Chapter 5 | Contents | Chapter 7
The nurse with very short hair brought over breakfast for me. It was herring marinated in spicy vinegar sauce and a potato salad. By observing her every day, I came to understand that serving food was a race against time for her. The nurse swiftly, yet carefully set the table.
I noticed that her face was red. In particular, the tip of her nose and the area under her eyes were rufescent.
“Were you sk…”
“Do you need something?”
The nurse paused in her current task and faced me with a clearly businesslike smile.
“No, nothing.”
The reddish tinge on the nurse’s face was undoubtedly due to a sunburn, and my theory that she went skiing or snowboarding shouldn’t be that far off the mark. However, thinking back to the tension I’d caused between Mabuchi-san and me by saying something unnecessary, I felt that I was better off not bringing it up.
After setting the table, the nurse turned to leave. But this time I had an actual request, so I called out to stop her.
“Um…”
Her response was exactly the same.
“Do you need something?”
Arranged on my tray was the herring, potato salad, rice and miso soup. To avert my eyes from the nurse, I looked at the tray.
“Could I have some water?”
I’d been told that not being able to move my body is bad for blood flow, and that I should drink more water. The nurse frowned, as if regretting her failures, but that lasted for only an instance, and her usual smile immediately returned.
“Please wait for a moment.”
Be it getting water, brushing my teeth, wiping my body and even moving trays, I was relying on this nurse for almost everything in my current life.
I want to quickly recover.
I started eating, and eventually finished. I also drank all the water, as instructed. After a few minutes, the usual nurse entered, and removed the tray. I then chose one of the five remaining chocolate bonbons and popped it into my mouth. Today’s bonbon tasted like plain chocolate but had an interesting texture. Something that was flat and gave off a crispy, luscious sensation when bitten into was added to the chocolate. I read the writeup of flavors to find that it was feuillantine1. If Osanai-san was here, she would have probably explained what exactly it is to me, but currently I was satisfied with that enjoyable texture.
However, the chocolate’s sweet taste did not last for eternity, and neither did the crispy sensation. Both of them eventually disappeared into the ether, and I was left alone once again.
– I’d gained one piece of insight about staying in hospital.
On the first day I entered this hospital, I’d thought that anything would be fine as lone as my life could be saved. On the second day, I’d had all sorts of checkups, and prayed that the results would not be bad. On the third day, I’d started wondering when I could be released from hospital.
And starting from around the fourth day, I’d been assaulted by boredom, mixed with a sense of unease about when this inactivity would end.
Unable to just sit and endure this boredom, I closed my eyes and started recalling the past yet again, while thinking, It’s good that I at least have a notebook and pen.
After completing our inspection of the nine-kilometer-long embankment road and noticing an important doubt regarding Hisaka-kun’s position on the day of the accident, we headed back to school from the nearby bus stop to collect Osanai-san’s notebook computer, which she’d left there.
We did not talk on the bus. I was deep in thought about how to digest this new development, and repeatedly simulated the incident in my mind. I didn’t know what Osanai-san was thinking about. In any case, the interior of a public transport vehicle was not an appropriate place for a conversation.
The bus didn’t pass near our school, so we had to walk an additional fifteen minutes from the closest bus stop. On the way, I caught a whiff of something sweet, so I looked around to see a shop called Ogura-an on the other side of the road. Written in small text on a signboard were the words “Kajiya Town Branch”. Realizing that I would run into unfamiliar stores when walking down an unfamiliar street, I tried to press on, but Osanai-san did not move.
“What’s wrong?”
I called out to her, and she replied with a low voice and a penetrating look.
“That seems like a good store.”
“…You were hungry?”
Osanai-san did not reply.
“I won’t stop you, but wouldn’t it be better to first collect your laptop?”
Probably thinking that my opinion was valid, she turned her feet to face the school’s direction, but turned around twice, at least as far as I noticed.
It was about two o’clock in the afternoon when we reached our school. The Soccer Club had been practicing on the athletic grounds when we were heading off towards the embankment road, but it was empty now.
Osanai-san went towards the school building to retrieve her notebook computer, wherever she’d hidden it. I watched her leave, then approached the gymnasium. I’d only heard the sounds of squeaking shoes coming from there in the morning, but now added to the mix were dry, plosive sounds and heavy, rhythmic sounds.
Figuring out the source of those sounds didn’t even warrant a deduction. The heavy sounds were obviously made by dribbling. The Basketball Club was probably practicing. As for the dry sounds, they seemed that of a racket hitting a shuttlecock. The Badminton Club must be sharing the gymnasium with the Basketball Club. Luck had turned in my favor.
That said, I had no idea if the Badminton Club in this school was separated by gender, or mixed. There was an air vent at ground level, which if looked through would allow me to grasp the situation inside, but I was hesitant to peek in like that. While wondering what I should do, I was suddenly called at.
“What are you doing?”
Osanai-san was standing closer to me than expected, with her black bag slung over her shoulder. While hiding my discomposure, I wordlessly pointed at the gymnasium. Osanai-san took a glance at my finger’s direction and instantly understood my intentions.
“Sounds like that Badminton Club.”
“Hisaka-kun is still in hospital, but Fujidera-kun might be there.”
The corners of Osanai-san’s mouth slightly loosened.
“So you immediately made your move. It’s good that you’re proactive.”
It was an honor, but I wanted to lay the groundwork a little more.
“If Fujidera-kun was forbidden from talking, we’ll get nowhere if we rush straight in. He might have already retired since he’s a third-year, but if Ushio-kun from my class is there, how about we start from him? Depending on the situation, we could even find a hint to make Fujidera-kun spill the beans.”
This prudent approach might not have been to Osanai-san’s tastes, but she did not raise an objection.
We could not enter the gymnasium from outside. For the time being, we went into the school building, kept a distance between each other for some reason as we walked through an unpopulated hallway, then passed into the connecting passageway while looking at a poster in front of the infirmary spreading awareness on good dental health. An iron door stood at the gymnasium’s entrance, but it was currently open.
Practicing in the gymnasium were the Female Basketball Club, and the Badminton Club, which did not seem to be split by gender, exactly as I’d heard. The Badminton Club seemed to be practicing for a mixed doubles format.
To enter the gymnasium, one would have to take off their slippers and either put on gym shoes, or walk in barefoot. I chose neither, instead deciding to look in from the doorway. Osanai-san peeked at the gymnasium from over my shoulder.
“Is Ushio-kun here?”
Finding him was a simple task. He was one of the four swinging their rackets on the court. I silently pointed at him.
In the classroom, Ushio-kun was not particularly noticeable. He was not part of the popular group, and did not display any exceptional presence in studies, sports or the Cultural Festival. Right now, he was the most relaxed out of the four people on the court. While the others were putting their enthusiasm forward, only Ushio-kun stood in a dignified manner while lackadaisically returning any shuttlecocks that came his way. Whether his opponents went for a strong smash or lobbed the shuttlecock at the deep end of the court, he would flick it away as if it were a matter of course, but never performed a smash of his own, even when the shuttlecock came over the net so lightly that an amateur like me could tell that it was a good chance to score a point. As I looked on, I gradually came to the realization that he was joining his juniors for practice.
I ran my eyes through the other members who were sitting near the gymnasium wall and watching the four students on the court. Fujidera-kun was not present. Was our deduction that he was in the Badminton Club a mistake?
Stopwatch in hand, a boy who looked just like a first-year student yelled, “Time!” while Ushio-kun had his racket raised towards a slowly flying shuttlecock. I thought that he would at least smash it given that it was the end of the practice match, but he gently caught it with his racket.
“Alright, switch!”
He spoke up in a loud voice, then wiped off his sweat using a towel from a bag he’d placed outside the court. When the four replacement members were on the court, Ushio-kun raised his hand as a signal.
“Start!”
Not a moment after the practice match started again, Ushio-kun noticed us. I waved my hand lightly, and while surprised, he approached us without a hint of reticence on his face.
“Yo, Kobato-kun. You here for a trial session?”
It was too late for third-year students to join a club now. Basically, that was a joke.
“Sorry to bother you in the middle of your club activities. Are you managing the practice session?”
“Well, I am the captain.”
Really?
“What about Hisaka-kun?”
“Did I say that he’s the captain? Ah, I see, he’s the ace, not the captain.”
I knew the difference between an ace and captain. That made me curious if the club president was another person.
Ushio-kun followed up.
“So, what do you want?”
It seemed that Ushio-kun was not bothered by our visit, but did not want to talk for too long. It was understandable since it wouldn’t look good for a captain to have a lengthy conversation with a classmate during practice. Wanting to avoid any unnecessary talk, I tried to introduce Osanai-san.
“This is…”
I raised my hand, but no one was there.
But that’s impossible! She was just next to me a moment ago. I turned to look back at the connecting walkway, but as expected, she was not there. Where did she disappear to?
Ushio-kun raised his eyebrows dubiously.
“What is it?”
“Well, there was someone with me, but…”
Feeling a little awkward, I wanted to clear my throat. Well, I couldn’t help it if she wasn’t around. The fellow student who wanted to take revenge on the culprit might have been just a phantom. Time to move on with reality.
“I’ve found out quite a lot about Hisaka-kun’s hit-and-run accident.”
Ushio-kun’s face turned sour for an instance. It seemed like he was about to say, “You’re still doing that?” However, those words did not get uttered, and Ushio-kun simply nodded. I continued on.
“But there’s still a lot I don’t know. I’ve been in the same class as Hisaka-kun since we were in our second year, but I don’t know him well. You’re in the same club as him, so you would know all sort of things about him, right?”
“Can’t say I’m that familiar with him.”
“But could you still tell me as much as you know?”
Ushio-kun was about to say something, but took a glance at the four members on the court and let out a sigh.
“Not now. I’ll talk to you after our practice is over.”
“I’ll wait. What time does it end?”
“About four, I think. Our club advisor will come over at that time, and the session will end if there’s nothing else for us to do. After that, we’ll tidy up and put away the equipment, and we’ll be done at around four thirty. Sorry, but you’ll have to wait for me until then.”
“Alright.”
Ushio-kun was about to immediately return to supervising the practice session, but I quickly asked another question.
“Where’s Fujidera-kun?”
Ushio-kun, who had already turned his back, readily answered over his shoulder.
“He’s resting today. Well, this is voluntary training, so it’s nothing bad to rest, but this is the first time he hasn’t showed up.”
He was clearly scowling as he said that.
I checked the time on my phone. It was a little past two thirty. As Ushio-kun’s voice flew across the gymnasium and the Badminton Club’s practice resumed, I muttered.
“So I got two hours. What should I do?”
For the time being, there was nothing to be gained from watching the Badminton Club practice. Thinking that I should return to the school building, I turned around to see Osanai-san standing right behind me.
I was just about to step forward, but stopped my foot in the air and let out a weird sound.
“Whewhy?”
“Whewhy?”
I wanted to ask “Where were you?” and “Why?”, but accidentally stuck them together. As I was wondering which question I should start with, Osanai-san took the opportunity to ask her question first.
“What did Ushio-kun say?”
“Ah… he said his club activities will end at four thirty, and told me to wait until then.”
“So there’s some spare time.”
I’d been thinking about how to use this time, when it hit me. My stomach was feeling empty.
“I’ll head home for now and get lunch.”
“Alright.”
I didn’t ask Osanai-san what she would do. I didn’t feel like prying into her activities.
“Let’s meet here before half past four.”
She gave a deep nod, and the two of us walked side-by-side in the connecting passageway in the direction of the school building. My composure returned, and I could finally ask my question.
“…What were you doing just now?”
Osanai-san answered unashamedly, as if it was obvious.
“People I don’t know are scary.”
That didn’t sound like the words of someone who’d shared the results of investigating the four-wheeled skid marks when she met me for the first time. Unable to fathom if that was some sort of joke, or if that was her honest opinion with a complex logical system behind it, all I could do was flash an ambiguous smile.
It was at that moment when I realized that the connecting passageway was slightly narrower compared to the school’s corridors, producing some shadows in its seams. Giving up on my plan to ask Osanai-san where she’d gone, I instead pointed at those shadows. Probably dissatisfied that her hiding place had been instantly found, Osanai-san seemed to sulk a little.
When I returned to the appointed location at the appointed time, Osanai-san was already there. With my hand lightly raised, I approached her and asked.
“Is the Badminton Club done?”
Osanai-san nodded.
“I think they’re done cleaning up too. Where will we talk?”
“The 3-1 classroom should be fine, right? It’s our classroom, after all.”
“Since the club activities are over, they’ll probably start locking up the rooms. If you take too long, you could get locked in.”
Indeed, there was no way we would be allowed to remain in school as long as we wanted on a Saturday.
“What would be a good spot, then?”
“You won’t get bothered at Omotedana.”
That was the cafe that Osanai-san had brought me to, and I could remember how to get there. However, it seemed a little small, so it wasn’t very suitable for Ushio-kun and me.
“That’s a fine suggestion, but I think I’ll go with Maelstrom, along the bypass.”
Maelstrom was a family restaurant that served local cuisine, and was more familiar to me than a privately owned cafe. Even with her suggestion rejected, Osanai-san did not seem to mind.
“Alright. See you later, then.”
With those words, she left. Perhaps she was indeed afraid of strangers.
Finally, the “Thank you” greeting was called out, though I could only hear the word “you”, and the athletes exited from the gymnasium in small groups. The two clubs must have tidied up together, for some Basketball Club members were mixed in with the Badminton Club members. Eventually, Ushio-kun appeared, accompanied by someone who looked like an underclassman.
“As I said, it’s all about your field of view. You’re only looking at the shuttlecock, right? Of course, that’s a basic thing to do, but it won’t help if you don’t see and think about where to hit it, right?”
“Yes, captain!”
He was actually doing something befitting of a captain. Not that I was suspicious of him, but I was a little surprised by the difference between this and his usual behavior in the classroom.
I wasn’t the only one to be surprised. When Ushio-kun caught sight of me, a shocked expression drifted onto his face for a brief moment.
“Kobato, huh. Were you really waiting for me?”
“No. I went home and came back.”
“Thanks for your trouble. I mean… sorry.”
I didn’t understand why he would apologize to me, but decided not to say, “No worries.” It would be easier to get him to speak if he thought he owed me something.
Ushio-kun bade the underclassman farewell, then headed to the entranceway with me. Just in case, I made the proposition of talking in our classroom, but like Osanai-san, he rejected it as he was worried about the school’s closing time.
“Would Maelstrom be good, then?”
In this situation, it would be difficult to refuse if he told me to bear the expenses, but all he said was, “Sure.”
We had a desultory conversation on the way to the designated shop. I mainly expounded on my thoughts about the Badminton Club’s practice, and made it a point to not touch on Hisaka-kun. Perhaps he’d taken my considerations into account, or maybe he himself didn’t want to talk about Hisaka-kun, but Ushio-kun was focused on his role as captain in the Badminton Club’s competitions. To be honest, it was quite an interesting topic in itself, but we reached our destination before that conversation ended.
We entered the store. As usual, it was bright, well-cleaned and somehow gave off an easy-going ambience. A waiter said the usual lines.
“Welcome! Party of two? Please sit wherever you like!”
Thinking that Osanai-san might have arrived before us, I looked around the store, but didn’t manage to find a female customer sitting by herself. Ushio-kun spoke.
“Anywhere’s fine, right?”
I replied in the affirmative, then pointed at a booth by the window.
“Let’s sit over there. It’s bright.”
Actually, I didn’t choose that location because it was bright, but because the neighboring tables were vacant. We sat on the sofa and were looking at the menu, when as expected, Osanai-san appeared at the door, whereupon she was cheerfully greeted by the waiter.
“Welcome! Party of one? Please sit wherever you like!”
Osanai-san headed straight for the table next to ours. Now Ushio-kun and I were facing each other, and Osanai-san was sitting behind him.
Ushio-kun and I settled for the all-you-can-drink service. I accidentally overheard Osanai-san’s order.
“One Brilliant Sundae, please.”
“One Brilliant Sundae. Certainly!”
An item with the word “brilliant” in its name… I wonder what it would be like?
Ushio-kun and I went to get drinks together. I took an oolong tea, while Ushio-kun chose a Calpis2. Even though his badminton practice had just ended, he didn’t seem to be thirsty, so the two of us simply took an obligatory sip of our selected beverages.
Ushio-kun looked down, as if trying to escape my gaze.
“Umm… sorry.”
He’d already apologized earlier, but I still had no idea what he was apologizing for. I waited for a while, and he continued.
“I was the one to talk about investigating Hisaka’s hit-and-run accident, but I left all the work with you. I didn’t know what to do. It was the same with the others. Yet you’ve been investigating this whole time, right?”
Oh, that?
Frankly speaking, I was thankful that Ushio-kun and the others had given up early. That allowed me to investigate the scene of the accident to my heart’s content without caring about anyone else. However, I probably didn’t have to reveal as much to him.
“It’s fine. But as I mentioned earlier, I’d like you to tell me about Hisaka-kun.”
“‘Of course.’ That’s what I want to say, but what good is it? Is there a need to know about Hisaka to figure out who ran him over?”
It was a natural question, but I didn’t have to explain my answer.
“Yes, it’s a necessity.”
As expected, Ushio-kun didn’t ask why. He likely didn’t really want to know, but simply wanted to confirm with me. However, he drew a breath in a slightly bothered manner.
“I see. Well, if you say you need to it… so, what do you want to know?”
“Everything, as much as you know.”
“Even if you say that…”
Ushio-kun pondered for a while before starting with his answer.
“I don’t know what elementary school Hisaka came from. I never asked.
“I met him in my first year while we were observing the Badminton Club, I think. We didn’t really chat much at that time. Both of us were playing badminton for the first time, so I was fine with any other club as well, and probably so was he. Though he did mention that he had a racket at home and didn’t want to let it go to waste.”
“I thought you would usually buy a new racket when joining the club.”
“I thought so too. Well, that’s why he ended up not using the racket he had at home, but maybe he used it for self-practice.”
Ushio-kun let out a light grin, but it immediately disappeared.
“After joining the club and learning the basics for a month, we had our first practice match, and I won. Both of us were beginners, but he was just slow because of his big body. I only heard about it afterwards, but this was his first sport. I was in the Swimming Club in elementary school, so I had a headstart. It was only for about half a year that I was able to beat him.”
Staring at his cup, Ushio-kun continued.
“You said you wanted to know about Hisaka. That guy’s, how do I put it? Umm, stoic? I think that fits. Anyway, he quietly continued learning the basics and building his physical strength, as if he never felt that it was tough or troublesome. He was bad with words, but gained everyone’s respect for always quietly training.”
After saying that, Ushio-kun sank into thought for a while.
“…No, he wasn’t always bad with words. I feel that he smiled more in his first year. He never rattled on, but wasn’t completely silent.”
On the topic of first-year students, I now thought that they were almost all like elementary students. It isn’t rare for someone’s personality to change between their first and third year. Even so, I asked.
“Is there a trigger that caused him to change?”
Ushio-kun cocked his head.
“Rather than a trigger… he became a little on edge since the second year’s autumn tournament ended. It was his first tournament after the third-years stepped down, and he must have become painfully aware that he would have to start leading the juniors. To be honest, it was the same for me. After that, he did more practice on his own, or at least that’s what it felt like. From there, he became amazing. He was already a star player in the city, but in the spring tournament he showed that he was at the top of the prefecture. He was really fired up for the summer tournament. ‘This will be my last tournament,’ he said.”
“Ah, so he talks about something like that.”
“Just because I say that he has amazing concentration during practice doesn’t mean that he’s silent all the time, y’know?”
Come to think of it, Hisaka-kun wasn’t exactly tight-lipped when I visited him at the hospital.
I shouldn’t be nitpicking, but one particular point caught my attention.
“So Hisaka-kun said that it would be his last tournament?”
Ushio-kun nodded as if saying, “Isn’t that obvious?” If that was the case, there was another point I was curious about.
“I wonder if Hisaka-kun intended to retire from badminton even though he’s only in middle school.”
That was apparently something he hadn’t thought of, for Ushio-kun was temporarily rendered speechless.
“…No way. No high school would let someone like him go.”
“But if he wants to quit…”
“That’s can’t be.”
How did Ushio-kun know Hisaka-kun’s inner thoughts?
“That guy recently bought a new pair of shoes, even when all that’s left is the summer tournament. On top of that, he’s aiming for a school referral based on badminton, but… well, with an accident like that, the referral’s probably out of the window.”
I was unable to say anything for an instance.
I see, so Hisaka-kun intended to get a sports referral for his badminton achievements. If so, as Ushio-kun said, that option would disappear as a result of the accident. Yet Hisaka-kun had laughed like everything was normal in the hospital.
…Thus I should aim to unravel the mystery behind this accident. That was all I could do. If Hisaka-kun had no intention to stop playing badminton, there must be some sort of mistake. After taking a breath, I asked.
“What exactly did Hisaka-kun say? Do you remember if he used the exact phrase, ‘This is my last tournament’?”
Ushio-kun folded his arms and thought for a while. Eventually, he shook his head.
“I can’t remember every detail.”
That was understandable. I returned to the main topic.
“So Hisaka-kun was fired up for the summer tournament, huh.”
“Yeah.”
“Did he have a rival or something like that?”
Ushio-kun glared at me.
“If you’re thinking that Hisaka was run over by someone who couldn’t beat him…”
“Of course not. In the first place, Hisaka-kun was up against middle school students, right? They won’t be able to drive a car.”
Ushio-kun heaved a sigh.
“You’re right, sorry. The only one in the city who can hold a candle to Hisaka was West Middle School’s Mikasa.”
“Was?”
“Mikasa’s a year older than us, so he’s already graduated. Hisaka probably thought nothing of the summer tournament. There are better players who can put up more of a fight in the prefectural tournament, but I don’t know their names.”
Ushio-kun released a small laugh, as if implying that he had nothing to do with the prefectural tournament.
“Hisaka’s goal was the national championship, though I didn’t hear it directly from him. The nationals are a whole different ballgame. A boatload of people who’ve trained in badminton since they were in elementary school compete there every year, and I don’t think even Hisaka can beat them. But we were all thinking that he might be able to make it to the nationals.”
With stoicism as his weapon, Hisaka-kun grew from a complete greenhorn to a matchless athlete in the city within three years, and held a dream to qualify for the national championship during the summer. However, that dream was crushed, by that sky-blue light wagon.
Ushio-kun attempted some humor to lighten the mood.
“Well, of course, in terms of actual ability, he’s the captain.”
Was that really so? I shouldn’t be making any imperious comments given that I’d only witnessed a tiny slice of the Badminton Club’s practice session, yet I gave such a reply.
“I think the juniors are happy that you’re their captain.”
Ushio-kun briefly averted his eyes.
“…That so.”
I now roughly understood Hisaka-kun’s presence in the Badminton Club. Now, I should widen the scope a little.
“So, do you know anything about Hisaka-kun’s human relationships?”
Ushio-kun shook his head.
“Nah, I don’t know anything.”
“Nothing at all?”
“Only that I’ve seen him being fetched to tournament locations.”
It seemed that we weren’t on the same page. Ushio-kun had apparently misunderstood, and had assumed that I was asking about his familial relationships. I was about to stop him from saying any further, but decided to listen anyway as that information could be useful.
“Specifically, who fetched him to those places?”
“I think it was his mother. I’ve never seen his father. Hang on, I might have seen him during last year’s summer tournament? I can’t really remember.”
Well, you wouldn’t normally remember the family members of school acquaintances. Even though I’d chatted quite a lot with Osanai-san in the past couple of days, I couldn’t imagine that I would meet her parents some day.
Time to change the direction of our discussion.
“What about his friends?”
“Of course, he’s friends with the other third-years who joined the club together. Me, and Sano from class 2.”
“So there are only three guys in the Badminton Club…”
“You think we have a lot of members?”
It was difficult to answer in the negative.
“Anyone else?”
“Wouldn’t he have some friends from his elementary school? Not that I know any of them. You should at least know who he’s friendly with in our class, right?”
Well, a few faces certainly came to mind. And I didn’t think that Hisaka-kun was trying to hide the fact that he usually walked home with those friends of his.
“Besides them?”
I pressed, but Ushio-kun rested his body on the sofa and let out a troubled sigh.
“…Well, I guess it’s fine since he isn’t really hiding it. Hisaka’s a popular guy. Right now he’s dating Okahashi from the club. She’s called Okahashi Mao, and she’s from class 3-4.”
So he had a girlfriend. Was that it?
“He wasn’t hiding it, you say?”
“Yeah, though he wasn’t exactly telling everyone about it.”
Hmm…
“If he wasn’t hiding it, it shouldn’t be hidden, right?”
I unwittingly muttered my thoughts, and Ushio-kun sharply replied.
“What’re you going on about?”
“Ah, I mean…”
“I kinda understand what you’re getting at. Basically, you want to know any relationships that Hisaka would want to keep hidden, right?”
He’d almost perfectly surmised my intentions. In that case, there was no reason to keep quiet.
“Exactly. There was another eyewitness to the accident, but why did Hisaka-kun hide it?”
Ushio-kun grimaced.
“If he’s hiding it, he must have some reason for it.”
“Perhaps.”
I looked Ushio-kun squarely in the eyes.
“But at this rate, we won’t know who ran over Hisaka-kun. So he… or his family won’t be able to get compensation for damages. His family would have to foot the hospital bill, Hisaka-kun would be upset that he won’t be able to enter the tournament and get his referral, and they won’t even get any money as compensation.”
Now I’d roughly delivered my thoughts that hadn’t been put into words before to Ushio-kun. While he still seemed a little torn, he muttered.
“I suppose I was ultimately the one who started this.”
He then lowered his voice.
“I did think that he was acting a little weird during the spring tournament.”
Holding a tray with a majestic-looking object loaded on top, a waiter approached Osanai-san’s table. From what I could observe from a brief glance, it was decorated with fruits like strawberries and American cherries, and had a horn of fresh cream pointing up.
“Thank you for waiting. Here is your Brilliant Sundae.”
I caught sight of it – the moment when Osanai-san struck a victory pose after waiting for the waiter to leave. If I gave a half-hearted response, Ushio-kun would probably turn around to follow my gaze and spot Osanai-san, so I kept a straight face.
As luck would have it, he took my countenance as proof of my seriousness.
“Well, it may not be that important, but…”
He prefaced.
“Hisaka-kun had an amulet on his tennis bag.”
“…Just thought I’d ask, but it’s not a badminton bag?”
“It’s sold as a tennis bag, and everyone in the club calls it that.”
Oh, really?
So a star player attached an amulet to his belongings in anticipation of a major tournament – if that was all, there was nothing weird about it at all. I waited for the next statement.
Ushio-kun continued.
“Hisaka’s not the type to believe in superstitions. We went to Kyoto for the school trip, right? Everyone else bought an amulet as a souvenir, but he said, ‘I don’t rely on those.’ It’s not like Hisaka to put an amulet on his bag.”
“What if he received it from his girlfriend, Okahashi-san?”
“That’s what I thought too. Or rather, that was what I assumed.”
If he was saying that, he would be moving on to the main point. Placing an elbow on the table, Ushio-kun leaned slightly forward.
“But in our club, you can leave your tennis bag in the club room, or bring it home. Well, the first-years bring their bags home.”
“Why is that?”
“Because the room is small and there’s no space for all the bags.”
That was certainly a compelling reason.
“Hisaka left his bag in the club room, and the amulet was hanging from his bag’s handle… but when he went for this spring’s tournament, he removed it.”
Ushio-kun paused, seemingly waiting for me to digest his words.
I asked some questions for confirmation.
“Is the bag also used for regular club activities? Is the club room separated by gender? And is it against the rules to attach an amulet to the bag?”
“No, yes, no, in that order, I suppose. The bag is only used for training camps, tournaments and away games. The club room is split between boys and girls, and no one will get angry at us for attaching anything to our bags. I’ve got an amulet that I bought myself, while Okahashi has a monkey mascot hanging from her bag.”
After listening to all that, it was indeed strange.
If Okahashi-san was the one who gave him the amulet, it should be attached such that she would be able to see it. Yet Hisaka-kun only attached it to his bag in the boys’ club room which Okahashi-san would normally be unable to see, and removed it right before the tournament. It could be a non-issue, but… I thought there had to be some meaning behind his actions.
“Did Hisaka-kun and Okahashi-san have an argument before the tournament or something?”
Ushio-kun put on a faintly embarrassed look.
“I don’t really want to snoop around in others’ affairs, y’know. Ah, but it’s different in your case. You’re just doing what I suggested, so, well, I wasn’t watching them so closely, but… on the day Hisaka removed the amulet, he left school together with Okahashi. In the first place, Okahashi is the more passionate one in their relationship, while Hisaka had no reason to actively refuse. Okahashi was excited as usual, and Hisaka was also normal. They even cheered each other on during the next day’s tournament.”
I thought for a moment.
“…How is Okahashi as an athlete?”
Ushio-kun gave an earnest reply, as expected of the Badminton Club’s captain.
“She’s not top-class, just better than average. She’s the team’s starting player. She did pretty well during the spring tournament, with four wins and two losses. It’s not on Hisaka-kun’s level, but she did also spend the last three years honing her skills, after all.”
“Was she excited for the tournament?”
“Of course.”
I nodded, and added another question.
“Do you know if Okahashi-san added any charms other than the monkey mascot?”
Ushio-kun tilted his head.
“I never paid that much attention to it, but we went to the tournament location via bus, and I helped with unloading the bags. Let me think… no, Okahashi didn’t have a charm on her bag. But what about it? Aren’t we talking about Hisaka?”
I thought that it hinted at something a little unexpected about Hisaka-kun’s charm, but should I tell that to Ushio-kun?
I could hear a vibration. It was my mobile phone. Saying a short apology to Ushio-kun, I took my phone out of my pocket to see that I’d received a message from Osanai-san.
“Where is the charm from?”
I stiffened for an instance, and Ushio-kun asked in concern.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“No… it’s a personal matter. More importantly…”
While thinking that he wouldn’t answer the question, I asked it anyway.
“Do you know where the charm is from?”
“By where…”
“You know, from a shrine, or from a temple?”
Ushio-kun stopped reaching for his Calpis and looked at me. His eyes were wide, as if he couldn’t believe that I’d asked such a question. It’s fine that you don’t know, in fact it’s normal for you not to know… I was about to say, but he burst out laughing like he’d been holding it in for a long time.
“What a surprise! So you’re into this kinda thing too, huh, Kobato! I never knew!”
“Er, no, I mean…”
“I asked him to show it to me. It’s an amulet from Ise Shrine3. We shouldn’t really be comparing, but it’s the best shrine in Japan.”
“Ah, I see. So that’s how it is.”
I was pressured by his abrupt enthusiasm. Probably having noticed that I wasn’t joining him in his excitement, a forlorn shadow was cast on Ushio-kun’s grin.
“Yeah, that’s how it is. Did that help you figure out something?”
There were a few possibilities, but nothing certain that I could say to Ushio-kun.
“I’ll let you know if I do.”
“Right. I’m counting on you.”
Without looking disappointed, he drained his Calpis.
About half of my oolong tea still remained.
“…Actually, I have one more thing to ask of you.”
I declared, causing Ushio-kun to frown in a slightly troubled manner, apparently having thought that the discussion was over.
“What is it?”
I held my cup using both hands.
“I don’t know why, but Hisaka-kun’s trying to hide the eyewitness.”
“I’ve heard as much.”
“Fujidera-kun should have seen that eyewitness, but didn’t reveal anything about them. He’s probably being silenced by Hisaka-kun. It’s difficult for a second-year student to refuse when a third-year student tells them not to say anything.”
Ushio-kun folded his arms and reclined in the sofa.
“I know what you’re trying to say, but…”
I pressed on before he could put up any defenses.
“Could you put in a word to Fujidera-kun to tell me if he saw anyone else on the day of the accident? He’ll be more likely to talk if another senior tells him to.”
“Seriously…”
Ushio-kun looked up at the ceiling and groaned.
“Wouldn’t that make Hisaka-kun hate me later?”
“I don’t know what will happen, but he might be thankful for that.”
“There’s no one who’ll be happy when the thing they put a gag order on gets found out. But, I suppose…”
His arms still folded, Ushio-kun looked down this time.
“…But if I did the investigation with you, I’d probably end up questioning Fujidera-kun as well.”
“I can’t say for certain, but perhaps.”
Seemingly in a mental conflict, he stood up.
“I’ll get another drink.”
It was clear that he was buying time to think. I didn’t follow him. It might have been better to constantly persuade him, but I had no intention of pushing him too far.
Eventually, Ushio-kun returned after having gotten more Calpis, as expected. He placed his cup on the table, the sat down with a vigorous thud.
“Fine, I’ll put in a word for you. Is Monday fine for a talk with Fujidera? I can also be there if you want me to.”
“It’s fine whether you’re present or not, so please decide based on your schedule. As for the talk, tomorrow would be preferable. In fact, today would be the best, but it’s already evening. Could you arrange for a meeting tomorrow before noon? If you can’t think of a suitable meeting spot, we can meet in this shop.”
Ushio-kun let out a heavy sigh.
“You’re serious about this, huh.”
“Yes, I’m serious.”
“Got it, I’ll give it a shot. I’ll contact you later.”
Ushio-kun left the shop. After waiting for a short moment, I called the waiter.
“Excuse me, I would like to change my seat. Is that alright?”
“Where would you like to sit?”
“The table next to this one.”
I pointed at Osanai-san’s table. The waiter put on an understanding smile.
“Of course, go ahead.”
Having gotten permission to do so, I brought my cup and rendezvoused with Osanai-san.
On her table was an empty sundae glass. She must have finished it at some point in time. I asked a question.
“Was it delicious?”
Her reply was sincere.
“I had no intention of underestimating it, but it’s not to be underestimated.”
In other words, it was delicious. Good for her.
Now, then…
I was certainly a little interested in the point that had caught Ushio-kun’s attention. But before the question of why Hisaka-kun removed the amulet, there was another answer that I needed to attain.
“Who do you think gave him the amulet?”
While staring at the empty sundae glass, Osanai-san instantly replied.
“At the very least, it wasn’t Okahashi-san.”
“Yeah, I suppose. Okahashi-san should also be expecting for a development in their relationship since she’s in the last year of middle school. It’s weird to give Hisaka-kun an amulet while she only has a monkey mascot.”
I nodded, and Osanai-san added a line.
“If so, they should have matching amulets, I think.”
“…Is that so?”
“Seems like it.”
Well, that did seem likely.
Of course, the possibility that Okahashi-san gave it to him was not zero. Hisaka-kun could have taken off the amulet because he was afraid that it would get lost while it was being moved, and Okahashi-san might not have an amulet on her bag because she was carrying it around so that it wouldn’t be seen by anyone else. However, there was one more factor which undermined that supposition.
“So the amulet was from Ise Shrine, huh.”
That was all thanks to Osanai-san. I’d never even thought to ask about where the amulet was from.
“To get to Ise Shrine, you need to first change trains at Nagoya. How long does it take, I wonder?”
“Two and a half hours.”
How well-informed.
“It’s not a distance that’s impossible to traverse, but that’s a little far to pray for Hisaka-kun’s victory.”
As if having coming to terms that the sundae would not come back to life by staring at it, Osanai-san moved the sundae glass a little closer to the table’s edge.
To summarize the discussion thus far, there was a high chance that Hisaka-kun did not receive the amulet from the person he was dating, Okahashi-san.
Also, he was trying to hide the person who had been walking with him before he got hit by a car…
There were about seven ideas I could think of, but nothing I could do today to find out which of them were correct.
Since early summer days are long, there was still no indication that the sun was setting outside. I’d done a lot today. I’d looked at the security camera footage, walked along the embankment road, then returned to school and secured Ushio-kun’s cooperation.
Osanai-san vocalized what I was thinking.
“Let’s wrap it up for today. We can continue tomorrow.”
I’d often heard that hospital food tastes bland, but I don’t think that’s the case. Then again, that might be because I’m a patient with no dietary restrictions.
For dinner, I had cod with grated daikon, carottes râpée4 and mushroom miso soup, then hydrated myself, as directed. I received help from the nurse with very short hair in brushing my teeth, then sank down into my pillow.
…And woke up again before dawn.
The hospital room was dark. The heating system was trying its best, but could not repel cold air from the outer environment that was separated by only one window, so the room was somewhat chilly. Since I was permitted to move my body on the bed, I carefully twisted my upper body and brought my face close to the window. The street was quiet at night, and I could not spot any snow on the ground. I’d been run over because of the snow, yet it had melted way before spring.
I continued looking outside.
I don’t believe that Hisaka-kun died. Kengo’s words – or to be precise, Mikasa-senpai’s statement during Kengo’s interview – that Hisaka-kun committed suicide might have some truth to it, but I think it’s impossible that he passed away… but besides that intuition, do I have any proof to make me believe that he’s alive?
I’d thought I had none, but one thing just came to mind.
Ushio-kun was close with Hisaka-kun. They were in the same club for three years, and he did say that those who joined the club together were all friends. And my relationship with Ushio-kun should not be that bad.
Hisaka-kun had chosen to end his own life, Ushio-kun should have known that, and he would have told me what happened – and given me the dates of the wake and funeral – or at least that’s what I think.
However, I had not received any such news. Not even a rumor had passed my ears. So Hisaka-kun must be alive. That is undoubtedly, definitely correct.
Then again…
For some reason, as I gazed at the pre-dawn streetscape, I searched for a possibility I didn’t have to look for.
If news of Hisaka-kun’s death was not even transmitted to Ushio-kun, or in other words it was withheld, that would be a different story. But is it possible that they would go that far – to withhold news of a person’s death from their friends?
That could be possible.
If Hisaka-kun had really ended his own life as a teenager, how would his other family members feel? Due to those sentiments, they held a private funeral… that is also a possibility.
But there is one clear problem to that theory. If Hisaka-kun’s family hid his death to such an extent, there is no way his rival, Mikasa-senpai, would be aware of it. That’s a contradiction.
Basically, probably… no, definitely, almost definitely, Hisaka-kun is still alive.
It was cold being next to the window. Once again, I wriggled around and returned my head to the pillow.
There was a small box by the pillow. It was white and cubical in shape. I chuckled. Right, Osanai-san’s also giving me some homework…
I opened the box to find only one message card folded in two. Forgetting to breathe, I took out the card.
This is what was written.
| In the last three years In prefectural badminton tournaments A player called Hisaka Shoutarou Has not appeared a single time |
The cold winter wind seemed to fill the room.
Chapter 5 | Contents | Chapter 7
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Editors (Tier 2): Suleman, Dedavond
Assistants (Tier 1) : Rolando Sanchez
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- A crispy confection made from thin, sweetened crêpes.
- A Japanese non-carbonated soft drink that has a light, somewhat milky, and slightly acidic flavor, similar to plain or vanilla-flavored yogurt or Yakult.
- A Shinto shrine dedicated to the solar goddess Amaterasu, located in Ise, Mie Prefecture of Japan.
- French grated carrot salad
Thank you for your hard work! Looking forward to the next chapter!
Once again, thanks so much. The suspense is almost overwhelming….