Rumour 8 «Rusty Hole»
[Fun fact: The voice reads "ana" (= "hole"), but the text uses the Kanji 穽 ("otoshiana"), which actually means "Pitfall Trap", already implying a sense of danger.]
MIKA: "Check this out! We got a pretty big room!"
MIKA: "Can one of you turn on the air conditioning?"
YUKARI: "Fine. Have you decided what you want to drink?"
MIKA: "I want Oolong tea! Ah, also, some takoyaki, please!"
MIKA: "Alright, I'm gonna sing my heart out!"
YUKARI: "You should learn to show the same enthusiasm for more useful things..."
YUKARI: "But anyway, how about you finally get to the point? First, you say you want to talk about something, and then you just drag us around all day going to a crepe stand etc, and now even karaoke?"
MIKA: "I'll get to that later! Right now, let's not waste our allocated time here!"
MIKA: "C'mon, let's choose a song already!"
CHISATO: "Uhm, this is actually my first time..."
CHISATO: "So... how does this work...?"
MIKA: "The natural airhead strikes again!"
MIKA: "Oh well, just choose a song and leave the rest to me."
CHISATO: "But isn't this kind of embarrassing?"
MIKA: "Everyone's like that at first, but once you get used to it, it feels really great! ♥️"
MIKA: "Well then, have you decided on a song?"
A: "I have one, just give me a sec." B: "Mika, you go first." C: "Chisato, you should start!"
A: "I have one, just give me a sec." B: "Mika, you go first." [X] C: "Chisato, you should start!"
MIKA: "Mika Kishii, entering the stage!"
MIKA: "I'll choose... 14B-275."
YUKARI: "Is that a new song?"
MIKA: "But of course! ♥️"
YUKARI: "She's putting on quite the show..."
CHISATO: "Mika knows all the popular songs, huh?"
YUKARI: "I suppose so. She told me she even rents the latest singles and practices them at home so she can sing them here."
CHISATO: "... Hey, Yukari."
YUKARI: "Hm?"
CHISATO: "About you and that trainee teacher... It's over, right?"
YUKARI: "... What of it?"
CHISATO: "... It's just... You know... I've been wanting to talk to you about it."
CHISATO: "Did something happen between Kitamura and you?"
YUKARI: "Nothing in particular..."
CHISATO: "......"
YUKARI: "... When did you notice?"
CHISATO: "A little while ago..."
CHISATO: "When you were acting kind of irrationally..."
YUKARI: "I see... But don't worry about it."
YUKARI: "It's a thing of the past now."
CHISATO: "......"
YUKARI: "Seems it was a real problem for him as a teacher. Feels kinda old-fashioned, if you ask me..."
CHISATO: "Yukari, please cheer up..."
YUKARI: "Did I look depressed to you?"
CHISATO: "Well, no, but..."
CHISATO: "Still... You know..."
YUKARI: "... Thanks."
MIKA: "Have you decided on a song now, Yukari?"
YUKARI: "Hold on, I'm looking right now."
YUKARI: "Where is N..."
YUKARI: "Nir... Nirva..."
YUKARI: "There! 74A-128."
MIKA: "Yes, sir! Well then, go all out!"
MIKA: *whistles*
CHISATO: "Yukari is really good at this!"
MIKA: "C'mon, you can do even betteeer!"
MIKA: "Give it your aaall!"
CHISATO: "Phew..."
CHISATO: "Do you often come here?"
MIKA: "It's a typical place for socialising! Live a normal life and you'll eventually end up at karaoke with some friends."
CHISATO: "I guess..."
CHISATO: "Anyway, I'm surprised by the amount of songs they have!"
MIKA: "Found anything among them that you might be able to sing?"
CHISATO: "Hmm... Can't say there was nothing at all, but... I've never done something like this before..."
MIKA: "Don't fret, your audience is just Yukari and me, anyway!"
MIKA: "We're not gonna laugh or anything, even if your singing isn't spot on."
MIKA: "Well then, Chisato, it's about time..."
CHISATO: "What? But... Just, uh, give me a little bit more time... Okay?"
MIKA: "Nope! No can do! Just stop being so shy about it and do it!"
MIKA: "With stuff like this you gotta join in when the mood is just right – and that's now!"
CHISATO: "Eh... Uhm... But..."
YUKARI: "What do you want to do?"
CHISATO: "... Okay, I'd like to try 06A-011, then."
MIKA: "That was hella fast! So you HAD decided on a song already!"
MIKA: "Is she... seriously singing Enka now...?"
YUKARI: "She is... seriously singing Enka now..."
MIKA: "She's totally into it... Is this really her first time...?"
[Enka is a Japanese music genre that could be seen as old-fashioned and popular with older folks, so it's kind of funny for a teenager like Chisato to be into it.]
YUKARI: "Anyway, what's this all about?"
MIKA: "Whatcha mean?"
YUKARI: "Don't play dumb now! I mean what did you call us for today?"
MIKA: "Ahh, that. Of course. Well, let me ask you this..."
MIKA: "Do you know the construction site at Hinashiro Street?"
YUKARI: "I actually do. But what of it?"
MIKA: "Don't you think there's something strange about it?"
YUKARI: "What do you mean?"
MIKA: "Have you ever seen them doing actual construction there?"
YUKARI: "......"
MIKA: "You haven't, right? There's no way you have, because that place is... bad news..."
YUKARI: "Bad news...?"
MIKA: "Exactly..."
MIKA: "This is just a rumour, but..."
MIKA: "Originally, a department store was supposed to be built there. That's how the construction started."
MIKA: "However... It got put on hold pretty fast..."
MIKA: "Do you know why...?"
YUKARI: "Course not."
MIKA: "Their digging brought something up... Human bones..."
MIKA: "And plenty of them at that."
YUKARI: "There's no way that's true."
YUKARI: "If something like that happened, it'd be all over the news."
YUKARI: "But I don't remember any news like that."
MIKA: "Then... what other explanation do you have for such a profitable patch of land being neglected like this?"
MIKA: "It's strange! Isn't it?"
YUKARI: "Probably because of the bubble."
[From 1986 up to 1991 there was an economic bubble in Japan which burst in 1992. The game was released in 1996, so she must be referring to that.]
MIKA: "Jeez, you have no imagination..."
MIKA: "Well! Another rumour says they might have found some buried treasure there..."
YUKARI: "A buried treasure? What's this, some old-fashioned adventure story?"
MIKA: "Hey, it's not like buried treasure never exists in the real world! Also, this rumour isn't entirely unfounded!"
MIKA: "Remember how there are remains of a former castle on the other side of the river there?"
MIKA: "They say the original lord of that castle was related to the Nobunaga shogunate."
YUKARI: "That can't be true..."
MIKA: "Say what you will, but it's possible treasure like that was left there. It's just all the more reason for us to go there and check it out ourselves!"
MIKA: "Hinashiro Street lies on our way back, anyway. We can just have a peek at the construction site when we go home."
YUKARI: "You're really into this stuff..."
MIKA: "You know it! ♥️"
YUKARI: "Well, since it's on our way, anyway, I don't really mind..."
MIKA: "Really? Then it's settled!"
MIKA: "In that case..."
MIKA: "Chisato! Stop!"
CHISATO: "...?"
MIKA: "This may be a bit sudden, but karaoke has been put on hold."
MIKA: "Instead, I hereby commence operation: 'What was it, that the three high school girls found within the mysterious construction site?!'"
CHISATO: "Wha... But... We still have plenty of time left..."
MIKA: "Huh?"
CHISATO: "It would be a waste to leave already."
YUKARI: "Well, I guess that's true..."
YUKARI: "So you want to continue?"
MIKA: "Wait, don't tell me you've grown to like this already?!"
CHISATO: "Ehehe..."
MIKA: "Ehehe my ass! We can go to karaoke again any time!"
MIKA: "Come on, let's go to that construction site!"
YUKARI: "Hm. What should we do?"
CHISATO: "It's fine, just go ahead."
CHISATO: "I'll catch up with you, once I'm done here!"
MIKA: "You know where the construction site is?"
CHISATO: "It's on that road that leads to the main street."
MIKA: "That's the one! ♥️"
YUKARI: "Don't make us wait too long, though!"
MIKA: "We'll be waiting. See you there!"
MIKA: "Still... To think Chisato would become that addicted to karaoke..."
YUKARI: "That's definitely on you. You're a bad influence."
MIKA: "It's gotta be scary when you're not immune to the Mika virus!"
MIKA: "Hey, Yukari, wanna try and call Aramata?"
YUKARI: "Again with that guy?"
MIKA: "Who knows, he might say something useful from time to time!"