conversations
listlengths 2
1.4k
| source_id
stringclasses 164
values | chapter
stringlengths 7
121
|
|---|---|---|
[
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Strangulation 1"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Near my apartment building, by Senbondemizu, I ran into Miiko who was out for a stroll, aloof from the world. When she noticed me, she sped up to an unusually fast pace for her and came over to me."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yo,” she greeted."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hello. On your way to work?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Nope. Today I’m going to Mount Hiei.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Ahh, with Suzunashi?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She nodded. Suzunashi, full name Neon Suzunashi, was Miiko’s best friend. She worked part-time at Enryaku Temple on Mt. Hiei in neighboring Shiga Prefecture. Some called her Violence Neon. Others, Blackout Suzunashi. She was sort of a cool lady but prone to flipping out randomly. I occasionally saw her myself, but she’d lecture me about something every time. For someone so young, she was oddly fond of trying to talk some sense into you. It wasn’t her only personality issue, but I liked her more or less, as I did Miiko."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“It sounds like she wants some advice on something, so I’m going out there. I’ll be back by tomorrow, so watch over things back here in the meantime. If someone comes to see me, just get their name and tell them whatever you want. If it’s someone freaky-looking, don’t worry about it.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Uhh, sure, no problem.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Also, you have a visitor.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“A visitor? For me?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yup,” Miiko nodded. “When I noticed, she’d broken into your place. She had a little pizzazz about her…or a ton. I don’t know who it is, but her gender appears to be female. She didn’t seem to be up to anything in particular, so I just let it be.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Female? What woman was likely to come visit my place? Since I didn’t have many acquaintances to begin with, I should’ve been able to narrow it down with ease, but the way things were going lately…"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Was she about this tall? If so, it was a detective.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“No. That was no detective. Detectives don’t look like that,” Miiko declared with confidence. “Besides, I’ve met the one you’re talking about. I never forget a vibe I get from someone. Oh yeah, and a car parked by the building looked like it was probably hers. Maybe it’ll give you a clue. Well, see ya.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Miiko made her way towards the parking lot. Today’s jinbei had Tranquility printed on the back. Yep, she was in a good mood today, possibly because she was going to see Suzunashi."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Still, Suzunashi… What did she want with Miiko anyway? I was curious since Suzunashi was the type of person who rarely called on others for assistance. Just what kind of “advice” was she seeking? She liked sticking her nose in people’s problems but usually wasn’t proactive about sharing hers."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "But the foremost matter for me now was this “visitor” waiting inside my apartment. If not Sasaki, then who… Muimi or Mikoko? But it was unlikely to be either of them. Meanwhile, Kunagisa, an all-out shut-in, was a physical improbability."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I turned onto Nakadachiuri."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "And there─"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Suddenly everything was clear. As if to say that it was above all traffic laws, a spectacular flaming red Cobra was parked on the shoulder of the road. Completely out of place on the streets of Kyoto, it was an S-rank machine, a monster."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Wow… I seriously don’t wanna go home.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I considered running straight to Kunagisa’s place, in earnest, but based on experience I could imagine the cruel fate in store for me if my escapade became known. Giving up, I dragged my feet to my apartment."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "When I climbed up the stairs and arrived at my door, the fact that it was no longer locked didn’t surprise me. Mimicking voices, picking locks, and reading minds came as easily to her as breathing. I opened the door to see the contractor, adorned in a wine-red suit as dark as blood, sitting on the windowsill with her legs crossed as if her presence were the most natural thing in the world."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hey, Aikawa.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Didn’t I tell you not to call me by my last name?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hey, Jun.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Good, she nodded with a cynical smile."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Jun Aikawa."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Thanks to the case on that island a month ago, I’d met humanity’s strongest contractor. She left me that day with the cool line, “If our fates are linked, we’ll meet again,” only to hang out at my university the next day. She was kind of off like that. She spent the following week making me do her bidding, not even allowing time for sleep, until she finally left Kyoto on account of a job. Judging from that episode, she was a most dangerous character, the antonym of soothing, and not anyone I wanted to get in too deep with."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Objectively, though, if we were to be duly objective, she was an extremely wild, handsome beauty whose allure was hard to resist but who remained completely unapproachable courtesy of any number of eccentricities."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Studying my face, she said, “You don’t seem that surprised.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Oh, I am. You’re back in Kyoto, Jun.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“For work reasons. We’ll talk about that later… Ah, I get it. Why wouldn’t you expect me after seeing my flashy car parked nearby?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“No, actually my neighbor warned me.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Aw, and I was extra careful not to be noticed. That’s pretty…” Aikawa’s expression grew sharp as a knife for a moment, but only for a moment before reverting to her sardonic smirk. “…Whatever,” she dismissed."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Removing my shoes and stepping into the room, I made my way to the sink. I poured a cup of tap water and served it to Aikawa."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Muchas gracias,” she said, drinking about half of it before placing the cup on the windowsill."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Geez, she just processed it normally. Before I die, I’d love to stupefy Aikawa."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I asked her, “So what’s going on? Why are you back in Kyoto?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I said I’ll tell you later. Instead, allow me to apologize for the period of neglect. You know, you’ve got a nice place. It’s the perfect environment.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Are we even seeing the same room?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“That’s not what I meant. Come on, you get it, don’t you? Well, fine. What’ve you been up to lately, anyway?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Nothing. I’m just your average college student. I’m not living some yakuza lifestyle like you.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Average college student. Keheh,” chuckled Aikawa."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What’s so funny?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Nothing in particular. If you weren’t nosing around a murder case involving a classmate or deepening your friendship with a serial killer, nothing’d be funny, Mr. Average College Student.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Ooh, at last, that surprised look. You’ve made me happy.” Aikawa hopped down from the windowsill and sat cross-legged on the floor. Whether or not she felt compelled to precisely because she was wearing a short skirt, I wished she wouldn’t be so provocative."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“How do you know?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“How do you think I know?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She grinned with unbridled elation. But having no idea what lurked behind her fun, I was expending copious amounts of energy just confronting and conversing with her. Worse, she was a mind reader of the highest order, so my emotions were leaking out of the pipes. It felt like we were playing poker with only my cards faceup. She sure was a handful and couldn’t be had boiled or grilled."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "But if she didn’t want something out of you, she was a nice person…"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She was also my type."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I replied, “I’m stumped. Totally stumped. It’s not like I can ever tell what you’re thinking.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Think. And think of it… I’m a lone wolf, but I’ve got quite a number of friends, in Kyoto too.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hey, that’s really something. It must be great to have a lot of friends. Even I can acknowledge that. I’ll acknowledge it right now. What friends might you be referring to in this case?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“For example, Sasaki Sasa.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Or Kazuhito Ikaruga.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Then there’s Tomo Kunagisa.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Aikawa pulled an envelope from her black bag."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Here, from your sweet, sweet Tomo.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“For me?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yep. She said it’s the thingy she promised.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I accepted the envelope."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Well, how about that."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Aikawa had paid a visit to Shirosaki before coming to my apartment. While I was just your everyday, boring, incapable college student, Tomo Kunagisa was (despite her personality) a computer specialist and expert. She and Aikawa knew each other fairly well."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I thought at Aikawa’s urging. It seemed like she’d returned to Kyoto for a job. Much as I’d done for help in investigating Tomoe’s death, Aikawa had sought out Kunagisa. Then, during the visit, Kunagisa decided to use her as a messenger? No… Something was missing. Kunagisa shouldn’t have had to ask Aikawa, who had no reason, in turn, to agree."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "In which case, the worst scenario came to mind, and it wasn’t purely theoretical. To be specific, Aikawa…"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Now hand over your fee,” she commanded. “That is to say, what you know about the Kyoto prowler.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She wasn’t a messenger, but the collector…"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Jun, you came to Kyoto─”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yup. To have a little chat about morals with that psychotic nutjob.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Aikawa made her living as a contractor. This involved anything and everything. Simply put, she was a jack-of-all-trades and master of all rather than a specialist. Whether it was walking dogs, solving a locked-room murder, or coping with a serial killer with ten disassembled individuals to speak for, as long as there was money involved, she took it on. Granted, not many oddballs out there offered big stacks of cash for walking their dog. At any rate, indifferent to the legality or illegality of it, this red contractor lived out each day taking on what others were unable to."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "That said."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“The Kyoto prowler claimed a twelfth victim yesterday,” she noted. “Maybe you don’t realize because you lived overseas for so long, but that number is unprecedented. This kind of case simply doesn’t occur in Japan, much less outside of Tokyo. What’s more, the identity of the killer is a complete mystery. At this point, it’s going to require state intervention.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“And so you’ve been called upon?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yup,” Aikawa nodded. “Others seem to be on the case─Public Security and troubleshooters─but frankly, I don’t know who. Sadly, I don’t have a lot of horizontal ties. Anyway, my job this time around is to stop the murdering, disassembling maniac from claiming more victims.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Did Sasaki hire you?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Can’t tell you that. What do you call it again? Confidentiality? Professional ethics? Trade secrets?” Aikawa spread her arms jestingly and laughed. “Still, it seems a lot more worthy of my time than that crazy fiasco on Wet Crow’s Feather Island ever was.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Worthy of her time. That’s what she had to say about a grisly murderer who’d chopped up twelve people. The idea of taking on an unknown serial killer didn’t frighten her in the least. On the contrary, she was so laidback you’d think she was sashaying on her way to a picnic."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Suddenly, I realized anew what a menace this crimson contractor was."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "And how said menace was encroaching on me presently."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Now, Kunagisa told me that you know something. Surely you wouldn’t mind sharing it with big sis, whom you adore?” purred Aikawa, ready to pet my face. I didn’t mind the voice, but the speaker was either a tiger or a panther and too much for a tabby like me."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Dammit, Kunagisa."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "What happened to complementing each other, blue-haired chick?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Selling me out without the slightest hesitation…"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What’s this?” pressed Aikawa. “Why are you clamming up and looking away? You’re being awfully uncooperative. Don’t tell me you’re not going to tell me. Are you breaking your agreement? You promised, didn’t you, in exchange for what’s in that envelope?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“No, but, see, I said I’d tell Kunagisa, not just anyone. If I went and told you, it’d be…what’s the word? A betrayal? Immoral? Treacherous? Mutinous? In any case, the bottom line is that it feels like backstabbing, and that’s just not my thing.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Haah?” The contractor instantly sounded much scarier. If looks could kill, I’d be dead, and given what was coming maybe I wanted to be. “You can tell Kunagisa, but not me? Uh huh… I had no idea you were such a cold son of a bitch. I see, I see. You make me sad. You’ll listen to Kunagisa, but you won’t obey me because, what, you’re one hell of a tough guy?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Oh, um, it’s not like that. You know, with Kunagisa, no matter what you tell her, she’s harmless, while you’re planning on taking some kind of action. Getting myself directly involved is, how do you put it…not my style.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Excuse me, I’m harmful?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Well, you are.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "As if she were aware of this, instead of arguing the point, she murmured thoughtfully. She was, to a certain degree, someone who respected logic. Once you exceeded that degree, however, it was anyone’s guess… I mean, she just got pissed at you."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“If you told Kunagisa, she’d tell me,” Aikawa pointed out. “That girl has a big mouth. I’m going out of the way here to save you the trouble.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Uh, sure, you’re right, but I have my reasons.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hm? Oh, oh oh oh, I get it. Well, why didn’t you say so?” She beckoned to me with a horribly wicked grin and a gentle gesture. Both of her cues were so sensual and enchanting that it gave me goosebumps."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“U-Um, you get what, exactly?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Just come to me. I’ll tease you to your heart’s delight.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "When I still didn’t budge, she crawled over to me on all fours and stared up at me with a challenging, or rather provocative, gaze. She nestled her body against mine, wrapped her arms around my back, and forced her weight on me. Pressuring me─"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She dug her nails into my back."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Now. What were you saying?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Jun, you’re really scaring me.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“By the by, my index finger is perilously close to jabbing through your ribs into your liver.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Don’t tense up so much. It’s bad for you. It’ll make your flesh all stringy. So, just out of curiosity, who do you think is scarier: me or the serial killer?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "As she said this, she ran her tongue down the carotid artery on the right side of my neck. The immediate pleasure from this delicate sensation and a greater fear that she might go ahead and bite off my neck gouged my brain."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The serial killer was preferable indeed."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Jun, even I’m feeling ready to spurn you.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You wanna try? If you do, you’re saying goodbye to getting teased by me.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Either way is fine by me. It doesn’t change the fact that you’re going to talk. I’ve already decided that I’m going to have you tell me about this killer. That’s set. But since you’re a friend, I just thought I’d ask. Do you want me to be gentle? Or do you want it to hurt?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Uhh… What’s the difference?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Our being in an embrace was my saving grace; I didn’t have to see her face, and she couldn’t see mine. Even so, my cold sweat and pounding heart probably betrayed my terror."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What do you think is the difference?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Chomp, she bit down on my neck for real. She literally had my life in her clutches. Softly, playfully, she dug her canines into my skin, at the same time working a healthy amount of saliva onto her tongue, licking my flesh between her lips, rubbing her body against mine, running her fingers down my back─"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Okay!” I used every ounce of strength to peel her off of me. “I’m not disobeying you anymore! Please forgive me!”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Shoved away by me in effect, Aikawa responded with a sly yet somehow innocent and girlish smile. “Don’t get so serious. It was just a little joke,” she said."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah, a bad joke. Bad for the heart, anyway…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hahaha. Actually, I’m relieved. You’re a healthy young man.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Come on, give me a break.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I had to calm down. So I chugged down my cup of water. It didn’t take long for my heartbeat to return to normal, but the cold sweating was out of control."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I was no good at dealing with this woman, after all… I should’ve just run straight to Kunagisa’s place without worrying what might happen."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“This is nonsense. Geez…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Aikawa managed to fish out of me every last detail about Hitoshiki Zerozaki, no stone left unturned. I tried my best to weasel out of revealing the key facts, but given her mindreading ability, I wasn’t especially successful. Succumbing to her threats and feints every time, coerced, compromised, I just ended up feeling small and aimless."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Zerozaki’s person and character. His appearance, build, and attire at the time. The way he spoke. The circumstances of our first encounter. What we talked about. Even sneaking into Tomoe’s apartment together. Everything that I remembered was drawn out of me."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It wasn’t like Zerozaki and I were friends. We were of the same breed and the far side of the mirror to each other, but I hadn’t promised him anything and he hadn’t asked me not to talk."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I felt so spineless it was a wonder I didn’t collapse."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hmph…” Done milking me, Aikawa dropped her smile, wore a serious look, and sank into thought for some time. “So this guy…Zerozaki? Characters for zero and saki?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah. At least, that’s what he calls himself.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hitoshiki Zerozaki… Yikes, what a nasty name.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Aikawa seemed truly irritated and fed up. It was the first time I’d ever seen that expression on her, so it was a bit refreshing."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What do you mean? Why is it nasty?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Well, well well well… Maybe nasty name isn’t the best way to put it. But ‘Zerozaki’? Sure is an unusual name.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Oh, but you know, it might not be his real name. That guy’s no fool. I doubt he would give out his real name to someone he just met.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“That’s beside the point. Even if it’s an alias, choosing one like ‘Zerozaki’ is proof that he’s a nut. And if it’s his real name, yeah…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She began thinking again. Once this lady got to thinking, she sank into her own world, and if you were there next to her, you felt invisible. Then again, the Invisible Man still exists, so it was more like turning into air."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“No fool would announce himself, even jokingly, with such a killing name. ‘Zerozaki’? Damn, that’s right above ‘Susukino’ in rank. I guess it’s better than ‘Niounomiya’ or ‘Yamiguchi,’ but you know, I actually hope it’s an alias… In fact, the best-case scenario is that he just happens to have the same last name. But that can’t be it. Something so convenient would never, ever happen in my life. I see, no wonder he’s beyond even Kunagisa and former members of the Team.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Uh, is there something wrong with the name Zerozaki?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“There is. It’s about as terrible as names come. Being told ‘You’re like Zerozaki’ would be the biggest insult for us. That’s how bad ‘Zerozaki’ is. I’d rather not go on explaining why. To be honest, I want so little to do with the ‘Zerozaki Clan’ that even explaining them would be too much for me. Eh, but it’s the name that I don’t like, not the individual himself, so it might not be relevant. Probably just an irregularity… But that aside, is this guy really the Kyoto prowler?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yes. That’s what he said.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“So you’re just taking his word for it and didn’t actually witness him in the act?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I suppose,” I nodded."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hmm. Then he might be some delusional, lying bastard who’s just saying stuff?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah, there’s definitely that chance. That wasn’t my impression, though.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Really? He’s got a big tattoo on his face, yes? Only on the right half. Even in Chicago he’d be a freak. He’s been standing out like that and eluding the cops without leaving behind a single clue?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah, well…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Naturally, I had considered the possibility myself. But nothing he said refuted his claim, and frankly, I didn’t care."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Where the truth lay made no difference to me."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Perhaps he wasn’t the prowler."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Without a doubt, he’s a serial killer,” I told Aikawa. “You must know that I haven’t lived the most decent life. In Kobe, Houston, even here. On that island, too, I was almost killed. I may not hold a candle to you, but I’ve seen my fair share of hell in my time.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "And it wasn’t like I was in heaven now."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I never actually saw him murder anyone, but he did almost kill me. What he wields is just a short knife, and yet I was terrified as if I were dealing with a polearm…no, a light machine gun.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hmm…” Apparently convinced, Aikawa nodded several times. “At any rate, I guess the bottom line is that a disassembly expert who purports to be a serial slasher is here in Kyoto. Yeah. As long as I have that straight, that’s enough.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“It is?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yup. Combined with the other info I’ve gathered, I have a place to start. Only to start, though. From here on out, it’ll be faster if I used my own legs. Without a bit of a challenge, things get boring and I can’t function anymore, so par for the course. Anyway, enough of my stuff,” she brought the conversation back to me with another nod. “What’s going on with you? I heard from both Kunagisa and Sasaki… You’re sticking your nose in some tedious, everyday kind of case.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I got caught up in it.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You got caught up, and then you kept sticking your nose back in, I bet. You even snuck into the victim’s apartment, so quit pretending you’re just some bystander.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I dunno…” Aikawa, appalled, stared at me. “You’re a hard guy to understand… Don’t you have any convictions, or a style? What you say and what you do don’t match up at all.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“It’s that clash that gives me my flavor.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“As if. Can’t you view yourself objectively?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Sure I can…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You’re more teller of the tale than bystander. Well, whatever. Do as you like. It’s your life, I guess. Not my place to butt in. Not my problem, as far as that goes.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“How cold.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Not really. Keep learning, young’un. Do your own dirty work, and if you start something, then finish it. I told you before, didn’t I? Being halfassed is the worst. Oh yeah, and also,” she said as if she just remembered, which obviously wasn’t the case, “a message from Kunagisa.” She pointed to the envelope that I’d put aside."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What is it?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Don’t go cheating on me. I’ll forgive up to a smooch on the cheek. Iichan, I love youuu, peace peace,” Aikawa mimicked Kunagisa’s voice and tone, then smiled apologetically. “She said.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Roger that, I raised my hand."
}
]
| Officially Translated Light Novels_Zaregoto_Zaregoto-Volume-02-The-Kubishime-Romanticist-[Vertical][Kobo] | p_0028.txt |
[
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Strangulation 1"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Dinner was an option, timewise, so I invited Aikawa to join me, but eager to proceed with her pursuit of Zerozaki, she left soon afterwards."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "It was at the very end that I asked her, “What do you think x over y means?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Don’t look to others to confirm what you already know,” she replied flatly."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Watching her back, I sighed."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Hitoshiki Zerozaki."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Jun Aikawa."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She’d probably find him in just a couple of days. I hadn’t exactly provided a cornucopia of information, but it was more than enough to serve her purpose. The exalted Jun Aikawa was on a level beyond my wildest imagination and wrecked even that level. I hardly need to argue the brilliance of her cognitive wiring."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "And the two would likely collide. Humanity’s Strongest would collide with the No Longer Human head-on. If it came to that, the outcome was obvious. If Hitoshiki Zerozaki was a homicidal monster, then Jun Aikawa was the ultimate monster hunter. She possessed, in abundance, an absoluteness that snuffed out a mere bit of talent for taking lives. No matter what, you didn’t want to make an enemy of her, not even as your Plan B─the red contractor was that transcendent, that terminal. If there was any silver lining, it was that she could be whimsical, but it was by no means an opening you could anticipate and act on."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I wonder if he’ll get away…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I was a little worried─and incredibly sympathetic."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "But I didn’t give it too much thought."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "What happened in a different world didn’t interest me all that much. Even if it concerned my mirror image."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It was time to think about my own world."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I took in hand the envelope from Kunagisa."
}
]
| Officially Translated Light Novels_Zaregoto_Zaregoto-Volume-02-The-Kubishime-Romanticist-[Vertical][Kobo] | p_0029.txt |
[
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Strangulation 1"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "On Saturday, May twenty-first, I woke up early in the morning."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Time to get up.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I had had some kind of nasty dream. It seemed like I was about to be killed, and also like I was trying to kill someone. My entire body was controlled by the sheer will to commit harm, and at the same time, I was being harmed. It was as if I ran and ran and ran and ran and ran only to catch up, horrifyingly, to myself running away. Certain death was just behind me, and yet it was strangely exhilarating. It was that kind of awful dream."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The sheer fact that you couldn’t remember it made it a nightmare, and that it was a nightmare made it a rude awakening."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I rose from my futon and checked the time. Five fifty in the morning. My plans with Mikoko were at ten, so I still had roughly four hours to kill. With nothing particular to do, I folded up my futon and put it away in the closet."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I went outside, thinking it might be nice to go for a run for the first time in a while. I locked up just to be safe, but given the quality, Aikawa wasn’t the only one who could break in handily if so inclined. Not that there was anything there I’d mind having stolen."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I ran east down Imadegawa Street and turned back once Roshisha University had come into view. I returned straight to my apartment and changed out of my sweaty clothes. Why, oh why did I go jogging in this heat, I regretted as usual."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I picked up the book I’d borrowed from the college library and reread the part I’d stopped in the middle of. I was still left with a good chunk of time, so I reached for the envelope from Kunagisa, the contents of which I’d already glanced over a few times."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "They were internal police documents."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "As to how Kunagisa had obtained them, the less I knew, the better. What I did understand, however, was that she could access pretty much any place running on electricity, and that she had an outlaw friend who was privy to the entire Milky Way galaxy. Of course, normally I had little interest in criminal cases. But these were documents on the murder of Tomoe Emoto."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“But come on…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I flipped through the paper-clipped sheets of A4 paper."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "There wasn’t really any new info. They elaborated on some minor details, but most of them seemed irrelevant, and Sasaki had conveyed the general arc. I was a little shattered to realize that I’d been tortured by Aikawa for nothing more."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Still, it wasn’t a complete waste."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "There were facts I hadn’t been aware of that I should have been aware of."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“So here we have alibi relations…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Naturally, one might say, the four classmates who were with Tomoe Emoto the night she died (meaning us) were suspects. Nevertheless, all four had alibis, at least for the time being. Miiko next door had vouched for Mikoko and me, while Muimi and Akiharu were vouching for each other. I’d assumed there was a slim possibility that they’d committed the crime in cahoots, but in the police’s view, that wasn’t the case. Sasaki had made it sound like Muimi and Akiharu had gone to karaoke alone, but some other people from college had been there too. In other words, Akiharu and Muimi had alibis that were as sound as Mikoko’s and mine. If anyone had a weak alibi, it was me. After all, Miiko could only vouch for what she heard through the apartment wall."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "But of course, I knew I wasn’t the killer."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Okay, so much for this one…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Next was the list of items in the apartment. When I snuck in with Zerozaki, I didn’t think anything was missing, but apparently I was wrong. The document gave a complete list of everything inside Tomoe’s apartment, from the largest piece of furniture to the smallest accessory. It was meticulous, like the concept of privacy didn’t even exist, and you got the illusion that it represented a full accounting of Tomoe Emoto’s personality."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "One thing was missing from the list─a liquid-capsule neck strap, in other words the birthday present from Akiharu."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I’d seen him give it to her with my own eyes, so it was strange that it wasn’t in the room. The most logical explanation to come to mind was that the killer had taken it, but that just raised the question of what the hell for."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“It wasn’t exactly worth a lot…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Meanwhile, the cell phone she’d called me from had been found in her pocket. The conversation record corroborated my claim."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "No foreign objects were found in her apartment. Evidently, the killer had left with the thin cloth allegedly used to strangle her."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Cloth… A piece of cloth… Cloth, huh?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Next came a thorough description of Mikoko’s discovery of the body, which I hadn’t been able to draw out of her. She’d visited Tomoe’s condo in the morning and buzzed her on the intercom. But there was no answer. She wouldn’t pick up her phone either. Thinking this strange, Mikoko made her way through the autolocked entrance as one of the other residents was leaving and headed to Tomoe’s unit. Her door wasn’t locked. I had feared we might have another damned sealed room on our hands, but that didn’t seem to be the case."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“And lastly.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "That inscription x over y."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The police deemed it the work of the perpetrator. No wonder─like Sasaki said, Tomoe Emoto had died instantly, so a dying message didn’t make sense. That was obvious and something I had realized as well. Once again, it neglected to ask why the killer would do such a thing. Why leave your signature at the crime scene unless you were Jack the Ripper?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“And we’re done.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Those were the facts that could aid me. Overall, though, my ideas on the case remained largely unchanged."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "And that was fine, I thought."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "A number of minute possibilities had been crossed out. Eliminating even minute ones was my style. At this point, it was safe to say that my solution was beginning to take form."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "What the hell was I doing?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Why was I attending to this, anyway?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Was it for Tomoe?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Or Mikoko?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Even obtaining these documents."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Wasting copious amounts of time."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "What the hell was I doing?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I ought to talk to Sasaki again…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "There were some things I wanted to ask. Some minor possibilities left to be narrowed down. Until it was hundred-percent watertight, I wouldn’t call it a solution."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I slid the documents back into the envelope, tore it all to pieces, and tossed it into the garbage bag. In the unlikely event that somebody caught a look at it, there’d be trouble. Besides, having perused the contents fairly intensely, I’d committed most of it to memory."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Now then."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "There was still a little over an hour until Mikoko came by."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Two hours, if you factored in her lack of punctuality."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I lay down to progress my thinking a bit more."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "About this case?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "About my own ridiculousness."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Luckily, there was plenty of time."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I had the rest of my life."
}
]
| Officially Translated Light Novels_Zaregoto_Zaregoto-Volume-02-The-Kubishime-Romanticist-[Vertical][Kobo] | p_0031.txt |
[
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Strangulation 1"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Mikoko showed up on time."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I’m not late today!”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She gave a gleeful German salute with both hands. Maybe some circuit in her was on an odd setting because she was incredibly hyper. Dressed in a tight tank top and large, loose overalls, she also had her head inserted into a yellow hat that looked like it belonged on a kindergartener (not to be mean or anything). There was something adorable about her reddish hair peeking out from under the brim. The tank top was just a bit too small, so it looked like she was wearing overalls directly over nothing, which was, well, how do you say─I guess I didn’t mind at all."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Okay, let’s go...” I started to leave, but she immediately stopped me."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Oh, wait wait wait.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Pushing me back into the room, she entered too, uninvited. She’d done this last time as well. Maybe invading homes was one of her hobbies. Not a very sociable one, if you asked me."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I brought you a little something today. To say thanks for spending the day with me.” No sooner had she spoken than she opened─instead of her usual purse─a largish Boston bag. She pulled out something like a lunch box that was wrapped in a bandana. When she undid it, it was actually Tupperware."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Ah. What do we have here?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Treats,” she boasted, lifting the lid. Inside were six pieces of sweet potato shaped like Mont Blancs. They were just a little awkward, so I could tell they were handmade."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Wow, so you bake and stuff.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yup. But don’t expect it to taste too good or anything.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I can eat ’em?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Of course! Oh, right.” She pulled a thermos out of her bag, handed me the cup, and poured into it. It was black tea, and Marco Polo, no less. So she’d come prepared to compensate for the fact that my room wouldn’t have anything besides water. This girl didn’t let anything get by her."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She poured some for herself as well."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Well, cheers,” she toasted with a big grin."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I clinked cups with her and popped a piece of sweet potato. An unfathomable sweetness immediately spread inside my mouth. Sure, they weren’t called sweet potatoes for nothing, but I was detecting an extraordinary amount of sugar."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Pretty sweet,” I voiced my honest impression."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah! I love sweet stuff!”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You don’t say.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I nodded and popped the next one in my mouth. Yup. Sweet. Actually, I hadn’t had breakfast that morning, so this was quite the convenient little surprise. Hmm, but I thought Mikoko told me at one point that she didn’t like sweet stuff. She may or may not have said so. I couldn’t seem to remember."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Well, whatever."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She was a girl. You know how fickle they can be."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Within five minutes, the sweet potatoes had been consumed down to the last crumble."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“So you’re pretty good at cooking, Mikoko.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yep. It’s because I was a latchkey kid.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What’s a…latchkey kid?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Uhh, it means a kid who’s home alone a lot. Kids whose parents both work have to bring a house key with them to school, right?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Um, because if nobody’s home, the door is going to be locked?” she continued, looking rather perplexed. “Err, that’s why they call them latchkey kids…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Oh, I get it.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I broke eye contact with Mikoko, stared up at the ceiling to hide my expression, and nodded."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Well, how about that…"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "So households like that existed."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Ikkun, did I say something wrong?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Huh? Why?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You’re making a really weird face.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She didn’t sound so much worried as nervous, almost frightened."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“It’s nothing,” I shook my head and denied. Yup, it was nothing at all, a detail that shouldn’t bother anyone. “Let’s go, for real now. Where to, Mikoko?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You wanted to go shopping, right? I think that’s what you said. Shinkyogoku? Kyoto Station? Or do you want to go all the way to Osaka?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Oh. Umm. Umm.” She started to get flustered as if she hadn’t even thought about it. Her eyes darted around looking for something or someone to rescue her before finally settling back on me. “A-Anywhere is fine!”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "What was she saying?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You can’t mean it. You’re the one doing the shopping.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“How about you, Ikkun? Is there any place in particular you want to go with me?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“There isn’t really anything I need. You see, living in a room like this, sooner or later I’d have to throw it out. It’d be absurd. Not that I’m against absurdity, but there’s really nothing that I need. What is it you wanted to buy?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Uh, well, you know, clothes and stuff.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“And I want to eat out.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Then I guess Kawara-machi’s the way to go.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Okay,” Mikoko agreed."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I was a bit of a pushover, but was she even worse? Why was I deciding where she was going shopping? Bringing that up seemed pointless, though. I said, “Okay, let’s go,” and we left the room together."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Walking for a bit, we reached the Senbon Nakadachiuri stop and waited for a bus to Shijokawara-machi. Within five minutes, a 46 Line arrived. We got on, found a lucky pair of empty seats, and sat down, me by the window and her beside me."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“By the way, Mikoko. You came on your Vespa, didn’t you?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah, Vespa. My Vespa,” she replied, looking a bit tense. It seemed my wrath the other day had left a strong impression on her. I wondered if I might have gone too far, but there are times when even I can’t stay calm."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "In fact, it happens a lot."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“So you’ll have to come back to get it…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“It’s okay. As long as I take the bus, the price is the same! It’s a flat fare within city limits!”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I guess that’s true.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“So you’re not planning to buy a car or scooter or anything?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Nah. Things aren’t particularly inconvenient without one.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Huh…” Mikoko nodded ambiguously. “Tomo was the same way. She had a license but didn’t have any wheels. She said she just used it as ID.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah, me too.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I see! Maybe everyone’s like that. But I want to start driving once I get my license.” Yes, I did seem to remember her saying something about going to driving school and getting her dad to buy her a car once she had a license."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I drive on occasion. I borrow Miiko’s car.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The instant I brought up Miiko, Mikoko’s expression grew terribly bored. By this point, even I was learning that mentioning my neighbor didn’t serve to enliven a conversation with Mikoko."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I see,” I said, “so Tomoe had a license too.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yup. For what it’s worth.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I see. By the way, did you go to school yesterday or the day before?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yup. Didn’t see you there, for some reason.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "That’s because I skipped classes both days, ma’am."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Having acquired those documents via Kunagisa, I’d had a lot of thinking to do. My role as a college student wasn’t a low priority or anything, but it didn’t rank too high, either."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I saw Akiharu and Muimi,” Mikoko shared with me. “We discussed holding an event in Tomo’s honor. You’ve got to come out when we do it.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "For a moment, for just a single instant, I hesitated, but I answered, “Right. Be sure to invite me.” I couldn’t tell if I was assenting or trying to get out of the spot. Knowing my personality, it was more likely the latter, but in this case, just maybe it was the former."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "We got off the bus at Shijokawara-machi."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“O-kay! Today, I get crazy!” trumpeted Mikoko, stretching out both her arms. Then she flashed the most charming, spirited, and liberated smile she’d ever shown me. “Goodbye to the dark stuff! Today we’re having fun! Right, Ikkun?!”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“…Yup, you said it.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yes! Mikoko, full speed ahead!”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "For the next six hours, Mikoko did just as she’d declared, running around Shinkyogoku from one end to the other as if she really had forgotten about Tomoe."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Skipping, hopping around."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Happy as can be."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "A happy warrior."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Wild as can be."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "A naughty nun."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Almost crazy."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Like she was broken."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Like she was depleted."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Like she was melting."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She danced madly."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She flew about."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She spiraled."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Like she was putting up a struggle."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Like she was putting up resistance."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She spread her wings self-punishingly."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Mistakable, somehow, for a pixie."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Like an innocent child."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Like a girl free of sin."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "A wholly pure existence."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Freely expressing her emotions."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "At times even lamenting with watery eyes."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Yet returning again to that joyful smile."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Even I."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Just some guy who happened to be there."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The Defective Product─"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Or perhaps she had already made up her mind at that point. It’s a nonsense excuse for me, who couldn’t save her, no, who wouldn’t save her at all, to say so, but I still wonder."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Was Mikoko Aoii already aware of her fate?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Wow, time just flew by, didn’t it? I can’t believe it,” she marveled."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Well, it’s like Einstein said. There’s a world of difference between a minute spent with a pretty girl and a minute spent with your hand on a stove,” I remarked as if he were an old friend of mine."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Huh?” Mikoko wore a look of pure triumph. “Could it be? Are you saying you think I’m pretty?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I won’t deny it,” I uttered simply for the sake of the conversation. Giving too direct of a response could result in a needless detour, if there was one thing today had taught me."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I had three paper shopping bags in my right hand, two in my left, and two plastic bags on my back. They were mostly filled with clothes, so none of it was all that heavy, but it sure was a shock to see Mikoko using ten-thousand-yen bills one after another. Kunagisa loved to shop too, but in her case it was all online from home, so someone splurging heavily, with great reality, before my eyes was a fairly new experience for me."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Okay, then… Should we have something to eat and then go back?” I suggested."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah! Wowww!”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What’s the big deal?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I’m so happy you asked me!” she said with a big grin."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She was really hyper today…."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Why should she be so damn happy?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "From there, we went into a place in Kiya-machi that was sort of a cross between a pub and a café. The interior was decorated to look like a correctional facility, with the staff dressed in prisoner or policewoman costumes, but despite the place’s peculiarities, the food and the prices were decent. I’d come here before with Miiko, and we deemed it one of the top three restaurants in town, but I figured it wouldn’t be smart to tell that to Mikoko. Aikawa only ever took me to Japanese bars that served saké, Kunagisa only ate junk food, and pretty much everyone else I knew was finicky. In that sense, someone I could invite to a place like this was valuable."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "A policewoman (fake) showed us to our cell, where we sat down."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Would you care for something to drink?” she asked. Mikoko ordered a cocktail, and I a glass of oolong tea."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You really don’t drink, huh?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“It’s kind of a policy. Like how Muimi doesn’t smoke in front of nonsmokers.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“That’s right! You know, it was actually Tomo who asked her to stop. Tomo rarely demanded anything from her friends, so even Muimi listened to her.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“True… Muimi doesn’t seem like she’d care about annoying others, usually.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah, but you know, she said she’s quitting.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“It’ll be good for her health!” exclaimed Mikoko, sweeping away the hint of gloom."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Eventually, the drinks arrived. The waitress served the cocktail to me, and Mikoko the oolong tea. We ignored this for the time being and placed our food orders."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“So you’ve been friends with Muimi since elementary school,” I said."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yup. Even then she was a smoker.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“And yet she’s pretty tall.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yup. I’ll bet she’d be even taller if she hadn’t smoked.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "That defied my imagination."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You know, she used to be a bully,” Mikoko continued. “She reformed some time during high school.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“That’s pretty late.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“She met Tomo, and, well, some things happened. Yadda yadda yadda.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Some things."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Various things, no doubt."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "They had spent enough time together."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What about you, Mikoko?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You make it sound like Tomoe really had a big influence on Muimi, but what about you? Or Akiharu?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She fell silent for a moment, then let out a deep sigh. “You know, I always thought human relationships were all about their lengths,” she said. “You spend a long time with a person, and then one day you start to click. That’s what I thought. But I was wrong. I was wrong, Ikkun. There are people you don’t need to know for a long time or to ‘click’ with for you to be attracted to them.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Mikoko… Why do you think Tomoe was murdered?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Wh-Why? I have no idea.” At my thoughtless question, Mikoko hung her head. “There was no reason for her murder. There wasn’t a single possible reason for killing her.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I think the reason people kill one another is actually quite simple,” I said, more or less ignoring her. “Obstacles. If some factor is interfering with your life, the logical step is to try and eliminate it. It’s just like kicking stones off a railway track.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“But Tomo─”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yup, Tomoe made it a point never to overstep people’s boundaries or be invasive. In other words, she couldn’t have become an obstacle to anybody. She was too far out of range to begin with.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“To put it another way, she wasn’t in a position to become the object of somebody’s ill will or enmity or malice. Thus, there was no reason for that somebody to kill her. She wasn’t being a nuisance to anyone.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ONLY LIVING"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "YOU’RE A NUISANCE"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "TO OTHERS"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“But it’s not that simple. I mean, Tomoe wasn’t some hermit living in the woods under Mount Fuji. She went to school, was attending a college; she lived a normal student’s life. As such, whether she liked it or not, she had to form relationships. Now let me pose you a question, Mikoko. I want your own opinion. What does it mean to form a personal relationship?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Umm…” She seemed a bit befuddled but replied, “Well, I can’t say for sure, but it’s like getting close to somebody, I think.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yes. Right. That’s absolutely right, Mikoko. Now if you were to go and rephrase that, it means choosing somebody. But let’s think about that for a minute. Choosing someone means not choosing somebody else. The act of choosing can only be the direct antonym, the opposite side of the same coin, as not choosing. I’m not talking about crap like how you can only have one best friend or lover. Those are trivial dilemmas. What I’m saying here is something else: a human being liked by everyone, who can be friends with everyone, is a logical impossibility.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hmm… It might be hard─being liked by everyone might be hard─but I don’t think it’s impossible. Maybe not everyone in the world, but I think it’s possible at least with the people around you.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I don’t think it is. That’s what I believe. People aren’t all as kind as you suppose. There are serial killers out there who only view others as objects to be disassembled. There are blue things that can only process society in terms of zeros and ones. Someone who’s cynical about the world itself, not to mention people, might be Humanity’s Strongest. There are fortune-tellers who’ve tasted every hope and all despair who go on smirking. There are painters who regard not only others’ existence but also their own as mere elements of style. There are people who can only accept good will as ill will.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Now, wasn’t precisely that understanding why Tomoe chose not to get too involved with people in her life? If you want to have as few enemies as possible, the best way is not to make friends.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Tomo wasn’t…” that kind of girl, Mikoko whispered, and I almost didn’t hear her. It seemed she knew herself that such a claim had no basis. “But even if she was, Ikkun. Even if she was, the fact remains that she was murdered.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You’re right. Tomoe made sure never to fall in too deep with anybody, and at the same time, showed superb skill in not letting that show.” It was the very thing I was incapable of. No matter how hard I tried. “Nonetheless, she was murdered. Tomoe was murdered. Now, Mikoko, let’s take a look at this slasher and disassembler of bodies who’s become such a sensation as of late. That guy kills indiscriminately. Happening to catch his sight, or not happening to catch his sight, just bumping into him a bit, or not bumping into him a bit, is enough of a reason for him. He kills mechanically. Automatically. In such a case, even Tomoe is a possible target, and the same goes for me.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“So then…she was killed by the prowler?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Apparently not. According to Sasaki─the detective. That’s the one thing they seem to know for sure. Okay, changing the subject somewhat… Mikoko, have you ever thought there are too many people?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Mikoko looked away at my rather abrupt question. I silently waited for her answer, and she said, “That doesn’t mean you can kill people. Ikkun, are you condoning murder?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“No,” I replied without hesitation. “It’s not a matter of allowing it or not. It precedes any question of condonement because murder is the absolute worst. That, I can assert. The desire to take a life is the most despicable human emotion. To hope and pray and wish for another person’s death is hopelessly evil. It’s a sin beyond redemption. I’ll be damned if an atrocity beyond apology or atonement could ever be condoned.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "My voice was so merciless, I didn’t even sound like me."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Total nonsense."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Who was really the hopeless one here?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Anybody who’s taken a life ought to fall and sink into the depths of hell, without exception.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“B-But…” Mikoko gulped in terror at my declaration but managed to muster up an objection. “What if the person was in danger? What if you were walking around Kamogawa Park at night, Ikkun, and this Kyoto prowler came at you with a knife? Would you just let him kill you?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“No, I’d resist.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You’re right. And I might employ excessive force and accidentally kill him. The same thing goes for me as for everyone else. But I’d also realize something. Taking somebody’s life to preserve my own, I’d realize─my own sinfulness. I’d come to see I’m guilty merely by living, that I’m a crime to go unforgiven even if I die.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“But, but you were about to be killed, okay? It’s only natural for an organism to try to live in that case.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“When you see it as being natural, you’ve already strayed. Let’s make one thing clear. I am capable of murder,” I proclaimed."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Whether it’s for my sake or someone else’s, I could slaughter another human being. I could eradicate another life whether it’s a friend or family member. Why do you think that is?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Well, why? I don’t know,” Mikoko said anxiously. “I don’t think that’s true. You’re a kind guy. I don’t think you could do it.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I can. Without a doubt. Because I don’t feel other people’s pain, not one bit.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“For example, I have a certain female friend who lacks most of the basic human emotions. She’s always happy, having fun no matter what, but that’s only because she’s a stranger to any other emotion. As a result, she can barely comprehend why other people get sad or angry.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The only way she could process society. She couldn’t distinguish between paradise and paradise lost."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I’m the same way. No, I’m much worse,” I confessed. “I can’t understand the pain of others, not even a little. Why? My personality doesn’t let me gauge my own sensations of pain or suffering properly. I feel no antipathy even to the thought of dying. It’s not that I want to die, but my will to resist it is abnormally low. And this leads to what I was saying, Mikoko.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“There are a variety of ‘stoppers’ that prevent people from killing one another. One of the most vital ones is feeling, Gee, this guy must be in pain, or Man, I feel sorry for him. Isn’t that right? It is. For example, I’m sure you’ve gotten the urge to hurt somebody. But you probably didn’t punch them or anything.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Uh huh. I’ve never punched someone. Not once.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I’ll bet you’ve wanted to, though?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She didn’t answer. This was the clearest confirmation she could’ve given. It was no crime; nobody can go through life without ever wishing harm, even if you’re in heaven."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I guess basically I’m talking about empathy. That’s how you’re able to sympathize and pity, and also conform. So it’s not always a good thing. Jealousy and envy both have empathy at their root. Minding how others feel. It can be both a merit and a demerit.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "If you understood everything that others felt, perhaps all you could do was get broken, like her on that island."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“But let’s not wax philosophical about the relative merits here,” I said. “The point is that I lack these stoppers. I can’t make head or tail of people’s feelings. I have to control myself on top of that. Doing so is incredibly agonizing. It’s not even funny. But somehow I’ve managed to keep the demons down.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Harboring such a monster inside you─"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "You have some nerve to go on living."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I could reach my limit any day now. And that’s why I can’t forgive a murderer. How could I? The very existence of a murderer is detestable. Deplorable. I hate all murderers from the bottom of my heart. I hate them heartily. Purely and simply, I’d like to crush them all.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Just kidding, I don’t think that at all.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Our food arrived. Mikoko ordered more alcohol, and I requested a glass of water."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "We sat for a while dining without a word."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hey, Ikkun…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Why are you telling me all this stuff?” she asked as though puzzled─as though to say it had been such a fun day."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I silently shook my head. It was no doubt a terribly cold gesture. “I just figured you might want to hear it. Was I wrong? No, right?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I also wanted you to know the extent to which I’m a defective product.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“A defective product… That’s such a horrible thing to say. And about yourself, too.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“It’s because it’s about myself that I can say it. If I’m not a defective product, then, at least, I’m no longer human. Don’t you think? Actually, people tell me that a lot. You’re a basket case, anyone who’s grown even a little close to me has told me. Abnormal. Heretical. Grotesque. Vile. And those are all correct.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Ikkun…” Mikoko muttered nervously. “You sound like you’re headed for suicide.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I won’t commit suicide. I promised.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah. To the first person I killed.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "A pause."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I popped a cube of steak in my mouth. “Just kidding,” I said. “Unfortunately, my life isn’t that exciting. And I’m not romantic enough to make such an incredible promise. I’m just an ordinary guy who’s missing some vital component. The actual reason I won’t commit suicide is that, well, it just looks bad. You know, like I’m running from my own flaws. Of course, I am, but I don’t want to look like I am.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Ikkun, I know you’re not like other people, but…if you killed yourself, I would cry. I know I would. Forget about being defective or whatever. You’re living a normal life, aren’t you?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Broken things can be fixed. Things that are simply inadequate can’t be.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Mikoko let out a deep sigh. “It’s like I’m talking to Tomo.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hmm? Did she talk about this kind of thing with her?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Well, not really. I mean, she didn’t open up to people that much. But if we’d had a real conversation, I’m sure it would’ve been like this.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“In that case…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "In that case, it was truly regrettable."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I felt all the more like I should have had a serious talk with Tomoe Emoto."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "If I had─ / ─if I had?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "What if I had?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Did I think it would have provided some solace? And who did I think would have been saved?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "In the first place."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "In the first place, wasn’t it precisely because we had talked that she─"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I’ll bet Tomoe,” I said without looking up, “doesn’t resent the culprit. She must not bear any grudge, not even a little bit.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Why do you think so?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“It’s just a hunch. No other reason. Call it cheap sentiment, but I believe that about Tomoe. I’m sure she’s not the resentful type.” The present tense─I’d made a point of using the present rather than past tense. “Of course, they say she was strangled from behind, so she probably didn’t even see the culprit’s face. I don’t suppose she could resent the killer even if she wanted to.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“The culprit’s face…” repeated Mikoko. “The person who killed her…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“But Tomoe probably didn’t care anyway. I mean, the outcome is the same no matter who kills you. In the end, that’s the thing about being murdered. No matter who kills you, the fact that you die doesn’t change. Plus, Tomoe was like me─dying didn’t bother her all that much. I can say this with a fair degree of certainty. She didn’t seem to like herself very much. She told me so that day. She wants to be reborn as you.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Hearing that, Mikoko looked like she was about to cry. She managed to hold back the tears, but she softly mouthed her friend’s name to herself for some time."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Tomo… Tomo─Tomo…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I watched this, unmoved."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Really, truly without feeling anything."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Mikoko, who do you think did it?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You know, you sure do seem hung up on that,” she noted with just a hint of suspicion. “Have you been investigating the case or something?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yes,” I answered honestly. “Well, not so much investigating, I just want to know. I hope to meet whoever did it. And ask some questions. Or rather, I’d like to interrogate the person─”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“‘Can you justify your own existence?’”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Ikkun,” Mikoko said awfully sadly, “you’re scary. Really scary.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Am I? I personally don’t think so, but maybe I am.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You’re able to apply your own rules to others. How should I put it? It’s like you see yourself as just a cog in the world but also think of others as being nothing more than gears. No, not gears. If a gear goes missing, the whole machine breaks down, but you don’t care if a person or two disappears.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I wouldn’t go that far.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I still don’t think you’re the kind of person who could just kill someone, Ikkun. But you must also be the type who doesn’t hesitate to tell someone to drop dead.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Aren’t I right? I mean, asking the person who killed Tomo a question like that is the same as declaring, ‘You don’t deserve to live.’ It’s cruel. It’s so cruel. Ikkun, do you realize that?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yes,” I shot back, “I’m fully aware of that. I’m so familiar with my sinfulness and nonsensical bent that I could sink into the depths of hell from that alone. Someone once told me that most homicides are the result of going too far or using excessive force, but in my case, I’m capable of premeditated murder. I belong to that rare, low breed that can take a life without any need for self-approval or self-deception or self-denial or self-satisfaction.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You sure are self-hating.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I’m a masochist,” I admitted. “And an extremely nasty one, at that. But it’s my way, my credo, and my style. I have no intention of budging an inch.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah, I didn’t think so.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Mikoko seemed a bit lonely."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "As if she were looking at someone in the distance."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Someone who was no longer there."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "An ephemeral, poignant gaze."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "And expression."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "And air."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She never concealed her emotions."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Didn’t even try to."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "So you could tell."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "And understand."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "As if."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "You were able to tell how another person is feeling."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "An illusion."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“But that’s…” she said."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "It was, for instance─"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "A dear presence."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Words of longing."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "A truly natural air."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "A truly casual mood."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "A singular impossibility."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Unaccepting of indifference."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "A dazzling dream of a nightmare."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "A sense of reality warping and breaking."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Desiring a counterpart. Facing a counterpart."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The pleasure of being beaten down."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The pleasure of being run through."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The ecstasy of being taken apart."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Cut into slimy bits and pieces."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "A vital component-robbing."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“The Ikkun I love.”"
}
]
| Officially Translated Light Novels_Zaregoto_Zaregoto-Volume-02-The-Kubishime-Romanticist-[Vertical][Kobo] | p_0032.txt |
[
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Strangulation 1"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Someone who looked like a delinquent was crouched down in front of my apartment building. Wondering who it could be, I approached only to discover, half-expectedly I suppose, that it was Aikawa. Her hairstyle had changed a bit since Wednesday, so she might have gotten it cut. It was a slick one like the kind celebrities sometimes get, where the bangs in front form a perfectly straight line right above the brow. With her already extraordinary proportions, the new look made her even more like a model. If only she hadn’t been squatting like some high school thug."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yo.” Noticing me, she stood up and came ambling my way. She had a rather feline grin on her face. “So how was your date?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You were watching us?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I spotted you in Shinkyogoku, that’s all. I was waiting here to make fun of you.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "How much free time did this woman have? I was a little appalled. She was completely unfathomable. There was no way to guess what she might do next. A wily phantom of a woman."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“So you cut your hair. Looking for a change of pace?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“To be more accurate, I got it cut,” she replied, tweaking her bangs."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Well, yeah, I suppose.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yup. Flick, with a survival knife. If I had dodged a second later, I wouldn’t have my left eye anymore. I gotta admit, even I was scared.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She had the worst hairstylist ever."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I figure I might keep it short for a while. What do you think? Does it work?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Aikawa, any hairstyle would look good on you. You’re a beautiful woman.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Aw, you’re too sweet. But how many goddamn times do I have to tell you not to call me by my last name?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She put me in a headlock and noogied my brains out before letting go."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Then she flashed her wicked smile."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "You couldn’t hold anything against this woman."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "If you did, you’d never get away with it."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“So? How was it?” she persisted. “What’s going on with that younger girl? Hmm? Hmm? Come on, tell big sis. If you’re in trouble I can give you advice.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I think you’ve got it all wrong…Jun. She’s just one of the people involved in the case.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hmm? Oh. Really. Then…by any chance was it Mikoko Aoii?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "When I nodded, Aikawa’s face went blank."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hmph,” she grunted. “I see. Well, either way, I guess if you’re already back at this hour, you struck out.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Incidentally, it was eleven o’clock."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Mikoko had imbibed a ridiculous amount of alcohol with all the inevitable consequences. She’d passed out in the middle of the restaurant. I’d hoisted her onto my back and brought her all the way back to Horikawa Oike, entered her apartment, put her to bed, locked up, and taken the bus home. This time she hadn’t looked like she was fake-sleeping."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Too bad, young’un. Want me to console you?” teased Aikawa, sounding genuinely amused."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I’m telling you, it’s not like that…and more importantly”─I decided to change the subject before things got worse─“was this hairdresser who did your bangs Zerozaki by any chance?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Aikawa’s face instantly contorted."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "To express sheer delight."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah. Hell of a kid, lemme tell you. Still only a second-rate serial killer, but as a knife wielder, he’s as good as they come. He knows, by instinct, exactly how a human has to move which muscles for maximum speed. And take a look at this,” she said, rolling up her right sleeve. Her arm was wrapped in white bandages stained with crimson blood from underneath. “What’s more, he walked away with hardly a scratch. Seriously, that’s one hell of a kid. I guess he’s living up to the Zerozaki name.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Is he even tougher than you?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“It’s not a matter of strong or weak. In terms of our power differential, I’m proud to say I’m several tiers above him. I’ll admit that he is frighteningly quick, the Fastest, but he’s still a hundred years too slow for me.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Ooh, Aikawa the narcissist, blessed with unrivaled confidence."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“True, I guess he was just focusing on escaping… He was unexpectedly calm. I’d figured a serial killer would be more hot-blooded. Bu-u-ut you were right about him.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“How do you mean?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“He’s your spitting image. I can’t put my finger on a specific similarity, but he’s just like you.” Aikawa’s voice was dripping with sarcasm. “The sick masochistic freak and the sick sadistic freak. It’s a match made in freaking heaven.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“So then,” I said, choosing my words as carefully as I could, “did you, uh, find Zerozaki but let him get away?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hmm?” Grinning creepily, Aikawa pinched both my cheeks. “I’m sorry, did I just hear something come out of this mouth right here? Huh? What was that? Jun Aikawa is just some girl who likes to go around bluffing about herself?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“No, I would never. First of all, calling you a girl would be pushing─”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Ahh, who knew the human cheek was so elastic?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Fine,” Aikawa said, suddenly releasing my face. She scratched the top of her head with a bored expression. “You got it right. I guess I’ve still got some things to learn. I wonder if that tattoo face is still in Kyoto.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“If I were Zerozaki, I definitely would’ve fled to another prefecture.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah…” Aikawa slumped her shoulders. “Dammit, what a hassle. Not that I have any intention of letting him get away.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Seeing the icy cold look in her eyes, I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for Zerozaki. Aikawa was damn hard to shake…"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Okay, I’m done bothering you.” She stretched out her back and began to leave. Evidently, she had come on foot today instead of in the Cobra. “Or rather, I’m done trying and failing to bother you. Well, whichever. Good night. Let’s both of us have sweet dreams.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Jun. Can I ask you something?” I said to her back. She turned just her head."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Would you ever condone murder?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Huh? What’s this, some sort of metaphor?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Um, well, to be more direct… Do you think it’s okay for one person to kill another?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I do,” she answered without pause. “Someone who ought to die can die.” Keheh, she chuckled cynically. “Like let’s say you kill me. Just relax, man. The world goes on,” she continued coolly, then waved a hand and disappeared from view."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "If only I could be so defiant, with such a sarcastic stance."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "How wonderful it would be."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I really am…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I was tired of myself."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Not just tired, but contemptuous."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“But either way, Aikawa, that’s all nonsense.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I went inside the apartment building and managed to make it to my door without running into anyone. Reaching into my pocket to get my key, I felt a foreign object. I pulled it out and had a look."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It was Mikoko’s apartment key."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "In order to get her back inside, I’d taken it out of her bag without asking her. I couldn’t just leave the door open, either, so I’d borrowed the key to lock up. At first I considered dropping it through the mail slot, but it was attached to the same ring as her Vespa’s key, so I ended up bringing it home, deciding to return it the next day along with her scooter. Believe me, it wasn’t just because I wanted to ride a Vespa."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Actually, the Vespa and the key are all I need to deliver…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I might be daft, clueless, antisocial, and kind of a big jerk, but after going head-to-head like that, I couldn’t ignore her anymore."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Mikoko Aoii."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I remember now, Mikoko.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I entered my room and lay down on the floor without even setting out the futon."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "It was my first day of college after coming back from that ridiculous island. I didn’t know right from left in regards to Japanese universities, and she was the first one to call out to me."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Nice to meet you! Is there anything you don’t understand?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "With that beaming smile."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "A caring gesture for a classmate who had gotten a late start."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I found it horribly irritating."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "And felt just a bit grateful."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Because her bright, innocent aura reminded me a little of a dear friend of mine."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What a riot,” I said like Hitoshiki Zerozaki, and closed my eyes."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "No thinking about tomorrow."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "No thinking about the case."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "No thinking about the prowler."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "No thinking about contractors or my only friend."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I didn’t want to think about anything anymore."
}
]
| Officially Translated Light Novels_Zaregoto_Zaregoto-Volume-02-The-Kubishime-Romanticist-[Vertical][Kobo] | p_0033.txt |
[
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Strangulation 1"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I’m begging you, please stop getting my hopes up."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I’ll be back tomorrow. Around noon. You’ll have your answer then.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "That was the note I had left for Mikoko on her tea table. Getting to Horikawa Oike took less than ten minutes by Vespa, so I was in no hurry."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I awoke at eight in the morning. I did a little jogging to kill time, and regretted it. Miiko invited me to breakfast, so I went to her place and was fed. It wasn’t so much Japanese-style food but full-blown Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. The flavor left something to be desired, but there was certainly enough of it, so it at least took the edge off my hunger."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Well, I have to go to work,” she said around ten o’clock and left her apartment."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I returned to my own room to kill more time. I tried playing a game of Eight Queens, just as I had done earlier, but my brain didn’t seem to be functioning properly, and I gave up by the fifth queen. Next I moved on to the Cannibals and Missionaries problem, but again I got sick of it midway through. If only I owned a computer, I could pass the time playing video games. Maybe it was time I went and got one from Kunagisa. But then again, it didn’t seem like a great idea to decrease the amount of space in my room just to have a way to kill time. Besides, time passes just the same, whether you kill it or not. And like I’d told Mikoko, I didn’t particularly dislike being bored and was plenty used to waiting."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Like any half-smart child, I read The Little Prince at a very young age."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I didn’t get it."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You’ll get it when you’re a grown-up,” people promised."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Recently, I recalled this and tried reading it again."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I still didn’t get it."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Zerozaki’s gone from Kyoto… There’s no way to contact Aikawa… And Kunagisa’s a shut-in.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I really didn’t have a single normal acquaintance. True, maybe I never particularly wanted one."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Still, I sometimes wondered. I saw myself as a guy trying to live all alone, but was I rotting away in a cage instead?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“It’s hopeless.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "In the end, there was no way for me, one character in this great big world, to view my situation with any kind of bird’s-eye perspective. Especially when, as Aikawa pointed out, I wasn’t the main character or even a supporting character but merely a voice. I was clumsily recounting a section from a tale unfolding with no lien on the world."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "That said, by now, facts of this caliber failed to let me wallow in self-loathing."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Time to get going…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It was currently eleven o’clock, still way early, but I couldn’t be faulted for showing up ahead of time. Thinking so, I left my apartment and proceeded to the parking lot. I started up the Vintage Vespa’s engine and put on the helmet. It was a stylish, half-size number Mikoko had left in my room the previous day. There was nothing I could do to make it suit me, but the size was right, so it would at least uphold its role as a helmet."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Go. I rode down Senbondori and turned east on Maruta-machi. I broke east again on Horikawa and sped the Vespa straight ahead from there."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The sweet sensation of slicing through the wind."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I could almost forget that I was alive."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "As expected, I reached Oike within ten minutes. I parked and locked the Vespa in the condo’s underground lot, exited it, and walked around to the front of the building."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I wasted over an hour here last time, didn’t I…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It was a pretty embarrassing memory. My brain had a knack for retaining just those. I guess the least I could do was learn from them and not repeat the same mistake."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "This time I entered the building without halting. I said hi to a security camera and got on the elevator."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "At this point."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "At this point, I still hadn’t thought of anything."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "How to respond to her confession."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "What words I could use to answer her affection."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I hadn’t thought of anything."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "At all."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Just kidding.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Actually, I’d known for a while."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I only had one thing to say to her."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "There was nothing to deliberate over."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Taking the kind of person I was and the kind of girl Mikoko was spat out a result like in a math equation. Of course, reality never conforms to such calculations. It’s more like trying to figure out if the last digit in pi is odd or even. Surely it was the epitome of folly for someone like me, ever adrift envisioning a position akin to multiplying the height and dividing by two to yield a triangle’s area, to speak of equations and solutions and formulae."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Since I was someone who changed his opinion in the end anyway, what I thought now was irrelevant."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I got off the elevator on the fourth floor and walked down the hall."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Room three."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“…was it?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "My memory was fuzzy, but that sounded right."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I wondered if Mikoko was awake yet. She certainly didn’t seem like the low-blood-pressure type, but considering how unpunctual she was, she couldn’t be much of an early riser."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I buzzed her intercom."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "No reply."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "It wasn’t simply that there was no reply through the intercom."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "There was no reaction whatsoever."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "No noise coming from inside."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Suspicious…isn’t what this is.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I pushed the button again."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The same."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I couldn’t sense anyone moving about inside."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Angst. Angst. Angst."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "My heart throbbed."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "My body was acting up."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Without speaking a word, I continued pushing the button."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Once, twice, three times, four times."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I quit counting after the fifth time."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I was feeling it."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Not suspicion, but a premonition."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Closer still to precognition."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Like watching a movie whose ending you already knew on endless mode."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Was that how the prophet described it?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The other side of the boob tube where you can’t interfere."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Despite myself, I now understood how she felt."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Mikoko Aoii."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Always cheerful sometimes sad"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The girl who said"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She liked me."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "An image."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "A tableau I’d misplaced and lost."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "A nostalgic vista."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "One that had been all too close to me"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "And hence whose existence I forgot"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Needless to recall"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "An evil"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“…, … ”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Muttering something ruefully─"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I opened the door to her room."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Mikoko Aoii was dead."
}
]
| Officially Translated Light Novels_Zaregoto_Zaregoto-Volume-02-The-Kubishime-Romanticist-[Vertical][Kobo] | p_0035.txt |
[
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Strangulation 1"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "A brutal sight. A devastating sight."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I stood still right around the center of her room. It was all I could do."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Gross. Gross. Gross."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Gross. Gross. Gross."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Gross gross gross."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I clutched my chest. I was nauseous."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It was like I had accidentally choked down some absolutely indigestible object."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "My eyes fell on the bed."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Mikoko was there, lying down."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Couldn’t you call it sleeping?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Even if her body had ceased to function."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Even if she had no pulse."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Even if hideous fabric marks were etched into her neck."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Even if she was never waking up again."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Even then, there was no other term I cared to use."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Thump. Thump. Thump. Badump. Badump. Gross. I’m dizzy. I’m dizzy. I feel faint. It’s spinning, it’s spinning. This is crazy crazy crazy crazy."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Or was it me who was crazy?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Then and there─"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I thought I might collapse."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "My pulse was going wild."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It was hard to breathe."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "It was hard to live."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I thought I might die."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "My eyes were burning inside."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "My heart was freezing inside."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I gulped to calm myself, but to no avail. Pain. I was in pain. Spinning with pain."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Mikoko Aoii…” I said as if to convince myself, “has been murdered.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I really did collapse, right where I stood, right on my rear end."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I was used to people dying."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I was even used to people close to me dying."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Death was something close to me."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "And still, this was painful. It hurt. It hurt too much."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It was excruciating."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Probably, I would never be able to forget this."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Mikoko’s “death itself” burning into my retinas the instant I entered the room. I would never be able to forget her lifeless, soulless body."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Somehow I managed to stay conscious."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I shifted my gaze back to Mikoko’s form."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She lay face-up on bed, her puffy, violet-hued profile wrenched in agony. Having known what her smile was like made it all the more terrible."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She was no longer dressed in yesterday’s overalls. Now she wore a snow-white bare shoulder top with a striking pants skirt, also white but with more of a milky quality. A burial outfit it wasn’t."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Then I remembered."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It was one of the many outfits she’d bought during yesterday’s outing."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The last one she bought."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She’d tried it on and asked:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“How do I look?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Finally tired of giving made-up answers, I’d replied:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“It looks good on you.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It was that outfit."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "When I had brought her home the previous evening, naturally I hadn’t made her change clothes. I’d just tossed her onto bed with what she was wearing. It meant she must have woken up later on and changed."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Then, not long afterward…"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "What was on her mind when she put on the outfit?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "And who had she been waiting for?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "That already exceeded the power of my imagination."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Red letters right by her head."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The same formula as the one we’d found in Tomoe’s place."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“…Mired in nonsense.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I pulled out my cell phone. I entered a number from memory and pressed call."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She picked up on the first ring."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Sasa here.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Oh, it’s you,” Sasaki said before I had a chance to give my name. Apparently she remembered people just from their voices. And we had only spoken once. If circumstances hadn’t been what they were, I would’ve been impressed. “What’s wrong? Did something come back to you?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She sounded cool and calm."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "This was somehow offensive."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "It was objectionable. Objectionable, I say."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Sasaki, um, well… Aoii…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What’s that? I’m sorry, I can’t hear you. Could you please speak up a bit? Aoii?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Right. She’s been murdered.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“……” The air seemed to shift instantly on the other end. “Where are you now?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“In Aoii’s apartment.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“We’ll be there soon.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Click. The line cut off as abruptly as a human life. I stood there with the phone held to my ear. Mikoko remained there in front of me."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Christ…” I said to her still body."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It was a pointless act. Pointless, and pathetic."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What was I really planning to tell you?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "There was no prospect of getting rid of the nasty feeling in the pit of my stomach. Not a chance."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The police arrived in less than ten minutes."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Are you okay?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Sasaki held me. I must have looked pretty damn miserable, because she seemed genuinely concerned."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Are you okay?” she repeated. Unable to provide a verbal answer, I simply raised an arm instead. She saw this and gave a firm nod. “Let’s get you out of here for now. Come on, hurry.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Leaning on Sasaki’s shoulder, I was taken out to the hallway. Police were filing in one after another from the elevator. Hey, now. No Kazuhito. Had he not come? Maybe he was somewhere else, doing something else. Maybe, maybe not."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Ugh…” My chest hurts. My chest hurts. My chest hurts. “Ughhhh…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Gross. Gross."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Grossly gross."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "A discomfort, as if my chest were burning and being destroyed from inside, like something was raging in my guts, traveled through my bloodstreams to my entire body. Hot hot hot hot."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The anguish was maddening."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Sasaki took me out of the building and helped me into the rear seat of her Toyota Crown. She sat in the driver’s seat. “Have you settled down a bit?” she inquired, looking back at me."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I shook my head in silence."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I see…” She eyed me suspiciously. “I thought you were the kind of person who didn’t mind seeing a dead body. Even if it belonged to a friend.” She dropped her polite speech somewhat. “I guess you’re more sensitive than I thought. You look like you’re dying back there.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah, thanks. I’ll take that as a compli─”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Just as I was about to get out the ment, I felt the urge to vomit and clamped my hand over my mouth. There was no way I could just toss my cookies in Sasaki’s car. Somehow I managed to control my internal organs. Dammit, I couldn’t even mouth off."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Huh.” Sasaki nodded with a slight look of disappointment. “You’re awfully spineless. I’m surprised Jun is so fond of you.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Ah, come to think of it, hadn’t Aikawa said something about being old friends with Sasaki? Recalling this completely irrelevant detail helped distract me a bit. I sat up from my hunched position and rested my weight against the back of the seat. I breathed in deep."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah, I’m surprisingly fragile. Actually, I can’t tell if I’m fragile, or precarious, or fraught…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What in the world are you talking about? You’re not making a lick of sense.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Well, please wait until next time… This time is pretty irregular, so decide what kind of human being I am next time. Right now I’m feeling seriously ill.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Gah, I groaned and shut my eyes."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Sasaki paused then said, “Now, we’re going to have to question you about the circumstances. That means I’ve got to take you to the police station. Are you up to it?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“As long as you drive carefully, I think I’ll be all right.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Okay. I’ll try not to make the ride too bumpy.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She faced forward, and the Crown began to roll. Mikoko’s condo disappeared from the window view in no time at all. I couldn’t make out the speedometer from where I was, but according to the accelerations my body registered, she wasn’t driving all that carefully."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Sasaki, is it okay for you to be away from the crime scene?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“My job is more about intellectual labor.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“That sounds like, well…” I wanted to say it sounded like we’d get along but thought better of it. No matter how you looked at it, there was no way we’d get along. “Um, Sasaki?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yes, what is it?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“How do you know Aikawa?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She was silent for a moment, though it was plenty easy to imagine the look on her face. “Sometimes I go to her for help with work. Right, that’s all. Do you ever watch TV detective shows?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I know a thing or two about them.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Okay. You know how the detectives go to informants who operate outside of the law? Well, it’s like that. We have a businesslike relationship.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It was an awfully crude explanation. Or rather, she didn’t seem to want to explain it at all. The red contractor was a pretty inexplicable woman, so maybe there wasn’t much of a choice."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I said, “No, I wasn’t asking about the particulars, so you can keep it abstract. How do you see her as a person?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Do we have to talk about this right now?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“It might take my mind off things.” I really meant this; if I didn’t get distracted, my stomach was going to burst. “Please. Just talk about something.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You pose a difficult question, you know,” she replied after a while. “For example, would you believe a story about taking a point-blank shot to the gut from a sawed-off shotgun and surviving? How about walking around in the midst of a storm of rifle fire with a straight face, or leaping from the fortieth floor of a burning building and escaping unscathed? You wouldn’t believe it, would you? Whenever I talk about Jun, people think I’m lying. So it’s a tough subject to discuss.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I understood exactly how she felt, so I didn’t insist."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "In another ten minutes, we arrived at the prefectural police headquarters. She took me inside the building."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Looks like it’s exactly twelve o’clock─lunchtime. Would you like something to eat?” she asked."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Could I get a katsu-don?” On TV they always offered the guy a bowl of rice topped with pork cutlets."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I don’t see why not. You’ll be billed for it later, though.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The government sure was anal. Never mind, I shook my head. If I tried to eat anything now, it’d just come right back up anyway. That, I could predict with a fair degree of certainty."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hmm, well, then go on into that room and wait for me. I just have to make a quick report. I’ll be back in two minutes.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She led me to a small conference room and made her way back down the hall alone. Well, at least it wasn’t an interrogation room, I noted as I sank into a chair."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I want to smoke, I thought for an instant."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I had never smoked a cigarette in my life."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Was I bored?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Was I trying to escape reality?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Or was I just suicidal?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Any one of those was of equal worth, if you asked me."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Such a futile internal debate…"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "This was starting to get pretty bad."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "One more push, and the existence known as me, this state of being known as myself, was going haywire."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Sorry for the wait,” Sasaki said upon returning. She was carrying some sort of item with a pink wrapper. “Are you okay? You’re looking worse by the second. You’re even sweating.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I’m sorry, could you show me where the bathroom is?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Down that hall, on the right. It’s at the very end, so I don’t think you’ll miss it.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Racing out of the room, I clamped a hand over my mouth to endure the nausea."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I found the bathroom right where she said it would be, entered one of the stalls, and vomited everything that had built up in my stomach."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Ghak… Gffk…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Unpleasant noises that didn’t sound like they could be coming from myself spilled from my throat. An acid taste remained in my mouth."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I had vomited so profusely I thought my guts might have flipped upside down. I took my time calming my breathing, rose to my feet, and wiped my mouth with a handkerchief."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I flushed the toilet."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I made my way over to the sink and washed my face. I scooped some water into my hands and rinsed out my mouth as well. I looked into my own reflection in the mirror. Okay, so I did look like I was at death’s door, but at least I was feeling decidedly better than I had even moments ago."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Resurrected, I muttered and left the bathroom behind. I made my way back to the room where Sasaki, who looked a little tired of waiting, asked me, “How you feeling?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I’m okay. I puked, and now I feel a lot better.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I see. Here.” She placed the packaged item in her hand in front of me. “It’s my lunch. Want it?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Is it okay?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I won’t bill you for it, don’t worry.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "With a shrug, she chose a chair and sat down across from me. I graciously accepted her lunch. It was a fairly generic bento, but my stomach was now empty so it tasted great."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Okay then,” she said once I was finished. “So what’s going on here?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“That’s what I want to know.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Seemingly annoyed by my phrasing, she grew silent and gave me the death stare. I recoiled and averted my gaze."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Then please give me the facts, in simple terms.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Uh, to do that, I’ll have to back up to last night, so it’ll be a little long,” I told her."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Go right ahead. Until we solve this case, I’ll spend as much time with you as I need to.” She was smiling a little. Her eyes, however, weren’t smiling, which was frightening. I decided to quit with the mouthing off for a while and be straight with her."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yesterday, Aoii and I went out. We were in the Shinkyogoku area. Then, well, she drank a little too much.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Oh, really… And then?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Her gaze sharpened as if she were seeking an opening. Surely she wasn’t getting on my case about underage drinking. I realized I couldn’t let my guard down."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“So then I brought her back to her apartment. I went ahead and fished her key out of her bag and put her to bed. Then I took the bus back to my place.” Figuring it wasn’t necessary to report, I skipped the part about running into Aikawa. “After that, I just went to bed like usual.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Did you lock up before you left?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I did. Her Vespa was still parked in our building’s lot, so I was planning to bring the key and Vespa back together tomor─today. I went to her place on the Vespa today. When I opened the door and went inside, well, things were as you saw them.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hmm…and the door? Was it locked?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Huh?” I looked up at her as if the question had taken me by surprise. I made an expression as though I were searching through my memory, for as long as five seconds. “No, it wasn’t locked. I don’t have any recollection of using the key.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I see.” She wore a suspicious look but nodded along."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“That place has a lot of security cameras, right? I think they’ll corroborate my story if you check the tapes.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“No doubt. We’ve already arranged that with the managing firm,” Sasaki remarked coolly. “Now, this is just to make sure, but you didn’t touch anything at the crime scene?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“No. As pathetic as it sounds, I was just too petrified. I couldn’t even run over to Aoii.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Your conduct was quite appropriate.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "With that, she shut her eyes and thought to herself."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "So intellectual labor was her main responsibility? That was already more than clear enough from the time she had visited my apartment. I could still taste my defeat."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I didn’t even touch Aoii’s body, so I don’t know, but was she really dead?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yes. That I can confirm. She had likely been dead for around two to three hours. We’ll have to wait for the autopsy results to pin down the details, but the incident is believed to have occurred between nine and ten a.m.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“This may be useless to you, but…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Go right ahead. Nothing in this world is useless.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "That was a line I might try once myself, but I doubted a guy like me would ever have the chance."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“When I put her to bed last night, Aoii was wearing overalls. But that wasn’t what she had on today. So I think that means she woke up at some point, either in the morning or in the middle of the night. And I locked the door last night, so maybe Aoii let the killer in herself.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I see…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Just for your information, that outfit she had on today was something she bought yesterday when we were out shopping.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Ah.” Sasaki nodded. I noticed that she wasn’t taking notes. Come to think of it, she’d listened to me without jotting anything down during her visit to my apartment."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You’ve got a pretty great memory, huh?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Sorry? Oh, well, it does the job,” she replied as if it was nothing special. But to me it was an extremely enviable trait."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Also, as it happens, I had breakfast at my next-door neighbor’s during that nine o’clock to ten o’clock time frame, so I think I have an alibi.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Oh, really.” Sasaki nodded with an apparent lack of interest as if she had more important things to think about than my damn alibi. “When you called, at first I did think you were the perp.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Her sudden declaration left me momentarily speechless."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“…You’re awfully direct. Excuse me if I’m a little surprised.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yes, well, you would be. But it’s true. The fact is that I did, so I’m not hiding it. I thought you killed her and was pretending to have discovered the body. But you seemed to be feeling genuinely ill, and time of death and such aside, there was no murder weapon, no strip of cloth, at the scene. Which means it would have been physically impossible for you to have done it.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“That is, of course, unless you’re hiding it somewhere in your clothes right now.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Care to search me?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“No, that’s fine,” she said, but by no means out of negligence. She’d already performed that task as she helped me out of Mikoko’s room, as she lent me a shoulder to lean on because I was unable to walk on my own."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Kindness─injected with a touch of shrewdness. I didn’t have a problem with that."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Gee, thanks,” I said."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I’m sure your innocence will be proven beyond any doubt once an official time of death is established and we take a look at those security tapes. But in that case,” asked Sasaki, looking me directly in the eye, “who do you suppose did it?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The question I’d posed twice during our first encounter. “Well…I don’t know.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Nobody comes to mind at all?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Nobody,” I answered promptly. “Aoii and I weren’t all that close to begin with. It was only recently that we started hanging out or having lunch together.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Allow me to cut to the chase. Were you and Aoii romantically involved?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“The answer to that is a no. A no and nothing more. Thinking about it now, I’m not even sure we were friends.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Ahh, I see. Jun did say you were like that,” Sasaki muttered, seemingly satisfied."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Aikawa? She said what about me?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“That, I can’t share with you.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The tease of a statement bugged me, but then it occurred to me that this might be part of Sasaki’s strategy, so I cautiously avoided taking the bait. It was easy enough to imagine how Aikawa judged me anyway."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Sasaki put a few more detailed questions to me and said, “Understood. Now, did you want to ask me anything?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“No, nothing this time,” I replied after a moment’s thought. “I’d rather just get home and rest as soon as possible.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Ah. Then that should be enough for today. Allow me to drive you there.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Sasaki stood up from her chair and left the room. I followed close behind, and together we exited the building. Getting into her Crown, I sat in the back again. She started the car and accelerated a bit more aggressively than before."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Nakadachiuri, was it? Off Senbon?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“How are you feeling?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Okay. Throwing up was surprisingly refreshing.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You know,” she said, steering, her voice stripped of all emotion. “I can’t help but feel like you’re still hiding something.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hiding? Me?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“That’s what I said.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“As you can see, I’m just an honest, harmless, and well-behaved young man.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Oh, are you?” It was a rare display of sarcasm from Sasaki. “You sure don’t look that way to me, but I guess if you say so yourself, it must be true.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You sound like you don’t mean it.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Not true. If it sounds that way to you, it’s probably because you’ve got a guilty conscience. I doubt that honest young men go around breaking into crime scenes illegally.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Open bag, withdraw cat."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Naturally, I had accepted at least a bit of risk from the get-go, but Sasaki had caught me off guard. Since not a word about it was in those documents from Kunagisa, I’d assumed I hadn’t been found out, or if I had been, that the matter had fallen by the wayside."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“For the time being, you can relax,” she assured without turning around, but as if she saw right through me. “That information hasn’t gone beyond me yet.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“That’s what I said.” Her delivery lacked any intonation. And yet there was a meanness to it. Yes, somehow it was very reminiscent of humanity’s strongest contractor. “I don’t know what possessed you to break into Emoto’s room, but I suggest you exercise a bit more discretion. Consider this a piece of advice.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Not a warning?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“No, no, just advice.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "But there was something very disdainful about her wording. Granted, my actions had been totally rash, and perhaps her attitude was justified."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Sasaki, I have to ask… Why hasn’t that information gone beyond you yet?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Who knows? There might be various circumstances. I won’t go into detail, but I want you to realize that you owe me one. That’s all. Just be sure not to forget it.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "All I could do was sigh. My shoulders slumped, and I felt drained. Seriously, this pattern again? Why were these the only kinds of people I ever met?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Everybody I know is extremely smart and has a terrible personality. They all have those same damn traits, so I was hoping to run into someone who’s stupid but nice.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Well, I’m sorry to hear that.” Sasaki clearly wasn’t even cracking a smile. “I, however, have no intention of forfeiting my position.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Eventually we arrived at the Senbon Nakadachiuri intersection. “Would you like to drop by my apartment?” I invited, but Sasaki declined with an “I’m on duty.” I didn’t find this particularly unfortunate, nor the opposite."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Opening her window, she asked me one last question. “What do you suppose x over y means?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I paused and said only, “Who knows?” I didn’t think she’d be satisfied with such a reply, but she simply nodded, closed the window, and took off in her car."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I stood there awhile, unmoving, before realizing that there was no point in doing so. I returned to the building, walked down the second-floor hall, and entered my room."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "A quiet space. Not a sound, no one there."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "A room Mikoko Aoii had visited twice."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The first time, I set out yatsuhashi; the second time, she came with handmade sweet potatoes."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I’m not much for sentimentality."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I’m no pessimist, either."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Nor am I a romantic."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Rather, I’m a woefully misguided trivialist."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I guess I can’t say this was a complete surprise,” I muttered. “I won’t say that. No, I won’t.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I recalled my conversation with Mikoko from the day before."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "A conversation with her, which I’d never be having again."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“It was all nonsense…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Let us hypothesize as to Mikoko’s feelings towards her killer. She probably wasn’t resentful. Accusing, maybe, but that was it. She was that kind of girl."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "There must have been something."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Something I should have said to her."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "What was I really supposed to tell her yesterday?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“This is like crying over spilt milk.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "A terribly chilly soliloquy."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "This had to be the kind of situation where people cried."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The person over my shoulder thought so."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Night fell."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Miiko visited my room looking concerned."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Eat this,” she said, thrusting a bowl of rice porridge at me. She wore an innocuous expression, but her eyes were serious. Knowing her gesture had come straight from the heart, I started to feel guilty."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Really. Just how many people was I affecting as I went about my life?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Thanks a lot.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I scooped some up with the spoon Miiko provided (there were only disposable chopsticks in my room) and helped myself to a mouthful. She wasn’t an especially good cook, but this porridge was pretty tasty."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Did something happen?”─Miiko didn’t ask."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She never asked that type of question. She was just the neighbor who silently and protectively watched over me. A neighbor in the truest sense. This was probably something other than kindness, but she was a kind person all the same."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Come to think of it, hadn’t Mikoko given me the same compliment?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "That I was kind?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Mikoko… She died,” I said without preamble."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I see,” Miiko nodded. She sounded fairly indifferent. “That night…by which I mean the night the girl stayed in my room. She was strangely grouchy when she woke up in the morning. At first I thought she had a hangover, but that didn’t seem to be it.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I asked her, ‘How do you feel?’ The girl answered, ‘This is the worst morning of my life.’ That’s the whole story.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“That’s plenty,” I said. “Thanks so much, Miiko.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You really do lead…a difficult life, don’t you? The road you walk isn’t steep, but it’s mercilessly treacherous. Yet you don’t go astray. You have my honest admiration.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I went astray a long time ago. But the path has a strange gravitational pull, and I’m clinging to its bottom side.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Whatever the case, you’re entering a crucial phase.” Her voice deepened a bit, almost like she was threatening me. “If you go astray now, it’s over. Everything you’ve built up, all of your perseverance, will go right down the drain. You probably don’t care either way, but your life isn’t made up of you alone. Don’t forget those you’re saving just by being alive.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“There are no such people.” Perhaps there was too much self-loathing in my remark. Possibly as a result, Miiko gave me a pitying glance."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You carry too much of a burden. Don’t think you can really affect people so much. If they turn red when they cross paths with scarlet, they were just weak. If they can exercise some self-discipline, they don’t fall under anyone’s influence. Your existence isn’t such a nuisance to others.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Maybe not.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "In the end this was about being too self-conscious. Whether I was alive or not made no difference. Even if a serial killer took my place, the world would go on."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“There are people who like you even so,” Miiko continued. “Those who love you unconditionally exist for certain. The world is that kind of circuit. You may not understand it now, but remember what I say. One day you’ll understand. Stay alive until then, at least.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Someone who loves me unconditionally. Today, one of them had died."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "How many were left?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I won’t tell you to cheer up. That’s for you to sort out on your own. Just know that the girl’s death wasn’t your fault. I can guarantee you that. I don’t have any basis for my belief, but I feel certain. The dead simply died.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“But it’s like…I killed her.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Did you?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Well, no, but if…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "If I hadn’t left her alone in her room, if I hadn’t gone home, or if I had just brought her with me."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Things would have turned out differently."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“That’s what I’m calling taking on too much of a burden. Don’t you, yourself, realize the pointlessness of that line of reasoning?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yes. But Miiko, I still had something left to tell her.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "One last thing."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I hadn’t yet told her that one last thing."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Regrets you can’t learn from aren’t worth having. That’s all I can say.” My neighbor’s gaze wandered just a bit. “Also, I forgot to apprise you this morning. Suzunashi sends a message. She wanted to make sure I conveyed it.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“From Suzunashi?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Miiko nodded. I sat up straight. It wasn’t like Suzunashi was in the room and I knew very well there was no need, but something about her just made me reflexively fix my posture."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Something about Neon Suzunashi."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Miiko opened her mouth. “‘There are two types of people─those who are frightening because you don’t know what they’ll do, and those who are frightening because you do know what they’ll do. But you’re not very frightening at all, so you don’t need to worry about such things.’”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I’ll keep that in mind.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Make sure you do. She said she’ll come visit from Hiei next time, so let’s all go out for lunch. She wants to lecture you.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You had me up to the lecture. But I’m definitely okay with lunch. Just…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Oh, nothing. Thanks for the meal.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I returned the porridge bowl to her. She took it, said good night, and left my room. The word on the back of her jinbei was Impermanence. It was the second time I had seen this one."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Seriously,” I mumbled to myself."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "What a handful."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Myself, I mean."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Sure, I deserved to be lectured by Suzunashi all day long."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“But I really don’t want to go to that restaurant again for a while…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "So much for spirit─"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I didn’t know when I’d be able to say so this time."
}
]
| Officially Translated Light Novels_Zaregoto_Zaregoto-Volume-02-The-Kubishime-Romanticist-[Vertical][Kobo] | p_0036.txt |
[
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Strangulation 1"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Kill every suspect, starting at one end."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The one left standing is your culprit."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Three days later, it was Wednesday, May twenty-fifth."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I awoke at ten to noon."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I guess it’d be cheating to say it’s still morning?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I rose from bed feeling fairly awful. Lately it had been like this every day. I couldn’t wake up at a normal time at all anymore. You could say my body was rejecting the idea. Naturally, once I had overslept, I couldn’t get into the mood to attend classes, and if I wasn’t in the mood, then I wasn’t going to."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "And thus began my fifth straight day of skipping school since last Thursday. If a freshman already doing this in May ended up taking more than four years to graduate, it’d be no surprise. I realized this but wasn’t particularly alarmed. I was paying for my own schooling, after all."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Since the recent incident, Sasaki had come to visit on both Monday and Tuesday with Kazuhito in tow. She made a number of detailed inquiries regarding Mikoko’s murder, and in exchange for my answers, provided several tidbits of seemingly vital information."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Mikoko’s time of death had been narrowed down to between nine thirty and ten o’clock. They had also confirmed that she’d been strangled with a thin cloth and that it was the same piece of cloth used in Tomoe’s murder. From this the police judged that the same killer was responsible for both murders."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What’s different from Emoto’s case is that Aoii appears to have been strangled from the front.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“From the front?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yes. Emoto was strangled from behind. You can tell by the shape of the marks.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“In other words, Mikoko saw the killer?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“It’s possible,” Sasaki said impassively. Whether or not the deceased had seen the killer’s face must have not made any difference to her. It was certainly a rational viewpoint."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She also went over the alibis of relevant persons. Muimi was out sightseeing with her younger sister (named Muri, as it were)*. Akiharu didn’t have an alibi. I was with Miiko. But all three of us had alibis for Tomoe’s case, so none of us were really prime suspects."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I personally don’t agree, but it seems the brass are considering the possibility that these were just robberies gone awry, or possibly some stalker who went too far.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“But then it wouldn’t be a serial killing,” I seconded Sasaki’s take. “It’s too strange to be a coincidence, and besides, nothing was even stolen, right? There weren’t any signs of sexual assault, either.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I know. It’s just that both of them had too few ‘enemies’ if it was due to some grudge. It’d be one thing if they were ‘public enemies’─instead we’re having to posit another indiscriminate killer.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Speaking of which, the prowler case had come to a standstill. The number of victims had yet to exceed twelve. In other words, since encountering Aikawa, Zerozaki hadn’t claimed any fresh victims. He probably wasn’t in Kyoto anymore, just like Aikawa and I had discussed. I wasn’t even sure he was still in Japan. Then again, if I made an enemy of Aikawa, I’d flee to the South Pole. Or to outer space, even."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Still, there’s something strange going on,” Sasaki said."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Strange? What?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“The security cameras. That building has security cameras set up as a crime-prevention measure as you pointed out last time.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yet they didn’t capture a single person who might be the culprit.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What does that mean?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Exactly what it sounds like. We checked all the tapes from the time Aoii returned home─or rather, when you carried her home─at ten thirty, but the only people on them were other residents of the building and you showing up again around noon.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "What did that mean? Was the entire apartment building, in essence, a locked room?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "What a joke. It was too unrealistic. But if that was indeed the case, then that was that. “The cameras must have some blind spots, though,” I said."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yes. We tried it out. It’s possible to reach Aoii’s room without being captured by the cameras. They swivel like this, you see. But it’s nearly impossible without practicing beforehand quite a bit, and even then, your chances of success would be relatively low. Why would a person go to all the trouble?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Well, what if they didn’t? What if they came in from the veranda or something?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Not possible. It’s simply too high and too risky. At any rate…” Sasaki let out an exhausted sigh that didn’t seem very her. “I think this is going to be a hard slog.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She was probably already in the middle of one."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“A hard slog…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "But no matter how much new information she was willing to divulge, I’d already stopped thinking about these cases. Of course, I wasn’t at such an advanced level of enlightenment that they never crossed my mind anymore, but I’d been at least half-successful at controlling myself."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "On the contrary."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "On the contrary, I was hoping the truth behind the case would never come to light. I didn’t want to have anything more to do with it, in any form whatsoever."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "But that was impossible. Sasaki Sasa was a detective of immeasurable brilliance as was evident from my several conversations with her up to now. No wonder she and Aikawa could be friends. It wouldn’t be long before she uncovered the truth. Maybe she wouldn’t figure out every little detail, but enough for a consistent story."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "And thus there was no need for me to do any more thinking. Or to put it plainly, I already saw most of the truth. One more step and I would have the whole picture, and that was a step I didn’t want to take. Nor did I feel much like condemning the culprit."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I had gone as far as breaking into Tomoe’s room and enlisting Kunagisa’s help, and here I was ready to throw in the towel, to leave things as unfinished as a baboon without a butt. But frankly, that’s just who I am. Halfassed all the way, unable to try my best, incapable of passion."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Okay…” Stretching out my torso, I quickly switched the channel in my head. “Maybe I ought to pay Tomo a visit for a change.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "A complete shut-in, it was guaranteed that she’d be home, and it wouldn’t be a waste of time to head there now. She might be asleep since it was the afternoon, but I didn’t care. Maybe I’d give her a stern talking-to for selling me out to Aikawa."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Being with her was sure to cheer me up."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "With that decision made, I changed clothes and stuck my cell phone into my pocket. I deliberated for a while whether I should borrow Miiko’s Fiat, walk, or ride my bike, but ultimately I settled on going on foot. I just felt like it. Of course, that would take a good three hours, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I left my room, locked up, and exited the building."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "It was nice out. It had been muggy lately, but today it was pleasantly dry and crisp. I wished it were always like this, but then, I wasn’t sure what I meant by always."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "After walking for a bit, I spotted a familiar figure. My memory failed me, but it was definitely familiar. Who could it be? It felt like we’d met before…"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "He was dressed in street fashion and had light brown hair like some playboy. He was toting an abnormally large bag that grabbed your attention, but it was a poor match for his clothes."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I’ve always wondered why street fashion looks so bad on Japanese people. It isn’t so much that it doesn’t suit us; it’s just that it makes us look like poseurs. Different vibes for different countries, I suppose."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "That aside, who in the world was it?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Upon noticing me, he ran over to me. “Yo!” he even greeted me casually."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hello,” I replied, but of course I still couldn’t remember him. I knew he was a Rokumeikan University student, but did I know anyone like him?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“How are you? Maaan, I don’t know this area. The geography. I got totally lost and all.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Ahh…yeah,” I improvised. “Sure, those things happen.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Start showing up to classes again. That’s why I had to come all the way out here. I mean, you’re shocked about the whole Aoii thing, but you’re gonna end up having to repeat a year. People will call you Double Dragon ’n shit.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Aoii? Did he just mention Aoii?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Oh, right. Got it."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Akiharu, right?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Whoa. What the hell? Don’t tell me you just figured that out.” Akiharu chortled lightheartedly, but I felt as though he saw right through me, and just the idea had me in a cold sweat."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You mean you came to see me?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You bet that’s what I mean. Just some minor business. Come on, follow me.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "He started walking. His explanation was not very convincing, but I went ahead and followed after him. There I was, just going along with the flow again."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Where’re we going?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Kitanotenman Shrine. It’s parked there.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What’s parked there?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“That’s the surprise,” Akiharu said with a smile that didn’t quite sit right with me. “Man, I knew you were a gloomy guy, but your face right now is like a full-fledged gloomathon.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You, on the other hand, seem cheerful.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Well, you know. It’s like, there was the Emoto thing, right? It’s like that toughened me up. I was barely over the shock. Life sure loves to just peace out on ya, huh?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "He sounded flippant, but I also got the feeling that he was dissimulating. About what? I pondered this for a moment but came up empty-handed."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Akiharu, don’t you have orientation class now? Should you really be here messing around?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Ah, whatever. I don’t care about school anymore.” He laughed like he meant that. “I just want to get this favor out of the way so I can relax again. I don’t want it to be on my mind when I die, y’know? Besides, I hate Inosen, so I’m not a big fan of orientation.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Inosen was short for Inokawa-sensei, by the way. “Really? I think he’s a pretty good guy.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Well, I think there’s a difference between good and self-righteous. It’s not just the time thing, either. That guy’s always trying to force his beliefs on others, am I right? It’s that kind of thing, man. I don’t like it. I mean, I guess he’s not a hypocrite or anything…but yeah.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Uh huh.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Besides, I’m not gonna lose any credits just for skipping class a couple times. Our college is easy-peasy, man. They say it’s famous for letting you pass classes blindfolded. Number two in all of Kansai.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Where the hell is number one? I started to ask but cut myself off. Some things were best left unsaid."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "We arrived at Kitanotenman Shrine within five minutes. Despite being a national treasure, something about its proximity to home made it hard to appreciate, and this was actually the first time I had ever set foot on the premises."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“This way, this way,” Akiharu said, bringing me to the parking lot. “Here ya go.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "He pointed proudly to a white Vespa. It was a vintage model. I glanced at the plate and saw that this was, in fact, the very same Vespa belonging to Mikoko that I’d ridden to her house that day."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Oh yeah, and this.” He handed me the key as I stood there, flabbergasted. Pulling the helmet out of his bag, he gave that to me as well. I’d thought it was a suspiciously large bag, but who would’ve guessed there was a helmet inside?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Akiharu, this…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What do you call it again? Distribution of possessions? That sort of thing.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You mean…I can keep this Vespa?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yup. You like it, right?” he said easily and sat backwards on it. He let out a boyish giggle. “Aoii told me how Vespas were the only thing that tripped the alarm of an abiding guy like you.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“That’s not true… But is it really okay? I mean, these things are pretty valuable. Shouldn’t her family have it?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“We got permission. Don’t worry.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“But it’s only me. She and I just met─”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I’m tellin’ you, it’s fine. It was Aoii’s wish. Or should I say dying wish? Funny how they use the same character,” Akiharu contemplated. “Anyway, that’s what it comes down to.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What do you mean, her dying wish?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Oh, okay. Before─last week, I guess? She told me. If something happened to her, if she got murdered like Emoto, I should give her Vespa to Ikkun. She’s terrible. I wanted this thing too. I told her that, and you know what she said? ‘Hell, no. Go die. Or actually, go live.’ What the hell, man? We’d been friends since high school.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“If something happened to her…” Something? If what happened to her? “What does that mean?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Dunno. Aoii must’ve been thinking about stuff in her own way, what with Emoto getting killed. But I bet she didn’t really think she’d be next.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "No, that’s not it…"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "That’s not it, Akiharu."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It has a deeper meaning than that."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "You…really haven’t noticed?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Anyway, just take it. Think of it as a present from her.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah, I suppose.” I played with the key in the palm of my hand, then stuffed it into my pocket."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“But get your own insurance. I don’t know much about applying. Anyway, arrgh…” Still straddling the Vespa, he stuck his arms up toward the sky. After giving himself a good stretch, he slumped his shoulders. “Things have gotten crazy.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah.” I absolutely concurred. “How’s Muimi doing?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Oh, her… She’s in bad shape. This might not be a nice way to put it, but honestly, I couldn’t bear to see her,” Akiharu replied, looking away. Perhaps he was recalling their encounter, perhaps not. Either way, his words revealed that underneath his flippant speech lay a true capacity for compassion."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Interesting, so he was that kind of guy. Such a decent human being that he couldn’t even acknowledge it himself. Believing he wasn’t anything special, he shuffled around his values. He was a wannabe bastard pretending to be no more than a hypocrite."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The complete opposite of me, a hypocrite pretending to be no more than a wannabe bastard."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Afterwards, after Aoii got murdered,” he said, “I went over there once. To Atemiya’s place. It’s far inside Senbontera-no-uchi. Anyway, she was even more depressed than Aoii was when Emoto died. Eh, but what can you expect? Those two were buds from way back in the day. I mean, they grew up together.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“It’s that bad?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah, you should’ve seen the way she glared at me. Me, man. Come on. Where does she come off glowering at me like that? Geez… And from the looks of it, she must not be eating at all. Can’t be sleeping well, either. If we just leave her be, I think she’ll die. I want to do something for her…but it’s like, what can a guy like me possibly say? I’ve only known Aoii since high school.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Meanwhile, I had only known her for a short time in college. Even if that weren’t the case, I had no words for her."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“She’s gonna end up slaughtering whoever did this,” Akiharu warned."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah. I mean, I wouldn’t put it past her. That’s how friends are, right?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“But even if her victim was a murderer, she’d be committing a crime.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Well, sure. You’re right about that. But, y’know? Aren’t there moments where you just toss laws and common sense and all that to the wind?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah. I mean they really are just moments, like a flash. Then you come back to your senses. You tell yourself, ‘Hey, that’s not funny.’ Oh, but I guess that kind of thing never happens to you,” Akiharu stated with a strange amount of confidence."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What do you mean?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“It’s like you’ve already thrown everything to the wind.” He chuckled, pointing a finger at me. “Heh, but I’m just stealing Aoii’s line… Say, would it bother you if I talked about her?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Not especially.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“In that case, gather ’round, buddy. I feel like talking about her. Apparently, the very first time she saw you, she thought, ‘I’ll probably fall for this guy’… You already knew she had a thing for you, right?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You could say that.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“To be honest, I didn’t really get it at the time. It’s weird saying this as a friend of hers, but she was a pretty desirable girl. I don’t just mean she was hot. That has nothing to do with a girl being desirable. A pretty girl is just a pretty girl.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Do you not like pretty girls?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I hate ’em. They always look like they’re up to something.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "That didn’t seem like it was the pretty girls’ fault to me, but I didn’t bother interrupting."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“But with her, far from being up to something…she just spilled her guts about her plans nonstop. She let all of her emotions show. There was no front and back to her. She was like double-sided tape.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I didn’t really follow his analogy."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I’ve never met anyone in my life, including grade school, who exposed their insides the way she did. At first I thought she must be an idiot. Anybody would, seeing someone like that, right? You think, ‘Aw, man, ouch!’”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah. But she was no fool. She wasn’t a ditz, either. It wasn’t even that she was emotionally immature or that she had a low IQ or anything. She was actually pretty sharp and clever, in her own way.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I agree with that, too.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“As soon as I realized all this, I got jealous, to be honest. I mean, you or I can’t do that. It sounds simple enough to be able to cry when you want to cry, to laugh when you want to laugh, but guys like us, we can’t do it. We act tough or cool or whatever. Basically we’re all warped. That’s why Aoii was so lucky. She could get pissed off if something bad happened. She could enjoy herself to her heart’s content if something good happened. But I couldn’t even acknowledge my own envy. I’d feel irritated instead.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“They had a class on it, didn’t they?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah. Educational something-or-other theory. I’ve been taking that one too. What was it again? Modern youth lacks a sufficient vocabulary? I think that’s pretty true. We don’t have the words to express ourselves, so we don’t even know what we’re mad at. When we’re really just sad, we say we’re pissed off. But Aoii was different. She expressed what she felt.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You’ve sure got a lot of good things to say about her,” I said as passively as possible. “You didn’t ever consider going out with her?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Akiharu gave a bashful chuckle, but the look on his face was less straightforward. “Well, I’m a guy, and I won’t say I never felt that way. Especially since I was a horny high school student when we met. I didn’t believe in boy-girl friendships back then.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Ah, I’ve heard of guys like that.” Personally, I didn’t believe same-gender friendships were possible, either."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“But it wasn’t really like that with her. This goes for Atemiya and Emoto, too, but it’s like, you look at them and they’re definitely easy on the eyes, but you just don’t feel the fire, or maybe go flaccid.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“‘Flaccid’ is a good way to put it. I can’t say I don’t follow you on that.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Right? So that’s how it was with her. Anyway, she was a nice girl. Emoto too, but she always sort of kept her distance. Not that it was her fault, but still.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Well, anyway. I liked Aoii, romantic feelings aside. I didn’t pray that she’d be happy or anything, but I didn’t want to see her unhappy. I wouldn’t let it happen. So when she fell for someone, I had to help out, y’know?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You’re that someone, man.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah, I know. She told me herself.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Oh.” Akiharu nodded. “Listen, I don’t know if I should be saying this…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You don’t have to say anything you don’t want to.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“No, I should. It’s just that at first, I was opposed to it. Not just me─Atemiya and Emoto, too. Especially Emoto. She was unusually upset about it, saying stuff like anyone but him. She even threatened to cut off Mikoko if she pursued you.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“So you guys didn’t like me.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You’re not surprised.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I’m used to not being liked. In fact, it’s being liked that’s weird for me.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Oh. But we didn’t actually dislike you. We’d barely even talked to you. But the thing is─I still feel this way now, even knowing you’re a good guy, but thing is, there’s just something freaky about you.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Like you could easily kill a person.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hey. Give me a break.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Don’t get me wrong, man, I’m not saying you did kill someone, but it’s like you easily might and are repressing it and going about your life with a completely straight face. What you’ve got sitting in your belly would take ten regular people like me to choke down. It seemed like you’re just pretending to be human.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I responded as coolly as possible, but inside, I felt like whistling. I would have if I knew how, and moreover applauded, and sung his praise. Being so thoroughly figured out in less than a month’s time was an entirely fresh experience for me."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Right… No wonder he and Tomoe were friends."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“But Aoii could be stubborn. She didn’t budge an inch, so we gave in. Instead we told her to let us test you. You know, to see if this Ikkun character was really right for her.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Is that what that birthday party was all about?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You guessed it. Well, it really was Emoto’s birthday, too.” Akiharu heaved an exaggerated sigh and hunched forward. “But if you die, end of story. That goes for Emoto and Aoii both.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Akiharu,” I said, deliberately flattening any intonation out of my voice. “Who do you think killed Mikoko?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Like I would know. I don’t even want to know. If I find out, I’ll end up hating, despising whoever it was. But I don’t like hating people and holding grudges and stuff. It totally sucks, am I right?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Huh.” I chewed on his words and nodded slowly. “Yeah, you’re right.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Okay. So Akiharu made his compromises as he lived. What about me? How should I negotiate that business?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Right then, I felt somebody’s eyes on me and turned around. The only people there were tourists and a group of students on a field trip."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Um, Ikkun? What’s wrong?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Oh, nothing. It felt like someone was watching me.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Huh. Probably just your imagination.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah, must be. But lately I’ve been getting that feeling once in a while when I leave my apartment.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Maybe it’s Aoii’s ghost or something.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Could be. Yeah. Maybe.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "He was probably only joking, yet for me, there was truth to his words."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Hup, Akiharu grunted as he hopped off the Vespa. “That’s enough chitchat for today. Anyway, it’s in your hands.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yup, I’ll take care of it.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Be sure you do. It’s Aoii’s memento.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah. I’ll call it the Mikoko.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Ohh,” Akiharu groaned. “You’d better not. Don’t be naming vehicles. Or else you might start feeling too invested.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“If it’s a memento, I’ll feel invested either way.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Gotcha…” Akiharu nodded. “But don’t call it the Mikoko.” He stretched out once more. “Ahhhk. Well, I’ve passed on the Vespa, and I’ve said my piece about Aoii… I can die happy now.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Huh?” Something about his phrasing bothered me. A blurt of suspicion had leapt from my tongue, but I also expressed my doubt in words. “Hey, you’re making it sound like you’re heading into battle or something.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hahaha. Nah, it’s just…” His mouth curled into a smile that was somewhat self-deprecating, or perhaps resigned. “I just figure I’ll probably be the next one who gets killed.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What do you mean by that?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Exactly what I said. Or maybe it doesn’t mean anything at all. Anyway, see ya later.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Without giving me a straight answer, he waved a hand at me, turned his back on Kitanotenman Shrine, and started walking. I thought to stop him, but decided against it a moment before I called out to him."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I sighed."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The bequeathed Vespa."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I wondered if it was really okay for me to use it, but somehow I also felt persuaded that if anyone was going to, it should be me. It certainly would make life more convenient. I wouldn’t have to borrow Miiko’s Fiat as much."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Maybe that was Mikoko’s aim."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "There was something a little amusing about that idea. Just a little."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Guess I’ll have to rent a parking space.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I didn’t know how that was done. Figuring that I could ask Miiko about it, I went home."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "* Editor’s note: The fact that “Muimi” can mean senseless is reinforced by her sister being impossible."
}
]
| Officially Translated Light Novels_Zaregoto_Zaregoto-Volume-02-The-Kubishime-Romanticist-[Vertical][Kobo] | p_0038.txt |
[
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Strangulation 1"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Whoa. Is that Mikoko over there?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Yup, that’s right. Long time no see, Ikkun."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Uhhh, oh. I get it. This is a dream."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Ahaha. You catch on quick, Ikkun. I guess that’s about what you’d expect from such a realist. Or are you a romanticist? Or maybe you’re a classicist. Half and half, maybe. And one-third pessimist."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I’m not sure that adds up."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Hey, you’re not really Mikoko, are you?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Oops. You got me. Well, who do you think I am?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Beats me. Who?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "You decide. It’s your dream, after all."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Okay, you’re Tomoe, then."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Why do you think that? You might be wrong. I could be Kunagisa or Aikawa or Muimi or Akiharu or Miiko or Suzunashi or anyone else."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I can talk to everyone else whenever I want. I can’t talk to you. You’re the only person I want to talk to that I can’t."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Liar. You know there are others."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "No, no, no. I don’t want to talk to them anymore."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Okay, fine. If you say so. Well then, let’s talk. Let’s discuss all the things we didn’t get to that day."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Really? Okay, sure. In that case, there’s one question I’ve wanted to ask you."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Are you filled with hatred?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "For the person who killed me? The answer is just as you thought─not even a little bit. We talked about it that day, didn’t we? I want to be reborn. It was myself that I hated. I don’t think of my death as unfortunate in the slightest."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Sounds like you’re just saying that."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Well, sure. Anything you put into words sounds that way. Hey, Ikkun, do you ever read mystery novels?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I don’t read much in general. I used to, but now I just do it when I need to kill time. But I basically know what detective fiction is like."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I see. I’m a big fan. I’ll read any fiction, but mysteries are my favorite. They’re easy to understand. But one thing I don’t like is how they always put so much emphasis on the criminal’s motives. I know you must need a pretty good reason to do something like kill a person. After all, the risk is so high."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Yeah. A peer of mine said so, too. The risk is high, but the return is low. Of course, he’s no longer human and can only prove his selfhood by killing others."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "But you know, Ikkun, a motive is nothing more than an excuse. It’s just pleading your case. When you think about it, it all comes down to the individual’s values. Do you know this saying? “A gentleman kills not for himself, but for justice and for the sake of others.” But hang on a second there. What does that mean, for the sake of others? What is justice? I don’t know the answer."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I don’t know, either. Sounds like a form of self-justification. I don’t know what your killer was thinking. Or maybe I just don’t want to know."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Why not?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Because it doesn’t feel premeditated at all. I can’t say the same for sure about how Mikoko died, but in your case it’s like everything was totally uncalculated. Like your death was improvised."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Yeah, maybe. But does it matter? I’m not angry about it, and I’m not sad that I’m dead, either. Really, I’m not lying. I’m not the least bit resentful."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "And so now you’re going to be reborn as Mikoko?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "But she’s dead too."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She is, isn’t she?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "How do you feel about that? Your own case aside, how do you feel about the culprit who sent Mikoko to her death? No resentment there either?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Not really, I have to say."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Isn’t that a little cold? You were friends, weren’t you?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It’s a little funny hearing that word from you of all people."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I’ve got a friend, too."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Kunagisa? Or could it be Miiko? I know it’s not Muimi or Akiharu. It must be the same for you, Ikkun, but I’m unable to feel sad even when a friend dies. I know how to be sad, but I just can’t seem to set foot into that realm. My absolute store of emotions must be meager."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I can’t say I don’t understand."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Maybe it’s distrust toward human beings? Like I’ve suffered some fatal wound and can’t trust others. If you’ve ever faced persecution, you’ll never believe in another human being for the rest of your life."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I think you’re going too far there."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "You don’t think that."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Yes, I do."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "No, you don’t."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Okay, I don’t."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "You choose not to trust people if you know just how much human beings love to discriminate. Japanese do in particular. Let’s say your friend is being persecuted by your group. It’s one versus many. Obviously, the right thing to do is to stick up for your friend. But most people don’t. They side with the group. Human beings crave allies. They don’t even care who these allies are. All that matters is being allies, and having allies, and what kind of group it is doesn’t matter at all. You could say it doesn’t have any meaning or value. And once you realize this cruel fact, it’s impossible to trust anyone. For example, do you have a family, Ikkun?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "If I didn’t, I wouldn’t exist."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "That’s not what I mean."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Yeah, they’re alive and well. They should be in Kobe or thereabouts. We haven’t seen each other in years, though. Now that you mention it, Mikoko once told me that I didn’t seem like the type to honor my parents. True enough. I haven’t seen them since junior high. You probably could call me a bad son."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Sounds like your household has some issues."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Nah, not really. Not at all. In fact, we didn’t have any problems. If I’d been aware of any to speak of, I probably wouldn’t have turned out this way. What about you? Do you have a family?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Umm, I just can’t think of them that way. That’s why I picked a college that was far away and rented a room. Apparently, Mikoko and the others were facing similar circumstances."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "You mean you couldn’t trust even your own families?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Yeah, that’s it. Not even yourself, to top it off. I don’t remember who said, “There’s nothing sure in this world,” but that’s about what it feels like. Like this delicate world might crumble away at the slightest nudge. But in reality, that isn’t the world, but myself."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Sounds like you’re a defective product."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "You said it. I mean, think about it. Would you define as normal someone who’s never cried since the day she was born? I can smile, but is that enough to call me a proper human being?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I’m the same way. I used to try to write it off as individuality."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "What about now?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Not now. Individuality can go eat some shit. Being different isn’t a good thing. Anyone who’s ever thought about what being radically different means in a herd wouldn’t mouth such nonsense. People talk about the elect, geniuses that leave their mark on history. Most of them are probably totally messed up. Still, they’re ordinary people. Not a breed apart by any means. They’re ordinary, yet broken. But Tomoe. From what you’re saying, it sounds like you didn’t trust Muimi, Akiharu, and Mikoko, either, and didn’t have any faith in them."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Yeah. I won’t deny that. Actually, I’ll confirm it. Ikkun, at least you wouldn’t misunderstand, and the fact is that it makes you feel inferior. You know what a nice girl Mikoko is. Akiharu’s a good guy, too, and Muimi is the rare type nowadays who’s loyal to her friends. Not being able to trust them or, try as I might, wholeheartedly think of them as friends makes me feel filthy. They’ve shown me so much love, and I can’t give anything back."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I understand. You start to feel guilty."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Yeah. So it’s good that a defective product like me passed on."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "What about Mikoko?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "That’s Mikoko’s problem. It’s not anything that I, who am already dead, should be discussing. And, Ikkun, that’s not really what you want to ask now, is it?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I dunno… There were a ton of things I wanted to talk about. No, actually there were only a few. By which I mean there was just one."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Go ahead."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Is it okay for me to be alive?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Ahh… Now, that’s a fine question."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Do I, a specimen in a colony called humanity who doesn’t benefit the whole, have a right to live?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "That happens to be a vital issue for me too. But I died, so it doesn’t concern me. Well. Well…in regards to that question, I only have one word for you."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Huh. Tell me."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It’s “ ”─"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Pipip pipip pipip pipip."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I awoke to an unpleasant electronic noise."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Ahh, I groaned and got up. Not from my futon, but directly off the floor where I’d been sleeping."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "What an awful dream. It was hopelessly arbitrary, and so self-indulgent that it made me disgusted with myself. I thought I comprehended Tomoe’s inner psyche after less than an hour of talking to her?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "And yet I couldn’t shake the odd feeling that all that had been the truth."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What the hell am I doing holding forth against dead people?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Could it be that I was still regretful? Pipip pipip pipip pipip─In other words─pipip pipip pipip pipip─even now, I─pipip pipip pipip pipip─"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Nah, let’s set that aside for now."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "It wasn’t my alarm clock but my cell phone’s ringtone. Still on its default setting because I despised musical ones, this noise was plenty grating too, I mused, and pressed talk."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yes, hello?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Hm. No answer. But I could sense breathing on the other end. Maybe the signal was weak."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hello? Can you hear me?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hello-o? Can you hear my voice? Not so much?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Strange. Maybe my phone itself was broken. After all, I’d forgotten to take it out of my pants at the laundromat the other day. But modern electronics weren’t so fragile. In which case, maybe it was a crank call."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“If you don’t say anything, I’m gonna go ahead and hang up. You want me to do that?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "With a nostalgic glow that hardly suited the moment, I recalled the time Mikoko had called and gotten all flustered thinking she had the wrong number."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Okay, I’m hanging up. Commencing countdown. Five, four, three, two─”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“… ”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Whoa. I heard a voice, but it was too soft to make out the words."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I’m sorry, I couldn’t catch that. Could you repeat that, please?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“…Kamogawa Park.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I’m sorry? Kamogawa?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“… I’ll be waiting at Kamogawa Park …”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "A vanishingly faint soundwave that the human eardrum just barely registered─I couldn’t even tell if it was a man or a woman or an adult or a child. Since there was no discernible intonation, I couldn’t determine what, if any, emotion the caller was attempting to convey."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I’m sorry? Please say that again. Or actually, who is this?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The voice said only that, and the call ended."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I tossed the phone on the floor, stood up, and stretched my arms up toward the ceiling. It was low enough that I could reach it if I tried. Who lived above me again? Oh, right, the fifteen-year-old brother and thirteen-year-old sister. Those two shared a closeness that put a smile on your face. Well, they were doing their best to survive, so maybe that wasn’t an appropriate reaction."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The apartment building was three stories tall, with two rooms per floor, meaning there were a total of six rooms, a pair of which was currently vacant. The brother and sister upstairs lived next to an old hermit. He was into Christianity, which meant he clashed quite a bit with Miiko with her taste for Japonica, but by no means were they enemies. Both rooms on the first floor were unoccupied, but the landlord said someone would be coming in next month. Even a place like this had a pretty impressive draw of tenants."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“…End of looking away from reality.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I plopped down on the floor and picked up the phone I’d tossed. Checking the history, I discovered that, sure enough, the call was from an unknown number. Time to think about this."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Kamogawa Park… There’s only one.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The caller would be waiting there? All right, fine. That was fine, for now. The problem was what came next, when I asked for a name. What was the answer?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Mikoko… It must mean that Mikoko.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "No one else had a bizarre name like shrine maiden child. But at the same time, it couldn’t have been Mikoko. She was dead. If dead people could use phones, the whole telecom infrastructure would’ve gone to hell in a handbasket long ago."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "With only so much info, it did no good to give this further thought. It’s more like losing myself in thought, I joked to myself but ended up feeling a little hollow."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I deleted the call from the phone’s history and checked the time on the LCD display."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Eleven thirty at night. Wednesday, May twenty-fifth."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Um. How had I spent the day again?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I seemed to remember waking up before noon. Then I’d gone out to visit Kunagisa, run into Akiharu, inherited Mikoko’s Vespa, returned home to ask Miiko about parking spaces, gotten frustrated by the hassle, and gone to bed in a huff."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“In a huff? What’s wrong with me?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "What was I, a little kid?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Anyway, that was around two in the afternoon. Since I had no recollection of the time in between, I must have slept for nearly ten hours. That was enough to make even Sleeping Beauty pull a face. I’d been awake for less than three of the twenty-four hours in May twenty-fifth."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I’ve been sleeping like mad lately…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Anyway, my phone had rung. A bizarre, garbled call with no context, just words. I didn’t get its point, or rather, its point was the only thing I got."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Now… The question here is what to do.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I had two options, more or less. I could obey and head down to Kamogawa Park or ignore the request. Common sense argued for the latter, but I didn’t have a lick of common sense. Besides, I couldn’t just sit there when the caller had uttered that name. It didn’t take long for me to reach a decision."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I washed my face and changed out of my roomwear."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I was almost missing this nonsense.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I left a note and exited the building. I straddled the Vespa, which was going to be parked illegally in a nearby alley until I could rent a space. I could’ve just walked, but Kamogawa Park was a bit far. The caller hadn’t designated a specific meeting time, but I figured the sooner the better."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I turned east onto Imadegawa and drove straight ahead. Still, I wondered, returning to my train of thought, what was that dream all about? I don’t believe or disbelieve in ghosts or souls or the afterlife. I’ve had my share of inexplicable experiences, and I’m not so stubborn as to refuse to give any credence to things I don’t know firsthand. Having said that, this wasn’t classical literature, so another person’s will couldn’t have entered my dream. It had been my consciousness, and mine alone."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Lingering attachments? Wishful thinking?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Either way, it was only an illusion. Nothing to lose sleep over, so to speak. The crucial detail was that it wasn’t Mikoko but Tomoe who appeared in my dream. That was no doubt criminal of me."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Face your crimes. That’s your punishment.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I think it was Suzunashi who’d told me so one day in February. She was no psychic, but she saw right through me. She was the kind of woman who commanded respect but never made you feel inferior. Perhaps that was a rare thing."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I passed Horikawa, Torimaru, and Kawara-machi and eventually arrived in Kamogawa. Even if it was the middle of the night, I couldn’t just ride a scooter through a park. I left the Vespa by the bridge and headed down to the riverbank, also known as Kamogawa Park."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Ahh…what now?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Kamogawa Park, in reality, represented a ridiculously enormous area. It wasn’t spacious, exactly, just long. And the opposite side of the river was considered part of it. There wasn’t an idiot in all of Kyoto who arranged a meeting here without specifying the street."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Well, whatever.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I didn’t have to take a random call like that too seriously. I began walking along the river in the direction of the current. According to my watch, it was past midnight. It was Thursday, May twenty-sixth. It occurred to me that there wasn’t much left to the month of May. Come to think of it, Zerozaki had nearly killed me by this very river, under the Shijo Bridge if I remembered correctly. At the time, neither Tomoe nor Mikoko had died yet."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "That felt like ages ago. And I didn’t think it was just my imagination."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I looked behind me. It was hard to tell because it was so dark, but there didn’t seem to be anyone else. Yet I’d felt something."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "A gaze."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I had felt it in the afternoon, too, when I was with Akiharu. He’d said it might be Mikoko’s ghost, but what was a more realistic possibility? The most likely explanation was that the police had sent someone to tail me. After all, I was still a suspect in the deaths of both Tomoe and Mikoko."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“But come on, at this hour?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Besides, there was no reason for them to sneak around. So on to the next possibility. A mysterious call, and somebody’s gaze when I arrived at the location─there was really only one possibility."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "A bit more alert now, I kept walking. The strange gaze seemed to vanish, however. It was around Maruta-machi Street that I began to feel like a doofus. What the hell was I doing here?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Time to go home.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I climbed back up the embankment onto the road. I crossed the bridge to the other side of the river and descended to the park below. I thought it would be a nice change of scenery if I switched sides for the walk back. Looking out at the river, I saw some ducks swimming around. I suspected for a moment that “Kamo-gawa” had been named after some ducks in the river─what a lame sensibility─but the truth couldn’t be so inane."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I thought about hurrying back to my apartment and getting to bed but realized I had just slept. Since I’d come out, it might not be a bad idea to take the Vespa for a spin around Kyoto. I could hug the river and drive all the way to Maizuru. I needed to get used to my newly acquired vehicle, and it would kill time."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Even as I pondered this, I walked on, and upon approaching Imadegawa Street, I spotted ahead of me a shadowy figure sitting on the ground. A bicycle lay on its side nearby. It wasn’t clear in the dark, but it looked like the figure wasn’t just sitting but had fallen. It lay motionless with its back to me. I wondered if it was a sleeping homeless person, but in that case there’d be no bike. Perhaps someone had gone drinking out in Kiya-machi and suffered a cycling mishap while heading home through the park. Though I had little sympathy, I couldn’t just leave her there. The long, black hair had me thinking it was a woman."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Are you all right?” I called out, but received no reply."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It almost seemed like the person was dead. Well, it was a definite possibility. Falling off a bike could kill you if you have a bad landing, and all the more if you’re drunk. I seriously considered passing on by, but it just didn’t seem right, so I ran over and tapped the figure on the shoulder."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Are you all right?” I checked one more time."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She didn’t move an inch."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Are you all right?” I asked a third time, and decided I should at least turn her onto her back."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The instant I gave the shoulders a tug, the figure, which had been completely still until now, flipped over with incredible nimbleness and sprayed some kind of mist in my face."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I tried to spring backward, but my timing was off. A dull pain assailed my left cheek. By the time I realized I’d been struck, I’d been slammed down without a chance to soften the fall and lay supine on the riverbank."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "My attacker stood up."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Crap, whether it was being struck in the face or the mist, my vision wouldn’t focus. What the hell was this stuff? My eyes didn’t hurt enough for it to be Mace. Coaxing my unsteady body, I tried to push myself up with my left hand, but the attacker closed in mercilessly. I gave up on that idea and began rolling, spinning more times than was necessary to evade my opponent. When I was about thirty feet away, I rose up on one knee."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The shadow stood still before me. On the tall side, with a build… No. I couldn’t see well. My vision wasn’t recovering. Nor was it the only thing that was uncertain. My feet, my knees, and my head were just as bad, and I thought I might collapse any second. It wasn’t that I felt sick. It was more like slipping into something. Yes. Put crudely, I felt…"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The knee supporting me crumpled."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "An anesthetic spray… And this wasn’t your ordinary anti-pervert concoction, but some high-powered, fast-acting stuff. Not only my eyes, but all of my physical faculties had been disabled. Maybe in America, but I didn’t think I’d ever face (alas, literally) its variety in Japan."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "My assailant approached me, one step at a time. Even with my increasingly blurry vision, I could make out the knife in the person’s right hand. A knife. Hitoshiki Zerozaki. Kyoto Prowler. I was starting to feel confused."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Who, or why─that didn’t matter right now. Even with my mind all fogged up, I knew how catastrophic falling asleep at this moment would be. It equaled death, or a comparable outcome."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Dammit. This was no time to be dallying, but I was instinctively averse to the idea of hurting myself. I couldn’t help but hesitate. My attacker accosted me at a leisurely pace. Naturally, since I’d be asleep in no time. I knew this was my one and only chance."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Right hand or left?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I deliberated for only a moment before deciding on the right. “Geez, am I some kind of ascetic?” I gripped my right thumb with my left hand and, after wavering for just one more second, pulled as hard as I could in the wrong direction."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“NGHIGHAAaaaaaaaaaaH!” A scream that even I found grating reverberated through Kamogawa Park."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "It was now either broken or dislocated. Either way, my drowsiness had cleared up. My vision and physical functionality awakening, I recollected myself all at once. It felt as though my whole body was made up of nerve endings. I stood up to confront my foe."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "My attacker was clad all in black, down to a black ski mask and black leather gloves. No hair was visible. The long black hair I’d seen before had been a wig. Although my vision had been restored, my attacker was still hard to make out against the dark background. This was why I’d thought of a shadow at first. It was definitely the right attire for ambushing people. Far more like a serial killer than Zerozaki, far more the slasher."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Dammit…who are you?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "There was no reply, of course. All I could hear was creepy breathing. Whoever it was pointed the knife at me and slowly closed in. I didn’t have a single item that might be used as a weapon, and I’d left my cell phone in my room. I couldn’t even call for help."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Well, you gotta do what you gotta do…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I got into a fighting stance and closed in from my end. Evidently surprised by this, Dark Garb came a second late with the knife. I attempted to deal a palm strike to the jaw, which surely missed as my opponent leapt backward and brandished the knife again."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The next to make a move, Dark Garb lunged at me with the knife. But the motion belonged to a novice. This person was nothing compared to Zerozaki, so dodging was a simple task. However, as I twisted my body, my right thumb brushed my side. Intense pain shot through me."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I regretted breaking it. I could have just torn a nail off or something. Or, if I had to, I should have picked my pinky. Why did I go for my thumb? Was I a fool? I needed to know my limits."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Dark Garb didn’t let the opportunity slip away and gave me a hard shove. Already off balance, I fell and was once more on my back. Without sparing a second, my opponent mounted me. I reminisced with inappropriate serenity that the same thing had happened last month. How had I dealt with the situation then?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Without giving me a moment to think, the knife came down. It was aimed directly at my face─no, my carotid artery. I used every ounce of strength left in me to move my head to the right, mostly avoiding the blade. It managed to slice through a single layer of skin. I noticed that I was bleeding. Dark Garb pulled the knife back out from the riverbank it had lodged into and readied another swing."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Just as I thought there was no escape this time, the upraised hand came to a halt. Looking down at me as if to observe me, my assailant tossed the knife away."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I had no time to contemplate what that action meant because a fist plunged into my face. The same cheek as before, the left. The next moment, my opposite cheek accepted a similar blow. Next, three strikes to the left cheek. Then the right again. Without so much as a wink of a pause, the attacker sustained an endless barrage of punches to my face."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I’d long since stopped thinking that it hurt."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I could feel my brain rattling."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Suddenly, the pummeling ceased."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "But it didn’t take long for me to learn that this was no act of mercy. Dark Garb clamped both hands around my left shoulder. It was easy to guess what the plan was. I tried to resist, but my body wouldn’t listen. That paralyzing spray had eaten its way into my core. Coupled with the pain, I was sure to pass out any minute."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The deathly pain that shot through my left shoulder along with a terrible cracking sound jarred me back to a fully conscious state. My tormentor had dislocated my shoulder without the slightest consideration and moreover began to pound away at it."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I let out a beastly shriek. I’d never known my vocal cords were so powerful."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "What was up with this joker, anyway? What was all this for? It didn’t seem to be about killing me. This wasn’t homicide but pure destruction. To this person, I was nothing more than an object to be dismantled. Something to be pulled apart like a chain-link puzzle."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Next, my assailant went for the right shoulder."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I resisted, mobilizing every last bit of my regained consciousness. I raised up half my body, shook off the attacker’s grip, made a fist, and swung it right into the heart. The impact was strangely unsatisfying as if I’d punched a magazine. That black shirt seemed to conceal some kind of protective gear."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Having gripped my broken thumb in the process, I couldn’t use my right arm anymore. Dark Garb brushed it aside like it was nothing and reached for the shoulder again."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I wasn’t lucid enough to shake this off a second time. I heard a dull, cracking sound as if from a great distance, but the pain was right there with me. The tortuous sensations conveyed to my mind from both my shoulders were attaining heights that no numbing of the brain could downplay."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Then, just like before, the attacker pounded the newly dislocated joint─and from there, as if exacting revenge, went straight for my heart. The sound of creaking bone. The shock spread to my disconnected shoulders, a dull pain following an instant behind."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Khak… Haa…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "My mouth opened on its own, seeking oxygen. Devastating damage had been dealt to my lungs as well by the strikes’ impact. Whether that had been the aim or not, it made for a prime opening. My attacker gripped my face by the jaw. Hey, now, hey, are you serious? That’s the most painful thing you can do to a person. But there was no time to make inquiries. I thought I ought to chomp down on the fingers, but I let myself hesitate."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Dark Garb yanked my jaw forcefully. There was an almost delightful krik, a lighter sound than my shoulders popping, but the pain was incomparable, severe. Then, as had become the routine, swift uppercuts visited my dislocated jaw."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "No voice came out of me. I couldn’t even be bothered to scream anymore."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Allow me to correct myself."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "This was homicide. Destroying me didn’t do. It was clear now that my assailant intended to pummel me, and my existence, to death. The idea was to make me suffer and then kill me."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "To dismantle me, piece by piece."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Most likely pondering how to inflict the next dose of agony, Dark Garb gave it a rest before grabbing my limp right arm by the wrist, holding it up, and gripping the thumb."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "My already broken thumb."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I heard a chuckle."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "It chilled my very marrow."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Someone who could beat and torture you this much and still have a good laugh."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "There was nothing as fearsome and terrifying to me in the world."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“… ……”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Muttering something I couldn’t make out, Dark Garb released my thumb in favor of my index finger. I could tell that the plan was to snap it. And not only my index finger. My middle finger, ring finger, pinky, then my left hand. Would my legs come next? Maybe it was going to be every bone in my body. Then my flesh would be torn apart. And only after I was thoroughly wrecked would I be murdered."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I had already lost the will to fight back. In fact, I didn’t even know why I’d tried. I could have just let the spray put me to sleep at the outset. Then at least I wouldn’t have tasted all this suffering. Breaking my own thumb, what a joke. Then again, this pain would have awoken me. I would have lived through torture either way. The outcome would have been the same. I had simply taken a different route. This was just like last time─a farce enacted with preestablished harmony."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I felt like I was watching myself from afar."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Watching myself about to be killed, from the opposite side of the river."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Watching this─"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "What was on my mind?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "come on, really now."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "so ridiculous."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "trivial and pointless."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "such nonsense─"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Whattaya doing over theeeeeeeere!”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "A thunderous howl."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "My vacant eyes turned to the direction of the voice─the opposite bank. But no one was there anymore. The boyish form had stepped into the river’s flow and was charging this way."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I didn’t even have to wonder who it was."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I knew him as well as myself."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Hitoshiki Zerozaki."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Hitoshiki Zerozaki, hollering, leapt out of the river and dashed up the bank. Dark Garb seemed momentarily startled by this invader, but after assessing the situation, released my finger and backed away from my body. Aware, no doubt, that Zerozaki wasn’t an opponent you could take on from a sitting position."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "With a bit of distance remaining in between, Zerozaki hurled a single drawing knife. This wasn’t intended to score a hit but to force the attacker to stay away from me. Having arrived on this side of the river, Zerozaki inserted himself between us as though to shield me. Dark Garb went for the knife tossed aside earlier and brandished it defensively at Zerozaki."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Phew…” Zerozaki exhaled deeply as if to calm his breathing. “Don’t be getting bullied, man. You almost seemed ecstatic,” he teased."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I thought about saying something in response, but with my jaw dislocated, it was impossible."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Well, whatever. I guess you’re the one I should be talking to.” Zerozaki faced Dark Garb. “So what’s your deal? You probably don’t want to hear this from me, but you know you’re committing a crime? Assault and battery, attempted murder. Are you even aware? That there are things you mustn’t do?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "There were any number of quips I could make, but I kept my mouth shut, or rather, open."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Dark Garb took a step backward, apparently intimidated by this enigmatic threat, Zerozaki, who was all casual confidence─or even utter lack of caution at this point."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hmm. The defective product here has some pretty nasty wounds, and this situation… Right now, I’m unable to kill people openly. So if you want to run away, feel free,” Zerozaki said after a moment’s thought."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Dark Garb took another step back and seemed to be sizing up the intruder and deciding what to do."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What’s the matter? I’m telling you I’ll let you go, so hurry up and get lost. Quickly now.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "No response."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Zerozaki let out a deliberate sigh. “If you still want to do this, I’ll humor you until you breathe your last. I’ll love you to bits before you even feel anything. I’m not such a nice guy that I’d show mercy to someone who’s begging to be killed. But, hey, you’ll get to be lucky number thirteen. I’ll chop you up and line up the pieces for public viewing.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "That did it."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Dark Garb spun around and dashed away in the direction of Imadegawa."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Keheheh, go on, go on.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Laughing merrily, Zerozaki turned towards me. His good old tattooed face entered my field of vision only to go blurry an instant later. It seemed the anesthetizing effects of the spray were kicking in for real."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hm? Hey, don’t doze off on me. At least give me your address first.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "He grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me. Since they were both dislocated, this hurt like a bitch, but by now I couldn’t care less. “Ahhh…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "With the last few drops of my consciousness, and through a dislocated jaw, I provided my address."
}
]
| Officially Translated Light Novels_Zaregoto_Zaregoto-Volume-02-The-Kubishime-Romanticist-[Vertical][Kobo] | p_0039.txt |
[
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Strangulation 1"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "My next memory starts at around nine in the morning on Friday the twenty-seventh."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yo. Morning, sunshine.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Zerozaki was right by my pillow. I looked at his face in a daze, having no idea what was going on. He, on the other hand, seemed relaxed, and genuinely happy that I’d woken up."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Man, this place is incredible. It was impossible to find from that address, and the residents are weird. I went to borrow some bandages and stuff from the lady next door, and she wasn’t even surprised by my face. That’s a first. But I’m glad you’re awake. You must’ve been pretty sleep-deprived, huh? You’ve been through a lot.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Um…” As soon as I planted down my right hand to prop myself up, a sharp pain ran through it, and I reflexively pulled it away with an “Agh!” I began to fall back down but managed to catch myself with my left arm."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Nice one, man. It’s broken, you know. Your thumb, I mean. I jammed your jaw and shoulders back in place best I could, but there’s nothing I can do about a broken bone. I did some emergency first aid, but I think you’ll probably want to go to the hospital later.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Looking at my right hand, I saw that my thumb had been stabilized with pieces of metal, wires, and a large amount of bandages. Though far from orthodox, it did seem to be the proper treatment. I could also feel something strange on my face. It seemed my jaw had also been plastered into place with gauze and band-aids. Zerozaki must have watched over me while I was sleeping."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Thank you,” I expressed my gratitude."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Forget about it.” He waved a hand at me irritably. “But your right thumb, that sucks. It’s gonna make life hard,” he insinuated with a chuckle. I guess another man’s misfortune tastes like honey even if you’re a serial killer."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“No worries. I’m ambidextrous.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I used to be left-handed, but I corrected it and became right-handed. But I hated this teacher who tried to tell me, ‘The chopsticks go in your right hand,’ so I switched back out of spite. That was in third grade.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah, sorry.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I made an effort to return myself to full consciousness. I usually got up just fine, but my head was swimming."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hey, by the way, where’s the Vespa?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Huh? What?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Ah, nothing.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It was probably still sitting abandoned by the bridge in Imadegawa. I just had to go retrieve it at some point. If it hadn’t been towed away, that is. More importantly, I was impressed, even amazed, that Zerozaki had carried me all the way here on foot with his small frame. He had some serious stamina."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Meanwhile, he didn’t seem to think anything of it. Looking far from fatigued, he asked, “But what the hell was that? I can’t believe this clumsy oaf got the better of you while you and I ended in a standoff.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "His reasoning was a little sketchy. “That thing with you was special. Yeah, well…” I lifted myself up, taking care not to do anything to my thumb. “Yesterday… Oh, I guess day before yesterday? I got a call saying to come to Kamogawa Park. In retrospect, it was an obvious trap, but anyway, I fell for it. And that was the result.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Wow. What are you, an idiot?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Indeed. “I know it was dumb,” I said. “But let me ask you something. Why are you still in Kyoto? Didn’t you leave?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Huh? How do you know?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“The killings stopped.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Ah, right, that. Yeah, I did leave for a while. I got attacked by some weird lady in red. She was like this crazy maniac on neurochemicals. I hit her with my bike and she kept coming at me like it was nothin’. It’s a liter bike, man. What the hell kind of circuits are her body made of? Anyway, she was dead set on catching me, and I’d had enough of her, so I fled to Osaka. Then she came after me. So I returned to Kyoto cuz you know what they say, it’s darkest right under the lighthouse. Anyway, the day I came back, I was trudging around when I heard a howling like a whipped dog, and being the card-carrying dog lover that I am, I couldn’t just sit around and listen to that, so I ran toward the voice only to find that it was you getting your ass handed to you by that thing in black.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“So that’s what happened. I gotcha.” He’d rattled out the second half awfully fast as if he’d gotten tired of explaining, but I did get the point. Basically, it was just luck. Or you could say Dark Garb was unlucky."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Man, who the hell was that red lady, anyway? I thought I had run into a villain called The Crimson Cape.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“That was Aikawa,” I told him. It wasn’t my way of thanking him, it was just that it seemed unfair to give Aikawa info on him and then not show him the same courtesy. Then again, I wasn’t sure a guy like me should be using a word like unfair."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Aikawa?” Zerozaki’s tattoo twisted with suspicion. “Did you just say Aikawa? You mean that was Jun Aikawa?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Oh, you know her. I don’t have to bother explaining, then.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Nah, I just heard about her from the Guvnor, that’s all… Dammit, why, of all people, did it have to be Jun Aikawa?” Zerozaki clicked his tongue in annoyance. “No wonder I was no match.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Is she famous or something?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“She’s infamous. Do you have any idea what they call her? Sturm and Drang, Mighty Chevalier, Laughing Red Tigress, Hermit Slayer, Desert Eagle… They strictly forbid me from having anything to do with her.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You forgot one.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Humanity’s Strongest Contractor.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Zerozaki fell silent. His expression was more serious than I’d ever seen him. Confronted with an opponent like that Jun Aikawa, even he couldn’t take it easy. “Shit, man, this is not good. Too much of a riot…” he muttered with a solemn nod and rose to his feet. “Okay, I’m off.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What? Already?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah. I shouldn’t be lingering about. It looks like I’ve got some things to think over. There’s nothing to do here anyway, and you’re in no shape to be talking at length. Besides, I’m a wanted man, you know, according to the police. I can’t stick around in one place for too long.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Ah, okay.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "This was all true. Giving Aikawa a description of him also made the police authorities his enemy. For Zerozaki, spending a whole day in my room was already stepping into the red zone."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What if you just turned yourself in?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Not a bad idea, but I’m gonna pass on that,” he said with a grin. “Just be sure you take care of your problems. I saw it in the paper and all. That Aoii girl you were talking about got killed, right?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Looks like we’ve both got some shit to sort out.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yup, what a hassle.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Same here. But hey, these are the tracks we’re riding. Anyway, that’s it for me.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“We probably won’t ever meet again. This time,” I said."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Zerozaki laughed. “I’ll bet. Farewell.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "With that, he made his exit. Left behind in my room, I returned to my futon and lay down. He had either done a fine job of taking care of me, or my wounds hadn’t been that bad to begin with, because I hardly felt any pain. Even so, I needed to go to the hospital for the broken bone."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Right now, though, I felt sleepy. Was the anesthetic still active? No, that didn’t seem plausible. So this was just regular old drowsiness. Why had I been sleeping so much lately?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Ah, I get it. I was lying down but wasn’t sleeping.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "At last, I had reached my limit. Deciding to put off going to the hospital until after I had slept, I shut my eyes. I was getting myself in too deep. I kept trying not to think about Tomoe and Mikoko, but hadn’t succeeded. That dream was proof. In the end, the cases stayed unresolved in my mind."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "For now, I just needed rest. The phone call, Black Garb, I would cope with all of that after I woke up."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "And yet."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I wasn’t even allowed to go to bed. I heard knocking, and a voice. I got up and hobbled over to the door. When I opened it, Zerozaki had returned."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What? Forget something?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Sort of. I was going to tell you one more thing.” He entered the room and sat down cross-legged. I returned to my futon where I remained sitting up."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“So, what is it? You made such a big show of leaving.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What do you want me to do, it slipped my mind. Now, check your phone.” He pointed at my device, which still lay on the floor."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah? Why?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You got a few calls while you were sleeping.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Huh. Around what time?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Just this morning. It kept going peepeepeep. So annoying. Isn’t that what woke you up?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I took a look at the phone’s call history as I listened to Zerozaki. A familiar number─but whose?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Ah, Sasaki,” I remembered. The number belonged to Detective Sasaki Sasa, who was in the midst of a hard slog. Between eight and nine o’clock that morning, my phone had received seven calls from her number. “I wonder what she wants.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I didn’t pick up, so don’t ask me. I shouldn’t be answering your phone, right? If you’re curious, just call her back.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I will.” I entered her number."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Who’s Sasaki again? I feel like I know that name.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I think I mentioned her that time at karaoke. The hotshot detective.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Oh, okay.” Zerozaki wore a complex expression. The word detective probably didn’t sit too well with him these days. Not that it made such a great impression on me."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The signal seemed to connect, and it continued to the dial tone. I waited a few seconds."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yes, Sasa here,” came Sasaki’s voice."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hello, it’s me.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yes. What were you doing earlier?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Nothing, just sleeping.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I see… Wonderful.” She sounded strangely calm, like she was forcing herself to be calm. Which meant she wasn’t feeling calm at all."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Sasaki, did something happen? Or is there something else you wanted to ask me?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Something did happen,” she said. “Akiharu Usami was murdered.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Usami was?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You’re sure?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Do I seem like the kind of person who would tell such a lie? This morning a friend discovered his body at school. He was strangled, just like Emoto and Aoii. I’m at the scene right now.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Now that she mentioned it, it did sound like she was trying not to attract attention or to disturb the posse there: police officers, medical examiners, and gawking onlookers, most probably."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Hadn’t he said he would be next?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Bizarrely enough, he turned out to be right."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Is that so…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "It couldn’t simply be a coincidence, though. If Akiharu had sussed out the truth, then he had some clear reason to foretell his own death. In which case, even though he saw it coming, he was murdered all the same."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I’d like to ask you some things─”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Before that,” I interrupted, “I want to ask you about Akiharu’s body. Do you mind?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Go ahead.” As if she could sense through my voice alone that I wasn’t my usual self, Sasaki made no objection. “I’ll answer anything I can.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I just have one question. Is there another ‘x over y’ left behind at the crime scene?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yes,” Sasaki softly affirmed after a pause. “But this time it’s strange. We can’t say anything for certain yet, but unlike with Emoto or Aoii, the evidence suggests it was written by the victim himself.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Himself. But why do you ask? Have you thought of something? Did you figure out what x over y means?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "No, that wasn’t it."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I’d figured out what the formula meant ages ago. In fact, at this point, it didn’t mean anything at all. That wasn’t the issue here."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“No, that’s not what I’m getting at. Okay, so should I head down to the police station later?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I’d appreciate it. What time is good for you?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Around noon…no, late in the afternoon.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Then I’ll─”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I hung up while she was talking. Otherwise, I might blab. That was how far from calm I was feeling right then. I threw my phone at the floor─a violent gesture that was quite unlike me."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hey, what are you doing?” asked Zerozaki, taken aback. “Are you stupid? Why throw your phone? The poor thing.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“It’s what they call venting,” I answered flatly. “Suppressing your anger by taking it out on an inanimate object.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah, I know that much.” Appalled, Zerozaki picked up the phone, checked to see that it wasn’t broken, and put it down away from me. “What’s the matter?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Akiharu was murdered.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Oh my God,” he remarked like this was just gossip, sounding oddly impressed. “That’s the third person, huh? Good going. When did it happen?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I don’t know when he was killed, but they just found his body. So the murder must have occurred between Wednesday afternoon and this morning.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hmm. Whatta riot. Three strangulations in just ten days or so. Crazy. Ah, but I guess I can’t say that. And the perp? Whodunit?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "He was asking me like it was just trivia."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I sputtered, “The killer? You mean the one who killed Tomoe Emoto, who killed Mikoko Aoii, who attacked me in Kamogawa Park, and now has killed Akiharu Usami?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Who else would I mean?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“It should be obvious.” My tone so cold that even I found it chilling, I spat out the name. “Obviously it’s Muimi Atemiya.”"
}
]
| Officially Translated Light Novels_Zaregoto_Zaregoto-Volume-02-The-Kubishime-Romanticist-[Vertical][Kobo] | p_0040.txt |
[
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Strangulation 1"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "You actually know, don’t you?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I don’t deserve to be complimented on my personality even now, but back in the days when everyone still referred to me as a boy, it was abnormally unpleasant. To be sure, there was a time when I thought myself highly intelligent and gifted, when I was in love with myself and naturally looked down on those around me. I believed I knew things nobody else knew and noticed things nobody else noticed, and as the years rolled by, I grew arrogant."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Is that why?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "If something puzzled me, I had to solve it right away. I was competent enough to do so, and it’s true that applying my mind to the doubt and dissolving it always felt like I’d accomplished something, like I had become somebody."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "As I continued to solve various difficult problems that arose─no, after I finished solving all of them─I found that I was left with a void."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Everybody else just went on enjoying their lives without having to do any such thing. They lived happily without having to come up with answers, or even questions, for that matter."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "They laughed, they cried, at times they got angry."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I thought this was because they were ignorant."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I thought they were all just naïvely frolicking about in a minefield. One day they would come to curse their folly."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "When they stepped on a mine and everything was over, they’d regret it."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "But I was wrong."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I was just a lonely kid in a world of my making who answered my own unsolicited questions and felt smug about it. I seriously believed that theory could supplant experience and that if I wanted, I could be happy all alone."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I went about being a boy incorrectly."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Even so, the world didn’t come to an end."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The game continued."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I was already so behind that there wasn’t even a smidgen of a chance of victory, but life went on. There was a period where I considered ending it myself, and in fact I did try to do so, but I even failed at that."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "In reality, maybe I wasn’t even a bystander."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I was a loser."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Just a sad, pathetic loser."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "And so at some point, I stopped being able to actively pursue answers to my questions. It wasn’t that I became passive, it was that I became apathetic toward the doubts themselves."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Solutions had no real point."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "If things remained vague and ambiguous and unsound, that was fine."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "In fact, that was better."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Causing real change was a role that should be left to the chosen ones, truly outstanding individuals like Humanity’s scarlet Strongest and the Blue Savant, and was never my responsibility."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It was no job for a common loser."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "No job for the teller of the tale."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Being oblivious to the mines, even if you stepped on one─that was the way to live."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Knowing about them but pretending you didn’t, and sooner or later actually forgetting about them─why not live in such a way."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Even if I’m told it’s too late, that it’s just a compromise, that I’m only pretending to be human, I still think so."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The other side of the mirror─"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Looking at a me who hadn’t failed, I thought so."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Wasn’t it simple?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "If I hadn’t failed, I would’ve been disqualified."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "If being a serial killer was the alternative, then being a loser was fine."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I’m sure he felt the same way."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "If being a loser was the alternative, then being a serial killer was fine."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Both statements were nonsense."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "They were nonsense, and a riot."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Sure. That was fine."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Everything could be that way."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The girl who asked me if I ever felt like a defective product. The girl who said she liked me. The boy who prophesied that he would be the next to die. And you, who called me clueless."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "It may not be my role to change things."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "But ending the nonsense that I’m responsible for starting is up to me indeed."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Following my style, I’ll put a clean end to this."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I jammed the stiletto knife Zerozaki had loaned me into the keyhole and jiggled it around. In about a minute, I heard the sound of the bolt unlatching. I gripped the knob and gave it a pull. The chain was up, so the door only moved an inch."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I hesitated for but a moment. I swung the knife in the gap and broke off the chain. The links were more brittle than I expected, and they scattered everywhere, one even hitting me in the face. I didn’t care. The door released from its bondage, I pulled it open and entered the room."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The spectacle inside was enough to leave me speechless."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The wallpaper was torn up and shards of dishes strewn about on the floor. Although I knew it was rude, I thought it might be dangerous to remove my shoes and entered the room with them still on. As I proceeded further, the decor only got worse. It was pure destruction. There probably wasn’t a single item in the space that remained in its original condition, no matter how small or large. Literally everything had been demolished. Clothes torn to confetti and tossed around the room. Broken furniture. Ripped-up books. A shattered television screen. A smashed computer. The sticky, stained carpet. A mirror cracked from the center in an outward wave. An overturned wastebasket. Fragments of a light bulb scattered across the floor. A hamster torn limb from limb. A pillow and a bed with the insides on the outside. Vegetables, disassembled to the point that they lost all meaning. An overturned refrigerator. The air conditioner with a giant dent in the middle. A tea table scrawled with disturbing graffiti. A cracked fish tank and dead tropical fish nearby. Writing utensils split in two without a single usable one remaining. A clock that no longer worked. A shredded-up calendar. A strangled teddy bear."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What are you doing?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Her, crouched by the window and glaring this way with cursing eyes."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Without a doubt, the most broken thing in this room was none other than her."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "No reply."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Only that dreadful gaze piercing through me."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Her hair, that long, brown sauvage, had been diced up into something hideous."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Looking a little closer, I saw that remnants of that hair were strewn around the room. I never believed that hair was a girl’s life, as they say, but there was something terrifying about it all the same."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "This was completely her domain."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "A barrier barely maintaining its balance and threatening to break down any minute."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "There was malediction in the air, all of it directed towards me. Muimi’s death glare wasn’t the only thing piercing through me. Everything in this thoroughly wrecked room was sending ill will, enmity, hostility, and malice at me."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It felt like the world itself had become my adversary."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Could you not glare at me like that?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Shut up,” she said in a deep voice. “Why are you here? How dare you?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Relax. I’m not here to save you or anything. I’m not that good a guy, and I’m no protagonist.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I used my right foot to clear a path in the debris on the floor and sat down across from Muimi. Right next to me was her destroyed cell phone."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Aha. I see. So that’s why Sasaki couldn’t get a hold of you. She might come here directly at some point. Time’s wasting.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Why are you here?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Basically I’ve already figured it out,” I deadpanned on purpose. Of course there was the fact that getting on her nerves now wasn’t the best course of action, but I also couldn’t speak in any other way in my current state. “You could say my imagination did most of the work. But there are some things I just can’t seem to figure out. I wonder if you’d be willing to tell me.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I’ll take your silence as a yes.” I paused for a moment. “I’ve got it down as far as the part where you attacked me. But why did you kill Akiharu? That’s what I don’t get.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“There should have been no reason for you to kill him.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Hahahahahahaha, Muimi started laughing madly all of a sudden. She was laughing unfeelingly. Just laughing mindlessly."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Laughingly mad."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“With those wounds,” she reminded, glaring at me. “You must be stupid setting foot in here with those wounds. Nobody’s gonna come to your rescue here. Or is your knight in shining armor waiting outside?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Oh… Nope. That guy’s showing up the other day was just a coincidence to begin with. Don’t worry about him,” I said, recalling that night’s events. I touched my thumb and the gauze on my face. Of course my shoulders and jaw were still far from fully recovered. I was in no state to be confronting anyone. “Speaking just to that, at first I wasn’t sure. Dark Garb was wearing a knit ski mask and couldn’t have had long hair. So I thought it might not be you, but now that I see you’ve cut your hair, I’m convinced. I don’t suppose that was why you cut it?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Don’t flatter yourself.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Fair enough, I shrugged."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You’re just a more cautious guy than I expected,” she explained. “You notice when you’re being tailed. And I couldn’t attack you in your apartment because it’s such a run-down dump with paper-thin walls.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah, the perfect environment, isn’t it?” I tried my hand at Aikawaesque sarcasm but couldn’t really pull it off. “Using Mikoko’s name to lure me out was a big no-no, though. Not a very clean method.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Don’t you ever speak that name.” She shot me the devil’s glare. “You have no right.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hey, thanks.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I don’t want to talk to you, but I’ll ask you one thing. Why’d you reject Mikoko?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I didn’t really reject her…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She slammed her arm into the wall as hard as she could. The entire room seemed to shake, and I sensed no concern on her part for her own wellbeing. That merciless fist─it wasn’t like she had hit me, but it sent a shiver up my back."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Even the serial killer was preferable as an opponent to this destructor."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Why? Why couldn’t you reciprocate her emotions? It’s not like it was a lot to ask. Why couldn’t you do something that simple? Why couldn’t you do at least that much?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I asked my question first. I’d like an answer. I’ll repeat it as many times as I need to. Why did you kill Akiharu? There was no reason for that. Everything else is clear, but that alone is still completely hazy. I said this before, but I know why you attacked me. You had your reasons. I can understand that. But why did you go kill Akiharu from there?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“If I answer, you’ll answer my question?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I promise.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Even then, she continued glaring at me for a while."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Several minutes later…"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“It’s simple,” she said. “It was the natural thing to do.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Natural, huh?” I echoed as I tried to read her expression. “But Akiharu was your friend, wasn’t he?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah, he was a friend. I liked him. Just not to the point that I would never strangle him.” There wasn’t even a hint of a lie or a shadow of a bluff in her words or manner. “Being friends is no reason not to kill someone. It’s purely a matter of priorities.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She was speaking honestly, from the heart."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I narrowed my eyes and gave a slow nod. Priorities. Friends. Matter of. Friends. I chewed on each of her words for a while in my head and searched for the right ones with which to respond."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Or,” she asked me, “do you mean to tell me you would absolutely never kill a friend? No matter what, you would never do it?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Anybody I might kill, I don’t consider a friend.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Well, that’s just fucking splendid,” she scoffed. “What a hypocrite. Why couldn’t you share some of that phoniness with Mikoko? It’s your turn to answer.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I repeated what I wanted to say three times in my head before putting it to my lips. “Probably because I didn’t like her.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I thought she was sure to lunge at me, but Muimi didn’t even budge. She just sat and glared at me. “Oh,” she said gently. “I guess you’re not just some clueless jerk. You’re downright cruel.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“And if I am?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I told you before, didn’t I? I’m certain I told you. That if you hurt Mikoko, I’d never forgive you.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She was threatening to explode any minute, and with half-lidded eyes, I gave another shrug. “What about you, then? I find it incomprehensible. I understand the philosophy behind your actions, but I don’t know if you can say it was really for Mikoko’s sake.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I told you not to speak her name. Don’t talk about Mikoko like you know her! You don’t know shit!” exclaimed Muimi. “I know her. I know everything about her. We’ve been together since elementary school. I know her better than I know myself. If there’s one thing I don’t know, it’s how she fell for a cruel bastard like you.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“That’s simple,” I responded without skipping a beat. Having already figured it out, it seemed all too obvious to me. “She just misread me.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“An illusion. A misconception. An error. A miscalculation. An assumption. A darling young girl in love with love. She wasn’t a very good judge of character.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“…Are you done?” Her rage was already beyond disguising. She was ready to detonate any time now. This was probably about as far as we’d get with mere words."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Actually no, there’s one more thing. It’s a promise I made to Mikoko, so I’d better uphold it. Muimi.” My final question. Can you forgive your own─“As a murderer, can you forgive your own existence?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What’s to forgive?!” She cracked at last. “I haven’t done anything wrong! Nothing! There’s nothing wrong with what I did for Mikoko! I’m the one who cares about her the most! I’m not looking for criticism from someone like you! It was all for Mikokodel! I’d do anything for her! I would kill or die without a second thought!”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "For justice. For faith. For truth."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "For others. For the sake of a buddy."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "For her friend."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She killed."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I loved Mikoko, unlike you! You don’t care enough about anyone to ever feel love, and you’ve got the gall to go on living with a straight face! You can’t do a thing for anyone! You’re just a defective product without a single human emotion inside you, so shut your goddamn mouth!”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Because it was for somebody else’s sake."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Without hesitation, without deliberation."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Without a hint of uncertainty."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Without even regretting it."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Without ever feeling shame or reflecting on her actions."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She killed."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“If only you hadn’t shown up! Then Tomoe and Mikoko and Akiharu and I would still all be living happily! If it weren’t for you! We all got along so well! Since elementary school and high school, and even in college! As soon as you appeared we all went to shit!”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Because you were an annoyance."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Because you were an obstacle, a hassle, a bother."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Because it was irritating, unstable, unpleasant."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She killed."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“It was all for Mikoko! She’s mine, and I’m hers! We’re best friends! I would kill my own parents for her, and she would kill even you for me!”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Because it was for someone important."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She would kill anyone."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She would kill any number of people."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Dozens, hundreds."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Herself or anyone else."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Even a best friend."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I’m not wrong! I’m right! That’s why I’ll do it again and again! Even if I could go back in time, I would do the same thing! Mikoko forgives me!”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Not due to excessive force."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Not due to going too far."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "As simply as taking a breath."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Like a random slasher, like a serial killer."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Like she was a defective product, like she was no longer human."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She killed."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I─I forgive myself!” she screamed, stomping on the cluttered floor."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“…Huh.” As I watched her, my eyes were no doubt terribly calm. “Are you done?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She shot me a glare. I didn’t care."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“That’s enough, then. Please, shut up. Your voice is offensive to the ears and your presence offensive to the eyes. So you do whatever you want to do and say whatever you want to say. Great. Does that satisfy you? You’re completely broken. Bankrupt.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Bankrupt? Me?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Exactly what have you done for Mikoko’s sake? You’re just putting the blame on her, aren’t you?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Like you know a damned thing…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I could tell she was struggling to refrain from lunging forward. If I hadn’t brought up Mikoko’s name, surely she would have."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Right now, Mikoko Aoii was the only thing keeping Muimi together."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Then…” She spoke in a low voice like a growl from the depths of hell. “What about you?! You don’t feel the least bit responsible for her death?! Answer me!”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I don’t. Not at all. The dead simply died.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Muimi turned pale. Her mind was already past enraged. Nevertheless, I made no attempt to cut my speech short. I just continued on, spouting words like a machine."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I’m not so arrogant that I’d attempt to interfere with other people’s lives. People should take responsibility for their own actions. You’re no exception.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What’s your problem? How can you think that? How can you have such a disgusting outlook? You’re nuts. You’re not human.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I just don’t approve of clinging to others to the point of swallowing them up. I’m annoyed by people who live life saying for so and so’s sake, for so and so’s sake, like that’s supposed to grant them a full pardon for whatever they do.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It was like looking at myself, in fact."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I once said you and Tomoe were similar, but I was mistaken,” Muimi growled as if to curse the devil himself. “Tomoe was the embodiment of an inferiority complex, keeping her distance from everyone, but you… You’re just plain hostile.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hahh…” I let out a sigh on purpose. I couldn’t argue with her, nor did I feel like doing so. What I wanted to do was ask her if she’d realized that only now. Things that are similar but not the same are, in the end, different. It was as simple as that. “Whatever. Do what you want. We’re just two people who have nothing to do with each other. I don’t have any interest in getting in your way…but killing Akiharu was a bad move, Muimi. They’ll be coming to arrest you soon enough. I doubt that’s what Mikoko wanted.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I could care less about the law. So I’ll be arrested. I bet I will. But there’s still time before that. Plenty of time to make you suffer. To kill you.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Muimi got onto one knee and put herself at eye level with me. She held aloft a gleaming knife she had apparently been pointing at me for some time. It was the very knife that Dark Garb had used that night. The one that had grazed past my carotid artery."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Nothing’s gonna get in the way this time.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What will killing me accomplish?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Who cares? Talk all you want, but it’s time for you to take responsibility for hurting Mikoko.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Ahh, sure."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "So in the end, Muimi, you’ve missed the point. You’ve been going on and on about how you did it all for Mikoko, all for Mikoko, all for Mikoko, but that’s just an excuse, pleading your case, an apologia."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Your actions are spurred by:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Plain jealousy toward me."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Ordinary remorse towards Mikoko."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Your own boring sense of guilt."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "That’s all."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Enough of your nonsense, Muimi,” I stated, ignoring the knife in her hand. “So are we going to pick up where we left off last time? You’re going to beat me and beat me, hurt me and hurt me, and inflict and dish out every kind of pain there is, and then kill me off?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“That’s right.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You don’t say.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I clutched my right forefinger with my left hand."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“So for example, you might break my fingers, like this?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I forced it backward, breaking it myself."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "A sound─"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Like a branch snapping off."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Muimi’s face froze in shock."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "An overwhelming, maddening pain ran through my hand, but I didn’t even flinch and displayed my mangled digit."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You’re not, are you? Why would you be? That’s not nearly enough to cheer you up. You’ve hated me and hated me and hated me, so there’s no way you’re satisfied yet. Because if it’s for Mikoko, morals, laws, and common sense don’t mean a thing.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Muimi was flustered."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "For the first time, consternation blended into her emotions."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I didn’t care about this either."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I guess the middle finger is next?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Saying this, I clutched it."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "It was as if I were a doll."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "A doll had no nerves."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "A doll had no heart."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "So it could just snap its own bones."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Ring finger next?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I bent my ring finger the wrong way."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“And finally, the pinky?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I moved my pinky in an impossible direction."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Well, my right hand’s a complete wreck. I won’t be able to defend myself very well now.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Ah… ah… ah.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The blood was draining from her face. This wasn’t just fear, but terror. A fundamental awe and fear for something beyond one’s comprehension. It was a fatal wound of an emotion that far outstripped anger."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Shall we continue to the left hand?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I stood the four fingers on my left hand on the floor."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "From there, I threw all of my body’s weight onto my left arm."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Crack crack crack crack."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "A quartet of pleasant light notes."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Why don’t we twist ’em around too?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Crunch. Crunch crunch crunch."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Now let’s see if I can still applaud─”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Wh-What the hell are you doing?!” screamed Muimi, caught up in the moment. She tossed the knife aside and grabbed my wrist. “Y-You’re crazy! What is this?! What are you doing?!”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I’m saving you the trouble. It’s like you did it. Or, by your logic, like Mikoko did it. Right?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I held up my eight hideously gnarled fingers before Muimi’s eyes. The grotesque sight must have been unbearable even if you were nuts because she reflexively looked away."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“D-Doesn’t that hurt?!”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Who knows,” I replied coolly. “No big deal. Not to me, anyway. No matter how much I get tortured or beaten, I don’t feel a thing. You could even kill me if you wanted. Do whatever. But to me, death would be nothing more than a release.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What are─”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I’m so damn sick of everything. Of living, of the people around me, the people not around me, the various intentions that make up this world and all the ones that don’t, of you, of Mikoko, and of course of myself. It’s all just a damned headache. I’m the one who’s disgusted here. Living only brings pain. I see no value in this place. Frankly, I don’t give a rat’s ass if the world gets wiped out tomorrow or if I’m wiped out today. In fact, I’d be glad. So killing me would be pointless. I wouldn’t have minded if you killed me the other night, either.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Still, I’m sure killing me will put your mind at ease. But it won’t amount to revenge or justice or loyalty to a friend. It’s just you venting. Nothing more than a distraction from the truth. You’ll cheer up, but that’s all. Causing me pain will clear away your jealousy, making me suffer will help you forget your remorse, and killing me will cleanse your guilt, but that’s all you’ll be doing.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You’re wrong!” Muimi clutched her head and shook it like a madwoman. “You’re wrong, you’re wrong, you’re wrong! Don’t turn this around! You’re so full of shit! I did everything for Mikoko─”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Now, go ahead and kill me. Kill me with your own hands. The world will just go on.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Just for yourself."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Without saying it’s for anyone else."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Without giving excuses or pleading your case."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Kill me of your own volition."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Commit your profitless crime."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She picked up the knife. With a spiteful, demonic glare, biting down on her lip as if choking back a curse, she grabbed me by the neck with all her might. With her other hand, she dug the edge of the blade one layer of skin deep into my neck, right along that carotid artery."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "And she hesitated and paused and held and wavered."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "And she stayed that way."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I closed my eyes and left it up to time."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "But I soon got tired of this as well."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I wonder,” I said, casually brushing her hand aside and distancing myself from the knife."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Standing up, for a while I watched Muimi huddling on the floor and groaning, then gave my back a good stretch."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“When did people stop being able to do things just for themselves, Muimi?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "It was always out of some sense of duty or of justice."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Out of some feeling of fellowship or of friendship."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Don’t you think it’s all just nonsense?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Muimi gave no reply. I wasn’t sure if I should have been asking the question in the first place. I who, let alone for myself, hadn’t done a thing even for others’ sake. I who had never done anything for anyone’s sake."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What am I supposed to do?” Muimi asked as though she were seeking my help. “What could I possibly do for Mikoko? What do I need to do for her? What are you trying to say I should do?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Don’t ask me that."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "That just leads to a dead end."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Thinking you can do something for others is nothing more than a happy delusion. But once you realize it’s only a delusion, as you have now, there’s no place left to go. Just like Tomoe and I, you’ve got no place left to go. What’s ahead of you now isn’t even despair, but a pitch-black void of absolute nothingness."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "It’s a dead end."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "But I had no intention of telling her things we both already knew. Even if she didn’t know, I wasn’t about to go out of my way to tell her."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“To be honest,” I said, turning my back to her, “I came here hoping you’d kill me. I could have you do that. You wanted to kill me and I wanted to be killed. Seemed like a match made in heaven. So I thought I’d come get it over with already. But I’ve changed my mind. I won’t let myself be killed by someone like you.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Then…” uttered Muimi, staring at the floor."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I took my eyes off of her and headed for the entrance."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "As if a stressed-out strand of yarn had torn to shreds, with a tragic air, Muimi choked out a sentence muddled with tears and sobs."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Then kill me now.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Nah. Die on your own,” I replied curtly, and didn’t look back."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I had no desire to turn around."
}
]
| Officially Translated Light Novels_Zaregoto_Zaregoto-Volume-02-The-Kubishime-Romanticist-[Vertical][Kobo] | p_0042.txt |
[
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Strangulation 1"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yo. Is it over?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "As I exited Muimi’s condo, Zerozaki, leaning against a telephone pole, waved a hand and called out to me. Walking past him without stopping, I answered, “Yeah, it’s over.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I’ll be damned,” he said, catching up to me and matching his pace to mine. “Whoa! What the hell happened to your hands? Am I crazy, or did the number of broken bones multiply by nine?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yup, it did.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“She broke them? Holy cow, man, Atemiya’s like some hardcore ascetic! That’s some risky business.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Nah, I broke them myself. All of them.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You dumbass… Come to think of it, you did say you were the one who broke your thumb, too. Are you a masochist? Are you a freaking masochist? Doesn’t that hurt? Do you not feel pain? Have you had a lobotomy?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“It hurts like shit. It hurts so much I can’t even faint. I might cry. I’m actually headed for the hospital right now. We’re near Nishijin Hospital, aren’t we… I’m not really a masochist, no. The situation just called for a little shock treatment.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You know, broken bones don’t always heal properly. You may never play baseball again.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“No worries. If it comes to that, I’ll just play soccer.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Liar.” Zerozaki sighed like he was fed up with me. “So how’d it go?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Who knows? From here it’s just a matter of sweeping up the mess. That’s Sasaki and Kazuhito’s domain. I’m sure they’ll be thorough about it. Muimi will be arrested, all the facts will come to light, and that’ll be that.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "That is, if Muimi maintained her sanity for that long."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "That is, if she was even alive."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Zerozaki folded his hands behind his head with a disappointed expression. “Aw, man. That’s not dramatic at all. Couldn’t it at least have been a little more romantic?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What can you do? This is reality.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Mmm. I guess. Say, do you have parents and stuff?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Zerozaki had suddenly posed a completely unrelated question, but I had a feeling he would, so I wasn’t surprised."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah, I do. In Kobe. I trust they’re doing fine.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Oh. So are you grateful to them?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I mean, how do you feel toward them?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“About what?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“About bringing you into this world, dammit.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What about you, Zerozaki? Though I probably don’t even have to ask.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Answer should be obvious.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah, it is.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "For an instant, we shared a glance."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I’m sorry…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“For being born.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Me, I just dig Dazai more than Akutagawa,” Zerozaki said, laughing."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Me, I like Mushanokoji best,” I said, not laughing."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“How do you feel about Kan Kikuchi? I’m kind of a fan.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I don’t read him. In fact, I don’t really like reading.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Oh yeah, you told me that, didn’t you? Huh.” For some reason, Zerozaki gave a convinced nod. “By the way, how about giving me my knife back? I don’t have a whole lot of that type.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Oh, this. Listen, Zerozaki. I don’t suppose you’d be willing to part with it? It’s really handy. You can unlock doors without any skills to speak of.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Those things are expensive, jerk. Can you pay me one million five hundred thousand yen right now?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Geez, why’s a little steak knife like this so expensive?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Cram it. So what’s it gonna be?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“How about if I pay you in one hundred fifty annual installments?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“We probably won’t actually meet again.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Ah, right.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "With no other alternative, I reluctantly gave him back the knife. He took it by the handle, spun it around, and tucked it inside his vest. Evidently he had knives placed all over his body. Seriously, what if he tripped and fell?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“By the way,” Zerozaki said. “Maybe it doesn’t matter, but there are still some things that bother me. How about answering a few questions?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Sure. What?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“It seems to me that when Emoto and Aoii were killed, Atemiya had a solid alibi both times. She was at karaoke in Emoto’s case and with her sister in Aoii’s case. I don’t know how it was with Usami and you, but how could she have killed those two girls? And it seems like you realized Atemiya was the killer as soon as that detective called about Usami being murdered. And you already seemed to know that she was the one who attacked you in Kamogawa Park, too. How the hell did you know it was her? When did you realize that?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hmm. It’s kind of hard to explain.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Really?” Zerozaki tilted his head. “What do you mean? Was it just intuition or something? Or was it because all the other people involved were dead, and it had to be Atemiya by default? Who are you, Kindaichi?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“No. But do I have to explain? It might get cerebral.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hey, I don’t mind. Come on, you made me tell you all about my prowling exploits. Whatever happened to give and take? Come on, leave me with a good memory.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What are you, dying?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I might die. A red monster’s been chasing after me.” Indeed, it was entirely plausible. It was even possible that Aikawa would appear before us there and then. Given that fact, Zerozaki’s life was like a candlelight flickering in the wind."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah, I guess you’re right… Okay, so how far back should I go?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Start at the beginning, of course. How’d you know Atemiya was the one who killed Emoto, Aoii, and Usami, and attacked you?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“See, there’s your first mistake,” I said. “Muimi didn’t kill Tomoe or Mikoko. She had alibis, so that should be obvious.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Wha?” Zerozaki’s jaw dropped."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“She killed only Akiharu. And she assaulted me. That’s all she did. Oh, and she won’t be getting her apartment deposit back.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hold on.” Zerozaki spun around in front of me and grabbed me by the shoulders. His face wore a grin, but he wasn’t smiling. “Just a few hours ago, didn’t you go on confidently and matter-of-factly about how ‘the one who killed Tomoe Emoto, who killed Mikoko Aoii, who attacked me in Kamogawa Park, and now has killed Akiharu Usami’ is ‘obviously’ Muimi Atemiya?!”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Indeed,” I answered shamelessly. “But you see, the thing is that I was confidently and matter-of-factly lying. Time was of the essence, so I just kind of traced the surface. It’s actually a little more complicated.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hang on. So what the hell have I been doing for the past few hours, wondering, How in the world did Atemiya manage to kill those two? What a puzzling brain-teaser!”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I told you. I’m a liar.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I wanna kill you,” Zerozaki muttered, sinisterly you might say, before returning to my side. I chose to put a modest distance, just a single step, between us. “Err, let me rephrase the question then. So who killed Emoto? If it wasn’t Atemiya, who was it?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Mikoko Aoii,” I answered with her name alone. Zerozaki had seen it coming at least well enough not to vocalize his suprise. But he furrowed his brow at me, crinkling his tattoo."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“So then who killed Mikoko Aoii? Don’t tell me the punch line’s that it was you…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Nope. That was just a suicide.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Suicide?” This time he was clearly surprised. “Aoii killed herself?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yup. That explains nobody showing up on the security cameras, doesn’t it? Of course it does; there was no culprit. Anyway, Mikoko committed suicide, which made Muimi go bananas and kill Akiharu and make an attempt on my life. But I didn’t want to be killed, so I took measures. There you have it. QED.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You’re using it wrong,” Zerozaki retorted, then cradled his head. “Hang on, hang on. Explain this to me step by step. You can’t just give me a big, crazy summary like that up front.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Fine, I’ll explain properly. Uhh, so you understand the part about Mikoko killing Tomoe, right? Okay so far?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah. No, wait, not okay. Aren’t you the one who vouched for Aoii’s alibi? Or your neighbor, actually? Don’t tell me you and Aoii were in cahoots.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“No. Why are you so suspicious of me? What happened is that as far as that night goes, I was thoroughly tricked. Miiko too. Well, she wasn’t tricked, exactly, she just didn’t notice.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What are you talking about?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Try thinking about it for yourself. Tomoe was killed by Mikoko. If you know that, there are only so many possibilities.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Uhm,” pondered Zerozaki. “So she left Emoto’s apartment with you? And you got a call from Emoto when you were around Nishioji Nakadachiuri. You walked back to your apartment together, and then you left her with your neighbor, Asano. Then the next morning Aoii woke up early, went to your room, then went to Emoto’s place… Oh, is that it? When she was supposedly ‘discovering’ Emoto’s body, she was actually killing her?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Not likely. That conflicts with the established time of death. So it must have been at night.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“So she snuck out of Asano’s apartment?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Couldn’t be. Miiko is highly sensitive to noise and would have caught on, and she has no reason to cover for Mikoko.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Then what was it, some kind of remote-control trick? Then again, this was a strangling, not some locked-room mystery.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“So there’s only one possible scenario left.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What? Does it have something to do with that ‘x over y’ thing?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Nope. You don’t need to worry about that. It’s like a side order of fries. Just set it aside.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Come on, just tell me already. You sure know how to beat around the bush.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“It’s simple. There was no point at which Mikoko could have interacted with Tomoe once we left her apartment. Which means the murder took place before we left.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Huh? What does that mean?” Zerozaki asked suspiciously. “If that’s the case then all the premises crumble. Emoto was killed between the time she called you and three a.m., right?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Suppose,” I said, “that the call hadn’t occurred. Then couldn’t Mikoko have killed her?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“No, it’s still impossible. You left the apartment together.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Aha. We left together, but not at the exact same time. There was a slight lag. I mean incredibly slight. But I left the room before Mikoko did.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“As I was leaving, I had to put on my shoes, right? At that time, naturally I wasn’t facing the interior. In other words, I had my back to Mikoko and Tomoe. I was looking at my shoelaces.” I raised a foot to show him. “What’s more, there was a door between the hallway and the room. I couldn’t see what they were doing in there.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Wait a minute. There must have been a scream or some kind of noise. Even if it was happening behind you, there’s no way you wouldn’t have noticed someone being killed.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“If it was a stabbing or bludgeoning, maybe. But you can’t scream if you’re being strangled. There were noises, but I never would’ve guessed it was the sound of someone being killed. I thought Mikoko had tripped or something.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Ahh.” Zerozaki began rubbing his temples. If you tried hard enough, you could discern a passing resemblance to Keiko Nose. But you had to really try."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Wait. It doesn’t take you ten to twenty minutes just to put on your shoes, does it? Supposing what you’re saying is true, even if Aoii did strangle Emoto, she wouldn’t die that fast. People can live for up to ten minutes without breathing.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Zerozaki, could it be that you’re misunderstanding the situation because you’re a serial killer who specializes in knives? Strangulation victims don’t all necessarily die from suffocation. They can also die from lack of blood flow to the brain. You just have to pull upward, like this. If you manage to cut off the carotid artery, it takes less than a minute. If you’re good, it only takes a couple dozen seconds.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Really. So after that, Mikoko opened the door, looking completely innocent, and came out to the entranceway. At that point, she was blocking my view, so I couldn’t see into the room. Then we left Tomoe’s apartment together and exited the building.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah, that all adds up, but…” Zerozaki still seemed dissatisfied. “That’s all assuming you hadn’t gotten the phone call. But Emoto did call you. So she was still alive even after you left the building. Don’t tell me she came back to life for an instant.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You keep coming up with nonsensical hypotheses. Of course that’s not it. Tomoe died instantly, so it’s simple. Awfully simple. If you just think about it, you’ll figure it out. The call was for me, but it wasn’t on my phone, okay?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Right… It was Aoii’s, wasn’t it? But wasn’t that because she didn’t know your number?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Let’s go back to the basics for a second here. What is the advantage of a cell phone to begin with? It’s that it lets you make a call from anywhere. That call didn’t necessarily come from Tomoe’s apartment. And on top of that, phones don’t let you see the caller’s face.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You’re saying Aoii had an accomplice? And the accomplice used Emoto’s phone to pose as her?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Uh-uh, there was no accomplice. I’m pretty sure this was a spontaneous crime to begin with. The murder weapon seems to indicate that as well.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You mean a thin strip of cloth?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah. Most likely, it was the ribbon from the present Akiharu gave to Tomoe. A ribbon is fairly well cut out for strangling someone. It’s flexible and fits to your skin. It works even better than rope. But anyway, considering the murder weapon was just something that happened to be there, not something that had been prepared, it’s hard to think it was premeditated.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Then who made that phone call?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Mikoko didn’t need an accomplice. She placed the call herself,” I said. “She just had to have Tomoe’s phone in her pocket and to speed-dial her own phone from it. Of course there’d be no one on the other end, but Mikoko pretended it was a call from Tomoe. And then she passed the phone to me.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“But when you were on the line, didn’t you speak with somebody? Wasn’t she trying to tell you something she had forgotten?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah, but that was Mikoko. At that time, I was walking a step ahead of her. Same deal as what happened at the apartment. I didn’t realize that Mikoko was right behind me whispering into Tomoe’s phone. By the time I turned back around, she had already slipped it back into her pocket.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The way Tomoe was murdered."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The way an alibi was created."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Without question, both methods were extremely risky. If I had just turned my head around on a whim, the whole jig would’ve been up. But if you thought about it, the odds of that happening were fairly long. The risk was big, but the chance of success was extremely high. If you weighed things in terms of value, it was certainly a risk worth taking."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Anyway, that gave her an alibi. Then the next day, she went to Tomoe’s place, returned the phone, and called the police. They say you should suspect the person who discovers the body, but she had an alibi, and she must have hidden the murder weapon in her own apartment or something before going back to Tomoe’s.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Of course, Mikoko was the only one who knew all of the minute details, so you’d have to pay her a visit to get the full story, which sure wasn’t happening. But that was the gist of it. I might not have had every single fact right, but it seemed close enough to the truth to be called a solution."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Mikoko probably wrote that “x over y” formula when she “discovered” the body. The previous night, she had neither the time nor the notion to do such a thing."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Well, that definitely makes Aoii sound like the killer. But it’s still just a possibility─I mean, you don’t have any proof, do you?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Well, no. You’re right.” I wasn’t loath to draw that line. “Strictly speaking, there’s no proof. Sure, it could’ve been some burglar.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Don’t you have, uh, any sort of pride?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“At any rate, that explains Tomoe’s case. Got any other questions?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Argh,” Zerozaki groaned with a frustrated expression, like he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the right words. “Nah, forget it,” he cried uncle. “Okay, on to Aoii’s own case. How was it a suicide? Even the police think it’s a homicide, don’t they?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Well, there are various reasons, but her motive for killing herself should be obvious. After she murdered Tomoe, her conscience got the best of her.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Murderers have a conscience?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Not everyone’s like you,” I chided, facetiously. “That’s what was written in her suicide note, anyway.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Ah. I guess if it was in her suicide note, that pretty much settles it… At least it proves that Aoii chose to die. I sure don’t understand it, though. Suicide, huh? I guess there are all sorts of killers in this world. But if she was going to do that, she shouldn’t have killed in the first place… Hey, hold on a sec.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Huh? What?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What do you mean, suicide note?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“It’s an essay of sorts you write before committing suicide to leave the world with your thinking. Not to be confused with the will and testament.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Thanks, Detective Columbo.” Mouthing those words, Zerozaki simultaneously kicked me in the hand. Naturally, this was excruciatingly painful since all of my fingers were broken."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What’re you doing? What if my bones don’t set properly?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Play soccer. So what’s up with this suicide note? This is the first I’ve heard of it.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah. You see, before that… Well, think about it. Didn’t it seem strange to begin with?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Didn’t what seem strange?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What do you think?” It was the very thing Sasaki had pointed out. “Look at me, Zerozaki.” Me, a loser of a human being who broke long ago. A failure of a human who didn’t have a single intact nerve left. Who desired death more than anything else. “Do you really think I’d get so sick just from seeing the strangled corpse of somebody I knew?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Ah. So you mean, you felt so sick because it wasn’t a homicide, but a suicide?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Nope. A corpse is a corpse for me, whether it’s a suicide or homicide.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“… …”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“When I arrived at Mikoko’s place, I buzzed her intercom. There was no reply. Realizing, based on assorted experiences, that it was probably a bad sign, I hurried into her room. And what did I see? The dead body of Mikoko, who had strangled herself, lying on the bed.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "This was why Tomoe had been strangled from behind and Mikoko from the front."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“She strangled herself? Is that even possible?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“It’s actually a fairly common suicide method. Of course, in Mikoko’s case, it wasn’t her arteries that were cut off, it was her windpipe. It’s an extremely agonizing way to go. Your face gets all puffy. It ain’t pretty.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "You had to have some fricking resolve to choose such a death."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "In this case, Mikoko Aoii’s resolve…"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“So by the bed there was a suicide note. Addressed to me. It had a lot to say. It talked about how she had killed Tomoe, and what she wanted me to do.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What she wanted you to do?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“She didn’t want people to think it was a suicide. She didn’t mind dying, but she didn’t want people to think she was a horrible person and that she had killed Tomoe.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I’m not following you. Give it to me straight, man.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What I mean is, she asked me to get rid of all the evidence. The neck strap she had stolen from the scene of the murder, and then of course the note itself, as well as the ribbon she used to kill Tomoe that also pointed to her own suicide. And there were some other things as well.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Ahh, I get it.” Zerozaki slowly nodded and then looked up at the sky. “Yeah, it’s starting to click. So you did what she asked. Come to think of it, something did seem strange. I noticed it myself. Something about the time was off. You left your place at eleven o’clock and arrived at Aoii’s place within ten minutes, the cops arrived within another ten minutes, and you arrived at the police station within yet another ten minutes, at which point it was exactly twelve o’clock. That leaves thirty minutes extra. So you were doing something during those thirty minutes.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah. But obviously I didn’t leave the room, or the security cameras in the hallway would’ve captured me, and obviously I had to report it to the police. So what do you think I did?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You said you’d been frisked by the time you exited the building. Then could it be… Oh, man…you ate it?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Bingo, I nodded."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Anyone could’ve guessed by this point. And this was Hitoshiki Zerozaki, no less."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You ate it.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah. It was delicious,” I joked. “People who do that are traditionally known as stuffers. But that’s not important. At any rate, even I can’t keep down what I can’t digest, so I had to suppress the urge to vomit as I called the police. I was planning to hold it in until I got home, but I couldn’t make it, and I ended up hurling at the police station.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You ate the goddamn evidence…” Zerozaki said in awe. “The ribbon, too? Do you realize you ate something that killed two people? That’s insanity, man.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah, no doubt. I didn’t think it was sane.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“But why did you go along with Aoii’s request? You could’ve just ignored it, and you wouldn’t have had to cross such a rickety-ass bridge.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah, well, I guess I was brooding over some things myself. You could call it a form of atonement,” I said, breaking eye contact with Zerozaki. “Anyway, that sums up the death of Mikoko Aoii. She killed herself. In reality, the story should have ended there…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“But the case continued, contrary to expectations.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yup.” I sighed. “That…was a real surprise.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What about Atemiya, then? Why did she kill Usami?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Well, we can only speculate. I wasn’t involved in that case at all. But I’ve got a theory that seems to hold water. It’s just your regular, everyday murder case. Muimi probably thought something was fishy about Mikoko’s death in the first place. In fact, Mikoko might have told Muimi and only Muimi about killing Tomoe. In any case, let’s posit that Muimi was wise to the fact that Tomoe was murdered by Mikoko, who then killed herself.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What would she do?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "For the sake of someone else. For someone other than herself."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What could she do for Mikoko? Zerozaki, what would you have done?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Nothing. Aoii was already dead.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Even for someone who was still alive, Zerozaki probably wouldn’t do a thing. Nor would I. It was that simple."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“But Muimi wanted to do something. To avenge Mikoko, and to protect her.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“By avenge, you mean killing you. Well, I guess you kind of rejected Aoii, after all. Makes sense. Isn’t that exactly what I said? That Aoii had the hots for you?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Don’t act like a bigshot about it. Even I realized that.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You mean you knew and you were just blowing her off? Man, then you have no right to complain about almost getting killed. But what do you mean Muimi was trying to protect her? How did killing Usami add up to protecting Aoii?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“It’s just like what I did. Muimi was trying to safeguard Mikoko’s good name. In other words, if a third murder occurred, nobody would suspect that the second victim, Mikoko, was actually the one who killed Tomoe, which is to say, a close friend.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Okay, fair enough. But why Usami? She could’ve just killed anybody. She didn’t have to kill a friend.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“She killed him because he was a friend. If the third victim had been someone completely unrelated to Tomoe and Mikoko, the police might not even consider it a third case. So the most likely candidates to be the next victim were Akiharu Usami and me. And I know what you’re thinking, Zerozaki. Why didn’t she just kill me, then? Indeed. But I don’t live in an antique of an apartment because I think it’s cool. There’s no harder place to kill a person.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Thin walls, and hallways that creaked just from walking down them─sneaking in, having a scuffle, or killing a person in my apartment building was impossible."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“So Akiharu Usami was the next best thing? Still, even if Aoii was Atemiya’s close friend, wasn’t Usami her friend too? How could she?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I doubted it myself. Not to mention that Tomoe was Muimi’s friend as well. I couldn’t see how Muimi could forgive the killer. So I asked her. And this was what she said: It’s purely a matter of priorities. Basically what that means is that for Muimi, the deceased Mikoko was worth more than the living Akiharu, and the culprit, Mikoko, worth more than the victim, Tomoe.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“That’s terrible. Usami got screwed more than anyone.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Maybe so.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Akiharu had foretold that he would be next and claimed he could die happily. Just how much of the truth had he figured out? This was a mystery to me. In fact, I couldn’t even begin to guess. Was it too romantic to suppose that Akiharu arrived at the truth in its entirety and still let Muimi kill him? If that was the case, then Akiharu Usami was the one admirable person in this whole rigmarole."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Namely, because he accepted all of his friends as they were."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Say…” Zerozaki halted for a while, in deep thought like a Rodin sculpture, before he uncrossed his arms and looked up at me. “I understand the logic and all, but I’ve got the same doubts I had with Aoii. This is all based on the premise that Atemiya killed him, right? Aoii left behind a suicide note, so that’s one thing. But in Atemiya’s case, you’ve got to pull a Kindaichi process of elimination. You figured it all out from that one phone call, without any evidence. If it wasn’t because Atemiya and you were the only ones left, I don’t know what to think.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Do you have some problem with Yokomizo?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I couldn’t help but sense some hostility in Zerozaki’s references to Kindaichi. Nevertheless, he simply shook his head."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Nah, not really,” he answered. “But the covers are too scary so I only watch the TV dramas. I don’t really like him or hate him, to be honest.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Is that all it is?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“No. Think back. Remember what I asked Sasaki?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Oh. Whether that ‘x over y’ inscription was there. So? I thought you said that wasn’t important.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“The meaning is irrelevant. It was nothing more than random symbols at that point. It only meant something in Tomoe’s case. But the fact that the same formula was found at the site of Akiharu’s death suggests something very odd.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“That ‘x over y’ found at each crime scene was…a secret. It was known to the police only. Sasaki didn’t even mention it at first. The only other people who could’ve known about it were you and me, since we broke into the crime scene, and anyone I happened to ask, ‘What do you suppose x over y means?’”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Namely, Aikawa, Mikoko, and Muimi, just the three of them."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“There must have been others,” Zerozaki objected. “People working on the case and such.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“True. There were plenty of people who knew. But Muimi was the only one who thought it was a dying message.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Ahh, because the police think it was the killer’s signature rather than a dying message. And?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“In Akiharu’s case, Sasaki said there were indications that the victim had written the message himself. Why only in this instance? Most likely because the killer coerced her victim into writing it before killing him to emphasize that this was a third case.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“And she wouldn’t have had that idea in the first place if she hadn’t thought it was a dying message. So, did Atemiya know what ‘x over y’ means?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Probably not.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "If she’d known the meaning of the formula, she probably wouldn’t have used it even if it would enhance the semblance of continuity."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“And that was enough for you to decide that Atemiya was the culprit?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah. Of course, it was partially speculation. I kind of figured she seemed the most likely to do such a thing. Even I was moved by her loyalty to Mikoko.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Liar.” Zerozaki chuckled. “Man, I’m not trusting a thing you say anymore. You’re no bystander, you’re just a plain old liar.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I believe I told you that.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Don’t flaunt your faults.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah, I know I shouldn’t,” I deflected. “Anyway, it looks like you don’t have any other questions. Can we close the books on this case?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Not a very grand finale… Hah… How do you say it? Hearing the whole story laid out, it seems like such…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“A riot?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Nah, nonsense,” he corrected, as if he’d been treated to the lamest of jokes."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I felt pretty much the same way."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It was terribly grotesque, terribly warped, and terribly vile; its ludicrous, embarrassing, and unsightly shape like some joke."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "In the end, your thinking didn’t cease."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "No matter how much you willed yourself."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Your brain matter kept at it, automatically."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Who and what were in the wrong?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "That was probably simple enough in and of itself. It involved familiar issues and could win anyone’s understanding and sympathy and compassion."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "That was what made it so unpleasant."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I don’t get it─how I wish I could have thought so and washed my hands of it."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Well, without prying too deep,” Zerozaki said, looking off the other way like he was through with me. “I’ll bet you won’t give me a straight answer, so…forgetting all of that.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Huh. You’re awfully quick to give up.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I’ve got a few ideas up my sleeve, but will you tell me one thing, nonsense user?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What is it, serial killer?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Your thoughts?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hm? What do you mean?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I mean, how do you feel about the fact that three people have died around you?” He suddenly seemed to be enjoying himself. He sounded like a carefee boy who was getting a kick out of gazing into the mirror. “You had people killing friends, killing themselves, killing for their friends, being killed for friends, and as a bonus, you almost got killed. How do you feel about all that?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "A straightforward question that I doubt I could have posed."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I tried to fold my arms and make like I was thinking to buy some time, but my broken fingers wouldn’t even allow that."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Zerozaki, here’s how I feel about this string of cases.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Okay, let’s have it.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I talked a little too much this time. My throat hurts almost as much as my fingers.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Zerozaki froze. His face twitched for an instant before he exploded into laughter."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Gahahahahaha! I’ll bet it does. In other words, you don’t care if your friends die.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“No, even a guy like me undergoes some shock at the death of a friend. It’s just that I hadn’t become friends with these people yet.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Of the lot of them, I resembled Tomoe Emoto the most, and surely that closeness was why she was the most distant."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I couldn’t respond to Mikoko Aoii’s affection with affection, and Muimi Atemiya’s aggressive displays of emotion were totally foreign to me."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Likewise, Akiharu Usami’s graciousness was something I lacked."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You’re so unfree,” accused Zerozaki."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Not really.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yes you are. You restrain yourself.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Better than having others restrain me. What exactly do you think it means to be free? Does freedom mean killing people?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Ah… My idea of freedom? Keheh,” Zerozaki let out a suggestive snicker. “Well, to be honest, I hate that damn word. I despise it. It makes my skin crawl.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah, I don’t like it either.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“It’s a cheap word in Japan, huh? People just throw it around in any context. They use it like an excuse. As in, Don’t I at least have the freedom to dye my hair? What a load of crap. But I pretty much just do what I want, so I don’t care what freedom really means. To hell with restraints, whether it’s others’ or your own.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Fair enough.” I sighed and nodded. “Then I guess if I hadn’t restrained myself, I would’ve turned out like you.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Does that mean if I’d restrained myself, I would’ve turned out like you?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "How utterly unappealing."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I think I’ll pass on that.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah, that’s a big no thank you.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Zerozaki laughed, and I didn’t."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Despite our idle chatter, at some point the hospital had appeared before us. We’d been conversing while standing still for some time now, which I hadn’t noticed at all. At this point, I really had been talking too much."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "From there, we discussed things that had nothing to do with the murders. Things that had nothing to do with anything besides us."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "For probably two whole hours."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Ridiculous things that would serve no purpose in life. Things that would bring neither help nor harm to the world."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Some topics he would bring up. Some topics I brought up."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "If you had three wishes, what would you ask for? If you found a hundred million yen, how would you spend it? Which is more beautiful, an isosceles or an equilaterial triangle? Which is bigger, a kilometer or a kilogram? Would you rather belong to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn or the Rosicrucian Order? Is it possible to have a 115-by-115 magic square? What was the deal with 88 Othello, anyhow?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "We conversed like two good friends."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "But Zerozaki was no friend of mine, and I was no friend of his."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "We may as well have been talking to ourselves."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It was all meaningless, worthless small talk."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I thought it neither enjoyable nor unenjoyable."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I was reexamining how I’d lived these past nineteen years."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "A reflection of light."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Hitoshiki Zerozaki."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "It was a wholly inconceivable chunk of time, but sure enough, the hands of that enchanted clock slowly made their way to zero."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Well, that puts my doubts to rest,” he said. “I guess this is farewell.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah,” I agreed readily."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Nice killing time with ya.” Zerozaki lifted his rear end off the banister he had been sitting on. “Say,” he asked with a sideways glance, “you planning on staying in Kyoto permanently?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hard to say. I’m kind of a wanderer. I reckon I’ll be here as long as I’m in college, but you never know when I might drop out.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Gotcha. Well, then what’s a place you don’t think you’ll ever go in your whole life?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hmm… I doubt I’ll ever go to the North or South Pole, for starters.” After pretending to give it a moment’s thought, I gave my stock answer. “The one place I definitely want to avoid is Texas in America. Especially Houston. I’d rather have every damn bone in my body broken than go back there.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Huh.” Zerozaki nodded. “I guess I’ll go there, then.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Can you speak English?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I went to junior high. Besides, a knife gets through where words don’t. Of course,” he layered caustically, “your knife probably wouldn’t.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I shrugged at his biting comment. “Then I guess we won’t meet again.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Fine by me, since it’s not the most pleasant sight.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yeah, true enough.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "And we probably wouldn’t. I’d have no desire to see him, and he’d feel the same way. This had been an impossible encounter to begin with, so such was the logical conclusion."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I posed one last question."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I was taking a good look at the deepest, darkest part of me."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Tell me, Zerozaki.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Is there someone you love?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hell no, man. Incidentally, I hate myself the most. Or maybe you. Why do you ask?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I’ve got someone.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Zerozaki looked just a bit surprised but soon gave a gloating sneer. “When I asked you before, you said you didn’t know.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah, I was lying.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I see. Well, I guess that’s the difference between you and me.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yeah, guess so.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You’d better keep on living, then. Don’t become like me.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Same to you.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "His back to me, he began walking toward Imadegawa Street, and my back to him, I began walking toward the hospital reception."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Neither of us said a word, but I’m sure we were thinking the same thing."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Now then…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The tale had ended for me, too."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "But even if a world or two that were the other side of the mirror crumbled, I could think of at least a couple of people who had no intention of letting things end thus, and that made me melancholic."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Maybe there was a kind of rough justice to it."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Life is rough, isn’t it, No Longer Human?” muttered the Defective Product."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I was speaking to myself."
}
]
| Officially Translated Light Novels_Zaregoto_Zaregoto-Volume-02-The-Kubishime-Romanticist-[Vertical][Kobo] | p_0043.txt |
[
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Strangulation 1"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "With all of my fingers besides the left thumb placed in braces, the doctor told me they’d take about two weeks to heal to the point of not interfering with my daily life as long as I went easy on them."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The following day, I headed for Kunagisa’s condominium in Shirosaki, the top residential area in Kyoto. I thought it would be nice if I showed up looking cool on the Vespa I had inherited from Mikoko, but the finger braces wouldn’t allow it, so I gave up. It seemed I would have to wait a bit longer before I could enjoy that sweet feeling of going for a spin."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The braces proved to be more of an inconvenience than I had initially expected. I figured, “Oh, so my fingers won’t be able to bend as much for a while, big deal,” but during the first evening alone, I realized that it was going to place a considerable strain on my daily life. Even getting dressed was a big chore. I realized that I was going to become even more of a burden to Miiko next door and entered a moderately pessimistic phase."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "And so it was that my mode of transportation this day was my own two feet. Three hours was a bit intense for someone suffering from injuries, and I could’ve just as easily taken a bus or taxi, but considering the high cost of the medical bills for my fingers, I had decided to save my money instead."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“But I’ll bet she’s gonna be there…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Muttering such things to myself, I eventually arrived in Shirosaki and in front of Kunagisa’s condo. It was a posh, brick building that looked more like a fortress. The thirty-first and thirty-second floors both belonged to Kunagisa."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I passed through the gazes of a number of stony security guards sitting firm as rocks in the entrance area (they knew my face by now) and headed for the elevator lobby. An elevator was already on the first floor before I even called it. I pushed the button, opened the door, and went in. I used a key to unlock the button case, exposing the buttons for floors thirty-one and thirty-two, and pressed the one for thirty-two."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The sensation of gravity gone awry continued for a whole minute."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I exited the elevator once it stopped and approached the steel door straight ahead of me. As vastly superior as this place was to my own, it still lacked an intercom. Kunagisa almost never received any visitors, so there was no need."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I opened the lock with a key and fingerprint scan and entered."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Tomo-o-o, it’s meee. I’m i-i-in,” I called out as I walked down the hallway (although “hallway” doesn’t sound right; the staircase alone was bigger than my room). On the thirty-first floor below, most of the walls had been knocked down to make space for a ridiculously enormous computer, whereas the thirty-second floor was more like a maze, making it easy for me with my poor memory to get mixed up. Now where was that girl?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I realized I should have called her ahead of time, but my fingers were in no condition to be operating a phone. My left thumb was still functioning normally, of course, so I could have done it with enough effort, but I was in no mood to exert that effort."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Tomo, where are you?” I called out again as I continued walking down the hall. I began to see bizarre cords and cables of unknown varieties tangled along the floor. Of course, I had set foot in this place any number of times by now, but for a guy like me who didn’t know the first thing about mechanical or electronic engineering, it was still like a magic kingdom. If I wasn’t careful, I could easily trip on something and fall, so I made sure to take caution."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Tomo, it’s me. You’re somewhere in here, right?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yo, I’m over here, thisaway, thisaway.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "The responding voice didn’t belong to Kunagisa."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "As expected, it was red."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Not that voices have colors."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Actually, I was hoping you wouldn’t be here…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Is life ever that easy?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I walked in the direction of the voice until I arrived at last in an empty room about ten mats in size. In this disgustingly big mansion of a condo, there were spaces even Tomo Kunagisa couldn’t find a use for. I supposed it was also just a matter of time."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Then again, she needed a room like this if she was going to have guests."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yo. Long time no see.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Inside, Aikawa and…"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Wawawawa, it’s Iichan!”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Tomo Kunagisa were sitting across from each other, drinking cola out of cans."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Hawaiian-blue hair, the petite frame of a child, and a hundred-percent undiluted smile. It was the first time I’d seen Tomo Kunagisa in a while. Since Golden Week, in fact, so almost a whole month. But it felt like it had been ages."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "It was as if I’d returned to where I belonged."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Perhaps this was what they called nostalgia."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Wawawa. Iichan, what happened to your hands? Is it just me, or did they get a lot fatter?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“The skin’s hardening. It’s Flictonic Cliple Weber Syndrome.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Ooh, I see.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“No you don’t. Actually, there was a string of incidents. Including my face injuries, it’ll be about two weeks until I’m fully recovered.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hawawaa. Wowee, Iichan, cooool. You’re dyn-o-mite, Iichan, yayyy. Were you hanging out with some ascetic?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“No. Not that again.” I sat down to join them, effectively forming an isosceles triangle with myself at the peak. My eyes shifted towards the source of my fears."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hello, Jun.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What’s up, Protagnoist?” She grinned, cola in hand. As usual, she looked like she was up to no good. On the other hand, she seemed to be in surprisingly high spirits. But Aikawa’s mood changed like mountain weather so it was hard to really judge."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What are you doing in Kunagisa’s top-secret headquarters? Come to find out more about the prowler?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“No, no, nothing like that. The prowler thing’s been settled for the time being.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yup,” she nodded."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“We were just talking about that now, Iichan. You wanna participate? Three heads are better than two.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Nah, not interested.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I was lying."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Still, hadn’t Zerozaki gone to America? Maybe Aikawa caught up with him at the airport and put an end to things once and for all. If so, he had my condolences. That was too sad an epilogue after his gallant departure. How shameful, Hitoshiki Zerozaki."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hey, Kunagisa,” Aikawa said. “Sorry to do this in your own house, but would you mind leaving us alone for a moment? I need to talk to Iichan.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hmm?” Kunagisa tilted her head. “Is it a secret something?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hmm. Okay.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She stood up and tip-tapped out of the room. Most likely she would head off to some computer in another room and start working away. Unlike me, whose only way of passing time was Eight Queens, Kunagisa had a near limitless supply of methods."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Left alone with Aikawa, I was first to speak. “You know, I can’t help but notice you just kicked Kunagisa out.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I did. You wouldn’t want her to be present when we’re having a serious talk, would you?” Aikawa said unapologetically. “You ought to be grateful to me. Don’t get so angry. Geez, I sideline Tomo for two seconds and you lose your cool.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Why not talk somewhere else some other day?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“No can do. I’m a busy woman. Tomorrow I’m needed in Hokkaido. I’ll be heading there as soon as I leave this place. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I’d get to see you.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Just unlucky, I guess. “So…” Realizing that there was no way to talk my way out of anything with this woman, I gave up and encouraged her to begin. “What are we talking about this time?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“First, an update on the Zerozaki case. I’m sure you’re interested to know. I won’t let you say you’re not.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Well, as much as the next guy. But what did you mean, it’s been ‘settled’?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Last night, I finally found that little snot. We had a little round two.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“We came to a friendly agreement,” Aikawa said. “He’ll stop killing people, and in return, I’ll leave him alone. It’s a deal.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“…You’re good with that?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Sure. My job was only to stop the Kyoto prowler. Nobody ever said to catch him. To be honest, I’d rather avoid getting into a killfest with the Zerozaki Clan, so this is good enough for now. For now.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "For now. I didn’t want to think about what was lurking in those words. This was undoubtedly a realm I shouldn’t wander into. “Then at the very least, there won’t be any more slashing incidents on the streets of Kyoto?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Exactly. If it hadn’t been for your cooperation, it never would’ve come to this conclusion, so I suppose I ought to express my gratitude,” Aikawa intoned a bit theatrically."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Really you don’t say that’s great let’s go get Kunagisa─”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hold it right there,” she cut off my attempt to duck out of the tête-â-tête. “You know, I had a nice little chat with Hitoshiki…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You did?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I did.” She scooted over on her knees to close the distance between us. “We discussed various things about you, and you, and you.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“How creepy…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "That bastard. What had he gone and blabbed about to this woman, of all people? Then again, I’d done the same thing. Maybe this was what he meant about having a few ideas up his sleeve."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“But you know,” Aikawa marveled, looking truly impressed, “that was some smart detective work you did. Even I’m stunned. Who would’ve thought that Mikoko Aoii had killed Tomoe Emoto before you even left her apartment, and that her own death was a suicide? I didn’t see that coming at all.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Drop the act, Jun.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Don’t be so serious. I’m not trying to antagonize you. I wanna be your friend, Iichan, really. But you know, I thought I might as well clarify things.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“What things?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "As if she were silently reading my response, she didn’t answer right away. Eventually she said, “This whole case.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You’re not satisfied with my reasoning this time, either?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“That’s not it. I’ve got no problem with it. It’s you I’m not satisfied with. At all.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“It sounds like you weaseled your way out of explaining a few things to Zerozaki, didn’t you?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yes. But they’re all little details. Just trivial stuff you could explain however you want, or conversely that I can’t even imagine an explanation for. So it─”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“For example, the reason Mikoko Aoii killed Tomoe Emoto.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "That was something I hadn’t told Zerozaki."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Something I’d left unexplained."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What about the reason that neck strap was taken from the scene of the crime?” demanded Aikawa."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Who knows?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“And why would an apathetic boy like you go to all the trouble of making Mikoko Aoii’s suicide look like a homicide, even if it was requested in her suicide note? No, what I really want to know most is just how long you knew about everything.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You made it sound like you only realized the truth upon reading Mikoko Aoii’s suicide note…but well, that just can’t be,” Aikawa said with a grin. “So when?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I couldn’t muster an answer."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“As much as I underestimate people, I know you’re pretty hot stuff. I certainly don’t believe you didn’t realize the truth at all until you looked at that suicide note.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You’re overestimating me. I’m not that─”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Okay, shall I provide some concrete proof? For example, you told Zerozaki something like, ‘Seeing the dead body of someone I know isn’t enough to make me feel sick,’ but it seems to me that that’s not the only part of the story that wasn’t very you.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What else is there?” I knew where she was going with this, but I posed the question anyway. “I don’t have a clue what you mean.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Go back to when you first heard the facts from Sasaki. She asked you about the phone call you got from Emoto, and what did you say? That it was ‘definitely Emoto’s voice.’ That you ‘never forget a voice once heard.’ Or something to that effect. You’ve brought up your terrible memory any number of times. So how could you be so sure?” She patted me a couple times on the shoulder teasingly. “How could that busted memory of yours possibly ascertain such a thing? You had only met the girl one time, and this was over the phone, no less. There is no way you could’ve confirmed such a thing. Don’t you think that’s why Mikoko Aoii resorted to the gimmick in the first place? She was counting on your lousy memory. At the very least, there’s no way you could say it was ‘definitely’ her voice.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“And that means you lied to Sasaki deliberately. Now why would you do a thing like that? Well, here’s what I think─you can’t fake something you don’t know about to begin with, but you can about something when you do. The moment Sasaki told you about Emoto’s death, you realized the truth─about Aoii’s gimmick and who killed Tomoe Emoto─no?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The cat was essentially out of the bag. There was no point in keeping mum any longer. Before the eyes of this scarlet, jack-of-all-trades-and-master-of-all wonder, such a course of action was more worthless than worthlessness itself."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I didn’t really have everything figured out at that point,” I answered relatively honestly. “I didn’t have any evidence or anything at that point. It was just a guess. It was just a vague idea I had, like, It could have happened like this. You certainly couldn’t call it a solid conclusion. But Jun, supposing that was true, that I had figured everything out at that point… Is there some problem with that?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“There is. A freaking huge problem. Now, if you told me you were just lying to cover up for a friend, I’d be fine with that. Anybody would tell a lie if it meant saving a friend. But the problem here is that you and Mikoko Aoii weren’t friends. Regardless of how she felt toward you, you didn’t feel anything toward her. She was just an acquaintance, a classmate. Simply put─you weren’t covering for her. You were stalling.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "And for what purpose did I need that extra time?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "To reach a decision."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "To give, or to take?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“And then on that day, you impeached her. ‘Can you forgive your own existence?’ Or something like that.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You talk as if you were there, Jun. Were you watching us, by any chance?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Come to think of it, hadn’t Aikawa said something about spotting Mikoko and me that Saturday? What if she had followed us? I may be able to detect the deadly Zerozaki or a rank amateur like Muimi, but I doubted I would’ve noticed if Aikawa had been on our tail."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Yet she denied it. “No, I wasn’t watching you. But I can at least guess what you would’ve said. I share Zerozaki’s opinion─I don’t believe for a second that a character capable of murder would let her conscience drive her to suicide. Anyone likely to hold regrets wouldn’t kill anyone in the first place.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“But statistically speaking, a fair percentage of murderers do commit suicide.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Statistically speaking? You’ve been around for nearly twenty years and statistics is the best retort you can come up with?” Aikawa raised a scoffing eyebrow and snorted at me. “Don’t tell me you believe in something that stupid. Something that only happens once in a hundred thousand tries happens on the very first try. The first person you ever meet is one in a million. The lower the probability, the more you see it happen. Statistics. What a joke. Miracles are a dime a dozen.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It was an outrageously wild view on the subject, but there was no arguing with the Jun Aikawa. When it came to experience, she was entirely out of my league."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“But I digress. At any rate, Mikoko Aoii didn’t commit suicide out of guilt. She did it because you indicted her─or rather, interrogated her. After that, she had no choice other than death.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Can you forgive your own existence?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I’ll be back tomorrow. Around noon. You’ll have your answer then."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "You’ll have your answer then."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Because I indicted her? If that alone was enough to activate your conscience, you wouldn’t kill anyone in the first place,” I retraced Aikawa’s line. “Committing suicide over a thing like that─”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Don’t you see? Aoii murdered Emoto over you.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Eh, I guess saying it was ‘over you’ is going a little too far. Aoii made the decision to do it on her own, and you’re not responsible for anything. Basically it came down to a matter of jealousy. To put it simply.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I didn’t answer."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Aikawa continued. “Tomoe Emoto never opened herself up to anybody, never got any closer than she absolutely had to. And yet she spoke quite candidly with you on the very first night you met.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "A fatal wound. A defective product."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Similar but different."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "What if Mikoko had been half-awake during that conversation? What if she had been conscious at that time, just as she had been during my conversation with Miiko?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“If you consider the facts, it’s obvious why she stole that neck strap too. Why would Aoii need a thing like that? It was a gift from Akiharu Usami. But remember what you said about it? ‘It’s a good match,’ or something to that effect. You, who almost never compliment anybody, went and said that. So Aoii stole it. She didn’t need it but simply wanted to take it. So she snatched it from the crime scene. I suppose this too was an act of jealousy. The point is, Mikoko Aoii couldn’t bear the thought that you and Tomoe Emoto were becoming close.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“And that’s why she murdered? That was her motive? That’s silly. Can you imagine being killed for such a reason? It’s too much.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You’re right, it’s too much. That’s why you couldn’t forgive her. Mikoko Aoii cruelly murdered a human being for something so stupid. And so you made her take responsibility for it.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Do you really think I’d do that?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I don’t, not if this had been some spur-of-the-moment crime. If it was just a matter of someone going too far, I’m sure you would’ve forgiven her and looked the other way. But that’s not what this was. This was a premeditated crime. It wasn’t due to excessive drinking or anything. She even had a murder weapon prepared from the start.” Aikawa let out a snicker. “I know you don’t really think she used a ribbon to do it. Apparently you told Zerozaki the murder weapon was the ribbon from Usami’s gift, but obviously that wasn’t the case.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I don’t know about that. It seems like it would’ve made a good─”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“But only the neck strap was missing from the crime scene, right? It says so in those police documents. That means the ribbon was still there. Which means that the murder weapon had to be something else, since the cloth used in Aoii’s suicide matched the cloth used to kill Emoto. So what does this mean? It means that Mikoko Aoii had already prepared a murder weapon before arriving at Emoto’s apartment.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“In other words…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“In other words, Aoii made a prediction. She sensed that you and Emoto had a similar smell…or air, if you will. And if her prediction turned out to be on the mark, she was going to kill Emoto. She’d planned on it beforehand. I mean, her gimmick wasn’t the kind that any old sucker of a college student would think up off the top of her head.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“That’s rather laughable, if true,” I said without even cracking a smile. “She kept going on and on about how they were such great pals…then killed over something so trivial. What’s more, I know she wasn’t lying about them being friends. That was no lie, Jun. She really did care for Tomoe.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Just not to the point that she wouldn’t kill her."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "If she got in the way, Mikoko would kill her ruthlessly."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Die for me."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "What charming nerve─truly, from the bottom of my heart."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“So you pontificated for a while, but ultimately decided to denounce her.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Denounce… Just to be clear here, Jun… I didn’t suggest that she kill herself. In fact, I waited until she was in a relaxed state before I even approached her about it, specifically so she wouldn’t go too far and commit suicide or something. At the very least, I left three options for her. She could kill herself, turn herself in, or just pretend she didn’t know what I was talking about and never cross paths with me again. As a bonus option, she could also kill me.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Weren’t you hoping she’d go for the bonus option?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Hardly, I shrugged. “I expected her to choose to turn herself in…but she didn’t. When I entered her room, she was dead. That’s why I─”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“That’s why you made it look like it wasn’t a suicide? There was nothing about that in the suicide note, was there? And you’re the one who left that ‘x over y’ marking, I take it?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It was true. Mikoko hadn’t made any such request. Swallowing everything was all my idea. The fact that she hadn’t turned herself in meant she didn’t want people to know what she had done. And so I decided, more or less on a whim, to at least help out that much."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "And to be honest, I also felt a little responsible."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Responsible, huh? Personally, I think of that as a word people use when they didn’t expect something to happen at all.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Well, to be sure, I wasn’t expecting it. It was outside of expectations, it really was. Like you and Zerozaki, I didn’t really think that a person capable of murder would kill herself out of guilt. That’s why I was surprised to find that she had. I’m not even sure it was the indigestible objects in my stomach that made me so queasy.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“But it wasn’t necessarily guilt that pushed Aoii to suicide. It’s possible that she died because you cornered her. Because you were disgusted with her. She had antagonized you, and in so doing, lost all hope.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“If that’s the case, that just makes me even angrier. She murders someone, and that distresses her to the point of dying? She wasn’t even qualified to be a killer.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Ah, so that’s what you meant about feeling responsible. Not for Aoii, but for Emoto… I see. Huh, interesting concept… But doesn’t a person’s affection mean anything to you? She may have taken it in a twisted direction, but Aoii really liked you─”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Saying ‘I like you so you’d better like me’ is just an intimidation tactic. Unfortunately, I’m not some blind reciprocator. People who kill for passion make me sick.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Would you say the same thing about Atemiya?” Aikawa asked solemnly. “The thing that impresses me the most is that you were able to predict all of this, including its conclusion, from the very beginning. That’s why you implanted that false idea in Atemiya’s head about a dying message. You explained to Zerozaki that Atemiya ‘misunderstood’ the meaning of those markings, but in reality, you occasioned that misunderstanding. That way, it would be immediately obvious that Atemiya was the culprit if the murders continued after Aoii’s suicide. Even when you snuck into Emoto’s apartment, you weren’t looking for clues; you were looking for something that nobody would know about.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“It was just a sort of insurance… I’m not that calculating. Don’t make it sound like I had everything in the palm of my hand.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "In the end, she was the one who had done the killing, he was the one who had done the dying, and that girl was the one who had committed suicide. I hadn’t done a thing. I hadn’t even manipulated anyone. How could someone as clueless about people’s emotions as me even try to?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "That was really some nonsense."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“So, Sasaki and Kazuhito…” resumed Aikawa. “Yesterday, they took Muimi Atemiya into custody…but they say she was on the verge of suicide. She was about to jump off the roof of her building, and they managed to rescue her just in time. Apparently she’d completely lost it, and they couldn’t even understand the words coming out of her mouth. They’re not sure she’ll ever return to normal.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Did you say something to her?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“No,” I answered without hesitation. “Didn’t I tell you? I’m not interested in people who kill for passion.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I’m pretty sure you said they make you sick.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You must have misheard me.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Aikawa glared at me in silence for a moment. “Hahh,” she sighed. “Well, either way… That’s why you condemned these girls, who each only killed one person, yet completely overlooked the indiscriminate murders perpetrated by Zerozaki? To give or to take, huh? Gee…you really are cruel.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I get that a lot.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Aikawa sipped down the last remaining drops of her cola, rose to her feet with a grunt, and looked down at me. “Dust the dust… Well, whatever. When all is said and done, your crimes and your punishments are yours and yours alone. I’m not sure how you see it, but you weren’t in the wrong about this one. If you can be faulted for anything, it’s that you are who you are. You’re guilty of the crime of being you, and so, too, shall that be your punishment. And I have no intention of getting in the way. I was just a little curious… So here’s my final question,” she appended in a much more lighthearted tone than before, almost humorously. But I knew it was when she got like this that she truly shined."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Sure, what?” I consented, just a little bit nervous."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“What did Aoii’s suicide note really say?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I fell silent for a moment, then answered, “It was just one line.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Wow. What was it?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Forgot. Bad memory.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“‘I wanted you to save me.’”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“That’s pretty icky.” Aikawa laughed. “It’ll stick with you, whether you like it or not. Her confession to you would’ve made for a beautiful last memory, but that’s just plain bitter. You’ll never forget her for the rest of your life. Maybe that’s what she was shooting for.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Not really. I’ll have forgotten it in three days or so.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "This came out sounding sulky, but I meant it in all honesty, and it would probably come true. I was already thoroughly saturated with bad memories. Sure, I may have gained another two or three or four crosses to haul around on my back, but they’d get buried soon enough. That was all there was to it."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Figures,” Aikawa said. She gazed at me for a while before her expression grew cynical again. “Say…you didn’t really care either way, did you?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "In regards to what and what?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "There were so many possibilities, I had no idea what she was referring to."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Even so."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Whatever the intent of her question, there was only one possible answer."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Figures,” Aikawa said. “Well, I’ll see what I can do about Sasaki, see if I can get her to drop the charges on you.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Charges? What charges?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Falsifying information in regards to the Emoto case, encouraging Aoii’s suicide, not to mention concealment of evidence, plus withholding the truth and having that little rendezvous with Atemiya. Normally they’d have your ass for all that, which I’m sure you were well aware of, but I’ll take care of it for you. I suppose even if I didn’t, Kunagisa would, but I want you to owe me one.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Sasaki said something of the sort too.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I’ll bet. I taught her that line.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You don’t say.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Lately I was up to my ears in debts owed to various people for their favors. And it hadn’t even been five months since I’d returned to Japan. Would even the remainder of my life be enough time to repay everyone?"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I probably didn’t have much of a choice."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Well, see you again,” Aikawa said."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Are you sure you will?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Oh, I think so. I have a feeling we’ll be meeting again real soon.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I don’t suppose that means you’re going to show up again the very next day to hang out, like last time…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I told you, I’ll be in Hokkaido from tomorrow… It’s some risky-ish job. Not sure I’ll make it back alive this time. I’m pretty excited.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“You don’t die even when you’re killed.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“You neither.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "With that, she said “So long” and left the guest room. It was an extremely simple farewell, like we really were going to see each other again the next day."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "We probably would at some point."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "And surely, flashing a sarcastic smile all the while, she would drag out my insides once more. And no doubt, she’d finish another tale that was already finished."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "She would solve what was already concluded─"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "And conclude what was already solved."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Because that was the red contractor’s role."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "That, indeed."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "That, truly."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“No one’s as finished as you are, Aikawa.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It wasn’t like me, but I vaguely thought: I don’t mind being killed if it’s by her."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Now then…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I stared up at the ceiling. When I jumped with my arms stretched up, it looked to boast twice that height. In terms of volume, this room was somewhere between five and ten times the size of my lodgings."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "That aside."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I think you can come out now, Kunagisa.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Augh,” leaked a voice from somewhere, but she made no effort to show herself. It looked like she intended to continue playing dumb. How could someone so smart be such a simpleton? Then again, it was a lot better than being a stupid simpleton like me."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“If you don’t come out now, you’ll miss your chance. Do you want that?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Urr. It’s hard to time these things.” As she spoke, a plate opened in the ceiling, and her face peered out. She snickered guiltily. “Teheheh. You knew all along?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Yup-yup. I think Aikawa noticed too.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Aww. What’s the point of this secret passageway, then?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I don’t know what she was thinking, but she proceeded to dive down at me as if she were at a swimming pool. I might reiterate at this point that when I jumped with my arms stretched, I only got halfway to the ceiling. At the same time, I couldn’t just dodge out of the way, so I took the impact straight in the gut."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Iichan, you okay?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Like I would be.” With my fingers broken, I couldn’t guard myself and had been reduced to a human cushion. “Tomo… Please, get off. I think you crushed some ribs.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Request denied.” She hugged me and pushed me all the way over. Though fairly reminiscent of Aikawa’s maneuver from the other day, it was also different, much nicer. A heartfelt embrace, if you will."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Eheheh. I missed you! I love you!”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“I appreciate that you missed me…”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Kunagisa was totally guileless. Having eavesdropped on everything I just discussed with Aikawa, she still hugged me like this."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I had cruelly cornered two people but let a serial killer be. Yet Kunagisa wasn’t the least bit reproachful toward me for it."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Aikawa had misunderstood just one thing."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "It wasn’t her fault. She couldn’t possibly figure me out down to my essence. By no means do I consider myself a deep person, but I’m aware that I’m so sinful that there’s no seeing through the murk. Not even the contractor could glimpse the bottom."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It wasn’t because I was afraid Kunagisa would judge me that I didn’t want to have that sort of discussion in front of her. It was because she would not judge me that I never wanted to expose my ugliness or ego to her."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Hers was an all-embracing love. Unwavering, undiluted affection."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Even if I killed a person with my own hands, she’d probably forgive me."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "She would love me all the same."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "To me, that love was just a little bit too heavy. It threatened to crush me."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Her affability, open and liberating."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It wasn’t that I couldn’t like other people. I just wasn’t able to be liked."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "No matter how much love Mikoko showed me, all I could respond with was disdain for a murderer. No matter how much her feelings for me inspired her actions, all I saw was plain murder."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Hence a defective product. Hence, no longer human."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Hmm?” Kunagisa lifted her body up just a bit to give me a puzzled look. “You say something, Iichan?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Nah, I’m not saying anything.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Huh. Oh, that’s right. Iichan, wanna take a trip with me?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“A trip? That’s pretty rare coming from a shut-in.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Umm it’s a huge hassle, but I’ve gotta, to help someone out.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Ah… Okay, let’s do it. I haven’t been seeing much of you lately.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Yep!” She wore a gleeful smile. The only expression available to her, it was still more than I was capable of."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Not being able to return a smile with a smile…does make you feel inferior, Tomoe, I thought with a fair dose of self-deprecation."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“When do we leave?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“There’s a lot I need to take care of first, and…Doctor Kyoichiro’s place is so far! But it’s to rescue Satch. It’d be better to go after your wounds are all healed, so I’m thinking early in July.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Okay, gotcha.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Mark your calendar.” Hur hur, she laughed."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I remembered something. “Hey, Kunagisa. Do you know what ‘x over y’ means?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Huh?” She bent her neck. “What’s that? A formula?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“A dying message… Well, not really, but think of it as one.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Hmm.” She thought for a second. “Oh, is it in cursive, by any chance?”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Then it’s simple. Just look at it in the mirror, then rotate it,” she said as if it really was that simple."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Correct,” I told her."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "What was going through Mikoko’s mind when she left it? Left it by Tomoe’s body like some kind of dying message? All you could do was guess, but then you could."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Mikoko probably hadn’t wanted to kill Tomoe."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "And of course, Muimi hadn’t wanted to kill Akiharu."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“While I…”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Maybe I’d wanted to kill both Mikoko and Muimi. After all, the me on the other side of the mirror was a serial killer."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Either way, I fully accepted the symbols she’d left behind along with its contradictions. So that was that. Too bad it could only ever reach the other side of the mirror, and that the mirror had fallen to pieces."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "A world had fallen to pieces. In which case─"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I looked at Kunagisa."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "When would it be my turn to fall to pieces?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Two more years, that accursed ascendant had prophesied, but since she was an even bigger liar than me it was unlikely she’d spoken the truth. I, myself, doubted that my spirit would hold out that long anyway."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Maybe my spirit, but not my heart."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Whatever the case, my time was sure to come. A time you might call my very final judgment."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“Uhm? What’s wrong, Iichan?”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Kunagisa blinked at me with those big, pure pupils. That azure hair."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Exactly the same as five years ago. And now it was five years later."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Sooner or later, the time would come."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Unable to bear the heaviness, I would want to smash this girl."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "That impulse."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "─Even then, she was sure to forgive me."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Killed or smashed, she’d forgive me. Just like five years ago, she’d show me an innocent smile as if nothing happened."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Being forgiven isn’t the same as being saved."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Nonsense though it may be. Before such a thing happens. Not for passion, but just doing what you ought to do out of primordial self-interest."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Please. Hurry and─"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“I love you.”"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I tried saying it."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Entirely empty words, without substance, that anybody at all could utter, a vocabulary lacking mass."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“And I love you,” laughed Kunagisa."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "That was all there was to it. Ultimately, there was nothing more to it."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "“That’s the Ikkun I love”─and thus, “I wanted you to save me.”"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I had just one response to that, no other words I wanted to convey to Mikoko."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Likely, they were the same ones Tomoe had for me. Indeed they suited me best."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "“Don’t be so spoiled.”"
}
]
| Officially Translated Light Novels_Zaregoto_Zaregoto-Volume-02-The-Kubishime-Romanticist-[Vertical][Kobo] | p_0045.txt |
[
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Strangulation 1"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "So you often hear about “not shunning any means to accomplish your goal,” but realistically speaking, I feel like once your goal is set, there aren’t all that many means to choose from in real-life cases. There’s maybe just one or two, at most three options to begin with. The drift here being that when you’ve settled on a goal, it pretty much equals having picked your means. If you want to adopt the loose stance of not shunning any, the best course of action would be to avoid settling on a goal for as long as possible so you could dart about as you please. Alternatively, though it’d be a dishonest and shabby way to live, having several goals at the ready might be effective. I’ve accomplished my goal, you could insist wherever the chips fell. Just once I’d love to say, All according to plan, or I was prepared for just this!─but that aside, the point is to be careful about settling on something as orienting as a goal. If you don’t watch out, you won’t be able to shun any means! In a world that has ended up getting established in modern society’s manner, there’s no greater luxury than the luxury of choosing. I’m being very personal here."
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "This book, the second case of the Nonsense User, who is competent when it comes to getting into hopeless fixes, is titled Strangulation─well, it’s hardly his second case─and concerns so-called murderers. You could say it’s the tale of a serial killer who lost sight of his goal and the culprit of a homicide who couldn’t find the means. It would be pretty pointless and, moreover, boorish to pile word upon word about this, but in contemplating the difference between a serial killer and the culprit of a homicide, the author is beset with conflicting thoughts and impressions. There are helpless, dead-end situations in the world, and when you’ve ended up in one you’re probably stuck there, and facing it is like dying from a thousand cuts or “being strangled with cotton” as the Japanese expression would have it, but that is precisely why how you comport yourself in such an instance might be particularly important. And this was Strangulation: No Longer Human – Hitoshiki Zerozaki."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "As with the previous volume, Decapitation, I was aided by a ridiculous number of people. For their patience in coping with a confounding author like myself, I would like to give my special thanks to Kodansha’s Paperback Department and illustrator take. So long."
}
]
| Officially Translated Light Novels_Zaregoto_Zaregoto-Volume-02-The-Kubishime-Romanticist-[Vertical][Kobo] | p_0046.txt |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.