"What's wrong with me...
Who am I?
I am Hayashi.
What am I doing?
I can't remember..."
Hayashi placed the monkey he was holding to the side and prepared to get up. He suddenly noticed words on his palm; the handwriting seemed to be his own.
[Find a way to deal with 'It'!]
[But do not investigate what 'It' is!]
[Remember you are human. The anthem of humanity is the anthem of courage.]
[You may commit suicide when necessary.]
'These are words I wrote to myself.
Do not investigate It.'
Subconsciously, Hayashi couldn't help but want to think about 'It,' but he resisted, trusting his own handwriting.
He then stood up and observed his surroundings, realizing that at some point he had changed into a work uniform and now had a name tag...
"Director? Am I the director now?"
Full of questions, Hayashi explored the Director's Office and then found a printed document.
A document taped firmly to a wooden desk.
Accept any employee, regardless of the color of their clothes. When no one is around, the sound of children crying and laughing outside the Director's Office door is normal. Employees are not allowed to bring pets to the Zoo. If anyone insists on violating this, there is no need to fine them; simply inform them that they are responsible for the consequences. Check the number of white lions in the Lion Park every three days and record the frequency of changes in the white lion population in the 'It' spreadsheet in the computer folder. Every map must have a section that can be torn off along a dotted line. Maps must be produced by a specific manufacturer. No matter how high the turnover rate of the Elephant Park security guards or how outrageous their demands for benefits, treat them well and try to meet their requests as much as possible.
They are not being unreasonable.
But it's best not to delve into the reasons for their demands...
There are 15 rules in total, but what caught Hayashi's attention the most was the last rule.
Always remember that human life and safety are more important than that of animals. Sacrifice any animal if necessary.
Don't be soft-hearted!
For some reason, seeing this rule made him feel uneasy.
But he didn't know why, as from his perspective, isn't human rights being superior to animal rights a matter of course?
Human lives should inherently be more important than animal lives.
It should be this way, but... why did he feel an inexplicable pang of shared suffering, like a fox mourning the death of a rabbit?
Especially when he saw a dried jellyfish in the nearby trash can, his sadness deepened.
Looking at it, Hayashi felt like he wasn't looking at a jellyfish but rather at a predecessor... Shaking his head, Hayashi ultimately didn't investigate these matters, only firmly memorizing the rules on the desk.
Some lingering consciousness told him that these rules were very important.
For the following period, he acted as the Zoo Director according to these rules.
Providing assistance to all zoo staff, whether blue-clothed employees, security guards, or black-clothed employees.
Dealing with escaped rabbits.
Staying in the Director's Office at night with the lights on, listening to the eerie sound of baby laughter.
During this time, Hayashi saw a few people who felt familiar.
He seemed to know them, but he couldn't remember.
The rigid girl, Iino Miko, became a blue-clothed employee.
However, within a few days, she turned into a rabbit and was taken to the Rabbit Park for containment.
Ishigami became a security guard; he seemed to have turned into an elephant to save a certain senior... That senior seemed to have a boyfriend, but her boyfriend had long since become lion fodder.
Then... one day the zoo lost power!
Rule 8: The power supply equipment here is stronger than any other park. A power outage is abnormal. If it occurs, immediately tear off the spare map on the right side of the desk along the dotted line, then hold it in your hand and walk out.
Tell the first employee you encounter about this, no matter what color clothes they are wearing or what they are about to do, and ask them to help you deal with the power outage.
He will not refuse you.
She indeed did not refuse... Hayashi still remembered that night; after the power outage, he followed the rule, tore off the map along the dotted line, and walked out of the Director's Office with it in hand.
Then, he saw Yukinoshita wearing a security uniform... "Yukinoshita-san!?"
Hayashi called out with a question in his voice. The girl looked at him with confusion, seemingly wondering why he knew her name.
Yet, she said nothing more and took the torn map section from his hand.
And disappeared into the darkness.
Ultimately, Hayashi didn't know what happened, only that less than half an hour after she left, the zoo's power was restored.
But Hayashi couldn't be happy.
The next day, he searched the entire park but couldn't find the familiar girl.
He somehow found himself at the Aquarium.
Rule 9: Do not delve into whether the Aquarium exists. But if you see the Aquarium, you may enter and walk around.
Outside the aquarium, please comply with the notices posted at the entrance. Inside the Aquarium, please comply with the notices posted internally.
If there are conflicting notices, decide which one to follow based on your physical location when you see the notice.
Thinking of this, Hayashi entered the Aquarium. He then found a Black-Clothed Employee standing there, and just like with Yukinoshita, Hayashi called out her name the moment he saw her.
"Kaguya-san?"
"!"
Standing in the whale area of the aquarium, Kaguya was looking at the elephant swimming in the water.
Suddenly hearing Hayashi's call, she turned around, looked at him with a complex gaze, then looked at the elephant behind her...
"Director~! I'm sorry, I can't save you all."
After saying that, she left.
"…"
Silently watching her leave, Hayashi didn't stop her. He just walked to where she had been standing and looked at the drowned elephant in the whale area.
Aquarium Employee Handbook:
The drowned elephant corpse in the whale area is a 3D projection technology currently under experiment. No matter how real it looks, ignore it. Just disregard it.
Also, do not investigate the switch location; there is no need for it to be turned off.
Also, do not investigate the switch location; there is no need for it to be turned off.
'3D projection? Ignore it! No need to turn it off!'
For some reason, looking at this elephant, Hayashi felt a sense of sadness. In a trance, he seemed to see the girl from last night.
The girl who said nothing just took the note he handed her and resolutely stepped into the darkness.
'Yukinoshita Yukino... I seem to have known her in my lost memories? She seems to be a... sharp-tongued girl who pursues correctness?
Sharp-tongued? Doesn't seem so?'
Ultimately, Hayashi didn't know what feelings he carried as he left the Aquarium.
He just took the torn-off dotted section of the map to the Rabbit Park.
He felt it was time.
[You may commit suicide when necessary.]
He felt that now was the necessary moment.