When They Cry > 16. Episode 1. First Love

Kasai:
Nice work, Shion. Welcome back.

Shion:
It's been a long time since I tasted freedom.
How's Mion doing?

Kasai:
Last I heard, just fine.

Shion:
That's good. So I guess she is moved out of the house by now, huh?
She is gone and moved in with grandma in Hinamizawa.

Kasai:
That's right. She moved into the main house with your grandmother right about the same time you got sent away to school.

Shion:
Mion and I are identical twins. Everything about us is exactly the same. The only difference being that I was shipped off to a school hundreds of miles away, and Mion stayed home to be raised as the next heir to the Sonozaki family. From the day I was born, I have been seen as a curse placed on my family. Having twins as heirs is generally seems a recipe for disaster later on down the road. So for generations now, it's been my family's custom to strangle the youngest of the new borns before their first bath. Nice family, huh?

Kasai:
If you go back to Okinomiya, you're going to be recognized by one of your relatives. Then it'll just be a matter of time before the main family finds out.

Shion:
Well, then I guess things are gonna get a bit ugly.


Shion:
This looks awesome!

Kasai:
Anything else you need, just let me know. Whatever it is, I'll do my best to get it.

Shion:
Thank you, but I'd like to get a job and pay for things myself. I wanna at least make enough money to cover my costs.

Kasai:
You can't.

Shion:
Look, I won't get caught, I've got it all figured out.


Mion:
Hello, Sonozaki house! Oh, hey, Kasai! How's it going? Is there a problem?
Huh?

Shion:
Good morning. Tell me. Do you know who this is?

Mion:
Is...is that you?! What did you do? Did you run away from that school?

Shion:
I hated that uptight place. There's no way I was gonna stay there.

Mion:
So you really did break out? Nice!

Shion:
It was nice to hear my sister's voice again. If the Sonozaki family didn't have all these ridiculous customs, Mion and I would actually be really really close.

Mion:
Hey, do you wanna ask me about that xxx xxx xxx absolutely nothing?

Shion:
I want to do something I want to do, but that's going to require a favor from you. But! It's gonna have to wait, although you [and I are all / will not know] that a little bit later.

Kasai:
So, do you mind letting me know how you planned on getting a job?

Shion:
Well, you remember how uncle Yoshiro was always really nice to me?
I'm hoping he'll be nice enough to give me a break and let me work at one of his shops.

Kasai:
If you do that, people are gonna see you.

Shion:
That's exactly where Mion comes in.


Shion:
It's simple. If anyone asks who your new waitress is, you just tell 'em that I'm Mion and that should settle it.

Yoshiro:
Hm. Sounds good. If you really wanna do this, I'll make it work. That must have been pretty hard for you, Shion. Being hold up in that place for almost two years... I was against it from the beginning, but...

Shion:
I know that, but when the head of the Sonozaki family makes up her mind, there's not a lot anyone can do.

Yoshiro:
Well, I'll do what I can, so you can work here without worrying. That's the least I can do for you.

Shion:
I appreciate your help. By the way, since I've been gone, has anything happened I should know?

Yoshiro:
It's a small town. Not a whole lot change’s here.

Shion:
What about Oyashiro's curse? Did any of that ever get solved?

Yoshiro:
You're talking about the guy at the dam site who got sliced into bits. No, no one's ever been charged for that. Same kind of thing happened a year after that, too.

Shion:
I heard about that. It was a couple who supported the dam. They had a horrible fall while on vacation. Their name was like Hojo, but the weird thing is that it happened during the festival again. It's gotta be the curse! I bet that's what everyone was saying, weren't they?

Yoshiro:
Yeah, well, it gets even weirder. It actually happened again the first year you were away at school.

Shion:
It happened at the third time? during the festival, too?

Yoshiro:
I'm afraid that it's true. It was at the Furude shrine in the middle of the festival. The priest just suddenly dropped dead. The rumor is that it was some bizarre disease that no one had a cure for. And on that same night, his wife threw herself into the swamp and drowned.

Shion:
Three years in a row, huh?


Mion:
Well, I don't know about things some bizarre disease that no one has a cure for, but he did just suddenly drop dead. Personally I think it was something more common like a heart attack, maybe.

Shion:
But don't you think it's odd that all these people are dying on the same days as the festival, for three years in a row? I mean they all fit a profile for Oyashiro's curse. Didn't a few people here have some big issue with the head priest? It was the people who against the dam, right?

Mion:
You're right. It's 'cause he stood up for the Hojo family.

Shion:
And he stood up for the Hojo family because the villagers hated them. And they hated them because they supported the dam. They made their lives miserable. They shunned them whenever they were in public and accused them of being traitors behind their backs.The priest was the only person in the whole village who showed them any kind of respect.
I'm sure the three great families were really frustrated with the priest. I mean after all, here they are trying to unite the villagers against the dam by using the Hojo couple as scapegoats. And at the same time, a member of the three great families, not to mention their priest, the same guy who worships Oyashiro with them, is out there doing his best to unravel all of that.
You know, the more I think about it, the more I realize just how insightful the priest must have been when he took a neutral stance on this.

Mion:
Well, I don't know if he really was all that insightful, then he would have just followed the majority and cooperated. He’s a member of the three great families and he’s the head priest, so he's supporsed to be the role model for everyone. So when a person in that position disrupts the peace, I don't consider it very insightful.

Shion:
Really? Looks like they've done a good job getting you ready to take over the family. Guess you received special lessons on how to become the next heir.

Mion:
No one makes you study that stuff? All I'm doing is simply looking at it from the same angle that grandma would. You know, you could do that, too, Shion.

Shion:
You sure are funny one, sis. It's your role to take after granny, not mine. Just try not to overwork yourself, okay?

Mion:
Hey, you just gonna leave, Shion?

Shion:
Listen, Sis. You and I are good. I don't resent you or blame you for anything that's happened to me. So, you can stop with the guilty look every time you see me, okay? You'd just be Mion. And I'll do my best to be Shion.

Mion:
All right. You got it, Sis.


Shion:
Hello. Let me guess. They found out.

Mion:
Yeah, and grandma is fuming. She told everyone to bring you straight to her the moment you're found.

Shion:
Oh, scary. Let me know if she demands anything else. If granny really starts getting scary, then I guess I'm just gonna have to leave town again.

Mion:
Well, that's not fair, is it? It's not right. You have to keep on living like this.

Shion:
Thanks, Mion. It's nice to hear you say that.

Mion:
Hey, if you wanna go out as me again, you just let me know. I'm glad to help you out as Mion anytime you need. All you gotta do is ask.

Shion:
Well, I'm gonna need it, so I appreciate that. I'm gonna lay low for a while, but before I do that, I should probably go out and stock up on a few things.


Shion:
Let's see. I got that, and that, and that. Just one more stuff.
Damn it all!
What are you doing parking this thing here?

Time to go. Now what was the last stuff I had...

Shion:
Hahahaha....

Yankee A:
So what are you gonna do to fix this, huh?

Yankee B:
Yeah, what are you gonna do to make it right?

Yankee C:
What's a matter, you're deaf or something?

Shion:
Sorry, I don't know what you are saying when you are all talking at once.

Yankee A:
Really? That's the stuff I recognize you.

Satoshi:
Hey! Just...just leave her alone, okay?

Yankee A:
And who's gonna make us, huh?

Man:
Officer, over here!

Police officer:
Freeze!

Yankee A:
Daaaaaaa!

Shion:
Ah, hi!

Satoshi:
Hey there, Mion. Are you okay?

Shion:
Uh... Yeah.

Satoshi:
Well then, it's all good.

Shion:
And that was how I met Satoshi.



Mion:
Oh, that has to be Satoshi. From the way you've described him in that habit he has, patting people on the head. It couldn't be anyone else.

Shion:
Mmm, Satoshi. Tell me more.

Mion:
Well, he is usually pretty spacy. It's his little sister who's the more reliable of the two.

Shion:
He has a little sister?

Mion:
Yeah, and her name is Satoko. A lots happened to those two lately and well... she isn't doing so great. You see, Satoko and Satoshi are part of the Hojo family.

Shion:
What!?

Mion:
Yeah, that couple who died was their parents. After the accident, they moved in with their uncle and his family, but their aunt has really given Satoko a hard time lately.

Shion:
What? Is she bullying her or something?

Mion:
Yeah, and Satoko is completely spent. I'm sure their aunt and uncle are catching a lot of flak from everyone in a community just because they took in kids whose parents supported the dam. The whole thing is just a bad situation. They didn't wanna take the kids, but they did. So, now all her aunt and uncle do is resent them and order them around all day.

Shion:
So then, is Satoshi exhausted all the time, too?

Mion:
Huh? I never noticed. He's always been so spacy. It's kinda hard to tell.

Shion:
Well, I'm sure Satoshi is doing what he can to stand up for his sister. Just like how he stood up for me. Keep going. What else can you tell me about Satoshi?

Shion:
Hey, there.

Irie:
You brought snacks. That's perfect. Thank you. I knew you'd be a good team manager.

Shion:
I didn't agree to be team manager, so I could be your snack girl.

Irie:
No, you're much more than that.

Shion:
Nice hit!


Shion:
Did you see that? Satoshi is amazing!

Irie:
Yep, he does really well when he keeps his head on a game. His batting average could easily be over three hundred. But unfortunately, his heart is a little too sensitive sometimes. He needs to exercise more than he does, just to get his mind off things. His home life is pretty stressful. If he doesn't get out more, I'm afraid he is going to have a break down. Satoshi is the kind of guy who keeps things bottled up inside. It's too bad. His health is declining and there's not much I can do about it. That horrible aunt of his has been meaner and meaner to Satoko everyday, which means Satoshi has to keep stepping in to stand up for his little sister. To make things worse, he pulled me aside the other day to talk; said he wanted to quit the team.

Shion:
But why?

Irie:
Said he doesn't have the energy for it. To be honest, I think the real reason is that he doesn't feel comfortable leaving Satoko alone in the house with that aunt of theirs anymore.

Shion:
He does stand up for his little sister. That was it.
That was the last day Satoshi ever showed up for baseball.

Rena:
Hey, Mion! What are you doing? Wanna walk home with me?



Rena:
Wow, it's really pouring. Be honest, Mion. You like Satoshi, don't you?

Shion:
Yeah, I do.

Rena:
Then let's smile. I'm sure if you would just smile, it would totally brighten Satoshi's day and give him all kinds of energy. Don't worry. He'll play baseball again. I bet he'll be back as soon as he finishes his part time job.

Shion:
He works? Think he'll finish anytime soon?

Rena:
Well, he's just doing it to save up some money, so I don't know for sure how long it'll be, but I promise you he'll be done no later than Satoko's birthday.

Shion:
Satoko, again? Satoko's the one making Satoshi sick. She is the one taking away all his freedom.

Rena:
Mion?

Shion:
I think Satoko has become way too dependent on Satoshi. If she just learned to make her own way a little bit, then Satoshi wouldn't be burdened with picking up her slack.

Rena:
You sure are blunt about it. I think Satoshi might share that opinion with you sometime, although he never tell you that. I'm gonna let you in on a big secret. But you can't share it with anyone, okay?
Satoshi said something very revealing yesterday. He said he feels really guilty about this, but being there for Satoko all the time is finally starting to take a toll on him.

Shion:
Satoshi really trusts you and opens up with you, doesn't he, Rena?

Rena:
I don't think it's just about him trusting me. I think he shares these things with me because I've experienced it.

Shion:
Experienced what?

Rena:
The footsteps that follow you everywhere... when it comes into your room at night and stands over your bed...watching you. I'm talking about that experience. It's what you go through before you get hit with Oyashiro's curse. And it's what Satoshi is going through right now.

Shion:
You really think he is cursed?

Rena:
If you feel it watching you, always just out of sight. And wherever you go, it follows you. There's always someone right behind you and just out of reach. And then one day the footsteps get out of sync of the yours and you begin to hear them following you. And then you know for sure they are there. Even when you go to bed at night, you can feel them in your room standing over your bed...staring down at you. Silently waiting for you to admit your sin.

Shion:
Oh, really? What's sin did Satoshi commit?

Rena:
There isn't an obvious reason for him to be struck by Oyashiro's curse since he's still in Hinamizawa. But if you knew him like I do, you'd know Satoshi wants to leave here desperately and go somewhere far far away. I guess those are the kind of feelings Oyashiro just doesn't forgive.



Shion:
Hey, sis. I need to go to school in your place.
Morning, Satoshi. So, uh...how are you doing?

Satoshi:
I'm doing fine. Why do you care?

Shion:
Ahh... I heard you were working a lot lately. So, I wanted to make sure you're okay.

Satoshi:
I said I'm fine. See you.

Shion:
Oh, I bumped into the coach, he said he really wants you to join the team again.

Satoshi:
I already told the coach I'm not coming back. He needs to drop it.

Shion:
But no matter how much stuff you've got going on, you gotta make sure you get some exercise. It's important.

Satoshi:
I'm not gonna play.


Rena:
Aren't you gonna eat, Mion?

Shion:
Hey, Satoshi! I was thinking we should have lunch together.

Satoshi:
How many times do I have to tell you guys? Lunch is the only time I have; you could at least leave me alone for that.



Girl A:
It's okay, we can give you some of our lunch.

Girl B:
Yeah, come on. Eat with us.

Satoko:
I don't wanna eat with you! I want my Ni-Ni!


Shion:
Do you know why this is happening to you, why you are being treated like this?

Satoko:
Please help me! Please Ni-Ni help me! Ni-Ni!

Shion:
It's because you're so helpless. If you wanna cry, fine! Keep on crying. But it still isn't gonna change anything! Why are you such a baby? Do you really think someone's gonna save you every time you shed a tear? Did you ever think how this affects the people who help you? Don't you get it? This is your fault. You don't deserve to breathe the same air with us. If you are miserable, then die! Don't drag Satoshi down with you! If you're this unhappy, then get the hell out of here! Find a dark hole to crawl into and die! Crying won't make this go away! Satoshi won't always be there to save you! That's it! I'm gonna shut you up for good!

Rika:
You can't treat Satoko like this! She's had really awful things happen to her. You can't keep pushing her around!

Shion:
I'm not pushing her around! I'm doing what someone should have done a while ago, teach that brat a lesson. And if I'm gonna crack your head open first, so be it!

Rena:
Stop! That's enough, Mion!

Satoshi:
What's wrong with you, Mion? Why would you do this?

Shion:
I... I didn't...

Satoshi:
What did Satoko ever do to you? What did any of us ever do to you? What have we done? Why do people always gang up on us? First my parents have to suffer the wrath of the entire village, and now that they're gone, it's our turn? What have we done to deserve this? Or is this just the way the Sonozaki family does things?



Mion:
Shion... do you know what you've done? Do you realize the awful position you've put me in?

Shion:
Sorry. Be honest with me, sis. Satoshi hates our family, doesn't he? I mean he really has a serious grudge against all of us.

Mion:
I think so.

Shion:
Then, why would he've done that? If I'd only known from the beginning, I've never have done this. If he just revealed his true feelings toward me that day, if he'd let me know how he really felt, I would never even have dreamed of pursuing Satoshi. But it was too late. And so I made my wish. I wished for Satoko and her aunt to disappear at this year's cotton drifting festival.

What you lost sight of is your way back home.
What you can't keep is the promise you made with me.
What you cannot erase is my memory.
When They Cry,
"Eye Opening" Chapter, Episode 2: Responsibility
Can you believe in this?