The San Francisco Cookie Mystery (Part 2) | Contents | The San Francisco Cookie Mystery (Part 4)
The winter days are short, and it was already night on the way back. I contacted Osanai-san during that time.
It wasn’t such a complicated story, but it’s hard to share subtle nuances over the phone. It was decided that it would be better to talk directly, so we arranged to meet at a family restaurant along the bypass.
The time was past eight, and if found by those entrusted with upholding law and order, it could lead to being taken in for questioning. As a Petit Bourgeois, one must not commit the folly of being caught wandering at night. The solution is to carry a cram school pass, which allows one to insist that they are just returning from a tutoring session if questioned. It’s a great contradiction that cram schools are open until a time when high school students could be taken in for wandering, and contradictions should be exploited.
It was a cold night. As soon as I started pedaling my bicycle after leaving home, my ears began to sting painfully. I had only put on a windbreaker for warmth, which was a bit reckless. If I tried to speed up to get there quickly, the wind would hit me even harder. In the end, I ended up heading to the meeting place slowly.
The family restaurant had a variety of customers. Since it was after dinner time, there weren’t families enjoying their meals. A man with his neck bowed munching on carbohydrates, a woman on her phone without gazing at the food in front of her, a group of college students excited about something, a paper worker, a student…… and a small girl in the back of the store, sitting with a scarf wrapped around her neck despite being inside the car. Of course, that was Osanai-san.
A waitress cheerfully greeted me.
“Welcome. Are you here by yourself?”
“No, I have someone to meet.”
I answered and headed to Osanai-san’s table.
Osanai-san was not only wearing a scarf but also earmuffs, and she was still in her fluffy down jacket. Indeed, the seat was by the window where the winter chill was creeping in, but her appearance, as if she had just returned from a ski resort, made me chuckle a bit. Osanai-san, who had been cradling a mug with both hands, looked up and glared at me with an upward gaze.
“Why are you laughing?”
Because you’re all bundled up indoors.
There was cocoa in the mug that Osanai-san was holding. It looked warm, and I wanted to order the same, but cocoa could only be ordered as a single item. The drink bar was cheaper, so I chose that. When I returned to the table with hot oolong tea, Osanai-san asked without any preamble.
“So, what’s the matter?”
I understood why Osanai-san didn’t take off her warm clothes in this cold seat. I also started the conversation while wearing my windbreaker.
“Doujima Kengo wants me to introduce him to you.”
“I do think he’s a good person, but I have to think about whether he’s my type.”
“What type of person is Osanai-san’s type?”
“Hmm.”
The answer that finally came after a while was:
“Catherine the Great……?”
Why?
Anyway,
“It’s not about introducing you romantically, but rather that he wants you to mediate. So the beginning of the mystery is a newspaper…….”
I started explaining about Shima Taiga’s award, and considering that Osanai-san had solved the mystery of the refined painting last spring, I conveyed Kengo’s request to determine whether Shima Taiga’s painting was truly just a copy. During this time, Osanai-san didn’t say a word and just stared at the cocoa in her mug. The cocoa was probably already cold.
“That’s why,”
I concluded my story.
“If I refuse, Kengo will probably come to you directly. I think he went through me as a step to be considerate. In summary, Kengo wants you to see the painting and, if possible, grab onto a reed. That’s all.”
Osanai-san continued to stare at the cocoa, tilting her head.
“Strange.”
“What’s strange about it?”
“The cocoa in this kind of shop doesn’t form a milk film on the surface. I wonder why…….”
“It’s the action of proteins.”
I wasn’t wrong, but it was a useless remark that didn’t help at all. After taking a small sip of the cold cocoa and placing the mug down, she finally looked up and stared at me directly.
“As for Doujima-kun’s story,”
She prefaced it and said,
“I don’t want to.”
Well, that’s understandable.
I leaned back deeply in my seat. The reason Osanai-san and I formed our reciprocal relationship was to escape from such complicated matters. To avoid danger, we use each other. Last spring, when Kengo asked me if I wanted to know the identity of the strange painting, Osanai-san took on the task of solving it precisely for that reason, but it turned out badly, and she was misunderstood as someone who could understand paintings. For Osanai-san, it would be a wish to avoid any resemblance that would further spread that false name.
“Well then, what should we do?”
“Since Doujima-kun is a good person, if he hears that I don’t want to, I don’t think he’ll force me.”
“Probably. But if he asks you why you don’t want to, how would you answer?”
“Well…….”
Osanai-san paused and thought deeply.
“…… I don’t have confidence, so I can’t.”
“I don’t think it’s a bad reason, but Kengo was giving off a vibe that he didn’t want to put psychological pressure on you, Osanai-san. If you take that into account, it might be better to have a different reason.”
“Then, um…….”
Osanai-san stared at the simple mug from the family restaurant for a while. I suddenly glanced outside the window. In February’s night, there was no snow in the city, and trucks loaded with goods necessary to sustain society sped west and east.
“Kobato-kun.”
“Hm?”
“What should I do? I can’t think of a reason not to see the painting.”
……That’s true.
Of course, if it turns out that the painting isn’t a copy, Kengo would breathe a sigh of relief and be able to sleep peacefully. It’s true that there’s no obligation to accept, but when you think about it, it’s hard to come up with a reason to refuse such a small request. If I refuse too clearly, they might think I have ulterior motives. According to our spirit of mutual assistance, I should be Osanai-san’s shield in such situations, but even so, I have no idea what to do this time. So I ask.
“By the way, to put it bluntly, why don’t you want to?”
“Because I don’t want to be relied upon.”
Without hesitation, a clear answer came back. After a moment, she added,
“And if I really understand Shima Taiga’s intention, I’ll end up like a high school appraiser.”
Would a teacup be sold for a million yen just because Osanai-san glanced at it and said “Hatena”……? 1
I also answered back.
“I’m not criticizing you, but I want to say in advance that you didn’t seem to mind being relied upon by Kogi-san.”
Kogi-san is a junior high school student living in Nagoya, and by chance, we got to know each other. When Koji-san had a troublesome incident, Osanai-san went to Nagoya to solve it. By the way, I was also taken along at that time, and I think I was somewhat helpful.
Osanai-san released her hands from the mug, looking down, and put them in the pockets of her down jacket.
“I’ve never thought I want to be fair to everyone.”
“…….”
“Kogi-san is a friend. I didn’t choose to be that way, but in the end, we became friends. I did as much as I could because Kogi-san, who was crying, asked for help. Even if Kogi-san herself said halfway through, ‘It’s okay, stop it.’ But I don’t intend to do that for everyone.”
Maybe Osanai-san wouldn’t do the same for me.
Osanai-san suddenly looked up.
“Kobato-kun, what about you?”
“Me?”
“Doujima-kun is your friend, not mine. If the word ‘friend’ doesn’t resonate, it can be an acquaintance or anything else. Do you want to do something for Doujima-kun?”
Me to Kengo, huh.
Like Osanai-san carefully added, Kengo and I can’t be called friends. But it would be a lie to say we have no connection. When Doujima Kengo, with his mouth in a frown, said he was the one who informed the TV station about the painting’s existence, and that he was drowning, did I just think, “Oh, that’s tough,” without any further thought?
…… I might have just thought that.
Over the full-glass window, trucks continue to rush through the bypass. Osanai-san shrank her body against the cold, and I took a sip of hot oolong tea.
“How about this?”
I said something to buy time.
“It’s hard to refuse to see the painting. So, out of obligation, you’ll at least take a look. Then you’ll say it’s beautiful, but nothing else comes to mind.”
Osanai-san let out a small sigh.
“I also thought that was the only compromise. But Kobato-kun,”
Dark eyes looked at me sharply.
“Just to be sure…… just to be sure, but if you find a clue and start deducing, that would mean you used me as a decoy.”
Osanai-san’s words were indeed reasonable.
I and Osanai-san use each other. But it must be with mutual understanding. A little mischief is fine, but using someone without their consent is not acceptable. If I drag Osanai-san out just to pretend to look, and as a result, I notice something and convey it to Kengo, that would be disloyal to Osanai-san.
I suddenly found it amusing. We, of all people, didn’t even consider the most likely possibility that we wouldn’t be able to make any progress on the painting’s mystery from the start. It’s ridiculous and foolish, isn’t it?
Chuckling a bit, the stiffness in my thoughts melted away. I understood, Osanai-san, this is what it means.
“Osanai-san.”
“What is it?”
“I want to help Kengo a little because he’s in trouble. But I don’t want to make a big deal out of it, so I want you to be my decoy. Even if I find something, I’ll be careful about how I convey it so that you don’t become famous as an appraiser.”
Osanai-san nodded.
“Then I understand. I owe you for helping with Kogi-san’s problem, so this will be even.”
“Sorry. I’ll ask you.”
“Then, as a down payment, please give me another cup of hot cocoa.”
I wondered why it had turned into a story about treating her to cocoa when it was supposed to be even. When I asked about that, Osanai-san hugged herself and shivered. I guess it was meant to appeal for cocoa because it’s cold, or maybe it was a gesture saying she had malaria.
As I thought, this matter needed to be organized first.
For that, we needed to strategize a bit more in this family restaurant, and for that, Osanai-san had to endure the cold, which meant we needed to add cocoa. Just as I was about to press the button to call the staff, Osanai-san reached over and pressed it herself, ordering her own cocoa. I couldn’t help but stare at her face.
“Didn’t you want me to buy it for you?”
“…… That was a witty Petit Bourgeois joke.”
I don’t get it.
I also stood up, went to the drink bar, and poured more hot oolong tea. By that time, a new cocoa had also been served, and Osanai-san was happily cradling the mug with both hands. The night was getting late, and it was past nine o’clock. It was getting dangerously late for high school students to be wandering around the city.
“The information Kengo shared about Shima Taiga’s painting was concise, and that’s precisely why it was insufficient. I don’t have the sensitivity to read anything just by looking at the painting. I need more accurate information.”
Osanai-san nodded silently.
“Then, what was insufficient about Kengo? What should I ask in detail?”
“Everything.”
A very clear answer came back.
“…… Specifically,”
“What do you think, Kobato-kun?”
Well, it’s true that this matter was originally a request for Osanai-san’s cooperation, but it was a bit unsatisfactory to be thrown back at me. However, as an opening, it would be reasonable for me to raise questions first.
“First, Kengo said that Shima Taiga’s painting remained. Where was it? Second, who found it?”
“Hold on.”
Osanai-san released her hands from the mug and stopped me.
“How many are you going to list?”
“I’m not sure.”
“You’ll definitely forget later, so write it down.”
Even though that’s true, I don’t have paper or a pen…… Just as I was thinking that, a notebook appeared in Osanai-san’s hand. No way.
“Huh? Where did that come from?”
“Even if you ask where…….”
Osanai-san twisted her body a bit, and I saw that she was wearing a thin backpack. It seemed that the notebook had been pulled out from over her shoulder from inside the backpack. I’m surprised by her dexterity, but more than that,
“Why are you wearing a backpack inside the store?”
“Even if you ask why…… it’s to prevent getting cold from the back…….”
She gave me a look that seemed to say, “What are you saying that’s so obvious?” I wonder if I’m the one being unreasonable…… I don’t think so, though…….
Whatever the case, a notebook appeared, and then a ballpoint pen came out of the backpack. I took the pen and started listing the vague points from Kengo’s story as they came to mind.
<1> Where was Shima Taiga’s painting?
<2> Who found it?
<3> Was it found by chance, or was it being searched for? If it was being searched for, who suggested that it might be there?
<4> Who is Nicolas de Staël?
<5> Why was the found painting in an empty classroom? Although I feel like there might not be a significant reason for this.
<6> Was Kengo the only one who noticed that the painting was a copy of Nicolas de Staël?
<7> What kind of exhibition was the painting displayed in?
<8> How did Kengo know that Shima Taiga’s painting was exhibited in the exhibition, even though it was thirty years ago?
<9> What kind of evaluation did it receive at the exhibition?
<10> Kengo pointed out that it was strange that Shima Taiga hadn’t collected the painting for decades. I pointed out that it’s strange for a student’s painting from decades ago to still be in the school.
<11> Does Shima Taiga not know that it exists? If he did, why hasn’t he done anything about it?
<12> What does the title <The Sight and the Outer, or fortune-cookie> mean?
Writing and crossing out, I finally managed to write this much.
Shima Taiga’s painting left at the high school is undoubtedly a copy of Nicolas de Staël’s, but there are this many unclear points surrounding it. However, they should all be easy to find out.
“If I ask Kengo, it seems like many of these things can be found out tonight. It’s already late, but I’ll call him later.”
Osanai-san lifted the mug and was drinking cocoa, but then looked up at me and said,
“Ok.”
Just to be sure, I asked.
“Osanai-san, do you have any other points you want to know?”
Then Osanai-san tilted her head and gestured for the pen. When I handed her the pen, she put down the mug and wrote in a slightly peculiar handwriting,
<13> Is a fortune-cookie delicious?
The San Francisco Cookie Mystery (Part 2) | Contents | The San Francisco Cookie Mystery (Part 4)