Hinamizawa Hell
"The Truth of Fate" Arc: 3
Ch. 1: Recovery
Blurry images rush through his mind, a quantum of visual perceptions focused on one character sitting in a black, archaic like chair in a rather timid expression. His hair was grey yet very sharp, short yet long enough to spike out. He wore white and black clothing, almost like robes yet similar enough to something more combative in style. His eyes, though, were bandaged with white strips of cloth, bound around his head to prevent another from seeing the depths of his soul. Name unknown, but existence felt, this character was believed to be his inner demon. Komoto Hagara, in his dream-like state, resided in a world of black and white, gray altogether almost, before this unknown character.
"Huh? Wait…how did…"Komoto was in disbelief, unable to grasp any hold of reality in this realm of dreams.
"Komoto Hagara…We finally meet…"
"Is this…real?"
"No…and Yes…"replied the stranger calmly.
"Well…that's very helpful…"Komoto looked on at this character with an irritated look. If it was one thing he hated, it was being played at with someone else's riddles. This person felt almost like it was he himself, still wearing bandages as if masking some terrible curse.
"Do you know who I am?" asked the stranger surprisingly. He smiled at Komoto, unnerving him in this world.
"Umm…should I? I don't think I've ever met you before."
"Really? Why not try remembering…your darkest fear…!"
Suddenly, Komoto's eyes went wide in terror, his whole being shifted and contorted in remembering his darkest of sins. He remembered nights of killing, of bloodshed, and of unspeakable horrors; all caused by his doing so long ago. He knelt down in utter shock, feeling no floor to support him below. He sweat as the image of his inner demon came to light, the vile and evil part of his heart smiling at Komoto in pure ecstasy from his doings.
For the most part, Komoto's realizations of his inner sin didn't allow him to see the stranger stand before him, studying him closely as if feeling guilt for bringing up the matter.
"You killed that demon long ago, Komoto. You need not worry of such a sin anymore…" Komoto looked up to the stranger again, unable to comprehend his words.
"I…killed so many people…in that city….How can I…ever let that go?"
"You let it go the moment you casted away the demon of hate in your heart, and the moment you found happiness in love and friendship. Now rise Komoto, and look closer at who I am. Maybe then, you will again see the truth…"
Komoto slowly rose up, trembling at this stranger's words. He feared him, like no other man Komoto had ever feared in his life. However, doing as told so as to not give away any hesitation, Komoto looked at the man once more, though with greater concentration.
"Wait…you're…"
"Ko…moto…kun"
"Mmmm…go away…I want to sleep…"
"Fine…hard way it is then…"
"Hmm…wait…wha…AHHHHHH!"
*SPLASH*
Komoto, half asleep while trying to enjoy some odd dream of his, was the unfortunate victim of a large, cold water jug being poured over his face. He quickly spit off any water in his mouth, while flailing about in the hospital bed. While the sheets of the bed were pulled off abruptly, he looked around now fully awake to his surroundings.
"M…Mizu-chan! What the hell was that for?!," yelled Komoto, very angrily at his fiancée. She just smiled and shook her head, acting innocent on the matter.
"Well, here I thought you told me last night to wake you as soon as possible after Dr. Irie-sensei finished the release forms, but I guess you don't want to go home that badly, huh?" mused Mizuho. She laughed as Komoto suddenly changed attitude and remembered that today was the day he could finally go home.
"Oh, that's right, I forgot about that." Komoto smiled, putting his fist into the flat of his palm. He quickly looked over the bed and decided to get up, for the first time after 4 days of hospitalization.
As quickly as he tried to walk, Komoto realized how foolish it was. After putting weight on his first foot, Komoto stumbled and fell into Mizuho, who giggled and put his arm around her shoulders.
"Komoto-kun, if it didn't work after your spinal injury, what makes you think you could walk after being in bed for so long? You need to work yourself up again, ok?" Mizuho looked concerned this time, now helping him into a nearby wheelchair.
"Thanks, sorry about that…I guess I'll have to train a lot once I'm fully healed, huh?"
"Nah…you'll be fine. Dr. Irie-sensei took a look at your hand, and said it looked like the bones were healing and that the swelling went down. You should be back to full strength in no time!" Mizuho patted Komoto on the head and began to push him off down the hallway.
Truth be told, Komoto found that Mizuho's description was accurate. Though his hand had significantly decreased in swelling, he found the pain less horrid and the bones feeling as if set properly. He was amazed to this fact, surprised that even his body healed so quickly.
*Is this normal? Or did something else happen? It's like…magic…*
"By the way, you seemed like you were having a good dream there. You were mumbling again…" interrupted Mizuho. She wheeled Komoto to the front desk to receive his discharge papers.
"Mumbling? What did I say?" he asked, genuinely interested.
"I couldn't tell. You were speaking too quietly to hear anything. You were sweating a lot too, so I though splashing some water on you would help cool you off…heheheh…" laughed Mizuho.
"Hmm…well, I can't really remember what was happening in my dream. Frankly, I can't remember anything at all. Must not have been a big deal, heheh…" Komoto laughed back, confused on what he dreamt about but didn't heed it for the time being. In time, maybe the dream would return to him.
"Good, you're finally awake Komoto-san. Here are your release papers and aftercare instructions. Take care!" Dr. Irie, sitting behind a counter desk, handed over some papers to Mizuho and waved Komoto off saying goodbye.
"Thanks Doc, take care!" Komoto seemed eager to get outside once again, happy to finally leave the clinic.
Once out of sight, Dr. Irie sighed in relief just as Takano came up behind him with some charts.
"Irie-sensei, is something wrong?" she asked, concerned.
"I'm just amazed that I survived this many days with him here. He may not look it, but if he's stuck in bed for so long he drives everyone crazy just to pass the time…" Dr. Irie sighed again, while Takano just smiled on with a bead of sweat going down her forehead.
"He can't be that bad, right?" To her horror, Dr. Irie turned around and scared her, giving her a deadpanned look.
"I played 32 games of chess with him…that was just when Ryuu was discharged two days ago…"
"Home at last!"
With a resounding yell, Komoto stretched out his body and breathed in the fresh air surrounding his homely dwelling. He entered inside, carrying his bag with the one good hand available. Dropping it on the side of the hallway, he looked around his home once more, glad to see everything was the way it should be. In moments, Mizuho came behind him and carried in some groceries for dinner later.
"Glad to be back, huh?"
"You bet! I've missed this place so much! I mean, I haven't even been able to spend a night here in almost 3 weeks…" Komoto found his favorite couch and lied down on it, finding the cushions to his liking.
However, just as Komoto sat down and closed his eyes in relaxation did he hear giggling again. When he opened his eyes, he found almost everyone else surrounding him, smiling.
"WELCOME HOME KOMOTO-SAN!" Mion, Keiichi, Rika and the others surprised Komoto suddenly, scaring him of the couch and onto the floor in a heap. They laughed at his comics, finding amusement in his motionless figure on the floor.
*Damn…yet again…not even two seconds with my beloved couch…* Komoto was dying for a nap on the favored furniture; however, yet again his plan was foiled.
"Didn't expect you guys to be here. Is this a welcome home party or something?" Komoto slowly got up and smiled awkwardly at them.
"Well, you have been in the hospital for almost 4 days Komoto. We wanted to surprise you when you got back. Otome-sensei is even going to make your favorite dinner later," Keiichi laughed at seeing Komoto's surprised look.
"Oh, that's good. I'm dying for some real food anyway." Komoto sat back down on the couch, as the others either stood around or found places to sit for the meantime.
"So how are your battle scars doing? Healed yet?" asked Shion from the kitchen while helping Mizuho with some things.
"I'm fine. My hand will even heal fully I think, so no worries about any surgery in the near future. My chest is still pretty sore though," Komoto smiled back to them, but at the same moment he caught Hanyuu, who sat across from him in a chair, staring intently at him. He blinked and looked back, wondering if there was something on her mind.
"Hmm? Something wrong Hanyuu-chan?"
"Auu…no Komoto-san. I was just looking at your wounds…" Hanyuu smiled back, but Komoto still wondered if she was telling the truth.
"Mii…Komoto-senpai will heal in no time, I'm sure. Nipah!" Rika smiled happily. She seemed to not notice how Hanyuu was staring at Komoto. It bothered him a bit. However, it almost seemed like Hanyuu was surprised to see Komoto's hand heal so fast.
"Err…anyway, it's going to be awhile before dinner. How about a game in the meantime? I've been dying to play something else rather than chess…right Ryuu?" Komoto grinned over in Ryuu's direction, as he sat against a nearby wall. His shoulder was still recovering, and for that he wore a sling around his arm and chest area. The moment Komoto mentioned the word "chess" did Rena notice how freaked out he became.
"Ah…right…umm…"
"Hmm? You ok Ryuu-kun?" asked Rena, worried. She saw Ryuu sweat a little. In the next moment, he swallowed his fears, brought Rena closer to him to speak in whispers, and told what happened.
"We had nothing to do in the hospital for a few days, so all we did was play chess. Even when I beat him or he beat me, it wasn't enough. I played like 18 games with him, and I couldn't get him to stop until you came by that day…" Ryuu looked like he had thoughts of hell on his mind, a terror he would never want to come by again. Rena just smiled weakly and patted his back softly.
"Awww you're no fun! Come on Mi-chan, I know you too well when it comes to parties. Where's the game you're hiding from me?" Komoto beamed in Mion's direction, laughing heartily. She, on the other hand, was just surprised that he even knew about it.
"Eh? How did you know I was hiding it?"
"Umm…lucky guess, hahahah!" Komoto put a hand behind his head, laughing deeply. Honestly, he had no clue if Mion had a game or not, but he still got his jollies when he tricked or confused the others.
*Too easy to fool…wait, that brings to mind that dream….*
"Well, I've got Risk for today. However, there's too many of us to play here. THEREFORE, I propose today's penalty game to be an all out team battle! The pair who conquers the most territory will be the victor. The losers of today's penalty game will be subjected to the usual penalty: Maid outfits for all!" Mion and the others cheered at this proposal, however, Satoshi and Satoko didn't have much mind to do dress up today.
"Drat! Looks like I'll just have to win this one then!" piped Satoko.
"Umm…maid outfits? I'm not sure if I should…"
"Oh, come on Satoshi-kun! You'll look great in one, but if we lose then you get to see me in one too, not that I wouldn't wear it for you anyway!" Satoshi just blushed at Shion's comment, whereas Satoko watched on with a sick expression, thinking "Eww…gross…" in the tempest of her thoughts.
"So what will the pairs be? I wonder?" asked Rena.
"Well, isn't it obvious? This should be a couple's match! Rena-chan & Ryuu-san vs. Shi-chan and Satoshi-kun vs. Komoto-san & Otome-sensei vs. Kei-kun and I vs. Rika, Satoko, & Hany…"
"Actually, please, let me sit this one out today guys…"
"Eh?!"
Everyone looked over to Hanyuu, who sat happily in her chair in a calm manner. Again for that week, Hanyuu now appeared to Rika in another strange mood. Lately, she couldn't figure out what her friend was thinking or how she was feeling, but when confronted with it Rika could not get a single answer. Now, Hanyuu didn't want to participate in a club game. Was it because it was a couple's match?
"Hanyuu-chan, is something wrong?" asked Rika worryingly.
"No, it's just that this is a couple's match. I'll be a third wheel if I played. Besides, I'd rather catch up on a nap anyway." Hanyuu yawned a bit, rubbing her eyes to try to stay awake. They didn't further question it, despite the disappointment from Mion. Rika, however, saw through this odd expression of Hanyuu and wondered if there was something more than that. Hanyuu really did seem tired…not just energy wise.
"Mii…you should get some sleep. You do look tired."
"Don't worry; I'll be fine once I get some sleep."
"Well then, in that case why don't you go into the guest room in the back? I think we still have a spare cot in there to sleep on with a couple of blankets." Komoto proposed. Hanyuu smiled and got up, slowly making her way over to the room. However, before she left, she turned back to Rika to, for what seemed like the first time, pull a practical joke.
"Rika-chan, have fun with your couple's match. I think you and Satoko-chan will make a good team...nipah!"
"Oh, thank you Hanyuu-chan….hey….Mii…wait a minute. Hanyuu-chan…that was not funny…" To everyone else Rika was, for the most part, cute until it suddenly dawned on her that Hanyuu made her and Satoko out to be a lesbian couple. In the end, her gaze grew cold and her voice darker, scaring the others a bit. They laughed in response, just to break the icy chill of Rika's aura. Oblivious as she was though, Satoko just didn't get the message.
"Hey…what's so funny guys?"
"Ah…Satoko-chan, umm…I'll tell you when you're old. Let's start setting up you guys!" responded Satoshi, hoping to completely defer Satoko from ever getting the meaning of the joke. Behind him, though, Shion just giggled; her face red with laughter.
"Heheheh! You kids should really learn your places when it comes to war…"
"Yes, you're still so naïve when it comes to a battlefield. How foolish it was for all of you to join forces and go against two well trained warfare experts…."
"NOOO! Our territories!"
Mizuho and Komoto both gleamed with dark intentions in their eyes, causing terror in the views of the others. They all backed into a corner, terrified to have ever tried to take the two on in such a closely related game. Their shear knowledge and skill in conquering this game of strategy and wit proved fatal in the end, for every continent and nation now belonged under their control.
"But…how…I don't get it! This is a game of chance! There's no way…" Mion was completely awestruck at this game, unable to comprehend their entire loss. Her previous strategy was simple, just as planned before showing up to Komoto and Mizuho's home. They all agreed to gang up on them early in the game, but with every dice roll thrown and every piece of army gathered; it was amazing to even see how the two soon to be parents could accomplish wiping out their combined armies.
"Wow, nice game! I didn't think it would have ended like this, right guys?" asked Keiichi. Like he was now, Keiichi could still be humble even in the sight of defeat.
"There's no helping it, and the rules are rules: penalties must be satisfied. I'll get the maid outfits…" Mion sighed in defeat, but on the inside (just as Shion and Rena had intentions of) she didn't care as long as it was for Keiichi (or Satoshi and Ryuu respectively). If anything, Mion had won this game no matter what, but Keiichi, Ryuu and Satoshi would be at an utter loss.
"Too bad you guys brought in a game which Mizuho and I practically cherished in our childhood. However, I don't care about the maid outfits that much you guys, but I'd rather request a different penalty instead…" asked Komoto. He seemed sincere about his idea.
"Hmm? What's that?" asked Keiichi curiously.
"Well, since Mizu-chan and I are going to have a child soon, why not help us with the baby room. I think we'll need to paint, remodel a bit, get some new furniture and accessories, etc. etc. What do you say?"
"No problem, we'd love to help. What kind of furniture did you guys need to get anyway?"
"Well, we need a crib, a changing station, and…" Mizuho went on down the list, however, Komoto's addition nearly terrified the others.
"One of those collages with little rifles and handguns hanging from it…"
"Ah…oh, one of those…WAIT, WHAT!?"
Everyone in the room dropped their jaws to the ground, hoping they didn't hear Komoto right. If what they heard was true, basically Komoto wanted to introduce guns and such to their child practically from birth. They looked to Mizuho for some answers.
"Otome-sensei, he's joking, right?"
"Why Dear, that is such a great idea! It will look so cute! Our child's going to love it. Can the rifles be little miniatures of my .50 cal?" Mizuho mused, smiling widely at the thought. The others just fell over in response, stunned at this show of serious thought.
*That poor child…* They thought in unison, however, Rena had something else on her mind.
*A LITTLE COLLAGE OF GUNS? AUAUAU!!! I'LL TAKE IT HOME WITH ME!*
"Thanks for dinner you two. We'll see you later!"
"Bye guys. Enjoy the maid outfits, especially you Keiichi!"
"Ah, shove it why don't you…"
As everyone began to walk home, all except Rika, Satoko and Hanyuu, the three men Keiichi, Satoshi and Ryuu cowered in defeat at wearing the maid outfits. They trudged behind their women, wishing that it wasn't so. On the other hand, they couldn't complain seeing their significant others in the sexy getups. For Keiichi's unfortunate appearance, though, he could as Mion's costume somehow came with a collar and chain going directly to Keiichi's neck. He had to admit, he was still her slave for the rest of summer break and how could he ever complain? He loved every moment of it in the recesses of his being, though he wouldn't admit it to Mion's delight.
Meanwhile, Satoko and Mizuho cleaned up the dishes while talking about the baby. Komoto was off using the bathroom, whereas Rika went to the guest room to wake Hanyuu up. Before, it seemed like she was even too tired for dinner, given that they didn't want to wake her up then. Hanyuu didn't even want creampuffs for dessert, so instead Rika had wrapped up the delicious treats for later. As she went into the room, Rika noticed that the guest bed had ruffled blankets, but no Hanyuu.
"Hmm, where did Hanyuu go?"
"Eh? Is something wrong Rika-chan?" Komoto exited the bathroom, now finding Rika in the hallway looking worried.
"I can't find Hanyuu-chan."
"Well, she can't be too far off. Maybe she went snooping around…" Komoto seemed worried too, hoping that Hanyuu didn't get into his armory by accident. He immediately looked around the first floor area and then moved upstairs with Rika calling out her name. There was no response, however, when they reached the second floor Komoto noticed his attic stairway was opened. He went up quickly to find the lights on and Hanyuu asleep at his desk, an open book acting as her pillow for the time being.
"Hanyuu…" Rika came up the stairs and found her friend fast asleep, looking exhausted for some odd reason. Upon touching her, though, Rika found Hanyuu's warmth too much, almost hot even.
"Is she ok?" asked Komoto. He noticed some books were out of place, probably from Hanyuu poking around before. He didn't care as long as everything was still in order.
"Mii…Hanyuu? Are you…"
"I'm fine, auuu…" Hanyuu sat up quickly the moment Rika touched her, surprising both of them in unison. She smiled and rubbed her eyes a bit, trying to wake up. "…I'm sorry; I just wanted to look around up here for awhile. There are so many books here that I thought I might find something interesting to read…"
"Well, I don't mind if you want to look up here, but you should tell me next time. It's kind of dangerous with all the book stacks. I was practically buried alive once, heheheh…"
"Ok, thanks. In that case, can I borrow these two books?" Hanyuu held up two books: one about fairytales and the other which Komoto didn't take particular interest to. He nodded to Hanyuu's delight.
"Well, it's getting late, and I'm sure eating those creampuffs for dessert will cheer you up Hanyuu-chan. I hope you feel better," stated Komoto. He smiled at seeing Hanyuu's delight for the creampuffs, to which she got up and instantly hurried downstairs to try.
"Wow, thank you so much. I'll go have one right now before we leave…" With that said, Hanyuu descended down the steps towards the kitchen. For the most part, Rika and Komoto were now alone. Somehow, the air felt a bit tense, to which Komoto instantly picked up on.
"Hmm? Something wrong Rika-chan?" He noticed Rika looking at his banners at the back wall; one with a Yin and Yang and the other with Rika's family insignia; the infamous three solid sixes.
"Komoto-senpai…do you remember that promise you told me long ago? To tell me why you had these symbols here?"
Komoto watched at Rika went up to them, feeling the fabric between her fingertips. He sighed in response, grabbing a nearby chair and sitting down. He thought over his next words carefully, taking into great consideration that he wasn't talking to a child but someone well beyond his own wisdom.
"Yes I do. Would you like me to finally tell you what it means?" he asked hesitantly.
"Please…if you could. I would like to have an answer to this question. Why do you have my family's insignia and your own here like this?"
"The Yin and Yang on the left is mine, and yes your family insignia is on the right; however, these are both just adopted symbols to your family and mine. They are universal symbols if you see…"
"Yes, I get that. But they have more meaning behind it I think. I remember the first night I met you; you have that symbol as a tattoo on your arm and even then, you were murmuring in your unconscious state the words "Twilight" and "Evil"…care to tell me what that means?" Komoto noticed Rika's darker and wiser side talking now. In some aspect, it felt normal talking to her like this, almost easier even, but still it made him tense.
"I don't remember ever saying that, but I was sick with fever that night. It does correlate with the banners though. Hmm…where to start…." Komoto stopped for a second and then regained his composure, hoping to explain his ideas as clearly as he could to Rika. "…it's like this. Do you remember the old fairytale of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden?"
"I think so…it's popular in Christian folklore. Why?"
"Well, if you haven't guessed by now, just look around you. I love stories about lots of things. Adam and Eve is my favorite one. You know why?"
"Because it's the first story ever written?"
"Close, but no. It's because peace was truly existent there…the Garden of Eden was a perfect earth…"
"A perfect earth?" asked Rika. Her interest was fully sparked now, to which she sat down in the desk chair and looked on.
"Rika-chan, if you were like me, a mercenary who fought for many years, you'd understand the greatest question that veterans ask is "IS peace is possible?". I don't ask that, I ask "Why isn't peace possible?". The Yin and Yang symbol is the only thing that makes sense next to your family's insignia."
"Is that because we consider the Yin and Yang to be perfect?"
"Yes. Yin and Yang are perfect if together, but alone they are in chaos. Now, what can you tell me about your family's insignia?" he asked, seeming happy to find Rika catching on very quickly.
"Well, if you put it that way my family's insignia represents imbalance. But that's not what it means, the three revolving "solid six" symbols means more of a circle of life, or that's what my father spoke of…"
"Your father was right…and wrong. We do consider that to be the circle of life, but it isn't perfect. Rather, it represents our current state of understanding in the world…See, even look here…"
Komoto went up to the banners and showed with his finger how the Yin and Yang, and the other insignia showed the shape of a 6. Rika never really cared to notice this fact up till then.
"I get it. It does mean an imbalance, right?"
"Yeah unfortunately. The three solid sixes just revolve in a continued motion, but they don't fit together at all. It's an imbalance; a symbol of the world's current status…" Komoto sat back in his chair and rubbed his temple areas, looking tired. Rika stared intently at the symbols again, hoping to ask him another question before everything became one big mind screw.
"Then I suppose Yin and Yang, or light and dark, make Twilight. Then the third solid six means that it's "Evil"?"
"Heheheh…you really are smart Rika-chan. That's precisely how I see it all right there. I can't find any better explanation as to why the world is in chaos like it is, but those symbols as far as I could remember made the most sense. Call it my theory of our existence; until Evil is separated from the equation, we will remain at an imbalance for the rest of our lives. But that's what I just think…"
Komoto got up and stretched a little, and then made his way over to the stairs. He turned around and smiled back to Rika, seeming tired himself.
"Come on, it's getting late for you guys. I'll walk you out…and Rika-chan…"
"Hmm? Yes?"
"Please…don't dwell on my theories. You think too hard sometimes and you might just have a panic attack…they're not fun, trust me. I'd think you of all people would know what panic does to a person, especially those in Hinamizawa…"
Remaining there for a few seconds more, Rika could understand a little more about Komoto's character. For that matter, she now saw him in a new light, not just as a strategic mercenary or a friend, but as a philosophical thinker. If anything, put Rika's perspective in an entirely different light.
*If what you say is true, then maybe this is also the state of Hinamizawa. Until Evil is gone, will I ever truly be happy with my friends here? How do I even remove Evil for that matter?*
The snake asked me to eat the apple once,
But I found the devil to be rather unfortunate..
He said the apple would make me all the wiser,
But I laughed and said I was wiser not to take it.
He said the apple would give me knowledge,
Enough to understand all that is.
I merely chuckled and said I was happy,
To know that I could still learn.
He then said the apple would make me a God.
To this, I just looked at him and smiled darkly.
For I was happy being that which I wanted to be.
At this, the snake grew angry and, with serpent eyes,
Asked me; "Eat the Apple, and you will know,
The Truth of all Fate"
At this, I only said,
"I know of the Truth, and that you can not change,
For I will what I will, and I will make what I make,
Now begone and leave this place!"
And from that, Evil left, never to compromise,
That which was the Truth of Fate itself.
My will and belief alone made Evil leave,
Now I ask you,
"Can you truly believe in this?"
Next time on "Hinamizawa Hell" Arc 3, Ch. 2: The Traveler
"Can you see the Truth?"