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Kapitel 57

Kiba stared at the plants in the yard. The chestnut tree in the neighbor's yard had its branches growing over here; it would probably bear fruit soon.

"—Did Masuoka come to inform Shibata Yohhiro of his death?"

Rather than going through the motions for ages, it's better to get straight to the point; that's more in line with Kiba's personality.

"Yes."

She didn't seem surprised. Yoko was more straightforward and decisive than I'd imagined.

Yoko invited Kiba into the house again, and Kiba finally accepted.

There are two photos displayed in the shrine.

One photo is of Kanako, and the other is probably of her deceased mother. Half of the mother's photo has been torn off, and the right side of the photo, which should have been the father's part, now only shows his shoulder.

Both photos have faded.

The display features framed handprints, which are said to have been left by Kanako when she entered junior high school.

"Mr. Kiba—you managed to find out in the end."

Yoko brought over some tea, and Kiba didn't know how to respond.

“I’m sorry, I lied. But—I didn’t want you to…”

"Stop talking."

"I don't want you to know about this past."

Yangzi said, her eyes gazing into the distance.

With all the paper doors removed, the layout of the house is now completely visible.

The house wasn't very big, but it exuded a chill. There was an unbearable sense of loss. Something important was missing.

"It's become quite desolate here."

So that's how it is. What's missing is the person who originally lived here—Yoko's family.

"That was originally Kanako's room, and the room opposite was Amamiya's living space."

"You've been living with Amamiya?"

"No, it started after we moved here."

Although Kiba didn't ask, Yoko started talking on her own.

“Regardless of what our original relationship was, after fourteen years together, it feels like we’re family. However, Amamiya has always been an honest person by nature—ever since he was sent by the Shibata family to monitor him.”

Fourteen years ago, in the same season as now, in Showa 13.

Under Shibata Yohiro's orders, a young man named Amamiya Norimasa was sent to Yoko's side.

Directly under orders from Chairman Shibata, who had shown him great kindness, Amamiya felt a heavy responsibility and knew he had to carry it out diligently. However, for him, subtly following and constantly monitoring her like a spy was simply impossible. After careful consideration, Amamiya told Yoko, "I hope we can treat each other like family and relatives from now on. If we trust each other, there's no need for us to spy on each other." Whether he was being honest, foolish, or simply missing the point, Amamiya made this suggestion to Yoko—a suggestion that shouldn't have come from someone who was monitoring her.

So, Amamiya rented a room in the tenement where Yoko and her family lived. His job was less about surveillance and more about taking care of the family. Although Yoko received child support and medical expenses from the Shibata family, she still had to earn her own living expenses. In contrast, Amamiya only needed to submit a report each month to receive a salary, so his job was quite relaxed. Therefore, even though no one asked him to, he voluntarily helped take care of the newborn Kanako and visited Yoko's mother at the hospital every day.

“Kanako was raised by Amamiya. That child calls her birth mother ‘older sister’ and addresses her adoptive father, Mr. Amamiya, in a very formal way. This is the kind of life I have given that child since birth.”

Yoko's eyes were filled with sadness.

"Shortly after my mother left, the war broke out. When our family sought refuge in another prefecture, Amamiya did the same for us—by then I had come to regard him as family. It's ridiculous, isn't it? For him, it was just a job—but he was really good to us."

"You...you...to Amamiya, could it be..."

"Please don't misunderstand, he's not that kind of person. There's nothing between us. Please—you must believe me."

Kiba felt that this was something that could be trusted.

Kiba recalled Amamiya's face—lacking in definition. But that man's life could also be described as a life full of hardships.

According to Masuoka's information, Amemiya was originally an employee of Shibata Machinery, a subsidiary of Shibata Silk Manufacturing. While his exact role is unknown, it is said he was a technical staff member.

Such an ordinary life, I don't know where it went wrong—but no matter what, the one who caused this situation is undoubtedly Yoko in front of Kiba.

"After I became an actress, Amamiya became my assistant, helping me with various chores. Kanako also grew up to an age where she didn't need constant care—so my finances gradually became more stable. My becoming a movie star was truly a coincidence. Thanks to my connections as a ticket collector when I was younger, I found a job doing odd jobs in a film studio—"

"I've heard about this."

Minami Kinuko's success story is quite famous. It was reported on in magazines several times at the time, and even those who weren't movie fans had likely heard of it. However, it didn't include her tragic love story before she became famous; as for the claim that she had a child, the offspring of the Shibata zaibatsu's son, and that her follower was the Shibata family's watchdog—these seemingly far-fetched stories are even less believable.

What most people are more concerned about is the reason for Kinu's sudden retirement from acting.

Kiba took the opportunity to inquire about the matter.

"I suppose it's to add some vegetables."

Yoko smiled, looking as if she was—playing dumb.

"Moreover, the Shibata family was not very happy about my public appearances—I myself felt a little guilty about lying about my age."

Well, the reasons are indeed quite valid. However, Kiba thinks that if the Shibata family isn't happy about this, they probably won't let her debut at all. Kiba offered his opinion, and Yoko smiled, somewhat troubled.

“They probably thought I would never become famous even if I debuted. And what’s funny is that they thought I was quite trustworthy. Because Amamiya always submitted his reports on time, and I never broke my promise—and by then, that person was no longer alive.”

"You really never wanted to see Shibata Hiroya?"

"I never thought of that. Our relationship probably ended around that time."

"You mean that wasn't a tragic love story worth singing about?"

“Reality is different from acting. That person—that’s all in the past now—Mr. Hiroya was probably just sympathizing with my situation back then.”

"Could mere sympathy escalate into an elopement?"

“Mr. Hiroya was really gentle. To him, loving me was no different from giving actors red envelopes or buying art supplies for painters. As for me—at that time I was taking care of my sick mother, I was really tired from the bottom of my heart, and I wanted to escape from all of this. Looking back now, our relationship was probably different from the love between ordinary men and women.”

"Then, why would someone who harbors a child out of sympathy and a desire to escape reality risk everything to give birth to it?"

Yangzi hesitated for a moment.

This problem must be too painful for her.

"That's why we must bring them into this world. Children are innocent."

If we disregard personal concerns such as saving face, protecting oneself, and the hardships of childbirth, then as Yoko said, a child conceived for any reason is indeed innocent. Abortion can be seen as a selfish act on the part of the parents.

"That's true, that's a very unfair way to talk about Kanako."

Upon hearing Kiba's words, Yoko cried, her expression still resolute, though two clear tears streamed down her cheeks. Her expression resembled that of a young child pleading. Seemingly unable to contain her disappointment, Yoko lowered her head and called her daughter's name.

"Add rapeseed—add rapeseed."

But since you're thinking so much about your daughter—

Why refuse an inheritance?

"I don't want Kanako to know about her background."

Ah, I see. If we tell the truth, then the only explanation is what Kiba just said.

"Can't you lie? Telling the truth isn't always a good thing, any lie is fine—"

“I’ve already told too many lies. Continuing to lie will only accumulate more lies. I’m a liar.”

That's not true. This woman is completely incapable of lying. This woman named Yoko seems to be able to live only through this kind of honest, almost foolish, way. I never imagined that someone with this kind of personality could become such a good actress.

No, he's not exactly a good actor either.

Yoko continued to cry.

What should we do next? Staying here creates the illusion that things might be alright if things just continue like this. There's a huge gap between that illogical event and the current situation.

The truth is, Kanako and Amamiya have both disappeared, and Yoko is crying. But at this point, Kiba is powerless to do anything about it. How can he stop her from crying? Filling this void will take time, and perhaps only time can help. Solving the case, uncovering the truth, finding the culprit—none of these things seem to help her. "Defeat the enemy" is probably the most incongruous phrase in the current situation. It's meaningless.

—Kyogoku-do,

They probably already knew this was going to happen.

—How can we let him manipulate us?

Kanako vanished before his eyes, Amamiya disappeared, Suzaki was murdered—

Even if, as Kyogoku-do claims, the dismemberment murder is different from the Kanako case—

Even if that's the case, we can't just let it go unchecked.

Kiba had gradually forgotten his original purpose. He wasn't sure exactly when he started to develop a sense of purpose, but he had at least moved beyond the level of "for Yoko's sake." If "for Yoko's sake" was the most important thing, then following Kyogoku-do's advice to maintain the status quo, not investigate anything, and protect her until she recovered would be the best approach. But that wouldn't work.

This incident has become Kiba's own story. He can manage to let things slide when he's playing a supporting role, but once he becomes the protagonist, he can't. Kiba must rely on his own actions to guide the conclusions that align with his personal characteristics.

"—What is your relationship with Mimasaka?"

Yangzi wiped away her tears with a handkerchief.

He is—an—old friend of mine.

The answer was vague and ambiguous. Tears made her words broken and disjointed.

It is impossible to determine whether the answer is true or false.

Kiba inexplicably believes that Mimasaka is a key factor in this incident.

Since his abrupt appearance was arranged by Yoko, it was only natural for him to ask Yoko for the reason.

"It's hard to imagine what kind of connection could exist between a brilliant surgeon ostracized from academia and a ticket seller. Even after becoming an actress, it would be the same. Where did you two meet?"

"He is—my father's—"

"Father? What does your father do for a living?"

"He's also a doctor."

So, was Mimasaka a friend of Yoko's father? Judging from Satomura's words, when Yoko lived with her father, Mimasaka hadn't yet been expelled from the medical field; it was during his time as a genius in medicine, so it's not surprising that Yoko had heard of his reputation. But if they were friends, does that mean Yoko's father was also a key figure in the medical world?

"What kind of person is your father? Why did he kick you and your mother out?"

“My father—I don’t like to think about that time. My parents’ relationship was very bad back then,”

Yangzi sobbed, gently wiping away her tears before remaining silent for a moment.

"It's because of my mother's illness."

"Illness? But isn't your father a doctor?"

"Yes—but my mother had an incurable disease."

"An incurable disease? With science so advanced, are there still diseases that can't be cured?"