Let's Dance with Ghost Stories, and You Dance on the Stairs Chapter 16

Chapter 16

And So, The Curtain Falls

TLed by: TanoshiKara

Aunt Yuka was here for dinner tonight as well.

As usual, Aunt Yuka was still the definition of energetic, but I could see faint dark circles beneath her eyes.

......The investigation probably did not go well.

It seems like she came back to grab a change of clothes and eat dinner while she was at it. This meant that she would head back to the station immediately after her meal...

My parents tried to avoid talking about the incident, as if they were being considerate of Aunt Yuka. I was the opposite, however......I wanted to ask about how the investigation was going so badly.

After finishing her meal, Aunt Yuka returned to her room on the second floor. I followed her to talk to her.

"Erm......Aunt Yuka."

"Hmmmmmm? What is it, Tomohiro? ...Do you, perhaps, have some vital information about the incident!?"

"......That means......Does that mean there has been no progress with that incident..?"

"Ahahahahahaha... Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, the police are doing their best."

Probably means that they are doing their best, but there has been no progress...

"There has been a rumor circulating in school...speculating that it might be the 'Curse of The Bone'...since the incident has not been resolved......even after so much police investigation."

"I also heard about it. That one, right? Among the many acts of bullying against Tanashi, some of them could not have been done by humans; It goes like that, right?"

"......Yes."

"It's fine, don't worry! There's no way curses exist. Your Aunt's gonna rip the mask off of 'The Bone', so be patient!" She said as she smacked my shoulders in an attempt to encourage me.

Seeing my aunt's energetic self even made me feel that the creepy stuff I heard from Satou was just her teasing us with a straight face.

However......my aunt merely emphasized that I not worry and did not talk about anything concrete regarding the progress of the investigation. ......She must only be saying it frivolously and had not uncovered any truth whatsoever…

"Aunt Yuka."

"What is it?"

It seems like my aunt did not have time, as she replied while packing her bag.

"Do you think...............curses actually exist?"

My aunt once said that curses were in the eye of the cursed. Even the same rain can be interpreted differently: a believer would think that it is a curse; Non-believers would think that it is a light shower. I used an example that is similar to the empty soda bottle.

"......It's not about how the cursed interpret them. Do you really think...............that curses exist......?"

My aunt did not stop packing, but she stayed silent for a while before she replied.

"Uh-huh. ......I think they do."

"..........................."

"Why do you think charms work? Even if two people put in the same amount of effort, the person who uses charms performs better. This has been proven through sports experiments."

"Does that mean......it's an issue with the mind?"

"That's right. In sports, the physical body is important, but the mind is as important. Having the physique will not lead to results if one has a weak mind. On the contrary, lacking the physique but having a strong mind will most likely lead to a good track record. This is often brought up in full marathons. You know about full marathons, right, Tomohiro?"

"Yes. ......The one that has people run forty-two point one nine five kilometers, right?"

"How would Tomohiro train if you were a sports athlete, and wanted to take part in this marathon?"

".........In preparation for the actual marathon, I will obviously...Ummmm......train over and over under the same conditions as the actual marathon."

"Uh-huh. Then let's assume that there's another person with the same physique as Tomohiro, and they train as much as you do. We also assume that they run the same distance as you for training. Well then, on the day of the marathon, both of you should have had the same training regimen, but only you struggled. Why do you think that happened?"

"......Uhh, I don't know. We had the same amount of training, right?"

"Actually, that person usually runs forty-two point one nine five kilometers for training, but they ran a hundred kilometers before the marathon."

"More than double the distance, you say......? Don't they call that overwork? I feel like I have heard that overly strenuous training ruins the body......"

"Tomohiro, think about it like this. What will that person, who finished running a hundred kilometers, think about the forty-two point one nine five kilometers they will run on the day itself? Won't they think that it's not even half the distance they managed to run?"

".............................."

The person managed to run a hundred kilometers before. From that perspective, the distance on the day itself is nothing much. That is why thinking that running forty-two point one nine five kilometers is not a problem will serve to strengthen their mind...

"Well, this is not about the right training method for a full marathon, but is, rather, a common psychological theory in the track-and-field world. Usually, mental confidence will inhabit an athlete who endures an overwork-esque special training. They overcame a tough training that no one else could. That's why they have a strong belief in themselves that they are unmatched. And that is shown through the results. That's why the sports world doesn't ignore the psychological side of athletes. Ahahahaha, interesting, right? To think that the people in the sports world, who seem like they only yearn for physique, do not neglect the mind."

"......What does that have to do with charms...?"

"Charms are, in other words, prayers. Don't you feel that the more adversity someone faces, the more mental confidence, from their efforts to overcome their adversities up until now, will inhabit them, allowing them to strive for the goal set in their prayer? You know how you can tell a person who is motivated apart from one who is not with a glance, right? That's the kind of thing that inhabits them. That's why charms certainly have the power to strengthen a person's mind, giving them the strength to achieve their goal."

".........In other words, it's an issue of how the person who does the action interprets it...?"

"That's right. It's the same for those charms that you buy from shrines. For example, those 'Prayer for success' charms; People who think, 'I have bought a 'Prayer for Success' charm with my own money during my shrine visit on New Year's Day, that's why I'll best the upcoming entrance exams!', will most definitely gain a slight psychological advantage. The more effort they put into the process, the more effective it will be. It's just like tough training. ...It's like traveling from afar and changing trains multiple times to go to the Yushima Shrine, for example."

The confidence stemmed from the fact that one traveled all the way to the Yushima Shrine to pray that they pass. Of course, that alone is not enough to ensure one passes, but it should act as a motivator for their studies. There is no doubt that mental confidence is more likely to inhabit them than a person who did not go and lazed around instead...

"Well then, the examples up until now have been beneficial cases. Things like curses and the supernatural come up when we talk about the exact opposite. For example, the eight million deities were originally a curse. One visits a shrine so as not to be cursed. What do you think will happen if one skips the compulsory visit?"

".........The exact opposite of the tough training to build confidence earlier..."

"Correct. There are even times when negative energies will inhabit one’s mind. Anything one does will not go well. Whenever something bad happens, one will feel that they're unlucky. This state is what people call cursed, I guess. When we think about it from this perspective, it is possible that the 'Curses' phenomenon can be scientifically proven. ...It's a wild theory, though. Ahahahaha."

"Then, for example.........if someone seriously allows the strong will to want to curse someone else to inhabit them just like the mental confidence from tough training..."

"Please-curse-Miyoko-Tanashi"

"Yeap. ......I think the curse will come to life. That person will put in quite the effort in order to curse someone. They will then gain the mental confidence of having put in that much effort to curse someone."

"............................................."

"There's the Ox-hour Shrine-visit, right? Even that has the condition that requires one to put in the effort to perform the ritual, during the night, consecutively, for a week. That week of hard work has the same effect as that hundred kilometers in the full marathon example earlier."

The letter to curse Tanashi, that was put into the Tanuki Shrine's offering box. And the fifty thousand yen enclosed within. ......What meaning did that have?

"Hmm. I think even the amount of money offered has about the same effect. Well, rather than the amount, the important thing here is how much one can squeeze out of their savings while living a stifled lifestyle. Basically, the more effort one puts in to offer the money, and the harder the struggle, the more effective it is. I think the same kind of power will surely inhabit people who offer a crazy amount and pray with all their heart."

A crazy amount. ............To middle schoolers who cannot work, fifty thousand yen is a huge sum. Even a middle schooler’s peak period for receiving money, New Year’s Day, hardly, if ever, goes up to fifty thousand yen.

That is why that fifty thousand yen represents an ever so sincere prayer to 'The Bone', that can only be reached through offering money.........

"Huh? What's wrong? Did you do something that made a girl curse you?"

"Eh!? Ah, th-that's not it...!"

"Ahahahah, better be careful, okay? Females are a species who curse others. Females make up half of humanity. In other words......half-of-this-world-uses-curses-without-hesitation, you best not forget that, alright? Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha......"

Aunt Yuka did not turn to look at me even once during the entire time she was talking... That was quite creepy on its own, but......I also did not know whether I would be met with her usual, kind smile if she did turn back............

While staring at my aunt's back, I felt like I had sleep paralysis, so I could do nothing but stand stockstill.

At that moment, the telephone in front of the entrance rang loudly.

My heart beat furiously.

When I looked at the clock, I realized that it was already ten.

It was clear that it was not a normal call.

My aunt stopped packing her bag and stood up. ......It seemed like she was certain that the call was for her.

I could hear that my mother, on the floor below, had picked up the telephone.

"Okay, please wait a while. I will pass the phone over to the person. ......Yuka-saaannn!! It's a call from your colleague!!"

"Okaaayy!! Ah, sorry, Tomohiro! Let's talk again some other time!" My aunt said as she rushed down the stairs.

I did not stay any longer in my aunt's room and went out to the corridor. I saw my mother passing the telephone to my aunt.

"Yes, hello, this is Miyajima speaking. Good work. ..................Eh-!! Is that true!! I understand, I'll head to the hospital Tanashi is at immediately; Ah...the station, you say? Understood!"

Eh...!? The hospital Tanashi is at!? What does that mean, I wonder? Did something happen to Tanashi?

"Did Tanashi say the perp's name!! ......Rie Satou......and, uh-huh. ......Okay, okay! Understood!! I'll head over immediately!!"

My aunt literally ran up the stairs after she put the telephone down. She had quite the expression on her face. I hurriedly made way for her. She then slung the traveling bag she was packing earlier on her shoulder.

"Aunt Yuka, what was that call earlier!?"

"Hmm. A sudden development! Tanashi came to! Tanashi's saying the name of the perp that pushed her over!! With this, the case is now progressing like a rocket!!"

It's finally time!, my aunt yelled as she stomped down the stairs.

......But, wait a minute. ......Didn't Aunt Yuka mention Rie Satou during the call earlier...?

"......Sorry, Tomohiro. If you heard that, could you treat it like it was just your imagination? It's still not confirmed that S is the culprit. ...I will be heading out then! Ah, big sis, sorry for the trouble......"

My mother passed her some sort of snack box. My aunt stuffed it into her traveling bag before she dashed outside so quickly that it was as if she was participating in an item-borrowing race...

...............Rie Satou is...the culprit...? No way... Is this about a girl with the same family name and first name...? No, that's impossible. If it's Rie Satou, it's gotta be that girl in B class. There's only that very Satou, who told us everything on the rooftop.

I know, as I have talked with her face-to-face, we spoke truthfully to each other about a really dubious topic; Know that there is no way that Rie Satou is the culprit!!

Rie Satou was, undoubtedly, on the rooftop at that time, on that day. And she was the only person who witnessed the moment when Tanashi fell.

It is true that there is no concrete proof. I only accepted what Satou said without question. ......However!! There's no way that Satou was lying!! Satou told the truth. That's the only thing that's certain!! That's why there's no way Tanashi testified that Satou pushed her over!!

No......It is times like these that I should calm down.

Let's go back to the theory that it was all an act by Tanashi. Tanashi was on bad terms with Satou. And, Satou actually played the role of leader in the bullying. That is why Tanashi must have wanted to get revenge. ............That is why she lied about being pushed over and was trying to frame Satou by telling the police that Satou pushed her over...!?

No, no, that's ridiculous...! After all, it's not like the police would accept what she said, without question, and arrest Satou.

It is true that the police would most likely carry out a thorough investigation to ascertain if Satou is the culprit because the victim testified that she was harmed. At that point, Satou would have no choice but to admit to the police that she was on the rooftop, which was off-limits.

......The faculty would probably punish her, at a later date, for entering a place that was off-limits, but she should be able to prove her innocence. Her suspicion would soon be cleared should the police perform a thorough forensic investigation. Collecting Satou's footprints from the mud, traces of clothing worn by Satou and Tanashi, or their accessories. They can do a lot, a lot! That is why......it's meaningless for Tanashi to lie because she hates Satou and wants to get back at her. It wouldn't even be counted as harassment......!!

We are the same age, from the same generation, and commute to the same school; That's why I know. Satou did not tell a single lie at that moment! Indeed, there was not a fragment of a lie beyond those pupils of hers!! That is why I believe in her. Satou was not involved in Tanashi's incident. 

Also, Tanashi must realize that the police will soon discover the truth even if she lies. On the contrary, worsening the police's impression of her would put her at a huge disadvantage. If she truly wanted to frame Satou, she needed to put in a little more work, like calling Satou to the scene. Seeing as she had the resolve to jump from the second floor to get injured, it would have been poorly thought out if she had not done that.

...............Then......what reason did Tanashi have to say that Satou was the one who pushed her over!?

That conversation on the rooftop came to my mind. ...The words that Satou said as she was about to leave.

"You know, it is immoral of me to say this.........but I'm afraid of Tanashi regaining consciousness."

"......Why?"

"Even if I saw Tanashi falling on her own,"

Satou paused for a moment there.

"I felt that only Tanashi saw who the individual who pushed her over was."

Satou, who saw everything, knew; Knew that Tanashi was alone when she fell. ...Despite that, why did Tanashi say that Satou-pushed-her-over-when-she-should-not-have-been-there......!!

Impossible, impossible, that would mean that there were two Rie Satous, one at the prefab school building, and the other on the rooftop. 

Impossible, impossible, impossible...!!!

......I no longer know what in the world is going on with this incident.

Does the 'Curse of The Bone' truly exist? Yeah...it probably does... The curse exists, and 'The Bone' exists as well. Lording over our middle school, dressed up as a Teru teru bouzu wearing a skull mask, spreading curses here and there that could not be pulled off by humans, while passing them off as pranks by students.

I was now able to accept this weird state of affairs.

...After all; Half of this world is made-up-of-curses.

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Feel free to comment/pm me if you find any mistakes. Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.