CGBTS Chapter 46

Chapter 46 – Scattered Human Bones

Novel Title: あの夏から戻れない (Can’t Go Back to That Summer)

Author：宮緒葵 (Miyao Aoi)

Illustrator：笠井あゆみ (Kasai Ayumi)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 櫛原夏生 (Kushihara Natsuo -MC) & 四辻柊 (Yotsutsuji Shuu -ML)

*Please read at knoxt.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

֍֍֍

As far as Odamaki-sama was concerned, so long as the village chief remained loyal, it probably didn’t matter who the village chief was. That was why no punishment was imposed even when Shuu replaced the real village chief.

But Natsuo, who still had attachments to his original world, was a dangerous presence who could potentially bring change to the village. Odamaki-sama had begun to doubt Shuu’s loyalty.

Then Etsuko went around revealing Shuu’s true identity, and when the villagers came to harbor hostility toward him, Shuu had probably changed, in Odamaki-sama’s eyes, into a foreign object that needed to be disposed of――even at a time like this, Shuu calmly analyzed the situation. He also reasoned that the reason Natsuo was being targeted as well was probably because Natsuo was the root cause that had changed Shuu.

“In a little while, the villagers will probably come rushing here carrying weapons. Before that happens, I’m going to get you alone back to your original world. That’s why I came here.”

Urged to drink the medicine quickly, Natsuo shook his head vigorously and grabbed Shuu’s arm.

“Then Shuu, too! I don’t want to go alone. You could drink the medicine and return to your original world too!”

They had finally managed to reunite, and finally came to understand each other’s feelings, only to be separated again――Natsuo absolutely could not accept that. Even if Shuu’s parents weren’t happy to have Shuu return, Natsuo would be there by his side. With the medical care available in their original world, the wound in Shuu’s shoulder would surely heal.

So, together――Natsuo clung to him with his eyes, but Shuu shook his head.

“I can’t. …The medicine is difficult to prepare and deteriorates easily, so I could barely manage to make enough for one person.”

“――But…”

“And besides, even if there had been enough medicine for two people, the sin of bringing you here, when you had a proper place in your original world, deceiving you and dragging you down here, is a grave one. I’ll stay here and buy you time to escape. …That is the only way I can atone for my sins.”

“―――There he is――――!!”

Rustling through the trees, a villager appeared, holding a sickle. He pointed at Shuu, who was dressed in the village chief’s attire, and shouted toward those behind him. Looking closely, Natsuo realized it was Etsuko’s father. His face had the appearance of an evil demon; there was no trace left of the loving father who had shed tears of joy at his daughter’s safe return.

“The great sinner who has defied the divine will is here! He’s here!”

“………Forgive me, Natsuo!”

No sooner had he said it than Shuu snatched the bottle from Natsuo’s hand and gulped down its contents. He scooped up Natsuo’s chin and pressed their lips together almost as though he was crashing them against each other.

“Mmm, ……nnngh……”

No matter how violently Natsuo shook his head or how hard he tried to push Shuu away, it was useless. His lips were sealed, and the liquid, with nowhere else to go, flowed down Natsuo’s throat. Unable to resist his instincts, Natsuo swallowed the tasteless liquid with a gulp, tears welling in his eyes.

After confirming that no medicine remained in his mouth, Shuu lifted up Natsuo, who was crumpling limply. Over his shoulder, he could see the villagers charging toward them, raising sickles and swords.

“…Thank you, Natsuo.”

Paying no attention to the villagers, who were only a few meters behind them, Shuu smiled. The blood seeping from his shoulder had stained even the outermost kimono red, and although standing must have been painful for him, that smile was one of utter bliss.

…………Idiot! Why are you doing this?! You promised we’d stay together forever, that……we’d never be separated again……!

Natsuo wanted to curse him and knock him away, but not only his hands and feet—even his lips seemed unable to move, as though they had gone numb. The medicine was already beginning to take effect. Surely, before long, he would not even be able to remain conscious.

“Thank you, truly, for never giving up on me……for searching for me. Because you were there, I was happy all this time, both in my original world and in this village.”

Shuu approached the bank and, still smiling, dropped Natsuo into the lake. Natsuo could not even grasp the hand that seemed to reach out toward him, and he was enveloped by the blue water.

―――Sinking, sinking.

Despite it being the height of summer, the water was cold as ice. It wrapped itself around Natsuo’s limbs and dragged him toward the bottom at a tremendous speed. The sun that had been shining beyond the surface disappeared from view in an instant. It was as though weights had been tied to his entire body. Or perhaps this, too, was Odamaki-sama’s divine will――to spit out as quickly as possible an element of uncertainty that threatened the stability of their world.

……Then what about Shuu? …Shuu……!

As Natsuo tried to call out Shuu’s name, water mercilessly poured into his mouth. As he struggled, gurgling bubbles escaping him, a haze began to spread across his consciousness. Was it the effect of the medicine Shuu had forced him to drink, or was he on the verge of drowning to death?

Even so, what an incredibly deep lake this was. Before climbing up, he had looked into it and learned that the lake on Mount Hinashi was only about five meters deep even at its deepest, but Megumi Lake seemed to be certainly more than twice that deep.

……Huh, what?

Something white flickered across his blurring field of vision. His chest inexplicably began to pound, and Natsuo summoned the last of his strength and forced his eyes open.

……If he had been on land, he would have screamed.

Because what lay piled up in countless layers at the bottom, where he was sinking――was a tremendous number of human bones.

On their backs, on their stomachs, lying on their sides. Some had no arms, some were missing their lower bodies, and some did not have complete skulls. Many were incomplete, but there was no mistaking them for anything other than human bones.

As the bottom of the lake gradually drew closer, Natsuo’s heart, which should have been sluggish from the medicine, gave a powerful leap.

There was a pendant hanging from the neck of one of the skeletons.

Not just one or two. As far as Natsuo’s vision reached, every single skeleton was wearing the same pendant.

A platinum plate set with an emerald……the exact same one Natsuo was wearing now…….

……Why?

That pendant was a one-of-a-kind piece made by a jewelry designer in his original world. Other than the one Natsuo had received from Shuu, there should not have been another one anywhere in his original world or in Odamaki Village.

……Shuu…………

The coldness of the blue water gradually snuffed out the consciousness he was desperately trying to maintain.

At the moment he felt as though he had grabbed the hand of one of the skeletons reaching toward him, Natsuo was engulfed in darkness.

֍֍֍

Illustration 8:

Next update: 2026.11.16

֍֍֍

Would appreciate some donation. Thanks!