Chapter 10: "Lies and Truths"
"It's getting cold."
"Yes, the seasons outside might be changing."
"Is it becoming winter?"
"In a little while, probably."
"Will we be here during Christmas?"
"...Yes."
"Do you think Santa will come this year?"
"...It might be difficult."
"I want him to come."
"What will you ask Santa for?"
"...I have many wishes. Will he fulfill them all?"
Since forever... Even though it's been a continuous cycle since ancient times, I barely notice it because my awareness has been dulled.
Things used to be predictable until external circumstances got involved.
It was a decent three weeks. A past composed of universal daily life where I can only recall fragmentary events. There isn't anything exceptionally wonderful, nor anything worth lamenting.
Instances like when Mayu called me a liar, and under the pretense of making amends, forced me to skip school for an entire week to go on dates, or when I visited the doctor while Mayu was deep in sleep, only to end up discussing manga with the doctor, returning home late and upsetting Mayu, or trying to get Mayu out of bed one morning and only getting her to wear a skirt, leading to misunderstandings and eventually skipping school again.
Even as I prattle on about "fragmentary memories," I can't help but feel disappointed that I remember such trivialities. Well, it can't be helped; it's just my nature.
Then there were playful days with Kouta and the others. Under Sugawara's leadership, the Kendo club achieved remarkable results in a tournament. They even printed extra student council newsletters, ignoring the regular publishing schedule. And then there was the ninth victim. At the end of such days, the sound of a phone call echoed in the room where no one else was.
Acting on behalf of the owner, I picked up the receiver and pressed the call button.
"Hello, this is Misono."
"Ah, hello! You're not Mayu, are you? You must be the long-awaited 'Mi-san,' right?"
"Excuse me, but who is this?"
"I am Kamijou Natsuki, just a cog in the police machine. I'm the best friend of Koihi-sensei, whom Mi-san adores."
Ah, so this is the rumored detective, Natsuki. I see.
"So, you're Mi-san, right?"
"Just a bit."
"Indeed, the great liar, Mi-san. Hello, I've finally reached you."
"Don't mock me. It wasn't an out-of-service area."
"I've been getting hung up on by a wonderful girl for several days now."
"Ah, that's my wife. I've trained her to hang up on strange calls."
"Is 'Please die by tomorrow' her catchphrase?"
"No, it's 'You should die now.'"
"Such a polite wife, I admire that. So, Mi-san, how about having an affair with me?"
"I'll pass."
"You're humanity's enemy. Worthless."
"Then I'll nominate the third person."
"Permanently retired, please refrain."
"You're quite unique. Who do you take after?"
"Rumor has it I resemble the kid next door."
"That sounds like a wonderful daytime drama. I'll forcibly take you in for disrespect if you don't comply soon."
"I understand, Kamijou-san. I'll respond to your enthusiasm and meet you. But, it's a secret from my wife."
"There's no affair that's remained a secret."
"By the way, Kamijou-san, have we met somewhere before?"
"That's a primitive pick-up line."
"No, no, I remember hearing your beautiful voice somewhere before."
"Ah, I thought the same. I've loved your voice since the first time I heard it!"
"Fallen in love with a voice? Be careful with telephone shopping."
"Where shall we meet?"
"Somewhere dark."
"Understood. See you then."
I ended the call. Two seconds later, the phone rang again.
"Let's meet at the nearest department store from Mayu's house, third-floor café, 11 o'clock, on the weekend."
"...That's the one near the station, right? Got it. Excuse me then."
I put down the receiver.
"Good grief."
Despite the upcoming school trip next week, it's always like this.
I've never been able to handle things well.
After the call, I opened the sliding door to the Japanese-style room. The room felt like the boundary between autumn and winter, with the indoor temperature steadily dropping.
"Ah, welcome back."
"......Thanks."
And in that room, as expected, two people sat engrossed in manga, lifting their eyes to greet me. Beside them was a stack of manga borrowed from the teacher. I returned the greeting, sat down after closing the sliding door, and picked up a manga close at hand, flipping to a random page. In the time it took to read about a page, my thoughts turned inward, overshadowing external stimuli. Simply put, I was lost in thought.
Kamijou Natsuki. A detective. Aspired to be a detective in her childhood. A personality where the line between lies and seriousness is blurred. Classmate of the teacher. That means she's 31 this year. That's all the information I have. Additionally, according to the teacher, she's "a bit like you."
Well, you can't see humans from the moon looking at Earth, so it's hard to say whether we're alike or not. However, from our previous conversation, I was certain that she's a troublesome person.
Such a lovely person to meet in a café on the weekend. I wonder what would make her heart race.
"Is your sister sleeping?"
Kouta's voice brought me back. I closed the manga before responding.
"Yeah, she's protesting to her homeroom teacher."
Anzu looked up, tilting her head. Lately, she occasionally showed an innocent side.
"She's insisting to be in the same room as me for the school trip. I warned her it's impossible, but she didn't listen, so I left."
Even after I left, she was so engrossed in her stubborn conversation that she didn't notice.
"Ha... So, she went back?"
Kouta sounded surprised.
"Is that odd?"
"Yeah. You two are always together."
Anzu replied. Kouta nodded, and all I could say was, "That's true."
"I thought it might not be good to spoil her too much."
Mayu can be a bit too self-centered. In our three weeks together, that side of her has become more prominent. If I don't agree with her, she sulks; if I talk to someone else, she gets furious the moment we're alone. Mayu seems to prefer that I be in a subservient role to her.
"...Well, we can't always be together. Sooner or later, I'll be taken in by the police."
After all, I'm a criminal, and my judgment is inevitable. I need to teach Mayu to live on her own.
That's not about skill or wisdom, but about being prepared to just accept things.
I wonder if Mayu has the heart to do that.
That aside, Kouta seemed a bit disheartened by the word "police." Anzu looked lost. These kind-hearted kids seemed to feel responsible for this misunderstanding.
"You guys don't need to worry about it. From the beginning... it's probably mostly Mayu's fault, I guess."
By the way, what's the purpose of this kidnapping? I often ponder this, but I've yet to ask her directly. It's a comedy of forgetting to ask due to my lack of urgency and prioritizing other things in our conversations.
"Speaking of which, you guys..."
I trailed off and scratched the back of my head, trying to restrain myself. It's been three weeks. Simply put, in the fifteen days when Mayu and I went to school and left the house, they had the opportunity to voice their plight. If you inquire about the design philosophy of this apartment, it certainly has soundproofing. However, unlike the bedroom where Mayu often lets out strange noises, the Japanese-style room is only separated by a single wall from the neighboring apartment. In other words, they could have broken this situation without lifting a finger. The metallic shackles linking the pillar and their ankles serve no purpose other than decoration, whether they've been degraded or elevated.
Yet, they are still quietly accepting their current situation. For my part, I assumed without reason that they wouldn't act out, so I didn't take any precautions. It's a baffling kidnapping case. No, understanding what's inside a kidnapper's mind is probably impossible.
"Um, what's going on with you guys?"
To Kouta's question, I waved my hand dismissively and cut him off, "It's nothing."
"Anyway, crimes are judged. That's absolute."
Well, only if they are recognized as crimes.