Claim of Responsibility
The beginning of the story. The opening act.
Outside of the window was a cloudy sky. The season in which summer has not yet started. There existed a single rumor whispered about.
Just that, even if the empty book and bookmark are found, it is said that they must never be touched.
Rules of the Demise Game
A game with a single traitor, a “fox”, has begun.
If you wish to escape, pay attention to the following conditions, and seek the end.
—Now, the beginning of a fun Demise Game begins.
・To reach the end of the game, the “fox” must be killed.
・While searching for the “fox”, Kokkuri-san’s demands must be met.
・You will be given one week to fulfill Kokkuri-san’s demands.
・If the demands are shown to someone outside of the game, that person will die.
・Until the end of the game is reached, you absolutely cannot escape.
“This is a news flash.
Police are now beginning an investigation into the possibilities of the case being either a murder or an accident——”
The announcer’s robotic voice echoed around and filled the small room.
As if the world was spinning around, I was attacked by a wave of something like vertigo.
The overview of the incident is as follows.
It happened towards the end of the lunch break.
The student had gone to recover a ball that had rolled behind the bushes, and accidentally crashed into someone that had been standing there.
The person had fallen over from the impact.
When the panicking student raised her head to apologize, that’s when she noticed an abnormality.
According to the student’s testimony, “it” had certainly been standing by itself before she crashed into it.
At around the same time, on the grounds of a narrow alley at the school’s back gate.
Walking by the front of the back gate to put away cleaning equipment in a tool shed, when he walked by the back gate again, he noticed an anomaly.
——In front of the back gate, where there was definitely nothing before, was an upper body.
On the ground several meters away, the traces of something having been dragged across the ground were left behind.
That was…moving in the direction of the lower body’s location.
Naturally, although there were many students on the school grounds during lunch break, there was not a single person who witnessed the culprit.
In other words, it occurred in the closed room known as the school: a closed room murder.
“……So it was true.”
On that day, an emergency meeting was held, and the school was soon closed for the time being.
But the students who had stayed behind to listen to the situation, and those that were waiting for their parents, it was soon clear there was no way all of the students would leave the school.
On the second floor of an old school building, in a classroom that was originally used as a music room, several people had gathered together.
It was different from the vague fear of other students; their expressions were tense.
“——Hey, who told him? ——Who’s the traitor?!”
“……Calm down.”
“……You still…don’t understand, do you……? It could have been a coincidence……”
“There’s no way that was a coincidence, right?!”
“Calm down!!”
“……If anyone else gets involved……You don’t want to die, right?”
“Anyway, someone received a letter……”
“It seems like it.”
“…………”
For a while, we remained silent. A silence to the point where one’s ears would hurt.
“——Hey……what should we do?”
“Yeah, so after one week passes, one of us will die.”
“Since, since it’s this kind of incident, the culprit will soon be found, right?!”
“……………that is, if there is a culprit.”
Lonely Hide and Seek I – Killing Time (Pages 21-24)
Some more from the first chapter of the Shuuen no Shiori Novel!
Continued from here, master post here.
More A-ya! Just…the way he describes B-ko, though…ww
As rain fell from the cloudy sky, it soaked the asphalt, creating puddles of water everywhere.
——It was as though the sounds of the city were absorbed by the sound of the rain.
Fiddling with my mobile phone, I made sure not to look anyone in the eye, by looking down as I walked.
Dark circles under my eyes, and unkempt hair. When combined with my neatly ironed school uniform, my face looked much worse than it normally would.
It’s so boring; this world, this life, it’s all so horribly boring.
Thinking of this, like a chant, I walked to school again, today.
“Hey, A-ya!”
I heard someone call my name from behind.
When I turned around, I saw my classmate starting to jog towards me.
This guy that’s always in good spirits is pretty popular in my class.
It’s not just me he talks with; he’s the type that tries to develop a connection with every single person.
To be honest, I really hate guys like him; that live their lives always trying to have fun.
“It’s none of your business.”
I replied bluntly, but he just smiled, and with a “You’re as cold as always!”, he continued to talk.
“By the way, you’re familiar with rumors, right?
This was it. I could feel a spark ignite in my brain.
Recently, my body’s been burned out by my experiences with fear, but I do have a certain hobby I find really enjoyable.
That is, rumors.
However, that said, I’m different to those who just like to listen to rumors.
“Hm? Did something happen?”
Happy that I showed interest, he began talking excitedly.
“No, it’s just that, you know B-ko from the class next door? You guys are pretty friendly, right?”
There are probably less people at school that don’t know of her.
Her style is like that of a gravure idol, with a cute anime-girl voice.
There’s a certain reason for me, who’s not really very social, to be on good terms with such a person…
“Hmm…we’re not really that close, but what do you want to know about B-ko?”
When I asked him that, he gave me an embarrassed smile.
“No, I was just wondering if there were any rumors about whether she has a crush on anyone, or already has a boyfriend, or something~”
Most boys in our school only want to know about these kinds of rumors.
Just what’s so great about her, anyways…
——Anyhow, this situation is actually extremely convenient for me.
“I haven’t really heard anything about that, so I’d say she doesn’t have a boyfriend.”
“Plus, if she did, I bet that rumor would’ve already spread throughout the school.”
“…Ah, but,”
“——Hm?”
Lonely Hide and Seek I – Killing Time (Pages 25-31)
The rest of Lonely Hide and Seek I for the Shuuen no Shiori novel. Next is Lonely Hide and Seek II - Innocent Longing!
Continued from Ame’s translation here, master post here.
Right after making a confident face, thinking that he had a chance as well, his eyebrows furrowed.
—Now was the time to show my hand.
“Wha …. What is it? What’s up?”
“…. Eh? Ehh? Seriously!? What’d you hear?”
…. Truthfully, the story was complete nonsense. But that was what made it interesting.
“No, it’s pretty stupid. Don’t pay any attention to—“
Calming myself, I put on my poker face.
Every single person has someone who they think, “It’s fine to tell them.”
…. Those first words, “Don’t tell anyone,” work in the same way.
“Uh-huh ..”
“…. Uh-huh.”
“Could it ….. be that B-ko had lied ….?”
“…..”
“….. What, so it was some kind of monster or something?”
It was precisely because of this, that this was one of my pleasures …..!
“…. Yeah, I guess so!”
Giving off an uninterested pretense, in the depths of my heart, I couldn’t stop laughing.
I had a feeling that today was going to be good day—for me, at least.
—But for others, it’ll probably be an ill omen.
*
After the morning lessons ended, the class was buzzing much more than I would have thought.
All I could do was hold my breath, and not stand out.
Usually, it was good enough with one note a day, but today, already six notes had come around.
Sometimes, I do this by sneaking it into the school’s online forum by cell phone, sometimes by chainmail, or sometimes by forging girls’ letters …..
The stories I create impact the public in a completely different form. It’s so enjoyable when it proceeds just as I expect it to.
Using a person’s tragedy, I direct it as a comedy to the audience.
In the end, it is only an illusion that rumors can really change lies.
There are only “things that seem like the truth,” and “things that seem like lies.”
This is why people love rumors. As do I.
A group of popular girls was talking nearby.
“Even though she’s like a model student, it seems she goes out night after night.”
Sitting in that position, I allowed my drowsiness to quickly take over my body——
“—That B-ko … she must be angry.”
Lonely Hide and Seek II - Innocent Longing (Pages 32-52)
Part 2 of the first chapter of the Shuuen novel. Masterpost for the novel translation here.
Note: We’ll be trying to base it directly off our translation of the manga (for chapters that are already scanlated), since many of the sentences in the novel version are exactly the same. Although, it there were some mistranslation or awkward grammar, I tried rewording it when translating the novel version to make it clearer.
After school, while my classmates were in the midst of going to club activities, I did not head for home, but instead walked towards a place that was completely clear of people.
It was a two-story, deteriorating wooden building that was mostly unused now.
With an innocent air, I set down my bag on one of the desks.
“No, it’s not just ‘hey’ …. I don’t really care about your bad tastes, but would you stop using people as your topics?”
“…. Don’t act like you don’t know!”
Normally, she was a cheerful honor student that was friendly with everyone, but inside this classroom, this was not so.
“Look, don’t call smoke where there’s no fire. I only meant it as a little prank.”
“If someone happened to see you right now, won’t they think you’re an imposter?”
“—But, I think it’s wonderful that B-ko-chan has that dual nature.”
Long hair and slender body. If you were to ask, she gave off the same “pessimistic” impression as I did.
One of the members of our usual group.
“Dual nature … You’re saying it like I have a split personality.”
Despite the bluntness of her words, D-ne affirmed this with a carefree smile.
“Pfft, as usual, B-ko has a soft spot for D-ne, huh?”
C-ta, who had been grinning while listening to us talk, interrupted suddenly.
He could probably be included in the “ikemen” category, and was very skilled at making fun of people.
“It’s not like A-ya meant to tell a pointless lie, right?”
“Club activities … Can we really even call it that?”
All of us love extreme rumors.
As we talked about rumors like those, we eventually came to gather in this old school building.
We didn’t set specific dates to meet together, and it wasn’t even a regular thing.
I spoke up suddenly.
“…. Unnatural phenomenon?”
“Are you sure … it’s not just your family?”
“Then, is it like someone’s watching from outside?”
“….. Huh ..”
—This was, in fact, a true story.
However, they won’t easily assume that I’m just joking. That’s one other thing that’s good about them.
After all, these guys know how to enjoy rumors.
“If it’s ‘Mearry-san,’ you’d be getting phone calls, right?”
“Hmmm …”
“There’s something else that’s also been on my mind.”
“The other day, we did Kokkuri-san, didn’t we? The three of us: B-ko, C-ta, and I …”
“—The following day, I started to feel someone’s gaze on me …. That’s why … Perhaps this has something to do with the “Bookmark of Demise, is what I’ve been thinking.
“……”
“……”
Perhaps because each of us was thinking of many things at once, none of us said a word.
Not found on any site or through any search engine, a true rumor told only in this school ….
This is a fact that can even be found in newspapers from the time.
However, among the students of this school, it’s a famous story everyone has heard at least once.
Come to think of it, it may be due to this happening that we became interested in rumors.
While doing so, we discovered a single notebook in this old school building about a week ago. It seemed like an exchange diary belonging to the students that once used this old building.
Recorded inside the notebook were rumors completely different from the ones in school now. I can’t ever remember being this excited in my life.
“In accordance to certain rules,” perform Kokkuri-san, and they would be obtainable. They had written that they had, in fact, been able to obtain them.
“Failed ….?”
“… It’s true that we didn’t do it as it said in the rules … but …”
Once more, the classroom was filled with silence.
“…. Let’s do it one more time.”
Everyone was looking at me.
The way to perform it didn’t differ much from the Kokkuri-san that is commonly performed.
For the coin, we used the ten-yen coin that I had on me.
We closed the curtains, and with the only light in the pitch dark classroom coming from the television that we had turned on, we began.
“Kokkuri-san, Kokkuri-san, if you have come, please proceed to ‘yes.’”
The ten-yen coin slowly moved to where the word “yes” was written.
Last time, we had been too scared to go any further than this, and ended it here.
The ten-yen coin returned to where the gate was drawn.
“… Okay, was A-ya’s dinner last night made of meat?”
“… It’s the only thing I could think of on the spot.”
“…… It says “yes” ….What did you eat?”
“So, it was right then … Kokkuri-san, Kokkuri-san, please return to the gate.”
“Wait! What kind of question is that!?”
“…. Ah, ahhh ….. geez …”
“So it’s ‘yes?” …… Huh …”
“A-ya! If you’re going to ask, why’re you reacting like that!?
“….. !! N-next is D-ne’s turn. Here I go!”
—Just like this, we proceeded with Kokkuri-san.
And what’s more …. in the worst possible way.
In the worst, Demise Game ….
*
The following day, I was in an even worse mood than usual because of my lack of sleep.
I went to my room straight away, and clutching my phone that said “no signal” due to the state of the radio waves, I crawled under my covers and hugged my knees in a fetal position.
When I arrived at the shoe lockers, as usual, I heard that overly-optimistic voice.
“… What is it? I’m not feeling that well today, so—“
All of a sudden, a letter fell out of my shoe locker.
He picked up the letter, and I was not able to get it back from him quick enough.
“….. O-oi …”
“Cut it out …”
After thinking for a little while, I muttered these words.
The moment he happily opened the letter, he contorted his face and said:
“…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. What is this?”
Mumbling incoherently, he returned the letter to me, and staggered past me and down the hall, as if all his will to live had been lost.
“…… H-hey ….”
—And then, that incident occurred during the lunch break.
*
As soon I came home from school, I locked myself up in my room.
Since I wouldn’t come out of my room, my parents were also quite worried, but because they understood that a classmate had died, it seemed they avoided bothering me too much.
Over a period of several days, I stayed in my room and constantly questioned myself, again and again.
Was I the one that had killed him?
Still in a daze, I looked around the room for the source.
The moment I realized, all color drained from my face.
It almost felt like an out-of-body experience.
Yes. The Book of Demise and Bookmark of Demise was there.
“—It really exists.”
If I were to see my own face at the time, I wonder what kind of strange expression I was making. Before the joy could envelop my whole body, the memory of my dead classmate’s face and the atmosphere of the old school building took over. As if jolted into motion, I got into my bed and flipped open my cell phone.
“Stay calm …. Stay calm …. Stay calm ….. Stay …. calm …..”
To forget about my worry of someone noticing, and all while my emotions triggered the Gestaltzerfall phenomenon in my brain, I earnestly started typing in the body of the text to reassure myself.
I saved it in the sent folder without sending my feelings to anyone. I often wrote them down like this on a regular basis, so the capacity of the folder has already become quite full.
—How much time had passed, I wonder?
Had I fallen asleep?
Keeping the silence, I could hear rain from outside.
It was nearing the end of the rainy season.
Was it all just a dream?
Picking myself up from the heavy covers I had been lying under this whole time, I gently pushed them off of me.
“Fuu …..”
I sighed loud enough so that I would be able to hear myself.
Come to think of it, I’d seen something about this on the internet before.
This broadcast would give a list of all the victims that had already passed away, and those who are the next to go.
What I had thought to have been the sound of rain had actually been the noise from the TV.
Just another urban legend——
Up until now, I hadn’t believed in any of them ….
“xxxxxx”
“Good evening. This is a special broadcast. We will be announcing the victims thus far.”
“The person who looked at his phone as he walked today.”
“The person who felt accomplished after walking 10,000 steps.”
“The person who spoke to someone directly about something they’ve always been curious about.”
“The person who skipped school and played all alone.”
“—The person who is turning pale at this very moment.”
“Tomorrow’s victims are these people. We pray for your happiness in the next world. …. Good night.”
The announcer’s monotone voice echoed around the small room.
The way the voice talked so indifferently sounded terribly inhumane.
The pages of the Book of Demise rustled as they turned, and stopped on the page where the bookmark was.
——One-Man Hide and Seek Author: A-ya——
By the time I had noticed, it had almost been a week since I had received the letter.
I pulled out the letter that had been buried deep in my bag, and prepared to bring what was written into action.
The rules of “One-man Hide and Seek” were written in the letter.
Firstly, I have to prepare a stuffed toy with limbs. I decided to use a rabbit doll that someone gave me long ago but for some reason never threw away. A doll that, rather than…being attached to it, I only held on to it for this long because I was scared of throwing it away.
I descended down to the kitchen, where both a note and dinner were prepared.
Once again, I felt a gaze from behind my back.
A soulful gaze that was even more intense than usual.
“……Again?”
In that manner, I prepared a cup of salt water, and headed to my parents’ bedroom.
And, I took a sewing needle and red thread, scissors, and a cutter knife.
From here on, was the phase before the game’s start.
With a blank face, I set to work on a chain of tasks.
Then, replacing the stuffing with rice and some of my own nail clippings, I clumsily stitched it up.
Having stitched up the doll’s arms, legs, and even its mouth with the red thread, just from looking at it, it appeared to be an extremely grotesque thing.
“It’s as if they were blood vessels…”
I softly muttered, and then, taking the salt water, went to place it deep inside my closet.
It seemed like I was supposed to put this in my hiding place.
“After that, the doll’s name, huh……”
After I thought about it for a bit, I decided to use that guy’s name.
I turned off all the lights in my home, and closed the curtains, leaving only the television on.
I didn’t put down my phone, putting it into my pocket instead.
“A-ya is first to be it. A-ya is first to be it. A-ya is first to be it.”
I told the doll with a blank expression, and heading to the bathtub, I submerged it in the water.
I felt a slight chill.
I could feel the gaze like usual, but I had already stopped paying attention to that.
Returning to the kitchen, I took out my cutter knife, closed my eyes, and counted to ten.
“Are you ready?”
Having said that, I set off for the bathroom, opened the tub, and took out the doll.
——I stabbed its stomach.
“Next is ｘｘｘ’s turn to be it. Next is ｘｘｘ’s turn to be it. Next is ｘｘｘ’s turn to be it……”
After I said that, I returned once more to the kitchen, and after dropping off the wet cutter knife, returned to the closet where I had hidden the salt water.
Once I was inside, I sat down and thought of various things.
——Just what point is there to this?
——In the first place, who’s the so-called traitor? That game shouldn’t have started yet…So then, why? Where did I go wrong? This…this game, just…just why…!!!
After a while had passed, I eventually decided to go search for the doll, and poured some salt water into my mouth.
But then, I heard something that I shouldn’t have.
Creak. Creak.
In the corridor, the sound of footsteps echoed about.
In the corridor that no one should be in……why?!
I held my breath and hid myself.
The footsteps then seemed to come closer to where I was.
Creak. Creak. Step. Step.
I could hear the sound of something dripping.
Since then, I wonder just how much time had passed.
I tentatively peeked out into my room from the crack in the sliding doors, and there I saw something that shouldn’t have been there.
“—-Why are…you…?!”
My memories from here were fragmented as if they were a flashback, and as if the noise channel had been cut off, played silently.
I poised myself to pick up the discarded scissors in the middle of my room, but I was kicked, and my chest stepped on.
“It’s pointless.” “ｘｘｘｘｘ”
Those cold words were said.
Why? Why is it…?
Just like I had done to the doll earlier, he raised the cutter knife up high.
——slash.
Surprisingly, I wasn’t even able to scream, and while even being able to think calmly, took out my cell phone as my conciousness began to fade. And, like always, opened up the text composition screen.
“I can’t hear you, you know?”
Aah, up until the very end, my voice wasn’t able to reach, and while strangely feeling like I had come to understand, my conciousness…………………………………………………came to an end.
『—…This is a news flash.
The male student was inside of his room, with a cutting tool stabbed into his body.
In addition, the victim of the mysterious murder incident several days ago, in the same city, appears to be a classmate of today’s victim.
An investigation has begun—』