In episode 4 of Dark Gathering, we see the characters dealing with a curse and the supernatural. The episode begins with Yayoi revealing that the hair-like substance on Keitaro's hand is actually his nerves, a result of the curse he is under. Yayoi herself was also cursed in the ninth grade, and she believes that killing the spirit behind the curse will free both of them.

Keitaro is conflicted about this. On one hand, he wants to help Eiko, who has been an important support in his life and helped him transition from isolation into the real world. On the other hand, accepting Yayoi's offer means diving deeper into the occult, a world he has tried to distance himself from.

The episode then shifts to a lighter tone: Keitaro, Eiko, and Yayoi prepare for their first day at college. They look forward to this new chapter in their lives, but their day takes an unexpected turn when they attend a lecture on urban legends. The professor introduces a cursed VHS tape that supposedly causes anyone who watches it to die in a fire.

The spirit of the tape appears and targets Keitaro, who is already under a curse. Yayoi devises a plan to force the spirit to watch the video, thereby transferring the curse onto it. The plan involves a high-speed car chase, with Keitaro's arm sticking out the window to extinguish the fires caused by the spirit.

The plan succeeds, though not without some tense moments. The spirit tries to cause a car accident by turning a traffic light red, but they manage to prevent it. After this ordeal, they return to Yayoi's room, where they uncover the origin of the cursed video. It was created by an art student who was bullied so severely that he took his own life. The bully was the first victim of the curse, and his spirit continued the curse after his death.

The episode ends on a hopeful note, with Keitaro and Eiko expressing their desire to face the future together, despite the supernatural challenges they may encounter. They decide to use their experiences to help others struggling with similar curses.