Vol 1 Chapter 1 (1/2)

SECRET FILES – KIZUNA

each wish: chapter 1 (TRANSLATION NOTES)

1

Takagishi+ Akemi opened the classroom door at the same time as the chime went off and stood at the lectern

The students were still noisy from the break

Akemi put both hands on the lectern, looked around the classroom and waited for the students to quiet down on their own

Takagishi+ knew that if you told children of this age to be quiet, they would just grow noisier

Children in puberty didn’t like being told what to do, even if it was a little thing like that

Rather than being taught that, Akeh her life as a teacher

The students grew calmer

‘Now, let’s start’

Akemi opened the attendance record and looked around the classrooain, when she noticed there was an empty seat

The second seat from the back of the row by the corridor –

So

'Where’s Saitou-kun?’

Akemi asked that question to all the students

'Isn’t he just skipping again?’

The one who spoke with blatant dislike was Tsukasa, who sat in the very front row and had a leader role in the class

– Again?

'How long’s he been gone?’

Akemi asked that question to Tsukasa, but the reply was an innocent 'I don’t know’

'Sacchan, do you know?’

Akemi looked at Sachiko, who sat beside the empty seat

'Ah, er, he was here until the end of the first class, but he left during break… I’m sorry’

Sachiko spoke like afor her child’s misconduct

'It’s OK It’s not your fault’

Though Akehed

If he had been gone since the second class, there should have been some contact froone

Ake like this had been let pass

'Let’s have class already I’ to study,’ said Tsukasa

'Liar!’

Youhei, in the seat right behind Tsukasa, made fun of him

There was stifled laughter from all over the classroom

Akemi couldn’t stop class for one person She knew that But –

'Please open to page 168 of the textbook and read that passage I’ll be right back’

The whole class let out a shrill 'Ehhhh!’ at Akemi’s words

However, she still couldn’t continue class while ignoring a student who had skipped

Akemi wrote the words 'Self Study’ on the blackboard and left the classroom

She knehere he would be

He was always in the sa him back

Akemi ran to the end of the corridor, took the stairs up and opened the door to the rooftop

The dry autumn wind hit her face

Akemi covered her eyes and went out onto the rooftop

– Just as I expected

She saw the back of aby the rooftop fence

– Saitou Yakumo

The back looked so

Akemi sloalked up to Yakumo

– Why did you skip class?

She knew that she wouldn’t get an answer even if she asked Yakumo

'Hey’

Akemi called out to Yakumo’s back

In response, Yakumo slowly turned around

He wasn’t that different froht Around 150 centie

Akeht as her own

Yakuh they still looked slightly childish However, he was so pale that it made her doubt whether he was really alive

Furthermore, his eyes were endlessly dark and cold

Akeaze was as expressionless as a machine’s

Though pubescent boys were prone to trying to er, most of that ended at vanity

However, it was different for Yakumo

There was so about Yakue

'What do you want?’ said Yakuht this troublesome

An uncertain voice that had just finished changing –

It felt like there was a rejection there, telling people not to approach him

Yaku Akemi because she was his homeroom teacher

Akemi had never seen Yakumo talk with the other classmates

Of course, he talked when absolutely necessary, but that was all The words that came out of Yakumo’s mouth were only short phrases like 'Ah’ and 'I see’

What sort of person was Yaku to become? What did he like? What did he dislike? There was probably nobody in this school whom he would reply to if asked

'What are you looking at?’ asked Ake herself to smile

'The cherry blosso his eyes

Ake with Yakumo’s words It was autumn now There were just dead leaves on the branches

'Even though the flowers aren’t blosso?’

'Don’t people say this? That corpses are buried under cherry blossom trees,’ said Yakumo expressionlessly

– Corpses

Akeht that her heart would leap out of her mouth

He had suddenly said such a frightening thing

Co like that in a story before

It was a story about a man who had the wild idea that the reason cherry blossoms were beautiful was that there were corpses buried underneath the tree and thought of theedy[1]

Did Yakumo think that way –

'So did you find it?’ asked Akemi as a joke

'Find what?’

'A corpse’

Yakumo seemed surprised by Akemi’s words, as his cheek twitched

However, then his expression soon became his usual blank one, and he put his hands in his pockets and walked past Ake else from her

'Do you like it here?’ said Ake Yakumo with her eyes

The truth was, she didn’t actually want to know that She just wanted to talk more with Yakumo, even if it was just a little

If it became a chance for him to open his heart –

It h it was faint

'Eh?’

Yakuht in front of the door

'Since you’re always here’

'Please just leave me alone, like everyone else’

That was Yakumo’s answer

'There’s no way I could leave you alone!’

Akemi felt irritated by what Yakuhly

’…’

Yaku her

However, she couldn’t hear it

'If you have so you want to say, say it clearly’

The moment Akemi stepped forward to approach Yakumo, Yakumo turned around

A chill ran down Akemi’s spine when he looked at her

It felt like that gaze would freeze her

Ake under the gaze of a snake

'I don’t really care, but you’re annoying’

After a silence, Yakumo said just that and walked away briskly

Akeh and then stood by the fence and looked at the scenery, as Yaku

She saw a cherry blossom tree in the courtyard

'Annoying… eh…’

Akemi had coe of Yaku

The previous instructor had warned her, saying, 'He’s not really any trouble, but you should leave him alone’

Yaku up an invisible wall and watching everything from inside of it

No matter how she tried to reach out, he wouldn’t come out from behind that wall

Trying to get involved just invited heartache

Ake up countless times

There was a limit to what a schoolteacher could do She knew that But she just couldn’t leave Yakumo alone

She knew that she had always had a meddlesome personality

But was it just her personalityher concerned about Yakumo?

Akeer

Naturally, they weren’t related by blood But there was so like a connection

She ht that way because of the rumours about him

Anyway, there must have been a reason for Yakuht have had problems in his family environment

Come to think of it, Akemi only knew the Yakumo at school

– Maybe I’ll go visit his house today

Akemi made that decision

2

The door opened quietly and Yakumo returned to the classroom

– I’lad

Though this always happened, Sachiko felt relieved

Every time Yakumo disappeared, Sachiko felt nervous She would worry about whether he was causing trouble and feel anxious about whether he wouldn’t return to the classroom

However, that was just Sachiko The other students had a different response

Everyone silently looked at Yakumo with scorn

So everyone’s circle out of order It felt like they were bla him that way

However, Yakumo didn’t seem to care as he sat next to Sachiko’s seat and took a book as thick as a novel fro it with a serious expression

At the sa

'I really wish that guy would stop it already’

'It’s kinda annoying’

'But his grades are good’

'He’s cheating, right?’

'Clairvoyance?’

'Ah, that ht be true In elehosts’

'Seriously?’

'And his eye’s actually red, says the rumours’

'And his parents are ’

'I heard about that He killed the’

'Murderer’

– It’s started again

Sachiko wanted to cover her eyes

It was Tsukasa and the others They said awful things loudly on purpose so that Yakumo could hear them It made sense for Yakumo to want to leave the classroom if he was treated this way

Sachiko felt angry, but unfortunately, she wasn’t brave enough to say it aloud

She glanced at Yakumo, in the seat beside her

As if he hadn’t heard the gossip at all, Yaku This was how Yakumo was different from the other students He didn’t pay any attention to the backbiting classmates

– Like an adult

It was hard to think that he was the sa his ill intent

'They’re just jealous – don’t pay any attention to them,’ Sachiko told Yakumo

Yaku anybody

He looked at her

That was enough to make Sachiko’s heart race faster

– When did I start paying attention to Yakumo?

That thought suddenly came to Sachiko’s mind She couldn’t rerossed

It wasn’t like they had particularly friendly conversations, but just looking at Yakuh to make her happy for the rest of the day

However, she had never talked about that with anybody

Even when friends asked her if she had anybody she liked, she told them that she didn’t

Everyone thought Yaku ruhosts, that his eye was red, that his parents had abandoned him, that he had killed them

If Sachiko consulted anybody, she could tell that they would say she was creepy for liking a guy like that

However, Sachiko knew that there were other hidden Yakumo fans besides herself

Yakumo was cool, mysterious and had an inexplicable charm

'Hey, Saitou I hear you can see ghosts’

Tsukasa’s voice brought Sachiko back to reality

When she looked up, she saw that Tsukasa was standing in front of Yakumo He had his hands on the belt at his waist as he looked down on Yakumo pompously

– The unpleasant guy’s here

Sachiko hated Tsukasa She had a number of reasons

First, he didn’t wear his uniform properly His shi+rt buttons were open to his chest, and his necktie hung underneath that He h, but when Tsukasa did it, it was just classless

Furtherood in a fight

More than anything, Sachiko couldn’t bear how he always picked fights with Yakumo

'Answer hosts?’

Tsukasa spoke quickly as he pressed Yakumo for a reply

However, Yakumo just stared at his book He didn’t even lift his head

'Oi, you listening!?’

Tsukasa flew into a rage and s his face so close to Yaku He was clearly picking a fight

'Hey, stop it’

Sachiko couldn’t bear it – she grabbed Tsukasa’s arlared

'I’ to him’

'He obviously doesn’t like it’

'Why are you covering for him?’

'Eh?’

Sachiko was lost for words

She couldn’t answer that question

'Do you like him?’

'That’s not it!’

When Tsukasa hit the bull’s-eye, she took it too seriously and spoke in a loud voice

Everyone turned towards her, and her face grew hot in embarrassment

'Oi, oi Do you really like him?’

Tsukasa looked at Sachiko’s face

– Don’t get so close to me It’s creepy

Sachiko leant back, putting as much distance between her and Tsukasa as she could

'So what if I can see them?’

Somebody interrupted It was Yakumo

Tsukasa looked towards Yakuain

– Did he cover for me?

'Oh, so you can see them Then come with me for a bit,’ said Tsukasa

'For what?’

The coly, Yaku a book

'You’ve heard of it, right? The ruhost at this school’

Sachiko knew the rumour too

When night fell, you could hear a creepy crying voice A male student in the next class had made a fuss a while back about how he’d seen a man covered in blood

'I don’t know it’

'There’s a rumour like that!’

When Yakuave a disinterested tone, Tsukasa was obviously irritated

'That so’

'Let hosts’

'And?’

'Tonight, we’re sneaking into the school to have a test of courage’

'So?’

'You’re co too,’ said Tsukasa with a smirk

Sachiko thought it was in bad taste It puzzled her how he could co

'Got it’

Yakumo suddenly looked up and said that quietly

'Eh?’

Sachiko spoke up without thinking

She had thought Yakumo would definitely refuse Tsukasa’s invitation

It wasn’t just Sachiko as surprised Even Tsukasa, who had been the one who asked, had his mouth wide open at Yakumo’s unexpected reply

'Do you need anything else?’ Yakumo said expressionlessly

Sachiko couldn’t understand why Yakureed to Tsukasa’s invitation

'Ah, no… We’re ates’

'Got it’

Tsukasa gave the instructions in his confusion, and Yakuave a short reply

'Wait, just stop this idiocy’

Sachiko couldn’t help but interrupt

Since it was Tsukasa, he would definitely do so with hi into the fire

'Sachiko You come too’

Tsukasa looked at Sachiko

'Eh?’

When the conversation suddenly turned to her, Sachiko couldn’t understand right away

'I said, you come too’

'Me?’

'Yeah You’

'No, but…’

– I don’t want to

It would be easy to refuse, but Sachiko couldn’t reply

'OK, we’re starting class again’

The door opened, and Akemi came back into the classroom

'You have to come Don’t run away’

Tsukasa left those parting words and returned to his own seat

– The whole thing’s becoe

Sachiko looked at Yakuain

Though he had well-defined features, he was as expressionless as a ht at all

Come to think of it, this was the only expression Sachiko had ever seen Yakumo make

Perhaps she would be able to see another expression of his by participating in Tsukasa’s test of courage

Looking at it a different way, this could be a chance

Sachiko felt her heart beating more quickly –

3

'damn it! He pisses me off!’

Gotou, who had returned to his seat, slaarette

The new chief was called Ideuchi What the hell was he planning? He didn’t know anything about the scene They wouldn’t be able to investigate with the personnel distributed like hat

'damn it’

Gotou spat that out again and leant back on his chair, loosening his necktie

'Don’t make such a fuss’

Gotou turned around at the thick voice It was Gotou’s boss, Miyagawa

Miyagawa had a slance, he looked just like a yakuza

With his hands in his pockets and that stiff expression, itaround the street like that, everyone would avoid him

'What is it?’

'That’slike some rebellious brat’

Miyagawa said that curtly and took a cigarette out of his pocket He flicked the filter as he bit down on it

'I’m not really’

Gotou sed his irritation and offered his lighter to Miyagawa

'You really can’t hide anything’

Miyagawa looked exasperated as he lit his cigarette

Gotou couldn’t deny it He knew hih in his attitude, just as Miyagawa said

He’d been in Miyagawa’s care since he was a new recruit, so Miyagawa probably saw that in a erated fashi+on than most

'So what are you so angry about?’ asked Miyagawa, slowly blowing out smoke

Just earlier, Gotou had been angry enough to flip the table, but he felt hi down

It wasn’t just this tiawa, his mental state would become more stable

No s would work out It ht have been because of the absolute trust Gotou had in Miyagawa

'No, I was just thinking about going on a diet’

'Don’t talk like you’re asleep If you’re going to try to foolbetter’

Just as Miyagawa said, Gotou himself felt no persuasive power in what he’d told him

'That’s right’

'Well, whatever Since it’s you, you probably just don’t get along with the new chief’

Miyagawa could even see through to the type of people Gotou liked and disliked

Instead of agreeing, Gotou scratched his head and frowned

'Come with me for a bit’

'Eh?’

'We’re going’

Miyagawa ignored Gotou’s confusion and pressed his cigarette into the ashtray Then, he started walking away briskly

'Please wait’

Gotou grabbed the jacket on his chair and hurriedly ran after Miyagawa

'Where are you going?’

'The investigation, obviously’

'Investigation?’

'Twofor tea Think about it a bit’

That really would have been unpleasant, but Gotou still didn’t understand

'What is the investigation for?’

When Gotou said that, Miyagawa smacked the back of Gotou’s head

'You’re so noisy!’

Miyagawa glared at hiue

'But…’

Gotou started speaking, but then Miyagawa slung an arm around Gotou’s shoulders and pulled him close Then, they continued like that down the corridor

After looking around to confir in a quiet voice

'There was a tip-off just earlier’

Though he spoke quietly, the pressure from his voice was still there

'A tip? What were the contents?’

'The contents aren’t the problee’

'Strange?’

Gotou’s expression was dubious

Miyagaas a veteran He’d been on this path for twenty years He probably wouldn’t be surprised by e

So

'Actually, the person who tipped us off called the detective department directly and even asked for me’

'Do you have an idea about who it is?’

'I don’t That’s why I’m concerned’

It e

When civilians reported things to the police, they usually chose to call 110 or the consultationat the local police box

It’d have been different for a personal infor out of their way to contact the detective departe

And Miyagawa had no idea who it was –

'Was it a man, or a woman?’

'I don’t know,’ Miyagawa replied immediately

'What do you mean?’

'It was a voice whatchamacallit’

'A voice changer?’

'Yes They changed their voice with that’

Miyagawa looked peevish as he scratched his neck

Looked like the person had even used a voice changer to hide their identity They really were concerned –

'So ere the contents?’ asked Gotou, which rimmer

'Well, the contents were a bit strange too…’

Miyagawa started to speak, but then he saw another investigationdown the corridor and shut his mouth

From that reaction, it looked like he hadn’t told anybody about the tip yet

'Anyway, let’s move elsewhere and talk’

Miyagawa said that, hunching over as he started to ith a quick gait

4

When Akemi arrived there, it was already seven

She had left school before five, but she had had to ask a friend to take in her daughter and call a nuo past her intended time

Akeko trees and stopped in front of a teates She checked the address once more

There was no doubt about it Which meant that his home was a temple –

Akemi was confused as she walked up to the priests’ quarters, ahead of the gravel garden

She had called ahead of ti Soreed to it pleasantly

She was visiting because she thought that perhaps one of the reasons Yakumo had shut off his heart like that was his family environment

That hy she had been prepared for a refusal It had been anticlimactic

She stood in front of the entrance and pressed the doorbell

After a while, the sliding door opened to reveal aa priest’s working clothes

'Ah, I’ve been waiting,’ he said with a smile

It was a gentle expression, like Maitreya’s Akemi felt a sense of deja vu

– I’ve seen this face before

Akemi looked at his face She knew so? But she could just behim for somebody else –

'Is there so on my face?’

He cocked his head, like he thought that Ake was odd

'Ah, sorry I’m the one who called I’ishi+’

Akemi came back to her senses and hurriedly bowed her head

This time, he furrowed his brows and peered at Ake

Finally, he clapped his hands together, like he had co

'Could you be Takagishi+ Akemi-san?’ he said

He knew his name There was no doubt about it This person was –

'Isshi+n-san,’ said Ake up

Isshi+n had been Akeh school

Though she had thought so was different since now he had shaved his head bald, now that she remembered, the memories came back to her, as fresh as if they had happened yesterday

Her heart returned to those tis

'Ah, this is nostalgic’

Isshi+n nodded a number of times

'It has been a really long time’

Akemi felt a bit embarrassed by this unexpected reunion and looked down

'Are your parents well?’ said Isshi+n with his usual smile

When Isshi+n was her tutor, Akemi’s parents had liked hioing to get a boyfriend, get one like that’

The truth was that Akemi would have liked to reminisce with her mother too, but that wasn’t possible

'They died last year in an accident’

The car that her parents had been in had been hit directly by a truck with a dozing driver Her father, the driver, had died immediately Her

It had been a sudden incident right when Ake spirits, when she had found out she was pregnant

If her parents had still been healthy and alive, Akeht have been very different, but that was only a hypothetical story

Nothing would start froret

'That is a terrible loss I’ve asked so inappropriate’

Isshi+n put his hands together and looked down quietly

'No…’

Akemi shook her head while the events that had happened ran through her head like a revolving lantern The corners of her eyes felt warm

'Let’s not just stand and talk; please co away the solemn atmosphere

'Ah, yes’

She hadn’t come here today to talk about herself Akemi put the current mood behind her

Isshi+n invited her into the living room by the entrance

Akemi knelt on the cushi+on and had just relaxed when ain

Isshi+n hadn’t changed at all

At the time, Isshi+n had been a university student, but he had had a calm demeanour and tolerance – or attractive force? – back then inappropriate for his age

It was fun for Akemi to take lessons from Isshi+n

She would be fidgety all day on the days Isshi+n was supposed to co

She tried not to think about why If she thought about that during her lessons, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to study

– If I’d told hione?

'Sorry’

Interrupting Akemi’s fantasies, Isshi+n came back with a tray that had teacups on it

'Ah, no’

Akemi looked up

'It looks like Yaku back’

Isshi+n placed the tea in front of Akeh as he sat down

'No, it’s fine I wanted to talk with his guardian today’

She couldn’t let herself drown in nostalgia

Akeht and faced Isshi+n

'But you’ve become a teacher, Akemi-chan I’m surprised,’ said Isshi+n earnestly He sipped his tea

'I was surprised too I never would have thought that you were Yakumo-kun’s father, Isshi+n-san’

Isshi+n laughed aloud at Akemi’s words

Ake

'Is that soh at?’

'No, I was just thinking that I’e where I would look like that’

Isshi+n crossed his arms and nodded

'Eh…’

'I’m not Yakumo’s real father’

'Which means…’

A child froe?

Akemi cocked her head

'Though I’ as his parent, Yakule Well, I ahter

Now that he said that, it would have been unnatural Isshi+n was four years older than Ake to have a fifteen year old child

'Then…’

– Whose child is he?

'Yakumo is my older sister’s child’

'Your older sister…’

Isshi+n nodded

Why had Isshi+n taken in his older sister’s child? Akemi was curious, but she felt like she couldn’t ask

Akes she wouldn’t want other people to ask too

'So you’ve come about Yakumo today’

Instead of Akeht up the topic at hand

'Yes’

'Yakumo’s caused a problem at school then,’ said Isshi+n

There was a slight shadow in his expression The way he said it made it seem like he had been prepared for Yakumo to cause a problem at some time

'Though it would be exaggerated to call it a problem…’

'What is it?’

'He skips class’

That was Yakuood, and he didn’t smoke or act violently

The previous teacher had told her to leave hi because his actions didn’t cause the school any harm