Chapter 14 Chapter 5 Shukara

"My memory is better than others," the woman said. So what? ——Kiba Shutaro thought to himself. Kiba was completely unmotivated.Although not to the point of being absent-minded, none of the words that got into my ears would stay for long, and they would slip away to other places in an instant.The stay time is too short, so I can't understand the meaning of the conversation.The more the woman talked, the more indifferent Kiba felt.I don't know if I really think so, or just pretending.He didn't even have the strength to tell the difference. It's like going into a classic movie theater to pass the time, watching old movies that you've seen several times.Regardless of whether the woman in the center of the screen is crying or screaming, or even being killed, Kiba, who is an audience, can't do anything about it.No matter how important something was going on on screen, Kiba didn't really care one iota, to be honest.Although the retina reflected the appearance of someone talking, but his head was blank.

Speaking of what Kiba was thinking at that time, all he could think of was the smoked whale meat served on top of what seemed to be sushi made of tofu dregs and was brought to him briefly. So which part of the huge whale's body was cut off to become such a shabby thing?Whatever happened to this matter made Kiba very concerned. "It's absolutely unmistakable." The woman said a little excitedly. —It's annoying. The proprietress of the hotel who rested her cheek on the side said wearily: "I can't even feel a little bit of energy..." Like the meowing of a cat coquettishly, it is completely elusive.

The proprietress was right, so Kiba didn't reply. "What's the matter? There's really nothing you can do with a clogged policeman..." The proprietress, the cat-eared Jun, narrowed her almond eyes and stared at Kiba. Then she scolded contemptuously: "A coward who has no future." The woman who had been enthusiastic about confiding suddenly became depressed when she saw Ah Run's actions, and looked at the faded and yellowed counter with a dull face. Kiba always felt a little guilty, but when he thought that his heart was soft at such a time, he would be unlucky every time, so he frowned coldly on purpose and replied: "Worry."

Kiba is a detective of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. The major case that had been handled for several months finally came to an end this spring, and then finally solved the paperwork that he was not good at, such as the confession letter and report, Kiba was extremely bored, and when he recovered, he was close to the downtown area .And then...he came here. Maomu Cave - just a run down little hotel.It was dark and there was no ventilation.Not even a guest.No hostesses blah blah blah, no self righteous preaching bartenders. As long as he can drink, it doesn't matter where he goes, but Kiba will deliberately go all the way to Ikebukuro, which is opposite to where he lives, probably because he no longer has the strength to join the crowd.When Kiba is too lazy to cater to the society, he will come to this store.

— Disappointed. Shouldn't have come—Kiba felt a little regretful. indeed. No, as I guessed, when Kiba visited, the small shop in the basement was empty. Not only that, the proprietress closed early when she saw Kiba, a regular customer.It's all the same.Rather than saying that the business is not good, it is better to say that the proprietress has no intention of doing business at all. "I'm waiting for you." The proprietress put on a smile and opened her eyes to speak nonsense. When I don't go, Kiba doesn't visit for half a year, and the proprietress can't wait for such bad customers.Kiba ignored him: "Don't say such boring flattery."

However…… Not long after, Jun asked Kiba to watch the store and left the store.Kiba didn't think about anything, and when he made up his mind to drink and drink for himself, Jun brought a woman who he said was an acquaintance. "Let her discuss it." Ah Run said. It turns out that talking nonsense with open eyes is not flattery, but ulterior motives.The woman frequently told her about being spied on, which made Kiba feel annoyed.He doesn't want to hear, doesn't want to think. So Kiba didn't even look closely at the woman's face, but just stared at the chipped wine glass and the poor-looking side dishes.

——It’s so hard to get ahead. Kiba threw what looked like sushi into his mouth. After eating it in his mouth, he thought: Where are you still making this kind of shit these days? Tofu dregs sushi is a substitute that can only be produced in the era when you can't eat sushi at will.Tofu dregs are used in place of rice, and whale meat is used in place of tuna. In other words, it was something that could only be eaten in the era when there was no rice and no fish. Kiba thought that after the abolition of the control of aquatic products, there should be no idiots eating such unpalatable things, and there would be no more Which idiot served this kind of thing to the guests.

The food got stuck in my throat and it was unpalatable. When Kiba was working in the Teshima prefecture, he went to black market sushi restaurants selling this kind of whale sushi several times to conduct seizures. Although easier to obtain than tuna, whales are still aquatic products.That is contraband, so it cannot be sold openly in the market. Kiba has eaten the whale sushi that was seized several times. Of course, this is not what a public servant should do.But even if the police confiscated the sushi, they had to throw it away.In fact, it’s not right to be a black market that sells contraband, but what is a policeman who throws away the valuable food seized in the black market without taking it seriously?

Kiba always felt hard to let go. Even if it was illegal, people at that time lived a life without a meal, and some people even starved to death, but the police who were supposed to protect the society threw away edible things. How could this work?Instead of throwing it away, it would be better to eat it——that's what Kiba thought at the time. Every time I steal it, it gets stuck in my throat, and every time Kiba chokes terribly. After eating it after a few years, he choked again. Kiba hastily poured the liquid from the wine glass down his throat, and ended up choking even worse. The cheap wine in the glass not only has high alcohol content, but also does not know what the raw material is.

Seeing this, Ah Run's face like a foreign cat's smiled crookedly. "You, is this considered a criminal police officer? Sora has a big guy." "Let me tell you, the criminal police are not the trouble counselors in the town, hello!" "Why? Aren't the police on the side of the people?" "The police are on the side of law-abiding people, we are only responsible for cracking down on law-breakers." "Isn't peeping illegal? Why are you so arrogant?" "I'm in the first search section, and I'm dealing with murder cases..."

This is an excuse. He just finds it annoying. "Even if it failed, but you, a man who looks like a big Buddha, is so unhappy that it's so hard to see." Ah Run said, turning his face away vigorously. ——failure... indeed. In the previous incident, the actions of the investigators including Kiba—no, the search policy of the headquarters itself had an irreparable fault.Despite the extensive network, the number of victims continues to increase, and this is the search operation that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and its jurisdiction - the Chiba Prefecture Headquarters of the National Police, are doing their best to conduct. Five people died in front of the wooden field. Even if Kiba himself did not make a fatal mistake, it is true that the murder happened in front of Kiba, who is a police officer.Of course, Kiba is not without guilt for this matter.He also felt that if he had acted wisely, he might have saved a life or two. However, he also felt pretentious to think so.He thought that a mere police officer could do only so much at most. He is definitely not inferior, nor is he escaping reality in order to shrug off responsibility.And in terms of the results, Kiba is closer to the truth than the search headquarters. Even if he is accused of acting without authorization, he still thinks that he has done his best in the limited situation.For this, he has no regrets. But... in this case, the issue is not effort, judgment, or right or wrong. Only the results matter. Whether it's making the right choice, or making a sincere effort to move forward, it's all for naught if you fail.But even if you make mistakes or are lazy, as long as the result goes well, everything is happy. Indeed, there were mistakes, and many people died. But the killer was apprehended and the case closed. helpless.So Kiba was neither satisfied nor disappointed.He took it very calmly, and he didn't feel that he was depressed like Ah Run said.only…… If I have to say... Kiba didn't like himself who took things lightly.The inexplicable impulse that had always driven Kiba to run amok in unnecessary places was now strangely quiet.Nothing like myself.As a result, Kiba still doesn't have any feelings about the incident.He felt that in this situation, he should be more emotionally unstable, more angry, and more excited to make inexplicable actions. That's more like yourself. Of course, everything was over, and even if Kiba made a scene all by himself, the dead would not come back to life, but he felt that if he didn't at least make a scene, it seemed that the person who was killed would die with regret.This is unreasonable, Kiba thinks his own code of conduct is unreasonable.Speaking of which, no matter how many people died, there was only one sentence of "Oh, that's it", that's simply... —It was almost like war. Kiba felt that way.He doesn't want to do this, he thinks it's wrong.but…… Despite the many deaths before his eyes, Kiba couldn't feel anything special as a result. This kind of philosophical and mature self makes Kiba somewhat unacceptable.That's all. He wasn't regretting his failure. Kiba just finds it troublesome. At this time, Kiba looked at Jun's face for the first time after entering. Bright facial features, rose lipstick. He should look like he is glaring at people, Kiba is very aware that his appearance will bring unnecessary intimidation to the other party. Small eyes, rough face, strong neck. A-run pouted his face in a dispirited manner. "Uh..." The woman was so depressed that she spoke weakly. "I am still……" "Are you...going to that weird kid called what?" Ah Run asked lazily with his face scrunched up. The woman was troubled for a while, and replied, "Yes." Ah Run held the cigarette in her delicate lips. "Well, I don't quite agree with you going, but it's better than this idiot..." Idiots are worth Kiba. Ah Run lit a cigarette, took a puff, blew the smoke towards Kiba, and continued, "Reliable." "Hey..." Kiba was a little concerned. "...What is that weird kid you're talking about?" "Why, that has nothing to do with you, right? Stupid guy." Ah Run scolded. "That's right, it has nothing to do with me." Kiba returned fiercely.He was so fierce that he couldn't ask others to tell him now, but this time it was Kiba who turned his face away. Seeing this, the woman wanted to speak, but Ah Run stopped her, and finally said by herself: "You are a psychic boy. Huh? But that is not called a psychic. Let me think about it, it is a child prodigy. What is it called? Yes Now, what kind of magic spell did he use?" "Ah? What photo touch?" "It seems to reflect the meaning of monsters. It can detect deeds and lies." "Ha, isn't that convenient?" Kiba said disdainfully. What spirits and demons, Kiba hates that kind of thing the most.He doesn't care about the subtle differences at all. In Kiba's eyes, all those kinds of things are the same, and they all reject them. "It's better to have one in the police, no, there should be one in the cabinet." "It seems that... someone also made such an opinion." "What did you say?" Of course Kiba was joking. The proprietress just looked at the ceiling and replied leisurely: "I don't know what happened to the cabinet, but I heard that the kid showed his skills in a certain case and found out the troublesome one. It must be very convenient if he can see through the perjury. " "Asshole, the police can't believe that kind of thing. I think it's probably because they caught a wild cat eating sardines? I don't know what kind of child prodigy or boy, even if it's a god or a Buddha. If the judicial officers act according to the oracle, Isn't it the end of the world? If the cops really believe that kid's nonsense, the country's going to be fucked, bastard." "Then..." Ah Run said fatherly. "...is the country almost doomed?" "What's the meaning?" "Because what I heard is not the simple matter of the child assisting in the criminal search, but the definite rumor that he made a substantial contribution to the arrest of the criminal. This means that the police have adopted the child's opinion when searching or arresting. Generally speaking People can't arrest criminals." "It's just a rumor," Kiba said. Ah Run replied: "Didn't people say that where there is no wind, there are no waves? Anything is fine. Whether he is a child or a puppy, it will be more useful than a criminal policeman who does not move and looks like a pickle stone, right?" "You're very wordy, I get it." "What do you know?" Ah Run said, pressing out his cigarette impatiently. "Listen, I'm not saying this because this Miss Haruko is going to rely on that damn kid's nonsense you're talking about. It's all because you're standing still like a pissing horse." "You woman..." "What kind of woman is not a woman, don't bark." "Eh? I'm a guest!" "I don't remember ever taking your money for drinks, please don't act like a gentleman?" "I've already poured wine for people to drink, and I'm still talking big. Every time I come here, the store is closed. You were still sleeping in there last time, right? You were sleeping, right? Hey, don't think you can fool me Criminal policeman. And you always give me some inexplicable things to eat, and you try to eat them every time, which makes me have diarrhea every time. Listen carefully, Arun, things should be in order, and work should be in terms of responsibilities. I don’t know. Where does this person live, but this kind of thing first..." "You're a person who talks nonsense, of course I know that. Isn't it because the police nearby are so unreliable that you are begging you, a dull idiot like this? Don't you even understand this? Do you think anyone likes to come looking for nothing? You, a person who looks like clogs that have been trampled on by the toilet, can you discuss it?" "Uh..." the woman—Arun called her Chunzi—said timidly. "Miss Junzi, it's fine, I..." Jun looked at Kiba helplessly, and said weakly, "I'm sorry." It sounded like he was talking to Kiba. "...Uh, it's not something that will happen in a day or two, and it's not life-threatening, so I'd better ask Lord Blue Boy..." "Wait a minute." Kiba couldn't help but interjected. "That kind of psychic liar is definitely not a good thing." —Why should I interrupt?Kiba thought. "So it's best not to get involved with that kind of person." have a finger in the pie.Speaking of which, this has nothing to do with Kiba at all.It's just that he has a quirk. When someone pushes him hard, he will slam back hard, but when the other party shrinks back, he will reach out and pull him, which is nerve-wracking.Kiba is a born naysayer. ——No, I’m a three-year-old kid? It should be, this is not the reaction of adults. Ah Run lowered her head, she must be secretly laughing. "Why are you laughing? I hate divination the most. I know a lot of victims in this line of work. If you get involved with that kind of person, none of them will end well. Even if you don't touch that kind of person, I will come to the door by myself, there is no need to throw myself into the trap. Isn't that called fire fighting?" Ah Run showed a girlish expression, swallowed back his smile and said, "But I said you are too funny. But... well, forget it. Miss Chunzi, there is only this matter, this The fool is absolutely right. I've told you too many times, and you'd better stop thinking about it." Chunzi let out a weak "Oh". "I thought so too, but..." "But?" "There was once before...it was a coincidence, uh, I got advice from Mr. Blue Boy...how should I put it, it has something to do with me..." "Is it related to you?" "Well, so I think... it should be trustworthy..." "Hey, the criminal police over there, it's because you don't listen to people well, that's why Miss Chunzi thinks so, doesn't it? This little girl is resigned, if she is allowed to go on like this, she will definitely go find that brat Yes. Wouldn’t it be a good thing to get involved with that kind of person?” "Then what do you want from me?" ——Isn’t the result like this again? Kiba listened to the woman's explanation again. The woman—self-proclaimed Miki Haruko. She is twenty-six years old, she is said to be from Shizuoka, she came to Tokyo after the war for some reason, and started working in a sewing factory in East Nagasaki the year before last.He has no family and relatives, and lives alone in the dormitory of the factory. Chunzi's appearance has no characteristics at all, and even if she meets her again in the future, it is doubtful whether she can be recognized.At first glance, she doesn't look like a woman who is indulging in fun, and her clothes are also very simple. How can such a woman know the proprietress of the restaurant?Kiba was a little surprised by this, but the woman did not explain why she went to Tokyo, nor did she explain her relationship with the proprietress. "Very annoying." Chunzi emphasized repeatedly. It seems to be really annoying. It was a newspaperman named Nobuo Kudo who lived nearby that Haruko rated him as pestering. Haruko said that Kudo had been pestering her since last fall, and it bothered her a lot.To put it bluntly, it is not uncommon to pursue her. "Don't you...don't like that person?" Kiba asked for the sake of caution. Because this is the most important point. In fact, such disputes are often quarrels between couples who are confused by others, and no one will feel unhappy if they are liked by others.Although some of them find it annoying, it's just that they don't like the suitor or the situation, and they don't feel disgusted by being liked. However, there are also many shameless people in the world who desire more than love and pursue the opposite sex out of sexual impulse. That kind of situation is just a kind of sexual harassment disguised as love, but even this kind of unreasonable courtship, some people think it is unreasonable so bad. In this kind of situation, most of the woman's reluctance is just pretending, so it is even more difficult.Like Kiba is always confused about this. Of course, it is impossible for a man or a woman to be happy if his personality is disregarded and he is treated only as the object of his sexual urges.Even so, there are still some people who don't think it's bad. It's not because they are lustful or lewd, but because their masochistic psychology is stimulated.Kiba thought so. but…… Kiba has neither pursued nor been pursued, so of course it cannot be definitively determined.Although it is impossible to say for sure, telling the other party "I like you" should be very close to surrendering to the other party, saying "I will do whatever you want, please accept me as a younger brother".If this is the case, will the pursued party develop a sense of superiority over the pursued party?Because the other party offered unconditional obedience.As long as a person has a little desire for dominance, or a little bit of self-esteem, even if the other party's lust is obvious, he still won't feel unpleasant. The reverse is also possible.If the party being pursued has a tendency to be abused, in different senses, there will be different feelings. In any case, talking about disliking is also a way of expressing liking—the ridiculous logic of men can work because of the existence of these complicated and tricky examples—Kiba thought. But for Kiba, who is not good at dealing with emotional problems, these may be just self-righteous. However, the only thing Kiba can be sure of is that this kind of matter can only be resolved by the parties themselves.Kiba knows a few cases. On the surface, although he keeps saying that he is annoying, disgusting, and troublesome, but when he spreads it out, let alone annoying, it is basically a mutual affection.In that kind of thing, the third party who was called in to mediate became a ridiculous clown. It's not in my nature to meddle in other people's affairs, so Kiba wants to confirm whether Haruko is really upset. "Do you really hate him to the point of nausea?" Kiba asked again. There was no answer for a moment. After a while, Chunzi replied intermittently: "Actually...it's not...it's annoying..." As expected. "In that case, you should listen to that person..." "But……" Kiba was about to start teaching, Haruko seemed to sense it, and immediately interrupted his next words. "But he watches me all the time." "Surveillance?" "If it's just stubborn obsession, then it's fine. No, it's not good, but I don't have any interest in him, so I really, really don't consider him as an object at all. So, instead of thinking Annoying, I feel...uh... a little scary. During the Chinese New Year, I asked the factory manager to stop that person from continuing to pester me." "and then?" "Originally, he wandered around my apartment, or waited for me to get off work at the back door of the factory, or stood outside the window at night..." "Has he achieved this? This... This guy is really difficult. Then?" "Well, the factory manager is very kind, and he also serves as the secretary of the town association, so he is also very influential. After I discussed with the factory manager, the factory manager said to leave it to him, but because he was worried that it would cause conflicts in person, he went to find The owner of the newspaper agency who provided Mr. Kudo’s accommodation complained that he caused a lot of trouble to others. So Mr. Kudo’s strange behavior..." "Have you restrained yourself?" "yes." "Isn't that good? There's no harm. It's too much to tell people not to even think about it casually, no matter how you say it?" When Kiba said that, Jun said teasingly, "You're a one-sided lover." Kiba glared at her viciously, but it had no effect. "You really haven't been listening. Listen, Miss Haruko has been talking about what happened afterwards. Only in that way, it can't even be called a crime. Who would go to the criminal police to discuss something like that?" makes sense. Did she mean... being peeped on? ——Being peeped... "Well, it's not like someone is watching you 24 hours a day...?" There are people watching me 24 hours a day——so told the serial killer who was arrested not long ago.Difficulty is of course a delusion, there can be no such thing. However, Kiba knew that even if the murderer was a special example, ordinary people could easily develop such delusions.He heard a detailed explanation from a friend who was a psychiatrist before, that obsessive-compulsive neurosis and schizophrenia are not special diseases.If so, everyone, including Kiba, is mentally ill.After listening to it, I realized that it seemed to be just a matter of degree. But just like divination and psychics, Kiba also hated psychoanalysis and psychology very much.For Kiba, these things are based on different theories, but in fact they are basically the same in nature.If you say that, the doctor will be angry and ask him not to mix them up, but the fortune-teller should also protest.Although divination is unreasonable, it has been deeply rooted in the folk since ancient times.Psychiatry, on the other hand, while plausible, is still a developing science.If there is no right to citizenship, divination may have the upper hand. Kiba fully expressed his ominous premonition on his face, Run seemed to be aware of it immediately, and held back before Kiba complained: "You are thinking about something useless again, you should realize that your brain is so stupid , It’s useless to think about it.” This is no longer teasing, it's simply insulting. "You woman is really infuriating. I'm sorry, I'm stupid, so I became a criminal policeman. Don't you understand? And my brain is my brain. If you think about it, it's not your turn to direct." "Let me tell you, I can see through everything that's going on in that square head of yours. I've heard about it from Jiang Qi. Anyway, you're thinking about pressing a beholder last time, who? I don't know if you think of this girl as obsessive-compulsive neurosis or excessive self-awareness..." I was seen through all that, Ah Run is much smarter. Fuhata is the culprit who indoctrinated Kiba into something he didn't have - the former psychiatrist.Kiba forgot for a moment, but in that case, Fuhata is also a frequent visitor to Maomu Cave. "...But, it's not like that." Ah Run said, pouted. Kiba couldn't believe it no matter what. "It's not like that, what is that? Didn't she just say that she was under surveillance all day? Didn't she say that someone was watching her all the time? Did she think someone was watching her all the time? Isn't that the same?" "Uh..." Chunzi spoke. "...It's not like that, I don't feel that anyone is looking at me at all. No, it's impossible for someone to be looking at me, so, that's why I feel scary..." "What the hell is..." --what happened? Kiba turned his gaze from Jun's cat-like face to Haruko's ordinary face.Due to the dim lighting, Chunzi's facial features became weaker. "Since then, Mr. Kudo has suddenly never appeared again." "Suddenly?" "Yes. It is said that he seemed to reflect on himself deeply, and delivered newspapers seriously every morning and evening. I was also relieved, but after about a month... I received a letter." "A letter? A love letter?" "It's a love letter...it's a love letter..." "Why so ambiguous? Isn't it?" "Well, it...uh...describes my daily life in detail..." "what?" The letter was densely packed with words in small handwriting. (Previously omitted) Miss Chunzi/ Why do you alienate me/Why do you do such cruel things/Why don't you obey your heart/You know your heart/You let me make a fool of myself in front of my employer/Even so I'm willing to forgive you/Because I know/It's not Your sincerity/Xiaosheng knows more than that/Xiaosheng knows everything about you/Let Xiaosheng prove/This is not a lie, nor a cover/For example that day/That day/ you…… "Next... I carefully recorded my actions on a certain day. It was really meticulous and detailed. The whole paper was full and the writing was extremely detailed." "That……" "Yes, it's all on point." "It can't be... a coincidence?" Kiba felt that even if he guessed casually, the difference would not be too far away.The commuting time of the factory was fixed, and Kudo, who had pestered Haruko endlessly in the past, should also have grasped her daily life outside of work-such as meal time or bedtime. In that case, barring something rather extraordinary, it shouldn't be difficult to imagine a day in the life of a town factory girl.When Kiba said that, Haruko's expression darkened. "If only that was the case... No, I thought so too at first. No, I tried to think so. But..." "Isn't it?" "Um, uh, for example..." Chunzi lowered his head. "It's hard to say, stupid ghost." Jun reprimanded Kiba. "Here, it looks like the color of underwear, there are many." "Oh……" "Oh what. Chunzi, her hands and feet are cold, and her stomach and intestines are not very good, so uh... Is it okay if I say it?" "Well, I'm not the age to be shy about such things." "It's true, anyway, this man has no interest in women at all, he only knows how to eat. Listen, this girl can wear some woolen underpants, loincloths, knitted sweaters and so on. Well, it was still cold at the time Well." "Okay, I get it. If you're not slow, how can you do such a rude job? But, that guy named Kudo can..." "Well, it was still early spring, and the temperature was not constant. Sometimes I wore it, sometimes I didn't wear it, but what I wore that day...uh...for example, the color, even this..." Feeling that the topic was getting too real, Kiba turned his eyes away from Haruko's face. Staring at the faded beige wall, he asked, "What's written on it...well, is it all right?" "You're right." Chunzi replied. Could it be that she remembered wrongly? Speaking of which, do you remember what color underwear you wore a few days ago?Kiba was the first to suspect this. Like Kiba, he can't even remember what he was wearing yesterday.Because his clothes are much the same.Although Kiba cannot be used as a standard, he does not think that he is far from the average person.Although Kiba couldn't imagine how many colors women's underwear could have, it was impossible for them to have too many colors.Only two or three colors at most.If there are only these kinds of colors, even if they are not, but if others make such a conclusion, they will mistakenly think that they are right, won't they? ——I see, that’s what I was talking about. Kiba scratched his chin. This is also really weird. "That... that is to say, that guy... peeped into your room." "Is it peeping into the room...? Uh, it's like a meal or something. All the workers gather in the restaurant of the factory to eat together... Even what I ate there..." "Even that's right?" "Well. Although the dishes are fixed, you can choose. Although there are not many types, I don't choose anything in particular, even this..." In other words, Kudo is not so much peeping into Haruko's room as he is following Haruko closely. Being stuck twenty-four hours a day is unbearable alone.Not only that, but even being peeped after returning to the room is really driving people crazy. "That's why you said surveillance..." Even military gatherings under the watchful eye of the organization have time for solitude.Prisoners in single rooms will not be under 24-hour surveillance.Even Kiba, who lived a messy life so casually that he didn't care about being peeped at, didn't want to be stared at when he was alone.Although Haruko is no longer a girl, she is an unmarried woman after all, so she must feel that she can't bear it. And it's not just about being watched. I will also write down the content I saw in a written report and send it over... ——What the hell are you planning? "You really can't turn your head around. Didn't Chunzi say that she was worried about this problem at the beginning?" A Run said bitterly. She was right, but Kiba wasn't listening, so what could be done?If there are no clues, you will not be able to understand what you originally understood.If prejudice fills in the missing parts, the story can easily become distorted. After writing a lot, the letter concluded like this: Xiaosheng knows everything / be careful... So insidious. No, not this kind of question. "When I saw this letter, I was really frightened, but I couldn't reply. Even if I wanted to discuss it with others, I didn't dare to go to anyone when I thought that I was being watched by him at all times. Before I knew it, a week passed . . . I have received letters again." "What's the content?" "My actions in the past seven days." "Then the content is all..." "It's all on point." "All...? The letter I received later was the same as the first letter, er... everything was detailed... er, was it clearly written?" "Well, a piece of letter paper is worth a day, densely written in small characters... There are seven pieces in total..." "From morning till night?" "From waking up to bedtime." "That means that the man named Kudo has been following you closely all day... no, the whole week, without even closing his eyes...?" Even a criminal policeman who is full of obsession will not follow him like a shadow alone. "Then what do you do?" "I... have no choice. I also tried to discuss it with the factory manager tactfully, but because of the content, I feel embarrassed and dare not show it to him..." It's full of my private life, so it's hard to talk about it. "It turned out to be nothing, and no one of my colleagues took it seriously. In the midst of this... and..." "Did you get the letter again?" "Yes, and then I got one every other week." "Every other week? Meaning... do the letters keep coming in?" At this point, it can only be said that it is out of the norm. "Those letters have been... are they still being received?" "Well... last week's... and I have received it." "This... well... let me think about it..." While baffling, it's pretty tricky. Kiba stroked Shiba's stubble, and Arun saw his movements sharply, and immediately interjected, "Here, look, this is unusual, right? Just listen carefully to what they say at first." "What's the matter? Regardless of this, how many letters have you received so far?" "I've been receiving it since February, um, I've been receiving it for seven weeks." Seven weeks—forty-nine days, nearly two months. "So, that guy Kudo has been... monitoring you for such a long time?" "That's the problem..." Chunzi clasped his hands and fingers on the bar. "... As I said just now... I... don't feel like being stared at." "But... it's impossible to know those things without staring at you, right?" "Yes, but..." "Is there anything wrong with it? He wrote it in such detail, he must be able to see it clearly. That means he is hiding somewhere in the building." "But... there is no such sign." "Let me think about it... Is the room next door to yours vacant?" If the suspect lives in an apartment, the police usually rent an adjoining room and follow them. "Uh, the apartment I live in is a factory dormitory. There are people living on both sides. They are female workers who are about the same grade as me. It is unlikely that Mr. Kudo is lurking inside..." "But there's a ceiling, right? Or just under the floor," Kiba said. Ah Run poked his head out from the side, and said curtly: "It's not a ninja. And this is not a book story, can you give some useful advice like a criminal policeman? The kid next to you can say that." "But under the floor and inside the ceiling are the usual places for lurking. Where else can I get in? Hello." "Uh, my room is on the first floor, without a floor. And it's a second-floor apartment. I don't think it's possible that the ceiling is in the ceiling. There are also colleagues living in the room above..." "What's across from the apartment?" "It's a factory." "That means sneaking into the factory and taking a peek with binoculars or something?" "This... Ever since I received the letter, I have also started to be vigilant, sticking cloth and newspapers to the windows, remembering to check the door locks when going out, and the factory is just a simple wooden house, there is no place to hide..." "But, there are gaps everywhere." “这个刑警真是满口蠢话。听好了，假设——只是假设——假设那个叫工藤的人真的就像你说的，像石川五右卫门似地躲在某个地方，一整天监视者春子好了。那这里都还不打紧，问题是，那样工藤自己要怎么过活啊？他要睡在哪里？要怎么吃饭？要怎么洗澡？” “我怎么知道？那个人累的话就睡觉了吧，醒来就起床了啊，饭哪里都可以吃，人不洗澡也不会死。” “两个月不洗澡？” “前线可没有澡堂。” “工作呢？工作怎么办？” “笨蛋，要是继续工作的话，怎么可能做出这种偏执狂般的事情来？” “他继续在工作。” “是的，工藤先生似乎非常守本分地继续配送报纸。因为是厂长替我申诉的，他自己也很在意，说有时候会去派报社看看。他说工藤先生在那里夹报，或计算份数，工作得相当卖力，所以……工藤先生不可能成天监视着我。” “这确实……” ——不可能吧。 那样的话，是做不到这种事的。 “会不会是有人假冒工藤，做出这种事？” “是的，我也怀疑过这一点。可是问我会是谁？我完全没有头绪，而且也没有任何证据。再说，我刚才也说过了，就算不是工藤先生，我身边的环境也不可能让人偷窥。” “同事呢……？” 这并非不可能，就算同是女人，也不能信任。 因为，春子来自山区，可能没见过什么世面，或许她并不适合都会生活，也难保在职场中不曾发生过什么摩擦。 “……如果是同宿的同事，就可以监视了。” “这……我倒是没有想过。”春子沉默了。 有这个可能。 木场觉得除此以外别无其他可能了。 结果木场也沉默不语，就把弥漫着些微尴尬的沉默。 木场总觉得有些困窘，用拇指指腹抚摸变长的胡须。没多久，阿润催促起来：“怎么样嘛？没有什么好主意吗？” “诶？不就是你这个丑八怪说我是笨蛋，想也是白想的吗？你不是早就看穿我四方形的脑袋在想什么了吗？那你帮我说一说不就得了？” “你生气了？” 阿润睁圆了眼睛，从正面盯住似地望向木场。阿润的表情就像猫眼般变化个不停，这就是店名的由来。木场将视线落向装豆腐渣寿司的盘子上。 “才……才没有。反正就像你说的，我不擅长思考。我啊，是靠脚走、靠眼睛看、靠手摸来搜查的。是那种吃苦耐劳，把破鞋子都给磨光的类型。” 阿润懒散地摊开虚脱的双手。“多么落伍啊，这种的现在早就不流行了。” “搜查哪有什么流行落伍的。总之，不去到现场看看还是实地搜查一番，现阶段没办法断定什么。你去过辖区……不，派出所了吗？” “我遮住脸……偷偷去过了。” "and then?" “我被嘲笑了一番。呃，警察说：'工厂就在派出所附近，我也经常巡逻，从来没见过什么可疑人物。'我也把信件拿给警察看，但警察说不用在意，反正没有生命危险。” “没用哪。” 没用是没用，不过这就是警察一般会有的应对。换成木场值班，一定也会做出相同的反应。 “至少人家还听了春子的话，比你好多了。” “你这女人真的很罗嗦，不要一直打岔。总之，至少得去现场看过一次才行。遇上这种情况，现场是……没错，得去你房间参观参观。” “你要去？” “叫你闭嘴。那个叫工藤的人，是个怎么样的人？” 春子闻言，平凡的脸暗沉了下来。她一皱起眉毛，脸就变得有点特征了。 她之所以看起来没有个性，或许是因为没有表情，要是笑起来，无关也许会给予他人不同的印象。春子想了一下，手放在眼前比画着。 “嗯，他肤色很黑，脸像这样，鼻子…” 春子思考过后比手画脚地形容起来。 她做出压扁鼻子的动作。 “我不是说他的长相，是性格。” “我不太清楚，感觉很缠人。” “缠人这一点确实错不了吧。你属你不太清楚，但人家对你可是一见钟情。你们是在哪里认识的？” “哦……”春子的回答很不起劲。 是紧张随着呼吸溜走了吗？紧迫的气氛突然消失了。 那声“哦……”之后，迟迟没有接话。 “有什么不好启齿的吗？” “是在长寿延命讲……” “什么常售延命讲？”木场完全不懂她在说什么。 “长生不老的长寿，延续生命的延命，讲课的讲。” “那啥啊？宗教吗？” “不是宗教。呃，您知道庚申讲吗？” “更生讲？像标会那样的东西吗？” “庚申啦，庚申。”阿润说。“你不知道吗？你家不是石材行吗？” “庚申？哦，你是说那个立在路边的石地藏吗？” 在木场的认知里，那应该是像石佛般的立像。木场记得在小石川的老家旁边，也立有一尊石地藏。不过木场这一年都没有回过老家，不知道地藏是不是还在。 “那才不是地藏哩。”阿润噘起嘴巴说。 “庚申塔的话，是猴子吧？那是不见不说不闻。” “猴子？是吗？不对，那才不是猴子。阿润，你不要在那里信口开河。以猴子来说，那手也太多了吧。” “地藏的手也只有两支啊。” “猴子里了不起的只有孙悟空吧？” 木场还要继续没有议论的争议，春子阻止了他。 “他们祭祀三猿……还有四支手的神明的画像。” “祭祀？你说那个长寿延命讲吗？那还是宗教嘛。” “那与其说是宗教……呃，算是讲习会吗……？不，和讲习会也不一样，有时候会传授健康法，有时候会开药，或讲述一些教训……。所以说，就像自古以来的庚申讲……” "Wait a moment." 听到这里，木场唐突地恢复了旧时的记忆。 那段记忆还滴水不漏地伴随着缐香味，是那种已经发了霉的记忆。不对，不是记忆，应该就是回忆的残渣。 “……庚申讲，庚申讲啊……，对了，我想起来了。小时候我参加过，不过我祖母死了以后应该就没再办过了。那是很久以前的事了，晚上的时候，附近的住户聚在讲堂喝酒作乐，这么说来，那好像叫什么待庚申讲之类的。” “就是那个。”春子说。“庚申之日，每六十天就有一次。那一天不能睡觉，必须醒着才行。所以从以前就有个习惯，住在附近的人会聚在一起，彼此监视着不能入睡，直到黎明来临……。我不太清楚，不过这就叫做庚申讲。” “为什么不能睡？” “谁是害虫会离开身体。” “那不是反倒好吗？” “不好。人一睡着，那种虫就会离开身体，使人的寿命缩短，所以必须醒着才行。要是人醒着，虫就没办法做坏事……我不太会说明，我总是说不好。” “唔，真的是听不太懂。你说的长寿延命讲就是那个吗？也是晚上不睡觉，整夜吵闹吗？” 现在还有人会为了那种骗小孩般的理由熬夜吗？ “可是……要是熬夜的话，别说是延命了，岂不是成了短命讲吗？我不太懂，不过想要长生，不就该多睡觉吗？” 春子再一次“哦……”发出分不清是叹息还是回答的声音。 “我刚才也说过，不只是醒着而已，那里有个执事，叫做通玄老师，会为大家做健康诊断。然后指示在下次的庚申之日来临前该怎么度过，或是不可以做哪些事……” “指导如何改善生活习惯吗？” “呃……大概就像那样。接着他会传授许多健康法，然后再配合健康法，调配药剂……” “那个叫什么的老师是医生吗？” “听说是汉方的调剂师。” 总觉得很可疑。 “要收钱吗？” “会收参加费和药钱。” “这……不是诈欺吗？药钱什么的是不是贵的吓死人……？” 听起来不像宗教也不是灵媒，但总觉得不大正派。这是刑警的第六感吗？ 或者是厌恶这类事物的木场的天性？ 春子点了几次头。“是的，非常贵。所以……嗯，应该是诈欺。” “啥？你明知道还……” “我已经没去了。就像润子姐刚才说的，我长年罹患胃病，家父和家母都是死于肠胃疾病，家兄则是死于肺病，家族的人都很短命。所以我真的十分渴望健康的身体，才一不小心就参加的。” “那……也就是没有效果喽？” “有效果，因为完全说中了。” “说中了？” ——又是说中啊。 “是的。……老师会指导从庚申之日到下一个庚申之日之间的生活，他的指示非常琐碎，像是几月几号以前不可以吃芋头，早上要几点起床，可以吃烤鱼，但不可以吃炖鱼，然后会进行像易得活动……” “易？春卦吗？” “说不可以去这个方位，要穿红衣服之类的，这些指示很容易忘记，不容易完全遵守，可是没有遵守的话，下一次的庚申之夜诊察时，老师一眼就会看穿没有遵守什么，然后说：你就是因为没有遵守什么，哪里才会不好。一语道破。” “完全说中？那还这是个神医哪。” “是的，可是老师处方的药剂价格非常不合理。可也是因为没有遵守指示，才要花那样的价钱买药。如果遵守老师的话，身体会变得健康，也不需要吃药了。” “他开的药有效吗？？” “呃……只要遵守指示，乖乖吃药的话……确实就有效果。那些药非常昂贵，当然治得好宿疾，可以增强体力，使人健康。而且听说身体里面的……呃，虫会衰弱，然后就能长寿。” “哦？我这个人胸无点墨，让然也不懂医学，不过寄生虫衰弱的话，宿主自然长寿吧。嗳，比起肚子里养虫，没有虫当然是比较好……。可是，先不提战争刚结束的时候，最近蛔虫啊烧虫不是也大为减少了吗？” “不是那种虫，是悉悉虫……虽然不知道长什么样，不过听说是会让寿命缩短的害虫。” “果然……还是很可疑哪，你也这么觉得吧？”木场看也不看地征求阿润同意。 “这女孩不就说她已经不再参加了吗？对吧？春子。” “嗯。今年……过年时有初庚申，然后这个月的十日有第二次的庚申，我去参加了。可是，后来我再也没去了。今后也不回去了。” “因为工藤也在那里吗？”木场问。 “这也是原因之一……。工藤先生在去年的终庚申第一次参加，一开始并不是很熟中的样子。怎么说呢？感觉动机不纯正。” "I see." 换句话说，说好听点是寻找邂逅的机会，说难听点就是去钓女人吧。工藤就是在那里对春子一见钟情，春子被他的有色眼光给相中了。 “去年的终庚申是在十一月，那个时候他找我搭讪，然后就开始纠缠不休。初庚申是过完年的一月九日，那时他也非常缠人，所以我才……” “去找雇主商量是吗？结果就开始收到奇怪的信……，喂，等一下，你说你最后一次去庚申是三月十日吧？那你岂不是短短半个月前才在那个聚会跟工藤见过面吗？” 春子小声地说：“对。” “可是那个时候你不是已经收到奇怪的信了吗？而你竟然还敢去？你不觉得恐怖吗？” “我当然觉得恐怖，可是……” 木场心想：这个女人根本是飞蛾扑火。原本以为她的个性朴实而慎重，没想到出乎意外地少根筋，竟然呆呆地跑去参加纠缠自己的变态也会出席的聚会…… 不，人都是这样的吧——木场转念想到，或许她有她的理由。 “你觉得健康和长寿更重要……是吗？” 春子用蚊子叫似的声音答道：“那时是这样的，我被搞得神经衰弱，胃也痛得要命，本来想说去拿个药就好，而且我觉得他总不可能在众人面前乱来。可是工藤先生即使看到我，脸色也丝毫不变。反而更让我觉得恐怖。” “他什么都没对你说吗？” “他只是看着我。” “真恶心的家伙。可是那样的话，你当时就应该当场揪住他，清楚地告诉他：'不要再继续做这种变态的事了！'大部分这样就可以吓阻对方了。如果这是有人冒用工藤的名字寄信行骗，这样做应该也可以弄个水落石出。” “要是她敢那么做，就不必须恼啦。”阿润说。 说的也是——木场也这么想，所以没有反驳。 “那，你对健康长寿那么执着，明知道危险还去参加，为什么最后又不去延命讲了呢？” "This……" 看样子，春子不再参加的理由相当难以启齿。 春子用手掌按了几下脸颊。“……是因为蓝童子大人……” “通灵小鬼的神谕啊？” 原来是在这里连上的啊。 “延命讲过了深夜，男女就会分别到不同的房间，一直持续到天明。早上我要离开的时候，工藤先生就站在门口。我犹豫着要不要出去……”春子双手按着脸颊，愧疚地说。“结果……一辆漆黑的自用轿车开了过来，停在工藤先生的前面，然后……蓝童子大人从里面……” “走了出来？” 总觉得太凑巧了。是木场想太多了吗？ “蓝童子大人对工藤先生说了什么，结果工藤先生瞄了我一眼，快步走掉了。我呆在原地，于是蓝童子大人走了过来，对我说：'那个人很邪恶。'” “那是，呃……叫什么去了？照魔之术？” “是的，然后大人有对我说：'这也不是正派的集会。'” "what!" 感觉是用灵能去对付另一个灵能。 “不正派……？真敢说哪。” 能够大言不惭地断定他人正不正派的家伙，大部分都不能相信。严格地来说，正不正派，没有任何人能够决定。就连世间公认的法律，顶多也只是个参考标准，有时候也会被判断为是错的。 “可是……我也没有对大人的话照单全收。因为那时我完全不知道蓝童子大人的事。就算我是乡下来的，也不会一下子就相信第一次见到的小孩说的话。如果不是他为我赶走工藤先生，我想我也不会理他吧。” “可是一听之下，他的话十分通情达理。大人说，这些集会活动全都是为了卖药而设的局，这一点我也隐约感觉到了。” “设局……，可是你们明明早就知道才……” “若说早就知道，的确是如此，不过仔细想想，刚开始时，我的目的并不是买药，而是以为只要参加就可以变得健康。不，我想每个人都是这样的。然而不知不觉间……才参加了几次，就变成是为了买药而参加的了。当然，一方面也是因为药有效果……” "But..." 木场觉得就算这样，也没有什么不好。 “嗯……没错，所以每个人都是主动参加的，说是诈欺，我想是有点不一样……。可是就算药再怎么贵，也没有人敢当场拒绝老师处方的药，说太贵了我不要。只要听到不吃药就会危及健康，每个人都……” “都会买吗？” “都会买。可是仔细想想，来参加的人虽然都不是很健康，但也没有罹患绝症，顶多就是有些宿疾。宿疾这种东西，任谁都有一两种症状，所以仔细想想，其实每个人的身体状况都算一般。然而大家为了比现在更健康、活得更久，竟争先恐后的去买药。这不是有点奇怪吗？” 这么一说，确实是有点奇怪。药这种东西，一般是生病的人才会吃，或是为了治疗恶化的部位而使用。可是在延命讲，不吃药也不会死。就算不吃药，也能维持过去的健康。吃药是为了比现在更好，那么…… “这……不是迫于需要才买的，说起来算是一种奢侈品吗？” 阿润说：“可是，本来就是这样呀。近代西洋医学是对症疗法，但汉方的基本是改善体质吧。所以现代的医学是等出了毛病才用药，但汉方是预先处置，预防恶化。根本上的想法就不同。” 不过是个酒店老板娘，却有着奇怪的学识。 春子听到阿润的话，想了一会儿，说：“虽然这么说，可是如果只说吃了可以长寿，一般人也不会去买那么昂贵的药吧。现在这种时代，谁都没钱那么奢侈。蓝童子大人所说的圈套就在这里。” 意思是制造非买不可的状况吗？ 就像春子说的，现在这种时代，没有人是完全健康的。无论什么人，或多或少都有点小毛病，这才是常态。长寿延命讲看准的就是那轻微的病痛。他们说：“让我来治好你那小小的病痛吧。” 就是这点让人上钩。 因为不是什么严重的问题，每个人都只是想要过得更健康一些罢了。但是那小小的心愿不知不觉间被掉包了，不依照指示身体力行，健康状况就会恶化，变得比现在更糟…… 这话种说法委婉，态度也很柔和，但骨子里威胁。长寿延命讲且同时悄悄告诉你说：只要照着吩咐的做，身体就会愈来愈好，能够过得更快乐，可以活得更久…… 于是每个人都主动希望，争先恐后，抛却钱财去买药。不断地买。 因为每个人都想长寿。 ——这是没办法的事吧。 度过非生即死的艰困时代，社会好不容易总算安定下来了，任谁都不想在现下死去吧。战争时，每个人只为了不在战火中丧命而拼命。战争结束，复兴也告一段落，才总算可以摆脱死亡威胁，也才有了思考活下去这档事的余裕。 话虽如此，社会依旧不景气。若只是唐突地标榜“这是长生妙药”，也不会有人买吧。每个人都自顾不暇了，哪能把买米的钱拿去买药？没饭吃的话，再怎么健康都没用。有时候饥饿远比生病更要严重，无论是生活在后方的人，还是穿越火线归来的人，都非常清楚这一点。所以庶民的钱包管得很紧，为了让他们打开钱包，需要各种技巧吧。 强制无效，怀柔也无效。 推销和宣传也没有意义。 可是，这个东西的话，人人会买。 既不强制也不怀柔，不推销也不宣传。商家连一句“请买吧”都不说，可能也不曾说它有效。但是，不照