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Kapitel 24

"Then what brings you here? I don't want to run into that situation again."

"Well, last time was really terrible, it was a disaster."

He doesn't realize that he caused all the disasters himself.

"Miss Atsuko seems to have been greatly affected as well. I heard that the building is called something like Research Institute, but we can't find out anything about the security system. It seems that the higher-ups have ordered that the secrets be strictly kept out of the public eye."

"You—went to check that box?"

"No, it was Ms. Atsuko who investigated."

"Miss Atsuko's investigation... So you mean you met with Atsuko again later?"

"Don't make wild guesses, it's just an exchange of information for work. You know, we're both editors."

“What do you mean by ‘the same’? They’re worlds apart. What you’re doing is bothering me. If Xiaodun’s brother finds out that she’s been followed by a strange insect, it’ll be terrible. Even I will be in trouble. That girl’s brother is a real menace.”

I wonder what Kyogoku-do would do if he found out.

However, Toriguchi is not to be underestimated. We were completely fooled by his usual feigned confusion and nice-natured personality. Judging from his tone, he must have met with Chuzenji Atsuko countless times.

"I see, I've heard about it. Is Miss Atsuko's brother really that terrifying? Is he a muscular, towering giant?"

I couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Hahaha, Kyogoku-do has absolutely nothing to do with muscles or flesh. He's not a giant at all; he's practically a dead tree."

"Then, what's there to be afraid of in someone who's all muscle and flesh, like a wood ear mushroom? I don't understand."

I chose to describe him using the kind of exaggerated yet utterly boring description that Kyogoku-do loved to use.

"Well, Toriguchi, suppose you're standing right in the middle of a tunnel, with two exits. The front exit is frantically poised and ready to pounce on Rikijin (a famous sumo wrestler of the Showa 20s, the 44th Yokozuna). The back exit is haunted by the ghost of Ryunosuke Akutagawa (1892-1927, a Japanese novelist, primarily known for his short stories, and considered one of the leading figures of modern Japanese fiction). Which way would you choose?"

"Yes, Li Jin is still alive, right? Then of course I'll choose Li Jin's side, and I'll beg for his forgiveness wholeheartedly. Going against a ghost is too terrifying."

"Right, that's what makes her brother so terrifying."

The bird made a "hmm" sound and then closed its mouth tightly.

"On another note, I still don't understand what you're here for. Let me make this clear first, I don't want to get involved in anything related to the dismemberment case again."

"I see. Don't worry. The dismemberment case has become a big deal, and we can no longer use it as an exclusive story because every magazine is talking about it now. So I've changed my focus and started investigating Mitaka's Mikoto. And I discovered something very interesting. I sneaked in to investigate them, and I found that they are really troublesome."

What does "tricky" mean?

"I didn't say anything, but people can guess what I'm thinking, even though I think it's still a scam. But I was discovered to have infiltrated to investigate, and I was kicked out immediately."

"Nonsense, it's because your face looks suspicious. So what do you mean by 'interesting'?"

"It seems you're quite interested, teacher. But I can't tell you unless you agree to help first."

"What the hell? What an annoying guy. Don't try to keep me in suspense with that. I won't fall for it, and I'm heading out now."

Bird-like eyebrows twitched into a V-shape as it said, "Teacher, you've been so cold to me lately." It continued, "To be honest, that Mikoto deity is definitely a fraud. Eighty percent of the believers I interviewed have encountered tragic events, and we can't just abandon them. I originally went in alone to teach them a lesson, but they haven't shown their true colors at all. I'm completely helpless when it comes to religion, so I came to ask you for some valuable advice."

"Oh, I never expected that your 'Criminal Records,' which is supposed to be a model of trash magazines, would have such a social commentary project. It's true that we shouldn't let malicious religions that take advantage of people in distress go unchecked—but I really can't believe that you would act on such a simple reason."

“You saw right through me, but—to go any further would be too much to say, so I can’t say more for now. How about it? Would you be willing to help me expose Mikoto?”

This seems to be big news.

"Hmm, but there's someone more suitable than me for this kind of problem, and I happen to be going to his place anyway. How about it? Want to come along?"

"Since the teacher said so, of course I'll go. But who is this gentleman? Is he a university professor who is very knowledgeable about religion? Or is he a fortune teller?"

"Hehehe, it's the ghost of Ryunosuke Akutagawa."

The bird beak let out another miserable "Ugh!" sound.

It takes about 30 minutes to walk to Kyogoku-do.

The terrain in this area is somewhat sloping, with many hills.

After climbing the narrow slope nestled between the vast cemetery, you arrive at Kyogoku-do. This slope is called the "Dizziness Slope." Because of its undulating terrain, climbing about seven-tenths of the way up can cause a loss of balance and dizziness, hence the name.

The car couldn't make it up the dizzying hill, so Toriko parked his beat-up car at my house and we walked together. The luggage on my shoulder seemed really heavy, which I found strange—why not just put it in the car?

Kyogoku-do is a used bookstore owned by a Shinto priest who is also an Onmyoji (a practitioner of Yin-Yang philosophy).

The shop door was open, and hanging on it was a wooden sign written by the owner, which was hard to describe as either magical or clumsy, that read "Closed Today".

We went around to the entrance hall of the main house.

As I opened the sliding door, I happened to run into Mrs. Kyogoku-do arranging her shoes.

"Oh dear, Mr. Sekiguchi."

Hi, long time no see.

Madam Chizuko Chuzenji looked up and smiled kindly at us. Her fair skin and large, watery eyes gave her a striking resemblance to a Western beauty.

But if she's here now, then where did my wife go?

"Chizuru-nee, you didn't go out with Yukie today? Remember you said you were going to see the chaotic world—"

"Ah, you mean the movie? The pre-sale lines were so long, I couldn't get tickets. I remember Yukie saying she was going shopping today."

"I see."

What a clueless husband! Chizuko stared at the bird's beak, seemingly finding it quite peculiar.

"By the way, let me introduce you. This young man is called Toriguchi. He's someone I know, the editor."

"My surname is Toriguchi, and I am often taken care of by, uh, Miss Atsuko."

"Oh, yes, yes, I've heard of it. Please enlighten me—oh dear, why are you talking about it right here at the door? Come on, come on up."

Chizuko greeted us with a bright smile and led us inside.

"Chizuru-nee, it seems the bookstore is closed today. Is Kyogoku-do not there?"

"Hmm, but there is a grumpy stone statue of Ksitigarbha in the living room."

"living room?"

Although Kyogoku-do seemed to have no interest in doing business, he rarely took a break without a reason, but when he did rest, he would usually stay in his study.

"Oh dear, it's because Mr. Izama came to visit that I stayed until just now before leaving."

"Isa-ma of Isa-ma-ya? That's rare."

"He said it sounds like he's going on a trip."

Izamaya—Izamaya Kazunari is a mutual friend of ours. He runs a fishing pond called "Izamaya" in the town and is quite a unique person. Like Kyogoku-do, the shop's name has become his nickname. He's like dried squid—the more you chew, the more flavorful he becomes. Unfortunately, transportation to Machida is inconvenient, so I haven't had many opportunities to meet him.

The veranda faces the courtyard, which is very clean. I don't know if it was the wife, the owner, or a professional groomer who did it, but I've never seen the couple tidying up the courtyard.

"Was that lady Atsuko's older sister? They look so alike."

The bird spoke in a coy, womanly manner.

"Unfortunately, your guess is completely wrong. The one who is related to Atsuko by blood is that guy, you see."

I gestured to the bird's beak with my eyes.

As always, a cat, utterly lacking in vigilance, slept on the veranda. In the open paper door of the living room sat a ghost from Akutagawa, dressed in a summer kimono.

The ghosts that appeared during the day were still the same as before, reading ancient books with a sour face as if all their relatives had died.

Before we stepped into the living room, the ghost made a sound without even looking up.

"Hey, Sekiguchi, long time no see. But there's a limit to how long it can be. When you're in a hurry, you come almost every day, but when you're not, you don't come for two whole months. Can you please stop dragging me into your messy and irregular attitude towards life?"

He didn't even look up at us; his gaze never left his book.

"Sigh, I'm surprised you're so busy. I came today to discuss something with you. Also, this is—"

"—Toriguchi Morihiko from 'Monthly Crime Records,' right?"

"Huh?"

Not only did Toriguchi not have time to be introduced, but he also missed the opportunity to say hello.

"Why don't you two teachers stand and find a place to sit down? Look, we've even prepared cushions for you."

Kyogoku-do finally raised his head and smiled slightly.

My feelings and those of Torikochi felt as if we had been tricked by a raccoon dog, and we obediently sat down as instructed.

"Excuse me."

“Nice to meet you. My name is Chuzenji Akihiko. I’m friends with this Sekiguchi-san from our student days to now—no, I should say we’ve just known each other.”

The deliberate correction was meant to imply that he wasn't friends with this kind of guy, and by "this kind of guy," he was obviously referring to me. To put it bluntly, he was deliberately looking down on me. Today's statement was somewhat toned down; Kyogoku-do has always been very outspoken about not being friends with me.

But this series of preemptive strikes was truly brilliant.

Before we could even say anything, we were dragged into the other side's rhythm.

But how could Kyogoku-do be so sure that the young man I brought was Toriguchi? I was about to ask him about it, but Toriguchi, unable to contain himself, beat me to it.

"I see. So today—"

But his speech was not permitted.

"By the way, the Musashino dismemberment murder case is unlikely to be resolved quickly, so I think it won't be able to meet the deadline for the next issue. Although I'm not sure if your publishing house's 'Record Crimes' is even considering publishing the next issue next month."

"ah?"

Oh no, we're already deeply caught up in Kyogoku-do's rhythm.

Kyogoku-do still maintained his sour face, but as someone I'd known for a long time, I could tell his mood was gradually improving. However, this was something only I could see; Toriguchi, whom I was meeting for the first time, naturally couldn't possibly know, hence his puzzled expression.

"So, Torikochi, it's no use dragging that third-rate writer around. Besides, your editor-in-chief—is called Senoo—right? Since he can't get exclusive news and publishing current events would violate your magazine's editorial policy, he shouldn't be interested in interviewing about the dismemberment murder case."

The bird's beak was slightly open, and its eyes were wide open as it stared at its owner, seemingly speechless with surprise.

"Also—this is my personal advice, for your own safety, it's best not to investigate the mysterious building you accidentally entered, and it's better not to get too involved."

After Kyogoku-do finished speaking in a clear tone, he closed the old book he had been reading. I was unwilling to just obediently listen, so I interjected on behalf of Toriguchi, saying, "You always like to talk to yourself and say a lot of things. We haven't even said a word since we arrived here, and besides, I haven't even introduced him to you as Toriguchi yet, have I?"

"Isn't that right?"

"No, that's true, but..."

"How...how did you know?"

The bird's slightly open mouth didn't seem to be unable to speak, but rather that what it wanted to say was being held back, and it was waiting for the right moment to speak. No wonder its mouth remained in the shape of the character "怎" (zěn), meaning "how did you know?"