Chapter 1
'I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry...'
I've been listening to that voice for a while. It sounds like it's coming from a male. At first, I felt sorry for the person apologising, but after a while, it just got annoying. Whoever they're apologising to should just forgive them. There isn't a mistake that can't be forgiven, right? Everyone makes mistakes.
'I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry...'
I know it's mean to say, but the voice is certainly getting a bit tiring at this stage. A question came to my mind: Who is the person apologising to? Is the person so cruel that they won't forgive this guy? Come on, just forgive him already.
'I'm sorr-'
'Alfred! Wake up! You're going to be late!'
I quickly jumped up, and the dream almost completely left my memory. Seeing my clothes wrapped up in a bundle near my bed, I ran over and got dressed as quickly as I could. I was returning to school in Hinamizawa that day, after being away for a week for my dad's business in the city. Although I had only recently moved to Hinamizawa, I could hardly stand the wait for coming back to school and seeing my friends again.
My name is Alfred F. Jones. I'm sixteen, and moved out of New York about one month ago into a quiet, rural area in the country. I never thought I'd like it when I first moved out there, but I adjusted way more quickly than I imagined to. I realised that especially when I had to go to the city for a week. I was so desperate to get back. I had so many reasons.
'Hey, Alfred! You had a lie-in, no?'
One of the reasons was standing not too far away from my house. The person who had called me was called Ivan Braginski. He was always the one who came to my house on a school morning. He has a big heart, quite innocent, and also naive, but there seems to be a mysterious aura around him. I never questioned it, though. It was pretty easy to get used to.
We walked in silence for a few minutes. I could tell Ivan wanted to say something, but he had yet to speak since he greeted me.
'You know, if I slept in late, I'd make you wait as well', Ivan stated with a slightly teasing voice.
'I wouldn't wait. I'd go right on!' I laughed, quickening my pace.
'You're making no sense! Since you came here, you've been claiming you're a hero! That's not hero-like at all', Ivan protested. I decided at that point to turn the tables around.
'Alright, you got me. I'm just kidding. I'd wait for you. Wait until the moment you arrive, you know that?' I told him softly. Ivan smiled.
'And they say Arthur changes personalities quickly?' he replied.
'Speaking of Arthur, we've got to hurry up, or he'll kill us for being late', I said. At that moment, as if on cue, I could hear footsteps approaching from behind. Ivan and I turned around.
'Could you two be any slower? We're going to be late!' the person complained. This person was Arthur Kirkland. He seemed to be bitter and snappy when you first meet him, but as you get to know him, it's obvious that the guy has a soft spot for his friends.
'Good morning to you too, Arthur', I greeted with a hint of bitterness. Arthur's cold expression softened slightly.
'Who's this guy again, Ivan?' Arthur asked, jerking his thumb towards me. The three of us continued to walk on.
'You've already forgotten him?' Ivan exclaimed.
'No one could forget me! Even if I left for decades, when I return, you'd remember everything about me', I explained to Ivan. Arthur raised an eyebrow at me. I simply beamed at him.
It was hard to believe that I met those two only a little over a month ago. I seemed to click instantly with Arthur and Ivan, which was an advantage for me. Everybody in Hinamizawa seemed to know their faces, and would probably know who I was eventually, too. It was good to be familiar in such a small town.
As soon as the three of us approached the classroom, Arthur suddenly came to a halt. Ivan knew what was happening, and stopped shortly after him.
'Why don't you go in first?' Arthur suggested, stepping back further from the door. I stared from Ivan to Arthur. Ivan was trying to look innocent and clueless, while Arthur just looked suspicious. I knew exactly what was Waiting for me behind that door.
'I can see through all of your traps! I refuse to be caught this time!' I shouted.
'Ve~ I have no idea what you're talking about!' came the innocent response on the other side.
I had an idea about what to do. I opened the door to the classroom at top speed. I ducked for any incoming flying erasers or things like that. I was right. One eraser, and two pieces of chalk, went soaring past my head. The chalk broke on the wall, while the eraser landed on the floor with a clatter.
That's it! My first time getting past his traps since I arrived here! I thought, feeling victorious. I strides into the classroom, only to feel something tighten around my ankle.
When I looked at my ankle, there was a fastened rope around my ankle. The next second, I was launched into the air. Below me was a puddle of ink. Letting out a roar, I swung to the right. I landed on the floor, narrowly missing the ink. My hip paid the price for it, though.
I heard somebody come over. I redirected my gaze upwards, and saw who was standing there. Growling, I pulled myself up.
'Good morning, Alfred! I see you got an exciting start', the boy laughed. This kid was called Feliciano Vargas. He had this sweet, innocent and carefree façade, but I saw right through it. He had a little hobby of setting up dangerous traps, usually set up for me.
'That was dirty... I think I need a hip replacement. It hurts. Badly! I'm going to make you cry!' I sneered. Real heroes were never brave and helpful towards people like Feliciano. Knowing that he had sparked off my anger, Feliciano began to step away from me. I began to storm over, when I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder.
'The pain will go pretty quickly. Just give it a few minutes', another boy reassured me. This boy was Kiku Honda. He was the same age as Feliciano, but much more refined than the little Italian.
'Thanks... And you, Feli, if only you could be a little bit more like Kiku, you might avoid this!' I shouted, and charged towards Feliciano. He raced towards the opposite end of the classroom. Not fast enough, though. I gripped his shoulder with one hand, and flicked his forehead with my other. I felt somebody tug on my jacket.
'Feliciano missed you when you were away... You should be nicer to him...' Kiku told me, sounding slightly upset with my behaviour. I frowned.
'Aw, why didn't you tell me that earlier?' I groaned as I watched Feliciano. His bottom lip began to tremble before he burst into tears, leaving out large, exaggerated sobs.
'Why are you always so mean to me, Alfred?' he cried, glaring at me. I felt a stinging pain in my hip again. You're one to speak, I thought.
Throughout all the caper with Feliciano and Kiku, I failed to hear Ivan and Arthur enter the classroom. I only realized they were there when Ivan came over to me. He walked passed me and let Feliciano hide behind him.
'I have to agree with Feli. You shouldn't pick on people you're taller than. Next time I see you make him cry, I'll give you a punishment I learned back in Russia, okay?' Ivan scolded, still smiling. Feliciano kept nodding and smiling as Ivan spoke.
'I... I'm sorry', I muttered. Although Ivan was generally calm, but I still wouldn't have liked to get on his bad side.
'Oi! The teacher's on the way!' Arthur hollered. I sped towards the ink spill, followed by Ivan and Feliciano. Ivan had grabbed a mop and tossed it over to me to quickly get rid of the mess. Feliciano got rid of the ropes that were still hanging from the door. Although Feliciano's the one who sets up the traps, we all have to help clean up.
The teacher entered the room, looking around suspiciously. Our group of friends tried to act normal. The other classmates, who had watched the entire thing, were smirking at our sudden change.
Days like those were completely normal. It was a routine at that stage. Things were never that fun before I moved. Before, I could hardly picture life in the country, but then I couldn't picture life any other way.
The school day flew by. Since all the students varied in age, our teacher spent more time teaching the younger students. Arthur taught me and Ivan, but none of it really sunk in. Who needed all that logical stuff when you could be awesome in the physical department?
'Alfred, are you listening?' Ivan said.
'What did you say?' I asked, not knowing what he just told me.
'I was just wondering if you were free this afternoon. Are you?' Ivan questioned casually. Is he doing what I think he is...?, I thought. I ran a hand through my hair as we both began to leave the classroom.
'Of course I am! Why?' I replied. Ivan smiled.
'Oh, that's great. Well, since you're still pretty new to the area, I thought I might show you around so you could get to know Hinamizawa a bit better', Ivan explained. Damn! Got the wrong idea!
'That sounds great! So, are you going to start this tour or what?' I asked him, my voice slightly teasing.
I doubt Ivan ever considered becoming a tour guide, but he would make a great one if he ever did. He explained everything about every last place to me, from small little shops to people's homes.
'Oh, there's one more place I would like to visit', Ivan said, staring off to a certain spot. I nodded, and his face lit up. I nearly had to break into a run to keep up with the suddenly hyper boy.
Ivan came to a stop outside a certain place. In front of us was a large, messy heap of possibly illegally dumped trash. My eyes widened as I saw that Ivan seemed excited to be here.
'There's perfect stuff in here! Don't you agree?' Ivan said happily to me. I stared at the trash heap, baffled.
'Why are you so interested in a pile of junk?' I asked. Ivan's happy expression disappeared.
'Al, can't you see? These things would make perfect decorations for my bedroom! I want to go have a look. I'll be back soon! Wait there!' Ivan ordered as he ran towards the trash heap. I felt both dread and curiousity about Ivan's room. What kind of normal person would collect things from a trash heap? Then again, this might've been normal behavior in Hinamizawa.
Things seemed to be looking slightly brighter when I thought about it. Since Ivan was off hunting, I could have a bit of peace to myself. I hadn't had a moment of peace all day.
Just as I was about to relax, there was a bright light and a snapping sound. I jumped up, and tried to find the culprit who interrupted my moment of quietness. It didn't take me long. I found a man standing nearby, who was holding a professional camera.
'Oh, forgive me. The scene just looked so perfect. I couldn't resist taking a picture', the man apologised.
'It's fine... Um, who are you?' I asked, trying not to sound rude, but I was pretty annoyed at the guy.
'Oh, my name's Roderich Edelstein. I used to compose, but gave it up to become a freelance photographer', the man introduced himself.
'Nice to meet you...' I said in a distracted tone. I was trying to see where Ivan was. His head popped into view, before he disappeared again.
'What exactly is he doing?' Roderich asked, looking out at the trash site too.
'No idea. Maybe he's looking for that chopped up body from a few years ago', I laughed. Roderich didn't seem to find it very funny. I tried to explain it was a joke, when he interrupted me.
'That was a terrible incident, wasn't it?' he sighed. ...What? What incident? I thought. Nothing seemed to be making any sense.
'What do you mean by an incident...?' I asked cautiously. He didn't seem to hear me.
'They still haven't found one of the arms, right?' he continued. I was about to question him further, when Ivan rushed towards us.
'Al! I'm sorry I took so long!' he shouted as he ran to my side. Roderich looked pretty awkward all of a sudden.
'Well, I'll be going, now. Hope I didn't scare you... Al?' he said, walking off. Ivan looked like he was about to say something, but decided not to.
We walked towards my house in silence after that. Ivan was still trying to think of something to say, while I was trying to comprehend what Roderich had said. Ivan looked a bit hurt by my silence. It wasn't his fault. I shouldn't have ignored him.
'So, what did you get at the dump?' I said, mainly to break the silence. Ivan showed me an easy bake oven.
'That?' I shouted. Ivan frowned.
'What? It'll make the perfect addition to my room! I also wanted that large collection of posters in a box... But it was buried under all that other stuff...' Ivan muttered. Ivan's been nice to me since the day I arrived. I should repay him, I thought.
'How would you like if I helped to get those posters for you tomorrow?' I offered.
'You would? Thank you!' Ivan cried happily. I decided, maybe with my kind act, Ivan would tell me something about the chopped up body in return.
'Did something happen at that trash site?' I asked Ivan.
'I heard they were trying to build a dam there or something. I'm not too sure of all the details', Ivan mumbled, obviously trying to think of all the information he could. I could tell he knew more to the case.
'Did anything happen? Like an incident or something?' I questioned on.
'I don't know.'
Something seemed off with Ivan's response. It didn't sound like he didn't know. That answer was more like an outright rejection to answer my question. He was hiding something from me.
'I'm sorry... I didn't hear all the details. I lived somewhere else up until last year', Ivan informed me.
'I didn't know you were a transfer student, Ivan', I muttered, feeling lost for words. But, still. Maybe he didn't want to talk about it.
If what Roderich said was true, something happened in Hinamizawa. I had no idea what, except for the fact that the words 'chopped up body', and 'missing arm' kept popping up in my mind.
The next day at school, I concentrated even less than usual. I tried to get more sleep, but what that photographer said kept running through my mind. All of my friends seemed concerned for my wellbeing. After school, though, their attitudes seemed to completely change.
'Alfred, don't you dare move! I have something to suggest to you fellow club members. I was thinking of making Alfred F. Jones here a new member of the club. Do you all agree to this?' Arthur announced to the others, sounding slightly more excited than he usually was.
'I have no objections!' Ivan agreed happily.
'Will he be able to match up to our standard?' Feliciano wondered.
'Both Feliciano and I have no problem with it', Kiku said. Arthur walked over to me and put his hands on my shoulders. I had no idea what was going on in the slightest.
'Well, that settles it. Alfred is officially a member of our club', Arthur confirmed. I pushed him away from me.
'What exactly is your club? What do you do, exactly?' I asked. Arthur simply cackles as he pulled separate desks together. The others sat down in the empty seats.
'Please, don't be too harsh on me. I can't understand certain things in the club very well', Ivan pleaded. That didn't really answer my question.
'I may not look like it, but I'm one of the best players here! I'm tough to beat, ve~!' Feliciano chirped. My patience was beginning to run out. Kiku seemed to notice.
'Basically, this is a little club where we all play different kinds of games', Kiku explained. Ah, so it's that simple?, I thought.
'Oh, and just so you know, you have to play to your best ability. Do anything to win. And the loser always gets a punishment. You can't avoid the punishment, alright?' Arthur told me in a menacing tone.
'Uh-huh. I got it. Don't be surprised when you've all lost to me, though!' I boasted.
Apparently, I shouldn't have opened my big mouth. Each one of my friends, even Ivan and Kiku, were sly in this game. I got no mercy. It was a little card game, but I had lost, as everybody else had learned off the tiny cuts and marks on the cards, so they knew which one to take, leaving me in last place.
'Well, I've got to go help Ivan get his posters out of that trash heap', I said to Arthur as we began to walk. Ivan was up ahead a little, and Kiku and Feliciano were a good bit behind us.
'Fair enough. And you know, I feel sorry for that place when you keep calling it trash. Besides, your face is trash!' Arthur laughed. The punishment for me losing was to allow the other club members to draw on my face. I hadn't seen what it looked like, and I didn't really want to. Everyone in the club burst into a fit of laughter when they finished.
I quickly pulled a tissue out of my pocket and rubbed it against my face roughly, hoping to get rid of all the marker. Arthur watched me with a smirk on his face. Then, something resurfaced in my mind.
'Hey, Arthur, know that site Ivan always goes to? I'm just wondering, did something happen there?' I asked him. He nodded.
'Yeah. They were planning to sink this village for a dam. We fought our hardest, though, and won. It's a pretty easy story to tell', Arthur babbled.
'Oh, really? That sucks! Was there anything like a murder that happened?' I asked. I had to know. Arthur seemed pretty keen on the history of this dam project.
'None.'
The answer Arthur gave me was just like Ivan's. It was more like a refusal to tell me what happened. It was at that point I thought maybe Roderich was the one who was wrong. My friends wouldn't hide stuff like that from me.
After that, I went straight to the trash site. When Ivan showed me where his posters were buried, I had no trouble getting rid of the unnecessary rubbish. But, there was one piece of wood that wouldn't budge, and wore me out completely.
'I think I'll need a hatchet or something to break through this', I groaned with exhaustion.
'I'll get you a soda or something, okay?' Ivan said, and ran off.
Near the spot where I was sitting, I saw a collection of magazines. They looked to be the weekly news type. If there was a murder here... Surely the media would talk about it, right?, I thought as I approached the magazines.
After browsing through a couple of magazines, I finally found an article on Hinamizawa. It described how there was a body dismembered at this trash heap, which used to be a construction site. The body was chopped up into five pieces with axe-like weapons. The right arm still hadn't been found.
I then heard footsteps coming closer. I tossed the magazine aside, and turned around. My heart seemed to stop. Ivan was standing there, holding a hatchet directly to my face. I let out a loud scream, causing Ivan to yelp and fall to the ground.
'I'm sorry! You said to get something, so I got this, and... Are you mad?' Ivan asked, his tone regretful.
'I-It's fine...' I mumbled. All I could think about was the article I just read. Could something like that... Really happen in this peaceful village?
Chapter 2
For the next few days in school, Kiku kept disappearing for some reason. After the third day, my curiousity got the better of me and I had to ask why he kept leaving the classroom all the time. I found out that every year, during summer, there's this festival. It's called the Cotton Drifting festival, and takes place just before July. Kiku has a job to do at the end of the festival, and practices for it every day so he doesn't mess up. I wasn't exactly a person for festivals, but the others begged (and blackmailed) me to come.
I heard a collection of knocks at the door. I hopped up from the couch and opened the door wide open. Arthur, Ivan and Feliciano were standing at the door, each one of them trying to peak inside my home. I have to invite them over sometime. Knowing them, they'd probably try and break in just to get a look at my house, I thought as I closed the door behind me.
'Where's Kiku?' I asked, looking around for him.
'We're going to meet him at the festival. Don't you listen? He has a job to do!' Arthur growled, pacing ahead. Feliciano, Ivan and I tried to keep up with him.
'Anyway, we're not just going for the actual festival. We're going to put the best of our skills learned from the club to the test', Arthur proclaimed, sounding more confident than usual. Feliciano smirked.
'Don't get too confident! Remember, you were beaten last year by a landslide!' Feliciano laughed. I was, once again, in total confusion about what they were talking about. It was possible they were on about games, but Arthur hardly loses in anything, so that possibility was ruled out.
'Every year, there's a cooking contest at the Cotton Drifting festival, and our club always takes part. In more recent years, our group have been the only participants while other people in Hinamizawa come to watch our competition', Arthur explained with a hint of annoyance.
'But it's not any easier. We still have the penalty to face if we come in last place. A few members of the village taste our food and decides whose food is the best', Ivan explained. I thought it sounded fun enough.
As we approached the festival, I was shocked by the amount of people there. The population of Hinamizawa was five hundred, but there looked to be seven hundred and fifty people there at least. Even residents outside this place are visiting for the festival? It has to be good!, I thought as I pushed through the crowds.
Up ahead, I saw Kiku rushing towards us. He was dressed more formally then usual, probably because of the fact he was on the festival committee. Feliciano ran to his side, looking excited to start the cooking competition.
'Right then, we need to show Alfred to where this little contest is being held. Come on!' Arthur called as he began to walk ahead. Ivan walked by my side, pointing out everything to me as we walked.
'Ah, it's good to see you all this year. Have you taken on a new comrade, Mr. Kirkland?' a man said all of a sudden, looking from me to Arthur.
'Yeah, this is Alfred, the new kid. He's going to- Oi!' Arthur suddenly snapped as there was a quick flash from a camera.
'Good evening, Roderich', Ivan said politely. Roderich put his camera down and revealed his face. Every time I saw him, all I could think about was the story of the dismembered body.
'Hello there. The festival's looking great this year. Are you all taking challenge in that contest again?' Roderich said. Arthur nodded.
'It's good to see you here again! You know, I realised something. You come to Hinamizawa every year to take photos, but you haven't made your debut yet. We're all waiting! But, since you visit so much, you're officially invited to compete alongside us in our cooking competition', Arthur offered.
'That sounds like great fun. The most I usually do here is take photos, and since I'm returning to Austria tomorrow, taking part in a festival contest would be a nice way to end my trip', Roderich said with a smile. Hm. Despite what he told me, he seems like a nice enough guy, I thought as I watched the other club members gather around him, explaining their skills.
'So, what exactly are you all making, anyway?' Kiku asked, trying to change the conversation around.
'Ve, I'm going to go with my famous recipe for the perfect Italian pizza!' Feliciano chirped. Arthur winced slightly. It seemed like Feliciano was above average when it came to cooking.
'I'm going to go with the traditional English dish; bangers and mash', Arthur announced proudly.
'Isn't that a traditional dish for kids?' I snorted. Arthur punched my arm, and I felt like I lost all feeling in it.
'I'm just going to go with a steak... That meal I made last year was fed to the dogs in the end...' Ivan said glumly. I wondered if Ivan came in last place the previous year, but judging by the way Arthur was scowling, Ivan might have just beaten him.
'I'm just going to go with a simple miso soup. You can never go wrong with a starter', Kiku said.
'You can all have your fancy steaks and pizzas and soups and kiddie meals. I, on the other hand, will be preparing a food everyone loves; hamburgers!' I declared. The competitiveness in the other club members' eyes were completely obvious. Roderich, on the other hand, looked like he just wanted a fun time.
'I'll put together spaghetti and meatballs. You'll enjoy that, won't you, Feli?' Roderich said, looking over at Feliciano. The Italian boy's face fell.
'Why does everyone assume that all Italians like meatballs with spaghetti?' Feliciano mumbled to himself as he walked by Kiku's side.
We approached this place that didn't look like it belonged at this festival. It had glass panels all around, around eight ovens inside, two refrigerators, and eight countertops to work on. There were a few people already gathered outside.
'We're all rooting for you, Kiku, so make sure to do us proud!' an older looking man shouted out. Kiku's face turned slightly pink as he walked a little bit faster.
As Ivan opened the glass door for us to enter, more people began to gather. Feliciano and Kiku looked a bit more confident, while Ivan and Arthur looked scared. It was easy to tell that Roderich was growing as embarrassed as me. I wasn't used to cooking that much at all, let alone in front of crowds.
I ran to the nearest cooking station as soon as I entered the glass room. I placed my jacket on the counter just for the moment, and followed Ivan and Feliciano over to one of the refrigerators. Feliciano grabbed a few ingredients for toppings, and Ivan looked around the fridge for meat.
'Good luck. I hope you do well', Ivan whispered as he pulled his ingredients out of the fridge. I smiled. It was nice to know there was some level of humanity remaining with my friends.
As soon as I found a slab of meat, lettuce, tomatoes and sauce, I raced back to my cooking station, not wanting to fall behind. I quickly glanced at my competitors. Ivan was trying to figure out where he should start, Arthur was peeling potatoes, Kiku was setting up his pots and pans, Feliciano was already rolling out the dough, and Roderich was rolling out the meat.
I pulled a clump of meat from the big lump, and began to flatten it out. I took one last look at how the other competitors were doing, then at the crowd that had gathered outside before getting back to work.
In the end, my hamburger came out much better than everybody expected. Then again, everybody else's dishes looked great as well, even Arthur's. Feliciano seemed shocked that my meal turned out well.
'How did you manage that? It actually looks edible!' Feliciano blurted as soon as he passed my table. My mouth nearly started watering when I saw the pizza he made.
'Come on! We have to let the judges taste our food', Arthur shouted as he walked out the door. The rest of us put our food on trays and followed him out.
A middle aged man and a young boy (who didn't seem to be local) stepped forward as soon as we put our food down on a long table. I guessed straight away that those two were the judges.
After nervous smiles from us, a couple of gags from the judges, and a few times of the crowd holding in their breath, another man stepped forward holding a sheet.
'According to our judges, the food they had tasted was spectacular, but there can only be one winner. In sixth place is... Roderich Edelstein!' the man announced. Arthur patted Roderich on the back as he just shrugged, accepting defeat.
'And, in fifth place is... Arthur Kirkland!' the man said, with a hint of anxiousness in his voice. Arthur growled and refused to look at the rest of us.
'And in fourth place is... Kiku Honda...' the man sounded a lot more upset that time. The crowd groaned, but Kiku just shook his head.
'In third place... Ivan Braginski!' Ivan jumped up happily at that one, glad to at least get into the top three. Feliciano and I stared at each other, both desperate for first place. I couldn't underestimate his cooking skills.
'And the winner of this cook-off is... Alfred F. Jones! Congratulations!' the man finished, and handed me and envelope which read '100 dollars' on the front. Feliciano hung his head in shame, while Roderich, Kiku and Ivan came over to congratulate me.
'Nice going, Alfred!' Roderich complemented me. I beamed at him.
'Well done! I hope I'll see you later', Kiku told me as he ran off. I guessed that he had to start his job soon. Ivan was the last to approach me.
'I knew you could do it. Congratulations!' Ivan told me.
'Thanks for being so nice to me. I don't think I would've won without your support, y'know?' I replied. I could see that Ivan was trying to find a way to reply when Arthur came over to us.
'Well, I better be going no-' Roderich began. Arthur shook his head.
'You're not going anywhere. You landed in last place, remember? It's time for your punishment', Arthur said ominously, and handed Ivan, Feliciano and me our own markers. Instead of going for his face, Arthur began to write a message on his shirt. Ivan, Feliciano and I followed his actions.
'This is my punishment. It's actually rather nice. Thank you very much! I'll be sure again to visit next year', he said, and began to walk away. He kept looking around, as if he was trying to find somebody. I followed him.
'Are you looking for somebody?' I asked. Roderich nodded.
'You don't happen to know Elizaveta Héderváry, do you?' Roderich answered. It was the first time I ever heard that name.
I followed him through the crowds for a few more minutes until he stopped in front of a girl with brownish-blondish hair. She walked towards the two of us.
'Oh, hello, Roderich. I see you brought a little friend', she said, looking me up and down.
'Yes, I did. This is Alfred. He's a bit new to the village. Alfred, this is Elizaveta', Roderich introduced us both.
'So, did you enjoy the festival tonight?' Elizaveta asked.
'Of course I did! It was the most fun I had in ages!' I replied. She giggled. I felt a bit confused, as if I was missing out on some kind of private joke.
'You might be the one who genuinely did. I'm guessing you never heard of Oyashiro's curse?' Elizaveta said mysteriously. I was at a complete loss.
'Elizaveta, please... Cut it out...' Roderich hissed. I thought it might have something to do with the dismembered body, so I had to know more.
'What exactly is Oyashiro's curse? Does it have anything to do with the chopped up body?' I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.
'See, Roderich? I think he wants to hear the story. And, Alfred, you have brilliant instincts. Well, Oyashiro is the God of Hinamizawa. Many centuries ago, demons roamed Hinamizawa and scared normal people, but Oyashiro came and eventually got the demons and humans to live in harmony. But this isn't a fairytale.
'This festival was made to celebrate Oyashiro. However, it was said that this God was angered when plans were made to build a dam and sink Hinamizawa. So, back five years ago, the director of the project was killed, and the main culprit went missing. It doesn't stop there.
'A year later, the priest in this town who remained neutral during the dam protest died of a mysterious disease. The man who was considered a traitor for being both a resident of Hinamizawa and for the dam project went missing on holidays, but a fence on a cliff he was looking over had snapped, so he possibly fell into the waters beneath and never submerged.
'The year after that, the wife of the traitor was found with a bullet in her head. It's suspected she killed herself. The wife of the traitor left a suicide note by Hinamizawa's large well, and all that was left were her shoes. And, last year, the sister-in-law of the traitor was found with her head smashed open, and the traitor's son had gone missing.'
Elizaveta took a deep breath once she finished talking. Roderich looked like he was familiar with this story, but my head was spinning. Why didn't it stop at the dam director? More importantly, why did Ivan and Arthur hide that from me?
'And... The fifth year...?' I asked, almost regretting it immediately. Elizaveta smirked.
'It didn't happen. After all, the day it'll occur is today', Elizaveta explained like it was common knowledge.
I was about to reply, when I saw Ivan racing towards me. Elizaveta and Roderich noticed, so they both stopped talking about it as well.
'Try not to think too much about it, alright? Enjoy your night', Elizaveta shouted as she walked away with Roderich. Ivan stopped running once he reached my side.
'You missed the last event of the night! Next year, you'll have to do it. Arthur's gone to an after-party, and Feliciano and Kiku went home', Ivan told me straight away. I tried not to let it show on my face that I was irritated about him hiding things from me.
'Oh, looks like we should get home too, then! Nothing will happen tonight, right? Everything's perfect. Isn't it, Ivan?' I sighed as I looked at the sky. That might've only been a coincidence. Hinamizawa's a nice little town. Nothing bad would happen. Again.
'You're weird, Alfred...'
...
The next day at school, I was given the job of cleaning the grass, as there was rubbish scattered all over it. Before that, I had been playing this board game with the other club members after Kiku and Feliciano finished their work early.
There had been no reports about anybody in Hinamizawa dying the previous night. I was right; the 'curse' had only been a coincidence.
As the sun was scorching that day, I had taken a seat on a bench by the bushes. On the other side of those bushes was the police station. All the services in Hinamizawa were pretty much tied close together. I leaned my head against the leaves behind me.
'...Yes, I have no doubt that the victim had once again been involved with Kirkland's group. Who else would write all those things on his shirt?'
My heart stopped. Victim? Kirkland, as in Arthur Kirkland? What the hell? I pressed my head further into the bushes, trying to hear the rest of the conversation.
'I saw it coming. Roderich Edelstein passed away last night, making him the fifth year's victim of the curse.'
Chapter 4
My head was reeling. The fifth year victim was... Roderich? It didn't make sense. The last time I saw him, he was smiling and laughing. He seemed like a nice person, so why was he chosen for the curse?
I had to hear more. The police probably wouldn't tell me directly, but it didn't stop me from listening in on further details about Roderich's death.
'So, what was it exactly? They found drug traces in his system, right?'
'You're right. Judging by the marks on his body, he was attacked before being drugged. I'm certain that it's not this curse everyone's talking about. It's most likely to have been committed by the members of Hinamizawa.'
At that point, I saw Kiku and Feliciano racing towards me. Even if they could be slyly quiet (in Feliciano's case), or mature (in Kiku's case), it still didn't change the fact that they were both younger classmates and could make noise at the most inappropriate times, so I stood up and ran over to them.
'Alfred! Why are you sitting down? I thought you were actually doing something!' Feliciano scolded. I pouted.
'Hey, don't you even try giving out to me! You're supposed to be preparing to be beaten in the club by me again', I laughed in his face. Feliciano grinder his teeth, trying to hold back his irritation over losing the contest the other day.
'Ve~ Kiku and I have to go home early today, and Arthur has to work, so no club today. Besides, you would've been beaten by me anyway!' Feliciano explained, and ran off, beckoning for Kiku to follow. Kiku stayed on the spot, though.
'Did you happen to hear anything strange?' Kiku asked. Wait... He's involved in the Cotton Drifting festival. Could Kiku have been involved in the murder too?, I thought as I looked a him.
'Huh? Of course I didn't! Why would I?' I lied pretty convincingly.
'Ah, I see... It's just that, through the bushes, it's pretty easy to hear into the next place. That's the police station. Well, goodbye!' Kiku told me, and rushed after Feliciano, wheezing slightly.
I was about to follow them back into the school to pick up my things, when I heard one final thing.
'There's no reports of anyone gone missing yet, right? Let's hope Lovino was the last one to go missing.'
The name they mentioned didn't ring a bell. It sounded Italian, all right, but Feliciano was one of the only Italians I knew resided in Hinamizawa. Who was that Lovino guy...?
I picked up my stuff from the empty classroom as soon as I walked inside. I thought Ivan might've stayed behind to wait for me, but then again, he might have been busy too, I decided.
It was a bit disappointing that club activities were cancelled, but maybe a bit of peace would do me the world of good. I left the school, wondering if there would be anything on television to take my mind off Roderich's murder.
'Ah, can you wait up?' I heard a voice from behind. I recgonised it. When I turned around, I saw a man whose face didn't seem familiar.
'I'm Sadik Adnan with Hinamizawa police. Well, I come from a nearby town, considering Hinamizawa doesn't have a proper police station, and we got moved last year out to this area, so we just call this the Hinamizawa police', the man babbled on. I hardly caught any of that.
'I'm Alfred F. Jones. Is there something you need?' I asked, confused. What would the police want to do with me?
'I suppose you were the one eavesdropping earlier. And, I bet you're the newest member of Kirkland's group', Sadik guessed. My eyes widened. He seemed to be a good cop.
'You're right... Sorry about eavesdropping', I muttered. He seemed to shrug it off.
'Don't worry about it. I'm certain that you overheard about Roderich's death. Well, I've noticed something about the past cases and this one', Sadik began.
'I already know about the whole 'one person dies; one person disappears' story', I groaned, rolling my eyes. My patience was wearing thin these days.
'I don't mean that. Think about the people who were the victims every year. First year, the people behind the project. Second year, the traitor and the passive. Third year, the wives of the traitor and passive. Fourth year, the relatives of the traitor. Fifth year, an outsider. The motivation is getting weaker every year', Sadik explained, with creepiness in his voice.
I could begin to understand where Sadik was coming from with his theory. If the curse continued into the sixth year, I'd be scared to see who'd they sacrifice then. It seemed like the culprit was murdering just for no reason these days.
'Look, Jones, if there's anyone going to be killed next, it'll probably be your family or you, considering you only moved here recently. Tell me if anything strange happens, just give me a call. Oh, and make sure to keep this a secret from Arthur Kirkland', Sadik hissed at me as he handed me a card with his number.
'I'll... I don't think I want to know why I shouldn't tell Arthur. Goodbye, er, Sadik', I stammered, and walked away.
With a police officer around to tell me information anytime I wanted to find out more about the curse and the victims, things could've become a lot easier for me. But, after meeting Sadik, I can't help but think there's more to Arthur than meets the eye.
'Hey! There you are!' Ivan suddenly shouted from up ahead. I looked, and saw him standing in the same field as me. I tried to push my meeting with Sadik to the back of my mind as I walked towards Ivan.
'Hiya! Upset about club activities being cancelled?' I asked brightly. I still had to act like my usual self. The last thing I needed was for anyone in my group of friends to get suspicious.
'It's alright... Gave me a bit of time to think...' Ivan told me with a shrug.
'Think about what?' I asked. I didn't miss the suspiciousness in his voice. He tilted his head slightly to the side. The vibe I was getting off him was scaring me a little.
'About friends keeping secrets, you know?' Ivan explained.
'Yeah, I know perfectly about friends keeping secrets', I growled through gritted teeth.
As soon as I said that, Ivan hung his head. I thought he might have felt guilty about hiding things. To show him I no longer cared, I laid a hand on his arm. His head snapped up, but something wasn't right. Ivan's eyes had gone from their usual shade of violet to pure black, with some kind of blue glow around his irises. His face had gone paler, and was staring at me like he could see inside me perfectly.
'What about you, then? Are you keeping secrets from us?' he asked slowly. Something wasn't right. Ivan always had a mysterious aura, but he never appeared to be threatening until that moment.
'I don't! Why would I hide anything?' I exclaimed, panicked. Ivan squinted his eyes a tiny bit.
'Really? Because you seemed to be talking to a strange looking man earlier. Who was that man?' Ivan questioned.
At that point my fear had turned into terror. It wasn't possible for Ivan to have seen me talking to Sadik. He was walking towards his own house when I caught up with him, and he had already left the school. So how did he...
'Who was that man?' Ivan asked again, this time his voice more threatening. He stepped closer towards me. My panic was taking over quickly.
'I-It has nothing to do with you guys!' I snapped at him. Ivan took a step back, a bit shocked. He then smiled normally and laughed.
'Ah, I get it. It has nothing to do with us!' Ivan repeated happily. I couldn't feel more relieved.
'Yeah! That's right. I'm glad you understa-'
'THAT'S A LIE!'
The fury in Ivan's expression was nothing like I ever saw before. He looked like he was going to eat me or kill me. After a few seconds of deep breathing, Ivan looked at me again. I flinched.
'So, you know, Alfred, you shouldn't get mad because I'm keeping secrets from you. Everybody has secrets. Including me and you', Ivan told me as if it was a life lesson.
I averted my gaze to the ground. The last thing I wanted to do was to look into that thing's eyes again. I was still trembling a little from Ivan's sudden outburst.
'Hey, we should be getting home now. It's getting late', Ivan stated, looking at the sky. I saw that his skin was his normal colour and his eyes were violet again.
A simple reply left my lips as I turned towards my house. That thing I saw back there with the black eyes definitely wasn't Ivan. It was my imagination. It had to be.
As soon as I got home, I grabbed the house phone and ran up the stairs, went into my bedroom and locked the door. I pulled the card Sadik gave me out of my pocket, and began to dial the number.
'Hello, Adnan here', Sadik greeted me.
'Sadik, it's me, Alfred. I have a question. Is there some kind of thing in Hinamizawa that causes people to be replaced by something else for a moment or something?' I asked, not sure how to phrase it.
'Hello there. Okay, here's another piece of Hinamizawa history for you. When demons and humans lived in harmony in Hinamizawa, there were some that got married. So, to this day, Hinamizawa residents carry demon blood inside them. What you described could be called being demoned away', Sadik explained. It made sense. Demon was a perfect word to describe what Ivan was back there.
'But, it doesn't make sense. Ivan's the one who was 'demoned away' for a moment, but he wasn't living in Hinamizawa originally. So how could he have been demoned away?' I asked. I had to make sense of everything I heard.
'The thing is that Ivan originally lived in Hinamizawa up until he started elementary school. I'll tell you that story another day, though. So, it wouldn't be strange for Ivan to have demon blood inside him', Sadik said as if if was an obvious fact.
After thanking him, I hung up. Nothing made sense. Up until a couple of days ago, my image of Hinamizawa was a nice, peaceful village with the most interesting people I ever met. But, putting together everything I heard, Hinamizawa was far from that.
There was a chain of murders that continued without fail.
The villagers possibly had demon blood in them.
And, Ivan and Arthur were keeping it all from me.
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