Whisper (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
whisperscrawls) wrote2023-05-05 09:00 am
whisperscrawls) wrote2023-05-05 09:00 am
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Shuuen no Shiori 4: Chapter 5
Chapter 5 - Hospital Room #1713
A general hospital not too far from school.
In that hospital, on one of the highest floors, 5 people stood in front of a private room.
In stark contrast to the noisy reception desk, it was completely silent. (lobby?)
He opened the door to the private room and walked in.
The scent of disinfectant hit our noses.
A person connected to some kind of IV through wires across their whole body lay on the bed.
Whether the person on the bed was unconscious or just sleeping, they didn’t have any particular reaction to us entering the room.
The machine connected to the IV let out regular beeps.
As I looked around the room, it looked like he, or perhaps a relative, came to visit them regularly. The room was decorated with still-fresh flowers.
Maybe it was the scent of the flowers as it mixed with the disinfectant, but I smelled something sweet.
“...This smell...”
B-ko was thinking something as she sniffed the air.
“...Something wrong?”
“Ah, um, no? It’s nothing. More importantly... Who is that?”
As we looked at the man before us, the one who brought us here opened his mouth to speak.
“...The incident ten years ago.”
“?”
“If you look into it, you’ll understand; if you compare the urban legend that was circulated to the facts of the case, there's something that doesn’t line up.”
“...Doesn’t line up?”
“Yes. According to what’s been said around the school, all of the students involved ten years ago died... right?”
“...That rumor... huh. We haven’t looked into it yet.”
“But that’s incorrect.”
“What do you mean?”
“Not all of them died.”
“!”
“So in other words... this person here... is one of those four students?”
“Huh?”
“...You guys found something like an exchange diary, right?”
“...How do you know about that?”
“The rumor didn't specify 4 people, did it?”
“Now that you mention it...”
“That exchange diary doesn't reflect reality...”
“...What do you mean... by that?”
“There were actually... 5 people who were involved in that incident 10 years ago.”
“...!”
After saying that, he looked at the man who lay sleeping on the bed.
The man gave no reaction.
“He's someone who's very familiar with all that.”
Could it be... could it really be that...
Is he maybe...
“...One of the victims from 10 years ago?”
I looked into his eyes and asked.
He smirked and made an exaggerated gesture in response.
“On the contrary, he's the one who created the Bookmark of Demise.”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“...”
For some time, there was silence.
What did he just say...?
I could see the ties between ten years ago and ten years later, reality and fiction.
“You... Who are you...?”
“My name is—”
The beginning of a story. The opening of the curtains.
Beyond the window was a cloudy sky. The season had not yet become summer. There was the whispering of just one rumor on the wind.
No one knew the details. No, it was that they couldn’t know.
All that was said was that if you find the empty book and the cat bookmark, you absolutely mustn't touch them.
—That is the Bookmark of Demise.
At long last, let’s say the words that everyone is expecting to hear.
The ending will be here soon.
“—Come on, let’s try it one more time.”
<-- Chapter 4 || Afterword -->
A general hospital not too far from school.
In that hospital, on one of the highest floors, 5 people stood in front of a private room.
In stark contrast to the noisy reception desk, it was completely silent. (lobby?)
He opened the door to the private room and walked in.
The scent of disinfectant hit our noses.
A person connected to some kind of IV through wires across their whole body lay on the bed.
Whether the person on the bed was unconscious or just sleeping, they didn’t have any particular reaction to us entering the room.
The machine connected to the IV let out regular beeps.
As I looked around the room, it looked like he, or perhaps a relative, came to visit them regularly. The room was decorated with still-fresh flowers.
Maybe it was the scent of the flowers as it mixed with the disinfectant, but I smelled something sweet.
“...This smell...”
B-ko was thinking something as she sniffed the air.
“...Something wrong?”
“Ah, um, no? It’s nothing. More importantly... Who is that?”
As we looked at the man before us, the one who brought us here opened his mouth to speak.
“...The incident ten years ago.”
“?”
“If you look into it, you’ll understand; if you compare the urban legend that was circulated to the facts of the case, there's something that doesn’t line up.”
“...Doesn’t line up?”
“Yes. According to what’s been said around the school, all of the students involved ten years ago died... right?”
“...That rumor... huh. We haven’t looked into it yet.”
“But that’s incorrect.”
“What do you mean?”
“Not all of them died.”
“!”
“So in other words... this person here... is one of those four students?”
“Huh?”
“...You guys found something like an exchange diary, right?”
“...How do you know about that?”
“The rumor didn't specify 4 people, did it?”
“Now that you mention it...”
“That exchange diary doesn't reflect reality...”
“...What do you mean... by that?”
“There were actually... 5 people who were involved in that incident 10 years ago.”
“...!”
After saying that, he looked at the man who lay sleeping on the bed.
The man gave no reaction.
“He's someone who's very familiar with all that.”
Could it be... could it really be that...
Is he maybe...
“...One of the victims from 10 years ago?”
I looked into his eyes and asked.
He smirked and made an exaggerated gesture in response.
“On the contrary, he's the one who created the Bookmark of Demise.”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“...”
For some time, there was silence.
What did he just say...?
I could see the ties between ten years ago and ten years later, reality and fiction.
“You... Who are you...?”
“My name is—”
The beginning of a story. The opening of the curtains.
Beyond the window was a cloudy sky. The season had not yet become summer. There was the whispering of just one rumor on the wind.
No one knew the details. No, it was that they couldn’t know.
All that was said was that if you find the empty book and the cat bookmark, you absolutely mustn't touch them.
—That is the Bookmark of Demise.
At long last, let’s say the words that everyone is expecting to hear.
The ending will be here soon.
“—Come on, let’s try it one more time.”