Interlude 21: Bernkastel just wants to live a quiet life.
'Drip! Drip! Drip!' Rain poured from the night sky as I was walking down the street. Of course, this meant I was utterly drenched by it. But I didn't care. In the end, I lived up to the name Morgan bestowed upon me.
'From now on. You will become my familiar. Which means I have the right to name you. You will now be known as Bernkastel, the Witch of Failure. Hahaha!'
In the end, I couldn't save the person that mattered most to me.
'HONK! HONK!' I was being honked at as a car was rapidly approaching me. But this was my fate. I patiently waited for the car to kill this 'me' so that this nightmare could come to an end.
Why?!
Why does it always end this w-
'HEY!'
I thought that I heard someone call out to me, but it must have been my imag-
"GET OFF THE ROAD!" Someone roared as they pushed me away from the car just in the nick of time. But then…
'BAM!' I heard a loud noise. I was face down on the ground, so I didn't know what happened. I then stood back up with only minor injuries and noticed-
The same car that was about to hit me has stopped. Wait. I don't see that p-
The person who saved me was on the ground in a pool of his blood.
Suddenly, the car door opened as a man got out and learned of this too.
"SHIT! I-I didn't mean to hit him! I didn't even see him! I don't want to go to pr-" The man shouted as tears ran down his face but stopped as he noticed me.
"IF YOU ONLY MOVED YOUR ASS OUT OF THE WAY THIS WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED!" The man roared at the top of his lungs at me. And then…
"THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" The man roared once more and got back in his car as he drove away. He didn't call 911. He didn't even try to help this man. What a hypocrite. I doubt he has much time left. The least I can do is listen to him before he dies. I walked over to the man.
"You should have just let me d-AH!" I spoke only to gasp as I noticed who this man was. NO! It can't be! It can be him!
'Hello, Rika-chan. My name is-'
"A-A-AKASAKA?!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. H-How?! How is this possible?!
"I-Is that you…Rika-chan?" Akasaka muttered so weakly that the rain almost drowned out his words.
"I-I won't let you die!" I spoke as I took off my shirt to cover the wounds. But it didn't do a thing. The blood just wouldn't stop gushing out of his body.
"SHIT! WHY ISN'T IT WORKING?!" I shouted. But then…
"Ah." I gasped as I felt his hand touch my face.
"After all this time…I finally…saved you." Akasaka muttered with a smile as he closed his eyes.
"DON'T YOU DARE DIE! T-THIS CAN'T END LIKE THIS! I REFUSE TO LET IT END THIS WAY!" I roared as I tried giving him CPR, but it didn't work. Nothing worked. Only five minutes later, did I realize that Akasaka…
…was dead.
"Why?! Why does it always end like this?! No matter how much I try to protect the people around me, they always, always, always, die!" I shouted.
"RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" I let out a primal scream as this was the only way to vent my anger. Morgan was right. I truly am the Witch of Failure, aren't I?
'WEE WOO! WEE WOO!' I heard the loud noise of police sirens. They pierced my ears even in this rain. Suddenly, the police car stopped in front of me and the person inside of it opened their car door.
"Hey, you did you happen to see wh-AKASAKA-SAN?!" The police officer shouted as he ran toward me and realized the identity of the corpse on the ground.
"H-He died. He sacrificed himself to save me." I muttered as tears dripped down my eyes.
"I-I understand." The officer replied as he looked toward the ground for a few seconds until-
"Wait! Are you…Rika-chan?!" The officer asked.
"I-I…" I was stunned. I couldn't get any of the words out of my mouth. No. I chose not to say anything. Because I abandoned that name long ago. Then I guess I'll tell him my new name.
"No. My name is Bern. Short for Bernkastel." I replied.
"Oh. So, you are a foreigner?" The officer asked.
"Yeah." I replied. The truth is that the 'Bernkastel' part of my name came from a type of German alcohol I used to drink. The only thing I didn't tell him was that Morgan added the 'Witch of Failure' to that.
"I see. I guess there was no way you'd be her. After all, Rika Furude died along with the rest of the villagers from Hinamizawa back in Showa 58." The officer replied. *Showa 58 = 1983
"W-What did you just say?!" I shouted at the officer. No way! My death occurred in 'this world' too?! Along with everyone else too?! H-How the hell did the dice roll 'ones' even here?!
"Did you not hear me with all this rain? I said that 'Rika Furude died along with the rest of the villagers from Hinamizawa back in Showa 58.' I believe it was June of that year, but I'm not completely sure." The officer replied. I-I can't believe it. Not only did my death occur here! Not only did everyone else's deaths occur here too! But it was the same year and even the same month that it happened back then! Is my fate to be doomed in every single possible w-
"Hey, are you listening?" The officer asked as my thought process was broken, and I was brought back to reality.
"Sorry. Can you repeat yourself?" I asked.
"Alright. I said that 'Akasaka was the one that told me about that.' He went on to say that only when the Great Hinamizawa Disaster occurred, only then did he remember you…" The officer replied. I don't even understand what he's talking about anymore. Great Hinamizawa Disaster? Just what the hell is wrong with 'this world?'
"…He was extremely upset over it. Hell, he even almost quit the force because of her death. He was already depressed over the death of his wife and almost lost his will to live…" The officer continued. So even that happened to in 'this world?' I'm not surprised. 'This world' is so screwed up.
"…But even then, he-" The officer spoke but I interrupted him because I was tired of hearing him. I was tired of 'this world.'
"Why are you telling me this? I'm not even 'Rika Furude.' If you don't mind, I'm leaving." I spoke as I was about to leave but then…
'Isn't there still a person you want to save?'
"W-What did you just say?" I asked.
"This rain is so annoying. I said, 'Just let me finish before you go.' You look like you need to hear this." The officer replied. I guess it was my imagination.
"Fine. Go on." I replied.
"Where was I? Oh right. Anyway, Akasaka-san decided to continue being a police officer. He told me his reason. It was-" The officer replied as he told me what Akasaka told him.
'Both Yukie and Rika-chan are dead. No matter how much I want to, I can't change the past. But. I can still affect the future! That's why I have to keep being a police officer! So, I can prevent another young girl from losing her life!'
"That's what he said. He was a good man. It's a shame he died." The officer continued. That's right. He should have lived. Instead, I should have die-
"But at least he believed in his ideals till the very end. He saved you right?" The officer asked. Huh? W-What did he just-
"Hey! Are you ok?!" The officer asked as I collapsed onto the ground. He rushed over to me.
"I-I'm fine. I mean after all…" I replied as I stood back up but paused for a second until-
"…He finally saved me." I admitted with tears in my eyes and a bright smile.
"Thank you for telling me that. You're right. I really needed to hear that. Have a nice night." I finished speaking as I waved the officer goodbye.
"Your welcome! Oh! And don't go getting hit by cars, young lady!" The officer asked.
"I-I won't do something stupid like that. I have something that I must do before I die." I finished as I scratched my head and left while paramedics were coming to take Akasaka away. I still can't believe that even in 'this world' tragedy occurred. But now I know what I must do.
'Both Yukie and Rika-chan are dead. No matter how much I want to, I can't change the past. But. I can still affect the future! That's why I have to keep being a police officer! So, I can prevent another young girl from losing her life!'
"Guess I have no choice but to fight against fate itself again." I muttered to myself as I became a cat and walked away with the will to live.