June, 1982.

Satoshi Houjou disappeared several days after the Watanagashi festival.

There were three possible reasons for his disappearance.

One possibility is that it was an accident.

Dead bodies sometimes end up in irrigation channels a few months after hit-and-run incidents.

But since the police did a thorough search of the area and hadn't found his body, this possibility seems small.

The second possibility is a self-motivated disappearance.

Satoshi-kun has been living in dire circumstances.

His close friends actually heard him imply he might run away.

The police thought he skipped town after killing his aunt.

That seemed plausible, considering that aspect.

But the police arrested another person for the murder, so this hypothesis must also be considered false.

The last possibility is that he was involved in the series of mysterious deaths in Hinamizawa.

It's also called the curse of Oyashiro-sama.\nHe fell victim to it, and disappeared.

Unless Oyashiro-sama's occult power is actually verified, this curse must be the act of humans.

It's only natural to assume that Satoshi-kun was made to disappear by someone's will.

So, the question is, whose?

The possibilities are quite limited.

The culprit is either a member of the Sonozaki family, a member of the Three Families, or one of their many relatives.

......The police can assume that easily.

I need to think beyond that.

Who did it? How did it happen? And why did it have to be done?

Why did Satoshi-kun fall victim?

What was the motive?

Who gave out that order?

Who actually did it?

The mastermind, the culprit, and the truth...

All are in reach of my grasp.

Maybe I'll find them right behind my back.

But even so, I can't reach everywhere.

There are parts of my back I have to make an effort to reach, clenching my teeth and cracking my joints so that the tips of my fingers can barely touch them.

The truth is hidden in places like those.

I'm writing this because......

...I need to organize my thoughts and memories.

Nobody will read it other than myself.

But if somebody does...

...That means that either I threw these notes away because I no longer needed them,

or I fell victim to the curse of Oyashiro-sama in the middle of my attempt to solve the mystery.

If it was the former, that's okay.

...But if it was the latter...

Please.

I want you to help me.

Please help this powerless young girl.