Qi lässt sich leicht weitergeben

Kapitel 58

Kiba was completely ignorant about medicine, believing that with modernization and advancements in medicine, all incurable diseases from the past could now be cured.

"She has myasthenia gravis, a condition that causes muscle atrophy and immobility. She can't lift her arms and legs, and she can't even open and close her eyelids freely."

"Can't it be cured?"

"I've heard that serious cases are very difficult to cure. My mother unfortunately has a severe case—"

His tone was very flat.

"—Incredibly, as the expression disappeared from the face, the person's emotions seemed to disappear with it. Originally, this was an illness caused by a problem with the nerves, but my mother's heart also became sick, getting worse day by day, until in the end it was as if she had become a completely different person."

"Then there's no reason for your father to abandon you! His profession is medicine, so he should at least try to find a cure if he can't cure you!"

“My father was dedicated to finding solutions through medical means. But that’s a completely different matter from daily life.”

“You were abandoned by your father and are now forced to live a hard life, so why do you still want to defend him?”

Ordinary people don't even have time to feel hatred.

All the misfortune began with the father's heartless behavior.

"—Mr. Kiba, have you ever considered that appearance can change a person's personality?"

Yoko looked at Kiba with an expression of profound sadness.

"My mother was originally a very beautiful and kind-hearted person. But she became ugly due to illness. I'm not referring to her appearance. Her heart and soul became like a demon. No one could bear to be around someone like that. You might say that as family members and as a couple, we should comfort her, right? But these beautiful slogans alone cannot sustain daily life. My father, a doctor, seemed to think—since we can't heal her soul, at least we should heal her body. I think he only knew how to face her as a doctor. But—in the end, we still couldn't cure her."

Yoko's gaze fell on the photo of the Buddhist shrine.

“Living with my mother made this fact crystal clear to me. I myself have thought about abandoning her countless times. Perhaps that kind of life is what hell is all about. I still have a shred of affection for my mother, which makes the pain even more intense. This pain drove me to the childish act of eloping—so, I can't unconditionally blame my father. Of course, I can't say I don't hate him either—”

After hearing Yoko's confession, Kiba didn't know how to respond. He also felt that saying anything would be meaningless. Even if Yoko suppressed her hatred for her father, lied to Kiba, and exposed the matter, it would be pointless.

Furthermore, Kiba began to find it painful to continue listening to Yoko's past. Regardless of what she had been through, Yoko was still the same Yoko; knowing her past was pointless. Kiba only ever knew Yoko's illusory image as a movie star.

For Kiba, at first, unlike the reality of actress Minami Kinuko, Yuzuki Yoko was a burden. But now, her past and the illusion of being an actress have long since merged into one, and it doesn't matter anymore.

Without realizing it—probably starting from the day he came to his senses—Kiba became attracted to the real Yoko Yuzuki. Yesterday, Kyogoku-do had given him such a hint, and Kiba, in a hazy state, once again came to understand this.

The more Yoko talked, the sadder she became; the more Kiba listened, the more distant he grew. Kiba's story was irrelevant to Yoko's past. The important thing was how to handle things from now on—that was the real issue.

"Masuoka—it seems he's hired a detective."

"detective?"

"He probably didn't feel comfortable leaving it to the police. Unfortunately, the guy he hired is the most useless detective in the world; he'll definitely have no chance of finding Kanako. By the way—besides Shibata's obituary, what else did Masuoka say to you?"

"If Kanako's death cannot be confirmed within one month, I will be regarded as her agent and continue negotiations on matters related to her estate."

"I see. So, how do you plan to respond?"

"There's nothing to ask—as long as Kanako comes back within a month—everything will remain the same."

Has Yoko not given up hope yet?

What if they don't come back?

Yoko glared at Kiba; Kiba's way of asking the question was indeed very annoying.

"I intend to inherit the property."

Why did you change your mind?

Kiba was quite surprised.

She refused the Shibata family's meager assistance without any justification; simply because she didn't want to hurt her daughter, she stubbornly refused to inherit an astronomical fortune. Even Masuoka had to admit that she had absolutely no interest in money. How could Yoko, with such a background, possibly be willing to inherit such a fortune?

“I started to think that if I really didn’t want Kanako to know, this was the best way. Of course, this decision was also made with Kanako’s return in mind.”

This suggests that she hasn't really given up hope.

Kiba simply couldn't believe that Kanako would come back.

Kiba believes Kanako is definitely dead. It may sound cruel, but that's the reality. The Shibata family is also troubled by their inability to confirm Kanako's death. Among all those involved, the only one who still believes Kanako is alive is—

Kiba thought, "It's probably just Yoko."

"If Kanako comes back alive, she'll definitely need a lot of money for treatment. Of course, even if she's healthy, it'll still cost a lot—the thought of her being dragged into the conflicts between us adults makes me—"

Yoko shed tears again.

"It's all my fault, it's all my fault, I'm the culprit behind all the bad things, so—"

His voice trembled at the end, turning into sobs.

"And—maybe that child already knows something he shouldn't know. If that's the case, saying anything more now is pointless..."

"Are you saying that Kanako knows the secret of her birth? You believe that Masuoka leaked it?"

“Mr. Masuoka is not the type to act in such a hasty manner, so I think it probably isn’t Mr. Masuoka. But—if we don’t think so.”

"You think that's a reason for suicide, huh?"

A sentimental young girl, upon learning of her shameful origins, grew weary of life and attempted suicide. Up to this point, it sounds like a clichéd tragic story, but—

A young girl, having narrowly escaped death, is drawn into an inexplicable crime and ultimately kidnapped. She is innocent. If this is true, then it is more of a tragedy than an unfortunate misfortune or disaster.

As Yoko said, Kanako was the victim who was manipulated by the selfish thoughts of adults.

Kiba was an outsider, but Yoko was the girl's mother.

The mother kept sobbing.

No matter what the situation, I hope my daughter can come back.

The inheritance of an estate, which is not something that can be done out of necessity, should also be for the future—no, to leave a trace in memory that Kanako once existed.

How could those guys in Kanagawa doubt such a pitiful mother? And they still doubt her now? Although Yoko did give a lot of false testimony.

"How much do those guys in Kanagawa know about you?"

"I didn't say anything except that Kanako is a direct descendant of Shibata. But since Mr. Kiba already knows—most likely—"

"You can rest assured about that; those incompetent guys have no way of knowing."

It was also by chance that Kiba learned about Yoko's past.

It would be impossible to know under normal circumstances.

Yoko listened to Kiba's words with a complicated expression.

I'm afraid Yangzi still can't feel at ease.

Those guys are incompetent—which means they can't find Kanako either. And not only that, it also means the Kanagawa Prefectural Police are completely incapable of handling this incident.

There's nothing we can do about it; it's the truth.

They couldn't even see through the lie that Yoko told.

Originally, Kiba planned not to ask any more questions if he found out the answer halfway through, but he decided to ask one last question anyway.

"However, putting aside your background—you lied to those people in Kanagawa, didn't you? Why?"

"Huh—?"

“I’m talking about the man in the black gloves. You may not know this, but I was actually in front of the incinerator the whole time. I knew perfectly well that you never went into the forest.”

That's because—

"At least let me know your true intentions. Why do you want to make that bunch of idiots, who are already a mob, even more chaotic? The more you lie, the harder it will be to find Kanako! You—you can't really want that, can you?"

“Because the police only suspect Amamiya, Mr. Kiba, and me, so…”

"So you want the police to focus on what's happening outside, right?"

I see. So this trick is indeed effective.

According to Aoki, those idiots were bound by preconceived notions and did not consider other situations at all. Yoko's false testimony actually made them start to notice other possibilities.

"Furthermore, if the girl's testimony—that of Yuiko Kusumoto—is true, isn't the man wearing gloves very suspicious? —Although this is just my speculation from a layman's perspective."

That's not wrong.

If Kanako didn't commit suicide, the most likely suspect is currently the man in the gloves. If this is true, it wouldn't be surprising to think he's connected to the kidnapping. Furthermore, the man in the gloves is also a suspect in the dismemberment murder.

—Lai Zi.

I must also go see Kusumoto Yoriko.

Yoko stared at Kiba. She had stopped crying, but teardrops still clung to her long eyelashes. Her skin, as white as a celluloid doll's, remained fair, only her lipstick stood out vividly.

—It actually got dyed.

This is neither a screen nor a still from a movie.

This woman is alive and well.

—You damn Kyogoku, what nonsense are you spouting in your self-righteousness?

The most urgent task is to think about how to comfort Ms. Yoko's pain.

—Don't interfere.

Instead of acting like a fool and thinking about how to defeat her enemies.

Don't do anything unnecessary.

Isn't that what it means?

Indeed, doing so might be better for Yoko.

Yoko's only chance to start over is now, and only Kiba can lend a helping hand to help her forget all the illogical aspects of her past.

That might also be better for the lumberyard itself.

It will take some time, and the woodyard only needs to wait on the sidelines for a new story to be born.

My emotions are starting to waver; the box named Kiba is about to be opened.

Yangzi spoke softly.

"Mr. Kiba—do you intend to continue interfering in our affairs?"

"Yes, of course."

The lumberyard quickly closed the lid of the crate.

Why—?