Volume 4 Chapter 1 (2/2)

”Tellthe nuers This is one, and this is two Well h”

'Three' was curling your index finger and thun For 'four' and 'five' you siers, but you do a thumbs-up for 'six', presumably to differentiate it froan to play with finger gestures while they ate their rice cake soup What a very laid-back first workday of the year this was, I thought, but I guess it suited our office just fine

Then, the door chi

Kiyo was the first person to react He looked up upon hearing the chi a piece of ot up to open the door to the office

Late last night, I received an e for a free, first consultation session The e said that it would be better if wefor today, but I still hadtime

”Yes?” I said to the visitor over the interphone, and the voice of a young man replied sheepishly: ”I'm sorry Am I too early?”

”Oh no, it's alright The office smells a little of rice cake soup now, but do come in” I opened the door to invite my client in—and froze

It was him

Standing at e swindler, shi+mizu Kyouichi

He didn't recognise lasses now Turning tome today”

I wondered briefly what I should do next, but decided that I couldn't turn away a client which I had previously agreed to ed my face into a srice cake soup, before seating himself on the sofa

”Eh… er, did you not?”

”Yes, that is right,” he answered, a look of great distress on his face Was he putting on a show? Was this part of an elaborate trick he was playing on me…?

”First, please fill this in for s, I handed him a consultation form and a pen

Since I do not require clients to leave their full na, there are many instances when I only know of their names after they have filled in this form As I watched him fill in his name, I noticed that he had written 'shi+mizu Kyouichi', and indicated that he enty-seven years of age I was surprised that he would use the same false name, but I didn't let it show on my face

Feigning calmness, I turned to hi I could do is to sound hiood ”Please letout with this stalker of yours?”

”Mm… only around two months”

”How did you two meet?”

”On the internet”

To sum up what the man who called himself shi+mizu said, his stalker was someone in the service industry, but she did not tell hireat beauty, and rather wealthy; her clothing and accessories were all froo on dates once or twice a week, and she seemed normal and sensible, then

”But… teeks ago, she began to text me more frequently”

shi+e inbox, which was filled with texts by a 'Remi-san', all sent ales, too

'What are you doing now?' 'I was having aabout you, Kyouichi-kun' 'I found this wonderful looking jacket in Roppongi, and I think it will suit you, Kyouichi-kun' 'Could I see you now?' 'I wish you would reply to et that I'm sure you are busy' 'I bet you could reply my texts, as even a one-liner would do' 'You've readry?' 'I said I was sorry, didn't I?' 'Please, don't hate me…!'

”Huess the last few texts really sounded like they were from a stalker”

shi+mizu shuddered ”Oh yes It's really scary,” he said as he bobbed his head at Sayuri-san, who brought over tea for us ”She would showerout of hand At first I would be happy to receive them, but over time it became a little creepy”

”What kind of things would she buy for you?”

”All sorts of things… clothing, watches, hand-made sweets and ho that she would make me a lunch box everyday…”

”Lunch box? You two aren't living together, I presume?”

”Oh no, we aren't I didn't even tell her where I lived, but she found out after followingto drop off that lunch box at hed loudly, as if to demonstrate how difficult this period was for him

I uess it is understandable that you would It would be really troubleso at a trading firm, didn't you?”

”Ah…erm Yeah”

He didn't write that down on the foriven him, nor did he mention his workplace in the text he sent me In other words, this was my attempt to ensnare him… but shi+mizu fell for it, hook, line, and sinker He really was pretty slow in the head for a swindler

”I guess you really have gotten yourself in a sticky situation, haven't you?”

”Indeed I had no idea… that she was like that… I sure am unlucky”

”True You failed your last attempt, too”

”Yea, that too, and… huh?”

I s out the pair of sunglasses which I had kept away in the desk drawer After putting thehty pose as I leaned back on the sofa In a low voice I said: ”Do you remember me now?”

shi+aped at me with rounded eyes, and he froze for aloudly, ”Ah!”

”You're, you're that yakuza from the last time!”

”That is correct However I was si on an act for you at that tiotiator”

”W-What? Then, what are you doing here?”

”That's what I should be asking, really,” I said, as I relasses ”Weren't you the one who sentto meet?”

”B-But… I heard frouy you could count on working in this office… I had no idea that you were the negotiator they were talking about!”

In other words, it was a coincidence The world sure is sotiators around anyway, so it was possible that he would end up here entirely by chance

I tore up his consultation forht in front of him, as he stared at me weakly

”I already know that your name and workplace are false Sawada-san and this Reht were sitting ducks and were intending to cheat, weren't you? My apologies, I do not accept requests froe swindlers” I declared

His lips twitched and for a , but he hung his head instead Those ere eating rice cake soup in the other room had, by now, noticed the commotion in the visitor's corner Ayaka and Toard of our need for privacy, decided to pop their heads into the room

”Hey What's going on here, Mebuki-san?”

”This person is a e swindler, you say? Huh, isn't he the swindler ere talking about earlier, the one as unable to get the job done?”

Both of theto hide the curiosity on their faces He, on the other hand, looked extremely crestfallen

”Arara, doesn't thisstalked by the wo?”

”And of all places you could have gone, you coet your problem solved… you must be helluva stupid”

Both Ayaka and Tomonori did not mince their words

”Huh I thought that ly handsome, but you look pretty normal”

”Brains are more important than looks for a swindler, after all I heard that all their lies and pretences must be perfect down to the details, if not they won't bear scrutiny”

”Of course Women aren't that stupid, too”

”You don't seeo wrong, like now I'm really sorry to tell you this but you aren't cut out for this job Most swindlers are… you know, more…”

”I know that, alright!”

Ayaka and Tomonori went silent in shock, and both of thehtly worried look, slowly eed fro opposite the young ry outburst, but I didn't move

The man raised his face His cheeks were flushed red, and so were his eyes He looked like he would burst into tears any moment

”I-I know, that I wasn't suited for this job,” His voice trembled as he lifted his eyes tothis for three years… and had ets would find out I was cheating her halfway, or she would decide that she liked soet her to trust me, and that'll be the last I ever saw of her!”

Uwa, it can't get any worse than that

That was the thought I had inif I said that, he really

”Even though I ae swindler, I would find myself in debt Sometimes I would have to do part-time work for a while just to make ends meet That is why I am fully aware that this job isn't for me But what else could I have done? I haven't even coht, I am rather stupid Very stupid, in fact I don't have any business connections or fa else I could do, but…” his voice trailed off and he hung his head once more

Ayaka and Toht it was an incompetent swindler, but probably didn't think that he would be so bad that he has had to spend more money on his woht they were giving a bully a good telling off—only to find out that the bully was also getting bullied, too

Sayuri-san's light footsteps drew near

She was carrying a tray with a small bowl on it, and she perched the bowl in front of the third-rate swindler It was a bowl of rice cake soup, and he ht a whiff of the broth as he lifted his face to see what it was There were tears glittering at the corners of his eyes

”Eat” Sayuri-san voice wasn't very kindly In fact, it sounded like she was co him to eat it ”I bet you haven't had rice cake soup this New Year Here, eat”

”But…!” he protested shrilly, but Sayuri-san gave hilare He probably realised that it was no use to argue with her, so he timidly picked up the pair of chopsticks At the same time, Sayuri told Ayaka and Tomonori: ”No, those who have finished their soup should leave, so shoo!”

Chastised, both of them obediently went: ”Yesand jacket in hand, with Kiyo seeing them out

I stayed silent, watching over the young man as he ate his rice cake soup

How should I put this…? I also felt it when I first met him, but he really didn't seem all that bad No, truth was, people ere really rotten to the core were actually pretty hard to find However, this third-rate swindler looked particularly… distanced from truly evil deeds, or maybe you could say he really wasn't capable of them He seemed to be well aware of that, too Even the amounts of money he had atte amounts

The man finished his soup, and lifted his face

”Thank you very much for the meal,” he said with a polite bow, and it looked like he did it rather often

He said he didn't have faht him manners as a child when they were still around Sayuri wordlessly removed his bowl, and came back to refill our cups of tea Whenever Sayuri refilled the tea, it is a silent co to that visitor Well… she is very much older than I am, so I couldn't very well refuse

”What is your real name?”

”Be frank with me this time I won't report you to the police”

It wasn't me he trusted… rather, he probably trusted Sayuri-san and her rice cake soup ”shi+zu Kyousuke,” he said, in a small voice He really must be a bad swindler, since he had unwisely chosen a fake name that was similar to his real one

”My associates were discourteous to you I apologise for that”

”… It's the truth, anyway” He then sniffed, audibly

”Were you also telling me the truth when you toldyou trouble?”

”It is all true I sound really pathetic, really, but there is nothing I can do about it now She wouldn't listen to me when I tell her I want to break up… I am afraid that one day she'll take a knife and stab et stabbed”

I sighed

What a troublesoain, like just now, and I still think I have every right to I don't intend to be choosy when it cos are different when the client is a criminal

However—I turned my head to look at Sayuri-san Her back was onbusily on her abacus, but I could feel it questioning s like that? Are you sure you wouldn't regret turning him out?” it seemed to ask

”… I will take up your case on one condition”

”… eh?”

I looked at shi+zu squarely in the eye

”Quit the scam business and live an honest life”

”Quit…”

”Isn't it a good chance to? You also know that you aren't really cut out for this anyway Beco citizen, then”

”But, I'm… really quite stupid”

Un, that is true That is why I aht in exasperation, but left these words unsaid Instead changed the topic to Sawada Chimako I told him that she had known that he intended to cheat her fro

”She knew you were a swindler, but couldn't bring herself to dislike you That hy she played that trick on you to get you to break up with her”

”I-I see”

”… It sounds weird coe charm to you I'm think you can find a job that will suit you better than cheating people, perhaps in the service industry, or in sales… you have a part tiht?”

shi+zu nodded ”I've been on this part-time job for quite some time now”

”Then there really is no need for you to try so hard at being a swindler, isn't there?

”It was… a profession I looked up to”

”What nonsense are you spouting now? Don't look up to criuess that's true, too”

”Anyway, do think about it Call me when you make up your mind”

shi+zu nodded, and got up from his seat to bow deeply to Sayuri-san ”The rice cake soup was delicious,” he said Then he leftrather sad and dejected

The first thing he did when he reached the hospital was to go up to the reception desk

Visitors nowadays couldn't just go in and out of the hospital whenever they wished He signed his na in return, and was told that he would need to report to the nurse's station

”I aer brother,” he said, in a voice that was ally, and showed him to a room next to the nurse's station

”He doesn't have much consciousness left… your parents were here, just now”

He knew they came He passed them by at the entrance of the hospital just now

”I was overseas all these while… when I received news that his illness had taken a turn for the worse, I rushed ho now? Is it true that there is no hope for recovery?”

”I'e of him said the same, too”

I see, the visitoron the bed The face of the person, which was half obscured by an oxygen mask, was ashen He looked so different froloith virility and confidence

”Erm… do you knohere my brother keeps his laptop?”

”I'm sorry?”

”In the last email my brother wrote to me, he mentioned that he had his laptop with hio into a coma… erm, there is a lot of private information in his laptop, so he would like me to dispose of it”

Ah, said the nurse with a nod

”Co his laptop despite not being in the best of health… that one up there on the shelf is probably his”

The visitor followed the nurse's line of sight and spotted a laptop on the shelf, sitting beside a few books

”I'm sure it's that one… however, there is still a chance that Hashi+moto-san ake up, isn't there?” The visitor's eyes searched the nurse's face, like he was looking for affiraze

”I cannot say anything for sure, but…”

”But, Hashi+th of will… he told s to do, and that he couldn't lose to his sickness”

”Yes Your brother was that kind of person”

”He was a police detective, after all”

”Yes… he was someone who poured his heart and soul into his work”

The visitor h, and she smiled, too

The nurse left the ward iht that he would like to be alone with his elder brother

The ward had two beds, but the other one in the room was empty It was so silent that you could hear a pin drop, and the only sound that could be heard was the faint whirring of the medical machines

Then, the eyes of the figure on the bed fluttered open

Perhaps he had sensed the presence of someone else in his ward, and had woken up to see who it was His eyes slowly rolled in their sockets to fix themselves on the visitor His lips quivered Who are you, they seeer see clearly, nor speak aloud It was alain consciousness at this very exact ti

The visitor drew nearer He had many questions to ask, and very limited time

He said his name into Hashi+ers twitched He seeers… to reach a hand towards the visitor However, his hand only hovered for aback onto the bed

–

The visitor clasped that hand in his, and Hashi+moto's eyelashes fluttered, in a silent plea

Translation Notes

1 When Hyoudou asked Mebuki if he liked, suki, the sweet chestnuts, Mebuki had replied, ”Un, daisuki” without a subject or a particle This 'love' could have referred to Hyoudou instead of sweet chestnuts, which hy Hyoudou wanted him to repeat it, because it probably sounded really nice, since that poor wakagashi+ra hasn't heard Mebuki say anything like that to hi through so much with him

…Well, it really was solish that would do this properly, so here you go

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