In the hospital, in the afternoon, with a single 30-year-old woman; these three factors overlapped like layers of a traditional New Year's rice cake, and an alarm was going off. I wished it were just a small wave warning.
"Is that the message from the doctor?"
"Yes, and the third one was from me."
I restrain myself from saying that she's just jumping on the bandwagon to insult others. Given the help I've received, I can't exactly be assertive.
Moreover, since I owe her, it's deeply challenging to overturn the power dynamics. It feels like I'm experiencing a simulated creditor-debtor relationship.
"Don't ever show your face again. That concludes the playback."
"...I see."
"Don't worry, in about a week, he'll be the one to give in and come here."
She prophesizes with the certainty of a cult leader. I hope that turns out to be true.
Nagatsuki-san adjusts her seat and sits upright.
"So, Fake Mi-kun's Mr. Mi,"
"Actually, Mayu is here..."
Pointing out the healthy, mentally disabled child sleeping beside me, much like someone I knew once.
"Why are you here on a weekday afternoon?"
"You should know without thinking."
"You're asking for money?"
"Think about it."
It's tiring. Relationships where I'm constantly sighing.
The old saying "watch others and correct yourself" rings true. I decided to act contrary to my resolution to be a more eco-friendly person and limit my social interactions.
"Now, Mr. Mi, there are a few things I need to ask."
She pressures me with a smile. "Of course," I readily agreed.
"First... about Mr. Sugawara. When did you realize he was the culprit?"
From the beginning.
"No, I never imagined such a thing. Lately, I haven't even had dreams. I have insomnia."
"I see."
Nagatsuki-san thinks deeply. Her smile falters twice, but she maintains her graceful demeanor.
"Then, on the night of five days ago, when you tried to send the Ikeda siblings, who were sheltered after running away from home, back to their home, you coincidentally encountered Mr. Sugawara and narrowly escaped death..."
"That's correct."
I answered confidently. This time, Nagatsuki-san wasn't satisfied with just a superficial agreement. Her lips twitched. The first time around, even I struggled to hide my surprise. Mayu and I were runaways under protection.
The police were told so by those kids.
It's like she's so confused that I want to tell her she's just exhausted.
If I show even a hint of doubt, it will be labeled as a lie. So, when the Ikeda family visited me in the hospital, I went along with the story. After that, I was thanked for temporarily calming my parents' fights.
...Then, I started questioning myself.
Did I actually orchestrate all this?
Did I show kindness to those kids, play on their conscience, and manipulate them into giving a false testimony?
Even now, I agonize over this matter and have no conclusion.
"Sugawara's statement says that the day after you returned from a school trip, you found a letter in your desk asking you to come to a specified place at 10 pm. Although the person who sent the letter never showed up, what about this?"
"That person is so irresponsible. Because of them, both Sugawara and I suffered."
With a dramatic gesture, I shake my head and mourn my heavily bandaged left arm and suspended right leg.
"...It was written, 'Dear murderer, I am just like you.' What about this?"
"In other words, he's not a primate but a dinosaur person."
"It was also mentioned that there was a gift included."
"Is it the famous candied ayu fish? Clearly indicating its origin is a way to avoid blame."
"Why did you try to send the Ikeda siblings home late at night?"
"It was an early Santa Claus game."
Nagatsuki-san seems exasperated by the audacity of this deceitful person. Unusually, she presses her fingers to her temples, her shoulders drooping in frustration.
"You really are honest, aren't you?"
I can sense the sarcasm in her words.
Liars are honest with themselves.
It's a good phrase. I'll use it when I defeat evil.
Casually deciding on such things, I notice Nagatsuki-san's foot being raised and then forcefully dropped. My chair bounces from the impact, and my half-worn slippers fly off, sliding under the bed and crashing into the wall. With a grand gesture, she moves to the left side of my bed.
I had a very bad feeling about this.
"Move closer, it's cramped here."
She treats me like an inconvenience with a smile. She grabs my shoulder, pushing me to the right.
"Hey, miss, look at my leg."
It's hanging, don't move it.
"Make sure to trim your nails."
With a caring older sister tone, she kicks my side, forcibly moves me closer to Mayu, and takes my place.
What a situation.
In the center is a man, with two women on either side, forming a 'river'. It's a man's dream come true, but considering I can't move my legs, it feels more like bullying.
Nagatsuki-san's hand rests on my shoulder, and our faces are close. Her golden hair cascades between us, and I resist the urge to brush it away.
"...Is my understanding of common sense wrong? Is it societal common sense, based on public order and morals, for everyone to visit and then jump onto the bed like primary school students at a pool party?"
The back of the lady grinding her teeth, the ex-doctor, and the laughing detective are all respectable members of society. Am I the only one left out, trapped in a delusional societal concept? "I don't know who these people are, but I haven't been sleeping lately. I repelled a murderer using a lethal judo technique. I'm being pulled in many directions and don't have time to rest my body and mind."
She sarcastically comments. I was about to whistle when my lips were pinched, turning them as red as cod roe.
Yes, this person is Kamishiro Nagatsuki. A famous detective known for solving unprecedented murder cases... or so it's said.
What I asked of Nagatsuki-san was to shoulder the responsibilities of Sugawara. I didn't want to be associated with past incidents in any way.
However, there's a contradiction: I would continue my relationships with Mayu and the teacher.
But that's okay. Living with contradictions is more human.
"Hey, [my name]."
I feel a gritty sensation, as if sand is being poured into my ears, making my eardrums tremble. Since the incident, I've been unable to recognize my name when called.
"Wow, what a sour face."
"I don't like the name. It doesn't consider that I'm male at all."
"Is that all?"
With a confident smile, Nagatsuki-san softly prods me. Even though she should already know the answer, being a friend of Dr. Koinichi. I'd like to pass on the title of "most mischievous" to her.
"That's all. But that's enough for a rebellious teenager like me."
Contrary to my reply, Nagatsuki-san beams brightly, then gently strokes my hair.
"I understand. From now on, I'll call you 'Mi-kun'."
Is she planning a long-term relationship with me?
Ignoring my bewilderment, Nagatsuki-san gets to the point.
"Sugawara is Mayu's childhood friend, and you're 'Mi-kun', right?"
"Yes."
"And you, 'Mi-san', are the son of a kidnapper, the second generation 'Mi-kun'."
"No, no, I'm just a substitute. Once Sugawara returns, I'll step down." Whether that day comes, I don't know.
But as a substitute, it means there's a gap in Mayu's memory. Mayu has forgotten Sugawara and me but remembers "Mi-kun". That's where it gets ambiguous.
In Misono Mayu's perspective, the foundation of "Mi-kun" is Sugawara. Memories from their early childhood form the base. However, during the incident, Sugawara shifted from being bullied to becoming the bully. My father jokingly made Sugawara bully Mayu, and it became a spectacle. As a result, discrepancies arose. Mayu couldn't accept the reality. The one who hurt Mayu became "an unknown boy", and I, who shared the same situation, was called "Mi-kun". There was a mismatch.
In Mayu's world, there's a "Mi-kun" beside her, Sugawara is the unknown boy who bullies her, and I'm nowhere to be found.