seem that long ago these were even taken.

Ah right, they said he was part of a group called DICE. Otome must have been apart of it.

I looked at the photos curiously seeing Ouma's happy face. It was strange...I kept flipping through but all I did was see the photos of what I can assume to be all ten missing classmates and Ouma but nothing to clue in on what happened.

Their also seemed to be a diary but...I wouldn't stoop to that level.

I found myself looking at the mask puzzled, why would they have a mask in here? That seems weird...

I shook it off before marking what I had found in a notebook and put everything back how I had found it before searching the other desks.

Most of what I found were similar things, strange masks and what looked to be things to prank people with. I guess they were pranksters...

I finally then came to the one next to Ouma's which was the last one to investigate.

Well time to see...

Inside was a mask, a diary, and a marking on the top. Huh? A marking? I looked closer to see what was drawn onto the wood.

C- -AS-  J-N X K-- K-- HI O-M-

Some of the letters seem to be missing....it seems to have faded...

*BANG*

I turned around to see Kiibo there angry "you shouldn't have opened those desks Saihara"