Final Chapter - 1
1990, A Park, Japan
January, 1990. It was the first day of the year, and we were sitting in a park. It was cold even though it was still the afternoon, and we wore heavy coats and scarves as we sat on the park bench. The park was on a hill. Beyond rows of dead trees, we could see the roofs of the buildings of the town.
I wasn't fond of cold, but when Kimiyo asked me to sit on the bench, I had no choice but to comply. A cold wind blew, and the snow underfoot fluttered and sparkled in the sunlight.
I squinted at the sky, a blue that contrasted with the snow. My breath was shining white. Kimiyo told me that it wasn't really winter until the air itself froze. This was indeed the end of the world. I could even see drift ice.
I took a sip of canned coffee and exhaled. My breath was even whiter than before.
The police were still investigating the incident in the library's entryway. However, the gunman who killed Kito had already been identified as the dead man on the sofa – my past life. The gun that had been taken into evidence made that obvious. It was reported that the old man had died of heart failure, but in truth, not even I know for sure. There were also a few reports of mysterious details like the discovery of two perfectly identical guns at the crime scene, but they disappeared within a few weeks. Incidentally, nothing about the 13th century dagger or the sword ever made it to the papers.
“I'm sure there are restrictions on the media.”
“Even though the culprit has already been identified?”
“There was the incident in 1971. There have been several incidents involving the daggers over the years, it wouldn't be strange if the police have made some connection.”
I thought as much. We aren't the only ones who had once owned the daggers. There are many others who may have been involved in incidents centered upon the daggers.
Miki, the college student, showed up at the library just as the police were wrapping up their initial investigations. After all, she always visited the library first thing in the morning. She only stayed long enough to confirm that what was waiting for her wasn't Kito, but the police. Then she declared she didn't like cops and immediately went home.
I finished my coffee. I looked for a wastebasket, but I couldn't find one, so I placed the empty can at my feet.
“I wonder how much longer I have to live.”
Kimiyo stared at the fountain. It was buried in the snow and turned into a pure white sculpture. Kimiyo took my hand in her mittened one. The yarn was soft.
Nothing that had happened changed the fact that she had a brain tumor.
“Do you think what we did was pointless? All the times I've risked my life over our reincarnations, and I'm still going to die anyway.”
“No. You should be able to die the way you want.”
“Thank you.”
Kimiyo's smile was bright.
The light spilling through the clouds illuminated the town. A few black birds flew overhead, weaving between the bands of light.
“It was a long, long time ago,” Kimiyo began in a small voice, “but do you remember when I died in the library?”
“Yeah, last year, in 1989,” I said, looking out to the distant sky. “My duplicate should have been in the library already, but I still couldn't save you. Was it fate, or did his memories not return because he was able to survive on his own without being rescued by Snowy? I also feel sorry for Utamika and Miki, who were both beheaded and killed. They must have suffered terribly.”
“I wonder what happened in that reality. There's a whole world other than the reality we live in, and in it, five people died in that library. I wonder if the incident has been reported by now.”
“To hear Snowy tell it, it's a point world with a history where five people died in the library.”
“Is there any world where we live happily ever after?”
“I don't know.”
Kimiyo suddenly moved her face to mine and kissed me on the lips.
She immediately pulled back, blushing. She opened her bag.
“I made a bento. Let's go eat at the library.”
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