Nijigahara Holograph
	 Chapter 3

 - Page 67 -

Arakawa: ...here!!
	Read this!!

Komatsuzaki: I don't think...
	It would do much good if I took it anyway.

Arakawa: Wa... Wait!
	Wait, Komatsuzaki!!

 - Page 68 -

Arakawa: Are you still in love with Kimura?!  Is that what this means?!
	She's been in the hospital this whole time!!
	Why don't you just forget about her?!

Komatsuzaki: ...I'm not going to fall in love with anyone ever again.
	I can't protect a single person on my own.

Arakawa: What's THAT supposed to mean...?
	Is he retarded?

 - Page 69 -

The spring air turned into an unpleasant, tepid breeze.
It's been two months since I moved here.
I was getting along with school better than I'd thought I could.
Maybe I was growing one step closer to an adult.

Signboards: Friend

Passing around manga inbetween class.  Talking during gym in 5th period.
Laughing when everyone else laughs.  I learned to do it all.

Sheesh.  Living is so easy after all.

 - Page 70 -

When the teacher told me to "hang in there," I responded by trying just hard enough not to be too hard.
Like the bad boys in the class,
and the kid they always took behind the school every day to bully around.
Like the overly-serious class rep,
and the subtle distance maintained from her during the lunch period, which she may or may not have noticed.
Like the future of the girl who was always writing in her notebook, the one the kids called "Thermos" behind her back, for some reason.

 - Page 71 -

Suzuki: Ha ha ha!

Just ignore them.
Just ignore them.

Chapter 3

Kid: Goodbye, teacher!

Sakaki: Goodbye!

Kid: Suzuki, everyone's coming to my house after school.  Wanna come?

Suzuki: Sorry, my Mom told me to come home early.
	Tell me next time.

 - Page 72 -

Suzuki: {...that was a lie.}

Komatsuzaki: ...all right, same place as usual.
	I'll be there a bit later.  Don't run away... Not that you would.

Wakamatsu: Hear that?  Ready for another workout today, Takahama?

Suzuki: {Just ignore them.}

 - Page 73 -

Girl: Goodbye, Ms. Sakaki.

Sakaki: Take care on the way home.
	Suzuki.
	Are you going home alone, again?
	Want me to walk part of the way with you?

Suzuki: ...I can get home by myself.

 - Page 74 -

Sakaki: Are you okay?
	You getting along?
	Oh, Higure.
	Good timing.

 - Page 75 -

Sakaki: Your houses are both in the same direction.
	...okay?
	Don't be shy, now.

...That's not it, Teacher.
...But it can't be helped.
Adults and children live in different worlds.

Higure: ...Suzuki,
	if you come to my house,
	My brother has a Super Nintendo.

 - Page 76 -

Sign: Clinic
	Internal, Respiratory
	Physiotherapy

Sakaki: How is Arie doing, sir?  Any progress?

Kimura: Ha ha... None, I'm afraid.
	Her injuries have healed, and she ought to be conscious again.
	But she's just not coming to.  She doesn't respond to my voice at all.
	...if you'll excuse me,
	I work the night shift.

Sign: Arie Kimura

 - Page 77 -

Sakaki: Komatsuzaki?
	Wait...
	Where are you going?

 - Page 78 -

Higure: Suzuki.
	You were looking at me all today during school, weren't you?

 - Page 79 -

Suzuki: ...huh?

Higure: You want something to drink?
	I can make some tea.  And we have cookies.
	Heeheehee.

Suzuki: {Why did I even come here...
	...I'll just leave.}

Diary: Monster in the tunnel

 - Page 80 -

Diary: The world will end.

Komatsuzaki: Hey.
	Let me see him.  You guys suck.

Wakamatsu: Oh... Okay.

 - Page 81 -

Komatsuzaki: Does it hurt?  Yeah, I bet it does.
	But there are people all over the world who hurt a lot more.
	Compared to them, your life would be heaven.

Wakamatsu: I dunno, man... Komatsuzaki's just kind of crazy these days.
	He doesn't even want money anymore.  He just wants to hit people.

Kid: It started when Kimura went to the hospital...

Wakamatsu: Yeah, but... We can't do anything about that...
	Ah...
	Hey, no!!
	You can't do that!  What are you, crazy?
	Why?!  Takahama doesn't even fight back anymore!  What's the point?!

 - Page 82 -

Komatsuzaki: You'll do, then.

Wakamatsu: ...dude... I can't stand this anymore...
	...I hate being around you...
	If you love Kimura that much...
	Then why don't...
	You go and join her!!

 - Page 83 -

Sign: No Trespassing

...that's right.
The only answer
is that we live in a crazy world.

Suzuki: Rain's coming.
	Rain's coming.
	Rain's coming.

 - Page 84 -

Suzuki: Take that!

I think about, what if I could hear the ants' voices.
I think, God is watching me from somewhere, and will grant my wishes someday.

Kid: H... Hey...  Is he dead?  Did you kill him?

Wakamatsu: Uff...
	Uff.
	Uff...

I think, of course not.  In 10 years I'll just be another boring adult.

Kid: ...hey...
	Are you just gonna leave him like this?
	Are you really gonna do this?

 - Page 85 -

I think about these things probably 10 times a day, and I decide to stop thinking about them probably 10 times a day.
...I know how it goes.  Eventually, I just won't care anymore.

 - Page 86 -

Higure: Suzuki.
	Why did you leave without telling me?

Suzuki: ...what about you?
	Why did you follow me?

Higure: ...because...
	I love you.

Suzuki: GOD, YOU'RE SUCH AN UGLY CREEP!!

 - Page 87 -

Higure: You're so mean...
	What a terrible thing to say...
	...I'm gonna tell on you...
	I'm gonna tell everyone horrible things about you!!

For some reason, I couldn't stand her.
I wanted to tell her off so harshly, she'd never recover.

...But I knew she wouldn't be able to tell anyone about this.

 - Page 88 -

Suzuki: Aaaahhh!
	Aaaaah!
	Aaaahhhh!!
	Aaaaaahh!!

A sudden downpour broke out.
Rain that fell so heavy it hurt when it struck.
I hoped it would wash away the filth on me, on her, on everyone.
But it soon abated, and left the town with a horrible, clinging humidity.

 - Page 89 -

 - Page 90 -

 - Chapter 3 End -