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VIDEO: [url=]Himatsubushi-hen | TIP 10: The Glint in the Demon’s Eye[/url]
BGM: Silence
SFX: Higurashi
"...Uh-huh, yes. ...So the wake will be from six PM tomorrow, and the service will be the day after from noon until one. The venue will be Okinomiya Ceremony Hall..."
"You can go in your school uniform. Make sure you button it up properly. For the money, fifty-- No... a hundred thousand yen. They've done a lot for us."
Mion quietly whistled in awe at the exorbitant amount of money her grandmother was offering.
"Ikezawa-san's been a prudent person ever since his days as head of the Okinomiya Municipal Office. ...Even if those government-types paid me a visit, they'd always stay outside.”
The two guests made a show of nodding, making it clear they were paying attention as Oryou reminisced.
The sight of them trying not to get on Oryou's bad side was humorous enough to elicit laughter from Mion occasionally.
"How young was Deputy Mayor Ikezawa's grandson when he died?"
"...Umm... 11 years old, apparently..."
Oryou closed her eyes and shook her head lightly, lamenting the loss of such a young life.
"Ahahaha. You're really nice to other people, Granny. If Shion or I died, would you be this sad?"
"Don't be stupid. Saying something like that is bad luck!"
Having got the reaction she expected, Mion cackled.
The two guests, unsure if they were supposed to laugh along, instead forced awkward smiles.
After bowing their heads repeatedly, the guests left by the front door.
Mion saw them off, waving her little hand goodbye.
Well, it was true that Oryou Sonozaki was a central person for both her relatives and the residents of Hinamizawa Village as a whole.
As a voting bloc, they numbered in the several thousands.
It wasn't hard to imagine the mayor would try to pander to her.
Unlike Mion, however, Oryou was looking up longingly at the sky from the veranda.
"...I just thought that no matter whose grandchild it was... I'd feel sorry for them..."
Saying that, she let out a deep sigh.
Mion was let down, as normally her grandmother would have scolded her for her attitude.
"Mion. ...You know... that Minister's grandson. How long has it been since he was abducted?"
Oryou let out another deep sigh.
"He may be the grandchild of our bitter enemy... but I still feel sorry for him."
"....Really?"
"That's enough of a warning. ...We should bring this to an end soon."
"..."
The playful expression drained from Mion's face, leaving behind a stern one.
And then, as if to ascertain Oryou's will, looked into her eyes.
...Oryou, expressing her intention with only those eyes, looked back into Mion's.
SFX: Night Higurashi
Mion gave a small nod, then turned around.
"Shimiko-san, are you there? Grandma wants some tea, could you prepare some?"
From far away, a voice responded in the affirmative.
Mion, after confirming she'd been heard, picked up the phone and began dialing.
