Difference between revisions of "We Don't Open Anywhere: Kouta Hiiragi's Closed World (V)"
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− | ==Kouta Hiiragi's Closed World (V)== |
+ | == Kouta Hiiragi's Closed World (V) == |
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− | <div class=WordSection1> |
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+ | The familiar voice was drowned out. There was nothing that could stop me. Because everything had gone according to my plan, the result was as clear as the answer to one plus one. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>The |
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− | familiar voice was drowned out. There was nothing that could stop me. Because |
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− | everything had gone according to my plan, the result was as clear as the answer |
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− | to one plus one.</span></p> |
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+ | <b>I</b> slashed at Shuuichi Akiyama’s carotid artery. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>I</span></b><span |
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− | lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'> slashed at Shuuichi Akiyama’s |
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− | carotid artery.</span></p> |
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+ | Blood gushed out, the crimson fountain pleasantly engulfing me and staining my head red. It dyed both the rooftop and my stunted world red, and brought me to somewhere new entirely. That was how the matter had been decided. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>Blood |
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− | gushed out, the crimson fountain pleasantly engulfing me and staining my head |
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− | red. It dyed both the rooftop and my stunted world red, and brought me to |
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− | somewhere new entirely. That was how the matter had been decided.</span></p> |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'> </span></p> |
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+ | Then <b>I</b> noticed. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>Then <b>I</b> |
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− | noticed.</span></p> |
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+ | <b>I</b> couldn’t hear the sound of chains any more. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>I</span></b><span |
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− | lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'> couldn’t hear the sound of |
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− | chains any more.</span></p> |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'> </span></p> |
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+ | Why was that, “I” wondered? |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>Why was |
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− | that, “I” wondered?</span></p> |
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+ | After all, “I” hadn’t been able to slit Akiyama’s throat. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>After |
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− | all, “I” hadn’t been able to slit Akiyama’s throat.</span></p> |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'> </span></p> |
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+ | Akiyama’s eyes were out of focus. He had already lost all reason. He was in no position to have stopped me, so it couldn’t have been him. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>Akiyama’s |
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− | eyes were out of focus. He had already lost all reason. He was in no position |
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− | to have stopped me, so it couldn’t have been him.</span></p> |
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+ | But even so, my wrist hurt. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>But |
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− | even so, my wrist hurt.</span></p> |
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+ | Someone was squeezing tightly on the wrist of the hand I was holding the knife in. Because of that, I hadn’t been able to cut him. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>Someone |
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− | was squeezing tightly on the wrist of the hand I was holding the knife in. |
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− | Because of that, I hadn’t been able to cut him.</span></p> |
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+ | Who would do such a thing? |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>Who |
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− | would do such a thing?</span></p> |
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+ | I glared at the squeezing hand to try to figure out whose it was. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>I |
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− | glared at the squeezing hand to try to figure out whose it was.</span></p> |
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+ | And the culprit, the one who held back my right hand was— |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>And the |
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− | culprit, the one who held back my right hand was—</span></p> |
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+ | “...Why?” |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>“...Why?”</span></p> |
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+ | <i>—My left hand.</i> |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><i><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>—My |
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− | left hand.</span></i></p> |
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+ | I couldn’t make sense of this. Why had I stopped myself? It made no sense. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>I |
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− | couldn’t make sense of this. Why had I stopped myself? It made no sense.</span></p> |
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+ | Why was my body acting against my will? Was it being manipulated by remote control? Could you even do that? Was it even possible? |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>Why was |
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− | my body acting against my will? Was it being manipulated by remote control? |
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− | Could you even do that? Was it even possible?</span></p> |
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+ | If it was possible, it would only be through— |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>If it |
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− | was possible, it would only be through—</span></p> |
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+ | —<i>magic.</i> |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>—<i>magic.</i></span></p> |
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+ | “Kouta.” |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>“Kouta.”</span></p> |
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+ | I reflexively turned towards the voice. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>I |
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− | reflexively turned towards the voice.</span></p> |
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+ | There, illuminated by the golden twilight, stood Miki Kouzuki. Her long hair fluttered in the wind, each strand glittering like a jewel. Tears rolled down her smiling face. She was so beautiful it made my chest hurt, and it was almost unfair how freely she set the world in motion. |
||
− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>There, |
||
− | illuminated by the golden twilight, stood Miki Kouzuki. Her long hair fluttered |
||
− | in the wind, each strand glittering like a jewel. Tears rolled down her smiling |
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− | face. She was so beautiful it made my chest hurt, and it was almost unfair how |
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− | freely she set the world in motion.</span></p> |
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+ | “Kouta, who are you?” |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>“Kouta, |
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− | who are you?”</span></p> |
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+ | “I’m… Kouta Hiiragi…” |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>“I’m… |
||
− | Kouta Hiiragi…”</span></p> |
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+ | “That right. You’re Kouta Hiiragi, aren’t you?” |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>“That |
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− | right. You’re Kouta Hiiragi, aren’t you?”</span></p> |
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+ | As she gradually approached me from the rooftop door, I was so stunned I couldn’t move. I stood there, paralyzed, and she took the knife from my hand. I felt as though I wouldn’t even be able to breathe without her permission. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>As she |
||
− | gradually approached me from the rooftop door, I was so stunned I couldn’t |
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− | move. I stood there, paralyzed, and she took the knife from my hand. I felt as |
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− | though I wouldn’t even be able to breathe without her permission.</span></p> |
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+ | “You aren’t Masato Yahara. You’re Kouta Hiiragi.” |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>“You |
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− | aren’t Masato Yahara. You’re Kouta Hiiragi.”</span></p> |
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+ | Miki then leaned on me and moved my hand to her back. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>Miki |
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− | then leaned on me and moved my hand to her back.</span></p> |
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+ | “Kouta Hiiragi. You know what that is? The name of the person I like.” |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>“Kouta |
||
− | Hiiragi. You know what that is? The name of the person I like.”</span></p> |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'> </span></p> |
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+ | And then. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>And |
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− | then.</span></p> |
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+ | Miki Kouzuki kissed me. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>Miki |
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− | Kouzuki kissed me.</span></p> |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'> </span></p> |
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+ | <span style="font-family:'Arial Unicode MS';">Ahh… I could feel my cramped world expand rapidly, as if I had just exited a long tunnel. Light flooded in through countless newly-opened doors and dazzled me.</span> |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; |
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− | color:#222222;background:white'>Ahh… I could feel my cramped world expand rapidly, |
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− | as if I had just exited a long tunnel.</span><span lang=JA style='font-family: |
||
− | "Arial Unicode MS";color:#222222;background:white'> </span><span |
||
− | lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial Unicode MS";color:#222222;background:white'>Light |
||
− | flooded in through countless newly-opened doors and dazzled me.</span></p> |
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+ | But it was scary. Advancing through those doors was scary. I didn’t want to leave my cramped world. I didn’t want to learn about the expanded world. But this illuminated place no longer held anywhere to hide. I had no choice but to accept it. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>But it |
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− | was scary. Advancing through those doors was scary. I didn’t want to leave my |
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− | cramped world. I didn’t want to learn about the expanded world. But this |
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− | illuminated place no longer held anywhere to hide. I had no choice but to |
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− | accept it.</span></p> |
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+ | As if affirming my existence, my shadow stood out against the light. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>As if |
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− | affirming my existence, my shadow stood out against the light.</span></p> |
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+ | I had no choice but to be Kouta Hiiragi. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>I had |
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− | no choice but to be Kouta Hiiragi.</span></p> |
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+ | I had to accept that reality. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>I had |
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− | to accept that reality.</span></p> |
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+ | The bill I had been shirking so long had finally come due. I would have to stand up against all my powerful foes. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>The |
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− | bill I had been shirking so long had finally come due. I would have to stand up |
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− | against all my powerful foes.</span></p> |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'> </span></p> |
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+ | As Miki released my lips from hers, I finally remembered what was attached to the left hand that had just stopped the violence. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>As Miki |
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− | released my lips from hers, I finally remembered what was attached to the left |
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− | hand that had just stopped the violence.</span></p> |
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+ | “Ahh… So that’s it.” |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>“Ahh… |
||
− | So that’s it.”</span></p> |
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+ | The red hair band. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>The red |
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− | hair band.</span></p> |
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+ | The item Miki had stored her magic in. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>The |
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− | item Miki had stored her magic in.</span></p> |
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+ | What had stopped me — what had stopped the Masato Yahara inside me — had been Miki’s magic. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>What |
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− | had stopped me — what had stopped the Masato Yahara inside me — had been Miki’s |
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− | magic.</span></p> |
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+ | “That’s not it.” |
||
− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>“That’s |
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− | not it.”</span></p> |
||
+ | But Miki firmly refuted that claim. |
||
− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>But |
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− | Miki firmly refuted that claim.</span></p> |
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+ | “Say, do you know why I kissed you just now?” |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>“Say, |
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− | do you know why I kissed you just now?”</span></p> |
||
+ | “To return me to normal…?” |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>“To return |
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− | me to normal…?”</span></p> |
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+ | “The next time you say something like that, I’m really going to hit you.” |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>“The |
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− | next time you say something like that, I’m really going to hit you.”</span></p> |
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+ | “What!?” |
||
− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>“What!?”</span></p> |
||
+ | “A woman’s lips aren’t so trivial a thing as that. No matter what her reason may be, even if she herself doesn’t realize it, there’s only one reason a woman ever kisses a man.” |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>“A |
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− | woman’s lips aren’t so trivial a thing as that. No matter what her reason may |
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− | be, even if she herself doesn’t realize it, there’s only one reason a woman |
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− | ever kisses a man.”</span></p> |
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+ | Probably for the first time, Miki showed me a smile from the bottom of her heart. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>Probably |
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− | for the first time, Miki showed me a smile from the bottom of her heart.</span></p> |
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+ | “It’s because she likes him.” |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>“It’s |
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− | because she likes him.”</span></p> |
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+ | In response to her confession, my mind went so white I thought my brains had been blown out. It was completely blank. Matsumi-senpai, socially inept as always, excitedly clamoured to the collapsed, corpse-like figures of Shiho Sudou and Shuuichi Akiyama, “Hee hee, it’s a confession!” |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>In |
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− | response to her confession, my mind went so white I thought my brains had been |
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− | blown out. It was completely blank. Matsumi-senpai, socially inept as always, |
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− | excitedly clamoured to the collapsed, corpse-like figures of Shiho Sudou and |
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− | Shuuichi Akiyama, “Hee hee, it’s a confession!”</span></p> |
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+ | Still unable to think, all that dwelled within me were emotions. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>Still |
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− | unable to think, all that dwelled within me were emotions.</span></p> |
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+ | —I’m happy. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>—I’m |
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− | happy.</span></p> |
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+ | —I’ve been waiting for this. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>—I’ve |
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− | been waiting for this.</span></p> |
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+ | —I’ve been waiting so long for Miki to put her feelings to words. So long! |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>—I’ve |
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− | been waiting so long for Miki to put her feelings to words. So long!</span></p> |
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+ | “Uwa, uwaa…” |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>“Uwa, |
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− | uwaa…”</span></p> |
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+ | Before I realized it, I was crying too. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>Before |
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− | I realized it, I was crying too.</span></p> |
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+ | Not because I was happy. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>Not |
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− | because I was happy.</span></p> |
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+ | Because I was sad. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>Because |
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− | I was sad.</span></p> |
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+ | Ahh, finally. I could finally understand my own feelings, I could finally put them to words. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>Ahh, |
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− | finally. I could finally understand my own feelings, I could finally put them |
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− | to words.</span></p> |
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+ | —I was sad that Masato was dead. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>—I was |
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− | sad that Masato was dead.</span></p> |
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+ | “There’s something I just learned, see. In this world, you can make things complicated, or you can make them simple. It’s all up to you. And if that’s the case, then don’t you think making things simpler is nice?” |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>“There’s |
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− | something I just learned, see. In this world, you can make things complicated, |
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− | or you can make them simple. It’s all up to you. And if that’s the case, then |
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− | don’t you think making things simpler is nice?”</span></p> |
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+ | Miki gently stroked my hair. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>Miki |
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− | gently stroked my hair.</span></p> |
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+ | “So you see, the reason you weren’t able to drive the knife any further—” |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>“So you |
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− | see, the reason you weren’t able to drive the knife any further—”</span></p> |
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+ | She brought her face to mine, and our tears converged. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>She |
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− | brought her face to mine, and our tears converged.</span></p> |
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+ | “Was because you didn’t want to kill anybody… That’s all.” |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>“Was |
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− | because you didn’t want to kill anybody… That’s all.”</span></p> |
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+ | And that was a truth that I had no reason to doubt. |
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− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='color:#222222;background:white'>And |
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− | that was a truth that I had no reason to doubt.</span></p> |
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− | <span lang=EN style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><br |
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− | clear=all style='page-break-before:always'> |
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− | </span> |
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− | |||
− | <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN> </span></p> |
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− | </div> |
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<noinclude> |
<noinclude> |
Revision as of 09:45, 25 November 2017
Kouta Hiiragi's Closed World (V)
The familiar voice was drowned out. There was nothing that could stop me. Because everything had gone according to my plan, the result was as clear as the answer to one plus one.
I slashed at Shuuichi Akiyama’s carotid artery.
Blood gushed out, the crimson fountain pleasantly engulfing me and staining my head red. It dyed both the rooftop and my stunted world red, and brought me to somewhere new entirely. That was how the matter had been decided.
Then I noticed.
I couldn’t hear the sound of chains any more.
Why was that, “I” wondered?
After all, “I” hadn’t been able to slit Akiyama’s throat.
Akiyama’s eyes were out of focus. He had already lost all reason. He was in no position to have stopped me, so it couldn’t have been him.
But even so, my wrist hurt.
Someone was squeezing tightly on the wrist of the hand I was holding the knife in. Because of that, I hadn’t been able to cut him.
Who would do such a thing?
I glared at the squeezing hand to try to figure out whose it was.
And the culprit, the one who held back my right hand was—
“...Why?”
—My left hand.
I couldn’t make sense of this. Why had I stopped myself? It made no sense.
Why was my body acting against my will? Was it being manipulated by remote control? Could you even do that? Was it even possible?
If it was possible, it would only be through—
—magic.
“Kouta.”
I reflexively turned towards the voice.
There, illuminated by the golden twilight, stood Miki Kouzuki. Her long hair fluttered in the wind, each strand glittering like a jewel. Tears rolled down her smiling face. She was so beautiful it made my chest hurt, and it was almost unfair how freely she set the world in motion.
“Kouta, who are you?”
“I’m… Kouta Hiiragi…”
“That right. You’re Kouta Hiiragi, aren’t you?”
As she gradually approached me from the rooftop door, I was so stunned I couldn’t move. I stood there, paralyzed, and she took the knife from my hand. I felt as though I wouldn’t even be able to breathe without her permission.
“You aren’t Masato Yahara. You’re Kouta Hiiragi.”
Miki then leaned on me and moved my hand to her back.
“Kouta Hiiragi. You know what that is? The name of the person I like.”
And then.
Miki Kouzuki kissed me.
Ahh… I could feel my cramped world expand rapidly, as if I had just exited a long tunnel. Light flooded in through countless newly-opened doors and dazzled me.
But it was scary. Advancing through those doors was scary. I didn’t want to leave my cramped world. I didn’t want to learn about the expanded world. But this illuminated place no longer held anywhere to hide. I had no choice but to accept it.
As if affirming my existence, my shadow stood out against the light.
I had no choice but to be Kouta Hiiragi.
I had to accept that reality.
The bill I had been shirking so long had finally come due. I would have to stand up against all my powerful foes.
As Miki released my lips from hers, I finally remembered what was attached to the left hand that had just stopped the violence.
“Ahh… So that’s it.”
The red hair band.
The item Miki had stored her magic in.
What had stopped me — what had stopped the Masato Yahara inside me — had been Miki’s magic.
“That’s not it.”
But Miki firmly refuted that claim.
“Say, do you know why I kissed you just now?”
“To return me to normal…?”
“The next time you say something like that, I’m really going to hit you.”
“What!?”
“A woman’s lips aren’t so trivial a thing as that. No matter what her reason may be, even if she herself doesn’t realize it, there’s only one reason a woman ever kisses a man.”
Probably for the first time, Miki showed me a smile from the bottom of her heart.
“It’s because she likes him.”
In response to her confession, my mind went so white I thought my brains had been blown out. It was completely blank. Matsumi-senpai, socially inept as always, excitedly clamoured to the collapsed, corpse-like figures of Shiho Sudou and Shuuichi Akiyama, “Hee hee, it’s a confession!”
Still unable to think, all that dwelled within me were emotions.
—I’m happy.
—I’ve been waiting for this.
—I’ve been waiting so long for Miki to put her feelings to words. So long!
“Uwa, uwaa…”
Before I realized it, I was crying too.
Not because I was happy.
Because I was sad.
Ahh, finally. I could finally understand my own feelings, I could finally put them to words.
—I was sad that Masato was dead.
“There’s something I just learned, see. In this world, you can make things complicated, or you can make them simple. It’s all up to you. And if that’s the case, then don’t you think making things simpler is nice?”
Miki gently stroked my hair.
“So you see, the reason you weren’t able to drive the knife any further—”
She brought her face to mine, and our tears converged.
“Was because you didn’t want to kill anybody… That’s all.”
And that was a truth that I had no reason to doubt.
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