Yokohama-sen Doppelgänger 5

Doppelganger 5



p1: =================================
5: My Own Pace

p2: =================================
[sfx]: Dash!

p3: =================================
[sfx]: Grab!
Wait!

The curve of your lumbar vertebrae…
And your bone structure—you’re…

Natsuki-san…?!

Geh geh.

p4: =================================
Amazing as ever!
[insert]: You got me.
It’s been two years, hasn’t it, Makoto-kun?

p5: =================================
[sfx]: Bathump
Ah… She smells nice…

And right now, you’re the most popular sculptor there is!
[insert]: I watched the show.
[insert]: Nod
[insert]: Uh,
You exaggerate.
[insert]: But thank you.

Wait, why is Natsuki-san here?
[sfx]: Whisper
Why would I know?! Did she come here before I time traveled, too?
Though I never saw her…

Sorry. I’m so covered in sweat that I got embarrassed and tried to run off. <small: Ahaha. >
[flyer]: Natsuki Hikari’s Exhibition / July 25th through August 2nd
I was delivering flyers for my exhibition, and figured I’d get some cardio in while I was at it. <small: I’m giving them to people in the art world. >

Oh, so you’re having an exhibition! <small: I’ll go! >
[letter, middle]: Kenzaki Makoto
[letter, leftmost]: Natsuki Hikari
<the rest is illegible>
[sfx]: Whisper
Oh.
/ I do recall getting that during the first loop.
So she delivered it herself…
But after she was murdered, the exhibition was canceled…

…What do I do?

p6: =================================
…
/ For now… you’re welcome to have some tea in our home.
Huh?!

You can’t let her into our house!
[sfx]: Whisper
Since they’re going to find her hair in here regardless, letting her in now’s the perfect chance.

[sfx]: Whisper
[insert]: Come in.
That’s now the problem. I can’t let her see this mess!
Don’t put on airs now!

That sounds wonderful.
I’m so thirsty, my throat’s about to dry up.
[insert]: I could even drink water out of a puddle at this point.

Thanks for having me!
Yay!
[sfx]: Slam
Umm…

p7: =================================
You must be Makoto-kun’s big brother, right?
[sfx]: Bathump
Uh…
Now that I take a closer look, you look just like him!
That’s…

I’m Natsuki Hikari.
[poster]: The saddest thing in the world is to lie.
[insert]: Ooh
...I can’t lie.

There’s tea and stuff in the fridge, so take whatever you want.
[insert]: There’s also some banana cola.
[insert]: Okay!
[sfx]: Open!
I’ll pass on the banana cola. That’s a really weird flavor.

p8: =================================
[sfx]: Grab!
[cans on the side]: Banana Cola

[sfx]: Pop!

[sfx]: Glug, glug

p9: =================================
<small: Pwah! > / It’s so good!
She took a beer!!

[insert]: Heh heh.
She hasn’t changed one bit. That takes me back…

Back when I was in art school, Natsuki-san…
[sign]: Flower Art University

[insert, bottom right]: Hello
[insert, top right]: was the center of attention.
[insert, top left]: And not just because of how gorgeous she was.
Wow, she’s cute.
She’s a feast for the eyes.
She smells of bergamot~♡

p10: =================================
[sfx]: Gyah!
What’re you doing?!
[insert]: You see…
I like getting in every second of sleep I can in the mornings.

[insert]: And to do that,
I have to minimize the time I spend on makeup!
[insert]: Mascara is such a pain.
[tube]: Instant Glue
So I’m going to try putting on false lashes with instant glue. <small: Since eyelash extensions are so expensive. >

You idiot—don’t—
AHHHHH!
[insert]: See? ♡ My lashes are perfect.

Three days later
[sfx]: Trembling
My skin came off with the false lashes… Oww…

…However.

I have an idea. ♡

[sfx]: Zah

Freshman Exhibition

p11: =================================
[sign]: Freshman Exhibition

Apparently, she made it out of glue. <small: She dripped it. >
[sfx] Murmur
That’s so expressive.
Natsuki-san’s work was both the first at that exhibition to sell…
[sfx]: Murmur
And the one that fetched the highest price.

She had her own, peculiar way
/ of looking at things,
of thinking,
of acting,
and then she’d find her own, unique route to her goal.

But damn is she cute.
/ If only she weren’t such a nutjob.

p12: =================================
That’s what makes her great.

I can’t let her die.
I will protect her.

…Now then.

p13: =================================
How do we naturally ask…
if she’s managed to make any enemies?

Ah!
[insert]: You idiot!
I said it out loud.

[insert]: Enemies?
Huh~? I live the peaceful life. <small: Heh heh heh. >
She answered the question like it was nothing.
[insert, on Makoto’s shirt]: Then I’ll ask again.
[insert, right of bubble]: In that case,
do you know anyone who has a grudge against me?

Why would you ask…
/ Ah.

…I can think of someone who’d hate not just me and you,
but everyone who was in our exhibition group.

You know, there was that fire that killed the professor, and…

p14: =================================
!
The group members.
The fire!

…You left school in the middle of all that fuss,
so maybe you never heard,

[insert]: But when the fire broke out,
one person was slow getting out of the building.
He’s still confined to a bed, even now.
When I went to visit the individual in the hospital…

p15: =================================
My body’s like this thanks to you and your group!

p16: =================================
...Is what he said.
/ Even though it’s all a misunderstanding. I’m not sure if you remember him,
but his name’s Saginuma-san.

That’s the man
who was always tailing the professor…

…But Saginuma is…

I have to get going to art school.
There’s so much work to do for the exhibition.
[sfx]: Slipping off

p17: =================================
[insert]: See you!
Isn’t there anything we can do for Natsuki-san?

[insert]: Something, something, something.
The culprit’s going to slip sleeping pills in her beer and kill her.
[insert]: That’s right!

Want to stop drinking?
We can both do it, starting today.

After the four of them are killed, I’ll be arrested on August 1st.
[flyer]: ki Hikari’s Exhibition / July 25th through August 2nd
[calendar]: I’m arrested
Her exhibition goes until August 2nd.
In other words, everything should be settled once her exhibition’s over.

<small: Then, > / we can go for drinks after the exhibition.
And invite all the people from our group.
If we refrain from alcohol for all that time, it’ll make the drinks taste even better.

p18: =================================
[insert]: I’d like to, but…
…But Makoto-kun, aren’t you still estranged from everyone?

…I want to change the future we all share.

Heh heh. Where’d that come from?
[insert]: Weirdo.
Okay. I’ll look forward to the drinks.
[insert]: It’s a promise.

[sfx]: Relieved
Okay. That should interfere with the culprit’s plan!

You should come too, Mr. Big Brother!
Yeah, just show on up.
[sfx]: Whisper
We can celebrate our success in stopping the incident.

I…
Huh?

…
It’s nothing.

p19: =================================
Sounds like fun.

After I’ve captured and killed the murderer,
I’m committing suicide.
No matter how much of a scumbag the killer is,
I don’t want to live on after taking a life.

And besides…