The Florence Cream Puff Mystery (Part 1) | Contents | The Florence Cream Puff Mystery (Part 3)
On the following Saturday, I met up with Osanai-san in the morning, and we took the Tokaido line heading to Nagoya.
When I was a middle school student, all sorts of things happened around me. Events that I don’t want to remember… and… erm… I suppose they were all events I don’t wish to recall. Anyway, I knew some schoolmates who went against societal norms, and they may have received harsh reprimands at the Student Counseling Room, but none of them were ever suspended from school. The middle school Osanai-san and I attended was a public one, so prohibiting a student from getting their mandatory education would have been problematic. The punishment that Kogi-san had received was specifically called “Home Learning”, but it was essentially a suspension, and I was strangely impressed by this measure that could only be exerted in a private school.
It wasn’t unnatural for Osanai-san to go comfort a grief-stricken Kogi-san. However, I was also called over this time. I was under the impression that Kogi-san didn’t think highly of me, but in Osanai-san’s words…
“She did seem to have some reservations, but she was the one who ask you to come over. You tried to help me out during the Cultural Festival, right? Her perception of you changed slightly because of that. She wants you to listen to her situation with me.”
That fulfilled my self-esteem, making me happy… but I couldn’t say that. Kogi-san hadn’t committed any crime, but being depended on by a complete stranger made me remember something unpleasant – of the me from back then who made a pact with Osanai-san for his goal of becoming a petit bourgeois. However, I didn’t feel like I should cherish myself so much to turn down such a request.
With Osanai-san, who was as expected wrapped up in a fluffy bundle, I dove underground from Nagoya Station and traversed a labyrinthine route to emerge at Kakuouzan Station of the Higashiyama Subway Line. We ascended to the surface to see that the winter sky was appallingly crisp and clear. On both sides of the wide road stood apartment buildings five to six storeys high. Osanai-san had come here once before, so she said, “This way” and moved off after only a singular sweeping glance at our surroundings.
After leaving the arterial road, it suddenly became quiet all around. The asphalt showed signs of fading, and the stop sign was a little tilted. There were many detached houses, and leaves that had dropped from the shrubberies slid along the road, propelled by the cold wind. Osanai-san stopped in front of a white apartment building, and stood in front of a glass door. It did not open.
“…Huh?”
“I’m not sure since it’s my first time here, but isn’t it an autolock?”
Without a word, she pressed some buttons on a panel on the side of the glass door, as if she’d planned to do that from the start. A muffled reply immediately sounded.
“Yes?”
“Hello. Osanai Yuki here.”
Joy seeped through the panel.
“Ah, yes! I’ll open the door!”
The glass door swung open, and I caught Osanai-san saying, “Open sesame,” in a small voice at that very moment.
Kogi-san’s house was the corner unit on the top floor, which seemed like a favorable location, though I wouldn’t profess to have much knowledge in that area. Osanai-san had told me that Kogi-san’s father was called Kogi Haruomi, a famous patissier who ran a shop in Tokyo. I’d heard that he was born in Nagoya, so I was surprised to see an apartment. I’d imagined that they would live in an aged, semi-detached house.
In front of the dark brown door, Osanai-san pushed the intercom.
“Hello. Osanai Yuki here.”
The door was flung open.
“Yuki-chan-senpai!”
Kogi-san exclaimed as soon as she saw Osanai-san, and hugged her while in tears. Visibly flustered, Osanai-san raised a hand in an awkward manner, timidly placed it on Kogi-san’s head and stroked it gently.
Kogi-san showed us to the living room. The room design seemed to be based on the motifs of white and glass, for the walls, ceiling and furniture all contained some degree of transparency. The only black object in the room was the television which was not turned on. While I thought it was a pristine space, I couldn’t help but associate it with a hospital room. A vividly-colored bunch of flowers was placed in a vase on the center table, which only served to strengthen that impression rather than weaken it.
There was a glass photo stand on the sideboard, but it was flipped upside down. A digital clock was mounted on a wall, and displayed the current time: eleven o’clock. Kogi-san brewed some hot tea, which Osanai-san and I received while sitting on the white sofa. After some meaningless chatter essential to communication about how the weather was cold and how it would clear up soon, we got down to business.
“I’ve read your message, but…”
Osanai-san broached the subject.
“Tell us again why you got suspended.”
Kogi-san, who was sitting alone on a cushion, nodded obediently.
“On New Year’s Eve, some people in my class went to a party. They got together with friends from other schools, and I don’t know much about it, but they apparently did a countdown, among other activities. I also heard that it livened up, and they drank champagne.”
They certainly sounded possible. We nodded silently, and tears started forming in Kogi-san’s eyes in a twinkle.
“But that had nothing to do with me. I was making osechi1 alone on New Year’s Eve. Father would return when the new year began, and we were to visit Grandfather’s house to greet him, and Spring Cleaning wasn’t finished yet, so I was really busy. But the teachers at school assumed that I also went to a party and drank alcohol, and didn’t listen to me at all!”
Tears reached her cheeks. Without displaying any emotion on her face, Osanai-san asked.
“You mentioned the school’s teachers. Who told you that you were suspended?”
“My homeroom teacher, Fukaya-sensei. He said that it was already decided so there’s nothing I can do or say about it… That teacher hates me!”
I didn’t know if that was true, but the words he used when letting Kogi-san know about her punishment slightly piqued my interest. Going by a straightforward interpretation, it sounded like he wasn’t the one who decided on the suspension, and that he was just a messenger.
Kogi-san’s voice became strikingly high-pitched.
“There’s no helping it if I get punished for something I did, but I didn’t do anything! I wanted to go to Grandfather’s house on New Year’s Eve, but I worked hard because Father entrusted me with the house! And yet they say I went to the party! That’s unacceptable!”
“You’re right.”
Osanai-san quietly spoke.
“That’s certainly unacceptable.”
For a few moments, the sounds of Kogi-san sobbing reverberated in the living room. I didn’t say anything, and Osanai-san had her lips sealed. There was nothing we could do for now but keep quiet.
After Kogi-san calmed down, she wrung out some words, even while she was still heaving with sobs.
“Yuki-chan-senpai, I’m just really frustrated. Someone told them that I went to the party. But who… and why would they do such a thing…”
“…You want to find out?”
Osanai-san spoke in a whisper.
“Based on what you said, I can only imagine that someone told a lie. As for who it was… who set a trap for you and undermined you… it might be possible to find that out.”
Kogi-san stared at Osanai-san with bright red eyes.
“So, Kogi-san, do you really want to find out who your enemy is?”
The answer was clear, and came almost instantly.
“Yes!”
I knew that Osanai-san actually wanted Kogi-san to give up. She wanted her to accept it as something that could happen to anyone, and to become a petit bourgeois. That was why she repeated her question.
“When trying to unearth something that has been hidden, you often have to pay a price. You might not want to go so far to find the truth? So are you willing to do that? No matter what happens?”
But Kogi-san did not falter.
“No matter what happens!”
She howled.
“I mean, it’s unacceptable!”
“…Yeah.”
Osanai-san looked down, so I couldn’t tell the expression she had on her face. Was she sad, or was she laughing? Sitting on the white sofa, she spoke.
“Alright, I’ll help you.”
Four people were suspended from school in this case: Kayazu Mitsuki, Sada Nanako, Tochino Mio and Kogi Cosmos. They were all third-year students from the same class.
Excluding Kogi-san, the leader out of the other three was supposedly Kayazu-san.
“I hardly talked to them, but I don’t think I’m mistaken. The other two seemed to be sticking to Kayazu-san…”
Kogi-san remarked. Osanai-san asked what impression they gave off, prompting Kogi-san to bring out some photographs. They seemed to be pictures of her classmates during the Sports Festival, for everyone was in their gym clothes.
“This is Kayazu-san.”
I thought she would have a stylish appearance since she got suspended for drinking alcohol at a New Year’s party, but my simplistic expectation was promptly shattered. Come to think of it, the school that Kogi-san attended, Reichi Middle School, was quite a strict one, so no student would be allowed to sport any outrageous appearance during a school event. Kayazu-san, who was in the center of what looked to be a photo of a relay event, had long arms and legs. She also had her hair tied up at the back, but it would probably be quite long if it was untied. Her facial features gave off a mature image, but still showed signs of her being a middle school student.
“I’ve remembered her face.”
Osanai-san said, but I asked to borrow that photo. There might be a chance to show it to someone, after all.
Sada-san was shown seated in the cheering section, but she gave off a sharp atmosphere. Or perhaps she noticed the camera pointing at her and glared at it because she didn’t like having her photo taken. Her face was somewhat round, but based on another photo of her standing up, she didn’t look to be plump. Tochino-san seemed to have a big forehead, but that was likely because her hair was combed to the back. Her skin was darkly tanned, and the photo depicted her with a frustrated countenance, evidently having been on the losing side in a game of tug-of-war.
“You say that you hardly talked to them, but are you on bad relations with Kayazu-san’s group?”
I asked just in case, but Kogi-san shook her head.
“Not really. We would cooperate during class events, and I would talk to her if I needed something of her.”
To me it seemed like there was some distance between them, but she’d answered my question honestly. There was now no doubt in my mind that she truly wanted to consult me about her problem.
“But we never met a single time out of school. I don’t know why I was thought to be part of Kayazu-san’s group.”
It was a statement that didn’t seem to have any points of uncertainty, but Osanai-san edged in with a sharp question.
“…Really, not even once?”
Kogi-san’s face stiffened. I thought that her way of speaking was a little rigid, but it turned out that it wasn’t because she was nervous talking to a guy, but because she was lying. That was something I couldn’t tell.
“If you don’t tell us everything, we won’t be able to help. Kobato-kun and I don’t intend to criticize you no matter what you say, so no more lies.
Kogi-san looked down, her face red.
“…We did go out for karoake once. It was Cultural Festival after-party, and about half the class was there… but we didn’t drink alcohol!”
Osanai-san smiled gently.
“I know. Anything else you forgot? Were you not just connected to Kayazu-san, but also to Sada-san or Tochino-san?”
“Umm… I don’t think I’ve talked to Sada-san a single time. As for Tochino-san, she seemed to be interested in making sweets so I thought I would be good friends with her, but our personalities somehow didn’t match. I don’t think she hates me, but she’s keeping me at a respectful distance.”
Kogi-san’s possessed a genuine procifiency in making sweets. If Tochino-san’s interest only went as far as baking cookies, it was natural for her to keep a respectful distance.
“So it’s Kayazu-san, huh…”
Placing a thumb on her lips, Osanai-san muttered. She glanced at me from under her fringe.
“Kobato-kun, do you think we can lie in wait even if we’re not familiar with the area?”
She asked.
“I don’t think it’s impossible. Osanai-san, you want to get in contact with Kayazu-san, right?”
“Yup.”
“Lying in wait is fine, but how about this?”
I directed my question at Kogi-san.
“Do you know Kayazu-san’s phone number? If you do, you could tell her you want to talk.”
Osanai-san clapped her hands, as if saying, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Having ambushes and stakeouts be the first ideas that come to mind is unbecoming of a petit bourgeois. I should have a thorough chat with her about it later. Kogi-san nodded, and immediately took out her mobile phone.
The Florence Cream Puff Mystery (Part 1) | Contents | The Florence Cream Puff Mystery (Part 3)
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Editors (Tier 2): Suleman, Dedavond, Egi Pratama, Pearl H Nettle
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