R11:CO1 08.txt

私は左利きだ。%K%P
I'm left-handed.

ペンを持つときも、箸を持つときも、ハサミを使うときも、何かを投げるときも、いつでも左手を使う。%K%P
When I use a pen, chopsticks, or scissors, I always hold them in my left hand.

だから腕時計は、利き腕ではない右の手首にはめることにしていた。%K%P
That's why I wear my watch on my non-dominant right wrist.

左手にはめていると、何かと邪魔になりがちだからだ。%K%P
That's because if I wore it on my left wrist, it would interfere with a variety of things.

もちろん今も、それは右手の方にあった。%K%P
Of course, it's on my right wrist even now.

ついこのあいだ買ったばかりのお気に入りの腕時計……。%K%P
It was a wristwatch I had fancied and bought just the other day....

アナログの文字盤は『９時３７分』を示していた。%K%P
The analog dial indicated that it was 9:37.

室内は哀しげな風の鳴き声に包まれていた。%K%P
The inside of the room was enveloped by the sad cry of the wind wailing outside.

他には、ヤカンのフタがカパカパと鳴る音以外なにも聞こえない。%K%P
Other than that, besides the lid of the kettle rattling, not a sound could be heard.

誰ひとりとしてくちを開こうとする者はいなかった。%K%P
Not a single person opened their mouth.

重苦しい沈黙が続いていた。%K%P
The heavy silence persisted.

私の前に置かれたカップの中身はすでに空だった。%K%P
The cup placed in front of me was already empty.

カモミールティは私の身体を温め、心を鎮めてくれた。%K%P
The chamomile tea had truly warmed my body and calmed my heart.

座り心地の悪い丸太のイスにもだいぶ慣れた。%K%P
I'd also gotten used to the feeling of sitting on hard wooden logs.

私は壁に背中を預け、他の３人の様子を観察していた。%K%P
I put my back up against the wall and observed the others.

ゆには２段ベッドに腰を下ろして、両足をブラブラと揺らしている。%K%P
Yuni was sitting on the bunk bed, dangling his legs.

つまらなそうな顔をしてはいるが、夢の中の彼に比べれば遥かに元気そうだった。%K%P
His face showed boredom, but even like this he was far more energetic than the Yuni from my dream.

黄泉木は窓際にたたずみ、外の様子を眺めている。%K%P
Yomogi had fixed his gaze on the window, observing the conditions outside.

ひとさし指と中指の間には２本目のタバコが煙を昇らせていた。%K%P
Smoke was slowly rising from the cigarette he held leisurely between his middle and index fingers.

毛布にくるまった女性は、依然としてストーブの前を離れようとしない。%K%P
The woman who was wrapped up in numerous blankets hadn't moved an inch from her spot in front of the stove.

後れ毛をそっとかきあげ、耳の裏にかけた。%K%P
She flicked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

その仕草は上品で麗しく、女性の私から見ても艶めかしく映った。%K%P
There was a lovely elegance to her actions which, even though I was a woman, drew my eyes with its coquettish charm.

彼女はこんな雑然とした場所に身を置きながらも、指先の角度から首の傾け方に至るまで細心の注意を払っているように見えた。%K%P
Even after being thrown here in such a disordered state, she still took great care in keeping herself proper, from the angle of her fingers to the tilt of her neck.

この小屋にいるのはこれで全部、私を含めて合計で４人だった。%K%P
There were four of us inside the cabin, including myself.

４人に共通する点と言えばたったひとつ、無傷だということぐらいだ。%K%P
There was also one thing that all four of us had in common, and that was that we were all unhurt.

もちろん、かすり傷や打撲の痕ならば、身体中を探してみるまでもなくひとつやふたつ見つかるだろう。%K%P
Of course, we could probably easily find one or two scratches or bruises on our bodies.

けれど、骨や内臓に達するまでのケガは誰ひとりとして負っていない。%K%P
However, no one had any serious injuries; our bones were fine, and all our insides seemed to be in place.

実際に尋ねてみたわけではないが、そのぐらいのことは様子を見ればわかる。%K%P
It's not like I asked anyone directly, but that much was obvious from just observing the people around me.

私は墜落後のことをまったく覚えていない。それでも凄まじい衝撃に襲われたことだけは知っていた。%K%P
I don't remember a single thing about the crash. But I do know that the shock from it had to be tremendous.

にもかかわらず、私達はたいしたケガも負わずにこうして生きている。%K%P
Yet here we are, alive and well.

そのことを考えると、どうしても『奇蹟』というふた文字を思い浮かべずにはいられないのだった。%K%P
As I thought about it all, I couldn't help but think of the word "miracle" as well.

奇蹟……。%K%P
Miracle....

今ここにこうして存在することが、私には不思議に思えてならなかった。%K%P
What a wonder it was that we were all alive here like this.

この部屋には電灯というものが存在しない。%K%P
This room didn't have any electric lighting.

ランタンの明かりだけが心細くあたりを照らしている。%K%P
Only the light of the lantern served to illuminate the hopeless air around us.

中の炎が揺れると、室内に浮かんだ陰影もゆらゆらと踊るようになびいた。%K%P
The flame within it wavered, causing the shadows in the room to dance and sway along with it.

なんだかとても……幻想的な光景に見えた……。%K%P
Somehow it was a very... illusory scene....

妖しく揺らめく炎に魅せられた私は、現実と夢幻との境界を見失い始めていた。%K%P
Enchanted by the dubious flicker of the flame, I began to lose sight of the boundary between reality and fantasy.

このまま黙っていたら、再び夢の世界に取り込まれてしまいそうだ。%K%P
If this silence continued, I felt like I would once again be consumed by that bizarre dream world.

とにかく、何でもいいから誰かに話しかけよう。%K%P
Anyway, it doesn't matter what it is, so somebody, say something.

思い立った私はまず……。%K%p
So resolved, I decide to first....

黄泉木に声をかけた
Talk to Yomogi

ゆにに声をかけた
Talk to Yuni

毛布にくるまった女性に声をかけた
Talk to the woman wrapped up in blankets

黄泉木に声をかけた。%K%P
I talked to Yomogi.

こころ「ねえ？　黄泉木さん……」%K%P
Hey... Yomogi-san?

黄泉木「ん？」%K%P
Hm?

こころ「ここにいるのは、この４人で全部ですよね？」%K%P
The four of us are the only ones here, right?

黄泉木「ああ、そうだけど……？」%K%P
Yeah, I think so... why do you ask?

こころ「それじゃあ、あの、他の乗客の、人達は……」%K%P
Then, um, the other passengers...

黄泉木は窓の外に目を向けたまま、タバコを深く吸い込んだ。%K%P
Yomogi looked out the window and took a long drag on his cigarette.

ゆっくりと煙を吐き出しながら、白く曇った窓ガラスを拭う。%K%P
Slowly exhaling smoke, he wipes a hand across the white-clouded window.

黄泉木「そうか……」%K%P
That's right...

黄泉木「そう言えば、まだ優希堂さんには話してなかったね」%K%P
Now that you mention it, there's something we have to talk about, Yukidoh-san.

ゆにに声をかけた。%K%P
I talked to Yuni.

こころ「ねえ？　ゆに……」%K%P
Hey... Yuni?

ゆに「なぁに？」%K%P
Yes?

こころ「ここにいるのは、この４人で全部だよね？」%K%P
The four of us are the only ones here, right?

ゆに「うん、そうだけど……？」%K%P
Um, yeah, I guess...

こころ「それじゃあ、えーっと、他の乗客の、人達は……」%K%P
Then, um, the other passengers...

途端に、ゆにの表情が曇った。%K%P
Yuni's face darkened.

沈黙があたりに立ちこめる。%K%P
The room has become shrouded in silence once again.

ゆにはうつむき、ややあって再び顔をあげて口を開いた。%K%P
Yuni looked down for a second, then back up again, opening his mouth.

ゆに「あのね……それは、ね……」%K%P
You see... That's...

黄泉木「待て。それは僕から話そう」%K%P
I'll take it from there.

黄泉木が会話に割り込んできた。%K%P
Yomogi cut into the conversation.

黄泉木「そうだった……」%K%P
That's right...

黄泉木はタバコを深く吸い込み……%K%P
Yomogi takes a puff on his cigarette...

黄泉木「そう言えば、まだ優希堂さんには話してなかったね」%K%P
Now that you mention it, there's something we have to talk about, Yukidoh-san.

毛布にくるまった女性に声をかけてみることにした。%K%P
I tried speaking with the woman wrapped up in blankets.

こころ「あの……」%K%P
Um...

女「…………」%K%P
......

無言だった。%K%P
Silence.

こころ「あの……聞こえてます？」%K%P
Um... Can you hear me?

女「…………」%K%P
......

聞こえてないはずはない。%K%P
There was no reason she wouldn't be able to hear me.

またしても無視されているのだ。%K%P
I was simply being ignored again.

その徹底した態度からは敵意のようなものまで感じ取れた。%K%P
She had been so thoroughly ignoring me that it began to feel as if she was doing it out of some sort of hostility toward me.

何か、彼女に対して悪印象を与えるようなことをしてしまったのだろうか？%K%P
Did I do something to leave her with a bad impression of me, perhaps?

いや、覚えはない。%K%P
No, I don't remember doing anything like that.

私と彼女はまだ会ったばかりだし、言葉をひとつたりとも交わしていないのだ。%K%P
I'd just met her recently, and we hadn't even exchanged a single word.

あるいは、もともとそういう女性なのかもしれない。%K%P
Or, it was possible she was just that kind of person to begin with.

人嫌いというか、なんというか……。%K%P
It might be that she wasn't really a people person, or something like that....

仕方なしに、私は話す相手を黄泉木に切り替えることにした。%K%P
With nothing else to do, I started talking to Yomogi.

こころ「ねえ？　黄泉木さん……」%K%P
Hey... Yomogi-san?

黄泉木「ん？」%K%P
Hm?

こころ「ここにいるのは、この４人で全部ですよね？」%K%P
The four of us are the only ones here, right?

黄泉木「ああ、そうだけど……？」%K%P
Yeah, I think so... why do you ask?

こころ「それじゃあ、あの、他の乗客の、人達は……」%K%P
Then, um, the other passengers...

黄泉木は窓の外に目を向けたまま、タバコを深く吸い込んだ。%K%P
Yomogi looked out the window and took a long drag on his cigarette.

ゆっくりと煙を吐き出しながら、白く曇った窓ガラスを拭う。%K%P
Slowly letting the smoke out, he wipes the white cloudy window.

黄泉木「そうか……」%K%P
That's right...

黄泉木「そう言えば、まだ優希堂さんには話してなかったね」%K%P
Now that you mention it, I've yet to speak with you about it, Yukidoh-san.

ユウキドウ？？？%K%P
Yukidoh???

聞き間違いだろうか？%K%P
Did I hear him wrong?

ふと、私の知らない単語が耳をかすめたような気がした。%K%P
An unfamiliar name suddenly entered my ears.

黄泉木は窓際を離れ、部屋の奥へと向かった。%K%P
Yomogi left the window and made his way to the center of the room.

ベッドのわきに置かれた棚の中から四角い箱を取り出す。%K%P
He took a square box from the shelf beside the bed.

黄泉木「もう１杯飲むだろう？」%K%P
You want some more tea?

黄泉木「長くなるからね」%K%P
This might take a while.

彼はタバコをくわえながらカモミールティを作り、私のカップと自分のカップにそれを注いだ。%K%P
He prepared the chamomile tea while holding his cigarette between his lips. He poured us some tea.

テーブルの上の灰皿でタバコをもみ消し、私の正面にゆっくりと腰を下ろす。%K%P
He put out his cigarette in the ashtray sitting on the table, and then sat down in front of me.

黄泉木「さあ、なにから話そうか？」%K%P
Well then, where should I start?

黄泉木「優希堂さんは、どこまで記憶があるんだっけ？」%K%P
How far back can you remember, Yukidoh-san?

黄泉木「さっきは確か『墜落のときのことは全部覚えてる』って、言ってたと思ったけど……」%K%P
I'm pretty sure I can recall you saying "I remember everything about the crash"...

まただ……。%K%P
Again....

またしても彼は聞き覚えのない名前をくちにした。%K%P
Again he uses a name I've never heard before.

黄泉木「どうした？　なんでそんなしかめっ面してるんだ？」%K%P
What's wrong? Why are you frowning like that?

私は姿勢を正し、けわしく彼を見すえながら言った。%K%P
I straightened my posture and began to talk, looking intently at him.

こころ「話の前に、ひとつだけいいですか？」%K%P
Before we get into that, can I ask you something?

黄泉木「なんだい？」%K%P
What is it?

こころ「ユウキドウって……誰ですか？」%K%P
Who's this... Yukidoh?

黄泉木「誰ってそれは……もちろん……」%K%P
Who, you say? But... that's...

黄泉木「きみのことだよ」%K%P
Your name.

私は憮然とした。%K%P
I was astonished.

大きくため息をついてかぶりを振る。%K%P
Sighing deeply, I could feel myself starting to shake.

なんで……？%K%P
Why...?

どうしてこうも次から次へと同じようなことが起こるの……？%K%P
Why were things like this happening one after another...?

あきれて物も言えない状態だったが、このまま黙っているわけにもいくまい。%K%P
I can't exactly say why I was angry, but there was no way I was just going to bite my tongue.

私は声を大にして訴えた。%K%P
I raised my voice in protest.

こころ「私の名前はぁ！　冬川！　こころ！　です！」%K%P
My name is! Fuyukawa! Kokoro! Okay?!

ああ、何度同じことを言えばいいのだろう。%K%P
Really, I wonder how many times I would have to repeat myself like this.

いいかげん嫌気がさしてきた。%K%P
I'm tired of it already.

もっとも、同じことを言ったのは『夢の中で』だったのだけれど。%K%P
Although, the other times I said that phrase had been "inside the dream."

黄泉木「……は？　……冬川こころ？」%K%P
...Eh? Fuyukawa Kokoro?

こころ「そうです！　冬川こころです！」%K%P
That's right! Fuyukawa Kokoro!

こころ「学生証見せましょうか？　それとも免許証の方がいいですか？」%K%P
Should I show you my student ID card? Or would my driver's license please you better?

こころ「なんだったら今すぐ区役所行って、戸籍謄本取って来てもいいですけど？」%K%P
For that matter, how about we go down to the local ward office right now so you can see an official copy of my family registry?

黄泉木「い、いや……すまん……」%K%P
N, no... sorry...

黄泉木「怒らせてしまったみたいだね……」%K%P
It seems I've somehow made you angry...

黄泉木「だけど、優希堂というのはそもそもきみが……」%K%P
But, originally, the one who brought up the name "Yukidoh" was you, so...

黄泉木は言いよどんだ。%K%P
Yomogi hesitated to speak.

視線をふらふらとさまよわせながら、口元のひげを撫でている。%K%P
His gaze wavered around the room as he rubbed the stubble on his chin.

黄泉木「まあ、いいか」%K%P
Well, whatever.

黄泉木「きみがそこまで言うんなら、恐らくそうなんだろう」%K%P
It's probably true, if you say so.

こころ「恐らくじゃなくて、そうなんです！」%K%P
Not "probably," it IS true!

黄泉木「わかった、わかったよ」%K%P
Fine, fine, I got it already.

黄泉木「きみの名前は冬川こころ、間違いないね？」%K%P
Your name is Fuyukawa Kokoro, right?

こころ「はい！」%K%P
Yes!

私はキッパリと言い切った。%K%P
I clearly asserted.

すると……。%K%P
And then....

女「待って……」%K%P
Wait...

女「ちょっと待ってよ……」%K%P
Just wait a second...

今まで頑なに沈黙を守り続けていたあの女性が、遂にくちを開いた。%K%P
The woman who had persistently preserved her silence until now finally opens her mouth.

毛布をバサリと脱ぎ捨て、しなやかに立ち上がり、私の方に向かってつかつかと歩み寄ってくる。%K%P
Throwing off her blankets, she delicately stands up and walks purposefully toward me.

女「あんた、どういうつもり！？」%K%P
You, just what is your deal?!

彼女は両手をテーブルにたたきつけた。%K%P
She slams both her hands on the table.

身を乗り出すようにして、私の眼前に迫ってくる。%K%P
Bending forward, she brings her face up to mine.

全身から立ち昇る妖気に、私はたちまち怖気づいた。%K%P
Her entire body gives off a ghastly aura, filling me with dread.

女「私の名前は冬川こころぉ～！？」%K%P
'My name is Fuyukawa Kokoro～'?!

女「じゃあなんでさっきは優希堂なんて言ったのよ！？」%K%P
Then why did you say it was Yukidoh before?

何を怒ってるんだか知らないが、何も言い返せないほど彼女の表情には鬼気迫るものがあった。%K%P
I don't know what she's angry about, but the dreadful expression on her face leaves me unable to reply.

女「答えなさいよ！　なに企んでんのよ、あんた！」%K%P
Answer me! You, just what are you plotting?!

『企んでる』……この言葉も前に耳にしたことがある。%K%P
"Plotting"... now this was a word I remember hearing...

なんだか夢の中の出来事をなぞっているような気がした。%K%P
Somehow it feels almost like a reenactment of my dream.

『私が冬川こころと名乗ることによって誰かを怒らせてしまう』という点に於いて、夢と現実は酷似していた。%K%P
Saying "I'm Fuyukawa Kokoro," and having somebody get angry because of that, it did rather resemble the dream.

ということは、あれはある種の予知夢だったのだろうか？%K%P
Then, was that dream supposed to be some kind of premonition?

女「ねえ？　ちょっと、聞いてんの？　ひとの話……」%K%P
Hey? You listening? I'm talking to you...

こころ「き、きいてますよ？　ちゃんと」%K%P
I, I'm listening, really.

女「ふーん、さっきとはずいぶん態度が違うのね？」%K%P
Pff, your attitude sure has changed from before, hasn't it?

さっき、さっき、さっき……。%K%P
Before, before, before....

さっきっていつのことを言ってるのよ、この人達は……。%K%P
When they say "before," just what do these people mean....

女「で？　もう一度だけ訊くけど……」%K%P
Well? I'll ask you one more time...

女「なんであんなバカなこと言ったわけ？」%K%P
Why did you say something so stupid?

こころ「バカなこと、って……？」%K%P
Something so stupid...?

女「とぼけないでよ！」%K%P
Don't pretend like you don't know!

女「あんたが優希堂悟の名前を騙ったことに決まってるでしょ！？」%K%P
Obviously, when you were trying to trick us by saying you were Yukidoh Satoru!

こころ「だ、だから、そのひとは、誰なんですか？」%K%P
J, just who is that person?

女「しらじらしい演技はやめて！」%K%P
Stop it with the lousy act already!

演技、演技、演技……。%K%P
Act, act, act....

演技なんてしてないのに……。%K%P
Even though I'm not acting....

黄泉木「まあまあ、落ち着けよ、黛……」%K%P
Now now, calm down, Mayuzumi...

黄泉木「冬川さんが怖がってるじゃないか」%K%P
You're scaring Fuyukawa-san.

黛「あん？　あんた今なんて言った？」%K%P
Mm? What did you just say?

黛「黛、黛って言ったわよねぇ？」%K%P
Mayuzumi? You just called me Mayuzumi, didn't you?

黛「気安く呼び捨てになんかしないでくれる！？　何様のつもりなわけ！？」%K%P
Stop addressing me as if I were your pal! Just who do you think you are?!

黄泉木「じゃあ、なんて呼べばいいんだ？」%K%P
Well then, what should I call you?

黄泉木「鈴ちゃん……か？」%K%P
Lin-chan... maybe?

黛「てめえ、なめてんだろ、このひげオヤジ！」%K%P
You making fun of me, you unshaven old bastard?!

黛「私は『ちゃん付け』で呼ばれるのが世界で一番嫌いなのよ！」%K%P
Being referred to with "-chan" is the thing I hate most in this world!

黄泉木「だったら、二番目に嫌いなのは？」%K%P
Then what's the thing you hate the second most?

黛「見ず知らずの他人に呼び捨てにされること！」%K%P
People I don't know calling me by my last name with no honorifics at all!

黄泉木「三番目は？」%K%P
Then what would number three be?

黛「三番目は……そうねぇ……」%K%P
Number three is... let's see...

黛「名前を間違って、呼ばれることかしら」%K%P
Being called by the wrong name, maybe.

黛「リンなのにスズとか、黛なのに薫とか……」%K%P
Like being called Suzu instead of Lin, or being called Kaoru instead of Mayuzumi...

黛「そう言えば、いつだったかダイレクトメールに『鳶』って書いてあったこともあったわ」%K%P
Now that you mention it, one time I got a direct mail addressed to someone named "Tonbi," written the same as "black kite"!
//changed back, since regardless of how it's written, she clearly says "tonbi" - it's even written in katakana when Yuni says it two lines later.

黛「なんで我が家に届くわけ！？　ひとのこと勝手に猛禽類扱いしないで欲しいわ！」%K%P
Why did it arrive at my house?! I wish people wouldn't suddenly decide that I'm some bird of prey!

ゆに「ぷぷっ、トンビだって……」%K%P
Fwaha, did you hear that? Tonbi, she said...!

ゆに「いつかタカが生まれるといいね？」%K%P
It'd sure suit you to be reborn as a falcon, wouldn't it?

黛「うるさい！　ガキはすっこんでろ、ガキは！」%K%P
Shut up! Brats like you should just get lost, brat!

ゆに「うわっ、なんだよ、その言い方……」%K%P
Whoa, what's wrong with you...?

ゆに「ちょっと冗談言っただけなのにさぁ」%K%P
I was just joking around.

黛「なによ！？　文句あんの！？」%K%P
What?! Got a problem?!

ゆに「…………」%K%P
......

黛「…………」%K%P
......

黄泉木「…………」%K%P
......

こころ「…………」%K%P
......

ゆに「はぁ～あ、これだから婆さんは困るよな」%K%P
Haa～a, this is why grannies are trouble.

よほど頭にきたのだろうか、ゆには聞こえよがしにボソリと呟いた。%K%P
Yuni had probably gotten angry, as he deliberately muttered the phrase at a volume just loud enough for it to be heard.

黛「ば、ば、ば、婆さん！？」%K%P
G, G, G, Granny?!

黛「２３歳のうら若き乙女をつかまえといて、婆さんってどういうことよ、婆さんって！」%K%P
Where do you get off calling a lovely young maiden of twenty-three a granny? A granny!

ゆに「婆さんだから婆さんって言ったんだよ、このもうろくババア！」%K%P
I called you a granny because you are a granny, you senile old hag!

黛「て、てめぇ……」%K%P
Y, you bastard...

ゆに「ほら、目尻にカラスの足跡が浮かんでますよ？　トビリンちゃん？」%K%P
Look, you've got crows' feet all around your eyes, don't you? Tobilin-chan～
//Crows' feet are the patterns of wrinkles that form around the eye with age. Yuni got her good with that one, since he combined a bird reference with a dig about her being old.

黛「このくそガキィ～！　やんのか、コラッ！」%K%P
You damn brat～! You wanna go?! Huh? Do you?!

ゆに「やらねーよ！」%K%P
As if!

ゆに「誰がおまえみたいなババアとなんかやるもんか！」%K%P
Who'd wanna start a fight with an old lady like you?!

黛「あ、あ、もう完全にブチ切れちゃったわ……」%K%P
A, ah, now you've done it...

黛「簀巻きにして外に放り出してやろうかしら？」%K%P
I wonder if I should just roll you up in a mat and throw you outside?

ゆに「やれるもんならやってみろよ！　干し柿ババア！」%K%P
Try it if you can! You persimmon-gobbling old hag!

黛「上等じゃないのよ！　このイソギンチャクメガネ！」%K%P
You've got it! You four-eyed sea anemone!

黄泉木「こら！　いい加減にしないか、ふたりとも！」%K%P
Come on! Cut it out, you two!

見るに見かねた黄泉木が、すかさずふたりの間に割って入る。%K%P
Yomogi, sick of watching their back-and-forth, decided to interfere and pushed the two apart.

黄泉木「ここがどこなのか、忘れたわけじゃないだろう？」%K%P
You haven't forgotten where we are, have you?

黄泉木「こんなくだらないことで体力を消耗してどうする」%K%P
What're you gonna do if you waste all your strength on a pointless squabble like this?

黛「でも……」%K%P
But...

黄泉木「でもは無しだ」%K%P
No buts.

黄泉木「これ以上続けるつもりなら倉庫で寝てもらうことになるぞ？　いいのか？」%K%P
If you carry on with this nonsense, you'll be sleeping in the storeroom. Are we clear?

黄泉木は威厳に満ちた声色でそう告げた。%K%P
Yomogi lectured them in a surprisingly dignified tone.

ふたりを交互に睨みつけて牽制をかける。%K%P
The two exchanged sharp glares, but restrained themselves from taking any further actions.

さすがのふたりも、山のように立ちはだかった黄泉木を前になす術はないようだった。%K%P
Even those two couldn't do anything with Yomogi standing like a mountain between them.

対峙を続けていたゆにと女性は、どちらからともなく視線をそらし、それぞれのテリトリーへと帰っていった。%K%P
Neither really backing down, Yuni and the woman both looked away and returned to their respective territories.

黄泉木「はぁ……まったく……」%K%P
Haa... really, now...

黄泉木はため息をついて腰に手をあてた。%K%P
Yomogi sighed as he placed his hand on his hip.

いつの間にか話の論点はずれにずれ、あの女性の向けた怒りの矛先もすっかりとすりかわってしまっていた。%K%P
Before we knew it, we had lost track of our conversation, and the target of the woman's anger had completely changed.

私にしてみれば、余計な追及を免れたということで、よかったと言えばよかったのだけれど……。%K%P
I was certainly glad to have gotten out of further questioning, but....

ともかく、これでひとまず彼女の名前だけは判明した。%K%P
Anyway, I was able to at least establish the woman's name.

黛鈴――。%K%P
Mayuzumi Lin――

ひとたびくちを開いたが最後、黛はサカリのついた猫のように見さかいなく喚き散らした。%K%P
Like a cat about to flee after a fight, she opened her mouth to let out a last parting complaint.

その姿は気品に満ちた容姿や仕草やたたずまいからは遠くかけ離れていて……。%K%P
Her personality was almost the complete opposite of what I had imagined it would be based on her mature looks and graceful bearing....

私はつい先ほどまで抱いていた彼女に対するイメージを改めざるを得なかった。%K%P
The image of her I had in my mind just a few moments earlier had been thoroughly revised.

彼女は乱暴で荒々しい奔放な性格の持ち主のようだ。%K%P
The woman had a rude, harsh, and uninhibited personality.

ところで、黛の追及が中途半端に終わってしまったことによって、私は心の片隅に小さなシコリを抱えることになった。%K%P
By the way, Mayuzumi's questioning, though it had been brief, had implanted a lingering feeling of uneasiness in the corner of my mind.

優希堂悟のことだ。%K%P
It's about Yukidoh Satoru.

どうして私は優希堂などという見ず知らずの誰かに間違えられたりしたのだろう？%K%P
Why was I mistaken for this Yukidoh person, whom I've never met before and know nothing about?

そもそも優希堂悟とは一体何者なのだろうか？%K%P
First of all, just who is Yukidoh Satoru?

それから、黄泉木や黛がくちにした次のような言葉も気にかかる。%K%P
That, and the words both Yomogi and Mayuzumi had said bother me.

黄泉木「きみはさっきからずーっと挙動不審な言動を続けている」%K%P
A while ago, you were saying all kinds of weird things.

黛「じゃあなんでさっきは優希堂なんて言ったのよ！？」%K%P
Then why did you say it was Yukidoh before?

黄泉木「さっき教えたばかりだろう？」%K%P
Didn't I tell you my name just now?

黛「ふーん、さっきとはずいぶん態度が違うのね？」%K%P
Pff, your attitude sure has changed from before, hasn't it?

『さっき』……。%K%P
"Before"....

ここにきて、私はようやくひとつの解答へとたどりつきつつあった。%K%P
Replaying it all in my head, I finally arrived at an answer.

彼らの発言から推測できることはたったひとつ……。%K%P
Based on what they had said, only one conclusion could be reached....

いや、そんなことはあり得ない！%K%P
No, something like that just wasn't possible!!

私はすぐに自分の考えを否定した。%K%P
I denied my own thoughts immediately.

とても信じられないことだったし、信じたくもなかった。%K%P
It was something that I couldn't believe, that I didn't want to believe.

私の導き出した結論は、あまりにも現実味がなく受け入れ難いものだったのだ。%K%P
The conclusion I had reached was simply too unreal to accept.

だから私は目をそらした。これ以上この件については考えたくなかった。%K%P
That's why I turned away from it. I didn't want to think about it any further.

私は私――冬川こころだ。%K%P
I am me――Fuyukawa Kokoro.

他の何者でもなく私は私なのだ。%K%P
I'm no one else but me.

強く自分に言い聞かせ、私は気持ちを切り替えることにした。%K%P
Struggling to suppress my wild thoughts, I tried to convince myself of this.