Sympathy (共鳴 Kyōmei) is the first chapter of Utsutsukowashi-hen.
Summary[]
At St. Lucia Academy, the students murmur that a math teacher was found dead in the swimming pool last night, and it was probably a murder. Rumors say he was having many inappropriate relationships with students, so his death might have been revenge by one of them. They heard one girl in their class was called to the director’s office and was the first person to find the body: Mizuho Kousaka. Mizuho was just standing by the corpse and staring at it. She’s always alone and never replies when others speak to her.
After explaining things to the director, Mizuho goes back to her classroom desk and is interrupted by another student Yukari. Yukari tells Mizuho that she has a French composition to write and needs to stop bringing down the class average. She demands that Mizuho show Yukari her notebook but she stays silent. Yukari angrily snatches it out of her hand and Mizuho pleads her to give it back, reaching out for it and falling out of her chair. Yukari asks if this notebook is related to her studies at all and threatens to bring it to a teacher when Shion Sonozaki arrives. Shion plucks the notebook out of Yukari’s hands and says she’s not being a very good class representative, bullying girls like that. Shion happily hands the notebook back to Mizuho and tells her to keep it hidden next time, winking. Shion tells Yukari she spilled coffee on her own French composition and Mizuho runs off. Shion watches her go and comments that she’s an “outlaw student.” Shion is suddenly called on the intercom to go to the student guidance room.
Shion is seated in an office with a teacher, Sister Maria, who calls her troublesome. Maria laments the recent pool murder as another act of God and Shion says she’s not the culprit, drawing surprise from the nun. Shion says she would’ve done a better job dealing with the body if she did do it, and Maria tells her to stay obedient, as that’s the reason she’s in this school. She says St. Lucia is meant to teach girls from elementary all the way to college how to be proper ladies and laments that many girls are sent there for other reasons, feeling a dark shadow looming over the place. Shion gets up to leave and Maria asks how Mizuho was doing. Shion says she looked fine and Maria says the teacher was killed brutally, and it was the second time Mizuho’s been in a situation like that.
Shion walks the halls and ponders what Maria meant by that when she sees Yukari and asks about Mizuho’s past. Yukari says she isn’t fond of gossiping about others, but after hearing that Maria ordered Shion to do it, Yukari explains that when Mizuho was very young, she was almost killed by her grandmother. Shion relates a bit to that and asks what made it “the second time”: Mizuho was protected by her father and he was killed before her eyes; apparently her grandmother was against her parents’ marriage. Yukari heard that Mizuho’s mother sent her to St. Lucia to protect her. In the end it was probably different, but this is all just gossip.
Shion hears that the murder incident will be brushed off as an accident since St. Lucia is like that, but she has more important business. Shion talks to Mizuho at the chapel and asks to work on her French composition with her. Mizuho is nervous but Shion tells her not to fear, as they sit next to each other after all. If they don’t do their homework then they’ll have to take part in weekend duties; Shion is tired of working during holidays, so they must do their homework. Mizuho says she doesn’t dislike duty and likes being useful to people, but Shion pinches Mizuho’s face and tries to make her understand, letting go when she starts crying. Shion watches Mizuho weep for a bit and then pats her head, saying she’s the same as her.
Shion explains that as a child, she too was going to be killed by her grandmother, or “the hag“ as she calls her. The Sonozaki family long believed if they gave birth to twins, one would be a devil child, and it was customary to kill one of them. Shion was that twin, but by some miracle she never died but is now confined to St. Lucia. Shion can relate to Mizuho’s position and says that she gets very angry when she sees her face like this. Shion tells Mizuho to act more firmly and have faith in herself. Seeing Mizuho cry some more, Shion pulls an object out of her bag and gives it to her. This is a special charm that will make Mizuho feel better if she holds it. If Mizuho is in trouble and makes a wish, then Shion will swoop in to save her. Mizuho is unconvinced, saying the charm is just a piece of an eraser and Shion exclaims that it’s special and comparable to the likes of Excalibur. Shion promises that before the day ends she’ll finish Mizuho’s French composition. Mizuho laughs, finding her new friend to be very persistent.
Outside the chapel are two twin students seemingly listening in to Shion and Mizuho. They grab hands and walk off.
Characters[]
Gallery[]
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References[]
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