Chapter 16 Chapter Fourteen The Forgotten Birthday

It was already dark when Akita returned to the Kojimachi dormitory.On the way, I walked into a bar in Shinjuku, drank some wine, and now all the drunkenness has disappeared.Late at night in the twelfth lunar month of winter, I went home in the bitter cold, and the room was condensed with even colder air.The turbid smell left before going out in the morning is sealed in the room. After a day, it seems to be fermented, and the smell goes straight to the nose.It's a bachelor scent.The bed is not made yet, the ashtray next to the pillow is full of cigarette butts, a small bottle of whiskey is left, a half-turned magazine, an empty toothpaste case, and there are dishes with leftovers in the sink Wait, leave it in a mess where you left home in the morning.The smell of these messy things was mixed with body odor, and the smell was even more unimaginable after being stirred by the owner who returned late at night.

This is full of "bachelor taste".Whenever Akita smells this smell, he can't help but miss Kasumi's boudoir.However, I didn't think of Kasumi's room tonight.The cold body is overwhelmed by the "bachelor smell".He couldn't help thinking about being in the warm Onishi house a few hours ago. Although he was an uninvited guest, Xiangzi seemed to expect Akita to come, so he calmly welcomed him in.The child Shoko conceived when Akita first visited last year has grown into the bully of the Onishi family.While coaxing the troublesome bully, Xiangzi received Akita, showing the look of a mother that he never had in the past.Akita felt that there was no place for others to intervene here.Shoko had refused Akita's inquiries as Onishi's wife before the child was born; the bond between the husband and wife should be much stronger now than it had been then.In the heart of a wife who has a husband and children and is intoxicated with happiness, where is there any gap to accommodate the third party?However, I have to try to find out about Onishi's whereabouts no matter what.Right now, the only hope lies in Xiangzi.Whether it's the sweet memories of youth, or the confidence of a lover for a while, in short, if there is a slight possibility, you have to take advantage of it.

Akita also knew that it would be very abrupt to visit a lady while her husband was away.This is a desperate visit.This visit will definitely receive even worse cold reception than last time.Unexpectedly, Xiangzi welcomed him with a smile on his face.Akita's intentions are very obvious, but Xiangzi still treats him as an old friend, full of enthusiasm, just like the reunion of former lovers. "What's the matter, it seems to be much thinner." In order to make Akita feel warmer, after entering the reception room, Xiangzi lit the gasoline stove and brought hot drinks.His eyes showed deep concern for the health of his loved ones.At this moment, Akita seemed to have forgotten the purpose of his visit, and tears welled up in his eyes.

"Could it be that I was thinking wrong?" At this moment, Akita suddenly had a question in his heart. "In Daimaru Hot Spring, Yuko Shoko treated me as a 'temporary traveler', so she poured out her feelings to me, right? All of that was prepared to entertain me as a 'guest'; the guest went to If so, all of this will disappear. Does Shoko already know the secret of me as a guest? If so, Shoko has lost confidence in my existence since the night at Daimaru Hot Spring. I am so stupid, how can I be so stupid This is all my paranoia. First of all, she will not find out the secret of my illness. She is already the happiest wife and mother. It is too much self-confidence for me to think about it. "Thinking of this, Akita secretly laughed at himself.Why did she show that sad look in front of me?Akita was puzzled.

At this time, Akita saw his unforgettable old love from Xiangzi's eyes.Just like people who have been wandering for many years and returned to their homeland, they often can't help crying.If there is still this kind of sadness in my heart, it is the reason that brings tears to Akita's eyes.But this kind of melancholy may be beneficial to Akita: Shoko's firm belief as a wife and mother no longer exists today, so the questions from last time may be raised again. Xiangzi and Akita looked at each other in silence for a long time, and the little naughty boy who was entangled on his mother's lap suddenly became honest.The blazing flame of the gasoline stove was flickering, and the gasoline in the stove was sucked up slowly, making a slight popping sound, making the room extraordinarily quiet.The flickering fire, the harmonious fading puff sound, this is the warmth of the family, and it sounds very cozy and comfortable.Compared with where I was a few hours ago, there is a world of difference.Akita was nostalgic for Onishi's warm home, felt a dull pain in his heart, and at the same time felt a kind of guilt-like guilt.It's not about the Onishi couple, it's about feeling like a loser to Kasumi.There is also a roaring fire and hot drinks in Kasumi's side, and the small but comfortable room of the single woman, with Kasumi in it, is even more warm.

"Even so, I still miss Onishi's family. Ah, not Onishi's family, but Shoko from Onishi's family. My heart is occupied by Kasumi, but Shoko's shadow remains firmly in my heart. And this meeting left such a strong impression on me." Akita felt Kasumi calling out from the bottom of his heart.But in front of Xiangzi's indelible old love, her calling gradually disappeared. "Where did Daxi-kun go?" "Where did you go on a business trip to Mount Yatsugatake?" "please tell me!" To Akita's series of questions, Xiangzi was silent for a while, and then replied:

"Please come again on the 16th of this month." "Why is that?" "Please stop asking." "Is Onishi-kun coming back that day?" "Please don't ask, you will know when you come." Xiangzi's tone seemed to indicate that she had tried her best.Akita couldn't get to the bottom of it anymore.She wants Akita to come again. This sentence makes people feel completely different from last time, and contains hope. At least, they cannot disagree with her request.At this time, Akita felt Xiangzi's sincerity and subtle changes in his feelings.

"Well, I'll wait until December 16th, and it will be soon anyway." If Xiangzi can't find out the whereabouts of Onishi, he is going to go straight to Mount Yatsugatake and look for it in the vast mountainous area. The places where "Yatsugatake can be seen" are the northern part of Yamanashi Prefecture and the central and eastern part of Nagano Prefecture. However, since Tabe "escaped", Akita has also inquired about the relevant government departments of these two counties, and confirmed that the There are no new factories and research institutes owned by Nippon Chemicals in this area.There used to be an ammonium perchlorate explosives factory owned by this company only on the outskirts of Matsumoto City, but Mt. Yatsugatake could not be seen there.But maybe there is some other name, so I asked the relevant government departments again, but I didn't find any clues.Since then, there have been no similar patients.After discovering this strange symptom, I was very busy every day, but I always felt like I had fallen into a fog.After the patients with this disease suddenly disappeared, my research work almost stopped.Akita thought to himself: This time, we must find out the truth. "People who are mentally disturbed can clearly see Mount Yatsugatake. This place must be near Mount Yatsugatake."

The Yatsugatake Mountains are a long and narrow volcanic group, stretching from northwest to southeast, across Nagano and Yamanashi prefectures.The figure-shaped Yatsugatake mountain spreads out like a fan. The main peak is Chiyue Peak, with an altitude of 2,899 meters. There are 20 other peaks over 2,000 meters, including volcanic highlands such as Wufeng and Meiyuan connected to it. . The strange thing is that in the nonsense of those four people, there are such words as "I saw someone standing on the top of Yatsugatake Mountain". It can be seen that they are not looking at Yatsugatake Mountain from a far away place, but looking up at it from a peak close to Yatsugatake Mountain. of.The four people including Tianbe are not necessarily very interested in mountains, so it can be seen that the Yatsugatake Mountains they mentioned do not refer to the peaks of the Yatsugatake Mountains.Moreover, the "top of Yatsugatake" they said does not refer to the general name of the Yatsugatake mountain range, but to a specific peak.People also tend to use generic names for a mountain, so it is not surprising that they call Chiyue, the tallest of the Yatsugatakes, as Yatsugatake.It refers to Chiyue Mountain, it seems that there is nothing wrong.Why didn't I think of it sooner?Akita complained that his brain was too slow.In fact, it will take some time to connect the same delirium of these four people with their symptoms and his own research work, and find the inner relationship from them.

"This time I really found the answer." Akita thought energetically.But Xiangzi's words disappointed Akita again.Because at this critical moment, it would be very regrettable to waste even a little time.There is still a whole week until the sixteenth. "Then, let's wait until that day." Akita saw a subtle change in Xiangzi's feelings from Xiangzi's words. Shoko's voice was still lingering in Akita's mind after leaving Onishi's house.Akita chews carefully the meaning of Shoko's words, not only happy that he is approaching the destination step by step in the confusion of finding a needle in a haystack, but also happy to see Shoko again, but also feels guilty for Kasumi.It's like knocking over the five-flavor bottle, "Don't have a taste in your heart"!

After Akita left, Xiangzi coaxed Kenichi to sleep, leaving her alone.Regret tortured Xiangzi again.Akita asked about Onishi's whereabouts, why couldn't he refuse decisively?Why did you ask him to come back on the 16th with such a vague attitude? The gasoline in the stove had burned out, and there was a slight smell of gasoline in the room.Xiangzi buried his head in his skirt, lost in thought. Akita's sudden visit really surprised me. It has been three years since Daimaru Onsen, and I always thought that my heart had calmed down a long time ago.Unexpectedly, as soon as he appeared in front of him, it would be better to say that he completely lost self-control rather than being in a mess.Hearing the doorbell to open the door, unexpectedly it was Akita, I couldn't help jumping with excitement, just like when I was in Daimaru Onsen.Now that she is married to Onishi, has Kenichi again, and has become a mother, she still has that incessant love for her first boyfriend, just like Girls' Generation.God, people's moods can be so elusive.I have been a wife for three years, and now I am a mother again, but the old feelings that I kept in my heart before that have not been washed away at all.She was surprised that she still had deep nostalgia for Akita in her heart, and at the same time, she felt an immoral sense of guilt for Onishi who devoted himself to secret research in a desolate mountain for his family's life—— A kind of spiritual self-blame.Hours after Akita left, the agitation in his heart still could not be calmed down, which proved that he was still sliding down the abyss of immorality.Even though he was not physically unfaithful, he still committed the crime of infidelity mentally day and night during these three years. The husband does not care about the family and only cares about his own affairs, which creates a emptiness in the lonely heart of the wife.This is by no means a lie.If the husband can sensitively see the shadow of a third party in his wife's heart, then he will never blindly engage in that kind of secret research and development work, but will come to accompany his wife to relieve the loneliness in his heart.Because the old friend awakened her old love again, Xiangzi felt guilty and thought of Daxi.At this time, she felt that it was only a little redemption for her. The more I miss Akita, the more I think about Onishi.Although the longing for her husband comes with a sense of responsibility, at the same time, it is also a self-defense instinct produced by a wife in order not to fall into infidelity.December 16th is Kenichi's birthday, and Xiangzi Ao invites Akita to come too. The two incompatible feelings, the old love for Akita and the longing for her husband, will fight and conflict and sparks will explode. Daxi must come back on December 16, in order to celebrate Kenichi's birthday, and also to rein in himself.Xiangzi tried her best to suppress her old love which was churning like a surf, and wrote a letter to her husband.Writing to him also seems to add support to straighten my tilted heart.Now was the time when Onishi was really needed. Never since her marriage had Shoko needed her husband's consolation so urgently.Xiangzi added a note at the end of the letter: "Please come back by all means." In that mood, it was as if he was begging for his husband. This day is Saturday, and as long as there is no emergency at the central clinic of the Japan Industrial Accident Association, the morning medical work will come to an end.Shoko invited Akita to an appointment at around five o'clock. He wanted to go early and take care of the rest, then left the clinic and went to Onishi's house.When we arrived at Onishi’s house, it was already the setting sun, and the early winter sun had already set on the horizon of Musashino.It was still early for the date, but Akita thought it was already the appointed time. "I'm waiting for your visit, please come in." After the doorbell rang, Xiangzi came out to greet the guests, her ruddy cheeks looked radiant. Akita took off his shoes and stepped up the steps, a scent of perfume came to his nostrils.Needless to say, this emanated from Xiangzi.Akita was so strange that he couldn't help but look at the silhouette of Xiangzi who was holding his slippers.Although it is not common, they are old friends after all. Why is Xiangzi so fragrant today?Scarlet lipstick was also applied to the lips.The heavy make-up of Xiangzi made him hardly recognize her. "Akita-kun, please come this way." Akita walked to the door of the reception room where he had been twice before, and stopped, but Xiangzi was still walking in, leading him to his own dining room. "This——" Akita immediately stopped at the door of the dining room, not feeling a little hesitant, because the husband was out and only the young wife was at home, but he was always a little uncomfortable when he was let into the inner room, and at the same time he was surprised by the furnishings in the room. "Uncle... Mom... Pancake..." the child who was babbling grabbed Akita's clothes and said vaguely. "Xiaojian, don't be naughty with guests." Xiangzi scolded the child, as if he was a young mother, and said to Akita: "His father is away, so he is bored, and he is very happy when he sees people. Sometimes When a salesman comes to the door, he will also go and pester him." "This kid is so cute, just like Onishi-kun. What are you going to tell me?" "Uncle, there are many, many meals..." "Haha, do you have a lot of rice? Well, it's really a lot. Good boy, how old are you?" Akita thought he would stick out his index finger, but he didn't expect the child to give a chubby thumb.The child's funny demeanor made Akita feel warm in his heart. "Really, one year old, what a clever child." Akita stroked the child's small head, and a lovely smile appeared in the big eyes that resembled his mother.The child clung to Akita and wouldn't let him go.From the child's cute smile, Akita saw the loneliness of his father's absence. "I just turned one year old today, but compared with other children, I'm still a baby." Xiangzi continued. "It's one year old today!" "Today is the child's birthday, and I want to invite you to celebrate with me, so I invite you to come, and I am sorry to disturb you." Xiangzi smiled and said with his head tilted. "So that's what happened!" Only then did Akita understand the furnishings in the room and the reason for inviting him to the dining room. The dining room is about six squares in size, and on a dining table in the middle, there are many dishes, the most eye-catching one is a candle on a big cake.It seems that most of these dishes were cooked by Xiangzi himself. "Mom made pancakes." As the child said, these dishes embody the affection of a mother.Seeing these exquisite dishes is enough to make people salivate. There are four cushions around the dining table, one of which is specially for children. "So that's what happened!" Akita said again.I can't help thinking: this is the child's first birthday, no matter how much Onishi is passionate about his work, he will definitely come back today.Xiangzi took advantage of the opportunity of his child's first birthday, and although he didn't tell me about Onishi's whereabouts, he simply asked me to meet him directly. "Mr. Xiangzi, thank you very much." Akita realized Xiangzi's kindness. "So, what about Daxi?" "Not yet. About to come. I said dinner would be around six o'clock." "He has returned to the company, has he come back from the company?" "No, I reckon he came back directly from a business trip." "Did I tell you that he will definitely come back?" "No. However, he will definitely come back. He always comes back in time." Xiangzi's words were not so much sure as she believed in herself. "It's my son's birthday, no matter how busy you are, you have to find some time to come back." But Akita's voice was a bit suspicious.He knew Daxi's temper well.Onishi would come to his son's birthday family banquet on time like a famous actor rushing to the stage.Akita was speechless in admiration for this.He can give up everything and devote all his energy to his career.But the job he was doing was exactly what Akita was going to do his best to dissuade.Onishi left his wife and children behind and ignored his own family in order to carry out this business.I'm afraid it can't be stopped with just a few words of persuasion.Then, what Xiangzi will face is: a fierce conflict between two men with firm will and no room for negotiation.Perhaps under the uncompromising conflict of beliefs of the two adults, the happy atmosphere at the child's little birthday party will be ruthlessly ruined.Xiangzi knew that there would be such a result, but he still invited Akita. "Kenichi, you can't do this." Although the child asked his mother to tell him several times, he still climbed up and down Akita's lap. "No, it's okay, this child is too cute." "Akita-kun, why don't you start a family sooner." Xiangzi tried to persuade him calmly. "No, I'm such a poor doctor, how can anyone appreciate it." Suddenly, Kasumi's smiling face flashed in Akita's mind, and he tried his best to restrain himself. "Is that so?" Xiangzi showed that incomprehensible smile. "Exactly, that's not really the reason." As soon as Akita heard it, she understood that she was referring to what happened that night at Daimaru Hot Spring.That day, under Xiangzi's eager pursuit, Akita declined her sincerity without giving any reason.Xiangzi decided to marry Daxi that night.Although Akita understood Xiangzi's true feelings and liked her himself, the two finally separated.The lingering affection at that time has changed its form with the passage of time, but it still took root in my heart, and it is still unforgettable.Judging from Xiangzi's expression, she also has the same unforgettable old love as himself, which is not his allergy.Although Xiangzi said that he hoped that Akita would get married soon, it was from Akita's solitude that Xiangzi gained spiritual comfort.This can also be said to be a woman's selfishness at work.Xiangzi didn't know Akita's real reason, so he received a cold reception. What a shame for women!However, Akita still has no intention of revealing his unspeakable secrets to her, and still hesitates.However, it won't be long before the truth becomes clear.In Xiangzi's voice, Akita faintly felt her broken old relationship, and deliberately pretended to be confused, and changed the subject: "It's really late." The hour hand had already pointed to six o'clock, and Xiangzi was a little restless. Whenever there was the sound of a car approaching, he listened carefully, and as the sound of the car went away, he was obviously lost in disappointment. The little overlord had already started writhing on the dinner table. "What's the matter, you don't know the rules!" Although Xiangzi stopped the child repeatedly, it was still difficult to suppress the child's normal appetite. "Maybe he's going to be late, let's eat first." Xiangzi finally gave up the idea of ​​waiting any longer.However, she still thinks Onishi will not be "absent". "I've been waiting until now, or wait until eight o'clock." Akita's stomach seemed to be rumbling, but he still tried to restrain himself. As a result, at eight o'clock, there was no sign of Onishi. "There must be something important that we can't get away from. Maybe we have to come back later tonight." Akita said this, just to comfort Xiangzi. On the surface, Xiangzi didn't seem to care; but facing her husband who didn't spare time to come back from her only son's birthday party, the indescribable disappointment was reflected in her reticence. Only the seat where Onishi should be sitting was vacant, making the atmosphere of the banquet seem to freeze.The originally very happy child started to cry and fuss, not because he wanted to sleep, but because he also keenly sensed that the atmosphere around him was not right. "Jianer, you are sleepy, then say goodbye to uncle." The child obediently nodded hurriedly to Akita as farewell, and was taken to the dormitory by Xiangzi.Looking at the child's back, Akita couldn't help feeling sorry for the child whose father had forgotten him.Akita thought, it was time to leave, and if he stayed any longer, it would cause inconvenience to Xiangzi. After putting the child to sleep, Shoko returned to the dining room, and Akita stood up immediately.At this moment, the dizziness struck again, and he had no choice but to lean against the wall, trying not to let Xiangzi notice anything. "Thank you for your hospitality tonight." "Hey," said Xiangzi, a little surprised. "Sit no longer?" "No, it's late, I'm taking my leave now." "I'm really sorry." Xiangzi bowed his head and apologized as if it was his own fault for not keeping Akita. "I'm afraid Onishi-kun will be late tonight, but he will definitely come back." "Yes, he's a real one. I'm so sorry you came here on purpose." "It's a pity that I didn't meet him, but there is still a chance. It's just that Xiao Jian is so pitiful." "This child is used to it." Xiangzi's tone seemed extremely disappointed. "Farewell." Akita bowed and walked out of the room.It's just that my head still felt groggy, so standing face to face with Xiangzi felt very uncomfortable. The house is not too big, but the corridor leading to the gate feels endless.Just as I was about to change my shoes when I went down the steps, I only heard the rustling of clothes behind me, and knew that Xiangzi had caught up. "Akita-kun!" Xiangzi called out, and Akita immediately turned around. The two looked at each other, as if desperately restraining themselves, and remained silent. "Then I..." Just as Akita was about to say another farewell, Xiangzi finally said directly what he had kept in his heart for a long time: "He is in Kiyosato." "In Kiyosato?" Akita suddenly couldn't understand her sincere words, and repeated. "Onishi is in Kiyosato on Mount Yatsugatake! It's in Jigokudani next to a beautiful forest, and the secret factory of the Nippon Chemical Company is also there." Akita finally realized the important meaning of Shoko's words.She violated her husband's will.At this time, the only thing that Akita felt comforted was: she didn't do it for me, but for her husband's disregard of important family affairs, so she leaked this important situation. Akita seemed to have met a savior, but felt that there was a fly in the ointment.He didn't show his face, and wanted to find out more details. "That beautiful forest, isn't it where the Kiyosato Agricultural Research Center goes up?" "It's still up there. There are churches and national dormitories there, and it's a very lively place. From there, I heard that you have to walk all the way to the end." "Have you been there?" Akita almost blurted out, but swallowed the words hastily.Xiangzi's words were very clear, and she never went there. It has been a year and a half since the business trip to Onishi.Either Onishi refused to let her go, or Shoko didn't go to see him. Anyway, it took less than three or four hours to get to her husband's place of work from Tokyo, and this newlywed wife had never been there. The indifference of the relationship between the couple has gone. After Xiangzi finished speaking, he felt that he had revealed her husband's important secret, her slightly rosy cheeks suddenly turned pale, and her expression froze. "Xiangzi!" "Yes." Xiangzi agreed in a low voice, and then fell into Akita's arms.Akita swayed slightly, and withstood Xiangzi's momentum.In this way, the two remained silent.As long as Akita is willing, Xiangzi will give everything.It was exactly the same mood as that night at Daimaru Onsen.The difference is that now Xiangzi's heart has been engraved with unspeakable scars. Now telling a third party the news that violated her husband's interests is the result of Shan Yu's self-destructive vengeful psychology after her husband repeatedly broke his promise.But Akita knew in her heart that this move was just a temporary thing, and her "cooperative" attitude was based on the sincere affection that night at Daimaru Hot Spring.What's more, Akita himself couldn't leave Xiangzi with the same enthusiasm.The two embraced for a long time, but it was only a minute or two. "Mother, mother!" A child's cry came from the inner bedroom.The child hasn't fallen asleep yet.Hearing the child's cry, Xiangzi immediately broke free from Akita's arms, and regained his motherly expression. "Goodbye." Akita put on his shoes, watched Xiangzi rushing towards the child, and wanted to see Xiangzi again.