El segundo libro de la serie El mago de Oolong, titulado La mente normal

Capítulo 8

"And another strange thing is the 'reason'."

"It says 'I have something to do'."

“Yes. It’s true that you should say ‘I have something to do,’ but it’s fine to ask for a day off. But your father asked for three days off, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. If you ask for a long leave and write ‘I have something to do,’ the section chief will definitely nag you endlessly.”

"So you mean you need to provide specific reasons?"

"Yes. And if it's a 'trip' and there's no other hidden reason, just write it as it is."

Yuriko frowned, lost in thought. "If... if someone imitated Father's handwriting on this receipt, they probably couldn't find a template with 'travel' written on it. Because Father has never left us to travel alone except when he was on business trips."

"Yes! There are just too many excuses like 'I have something to do.' You're so smart!"

When praised for something so trivial, Yuriko blushed without realizing it.

"Besides, imitating the character '旅' (lǚ) is quite troublesome. In comparison, characters like '我有事' (wǒ yǒu shì), which lack individuality, are much simpler..."

"Can I borrow these two receipts?"

"Sure, what do you want to do?"

"I want the police to do a handwriting analysis."

"Good luck, detective!" Nogami Sachiyo said, popping the sandwich into her mouth.

Yuriko had been wandering around this intricate, densely populated residential area for over an hour. "Ugh, I've ended up in the same place again." Seriously, she's terrible with directions! —Even if she cursed herself, it wouldn't help.

Yuriko was searching for Junko's house. What would it be like if the victim's parents met the suspect's daughter? She had thought about it, but couldn't worry about it too much now. She'd just pretend to be a high school student then. Being a high school student was really convenient; whether she was a child or an adult depended on the situation. Next, she started searching for Junko's house… She looked up the address in the phone book, but couldn't find it. She thought about asking at the police station, but there wasn't one; she asked passersby and shops along the street, but no one knew.

2005-3-14 14:52:00

"Ah, I'm hungry," Yuriko grumbled regretfully. She should have eaten with Nogami Sachiyo earlier; then she would have paid. Right now, she could only afford the two thousand yen phone bill she'd received in advance from Tamami. She wished she weren't so stingy.

However, circling around like this wouldn't lead anywhere. She could make a phone call from ahead, but she didn't even know where she was, and there wasn't a single person to ask for directions. Yuriko sighed and started wandering again. One thing was for sure: standing there like this wouldn't lead her to her destination.

Someone is following her. — Suddenly, Yuriko noticed footsteps following closely behind.

In the afternoon, the sound of a piano drifted through the quiet residential area, seemingly from nowhere. Apart from that, there was no other sound. Under the clear sky and warm sun, Yuriko wondered, "On such a pleasant afternoon, who could be following me? Don't strange figures usually only follow beautiful women at night?"

Yuriko stopped, and the footsteps that had been following her also stopped. Because the time difference was so minute, Yuriko almost mistook it for an echo of her own footsteps, but that was impossible. As she took another step, another set of footsteps sounded. The pace was off; it wasn't an echo. Yuriko stopped, and the other person stopped too. Yuriko took another step, and the other person immediately followed. Yuriko's heart pounded wildly, and she quickened her pace. But the footsteps behind her never left her alone. Yuriko didn't even have the courage to look back. Before she knew it, she had reached the edge of a densely populated residential area; the road seemed to be behind a factory. To her left was a high, long wall, and to her right was a privately owned railway line. "Isn't this the worst place ever! Seriously, idiot! A hopeless idiot!"

Yuriko observed the railway tracks. There were no barbed wire fences or anything like that. It was slightly higher than the road, but getting in would be relatively easy. Across the way were rows of apartment buildings. —What if she crossed the tracks to the other side? Of course, it would be easy for the stalker to cross as well. She could hear the tram. There was a curve a little ahead, so despite the tram's repeated sirens, it was still invisible. Therefore, the situation was unpredictable. What if she crossed the tracks before the tram passed? The stalker would definitely panic. If she gained just those two or three seconds, the tram would block her path. She could escape while the tram was passing, and the stalker wouldn't have time to chase her. There was a slight danger, but running across...

The railway is something that can be completed in an instant. Okay, let's do it that way. She made up her mind.

The tram was getting closer. Yuriko stopped and bent down as if to tidy her shoelaces. The sound of the tram scraping against the rails echoed in her ears.

Now's the time!

Yuriko leaped to her feet and ran towards the railway tracks. She bounded across the tracks in front of her and dashed towards the opposite side—and in an instant, it seemed as if an unseen hand grabbed her ankle, causing her to stumble forward. She angrily slapped her forehead, sat up, and saw that the heel of her shoe was stuck in a gap between the sleepers. A tram was approaching along the tracks, and Yuriko desperately pulled at her foot. To get her shoe off, she had to untie the troublesome shoelaces. The tram roared in like a tidal wave, accompanied by a thunderous clang.

"ah--!"

Yuriko strained with all her might, but her shoe wouldn't budge. If this continued, she'd be crushed! Just then, someone's arm, with astonishing strength, lifted Yuriko up, and with a crack, the heel of her shoe was pulled off. In the next instant, Yuriko was thrown down the opposite slope. After tumbling two or three times, just as she thought she'd finally stopped, something pinned her down from above.

The tram roared overhead—we're saved!

2005-3-14 14:53:00

Long after the tram passed, Yuriko was still panting and holding her head, as if the tram might fall from above her at any moment.

The roar gradually faded into the distance. Finally, Yuriko raised her head. Suddenly, she received a slap across the face.

Why would you do something so foolish?!

Yuriko stared at the other person in a panic, "You are..." She forgot the pain of being hit—it was the young detective, Kuniyoshi.

"So, you're not planning to commit suicide?"

"Of course!" Yuriko said through gritted teeth, "It's all because you were following me!"

"But—that's because I wasn't sure if it was you. You can just turn around and look."

"Stop making excuses. Maybe they're some bad guy. Once we meet, everything will be over." Yuriko pouted.

"Oh dear... It was my fault at first, but it was also because you did such a ridiculous thing..." To be fair, Kuniyoshi saved Yuriko's life and should have been thanked, but because he accidentally hit her earlier, that was all forgotten.

“And these shoes… I borrowed them from a friend. What am I going to do?” Yuriko sniffled.

"I understand! I'll pay for it. Go buy new ones. Don't cry, please." Guoyou was caught in the awkward situation of being forced to buy shoes.

—The shoes were new, and lunch was at a restaurant, all paid for by Kuniyoshi. Yuriko's mood finally improved.

Nevertheless, she still asked indirectly, "Is the scar on my forehead noticeable?"

"Hmm, hmm... it's not noticeable."

“A woman’s beauty is more important than her life. If she’s injured, she won’t be able to get married…” Yuriko said, touching the tape on her wound. “If that happens, will Mr. Kunitomo take responsibility for me?”

"you!"

“Just kidding, just kidding.” Yuriko laughed. “—Thank you for saving me.”

"No, no..." Guoyou said apologetically. It was a bad deal no matter how you looked at it.

"So, are you looking for Junko Mizuguchi's house?"

"Hmm. Why is Mr. Kuniyoshi lingering in a place like that?"

"Going around in circles, that's going too far. I'm on my way to Junko Mizuguchi's house too."

"So that means it really is in that area. That's great."

"The roads are a bit complicated, it's a hard place to find. I'll take you there. But..."

"What?"

"I don't think that father would welcome you. What if he scolds you?"

“Dad was treated as the murderer. Considering Dad’s feelings, I don’t mind that!” Yuriko answered firmly and resolutely.

Kuniyu looked at Yuriko for a long while before saying, word by word, "You are such a strong girl."

Yuriko was somewhat embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help it if I spoke rudely to you. —By the way, officer."

"When you suddenly become gentle, it makes people feel uncomfortable."

“Oh, right,” Yuriko said with a smile, “I have another request. Could you help me investigate this handwriting?”

"Handwriting? Whose?"

Yuriko took out two receipts and explained the whole story to Kuniyoshi.

"Hey, you've been working really hard too."

"Yes. Because the police won't do it for us."

Guoyou couldn't help but laugh. "I understand. Let's investigate this first. But keep it a secret from our boss."

"Who is your leader?"

"Ah, it's Mr. Misaki."

Another older criminal police officer.

"So they really do see Dad as a suspect, don't they?"

“Yes. —It was confirmed as a missing person case.” Kuniyoshi put the document into his shirt pocket. “Anyway, let’s investigate this first. The results might change the course of the investigation.” Kuniyoshi’s words gave Yuriko some strength.

“Well then, let’s go, Detective Bean,” Kuniyoshi said, standing up.

Chapter Five: The Tribulations of the Three Sisters

Zhu Mei stayed in the classroom alone.

Zhu Mei wasn't specially kept behind; she stayed on voluntarily. It's important to emphasize that Zhu Mei has a strong ability to understand things. Although she didn't study very hard, her grades weren't bad.

"Hi, Sasamoto, still studying?" The classroom door opened.

"Ah, teacher."

Anton looked inside. "Going back? Let's go together."

"I'll do a quick calculation and then leave."

What are you doing?

"It's fine, it's nothing," Zhu Mei said with a smile, brushing it off.

"Okay. Don't go back too late." Anton didn't say anything more and walked out.

Tamami stared at the notebook and murmured to herself, "A total of... 24,080 yen..." It turned out that she was carrying a household account book with her.

Tamami understood that she couldn't stay at the Ando family's house forever. Therefore, she kept a rough record of the expenses she and Ayako incurred while staying there. Besides food, there were gas and water bills for showers, the cost of spare underwear, and so on, totaling over 24,080 yen. Families like this, where both husband and wife worked together to support the family, weren't wealthy, and as a guest, she should contribute accordingly. Although Ayako had started working, the money she earned was negligible, and she wasn't sure how long it would last. It was best not to rely too much on her. Besides, Yuriko was a high school student, while she was still a middle school student; even if she went to work, it wouldn't be allowed. "Maybe I'll end up selling myself..." Tamami muttered to herself as she tidied her desk.

After turning off the classroom lights, Zhu Mei went to the changing room in the hallway, put on her shoes, and was about to go back. —The smell of cigarettes wafted in from somewhere. Someone must be secretly smoking. What a waste; cigarettes are expensive these days. She picked up her bag and was about to leave the changing room when the door was suddenly pushed open, and Zhu Mei was pushed back in.

"What, what are you doing..." Zhu Mei thought, "This is bad."

"Hey, you." One person closed the door and leaned against it. Two other people slowly approached.

What are you doing?

"Lend me some spare change."

"I have no money..."

“We know you brought money. Aren’t you always counting money?”

"I don't……"

"Don't be stubborn and end up being punished!" Zhu Mei was small and weak, and was pushed to the ground by the other party. "Hand over the money honestly."

To be honest, Tamami wasn't brave. Like any other child, she was afraid of getting beaten up and didn't have the guts to fight with guys like them. However, Tamami was a miserly girl who loved money more than anything. There was indeed about 15,000 yen in cash in her schoolbag, which was "funds" she was saving for Yuriko.

"How is it?"

"Want money? If you want money, go to work!" Zhu Mei hugged her schoolbag tightly to her chest.

The other party seemed a little stunned. They probably thought they could get the money immediately with just a little threat.

"That bastard..."

Zhu Mei was kicked in the abdomen, her body curling up into a ball. Then her head was stepped on, her hair was pulled, and her face was punched. The excessive pain caused her consciousness to gradually drift away.