The last time the population of Hinamizawa saw Miyo Takano and Jirou Tomitake was moments before the Rika`s ritual begun before their fated disappearance the next day, but little did they know something significant was about to happen. Something that would not go unnoticed.
_
My my... what is going on here? Rika-Chan, what are you doing with my boyfriend? Rika put the device away and blushed, the red in her cheeks contrasting her lavender hair. She got up from her seat, breaking apart from Tomitake briefly to check on her progress. Takano watched with interest as Rika held Tomitake s hand; her dainty fingers overlapping Jirou s weathered ones.
Mii... I lost a game and had to do this as a punishment... We re all done now though, Nipah! Rika replied with glee. She took the device from the table and put it in her beige satchel.
"I wouldn`t consider it a punishment Rika-Chan, it`s something I should do more often. " Tomitake added "Or maybe you could do it, once in a while, Miyo-san?" his mischievous eyes locked on Takano`s as she slipped her arm around his as she sat down on the park bench. Takano absently played with Jirou`s hair as she examined Rika`s shrine maiden outfit.
"Hmm, I thought that more of an intimate thing, Jirou-kun." Takano said with a gleeful sneer "Is that your new outfit for Watanagashi, Rika-Chan? "
Rika woke from her distracted daze at the question; she inwardly dreaded the oncoming events of the cotton drifting festival that afterwards resulted in her death and many others. Rika wished that she could just forgo the formalities and head straight into `everyone-is-going-to-die-starting-tonight` spiel which didn`t usually work; so with a heavy heart she buried her feelings and smiled.
"Mii... I`ve been practicing really hard, so we`ll definitely appease Oyashiro-sama!| Rika exclaimed with enthusiasm, so much so that Takano inwardly laughed at how ironically true the statement was. With a wave they watched the little Furude off and prepared for the night ahead.
_
The revving of the car came to a halt and the two stepped outside.
"Wow, Miyo-san. I can see why you chose this place for our midnight picnic..." Tomitake remarked as he shut his car door behind him and made his way to the trunk. The moon was especially bright tonight; the leaves were at a standstill as the only sounds heard across the clearing were the low chirps of lonely cicadas. Jirou opened the trunk; which contained a battery operated vacuum cleaner, a picnic basket filled with a variety of delicacies and Jirou`s scooter, which he used for transport for both his secret and public appearances.
Grabbing the basket Jirou pulled the blanket and began to spread it across the even grass, while behind him Takano took out the bike and set it down with a small clang a few feet further ahead. The only thing Miyo needed now was an opportunity to complete the future crime. Tomitake turned towards the noise but when he only saw his beloved waving to him happily Jirou set about to uncork the champagne he had purchased earlier. Jirou adored Miyo; her hair, her wit, her laugh, her determination in trying to help mankind and lastly, their sex.
This is why the literal stab in the back caught him off guard.
Takano pressed the fluid into her former lover`s back, as much as she had grown to care about the fake photographer she knew that he was the perfect scapegoat for her lie. She watched with cruel interest as he whirled around in confusion, gasping for the sudden air that shock had taken away. With tears streaming behind his glasses, Jirou felt the urge to scratch at his neck, but to his despair couldn`t...
Rika had clipped his nails earlier that day.
Takano watched in horror as Jirou fought for and against his life for fifteen minutes, every now and again he would shift his gaze from the glowing moon to her with murderous intent but refrained from any action. Miyo was a bit touched that his love was more important to him than the Syndrome.
_
Tomitake Jirou died on the night of the Watanagashi festival; he died by choking on his own blood. The coroners report that there were multiple scratch marks on his throat and matching blood on his fingernails confirm it was self inflicted, however Jirou`s nails were too thin to break skin. The report continues on that he must have been in a panicked state or under an influence of a drug, as he forcibly bit down on his own tongue and died by choking. The body of Miyo Takano, the victim`s girlfriend; was found up the mountain in a metal drum, however there was an inconsistency as the body places Takano dead twenty-four hours earlier. These two are considered to be the further victims of the curse of 'Oyashiro-sama. '
From the desk of Karaudo Ooishi.
Rika looked on Ooishi`s report with interest, with one simple action she had managed to delay the death of Tomitake by a whole fifteen minutes. She was mildly upset that she wasn`t able to leave the festival in time to catch a glimpse of the event herself, or that she wasn`t even able to prevent it.
``Mii... maybe if I break Tomitake-san`s teeth I`ll have even more time? `` Rika mused, before she herself was murdered two days later.
The End.