Volume 28 Chapter 15 (2/2)
Tsutako-san said, asserting that it was better to leave it to the proper authorities
”But the lost property office aren'tto know the owner if we just hand it over They'll be in the same boat as us And since it has the name Takeshi+ma Tsutako written on it, they'll match it to Takeshi+roup and won't search any further, right?”
”And if they do?”
Yumi asked What happened to the items in lost property whose owner couldn't be found? It's not like it could be sold at the bazaar during the school festival once its custody period had elapsed It wasn't a new sheet or towel
”In the end, one of the teachers et it developed”
Unlike other lost items like a handkerchief or a hair-clip, a roll of film held information inside it
”In that case, it should be fine for Tsutako-san to go ahead and do the job of developing the film, no?”
”Absolutely not”
Tsutako-san flatly rejected Yoshi+no-san's suggestion Even without getting into the photographer's code of practice, the moral and ethical questions around that behavior would rule it out It was a matter of the owner's privacy
”I agree”
Everyone except for Yoshi+no-san concurred with Tsutako-san, and Yoshi+no-san turned away and said, ”I was just putting it out there”
”Ah, I think we should hand it over to lost property quickly It's possible that the person who lost it has already reported it as ”
Shouko-chan said
”Oh, I see The longer we hold on to it, the longer it will probably take to get back to its rightful owner”
Even so, school had already finished for the day There was no guarantee that there would be anyone in lost property
”We'll take it first thing to”
”That would be best”
The decision was made by majority rule
But still, the filhts about it filled Yumi's mind, perhaps exacerbated by the notion that this was a mystery they were unlikely to be able to solve by themselves
”I wonder what kind of person dropped this”
Yumi's words were met with a unanimous, ”Hmmm,” and contemplation
”It's hopeless Whatever I iine, Tsutako-san's face is the only one that comes to mind”
Mahed and flopped down over the table It could belong to soroups: students, teachers, clerks, nuns, but it sounded like they all ended up with Tsutako-san's face in Mami-san's mind
”Are you sure it's not Tsutako-san's?”
Yoshi+no-san sought confirmation once more Apparently neither she nor Mami-san could exclude Tsutako-san fro the same problem herself
”That's what she said”
Still, the assue
”Give it a rest I told you it's not mine”
The other second-years looked skeptically at Tsutako-san, who had risen froe whether or not she was lying Her eyes were trustworthy
Still, it seemed rather farfetched to think that there was no connection between Tsutako-san and the 'Takeshi+ma Tsutako' written on the roll of film
And yet, Tsutako-san maintained that it was not hers How to resolve this apparent contradiction?
”I guess there could be another Tsutako-san”
It wasn't this Tsutako-san who dropped the film, but the other one Which hy she had no memory of it
”Basically it's the doppelganger theory then”
”Doppelganger?”
Tsutako-san had been looking disinterested, but the er,' her face lit up, like a switch had been thrown
”Ah, a doppelganger is like this”
”No need to explain I knohat one is”
While she said this, Tsutako-san reached into her paper bag and rustled through the envelopes of photographs until she finally found the one she was after
”I just reer'”
She took a single photo out of the envelope and held it up in front of Yumi
”Take a look at this”
- She said