Before I start, I need to say that I made a few mistakes in the last post, I claimed that the following episodes, including this one, no longer had meaningful choices, but that's only half-right. There is only one route for these episodes, but there are some choices that can give FOAF entries or keywords. Additionally, there will also be much more game-overs from now, completely contradicting what I said. I'm sorry if I set up false expectations.
But anyway, I've got (potentially) good news! Hayarigami 1, 2, and 3 will be remastered and rereleased to modern consoles!
Personally, I have some doubts about whether it'll be localized by NIS America since they skipped out on Shin Hayarigami, but it's still possible, and if it does happen, I'll probably stop updating this blog, or just skip over to Shin Hayarigami.
Either way, now we'll learn about Kirisaki's backstory, including his possible previous connections to the Archival Office, and of the tragedy that struck his real family. Let's begin, shall we?
I've made a habit of smoking Shien-brand cigarettes only during that day.
I wonder how much time has passed since this became an annual event?
[The file reads "Metropolitan Police Department--- Subject Kiri---"]
That file, which I store in the bottom drawer of my desk...
The same type of file that Junya's office archives...
The opening page reads "Top Secret".
Below that, it says, "Subject Kiri..." but the text beyond "Kiri" has been too scraped to read...
However...
This file is very important to me... I know that, because...
Once every year, I smoke a "Shien". On the anniversary... of my real parents' death...
Seeing this file always dredges up memories.
Nostalgic memories of boyhood, unfitting of me.
And, a reminiscence... of my first experience with the occult...
The story goes back to when I was in junior high...
[Flashback]
I was in the park with my childhood friend {Atsuko},
her friend {Miku},
and the class' number one {occult maniac}, {Taino}.
That day, we were making a bet. During recess, Taino brought up a rumor called "Satoru-kun"... Here is the gist of the rumor.
If you call a certain number from the {phone booth} in the park, you will be connected to a person named {Satoru-kun}.
Then, if you inquire about {future information} you desire to know, he'll tell you the answer.
We four came to ascertain whether or not that rumor was true.
Taino is the only one who is in favor of the rumor. The remaining three are deniers.
The odds are overwhelmingly stacked against Taino, but... he apparently doesn't seem to care. He believes the rumors wholeheartedly.
Taino is a well-known occult enthusiast in the school. He always collects strange rumors and occult stories and shares them with the class.
For example, there having a secret in the TV static, or the legends of facing a mirror on Friday the 13th... Or even the story that if you turn your head to the left when someone taps your left shoulder, you'll die...
It was Taino's role in the class to gather all kinds of gossip and urban legends and then present them. He seemed to be aware of this, too...
This rumor, too, seems to be a story that Taino has just learned. But, looking at his serious eyes, I even feel that the rumors are true.
But the way this guy looks... I still don't get it. How he's wearing winter clothes on this hot-as-hell day is beyond my comprehension.
"So, who's gonna call?" Taino asked with a sincere expression.
"Well... I'll do it." Spoke Miku Harada.
Miku Harada was Atsuko's {best friend}.
Although she had a reputation for bad behavior at school, Atsuko wasn't someone who cared about such things. They have been best friends since kindergarten.
Miku was wearing a pretty {pendant} around her neck. I think Atsuko told me the meaning of this pendant a long time ago, but...
I forgot. At any rate, it was some kind of keepsake... Something like that.
Why did she behave so badly? Although speculation abounds, the correct answer seems to be that Miku was at odds with her parents.
Her family environment is something that she has no control over. So, I don't think Miku is responsible...
Still, that would be for those around her to judge. It's like the question of whether the egg or the chicken came first. We don't know where the responsibility lies.
The evening is gradually fading into dusk. Only the buzzing of cicadas echoes in my ears.
[Click click]
Miku enters the phone booth and puts the receiver to her ear. Taino pushed in the number.
"Ah, it connected!"
"See? Just like I said, right? Now, Miku, hurry up and say it..."
"Y-yeah... Satoru-kun, please come..."
Ridiculous... How can you believe such a story? Foreseeing the future? Furthermore, by a person we don't even know the face of?
Thinking scientifically, there could be no such thing. All events of this world should be able to be explained logically. However, this cannot.
Therefore, it's highly likely that the story itself is a complete lie. Anything that cannot be explained scientifically is a lie. That is my pet theory.
"Did something happen, Miku?"
"......" Miku had an anxious look on her face. I wonder if something went wrong?
"What's wrong, Miku...?" Despite Atsuko's questioning, Miku had no reply.
I wonder what's going on in the phone call? Atsuko also started looking at Miku anxiously. "......"
"Did something go wrong? Miku! Say something! Ask about the future you want to know!"
"......"
"It won't work if you're not fast, Miku. Look, you have something you want to know, right? ...Then, tell him quick!"
"......"
[Click]
"What's the matter? Why did the phone hang up without you saying anything...? S-Satoru-kun will feel offended... I'm sure..." Taino held himself tightly with a worried expression.
You don't have to be so scared. It's a lie anyway.
"......"
"What's wrong? Miku... You look pale..."
"......" Miku turns our way while still looking dazed. What the hell happened?
"...He didn't tell me anything..."
"Eh?"
"...I couldn't hear anything from the phone."
"T-that's impossible!"
"It's true. The phone was connected to someone, but I don't know... All I could hear was something like a ventilation fan."
"...Really?"
"Yeah, really. Taino, I guess we win the bet. Those rumors were lies, like we said..."
"Too bad, Taino."
"Khhh, that can't be true! Okay, now I'll make the call! And then, Satoru-kun will answer, alright?"
"Nope. You only get one chance to win." I treated him coldly.
"......"
"Well then, make sure you remember to carry my, Atsuko's, and Miku-chan's bags for the opening ceremony."
"...Argh! I can't believe this..."
"Don't be a sore loser."
"Khh! That's it, isn't it? I bet that's why Satoru-kun didn't say anything, because Miku has no future!"
Taino says this with a bright red face, shaking his hands in the air.
"Come on! Satoru-kun was a lie, wasn't it? That's our win!!!"
"But... Satoru-kun absolutely does exist! You're the liar here, Miku!"
"What did I lie about? Are you stupid?"
"I'm leaving. I don't feel so good."
"You're not going home like that! I'll never accept defeat!"
"Taino-kun... Please stop already." Atsuko stopped him seeming uneasy.
"No! This is a matter of my good name! When you called Satoru-kun first, did you properly say what you needed to say?"
"...Are you stupid? I'm really leaving now." Having said that, Miku really left.
Atsuko looks at her anxiously. "We should go home too, right, Atsuko?"
"Yeah, I guess so. Let's do that..."
"Bye, Taino." I waved my hand with my back turned to Taino.
"Kh... Come one, wait! Kirisaki! Atsuko!"
"Bye-bye, Taino." Atsuko apologetically waves her hand and bids farewell.
Thus we left the park behind. When I looked back, I saw that Taino was making a phone call to someone. Is he trying to prove it by himself?
The spirit is admirable ... but the outcome will be the same. Even though it's already night, I can still hear the cries of cicadas.
The cries of cicadas who have mistaken the electrical lights for the sun...
[Red eyes appear for a split-second]
Metropolitan Police Department Unofficial Case Record Unregistered
"Satoru-kun"
Subject - Suimei Kirisaki
The next day... We were attending a funeral now.
[The lanterns in the CG read "mourning"]
Miku was {murdered} by someone... We received the first report last night.
It was no more than a few hours after that time when we were playing around.
Dad received a call from the police and was told that a {classmate} of mine had apparently been murdered.
At the time, it never occurred to me that it could have been Miku.
She had looked so cheerful just a few hours ago... No way... It felt extremely unreal.
The inside of my head was riddled with question marks of "Why?".
Miku was murdered? By who? Why? How is Miku different from yesterday?
It was the first time I experienced that thing called a 'person's death'... There was no sense of reality.
Not even the reality that I'm attending a funeral could change that. Even though I saw Miku's body right in front of me...
It was like watching a movie, or from a third party's perspective, or some such feeling.
Let me tell you more about last night's events. Yes, let's talk about the night Miku was murdered...
[Fade to black]
Once I heard the first report, I hurried to the park.
When I arrived at the scene, the place was packed with police and adults. I saw a group of adults sitting in a circle right next to the phone booth. There, huh...
I waded through the crowd and into the center... There I found Miku, her being completely changed.
"Miku...chan...?"
And, to the side of Miku's body, I saw Atsuko. Although covered, the damage to Miku's body was easily comprehensible.
Atsuko's eyes are full of tears. "K-Kirisaki-kun..."
"Atsuko... Why are you here? I called you earlier..."
"...I'm sorry. I just happened to be taking a walk in the park. That's when... I found Miku's body... I really didn't know what to do..."
"So that's what happened..."
But why was Atsuko visiting this park again? Not only is it way too late for a walk, she shouldn't be out at this hour in the first place...
"Ah... Kirisaki-kun..."
Turning around, I noticed that {Miku's mother} was there. "Ah..."
"I'm sorry... At this late hour..."
"N-no, it's not a problem." If I were an adult, what would I say to her in such a situation...? I... couldn't think of the right words then.
"...How did Miku get like this?"
"...I don't know. It turned to night and she suddenly said she was going to the park... Then she ran off... Saying she was going to call someone..."
"...Call someone?"
"So she said... And then... She was attacked by someone here... And hit in the head..."
It was right then that Miku's mother broke down crying.
That was only natural.
Miku was an only child, as I recall. Having lost her precious {sole daughter}, it was inevitable that she would become like this.
That reminds me... Where is Miku's father?
It seems he didn't come, even though his own daughter became like this. I looked around but didn't see anyone who could've been him.
Maybe... this was the cause of Miku's poor behavior.
I know it's none of my business, but I couldn't help but imagine such a thing.
"Oh! Kirisaki! You're already here!"
"Ah, Taino..."
"Something... really bad happened, huh..."
"Yeah..."
"I was shocked... I still can't believe it..."
"I got so panicked I ended up bringing this with me..." Taino had brought the class' emergency contact list.
After all, this is the rumorphile Taino. He must have been the first to report this fact through the class communication network. But I can't help but feel grateful.
Atsuko continued staying by Miku's side, her eyes fixed on her tragic form.
But... for Atsuko, her best friend, to be the {first to find} her... Fate is too cruel.
[Fade to black]
And so... today is the funeral service.
"Hey... Kirisaki..." Taino, who was standing next to me, spoke to me in a whisper. What the hell could he want to talk about at a time like this?
"In the end... I guess what I said yesterday was right, wasn't it?"
"...What you said yesterday?"
"Yeah, when we called "Satoru-kun"."
"......"
"Miku said Satoru-kun didn't say anything, yeah? Surely... it's because she had no future... it's just like I thought..."
"......" I ignored Taino's comment and spied in Atsuko's direction.
Atsuko's eyes were swollen and bloodshot as she hung her head.
Atsuko... I wonder if she's okay...? I hope she's not under too much emotional stress... Now is not the time for Taino's nonsense.
Meanwhile, the time for burning incense is approaching.
[From what I can tell, at traditional Japanese funerals, all participants offer incense to be burned in a line, so that each person can say a brief prayer for the deceased]
The three of us get up from our seats and line up to burn incense. Right behind us is our P.E. teacher named {Sakurai} and our homeroom teacher, {Ms. Kyouko}.
Ms. Kyouko is the homeroom teacher for the three of us. She mainly holds classes on music.
She may seem a bit plain, but she's still the most popular teacher in the school.
And Sakurai... I've never heard anything good about him. He's mainly in charge of physical education, but his {violent} demeanor...
It has become an object of hatred among the students. He's an incorrigibly violent teacher whose hands come before his words. There's also a rumor about the two of them.
"Hey, Kirisaki, those rumors about them having an {affair}... You think they're true?" Taino says with a grin.
Is this really a good time to talk about that? Although I thought so, this rumor was certainly of great importance to the two of them.
Among the students, some hate Sakurai because of that rumor...
The rumor of Sakurai's and Ms. Kyouko's affair...
All I had heard was gossip on the level of women's weekly magazines, that they had seen the two of them walking together in a friendly manner, or that they had been having secret meetings in the night-duty room....
It was a story passed down among the students as if it were true. The extent to which it's real is highly questionable, however...
"Hey... Apparently, those two had a secret meeting last week... Ono from Class 3 saw it..." How stupid. I poked Taino.
"Ouch, why do that, Kirisaki..."
"Shut it, you..."
"What are you playing at? You're the one who's interested in this stuff, right?"
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested... But that's not the point.
At least, rumors won't bring about any change to my life, so I won't bring change to any rumors.
While I was thinking about this, the line for the burning of incense was gradually advancing, and before I knew it, it was our turn to burn it. Then... [Screen turns red]
...Huh? ...This {gaze}... I can feel someone looking at me... From behind? Or from a different place altogether?
I don't know where it's coming from, but... it's as if the gaze is coiling around my body...
It has a kind of viscous... and dreadful quality... This glare... We're being watched, by someone...
Who could be glaring at us...? It's somewhat disturbing.
This kind of feeling often comes from misapprehensions, but... this is different...
There is definitely... someone watching us... But... I don't know why... Who... for what reason... could be staring at us?
"Kirisaki-kun, it's our turn." Atsuko's voice drags me back to reality.
"...Y-yeah..." The whole time we were burning incense, those eyes were glaring at us.
All the time... from somewhere... staring at us...
[Sign in the background reads, "No Entry"]
"Phew... I'm kinda tired..."
"Really? You worry too much, Kirisaki, just like me..."
"...Ha, I don't want to be like you."
"Wha! Someday, {divine punishment} will fall on you for saying that!"
"...Divine punishment, huh. Have it your way."
"......"
"However, what happened proves my point."
"Huh?"
"About Satoru-kun, I mean."
"......" If you say the same thing to me as in the funeral home, I'll punch you in the face right then and there... At least, I don't want Atsuko to hear it.
"Haha, like I said, Miku had no future..."
"Taino!!"
"W-what, Kirisaki...?"
"Enough of your jokes! How much longer do you have to keep saying these... unscientific things!?"
"You're wrong, Kirisaki."
"How am I wrong!?"
"You're mistaken to try and clearly explain everything with science. There exist... miracles in this world."
This guy... does he not feel any sense of reality from Miku's death? Otherwise, he wouldn't act like that. But, it's the same for me...
We've only ever known Miku as Atsuko's close friend. Is that why her death feels so unreal...?
"I was right after all!" Taino persistently continued.
He had the nerve to take advantage of my lack of retort to get carried away. "Satoru-kun just couldn't have told Miku about the future..."
"Shut up, Taino!!"
I worried for Atsuko. After all, her best friend had just died, she doesn't want to have to hear about that. At least, if I was Atsuko, that's what I would've wanted...
I wouldn't want to hear such things. I would want him to be quiet... That's what I would've hoped for. But, Atsuko was calm to an unexpected degree.
Suddenly, Atsuko spoke.
"Hey... Why don't we go somewhere from here?" ...So she proposed.
What are you thinking, Atsuko...?
What's with the unreasonably cheerful behavior...? It's beyond painful to watch.
I didn't want to look at Atsuko, because, if she's worried about us... She shouldn't be. The ones who should be worried are Taino and me.
"Well then, let's go to the park! It should be fine, right?" Taino spoke with a tone detached from the situation. Atsuko put her hand on her chin, seemingly pondering about something.
But, the park... How can this guy suggest going to the place where Miku died?
"Okay, we're going to the park."
"Eh?"
Atsuko's answer shocked me. I was lost in thought on how to mend this situation, but... To think she would give a yes so easily.
It never occurred to me that she could have already put Miku behind her, at least to a certain extent... I'll try to match her wavelength for now. "...Alright... If Atsuko wants to go..."
"Okay! It's decided! Then, let's meet at the same place just after noon."
"Yeah, that's fine."
"Got it, see you later."
Thus, we headed to our respective homes. But, when I'm alone like this again, I start thinking about Miku, whether I want to or not.
Why did she have to be killed? If it was by some random slasher, then it's just lamentable... But I can't help but feel there's some other reason in this case.
As for Miku herself, she had a sudden change yesterday... around when she called Satoru-kun.
Thinking about a possible cause for her murder, only that comes to mind... But then, I'd have to affirm the existence of the occult...
"And that's out of the question..."
Right, I still don't know much of anything for certain. In the first place, Taino's reasoning that Miku died because she didn't say anything to Satoru-kun is way too unscientific.
That's probably not the case. If such a thing were to be tolerated, all the systems of the world would collapse.
In that case, what about that gaze...?
I noticed it, but what about those two? I should've asked Atsuko and Taino...
Despite summer break having just started, quite a lot of things have happened.
I get the feeling that this summer will turn out a little different from usual...
[Cut to black]
"Wait, Suimei! Sprinkle some salt before you enter." As I entered my home, I heard my mother's high-pitched voice coming from the kitchen.
Purifying salt...? It's highly questionable if doing this will have any sort of effect, but... Well, I can't do much else.
I wave some salt around, then climb the entrance step.
"Mom, has this month's Copernicus been delivered?" I inquire with my mother, who was in the kitchen in front of the entrance.
"Yes, it's in the living room!"
Copernicus is a magazine that covers general science topics. I place my utmost faith in science. There's nothing that science can't figure out.
And this magazine has become a monthly pleasure. I want to be a scientist someday... I want to go to space and look at the Earth... I always dream about such things.
I headed to the living room and found my dad waiting there. {Doumei Kirisaki}. That's my father's name.
I'll be frank, I'm not good with my dad. It's not like he ever raises his hand, or lashes out in an irrational rage, or anything like that.
But that was what worried me. I was always so unsure of what my father, who always quietly smoked a "Shien", was thinking...
What does it say about a father that he is considered invisible for the most part to his own child? This probably isn't the case in other families... I always thought that.
"Oh, Suimei... Today wasn't a good day, was it?" I opened and began to leaf through the Copernicus as I replied.
"...Yeah...I should have stopped..."
"That's... about Satoru-kun... isn't it?"
"Eh? Satoru-kun... You know about that story, Dad?"
"I didn't hear it from you... I just had a hunch."
"...Just a hunch...alright... But, that's about something else. I wish I hadn't made that... weird bet with my friend Taino."
"Bet?"
"Yeah... In the end, this all leads back to Satoru-kun... But I feel like that bet was the beginning of all this."
"I see... However, Suimei."
"......"
"It was going to happen... sooner or later..."
"...It was going to happen...?"
"When you got involved with Satoru-kun... you should have prepared yourself to some extent... No, I should have noticed it..."
"Uhm... But you weren't part of it, Dad."
Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever had this much talk with my dad. To think I'd be able to have such a conversation with him...
But, why is he so familiar... with Satoru-kun...?
"Suimei, you absolutely must not call him. If you don't call... the worst possible situation will be prevented."
"...Uh...Okay. Dad, I'll go out for a little while..."
Analyzing the situation calmly, it felt very awkward, and I left the house with the latest issue of Copernicus in my hand.
"...Satoru-kun is approaching...huh..."
With nowhere to go, I came to the park. I have too much time before I meet with Atsuko and Taino.
I lay down on the grass.
A clear blue sky comes into view. Today's gonna be hot again.
"Oh yeah, my Copernicus..." I got up and opened the magazine.
Police were still inspecting the scene in the distance, but fortunately, the place where we always meet was open.
This is that large a park. It probably would be impossible to shut it all out.
It seems that the police on-scene inspection is continuing quietly. I can't wait for it to be over...
Why do I feel unsettled just because the cops are around, even though I'm not doing anything particularly wrong?
With these thoughts going through my mind, I turn the pages of Copernicus.
"Oh, if it isn't Kirisaki-kun." Raising my head, I see Ms. Kyouko.
"Ah, Ms. Kyouko... Good day."
"Good day to you, too. Why are you in this place?"
"Uh, just waiting for a bit..."
"...I see..."
"Kyouko!" A deep voice came from behind Ms. Kyouko.
Sakurai... That gross guy appeared. "Oh, Kirisaki. Yesterday was terrible, wasn't it?"
"Yeah."
"You guys... don't do anything too dangerous."
"Mh-hm, you shouldn't stretch your wings too far during summer break. You could get yourself in trouble."
"Okay, I understand."
"That's good, then."
"I'll be fine. I'll get away before I get into that kind of danger."
"Fufu, that's very like you, Kirisaki-kun."
"I'm telling you that's not okay!" Sakurai suddenly yelled. This is why I don't like men who are muscle-brained.
"Listen up, Kirisaki! That attitude is too lax!"
"......"
"Hmph, you're always so defiant... I'll remember this behavior." Is that something you say to your students?
Ridiculous... I can't keep spending time dealing with this guy. This is nothing but a waste.
Can you please leave soon, Sakurai?
"...Kirisaki-kun...We, well, went to Miku-chan's house..."
"Really?"
"Right now, the police are working on solving the case... But they don't have enough information..."
"Information on the culprit...?"
"...That, too, but they asked me if there was anything that I'd noticed as a teacher."
"Hey, Kirisaki. What did you do on that day?"
"On the day Miku died...?"
"Yes, that one."
"That day, we were playing. On... this park..."
"You were with who?"
"Atsuko and Taino... and Miku."
"And what were you playing?"
"We were actually trying to confirm a rumor... To see if "Satoru-kun" was real or not..."
"Satoru-kun? That newly spreading rumor?"
"Yeah, you know about it too?"
"Yes... It was written in the class newsletter, wasn't it? Don't let that rumor get to you."
"Was it...?"
"I'm sure. Then... what happened?"
"Miku made a call to Satoru-kun... But she said that there was no reply..."
"......"
"That's when Taino said... that it was because she had no future... Miku got so angry that she ended up going home."
"...You've been led astray by rumors like that!"
"I didn't think... that Miku would go out to make another phone call after that..."
"You moron!" Sakurai raised his fist as he shouted.
I was going to get hit... but the moment I thought that... "Please stop!"
Ms. Kyouko stood between Sakurai and me.
[Smack]
However, Sakurai was unable to stop his hand, and Ms. Kyouko was brutally hit in the face.
"...I-I'm sorry..."
"...Ms. Kyouko..."
It was his worst habit... I knew Sakurai was getting into a bad mood... but I couldn't stop it.
"Ah... Agh..." Ms. Kyouko fell on her behind and looked up at Sakurai. Her eyes looked terrified.
"Ah... Aaah... S-stop... Stop..."
"M-Ms. Kyouko?"
"Stop... Don't look at me like that... Stop..."
"Ms. Kyouko, are you okay?" The usual Ms. Kyouko was nowhere to be seen. She was frightened of Sakurai's downward gaze.
But... this fright was unusual.
The gossip about the two suddenly comes to mind. However, the scene unfolding in front of my eyes seems to be completely different from the rumors.
"...A-are you alright... Teacher?"
"Stop!!!"
Ms. Kyouko got up and ran away after saying that... What the hell happened to her...?
Ms. Kyouko's Behavior
The attitude Ms. Kyouko showed...
>She feels secure around Sakurai.
>She holds fear toward Sakurai.
She's definitely afraid of something at least.
>She holds fear toward Sakurai.
Ms. Kyouko is probably afraid of Sakurai, isn't she?
She started being scared once that happened. That being...
>When she suffered Sakurai's violence.
>When Sakurai was angry at me.
It was after the punch.
>When she suffered Sakurai's violence.
Ms. Kyouko began to be frightened when Sakurai attacked her. But I have a feeling that violence wasn't the only reason...
>She was scared once she fell on her behind.
>Was she traumatized by Sakurai's violence?
...Let's try the second option first.
>Was she traumatized by Sakurai's violence?
Was she traumatized by Sakurai's violence? But if that were the case... there would be no such rumors about their affair.
And if Ms. Kyouko was being beaten up on a daily basis, wouldn't she show signs of being scared more regularly...?
Then, since what scared her was sudden and unexpected, there may be other causes besides violence.
For example, maybe... How was the situation after she was hit...?
>Sakurai was glaring at her.
>Sakurai was looking down at her.
Oh, maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought. Well, we don't know for now.
>Sakurai was looking down at her.
Sakurai was looking down at her...? That's right! That's when her fear reached its peak.
Maybe it was Sakurai's "gaze" that scared her...?
"Hmph! Honestly... What's the matter with her!?" Sakurai walked away just after saying so...
Ms. Kyouko and Sakurai, huh? I couldn't help but feel they probably had a relationship regardless of the rumors.
For Ms. Kyouko to be scared of Sakurai's gaze to that extent... Isn't that a complete 180-degree turn from the rumors, though?
See you next time!
No comments:
Post a Comment