...It was a very humid day.

Not even a slight breeze was blowing... It had been an unpleasant summer—one that wasn't only hot, but swelteringly so.

There were various articles of clothing hung out to dry in the messy apartment windows, but the lack of wind evoked an impression far removed from coolness—in fact, it only felt more oppressive.

There were crooked houses and apartments lining the narrow, twisting road.

In addition, there were planters and flowerpots whose contents were beginning to rot, as well as bicycles and cars on the sides of the road, making it even more cramped, more oppressive, and all the more sweltering.

Nobody who was in this place at this time was visiting it voluntarily.

...But in spite of what everyone might expect, a single motorcycle came rolling in...

The motorcycle stopped in front of a two-story apartment, one that could hardly be called 'neat' even as flattery.

A man, fairly old and wrinkled, stepped off.

...When a nearby neighbor hanging out the laundry noticed him, she called out.

"Well, heeello there!

It's quite hot today again, isn't it?"

"Hoo, you've got that right!

I feel like I'm gonna boil out here.

Ehehe!"

Suddenly, I got goosebumps all over my body.

I felt like something bad was about to happen, for no reason.

Everyone gets this feeling in a different way.

Some people get a twitch in their eyelids, or some kind of movement in their ears...

In my case, I get goosebumps.

Satoko was supposed to be cooking dinner tonight.

We didn't have much inside the refrigerator, so I asked her to go grocery shopping.

I was just watching TV and relaxing while I waited for her.

She was usually back by the time my cartoon was over, after which she'd start cooking dinner.

But...

My cartoon was over,

the news had started, and Satoko wasn't home yet.

Satoko sometimes waited until they had a sale at the store.

In that case, she'd usually come home late.

That must be what was happening. It was too early for me to start worrying about her.

But...

...but...

I can't explain this feeling...

I can't explain it,

but I feel extremely

worried...

Once I started feeling like that,

I couldn't just sit in the room and wait for her.

"Hanyuu?

Hanyuu...?!

Where are you?"

I thought she might know where Satoko might be...

But she's never around when I need her.

Hanyuu is not with me twenty-four hours a day.

She sometimes falls asleep, and sometimes she goes out for walks.

Though in her case, it's not a walk, but more like a stalk...

She follows people around when she finds someone interesting, and she enjoys observing them.

Anyway, I had no choice.

I'd have to find Satoko on my own.

I had a good idea of which stores Satoko goes to.

I should check those first.

We're in Hinamizawa.

If I asked people, they'd tell me where she went.

"Hello there, Rika-chama.

It's a blessing to see you here..."

"Nipah~☆

...Did Satoko come here today by any chance?"

"......I haven't seen Satoko-chan here.

I've been out here all day, so I would've seen her if she was here."

I didn't even have time to say thanks.

I ran to the next store.

People were greeting me and waving at me.

I'd usually smile and greet them back,

but I had no time for that at the moment...

Satoko, Satoko, Satoko...!!

I need Satoko in my life.

I was able to survive for so long because of her support.

Without her, this world would be so empty and boring...

Satoko is nonchalant and optimistic, unlike me.

I've learned so many things from her over the past one hundred years.

But I still need to learn more from her...!

"Satoko, Satoko!!"

People stared at me as I ran by them, screaming out her name.

I didn't care what they thought, though.

Satoko, Satoko, Satoko...!

Why are they looking at me like that?

I'm looking for Satoko. Somebody tell me where she is...!!

"Hah, hah, hah!!"

My heart was convulsing inside my body like a fish out of the water.

What little stamina I have! I hate my body for being so young!!

"You know, the store on the corner always has a sale in the evening.

She might be there."

I went to a few different places, but I still couldn't find her anywhere.

The people I talked to gave me advice on where to go, but I couldn't find her in any of the places they suggested.

I continued to run, looking for her.

I continued to run even when I bumped into people.

"I don't know. I had so many customers, I can't remember..."

There are only a few places in Hinamizawa where we can go grocery shopping.

It shouldn't be that difficult to find her, so why couldn't I?

Wah...!!

I tripped on something in the street,

and fell flat on the ground.

"............Ouch..."

I injured my hand on a small rock embedded in the ground.

I didn't feel much pain, even though I said "ouch".

It just felt hot, as if I had touched a frying pan.

Suddenly, someone handed me a pretty handkerchief.

"Are you okay...?

Did you get hurt?"

"R-Rena...

Did you see Satoko anywhere...?"

Rena was carrying a grocery bag.

I've heard that Satoko bumps into Rena often when she goes grocery shopping.

They tend to choose the same stores.

"...Satoko-chan?

No, I didn't see her today.

Was she out grocery shopping?"

"Yes.

You didn't see her...?"

"No...

I didn't...

But there's no way she would've missed the big sale at the market today...

I was there, but I didn't see her..."

My brain wasn't getting enough oxygen.

It took me a while to understand what Rena was talking about...

I understood that Rena didn't see Satoko.

But that wasn't the point!

They had a huge sale in the market today...?

There's no way that Satoko would miss that sale?

But she still didn't see her there?

What was that supposed to mean...?

"What happened...?

Did she leave her wallet at home or something...?"

"......Well......... umm..."

I couldn't find the right words to explain.

Should I tell her I feared that something bad happened to Satoko, and that's why I was looking for her...?

No, I couldn't do that...

I couldn't think too deeply about why she hadn't returned home...

...............

"...What's wrong?

Can't I help out?

Talk to me."

I knew she was just trying to help me.

I even thought I needed someone to help me just a few moments before.

But now that she was here...... I had no idea what I was supposed to say.

No, that's not it...

The truth is... I know.

Somehow, I know...

I wouldn't have to know if I was someone else.

But I have to know this...

Rika Furude has to know what's going on...

I know it.

I remember it.

I knew this was coming.

I've experienced a world before where Satoko suddenly disappeared...

But the possibility for that happening is as low as Akasaka showing up in Hinamizawa.

It only happened randomly in my other lives...

This is not the first time.

It happened before too...

I should see it for myself...

I needed to see if I'd gotten stuck inside a devastating world again...

"Will you talk to me...?"

"I'm sorry...

Good bye!"

"Hey, Rika-chan...!"

I started running.

I couldn't pretend like I didn't know where she was...

Please, don't tell me that I was blessed only up to this point, that I'm about to fall back into my unfortunate fate from here on...

I thought that this world was different. I thought I could move on to a happy future...

I thought I would be able to defeat my deadly fate in this life...

But this... was just horrible...

It was horrible that this was happening to this world...!

.........I was standing in front of the place that I hate the most in Hinamizawa.

Yes.

It's Satoko's real home. The Houjou residence.

I'd been living with her since last fall, so this house was empty.

In the beginning, she used to come back here to pick up her clothing and other necessities.

But once she moved most of her stuff to my house, Satoko stayed away from this place...

This was a sad place for Satoko, because all she could remember of it was the horrible time she spent with her uncle and aunt, and the memory of her missing brother Satoshi.

That's why she never wanted to come back here.

But that wasn't the reason I hate the house...

It's because...

I know what happens

whenever this house becomes an issue in my life.

Oh God...

please...!

Please bless me with just one more fortune...

I closed my eyes and prayed... Then I slowly opened them.

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

The window was open on the second floor.

I saw a faded curtain swinging inside.

As soon as I saw that,

my knees realized what was going on...

even before my mind processed it.

In the next moment,

I lost strength in my legs...

and collapsed on the ground.

I saw an unfamiliar motorcycle parked by the house.

I also saw laundry and a futon hanging outside.

...I was certain that someone was living here.

It was proof that someone was living inside this house.

It's never good when there's someone living inside this house...

This was very, very bad...

I knew exactly why.

I knew why, but I felt like I wanted to act like I didn't know.

"......R... Rika...?"

"S-Satoko......!"

Satoko went outside to take the futon in and noticed me...

".......Umm... Rika....."

Satoko looked down and forced herself to smile... I felt so sad.

It wasn't just her expression...

I could tell that her left cheek was red and swollen...

"Satoko, don't stay here... Let's go home."

I took her hand.

But she still looked down without squeezing back.

"Umm...... Rika...

I think... I'm going to go back to this house..."

"Wh... Why is that...?"

"My......

uncle came back...

And

he told me

we should live together... in this house..."

"I know that's not what you want.

You don't want to live with your mean uncle...!"

"But... I have no choice...

If I go back to your house... he'll come and get me...

I don't want to cause any trouble for you..."

She gave up with a sad smile.

She looks exactly how she looked one year ago, in 1982...

Her uncle only slapped her face, and she's back to being the Satoko from 1982...

The cheerful Satoko that I knew until yesterday could no longer be found...

I took care of Satoko and tried to heal her wounded heart for over a year.

She finally got her smile back.

.......But her uncle took it all away, with just one slap to her face.

A broken soul can recover over time...

But her damaged heart can never be fixed completely.

I just took the broken pieces and put them back together.

...The cracks in her heart will always be there...

That's why she wouldn't come with me, no matter how hard I tried to pull her hand.

She couldn't get over the fear. She knew just how scary her uncle could be...

"Satoko!!

What the hell are you doing?

You better not go anywhere!!"

I heard a disgusting voice from inside the house.

Satoko stared at the ground. Her shoulders were shaking.

"......Huh?

Who the hell is this?"

He came out and stood right behind her.

"It's nothing.

I just bumped into my friend..."

"I don't care!!

Go inside and clean the bathtub!

I want to take a bath, you idiot!"

Satoko scampered back inside the house like a terrified small animal.

I feel devastated as I watch her go.

"Were you asking her out to play?

I'm sorry, but she's busy taking care of chores.

I'm her uncle.

I've been out for a while on a business trip.

I'm finally back in the village, you know."

Liar.

...He only showed back up because his lover went missing.

...In another world I once let my hatred out on him.

But then he inflicted that anger in equal turn onto Satoko.

...So I couldn't allow the dark flame burning within my chest to reflect in my eyes.

Since I couldn't make myself smile, and I couldn't insult him...

....all I could do was give him a short bow and run away from the scene.

"You're intimidated by my scary face, huh?

Gah ha ha ha ha ha!!"

I heard his hideous laughter from behind me.

I cried as I ran away.

I couldn't stop crying...

I thought this was a perfect world up until today...

Why was God doing this to me? It was too cruel...!

But I couldn't give up yet...!

I couldn't do anything, but I still had hope for this world...

I didn't think the luck I had until yesterday was just a random thing...

I went back to my house in hurry.

I needed to make a phone call.

I didn't know the number, because it was my first time calling the place.

I looked inside the phone book...

And found it easily.

I made a call to that number...

"Oh, hello!

Didn't expect to get a call from you, Furude-san.

What can I do for you...?"

I already knew that Ooishi could never save Satoko, based on what I've seen in my previous lives.

For him, Satoko is only a good way to get at the Sonozaki family.

Her uncle is probably his prey in that regard too...

Even if I talked to him about her situation, he would do nothing to save her.

The only thing he'd tell me would be to call the child consultation center.

"I want to talk with Akasaka... Is he there?"

"Akasaka-san?

He went to the hot springs in Wakura with his wife."

Wakura...?

That's not anywhere near here...

I thought he was staying here until Watanagashi...

"I heard he's going to stay in a hotel owned by a relative of his.

I wish I could go too.

What?

You want to know where Wakura is?

It's in the Ishikawa prefecture. On the Noto peninsula."

No way...

He told me that he was staying here until Watanagashi...

I thought he meant he was staying in Hinamizawa...

but did he actually mean this area of the country in general...?

"Can you get hold of him somehow...?"

That was a meaningless question.

There's no way I could get him to come here while he's enjoying his trip with his wife.

Even if I can talk to him on the phone, he'll probably only tell me to call the child consultation center or something...

"Nnn... I don't know where he's staying...

I heard it's a very famous luxury hotel, so I can make a pretty good guess...

Na ha ha ha!

But I'm sure they won't give me the room number, since they're strict about customer privacy these days..."

"Okay then...

Did Akasaka tell you that he's coming to the Watanagashi festival...?"

"Yes, he did.

He's coming back here after the hot springs.

They stayed here for only one night, and then left for the Noto peninsula.

I'm sure they'll be back before the day of festival.

Nfu fu. He said he'd be back with a souvenir for you!"

How terrible...

I thought it was too good to be true...

I knew it was kind of strange for him to stay in a boring place like this...

My luck seems to be turning...

This might not be a surprise though...

Just like I can roll a six three times in row, I can roll a one three times in row too.

Happy things and unhappy things can happen with equal probability.

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

"Hello?

If you want to leave a message, I'll take it for you."

I looked at the calendar on the wall.

I didn't know when he was coming back, but I was certain he wouldn't be for at least one more week.

I thought back to the past to try and remember what happened...

That guy will break Satoko apart in one week...

I couldn't wait that long...!

I had to give up on seeking help from Akasaka.

...Well, that's okay.

I still had one more option.

One more person I could rely on.

"No, that's alright.

Thank you for your help.

\nNipah~☆"

I hung up the phone after thanking him.

I couldn't make a phone call to the next person.

I'd have to talk to him in person.

I put my shoes on and headed to the Irie Clinic.

The clinic's hours were over for the day.

There was usually no one here after that.

However, since Tomitake was here, they should still be inside the building for a meeting.

They had to be there.

The front door of the clinic was locked, as I expected.

I went around to the back door and rang the bell.

The whole clinic is nervous when Tomitake is around.

They usually ignore visitors,

but I'm special.

"What's wrong?

I heard you had an emergency."

"You need me too? That doesn't sound good..."

Irie and Takano showed up soon after I was taken to the visitors' room.

If Rika Furude has an emergency, then it's a priority for these two people.

I'm the most important person in this village.

"Could it be...?

Someone is trying to get you...?"

"You are protected at all times by the elite security of the Mountain Dogs.

They've been watching you since the day we made that promise.

Hee hee hee..."

I had no doubt about that.

They saved me right away when we had that confrontation with those three delinquents the other day.

"That's not it... I have a favor to ask.

I want you to save Satoko from danger."

"What happened to Satoko-chan...?"

Irie doesn't have that much power alone, even if he really wants to save her.

But Takano controls the Mountain Dogs, so she does have that power.

In my previous lives, I was never able to get help from the Mountain Dogs because I wasn't on good terms with Takano.

But this world is different.

I have a better relationship with her in this life, and she even kept the promise she made.

I trust their ability completely now...

".........Teppei Houjou-san is back...?

That's horrible..."

It was mainly Satoko's aunt who was abusing her last year, but Irie knows that her uncle was violent with her too.

I told them that Satoko had gone back to the same condition she was in the previous year.

"I don't know what will happen...

I need you to help me save Satoko...!"

Irie seemed to want to do something for her, but he didn't know exactly what to do.

"What shall we do...

Shall we call the police and let them know...?"

"I don't know about that.

At this point, all he did was come back and take her in as her legal guardian, right?

It's not like she's been seriously injured by him.

That's not the case, right...?"

"But it's only a matter of time.

Something bad is going to happen if we don't do anything...!"

I hate to say that it's only a matter of time.

I knew how she was going to get abused and how she was going to end up. I've seen it in the past...

I really wanted to tell them about it.

But I couldn't do that.

As it hasn't happened in this world yet, they'd just think I was imagining it.

"I think you should call the child consultation center first."

"......I remember...

Satoko-chan made a false report to the child consultation center once...

I wonder if they would take her seriously..."

The answer is no.

My friends contacted the child consultation center several times in the past.

But Satoko always refuses their help.

She claims that she isn't being abused.

The Satoko from 1983 might've asked for their help.

But currently, she was the Satoko from 1982.

For her, living with her uncle reminds her of the time when Satoshi was around.

She feels like Satoshi will come back if she can live strongly, without always relying on her brother.

Even if the child consultation center were to take the case seriously, it's just too late!

I tried to remember...

In the most recent world I experienced, it only took a few days after Satoko was kidnapped by her uncle.

It only took a few days for him to tear her heart apart...

We had no time to waste.

We needed to take action quickly!

"We can't really do anything unless she seeks help..."

"I think Dr. Irie can call the police, but that's about it...

I'm very sorry..."

"That's not it!

I want you to help her, Takano!!"

Irie and Takano looked shocked, and both went quiet.

They didn't expect me to seek help from Takano.

"You mean... you want us to take a much bolder action...?"

"I'm here to ask for that.

I wouldn't be here this late otherwise!"

"I understand...

But..."

"Irie, if you truly cherish Satoko, then please just listen to me this once.

Please save Satoko!

In less than a few days she'll really end up in horrible shape.

That's already guaranteed.

If you try to wait and see how things go, it'll be no different than watching her die!!

Have you forgotten how Satoko was last year, Irie?!

She's already reverted to that state! Right this very second!!

In a few more days it will be too late to do anything!!"

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

All I could do was to stare at him.

Believing that Irie could see the future only I knew, the tragic end awaiting Satoko, reflected in my eyes.

Irie remained silent for too long a time to call brief.

Someone trying to think of some excuse to avoid the issue wouldn't go silent that long.

...He was recalling Satoko's terrible state last year, and seriously considering if my plea was as urgent as I made it out to be.

I know that he really cares about her.

That's why I need his help...!

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

".........What shall we do...?"

Irie nodded and looked up.

I guess he finally came to a conclusion.

I just hope it's a positive one...

"Takano-san...

Please do what Rika-chan wants you to do."

"Irie...!"

"I remember how hopeless I felt when I couldn't do anything to save Satoko-chan last year.

I want to take this chance and save her this time."

"But, Doctor..."

Takano didn't think that Irie would make that decision.

She seemed shocked to hear his response.

"I would like to ask you as the director of this clinic.

Please help Satoko-chan."

"Dr. Irie... What do you mean when you say to help her...?

Please calm down."

"Satoko-chan is very important to us.

She has greatly contributed to our research for a long time.

Protecting her is considered one of your work orders."

Irie continued, though Takano tried to persuade him.

"Kyousuke Irie is asking you, as your boss.

Please save Satoko-chan."

I stared into Takano's eyes together with him.

"I thought you and Satoko were friends.

Please help her, as her friend..."

"Help her... huh? That's a hypocritical way of saying it.

You're not telling me to kidnap her and lock her up somewhere safe.

You want me to help her so she can have a normal happy life.

In other words, you want her uncle dead, right...?"

"You have the right to make the ultimate decision of how you're going to save her.

But if you don't want to, I don't mind making that decision."

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

Dr. Irie...

No, Section Chief.

If we carry out your order, both you and I will be responsible for it...

Are you sure you're ready for that?"

I looked at his face.

Unlike me, Irie has many things to lose...

I knew that Takano's words would shake him emotionally.

However, Irie was determined.

"Yes, that's fine.

Even if I'm called forward to defend my actions, that's better than betraying my own heart."

"...An impressive show from someone who doesn't know what a hearing's like."

"...Hahahahaha...

If you do it quietly, they may not find out about it in Tokyo.

Everyone would be happy that way."

"All risk and no reward..."

"If you want, I'll show you more treasures in the shrine.

I'll never restrict you from seeing those things.

So please help me...!"

The risk she's taking is larger than the reward I'm offering.

But that's about the only thing I can offer her.

I don't care about the traditions of the Furude Shrine as long as I can save my friend from her suffering.

"...Fine.

I don't want to be the bad guy here..."

She forced a smile and accepted the favor I asked her for.

"Thank you, Takano-san."

"I want you to make the decision of how to save her.

I will have a meeting with Okonogi later to plan out the mission."

"Not later. It has to be now!"

She promised to save Satoko, but she still wasn't motivated for it.

It'd be too late if she didn't do something right now!

I tried to make Takano understand that this is an urgent matter.

"That's right.

Rika-chan and I want to see some kind of result right now.

I'm sorry for asking you this at this time, but can you please contact them now?"

"......You guys are so passionate about her. Okay...

It might take a few minutes."

"Thank you very much."

"No problem.

It's an order from my boss.

I'll do whatever I can.

...Just don't forget that promise you made, Rika-chan..."

"I promise...

I'll even serve you some rice cakes and tea when you come to the shrine."

Takano smiled slightly and left the room.

Once we finally heard her footsteps fade away, the tension in the room dissolved.

Irie offered me something to drink, but I refused.

He must have thought everything was taken care of, but I couldn't relax until Satoko was physically returned to me.

"Irie...

Does she have enough medication with her...?

Her uncle will keep her locked inside the house, so she won't be able to come here for a while..."

"Fortunately, I gave her a stock of medicine and needles last week.

She should be fine for a while.

.......However, her mental state can't be controlled by the medication.

If she gets too stressed, that can really cause some damage..."

"That will happen within a few days..."

Takano hadn't come back yet...

I thought it would be bad news if she came back too early,

but I started feeling nervous after she had taken so long.

Irie insisted that I go home because it was getting very late.

I couldn't go home and relax, however, until I heard from her that everything was taken care of.

I had to wait for her to come back. I needed to deal with this tension until then.

Over an hour later...

Takano finally returned.

"I'm sorry it took so long..."

"How did it go...?"

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

She was looking for the right words.

I got a very bad feeling from her reaction alone.

"Unfortunately... it won't go as easy as we hoped anymore."

"Why is that...?"

"There was a murder case in Okinomiya not too long ago.

The police suspect Teppei Houjou of involvement in the crime, and they have him marked."

"A murder case...?

What do you mean?"

"Some woman named Mamiya laid her hands on the Sonozaki family's earnings and was murdered to set an example.

Apparently the police have taken an interest in the relationship between the Houjous and the Sonozakis.

Turns out that woman was Teppei Houjou's lover.

Watanagashi is getting closer too...

The police want to prevent the fifth curse of Oyashiro-sama this year, so they've marked Teppei Houjou as the candidate for this year's victim and started casting their lines."

"...What do you mean by lines?"

"They suspect they can reel in the true culprit behind Oyashiro-sama's curse if they keep their eyes on Teppei Houjou."

"So...

You mean..."

"Rika-chan... I'm very sorry.

But the Mountain Dogs can't do anything to him until the police stop spying on him."

"No...!

I thought the Mountain Dogs could perform any mission, no matter how difficult!"

"That's only when we plan it out carefully with extensive preparation.

Usually, we take a long time to observe the target, and we look for the right opportunity.

It can take between six months and one year for a mission like this.

Remember, we are a secret organization. We must remain out of the spotlight.

If our secret is revealed, everything is over.

It's too risky for us to target someone like him."

"Then when is the right opportunity coming...?!"

"It will be after Watanagashi at the earliest.

After the festival, the police will stop watching him..."

But that would be too late...

She's saying it'd be after Watanagashi.

I didn't even know if that was a day after or a year after.

She also said it usually takes at least six months to prepare this kind of mission. That's too long...

I thought this world was different,

but that hope was slipping through my fingers.

"So how can we save Satoko-chan...?"

"I think it's best to follow the rules.

We should report this to the police or the child consultation center...

We can even talk to the school."

"I did that so many times, but it never worked!!"

Irie and Takano were surprised.

They had never expected me to raise my voice.

In fact, I didn't think myself that I would react this way.

But I couldn't keep my emotions in check after Takano suggested all those meaningless solutions...

"I've cooperated with you guys all this time.

I never asked for anything and I just gave you my support!!

But now you can't save Satoko?!

With all that power you have, why are you so afraid of saving her?!

The police and public services are useless.

You guys only take advantage of us and never actually help!!

Fine, I get it now!

I know now that this world is nothing but a dead end!!

I'm not interested in you guys anymore! I don't care about this world anymore!!

That's right, I can never escape my fate!!

It's the same old fate that I keep on repeating!

You, just burn to death in the mountains! You, just take sleeping pills and commit suicide!

I'll die just like I always do, too.

I'll lose my life without knowing how I'm killed.

This life is nothing but a dead end.

I was born to be killed in this world.

Die, everyone, die!!!

There's no meaning to this world anymore!!!

Waaaaaaaaaaaah!!!

Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"

I can't put words to my emotions anymore, and I started to cry.

I was so lucky up until yesterday.

I had so much hope in my heart, but it had all been for nothing.

It felt like everything was falling apart.

I've lived for more than a hundred years.

I've lived longer than a normal human lifetime.

I thought I was blessed with good fortune for the first time in my life.

This would never happen to me again.

I thought a miracle had occurred, but everything was shattered...

I cried and cursed this world...

I needed to give up on my life as soon as possible...

Satoko would be waiting for me with a smile in my next one.

I wanted to go see her...

But......

what would happen to the Satoko in this world...?

What would happen if I abandoned her...?

I didn't know...

and I didn't care...

Satoko,

Satoko, Satoko...

Satoko......

I'm a witch who has lived for a hundred years...

\nbut I still couldn't rid myself of the human emotions in my heart...

I didn't get anything to eat because Satoko was supposed to be making dinner tonight.

But I didn't have an appetite anyway, so I figured I should just go to bed.

I still had to make lunch for the next day, though.

Satoko might come to school tomorrow......

I rinsed the rice, hoping that I wouldn't have to waste the lunch that I was making for the two of us...

......I had to stop thinking like that.

I already knew it was a waste to make her lunch.

I already knew that Satoko wasn't coming to school ever again.

I felt so miserable while rinsing the rice...

That tears started dropping into it as I thought about her.

Why was this happening in this world...?

I thought everything changed when Keiichi gave that doll to Mion.

In that world, Mion pretended to be her sister for a week and got closer to Keiichi...

but that wasn't happening this time. I thought we would be having a good time until the festival...

......Huh...?

That's odd...

Wasn't that club activity two weeks before Watanagashi...?

I had realized something.

The club activity was exactly the same, but it happened one week earlier than in the world I knew of.

It was one week earlier than in my previous life...

I get it now.

I thought I was familiar with this world, but it was actually a different one where events are mixed up.

That means that even though Keiichi gave the doll to Mion, that didn't solve everything.

I thought I was getting lucky.

I was confident that everything was going to be okay.

I stopped making an effort...

I knew that there was a possibility that Satoko's uncle was coming back...

But I let her go do the grocery shopping...

I would've been more careful and kept her home if I knew that he was coming back to get her.

I should be careful in my next life...

......But there wouldn't be a next life that was so fortunate! I didn't get lucky that often!

Even if I locked Satoko inside the closet, it would be over if Rena's father messed up something, or if Keiichi lost his mind.

I have to clear up everything that's not within my reach, and I also have to make the best effort I can... Without that, I can't overcome the fate of 1983.

In this life, I may be able to overcome my deadly fate with Takano's help.

But Satoko will not be there in my future.

That defeats the whole purpose.

My goal is to survive this year while laughing with my best friends.

I don't want to sacrifice Satoko in order to survive.

I don't want to live in a world without her.

I was blessed with all those fortunes, but I still couldn't defeat my destiny...

I ruined everything because I stopped working so hard.

I will never again have a lucky life like this...

I lost my first and only chance...

"Ugh... uuuh... ugh... ugh...!!"

I cried and scratched at the floor.

I didn't know if I should curse my fate or curse myself for not putting forth enough effort...

Before I realized it.... Hanyuu was standing in front of me.

I didn't know how long she had been there.

She just stared down at me with a look of pity on her face.

"Hanyuu...

I know what you're trying to say...

You want to tell me that you told me not to get my hopes up..."

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

"......There's no way I wouldn't get my hopes up...

With it being the first time I was blessed with so many fortunate circumstances.

I believed that everything would go well.

But... you were always telling me.

......Not to expect too much."

She probably felt something strange at the toy store that day.

She realized that the date was one week off, and this was not the same old world that I knew.

She had realized early on that I still shouldn't be too excited about this life...

"......I've been with you for a long time.

So let me tell you this first before you ask me.

...I couldn't predict what fate held for us today either.

The only advice I can give you is this.

......Fate in this world is as fickle as the weather, nothing more than a trifle unworthy of joy or sorrow."

There are six sides on a die.

That's the reality of it, and it doesn't mean that the six is the best number either.

I should just take any number that I roll.

I shouldn't be disappointed if I roll a one a few times in a row.

It's pathetic how I thought rolling a six was the best result you could obtain...

"Heh heh heh... I still have many things to learn, even though I've been living for more than a hundred years..."

"I told you several times, but this world is not a miracle.

If you wait patiently, you will come across a real miracle someday."

"How many decades am I supposed to wait patiently?

How many centuries do I have to wait...?

We don't have much power left anymore.

I don't think we can go back to a time before June of 1983.

The amount of time we can rewind keeps decreasing.

You're telling me to just repeat that short amount of time for years?

I almost lost my mind when I was repeating a few years over and over again...

But you're telling me to repeat one or two weeks for years, until the miracle happens?

That's impossible...

Aha ha ha ha ha......"

I was betting on this world.

I bet all of my coins on this one world.

And I lost...

I lost all of my coins to this fate.

I have no more coins left in my heart.

These coins are known as

hope.

........I have no coins left to hope for my dreams to come true.

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

I lay on the floor as if I collapsed.

The floor should have been cold, but I didn't feel anything.

"......I lost all of my hope.

Ha ha ha..."

I always thought people could survive as long as they had some bread and water.

But that's not right.

People can't live without hope.

People can survive because they believe that something good will happen to them eventually, as long as they keep on living.

But that's just for normal people who don't know what awaits them in their future.

There is no such hope for a witch like me...

"I don't care about anything anymore.

I don't care about this life, and I don't care about the next...

I just want to disappear and turn to ash..."

"...Au au au, Rika... Please don't say that...

Rika... Rika..."

Hanyuu's voice gradually fades away.

I slowly lost my senses... as I lay down on the kitchen floor, and let myself sink into the darkness...