Vol 1 Chapter 1 (2/2)
'Skips…’
Isshi+n looked up at the ceiling like he was thinking about so
To Aken
His heart was imbalanced and could break at anyfor help
It , but she couldn’t abandon those thoughts
'Yes He doesn’t do anything besides that, but it looks like he is so…’
It was partly because she was talking to Isshi+n, but Akes directly
'I don’t knohat Yaku
'Eh?’
'I’ll say this because it’s you, Ake We don’t know for sure who his father is That’s why I took him in for now’
'Missing…?’
Isshi+n nodded
'Yakumo’s mother tried to kill hi police officer, but ever since then, his …’
Ake at all
Yakuined, justIt was hard for her to keep her mind steady
'I’m a man who hasn’t even e in…’
'That’s…’
'I don’t want to complain, but the truth is I don’t kno to connect to him’
After saying that, Isshi+n shook his head
Theit was like time had stopped –
'Why?’
Finally, Akemi said just that
However, Isshi+n tilted his head It looked like he didn’t understand the question
Akeain 'Why did Yakumo-kun’s mother try to kill him?’
When Isshi+n heard that, he crossed his arms and said, 'Hmm’ Then, he suddenly looked up
'It ht have been fate for you to become Yakumo’s homeroom teacher, Akemi-chan I think that people meet the people they are ether’
Fate –
The word Isshi+n said shook Akemi’s heart
Meeting Isshi+n again like this reat power drawing theether
'I’ll tell you what I know to be true Though I don’t know if you’ll believe me…’
Isshi+n gave that as a preface before beginning his story
5
'So what are we investigating?’
Gotou, in the driver seat of the uner seat
'Anyway, just go to the telephone booth at the intersection in Area 2 Right in front of the arette
'The… phone booth?’
Gotou had thought that asking where they were going would help hiation, but that had been a wrong guess
Well, there was no point thinking about it Gotou stepped on the accelerator
'Actually, I don’t know the contents either’
Just as Gotou started driving, Miyagawa said that with a frown
'You don’t know?’
The unexpected response made Gotou’s voice jump an octave
A tip-off with unknown contents – thinking about it normally, it just seeawa believed it
'You look like you’re not happy with this’
'You can tell?’
Gotou admitted it honestly
'You’re too straightforward’
Miyagawa snorted and smiled
'Is that so?’
'You should think about fitting in more’
'I’ood at that,’ replied Gotou with a wry smile
'You’re the only one who’s going to suffer’
Miyagawa couldn’t say anything either though He would always bare his fangs for his subordinates, be it against the chief of the department or the chief of the police
The higher-ups were frightened of hi, while his subordinates looked up to hi of hiood at getting along in the world
It was the same with this tip
It wasn’t necessary for the head of the detectives to go out of his way to check so was clear yet
But the stupidly straightforward Miyagawa probably couldn’t leave the tip-off to somebody else, when it had been directed at him
In that , he and Gotou could be called similar
Though Gotou thought it, he didn’t say it aloud If he said so at him
'So the tip said to go to the telephone booth?’
Gotou brought the conversation back on topic while driving
'Yeah Said that there was proof of a crime there’
'Proof of a cri then?’
'Probably’
Miyagawa pressed his cigarette into the ashtray with displeasure
'But it’s strange for it to be a phone booth What were they going to do if somebody else found it?’
'Practically nobody uses phone booths nowadays’
Miyagawa leant back on his seat
What Miyagawa said was true Mobile phones and PHS[2] had become widespread recently, so public telephones were rarely used
Because they hadn’t been used for so long, at so to take them down
Back when pagers had been popular, there had been lines at phone booths, and there had been many counterfeit telephone cards – it had even become a societal phenomenon
With the flow of time, the phone booths had been left behind, so now they could perhaps be considered a perfect place to hide so
Gotou understood that, but there was still so he didn’t understand That was –
'I wonder why they contacted you, Miyagawa-san’
'That’s what I want to know!’ Miyagawa said brusquely, opening theof the car
Dry wind came into the car with a roar
6
Sachiko arrived just in tiates
The truth was that she had planned on leaving the house earlier, but she hadn’t been able to decide on the clothes she wanted to wear
She had thought about wearing her favourite miniskirt, but when she stood in front of theon jeans
And then, right before she left ho?’ It had taken time to come up with an excuse
In front of the gates, Tsukasa, Tae and Youhei were already gathered
Tsukasa was leaning against the fence, looking bored, while Tae and Youhei were close together, chatting like lovers
If Tsukasa weren’t here, it could’ve been a double date –
That wish pressed against Sachiko’s heart as she walked forward
On the other side of the gates, she saw the white school building standing out in the dark
The school at night had an unspeakably uncanny atates led to another world
Even though hundreds of people were here during the day, once night fell, nobody reht have made it even more uncanny
'Hey’
Tsukasa noticed Sachiko and raised a hand
He had his head turned towards the ground as he peered at her She knew very well how people saw her
'Where’s Yakumo-kun?’
Sachiko looked around to escape Tsukasa’s gaze
'Not here yet,’ said Tsukasa with a click of his tongue
'I see’
– So he’s not here yet
She had been hopeful, which reater
Sachiko’s shoulders sluates
'Hey you’
Tsukasa still had his head turned down as he stood in front of Sachiko
'What?’
'What’s so good about him?’
Different fro as he said that
Sachiko didn’t understand theof his question
'What are you talking about?’
'Well, you… about him… er…’
'Honestly I don’t understand what you’re saying Say it clearly’
Sachiko was angry at Tsukasa’s vague attitude, so she spoke in an unrelenting tone
'You’re aiht?’
'What?’
Ai Even though she just liked Yakus, it sounded like she had secret intentions
Love wasn’t so to be conscious of
'I can tell even if you hide it,’ said Tsukasa with thin lips
It looked like he’d taken Sachiko’s words to have a different
'Honestly, you’re so noisy’
Sachiko didn’t feel like explaining and ended it there, but Tsukasa continued to speak
'I don’t understand He’s gloo, and I look way cooler’
Tsukasa brushed back his dyed brown hair
– I’uy
He probably wanted to say that However, he just had excessive self-confidence And the shallowness of appealing to his qualities was unbearably unpleasant to Sachiko
Yakumo definitely wouldn’t do that
'You’re annoying’
Sachiko moved her lips to form those words, so that Tsukasa wouldn’t hear
'That guy’s still not here,’ said Youhei, stretching his arms up above him
'He isn’t I wonder when Yakumo-kun will be here?’
Sachiko answered Youhei to escape from Tsukasa
'Let’s try calling,’ continued Tae
'Tsukasa You have a handy-phone?’ said Youhei
'Can’t get one 'til I’h school’
Tsukasa shrugged
'Sachiko?’ asked Tae
'I don’t have one’
At Sachiko’s home, mobile phones and handy-phones had been put away until after high school entrance exams
'Youhei, go to the phone booth’
Tsukasa hit Youhei’s shoulder
'Eh, what a pain’
'Just go’
Tsukasa kicked Youhei’s behind
'What are you doing?’ complained Youhei, but he didn’t resist any
'He ht’ve run,’ said Tsukasa as he watched Youhei leave
– Yakumo didn’t run
Sachiko felt like she understood after co here
Yakuive any attention to people like Tsukasa He’d had no intention of co in the first place
– If Yaku, I’ll think of an excuse to leave
Sachiko looked up at the pale ht that
7
The phone booth was underneath the pedestrian bridge
Normally, Gotou overlooked it as part of the scenery, but because of the tip-off and the dark, it seemed to appear out of the shadows
'That’s it then’
Gotou looked at Miyagawa in the passenger seat
'Looks like it’
Miyagawa gave a lazy reply and yawned
Gotou passed the phone booth and parked the car on the side of the road before exiting
It was a main road with two lanes on each side There were quite a few cars However, all of the cars were driving quickly – probably nobody would look at the telephone booth
Gotou continued walking up to the phone booth
Suspicious-looking advertiselass, so he couldn’t even see inside
Just as he put his hand on the door, Gotou’s heart started beating wildly
– My fate will change drastically the moment I open this door
A vague and baseless anxiety
'What’s wrong?’
Miyagawa called out to him from behind Perhaps he had noticed Gotou’s hesitation
'If I open it, it won’t go “BANG” or soht?’
It annoyed him to think that his fear had been noticed Gotou made a joke
'If that happens, I’ll pick up your bones,’ said Miyagaith an exasperated expression as he lit his cigarette
'I’ll be counting on you’
Gotou sain
He opened the door with vigour, and then a stagnant odour pierced his nose
There was a fareen telephone and underneath it, two thick telephone books
Gotou couldn’t see anything strange at first glance
'Where’s it hidden?’to search inside the telephone booth
He flipped through the phonebook pages, but he couldn’t find anything Then, he looked at the ceiling
All he saas a fluorescent light with a broken cover
'Is it there?’ said Miyagawa, opening the door
'I couldn’t find it’
'How about in the back?’
'The back?’
'The back of the phone’
Miyagawa gestured at the telephone
– That’s possible
Gotou followed Miyagawa’s instruction and stuck his hand in the narrow gap between the booth and the telephone, grappling around
His fingers touched so
Gotou pressed his face against the booth to try to look and saw, behind the phone, so stuck to the booth with tape
'Is this it…’
Gotou thrust his hand in deeper and
Because of how narrow the place was, his body wouldn’t et it out After a tough battle, he finally
Inside the plastic bag was an A4-sized manila envelope
'Got so?’
'Yes’
Miyagawa peered inside froarette in his mouth Gotou handed the manila envelope to him
'So this is the info…’
Miyagawa leant against the pillar of the pedestrian bridge and opened theout a stack of documents
Gotou picked the dust off his jacket, got out of the phone booth and was about to walk up to Miyagahen he suddenly stopped
He felt soaze on his back
– Who is it?
Gotou’s eyes ran everywhere and spotted a man
The slenderdown at the phone booth froe
– Could he be the tipper?
'What’s wrong?’
Miyagawa seemed to sense the situation as he spoke quietly
Gotou signalled with his eyes to look up at the pedestrian bridge Miyagaalked up to Gotou and looked up at the bridge
'How long’s he been there?’ Miyagawa said quietly
'I don’t know’
'Going to question him?’
'Yes’
Right after answering, Gotou started going up the stairs of the pedestrian bridge
Perhaps noticing that, thebriskly
'Oi Got athe stairs
However, theat the same pace, like he hadn’t heard
'You over there! I said to wait!’ Gotou yelled angrily, which made the man suddenly stop and his shoulders jolt, as if he were surprised
'I want to ask you so’
Gotou went up to the man and touched his shoulder
That moment, the man turned around swiftly and knocked Gotou off his feet
'Agh!’
With that surprise attack, Gotou fell backwards
The man looked at Gotou’s face
He s his white teeth
It was a cold smile that chilled Gotou to his core
Further flame –
'What are you doing!?’ yelled Miyagawa, running over
When the man noticed that, he evaded and ran off in the opposite direction
'damn it!’
– Making fun of me!
Gotou got right up and ran after the man
8
The fate that Yakuh Isshi+n’s ined
At the sa Yakumo
The repulsive incident surrounding Yakumo’s birth –
Frolowed red and had the unique ability, which he never wanted, to see the spirits of the dead
Because of it,and persecuted him
People were terribly cold towards those that were different froe Yakumo’s heart must have suffered
That wasn’t all Normally, the mother, who should have protected her child, had tried to murder him
From the s that he didn’t want
'I think Yakumo’s lost hope,’ said Isshi+n with sad eyes
Yakumo’s face came up in Akemi’s head As expressionless as a Noh mask, with lifeless eyes
Until Akeht that expression had been from sadness or loneliness
However, what Yakumo carried was perhaps despair
When his own iven birth to him, tried to kill him, Yakumo’s life had been saved, but his heart had died –
Those suffocating thoughts hurt Akemi
'Why…’
Akemi said just that
She couldn’t say anything else
– Why did Yakumo’s mother try to kill him?
Akemi wanted to knohy She wanted there to be some sort of salvation there She prayed for there to be
'I don’t know,’ said Isshi+n, sensing Akes
'Ah, of course’
She had disappeared No ave, they would only be theories People’s emotions were known only to themselves
'I just can’t believe it’
Isshi+n shook his head
'Eh?’
'My sister had been troubled by the circu Yakumo, but to me, those had seemed like worries about her child’s future’
'Her child’s future…’
Akemi mulled over those words
It was true that the same worries could have different implications
'Yes My sister had been weak psychologically, but the sister I kneas not somebody ould lay a hand on her child’
Isshi+n declared that, but his voice eak
He was between a rock and a hard place Akemi felt that
His love for his sister And his love for his nephew, Yakumo
Isshi+n held both these feelings, but when he compared the events of the past, it was difficult for both loves to coexist
Akemi looked down, hesitant to look directly at Isshi+n
Drip, drip –
Water dripped onto Akemi’s fists, clenched on her lap
It took her some time to realise they were her own tears
– Why a?
Akemi knew that reason best
She was overlapping Yakumo’s and his mother’s circumstances with her own
'Are you all right?’
Isshi+n handed Akemi a handkerchief
'Sorry’
Ake her face
– I don’t have the right to cry
Akemi told herself that to calm her unsteady heart
Isshi+n said nothing and just sat there with his usual gentle expression
Even though it was their reunion after ten years, Akemi felt safe, like he had always been there for her
Isshi+n had said he lacked too ht it was the opposite
He had the deep love essential for being a parent
If Isshi+n hadn’t been his parent, Yakumo would definitely have fallen inter a deeper darkness than he had now He ht have even lost his life
Isshi+n’s existence had ed to stop that
If Akeht have been different
When she thought that, words naturally came out of Akemi’s mouth
'I have a child as well’
Isshi+n looked surprised by the sudden change in conversation, but that was just for a moment
'Oh? How old?’
'A girl who’s just turned ten months’
'I see The most blissful years’
Isshi+n’s smile was pleasant
However, Akemi had circumstances that made it difficult for her to honestly accept the word 'blissful’
'That isn’t true’
'Isn’t true?’
'Actually, this child doesn’t have a father’
'Is that so?’
Isshi+n’s gentle expression didn’t change
No ive everything
Isshi+n’s heart was that wide
Ake up the chains that had bound her heart
'Actually, this child was born from rape’
Just saying it was enough to revive her fear Her fingers started shaking
In her head, that ain
Even though the good memories had finally faded away, the horror was vivid no matter how much time passed
She still couldn’t forget that man’s eyes
'Is that so?’
'The culprit hasn’t been caught’
By saying for the first ti she had always kept hidden, she felt like her pain was a bit lessened
Akehtly the pain of Yakumo’s mother
'Do you hate him?’ said Isshi+n, his expression still the same
'Yes’
Akemi nodded
She still hated the culprit now Even if the culprit were caught and punished, that hatred wouldn’t disappear
Akeet by coincidence or for some reason
However, it was a fact that the rest of her life had been ruined because of it
'Do you think that you hate your child?’ said Isshi+n quietly
'I…’
Akemi was lost for words
Two conflicting thoughts fought in her heart
'You’ve thought that you hate her,’ said Isshi+n, seeing through Akemi’s heart
In front of Isshi+n, no matter what she said, the truth of her heart would be revealed
'I have’
Though Akemi responded herself, she shook at hoful those words were
However, they were fact
Though it wasn’t always, when she looked at her child’s face, she would sometimes remember that incident That child was her child, but she was also that man’s child
She overlapped her child’s face with that man’s face Her child was not at fault She knew that But –
She had thought that Isshi+n would scorn her, but he nodded with his usual gentle expression, like he understood
That was enough to make Akemi feel like she had been saved
Isshi+n had an open heart that accepted other’s negative emotions
'Then you love her, yes?’
After a silence, Isshi+n asked another question
'Of course’
Ake nod
That was no lie
– No matter what, I’ll protect her
She had that strong feeling at the bottom of her heart
Two conflicting emotions
Akee contradiction
'I’lad to hear it’
Isshi+n s his teeth
'But I’ even once that I hate my child…’
Ake hoful she hen she said it
I need to be strong for ht that, at times, she was incredibly weak
'But Akemi-chan, your child is alive’
Isshi+n said those words with force, which made Akemi look up in surprise
'Yes’
'And Yakumo’s alive That is fact No matter what the past is or how you feel, your child is alive now and will continue to live’
'Continue to live…’
'That’s right Let’s think about e can do for those children Together’
Isshi+n’s words sank deep into the corners of Akemi’s heart
Now that she thought about it, it was obvious However, cornered by the burdens of life, she had forgotten the obvious
'Weto, but that isn’t the fault of our children Nothing will start if we just look down’
Akeht in front of her, when she had been in pitch-black darkness before
Though she had coinally to find out about Yakumo’s family environment, the situation had turned around before she noticed
This was blatantly advice for Akemi
However, she had found out sos
Yaku with a heavy burden on his small heart
He had Isshi+n’s deep love and had ed to keep on, but he would break if his balance faltered even slightly
Just as the conversation ca
Isshi+n said, 'Please wait,’ and then he stood up from his seat
Akeht about them, the warmth spread within her
Isshi+n hadn’t changed at all since ten years ago
When Akemi looked at Isshi+n, she always became defenceless Isshi+n always overcame the boundaries that people put up with ease
It wasn’t frightening
It was pleasant, like being wrapped up in a fluffy blanket
While Ake about that, Isshi+n came back He looked somewhat dissatisfied
'What is it?’ asked Akemi
'Is there soht?’
Isshi+n cocked his head
There shouldn’t have been any events If there had been, Akemi wouldn’t have come here
'What do you mean?’
'Ah, there was a call from Youhei-kun, a kid in Yaku for Yakumo at the school, but he wasn’t there yet…’
'They can’t have really gone!’
Akemi stood up as she exclaimed
'Do you have any ideas?’
'Those kids’
She had an idea
After she brought Yaku in the classrooht it was just talk and left it alone, but it looked like that hadn’t been the case
Akemi picked up her pack and quickly prepared to leave
'What’s wrong?’
'Those kids are definitely planning a test of courage’
'A test of courage?’
'Yes’
'In this season?’
Just as Isshi+n said, it was the wrong season However, that wasn’t the probleht now
'I heard a nu to take Yakuht it was a joke – students always make plans like that’
Isshi+n responded to Akemi’s hurried speech with a nod
'Akeo there now?’
'Yes It would be troublesome if a problem comes up…’
'Then I’ll go with you,’ said Isshi+n with a smile
'Eh?’
'Yakuht be involved’
'Yes…’
'Then I can’t leave the situation alone’
What Isshi+n said made sense
'But…’
'And it would be dangerous for a woman to walk by herself’
Isshi+n finished the conversation and left the room ahead of Akemi
9
Yaku at his feet as he walked
It was already dark
He hadn’t planned on going to the test of courage that his classmate had incited in the first place
If he stayed at home, there was the possibility that he would be called out by phone He left the house to avoid any complications
Tests of courage were just a joke
They didn’t knohat ghosts really were
If they knew, they was no way they would think up soe
Ghosts were clusters of people’s emotions
To put it another way, they were raw, exposed emotion
It was ined to be involved with that daily
'How stupid,’his pace
It wasn’t that he had a goal
He was looking for somewhere he could be
Narrow roads, riverbeds, high ground – Yakumo didn’t think he had any place anywhere
However, if he stayed in one place, it would destroy him
Finally, as he reached a small park, he stopped
Creak, creak
The wind shook the swing The sound of the rusted metal echoed
Co without a destination –
Just like hiht now
Yaku
– Can I be here?
He asked that in his heart, but there was no reply
Creak, creak
Yaku
Ever since hishimself that
His