Kasane [Chapter 97 - Remains on One’s Palm]

It is raining. Iku is walking out the train station when she notices a familiar figure heading towards the station. She thinks that just now... She runs after the long haired woman and shouts, “Wait! Kasane-chan...” She lost sight of Kasane in the station filled with people.

Iku thinks that Kasane’s gone when she turned but then, is that really Kasane-chan? “I didn’t clearly see her face... But I...” Iku looks flustered.  

While leaning on the wall, she thinks that even if she wants to know how Kasane is doing right now but not only how to contact Kasane, she doesn’t even know where Kasane will re-appear...

Iku recalls Kasane bidding her farewell. She thinks that said some arrogant things but in fact, she doesn’t know a bit about Kasane. “I don’t know what I should do right now...

...But, I cannot just let things be and not do anything. Even a little bit is good...as long as I’ll know something about her...” Iku looks at her cellphone.

At Yuuto’s place, Iku apologizes to Yuuto for suddenly telling him that she wants to come over... Yuuto says that it is okay but actually, he doesn’t want Nogiku to see other people...

Yuuto opens the door to a storage room. Iku looks surprised to see Nogiku. Iku thinks that in that locked dusky and messy room, it is only a clean FAMILIAR face that stands out—

Looking sad, Nogiku glances at her. With Saki’s face juxtaposed on Nogiku, Iku thinks that she’s an exact copy of Saki and it turns out that ‘snatching away one’s face’ is real...

Nogiku glares at Iku and asks if this face so inconceivable? Snapping out of it, Iku apologizes for she had carelessly become astonished... Yuuto calls out to Nogiku who looks away.

Yuuto and Iku look tense. Sitting by the table, Yuuto apologizes over the place being messy and narrow. Iku says that it is alright. She apologizes again to Nogiku regarding what happened a while ago. “I’m Igarashi Iku.”

Nogiku says that she knows her. “Basically, you and Saki are alternating for the same role... After that woman had disappeared, you, as the female lead actress, had once again become the audience’s sole center of attention for which you are praised for...

...*Iku looks surprised* You probably already anticipated this kind of outcome so you helped Amagasaki-san, right? Apart from that, I cannot think of any other reason for collaborating with him.”

Iku exclaims that it isn’t so! Yuuto tells Nogiku that Iku simply wanted to help her. Nogiku retorts back that she also didn’t ask them to rescue her!! There is an awkward pause.

When Iku tries to explain something, Nogiku asks if Iku came so that they’ll thank her. “In order to persuade yourself that ‘what you did is right’.” This surprised Iku. Iku tensely thinks that she doesn’t know why...but she couldn’t deny it when obviously that wasn’t her intention.

Yuuto calls out Nogiku again. Nogiku says that she doesn’t wish to be rescued so don’t think that what Iku did as a good thing. Holding Iku’s face, Nogiku shouts that she is obviously an outsider who doesn’t know anything...!!

Iku recalls crying Saki telling her that Iku basically doesn’t understand so don’t assume that she really understands her [/Iku’s reaction is so slow-witted so she couldn’t understand!!]. Grabbing Nogiku’s arm, Iku tensely says that she did it for Kasane-chan...!!

Nogiku angrily asks, for Kasane...? Iku says, “Yes...there must be someone who’ll stop her.. (These words just blurted out [/superficial] and I don’t know whether I’m right or wrong but...) That child...

...since young, she’s always denying herself...I cannot just ignore her and let her be! *scene of young Kasane looking at the river* She is my...very important friend...” Nogiku looks surprised and says, ‘Friend’? Yuuto and Iku are surprised when Nogiku starts laughing out loud.

Nogiku exclaims, “That woman can really make a ‘good friend’! Thanks to you, a friend’s help, the actress ‘Saki’ is forced onto a dead end!! *calms down a bit*...

...If you are serious about it as a friend, you’ll want Kasane to turn towards the right path. That is because you don’t know that woman’s ‘sin’.” Iku asks ‘sin’...is she talking about taking Nogiku and Nina’s face by force?

Yuuto looks quite and tense. Nogiku says that it isn’t just that. “You shouldn’t have heard about Tanzawa Nina’s deadend, right?” Iku asks, DEADEND? Looking out the window, Nogiku tells her that as an actress, Nina lived yet at the same time, lost all methods of contact with this world.

“While she is always like that, Nina was taken advantage of until the end. Longing for a kind of release through death...That kind of drama [illusion] cannot even be compared with a tragedy play— ...finger...slightly trembling...gradually, stopped moving. After that...”

Iku tensely wonders if that is true and how can Kasane do that kind of thing...and even if she wants to believe. She is surprised to see crying Nogiku looking at her hand.

Clenching her first, Nogiku says that everything is Kasane’s fault...!!! “Whether it is Nina who is forced to choose death or me who has to help Nina attain her release, that is your ‘friend’s real face that you didn’t know. If you want to stop her...you must let me kill her!!”

Iku and Yuuto look tense and flustered. Yuuto calls out that she is still thinking of that kind of thing. Nogiku tearfully says that her hands are already stained with blood!!!

Nogiku grips the curtain tightly and says that she also caused him to be injured... While Iku still looks tense, Yuuto looks at his bandaged hand.

Nogiku says that she already not allowed to, go on living in any other way [/has no other path to go]...!! Iku thinks that Nogiku’s fate is kind of intense [/brave] and kind of sorrowful—

As crying Nogiku bites her lips, Yuuto tells Iku that is it for today, please go home and he’s really sorry... While walking in the rain, Iku thinks that she didn’t know or understand anything whether it is Kasane-san or Nogiku...

She stops walking and recalls the time when she walks home together with young Kasane by the river. “But--” Iku seems to be thinking of something.

Comment: I guess, in a way, Iku did want some verification that what she did is right. While Iku doesn’t know the sisters well enough, Nogiku didn’t know her either since she would accuse Iku of doing it for her own selfish reasons as an actress.

From the looks of it, Nogiku seems to be venting her frustration of being rescued at Iku since she couldn’t do it towards Yuuto. Both Iku and Nogiku are right about Kasane since they did see those good and bad sides. They all constitute Kasane since she isn’t pure evil or pure good.

For Nogiku to laugh and emphasize on ‘friend’, I wonder if deep down, she was actually jealous of Kasane for Iku to declare that they’re friends. Nogiku still believes that killing Kasane is her life’s mission and all of Nina/their’s misfortune is because of Kasane.

Based on this chapter, Yuuto has become quite important to Nogiku that she becomes timid whenever he is calls out to her. Anyway, it does seem that Iku is the typical naïve type of shoujo heroine who intrudes into things with good intention but not knowing what’s really going on. Scans by RAD汉化组

Quote of the day:

Ignorance is never better than knowledge. ~ Enrico Fermi