Prologue | Contents | Chapter 2
I had a dream. Or at least, I thought it was a dream.
In the dream, I was in an intensive care unit. I did not feel any pain, but there was this fretful feeling that something irreversible would happen if I continued to stay like this. However, I could neither move my body, nor open my eyes.
Some people came one after another, trying to help me. I underwent an operation. Sadly, the only surgical instruments I knew were the scalpel, forceps and catheter, so the doctor earnestly asked for only those three items.
Eventually, it became quiet. I couldn’t tell if it was day or night, but I knew that no one was nearby. My eyes stayed shut the entire time, but I could sense the state of the room. As I lay on the bed alone, someone approached. At first, I wondered if it was Osanai-san, then realized that it was impossible. As expected of a dream, while I immediately knew that it wasn’t Osanai-san, the identity of that person remained unclear.
While I remained unable to move, that person brought their face close to my ear and whispered into it.
“This is retribution.”
What nonsense!
Sure, I may not be a person of good conduct. But even if I am a pathetic human being who caused someone who once proclaimed their love for me to say to me face, “You’re the worst”, surely I don’t deserve such punishment!
I think.
Probably.
Is this really my just desserts? Having to suffer through this ordeal for no reason is even more unreasonable. Is it not more logical to think that I almost lost my life due to a mistake that I did not notice?
Hang on? Almost lost my life? Really?
Haven’t I lost it already?
Is there any reason to believe that I am still alive? It’s so dark, after all. This is something to think about. Earlier, I thought that the person who approached me was not Osanai-san, and it became so. Basically, this dream follows my will. If so, there is only one thought I should have.
I am alive. That should result in me being alive.
The visitor spoke again.
“This is retribution. You cannot escape.”
Really? No, on further thought, I don’t think so. In the first place, what am I getting retribution for? If you have a reason, say it. If you’re not going to, I won’t deal with this unnecessary criticism. This is not retribution. And that’s because, listen… can’t you hear that proper voice?
It was a woman’s voice that I didn’t recognize.
“Doctor, the patient has opened his eyes.”
Apparently, I’d lost consciousness for close to five hours.
The young, tired-looking doctor haltingly explained my situation as I lay on the bed.
“We have done an MRI scan, but we could not find any internal bleeding in your brain. It was likely a concussion. We can know for sure if we measure intracranial pressure, but that comes with its own risks. There is no reason to suspect brain damage at this current point in time, so we will observe you for the time being. You might feel light-headed, but you should gradually recover.”
I’m not feeling light-headed, I’m alert and conscious… I wanted to say, but felt that I should go with the flow here, so I did not raise an objection. That probably meant I was indeed a little dazed.
“As for the damage to your body, it cannot be said to be light. The diaphyseal region of your thigh bone, or in other words the middle section…”
The doctor stroked his thigh to better explain his point.
“This part is broken. Using a cast to hold it in place and waiting for it to heal will take a long time, and makes you more prone to negative long-term effects, so I recommend undergoing a surgical operation. It is better to take this operation as soon as possible. I will give you a consent form after this, so please consider. You cannot move your legs until after the operation. Also, your entire body was struck really hard, so you will likely develop a fever. If it gets too serious, we will prescribe you some medication. We can take a look at your fractured rib, but judging by the situation, we can use a compression bandage1 to alleviate the pain if it gets too strong, but we believe that surgery is not necessary there.”
But I don’t feel that much pain, I thought. As if he’d read my mind, the doctor added.
“You are currently under the effect of painkillers, so you should not feeling much pain now.”
I had no memory of being administered painkillers. Basically, the pain would come later. To sum my feelings about it in a phrase, that’s a bummer.
The doctor was actually not presenting his explanation only to me. My parents were also standing in the room. My father asked how long it would for me to fully recover. The doctor replied.
“We believe that he can be discharged in two months at most. Rehabilitation will continue after that. Following that, I am unable to give an estimate because the variance is too high among individuals. Typically, it will be half a year later when he can stop using a crutch.”
But entrance exams start next month… I thought, when my mother questioned the possibility of me taking college admission exams. The doctor gave a clear response.
“It will be difficult. If he goes out with the callus formation2 in an incomplete state, there is the risk of refractures and significant long-term effects that could stay with him for the rest of his life.”
In other words, it was like this.
My exams were over. They hadn’t even begun.
For my sake, my parents got me a private room. After my parents and the doctor left, I was on my own. The room was only six tatami mats in size3, but I couldn’t get off the bed anyway. The walls were cream-colored, and the windows were fitted with beige curtains. My arm was connected to an intravenous drip. As I looked up at the white ceiling and the IV bag, I tried sorting out what had happened to my body.
In the middle of walking downstream on the embankment road and looking at the Inaba River on my right, I was run over by a car.
With the Inaba River being regarded domestically as one of the rivers which most frequently burst its banks, an embankment was constructed on each side to prevent flooding. The embankment’s height differs based on the location, and is taller than a three-storey house at its peak. It is also dreadfully thick, boasting a width of twenty or thirty meters, and follows the river for tens of kilometers.
When viewed from the side, or rather, from street level, the embankment goes upward by a steep incline to a point a few meters high, where it plateaus momentarily, before continuing steeply upward again until it reaches a flat peak, which is a road. Past the road, the embankment goes downward at a steep decline to a flat area, then continues downward to the riverbank. Basically, the cross-section of the embankment is like the character 凸.
To use technical terms, the flat peak is called the crest, and the flat sections on its left and right are called berms. These berms are about three meters wide.
Today, because we took a detour on the way home from school to visit the taiyaki shop Ogura-an, we ended up using the embankment road parallel to the Inaba River as our path for heading back. From Togou Bridge4 which spans both sides of the embankment, we walked down the metallic dog-leg stairs5 to the embankment road.
The crest of Inaba River’s embankment is a two-lane road only for automobiles, and pedestrians are typically prohibited from walking on it. However, there is a pavement about one and a half meters wide downstream from Togou Bridge, on the side of the road towards the streets. This pavement is separated from the carriageway with only a white line and plastic poles placed a few meters apart.
This pavement continues for one kilometer until the next bridge, and we were walking on it to get home.
…At that time, as dusk approached, I’d noticed an oncoming car crossing the middle line.
The car was on course to hit us, so I’d tried to escape. However, the only possible place to escape was the left, which was blocked by piles of cleared snow, and on top of that, Osanai-san was also on my left, enjoying her taiyaki.
Osanai-san’s powers of observation are exceptional, but no one can constantly monitor their surroundings. I’d realized that Osanai-san had not noticed the approaching car.
Of course, the best solution would be to warn Osanai-san so that the two of use would be able to jump aside. We might land on the berms of the embankment, but it would be way better than getting hit by a car. But there was not enough time for that. There wasn’t even enough time to take my hands out of my pockets. All I could do was tackle Osanai-san to safety.
…Perhaps, just perhaps, I had had no intention to save Osanai-san, but she was simply in the way of my escape, so there was nothing I could do but push her away.
Apparently, the driver who ran into me drove off without trying to rescue me.
In other words, it was a hit-and-run.
I could not completely remember the moment of the accident, though I could dredge up bits and pieces of it. I’d certainly pushed Osanai-san out of the collision course. It would be no laughing matter if she fell head first from the embankment to the ground. However, she should have first fallen to the berm, then to the slope below, so she shouldn’t have suffered any major injuries. That was what I wanted to believe. It would be an absolute nightmare if she’d broken her neck because of my push.
I felt cold sweat breaking out over my entire body.
Is there no reason to think that Osanai-san didn’t have her neck broken?
Is she really alright? Did she not suffer a heavy injury due to my actions? Is there any way for me to find out? There should be a nurse call button, and I should have received an explanation on how to use it, but I can’t remember. Earlier, when the doctor told me of my condition, why didn’t I think about Osanai-san, even though I was fully conscious. Was I really light-headed, as the doctor said? I tried calling out for someone.
“Uh…”
But all that came out was a voice that was so small it surprised myself. Even if there was someone in the room, they would not have heard my voice. Of course, no one came. As I drew a deep breath to attempt for a louder voice, a sharp pain ran up my chest. Instinctively frightened, I released that breath.
It hurts, it hurts. My chest, my feet, my head, they all hurt. It hurts –
That was when I realized.
It wouldn’t be strange for me to have died.
When I next opened my eyes, it was bright outside. Thus I realized that it was night earlier. The pain had subsided a little. The drip connected to my left arm must be administering some painkillers. From a slight gap in the curtains, I could see the clear winter sky. The door opened, and a nurse spoke, her voice fitted with suppressed gaiety.
“Good morning.”
The nurse’s defining characteristic was her long and narrow eyes. The hair on her head was very short, and even the hair above her ear was cut short. I thought her height was average, but she looked small due to her slightly hunched posture.
She continued while opening the curtains.
“You might have heard, but there is no breakfast.”
I had not heard about that. I may not have an appetite, but it’s not good to skip meals.
“Eh, is that so?”
The nurse looked down on me for a moment.
“For the operation, you will be put under general anesthesia. If there is undigested food in your stomach, there is the risk of vomit, which could go into the esophagus and lungs, so you should abstain from eating.”
Come to think of it, I had this explained to me already, but I’d forgotten about it.
“I understand. Sorry, but…”
“Do you need help with something?”
“Could you close the curtains?”
The nurse looked outside and replied.
“Alright.”
She then closed the curtains she’d just opened. However, one small gap remained, letting in a ray of light that directly hit my eyes. Probably noticing that, the nurse closed the curtains again, carefully making sure there were no gaps.
After that, there was nothing to do but wait for the surgery on my thigh while enduring the dull pain that was being held down by medication. They could have done it yesterday when I was passed out… but then again, it would be reckless to first operate on the legs when the patient’s mental faculties were damaged. If they had put me under anesthesia at that time, I don’t know if my consciousness would have returned.
Eventually, the time for the operation came. The nurse who had come earlier said, “Please close your eyes while we are moving you around,” so I was transported on a stretcher with my eyes closed. The voices of many doctors and nurses reached my ears. I could understand why she told me to shut my eyes. I felt that it helped to suppress my anxiety.
It was afternoon when the anesthesia wore off, and while I hardly felt any pain, perhaps thanks to the painkillers, there was an uncomfortable, ragged sensation coming from my thigh. I was told that the broken bones were held in place with a metal nail, but I never thought that the feeling of an alien object being in my leg would be so conspicuous. Will I ever get used to this? I didn’t feel that much pain, but I was certainly lethargic.
Thinking that I heard someone’s voice, I opened my eyes. I must have drifted off to sleep.
The light filtering in through the curtains was orange, though I couldn’t determine if it was sunrise or sunset. My mobile phone had been broken in the collision – it had been in my right pocket, and considering that my right thigh was broken, I must have been hit on the right – so I couldn’t tell the time.
“What time is it?”
I mumbled. Unexpectedly, a reply came.
“It’s a little past four.”
It was a voice I recognized. I craned my neck to see a boy wearing the Funado High School uniform standing near the door. He was tall, had a wide frame, as well as a cubical-looking face and body. It was Doujima Kengo. In his hands was a wicker basket brimming with fruit.
Kengo spoke.
“Oh, did I wake you up? Sorry about that.”
What did you come here for? I wanted to ask, but the answer was obvious. He was here to check in on me. I never imagined that someone like Kengo would do that, so I was slow to realize his intentions.
Kengo brought a bagged apple out of the wicker basket and placed it on the table next to the bed.
“I’m here to visit.”
“Thank you.”
“…I heard you had a terrible accident.”
“Yes, it was a terrible accident.”
Kengo did not look straight at me.
“I heard you lost consciousness.”
“Seems like it. I’m alive, though.”
I never thought the day would come when I would have to tell someone that I’m alive. I laughed a little, but finally felt that something was off.
“…Who told you that I became unconscious?”
Kengo frowned.
“You seem to be back on your feet, if you’re worrying about something like that right off the bat.”
“It’s a rumor about myself. Of course I would be interested.”
Kengo let out a small sigh, then grinned for some reason and finally looked at me.
“It’s a good thing that you’re still acting like yourself. It was in the news that you were in an unconscious state.”
Interesting. So I’d made my debut in the newspapers without realizing it. But I was still unconvinced.
“Do they report the real names of unconscious patients?”
Kengo answered prudently, as expected of a former president of the Newspaper Club.
“It’s should be on a case-by-case basis, but names are usually not reported. In your case, it only reported you as an eighteen-year-old high school student.”
“Would you really think of me after reading an article that an eighteen-year-old high school student got hit by a car?”
“Why don’t you act meek like a normal patient would? Of course, I have a reason for knowing that it was you. You know Yoshiguchi from my class, right?”
Of course I would know. She was a third-year student just like us, and while her outer appearance was somewhat plain, she was strangely knowledgeable about others’ rumors. I’d actually gotten such information from Yoshiguchi-san about the girl I was dating at the time. Come to think of it, I only became acquainted with Yoshiguchi-san due to no one other than Doujima Kengo.
“Yesterday, Yoshiguchi saw an ambulance on her way home from school. She casually followed the ambulance to its destination, and found Osanai there.”
I immediately asked.
“Was Osanai-san alright?”
Probably not expecting such a question, Kengo looked a little bewildered.
“I didn’t hear anything about that. Was she in danger?”
“We were walking together.”
Apparently satisfied with that answer, Kengo nodded once.
“That makes sense. According to Yoshiguchi, she heard Osanai tell a paramedic that the victim was called Kobato Jougorou. She was unnervingly calm, so Yoshiguchi wondered if she’d stabbed you or something. So, well… was Osanai alright?”
I laughed weakly. Yoshiguchi-san’s misunderstanding was hilarious, and it’s also a good thing that Osanai was acting like herself at the scene of the accident. Kengo shot me a quizzical look before continuing.
“Soon after, the police came and it started becoming hectic, so she left the area and gave me a phone call. She said that you were being transported by an ambulance, but she didn’t know where to. I didn’t know anything, but after seeing the newspaper today morning, I thought it was referring to you, so I called your house, and they told me you were at the hospital.”
“So you came to check how I’m doing?”
“It would be weird for me to heard all about that and pretend not to know.”
I never knew that Kengo could be this shy. I could not raise my upper body without the power of a reclining bed, so I tilted my chin instead.
“Thank you. I’m glad you’re here.”
Kengo made a face as if something disgusting had made its way into his mouth.
“What’s the matter? You’re being strangely submissive.”
“I did hit my head, after all.”
Kengo frowned for a moment, then finally realized that I was joking, and guffawed. This was probably the first time I heard him laugh out loud.
After laughing for a good while, he looked up at the ceiling and let out a long breath. The usual solemn look had returned to his face.
“It was a hit-and-run, I heard.”
“Yeah, I heard from my parents.”
“Well, they’ll catch the person who did it. You just relax and rest up.”
“I can’t do anything other than rest, anyway.”
“Can you make it for entrance exams?”
Oh.
Now, what kind of tone should I use? It’s painful no matter how brightly I talk about it, and Kengo won’t know how to react if I’m too dismal about it.
I was a moment too slow to make a decision, and Kengo inferred my answer.
“You can’t make it?”
“To be precise… my thigh bone’s broken. It’s currently being held in place by a nail, so I can’t move before the callus forms. But basically, yeah, I can’t make it.”
Kengo was momentarily at a loss for words, then looked down.
“I see.”
That was all he said.
I could understand his pity, but I’d already changed my thinking about it. Sure, it’s a shame for that exam preparation to go to waste, and if my direction for further studies doesn’t change, it’s extremely disappointing to lose a year. But I’m alive, and I honestly think that’s worth full marks in every aspect.
Kengo changed the subject.
“You were hit on the embankment road, right? I use it as well, and I find it quite scary. That’s the road that only has a white line and some plastic poles, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it was like that.”
“They should install some sort of blockade on the border between the carriageway and the pavement. Then again, if I’m not wrong, according to the law nothing is supposed to be installed on top of an embankment. This one is already special for having a pavement.”
“Is that so.”
“I’ve heard of an accident happening there in the past, back in middle school, I think.”
Kengo was probably trying to emphasize that the road was dangerous, and show sympathy towards me for having an accident happen to me. However, contrary to his intentions, I was heavily shaken by his words.
That’s right. Someone else was hit by a vehicle on that road. I should be very knowledgeable about that incident, yet I’d failed to recall it until Kengo mentioned it.
Oblivious to my silence, he continued.
“Well, it could be just a rumor. I didn’t witness it myself.”
“…It’s not a rumor, it’s a fact.”
I answered in a slightly stiff voice.
That’s right. Why didn’t I notice it before? My accident is similar to the accident from three years ago – very similar.
Naturally, Kengo asked.
“You know about it?”
I absent-mindedly nodded.
“I know. It was also a hit-and-run. The victim was a third-year middle school student… a classmate of mine.”
“Come to think of it… I remember hearing that his name was Motosaka.”
I let out a small giggle.
“That’s a funny result of the broken telephone game. Anyway, it was Hisaka-kun. Hisaka Shoutarou.”
“Hisaka, you say?”
Kengo was surprising me again and again today. That was clearly not the reaction of someone hearing the name “Hisaka” for the first time. I instantly tried to raise my body, but a sting of pain caused me to groan, sink into my bed and suppress my excitement after taking a breath. Then, I returned a phrase that he’d used earlier.
“You know him?”
Kengo averted his eyes, apparently taken aback.
“I’ve only heard about him a little while I was at the Newspaper Club. Can’t say I know him at all.”
“Do you remember who you heard it from?”
Pressed by my energy, he replied.
“It was from Mikasa Hayato. You know him? He’s the only senpai in our school to make it to the prefectural tournament in our second year.”
I shook my head, and Kengo sighed.
“It was in the school newspaper, but… well, Mikasa-senpai was in the Badminton Club, and we interviewed them when they made it through the district qualifiers. During that interview, Mikasa-senpai mentioned an underclassman rival he had in middle school that he’d never beaten before.”
“And that rival was Hisaka-kun?”
“Yeah.”
So he was just a middle-school rival of an interviewee to Kengo – their relationship was too distant. It would be difficult to contact Hisaka-kun through him.
Kengo asked a question.
“So what’s your interest in this Hisaka Shoutarou?”
I answered without even needing to think.
“Well, just… I want to apologize.”
“Apologize? You?”
I nodded wordlessly, and Kengo put on a serious look.
“I see. I won’t ask what happened, but you have some regrets regarding him, huh.”
That was a weird phrase to use. I stared at Kengo.
“Regrets?”
“Am I wrong?”
His attitude was of someone who had something stuck in his back teeth. Thinking back, it was weird for Kengo to be that surprised when Hisaka-kun’s name came up. I couldn’t imagine that he was keeping a secret from me, but something was certainly off.
Even with my head being in a clouded state, I tried probing more into it.
“I haven’t met Hisaka-kun since I graduated from middle school.”
Kengo seemed to sense something amiss, but still nodded in a convinced manner, as if he was saying, “Indeed.”
If he chose to use a word like “regret”, I must be currently unable to apologize to Hisaka-kun even if I wanted to. Having thought of something, I followed up with a question.
“Is Hisaka-kun still studying overseas?”
As dusk neared in the hospital room, Kengo’s eyes momentarily flared with anger. He must have thought I’d made a joke in bad taste. But I was not playing around. Immediately reading my intentions, he let out a short breath, seemingly ashamed at his misunderstanding.
“…No. He committed suicide.”
It was my turn to be angry. Even for a joke, it was mean-spirited.
“You’re lying.”
“You might be right.”
He readily admitted, and hesitated before continuing.
“That was what I heard. I don’t know the reason. I can’t remember the exact phrasing, but we asked Mikasa-senpai, ‘Have you had your return match since you entered high school?’ Thinking about it now, Mikasa-senpai seemed to regret bringing up Hisaka’s name. He said, ‘I wanted to,’ then stopped talking. I also said nothing, and after a while he added, ‘I heard he committed suicide.’”
“Just because he committed suicide, it doesn’t mean he succeeded. Hisaka-kun’s alive, isn’t he?”
“Sorry, but I don’t know. But that’s only natural, there’s no way I can ask something like that.”
…He was absolutely right. He couldn’t ask such a question, and thus couldn’t know what happened to Hisaka-kun.
My next line came out as a plea.
“Kengo, could you look into it? If Hisaka-kun really… died?”
Ever the good person, Kengo groaned in anguish.
“I would like to take on your request, but Mikasa-senpai has already graduated. Also… Sorry, Jougorou, I have entrance exams too.”
I see. Of course. Just because my entrance exams are over doesn’t mean that it’s the same for Kengo. What’s wrong with me?
“You’re right. Sorry, I forgot.”
I waved my hand weakly, while Kengo conscientiously lowered his head.
“Sorry.”
Even though the one to apologize should be me.
When Kengo left the hospital room, I noticed that it had turned to night on the other side of the curtains. Since they were not light-blocking curtains, the room would turn bright in the day and dark at night.
There was a knock on the door. Thinking that dinner was being brought in, I said, “Come in.”
But it was a unit of two big men who walked into the room. Even discounting the fact that I was lying on the bed, their bodies were huge to the point of being the very definition of the word “lumbering”. Even Doujima Kengo could be seen as still growing when compared to those two men. One of them was wearing a jersey, while the other was clad in a jacket. The one in the jacket spoke first.
“You must have had a hard time. Sorry for visiting you. I am Katsuki from the Kira City Police Traffic Department. Sorry to bother you during your rest, but could we ask you a few questions?”
His words were gentle, but he spoke in a forceful, peremptory tone.
I knew the police would come as soon as I heard the car that hit me had driven off. In fact, they were later than I thought. They’d probably wanted to talk to me right after the accident, but I was unfortunately in a comatose state, then subject to anesthesia for the operation on my leg, so there was no good time for even the police to talk to me until now. That said, it was a quite funny that Kengo arrived before the police did.
I acceded to their request.
“Yes.”
“First, could you please tell us your name, age, occupation and address?”
“Kobato Jougorou. The kanji is written as ‘frequently perceiving’ for ‘Jougo’, and ‘cheerful’ for ‘rou’. I am eighteen years old, and I am a third-year student at Funado High School. What was the last one again?”
“Your address.”
I currently sleep and wake up in Kira Municipal Hospital, I had an impulse to crack a cheeky joke, but no matter how I thought about it, the two men wouldn’t laugh, so I obediently gave my house address as Katsuki-san’s pen scuttled across his notebook.
“What was the date and time of the accident?”
“22nd of December, at…about 4:30 in the evening, I think.”
“Do you think you could you be more precise?”
Katsuki-san asked, but there was no way I could have looked at my watch while I was in the air.
“I lost consciousness after accident, so I don’t know.”
“You can give a rough estimate.”
“It was roughly 4:30.”
“Was it before or after 4:30?”
This was probably part of their job, but there was no way for me to answer something I had no way of knowing, so all of us would be at a loss. I decided to ask a question.
“Sorry, but do you know what time the ambulance was called?”
It was probably rare for him to be asked a question during an interview, for Katsuki-san momentarily hesitated.
“…According to the record, it was 16:37.”
“I see.”
I assumed that this exchange would become the answer to the question, but Katsuki-san did not move his pen, so I reluctantly followed up.
“The accident happened at about 16:35.”
Even though he probably thought me to be a smart aleck, Katsuki-san’s facial expression did not change, as expected of a professional.
After that, I was subjected to all sorts of questions regarding the accident. I was also asked about my companion, and I was wondering if it was fine to talk about Osanai-san, but no matter how you look at it there was no way the police didn’t already have information on her, especially when she was the one who made the emergency call, so I obediently answered their questions about her. In the two-man police unit, the one who hadn’t given his name looked younger than Katsuki-san. He was holding a notebook computer in his left hand while standing, and would deftly press some keys with his right hand whenever I gave an answer. Thus the sound of key presses constantly reverberated around the hospital room throughout the entire exchange.
This police interview did not feel very long. At the end, Katsuki-san asked this question.
“Do you want the perpetrator to receive a heavy sentence?”
I immediately wondered if it is fair in terms of the operation of law, for me to influence the severity of punishment, even as the victim. The justice system does not exist for the sake of personal vengeance, I mused.
But at the same time, I had another thought.
I was scared.
I am still scared.
While contained by medication, the dull pain is unceasing, and the word “death” continually hangs over my head, giving me a sensation of my heart stopping every time the hospital room becomes empty. I’ve become unable to take my entrance exams, and I don’t even know if my legs will be able to move like they used to. If I were to express my feelings towards the culprit who drove a car into me, as surprised as I am at myself, the word “hate” would be unsuitable. It’s not that I don’t hate this person, but I wish they would be run over by a vehicle, just like me. If not, I wish they would disappear from this world without a sound. If that is all impossible, then, at least… as a compromise to a compromise, at the very least… I hope they can be meted as much punishment as the law will allow.
Such a thought flitted through my head for an instance, but the response that finally came out was short.
“Yes.”
The young officer tapped some keys on his computer.
Conveniently, they had a portable printer. After inserting some paper into what looked like a rolling pin, it started printing. I looked on, bemused by the existence of such a device, and Katsuki-san handed me the printout once it was done.
“Please check that there are no errors.”
The document read as such:
| Full Name: Kobato Jougorou Occupation: High School Student The aforementioned person was interviewed by an officer in Kira Municipal Hospital on 23 December. Their statements are listed below. 1. At roughly 4:35 pm on the 22nd of December, I was walking on the pavement of the embankment road by Inaba River in Kira City, Yabuiri Town, 2nd District when I became the victim of a hit-and-run accident, and I will speak about it to the best of my knowledge. 2. The accident happened when I was walking home after taking classes at Funado High School. I had classes all the way to the sixth period until 3:25pm. After that, I attended a short homeroom session and helped clean up the classroom, then left the school at about 3:50pm with my friend Osanai Yuki-san. Together with Osanai Yuki-san, we walked to Ogura-an’s main store in Touma Town to purchase one taiyaki. To get home, the two of us walked southward on the pavement on the left side of the embankment road. We reached the location of the accident at roughly 4:35pm. 3. I noticed a yellow car that was crossing the center line approaching us. Since it was so sudden, and my attention was on the headlights, I do not know what kind of car it was. I saw that the driver was wearing a mask. Thinking that the two of us would get run over, I pushed Osanai Yuki-san off the road. I do not think the person in the car stepped on the brakes. After getting run over by the car, I lost consciousness. I only regained consciousness at about 9:20pm at Kira Municipal Hospital. 4. I do not know the identity of the driver of the car that ran over me. I was told by my parents that the driver left without stopping the car after running over me. 5. One reason I can think of for why this accident happened is that there was snowfall up till the morning of that day, so the road became slippery, and the driver did not rein in their speed. 6. I think that I am also partly to blame, because snow was piled up on the side, and to avoid that, I was walking on the right end of the pavement. 7. In this accident, my entire body was struck, either by the car or by the ground. After the accident, I was given a diagnosis by a doctor in Kira Municipal Hospital that I suffered a concussion, a fracture in the diaphyseal region of my right thigh, a fractured rib and bruises on my entire body. It is expected that I need to have medical treatment for six months from the day of injury. I had a surgical operation for the fracture in the diaphyseal region of my right thigh. 8. I do not know how much my medical fees cost. I hope to receive a sincere response from the hit-and-run driver. 9. It is a straight road and visibility was good, so I believe there is no way the driver did not see me. Even so, not calling for the police or an ambulance after running over me was a very cruel thing to do. I would like the driver to fully reflect on their actions, so I would like for them to receive a severe punishment. I have read and inspected the above recorded statements, declare them to contain no errors, and have provided my signature and seal at the end of this report. Same Date As Given Kira Police Station Judicial Constable: Katsuki Akihiko |
Amazing. What I said had almost not been used at all.
I did mention that the road where the accident occurred was like a sorbet, and that the car that struck me was not traveling very slowly, but I never said I thought that to be the reason for the accident. In the first place, I don’t even know what “rein in” means. I did reveal that we were walking on the very edge of the pavement due to the collected snow on the other side, but I did not say that I felt partly responsible for the accident. On top of that, I did not use the word “cruel” to describe the perpetrator’s actions.
Additionally, I did talk about pushing Osanai-san away, but did not say that it was because I thought both of us would get run over.
Then again, Katsuki-san had checked point for point if I meant to say those things, and I had not given a complete objection for any of them. Basically, this document contained no errors by and large.
“If you have no problems with it, please affix your seal. You can also use a thumbprint.”
Katsuki-san said. Of course, I didn’t have my inkan on me, so I put my thumbprint on the document. After taking a look at it once more, Katsuki-san slightly lowered his head.
“Thank you for your time. After this, you will need to be present for further investigation, so please contact us immediately when the doctor allows you to be discharged. We will now take our leave.”
I couldn’t help but ask.
“Um, do you know who the culprit is?”
Katsuki-san flatly answered.
“Investigations are underway.”
I didn’t think I would get anything more than that, anyway.
As predicted by the doctor, I developed a fever. I was thinking of asking the nurse if I could get some fever medicine, but it was not unbearable, so I decided to hang on.
Soon, it was time for dinner.
The nurse with very short hair raised my upper body by controlling the reclining bed, set up the bed table, and put a glass of water on top.
“Please check if you can drink this without any problems.”
I drank as told. It was just water.
“Could you tell me why?”
“You might have your ability to swallow weakened as an aftereffect of general anesthesia, so this is to check that you can still swallow food. Looks like there’s no problem.”
She then started placing food on the bed table. Tonight’s dinner was porridge and yogurt. I couldn’t count how many hours it had been since I last ate, but that was a combination that did not whet my appetite.
“Please let me know if you find it difficult to eat.”
Putting aside my ability to swallow, is it difficult for me to eat? I tried moving my body. To see the food on hand, I had to look down slightly. My neck is… fine. If it’s just a little, I can look down without any significant pain.
I tried lifting my arm. There was a little sting of pain in my shoulder, but it could move. Since I was still feeling pain even with the painkillers, it might actually be severe pain, but for now I had no problems with this meal. I could move my elbows, wrists and fingers. There was a dull pain when I spread my arms, but that was probably because of the fractured rib.
“I think I’m fine.”
I replied. The nurse glanced at me.
“Good to hear.”
That was all she said.
It was only after the nurse left the room when I realized that I hadn’t asked her what to do with the tray once I finished eating. Well, she would probably come collect it later. Anyhow, I couldn’t even change my position, let alone stand, so it was impossible to clear the dishes on my own.
The porridge did not have much taste. It also didn’t have any other ingredients. While eating, I noticed that tears were rolling down my face. I didn’t know why I was crying.
After finishing my meal, the nurse brought in another cup of water and spoke to me before clearing the tray.
“It is bad for your blood flow if you get dehydrated while you are unable to move, so please drink some water.”
I downed the glass of water as instructed. Since I could not get off the bed and it was painful to twist my body due to the broken rib, I had to receive assistance from the nurse to brush my teeth as well. After that, I fell into a deep, deep slumber.
– What time was it when I woke up? Because of the surgery on my leg I did not toss and turn, but with the broken rib I could not raise my upper body, so I could not see the clock. However, I could tell that it was dark outside through the translucent curtains.
Hit by the impulse to move my body, I stirred. The only permitted actions were wiggling my upper body left and right in an unsteady manner, and gently moving my arms. I tried resting my head on my arms like a pillow, when I heard a rustle.
“What is it?”
I asked myself in the empty hospital room. The sound came from somewhere near my pillow, which was low and a little too hard for my liking. Based on what I felt with my hand, the pillow cover was properly fitted on and there was nothing that can produce a strange noise. Wondering what kind of noise that was, I searched under the pillow, and felt something by my fingertips. I pinched it with my index and middle finger to pull that thing out, and it turned out to be an envelope that could fit a message card.
The envelope was not sealed, and did not include its sender’s name. I could not see that clearly in the darkness, but it was probably white, or cream-colored. Did it really contain a message card, as its appearance suggested?
I hesitated in opening the envelope to check its contents. I didn’t know what I was afraid of, but I just had a bad feeling about it.
Why is that so…
I toyed with the small envelope using my fingers. After confirming that my fingers could satisfactorily move around, I wedged the envelope between my index and middle fingers, moved it to the space between my middle and ring fingers, then pinched it with my thumb and middle finger. While doing that, I remembered why.
It was because I had that dream. I should have been passed out, yet I heard something. Ah, I shouldn’t have remembered it. In that dream, someone whispered to me.
“This is retribution.”
Retribution, huh.
I looked at the envelope in my hand. It seemed that I was afraid that it would contain a letter of indictment. I was worried that someone wanting to see me receive retribution for some reason or other had come to denounce me.
In the dark hospital room, I muttered.
“That’s not a real memory.”
That’s right, my state of being half-asleep was causing me to fear a non-existent, illusory indictment. A faint smile probably appeared on my face when I opened the envelope.
The envelope contained a message card, as expected. I couldn’t read the text since it was dark in the room, but when I brought the card near the curtains from which some half-light of early dawn seeped through, I could just barely make out the words.
| Thank you. Sorry. I won’t forgive. Osanai |
A speech bubble with the words “The culprit!” was added at the beginning of the third line “I won’t forgive.” Indeed, that line would take on an outrageous meaning if those words were left out.
Don’t push yourself, Osanai-san. You also have entrance exams to take, don’t you?
The police will properly investigate. There’s nothing we can do.
The culprit’s an adult who owns a driving license. They’re dangerous.
As I had those thoughts, I chuckled. The fact that Osanai-san was well and her action of declaring that she won’t forgive (the culprit!) were both somehow funny to me. My laughter surged, and the cracked rib started crying out in agony. In order to escape the pain, I laughed like I was letting out a sigh.
After a short moment, a doubt finally formed in my mind.
When did Osanai-san come here? I was asleep, so there was a gap for her to arrive without me noticing, but…
In my mind, she poked her head out after removing a ceiling board, then threw the envelope like a shuriken to slip it under my pillow. That shouldn’t be possible, but…
I softly called out her name.
“Osanai-san?”
I tried once more, stifling my voice even further.
“Osanai-san… you’re not there, are you?”
Thankfully, the response “I’m not” did not come. The hospital room was quiet.
Prologue | Contents | Chapter 2
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- A type of stretchy bandage that is wrapped around a body part to place pressure on it. It is commonly used in first aid as part of a therapy known as RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation), and helps to reduce pain and swelling by restricting blood flow.
- The knitting together of broken bones.
- Or about ten square meters.
- The name of the bridge in the map is wrong, but I am a little lazy to change it right now. Perhaps I’ll do some better typesetting in the future and change it there.
- A configuration of stairs in which a flight of stairs ascends to a quarter-landing before turning at a right angle and continuing upwards.
Love it! Thank you so much for your hard work.
Thank you for your support!
Does anyone know if they gave up on translating? It seems like it’s been a while since they posted, right? Is there another site where we can read this novel?
I am still translating this novel. This chapter was actually uploaded a day ago.
Thank you for the translation! I especially appreciate the footnotes you add, it makes the reading experience very seamless. I’ve finally caught up now but please do take as much time as you need to
One of my favorite parts of translation is doing the research and finding out about things I didn’t know before (Honobu Yonezawa’s works tend to include a lot of them), and I like to add footnotes so others can learn about them too. Glad you appreciate them!
Thank you so much 🤍