Karafuru

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I guess...I'm dead...? Oh well...

Can't say I'm really bothered.

Congratulations!

You're our lucky winner!

Huh...?

Wha...?

You've been quite the sinful soul.

But you're in luck.

You've just won yourself a trip back to the world below.

Looks like you're going to get a second chance!

Huh?

Where are you going?

You're about to slip out of the cycle of reincarnation.

You'll never have another chance at life.

Don't you care about that?

I don't care...

The answer's no.

Really? Why?

Kinda seems like

more trouble than it's worth.

Or maybe it's just

that I had enough of that

damn place the first time around.

But you don't remember what happened there, right?

So it's not like you have any bad memories.

Well...

I guess, but...

So there's no problem, right?

Besides, it's not like either of us can do anything to change it.

What The Boss says goes.

The Boss?

I guess...you might call him the father of all creation.

Are you...

...an angel?

If that's how you'd like to think of me.

Oh yes, I forgot to introduce myself.

My name's Purupura.

I've been charged with being your guide.

This door leads to the world below.

There you'll become a boy named Makoto Kobayashi.

Makoto Kobayashi...

Who is he...?

Why him?

I don't know. I'm just telling you what The Boss told me.

Well then, if you will.

Wait a sec...

I'm not...

Come on, come on.

You'll have plenty of time to think later.

Time to go.

Are you...an angel...?

Then...

Three days ago, Makoto Kobayashi tried to commit suicide by overdosing on pills.

He's due to pass away soon.

When he dies, his soul will leave his body...

...leaving you free to slip in in his place.

Makoto...

Makoto...

If you complete your training successfully, you'll reenter the cycle of reincarnation.

And you'll be reborn anew.

What do I mean by 'training'?

Well, we in the business call it a 'homestay'.

Makoto comes from a four person family.

Ah! Makoto!

Makoto! Makoto!

Makoto!

Doctor!

Excuse me, let me take a look.

Dear...

His pulse has restarted...

Hook him back up to an ECG.

Right!

He's come back...

Makoto's come back from the dead!

Ah...ah!

Makoto!

Sorry, but you'll need to stand back a moment.

Makoto, can you hear me?

U...um...

Is this my voice?

Ah...it's Makoto's.

Ah...it's Makoto's.

What do you want? Water?

A m...mirror.

A mirror?

What's wrong? Do you want to see your face?

It's not a mirror, but if you want to see your face...

Can you see?

Nothing wrong, right?

That's fine.

Ugh...

Ah! Makoto!

What's wrong? Do you feel ill?

My stomach... My chest... It feels like I'm being stabbed.

I feel awful.

This is my father.

This is my mother.

This is my older brother, Mitsuru.

And...

This is Makoto Kobayashi, the person I've become.

After a week spent in hospital...

...and a range of tests, a conclusion was reached:

There was nothing at all the matter with Makoto's body.

His parents were told that his heart was another question, but...

There really wasn't really any need to worry there.

Because Makoto's heart wasn't inside him anymore.

Mine was.

What's wrong?

Is it hard to go back?

Not really...

I've laid out a bunch of dishes I started making yesterday.

All your usual favourites.

I'll go heat them up in a sec.

Ah, we're using the Japanese styled room today.

Umm...

Come in, come in.

It's nice to use this room every now and again.

You could've carried his luggage to the washroom.

Your brother's been busy studying, but I made sure he came along today.

I wanted us all to come get you together when you were discharged.

Oh, you should light a stick of incense for granny too.

Granny?

It might be her who sent you back to us, after all.

Ah, wait a second. I'll be right back.

Hahaha!

Fat chance of that, right?

Definitely!

But it was a pretty funny misunderstanding.

Yep.

There's more roast beef left.

Feel free to help yourself. I know how you like it.

Yeah, but... I'm kinda full.

We can't have that. Here you go.

Somehow...

...a certain someone didn't seem thrilled to have his brother home.

Oh yeah... There was that time we had the buffet at that hotel...

...and Makoto ate nothing but roast beef.

That's right.

He went back to get more so many times...

...that the cook whipped up an extra thick...

Why would this kid try and kill himself...?

He has such a great family.

Oh yeah, I bought a cake for us to have afterward too.

A full one that's THIS big.

Umm...I'm really full, though.

Umm...thanks a bunch.

I'm grateful that you did all this for me.

It was really good!

Not something Makoto would say, evidently.

Really?

I'm glad.

Mmhm.

You should go to your room and have a rest.

There's a nice freshly washed futon waiting for you.

R...right.

Ah...

So Makoto's room is...

...which one, exactly?

Ah!

What's wrong?

What is it?

N...nothing...

The second floor.

Hey, where have you been all this time?

You'll never guess what I've had to go through.

Hey!

Are you listening, Parapara?

You sure are grumpy today, huh?

Damn right!

You didn't tell me anything about Makoto.

I don't know what sort of kid he's supposed to be.

And I was so scared of people getting suspicious at the hospital...

...that I spent the whole time sleeping!

What's so bad about that?

And...!

It's better if you don't approach this with any preconceptions.

So you begin by thinking for yourself.

You're...

...pretty arrogant, huh?

You look like a little brat, but I'll bet you're really some old grandpa.

Cut it out!

Wasn't there something you wanted to ask me?

Ah...oh yeah...

This is Makoto's room.

That's a painting Makoto did in junior school.

It won the gold medal in a contest.

He's meant to be pretty good at drawing, and he's in the art club.

Hmm...

So lemme guess? The first year of middle school?

The third.

Jeez, he's a midget.

Seems he had quite a complex about that himself.

The body you're given...

...is decided by the weight of the sins you committed in your past life.

So what'd I do?

I wonder.

Remembering that is part of your training too.

Bet it was nothing that bad.

How terribly naive...

You think perfectly happy people just kill themselves for no reason?

Ah...

I'm going to give you the...

...basics of the basics that you'll need to complete your duties.

What's that?

A guidebook chronicling the life and times of Makoto Kobayashi.

What...? If you had that, why didn't you pull it out sooner?

Hey, the pages are all blank!

It can't be read by residents of this world.

It's confidential information only for the eyes of people like me.

I bet you're just saying that...

...so you can tell me any old crap you come up with is written there.

What the heck would I have to gain doing something like that?

I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I'll listen.

Is it okay for an angel to hit someone like that...?

Ahaha...

We'll start with his family.

His father is a salaryman with no redeeming features besides being quite nice.

He gets all the worst tasks stuck on him, and does tons of overtime.

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