Episode 2
The Rose Café, Easthaven, August 17, 1945 hours
The three young women are shaken after Brett Whitney's sudden change of behaviour and abrupt exit from the café.
Aimi Hata
What on Earth is wrong with Brett-san?!
Aimi Hata
Who does he think that he is?
Mizuki Kuba
Aimi-chan, please...
Aimi Hata
Sorry Mizuki-chan.
Aimi Hata
Brett-san is my friend too.
Aimi Hata
But that doesn't mean I can accept everything he does towards us.
Mizuki Kuba
I know, Aimi-chan.
Mizuki Kuba
I know you too well.
Courtney Carr
*Is too upset to say anything*
Courtney Carr
Yeah. I'm just...
Courtney Carr
I guess I'm a bit shocked, that's all.
Aimi Hata
*Gives Courtney a hug*
Courtney Carr
*Tears are flowing from her eyes*
Aimi Hata
Just let it flow, Courtney-chan.
Aimi Hata
You'll feel better this way.
Everyone is silent for a long time.
Courtney Carr
I'm so sorry guys.
Courtney Carr
For inviting Larieke-san and Brett-san to our little gathering.
Aimi Hata
How can you say such a thing?!
Courtney Carr
Look, I know those guys aren't very close to you.
Courtney Carr
You guys have known each other for years.
Courtney Carr
But I didn't become acquainted with you until much later.
Courtney Carr
I was very greatful that both of you were my senpais when I was a lonely foreign exchange student.
Courtney Carr
I'm honored that you both treated me as a close friend and told me to stop calling you "senpais".
Mizuki laughs and shakes her head.
Mizuki Kuba
Are you still thinking of the old days?
Mizuki Kuba
Those were the days.
Courtney Carr
I became friends with Larieke-san and Brett-san during my teenage years.
Courtney Carr
I thought...
Aimi Hata
I know you're blaming yourself right now.
Aimi Hata
Because it's not your fault.
Aimi Hata
Sure, Larieke-san and Brett-san aren't like you, Courtney-san.
Aimi Hata
But that's nothing you can do about it.
Aimi Hata
I'm sure no one can change Brett Whitney's attitude.
Aimi Hata
Still, that doesn't stop me from thinking that he's blockhead.
Aimi Hata
As for this gathering...
Aimi Hata
Who would have thought that a traffic accident like this could happen in Easthaven?
Courtney Carr
Thank you Aimi-chan.
Courtney makes a hug gesture, and she and Aimi hug each other again.
Mizuki is also crying, although discreetly, while looking at her best friends with a smile.
Courtney Carr
I'm not done with the "phone story" yet.
Courtney Carr
I think you all should know what kind of message Larieke-san got.
Mizuki Kuba
Did Larieke-san tell you about the message?!
Aimi Hata
When did Larieke-san tell you about it?!
Courtney Carr
Well... Yesterday.
Courtney Carr
Yesterday evening, to be exact.
Courtney Carr
Larieke-san was visiting the clothing store yesterday afternoon.
Courtney Carr
She wanted to buy new clothes for this gathering.
Courtney Carr
When she was about to stand in the queue, she received a phone call.
Mizuki Kuba
Did Larieke-san hear an ominous ringtone?
Courtney Carr
But this didn't change the fact that the call made Larieke-san upset!
Courtney Carr
Because the message was creepy and didn't make any sense at all.
Courtney Carr
Furthermore, the one who gave Larieke-san the message didn't sound human.
Courtney Carr
I'm not talking about aliens or mutants.
Courtney Carr
I meant that the voice sounded like it was computerised.
Courtney Carr
But still human-like.
Mizuki Kuba
Could it be an A.I. voice?
Courtney Carr
It could be.
Courtney Carr
I don't know!
Courtney Carr
The message went like this...
Courtney takes a deep breath.
Courtney Carr
"The hardworking daughter of Lucy will go head to head with a huge force. Boom! Boom! Afterwards, she will return to Him."
Aimi and Mizuki look at Courtney with enlarged eyes.
Mizuki Kuba
"Return to him?"
Courtney Carr
"Him". Larieke-san told me specifically to emphasize on the pronounciation.
Courtney Carr
Larieke-san was talking about God.
Neither Mizuki nor Aimi can utter a sound.
Courtney Carr
I told you the message didn't make any sense!
Courtney Carr
At first, anyway.
Courtney Carr
When I think of the accident, everything becomes clear to me.
Courtney Carr
I know Larieke-san.
Courtney Carr
She IS a hardworking and religious girl.
Courtney Carr
"Lucy" must be a reference to Larieke-san's African roots.
Courtney Carr
"Huge force" must mean the lorry which rammed on Larieke's car.
Courtney Carr
"Boom! Boom!"...
Courtney Carr
Well, I don't think I need to explain that one, do I?
Aimi Hata
That's the two smaller cars in the accident!
Courtney Carr
...And "Return to Him" must mean Larieke-san's demise.
Aimi Hata
Do you think Larieke-san knew its meaning?
Courtney Carr
Perhaps, if you think of the part about "returning to Him".
Courtney Carr
But wouldn't you be distraught if you got a message like that?
Aimi Hata
I think I wouldn't have taken the message seriously.
Aimi Hata
I would have treated it as a simple prank call.
Aimi Hata
Mizuki-chan, do you remember that time when you got a call from a "famous talent manager" who wanted to hear you sing?
Mizuki Kuba
Oh yeah, I still do!
Mizuki Kuba
I normally am very terrible at singing.
Mizuki Kuba
So I was very surprised that the "talent manager" suddenly wanted me to sing for him!
Mizuki Kuba
I mean, directly on the phone!
Aimi Hata
After singing for him for like... 18 minutes, the "manager" told you that he had called the wrong person, right?
Mizuki Kuba
Oh yes, he did!
Mizuki Kuba
It later turned out that there was this service which offered people make harmless prank calls.
Mizuki Kuba
Like the one I had been through.
Courtney feels uncomfortable.
Courtney Carr
Would you have treated the mysterious call as a prank call today?
Both Mizuki and Aimi look at each other and don't know what to say.
Aimi Hata
If that accident didn't happen, and Larieke-san is still alive...
Aimi Hata
Then I would have treated the mysterious call as a prank call.
Mizuki Kuba
Now that the call had predicted a demise which DID happen...
Mizuki Kuba
Then Aimi-chan and I have to take it seriously.
Aimi Hata
*Nods in agreement*
Mizuki Kuba
Since when the recipients get the call, they can't stop the prediction from happening...
Mizuki Kuba
So I can only hope that none of us will ever get those calls.
Courtney Carr
But Mizuki-chan...
Courtney Carr
But what would you do the day you receive such a call?
Courtney Carr
Are you just going to accept it?
Aimi Hata
But what do you mean, Courtney-chan?
Aimi Hata
You sound like you want to fight to change your fate.
Courtney Carr
That's exactly what I want to do!
Courtney slams her right fist on the table.
Courtney Carr
Easthaven has been peaceful for a long time.
Courtney Carr
It wasn't until now the town gets all of these weird deaths.
Courtney Carr
I'm not going to sit idle and wait for my "death sentence"!
Mizuki Kuba
Okay, okay, we get it!
Mizuki Kuba
But what are you exactly going to do?
Courtney Carr
Haven't thought of it yet.
Courtney Carr
But I will think this through.
Courtney Carr
That's a promise!
Aimi Hata
I can almost understand afterwards why Brett-san was so upset when you brought up the rumour of the mysterious phone calls.
Courtney Carr
Not you too...!
Aimi Hata
I believe you! I believe you!
Aimi Hata
But before you start your "quest", we really need to make contact with Larieke-san's family.
Mizuki Kuba
Yeah, and offer our condolences.
Courtney Carr
You know what?
Courtney Carr
I'll write Larieke-san's parents a message tonight and tell them about the accident.
Courtney Carr
I have met her parents before, so there is some connection between me and the Owens family.
Courtney Carr
I better go now.
Aimi Hata
Want us to join you to the bus stop?
Aimi Hata
I mean, there's nothing else for us to do at this point.
The trio leaves The Rose Café in sorrow.
It is going to be a long night.
Courtney Carr is thinking of how to present the news of Larieke Owens' death to her parents in a good way.
Aimi Hata, tired after having argued with Brett Whitney earlier this evening, goes to bed directly.
Mizuki Kuba however has trouble sleeping because of the "phone rumour".
Why did Easthaven's young people suddenly get the mysterious phone calls?
Why hasn't she heard of them before?
Will she and her friends be unlucky to receive them?
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