Boogiepop At Dawn Read online

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  BOOGIEPOP AT DAWN

  © 1999 KOUHEI KADONO

  First published in 1998 by Media Works Inc., Tokyo, Japan.

  English translation rights arranged with Media Works Inc.

  No portion of this book may be reproduced or transmitted In any form without written permission from the copyright holders.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or deed, is entirely coincidental.

  Seven Seas and the Seven Seas logo are trademarks of Seven Seas Entertainment, LLC. All rights reserved.

  STAFF CREDITS

  English Translation: Andrew Cunningham

  English Adaptation: Patrick King

  English Novel Design: Nicky Lim

  Publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment

  Visit us online at www.gomanga.com

  ISBN: 978-1-934876-06-0

  First printing: April, 2008

  Liberation Edition: Sue Dunham

  OCR version 1.0

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  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Afterword

  Translation Notes

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  SEVEN SEAS’ COMMITMENT TO TRANSLATION AUTHENTICITY

  JAPANESE NAME ORDER

  To ensure maximum authenticity in Seven Seas’ translation of Boogiepop at Dawn, all character names have been kept in their original Japanese name order with family name first and given name second. For copyright reasons, the names of Boogiepop creator Kouhei Kadono and illustrator Kouji Ogata appear in standard English name order.

  HONORIFICS

  In addition to preserving the original Japanese name order, Seven Seas is committed to ensuring that honorifics -- polite speech that indicates a person's status or relationship towards another individual -- are retained within this book. Politeness is an integral facet of Japanese culture and we believe that maintaining honorifics in our translations helps bring out the same character nuances as seen in the original work.

  The following are some of the more common honorifics you may come across while reading this and other books:

  -san - The most common of all honorifics, it is an all-purpose suffix that can be used in any situation where politeness is expected. Generally seen as the equivalent to Mr., Miss, Ms., Mrs., etc.

  -sama - This suffix is one level higher than “-san” and is used to confer great respect upon an individual.

  -dono - Stemming from the word “tono,” meaning “lord,” “-dono” signifies an even higher level than “-sama,” and confers the utmost respect.

  -kun - This suffix is commonly used at the end of boys’ names to express either familiarity or endearment. It can also be used when addressing someone younger than oneself or of a lower status.

  -chan - Another common honorific. This suffix is mainly used to express endearment towards girls, but can also be used when referring to little boys or even pets. Couples are also known to use the term amongst each other to convey a sense of cuteness and intimacy.

  Sempai - This title is used towards one's senior or “superior” in a particular group or organization. “Sempai” is most often used in a school setting, where underclassmen refer to upperclassmen as “sempai,” though it is also commonly said by employees when addressing fellow employees who hold seniority in the workplace.

  Kouhai - This is the exact opposite of “sempai,” and is used to refer to underclassmen in school, junior employees at the workplace, etc.

  Sensei - Literally meaning “one who has come before,” this title is used for teachers, doctors, or masters of any profession or art.

  Oniisan - This title literally means "big brother." First and foremost, it is used by younger siblings towards older male siblings. It can be used by itself or attached to a person's name as a suffix (-niisan). It is often used by a younger person toward an older person unrelated by blood, but as a sign of respect. Other forms include the informal "oniichan" and the more respectful "oniisama."

  Oneesan - This title is the female equivalent of "Oniisan" and means "big sister." Other forms include the informal "oneechan" and the more respectful "oneesama."

  Chapter 1

  The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

  Echoes was walking through town. His eyes were vacant, his hair was a mess, and his buttons were undone. He staggered along.

  The sky was dark. It was colder than it had been all day. The air was clear, free of moisture. Dawn was approaching.

  “…………”

  Echoes moved his legs forward, as if powered by some external force, dazed. He had no idea where he was going. He just felt that walking was better than standing still.

  The streets were quiet. Nothing moved except a gentle breeze, but it made no sound. Echoes’ footsteps produced the only sound he could hear.

  “…………”

  Echoes stopped walking. He looked blankly around.

  How long had he been here? He couldn't remember. This did not seem like where he should have been.

  Nothing moved. No one was around.

  There were countless fractures in the pavement. Rubble was piled everywhere. Most of the buildings were broken, collapsed, or ready to topple over.

  It was a desolate landscape.

  “…………”

  Yet there were no cries of sorrow. No mangled bodies. There were no people anywhere.

  Instead, there were only ruined buildings as far as he could see.

  Everywhere he went he found destruction. Not once did he find anything moving, hear any voices, or see any signs of life.

  Even now, the only motion came from the predawn air drifting past him.

  “…………”

  Echoes began walking again. As he walked, he tried to remember. What was he doing here?

  He should not exist. His body had turned to particles, dissolved into nothing. So why was he wandering aimlessly through these ruins?

  “…………”

  On he walked.

  He had wandered like this before, but back then he had had a purpose. And there had been a girl on the street who had reached out to him with her hand.

  She was not here anymore.

  Nobody was.

  ***

  As he walked, the sky began to lighten. Dawn was coming.

  “…………”

  He looked blankly up at the feeble light.

  And then, from somewhere far away, he heard music. It was not a mechanical broadcast, but a thin whistle blown by someone nearby.

  “………!”

  Echoes ran in the direction of the sound.

  He ran and ran, passing ruin after ruin, the sound growing steadily louder, clearer. There were no other sounds, and so the faint tune had carried a considerable distance.

  At last Echoes reached what must once have been a very large structure, judging from the size of the mountain of rubble-the corpse of a building.

  A black shadow sat on top of the mountain, whistling to itself. It wore a large hat shaped like a black pipe, and its body was wrapped in a black cloak. There was black lipstick on its pale face.

  In profile, the face looked rather lonely.

  “...ah,” Echoes said. He wasn't sure if the person was male or female.

  “Who are you?”

  The shadow turned toward Echoes.

  “I hope the whistling didn't bother you,” it said, with mock innocence. The voice was like a boy's, and yet like a girl's.

  “No, not at
all,” Echoes said, shaking his head. He decided to ask a different question.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I could ask the same. Who are you? Why are you here, in the world after destruction?”

  “My name is Echoes,” he said.

  “Oh?” the cloaked figure said, pursing his lips.

  “So you’re Echoes!”

  “...you know me?” Echoes asked, surprised.

  The stranger answered warmly,

  “You're friends with Kamikishiro Naoko, right? The person who came here from someplace else.”

  “I'm impressed,” Echoes said.

  “That's exactly right.”

  The dark figure shrugged.

  “Kirima Nagi and Niitoki Kei told me about you. It seems we have a lot in common.” Then it cocked its head.

  “I also heard about your mission. So, Echoes...tell me. In the end, which did you choose?”

  Echoes just shook his head.

  “I don't know.”

  “Oh?”

  “I...” Echoes began, then hesitated for a moment.

  “...I was unable to speak to people before. I believe I am only able to do so now because I am just a shadow. I'm only an echo of myself, lingering on. I'm not really the one who was called Echoes. Thus, I don't know what he decided. His decision is headed somewhere very far away, speeding away forever.”

  The cloaked figure nodded.

  “That makes sense. That explains why you are here, in this distortion. You were wandering the gaps of space, and you happened to synchronize with this one.”

  “Who are you?”

  “My name is Boogiepop.”

  “You have a strange name.”

  “As do you. But yours is a good name, very poetic,” Boogiepop said, winking.

  Echoes looked gloomy.

  “The method by which I earned this name was not so pleasant.”

  “But not all your memories of that name are unpleasant, are they? There were people who called you by that name happily.”

  Echoes shook his head.

  “That was not me. Those happy memories belong to the real Echoes, long since gone. I am merely an echo of him. I have done nothing to earn the honor of being loved.”

  “I see...you don't have an easy time of it either, do you?” Boogiepop said, sympathetic.

  “And you? How did you come to get your name?”

  “Oh,” Boogiepop said, with a strange, crooked, half-smiling, half-mocking expression.

  “That's a long story. Do you have time to hear it, Echoes-kun?”

  Echoes smiled ruefully.

  “Time no longer has any meaning for me. I can listen to all the stories you have to tell.”

  “I see. Then let me begin by telling you about the scarecrow.”

  “The what?”

  “The scarecrow. A straw man used to keep crows away...”

  Chapter 2

  The End is the Beginning is the End

  1

  Kuroda Shinpei. That was the name the composite human Scarecrow used publicly.

  His duties were investigative. He was not investigating anyone in particular however. He had merely been told to look for people who “hold a possibility that does not yet exist.” A possibility no one, least of all the person in question, was aware of.

  It was Scarecrow's job to find it.

  ***

  “A train is approaching. Please wait behind the yellow line...a train is approaching...”

  In the morning, Shinpei boarded a crowded train and headed to the office like a typical human.

  He usually wore a long dark gray coat and matching hat, but he removed his hat while on the train. He looked like any ordinary salaryman. His most distinctive feature was the unfastened belt on his coat.

  “Ah...” the suit next to him groaned sleepily.

  Up all night?

  There were lines under the man's eyes. Shinpei could tell the man suffered from a chronic lack of sleep. He also dosed himself with vitamin drinks before leaving the house every morning. Shinpei could divulge a lot from people's faces.

  He’s got an ulcer. Bowels're a mess. His only saving grace is that his liver’s still working. But if he keeps living like this it won't be long before that goes out, too.

  He was an ordinary man. Shinpei shifted his attention elsewhere.

  He looked at each of the passengers in the same way, careful not to let them notice his scrutiny. One was a thirtysomething office lady who, despite her plain features, appeared to have several different sexual partners. Another was an elderly clerk who was probably embezzling funds or something equally illicit. He looked ready to keel over from the stress.

  There were all kinds of people.

  Shinpei took a different route to work every day. It took more time than simply taking the shortest route, but he didn't have to worry about being late.

  Two more trains and a bus later, he arrived at the Kuroda Detective Agency. It was located in the comer of a building with extremely cheap rent.

  “Oh, Kuroda-san. You're in the office today?” the building superintendent asked, grinning. This man was ordinary. He did not know who Shinpei really was.

  “Yeah, just hoping someone hires me soon,” Shinpei said, shrugging.

  “This recession's killing me.”

  “But there's always work for detectives.”

  “There are plenty of jobs -- but not any that pay.”

  They chatted for a moment longer, and at last Shinpei was in his office.

  There were two doors, one of which had no lock. It served as the entrance to a waiting room for clients who dropped in while he was out. The second was the door to his private office.

  Unlocking this second door, he found a person waiting for him inside.

  “Yo, Scarecrow,” she said, waving her hand. She looked like a girl of about seventeen, dressed casually in jeans and a denim jacket.

  However, this girl had entered a locked office without leaving any signs of entry and until he was in the room he had not been able to detect her presence.

  She was like Shinpei.

  “Hello, Pigeon,” he sighed, taking off his hat and coat.

  “I've got work for you. They want you to check up on Teratsuki Kyoichiro.”

  “Again? This is the fifth time.”

  The girl called Pigeon shrugged.

  “Axis has their eye on him. He's too successful.”

  “Maybe he's just that good. I can't see why having a knack for economics should be interpreted as preparation for betrayal.”

  As they talked, Shinpei filled the kettle at the sink and placed it on the gas burner. It was much hotter than was strictly legal. The pot was boiling in no time.

  “You rig that yourself? That could get you evicted,” the girl said, eying the burner with a grin.

  “I hate waiting for it to boil. It's the aesthetics of it,” he said, quickly setting up some coffee to drip.

  “I'll take a Mandarin.”

  “Do I look like I'm running a cafe, here? No requests,” he said, making her a cup of coffee as well, and taking the two cups over to the reception table.

  She joined him there, took a sip of coffee, and hummed appreciatively.

  “Always look forward to this when I come here. Scarecrow, you could do this for a living.”

  “Everyone knows detectives are picky with their coffee. Part of my camouflage.”

  “Ha ha ha, how thorough.”

  “So? Details?”

  Her expression became serious.

  “The Towa Organization has raised its observation status of Teratsuki Kyoichiro to Level A.”

  “Eliminate at any sign of suspicious activity? That is serious,” Shinpei said, gravely.

  “For the duration of this duty you can set aside your primary mission. Not like you've found any MPLS around here anyway.”

  “Doesn't the Towa Organization prefer it that way?”

  “Yeah. Nothing wrong with not having enemies.”
/>
  Even so, while he was busy someone else would probably take over his regular duties. Since that person was just another pawn, Shinpei would not be told who'd be covering for him.

  “Makes you wonder why they're working so hard to find enemies within,” he muttered.

  “I don't like it any more than you do, but his company is getting much too big.”

  “I doubt he wanted it to expand so much, but the investors insist that profits must always be better than they were the year before.”

  “You're defending him? Go ahead -- that's fine with me. But you aren't getting out of the job. No matter what.”

  Once the Towa Organization made a decision, they never changed their minds.

  “I know. I won't let sympathy color my investigation or my reports.”

  “Look out for yourself, 'kay?” She took another sip of coffee.

  “It smells so good...”

  “The sort of smell that makes you want to keep on living?”

  “Exactly. We aren't human, and we couldn't live without the Towa Organization.”

  “...I know.”

  “We both have to do what we have to do -- and we have to work together on this. Right? As friends.”

  “A Scarecrow and a Pigeon? Not the best couple,” Shinpei chuckled.

  “It's crows that can't stand scarecrows, not pigeons,” the girl giggled.

  The bell on the outer door rang.

  “Come in! It's not locked,” Shinpei said, standing up to greet his client.

  A woman came in. She looked like a housewife in her late thirties, and she was very nervous. Probably here to find out if her husband’s cheating.

  “Uh, um,” she stammered.

  “Please, sit down,” Shinpei said, motioning her to the sofa. There was no need to worry about the room's previous occupant: the girl had already vanished without a trace, along with the cup of coffee she'd been drinking.

  They moved among ordinary people, always careful to reveal nothing of their true selves.