"............Keiichi.
...Keiichi...?"
"...Just leave him alone.
...His friends went missing.
...It must be really hard for him."
Normally, my dad never shows me any consideration... but this time he did.
"Shouldn't Keiichi stay home from school for a while, too?
I think it would be safer not to go until the police do something about this."
"...Maybe.
...Compared to what could happen, taking a few days off wouldn't be a bad idea..."
"Anyway, how is it logical not to close school during such a dangerous situation?!
What do those teachers think our children are?!"
Mom and Dad were getting pretty riled up... but at this point, I couldn't care less.
...Besides, that wasn't the only thing I couldn't care less about.
...The breakfast table, the food in front of me, the time and date, myself... I really had no interest in anything.
This feeling... it was like a dead fog in my mind... It felt like... getting dizzy after taking strong medication.
"Keiichi.
How are your studies going?
You've gotten further than the other kids, haven't you?
If you have... then you can take a few days off, all right...?"
............I didn't even feel like answering.
...Today was Thursday.
...Only four days had passed... since the Watanagashi Festival.
Such a short time... and yet now things were completely different.
...Everything had changed.
The tranquil village, bright and clear as if it were an Indian summer, had undergone a total reversal...
People were made to disappear every night... and we couldn't even relax when walking out in broad daylight... The village had become a world of fear.
I had no right to curse this outcome.
...After all, the one responsible for everything... was me.
That night.
...I couldn't resist my honestly tiny, little, and incredibly stupid curiosity... and broke the taboo.
"...This isn't somewhere we should be going, is it?!
Let's not!
It's a crime to force your way into a locked building, even if you don't steal anything!!
Shion, now that you know they weren't having some secret rendezvous, you've had enough, right?!
I don't want to do something like this!
What if Rika-chan's dance ends while we're messing around here?!"
...I prattled on as I took the lock from Tomitake-san's hands... and put it back on the door.
I'll forget everything I saw here, so come on!
Let's go, let's go!!
...Takano-san was fretting, but I pushed her away.
Tomitake-san grinned painfully.
Shion's shoulders drooped as if to call me an idiot.
...Even so, I didn't care.
I pushed everyone farther and farther away.
...Rika-chan's dance was still going on.
...Then, at last, her dance was brought to a close with a roaring applause.
...I, too... until my hands turned red...
...I clapped...
and I clapped...
............
...Ding-dong.
"Isn't that Rena-chan?
She's here because it's your usual meet-up time, isn't she?"
I looked up at the clock.
It was five minutes past my time to meet with Rena.
"Keiichi.
Shouldn't you take a few days off from school?"
"............You're right.
.........Thanks for being so considerate."
I rose from my seat.
...I went to the entrance to greet Rena.
"Good morning.
...We're going to school as a group starting today.
...So you can't be late."
...Ah... That's right.
...If we, the ones farthest away, were to be late, the younger kids on the way there would be waiting for us.
"............Um.
...I think I'm going to take some time off.
...From school."
"............
...Okay."
Rena answered shortly, nodding.
"...I think you should do whatever's best for you, Keiichi-kun.
...So, you don't need to feel that you're weak or anything."
"............"
"Oh, and...
Here.
...It's a notice they're sending around.
...Could you give it to your mom?
I think it has a lot of important announcements in it."
I took the notice.
...There were a lot more pages than normal.
...The one on top... announced the disappearance of the mayor, Rika-chan, and Satoko, and that they wanted any information about them... It made my heart ache.
"............The police are looking as best they can, too.
They'll find them for sure.
Just be patient.
...Okay?"
......Rena said, smiling in an attempt to give me courage.
...Rather than that, though... her smile looked like it was because she herself wanted to believe they were safe...
".........Rena, you're...
...not going to question me?"
"............Nope."
"...Rena... you know, don't you?
...About that night, what I..."
"Do you mean...
...when you snuck into the ritual storehouse?"
...I was speechless for a moment... but then I bit my lip, made up my mind, and nodded a little.
"So it's all out in the open...
...Really... I shouldn't do bad things like that..."
"...Mii-chan was really mad."
............So she was upset.
......I suppose... she would have been.
"I don't think she was as angry... about you sneaking in there, though...
as much as about you hiding it from her."
"............"
"Maybe, Keiichi-kun... Maybe you should have told her yourself and apologized."
...I should have told her myself... and apologized.
...That troubled me.
...Just one week ago...
I did something... that I, myself, should have apologized to Mion for.........
I'd hurt her badly...
However, I hadn't realized that at all.
......Plus, with all the confusion that Shion's appearance had brought... I still hadn't been able to talk to Mion about it......
"............Rena... you're right.
...I never... I never realize anything...... until you tell me............"
"Keiichi-kun.
.........Hypothetically.
...If you had admitted you'd done something wrong right away... and apologized to Mii-chan.
......I wonder if Rika-chan and Satoko-chan wouldn't have had to disappear."
"............"
I couldn't answer right away.
...I couldn't admit to that......
...Wasn't Rena telling me right now, though...?
...That I... should have admitted to my crime sooner.
...If I had done that, and apologized... Would things not have gone in such a horrible direction...?!
...Rena's eyes were filled with kindness, but they weren't naive enough to forgive me for keeping silent... and they stared fixedly into my own.
"............Yeah.
...You're right."
...If I had admitted my crime sooner...
then Rika-chan and Satoko......
...wouldn't have had to die or disappear...
...Smack!!!!
The palm of Rena's hand... slapped me in the cheek.
...I stood there unmoving... my head still tilted in the direction I'd been hit.
It didn't... hurt at all.
"I don't... think that anyone has scolded you, Keiichi-kun.
...So I'll scold you in their place, okay?"
I pressed a hand to my cheek, now warm with embarrassment... and quietly stared down at Rena's feet...
"Going somewhere you're not allowed to go was a very bad thing to do!!
...Do you understand that?!"
"...Uh-huh."
"Answer me with a 'yes'...
Keiichi-kun."
"...Yes."
"Also... what's even worse, you didn't admit to having done something so bad!!
You should never do anything bad in the first place... but not admitting to it or apologizing for it is much, much worse!!!"
"............Yes.
...I was............ wrong..."
For a few moments... Rena stared at me, silently and intently... as if gauging my remorse.
...Then, finally, the tension in her face softened... and she smiled.
"............Okay then... it's about time.
I should be going."
"...All right..."
"Be sure to... give the notice to your mom, okay?
Also, warn her not to go out to pass it on after it gets dark."
I bent down to pick up the notice, which I'd dropped when she slapped me.
...The pages had come out of the clasp and were now making a mess on the floor. I gathered them up one by one.
...My hands stopped at a single, more lighthearted page, with peaceful sentences dancing on it.
.........We still have plenty of homemade soy sauce in stock.
Feel free to come to the Sonozaki house if you want some.
"............What...
is this..."
I picked up the page and scanned the rest of it.
...They were stockpiling high-quality soy sauce they got from faraway relatives in the Akita Prefecture.
They had gotten a big shipment recently.
...They couldn't use it all, so they wanted anyone who wanted some of it to feel free to come over...
is what it said.
As a P.S., it said it arrived in barrels, and to please bring a two-liter bottle or other container for it.
...That's how it tied together.
".........If you need some soy sauce...
then you would go to the Sonozaki house.
...Rena.
...Did you... Did you know all along...?"
"Yeah.
...I knew."
...Rena... had already been suspicious of Mion... as soon as she noticed that the big bottle of soy sauce was missing.
...Rika-chan had taken the bottle... and gone to Mion's house, and...
there... she was erased.
Rika-chan wasn't coming back... so Satoko called Mion's house, since she knew where she had gone, and...
then... Satoko got called there as well...
That meeting on the day the mayor disappeared... Didn't Ooishi-san say...
that the Three Families participated in it?
...The Three Families would include the Sonozaki family.
...Didn't he also say that the current leader was really old, so her heir, Mion, frequently stood in for her at public appearances?
While the mayor was returning from the shrine...
Mion called out and stopped him.
...She talked to him, and invited him to their house, and...
...then...
she made him disappear.
It was probably even simpler... to make Shion disappear.
...Shion... was part of the Sonozaki family.
...They probably knew exactly what she was doing at all times.
...I'm sure they even knew her part-time job schedule, too.
Thinking back... wasn't that Angel Mort store managed by the Sonozaki family?
...Setting up an ambush for her there... wouldn't have been any trouble at all...
"I'm... I'm going to Mion.
...I'll go apologize."
"............"
"I'm going to... have her put an end to everything.
...Mion probably won't forgive me easily... but I'll go and ask her... not to sacrifice anyone else."
With that decided... there was no need for me to be lazing around here.
I put on my shoes and slipped past Rena to exit the house...
...when she stopped me.
"I'm going too."
".........Rena... shouldn't you go to school...?"
"This is way more important than school."
"............Rena, you shouldn't come.
...If you get wrapped up in this too... then I think I might actually go crazy."
...Rena didn't move her arm, which was blocking my way.
"......If Keiichi-kun disappeared as well...
then I think I might actually go crazy too.
...So I won't let you go alone."
Rena argued boldly... as tears welled up in her eyes...
I saw them, and I knew the strength of her resolve...
"............All right.
Let's go.
.........Thank you... Rena."
Rena nodded slightly, but firmly... and finally let down the arm blocking me.
......Let's go...
to Mion's house.
I'll apologize...
for the crimes I've committed.
...Then, we'll put an end...
to these twisted days.
After that... I'll pray...
...that once more... we can return to those... fun, lively days.
With Rena following me... I left the house.
...In front of the house, there was a car waiting.
...It was Ooishi-san.
"Hey, good morning.
Maebara-san.
To you too, Ryuugu-san.
Together so early in the morning? You make me jealous. Nfu-fu-fu-fu-fu-fu...!"
What a truly praiseworthy man he was, if he had been lying in wait so early in the morning just to pressure me into talking.
...On this morning, though, maybe this was actually a good opportunity.
"You're from the police..."
"Oh, have I not introduced myself to you, Ryuugu-san?
Please, excuse my rudeness.
My name is Ooishi, from the Okinomiya police department.
Pleased to meet you."
"......Are we... telling Ooishi-san?"
"...Yeah.
...I think my palm is enough punishment for your crime, Keiichi-kun, but...
we should leave Mii-chan's to these people."
............Pain and sadness.
I looked down... as those emotions built up in my heart.
"...We have something to tell you, Ooishi-san."
"Well, now.
What about?
...Should we stand here and talk,
or go inside the car?"
"In the car, please."
...I only continued to look down weakly...
...All I could do was be thankful... for how dependable Rena was...
......At Rena's urging, I revealed everything to Ooishi-san.
The latter, while making sure to throw in murmurs that he was paying attention every now and then, took notes.
...We continued that way for a while...
"............How do you feel?
Don't you feel a lot better now that you've told me?"
Ooishi-san asked this while scratching his head with his ballpoint pen.
...Of course I don't feel better.
...The price that had been paid up until now for me not owning up to my crimes... had been so immense...
But as long as that payment wasn't returned... the load on my chest could never be removed...
His radio started to emit static.
"...Bzz, bzz, this is Kumagai.
Ooishi-san? Over!"
"Yes, hello.
This is Ooishi."
"We got news a few minutes ago that she's been absent from school.
No movement at the Sonozaki house.
Our target is still on the premises."
"Yes, good. Keep a close watch out."
"Roger that.
The relief for three and seven just arrived, and they've returned to base.
...Also, it looks like the division chief is looking for you, Ooishi-san.
He keeps bugging me, too, to tell him as soon as I get in touch with you... What do you want me to do?"
"Na-ha-ha-ha-ha...
If you're hard pressed for an answer, tell him you're actually under orders not to wake me from my morning nap."
"Got it."
Bzz! The radio grew silent.
"Sorry about that.
It was about work."
"...He just said there was no movement at the Sonozaki house, didn't he?"
"Oh, my... Did it sound like that to you?
This won't do.
Please, keep that a secret, all right?
I don't have permission from the division chief to be making private inquiries like this."
...Ooishi-san... had suspected Mion for a long time.
"...Nor for questioning witnesses, or for searching houses... We don't have permission for anything, really.
The Sonozaki house's defenses said to protect the family members are also in full working condition.
Without a warrant, we can't do anything about anything, unless the crime happens right in front of us. Nfu-fu-fu-fu!"
".........Ooishi-san...
Could you be..."
Rena's tone of voice alone was enough to make her spite clear as she stared at Ooishi-san.
"You can't set foot in the Sonozaki house.
...Were you trying to get Keiichi-kun to go in there instead?"
"...Rena, that's... What do you mean...?"
"This person... Just as I thought, he plays really dirty."
"......Stop, you're hurting my reputation.
That said, I'm all ears to your explanation, okay?"
Ooishi-san lit a cigarette and responded to Rena, wearing an expression implying he was calm and willing to let her comment slide.
"You can't get a warrant, but you've always had your eyes on Mii-chan because you thought she was suspicious."
".........Hmm, yes?"
"...You plotted to incite Keiichi-kun and have him go to the Sonozaki house.
...Then, if something were to happen to him, you would have used that as an excuse to go in.
...Isn't that right?"
............I only understood about half of what Rena was saying...
...I knew, however, that Ooishi-san had been trying to use me.
"...Even if Keiichi-kun got hurt as a result.
...Have you no shame?!
Is this how the police do things?!"
".........My, my.
...It seems we have an incredible detective on our hands.
...Oh my, oh my.
...Would you be interested in taking our exam?
I'd gladly write a recommendation letter to get you into the detective division. Nfu-fu-fu-fu-fu-fu-fu...!!"
"You're despicable."
Rena spoke quietly, her words dripping with hostility.
"...I've been insulted in all kinds of ways in my life, but one or two words from a young girl is always the roughest for me."
"Even so... I suppose I should thank you for not arresting Mii-chan yet."
"Don't mention it."
Ooishi-san seemed to be enjoying his exchange with Rena.
...The things this man thought were like a swamp... I could barely see past the surface.
...It reminded me again... of how much I disliked him.
"......Now then.
As two esteemed friends of Mion Sonozaki-san, what do you plan on doing now?
Will you wait kindly for me to go over the evidence and request a warrant?"
"No.
We won't wait for that.
...We'll go... and make Mii-chan surrender herself."
...That's right.
...If she turned herself in rather than be arrested, she might get a lighter sentence...
At this point, perhaps that was... the only pity I could find in me to afford her.
"I see, I see. I wonder if it will go that well.
...If you're careless, you two may face danger, you know."
...Ooishi-san was measuring our resolve.
...So, in a strong voice, I declared:
"We're... fully prepared!"
...Ooishi-san gave us an unpleasant, yet seemingly satisfied grin.
...It was then that I realized this man was trying to use us for his own convenience.
"If anything should happen to us, use that as an excuse.
...Though my greatest hope is that you will surround the place so that the criminal can't get away."
"...Na-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Ryuugu-san, you're good at negotiating, too.
I'm throwing in the towel.
I surrender."
"......Wh-What are you talking about...?"
"If the policemen surround Mii-chan's house...
......Then that will be insurance for the worst-case scenario.
...For the worst case."
Plus, it would be another way of pressuring Mion to give herself up, wouldn't it...?
"Ahh... Ooishi to Kuma-chan.
Ooishi to Kuma-chan."
"Bzz ...bz, this is Kumagai.
Go ahead."
"Our two friends are going to play at the Sonozaki house.
...Make arrangements so that we can reinforce them if needed."
"Roger! Zzz!"
...Their altogether too-short conversation... implied that our questioning was already a part of their plans.
"Then... let's get going.
Want to buy some tea biscuits on the way there?"
Neither Rena nor I went along with Ooishi-san's stupid joke.