Missing Children (11 page)

SHINIGAMI RECORD PART FOUR

(translated by miss-simplicity
)

The candlelight dimly illuminated the desk by the window.

After I had finished writing my first diary entry, I placed the pen down on the desk, and checked over the contents intently.

“Hmm… Is this good enough?’

Although I knew what a diary was, it had been my first time actually writing in one, and I had found it to be rather difficult.

While it was a good thing that I had today’s “outing,” which had been a relatively large event, to write about, starting tomorrow, what could I even write about?

However, after rereading what I had written, it was hard to say that today’s diary was anything particularly interesting.

“Seeing as how it’s the first entry, I thought I’d put the effort into writing, but…… This isn’t going well at all.”

I was shocked at my own lack of writing skill.

“Really? Personally, I think it’s really great.”

Hearing a voice from behind me, I couldn’t help but let out a shout of surprise.

Tsukihiko smiled as usual, and said, “Ahaha. Sorry, sorry,” before scratching his head.

“Wha—……! Idiot, don’t go looking without permission!”

I had been careless, never thinking that he would peek at my diary. At least I hadn’t written anything strange…… No, I was sure it was fine.

“Anyway, I’m really happy that you mentioned me in there~”

Tsukihiko said this shyly, but I had only written about how he’d been chased by the bee, so what was he so happy about?

“Hmph, there weren’t enough characters to use, so I merely ended up writing you in, that’s all.”

In reality, there weren’t anything like characters that I made sure appeared in the diary, but since it was annoying to please him, I simply settled for that.

“Is Shion asleep already?”

“Yeah. Since she played so much today… She’s already fast asleep.”

Shion had grown so much.

Honestly, I never would have imagined that I would raise a child, but that’s how it’d turned out.

Although I still had a mountain of worries since it was our child, every day was filled with happiness right now.

“I wonder…… if Shion will be able to grow up well.”

As I said this, Tsukihiko patted my head as usual and answered, “I’m sure that she’ll grow up into a fine adult, and be as beautiful as you, Azami.”

I hadn’t exactly asked him to say that much. Although I always told him to stop since it was embarrassing, this habit of his never changed.

“Hmm~ ….. I’ve gotten pretty tired, too. I guess I’ll head to sleep soon.”

Looking at Tsukihiko’s drowsy face, he had aged considerably compared to the day we had first met.

That was how humans did—age.

He had run around with Shion so much with that aged body of his. He must be rather tired himself.

“I see. Rest well.”

However, just as I thought I saw Tsukihiko make a slightly sad expression, he started to say this.

“Azami, won’t you sleep with us once in a while? Shion’s here too, so what d’you say?”

My chest hurt slightly at Tsukihiko’s words, but I didn’t show it and feigned indifference.

“…. Idiot. You know that I don’t need sleep. Are you asking me to be idle by your side for a night?”

“Ahaha. You have a point. Sorry, sorry.”

Tsukihiko laughed as he said this, but as I thought, he seemed sad somehow.

“It’s alright. We’ll be together again tomorrow, after all.”

As I said this, Tsukihiko grinned and said, “I know. See you tomorrow,” then patted my head again.

I waved slightly as I watched him disappear to the bedroom.

Once he’d disappeared from sight, the sadness I had been desperately hiding overflowed from the depths of my heart.

Tsukihiko must have said that because he’d seen the careless things I’d written in the diary.

Knowing him, he normally wouldn’t pay much attention to such things, but……

“How many more times will the three of us be able to greet summer together?”

Although I had been the one who had written them, I now found those words to be very cruel.

It was a secret from Tsukihiko, but lately, I had been thinking about these kinds of things often.

It slipped my mind when I was together with him, but I knew that the flow of time wouldn’t allow it.

…… Most likely, I wouldn’t be able to be with him for very long.

First of all, it was certain that he would die before him due to his lifespan.

However, I should have known that from the very beginning.

Why was I worrying about this now, of all times?

It was because it would be lonely, if I could no longer be together with him.

Simply thinking about it was so lonely that tears quickly began to form.

But—no, 
because
 
of that, I absolutely did not want to think that it would’ve been better if we had never been together.

After meeting him, and Shion had been born, there was the three of us.

To me, the time that we had spent together was irreplaceable.

That’s why, it was fine. We should keep on living from now on, valuing each day more than we ever had.

We shouldn’t spend these precious days in vain, thinking about sad things.

That was why, when the time to part came, I would cry without restraint.

I would curse at him, “Why did you die before me? Didn’t you say that we would be together forever?”

He was terribly vulnerable to me saying those selfish things, so it was sure to bother him a great deal.

And then, he would apologize when scratching his head as usual, and I would forgive him. Yes, it was an excellent plan.

By the time I noticed, the tears had fallen to wet the cover of the diary.

It was hard to breathe. As much as I tried to hold them back, the lonely feelings continued to come forth.

Hadn’t I just been thinking about how I would save my tears? I was so stupid.

…… I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to be apart from him. I wanted us to be together forever.

As my head filled with those thoughts, my mind gradually began to drift off.

Was it because I had cried so much? It was a strange feeling.

Even though I hadn’t intended to do any deep thinking, I naturally felt like closing my eyes.

What was this?

I didn’t understand exactly, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

My sadness gently eased

Slowly

Slowly…

                                                                       
                       Welcome.

Welcome, my master.

Oh, have you finally decided to surrender?

You look quite haggard. No doubt, you have gone through much pain, yes?

Honestly, how long have I anticipated this moment?

Despite the fact that I have always been here waiting, you never even noticed.

In any case, the fact that you are here now means that you have a wish you desperately want granted, correct?

Oh, no, no. I don’t mind if you don’t tell us.

Don’t you see? You are me, and I am you; there is nothing that I do not know about you.

Yes, yes, I know quite well.

I see, I understand.

…… My, how quaint that is!

Oh, no, no, I have heard all that I needed.

Still, for you to be troubled over something of this caliber, master, it would seem that you have changed quite a bit yourself.

However, no matter who my master is, or what wish they have, I am here to grant them, so please, rest assured.

Now then, you want to live with that human forever. That is your wish… However, frankly, that would be impossible in this world.

Oh, please do not look so discouraged.

Did I not say, “in 
this 
world”?

Yes, quite right, quite right.

I’m sure you’re wondering now, “Then what world do you mean?”

Let me tell you. After all, that is why you have come all this way.

Yes, the abilities that you possess. You shall use them.

It is 
because
 
of the very way those abilities are used that allow anything to be accomplished.

As I have explained earlier, your wish cannot be granted in this world.

While unfortunate, please acknowledge that I cannot tell you the reason for this.

However, in which case, you should simply create a 
new
 
world!

For instance, how does a never-ending, repeating world sound?

You can spend an eternity there together with that human you love, and with your daughter, as well.

With the powers that you possess, it would be far from difficult to do.

Yes, of course! It is a power that belongs to none other than you, so it would only make sense that you should use it.

……

…… Oh, it seems that time is almost up.

Let us speak in detail the next time we should meet.

I shall always be awaiting you here.

Yes, please feel free to ask me anything you’d like.

CHILDREN RECORD PART SIX

(translated by
re-fuzaichakushin
)

The midday heat had diminished considerably, and it was somewhat easier to stay outside.
Even though the sky still hadn’t gotten all that dark, the streetlights were beginning to gradually light up.

"A-are you serious……"

I doubted my eyes for a moment, but no matter how many times I confirmed it, the occurrence in front of my eyes was a “reality”.
It was a vending machine near the hideout.
Until now, I used to always dismiss catchphrases like “If you get a hit, you’ll get an extra!”, but the vending machine’s cliche electronic roulette in front of my eyes was, without a doubt, repeatedly flashing “Jackpot!”
"So it wasn’t just an urban legend……!"
When I thrust my hand into the drink receiving opening, the cold feeling of plastic bottles definitely numbered at two.
When I tried to take them out, without a doubt, two bottles of alluring black soda were definitely in there.
An essence of happiness flowed to my body from my palm.
Ahh, it’d be the absolute best if I could just have this all in one gulp right away, but this time only, I’d decided to be patient.
"I was saved the trouble of buying two,"
I said, and when I handed one of the carbonated drinks to Konoha, he thanked me with unornamented words of “Ah, thanks.”

The two of us stood next to the vending machine, and I swiftly sent the soda into my body.
Swooshing, the popping sugary solution violently stimulated my body, from my throat, down my esophagus, and all the way to my organs in my stomach.
Ahh……This is it. 
This is it.
This was that very “state of mind”, unable to be reached by any other than those who have finished Death Hiking in the blazing sun.
I had just now, at that very summit, begun to interact with the soul of the soda.
A deep, violent, frenzied banquet that I could not even begin to talk about.
Ahh, so that’s how it was. So soda is a passport to heaven that God granted to people equally.

"May soda be eternal……"
"Wh-what are you saying?"
Crap.
I’d been too engrossed in the soda and completely left Konoha behind.
But I came to notice that the soda in the bottle that Konoha held had been completely depleted, and became unbearably happy.
"It’s good, right?"
I said, and Konoha violently nodded twice.

While we’d been doing such things, the sky had become a dark soda-black color.
Even though the sun was up for so long in the middle of summer, it’d already become this dark, huh.
"Time…it flies by in the blink of an eye."
Konoha also gazed emptily up at the sky.
Even though he’d hidden it behind the plastic bottle, there was a large hole in his clothes.
I swiftly downed the remaining soda, and threw the container into the vending machine’s trash bin.
"Hey, Konoha."
"What?"
Konoha looked over at me with his usual blank expression.
I had gradually begun to understand that this was who he was.
It didn’t show on his face, but the inside of his heart was not blank.
I’d thought that he was a strange and weird guy, but unexpectedly, he was just an extremely normal “good guy”.
"Earlier, you said we were friends, right?"
When I said that, Konoha replied with a short “Mm.”
"In that case. Don’t keep any painful thoughts to yourself. Aren’t you lonely?"
My life had been saved by this guy.
I knew that I wasn’t in a position to say those kinds of things, but I absolutely did not want him to have those kinds of thoughts anymore.
I didn’t know if Konoha understood or not, but once again, he replied with a short “Mm.”
For some reason, I felt as if that “Mm” contained more emotion than that first “Mm”, and I became slightly happy.
"……It’s about time we went back. Danchou’s gonna get mad at us."
"Mm."

After walking for a bit, a shady building with a plate that read “107” adhered to it could be seen.
When I opened the door and stepped inside, Kido and Mary welcomed us at the same time with a “Welcome home.”
As expected, I was exhausted.
I fell on the sofa and stared, dead-tired, at the ceiling.

As I zoned out, Mary began to mend the opened hole in Konoha’s clothes, and Kido began to profusely say the words “Heat-haze daze……” that she so liked.
The sound of the entrance being abryptly opened could be heard, and unclearly, distinctive footsteps jumped into the room.
At that familiar voice, I summoned the last of my strength and said:

"Ahh, welcome home."