Satoko's snoring sounded so subtle while I stood by the window.

"......Satoko?"

"Zzzzzzzz......"

I could tell that she was sound asleep.

"She snores so cutely."

Hanyuu laughs and tries to poke Satoko's nose.

I looked up at the sky.

Nothing was different about the moon, but the moonlight seemed warmer than usual to me.

"Rika, you seem to be in a good mood."

"Yes...

I think I am..."

I realized it only after Hanyuu pointed it out.

...I really was in a very good mood.

Otherwise, I wouldn't be enjoying the view of the sky on a humid night like this.

I felt like bringing a toast to the moon.

As I rooted around the back of the closet, Hanyuu spoke to me, sounding noticeably upset.

"Rika... Don't you even think about drinking..."

"I deserve it.

Just tonight."

Hanyuu doesn't like alcohol.

If I drink, Hanyuu will also taste it, so she always complains when I try to drink.

That's why I usually drink only when Hanyuu is far away from me.

Of course she'll know right away when I do, but it's too late by then...

"No, you can't! You're too young to be drinking!"

"It's my body.

I'm going to make my own decisions."

"No. I hate alcohol!

You can't drink!"

"I don't want to fight with you tonight.

I'll dilute it with orange juice so you can handle the taste.

Is that a deal?"

"That's not the point. I don't like the smell of alcohol.

So you can't drink!"

Hanyuu jumped around and complained.

She was making a lot of noise right where Satoko was sleeping.

"Stop that! You're going to wake her up."

"No I'm not.

Remember, you're the only one who can hear me.

Bleeeeh!"

"Hoh, just who do you think you are?"

I went to the refrigerator and took out a pack of orange juice and the spicy kimchi I typically use for her punishment.

"...Au au au!!"

"Let me ask you a question.

Would you prefer if I ate this spicy kimchi to punish you,

or drink a sweet orange juice cocktail while enjoying this beautiful moon instead?"

"Umm... umm..."

Hanyuu clenched her lips while jumping up and down, ready to burst into tears.

She should be disciplined for being that noisy,

but she never has been, since I'm the only one who can hear her.

Besides, she's like air, so I can't even give her a spanking.

Hanyuu loves sweets, but she really hates spicy food.

"Riiikaaa...

Would you stop jumping around...?"

Satoko woke up suddenly and I had to hide my glass in a hurry.

Satoko doesn't know about my drinking habit.

"What...

time do you think it is...?

Zzzz......."

She fell asleep again after speaking.

"See? She was bothered by you jumping around like that.

You nighttime nuisance."

".........Au au..."

Just like I'm the only one who can see her, I'm usually the only person who can hear the noise she makes.

However, that's not the case all the time.

Hanyuu does exist in this world.

Sometimes, people can actually hear and feel her existence.

It doesn't happen too often, and most people think that they just heard some random noise.

Based on my experience......

people who are in a critical condition like Satoko tend to hear her more often.

When I say critical condition, I mean who've reached the L4 stage, as Irie would describe it.

At that stage, there's nothing that can be done anymore.

They will feel the existence and hear the noise of someone that they can't see. That would really mess with their mind.

Hanyuu stopped jumping up and down and gave up as I started pouring alcohol into my glass.

I wasn't drinking because I wanted to be mean to Hanyuu.

In fact, I always wished she would enjoy it too.

I poured only a little bit of wine inside the glass and diluted it with plenty of orange juice.

In fact, this cocktail is pretty much just juice.

I also put some crushed ice inside the glass.

With that, it looked like a real cocktail they serve at the bar.

"See, Hanyuu?

It's very diluted."

I licked the edge of the glass to see how she'd react.

"I guess it's not that bad..."

"Good. I'll be drinking this tonight.

There's nothing to be afraid of anymore, all right?"

Hanyuu has been scared of that kimchi punishment for a while.

As I put it back inside the refrigerator, she seemed relieved.

I took the glass and headed back to the window.

There was no breeze, but it seemed a little bit cooler.

"Hey Hanyuu...

Do you feel that something is different this time...?"

"Are you talking about Keiichi and Rena...?"

"Shion too...

Everyone remembers a little bit about their past...

They seem to be using those memories to avoid their fatal mistakes."

"I don't think it would be that surprising if this was happening individually.

But I find it very strange that's happening to everyone all at once."

"......I know I often use board games as examples of fate,

but I feel like this is the same lucky chance as rolling all sixes on three dice."

"I think that's a good way to describe it in the sense that we're starting closest to your desired future.

......But.

I don't think this is the miracle that you've been waiting for..."

I knew what she was trying to say.

She was telling me not to expect too much.

The die is designed to have 6 sides.

It's not a miracle if I roll it and get a six.

A true miracle is when I roll it once, but get a ten, just like what happened with Keiichi in my previous life.

In other words, a miracle is something that would normally never happen.

Keiichi gave the doll to Mion,

Rena spoke with her father,

and Shion started taking care of Satoko after remembering her promise to Satoshi.

That was all because they had those intentions somewhere in their hearts.

It was only a side of their die that was engraved there already.

But still, even if you couldn't call three dice rolling this well a miracle, it did mean good fortune.

"...I'm sure it was God's way of celebrating you finally feeling motivated to change your fate."

"Hee hee...

I thought you were one of the gods."

"You only treat me like a god when you're trying to tease me..."

"I was just kidding. Don't get upset.

Anyway, that's why I'm in such a good mood tonight."

I lifted up the glass of orange wine and gave a toast to the moon.

It tasted like nothing but sweet orange juice...

It was funny to see Hanyuu making a happy face as I took a sip.

".......I wonder if I can escape the death of 1983 this time."

"If our goal is to escape from this board, then I don't think we'll ever have such a fortunate start again."

No matter how hard I tried to prevent things from happening, there were some things I could never control.

It's such a huge letdown when that happens.

Even after trying so hard, something renders my efforts infertile.

...I'd probably been wasting my time for so long because I was trying to escape from that pain.

For the first time in my life, then, I've been blessed with a favorable situation.

Everything seems perfect in this world.

There's no reason for me to be depressed...

It's like the weather is perfect and the wind is blowing in just the right way.

If I failed to put my ship out to sea, there was nothing to pin the blame on.

"........................"

I understood what Hanyuu was trying to say with the concerned look on her face.

If I didn't escape my death under this fortunate situation,

I'd have to accept that my fate wasn't something that could be changed...

This is an ideal world where all of my friends overcame their problems.

I was always in a depressing world, but this time all the pieces of the puzzle matched.

If I couldn't change my fate in this world...

Then it was proof that I couldn't change it in any world.

That was the ending that I've been afraid of for a long time...

The loss of hope...

and the death of my soul.

Of the pair of us, I was probably the only one who would die.

Hanyuu will most likely remain there even if my spirit disappears...

She must be afraid of being alone after I lose myself.

That's why she's telling me not to expect too much.

I bit down on an ice chip inside my mouth. It was pleasantly cold.

"Hanyuu......

I know we've been over this many times, but I want you to think about me again..."

"Sure.

.... You want to know why you're being murdered in 1983?"

"Yes.

............A strong will becomes fate.

That means that the reason I get murdered this year is because of someone's strong will."

"I think you're right..."

"Who will benefit from killing Rika Furude...?"

"......If that person has a strong will, there must be a clear motive for them doing so."

"It might sound odd coming from me...

but I think most people like Rika Furude.

I don't think any villager would have the motive to kill me."

"The people who live in this village are all fond of you..."

"Thanks to you."

"......Au au au..."

"I'm just showing you my appreciation.

Anyway...

We now know that the Sonozaki family is not the culprit...

I have no idea who else would want to kill me."

".........You know,

this village is supposed to be the safest place in the world for you."

"You're right.

It's supposed to be.

There are plenty of people who would protect me here."

It's ironic.

For a long time, I've been refusing help from all those people who were trying to keep me safe.

"........Rika.

I think we should rely on Irie..."

"............"

People in this village love and cherish me.

But no matter what, they never save me when I try to escape the fate of my death.

I spoke to several villagers in the past, but they never believed me and none of them saved me in the end.

They probably didn't believe me because I had no idea who was trying to kill me, or what their motive was.

If I could explain that, people might be more accepting of my story...

But there's nothing I can do about that.

No one would believe a little girl saying that she's going to be killed without rhyme or reason.

All they think of me as is the reincarnation of Oyashiro-sama and the leader of the Furude family.

They do cherish me, but they won't protect me with their lives.

On the other hand, Irie and his people are totally different.

They realize how special I am, and they would try to make sure that nothing happens to me.

If I confessed to them that my life was in danger, I'm sure they would do their best to prevent it.

They have all the means to protect me from a violent end.

However, none of it really worked in the past...

It's not that they're unreliable.

It's because Takano, the one responsible for protecting me, also gets killed on the same day every time.

In other words, asking her for help is completely useless.

She's very reliable, but she also isn't.

It's ironic that I'm the only one who knows the reason why they can never save me.

"I wonder if that's the murderer's plan...

Tomitake and Takano get killed

because they're my guardians...

Then I get killed after that..."

"I think Takano's death is definitely related to your own..."

"If it's the same fate...

I mean, if the same suspect is killing them for the same motive...

I might be able to alter my own outcome by preventing their deaths."

"I don't know if you remember, but we've tried that once before..."

The deaths of Takano and Tomitake mean the loss of my protection.

Because the two of them die, the suspect is able to kill me.

That's why I've tried to prevent their deaths somehow...

But they never believed me.

I tried so hard to persuade them, but they didn't listen.

I eventually gave up and just thought of their deaths as fated to happen.

It's the same hopeless feeling I used to have toward my parents when I was able to go farther back in time.

When I found out that death was inevitable, I lost interest in them...

After all that time had passed, I forgot how hard I used to try to prevent my parents' deaths...

".......Besides, I thought you hated Irie and his people."

"Yeah...

They look at us as nothing but their guinea pigs."

I support them so I can help Satoko.

But it disgusts me to think that they're only using me as a test subject.

I've been resenting Irie for that reason.

Still, I should try to get closer to him.

After all, he's the only person who understands how important I am.

He's the main person I should be talking to, and he has the most potential for protecting me.

I can't avoid seeking help from him just because I don't like him.

I've asked him for help several times before...

But Tomitake and Takano get murdered even so, and it ruins everything.

After their deaths, Irie panics and becomes useless.

That's why I gave up on seeking help from him.

But in this world, I've been blessed with a positive situation.

I will never have as lucky a start as this again.

This is the best chance I'll ever get, so I should give it my best shot.

I really don't like him at all...

But he's not a bad person.

I should respect him more.

He's serious about helping Satoko, and he's not as much of a mad scientist as I'm inclined to think.

Takano is a strange person too, but she's also someone who can give me support.

But she thinks I'm only her guinea pig.

That's why I don't really want her help...

Tomitake is more reliable than Takano.

But the biggest problem is that he only visits this village a few times a year.

...On top of that, he always dies before I get killed, so he can never help me.

However, they really are the people I should be talking to.

If I can change the fate of their deaths...

They should be able to save me from my own.

It's possible that the only reason I lived until 1983 was because of their effort...

"I'm going to approach them once more, and do what I can to try and save them.

...Oh, don't worry.

I expect they'll be murdered anyways, so I'm not getting my hopes up.

So I'll be fine, even if this hope's betrayed."

"Au... You're such a cruel girl..."

I chuckled at her comment.

"If they can escape their fated deaths, then I'm sure they'll greatly influence my own destiny as well.

...And this time I'm going to try talking to them with the assumption they'll still be killed.

In short, I'll talk to them about how I'll be protected from my coming danger after they die.

If they issue such orders, then maybe the guard around me will be strengthened after they do."

The protection they provide is probably the highest standard of security I could hope for.

Yet I lose that the moment Tomitake and Takano die.

So I never have their protection after Watanagashi.

And therefore, I get killed too.

In other words,

that's it.

Whoever possesses the strong will to kill me actually just wants me dead.

Yet so long as those two are alive, there's tight security all around Hinamizawa.

That prevents the killer from getting to me.

So...

to kill me,

they must first kill Tomitake and Takano, the heart of that security.

Then my protection falls away, leaving me exposed...

"The more I reason it out, the more I realize their fates are connected to mine.

...

...

...

Thinking from that point of view, my destiny becomes inescapable the moment I abandon them to die."

"You should know what you have to do first then..."

"Yes.

I have to think about saving their lives, before thinking about mine."

It's kind of ironic.

I gave up on them because I was more determined to save my own life.

But I finally came to the conclusion that I have to help them first, before helping myself.

............But there's something I still don't understand.

Someone with convictions this strong is trying to kill me for some equally strong motive.

Yet no matter how often I debate it, I can't think of anyone who'd benefit from my death.

Not only that, but there should only be people who'd want to protect me...

Especially since they would do anything to protect me and the present environment.

They even eliminated my mother.

...To be perfectly honest, I don't even care about her anymore.

I never got along with her, and she's the one who took my father's death the wrong way, making a huge deal out of it like she did.

She got what she deserved.

I'm a valuable guinea pig for them, and I can be a 'bomb' too.

No one benefits from making me explode.

There's only disaster awaiting them if that happens.

Lots of people will be lost, and nobody would gain anything from that.

According to Takano, my death would be like the eruption of a volcano in the middle of the village.

I'm not interested in what happens after my death, but they're really concerned about it.

They're watching me every day to ensure that I don't accidentally hit my head on the corner of a block of tofu and die.

It's fair to say that they are here in order to prevent the 'eruption' from happening.

I'd be suspicious of them if they were going to benefit in some way from my death.

But as everyone knows, that can't possibly be the case.

My death would create nothing but a disaster.

They're benefiting from my being alive right now.

"...Perhaps it's not about gain, but about a grudge...

Maybe someone has a strong grudge against my family, and kills me not knowing that I'm like a bomb to this village."

That's why I was suspicious of the Three Families, especially the Sonozaki family.

However...

after observing them in numerous worlds,

I feel that's not the case.

I felt that way in several lives, but it always had something to do with that incident with Keiichi and the doll.

It's clear that there's nothing going on between the Sonozaki family and mine.

"In that case...

it must be some religious fanatic..."

If it's not about profit or a grudge, it might be someone who's secretly a deranged cultist...

We've already had a series of murders four years in a row under the name of Oyashiro-sama's curse.

Timing-wise, it would somewhat interesting if I, the reincarnation of Oyashiro-sama, were killed on the fifth year.

...I couldn't stand to be murdered for such a whimsical reason, but such a motive actually seemed fitting.

Ironically, I would have to suspect Takano, if that's the case.

She's well known for being an eccentric researcher of local histories.

She's only interested in the village's history because she already knows who I am.

She's doing the research based on the notion that I'm important.

So she should have no reason to kill me.

She would desire to keep me close to her, as a research sample.

It's hard to believe that she would kill her favorite toy.

She might be willing to kill someone who would try to harm her little toy, though.

"...I will never find out no matter how hard I think.

I just know that someone is definitely going to kill me.

I don't care about anything else, as long as I can escape that fate."

No, I take that back.

I want to escape my deadly fate,

but I also want all of my friends to be happy

and I want the rest of my life to be happy too.

I don't want to hide myself in the forest forever just to get away from my murderer.

............In fact I've tried that once before, but I still met with the same ending.

Living in the forest was a horrible experience.

I think I was able to survive until July that time.

...That might be the longest I ever lived.

I smiled bitterly and finished off the rest of the orange wine in the glass.

I'd have to talk to Irie again.

I don't like him, but his people are my only hope.

"It's getting late...

I should go to sleep now."

"I think so too.

Good night."

I lay down and closed my eyes, but I couldn't fall asleep right away.

Suddenly, I remembered Rena's words out of nowhere.

"It was no good when I was thinking about it on my own."

I wasn't thinking about it on my own...

I was talking it out with Hanyuu...

"Now I know.

It's important to talk to other people.

Friends have greater meaning than I thought.

You can talk to them about anything. I finally realized that..."

After I ask Takano for help, should I also talk to Keiichi...?

I've told him before in my previous lives.

But he never believed me then...