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Nanana’s Buried Treasure Volume 8 Chapter 8.3

A conversation with the girl she’d lived with for three years, knowing that this would be the last.

「It’ll be okay. I couldn’t do it, but the next person to live in this room will surely make your wish come true.」

「Kasumi.」

「What should we do to help Nanana get out?」

That’s my wish, as I’ve been stuck in this room for so long.

「What do you think, Kasumi?」

「Hmm. Well, since she’s an earthbound spirit, I guess if she kills the person who murdered her, she’ll be able to move on right?」

It’s a bit of a random statement, but I thought  it made sense.

「Um… I made a mistake.」

The person from before muttered this as they entered the room. This time, they looked a little younger than before. What caught my attention was that their reaction was completely different from when I first arrived.

This girl will be gone soon too, anyway.

I felt very cold.

In solitude, I simply face my computer.

It’s dusty, impersonal, boring, and lonely here. I don’t want to, I want to get out, I want to go out.

I want to go outside.

Why do I have to stay here? Why do I have to go through all this pain?

Why am I here?

「Nanana, I bought you a computer.」

Shiki-san. She looks younger than she is now. Her expression looks tired though.

「Also, I’m looking for someone new to live in this room. It’s been three years since you died, so I thought it was about time.」

I’m so happy. Now I can experience a little more of the outside.

This was nice, but Shiki’s visits had become much less frequent since then.

「It’s been a while, Nanana.」

This is Kayo, a mysterious woman with her face hidden by a white veil.

「Negakana?」

「As per the contract, I’ve come to give you an update. Preparation for the <<ruin>> are progressing smoothly.」

With her usual calm demeanor, Negakana just speaks matter of factly.

「Hey, Negakana. I want to go outside, you know?」

「Unfortunately, that’s not possible.」

「Why?」

「Because you cannot pay the price to make that wish come true.」

「What on earth are you?」

I naturally want to smile when I see someone other than Shiki. Especially if I know them.

「You came, Utsuki.」

It’s only been a short time since I died and realized I was a ghost, so to me it doesn’t feel like it’s been long. However, since May, it’ll have been a year since we last saw each other.

But there was something strange about Utsuki’s behavior when she arrived in this room.

「She died on her own, then came back to life when everyone had finally accepted it… what’s going on? Why are you tormenting Haru-san?」

「? Utsuki?」

What is Utsuki talking about?

「You’ve always been like that! Ever since the old days, ever since we first met. You never… Never let go of Haru-san’s heart.」

I don’t’ really understand what Mayu is talking about.

「Why are you tormenting Haru-san again!? Why are you tormenting Haru-san when he has finally looked towards the future? Why are you toying with him so selfishly?」

Utsuki was furious and glared at me, tears streaming down her face.

「Hey, calm down, Mayu. What are you talking about?」

I couldn’t understand a word Mayu was saying.

「You know, there’s nothing worse than someone who’s unaware of their own actions. I’ll tell it to you straight.」

「Eh?」

「You see, Nanana. I hate you. I hate you, hate you , hate you, hate you… I hate you so much! So much that I want to kill you!」

She is at a loss for words.

「Listen, if anyone gets close to Haru-san in the future….」

Utsuki’s words suddenly stop. And her gaze drifts into space. Her eyes are chasing something. She is looking at something invisible. Utsuki Kakyou’s ‘divine eye’ is seeing something that no one else can see.

Utsuki looks down. Then she lets out a chuckle.

「Oh, what is it? I see, so that’s what you did.」

Then she began to laugh. Laughing and laughing.

Looking up at the ceiling, tears streaming down her face, she was laughing from the bottom of her heart. She looked happy, so happy.

Scary, so scary.

Then Mayu smiled. A beautiful smile, with no evil in it. It was the same Nayu smile I’d always seen.

「Sorry for interrupting.」

「Utsuki?」

「That’s a relief, I won’t be coming here again. And it’s not just me, no one else will be coming here except Shiki-chan.」

Those words make my heart tighten.

「That’s now how it works….」

「That’s how it is. That’s why I can smile like this.」

Then, as she gripped the doorknob at the entrance to room 202, Utsuki turned around.

「I’ll make you suffer as much as I can, and then regret coming back to life as a spirit. Until you disappear.」

Her face twisted with joy as she said, ‘Well then, goodbye’, and closed the door.

Left alone, I began to feel anxious.

That couldn’t be. Surely they would come. I couldn’t leave, they would come and find me. I knew they would. I knew it!

「…Wake up, Nanana. Wake up.」

I hear someone’s voice. I open my eyes and someone is peering at my face.

「Do you recognize me?」

I don’t know. I don’t know who this person is.

「You’re Shiki! You’re Shiki Maboro!」

「Shiki?」, I muttered.

The girl, with tears welling up in her eyes, smiled.

「Nanana, I’m glad.」

With tears streaming down her face, she hugged me tightly. As I felt the warmth, something started to slowly fill my head. Who am I?

「What happened to me?

「You were murdered a year ago.」

「I was….」

「You feel like a ghost. I woke up and found you just lying here.」

A ghost? Am I dead?

「Hey Nanana. Do you remember anything about the culprit?」

「The culprit?」

「Yes, the person who killed you.」

She has a very serious look on her face. So I try to think about it. But I can’t remember anything. Nothing…

「… a dragon birthmark.」

But then my mouth moved on its own and the words came out.

「Dragon birthmark?」

「A dragon birthmark… on the back of the neck.」

「Oh!」

Shiki had a sorrowful look on her face.

「Shiki?」

「I understand, but you should never forget that person.」

Shiki emphasizes this forcefully.

She suddenly remembers that there is something she must do. There is something she must tell Shiki.

「Shiki… hide my treasure on this island… tell everyone that I don’t want Ikkaku and the others to lay hands on it… that’s my message.」

After saying this, she thinks again.

「No. It’s my… will.」

That’s right… because I’m already dead.

Then, all of a sudden, I couldn’t see anything. Nothing… I couldn’t see anything.

4

「… go. Jugo! Juugo!」

I jolt up.

「Nanana-chan?」

「Are you okay? Wipe your tears away.」

I was surprised when she handed me a tissue. I then realized I had been crying.

My head was so confused. It wasn’t like I was watching Nanana’s past, it was like I was experiencing it. Those sensations and emotions were all mixed up in my head. Then I realized the sadness in my heart. The sadness nanana felt.

「That sword directly reflects the emotions of the person who had it… I don’t know what to say when you see my past and cry like that.」

Nanana laughed a little sadly.

「No, well…「

Nanana, that’s not true, it was really fun memories I saw, tee hee. Well I wanted to say that in a joking way, but I couldn’t. From what I saw and felt of Nanana’s past, Nanana was feeling sad. And because I felt that, I couldn’t just joke around to cover it up. Right now, I couldn’t tell a lie about the loneliness I felt in my heart.

「Tell me Juugo, what did you see?」

Nanana asked gently.

「It was like going back further and further into your past….」

「Yeah.」

「It ended before Nanana-chan was killed by the culprit.」

Nanana-chan was surprised by my report.

「W.. wait a second! Then there’s no point in Jugo seeing my past! If he didn’t see the culprit as me, then there’s no point! What on earth were you looking at Juugo!?」

Nanana-chan was angry.

「You’ve been lonely for a long time.」

I gently held her hand.

「Hey, Juugo! Um… I mean, why are you crying again?」

Nanana-chan suddenly became flustered by my holding her hand. Just like the confused Nanana-chan said, tears started to flow from my eyes again.

Because I have come to know the sadness that Nanana-chan has felt. The earthbound girl who is always supposed to have a bright smile on her face while eating pudding. A very lively and wonderful girl. It is because I’ve seen her point of view that I can empathize.

And that is why I say, 「But now I’m here. You won’t be lonely anymore. No, I’ll never let you feel lonely!」