Shiki Novel Translations 3.17.3

[sinnesspiel]

Masao saw a car coming along the byroad towards Yamairi. The driver was Tatsumi and in the passenger's seat was sat a girl considerably younger than Masao, whom he imagined must have been Sunako.

"That's...."

Megumi nodded with a mixed expression at Masao's pointing. It wasn't the first time Megumi had seen Sunako. This would be about the third time. One time, she had met her directly, but she didn't even bare her fangs. The owner of the mansion that she had so longed to meet wouldn't even deign to notice her. Kirishiki Chizuru had been the only one to take notice of her, and with even that much being nothing more than seeing her as a meal; since then, it sounded like Chizuru hadn't paid a single passing thought to Megumi. Those bitter memories stagnated within her chest.

"She's so tiny," Masao said, to which Megumi turned away. She spit out quietly that she was an ordinary kid.

"But she's the highest up, isn't she?"

"Like I care."

That midget, reigning over the mansion, haughtily looking down on all of them, Megumi spat in her heart. People only even cared enough to want to see her face because they were afraid of Tatsumi. And it was that Sunako who granted her protection to Chizuru to do as her whims wished, while Megumi, she cast her out as if she were worthless, into some settlement deep in the mountains.

Masao lingered, looking towards the house that had a warehouse. It was the house called the main house, where Yoshie who managed Yamairi lived. Sunako was accompanied by Tatsumi as they entered the main house. Masao made towards the main house and Megumi, while uttering this and that, trailed behind him.

When they peeked into the main house's living room, Sunako was talking with Yoshie about something. At the same time, Tatsumi was bringing Yuzuki in from the tatami room. He was the man who had once worked as a librarian at the community center. ---And, he was the one to bring Masao into the fold.

It wasn't just Masao and Megumi; there were people gathered in the hallway trying to get a peek into the living room. Yuzuki took a seat before Sunako, hanging his head.

"Yesterday, I heard the bookshop's child died."

Yuzuki drew into himself.

"Kou-kun, I believe he was called? It was you, no?"

"Answer her," Yoshie pressed him with a sharp tone. "Despite how many times I told you kids are no good, you ignored it and attacked that child, didn't you?"

Yes, Yuzuki nodded as his head sunk down.

"Kids are no good. Little kids are especially bad. How many times do I need to say it until you understand? If a small child dies, the parents end up going on the offensive!" Honestly, Yoshie said as she looked at Yuzuki in disgust. "You've even been punished for this before. ---It's hopeless, Ojou-san. He's sick. No matter how many times we scold him, he won't go for anyone but little boys!"

Really now? Masao's mouth twisted into a grin in the shadow of the pillar. This was what it was like to come to know a hidden part of someone he had once known well. So this means he had come to attack Hiromi, he thought. But because Masao had caught sight of it, he got caught up in all this by chance. Now that he knew that Yuzuki's target had ultimately been Hiromi, it wasn't as funny.

"Sickness may be the correct term for it," Sunako said, looking to Yuzuki with a sigh.

"I don't plan to lecture anyone about their hobbies or taste, but if you can't stop even knowing what a disadvantage it puts you at, it might really be a sickness. ...Is that it? There's really no way you can stop?"

Yuzuki curled into himself, keeping silent.

"I see. I will give you but one final chance. Tatsumi, please take him with you and see to it he understands."

Tatsumi pulled Yuzuki to a stand. Yuzuki struggled, looking to Sunako as he cried out pathetically. "The capital--please let me go to the town!"

No, Sunako said turning her eyes away. "I have no intent to let anyone who does not grasp what a burden he is causing to go beyond my watch. What you are doing is placing everyone in grave danger. If you say that you truly cannot stop, then I have no choice but to see to it that you cannot make such a nuisance of yourself ever again."

"I beg of you, I'm..."

"Tatsumi, take him away. Let us have him spend the day tomorrow dwelling on this."

Masao watched Yuzuki being forced to stand with a warped grin. He knew what those words meant. It meant he was to be bound in a thicket somewhere deep in the mountain forest. In the deep shade of the forest trees, even in the middle of the daylight hours, there was no direct sunlight that shone through. Even so, their allies would be torturously burned there. As soon as those sores burst open they would heal, and it was a suffering he would experience all day long. There had been those who were unable to endure the entire day and really had died, too.

"......What an idiot." Megumi's voice held clear contempt. Masao nodded. He really was foolish. He'd been sanctioned and earned their attention. If he'd taken to his tasks more seriously, instead of going against those of the mansion, he might have been invited into the main house---or even invited into the mansion, and yet!

Masao didn't want to be like Yuzuki. Nor did he want to be some idiotic borderline drop-out, barely scraping by, like Gotouda Shuuji. Sometimes it worked out like with Tohru, but---Masao's face went sour, twisting into a light frown. Even if Tohru was now at Yoshie's side, there was no doubt that wasn't because of any raise in his status. Tohru was definitely a straggler. It would be one thing if they gave preference to an earnest worker like Masao, but it was unreasonable to give Tohru that kind of special treatment. Yes, it wasn't that he was made into a close associate of Yoshie's but more likely that Yoshie was in direct command of him.

Masao didn't want to be like that. He had always been treated unfairly until now. Here, he would finally have his worth acknowledged and earn a place to belong. With his mind made up on this again, he began to call out to Tatsumi who was passing before him, when Megumi's voice called out first.

"Tatsumi-san, how about I help out?"

In this, Masao and Megumi were alike.

"Thanks. But I've got it myself. More importantly, aren't you going to eat?"

"I was about to go. Just as I was going, I had seen Tatsumi-san and Ojou-san, and so. I had wondered if there might not be some way I could be of service to you two!"

Tatsumi giggled into a smile. "Thanks for the thought."

Seeing Tatsumi leave them behind, Masao murmured.

"Trying to score points."

"You were just about to say the same thing."

As that was true, Masao held his tongue. In the living room, Sunako sighed. Yoshie had seemed to shrink in stature.

"Yoshie-san, we have a problem. Hasn't your command been rather loose these days? I do not want the villagers to notice us yet. Let those individuals who will suspect suspect as they will, but I don't want the public to suspect us. It is still too dangerous, don't you understand?"

"I do understand. But our numbers are rising and.... Besides that, it's not like all of them act within the range where I can keep a direct eye on them, either."

"I do not want to hear excuses. Do tighten the reigns."

Yoshie looked to Sunako. "Of course, I will. But, we still have Chizuru-san, doing whatever she wants. The people she brings with her are a handful. They're being encouraged to be like that by Chizuru-san, no less."

"And just when did you rise to a position to dare criticize Chizuru?"

Her tone was frigid. Defeated, Yoshie fell silent.

"The safety of the group is your own personal safety. Do me a favor and don't forget that?"




Koike Masaharu got off of the bus. The last bus drove off, leaving him there. At the side of the dark national highway stood Koike, left behind, alone.

He'd had some things to attend to and had gone out but he returned later than he'd expected. Someone had insisted it would be fine for him to stay out a little longer, right? And he had been unable to find the words to counter him. The one who had kept him knew that Koike's son's family had gone missing. He did understand that the one keeping him meant to be considerate towards a man he had held sympathy towards, knowing his son had run out on him, and it was all but futile to try and make an excuse to wrap it up more quickly, all the more when he couldn't bring himself to say the truth: that he didn't want to return home in the village in the dark.

But it was already going on nine o'clock. It was dark out and he couldn't fight the feeling of a more sinister darkness lurking here and there at the Horie Auto lot for decommissioned vehicles across the highway. How Koike regretted being unable to cut things off more quickly to return. But how could words explain it to somebody from outside the village? Could he expect them to understand why he would be afraid of the dark or the like, as if he were a child? At the village assemblies, Koike had brought up the status of the village several times. That this many people were dying, something was strange in the village, he had said, but those who heard it had already set their minds on it being exaggerated, a type of ghost story, or if not that, had taken the attitude that Koike was being oversensitive.

The truth---no, Koike gave up on that line of thought and began to walk.

As for the point from which the strangeness began to say it 'continued', public opinion was that it was from when the bodies were discovered in Yamairi. But Koike himself hadn't believed in it at the time, and nobody had been truly worried then. No matter how many people died, no matter how long it continued, as long as that was something which happened on another shore--something that wasn't their affair--it was merely a strange story. Death didn't come to one's own 'shore' until it came to themselves and theirs. --Despite the fact that any person could conceivably die tomorrow, all were alike it believing they and theirs, personally, would not.

Keeping an eye on his surroundings, he walked from beneath one street light to the next. Though it was only nine o'clock, there wasn't a soul to see on the road. Sometimes, a dog would let out a tense howl. That was all there was to hear, without even the lively sounds of anyone's television leaking out through the windows. The village was holding its breath as if on the brink of extinction.

Following the streetlights he took the village road towards the north. He cut through the shopping district. He saw two figures walking towards him from ahead. For a moment, Koike startled, but those two seemed to be having a friendly chat with each other, and so he let himself breathe. Thank goodness, he thought. It wasn't just reassuring, it was heartening to see that there were still people taking night walks in the midst of everything.

"Good evening," Koike called out as he passed the two. A friendly and warm "Good evening," was said back to him. Before his very eyes, Koike saw the two pass under the light of a nearby house. For a moment, seeing the faces in the light, Koike tried to place who they were. Both were faces he had seen before but he couldn't place who, from where.

(Who was that...)

Tilting his head, Koike's feet stopped. He remembered who one of them were. (That was) Koike turned around without thinking (....The Ohtsuka Saw Mill's boy.)

The two also stopped walking and turned to face Koike. In the faint light from the window he could make out their features. Without a doubt, it was the Ohtsuka Sawmill's son. But he had heard that the Ohtsuka Sawmill's Yasuyuki had died, hadn't he? Or maybe he was mistaking that for somebody else from the Ohtsuka's. Puzzling the mystery, Koike then felt his blood drain.

(The other one... That's)

Koike took a step back. The two looked to each other and them stepped towards him.

(......I'm sure of it, that's Hirosawa's Takatoshi, wasn't that....)

Hirosawa Toyoko's son. Over the summer he quit his job without informing his family, left the house saying that he was going to work, and collapsed in a Mizobe Pachinko parlor. Koike had overseen that funeral.

Crying out, Koike turned and broke off running. Behind him were the sounds of two sets of footsteps following after. The road was barely wide enough for two cars to pass each other, with houses aligning both sides and yet not a one of them had an open window facing the street. Every house had the curtains tightly drawn, if not the storm shutters.

Koike abandoned all shame or concern for appearances as he screamed. He had to rush into some house, somewhere. But was there time to bang on an entryway and wait for a door to open?

Koike's legs were tripping over themselves. On the other hand, the footsteps behind him were only growing stronger. Anyone! he shrieked at the top of his lungs when a figure appeared from a side road.

"Hey, you---" Koike staggered to grab onto them. What is it, that elderly man asked with a hand on Koike's shoulder.

"Them!" Koike pointed behind him. As he turned around, thinking perhaps nobody would be there at all, but in fact the two younger men were still coming towards him. "They're...."

"Excuse me," Hirosawa Takatoshi said. "He's someone I know."

That so, the man answered, pushing Koike from behind. Before Koike could even voice his disbelief, Takatoshi's hand seized his arm.

"Got to be careful when you're walking at night," the unknown man said, but those words were not meant for Koike. You sure do, Takatoshi answered.

"You all are...." He started to say, then letting out a scream. The Risen! The truth he had known for some time now at last left his lips as proper words.

As he cried out for someone, anyone, a nearby window opened.

"What's all the fuss?"

Koike held out hope for salvation but his mouth was covered, unable to plead. From the window, a woman's face poked out and she cried out 'Oh my' as she took notice of him.

"If it isn't Takatoshi-chan. You've come down here?"

Koike's mouth was still stopped up as his eyes widened.

"Yes ma'am. Oba-san has come back too?"

"I sure have. And fortunately, my husband has awakened too."

"Well, that's lucky isn't it!"

Well then, Takatoshi cheerfully said as he raised a hand to wave at the woman. While being drug towards the west, conversations were had over his head, asking who that was, who he was, and other such ordinary chatter.



Ohkawa Atsushi gripped the steering wheel triumphantly. Sitting in the passenger's seat was Chizuru. The small jeep was given to him by Chizuru to make trips between Yamairi and the village.

The headlights were off but Atsushi had night vision. It wasn't much different from driving in the daytime. The road out from Yamairi was by no means a good one but Atsushi took great pleasure in rushing down a bad road. It felt great to pass by all those who had no choice but to cross over the mountain on foot. Nobody could tell Atsushi what to do. Not when he had Kirishiki Chizuru at his side.

"What a wild driver you are."

"You scared?" Atsushi asked, to which Chizuru only smiled. That was enough for him.

"Where shall we go?"

"My place. Yeah, we'll start with the old hag."

Atsushi's grandmother's face rose to mind. An old woman who nagged and always found something to look down on him about. He'd start with teaching her a lesson.

"......Not with your father?"

Atsushi glanced towards Chizuru at her suggestion. Yeah. He would have to deal with his old man. He'd make sure he learned a thing or two. Even while thinking that, Atsushi found something in himself hesitant.

"The old man... He's fine for now. He'll be last," Atsushi said, convincing himself with his own words. "Yeah. The last. Until then, I wanna make him suffer to the end."

Really, Chizuru smiled. Atsushi sped the car towards the western mountain road.

"Why ain't we using the village road? Be a lot faster."

"That road? It's closed off. You can't get through. Not since Tatsumi set off those explosives."

"You for real?"

"It's true. After all, we don't want people from the village to go to Yamairi. So we stopped up the road and set loose wild dogs in the area."

"Wild dogs," Atsushi said back. "Shit, I've been attacked by dogs on that road before.

Oh dear, Chizuru let out an easy laugh. "Well, it's what you get for trying to go to Yamairi. Did it scare you? They were your relatives that had died in such a gruesome way, weren't they?"

"Not really," Atsushi showed a smile. "None of my business if that old fart dies. Shit, when I heard he was a bloody mess, I wanted to go see it!"

"How bold," Chizuru said with a laugh. "Though, it gives me the shivers. Sunako doesn't spare pains when it comes to such things."

"Such things?"

"She didn't want people going into Yamairi. So she brought in wild dogs and had them tear apart the bodies. She wanted to make it as wretched a sight as possible. Even letting the animals she bought kill them. If the bodies hadn't been found that day, I imagine she'd have done something with the couple as well. ---As for me, such things, the stench of blood, I can't stand it. I just can't bear it!"

"You say some pretty faint-hearted sounding stuff sometimes."

"I am faint of heart!"

Atsushi laughed. Coming out of the forest path, they came out past the side of Kanemasa down towards the village. He drove near to his house and stopped the car on the shoulder of the road.

"......Scared?"

"Of what?" Atsushi feigned, but the truth was that for a while now he had been so on edge that he had been shivering. He'd already killed one person. So he should be able to kill Namie too. But this would be his first time intentionally killing someone, so he couldn't help being uneasy.

"Do you understand?" Chizuru stopped Atsushi from getting out of the car. "First, you have to be let into the house. You aren't a household member anymore. So first, you have to have someone let you in, or it's no good."

"Can't I just bust in?"

"Just try it, you won't be able to. Even as bold as they are, neither Sunako nor Tatsumi can't enter into a house unless they're invited. It's no use; you'll be instinctively paralyzed."

"I ain't no coward."

"Don't be so conceited," Chizuru said flatly. "It doesn't matter how brave you might be, those who don't act according to their instincts will only meet an early death."

"I'm---"

"Quiet. Bravery without awareness is just recklessness. If your body freezes up and you fail to attack, that's it. Not fearing a tiger isn't brave, it's just foolish. It isn't being paralyzed that you should be ashamed of; if you forced yourself to pretend to be so bold and fail, then you'll be a laughing stock. Even I won't want to lay eyes on such a pathetic person."

Atsushi's mouth warped. "....I get it."

"Now as for your grandmother, do you think she'll let you into the house?"

No, Atsushi mumbled.

"I see. Then, we'll draw her out. You'll knock on the window and call to her. I'll help you with that. When she comes out, be sure not to make any noise and attack. It's good to come up from behind. Restrain her jaw from behind and attack the neck. That's the safest. This is where," Chizuru said, pressing her fingers to Atsushi's neck. "On humans, you'll know by the pulse. You can't strike. Anything that would leave a wound is bad. Once you bite, they'll behave, so focus on that."

"......Aa."

"When you release her, give detailed instructions. Tell her you'll come again tomorrow. To let you in when you knock on the window. Persuade her that this is a dream, that in reality, nothing has happened, that she will forget it. If you don't, then she'll make quite the fuss tomorrow. Understood?"

Atsushi nodded.

"They may come close to it, but most don't die the first time. So be sure to never forget to instruct them. And also, try to leave as few marks as possible."

"......Got it."

Chizuru giggled. She twisted in the passenger's seat to turn her back to him. "Give it a try."

"......On you?"

"Right. You haven't attacked a sheep yet. This is the place. Learn the spot."

Chizuru pushed up the hair she wore down. She exposed the white nape of her neck.




Ohkawa Namie awoke to the telephone ringing. It rang on persistently. Impossible, Namie thought as she turned herself over in the darkness. If they were calling this late, then it was obvious it wasn't good news.

Some part of her afraid to pick up, for a while she watched it when she heard a fusama slide open violently, with thick and heavy footsteps going down towards the living room. She knew that her son had gone to pick up the phone but the sound of the phone ringing stopped approximately when he reached the living room. Hearing the receiver slam down, he must have answered, and they must have hung up. After just a few moments, she heard her son cursing as he returned.

Namie remained seated atop the futon, unconsciously listening carefully. It was because she had a feeling that the phone might ring again. The person who had hung up the moment her son had answered might call again, she thought. She sat still, straining to listen for it but the phone did not ring again.

Namie breathed a sigh and again laid down in her futon.

(What was that I wonder...)

Calling at night and unsettling people. She couldn't help but wonder who it was. Lying down and thinking, this time there was another small sound.

Namie used a tatami room at the back of the house as her bedroom. Something was tapping lightly on the window that faced the back yard---or more precisely, on the storm shutter. At first, Namie thought it was her imagination. It was very faint, what she continued to hear, and she convinced herself that it was some sort of settling noise. The noise continued on. As if it were shrinking off into the surroundings, a sound to call someone out.

Namie rolled over again. She thought at once to call her son but she hesitated to do that, too. Her son had just been put in a foul mood by the strange phone call, and what if she had woken him again only for it to be the sound of the wind? She was his mother, so the worst of it would be some sarcastic comment or grumbling made loud enough to be overheard, but even Namie wanted to avoid directly angering the man who was her son. When enraged, he got out of hand. ---In truth, it wasn't as if Namie had ever seen her son truly enraged, but her son always had something about him that made one want to avoid truly angering him.

The faint noise continued. It clearly sounded like a knock. At last Namie got out of her futon and went towards the window. Clearly, the sound was something knocking on the storm shutter.

It was late in the night, which was obvious but she confirmed it to herself. There was no chance that anybody proper or reputable would be coming by at this hour. And furthermore, lately, Namie was somehow afraid of the night. So that was all the more reason that she didn't want to open the window or try going out back, this late at night, much less over such an unidentifiable sound. But why was something making such a noise, why did she feel like she had to confirm it? She wanted to affirm that it wasn't a visitor, but merely the wind, or something else equally harmless.

(...... Because that's obviously all it is.)

Namie was hesitant, opening the window's lock. This shouldn't be such a big deal. The storm shutters were still closed.

"Is someone there?"

She tried asking quietly. As soon as she spoke, she felt that she was doing something incredibly foolish. It was sure to be the wind. Even if she called to them, there shouldn't be anyone there to hear her.

The sound continued. It became just a little smaller, but she had the feeling that in exchange it was becoming faster. Though it wasn't as if it seemed that it was picking up in panic upon hearing her voice. It just continued on, as if to make her think all the more that it was the wind or something like that.

"I wonder if something hasn't been caught on something?" Namie said quietly (to be heard by somebody?) with a deliberate smile.

"I'll open this and see a tree branch is caught."

Namie put her hand on the storm shutter while (as if making an excuse) talking to herself. She tried moving it just a bit. At that moment, the sound stopped. She waited but she no longer heard any sound. Good grief, Namie laughed. This really was what had caused that sound. There could be no doubt that when she moved the front of the storm shutter, whatever had been stuck there had fallen.

Thinking that, Namie further opened the storm shutters. The yard spread out in the deathly silent cold of the night. A weak wind blew through the garden trees. It had been nothing after all. ---She had thought it would be something like this. Namie placed both hands on the open veranda and leaned out. The night wind was chilly, with the scent of frost forming.

With a shiver she moved to close the storm shutter. At just that moment somebody leaped out from the side. Without time to even let out a scream she was pulled out the window, a brawny arm twisting to stop up her mouth. She did finally manage to get her voice out, but it came through her nose, a strangely tiny and weak sound.

The storm shutter she had her hand on---and her body tumbling down from the open veranda should have let out a noise but she didn't know if anyone in the house could hear it. Even if they did hear it and came running, it would be too late, Namie thought. Without knowing what was happening, she was picked up half beneath someone's arm and drug off, until she was drug off to the shadow of a row of trees.

Completely unable to see any buildings, Namie felt her temples going numb. Her breath was ragged. Maybe it was because her mouth was stopped up. Or maybe it was because of the arm at her neck turning her jaw that made her blood stop, and she was suffering cerebral anemia. Without awareness of what she was doing, her limbs flailed out. No matter what she did, she couldn't escape this suffering.

"......Behave." Never mind that the deep voice was too quiet to reach Namie's ears in her panicked state, she still froze. "Don't fight. I'll beat you to death."

Her body was lowered onto the ground between the trees and shrubs. There was no light at all. So Namie didn't know who had carried her here sideways. All she had was the thought that she had seen in the darkness an even darker shadow of a large person. But---this voice.

Namie's line of sight was square on, directly at Atsushi's face. Namie didn't know that, but to Atsushi it looked as if his grandmother's eyes were looking straight up at him. Her eyes were so wide it was as if the corners might split open, looking up at him.

Atsushi grinned and hardened his face. His grandmother's expression changed. The truth of the matter was that Namie had recognized that voice and at last realized, became awestruck by her situation and nothing more, but to Atsushi, that change in expression--as well as the fact that her gaze remained steadily on him, felt to be laced with contempt and condemnation.

---What, it was you?

Just what are you even trying to do? Don't go doing anything funny! I'm telling your father on you. I'll have to have Tomio tell you what's what. Now let me go this instant. Honestly, kids like you! Why don't you learn a thing or two from Yutaka or Mizue, just how did Kazuko-san raise you, comparing you to them, why ever since you were young Tomio a proper young man Tomio, please! by your age Could you come here a moment? just how many people fully This child of yours!

Atsushi put his strength into his arm. He wouldn't let her make a fool of him again, wouldn't let her talk high and mighty down at him anymore, like hell he was going to let her tattle to his father about every damn thing.

Anger, confusion, and yes, fear drove Atsushi wild. Absorbed in choking her out, Atsushi groaned with emotion. Going berserk, beyond controlling himself, it was a wordless howl, and in that moment he felt a light sting at the side of his face.

"Now stop that."

It was a deep but flat female voice. With that Atsushi finally returned to himself. Chizuru was looking at Atsushi with a stern expression. Namie's neck was broken, falling from his hands that loosened unconsciously, and his grandmother fell into a heap in the side of the yard.

Atsushi tried to say something but Chizuru raised a finger and then used it to point. She peered towards the house, and Atsushi followed her gaze. The familiar house remained silent in sleep, without any sounds of anyone waking and coming out. At the very least, there was no sign of anyone coming to check the back yard. Chizuru let out a breath. Atsushi gave a light glower and folded down to his knees.

Dumbfounded, Atsushi looked underfoot. Namie still looked to be chastising him there where she collapsed. Chizuru bent down at his side and touched Namie's face.

"My... You killed again?" Chizuru said with shock, looking up to Atsushi.

"I...."

"What a troublesome boy," Chizuru laughed and turned her eyes to Namie. "......But what are we to do about this, I wonder. Maybe we should consult with Hayami-san. It'll be so messy if we let Sunako know."

In spite of her words, she didn't seem very troubled. Something akin to a bittersweet smile rose up.

"I didn't mean to do it."

"I know that. But this is a bit troublesome. Your grandmother died not of an illness but from a murder. If we don't do something then the police will end up involved," Chizuru said, tilting her head.

"It's fine as long as it's resident officer Sasaki, but.... If they call 110, it'll be such a bother. Not much choice, then; let's ask Hayami-san to wrap things up for us. A disappearance is unnatural too but it has to be better than a murder being discovered, I'm sure."

Atsushi tried to give more excuses for himself, but Chizuru took command.

"Now, pick it up. You're carrying it to the car. Don't you make me carry a dead body."



The next morning, the one who noticed Ohkawa Namie not being seen was Ohkawa Tomio's wife, Kazuko. There was no sign of disorder in Namie's room, only that the window was open, as well as the storm shutters. No clothing was missing. It seemed as if Namie had gone out in her bedclothes. She put her mind to it, but couldn't think of where Namie had gone. She went to report to the resident officer but he was nowhere to be found. There never was an instance of the resident officer Sasaki being at his post in the daytime.

The one who suggested going to the Mizobe police department was Mizue. Ohkawa interrupted that.

"No need."

But, Mizue started, only to be ordered to shut up.

Namie wouldn't have gone out. Much less in the dead of night with just the clothes on her back, that was impossible. This wasn't a runaway, more than likely. It was certain that Namie didn't leave from the house of her own volition.

Ohkawa understood from this point on, at last. At the very least, this wasn't an epidemic. It might have been like Ikumi had said some time before, an Oni, it might have been the risen. Whether it was either of those, whether it was something beyond even all that, it didn't make much difference to Ohkawa. The main point was that there was an enemy.

There was an enemy threatening the order and safety of the village. If he could understand that much, then that was enough for Ohkawa.

Comments

8D

[(Anonymous)]

Welp, Sunako and Seishin are match made in heaven alright. Both of them are not-so rational types that discriminate ppl according to personal entanglement.

It’s also just interesting that backstabbing and people having problems with you when you think they wouldn’t have problems with you, also falling out, is a theme in Shiki. It’s awfully reflective of real life.

Re: 8D

[(Anonymous)]

Exactly! The anime adaption actually made them seem a bit more noble, but here in the novel, I'm finding myself sympathetic to characters like Megumi and Yoshie than these two.
Also,can you explain what you mean in the second para of your comment, I don't think I understand, lol.