★ memory 010.

[penalizing]

Memory regained: Neutral Negative - How to save the Hojous (pre-game, Matsuribayashi-hen, Piece 38)
Date: Day 394
Game won: Unspecified Persona's game
Form: spun sugar sweets (0/1 use left)

Memory:

???: “Mion-san! Your friend is here!!”

I hear the housekeeper’s voice.

Our house and the front yard are huge, so unlike normal houses, ringing a doorbell or yelling my name repeatedly asking to play won't work.

Mion: "Okay, thank you. Who is it?"
???: "Furude Rika-chama."
Mion: "Oh, finally. Can you tell grandma that Rika-chama is here? I think she's on the porch. I'll bring the watermelon."

Grandma received many beautiful watermelons from somebody who wanted to share. I just called the Furude family a short time ago and Rika-chan is here to pick it up.

Did she come on her bicycle? I can't remember if she has a big enough basket on her bicycle. I pull the watermelon from the well during my reverie.

The cold water in the well has refrigerated the watermelon and the condensation makes it look delicious. The three members of the Furude family will enjoy it for at least two nights.

Rika: “...Mi-? Am I supposed to take it home? I thought…”
Mion: “What? Didn’t your dad tell you?”

The priest answered the phone and I thought I told him to come pick it up… Maybe I wasn't clear enough or maybe I misunderstood him completely, but she's here to eat the watermelon, not to take it home. Besides, the small basket on Rika-chan's bicycle won't hold the watermelon and it's too dangerous for her to ride it while holding the watermelon.

Oryou: "Mion, why don't you help Rika-chama take the watermelon? There's no way she can ride the bicycle with the watermelon in her hand."
Rika: "...Mi-. I can hold the watermelon."
Oryou: "No, no, that's too dangerous! If something happened to you, I wouldn't know what to say to Oyashiro-sama. Mion will help you."
Mion: "Okay, okay, I will. I'll go say hello to the priest too."

No matter whether she rides or pushes the bike, Rika-chan's hands are occupied. So I am going to carry the watermelon.

The sky is turning auburn from the sunset. I feel a cool breeze and it feels good on my sandaled feet.

The plastic bag I'm carrying contains the watermelon and also some small bags of rock candy. If her mother finds them she'll take them away, so we decide to eat them before we get to her home. We open the bags and enjoy the rock candy.

Rika-chan isn’t an exception. Whenever kids from our neighborhood come to our house for errands, grandma gives them some treats.

Actually, that’s a pretty common rule here in Hinamizawa. So sometimes siblings fight over who is going to take the circular to the neighbor.

These bags of rock candy are such treats.

Of course, she doesn't normally give out this much. Usually it's just a piece of candy. Grandma is being extra nice to Rika-chan.

Rika: "...I feel bad getting all this candy."
Mion: "Don't worry. Grandma loves you. You should just thank her and put a big smile on your face, that's all."
Rika: "...Do you get lots of treats?"
Mion: "Hmm, I used to! But at my age, I don't get any. If I did though, I would probably feel I was being treated like a child."
Rika: "...Mi-. I'm being treated like a child then..."
Mion: "Aha ha ha ha, that's okay! Enjoy it while you can. When you become as old as I am, you won't get any even if you want to get some."

As we talk about some usual stuff, I notice Rika-chan is starting to show some sadness.

Mion: "What's wrong?"
Rika: “...When I run some errands I get candy as a treat. But Satoko doesn’t get any even if she goes with me.”
Mion: “...............”

I can think of so many reasons why. Not only Satoko, but everyone in the Houjou family is being treated poorly in Hinamizawa. And the Sonozaki family is the one who instigated that.

The two dam supporters have died in an accident already. But the malice against the Houjou family is still going. It's directed against Satoko and Satoshi, their children, and the aunt and uncle who are taking care of them.

The big fight between the Houjou family and the Sonozaki family at the explanatory meeting started all this. That was Mr. and Mrs. Houjou, so that shouldn't have anything to do with the children and the aunt and uncle. But the idea of "the Houjou family are village traitors" evolved on its own. Therefore, anyone bearing the Houjou name is to be treated poorly.

The aunt and uncle weren't dam supporters. So over time, the attacks towards the aunt and uncle should have stopped. But they are rather odd and they keep having trouble with their neighbors.

They don’t follow the community rules, they don’t do their community duties, and they spray pesticide while their neighbors’ laundry is still hanging outside. They often get into fights with their neighbors. So even without the dam, they are hated by others.

Therefore, the Hojou family continues to be treated poorly.

But none of that should have anything to do with Satoko and Satoshi. Satoko and Satoshi are depressed often at school. I try to leave the conflict between the two families aside at school but I wonder how they really feel about that. From their point of view, I'm just another member of the Sonozaki family that keeps harassing them.

Mion: “I don’t want any of that at school. That’s why I try to act normally as their friend.”
Rika: “...How can we spread that outside of the school?”

......That's very difficult. The Houjou family made enemies of the three families. They were branded as traitors of the village and that fact is still being acknowledged. It doesn't mean anything if one person suggests and end to the hostilities because the events around the dam are history now. On the contrary, that would just put them in the same position.

Unfortunately for Satoko and Satoshi, the only thing they can do is to wait patiently until the issue withers away. What I can do for them is to provide an oasis they can use until the day comes.

Rika: "...So how long do they have to wait?"
Mion: "I don't know. The dam conflict lasted for several years. They were branded back then, so it might take as long as several years."
Rika: "...Do you mean they won't be forgiven until they become adults? Does Satoko have to live her childhood going through that?"
Mion: "That is miserable, isn't it..."
Rika: “...Mii, we are their friends, are we?”
Mion: “Sure, they are my friends. They are my buddies.”
Rika: “...Then isn’t there something we can do to help our friends?”
Mion: “......What exactly can we do?”

Even if the Sonozaki family declares the dam conflict is over so the Houjou family are no longer outcasts, that won't solve the problem. It's not that simple. In the first place, grandma hates the Houjou family and she won't suffer their name to be mentioned in her presence.

It's not a matter of someone forgiving another. It's a matter of these very complicated ties between the people in this village. It is absolutely scary to have them as your enemies. Everyone knows that very well and that's why they maintain good relationships with their neighbors. However if you make enemies out of them, you'll have to face the consequences. That is the unwritten law of the Japanese community.

And the Sonozaki family is part of this unwritten law. Now that the Houjou family are outcasts, not even the Sonozaki family can overturn the situation.

Rika: “...So even if it’s an issue of Hinamizawa, we can’t do anything about it as Hinamizawa residents?”
Mion: “Unfortunately… that may be true. If there’s someone who can help Satoko that person must be someone who has nothing to do with the village. But there’s no one like that here.”
Rika: “...Are you saying someone from outside has to come help her?”
Mion: “...........”

Like Rika-chan says, would a knight in shining armor from the outside world ever come here? Would that person bring in a new wind into this village that has been filled with stale air for hundreds of years?

No way. It's just wishful thinking. Time will solve the problem someday… Until that time comes, I have to be their ally. I can't think of anything else I can do for them.

As Rika-chan and I crunch down our rock candy, we can only pray that people will forgive Satoko and her family soon...

Rika-chan breaks the heavy silence gently.

Rika: “...I know.”
Mion: “Eh?”
Rika: “...I know someone who has absolutely nothing to do with the village will come from the outside.”
Mion: "That's right. The dam conflict is over so it'd be great if more people moved to those lots for sale. Wouldn't it be fun if a family with a kid our age moved in?"
Rika: "...He will come. I know. And we'll break the evil practice with him. That will be the first key to one of the three locks that trap us in the past."
Mion: "Eh? What is it? Are you talking about a novel or something?"

Rika-chan says some odd things sometimes. When she talks that way, she seems so mature... I even doubt she's really younger than I am.

The unreasonable antagonism towards the Houjou family… Will there really be someone from the outside who has nothing to do with the village who will shatter our old ways?

What was learned:
→ LATER
Effects:
+ WILL DO LATER