MIKA: "Ah, hello, Aramata?"
MIKA: "Are you free right now? I wanted to ask you about something."
ARAMATA: "Hm, a construction site..."
ARAMATA: "It is true that you hear a lot of stories where graves are dug up unexpectedly during construction."
ARAMATA: "Well, dear Mika. Have you ever thought about the following? The land we live upon is filled with history. But what exactly is this "history"? What does it signify?"
ARAMATA: "People are born on this land and people die on this land – again and again. Essentially, you could consider the history of this land an ever-growing accumulation of one cycle of life and death upon another."
ARAMATA: "Ponder upon this for a bit, and you will realise that even if you take just one little space as your sample, the number of people who have existed in that space throughout the course of time reaches an absurd and extraordinary amount."
ARAMATA: "Naturally, that also includes the land which you or I are standing upon in this very instant. Just think about how many people have lived upon it, pursued their daily life upon it, and passed away in that very spot..."
ARAMATA: "It should of course be obvious that it is physically impossible to leave graves for all of these people. The land on which humans can live is ultimately limited, after all. "
ARAMATA: "Now, also consider that the number of deceased constantly increases."
ARAMATA: "Which could mean... Well, actually, what do YOU think it could mean, Mika?"
A: "I've heard enough." B: "It will lead to quarreling?" C: "Their space might also have a limit?"
A: "I've heard enough." B: "It will lead to quarreling?" C: "Their space might also have a limit?" [X]
MIKA: "Maybe the space in the land of the dead is also limited? And if there are that many, then at some point they won't all fit in?"
ARAMATA: "Such a way of thinking definitely exists, yes. It is a perspective based on the belief that there is a certain fixed capacity for what people call ghosts or spirits, and whenever that set amount is passed and there is no more room left, so to speak, then some of the spirits get reborn as new life to make space for the next ones."
ARAMATA: "In any case, I think you understand now how crucial the connection between space and people is – regardless of whether they are alive or dead."
ARAMATA: "You could say the struggle for land is not limited to the world of the living."
A: "This is boring. I'm hanging up." B: "I don't really understand, but go on." C: "I see..."
A: "This is boring. I'm hanging up." B: "I don't really understand, but go on." C: "I see..." [X]
MIKA: "I see..."
MIKA: "This country isn't just filled to the brim with the living, but with the dead, as well, huh."
ARAMATA: "Very much so."
ARAMATA: "I'm happy you follow so far. The following should be easy to grasp for you, as well, then."
ARAMATA: "Essentially, it can be said that attached to our own existence is the existence of our ancestors from several generations."
ARAMATA: "Among all the spaces in which we spend our daily lives with almost innocent ignorance, it is more difficult to find a spot that never had any connection to deceased people than vice versa."
ARAMATA: "In other words, the space of the living exists through overlapping with the space of the deceased."
ARAMATA: "You could also say that we built the daily life of our present upon a network of the dead."
ARAMATA: "In the past, we Japanese have worked towards communication with these deceased through various forms such as memorial services for the dead, or a variety of other rituals."
ARAMATA: "You still understand what I am talking about, right?"
A: "No idea!" B: "You mean, like Aiko Gibo?" [Japanese psychic who was famous during the 80s/90s] C: "You mean, like Higan?" [Buddhist holiday]
A: "No idea!" B: "You mean, like Aiko Gibo?" [Japanese psychic who was famous during the 80s/90s] C: "You mean, like Higan?" [X] [Buddhist holiday]
MIKA: "You mean, stuff like the services held on the Higan holiday, for example?"
ARAMATA: "Exactly."
ARAMATA: "Ceremonies related to the dead can be found in every culture."
ARAMATA: "Holding memorial services and such for one's ancestors, hoping for their souls to rest in peace..."
ARAMATA: "For the living, who are destined to join the ranks of the dead themselves one day, this is a very important matter."
ARAMATA: "Through the formation of a religious program based upon this view of life and death, and the incorporation of ceremonies into this program, humans are trying to uphold and protect the balance between the living and the dead."
MIKA: "I see!"
ARAMATA: "Well, to sum up all that in a different way... Within people's everyday life, the deceased can always be sensed in some form or shape..."
ARAMATA: "...and we as a people have acquired quite some knowledge when it comes to inhabiting the same land and getting along with their existence."
ARAMATA: "However, with the rapid economic growth and development after the war..."
ARAMATA: "Well, that was before your time, so it's probably no use telling you in great detail... Either way, the culture of our modern era saw a drastic change, in which the shadow cast by the deceased was erased from its surface."
ARAMATA: "Cities that never sleep... Spaces where the dead became invisible..."
ARAMATA: "And yet, you do well to remember that no matter how bright a city may become, it will always contain areas of shadows, as well."
ARAMATA: "And within some of these tiny realms of darkness, the dead might be hiding..."
ARAMATA: "So... Rumours concerning a construction site? Why, the ground beneath our feet is nothing but a stratum of the history of the dead."
ARAMATA: "Those who laughingly brush all things off as silly rumour, might one day come to face something that teaches them otherwise."
MIKA: "...is what he said."
YUKARI: "And you still want to go after all that intimidating stuff?"
MIKA: "Hello? That kind of thrill is what makes going all the more worthwhile!"
YUKARI: "You're just stubborn..."
MIKA: "Well, this is it..."
MIKA: "It's closed, huh."
YUKARI: "What do you expect? Otherwise you'd immediately have all kinds of idiots sneak in!"
MIKA: "Idiots? You do know what we're trying to do right now, right?"
YUKARI: "Yeah. Something idiotic."
MIKA: "......"
YUKARI: "So? Now what?"
MIKA: "Well, I... haven't decided, yet..."
YUKARI: "Well, this is it..."
A: "What about the entrance over there?" B: "Any other way we could get inside?" C: "Can't we climb the wall over there?"
A: "What about the entrance over there?" B: "Any other way we could get inside?" [X] C: "Can't we climb the wall over there?"
YUKARI: "Let's try our luck somewhere else around here. There has to be some spot where we can get inside."
MIKA: "From here, perhaps?"
YUKARI: "Seems pretty impossible to me."
YUKARI: "No way I'm trying this."
MIKA: "Meh, you're so selfish!"
MIKA: "I'm afraid this is the only promising spot."
YUKARI: "Seriously, next time you invite someone to stuff like this, do some investigation beforehand yourself!"
A: "Can't we open this somehow?" B: "Guess, we just have to climb it."
A: "Can't we open this somehow?" [X] B: "Guess, we just have to climb it."
YUKARI: "Can't we open this somehow?"
MIKA: "We wouldn't be in this situation, if this opened so easily!"
MIKA: "Do you happen to have a box cutter on you?"
YUKARI: "How the hell would you cut through something like this with a box cutter!"
MIKA: "Guess that wouldn't work..."
A: "Maybe that spot over there opens a little?" B: "Any other spot where we could enter?"
A: "Maybe that spot over there opens a little?" [X] B: "Any other spot where we could enter?"
YUKARI: "There has to be a way..."
MIKA: "This wall is pretty sturdy..."
YUKARI: "Here..."
MIKA: "Ah, you can move it!"
YUKARI: "......"
MIKA: "Okay! Let's go!"
MIKA: "Ah, they stopped in the middle of digging..."
YUKARI: "And where exactly are all these 'human bones'?"
MIKA: "Hard to tell from here!"
MIKA: "But hey, it looks like we can go further down from there!"
YUKARI: "Oh, for the love of..."
YUKARI: "What were they building again? A department store?"
MIKA: "Or maybe they knew about the hidden treasure and that was their goal from the start..."
YUKARI: "Don't be an idiot! Besides, I thought we were supposed to find lots of human bones here that they happened to dig up?"
MIKA: "Well, I prefer the hidden treasure!"
YUKARI: "Make up your mind!"
MIKA: "There are steel beams stacked here."
MIKA: "Even though they're not even doing any construction!"
YUKARI: "Oh? Then why else would these be here?"
MIKA: "Because of the hidden treasure!"
YUKARI: "......"
MIKA: "I mean, just look at these beams! They look like they were just randomly placed here and then left alone."
MIKA: "In my opinion, they are meant to be... camouflage!"
YUKARI: "For what purpose exactly?"
MIKA: "Man, you're slow! To hide the fact that they discovered some hidden treasure down here, of course!"
MIKA: "I'm sure there's some big scale organisation behind this construction site, pulling strings in the shadows..."
YUKARI: "Yeah, keep telling yourself that..."
MIKA: "Yukari, look, how rusty this is!"
MIKA: "See, another proof, they're not actually doing any work here!"
YUKARI: "Hm, it IS rusty..."
MIKA: "Neglecting such a huge patch of land in the middle of the city... It's definitely strange!"
MIKA: "Something's going on here!"
MIKA: "...the hell is this?"
YUKARI: "A manhole perhaps...?"
MIKA: "Or the entrance to the underground base of the secret organisation!"
YUKARI: "Don't be stupid!"
MIKA: "Hey, Yukari... How about we try and open this?"
A: "What? Definitely not!" B: "Let's investigate it first." C: "Go ahead and try."
A: "What? Definitely not!" B: "Let's investigate it first." [X] C: "Go ahead and try."
YUKARI: "Whatever it is, it's pretty solidly built..."
MIKA: "Within the construction site, this is the deepest point."
MIKA: "Doesn't it kind of feel like... they proceeded with their digging until they came across this, which then caused them to temporarily halt the construction...?"
YUKARI: "Hm, yes..."
MIKA: "Maybe something... unspeakable was in there?!"
MIKA: "Like... Human bones!"
YUKARI: "I'm going home."
MIKA: "I kid, I kid! There's nothing to be afraid of!"
MIKA: "So, come on, let's open it!"
A: "Fine, let's open it." B: "What? No..."
A: "Fine, let's open it." [X] B: "What? No..."
YUKARI: "You're not going to leave without opening it, anyway, correct?"
MIKA: "You know me too well! ♥️ I knew you'd understand!"
MIKA: "Alright, opening it!"
MIKA: "And... Hrngh... This thing is heavy as hell!"
MIKA: "Yukari, help me out here!"
YUKARI: "Huh? Uh, okay..."
MIKA: "Ready? One, two..."
MIKA: "Done!"
YUKARI: "Seems really deep..."
MIKA: "I'm already excited...!"
YUKARI: "Don't tell me you're actually planning on..."
MIKA: "Oh, but of course! ♥️"
MIKA: "After coming this far, you can't possibly want to leave without taking a peek inside?!"
A: "You're right." B: "Hold on a second..." C: "There's no way I'm going in there."
A: "You're right." B: "Hold on a second..." [X] C: "There's no way I'm going in there."
YUKARI: (She's probably not going to leave, until we've taken a quick peek inside...)
A: "Fine, let's have a look." B: "On second thought... No, in definitely not going."
A: "Fine, let's have a look." [X] B: "On second thought... No, in definitely not going."
YUKARI: "But... isn't this kind of dangerous?"
MIKA: "It's fine! We'd be idiots for discovering something like this and then just going home!"
MIKA: "C'mon, in we go!"
YUKARI: "Hold on, what about Chisato, though?"
MIKA: "Oh, right... She wanted to join up with us once she's done..."
MIKA: "In that case..."
MIKA: "This should tell her where to go."
YUKARI: "Isn't that the one you won at the game center earlier?"
MIKA: "It's fine. It's not the one I wanted, anyway."
YUKARI: "You're a real blessing for the entire consumer culture..."
MIKA: "That's not true! I use cheap paper notebooks, for example!"
MIKA: "I'm, like, environmentally responsible!"
YUKARI: "You're missing the point of what I said..."
MIKA: "Who cares, anyway! C'mon, let's go already!"
YUKARI: "......"