「…嫌だよ」綾は、鍵の入った胸元を押さえて後ずさりした。「あたし、そんなのよく分かんない。結局、お姉ちゃんはもういなくなっちゃうんでしょ。そんなの絶対に嫌」
　「綾ちゃん…」
　「来ないで」綾は胸元に手を入れた。こんな鍵、捨てちゃうんだから。そしたらもうお姉ちゃん帰れないよ」綾は、背後の丸い舷窓ににじり寄ると、内開きの柄に手を掛けた。
　「綾ちゃんっ」思わず、千早の語気が強くなった。
　綾がびくっと反応する。その拍子に、柄をつかんだ手に力が入った。

"No." Aya stepped back, lightly touching her chest where she kept the key to the padlock. "It won't make any difference if you are going away, Chihaya. And I don't like that. Not a bit."
"Aya..."
"Don't - don't come near me," Aya reached in her swimwear and pulled out the key.
"Here's the key - I can throw this away. Then you won't be able to go anywhere no matter what, Chihaya." She edged back to the glass porthole on the hull, reaching for its handle. The swing of the handle would make the porthole open inward.
"Aya, no."
Chihaya's change of tone startled Aya, and her hand inadvertently exerted a pressure on the handle and the rim of the porthole - much more than the decaying metal could bear.

DIVING GIRLS ILLUSTRATED　16 THE FLOODING ROOM

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