Chapter 17 Chapter Seventeen

We abruptly found peace again.As I expected, after five days, or even ten days, there was still no news of seeing her. Every day is hot and sunny, and there are no dogs in the wild area for three or four hours at noon.Because of this, it is particularly crowded in the morning and near the evening, and children on summer vacation also come, so there is a bustling scene in the store that is not seen in other seasons. I pay special attention to the newspapers, but so far there have been no reports of suspicious vehicles found soaked in blood near Namba. One day, if someone finds that car is unlucky and reports to the police, they will definitely find out that it is Shiomi's car, so the police may come to ask Chie, the wife on household registration, for questioning, and they may even come to me When I saw my wife's affair partner,

But I'm not worried at all.No matter how they investigate, they should not be able to find any clues. Not only that, even if someone sees the floating corpse found in Osaka Bay one day, there is no evidence enough to connect us with the case. Besides, the car will not attract attention if it is placed in the place covered by wild smoke and grass. I imagined that in the car on a hot day, the blood of the man who had tortured Chie to this point was dried up by the heat, cracked like black coal tar. It is incredible that there is a sense of accomplishment that what should be done has been done.

I know that I didn't kill people.But even if he didn't strike directly, he couldn't erase the feeling that it was his willpower that strongly desires to kill people that caused this result.This has nothing to do with rationality.I just want to think this way, and I must think this way, even if it is delusional.Only the smell of blood, the feeling of sticking to the skin, imprinted on my body with a vivid physiological feeling. Ms. Hosoya originally only had three days off, but she carefully left Chie at her house during the week until the last holiday in the store. On the last night we had a celebratory meal at Miss Hosoya's.

While munching on Chie's handmade pizza, I told them that the man hadn't contacted us until now, so he must have been killed by a hooligan. Chie, who seemed to have not completely shaken off the state of trance, put the cup she had just picked up back on the table, frowning slightly. After staring back and forth between Chie and me, Miss Hosoya let out a breath. "Maybe, because he was really panicked at the time, and he must have no time to get the money. It really is the sad way that man will die." Then, the three of us never mentioned the matter of seeing each other again.

Although the bruises on Chie's flanks, shoulders, and thighs have faded to yellow, it may take a while to completely disappear.Even so, Chie began to wear light makeup as before. During the five-day vacation, we made special dishes in the downstairs kitchen every day.By the way, I also cleaned all the corners of the kitchen that were too late to tidy up, and then carefully wiped all the glass of the doors and windows in the store. Leaving aside the cooking, at least during the Mid-Yuan holiday, I really want to temporarily forget the window glass in the store, but Chie's mood seems to be the most stable when she is trying to do something like this.

We also listened to soothing music together, at that time, Chie probably fell asleep halfway through listening.Once I fall asleep, I will sleep for about two hours, and I can continue to sleep soundly at night without taking medicine.The more I slept, the darker my eyes became, and my expression seemed to gradually stabilize. We still didn't talk much except discussing the steps of cooking and cleaning.Many things that cannot be put into words are communicated naturally through some movements and eyes. This trick is usually very effective. Perhaps one day, we will talk about what happened and what we thought during the separation between the two places.Even so, that was a long time later.At that time, I want Chie to know about my mother and the notes she wrote.But, I sure wouldn't say that.Neither Chie nor Hosoya-san should know about that bloody night drive, it's a secret that only belongs to me.

On the last night of our vacation, we made out for the first time since we reunited. Both parties were tense and their movements were uncomfortable. Chie seemed to be completing an inevitable procedure. "Sorry." she said in a low, inaudible voice, and began to tremble. "Won't you be disgusted? After all, I..." I don't want to force my way and upset the tender balance between the two.However, the strong desire to want Chie almost made me dizzy, I didn't know what to do with myself, and I was deeply at a loss. I held her in my arms, stroked her back, and endured for a long time.Before she stopped trembling, he whispered to her repeatedly: "It's okay."

never mind. I knew it was what my father had whispered to my mother the night of our first bond, but I kept repeating it on purpose because I couldn't think of anything else to say at a time like this. never mind.The night is long, don't worry.never mind.I also told myself like chanting a mantra, and gently pressed my lips against Chie's wet lips. On a day when it was raining rarely and the business in the store was quiet, I called Yohei. "It's Xiaoliang, you haven't called all this time, I'm still wondering what happened afterwards." His voice was unhappy, and it was only morning, so maybe still asleep.

"In that case, you can call me first." "I'm just lazy." The guy was just as honest. It turns out that Yohei is not a younger brother but a cousin, but I can't stop thinking of him as a younger brother in my heart after all.I don't know what Yangping is thinking.The point is whether he has been aware of that fact. "I went to see my father the day before yesterday, and I wanted to go with you." "Why don't you tell me? How's Dad?" "Very...very skinny. I always feel like, I..." I just answered, didn't I?Did not continue talking.The last time we met, my father's face was ashen.

"I brought Miyuki... also. I want to let my father take a look when he is still in good spirits." He spoke unexpectedly in a frustrated voice. "Miyuki? The Miyuki you're talking about is the Miyuki who dumped you a long time ago?" "Yeah, that goes without saying." "Oh?" "The last time I went to pick up the transcript, I met her on the Shinkansen." "Oh." "She had something to go to a relative's house in Nagoya, but she canceled it and went to Tokyo with me. She said she had never taken a pigeon sightseeing bus."

"Pigeon sightseeing bus?" It turns out that this is called tongue-tied.No wonder Yohei suddenly said that he would stay in Tokyo for the night. "Then have you ever been on a sightseeing bus?" "No." This Miyuki was a girl my younger brother dated not long after he went to university, a sophomore at the same university.For the younger brother who was an unexpected late bloomer, it was the first girlfriend.After dating for more than a year, I don't know what happened. In short, they stopped seeing each other suddenly, and it was like this until Miyuki graduated first. "And Xiaoliang, you just said that Michelle dumped me, but you said the opposite, I dumped Michelle. How many times have I told you." "Oh, really? But you dumped him yourself, but you still have to repeat the grade for a year. Every time you drink, you cry Michelle, Michelle." "That's because I found out that I was cleverly guided by her to get rid of her." "That usually gets you dumped." "Also, I've decided not to call her Mi Xue anymore, so don't call her like that again." "Um...why?" "You'll know when you see her. She doesn't feel like Mi Xue at all. Well... not at all." The Miyuki I knew was not born with the delicate and beautiful appearance that such a name can easily associate with.She was short and frankly ugly. When we met for the first time, I was a little confused about what criteria my younger brother used to choose his first girlfriend, but after chatting for a while, my confusion quickly turned into understanding.Miyuki is not only smart, but she also has a unique vitality that seems to be alive and kicking like a sensual little fish in her brain. "Anything is fine, don't let people run away this time." "Ok." I thought he would answer back for granted, but I didn't expect him to just think, which is really surprising.For Yohei, who was in a bitter love, it must not matter what kind of notes or transcripts.Maybe one day he will notice something, but when the time comes, I decided to ignore it for now. "Actually, it's also on my side, Chie is back." "Stop lying!" "Who lied to you. But she seems to have a lot of things happened, and I will tell you slowly when I have a chance some other day." Chie started to return to work in the store after the Mid-Yuan holiday.Both Nachi and the work-study students accepted her unexpectedly and straightforwardly.But Nachi said inexplicably, "No wonder the saying goes that rekindled old love is hotter." He also wanted to go up to hug Chie, but I hurriedly stopped him. The dog also remembered Chie, wanting to lick her hand for a while, wagging its tail frequently for a while, competing to express the excitement of the reunion. "Oh my god, that's great, Xiao Liang, really, that's great!" The way my younger brother expresses his joy is too exaggerated. Although I am a little concerned, I am not disgusted. "You don't even know how troubled I was. Even if it didn't happen, since Chie ran away, you have been a little abnormal. Now if only Miyuki comes back to me, it is too cruel to you, I dare not tell you Woolen cloth." "Didn't you say that?" "Besides, if you see the current Miyuki, Xiao Liang, you might snatch her away." "Who wants to grab it, idiot." "You haven't seen her, of course you don't understand. You can't take it lightly with a horny man like you." "It's you yourself, you used to love to discharge Chie all the time." "I didn't discharge, that's my love for my future sister-in-law." Got it, got it, just when I was about to hang up the phone in such a perfunctory manner, Yohei suggested that the four of us have dinner together another day, and then said as if passing by: "Ah, also, it doesn't matter whether Xiaoliang and I are brothers, cousins, or even unrelated outsiders. Originally, you are a brother who doesn't look like a brother, and I have always been a brother. Treat you as a good buddy for life." It seems that he really discovered it shrewdly.You can imagine his smug expression on the other end of the phone when he thought he had the upper hand.Obviously he didn't even know how the note writer died in the end. "A good buddy for a lifetime? Well, not bad, I'm very happy to hear this from you. Then everyone will pay for the steak from now on." He didn't answer right away, only the sound of Gulu swallowing his saliva. "Goodbye, then I'm looking forward to the day when I meet Mi... Miyuki. Let me know after you decide on a date, as long as it's at night on my side." I held back a smile and hung up the phone. Then, after a few breaths, he put the phone to his ear again. "Ah, it's you." There is only a thick and deep voice, just like his father when he was healthy in the past. "I won't ask how you are doing." "Well, it's best if you can do this." "Yanghei said he brought a girl to see you?" "Well, it's Miyuki who has been to our house many times before. You should have seen her too. She is really a lively lady. Chatting with her even makes me energetic." We chatted for a while on the subject of Yohei. After breaking up with Miyuki, Yohei somehow found that kind of beauty who looked like a model and fell in love several times, but each time it couldn't last for a few months.He said that he was dumped by the other party, but I speculate that he was the one who slipped away first, probably because he was afraid that the relationship would go too deep. "Why, so Yang Ping has changed so many girlfriends?" "But in the end, Miyuki was the only one he brought home to show you." "Looking at it like this, maybe there is really a sign." "Dad, Chie is back." I kept thinking about when to speak and when to speak, only to blurt out abruptly. "yes?" Father only responded without asking further questions.As if he knew it a long time ago. "I'll take her back to see you another day." "I've always had that premonition, too, that the kid will probably come back to you one day. But it's great to catch up in time." Although it is not enough to dare to call her Mixue, Miyuki has indeed changed. Presumably, she has probably realized how futile it is for her to deliberately make her appearance look feminine.The originally fluffy and curly long hair was severely cut short, the face was covered with powder, and she was wearing a close-fitting vest that clearly showed a flat chest. It felt like she was going all out to say: Haha, this is me. Not to mention beautiful now.Although not beautiful, it gives off a haunting impression that Miyuki wouldn't get if she were just a beautiful girl. ——It's not easy. — see? Both sides were chewing meat silently, and Yohei and I made eye contact. Miyuki must have felt more relaxed.Although when facing his younger brother, he was still well-organized and sharp-toothed and refused to give up a single step. The fierceness that vowed to overwhelm the other party with words has been withdrawn. Sometimes dodging and sometimes teasing, at the same time, he has also cultivated the ability to be peaceful and happy. Ease of communication. The four of them had a great time eating and drinking together. Chie and Miyuki hit it off from the very beginning, and they gradually went to watch movies together that seemed to make people cry, or went to flea markets, and did things that us men were not interested in. Both of them love to cook, so they made several dishes and took them to see their father together. There was a table full of dishes and a beer was ordered, and laughter rang out in the usually deserted home.Father also seemed to be happy from the bottom of his heart. We didn't stay long. But when my father saw us off at the porch, he was so exhausted that no one could tell. This is the last time, I said to Yohei as I walked towards the station. Afterwards, I often went to see my father alone when I suddenly thought of it, and I often met my younger brother who also came home suddenly. My father only took the medicine prescribed by the hospital he saw, but he refused to be hospitalized, cutting-edge medical treatment, alternative therapy, and even refused to go to other hospitals for a second opinion. My brother and I stopped trying to persuade him. We gossiped and drank beer in the kitchen, a vague relief that could only be described as flesh and blood enveloped us. The photo of my mother staring at us from the small cabinet in the living room.Every time I catch sight of it in between conversations, I feel nostalgic. She is actually an aunt named Yingshizi.But just as my younger brother will still be my younger brother in the future, this person will be another mother for the rest of my life.It is impossible for me to forget the years we spent together, the long years of my mother's unconditional love for me. The mother, who was said to be peeping at my sleeping face with her pillow in her arms, had no idea how crazy thoughts were circling in her mind.Even if it is close to killing intent, now I no longer simply believe that it will dilute her love for me. So many things have happened in a short period of time, I always feel as if I have aged ten or twenty years all of a sudden. The whore who kills, the passing man who buys that whore.What feelings do I have now about my real parents?Even if I ask myself this way, there are only conflicting emotions and I can't answer it well.I'm afraid I'll never find an answer for the rest of my life. However, I should be growing old in a state of perpetual confusion.Perhaps it is to let us understand that the human heart is a chaos that can never be explained. Summer slowly passed away.Recently, new members have joined every week, and the store is very busy. According to Ms. Hosoya, Chie's return seems to make the plague god who haunted the store retreat. "If the soul of the store manager looks gloomy, how can you expect a prosperous business? But fortunately, everything is fine." The expression of Ms. Hosoya who said this is also much more cheerful than before.She often looked at Chie who was busy shuttling between the tables, showing a smile. When I was resting in my room at night, I said to Chie: "This is my own imagination, but I doubt that Miss Hosoya has lost a daughter before." "How to say?" "Because she loves you so much, I can't help but wonder if she had such a past. Maybe if her daughter is still alive, she will be as old as you." Perhaps the death of her daughter was one of the reasons for Miss Hosoya's divorce.Or was she desperately wanting a daughter, but just couldn't conceive? While I was still thinking wildly without reason, Chie whispered: "Miss Hosoya is really gentle." Her voice was full of emotion, "I really don't know how much I appreciate her, but I can't fully express my gratitude." "me too." "But I didn't know you would think that. I mean, you would suspect that Miss Hosoya saw the shadow of her dead daughter in me." "This is pure speculation. What about yourself? Don't you have similar feelings?" "Well, it's not wrong to say that she treats me as her own daughter, but my guess is slightly different from yours." "How is it different?" Chie tilted her head and looked at me, then burst out laughing. "Ryosuke, I didn't expect you to be unexpectedly slow." "What are you talking about without thinking?" "Miss Hosoya, she, very, likes, likes, you. She is secretly in love with you." "Hey, hey, what are you talking about..." "Of course you have an age gap, she can't let you find out. She is a person who can judge things rationally, but I knew from the beginning that she liked you." "But...but...well, no matter how you put it, it's a bit...Let's not talk about anything else. If this is the case, she should only be jealous of you. How could she still treat you so well." "Yeah, that's what makes her great. She knows very well that she can't be your lover, so she pinned her dreams on me. She treats me as her own daughter, her own clone, and by matching me and you to satisfy her affection. She is desperately trying to replace jealousy with making us both happy." I just can't believe it. "When you love someone from the bottom of your heart, maybe you can do that. If Ms. Hosoya were younger, I think you would choose her instead of me." "How is it possible, I will always only have you in my heart." "But Ryosuke, didn't you notice it at all? Miss Hosoya's appearance didn't make you feel anything?" What she said made me think of it. It's ridiculous that it was the scene when I hugged Miss Hosoya after she was thrown down by the giant dog Kuchu last time.Her slender body was in my arms, and the buttoned shirt was torn open, revealing her snow-white breasts.At that moment, it would be a lie to say that I felt nothing.When Miss Hosoya put her arms around my neck, didn't I really have the feeling of being suddenly dragged into a dizzying abyss?I remember Nachi also said that Miss Hosoya kissed me on purpose at that time... "Oh, my God, you're blushing." Chie said with a little surprise.