Confession [Kokuhaku]
	 by Nobuyuki Fukumoto
	  and Kaiji Kawaguchi
	   Part Three

 - Page 61 -

Confession

 - Page 62 -

Clock: tick tick tick

Asai: {That's it...
	I'll just ask him.
	Why did you just say you were alone, on the phone...?
	That's right...
	If I ask him...
	It may turn out...
	to be a very trivial reason.}

 - Page 63 -

Asai: {I'm just giving myself crazy ideas.
	And causing myself anxiety.
	That makes sense.
	It's the most probable explanation.
	BUT!}

 - Page 64 -

CONFESSION

 - Page 65 -

Asai: {But...
	If my worst fears were actually true...
	He regrets it...
	He regrets confessing that he murdered Sayuri...
	If that regret is heading towards the next conclusion...}

 - Page 66 -

Asai: {"If only he wasn't here."
	"There wouldn't be any problems...  if only he wasn't here!"
	If that's what is running through his head,
	his "Just myself" statement...
	Could cover up a murder!
	He can say that he came up the slope alone,
	that the other man...}

 - Page 67 -

Asai: {"He got lost...  I don't know where he went..."
	It could cover that up.
	It would still make sense.
	The rescue squad could come up to this lodge and find only one man...
	Which would mean...  MURDER!!
	No...
	No, I'm just imagining that!
	I'm acting strange...  getting paranoid!!}

 - Page 68 -

In most cases, time is like a chemical.
But sometimes, the viscosity of certain events is too great, and the mind becomes stuck in the past.
When in the past, time ceases to move, and the mind does not note its passing.
When that happens, the time that passes in the present turns to poison.

 - Page 69 -

Emotions ferment, rot, crumble, and mutate.
The poison flows into the veins and the mind.
That confession has stopped time for these two men...

 - Page 70 -

Knife: (thunk)
	(thunk)
	(thunk)

 - Page 71 -

Ishikura: Nope...  (mutter)
	Not coming back.
	(mutter)

Knife: (thunk)

 - Page 72 -

Asai: {I can't ask him...
	If I ask him, "What did you mean, just myself?"
	then I might give him that idea, if he hadn't thought of it.
	I would be sticking my hand into a hornet's nest.}

Knife: (thunk)

Asai: {It would change his behavior.
	I don't want to give him any bad ideas.
	Oh, that's it!!}

Knife: (thunk)

 - Page 73 -

Asai: Ishikura...
	Can I see your cellphone?
	You brought one, didn't you...?
	{That's right, I can call the base and clear it up with them.  No need to ask Ishikura.
	Why didn't I think of this earlier...?}

Ishikura: Yeah...

 - Page 74 -

Ishikura: I already thought about using it to call, but as you can see...
	It seems to have broken along the way...
	Unlucky...
	This is not my lucky day...  (mutter)

 - Page 75 -

Asai: {It was broken?  Can I trust him...?
	That seems quite convenient.
	Yes...  it's TOO coincidental.
	Did he do it on purpose?  To shut me off from the outside world...?!}

 - Page 76 -

Asai: {Gone!!
	Why isn't there one here...?
	WHY?!}

 - Page 77 -

Ishikura: What's wrong, Asai...?

Asai: Er...
	I was going to make some food...
	But there's no...
	knives...

 - Page 78 -

Ishikura: Right...
	Lots of mountain climbers do that nowadays...  come to the lodge and make off with the supplies...

Asai: Ishi...

 - Page 79 -

Ishikura: Use that...
	(mutter)

Asai: {I'm thinking too hard...  yes, it's just my imagination.}

 - Page 80 -

Asai: {I mean, think about it...  it's impossible...}

Ishikura: Give it back.

Asai: Huh?

Ishikura: You know...

 - Page 81 -

Asai: {If it was to protect a secret...
	Would he murder?
	Ishi...
	Ishikura...
	WOULD YOU?!}

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 - Page 83 -

Asai: Ah...
	{Tell me...  am I wrong...?}

 - Page 84 -

Asai: {Or am I right?!
	And if I'm right...}

 - Page 85 -

Asai: {Does that mean you and I will try to kill each other?!}

 - Page 86 -

 - Part Three End -