Dec 21, 2022
Well ... that escalated quickly 😬
So Hotaru actually was the monster/posessed! And Mayu stepped in to save Noriko from her stab, actually disproving the whole point of all of them being egoistic assholes that only think of themselves.
Hopefully this selfless act will be enough to soften Misaki's heart and demonstrate her that not everyone is the way she believes they are. But if I'm honest, I doubt it ... in the best case this will be one nail in the coffin, but not the last one.
But did I really remember that wrong ...? I always thought that BOTH Hotaru and Kazuya were from one year above and all of them knew them. That Hotaru was not known to any of them is new to me. Seems like that went completely above my head. I remember one name being crossed off, but I seem to have completely suppressed this fact. Well ... I sort of got it last minute across a few detours 😂
And it's really interesting that they all simply believe the thing that only one person can flee through the door. They don't know where Mei has this information from, but DEFINITLY not from trying it. She told them that their group fought and it's almost certain that they fought about exactly this. In other words, they didn't make it to the exit. It might as well be that this information is completely wrong and just meant to raise conflict. Maybe they all can pass through without any problem. I mean what prevents them from passing through the door exactly at the same time? 😅
But well ... I don't think you have a thing for arguments like these, since you present it as a universal ground truth. So I think that it is actually true (more to my predictions for the ending at the bottom). Maybe just hang a lampshade for this to not make it stand all alone 😉
And maybe about Hotaru being possessed or turned into a monster ... I don't think that Misaki has entered her or anything like that. Hotaru - while definitely not being herself - talks about Misaki in third person. Yes, she states that "[the center of this curse - obviously Misaki - is] now within me", but I would rather understand this as something different. Like Misaki's grudge was just a seed that was sown from her heart and the school with all its traps and creatures grew from it. And it was also planted in all of the monsters hearts, overriding their real personality. The "real" Misaki is probably still roaming around in the form she came from the book.
Okay, so finally for my predictions. I received a lot information in the last chapters and I feel ready to try and predict how it might end. I have to say that a lot of this is a gut feeling mixed with a bit of educated guessing (as every theory). So there are a few conditions tied to a the points and they are most likely not all true:
1. Mayu dies (or at least gets left behind dying): Yes! Yes I said it! It's a stretch to say this already, but her whole character setup leads down this inevitable road. By now you haven't killed a character from the inner and most beloved circle, consisting of Hideki (obviously), Ayase (even more obviously) and Mayu, since they all had a strong connection to Hideki. All characters that died until now were sympathetic and had their own moments, but the plot armor was hard around this inner circle. So I would guess that for a dramatic ending you might let Mayu die. After all she "lost the fight" about Hideki against Ayase and all the others that died had some kind of tragic layer to them as well. You also stated that you didn't initially plan to disclose the information about her feelings towards Hideki. This hints to the fact that you are aware about the subtly tragic undertone of her whole character and the things this knowledge implied. It might as well be a thing you planned to disclose in a possible interlude for Mayu. Any lastly, a heroic death to protect her friends would really suit Mayu's character. In my eyes the only reason for her survival would be you not having the guts to kill her 😉😋
I'm really, really certain that you at least considered it! And I'm also aware that this setup of leaving the ending of a possible character's death open was most times resolved in the character's survival in the next chapter, but we'll see if I'm off the mark completely here 😂
2. Noriko is the one person to step through the door, while Hideki and Ayase stay back in order to "die together" or maybe fight until their deaths: I guess this just makes the most sense. I'm certain that they would have a little fight over it, wanting the other to survive, but ultimately it's the only combination possible (provided Mayu dies beforehand). They could as well defeat Misaki, making the whole school dissipate into it's original form and saving them but that would defy the whole need for finding the keys and feel a bit too obvious, so I don't know - it's a possibility at least ... OOOR the door only letting one of them escape is nothing but a Hoax from Misaki to wear down the group and they all can simply leave 😅
3. After Noriko left, Ayase and Hideki face their fate together, but ...: In the end, they finally accept that they are not going to leave this school. Misaki is triumphant, but before the timer runs out, Hideki talks with her.
4. Misaki gets proselyted: After all, she has never been the real bad guy but only a deeply scarred girl that experienced a lot of pain during her way too short life. You seem to be very eager, not letting us look into your cards regarding her own accountability for this whole situation. You try to display her as the bad guy, while not actually blaming her for any of the horrible things that happen because of her. Like trying to keep her hands clean to prepare a later change of her mind. In classical haunted house stories, this would obviously not happen. There the ghost gets killed/exorcised as the bad guy and the curse is lifted instantly. And to be fair: You're holding this door open for you, but I hope it is just for a plot twist of NOT entering this door but another one that is right next to it. Afterall I'm sure you can do better than that 😉
5. The curse gets lifted: With Misaki's mind changed, she actually sees that she has been wrong and is finally redeemed, ultimately dissolving into the afterlife together with the school and all the people it held back from finding their eternal peace.
But hey, that would be just my guess/gut feeling. Perhaps I'm far off the mark once again ... we'll see 😅
Sorry for the long comment, here is a Donut 🍩
