Part 98: December 3 Part 5: XVII. The Star

-Deduction-


To tell the truth, there's something that's bothering me too...Why did he start killing people in the first place?
Well he said himself, it was to "save" them, right? So he killed his lover in order to save her, and kept going?
The police speculated the first murder was related to the affair, so they called in Namatame for questioning...But everything in his testimony and his bearing...No matter what they looked at, they found nothing suspicious. If he truly is twisted enough to believe that murder is a means of saving people, I think that would have shone through...
Maybe he faked it real well. Or maybe he started out with a normal motive, and got a taste for killing after the first time...
No...If that were the case, his motive for killing that announcer would be even more inexplicable. Namatame and his wife were separated at the time. Both Misuzu Hiiragi and himself testified that she had discarded him. Hiiragi also knew about Yamano beforehand, and Namatame was shocked to hear of Yamano's death...Their relationship was known, and was not strained to the point of murder...There's simply no motive in the affair angle. The police invested a great deal of effort into investigating this point. Therefore, we have no convincing motive for Namatame to kill Mayumi Yamano...Although...her name was written in Namatame's own diary...
His reason for killing her...
It's still possible that he was crazy to begin with and no one realized, right?
Uhhh...I don't really get any of this...
Argh, this is so confusing!


Nurse: Oh, there you are! All of you!


Huh? Wh-What's going on...?
What are you waiting for? Hurry, go!


Where...am I!?


This doesn't quite feel like it, though...I remember being at the hospital...That's right...Nana-chan...

-Traumerei-

I...I couldn't do anything...Why do I even exist...? I couldn't keep my promise...I lost my reason to be there...
Th-That's it...I remember now...
So...it was true...Guys...Sensei...What should I do...?



-PML2012: Found Me-


Huh...? Wh-What did you just say!?


A-Are you serious!?
Doctor: It's very rare to be resuscitated after one's heart and lungs fail, but it does happen. But until I know why she collapsed in the first place, I can't say for sure how well she'll recover from here on...Still, Nanako-chan's a fighter, and she's trying desperately to stay alive.
S-So this isn't a joke...? You're actually telling the truth...!?
Nanako-chan...!
Oh my God...I...I...!
Haha...This is amazing...
Miracles do happen...I'm so glad...
I-I didn't know what I was gonna do...*sniff* *sob*
*sob*
C'mon...Stop crying, you two...*sob*
Doctor: You all should go home for the night. I'll speak with Dojima-san tomorrow about Nanako-chan's treatment. It's rather chilly outside...If it starts snowing, be careful not to catch a cold.
...Wait a second, where's Teddie? I noticed he didn't come with us when we went to Namatame's room.
*sniff* You're right...That's weird. I figured he wouldn't move from Nanako-chan's side...
Teddie...Where did you go...?
Oh yeah, he has a cell with him...Wait, I shouldn't use mine inside the hospital. I'll try calling him up once we're outside.



> You must wait and believe that she will recover...


I forgot to tell you--don't pull that again, okay?
You can't just meet with the suspect like that...Anyway, I came to give you an update on Dojima-san. His wounds opened up a little, but he's treated now, and he's fast asleep.
Thank you.
He'll be all right. Don't worry. Knowing him, by this time tomorrow, he'll be on his feet and yelling at people again.
Uh, don't tell him I said that. Anyway, I heard Nanako-chan's on the road to recovery again!
You guys were being so dramatic that I got really worried. But this is good news. She'll be well again in no time.
By the way, you're all alone at the house now, right?
Well, enjoy your freedom while you can! Dojima-san and Nanako-chan will be back soon, after all.

> You sense Adachi's concern for you...


Well, I better head back. You go home too, before it gets too late. See ya.


Why...? Mayumi...and that girl, too...I couldn't save them...
Policeman on guard: Mm...? What's the matter, feeling guilty all of a sudden? Sheesh...




We took a quick look around the hospital, but there's no sign of him. I wonder where he went...


Hey, you're right...Wow, it's been a while since I last saw real snow.
It doesn't look that pretty, though, because of this fog...
I guess this makes it the first snow of the year.
Brrr, it's freezing! Let's go home.
Hey Yosuke, if you find Teddie, don't forget to contact us, alright?
I know, I know...Let's meet up at the special headquarters tomorrow.


He's probably fine, but I'll hurry home, just in case.
Well...see ya tomorrow!

> Back in Namatame's room...was it really right to stop everyone from what they were about to do...? For now, you have no way of knowing...You remember that your cell phone has been off this entire time since you were at the hospital.



> You should go home before you catch a cold...

You get text messages here if you've completed Sun, Strength, Moon, or Hanged Man. I was so certain I'd be able to finish at least three of them in the last two weeks of November.

-Alone-



> Then there's what happened in Namatame's hospital ward...The snow that's started to fall, and the fog that won't disappear...What lies ahead from here on...? You feel very tired...You should hurry and get some rest for today...

-Aria of the Soul-

> This...


It's been quite some time...

> It seems you've been summoned to the Velvet Room...

Do not be alarmed. You are fast asleep in the real world...I have summoned you within your dreams. Now then...Your journey has taken you quite a distance thus far. Do you believe you'll be able to successfully solve this mystery...?
I can solve it.
Splendid. The precise destination of this vehicle...That, too, is getting rather hard to judge. If we continue driving blindly, we may end up leading you further away from the mystery that you must reach...Well? Why don't we take a moment to look back on your journey? It was for that purpose that I summoned you here tonight. Margaret?

> Voices you've heard many times before echo in your mind...

What's right...What you should choose to do in life...The answers to those things lie within you.
...I'm going to think about life and set my own path.
We are experiencing the words engraved into your memory during your journey...
Failing to understand and failing to listen are rather different things.
Alright. Let's go ahead and think this through as much as we need.
If we leave any unanswered questions behind, we'll just be lying to ourselves...
I'll think as hard as I can, and try to help!
C'mon, we've accomplished this much together, haven't we?
Right...Together.
And it seems you have comrades with you as well...Those heading in the same direction through this dense fog.

> It seems that the car has stopped moving...

We'll be parked for the moment while I confirm our current heading.
As I mentioned previously, this year will signal a great change in your life. Though there isn't much time left, it can be worth your while to take the time to stop and reflect.
People are like water flowing in a river. There is only one stream, but all who pass through it are affected differently. Some travel fast, some change their course...Experiencing countless events as they travel down the river of time...
Just so. The state of this room reflects the scenery of your heart...Perhaps this may be a time for contemplation rather than action...

> You can hear something in the distance...

Doorbell: *BING BONG*