Contents | Part 2
It felt like the announcement was made before the splattered blood hit the floor.
“Due to a recent passenger accident, train service is currently suspended.”
Generally speaking, is there any other way of dying in this world that causes such a nuisance to others? If you jump down from a great height other people can get dragged into that mess, and if you jump into the sea the surrounding residents can be made to do a search. But dying and stopping the train is on another magnitude of being a nuisance. Having no choice but to end your life this way must be, no doubt, due to a bad upbringing.
The train ran over a person just as it reached the middle of the platform, and continued moving for another ten meters or so. The car probably got thick streaks of blood splattered onto it, so money will have to be spent for cleaning. Then again, depending on how you look at it, that expense can be considered a worthwhile investment. That is because a person who cannot control their own behavior has been removed from society early on.
The platform of Kichijōji Station was filled with a low murmur as it welcomed the evening rush. Not one scream was heard from the passengers of Platform 4 who had seen someone die with their own eyes, and they instead sluggishly trudged down the stairs, looking for an alternative route. Passenger accidents are not rare in this city. Everyone is used to something like this. But even while they’re used to it, everyone frowns uniformly in frustration. People like the one crushed on the tracks right now have probably been constantly annoying decent folk. At least this is the last day for that individual.
“…We are currently unable to determine when train service will resume. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused…”
Why are humans split into those that annoy others and those that get annoyed? The problem of education is a big one, but I don’t think that is all. The child of a frog is still a frog. Indecent parents bring up indecent children, and those indecent children also eventually have indecent offspring. As such, these indecent people eat away at the social infrastructure, and no matter how you think about it, it is ridiculous that respectable citizens who have gone through proper education are expected to bear this burden. Bad money drives out good money. We cannot rely on others to break this chain. Each and every one of us should take ownership of the situation, deeply understand what we can do, and improve the world from the ground up. At the very least, I possess the awareness and initiative to put what I can do into action.
The first station attendant to run over went off somewhere, probably to call for backup. A group of curious onlookers were peeking at the narrow gap between the train and platform. The corpse had slid under the train, so perhaps they were trying to see if an arm or some other body part had fallen into that gap. It is a crass act, but I cannot say that such morbid curiosity is harmful. They are simply used to people jumping onto the train tracks. Before long, these people will experience being in a lead car as it runs over a thoughtless cretin, and they will find themselves getting annoyed by that act of selfishness rather than pray for the deceased’s soul. I could hear voices of people used to this sight here and there, talking on the phone and complaining that their plans got thrown into disarray.
“…Service on the Chūō Line is currently suspended. Please wait for a moment…”
Amid the bustle of Platform 4, I suddenly came across a sight that made me feel nauseous.
Even as most people were trying to leave the platform, a woman was crouching at the very edge, reaching into a bag by her feet. The woman’s cheeks were red, and a smile was forming on her lips. I felt a chill run down my spine at the sheer baseness that was so vividly on display. I immediately understood that she wasn’t just an onlooker. That woman was happy. Perfect! Hooray! I stumbled upon a great opportunity! The obscene look on her face told me that she was having these thoughts.
From her bag, the woman first pulled out a small notebook. She also retrieved a pen and wrote something with frightening speed. In the blink of an eye, page after page was turned. While glancing at her hands, the train, and her wristwatch, she continued jotting down some notes.
After that, she held up her mobile phone. She leaned out, seemingly trying to capture a photo of the area underneath the stopped train. The carefree electronic beep that signals to those around that the shutter has been released could be faintly heard multiple times, mingling with the buzzing of the crowd. Did she manage to see a part of the body, like a hand?
The woman inched closer to the train car that had made an emergency stop, until she was just a few centimeters away. The car was packed with passengers. Due to the passenger accident, the doors remained closed, so passengers in the train were unable to alight. They stared at the platform, some with unease, and some with frustration. It was the same for those who remained on the platform waiting for resumption of the train service, though it was unclear when that would be. Even on the platform covered with harsh looks from all directions, the woman paid no heed to what other people would think about her, and continued working her phone. It was as if she was saying, Only I’m allowed to do this.
She looked to be in her twenties, but not a student. The cynical atmosphere she gave off seemed fundamentally at odds with being a student. She was wearing a T-shirt covered with wrinkles, and a pair of worn-out jeans ripped at the knees, suggesting that she didn’t pay attention to her clothes. People who cannot put on a proper outfit generally have no common sense. The bag at her feet was made of black nylon, and looked to be a cheap product. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her face became increasingly flushed as she peeked at the crushed body.
That was the face of a person who knows no shame.
The next item she produced from her bag was a small voice recorder. Facing the chaotic platform, she raised her voice and said, “Incident record.” That was the only thing she said in a loud voice, and following that she started speaking in a murmur. With that, I figured out what she was: a reporter. She must be thinking that she could use this passenger accident that occurred right before her eyes as a news story.
Slipping past the waves of people in suits and blazers, I quietly moved closer to that woman. I wanted to know the words she was recording. Was she someone from a publishing company, newspaper company, or television company? Or was she an indie journalist? While it was common, this was the scene of a passenger accident, meaning that someone died here, yet this woman was recording her voice so gleefully. I wanted to hear the tone she was speaking in. But I was more curious in her words. She’d used “incident” instead of “accident”.
Still crouching, the woman took one more step in her dingy sneakers and got closer to the train. At that moment, the announcer, who had been reporting on the train service status, said something different.
“For your safety, please do not stand too close to the edge of the platform. Thank you.”
I could only imagine that it was to stop the woman’s actions. However, she only took one short glance upward, then continued moving towards the train, not paying heed to that announcement. While leaning halfway out over the tracks, she continued speaking into her voice recorder. Just what was she saying?
I snuck behind the woman. Her voice was not as small as the impression I had when I saw her from far away. No, it was a loud, insolent voice, as if the thought that someone else might be listening had never crossed her mind.
Her black hair was hanging down from the platform. Another announcement was made.
“For your safety, please step away from the train!”
This time, it was clearly a warning directed at the woman. Even she wasn’t oblivious to that and raised her head, but after looking at her surroundings with a frown on her face, she turned towards the platform filled to the brim with all kinds of people and raised her mobile phone high in the air, probably at a station attendant somewhere in the crowd. It was as if she thought that the mere act of filming served as a free pass for everything.
She clicked her tongue so loud that even I could hear it. She was obviously annoyed by the announcement for her to stop, which I found to be quite funny. This woman was clearly on the side of people who annoy others, rather than those who get annoyed. With her selfish actions, she’d definitely annoyed countless others. It was frighteningly arrogant of her to get annoyed by the train attendant’s warning, which was a very natural one to make. Why are there so many such human beings who only think about themselves and don’t take responsibility for their own actions? If these people think that only they have special privileges, then something has gone fundamentally wrong.
After taking a half-hearted step back, the woman resumed her recording. I could finally hear her voice.
“The incident occurred at 6:42 in the evening. The victim died immediately. It was at Platform 4, near the stopping position for Car 6. After 45 minutes, the police haven’t arrived. The scene is not particularly chaotic. It’s only because of the evening rush that there is some significant impact.”
She spoke in a raspy voice.
It was still impossible to know if the victim died immediately. Of course, they still died in the end, but it was quite a haphazard thing to make that claim without an official announcement from the police. Saying that it was an incident rather than accident must have also been a baseless claim.
What an unpleasant sight.
The announcements continued.
“…We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused. Due to a passenger accident at this station, train service on the Chūō Line is currently suspended…”
With a start, the woman looked at her mobile phone. There was no ringtone, so it was probably in silent mode. She should be commended for at least upholding the minimum level of manners. The man involved in the passenger accident had been continually shouting dirty words into his phone before boarding, no, even after boarding the train.
The woman quickly opened up her phone and brought it to her ear. That excited expression was still on her face as she was about to give a triumphant report to the person on the other end of the call. Was she really that happy about a passenger accident?
It happened right after that.
The woman closed her mouth. The glee disappeared from her face, and in its place, a cold sharpness appeared. I could feel the surrounding temperature drop. She was still crouching, and wasn’t moving a muscle, with her phone by her ear.
Eventually, she turned around, looked slightly around at her surroundings, then met my gaze.
She stood up, a light grin forming on her lips. It was an unnatural smile, one of a person not used to smiling but has no choice but to put one on.
She spoke.
“Good evening. I am a reporter. Please let me know what you think.”
She was getting closer to me, little by little. Even in this station filled with hundreds, thousands of murmuring voices, I could somehow hear her small, low voice.
“What do you think of pushing someone onto the tracks?”
At that moment, a hand grabbed my shoulder from behind.
Contents | Part 2
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Editors (Tier 2): Dedavond, Pearl H Nettle
Assistants (Tier 1) : Rolando Sanchez, Lilliam, Yousef, Maria C
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