Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Ushikawa It's Better to Say Those Eyes Are Full of Compassion

Tengo appeared at the entrance of the apartment at 6:15 on Sunday evening.After walking out, he stopped suddenly, looking around as if looking for something.Move your gaze from right to left, then left to right.Look at the sky, look at the footprints.But in his eyes, there was nothing different from usual.Then walked quickly to the street.Ushikawa watched all this from the gap in the curtain. Ushikawa did not follow behind Tengo this time.No luggage.His large hands were in the pockets of his khaki pants.A well-worn olive green corduroy top over a turtleneck sweater and badly styled hair.There is a thick library book in the jacket pocket.Probably planning to go to a nearby store to eat.Just let him go.

I have several classes on Sunday.Ushikawa called the cram school in advance to confirm.Yes, Mr. Kawana's class will start next week according to the schedule, the woman in charge said so.very good.Tengo finally returned to his daily routine starting tomorrow.Judging from his personality, I'm afraid he won't go out tonight. At eight o'clock, Ushikawa put on his coat, rolled up his scarf, pulled down his knit cap deeply, looked around and left the apartment quickly.At this time Tengo had not returned home.As far as eating nearby, the time is a bit long.If he left the apartment, he might meet Tengo who came back.But no matter what dangers he took, Ushikawa was going out at this time tonight, and there was still something unfinished.

The memory turned several corners in his mind. After passing through several landmark buildings and being confused for a while, he finally arrived at the Children's Park.The strong north wind had stopped yesterday, and it was a rare warm night in December, and the park was still empty at night.Ushikawa looked around again, and after confirming that no one was staring at him, he climbed up the steps of the slide.Sit down at the top of the slide, lean your back against the handrail, and look up at the night sky.The moon floated in roughly the same position as last night.Two-thirds bright moon.There is not even a trace of cloud around.Then on the side of the moon, there are several small green moons with crooked shapes.It's not a mistake, Ushikawa thought.He sighed and shook his head slightly.Nor is it a dream, nor is it an illusion.Two moons, big and small, float clearly on the zelkova trees whose leaves have fallen.It looked as if the two moons were waiting for Ushikawa's return, as if they had been motionless since last night.They understand.Ushikawa came back here.They seemed to have made an agreement, and there was silence around them, a silence full of hints.Then the moons, seeking Ushikawa, shared this silence.No one can tell this matter to anyone, they tell Ushikawa so.The index finger covered with light gray lightly pressed on the cherry lips.

Ushikawa sat there, moving the muscles on his face from various angles.What unnatural feeling there, just in case reconfirmation and usual different.Nothing unnatural was found.Whether it's good or bad, it's just my normal face. Ushikawa sees himself as a realistic person.And actually he is realism.What he pursues is not metaphysical thought.If there is actually something there, it doesn't matter if it doesn't make sense or the logic doesn't work, you have to first accept it as a reality.This is his basic way of thinking.Reality does not exist because of the existence of principles and logic. First reality exists, and then the corresponding principles and logic are produced.So Ushikawa made up his mind to accept the fact that there were two moons floating side by side in the sky.

Just think about it slowly and don't hold redundant thoughts.Ushikawa watched and observed the two moons subconsciously.Big yellow moon, small crooked green moon.He himself had not yet adjusted to the scene.Just accept it, he said to himself.Why this happened, I can't explain.But now is not the time to delve into this question.How to deal with this situation is the question at this time.First of all, the logic must be pulled out to accept the situation as a whole.Things start here. Ushikawa stayed there for about fifteen minutes.He leaned on the armrest, barely moving, allowing himself to adjust to the sight.Like a diver who slowly spends time allowing his body to adapt to changes in water pressure, he bathes his body in the scattered light of the moon and soaks his skin.It was very important to do so, Ushikawa's instinct told him.

Then a little man with a tilted head got up and climbed the slide, his consciousness overwhelmed by indescribable thoughts, and he walked back to the apartment.The surrounding scenery feels somewhat different from when I came here.Maybe it's the moonlight, he thought.Moonlight changes the image of things slightly.Because of this, I made several wrong turns.Before entering the entrance, he looked up at the third floor to make sure that there was no light in the window of Tengo's room.The big cram school teacher hasn't come home yet.It seems that I didn't go to a nearby restaurant to eat.Maybe where and whom to meet.Maybe it was Aomame.Or perhaps Fuka-Eri.Did I miss an important opportunity.But thinking about it now is useless.It was too dangerous to follow Tengo out.Even if Tengo saw him once, the wolf and the child would be gone.

Ushikawa returned to his room and took off his coat, scarf and hat.Open a can of corned beef in the kitchen, put it in a sweet bun, and eat it standing up.Had lukewarm canned coffee.But none of them tasted good.Although there is the real feeling of eating something, there is no taste.Ushikawa couldn't decide whether the reason was from the food side or from his own side.Or the fault of the two moons reflected in the depths of the pupils.Somewhere the doorbell rang, and the sound of the glockenspiel could be heard faintly.A short while later the doorbell rang a second time.But he didn't care.Not here again.It was somewhere in the distance, probably the door of another floor.

After eating the sandwich and drinking the coffee, Ushikawa slowly smoked a cigarette in order to bring his mind back to the real phase.What I must do here, I also reconfirmed in my mind.Then go to the window and sit down in front of the camera.Turn on the electric heater, stretch out your hands in front of the orange light to keep warm.Before nine o'clock on Sunday night.Few people entered or exited the entrance of the apartment.But Ushikawa still wanted to confirm when Tengo would return home. A woman in a black down jacket soon left the entrance.A woman I've never seen before.She covered her face with a gray scarf.Wears black-rimmed glasses and a baseball cap.This is to avoid people's eyes and ears, and to cover up the real face.With both hands empty, the pace is fast.The stride is also great.Ushikawa pressed the switch reflexively, and the automatic camera took three shots.He thought he had to find out where this woman was.But before she stood up, the woman had already left the path and disappeared into the darkness.Ushikawa frowned and gave up.With that way of walking, I can't catch up even if I wear shoes to catch up.

Ushikawa reproduced the scene he saw just now in his mind.About 170 cm tall, slim blue jeans, and white sneakers.Each dress was wonderfully brand new.Probably between twenty and a half to thirty years old.The hair is placed in the collar, and the length cannot be seen.Because the swollen down jacket can't see the figure clearly.Judging from the appearance of the legs, it should be very thin.Good posture and brisk steps declare her youth and health.Probably doing some exercise every day.All of these characteristics matched the Aomame he knew.Although it was not confirmed that the woman was Aomame.But she seemed to be wary of being bumped into by someone.Tension filled the whole body.Just like a female star who is afraid of being followed by the paparazzi.But based on common sense, it's hard to think that a big-name actress being chased by a gossip magazine would show up in Koenji's run-down apartment.

First assume that they are green beans. She had come to meet Tengo.But Tengo was out now.The lights in the room were still off.Aomame came to him, gave up and left without a response.Maybe the two doorbells in the distance are.But from Ushikawa's point of view, this was another unreasonable thing.As a tracked identity, Aomame should try to live as unnoticed as possible in order to avoid danger.If he wanted to see Tengo, it was normal to make a phone call first to confirm his presence.That way you don't have to take unnecessary risks. Ushikawa sat in front of the camera thinking, but he didn't think of a reasonable inference.The woman's actions—the half-faced cross-dressing, coming out of her hiding place and walking to the apartment—was completely out of character for Aomame, whom Ushikawa knew.She should be more cautious and vigilant.This confused Ushikawa's head.Perhaps the possibility of bringing her here by himself did not appear in Ushikawa's mind at all.

No matter what, I will go to the printing shop in front of the station tomorrow to develop all the film I have taken.There should be a picture of the mysterious girl. After ten o'clock, the surveillance continued in front of the camera. Since the woman left, no one has entered or exited the apartment.Like a performance that was canceled due to lack of attendance, or a stage that was forgotten and abandoned by everyone, the entrance was empty and the surroundings were silent.What happened to Tengo, Ushikawa tilted his head.As far as he knew, it was rare for Tengo to be outside so late.There will be lectures at the cram school starting tomorrow.Or did he come home while Ushikawa was out and went to bed early? When the clock hit ten o'clock, Ushikawa noticed his deep tiredness.He felt so sleepy that he could hardly keep his eyes open.Getting sleepy at night was rare for Ushikawa.Usually he can stay awake whenever he needs to.But only tonight, the Sandman relentlessly pressed on his head like the stone lid of an ancient coffin. Maybe it's because I've been looking at the two moons for too long, Ushikawa thinks so.Maybe the moon is too deep into the skin.The blurred afterimages of two moons, one big and one small, still remained on his retina.That dark silhouette paralyzes the soft parts of the brain.It is the same as a kind of bee sting that paralyzes the taro worm and lays eggs on its body surface.After hatching, the larvae of the bee can absorb the nutrients in front of them without using their hands, and they will eat greedily as long as they are alive.Ushikawa wrinkled his face, and drove away the ominous imagination from his mind. Hey, so be it, Ushikawa said to himself.There was no need to wait obediently for Tengo to come home.When to come back is up to that man.Anyway, I will sleep right away when I come back.And there's nowhere else to go back to but this apartment.perhaps. Weakly, Ushikawa took off his pants and sweater, and got into his sleeping bag wearing only a long-sleeved shirt and cotton wool trousers.Then curled up into a ball and fell asleep.The sleep was extremely deep, almost close to lethargy.When I was half asleep, I seemed to hear a knock on the door.But the center of gravity of consciousness has shifted to other worlds.Things can't be distinguished very well either.If you try to make a distinction, your whole body will be in disarray.So he didn't open his eyes, and didn't seek the meaning of that voice again, and fell into the deep swamp of sleep again. Tengo and Komatsu returned home thirty minutes after Ushikawa fell into a deep sleep.Tengo brushed his teeth, hung his cigarette-smelling coat on the hanger, changed into pajamas, and fell asleep.The phone rang at two o'clock in the morning and was informed of his father's death. When Ushikawa opened his eyes, it was already after eight o'clock on Monday morning. At that time, Tengo was already on the limited express train bound for Tateyama, and fell into a deep sleep to make up for his lack of sleep.Ushikawa sat down in front of the camera and waited for Tengo to leave the apartment for the cram school.But of course Tengo was nowhere to be seen.The clock pointed to one o'clock in the afternoon and Ushikawa gave up.I called the cram school from a nearby public phone and asked if I was still in Mr. Kawana's class scheduled for today. "Mr. Kawana's lecture is suspended today. Last night, a family member died suddenly and unfortunately." The woman who answered the phone said.Ushikawa thanked him and hung up the phone. A family member died?Speaking of Tengo's family, the only member of his family is the father of the NHK toll collector.The father went to a nursing home in the distance.Tengo had left Tokyo temporarily to take care of him, and had just returned two days ago.That father is dead.Because of this, Tengo left Tokyo again.Probably left while I was fast asleep.Really, how could I sleep so dead? In any case, Tengo had become alone, Ushikawa thought. A man who was already lonely was even lonelier now.Totally alone.His mother was strangled to death in a hot spring in Nagano Prefecture when he was two years old.The murderer has not been caught yet.She abandoned her husband and took Tengo, who was still a baby, with the young man [Electronic]. [Zhudian] is a very old word.Hardly anyone would say that word these days.But it is very suitable for such a certain behavior.Why the man wanted to kill her is unknown.It is not clear that the man really killed it.In a hotel room, a woman is strangled to death by nightgown straps in the night, and the man with the same piece disappears.No matter how you think about it, that man is suspicious.That's it.The father came from Ichikawa upon receiving the call and took away his young son who had been left there. ([Zhudian] Japanese, meaning to escape, to go far away, etc. Very old. It is not a common language for young people.) Maybe I should tell Tengo about it.Of course he has the right to know the facts.But he said he didn't want to hear about my mother from someone like me.So did not say.no way.This is not my problem.is his problem. In any case, even in Tengo's absence, he could only continue to monitor the apartment.Ushikawa said to himself.Last night, I saw a mysterious girl who seemed to be Aomame.Although it was not confirmed that it was Aomame herself, the possibility was extremely high.That's what the crooked head told me.Although the appearance is not very good, there is a keen touch of the latest radar.And if that woman was Aomame, she would definitely visit Tengo again soon.She probably didn't know about Tengo's father's death.This is Ushikawa's speculation.Tengo was probably informed during the night, and then went out in the morning.And the two of them didn't seem to have contacted by phone.She will definitely come here again anyway.She has something important to come here, even at the risk.And this time, she had to find out where she was no matter what.This requires careful preparation. In this case, it is unknown why the secret of two moons exists in this world and can be deciphered to some extent.Ushikawa wanted to know very much.No, this is only a side case.My job anyway is to find out where the lima beans are lurking first.Then beautifully gave her hands to the repulsive duo.Whether there are two moons or only one is not practical to me.Anyway, I am as my strongman. Ushikawa went to the photofinishing shop in front of the station and handed the clerk five volumes of thirty-six films.Then I went into a nearby family restaurant with the developed film, and watched it according to the date while eating chicken curry.Almost all the faces of common residents.The only thing that interested him was the photos of the three of them.Fuka-Eri, Tengo, and the mysterious girl who left the apartment last night. Fuka-Eri's gaze made Ushikawa nervous.Even in the photo, the girl was looking at Ushikawa's face from the front.That's right, Ushikawa thought.She knew that Ushikawa was there, watching her.Sora also knows about taking pictures with a hidden camera.That's what her clear eyes said.Natong seemed to have seen everything through, and absolutely would not tolerate and admit Ushikawa's behavior.That straight gaze pierced Ushikawa's heart mercilessly.Let him have no room for discernment at all about what he has done.But at the same time, she did not convict Ushikawa.No contempt either.In a sense, those beautiful eyes forgave Ushikawa.No, maybe not forgiveness, Ushikawa thought again.That look seemed to show pity for Ushikawa.After knowing the uncleanness of Ushikawa's behavior, give him mercy. That's what happened for a fraction of the time.That morning, Fuka-Eri looked at the top of the telephone pole for a while, then quickly turned her head to stare at the window where Ushikawa was hiding, stared straight at the lens of the hidden camera, and stared into Ushikawa's eyes beyond the lens.Then walk away quickly.Time freezes, then starts up again.Three minutes at most.In such a short period of time, she saw Ushikawa's soul from every corner.He correctly saw through the filth and despicableness in it, gave him wordless pity, and then disappeared. Looking into her eyes, I can still feel the sharp pain between the ribs like a needle prick.Only then did I realize that I was such a crooked and ugly thing.But there is no way, Ushikawa thought.Because I literally just skew ugly things.But even so, the natural, transparent and compassionate color that floated in Fuka-Eri's pupils deeply touched Ushikawa's heart.Whether it is denunciation, contempt, scolding, or conviction, it is all good.Even a hard beating with a baseball bat will do.These can be tolerated.But only this is unbearable. Tengo was a far easier opponent by comparison.In the photo, he is standing in the porch, his eyes are facing here.Like Fuka-Eri, she looked around vigilantly.But there was nothing in those eyes.His innocent and ignorant eyes didn't even notice the camera and Ushikawa hidden in the shadow of the curtain. After that, Ushikawa looked at the photo of "Mystery Girl".There are three photos.Baseball cap, black-rimmed glasses, gray scarf rolled up to the nose.The facial features are not clear.The lighting in both photos is very low, plus the shadow of the brim of the baseball cap.But this woman perfectly matched the image of Aomame that Ushikawa imagined.Ushikawa held the three photos in his hands, and looked at them repeatedly as if checking the cards.More and more I felt that this could only be Aomame. He called the waiter and asked what's for today's dessert.The waiter replied there was peach pie.Ushikawa ordered that and a refill of coffee. If this woman hadn't been for Aomame, Ushikawa said to himself while waiting for the pie to be served, maybe I would never have had the chance to meet Aomame. The peach pie was far better than expected.On the crispy and crispy skin, there is sweet and juicy peach flesh.Canned peaches, of course, but definitely not bad for a family restaurant dessert.Ushikawa finished his pie beautifully, drank his coffee, and left the restaurant in a satisfied mood.I stopped by the supermarket to buy food for three days, and then I went back to my room and sat down in front of the camera again. Watching the entrance of the apartment from the gap in the curtains, leaning against the wall in the daylight from time to time to take a nap several times.But Ushikawa didn't particularly care about such things.I shouldn't have missed anything important when I fell asleep.Tengo left Tokyo for his father's funeral, and Fuka-Eri would not return here.She knew Ushikawa was watching.The possibility of that [mysterious girl] visiting here during the day is very low.She is wary of deep actions.Start activities also after the surrounding darkness. But after the sun went down, there was no sign of the [mysterious girl].Only old acquaintances go shopping in the afternoon, go out for a walk in the evening, and people who come home from get off work come back with more tired faces than when they left.Ushikawa followed these people coming and going with his eyes, without pressing the shutter of the camera.Other than that, they are just passers-by with no names.To relieve boredom, Ushikawa even called them by nicknames without authorization. "Mr. Mao (that man's hairstyle is very similar to Mao Zedong's) has worked hard." "Master Long Ears, today is very warm and perfect for a walk." "Miss Chinless, are you shopping again? What's for dinner today?" At eleven o'clock Ushikawa continued to monitor the entrance.Then I let out a big yawn and ended my day's work.I drank green tea from the thermos, ate some biscuits, and smoked a cigarette.After brushing your teeth in the bathroom, try sticking out your big tongue and looking in the mirror.I haven't looked at my tongue for a long time.Something thick like moss grew there.And it has some green like real moss.He examined the moss carefully under the light.Disgusting stuff.Moreover, it is firmly attached to the surface of the tongue, and it cannot be removed no matter what.Maybe I'll become a moss man if this goes on like this, Ushikawa thought.Moss growing all over the skin here and there, starting from the tongue.Like a tortoise shell that spends its days in a swamp.Just imagining it makes me feel gloomy. Ushikawa sighed silently, stopped thinking about the tongue, and turned off the light in the bathroom.In the dark, he took off his clothes and got into the sleeping bag.Zip up and curl up like a bug. It was dark when I opened my eyes.I want to see the time go back, but the clock is not where it should be.Ushikawa was confused for a moment.In order to check the time immediately even in the dark, he always checks the position of the alarm clock before going to bed.That is a habit that has been developed over the years.Why is the clock gone?Some light leaked from the gap in the curtains, but it could only illuminate a small corner of the room.Surrounded by midnight darkness. Ushikawa noticed that his heart was beating violently.In order to deliver the secreted adrenaline to the whole body, the heart is working desperately.The breath from the nostrils also became chaotic.Like having an exciting vivid dream and then waking up in the middle. But this is not a dream.What happened in reality.Who is next to the pillow.Ushikawa could feel this breath.A faint black shadow floated in the darkness, it was the face looking down on Ushikawa.Back muscles become stiff.In a fraction of a second, his consciousness was compiled again, and he reflexively wanted to unzip the zipper. Somebody strangled Ushikawa's neck in an instant.He was not given a chance to cry out.The muscles on Ushikawa's neck could be felt, the muscles of a strong man who had trained for a long time at that time.The arm was tightened and pulled upwards like a vise.The man said nothing.Can't hear breath.Ushikawa bent his body in the sleeping bag, struggling and rolling over and over again.In the nylon inner bag, he kept scratching with his hands and kicking with his feet.Trying hard to yell.But none of these actions went as planned.Once the opponent has fixed his posture on the tatami, he only needs to remain still and gradually increase the strength of his arms.Very effective.At the same time, Ushikawa's trachea was oppressed, and his breathing gradually became inaudible. What came to Ushikawa's mind in such a desperate situation was the question of how this man got into the house.The lock was retracted.There is also a chain attached from the inside.The windows are also perfectly closed.But how did he get into the room?There will be a sound when the key is inserted, and I will definitely wake up when I hear that sound. This guy is an expert, Ushikawa thought.When necessary, it can kill people without hesitation.Continuously accumulate training for this.Is it someone sent by [Pioneer]?Did those guys decide to punish me?Decided that I was no longer useful, an obstacle?I was one step away from tracking down Aomame.Ushikawa wanted to make a sound to tell that man.Please listen to what I have to say first.But there was no sound.There was no air to vibrate the vocal cords, and the tongue and throat were as hard as stone. Every corner of the trachea was plugged.No air can enter.Although the lungs desperately sought fresh oxygen, they couldn't find it anywhere.I can feel the separation between body and consciousness.On the one hand, his body was in the sleeping bag, but his consciousness was pulled into the sticky and heavy air layer.Rapid loss of feeling in hands and feet.Why, he asked out of thin air.Why did I have to die at such an embarrassing moment and in such an embarrassing manner.Of course there will be no answer.Finally, boundless darkness fell from the ceiling, surrounding everything. When he regained consciousness, Ushikawa was already outside the sleeping bag.No feeling in hands or feet.All he knew was the blindfolded, tatami touch on his cheek.No longer being strangled.The lungs constricted with a sound like a bellows, sucking in fresh air.Cold winter air.Obtaining oxygen to make new blood, the heart sends this bright red warm liquid to the end of the nerve at full speed.He coughed violently from time to time, concentrating on breathing with all his nerves.Finally, the hands and feet gradually regained their intuition.The hard beating of the heart can also be heard in the ears.I'm still alive, Ushikawa thought in the dark. Ushikawa was placed on the tatami floor.His hands were tucked behind his back, bound with something like a soft cloth.His ankles were also bound.This is a less sturdy but very handy and effective method of tying.The body cannot perform any movement other than rolling.Ushikawa wondered that he was still alive and breathing.That is not death.Although it is very painful and close to death, it is not yet death.The sharp pain on both sides of the throat remained like a tumor.The urine soaked into the panties and started to get cold.But it was definitely not an unpleasant touch.Rather, it is a welcome feeling.Pain and cold are signs that he is still alive. "It won't be that easy to die." The man's voice said.It was as if he had seen through Ushikawa's mind.