“What?!”
Yuuji surprisingly raised his voice.
Naoya was staring at Yuka with his mouth open.
“U-Um, Yuka, do you think you could run that by us again?”
Naoya finally managed to gulp down his saliva before saying those words to Yuka.
Yuka repeated her signing.
I’m pregnant.
Autumn was nearly over.
Ever since Keitarou embraced Yuka after discovering her identity as an Orphnoch, their love had continued to grow stronger.
And then Yuka learned that she was pregnant.
“Don’t tell me the dad’s that one dude… The guy running that dry cleaner… Keitarou, that’s that dumb dork’s name, right?”
Yuka nodded embarrassingly in response to Naoya.
I wouldn’t call him a “dumb dork”, but yes.
It wasn’t until now that Yuuji learned that Yuka was dating Keitarou.
Having learned that she was pregnant on top of that, Yuuji’s shock came at no surprise.
“What’s so great about that guy anyway?”
Naoya’s anger wouldn’t settle. It was as if he had his little sister taken away from him.
He’s a very wonderful person.
“Yeah, yeah, I get it. Fine. Oh, I know, call him Naosuke.”
Naoya’s attitude suddenly changed as he hit his palm with a fist as if he just realized something.
Naosuke?
“I’m talking about the kid’s name. You can take a character off of my name.”
“No, you should call him Yuusuke.”
Yuuji interrupted.
“Yuusuke? Why the hell should my kid get a stupid name like that? Naosuke’s way better, I’m telling you!”
“What do you mean by your kid? Besides, Yuusuke sounds way cooler.”
Yuuji was happy. He was certainly surprised at first, but that surprise soon turned into joy. But of course, it wasn’t all good news. Numerous problems would arise from something like this.
But right now he just wanted to be happy.
Yuka had achieved what he was incapable of.
She created a child out of love with a normal human.
It was the perfect example of coexistence between human and Orphnoch.
It could very well be said that Yuka had made Yuuji’s dream come true.
At the very least, a ray of hope could be seen.
Yuka had a happy smile on her face the whole time Yuuji and Naoya argued about the baby’s name in front of her.
But it was a smile meant to conceal the unease within her.
Unease born out of happiness.
Yuka had yet to tell Keitarou that she was pregnant. There was no doubt that he would be overjoyed upon hearing the news. He’d gently wrap his arms around her like usual.
After dating Keitarou, Yuka had experienced a kind of happiness that she had never felt before.
Keitarou was like a window to her. Like the window that lit up her uncle’s basement that she always looked up at. Just like the light that shone from that window, Keitarou’s kindness had enveloped Yuka.
She no longer heard those screams from inside her.
The screams that rose from deep within her heart.
The screams of her mother that denied her existence.
Those screams would no longer trouble her.
But Yuka still felt unease.
Do I truly deserve this happiness? she asked herself.
She had killed numerous people.
It was unknown to neither Yuuji, Naoya, nor Keitarou that she had the blood of many people on her hands.
She was of course happy upon learning that she was pregnant.
If she were to become a mother, she would shower her child with all the love that she wished she could have received as a child. But the more happiness she felt, the more the unease grew.
I don’t deserve to be happy. Nor will I ever truly become happy.
Mari was being forced to listen to Keitarou about his love life in the dining room at Kikuchi Cleaning.
She felt like she was going to throw up with all the lovey-dovey talk during their mealtime.
The meal that day was chestnut rice, and it was because of Keitarou’s date, as well.
While on a drive with Yuka, they came across a chestnut tree and harvested as many chestnuts as they could.
Keitarou sucked off any thorns stuck to Yuka’s fingers from the chestnuts with his mouth.
Yuka also sucked off any thorns stuck to Keitarou’s fingers from the chestnuts with her mouth.
That kind of talk continued to go on and on.
At first, Takumi and Mari weren’t completely convinced that Keitarou and Yuka were actually dating or not, but it turned out to be true.
Good for you, Keitarou.
Mari sincerely felt that way from the bottom of her heart.
If someone like Keitarou were to lead an unfortunate life, that would be proof that the world was a cruel place.
Takumi silently listened to Keitarou’s love life rambling as well while he ate the chestnut rice.
He didn’t mind not having to talk.
Mari envied Keitarou and Yuka’s relationship. She really wanted to be lovey-dovey with someone.
She couldn’t ignore the strong presence of Masato who was eating right next to her, however.
Merely being next to him was enough for her to feel the overwhelming passion he had for her, and it was suffocating.
Her memories of the scent of his sweat, his raggedness of his breathing, and the movements of his muscles each time he hugged her made her want to escape from the room right that instant.
Of course, Mari stayed quiet about her and Masato to Keitarou and Takumi. It was a secret she couldn’t tell anybody.
And its status as a secret only served to further darken their relationship.
Why have I just accepted Kusaka like this? Mari thought to herself. Needless to say, it was likely partly because of her grief from losing Yuuji as well. But Mari had already done as much as she could to move on from that. In a sense, their relationship had been over from the moment it started.
It didn’t serve as a good reason for letting Masato sleep with her again and again.
Ever since that day, Masato sought after Mari’s body numerous times whenever no one was around at the dry cleaner. And each time, Mari would sleep with Masato. She always struggled at first, but in the end, she could never deny him.
Why am I…
But Mari knew the answer.
Help me, Mari… When Mari heard that whisper, Mari learned that Masato had yet to forget about the sorrow of his past.
There was only one other time she had heard those words, and it was from back when they were in Ryusei School.
When Masato had lost his mother.
I don’t remember my father’s face, Masato had said.
He had apparently been kicked out of his house even before he was even old enough to remember anything. But Masato never felt lonely despite not having a father. His mother had given him enough love that he never had to think about that.
Every summer, Masato’s mother would take him to all kinds of places. Going on trips with just the two of them was one of his greatest pleasures.
One summer, his mother took him on a camping trip one of her friends invited her to.
Walking amongst beautiful mountains, fishing, gathering wild plants, it was just one exciting new experience after another for Masato.
On the final day of the trip, they headed down the river on a rubber boat.
The boat floated down the river with just Masato and his mother on it.
The harsher-than-expected current sent their boat wildly swaying back and forth like a helpless tree leaf.
The very next moment, Masato fell into the water. The rubber boat had capsized.
Countless silver bubbles danced before his eyes as water entered his nose and mouth.
No matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t get himself out of the water.
He spun around and around as he felt himself falling deeper into the darkness.
Mom! Mom!
Masato desperately sought out help.
Eventually he saw his mother’s white hand from within the dark water.
Masato did everything he could to stretch his arm out and grab onto that hand.
I can’t let go of this hand, Mom will save me no matter what as long as I keep holding onto it, he thought.
But his mother instead shook off his hand.
As if she was tossing aside something that was in the way.
Masato’s mother shook away his hand with unbelievable strength.
Ironically, however, Masato was the one that ended up being saved.
His body, fortunately, washed up onto a shore, while his mother’s drowned body was discovered downstream.
That was what Mari was told.
Masato had likely yet to escape from that river.
He was still desperately struggling in the water. That was why Mari couldn’t deny him.
Mari didn’t know this, but when Masato washed up on the shore, there was a single wound on his palm.
It was inflicted when his mother shook off his hand. For a long time, that wound never healed, continuing to let out blood. No, even now, the wound had yet to be sealed.
The blood continued to flow. Masato could still see that blood clearly.
That was why he had to keep wiping his hands.
Masato’s mother had let go of his hand.
And Mari was the one to hold it in her place.
Whenever Masato was bullied in Ryusei School and started crying during his asthma attacks, it was always Mari that extended a hand out to him.
Masato had stood back up again after holding onto that hand countless times.
That was why Masato loved Mari.
Mari was someone that could very well become his mother.
Keitarou’s rambling over his love life continued to drag on in the dining room at Kikuchi Cleaning. It would likely continue on until morning if left unchecked.
At this point, Takumi had enough and returned to his room.
Masato held Mari’s hand from under the table.
Mari neither shook that hand away nor held it back.
She watched Keitarou’s happy face with her thoughts caught in an indecisive limbo.
The person that convinced Mari to finally break things up with Masato was surprisingly Saya Kimura. At the very least, Saya served as a trigger.
When Mari came back after finishing a delivery, she heard Masato’s voice from within the workplace. He was talking to someone on the phone. Mari remembered that she had heard something similar before.
She was surprised at Masato’s cold tone back then.
And right now Masato was talking in that exact same tone.
“I told you not to call me anymore,” said Masato.
“Don’t make me repeat myself again and again. I’m not coming back to you. Our relationship is over, Saya.”
Saya?
Mari couldn’t believe her ears.
Kusaka was with Saya?
At that moment, Mari recalled the photo she saw in Saya’s room.
The photo that depicted her smiling and linking arms with her boyfriend.
Saya immediately hid the photo out of embarrassment, so Mari was only able to see the boyfriend’s face for a split second.
But that split second was more than enough for her to link it with Masato’s appearance.
There was no doubt about it. Saya had dated Masato.
After finishing the call, Masato came out of the workplace.
“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it,” responded Masato after learning that Mari had heard his conversation.
“Kusaka, I’m sorry, but we really can’t do this anymore.” Mari carefully chose her words.
An expression of slight panic revealed itself on Masato’s face.
“Wait, what are you talking about? If this is about Saya, I broke up with her a long time ago!”
“That doesn’t have anything to do with it.”
Mari looked straight at Masato as she spoke.
“It’s about how I feel. I can’t date you. It’s all my fault.”
“Why are you saying this?”
Masato’s face broke into a forced smile.
“What exactly is the problem?”
“I accepted you, but I never meant for that.”
“You’re lying!”
Masato’s shout filled the room.
“You’re lying! You’re lying!”
Mari violently shook her head no.
“You love me, I know that! Or are you saying that you’re going to let go of my hand too…?”
I’m sorry, Kusaka. I’m really sorry.
“I see… I get it.”
Masato’s tone suddenly grew quiet.
“This is all because of Yuuji Kiba, isn’t it? You still love him…?”
“No, he doesn’t have anything to do with this.”
“Are you sure about that? Do you know what he really is?”
“What he really is…? What do you mean?’
Masato’s lips twisted into a disturbing smile.
“I’ll kill him once and for all.”
Upon opening the car window, the cool wind brushed against Yuuji’s face.
He had just finished shopping and was driving back home.
If things kept on track, Yuka would become a mother by next summer.
The paper pag in the passenger seat was stuffed with books Yuuji had purchased.
He bought them for Yuka to read. They were all about things like guidelines on being a mother, or meanings behind names.
Right now, Yuka was like a small light that lit up the path to Yuuji’s dream.
Yuuji sometimes thought about Mari. He’d think about her smile.
If he had learned of Keitarou and Yuka’s relationship sooner, maybe he would’ve allowed himself to truly love Mari. But that was all in the past now.
No, maybe not, thought Yuuji. Maybe we still have a chance to fix things between us again.
It was then that a bike began approaching his car from the front at an incredible speed.
The speed was enough to exude bloodlust.
It was Masato.
He took off his helmet and jumped high in the air from his bike.
The unmanned bike then slammed into Yuuji’s car.
Yuuji desperately turned the steering wheel, but his car crashed into a guard rail. Yuuji’s body launched out of the car and rolled onto the ground.
Masato put on his belt while still in the air and transformed.
Kaixa then landed in front of Yuuji.
“Inui had the nerve to get in the way last time, but this time you’re not getting away.”
Kaixa’s bloodlust was the real thing.
There was no choice but to fight.
The numerous black veins that appeared on Yuuji’s face spread to the rest of his body, transforming him into the Horse Orphnoch.
Yuuji then suddenly sensed the eyes of another person off to the side.
It was Mari.
She had chased after Masato on her bike when he suddenly drove away from the dry cleaner.
With Yuuji in his Orphnoch form right before her eyes, numerous emotions cycled through Mari’s face.
First her face showed shock, then it showed fear, then it showed something like a smile, then it showed something like regret. But the very last emotion to remain on her face was one of apathy that seemed to deny reality.
After taking a U-turn with her bike, Mari sped off away from the scene.
Kaixa’s attack ripped into the Horse Orphnoch’s body.
The Horse Orphnoch didn’t resist. He couldn’t get himself to fight back.
Even so, he did everything he could to totter away in escape.
Kaixa’s deep laughing voice could be heard as he proceeded forward in pursuit.
But eventually his legs came to a stop.
Someone had called out to Masato.
And that someone was another Kaixa.
Kamen Rider Novel Translations 