Hori (Before) - Did I Do Something I Shouldn't Have?
I[1] really like snow. Can't believe some people hate it.
I'm quite into skiing, and would like to try out snowboarding someday, too. Apparently, a Snowboarding Association[4] is going to open in Japan next year; better keep an ear out.
So... here I am, riding a bus to the ski lodge, my feet burning because of the heater and my face freezing because of the window. I do have help from the wooly hat on my head and this ear-to-ear grin on my face, though. It's my first trip this season. I'm excited. Oh, I'm so excited.
Anyway, it feels as if I'm the only one here who's content with going solo -- the seats to my front, back, and left are all occupied by dating couples.
Can't say I understand the want for that.
Maybe the secret lies in the feeling that putting two of my favorite things together would result in the best thing ever. The way I see it, though, the two things would end up being compared, and I'd have to choose which one I preferred. I'd rather stick to one or do both in order.
Speaking of sticking to something... this year is yet another year of that famous Santa Claus-something song[5] being played on the radio.
They've got an idol singer to sing a new version of it this year, but I'm still sick and tired of it. The song itself isn't bad; the problem is that this bus is playing it on loop. Being a high school boy, though, the night bus is my only financially viable option to get anywhere far.
Maybe I'll get myself an imported car when I'm older. A BMW is relatively affordable, or so I've heard -- not that I can really tell any of them apart. I mean, I just think they're pretty cool.
"Passengers, there's been a Kegai attack up ahead," the bus driver announces on the PA, talking over the song's hook, "so we'll be taking a detour. Thank you for your patience."
Damn Kegai. Every single time.
I visualize a map in my head[6]... and chuckle as I suddenly recall a girl in my class who couldn't read maps. Later on, another girl told me I was supposed to be a gentleman and teach her. But why would I do that? She wasn't even my type -- far below the standard Saori[2] had set.
Anyway, I can't figure out any new route on this map in my head. Which way are we even going?
The Kegai aren't considered intelligent creatures, but it does seem like they've been trying to divide Japan into two, cutting off the north from the south. Or maybe it's just my imagination; I've heard that western Japan has been suffering its fair share of damage as well.
And with the Kegai cutting off roads all over the place[7], will I even make it to Nagano? I'd hate to have to turn back now.
The bus is heading down a path it doesn't usually take. I wonder if it's actually safe this way -- like, has the snow been properly shoveled, at least?
...Right as that question crosses my mind, the bus crashes.
I can't tell if I'm properly bracing for impact. The last things I see before being knocked out are... the bus in flames, and spheres of light flying around in the air.
Whatever they're supposed to be, I have no idea. Human souls, maybe?
／＊／
Quite some time later, I regain consciousness and open my eyes to two women looking at me with worry. One is a nurse; I can tell by her outfit.
The other woman is crying. "Do I know you?" I try to ask, but then I realize that my voice isn't coming out.
It feels like I'm viewing the world through a new pair of eyes. That's how different this place is from the environments I'm used to.
The smell here is also unfamiliar. My wounds seem to have been patched up; that's good. As far as I can see, though, there aren't any weapons in this room; that is a cause for concern.
I must return... to my homeland, Ashihara Nakatsu, where Mom and Dad are.
"Do you remember your own name?" The nurse asks in a very serious tone.
Before laughing it off, I stop to think for a moment and decide against it. Her question is no joke. This situation is no joke.
"Sachi... Sachi Hori," I somehow manage to say despite feeling broken... pretty much everywhere.
"Sa-chan! Sa-chan!" the unfamiliar woman cries.
A moment later, I realize that this crying lady is Saori... my Mom. This is bad. Very bad. The fact that I have failed to recognize my own mother's face, even if briefly, pierces my heart like a spear. It feels as if I just died again.
"A-am I alright, Mom?"
"No, you're not!" Saori exclaims.
Sounds about right. Not exactly the answer I wanted to hear, though. Wait, actually, no... What did I want to hear?
"Ma'am," the nurse says to Saori, "He's still delirious."
Ah, so that's the actual word they use for "half-conscious." I can understand what they're saying to me perfectly fine, though; what a strange feeling.
I proceed to go back to sleep -- not voluntarily, that is. Feels more like the lights being switched off.
／＊／
I hear the gentle waves of the sea... No, not the open sea, but rather an inland one. I believe it is now called the Seto Naikai.
That is where I must return to -- where Mom and Dad are. I am duty-bound to assist Dad in his conquest. If he doesn't succeed, the human world will cease to exist.
Our military forces are... Wait, do we still have them?
／＊／
I open my eyes. This time, Dad[3] is here.
For a moment, I can't believe I'm seeing this workaholic in a hospital, but then I remember that it's a matter of my life and death... which, if I say so myself, is quite concerning. My head injury seems to have mostly healed by now, at least.
I casually remove my bandages and sit up on the bed. Dad looks spooked.
"Sachi, are you sure you're alright? Your head, I mean..."
"I guess?"
This here is an awkward conversation between father and son. But really, we can't expect a smooth one at a time like this, can we? It's not like there's a script for us to read from.
Dad doesn't seem very... Dad-like to me today, though; is it because he's a workaholic? Wait, wouldn't that description apply to Saori as well? Huh. Maybe there is still something wrong with my head. Could it be another injury or something?
On the spur of the moment, I stand up and try skipping a few steps. Hmm, feels fine. I seem to have regained a good bit of my muscles.
But what about weapons? I still don't see any lying around. I'll have to find myself at least a bronze sword, or else I can't be at ease.
And more importantly, I am overcome with the desire to return home. No, not the house in Tokyo; it's Ashihara Nakatsu. I must go... to where Mom and Dad are.
Wait, then... who's this guy in front of me[8]?
As I stand and ponder, several doctors and nurses rush into the room. They all look spooked.
Huh. Did I do something I shouldn't have[9]?
===
Chapter 11 Character Profiles
↩[1] Hori (Sachi Hori)
While on a skiing trip, he suffered an accident and almost died. Had to spend a year being hospitalized before returning to school.
As such, he is a first-year student at Ashihara Nakatsu High School despite being older than Nini and his other classmates.
Surfs as a hobby, and is good enough to participate in national competitions.
First-person pronoun used: Ore
↩[2] Saori Hori
Sachi's mother. She finds it amusing that both her name and married surname end with a kanji pronounced "ori."
↩[3] Sachi's Father
Sachi considers him a workaholic.
===
Chapter 11 Footnotes
↩[4] Snowboarding Association
The Japan Snowboarding Association will be established in 1983, while this chapter takes place in 1982.
↩[5] That Famous Santa Claus-something Song
"Koibito ga Santa Claus," originally released in 1980.
The version referenced in this chapter is the 1982 cover by Seiko Matsuda.
↩[6] "I visualize a map in my head"
People had neither smartphones nor Google to rely on back in the day.
↩[7] "With the Kegai cutting off roads all over the place"
Kegai commonly appear in urban areas, but they're also encountered fairly often in mountainous regions.
There must be a reason for this...
↩[8] "Who's this guy in front of me?"
Sachi's Dad, of course.
As a side note, at this time, his Mom is resting at home. Three minutes after this, she is woken up by a phone call from Dad.
↩[9] "Did I Do Something I Shouldn't Have?"
This will go on to be recognized as Sachi's catchphrase, but he's always been known to say this on occasion.
===
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