10: Nejireta Kokoro (Twisted Minds)
Maebara Keiichi couldn't have been happier about his parents' decision to move from the big city to a tiny town out in the sticks like Hinamizawa. It wasn't really because he loved nature or the idea of country life; rather, he was happy because his new home was so far removed from his old one that nobody knew anything about him. Keiichi wanted to forget the life he had been living in the city. He wanted to forget the people who about knew him and what he was.
Back in his home city, Keiichi had not only been a trouble-maker, but also a trouble-maker said to have a twisted and perverted mind. There were plenty of other rowdy boys of fifteen with various stresses on them and lack of a mature set of social values. They acted out by smoking cigarettes, starting fist-fights, bullying others at school, or perhaps trying to get in bed with a woman. But Keiichi was different. His way of "acting out" was unheard of.
In the boy's possession was an old but usable BB gun, the type that the military sometimes used in quick-kill training practices in the 1970s. Keiichi had won it (in a casual gambling game) from a friend whose father was in the JSDF. Though not capable of causing death, the gun was more of a weapon than a toy, having high velocity, and projectiles capable of penetrating skin at fifty feet or less. Being hit with one of those projectiles would cause a bruise best-case, and a penetration wound or fractured bone at worst-case. In addition, the gun was built to resemble an army rifle; anyone might jump to the conclusion that it was real.
It disgusted him to think of it now, but up until recently, Keiichi quite enjoyed the feeling of shooting people. At first, he fired the gun at cats and dogs, but he quickly grew bored with them. He thought about who would be the best human targets. His twisted mind finally settled on elementary-school-age children, and in particular, girls. Why? Because they exhibited more terror and looked more helpless than people of any other demographic.
Seeing the kids cry, panic, and despair gave Keiichi a strange, dark sense of pleasure. Over the course of autumn 1982, the Maebara boy shot twenty-one young girls on their way to or from school, causing serious injury to eighteen of them.
Naturally, Keiichi's malicious antics could not continue forever. Soon enough, the terrified girls conquered their fear and told their teachers and parents everything. Everyone was warned of the perverted delinquent who hurt kids. Shortly after, one of the girls was able to identify the shooter as Maebara Keiichi. Then the whole neighborhood—along with the school and the local police force—took a stand against Keiichi. He was arrested and questioned by police. He and his parents received calls and mail full of hate and threats: legal threats and threats of bodily harm. He was expelled from school. His family became social outcasts.
Half because of laws protecting juveniles, and half because his father paid off all the families who threatened to press charges, Keiichi was not formally summoned to court. He received no conviction and no sentence. That being said, he was punished in other ways. Ruining the reputation of his parents. Suffering terrible insults and physical harm from the parents of the attacked children, to whom he went to apologize. Losing all his friends.
And then there was the worst punishment of all. Keiichi went to visit each of the injured girls, and every one of them looked at him like he was abomination, a demon, a freak of nature. None of them forgave him. They feared and hated him. They expressed how terrified they had been and how much their injuries hurt. It was then that Keiichi learned to feel shame. He sincerely regretted his actions. He welcomed all derision and hate, knowing how much he deserved it. What in the world had possessed him to do something so detestable?
The end result of the scandal was the relocation of the Maebara family. They could no longer stay in a place where everyone knew Keiichi's sins and reviled him and his family. So it was that Keiichi came to Hinamizawa, desperate to start a new life. This time things would be different. He would never seek that strange, dark pleasure again. He would never mistreat children again. He would be their friend and protector instead. Going to school in Hinamizawa was about redemption, and proving to himself and the world that Maebara Keiichi could be a good person.
When did it begin, the madness that drove her to such extreme thoughts and actions? Ryuugu Rena didn't know for sure when it started. She felt suspicion and distrust toward everyone and everything around her, and her mind was plagued with dark thoughts. At first, it was just bothersome, but Rena could push it out of her mind. Her madness did not become serious until the day that her mother told her she was divorcing her father, leaving him for another man. Moreover, Mrs. Ryuguu was already pregnant with the other man's child. She told Rena all this and asked if the girl would prefer to live with her or with her father.
Betrayal. Her mother had betrayed her father, her daughter, and her honor. The rage that Rena felt toward her treacherous mother was so powerful it scared her. She found herself wanting to hurt the woman. She even dreamed of killing her. A few months passed while the divorce was settled, and during that time, Rena went to great lengths to control the madness building up inside her. She would stay outside for hours, beating trees, boxes, and old furniture with clubs, blades, and bats. It was the only way to get the anger off her chest.
Along with the fury came feelings of paranoia and fear. Rena felt that something was always watching her. Sometimes, she thought she heard footsteps behind her, but when she turned around, nobody was there. At night, she lay awake in bed, thinking of how much she hated her mother, how much she hated school, and how much she feared that everyone around her was planning to sabotage her. On nights like these, Rena sometimes saw the shadow of a figure next to her bed. She would sit up and cry out, only to see the shadow disappear. As the girl fitfully tried to sleep, she often heard the same words whispered over and over in the dark: "Gomenasai. Gomenasai. Gomenasai."
Having spent her younger years living in Hinamizawa, Rena knew about the village's guardian deity, Oyashiro. There were many legends of Oyashiro and of the demon-people that came from Onigafuchi swamp. Normally, Rena would not have paid any heed to the village's old religion. However, before her family moved away to the city, they had been given a warning by the Sonozaki House. An ancient rule of the village stated that outsiders should not be allowed in and insiders should not be allowed out. The Ryuugu family was told that leaving the village would incur the curse of Oyashiro.
Rena thought nothing of the admonition at first. However, as her sanity deteriorated, she came to believe in its credence. She knew she was being haunted by something—what else could it be Oyashiro-sama, punishing her for leaving Hinamizawa. The ancient god's curse must also be what caused Rena's violent thoughts and dreams, her need to batter and break things, and her steadily increasing fear that everyone was out to get her. Even though Rena knew she was being cursed, she didn't know what to do to make it stop. Things only became worse.
Her insomnia worsened, and she was driven mad by constantly itchy skin and the feeling of being watched. The feelings of anger and rage worsened too. Rena truly thought she was going to break down and kill her own mother. Instead of resorting to that, she took out her violent impulses on her own body. With a box-cutter she took from her dad's office, Rena cut her own wrist. To her disgust and revulsion, the blood that dripped out of the wound was accompanied by what looked like small, pale, wriggling worms.
It had to be some kind of parasite living inside her. Rena knew it. She felt sick and dizzy and did not sleep for several days after. She couldn't even eat, or she would just throw it up again thinking of the worms inside her. The ongoing divorce and her mother's flippant attitude droze her crazy. The itching and the feeling of being watched never stopped. School was becoming more and more of a strain. All these factors led up the cursed girl to lashing out at the world.
On a day like any other, Rena went to school, acquired a baseball bat, and set to work shattering every window in the faculty. Two boys tried to stop her, but she whammed each of them with the bat: one in the head, the other in the ribs. The insane girl continued smashing windows, and the broken glass flew at her, cutting her skin in several places. When a trickle of blood ran down her arm, Rena licked it up. There was something pleasant about the taste.
After this incident, the school suspended Rena indefinitely. The families of the injured boys did report the case of assault to the police, but they decided not to press charges, taking the view that Rena was mentally ill and would only be made worse by a criminal conviction. Mr. and Mrs. Ryuguu agreed that their daughter was unwell and made her start seeing a psychologist for counseling and a psychiatrist for medication. Rena hated taking the medication, but her father begged her to obey, and she could never find it in herself to defy him for long.
Mr. Ryuugu announced that he would be moving back to Hinamizawa, and Rena made it clear that she was going with him. She was glad to see her mother finally leave the house. Now the only question was whether the girl would be able to stop cutting herself and breaking things. Thankfully, the prescribed antipsychotics and antidepressants helped the girl's condition significantly. Rena was able to restrain herself from misbehaving so that the move to Hinamizawa went smoothly.
Almost immediately upon arriving, Rena's symptoms lessened. Perhaps Oyashiro's curse was lifting now that she had returned to the village. After a checkup and blood test at the Irie clinic, the girl was told she had no parasites. She realized that the worms under her skin must have been hallucinations. Sometimes, Rena still heard footsteps following her, and heard the voice whispering "Gomenasai" over her bed at night. But this happened much less often, and it stopped bothering her when it did happen. At long last, Rena was able to rest well, get on a healthy sleep schedule, and eat meals without nausea. The itching went away too.
The madness was over, Rena told herself. Now she would begin a new life with her father here in Hinamizawa. Her real name was actually Reina, and only upon moving back to the village did she change it to Rena. It was symbolic of starting again. At home, she would be emotionally stable so that she could help take care of her father. At school, she would make friends and establish herself as a well-behaved young lady. With the new schoolyear beginning in early April, Rena felt nothing if not determined.
It had been a long time since Hinamizawa had anybody new move in. With the Ryuguu family returning and the Maebara family arriving, the villagers decided to throw a welcome party. Keiichi and Rena went to the celebration not knowing what to expect. The festivities were held outdoors for the most part, and included freshly prepared food, games for the young children, sake for the adults, and craft activities like making festival decorations, paper lanterns, masks, and prayer signs and tags to hang on shrines. A few hundred people showed up.
It was there that Keiichi and Rena met. Several picnic tables had been lined up to form one extremely long table to seat about fifty people. There, the villagers who loved to cook were serving pork-filled menchi-katsu, savory miso soup, and barley tea with ice. The food smelled so delicious that Keiichi ran to the table, took a seat, and waited to be served without even looking at who had sat next to.
It was Rena. She noticed him and recognized at once that he was not a local. So she politely coughed to get his attention and then introduced herself formally. Flustered, Keiichi did the same. An awkward silence followed as they both tried to think of what to say. They stole quick glances at each other, each trying to get a feel for the other. Keiichi's casual dress, relaxed posture, and unruly brown hair made him look a little wild. Rena, too, looked out of place with her bright white dress, tied with a purple ribbon, and a cute but outlandish hat.
"Man," said Keiichi, stretching out his arms above his head, "this pork miso, though! It's the best! Am I right?" He knew his tone was overly loud and friendly, but he didn't know how else compensate for his nervousness.
"It's not bad," Rena agreed gingerly. Sensing the new boy's nervousness, she tried to start conversation. "How do you like Hinamizawa so far, Maebara-san?"
"It's…" Keiichi scratched at his spiky hair, considering. "It's… different. I'm glad everyone is so welcoming. They all seem so cheery. But I kind of wonder what everybody is so happy about." He kept talking, forgetting to be cautious of manners. "How do these people keep themselves entertained out here in the middle of nowhere? I mean, there's not much to do here. Not even a bookstore, let alone a game center." Suddenly, he realized what he was saying, and blushed. "Oh—but I'm not trying to be insulting!" he exclaimed. "The country, ah! I love it! The air is so fresh! The mountains and woods make me want to set off on some kind of epic adventure!"
The boy was trying so hard to make up for his mistake that Rena thought it was cute. She chuckled. "Hehe, you're a funny one. I'm sure you've heard, but my family and I just moved back to Hinamizawa after being away a long time. I couldn't be happier to be back."
Good, the conversation was rolling again. "So," asked Keiichi, "you're a country girl through and through, huh?"
"I guess." Rena shrugged. "It's more like, I couldn't stand things in the city anymore." She wasn't sure why she was revealing a little bit of vulnerability, but something about Keiichi made it easy to be honest. "Here, I can get a fresh start."
"Looks like we have something in common." The smile had vanished from the new boy's face for a moment as he remembered his own dark past. "I'm looking for a fresh start too." Keiichi mustered up his grin again and raised his glass of barley tea. "Kompai! Here's to both of us, Keiichi and Ryuugu-san!"
Rena raised her glass as well. "Kompai." Then, fidgeting with her ribbon a little, she said, "I heard you're sixteen, a year older than me. So, you don't have to be so formal when you address me."
"Well then, what would my lady like to be called?" Keiichi tried to be as warm and kind as possible.
"Ano… R-Rena-chan would be fine with me," answered the girl, a light blush on her cheeks below her bright blue eyes. "If I'm not being too bold, that is."
"Nothing wrong with a girl who knows what she wants!" Keiichi proclaimed. "Well then, you can call me Keiichi."
"Can I really?" A small but genuine smile lifted the corners of Rena's soft lips. "Well then, Ke-Keiichi-kun. Eto… sono… Can I give you a little advice?"
"Of course!" Keiichi gave her a thumbs up. He had a tendency to talk with broad gestures. "I'll listen to anything the lovely lady Rena-chan condescends to tell me!"
"How charming and suave." Rena narrowed her eyes a bit, her expression playful. "Now, now, I hope you're not the kind of guy who chases girls around all the time."
"I won't do anything to make any girl uncomfortable," Keiichi responded boldly, "on my word as a man! But I just love to compliment girls. All girls are special. Now, what was that piece of advice you had for me?"
"Well, if you haven't done so already, I think you should go meet the Sonozaki family and Kimiyoshi Ojii-san." Rena thought she had better explain in case the newcomer didn't already know. "Hinamizawa has three main families that are like nobles, with a lot of influence. There's the Furude Family, the Sonozaki Group, and the Kimiyoshi House. The Sonozakis, in particular, kind of run the village from behind the scenes."
"Oh, I see where you're going." Keiichi nodded energetically. "I should go pay my respects to them, then!" He stuffed the last bit of his katsu into his mouth and swallowed, standing up quickly. "Will you come along with me?"
"Of course." Rena stood and started walking alongside her new friend. "And I'll introduce you to Mii-chan and Shii-chan." She added, "They're the twin daughters of the Sonozaki house. I think they're just a year older than you."
Keiichi grinned. "The more girls the merrier! Let's go."
He and Rena hadn't gone far before they were interrupted. A little girl was running down the way, and while looking back over her shoulder, she accidently rammed into Keiichi. The boy kept his footing, but the little girl fell backward onto her rump. She said, "Gomenasai, so-it-is."
"Ah, it's no problem." Keiichi offered his hand and helped the little girl stand up. She couldn't have been older than ten. Her huge, adorable eyes were dark and tinged with purple. "More importantly, are you alright?"
"Oh, Keiichi-kun," Rena cut in, recognizing the little girl. "This is Furude Rika. She's the Miko at the Furude Shrine, and very respected in the village. They say she's the reincarnation of our god, Oyashiro-sama. Rika-chan," she said to the girl, "this is Maebara Keiichi-kun. He'll be going to school with us starting next week."
"I know who he is, so-it-is." Rika looked far more serious in expression than the average ten-year-old girl at a party. "I predicted that you would come, Keiichi-kun. I predicted you returning this year too, Rena-san." She closed her eyes, grinned, and said, "Nipah!"
Again, Rena thought she had better explain things to her new friend. "You see, Rika gives prophecies. According to the village council, they really come true. It's said that Oyashiro-sama lets her see visions of the future."
"So you can see the future, huh?" Keiichi didn't believe in the supernatural, but he was not the kind of person to shoot down a girl's dreams, not to mention disrespect the village. "That's quite an interesting skill, Rika-chan."
Just then, the group of three was joined by a girl about Rika's age. She had short but beautiful golden hair. "Gomen, Rika," she said, panting, having run to catch up with her friend. "I didn't see where you went. You ran off all of a sudden. Oh, who are you talking to?"
"Good evening, Satoko-chan." Rena bowed her head politely. "Do you remember me? You were a toddler last time I was here. I'm Ryuugu Rena. You can call me Rena-san. We'll be in school together soon. This is Maebara Keiichi. He'll be with us too once classes start."
"So you're the newcomer!" Whenever Satoko was in high spirits, she liked to try to get a rise out of people. So she gave him a mischievous smile and said in a sarcastic tone, "Welcome to the village. Let's see how long a rich city boy like you can survive out here."
"Satoko-chan," said Rika calmly, "it's not nice to tease new friends."
"No problem, no problem!" Keiichi chuckled. "I can deal with a jab now and then. Spunky girls are just as great as the polite ones like you, Rika-chan."
"Well, well," said a bold and confident voice, "if it isn't Rena-san!" Sonozaki Mion appeared from the crowd gathering behind the children. Along with a tight-fitted turtleneck that brought out her chest, Mion wore jeans as usual and had her hair tied back in a rough ponytail. "Welcome back to the neighborhood," she said to Rena, kindly and emphatically. "Ah, and this must be Maebara-san. I saw you briefly when you and your dad came to visit last month. I'm Sonozaki Mion. Pleased to meet you." Although it wasn't customary, she held out her hand.
Keiichi shook hands with her at once. "Pleased to meet you as well! Please, call me Keiichi-kun!" He had always gotten along best with tomboys, enjoying the chance to compete with them in sports and games.
"Keiichi-kun?" It was Shion's turn to appear. "Ah, that rolls off the tongue nicely, doesn't it, Onee?" As if she were the polar opposite of her sister, Shion was wearing a traditional flower-patterned yukata with a pastel-pink obi. Her hair was up in a bun held in place by a long pin whose color matched the obi. With her outfit, silky hair, well-developed chest, and smooth legs, Shion looked so beautiful that Keiichi blushed a little. "Hey there, Keiichi-kun. I'm the younger twin sister, Sonozaki Shion."
Rika cut in before the two could get to talking. "Now everybody knows each other, so-it-is. We're all going to be classmates, so let's all try to get along. Nipah!"
"I say we start with a game!" suggested Mion, feeling peppy. She loved games and challenges, and playing them with new friends was always more enjoyable. Any shyness she had felt at first melted away once the six friends got into their game of truth-or-dare.
As usual, Mion played to win, and enjoyed herself a great deal. From the looks of it, everybody else was having a good time, too. Keiichi and Rena fit in well right off the bat. Satoko made it her mission to try to outdo Keiichi, and Rena was so taken with the cuteness of her pouty face that she declared she wanted to take the little girl home. Rika smiled and played as well, but her smile was fake. Pretending to be a happy child was as easy as putting on a mask for her.
So we are together in this world once more, Rika thought to herself. The big question is what happens from here. Who will contract Hinamizawa Syndrome? Will it be one person, or will there be multiple threats? Will I be able to predict things and react the right way? Can I stop these seemingly innocent friends from killing each other? Will I be able to save myself? I must. I won't let anyone here kill me. No matter how much I must stain my hands with blood, I will conquer all these threats and break free of this long, repeating loop of death.