Trial 2 - 016 Voice Drama: "Statice"

Trial 2 - 016 Voice drama: "Statice"

Echo: Kai-san. Hello. Kai: Hey. Echo: How are you feeling? Kai: Are you genuinely curious or is this mere courtesy? Hm, now that I think about it, I doubt that many of your words are honest at all. Echo: …Let's begin the interrogation. Kai: Sure. Echo: …In fact, I would like you to trust me a bit more since I shared some of my work notes with you. Kai: I wouldn't like to. Next. Echo: (sighs) Um, this is just a formality, but could you re-introduce yourself? Kai: Kai Yuunagi, 26 years old. My current occupation is being a caretaker in a prison-like place called MILGRAM. They don't even pay me for it. Echo: They don’t pay me either. Kai: I don’t care about the problems of those in authority. Echo: Glad to see you haven’t changed… Kai: Of course. No matter how much you pull out weeds, they grow again. Can you be more straightforward with your questions? Echo: I'm kind of getting reminded of something from before. You and Kouta-kun must be equally big fans of direct communication. Kai: Hm. You think you're funny. Echo: A bit. Kai: Hurry up already. Echo: Okay, okay. What do you think of your verdict? Kai: My verdict? Echo: Yes. Kai: Remind me, what's my verdict? Echo: … Kai: I told you to remind me of my verdict, not stare at me. Are you slow? Echo: …You got a double verdict. Perpetrator and Savior. Kai: Ah, right. Now. What the fuck is that? What's the point of your voting system if you can assign whatever in any combinations? Echo: This is an exception. I genuinely couldn't decide whether it's better to make you a Savior or a Perpetrator. Kai: And what is this supposed to mean? Echo: Uh… From one side, you were consistently… pretty inconsiderate with fellow prisoners. Kai: You're surely choosing your words. Echo: …From another, you showed care for them as well. Kai: I guess. Echo: More to this, you're the oldest one here, so others seem to naturally look up to you. Kai: Cool. Echo: Stop interrupting me. Kai: Don't order me around. Echo: You're the prisoner. Kai: Shut up. Echo: … Kai: Good. Echo: I didn't shut up because you told me to. I did it to show I'm not participating in your petty games. Kai: You're already participating. Echo: … Kai: … Echo: (sighs) If I were to make you a pure Savior, it would mean to ignore that you're, uh, uncooperative. Kai: Still choosing your words. Echo: Okay! Got it! You're fucking rude and mean for no reason! Kai: Yeah. Echo: Yet! If I were to make you a pure Perpetrator, it would be ignoring the help that you provide for other prisoners! …Then, to make you a Victim would mean to disregard that you clearly have some sort of authority over many people here, in other words, that they’re willing to listen to you. That's all. Kai: However. Echo: However? Kai: …Well… I’m not restricted as much as Perpetrators, and it's possible for me to pair up with a Victim… If anything, it’s more like a Savior with limited rights… Echo: Hmm. That is true in a way. You're not one of my “assistants” and you can't make requests, but you might have more rights of a Savior than restrictions of a Perpetrator. Kai: Why? Echo: The rules are not what I've decided on, so I don't know. But before choosing your final verdict, I was thinking about it… that if you had more consequences associated with Saviors, it would be the best option for the prison for the time being. Kai: So the only thing that matters about me is whether I'm helpful or harmful, and as long as I'm helpful, you can use me. Echo: If you see it as me using you, I guess that's so. Kai: You're admitting it really easily. Echo: I mean, that's what you choose to believe? And this belief doesn't hurt you or me, even if I might personally disagree with it, so it doesn't bother me. Kai: Do you disagree or not? Echo: It doesn't bother me. Kai: (sighs) Echo: You wanted to become closer to others, didn't you? Being a Savior is the best opportunity for it— well… a Savior with limited rights, as you call it… With the new rules, if you were purely a Perpetrator or a Victim, you would get isolated from everyone. Kai: … Echo: What’s the matter?

Kai: The reason I've been trying to get closer to others, as you say… is simple boredom. There's nothing deep to it. If you’d prefer to isolate me instead, then so be it. Echo: Hmm. Kai: … Echo: Sure. Kai: Huh? Echo: Once, you said that you, prisoners, don't necessarily remember your dreams. Do you remember your dreams, Kai-san? Kai: —Dreams? Echo: Yes, the ones that show your memories. Kai: …Not too much? I kind of remember the atmosphere and feelings in them, but not the exact events. Echo: Then, I'll remind you. “Who will you save when two people are drowning?” “How much do you think terrible of a sin is playing Messiah?” And, “I met someone I could care about.” Kai: … Echo: I'm pretty sure you wanted to be a Savior, Kai-san. This is why you're carefully bringing it up. Kai: …Are you trying to pose it as doing a favor to me? Echo: Not in particular? Rather, I would like you to cheer up a bit. From your behavior, I assumed that you're unhappy with the position you ended up in. Kai: … Echo: Or is there something else to it? Kai: You've found a really convenient path with being ambiguous. It's impossible for me to complain. If I say… Since you gave me the rights of a Savior, don't dare call me a Perpetrator— You can always answer, you got a double verdict in the first place. If I ask, how can a person be harmful and helpful both at the same time? You'll admit, it's just a matter of what you can provide for the time being. Sway too much to one side, and it's over. …That ambiguity is what annoys me, though. As if you're getting asked, so, is this one guilty? And you answer, who knows. But if I'm asking a question… I would hate to hear “who knows”. Echo: You're annoyed by the “double verdict” itself, then? Kai: You couldn't decide what you should do with me. So, you're buying yourself extra time. Without an actual verdict and, therefore, formal rules properly applied to me, you can continue to observe me, and once you gather enough information, you'll make your final decision. That means I'm never getting this “double verdict” another time, for sure. This is what I hate. Echo: I… don't quite get it. Kai: If you have an opinion on me, then don't change it. Because if you change it so easily, how can I be sure of anything? I’m left with no solution. The answer that you gave me is the most uncertain of all. Echo: … Kai: “It doesn't bother me”. What if it bothers me? Huh? Well, you’re the one who holds power, so it doesn’t matter what I feel. Echo: …You know… Isn’t it really hypocritical of you? Kai: Mhm. Echo: Blaming others for not giving certain answers. Kai: Yes, yes. You’re scared, lost and whatever, this is why. I’m good at pitying others, but your existence is making me remember something really bad, so I’m not going to pity you. Echo: (sighs) Kai: Enough. Is this an interrogation or what? Ask something else. Echo: Kai-san. Kai: What? Echo: Your “crime” was an accident, wasn’t it? You didn’t actually do anything for it to happen. Kai: My crime? Echo: Yes. Kai: So we're talking about my crime now. Echo: This is an interrogation, after all. Kai: My crime has to do with strangling people. Next. Echo: Back during Kouta's interrogation… Kai: … Echo: Whenever he talked about suicide, you gripped him. Why? Kai: I would be upset if he killed himself before I could kill him with my bare hands. Next. Echo: You're funny. Kai: Am I? Echo: Yes. Kai-san, you've seen my work notes. Kai: If you're asking whether I remember him or not, it's not like I know. All these people are kind of the same. Kouta-kun, you, whoever still exists in my memory, or, say… Ayame-chan, or Miku. The paintings that I'd made out of my view on you wouldn't really differ. Even if you try hard to not be the same, it never changes. Well, I'm also at fault for constantly trapping myself in a cycle… Echo: … Kai: Ahh… What was it about… Right. I don't remember the names or the appearances of my victims. The reason for the deaths is that I've strangled them. That's all, that's all. I don't enjoy repeating myself. Echo: …I see. Kai: Ah, right.

[bell rings] Echo: What? Kai: Why did our uniforms change to more loose ones? Echo: I don't know. Actually, I didn't expect them to change either. Kai: Of course you'd say this. Echo: I mean, I have responsibility for the trials and the insides of the prison while the trials are on-going, but when it comes to… let's say, set-up, I don't know who's doing it. Kai: Isn't it dangerous to give so much freedom to criminals? Echo: That's true… Kai: Scary, scary, Echo-chan. There's someone making decisions instead of you. And they seem to enjoy the possibility of you being in danger. Echo: …Is this a threat? Kai: It's not like I am threatening you. However, there are people who might be threatened by me, and those who might threaten you. Like, for example… Chise-chama. Echo: … Kai: I'm just considering the outcomes. Well, I might be someone who has some rights associated with Saviors at the moment, but I'm no Savior. So, if anything happens… Please forgive me if I don't make it in time.