Ishida, I'm so glad you're here.
College students prefer condos and apartments nowadays.
I was worried no one would want to stay at a boarding house like this.
It's so clean.
That's because my only daughter, Shinobu, was living here.
What? I hope she didn't leave because of me.
Not at all.
This room was for boarding students before that, so you needn't worry.
I trust you don't mind having breakfast and dinner downstairs with us?
That will be fine.
Also, I go to work during the week, so dinner may be late sometimes.
I don't mind.
My things arrive tomorrow.
Very good.
Thank you very much.
You're welcome.
ALLEY
I'm going to take a walk.
All right, be careful.
That's a really high wall.
Ishida? Dinner! Please come down.
May I join you?
Ishida, you sit there.
Thank you.
Shinobu, say hello to Mr. Ishida.
It's nice to meet you.
It's nice to meet you too.
Are you in high school, Shinobu?
She's 14 and in middle school.
Oh, I see.
Ishida, don't be shy. Eat as much as you want.
Thank you.
Now, let's eat.
HELL OF THORNS
Cut it out.
That's not fair, Hiroshi.
What's with the noise so late?
Hiroshi, wait!
Don't come over here!
Hey, quiet down!
Catch me if you can!
Damn it.
-Don't. -That's too fast.
I said don't! Over here!
Hey!
That was close.
Hey! Shut--
Excuse me.
Shall I help you?
Oh, Shinobu.
You startled me.
I don't have much. I'll be fine.
THOUGHTS OF A MONOLITH THE BARD'S FATE
Thank you.
This bookcase used to be mine.
Oh, is that so?
By the way, something strange happened last night.
I heard children playing outside.
I thought it was coming from the alley on the other side of that wall.
But when I looked, there was no one there.
Oh, that?
This area is full of alleys,
so you sometimes hear sounds that seem closer than they are.
I heard them all the time in this room.
It really does sound like they are nearby.
Oh, I see.
Wait, Mr. Ishida. You said you looked, but how?
I hopped onto the wall from that window.
But it was too dark to see anything.
That's dangerous.
Please don't do that again.
Believe me, I won't.
Truth be told, I almost fell.
I won't do it again.
Please don't.
I'm just glad nothing happened.
Life is precious, after all.
That's a bit dramatic.
Shinobu.
Shinobu!
Excuse me.
You're living on the second floor of the Uchiyamas' house, right?
I am, but…
I need to talk to you. You mind?
So then, you…
Yes, ten years ago.
I lived in that room.
What did you want to talk about?
I never wanted to speak of this again.
But I can't hold it in anymore.
Nightmares torment me each night.
You've seen that tall, narrow wall next to the house, I take it?
With the barbed wire?
Right. It seems a murder was committed in there.
A murder?
In a corner of that sealed alley,
there's a steel hatch leading underground.
I found the bodies of three children in there.
Children's bodies?
And on the wall, there were three child-shaped stains.
Those three stains come out of the wall at night
and run around that sealed alley.
I trembled as I watched them from the window each night.
Please. Enough of your sick jokes.
It was just a dream.
I thought it was too.
But the memory is all too real.
Besides, that room doesn't have a window overlooking the alley.
That's absurd. I know there is!
There was a small window.
Try to find it!
You shouldn't play pranks like this.
CAUTION: INTERSECTION CITY OF ECHIZEN
That was a sick joke.
IDIOT. I'LL STAB YOU.
I WANT TO KILL.
DIE OLD MAN. SHUT UP.
DIE. DIE. I DID IT. I DID IT.
It's true!
Shinobu?
So you found the hidden window.
Those bodies down there. Did you…
When I was little,
there were three bullies who acted like they owned that alley.
I locked them in that hole.
After all, this had been my precious playground.
My very own.
About a week after I locked them in,
their figures appeared on the wall.
"Oh, they're dead," I thought.
My father found three bodies when he looked into the hole.
I think he realized what I had done.
That's why he quickly sealed off the alley with a tall wall.
Before long, we didn't have any more boarders.
They'd all get creeped out and leave.
Because at night, those bullies come out of the wall and carry on.
So this became my room.
And the alley again became my private space.
Only I could enter and leave.
After that, I invited over two classmates I hated and killed them.
Then I killed my nagging father.
But they're all so stubborn.
They turned into stains on the wall,
and at night, they come out and hurl curses at me.
They talk about dragging me down there every night.
But I never go down there when it gets dark.
They can never lay a finger on me.
But I used to love watching them in their torment more than anything.
So I was against it when my mom said she'd start renting out that room again.
Mr. Ishida?
He must've passed out.
Rumi.
ART ROOM
Sorry, but you go on ahead. I have to help the teacher.
But it's time to go home.
Shimada, maybe you should go home. Your parents might get worried.
It's fine, Mr. Okabe. My parents are on a trip.
I'm worried about your exhibit. What if you don't finish in time?
I can handle it myself.
There aren't many days left.
As an Art Club member, I want to do what I can to help you.
Thanks, Shimada.
Mr. Okabe, your exhibit is amazing.
I've never seen art like yours.
I mean, sculptures without heads?
My point is that getting rid of the faces gives rise to infinite possibilities.
Art doesn't require a face.
The human face can express such a rich array of emotions.
But look at the faces in famous paintings, old and new.
They usually have no expression or a slight grin.
So I figured, why not get rid of the face?
I mean, it just seems like an afterthought.
What do you mean, Mr. Okabe?
You sound like an artist.
I am an artist.
But sometimes, I do like creating sculptures with heads.
HEADLESS STATUE
Hey, Masami, Sanae. Did something happen?
Rumi, Mr. Okabe was murdered.
What?
A senior found him in the art room this morning.
I heard his head was missing.
His head?
I heard his head was severed,
and only his body was found in the art room.
Shimada, I'm leaving now.
Wait a second.
Don't tell anyone I stayed at school.
Okay, fine. See you later.
Rumi? Rumi, are you okay?
Have you seen Shimada today?
No, I don't think he's here yet.
I see.
DO NOT ENTER
Yes? Who is it?
Shimada, it's me!
Rumi? Is something the matter?
You must've heard about Mr. Okabe.
We just talked to him in the art room yesterday,
and now he's dead.
Do you know anything--
Shimada?
Rumi, do you think I'm the killer?
Of course not. You're acting strange today.
Strange? Love will make anyone act strange.
Rumi, you are so beautiful.
Shimada, what's gotten into you?
I couldn't wait for you to come to art class each day.
Do you realize how fast my heart beats whenever I see you?
Let's take a walk. There's something I can only tell you.
Please, it's so creepy here.
We have no choice.
We need the reference book for tomorrow's English test.
Why would anyone leave it in the art room?
Look.
That's where Mr. Okabe's body was found.
I wonder why he was murdered?
Maybe someone held a grudge against him.
Otherwise, why kill him like that?
Enough already. Hurry up and get the book.
What a barbaric way to kill someone.
I mean, who decapitates people?
And they haven't found the head.
Stop talking about that here!
Hurry up, Masami!
Hang on. I need to find it.
Someone's there.
Mr. Okabe!
Mr. Okabe's alive? Is that really true?
Circumstances led to him hiding in the old school building.
I'll see him tonight.
Now, come with me.
Shimada, where's Mr. Okabe?
He'll be here soon.
Let's wait for him inside.
What's that awful smell?
It's like rotten meat.
Am I imagining it?
Huh? The sculptures are gone!
But why are the pedestals still here?
Why did you lock the door?
What's wrong, Shimada?
Nothing's wrong.
Why do you sound like that?
What about Mr. Okabe? Where is he?
He's been here the whole time.
See?
Behold, the great artist, Mr. Okabe.
Rumi, what a beautiful face you have.
Rumi.
Rumi!
Rumi.
Somebody! Somebody help!
Rumi.
Rumi!
It's a plaster statue?
It won't open!
Look! I said look!
There's another one over there!
What a beautiful face.
I must have it.
No! I'm taking it!
Give it to me.
No!
Give me…
your head.
Subtitle translation by: Jason Franzman
A gaping hole opened up, allowing me to get to the adjacent room.
But the bugs are whispering among themselves.
Now I see!
I've been merely following their instructions this whole time.
I won't be listening to those bugs anymore.
So I squeezed my emaciated body through the hole and leaped out!