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 Content warning for usage of a gun.VIDEO: Himatsubushi-hen | Day 3 Part 2 BGM: Gear | Gear (Radiata Alice Version)  For your everyday city boy like me, I just couldn't understand why anybody would force themselves to live here. There were signs that people had, but they were all covered in dust or enveloped in ivy, indicating that it was all abandoned.  "...People really lived in a place like this, didn't they."  “If there's nobody left to take the reins, all that gets left is this."Even if I had no personal attachment to the village, seeing the disused buildings made me feel a little sentimental. It seemed that Ooishi also felt the same way.  "Yeah, there's some villagers who have a field out in the mountains here. They pass by here in the morning and evenings." "The villagers who work in the fields walk by here every day?" "No way. They probably go as far as they can by car." "So in the early mornings and evenings, they pass by here, and just happened to find a single wallet?" "...They probably did. Na ha ha ha!" "...Where exactly did they say they found it?" "In a thicket just a bit further ahead. The person who found the wallet just happened to have some stomach cramps, and was planning to use the thicket to do his business, it seems.” “It was there he happened to find it. Probably hoping there was some toilet paper in there. Nfu fu fu fu!" I expressed the feeling that I had from the start of the day quite frankly. It seemed too good to be true, but it was unwavering proof. But it was too perfect.. sickeningly so. That was my feeling. "You might actually be on to something by saying it's all a little too perfect." "...Meaning?" "The truth is, I heard a little something from a friend of mine in the 4th Division. Where Oryou Sonozaki referenced the kidnapping of the Minister's grandson." "She referenced it?" “And, that little musing was conveyed to the various people working deep behind the scenes at the Sonozaki family."Right, I had heard something earlier from Sato-san, the informant. That when the leader Oryou had a 'concern', somebody in the family would be 'considerate'.  "I see it that way. The wallet being conveniently discovered was just a ploy to hand the boy over to the police." "...Why would they release the hostage?" "Na ha ha ha! Well, there's only one reason why somebody would release a hostage, isn't there?" "What is it?" "They reached a deal. That would mean the Minister promised to halt the Hinamizawa Dam Project." At that moment, those words that the girl had said resurfaced in the back of my mind. ...In the end, it was turning out exactly as she had proclaimed. That young girl knew the circumstances. She knew everything about this kidnapping incident, from the beginning to the end. BGM: Silence  The girl unexpectedly called my name. "...What is it?" "...Go back to Tokyo."Huh...? "...Before long, you will woefully regret coming to this village. That would be an incredibly pathetic thing to see. ...So I thought I'd warn you right now." "...Why...would I come to regret it?" "...Stop whining. ...When you tried crossing the road when the Don't Walk sign was up, did your parents finish explaining why it was dangerous before pulling you back to the sidewalk?” “They'd pull you back right away, wouldn't they? They'd pull you back before explaining why it was dangerous, wouldn't they? ...In other words, it's something like that."..The girl, who knew everything from start to finish, had warned me in the beginning. Go back to Tokyo.  "...Akasaka is such a coward. ...Tee hee hee hee hee...!"SFX: Cars   What I had said was such a non sequitur that Ooishi sat in stunned silence for a while. "...Of course I know her. She's the only daughter of the Furude family, one of the Three Families." "What kind of girl is she?" "...Well well. This was an unexpected name to hear. I'm a bit surprised. Does Public Safety think that the Furude family smells fishy and wants to keep an eye on them? Share some of that information with me, please." "Ah... no. It's not like that. ...It's just... something that caught my attention." "....Hmmm? Na ha ha ha, well whatever. It wouldn't do to not answer a question from a friend I've sat at the same table with." "...I'm honored that you call me a friend." "Nfu fu! So, that little lady is, well, somewhat of a village mascot. She's beloved by everybody in the village. Some of the older folk worship her especially." "Worship?" "Hmmm, I don't know much about it, you see. Girls born in the Furude family have somewhat of a sacred implication, it seems. It's one of the local beliefs in Hinamizawa.  "Oyashiro-sama...? ...Now that you mention it, I think I saw 'Oyashiro-sama' written on some of the Alliance's banners. ...What is Oyashiro-sama, exactly?" "Ahh, it's the name of the guardian deity of Hinamizawa. They believe it'll exact punishment on those who would do ill towards the village. Well, if there was such a convenient god around, the guys at the dam would have long since been done in by divine justice. Luckily, nothing like that has happened to anybody just yet." "The grandson of the Minister who trifled with the village, as a result of Oyashiro-sama's anger, was... hmm... what did they call it again? Oh, right. 'Onikakushi'. The Minister's grandson was demoned away. ...That would probably be how the script is being written." "Na ha ha ha! I see. It probably would turn into something like that." "Na ha ha ha ha ha!"Even I didn't know exactly what I was saying, the fact that Ooishi laughed it off was a bit of a relief. Ooishi's joyous laughter was so infectious that I began to laugh like an idiot as well.  Ooishi, after laying into the horn several times, rolled the window down and leaned out, waving his arm in an exaggerated manner.  Until now, we hadn't run into any other cars except our own. And of all places, it was at this desolate location. It seemed that Ooishi knew the owner of that car. The other car also chirped its horn, and came to a stop.  The other car's window rolled down slowly, revealing a young man in a white overcoat. He was about my age, or perhaps a bit older. ...But you really can't judge somebody by their appearance.  "Why, if it isn't Ooishi-san. Good afternoon. ...Ha haha, fancy meeting you here." "That's my line, doctor. I never thought I'd see you here, nfu fu fu! What happened?" "Oh nothing, just a little house call." "..Oh, really? Was it an emergency?" "No... nothing quite that serious. Thankfully." It’s always for the best when the patient gets better without the need of medical care. Nfufufu...!" "Nahaha! Being the head of a clinic must be tough. Well then, take care!"The young doctor named Irie, after gesturing his farewell, drove forwards and soon disappeared around a corner.  He pulled out a worn mapbook from the dash. His expression didn't have an ounce of irreverence; he was perfectly serious. "...What is it?"BGM: Doukutsu (Cave) "The clinic shouldn't be making any house calls today. It must have been quite an emergency, or otherwise a patient with some extenuating circumstances."Ooishi flipped through the pages, opening up to the map of Takatsudo. After that, he took a look around and started to figure out what our current location was.  "Didn't I say? There's hardly anybody that lives in the Takatsudo area. ...The road we're on right now is here. Dr. Irie came from this direction." "..."Having no sense of our surroundings, I couldn't digest anything about the place he was indicating on the map.  "We're heading towards the spot where the wallet was found. By the way, that's over here. But see? If you're heading to one of the few residences in Takatsudo, it's the wrong road." "...Meaning, Dr. Irie came from a direction where there are no residents?" "As long as somebody working in the fields between these mountains didn't collapse. But if somebody collapses and you call a doctor, normally you'd bring them back with you for a more detailed examination." Ooishi didn't say any more than that. I also said nothing more. That doctor just now, examined a patient. Close by. Only that. The noisy radio had suddenly gone quiet. The sky had just as suddenly turned an oppressive color. ...As Ooishi mused that it might start to rain, a torrential downpour started, as though trying not to disappoint him. SFX: Rain  The only sounds to break the silence were the percussion of the rain on the roof and the soft squeak of the windshield wipers. "...Let's do this a bit hush-hush, shall we?"Saying that in a quiet voice, he exited the car without an umbrella, careful not to make any noise. BGM: Silence Ooishi leaned over, indicating the other side of the thicket. He was pointing to a prefabricated shed and a car that was parked beside it. The car looked obviously well-cared-for--it wasn't a vehicle that had been left there for several years. "...What's that shed?" "It contains equipment used by the forestry service. I heard that they don't go near it except during the summertime." "Does that car belong to somebody from the forestry service, then?" "Dunno. It doesn't look like an official vehicle though."Ooishi was playing it cool, but my nervousness was gradually increasing.  Saying that, Ooishi returned to the car. I thought he was going to get an umbrella, but he had grabbed the onboard radio instead. "Hello, this is Ooishi. Do you read? Greetings, greetings, nfu fu." "Yes, this is the Okinomiya SP. Ooishi-san, we read you loud and clear, over." "I'm currently in front of the forestry service's equipment shed. Not the one in the direction of Yagouchi, the one in Takatsudo, if you head there from Hinamizawa." "...Affirmative, copy that." "There's some suspicious people in the shed. Proceeding to investigate. If you don't hear back from me in five minutes, get in touch with the local police substation and have them send a cruiser as soon as possible. If you would, please." "Understood." - - -  So he just thought the far-off sound was more of the same. However, the reaction from his captors was, until now, something he hadn't seen before. They jumped, reacting as if shocked by a jolt of electricity, and pressed against the window, cautiously peering outside.  "...Somebody from the forestry service? This is bad." "...Nah... looks like a cop ta me."One of the captors lifted the boy by his collar and pressed a blade against his cheek. "Hey kid, keep quiet for a bit. I think you know this, but if you try and shout, there'll be problems..."Toshiki Inukai was sure that the doctor had reported things to the police. He had felt relief when he thought that he was saved. But not imagining that his captors would resort to violence when they were cornered, his anxiety remained unabated. "What do we do?" "...Gotta buy time. Take tha kid, and slip outta tha back. We'll meet back 'ere when tha heat's off." Of course, Toshiki Inukai tried to resist by feigning that his illness had been aggravated by this rough treatment, but his captors paid no heed.  The door was violently banged upon. "Excuse me~~!! Hello~~~!!!"BANG BANG BANG, BANG!! The door was banged on again. Toshiki Inukai hesitated for a moment to respond to that voice by yelling. However, while he was being indecisive, his mouth was covered, taking that option away from him. The leader of the captors waved at the other to go. The younger perpetrator nodded in response, and while keeping the boy's mouth covered, started heading towards the back door.  "How do you do? This is the police, would you mind opening the door? Nfu fu fu! This sudden rain has us in a bit of trouble." "Uhhhh. I'll jes' ope--" And with a gleam of menace in his eyes, he pushed the man aside as he stepped into the room. Then, in the small and empty room, he was able to quickly discern that the boy he was looking for was nowhere to be seen. "Hmm? I heard this was an equipment shed for the forestry service. But there's nothing here at all."There was nothing inside the room that would indicate this was an equipment shed. There was only a mountain of blankets, indicating that somebody was sleeping here, alongside empty food packets strewn about. "...Aah, 's been empty fer some time now. Never seen no equipmen' stored 'round 'ere." "But this is the forestry service's building, isn't it? Are you from the forestry service?" "...'Ow 'bout ya? Police?" ...Both Ooishi and the man steadfastily refused to reveal their identity before the other did. The man, judging from the sharp look in Ooishi's eyes, realized that it would be hard to talk his way out of this one. No matter what he said, the most time he could buy would probably be only a few dozen seconds. Only the sound of rain filled this tense moment.  Ooishi had a hunch. There was no doubt that Akasaka, who was circling around back, had run into the perpetrators who were trying to slip away! BGM: Meditation #1  The man swung with an attack that was more intended to obscure Ooishi's vision rather than actually hit him in the face. Seizing his opportunity, the man aimed a kick at Ooishi's groin without any hesitation. ...But he missed his mark and was unable to land that critical blow. The man, trying to pin Ooishi, grabbed him by the base of his neck with both hands and fiercely tried to push him down. But, as Ooishi fell backwards, as if kicking the man upward, he dug his foot into the man's midsection.  The two of them squared off in the pouring rain.  Ooishi, as if trying to cheer himself on, grinned smugly. He then stood up while brushing the mud off himself. Even though he countered the assault, Ooishi was getting up rather awkwardly compared to the man who he threw, who swiftly sprang to his feet. "Ooishi-saaaaan!! Hurry!!"Akasaka's voice rang out from the distance. Judging from the distress in his voice, he was already engaged in a fight, and wanted Ooishi to reconvene with him. But Ooishi's hands were full as well.  The man raised both fists into a stance that hinted at him being acquainted with karate or some other form of martial art. Of course Ooishi, as an officer of the law, was decently versed in judo. He also had the moxie to have been through his fair share of fights before. Despite-- no, because of that, he could tell that the man in front of him was quite a bit better at fighting than he was. ...Ahh, dammit! Thinking that this was going to be easy just because the order came from the Sonozaki family to release the hostage had been a big mistake! "You're pretty good. It's been a while since I got this worked up. Nfu fu fu!"Ooishi played off the situation like it was no sweat. His opponent, seeing his attitude, took that to mean that Ooishi wasn't going to go down easily.  If the man managed a successful clinch from his low stance, Ooishi would be tackled to the ground and end up being mounted. It was something you saw often when children fought, but it really was a bad position, since you couldn't do much once you were in it. Ooishi, responding to that move, also lowered his stance to collide with the man head on. The moment they clashed, Ooishi grabbed the man's lapel! As he yanked the lapel upwards, he smashed into the man's solar plexus with the elbow of the same arm. It was a move from Ooishi's own personal brand of brawling judo. He then grabbed on with his free hand and attempted to throw his opponent with both hands! But the man lowered his center of gravity and swung his arms in a large arc, entwining them with Ooishi's. Not only that, but he had forced both of Ooishi's elbows to the outside, and Ooishi, now in an awkward position, was in danger of exposing his back with his hands still clutching the man's chest! This guy... practiced aikido or grappling, didn't he!?  But he was still in the awkward position of being bent over. And to top it off, at zero range! The man was able to read Ooishi's movements completely as he tried to squirm his way into a better position. And then, took the palms of his hands... and swiftly clapped them over both of Ooishi's ears. "Arghhh!!!"Clapping the ears in any other martial art, except for self-defense, was basically forbidden. Karate and judo didn't recognize it as a legal technique. It was a that much of a simple--and dangerous--attack! Ooishi raised both his hands as he tried to reflexively clutch at his own ears. But before that could happen, the man wrapped his arms around Ooishi's neck. His thick biceps clenched firmly around the base of Ooishi's neck like a vise.  After all, it wasn't hard to believe that a man like this, who was accustomed to fighting, could crush his opponent's neck from this position.  That's why Ooishi, at that moment, even though his face was twitching, was grinning widely. Even though his opponent had a chance to kill him, he didn't choose to. He was thinking: 'Ahh, this guy has no intention of killing me.'  In no time at all, Ooishi's consciousness began to fade. Having the experience of being taken down countless times in judo during his student days, Ooishi was utterly resigned to the fact that it was over. - - -  He had bumped into the captor carrying the boy by the back entrance. He had seen Toshiki Inukai's picture plenty of times, but wasn't able to immediately ascertain if the boy in front of him was the real deal, what with his mouth covered in packing tape. Also, with his limited experience, it wasn't hard for him to panic over how to deal with the situation. Of course, the perpetrator didn't overlook this momentary lapse. His kick landed squarely in a critical spot, with Akasaka not even having time to call for help. As the man flung the boy over his shoulder, he headed towards the front of the shed. But upon hearing Ooishi's bellowing voice, he gave up on going that direction. He then dashed off towards the forest. As if the weight of the boy slung over his shoulder wasn't even there.  Meeting up with Ooishi, who was fighting with the enemy, was by far the safer option. But, he couldn't just lose sight of the fleeing man! Akasaka stood up and chased after the captor's back.  The tips of branches raked and clawed at him, small scratches inscribing themselves on his body one after another. He kept on stepping into puddles and mud, and his shoes were soon filled with murky water. For Akasaka, travelling through this unexplored forest was, even though this was an emergency situation, extremely unpleasant. "Stooooop!! This is the police!!"As he said that, he regretted it immediately, as it was but a waste of breath. There wasn't a thief in the world that would politely stop when told to by the police. To a city boy like Akasaka, running through this forest was an arduous task... however, it must have been no easy task either for the man carrying the minister's grandson. He neither gained nor lost ground in his pursuit.  Just keep on chasing him. We were running in the same conditions. In fact, the man running with an awkward stride was at far more of a disadvantage. They couldn't run forever. Eventually, he'd definitely trip and fall! As long as he was being hounded, he would definitely stumble!!  “...Whoa!!"The man, who had stepped in something and lost his balance, was no longer able to bear the weight of the boy, dropping him. Akasaka, in all honesty, didn't care about the perpetrator at all. Just as long as he could ensure the safety of Toshiki Inukai. So if the perpetrator ran off by himself, it was perfectly acceptable. ...But it seemed that Toshiki Inukai was important to the man as well, and didn't elect to just run away empty-handed. Akasaka didn't know what to do in this kind of situation. His first priority should probably be to ensure the safety of the boy, subduing his captor being less important. Grappling with the perpetrator wasn't something he planned on. But most likely, it was either do or die.  The man, aiming right between, or rather, for both of Akasaka's eyes, struck out with a jab. Not wanting that, Akasaka raised both his hands to shield his face. At that moment, the man kicked at his unguarded midsection. The pain almost felt like his vital organs were being squeezed out of his body, but he latched onto his opponent's leg. But his opponent didn't hesitate one bit. Leading with his seized foot, the man jumped at Akasaka, applying pressure and pushing him down. Akasaka was unable to withstand that and fell, but under no circumstances was he letting that leg go. The two men fell together in a tangled heap. The man was desperate to pull his leg free from Akasaka, but having fallen in an awkward position, was unable to.  But Akasaka, who was holding onto his opponent's knee with both hands, and that opponent, who had complete freedom to move his upper body, were in two completely different situations. The man gained a positional advantage on Akasaka, who was still latched onto his leg and couldn't move away, and pounded full force on his head with both his fists. Not only that, he found a rock nearby and beat it against Akasaka's skull! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!!! The difference between being hit with a fist and being hit with a rock was vast!! Akasaka quickly thought of letting go of the man's leg to free his hands to protect his head. But... if he let go here, the man would get away! If he didn't dig in here, everything would be for naught. The boy he was trying to save was right there. He was going to save him and go back to Tokyo!! If he could do that, then it was goodbye to this freakish village! BAM!! CRACK!! THUD!!!  But, I didn't let go of the man's leg. How could I? I won't let go! When the man realized that no matter how much he beat my head he wasn't getting away, he used both his hands to grab my throat as if to crush my windpipe. I pulled my head back as a slight form of resistance, but it was of no use. The man's hands enveloped my neck, and began to crush it like a vise! It was less about the pain of not being able to breathe, so much as it was choking so hard I felt like I was going to throw up. It felt like my stomach was going to turn itself inside-out!! But I could only endure it! ...Dammitdammitdammit!!! My throat...h-h-hurts!! I won't let go, I can't let go!! I didn't want to be here. I wanted to resolve this, and go back to Tokyo! Go back to Tokyo, and talk to Yukie, all about our unborn child... We were going to talk about our bright future!!  The man kicked as hard as possible, and I tumbled backwards. My head was spinning, and I was unable to get up right away. ...No, I couldn't even put any strength into getting up in the first place. Even so, I couldn't back down!!! If I let him escape now, this chance would never come again!! Even just catching their scent was nothing short of a miracle. If we weren't able to get the Minister's grandson back here, there wouldn't be another chance. The man tried to drag the boy to his feet, but the kid was displaying some unexpected resistance, allowing me to get up unnoticed. I grasped the rock the man had just beat me over the head with. ...Now it's my turn!!  The rock should be able to supplement what meager strength I had left... adding more than enough power to my attack!! My fist, still wrapped around the rock, dug into the side of the man's torso. It seems like it hurt him quite a bit. "...Ugh... Gah!!!"The man rolled around for a bit, clutching his side. Freed from the man's grip, the boy hid behind me.  To the boy, those were the words he was waiting for the most! But, the crisis was still not over. That was because even though he was still clutching at his side, the man had gotten up again, and had taken a fighting stance. I could see in the man's eyes the resentment at the pain I had caused him, and the confidence that he could still beat me. If we were to clash head-on again, he might not even stop if my head were split open. "Stop resisting!! Surrender quietly!!" "You should just hand the boy over!! Do you want me to snap your neck!?" "Who would listen to you now!? Reinforcements are already on their way! There's nowhere for you to run!!" That was because he now knew that arguing like this wasn't just a waste of time, but put him closer and closer to danger. Realizing that, the man shifted mental gears almost too quickly. "Then let's finish this fast!! How about this...!!" "...Wha!?" Of course, I'm a police officer. It's not like I don't know what a gun is. But having one pointed at me was something I'd never experienced before. Was it... real? Of course it was!! There's no way it'd be a replica in a situation like this!! "Put both your hands behind your head and lay down quietly!!" "Don't get cocky, you villain!! I won't do anything you say!!" "You stupid idiot!! Do you not know what this is without me shooting you with it!?" "Then shoot! Reinforcements will hear the gunshot and head right over here!!" "Are you stupid!? We're in the middle of the forest, and on top of that, it's raining!! They'll never hear a thing!!" But, I still had a fighting chance. If I were in his shoes, instead of wasting time yelling at each other like this, I would just shoot him and take the boy. That way was the fastest, and would suppress any sort of further resistance from him. But the man was demanding my surrender, without having fired a shot. Meaning that he either didn't want to shoot, or couldn't. ...In other words, the man in front of me was soft! If I could buy even just a little more time, the factors that would lead to my victory were numerous. Ooishi was probably on his way, and the reinforcements we called for before coming here should already be well on their way too. Not only that, they should have contacted the local police box. Without a doubt, somebody stationed in the village would be here much quicker than that!  "There's no escape!! Don't add to your crimes!!"At that moment, I heard the rustling of foliage and heavy footsteps approaching. If Ooishi was coming here, it was a whole new ball game. The man couldn't have more than one gun! "Ooishi-san!! Over here!! Over here!!! ...Huh!?"I had thought that time was on my side. But I had failed to even imagine that the enemy could also have reinforcements!!  "Whaddya doin'... If ya don' hurry up, the police'll get 'ere! Stop lollygaggin'!!" "...Dammit...!! What happened to Ooishi-san!?" "Aah, tha' chubby fella? E's down fer tha count. Eee hee hee!" "He is!? ....Dammit...!!"The boy, sensitive to the impending danger, curled up behind my back. ...How could this be...dammit!!  As I backed up against a large tree while still protecting the boy, the second man also pulled out a gun. "Won' be sayin' this twice. Put yer 'ands on yer 'ead and lie down." "I refuse!!!"  As I shouted in protest, blood erupted from my left shoulder. It took a few moments to register that I had been shot! Compared to the ones from in movies and TV dramas, the first actual gunshot I heard was simple and mundane. In fact, the sound was more akin to the small fireworks I used to buy from the corner store as a kid. But there was no comparing the pain... It was a fear you knew only after you've been shot. "..Ah... gh... nghh...!!!"" "...S-Sir!? Are you okay!? Are you okay!!?" I wanted to put on a bold face and reassure him, but my voice was hoarse and had the opposite effect. "I-I'm all right!! I've already called for backup. There'll be a full squad here soon! ...Gah...!" "It'll be quicker ta put on thru yer 'ead afore the cops get 'ere. But tha family said no needless killin', so I'm taking it easy on ya. Don' mess with me, or I ain't 'oldin' back."...This was bad. ...It was very very bad. This second man was a completely different beast than the first! He had no signs of indecisiveness or mercy!! If this man said he'd shoot, he'd shoot! He wasn't somebody that a man like me could buy time from!!  I knew what that meant. I was warning myself to not throw my life away over a matter of pride. Of course I didn't want to die here! I was just starting a new life with Yukie, and I wanted to see the face of our soon-to-be-born child!! Why should I risk my life for some Minister's grandson when I was at such a critical juncture in my own life!!! ...Arrghh! Dammit! Dammit!! I need to stop rambling at myself! So what do I do now!? Give up the boy and extend my own life!? What a good idea!! Everybody's life is precious!! My own life was in danger!! Nobody would blame me!!!  If I had known it would be this painful, I wouldn't have played the tough guy!! My biggest miscalculation though, was that the sound of the gunshot was far quieter than I had imagined. If it was only that loud, it would be drowned out by the rain in the forest! It wasn't something that somebody far away could hear!!  "Aah, and I don' wanna kill ya!! 'Slong as ya unnerstand!!" "Don't shoot, okay!? Don't shoot!! I have a wife waiting for me at home!! I don't want to die!!!" "I won' shoot 'slong as ya don' yell or nuthin' ! Jes quietly put yer 'ands on yer 'ead and lie down!!" "Will you really!? Will you really!?!? You'll keep your promise, right!? This is a promise between men!!" "I will!! 'S a promise between men!!" "Keep your promise! Keep it!!! I'm going to get down on the ground, okay? I'm getting down! I'll keep my promise, so stop pointing that gun at me!! You're still thinking of shooting me, aren't you!? You want to shoot me, don't you!? When I get down on the ground, you're just going to shoot me in the back of the head, aren't you!?!?" "I won', I won'!! Fine!! I'll put it away! I'll put tha gun away!! 'S a promise between men!! ...There!! No problem now, righ'!?!?"  "Gah! Ugghhhaaa!!!"It was over in a flash. The moment he lowered his gun, Ooishi didn't let his chance slip by! Ooishi had been assessing the situation for quite some time from behind the two men. But since they had their guns trained on me, he didn't really have a chance to jump in. Seeing the look on Ooishi's face indicating that he wanted me to create an opening, I took on that role completely. Ooishi forcefully lifted the arm that was holding the gun. He then took the gun from the man's hand in only an instant! The other man, who was a bit slow in grasping what was happening, pointed his gun at them, but with his ally grappling with Ooishi, he couldn't pull the trigger. If that man was the one that was wrestling with Ooishi at the moment, he might have shot without hesitation. But this man wouldn't shoot. He couldn't shoot!!  With guns akimbo, he was aiming at both men at the same time! "I do believe that's checkmate!!"It was perfectly played. But, heedless of the guns pointed at them, the men shouted "Scram!!" as they scattered away at full speed. It was over in an instant. Those two running away without putting up a fight was honestly unexpected. Ooishi, quietly clicking his tongue in admonishment, slipped both guns into his pants pockets.  "...? What do you mean?" "An officer won't fire at somebody who's fleeing. I want to keep my pension here."Ooishi and I grinned at each other.  "Y... Yes...!" "...This is going to be a major incident. We probably only cut the tail off the lizard though. Nfu fu fu."Ooishi smiled amusedly.  And, with apologies to Ooishi, this incident was unlikely to go public. If this caused an uproar, it would obviously lead to the Minister losing his office. With HQ having decided that doing so was in the national interest, this would probably be cleaned up quietly. It might be a rough way of saying it, but this was born in the shadows, and was going to die in the shadows. ...Ooishi probably already understood the implications behind this incident.  As the tension in the situation faded, the pain from the gunshot wound in my shoulder blossomed once again. My forehead was also stinging painfully, and had grown hot enough to start a fire. Thinking that the tension had caused me to sweat, I wiped my forehead, but what came off was a large amount of blood. I realized that my shirt had been stained bright crimson from the blood flowing from my head.  ...The boy was safe and sound. Without a doubt. There would probably be an investigation on the men who ran, but that was for another day. At this point in time, I could safely say we had cleared the major hurdle of securing the boy's safety.  My knees buckled from underneath me, the ground there feeling as soft as a cloud. It didn't feel unpleasant even as I was covered in the rainsoaked mud. Ooishi came closer, asking if I was okay, but somehow I couldn't tell. ...I turned off the switch to the last light in my head.   - - -  TIP 11: A Very Kind Person
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Called it. Although I'm surprised Ooishi gets to walk around alive and well after this. He's technically not a villager, but he's clearly made himself an enemy of the village; this might imply that the Curse Killer only has power over people considered villagers, supernatural or not. Though, uh, speaking of supernatural: huge casual reveal there. I'm willing to believe Rika is some personification of a deity; it'd be the first clue we'd have to WHY the timeline keeps getting reset.
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Dec 18, 2021 23:19
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VIDEO: Himatsubushi-hen | Day 3 Part 3 BGM: Silence  You often hear of regaining consciousness on top of a bed, but this was my first time actually experiencing it. BGM: Silence  Realizing that I was awake, a young doctor called out to me. I didn't intend to respond, but it seems my body language had told him I was conscious. My head was wrapped in bandages. The scratches all over my body had also been treated. ...My sense of pain also returned with my consciousness, causing me to groan from the intense pain shooting all throughout me. "Don't try to get up. Just stay lying down, please. It seems that you took quite a few blows to the head... I want you to stay rested so we can monitor your condition for at least the next 24 hours." "...Where is this?" ...I remembered that this young doctor was the one in the car headed the opposite way earlier. "...Is there, somebody here? ...Where's Ooishi-san?" "Ah, I'll call him over. There's no smoking inside the clinic, so I had him smoke outside."Dr. Irie left the room to go call Ooishi. SFX: Night Higurashi  The pouring rain had stopped, with the voices of the higurashi heralding the cooling temperature. I felt that the tone of the higurashi's voices was... comforting. Eventually, I could hear heavy footsteps coming closer, which I reckoned to be Ooishi's. The fog that was enveloping my head slowly faded back to reality... What had happened since then? What had happened to the boy? What about the reinforcements from Tokyo? The door to the room flew open, allowing Dr. Irie and Ooishi to enter.   "...I can't promise that. I assessed the wound to his head was dangerous the moment I saw it." "Got it, got it. I want to have a little chat alone with him for a bit, would you mind?" "...Yeah, go ahead. Call me if anything happens." "How are you feeling?" "...I did something I'm not used to, so I'm pretty banged up all over." "Nahahaha..."Ooishi brought over a folding chair that was leaning against the wall and sat down beside the bed. "Were the perpetrators arrested?" "Unfortunately, no. ...They've probably already fled the prefecture, or are being hidden by the villagers. Well, we won't let them get away. Nfu fu fu!" "What about the minister's grandson?" The kidnapping was a confidential matter, so his custody was also probably being kept under wraps. How the kidnapping of the Minister's grandson would be handled, how it would be covered up, treated like it never happened... would be handled by the brass. ...If this case ended without the nation going into an uproar about it, then our job had been done. ...The possibility that the Minister had negotiated with the perpetrators couldn't be ruled out. ...But something like that was no longer my concern. My role in this case was over.  "No, no. We all work on the government's dime."Ooishi laughed boisterously. When we first met, I was somewhat prejudiced against Ooishi, but now that feeling was gone completely. "It would be more convenient for us if this case was handled properly instead of being hidden away. If that happened we would be able to have something to go at the Sonozaki family with, since they were behind it all. Well, if we just start poking around we'll get all sorts of pressure put on us, though. ...What a mess." "Are you going to continue the fight against the Sonozaki family after this?" "Nah. There's all sorts of dark rumors swirling around them, but it's not like I have a personal grudge. It'd be wise not to step on any toes here. Na ha ha ha."Ooishi laughed happily, and I couldn't help but laugh along.  “Your colleagues arrived at Nagoya, and are driving up here right now. You've got your battle scars, so you're being recalled to Tokyo, apparently. That's how it's shaking up. ....Good job. Your work in Okinomiya is safely over."I was being recalled to Tokyo. ...I inadvertently breathed a sigh of relief when I heard those words. "...I'm deeply thankful for your cooperation, Ooishi-san. ...It seems the collaboration fee I paid you didn't go to waste." "Na ha ha ha ha!! ...I kind of meant that as a joke, though."Ooishi took out his wallet, casually pulled out several large bills, and jammed them into the breast pocket of my shirt.  Ooishi flashed me a grin. "If your injuries turn out to be not too serious, call me before you head back to Tokyo, will you? The ol' man and Sato-san said they'd like to sit at a table with you again." "...Oh my... ahahaha, can't refuse that." "And no tricks this time. Just some plain ol' fun." "They always say that. This world is done for if an active officer can cheat that blatantly." "Na ha ha ha ha ha ha! It's not often that we meet someone who's more than a match for us. It's too bad you're going back to Tokyo." Soon, Yukie would be giving birth. It might still be possible to attend the delivery that I had at one time given up on. When I thought that, the pain from my injuries became trivial. I wanted to hurry back to Tokyo and see Yukie at once. "Can you pretend that your injuries are a bit more serious, and hang around Okinomiya for a bit? I can introduce you to a few nice places. Of course, I won't make you pay for everything. Na ha ha ha!" "I'm terribly sorry, but I'll have to take a rain check on that. My wife is due to give birth any day now. I want to hurry back home." "Oh my, oh my! I didn't know that! Then you shouldn't be hanging around here! You have to hurry back home."  "Yeah, it's not so bad, thanks to you. I can get up and walk no problem."I stood up and shuffled around for a bit, which seemed to amuse Ooishi. "Nah, I just thought that you might not feel comfortable at a hospital in Hinamizawa. Dr. Irie said he wanted you to stay overnight. ...But we still haven't caught the perpetrators. For the time being, this is enemy territory for you, after all." "Are you saying this hospital isn't safe?" "Na ha ha ha. ...Well, Dr. Irie is somebody who's well-regarded in the community. I don't think anything will happen while you're here, but I'm more worried about your mental health."...I had relaxed a bit now that things had progressed this far, but it was exactly as Ooishi had said.  With the only thing left for me to do was leave, the chance that I would come to harm was logically fairly low. But that didn't mean I was completely safe. "...That's right. If I'm just going to be lying down, then doing it in a hotel bed won't be all that different." "Right, right. I also think that's for the best." It was the evening. ...The hours when I could call Yukie at the hospital were almost over. I wanted to tell her as quickly as possible that I would soon be back at her side. "I want to call Yukie at the hospital. Is there a public phone in the lobby?" "Na ha ha ha!! You newlyweds are all like this. If I recall correctly, there's one by the register. I'll be waiting here, so go ahead, go ahead."Ooishi, laughing while saying that he was jealous, opened up the window, and pulled out a cigarette even though he was in a hospital room. Appreciative at how considerate Ooishi was, I set out to the lobby to find the phone. BGM: Silence SFX: Night Higurashi  I thought that this hospital was a bit too grand for a village like this, but of course, it was nothing compared to the general hospital Yukie was admitted to. Running inside a hospital wasn't the best of manners, but calling hours would soon end, so I dashed over in a hurry. There was nobody else in the lobby. It may have been the evening, but there was nobody at the reception desk. ...Well, this might actually be lucky for me. I wasn't planning to have a conversation to feel guilty about, but it would still be embarrassing to have someone listen to the conversation between me and Yukie.  Digging around in my pockets, I grabbed a few coins. I was calling Tokyo from here, so I would burn through this amount fairly quickly. I picked up the receiver and inserted a coin, then dialed the number for Yukie's hospital, which I had completely memorized at this point. Whirrr. Whirrr. Whirrrrrr. The number for Yukie's hospital had a lot of eights and nines, so dialing it in inevitably took some time. Normally, it wouldn't be a big deal, but currently, any time was precious.  I don't know exactly how to put it, but it was as if the receiver was too quiet. That unique white noise from the telephone line wasn't there. "...?"Somehow, I felt that I wasn't getting any feedback from the phone, and without feeling a response, I hung up the receiver to try again. The coin popped out from the return slot. I reinserted the coin and began dialing once again, but the receiver was still dead silent. "...What is this? ...Is it disconnected?"While I was wasting time like this, the amount I had to spend talking with Yukie shrunk... I began to feel needlessly impatient.  I felt the presence of someone on the other side of the glass, so I called out. There was an immediate response, and a man who seemed like a pharmacist came over. "Yes, how can I help you?" "Pardon me. This phone seems to be acting a little strange. ...Could you take a look at it?"The man came over, and tried testing various things with the receiver pressed to his ear. ...Come to think of it, this was someone who worked at the hospital, not someone from the phone company. Just as I didn't know much about phones, neither would he. "...Huh? What's this...?"The man held up the cord that connected the phone to the wall. SFX: Silence  "What the heck is that? Well this is a dilly of a pickle... Can't do anything with this until somebody from the phone company comes and fixes it... If you're looking for a phone, do you want to use the one in the office?"I didn't want the people in the hospital office around while I was talking... "Is there another payphone close by?" "Let's see... if you leave here and follow the road, you'll come out into the shopping district. I think there's a smoke shop on the corner around there. If you head that way, you should be able to find one soon enough."I was dressed in a hospital gown. I was wearing sandals on my feet. My head was wrapped in bandages -- just looking at me, you could tell I was a hospital patient. No matter how you looked at it, I was not dressed to be wandering outside. But that's where the impetuousness of youth came in. Choosing the chance to talk to Yukie for even a little longer, I headed outside in my current state. SFX: Night Higurashi  Should be able to find one soon enough. With only those two lines as my guide, I ran outside the gates of the hospital.  ...The sparse streetlights lit up enough to start attracting moths. The higurashi, knowing the time for their chorus was soon at a close, redoubled their fragile cries… - - - Finding the payphone wasn't as easy as the person at the hospital had suggested. Was it still up ahead? Did I miss it already? Was I just getting farther away?  My joy spurred me onwards. ...Just as I had heard at the hospital, set next to the counter of the cigarette shop was an antiquated payphone. I wasn't wearing a watch, so I didn't know what time it was... I probably didn't have much left, though. But it was enough. Just as long as I could tell Yukie my job was done and I would be coming home soon. Picking up the receiver, I slid a coin down the slot. ...But I felt that something was strange, just like at the hospital. Even after inserting the coin, the phone showed no response. "..."I hung up the receiver and tried putting in the coin one more time. ...But there was absolutely no response. This phone was dead. It couldn't be... Thinking that, I felt along the cord that protruded from the back of the phone. SFX: Silence  ...What... is this? Having now had the same thing happen twice, my bafflement was accompanied by a sense of unease. It seemed that the cord had been severed cleanly by a sharp blade of some sort. And I may be mistaken, but it didn't look like much time had passed since it was cut. SFX: Night Higurashi  Opening up the booth window of the tobacco shop, I looked for someone in the dimly lit interior. Eventually, there were the sounds of somebody plodding down some stairs, and an old lady appeared. The old lady's plodding and lethargic steps, for some reason, only served to make me more frantic. "You need some cigarettes? I'll need to get my husband..." "I'm not here to buy cigarettes. Rather, this phone here..."Realizing that saying the phone was broken and asking them to take a look at it was going to get me nowhere, I swallowed back my words. "Sorry, it seems that this phone is broken, and I was wondering if you could tell me where there's another payphone..."  "...So the phone is broken? That's a dilly of a pickle... You should try another payphone."The old lady directed me to another payphone that seemed quite a ways away. Her way of telling me was so long-winded, that I inadvertently started to get impatient. At that moment, I spotted a clock in the dim interior of the store. The minute hand was just about to point straight up. Even if there was a phone right here that I could use, I would only be able to tell Yukie good night with the time I had left. On top of that, my destination was a remote payphone which I didn't know the exact distance to.  But, at that moment, I had become somewhat... stubborn, for some reason. Unable to use the phone in the hospital, and coming out here and still being unable to use one. ...There was no mistaking that I had become quite insistent on using a phone. "Ah, thank you very much... I'll try looking for that phone booth."Refusing her offer to draw me a map, I left the tobacco shop.  If I just followed this road straight down, I'd eventually find it. Sandals flapping as I ran, I couldn't help but laugh at myself. I'll admit that I was quite steadfast about calling Yukie. But there were days when I was tired or busy when I wouldn't call her. Even today, my entire body was covered with injuries, and I was dead tired. On top of that, there wasn't much time left. ...It wouldn't be strange at all if today was one of those days I didn't call her. But, having twice been foiled trying to call her, had I become hot-headed about it? Was I like a dog who was being told to 'stay' with a piece of food dangled in my face?  Even so, I somehow couldn't quell the uneasy feeling sitting in the pit of my stomach. It was like that with the hospital phone, and the same with the one at the tobacco shop. Both cords were definitely not severed from being frayed by long years of use. The clean cuts indicated that someone had taken something sharp and deliberately cut them. But who? And for what reason? The more I thought about it, the uneasier I felt, so I tried to push the thought aside...  The scenery around me was no longer that of a shopping district, with residential buildings scattered about the lonely road. The surroundings had already grown dark. I was blatantly out too far for a quick phone call, and it was quite obvious I was far removed from the hospital. I recalled the clock I saw at the tobacco shop. ...It might almost be time. I had run for quite a bit, so my breathing had grown quite ragged. ...If I had just wanted to hear Yukie's voice, I should have just thrown away my reservations and borrowed the phone in the office. ...I regretted it a little. Well then, was it about time to give up?  I had finally found it. It was a phone booth.  Although in the gloom of Hinamizawa, it was nothing more than a gathering spot for moths. But, in any case... I had finally found it! As my hand touched the door of the phone booth, I realized that I was breathing and sweating heavily. ...I didn't know what time it was right now, but... even if it was just for a moment, I might be able to get in touch with Yukie. Since I had spent all this effort getting here, turning back without even giving it a try was out of the question.  I was worried that this phone cord might be severed as well. How was the cord in this phone booth? Squatting down, I followed the bundle of cables as they ran along the corner into the ceiling. At a glance... nothing was out of the ordinary. I ran my fingers as far as I could along the line to check it out. ...The only thing they found was a thick layer of dust. Nothing out of the ordinary. "..." It might be prudent to talk to Ooishi-san about this later. Even if it was nothing more than a prank, it was still vandalism of public property. ...In any case, this one was fine... this time. Pulling out a coin from my pocket with one hand, I picked up the receiver with the other. BGM: Silence SFX: Silence  The receiver was... light. ...It was more than a slightly unpleasant feeling, it felt almost sickening. To verify the source of my displeasure, I peered at the receiver in my hand with a measure of reluctance. "...What the hell...is this?" It was all I could do to restrain myself as a raw and unpleasant feeling worked its way up the small of my back. ...It was a type of dread.  The light was reflecting off the glass walls of the booth, leaving me unable to see outside into the darkness. I steeled myself, and stepped out of the phone booth. The inside of the booth was lit with that strong light, which might have made it warmer in there. Just stepping outside, I could feel a chill wash over me. And there... was the silhouette of a person. A small silhouette. "...You're..."The long hair of that silhouette was blown about by the cool breeze.  Somewhere in my head, I knew who this girl was. I didn't have any basis for it, but I knew that she was that girl.  "...Right, Akasaka?"She, Rika Furude, said that almost like it was a warning... "...Did you... do this to the phone cord...?" "..."Her expression remained unchanged, and my question was left unanswered. In other words, no response. Regardless, I felt that she had affirmed my suspicions. "...Why would you do something like this? ...Why!?"The last word had a tinge of anger behind it. I frantically tried to smooth things out, but she didn't seem very afraid.  "...Huh?"I interpreted her words as meaning that I wasn't going to be in time for calling hours at the hospital. ...But, thinking about it, that would have been a strange thing to say. Why would she know something like that? I could take what she had said to have any other meaning. She just stood there like a mannequin, not even moving an inch. ...Almost to the point that if the wind wasn't occasionally rustling through her long hair, there would be the illusion that time had stopped.  "Huh... ...ah… ...no... ...that's not... true."My denial came out almost like a bad piece composed for a poetry slam, but her words were right on the mark. I had always felt something ominous and uncanny about her. ...Ever since her strange threats at the shrine.  She had noticed that my expression was contrary to my words, seemingly laughing at the gap between them. "...Akasaka, you coward. Tee hee hee..." "I-I'm not a coward...!"Being laughed at by this small child didn't sit well with me. So I said that. "...Even if you find another phone, it's too late." "...Sigh. ...That's right."She didn't even have to say it. I was absolutely too late. I might have already missed calling hours even by the time I reached this phone booth. I was too late. I had no option but to give up for today. Once I decided that, my unhealthy obsession with phones suddenly faded. ...Even I thought that it was strange that I was that obsessed.  I mean, just look at what I was wearing... it wasn't normal. A hospital gown and sandals. My head wrapped in bandages, and my body completely soaked in sweat. It was a wonder that the old lady at the tobacco shop wasn't surprised to see me. With wanting to hear Yukie's voice as my motive, I had traipsed around the town the entire evening. ...I didn't know whether to call it the follies of youth, or simply plain embarrassing. ...In any case, it was all I could do but to laugh at myself.  "You're right. There's nothing. ...I'll just quietly return to the hospital." "...That's fine. Do you know the way?" "...I hope I do."She waved her little hand as I began to head back the way I came. She began to follow alongside me. Looking at her face, I could see that she wore a mischievous smile. ...As if she was extremely interested in whether or not I would get lost.  "...It is." "Won't your parents be mad that you're walking around alone at this hour?" "Not really. My parents are busy today, so they probably forgot about me." "...Even then, it's best if you head on home. They'll definitely be angry." "...Even if they are, it's much more interesting to talk with Akasaka, so I'm fine."She said that with a face free from worry as she looked up at me once more and smiled. When she showed me that smile, ...the eerie feeling surrounding her faded. ..But even then, she was still as mysterious to me as ever.  ...But it was much darker than before, and with the point of view changed on the return trip, I wasn't very confident that this actually was the corner I turned at. There's no mistake... it had to be this corner. As I began to move my feet again, the girl grabbed onto my clothes.  "Of course... at least, I intend to. ...Am I going the wrong way...?"A short moment of silence. Eventually, still holding onto my clothes, she began to walk. It was the beginning of the walk to the hospital this mysterious girl would take me on. 
limeicebreakers fucked around with this message at 20:30 on Dec 24, 2021 |
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Dec 20, 2021 22:55
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Oh boy time for dread
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Dec 20, 2021 23:27
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Is this arc in the anime or movies at all? My recollection of Akasaka's doesn't involve this at all. Also - 'it's a dilly of a pickle'? This poo poo's rehearsed. Even in a dr's office that probably isn't staffed with locals.
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Dec 21, 2021 11:10
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This was in the anime, yes. Around episode 14-15, as I recall.
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Dec 21, 2021 15:02
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Are we sure Akasaka survives this? He's drifting back into Keiichi levels of stupidity unless this is a dream or something. Also, again, what the hell is going on with Ooishi? Now he's acting all magnanimous and saying he has no beef with Hinamizawa, but we know in a few years both those things drastically change.
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Dec 22, 2021 02:57
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TKMobile posted:Are we sure Akasaka survives this? he is telling this story in the future, when he's visiting oishii, but you suddenly made me think he could have died in the past of all the other chapters. and i uh also was not expecting this one to end with him alive, once he's led into the middle of nowhere. i guess rika thinks hes more interesting that way?? this was creepy as all heck.
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Dec 22, 2021 05:01
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VIDEO: Himatsubushi-hen | Day 3 Part 4 BGM: Silence SFX: Crickets   "Really...?"She tried to play dumb, but it was written all over her face. "Nipaa~~...☆"It was obvious she was trying to laugh it off, but that adorable smile of hers just made me want to forgive her. ...Ahhh... I'm going to be a horrible father, aren't I.  "It's good that they found the grandson safe and sound."Unable to respond right away, I sunk into silence. ...I had already learned this from Sato-san's info, didn't I. This girl... no--this entire village, knew everything since the moment I set foot in it. I considered playing dumb. But in the end, I chose not to. With everything being known already, there was no point in me feigning ignorance. "...Somehow." "That's great. ...Now you can go back to Tokyo." "...Thank you." “...Are your injuries bad, Akasaka?" "Dunno... I haven't heard anything from the doctor yet, so I don't know if they are or not."Huh? Come to think of it, I vaguely remembered being told to lie down and take it easy for at least 24 hours. ...Did that mean bed rest?  "People shouldn't be cutting phone cords." "...Meep. I have no idea what you're talking about." "Then I don't know what you're talking about either."As we played dumb with each other, we both laughed at the same time. If somebody saw us laughing at each other like this, it would probably bring a smile to their lips.  "..." "...I don't want Akasaka to die, so I'm glad you're leaving the village alive." "Rika-chan. ...Did you know what I was... right from the beginning?"She said nothing, but gave a firm nod. "...Well then, I think you know this, but we're probably somewhat of an enemy to the people in this village, I would think. But you still gave me lots of warnings."That's right. She said it at that time. She wouldn't warn somebody that she was okay with dying. ...She definitely said something like that.  "...You probably should. I'm your savior."Saying that, she puffed up her chest proudly. She said it jokingly, but the meaning behind those words was quite heavy. That was because whether I lived or died was a decision that might have been made in a place unbeknownst to me. She said those words with such an adorable smile that it took a few moments of silence for their weight to settle in.  The Defense Alliance's office was there: it was the stone steps leading up to the Furude Shrine. When I passed by before, I was so focused on finding a phone booth I hadn't realized where I was. "If I recall correctly... this shrine is Rika-chan's house, right?" "...Yeah, something like that."Looking up at the shrine grounds, it was brightly lit and energetic voices could be heard. What was going on?  "A festival?" "...The best and only festival in Hinamizawa. ...the Watanagashi festival." "Watanagashi? Cotton... drifting?" "...Just knowing the name is boring. ...Do you want to take a look?"She asked bluntly. ...But, seeing that I looked interested, she climbed up a couple of steps and motioned for me to come. ...I was only going to go back and sleep anyways. If I had nothing else to do, it might not be a bad idea to go with her on a little detour. ...In the hostile territory that was this village, I didn't know what would happen if I ventured down a side road without Ooishi. ...Even though I thought of the village like that, when I was with this girl, I forgot all about it. ...In any case, even without anything to back it up, I felt that as long as I was with her, none of the ill will from the village would befall me. That's why, even though I knew my cover was blown, I strangely had no qualms about setting foot into the heart of the Onigafuchi Defense Alliance's territory... BGM: Silence  The old folks from the village (no, the executives of the Defense Alliance?) were already quite drunkenly sharing another round of drinks. I could only see it as people from the village council drinking while enjoying the evening air. At the very least, it was certainly quite different than any festival I'd ever seen.  "Haha... this certainly doesn't look like a festival." "...It's a festival that's happened since long ago, but as you can see, it's not like it used to be."As if to chide the old folk, she said that while looking at them with an exasperated expression. You really couldn't call this a festival any more. It was just a bunch of neighbors getting together to drink under the guise of a festival. "Haha... I feel sorry for the deity being celebrated here..." What she said was not so much wishful thinking as it was the telling of a future that had already been determined. She wasn't even predicting it; it was almost like she was simply reporting the results. That's how it sounded. Even though it was baseless speculation, the way she said it wouldn't let me interject. It was the same way she talked when she 'changed'.  Not in a state where I could afford to be left behind, I hurriedly followed after her. BGM: Silence Passing through a copse of pine trees, a strong and cool breeze ruffled my hair. ...There, from that one evening, was the splendid observation platform the girl had shown me.  "...Looking at it like this, this village seems tranquil."She said that with an indifferent look on her face. "Just the other day, ...you said that this village definitely wouldn't be submerged by the dam... didn't you?"She didn't reply, seemingly relishing in the feeling of the wind blowing through her hair. "Didn't that mean... at that point in time, the Minister had already complied with the demands?" "..." But she said nothing. She spoke nothing that would neither confirm nor deny what I had just said. "This case... will probably remain shrouded in darkness. ...Headquarters probably doesn't want trouble from a scandal with the Minister breaking out." "...There's no mistake that they threatened to kill the grandchild." "Then, negotiations with the Minister were successful... and the grandson was released." "...The one who saved the grandson was you." "I wonder about that. ...The discovery of that wallet that started this chain of events... that alone was almost too convenient, I'd think." Ooishi said it as well. That the Sonozaki family had given the order to release the hostage. Meaning... that our little manhunt was a farce to begin with. ...Come to think of it, I was punched, kicked, and had a gun pointed at me. I felt like they put up quite a fight, but that might have been all part of a good performance. Once the negotiations were successful, they couldn't just say "here you go" and return the Minister's grandson right to his doorstep. They knew that Public Safety had realized that this was a kidnapping case and were moving in on it. That's why, due to the actions of Public Safety, the grandson was able to be rescued safely. So the Minister didn't give in to any unreasonable demands. ...That type of performance was necessary.  "...Likewise. Even for me, I can't make much sense of it. But, there's one thing I can be certain of." "...?" "It's just as you said. ...This village won't be submerged. The dam project will soon be over."That wasn't something an officer of the law should be saying. But, I naturally let those words slip from my mouth. This village may have stirred up all sorts of trouble. But, that was because they were protecting their homes. If someone just decided by themselves that I had to leave the house I was used to living in, I would resent them as well. On top of that, it wasn't a place like mine where I just happened to be renting it, but a place that their families had lived for generations. It might be ignorant to call their desperate resistance an overreaction. I might not really be qualified to criticize politics or bureaucracy... But, deliberately building a dam on land that was loved by its residents wasn't something I could get behind.   "At the very least.. with this, peace will return to this village."Even though the Minister promised to use his considerable influence to cancel the project, it would probably take more than a few months before it would be completely scrapped. At the very least... it would probably take one or two years. For the villagers to officially hear that their village wasn't going to be submerged at the bottom of a dam was still a ways away. But... it was no mistake that the promise of peace returning to the village was there. It turned out, from beginning to end, that it had already all been decided. Just as the girl had said, it was decided. There wasn't really a need for me to come here in the first place. There was absolutely no need for me to have come here and aggravate an unpleasant situation. If I had never come here, then... The grandson's release might have been done in a more amicable manner.  When I nodded, she laughed as if to admonish me. But her face remained indifferent, expressionless. And then, her eyes narrowed slightly as she snickered.  "Rika-chan, what are you talking about?"As the wind blew her hair about, the girl, as if taking pleasure in that I was the only one who didn't know... continued to snicker as she looked at my face for a while. BGM: Days of children #3 | Days of children #3 (Radiata Alice Version)  Huh...? Backlit by the moon, It was hard to tell if her expression that had been cast in shadow was smiling, amused... or resigned. "...You are? ...Why?" "...It's a very unpleasant thing, though. ...It's also probably been decided already." "Decided already? Who would decide that sort of thing!?" "I'd like to know that as well."Turning back to face me, she showed me a resolute expression for the first time... And after staring into my eyes for a moment, she turned back to gaze at the scenery before she spoke her next words.  “But... if you want to erase the spectre of death, sometimes, like with the reflection of the moon on the water, all you have to do is throw a small stone."I had no idea what she was trying to say. It's just... I had to listen to every word with my body and soul, or at least, that's what I thought.  "...What...?"For a moment, I couldn't comprehend what she was talking about. By the foreman... did she mean that gruff old man I played mahjong with? "...B-Be killed... ...What makes you think..."She didn't answer. But she had the same expression on her face as she did when she declared that the dam project would go away. ...That wasn't the face of somebody making a forecast or a prediction. ...It was something that was already decided, no-- it was as if she was already reporting the results... that sort of expression.  "...Murdered and dismembered..." "...The next year, in June of 1980 on this day. ...Satoko's parents will be pushed to their deaths."...Satoko? It was the first time I heard that name, but I didn't have the courage to interrupt the girl's story. "...It might be an accident. ...An unfortunate accident."The girl smiled faintly... but she wasn't exactly encouraging me to smile along with the lifeless look in her eyes.  “And then the year after that, this day in June of 1982. Satoko's abusive aunt will have her head split open and die. And then the year after that, this day in the June of 1983... ...Or possibly a few days afterwards." "If all the deaths are pre-ordained... ...Then the last one would also be all according to plan. ...But then whose plan would it be...?" It would be fine to believe that all the deaths up to 1982 would be the work of somebody in the village. It would be fine to believe that all the deaths that would occur were at the discretion of those who control the village. But that didn't explain what would happen in 1983. There was no way that the last death would fit in with anybody's plans. They had no regard for human life. They would use every means at their disposal to meet their goals. But their goals were at odds with the last death. That's why the last death was unrelated to them. But that last death would definitely, most likely, probably, without question, happen. Probably, definitely, I dare say. The last death would be a merciful one. A handkerchief or something being placed over their mouth, making them lose consciousness, never to wake up again. Exactly whose plan was that?  “Surrounded by my precious friends, spending our days enjoyably. ...Only that. I don't wish for anything more than that." "...Rika-chan..." "...I don't want to die."The girl, stoic as ever, let those last words slip in the end. - - - BGM: Silence SFX: Night Higurashi  The girl, as well as I, were dragged back to the festivities. BGM: Orange-colored Time  ...Well certainly, if I was in good enough condition to slip out of the hospital, it must not be that serious. The girl was mingling with everybody, being pampered like a kitten. Her expression was adorable... nothing like the one from just before, predicting her own death and whispering that she didn't want to die. Having said that... ...Having a silly and lively conversation like this, it was hard to believe that these people were the core of an extremist resistance group.  ...Among those, there was no doubt that there were members that were at the Sonozaki family council in attendance. Meaning, even if we never met face-to-face before, there were people here who knew my identity. In a small village like this, they knew the faces of all the villagers that lived here. That's why, without even saying anything, it soon became obvious that I was an outsider.  drinking while musing on the faint relationship the city had with the villagers and empathizing with the rather meager environment. The confidential talks with the Minister were finished, his grandson was in police custody... everything was over. I might not have to be put in another perilous situation. To me, they were only my adversaries because of my job. Outside of that, there was no reason I couldn't be friendly with them. ...The next time I visited this village... would it return to being a tranquil and beautiful place? If that happened, I might be able to take a relaxed walk around the village with her again. My cup was once again filled to the brim with beer...  The girl had at some point disappeared. It seems that her parents had told her to go home and sleep when she let out a large yawn. The old folks, who had absolutely no remorse for making an injured person hang out with them, told me as much as they laughed. I was just there drinking, so I had thought to help a bit with clean up. However, my help was refused on the grounds that I was a guest. On top of that, they had a car prepared to take me back to the hospital.   I wandered around bewilderedly searching for a back entrance until somebody on night duty found and let me inside.  "...Sorry for the trouble. I was held up by the people having a festival at the shrine..." "Oh, they did say something about everybody in the town council getting together for a drink. My condolences. ...Are your wounds all right?" "...They're throbbing a bit. It's probably because of the alcohol, I think." "Oh, that's right. The detective that was with you wanted to get in touch." "...Oops. I kept Ooishi-san waiting..."I glanced at the clock. No matter how you looked at it, it was way too late to call him now. I'll apologize to him tomorrow over the phone...  ...Oh, that's no good. I have to turn off the lights. ......But my weariness had cut the cord powering my body, lulling me into a deep sleep.  - - -  TIP 12: Mother's Diary TIP 13: Mother's Diary II TIP 14: Mother's Diary III limeicebreakers fucked around with this message at 23:46 on Apr 12, 2022 |
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Dec 22, 2021 19:26
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Man, I feel sorry for Rika's mom. gently caress the old people. If this were the real world, I'd question if Rika is a high functioning autist, or more likely has Asperger's or some sort of syndrome and her behavior is as her mom surmises, influenced by the doting villagers. But... that's not the case. Even though it seems likely to us, the audience, that Rika is Oyashiro or some facet of a deity (Kami work differently going by Japanese Shintoism opposed to standard western ideologies about gods) her personality seems way different here at this point than the present. Here she seems very much detached from the village and world all around her, and at times either agitated or just playing around like a little kid with the keys to the kingdom. ...She never went "Nipah" around Keiichi and the crew, did she? I don't think so. I'm also pretty sure there's an implication here as well that she's getting Groundhog's Day'd hard, starting over from some point in her youth every loving timeline reset, too to explain her skills. ...It's like in all of this she's just killing time waiting for the game's events to hurry the gently caress back and get started. In the present, she isn't detached in as much as she's just polite, demure, a little aloof and seems to try NOT to draw attention to herself. Maybe this is because she knows her death is nearing, or she's really enjoying her 'final months' with other children who actually see her as her own person. In fact, I'm not sure if the other kids are aware of this whole "Furude Daughter =Oyashiro" stuff; wouldn't Rena be, like, worshipping Rika or breaking down crying at her when poo poo goes wrong if she did? Something's still not adding up to me. I also don't think-- whether she's a Goddess personified, neurodivergent, or whatever-- that Rena's the Curse Killer. If she was, she could probably stall or avoid her own death and I just feel like she'd be behaving differently to Akasaka. In fact... why is she even interacting with him like this? This festival night really feels like some kind of Ebenezer Scrooge situation for the guy, with her taking him around but what is the point? Why him? She didn't even let Keiichi in on poo poo that he is privy to, and Keiichi ...kinda/sorta... feels like he's in a position to influence the events of Higurashi since the plot revolves around his reactions to the same couple of weeks playing out. This is telling us something, but it's also just raising more questions.
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Dec 22, 2021 22:43
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Rika being caught in a time loop might explain her knowledge of the future: if she's been through all this before, and certain things happen the same way every time. I think, though, we can glean a lot from what she doesn't mention: the people who disappeared. Maybe they aren't dead after all, including Satoko's brother--or if they are, maybe they're dead for different reasons than the ones she mentioned. Another question is if Rika, with her wish to just spend time having fun with her friends, is also somehow causing the time loop. Which as far as we can tell only she's aware of. (Assuming that is what's happening, and she doesn't just have some precog powers or something.)
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Dec 23, 2021 15:42
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Given that she is apparently sewing and cooking perfectly at age 7 or whichever, I'm going out on a limb and say she's re-living the events, probably getting good after having practiced so much following the death of her own parents. I mean, Jesus... how do you even cope with that? At least 3 times now she's had to relive her parents getting killed all because they "didn't do enough" to prevent the goddamn dam project. By now she's probably just distancing herself from Mom and Dad to keep the pain numbed. Again I must say: gently caress Hinamizawa, and gently caress the old people. EDIT: ZCKaiser posted:I think, though, we can glean a lot from what she doesn't mention: the people who disappeared. Maybe they aren't dead after all, including Satoko's brother--or if they are, maybe they're dead for different reasons than the ones she mentioned. Well, if Keiichi and co. keep dying differently each arc, if at all, then it's possible that the others aren't always dying the same way, but it sure does seem like some of them are fixed events. Tomitake's clawed his own loving throat out 3 times now. TKMobile fucked around with this message at 16:09 on Dec 23, 2021 |
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Dec 23, 2021 16:07
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does she not know who kills her? are they wearing a mask? is it someone different each time? she knows when it happens, then does nothing she do delay it? also how many lifetimes did she take to go through this exact sequence of events to know that "oh, if THOSE telephones' cords are broken, he'll actually stump his way all the way over to THIS one"?? from her reaction this is the first time it "worked", and she got to...uhh...get him drunk, and i guess have calming thoughts like this: quote:To me, they were only my adversaries because of my job. Outside of that, there was no reason I couldn't be friendly with them. yo wtf dude kidnapping is still bad even if no one ordered you to stop it. but fine, settle down, raise a family, see if i care. quote:...The next time I visited this village... well eventually it might get a bit more peaceful than you prefer 
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Dec 23, 2021 17:44
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Doc Hawkins posted:does she not know who kills her? are they wearing a mask? is it someone different each time? she knows when it happens, then does nothing she do delay it? Well, Rika didn't die in Arc 1 as far as we know, but the story ended a week or two out from Keiichi's death, so who knows what befell her after K-man went nutso. She seemed to have died at the hands of Shion (pretending to be Mion yet again)in Arc 2 a few days after the Festival, and in Arc 3 she dies right before the village slaying gas leak. So, yeah, she knows she's gonna die, but it's not a consistent death like with Tomitake. And I think she...might have taken steps already to try to stop it? In Arc 2 behind the scenes, Rika asks if the Lock on the Murder Shed can be replaced, which would allow for Tomitake and Takano(?) to more easily break into the place... I don't know what her game plan there was, beyond maybe letting them take what they wanted and leave without causing whatever chain reaction ends with her death, but that obviously didn't work since she still died when Shion went insane with paranoia. Why she's not doing this for any other prior festival/tragedy/killing would imply she simply cant, unless we're not seeing her try to keep her own parents from going on a vacation that ends in their demise, or warning Satoshi to watch out multiple times. What with the village itself being part of this crazy murder-poo poo and the Curse Killer seemingly free to move about without anyone stopping them, there's only so much a child can do, even if they get multiple do-overs.
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Dec 23, 2021 21:16
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Very slight content warning for a brief mention of sexual assault, only brought up as a possibility. Slightly stronger warning for gore. VIDEO: Himatsubushi-hen | Day X BGM: Silence      ……. …..  All of the parts with Miyuki are not from the original game, but from the console ports (whose script 07th-Mod uses). In fact, Miyuki is not even mentioned in the original Himatsubushi-hen at all, possibly for a reason later explained in this update. ”...Huh? Oh…” “Are you all right? Were you having a scary dream?”Miyuki was sitting next to me, I quickly patted her head after hearing her say that. I must have had a bad dream while sleeping in the cabin. …I was sweating profusely. ”...No, it’s nothing. I guess it’s a little hot in here… ahaha.”I tried to wipe away the sweat while answering, and looked around for a handkerchief and towel. …And then, a cold drop ran down my forehead. Miyuki turned to me and smiled, then wiped my face with the towel she received at takeoff. ”...Thanks, Miyuki.” Thanks to her, I was finally able to shake off my slumber, so I got up from the aisle seat and looked out the window. I wrapped my arms around Miyuki in the window seat and listened to the noise a s the land and sea blew past us before our eyes.  And then the plane gently turned before entering the airport runway…  BGM: Afternoon in Paris  "Ooishi-san! It really has been a long time."Ooishi clapped his hand down on my shoulder, celebrating our reunion. "Akasaka-san, you're looking pretty good. You look like a bonafide front-line investigator now." "You're looking quite dapper yourself. Your posture seems a lot better. ...Is the ballroom dancing paying off?" "Mfu fu fu! You should give it a try while you're still young. You'd be a hit with the ladies. A real babe magnet! Nfu fu fu!!"Ooishi had retired and moved to Sapporo, and of all things, had started taking ballroom dancing lessons. He had apparently gotten really into it, and had decided to spend the rest of his new life devoted to that hobby. He was aiming to get his instructor's qualifications before he hit 80, and live out his old age dandily. “...Oh? Nfu fu fu, who might this be…?”  ”Come on, Miyuki. Please introduce yourself properly.” “...Oh, uh… Umm…”She was staring at Ooishi with a dubious expression while tugging at the hem of my shirt. ..She’s usually not this shy. I wonder what’s wrong.. ”...Sorry about that. She’s usually not like this…” “Oh no, it’s no problem. This old man just has a scary face… If you don’t mind, could you tell me your name?” “Great, that was a good introduction. I’d expect no less from Akasaka-san’s daughter… Na ha ha ha.”Ooishi gently stroked Miyuki’s head and smiled as though she were his own grandchild. After finally seeing that, Miyuki smiled in relief.  Ooishi overheard that and let out a hearty “Wa ha ha ha!!” shaking his body while laughing and walking…  I had originally intended to crash at Ooishi's place, but Ooishi was quite obstinate that his home wasn't suitable for that, so it came to this. At the inn, we relaxed while soaking in the hot springs, reminiscing about the time we played mahjong together in Hinamizawa. It seemed that to celebrate our reunion, Ooishi had looked for people who could play, but unable to find a suitable candidate, we had to give up on putting together a table. As we drank together, we excitedly recounted our exploits during the final manhunt… BGM: Silence SFX: Crickets "...Did they end up catching those two guys?" "Ooishi-san, if I remember correctly, you managed to grab one of their guns, didn't you? Did you learn anything from that?" "It was a foreign military pistol. It's probably from the ones the gangs in Kansai managed to smuggle in a ton of. We tried to get a match from the rifling, but it didn't show up in any other cases. ...How about on your end?" "After that, I was removed from the front lines, so I don't know much. In the end, it seems like everything was settled under the veil of secrecy." "...Na ha ha ha ha ha..."Ooishi smiled wryly as he sipped his chilled drink.  "Yeah. We held the memorial service a few days ago. I've become estranged with my father-in-law lately, so it was rough getting everything ready." "...Na ha ha ha. That must have been a lot of work..."It was then that the hostess brought in the extra drinks that we had ordered before. While the bottles of beer clanked as she brought them in, we halted our conversation. ...What Ooishi meant when he said it must have been tough... Thinking about that was still hard.. but time had healed the wound. BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi SFX: Birds  When I phoned Ooishi to apologize. When I did, Ooishi almost immediately handed the phone to one of my colleagues, who happened to be there. Not only was I injured in the brawl with the suspects, but I'd disappeared to drink late into the night without leaving any sort of contact information, so I thought he'd definitely be mad. However, all he said was that it was something he couldn't talk about over the phone, and that I should come to the station as soon as possible. At the time, I could only think that he must have been really pissed off.    "It seems your wife was involved in an accident."BGM: Gear | Gear (Radiata Alice Version)  ...After being given the runaround several times, I was finally able to talk to someone in charge... and after mincing words for quite some time, they told me.  The world became a blur as I sat there dumbfounded... Yukie's death was unbelievably abrupt... unbelievably sudden. I could have understood if there was some kind of problem during the birth... But Yukie's death wasn't anything like that. On the stairs on the way up to the roof... she just happened to slip... and fall. And she just happened to fall on an unfortunate place at an unfortunate angle. ...That was it. Wanting to blame Yukie's death on somebody, I began to think that it was an act of revenge by the Defense Alliance, that they killed my wife and made it look like an accident. What I learned when I flew back to Tokyo, however, was much more cruel than that.  There was an elevator up to the 7th floor, but from there you had to take the stairs to get to the roof. ...Even late in her pregnancy, when the evening came, she would always head up there. Her father had always said for her not to push herself, but Yukie insisted that until the time she had no choice but to stay in bed, she should be allowed to do as she wished. However, I had never once seen Yukie go up to the roof. I only heard that from her father and the nurses. ...That was because whenever I visited her, she would spend that time with me instead. I heard the reason why Yukie went up to the roof from a nurse she had become friendly with.  And that whenever he called, she was able to cheer him up and give him courage... but when he didn't call, she couldn't do that. Her husband might put on a show of bravado, but in reality, he grew lonesome pathetically fast. ...She was probably just the same. Whenever he left for business, not clear when he'd be back... she felt very lonely. Whenever she cheered him up, she was actually cheering herself up as well. That's why... whenever he went far away for an important job... On the evenings he didn't call... At the very least, she felt that standing underneath the same sky, her feelings would reach him.  That it was best that I go back to Tokyo right away... otherwise there would be something I'd regret horribly. ...Yes, that's it. Because I was away on business that day, Yukie had headed up to the roof. Had I known that this would have been the result... Had I done as the girl had said and dropped everything to head back to Tokyo... I might have been with Yukie on the day she died. If I was with her, she wouldn't have gone up to the roof. The day my wife died... was on the evening of the third day of my trip. Yes. It was right before the time I had the sudden urge to hear Yukie's voice, and ran around the village trying to find a phone. The girl had gone around and cut all the phone cords. ...If she hadn't, and I had made that call. I would have undoubtedly learned of Yukie's death at that time, and collapsed in tears.  In the end, I had learned of it the next morning... However, when I managed to put my emotions in order, I realized it was that girl's small token of consideration.  "...Yeah. ...It's the first time I've talked about it." "Nahahaha... ...could it have been a coincidence? She doesn't have any special powers or anything." "...Aren't you the one who told me, Ooishi-san? That she might be the reincarnation of the god called Oyashiro-sama." "Well, yeah. ...The old folks in the village believed that Rika Furude had divine powers." "...Divine powers?" "I don't know if it's the truth or not. They said she did things like prophesize the future, or talk about things she should have no way of knowing. That she was clairvoyant, that it was divine revelation. Well, all sorts of things. Of course they couldn't give specific examples, though. Nahahaha..." "...She prophesized Yukie's accident."Ooishi tried to laugh it off, but out of respect to my deceased wife, he kept it restrained.  ...Having him say that so bluntly, I couldn't respond. Of course I had no intention of believing such odd things. But... he could only say that because he didn't know what I did. Since I met that other girl, who both was and wasn't Rika Furude... ...I couldn't deny the existence of any otherworldly entity. "Of course I can't deny that it might not have been prescience, but rather a warning."Not prescience, but a warning. ...If what that girl has said was a warning about Yukie's accident, then things became much easier to understand. Basically the line of thinking became that it was a threat... because I didn't go back to Tokyo, my wife was killed in a way that made it look like an accident. "...Not satisfied with the investigation into your wife's accident?" "Of course, I suspected foul play. I pored over the results, and even carried out my own personal investigation." There was the possibility that somebody had hidden, waiting to push Yukie down the stairs. However, the cleaning ladies frequented the roof to hang laundry, and the security cameras on each floor hadn't recorded anything out of the ordinary. There wasn't anything set up on the stairs, and I was unable to find anything suspicious.  "..." "Well, of course... These were the guys that took the Minister's grandson hostage. It wouldn't be impossible for them to push a lone pregnant woman down the stairs without leaving any evidence."Ooishi's expression had completely sobered up.  "They... murdered... your wife?"...When Yukie died, I thought that as well. More precisely, I wanted to blame somebody, so I created the most viable scapegoat. But without any clear evidence, that violent notion faded along with the wounds in my heart.  ”...If I had to choose between the two, I would tend towards the latter." "....Na ha ha ha."Ooishi smiled slightly in disbelief as he poured more beer from his bottle.  “If she knew that the gas eruption was going to happen, why did she remain silent? Even a few hours beforehand would have been enough. If the village knew, then most of the people would have escaped without dying."BGM: Lie lies-lies lie  Volcanic gases from the Onigafuchi Swamp erupted and hit the village in the middle of the night. It was an unprecedented disaster where the whole populace was wiped out. It caused a wave of panic about volcanic gas across the country, causing people to overreact over any reports of odd smells. I hadn't heard of the blockade on the Hinamizawa area being lifted, so it should still be cordoned off. "...That's... hm."It was my turn to be lost for a response. "Well... If Rika Furude, the reincarnation of Oyashiro-sama, was killed, then the village might have incurred the god's wrath, making him call forth the miasma from the swamp to kill everyone. That explanation is what the survivors are whispering about..." "Huh? ....Ah, yeah. ...Well, I don't think it would be a problem if I told you..."When I saw the news about the gas disaster, I remembered that girl. I then found her name in the list of victims. That's why, at the time, I thought her own death she had predicted was due to the gas.  And that string of mysterious deaths lined up exactly with what that girl had predicted, so I had always thought to ask Ooishi about it, as he had been involved in the investigation. That's right. That was the reason for our reunion... But right now, Ooishi had said: Rika Furude didn't die in the disaster... but was killed!?  "Hmmm... I may be retired, but I still have to keep things confidential, ya know? Nfu fu fu!" "Excuse me, madam? Do you have anything cold that's brewed locally? High-grade, if there is. I'll leave the selection to you." "Na ha ha ha!! Oh my... I didn't mean it that way!"Ooishi laughed loudly, not wholly unsatisfied, and stopped the hostess to tell her that the cheap booze was fine. BGM: Silence SFX: Shrine Bells  "Because the entire area around Hinamizawa was sealed off, you see? There wasn't much of an investigation that could be done on the last year of the curse.” “Even if after several years the quarantine is lifted, the villagers are mostly dead, and what few survivors there were mostly went to stay with relatives, their whereabouts mostly unknown. ...It's a complete dead end."Ooishi seemed to postulate to himself as he stared at the ceiling, as if trying to work out a memory from the rusty cogs in his head. And then, he said in a completely sober voice: "...The magazines made it seem like the curse of the fifth year was that disaster.” Ooishi gestured about how the victim tore out his own throat with his fingernails as he talked.  "...There were two victims in one night?" "...Hmmm, actually, see. It wasn't just those two. ...You see, the next day... ...Kumagai-kun, one of my subordinates, disappeared along with his car in the middle of his investigation."Kumagai was a younger detective that was going to be partnered with Ooishi after we first met. "He was going around the village to question people about the incident with Tomitake. ...He might have gotten caught up in something.” ...If he was with me, he might have been safe... even now it still stings. That day, for some reason, I did a real number on my stomach. ...I had to pass on going around outside."BGM: Lie lies-lies lie  "...That's what I think. Kuma-chan was young and had a promising future ahead of him, but he still didn't have enough experience on the scene... He wasn't used to dealing with any complications."Ooishi lamented the fact that he wasn't with his subordinate that day.  "...Ahh, that young doctor from the hospital? I vaguely remember." "For whatever reason, he committed suicide with sleeping pills. ...No suicide note or anything. The autopsy confirmed that it was the sleeping pills. Nothing was in doubt except for the motive." "....It isn't that hard to make it look like somebody died from taking sleeping pills, is it? Any possibility it was a murder?" "He was single, no prior marriages. It didn't seem like he was going out with anybody in particular. He was the coach of the local junior baseball team, and was on good terms with the villagers. He was liked by everybody. ...I couldn't find anybody who would want to do him harm. “...Well, any chances to investigate were ruined by the disaster, though. There's no way to find out anything about him now." "It was the day of. Around noon, some of the old folks who were visiting the shrine discovered the corpse of Rika Furude." "...Murder?" "...Before we continue, you should probably stop eating that squid soumen." "...That bad?"Ooshi nodded firmly...  “That's because while she was completely naked, there wasn't any dirt on the soles of her feet." "...Any sign it was some sort of sexual assault?" "According to the autopsy, there wasn't any indication of that.  "...Unconscious? ...Then, she wasn't cut open after her death?" "..." "...That's... horrible."That girl's prediction... was right on the mark. ...I'm pretty sure she was more detailed about the other deaths that lead up to her own. ...For example, I think she said that the housewife that was beaten to death on the fourth year had her head split open. BGM: Gear | Gear (Radiata Alice Version)  There must have been some moments where she wanted to doubt the validity of her own predictions. But... as people died exactly as prophesized... as the years passed, that prophecy would only come closer to fruition. And then, facing the final year... unable to struggle against her own destiny... her all-too-young life was snuffed out. ...And in... ...such a cruel way. Knowing that her days were numbered...and unable to fight the tide of events heralding her end... my heart ached at her helplessness.  "Yeah... I think I remember..." "The festival in Hinamizawa village--Watanagashi... the 'Cotton Drift', seems to stem from the drifting of entrails. ...It seems that it came from the man-eating demons ripping apart their victims and throwing their organs into the river." "...In other words... in Hinamizawa, pulling out entrails had some sort of religious meaning?" ".... Well... this is according to the old tales in Hinamizawa, you see. ...To act as an arbitrator so that the humans and the man-eating demons could live together peacefully, a god known as 'Oyashiro-sama' descended from the heavens." "...If I recall... Rika Furude was said to be the living incarnation of that Oyashiro-sama, wasn't she?" "Yeah. So... cutting open Rika Furude, who was a living god, would be to the village nothing less than absolute sacrilege." "...Absolute sacrilege. ...In other words, you mean sacrilege towards Oyashiro-sama?" "...The rest you should know, Akasaka-san. 'The Wrath of Oyashiro-sama' would occur that same night." "The Great Hinamizawa Disaster."The official explanation was that some swamp upstream erupted with toxic volcanic gas which enveloped the village.  “According to village lore, the depths of the swamp apparently lead to Hell, where the man-eating demons came from." "...That almost seems too perfect." "Oh no no no. That's just the tip of the iceberg. There was another bit of folklore in the village--if Oyashiro-sama became angry, the cauldron of Hell would open up and miasma would flow out... or so they say." "...To the villagers, Hell was at the bottom of the swamp. So basically, the miasma poured out, smothering the village...?" “...That seems to be their explanation." "...So what you're saying is that the disaster wasn't a natural one!?" "Hmmm... Well everything does seem to fit together a little too well. If Oyashiro-sama's curse doesn't really exist, and everything really was just a matter of coincidence... I would doubt it."A wry smile formed on Ooishi's face as he listened to my absurd take on things. ...He wore an expression as though even if it were absurd, there was a time he had thought the same thing as well. "...In regards to the religious beliefs of the villagers... suppose there was a more fanatical following among them... ...and that group created a situation that would incur 'Oyashiro-sama's wrath', and enacted the Disaster to make it seem like the truth..." "...Of course, I won't laugh. I've wandered down that line of reasoning more than once myself. However... even though Hinamizawa is a small village, it still has a population of over 1000 people. To murder that many people in a single night doesn't seem realistic, no matter how you think about it." Several hours before dawn. In that short amount of time, going and around killing all the villagers in a way that made it look like poison gas... didn't seem feasible at all. "...The swamp the gas erupted from still had some religious significance, didn't it? ...If that's the case... then maybe there was something set up in the swamp. Something that could be activated whenever a divine verdict was rendered..." "According to the JSDF press release, the swamp was declared the source of the eruption. This was after everything was thoroughly looked over by their investigative team. If anything like that was set up, I think they would have found it..." "It wouldn't necessarily have to be in the swamp itself. ...Come on, haven't you ever heard about it? The old story about how when a faraway spring dried up, the village spring dried up as well." "What do you mean by that?" "...Na ha ha ha. So what you're saying, is that Onigafuchi Swamp is connected to another swamp or spring, and there's something the villagers rigged up there long ago, something that changes the pressure of Onigafuchi Swamp, causing it to erupt with poison gas? ...Is that what you're getting at?"Ooishi laughed heartily, commending the fact that the young'uns have a nice flexible way of thinking. That was the former detective in him. ...Even though it was a hypothesis that he didn't come up with, he still had the presence of mind to not dismiss it right away.  "Once the quarantine on Hinamizawa Village is lifted, I think it should definitely be investigated. ...Ooishi-san, do you still have any connections with the XX Prefectural Police?" "Somewhat. ...I'm an honorary advisor for their judo classes, so even now I pop by during summer training camps and such." "...I don't know when the quarantine on Hinamizawa Village will be lifted... but please, let me help investigate." "...Got it." "...At the time, the villagers were putting a lot of pressure on the station. The official stance on things was that the cases were unrelated. That each case was separate, each with its own resolution." "...That couldn't be. Even though it was blatantly obvious that the cases were connected, based on the village's religious beliefs?" "Akasaka-san, we can only say that now because of the rather grandiose way things ended after five years. ...At the time, those coincidental incidents just happened to coincidently occur on the day of Watanagashi. Just a 'it would be nice if nothing happened this year' kind of feel to it."BGM: Silence SFX: Crickets  "...Girl?" "Rika Furude. ...That child warned me about all the incidents that would happen afterwards." "...Akasaka-san, is that true!?" "Yes. ...The girl said as much. That the next year, the dam foreman would be killed, and his corpse dismembered. Not only that, she warned me of all the events that would transpire in the following years." "...Akasaka-san, when she told you all of that, what year was it!?" "When I met the girl, I was investigating the kidnapping incident... so June of 1978." "...The year before the dismemberment murder."Wrinkles formed between Ooishi's eyebrows as he closed his eyes and began to digest what I had just told him...  "...Yup." "...If you're just trying to shock me, I'm going to be really angry, you know?" "I'm... speaking the truth. ...Then the script behind the chain of mysterious deaths was written a year before it even started. ...And, just as predicted, Rika Furude was killed. ...At first, I thought she meant that she would be killed in the disaster. However... now I know that her death wasn't due to that, but rather an atrocious one at the hands of a murderer.” “...She said she would be killed. ...At that point in time, she knew more or less how her own death would occur." "..." "Even if her death was already spelled out for her... Knowing that, she still had a grace period of several years, didn't she? She had plenty of time to try and run away or consult the police. ...Why did she just accept her death with no resistance?" "...I don't know." "...Even though Rika Furude was doted upon by the older folks in the village, you see... After she lost her parents, she had no living relatives, and lived a fairly solitary life other than hanging around with some close friends. ...It might have been she didn't have any power to fight or anybody to rely on." "...She must have tried signalling somebody for help in regards to her own death, though?" "You know very well that the village and the police weren't very amicable with one another, Akasaka-san. ...At the very least, I never heard anything about Rika Furude seeking protection from anybody." "..." "....Or... it could be that she simply resigned herself to being a religious sacrifice... It could have been something like that."BGM: Tell a thing | Tell a thing -piano solo ver.- (Radiata Alice Version)  I spoke decisively. At that time, she said it. She had definitely said that she wanted to live happily. That she wanted to spend her time surrounded by her dear friends. She hadn't given up on life. She had hoped to keep on living. Ah... At that moment, I became dumbstruck.  "...No... It's nothing."I fell into silence. ...Ooishi folded his arms and began murmuring in contemplation again. BGM: Silence Eventually, he stood up and headed towards the hallway to find the hostess, yelling that he wanted a pen and paper. When Ooishi--noisy even though he was just thinking--left... the room immediately fell into a chilled silence. I stood up. It was then I realized that I was drunk enough to be unsteady on my feet. BGM: Dawn | Dawn (Radiata Alice Version) SFX: Crickets  It was just now... that I realized. She hadn't accepted her own death. She wanted to keep living. Happily and joyously. ...She had said that quite clearly to me. But I was a fool. I hadn't been asked explicitly... so I hadn't realized it. She had made it clear as day that she didn't want to die. Wasn't that her cry for help? She didn't say as much that she wanted help. But, even given that, it wasn't as though she wasn't looking for salvation. Without any family and unable to trust the police... she instead told somebody without any relation to the village, somebody from a faraway place... me. Help me.  If I had made that phone call and learned of Yukie's death, I probably would have fallen into despair. ...If I was in that state, even if she was looking for help, her cries would have fallen on deaf ears. That's why. ...Knowing everything, she had cut the phone cords. She wanted even a little time to seek help from me. Ooishi, just before now.. had lamented that one of the younger officers had gotten mixed up in a case, having been erased because he wasn't there. ...I was feeling the same way.  I could have protected her. In 1983, it would have been five years since the kidnapping took place. While raising the only daughter Yukie had left me, putting all my youth and passion into my work, honing my wits and courage wrestling with difficult cases... Nothing like my failings during the kidnapping incident would have occurred. I wouldn't have been slow to react in a one-on-one fight, and by that point I'd jumped into foreign mafia-run gambling parlors where I'd learned to deal with automatic weapons, let alone handguns. I had grown so much that in 1983 I couldn't have been even compared to how I was in 1978. That's why... If I was by her side, I should have been able to save her life. No matter what conspiracy or foul plots drew near, I definitely would have protected her! She, even though sounding resigned, should have still been able to ask me for help. I just didn't realize it. I couldn't realize it. Just as I wouldn't have realized it if I was told of Yukie's accident, I wasn't able to realize it.  If I had taken her words to heart, I would have prevented Yukie's accident. And I would have been able to protect the girl to whom I owed a debt from even a predetermined death. She must have been expecting that from me!! I learned about the disaster while watching television in my house. Until I learned about that, I had forgotten about Hinamizawa. In order to recover from the shock of Yukie's death, I had tried to remove everything about the place from my memory. What an ungrateful fool I was! Even though in exchange for saving her, the girl had told me of a way to save Yukie? I was unable to accept her gratitude, and now here we were...!  ...She was split open while still alive, killed while suffering the disgrace of having her organs torn out. She must have known beforehand, that on that day on that year, she would be killed in such a terrifying way. But even knowing what end awaited her, she was all too weak. A lone girl, without anybody to rely upon, unable to seek help, had to swallow her own predetermined death, and left this mortal coil.  She said she just wanted to live happily. That's all she wanted. She didn't ask for anything extravagant! For any person that was ever born, it was the very basest of desires!! She never said a peep about wanting money or that she wished she was in somebody else's situation!! She had said it. That if all deaths were pre-ordained, then hers was probably also all according to plan. She might have been a lone, frail girl, but I don't think she would have accepted it all without at least putting up a fight. There must have been... in some small way... ...some form of resistance that she mustered. And with what she could muster... seeking my help was part of that!!  I howled. I stomped the floor. Why did I become a police officer in the first place? How could I call myself an officer if I couldn't save a single girl from the misfortune that was awaiting her!? Was it because there was so much going on at that time I couldn't process the fact that she was asking for help? Yeah, that's right. I was still green! If I was in that situation now, I would have definitely been able to help her!! But... it was already all over. Even if I wanted to settle the regrets she left behind, Hinamizawa, as a dangerous area, was still quarantined. Most of the people involved were already dead, with the few that did remain spread around the country, unable to be traced. The stage of that tragedy was still off limits as well. The police investigation was put on hold, the case slowly being buried in the sands of time. ...Just like how I wouldn't have known unless Ooishi had asked me about it!!  At some point Ooishi had returned with a notebook in hand. Until I saw the expression on Ooishi's face, I didn't realize that I was in tears. "...I... never realized!! I never realized... she wanted help!!" "...Akasaka-san. ...Calm down." "But... it's all too late now!! She was killed!! In such an atrocious manner!! She was counting on me... but I couldn't save her! I couldn't save her!!!" "...I might also be at fault for not building up an amicable relationship with the village. ...If Rika Furude had told me about it, I might have been able to extend a helping hand.”  When Ooishi said the word 'trust', it weighed on me even more. Yes. She had given me her trust. She trusted me. Meaning that she thought that I would have been able to ward off the fate of her foreseen death. She believed in that! I cried. I fell to my hands and knees as I began to bawl.  "Akasaka-san.. ...Does it upset you?" "...It does!!!" "Then... ...there's only one way worth mentioning for Rika Furude to have her revenge." "Is there really? Is there a way to do that!?"Ooishi showed me the pen and notebook. "...In order to properly mourn the death of Rika Furude, we have to at least find out the truth." "....The truth..." "Yes. And not just Rika Furude. Lots of people died. Their lament must be immeasurable. But their deaths were left unsettled because of the disaster, and now we can't even investigate them, as their memory fades into oblivion. Many people died!!  "...We find... the truth..." "Yeah!! We'll find it! I've been around every one of the string of mysterious deaths, and know all of the inner workings of the village. You were told an important truth the year before they happened by Rika Furude!! We can do it!" "...But ...they're already dead... ooh...!!" "That's right. Rika Furude died. You were too inexperienced, so you couldn't save her!!" "Wahhhhhhhhh!!!!" "That's why!!! To atone for that, we reveal the truth!!! If what you say is true, then all the incidents were part of some greater design! If that's the case, then how we investigate needs to change completely!!” “...I intend to spend tonight summarizing all the information you and I have, and then get in contact with one of my former subordinates first thing in the morning. ...We're not going to let the case go cold!! We're definitely going to crack it wide open!!" "...Crack it open. ...Crack it open!!" "We will. Several years have passed, but it's not beyond the statute of limitations. Even if the case has been postponed, it's not closed. It's still going. We're going to keep it going!!" ”Yeah… you’re right!! Let’s do it, Ooishi-san! I won’t let it end like this!! I’m certain… we will uncover the truth!! We absolutely will!!!”I demonstrated my resolve to Ooishi… by crying out these words. And just then,  The sliding door behind me opened… and Miyuki revealed herself while sleepily rubbing her eyes. My shouting must have awoken her. Then she rushed over to me.  “What’s wrong, Papa? …Papa, why are you crying?” ”Ah… Oh. It’s nothing, Miyuki. It’s nothing…”I tried hard to smile while wiping away my tears. And though Miyuki looked like she was about to cry herself, she extended her little hand to me.  ”......”And when she makes that gesture towards me… I saw the figure of another girl overlapping with her. And her… innocent gaze and innocent expression felt frustratingly nostalgic, filling me with painful torment. A girl who couldn’t be here because I didn’t reach out to her. She borrowed my daughter’s body to offer me words of comfort…  It might be a hallucination. Maybe a convenient illusion formed from my selfish dreams. However. That was her voice… I’m certain I heard it. Rather than blaming me for my mistake… she was compassionate.   “An angel? Really?!” ”Yeah, she was cute, and kind… I wanted her to meet you, Miyuki…”Right… that’s already an impossible wish. That future is already gone.  “Hee~! Then I want to be friends with that girl!” ”Eh…?” Even so… there’s still something I can do…!! ”...Ah, of course… We’ll meet her together, someday. …I’m sure of it…!!” “Yep ♪.”Some day, I’m sure. We’ll see her again.  - - -  Everything ended in 1985. I, at least wanting to apologize, had searched for her grave. After the state autopsy, her remains were entrusted to one of the shrine's followers. In the future, when the quarantine on the Hinamizawa area was lifted, they would be returned to her family grave. However, unsure who exactly took the remains of Rika Furude, until today I couldn't even apologize to her. In the future, when the quarantine on Hinamizawa is lifted... all I could do then was wait until whoever that person is returned to the grave.  Instead, until I was able to meet her again... I would reveal the truth and dispel her regrets. Even now, sporadic eruptions of gas in the Hinamizawa area meant that the prospect of the quarantine being lifted wasn't happening anytime soon. Most likely... it seemed that she had no intention of meeting me again until I found the truth. That's why the quarantine wouldn't be lifted, or so I thought. Until the day I grasped the truth.  Ooishi and I co-authored a book on the string of mysterious deaths leading up to the Great Hinamizawa Disaster. I decided on the title. SFX: Night Higurashi  That was because for those few days I was in Hinamizawa, the sound that I remembered the most was the cry of the higurashi. I could only wish that based on this book, those people involved with that incident could refresh their memories, and bring to light a new truth. And more importantly: that nothing like this ever happens again. I wrote this in the afterword:     - - - 
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Dec 24, 2021 20:24
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Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Very excited to get into the second half of Higurashi, so updates will go up at regular pace during the holidays. EDIT: ...Actually, since there's two update days between the All-cast Review Session and January 1st, I might go ahead and write up that sprite comparison. We'll see. limeicebreakers fucked around with this message at 20:58 on Dec 24, 2021 |
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Dec 24, 2021 20:55
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okay, alright if somehow the swamp, or something in the valley which is connected to rivers or water or whatever, has the potential to kill everyone, maybe the dam flooding the valley would also set it off. that would be a strong motivation for opposing the dam project. but why would the people aware of that problem not publicly announce it? that would definitely put a stop to the project. i think the reason is, because it would somehow paint them in a bad light. i think that somehow the Mass Death Event is connected to the blood of the demon. explaining the one would necessarily reveal the other, and effectively tear apart the town when people are all like "what do you mean by 'ancient torture dungeon' exactly"
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Dec 25, 2021 01:42
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VIDEO: Himatsubushi-hen | All-cast Review Session BGM: Afternoon in Paris   "My oh my, no matter what anybody else says, I was the star of the scenario this time. On top of that they added some nice jazzy theme music! If you can't laugh here, where can you laugh? Na ha ha ha ha!!" "......Anyways. Hasn't there been too much of you lately, Ooishi?" "Huh? What do you mean by that, Rika-sa--" BGM: Hello!    "Ah... Ahahaha. Besides Rika-chan who was the main heroine, everybody else didn't really have any appearances, did they☆?" "I heard that this time the scenario was a bit of a side story, but I didn't think that they would leave out the main cast this much!" "You didn't have it so bad, Mion-san. At least you had a few appearances, did you not? Both Rena-san and I didn't even have a cameo." "......Rena still shows up on the covers a lot, so she's still okay." "...Exactly what are you trying to say, then? ...That I was the only outcast with no appearance? Is that it?" "......Nipah~☆." "......How sad, how sad. They'll probably just keep treating you worse and worse, until you finally drop down to a supporting role." "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh!! That's just too much!!"  "I don't like being treated like thiiiiis!!! Waaaaaah!!" "Ah, ahahaha... I think you'll probably have a lot of appearances next time. Next time! So cheer up, okay☆?"  "......The story was difficult for me to understand." "Yeah... What I found the hardest to believe... was that the year before the string of mysterious deaths, Rika-chan already knew about them..." "...Which means... ...all the incidents were part of someone's scenario... ...That's a pretty important piece of information..." "......It's probably because I'm a shrine maiden, so I knew the future from Oyashiro-sama's divine revelations." "Hmmm... For somebody like me who believes in the theory that it was the work of human culprits, I'd like to deny that."  "Ahhhh! Nope. Nope! For someone who thinks it was the work of man, that kind of unfounded fantasy will not stand! All the incidents were caused by people! There's no curse or magic or aimbots or cheatcodes!" "......It would be wonderful if I could use magic, though." "Ahahahaha☆. If it's Rika-chan, I could go along with that. Hau!" "Well, for the people who believe it was the work of humans, the ending was a big revelation!” “From the first incident until Rika-chan was killed in the Great Disaster, everything was scripted. Knowing that it's all one big incident vastly increases the amount of material you can hypothesize with!" "I think... that the prophecy is proof in itself that Rika-chan has some divine power. In other words, it's proof that there's some mysterious power at work in Hinamizawa. I think it's proof that the incidents weren't the work of humans alone." "......The inside of my head is so muddled I don't know what's going on." "......Meep." "Yeah, I was surprised, too... I never thought that cute li'll Rika-chan would laugh like that..." "Hey, just for a little bit... Could you show us that face one more time?" "......I don't want to." "I-I don't want her to do that outside of the story... Hau..."BGM: Silence  BGM: Fascism | Fascism (Radiata Alice Version)  "Nobody move!! Any weird movements, and you'll come face-to-face with synchronized Gatling guns, multiple homing missiles, and be cut up by laser sabers for the finisher!” "...Sa-Satoko!? What's the meaning of this!?"BGM: Sutakorasassa (Helter Skelter)   "Hee hee hee... Thanks for that wonderful introduction. Hello again, everybody." "I didn't think that I'd have an appearance here, of all places. I'm delighted, though. Satoko-chan, thank you." "Whoa, hello everybody~! ....Kya!?"SFX: Crash  "Oh my, didn't I warn you not to move~?"  "Ohh ho ho ho!! The grudge of somebody not making an appearance is a terrible thing!" "......Satoko had lots of appearances in the main scenario." "The grudge of somebody not making an appearance... Dammit, when was she able to set this many traps...!?" "Maybe, that when this place was selected as the venue for the afterparty, at that point my traps were already set? Ohh ho ho ho!" "...Oh... I know!! There's somebody behind you pulling the strings! There is, isn't there!? Come out!!"BGM: Spring Step (Mion)  "Oh, it's Shion-chan! Hello~! ....Gyah!?"SFX: Crash "......I feel sorry for her for falling for the same trap twice." "I thought it was you, Shion!! Even though you're pencilled in to be the main character in the next scenario! This is an outrage! Now you've gone and done it!!" "Heh heh heh... Even if it is only the bonus scene before the answer arcs, I can't let my sister have all the appearances. I'm not that generous, you know. Well☆. In any case, I just let Satoko start a little something-something." "...Grrrrrr...!! Shion, what is it that you want!?" "Let's just say I'm securing myself a little safety buffer. The other day, for some reason, you were steadily getting more votes in the popularity poll."  "Heh heh heh! When your malicious side made its appearance, all the players finally started noticing my charm. Satoko also earned a good reputation during the Tatarigoroshi arc. Rena and Rika-chan have a strong baseline of support. Your popularity has long since faded away!" "That's why... I thought I'd take the time now to crush you and Satoko, who've been getting too many votes for my comfort. So I came up with this elaborate plan." "...!? Shion-san, what did you say just now!? You're going to crush me as well!?" "...You're a little slow to notice, aren't you, shorty!! Here you go!!" "Wha-wha-whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!?"SFX: Crash BGM: Fascism | Fascism (Radiata Alice Version)  "Heh heh heh heh heh! Goodbye, all you regulars. Hello to all you irregular folk. All the main characters are done for!"  "Ah... ahahahahahaha! Th-Th-That's not true! Ahaha!"  "I-I'm sorry, Ryuugu-san. ...Shion-san said she would make me a new segment called 'Teach me! Chie-sensei' starting from the next scenario... so I just..." "Well then. Who should I dispose of next in a most embarrassing manner? Maybe Satoko, since she helped me set this all up?"  "C-Coach!!" "He seems somehow reliable for once!!" "I, Kyousuke Irie, shall not allow any aggression against Satoko-chan. I may also just be a supporting character... but don't think you can persuade me so easily!" "Oh. Then you're saying you want to withdraw from being the lead in Documentary!! Satoko's Maid Training, Dress-up Chapter' that we planned on filming after this?"BGM: Sutakorasassa (Helter Skelter)  "...Shion-sama. I, Kyousuke Irie, shall follow you to the depths of hell!!!" "That was fast!!!"  "...Shion-sama! Rena-san isn't here! She escaped at some point!" "There she is. Ryuugu-san! Didn't I just tell you you shouldn't move?" "Rena-chan! I won't do anything to hurt you, but it's easier if you don't resist!" "I-- sorry, but all this is really bizarre!" "Rena-san. You should stop your pointless resistance and just come along peacefully. If you make me angry enough, then not only will you suffer, but so will my dear sister as well." "...You can't do anything just by turning off the lights... ...Rena, I'm sorry, but do what they say..." "It's alright, don't worry. Now that we have the Meakashi script… we can reverse this situation!” "...Reverse the situation!? ...Exactly... what are you scheming!?" "...Ahahahaha!! Rena-san, you're pretty good at making me laugh. Then why don't you go ahead and try? Show me how you're going to turn this around."  "When, exactly, are you saying I was spoiled?" "You don't understand, Shii-chan. ...Even if it's just the afterparty, you still have an appearance. You also appeared a lot in the previous scenarios. There's somebody... who resents you from the depths of hell, who can't forgive you... Listen... can't you hear it, Shii-chan?" "...Th-That's right! I understand now!!" "I get it!! Kei-chan!!” “That's right, he never has any appearances during the afterparties! There's no way Kei-chan would allow somebody to monopolize the afterparties all to themselves without him!" "That's just your self-centered way of thinking, Shii-chan!!" "Huh? Huh?" "It's too late!!!!" "...It’s finally your time! Keiichi-kuuuuuuuuun!!!!!"  "Th-That voice is... Kei-chan!?!? No way, he’s still supposed to be recording lines at the studio!" "Hu-hu-hu!! You’re right, I was until just now. Every time I get left at the studio, I get told ‘you can join the afterparty if you beat someone on the remaining word count.’” ”But I always have two to three times the script volume of the other characters, making it impossible. It’s like the sound director doesn’t want to let me join the party from the get-go! At least, that’s what I had thought…”  “Huh? …Ga, gah?!” ”That’s right! Now she’s appearing in more scenes as the main character, Shin has to speak twice the lines she’s had so far! And since Shion and Mion have the same VA cast, that’s double again! As a result, I’ve finally been excused from staying back!! Meaning, Shion, it’s your turn to be left behind!!” “N-No way?! I have to speak this much for Meakashi?!” “Let’s see… Kei-chan has about 500, and Shion has…” “Over 2700?! That’s like the total for all the characters together in a normal adventure game!!” “...Further adding on Mion’s lines, makes a total of-” “Waaah! I don’t want to know, I don’t want to know!!”...Of course, this whole bit with the VA is not in the original script. Huge props to Satsuki Yukino, since she was brought up - her portrayal of both twins are incredibly memorable and distinct. BGM: Digital Network  "I see, if it's like this, he can appear even if he doesn't have any character art." "...There's no character or background art, so it's really easy on the production staff." "Bwa ha hahahaha!!! Shionnnn!! You act like you're the main character in a tragedy, but from my point of view, it's more like a comedy!!!” “It seems like you've gotten a little carried awaaaay!! Every. Afterparty. Without any character art, without any sort of appreciation. Witness my anger, my grudge, and all of my sorrow!! I shall instill it all upon you!!!" "...I-It almost seems like Keiichi-kun is doing some sort of bad-guy transformation sequence." "This isn't some sort of transformation. I'll have you know I've always been a Demon Lord!! And as of right now, this world which is enveloped within true darkness shall dance upon the palm of my hand!! Within this world of darkness, there are none who can oppose me!!!!" "...Keiichi-kun is kind of scary... hau..." "Scary? Wa ha ha ha ha!!! The age of the frightening Higurashi has come to an end!! From here on out begins the dawn of a perverted and cutesy Higurashi!!!!" "...Wha-Wha-What did you say!? Maebara-sama! Bring me with youuuu!!" "Gahahaha!! You know it, Coach!! Then, as a first step, I'll show our doctor-cum-coach my power. Hrnnnnnggaaaaaa!!!"   "Ta-Ta-Takano-san is in a mini-skirt nurse outfiiiiit!! And it's not some pink one like you'd find in a porno! He knows what he's doing!! It's a proper pure and innocent whiiiite!!" "Even though she's a nurse, she doesn't appear in the outfit once during the main scenario, you've got to be kidding me!! Well then. ...On to the next target...☆" "...Re-Renaaaa!! This hasn't changed the situation at all! It's just turned into a different type of crisis!!!" "Hau~!! I can't do anything in this darkness~~!" "Maebara-sama, you're the best~~!!!!! How about a bunny girl, or booth babe costume-- no no, a leotard could be good too!! No, wait!! How about just about making hyper sexy!!! B-But of course, leave the socks on!!!" "Whoaaaaaaa!! That's a good idea!! You know your stuff!! C-Coach...!! I feel like we're finally seeing eye-to-eye here!!!" "Wait, Maebara-san. ...no, K. Call me Iri from now on. Call me Doctor Iri!!!"  "Tommy!! Cloud!! ...We're all finally here... The Elite Four have arrived!!!" Don’t watch this. With the complete darkness, the Demon Lord of the Darkest Black, Keiichi Maebara, was finally able to reach the surface world. His magical power was without equal!! In this darkness... nobody could stand against him!! All must bow!!! Ahh, will the heroines be unable to escape this darkness and be forced to submit to the will of the Demon Lord, forced to wear embarrassing outfit after embarrassing outfit, being used as life-size dress-up dolls for all eternity!?!? That's great, more, more!! By the way, the school swimsuits are the classic type right!? I won't forgive you if they're the competitive swimming style!!!   "It's alright, Sis. Kei-chan isn't the only one who can unleash their true power amid the darkness." "...Huh? Did we have such a convenient ally?" "Ga ha ha ha ha!! You're rather impertinent, Shion Sonozaki!! Also, if you were expecting help from the Principal, that's too bad!! 'This is the ultimate desire of young men! If you call yourself a man, do your best!' is written on this nice little authorization slip here!!!” “Of course, you won't be able to rely on the newcomer Akasaka-san, either! He's been on a private couple's hot springs vacation his wife's family set up for them since yesterday!! In other words! All the bases are covered!!" "...You're so naive, Kei-chan. ...Even characters who have art are able to reveal their true form in the darkness. ...Chie-sensei!!!"BGM: Silence SFX: Night Higurashi  "...It's dark so I can't really tell, but it seems like Chie-sensei's outfit is different. ...What are those? All those swords in her hands. ...Th-They couldn't be!! The Blac---hrmph!!!" "......Any more than that is a secret. Nipah~☆." "...Maebara-kun? ...That was just a little too much mischief on your part. The church can't overlook any more than this."BGM: Sutakorasassa (Helter Skelter) "Wa-Wa-Wait a minute, this here, there's no way, right, that's cheating, it's against the rules!!!! Hey, she can't do this, right!?!? Wa-wait, you can't use that big one!!! Huuuh!? Her arc drive has startup invincibility!? The Seventh Hooo-- Gyagyagyaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!"  - - - BGM: Orange-colored Time  "I think you already know this, but Higurashi When They Cry is a type of visual novel without any choices. Therefore, compared to adventure-type visual novels with branching routes to take, it's much closer to the experience of a book or a movie. ...Because of that, there is the opinion out there that this should not be called a game, per se." "If you're just watching it like a book or movie, Higurashi When They Cry isn't really a game, true. ...That's why, as you know, there are a lot of mysteries referenced during the course of the experience. When you challenge those... this work will become a proper game." “...For example, forming a theory about the mysteries during the course of the story, sharing them with your friends, and receiving their theories in return could be fun." "In any case... the next chapter starts the Answer Arcs. We've tentatively called it 'Meakashi'. ...But, answers are a sad thing. Based on what is revealed, all the possibilities that you were allowed to imagine until now will suddenly become refined down to a few." "Based on that logic, we think that right here, before the answer arcs, is probably where people can enjoy this work we call Higurashi When They Cry the most." “...That's where the real charm of the series takes place." "...Ahaha. Sorry for saying something so impudent. There's nothing better we'd like than for you to enjoy Higurashi When They Cry." "Well then, have a long and pleasant night! We're waiting for you all in Hinamizawa!” - - - This is actually the last All-cast Review Session of the series, aside from, technically, the questionable Batsukoishi-hen. (Minor spoilers for Satoshi’s appearance in the link, though the arc itself does have a larger spoiler and I don’t advise you to look for further details unless you’ve finished reading all of Higurashi. It's a screenshot, so don't worry about the wikia sidebar.) Satoshi spooning yogurt into Keiichi’s mouth with the spoon in his own mouth is one of the less  parts of Batsukoishi-hen, so let’s pretend it didn’t happen like Ryukishi did after its first release. It was bundled in as an extra arc alongside Meakashi-hen when it was first sold at Comiket in December 2004, and was subsequently replaced in all future releases of Meakashi with an All-cast Review Session equivalent for the Answer arcs. It was later re-released in Higurashi no naku Koro ni Rei with two other side arcs.Keiichi ended up never attending a single one of these with his character sprite, what a shame. In any case, this is the actual end of the Question arcs. Has the mystery become clearer to you? Let’s see if any of your theories hold water as we welcome the new year and Meakashi-hen.  EDIT: Oh, and here's the Himatsubushi bad ending. Incredibly unremarkable. limeicebreakers fucked around with this message at 09:32 on Jan 2, 2022 |
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Dec 26, 2021 21:13
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Ugh, I keep double-posting. Tried doing the sprite write-up until I realized I was just making snide comments and generally being unfunny. Not much can really be said about the differences between artstyles except a resounding, 'neat' - so, I've decided to just take a break until 2022 to start Meakashi while I catch up on some work I've let pile up on the side. Happy holidays!
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Dec 26, 2021 21:30
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Happy New Year! Let’s start off 2022 with a new arc, and our first step into Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai. VIDEO: Meakashi-hen | Day 1  - - -  As mentioned previously, Meakashi-hen’s console release also implemented some choices that would lead to ‘bad ends’. Meakashi’s has a lot more meat to it compared to the previous arc, and I’ll make a separate, proper update for them at the end. For now, no choices.   BGM: Silence SFX: Crickets  Without knowing which key was the correct one, I had to go by instinct and try every key, one by one. On average, I'd reach the correct key within 3.5 attempts. I'd be fortunate if I could open the lock within the first three keys... And I'd be unfortunate if I didn't. I had to think of the worst-case scenario: getting the right key only on the very last attempt. I fought with my nervousness. My head ached from it. I put the key in, and turned it. I just needed to repeat that small procedure several more times, but...... I couldn't stop shaking. ...drat... Even a three-year-old kid can do something this easy. ...So, am I more childish than a three-year-old? Whatever. I don't care if I'm clumsy. ...I just need to try all these keys... ...Even in the worst-case scenario, the lock will open on the seventh try...  ...Reality isn't always the same as math. What happened was worse than my worst-case scenario... None of the keys worked at all. I could feel the blood draining from my brain. ...Did I get the wrong set of keys?! No. I definitely see a faint marking that says this set is for this door. ...Am I just reading it wrong? Should I go back to the key cabinet to look for the right one...? That would mean a great loss of time. Just by being here I'm already risking so much. ...Something that could ruin everything might happen any moment... If I can't open this lock, do I have to go back to the administration office? ...If there were no other choice, it'd be a waste of time to spend another second here...! The administration office wouldn't necessarily be empty at this time. ...Somebody might come in. I won't be able to look for the right key if that happens...!!  I was almost in a panic, and so felt the urge to move... My instinct pushed me. I have to go back there as quickly as possible...!! It's dangerous to be here, and it's also dangerous if somebody comes into the administration office! ...I cooled my head, making it as chilly as possible, to repress my fear... Calm down, Shion... ...Mion wouldn't panic in this situation... Maybe I'm just mistaken... Why don't I try the keys one more time...?  If it were a normal situation, I would've known I wouldn't run into them, since the footsteps were very far away. ...But at the time, I couldn't think calmly. Ah... poo poo... Why am I panicking this much just because of footsteps...? Calm down... calm down... I should be feeling excited instead. ...Calm down, calm down. ...I just need to do what I have to do. I should ignore the footsteps, because they're not an immediate threat... ...Pretend they aren't there...! I have to listen for something much more important right now...! Ah... poo poo... This key should be hard and cold, but... it's pliable and hot... it feels like rubber... How could I stick this into the keyhole? poo poo, poo poo, poo poo...! It wasn't the key that was pliable. ...It's my fingers that were limp. ...Ah... poo poo, poo poo, poo poo...!  It shouldn't have made any sound because it was so pliable, but... it made a tremendous metal noise as if somebody pushed over a cupboard. Cliiinnng!!! The sound almost stopped my heart. I felt dizzy for a while. I looked around afterwards to carefully see if I caused any disturbance to the surroundings. Calm down, calm down... Nothing's changed. I don't hear anything... So... am I safe? SFX: Shrine Bells Calm down... calm down, calm down... Wait... I don't hear anything? What about those footsteps in the distance? Calm down, calm down, calm down...! Are they looking for me after they noticed the sound...? Ah, poo poo... What is that sound I'm hearing? Is it my sweat dripping on the floor? ......Shut up, shut up, shut up...! How could I hear the sound of my sweat? Calm down, calm down, calm down... Calm the gently caress down...!!!   BGM: Iru The Answer arcs have 60 new tracks to add onto the already impressive library of 40 from the Question arcs. The songs in Kai were actually written for Higurashi as opposed to the royalty-free music used in the previous four arcs. Composers who were fans of the game offered to write music for it, and they managed to create several iconic tracks that some people who were active in the anime community over the past two decades might even recognize. The two composers worth special mention are zts, who wrote a few songs for Higurashi and would go onto compose for Umineko, and dai (who wrote Iru, for the record) who composed nearly half of the songs in Kai himself. Not a normal one, though. It costs a fortune just to get in. It's a boarding school that provides education from elementary school to university. Being for girls only, rather than a school, you could say it's a factory that manufactures 'ladies'. Some of my classmates here have never even used public transportation. ...Really, it isn't normal. To me, saying 'how nice to see you' instead of just 'hi' is already insane, and calling the teachers 'sisters' gives me the creeps. I hate the morning and evening prayers, to say nothing of the Sunday mass. I don't want to memorize the Bible passages, and the Holy Ghost gives me a rash. If I stayed in this institution (that's what I call the place) for many years, I'd either go crazy or be brainwashed. Most of the girls choose to be brainwashed, but... I can't do that. ...After all, I was more impressed by the political schemes and international trade behind religious propagation than by the love of God which the Bible teaches.  ...I experienced lots of disadvantages as a result. I realized that quickly, so I superficially pretended to be normal. However, I got tired of acting, so I started to reveal my true self from time to time. I became a problematic child once again. People started to treat me differently once again. It's fun to misbehave. ...But it wouldn't do anything for me in the long run. ...So, why did I act that way? Why, even though I knew it was going to backfire on me later on? ......After examining my emotions, I realized that I'd completely had it with my surroundings. I was afraid of being brainwashed in this institution. I can't live here. I won't let them brainwash me!  The moment I made up my mind, I started to feel alive again. I acted ladylike in order to deceive the sisters. Pretending became fun once I'd set my goal. It gave me the creeps when they told me with smiles that it was God's influence that I started to behave religiously. I laughed at them behind their backs. I took on my classmates' duties in order to understand the layout of the school, and the schedules of the staff and guards. ...I soon found out that the security of the school was immensely tight, because there were many daughters of important people living there. The guards walked their beat randomly. There were surveillance cameras everywhere. The system that kept out intruders ironically also worked to prevent escapees. But... that excited me instead. I simulated how to avoid all the surveillance in my head many times. I drew an escape route in the corner of my notes during class and tested if it worked. I strove to acquire any necessary skills for the escape. It was all fun. ...After all, the situation was cathartic for me. That's who I am. No matter how hard they tried to brainwash me, I'd never change.  First, I needed the courage to escape. I had to be confident of the plan. I had to think deeply about it. I also needed skills and physical strength. ...I imagined all the possible obstacles and trained myself. (It was funny because I was finally able to enjoy gym classes, even the long-distance runs.) I needed a perfect plan, as well as the physical strength and skills necessary to execute it. Also, supported by those things, I needed determination. I made sure that I had all I needed, and executed the plan.  The seed was a rumor that one of the male teachers was having a relationship with a student. I won't go into the details now, but that can turn into an enormous problem in this school. ......The school is limited to girls precisely because their parents want to avoid those kind of problems. Those parents are mostly important people from various positions. If the romance was a fact and was leaked to the public, the principal would have to commit suicide in shame. In fact, even that might not be enough. In the world of girls, rumors spread fast. Especially when they're separated from boys and are obsessed with dirty thoughts. So, this kind of rumor goes around really quickly. The sisters try to get rid of that kind of rumor, and they warn the students not to be swayed by it. But apparently, they're the ones who are most swayed by those rumors. This means that I managed to make them furtively deal with something shady, without contacting families or the authorities.  All the male teachers would deny it, of course. However, the school wouldn't believe what they said so easily. ...After all, there's a dirty rumor going around. By the time the school finds out about my escape, after they eliminate all the other possibilities... I'll be somewhere safe... I tried hard to spread the rumor that I was involved in the forbidden romance as widely as possible. The sisters questioned me a few times, but since the romance was something I'd made up, they couldn't find anything. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't find any evidence. After three months, I was certain that I created a solid foundation. I swapped after-dinner duties with my classmates so that I could adjust my schedule on this day. I was even able to fill them with suspicion about me by doing that. Now they'll definitely suspect I ran away with some male teacher. BGM: Silence SFX: Crickets Tonight was the night.  After lights-out, somebody will find out about my disappearance. My generous roommate would probably wait about ten minutes before she reported me to a sister, but no longer than that. I had about an hour tops. But that's enough for me......! SFX: Shrine Bells I took a step off my regular route. That was the first step toward my great escape. I calmed down and thought... The key shouldn't be wrong. ...This lock is old and firm. Isn't it possible that I put the right one in, but the lock was just stiff, and I only thought I got the wrong one? I realized that my nervousness was making me clumsy. The gloves that I'm wearing to avoid leaving fingerprints must be getting in the way, too. ......I should try the keys one more time... ...I picked the most probable one, and gently inserted it into the keyhole... ...It's stiff. ...If I twist it too strongly, I might break the key. The moment I thought of giving up, I felt something in my fingertips...... The key worked!  I could hear the crickets. I don't have to hesitate now, but somehow I'm reluctant to step outside. I can still make excuses up to this point. It might look awkward, but I still can. ......But if I take a step outside now, there can be no excuse. If the guards find me, they'll take me to the office immediately. There have been escape attempts before. ...That's not really so strange. I don't think I'm the only heathen here. It's understandable that there have been people belore who couldn't fit in this place.  ...I've heard rumors about what happened to those who were caught while attempting to escape. ...I don't want to believe any of those stories, though.  BGM: Unseen Future (Mienu Mirai)...Whatever... Bring it on... I'm not expecting to get a second chance anyway. ...There'll always be only one chance. Things get serious beyond this door...!! I psyched myself up and... pushed the door open.  Is that normal for the outside? I'd never smelled this strong grassy smell before. Is there something going on...? Do I have to be wary of it? Should I go back and wait for another chance...? ......That's silly. There's nothing strange going on. This smell is something I smell every day. ...I just wasn't aware of it. It's true, isn't it? Even though I pretend to be cool, I'm nothing but a nervous wreck...  I can rely only on the map inside my head from this point onward. I'd researched the locations of all the surveillance cameras. ...I'm confident that I'll be able to avoid all of them, but I'm not sure about the guards. They pick their patrol routes randomly, after all. I have to take a chance. I can hide myself in most places... But there's an area where there's nowhere to hide for several meters. I concentrated to keep my senses keen. ......Well, I have to depend on my luck in the end. Even if I do my best, the guard might find me by mere chance. On the contrary, I might be able to get away no matter how unwisely I choose to move, if I'm lucky. ......drat. After all that effort, it just boils down to luck? Aha ha. This is a gamble after all.  Yes, this is a gamble. I'm trying my luck. This is a game to test the determination to change my life. If somebody failed to escape from this school, that meant they didn't have enough luck to survive in the real world. But I'm different. I'm going to get out of here. I'm testing my luck. Here goes, Shion! I ignored the noisy bugs and concentrated only on suspicious sounds. ......I heard no threats... ...The loudest sound wasn't the bugs--it was my own heartbeat. Crunch. ...Even my own footsteps were so loud they could break my eardrums... With each and every step, my overactive imagination tormented me with premonitions of unexpected run-ins with guards. Countless times that torture grew too hard to bear, and I thought of running. ...But if I broke into a run, the noise I made would only draw suspicion. If anyone heard running at a time and place where people shouldn't be, they would realize something abnormal was happening. But if the footsteps they heard were just walking, then they'd likely think nothing of it. Of course, I don't plan on even letting them hear those footsteps.  I didn't sense anyone's presence. ......I might have felt safer if I heard a guard in the distance. I'm worried that my senses might not be keen enough to detect everything. Somebody might be right behind me... without me being aware of it... I didn't want to make any noise, so I stopped from time to time. ...It's like I'm constantly fidgeting... To stop or to run... something within urged me to choose from either one. I can't choose to stop. I have to keep going quickly and stealthily. ...I'm already risking so much just by being here. Running, of course, would be absurd. ...Ah, I know that......! The urge to run continued to bug me. My head was filled with those thoughts as I went through this dangerous territory.  ...I couldn't help but sit for a moment and exhale the rotten air from my lungs. ......My negative thoughts vanished quickly. ......Just a little more to go. ...Just a little more! Just through that bush over there is the fence that separates this place and the outside world. Once again, I strongly felt the urge to run. ...I suppressed that desire and carefully tackled the final step......  While I was worried that somebody might see me climbing up the fence, it fortunately didn't happen. It's even possible that this fence might have a touch sensor. ...It's too late now. It doesn't mean anything now, since I'm already climbing up. From the top, the fence seemed about seven feet high. I have to go down carefully, just like when I climbed up. ......I knew that logically, but I couldn't think that way anymore. I chose to jump off with no hesitation. Of course, I regretted my decision during the fall. I got scared because the flight was longer than I expected.  But there was nobody around to laugh, and I didn't have time to be embarrassed. I looked around to see if anybody heard my landing. Even the crickets weren't interested in the sound I made. I felt relieved... I looked at my watch. ...Five minutes till 8 PM. ...It was just a fifteen-minute escape. Putting a number to it really made it obvious how short it had been. Looking back, most of the time I was just asking myself questions and hesitating. ......I guess I worried too much. But I can't be too relaxed just yet. There's no guarantee that I fooled all the cameras. This place isn't a bank. There won't be a fire alarm going off even if the guards did see me. It's possible they're rushing this way right now. I can't enjoy the air of freedom yet.  There's still time left until the rendezvous.  - - - BGM: Silence SFX: Crickets  The building was lit up, and the beautiful Western-style architecture made it hard to believe that it was a school. ......It should be armed with electrifying wires, searchlights, and guard dogs, like the prison it is. BGM: Iru I thought I'd experience a surge of school memories in a situation like this, but it didn't happen. That sort of thing only happens when you have good memories. I have no good memories of this school, so there's nothing to remember. ...But if I could pick a series of images to recall, it'd be the luxurious dinners we had every night. So, my memories would be nothing but international cuisine: Japanese, Chinese, French and so on... ......What the hell? That's just too funny. I burst into laughter. BGM: Silence SFX: Crickets  I crouched in the darkness.The plate number is the same as I was expecting... That's the car. I jumped out and rushed to the passenger side, then opened the door and got in.  The driver was a man of early old age. ......He'd be angry if he heard me say that, though. He thinks he's still middle-aged. He looked at my face and learned that I succeeded. He smiled.   "Aha ha ha ha! ...I heard they serve excellent food in the school, but... I suppose you were served nothing but gruel, huh?" "No way, dumbass!! I was just kidding. Step on the gas if you have time to laugh at me!" "As you wish..." BGM: Boy in the Windmill (Fuushagoya no Shounen)Kasai really did laugh out loud. After telling me to buckle up, he accelerated. The cathedral-like school disappeared from the mirror in an instant. It disappeared so quick that I didn't have time for a surge of dinner memories. Goodbye, my lovely school days! Ha ha! I'm going to fill my stomach with junk food from now on! I'll forever be free from the table manners you taught me! Aha! Serves you right!  It reminded me that this was just the countryside of Japan, not Europe.  "Are you hungry? Would you like me to stop somewhere to eat?" "That's okay. I already ate."I lied. I'm actually a bit hungry. I didn't eat much at dinner to avoid slowing myself down with a full stomach. I appreciated Kasai's offer, but I didn't feel like taking the time to eat while we were still in enemy territory. "It's late, so you'll find only vending machines at the highway rest stops.... Oh, I've heard there are hamburger and oden vending machines nowadays." "Huh?! What the hell? Will that dispense a cup and the ingredients, like a coffee vending machine...? That's gross!" "Aha ha, I don't think it's like that. It usually comes in a can." "Still...? I thought you might have grown out of it." "...I haven't because I can't. Shut up. Why are you laughing?!"Kasai chuckled. He must have been trying to help me relax. ...He isn't usually so talkative. Hamburger and oden vending machines do still exist, by the way. The hamburgers have been upgraded to cardboard boxes in modern times, though.  "Look for the lever on the lower left part of the seat. Can you find it?" "Oh, here it is...... Here I go."Kasai laughed again. "Did I do something funny?" "No... It's just that the way you talked sounded like Mion-san." Mion and I are identical twins. We're perfect copies of each other. When I react to something, so will Mion. When Mion reacts to something in a certain situation, I'll react the same way. BGM: Silence  "I believe she's fine. I only see her when I bring your father to the family councils." "That's right, she doesn't live in our parents' home anymore. She's living with grandma in Hinamizawa now, isn't she?" "She moved into the main house around the same time you started going to that school."...I responded with disinterest even though I was the one to ask about her in the first place. The main house is where Oryou (the current leader of the Sonozaki family) lives. That's my grandma, who I call a hag. ......But when we use the phrase 'the main house', that usually means more than just a dwelling. What Kasai refers to is the same thing.  "You mean Mion-san?" "Yeah... I think she has to have changed if she's living so closely with grandma."Kasai chuckled yet again. He knows I hate my grandma. "I haven't noticed any changes... She's still the Mion-san you know." "What about me? ...Did I change?" "No, not at all."Kasai responded quickly with a smirk. ......I haven't seen him for a while, though. It's not fun if he answers this quickly. I glared at him... and then he burst out laughing.  "drat it... Laugh as much as you want! I'm going to sleep!" "There's a blanket in the back. Please make use of it." "Um, thanks."I grabbed the blanket and rolled up in it. I'm exhausted, but I can't go to sleep. It's strange. Or maybe not. I must be tired from the escape. It's just that I'm still feeling tense. So, I have to declare it once again, if only to calm myself.  "All right. It's the third time you said that. Do I have to give you permission to sleep?" "You're talking too much! I can't go to sleep if you don't quiet down!" "I apologize, princess. I'll keep quiet now... Heh heh heh...!" BGM: Iru  We were in the middle of the dam protests back then, after all. We all united together, and now that I think about it, we pulled a lot of pretty dangerous stunts. If the authorities ever find out what I did, I'd never escape going to juvie... ...Well, at least half the people in Hinamizawa would be off to prison. We didn't think of them as criminal acts, though. It was a war. It might also have been a festival. A festival where every person in Hinamizawa joined together in protest. It was a struggle, but it was also fun. It was fun to throw stones at the SWAT team with everybody. We hid ourselves in somebody's home when they chased after us. We'd even go crowd around the police station, demanding the release of our arrested comrades. When we snuck into the construction site and sabotaged it, it felt more like we were playing at war than conducting one. I got so excited back then. ...I felt united with my fellow members, even though they were strangers to me, and that memory warms my heart.  ...Until we all collapsed face-first on the ground, and shared our excitement and cheers with unfamiliar faces over tea. I was just a kid back then. I remember accompanying young men who worked for my dad out to the village to do various bad things.  It didn't feel any different, though, than when I was called to the teacher's office for forgetting my homework. ......The other villagers were furious about the dam project, but for those of us who were kids at the time, it's a pretty fun memory. All that came to a sudden end a few years ago. It wasn't only the power of the protest that ended the dam construction project. The Sonozaki family and my dad's organization had worked secretly in the shadows. ...This is top-secret information in the Sonozaki family, but... it's said they may or may not have kidnapped the Minister of Construction's grandson... in order to blackmail him.  ......He was found in the mountains of Yagouchi. He didn't simply disappear, and he wasn't demoned away. That means some kind of deal was made secretly. A year after that, the dam construction plan was halted indefinitely. The police suspected the villagers' involvement and investigated, but they couldn't find any leads. The villagers never betrayed each other. They'd do anything to protect their fellow man. ......They fabricated fake alibis and fake evidence... ...It was easy to deceive the police... Guh! BGM: Silence SFX: Cars  ......I suddenly realized my expression was a very happy one for some reason. ...Ah. I must be looking forward to going home. "Shion-san... Are you awake?" "......What is it?" "Would you like me to take you to the house in Okinomiya?" "Where else would you be taking me?"I answered straightforwardly with a frown. Kasai, then, also chose to reply straightforwardly.  "The school grandma chose didn't fit me, that's all." "...Shion-san." "...I know, I know. Shut up."As the head of the Sonozaki family, the hag's decisions are absolute. ...They're nothing like, say, the three-second rule. Worse, the decision to confine me to an academy far away from the Sonozaki family... was made before I was even born.  My sister 'Mion' has a character that means 'demon' in her name. That was to signify that she's the successor of demons. In other words, she would be the successor to the Sonozaki family and its demonic bloodline. My name, 'Shion', has a character that means 'temple' in it. This means that I was destined to take the veil and be confined in a temple. Thinking of that reminds me how much I hate this name of mine. For starters, the person known as Shion is an abominable being to the Sonozaki family. Because it meant the family had two heirs. ...I don't have to cite the countless historical examples to explain. It's easy to imagine how that could prove troublesome for succession. According to our long-held family traditions, one of the twins was to be strangled to death right after birth. Unbelievable, isn't it? What that means... ...Is that I have to be grateful just to be alive and breathing to this day.  ...I don't know what exchange took place in that moment. Maybe some brave relative of mine managed to get her to stop. Or maybe she was in an extremely good mood that day. (Then don't try to strangle me!)  But the first one out of my mom's stomach was named "Mion", and the second one drew the short straw and got named "Shion". Everyone else was desperate to tell us apart, but we sisters just found that awfully ridiculous. There wasn't any difference between us. No one could tell us apart, even if we only swapped hats. We wondered why all the grownups were trying to see the differences. Well, our fun as twins didn't last forever. One day, they created an undeniable, clear distinction between Mion and Shion. Mion went to the main Sonozaki house to live with the hag and to learn how to become the successor. And I was to be confined at St. Lucia's.  I used to be jealous, but now I feel that having to learn about and follow the traditions would just make me tired. I even feel sorry for Mion. So, I'm not going to be a threat to the family even if I'm back in Okinomiya. But... the hag doesn't seem to think that way. She thinks of me as some kind of evil omen. ...That's why she wanted to keep me away from her. That doesn't matter to me... I don't want to see her face either. I don't care if she doesn't allow me to enter Hinamizawa. She can charge me 10,000 yen per step I take there. But I want her to let me live in Okinomiya, where I grew up. When I was little, I was in Hinamizawa, but I don't remember it much and I'm not very attached to it. I do have good memories of my elementary school days in Okinomiya. The town isn't very sophisticated, but I kind of like it there.  "Are you worried that grandma will hear about me? ......Ha ha ha, that might be a problem." "......I hope you understand the situation." "......What, Kasai? ...Are you telling me to go back to that awful place?" "No. I'm not. What I'm trying to say is..." "...You want to know whether I'm prepared or not?" "I just hope you understand what might happen." "You should look forward to being rolled up in a futon mat and thrown into the Onigafuchi Swamp, in that case. Ah, maybe they'll send you to the torture room in the garden."I heard there's a big torture room in the main Sonozaki house. I've never seen it, though. I heard they used to torture and kill the enemies of the village in there... ...It's just awful, really. I hope I don't end up as a victim of that place. BGM: Boy in the Windmill (Fuushagoya no Shounen)  "You really resemble your mother. In the way you take chances, I mean." "That's normal. She's my mom. Ahahahahaha."My dad and mom will be furious if they find out about my escape... I'm more afraid of them than of the hag.  He's in charge of the organization which covers the Shishibone area. He's in a very important position. So is Kasai here. He's an old friend of dad, who really trusts him. I don't know if this is true, but I heard Kasai used to be very aggressive, though he's gentle now. I also heard he has tons of scars. He was in charge of a few large areas, but after he was injured badly in a fight, he retired. Now he's my dad's consultant (a.k.a. a drinking buddy). He was my caretaker in my childhood, and now I feel like he's my butler.  But in time, I started to feel like he was on my side. ...This is just a hunch. ...But I think Kasai used to be in love with my mom. My dad, mom, and Kasai were in a love triangle. Though my dad took the lead in the end. Kasai couldn't leave my mom entirely, so he stayed around as my dad's friend. I can tell that from the way he acts... He's seeing my mom in me. That's why he says I look like my mom every now and then. It kind of gave me the creeps at first, but he isn't a bad guy at all.  So, when I thought about escaping, I naturally turned to him. I contacted him in an early stage of my plan and arranged to meet him today. You could call him a conspirator. ...It's not surprising he's worried about my return to Okinomiya. Considering the rules and traditions... cutting off his pinky finger isn't too far from reality. Ahaha. I might be rolled up in a futon mat and thrown into the swamp for real, too. Even so, there's only one place for me to return. I'm going to Okinomiya, and nowhere else. That's my hometown. ...This might be a kind of homesickness, but I don't care what it looks like.  "Well, I'll lay low for now. If somebody sees me, I'll tell them I'm Mion. Ahaha!" "Then what?" "Then, after things calm down a little bit, I'll start talking to my closest relatives. I know they'll be on my side. I know some people who covered for me when I had a fight with my dad once." "I see. You're trying to create a fait accompli so that the Sonozaki main house will have to accept you later on......? I hope that works." "It will! There were many people who were opposed to the idea of enrolling me in that school. That decision was obviously made because of the hag's hatred toward me... Don't you agree, Kasai?" "......Well, yes... I thought that decision was excessive." "She couldn't make the right decision because she was suffering from menopause! All the fuss surrounding the dam protest drove her nuts!"Kasai smiled.  Even though I told Kasai to shut up, I kept talking to him. ......In time, I got tired of talking. As I could feel the car run smoothly on the highway. Kasai spoke to me again.   "..............."I was so tired that I ignored him. ...I wondered what he wanted me to look at, but I wasn't that interested.  Kasai probably wanted me to see that sign. It had an illustration of azaleas around the letters that said-- 'Welcome to Shishibone City.' My hometown is coming right up. BGM: Thanks      - - -  BGM: You (M.Box)We also have new TIP screen music. Some may find it reminiscent of a rather famous song in the anime scene… TIP 1: The Notebook’s Beginning limeicebreakers fucked around with this message at 03:52 on Jan 12, 2022 |
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Jan 2, 2022 17:17
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This image is just a bit out of place, and when I went to double-check how it should look in the video, it was private.
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Jan 2, 2022 19:12
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Oblivion4568238 posted:This image is just a bit out of place, and when I went to double-check how it should look in the video, it was private. Good catch on the screenshot, I was in a hurry today and forgot to un-private the videos. Videos have been unlisted, but I'm out of the house for the next 24 hours or so and can't fix the screenshots as easily. I'll get to it as soon as I have the time to. EDIT: Finally done. limeicebreakers fucked around with this message at 09:28 on Jan 4, 2022 |
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Jan 2, 2022 21:50
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Sorry for the impromptu hiatus, we should be back on schedule now...hopefully. VIDEO: Meakashi-hen | Day 2 and 3   BGM: Silence SFX: Birds Nearly all of the SFX has been upgraded, as well. I recommend giving them a listen, if just once to see the difference.  I'm not in school anymore. My brain is half-asleep, but I'm aware of that. Waking up at the same time as the chime would go off at school... doesn't feel good. I can't go back to sleep after this. Still, I'm not going to live a torturous school life anymore. I can make today either happy or boring. It's up to me. Yay! That's really positive. I feel like I'm alive for the first time in a while.  ...It's supposed to have been designed by some famous Italian person, but... it just looks plain to me. It really doesn't feel great to still be in clothes from that school. I want to enjoy my freedom as soon as possible. I especially don't want to walk around outside wearing it. I should have Kasai bring me some new clothes later. And I should think of redecorating this room. After all, this is going to be my castle from now on. BGM: daily passing by ...Most of the residents moved out during that. So while there are plenty of rooms, it's a lonely complex that feels devoid of people. Plus, with the exception of the manager and a scant one or two others, all the residents are shady-looking people connected to my dad. It probably won't be much longer before the virtuous residents are driven out... The apartment I'm living in used to be the room they'd use for viewings, so it looks like a room in a business hotel. It's fully furnished, but lacking in daily necessities. I'll buy those things over time, though.  I nodded to myself. It might have looked stupid, but it helped psych me up. At the school, there was a TV only in the common room, and we weren't allowed to watch any cable channels. I zapped through all those channels as a form of emancipation. It was early in the morning, so nothing interesting was on... But I enjoyed it anyway. Commercials are fun to watch.  "Good morning, Shion-san. Did you sleep well last night?" "Sleeping on the couch was a bit too uncomfortable. As a Japanese person, I want to sleep in a futon on the floor. Ah, this pickled radish is good!" "That's good to hear. Please let me know what you need later on. I'll try to get as much as I can." "Thanks. Oh, but you don't need to worry so much about me. I chose this life for myself, anyway. And your wallet wouldn't last if I started extorting you, right? Ahahahahaha!"I have to be serious about my plan, I can't let myself take advantage of Kasai's wallet forever.  "That's reassuring to hear. But are you sure? If you go outside, eventually someone in the family will discover you." "I gave that a little thought. Which is why I'll need Mion's help. Kasai, would you mind calling the main house for me? When Mion answers, pass me the receiver." "Oh well, whatever you say. What could be your plan?"Kasai dialed the number. It's funny to me that we're calling the main house, even though that's the place I most want to avoid at the moment. SFX: Phone  “Good morning. ......Is this Mion-san? ......It's been a while. This is Kasai. ...Yes. Good morning. ...Could you hold for a moment? I'm letting someone else on the phone."I take the handset. "Hello? ......Heh heh heh heh! Can you tell who this is?" "Th-That voice!! But that can't be true...! Shion's dorm doesn’t allow private calls...! You can't be her...!" "Yeah, they forbid outside calls at the academy. But you're talking to me right now... heh heh heh! Even my dim-witted older sister should understand what that means. Heh heh heh!" "...Did you... sneak out of the school?! ...Ho... How...?!" "That's not important... I really missed you, Sis..." "......Ghh... Shion...!!!" "........." BGM: Spring Step (Mion)  We both burst into laughter, unable to keep up our act. ...It's been a while since we laughed out loud with each other like this.  "There's not much else to it. I haven't lied or anything." "Wait... then you really ran away?! ...Oooh... great job..." "The security wasn't tight enough to keep me locked up in there! Ahaha!" "...Maybe the school should be grateful you escaped quietly... If you were serious, it'd be easy for you to blow up the whole building to make your escape." "Well, I couldn't have done that, but I might have set it on fire. Ahahahahaha!"Kasai smiled at us in amazement, his face a blend of amusement and exasperation. BGM: Boy in the Windmill (Fuushagoya no Shounen)   "It's all right. Granny is out for a lesson. She's coming home later in the evening." "That's good. We should get together and talk soon. Just over the phone for today though." "Okay." "Did anybody report my escape to our grandmother?" "Nope. We've heard nothing. I pass along all the calls and guests for the main family now, so no news reaches Granny without going through me. I'm sure she doesn't know." "......Wow, that's awesome. You really sound like the next leader of the Sonozaki family." "You know I don't like that. You should have taken my place." "You're the one with the demon, aren't you? Well, keep giving it your all. I'll be rooting for you from the shadows. Anyway, that's not important now. Ahaha!" "You sound so indifferent... Well, that's okay, I guess..." "If you hear anything about me, give Kasai a call, okay? I'd like to give you my number here, but... I'll keep it secret for the time being. Sorry." "All right... If Granny hears you fled the school... there'll be all kinds of trouble. I'll be on the lookout for now, and I'll let Kasai-san know if something happens."  "I figured you would. Oh, money's out of the question, okay?!" "I never thought I could pester you for money. I just want to ask you for a little help with my part-time job." "I see. ...So that's it, then. What exactly do you need?"We can communicate fast in a situation like this. We don't have to get into details because we know what's on each other's minds.  "So I just have to disappear while you're working, right? ...That's a little taxing..." "What are you saying, Sis? Are you turning down your only sister's request? Seriously?" "All right, all right. I'll do it! I wouldn't want to see how you'd retaliate if I turned you down." "Ahaha! Thanks! I'll buy you a cake from Schlanke Bertha's! I'll throw in tons of pretty tarts too!"BGM: Silence SFX: Birds   "Huh? ......Uh, is that so?" "Yeah... The owner had a stroke. He reopened the store once but he got sick again... So he had to shut it down." "......I see... that's a shame... I won't be able to eat their Mont Blanc cakes to my heart's content anymore."I was disappointed that my favorite cake shop had closed down, but more so that this town had changed without my knowing while I was gone. It was... kind of regrettable. "......Are there any other changes I don't know about?" "Yeah, there are some. I'll tell you when we meet up next time." "Thanks. I'll tell you about my school life. Let's set a date. I'll call you." "All right. I'll see you then." "What is it?" "How are you?" "Aha ha ha. I'm fine!" "I'm glad to hear that. I'm hanging up now." "Okay. See you."It's really been a while since I last talked to her. I put down the phone and heaved a sigh as Kasai brought in some tea.  "Do you remember Uncle Yoshiroh, who was in favor of me staying? I'll talk to him about my escape and ask him if he can hire me to work at one of his stores." "Are you sure? Some other relative might find out." "That's why I asked Sis a favor. I'll contact her when my shift is set, and she'll disappear while I'm working. Do you get the picture?"Kasai looked puzzled. It's not really that difficult to grasp.  Normal people wouldn't buy this kind of plan. But Kasai knows too well how easy it is for my sis and me to trade places. "That's audacious... or shrewd, I should say...... I'm impressed." "Is that a compliment, Kasai? Hee hee hee...!"Kasai looked amazed. If things go south, it'll affect him too. ...Considering the rules of my dad's profession, he won't be able to get away with just a mere apology. That's why he doesn't want me to do anything too risky. ...I think I have to make it up to him, since he helped me escape even knowing that risk. - - -  BGM: Boy in the Windmill (Fuushagoya no Shounen)   "Ahaha! Thank you so much! I knew I could rely on you, Uncle Yoshiroh!"Uncle Yoshiroh pounded his chest with his fist after offering me his assurance. He seemed glad that I turned to him first. "I'd be happy to help since I'm so impressed that you're trying to support yourself. If you were here for money, I'd turn you in to your grandmother right away!" "What? You're scaring me, Uncle! Ahahahahahaha!"I knew he was reliable. He understood my situation straightaway and promised to help.  One of the store clerks brought out a work schedule. ...There are many things I'm unfamiliar with written on it.  "That depends on our respective schedules. I hope I can get in when I want to." "Hey, that sounds a little irresponsible... But... I know you're in a difficult situation..."I'm depending on Mion for my work. Our schedules have to match. ...Of course, Uncle Yoshiroh understood that. But I also knew he couldn't afford a selfish part-timer who only works when she wants to.  As a temp, I wouldn't have a work schedule. My uncle also decided to pay me out of his own pocket.  "Sure, sure. I expect to get what I'm paying for, okay? And don't call me 'Uncle' in the office, either." "All right, manager! Thanks for hiring me!" "Good, you get it! Ha ha ha ha ha!" He asked me things like, "What was it like in a prestigious girls' boarding school?!" And so on. Apparently there were all kinds of rumors going around about the St. Lucia Academy I was confined to, and everyone was curious about it. I added a few embellishments of my own as I explained how unordinary life at that school was. My uncle looked extremely delighted to hear all the little details about life in a secret garden for girls... Horny bastard.  I wanted to know if anything peculiar had happened while I was gone. I won't be able to act like Mion unless I can fill in the gap of information left in the past two years. "There haven't been many big changes. It's been quiet since the end of the dam conflict." "I went to the academy only a bit after they froze the project. There was still a bit of tension then." "Even after they shut down construction, things were still tense because the project wasn't entirely cancelled, but the Onigafuchi Guardians disbanded about a year later. There was a big ceremony held at the shrine. That's when the dam conflict officially ended." "That's right after I was imprisoned... Is everybody slacking now that the conflict is over?" "Wa ha ha ha! I guess you all had fun playing at war back then during the dam protests, didn't you? Try to imagine how much suffering the adults went through every time they had to come pick up their kids from the police station." "Ahahaha! Well, I can't deny that. It was like a festival for us!"Uncle Yoshiroh seemed exasperated at how differently kids and adults treated the conflict. BGM: Silence SFX: Cars  “Did they finally catch him?" "Ah... come to think of it... I don't think they've caught him yet, no." "It happened on the night of Watanagashi, didn't it? I remember everyone making a fuss about it being Oyashiro-sama's curse. ...That was pretty scary for us kids." "Yeah, yeah, Oyashiro-sama's curse. That happened the year after, too." "That's right! That was scary too, wasn't it?! Who was it again? That guy who supported the dam died in an accident, right? Houjou, wasn't it? And it happened on the day of Watanagashi once again. Everyone went crazy! Saying it had to be a curse! That was horrifying. Definitely."SFX: Silence  Worse, part of his body was never found... which made it almost a ghost story amongst us. We seriously believed that the severed right arm was roaming in search of the body it belonged to.  Even so, the rumor faded away after about a year. ...After the dam project was officially frozen, we held Watanagashi purely as a festival.  The victim was a pro-dam activist who lived in Hinamizawa, by the name of Houjou. He and his wife were on a trip when they fell from a cliff to their deaths. It was considered an accident. (Technically, police were still searching for the wife's body. If I remember right, they never did find it, did they?) Once again, the man most worthy of Oyashiro-sama's curse fell victim on the night of the Watanagashi festival. So the fuss over Oyashiro-sama's curse rose up again.  At least in the world of us kids, it was just the name of the object of worship in the shrine. Nothing more than that. I'd seen boys peeing on the archway, and I once stuck my hand into the offertory box. The existence of a god didn't matter much to us. But after two consecutive occurrences, the kids no longer doubted the existence of a curse. We were all shaking in fear of Oyashiro-sama. Everybody suddenly became interested in the old stories about him, too. We quietly listened to the musty old stories the elders had to tell, and we started genuinely believing in the tales of Oyashiro-sama's miracles, which any of us would've laughed away before.  Enemies treading into Hinamizawa will be cursed. Villagers leaving the village will be cursed. What defined the "village" was terribly vague. Were we never allowed to leave Hinamizawa Village? Was going to Okonomiya still safe? Was a single step enough to be out? Was a 3-day, 2-night hot spring trip still safe? We kids tried to draw a line. It was decided in the end that if you had a house in Hinamizawa or Okinomiya, you were safe, and it was okay to go on trips if you had a house in either area. (I know it's weird, but those rules were made up by kids, after all.) According to those rules, I'd be cursed, since I lived at a boarding school in such a remote area. I couldn't say it out loud because I felt embarrassed... But in fact, I was a little scared of the curse.  "It sure is scary when it happens two years in a row. I still believe in Oyashiro-sama's power." "Shion-chan, what are you saying? Don't you know?" "Know? About what?" "...Oh, right. You went to that school before it happened... That's why you don't know."Uncle Yoshiroh grimaced as if he said too much. ...As though he'd mentioned something I shouldn't know about...  "...Well... I think you're mature enough now." "Hey, if you think my body looks underdeveloped, you should see an eye doctor. Either that, or you're a pedo." "......Ah, humph, okay, I'll talk. It happened again the year after that." "What happened? ...What are you talking about?"BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi  When I was very little... ......I always had this tick before I heard something bad. It was like a gnome who lived inside me was giving me a warning. ...Like he was poking me with a small needle. When I felt this tick before my parents called me, they'd always either chide me or tell me something bad. ...So I used to run away when I felt it. But my senses seem to have grown dull over the years. Even though my gnome poked at me... I just sat there. BGM: Gallery of Madness (Kiyouki he no Kairou)  "Did it... happen on the day of Watanagashi?! Again?! Three years in a row?!" "That's right. You know there's a shrine in Hinamizawa? The Furude Shrine? ...The priest suddenly died on the night of the festival. They said that the cause of death was an unknown illness. And the same night, his wife threw herself into the swamp... There was a big uproar! The mayor even had to hold an emergency meeting......" - - - BGM: Silence SFX: Cars  “The priest was busy preparing for the festival and he'd gotten sick around that time, so I guess he died of a heart attack or something." "But it's just crazy that somebody died on the day of Watanagashi again. It's the third time in a row. It's unbelievable that so many people have died on the exact same day." "The coroner didn't find anything unusual about the cause of death, so nobody suspected that anything was wrong... But you're right that the whole situation is abnormal." "Only the people who were likely to be cursed died on the day of the festival. There must be something behind this. Whether it's a conspiracy or a curse, there has to be." ...It's not that I don't trust Mion, but I don't want to let her know where I live.  It's very convenient for meeting someone in secret. After we discussed my life plan and work schedule, we moved to small talk. I've been away from this town for years. Things have changed. ...I asked Mion about those changes in detail, in order to fill in the gaps. While talking about various things, I brought up what Uncle Yoshiroh had told me...  BGM: Ancient Times (Inishie) Even before I left town... The curse had already struck twice.  And the year after--  This one also left quite the impact.  ...If it had happened only once, people would have concluded that it was just a bizarre coincidence. But when it happened two years in a row… people were far more likely to believe it was a curse. I know up to that part.  People talked about the curse more intensely than ever, both in Hinamizawa and Okinomiya. ...I have to rethink this. Oyashiro-sama's curse has drastically gained credibility while I was away. It was still unclear with the first two incidents... But after it continued for three years straight... people's doubts changed to convictions. Even though the priest who died on the third year wasn't an enemy of the villagers, the fact that people in Hinamizawa didn't care for him much... added even more credibility to the idea.  "Yeah. They criticized him for being a fence-sitter. Toward the end of the dam conflict, the protesters were all taking aggressive stances, so they didn't like how soft he was being." But in reality, he was very warm and reserved. Maybe it was because he was a son-in-law, having married into his family. I'm sure the priest and his personality were the perfect fit for managing the shrine that was used for summer festivals and village meetings. But that gathering-spot-style atmosphere of the shrine... changed completely when the dam war broke out and it became the headquarters for the Onigafuchi Guardians.  Of course the devout elders paid worship to him, but the average person treated our god like how you'd treat fortune telling. Once the dam protests began, Oyashiro-sama was suddenly hauled out as the symbol of the village's resistance. Tracing the Oyashiro-sama faith back to its roots, it was an exclusive, elitist faith... that believed its members were descended from a holy ancestor, different from the masses at the foot of the mountain, and that those tainted masses should never come near the village. Of course, such self-centred ideology wasn't acceptable anymore in peaceful postwar Japan. So this doctrine was abandoned over time.  With the revival of those ideas, things only grew more radical by the day. ...And it didn't take very long for the Onigafuchi Guardians to become aggressive. After that, we were in a state of war. "100 million, burning as one!" "Kill the white savages!" "Want naught but victory!" Adults and kids both were gnawing at the bit, avid to repel the foreign invaders. ...Describing it like that makes it sound kind of awful, like a reminder of the dark times of wartime Japan, but like I said before, for us kids it felt less like a war and more like a village-wide festival.  ...Their heartlessness lived up to the expression "wartime regime." The Houjou couple who voiced their acceptance of their dam project in the midst of that atmosphere... were truly brave. Then on the second year of the curse they died in an accident, and everyone believed it was Oyashiro-sama's curse without question... So they were branded "traitors" and "enemies of the village"...  Everyone gave them the cold shoulder and talked behind their backs. The only person who didn't treat them badly was... the priest.  "Those unforgiveable Houjous!" became a slogan as the Three Families (especially the Sonozakis) united the village by turning them into scapegoats... So they must have found it very shameful to have a fellow member of the Three Families approve of that, especially when it was the priest of the shrine that had become a symbol for the dam protests. As central figures in Hinamizawa, the Three Families were the backbones of the Onigafuchi Guardians, so a difference of opinion was undesirable, and the priest was never accused of anything. ...But secretly, people whispered that he was a heretic, that he was unfit to serve as Oyashiro-sama's priest, that Oyashiro-sama's curse would soon strike him down... along with other rumors...  He was pretty cool, managing to keep his head and remain neutral while everyone around him grew fervent. I thought Mion would share my opinion when I chimed back in. ...So when Mion gave me a forced smile... and didn't agree with me... ...I was taken by surprise. BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi   “That was a time when all of Hinamizawa needed to be united, so having one of the families, who are supposed to serve as examples, disturb that harmony was... I don't know if that should be called mature. ...It's hard for me to tell."I was taken aback. I barely managed to say the following.  Even though we're identical twins, we still had our own unique identities. Every now and then our opinions differed. But usually only over some trivial matter. We've never had a difference of opinion this big. It wasn't an enjoyable feeling. I decided to probe her some more. "I don't really like that word you used, 'appease'. What are you trying to say? Are you saying the priest should have thought of the village as a whole and kept his opinions a secret? Meaning people shouldn't assert the self before the whole?" Mion faltered a bit as my tone grew more like a cross-examination. I realized I was speaking a bit too harshly. ...What Mion expressed was probably the more "mature" opinion on our scale. When everyone needs to work together to stand up to a vast enemy like the government, people should refrain from actions that would destabilize that alliance. ...Writing it out and reading it now, I can understand that. But I wasn't mature enough to agree to such a totalitarian idea. Or maybe it wasn't me at all. ...It was Mion who'd made that mature judgment.  I've been away from the town. ...In the meantime, Mion has been training to take over the headship of the Sonozaki family. She'd been treated as such even before I was confined to that institution. She sat next to the hag in ceremonies and in meetings. She took her place when the hag was absent. But that was just it. We were never that different. Mion has become very like a successor since I've been gone. "...Uh-huh. You sound like a grownup now."She seemed to get what I was implying.  "That's good. You're the successor. You shouldn't think like the rest. You've definitely learned the art of ruling." "I never learned anything like that. I'm just trying to act like her... You can do it easily, too." "Aha ha ha ha. I don't want to. It's your role. Well, don't try too hard or you'll tire yourself out."I didn't mean to be cold, but Mion seemed to take it that way. She smiled as if trying to pacify me. I smiled gently back at her. BGM: Shadow (Kage) "...What? ...What is it?" "Our separation has always been tough. Our names, the places where we live, and... our bodies."Mion looked down with a serious face... but then looked right back up. "...Maybe you think I'm jealous of that, but I'm not. We used to have some disagreements, but they were always small and forgettable. You don't have to feel sorry for anything." Right after birth, we were separated by the grownups' priorities. ...I used to get mad about it when I was little. There's no denying that. But we don't have to start a disagreement over it. Mion seems to understand what I'm trying to say. ...We each have our own characteristics, even though we're identical twins. Only we know the differences. ...We're also dependent on each other because of them.  ...She always worries about me. If somebody gave her a cookie, she'd divide it in two and give one half to me. If somebody gave her a candy, she'd wait until I said it was okay to eat it.  I don't care about others if I'm satisfied. I'd put the candy in my mouth right away. (I have to emphasize that I don't hate her, and I'm well aware that she loves me.) ......We both know that. Mion must have been hesitating to put the candy of the successor in her mouth and was waiting to see if I was okay with that.  I tapped her forehead with my fist lightly. ...Mion put her forehead against my fist as if trying to feel the warmth. She's Mion. And I'm Shion. She's the successor of the Sonozaki family, and I'm just a vagabond. That isn't a distinction, but rather, our individuality. We shouldn't worry too much about the other anymore. We should feel relaxed, living as who we are, with our own characteristics. I didn't have to say any of that out loud. We can communicate by touch, just like this.  "No worries, Mion. Let's talk to each other whenever we want to, like we've always been. That'll never change, okay?" "......Okay. ......Okay."Mion kept nodding, with her forehead against my fist… - - - BGM: What is Wished We had talked about the things that happened during my time away, and I enjoyed having that chat between sisters very much. ...We were able to dissolve our unsettled emotions. We didn't used to do that. Maybe it's because we hadn't seen each other for over a year.  It was late afternoon. ......My heart felt lighter now. I stretched and looked up at the sky. The sky was clear, blue, and far away. No matter how tall I grow, I'll never be able to touch that sky. I'm Shion Sonozaki. ...A girl who escaped from the life she was forced to live. Nobody will praise me for what I did and for what I'm going to do. ...But this is what I chose.  I psyched myself up. I should go shopping for dinner. Though I have Kasai's help, I need to save money. I love junk food, but it'd be cheaper to cook. ...Ironically, the culinary classes from that evil school will come in handy. Why not go to the shopping district in Kami-isshiki? ...Hm? If I'm going there, then I'd need to take the other street. The cool breeze in the late afternoon felt nice on my skin. - - - SFX: Doorbell Kasai came to the door while I was putting stuff I bought into the fridge. "Ah, wait a sec. I'm coming." "I don't get tired from grocery shopping. Ahahaha. Oh, do you want dinner? I bought enough for you, too." "Is that alright? ...If you say so, I'd be happy to."Kasai looked curious about what I'd cook. "Humph. You don't look like you believe in my cooking skills. You'll pay for that later!" "Are you putting these in the refrigerator? I'll do it." "Oh, thanks... Is this amount of rice enough for two? Here I go."Kasai skillfully packed food in the fridge while glancing at each item in turn.  "...Shion-san, do you still hate canned food?"I hadn't bought any. That was, of course, on purpose. "It must be hard to avoid it." "Hmmm... I know it's illogical... Maybe I could eat it if somebody forced me to... No, on second thought, I definitely couldn't..." "I feel really sorry. I know I was out of line then. Please forget about that story." "Ahh, shut up! Men shouldn't hang around in the kitchen! Go watch TV or something."Kasai chuckled and left.  If somebody told me there was canned food in a meal I just ate, I'd throw up. It started with a silly thing. ......Kasai told me a horror story when I was little.  About meat made from an unknown source. Like those rumors about how there's worm meat mixed into burger patties, or dog meat in beef bowls. Kasai had fun telling me one of those stories because of how scared I got. He had fun, but I obviously didn't. I even started to cry in the canned food section of a supermarket. That's how much I hated it. I don't freak out like that anymore, but I still don't like canned food. ...Since I don't like it, I don't force myself and I now live my life naturally avoiding canned food.  Is that Mion doesn't have this issue. Kasai feels responsible for this, but he can't rid me of that fear. Still, a flaw like this is actually a good thing, otherwise I'd be too perfect! Ahahahahaha. "Kasai, set the table, would you?" "If this isn't enough food, you can go to a beef bowl place later or something. And don't turn off the TV. I hate having dinner in silence." "Thank you for the meal." BGM: Silence SFX: Crickets I handed him a cup of tea. I could wait until dinner was over, but I wanted to get to the point quick. "I thought I should wait until we finished, but... would you mind if I talked while eating?" "It's been bugging me since you got here. It'd be much easier for me to eat if you started talking now." "We received a phone call from the school today." "Today? Aha ha, that's late. Sounds like they didn't want to make it public. Aha haha... So, what happened?" "Akane-san took the call.She said she was going to tell your father when the time is right." Akane-san is my mom. That's what Kasai calls her, as he's known her since before her marriage.  I was lucky she answered the phone. Since she's relatively on my side. "Other than calling you a brat... She didn't seem surprised by this outcome." "...I see. So she hasn't told Dad yet?" "She's probably waiting for the right moment. I think she's going to in a couple of days." "......Humm, dad is on the hag's side, so he'll definitely talk to her if he hears about it. Then she'll have her men bring me to her and depending on my explanation, make me offer a finger or two... Scary! Aha ha ha!" "I wish you could laugh it off, but... please remember you're not the only one who... Ouch..." "Aha ha ha ha! You're eating too fast! Uh, I cooked too much rice and miso soup, so you'll have to have another round. At least three helpings, all right?!"- - - BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi   "She was furious. She said that if you were in Okinomiya, she'd get you right away." "Scary. And? Is Dad doing anything?" "They'll hold a family council soon to see if any of the family members are hiding you. It doesn't look like she'll have the greenhorns search for you all over town, though."Holding a family council means that things will remain in the hag's hands alone. She won't search the town for me. It's like she's unofficially approving my presence. Of course, I'll get caught immediately if they find me in a large public place.  I can tell she's being supportive. ...It's a long story, but my mom is sort of an outlaw, even though she's of the Sonozaki bloodline. A long time ago, she had a huge fight with the hag because she hated the family rules and traditions. She was even excommunicated. ...My mom was supposed to be the successor, but she was deprived of the title and Sis took her place instead. While she's quiet now, Mom's still an outlaw. ...She's always been on my side, because I also hate rules and traditions.  "Okay, thanks. Let me know if something comes up... If things really go bad, I'm ready to leave town. I can't let Kasai, Uncle Yoshiroh... or Mom lose face." "....................." Mion was silent. That meant yes. "It isn't fair that only you have to live like this... It's absolutely not." "...Thanks. I appreciate your feelings." "...Tell me when you want to go out. I'll arrange my plans so that I can trade places with you..."She sounded apologetic. ...I shouldn't go quiet, or agree with her. She sticks to things a little too much. Once she goes down, she'll stay there for a while. So, I just told her simply. "Thanks... That's really nice of you. Okay, I'm hanging up now.” “Talk to you later." - - -  TIP 2: A Smudged Diary
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Jan 12, 2022 18:23
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For clarification’s sake - even if Shion is dressed like Mion or otherwise referred to as Mion, I’ll be using Shion’s portraits when she's talking to avoid confusion. Same with vice versa. VIDEO: Meakashi-hen | Day 4 and 5 BGM: daily passing by   Since I can't go outside as myself, I have to match schedules with Mion when I go shopping. (I've gotten used to it by now, so it's no longer a hassle.) Because of this, I naturally have to buy things in bulk. Today, I shuttled between shops and my home. "Ehh... I got this, I got that... Oh, wait! Isn't it a 100-yen sale day today? I forgot this." Being in a good mood, I spun around with my arms spread out. I felt like a little whirlwind. SFX: Thud  BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi "...Ow!! What the...? Who parked this motorcycle here?"I gave it a kick with no hesitation. There were three motorcycles lined up there in a row. They all fell like dominoes. It was a beautiful sight. This is fun, I thought. Being in such a good mood made me leave my guard down. I didn't realize that the owners of the motorcycles were right nearby. They looked pretty scary. BGM: Unseen Future (Mienu Mirai)  Then they called me all kinds of names… Everything was happening too quickly for me to grasp what was going on...  "Fookin' bash yer head in, bitch!!" "Grrraaaah!! Gonna pay fer whatcha did!"...Whoa. They can't really talk properly. I didn't have a clue what they were saying. I had to translate their alien tongue into normal human words in order to understand. ‘We are very upset because you knocked down our motorcycles.' 'You should immediately pay for the repair and compensation.' ...Yeah, that was probably it. 'That's our offer. What do you say?' 'We'd be happy to listen to your opinion...' Something like that?  "Ah, sorry. I don't think I can continue interpreting." "Ahh?! Whacha sayin'?!!!"I know what they're trying to say. But somebody has to warn them about the way they park their motorcycles. It wouldn't be fair to those who obey the rules if there were no punishment for those who disobey them. This is an accident, but it must also be God's will. But, God... you can use me to punish these guys, but how will you compensate me later...?  ...Of course, I wasn't afraid in this situation at all. Because... it wasn't a dangerous one for me. These three guys were yelling at the top of their lungs at a girl. They didn't look good doing it, and they had too many disadvantages. First, there was the differences in gender and in the number of people. Even if I did something wrong, as men shouting at a woman, it didn't make them look like they were in the right. Added to that, there were three of them; it already looked like it was going to get violent. Second, the location. Taking a girl into a dark, narrow alleyway is already a bad idea, and top of that they're asking for money, not just an apology. Thanks to these facts, the public will be on my side... so this was a fight they couldn't possibly win. The only way for them to win would be to take my money before somebody finds out. ...Considering that, taking me to this narrow, secluded alleyway might've been a smart move, since fewer people will find out about this situation.  I knew how slim their chances of winning were. From the very beginning, they had picked the wrong girl. I'm 'Mion Sonozaki' now. It'd be foolish to mug her in Okinomiya. Soon enough, the people of Hinamizawa would notice me and gather 'round. They don't spare mercy for their enemies, no matter what. The punks didn't know this area well. If they did, they'd have known how silly it was to rob 'Mion.'  This side street is a shortcut which local people frequently use on their way home. In the late afternoon, many people will be passing through here. That time had almost arrived. If I held off a little longer, the street would soon be filled with people. Then the punks would have to go away. I didn't have to do anything. I just had to wait in order to win. This was a simple fight like that. While they could hurl abusive language at me, or lift me up by my collar, they weren't actually going to resort to violence. Cheers to the educational system for ingraining the "ladies first" mindset!  I wanted to paint them as even more villainous, and drive them into a corner that would be even harder to talk their way out of. ...That demonic desire was rearing its horns. To put it plainly, I'd only need to act as the poor, helpless victim a little further. Like the pathetic, pitiful, tragic heroine everyone wants to sympathize with.  If it were a truly threatening situation, that would work, but I needed something different here. I'd pretend to be strong at first. In fact, I thought, why don't I challenge them? ...And eventually, I'd start trembling, my voice would fade, and I'd get tears in my eyes... ......It'd be even better if I played the role of a strong girl who's slowly giving into fear. ......Mion and I are probably the only ones who are capable of pulling that kind of stuff off...Well, I'm probably better than her.  I talked back with a little hesitation... Am I getting tears yet...? Yes! By the way, I've heard men can't shed tears on command... I feel sorry for them. The three punks faltered a bit due to my sudden change in attitude, but they soon started yelling at me again. I had to keep it going. That way they'd blatantly look like they're picking on a helpless girl...  "Wh-Whacha doin?! Wh-What's wid dis girl, huuh?!" "...I... don't... hic... huff... ooohh..." "...Mebbe... ye shoulda 'pologized like dat from da start..."It looked like they were laying off a bit... Did I overdo it a little? It'd be boring if they let me go now...  BGM: Thanks SFX: Higurashi  A boy around my age appeared. He was skinny. He looked weak. He looked younger than he probably was. He also looked smart. He bravely glared at the punks. "What da hell...?! Who dafuq are ye?!!" "Back dafuq off, rraaaghhhh!!!"The punks turned away from me to face the boy instead.  They sure were ruthless. ...But the boy must have known that from the beginning. He must have known that he was going into a dangerous situation, yet he didn't hesitate.   "....................."He must have wanted to shout back at them. ...But he'd probably never used that kind of language in his life. So he couldn't have expressed his feelings out loud. He might have not even known what to say. So he just kept on glaring at them. To let them know that he wasn't going anywhere. The three punks, though, might have thought he was just lost for words in his fear. But I knew different. ...The boy was overpowering them with nothing but his will. ...The punks were losing. So, they resorted to violence.  ...It looked painful, but I knew. It was his victory. SFX: Higurashi  They made no further fuss and just went away. ...The boy stood up. He was covered in dust.  ...He didn't look particularly okay himself, though. "...How could you step into a fight you obviously couldn't win? Pick your opponents better next time." "...I hesitated at first. Ahahahaha..."He laughed... Saying that he was watching from the beginning. ...That meant he had the option to walk away. ...But instead, he worked up the courage, and stepped in. "That was reckless, not brave." "...N-No, I wasn't crying! That was just an act...!" "Ahahahahahaha. Okay, okay. Ahahahahaha." "H-Hey! You don't believe me, do you?! Do you really think I'd cry?" "No. Nobody'd believe Mion Sonozaki would cry when punks bullied her. Ah ha ha ha." "Wh-Why are you laughing?! You really don't believe that was an act?! I'd never cry!!" "Ha ha ha ha. I believe you, I do." ...He must be one of Sis's friends. He didn't seem to realize I'm her twin. He thought I was Mion with a different hairstyle.  Mion was in Hinamizawa,  I lived in a totally different environment from her. So, it's not strange that people don't know me. Actually, only very few people know I exist. I almost told him that I'm not Mion, but I managed to stop myself. ......Shion shouldn't be here. He's from Hinamizawa. It wouldn't be good if he thought he saw a Mion lookalike in Okinomiya... So, I had to act like Mion. ...Dealing with him could be more difficult than handling those punks...  "You sound hostile. What exactly do you mean by that?" "I thought you'd kick those guys' butts with some crazy martial arts... So I was really surprised when you just started crying." "Hey! Like I said, I was acting! Weren't you listening at all....................." ...I could remember somebody doing that to me when I was little, but... it had been quite a while since somebody stroked my head. I didn't know what to do... Why did it make me so embarrassed...? ......My face reddened all at once. I couldn't say anything...  I stuttered in embarrassment. He looked calm, as if he was used to doing this. "Ahahahaha... Whatever. Aren't you glad, though?" "......Glad? ...What do you mean?" "Well, you didn't get hurt."He smiled while he kept stroking my head...... His smile looked divine. He wasn't going to stay for long. ...He'd already saved me from those guys, after all.  "Uh... okay."I wanted to go through all the steps of meeting someone for the first time, but he didn't. As far as he was concerned, he just saved a friend from danger, and wanted to leave quickly to avoid seeming pretentious. He and Mion must be friends who knew each other well. ...So I couldn't bring myself to ask, "What's your name?" 'Mion's friend' smiled once again. His smile looked as refreshing as a clear blue sky. This time, he smiled a bit mischievously.  “...Ahaha, well, nobody would believe it if I told them, anyway. Nobody would ever believe that our invincible class president cried. Ahahahaha."He patted the dust off his butt once again. He walked back to the sunny main road, away from the dark alley. Then he turned around.  "See you. In school tomorrow, I mean." "......Yeah... See you in school."He disappeared into the brightly lit street. I continued to sit in the gloomy alleyway. I could no longer see him. I was just staring absentmindedly at the bright light.   - - - BGM: Iru  "...Uh-huh... His name is Satoshi-kun, eh...?"The boy from earlier is called Satoshi Houjou-kun. Mion said that he's always daydreaming. ...So she didn't believe that he saved me at first. "His little sister is always kicking his butt. Ahahaha." "Uh-huh, he has a little sister?" "Yeah, her name is Satoko. She's funny and shrewd, but is quick to cry when she's cornered. She's fun to watch......” “But things have been rough for her lately, so she's feeling a bit down."His sister came up naturally in the conversation.  ...Why? Why am I trying to ask so much about him? ...As I asked myself that, the feeling I got when he stroked my head came back to me. ...I must have been blushing. BGM: Silence SFX: Crickets  "Eh? Ahahahaha, sorry! I'm here, I'm listening!" "To start, I hear Satoko's on bad terms with her aunt... Satoshi's mature, so he knows how to conduct himself, but... when bad things happen, Satoko really lets herself go."BGM: Shadow (Kage)  ....She told me that the parents of Satoshi-kun and his little sister are dead. Satoshi-kun and Satoko are now living with their uncle and aunt. They don't seem like very respectable people. They're always fighting, and the uncle is cheating on the aunt. He mostly lives with his mistress. ...Satoshi-kun and Satoko entered into that unwelcome environment.  That fact must've added something to the situation. ...I don't know what kind of stance the uncle and aunt took during the dam conflict, but they must've taken some indirect blows. Satoshi-kun's parents died after bothering them so much, and even left them their children... The uncle and aunt obviously can't love those kids.  Women can be really nasty bullies. Sometimes it doesn't matter who they're bullying, even if it's a kid. On top of that, women tend to care less about propriety than men... ...As a result, Satoko seems exhausted with it all. I can imagine Satoshi-kun bravely protecting his little sister. Just like when he saved me.  "...Huh?" "He must be covering for Satoko all the time. So wouldn't you normally assume that he's also feeling worn out?" "...Hmm... well... I don't know..."Had I said something wrong? Mion sounded a bit taken aback. So that meant... Mion can't tell how he's feeling... Because he's always wearing that blank look. So she never considered it... How can she be that insensitive even though she's around him all the time? I was amazed to realize that.  "Aha, ahahaha! Yeah... you're right. He likes to read. He's now reading... what's it called...?" About what he likes, dislikes, and what he thinks about. I asked Sis all these questions because I wanted to know more about him. It was the first time I'd ever been that interested in somebody. I didn't want to admit that I had feelings like that. Did I fall in love just because of a stroke on the head? ...Am I stupid, or what? When I remember the feeling of his hand on my head, my heart feels tingly. I tried doing it myself, but it didn't feel the same. ......Ahahahaha. I'm stupid. What am I doing, stroking my own head...?  "What? Why are you laughing in that weird voice?" "Ahahahahaha, you wouldn't understand this feeling, Sis. Ahahahahahaha..."When would I see him again? I felt as if my suffocating life had finally grown brighter.  - - - BGM: Silence SFX: Cars  I couldn't go out freely, and I always had to make arrangements with Mion before going to work. I'd thought my life would improve after escaping from the school, but in reality, it wasn't that easy. BGM: daily passing by  Without any friends to hang out with, I felt like I was hibernating. I'd started to feel the dangers of falling into boredom. All I could think of now was Satoshi Houjou-kun's face. I'd only met him briefly. ...But my encounter with him had a great impact on my new life. I felt like something exciting was going to happen. ...Really, I was hyped up like a little kid. The more I thought about it, I realized I'd been thinking about him a lot lately. ...This might be a crush. I felt a little ridiculous idolizing him in such a romantic way, though.  BGM: Silence SFX: Cars  I saw a familiar face at twilight in the park. He was sitting on the swing. He looked like he was zoning out, or maybe deep in thought. ...He didn't notice me, even though I was right in front of him. I reminded myself to speak and act like Mion before talking to him… BGM: Iru "Hey. What are you doing here?" "You don't look surprised. I've been standing here for a couple of minutes now. Didn't you notice me?" "...Have you? Sorry, I didn't..."He smiled self-derisively and shrugged. He looked depressed. Like something was troubling him. “Is something bugging you? You can talk to me if you want. Maybe I can help." "N-No... that's okay..." "Come on, I owe you one from before, Satoshi-kun. Or maybe, you don't think this ol' man can be of any help? Don't you know how mighty I am?" "I'm okay... You don't have to help me." "......Huh. What is it, then? Are you saying that you don't need help from a girl?"Thinking him unfair, I puffed up my cheeks in a sulky gesture. ...Satoshi-kun noticed that and smiled.  ...I mentally rifled through all the information about Satoshi-kun that Sis had given me. ...He doesn't look like much of an athlete, but apparently Satoshi-kun belongs to a junior baseball team. They're called the Hinamizawa Fighters. I doubt he's very skilled, since I didn't hear much about his contributions to the team. Maybe that's why he doesn't tell many people that he's a member. Given how down he felt as a result of messing up, though, he must be fairly dedicated. I deduced all that from what Sis told me, and carefully chose my words so as to sound like her...   "Hey, it's not that easy to get over, Mion."I pat his back while chuckling. Satoshi-kun would probably call me insensitive. I knew I should listen to him, rather than trying to cheer him up. Acting like Sis was probably the wrong thing to do in this case... but I had no choice. This was just how she'd react in this situation. "Aha ha ha. Instead of feeling down, you should practice even harder and aim for your chance, you know? Practice makes perfect here!” “Well, if you want to beat the opposing pitcher so badly you're willing to pull some tricks, then I might be able to help you in a few ways." Satoshi-kun hung his head after letting his regrets out with a big sigh. Surrender, defeat, resignation... ...were all visible in that gesture of his. "Are you quick to give up, or persistent? If you're a man, then don't you want to be a star and have your fifteen minutes of fame?" "Of course, that'd be wonderful, but that's not why I play baseball. I just have fun batting and throwing the ball... You can understand that, right?" "This ol' man isn't sure. I only love games that I can win. I don't understand how you can love something when you can't be the best at it. Ahahaha!" "Mmph…” “Ahahahahahahaha. That really sounds like you, Mion!"Having realized that I'm trying to make him feel better, he laughed along... He didn't look depressed anymore. I guess he was just feeling down because of the game. He wasn't as depressed as I thought. Maybe I just jumped to conclusions when I saw him sitting alone in the park. "...You always put forth your best effort to win. That's admirable, I think. Yeah, it definitely is."  "Eh? ...Whoa... ooh..."SFX: Higurashi I thought this when he did this last time, but... ...How can he stroke somebody's head so easily...? I felt like I had turned into a little kid. Memories from kindergarten came to mind... My face must have been red. I felt embarrassed... but also like I was in heaven. Satoshi-kun stroked me as though petting a cat. I was blushing with my eyes closed... I felt helpless, like a girl being treated by the dentist with her mouth open and her eyes shut. ...Satoshi-kun didn't seem to notice my feelings at all. ...He didn't seem to care. I hate him. With my eyes still closed, I waited for him to finish. He suddenly withdrew his hand.   "Uh... okay."My voice faltered. I was so embarrassed... "Hmm?" "Uh, um...! ...I'm going shopping, too..." "Hmm? What? You are? I thought the maids did all your household stuff."Shoot... I messed up. In the main Sonozaki house, the maids do everything. Therefore, Mion hardly goes grocery shopping, and she's bragged to some people about that... I should've known better. Still, it wouldn't be too hard to find an excuse.  "...Ahaha. That doesn't sound like you. You always avoid doing boring stuff like that." "You talk too much! ...Ooh! Stop stroking my head!" "Ahaha, ahaha."Satoshi-kun seemed to be having fun with how embarrassed I'd get when he patted me. Anyway, I managed to talk my way out of it. He didn't seem to really care about the details...  Why had I messed up? I'd known Mion would never go grocery shopping... What an amateurish mistake. ...Did I make that mistake when I was pretending to be Mion? No... I was probably speaking as Shion. I couldn't keep lying to myself... I had to just admit...  It was easy to see why I was so attracted to him. I'd found something intriguing in my boring life, and I didn't have to feel tense, because he thought I was somebody else. Et cetera, et cetera. His easygoing nature made him fun to be around, and... his habit of petting people on the head was fun too. From these symptoms...... I could tell I was embracing the feeling of love. I was just casually enjoying that feeling. It wasn't that I fell in love with him. I was just having fun. I could simply spend some fun time with Satoshi-kun without having to think too much. BGM: What is Wished  "That's cauliflower, Satoshi-kun... Hey, could it be that you can't tell lettuce from cabbage, either?" "I-I'm not that bad... I'm doing my best here..."Satoshi-kun stared at the heaps of broccoli and cauliflower. After thinking for a while, he reached out for the wrong one...  "...Mmph. You got me. Satoko can't tell the difference either. Which is broccoli and which one is cauliflower...?" "...You guys are too funny."Sis had told me that Satoshi was a flaky big brother to his nagging little sister. I hadn't met Satoko, but she must be having a tough time dealing with Satoshi-kun. He stumbles over everything he buys, after all.  "Oh... is it? I think I saw salt and pepper separate in a science experiment once..." "Stop making excuses and just put it back on the shelf... This is normal salt! What are you getting next?"  "...You look smart, but you have serious issues... I think you should study more..." "Mmph.... That's a little harsh... ...There. Is this it? In it goes." "Ahh! That's not it! Don't just throw anything in the basket; check the price and how many servings it is first!"My first impression of Satoshi-kun was that... he was strong and reliable. But the more I spoke to him, the more surprised I was at how clumsy and unreliable he was. How do I put it... It was hard to leave him alone. He was dangerous on his own.   "Huh? ...Oh, yes. I do... ...Uhh... ......Huh? Where is it?" "Oh, sorry. We can't seem to find it, so we'll be alright for today."I finished checking out, ignoring Satoshi-kun as he fished through his wallet full of receipts.  "Don't go slowly fishing through your wallet to look for your member's card in the middle of the evening shopping rush! There was a huge line behind us! Didn't you notice all the evil glares from all the old ladies?!” “Listen, at times like that, you should get it out before reaching the register!" "...Oh. ...Right. Ahaha, that's good to know." "It's not only when you go shopping. The same thing goes for when you ride a bus! Satoshi-kun, I bet you don't open your wallet and start looking for change until you're about to get off and have to pay while holding up everyone behind you." "...Mmph.... No, everyone walks by me and pays their own fare..." "Hah... You know what that means? You're being a super-huge bother to everyone! You need to have the money out beforehand. That's just good manners! Do you get it?!" "O-Okay... You're scary today, Mion... Ahahaha..." ...Hah... I couldn't believe it. ...He was definitely the type who made women want to protect him. ...Sure, he was fine as he was when he had a busybody like me around him, but I couldn't stop worrying whether he was able to function in society without someone like that nearby.  ...Satoshi-kun put a pack of tofu at the bottom of the bag. I slapped his hand and put in a milk carton instead. "Okay, there we go. Now your aunt won't freak out when she opens this shopping bag in her kitchen." "Uh... thanks. You helped me a lot... I don't think I'm very good at shopping." "Just shopping? That's definitely not the only thing!" "......Mm... mmph......" "Ahahahahahaha! Just kidding."I had realized a few things while I was spending time with him today. ...He's not just bad at shopping. He's also chronically clumsy. ...In general, you could call him a slow thinker.  He might be a simpleton, but he's not stupid. He's aware of his weaknesses. ...So, he must have been aware of the danger in that situation. ...He could have chosen to walk away even though I was in trouble. But he chose to be a man and stepped in. That was really admirable of him.  "Wh-What is it? Don't stroke my head." "I'm rewarding you for shopping successfully today. There, there." "You're making fun of me, aren't you, Mion?" "No, I'm not. Can you go home by yourself? Do you know how to get there?" "Mmph... You are making fun of me..."Satoshi-kun's sulky face flushed red.... Ahh, he's just too cute.  ‘Piano Lessons. Call XX. Abacus Class...... Junior Baseball Team--Members Wanted.' It was a posting for the team Satoshi-kun belonged to. It showed the day, time, and place of their next practice. By then, I knew just how flaky he was. I figured he must be just the same when playing baseball. Satoshi-kun realized that I was reading the posting. He looked uncomfortable and walked away.  "I know what you're thinking... 'I hope you won't come to see me playing baseball, Mion'. ...Am I right?!" "What does that mumbling mean? ......I know I'm right." "......Mmph......"Satoshi-kun became quiet after mumbling something. ...It seemed like he couldn't say anything back, since I had been right on the money. ...Satoshi-kun... You're just too cute. ...I don't think going silent is a good way to dodge the issue... Well, that might have just been the way innocent people like him would react in a situation like that.  "Aren't you going home, Mion? To Hinamizawa?" "...Uh... I have to make a stop somewhere first. Don't worry about me." "I'll help you this time. In return." "Uh, ahahahahaha. I'm okay! What are you going to help me with, anyway? You should learn to support yourself before you try to help me. Ahhhahahahaha!" He seemed to have some pride, at least. He looked a bit upset because he was teased by a girl... but in contrast, I felt very satisfied. As a result, I forgot to keep my guard up. "Thanks for helping me today, Mion. "Whoa...! ...Mmm..."While wearing a bright smile... Satoshi-kun suddenly started stroking my head again. Ahh... I know he's teasing me, but... ooh, I can't reject him... mmm… He keeps doing it only because he's realized I won't resist... ooohhh...  "Uh, yeah! See you in school tomorrow too!"In fact, I wouldn't see him tomorrow at all. ...It felt awkward, but I had to settle for that. I had to thank Sis for letting me use her name. After I separated from him.... ...I found myself giddy and wishing to see him again as soon as possible. I wanted to know more about him. I couldn't wait for my next chance to see him.  Just like when I obtained my freedom from St. Lucia's, I could choose how to live my life. ...Whatever. It wasn't that complicated. I just wanted to tease him more. I wanted him to stroke my head more, and...... ahh, whatever.   - - -  TIP 3: A Crumpled Diary
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Jan 14, 2022 18:43
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Shion's perspective is interesting, I wish she made a further break for it even if I understand why she didn't/couldn't.
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Jan 14, 2022 19:47
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Not entirely sure if this warrants a content warning, but lots of victim-blaming this update, and it will keep happening for the rest of the arc. VIDEO: Meakashi-hen | Day 6 and 7 BGM: Boy in the Windmill (Fuushagoya no Shounen)   "I just felt like coming here. I didn't bring this for you, by the way. And don't treat me as your manager without my permission, please."  “...Why don't you apply? As manager, I mean."Satoshi-kun smiled at me in a carefree manner. ...I didn't want to become their manager. It'd be tiresome. I've been coming every week, though, so I'm a quasi-manager already. "Well, if I feel like it. Anyway, how's Satoshi-kun doing, Coach? Is his batting average improving?" "Yes, yes. He's doing fine. His batting average is...... well, if you buy three packs of rice crackers at Sevens Mart..." "Aha hahaha! Does that mean it's thirty percent? ...Wow, you're doing great, Satoshi-kun!"  "It's good that you're aware of your weaknesses, Satoshi-kun. You just continue working on them for now."SFX: Higurashi  Satoshi-kun looked calm, following the ball with his eyes. Then he swung!  The ball flew between the first and second bases and landed in the distance. "Wow! That's great! Good job, Satoshi-kun!"I clapped, and Satoshi-kun blushed in response. He repositioned his helmet to hide his face.  Irie smiled compassionately. ...It seemed that Satoshi-kun really couldn't perform well when it counted. While he was usually good, when everybody expected him to perform, he couldn't. I didn't think it was because of nervousness... he just couldn't do it. ...I think it's a perfect fit for Satoshi-kun's character. He seems calm at first glance, but he's actually slow. "Numerically speaking, you're a great player... But you need to be able to hit the ball even when things get serious. That's why you were an easy out in the match with the Ukita Jaguars the other day!!"  "If he'd been able to hit the ball then, he would have been a hero... What a shame..." Irie wanted him to live up to everybody's expectations... But statistically, that wasn't likely to happen... Yet Irie insisted on giving him a chance, in spite of the fact that all the team members had suggested a pinch hitter.   "There was nothing I could do... I know I'm weak in a situation like that... I thought a pinch hitter was a better idea too..." "It's not about the match, it's about you, Satoshi-kun!! Arrgh!! You need to be more aggressive!! Shouldn't you have thought the opposite way?” “Shouldn't you have insisted that you'd come up to bat, no matter what everybody else said?! I can't believe you wanted to give away the chance to some pinch hitter!! Why are you so weak like that...?!" "That's what I'm always telling him... I know that's one of his good points, too. But, uh......" "You can be a gentleman at other times, but when playing games, you should be a demon!! I think all men should have those two sides to them!!” “You need to let your demon out, Satoshi-kun!! You're native to Hinamizawa, so never forget that you have the demon's blood running through your veins!! Are you listening?! Satoshi-kun?!" "...Mmph... I-I am…” “I'm not sure, but..." "What aren't you sure about? We're talking about you! So... ...Whoa! .........Ahh..." ...A blush immediately spread across my face. I didn't know how to respond... "You're giving me advice, right? Thanks. I'll do my best." "......H-Hey... don't you try to fool me..." "I'm not. I'm just happy that you care about me. Ahahahaha." ...I couldn't help mumbling like he does. Satoshi-kun ran back to the field, leaving me red as a beet.  "...Depends. If it were you, I'd have to teach you a new martial arts technique." "Ah, what a shame! Aha ha ha ha... All right, everyone, gather around!! Why don't you split into groups and have a practice match?"The Hinamizawa Fighters are sort of a lazy team. The members gather simply to enjoy playing baseball, not to fight for victory. The Okinomiya Titans use this field too, but they practice on a different day of the week. They always train hard using dumbbells and stuff.   "Thanks for helping out. Here."I took the pencil and the clipboard. ...I didn't know how to differentiate between recording hits and errors at first, but by now I was used to it. "Show me what you got, Satoshi-kun!! Oh, maybe it'll be too much pressure if I cheer for you too excessively. Just do okay then!" "...Mmph... That doesn't sound very encouraging either...!" "Ahahahaha! Do your best!!"Time passed slowly that Sunday. Huge white clouds appeared in the sky. They made me feel healthy. Humans are born to be active under the sun.  He shouted words of encouragement to the kids while they ran to their positions. Any other baseball coach would constantly berate them, but he was much more generous, like a kindergarten teacher. He let the kids have fun while watching over them. ...To other baseball players, it might look a little naive... "I'm surprised you guys can do well with only a small amount of practice." "...Wow, you think completely differently from the Okinomiya Titans. I can understand why their coach hates you." "It's not about being right. Matches exist for someone to win, after all. So prioritizing victory certainly isn't wrong.” “I think it's admirable to aim for victory together... but the goal of our team doesn't happen to be victory, that's all."The Hinamizawa Fighters and the Okinomiya Titans had been rivals for a long time. Both teams shared the same baseball field, for one thing... and originally, there was only one team, but the people living in Hinamizawa left and made their own... Anyhow, we were rivals. The Okinomiya Titans were strictly about winning, and the Hinamizawa Fighters were just about having fun. ...Surprisingly, our scores weren't that different. Which meant... our team had something they didn't. Even though I couldn't put it into words, I knew what made that happen.  Still, some parents would criticize our coach for being too lenient. ...But still others would strongly agree with him. Which side would I take? Hmm... the latter...? I couldn't really say for sure. The reason for this was that Irie had an obnoxious habit of sexual harassment. In particular, he had a fascination with maids... but I should talk about that some other time. Satoshi-kun let the ball pass twice to see its trajectory, then hit it on the third pitch and ran to first base. "Oh, he did it. He's so good when he's relaxed." "In the beginning he used to get tired very easily. Hahahaha. He's improved quite a lot since then." "......He really does look kind of like a bookworm. I wonder why he started playing baseball in the first place..."All the other kids who joined the baseball team loved baseball. They'd go out to play in the fields outside of practice. That's why they all had an aptitude for it. But Sis never said that Satoshi-kun exercises intensively in school or anywhere else. He only likes to read. That's why I didn't understand why he started playing for this team to begin with.  "Is that so? You recruited him? ...Did you notice some sort of hidden talent?" "Uh, excuse me. Can I have a cup of barley tea? ......Ah, thank you."Irie asked for tea in a suspicious manner. ...While he constantly joked around, I knew he was actually a very mature person. I assumed he was trying to evade my question. "...Is there a particular reason?"Irie pretended he didn't hear me, but I pressed him on it. In response, he shrugged, and began answering the question. BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi  ...What would be Mion Sonozaki's guess? ...I quickly searched through the data I had on Satoshi-kun... I came up with Satoshi-kun's family circumstances. He lost his parents in an accident a year ago. Since then, he's been having a tough time at his uncle's home.  "Sports are great. You can free yourself through exercise. I thought that as long as he concentrated on something else, he could forget about his troubles at home." "...Er... you know he's usually sort of a daydreamer... zoning out all the time... Is he still stressed...?"I knew Satoshi-kun must be suffering even though he didn't look like it. But Mion Sonozaki never pays attention to things like that, and I had to act like she does. BGM: Shadow (Kage) "Satoshi-kun got really sick after his uncle took him into his custody. He had many clinical symptoms, but the causes were unknown." He suffered from fatigue and migraines. He suffered from a lack of energy and sleeplessness. ...The coach, I mean, Dr. Irie, soon realized: Satoshi-kun was suffering from a psychological disorder. Most of the people in Hinamizawa knew how bad Satoshi-kun's environment was. It was natural for him to become sick, because he entered that bad environment right after his parents' deaths.  "Houjou-san cannot express himself freely. Whether it's crying or simply being agitated, he's not good at handling those emotions." "...That's true. I can't imagine him being angry or crying..." "...Did you know Houjou-san's mother had been married a few times already?" "...Yeah, I know a little bit about that." That meant Satoshi-kun had several stepfathers. He had to deal with strangers coming into his home multiple times, so he was forced to be mature. "Satoshi-kun is mentally underdeveloped. He isn't aware of it himself, though... He didn't have enough time to cry, laugh, and throw tantrums in his childhood... He was forced to become a grownup in just a short time." "......That doesn't sound right." "Children have to behave like children in order to grow... There's nothing positive about being forced to become an adult."Not only was Satoko's current relationship with her aunt conspicuously terrible, I heard that her relationships with her previous stepfathers weren't good either. Satoko always caused problems... And Satoshi-kun would always step in to protect her.  That's why Irie invited Satoshi-kun onto the baseball team. He told Satoshi that he needed a new member... or something like that. "He hesitated at first... but after I talked to him at the clinic a few times, he began to open up to me. ...First I invited him to come see the practice... then I suggested he try batting... I eased him into it..." His health quickly improved, and he started to become interested in baseball. He practiced batting. He was soon able to swing beautifully, and... he learned how to see the trajectory of the ball. "...Ah, I can imagine that. He likes to read, so he must have read a book titled 'How to Play Baseball' or something like that." "He's become a good batter very quickly. He's put forth a lot of effort... Though I wish he could actually hit when it comes down to the wire too... Hahahahaha." "I think so... He talks to me about his problems, so I guess that's a sign of trust."I felt a bit jealous of how confidently Irie said that. While Satoshi-kun and I were friends, we weren't so close that we'd open up to each other like that...  "Ehh?! ...About what?!"Taken aback, I blushed. Irie started laughing at me. "......Please stay as his good friend." "W-Well, yeah... ahahahaha. I'm trying... hahaha..."I didn't know what I was saying.  "............What?" The ball flew to the left. ...But the left fielder managed to catch it.  ...It was obvious his sickness had something to do with that.  "Their aunt is bullying Satoko-chan in a terrible way... She's become worn out after all that, and..." "So, Satoshi-kun is also worn out... from covering for Satoko, isn't he?"I wasn't interested in Satoko, so I switched the subject back to Satoshi-kun. ...I didn't know much about Satoko. I knew that she was a big part of Satoshi-kun's life, but... I'd never been interested in her until today. She must have been building up self-esteem in taking care of her unreliable brother. That was all I knew about her. ......But, considering Satoshi-kun's personality, even that goofiness of his might have been an act. Maybe he was trying to make her feel good about herself by letting her take care of him... if only unconsciously. When he's alone, he's surprisingly strong. I realized that only recently... So, I couldn't help but think...  Satoshi-kun managed to get along with his stepfathers even though he experienced some stress. He was even getting along with his aunt. ......But in order to protect Satoko... he always had to step in and suffer. I didn't really know anything about Satoko, but...... I had to admit, I felt hostile toward her. ...I felt jealous because she was monopolizing him.  Irie heaved a sigh. As he said, Satoshi-kun had been absent a few times lately. ...He seemed a bit tired, too. He looked normal when around everybody else, but he looked a bit depressed when he was alone. "...So, you invited him to join the team to relieve his stress, didn't you?" "Yes, that's right." "...But he looks stressed again now. How can we save him this time?" "..................Hahaha. I don't know..."Irie smiled powerlessly. ...I couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed about that, because Satoshi-kun put his trust in him. BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi  "Eh? ...How come...?" "He claimed he was tired of it... That's what he said, but I believe he actually wants to spend more time with Satoko-chan. He thinks that Satoko-chan might end up being tortured while he's at practice. I think he's concerned about that." "....................."SFX: Silence  ......Satoko again. Satoko. Why did Satoshi-kun have to sacrifice so much for her? Just by ignoring her, his stress would melt away. ...Of course, I knew he couldn't do that. If that were the case, then... the blame lay with his little sister. I knew how badly she'd been treated. But that only happened because she made things worse for herself. It was her fault that she couldn't establish a decent relationship with their aunt. If Satoko were more mature, like Satoshi-kun, her home life wouldn't have gotten so bad. ......Satoshi-kun wouldn't have to suffer those indirect blows.  The members of the losing team were just goofing off. The sky had turned cloudy too. It was depressing. ...It didn't look like it'd rain soon, though. The gray sky hadn't brought along any cool air. It just felt disgusting. Irie became quiet. He was looking down around his feet. I, meanwhile, just stared at Satoshi-kun. ......To me, he didn't look active anymore. ...He was once able to enjoy playing baseball, and he felt fine. ...But he got sick again... just because the relationship between Satoko and her aunt had deteriorated. ...I couldn't help but say it. BGM: Solitude It was just a murmur, but Irie had definitely caught it.  "It's not that complicated... If Satoko were stronger, Satoshi-kun wouldn't have to deal with stress. I think Satoko is the cause of everything." ".........Nn...... I don't know about that..." "Yes, you do. If she didn't cause any trouble, he wouldn't have to step in, would he? He wouldn't have to take over in the fight between Satoko and her aunt, right?"Satoshi-kun never got scared of any trouble. ......No matter how formidable the enemy, he'd bravely stand up to protect the weak. I knew that because I could vividly imagine it. SFX: Glass Breaking  ...Satoshi-kun steps in to protect her. ...The aunt probably didn't like it. ...Though Satoshi-kun didn't have to fight, the aunt would attack him anyway. The fight would then be between the aunt and him. Satoko might then tease the aunt by sticking out her tongue, hiding behind his back, and pretending to be scared. ...She'd never think about how deeply he was being hurt. Because of Satoko... Satoshi-kun had become cornered and stressed.  “surprising to me."Irie looked at me suspiciously. ...I could tell what he was thinking about me. ...I'd said too much. Mion Sonozaki and Satoko Houjou are friends. They're close...... so, Mion should have been encouraging her, after the situation at home got tougher. That's what Mion was supposed to do. I had totally forgotten about that, and spoken as myself. .........It's only natural that Irie would give me a suspicious look. ...He might end up changing his impression of Mion Sonozaki entirely. .........I'd have to apologize to her about this, and ask her to put things right. ..................I'd totally messed up.  I'd objectively looked at the situation and made a modest proposal. To be honest, I was simply afraid that he might leave the team. I couldn't go to the school in Hinamizawa, so the baseball field was the only place where I could see him. I could even say that he was my reason for living.  ...But I wasn't going to tell him how I felt... For I was satisfied just being by his side. I certainly couldn't ask for anything more. ...After all, I couldn't reveal my true identity. I had to pretend to be Mion in order to live in Okinomiya. I thought that maybe I should leave Okinomiya in order to be free... ...But that's stupid! No matter how tough my life might be... I'd prefer to be here with Satoshi-kun stroking my head every now and then. ...Why did I love him that much...? I read about it in some manga once. You don't need a reason to be in love. ...I was surprised at myself for being like this.  I breathed out slowly, then held my breath...... trying to slow my throbbing heart. I felt a bit calmer. ...At that point, a clear thought came into my head. I want to be with Satoshi-kun. So? I want him to stay on the team. So? I want to get rid of his concerns and his stress. So what? ......So ...What can I do to achieve all that?     - - - BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi  ...It had been a few weeks since Satoshi-kun stopped showing up for baseball practice.  ......He's not here yet... Did I get here too early...? I want to see him playing in the field right when I get here...... I had started arriving late because of those feelings. However, he wasn't here today either. "......................."I didn't even bother hiding my disappointment anymore. Everybody knew by now how I felt. The team members from Mion's class came over to try and console me... but I shooed them away.  Even Irie couldn't comfort me. ...I was aware that he, too, knew why I was like this. "...I'm going home. I don't feel like watching the practice today." "...Look, we're having a meeting with the Okinomiya Titans later... I wanted you to be there, because you're our manager..." "...Don't treat me like a manager... I never agreed to be one." "All right... Please help us again when you feel like it." "Maybe I won't come be coming back... If you really need a manager, look for somebody else." "...Please do come again whenever you feel like it... Satoshi-kun will be sad if you're not here when he comes back."I ignored him and turned around.  I'd tried to contact her a couple of times to ask how Satoshi-kun was doing in school, but I hadn't been able to get through to her. Apparently, the hag had sensed that I might be in contact with Sis. In other words, Sis was being watched. ...As a result, it hasn't been easy to contact her. Kasai, who had been helping me contact her, seemed to also have been marked. People knew he was loyal to me. I hadn't seen him for a while either. All I could do was wonder how Satoshi-kun was doing... ...I was frustrated, because there was no way for me to know.  Somebody called out to me when I was about to leave the field on my bike...  I'd never seen this girl before. ...Luckily, she called me 'Mii-chan'. There's only one person who refers to Mion that way, as far as I know. "......Rena... I'm surprised to see you here."Her name is Reina Ryuugu. Her real name is Reina, but she wants to be called 'Rena.' ...So that's what we call her. She moved here in April. I had some information on her, but it was all ambiguous. ......Sis was still a bit uncertain about her, since she's so new. ...It was hard for me to handle someone like that. I didn't know how to act around her, as Mion. ...So, I decided to pretend to be in an obvious sulky mood. That way, she wouldn't talk to me as much, assuming that Mion was simply feeling bad... Well, that's how I really am, anyway.  "Yeah…”  “Are you not feeling well? “Sorry." "Let's go together, then."...I wanted to say that I'd rather be alone... but there's only one road to Hinamizawa. So, asking to be alone would look odd. The only way to not seem suspicious... would be to walk home with her. "...Yeah... let's go."Rena quietly nodded. I unlocked my bike.  "Nope." "It might rain soon... so let's hurry a bit, since you don't have one."BGM: Silence SFX: Rain  We ended up taking shelter in a small shack in front of a bus stop. "It's pouring... but it doesn't look it's going to last long, since the sky over there is clear." "...Yeah." It sounded loud, but... it made me feel strangely calm. I zoned out for a moment... then Rena talked to me while looking up at the rainy sky.  "...I was worried about you, 'cause you looked so down." Most of them attend the school in Hinamizawa. ...So it wasn't surprising that she knew as well. I hadn't been able to contact Sis these past few weeks, but I was sure she had an idea of how I feel about Satoshi-kun, and how I would feel if he didn't come to his baseball practice. ...Sis was probably pretending to act a little depressed during her day to day in Hinamizawa to avoid creating a big gap between our moods. But neither of us knew the details about the other right now. ...So she wouldn't be able to answer if others asked her what was wrong. She'd only be able to say, 'leave me alone.' That might lead more people to become worried.  That must be why she came all the way to see me. ...She must known what was going on, because she knew that I was at the baseball field.  "....................."Having deduced what'd been going on with Satoshi-kun from what she just said... ...He'd been distancing himself from others lately because of exhaustion. ...That's what it sounded like, at least. "......He looked like... he was very worried about Satoko-chan..." "....................." "...I think... he's really on edge... I feel bad for him..." "......He really cares about his sister...... He has a lot of courage."What I'd said sounded hollow, as I knew too well how much of a burden Satoko had become.  ".....................I don't want that." "I know... but if you really don't, then you need to smile for him... otherwise, he might really feel cornered." "....................." "I know you're strong. You can smile, even if it's just pretend... So, I want you to smile no matter what... You know that lies can become true sometimes?"...What she was saying, in a nutshell, was this. Both Satoshi-kun and Satoko were totally wiped out. If Mion was also depressed, even though she's the sort of person who usually lightens the mood, their situation would be stuck in a vicious cycle. Rena sounded more like she was trying to give me advice than trying to console me... she must be more mature than she looks. Sis told me that she was a funny girl with a few bad habits. ...But she seemed to have another, very mature side to her...  "......Yeah."...Though I shouldn't have told her that... I immediately responded. "...In that case, why don't you smile?"Rena smiled herself. "I believe Satoshi-kun will feel better if he sees your smile... I know you feel powerless now, but... your smile will give him strength." ".....................I know what you're saying, but... it's not that easy..."Rena giggled and nodded.  ...His part-time job? I almost asked that question, but I managed to stop myself. From the tone of Rena's voice, it sounded like it was something everyone knew. "......His part-time job, huh? ......I wonder when it'll end..." "Until he has enough money, I guess... but he'll finish by Satoko-chan's birthday, at the latest."I tried to figure out what was going on from what she said. I had to listen very carefully to uncover the whole picture. ...Satoshi-kun seemed to be working in order to make some money. I don't think it's easy to find a job when you're still in school...... Sis might have had something to do with it. His job only seemed temporary. ...And it seemed to have something to do with Satoko's birthday.  ...Satoshi was working and saving up to buy his little sister something expensive for her birthday. He was trying to comfort her. ......Even though he was so torn up himself. ...Satoko again. Satoshi-kun was already worn out because of her, and he was now working for her sake, even though he was exhausted. ...How stupid. ...It would be easier for him to just forget about Satoko.   I was startled when I realized Rena was looking straight into my eyes. She was smiling, but... her eyes looked creepy. I never voiced what I was thinking... but she was looking at me as though she figured out that I was blaming Satoko.  She smiled as though she understood that I thought that way because of love...... She was giving me the creeps. ...I could hear thunder roar in the distance. The rain began to pick up. "...Do you feel jealous of Satoko-chan because she monopolizes Satoshi-kun?" "........................"I avoided answering immediately this time. ...But Rena seemed to know what I was thinking already.  "...Thanks." "You've been encouraging Satoko-chan despite that... That's admirable." "...Of course I have... She's my friend..."I sounded so fake. I felt like spitting on the floor. "All we can do is encourage Satoko-chan and Satoshi-kun... I don't know how to save them from their situation..." "...Satoko is relying on Satoshi-kun way too much... If she were stronger, he wouldn't have to suffer in her place." "......Ahahahahaha. You sound really straightforward."Rena nodded with an unflinching smile even though my remarks could be taken as harsh. ......What was this mysterious girl thinking? ...It was difficult to get a read on her.  "Eh...?"Rena kept smiling, but her smile looked strangely cold. "...I think... he's tired of protecting Satoko-chan, and he's aware of that."Given the type of person Rena is... I don't think she'd say something if she wasn't certain of it. ...Because of that, she must've been confident in what she just told me. "Why... do you think that?"BGM: Ancient Times (Inishie)  "...What?"Satoshi-kun secretly confessed to her. Rena asked me to keep it that way.  I don't think he would say something like that. ...But, however, it wasn't likely that Rena was lying. I'd just met her, so I didn't know what made me feel that way...... but my hunch told me that she was telling the truth. ...I heaved a huge sigh. Satoshi-kun must've gotten so tired that he couldn't help telling someone. ...Even so... ......Even if he thought that way, he wouldn't tell somebody so easily.  She might be capable of something like that.  It had only been a little while since we'd met, but I'd already started talking about something I was keeping deep inside of me. ...Does she have some kind of supernatural power to reach into people's minds and drag out what they're thinking? ...It suddenly hit me that I was sitting with this creepy girl in a tiny shack. ...I'd been dragged into her strange world. I don't think Sis has realized Rena's real personality. She thinks Rena is just a funny girl with some strange habits. ...She would've told me if she knew. "...I guess Satoshi-kun must trust you a lot if he confessed that to you.... Hahaha... I'm a little jealous." "You what? ...Did you also have to cover for your siblings once?" Huh??? ...Sorry, Rena. What are you talking about? ...I turned around to face her. ...And got the chills.  I trembled... and froze with my eyes open.  "......Have you experienced anything like that? ...Ahaha, I guess not. Probably."Ahahahahaha... Rena kept laughing self-derisively. ...I tried to figure out what she was saying. "...Have you ever thought of leaving Hinamizawa and moving to a big city? ...Have you ever thought of doing something like that?" Rena waited for my answer, urging me to speak with her silence. "...N-No... I love it here." "Yeah, that's right, isn't it? I knew that. Ahahahahahahahaha."It didn't seem like a good idea to lie to her. ...Rena has some kind of power I can't grasp. ...She can read people's minds just by seeing the slightest change in their expressions. So I had to tell her the truth.  "Oyashiro-sama...?"Oyashiro-sama. That's Hinamizawa's guardian deity. ...I couldn't understand why she mentioned that name. My mind stopped for a moment.  "That's right. Oyashiro-sama."She calmly repeated the name as if trying to teach me something. Yeah... I remember.  Oyashiro-sama never allows the villagers to leave, either. Those are the rules. Slowly, I recalled the fear of the curse which supposedly caused the dismemberment murder and the death of the Houjou couple. ...When I was sent to the institution... I had this fear. I was scared that if I went to that faraway boarding school, I'd fall under the curse. But... I should be okay.  The hag forces me to live this suffocating life, but I still chose to stay in this place. ...I don't believe I'm breaking Oyashiro-sama's rules. Even though the Sonozaki family had selfishly banished me to a remote place, I came back here anyway. ...Oyashiro-sama should even bless me for that... ...I guess I'm trying to convince myself that the curse doesn't apply to me. But… ...I think I'm still afraid of it.  "Yes, I think so, too...... But... I'm not sure about Satoshi-kun." "...Why...?!" "Satoshi-kun wants to leave Hinamizawa and run far away... even if only unconsciously...".....................Eh...? I gave an inaudible cry. ...While I was feeling sad that Satoshi-kun hadn't shown up for practice, he still lived in Hinamizawa. ......So, I'd never even considered the thought of him going away. "Are you saying that... he wants to skip town...?" "Yes...... he's not aware of it himself, though. He probably didn't notice it until Oyashiro-sama stood by his bed."I still had no idea what she was talking about. ...I continued trying to figure out what she was saying.  “...You feel like someone is watching you from a distance... and it follows you... Then it watches from right behind you…” “...After that, you start hearing an extra footstep. It only happens outside at first... but you start hearing it even inside your house after a while. “Then... Oyashiro-sama keeps watching you even when you're sleeping in the dark... right by your side, waiting silently... for you to admit your sin.” “Satoshi-kun told me he was having nightmares at first... So, I asked him what kind of dreams he was having...... And those dreams he was having, as it turned out, were just like mine…” “...He must have been suspicious at first. But... just as I predicted... he started to feel Oyashiro-sama's presence more strongly. He finally realized he could talk to me about it."......Rena didn't look like she was joking. She just calmly told me what had been going on. I couldn't even move. ...I couldn't tell if her words were a joke... or the truth. I could only feel stunned.  “Oyashiro-sama frequently started telling me to return to Hinamizawa, in my head...... But I couldn't do anything, since I was just a little kid... I was forced to live there, though I felt threatened by Oyashiro-sama's voice...... then........................"Rena paused. ...It looked like she didn't want to go into the details of what followed...... In general, she confused me even more. "Anyway, I was able to come back here in the end. ......Oyashiro-sama forgave me...... I haven't felt his presence any more since then.” ...Satoshi-kun is being subjected to the curse even though he's in Hinamizawa. ......Why? ...There can only be one reason. It's because he wishes to abandon Hinamizawa... Oyashiro-sama won't allow that.” “and he's trying to get the money by her birthday.”100,000 yen is roughly 1000 dollars. “Have you noticed it yet? Think about it like this. If he had that amount of money, that'd be enough for him to run away somewhere far from here. He unconsciously started to think about that, about leaving Satoko-chan behind.” “But he'd feel very guilty. As you pointed out, Satoko-chan is a burden on him... He's not stupid, so he's aware of that...... He just doesn't want to admit it, because he's the one who's supposed to protect his little sister.” “He's been struggling with himself. He thinks he's working to please Satoko-chan on her birthday. ......But he also feels that he might be deceiving himself, because he unconsciously wants to skip town with that money.” “......I hope Satoshi-kun stops thinking of abandoning Satoko-chan... He's working hard to make it to Satoko-chan's birthday, which is... a couple of days after the Watanagashi festival?” “......He's pushing himself too hard... He believes it'll end when Satoko-chan's birthday comes......... The curse keeps cautioning him while he tries to figure out whether he should leave or continue protecting her." It kept pouring down on the galvanized iron roof, producing a loud noise...yet in the shack, it fell completely silent. What the hell was Rena talking about...? I couldn't grasp even half of what she was saying. The only thing I had figured out is that Satoshi-kun was struggling, confused, and in lots of pain. He's suffering from Oyashiro-sama's curse? ......And Rena has experienced that before...? BGM: Silence  Oyashiro-sama's curse had struck three years in a row. ...There was no guarantee that it wouldn't strike a fourth time. Satoshi-kun was... subject to Oyashiro-sama's curse, even now? Was he going to skip town? Was he going to be the next victim of Oyashiro-sama's curse? ......Either way...... he might disappear forever. Could I do something to prevent it? ...If I didn't do anything... it would all come to a hopeless end... End?  I didn't buy the crazy story Rena told me. ......But... if something really was happening to Satoshi-kun, which might bring about some kind of an end, I couldn't help feeling scared. It's true, isn't it. .....................My instinct is always correct.  ...Mion got upset at first, but she had to listen to me. SFX: Crickets  "...He looks really stressed out... I can't even talk to him." "......What do you mean? You don't know what's going on because you can't talk to him?" "......Sorry." "......Sis, give me another chance to trade spots again." "Um, that's fine. But I'm kind of busy lately attending meetings for the festival... What are you planning to do? Another part-time job?"  - - -  TIP 4: Notebook Page 21 TIP 5: Notebook Page 24
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Jan 16, 2022 22:36
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This situation is getting odd already.
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Jan 17, 2022 00:05
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Rena is just really good at completely catching you off guard
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Jan 17, 2022 09:27
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Content warning for child assault. VIDEO: Meakashi-hen | Day 8 and 9 BGM: Silence SFX: Bell  ...For a moment, I forgot that the class president was me.   "Looks like you didn't get enough sleep. I know it's been very hot at night lately, but try to get as much sleep as you can. All right, everyone?" "Yes, ma'am!"...I'm not sure this place can be called a school. Because there are so many different age groups, it's like a kindergarten and an elementary school blended together. Since I'd heard already about what this place was like, I didn't feel that uncomfortable. It wasn't too difficult to act like Mion here.  I said hi to him, but he ignored me. ...Since I knew what he'd been going through, his pain looked apparent to me. I was interested in another person in this classroom. Satoko... Satoshi-kun's little sister.  Everybody in this room was aware of their circumstances, but no one could do anything for them... So they just acted as though nothing was wrong. Mion will only let me have this one day. ...If I slacked off even a little bit, today would be over with quickly. I had to figure out what I should do in this limited time. I should probably talk to Satoshi-kun. About what? Anything goes... Cheer him up, sympathize with him... anything will do. More than anything, I just wanted to chat with him. However, Sis had told me. ......She said Satoshi-kun didn't communicate much with her lately, and had distanced himself from her. I figured I shouldn't talk to him too casually. ...I wanted to, but... maybe it was better to leave him alone...... I needed to keep Sis's warnings in mind... But instead... I decided to ignore them. SFX: Bell  "......Satoshi-kun." His facial expression surprised me. ...He was scowling. Clearly a sign of rejection. But... I couldn't hesitate. ...I'd lose my only chance if I did. BGM: Solitude "...Hey, um... How are you?"He gave me a look as if saying 'do I look fine to you?'. ...I never expected to see an expression like that on his face. I felt like my heart was being torn into pieces...  ...I felt a little glad, but the next thing he said changed that.  "Eh...?" "...I'll get going if there isn't... because I want to be alone." "O-Okay... I guess you're tired from work. I'm sure you want some time to yourself... You're working today too, right? Where at?"Sis had found several jobs for him. He worked at a few different places. He was helping out when necessary at any of the shops Mion introduced him to. As a result, he constantly had to do different tasks in a different environment almost every time. On top of that, he requested high-paying jobs from Mion because he wanted a large sum of money as soon as possible. In other words, he chose to mostly do manual labor... He was exhausted every day because he wasn't that physically strong.  ...Mion did help him get the job... yet Satoshi-kun didn't look thankful for that opportunity. ...This wasn't like him at all...... It made me feel sad. "...Hahahaha. You're right... Sorry." "...Is that all?"He sounded so harsh. ...Why was he being like that? Would he ever stroke my head again...?  I couldn't help my tears. They flowed onto my cheeks. Satoshi-kun looked confused for a moment, but then he frowned again. "...Uh, sorry...... Uh... the coach said... he wanted you to come back to practice...... Ahahaha......" "...I told him I quit... so I won't be going back." "B-But maybe... it's a good idea to work out from time to time, you know...?" "Not interested." ...Why did he hate me so much? I was left bewildered. "...Why...? How come...?" "...Because I'm busy with work. Isn't it obvious?" "...No, I didn't mean that!! Why do you hate me so much?!" "...Why don't you ask yourself?" "Ask myself?! What?! What did I do?! I don't understand, Satoshi-kun!!"I couldn't control my emotions any longer. Streaks of tears ran down my cheeks.   I couldn't even stop him. ...If I tried, he'd hurt me again with another cutting remark. ...I couldn't bear that... So I just watched him walk away. I wiped my tears and... went back to the classroom. I heard somebody crying from inside. ...What's going on? I looked around the room to see. SFX: Higurashi  I saw her bento box on the floor. I asked one of her classmates what happened... and it seemed that Satoko had bumped into somebody's shoulder when she stood up to go wash the box out... That was all. But... Satoko was crying as if afraid she was going to be chided badly. What happened was very minor. ...She could just pick up the bento box and things would be fine. ...It looked like the lid came a little loose, but it was definitely fixable... She didn't have to cry like that. Yet Satoko... started begging through her tears.   ...So, instead, they exploded. I stormed up to Satoko while elbowing her classmates aside. I grabbed her by the head... then threw her into the wall. Satoko screamed. She didn't seem to understand what had happened. She was shedding tears and shivering... She must be wondering why I did that.  "Eeeek... help...... Nii-nii......"Satoko cried for her brother's help again... And so, I grabbed her head and threw her again. Satoko stumbled and crashed into a desk. The desk fell and the contents of the drawer scattered about.   "Help... help... ...Nii-nii... ...Nii-nii..." "If you weren't like that...!!!"...If you weren't like that, Satoshi-kun wouldn't have to suffer. Don't you get it?! That's what I wanted to say, but I was too angry to utter another word. I picked up a bunch of textbooks from the floor and threw them at her face.  “Do you understand that?! Do you understand what you're doing?! You shouldn't exist!! Die if you don't want to suffer!!” “Go gently caress yourself!!! Don't hurt Satoshi-kun!! You deserve to die alone!! You just deserve to dieeeeeee!!!" "Waaaaahhhhh!!! Nii-nii!! Nii-nii!!! Whaaaaahhhhhh!!!" "Stop crying!!! Don't call your brother for help!! Stop it!!! If you weren't like that...!! If only you...!!!"I kept on throwing things at her. ...Satoko curled up to protect herself, and cried even harder.  ...I knew who that was. ...Rika Furude. One of Satoko's only friends.  "......Please don't hurt her. She's in a poor situation, so please don't hurt her..." "It doesn't matter how pathetic she is!! She shouldn't rely on Satoshi-kun all the time!! Stop spoiling her!! Satoshi-kun has to suffer so much because of her!!!" "...No!! Stop!! Don't hurt her...!!"Rika also became the target of my anger. "I'm trying to teach her something here!!! If you keep getting in the way, I'll crack your head open!!!" It wouldn't hurt only a little if I threw this thing at them. Rika tightly closed her eyes and covered Satoko with her body. I didn't care what the consequences would be. I didn't care if I hurt them.  Rena returned to the classroom and shouted at me.  Seeming to have grasped the situation immediately... He charged straight at me. Until my body had hit the locker, I didn't understand what had happened. There was a loud crashing noise. I'd left a dent in it...... I crouched there in pain.  "Nii-nii!! Nii-nii!! Whaaaaaahhh!!" "What happened...? Why were you treated like that...? Why...?!" "I-I didn't do anything but... Mion-san... she suddenly... Waaahhhh!!!" "Wh-What's going on, Mion?!!!"Satoshi-kun shouted at me while clutching his sister... He looked fierce. "I just......"  "You said... that I should ask myself, didn't you...? So... why don't you ask yourself?" "Ask what?!!!" I don't believe what I said was wrong. But after hearing it, Satoshi-kun went berserk. "Wh- Wh- What the heck do you know?!!!" "Ow... ahhh!!!"Satoshi-kun grabbed my hair and threw me to the wall, just like I did to Satoko. However, I wasn't going to back down. ...I no longer had any control over my emotions at all.  "What the hell do you know about us?! What the heck do you know?! You persecuted our parents and now it's us? That's the way of the Sonozaki family, huh?!” “You torture traitors for fun!! Is it fun?! Is it fun bullying us?! Huh?!" That was Rena's voice. She stepped in, looking as fierce as a demon. BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi  “...She wanted to help you, but... she just lost control a little. ...Okay?" "....................."Satoshi-kun looked like he wanted to say something back, but he chose not to. "You too, Mii-chan... I know how much you worry about Satoshi-kun. But you can't solve the problem like that. I think you understand. Right?"Since Satoshi-kun didn't say anything, I kept quiet, too. "Here, Satoko-chan. You don't have to cry just because you dropped your bento box, all right? Do you feel better now?"  "......Oooh... hic...... hic......!"Rika started picking up the bento box while its owner continued to cry. "Guys... can you help us clean up? The teacher will be back from the vegetable garden soon. This quarrel is over, so don't tell her about it, okay?"The classmates looked at each other and nodded... then started picking up the stuff on the floor.  ".........Sorry... I didn't mean to do this..."Tears started to roll down my cheeks again.  "Okay. Mii-chan, why don't you apologize to Satoko-chan now?"...I was fine with apologizing to Satoshi-kun, but I didn't want to apologize to her. But the situation wouldn't be settled otherwise... so I reluctantly apologized.  After that, Rena let me go. My head ached, so I held it with both hands. ...What was that...? What did I do...?! I didn't want to use this precious time to fight...! Sis had warned me... She told me that I shouldn't talk to Satoshi-kun just like that. What did I come here for...? ...I shouldn't have come here if I knew this was going to happen. Stupid, you're stupid, Shion! I was overcome by emotions because I was so worried about Satoshi-kun. When did things go wrong...? Were they wrong from the beginning? I got into a fight with Satoshi-kun... This was totally the opposite of what I wanted.  I hated myself for it. ...I couldn't blame myself enough. My world had been torn apart. ...I wished the sky would fall and kill me...... - - - SFX: Bell    Sis sounded both amazed and confused.  "...Sorry."Sis tried to say something, but she stopped in the middle. ...After listening to a few complaints, I started telling her about everything that happened today. Sis had to pretend that the trouble I caused today was her responsibility, which must've been very taxing for her. "...So I won't get the chance to trade spots for a while...?" "...Hey... ...I think you should be more aware of the hassle I have to go through..." "......Yeah... you're right..."Sis had been sympathetic, but... maybe I pushed her too far this time. Of course she'd be hesitant to trade spots, considering what I did today... The atmosphere felt awkward, so we were both silent for a while… BGM: Confession ...That was a reasonable question. ...I wasn't prepared to answer, though. If I had a chance to go to school once again and see Satoshi-kun... what would I do? Would I apologize to him about today? ......I don't think that would work. That might even upset him again, no matter how hard I tried.  ......It was the Sonozaki family who had been harassing his. It would only be natural for him to hold a grudge against us. ...But why was he only expressing that now? ...I've been a Sonozaki to him all along. Satoshi-kun stroked my head even though he knew that I was Mion Sonozaki...  "......I think so, yes."It was our family that initiated the persecution of the Houjou family, making them into scapegoats. Even after the dam conflict, it wasn't easy for the Houjou family to live in Hinamizawa. Given all of that, it's not surprising that Satoshi-kun hates us, the Sonozaki family who put his family in a devastating situation. "But... why now? Why is he only expressing that grudge to us now?" "....................." "...Why... is this happening now...? If he wanted to... ooohhh...... Ahhh...!!"If he had rejected me in the first place... ...I wouldn't have wanted to get close to him.  ...It's only natural for him to hold a grudge against the Sonozakis. There's nothing unusual about it. Rather… why has he been treating me like a friend? I knew how stupid this question was...  "I-I can't... understand it...waaaaahhh...!! Ahhhhh!!!"He'd been treating me as a friend because he was mature? ...But now that he'd become stressed mentally and physically, he's decided to reject me...? No matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn't find anything to fault him with. If there were somebody to blame... it'd be somebody I'd never accused before.  "Eh? ...Uh... um..." "It was his parents who supported the dam project, right? Satoshi-kun had nothing to do with it! Why was he included? Why?!"Mion couldn't say anything in return. Actually, it wasn't at all hard to guess the reason. The hag didn't give any specific order to harass the Houjou family. She just thought the Houjou family was getting in the way. The people around her noticed what was bothering her, and took steps to get rid of it. Though of course, she must have known how influential her own words were. She didn't just think it. She gave what she must have known would be interpreted as an order. ...She's the one to blame for initiating the attack on the Houjou family.  “That's why the hag decided to punish them, isn't it?"Mion couldn't say anything in return. Meaning that my accusation was the truth. "They already punished the Houjou couple!! Feel free to bring them to the torture room in the garden, and chop their fingers off or something, but leave Satoshi-kun alone!!” “Satoshi-kun has nothing to do with this!! What did he do to deserve this?! What did he do wrong?! Answer me!! Answer me!! Mion!! Mion!!!" Mion suddenly changed her tone and hung up. She must have done that to escape from my questions. I was furious. I started redialing the number, but then I remembered that we'd decided she'd hang up the phone after using that phrase when she saw the hag coming. ...I doubted she actually saw the hag. But it was the rule, so I couldn't call back for a while. I went to the bathroom to wash my face and cool down. I turned the faucet. The water felt lukewarm. It didn't help me cool down at all.   - - - BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi  It's not that I wasn't getting hungry. ...I didn't live with my parents. I didn't live in the school dorm. That meant I had to cook something myself when I wanted to eat. I knew that... but I still didn't feel like getting up. It had been several days since I began this empty life. It must be tomorrow... The Watanagashi festival, I mean. SFX: Doorbell  SFX: Doorbell I ignored it at first, but it rung persistently. I started hearing knocking, alongside Kasai's rude voice. “Shion-san. Please open up. I bought some food for you."...I didn't ask him to. He must've known that I hadn't eaten enough and that I'd been feeling down lately.  "No...... I'm not hungry."But when Kasai put the food on the table, my stomach reacted in a very primitive way by making some noise. BGM: daily passing by(celesta) I was hungry, but had no appetite. I mean, I did have an appetite, but didn't have the energy to eat. Yet I'd feel bad wasting the food Kasai had brought. I picked up my chopsticks just to humor him.  "Oryou-san is busy with the festival preparation meetings. She doesn't seem to have time to deal with you right now...... Didn't you like croquettes?" "Hmm... they're good. ...Thanks."While I nibbled on the food, Kasai read through the magazines I bought.  I'd never talked to Kasai about something like this before. ...Since I've always believed myself superior to him psychologically, I hesitated to show my weaknesses to him. "That kind of hardship is healthy for your age." "...! Hey, do you know about that...?!" "Mion-san told me a little about it. She said she wanted me to assist you." "...She did, did she? Tssk." "She looked worried. Your sister is looking out for you." "I thought you might want to know how Satoshi Houjou-kun is doing. I've gathered some information. Would you like me to report?" "That's not necessary... but since you went through all the trouble, I think I'd better listen."Kasai chuckled, but stopped quickly as if thinking it rude.  "Teppei? Who's that? ......Oh, Satoshi-kun's uncle, huh?" "Their aunt - Tamae Houjou, Satoshi, and Satoko are the only ones living in the house now. Ever since Tamae learned that Teppei had fled to his mistress, she's been in a foul mood." "So that must mean... that the aunt is being even nastier to Satoko, and Satoshi-kun is taking even more indirect blows." "I don't know about Satoshi-kun, but I heard that Satoko-san looks very miserable. The neighbors are spreading rumors about her."If Satoko looks miserable, that means Satoshi-kun must be going through equally miserable torture.  She's also one of the remaining Houjous, after all. The uncle is gone, so why not the aunt? "...The main Sonozaki family ruled against further harassment toward the Houjou family after the death of the couple. They say the police still might be staking out their house, due to suspicions about the couple's death." "Their deaths have been filed under Oyashiro-sama's curse. So the Sonozaki family thinks no further divine intervention is necessary?"Kasai put on a faint smile.  ...It is hard not to suspect the involvement of the Sonozaki family in all the incidents said to be Oyashiro-sama's curse. Somebody strives to get rid of the hag's concerns on the day of the Watanagashi festival. Furthermore, the Watanagashi festival is going to be held tomorrow. ......Will the curse strike again this year? If so... who will be the victim?  The first and third year, it was just one, but the second year, the victims were a couple. So it wouldn't be too strange if two people fell victim this year. It seems like a good time. It'd be best for Satoko and her aunt to be the victims. Satoshi-kun will be freed from every source of his worries all at once!  ".................." "Does the hag make the decision? If so, Sis should know about it by now. Kasai, do you know anything?" "Shion-san... I don't know anything about that matter." "...Well, that makes sense. That kind of secret won't make its way to you, because you're just small fry." "...That's true. I've never received any information regarding that from my connections. But as you know... the Sonozaki family has access to many underground organizations, which I have no channels into."...Maybe I could try asking Sis about it... but she won't talk. She's strict about keeping promises, unlike me. If the hag told her to keep a secret, she'd take it to her grave.  "....................." "......Hey, Kasai, I just thought of that. Aren't you going to do something about it?" "Shion-san... you must be joking..." "Yeah. I'm just kidding."I took a glimpse at Kasai. ...It didn't look like he was actually going to do something to make my wish come true. I wasn't able to go to the village as myself. So, I definitely wasn't going to the festival. I didn't care about that.  If I just kept lying on this couch, playing hooky, somebody would fall victim in several hours. I had no clue why it had to happen every year. But I was certain that the hag was behind it. All the enemies from the dam conflict had been punished. ...Only the Houjou couple was left, since most of the other enemies had already gone. SFX: Higurashi  Why was it this hot and humid in June? If Oyashiro-sama was actually punishing people...... I'd pray for one thing. I'd pray that the evil aunt would be punished, and I'd offer up Satoko as a sacrifice. Hah............... It's hot. - - - BGM: Silence SFX: Night Higurashi  Looks like he cleaned the table and the surrounding room. He put my dirty laundry into the hamper in front of the washing machine too. ...Being a girl of a sensitive age, I didn't want a man to clean my room. Well, I'd rather thank him than badmouth him. I looked at the clock. It was late afternoon. ...I had to go grocery shopping. There was nothing left in the fridge, and I'd be having just rice for dinner if I didn't go. At that moment.  It must be Kasai, I thought. I did hope it was him. ...He could have brought more food, so then I wouldn't have to go shopping...... While I was just being lazy... I didn't feel like going out at all. But... It wasn't Kasai on the phone.  "Uh, no... I'm calling from a pay phone, so I'll make it quick... Satoshi called me."BGM: Confession "...Satoshi-kun did? He called you?" "......It probably wasn't me he wanted. He called you, I think... It sounded like he wanted to apologize for what happened the other day... so I thought you should take the call." "....................." "I told him that I'd call back because I was busy... so, can you call this number...?" ".........Um, o-okay...!"I was stunned for a second, but then recovered and wrote down the number on the back of a magazine.  "Good... He's been extremely stressed these days... I don't think he'll listen to me anymore, but I think he'll listen to you."She could have pretended to be me and handled his call. ......But she passed it over to me. "Thanks, Mion..." "See you, Shion..."Before she hung up, I put the handset down. Then after a second, I dialed the number in a flash. I heard the dial tone ...three times, four times...... and there he was.  He sounded like an adult. His voice sounded a bit tired too, but it definitely was the voice I loved. ...I got scared. ...I was scared that he might become sulky again if I mentioned my name... I couldn't open my mouth for a while. "Uh... is that you, Satoshi-kun...?" "Oh... sorry that I called you so suddenly. Are you okay now?"That was the Satoshi-kun I knew. ...He didn't sound cold like the other day. "...Yes... I'm okay now." "...Uh... good." ...I felt the urge to start a conversation. ...It wasn't fair. He was the one who called in the first place... Then, he finally spoke.  "Uh... hmm... I'm... sorry too...!" "...You don't have to apologize... because I was the one in the wrong."If this were a face-to-face conversation, he would be stroking my head... It was sad just talking to him over the phone. "...I won't forgive those people who forced us into this situation... you might be close to them, but it was never you personally... So I wanted to apologize." "......No, please don't apologize... I was selfish and didn't try to understand your situation very well......"We apologized to each other a few times.  "...I quit my job since I have enough money now." "...You did...? That's good. You don't have to push yourself anymore, then... That's really good."Satoshi-kun tried to say something, but he dropped it instead.  "........................Seems like it... Is she all right?" "...Does she look all right to you...?"He suddenly sounded upset... I'd messed up. "S-S-Sorry! I'm sorry...! I'm sorry...!"I was so stupid...!! I had ruined this miraculous conversation with him...!! Satoshi-kun didn't respond to my apology... so I stopped apologizing.  "I... I didn't..."I tried to calm him down... I hated what I just said because of how hollow it sounded. I had no idea what to say next. I felt guilty. Satoshi-kun was desperate to protect Satoko from their evil aunt. ...But I'd wished that Satoko would die tomorrow because of the curse. ...I was trampling on his desperate hope. "...Satoko can't take it anymore... so....................."He cut himself off in the middle... And went quiet for a moment. He must have been choosing his words carefully... Then, he finally spoke. His words sounded hollow.  "...Eh? What do you mean...?" "The Watanagashi festival is tomorrow, isn't it? I want you to take her there." "Yeah, I can do that, but... why?" "......She's exhausted, so... I think she'd be happy if she could get away from our aunt for even just one night." "...But... why...?" "...Why...?"It's not that I didn't understand why he wanted her taken to the festival. ...What I didn't understand is why he was asking me to do that. Was there any reason he couldn't take her there himself? I had a hunch that he might disappear... so I kept asking...  "...Why don't you take her yourself...?" "......Um......"He fell silent. Satoshi-kun isn't good at lying or keeping secrets. ...It was clear that he wanted to hide something. "...I-I just have some stuff that I need to take care of with my work tomorrow... so I can't go to the festival."He was lying. ...But, he was also stubborn. He wouldn't admit it if I accused him.  "....................."I wouldn't want to look after Satoko even at Satoshi-kun's request... but I'm also glad that he's relying on me. "I know it's ridiculous to ask for your help after that incident... but you're the only person I can turn to now."...I didn't know what to say. I did know, though, that I wasn't going to turn down his request.  "Ahahahaha... I hope you'll keep looking after her." "What are you saying? I won't do that. Just for tomorrow."He sounded as if he were going to disappear tomorrow. ...I didn't like the sound of that, so I intentionally sounded sulky.  When the conversation was almost over, Satoshi-kun asked something else. "Hey... ...Mion. ......I really hate asking this, since you might think I'm crazy for saying it, but..." "...Hm? What?" "...You... ahahahahaha... ...don't believe in it, right?" "Believe in what?"BGM: Silence SFX: Shrine Bells  "Uh... ahahahaha. What are you talking about, Satoshi-kun?" "Those who abandon the village and try to run away get cured by Oyashiro-sama, right?"That's the rule. Every kid in the village knows that. "...Ahaha, that's the rule. What's with that suddenly? ...Are you planning to leave?"Though I was kidding, I wanted him to deny it. "...I'm not thinking about that... anymore."He admitted that he had thought of it. ...I guess Rena told me that much. "...That's good. So you're not leaving the village?" "...Eh...?"Satoshi-kun tried to say something but hesitated. ...He was breathing so heavily... Was he sick? "...Hey... do you feel all right, Satoshi-kun?" "...Uh... sorry. ...I'm fine." "...I guess you're tired. I think you should get some rest."He sounded distinctly more sickly from when this conversation had started. He breathed heavily when punctuating his words.  "...Mion, I'll ask you one more time... Do you believe in Oyashiro-sama's curse...?"...What did he want me to say? ...Could I make him feel relieved with my answer? How should I respond? ...The answer was simple.  I didn't know what was bothering him. But I wanted to make him feel better by laughing his worries away. "....................."But Satoshi-kun instead fell silent. ...I couldn't tell if he was happy with my answer or not. One thing was certain... I didn't make him feel any better.  "Ah... uh... sorry..."I felt like I let him down, so I apologized in a rush. "...Whether it's a real curse or somebody's conspiracy... I won't disappear, and I won't fall victim to it." "Y-You won't disappear..." "No... not until I buy that teddy bear. I'll get the money pretty soon. I won't go anywhere until then."He chuckled. I knew he was trying to relieve me, but it worked the opposite way. ...He sounded as though he didn't care what would happen after he bought the teddy bear.  "Oh... okay." "...Mion." "...Huh?"Even though he wanted to hang up the phone because of his aunt coming back-- ...Satoshi-kun took a breath to tell me something important.  I should've said yes right away. ...But I still couldn't forgive Satoko... so I just kept quiet. "....................." "...Forget what I said... Bye." "Oh."BGM: Silence SFX: Crickets  What had I done? I wanted to apologize. I wished I could. But... it was too late. The dial tone left no doubt. Now that was depressing.  - - -  TIP 6: A Torn Diary
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Jan 19, 2022 22:32
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Oh jeez Shion, she picked up her granny's trait of blaming children. It's always weird to see Irie be not creepy. This game is interesting but I hate a lot of the humor.
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Jan 19, 2022 23:04
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Shion went pretty far down in the likability chart this update. Ghoulishly wishing for the death of your crushes 8 year old sister is kind of stupidly awful. Also yeah from the tip it looks like the crazy thoughts that were affecting Keichii hit Satoshi as well.
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Jan 21, 2022 01:21
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MonsterEnvy posted:
Can't imagine that seeing one of your best friends flip out and maul your sister helps with your paranoia.
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Jan 21, 2022 22:18
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VIDEO: Meakashi-hen | Day 10 and 11 BGM: Silence The day of the Watanagashi festival. June 20th, 1982 1:40 PM BGM: Ancient Times (Inishie)  Nothing in particular. Nothing at all. I just wanted to play hooky. I woke up in the afternoon. I ate instant food for lunch while watching boring TV programs. I had a light headache, so I lay down on the sofa. I wouldn't wake up again if I went to sleep. ...Whatever. I decided to sleep. ...I'd already told Sis that Satoshi-kun had asked her to look after Satoko. I didn't have to do anything myself. I fell asleep, though my head was aching a little bit... That would be all I'd have to deal with. - - -  The aunt believed that all the villagers frowned upon her because her brother-in-law and his wife were pro-dam activists. She surely experienced some fallout during the time of the dispute. But people had stopped looking coldly upon her, even though she assumed otherwise. She was paranoid, believing that all the villagers hated her. And so, she decided to hate them back. Her attitude, of course, begot hatred from the villagers... and the situation became exactly the way she thought it was from the start. What came first, their poor relationships with the neighbors... Or her husband's affair? ...She didn't know, herself.  She, in turn, claimed that their relationships with the neighbors went sour because her husband had damaged their reputation. Only Satoshi was aware that both happened at almost the same time.  When the husband came home late, the wife would shout at him at the entrance. Satoshi wondered why they didn't get a divorce, their marriage being as rotten as it was. But he secretly knew the reason for that, too. It was the fortune his parents had left. His aunt had hidden their bankbook and stamp and never allowed her husband access to them. (So, her husband would search the house for them. She'd find out he stole some money from her purse. This would cause yet another fight.)  After their death, however, one of his relatives told him. He was informed that his parents had left a large sum of money in some bank account. Satoshi couldn't understand why they had that kind of money, because his family had been, as far as he knew, poor. It was because of the dam project. His parents probably got the money in return for their cooperation with the government. They had strived to get more villagers on their side, provided information to them, and whatnot. The money was probably compensation for their efforts. His aunt and uncle never had any intention to adopt them until they heard about the money. After someone from some financial institution revealed its existence, they appeared to adopt Satoko and Satoshi.  Eventually, Satoshi's uncle started spending more time at his mistress's home. He realized that he had no reason to return to his own home, because he'd just end up in a fight with his wife if he did. When he stopped coming home, Satoshi felt relieved. Neither their uncle nor their aunt treated the two siblings very well. Satoshi's aunt wouldn't have to vent her frustration upon them. The reason the couple fought was their corrupted relationship. So if they separated, there wouldn't be any more fights. Satoshi had thought that at first. But even after they separated, his aunt still had a short temper.  The villagers must have been talking behind her back. It was mortifyingly embarrassing. Since she lost an opponent to fight, Satoshi's aunt directed her hatred toward the siblings. Satoshi had been observing her. He learned when she would get upset and how to avoid her attention. He managed to get by without upsetting her, by turning a keen eye to her behavior and avoiding conflicts.  She hated her aunt and didn't even try to hide it. Satoshi told her to behave in their aunt's presence, but her eyes were always filled with hatred. Satoshi strived to reduce the conflict between them as much as possible. He stepped in to mend their relationship. It was a heavy burden for him though, because he was still just a boy. He bore so much. He covered for his little sister by lying, and maneuvering... He tried to maintain a tangible sense of peace. But... he couldn't do that forever. ..................The relationship between Satoko and her aunt had already spiralled out of control. SFX: Higurashi  ...It probably wasn't a legitimate place for trash disposal. ...If it was, sanitation workers would come and pick it up. He passed by this street all the time, so he noticed when there were new things dumped there. He'd found a plain-looking desk, of the kind likely to be seen in offices. Somebody must have dumped it within the past few days. His aunt liked to bring usable trash home. She'd had Satoshi help bring a chest home just a few days ago. ...If he told her about the desk, she'd want it. His aunt hated to find bugs and garbage in the drawers, so she'd always open them to check before carrying the thing home. Satoshi opened all the drawers... all of which were empty. After that, he turned around and walked for about five steps.  There he laid something he'd been carrying all the time, until today. It'd be very hard to find unless you specifically knew it was there to begin with. ...Looking satisfied, Satoshi looked around for some landmark to remember the place by. - - -   "Gwa ha ha! You're as peppy as ever! Oh? Is she a newcomer?" "Uh-huh. This is Rena Ryuugu. Don't underestimate her. She's good." "Yo! You too! I've brought all kinds of prizes this year! They'll be a real battle to win!! Try and take them all with you if you can!" "Yeah, that stuffed animal looks like just her type..." "Wha wha wha?!”  “Hauuu!! Sho kyute! I wanna take it home with me!!" "H-Hey, the booth isn't open yet!! Whooa!!!" "Aha ha ha!! Stop it, Rena. He says the booth isn't open yet. You can run him into the ground once he opens it up!!" "Hauuu, it's mine! I'm taking it home!" Everybody except Satoko.  ...Her eyes looked dull.   "...Wh-What is it, Rika?"Rika walked up to Satoko, smiling ear to ear in an effort to cheer her up.  "...Forget your worries today. Let's just have fun." ".................."Satoko looked down. Even if she got to have fun today, her circumstances at home wouldn't change.  "I... I know that." "......So, why don't you have fun? Nipah~☆." "....................." "......Nipah~☆." "....................." "......Nipah~☆." "Oh... sorry, but I don't feel like it... Could you please leave me alone...?" "......Why aren't you smiling?" ...She gave her a look as though she wanted to say that Rika should know the reason. Even if she could have fun today, nothing would change between her and her evil aunt. No matter how fun the festival was. ...Once she went home, her aunt would be there. ...The aunt would find something wrong with Satoko, get mad, and shout at her so loudly that the neighbors would hear. How can she have fun, even just for today, while knowing all that? Satoko didn't say that out loud. But her eyes betrayed her emotions to Rika.  Satoko gasped. She thought that Rika might do something to help. ...But soon after, she realized that Rika was just trying to comfort her. Could her suffering end today? Because of Rika? How? Satoko knew that there was really nothing Rika could do. And so, after just one moment of freedom, Satoko fell into depression again.  "......Satoko."Rika's voice was clearer than Satoko had ever heard before.  - - -  SFX: Crickets  He heard the distant ruckus of the festival.  After the Watanagashi ceremony, there was going to be a raffle drawing. So, there were two types of people in Hinamizawa. The people who would go home for dinner, and the ones who would stay until the raffle was over. Either relaxing at home or still at the festival. There were only those two patterns. On top of that, there weren't many neighbors in the vicinity of Satoshi's house. As a result, he found nobody on the streets. ...On that night, the small village seemed especially desolate. Satoshi knew it was going to be like this. But he would keep worrying until he saw it for himself. He was barefooted, but started running without hesitation.  He got the impression that he could run faster than usual. Not only his running ability. His vision, his hearing, and his sense of smell... ...All his senses were keener, including his sixth sense. He could almost sense the presence of people in the distance if only when crouching like an animal. It felt strange... As though he had stepped into another world... He'd been feeling tense and anxious until today, battling with his own fear. But now he felt as though he had metamorphosed into a different person… - - -   The festival had reached its climax. The raffle was going to start. Both the women who were dancing and those who were waiting for the raffle gathered around the altar. This was the first time they'd held a raffle. The planning committee decided to hold one from this year onward, to attract more people to the festival.  Oryou took the initiative and bought a brand-new TV, a washing machine, a cooling fan, and other such things for the raffle. The committee wanted to keep it small initially, but it turned out big, thanks to her. Oryou was upset because the committee members weren't enthusiastic enough, in her opinion. Some of the members thought it would be very difficult to prepare prizes of equal value the following year, so this might be the very first and last raffle.   "Buffoon! No point in reimbursing that. It was never about the money. ...Idiots." "Now, now, don't say that... This raffle's all thanks to you, Oryou-san." "It's not like I'm doing this all by myself. Don't be ridiculous."The mayor, Kimiyoshi, was having a tough time pacifying Oryou.  He looked upset, so Kimiyoshi assumed that somebody probably got hurt in an accident.  "What's going on, Makino-san? I hope you're not having a heart attack."Kimiyoshi made a joke to calm him down. Makino, however, still looked tense. He whispered something to Kimiyoshi. Even without hearing the exchange between Makino and Kimiyoshi, it was plain as day there was bad news.  Kimiyoshi, accompanied by Makino, moved to Oryou's side and spoke in a very serious tone. Kimiyoshi whispered to her the exact same words Makino told him. "......Oh, dear. ...This is bad..." "Ain't unexpected. What happens thrice will happen a fourth time." "Ahahahaha... That's not funny, Oryou-san..." "You're right, it isn't... it's just another hassle..." "The police are trying to identify the body. I heard that the face was completely destroyed, so it'll be difficult..." "Eh? ...Do you know who it might be?"Oryou glared at Kimiyoshi, then started chuckling.  Oryou kept laughing. Kimiyoshi and Makino didn't know how to react to that. - - -   "Kuma-chan, every death is merciless, unless the dead wished for it. They have my condolences... How's it going over there? Did you find something that could identify the body?"The forensic investigators shook their heads.  "The victim's wearing sandals and casual clothes. They must be from this neighborhood. We should be able to identify the corpse by asking around." "...That's the way we do it. The section manager says this case might become classified. So be careful with that." "Gotcha."Kumagai gathered some officers and gave them directions.  A young doctor got out of his car and headed in the victim's direction.  "You must have drunk a lot at the festival, doctor. Are you sure you're sober? Maybe I should run a breathalyzer test on you, just to be safe." "I'm fine. My assistant is driving." "Clever of you... Hey, let the doctor pass."There was an area cordoned off with blue plastic sheets. An officer rolled up the sheet and let Ooishi and Irie pass. The forensic people were taking photos from many different angles. The blood spatters and the bloody sandals were left untouched, marked with chalk, and indicated with small alphabetized plates.  Irie took out a handkerchief and covered his nose. "You should breathe through your mouth... Well, you might sense the smell visually, though... Na ha ha..." It looked like a middle-aged woman because of the hair and what she was wearing. The reason why no one could be certain it was a middle-aged woman was because... its face was completely pulverized.  "I'm sure it was done out of malice. The victim must have been murdered right here, judging from the pattern of the blood spatters and the soles of the sandals.” “And, even though not many people take this road, the body is right in the middle of it. It's very unusual to see a culprit who would bludgeon their victim until their face was completely destroyed. Also, can you look at her arms?"Ooishi put on latex gloves and lifted the corpse's arm. "...See? Spotless, aren't they?" "Are you saying that the victim didn't try to protect her head? That there's no signs of struggle?" "Right you are... I think the victim lost consciousness with the first blow.  "...The body is face-up now." "The culprit seems to have flipped the victim over in order to smash her face, even though by that point, her death was certain." "....................."Irie looked like he was going to throw up, both because of the putrid smell and Ooishi's reasoning.  "...I understand you didn't call me to resuscitate her." "Doctor. Do you know who the victim is? ...If you do, I don't have to waste time questioning the neighbors."Irie looked at the body once again. He looked away quickly and thought. ...Then, after a while. Irie left the investigation area without saying anything.  "...Ehh...... Are you sure?"Ooishi smirked and looked into Irie's eyes. As though Irie was hiding something. "...I'm not hiding anything." "......Na ha ha ha. I guess you're still under the influence, doctor. Maybe you'll remember when you're sober. Let me know if you do."Ooishi tapped Irie on the back. The doctor, saying he wanted some fresh air, left the scene.  "Ooishi-san, the section manager is on the radio. The one in the first car." "...Irie lied." "...Huh?" "Nothing. Hurry up and question the neighbors. The victim must be from this area."- - -   "Thank you for coming here this late at night. I know you have school tomorrow. I'm really sorry to bother you." "Where's your father?" "...My stepfather doesn't come home much..." "Uh-huh? Since when? When did he come home last?" "...I don't know... I heard he's living with a woman who works at a club in Okinomiya or something. I don't remember exactly when, but I guess I saw him a few weeks ago." "......Uh-huh... Do you have your father's address?" "No." "He's living with a woman who works at a club? Do you know the name of the place?" "...No. I know it's in Okinomiya, and that's all." "What's your father's name?" "Teppei Houjou." "Were your mother and father getting along well?" "...I don't know much about that, but... I don't think so." "I see... I want you to tell me honestly. Do you know anyone who might have been holding a grudge against your stepmother?" "...I don't." "Na ha ha... All right. Please let me know if you remember something. Here's my card. My number is on it." "...Okay." "Oh, uh, no. ...I can go home by myself." "........................Please, let us drive you home... There's a possibility that the culprit who murdered your aunt is roaming around the neighborhood. You might get hurt too." ".........Th-Thank you for your consideration, but... really, I'm fine..."Satoshi tried to reject the offer, but Ooishi and Kumagai insisted. In the end, Satoshi was forced to accept.  ...When Ooishi spoke to him as if he remembered something he'd forgotten to say. "Houjou-san...!" "...Y-Yes...?" "...Do you have any leads...?" "Yes, we do." "...Like what?" "...That's confidential. Na ha ha ha ha...!"Ordinary people might think that Ooishi was trying to cheer the poor kid up with a joke...  "What kind of evidence do you find when the culprit's worked up...?" "........." "............" "When somebody is in a very excited condition, their body shows many symptoms, like sweat, loss of hair..." "........." "We often find the culprit's hair at crime scenes. Well, this is outside, so it's a bit different, but still." "Did you find their hair...?" "I don't know yet. The forensic guys are searching the scene right now. I'm anxious to see what they'll bring me. Nfu fu fu fu!" "Please. Kuma-chan, would you?" "Sure." "See you again soon, Houjou-san. I'll let you know if there's any progress in the investigation... Let me know when you remember something. Let's cooperate to catch the murderer of your stepmother. Nfu fu fu fu fu..." - - - SFX: Phone BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi  The victim was the evil aunt who was harassing Satoshi-kun and Satoko. Satoshi-kun's suffering should be over now, since the problem was with Satoko and the aunt's relationship to begin with. Maybe I should have celebrated, but I wasn't in the mood for some reason.  Sis went quiet when I asked that. "I don't know. Ooishi seems to be questioning people in the neighborhood. He thinks the culprit is somebody close to the victim."Being identical twins, Sis and I think very much alike. If I suspected Satoshi-kun of being the murderer, so would she. Because of this, I didn't have to mention the obvious. "...Does Satoshi-kun have an alibi for that day...?" "Eh, umm... I don't know." I heaved a huge sigh. "Are you stupid? He was at the festival, didn't you see him there?" "Um... yeah... right. I'm sorry I didn't realize that..."I heaved another sigh. Sis was stupid enough to forget to make an alibi for him even though the murder of his aunt alone would raise enough suspicion.  "That's not important now! The problem is whether he has an alibi or not! ...Tch." "Well... the police are going to come here later. I'll tell them I was with him at the festival." "...Sis? Lying out of the blue like that won't work. If you haven't done anything to ensure his alibi, it's too late now. Please just be honest with them. I can't trust your acting skills. You might raise more suspicion if you make something up on the spot..." "...Yeah... sorry..."She sounded depressed. I was the one who should have been depressed. Mion usually handles things well, but she's not too good with emergencies. I was left worried for the future of the Sonozaki family.  "I guess you haven't been able to work lately, have you...?" "You're right, I haven't. ...Thanks to you." "Uh... I'm sorry about that... I'll hide somewhere until tonight, so maybe you can work today...?"Sis has been appearing in public places during festival preparations and whatnot. As a result, I hadn't been able to pretend to be her. I hadn't been able to work. As someone who had to support myself, it was a bit of a pain. To be honest, I didn't feel like working. ...But I couldn't afford to be sitting around, either.   "Yeah. I'm going to work, since Sis gave me time until tonight. Can you give me a ride?" ".........Shion-san, wouldn't it be safer for you to take a few days off? The police seem to be staking out the main house. I don't think it's a good idea to leave." "I appreciate your concern, but I have to make money to survive."Kasai might suggest he'd donate money to my cause.  .While I don't obey anyone else's rules, I stick to my own. Kasai could tell that I was adamant in my decision. So, after repeating himself a couple of times as a formal procedure, he decided to give me a ride after all.  I knew it was going to happen again, but it still irritated me. Pedestrians passed by in front of the car. I was startled to see that one of them looked like Satoshi-kun. ...It was him. Though I'd spoken with him on the phone just a couple of days before, it'd been a while since I saw him last.  "What? Shion-san?!"Kasai looked taken aback, but I got out of the car regardless. The light turned green. The car behind him honked while Kasai was shouting at me, so he had to start moving. Satoshi-kun was on his bike, but he was going really slowly. I caught up with him in a flash, and tapped him on the back. BGM: Shadow (Kage)  If I talked to him with a smile, he might smile back. ...So, I smiled as brightly as I could.  He looked tired as always. But as I could tell, he was trying to smile back... my worries suddenly disappeared. I was certain I looked happy. I was aware of that myself, so it must have been obvious to Satoshi-kun.  "I don't know the circumstances, but... you look happy." "Yeah, I am happy. I'm happy because you look happy."When I teased him, he looked a bit embarrassed. ...It was like we were back in the good old days. I felt even happier than before. "What's going on, Satoshi-kun? Did something good happen?" "...Not really... My aunt died and... I have to deal with the police and the neighbors..."I might've asked something dumb.  He'd frowned a bit at first, but Satoshi-kun continued smiling gently. He looked... worn out, but satisfied, like he had accomplished something great. That was the mood I sensed from him. So... I was convinced. The one who killed that wicked aunt who tormented Satoko... ...was him. I had absolutely no proof, but I knew it intuitively. So I omitted all those questions. I knew Satoshi-kun's motive for killing his aunt, and how badly he was driven into a corner. I knew the environment and the situation he was in. ...And I knew Satoshi-kun's feelings. ......I knew all of that. So I omitted all those questions. I wanted to celebrate his release from that curse, so I smiled like nothing was different as I asked...  "That's right... I have to make a stop before that, though." "...A stop?" "Ahahahaha... I have to make sure it's still there, otherwise I'll continue feeling really anxious..."That conversation reminded me. The reason he started his part-time job was to buy Satoko a huge teddy bear. It was being sold at the toy store just down the street. I recalled that the teddy bear was very expensive. Satoko's birthday was right after the festival. ...I wasn't sure what day, though. Wait, didn't he say he quit his job? Maybe he was going to greet his ex-coworkers and clean out his locker, or something?  Maybe he hadn't been paid yet. That's why he wanted to check if they still had the teddy bear. Maybe he was only getting paid on Satoko's birthday.  He looked relieved that it hadn't been sold yet. BGM: Iru  "You've earned enough money already, haven't you? Why don't you reserve it?" "...Mmph?"He probably hadn't thought of that. ...He really did need someone to look after him. I looked into the display window over his shoulder. The teddy bear wasn't that cute, in my opinion. It looked huge and cramped in the middle of the store's showcase. Really, it looked more like a display model than an item for sale.  "...Uh, yeah. I'm sure they sell it." "What about the price? Does it fit your budget?" "It's all right. I already checked..."Satoshi-kun thought I was teasing him again. He pouted and looked a little sulky. "There's no problem then. Why don't you go reserve it now? Then you won't have to feel anxious anymore." "...Is anybody here...?" "Ahahahaha. Nice. Maybe you can get it without paying." "N-No, Mion. Stealing is bad..." "...I'm just kidding. Trying to make you laugh... Do you think I'd really do that?" "Uh... no. Sorry. Ahahahaha..." I puffed up my cheeks to tease him. It had really been a while since the last time we did this. In between those times, many undesirable things happened that I wanted to forget. ...But now I felt as though all those things simply vanished into the air around us.  He looked to be fast asleep. "Excuse me... You work here, right...?"I poked his shoulder, but he didn't look like he was going to wake up. When I did that, a middle-aged woman wearing an apron came in.  The middle-aged woman shook the old man awake and told him to go back to the living room. She went to the cash register after that. "That was so embarrassing. So, how can I help you?" "Um, I'd like to reserve something. That big teddy bear in the display window." "Oh, that one? Are you sure? That one is really expensive. You know that, right?" "Uh... yes. I think I have enough." "He'll get paid really soon, so he'd like to reserve it." Satoshi-kun received a slip of paper. "See? You don't have to worry about the teddy bear anymore." "Yeah... I'll get paid soon, too... I feel relieved now."He would've kept coming to check every day if he hadn't done this now. He would've spent his time needlessly worrying. Satoshi-kun looked very relieved indeed.  "...Usually, people do that right away when they want something. It's very rare for somebody not to think of that." "Mm, mmph..."It's so very fun to tease him. ...Those painful days seem unbelievable now. Satoshi-kun looked like he'd forgotten everything that happened up until yesterday.  Satoshi-kun held out his hand to touch my head. ...Was he going to stroke it? I felt my face reddening already. Even before he touched my head, I felt tingly, remembering the last time. ...I didn't care about the murder, or whatever else happened. As long as Satoshi-kun had his freedom, everything would be all right. I'd be content as long as we could live happily from today onward.  BGM: Silence I slowly opened my eyes... Only to realize that the situation had drastically changed. SFX: Higurashi  It looked as though they'd been waiting for us to exit the toy store.  The oldest of the four men stepped forward while smirking. I'd never met this man, but it looked like he knew both Mion and Satoshi-kun. He was probably a cop. I ran a search for information in my head... and found some right away. "Good to see both of you, Houjou-san and Sonozaki-san. I'm sorry to bother you at a time like this." ...The cop who's investigating the series of mysterious deaths. He thinks that the Sonozaki family is behind all of the cases. In other words, he's an enemy of the Sonozaki family. He has deep connections with other investigation divisions in the police force, and likes to nose around the businesses in this area. ...He annoys the Sonozaki family enough as it is by interfering with its yakuza business, let alone his suspicions on the series of mysterious deaths. Naturally, as the family's successor, he's not a welcome figure to Mion Sonozaki. I tried to imagine how Sis would react.  I know what they want, and it's not a toy. It's probably not me, either... They want Satoshi-kun.  The other three cops loosely surrounded us to prevent our escape. "Houjou-san, I'd like to talk to you about something." "What for? Are you taking him to the station? You don't have to go with them, Satoshi-kun. Let's get out of here!" Bewildered? No, he actually looked resigned. ......Then I recalled Sis's mistake. It's obvious that he killed his aunt from the circumstances! You don't even have to look at the crime scene! How could Mion have failed to create an alibi...?! That stupid Mion must've spoken to the police without making anything up at all. She must've not told them that she knew where Satoshi-kun was...! If she hadn't done anything, the villagers wouldn't work to help her. It was just a matter of time until the police uncovered Satoshi-kun's complete lack of an alibi. The police were trying to corner him and lead him to confess.  He looked like a dead man. He probably didn't know he could refuse to be interrogated. If he was taken to the station and grilled by Ooishi, he'd confess in a minute. ...Somebody had to protect him. Nobody had ever been there for him... I had to step up now.  Would it be possible to alter what Mion had already told them, saying it was a mistake? That wasn't going to work. If I had more time, I'd come up with an excellent idea. But I didn't have that much time at all. To pressure him, the cops were drawing nearer. Satoshi-kun must have felt intimidated. He might end up turning himself in due to the pressure while I'm stuck trying to come up with something! I have to do something now! I have to say something! Otherwise, Satoshi-kun might give in. I have to save him...!! Ooishi drew nearer. Satoshi-kun fell back.  "It won't take much time. Come on, don't be scared…” “...Nfu fu fu fu fu!"It won't take much time? He just said it! He just said he wouldn't let him out if he caught him now!! Satoshi-kun, don't give in! If you give in now, everything you've been working for will be ruined!! "...Ooh..."Satoshi-kun looked like he was at his breaking point. Ooishi was clearly aware of it... Ooishi smirked... and held out his arm to grab Satoshi-kun's shoulder... SFX: Boom SFX: Shrine Bells  That hand shouldn't be allowed to touch Satoshi-kun. The moment Ooishi touched his shoulder, he'd give in...! He'd go to the police station and confess everything...!!  "......Hmm?"Ooishi turned his face toward me... his hand left hanging in the air. ...I wasn't very prepared for this. I just had to stop Ooishi, no matter what. ...I only needed to gain some time. It didn't really matter what I said.  “Na ha ha... We must not be doing our jobs... we can't seem to confirm his whereabouts at the time of the crime. It's shameful, but we decided to question him in person." "You don't have to ask him. I can confirm his alibi." "Oh, really? That'd help. You already told me that you were at the festival that night and many people can confirm it. It'd be easier if we could confirm that Houjou-san was with you....” “But I don't think you mentioned him when I questioned you last time, did you? Are you going to change your statement now? Even though no one at the festival saw Houjou-san, are you going to tell me he was with you?" "That's right. He was with me. Wouldn't that be enough?" "...I know you were there with your other friends that night. I saw that myself.” Ooishi approached me with a creepy smile. Was he teasing me because my excuse sounded funny...? I didn't think so. He was frustrated due to being interrupted when he was about to catch a big fish. "Are you saying that you forgot that you were with him, but just now remembered you actually were? Mion Sonozaki-san."I did get a little scared, but... I couldn't stop myself.  BGM: Solitude  "...Huh?" "Satoshi-kun and I were talking in a restaurant in Okinomiya at that time. The name of the place is 'Angel Mort.' You can confirm that with the owner if you want."Ooishi was still smirking, but he apparently felt confused. "...What are you saying? If you aren't Mion, then who are you?" "I'm... Shion Sonozaki. Mion's twin sister. Pleasure to meet you, Ooishi-san." He frowned. "I didn't know Mion Sonozaki-san had a twin sister... Are you trying to fool me?" "Not at all. Why don't you check my family register, or whatever? Should I call Sis?"All the cops looked bewildered now. "......Shion... Sonozaki-san?" "Yes, that's me. Is there anything wrong?" "...Can you come with us? If you're testifying that you were with Houjou-san that night... I'll have to talk to you, too." "Sure thing. Please go easy on us." ...Looked like they never expected this to happen. I hoped to be able to fake Satoshi-kun's alibi for at least a little while. It shouldn't be too difficult to talk to Sis about this, then forge up an alibi together. "Satoshi-kun. Tell them you were chatting with me at Angel Mort that night, no matter what they ask, okay? I'll confirm your alibi. Tell them you don't remember that night too clearly... or maybe you should just keep silent." Satoshi-kun wore a startled expression. ...Though I was telling him something important, he'd apparently decided not to listen. "Can you hear me, Satoshi-kun? You can't mess this up, okay?" "Uh... o-okay."He must have been feeling deceived. No wonder... I'd just confessed that I wasn't Mion, but her twin sister. I really had been deceiving him. ”...Are you upset?" "...Why?" "Because... I've been fooling you." Satoshi-kun started laughing. I didn't know why he'd laugh, because he wasn't the type of person who would laugh in order to hide something.  "......Aren't you upset that I've been fooling you...?"Satoshi-kun looked puzzled. ...It was like he didn't know whether he should be upset about it or not... Or maybe he was only pretending to be that way.  "Uh, well... yes, that's right..." "Okay. How do you write your name?" "With the characters for 'poetry' (詩) and 'sound' (音)." "Shion... huh." "Huh?" "That's a beautiful name."  - - -  TIP 7: Notebook Page 29
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Jan 23, 2022 20:16
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Satoshi, now is the time to come to the realization that this is who it was that battered your sister
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Jan 26, 2022 21:04
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Happy Landfill posted:Satoshi, now is the time to come to the realization that this is who it was that battered your sister Yeeep. That might be the sort of thing that hits you just before you go to sleep. There is a lot to focus on right now.
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Jan 26, 2022 21:08
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Happy Landfill posted:Satoshi, now is the time to come to the realization that this is who it was that battered your sister I think he is thinking about the whole murder thing a bit right now.
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Jan 26, 2022 21:45
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I'm really enjoying this LP! I tried playing Higurashi once myself, years ago, only to fall victim to the dreaded Abandon-Media-Halfway-Through curse. This is the arc I left off at. I thiiink I finished it, but I definitely don't remember anything from here on out. I'll refrain from speculation anyway. (Not really out of fear of subconscious spoilers - I just suck at mysteries.)
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Jan 27, 2022 05:04
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Hey, guys! Sorry for the incredibly spotty update schedule for the past month or so. I really appreciate both the new readers who somehow found this despite it being buried lol, and the old readers who've been sticking around despite it. TL;DR, I picked up another gig on the side and school started a couple of weeks ago, so I'm trying to juggle between the three...and the one with no money tied to it fell to the wayside, naturally. That said, I really am excited and motivated to go through the Answer arcs, and they've been on my mind the entire time. I'll give you all a tentative schedule of 3 regularly scheduled updates a week on Tues/Thurs/Sat instead of one every other day (this helps me motivate myself as well). Let's get through this game before the second half of 2022! Two more posts after this one will get us to the next page. I'll post the new update then. limeicebreakers fucked around with this message at 21:47 on Feb 3, 2022 |
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Feb 3, 2022 21:43
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Yay, glad to see this back. I watched the anime years ago and it's been a pleasant rush of memories or 'i don't remember this at all' which has also lead to some delightful confusion.
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Feb 3, 2022 22:00
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Looking forward to Answer Arc reactions.
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Feb 3, 2022 22:18
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