Waking up in a cheap hotel in the city was by no means pleasant.

I remembered even during the long camping trips we had during grade school, I wanted to get home quickly, counting out the days left on my fingers.

...Waking up this morning, I was somehow reminded of that.

...Was it a need to be with my wife when she gave birth? A particular type of homesickness?

As a productive member of society, as a public servant bound to fulfill his duties... it was pathetic indeed.

Those negative emotions faded as I downed my breakfast, which was surprisingly not half-bad...

The meeting with the informant that Ooishi had provided would be tonight.

Until then, I couldn't just be lazing around.

The Onigafuchi Guardians was protesting the dam's construction in various ways.

Included in this was a strategy for improving public relations, which could be categorized into two major forms: combative and peaceful.

In regards to the former, as an attempt to keep law enforcement in check, they appealed to the public's sympathy by highlighting the oppressive and inhumane tactics of the police and the brutality of the riot squads.

The latter, peaceful, route stressed how precious the natural surroundings of Hinamizawa was, seeking people who would oppose the dam on environmental grounds.

As a part of that, the village of Hinamizawa had invited celebrated zoologists and botanists, as well as environmental groups, to advertise the nature surrounding the town.

According to the news, in recent years there had been a group calling itself "Hinamizawa Nature Watching" setting up free sightseeing tours.

...I would have liked to have taken advantage of the opportunity, but when I called the village administrative offices, they said it was too late to apply for the tour, and they were still undecided as to when they'd be doing another one.

"...I see.

So there's no applications for next time.

...Too bad."

"Are you a member of an environmental group?

Or maybe somebody from a magazine?"

"No, just here privately."

"Privately? Then you're a tourist?"

"...Something like that.

It's my hobby to take pictures that display how beautiful nature can be.

I read in a magazine that there were some precious nature reserves here, so I was looking forward to it..."

I knew there was an article that had something like that written in it, but I hadn't actually read it.

Was it this ad-libbed lie not going to work...?

However, contrary to my expectations, the person I was speaking to laughed happily.

"Wa ha ha!

Then come, come.

The village is a little busy right now, but you're totally welcome here!

Wahahahaha!"

"In that case, I'll graciously accept the offer. Thank you."

"How are you getting around?

Car?

If that's the case, could I ask you for your license plate number?

No, no, there's no ulterior motive behind that... wahahahaha!"

That was probably related to the checkpoints they'd set up on the way to the village.

If I didn't give them my license plate number, I'd most likely be hindered in various ways...

I thought about using the car I had borrowed from the prefecture, but I was lost on whether it was okay to tell them that plate number.

...If the Onigafuchi Guardians was behind this incident...

There was no guarantee that they wouldn't be able to find out who I was.

...I had to play it safe, so I elected to refrain from using the car.

"No... actually, I'm not using a car.

If there's a bus or something, I'd prefer that..."

"We do have a bus, actually.

The route is going to be discontinued soon, though.

You can take that.

It departs from Okinomiya Station."

"Thank you very much.

I'll look out for it."

"When will you be coming?

Is it your first time in Hinamizawa?

If it is, you must be unsure about a lot of things.

If you let me know, I can have somebody show you around."

"Oh no... I couldn't ask that much of you."

"Wahahahaha!

Don't worry about it.

That's just a bit of PR we do, to protect nature around the village~."

Judging by what I saw at the checkpoint, the villagers were at the very least wary of outsiders.

That's why in order to move in and out of the village freely, I had to travel with somebody like Ooishi, or side with the dam protests.

Having an interest in the natural environment surrounding the village tied into the peaceful type of PR that the village was using.

...I was a bit against having a watchdog attached to me, but that might actually work out in my favor.

The entire village was fired up about the dam protests, so I might be lucky enough to hear some especially candid opinions from the residents.

...Given that, there was no real reason for me to refuse their offer.

"Is it really all right...?

If so, that'll really help."

After that, I was shown the bus schedule, and directed to which bus I should get on.

Somebody would come and meet me at the bus stop in the village.

...After showing me around a spot I'd take an interest in, there was no doubt they'd bring me to somewhere like an anti-dam information center.

Then, over a cup of tea, they'd try and indoctrinate me into accepting their principles and beliefs.

Well, if that was their aim, there'd be a lot freebies involved. The world is about give and take, after all.

...I couldn't be going in a suit.

I pulled some plain clothes out of my travel case, and changed into something more casual.

After that, after calming down by watching some local television, I left the hotel and set out for Okinomiya Station.

The bus route that I was told would soon be discontinued certainly didn't look that way.

There was more than enough trips on the schedule, and the number of passengers was by no means sparse.

It was the main link to Okinomiya, the only town in the area.

The types of passengers that stood out were older folk who didn't look like they could drive and housewives who didn't seem like they had a license.

...If the area was submerged at the bottom of the lake, it wouldn't matter if there was a bus route.

That's why it was going to be discontinued... in the unnatural scheme of things.

I could catch a glimpse of the government's intent in cutting off their means of transportation to bully the village into emptying out sooner.

It makes sense... according to the documents, talks between the Ministry of Construction and the locals broke down quite early.

...The government decided from the start to take an aggressive stance on the matter.

...It was like the fairy tale with the North Wind and the Sun trying to get the traveler remove his cloak.

...Even their bullying had meaning to it.

The reason why the Onigafuchi Guardians resisted so violently... was because the government was doing unseemly things like that.

I was somebody who lived in Tokyo, so for a village or two out in the boonies like this to be submerged didn't seem like a big deal.

...But, I guess for somebody actually living here, it would be a vitally huge problem.

"This route will be discontinued at the end of this financial year.

Thank you for your patronage up to this point.

We look forward to your continued patronage on our other lines.

Okinomiya Transportation."

Gazing lazily at the notice of discontinued service posted inside the bus, I counted down the number of stops until the designated one...

Along the way, we passed through the checkpoint before without stopping.

They knew what time the bus was coming, so they had opened up the barricade ahead of time.

...From here on out was enemy territory.

My palms had at some point become coated in a thin film of sweat...

"Now arriving at Ukita Waterworks~.

Now arriving at Ukita Waterworks~.

Are there any passengers disembarking?"

I hurriedly pressed the stop request button as the designated stop was announced.

...For none of the numerous passengers to be getting off here meant that it must be quite a remote place.

In actuality, the stop I got off at was so abnormally run-down that I could tell it was barely used.

As soon as I stepped out, an intense atmosphere completely different than the interior of the bus assailed my body.

Right now, Ooishi or Hondaya weren't beside me.

That's right--at present, I was alone in the middle of enemy territory.

My adversaries probably thought I was just an ordinary tourist, but that was nothing more than a ruse.

...But if by some mistake my true identity was to be exposed

...

It brought back the terrifying words I had heard at the prefectural office... that if somebody was attacked in Hinamizawa with a knife, there wouldn't be any evidence left behind...

...I didn't seem suspicious, did I?

My clothing was currently casual.

It was exactly the type of clothing that a city slicker that viewed the countryside as a wholesome getaway would wear.

A camera and knapsack.

Inside were various things needed for hiking.

...It was still only June, and maybe it was unusual, but the sun was shining down like it was already the middle of summer.

...The fact that I didn't bring a hat must seem odd...

...No... It wasn't something to be that concerned about...

It's alright... ...I was just a normal tourist.

...Just normal.

Was there anything suspicious about me...?

Asking that, as I turned around to look at the bus that was departing...

...All the passengers by the window were staring down at me, silently.

They were... staring right at me...

...As if they had seen right through my proud little outfit...

...Just staring...

looking down on me.

Countless stares rained down like needles on me from the windows opened to air out the bus.

...All that rained down were stares.

...None of them... were saying a word.

...But, all the more...

...Their silent stares told me more than a million words could.

...Hurry up and go back to Tokyo.

You outsider.

"....N-no... I'm..."

There was no reason for me to speak.

...My quiet voice was drowned out by the sound of the engine.

The bus, as if to torment me... set out slowly, and after doing more than enough to intimidate me, sped off...

...A thin film of sweat began to rise from my entire body.

According to the documents, it was a village that seemed wary of outsiders.

...Its population was small, as well.

If they saw an unfamiliar face, they would be quick to identify that face as an outsider.

...On top of that, nobody else had gotten off at this stop.

...It was a bus stop that they normally just passed on by.

Somebody actually getting off there... there was no doubt that had drawn some attention.

...But... this wasn't a slip-up...

They were the ones who directed me to get off at this stop.

...There was nothing... to worry... about.

...I knew that I was just nervous, since this was my first undercover assignment.

...My more seasoned colleagues referred to us as "the new generation that didn't know how to lose their cool"... but that wasn't true at all..

".....Phew."

In order to calm my breathing down... I exhaled the unpleasant air residing in the pit of my stomach.

I couldn't help but pray that my apprehensions would disappear like the white clouds of exhaust expelled from the bus.

There was a small shed there to serve as shelter if it rained, and it was there I decided to wait.

Inside the shed, one wall was plastered with posters advertising the dam opposition efforts.

It was like the heartfelt screams of the villagers were recorded on that wall.

...Inside that shelter, I felt an inexplicable pressure.

...It wasn't like I had any real relation to the dam project, but it still made me feel hesitant about being inside there.

That was just how filled with the force of denial that space was.

And... inside that uneasy space... was a girl.

Inside that shed covered in words written in broad brush strokes berating the policies regarding the dam and calling for action... there was a girl sitting there with a drowsy gaze, as if half asleep.

The two images clashed so much that I could only stand there dumbfounded for a moment, trapped in such a surreal environment.

If I stepped inside, who knew what kind of oafish noises I would accidentally make.

...I couldn't be disturbing this girl's slumber like that...

Having thought this, I gave up on entering the shed.

It was just a sleeping kid, so why was I so worked up about it?

...Finally, I realized.

This girl... to us, as a married couple, was the very image of our ideal child.

Even after numerous examinations at the hospital, we didn't know for sure what our child's gender was.

...Whether we could tell if they were a boy or a girl was, in the end, dependent on whether or not we could get an image of their genitalia.

There was, of course, no guarantee that it was a girl... but with things the way they were, the possibility was high.

Even so, Yukie had been saying that the chances that it was a boy or a girl were even.

...But in my heart, I had already decided that our coming child... was a girl.

Since the day I decided that until now... it was so fun to imagine how our child would grow up that I couldn't help myself.

Amongst those numerous imagined forms... the one that I thought to be the most ideal had materialized right in front of me.

...Of course, a little of it was due to the circumstances.

...In my ideal image, her hair would be on the short side.

The girl in front of me, though, had long hair.

It was almost if... somebody had taken my ideal and made some small adjustments...

...It certainly wasn't something unpleasant.

Even so, I felt like I was sullying her just by looking at her like that.

..She had an immaculate... no, a divine air about her.

"Hngh... waaaa....."

That girl with an angelic smile, with a yawn wide enough you could see her molars, woke up all of a sudden.

...I didn't mean to peep.

...But locking eyes with a girl who had just woken up like this... somehow made me feel like I was playing a prank on her.

I wasn't doing anything shady... but I became flustered.

The girl spoke.

...No... cried out?

"...Meep."

...Meep?

Like that character on the show with the puppets?

With the orange hair?

I thought it was just one of those greetings kids do.

...So in order to prove I wasn't a suspicious person... I responded in kind.

"...Meep."

"...Meep?"

"...Mee ...meep..."

The girl, stared at me dubiously with a doll-like expression--cute, but cold and hard to read.

...Well... I wouldn't be surprised.

...There was after all, an unfamiliar man right in front of her when she woke up, who responded with 'meep' when she said the same.

...Suspicious.

She definitely thought I was suspicious.

"...Meep."

"...Mee... .....Meep..."

"..."

"......"

We were both at a loss for words.

No, the only one lost was me...

...The girl in front of me, as if inquiring about my motives, stared at me intently.

In this silence... I felt like I was the one who had to say something first.

...Dammit ...This girl was way better at interrogating somebody than Ooishi...

"I--I'm not anybody suspicious...

...I'm...."

"...Nipah~~☆."

"Ni.... Nipah...??"

"Nipah~~~☆."

What I could have only described as a cold expression suddenly blossomed into a smile, one that soon infected me.

...You might be familiar with the term 'angelic smile'... to me, it was like that phrase was created just to describe the smile she gave me...

The girl smiling while saying "nipah~~," probably wanted me to return the favor in kind...

That's right... this was a kid's form of communication.

Having the other person emulate what you just did was a rudimentary form of mutual understanding...

"Ni... Nipaaah...☆"

"...Nipah~~☆."

...It was a beautiful afternoon in the early summer.

...What... was I doing?

"...Nipah~~☆."

"Ni, ...Nipah~~~♪."

...Well, whatever...

This was interesting in its own way...

If making somebody happy with just a smile was the work of angels...

...then this girl was definitely one of them.

...I couldn't help but pray that my own child, who was soon to be born... would grow up to be like this girl...

That strangely gentle moment, was finally brought to the end by the arrival of a car.

An older person waved at me from the driver's seat, a dry smile plastered on their face.

"Hi there, good afternoon~!

Sorry for being late!

You're the tourist who phoned yesterday, right?"

"Huh? Ah... yes!"

"Sorry to keep you waiting.

I'm running a little behind because of the farm!

Hop right on in.

It looks like the weather isn't going to hold up for much longer, so I'll show you around real quick."

"...Huh? The weather?"

"It changes fast around here~.

There'll probably be evening showers again today.

If that happens, you won't be able to take any pictures.

Come on, get in, get in."

"...Meep."

Turning around, the girl was standing right behind me with an intrigued expression.

...Her body language somehow reminded me of a stray cat that followed you around after you played with it a little... so charming.

"Hmm... well if it isn't Rika-chama!!

Praise be... praise be~..."

"...Nipah~~☆."

A girl named Rika with an immaculate smile, and an old man praising her while rubbing prayer beads in his hands.

...It was a rather mysterious sight to behold.

...So, the girl turns her face at me, tilting her head a little in a cutesy manner. After seeing that, the elder introduces me as a tourist who came to sightsee Hinamizawa.

"...A young'un who came to the village for sightseeing."

The girl, Rika-chan, said that with a smile as she clung onto my arm.

"Well... yeah.

I heard that this village is surrounded by a precious nature reserve, so I very much wanted to record that with my camera.

...Even though I look like this, I really like to take pictures..."

"...Tomitake Mk. II."

"Huh?

Tomitake??

Huh??"

"...Makino.

Is it okay if I come along too?"

"I-I couldn't. You could come along, Rika-chama, but there's nothing interesting to see!

You should go play near the shrine or something!"

"...Meep."

A distinctly displeased expression creeped across Rika-chan's face.

Being able to show one's emotions honestly on their faces was a privilege young children had.

"If it's not too much of a problem, could you bring this child along with us?"

When I said those helpful words, another smile spread across Rika-chan's face with another nipah~~ as she clung to me again.

...Aaah...

...Not bad at all...

I want this girl... to call me Papa...

...No,

...Father,

Dad...

...Daddy...

...Hrrrnnnngh...☆

...What am I doing?

...Ever since I met this girl, I was completely off my game...

...Just calm down.

"Nothing I can do, I guess.

Rika-chama never listens even if you say no.

...Come on, hop on in.

Come now, Rika-chama too."

The old man descended from the driver's seat and opened up the sliding door of the van, which had "Onigafuchi Alliance Town Council" stenciled on the side.

Rika-chan brushed me aside, dove into a seat, and began bouncing around right away.

...It seemed like she was thoroughly enjoying the bouncy springs.

"Come on now, Rika-chama!

If you're like that our guest can't sit down!!

Hey, Rika-chama!!"

.....Haa ...girls are nice...

I wonder if my child will play around like this, too...

No no no no!

It was written in that guide to raising a child that you shouldn't dote on them...

Kids are kids... If you don't raise them strictly without spoiling them...

"...It's soft and springy, nipah~~~☆."

"Ni... Nipah~~...☆"

...I am definitely going to be a terrible father...

It was decided that I would be a doting parent before my child was even born.

"Well then sir, I'll show you around some places that I think look nice.

Have you eaten lunch yet?"

"Yeah.

I had a light meal at the hotel."

"Is that so?

Well then, let's get going."

"....We're setting off on a tour of Hinamizawa.

Yaaa~y."

"Ummm, is it all right if I call you Rika-chan?"

"...Sure.

My name is Rika Furude.

I can already do addition in the tens digit."

"Oh, is that true?

That's... amazing.

Hahaha."

"...I don't count on my fingers.

I can do it all in my head."

The way she insisted upon that was just too cute.

At some point, the nervousness I had about being alone in enemy territory had evaporated like it was never there at all.

...I had to be at least a little thankful that I met this girl.

"Well then, let's get going!!

It's time for Hinamizawa Nature Watching!"

The old man stepped on the gas with a great deal of gusto.

...The old man (who was apparently named Makino...

...was he the same Makino that was listed as the auditor of the Onigafuchi Guardians?)

showed me around places that were all breathtaking. Even though I wasn't really here for sightseeing, I couldn't help but be impressed.

First of all, this was different from the simple scenery of a city. The scenery of a charming village like this, no matter how mundane it seemed to the villagers, had a tranquil appeal to it.

At first I was only releasing the shutter as part of my tourist act, but midway through I found myself taking pictures out of pure interest.

Tourist traps had their own unique allure to them, but there was nothing like that here.

...I was especially captivated by the unspoiled nature of the place.

...If there wasn't that whole uproar over the dam, I would want to bring Yukie with me here some other time.

I wanted her to breathe in this fresh air, as well as show her this rejuvenating verdant scenery.

"....Is something like this that interesting?

You're a strange person, Akasaka."

"No, these cylindrical mailboxes are rare nowadays.

They have a certain nostalgic air about them... you wouldn't happen to think they're elegant, would you?

Hahahahaha."

"...Is Hinamizawa fun?"

"Hm?

...Yeah. It's fun.

Once she's discharged from the hospital, I'd like to bring my wife here at least once.

...With the child that would be born by that time."

"..."

"Right now she's in the hospital waiting to give birth.

...She's due any day now.

...Haha, it'd be nice if they're a cute girl like you."

"Sir, it seems like congratulations are soon to be in order!

Still, that's not good!

To leave your wife behind and play around in a place like this!"

"..."

I was momentarily at a loss for words.

...It was exactly how Makino said.

There was no good reason for a man who was waiting for his wife to give birth to be playing around idly in this place.

...Did I slip up?

"Ah... ahhhh... well!

We had already planned this trip to Hinamizawa a long time ago...

...My wife's family is with her, so it's all right."

"If you had this planned so far in advance,

then how come you didn't make the sign-up deadline for the Nature Watching?

If you did, you could have toured around on a nice bus instead of being cramped up in here."

It didn't seem as if Makino was actually digging for anything.

...But, if this conversation continued any longer, it would put some unexpected holes in my cover.

...I halted the conversation by pretending to take another picture.

"Well then, for our last stop, I'll take you to the place with the best view!"

It was slightly before evening. The sun was still burning brightly, but a cool breeze had begun to mix itself into the air.

It seemed my exploration of Hinamizawa with Rika-chan was just about done.

"...The place with the best view?"

"Well Rika-chama, where else could it be but the view from around the shrine?"

Hearing that, Rika-chan smiled even more.

"...Well then, I'll introduce you to my home, Akasaka."

"Huh?

By Rika-chan's home, you mean... huh?"

"The shrine.

Furude Shrine.

There's an observation platform.

You can see some real pretty scenery!"

"...Furude... Shrine."

The girl who called Furude Shrine her home, Rika.

...If I remembered correctly, her full name was Rika

Furude.

....And Furude was... that's right.

...One of the Three Families.

Even if the Sonozaki family is said to hold all the actual power... it was still one of the old houses that held some authority.

...No, more important than that right now was... Furude Shrine.

If I remembered correctly, Ooishi had told me.

...Within the grounds of the Furude Shrine, there were the offices of the Onigafuchi Guardians.

...And since the land around Furude Shrine were private property, the police couldn't set foot there heedlessly.

Furude Shrine... where even Ooishi couldn't simply set foot into.

The main base of operations for the Onigafuchi Guardians.

I had been given the unexpected opportunity to enter there.

...I couldn't have asked for more.

"I-I'm looking forward to it.

Please, if you would."

"Well then, let's get there quick!

The weather seems to be getting a little iffy!"

The sky had suddenly become overcast.

...It wouldn't be odd if it started raining soon.

The cicadas, as if trying to finish their daily allotment of chirps before the evening, cried out even more fervently.