This area has no streetlights, so I was scared to run fast when I could barely see.

The moon lit up the sky, but not my steps.

The only light I had to see by was my flashlight.

The light was very weak. All I could see was the flat gravel road before me.

Anything the flashlight couldn't reach was in total darkness.

...The expression often used in novels, "pitch black," wouldn't be inappropriate.

I might trip over an empty can or a rock anytime.

Not wanting to fall, I used the flashlight to its maximum extent to watch my step, but I was still a bit nervous. I started running slower and slower until I was just walking briskly.

Did I just stop running because I'm afraid of tripping in the dark?

But I usually run around without watching my step during the day.

I run around with Rena and Mion all the time.

Even if I can see what's underfoot, I don't pay any attention.

I don't think I might trip. I just keep running around without a care.

Rena might be feeling the same way I am right now.

For Rena... the light with which she illuminates the darkness of suspicion is too weak.

And the darkness of the delusion she deeply believes in is getting darker and darker. That's why she's scared to even walk on the same roads she always used to take.

She fell for the contents of those ridiculous scrapbooks.

People might laugh at her for that.

But those scrapbooks aren't... normal.

They manipulate their readers' hearts and, with evil intent, take advantage of their vulnerabilities.

That evil intent captured my heart for one night.

...That's why I know how evil they are.

They're just urban legends, like the prophecies of Nostradamus or the purple mirror.

They're a bunch of feasible lies, and when you hear about them at first, you think they're too stupid to believe.

...But once you fall for them, it's hard to get them out of your mind for some reason.

It'll be the year 1999 in less than 20 years.

Everybody knows about the prophecy that the world will come to an end in July of 1999. There are even some TV shows about it, too, which irresponsibly fan people's fears. So, some people take it seriously.

...Those people think that the prophecy means the outbreak of nuclear war, so some of them are making shelters in their backyards. Some of them are thinking about freezing themselves by 1999 so that they won't be exposed to radiation, only waking up after it's gone.

Those people are completely serious about it.

But when you think about it rationally, it's impossible that there'll be an outbreak of nuclear war in 1999.

It's true that the cold war makes us think that the final war will break out anytime, but both powers are actually pointing their nuclear missiles at each other, and they know there's nothing to gain for either of them to start a nuclear war.

..."The Soviets might still do it!" "The Soviets would destroy the world if it meant eradicating liberalism...!"

But that delusion that "the Soviets" might do it could be neatly swapped for the way Takano-san uses "the Sonozaki family" in her scrapbooks.

When people create a large-scale delusion like the prophecies above, they always use an incomprehensibly unknown enemy such as the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, or aliens.

And they say something like, "you never know! They might do things like that!" to try and increase the credibility of their delusions without any evidence whatsoever.

What did Takano-san know about the Sonozaki family?

Nothing!

All she did was use the history of Onigafuchi and say that the Sonozaki family is still working behind the scenes, plotting a horrifying conspiracy.

It's just like one of those large-scale prophecies.

It's nothing but just a stupid story like that one about Nazi Germany, which says that Hitler is still alive and lives in an underground complex somewhere on the South Pole, continuing his plot to conquer the world...!!

...Rena usually doesn't believe in stupid stories like that.

But... it was just bad timing, I suppose.

It was right after she killed Rina Mamiya and Teppei Houjou... and was caught by us. She was in a state of panic when she heard the story.

We were waiting for her to recover from the shock.

...But before she did and regained her strength of heart, a poison got into her, and spread all throughout her body.

When you're sick and have a weakened immune system, it's easy to get another disease. It's just like that.

...That's it. Rena is just sick right now.

When you're very sick, in bed with a high fever, you sometimes feel like you might die from it.

But most of the time, you're just overreacting.

You get better soon after you take a medicine, eat healthy food, and sleep a lot!

That's how she is right now.

...She caught a mental cold. That's all.

She needs to get better soon, or she might get caught by the police!

I passed several patrol cars on my way.

I hid every time I saw one, since I didn't want to be questioned.

I was probably passed by them twice.

When I came close to Rena's house, I saw a car parked near the gate. It was obviously watching her house, trying to capture her when she'd arrive home.

Mion ordered the Sonozaki family to find Rena to protect her from the police... But honestly, I'm not sure if they can.

After all, Rena believes that the Sonozaki family is after her.

But if they don't find her, the police will eventually.

If that happens... all of us who helped her bury the corpses will be caught by the police in the end!

...I don't know how or why the police came to suspect her.

I think they only have some circumstantial evidence. I don't think they know she did it for sure.

...But since they're looking everywhere for her now, they must have some kind of reliable evidence...

Rena, come on...!!

You don't have time to play around with Takano-san's scrapbooks right now!

The police are after you...!!

It was so dark that I couldn't be sure if she was down there.

But I made up my mind and headed down the slope, carefully shining my flashlight to light my way.

I wanted to loudly call out Rena's name, but there might be some policemen nearby looking for her.

I walked around a trash pile, and then, I saw a light.

...It was Rena.

I ran towards her hideout, kicking aside the trash in my way.

Rena was standing right in front of her hideout, holding a hatchet.

I couldn't blame her.

She must have noticed all the noise I had made coming down the slope.

"Haah... Haah!

Re

-Rena......

It's

me..."

"...Keiichi-kun?

Ahahahaha, I sure have a lot of visitors tonight."

"Who else is here?"

I shone my flashlight around, but I didn't see anybody else.

"I'm leaving, because it's not safe here anymore.

...I don't want you to know where I'm going, so please don't follow me."

"R-Rena...?!

What happened to your neck?!

You're bleeding!!"

"...I'm okay.

They might come back again, though."

Rena's neck was all red. It looked like she had some kind of skin disease on her neck. She probably couldn't bear the itchiness and scratched at it really hard.

"You need to do more than just wipe it with a towel...

Come to my house!

You need to clean it up...!"

"...Don't worry about it.

It isn't an injury.

...And it's too late anyway."

"Too late?

...What do you mean?"

"They must have put the drug in my food without me realizing. It's the drug that killed Tomitake-san.

...They probably used a syringe to inject him with the drug, but they changed their methods this time.

...I think they put it in someone's lunch.

Don't you remember?

Mii-chan gave out a piece of her omelet to everyone the other day at lunch.

She must have put it in the omelet.

...She's smart. She used a slow-acting drug this time...

Damn it...!!"

Rena kicked the dirt with hatred.

...She was almost literally kicking Mion's goodwill to the curb.

"Hey, Rena.

...Are you seriously saying that Mion would do such a thing?"

".........?"

Rena looked stunned, and she stared straight at me.

...I noticed a slight accusation in her eyes.

I can tell by looking into her eyes that she wants to say,

"what are you talking about? I already told you that the Sonozaki family is the mastermind behind the conspiracy".

"First of all...

Mion didn't give out her omelet to everybody that day."

Mion cut her omelet into 5 pieces, and she told us to take one if we wanted.

...Rena took the end piece of the omelet before anybody else took one. She said it looked "kyute" and ate it right there.

"No, that's not what happened.

Mii-chan tried to make me eat the omelet because she put a drug in it."

"...Rena.

...Stop interpreting everything so conveniently...

Mion just put the five pieces of the omelet on the lid of her lunch box."

"No, she didn't...!

She gave out each piece to every one of us!"

"...Rena, think about it. Have we ever done something like that before?

We usually take whatever we like from everybody else's lunch...

Nobody has ever said something like, 'this is your piece, so take this' or 'this is her piece so don't take that'... you know?"

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

She looked at me with that accusation in her eyes.

...To Rena, everything that comes out of my mouth must sound like a lie.

To her, it's a fact that she was poisoned. She "knows" for sure that the drug was in the omelet.

...That's why she's contradicting me, because I'm saying something different.

...I didn't come here to make her mad.

...I realized that disagreeing would only escalate her anger, so I decided not to.

"Anyway...

you said this place isn't safe anymore... Where are you going to go, then?"

"...Well,

I'll find somewhere."

"It's not that easy to find a place to sleep...!

Why don't you come to my house?"

"I appreciate your offer, but I can't do that.

The Sonozaki family is looking for me everywhere in the village.

...I don't think you'd betray me, but... I don't think you can hide me from them, either."

"It's... not the Sonozaki family who are looking for you...

It's the police."

".........?

Why?

Ooishi-san is on my side... And I told him to leave me alone.

I don't think he's looking for me."

"I think... they know that you killed Rina and Teppei."

"............Oh... I see."

I was relieved that we were finally on the same page... but I realized I was wrong right away when she laughed in self-derision.

"...Do you know how the police found out that I killed them?"

"......No...... I have no idea..."

Nobody saw her killing them.

Nobody saw us burying the corpses. We buried them deep in the mountains, and we camouflaged the spot perfectly.

Plus, Mion moved them to a secret place afterwards.

So, it's impossible that the corpses would be found.

"I went there this evening.

...I went there to check the spot where we buried them.

Guess what I found..."

"......Ah."

That didn't sound good.

.........Of course.

...Rena has no idea that Mion took care of the corpses.

She'd think the corpses were still buried there...!

"They weren't there.

The corpses.

Somebody dug them out and carried them somewhere else."

"Ah... Rena!

...That's because... ummm...!"

"It's impossible that someone happened to dig them up.

...I chose the place.

So, the only people who know about the place are me and my friends who were there."

"Th-That's right...

Well... the thing is..."

"I know who did it.

It's Mii-chan.

...They didn't want me to work with the police. They needed to have some insurance.

...But I didn't think they'd use the police to find me.

...I guess they don't care how it looks anymore as long as I'm captured."

"Come on! Do you really think Mion would do such a thing?"

"She did!!

Mii-chan sold me out!"

"...No, she didn't.

Mion is your friend.

We're all on your side no matter what happens. Even if the whole world turned against you, we'd still be on your side.

Even if the whole ocean evaporated, Mion would never sell you out...!"

".........I don't understand why you're defending her."

"It's just the opposite!

I don't understand why you're doubting her!!"

"That's simple.

Miyo-san revealed the existence of the conspiracy to me, and the fanatics are..."

"Shut up! Shut up!!

...Ah... I'm sorry I didn't mean to yell at you like that. I apologize. So, please listen to me.

...The corpses are gone because Mion dug them out."

"See?!! I told you!!!"

"Listen to me until I finish!!

...Okay? Mion dug them out because she found out that the place isn't going to be safe for much longer.

There's a logging project scheduled to begin on that mountain this summer.

That was why!

That's why she dug them out, to save you from being caught!!"

"Pff... hahahahahaha. Ah ha ha ha ha!"

Rena laughed at me like I was stupid or something.

I could tell she didn't understand anything I was saying...

"Don't you get it? Mii-chan made that up!

She just wants to look good when you're around. She's a dirty bitch!"

"Hey...!!

Then what was she supposed to do?!

Are you saying that she should've left the corpses there, knowing that the forestry service would find them this summer?!

She couldn't do that because she's your friend!"

"Why can't you understand that Mii-chan made everything up, including the logging project?!!"

"You're the one who doesn't understand anything!!!"

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

After I yelled at her, she gave me an icy look.

...She stared into my eyes...

As if trying to find out what I came here for...

"...I came here to wake you up.

You're possessed by an impossible delusion because of Takano-san's scrapbooks.

...At first, I thought it was interesting. But this is getting way out of hand...

You know why? It's because they're making you sick!"

"...Oh, the girl who looked just like Rika-chan told me the same thing.

You're actually right about that. I mean, I do have the maggot disease, so..."

"No, you don't understand!

Listen to me very carefully!

...You need to lie down and rest for a while. Okay?

It'd be a lot safer to stay at Mion's house.

She can protect you from the police.

...But if you don't trust her, you can stay at my place.

Either way, it's not good for you to stay somewhere uncomfortable like this!

Let's just go to my house for now.

We'll have some cold tea together. It'll cool your fever down...

Then, you'll realize how crazy all this was."

"What are you talking about, Keiichi-kun?

...Are you saying that I'm crazy?"

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

"I'm not crazy, you are!!

You don't know it, but you're just being controlled by the parasite.

Keiichi-kun, you think you have nothing to do with it, but you're one of the victims!!

You just don't realize it.

I'm not blaming you for that.

...I can save you. I can save everybody. So please trust me for now!"

"You think we're all crazy...

You think... everybody in this village is crazy, and you're not... Is that what you're saying?!"

"It might even be spreading outside of Hinamizawa.

...They might've already spread it as far as Shishibone City... or to the entire prefecture!

I really am the only one who isn't crazy!

I know that, thanks to Miyo-san's scrapbooks!

I thought you understood that, too!"

"Wait a second, Rena!!

You're saying everybody in the world is crazy except you...

That's the same thing as saying you're the only one who's crazy...!!

The world hasn't changed. Nobody is crazy.

Nobody is your enemy.

If you ask me, it's crazy to believe that you're the only one in this world who isn't crazy and that everybody in this world is your enemy!

In short... your only enemy is yourself!"

"I feel sorry for you, Keiichi-kun.

...But it's okay.

It's not that easy to accept the facts Miyo-san discovered.

...Even she wasn't sure about them.

So I understand if you can't accept the truth.

...That's why I'm going to fight. I'm going to fight to save everybody.

I'll beat them down and make them stop controlling you."

Rena, that's stupid... That's just idiotic!!

You feel sorry for me?

You're stupid!!

Why don't you understand? Why do you still believe a crazy stupid story like this?!!

You're just interpreting everything to suit your convenience!

"...They have replacements for Miyo-san, Rika-chan, and me.

They're going to replace me after I'm killed."

"What?!

Replacements?!

Are you seriously saying that?!"

"You know what?

I'm going to tell you the truth.

I haven't told you about this yet.

The true identity of the parasite is... aliens."

"A-Aliens...?!"

"Yes.

Oyashiro-sama is also an alien.

The description of his descending from the sky matches with alien theories from all over the world.

Whenever a great civilization flourished, it was always the aliens who accomplished it!

They have advanced knowledge. They came to Earth to help immature humans evolve..."

......Hey, wait just a minute...

You...

must be kidding, right,

Rena?

The parasite theory was interesting...

But aliens...? Come on. That's just nonsense...

But Rena believes this theory so seriously... And she feels sorry for me because I can't accept it.

"They've been controlling the community by living as parasites in human bodies.

But sometimes, someone with sharp intuition comes along, and tries to reveal the truth.

But they get rid of them in order to maintain their control of the community.

They sometimes kidnap those people with sharp intuition and put a piece of metal in their bodies to gain control over them. When that doesn't work, they replace those people with their copies...!!

They made a copy of Miyo-san. They made a copy of me, too.

Rika-chan's copy just came by a few minutes ago!

I talked to it.

It admitted that it came from space!!

It told me that the end of the world is coming soon, and it laughed at me, saying I should struggle as much as I want!!

I'm going to fight. I'm not going to let them domesticate our species!!

I'll never ever..."

You're... so stupid...!!!!

I stepped towards Rena,

and slapped her in the face.

...I was hoping it would return her to sanity.

"......Wake up!!"

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

"Rena...

did you forget?

It happened here.

Just a few days ago.

We all took each other's hands here... didn't we?

And we promised we'd be a family made of friends forever..."

Rena played with her wrist.

She didn't interrupt, so I continued.

"If you're seriously saying that aliens are controlling the Earth...

I'll believe you. Even if everybody in this world didn't, I would.

...That's because I'm your friend and I'm on your side no matter what!!

But... I want you to listen to me, too.

I want you to listen to me because I'm your friend.

...Takano-san made up all the stories in the scrapbooks!!

It's true. Takano-san was an occult maniac.

She enjoyed interpreting the old history of Hinamizawa any way she wanted. She made up ridiculous stories out of it, and she read them to people for fun.

So, the parasite story isn't the only one she made up. There are stories about UFOs, some kind of creatures from the underworld, and many other things!

So, the one you read in the scrapbooks was just a new story she made up recently!

Don't you remember that she liked to make fun of people?

She was just making fun of you because you took her story so seriously!"

"...If it was just a story she made up, why was she killed?

Her autopsy report said she had been dead for 24 hours when she was found. But she was there at the festival. Why?

How are you going to explain the cause of Tomitake-san's death?

What about the Sonozaki family?

What about the legend of Hinamizawa?

What about Oyashiro-sama and Rika-chan?

Are you saying everything is made up?

Are you saying that the whole world is lying to us?"

"Stop making connections between everything!!

That's a typical symptom of paranoia!!

Don't think so hard!!

You're just tired.

That's why you need to rest.

All I'm going to do is to offer you a place to relax, a bed, and food.

...If you can't trust my food, you don't have to eat it. Eat whatever you have.

Anyway!!

Please just trust me for now!!!"

"My story makes more sense than yours. I have evidence to prove it.

But all you're saying is that I should trust you.

...Isn't it obvious who is right?"

"Yes, it is obvious.

Me!!!

I'm right!"

"How... How can you be so sure?"

"It's easy.

It's because I'm your friend.

Friends never betray one another.

Friends always help each other.

So, you have to believe that I'm right even when the world says I'm wrong.

Because I'm your friend!!!"

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

I heard a thud.

...Rena dropped the hatchet.

She staggered, holding her head in her hands.

...She was muttering something, and it looked like she was asking herself questions.

...He wants me to trust him, but he has no evidence to prove he's right!

He's being absurd...!!

Or... maybe he's right, and I'm wrong... Am I really just misunderstanding everything...?

It would be wonderful if that was true. I wished I was wrong so many times.

I wished Miyo-san's scrapbooks are nothing but a bunch of stories, and the parasite doesn't exist.

Some coincidences happened to connect together, and I interpreted them in the wrong way...

I really wish that was the case...!!

Don't give up, Rena Ryuugu. Be cool, Rena Ryuugu...!!

This guy has poison in his words. He's trying to take advantage of my weakness!

Everything is too obvious not to believe. It's obvious that the aliens have been trying to invade the Earth, using this village as their base ever since it was called Onigafuchi...

Keiichi-kun is a victim who's being controlled by them. He's just a victim...!

But... when he grabbed my wrist really hard on that day, I could tell his intentions were true!!

I still remember the strength of his grip on my wrist. He tried to save me, his friend!!

I got lost in this crazy delusional maze many times.

...I prayed over and over that somebody would help me.

And now, my prayers are answered, and Keiichi-kun is reaching for my hand again!!

But don't forget, Rena Ryuugu. This guy says he's your friend, but he hasn't told you everything about himself.

Don't you remember? Ooishi-san told you about it...

He told me about what he found out.

I couldn't trust my friends, so Ooishi checked on everybody, including Keiichi-kun.

That's why I know... about what he did before he moved here!!

He looks like he's a good guy on the outside, but he's crazy on the inside. I can't trust him! I shouldn't trust him!!

So what?!

I don't care who he was before he moved here!!

I did many bad things in Ibaraki, too.

I did many unforgivable things.

I hurt my friends really badly, broke the windows at the school, and was suspended!! I was a very bad girl!!

Did he treat me differently because of that?

No, he didn't!

Rena Ryuugu is Rena Ryuugu. He'll forgive me because it was Reina Ryuugu who did all those bad things in Ibaraki!

Ah ha ha ha. Ah ha ha ha ha!!!

He won't forgive me.

I should know better.

Keiichi Maebara believes that I'm a kind and modest girl, because he doesn't know Reina.

If he found out about Reina, what would he do?!!

He wouldn't do anything. He wouldn't be scared of me...!

Rena is Rena. Reina is a different girl!!

The same goes with Keiichi-kun. I don't care who he was before he moved here. We're even!!

"...Are... you okay, Rena...?"

"......Don't touch me."

Rena knocked my hand aside when I reached for her.

"You keep saying you're my friend.

You want me to trust you because of that.

You want me to believe that you're right even if the world says you're wrong...

Are you out of your mind? That is more delusional than anything else...!"

"I don't care what you say.

I'm your friend.

Everything I say, I say for your sake!!!

Don't doubt me!!

I know I'm right!!"

"...Pff... Heh heh heh!!

Really...?

Then, can I ask you something?"

"Yes. Anything."

"Friends... don't keep secrets from another, right?"

"Of course.

I'm not hiding anything from you."

"You're lying."

"...I'm not!"

"Ah ha ha ha ha ha!!

Ha ha ha ha ha!!"

"What's so funny?!!"

"Aha ha ha... Keiichi-kun, you think you can keep it secret from me, don't you?

Heh heh heh!

I know everything.

I know what you did

before you moved here,

I know..."

...I felt as if my entire body was covered in frosty needles.

My body and mind froze all of a sudden.

...I don't believe this. I don't believe this.

...How come

she knows... about that...?!!

"I asked Ooishi-san to check on everybody.

Everybody.

...That's why I know what you did before you came here.

Heh heh heh!"

"S

... Stop it.

...You got it all...

wrong..."

"You only targeted little girls.

I have to tell Satoko-chan and Rika-chan about it.

I can't believe a dangerous person like you was near us the whole time."

"No... No... It wasn't like that... It just turned out that way..."

"A series of attacks on school kids.

Bravo! It has as strong an impact as the series of mysterious deaths of Hinamizawa.

Ahahaha, ah ha ha ha!!"

"No... It wasn't like that..."

"It wasn't like what?

You shot little kids with a BB gun when they were walking alone on deserted streets. What a horrifying incident.

It instilled fear into the whole city for a while. Members of the PTA had to watch the kids at every street corner when they walked between home and school.

You shot one of the girls in her eyes, and she was badly injured.

Fortunately the damage wasn't permanent.

Ahahahahaha!

You had a BB gun, and you only shot little kids. How disgusting.

What made you enjoy it so much?

You must have really enjoyed it because you continued to do it for a long time.

But then, you turned yourself in to the police, accompanied by your parents, in a crisis of conscience.

You couldn't even take responsibility for your actions on your own.

Juvenile law was kind to you, wasn't it?

It prevented your name from being disclosed to the public or the victims.

I bet your father spent a lot of money to protect you.

He paid a lot of compensation to settle the case out of court, and he had you placed on probation.

After the case cooled down, he used the power of money once again to move far away from the city. Everything is solved. Right?

You're lucky that your father's so rich.

Ahahahahahahaha!"

"...No... It wasn't like that... Ahhh..."

"Why didn't you tell us about it?

You told me that you did nothing but study at your previous school.

Why did you lie like that?"

"I-I'm sorry...

I didn't mean to lie..."

"I thought friends didn't keep secrets from one another.

Right?!

So that makes you not my friend!!"

...The blades of her words hit hard... and they made my eyes bleed.

...The blood was clear, and it tasted salty.

"I can't trust you, because of what you did in the past.

Don't you ever think you can hide it from me!!"

I remember how deeply I regretted it.

I couldn't regret enough. I wanted to forget it, but I couldn't... I made a stupid mistake.

...Why... Why does she have to bring it up right now...?

I apologized and accepted everything. And I moved here to put it behind me...

I wanted to have a fresh start in Hinamizawa. I swore to myself to live a clean life from then on...

Everything is...

ruined now.

...I'll be...

a criminal...

no matter where I go.

...I was stressed out with my exam studies. I was frustrated. I randomly shot people. I didn't care if it was girls or kids.

...Ahhhh, why did I do something so stupid?

There was no reason. I had no reason to do that.

I just wanted to get someone's attention.

...I didn't have the courage to tell my parents that I didn't want to study... I just wanted somebody to scold me, so I used a childish way to get attention...

...I regret what I did. I swear I'll never do something that stupid again!

If I do it again, they can send me to the chair!!

If there was something I could do to be completely forgiven, I'd do it, no matter what it was!!

But...

no matter how deeply I regret it,

and no matter how long I atone for my sin...

I'll never be forgiven...

That's why I wanted to sweep the whole thing under the carpet...

and have a fresh start.

I have nothing to say if somebody tells me

that forgetting my sin is an act of cowardice...

...Sins are sins.

You can't just get rid of them.

You have to carry them for the rest of your life.

I know that's the fate of a sinner.

...If you don't want to live like that, don't be a sinner. I understand that logic, too.

...But then... how are sinners supposed to live...?

"Anyway,

you're not my friend.

...I'm not going to take any orders from someone who isn't my friend.

...I need you to leave me alone for a while.

...Okay?"

I didn't notice until she spoke that I was on my knees, hanging my head.

Rena picked up the hatchet she dropped earlier.

...I wanted her to hit my head with it.

Yeah, that's right.

If anything's going to be torn apart, I'd rather it be my body.

Compared to the pain of my heart being torn to shreds... I'd rather she cut my head off.

I believed it.

...I still believe it.

I still believe it right at this moment.

I believe that

...I'm their friend.

But in fact... I'm starting to become aware of it.

I want to believe I am their friend, because I don't want to accept my past.

I'm trying to tell myself that, but I feel stupid, crying like this...

My face is all messy with tears...

I...

was never

their friend.

I'm a sinner

and... I hid my past from them.

I hid it because I was scared.

I told her that friends don't hide anything from another... and I hid my past from them.

I hid my sin from them.

My past......

has nothing to do with how I live my life here...

If I ever attacked a kid in this village just because I was frustrated, I wouldn't mind it if they killed me and cut me into pieces!

But... I'll never do anything like that again!

I just want to live normally...!!

What I did before I moved here...

has nothing to do with

my life "now"...!!

For instance... Rena moved here, too.

I wouldn't change the way I see her

even if I found out she did something bad before she moved here...

Right?!

I wouldn't, would I...?

Even if Rena...

beat some of her friends,

or broke all the windows of her school... I wouldn't care, because it happened in Ibaraki.

She didn't do that in Hinamizawa.

Rena is Rena. She's my best friend...

That's why I wouldn't see her differently

even if I found out about her past...!

...That's a lie.

...That's a lie.

That's a lie.

That's a lie...!!!

I'd keep a distance from her if I found out that she really did such things.

I'd be scared of her. I wouldn't try to listen to her.

Why?! It's just a rumor.

Why would I be scared of her? She's my best friend...

...If I was in her situation... would I reject her just like she did...?

So... Rena's rejection of me... was completely natural...

Then... what am I supposed to do...?

I was the only one crying.

Rena wasn't crying.

She looked at me as if she was looking at something dirty.

After giving me a nasty look, she disappeared into the darkness...

Rena didn't forgive me...

...There was nothing I could do to atone for my sin but to keep crying, still down on my knees...