R11:CO1 12.txt

//EDITING NOTE: must be synchronized with CO1_02

気がつくと、見慣れない天井が視界に入ってきた。%K%P
When I opened my eyes, I was looking at an unfamiliar ceiling.

私はベッドに寝かされていた。%K%P
I had been sleeping in bed.

こころ「う……ん……」%K%P
Mm... n...

頭が痛い。%K%P
My head hurt.

さすってみると、こぶができていた。%K%P
I checked it right away, and felt a bump.

それにしても嫌な夢だった。%K%P
Moreover, what a horrible dream.

男になるなんて、悪夢以外のなにものでもない。%K%P
Becoming a man, that doesn't happen outside of nightmares.

と、すぐそばで人の気配がした。%K%P
Just then, I sensed a person's presence right next to me.

？？「…………」%K%P
......

そちらへと目を向ける。%K%P
There were eyes staring this way.

そして、ギクリとした。%K%P
I rose with a start.

そこにいたのは、黄泉木でも黛でもゆにでもなく……%K%P
The person standing there was not Yomogi, nor Mayuzumi, nor Yuni...

犬伏景子だった。%K%P
It was Inubushi Keiko.

慌てて跳ね起きる。%K%P
I jumped up in a panic.

だが、犬伏景子は私以上に焦って見せた。%K%P
But Inubushi Keiko looked even more panicked than I was.

急に跳ね起きた私にビックリしたのか、ピクンと身体を震わせ、座っていたイスからずり落ちたのだ。%K%P
Maybe she had been surprised when I suddenly jumped up, but her body shook so hard she fell from the chair she was sitting on.

こころ「…………あ」%K%P
......Ah.

犬伏景子は、怯えた目で私を見ていた。%K%P
She looked at me with frightened eyes.

およそ凶悪な殺人鬼には見えない。%K%P
She didn't look the least bit like a brutal murderer.
//I know it's 殺人鬼, but keep it like it is.

おかげで私は、すっかり拍子抜けしてしまった。%K%P
Thanks to that, I relaxed and lowered my guard completely.

どうやら、まだ夢から抜け出せていないらしい。%K%P
It seemed I had fallen into another dream.

夢の中で気を失って、また夢の中で目覚めるなんて、変な感じだ。%K%P
Fainting in a dream, and then waking up in a dream, it was a strange feeling.

深々とため息をついた。%K%P
I sighed deeply.

こころ「ごめんなさい、驚かせて」%K%P
I'm sorry, for surprising you.

ペコリと頭を下げると、犬伏景子はふるふると首を振った。%K%P
Bowing slightly, Inubushi Keiko shook her head.

どこかおとなしそうな印象を受ける。%K%P
Somehow, she gave off a rather docile impression.

ファイルで読んで想像していたのとはまったく違う。%K%P
She was completely different from what I had imagined after reading the file.

当然か。夢だし。%K%P
Of course. It was a dream, after all.

犬伏景子は立ち上がると、机の方へと歩いていった。%K%P
Inubushi Keiko stood up and walked over to the desk.

私は部屋を見回す。%K%P
I looked around the room.

私はバスルームで卒倒して、気を失ったらしい。%K%P
I had fainted in the bathroom and lost consciousness, it seemed.

あんなものが自分の下半身についているのを見たら、誰だって気絶くらいする。%K%P
If they found something like that attached to the lower half of their body, I'm sure anyone else would faint too.

かすかな希望を祈って、下半身をもぞもぞと動かしてみた。%K%P
Clinging to that small hope, I tried shifting my lower body.

やっぱり、違和感がある。%K%P
As I had thought, there was an incompatibility.

どうやら相変わらず私は男のままのようだ。%K%P
It seemed I was still a man.

やっぱり夢だ。%K%P
It was a dream, after all.

私はスフィアにいる夢を見ているんだ。%K%P
I was having a dream where I was in SPHIA.

だから、犬伏景子がいてもおかしくない。%K%P
That was why it wasn't strange for Inubushi Keiko to be here.

夢なら、開き直ればいいんだ。%K%P
If it was a dream, then I would just have to defy it.

そのうち、目が覚めるだろう。%K%P
That way, I would probably wake up.

犬伏景子が私に向き直り、オドオドと手を差し出してきた。%K%P
Inubushi Keiko turned to face me, and hesitantly offered her hand.

彼女の手にはグラス。%K%P
In it was a glass.

中に水が入っている。%K%P
It was full of water.

犬伏「…………」%K%P
......

私は一瞬、彼女がなにをしているのかわからなかった。%K%P
For a moment, I didn't know what she was doing.

どうやら私のために水を用意してくれたらしい、と理解するのに、少し時間がかかった。%K%P
It seemed that she had brought some water for me, and even though I had noticed this, it took me a while to realize.

慌てて受け取る。%K%P
I took it, confused.

こころ「え、あ……ありがと」%K%P
Um, th... thank you.

犬伏はコクコクとうなずくだけだ。%K%P
Inubushi only nodded.

彼女が差し出した水に毒は入っていないだろうか、と少し躊躇した。%K%P
I didn't know if she had slipped poison into the water she had brought me, and was a little hesitant.

だが、結局は飲むことにした。%K%P
But, in the end, I drank it.

夢なんだから、毒が入っていようが関係ない。%K%P
It was a dream, so it didn't matter if there was any poison in it.

一気に飲み干す。%K%P
I chugged it down in one gulp.

こころ「ぷはっ」%K%P
Fwaah...

予想以上に、喉が渇いていたらしい。%K%P
I seemed to be thirstier than I had expected.

水はとてもおいしかった。%K%P
The water was delicious.

犬伏は、息を詰めて私をジッと見つめている。%K%P
Inubushi quietly stared at me without breathing.

私の顔色を窺っているみたいだ。%K%P
She seemed to be looking at my complexion.

こころ「あの～……犬伏さん」%K%P
Um～... Inubushi-san?

呼びかけると、犬伏は首を振った。%K%P
When I called her, Inubushi shook her head.

こころ「え？　なに？」%K%P
Hm? What?

犬伏は周囲を見回し、机の上にあったメモ帳を持ってきた。%K%P
Inubushi looked around the room, and picked up the notepad on top of the desk.

そこに一生懸命なにかを書いている。%K%P
She enthusiastically wrote something on it.

やがて、おずおずとメモ帳を差し出してきた。%K%P
Not long after, she hesitantly presented me with the notepad.

訳もわからず受け取る。%K%P
I took it without quite understanding why.

『イヌブシじゃない』%K%N
"Not Inubushi."

『穂鳥』%K%P
"Hotori."

と書かれてあった。%K%P
...was what was written.

こころ「そう言えば、あなた、失語症だったっけ」%K%P
Now that you mention it, you can't speak, can you?

こころ「でも、ホトリって？　なんのこと？」%K%P
But, Hotori? What's that about?

犬伏はメモ帳を引ったくると、今度は少し乱暴にペンを走らせた。%K%P
Inubushi took back the notepad, and this time ran the pen over it slightly rudely.

『私の名前は、涼蔭穂鳥』%K%P
"My name is Suzukage Hotori."

こころ「……スズカゲホトリ？」%K%P
...Suzukage Hotori?

少女はコクリとうなずいた。%K%P
The girl nodded sharply.

だが、見間違えるはずはない。%K%P
But... I was sure I hadn't seen her name wrong.

この少女は、犬伏景子だ。%K%P
This girl, she's Inubushi Keiko.

嘘をついているのだろうか。%K%P
Was she lying?

だとしたら、どうして？%K%P
If so, why?

私は穂鳥と自称した少女を観察してみた。%K%P
I observed the girl who had introduced herself as Hotori.

少女は、すがるような視線を私に向けている。%K%P
The girl turned her eyes toward me.

嘘をついているようには見えない。%K%P
It didn't seem like she was lying.

そこでふと思い出す。%K%P
Then, it occurred to me.

彼女はＤＩＤ（乖離性同一性障害）だ。%K%P
This girl had DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder).

犬伏景子という人間の中に、複数の人格がある。%K%P
Inside Inubushi Keiko, there were multiple personalities.

ということは、涼蔭穂鳥というのは、犬伏景子の別人格ということか。%K%P
In other words, Suzukage Hotori was a separate personality of Inubushi Keiko.

そして、涼蔭穂鳥という人格になると、一時的に失語症になるのかもしれない。%K%P
Furthermore, it was possible that whenever she became Suzukage Hotori, she suffered a temporary loss of speech.

失語症が精神的なものならば、犬伏景子は喋ることができて涼蔭穂鳥だけが喋れない、という状況もじゅうぶんにあり得る。%K%P
If aphasia was a mental problem, then Inubushi Keiko being able to talk while Suzukage Hotori couldn't was very possible.

あるいは、主人格である犬伏景子そのものが、なんらかの理由で喋れなくなったか。%K%P
Another possibility was that the main personality, Inubushi Keiko, had become unable to talk for some reason.

私はとりあえず、彼女に付き合ってみることにした。%K%P
In the meanwhile, I decided to go along with her.

『あなたは犬伏景子よ』とどれだけ言ったところで、穂鳥という人格は犬伏のことを知らないだろう。%K%P
It didn't matter how many times I tried saying "you are Inubushi Keiko" to her, as the Hotori personality probably didn't even know her.

多重人格者は、人格間での面識はない、というのが定説なのだ。%K%P
It had been established that, in the case of a person with multiple personalities, the different alters were not conscious of each other.
//old: It had been established that, in the case of a person with multiple personalities, the different characters were not conscious of each other. <--- minor change, but "alter" is the psych term, which Kokoro should know being a major :P

どれだけ説明したところで、無駄だろう。%K%P
No matter how one might try to explain it, it would probably be useless.

少し、かわいそうに思った。%K%P
I... felt a little sorry for her.

彼女も彼女なりに、苦しんでいるのかもしれない。%K%P
It was possible she was suffering in her own way, too.

いやいや、待って。%K%P
No no, wait.

これは私の夢の中の話だ。%K%P
This was something from inside my dream.

現実に犬伏景子の中に涼蔭穂鳥という人格がいるわけではないことは、はっきりさせておかなくては。%K%P
It was not certain that the real Inubushi Keiko had another personality named Suzukage Hotori within her.

そう、これは私が見ている夢。%K%P
Yes, this is just a dream I'm having.

夢だから、なにが起きてもおかしくない。%K%P
It was only a dream, so it shouldn't be impossible for anything to happen.

こころ「わかった。じゃあ、涼蔭……穂鳥ちゃん」%K%P
I understand. Then, Suzukage... Hotori-chan.

できるだけ優しく話しかける。%K%P
I tried to talk as gently as possible.

少女は目をぱちくりさせて、私の問いかけに応えた。%K%P
The girl blinked in surprise and answered my call.

こころ「私の名前、知ってる？」%K%P
My name, do you know it?

いくら荒唐無稽な夢でも、元となるのは私自身が見聞きし脳に蓄積された記憶だ。%K%P
Even if it was an absurd dream, it originated from the experiences and observations in my own brain's memory.

つまり、無意識であろうとも私自身が知っていること、忘れていても過去に経験したことでなければならない。%K%P
In other words, even if they were unconscious, they were things I knew; they were things I had experienced in the past even if I didn't remember them.

さっき、ゆには――スフィアにいるゆに、という意味だけど――私のことを『悟』と呼んだ。%K%P
Before, Yuni――the Yuni that was at SPHIA, that is――had called me "Satoru."

私は『悟』という男と過去に会ったことがあるだろうか。%K%P
Had I met a man named "Satoru" in the past?

夢に見るほどまでに親しい知人に、そんな名前の人はいなかったはずだけど。%K%P
I shouldn't know anyone called "Satoru" well enough to see them in my dreams.

穂鳥「？？？」%K%P
???

穂鳥は、首を傾げている。%K%P
Hotori tilted her head.

知らないのだろうか。%K%P
She probably didn't know.

こころ「う～ん、まいったなあ」%K%P
M～mm, what to do...

途方に暮れて、頭を掻きむしった。%K%P
At a loss, I put a hand to my face.

と、後頭部のこぶに触れてしまい、鈍い痛みが走る。%K%P
And a dull pain ran through my head as I touched the bump at the back of it.

こころ「いたたたた……」%K%P
Owowowow...

穂鳥「…………！」%K%P
......!

穂鳥は、私が寝ていたベッドの枕元から、素早く濡れたタオルを拾い上げた。%K%P
Hotori quickly got up from my bedside to pick up a wet towel.

私の後頭部にそっとあてがってくれる。%K%P
She gently placed it under my head.

ひんやりして気持ちいい。痛みが和らいだ。%K%P
It was pleasantly cool. The pain receded.

こころ「あ、ありがと」%K%P
Ah, thank you.

穂鳥は無表情のまま、コクリとうなずく。%K%P
Hotori nodded sharply, expressionless.

女「あら、気がついた？」%K%P
Ah, have you come to?

その時、褐色の肌の女性が部屋に入ってきた。%K%P
This time, the brown-skinned woman entered the room.

穂鳥に介抱されている私を見ると、穏やかに笑う。%K%P
She saw me being nursed by Hotori and laughed gently.

女「さっきは急に悲鳴をあげて気を失うんですもの。びっくりしたわ」%K%P
Earlier, you suddenly let out a scream and fainted. I was surprised.

女「しかも……ズボンをずりさげた格好で……」%K%P
And... with your trousers undone...

女性の笑みが、一瞬だけ苦笑に変わった。%K%P
The woman's smile became strained for just a moment.

私は愕然とした。%K%P
I became aghast.

言われてみれば、確かに私はとても恥ずかしい格好で卒倒したことになる。%K%P
Now that she mentioned it, I had certainly fainted in an extremely embarrassing position.

いや、身体そのものは私じゃないんだけどもっ！%K%P
No, the body itself isn't mine!

こころ「ええと、ごめんなさい」%K%P
Umm, I'm sorry.

反射的に謝ってしまった。%K%P
I apologized by reflex.

彼女の雰囲気は、全てを許してくれそうな優しさに包まれていた。%K%P
The woman was wrapped in a kind atmosphere that seemed to be able to forgive anything.

そう言えば、私はまだ彼女の名を聞いていない。%K%P
Now that I thought about it, I still hadn't heard her name.

こころ「あの……お名前、聞いてませんでしたよね？」%K%P
Um... you haven't told me your name yet, have you?

女性の表情が、少し強張った。%K%P
The woman's expression became a little tenser.

女「そう……」%K%P
I see...

なにが『そう……』なのだろう？%K%P
What does "I see..." mean, I wondered.

だがすぐに、女性はにこやかな態度に戻った。%K%P
However, the woman changed back to her radiant attitude at once.

内海「私は、内海カーリー。よろしくね」%K%P
My name is Utsumi Kali. Nice to meet you.

カーリー。%K%P
Kali.

ということはやっぱりハーフかなにかだろうか。%K%P
I was wondering if she was half-Japanese after all.

聞き覚えのない名前だ。%K%P
A name I had never heard before.

なんで私の夢なのに、知らない人が出てくるんだろう。%K%P
Why were people I didn't know appearing, even though it was my dream?

内海「あなたは？」%K%P
You are?

こころ「え？」%K%P
Huh?

内海「あなたの名前。教えてくれる？」%K%P
Can you tell me your name?

こころ「私は――」%K%P
I'm――

こころ「冬川こころ」%K%P
Fuyukawa Kokoro.

内海「…………」%K%P
......

内海「やっぱりね」%K%P
As I expected.

こころ「え？」%K%P
Huh?

内海は中腰になって私の顔をのぞき込んできた。%K%P
Utsumi bent down and glanced at my face.

まっすぐに、見つめてくる。%K%P
Her eyes were fixed, looking straight at me.

内海「いい？　落ち着いて聞いてね？」%K%P
Calm down and listen, okay?

こころ「な、なに……？」%K%P
Wh, what...?

内海「あなたは」%K%P
You have...

内海「ＤＩＤよ」%K%P
DID.

こころ「…………」%K%P
......

内海「わかる？　乖離性――」%K%P
Have you heard of it? Dissociative――

こころ「知ってます」%K%P
I know what it is.

なるほど。そう思われるのも当然だろう。%K%P
I see. It's obvious to think that.

内海「あなたは、冬川こころさんであると同時に、優希堂悟さん――」%K%P
You are Fuyukawa Kokoro-san, and at the same time, Yukidoh Satoru-san――

こころ「もういいですってば！」%K%P
I said I know!

私は内海の言葉を遮り、ベッドから立ち上がった。%K%P
Interrupting Utsumi's words, I got up from my bed.

私がＤＩＤ？%K%P
I had DID?

そう、そうかもしれない。%K%P
Yes, that might have been true.

なにしろ私は女のはずなのに、身体は男なんだから。%K%P
Seeing as how, even though I was a woman, I had a man's body.

でもそんなことどうでもいい。%K%P
But something like that didn't matter.

これは夢なんだから、私がＤＩＤであろうと問題ない。%K%P
This was a dream, so having DID wasn't a big deal.

きっと、無意識のうちによほど犬伏景子のことを意識していたのだろう。%K%P
It was probably because I was unconsciously thinking about Inubushi Keiko.

そう言えば、あの墜落した飛行機に乗る前から、ずっと緊張していたことを思い出す。%K%P
Now that I thought about it, before I got onto the plane that crashed, I remembered being really nervous.

稀代の殺人鬼と面会するという緊張感が、私の脳に強くインプットされていて、それでこんな夢を見せているんだ。%K%P
The nervousness over interviewing a murderous monster, such a rare and horrific killer, had burned itself into my brain, and thus I had a dream like this.

ゆに「あ、悟。起きたんだー」%K%P
Ah, Satoru. You're awake.

今度はゆにが部屋に入ってきた。%K%P
This time it was Yuni who entered the room.

私を見て、ためらうことなく『悟』と呼ぶ。%K%P
After seeing me, he called me "Satoru" without hesitation.

優希堂悟……。%K%P
Yukidoh Satoru....

避難小屋でも、その名前に間違えられた。%K%P
I was mistakenly called that even at the shelter cabin.

ゆに「ね、ねえ……」%K%P
H, hey...

ゆにはオドオドと、私を見上げてくる。さっき怯えさせてしまったせいだろうか。%K%P
Yuni hesitantly looked up at me. It was probably because I scared him earlier.

ゆに「大丈夫？」%K%P
Are you okay?

その言葉をそっくり返してあげたかった。ゆにはあまり顔色がよくない。%K%P
I wanted to say the same thing right back at him. Yuni didn't look so good; his face was awfully pale.

ゆに「悟、だよね？」%K%P
Satoru, right?

こころ「…………」%K%P
......

私はため息をついた。%K%P
I let out a sigh.

もう一度、自分が冬川こころであると説明するのも面倒臭い。%K%P
Explaining that I was Fuyukawa Kokoro yet again was a bother.

どうせ信じてもらえないだろうし、なにしろ私はＤＩＤだ。%K%P
He wouldn't believe me anyway. I have DID, after all.

夢なんだから、誰にどう思われようと関係ない。%K%P
It was a dream, so who I was didn't matter.

こころ「そうね……」%K%P
That's right...

こころ「そうらしいわ」%K%P
It seems that way.

ゆに「？？？」%K%P
???

まだ少し後頭部がズキズキする。%K%P
My head was throbbing again a little.

この痛みも夢なのだろうか。%K%P
Was this pain a dream too?

こんなにはっきりとした感覚なのに。%K%P
Even though the feeling was so clear.

そこまで考えて、ギクリとする。%K%P
Thinking that way, I got a little scared.

これは、本当に夢なのだろうか。%K%P
This is... really a dream, isn't it?

穂鳥と目が合った。%K%P
My eyes met Hotori's.

ＤＩＤ。%K%P
DID.

私は、もしかしたら本当にＤＩＤだという可能性もある。%K%P
There was the possibility that I really had DID.

それなら、私が当たり前のようにスフィアにいることにも説明がつく。%K%P
In that case, it would explain why I was at SPHIA as if it were natural.

当たり前のように私に接してくれる内海達の態度にも説明がつく。%K%P
It could also explain the attitude Utsumi and the rest had taken toward me.

夢にしては、この施設にしても、犬伏や内海にしても、リアルすぎる。%K%P
This dream, this institute, Inubushi and Utsumi, they're all too real.

こんなにも鮮明に見る夢なんて、あるだろうか。%K%P
Were dreams this vivid even possible?

――%TS105明晰夢%TE？%K%P
――%TS105Lucid dream%TE?

頭が痛い。%K%P
My head hurts.

また混乱する。%K%P
I'm confused again.

仮にこれが夢だとして、それなら本当の私は今、どこにいるんだろう。%K%P
For the sake of argument, if this is a dream, where's the real me right now?

あの飛行機事故も夢だったのだろうか。%K%P
Maybe the plane accident was a dream as well.

いや、あっちが現実なのか。%K%P
No, I think that part is real.

私はやっぱり飛行機事故に遭って、雪山の避難小屋で眠っているのだろうか。%K%P
I certainly got into an airplane accident, and right now I should be sleeping in the shelter cabin on a snowy mountain.

でも、あの新聞――。%K%P
But, that newspaper――

およそ現実では説明できない。%K%P
In reality, there's no explanation for it.

あれは、いったいなんだったんだろう？%K%P
Just what was that?

あるいは――%K%P
You could also say――

こちらが現実で、避難小屋が夢、ということも考えられる。%K%P
This is reality, and the shelter cabin is a dream. It's possible to think that, too.

身体が男なのに？%K%P
Is my real body a boy's?

私は、もともとは男だということか。%K%P
Which would mean that I was a boy originally.

優希堂悟という男性の中に生まれた、冬川こころという女の人格でしかないということなのか。%K%P
Meaning that the personality of the woman called Fuyukawa Kokoro was born inside and only existed in the man named Yukidoh Satoru?

こころ「ごめんなさい」%K%P
I'm sorry.

こころ「ちょっと……ひとりにさせて」%K%P
Let me... be alone for a while.

考えれば考えるほど、わけがわからない。%K%P
No matter how much I think, I can't understand any of this.

もうなにも考えたくない。%K%P
I don't want to think about anything anymore.

夢なら、早く覚めてほしい。%K%P
If this is a dream, I want to hurry and wake up.

私は、フラフラと部屋を出た。%K%P
Staggering, I left the room.

中央の広い部屋に出る。部屋を出ると、そこはキッチンになる。%K%P
I left the wide central room. I exited into the kitchen.

ソファにでも落ち着こうかと、私は奥のリビングへ向かいかけた。%K%P
Thinking I could calm down on the sofa, I headed toward the inner living area.

穂鳥「…………」%K%P
......

こころ「きゃっ」%K%P
Kyaa!

すぐ背後に、穂鳥が立っていた。%K%P
Hotori was standing right behind me.

ひとりにさせて、と言ったのに、ついてきたらしい。%K%P
Even though I said I wanted to be alone, it seems she followed me.

穂鳥は、私が飛び退いたのを見て、首を傾げている。%K%P
Hotori saw me jump back, and tilted her neck.

わざとやっているのだろうか。%K%P
I wonder if she's doing it on purpose.

私をからかっているのだろうか。%K%P
I wonder if she's trying to make fun of me.

こころ「もう…………」%K%P
Geez......

これでは一息つくこともできない。%K%P
It's impossible to rest like this.

仕方がないので、この施設内を探索してみることにした。%K%P
Having no other options, I decided to explore this institution.

歩き回ることで、あれこれ考えずに済む。%K%P
Moving to and fro, I finished walking around without thinking about anything.

とはいえ、すでに１度、施設内の探索は済ましている。%K%P
That being said, I had already gone over the inside of this institute once before.

さて、どうしよう。%K%P
Now then, what should I do?

他に行けそうな場所となると、４つの扉のうちの残るふたつしかない。%K%P
It seems that the only remaining places to check out are two of the four doors in this room.

正面玄関から見て、奥の２つの部屋だ。%K%P
As I face away from the main entrance, there are the two inner rooms.

私は、左側の扉を調べてみることにした。%K%P
I investigated the room on the left-hand side.

穂鳥はついてこなかった。%K%P
Hotori didn't follow me.

少し頼りない足取りで、リビングの方へと歩いていった。%K%P
My gait slightly unsure, I walked in the direction of the living area.

部屋の明かりはつけっぱなしだった。%K%P
The light in the room was already on.

室内の構造は、すでに見た他のふた部屋とまったく同じだった。%K%P
The structure of the room looked exactly the same as the two rooms I had seen earlier.

人影はない。%K%P
I didn't feel anyone's presence.

シンと静まり返っている。%K%P
The inside was silent.

女性物の服がいくつか、ベッドの上に出しっぱなしになっている。%K%P
Several articles of women's clothing had been left spread across the bed.

あのままではシワになってしまうだろう。%K%P
They'd probably get wrinkled if they were left like that.

どことなくプライベートな雰囲気を感じた。%K%P
It was a very private atmosphere, somehow.

つまり、この施設の四隅にある４つの部屋は、個室ということになる。%K%P
In other words, the four rooms at the corners of this institution are for private use.

逆に考えると、少なくともこの建物内には個室が４つしかないのだ。%K%P
Which means that in this building, there are at least four private rooms.

ひとつの部屋にベッドはひとつ。%K%P
In each room there is a single bed.

この施設にとどまって生活できるのは４人まで、ということか。%K%P
The number of people this institute can accommodate is four, is what it means.

建物自体はかなりの規模だと思われるが、その割に収容人数は少ないのは意外だった。%K%P
The scale of the building itself is quite large, so it's surprising the number of people it accommodates is so few.

それに、どうもこの施設には、あまり人の気配を感じない。%K%P
Also, this institution doesn't seem to hold the presence of many people, either.

私はまだ、スフィアで３人の人間にしか会っていない。%K%P
I haven't met anyone in SPHIA besides those three.

それ以外の人間、例えば医師や看護師――スフィアの関係者などはどこでなにをしているのだろう。%K%P
The other people involved with SPHIA, the doctors and nurses for example――where were they, and what were they doing?

夢だから『その他の人物』は登場しないのだろうか。%K%P
Perhaps the "extra people" didn't appear because it was a dream?

それとも、何かの異常事態が……？%K%P
Or, is there an unusual situation happening...?

私は小さくかぶりを振った。%K%P
I shook my head a little.

堂々巡りだ。%K%P
I'm just going around in circles.

私は部屋を出た。%K%P
I left the room.

キッチンに内海とゆにがいて、お茶を飲んでいる。%K%P
Utsumi and Yuni were in the kitchen, drinking tea.

リビングには、穂鳥の姿はなかった。%K%P
Hotori wasn't in the living area.

彼女は４つの扉のうちのひとつへとちょうど姿を消すところだった。%K%P
She had disappeared through one of the four doors.

最後に残った部屋だ。%K%P
The last remaining door.

あるいは、あそこが穂鳥の部屋なのかもしれない。%K%P
Or, it could be possible that that room belongs to Hotori herself.

他に行くところもないし、少し覗いてみよう。%K%P
Since I didn't have anywhere else to go, I thought I'd take a little peek.

私は軽い気持ちで、穂鳥の後を追った。%K%P
Casually, I followed after Hotori.

ざっと部屋を見回してみる。%K%P
I quickly looked around the room.

まだ行っていないのは、正面玄関。%K%P
The only places I hadn't been to now were the front entrance

そして４つの扉のうち、リビングに面したふたつ。%K%p
and one of the four doors, the ones in the corners of the living area.

扉を調べる
Check the door

正面玄関から外に出る
Leave through the front entrance

私は、正面玄関から見て左側奥の扉を調べてみることにした。%K%P
I decided to check the leftmost door from the entrance.

穂鳥はついてこなかった。%K%P
Hotori didn't follow me.

少し頼りない足取りで、リビングの方へと歩いていった。%K%P
My gait slightly unsure, I walked in the direction of the living area.

部屋の明かりはつけっぱなしだった。%K%P
The light in the room was already on.

室内の構造は、すでに見た他のふた部屋とまったく同じだった。%K%P
The structure of the room looked exactly the same as the two rooms I had seen earlier.

人影はない。%K%P
I didn't feel anyone's presence.

シンと静まり返っている。%K%P
The inside was silent.

女性物の服がいくつか、ベッドの上に出しっぱなしになっている。%K%P
Several articles of women's clothing had been left spread across the bed.

あのままではシワになってしまうだろう。%K%P
They'd probably get wrinkled if they were left like that.

どことなくプライベートな雰囲気を感じた。%K%P
It was a very private atmosphere, somehow.

つまり、この施設の四隅にある４つの部屋は、個室ということになる。%K%P
In other words, the four rooms at the corners of this institution are for private use.

逆に考えると、少なくともこの建物内には個室が４つしかないのだ。%K%P
Which means that in this building, there are at least four private rooms.

ひとつの部屋にベッドはひとつ。%K%P
In each room there is a single bed.

この施設にとどまって生活できるのは４人まで、ということか。%K%P
The number of people this institute can accommodate is four, is what it means.

建物自体はかなりの規模だと思われるが、その割に収容人数は少ないのは意外だった。%K%P
The scale of the building itself is quite large, so it's surprising the number of people it accommodates is so few.

それに、どうもこの施設には、あまり人の気配を感じない。%K%P
Also, this institution doesn't seem to hold the presence of many people, either.

私はまだ、スフィアで３人の人間にしか会っていない。%K%P
I haven't met anyone in SPHIA besides those three.

それ以外の人間、例えば医師や看護師――スフィアの関係者などはどこでなにをしているのだろう。%K%P
The other people involved with SPHIA, the doctors and nurses for example――where were they, and what were they doing?

夢だから『その他の人物』は登場しないのだろうか。%K%P
Perhaps the "extra people" didn't appear because it was a dream?

それとも、何かの異常事態が……？%K%P
Or, is there an unusual situation happening...?

私は小さくかぶりを振った。%K%P
I shook my head a little.

堂々巡りだ。%K%P
I'm just going around in circles.

私は部屋を出た。%K%P
I left the room.

穂鳥がリビングの真ん中に立っているのが見えた。%K%P
I saw Hotori standing in the middle of the living area.

特になにをするでもなく、ボーっと立ち尽くしている。%K%P
Not doing anything in particular, just standing still as if in a daze.

ゆにや内海はキッチンに戻ってきていた。%K%P
Yuni and Utsumi had returned to the kitchen.

内海がお茶でも入れているのだろうか。%K%P
Did Utsumi bring in some tea?

ゆには嬉しそうにしている。%K%P
Yuni looked like he was happy.

さて、どうしよう。%K%P
Now then, what should I do?

どうやら、四隅にある部屋はどれも同じ構造のようだ。%K%P
It seems that the rooms at the four corners are all identical.

それならば、４つの部屋のうち最後のひとつは、特に見る必要もないだろう。%K%P
Therefore, there shouldn't be any need to check the one I haven't been to yet, as they're all the same.

そこで私は、正面玄関に行ってみることにした。%K%P
So, I went to take a look at the front entrance.

玄関には取っ手というものが付いていなかった。%K%P
The door didn't have a knob or any sort of handle attached to it.

恐らく自動ドアだとは思うのだが、それは今まで私が見てきたどんな自動ドアにも当てはまらない特殊なものだった。%K%P
It must be an automatic door, but a very peculiar one, unlike anything I've ever seen before.

詳しい材質まではわからないが、金属製であることだけは間違いない。%K%P
It's made of some sort of metal, but that's about all I can make out about it.

厚さはどれぐらいあるのだろうか。%K%P
I wonder how thick it is.

一見すると、戦車の砲弾さえ無力化してしまいそうなほど頑丈そうに見えた。%K%P
It seems to be so sturdy that a shell shot from a tank would have little chance of taking it down.

私はドアの前に立った。%K%P
I stood in front of the door.

ドアが開くと、私の前に広がっていたのは白と黒の地獄だった。%K%P
What spread out in front of me when it opened was an image of hell in black and white.

舞い上がる雪煙の中を無数の雪片が狂ったように飛び交っている。%K%P
In the whirling plumes of snow, countless snowflakes were madly racing past each other.

ものすごい吹雪だ。%K%P
It was a terrible storm.

瞳に映るものと言えば、白い粒子と暗闇だけ……。%K%P
Reflected in my eyes were only the countless white particles and the darkness between them....

数ｍ先の視界さえも確保できない状態だった。%K%P
It was already impossible to see anything more than a few meters away.

吹き抜けていく風は過酷なまでに冷たい。%K%P
The harsh, freezing wind felt as if it would blow through me.

頬や首筋が、ガラスのカケラで斬りつけられているように痛んだ。%K%P
My cheeks and neck felt as though they were being cut by countless shards of glass.

呼吸なんてできるわけがなかった。%K%P
It became impossible to breathe.

肺や気管を冷気が刺激してすぐにむせ返ってしまうからだ。%K%P
The chilly air was so intense that I could feel my lungs and trachea choking on it as it made its way through them.

あと３秒この場にとどまっていたら私は絶対死んでしまう。%K%P
I felt that if I stayed here for even three seconds more, I would surely die.

誇張でもなんでもなく本気でそう思った。%K%P
I'm pretty sure that wasn't even an exaggeration.

私は慌てふためきながら建物の中へと逃げ帰った。%K%P
Panic-stricken, I turned and started back toward the building.

室内は暖かかった。%K%P
It was nice and warm inside.

少なくとも人間が生きていけるだけの温度は維持されていた。%K%P
This was the kind of warmth that a human could survive in.

こころ「ふぅ～」%K%P
Phew～

安堵のため息をつく。%K%P
I breathed a sigh of relief.

耳を澄ますまでもなく、ごうごうと風のうなる音はここまでしっかりと届いていた。%K%P
The thundering roar of the wind was so loud that it could be clearly heard even indoors.

今までこの音に気づかなかったのは、たぶん他のことに気を取られていたせいだろう。%K%P
I hadn't noticed the sound of it until now, but that's probably because my mind had been preoccupied with other things.

とにかく、これで外には誰もいないことがわかった。%K%P
Anyway, I doubt anyone could be outside in this kind of weather.

余程の物好きでない限り、あの吹雪の中を出歩く者などいないはずだ。%K%P
Except for the truly curious or adventurous, there's just no way anyone would venture out into the middle of that snowstorm.

内海とゆにが、雑談をしながらテーブルについてお茶を飲んでいる。%K%P
Utsumi and Yuni were drinking tea while making idle chatter.

少し身体が冷えてしまったためか、温かいお茶が無性にほしくなった。%K%P
It might have been because my body had become chilled, but I really wanted something warm to drink.

それにしても、あのふたりはなぜ、あんなに和んだ雰囲気でいられるのだろう。%K%P
Besides that, I wonder how those two can be talking so calmly.

ここは、精神病患者隔離施設なのに。%K%P
This place is an institution to keep the mentally ill in isolation, after all.

ふたりは、私がウロウロと歩き回っていることを特に気に留めていないようだった。%K%P
The two didn't seem to have any intention of stopping my aimless wandering.

いや、気を遣ってくれているのかもしれない。%K%P
No, they might want to stop me; I can't be sure.

リビングには、先程まで突っ立っていたはずの穂鳥の姿がない。%K%P
Hotori, who should have been standing in the living area until now, is gone.

探してみると、彼女は４つの扉のうちのひとつへとちょうど姿を消すところだった。%K%P
As soon as I started looking for her, she disappeared through one of the four doors.

私が唯一、まだ行っていない部屋だ。%K%P
It was the only room I hadn't been to.

あるいは、あそこが穂鳥の部屋なのかもしれない。%K%P
It might have been that that room belonged to Hotori.

他に行くところもないし、少し覗いてみよう。%K%P
Since I didn't have anywhere else to go, I thought I'd take a little peek.

私は軽い気持ちで、穂鳥の後を追った。%K%P
Casually, I followed after Hotori.

玄関には取っ手というものが付いていなかった。%K%P
The entrance didn't have anything that could be used as a handle.

恐らく自動ドアだとは思うのだが、それは今まで私が見てきたどんな自動ドアにも当てはまらない特殊なものだった。%K%P
It must be an automatic door, but a very peculiar one, unlike anything I've ever seen before.

詳しい材質まではわからないが、金属製であることだけは間違いない。%K%P
It's made of some sort of metal, but that's about all I can make out about it.

厚さはどれぐらいあるのだろうか。%K%P
I wonder how thick it is.

一見すると、戦車の砲弾さえ無力化してしまいそうなほど頑丈そうに見えた。%K%P
It seems to be so sturdy that a shell shot from a tank would have little chance of taking it down.

私はドアの前に立った。%K%P
I stood in front of the door.

ドアが開くと、私の前に広がっていたのは白と黒の地獄だった。%K%P
What spread out in front of me when it opened was an image of hell in black and white.

舞い上がる雪煙の中を無数の雪片が狂ったように飛び交っている。%K%P
In the whirling plumes of snow, countless snowflakes were madly racing past each other.

ものすごい吹雪だ。%K%P
It was a terrible storm.

瞳に映るものと言えば、白い粒子と暗闇だけ……。%K%P
Reflected in my eyes were only the countless white particles and the darkness between them....

数ｍ先の視界さえも確保できない状態だった。%K%P
It was already impossible to see anything more than a few meters away.

吹き抜けていく風は過酷なまでに冷たい。%K%P
The harsh, freezing wind felt as if it would blow through me.

頬や首筋が、ガラスのカケラで斬りつけられているように痛んだ。%K%P
My cheeks and my neck felt like they were being cut by countless shards of glass.

呼吸なんてできるわけがなかった。%K%P
It became impossible to breathe.

肺や気管を冷気が刺激してすぐにむせ返ってしまうからだ。%K%P
The chilly air was so intense that I could feel my lungs and trachea choking on it as it made its way through them.

あと３秒この場にとどまっていたら私は絶対死んでしまう。%K%P
I felt that if I stayed here for even three seconds more, I would surely die.

誇張でもなんでもなく本気でそう思った。%K%P
I'm pretty sure that wasn't even an exaggeration.

私は慌てふためきながら建物の中へと逃げ帰った。%K%P
Panic-stricken, I turned and started back toward the building.

室内は暖かかった。%K%P
It was nice and warm inside.

少なくとも人間が生きていけるだけの温度は維持されていた。%K%P
This was the kind of warmth that a human could survive in.

こころ「ふぅ～」%K%P
Phew～

安堵のため息をつく。%K%P
I breathed a sigh of relief.

耳を澄ますまでもなく、ごうごうと風のうなる音はここまでしっかりと届いていた。%K%P
The thundering roar of the wind was so loud that it could be clearly heard even indoors.

今までこの音に気づかなかったのは、たぶん他のことに気を取られていたせいだろう。%K%P
I hadn't noticed the sound of it until now, but that's probably because my mind had been preoccupied with other things.

とにかく、これで外には誰もいないことがわかった。%K%P
Anyway, I doubt anyone could be outside in this kind of weather.

余程の物好きでない限り、あの吹雪の中を出歩く者などいないはずだ。%K%P
Except for the truly curious or adventurous, there's just no way anyone would venture out into the middle of that snowstorm.

正面玄関の前で、穂鳥が待っていた。%K%P
In front of the main entrance, Hotori was waiting.

穂鳥「…………」%K%P
......

なぜか、彼女はトコトコと私についてくる。なんなんだろう？%K%P
For some reason, she was following me around with small, rapid steps. I wonder what's up?

内海とゆにが、雑談をしながらテーブルについてお茶を飲んでいる。%K%P
Utsumi and Yuni were drinking tea while making idle chatter.

少し身体が冷えてしまったためか、温かいお茶が無性にほしくなった。%K%P
It might have been because my body had become chilled, but I really wanted something warm to drink.

それにしても、あのふたりはなぜ、あんなに和んだ雰囲気でいられるのだろう。%K%P
Besides that, I wonder how those two can be talking with such a calm atmosphere.

ここは、精神病患者隔離施設なのに。%K%P
This place is an institution to keep the mentally ill in isolation, after all.

ふたりは、私がウロウロと歩き回っていることを特に気に留めていないようだった。%K%P
The pair of them didn't seem to have any intention of stopping my aimless wandering.

いや、気を遣ってくれているのかもしれない。%K%P
No, they might want to stop me after all, but I can't be sure.

思っていた通り、この部屋も他の３つと同じ構造だった。%K%P
Just as I expected, this room had the same layout as the other three.

ただ違うのは、この部屋には生活感というものが感じられないということだった。%K%P
The only thing different is that this room didn't have the feeling that it was being lived in.

唯一、ベッドのシーツが乱れているくらいだ。%K%P
Also, that the sheets on the bed were in disarray.

他にはなにもない。%K%P
There wasn't anything else.

机の上になにかが置いてあるというわけでもないし、着替え用の服なども見当たらない。%K%P
The top of the desk was bare, and there weren't any changes of clothes to be found.

そもそも、人の温もりというものがない。%K%P
In the first place, there wasn't any human warmth.

この部屋は、ひどく殺風景で、冷たい空気に包まれている。%K%P
A cold, dreary atmosphere enfolded the room.

穂鳥は――犬伏景子は、この部屋でなにを思って生活しているのだろう。%K%P
What does Hotori――Inubushi Keiko――think about while living in this room of hers?

その穂鳥の姿はなかった。どこに行ったのだろう。%K%P
Hotori herself wasn't in the room. Just where did she go?

と、バスルームの中から物音がした。%K%P
Just then, a sound came from the bathroom.

何事かと、のぞき込んでみる。%K%P
Wondering what it was, I peeked inside.

穂鳥がいた。洗面台の水を出しっぱなしにして、鏡を見ている。%K%P
Hotori was there. Water was gushing from the sink as she stared at the mirror.

穂鳥「…………っ！」%K%P
......ng!

彼女の全身が、震えていた。%K%P
Her entire body was shivering.

頭を抱え、自らの髪をブチブチと引きちぎっている。%K%P
Holding her head, she yanked and tore at her own hair.

バスルームの中に、穂鳥の荒い息づかいが響き渡っている。%K%P
The sounds of Hotori's wild breathing resounded in the bathroom.

こころ「…………え？」%K%P
......Hm?

こころ「穂鳥ちゃん？」%K%P
Hotori-chan?

彼女の顔をのぞき込んで、私は絶句した。%K%P
Glancing at her face, I became speechless.

その表情は、苦悶に満ちていた。%K%P
The expression I saw was full of anguish.

声にならない悲鳴をあげるかのように、口を大きく開いている。%K%P
Her mouth was open as though in a voiceless scream.

目は強く見開かれ、鏡の中の穂鳥自身を見据えている。%K%P
Her eyes open wide, she glared at the Hotori in the mirror.

こころ「穂鳥ちゃん？　どうしたの？」%K%P
Hotori-chan? What's wrong?

穂鳥「…………っ！」%K%P
......ngh!

私が彼女の肩に手を置くと、乱暴に振り払われた。%K%P
I put my hand on her shoulder, and she shook it off violently.

私は体勢を崩し、洗面台に頭をぶつける。%K%P
I lost my balance and bumped my head against the sink.

ずっと続いている後頭部の鈍痛が、刺すような痛みに変わる。%K%P
The continuous dull pain at the back of my head became sharp, as if it had been stabbed there.

こころ「あぐっ」%K%P
Agh!

洗面台に溢れんばかりになっていた水をかぶってしまった。%K%P
The water from the sink, which had been on the verge of overflowing before, was now spilling over.

びしょ濡れだ。%K%P
I was soaked.

でもそんなことを気にしている場合ではない。%K%P
But now wasn't the time to be bothered by that.

穂鳥は黒くて長い髪を振り乱し、激しく首を振っている。%K%P
Hotori's long black hair had become disheveled as she violently shook her head.

錯乱している！？%K%P
Is she deranged?!

このままではまずい。%K%P
It won't be good if this continues.

こころ「穂鳥ちゃん！　落ち着いて！」%K%P
Hotori-chan! Calm down!

穂鳥「…………ううぁっ！」%K%P
......Uuaaaah!

穂鳥がうめき声を上げた。%K%P
Hotori began to moan, louder and louder.

声が……？%K%P
Her voice...?

穂鳥「……ぁぁぁぁっ！！」%K%P
...aaaaaah!

こころ「まさか……」%K%P
It can't be...

犬伏景子の人格が目覚めたのだろうか。%K%P
Was the Inubushi Keiko personality awakening?

だとしたら、危険だ。%K%P
If that's so, it'll be dangerous.

私はとっさに周囲を見回し、逃げ道を探した。%K%P
I looked about my surroundings, and searched for a means of escape.

恐るべき殺人鬼が目覚める前に、逃げた方がいいかもしれない。%K%P
Before the murderous monster awakened, it might be better to run away.

でも……。%K%P
But....

穂鳥「ああああああっ！！」%K%P
AAAAAAAH!!

穂鳥の声は、徐々に悲鳴へと変わっていく。%K%P
Hotori's voice slowly transformed into a scream.

彼女の口から、鬼気迫る叫びがほとばしる。%K%P
A ghastly shriek issued from her mouth.

穂鳥「ああああああっ！！」%K%P
AAAAAAAAAH!!

ダメだ。放ってはいけない。%K%P
It's useless. I can't get free.

こころ「穂鳥ちゃん！」%K%P
Hotori-chan!

私は思い切って、彼女を羽交い締めにした。%K%P
Making an immediate decision, I gripped her in a choke hold.

穂鳥「いいいいやあああああっ！！」%K%P
NOOOOOOOOOO!!

私の腕の中で、なおも穂鳥は全身を暴れさせる。%K%P
In my arms, Hotori's entire body struggled violently.

それでも、私には彼女の力は弱々しく感じた。%K%P
Even so, in spite of all the strength she was exerting, she seemed quite frail.

……違う。%K%P
...No.

私の力が、強くなっているのだ。%K%P
It's me who's become stronger.

身体が男だからだろうか。%K%P
It's probably because my body is a man's.

穂鳥「…………っ」%K%P
......ah.

と、ガクリと穂鳥の身体から力が抜けた。%K%P
And then, the strength abruptly left Hotori's body.

こころ「穂鳥ちゃん？」%K%P
Hotori-chan?

鏡越しに様子を窺うと、穂鳥は気を失っていた。%K%P
Looking across to the mirror to see what was going on, it appeared that Hotori had lost consciousness.

内海「どうしたの！？」%K%P
What's wrong?!

騒ぎを聞きつけてきたのか、内海が飛び込むようにしてやってきた。%K%P
Possibly because she had heard the commotion, Utsumi came running, practically flying into the bathroom.

私は穂鳥を抱きかかえたまま、内海に事情を話した。%K%P
While holding up Hotori in my arms, I explained the situation to Utsumi.

内海「そう……そうだったの」%K%P
I see... So that's what happened.

内海はそう呟くと、腕を差し伸べてきた。%K%P
While muttering that, Utsumi held out a hand.

内海「手伝うわ。ベッドに運びましょう？」%K%P
I'll help. Shall we carry her to the bed?

内海とふたりで穂鳥を運んでベッドに寝かせた。%K%P
Utsumi and I both carried Hotori to her bed and laid her down.

内海「冬川さんは、もう戻っていいわよ」%K%P
You can go back now, Fuyukawa-san.

こころ「え？」%K%P
Huh?

内海「彼女は私が見ておくから」%K%P
I'll watch over her.

内海「あなたも疲れてるでしょう？　今日はもう眠った方がいいわ」%K%P
You're tired as well, right? You can go to sleep now.

そう言うと内海はポケットの中から何かを取り出した。%K%P
Saying that, Utsumi took something out of her pocket.

それを私に差し出す。%K%P
She presented it to me.

銀色のパッケージに包まれた錠剤だった。%K%P
They were pills, sealed inside a silver-colored package.

白い錠剤が２錠。%K%P
There were two white pills.

内海「眠る前にこれを飲むといいわ。ぐっすり寝られるから」%K%P
Before you sleep, you should take these. You'll be able to sleep really well.

ということは、これは睡眠薬ということか。%K%P
That would mean that these were sleeping pills, wouldn't it?

私は内海から錠剤を受け取った。%K%P
I took the pills from Utsumi.

こころ「じゃあ、あとのことよろしくお願いします」%K%P
Please take care of the rest, then.

内海「ええ。おやすみ」%K%P
Yes. Good night.

私はベッドを離れてドアへと向かった。%K%P
I left the bed and went toward the door.

開けっ放しになっていたドアの向こうに、ゆにの姿があった。%K%P
Yuni was standing beyond the door, which had been left open.

きっと、ゆにも気になって様子を見に来たのだろう。%K%P
Surely, Yuni must had gotten curious as well and came to check the state of things.

いつからそこに立っていたのだろう？%K%P
I wonder how long he's been standing there?

ゆに「ねぇ？　どうしたの？」%K%P
Hey, what happened?

こころ「ううん……なんでもないのよ」%K%P
No... it was nothing.

私は疲れていたので、説明する気になれなかった。%K%P
I was tired, and didn't have the energy to explain.

それに、ゆにに余計な心配を与えたくもなかったのもある。%K%P
Besides, I didn't want to give Yuni anything to worry about unnecessarily.

こころ「さ、行きましょう？」%K%P
Well, shall we go?

私はゆにの肩に手を置いて、部屋を出るよう促した。%K%P
I placed my hand on Yuni's shoulder and urged him out of the room.

素直に従うゆに。%K%P
Yuni obediently followed.

ドアを閉じる寸前、ベッドに横たわっていた穂鳥が寝返りをうつのが見えた。%K%P
Hotori, who was stretched on the bed, appeared to turn over in her sleep as soon as the door shut.

こころ「ふぅ……」%K%P
Fuu...

私は内海から『優希堂くんの部屋よ』と言われた部屋に戻り、ひと息ついた。%K%P
I returned to the place which Utsumi had told me was "Yukidoh-kun's room," and let out a sigh.

バスルームでの穂鳥の様子は異常だった。%K%P
The floor plan of the bathroom was the same as Hotori's.

彼女はなぜ急に錯乱したのだろう。%K%P
Why did she suddenly become deranged?

それに、声……。%K%P
And then, there was her voice....

穂鳥は悲鳴を上げていた。%K%P
Hotori had let out a scream.

失語症にかかっているはずなのに。%K%P
Even though she was supposed to have aphasia.

声帯は機能している、ということだろうか。%K%P
Her vocal cords are still able to function, is what it means.

普段声が出ないのは、やはり精神的な要因かもしれない。%K%P
That she doesn't normally speak is probably due to mental factors, as I thought.

あるいは、犬伏景子が目覚めたのかもしれない。%K%P
Or, it might be that Inubushi Keiko had awakened.

だとしたら、彼女を拘束しなくてもいいのだろうか。%K%P
If that's the case, is it all right if she's not restrained?

危険はないのだろうか。不安になる。%K%P
Isn't it dangerous? I feel insecure.

こころ「はぁ～……」%K%P
Haa～...

もう一度、深々とため息をついた。%K%P
I sighed deeply once again.

いろいろなことが起こりすぎている。%K%P
Too many things were happening.

避難小屋にしても、このスフィアの夢にしても。%K%P
In the shelter cabin, and in this dream SPHIA.

落ち着く暇がない。%K%P
I don't have time to calm down.

なんだかひどく疲れていた。%K%P
Somehow, I'm awfully tired.

内海の言うようにもう休んだ方がいいのかもしれない。%K%P
It may be better if I just got some rest, like Utsumi told me to.

内海から手渡された錠剤を取り出す。%K%P
I take out the pills Utsumi handed to me.

私はそれを……%K%p
I...

飲む
Take them

飲まない
Don't take them

飲むことにした。%K%P
I decided to take them.

身体はひどく疲れているのに、緊張のためか精神が高ぶっているのだ。%K%P
Due to my nervousness, my mind was excited even though my body was tired.

このままでは寝つけそうにない。%K%P
The way things are, I don't think I'll be able to sleep.

私は部屋に備えつけられている冷蔵庫に近づいていった。%K%P
I walked to the refrigerator that was included with the room.

扉を開ける。%K%P
I opened its door.

ミネラルウォーターのペットボトルが収納されていた。%K%P
There was a bottle of mineral water inside.

５００ｍｌサイズの小型ペットボトルだ。%K%P
A small 500ml PET bottle.

３本入っていて、いずれも未開封だった。%K%P
There were three bottles, all unopened.

その内のを１本を取り出す。%K%P
I took out one of them.

ペットボトルのキャップを外した。%K%P
I removed the cap from the bottle.

えーと、グラスは……と。%K%P
Um, a glass... there.

冷蔵庫の上には、いくつかグラスが逆さまの状態で並べられていた。%K%P
Several glasses stood upside-down in a row on top of the fridge.

ひとつ手に取り、３分の１ほど水を注ぎ込む。%K%P
I pick one up, and poured about a third of the water in.

キャップを閉め、ペットボトルを元に戻した。%K%P
I twisted the cap back on and returned the bottle to its place.

錠剤をパッケージから押しだした。%K%P
I removed the pills from the package.

白い円形の錠剤だった。%K%P
They were white and circular.

ふと思い立った。%K%P
I suddenly thought of something.

ふたつとも飲んでいいのかなぁ？%K%P
It'll be fine if I take two at once, right?

飲む量を確認し忘れていた。%K%P
I had forgotten to confirm how many I'm supposed to take.

睡眠薬という言葉には、どことなく悪いイメージがなくもない。%K%P
When thinking of the phrase "sleeping pills," I can't help the negative mental image I have of them.

量を間違えれば、眠ったが最後、二度と目覚めることはなくなる。%K%P
If I take the wrong amount, it'd be the last time I ever go to sleep, never to awake again.

う～～～～～ん。%K%P
Hwa～～～～～h.

私はしばし、そのふた粒の錠剤を見つめていたが、意を決して口に含み、水で流し込んだ。%K%P
I stared at the pills, made up my mind, and popped them into my mouth, then washed them down with water.

味はしなかった。%K%P
They didn't taste like anything.

空になった薬のパッケージと、わずかに飲み残した水の入ったグラスを冷蔵庫の上に置くと、私はその場から離れた。%K%P
With the medicine package empty, I returned the glass to the top of the refrigerator with a small amount of water remaining in it, and left it there.

飲まないことにした。%K%P
I decided not to take them.

薬の力に頼らなければならないほど参っているわけではない。%K%P
It's not so bad that I won't be able to make it without relying on the drugs.

これだけ疲れていれば、すぐに眠ることができるだろう。%K%P
Being this tired, I should be able to fall asleep right away.

薬のパッケージをそのままポケットにしまい込んだ。%K%P
I placed the package of medicine back into my pocket as it was.

こころ「う、さむ……っ」%K%P
Wah, so cold...

少し寒気がした。%K%P
It got a little colder.

当たり前だ。身体はびしょ濡れなのだ。%K%P
Of course. My body was soaked to the skin.

なんとか気分を落ち着かせるためにも、ここはお風呂にでも入ろう。%K%P
In order to try to calm myself down, I decided to take a bath.

ひと息ついてスッキリすれば、何かこの状況を打開するいいアイデアが浮かんでくるかも知れない。%K%P
If I take a while to catch my breath, some break in my mental deadlock might appear.

私はそう自分に言い聞かせた。%K%P
I persuade myself with that.

呑気かも知れないが、このままでは私の方がもたない。%K%P
It might be carefree, but I wouldn't be able to hold myself together for much longer like this.

浴槽を簡単に洗い、お湯をため始める。%K%P
After giving the bathtub a quick rinse, I begin to fill it with hot water.

浴槽の縁に腰掛け、その水面をボーっと眺める。%K%P
I sit on the edge of the bathtub, and doze off staring at the surface of the water.

心地よい水蒸気に包まれて、眠気が襲ってくる。%K%P
Engulfed in a comfortable steam, I'm attacked by drowsiness.

いや、眠気なんてレベルではなく、まじで眠い。%K%P
No, it's not simply on the level of drowsiness; I'm seriously sleepy.

このまま眠ってしまいそうだ。%K%P
It feels like I'll just fall asleep like this.

目眩のようなものまで感じる。%K%P
It almost feels as if I were dizzy.

頭の中がどんよりとしている。%K%P
The inside of my head had become dull.

身体がひどく重い。%K%P
My body was incredibly heavy.

おそらく、薬が効いてきたのだろう。%K%P
It was most likely the medicine taking effect.

いけない……ちゃんと……起きてなきゃ…………。%K%P
Shoot... I have to... wake up....

部屋の方で、物音がした気がした。%K%P
I suddenly heard sounds coming from the room.

ゆにが部屋を訪ねてきたのだろうか。%K%P
Maybe Yuni had come to visit.

こころ「ゆに……なの？」%K%P
Yuni... is that you?

部屋の方へと呼びかけてみる。%K%P
I called into the other room.

返事はない。%K%P
No response.

首だけをバスルームから出して、部屋の様子を窺ってみる。%K%P
I poked just my head out of the bathroom, and inspected the state of the room.

誰もいない。%K%P
Nobody was there.

人の気配はない。%K%P
There wasn't any human presence.

気のせいだったのだろうか。%K%P
Was it just my imagination?

私は首を傾げながら、湯船へと視線を戻した。%K%P
I tilted my head and returned my eyes to the bathroom.

温かそうなお湯が勢いよくたまっていく。%K%P
The water looks warm and full of vitality.

それにしても眠い。%K%P
However, I'm so sleepy.

立っているだけなのに、ふらふらと足下がおぼつかない。%K%P
All I'm doing is standing here, and even from that my feet are becoming unsteady.

まずいことになった。%K%P
This is bad.

こんなことなら、お風呂に入ってから薬を飲めばよかった。%K%P
If this was going to happen, I should have bathed before I took the pills.

こころ「…………？」%K%P
......?

まただ。%K%P
It happened again.

また物音がした。%K%P
Again, I heard a sound.

きっとゆにがいたずらしているに違いない。%K%P
It must just be Yuni playing a prank on me.

こころ「もう……っ。疲れてるのに……」%K%P
Geez... I'm already so tired...

私はよろよろとバスルームを出た。%K%P
I left the bathroom, staggering.

やはり部屋には誰もいなかった。%K%P
There wasn't anyone in the room after all.

隠れているのだろうか。%K%P
Maybe he's hiding.

こころ「ゆに……？　ふざけてないで……出てきなさい」%K%P
Yuni...? Stop messing around... and come out already.

だが答えはない。%K%P
But there was no reply.

人の気配もしない。%K%P
And I didn't feel anyone's presence.

こころ「おかしい……なあ」%K%P
How... weird.

念のために、物陰を探してみた。%K%P
Just to be certain, I looked anywhere that could be used as a hiding place.

クローゼットの中も覗いてみる。%K%P
I looked in the closet as well.

でも、やっぱりゆにの姿はない。%K%P
Still, Yuni was nowhere to be found.

部屋を出て、リビングの方にも顔を出してみた。%K%P
Leaving the room, I even poked my head into the living area.

リビングにもキッチンにも誰もいない。%K%P
There wasn't anyone in the living area, nor the kitchen.

みんな自分の部屋に戻っているようだ。%K%P
It seemed like everyone had returned to their rooms.

しんと静まり返っている。%K%P
The whole place was as silent as the grave.

その静寂さが、私をひどく不安にさせた。%K%P
In that silence, I started to feel insecure.

この施設には、あまりに人の気配がなさすぎる。%K%P
This entire institution didn't have very much human presence at all.

こころ「あ……お湯が……溢れちゃう……」%K%P
Ah... the tub is... going to overflow...

私はふらつきながらも慌ててバスルームに引き返した。%K%P
I panicked and turned back to the bathroom, staggering.

湯船には、すでにお湯が八割ほどたまっていた。%K%P
The hot water had already filled about eighty percent of the tub.

湯加減を確かめるために、そっと手を入れてみる。%K%P
I gently put my hand in to test the water.

少し熱かった。%K%P
A little hot.

でもその熱さが、心地いい。%K%P
But that heat felt nice.

と同時に、眠気がさらに増してくる。%K%P
And at the same time, my drowsiness increased even more.

湯船に入れた手を、そのままザブザブと掻き回す。%K%P
My hand continued to splash and stir the water in the bathtub.

こころ「ん……？　ちょっと……待ってよ……私、いま男なんだ……」%K%P
Nn...? Wait... a second... I'm a man right now...

致命的なミスに気づいた。%K%P
I became aware of a fatal error.

男の姿なのに、素っ裸になってお風呂になんて入れるわけがない！！%K%P
There's no way I can get into a bath naked when my body's a man's!!

こころ「なんか……いやぁっ……」%K%P
It's kind of... wrong...

私はその光景を想像して、ゾクリと寒気を覚えた。%K%P
I remembered that scene from before and immediately recalled how cold it had been.

と、いきなり――%K%P
And then, suddenly――

バスルームの電灯が消えた。%K%P
The light in the room went out.

こころ「え……！？」%K%P
What...?!

突然のことに、わけがわからず混乱する。%K%P
It happened so suddenly, and I was in a state of confusion trying to figure out what was going on.

真っ暗でなにも見えない。%K%P
It was completely dark, and I couldn't see a thing.

いったい何が――……！？%K%P
Just who――...?!

浴槽を簡単に洗い、お湯をため始める。%K%P
After giving the bathtub a quick rinse, I begin to fill it with hot water.

浴槽の縁に腰掛け、その水面をボーっと眺める。%K%P
I sit on the edge of the bathtub, and doze off staring at the surface of the water.

心地よい水蒸気に包まれて、眠気が襲ってくる。%K%P
Engulfed in a comfortable steam, I'm attacked by drowsiness.

部屋の方で、物音がした気がした。%K%P
I suddenly heard sounds coming from the room.

ゆにが部屋を訪ねてきたのだろうか。%K%P
Maybe Yuni had come to visit.

こころ「ゆになの？」%K%P
Yuni, is that you?

部屋の方へと呼びかけてみる。%K%P
I called into the other room.

返事はない。%K%P
No response.

首だけをバスルームから出して、部屋の様子を窺ってみる。%K%P
I poked just my head out of the bathroom, and inspected the state of the room.

誰もいない。%K%P
Nobody was there.

人の気配はない。%K%P
There wasn't any human presence.

気のせいだったのだろうか。%K%P
Was it just my imagination?

私は首を傾げながら、湯船へと視線を戻した。%K%P
I tilted my head and returned my eyes to the bathroom.

温かそうなお湯が勢いよくたまっていく。%K%P
The water looks warm and full of vitality.

避難小屋での極寒の状況を知っているので、その湯がたまらなく貴重に思えた。%K%P
Because I've experienced the intense cold of the shelter cabin, the hot water felt incredibly precious.

黄泉木や黛は、今頃なにをしているだろう。%K%P
I wonder what Yomogi and Mayuzumi were doing right now.

やっぱりあの小屋で毛布にくるまって、寒さに震えているだろうか。%K%P
I imagined that they were at the shelter cabin, wrapped in blankets, shivering in the cold.

このお湯を、夢から現実へと持っていければいいのに。%K%P
It'd be nice if I could take this hot water from my dream into reality.

こころ「…………？」%K%P
......?

まただ。%K%P
It happened again.

また物音がした。%K%P
Again, I heard a sound.

きっとゆにがいたずらしているに違いない。%K%P
It must be just Yuni playing a prank on me.

こころ「もうっ。疲れてるのに」%K%P
Geez. I'm already so tired...

私はバスルームを出た。%K%P
I left the bathroom.

やはり部屋には誰もいなかった。%K%P
There wasn't anyone in the room after all.

隠れているのだろうか。%K%P
Maybe he was hiding.

こころ「ゆに？　ふざけてないで出てきなさい」%K%P
Yuni? Stop messing around and come out already.

だが答えはない。%K%P
But there was no reply.

人の気配もしない。%K%P
And I didn't feel anyone's presence.

こころ「おかしいなあ」%K%P
How weird.

念のために、物陰を探してみた。%K%P
Just to be certain, I looked anywhere that could be used as a hiding place.

クローゼットの中も覗いてみる。%K%P
I looked into the closet as well.

でも、やっぱりゆにの姿はない。%K%P
Still, Yuni was nowhere to be found.

部屋を出て、リビングの方にも顔を出してみた。%K%P
Leaving the room, I even poked my head into the living area.

リビングにもキッチンにも誰もいない。%K%P
There wasn't anyone in the living area, nor the kitchen.

みんな自分の部屋に戻っているようだ。%K%P
It seemed like everyone had returned to their rooms.

しんと静まり返っている。%K%P
The whole place was as silent as the grave.

その静寂さが、私をひどく不安にさせた。%K%P
In that silence, I started to feel insecure.

この施設には、あまりに人の気配がなさすぎる。%K%P
This entire institution didn't have very much human presence at all.

こころ「あ、お湯が溢れちゃう……！」%K%P
Ah, the tub is going to overflow...!

私は慌ててバスルームに引き返した。%K%P
I panicked and turned back to the bathroom.

湯船には、すでにお湯が八割ほどたまっていた。%K%P
The hot water had already filled about eighty percent of the tub.

湯加減を確かめるために、そっと手を入れてみる。%K%P
I gently put my hand in to test the water.

少し熱かった。%K%P
A little hot.

でもその熱さが、心地いい。%K%P
But that heat felt nice.

湯船に入れた手を、そのままザブザブと掻き回す。%K%P
My hand continued to splash and stir the water in the bathtub.

こころ「ん？　ちょっと待ってよ……私、いま男なんだ……」%K%P
Hm? Wait a second... I'm a man right now...

致命的なミスに気づいた。%K%P
I became aware of a fatal error.

男の姿なのに、素っ裸になってお風呂になんて入れるわけがない！！%K%P
There was no way I could get into a bath naked when my body's a man's!!

こころ「なんか……いやぁっ……」%K%P
It's kind of... wrong...

私はその光景を想像して、ゾクリと寒気を覚えた。%K%P
I remembered that scene from before and immediately recalled how cold it had been.

と、いきなり――%K%P
And then, suddenly――

バスルームの電灯が消えた。%K%P
The light in the room went out.

こころ「え……！？」%K%P
What...?!

突然のことに、わけがわからず混乱する。%K%P
It happened so suddenly, and I was in a state of confusion trying to figure out what was going on.

真っ暗でなにも見えない。%K%P
It was completely dark, and I couldn't see a thing.

そのせいで、誰かがバスルームに入ってきた気配に気づくのが、遅れた。%K%P
Because of that, I was late in noticing the presence of someone who entered the bathroom.

こころ「…………誰？」%K%P
......Who?

私は気配がする方へと振り向いた。%K%P
I turned and faced the direction of the person's presence.

誰かが私の目の前にいる――！%K%P
Someone's in front of me――!