"Hey! Good morning, Rena.

You're late today!"

"Ahahahahaha, you're just early today, Keiichi-kun."

"I'm not trying to put aside the fact that I'm always late, but it feels good to defeat you once in a while."

"Hau,

I slept in this morning.

I couldn't sleep last night."

"Oh, you too?

Nahahahaha, same here.

I was still feeling yesterday's uproar.

It took me a long time to go to sleep."

Yesterday, I had a lot of fun with my friends and went home still riding that high.

I was too full to eat dinner.

I kept talking with my parents about the great time I had over the past few days.

I was so pumped up that I couldn't go to sleep. Kinda sounds like I'm a little kid...

But, given that Rena seemed to be the same way, I felt better about it.

...No, "I felt better" isn't the right way of phrasing it. I should say "I'm glad" to know that we shared the same feeling.

Rena went treasure hunting after I left. I'm sure she found many adorable things, went home,

and talked with her parents about how great the day was.

"Hey, Mii-chan!

Good morning!!"

"Oh, you're here early! Better watch out for the pigs falling from the sky!"

"I know I usually make you wait for me, but do you really have to say it like that?"

"Ahaha, Keiichi-kun was unusually early this morning.

Today is full of miracles!"

"Aha ha ha!

You're one to talk yourself!"

It's going to be another happy day today.

I had fun the day before yesterday.

I had fun yesterday.

So, I'm going to have fun today for sure.

I'm happy, and Mion is happy too.

Of course, Rena and my other friends are equally happy.

I'm not afraid to say it,

and I wish these happy days would last forever.

"Hey, Mion.

What are we playing today?"

"What, for club?

Hmmmmmmm, I don't know yet.

Rena, do you have any ideas?"

"Let's see...

We've been playing athletic games for the past few days, so I'd say something not athletic."

"You're right.

That's a very good point.

Our club is not only about athletic performance, is it?"

"Of course it's not!

Our club members have to have brains, skill, and brawn to boot!

So, why don't we play some tabletop games today?"

Everybody was early this morning.

We could enjoy our walk to school for once.

After a while, we started talking about the upcoming festival.

They told me that the festival was called "Watanagashi\

"Yesterday, my relatives gathered at my house in Okinomiya.

And they started talking about you, Kei-chan."

"What? Me?

What did the great people of the Sonozaki family talk about...?"

"Well...

my Uncle Yoshiroh is the store manager of Angel Mort, and he saw your performance yesterday.

He really likes you now.

So, I started asking the others if they had heard of you, and I found out that most of them did!

They said you're famous in Hinamizawa."

"Famous? Doesn't sound like they meant it in a good way...

I'm probably more infamous to them because of the punishments you made me do."

"It's not only that.

They said that you blend in well, that you're full of energy, and that you're a little bit reckless. They said it's rare for a young man in this era to have all those qualities. They were very impressed with you."

I felt... a bit embarrassed to know that people I haven't even met were speaking well of me.

"And so, they want you to do something at the Watanagashi festival.

You like to draw people's attention, don't you?"

"Hey!

Don't assume things, and don't decide anything without me!

Don't you know I'm a quiet, lonely guy who loves to be alone?"

"Ah hahahahaha ha!!

Lonely guy?

You mean 'cherry boy', don't you?

Heh heh heh heh!"

"Hm? What's a cherry boy...?

Hau... Keiichi-kun, what does 'cherry boy' mean...?"

"Whooooaaaaah!!

Stop talking about nasty things! Ladies don't talk about things like that!!"

We really were still feeling the aftereffects of yesterday.

Mion and I made a lot of noise teasing each other on the way to school.

Rena watched us and laughed happily.

Satoko and Rika-chan were already there when we arrived at school. They were also full of energy.

Tomita-kun and Okamura-kun were too. From that, I can tell that they also had a good time yesterday.

Everybody has been having a good time, really.

In Hinamizawa, everybody is happy.

"...It hasn't even been a year yet since I moved here, but..."

"Hm? What is it?"

"Well... I'm just glad that I moved here."

"Aha ha ha ha!

What's wrong, Kei-chan? You're being sentimental."

"I understand.

I understand exactly how you feel. You feel like everything is perfect, that you've become happy since you moved to Hinamizawa.

...I think this village has some kind of power to make people feel that way."

"Are you happy, Rena?"

"Yes.

I'm happy every day here in Hinamizawa."

"Yeah, me too."

"...H-Hey!

Don't leave this ol' man out in the cold!

Let me in on the conversation too!"

The sky was clear, and the few thin clouds were pure white.

The cry of the cicadas was telling me that summer would be coming earlier than usual.

Watanagashi is just around the corner.

I'm sure we'll have great fun at the festival too.

There will be more and more fun days to come, I'm sure of it.

Summer is just around the corner.

The last class of the day was finally over, meaning that it was time for club activities.

I was sure it would be fun.

I couldn't wait.

But then Mii-chan received a call and told us something had come up and she had to go. So, we didn't have a club meeting today.

...Tsk.

...I was really looking forward to it.

There was nothing I could do,

but I could at least chat with Keiichi-kun on the way home. It'll be fun.

Keiichi-kun sometimes says mean things, but he's very funny.

When I chat with him, my depression goes away.

...Wait, what did I just say?

Am I... depressed...?

I have so much fun every day, and I'm as happy as I can be.

...What did I have to be depressed about?

...Well, it was obvious.

Because of Rina-san, my father is happy now.

Before he met her, he was like a lamp in broad daylight.

Honestly, he was like the living dead.

But after he met Rina-san, he started to smile like he used to when he was living with my mother.

He enjoyed talking with her and started going out with her.

You could probably say they went on dates.

Now, he looks ten, no, twenty years younger.

Rina-san gets along with my father very well... and she's very kind to me, too.

There's actually...

no reason for me to hate her.

But

......

the bitter memories of my parents' divorce

and my many regrets

were gradually eating away at my heart.

Was it okay to accept that woman?

Rina-san might be the same as

how Uncle Akihito...

turned out to be...

Is she the enemy who takes my happiness away with her very existence...

with or without bad intentions?

Am I going to sit around until everything collapses again?

Should I fight

the enemy

...before it's too late?

Rina-san... comes to my house a little too... obviously.

Since my father started letting her stay the night, many of her belongings have turned up in the house.

My father and I don't smoke, but there's an ashtray in the living room.

The futon in our guest room is hers now.

In the bathroom, there's a toothbrush

and shampoo I'd never choose to buy.

I started to feel awkward about those things...

and that's when I started noticing it at the front door when I came home from school.

Her perfume.

I asked my father once if he was thinking about getting married to Rina-san.

He looked a little embarrassed, perplexed, and confused. He told me, "not yet."

He knew I was hurt by the divorce.

That's probably why he couldn't admit that he wanted to remarry.

...That's why he said, "not yet."

He'd consider it, but not while I was still living with him.

That's what he meant, I guess.

There's only one reason why I don't want him to get remarried to Rina-san.

I feel offended that my sanctum, my family, is being invaded.

I might be being selfish, though.

I know keeping my father all to myself means...

keeping him miserable like he was before he met Rina-san.

He has a life to live too.

It's his right to heal from the pain from the divorce and to live, to find his new love.

He wouldn't have had to go through that painful life if I'd prevented the divorce from happening in the first place.

He has a right to a happy new life that lets him forget the pain he never deserved, and I don't have any right to stop him.

...In fact, I have an obligation to try to return his happiness to him.

...I have to pay for my sin, my inability to prevent his divorce.

Then, what should I do to make both of us happy?

...It wouldn't be that difficult.

All I'd need to do would be to give my silent approval of their relationship.

My father tells me he won't get remarried while we live together.

That means I should stop leaning on my family, be strong, and live on my own as soon as I can.

Although, that doesn't mean I can tell him not to go out with her until that day.

Rina-san comes to our house to see him despite her busy schedule, and she even stays the night whenever her shifts permit.

...They're adults.

I have no right to say anything against that.

That's why...

That's why I chose to give my silent approval to their relationship

and tried to see her as little as I could.

I get along with Rina-san on the surface.

...I know my father would have a hard time keeping face if we didn't.

But, it's a very exhausting and painful thing to get along with a person I don't really like.

So, whenever Rina-san comes over, I spend as much time as possible outside, then head home late.

Mii-chan's club activities are the most convenient things to do to kill time.

But there are some days we don't have a club meeting.

On those days, I while away my time at the garbage dump, hunting for treasure alone.

And... that's how I started to make my secret hideout.

My father can do whatever he wants with Rina-san at home.

I don't have to see them together. I can spend my time peacefully at my hideout.

......I sometimes feel depressed about my life.

I sometimes want to talk to somebody about it.

But... nothing will change, even if I talk to somebody.

This is all I can really do.

The most important thing for me should be to overcome the sadness of losing my family as fast as I could, and to regain my own happiness.

I have so much fun every day. I'm happy every day.

...Even on the way home, Keiichi-kun was talking about funny things that made me laugh.

My feeling gloomy in spite of that was kind of rude.

My father should be happy.

I should be happy.

I just feel sad because I still can't separate from my father.

Compared to the unexpectedness of the divorce, Rina-san's invasion is a very slow process.

I think Rina-san understands how I feel.

She treats me very kindly, but she doesn't do more than that.

I think she understands that I'd feel uncomfortable if she did.

I respect Rika-chan, because she's strong even without her parents.

Compared to the pain of losing both her parents unexpectedly, my problem is like nothing.

I respect Satoko-chan's toughness, too. She also lost her parents and was forced to live a painful life under her uncle and aunt.

Compared to the cruel treatment she had to go through, my relationship with Rina-san is a blessed one.

...I keep feeling anxious, but that's just because

I'm still immature, and because I feel like I'm not ready to separate from my father.

I have to be strong like Rika-chan and Satoko-chan.

I have to try my best to be happy.

I'm going to live with all my might...

in order to regain the peace of mind that I lost that day.

My assumption that I'm not happy is just a mistake.

I should appreciate the wonderful days I spend with my wonderful friends.

Just by realizing that I'm happy, the world shines so brightly.

"Listen! Listen!

It was just sho kyute, so I screamed, 'I'm taking it home with me!!'"

"Ahh hahahahaha... I bet you did.

You're an expert at making the most out of every day."

"I am, aren't I?

I feel very fortunate to have a wonderful life and wonderful friends. How could I be unhappy?"

"You're right.

In Hinamizawa, nobody becomes unhappy.

Everybody stays happy!

Hinamizawa is free from misfortunes!"

He should've stopped right there.

But, he just kept going.

"I'm jealous of you, Rena.

I wish I could be an idiotic optimist like you!"

"...Hau...

It sounds like you're insulting me......

But, if that's what I need to make every day wonderful... I wouldn't mind.

...Would I?"

I don't have any worries.

I feel like I do, but that's just because I'm immature and still want my father's attention.

Come on.

Say the magical words.

It'll cheer you up.

"Hau..."

"Hum?"

It didn't make sense to say it now, but I was going to say it anyway, because this is my magical phrase that always cheers me up.

"Hauuuu☆!

I'm taking it home with me!!!"

"Ahahahahaha, what's wrong with you?

That's so like you, but still!"

That's right.

This is me, Rena.

I'm not Reina. Reina still wants her parents' attention.

...Rena is a goofy and carefree girl. She knows that every day is full of happiness and she has the kind heart to appreciate it, too.

I should forget about icky things.

I should live a wonderful life free of anything icky.

"Icky" starts with "I".

...And that's why I got rid of the "I" in "Reina".

I'm Rena.

I'm going to recapture the happiness I lost when I left Hinamizawa.

I will overcome any pain and hardship.

I can be happy.

Because I got rid of 'i'-cky things.

I'm sure there are only incredible things waiting for me.

......Oh.

"Incredible" starts with "I\

.........

I was almost home... and when my house appeared, I noticed something different there.

There was a truck parked in front of my house.

There was nothing on the back of it, but I can tell it brought something here, because I saw some cardboard boxes, blankets, and ropes on the ground.

From the front of the house, I heard voices of two young men saying,

"Well, we'll be going now."

They passed me by as I walked towards the front door.

They were wearing some kind of work uniforms. They looked like delivery people.

My father was about to close the door when he noticed me.

"Hey, I'm home.

......What's going on?"

"Oh, Reina.

I have a surprise for you."

My father looked to be in a good mood.

I didn't know why he was, but whenever he smiled like that I just wanted to smile back at him.

His eyes used to look like those of a dead fish no matter how hard I tried to smile at him...

But these days, he could put on a big smile just to surprise me.

He has been literally coming back to life since a year ago when we moved back to Hinamizawa... no, since he started dating Rina-san.

When I see him smile like this, I'm happy. But at the same time, I feel confused because I don't know whether I should thank Rina-san or not.

"Look, doesn't it look great?"

He took me to the living room.

He was probably expecting me to go all "ohh" and "ahh".

So, whether there was something in the living room or not, I was ready to go "ohh" and "ahh" for him.

"...Wow.

What...

What is this?

...Wh-What did you do?"

I tried to sound excited and surprised.

He was standing behind me, probably smiling with satisfaction at hearing my excited voice.

I, on the other hand... was desperately trying to understand what was going on.

For a moment, I thought I was in someone else's house.

You see, the living room had been completely redecorated.

The furniture we had was all basically from the former house in Ibaraki.

My parents bought most of the furniture when they got married, so it was all old and a little dirty.

Some of them still had crayon scribbles I drew when I was very little.

But all of that was gone.

Everything in the living room had turned a pastel color, looking very sophisticated like the rooms you'd see in soap operas.

The new carpet looked very tropical.

The new curtains matched with the carpet.

The new sofa looked very expensive.

...The living room, in general, looked like a resort hotel.

The channel switcher of our old TV was broken, and we used to have to use pliers to change channels. But it was gone too, replaced by a new one with a big screen.

The room's lights had also been replaced by nicer-looking ones.

The living room looked like a totally different world under the new fluorescent lights.

"Th-This looks great, Dad.

What made you do this?"

"I did it to get a fresh start.

It's been a year since we moved here. I thought it was time for me to reboot and finally start a new life."

I suggested redecorating the house once in order to cheer him up, because he was still in pain after the divorce.

But he wasn't interested at the time.

...He didn't want to get rid of the old furniture he had chosen with my mother, because he still couldn't get over her even though she cruelly broke up with him.

I wanted to suggest it again when the time was right...

I never thought he'd do it on his own initiative.

"That was a good idea.

Ahahahaha, this beautiful living room makes me feel refreshed.

I love it!"

"I knew you would.

Reina, you always wanted to have a rocking chair, didn't you?

I haven't set it up yet, but look!

I got it for you!"

"Hauuuuu!!

Dad, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

This is mine, right? Right?"

"Hey, this is for everybody. Not just for you, Reina.

Ahahahahaahaha!"

"I understand, but I'm not going to get off the chair once I sit on it!

Ahahahahaha."

My father explained the details of his redecoration proudly.

He told me that he only did the living room this time, but he's going to redecorate all of the rooms.

He sure had become more active.

There are some parts about the redecoration I didn't like, but I still thought it was great, because it made him happy.

I found the old furniture...

outside in the yard.

"Are you going to... throw them away?"

"Yeah, I think we should.

A delivery company is coming later to pick them up."

Getting rid of the old furniture means putting an end to my mother.

...I hated the furniture because it smelled like my mother, and I tried to break everything once.

I understand why my father wants to take this opportunity to get rid of them.

But......

...for some reason, this new living room makes me feel like

I no longer belonged here.

My father didn't choose the new furniture.

Rina-san probably did.

Most likely, my father and Rina-san decided to redecorate the living room and went to a furniture store to buy everything.

...I tried to think positively. The reason why my father didn't tell me about the redecoration was because he wanted to surprise me.

...No... My father never really considers things that deeply.

So, I suppose he didn't tell me because he just didn't think he needed to tell me.

...I'm sure he didn't redecorate the living room to make me feel like I was no longer welcome.

Don't be negative, Rena...

My father didn't have any bad intentions... He doesn't want to get rid of me... He doesn't think I'm the reason he can't get remarried...

And yet.

...Why did I feel sad... looking at the old furniture in the yard?

Why did I feel like I didn't belong?

I realized the reason... right away.

That reason was me.

To him, wanting to have a fresh start by getting rid of the things that remind him of my mother might be......

an indication of his unconscious desire to get rid of her daughter.

...My father doesn't really consider things deeply, so he might not be thinking that I'm the reason he can't get remarried.

...But, he understands that he can't get remarried while we live together.

...By staying with him, I'm torturing my father.

It was my fault that he had to get a divorce...

That's why I have to support him, to help recapture his happiness.

I couldn't just keep him all to myself.

I'd have to start thinking about living on my own.

...I don't need to go to university. I should think about getting a job.

But who would hire an uneducated girl like me?

Even if somebody did hire me, I wouldn't be able to earn enough money to live on my own.

...Maybe I should think about working at a hostess club...

like Rina-san does.

People only choose the jobs they can.

...A girl like me doesn't have a lot of choices.

Not a lot of companies would hire me or pay the amount of money that I'd need to live on my own......

But............

Come to think of it

......

where is the place where I belong?

Whenever I end up feeling like this... I miss my secret hideout in the trash piles.

I love to get under my blanket and feel the warmth on a cold night.

The hideout gets hot and humid during the day and very cold at night. It's not a comfortable place to spend time in.

...But it might be the place where I can relax the most... more than I can at my house.

No.

I shouldn't think like this.

I shouldn't think that my house has been invaded by Rina-san.

I should thank her for making my father happy.

Rina-san isn't trying to kick me out of the house.

She's trying to get along with me.

But I'm not opening my heart to her.

I'm the bad one.

I'm the bad one.

And I'm blessed.

I'm blessed.

Satoshi-kun and his aunt didn't get along at all, and she abused him for a long time. ......Compared to him, my situation is a lot easier.

Satoko-chan and Rika-chan lost their parents, and they live together now. They've been through very hard times. On the other hand, I still live with my father. I should feel blessed.

I shouldn't think I'm unhappy just because of these things.

I am happy.

I am blessed.

The trouble with me is that I still can't admit that I'm happy...

My father kept talking proudly about the redecoration.

I nodded at him with a big smile and let him keep at it.

"Oh, I almost forgot...

Reina, can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure.

What is it?"

"I ordered two jackets from the clothing store.

It seems like they came in today.

I have to help the delivery company pick up the furniture, so can you go get the jackets for me?"

"Sure.

Which store is it?

I wonder what kind of jackets you got.

I can't wait to see them!"

No matter what they look like, I'm sure Rina-san picked them out for him.

Although I don't mind going.

I'd rather go to the store than listen to his stories about the redecoration of our living room.

I got the receipt, asked him where the store is, changed my clothes, and left the house.

...I started pedaling my bicycle, and looked at the old furniture in the yard for the last time.

They used to be the object of my hatred, but for some reason... they now made me feel sentimental.

...Is it because I still regret the loss of my mother, even though I hate her?

I couldn't let poisonous emotions take over my heart.

...I understood that in my mind, but I just couldn't get rid of that feeling.

The old furniture wasn't the only stuff that was kicked out of the house.

There was also a lot of junk that I brought home from the landfill.

My father was probably going to throw that away, too.

He doesn't like the junk I collect.

He'll probably let the delivery company take it all together with the old furniture.

...Just like an animal that rubs its scent on its home in order to feel secure,

I collected all the junk in order to make sure that I could stay here.

No, that's not it.

...I wanted to bring them to my house because they were abandoned by their former owners.

And they needed a place to live.