I am quite interested to see how things changes, if we go with larger group.
Mitsuki is going with us in any case, and if the first night of any indication, Mori is heading up to the physiotherapy building.
But Amanozaki and probably Sakaki are staying.
Also, do you really think three dice are more reliable than one?
Wild speculation time!
“…the Kaimei group.” Once a wealthy and powerful zaibatsu, you seem to recall that it has fallen on hard times some years ago.
“Yes, exactly! They suppressed the knowledge, hiding it from the general public. The director was one of their own, after all. Even now they are manipulating the strings of information as part of The Organization that controls the world behind the scenes. Now, how does it tie in with Ikei Medical University Hospital, built upon its ashes? This particular plot of land is a spiritually sensitive location, where rituals that bind the living to the dead have been performed since time immemorial.”
“Bind?”
“Yes. For example, the locals living in this area had a tradition of ghost marriages as a form of appeasement to the spirits, among a few other rituals related to the underworld.”
Her expression changes slightly, muttering something inaudibly before shaking her head. When Maeda looks at you again, she asks, “Hey. Rabbit. Have you ever been a guest at our- I mean, Kaimei’s mansion in Yamanashi? About twelve… no, thirteen years ago?”
[...]
You shake your head. “I… I don’t think so.”
There is a complicated expression on her face that you cannot read. “Yes, that’s right. Of course you wouldn’t have…” Surprisingly, Maeda laughs out loud, tossing her hair back. “On second thought, you wouldn’t even get past the front gates with that impoverished, creepy mug of yours. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I was asking because I was interested in you or anything.”
“We’re almost there, Maeda-san!” As you tread laboriously towards it, you hear Maeda whisper softly, in a gentle tone that is so far away from her usual behaviour that it seems to be coming from a different person entirely.
“Sei-chan… you came back…” You can feel her clinging even more tightly to you – it is an embrace that is almost child-like in its affection.
Supposedly, the Organization behind the Kaimei Hospital was a powerful and influental group - and it is likely that it still is, seeing how Maeda, a woman obviously from a high society and engaged to a wealthy software magnate, is a part of that circle.
Supposedly, Shinohara family is equally influental, to own an entire hospital and have resources to hide some unfavorable facts both from public eyes and from detectives like Mori.
How likely would it be that the Shinohara family belongs to the Organization (I am stuggling hard not to call it 'Agency' by accident
)? If the first Director was one of their own, why not the next one as well? Especially since Maeda seems to remember our visit from 13 yeards ago.
If we were there as Shinohara Seiji, could it be that there might have been a history of affection between us and Maeda? If we are about 25 years old now - which is yet unconfirmed, by the way - we would have been 12 by then. An age of first love and all that. It looks like she expected her 'Sei-chan' to come back right until the end.
If we are members of the same circle, could we have been in an arranged marriage with her? If we are dead, then it would fit the term 'ghost marriage' Amanozaki spoke about and explain Maeda's connection to us and this place.
Could she have wished for our return to save her from an unwanted marriage with Taketatsu? She clearly was not very enthusiastic about it.
I guess we'll see what this was all about.
Another of the wild speculations.
As she sits down, Uehara pats Mitsuki’s shoulder encouragingly. “I-I’m… Iwano Mitsuki. I’m twelve this year,” Mitsuki says shyly, sitting with her head bowed. “I came here for treatment.”
[...]
“Ah, I think I’ve seen you around before, Mitsuki!” Okuyama interjects cheerfully. Turning to Tokigawa, she says, in a more hushed voice, “Kou, we’ll discuss this with her afterwards.”
With trembling fingers, he reaches into his coat, plucking out a cigarette and a lighter. “Find… Mitsu… no, Iwano…” He takes a drag and coughs heavily, his normally piercing eyes pointed at vacant space – he is not looking at you at all. “Protect… please…” he mumbles, as his breathing slows down.
A shadow comes across Mitsuki’s face for an instant before being banished by a brilliant smile. “Ah, I come to Ikei often for treatment. It’s a… gene disease? Sometimes I tend to space out for minutes, or my arms and legs will be unable to move. I also hallucinate things that aren’t there.”
I can't shake off the feeling that Mitsuki is one of the key figures here. She is the only child delivered to a place that has a history of preying on children. She also has a heightened spiritual connection, which separates her from the rest. Could it be that she is a sacrifice to appease the spirits of this place? Could it be that the treatment she receives from the hospital is not a treatment at all, but a preparation for something more sinister?
There is something shady going on with the Shinohara family, and Mitsuki's visits to their hospital make me very suspicious of their motives.
The disappearance from several years ago might have been a test run for what is happening now.
There is also something going on with the number 12. 12 people go missing each year due to rituals. 12 years ago we were at the Kaimei zaibatsu. If my theory is correct, we were 12 then. Mitsuki has turned 12 this year. Could be a coincidence. Could be something else. I am probably reaching with that one.