Hmm...
I know!
It's a Hokkaido squirrel!
Wrong.
It's a Taiwanese squirrel.
Aw...
That you even recognize it as a squirrel shows great progress, young master.
In the beginning, you'd have just run away to the kitchen.
You're right...
It's true that I've gotten used to seeing all this.
I guess I've come a little way.
By the way...
Since you're over here, you must be done with finals.
Oh, yes.
I have an errand to run in Touma tomorrow.
Would you like to come along, boy?
Is this from Shouko-san?
Yes, she said it was for the young master.
What's wrong?
You're not going to eat it?
So you're still calling me "boy."
Of course.
You're still a minor, are you not?
That's not the issue...
Just a while ago, you called me by name, "Shoutarou"!
I don't recall.
More importantly, are you coming or not?
Come to think of it,
it's about the time when Densuke watermelons will be in season in Touma.
You like them, right?
Yes, indeed.
I don't feel it's truly summer until I've had one.
Once you take a mouthful of that crisp, ice-cold watermelon,
its shockingly sweet juices just burst in your mouth—
Fine, I'll go!
I'll go with you!
I see.
But in return...
The Third Bone The Bones that Slumber in Summer
Since it's summer and all...
A Story Dedicated to Those Trapped by the Past
God...
I didn't expect you to be into this sort of thing.
Are you all right?
Sorry about that.
L-Let's go.
It may well be that I'm just a boy to Sakurako-san.
Given that she doesn't like others and avoids human interaction,
it's doubtful that she even thinks of me as a friend.
She could count on me a bit more, though.
The metabolism of human cells increases when they're exposed to sunlight.
Let's go, boy.
Go? Go where?
Welcome to Limestone Cave Green Park
For a little walk.
Wait, are you sure this is a good idea?
This is totally a game trail!
So what?
A game trail means we might find animals along it.
The same goes for their remains!
Don't go, Soutarou!
Who's Soutarou?
Soutarou... Shoutarou...
His name is just one letter from mine.
Um, Sakurako-san?
What?
Well, um...
If you need to go, just do it in the bushes.
That's not it!
Then what?
Um, is Soutarou—
S-Someone's...
Someone's bones!
Please don't!
What if you go alone and something happens to you?
If that were to happen,
having you with me wouldn't change much.
This is wonderful!
Look, boy!
I don't want to!
No, you should.
This is one of the mysteries of nature!
Listen, when a body is left exposed,
flies are quickly drawn to the smell and lay eggs in it.
Once the larvae hatch, maggots feast on the flesh and grow at an incredible rate.
In turn, the maggots attract their predators, insects and small animals,
transforming the body into a paradise of life for a short time!
Isn't it wonderful, boy?
The great circle of life known as the food chain continues to enfold us all,
even after the body ceases all metabolic activity and its cells are destroyed.
What, you don't find it awe-inspiring?
I'm going to report this to the authorities now.
I have a feeling your left lung is larger than average.
Huh?
Typically, the left lung is smaller because it has to accommodate the heart.
But you are totally lacking in empathy.
You lack any heart!
Oh, hello?
Is this the police?
Oh, come on! Not you two again!
Keep Out
Well, some couple found it before we did, but...
Well, I have to ask: do you have any idea who this is?
No, but I can speculate.
Ah, Sakurako-san!
Now, let us solve the mystery.
From the clothing, we can deduce that the individual died in spring or fall.
In spring, residual snow would have made it difficult to come here,
so I'd say autumn.
Please, ma'am...
Quiet! You're disturbing my train of thought!
Hey, you! No one gave you permission this time, either.
Not to mention, the body is partially mummified.
Saponification occurred over the winter, then dehydration as the temperature rose.
As such, I recommend looking into missing persons during, and prior to, last autumn.
Yeah?
The teeth indicate that the individual was advanced in age.
Also, there's a fracture in the upper cervical spine—that is, the neck.
I suspect the individual fell from that cliff there.
However, the direct cause of death would be suffocation.
The cervical fracture severed the nerve, preventing autonomous breathing.
Okay.
Still, it's quite miraculous that the bones are so intact!
Normally, animals would have taken them.
How extremely fortunate!
Well, not that this individual would think so.
Hmm?
What? Do you want more specifics?
Yes, that would be very helpful.
Upon finding a corpse, the first order of business is determining its sex.
One approach is examination of the ridge of the skull's orbit,
Please continue.
but the best method is to look at the pelvis...
And Sakurako-san's been sulking ever since?
Yes, she was scolded rather harshly by Naoe-sama.
I'm sorry I couldn't stop her.
It's not your fault, young master.
Ever since she was a little girl, bones have sent her off on a spiral.
Since she was a little girl?
Yes. I believe it was her uncle's influence.
Now, why don't you take these to her
while they're still cold?
Sakurako-san, it's me.
I'm coming in.
Miss, I've brought you some ice-cold Densuke watermelon.
Like I thought, she's sulking.
That's Soutarou.
Huh?
My dead younger brother.
You've wanted to ask me that for a while, right?
Done!
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Well, let's dig in, while it's still ice-cold.
Because of things like that,
I totally forgot about the bones we'd found.
I forgot about how bones always belong to someone,
and that that someone has a family.
Meisei High School
All right, enjoy your summer break.
Don't you dare cause any trouble.
I won't be around to bail you out.
Huh?
And you call yourself a teacher?
Dismissed.
Hey, Shoutarou.
Huh?
You have a visitor.
Sorry, it didn't seem right to talk to you at school.
Um, the chiffon cake here is pretty good.
Want to try some?
Then let's split it.
This silky smooth texture
just melts along with the light whipped cream...
You know, Tatewaki-kun...
Yeah?
My grandma loved the chiffon cake here, too.
Oh, really?
I wonder...
I wonder why we couldn't be more mindful about how she was doing.
Kougami-san?
Thank you, Tatewaki-kun.
Huh?
The police told me.
It was you, wasn't it?
You found my grandma's bones.
She'd been missing since last fall.
She just up and vanished one day,
as if she'd just had the idea to go out around the block.
Everything had been left as it was.
She'd even left her lights on.
And she didn't leave a single note...
People who knew her said a lot of things,
like how she must've been tired of caring for Grandpa, and just ran away on a whim.
But I believed in her...
I don't think she was that kind of person!
She'd never kill herself!
Your grandmother... committed suicide?
Yeah.
The police said it's pretty common.
And why must I come along?
I was planning to assemble a monkey skeleton today.
She'd like to see you and thank you.
I don't need any thanks.
That's just a bother.
She helped you with Ii-chan, didn't she?
Thanks for coming all the way out here.
Kujou-san came, too?
Yeah.
She's a little unusual,
but she's not a bad person.
I know.
I could hear Kujou-san talking at Ii-chan's place.
She's kind.
Yeah, I guess...
By the way, are the two of you, uh...
Huh?
No, no, no!
That's not how it is at all!
Really?
That's how it seemed to me.
We're what you might call, like...
Maybe a guardian?
She's your guardian?
No, I'm hers.
This is a nice painting.
My grandfather painted it.
The horse's muscles are depicted with great accuracy and beauty.
He must've studied the subject very carefully before painting this.
I wish I could have told him that when he could still understand.
S-Speaking of which, where's your family?
Sorry, my mom's picking up my grandfather from daycare.
Oh, was this a bad time?
No, not at all.
But I guess we're only just realizing how tough my grandma had it every day.
She said it'd be best to let him stay somewhere familiar,
so she took care of him in their home in Touma when he was bedridden.
When we called her from time to time, she only said everything was fine...
But it wasn't fine at all.
Grandpa's dementia was getting worse.
Isn't that horrible?
We didn't even know about that.
We took Grandma at her word
and let her handle everything.
No, maybe we did know,
and just pretended not to notice.
Kougami-san, that's a bit—
We put her in a desperate position!
We...
It's my fault!
Tears are blood without the plasma component.
In other words,
when you cry, you lose water and your blood temporarily thickens.
It's not good for your health.
Drink.
It's lukewarm, so it probably doesn't taste good anymore.
That's the way.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Um, if you'd like, please take this with you.
Are you sure?
Yeah, we still have lots of his paintings.
We brought them all over from Touma, thinking they'd be good therapy for him.
Lucky you, Sakurako-san!
Hmm?
Thank you.
I'll take good care of it.
No, thank you.
I'm sure Grandpa would want you to have it.
Well, let's go, boy.
Okay.
Um, Kujou-san!
May I ask you a favor?
What is it?
Could you tell me where and how Grandma died?
She came all the way out here, into the mountains?
If she was taking care of her bedridden husband alone,
she must have been strong.
Caregiving isn't an easy task, even for young people like you.
Sakurako-san...
It's all right, Tatewaki-kun.
Caregiving really is tough.
Of course it is.
It's supporting a living human being.
It can never be easy.
You're right...
It's up ahead.
Here.
Your grandmother was found lying face-down over there.
She must have fallen from around there.
She died in such a lonely place...
It isn't lonely.
It's sunny, and it has a good view.
But there's nothing here!
The police told me that Grandma left in the middle of the night,
since the lights were still on and the morning newspaper was in the mailbox.
Why?
Why did she walk all the way here in the dark?
Why?
All I can say from examining her remains is that, at the very least,
your grandmother did not suffer for long before succumbing to death.
Are you...
Are you saying that's why she jumped from the cliff?
Because it'd be an easier death?
What are you talking about?
Your grandmother didn't choose this place to be her grave.
What do you mean?
It's self-explanatory.
Most people wouldn't die of a fall from that height.
There are any number of places where death would be more certain.
But the police said—
Nonsense!
Your grandmother did fall from that cliff.
But it wasn't intentional.
She only died because she fell in a bad way.
It was an accident.
What?
Then why was she here?
Wasn't that what you came here to learn?
Climb up there, and you'll find out.
I have to go!
Kougami-san!
Grandma...
What were you trying to do, Grandma?
Please tell me.
What were you thinking at the end?
Now do you understand?
Understand?
Understand what?
Look.
Those mountains? What about them?
Honestly...
You guys don't see anything, do you?
Look at this view.
It's Grandpa's painting...
I get it.
That painting was the sunset he saw from here.
I didn't recognize it, even though I looked at it every day.
Good grief...
Boy, I'm surprised you got into high school like that.
Huh?
Check the direction.
Whoa!
Jeez...
If this way is north, then...
Grandpa didn't paint the sunset.
He painted the sunrise... in the east.
Bingo.
That's why your grandmother left in the middle of the night.
She came here to see the same sunrise that her husband had painted.
The sunrise...
When people bask in the morning sun, serotonin is released in the brain.
Serotonin, also known as the happy hormone,
calms and lightens the heart.
In other words,
the morning sun cheers people up.
Your grandmother came here to gain something,
to rally herself.
She did not come here to die.
She was not in despair.
She chose to come here because she wanted to live.
She wanted to live...
Of course, this is only speculation on my part.
But if I were you, I would believe
the grandmother you knew, rather than the police.
My grandmother was an early riser.
She liked to go out to the fields first thing in the morning.
She said it was the source of her energy.
I see...
So that was why.
Grandma wanted to see the sunrise,
so she could keep living with Grandpa.
Grandma?
You were right, Grandma.
It really does cheer you up!