I and Mr. Suzuki, along with five other teachers, headed towards the school’s nearest station. We had been assigned to patrol the station and its surrounding area for one month starting from today. The area around the station was lined with cram schools and preparatory schools, as well as commercial facilities, and our students often wandered around until late at night.
The patrol time was from 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM, a total of 90 minutes, and the five of us had decided our respective areas to cover. I was assigned to patrol the area around the main street.
I patrolled the area on my bicycle, including convenience stores and parks, and I noticed many children, including our school’s students. Some were on their way to cram school, while others were returning from shopping. The city seemed peaceful without any particular incidents.
About an hour had passed since I started patrolling when I suddenly felt thirsty. I was debating whether to endure it or not when I luckily spotted a convenience store.
As I stopped my bicycle at the bike parking space and was about to enter the convenience store, I saw one of our school’s students coming out with a shopping bag from the register.
“Oh, teacher! What are you doing here?” she greeted me with a cheerful smile.
“Just patrolling, just patrolling. Making sure no one misbehaves,” I replied.
“I see. Please be careful, teacher,” she said.
“Ah, thank you. Take care on your way home too, and make sure not to walk and use your smartphone at the same time,” I cautioned.
“Yes, sir!” she replied.
I couldn’t remember her name, but she was a student I often saw around school. I think she was a first-year student. I waved goodbye to her until her back disappeared from sight, then I went into the convenience store and bought a can of black coffee.
As I exited the convenience store and sipped on my coffee, I saw a high school girl in the uniform of another school cycling slowly in front of me. She had headphones on, probably listening to music. I only caught a glimpse of her, so I wasn’t very sure, but I had a feeling she was using her smartphone while cycling.
“It’s dangerous to use a smartphone while riding a bicycle,” I wanted to caution her, but hesitated.
Using a smartphone while cycling is a reckless behavior. Plus, she had headphones on, so she might not be able to hear the sounds around her very well. It was too risky.
If she had been a student from my school, I would have immediately given her a warning. However, she was from a different school.
It was embarrassing to admit, but I had never reprimanded students from other schools before. So I found myself swallowing my words, thinking about how the other person might react if I did.
But then, another thought crossed my mind: “What if someone gets injured because I didn’t say anything?” I realized how cowardly I was being. It was unacceptable for someone to get hurt because of my inaction.
I chugged the remaining coffee in one gulp and tossed the can into a trash bin. Then, I straddled my bicycle, determined to catch up to the girl who was riding her bike while looking at her smartphone.
The distance between us was only about 15 meters. I decided to approach her closely and call out to her. I was about to start pedaling when it happened.
“Good evening, Mr. Miyata.”
Suddenly, someone called out to me from behind.
At a time like this, who could it be? I stopped my feet and turned around, only to see the elderly man with white hair standing there. It was the man in the black suit whom I had spoken to at the school gate in the evening.
“Good evening, teacher. Are you on patrol?” He said.
“Yes, that’s right. We’ve been having incidents involving suspicious individuals, so I’m doing patrols.”
“I see. You’re quite dedicated to your work.”
The man nodded with a smile as if impressed.
“Oh, it’s nothing really. I’m sorry for interrupting our conversation, but I need to go and caution someone who was riding a bicycle while looking at their smartphone. Well then…”
Feeling apologetic for cutting our conversation short, I turned my gaze forward and tried to pedal my bike again.
However, for some reason, my legs wouldn’t move.
I applied force, but I couldn’t pedal the bike. Not just my legs, my hands couldn’t let go of the handlebars either. What’s going on? Why can’t I move? Unexpected events were happening faster than my mind could process.
“Teacher, your concern for your students and your dedication to your work are truly admirable. I sincerely respect you. However, I am currently in a bit of a predicament.”
The man who was supposed to be behind me had suddenly appeared right in front of my bicycle. How? When did he move? What’s with this guy?
“…What do you mean by ‘predicament’?”
As I said this, I started to break out in a cold sweat down my back.
“Just like how you watch over the growth of the children, I am also watching over someone’s growth.”
“Watching over? I don’t see how that has anything to do with me.”
I wanted to get away from this man as soon as possible. Yet, my body wouldn’t listen to me at all. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t break free. I started to panic gradually.
“Hehehe, unfortunately, there is something that I am watching over. Something that you and others often refer to as ‘gossip’.”
The man laughed gleefully, but his eyes were not smiling at all.
“What do you mean by ‘gossip’?”
“Teacher, you must have heard of the story called ‘The Patrol Man’ before.”
As the story unfolded, I began to feel increasingly irritated. What is this man talking about?
“Yes, so what about it?”
“Currently, the story of ‘The Patrol Man’ has started to gain its own consciousness.”
I couldn’t understand what this man was talking about. The story gaining consciousness? What is he saying? This man is not normal.
“What are you talking about?”
“It all started with a post on a man’s SNS (social media platform). The content, which was posted on a whim, gradually spread and gained traction through word of mouth. As a result, now the story is recognized nationwide!”
The man smiled happily, saying, “Well, isn’t that wonderful?” But his eyes remained dark.
“So, what are you trying to say?”
“A story gains power in proportion to the number of people who believe in it, even if it’s a made-up story. Especially stories with great power tend to become ‘true stories.’ You understand what I’m saying, right?”
The man directed a wide smile at me.
Ah, this time he’s smiling from the bottom of his heart. But his smiling face with gleaming black eyes looked ominous.
I had a vague understanding of what this man was trying to convey. However, it was too unrealistic and it sent shivers down my spine.
The story of the Patrol Man, born as a made-up story, is causing incidents to become a true story. That must be what’s happening.
Normally, I would have brushed it off with a laugh. But for some reason, I couldn’t help but feel that what this man was saying was true.
“Do you mean to tell me not to warn people about walking and using smartphones at the same time?”
“It’s nice to talk to someone who catches on quickly. Yes, exactly.”
The man muttered “Bingo” in a small voice and chuckled to himself. Then he began speaking excitedly again.
“The story of the Patrol Man has now started thinking and moving on its own. It’s considering how to make a lasting impression on people.”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t you understand? It’s not just about pushing people who walk and use smartphones anymore. That stage is over.”
The man and I were happily talking, and for some reason, no one had passed by on the street since a while ago. There were no cars passing by, and the street lamp illuminated only the man and me.
“Look! Please look at that!”
The man suddenly ran up to me like an excited child and pointed ahead. I could see a high school girl on a bicycle, who had passed in front of me a while ago, waiting at a traffic light in the distance. I was relieved that she was obeying the traffic signal.
That’s what I thought in the next moment.
I saw the high school girl and her bicycle being hit by a car.
“What…?! Huh? Why?”
“I told you, didn’t I? The story of the patrolman doesn’t just involve pushing people who walk while looking at their smartphones. The story itself creates rules, and if you are deemed to have violated those rules, you will be attacked,” said the man, sounding incredulous as he looked ahead.
“The story itself creates rules, and if you are deemed to have violated those rules, you will be attacked.”
The man grinned and slowly moved in front of my bicycle.
“That’sā¦ That’s so unfair!”
“Whether it’s unfair or not doesn’t matter. After all, the other party is a story, you know? Our convenience or thoughts don’t matter. The very existence of the story is beyond human common sense,” the man chuckled. I realized that he was mocking me, but I didn’t care anymore.
“Did you know that girl was going to be attacked?”
“Yes, I’ve been watching the growth of this story. But I didn’t expect her to be pushed with the bicycle. It’s always delightful to see growth that exceeds imagination, isn’t it, Teacher?”
As I saw the man, his face beaming with joy, seeking my agreement, something snapped in my head.
“Stop joking! Did you hold me back because you knew that girl would be attacked? You’re a lunatic. There’s no way you and I can have the same feelings as someone who watches over students. I can’t understand your way of thinking!”
As soon as I finished yelling, the man’s smile vanished from his face. It turned into a cold, porcelain-like expression, and as he stared at me with that icy look, I felt goosebumps all over my body.
“I see. I thought we could understand each other, but it’s a pity. But it’s fine even if you don’t understand. As long as you don’t get in the way,” he said.
“Get in the way? You’re damn right I’ll stop you! I don’t care about your intentions. I will patrol and prevent any further harm to anyone!” I managed to say, holding back my trembling voice.
“I see. Understood. But how do you plan to stop me when you can’t even move right now with my power? I’m curious to see how you’ll act. I’ll be cheering for you. Well then, goodbye,” he said with a sarcastic smile, and suddenly disappeared from right in front of me without a sound, in an instant.
As soon as the man disappeared, I regained control of my body. I rode my bicycle quickly towards the scene of the accident.
I couldn’t save her.
I couldn’t save her. If only I had been able to move… My heart felt like it was going to burst with remorse.
By the time I arrived, a large crowd had already gathered at the scene of the accident. It seemed like someone had already called an ambulance.
I swore that I would never let anyone else get hurt. When I saw the high school girl lying there, I made up my mind. I would put an end to this ridiculous urban legend. I didn’t know how, but I would stop it by any means necessary.
And so, my battle against the urban legend began…
Two weeks had passed since the teachers started patrolling.
It was raining since morning, and the sky was covered with heavy clouds. Despite it still being morning, it was so dark that it was hard to tell what time it was. In a corner of the corridor, a little away from the teachers’ office, the Vice Headmaster was gazing out of the window at the dim landscape.
“Um, Vice Headmaster…”
The Vice Headmaster turned around as he was called from behind, and saw the worried expression on the face of Suzuki, the PE teacher.
“Um, how is Mr. Miyata doing? You visited him at the hospital yesterday, right?”
“Yes, I went to see him. He seems quite tired. I told him to take a rest for a while.”
The Vice Headmaster responded with an awkward smile.
“I see… Well, is there anything I can do? Mr. Miyata has been very kind to me, and I want to help him in any way I can.”
The Vice Headmaster, who was met with a sincere gaze from Suzuki, inadvertently looked away.
“Well, for now, let’s just leave him be. There’s nothing we can do about it.”
“But still, there must be something…”
Mr. Suzuki had a dissatisfied look on his face, but the Vice Headmaster nodded silently.
“To respond in a way that he can rest assured, and to welcome him back properly when he returns. Isn’t that what we can do now?”
“Well, yes, I understand. I apologize,” Suzuki said.
Mr. Suzuki understood what the Vice Headmaster had told him in his head. However, he couldn’t seem to sort out his emotions, and his steps towards the next class were heavy, his back hunched.
After seeing off Mr. Suzuki, the Vice Headmaster sighed.
“There’s no way I can say it…” he muttered in a small voice as he looked out the window.
For the past five days since he started his patrols, the Vice Headmaster has witnessed students getting into traffic accidents up close. It was clear that Mr. Miyata had been doing everything in his power to help, although he didn’t talk about it in detail. But he couldn’t save a single life.
The Vice Headmaster was bothered by the fact that he had encountered accident scenes five days in a row by chance. What was even more troubling was that in each accident, the testimonies of the witnesses seemed strange.
“I should have been alone, but it looked like I was pushed from behind.”
This inexplicable testimony from witnesses in every accident further troubled the Vice Headmaster.
Mr. Miyata, who had encountered the accident on the fifth day, had a breakdown on the spot and collapsed. He then lost consciousness.
He remained unconscious for over a week, but yesterday the hospital contacted the Vice Headmaster to inform him that Mr. Miyata had finally regained consciousness. So he went to visit him.
When the Vice Headmaster saw Mr. Miyata in the hospital room, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Mr. Miyata’s appearance had changed drastically.
His hair was completely white and had fallen out considerably. His cheeks were sunken, his eyes vacant, and his gaze wandered aimlessly towards the sky.
No matter how many times the Vice Headmaster called out to Mr. Miyata, there was no response. Instead, the latter repeatedly muttered in a low voice.
“I won’t forgive the Patrolman.”
The Vice Headmaster knew that Mr. Miyata’s recovery was hopeless, and that his mind had completely shattered.
The Vice Headmaster understood that the urban legend of the “Patrolman” was deeply involved in this incident, that Mr. Miyata had witnessed the truth. However, Vice Headmaster found himself unable to do anything.
If the perpetrator was a human, anyone could come up with some kind of solution. But what if the opponent was truly not a human being?
The Vice Headmaster understood that this was not something that the school could handle and of course, the police would be of no use either.
The Vice Headmaster knew that continuing the patrols, even now, was pointless. He understood that, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop.
“There’s no way to deal with an entity that can’t be dealt with, even with patrols,” Would anyone believe him if he explained it like this? Even if they did, he couldn’t find an answer to what should be done next, no matter how much he thought about it.
“What should I do…?”
The Vice Headmaster’s murmurs in the dim hallway, as he gazed outside, were drowned out by the sound of rain.
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