6. Chapter 6: Reunion
Chapter 6: Reunion
Part A
"So," Shion spoke melancholy, "Sis is dead?"
"Yeah .I'm afraid so " I replied just as depressed as she was.
I had led Shion out of the torture chambers and into the head house. We were met by Rena, who hugged Shion tightly and bombarded her with questions about her wounds. She had taken a shower and she was being nursed by Rena. I was waiting for them in the living room, right next to the main garden of the house. Rena had applied disinfectant to Shion's bruised legs, arms, torso, and head when they were alone. She wrapped bandages all around her. Shion came out of her room with Rena; Shion was dressed in a white kimono to cover up all of her bruises. We all sat together. I was at one side of the small table there, while Shion and Rena were at the other.
Shion didn't lift her eyes to see me. They were glued to the mat we were sitting on. She'd sigh every so often, as Rena checked her bandages and looked for more wounds to treat. Shion looked like hell. I couldn't begin to imagine the pain she had to go through. I felt so bad for her.
"What happened to her?" Shion asked me. Her voice sounded so sorrowful.
"She " This was very difficult for me to relive again, but Shion had a right to know. I sucked it up and spoke calmly. "I took Satoko home two nights ago after she made dinner for me. I returned home shortly after where Mion was lying in wait for me. She was wearing your clothes and was acting like you somewhat. She completely lost it."
Shion didn't react at all.
"She threw herself at me. I stopped her every time she did though. I thought it was you in the beginning, with you thinking I was well Satoshi. I yelled at her saying that I was myself, not Satoshi, and I told her to leave me alone. She went to my kitchen, feeling defeated. She took a knife from one of the drawers and she she killed herself right in front of me " It hurt me to recall Mion's final moments as she posed as Shion. It nearly killed me.
"What kind of things did she say to you?"
I struggled to remember her exact words. After a long silence, I retrieved the memory from the depths of my tortured heart and mind. "She was completely out of it, but she said that she was very patient and she tried to tell me how she felt towards me, but again, I thought it was you thinking I was Satoshi. She said that she wanted to live together, where we could always be happy. She just wanted me to love her back. When I didn't tell her what she wanted to hear, she went off the deep end."
Shion nodded slowly, acknowledging that she was listening.
"But I don't get it at all!" I clenched my fists. "Why would she disguise herself? Why would she go to all of that trouble? Why would she act so crazy around me? I thought she was my friend! I don't get why she said all nonsense to me!"
"She thought you were in love with me." Shion spoke very straightforward.
I looked to Shion. I was baffled. "Huh? What are you saying?"
Shion sighed. Her eyes shifted to her side. Rena was holding her shoulder, as if telling her that she needed to get whatever she had to say off of her chest.
"And it's not nonsense at all, it's pretty obvious. Sis Sis was in love with you."
I was taken aback, but at the same time, I had known it all along.
"It's true. Sis truly loved you. She loved you so much that it hurt her." Shion was playing with her nails. There was still barely any emotion in her voice. "She always saw you hanging around me and Satoko. She hated it. She hated it so much that it made her furious whenever I showed my face to her. I had known for a real long time that she felt so strongly towards you. That's why I always teased you around her to bust her chops.
"I guess I went too far though, haha. The day of our date, I visited her that night. She got into such a rage. She cursed me for going on that date with you. I had told her about it over the phone before I arrived at her house. I told her how much of a good time I had, and she cussed me out for it. She was so furious with me."
"She told me about that," I remembered the conversation Mion and I had the other day. "She said that you kept calling me Satoshi! She said you never called me by my name! She said you were hurting!"
"What she said isn't completely true." Shion shook her head. "When I went on that date with you, when you rubbed my head, I really did think you were Satoshi-kun. I lost control of myself and lunged at you. After you snapped me out of it, I returned to normal. When I called her and told her about the date, I was remembering the way you rubbed my head, which reminded me of Satoshi-kun. I thought you were him again for that split-second. Mion completely freaked out on me. She ordered me to stay away from you I went to her house to calm her down."
"Why would she get so mad that you thought I was Satoshi? She told me that she was worried about you! She said that she was worried that you would lose your mind if I didn't stay away from you!"
"She was mad alright she was mad that I had a chance of stealing you away from her. She was afraid I would keep you for myself, believing you were Satoshi-kun. I know who you are though. You're Maebara Keiichi, not Satoshi-kun. I got confused that one time because you two are so alike, but I never made that mistake again. I am hurting a little because he's gone, yes, but I would never replace him even if someone in his own likeness came before me. I would never betray Satoshi-kun.
"So Mion told you to stay away from me? Again, she wanted to keep you all to herself. She was so angry that we went out. She was becoming obsessive. She couldn't stop thinking about you. She got so possessive of you. She said you were hers first and would forever be hers. She was so infatuated over you that she attacked me when I visited her to try and calm her down. She beat me, tortured me for 'hurting' you, and abused me so much !" Shion held her shoulders. She was beginning to weep.
"Shion, you don't have to continue," I said warmly. "It hurts, I know, you don't have to talk about it!"
Shion shook her head violently. "I need to! You have to know!"
I remained quiet. I looked to Rena, who was just as worried about her as I was. Rena held her hand and caressed it gently. She was doing her best to keep her stable.
"She hurt me so much !" Shion pulled her kimono open a little. I saw a hideous bruise on her collar bone and all around her neck. "She strangled me and beat me until she was satisfied! She locked me up in that cell and took my clothes! She said if she couldn't have you as herself, then she would become the one who you were affectionate towards!
"That's why she dressed up like me! She told me everything that she was going to do when she got to your house...! She was so angry, sad, and desperate to have your attention! She'd do anything, even hurt her closest friends and her sister!"
"Mion " I muttered. What happened to the Mion I used to know? The Mion that was my best friend?
"But that's not all she did ! She kidnapped Rika and she made Satoko suffer!"
My head cocked at that. "She kidnapped Rika? When?"
"You remember the first time she didn't show up for school? Mion had kidnapped her! After Mion beat me the day I visited her, she threw me in that cell. She had Rika all tied up she she she stabbed her in the side of her head with a knife! She did it right in front of me! She killed Rika!"
I felt my own tears starting to form.
"When Satoko noticed that Rika was missing that one morning, Mion revealed to her in private that she had Rika prisoner! She blackmailed Satoko!"
"But Rika was already dead! Why would she lie like that?"
"To make Satoko cooperate with her! She had to give her an incentive to listen to her! "Shion was sobbing more loudly now. "Mion told her that she'd killed Rika if she didn't do what she told her! She even showed her a picture of me in my cell! She said if Satoko didn't keep quiet about kidnapping Rika and I, and if she especially told you about the argument, then she would kill me and her!"
"What argument?" What as she talking about? I didn't know about any argument!
Shion sniffed and rubbed her eyes furiously, but the tears wouldn't stop flowing. "A week ago, Satoko and Mion got into a fight! Satoko found out that Mion loved you, and she was going to tell you! She was just playing around! Mion took it so seriously that she yelled at her constantly when you weren't among them! Satoko later apologized and she and Mion made peace! But when Mion noticed I was spending so much time with you, and that Satoko was getting closer to you, she got so jealous! She got so angry and paranoid! She thought Satoko was going to reveal her feelings before she told you!"
I was listening to every word. I couldn't speak at all. I was trying to envision this sadistic and malicious Mion that Shion was telling me about. It was terrible! My best friend was a murderer! She was so selfish!
"That's why she blackmailed her but Mion wasn't going to trust Satoko anymore! She got more and more paranoid!" Shion got so choked up. She was panting. "That's why she killed Rika right in front me to be done with it that's why she thought about taking Satoko away after she had you that's why that's why SHE HAD HER KILLED!" Shion grabbed Rena and cried into her shoulder. She was moaning and wailing so loudly. "I saw her body! I saw her being flung into the secret tunnel in the prison chamber!"
I understood everything now. I understood it all. Mion and Satoko fought about me. Mion loved me and wanted to tell me herself, but Satoko said she was going to tell me first, ruining Mion's confession. Satoko was only joking, but Mion took it seriously. They made up, but that didn't stop Mion. She killed Satoko over it, to keep her quiet for good. She threatened Satoko to keep her mouth shut by kidnapping Rika and holding Shion captive to give Satoko incentives to remain silent. But Mion changed her mind; she wasn't going to risk Satoko telling me anyway. She disposed of Rika, as she wasn't going to be needed anymore. She even murdered Satoko.
That's why Rika never showed up to class that first day, because Mion kidnapped killed her. That's why Rika's pill bottle was never opened. Satoko played along with this charade Mion created so no one would get suspicious and that she could have a chance of saving her friends. That's why she wouldn't let me visit Rika. That's why Satoko wasn't in today, because Mion killed her that night when I took her home. Mion then disguised herself as Shion to get me to notice her, thinking that I was love with her sister. She wanted to become Shion so she could always be with me.
But wait. That part about Satoko struck me. I took her home that night and went back to my house, where Mion was waiting for me. The distance from Satoko's house to mine is pretty far; it was impossible for Mion to have killed her and then to have beaten me to my house! Wait if Mion didn't kill Satoko and if Satoko was dead and if Mion was dead at the same time then who did it? Was there another enemy?
My heart pounded so hard within my chest. My eyes widened as far as they could go. Mion had someone kill Satoko so she could ambush me at my house. Who as that person? It had to be someone close to her, maybe a Sonozaki hitman? A hired gun? Mion was dead now, but another killer was roaming free!
It had to a Sonozaki gangster! Mion's family was a yakuza family that had connections with the government, the entire village, and abroad! Mion had to have called a hitman to deal with Satoko so she could concentrate on me!
"Shion did you see who dumped Satoko's body?"
"Hic ! It was too dark! I recognized her small stature, but I couldn't get a look at the person carrying her. It was Mion! She did this!"
Dammit. Shion didn't know anything. It couldn't have been Mion though. It was impossible! There had to be another culprit!
"Hic hic!" Shion sniffed and continued to cry. "She was going to kill me too after she visited you that night she was going to kill me too! She was going to kill me so she could take my place for good!"
I held back the tears that wanted to flood the room. I gritted my teeth so hard. I never felt pain like this before.
"Satoshi-kun! Satoshi-kun!" She was speaking to a presence that wasn't in the room with us. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise! I'm sorry I let you down! I'm sorry!" Shion continued to wail.
"Shii-chan " Rena rubbed the back of her head and her back. "It's alright now Keiichi-kun and I are here for you! We'll take care of you!"
Shion's crying slowed down. She became quiet after a few minutes. Rena's shoulder was very damp from Shion's tears. I could see it from where I was sitting. I felt awful. I've seen Shion depressed before, but she was just so distraught now. She was tortured not only physically, but emotionally. I wondered how she was even holding herself up.
Shion was mumbling something.
"Shii-chan?" Rena looked down at her. "What is it? Can I bring you something?"
Shion's mumbling got a little louder.
"I still can't hear you, Shii-chan, can you speak up?"
Shion shot her head up and met Rena's eyes. Rena was cowering in fear. I heard her voice tremble. Rena speech was slurred.
Shion suddenly shoved Rena off of her. Rena flew against the wall, as Shion sprinted down the hallway. She showed no signs of pain, though her legs were bruised.
I got Rena back on her feet and pursued Shion. We heard her feet thundering down the halls and through different rooms. We eventually found Shion. She was standing very still with her back to us. I could hear her panting.
We were in her grandmother's room I believe. It was very decorative with kimonos on a rack, flowers along the sides of the room, and various paintings on every wall. I saw something hanging over one of her grandmother's cabinets. I saw Shion reach up toward it. She grabbed it and held it close to her body. Her back was still facing us so I couldn't tell what it was.
Shion slowly turned around. She was holding an elaborate ceremonial wakizashi. She clutched it to her chest stared us both down. Her eyes were so cold and demonic. They were puffy from all the tears that she shed, but the intense malice in her eyes struck me hard. Her lips curled into a wickedly deformed smile.
"This is where it all ends!" She said coldly. She was laughing as she said that too. "This is where all my pain ends!"
"Shion! What do you think you're doing?" I at last noticed the wakizashi. "Don't tell me "
She wrapped her fingers around the hilt.
"Shii-chan! Stop it!" Rena's hands were at her mouth.
Shion was lifting the sword out of its sheath.
"Knock it off, Shion! Put that down!"
Shion dropped the sheath. She held the sword tightly in her grasp. She looked to Rena and then to me. She cackled like a hyena. She held the sword inverted. She placed the tip of the blade at her stomach.
"What are you no oh God no !"
"HAHAHA!" Shion squeezed the hilt. "This is it! I give up! Hahahaha! This is all that's left for me! This all I have now!"
"Shii-chan, please!" Rena was tearing up. She took a step forward. "Please don't do this!"
"STAY BACK!" Shion quickly spun the sword around and pointed it at Rena. Rena took two steps back. "Don't you take this away from me! Don't make me kill you!"
"Shion!" I stepped forward now.
"I'll kill you too, Kei-chan, I swear! I swear I'll do it!" She was laughing again.
"Listen to yourself!" I swung my arm to the side. "This isn't the Shion I know! Shion's such a caring and loving woman! I know you, the real you! I've gotten to know you so well in this past month! You understand this is wrong, don't you? Put down that thing and let us take care of you!"
"Stay back! Stay back, stay back, stay back!"
"Please! Shion, believe us!" I took another step.
Shion still had the wakizashi pointed at me. Her reptilian eyes looked down the curved blade. I was right in its path. She could have run me through with it if she chose to!
"Don't kill yourself! What's that going to accomplish?"
"It'll end my pain it'll end all of my pain!" Shion turned the blade back around to face her. "I have nothing left! Satoko's gone Satoshi-kun's gone Sis is gone what choice do I have? This is it!" Shion ran her finger down the blade. She looked lovingly at it. She was speaking to it. "You'll heal me, won't you? You'll make it all go away for me, won't you? You'll make everything go away!"
I stepped forward again.
Shion pointed the sword at me again. "How many times do I have to say it? Don't make me kill you! Don't make me do it, I'm warning you, Kei-chan! Don't make me kill you!"
"Keiichi-kun, stop! Come back here! She'll too unstable!" Rena reached for me.
"I have to convince her to stop this, Rena! Trust me! I got this!" I smirked back at her, despite the horror I felt. I was petrified at the monster that was standing right before me. I was standing in the face of death. I had to be brave though! I had to brave for Shion! I knew this wasn't her! This beast was possessing her!
"Please, Kei-chan!" Shion was starting to cry again. "Let me die! I'm begging you! Let me die! My life has no meaning anymore! Without Satok have nothing!"
"That's not true!" I called back at her. "You still have me and Rena! We can help you! We'll take care of you!"
Shion stepped forward. She still had the sword pointing at me.
"Just trust us!"
Shion took another step. She pulled the sword back. She was preparing for a lunge.
I smiled at her. I had my arms opened out to her. "I won't let anything hurt you ever again! I promise you!"
She was breathing heavily. I saw sweat rolling down her temples and her forehead.
I put my foot forward.
She scowled at me. Shion increased her grip on the hilt.
I took another step.
"Now you've done it!" Shion prepared herself. "You forced me to do this, Kei-chan!"
Shion bolted forward, shrieking at me. I didn't move. She thrust the sword forward. I closed my eyes tightly and awaited my death. I waited for the sword to pierce me.
I heard Shion suddenly scream. I opened my eyes. Rena had dashed in front of me. She pushed the thrust aside by pushing Shion's hands away from me. Rena had punched Shion as well with her deadly right cross, the punch she used specifically against me during club activities. The sword fell to the floor with an ear shattering clang. Shion flew across the room and landed on her back. Rena had saved my life!
Shion struggled to get back up. Her legs began to hurt again, so she crawled on all fours. She was trying to get the sword! I intercepted her by grabbing her; I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her back to me. I couldn't let her get a hold of that sword!
"Lemme go! Lemme go! Lemme go, you bastard!" She was kicking and screaming. I lifted her up and continued to pull her back. Her arms outstretched toward the sword that lay six feet from us.
Rena seized the sword and held it by her side. She stayed far away from Shion, at the other side of the room.
Shion saw that Rena was holding the sword. She let out a wail that shook the entire house. She still kicked about and clawed at my arms to make me release her, but I kept holding on to her. I wasn't about to let her go!
"Why?" She shouted to me. "Why won't you let me die? I hate you! I hate you! Just let me die! Let me die! Let me die ! Let me die let me "
Shion felt limp in my arms. She slumped to the floor with me and began sobbing again. She lightly scratched at my arms, slowly losing her strength. She collapsed on her side and curled up into a ball. I let go of her for a second, but I placed my hands on her side and shoulder now, making sure she'd stay down.
Rena picked up the sheath to the sword and placed it back inside. She held onto the sword with both hands, afraid that she may drop it. She watched Shion. She wanted to make sure she wasn't going to attack or try to kill herself again.
"Why won't you let me go?" Shion whimpered. "Why are you torturing me?"
"I'm not torturing you!" I tried to speak gently, but I was still shaken up from nearly dying. "I'm helping you!"
"Hic hic hic "
I mouthed to Rena. I told her to call Akasaka. She nodded and scurried off to find a phone, still gripping the sword. I looked back to Shion. She was so pitiful. I knew how she felt, but suicide was never the answer. If she did carry through with it, she'd only be continuing the cycle of pain and sorrow that Mion caused. Nothing would have been solved.
I held onto to Shion. I lifted her up and held her. She rested her head over my shoulder and cried. She didn't hug me back. She barely moved at all.
"Shion " I held her closer to my body. "What the hell did Mion do to you ?"
Part B
Akasaka, Hanzaemon, and a bunch of fellow police officers came by the house. Akasaka and Hanzaemon were dumbfounded that Shion was with us, that she was still alive. They at first thought she was zombie or some ghost, but soon came to realization that she had been alive the whole time while Mion was in her place.
"So Shion was here all of this time? Mion had really died back at your house? Akasaka held his chin.
"It's all true!" I said strongly. "Shion told Rena and me everything!"
Rena and I told them everything that Shion told us about. We informed them of Mion's motives, her actions, and her crimes. We presented the unopened pill bottle.
"What's this? Stomach medicine?" He was reading the label.
"Yeah. Satoko and I got that for Rika to help her stomach pains. She had food poisoning, but that was all a lie "
"What do you mean?" Akasaka began to sweat.
"Shion told us that she kidnapped Rika to give her an incentive to cooperate with her! Satoko knew about the kidnapping but kept quiet in an attempt to try and save Rika! She got that medicine to cover up the crime so nobody would suspect anything! Mion got so paranoid and angry at some point so she killed Rika to be done with it."
Akasaka was stunned. He didn't say a word. He abruptly turned away from us and walked to his car for a few minutes. I think I saw him wipe some tears from his eyes.
"Uh," Hanzaemon spoke up. He now was holding the pill bottle in his hands. He examined it himself. "So that's everything about the incident?"
"There was one other thing." I took a deep breath. "I don't Mion is the only culprit here."
Hanzaemon looked at me funny.
"Satoko was also killed. Though, on the night she was killed, Mion was already at my house waiting to surprise me! Mion couldn't have done it! Hanzaemon-san, there's another killer! This murderer may be affiliated with the Sonozaki clan! It makes sense because Mion has many connections since she's the heir to the family!"
He grunted and ran a hand through his hair. "Shit...now we got another psycho out there "
"Is there anything Rena and I can do to help?
"No." He shook his head slowly. "You'd better let Sempai and I handle this. If what you're saying is true, than the entire Sonozaki family is under suspicion now. It could be anybody in that family. It's best if you stay out of it for awhile. I don't want you getting hurt!"
I strongly disagreed with him. I wanted to help the investigation! Mion was my friend! I had to do something!
"I can't believe of any this!" Hanzaemon closed his eyes hard and pondered about the incident. "This Mion went to these great lengths just to be with you, Maebara-kun? That's absolutely awful " He had a huge frown on his face.
"I wish there something I could have done !" I was wiping my own eyes now. "I let this happen! I let Mion go through with this! I'm the reason why she killed everyone and hurt Shion!"
Hanzaemon placed his hand on my shoulder. He spoke gently to me. "C'mon, Maebara-kun, don't talk like that! How were you supposed to know Mion was gonna do all of this? It's impossible for you to have known! Stop beating yourself up! Mion's the one to blame here, not you!"
I wanted to listen to him, but I knew better. I know he was just trying to make me feel better, but nothing was going to change the fact that I was the reason why Mion was driven to kill everyone.
The officers found the bodies of Rika and Satoko. They found them in the secret tunnel just beyond the prison chambers underground. They brought them out in bags and loaded them into the ambulance that accompanied the police cars. They would be taken and examined to finalize the official report on the incident.
I saw other officers carrying Shion on a stretcher. She had cried herself to exhaustion when she was in my arms. She was sound asleep.
"What's going to happen to Shii-chan?" Rena asked quietly.
Hanzaemon looked to her. His frown got worse.
"She'll be taken to the hospital for now. No doubt she has many injuries from Mion. Shion-san will need to be properly examined. You did a great job caring for her though, Ryuugu-san!" He gave a small smile to her. "My guess is after she recovers, she's going to go under psychiatric help. She tried to kill herself before, right? She's really gonna need all the help she can get "
I looked down. Rena took hold of my hand. She tried to comfort me.
"I'm going to see how Sempai's doing. You guys should probably be on your way. There's nothing else you can do from here. If you want, I'll have someone drive you both home."
"We'll be fine but thanks though," I replied very lowly.
"Okay then." Hanzaemon waved to us lightly. He patted my shoulder one last time. "You two take care of yourselves, alright? Shion-san's gonna need you. Stay strong for her!" His voice was full of sympathy, but full of encouragement. He was right. We had to be here for Shion. She needed us. We had to be strong for her.
Rena and I left the Sonozaki residence. She rubbed my back and my shoulder as we walked. I feigned a smile. It was finally over. It was over, but I knew that the worst was yet to come. We had to rebuild what Mion destroyed. That would take months, even years. I didn't know how we were going to do it, but Rena and I were going to try.
The next day was very quiet. I finally went back to school with Rena. Chie-sensei welcomed me back with a big hug, which was a first for me, and the principal was especially kind to me. Everyone in class treated me very well after witnessing Mion's suicide, and they all treated Rena and I like heroes for saving Shion's life and putting everything to a close. I didn't feel like a hero though. I didn't deserve that title at all.
It was lunch time. It was my first lunch without everyone. Rena and I pulled out our lunch boxes and only picked at our meals. We barely ate anything.
Rena was so uncomfortable with the silence. She finally decided to speak up. "I miss everyone "
"I do too."
I remembered the fun filled days when we all shared our lunches with each other. Satoko would laugh and insult me for my bad cooking, Rika would smile and pat my head to make me feel better, and Mion would plan our next club activity. All of that was gone now. Everything I loved and knew went up in smoke. I didn't recognize the Hinamizawa I was in. This wasn't Hinamizawa. I didn't know where I was. I didn't know how I got here. It all happened so quickly. Was I really going to be able to restore the Hinamizawa I loved so dearly? It seemed impossible.
"Rena?"
"Hmm? Yes?"
I gulped. "Do you feel like we could have done something more? You know, foreseen all of this? I feel as if I could have stopped all of this if only I had known about Satoko and Mion's fight. I wished Shion told me sooner! Hanzaemon-san said I couldn't have done anything to prevent this but I know I could have! I can feel it!"
Rena frowned. "I'm so sorry "
"For what?"
"I knew all about it."
My heart stopped beating for a second. "You knew?"
"I know I should have told you." Rena turned her face from me. "I've known for a while now. I never told you about it because I didn't want you to worry about Mii-chan or Satoko-chan. Shii-chan felt the same way! You were so happy! We couldn't bear to have you worry again!"
I looked at Rena. I wanted to be angry with her so much, but I couldn't muster the rage. That wouldn't have done anything.
"Please, forgive me!" Rena was about to get on her hands and knees. "I made them make up! I made them make peace, but I should have seen Mii-chan's true intentions! I should have stopped her! Shii-chan and I should have stopped her!"
I reached for Rena's hand. I held it in mine. I smiled at her.
"I'm to blame as well. I was too blind to see the tension that was right in front of me. I refused to see anything bad. I forced any negative feeling or thought into the back of my mind; I focused more on being happy rather than on my friend's relationships." I wiped a tear from my eye. "I'm to blame too! You're not the only guilty one here!"
Rena stroked my hand with her finger. She smiled weakly. "I guess we all could have done something to end this before it began "
"You stopped them from getting worse, but you didn't see Mion's intentions. I should have picked up on the argument and discussed it with Mion and Satoko to quell her anger. Shion she she shouldn't have pushed Mion so much either. I'm sure that has something to do with it as well."
"We're all to blame we're responsible for Rika-chan and Satoko-chan's deaths " Rena said lowly.
"I won't make the same mistake again though!" I pounded my fists against my desk. "If I had another chance just one more I bet I could have ended this!"
"If I had one more chance," Rena said, trying not to cry, "I could have told you sooner and we could have worked together!"
"Next time," I promised her, "we won't screw up again! I won't let that happen!"
Epilogue
A few days passed. It was after school one day when I wanted to take a walk and clear my head. Rena had the same idea, only she wanted to go treasure hunting. She wanted to find something cute she could put on Rika and Satoko's graves. I told her I would meet her there.
I walked all around Hinamizawa. The cicadas sang a sorrowful dirge for my fallen friends. They sang for Rika, for Satoko and for Mion. I listened inventively to it. I was beginning to sing the same song as well. I sang it as I walked the loneliest road I've ever been on.
I arrived at the grave sites. There lay the both of them, at peace, looking over all of Hinamizawa. They joined those that went before them and forever would they keep watch over this small village. Forever would they keep watch over those who remained to carry on their memories.
I knelt down and clasped my hands together. I prayed long and hard. The cicadas were praying as well. Our prayers joined together and I could see them floating up to Rika and Satoko. I could see them smiling at me. I could see them waving at me.
Don't smile at me don't wave at me. It was all because of me that you were gone. If only I had seen the rift between Satoko and Mion. If only I knew and did something about it. If only Rena and I worked together. If only if only
I saw something standing next to their graves. I looked up. There was a small female figure that appeared intangible to me. She looked so faded. She looked so sad. She looked familiar. Those things that hung off of the side of her head reminded me of something I had seen before during this past week.
Was this that monster that appeared to me that one night? If this thing was a monster, then why was it crying? Why did it appear so melancholy and look down on me with such pity? I saw its mouth move. What was it saying? "I'm sorry?" It was apologizing to me? Wait, wasn't this the bodiless voice that apologized to me before as well?
I think I knew why it said that. This monster didn't seem so bad after all. I didn't understand why it came to me that night and attacked me. Was it the same creature from that night? It didn't seem like it. That one was full of anger and this one was full of sorrow, like the voice I heard in that dark void. I was apologizing too, only to Rika and Satoko. The mirage vanished from my sight soon after.
I heard footsteps behind me. I thought it was Rena, but to my surprise, it wasn't. Shion was standing behind me. She was back in her white blouse and long black skirt, as opposed to her usual short one. She wore that longer skirt to cover up the bruises on her legs. Did she walk here all by herself with those bruises? She smiled weakly at me. She waved to me.
"Hi, Kei-chan."
"Shion?" I stood to face her. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in the hospital! Shouldn't you be resting?"
She pushed her hair back behind her ear. "The doctors gave me a little break so I could visit Rika and Satoko. I really wanted to see them before I have to go back for more tests. Those guys are real pains in a butt, you know! 'Can't do anything without their approval! Ahaha!"
She sounded like her old self. That made me feel somewhat better.
"How'd you get here? You're legs are still hurting aren't they? Did they drive you here?"
"Yeah they did. I didn't expect them to do that for me, but they said that they would if I was going to pay my respects."
We both knelt down and prayed. Shion prayed longer than me. She held her hands together so hard that I saw them vibrate. The poor woman.
She bowed and sat up straight. She looked over to me.
"How are you holding up?"
I faked a laugh. "I've been better."
Shion grimaced. "I'm really sorry I don't know what else to say "
"I don't either " I sighed. "I just wished I could have done something more."
"I know I could have." Shion placed her hand over her heart. "I should have been more sensitive to Sis. I was wrong to keep teasing her like that. I knew how strongly she felt towards you and I made fun of her for it."
I wanted to say "It wasn't your fault" to make her feel better, but I couldn't. Shion, Rena, and I were all at fault. We had to accept what we did and learn to cope with it.
"I don't regret the time we shared together though." She smiled at me. "I had a wonderful time being with you."
I looked back at her. "I did too."
Shion reached for my hand. I gave it to her. She traced her finger along my skin.
I sat closer to her. I was ready to lend my shoulder to her if she needed to cry on me.
"I had so much fun with you! You really made me feel incredible, Kei-chan!"
I blushed a tad. "You're my friend, and you're Satoko's Nee-nee! I'd do a lot of things for you!"
"Would you save me from falling off of a cliff?"
"Of course I would!"
"Would you save me from greasy otaku nerds at Angel Mort when I'm working?"
"I already did that, but I can do it again!" I laughed.
"Ahaha! You're too much, you know that?" Shion laugh genuinely.
We both laugh together and we smiled at Rika and Satoko's graves. She turned to face me; I looked at her. We both embraced each other tightly. We were both afraid to let go of each other. We desperately clung to one another. Her hands gripped my back and my hands held her waist. She sighed happily.
"Kei-chan?"
"Yeah?"
"Promise me you'll be with me forever? With Satoko here as well?"
I pulled her closer. "You're one of my closest friends, Shion, of course I'll stay with you!"
"Do you really mean that?"
"I do. I really do! I'd do anything to make that happen!"
Shion rubbed my back. "That's nice " After a few minutes, she pulled back to see me. "Kei-chan! I just had an idea!" She was beaming at me and she sounded so joyful.
"What is it?" I was extremely curious with her.
"Let's be with Satoko! Let's be with her right now!"
"Shion? We're already here with her!" I motioned my head to the graves. "We can always visit them whenever we want! We'll always be right by them and they'll always be right by us!"
"That's not what I meant, Kei-chan!"
"Then, what do you mean?"
Shion released me. She smiled so warmly at me. I smiled at her too. I was trying to pull her over to me again, but she wouldn't budge.
Shion grabbed my throat and began to choke me. I threw my hands on her forearm and tried to break free, but her grip was too strong! She had me in such a way that I couldn't escape from her! She increased her strength with every second that went by. I was beginning to feel dizzy.
"What's wrong? You promised me we would be together forever with Satoko, didn't you?"
I heard something crackle. I looked down at her hand. What was she going to do?
Shion lifted up her stun gun. I saw the lightning dance in front of my eyes. She was smiling as happy as could be. I think I could hear her humming.
"Let's go see Satoko Kei-chan!"
Okinomiya Precinct
Hanzaemon Takuma (Case XXXX)
On the night of July XX, a resident of Hinamizawa village, Shishibone City, was found dead. This resident was believed to be Sonozaki Shion, but through further investigation, it was revealed that the resident was actually Sonozaki Mion. Sonozaki committed suicide in the home of Maebara Keiichi, right before his eyes. The body is currently being held in police custody until the Sonozaki family is notified of the recent passing.
On the day of July XX, two residents of Hinamizawa village, Shishibone City, were found dead. These residents were Furude Rika and Houjou Satoko. Their bodies were found in a secret tunnel hidden beneath the Sonozaki head house located in Hinamizawa. Furude was stabbed by some type of blade on the side of her head. Death was instantaneous. The murder weapon has not been found.
Houjou suffered a different death. Her body didn't appear to have any distinguishable marks or wounds, but it was shown in the autopsy report that she had been poisoned. The particular poison used on Hojou is unknown. The police received a pill bottle that Houjou had purchased to remedy Furude's supposed stomach pains caused by food poisoning (Which was a cover up to save her friend's life from Sonozaki Mion who kidnapped and murdered her).
The contents of the bottle was examined and experimented with. The stomach pills are actually a special type of Cyanide drug. Whether this drug caused Houjou's death or not is still under investigation.
Evidence suggests that Sonozaki Mion murdered Furude Rika, while indirectly slaying Houjou Satoko. It is believed that the suspect, being the heiress to the Sonozaki family, hired a hitman to dispose of Houjou, as she went after another target. It was reported that a fight between Sonozaki and Houjou broke out prior to these events, pertaining to a personal matter. It is suggested that the victims had been killed out of rage due to this feud.
This was reported by friends of Sonozaki Shion, the sister of the suspect. The younger Sonozaki sister was reported to be held prisoner, where she was tortured, beaten, and later driven to an attempted suicide because of her older sister's malicious actions. Sonozaki Shion was stopped by two of her friends before she could carry out the deed. The investigation regarding Furude's death is closed. The investigation regarding Houjou's death is continuing.
On the day of July XX, two residents of Hinamizawa village, Shishibone City, were found dead. These residents were Sonozaki Shion and Maebara Keiichi. Their bodies were found below the suspension bridge next to the Furude Saiguden. Sonozaki was reported missing from the hospital in Okinomiya and was later found deceased as mentioned.
It is believed Maebara had been incapacitated by Sonozaki before their demise. The autopsy report stated Maebara had two punctures on his neck, most likely caused by a stun gun. Sonozaki was found with a stun gun in her skirt pocket. It is concluded that Sonozaki committed suicide by leaping off of the bridge while killing Maebara in the process. This investigation is closed.
