Monday, January 13, 2014

[Mushi Uta v0 ] Chapter 1.01: Rina Part 1

Sorry for the delay, was busy wif finals and stuff (*cough* Senmemo* cough* damn the rerolls)
I finished making the pdf for the first arc of the volume 0, you should be able to find it from the download link from the contents page.
Lastly, a very late, but nonetheless Happy 2014 to all~
Here's a Dai x Rina fan art~

Artist: クレーエ

They look so cute together ^ ~ ^ 

Enjoy~
PS: Stop staring at me!
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Version: 1.01
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1.01

Rina Part 1



The elementary school that Rina was attending was a private elite school that also ran a kindergarten simultaneously.

It was also a uniform-required school which was rare in the area. Students all must wear school uniforms, whilst in addition, female students must wear skirts paired with black stockings. Although its location was somewhat far away from the city center, due to its high graduation rates into one of the top elite schools of Akamaki City --- Horusu Seijyou Gakuen Middle School, it was pretty well known within the city.

As soon as Rina got out of her family’s private car, she was immediately surrounded by many smiling faces.

“Good morning, Rina.”

“Morning, Rina-san.”

“Hey, did you watch the TV last night?”

“Yo, did you know what happened after that from last time?”

Rina walked through the school gate, passed by the garden before entering a classical style corridor of the school campus.

While walking towards her classroom, the students surrounding her piled up even more.

Some of them were her classmates, some were students from the same grade, while others were students from different grade and classes, and they all turned around and greeted Rina.

“Hii, good morning~”

Rina replied in a relaxed manner to everyone that she saw. In school, there was no sign of her father’s stern gaze, and the monitoring of her private tutor, that’s why there was no need for her to maintain her elegant and noble figure.

Her class teacher passed by, and greeted her as well with a smiling face.

“Good morning, Tachibana-san.”

Isn’t that a bit… obvious that she just greeted me and ignored other students around?

Despite thinking of that, Rina still replied with a smile and “Good morning” greeting.

The teacher, who once had a stress disorder from teaching, had turned to Rina for help when Rina was volunteering as a counselor. Ever since then, she began to rely on Rina more and more. If Rina were to graduate, what would she do then? That question was one of many that Rina was concerning about.

Right after she walked into the classroom with her classmates, the noise of quarrelling rang throughout.

The classroom was split into two sides by the boys and girls, arguing with each other.

“Why did you lie?!”

“I told you I don’t know what you’re talking about!” --- The atmosphere felt as if it was about to explode.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

Right after Rina spoke, the girls all rushed behind Rina’s back. Upon seeing the girls had taken Rina to their side, the boys immediately became cowardly.

“That guy completely ignored us yesterday when we saw him at the station!”

“Don’t trust them Rina, he was playing soccer with us all day yesterday!”

After asking for more details, it seemed like the girls came across the boy yesterday at the station. They tried to greet him, but he ignored him. From what the boys were saying, it sounded like that boy was playing with them the entire day.

“Maybe you got the wrong person?”

Rina gave a suggestion, but it only caused the argument to burst out again. “Yeah, what she said!”. “No! That was definitely him!” It seemed like no matter which side Rina stood on, they would not give up so easily.

“Ahh I see, I get the reason why the person that shouldn’t have been there was there now.”

Everyone’s gaze fell onto Rina.

“--- It’s gotta be this right?”

Rina raised her hands in front of her chest, acting like a ghost. This caused everyone’s expression to become pale instantly.

“Uuu so scary~ so scary~ I don’t wanna talk about ghost and the-likes anymore~”

Rina left while saying that, making the girls hug one another together screaming leaving the boys showing terrified expressions. They soon disbanded after that.

Meanwhile, Rina walked towards the boy who had been the center of the topic, lightly placed her finger in front of her lips and smiled, telling him that it was a joke. Even though it was unknown whether ghosts really existed or not, if she were to mention it, they most likely wouldn't bring up the argument ever again. The truth was that they probably mistook someone as him.

On seeing the boy press his chest in relief, Rina walked to her seat and put down her book bag.

She then surveyed the noisy classroom for a moment.

“What, that guy…again?...”

“What’s wrong Rina?”

“I’m going to bring back the escapee!”

Facing the surprised classmates with her back, Rina rushed out of the classroom.

There was still a little time remaining before homeroom starts.

In the corridor, with everyone was rushing towards their respective classrooms, Rina was the only one running in the opposite direction.

She opened the door to the school rooftop, and rushed through, staring at the boy who was sitting next to a flowerless garden.

“…?”

It was a boy wearing a black shirt paired with a cotton vest. Rina reached her fist in front of the boy’s face.

With a sound of “Pa”, Rina flicked away the cigarette that was in his mouth with her forefinger.

“Homeroom is about to start, you know?”

“I’m cutting it.”

The boy replied blankly while stepping on the cigarette on the floor. His name is Shirotani Reiji, a boy who had been in the same class as her ever since kindergarten; a boy that had a unique bond to Rina.

Rina sat down next to Reiji, and hugged her knees.

“I found people needing help again! There are three this time!”

“Just ignore them. It’s none of your business to help them anyway.”

“How can I ignore them? It’s normal to help others who need help, is it not?”

“I’m abnormal anyway, so I don’t understand.”

“Why do you always say “anyway”?! Nonetheless, you probably wouldn’t care, since you’re a delinquent after all.”

“Whatever.”

Despite being a delinquent, Shirotani Reiji’s grades were just as excellent as Rina’s, he also had the same talent for sport as her. The only difference between them was their communication and social skills.

Different from the Rina who could almost strike up a conversation with anyone, this boy next to her would never take interest in anyone else.

Parent’s expectations, the homeroom teacher’s one-sided reliance, those gaze filled with admiration and goodness which came from others ---

Rina, who was almost engulfed by this sea of gazes, would occasionally come to his side to change her mood. Even though she could just go somewhere quiet to be alone, Rina, who couldn’t bring herself to do that, would come to Reiji’s side to relax.

No matter how tired Rina was, she could never have her own time.

She could never be alone.

This has gotta be one of my characteristics --- This thought would strike her again later when she was a little older.

“Need my help?”

“Nope, it’s okay.”

Upon seeing he asked that question with an uninterested expression, Rina immediately rejected him.

Just then, the preparation bell for homeroom rang.

“Oh shoot! We’re gonna be late!”

Rina immediately stood up, whilst pulling Reiji’s arm and forcing him to stand up as well.

Since Rina had perfect attendance till now, it’d be terrible if she were to be late this time. In the case of her teacher calling her family purely out of worry, it would no doubt enrage her father, and the arrow of his anger would definitely be directed at her mother ---

Rina bit her lips, and began to run.

“Didn’t I say I’m going to cut class?”

“I can’t hear you! Come, hurry up!”

When arriving at the entrance of the rooftop, Rina suddenly stopped.

“What’s wrong?”

No… We can’t go this way… The second floor’s corridor is still locked during this hour, the only way we can make it to the next building is through the corridor of the first floor and go up again, but that --- will be too late.

“We’re gonna take a shortcut!”

“Huh? Hey, what are you planning on ---“

Rina let go of Reiji’s hand, facing the entrance of the rooftop with her back and started running. She climbed up the stairs that was set up next to the water tank tower onto the little storage room’s roof, and then started dashing toward the rooftop’s edge.

“H-Hey…! Wait, what are you doing idiot?!”

On Hearing Reiji’s unusually panicked shouting voice, the smile on Rina’s expression deepened. Her long hair swung behind her as she ran and used all of her energy to make a leap over the fence of the rooftop.

“Ri---!”

Reiji’s shouting was wiped out by the sound of furious wind.

As if it was telling Rina to go back, the fierce wind pushed her body back forcefully, but Rina faced it straight on. Her body was falling from a few meters high midair towards the ground. The feeling of balance and sound had already disappeared; all she could feel was a comfortable sense of falling embracing her tightly.

Immersing herself in the joy from being released from the chain of gravity, Rina showed an even bigger smile.

It felt as if she could just fly to somewhere far away like this ---

And be freed from the cages of her family and school.

Even for someone like Rina who would reach her hand to anyone who needs help, she would definitely ---

One day ---

By the time Reiji ran to the fence, Rina’s legs were already standing on something firm. After rolling for quite a while, she finally stood up.

The Rina who raised her head was located in between the rooftop and the ground --- which means on the rooftop of the corridor connecting two campus buildings.

“Haa…Haa…”

After having pulled back into the reality from her moment of fantasy, Rina turned to look at the other end of the corridor roof --- at the windows of the 3rd floor campus building up ahead.

The feeling of having to return to the reality caused Rina to show a wry smile.

No matter how high I jumped, no matter where I wanted to fly to ---

In the end, all I could was struggle endlessly in this birdcage.


“Reiji, hurry up!”

She then turned her gaze back at the rooftop, only to see Reiji showing an expression of helplessness. That was a rare expression from him.

“Are you crazy??! Do you want to die or something?”

“You can definitely do it! Come on, jump!”

Rina reached her hand toward her childhood friend without any hesitation and smiled.

For a moment --- Reiji was deeply fascinated by that bright smile of her.

“…Hmph, I ain’t crazy like you.”

After coming back to his senses, he said that line as he slowly moved away from the fence.

However, Rina still remained standing smiling.

And then, in the next instant ---

A small shadow, suddenly leaped over the rooftop’s fence from the water tank tower.

After a few seconds, the figure landed before Rina --- right on the roof of the corridor. Rina reached out her hands to catch the rolling Reiji.

“Hehe, trying to act cool, you also wanted to try it didn’t you.”

“…Heh.”

Reiji stood up, and showed a rare smile.

Rina pulled his arms again.

“That doesn’t matter, what matters the most right now --- is that the campus building’s windows are closed.”

“Ehh---?! We gotta get it open then! Hmm…Hey you!”

Rina started shouting and waving her hand at the student next to the window as she and Reiji ran towards the campus building’s window on the corridor’s roof.



After school ---

After walking out of the school gate, a high-class luxury black car could be seen parking in front, waiting for Rina as usual.

“Bye bye, See you tomorrow.”

After waving goodbye to her classmates, Rina then sat into the back of the car. The driver mechanically greeted her with one line “Welcome back, Milady.”

“…”

Aside from her school and home, Rina was not allowed to go anywhere else. She quietly placed her book bag on the seat next to her as the car quietly started moving.

The sceneries passed by the car’s window were filled with a variety of charms. The laughing couple, the teenagers walking in groups while eating, the elderly who were leisurely taking a stroll with their pets.

The sceneries filled with joy that could be seen almost anywhere, but Rina have never experienced any of that ---

Feeling it was a little hard to breathe in the closed car, Rina slightly opened the car’s window. A refreshing breeze blew away the gloomy feeling piled up in her heart by a bit.

“If you wanted to reject me, then clearly say so! Why did you --- go as far as finding the excuse that you didn’t get invite!... If you don’t like me, then just say that to me directly!”

“I-I really didn’t receive that invite or invitation of that sort!...Beside I went somewhere far away to work yesterday! There’s no way ---“

When the car stopped at an intersection, a seemingly white-collar couple was arguing in the middle of the streets. Due to their loud shouting, the surrounding pedestrians all turned around to look at them.

Thinking back at it, a similar dispute like this happened back at school as well didn’t it? … Is it popular to mistake people nowadays??

As the car drove on once again, Rina noticed a familiar figure amidst the crowd.

It was a tall slender teenage boy, wearing a clean tidy outfit with a small hat on his head as decoration. But with a hairstyle close to an afro, there was no way such a tiny little hat would fit, Rina thought to herself.

He was one of the trio that Rina saw from her window the day before. The teenage boy was the same from yesterday as well, standing there quietly by himself among the crowd. His existence was very weak; none of the pedestrians noticed him as they walked pass by him.

“Ah…”

Just when Rina was about to shout out to him, the car she was sitting in drove past him.

The driver turned around and asked:

“What’s wrong, Milady?”

Rina only replied with this “…It’s nothing.”

I guess I will go ask Mikajima about him later on…
When the car drove near her house, Rina suddenly said this to the driver:

“Ah, could you stop over there, just for a moment.”

The driver pretended that he didn’t hear her; the adults around Rina would only listen to what her father said.

“Stop at once!”

Rina showed a stern expression and said that line with a sharp tone.

This surprised the driver causing him to immediately step on the brake pedal. Perhaps it was because of him seeing Rina’s looks, which were almost the same as her father that caused him to be terrified for a moment.

Rina then shifted her gaze away with a “Hmph”. Even after knowing that the driver would definitely report to her father for doing this, she still wanted to see it no matter what. The hard slap that would come right after the scolding, she would gladly take it.

The place where the car had stopped was the park not far away from her house. After pulling down the car’s window completely, a melody that seemed to be coming from a music box came flowing to her ears.

In front of the swings located in the park, there was a group of people gathering about. The group mainly consisted of parents with their children, with a little new reporter mixing in between.

There was even a photographer taking shots among the crowd.

In the center of the crowd, there was a figure wearing a strange uniform, wearing big white gloves on both hands, a face painted with white powder and curly hair, and had two parallel lines drawn straight down to the cheek from the corner of the lip --- The figure was just like an enlarged version of a clown doll.

This figure who suddenly appeared in this park unknowingly was a wandering acrobat. Usually, only kids in the area would gather about, but it seemed like the news had finally reached the ears of news reporters. On the swing there was a huge box holding numerous music boxes, with one of them playing a very energetic light melody.




The throwing ball tricks and balloon acrobatics had caused the kids to jump up and down in joy, and when the figure did a handstand on a big ball, the atmosphere skyrocketed. Despite the figure looking like a girl in her teens, her slender arms and legs were doing the tricks flawlessly, just like a professional acrobat.

And just then, the melody coming from the music box suddenly changed.

It seemed like the performance had moved on to its final stage, the pantomime show that Rina enjoys the most --- No, it was more like a dance.

Accompanied by that creepy melody that started unknowingly, the weird puppet next to the acrobat began to dance stiffly. Its joints were twitching about before starting to dance unnaturally.

“Children are my food --- I want to eat them all --- making crack-crack sounds, start eating from the brain --- come, come closer here ---“

This surprised Rina a bit, because she had always watched the show from her window, it was her first time listening to that “puppet’s” voice. That doll began to dance as it sang along with the melody. Like a spider, it crawled towards the children near it. The mouth making cracking sounds, suddenly laughed.

Just when the kids were scared and started crying, the puppet’s head suddenly popped off. Looking at its funny gesture trying to put back on its lost head with its hands, the kids that were about to cry immediately went back to laughing once again.

The puppet that had finally picked up its head and placed it right back, suddenly raised its head.

Its eyes met Rina’s eyes directly.

“…?”

That puppet, which narrowed its eyes for an instant, was looking at none other but Rina, and for the first time ever it smiled like a human. Facing its dreadful smile, Rina could feel a chill running down her spine.

“Let’s go.”

Shifting her gaze away from the puppet, Rina told the driver to move on. The car then started moving.

“……I’m back.”

After arriving home, Rina crossed the gate and walked into the living room.

Right at the moment she stepped into the room, a crispy “Pa!” slap sound rang. Rina’s shoulders trembled for a moment.

Her father that was standing in his suit, and her mother that had fall onto the floor both turned to look at Rina at the same time. Her father --- Tachibana Kaeki was a tall burly man. Even though he had some white hair mixing in his hair, the overwhelming presence and coercion coming from him didn’t give any sign of aging. Being one of the main governors in control of the Akamaki City, no one could oppose him or his actions. Surrounding him, who possessed vicious charisma, was a group of despicable companions that obeyed and committed dirty jobs for him.

Her mother who had fallen onto the floor holding her cheek --- Tachibana Kouyou, was a slender beauty. But due to her fragile body, she gave the exact opposite impression of her father.

The father Kaeki who was upstart after the bloodline of a royal family, and the mother who was a sacrifice thrown out by her family to reverse her the decline of her family’s title --- Rina had inherited both of their characteristics.

“…..”

After seeing her mother who was lying on the floor, Rina slowly raised her head and glared at her father who was way taller than her by a few heads.

“What’s with that look of yours, how dare you look at me like that ---“

“N-No, please don’t hit Rina ---“

Her father wanted to walk towards Rina, but her mother desperately tried to dissuade him.

As for Rina, she continued to glare at her father with sharp eyes.

It was a scene that she was already familiar with. The father who abused with violence for no reason at all, and the mother who took it all in silently.

It was because that she was overly familiar with this scene --- that it began to lose feelings for her recently. No fear, no anger, it was as if she was looking at the scene from a very far distance, watching everything happening with her cold heart.

The only thing that was different, was that she could feel a dark, shady impulse, slowly building up within her.

At the same time, something precious in Rina’s heart was slowly sinking away, like the sand slipping out from an hourglass.

Her father pushed her mother out of the way with a “Hmph.”, and then left the room.

“I’m sorry, Rina. Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.”

Her mother then embraced Rina in her trembling arms. Rina buried her face into her hug, and mechanically returned her embrace.

Although Rina love her gentle mother, she doesn’t understand why she was apologizing.

Marrying her father for the sake of her family, and not divorcing even till now was none other than her. If she were apologizing for that, then doesn’t it also mean that she was regretting the fact she had given birth to Rina…?

“It’s okay, mom.”

There was something that Rina still had do, and that was to save her pitiful mother.

She then showed a warm smile.

On seeing Rina’s smile, her mother showed an eased expression, as if she was salvaged. She then embraced Rina tightly.

It’s still fine now.

Because inside Rina, in that hourglass of hers, there was still some sand remaining.



“--- Welcome back, Rina-san.”

After walking into her room, she immediately saw her private tutor Mikajima turn around and greet her.

“Mikajima… Could you not hug my clothes while waiting for me in my room?...”

Upon seeing the college student who was hugging the clothes that she was about to change into while showing an intoxicated expression, Rina felt like she was about to have another mental episode.

This is seriously wrong… Rina twitched her brows as she snatched back her clothes.

“But I feel so lonely without you. Look, I even warmed up your clothes for you so please praise me~”

“…Woah… Why is it so warm… it feels disgusting…”

“Thank you~”

Even refuting an “I’m not praising you” line felt stupid. Rina just ignored her and changed into her casual clothes. Of course, Mikajima was staring at her the whole time while she was changing.

“…Mikajima, you seemed to be waiting for me at home all the time, do you even go to school?”

“I’ve already found the perfect goal of my life, what’s the point of me going to university then? The knowledge of a traveler who has traveled thousands of miles, the courage of an adventurer who journeyed across the mountain of thorns, and the morals of a monk who has to undergo hundreds of years training to obtain, I’ve already obtained a priceless treasure weighing more than the three of them combined together.”

“I did not understand a word you just said... Do your friends and family not worry about you?”

“Compared to you, they are nothing but merely pebbles on the street.”

“You have to cherish your friends and family, you know?”

Rina threw the teddy bear lying on the bed at Mikajima.

“That side of you, who doesn’t have the slightest intention of doing that, is also very beautiful.”

Mikajima placed the teddy bear that she caught next to the window.

“But if you were to order me, then I will cherish them.”

“……”

It was not as if she had never thought that before, it was just that she didn’t understand it very well herself.

The father who acts like a tyrant, and the mother who endures it in silence, aside from those two, Rina doesn’t have anyone else as family. Are those really things that she should cherish?

Moreover, Rina didn’t really have anyone who she could call friends. There were only classmates who overly relied on her, and a childhood acquaintance who she knew for a long time. If one were to ask her who she would cherish, the first thing that would come to her mind was them as a whole, not some individual’s face.

“Oh, by the way, did you go help those people like I asked yesterday?”

“Ah… Yes. Though I was reluctant to, I still followed your orders so please don’t worry.”

“And? What happened?”

“That dirty entertainer didn’t even say thank you and just kept on dancing. That tall teenage boy, I couldn’t find him in the end. There was no sign of anyone having traits like you said in the area when I searched.”

“Hmm…? That’s impossible, I just saw him on my way back from school today.”

“As expected from Rina-san, but when I searched for him, there was really no one like that in the area. If I couldn’t find him, then that means he didn’t exist there at that moment.”

“I think that’s impossible… Eh? Why did similar things keep happening today…?”

“And as for the third person you asked, that boy, is currently being kept somewhere safe. It seemed like he was running away from home, that’s all. There’s nothing about him that Rina-san you should worry at all.”

Rina, who was about to sit on the chair in front of her desk, suddenly turned around and stared fiercely at Mikajima.

“That kind of phrasing… What are you trying to hide from me?”

“Nothing at all, Milady.”

“If you aren't honest, I’m going to stop petting your head from now on.”

“…Please just forget about that kid. He’s an existence that you shouldn't mingle with.”

Facing the Mikajima who was sealing her lips, Rina stared even harder.

After a short moment of silence, the private tutor seemed to have given up and sighed. She pushed up her glasses with her finger and said:

“That boy --- is a Mushitsuki.”


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Thank you for reading~
Feel free to leave comments for any questions or feedback~

Lastly, below is a response to an Anon's question back at contents page.
"Rina's already dead right? Why would we need her flashback?"

The pic below should answer that question ---


In case u haven't figure it out yet, its the cover page for Mushi Uta Volume 14 (should be the 2nd to last volume of Mushi Uta Series).

Doesn't the girl, in the front wearing SEPB's Central Headquarters' white coat, look somewhat familiar to you eh??

Yes, it is who you think it is lol. However, she did not come back to life. To be more precise, that "Body" is not her's, but it has her looks, her memories and even the same Mushi, Nanahoshi.

I have to tell you, I'm fvking looking forward to that harem fight between Shiika, Rina, and Arisu lol. You better stay Fallen until the fight is over Daisuke, or else I'm 100% sure u wont get out of it alive.


2 comments:

  1. Hi Wing, happy new year! Thanks as always for the chapter. I almost never comment anywhere, but I really do appreciate all your work with Mushi Uta.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I'm glad you like this series ^^

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