recolle ★ regains
Oct. 14th, 2017 09:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
promisedyouREGAIN REGISTRY
Shion Sonozaki (AU: Mio Sonozaki)
memories
Shion vaguely thinks about killing herself. (Meakashi-hen) Information about the Oyashiro-sama curses, specifically about the construction site manager's death. (Meakashi-hen) Shion speaks with her mother about why the old hag (her grandmother) disowned her. (pre-game, Meakashi-hen) Shion makes her escape from St. Lucia's; just the escape itself, not any events leading up to it. (Meakashi-hen) Shion recalls a conversation with a blonde boy (Satoshi) asking her how she writes her name. She tells him that it's written with the characters for 'poetry' and 'sound' and he tells her that her name is beautiful. (Meakashi-hen) A memory where she was still "Mion", and swaps with her and eventually ends up becoming Shion due to this swap/mistake. (Meakashi-hen) Shion meets up with a girl (Rika) who attempts to attack her with pepper spray and a syringe, manages to turn the tables on her and injects her and in which Rika ends up killing herself in the end, with Shion laughing at the end. (Meakashi-hen) Shion recalls a conversation with a few teenagers (Keiichi, Mion and Rena) and threatens to kill Satoko's uncle in order to save her, since she treats Satoko - regardless of the fact that they're unrelated like family. (Minagoroshi-hen) Shion recalls calling her sister (Mion) and learns more about Satoshi from her. (Meakashi-hen) Shion recalls speaking to her sister (Mion) in the Sonozaki underground 'pit'; she speaks to her sister about the rumors of the pit (explained below) while her sister goes on ahead and explores, along with other various rumors and Shion's general thought on various other rumors spread in Hinamizawa about the Oyashiro-sama murders before she ends up tasering her sister in the end. (Meakashi-hen) Shion recalls jumping from one edge of an apartment complex to another and winds up tripping and falling to her death. (Meakashi-hen) Shion recalls making an attempt to kill herself but 'Satoshi' (a delusion) tells her to live. (Meakashi-hen) Shion recalls Satoshi comforting her when she's crying - he asks her if she's alright, and talks to her to make her feel better - along with patting her on the head. (Meakashi-hen) Shion remembers seeing her sister get shot by Takano and subsequently gets shot in the head herself. (Minagoroshi-hen) Shion remembers torturing Satoko in the torture chamber. (Meakashi-hen) Shion goes with a boy (Satoshi) shopping for groceries. (Meakashi-hen) Shion recalls Rika explaining the details of the Hinamizawa Syndrome to her, along with the other main cast. (Minagoroshi-hen) Shion recalls working at the Angel Mort during the Dessert Festa the whole day and dealing with unruly customers until Keiichi and friends come to help her. (Watanagashi-hen) Shion recalls a snippet of a conversation that where she talks to Keiichi about how his impression of her might change, but he tells her that it won't ever change because she's his best friend. (Meakashi-hen) Shion recalls a memory of Satoshi getting angry at her, yelling at her about how she did something bad to Satoko (his sister) and eventually Rena has to cut in to stop the fight and they both apologize to each other, Shion being in tears because of how Satoshi treated her. (Meakashi-hen) Shion recalls a memory of Kasai telling her the rumors of people making canned human meat. (Meakashi-hen) Shion recalls a memory of Keiichi running out of his house with the doll that he wanted to give her and Shion, knowing that she can't control herself anymore stabs him and he falls onto his knees, dropping the doll. (Meakashi-hen) Shion recalls a memory where she holds onto Keiichi's arm, and walks with him to discuss about both herself and her sister and tells him that she will show him her sins. (Meakashi-hen) Shion remembers the details about her father being a yakuza and who Kasai is. (Meakashi-hen) Shion remembers talking about how they can make a miracle happen if they break down fate. (Minagoroshi-hen) Shion remembers being forced to rip out her fingernails by her very own family. (Meakashi-hen) Shion remembers walking side by side with Keiichi late at night after work and chats (read as: flirts) with him quite a bit as they go window shopping. (Watanagashi-hen) Shion remembers faking crocodile tears in order to get someone to help her and she is then saved by someone (Satoshi) who actually protected her. (Meakashi-hen) Shion remembers talking to Irie about how Satoshi joined the baseball team. (Meakashi-hen) Shion remembers a conversation between herself and Keiichi + Rena where she "explains" (read as: makes up a bunch of stuff) her actions to them. (Meakashi-hen) Shion remembers sneaking into the Saiguden with Takano and Keiichi and freaking out due to hearing loud stomping when Takano starts talking about Oyashiro-sama's curse. (Meakashi-hen) Shion remembers her mom teasing both her and her sister by saying that Keiichi can have either of her daughters. (Minagoroshi-hen) Shion remembers talking to Rena underneath the bus stop in the rain about Satoshi. (Meakashi-hen)abilities
Hinamizawa Syndrome (as of 6/1/2018; removed from her at 6/17/2018) Skillset to use guns (as of 9/17/2018) THINGitems
Shion's diary (it's blank until she starts remembering things that are written on it) Shion's necklace The Angel Mort uniform (as of 5/2/18) AK-47 assault rifle SVD Dragunov sniper rifle Stun gun AK-47 bullets (30) Sniper rifle bullets (30) Shock bullets (30)appearance
Her aquamarine eyes (as of 12/4/17) Her green hair (as of 12/24/17) THING
( memory one. ) cw: suicide
Date: 2017-11-04 03:10 am (UTC)Shion: "Please apologize to Satoshi-kun in heaven. I can't, since I won't be going there..."
Instead, I'm going deep into Hell.
Jumping into this well would be too simple an atonement for what I've done.
Until I find a perfect way to end my life, I'm going to find a way to live as best I can...
( memory two. ) cw: decapitation, murder, gore
Date: 2017-11-04 09:47 pm (UTC)The construction site manager, who was hated by the anti-dam activists, was murdered and mutilated on the night of Watanagashi. It was terrifying for kids.
A part of the body hadn't been found... That quickly became a horror story in the world of kids.
Kids seriously believed that the severed right arm was roaming in search of the body it belonged to.
( memory three. ) cw: nail gore mentions
Date: 2017-11-26 12:52 am (UTC)Shion: "Hey, mom. Tell me. Why did you have a fight with the hag? It was bad enough that she disowned you, right?"
Akane: "You're so nosy about everything... Well, I guess you're old enough to know. She objected when I told her I wanted to marry your father."
Shion: "Eh? What?!"
Akane: "I was living a very unseemingly life back then. Then the man I brought home was a yakuza, so of course she got terribly upset. She said, 'the head of the family will chose your fiance,' and I said, 'screw your decisions, you fucking virago!'
So then we both tried to cut each other down on the spot. We unsheathed both our katanas in the living room and clashed and slashed and sliced. Aha ha ha ha!"
Shion: "Eeek...! You fought that hag with a sword?! Way to go, Mom..."
Akane: "Well, I was into martial arts when I was young. Both she and I held high ranks in kendo, so yes, it was quite the show. Everyone nearby was terrified. Ah, that was fun."
Shion: "I see...... so is that why you were disowned?"
Akane: "That's right. I was happy for it! I married your father right away. Well, I was forced to remove my fingernails in atonement, though. See how the fingernails of my left hand look ugly?"
Shion: "Wow... So, that's why you and the hag have a bad relationship, huh...?"
Akane: "Ahahaha, you know what, Shion? That's not actually true. Our relationship is actually pretty good."
Shion: "...What?! That can't be right!"
Akane: "She has to maintain the family's reputation, so she can't treat me normally, and accordingly, I lay low at the family councils. But I visit her every now and then, and we have tea together."
Shion: "I can't believe it...!"
Akane: "This is just between you and me, okay? She removed her fingernails in atonement a long time ago herself. Look carefully at her hand the next time you see her."
Shion: "Whaaat...?! What did she do?"
Akane: "Beats me! I don't have a clue☆!"
Shion: "Hey, you do so have one! It's all over your face! Tell meee!"
( memory four. )
Date: 2017-12-04 01:44 am (UTC)Note: This is a lot shorter than it actually reads, I promise. It's actually just ~15 minutes long; it just has a lot of inner monologue.
...Seven keys were attached to the key chain.
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 just needed to repeat that small procedure several more times, but..... I couldn't stop shaking.
...Damn... 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...
Shion: "........No way..."
...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 stood up quickly, as if electrified.
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...?
The next moment, I felt a faint vibration in the air. Somebody was walking somewhere in the hallway.
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... shit...
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... shit...
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?
Shit, shit, shit...!
It wasn't the key that was pliable.
...It's my fingers that were limp.
...Ah... shit, shit, shit...!
The key sprung out of my hand and fell to the floor.
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?
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, shit... 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 fuck down...!!!
[...]
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 slowly opened the door.
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 before who couldn't fit in this place.
So the school is well aware of the possibility of escapees.
...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.
...You see, all the school's horror stories involved students who attempted escapes.
...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.
A strong smell was hanging in the air.
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...
...Calm down...
Calm down, Shion...!
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.
On the contrary, I might be able to get away no matter how unwisely I choose to move, if I'm lucky.
......Damn. After all that effort, it just boils down to luck?
Ahaha. This is a gamble after all.
When I realized that, I got excited.
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 tried to extend my senses to get as much information as possible.
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 succeed in passing through without running into anybody.
...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......
The beautiful-looking fence didn't seem designed to prevent escapes.
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.
I didn't land beautifully. I fell onto my butt.
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.
( memory five )
Date: 2017-12-14 07:54 am (UTC)Satoshi: "So, this isn't the first time we've met, is it...?"
Shion: "Uh, well... yes, that's right..."
Satoshi: "Okay. How do you write your name?"
Shion: "With the characters for 'poetry' and 'sound'."
Satoshi: "Shion... huh."
Shion: "Huh?"
Satoshi: "That's a beautiful name."
( memory six )
Date: 2018-01-11 09:17 am (UTC)imgur link: here!
That's right... and so that day was no different.
Mion: Waaah, waaah! No fair! You get all the good stuff, Mion... I've never had sea bream sashimi. I want to try it.
I felt bad for Shion.
Shion: Okay. I'll trade places with you today.
So I lent "Mion" to Shion.
Shion went to our relatives' banquet with batcha. And I went to the amusement park with mom and dad...
Wait! Wait!!
Grandmother: The one with the demon is Mion. The one without it is Shion.
Shion: What the heck!? Wait! Wait, batcha! I'm Mion! Mom! Mom, you can tell us apart, right? Tell everyone that I'm Mion! I'm Mion!! I'm Mion!! I'm Mion!!
( memory seven; 1/2 ) cw: suicide, torture mentions, body horror
Date: 2018-01-11 06:25 pm (UTC)Evening was turning to night.
I had to get dinner ready. I had to eat so I'd have enough strength to take revenge.
This place was far from the town. It would even get isolated during winter because of the snow.
It's not unusual for a household like this to have two or three refrigerators.
There were plenty of groceries left in them. I was glad I didn't have to go grocery shopping.
I could hear the chorus of the higurashi.
People often say that the sound of the higurashi brings back memories. But for me, it's the exact opposite...
I've only ever heard the sound of the higurashi in Hinamizawa.
Therefore, the sound of the higurashi, to me, is Hinamizawa. The sound reminded me that I wasn't supposed to be here... That I couldn't be here...
That was when I heard the doorbell.
Because there was a good distance between the house and the gate, there was both a doorbell and an intercom by the latter.
It had a security camera, too.
Something as modern as a security camera monitor in this old-fashioned kitchen looked rather strange.
I turned the switch, but nothing appeared on the monitor.
I tried to check the plug, but there were a bunch of cords going behind the refrigerator, so I couldn't even do that.
The doorbell continued to ring while I tried to figure out if the monitor was broken or if I just didn't know how to turn it on.
I only felt like answering the door depending on who it was.
It'd normally be easiest to pretend to be out... but that wouldn't help me.
I was waiting for my enemies to show up.
I couldn't just hide myself, in that case.
The hag was supposed to be sick and in an extremely bad mood.
I'd already sent word out that she didn't want to see anyone.
So who could it be?
I made up my mind and turned the intercom on.
If it was someone unwanted, I could just turn whoever it was away.
But I had to act normally so I wouldn't arouse suspicion. I had to act normally...
Shion: "Yes? Who is it?"
Rika: "Hello."
She didn't tell me her name, but I recognized her voice.
Shion: "Rika-chan... What are you doing here at this time of day?"
Rika: ".....I ran out of soy sauce, so could you share some with me?"
Soy sauce?? I almost screamed but I controlled myself. I took a moment to think about the situation.
Hinamizawa was far from most stores, so sometimes neighbors would share seasoning and stuff with each other.
The village sometimes got snowed in during winter.
But the Furude Shrine was quite far from this house.
It was rather odd for her to come all the way here on her bicycle just to get some soy sauce.
Maybe she is using soy sauce as an excuse... maybe there is something she wants to talk to me about.
That's when I notice a piece of paper that's on a refrigerator door next to the intercom.
'We still have a lot of soy sauce. Feel free to ask for it -Sonozaki'
Grandma must have given that flyer to everyone.
One of our relatives sent her a barrel of soy sauce. If you want some, bring a container... that's what the flyer says.
I see, this explains it.
There is a handwritten note on the bottom of the flyer.
'Soy sauce is in the storage under the floor. Give as much as they want.'
There's a storage under the floor.
When I open it, I see a barrel of soy sauce with a funnel and a ladle.
I don't want Rika to notice anything suspicious at this point.
I decide to share soy sauce with Rika.
Shion: "Sure. Did you bring a container?"
Rika: "I brought a soy sauce bottle."
Shion: "Okay. Come on in. I'll be at the front door."
As I head to the front door, I hear the doorbell again.
Rika: "Mii, the gate is locked from the inside. I can't open the gate."
Shion: "Ah, that's right. Sorry. I'll be right there, just hang on."
People don't pay much attention to safety around here in Hinamizawa. People don't think too much about locking the doors.
But I've lived in a town, so I always lock everything.
To let Furude Rika in, I have to go outside.
Rika: "Good evening."
Shion: "Good evening."
Rika smiles at me. She's holding a huge soy sauce bottle
She seems as if she doesn't even remember what happened during the day.
Or did she come to see how I'm doing?
I invite Rika to the front door. I tell her to sit and wait, and try to take the bottle.
But Rika takes her shoes off and comes into the house with the bottle in her hands.
Shion: "Don't worry, I'll get it for you. Why don't you just wait?"
Rika: "No, I'm getting better at pouring soy sauce with a funnel..."
She looks at me as if she's begging me.
I guess she wants to pour the soy sauce into the bottle herself.
I don't want her to come into the house. But I guess I don't want her to wait here alone either.
If she comes to the kitchen with me, I can keep my eyes on her.
I bring Rika to the kitchen.
We walk down the hallway.
I only hear my footsteps.
I stop suddenly and turn around to make sure Rika is following me.
Rika bumps into me.
Rika: "...Mi-"
Shion: "Mmm, ah, sorry."
I make sure she is right behind me and start to walk again.
Slap, slap, slap.
Flap, flap, flap.
Slap, slap... Slap, slap.
Rika must be having fun matching her footsteps to mine.
Even when I speed up suddenly, our footsteps match perfectly.
Slap, slap, slap, slap.
Flap, flap, flap, flap.
Slap, slap, slap. I stop suddenly.
Flap, flap, flap. Flap. Rika stops suddenly too, after taking an extra step.
When I turn around, Rika smiles at me.
Our footsteps match perfectly, and when I stop suddenly, I hear her extra step.
I've experienced such footsteps before... it is making me feel rather uncomfortable.
But now, although her footsteps sound the same as the ones I've experienced, I see her when I turn around.
That's the difference with the footsteps from before.
I left the storage door open, so we see the soy sauce barrel.
The memo says she can take as much as she wants, but I wonder if there is enough left.
I crouch down and try to open the lid of the soy sauce barrel.
Even when I crouch down, I hear Rika's extra step.
Shion: "Good, there's plenty left. Take as much as you want."
When I turn around, Rika is very close to me.
But... eh? ...Who is this? I see Rika... but this isn't Rika...
This is like when my twin sister and I switched.
The outside is exactly the same, but it has a different personality.
Does Rika have a twin sister?
I'm confused for a moment.
That's when a small spray bottle in Rika's hand sprays something into my eyes.
Shion: "?! Hmmm!!"
I feel a terrible pain in my eyes, and suddenly tears pour out and my nose starts to run.
I can't stop sneezing either.
I tumble on the floor, covering my face, and then realize I was attacked.
I shut my eyes tightly for a moment, then open them. Rika is about to grab my hair to drag me down onto the floor.
When Rika seems me open my eyes, she sprays at me again.
I shut my eyes to avoid the spray, but my nose breathes in the substance. I avoided the pain in my eyes, but the tears, the runny nose, and the sneezing continue.
Shit, ouch!!
My brain doesn't work quickly enough!
This is when I finally understand I have been attacked by Furude Rika.
Once I realize it, my brain starts to work quickly.
Furude Rika knocks me down on the floor on my back and gets on top of me.
I try to escape from her by rolling on the kitchen floor.
As I roll, I hit an oven. I also hit a huge jar, I destroy a pile of something on the floor as I fight back.
But Rika doesn't let go of me. She's on top of me and restrains me.
She is on my stomach. I feel intense pain and pressure.
She sure fights well...
I still can't see anything.
Now she's on top of me. My eyes are shut, and I'm in big trouble.
As I try to blink, I see Rika's face.
I don't know Furude Rika that well.
I only know her from the few times I met her when I went to school as Mion, and from what I've heard.
But as far as I know, there's no way to imagine Furude Rika would do something like this.
This is just impossible, impossible, impossible!
No, I can't fill my head with that word!
I have to calm down and figure out what I can do now!!
Shit! I can't even think that!!
I try to peek at her face again.
She has a spray bottle in one hand. What's strange is what's in her other hand.
How can I mistake it for anything else?
It is definitely a syringe.
When Rika realizes I've regained my eyesight she points the spray bottle and sprays right at me.
I shut my eyes tightly and try to avoid the pain.
That's when something unexpected happens to Rika though I can't see anything.
She sprayed at me at such a close distance that she inhaled the spray too.
I hear Rika sneeze, and realize that this is my chance!
Even if I can't see, I know she is right there.
I hit Rika's face a few times. When I feel Rika's weight shift on me, I escape from her.
I then get my stun gun ready.
Rika must have inhaled just a little of the spray. She isn't sneezing anymore and she is glaring at me now.
Shion: "What the heck are you doing, huh? Do you want to see what I've got?"
Rika doesn't change her expression, but I'm sure she is disappointed that her surprise attack was a failure.
Rika flinches just a little but she is still holding the spray bottle and aiming at my eyes.
She is trying to use the spray first and then give me the shot.
I don't know what's in that syringe, but it's a clear liquid.
I have no idea what it is, but I'm sure it's something bad.
She wants to take my eyesight, get on top of me, and then give me the shot.
If whatever it is in the syringe takes a while to take effect I may fight back and hurt Rika seriously.
But Rika's surprise attack tells me that taking the shot is more than enough.
In other words, whatever the effect, it starts to work immediately. Therefore, I won't be able to fight back against Rika.
It'll probably either put me unconscious or kill me.
Okay, but what I have is equally deadly.
My stun gun is very powerful. Just one shot is all it takes.
What happened before proves its power.
Rika: ".........................."
Rika understands my stun gun is a lot more powerful than her spray. She is being extremely careful.
Shion: "Hey, what do you thing you're doing at my house, huh? If you aren't moving, then I'll come to you!!!"
I throw a pile of newspapers at her.
The pile wasn't tied so the newspapers fly all over Rika.
I jump at her immediately after.
I put the stun gun on her body!!!
*zap!*
Rika's body jerks and falls onto the floor.
Fool!! It's your fault for hesitating!! People like you stare instead of attacking. Don't you even know that taking action first puts you in an advantageous position?
The spray bottle rolls on the floor. But she still has the syringe!
She is down, but I can't let my guard down.
I kick Rika's side and get on top of her.
I take the syringe.
I step on Rika's arm and give her the shot.
I'm not even being gentle.
I inject her violently.
I inject everything that's in the syringe.
Rika's body convulses.
I stand back from Rika and watch what will happen to her body.
Of course, I still have my guard up.
I think that the drug works immediately and that it will restrain her, but I don't know what kind of reaction she will have.
Shion: "Ha, ha! Look at you!! Did you really think you could defeat me? Think again!!!"
Rika unsteadily stands up after a few convulsions.
What? How can she even get up?
I look at my stun gun.
Damn it! The power is set to the lowest!
Maybe it was adjusted when we wrestled...
I change the setting to maximum.
Rika turns pale. She's sweating all over. I don't know the effect of the drug, but if Rika had given me the shot, I would be the one experiencing the symptoms.
She looks really sick, so obviously she must be feeling awful.
She can't even focus. She is very wobbly, and she has her hand on the wall.
She must have lost her balance, and it must be hard for her to even stand.
She doesn't look evil anymore.
She is wobbly and moans as if she is about to throw up.
Rika: "Ooh huh, huh......... ahoo, ahooo... Hanyuuuu... Hanyuuu... cough cough! cough!!"
Rika looks scary as she moans and wobbles, but at the same time, she looks funny too.
I'm sure she didn't even dream of getting the shot herself. As the man sows, so shall he reap. That's what you get.
Shion: "Aha ha ha ha ha! This is funny, so funny. But please don't throw up here, go to the bathroom, okay? Hee hee hee! I'm going to enjoy how long it'll take for you to die. Oh, but that means I can't torture you later, huh? I've been planning to use that nail table on you. So either you choke on your own vomit and die, or I pound nails on your ten fingers. Hmm, I wonder which it will be... Okay, I know. Let's move to the underground shrine storage. I'll put you to sleep so I can move you, okay? Hee hee hee!!"
I walk up to Rika while my stun gun is making popping sounds.
When Rika sees the sparks from the stun gun she moves and grabs a huge knife.
Shion: "Oh, are you still trying to fight? Hee hee hee! That makes things more fun. I have so much I want to ask you. I would suggest you don't fight. Well, actually, even if you don't fight back, you'll go through the same torture anyway, hee hee hee!"
Rika: "Sorry, but I refuse your invitation, you torture maniac."
What she is saying isn't anything I would expect from the Rika I know.
But I don't hesitate.
I am in an advantageous position, so i don't need to worry.
Besides, she is the last survivor of the Furude family, one of the three families.
This sudden change somehow feels natural.
Shion: "Compared to what the three families have done, this is nothing. Thank you for acknowledging me though. I should be proud of myself, huh? So? Are you seriously thinking about fighting back with a knife in that condition? You can't even stand straight..."
Rika: "You're right. This is all I can do. Before you catch me and torture me, I'm going to take care of myself."
Shion: "Take care of yourself? Huh, go right ahead!"
It is clear who has the advantage in this situation.
But a strange atmosphere surrounds us.
A hoop is coming off... we Hinamizawa residents don't use this saying.
Present day demons feel that they don't have to pretend to be humans anymore.
That is... a mad banquet of demons.
The leader of the Furude family and the leader of the Sonozaki family. The old families whose blood is closest to the madness of the demons.
I stand in front of the hallway so I can block her escape route.
The windows have grates and the door has a safety chain on it. If she turns around, I'll give her my stun gun shot.
Now, what does Furude Rika mean by 'taking care of herself'?
Rika gets her knife ready.
I expect her to aim at my stomach when she attacks, so I take a stance with my stun gun ready in my hand.
Then Rika suddenly turns around.
I just carefully watch for her next move.
Rika puts the handle of the knife on the wall and holds it in place. What is she doing?
Rika: "Good bye, torture maniac. I won't give you the satisfaction of killing me."
Rika bends backwards once and throws herself to the knife on the wall.
Rika: "...!!! ............!!!"
( memory eight ) cw: abuse mentions, murder
Date: 2018-02-02 03:52 am (UTC)When Chie gets back to school, several students come out from the classroom.
They're Keiichi, Rena, Mion and Shion.
Rika is also inside the classroom, but she won't come outside.
Rena:"How did it go, sensei..."
Mion: "You went to Satoko's house, right?"
Chie-sensei: "You guys were waiting for me...?"
Keiichi:"Chie-sensei, how was Satoko doing? Was she okay...?"
Chie-sensei: "......Well... I didn't get to see her..."
Shion: "What the hell were you doing?! You're a teacher, right?! You just came back because he didn't let you see her?!"
Mion: "Stop it, Shion...! That's about what we expected...!"
Shion: "I'm sure Satoko has a bruise on her face by now! That's why he didn't want you to see her! You should've just ran into the house!! I don't even trust you anymore!!"
Chie-sensei: "...I'm sorry."
Rena: "Stop it, Shii-chan. She did the best she could."
Keiichi: "Now we know for sure. Satoko's uncle is definitely locking her inside the house..."
Shion: "We knew that from the start! Rika-chama's been telling you all day today! We just wasted half a day to find out if that's true! How the hell do you think you can help Satoko?"
Mion: "Calm down! Let's make a plan. We care about Satoko just as much as you do! We're not going to abandon her. Let's come up with something so we can save her!"
Shion: "I already gave you my opinion, didn't I? It's the best solution. I can handle it all by myself! I only need your help to hide his body..."
Rena: "Hey Shii-chan! Stop with that violent idea!! Murder is a serious crime!! It's the worst thing you can even think about!!"
Shion: "Then give me a different idea!! If my idea is bad, give me a better one! Come on! Come on!! See? You can't even say anything! I can save Satoko in 1,500 seconds! I'll just drag his body and dump him in the Onigafuchi swamp! I don't even need your help, sis! What's wrong? Why don't you come up with other ideas to save her?"
Rena: "That's not the point! You're only coming up with that idea because you're thinking about it on your own! Let me tell you something... 1,500 seconds? That's taking way too long! I would save her within 1,000 seconds! If I were you, I'd just leave here silently and do what I want to do! Do you know why I'm not doing that? It's because someone told me before that even if it's the only option you have, murder is still something that you shouldn't commit. It's not a right thing to do, and it's never the best thing to do, either! You just think it's the best solution, because you're not thinking right!"
Rena: "We should all think about it together! If we all brainstorm together, I'm sure we'll come up with a better solution!"
Shion: "It's not about whether my idea is wrong or right. Just think about it. Every minute we waste puts Satoko in more danger! Do you hate the Houjou family that much? No one is supposed to help Satoshi-kun and Satoko, no matter how much they are struggling? I'm going to help her! Get out of my way! I'm leaving right now! I'm going to stab that loser and save Satoko!"
Rena: "No, Shii-chan... Shii-chan!!"
Shion: "You guys should just curse yourselves! Curse your powerlessness!! Just gather and brainstorm for another idea. You'll never come up with one! Just go ahead and neglect her!! You never care about Satoko!! You only think of her as someone you play with!! But I'm different!! She's more than just a friend for me!! She's like my family!! I care about her more than you guys do!!! I'm going to go kill him now!! Good bye!!"
Keiichi: "Wait up..."
Shion: "What is it? Are you trying to stop me...?"
Keiichi: "Shion... You're not understanding even half of what Rena is trying to tell you."
Shion: "What? I totally understand what she's saying. She's being hypocritical for saying that murder is wrong, but she still wants to help her, right?"
Keiichi: "...Shion. Do you think Satoko would appreciate it if you saved her by committing murder?"
Shion: "I'm not trying to seek her appreciation. I don't care what happens to me. Her happiness is all that matters!"
Keiichi: "That's not right. You're talking tough, but I know you're scared. In fact, you asked Mion to help you hide the body. That means that you wish to have a normal life after killing her uncle. You want us all to be happy just like few days ago. You want us to be back where we were. But if you murder him, those days will never come back!! Do you think you can really commit a perfect crime? You'll be arrested for sure!!"
Shion: "I don't care!! I would gladly do some time behind bars if it meant I could remove Satoko's pain!!"
Keiichi: "No, that's not what you really want! You'd curse yourself if that happened. You'd regret you committed murder. THen you'd finally realize what you really wanted. It wasn't killing her uncle. It was staying happy with everyone! Your wish will never come true if you commit a murder! Satoko will also curse herself. She'll blame herself, thinking she's the reason Shion became a murderer. ...In fact, who's going to force Satoko to eat pumpkin if you get locked up?! Who's going to talk about setting a mean trap with Satoko...?! You're supposed to do those things!! Sonozaki Shion!! You have to be by her side at all times!! Don't kid yourself!! What you're trying to do is not for Satoko. It's only a huge mistake!!!"
Shion: "If that's what you're saying, do you have any idea to save her? You don't, do you?! You're such a hypocrite!!! Move!! I'm killing him! I'm going to kill him now!"
Keiichi blocks her way by standing in front of the door.
Shion stares at him, but Keiichi smiles at her as if he's challenging her.
Keiichi: "I can't let you go, Shion. We can't lose you from our lives. I'm not going to let you go."
Shion: "Is that so? That means you're siding with Houjou Teppei. You're just as guilty as him. I'm going to bust open your head and kill you first!!!"
Mion: "Hey Shion!! Don't be stupid!! Stop it!!!"
Chie-sensei: "Shion-san! What are you going to do with that chair?! Stop it! Put that chair down!!"
Shion: "He doesn't understand that I'm serious. I have to show him my determination. You better get the hell out of my way, now!"
Keiichi: "Shion... I admit that i have no better idea at this moment. But that's just for now. I'm sure that we will come up with a better idea eventually! I guarantee it. I promise you that we're going to save Satoko. Please. Trust your friends!"
Shion: "If you're afraid of committing murder for Satoko's sake, you're not my friend anymore. I'm not going to tell you this again!! Get the hell out of my way!!!"
Keiichi: "You better relax and think about what you're saying! We will save Satoko somehow! Just trust us!! Don't try and look for a shortcut!! Trust your friends!! Trust me!! Maebara Keiichi is going to save Satoko for sure! You can bet on it!!!"
Shion: "Shut up!!! I can't trust you!! What do you think you can do for her?!"
Mion: "...S, Shion!!!"
*swoosh*
Shion throws the chair at Keiichi. It hits him hard, and the chair falls down on the floor with a loud noise.
Keiichi doesn't even blink.
He just took her frustration without resisting the attack.
However, they soon find out that Keiichi was hurt... A string of blood runs down his forehead.
( memory nine ) cw: family abuse mentions
Date: 2018-02-03 02:57 am (UTC)Mion: "That must be Satoshi. I can tell from the characteristics you described, and that he has a habit of stroking somebody's head.
Shion: "...Uh-huh... His name is Satoshi-kun, huh...?"
The name of the boy from earlier is Houjou Satoshi-kun. Mion says he's always daydreaming.
...So sis doesn't believe that he saved me at first.
Mion: "His little sister is always kicking his butt. Aha ha ha."
Shion: "Uh-huh, he has a little sister?"
Mion: "Yeah, her name is Satoko. She's funny and shrewd. But she cries easily when she's cornered. She's fun to watch...... But things have been a bit rough for her lately, so she's feeling a bit down."
It's natural that his sister comes up in the conversation.
...I'm trying to soak up every scrap of information about Satoshi-kun.
......Why?
Why am I trying to ask so much about him?
......I ask myself, then the feeling I got when he stroked my head comes back to me.
...I think I'm blushing.
Mion: "Hello? Shion?"
Shion: "Eh? Aha ha ha ha, sorry! I'm here, I'm listening!"
Mion: "I heard that Satoko is not getting along well with her aunt... In contrast, Satoshi looks like he's doing fine, because he's more mature... Satoko can't seem to help showing her displeasure in front of her aunt..."
What sis tells me is very interesting.
.......She tells me that the parents of Satoshi-kun and his little sister died. Satoshi-kun and Satoko are now living with their uncle and aunt.
This couple doesn't seem very respectable.
They're always fighting. The husband is cheating on his wife.
He mostly lives in his mistress' home.
...Satoshi-kun and Satoko entered that environment. They weren't welcome.
What surprises me the most is...... the fact that Satoshi-kun's parents were the Houjou couple who were the leaders of the pro-dam activists.
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 dispute, but they must've taken some indirect blows.
Satoshi-kun's parents died after bothering them so much, even leaving their kids to them... The uncle and aunt obviously can't love those kids.
And things have gotten worse this past year.
Women's bullying is loathsome.
It doesn't matter whom they're bullying, even if it is a kid.
On top of that, women tend to care less about appearances than men.
...So, Satoko seems exhausted.
I can imagine Satoshi-kun bravely protecting his little sister.
Just like when he saved me.
Shion: "So... He must be exhausted too, right?"
Mion: "...Huh?"
Shion: "I think he's covering for Satoko all the time. So isn't it natural to guess that he's also tired?"
Mion: "...Hmm......well....... I don't know....."
Did I say something wrong?
Mion sounds a bit taken aback.
This means...
Mion can't tell if he's tired because he always looks blank-minded.
So she never thought about that...
How can she be that insensitive even though she's with him all the time?
I'm amazed.
Shion: "Well, anyway, what does he usually do? He looked smart, so does he read a lot of books?"
Mion: "Ah, aha ha ha! Yeah... you're right. He likes to read. He's now reading... what's it called...?"
I continue asking about him.
About what he likes, dislikes, and what he thinks about.
I ask sis many questions because I want to know about him.
This is the first time I've ever been interested in somebody this much.
I don't want to admit that I have this feeling.
Did I fall in love with just a stroke on the head? ...Am I stupid or what?
When I remember the stroke on my head, my heart feels tingly.
I try that myself, but I can't get back that feeling.
......Aha ha ha ha. I'm stupid. What am I doing, stroking my own head...?
Shion: "Aha ha ha ha ha ha... Sis, I'm done... I became stupid..."
Mion: "What? Why are you laughing with that weird voice?"
Shion: "Aha ha ha ha ha, you wouldn't understand this feeling, sis. Aha ha ha ha ha ha..."
When will I see him again?
I feel as if this suffocating life suddenly brightened up.
( memory seven; 2/2 )
Date: 2018-02-13 07:42 pm (UTC)Rika bends backwards repeatedly and lets the knife slash her throat. Again, and again.
Her neck and chest are red. I always thought blood was darker.
But her blood isn't dark.
It's so bright... I must be confused, but... it looks pretty...
After several times Rika turns around.
Her eyes are wide open. She doesn't look like she is from this world.
Her face is showing something that's alive and organic as well as something that's dead and inorganic. ......It's very scary, eerie, ......and pale.
Although her face doesn't look like anything from this world, it is a very appropriate face for a demon.
I don't have a mirror so I can't tell, but I'm sure I look exactly like her.
Rika continues to slash her throat violently.
It reminds me of someone trying to break a huge piece of ice with an ice pick.
That's exactly how Rika is moving.
The white ice chips are beautiful as they fly and bring coolness.
What I see is as beautiful as that.
Every time Rika strikes her throat, tiny drops of red blood splatter in the boring white world around her.
It is like a dance.
A dance of dedication by the last leader of the Furude family.
The demon's last dance of dedication for Oyashiro-sama.
I rage and cry for the unearthly dance.
There is no meaning. I'm crying like an animal.
We are like animals, killing each other, both getting bloody, and as one convulses in a pool of blood, the other cries and roars.
My body shivers as I feel joy inside of me. This is death, the most definite verdict, and it's right before me.
The demons cry, yell, and roar.
They fade away and my voice starts to change from the voice of a demon to the voice of a human.
As a demon, I roar, but as a human, I sneer.
Rika is covered in blood from her neck down.
Her blood is flooding out making a little noise.
Rika is still staring into my eyes.
I stare back at her.
I'm not sure they're still eyes, though...
They are no longer human eyes... they are a dead glare.
Rika, no, Rika's dead boy vomits blood from her mouth and nose and smiles.
Then she drops the knife.
She sticks her hands out and puts her palms upwards.
Her wiggling fingers remind me of insect's legs.
Those fingers reach for her own throat.
I've never seen anything like it.
I've never seen anybody do this before.
Because... she is scratching her own throat... she is ripping her own throat apart.
Maybe that's not a good description.
She is trying to rip the inside of her throat out through the opneing she made with the knife.
Her fingers touch the biggest tear.
I think Rika smiled.
At least that's what i would call it if she was alive.
She rips open the tear in one tug.
Shion: "Ohh... whaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
When she hears my scream, Rika dies and falls into the pool of blood, on her face.
That was it.
She doesn't get up again to show me her throat.
I step back from Furude Rika's body and bump into the wall in the hallway.
Whhhoooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!
I roar again to admire the ritual dance of dedication of the leader of the Furude family.
Joy runs through my body, and my blood rushes through my veins.
Shion: "I won, I won!!! I defeated her!! Whooooohhhh!!!"
I then realize I killed all the leaders of the three families, the core of the curse of Oyashiro-sama.
( memory ten ) cw: murder mentions, torture mentions, sororicide, nail gore mentions
Date: 2018-02-13 08:04 pm (UTC)As a note: Her sister is referred to as 'Shion' in this, as a heads up!
Mion: ".........Sis......"
Shion:"I didn't kill Kei-chan, just as you wanted. You told me I could kill you instead, right? Hee hee hee, I'm going to keep our promise."
Shion's hands and feet are on the unstable ladder, so there's no way she can protect herself.
She is in a critical situation.
Shion:"You, who look like Mion, fall into the bottom of the well and die. I look like Shion. Kei-chan will testify I'm the victim. I'll wait for the police to get her in the cell. I'm sure they'll find out the truth from fingerprints, but by the time they get that far, I'll be somewhere else, hiding. I'm pretty good, huh? Hee hee hee."
This was a foregone conclusion since we learned that Shion had replaced Mion. Still a great plan, if only she had managed to go through with it...
Mion: "......Are you killing me out of revenge for Satoshi?"
Shion:"If you know that much, you should be ready. Go apologize to Satoshi-kun at the bottom of the well."
Mion: "Sis... Satoshi isn't at the bottom of this well..."
Shion:"Huh? Didn't you say the bodies get dumped here?"
Mion: "I said that if he was killed at the Sonozaki house he should be here..."
Shion:"What are you telling me now? Can't you be a little clearer?"
Mion: "I... also...... liked Satoshi..."
Shion:"...Yeah, I'm sure. I liked him."
Mion: "I was very sad...... when Satoshi-kun disappeared so I looked into things..."
Shion:"...............And?"
Mion: "I interrogated grandma. I thought about strangling her. Then she told me... She said she was only telling me as the next leader so I had to keep it a secret."
What she said was something hard to believe.
Grandma said to Shion.
The Sonozaki family had nothing to do with the disappearance of Satoshi-kun.
Shion couldn't understand, so she asked again.
The Sonozaki family had a huge influence in the dark world because of dad's ties. In fact, they used some illegal measures during the dam conflict.
Therefore, people just assumed the Sonozaki family pulled the strings when the dam construction incident took place.
Even grandma laughed meaningfully and said suspicious things, so everyone beleived she was the mastermind.
But... it was performance. It was a hoax by the Sonozaki leader...
It was just a bluff of the Sonozaki family. They took credit for incidents to make it look like they were pulling the strings.
With the influence they already had, this bluff was very believable.
Therefore, people thought of the Sonozaki family as a family that had connections to the dark side and that they were capable of coming up with any type of conspiracy.
People have believed that since the dam conflict.
Oryou just smiled at the things she had nothing to do with, as if she was pulling the strings.
When the relatives saw that, they became fearful of Oryou's power.
When the dam construction manager was killed...
Oryou smiled meaningfully.
When the relatives saw that, they assumed Oryou was behind it.
When the Houjou couple fell off the cliff...
When the Furude couple died violently...
When Satoshi-kun's aunt died and Satoshi-kun disappeared... Grandma just smiled meaningfully.
Everyone believed the Sonozaki family was behind those incidents.
Shion:"That... is a lie!! Are you trying to tell me the Sonozaki family had nothing to do with that incident?! How can I believe that?"
Mion: "I don't think... grandma would lie... Especially about Satoshi-kun's disappearance, she said she knew nothing about it. Because, grandma approved of the relationship between Satoshi-kun and you, remember? You ripped your nails so she would forget everything."
Shion:"No, that's a lie!! Don't try to fool me!! Then who made Satoshi-kun disappear?! Who?!!"
Mion: "That..... I don't know. But it wasn't the Sonozaki family. Not grandma..."
Shion:"You know the curse system, right? Grandma didn't need to give the command for Satoshi-kun to be attacked. All she had to do was to be concerned... and then someone else took care of it. That was the system!!"
Mion: "...................."
Shion can't say anything.
Even if grandma had forgiven him personally, as long as he was the object of the curse, 'the executioner' would follow him.
Mion: "Grandma told me that she had tried to find out who was actually behind this curse of Oyashiro-sama for a long time. ...But she couldn't find anyone. Everyone believed it was someone in the village, but she couldn't find anyone."
Shion:"She couldn't find anyone? Then why did the curse take place every year?"
Mion: "That was strange, huh? But there wasn't anybody! There really wasn't!"
Shion:"I told you earlier that Furude Rika tried to attack me earlier with a syringe, right? How do you explain that? She wasn't just acting out of desperation, like a cornered rat. She came over to my house and attacked me with a bottle of pepper spray and a syringe. I bet Tomitake-san was killed with that same stuff."
Mion: "......That... I don't know. I can't believe Rika-chan would do something like that..."
Shion:"I actually saw how she died, but I can't believe it. That wasn't even close to a normal way to die."
I don't think Shion and grandma are lying.
That means grandma wasn't in as much control as we thought she was.
She didn't know anything about that scary drug or if the Furude family was the one executing the curse.
If the Sonozaki family had nothing to do with it, then who made the series of mysteirous death incidents possible?
Was it just a coincidence that something happened five years in a row on the night of Watanagashi?
That's impossible.
A human must have made it happen!
And that took place somewhere the Sonozaki family didn't know about.
The Kimiyoshi family didn't know anything.
Kimiyoshi believed the Sonozaki family was behind it.
Was it the Furude family?
Rika's behavior and elderly people who believed her blindly... Did some kind of power that exist around the Furude family that created the curse?
No way.
The Furude couple died of the curse.
How could a little girl like Rika possess a power stronger than that of the Sonozaki family?
No way, that's just impossible.
In others words, I've killed all the leaders of the three families, and now I'm trying to end this whole thing, all as a result of a misunderstanding about the dark secret of Hinamizawa village.
Then what about my revenge?
Did I kill all the wrong people, people who had nothing to do with Satoshi-kun's disappearance?
Shion:"Ha ha ha, that's good, Shion. You're still trying to turn the tables on me, huh?"
Mion: "Onee-chan, please... believe me... I'm not your...... enemy. I really am not. Please... believe me, Onee-chan..."
Shion begs with tears in her eyes.
That would have affected me if I was still Shion's sister...
But I don't feel anything now because I am a demon.
I'm done once I kill Shion.
I've already decided. If I don't finish it up, what is my existence for?
What about the life I devoted to revenge for Satoshi-kun?
How dare she tell me all this nonsense to confuse me at the very end...
If what she said was the truth, then what I've done wasn't revenge.
It was just the curse of the fifth year...
Shion:"...Shion. If you are truly innocent, you can go to heaven. Apologize to Satoshi-kun for me..."
Mion: "Onee-........."
*zap!*
A bluish white spark lights the darkness, and Shion disappears into the dark well.
( memory eleven ) cw: death, torture mentions
Date: 2018-02-18 05:45 am (UTC)...I still remember the dream.
Yes. I went out from the terrace.
...The door is locked, so I have to get in from the terrace...
Huf .... hmm..... .... whoa!
My foot slips and I'm in the air.
Then I feel my head crack.
The pain is so enormous that I'm finally awake from the nightmare......
...I slipped from the emergency stairs when I tried to reach the terrace of my room... Then I hit the projecting part of the elevator casing.
My room is on the eighth floor.
I wasn't expecting to end up here.
It seems that my head hit the edge of the concrete. It brings me enormous pain. I realize I'm bleeding heavily.
........................I feel strangely calm.
I don't feel the demon, Shion's ghost, or the grudge.
...I feel like I'm a baby... Nothingness brings me peace.
All the memories from the day I was born, when I was named Mion, up until today come to my mind.
I recall memories with Satoshi-kun. Tears roll down my cheeks.
Where did I go wrong...?
When did I make the wrong choice in my life...?
I know all that now... Satoshi-kun reminded me.....
'I'll leave...... Satoko to you.'
Sure.
I believe you'll be back. ......I'll be waiting for you.
I'll take care of Satoko.
I'll wait for you with Satoko. We'll be good girls.
You left your precious sister to me, and nobody else.
I guess... I didn't get the significance of what you said...
But I'll be fine this time.
I love you... Satoshi-kun.
Satoko...... I'm sorry.
I'm sorry... everybody.
Shion... I'm really sorry.
.....Could I pay everything off by this death?
No way, right? That's not the way it should be done.
I want Satoshi-kun to stroke my head one more time.
I want to hear his moan one more time.
I know. It's too much to ask.
...I have no regrets.
I'm done with the verbal apology.
I roll over to fall down to the ground...
...Head first.
I hope my head will crack open.
Take me to the hell I deserve.
I was just a demon.
I belong in hell.
Why was I born? Why did this world give birth to me?
I shouldn't have been born.
I wouldn't have had to suffer if I hadn't been born.
What is the meaning of this meaningless life?
If I wasn't born, nobody would have had to suffer.
Thank you for treating me kindly, even though I was like this.
Thank you for teaching me love, even though I was like this.
Even though I was like this...... you were...
I'm really sorry, everybody.
I really am.
I'm sorry.
If Satoshi-kun could give me another chance...
...I wouldn't make the same mistake again.
...Never.
Uh... here comes the ground.
Bye.
I love you.
( memory twelve ) cw: suicide
Date: 2018-02-21 07:42 am (UTC)Satoshi-kun Satoshi-kun... Satoshi-kun...!!
I, I... I've been looking for you for a long time... I'm sorry I couldn't find you while you were still alive... Sorry... sorry...
It's not your fault, Shion. There was nothing you could've done before I was killed. But... you did everything you could do after I was dead...
Satoshi-kun, I want to join you. I'm coming right now. I'm going to jump, so catch me.
Umm.
Satoshi-kun smiles bitterly.
I'm saddened to see him reject me.
Shion, I'm happy that you found me.
But you are alive, Shion. It's so important to be alive. You can't waste your life.
If you aren't here, I don't want to live...!
I want to be with you, Satoshi-kun. I want to be close to you... I want you to rub my head again. I want to spend time with you... I'll be a good girl... I... want to be... with you...
Live.
Do I have to?
Live and enjoy your life, okay?
What's so fun about living alone?
You'll find out so long as you're alive...
Shion: "...To live. I will... live. I will live."
The eerie well now feels warm.
I wasn't allowed to come down to the bottom.
But the edge of this well is the place where you and I can come close...
( memory thirteen )
Date: 2018-02-23 05:13 am (UTC)Shion: "That was reckless, not brave."
Satoshi: "......Umm. You sound harsh, Mion... At least you should say 'thank you'. I saw you crying."
Shion: ".....N-no, I wasn't crying! That was just an act...!"
Shion: "H-hey! You don't believe me, do you?! Do you think I'd really cry?"
Satoshi: "No. Nobody would believe Sonozaki Mion would cry when punks bullied her. Aha ha ha."
Shion: "Wh-why are you laughing?! You really don't believe that was an act?! I'd never cry!!"
Satoshi: "Ha ha ha ha ha. I believe you, I do."
I realize one thing.
...He must be one of sis's friends.
He doesn't seem to know I'm her twin sister.
He thinks I'm Mion with a different hairstyle.
...Mion and I had to live separately before we went to elementary school.
Mion was in Hinamizawa, and I was in Okinomiya.
I lived in a totally different environment from Hinamizawa.
So, it's not strange that people don't know me. Actually, only very few people know.
I almost tell him that I'm not Mion but Shion. But I manage to stop myself.
......Shion shouldn't be here.
He's from Hinamizawa. It's not good if he thinks he saw a Mion look-alike in Okinomiya...
So, I have to act like Mion now.
...Dealing with him might be more difficult than handling those punks...
Satoshi: "...Well, I was relieved because you seemed to have a girly side to you."
Shion: "You sound hostile. What exactly do you mean by that?"
Satoshi: "I thought you'd kick those guys' asses with some weird martial arts..... I was really surprised when you started crying."
"Hey! As I told you, I was acting! Were you listening at all?"
...He gently puts his big hand on top of my head, and strokes it as if he's stroking a baby's head.
......I remember somebody doing this to me when I was little, but... it's been quite a while since somebody stroked my head like this.
I don't know what to do...... Why am I embarrassed like this...?
......My face reddens all at once. I can't say anything......
Shion: "He...hey...... Are you making fun of me...?"
I stutter in embarrassment.
He looks calm, as if he often does this.
Satoshi: "Aha ha ha ha... Whatever. But aren't you glad?"
"......Glad? ...What do you mean?"
Satoshi: "Because you didn't get hurt."
He smiles while he keeps stroking my head.... His smile looks divine.
He won't stay here for long.
...That's because he already saved me from those guys.
Satoshi: "...Okay, I have to go now."
Shion: "Uh...... okay."
I want to greet him like I'm supposed to when I first meet somebody, but... this isn't the first time for him.
He's trying to walk away quickly to avoid an awkward moment.
He and Mion must know each other.
...So, I could never ask his name...
'Mion's friend' smiles once again. His smile looks refreshing like a clear blue sky. This time, he smiles a bit mischievously.
Satoshi: "Aha ha. Don't worry. I won't tell anybody you were crying. ...Aha ha, well, nobody would believe it even if I told them, though. Nobody would buy that our invincible class leader cried. Aha ha ha ha."
He pats the dust off his butt once again.
He walks back to the street in the sun, away from the dark alley.
Then he turns around.
Satoshi: "See you in school tomorrow."
"......Yeah... See you in school."
He disappears into the brightly lit street.
I'm still sitting in the dark alley.
I can no longer see him.
I'm just staring at the bright light blank-mindedly.
That was the first time I met Satoshi-kun...
( memory fourteen ) cw: brutal murder
Date: 2018-03-01 07:50 pm (UTC)Note: The script here is written in Rika's perspective, so anything dealing with personal "I" pronouns in the monologue refers specifically to her.
Mion: "You're kidding.....!"
Takano: "I've always wanted to see the tattoo on your back. I'm going to take a look at it later."
Mion: "Go on if you want to! It's nothing special!"
Takano: "Oh yeah? I think I'll enjoy it."
Rena: "Stop!! Don't shoot her!!!"
Rena screams, but Takano shakes her head.
Takano: "I have to kill her. She's the leader of the club, so she needs to go first."
Rika: "N... No... S... Stop..."
*bang!*
There is a dull noise, and Mion's body jerks.
We all try to break free from the men restraining us as she shoots Mion.
However, they're too strong, and all we can do is squirm like bugs.
Takano is enjoying watching us struggle...
Takano then starts walking toward Satoko.
However, Shion starts screaming at her with vulgar words.
Takano: "Oh... You want to be shot before her...? You could've stayed alive a few more seconds if you were nice and quiet..."
Satoko: "Stop, Shion-san!! Don't agitate her like that!!"
I know why she's doing that. Shion wants to protect Satoko as long as she can.
She's trying to do what Satoshi told her to do...
Takano doesn't care about Shion's feelings.
She steps over Keiichi's body, and walks toward Shion.
Shion: "I know now..... You killed Satoshi-kun, didn't you...? Isn't that the truth?!"
Takano: "I don't like giving out secrets... So I'm not telling you. Hee hee hee hee!"
*bang!*
Shion's body jerks.
There was a dull sound of a gunshot again.
How could a dull sound like this take away the lives of the lively Sonozakis sisters...? This is so sad...
( memory fifteen ) cw: child abuse + torture, brutal murder
Date: 2018-03-01 08:12 pm (UTC)Shion: "Hey, everyone, are you all still alive?"
Kimiyoshi is hanging by the collar with his head up to the ceiling. He doesn't even move... maybe he's already dead.
Satoko is in a cross-shaped restraining table. She glares at me with red and swollen eyes. She must have been crying.
I wanted to put her on a special restraining table to pound nails into her hands, but Satoko is too small for that.
I walk up to Kimiyoshi and poke his body with my toe. There is no response.
Shion: "Kimiyoshi-ojisan, are you dead?"
Satoko: "Murderer... murderer...!"
Maybe Satoko witnessed Kimiyoshi's last moments.
I take a thick knife from the wall and stab Kimiyoshi with it. There is no response.
Shion: "Kimiyoshi-ojisan, If you're alive you better tell me, okay? You can't fool me."
I walk to the pulley that's hanging Kimiyoshi.
Shion: "This is your last chance. Are you alive? Let me know if you are..."
I pause just for a moment, then turn the pulley.
Kimiyoshi's body is up in the air now. It's swaying strangely. It looks more like a dead body now.
Satoko: "Shion-san... why are you doing this?"
Shion: "Hmm? ...Ah, I get it."
The door to the huge cave is still open.
I bet Satoko was talking to the one in the cell while I was gone.
That's how she knows my name. But actually, that name is wrong.
Shion: "No, I'm not Shion, I am the real Mion. The one you wall thought was Mion is Shion. It's kind of confusing, huh? If you don't get it, that's okay. Hee hee hee..."
Satoko: "How dare you... how dare you kill Rika...!!"
I let Satoko watch me take care of Rika's body.
Of course I let her see Rika's neck too.
Shion: "Furude Rika deserved it. She came over to kill me. I just fought back, that's all."
Satoko: "No way!!! Rika wouldn't do that!!!"
Shion: "If you don't believe me, that's fine. It's none of your business anyway."
Satoko: "What... are you going to do with me?"
Shion: "I'm going to kill you."
Satoko's eyes go wide. I'm sure she was expecting my answer, but she still look shocked.
I bet she didn't expect me to state it so plainly.
I hear a noise from the grate.
I also hear Shion's voice echoing in the huge cave.
Mion: "No, sis!! Don't kill Satoko!!"
I answer her clearly.
Shion: "Aha ha ha ha!!! Do you finally realize what you've done? Do you finally realize you didn't do anything to save Satoshi-kun, although you had the power to? That's why he was killed!! You ignored millions of chances to rescue Satoshi-kun!! That's right, that's your sin!!!"
Satoko: "Gyaaaaaahhhhh!!!"
Before I even finish my sentence, I stab Satoko's right arm.
Her blood starts to flow out.
......This is nothing compared to what happened to Furude Rika.
I screw the knife into Satoko's arm. She bites down hard, and she cries.
Mion: "Stop!! Don't kill Satoko!! Let her go!! I don't care what you do to me... but please, let Satoko go!!"
Why couldn't you say that for Satoshi-kun?
It's too late!!! I was the one screaming like you back then. But no matter how loudly I screamed, it was no use for reaching them, rescuing him, saving him!!
I want you to go through the same thing!!!
Satoko: "Ooo!! Gyahh!! Guhhh!!"
I stab Satoko's arm repeatedly.
But the knife keeps hitting her bone. It doesn't feel like I"m stabbing her flesh.
Mion: "Stop, Mion, stop Nee-san... stop, stop, stop!!!"
Shion: "Okay, Shion. How about this? I'll tell you how you can save Satoko. You apologize to me one thousand times. I'll let Satoko go when you are done. What do you think? I don't lie. If you really apologize one thousand times, I'll keep the promise. Well? What do you think?"
Mion: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm..."
Shion starts to apologize like a broken record.
She is so stupid and honest.
She doesn't even think of cheating.
I bet she is really going to count to one thousand.
I stab Satoko's wrist.
I feel something hard. I guess I either crushed her bone or scraped it.
It must have been extremely painful.
Satoko screams...
Shion's voice gets louder as if it's trying to overpower Satoko's scream.
Satoko: "Whaaaahhhh, wahhhhhhhh!!! Waaaaaahhhhh!!!!"
Shion: "Aha ha ha ha ha! All you do is cry to get what you want. You think your Nii-nii is going to come, knock me down, and rescue you, huh? Yeah, right!"
The knife is still in Satoko's wrist... I slide it towards her elbow!!!
Satoko: "Gyaahhhhhhh... gyahhhhh!!!"
Shion: "Satoko, can you hear me? Hey! Listen to me!!!"
I slap her face several times and make her look at me.
Shion: "Do you know what you've done? Do you know how your existence cornered Satoshi-kun?"
Satoko: "Nii-nii... Nii-nii..."
Shion: "That's right. That's all you did to him. Every time you cried, Satoshi-kun protected you. But have you ever thought of what kind of a burden you were to him? He wasn't a hero or a superman!!!"
Satoko: "Gyaahhhhh!!!!"
Shion: "He was just a normal human being, just like you!! Have you ever even thought of what he had to go through because of you?! No, you didn't!! You never even tried!!! You just let Satoshi-kun take care of you!! You just leeched off Satoshi-kun!! As he got injured for you, you just licked his blood and lived!! You are cursed. How could you still call his name?!! Huh?!?!"
Hah! Hah! Hah!!
After telling her what I've been wanting to tell her, I breathe roughly.
Shion: "Ha ha ha ha! You are going to pay for your sin now with my help. Cry as much as you want, scream as much as you want. And realize Satoshi-kun will never come rescue you. You cornered him, you made him disappear, you killed him!!!"
Satoko: "......! Gouhhhh! ..............."
Shion: "What? You don't feel anything in your right arm? Okay, then let's use your left arm."
Satoko: ".........Gyah! ......Ahhh!! .............."
I stab her left arm repeatedly and the blood flows out.
But Satoko's reaction isn't fun anymore.
She doesn't cry or scream like she did before.
That puts me in a bad mood. So I stab the back of her left hand and twist the knife.
But Satoko still just moans. She doesn't scream.
Shion: "......What's the matter? Are you trying not to scream so that you won't make me happy? Hee hee hee!! That's great, ha ha ha ha!!!"
Satoko stays calm and looks at me.
Satoko: "Yes......... that's right."
Shion: "...Huh...?"
Satoko: "I cornered him. ........That is why he disappeared. I already knew that on the day nii-nii disappeared."
Shion: ".........."
Satoko: "I wasn't...... strong enough. I depended on... Niinii. I'm sure...... it was hard on him too, but I couldn't stop. ...You are...... absolutely right about that. I have... no excuse."
Satoko doesn't sound sarcastic or as if she is trying to make me happy. She speaks so naturally.
Shion: "Hmm...... that's interesting. I never knew you already realized what you've done."
Satoko: "Nii-nii is coming back. He is coming back someday...... But when he does, ...I'm going to show how independent I am now. I don't need him anymore. I don't hide behind him anymore. I'm going to show him...... I am really independent..."
Shion: "Ha ha ha... ha ha ha!! When he comes back, huh?"
I stab Satoko's arm like crazy.
But Satoko doesn't even scream.
She bites down tightly and swallows her screams.
Satoko: "Nii-nii is coming back. I know he is!! I'm waiting!! And when he comes back, I'm going to apologize to him for depending on him too much. So I won't give up until that day comes!! I'll never depend on him again, ever!! No matter what kind of hardship I have to endure, I won't ask him to help me!! I won't cry, I won't scream!! If I cry, he'll come. That's why I'm going to endure by myself!!!"
Shion: "Damn you... what do you think you're saying?!!"
Satoko: "If it's fun to stab me, go ahead, stab me as much as you want!!! But if you think I'm going to cry for nii-nii, well, too bad. I will not cry. EVER!!! If you don't believe me, try it!!! Nii-nii is watching me. He is watching me endure. He sees that I'm not like I was before!!! And when he sees that, he is going to come back!!! Come on, try it!! I won't cry!!! Try to see how strong Houjou Satoko is!!!"
Shit, shit, shit!!!
I'm going to show her!!
Here, here, here!!
Satoko: "Nii-nii, you're watching me, right? I've become so strong... Nothing will bring me down... This is nothing. This won't make me cry. I won't cry for your help. I can endure this. I can endure this. I am going to endure this. This is nothing compared to what you had to go through for me!!"
Shit, shit, shit!!!
Why doesn't she feel the pain? Doesn't it hurt?
No, it can't be!! I'm stabbing her and the knife is in so deeply!
Her blood is flowing out, and I'm turning her flesh inside out!!
How can she still talk that way? Why doesn't she cry and scream?
After Satoko says what she wanted to say, she shuts her mouth. She doesn't say a word after that.
No matter how I stab her, twist the knife, rip her, drag her flesh out, she doesn't even make a sound.
What is this? This isn't the Satoko I know.
Satoko isn't strong like this.
If Satoko was this strong, she wouldn't have been a burden to Satoshi-kun.
Why wasn't she strong before?
It's too late. Everything is too late.
She didn't realize it in time!!
Her blood makes my hand slippery and I drop the knife.
Shion: "Hah, hah! Hah! Hah! ...Hah! Hah!! .....Hah!"
I'm bloody from head to toe.
Satoko is still enduring the pain.
She is enduring this cruelty so she can display her strength.
I couldn't defeat Satoko.
I couldn't crush her strength.
Satoko achieved her goal.
Satoko became independent so she doesn't need Satoshi-kun anymore.
She believed Satoshi-kun would come back one day.
She looked forward to a day when she could show her brother how strong she has become.
But Satoshi-kun didn't see that. Instead, I, who never even thought that Satoshi-kun would come back, was the one who witnessed her strength.
What was I thinking?
I thought Satoshi-kun was dead. No, I assumed he was.
...Why did I?
I never even ...thought of waiting for him.
I didn't believe he would come back.
I didn't wait.
...I tried to avenge him. ......But I guess what I did was to forget about him.
But Satoko was different.
She never even thought he was dead.
No, maybe she did a little.
But she waited.
She waited for the day when she could show him the brand new her. She waited patiently...
What about me?
I didn't do anything.
I wanted to forget about my sadness so I tried to find my enemy.
I became a demon, using Satoshi-kun's revenge as an excuse, so I didn't have to think like a human.
I lost.
I couldn't endure the pain of waiting for Satoshi-kun, so I chose to become a demon.
In other words, I got rid of my soul, the soul that loved Satoshi-kun.
That's like getting rid of Satoshi-kun.
Satoko won.
Her mouth is relaxed now.
Her eyelids are half shut and I can see her eyes a little.
Her eyes look like she's dreaming about something happy.
Satoshi-kun ....is there, in her eyes.
Satoko endured...... until Satoshi-kun came for her........
( memory sixteen )
Date: 2018-03-06 08:35 pm (UTC)Satoshi: "Uhh... Which one is broccoli? The green one or the yellow one?"
Shion: "That's cauliflower, Satoshi-kun... Hey, is it possible that you can't tell lettuce from cabbage, either?"
Satoshi: "I-I'm not that bad... I'm doing my best here..."
Satoshi-kun is staring at the heaps of broccoli and cauliflower.
After thinking for a while, he reaches out to the wrong one...
Shion: "That's not it! ...It's thrilling to watch you do shopping. It's fun for me, though. Aha ha ha ha!"
Satoshi: "......Umm. You got me. Satoko can't tell the difference either. Which color is broccoli and which color is cauliflower...?"
Shion: "...You guys are too funny."
Sis told me that Satoshi was a flaky big brother and Satoko was a griping little sister.
I haven't met Satoko. But she must be having a tough time dealing with Satoshi-kun.
That's because he stumbles at everything he buys.
Shion: "That's cooking salt. ...It's mixed with pepper. It's different from regular salt."
Satoshi: "Oh... is it? I think I saw salt and pepper separate in chemistry class..."
Shion: "Stop making excuses and just put it back on the shelf... This is normal salt! What are you getting next?"
Satoshi: "Uh...... Aha ha ha ha. You are a great help, Mion..."
Shion: "...You look smart, but you have serious issues... I think you should study more..."
Satoshi: "Umm... That sounds harsh... ...Oh, is this it?"
Shion: "Wait! That's not it! You need to check the price and amount before you put the item in your basket!"
My first impression of Satoshi-kun was that... he was strong.
But... I'm surprised at how clumsy he is.
I don't think he should be alone. That's dangerous.
He might stumble at the traffic light, wondering which color means he can go... He might be hit by a truck.
Cashier: "1,780 yen is your total. Do you have a member's card?"
Satoshi: "Eh...... uh, yes...... Ah......... it must be in here..."
Shion: "Oh, sorry. We can't find it, so that's okay."
I force him to finish the payment.
Satoshi: "That was horrible, Mion... You made me waste points..."
Shion: "You shouldn't take time digging through your wallet at this crowded hour!! People were lined up behind us! Didn't you see those evil eyes of the housewives?! You should've prepared it beforehand!"
Satoshi: "...Oh... you're right. Aha ha. That's good to know."
Shion: "It's not only about when you go shopping. The same thing goes for when you ride a bus! You pay your fare when you get off the bus, don't you? Did you ever notice there are people waiting for you to finish?"
Satoshi: "...Umm... I guess people pass by me and go ahead of me..."
Shion: "Hah... You know what that means? You're bothering them tremendously! You need to prepare the money beforehand. That's manners! Do you get it?!"
Satoshi: "O-okay... You're scary today, Mion.... Ahahaha..."
Satoshi-kun smiles as if he's patronizing me.
......Hah... I can't believe it.
...I think he's the kind of person who makes women want to mother them.
...He's okay when he's with somebody who can take care of him like me. But what's he going to do when he's not?
Shion: "Okay. This way, your mom won't freak out when she opens this bag."
Satoshi: "Uh... thanks. You helped me a lot... I don't think I'm good at shopping."
Shion: "Just shopping? I know that's not the only thing!"
Satoshi: "......Um... umm......"
Shion: "Ahahahahahaha! Just kidding."
I realized a few things while shopping with him.
...He's not just bad at shopping. He's chronically clumsy.
.....He's a slow thinker.
...That means... when he stepped into the quarrel with the punks, he must have needed a lot of courage.
He might be a simpleton, but he's not stupid.
He's aware of his weaknesses.
...So, he must have known the possible danger in that situation.
...He could have chosen to walk away even though I was in danger.
But he chose to be a man and... stepped in. That's admirable.
Shion: "Good boy. You did a great job. There, there."
Satoshi: "Wh-what is it? Don't stroke my head."
Shion: "I'm rewarding you for your successful shopping today. There, there."
Satoshi: "You're making fun of me, aren't you, Mion?"
Shion: "No, I'm not. Can you go home by yourself? Do you know how to get home?"
Satoshi: "Umm... you are making fun of me..."
Satoshi-kun's sulky face blushes red... Ahh, he's cute.
( memory seventeen ) cw: brutal murder and suicide mentions
Date: 2018-05-03 03:17 am (UTC)As a note, all of this is Rika's dialogue.
reference!
There a special disease in Hinamizawa. I'm not sure of the official name of that disease, but it's called the 'Hinamizawa Syndrome.'
Everyone looks at each other when I mention the Hinamizawa Syndrome. They've never heard of that term.
The name "Hinamizawa Syndrome" has been around since before the war.
This is the general term for the extreme homesickness and mental instability that people from Hinamizawa experience outside of the village.
People in Hinamizawa have refused to go outside of the village since the era of Onigafuchi.
The villagers believe that they'll be cursed by Oyashiro-sama if they leave the village. Also, people who've left the village often came back because they got cursed.
People used to think that it was only severe homesickness.
But during the war, soldiers from Hinamizawa became mentally deranged in faraway places.
In war, sometimes soldiers become deranged.
Being deranged is not a rare thing, but the way they killed other soldiers and the way they committed suicide was very special.
One doctor became curious of their cases and studied those soldiers. That's when they found out this was a special syndrome only found in Hinamizawa.
According to this doctor, their strange behavior was not coming from their culture. It was a mental disease triggered by external circumstances.
An externally caused mental disease is different from a psychological illness. It's a type of disease caused by some kind of physical disorder. It causes people to become mentally unstable when something triggers it.
There are three categories of externally caused mental diseases.
They're internal, poisonous, and symptomatic.
The internal type is when the brain is damaged. It causes the mental dysfunction.
People's personalities can change by injuring the brain.
The poisonous type is literally caused by something poisonous, such as drugs and alcohol.
The last category is symptomatic.
This is a disease where the body secretes an unusual chemical due to some illness, and that causes people to have mental disorders.
It may sound weird, but it's been said that people tend to get depressed when they have a cold. We all know that physical sickness can cause negative emotions in people's minds.
However, in the case of the symptomatic type, it's more extreme.
People's emotions are not created inside the heart.
They're created by the chemicals secreted by our internal organs.
When those internal organs get sick, very unusual chemicals can be secreted.
It's known that the thyroid gland secretes hormones that control people's emotions.
When the thyroid gland is defective, the hormone balance becomes unstable and people get sick.
It can cause people to have not only a physical sickness, but also a mental sickness such as depression.
People don't get mentally sick just because of mental problems.
Humans are made out of flesh. We get mentally sick when our flesh is defective.
The doctor also came up with a theory.
There is a climatic disease in Hinamizawa, and if people get too far away from home, it affects their hormones and they start to hallucinate.
The villagers' faith toward Oyashiro-sama is certainly related to this climatic disease. People in Onigafuchi village knew about this syndrome.
They knew that they couldn't survive outside the village. They also didn't want anyone else to come inside the village, because they would be infected too.
They took this syndrome as a curse, not a sickness.
The most important characteristic of this disease is an extreme persecution complex and anti-social behavior. The suicide caused by the defect in the lymph node is also a particular characteristic.
The unusual behavior of the terminal patients is related to the legend of the demons coming out from the swamp and attacking the villagers. Basically, the sick villagers had a severe persecution complex, and wound up killing the other villagers.
After a long time, survivors in the village started understanding the rules of their disease.
They found out that this disease is incurable once you contract it.
That's why people stopped letting outsiders into the village.
Also, once you become ill, you will develop a sever persecution complex.
This can happen to anyone in the village.
The doctrine of Oyashiro-sama says that the blood of humans and demons is mixed together, and that Oyashiro-sama is controlling the violent blood of the demons.
People said that you'd be cursed if you didn't follow Oyashiro-sama's rules. So, by following the rules, they could cope with this climatic disease.
Then, Oyashiro-sama came and unified the humans and the demons, just like in the legend.
Moreover, the most important thing...
That's how to keep the disease under control.
This is related to the taboos in this village.
The horrible traditions in the village were probably performed in order to force people to respect these taboos.
There are several ways to keep the disease under control, but there are two main conditions.
The first one is suspicion.
When people suspect someone, it can trigger the persecution complex, and it can lead them to have terminal symptoms.
That's why the villagers made sure to have a strong community, so people wouldn't suspect each other.
Oyashiro-sama is known for her horrific reputation, but she's also known as a god of marriage and friendship.
However, this condition is not as dramatic as the other condition. In fact this tradition is not practiced strictly in Hinamizawa anymore, and it's only recognized in Hirasaka town in Okinomiya.
Now, for the other condition.
This one is more clear, and it was practiced more strictly.
If the villagers leave the village, they will get ill quickly, proportional to the distance from the village.
The villagers nowadays will not get sick rapidly, even if they go out of the town or out of the country for a long time.
However, back in the day, they would get sick very quickly as soon as they left the village.
Anyway, these rules are the wisdom of old times. People created the curse of Oyashiro-sama in order to cope with the "Hinamizawa Syndrome".
Is there any way to use this externally caused mental disease for military purposes?
The aforementioned doctor insisted there was, but the military didn't listen to him at all at the time.
They were interested in developing a weapon that could make a dramatic change to the war situation. They didn't have any money to spare for the research of this strange disease.
They were not going to do further study of the "Hinamizawa Syndrome"...
Then the war ended.
Japan started its reconstruction under American leadership.
However, some powerful people in the political world didn't want to accept the American way of thinking.
Some of them were fired by the GHQ, but they still stayed on as advisors to the government, since Japan has a culture of respecting the elderly.
Eventually a political society was formed, the object of which was to get Japan back to where it was before the war.
In the beginning the society was a very small group. It was only a small meeting of two or three people.
However, that small meeting eventually grew to a larger group.
That larger group started expanding to become a big organization.
Then that organization became a political society.
It's actually better to call them a secret society...
This secret society eventually came to be called by the name of the place where it was based, "Tokyo".
"Tokyo" is full of mysteries.
One thing I know for sure is that it's formed by the old people of Japanese political society, and they have strong political influence and financial power that can change the government.
They're also connected to various businesses, and they're plotting to take Japan back to where it was before the war.
This is a ridiculous story.
This is just a story from way back, when the war ended.
When Japan started reconstructing, "Tokyo" eventually became a mere name.
However, some of them remained...
Japan regained its peace, and years passed after the war. However, some people still continued to believe that pre-war Japan was better, and they were determined to get it back.
"Tokyo" was plotting from several directions to bring the old Japan back.
They approached the problem, economically, internationally, and through the military too.
( memory eighteen ) cw sexual harassment
Date: 2018-05-12 02:05 am (UTC)Also as a note: this particular memory is written in Keiichi's perspective, and the inner monologues should be ignored.
The next moment, I hear a huge crashing noise.
As I look back, a waitress is on the floor; she had spilled food all over a customer.
...Wait... it's Shion!
Shion: "I'm, I'm so sorry...! Your pants are..."
Customer: "What are you doing? I bought these pants at a specialty jeans store for 1,800 yen! Now it's ruined with all this whipped cream! ...Huff, huff..."
What the hell is his problem? He seems to be enjoying this accident...
Customer: "This is awful! This little waitress is going to have to wipe it all off with all her heart!"
It's starting to turn the wrong way.
...What did he just say?
Is he trying to make her wipe him?
He's making Shion wipe his unusually enlarged crotch?
Shion: "What...? but...... Umm...... I can't........."
Customers: "Wipe-wipe! Wipe-wipe! Wipe-wipe!"
The customers start calling out for Shion to wipe him.
Shion turns pale and seeks help from other waitresses, but they all shake their head with sympathy...
Waitress: "He purposefully made her trip on his leg. There are lots of costumers like that who purposefully make us spoil their clothes..."
Keiichi: "He made her trip on purpose? So it was not an accident? It was a set-up?"
Waitress: "Girls with experience will never get trapped, but Sonozaki-san is still new here, and she's not really used to this yet. I think the customers can tell that she's new, and that's why she's been teased all day since this morning."
Keiichi: "Where is the manager? Those customers should be kicked out!"
But we have to respect each customer... She speaks with a desperate look.
Shion is holding the towel and shaking with a red face.
The guy sits on the couch and sticks out his whipped cream-covered crotch.
She starts moving her shaking hands towards him...
Customer: "Come on and hurry up! You must wipe-wipe me!!"
In my eyes, this is nothing but pathetic... but to her, this might be the most insulting moment of her life.
[...]
Customer: "You better start now!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!"
Keiichi: "Sht up you greasy pig! Get lost and never let me see you again!"
I hold Shion's shoulder and pull her away from him.
Shion: "K, Kei-chan..."
Customer: "You seem to not understand. That waitress made a mess on my pants! This is her punishment!"
Keiichi: "You're the one who deserves punishment!! If you're a man, don't make excuses! Why don't you show me what you got?"
Woosh, band, skiiiid!!
My body gets lifted up in the air, and I'm blown back to my seat...!
He's strong...! But he doesn't look like anything but just a fat, greasy pig...!
Customer: "He he he. Geeks are often surprisingly well versed in minor martial arts, so you better watch your back!"
He smiles with his gum out.
Shion: "K-Kei-chan... Are you okay?"
Damn... I'm such a wimp...!
Keiichi: "He purposely made you trip over him, right? It's their fault, so you shouldn't let him boss you around!"
Shion: "Yeah... but... I'm the one who dropped all the food on him....."
Keiichi: "Aaaaaaaw!! I'm battling him again! I'm going to get him!!"
Bam, kaboom, crash!!
Keiichi: "Don't think I would give up so easily!! I'm going after him again!!"
Wham, whak, baaaaam!!
Customer: "Aha ha ha ha!! This kid is so weak!!"
Keiichi: "I'm not giving up yet!!"
I'm in a rage!
Rrggaaaaaah!
I get closer to the greasy pig, one step at a time.
Every step I take, I can feel my raging emotions!
I feel like I'm walking underwater... I try to find the right timing to attack this guy...!
I calculate our difference in height and reach...!
I've got the advantage! My reach is longer than his...!
My punch aims for his face, fueled by extraordinary anger.
He smiles and moves his body slightly to avoid my fist.
I can see his movement in slow motion now!
He slowly turns his arm like a windmill...
Then he takes my punch, and pushes it down...
My arm makes a spin like the arms of a clock ...and it comes back to my head...
Then it makes another turn with my head...! My whole body spins like a toy... And again!
It's an impressive technique of defense and attack combined.
I think he spun me around 3 times before he threw me in the air.
There's nothing I can do to stop his attack...
The slow motion ends as soon as he throws me in the air.
Crash!!
Customer: "You must study more, young man!!"
[...]
Waitress: "I'm glad you didn't get hurt badly."
Another waitress is wiping my sweat with a towel.
Shion comes walking toward me with a red face.
Shion: "Are you okay... Thank you for doing that for me..."
Keiichi: "I'm sorry I couldn't help you... I can never win in a fight..."
Shion: "It's okay. I'm happy that you tried to do something for me... I really am! I'm glad that you came here today..."
She sticks out her tongue.
As I look at her hand, I see her holding a towel with fresh whipped cream all over...
Waitress: "Sonozaki-san, it's time for you to take a break. You have one or two hours left in your shift, right?"
Shion: "Oh, don't worry. I'm getting paid by this restaurant. I want to work here. You don't need to be considerate of me....."
I feel so bad for her.
I'm not even thinking about Mion anymore.
This is Shion, and she was teased by some sick bastards. That's the only truth I know.
Shion: "Don't worry about me, and just eat your desserts, okay? After you finish eating, I want you to fill out some surveys. I need to get back to work now..."
[...]
Waitress: "Sonozaki-san. I need you to take five deluxe parfaits to table number seven!"
Shion: "Oh, yes...!"
Shion carries five parfaits to the customer.
She is doing her best to keep her balance on the tray, and she's not paying attention to her feet at all...
Customer: "He he he... Our chance is here again...!"
Customer: "This time, I'm gonna get her to trip on me, and make her wipe-wipe inside of my underwear!!"
Uuuuuuugh. Girls, kick those sickos' asses for me, please.
The wipe-wipe incident happened only one hour ago... Now, another guy is trying to play the same trick on her...!
Keiichi: "Attention Rena. Position yourself at tables 5 and 6. Copy...?"
Rena: "Those uniforms are so adorable...! Hauuuu I wanna takle them home...!"
She follows Shion as she carries the parfaits with unsteady steps. She's right behind Shion, protecting her, but her eyes are pinned on her uniform.
People might think I'm letting the wolf look after the sheep...... but not in this case!
Keiichi: "She's in her adorable mode, at a synchro-rate of 120%... I got this one."
Satoko: "Nothing can stand up to her when she's in that mode..."
The greasy guys target Shion's uneasy steps...!
Customer: "Now!!"
Customer: "Here she comes, guys!!"
They stick out their legs to make Shion trip, like sneaky snakes. Three guys are doing it at the same time!
Kapoooow!!
Customers: "Ugh!" "Ghck!!" "What in the world...?"
It's like a lightning attack!
The three pathetic men struggle in pain with their legs twisted awkwardly.
Customer: "Aaaaaaaagh!!"
Customer: "What the hell just happened...?"
Rena goes over to them and gives them a warning.
Rena: "Hauuuu... Don't be bad! Shame on you!! I'm going to take her home!!"
Customer: "This little girl.... she just used an odd move!"
The greasy pigs are holding the bruises on their legs...
[...]
[tl;dr version of events that happened that were unseen: Satoko and Rika messed with the bathrooms and Rika gets the customers out so they can use the bathroom]
Rika-chan guides them slowly with a smile on her face.
Her slow paced walk is such torture for those guys...!
Customer: "Mademoiselle... How far is that restroom...?"
Rika: "It's very close..."
They follow Rika-chan to the exit door...
Rena: "Keiichi-kun! You need to finish them! Don't give them any mercy!"
Keiichi: "Yeah! I got this one!"
I stand in front of them with my arms spread open.
Customer: "What are you doing there? We're in a level 1 emergency!!"
Keiichi: "Listen, you pigs! You know what happens if you step through this door?"
Customer: "What are you trying to say?"
[???, i need to check on this]: "Ahahahaha! Look at your tickets! 'Once you leave the restaurant you may not reenter'!"
[???]: "I don't care which restroom you're going to use, but once you go out of that door, you can never come back inside!"
Stomp stomp stomp!!!
Customer: "I'm going to get you for this!!"
Rika: "I don't like scary people like this... I don't want to take you guys to the restroom anymore..."
They go into a panic as Rika-chan tries to turn away. They have no choice but to be quiet and follow her.
All the waitresses are lined up to see them off.
Waitress: "Thank you for visiting us today!"
Customer: "We shall return!!!"
Ding dong.
The door closes and rings the bell.
Satoko: "We did it!! That was easy!"
Rena: "Aha ha ha ha!! Good job! Yeah!!"
Rena high fives Satoko.
Keiichi: "Wow... I'm glad I called you guys. You guys are the greatest..."
Satoko: "We could've taken care of them even if we were alone! You better get smarter, Keiichi-san!"
Rena: "I'm glad we were able to save Mii-chan's sister! No one is going to pick on her anymore!"
Waitress: "You have such nice friends, Sonozaki-san."
The other waitress smiles at Shion.
Shion is looking at us with surprise, in the quiet peaceful restaurant.
Shion: "You did this... all for me...?"
She shows a happy but embarrassed face, and runs into the kitchen blushing...
Rena: "Shii-chan is adorable! They're twins, hauuuu."
I know it's difficult for Shion to thank us in person.
Anyway, I'm glad that we were able to help her today...
Waitress: "Sonozaki-san really appreciates you all. I would like to represent the floor waitresses, and say thank you to all of you."
Clap clap clap.
We get a round of applause from the people inside the restaurant.
The other waitresses and the normal customers were all frustrated with those guys...
[...]
While I speak with Rena about the desserts here, Shion brings us coffee.
Shion: "Oh... those two little girls left...?"
I laugh as Shion refers to them as two little girls.
Keiichi: "Ahahaha! They left because they were in the middle of cleaning up something..."
Shion is here with four cups of coffee.
Shion: "I heard from the other waitress... I'm sorry I caused you so much trouble today..."
Rena: "It wasn't any trouble. You were in trouble, Shii-chan. Oh, is it okay if I call you Shii-chan...? I call your sister Mii-chan, you know?"
Shion: "Well... that's fine with me..."
Shion seems to be feeling uneasy about talking with Rena.
She might be afraid that Rena will find out that she is actually Mion...
She serves us coffee and then goes back to the kitchen. Her shift will be over soon.
( memory nineteen )
Date: 2018-05-26 07:38 pm (UTC)Shion: ".........You can still go back now. I don't know what kind of impression you have of me, but..... it will surely change... once you go in........................"
Keiichi: "It'll never change. I will tell you as many times as you want... You're my best friend."
( memory twenty ) cw physical abuse
Date: 2018-05-31 05:36 pm (UTC)Rena comes back to the classroom and shouts at me.
Then... Satoshi-kun rushes in while pushing Rena aside.
He seems to have grasped the situation quickly.
......He runs up to me and throws me.
Until my body hits the locker, I don't understand what happened.
There is a loud crashing sound. I leave a dent in the locker...... I crouch in pain.
Satoshi: "Satoko!! Are you all right?!"
Satoko: "Nii-nii!! Nii-nii!! Whaaaaaahhh!!"
Satoko pushes Rika aside and jumps at him... and starts crying.
Satoshi: "What happened...? Why were you treated like that...? Why...?!"
Satoko: "I-I didn't do anything but... Mion-san... she suddenly... waaahhhh!!!"
Satoshi: "Wh-what's going on, Mion?!!!"
Satoshi-kun shouts at me while holding Satoko... He looks fierce.
Shion: "I just....."
Satoshi: "What did Satoko do to deserve this?! What did we do?! Why do we always have to suffer like this?! Why?! Why?!!!"
He releases Satoko and rushes up to me, then grabs me by the neck.
Shion: "You said... that I should ask myself, right...? So... why don't you ask yourself?"
Satoshi: "Ask what?!!!"
Shion: "I know you feel she's a burden for you...... You always have to suffer because of her, you know that, right?! If she was stronger, you wouldn't have to suffer!! She's the one to blame!!!"
Maybe what I said is right.
After hearing that, Satoshi-kun goes berserk.
Satoshi: "Wh-what the heck do you know?!!!"
Shion: "Ow... ahhh!!!"
Satoshi-kun grabs my hair and throws me to the wall, just like I did to Satoko.
But I won't back down.
...I'm no longer able to control my emotions.
Shion: "You protect her too much!!! She won't stop relying on you until you stop doing that!!!"
Satoshi: "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?!"
Rena: "Stop it!!!!"
That is Rena.
She steps in, looking as fierce as a demon.
Rena: "Satoshi-kun, please. Mii-chan didn't have a bad intention. ...She just wanted to help you, but... her emotions got a bit out of control. ......Okay?"
Satoshi: "......................"
Satoshi-kun looks like he wants to say something back, but he doesn't say anything.
Rena: "You too, Mii-chan... I know how much you worry about Satoshi-kun. But you can't solve the problem that way. I think you understand that. Right?"
Since Satoshi-kun didn't say anything, I keep quiet, too.
Rena: "Here, Satoko-chan. You didn't have to cry just because you dropped the lunch box, all right? Do you feel okay now?"
Rika: "......Satoko, I'll pick up the lunch box for you..."
Satoko: "......Oooh... hikk...... hikk......!"
Rika starts picking up the lunch box while Satoko continues to cry.
Rena: "Guys... can you help us clean up? Sensei will be back from the vegetable garden soon. The quarrel is over, so don't tell her about this, okay?"
The classmates look at each other and nod... then they start picking up the stuff on the floor.
Rena: "Here, Satoshi-kun, Mii-chan, why don't you guys shake hands as a sign of reconciliation?"
Shion: "............Sorry...... I didn't mean to do this..."
Tears start to roll down my cheeks.
Satoshi: "......I'm sorry, too. ......You have nothing to do with our family situation... Sorry..."
( memory twenty-one )
Date: 2018-06-05 04:56 pm (UTC)( memory twenty-two ) cw murder + suicide
Date: 2018-06-19 02:47 pm (UTC)I see the Maebara mansion now.
I've never seen it before, but I"ve heard a lot about it from Shion. Kee hee hee hee!!!
She said Keiichi's room is on the second floor!!!
I should wake him up. Throw a stone! Gwa ha ha ha ha!!!
I throw a couple of stones at the window. Then the light turns on and the window opens.
I see Keiichi.
The moment I see him... my madness cools off for a little while.
I can tell Keiichi is running down the stairs even from here.
He shows up quickly... with a doll in his hand.
......I feel depressed to see the doll.
That's the doll he failed to give to Shion.
...It isn't fair after all, Shion.
I'm so jealous, Kei-chan... I want to receive a doll from Satoshi-kun, too...!!!
Keiichi: "Hah, ...hah, ...Mion!"
Shion: "Hey, long time no see! ...So? How's it going?"
Despite my burning insanity inside, I talk to him calmly.
......That's right.
My body is controlled by the demon now...
Otherwise, I wouldn't be here this late... Kee hee hee...!!
Keiichi: "Are you... okay walking around like this?"
Shion: "No, not really. Heh heh heh."
Keiichi: "Anyway... what are you doing at this time of the day?"
Shion: "I wanted to talk to you for the last time."
I feel extremely sleepy.
Actually, it's more like I'm fainting because of anemia.
Ghee hee hee, this sensation is the proof that the insanity is swallowing me...
Shion: "I...... heh heh heh, I, ...can't be here any longer."
Keiichi:"Are you... okay? Are you in pain?"
Shion: "I tried to... hang in there... until today, ha ha ha, ...but I know. I can't do it... anymore. My time is, ......it's almost over... Ha ha ha......"
I don't get to decide how I die.
Shion won't allow me to.
No wonder. I pushed her into the well to kill her.
It wasn't only her. None of the people I killed chose the way they died.
Considering that... it's ridiculous to be indecisive about the way I die!
Shion: "Ah ha ha ha ha, ...ha ha... ha, huh...... huh huh...!"
Fee ghee gha gya... huff...... ghaa...
Keiichi: "Are you okay? Don't push yourself anymore. Ah, that's right, I have something for you."
...I'll kill him, kill him, kill him... I'll avenge Satoshi-kun's death, I'll avenge his death! ...This guy is Shion's lover. I hate her! I'll kill him and make her sad! Eat this, Shi..................... ghh!...............!!
My head spins.
I realize I stabbed him with a knife.
Shion: "Kee ...hee hee hee... hee hee hee hee hee hee.....! I made it... I made it in time...! ...Hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee heh!!!"
Gheh gheh gheh gheh gheh!! I made it, I made it, I made it before Shion killed me! I retaliated! Gheh gheh gheh gheh!! Take it, Shion, gheh gheh gheh gheh gheh gheh!!
Keiichi rolls on the ground, holding his stomach.
Shion: "Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh!! I did it, I did it all! I killed everyone I wanted to kill!!! Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh!!"
Yeah! I did it!! Hya hya gya gya, I did it!!!
Gheh gheh, I avenged your death, Satoshi-kun, gheh gheh!!! Don't you love me for it?! Would you stroke me?! Gheh gheh gheh gyeeehhh!!!
( memory twenty-three )
Date: 2018-07-05 07:50 pm (UTC)Keiichi follows me after he puts his shoes on.
Shion: "Can I... hold your arm?"
That is such a humble request.
Keiichi: "...I don't mind."
I take Keiichi's arm.
His arm is as warm as Satoshi-kun's... I feel confused...
Shion: "...Don't you get nervous? Don't you suspect I'll give you some kind of martial art moves if I take your arm like this...?"
Keiichi: "...Your sister said the same thing. No, I don't suspect that."
He remembers the time when I held his arm before in town.
Shion: "......Shion loved you, too."
Keiichi: "......Is that so?"
I tell him how Shion feels about him.
Shion was with Satoshi-kun for a long time, but what they had was a friendship. They never felt anything more than friendship.
That was why she fell in love with Keiichi.
If I was in her position, I would have fallen in love with Keiichi too.
If Shion was able to fall in love with him I could fall in love with him too.
Keiichi smiles gently.
I almost see Satoshi-kun in Keiichi's smile.
The Keiichi I know is worthless and trashy.
I never knew he could smile like Satoshi-kun...
Keiichi: "...You and Shion were... getting along well, right...?"
Shion: "I don't know..... Are your left and right hands getting along well?"
Keiichi: "Eh? My left and right hands? ...It's not about getting along or not..."
Shion: "It's the same for us. Just like you said, our relationship was much deeper than that."
We've been together since we were born.
We've been living in this world as a pair.
But I was Mion and she was Shion.
Mion was treated specially and I insisted on being Mion.
Of course that was unpleasant to Shion.
We decided to be fair and switched places all the time.
We were probably different from other identical twins.
We don't just like the same things or do things the same way. We even managed to share our circumstances and knowledge.
When we talked about our experiences, we could share them.
We could share everything as Mion and Shion.
That was why each of us was both Mion and Shion at the same time.
No... maybe Shion was the only one who thought that way.
I was a little different.
I was simply letting Shion be Mion once in a while.
I am Mion and I am the next leader of the Sonozaki family.
I was supposed to be treated specially. I always thought that was my privilege.
Just like everyone tried to distinguish between Mion and Shion......... I tried to distinguish between us.
Shion: "Just like you have a dominant hand, there was superiority and inferiority. ......If you had only one mitten to grab a hot skillet, you'd wear it in your dominant hand, right? I think that was the difference between us."
Keiichi: ".................."
Shion: "But you wouldn't think you were okay without your left hand, right? ...I guess that's what our relationship was like."
Keiichi: "......I guess... it was just hard to tell you guys were good friends because you were too close to her...... I was really envious when I saw you guys having fun together the day before the festival, because I'm an only child."
Shion: "......Aren't you just wishing for what you don't have? We used to have fun when we were kids, trading spots and all that... But once we developed distinctly different personalities, our resemblance only got in our way."
It was so mean of me to think that as an older sister. ......That was why I became Shion as a punishment.
......Who am I?
There was never an identity like that in the first place.
I was Mion. I was Shion.
I should have just accepted that.
But now, it's different. ...I don't even know if I'm Mion or Shion.
Was I stupid enough to hope that Rena would figure that out for me?
Shion: ".........Shion is still alive."
Keiichi: "......Really?"
Keiichi looks into my eyes. I nod quietly.
Shion: "......Yes... I've been thinking about how to kill her brutally... so, I've kept her alive but... I haven't been able to come up with any ideas."
That's a lie.
I've already thought of ideas. And I have already executed them.
I dumped grandma into the well before Shion. I dumped Kimiyoshi and Rika. I even killed Satoko, too.
And now, I'm trying to kill Keiichi, whom Shion fell in love with.
I am a demon. Any gruesome act is simply pleasure for me.
That's when I feel a warm hand rubbing my hand.
It's not Satoshi-kun's hand, it's Keiichi's hand.
Keiichi and Satoshi-kun are totally different. Why did Shion fall in love with him?
His rough hand doesn't make me happy.
It is just my imagination that I feel as if he understood my feelings.
I'm not happy, this doesn't feel good, no it doesn't...
Shion: "......Come with me... I want you to look at everything I did...... It must be an awful thing for you to watch, though."
I am going to commit my final crime.
I am going to let you see it.
I am going to let Shion see it.
Are you still going to think you are being killed by your best friend when I kill you?
Poor Shion...
Kei-chan is going to die thinking it is you who's killing him.
( memory twenty-four )
Date: 2018-07-12 08:56 pm (UTC)I don't want to go into details, but my dad is a yakuza.
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's, and my dad 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 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.
At first, I thought my dad asked him to superintend me, so I hated him.
But in time, I started to feel like he was on my side.
...This is just a hunch.
...But I guess Kasai used to be in love with my mom.
My dad, mom, and Kasai were in a triangle relationship.
My dad took the lead in the end.
But Kasai couldn't leave my mom entirely, so he stayed as my dad's friend.
( memory twenty-five )
Date: 2018-07-24 03:31 pm (UTC)Rena: "We can make the miracle happen if we work together."
Rena: "Yes. Miracles can happen when we come together."
Rika: "......What if it doesn't happen?"
Rena: "That means we haven't given our best effort yet. If we all do the best we can, a miracle will happen for sure."
Chie-sensei: "That's true. Ryuugu-san is right. People get stronger when they help each other. You can overcome any obstacle when everyone gets together."
Mion: "Yup. Hinamizawa was fated to be submerged under water. But 2,000 people got together and defeated that destiny."
Rika: "Defeat... destiny..."
Mion: "As villagers of Hinamizawa, we all know that miracles do happen. We'll win if we work hard together!"
Shion: "I think you have no choice but to come with us now, Rika-chama. If you don't come, the miracle will not happen. Your absence will prevent it from happening."
Keiichi: "Rena told me yesterday. You can never come up with a solution if you think about it all alone. We have to talk this out together. Don't let fate get the better of you. Destiny is as fragile as a thin sheet of paper!"
Rika: "......Interesting. I'll go with you guys..."
Keiichi: "That's more like you, Rika-chan!"
( memory twenty-six ) cw: nail gore
Date: 2018-08-09 05:55 pm (UTC)Mion: "So, Shion... How do you propose to pay for this?"
Shion: "P-pay...? What do you want me to do...?"
Nothing seems scarier than being told to pay when you're standing next to these horrid looking torture tools.
...I'm completely shaken up.
I can't move, trembling. Mion sees that and whispers to grandma.
...Grandma nods.
Mion summons young minions and gives them an order.
They bring one of the torture tools hanging from the wall.
...They set a table in front of me and put the tool on it.
Shion: "......What is... this......?"
Mion: "......It's a tool to peel your fingernails. Do you know how to use it...?"
Shion: "N-no way..."
I look at the tool while shaking.
It looks like a giant nail clipper.
......Probably... you put the part that looks like a beak between your finger and fingernail, then it'll open if you squeeze the handle.
The chills run up my spine when I imagine that...
Mion: "Each fingernail represents one of your responsibilities...... Sonozaki Shion, no matter which ones you choose, peel three by yourself."
Three...... One for Kasai, one for uncle Yoshirou, and... the rest for Satoshi-kun.
...The number seems realistic.
Shion: "Are you... really going to waive the other's punishments...?"
Mion: ".............."
Shion: "Promise me... Please let them go if I do this..."
Mion: "This is a punishment, not a negotiation. If you don't like this procedure..."
Shion: "I'll do it!! Just give me a second...... I'm doing it..."
I put my little finger to the tool while shaking badly...
If the fingernail was shorter, it'd be harder.
......The metal beak captures my little finger beautifully.
Then the subordinates stabilize my left hand with another fettering tool.
......It seems reasonable because my finger would slip out if it wasn't fettered like this.
As the subordinates buckle up the leather straps, I realize that this is really happening, and there's no escape.
Somewhere in my mind, I've been still expecting that they might forgive me just by the gesture.
I shouldn't be naive like that...
The emotion I was hiding appears in the form of tears and keeps rolling down my cheeks.
I feel like my emotion is squeezed out until the very last drip.
...And something more horrifying follows.
It's this silence that awaits my next action.
Shion: ".......So ....... What should I do now.........?"
One of the subordinates points to the handle, and tells me to either squeeze or hit it.
......He recommends that it'd be easier if I bang it to make it quick.
Nobody says anything anymore.
There's nothing but the sound of my sweat dropping onto the floor.
The people are staring at me silently, waiting for me to execute the punishment.
...Grandma and Mion... they're also anticipating it.
......I could refuse to do it.
...But that means I won't pay up.
This punishment is done to keep things only to myself.
...If I refused, the people who helped me would have to suffer.
Shion: "Huff...... huff...... hah...... hah......"
I start breathing heavily...
I know. If I do this, the others will go free. This should be a good deal.
...If it wasn't me, it wouldn't be just three fingernails.
......If it was Kasai, he'd have to sacrifice his finger, or even something worse.
I know. I know that.
It was my selfish desire to get away from the school.
Why does Kasai have to suffer because of that?
I know, I know.
Why does uncle Yoshirou have to suffer because he provided me with a job?
Shion: "Huff...... huff...... huff...... huff!"
I understand that grandma and the other relatives still hate the Houjous...
So, I don't know what they'd do to Satoshi-kun if I didn't do this...
......Would they bring Satoshi-kun here and tell him to do the same?
......Would they tell him to peel his fingernails in exchange for forgiving me?
Shion: "......Huff...... huff...... huff...... huff... huff!"
...He'd do it.
......He'd sacrifice himself with no hesitation in order to save others.
My sweat drips onto the table through my nose.
......I'm doing it... yes...
......It's just three fingernails.
......It may hurt a lot, but I won't die. The fingernails will grow again. It won't leave a huge scar...
I shouldn't be afraid.
...This punishment is minimal because it's me.
If I refused to do this, the others would be punished more severely...
I can't let that happen to Kasai, uncle Yoshirou... or Satoshi-kun...
I have to keep it just with myself.....
So...... so I need to bear the pain......
Shion: "Hah...... ahh...... oww...... ahh......!"
I'm not just breathing heavily anymore.
I'm moaning faintly, ready to scream in any moment.
That's right... make it quick.
This isn't torture, so I don't have to prolong the painful moment.
......I should do it in one action. That way, the pain and fear will be minimal......!
......I raise my right arm.
Quick, quick.
The pain should be less if I do it in one stroke.
...It'd be much more painful if I messed it up.
Shion: "Hah... hah! Hahh!!"
I hold my breath.
I feel as if my body is frozen. I'm choking. The chills creep up my spine.
Don't be afraid, Shion.
...Fingernails are just a fraction of the whole body. It's just one square centimeter...... I can do this. I can bear it.
Shion: "Whooooooaaaaahhh!!"
I smack my right hand onto the handle of the tool.
Shion: "............Tsssk!!!!"
I hear the noise through my body instead through my ears. At the same time, I feel a pain I've never experienced before. A moment later, the pain pulsates with my heartbeat.
Shion: "......Ooooohhhh...... oooohhhhh!!!"
I clench my teeth.
I feel like my teeth are cracking! I tightly shut my eyes until my eyeballs get squeezed up!!
The pain won't fade.
Rather, it swells with the blood pressure. I feel as though it's bloating like a balloon.
Timidly... I open my eyes.
......I find my little finger is not really drenched in blood. It's bleeding, but not much. It doesn't add up to the pain.
The fingernail is... open just like an open car hood...... I can't believe what I'm seeing. I'm overwhelmed.
I realize that I've done only one of three times.
...Do I have to repeat this two more times?
Do I have to peel my ring and middle fingers as well...?
I look at grandma and Mion, begging for mercy.
......But they're silently staring at me, as if the show has just started.
I see no sense of mercy in their eyes.
...They won't change their minds.
Since they said three, it's got to be three!
They won't forgive me until I peel two more fingernails...!
Shion: "......Mion...... here, isn't this enough...? This really hurts, you know that? You see that in my eyes, don't you? It really... hurts...... Heh heh... heh heh heh heh......"
Mion answers me with a still cold look.
Mion: "......Shion... You can't go on?"
She doesn't mean that it's enough.
...What she means is that the others would have to take the rest if I didn't.
I know that... I know!
Shion: "I... I'll do it!!! This is easy...!! You sadists!! Hah... hah!! This doesn't scare me, this doesn't hurt... Ahhhhhhhh...!!!"
I move the metal beak and set it on my ring finger quickly.
...And I smack it with no hesitation.
...Maybe I was just rushing instead of making it fast because of the fear.
I messed up.
The torture tool clipped just the top of my fingernail.
But the pain is equal. I can't believe it only chipped it.
......Do I have to do it again?
Do I have to peel the nail from my ring finger again...? Again...? Again......?!
Mion: "............Shion?"
Shion: "No...... hikk...... I don't want to do it!!!"
I can't bear it anymore... I start crying shamelessly.
Shion: "I can't take it anymore!! It's too painful...!! Forgive me, please!! I'm sorry. I apologize. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!"
The don't seem to hear my voice.
...It feels as though there's an invisible barrier between them and me.
They show no mercy. They're just here to witness this ritual.
So, they look amazed by my mess rather than sympathetic.
Mion walks up to me... and whispers to my crying face.
Mion: "......Shion...... there's just a bit more to go. Hang in there."
Shion: "No, no, no, no!! I can't do this!! It really hurts! It really does!! Hikk... ooh... waaaahhhh!! Ahhhhhh!!"
Mion shakes her head, then signals the subordinates.
......They come behind my back.
The cover my head with something like a knit cap. It's a blindfold.
Then, one of them gets a full nelson on me.
Shion: "No, stop it! Noooooo!!!"
I can't overpower this guy behind me.
Then I feel something strange on my left hand.
...The other guy is doing something with the torture tool.
...He... puts the metal beak between my ring finger and its fingernail......
Shion: "Noooooo!!! Mom, help me...... mooooomm!! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!"
I can't really move my left hand because it's fettered.
...But the guy pushes it down until it hurts. My hand can't even tremble in fear.
...They have no hesitation.
I get to know how merciless people can be.
I can only clench my teeth in this blindfold.
But there's only one thing I'm thankful of.
......It's the fact that the guy peeled the remaining two fingernails cleanly.
Pain and screaming might induce narcotic chemicals in the brain...... I start losing my consciousness while screaming......
( memory twenty-seven )
Date: 2018-09-01 06:42 am (UTC)Also as a note: this particular memory is written in Keiichi's perspective, and the inner monologues should be ignored.
Shion: "Sorry to keep you waiting... Ehehe... I'm finally done."
It was Shion, who had changed into her street clothes.
She flashed a smile while greeting me.
Keiichi: "Thank you so much for today. Everything was delicious. We were all really happy with it."
Shion: "Oh no, don't mention it. ...but I'm glad everybody had fun. Huh? That girl that was just here left as well?"
Keiichi: "She had some shopping to do. She said she was sorry for leaving without saying anything."
Shion: "I see. ...Well then, should we leave as well? Even though I'm off-duty, I'm still nervous around the workplace. ☆"
We ended up strolling around without any destination in particular.
I had been sitting the entire time, so I was in need of a breath of fresh air.
When we left, the sky had already become draped in a veil of darkness.
Shion: "Aaaaahh. It's gotten dark already. ...Even though I promised I'd be finished early."
Shion seemed upset that there wasn't much time left.
Shion: "Oh well. At least we've got a little time to chat like this."
Saying that, Shion set out for the tree-lined boulevard behind the station.
The front of the station was slowly becoming crowded with businessmen heading home.
Shion: "Well then. I guess I should start with an introduction. ...I was mistaken for my sister when we first met, so we never got to properly introduce ourselves."
I could only smile and laugh wryly.
Shion: "My name is Shion Sonozaki. I'm only similar to my older sister in appearance. My sister is rough around the edges and hot-headed, but I'm a composed and methodical person."
I remembered what Rena and I had been talking about earlier.
I said that they looked the same but their personalities were different, while Rena said they were both the same.
I don't know what tipped her off, but Rena figured out that Shion was Mion.
Also, related to that, she said that I had hurt Mion.
Rena had given only one hint.
That was: why is Mion pretending to be Shion?
Keiichi: "Shion, what did you hear about me from Mion?"
Shion: "My sister seems to have taken a liking to you. She talks about you quite a bit. Like about club activities, about getting pranked and pranking you back. Boyish kinds of stories. ...You really do get along."
'Boyish kind of stories', huh.
Come to think of it, I think there was something Shion told me before.
"Kei-chan, you don't think of my sister as a girl, do you~?"
...Was that... was that what happened that hurt Mion?
Mion herself said that she wished she'd been born a boy, and that being a girl didn't suit her. She said a lot of things to that effect, didn't she...?
Shion: "...Kei-chan, you look like you're having fun."
Keiichi: "Huh? ...Ah, no! That's not true."
Shion: "Even though you're bad at hiding things, you sure like to lie, don't you? Still, I don't hate you for it."
Saying that, she lightly chopped my forehead.
...Even though Shion was enjoying herself, I was still trying to figure out how I had hurt Mion. I was having a hard time figure out the riddle that Rena had left me with...
Shion: "Hey, see that? Don't you think it's pretty? You think even a guy would find it pretty?"
Keiichi: "Hmmm... yeah, it is pretty!"
Shion was having fun window shopping, dragging me by all sorts of stores I would normally never enter.
It wasn't like she was begging me to buy her anything, and I wasn't getting bored, either.
It was just something to talk about as we walked around.
In an easy-going way, we browsed through numerous stores.
We discussed all sorts of topics I knew nothing about, but I didn't lose interest. I had the feeling she was good at conversation.
Shion: "Kei-chan, is this your first time doing this kind of thing?"
Keiichi: "Yeah, it is. If somebody didn't bring me into these accessory shops, I don't think I'd set foot in one my entire life."
Shion: "...Not that... I meant, more like this."
Bwah!?
I leapt back when Shion suddenly linked her arm with mine.
Shion: "Hey... you don't have to act so surprised. It's not so embarrassing to link arms with a girl, is it?"
Shion's expression was a little bit miffed, but suggestive at the same time.
Keiichi: "I-I-I-I-I'm not that embarrassed! If you want some arms I can spare one or two. ...Here!"
Shion: "Hehehe...! Kei-chan, you really know how to entertain someone. I see why my sister took a liking to you."
Keiichi: "I-If you don't want my arm, I'm taking it back!"
Shion: "Ahahahaha! Awww, c'mon~. I'm happy to have it~!"
Laughing in good spirits, Shion locked her arm with mine. ...My heart skipped a beat.
Shion: "This question might be a bit mean, but I want to enjoy seeing your reaction. Kei-chan, have you ever been arm-in-arm with a girl before? Around a bonfire at a field trip doesn't count, by the way."
...That little devil!! She was asking that question knowing full well what the answer would be!
Keiichi: "...Well, if field trips are out... ...This is rough."
Shion: "Hehehehe...!! I thought as much~."
Keiichi: "That impish laugh, it really is the same as Mion's! You really are Shion, right? You're not just Mion saying that you're Shion, are you?"
Shion: "Are you thinking that my sister might pretend to be me?"
Keiichi: "I thought you were twins until just now, but that way you mess around is just like Mion!"
Shion: "You're just saying that. You can tell us apart easily."
Keiichi: "What do you mean by that?"
Shion: "If my sister was holding your arm like this, would you get nervous?"
Keiichi: "I would. I'd be completley on edge worrying about when she would go for an armlock."
Shion: "Ahahahahaha!"
Shion laughed so hard she had to hold on to her sides.
Keiichi: "Hey, hey, is really that funny? You're tearing up."
Shion: "No, no... It's just... I was just thinking about how hopeless my sister is. She isn't even able to get a young man hot and bothered while she's arm in arm with him. She really is a failure as a woman."
I remembered once again that I'd heard someone say that before.
Shion: "Sometimes I think that my sister would have been better off if she'd been born as a boy. ...If she did, I might have fallen for her. Just kidding~! Ahahahaha!"
Keiichi: "...Mion did say something about wanting to be born a boy."
Shion: "My sister is on the fence as to whether she wants to be a boy or a girl. Well, it's the price she pays for living an awkward lifestyle. Just leave her be."
Keiichi: "You've been saying some pretty harsh things about your sister right now."
Shion: "Mion has some soft parts to her that I don't like."
The way that Shion talked somehow sounded cold.
Keiichi: "Shion, do you not get along with Mion?"
Shion: "Well, we get along well enough. Still, there's a few things for which I can't forgive her for, as her sister. ...Hey, look at that! Don't you think it's cute...?"
I turned around to look at where Shion was pointing... what was there was the familiar display window of a toy shop.
The same shop that was the stage for the incident that occurred during last Sunday's club activities.
What Shion was pointing at was a display with a plethora of adorable dolls that looked like the sort girls would like.
Keiichi: "I wonder why girls like these kinds of things."
Shion: "It's because they're cute. Don't you think they're cute, Kei-chan?"
Keiichi: "...I'm a man, so I don't really get that vibe."
Shion: "Now, now. Which one do you think is the cutest out of all these, Kei-chan?"
Shion, pulling on my arm, motioned to the row of dolls.
.. They were lined up like they were close sisters taking a commemorative photo.
A few of them seemed strangely familiar.
Keiichi: "...I've seen those four over there somewhere."
Shion: "Oh, I guess they really are famous... if even you know about them."
Shion sounded impressed.
Shion: "These are new dolls that were just brought in from England. They still have some available here, but around the cities they have trouble keeping them on the shelves. Even though they're supposed to be inexpensive, it seems they're starting to come at a premium."
Keiichi: "I guess girls still like these kinds of things even as they grow up."
Shion: "It depends on the person, but I think that girls who don't like dolls and stuffed animals are pretty few and far between. Even my tomboy of a sister said these were adorable."
Keiichi: "Oh? Even Mion says they're adorable. That is pretty amazing."
That's right, I just remembered.
The store owner gave this one to us after Sunday's event.
Except for Mion, who was a relative, everybody had gotten something.
Shion: "I really do think that one's the best... That frilly dress really gives it something..."
Keiichi: "...That's it. That's the one the shop owner gave to me."
Shion: "So it seems."
Shion replied softly, but clearly.
Shion: "Uncle Yoshirou gave those out as thanks for helping liven things up at Sunday's event. It seems he gave them to the four friends my sister brought along. So, you got the doll with the dress then. ...What did you think? It was really cute, right?"
...As a man, there's no way I'd think it was cute.
Shion: "So, what did you do with the doll?"
Keiichi: "I wasn't really going to do anything with it, so I gave it to someone."
"To who?"
As Shion laughed, I could hear an audible click run through my head, like the piece of jigsaw puzzle snapping into place...
[...]
Shion: "...If I said I wanted it, ...Kei-chan... would you buy it for me...?"
Mion said it quietly, doing her best to quell her embarrassment.
I would have reflexively begun to lightly tease her to hide my embarrassment...
...but like Mion, I quelled that impulse.
Keiichi: "Okay, Mion. ...As thanks for everything until today, I'll buy you whichever one you want."
My voice cracked with the unfamiliar words.
In order to not lose to Mion trying her best, I tried my best as well.
Shion: "B-But, ...I'm not Mion, I'm Shion..."
Keiichi: "...Shion, then. I'll buy it for you, Shion."
Shion looked down. Red-faced, she pointed at the doll in the dress through the store window.
Shion: "Is... Is... ......Is it really okay? The one in the dress... is a little expensive, isn't it?"
Keiichi: "...This isn't a matter of price. This is a matter of feelings."
Shion: "When I... was saved by Kei-chan from those unsavory customers today... I was really happy. ...Even though my co-workers didn't save me, Kei-chan did. ...You grabbed me by the shoulder really firmly, right...? Right then... you were really cool. Even then... I was so embarrassed, I couldn't properly express my gratitude..."
I clamped my head down on Shion's head, and ruffled her hair roughly. ...Like how I would to Rena and the others.
When I did that, Shion, like Rena would have, spaced out and blushed slightly...
Keiichi: "You don't have to think too hard about it. ...I should have just given it to you back then. If I did that, then everybody would have had a good laugh."
...Shion didn't respond.
She had turned bright red, like she was trying to hold back both laughter and tears.
Keiichi: "I'll go buy it for you right now. Wait right there."
Shion: "Ah... I-I'll go with you."
Saying that, she grabbed onto my arm once again. ...She wasn't trying to be stoic any more.
Shion: "...I think I know why... my sister likes you. ......Hey. ...Is it all right... ... If I start to like you a bit too, Kei-chan?"
( memory twenty-eight )
Date: 2018-10-08 06:21 pm (UTC)Shion: "...Wh-why don't you let me go now?! I... already apologized..."
i talk back with a little hesitation...
Am I getting tears yet...? Yes!
By the way, I heard men cannot shed tears at their own will... I feel sorry for them.
These three punks falter a bit because I suddenly changed my attitude. But they soon start yelling at me again.
I have to keep it going.
That way they'll obviously look like they're picking on a helpless girl...
Shion: "...Please...... forgive me...... hikk...... hikk... ooh...!"
Hooligan 1: "Wh-what's with that?! Wh-why did you suddenly become like that?!"
"And why did I suddenly start speaking in a normal way?"
Shion: "...I... don't... hikk... huff... ooohh..."
Hooligan 2: "......You should've been like that from the beginning!"
Oh, looks like they slowed down a bit... Did I overdo it a little?
It'd be boring if they let me go now...
...At that moment--
Satoshi: "Cu... cut it out...! Don't you see her crying?! Stop it...!!"
It's a boy about my age.
He's skinny.
He looks weak.
He looks younger than he probably is.
He also looks smart. He's bravely glaring at these punks.
Hooligan 1: "What the hell...?! What the fuck are ya?!!"
Hooligan 2: "Fuck off, arrghhhh!!!"
The punks leave me and face the boy instead.
The boy looks a bit agitated when the punks yell at him.
Those punks are 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.
Hooligan 3: "Say something!! Why doncha answer us?!!"
Satoshi: "......................"
He must want to shout back at them.
... But he's probably never used that kind of language in his life.
So he can't express his feelings out loud. He may not even know what to say.
So he just keeps glaring at them.
To let them know he's not going anywhere.
But those three guys might think that he's just lost for words in fear.
But it is obvious to me.
......The boy is overpowering them with his willpower.
......The punks are losing.
So, they resort to violence.
*bam!* *smack!* *slam!*
They grab him and knock him down. Then they hit, kick, and toss him around.
...It looks painful. But I know.
He is the one who's winning.
In the end, the people passing by stop the punks.
The punks make no further fuss and just go away.
......The boy stands up. He's covered with dust.
He smiles when our eyes meet, and asks me if I'm all right.
......You don't look like you're okay to me, though.
( memory twenty-nine )
Date: 2018-10-18 05:17 pm (UTC)Shion: "Oh, he did it. He's good when he's calm."
Irie: "He used to get tired easily in the beginning. Ha ha ha ha. He has improved so much since then."
Shion: "......He looks kind of like a bookworm. I wonder why he started playing baseball in the first place..."
All the kids who joined the baseball team love baseball.
They go out to play baseball in fields outside of practice. That's why they're apt for it.
But sis never told me that Satoshi-kun exercises intensively in school or anywhere else. He just likes to read.
I don't understand why he started playing for this team...
Irie: "Ahahahahaha. That's because I invited him into this team."
Shion: "Is that so? You recruited him? ...Did you find some sort of talent in him?"
Irie: "Uh, excuse me. Can I have a cup of barley tea? ......Ah, thank you."
Irie asks for tea in a suspicious manner.
...He's constantly joking around, but I know he's actually a very mature person.
I think he's trying to evade my question.
Shion: "...Is there a particular reason?"
Irie pretends he didn't hear me, but I insist. Then he shrugs and starts answering the question.
Irie: "......I think you might be able to guess."
...What would Sonozaki Mion guess?
......I search through the data on Satoshi-kun quickly...
I come up with Satoshi-kun's family background.
He lost his parents in an accident a year ago.
Since then, he's been having a tough time at his uncle's home.
Shion: "......So, you invited him so that he could vent?"
Irie: "Sports are great. You can emancipate yourself by exercising. I thought that as long as he concentrated on something else, he could forget about his trouble at home."
Shion: "......Um... you know he's usually sort of a daydreamer... zoning out all the time... Does he still have stress...?"
I know Satoshi-kun must be suffering even though he doesn't look like it.
But Sonozaki Mion never pays attention to that. So I have to act like that.
Irie: "Satoshi-kun got really sick after his uncle took him into his custody. He had many clinical symptoms, but the causes were unknown."
Satoshi-kun often got sick after he was taken into his taken into his uncles custody.
He suffered from fatigue and migraines.
And lack of energy, and sleeplessness.
......The manager, I mean Dr. Irie, soon realized that 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.
Irie: "Houjou-san cannot express himself freely. Crying, being agitated, he's not good at handling those emotions."
Shion: "......That's true. I can't imagine him being angry or crying..."
Irie: "...Did you know Houjou-san's mother had been married a few times?"
Shion: "......Yeah, I know a little about that."
Satoshi-kun's mother married a number of men over the years.
That means Satoshi-kun had several stepfathers.
He had to deal with strangers coming into his home multiple times, so he was forced to be mature.
Irie: "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 a short time."
Shion: "......That doesn't sound right."
Irie: "Children have to behave like children in order to grow... There's nothing good about being forced to be an adult."
The relationship between Satoko and her aunt is conspicuously terrible, and I heard that the relationships with the previous stepfathers weren't good either.
Satoko always caused problems...
Satoshi-kun would always step in to protect her.
Irie: "......I thought his physical symptoms came from the stress. His body was trying to warn him."
That's why Irie invited Satoshi-kun into his baseball team.
He told Satoshi that he needed a new member for the team... something like that.
Irie: "He hesitated at first... but as 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..."
Sports worked excellent for Satoshi-kun.
His health got better quickly, 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 course of the ball.
Shion: "...Ah, I can imagine that. He likes to read, so he must have been reading a book titled 'How to Play Baseball' or something like that."
Irie: "He's become a good batter very quickly. He made a lot of efforts...... Though I wish he could make a hit in critical situations too... Hahahahaha."
Shion: "Are you guys close?"
Irie: "I think so... He talks to me about his problems, so I guess that's a sign of trust."
I feel a bit jealous. That's because Irie sounds confident.
Satoshi-kun and I are friends, but we're not so close that we open up and talk about each other's problems...
Irie: "......Oh, are you jealous?"
Shion: "Ehh?! ......About what?!"
I'm taken aback and I blush.
Irie starts laughing.
Irie: "......Please stay as his good friend."
Shion: "W-well, yeah... ahahahaha. I'm trying... ha ha ha..."
I don't know what I'm saying.
no subject
Date: 2018-10-20 06:37 pm (UTC)[ reference link ]
As a note: since Meakashi-hen does skip over it, I'll be posting a reply under this memory about what Shion said in the conversation as well which is from Watanagashi-hen.
It took them a long time to come to me.
I had to wait until the following morning.
I open the gate without checking who is ringing the doorbell.
I don't even care who's at the door.
If it's the police, that's fine with me.
If it's Kei-chan... I wonder if he can fight me.
I see Keiichi and Rena.
Shion: "...What brought you here at this strange hour? ...What happened to school?"
Rena: "......We skipped school today."
Shion: "...I see. .......I know Kei-chan would, but you too, Rena? You guys are bad."
I laugh.
Shion: "......We can talk inside. Come on in."
I didn't think Rena would come.
I thought it would be either the police or Kei-chan by himself.
I will try to trick Kei-chan to come down to the underground shrine storage.
Rena, why don't you try to figure out what I'm trying to do and stop me?
You too, Kei-chan. If you figured out I was Shion, why don't you try to figure out the rest?
I will act like a demon.
I will struggle until the very last moment.
So don't hold back.
Please don't hesitate to kill a filthy demon like me.
Keiichi: ".........Mion...... I have to......... apologize first."
Shion: "......You? ...For what?"
Keiichi: "......In the night of Watanagashi...... I sneaked into the shrine storage..."
Shion: "..........."
I didn't expect this to start with an apology.
Okay, so he admits his crime of going into the shrine storage.
I guess that's manly of him.
At this point, I don't care if the shrine storage is forbidden. Whatever.
That came from those who believe it's a sacred place.
Keiichi: "......Mion... You called Rika-chan and Satoko here the day before yesterday, didn't you?"
Shion: "...............I don't remember that. Why do you think so...?"
Rena: "Right before dinner time... Rika-chan must've come here with an empty soy sauce bottle, to get some soy sauce from you."
Rena talks with confidence.
She isn't even trying to see my reaction. She is simply telling the truth.
That almost makes me feel good.
Shion: ".........What makes you think so?"
Rena: "...It's not that hard to come up with that. You saw Rika-chan's room too, right?"
Shion: "Hmm? ...Mmm."
Rena: "......They prepared cold tofu but there was no soy sauce. And the big bottle that was supposed to be under the sink was gone, too."
Shion: ".......Ahahahahaha. What? HOw can that be the reason they came here?
Rena is sharp.
I try to beat around the bush, but she's confident.
She is cornering me.
She is doing such a great job. It makes me feel good.
Okay, demon. Rena knows what she is talking about... What kind of an excuse are you going to come up with now?
Rena: "......I have to skip the explanation because it's going to be long...... But what I saw in the fridge told me what you talked about."
That's it. This game is over.
Rena... I was right about you. I don't like you.
You are really sharp.
Shion is obtuse, so she doesn't even know this side of you.