Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Epilogue
Closed and Beginning[edit]
Gently swaying…
Lightly floating…
Kusuriya Chiharu's peaceful life was the sort of happy daily life that could be found anywhere.
While cleaning up the apartment she lived in, she hummed a song in her usual easygoing manner.
She wiped the floor using a dust cloth embedded with her gratitude for receiving care for all these years.
"There, cleaning done!"
In front of Chiharu's smile all furniture and electrical appliances were gone. They were all already disposed of.
—She was about to leave Shiou City today.
She knew life was hard, but they ended up needing to move out of the apartment. Counting on her mother's classmate from the past, Chiharu was moving to a new town.
She felt bad separating from her friends, and there was also some anxiety at starting a new life somewhere unfamiliar.
On the other hand, she felt uplifted as if heading out on a journey. After all it was her, who lacked sense of danger to the extent she was often called a risky child. Even in her new life she would probably be able to carry on carefreely just like she did until now.
"And… that's it."
Since they became wet due to her wringing out the dust cloth, she removed her bandages.
It was three days ago that Chiharu had been injured and tottered back home late at night.
When she came back her mother supposedly spoke to her about a lot of things, but her memories from that time were vague. She didn't even know how she had gotten hurt. But she could remember that the more they spoke the more her mother paled with surprise.
Ever since then Chiharu didn't go to school. Her mother usually wouldn't interfere, but for some reason she became terribly worried. Even though her wounds weren't serious she treated her like an actual patient.
—Do you really not remember…?
Even this morning she was asked this once. Not understanding what she meant, Chiharu shook her head.
That was all.
Her mother was speaking with the landlady at the entrance.
"—We got contact from that Special Environmental Preservation Bureau place—Daisuke's going to—"
They seemed to be deep in talk. Even though they had to leave, the landlady was kind to the last. Her mother was probably thanking her.
The phone rang.
Only the phone originally installed in the room was left as it was.
"Yes, this is the Kusuriya house."
When Chiharu answered the phone, the other side presented themselves as the city hospital.
With a businesslike tone she was told about someone finally opening his eyes and about them finding this address from that person. Chiharu spoke before fully hearing the man's story.
"No, we do not have any person called Daisuke here."
It was the wrong number. Although the other person sounded puzzled, they apologized and hanged up.
"Chiharu. Who was that?"
"It was apparently the wrong number."
"I see…"
Her mother sighed.
When it became afternoon Chiharu and her mother left the house holding hands.
Carrying just the minimal amount of luggage, they left the apartment.
—It's fine if you don't remember.
She heard a voice from somewhere.
Feeling as if she had forgotten something, Chiharu turned around.
She could see a figure in the room she lived in.
And it was—
A boy Chiharu didn't know.
"What's wrong, Chiharu?"
"No, it's nothing."
Shaking her head, she left Shiou City along with her mother.
It was probably some kid from the neighborhood that got in the empty room as a joke. So she thought.
Since she hated making people worried, she didn't tell her mother.
For just an instant – the depth of her chest hurt horribly.
*
He was thrown away.
He didn't need much time to realize this.
He knew his mother was exhausted of work. He hated being a burden.
And—
Chiharu turned around to Daisuke who stood inside the vacant apartment.
She tilted her head and then averted her eyes.
As if seeing a complete stranger.
"…"
As Daisuke lightly bit his lips, a checkered beetle perched on his shoulder.
He exited the apartment and went down the stairs.
But his destination was not his mother and Chiharu.
Now that he wasn't needed even by his sister, Daisuke had no place he belonged to.
He kept walking around without even knowing where.
When night came Daisuke was inside some unknown park.
Sitting on the swing, he used a toy gun someone had left behind to shoot empty cans.
He had to become stronger from now on—
Strong enough to live by himself.
He resolved in his heart to never cry.
Yet he had no idea how he was supposed to live.
For the young Daisuke, the reality that he had no place was helplessly hopeless—
"Just as I wondered where you'd gone after sneaking away from the hospital… great."
He heard a voice from nearby.
Rubbing his nose, Daisuke wiped his face with his sleeve. He looked toward where the voice came from, squinting.
A suit-wearing youth was standing under an electric light.
"Also, what a strange insect you have there."
Seeing the green checkered beetle perched on Daisuke's shoulder, the youth raised a thin smile. It was an awfully cynical and superficial smile.
"Who're you?"
Faced with Daisuke who squinted while inquiring this, the youth deepened his thin smile.
"Haji Keigo."
It was a meeting with a single man.
And—
The beginning of Daisuke's battle.
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