Part 92: Won't Stop

BGM: Rinka's Room


It looks exactly the same as my card book. The one major difference is that this one is far more worn than mine- to the extent that it looks like it'll fall apart without proper care. The color and decorations on it are practically the same too, although hers feels somehow more unique than my card book. Almost like it was handcrafted as opposed to being mass produced.

My gran was surprised when she saw my card book during my visit the other day. I recall sending her a photo of it back before I realized its purpose. She didn't seem concerned at the time, claiming that there might be a similar book in her room. It wasn't until she saw the real thing that she remembered having one that looks the exact same. There's no way I would let that comment slip past. I asked if I could check it out while cleaning her room, which she agreed to.

It look little effort to find, considering she remembered where it was. All I had to do was pull out a box from the bottom of her bookshelf and open it.



This belongs to her great-great-grandmother...

That's what she told me, anyway. That would mean this has been around for over one-hundred years. Makes sense, considering its ragged condition. The book's history alone makes it a pretty important relic. With that in mind, I take a deep breath before opening it.



Its contents are all written in English, which doesn't surprise me. My gran revealed that her own gran was from England, making her a quarter English. I was kind of amazed that she never once brought that up in the sixteen years we'd spent together. When questioned about it, she replied that it's because I never thought to ask. Not only does this mean I'm one-sixteenth English, but it also explains the gold coloring in some of my hair.

Setting that aside, she also said that she never bothered to read the book because her grasp of English is... poor, to put it nicely. It remained an important memento of her own gran, however, so she couldn't bring herself to throw it away.

It's a diary...

The first page is a simple brown flyleaf. Page two is where the diary starts. It's all handwritten, although the ink is starting to fade here and there due to its age. Can't say I'm too familiar with English writing habits, but something about the penmanship tells me it was written by a woman. That would mean it's my great-great-grandmother's diary. I place my card book next to the diary before reading it. I should be able to read it just fine thanks to the card book's effect.



Or not... It's kind of hard to parse when the writing's so faded...

It takes me half an hour to make it through just two pages. The best comparison I can make is that it's like trying to read Japanese, except the kanji are all jumbled up. Not being able to make out certain phrases is what makes it hard to decipher, basically. From what I could get through, it seems like a regular diary. She talks about food she ate, who she talked to, that kind of stuff. I was right about it being written around one-hundred years ago, so it's pretty interesting to learn the cultural differences between the early 1900s and today.

It'll take a while to get through the entire thing at this pace, though. Plus, it might not say anything related to Divine Selection at all. It might be best if I just check whether or not diaries like this were sold at the time if I can't find anything relevant by flipping through.

Guess I should give it some more time...

I'll read one more page tonight before bed and then a few more tomorrow. That should be enough to decide if it's worth perusing the rest or not. I notice something curious while solidifying my plan.

“Oh, I almost forgot! This diary was made and given to me by my sister Dianna for my birthday!”

That explains my earlier thoughts, although I figured it was more due to time taking its toll on the book rather than its craftsmanship. Now I'm even more curious about the link between it and our card books. It's definitely one of a kind. There was no Internet back then, so they couldn't have published the design somewhere for others to easily replicate. The theory I had ten minutes ago has already been proven wrong thanks to this.



This diary might just have the answers I'm looking for.

My gut is telling me I'm right. I doubt anyone would think otherwise when faced with these same mysteries. I had planned on studying tonight, but that can wait. Instead, I take the diary downstairs with me. I'll need the right environment to read through this beast.

…...

BGM: Chilling With Sidekicks


Miharu finds herself at MILK CROWN for the first time in around two weeks. While the idea of a high schooler visiting a bar like this is problematic in and of itself, Miharu has already become accustomed to it.

I managed to smooth things out, just as promised.

Federico is already there by the time she arrives. He's wasted no time in buying a drink, it seems. The bar's lighting reflects off the amber liquid in his glass.

We agreed that he'd let me back in if I bought the most expensive whiskey on the shelf. It's damn good. Want some? Pretty sure he'd let it slide.

Ugh. I'm sure I made my intention to not drink clear last time. Sorry to disappoint, but could you just get me some milk?

Her decision leaves him visibly disappointed, leading to him and the bar owner clinking their glasses together on their own. Miharu sighs in response, as the owner doesn't seem to care at all that Federico had been barred once before now that he's forking out a hefty sum for a drink.



Right. Now for you and me to spend some quality time together.

Oh, please. Any more of that talk and I might become allergic to you.

Federico's attitude while drinking is much more in line with her previous image of him. She feels an odd sense of relief over this.

Tch... Oh well. You said there were two issues with revealing Alan's cause of death, right? Fill me in on those first.

Fine. The first issue is that I only know the contents of his cause of death card.

She goes on to explain that she doesn't know the details behind how it happened. This means that Federico will be unable to obtain a card even if she reveals it to him.



Fine with me. I'm heading off to India soon to get as much info on him as I can. Scale only gave me the most basic of the basics, so I'm gonna visit his family and find out the details behind his cause of death and regret. Knowing the contents of the card itself will make that a whole lot easier.

Are you serious?

Damn right I am. It's the first thing Odette would do if she ever got stuck. Not like I can exactly imagine that ever happening to her in the first place.

He urges her to tell him about the second issue. Before she can say anything more, he downs the rest of his drink and gets his glass refilled.

Alan is going to be eliminated whether or not you gather information on him. It's likely that he wants Rinka to be the one to do it.

Miharu had already heard about how Scale targeted Rinka's grandmother, and how it was Alan who saved her. It was easy for her to deduce that Alan felt some sort of attachment to Rinka, based on both that and what she had heard previously. At the same time, his actions didn't seem like those of someone who intended to survive Divine Selection.



That so? Not really an issue for me. I've only got one goal now- eliminate that asshole myself.

Rather stubborn, aren't you? You'd be much better off ignoring him and focusing on myself and Rinka.

Heh. Sorry, but I don't got no interest in you two right now. Unless it's your body, of course.

Miharu can only think of one woman as she watches him laugh after making that comment. It leads her to understand why he felt like a different person before.

Either way, it doesn't hurt us to reveal his cause of death to you, and I'd rather not break our promise.



It was poison. I don't know anything beyond that, but his fame shouldn't make it too hard to figure out. You'll be able to turn that into a card in no time.

...Cheers to that. With that outta the way, hang out with me till I catch my flight in the morning.

I'll decline. Have you forgotten that I'm still in high school?

Miharu takes a breath before continuing.

However, I suppose I could force down another glass of milk. I'll stick around until I finish that.

There is a reason why she decides to say this. It's because she knows... She knows this will be the last time she and Federico will ever cross paths in the real world.



Miharu goes straight to bed upon returning home. The next day, she manages to obtain Federico's regret card. She got it as she reflected on the events of the night before while taking a bath.

…...

BGM: Lion House Cafe


I feel about ready to collapse when I am only about 1/6th through the diary. I've always been a slow reader, but I'm probably going twice as slow thanks to the faded writing.

It's just your run-of-the-mill diary.

That's about the only thing I can say after what I've read so far. I feel both guilty and slightly embarrassed reading it, since it feels like I'm peeking into someone else's life. Apparently my great-great-grandmother's name was Linda. The vague similarities between it and my own name makes me feel a bond with her. Her dad was an English clockmaker. Both he and his wife moved to Japan before Linda was born. He visited Japan once before to instruct others about his craft and it left quite a positive impression. The decision to move was a result of the company he previously instructed offering him a permanent position.

Linda was born not long after they moved, and her younger sister Dianna followed the next year. I doubt that my grandmother remembers much about Dianna. And I'm just now noticing how well designed this diary is. My bias against the design thanks to my card book got in the way of that. She must've been a nice person if she was willing to make something this nice for her sister. The contents of the diary itself give the impression that they got along well. Part of me feels a bit jealous, since I don't have any siblings. Now that I think about it, Miharu and Naomi are the same. Mao has a younger brother, which makes her my only friend with siblings.

Anyway. I close the diary after glancing at my clock. I make sure to be nice and gentle so the spine doesn't crumble.



This'll probably take me all week to get through.

Having decided to pick up where I left off tomorrow, I head up to my room.

-----

Cardbook has updated.




I – Name – Shishimai Rinka
I – Cause of Death – Death by Asphyxiation
I – Regret – Daily Routine
II – Name – Hebinata Miharu
II – Cause of Death – Suicide
II – Regret – Shishimai Rinka
III – Name – Federico Carminati
III – Cause of Death – Death from Structural Collapse
III – Regret – Success
IV – Name – Yu
IV – Cause of Death – Fire
IX – Name – Scale Jones
IX – Cause of Death – Death from an Accident
IX – Regret – Gold Medal
X – Name – Sofiya Priessnitz Alexeievna
X – Cause of Death – Death from Sickness
X – Regret – Seeing the World
XI – Name – Odette Malencon
XI – Cause of Death – Death from Blood Loss
XI – Regret – Birth
XII – Name – Alan Scorpion
XII – Cause of Death – Death from Poison


I – Name – Shishimai Rinka
II – Name – Hebinata Miharu
II – Cause of Death – Suicide
III – Name – Federico Carminati
III – Cause of Death – Death from Structural Collapse
V – Name – Ushizuka Shigetsugu
V – Cause of Death – Death from Starvation
V – Regret – Back when I was Close with Family
VIII – Name – Kamebuchi Keiko
VIII – Cause of Death – Brain Hemorrhage
VIII – Regret – Child's Name
IX – Name – Scale Jones
XI – Name – Odette Malencon
XII – Name – Alan Scorpion
XII – Cause of Death – Death from Poison