Requiem: 04/07/2021, 15:11 Kazami hurried on home after getting off of work.  ♪ BGM: Loyalist / Theme of Tachibana ♫ Tomorrow was Nagisa's first day of elementary school. So Kazami wanted to have a fun day with her sister before then and make sure she was ready for tomorrow.  (I'd like to take the day off tomorrow so we can celebrate her first day. Oh, it'd be nice to invite Jun over too while I'm at it...)The moment that thought crossed her mind-- A fire truck's sirens screeched as it sped past Kazami. (...? Did something happen...?)She suddenly felt uneasy. Kazami looked towards the skies above her destination, and then noticed it-- --A line of smoke rising from the direction of the apartment complex where she and Nagisa lived. Huh...!?Kazami instinctively broke into a dash. She felt like she could hear Nagisa calling for help. And the sight that awaited her was--  ♪ BGM: Approaching Death ♫ --the partially collapsed apartment complex engulfed in a wall of smoke. Aah, aaah, aaaaaah... This can't be! No! What is this...!?She couldn't believe her eyes. Firefighters ran around while onlookers gathered around and started making a ruckus. Onlooker 1: Oh my God! What the hell happened here!? Onlooker 2: It was a gas explosion! Boy, I feel sorry for anyone still in there... Just as they said, the third floor-- the one where the Tachibanas lived-- was collapsing. Aah, aaah... Nagisa, Nagisa...!Kazami staggered towards the apartment complex.  Debris fell from the ceiling with each step she took. Ignoring it, Kazami headed straight for the staircase leading to the third floor, ???: Hey, what are you doing!? only to be stopped by a voice from downstairs. !? Wh-who are you...? I'm a rescue worker. I'm here to rescue those trapped here. Do you have family here? Y-yes, my little sister! Please save her! She's in Room 303--! We were actually heading there ourselves just now. Don't worry, I swear we'll save your sister! But it's dangerous for you here, so please wait outside. O... okay!She felt she could trust the man from the calm voice he spoke with. She reluctantly nodded and headed out of the apartment complex.  He also brought out Jun, who had also been in the apartment and got caught in the explosion as well. The two girls were taken to the hospital in an ambulance, with Kazami not far behind.  ♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫ A medical exam revealed that Nagisa had been struck in the head during the explosion and was suffering from severe blood loss. Kazami spent an entire sleepless day in front of the ICU, praying for the moment she could see Nagisa safe and sound. Then in the middle of the night on April 8-- The doctor in charge of Nagisa's treatment exited the ICU. Doctor! How's Nagisa!? How's my sister!?The doctor's expression grew grave at Kazami's cries. Doctor: It pains me to inform you of this, but...! --...!Kazami heard her entire world shatter at that moment. --She didn't remember much of what happened after that. She couldn't accept the fact that she lost Nagisa... The loss even temporarily robbed her of her mental stability.  ♪ BGM: Abyss ♫ Nagisa... hey, where are you...? It's almost time to eat... let's go home. You know, home? Back at the Rokumei Municipal Apartment Complex...Kazami wandered the city in search of her long gone sister and her long gone home. None of it felt real to her. It was like it had all happened in a dream. The days blurred into one another. Kazami was staying at a temporary home provided by the union that managed her apartment complex. It seemed like someone had tried to visit her on multiple occasions, but even that felt uncertain to her. It was probably a representative from the union coming to apologize to her. She thought she heard a voice apologizing to her over and over again. But none of that mattered to her. She turned away all visitors. All that waited for her after walking through the city every day was a trip back to that temporary home. That was her new life. She didn't work. She barely ate-- All she did day after day was continue to search for what she had lost.  One day, she came across Jun after visiting that park for the first time in a while.  When she asked Jun that, the girl started shouting with tears in her eyes.  That's enough! That's enough, Kazami! You'll never find her no matter how much you look...! 'Cause no matter where you look, Nagisa's already gone! Wha... what are you talking about...? Nagisa's dead! She got hit in the head in that explosion back then!--For a moment, Kazami didn't understand what she'd just heard. But those words pierced through her heart-- And parted the fog that had been clouding her head. (Ah...) ♪ BGM: Memento Mori ♫ She recalled a memory that had been shut away in her clouded mind. --A small funeral home on the outskirts of town. The chanting of sutras. Jun, who had come despite the lack of many other attendees. The rescue workers who saved Nagisa looking at Kazami with utter guilt and condolences. And Nagisa, resting in her casket-- ...She couldn't tell how many days had passed since then. The events of that day slowly began to fill her mind.  So she's... dead, huh...?Kazami finally accepted reality. It then hit her again just how valuable what she lost was. --She was finally all alone. She lost her only sister, after ages of the two of them living by themselves. How was she supposed to live now without Nagisa in her life? When Kazami thought that-- Jun suddenly spoke up as if she had come to a decision. I won't leave you alone. 'Cause I'll be your little sister-- since Nagisa no longer can. Huh...? I know I'm nothing like her and that I'm not cute at all... but I'll be your little sister, Sis. So... So that's why... Jun... you...It was when she heard those words that Kazami realized something. She wasn't the only one grieving. Jun was also mourning the death of Nagisa. And Kazami had spent the last few weeks only adding to that poor girl's sorrow. (... I'm not alone... I have Jun with me too. We both share the same sorrow...)Jun, a stranger of tender years, had treated her with kindness-- The same kindness that Nagisa had possessed. Kazami gently embraced Jun and spoke. ...Thank you. ♪ BGM: Loyalist / Theme of Tachibana ♫ Her room was probably a total mess. She had gone through each day in a daze not even realizing it. (I should clean up first once I get back...) She then walked up to her door with that thought in mind-- But then stopped. ...?She noticed an envelope sticking out of her mail box. She took it out to find it the sender was ''Rokumei City Fire Department''. What's this about...?Kazami gently opened the envelope. In it was a tiny, crumpled up box, and a letter. The letter, written in very rough handwriting, read as such:    Huh? Huh...?Kazami didn't recognize those names. 'Frequent visits'...? What are they talking about?Now that she thought about it, she thought she'd felt someone visit her house several times and apologize to her while she'd been living in denial. (They were... these firefighters? I turned these people away...!?)Her memories of that time were completely blank. (And what's this something that Nagisa was holding when they rescued her...!?)Kazami tried to restrain her confusion and looked at the box in the envelope. It was a small box with a ribbon tied around it. It looked like a gift box. Kazami gently untied the ribbon and opened the box--  ...!?The necklace appeared to be a locket-- one that could house a photograph. There was another small letter enclosed. This letter, written in Nagisa's handwriting, read as such:  ...Aaah... Aah, aaah, aaaaaah...Sobs burst from Kazami's throat the moment she saw the letter. The tears that had never come after Nagisa's death were suddenly all rushing out of her at once. Aaaaaaaaah! Waaaaaggh!!Kazami weeped bitterly, not caring if she was attracting others' attention. Nagisa... Nagisaaaaa!With each hoarse scream she let out, the words Nagisa had written soaked into her soul more and more. Memories of the days she'd spent with her sister flashed through her brain and disappeared just as quickly. Kazami just stayed there crying for what felt like forever, all while clutching Nagisa's gift. Before long, those tears dried up-- And Kazami made up her mind. (... I'll live... for both myself, and for Nagisa...)That was the only thing she could do for her. Kazami's decision filled her heart with hope.  If she'd gotten home sooner that day, she might have been able to save Nagisa. Before she knew it, Kazami became completely obsessed with that idea. (... Just living for Nagisa's sake isn't enough... There must be something I can use my life for. So that nobody else has to lose someone like I lost Nagisa...!)It wasn't long before Kazami took that train of thought to its conclusion and decided on her own path in life.  ♪ BGM: Family and Friends ♫ Kazami told Jun of her decision the next time she saw her. But why? This is so sudden... No, it isn't. I've thought everything through, and this is the conclusion I reached. What about your job at the flower shop? I liked that job... but I'll quit it and join firefighting school.She didn't have to worry about living expenses for the time being since she had received a great deal of compensation money from the apartment complex management union. But Jun stared at Kazami after a brief silence, then spoke. Hey, Sis... Uh, is this-- is this about what happened to Nagisa? That's... If it is, then I'm against you becoming a firefighter. Why? 'Cause you're being unbelievably reckless, that's why. ...!Jun's words did hold a ring of truth to them. Kazami hadn't been able to save Nagisa back then. It was probably presumptuous of her to think that she possibly could have saved her if she'd been there. But despite that-- Kazami wanted to save many lives in the future to atone for that. I understand your concerns. But the answer's no. I won't change my mind. Wh-why? Well, why indeed...?Kazami smiled gently. All while thinking Nagisa would have supported her if she were there--
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| ← # ? May 18, 2017 15:05 |
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