R11:SA2 05.txt

//EDITING NOTE: Any changes to this section must be synchronized with CO2_01.txt (message contents).

服を脱ぎ捨てバスルームへと飛び込んだ。%K%P
I threw off my clothes and leapt into the bathroom.

温かいシャワーを全身に浴びる。%K%P
The warm water of the shower, which normally felt so nice, seemed to be burning through my skin.

凍りついた身体がじわじわと、ゆるやかに溶けていくのがわかった。%K%P
It takes time for a cold body to come to grips with such shock.

その心地良い温もりの中で、オレのいらだちはしだいに薄れていった。%K%P
But gradually, the pain and irritation began to fade, carried away by the pleasant warmth.

強い水流に打たれながら考える。%K%P
Soothed by the jets of water as they flowed over me, I began to think.

オレは時計台の上から誰かに突き落とされたらしい。%K%P
Someone had pushed me off the top of the clock tower, or so it seemed.

自分自身が目撃したことだ。間違いはない。%K%P
I had witnessed it myself. I'm sure.

だが、それが誰なのか、どうしても思い出すことができなかった。%K%P
However, I couldn't seem to remember who it was, no matter how hard I tried.

時計台にのぼった理由も、依然として謎のままだ。%K%P
The reason why I'd gone up the clock tower was still a mystery too.

わからないことが多かった。%K%P
There were plenty of things I didn't know.

しかも、これまで考えてきたことは、スフィアにいる我が身に関する問題だけに限定したものだ。%K%P
Moreover, most of the memories I could recall were limited to those made here in SPHIA.

避難小屋のことや、転移現象のこと、それらも何ひとつ解決されていない。%K%P
I was still clueless when it came to the shelter cabin and the transference phenomenon.

ひとつのことだけに追われていると、他のことを忘れてしまいがちだった。%K%P
It seems my tendency to focus on only one thing at a time was causing me to forget about others.
//old: While realizing that I had a tendency to pursue one thing at a time, leaving most other things out of the picture for the time being.

けれど、仕方がない。%K%P
But I don't suppose there's anything I can do about it.

一つひとつ、丹念に調べあげてゆく以外に方法はないのだ。%K%P
I had no other choice than to continue investigating, attempting to piece together the chaos of my thoughts in the meantime.

ただし、オレは漠然と、こんな予感を抱いていた。%K%P
However, I couldn't even be 100% sure of anything I thought I knew.
//tr: However, I'm vaguely holding on to a single premonition.

悟「すべての謎は、きっとどこかで繋がっている……」%K%P
These mysteries must all be connected somehow...

これだけ不自然極まりない現象が立て続けに起きたのだ。%K%P
All of these extremely unnatural phenomena... occurring one after the other.

それらの原因がどこか一点に収斂されるとみるのは、当たり前のことだろう。%K%P
It's tempting to believe that they all have a single point of origin.

まあ、とにかく……。%K%P
Well, anyway....

これでオレが何者かに命を狙われているという可能性は、さらに高まったことになる。%K%P
This might imply that the probability of there being someone out to kill me was increasing.

断言はできないが、オレはそう思った。%K%P
I still couldn't state that with confidence, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if that turned out to be the case.

時計台のこと、バスタブのこと、両者が偶然による事故だとはとても思えない。%K%P
The clock tower and the bathtub... it was difficult to imagine that both of them were mere accidents.

事故だとしたら、稲光の中に見えた人影は何だったのか……？%K%P
If they were accidents, then just who was that shadow I saw in the flash of lightning...?

ゆうべ耳にしたドアの閉まる音は何を示しているというのか……？%K%P
What's the significance of the closing door I heard last night...?

オレは、誰かに、狙われている。%K%P
Someone must be after me!

次の瞬間にも殺されてしまうのかも知れなかった。%K%P
I could end up dead a minute from now for all I know.

シャワーを止めて、バスルームを出た。%K%P
I turned off the water and stepped out of the bathroom.

タオルで身体を拭い、服を身にまとう。%K%P
Having wiped myself off with a towel, I threw on my clothes.

殺されてしまうかも知れないという状況にありながらも、比較的オレの心は落ち着いていた。%K%P
My mind had calmed down a little.

今のスフィアには、オレを除けば、女性がふたりと、子どもがひとりしかいない。%K%P
After all, myself excluded, there were only two women and one child here in SPHIA at the moment.

この３人のうちの誰かが犯人だとするなら、無闇に怯える必要などないのだ。%K%P
If one of them was the culprit, there's no real reason to be frightened.

客観的に見て、体力差は歴然としている。%K%P
Objectively speaking, the difference in physical strength between us was obvious.

相手だって、オレとまともにやりあおうとは考えないだろう。%K%P
My opponent could hardly be thinking of tackling me head-on.

実行に移すとすれば、オレが隙を見せたとき……。%K%P
If they wanted to strike, it would have to be at a time when my guard was down....

たとえば、眠っているときとか、妙な薬を飲まされたときとか……。%K%P
For example, when I was asleep, or after I'd taken some strange medicine....

いや、待てよ……。%K%P
No, wait a second....

そうとも限らないのか……。%K%P
Those wouldn't be their only options....

オレは当然のごとく、このスフィアには４人しかいないと思い込んでいたが……。%K%P
I had accepted it as fact that there were only four people in SPHIA right now....

もしかしたら、５番目の人物がどこかに隠れ潜んでいるのかも知れなかった。%K%P
But there was always a chance that a fifth person was hiding somewhere.

オレの頭の中にはスフィアの構造がたたき込まれている。%K%P
I have the layout of SPHIA memorized.

誰かが身を潜める場所などないようにも思う。%K%P
I don't think there are any places here where people could hide themselves like that.

けれど、オレの記憶は完全なものではないのだ。%K%P
However, my memory is far from perfect.

忘れている所がないとは言い切れなかった。%K%P
I couldn't shake the feeling that I might have forgotten something.

悟「５番目の人物、か……」%K%P
A fifth person, huh...

あとでスフィア内を隈なく捜索してみようと思った。%K%P
I decided to have a look around SPHIA later on.

さて、その前にだ。%K%P
But before that...

やっておかなければならないことがある。%K%P
There was something I had to do.

冬川こころにメッセージを残しておかなければ……。%K%P
I had to leave a message for Fuyukawa Kokoro....

またいつ転移が起こるのかわからないのだ。%K%P
I didn't know when the next transfer would occur.

重要な情報はきちんと伝えておく必要があった。%K%P
I had to tell her everything important while I still could.

オレは先ほど見つけたサインペンを手に取って、机の前に向かった。%K%P
I took up the felt-tip pen I'd noticed before and walked over to the desk.

初めましてというべきか、毎度どうもというべきか、これほど挨拶に困る相手もいないな。%K%N
I'm not really sure if I should say "nice to meet you" or "thanks for visiting again." I doubt I've ever known anyone that I've had this much trouble coming up with a greeting for.

オレは優希堂悟。%K%N
I'm Yukidoh Satoru.

きみも気づいていると思うが、オレ達は人格交換をしているらしい。%K%N
I think you've already noticed it as well, but it looks like we're currently experiencing some kind of personality exchange.

原因はわからない。%K%N
I don't know the exact reason for this.

わかったのは、きみが『冬川こころ』という名前の女性であるということぐらいだ。%K%P
What I do know is that you're a woman named "Fuyukawa Kokoro."

初めに断っておきたいんだが、きみの身体のことだ。%K%N
The first thing I want to clear up is about your body.

なんというか……その……不必要にさわったり、見たりしないように気をつけている。%K%N
How do I say this... umm... I'll be careful not to touch or look at anything unless it's absolutely necessary.

きみがオレの顔を見て、どういう印象を抱いたのかわからないが、オレは一応紳士だ。%K%N
I don't know what your impression is of me from when you saw my face, but I am a gentleman.

どうか安心して欲しい。%K%P
So please don't worry about that.

さっそくだが、用件を伝える。%K%N
Forgive me for jumping right into business, but I have a few things I must discuss with you.

まずは、本当にこれが人格交換現象なのか、調べたいと思う。%K%N
The first thing I want to do is make sure what's happening is really a personality exchange.

オレの推測によれば、オレの意識がこの肉体を去っているあいだ、代わりにきみの意識がオレの肉体を支配しているものと思われる。%K%N
From what I can tell, it seems that during the time my consciousness leaves this body, your consciousness takes my place within it.

逆にきみの意識がきみの身体を離れているときには、オレの意識がきみの身体に憑依しているらしい。%K%N
Likewise, whenever your consciousness leaves your body, my consciousness takes possession of it.

まるで、２台の自動車を交互に運転するように……。%K%P
As if we're two drivers alternating between two different cars....

だが、確証はない。%K%N
But I don't have any conclusive evidence that this is what's happening.

今のところ、まわりの人々の証言だけが拠り所だ。%K%N
Right now, all I have to go on are the words of the people around me.

このスフィアでは、オレの身体が、オレの知らぬうちに、勝手に『冬川こころ』と名乗ったと聞いた。%K%N
I heard that at SPHIA, my body addressed itself as "Fuyukawa Kokoro" while I wasn't around.

そして、あの避難小屋でも、黄泉木さんが肉体の持ち主は『冬川こころ』だと教えてくれた。%K%N
And then at the shelter cabin, Yomogi-san told me the owner of the body was someone named "Fuyukawa Kokoro."

これらの証言を信じるならば、オレときみの意識は、交互にそれぞれの肉体を行ったり来たりしていると考えざるを得ない。%K%P
So if we were to believe what they said, then we have no choice but to accept that your consciousness and mine are coming and going between each other's bodies.

さて、しかしだ。%K%N
But.

オレは冬川こころの顔や声は知っていても、きみ自身の人格と会話したことがない。%K%N
Even though I know Fuyukawa Kokoro's face and voice, I haven't had a chance to communicate with your actual personality.

クルマに例えるならば、『冬川こころ』という車体は知っているが、もうひとりの運転手である『きみ』に会ったことがない。%K%N
If we use cars as the analogy, then I am familiar with "Fuyukawa Kokoro" the car, but I have yet to meet "you," the driver within.

遠まわしな言い方はよそう。%K%P
I won't beat around the bush.

要するに、オレは冬川こころという人格が本当に実在するのかどうか疑ってるんだ。%K%N
The point is, I have my doubts that this personality called "Fuyukawa Kokoro" really exists.

そこで、きみが実際に存在するという証拠をどこかに残しておいてもらいたい。%K%N
So I was hoping you would leave some kind of evidence behind that proves you actually do exist.

直接会話することはできないから、せめてこのメモ用紙に返信みたいなものでも書いておいてくれないか？%K%N
Since we can't talk to each other directly, can you at least write down some kind of a reply on the paper this note is written on?

なんでもいい。%K%N
Anything will do.

オレの肉体を操っているのが冬川こころの人格であるという証しを残してくれ。%K%P
Just leave some evidence behind that the Fuyukawa Kokoro personality controlling my body exists.

それから、できれば時間を計測してほしい。%K%N
Also, if you can, I'd like you to record the time.

なんの時間かというと、きみがオレの肉体に乗り移っていた時間だ。%K%N
The time I'm interested in is the time that you took over my body.

これにより、ある一定時間ごとに転移が繰り返されるのか、それとも、不規則にそれは行なわれるのか、わかるようになるだろう。%K%P
From this, we can determine whether the transfer of consciousness happens at a fixed schedule, or if it occurs randomly.

なにか法則性が見出せればいいのだが……。%K%N
If we could figure out some kind of pattern to it....

そうすれば、お互い何かと便利だろ？%K%N
Then wouldn't it be more convenient for both of us?

あと１分で転移が起こるから、それまでに何かしておこうとか、そういうことができるようになる。%K%N
We'd be able to realize when there's one more minute until the transfer and finish up whatever we need to do by then.

しかし、なんの法則性もないとしたら……。%K%N
But, if it happens at random....

まあ、そのときはそのときだ。%K%N
Well, we'll figure something out if and when that turns out to be the case.

『法則性がない』ということがわかっただけでも前進というものだろう。%K%P
Even realizing that "the transfers are happening at random" is a step forward, right?

ああ、そうそう。%K%N
Ah, right, right.

そう言えば、大事なことを書き忘れていた。%K%N
That reminds me, I forgot to write down something very important.

実は、オレは……。%K%N
The truth is, I....

いや『オレの身体は』と書いた方がいいかな。%K%N
No, maybe "my body" would be more accurate.

実は、オレの身体は　　　　　　　　　　　　%K%P
The truth is, my body is