“…Did you have fun?”
“Yeah!”
On the way back.
Koko didn’t seem to be that happy about being squished in between people, but she still replied like that to my words.
If there had been a transfer point along the way, I might have been able to breathe a little easier, but should I say it’s unfortunate, or should I say it’s a relief? The train goes directly to Omiya Station in one shot without any transfers.
And after walking for half an hour with Koko, we arrived home.
Koko has a good memory. She will probably memorize the way home quickly.
“Make sure to remember well.”
“Wow?”
…Honestly, I was a little worried about sending her home alone.
“I might have to go by myself later.”
“Wuu?”
At my words, Koko tilted her head.
“Why?”
“…”
I pondered for a moment. Of course, that pondering ended up being really just a ‘moment.’
I wasn’t yet comfortable with telling Koko, or anyone around me, that ‘I might leave someday.’
“Because I have to work. You need to keep an eye on Kuro at home.”
“Wuu…”
However, at my words, Koko made a displeased expression.
Koko likes being with Kuro. She also enjoys being with me. But she has never been alone for a long time.
If we include her time back when she was in her beast form, she has had quite a long time being alone, but it seems that because of that, Koko doesn’t particularly like being by herself.
“If we want to live together, we need to help each other.”
With those words, Koko could only nod her head.
Still, thanks to her learning various knowledge quickly during the last training camp, Koko seems to vaguely understand that I’m not simply going to ‘go out and come back with food.’
Maybe after some time passes, Koko might offer to help me. That wouldn’t be bad. Shii is already working part-time at that age.
But that’s a story for a little later.
“We can go together every morning.”
“Yeah.”
At my words, Koko nodded her head.
And her expression brightened a bit. I let out a small sigh.
*
After taking the subway, we arrived at Omiya Station.
Today, I thought about stopping by the mart on the way back. Food is the best way to lift Koko’s spirits.
Koko liked sweet things. I was a little worried about whether I should maintain a balanced diet or not, but I figured that giving her a little extra snack wouldn’t make Koko gain weight suddenly. Koko’s size… well, that doesn’t seem to be determined that way.
Just when I was about to leave the station, holding Koko’s hand.
“Hey!”
I heard a voice calling me from behind.
As soon as I turned around, I furrowed my brows slightly.
“Wow?”
Koko pulled me back slightly by my wrist. Even if Koko might have the upper hand in strength if we fought, I still didn’t want to put her in a life-or-death struggle.
The person was a middle-aged man who looked to be around my age. He seemed like a familiar face that I would see often around here, so even if our eyes met, I figured his figure would fade in less than a minute.
He was a bit on the thin side, but if you looked closely, his belly was slightly protruding from under his suit. This is also a typical working man’s physique. Usually, people like this don’t put in much effort to maintain their bodies.
“…Who are you?”
I asked that, feeling like he would follow me if I ignored him.
“Ah, that is…”
The man looked between Koko and me with a slightly surprised expression.
He didn’t seem like someone I’d never seen before. After all, he approached me out of the blue. If it was just because he was fond of me, then this guy completely lacks awareness. In fact, people around were glancing my way after observing my behavior toward him.
Well, a salaryman at that age should at least have that much awareness.
So he knows me or at least has seen my face. However, he was someone who didn’t know that I have been walking around with Koko lately.
I relaxed just a little. At least, he didn’t seem to be the pervert from last time.
The man looked very flustered and anxious. He seemed really uncomfortable with all the eyes on him as he hurriedly called out to me.
Wiping his forehead with a handkerchief, he spoke louder than necessary, as if to assert to the people around him, ‘I’m not what it seems.’
“…Did you save someone here before?”
“…”
I stared blankly at the man and finally dug up a memory that had been buried deep in my mind.
Ah, now that I think about it, that did happen.
I had completely forgotten about everything that happened afterward because those events were so intense.
“…That time, the bread got stuck in my throat.”
I answered as I gently let go of Koko’s hand.
“Wuu?”
Koko, who had been on high alert behind me, seemed puzzled by the change in my demeanor. However, it seemed like she had relaxed her guard a bit.
“Yes, that’s right. I remember it.”
Actually, if that pervert hadn’t followed me that day, it would have remained a nice memory. After all, it was an event where I had fallen from a good mood back to the ground.
“I heard about it from another person who helped at that time. It was a student wearing a black sailor uniform.”
…I see.
At that time, I didn’t leave my name or affiliation at all. The working woman who helped the man beside me probably had nothing else to say except for those noticeable features.
Moreover, there aren’t many people who walk around in a sailor uniform, which is such an old-fashioned school uniform, in this area. In Japan, there aren’t that many schools that still use sailor uniforms… Well, to be honest, even though it is now the early 21st century, I doubt there are many.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, I’m alive.”
“…If the ambulance had arrived in time, it wouldn’t have been necessary for me to be there.”
It would have been a bit more dangerous, though.
Japan does well with hospital management, much like Korea. The insurance must be roughly similar too. In reality, the ambulance probably would have arrived quite early, but I didn’t check and just left.
“I have… a wife and child. If the student hadn’t helped back then, my family would likely have been in trouble too.”
“…”
The gazes of the people around changed a little.
“Wow?”
Koko looked between me and the man. She wouldn’t understand what the conversation was about since she hadn’t witnessed it.
“I’m not asking for anything in return.”
At my words, the man nodded. He seemed to have understood.
Seeing the man take a step closer to me, I took a step back while holding onto Koko.
“Ah, um. I want to repay you somehow—”
“…I’m not expecting anything in return.”
I stated the same thing once again.
“…”
Hearing my words, the man stared at me for a moment, then said,
“Perhaps if I mentioned this to the school you’re attending—”
“It’s okay.”
“Really…”
After I rejected even that, the man seemed to finally realize that I was truly not looking for anything in return.
His expression subtly changed. It looked like he was somewhat moved or maybe impressed. But it wasn’t an exaggerated expression. If that was some sort of acting, then he’d be in the wrong profession. He could have made much more money pursuing acting instead.
After that, I turned around without responding further and quickly moved away with Koko.
No one tried to stop or hold me back. I thought that was a relief.
As I rushed away, I felt a bit strange.
*
Dinner was a little late than usual. Koko, commendably, didn’t fuss. Instead, Kuro was the one pestering us.
When we returned home, she was sitting at the door, waiting like she was a walking can opener.
As I entered the room, she jumped up toward my knee, so I let out a deep sigh and opened a can to put it in a bowl. Let’s just say this is a special treat for today.
After emptying Kuro’s litter box, refilling her water bottle, and opening the window a bit more, I started cooking.
Today’s side dish was bean sprouts… and sauteed meat to go along with it.
“Delicious!”
Seeing Koko mumble with her mouth full of meat, I smiled slightly.
And—
[—Next news. A fire broke out in Tokyo’s Ota Ward last night, resulting in a family tragedy—]
—A story came out from the TV, which was left on as background noise.
I stopped moving my chopsticks for a moment and glanced at the TV.
“Wuu?”
Koko, noticing my motion, also looked at the TV with curious eyes.
The TV didn’t specify exactly where the fire occurred. Then again, news from Korea is similar in that regard. It might mention something like, ‘In a commercial building in Seoul.’
In occasionally sensationalistic news, the identities and names of the people involved might be directly mentioned, but fundamentally it’s usually like this.
Fire. Family tragedy.
At a glance, it seems like one of the countless tragedies that happen in a country all the time. Everyone hopes these things do not occur, but in the end, they are bound to happen. It could be due to a small mistake or an accident that even the person involved was unaware of. It seems like the kind of thing that could happen at any time.
Right. Arson could happen at any time.
“…”
I stared intently at the screen. The news didn’t drag on for long. It seemed like there were much more important political issues or livelihood-related news to discuss.
…Yeah, that might be true. From a broader perspective, those matters would naturally be viewed as more important.
It’s easy for someone to jump into a fire and for a person to carry the body of a dead child out, but there’s no need for people to be shown those scenes one by one. ‘Someone is’ involved in those incidents, and we can understand generally just by watching the news.
The reason I was showing interest in that news is partly due to my occupational hazard—
Yeah, it might be because that incident is possibly connected to the main story of this series.
“Kotone.”
“Yeah?”
I turned to look at Koko after hearing her call me.
“What’s wrong?”
Koko tilted her head with a curious look, and after mulling it over for a moment, I shook my head.
“It’s nothing.”
“Wuu?”
Koko had a sense of awareness. She hadn’t recognized my change of feelings at first, but not anymore. After all, she’s spent lots of time around me.
But still, I didn’t want to make Koko worry.
I need to handle what I have to do.
The real issue is how to deal with it.
*
So, why was that arson incident related to the main story?
For now, I can only answer that question with just a ‘feeling.’
It’s just something I know will happen. I have no choice but to fit the pieces together like a puzzle.
For example, it was the same with Mako. I knew that a serial murder case would occur, and I also knew that the culprit was a yōkai instead of a human. However, I didn’t know the details.
So, I used the method of luring by investigating the appearance of the victims.
It was the same in the case of Raiju. While I didn’t know where or when that incident would happen either, I ended up directly getting involved by following Sasaki.
This case is the same.
The actual incident itself occurs after the sports festival in the story, but there must have been signs beforehand.
Hacha (火車) is not a yōkai that just passes by once. It’s the type of yōkai that continuously appears and causes incidents.
And among the victims of that incident was Sasaki and Shii’s biological mother.
The true circumstances of Shii would also be revealed at that time.
“Kotone-chan.”
“…Yeah.”
“Are you worried about something?”
“…”
At Fukuda’s words, I blinked.
It wasn’t a kind of voice imbued with emotion, like Mako’s. Fukuda was the type of kid who seemed to see right through emotions, yet it was difficult to read expressions and true thoughts when they were laid bare like that.
Isn’t it difficult to distinguish similar things when they blend together?
“I’m just wondering if I’ll be okay.”
So I decided to hide my feelings amidst similar emotions.
“Well~ if that’s the case, you’re already doing well.”
Among the girls wearing gakuran uniforms, there were other girls besides me. Fukuda was a cheerdancer. Their cheers alternated with the syncopated moves of the cheerleaders.
Koko was adapting well. She seemed to really enjoy dancing, moving around a little too much, but that appeared to resonate well with the other girls, and her popularity has been steadily rising.
…I thought it would only take teaching her something, but in reality, there were so many things I hadn’t expected.
“There’s no need for Koko to worry, right? You’re doing well already.”
“…Yeah.”
“Or are you doing so well that you’re feeling jealous?”
“…”
Jealousy, was it?
It’s a bit of a strange feeling. While I think it would be good for Koko to move away from me, I can’t help but feel disappointed if that actually happens.
“Look over there.”
Koko stopped dancing and ran towards us, shaking her pom-poms energetically.
“Kotone!”
“Yeah.”
“I did well!”
“Good job.”
At her emphatic statement that came with an exclamation mark instead of a question mark, I answered with a bitter smile.
…Yeah, she’s doing well.
“Wow!”
Koko demonstrated the moves she had just learned right in front of me. Since she was wearing an outfit that exposed her belly, it could have looked that way, but with Koko doing it, it didn’t present that feeling at all.
“Cool.”
“Koko is the best!”
Thinking that it might be troublesome to accept compliments like that as they are, at the same time, considering the confidence I never had, I didn’t think that was a bad thing either.
If it’s Koko, she will surely realize the balance someday.
*
Wednesday.
Even though they were practicing, I thought it was a bit much to not visit the Literature Club room even once a week, so I decided to drop by the room with Koko.
Today, there was no fishing.
Instead—
“Wow?”
…When I opened the sliding door to the Literature Club room, I found a string taped above the door frame, with bread dangling from it.
“Wow!”
Koko quickly grabbed the castella. The string that was loosely taped just fell off without any resistance.
“…Does this have any meaning as fishing?”
“I told you, you saw an adorable catch. It’s a trap, a trap.”
Kahoru, who was sitting down reading an occult magazine, answered.
But if the fish escaped, it wouldn’t really have any meaning.
Well, I should recognize the tenacity of preparing a 24-hour trap, not knowing when I’d come. I wonder what this person thinks of fishing for people?
“Hello, Kotone.”
“Hello.”
I slightly bowed my head to Izumi, who greeted me with a soft voice befitting a club president. Izumi was sitting in a spot bathed in the warm sunlight, as if to stage a scene.
…Thinking that she had been waiting for Koko to come over the past few days, I thought it better not to break the atmosphere.
“Hello.”
And I met Yuka, who had come to the Literature Club long before me after quite some time.
“Hello.”
We had greeted each other during lunch earlier, but—
These days, with the weather being quite nice, Koko and I had been eating on the rooftop. Yuka was doing the same. It was just like the first semester. Yuka would bring the bread, and I’d eat it… and now Koko has joined in.
Even though I felt very sorry for that, I couldn’t bring myself to tell Yuka, who looked as if she felt a certain maternal instinct while watching Koko eat.
Kahoru and Izumi probably prepared two chairs beside Yuka, as if they already figured I’d bring Koko. I thought it would be a bit awkward for three of us to sit at one desk, but it didn’t seem so uncomfortable since we were all tall girls.
After taking a glance at Koko, who was diligently eating her castella, I suddenly asked Yuka.
“Your house is in Ota Ward, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Yuka replied.
I had already been there several times, but since I mostly used the subway for commuting, I still don’t know much about the boundaries. Truth be told, it hasn’t changed much even when I lived in Seoul.
I recalled the arson incident. That incident also occurred in Ota Ward.
Thinking about the geography I learned at school, Ota Ward is quite a large area. While I certainly wouldn’t be able to draw a map of all the wards in Tokyo, I distinctly remembered that Ota Ward has an airport.
So even if the fire incident occurred in Ota Ward, it might be a bit difficult for Yuka to know—
“Recently, there was a fire nearby, and it was quite a big deal.”
Yuka said that with a slightly gloomy expression, causing me to shut my mouth.
Kahoru and Izumi opened their eyes wide and looked at Yuka.
“It was not somewhere I know, but it was probably on the news?”
“…I saw it.”
“Really? It’s such a tragedy.”
Yuka sighed deeply as she spoke.
Having put her own life on the line to catch yōkai, Yuka certainly considers it her duty to protect the safety of people. While she does get paid for it, I can’t imagine you can’t do that without a sense of mission.
In the original story, Yuuki Yuka didn’t really open up to Sasaki about her true feelings. After all, tsundere characters don’t behave like that.
But Yuka is different. She has always been honest in front of me.
And it seemed she was also okay with opening up to Kahoru and Izumi to some extent.
“If it’s about the fire incident, is it this?”
Kahoru said as she showed me an occult magazine.
“…Yeah, that’s probably it.”
Unlike the news that simply mentioned ‘somewhere in Ota Ward,’ this magazine had a photo of a house engulfed in flames. It even poorly edited a devil’s face into the picture with low-quality graphics.
It seems like this magazine has absolutely no sense of responsibility as a media outlet.
Well, it might even be questionable whether it could be called press at all.
“Apparently, it was the home of a famous couple of con artists.”
And Kahoru’s subsequent words were enough to pique my interest.
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