Final Chapter
It became spring.
Why?! Why am I holed up?! Get hold of yourself! Do some honest work! I
easy to escape from being a hikikomori.
myself that would boil silently to the surface, and all the other sorts of
closing). On top of all that, I had my security guard job tomorrow. It
I was depressingly worried.
window. New college students walked past the front of my apartment. I
Welcome to the N.H.K.!
were being mocked by the entire human race.
photograph printed on the card showed Yamazaki, smiling widely, with
get married. My parents have been bothering me for a while to get set up
didn't really have a choice, I had a meeting arranged just once, and look!
It seemed to have become an age in which even an erotic-gameloving
Die. Go to hell.
"Our house is a huge mansion. We're in love. I'm about to have a baby."
Go to hell.
upward direction. When she had returned to her uncle's house,
reflection about the incident that was deeper than the ocean. Eventually,
could apologize properly?"
"I've caused more trouble than I can even completely understand, so
wholeheartedly demonstrate my gratitude and apologies."
studying and going to college? Thinking back, didn't you pass your
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I just gave her some appropriate advice without thinking about it too
her reality. She was planning to begin college starting this spring. Of
based on exam percentile, so it wasn't that much of a surprise, but. . .
freeter and a hikikomori.
They say that curses come home to roost. So, I forced my feelings
into hell, keep trying, all of you."
The reason for that was on a scrap of paper I had here.
notebook. To fulfill the contract, I had no choice but to try.
I had jumped, and then I'd landed abruptly. I had landed on top of
had been buried into the rocky cliff itself, making a hook shape. As
the fence in such a way that the beautiful view was left unspoiled. And as
with the safety measures.
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I cried.
foot, then this time, I could fly for sure. It was impossible. I couldn't do
beating was ridiculously loud. I felt terrible, I was nauseated, and I didn't
I was crying out for someone to do something. I was crying that I
me.
didn't want to see Misaki's face. I didn't want to think about anything
to die right then.
It was humorous and pathetic. I looked like an idiot. Each time the wind
was scared of falling. I got chills just from looking downward.
me! No, don't help me. Don't laugh at me. What should I do? Don't screw
one who wants to cry.
at me.
want any more disgrace in my life.
Welcome to the N.H.K.
She was trying to save me. The look on her face said that she pitied me.
climbed up the cliff by myself. I slipped on frozen sections several times,
at climbing about seven feet up the cliff.
Grabbing my hand, she pulled me toward the highway as hard as she
possible, and I ended up dragged along the top of the snow.
few minutes earlier, she started hitting me. She hit me over and over. In
Misaki leaned over me. She buried her face in my chest, letting out sobs
My right hand, which had been slashed by the box cutter, started to
Misaki grasped my palm. I roughly pushed away her hand, and a bit
Sitting on top of me, she was crying. I tried to push her aside, but she
stayed like that for a long time, trembling. Still shaking, she raised her
In the end, my face got beaten up, too.
Raising her fist again, Misaki said, "You can't die."
more. "Please, don't die."
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but to nod. So, I nodded and somehow managed to make myself smile.
impossible.
Misaki didn't look away from me. She just kept staring and staring.
freeze to death, so we decided to put the cape behind us for the time
Life is painful and difficult. A lot of things really will get the best of you.
Having made it back onto the road, I realized something terrible:
"It took almost an hour by taxi, which means. . . "
I felt a wave of despair.
"An abandoned home?"
After about a ten minute walk, we came to the abandoned house.
front door. We spent the whole night in a house that looked about ready
We talked and talked about all sorts of things in that house, where
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memories of that house. Most of them were tragic, but a few were kind
"My first rather. . . I don't even remember his face, but he named me.
'cape.' It's been a rather appropriate name, don't you think?"
Eventually, I grew a little tired. After I had fallen into a few seconds
N.H.K.?"
Misaki got out from under the coat she'd been using as a blanket, and
"I thought of an N.H.K., too."
"It's dark, so can you use your lighter? Oh! It's okay, I can read the
something in her secret notebook with a ballpoint pen.
The only light came from the moon shining in through the window.
paper.
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(Nihon Hitojichi Kokankai)40
Members will exchange hostages with each other; you offer your
die, too, dammit!" If we agree to this, then we will be unable to act, like
want to die, we will be unable to.
group's system has failed. Let's make sure that it doesn't become that
President of the N.H.K., Misaki Nakahara
"Look, sign it quickly."
the end, nothing at all had been resolved. It wasn't as though anything
"Let's look forward in life"? Are you an idiot?! We have dreams, so we're
Welcome to the N.H.K.
I wondered if I would have to go on living every day, whispering to
Is that okay? What do you think?
I just signed the contract.
my shoulders and pulled me close. Our eyes met at point-blank range.
Her overly enthusiastic expression struck a humorous chord.
long this can continue, hut I'll try as hard as I can.
N.H.K. Member #1, Satou Tatsuhiro, had been born.