Warau Ishi 5

P357


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

vertical text: Ataru’s right hand turned to stone! To get Yachie’s help, he has to “let Azuki go to heaven”!!

Characters:

Ataru Natsumeda (16)
Our main character. His right hand has turned to stone due to the effect of the wishing stone.

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

Yachie Kaburagi.
As an 808-year-old incarnation of Yao Bikuni. Used to be human. Loves alcohol.

Azuki Yuzuriha.
A dead girl’s ghost with psychometric abilities. Doesn’t have any memories of her life.



Ataru Natsumeda, who received a whishing stone from Nirasaki via a kiss, has used it to cause a massacre twice, and to reveal his sister Tsukimi’s monstrous true form! But thanks to Nirasaki’s assistance, the world returned to peace, as if nothing had happened... But the next day, a mysterious phenomenon occurred: Ataru’s right hand suddenly petrified and turned to stone. Nirasaki reveals that it is the price he has to pay for using the wishing stone, and that he will die if he doesn’t do anything. So Ataru and Nirasaki visit Yachie Kaburagi, a person who might be able to stop the petrifaction. Yachie is an 808-year old former human, who promises to help Ataru under one condition: He’ll have to make the ghost girl Azuki move on to heaven...!!


sign: Horigome store
A candy store...?
Ataru and Nirasaki visit Yachie.

Yachie kills a monster in an instant!!
!!

The request Yachie makes, is to let Azuki go to heaven!!
You must find out the reason why Azuki died...
And allow her to move on to heaven...


How did Azuki die?! The shocking fifth chapter starts on the next page!!


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

I have to make...
Azuki Yuzuriha go to heaven?

How am I...
supposed to do that?

Didn’t I just tell you not to act like a spoiled brat? Think about it yourself!
I have to talk to Nirasaki right now, so you’re on your own in this.
On my own?!
Of course.



P359

Don’t worry. If you can save her...
I’ll help you with that stone hand for sure.

...No...

That’s not what I meant...
sign: Horigome store

The Laughing Stone
Keiichirou Arita


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sfx: pout

Welcome.........

sfx: ring ring
.........Thanks for your purchase.

sfx: rattle rattle
......Welcome......

Ah.
You... stole something.
sfx: gasp

Oh well... It’s fine...
sfx: shake shake shake
...Thanks for coming, anyways.
......


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Hey, you...... What are you doing?
...I’m a store clerk.
......Are you really?
...Yeah.

Yachie taught me.

So now I work here.
sign:
Please leave your money here.
‒store manager
......

...Can I ask you something?
......What?

Is it true that you don’t have any memories of your life?
......
I don’t know.

Why are you living with Yachie?
...I don’t know.
...And I won’t tell you.
sfx: sulk


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You damned brat...
sfx: click click click
I’m trying to be gentle, but she’s totally taking advantage of it...

Aah, dammit.
It pisses me off, but...
sfx: rip
This is gonna be hard, isn’t it...?
Hm?
sfx: trot trot

sfx: gasp

sfx: trot trot trot trot
sfx bubble: sit
sfx: turn

sfx: glance

Hmmmm....
sfx: glint


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Azuki-chan...
I’d like to ask you something......
......
sfx: sulk

Oh...
Before that...

Shall I buy you some candy?
sfx: sparkle
Really?

Yeah...
But in return...
You have to tell me about yourself.

......
......Okay.

sfx: slip......

But in return for THAT...


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sfx: slice
sfx: whoosh whoosh...

I wanna eat...
part of your body, okay?


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......Well...

Of course I know...
how to make Azuki go to heaven.
Yeah, I already thought so.

Then you could just tell Ataru-kun...?
I won’t.
I’m not supposed to interfere with cases like hers.
sfx: stern...

You know that, don’t you?

Ghosts like the one that was on the veranda at my house just now, cause harm to people. But Azuki isn’t really good or evil.
She’s just still a child......

......
Will Ataru-kun be okay...?

sfx: pat
Don’t worry. It may be rough on him...
but I’ll make sure he can do it.


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That’s why we came here.

He’ll eventually...
sfx: creak
realize what you are, too...

sign: Horigome store

sfx: huff huff huff
Ah... Aahh... That scared me......


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Does she even eat hair?!
sfx: munch munch

I thought you were gonna gobble up my head...
......
......You’re not very tasty.

But thanks...
sfx: burp
anyways......

You were cursed by the wishing stone.
!!

......I hadn’t told her about that......
How...
How do you know?

If I eat a body part, even if it’s just one hair......
I’ll know everything about that person.

Then...
Why don’t you...

just eat a part of yourself...? Then you could get your memories back.......


P168

I...... tried that......
It didn’t work.

In the past... I cut off some of my own hair and ate it... But I didn’t learn anything about myself......
Yachie told me that my name is Azuki Yuzuriha.
And that I can work at this store for as long as I’d like.
She’s so nice...

I owe her a lot...
She’s the only person who accepts me for who I am, while I don’t even know myself........

You want to make me go to heaven, right?
!!
I could tell from your memories I saw just now.
If that’s what Yachie wants for me.........


P169

sfx: snip
?!!

Wh-... What are you......?!
Hold my hand.

My psychometry gives me another ability...
I can transmit information to others.

If my mind is blocking my own memories, I’ll just have to transfer them to someone else...


P370

...Listen, Ataru...
Can you... promise me?
......

Promise that you’ll let me go to heaven, okay?

No matter what kind of past I have, please tell me about it.
And then tell me how I can get to heaven.

I know that you’ve had a difficult past too.
I know that you’ve been thinking and worrying about a lot.
sfx: hug
So......


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It’s okay.
I promise. I’ll help you for sure.

Okay...
Thanks.

Ataru...


P372

!!

......What’s this?

Something’s flowing into my mind...

I can see something...... ......Ahh...

These are Azuki Yuzuriha’s.......


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Hey! Hey!!
Mommy!
Mommy!!

Which one of us do you love more? Yuzuki or Azuki?
Oh my...
What’s gotten into you two?

That’s a stupid question...
sfx: giggle
I love you both so much, I could never choose one.


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I love you both.
Wah!
Dinner is almost ready. Let’s eat together, okay?

Azuki.

Yuzuki.

In the end she never said who she loved more.
Oh, you’re right.
Huh... Did she trick us?

Mommy! I got 100 points on my test.
I was the fastest in a running race!
My!

You’re both such good girls.
Tee-hee-hee.


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Hahaha.
Mommy will have to work hard to keep up with you girls!
I’m going to work now.

Look after the house while I’m gone, okay?
Okay!

Hey, miss.

You’re always working so hard. Isn’t it hard on your health?
Wow, she’s beautiful......
Thanks for worrying about me. But I’m fine.

Thanks to this job, I can make a living.
You’re pretty deep in debt due to the rent of your home, right?
If you’d just marry me, I’ll pay off as much as I can


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A wealthy tobacco store owner can say stuff like that, huh.
Nah, aren’t YOU a doctor?
Ahaha.

But you know...
I have a family.

Oh, senpai. You just got dumped.
Shut up! Gimme one more drink!
Yes, coming up right... away...

Huh...?
sfx: wobble

sfx: thud



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!!

......
...Huh...? Where am I...?

...Ugh!!!
sfx: throb

I’m glad you’re awake. But you shouldn’t try to get up yet.

Y-... You’re...

This is my clinic.
You suddenly collapsed at the bar, so I brought you here.
Oh... I see...

I-... I’m fine now! I’m going home!
sfx: panic panic
I’m worried about my children......
You should rest a little longer.
I’ll call to your house to tell them.


P378

You need to take better care of yourself.
Working women are beautiful, but there’s no point in working if you destroy your own body, right?

Well... If you insist... I’ll go back to sleep!
Th-... Thanks for your kindness!
sfx: fwump
Haha... Get well soon.
I’ll give you an IV and injection later.

sfx: rattle

sfx: shut


P379

sfx: grin...

I’m home.

Mommy!
Mommy!
Are you alright now?

Yeah. Sorry for making you worry.
I’m totally fine now.

I’ll cook up a feast today.
So let’s eat together, okay?
Yay!!


P380

sign: Koyuzu

sfx: tremble tremble

sign: clinic
So you’re experiencing a numb feeling in your arms and legs?
......Yes...

I’m sorry for bothering you with something like this......
But it’s been getting worse since that day I collapsed.
There’s no need to be so formal with me.
Let’s try giving you that same injection as last time.


P381

sfx: poke...

sfx: sigh...

I think it’s working.
My body feels a lot less heavy.......

That’s great.
But it doesn’t work that fast. You should stay and rest a bit longer.

And you’re so beautiful...
I’d like to look at you a bit longer, too.

Huh...? Ah... U-um...?
sfx: poof
sfx: shake shake shake shake

I think it’s a very bad habit of Japanese people to not say it directly...
...when they think something’s beautiful. We should try harder...


P382

...to preserve the beauty of all beautiful things.......

All living beings get older and decay.

Including you and me.

All humans end up being wrinkly and ugly.
sfx: ka-ching...
I find that very difficult to bear with.

...huh?

So I thought of a way...
to keep one’s beauty.


P383

We just have to...
preserve it the way it is.

Aha... Ahaha.
N-... No...

Ahahahahaha.

Don’t worry.
You’ll be the last I’ll preserve.
Just relax and wait here.

Wait...?


P384

You have two adorable daughters...
Don’t you?

...-op
...Stop...!!!


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Stop... Please...!!

What are you going to do to them?! They’ve got nothing to do with this!!

Well... I can’t really agree with that...

Your daughters are the last “tools”...
which are supporting you, right?

So just wait, okay?
I’ll go and get them right now......
sfx: rattle rattle rattle
No...... Don’t...! Stop!!

sfx: step... step...

sfx: slam...


P386

Come on, Yuzuki!!
Yeah, let’s hurry!!

Mommy will be home soon.

We have to throw a party for her!

Hey, Azuki.
Do you think... Mommy will be happy...?
sign: Happy birthday Mommy
Of course!
We worked so hard to make it!!


P387

sfx: click
Oh! She’s here!
Mommy!

I’m gonna say it first!
sfx: patter patter
No, you’re not! I’M gonna say it!!

Mommy! Happy birthday!!


P388

The mister from the clinic!
Hello!
Yeah. Hi there, you two.

Did you come for Mommy’s birthday, mister?
Yeah, that’s right...

I came to celebrate......

Yay!! Help us with the candles then.
We have cake and a present too.
We made it together.

You girls really love your mommy, don’t you?
Yeah!!

But you know...
There’s a way to make her even more happy......


P389

What is it?
Tell us, please!!

Tell us! Tell us! Tell us!
Ahaha. You wanna know so badly?
Well, then I’ll make a special exception and tell you.

Listen......

Ahh......
I see you came......

I made the right decision leaving the keys with you.
Anyways...... Look at this...


P390

I made it with your children, to make you happy.
sfx: ba-dump..

sfx: ba-dump... ba-dump...

sfx: ba-dump... ba-dump...
It’s our masterpiece.

Hahaha.
Isn’t it the best present ever?
Just look at those faces......
Haha... Ahahaha...


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sfx: Ahahahaha

sfx: ba-dump

.......
Hey, you...
Why do you look so sad?

Even though we did all of this for your sake......
But...
You look very charming...
like that, too.

Hurry up and show me yours, too......
I can’t wait anymore......

sfx: reach...
...Alright.

This world has no value to me anymore without my daughters...
Do with me whatever you want......


P392

sfx: stab

But...

You’re coming... with me...


P393

Wow!

Did you two... make that for me?

That cake looks amazing!
Azuki, Yuzuki. Do you want to have some too?

Come on.
I’ve made dinner, too.
Let’s eat before it gets cold.

That’s right! Mommy actually got presents for you two as well!!
I thought these would look nice on your pretty hair!!
Aren’t these hair clips adorable?
Let me put them in your hair!!


P394

See? I knew it.
......Hey, Mommy. Don’t cry.

They look wonderful on you!

You both did your best to make Mommy happy, didn’t you?
I’m so proud of you two!

...Hey, Yuzuki, Azuki.
So please...
...Say... Something..........

...Pat us on the head, like you always do.


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Please say that you love us.


P396

Ahh...
Mommy is crying again.
Please smile... Mommy.......

I love you...
when you smile, Mommy...

......Mommy...


P397

I love you......


P398

This was the first time...
I saw someone else’s memories.

How was it?

sfx: hug
I...
Wah!


P399

What?
What’s wrong?

......Hey.........

Why are you crying?


P400

I couldn’t stop my tears from flowing out.

Chapter 5
Psychic Elegy

To be continued in the May issue!!