Original subtitles

Um... I'm Sonozaki Shion...

Mion's younger twin sister.

COTTON DRIFTING

CHAPTER TWO: TAKANO

{OP}

{Episode}

Good work!

Maebara-san's boy, take a break.

O...Okay.

I'm tired...

Kei-chan, good work.

Oh, how nice of you. Thank you, Mi...

I'm Shion!

Shion!

How dare you do that the other day?

That was a mistake on your part, Kei-chan.

I have no comeback...

Come on, please cheer up.

This barley tea is a sign of reconciliation.

S...Shion! Why are you with Kei-chan again?

Unlike you, I'm the considerate type,

so I couldn't ignore the sweaty Kei-chan.

By the way, why do you have two cups of tea?

Well, this is...

One as rough and self-centered as you

would never briskly bring a male classmate tea, right?

Um, well...

Yeah, I got really thirsty, so I was thinking I could drink two cups!

That's so like you! Chug, chug, chug!

All right, sis! You downed it impressively!

I hate you, Shion! I hate you even more than the other day!

Hey.

Good evening.

Old man Tomitake and Takano-san.

Good evening.

So you're the rumored transfer student, Maebara Keiichi-kun?

I'm Tomitake, a freelance photographer from Tokyo.

This is Takano Miyo-san, a nurse at the clinic.

Pleased to meet you.

Well, good evening, everyone.

Oishi-san, examining tomorrow's security system?

Well, something like that, though I believe nothing will happen.

Well, of course.

I hope we won't have to trouble the police this year.

I hope that's the case.

Is he a police officer?

Kei-chan, you hungry? Let's go to the tent and eat something.

Why not? I'm hungry too.

Let's go. Let's go.

I wonder who'll die and who'll disappear this year.

HINAMIZAWA RESIDENT'S ASSOCIATION

Shion, what was that...?

You haven't told Kei-chan yet?

I don't talk about those things.

Let's go, Kei-chan.

About what? I don't like to be the only one out of the loop.

Then I'll go on ahead.

If you don't hurry, there won't be any for you.

I don't mind telling you...

I think he has the right to hear this.

What are you talking about?

Maebara-kun, do you believe in curses?

Curses?

You know about the dam construction plan?

I believe there was a plan announced for a big dam

that would submerge Hinamizawa.

That's right.

A local protest campaign was established to oppose it.

The campaign office was set up at this shrine.

They prayed for success by placing the HQ at the shrine

of Hinamizawa's guardian god, Oyashiro-sama.

What does that have to do with curses?

Four years ago, the director of the dam construction site

was murdered, cut into pieces.

And the next year, a Hinamizawa couple who supported the dam

fell off a cliff and died while on vacation.

Furthermore, the year after that, the priest of this shrine

suddenly died of an unknown illness.

Rika-chan's dad.

And last year, a relative of the deceased male dam supporter

was found beaten to death.

Then that means every year for four consecutive years...?

And interestingly, each year, these deaths all occurred

on the night of the Cotton Drifting Festival.

If it can't be a curse or coincidence,

then what can these cases mean?

Takano-san is saying they were all probably done by people.

Of course, right?

If it's not a curse or coincidence,

it makes me believe they're caused by people's will.

B...But...

If it's caused by people, the culprit's likely from Hinamizawa.

In fact, the detective Oishi-san thinks so.

Hey, no way...

There's proof.

Proof?

One always dies by the curse, and another vanishes as a sacrifice.

Does that mean... they go missing?

That's right. Suddenly and without a trace.

I wonder who'll die and who'll disappear tomorrow?

It's great again this year.

I bet people from all over Hinamizawa came.

It's Satoko-chan. Hey!

You're all late.

Hello.

Let's go check out the festival till it's Rika-chan's turn to go on stage!

Okay!

There!

Cold...

Kei-chan, this way, this way.

Shion.

Where are we going? We're getting farther away from the stage.

You wanted to see Rika-chan's dance?

Could your strike zone be so low?

You're not taking me to a place where I can see Rika-chan's dance?

No one promised you that.

Th...Then why are we here?

Look at that.

What's that?

Oh, who is it?

Well, well.

I need to watch out for you, Keiichi-kun. A secret rendezvous?

That's not it.

And what are you two doing?

Tomitake-san, weren't you touching the padlock?

I guess we can't hide it now.

It's a secret that we were trying to break into the warehouse.

This is the forbidden shrine for ritual tools.

It's said only the Furude family and a small handful are allowed inside.

Really.

A sacred place forbidden to those other than the Furudes,

since they bring "impurities."

I don't think we can go into a place like that...

It's open.

Thank you, Jiro-san. At last.

Don't you think it's interesting? Let's take a peek.

But it's a sacred shrine for ritual tools, right?

Since I'm from the Sonozaki family,

I do have a general idea of what's in here.

And it's something I want you to see.

Me?

I'll be the lookout, so go ahead.

Then just for a bit.

If it's not interesting, I'm leaving right away.

Right.

Then let's go. Jiro-san, please stand lookout for us.

Sure.

That's Hinamizawa's guardian god, Oyashiro-sama.

It's more magnificent than the one at the shrine.

Do you know what "cotton drifting" means?

Wasn't it like a festival giving thanks to bedding and stuff

that's used during the winter?

The people in this village have half-demon blood flowing in them.

When this human-eating demon blood awakens,

it's said they "spirit away" those in human villages.

Demons spirit away...

They abduct sacrifices.

And on that night, to savor eating the miserable victim,

it's said the Cotton Drifting Festival was held.

Um...

It's a play on "bowels" and "cotton."

wata

wata

Bowels? Now that you mention it...

Yes, it's exactly as you imagine it, Maebara-kun.

The hoe Rika-chan was holding

is a dissection tool used to rip open human stomachs.

After listening up to this point, can't you see

what kinds of things are in this shrine of ritual tools?

Dissection tools.

Or in more gruesome terms, cooking tools.

I heard about this, but wow...

In Roman times, there was an execution method

that opened the stomach and displayed the pulled-out bowels like wieners.

If you pull out someone's bowels,

you'd expect them to die immediately right?

But if it's handled carefully, I hear it's possible for the person

to remain fully conscious while the intestines are pulled out.

So, the convict is conscious.

It's probably a more horrifying experience than a painful one.

I wonder if Onigafuchi Village's cotton drifting was like that.

So, you can probably believe now that all these horrifying rituals

are passed down in Hinamizawa, right, Maebara-kun?

Even if it actually happened, it all happened long ago,

and it has nothing to do with those living in Hinamizawa now.

You really do like Hinamizawa, Maebara-kun.

But you're conducting research

since you think such customs actually still remain today.

Correct?

I told you since you are an understanding person,

but if the others heard, they'd gang up and say I was blasphemous.

So, keep it a secret, Maebara-kun.

If they find out, I may be cursed by Oyashiro-sama

or made to be a sacrifice.

Are we done?

The dance is over, and everyone went down to the stream.

Bye.

We're going to head down to the stream now.

I'm tired.

Same here. I'm tired too.

Keep tonight a secret.

Sis gets really jealous.

And considering what we did tonight,

Oyashiro-sama's curse may occur tonight,

and the four of us are prime targets,

so we obviously have to keep it a secret.

But I really wonder what that sound was...

Huh? What sound?

The sound.

Wasn't the slamming sound so loud?

I didn't hear anything.

Wait, Kei-chan, are you seriously saying that?

Tricked you, Kei-chan. It's a lie, a lie.

What was that?

Mew!

Rika-chan.

We were looking for you.

We finally found you.

Don't get lost again, Keiichi-kun.

Y...Yeah.

Did you cheer me on during my dance?

Yeah, I was watching.

You did well right up to the end. No mistakes either.

Yeah, that's right. That doesn't count as a mistake.

Right!

Mew...

Did you get some cotton and throw it into the stream?

If you don't hurry, it'll be over.

Let's go!

Hey, Kei-chan.

What?

Did you see Shion?

N...No.

Oh.

That Shion...

Well, she'll be fine even if we leave her alone.

Kei-chan.

Mion.

What's wrong? You don't look too well...

I got dragged to a family dinner after the festival.

So, you know...

A hangover? How old are you?

Forgive me.

But it's true I'm not feeling well.

Oh, yeah. Kei-chan...

Last night, did you see Tomitake-san and Takano-san?

W...Well, I don't remember.

Oh, then let me ask you one more thing.

Last night, did you see Shion?

Didn't you ask that yesterday?

Did I?

I thought I might get a different answer if I asked again.

But I'm glad if you didn't see anyone.

I'll relay that you aren't involved in anything bad.

I'll tell them all.

"Them"?

Hello, Maebara residence.

SHISHIBONE CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY

Shion?

So, what's up?

Um...

Hello.

On a date today? I'm jealous.

Oishi-san.

Oh, from the police...

Is this Mion-san? Or Shion-san?

Maebara-san, you're quite tough to two-time the Sonozaki twins.

No, not at all... Two-time...

Kei-chan, it's time for me to get to work.

But...

I'll call you tonight. I'll talk to you then.

What's that? You called me here.

By the way, how much do you know about Sonozaki-san?

N...Not much.

The Sonozaki family are the yakuza that control this area.

But the heir and next group head, Mion-san,

isn't just inheriting a petty yakuza syndicate.

She'll inherit the Sonozaki family as a whole.

You probably don't get what I'm saying.

Actually, I wanted to ask you something.

Me?

Did you see Tomitake Jiro-san or Takano Miyo-san last night?

And again, last night, did you see Sonozaki Shion-san?

W...Well, I might have...

I might not have...

What's with everybody?

Oishi-san...

Got it.

Excuse me for a second.

Oh, right. Last night...

The four of you seemed to be having fun at the stone steps.

Well then, let's meet again.

How dare you leave me behind?

So what's up?

Please don't get mad.

It's just, well... Did you hear?

What?

Looks like you don't know.

It's about the Cotton Drifting Festival last night...

We entered the shrine of ritual tools, right?

Yeah...

Afterwards, did you see Tomitake-san and Takano-san?

That again?

What about you, Shion? Did you?

Of course I didn't.

My family members could confirm that.

Speaking of confirmation,

Mion, Rena, and the others could for me too.

Then I'll tell you.

I heard that they died last night.

Takano-san burned to death

and Tomitake-san clawed at his own throat—a suicide, apparently.

R...Really?

I heard this morning.

I think it has to be Oyashiro-sama's curse.

We have reason to be cursed...

R...Reason?

But think about it a bit.

Isn't Oyashiro-sama's curse this year a little strange?

In previous years, one died and another vanished.

But two people died this year.

That's not the problem, right?

No.

If two died from Oyashiro-sama's curse,

then two sacrifices would be needed to calm Oyashiro-sama.

Two?

I don't think anyone's gone missing yet.

I think two people will disappear soon.

That would be the ones who entered the ritual tool shrine.

No way! You've got to be joking!

Because we only looked!

It's not like we stole anything or took something away!

Besides, what I saw wasn't interesting at all!

I had no interest either!

I wanted to see Rika-chan's dance, but you just took me there!

That's right! You said you wanted to go in!

I'm not involved at all!

What are you going to do?

How will you take responsibility? Hey!

Are you listening?

{ED}

{Preview}

NEXT EPISODE

What's shaking is your heart.

What brings it closer is the shadow of darkness.

Who's shivering is the fake me.

When They Cry.

"Cotton Drifting Chapter Three: Lies."

Can you believe it?