Warau Ishi 3

P63
(note: I’ll number the pages according to the file titles of the raws, that’s why it starts with page 63)

The Laughing Stone
Winner in the Betsumaga “Worst Day of My Life” competition!
The story so far.

vertical text: The “wishing stone” caused its second tragedy!! The worst has happened!!

Characters:

Ataru Natsumeda (16)
Our main character. A first-year in high school, leading a lackluster life. Feels inferior to his older sister, who has great academic records. Received a wishing stone from Nirasaki.

Tsukimi Natsumeda (18)
Ataru’s older sister. A third-year in the same high school Ataru goes to. Top grades, good at all sports, and a beauty. It was revealed that she holds a wishing stone.

Nirasaki
Ataru’s classmate. She gave a mysterious “wishing stone” to Ataru.


Ataru Natsumeda is a withdrawn first year in high school, unable to rise above mediocrity. He gets bullied by delinquents every day, until one day, Nirasaki passes the mysterious “wishing stone” to him with a kiss. . Rumors say that this “wishing stone” can make any wish come true! Having obtained this stone, Ataru wished for the delinquents to die when they bully him again, and within a moment, the three delinquents die bizarre deaths!! …But when Ataru comes to school the next morning, he sees that the three who were supposed to be dead, are actually still alive. Confused, Ataru goes to Nirasaki to ask her about it, but she provokes him by threatening his sister, and then he accidentally wishes to “kill not just Nirasaki, but everyone else too”. The wishing stone causes another massacre, and Ataru agonizes in despair!! And then his sister Tsukimi appeared… That moment, Ataru witnesses a wishing stone glistening near Tsukimi’s ear…!!

The second massacre!!

Left panel:
I won’t just kill you…
I’ll kill everyone.

Ataru makes his second wish…!!


Right panel:

Tsukimi is wearing a wishing stone earring…! Why?!

Find out the next shocking turn of events in chapter 3!!


P64

The Laughing Stone
Keiichiro Arita

★ This story is a work of fiction. It has no relation to existing people, groups or events.

......
sfx: shock...
Is that...?

vertical text:
The third chapter in this new series!!

Yes.
How nice of you to realize.
Good boy, good boy.

Your sister is wearing a wishing stone.

Chapter 3
The worst situation resulted.

Are you surprised?

No… way…
Why…?

Heh heh… Such a funny reaction.
Let me tell you a bit more then.


P65

That stone is…
Hey!

Enough……
This is enough…
There’s no reason to tell Ataru any more, is there?

It’s been enough……
So leave Ataru alone now……

Heh heh… You’re so nice, defending your brother even though he did all this……
You’re such a good big sister……
But…

It’s not out of love.
It’s just your self-protection.

You just don’t want Ataru to see the things…
that you don’t want him to know about, correct?

What you wished for…
And what you’ve turned into…


P66

Stop……
Don’t say any more……

Tsukimi made a wish using the stone?
sfx: ba-dump
You want to know, don’t you? Natsumeda-kun.

……Stop…
sfx: ba-dump… ba-dump…

You can tell me to “stop”…… But you see…
Natsumeda-kun could just wish… that he wants to know…
With that stone.
sfx: ba-dump

Stop!!
sfx: ba-dump…
Tsukimi…

STOP!!
sfx: rage

I want to know…
about Tsukimi.
sfx: crack…


P67

sfx: crack…

sfx: crack crack

sfx: crack crack crack

sfx: hisss…
sfx: crack…


P68

Hey…

Am I really enough by myself?
You’re still their father, even if you don’t act like it…

Don’t bother.

I don’t…
need THAT.

What…?

Mommy……


P69

I’m…… hungry……
Hey…… Mommy……

……I’m…
really hungry……

You can eat anything that’s in the fridge.

sfx: shut……

Are these… Tsukimi’s memories?


P70

paper:
Year 3, class 1. Natsumeda
score: 28

What is this……?

P71

……
……. *sniff*

…… *sniff*

……
*sob*...

*sob*…
*sob*…….

This almost… makes Tsukimi look…

similar to myself………


P72

Lies!!

That was… Tsukimi?
But……

But she’s…
She’s…

It’s real.

You know…
Your memories. The environment you grew up in. Your parents. Friends.

To be good at studying and sports…… To change everything….
Tsukimi wished for all of that.
sfx: rooooar

She used…
……
a wishing stone I gave her back then.

And the price she had to pay, is…

P73

That.
sfx: roooar


P74

sfx: roooar

He saw me. He knows.
I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.
sfx: whooosh
Ah…!
Ah…!
Sorry... Ataru……

Ataru… So… S… K… Ki… Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill.
Kill me, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, KILL, KILL.
Ataru…
…Please…


P75

sfx: slash

Don’t look…
Kill…
…Aah……


P76

Aaaaaaaah!

Tsukimi… That’s… Tsukimi…? My sister turned into a monster………

It hurts……
It’s hot……

It hurts…… It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!!

Ugh…
Argh…
sfx: drip… drip…

Ahh… Why…? How did this……?
sfx: drip… drip…



P77

That’s right……
sfx: grab…
I could just make a wish…

to return Tsukimi back to normal……

……
?!

The stone……
It’s black……

It’s cracked, too…
It won’t respond……
Oh? I thought you knew……

It can only grant three wishes, you see?

……What…… are you saying………?
That means I can’t…

P78

turn her back to normal……?
sfx: slash slash slash slash

You saw Tsukimi’s real self......
So the balance has been broken……

Will she…… be like this forever?

Maybe she wanted…
to hide it from you, no matter what…

Tsukimi…?!

Forever…
Will she, and everything else…


P79

stay like this?
sfx: lift…

Am I… going to be…
killed by… Tsukimi… like this?

sfx: whoosh
No.
No.
No.
No.

sfx: grab…

No… This can’t…
sfx: creep…

Ow! Aaaaah!
sfx: snap

This can’t be……

This isn’t……
Gah!
Ah…
my sister……


P80

sfx: slash

You can’t kill him.
Tsukimi.

……


P81

Natsumeda-kun is your dear little brother, right?

Have you even forgotten about that?

Tsukimi…
Are you really killing him?
A… taru…
Bro… ther…?

……
Tsukimi…?

Ha… haha…
Is that…?

Nirasaki… Are you…
telling me that thing is really Tsukimi…….?

That monster…

She looks totally different, and she can’t even talk……
And she’s going mad, destroying everything… Is that Tsukimi?

Hahaha… My sister is nothing like that thing…
I don’t know anyone like that!
That monster is not Tsukimi!!


P82

sfx: slap

That girl is…
Tsukimi. Your sister, Tsukimi!!

Okay?!
sfx: whack
!!

Listen closely!

Your wishing stone broke after you used it three times, right?
Look closer at Tsukimi’s ear.

Her stone is black too, isn’t it?


P83

You made a wish, right? When you first got bullied by those three guys from your class, you wished for them to die, right? And they did. Scary, wasn’t it?

But… The next day they were alive, right? Weren’t you relieved?

……
……

That was…

because Tsukimi made a wish for you.


P84

…?!
No way…

When Oota talked to you, it was because she wished you’d get along with him……
She wished for you to have friends……

She wished for you to have fun at school, if only a little bit………!!


P85

……

She… did that…
with the stone…?

That’s not all……
sfx: sniff

When I gave you a wishing stone… That was also because Tsukimi wanted me to, you know…?

She wanted to help you with it in case you ever got in trouble…… She wanted your wishes to come true……!

She wanted to get along with you… To help you… She wanted you to enjoy life a little more……!


P86

Tsukimi…!!

Why can’t you get along with her? You’re her brother, right?!
Tsukimi was watching you the whole time! She worried about you!! She made wishes for you!!
sfx: burst

It was all to make you happy, Natsumeda-kun!!




P86

Tsukimi……
Aah!

U-
WA
A

A
A
A
A
Ah
sfx: dash

sfx: cling

*sob*… *sob*
Ah… Aah… Tsukimi……

Sorry.
Tsukimi…
…I’m so…… sorry……


P88

I was… hiding… the whole time.
sfx: swirl swirl swirl
…I hated everything.

sfx: swirl swirl swirl

Ack!
sfx: stab

Wh…
Why was nothing going right for me…? I kept wondering…
sfx: drip… drip…
I wanted this world to disappear, for everyone to die and piss off… But… But…

I was wrong!!
sfx: splash… splash… splash… splash…
sfx: hug
I was all wrong!! The truth is… I really…

A.. taru…?
I… wanted to…
A…
…ta…ru…?

That’s right!
I just wanted to get along with Tsukimi! That’s all!!

But I couldn’t, so I ran away from everything… Cursed everything! But I love you, Tsukimi!!


P89

I want to be with you forever!
Tsukimi, my sister!!

sfx: crack…

A… ta…
…ru……


P90

A… taru…?

*sob*…
Boo… hoo…

What is it, Ataru?
sfx: hic hic
Did someone bully you again? Boys aren’t supposed to cry.

Uh… B-but…

They were… making fun of the teddy…
you gave to me…

That’s right……
You’re so silly. I could just fix this.

Really?

Have I ever lied to you?
No.
Right? Wanna play games together when we get home?
Yeah!
I’m Ataru’s big sister…


P91

I’m his big sister, so I gotta keep my act together…
Are you having fun, Ataru?
Yeah!

Because you’re here, Tsukimi!
That’s what I thought.

Ataru always idolized me unconditionally, even though I couldn’t really do anything…
He was the tiny light shining upon me, looking up to me, while I had nothing else…

Ahh… How could I have forgotten……?

I did it!
…but it’s not very good. …I’m sorry…
No, it’s good!
You’re so cool!


P92

Thank you, Tsukimi.

It was always Ataru…
who made me feel better…
I’ll take good care of it!

sfx: swirl swirl swirl
A…
taru……


P93

sfx: drip… drip…
Ataru……

Tsukimi…?

……
Is she back……?
Ah… Tsukimi…

sfx: slip…
……

sfx: thud…

……
Well, isn’t that nice. Natsumeda-kun… Tsukimi……


P94

Your wishes…
came true…

Oh.
sfx: whoosh…

Oh.
Ohh…

I see…
That’s right…

I guess that’s what happens…….


P95

Mornin’
‘Sup. Man, I feel lazy…

Hey, look at this! I bought it.
Wow, you’re STILL into those stones and stuff……?

A week has passed since then…

This school… This town……
Nothing has changed.

Except…

for the fact that…
Nirasaki is gone.


…Yeah.
I think she did.

Or rather, I can’t think of any other possibilities.

Nirasaki?
Yeah.
Nobody but us seems to remember her, right?

…Even though…
we did all of that……


P97

Everybody is still alive, as if nothing happened.
And nobody seems to remember anything……

All the injuries you gave me suddenly healed, too…
See?
Urk…

……Well,
anyways.

She must’ve cleaned up all the mess for us, because we both used up our wishing stones.
She brought back “the world before everything happened”…
leaving only us with the memories of those events…

So let’s remember what she wished for us……
And everything we did…
And the reason why we’re still alive right now… Okay…?

Yeah….


P98

…When did it all start?
When did I start hating...
superficial connections with people...?

I still don’t know.

Oh, Natsumeda-kun.
Great to see ya!!

By the way...
Could ya lend us some cash?
But right now, I’ve learned to be okay with that.

Oota’s about to die ‘cause he’s got no cash, y’see?

Don’t ya feel sorry for him? Right? Natsumeda!
sfx: grab


P99

sfx: pull
Die.

...How stupid.......

......
Huh?!

I’m being buried by this pure and righteous filth...
In such a stupid boring place...


P100

I’ll...!!


P101


......
Heh...
Heh heh...

....Ow. Natsumeda’s...
got more guts than I thought......
.......

......
....Hey, Oota?

......
Hmm?

Why didn’t YOU hit Natsumeda?

You even stopped me in the end, and we’re not taking anythin’...
Now we got punched for nuthin’.

sfx: click


P102

I’ll...
Hahaha...

find my little bit of happiness in this stupid world...
Haha...
and cherish it while I keep on living.

Who cares?

I will never again wish upon....
the dark world that lies beyond this stone.


P103

That’s what I swore to myself.

I’m home.
Welcome back... Wait.
What’s with the face?!

Haha... Nothing really... It’ll get better if you leave it alone.
Of course not! Come here! I’ll clean your bruises!!
I’m fine, really.

I decided that I won’t...
make you worry about me anymore.


P104

I just want you to watch me as I grow up bit by bit...
so we can stay together.

sfx: poof
sfx: bluuush

A-...
Anyways, I’m treating your injuries!!
sfx: turn

Huh?
I said I’m fine...
You’re not!!
You’re all dirty, so we have to disinfect those cuts!!

Go change clothes and wait in the living room!
Right now! Okay?!

...Wait...
Huh?

Ataru... That...
what?

sfx: crack

Your hand......

Your hand......
has turned to stone...?
sfx: whoooosh…



P106

It would seem like that, yes.

?!

When we looked behind us…

Sorry for intruding.
She was right there…
with her all too familiar voice.

Ataru’s left hand turned into stone…?!
To be continued in the March issue!!