NOVEL NEXT Chapter 55: You still believe in happy endings?
Ryan observed Takano Miyo sprawled on the ground, her face contorted in a mixture of pain and hatred. She looked different from the last time he had seen her. Before, she had worn a simple nurse's uniform, but now she was clad in an elegant dark-gray outfit that fit her perfectly, accentuating her dignified posture.
The minimalist dress was complemented by striking details: a high collar and long sleeves lent it a formal, almost aristocratic air. Over it, a black cape draped her shoulders, giving her a dramatic, almost theatrical presence. Black stockings and boots reinforced the ensemble's somber tone, while a classic hat added a touch of timeless charm.
Ryan shifted his gaze to Irie, writhing on the ground as he tried to staunch the blood flowing from his wounded shoulder. In a casual, provocative tone, Ryan remarked:
"Better tighten that up, doc, and don't even think about pulling any more stunts."
Spinning the M1911 in his fingers like a gunslinger, Ryan strolled leisurely toward Takano. On the way, he pulled his phone from his pocket, unhurried, while Takano glared at him with fiery eyes.
"What are you going to do now? You've already ruined everything! What the hell do you want?" Her voice was hoarse and laced with irritation.
Ryan didn't bother to reply. The only sound she heard was the dry click of a photo being taken. His nonchalant attitude made her even angrier.
"Is that it?! You just want to humiliate me? Why?"
Takano's fury was evident, but Ryan noticed something more. Beneath the mask of hatred, there was a flicker of sadness. He wasn't sure if it was due to the failure of her plans... or something more personal.
Ryan sent the photo to Yuno, along with a few details about the scene. Minutes later, Yuno suddenly appeared behind Takano, bringing Rika with her.
"Hello... Nurse Takano," Rika said in a low but firm tone.
Takano turned abruptly, surprised to see them. They hadn't been there a second ago.
Meanwhile, Ryan pulled up a nearby chair, flopped into it, and casually pointed the gun at Irie. With a bored sigh, he murmured mockingly:
"Here you go, Mini Miku. Ask her whatever you want. Just don't take too long, okay? I still need to decide what to do with this little lady..." He shook his head slightly, as if thinking aloud. "Maybe I'll need a creative solution."
Takano frantically looked between Ryan, Rika, and Yuno. Frustration and helplessness filled her expression. But her thoughts were interrupted by Rika's voice, cutting through the air like a cold blade.
"Takano Miyo, answer me: why must I pay with my life for your research? The Hinamizawa Syndrome is complex, difficult to understand... but you promised to study it and help the villagers." Her voice trembled slightly but retained a firm tone. "And today, after my presentation... perhaps tonight, or sometime later... you planned to kill me. Why? Why must I suffer so much, Takano?"
Takano clutched a folder of documents tightly, closing her eyes as if summoning the strength not to break down. Her voice emerged laden with irritation and pain:
"How... How did you know all this? And how did you manage to hire a mercenary of this caliber?"
She cast a bitter look at Ryan, her eyes almost brimming with tears.
"I thought I could do it... I was going to prove to them that the syndrome is real. That Hinamizawa is everything my grandfather..." Her voice faltered. She took a deep breath, running her hand over the folder as if it were her last hope.
Leaning against a nearby shelf, Yuno rolled her eyes dramatically, interrupting the moment with a sarcastic tone:
"Oh, great. Now that she's cornered, she's playing the victim."
Takano shot an irritated glare at Yuno, her voice heavy with seriousness and tension:
"You have no idea... You don't know what's behind all this."
Yuno, leaning against the shelf, crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, responding coldly:
"And I couldn't care less."
The sharp reply added to the tension in the room, but Rika intervened, her voice a strange mix of curiosity and sadness:
"Yuno... Please. I want to hear what Takano has to say."
Slowly, Rika approached Takano until she was standing in front of her. Kneeling, she maintained a calm demeanor and gently pointed to the folder Takano clutched so desperately.
"This thing you're holding... It seems very important."
Takano instinctively placed her other hand over the folder, as if protecting a treasure. Her voice wavered, now more concerned and defensive:
"It's all I have... My life... and my grandfather's."
Ryan, watching the scene with a sarcastic smile, cut in with a sharp provocation, gesturing dramatically with his hands:
"Great, then I'll just set it on fire."
His words landed like a blade, cutting through Takano's defenses. She scrambled into a corner of the room, clutching the folder even tighter, and screamed desperately:
"NO! DON'T TOUCH IT! I BEG YOU!"
Tears streamed down her face, completely dismantling her previously lofty demeanor. Now, she looked like a lost child, dressed as a lady.
Ryan rose slowly, his gaze icy. His voice, though low, carried the weight of judgment:
"Then start talking, Takano. Convince me. Make me believe you have a good reason for putting an innocent child in the crosshairs of an entire organization... Or better yet, for placing so many lives in the hands of unscrupulous politicians."
Before Takano could respond, Rika tugged lightly on Ryan's shirt. Her voice, soft and angelic, broke the silence:
"Ryan..."
He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, unmoving, and Rika continued with a melancholy expression:
"In this moment... I want you to act like... Masachika."
Her words struck Ryan unexpectedly. He stood frozen for a moment, his eyes lost in thought. He cast a quick glance at Yuno, who remained apathetic, her expression as closed off as the mystery she represented.
With a deep sigh, Ryan turned his attention back to Takano. There, in the corner of the room, was a broken woman clutching a folder that seemed to hold all her hopes and pains.
When he spoke, his voice retained its hardness but carried a hint of something more... perhaps compassion, or just exhaustion:
"It's all up to you, Takano. Speak. Convince us that there's still something here worth saving."
Takano took a deep breath, wiping her tear-streaked face. Her voice emerged trembling and hoarse but carried the weight of an inevitable confession:
"Ah, Rika... You know, fate is cruel, isn't it? But also... ironic. To understand why I did what I did, you need to hear my story. After all, no one wakes up one day and decides to be a monster."
She slowly lifted her head, her serious eyes locking onto Rika's.
"Well... maybe I'm the exception."
Takano straightened her posture, as if trying to organize her thoughts before diving into her confession:
"It all began with my grandfather, Takano Hifumi. He wasn't an ordinary man. He dreamed big, bigger than any other scientist of his time. He wanted to understand the mysteries of the human soul and believed that science could unravel the secrets of the spiritual world."
She let out a brief, bitter laugh before continuing:
"Ridiculous, isn't it? That's what everyone said. They mocked him, called him crazy, ridiculed his theories about the 'Hinamizawa Syndrome'..."
Her fingers ran over the folder she still hugged, her gestures almost reverent as she pressed on:
"A disease he believed was the key to understanding faith, human behavior... and even death."
Takano paused for a moment, swallowing hard. Her breathing was heavy, laden with old emotions that now spilled over.
"But his fall was inevitable. My grandfather died alone, discredited, and I... I was just a little girl who idolized him. He used to tell me that science was the only thing capable of transcending the gods."
She lowered her gaze, her voice faltering briefly.
"On the day of his funeral, I made a promise. I swore I would restore his honor. That I would prove he was right. That the whole world would see the glory of his work..."
Takano's fists clenched tightly, as if trying to suppress an unbearable pain that could no longer be contained.
"But before that... there was hell."
Ryan remained silent, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on her like a judge awaiting the final defense.
Takano took a deep breath, as if summoning the courage to continue.
"I grew up. Hardened. I studied medicine, psychiatry... anything that could bring me closer to his work. Then, I was recruited by the Defense Force. There, I finally saw a chance to realize my dream: to revive my grandfather's work. The Hinamizawa Syndrome was real, and I was determined to prove it to the world. But proving it... wasn't enough."
She raised her eyes to Rika, her tone darkening, almost cruel:
"I needed something grand. Something undeniable. I needed a spectacle. And you, Rika... you were the centerpiece."
Rika averted her gaze, her shoulders tense, but Ryan placed a hand on her shoulder—a silent gesture of support.
Takano continued, her voice colder now, as if reciting a script she had memorized by heart.
"You are the 'oracle' of Hinamizawa Village. The reincarnation of the goddess Oyashiro-sama. The queen."
Rika clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she glared at Takano.
"It was perfect, almost poetic. I manipulated everything from the shadows, working with the Irie Clinic and the Defense Force to turn this village into the stage for a tragedy. A massive outbreak of the syndrome, a massacre, would force the government to recognize the disease. They would have no choice. The world would see that my grandfather was right."
Rika's breathing quickened, her eyes wide, but Takano seemed oblivious to the impact of her words.
"But that... that was only the beginning. I needed data. From you, Rika. You were the perfect 'control.' The epicenter of it all."
Takano paused, her eyes distant now, as if staring at the ghosts of her own choices.
"And frankly? I felt nothing. Everything I did was for a greater purpose. For my grandfather. For my dream. For the legacy the world dared to trample on."
She stood, straightening her posture as if trying to reclaim lost dignity.
"Oh, but don't think it was easy. I'm human, after all. There were moments I hesitated... moments I questioned if I was wrong. But you know what I realized? History doesn't remember the weak, Rika. It only remembers the victors."
Now standing, Takano held the folder tightly against her chest as if it were her very heart. Her voice was steady but marked by evident exhaustion.
"So, here we are. You, fighting to escape the destiny I created for you. I admit, you're stubborn. But that only makes it more interesting. Because, deep down, we're alike, aren't we? Both of us bear burdens far too heavy for our shoulders. The difference is, I chose to carry mine."
She looked at Rika intently, as if daring her to argue.
"So, Rika, be honest. Don't you think my dream was worth the sacrifice? Don't you think that, deep down, there's justice in what I did? Or do you still believe in happy endings?"
Takano pressed the folder against her chest as if it could shield her from the answers she feared to hear.
"Oh, Rika... science has no room for fairy tales."
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