Mayonaka no X Giten 27

Midnight Cross Method 27 (Final)

p1: ======================================
Six months later…
[sfx]: Stare…
Well?
/ Gotten used to the work yet?

Yeah. I always have been skilled at looking after people, after all.
Story / Yamaguchi Mikoto Art / BAREISHO
Midnight Cross Method
Chapter 27: Epilogue

Wow~.
[sfx]: Creak
Okay.

p2: ======================================
I really owe you a lot, Mikuriya.

After it all ended, I quit school.
/ I had no relatives to rely on, but you introduced me to this job.

It’s nothing…
/ They’re always shorthanded here,
since the pay’s cheap.

…Still, I couldn’t believe it.
/ All that money you were gathering…

Was for these kids.

p3: ======================================
You really are a kind and good person, Mikuriya.
[sfx]: Pat
Despite that mouth of yours.

Well sorry!
/ Look at you, acting cool and talking all sappy.
When you’re just a… A dumb virgin!
[sfx]: Jump

…I went through a lot of awful stuff when I was a kid,
but the people working here saved me.

Fate bringing me here was my only salvation.
/ So… I wanted to take care of it all.
To take care of this place, and to take care of all the kids who are just like me.

p4: ======================================
And you, too, of course,
/ Hiroki.

Argh! This is all your fault.
Now I’m getting all sappy, too!

…Thank you.

p5: ======================================
By the way,
/ have you… Read it yet?

…

…You must mean my sister’s diary.

After the incident, when the police thoroughly investigated my place,
they found my sister’s diary.

Written within
was a stark and detailed account of everything that had happened to her until the day she died.
/ Powerful evidence, but the detectives warned me that I should ready myself before I opened its pages.

p6: ======================================
…I still haven’t read it.

Thought so.
Your sister’s thoughts, on all that?
/ Who’d feel like they’d want to read that?

But… I did read one part.
/ When Mitsumune-san handed me the diary,
She marked one spot with a label that said “At least read this.”

I did read that part.
What’d it say?

p7: ======================================
October 16th
/ Another fight with Hiroki…

I was in the wrong, of course.
I’m the one always sucking up to him and causing him problems.
[sfx]: Scratch

I have to get a hold of myself,
/ because sooner or later, he’s going to run out of patience.
…Yeah.

Tomorrow, I’ll try to head outside.
But I’m still too scared to head out alone.
/ So I’ll apologize to Hiroki, and we’ll head out together.

p8: ======================================
Will he go along with me?
He surely will.

After all, he’s the kindest guy in the world.

That’s right. I have to hurry up…
and free my kind brother from this sorry excuse for a big sister.

So… I’m sorry, Hiroki.
But you’ll have to deal with my selfishness a little while longer.
[sfx]: Scratch

p9: ======================================
…
Was that all?

It seems less like something special…
/ and more like that she wrote down how she usually felt.

She wrote that entry on the night of her murder.

In other words, this was the last thing she wrote before she died.
…

Mitsumune said,
/ “I don’t know how her final entry will look to your eyes,
“but I do think you should read it.”

p10: ======================================
“After all, they’re your sister’s last words.”

[sfx]: Crunch

p11: ======================================
[sfx]: Place
Yeah…
/ They were.

[sfx]: Hug

MIkuriya…
…Hm?

p12: ======================================
The kids are staring at us.

[sfx]: Waaahhh!

[sfx]: Squirming

[insert]: Hahaha…

p13: ======================================
Huh?
You wish for me to assist your investigation?

Yes.
/ The police have declared investigations concerning body swapping to be taboo.
From what we can tell, several higher-ups are involved with the Midnight Cross Methods.

However, we have no intention of stopping.
/ Our plan is to continue our investigation of body swapping.
We can’t let this tragedy ever repeat.

…I do get what you’re trying to say.

p14: ======================================
But that said, you would genuinely ask for my assistance?

That’s right, Kirishima Sachi. Your powers of insight are astounding.
/ Furthermore, information on the dark side of body swapping is surely buried in X’s memories.

…You’re fine with this? Think it through.
/ Because of me, the person you hold dear is now—
I am well aware.

…Or so I would like to say, but I have some misgivings on the matter.
!

p15: ======================================
Was killing Grandpa really what X willed?
[sfx]: Twitch
…

…I don’t mean to be cruel, but…
/ Your sister’s heart was far more broken than yours.
And so you merged with her. To keep her safe, according to you.

Hey. Isn’t the truth…
/ That you wanted X to take the blame for crimes your sister willingly com—

Okay.
/ I’ll help you out.
[sfx]: Slap

It seems that if I leave you alone, my dear great detective,
you will make the deduction of the century.

p16: ======================================
Art: BAREISHO

Staff
Shioji
Junko
Emi

Editor
Kataoka Ken

Design
Volare
Sekiyoshi Yuki
Aoyama Isao

Story
Yamaguchi Mikoto

p17: ======================================
[screen and text box]: Have you ever wanted to become someone you’re not?

[ditto]: You can, using the power of body swapping.

[ditto]: If you happen to be interested,
[ditto]: please visit the URL below by 11 p.m. tonight.

[insert]: Thank you for reading! The fourth volume will be on sale January 27th!