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V8 Story IV – Part 05

Grappling with dizziness, I reached the first floor and stepped outside into the cold air on trembling legs. The headlights outside the gate sliced through the darkness.

As I crossed the front yard, I heard the driver’s voice. He seemed to be on the phone with someone. He was acting strange. I looked around, wondering what happened. My eyes widened when I saw the back seat of the car.

Kugutsu was sitting there, holding a woman in white in his arms. Her pure white dress was stained red below the waist, and her lips lacked any color.

Karakuri Maihime was covered in blood. With her eyes closed, she resembled either a beautiful puppet or a lifeless corpse.

Kugutsu, noticing my presence, lifted his head. He stared at me with eyes devoid of light.

“…Kugutsu.”

As I ran up to him, the driver rushed into the car, closed the door, and quickly sped away. The headlights moved further away, and Kugutsu’s figure disappeared from view.

I was left standing there, dumbfounded, thinking back to what I just saw.

Kugutsu’s eyes were those of someone who had lost everything.

So Maihime was dead.

It felt like I was trapped in a nightmare, swallowed by an unending darkness.

Before giving myself into absurd thoughts, I should search for Yusuke. I couldn’t leave Kugutsu either; he had lost a loved one. But my head was hazy from exhaustion and blood loss.

As I tried to walk, I stopped. I realized that I didn’t know where to go. Like an abandoned child, I stood there, dumbstruck.

“Odagiri-kun.”

At that moment, I heard a familiar, dignified voice. I turned around and saw someone holding a red parasol.

Dawn was breaking. The darkness faded, and the sky began to turn orange. Mayuzumi’s red parasol stood out starkly against the backdrop. She looked at me with crystal-clear eyes.

She didn’t concern herself with people’s tragedy. Nevertheless, I felt deeply relieved.

Like a perfectly accurate compass, Mayuzumi Azaka would never change. No matter what happened, she would always be by my side.

“Mayu-san… Is Karakuri Maihime dead?”

I asked the obvious question. The image of her bloodied figure was seared into my eyes.

She couldn’t possibly be alive. But I wanted to hear the truth from Mayuzumi.

Mayuzumi smiled softly and shook her head. “No, she’s not dead.”

My jaw dropped. Yusuke didn’t kill Maihime. It took some time to comprehend that fact.

“She’s critically injured. I don’t know what went on in his mind, but Yusuke-kun didn’t finish her. There’s nothing to do until our ride arrives. Come with me.”

Mayuzumi started walking, her fancy frills flaring. She moved further and further away without looking back.

Just as always, I quickly went after her.

Scrapped puppets were piled on the floor of the spacious storehouse. About half of them were missing, probably the ones used during the attack on the Mayuzumi estate.

Located next to the house, it was filled with broken puppets and costumes. Torn dresses lay scattered among the dolls with missing limbs. There were bloodstains in a corner where costumes were gathered, old lace and jackets stained crimson.

“Maihime was laid here. Her legs were broken, but the bleeding was stopped. She might lose everything below her knees, but her life is not in danger.”

Mayuzumi calmly stated the gruesome truth. I felt both relief and bewilderment.

She was alive, but she lost her legs. It was terribly cruel.

Looking at my face, Mayuzumi shrugged lightly. “But the dog won’t forgive,” she continued coldly. “He’ll bite and kill the one who hurt his master.”

I recalled his dark eyes earlier, the same kind of eyes I’d seen several times before in broken individuals. Kugutsu would never forgive Yusuke, that much was certain.

“I was supposed to accompany them to the hospital and then return to the office, but I gave up on the idea. I don’t want to be next to a rabid dog. You can muzzle a dog, but it would be inappropriate for humans,” Mayuzumi said wearily.

I racked my brains hard. Could Kugutsu be stopped? Where did Yusuke go? Would he ever come back?

I closed my eyes tightly and opened them. Then, I noticed something.

A notebook was stuck between the piled fabrics. I quickly grabbed it, careful not to get any blood on it, and pulled it out. I recognized the cover.

It was Hirugao’s notebook. Yusuke apparently left it behind. Maybe it contained information on where he went.

I flipped through the pages one by one. In the middle, there were words that I couldn’t identify the author of. The contents were strikingly similar to my own life. Puzzled, I continued turning the pages.

Eventually, I stopped. My vision turned red, and my heart froze.

The notebook warped in my hand. Overwhelmed by anger and frustration, my whole body began to tremble.

“You idiot.”

How did he come to this conclusion? Why didn’t he understand?

I clenched my teeth. Words wouldn’t reach him now, but from the depths of my heart, I shouted, “I told you to come back!”

No response came from the darkness.

Mayuzumi twirled her red parasol round and round.

I have written a lot, and now I have nothing more to say.

The words I wrote had no meaning from the start.

It was all for myself, just looking back at my pathetic and worthless life.

No matter how much I said, there was only one conclusion.

Everyone left because of me.

I…

No, that’s enough.

I’ve been writing in a completely different tone to look at myself objectively, but to be honest, it makes me sick. Yes, I was the lowest of human beings. I became fully aware of that. And this will be the end.

Since meeting the fox and deciding on revenge, or perhaps even before that, I’ve been straying from the right path. Asako-san died because I neglected her. I rebelled against my father, but didn’t take her with me and leave, because I only cared about myself. I might as well have killed her.

I killed her. And then, Aki died, leaving me all alone. Later, I got so full of myself that I tried to spend time with others again, only to end up in this situation.

I shouldn’t have enjoyed living. I shouldn’t have spent time with Hirugao. I couldn’t protect her. So she left me.

Her death served as a stark reminder.

When Asako-san died, I sought revenge against my father so I could keep on living. And I was doing it again. I didn’t want to die and give in to the pain and suffering.

I was afraid of killing myself, so I just vented my anger on others.

In the end, I lived only for myself. I couldn’t show kindness to anyone.

I should put an end to this. I’m done trying to struggle. I’ve been breaking things, and I will continue to do so in the future.

In the end, it was all my fault.

Neglecting them both. Not protecting Hirugao. Using revenge as an escape.

My conversation with Maihime earlier made me realize something. She has her own principles, and I can’t forgive her, couldn’t forgive her, but now, I can’t hate her anymore.

So, this is the end. I’ll end it now.

Now, what should I do next?

I’ll watch the stage play that Hirugao and I watched together. Then…

I have no place to go back to.

Hey, Odagiri-san. I’m writing this part after running into you. I’m sorry for trying to kill you. The little fun I had, meeting Hirugao, was all thanks to you. Thank you. I truly appreciate it.

Please don’t take my words to heart. Also, there’s something I forgot to mention. This worthless thing I’d been writing was intended to be a farewell letter, a declaration of my resolve. When I reread it and looked back at what I had done, I finally remembered.

You said I was kind, but there’s no way that’s true. I can’t bear Asako-san and Hirugao’s deaths anymore. It’s too late to go back now. I was wrong about everything. Sorry, I’m a little confused. Anyway, I’m exhausted.

Thank you, goodbye. Take care. Say hello to everyone for me.

I wonder…

What is happiness?

B.A.D. 8 Mayuzumi Does Not Offer Flowers to Skulls