Yumemigusa's Bonus Short Story: The Story of a Certain Man

This is the translation of the short story included in Yumemigusa Soundtrack CD "Tsukiuta Kitan Yumemigusa ~ Otogatari".

Pardon for rigid English. Please don't re-post or re-translate without asking for permission.

"The Story of a Certain Man"
Written by: Fujiwara

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a quiet world.

The dark grey-colored sky that feels heavily weighing on him, that he had so used to see to the point that he wanted to forget about it but can't, spread above him.
There was a wheezing sound, and he knew that he's taking air into his lungs.
Not because he instructed his body to do so, but simply because it's a natural, subconscious reaction.
And because of that, beneath his slightly jolting body, the ground made a quiet noise.
The man took his time and slowly... slowly breathe out.
On the dry ground with pebbles scattered about, the man is lying down all alone.
The texture of earth felt cold against his palms.
Just how many hours have passed with him just lying down still, before he woke up like this?
Even if he tried to think about it, he came to no answer.
However, even if he doesn't wish for it, the moment he came to his senses, his body started functioning like normal.
His five senses returned.
A scent of rusting metal.
Dry wind.
His eyes, his nose, and his skin sensed, telling the man that he had returned to the world where he originally belonged.
There was no one else's sound.
There was no one else's presence.
The man is the only one who is breathing, moving, and lying still in the dying world.
The man simply continued staring the ashen sky in daze.

"... Aah."

Unintentionally, he let his voice out.
His throat hurts, and his voice sounded terribly hoarse.
(Aah, really... human sure clings to life desperately.)
Even though it would be better to die, just like how this world is.
Even though it would be better if it's end here.
Why does he need to once again face despair like this?
(Why won't they kill me?)
(Why do I stay alive?)
An irrational anger surges up, but it immediately went away.
The man is tired already.
So tired, from the depth of his heart, and feels despair.
He thought that if he just stayed lying still like that, maybe one day his body would stop functioning as well.
He closed his eyes.
And just as he became determined to welcome a dull death... something happened.

Suddenly, rushed with an impulse that he himself also couldn't understand, he rose up.
And because of that, just like a machine that had been long since getting oiled, he let out a groan as he felt his body ached here and there, but there was no time to pay attention to such thing.
He just started rising to his feet, and his legs started to move.
(... There's something...)
There's something here.
That's why he must go.
That's what his intuition says.
Pushed by that intuition, he walked forward.
His doubtful steps finally became even more determined, and he started walking faster, before then he broke into a run.
The man ran.
He simply ran.
His heart starting to race, his breathing grew faster, and sweats gushing out.
Even so he keeps running. Running. And running.
Then finally he arrived before a large silver door.
... What kind of sorcery is it?
Or could it be a hallucination?
It was as if the door, almost buried in rubbles, suddenly appeared before his eyes.
The man remembered that he had ever seen such door.
It has an exact same shape as the thing that guarded the entrance of the place where he hid himself before.
Which means...
For a moment, he forgot to take a breath.
It must be because how time had passed.
The surface of the door is thinly veiled with dusts, but just by wiping it off lightly, its striking shine immediately returned.
And in exchange, it reflected the face of the man, which had turned to liken that of a death god what's with how his eye sockets and cheeks seemed to have caved in, but he paid it no mind.
The man is absorbed in himself, having his trembling hand fumbling about.
His fingers touched a red lever.
(Could it be- could it be- could it be--)
His fingers reached out for the touch panel situated beside the lever.
As his index finger lightly touched the mark that indicated electrical power, after a moment, the sound of something activated, which sounded like the flapping of an insenct's wings, could be heard.
(... It's still alive.)
This facility, it's still alive.
The touch panel glowed in pale light.
As the man gulped down his own saliva, he took some time to operate it.
His body felt so numb, and so he couldn't really moved his fingers as he wanted it, but even so the panel worked just like how he wanted it, displaying complicated calculations, formulas, numerics, and letters.
As if encouraged by them, the man continued operating the machine.
Then finally... a sign that the lock is finally opened appeared, and the man took a deep breath.
As he let out a shaky breath, he gripped onto the lever.

It was then when he finally took notice.
Of the light that touched his cheek.
Before he became aware of it, the dull clouds broke up, and blue sky peeks in from the creaks.
As he felt the light that slipped in from the gaps of the clouds, he let his voice out, "Aah..."
Then almost instantly, his eyes felt hot, his throat felt tight, and his tears spilled.
"Aah... aah..."
The man wondered as to why he started crying.
He thought that maybe he finally broke.
That says how much time has passed since the last time he cried.
His tears just won't stop flowing out.
The man took his hand away from the lever for a moment, wiping his tears away.
But even then, the tears keep trickling down, refusing to stop spilling out.
Then the man finally went crouching down.

It was then when the lever moved.

It wasn't a mechanical kind of movement.
It was an awkward movement, like one who is questioning, like one who is on alert, the lever made a creaking noise, and moving little by little.
Someone who realized the man's presence is operating it.
―― Someone.

It couldn't be.
He had been searching for it.
But, he couldn't find it.
Thus he fell into the despair of solitude from being all alone.
Just as he chose for the end, he fell into a different world.
Then he got repeled from there, and then, here he is now――...

"... Who are you, mister?"

The voice of a young child came from above his head.
Which made the man thought the voice was a voice from heavens.
Finally he couldn't stop himself from sobbing, tears falling freely.
He had always been wanting to hear a voice.
A voice that isn't his, but of someone else.

"... Why are you crying? Please don't cry."

I've been wanting to hear your voice.