Chapter 10 Section ten

I also fidgeted and looked at the clock while watching the nightly baseball broadcast.I don't care if the Giants win or lose. I left the house at ten o'clock, and my destination was a small steel ball shop nearby. The pachinko shop is closed.You can see the inside of the store through the glass, and Maeda fanned his face with a round fan as he walked.I knocked on the glass door to get his attention and look in my direction.With a surprised expression on his face, he opened the glass door for me. "What's the matter so late? If you want to find your father, he didn't come today."

"I know that. I have something to ask Maeda-san." "It's so rare that you have something to ask me. Tell me what it is." "Before, when my dad was drunk, wasn't Mr. Maeda with him? I want you to tell me, where did you go after you left the oden shop?" "Where did you go after you left the oden shop?" Maeda frowned. "Oh, you want to ask me about that time. After leaving the oden shop, we went to a hotel called 'Lulu'. But, telling you this, you don't understand, do you?" "Is that hotel near the Kanto restaurant?"

"It's close. If you walk...it's about twelve or three minutes away." "Can you tell me where the oden restaurant and the hotel called 'Lulu' are? Just draw a rough map for me here." I handed over the note paper and pen I brought from home. "What? What are you doing? Are you going to take care of your father? If that's the case, why don't you make a special trip and call him? I'll tell you the phone number of 'Lulu'." "No, I don't want to call." "Then, I'll call for you. You should be in a hurry to find your father, right?"

"It's not an urgent matter. Anyway, you just need to tell me the location, and I will figure out the rest." "Yes. Well, you can do whatever you want. But I'm not very good at drawing maps." Maeda finally drew straight lines, squares, and circles on the note I handed him.The map was indeed poorly drawn, but it was barely possible to know the approximate location. "Thank you." I took the map and thanked him. "You talk to your father and tell him I said: 'Don't worry your son too much.'" I smiled and nodded, and replied to him in my heart: "It's not because you dragged him to drink."

The locations shown on the map are nearby downtown areas.Not long ago, the coffee shop I went to with Kuramochi and Yoko was also on that street, and there was a roadside stall.According to Maeda's map, that should be the shop of Oden.I took a closer look, and sure enough there was a scent coming. Three guests sat on a long bench that could accommodate five people.Because of the relationship, I can't see their faces, but none of them looks like my father from the back. I looked at the map and started walking again.This road leads to "Lulu", but my destination is not there.

On the day his father came home drunk, Maeda once said: "When we drank at the Kanto boiled shop, he was fine as usual. But when we were on the way to the next one, he suddenly stopped on the side of the road and kept going. Looking in completely unrelated directions." According to Maeda, his father became very strange afterwards.I'm pretty sure my father was not going to "Lulu" but somewhere on the way to the hotel. There are several routes from the Kanto cooking shop to "Lulu".I walked all those paths.Along the way, there are several hotels and small bars.In this way, if my father entered one of the stores, it would be impossible for me to find him after all.

Just as I gave up my mind and was going back to the station, when I looked across the road, I saw the back of a man buying cigarettes from a vending machine, and I couldn't help but stand still.That must be his father's back. I immediately hid behind the van parked aside, but my father didn't seem to notice me. The father took the cigarette case and walked into the building next to him.The flower shop on the first floor is closed, and the second floor is a coffee shop.Father walked up the stairs. Just when I was at a loss, I looked up at the coffee shop, and my father's face appeared on the other side of the glass window.I was taken aback and quickly retracted my head.

However, my father didn't look my way at all.His gaze fell on a building 20 meters away from me, directly opposite the coffee shop.The building bears the signs of several hotels. I noticed that my father seemed to be waiting for someone.The person he was waiting for must be in one of the shops with a whole row of signs. Soon, someone came out of the suspicious building.I saw my father lean forward and lean forward. Coming out of the building were three fancy-dressed women and two men who looked like office workers.Needless to say, those women are naturally bar girls. Father watched them in the coffee shop, and resumed his original posture.It seems that his target is not this writer.A white mist suddenly appeared in front of his father, and he seemed to be smoking.

After the restaurant hostess and the guests chatted about each other for a while, the two guests finally left in front of the building.After watching them off, the three bar girls disappeared into the building. Not long after, someone came out of the building again.This time it was a guest and two women.These two women are not the previous three women. Father was the same as before, pressing his face against the glass window, looking down at them.However, my father remained still this time. Although I was standing far away, I knew that my father's expression was stiff. I glanced at the two wine girls again, and suddenly gasped.

The woman in the light blue suit is that Shimako.She was a little thinner than when we met before, and her chin looked sharper with her small face. I didn't expect her to work in such a place... The night my father and Maeda went drinking, they must have seen Shimako by chance.He remembered the unpleasant past, so he got drunk. I thought my father might rush out of the coffee shop, but my father just looked down at her through a layer of glass.I think Zhimozi must never have imagined in his dreams that a father and son who suffered from her burden and suffered many disasters are just a short distance away.After seeing off the guests, she walked into the building talking and laughing with another barmaid.

I saw my father readjust his sitting posture, and he didn't intend to get up and leave the table. I stayed where I was for about 20 minutes, but Zhimozi didn't come out again.However, it was almost the time for the last tram to leave, and if we stayed any longer, passers-by might become suspicious, so we had to give up and leave the scene. I waited at home until one o'clock in the morning before my father came back, looking haggard.I thought, waiting in a coffee shop like that must be exhausting. "You haven't slept yet? You have to work tomorrow, don't you? Is it okay if you don't sleep?" My father looked at my face and said.His displeased tone may be because he feels guilty towards me. "You've been coming back late all this time?" "Well... because of the guild, there are a lot of entertainment." Sitting in front of the low dining table, the father spread out the sports newspaper in his hand.It must have been bought while he was waiting for someone at the coffee shop. I lay down under the quilt and closed my eyes before my father, but I was worried about many things and couldn't fall asleep at all.As I tossed and turned, the paper door opened and I opened my eyes. "Are you still awake?" Father said standing up. "Well. Is there something wrong?" "Oh...you have a carving knife?" "Carving knives? They are used in primary schools." "That will do. Lend me." "Can it be... now?" "Yeah." Father nodded, with a puzzled expression on his face. I crawled out of the bed and opened the bottom drawer of the desk. Inside was a box containing five carving knives and a whetstone.The last time I used this set of tools was because of the curse letter incident. I received twenty-three postcards with the word "Kill" written on them, and I ran to the torii gate of a nearby shrine to carve the number twenty-three. "What do you want the carving knife for?" "No, it's nothing. I'm sorry, but I asked you to get up and look for it." After the father finished speaking, he took the box of the carving knife set and left the room. I got into bed again and closed my eyes, but I couldn't sleep well and woke up from time to time.Whenever I wake up, I hear strange noises.Sigh, it sounded like something was being grinded.What is father doing?While thinking about this question, I fell asleep. The next morning, when I was having breakfast, my father was still up.He seemed to be stuck in the middle of the night yesterday.I looked around the room, and there was no sign of a carving knife being used.The carving knife set is placed next to the TV.I picked it up and opened the box, and the tips of the five carving knives were still rusty.I figured it wouldn't work at all, and then I took a look at the whetstone, only to find that it had been used.In my impression, I don't remember ever sharpening a knife with a whetstone before.So my father had used a whetstone last night, but it wasn't a carving knife. I remembered the sound of "咻咻咻" I heard last night.That's exactly the sound it makes when sharpening some kind of knife.It turned out that what my father wanted was not a carving knife, but a whetstone. I went to the kitchen and opened the door under the counter, and there was a knife holder on the inside of the door.But having said that, my family hardly has a business, so there are only fruit knives and kitchen knives at home. I found that the handle of the kitchen knife was wet. I picked it up and saw that a kitchen knife that had not been maintained at all should be covered with rust, but at this time, not only the blade was shining with silver light, but even the rust was much less.Apparently, Dad sharpened his knives. A father who has nothing to do with cooking should not need to use the whetstone used by his son to sharpen a carving knife to sharpen his kitchen knife.Even if it is really necessary, his purpose must not be to cook. The weather was as usual that day, hot from early in the morning, but I was shivering. I'm sure the father intended to kill Shimoko. Don't let him do that - I don't think so at all.Thinking of Zhimozi who caused us to fall from heaven to hell, I think it's only natural for my father to kill her. I'm more interested in other things instead.That is, how is father going to kill her?When are you going to kill her?What to do after killing her?Also, how strong is his desire to kill her? Staring at Shimako's father in the coffee shop, and myself lurking next to Osho Kuramochi's house before, these two images overlapped in my mind.At that time, I had no success in getting Kuramochi to take the poison.Although it was me who prevented him from taking the poison myself, in retrospect, I still have to admit that it was a failure.I thought I had made such a big determination, but I was dizzy and relaxed by his words that I didn't know whether they were true or not.It turns out that my murderous intentions were only mediocre. It might be a strange thing to say, but I wanted my father to show me.When the grandmother died, there were rumors that the mother had been poisoned.If that incident was true, I really wanted to ask my mother at that time, what kind of mood did she face "that kind of thing"? Father sharpened the kitchen knife, is he planning to use it as a murder weapon?If so, I feel as though something is missing.The act of killing someone with a kitchen knife always feels impulsive and unplanned.I want my father to be a ruthless enforcer.I hope he can let the idea of ​​killing ferment in his body, draw up the plan carefully, and then execute it boldly.To achieve this, poisoning is undoubtedly the most suitable method of killing.At that time, the bottle containing Shenggong was still hidden in my drawer.I even wondered if I should tell my father about it. Since that night, my father never went out at night.But on the contrary, he always looks thoughtful.I think he might be thinking of a murder plan. Therefore, even though I am working in the swimming pool sales department, my heart is hanging.I was wondering if my father would kill Shimoko while I was working.Honestly, I even wish I could have seen her father kill her on the spot. Of course, I don't think about it all day.There is another thing that bothers me. Something must have happened to Yoko Ejiri, I thought.I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing, but either way, something seems to have changed her mood.Changes on the inside will also appear on the outside.She changed day by day, and that fascinated me. The innocent girl disappeared without a trace at some point.Her innocent smile used to be her charm, but now she often has a worried expression on her face.But this expression, which she had never seen before, added a mature charm to her. "Yangzi, you've been a little weird lately, what happened?" I saw the right moment and determined to ask her seriously.There were no guests at that time. "It's nothing." She replied with a smile, but the expression on her face was a little different from before. "That's all right. I thought you had some trouble. You're always dreaming, don't you?" "Oh... I'm fine, not what you think." She waved her hand. "Thank you for worrying about me." "It's fine if it's okay. Um... by the way, is it still not okay today?" "Nowadays?" "Swimming. After work, if you have time, would you like to swim together? Just like before." "Oh." Her smile stiffened. "Sorry, I have something to do." "Yes. Forget it." I also tried to force a smile, but it probably only made my expression look more unnatural. The fun of going swimming together after part-time work was completely deprived.As soon as it's time to get off work, Yang Zi rushes home as if being urged by something. I know exactly when she started being like that.It started from the day I met Kuramochi.She has changed since that day. But I don't want to think about what happened between the two of them.In my heart, besides not wanting others to take away the girl I like, I also don't want others to tarnish her purity. "So, what about next Wednesday?" I asked. "Wednesday?" "Well. The part-time job is almost over. Is this the last vacation? If possible, do you want to go to a movie or something?" That was my first and last date with Yoko.Later, I don't know how many times I regretted it. It would have been nice if I had asked her out earlier. She clasped her hands together apologetically. "I'm sorry. I have something to do on Wednesday. Although I also want to make an appointment with you..." "Oh, that's it. If that's the case...well, forget it. Then, I can only see you for five more days." "Ah, yes. Time flies," she said, counting the days on her fingers. Our part-time job lasts until the Ghost Festival. On the next Wednesday, I went to the nearest department store.I thought to myself, since I can't make an appointment, I should at least give her some presents. Having said that, since I have never dated girls, I have no idea what to give as a gift.I wandered around the jewelry and women's floors before buying a nondescript handkerchief.I originally wanted to buy a more beautiful one, but they were all so expensive that there was no choice at all. The next day, which was the last day of part-time work, I got up early in the morning, thinking about when to give her the gift. "Are you there today too?" I took advantage of the break from work and asked tentatively. "Well, I don't know why it has become very busy recently." "B." "It's okay." Her tone was a bit hesitant, as if she was hiding something from me. At five o'clock in the afternoon, the part-time job in the summer vacation is over.After receiving the wages, Yoko and I walked out of the swimming pool and headed for the station. "Well... just ten minutes, can you accompany me?" She looked back at me with a surprised look on her face, as if a little confused. "I have something to give you. So..." Yoko lowered her eyes and apologized with her hand on her head. "Sorry. I'm in a hurry." "That's it..." I reached into my pocket as I walked, and took out a small paper bag. "Then...here's to you." I held the paper bag in front of Yangzi.She finally stopped. "what is this?" "A little gift. I wanted to give you something more practical, but I couldn't think of anything to give you." She took the handkerchief out of the bag and forced a smile on her face. "Wow, so beautiful. Can I really take it?" "Of course. I just bought it for you." "But, I'm not prepared for anything..." "No need. I'm going to send it to you. But can you tell me your home phone number? Maybe I'll find you again." Yoko held her handkerchief and lowered her head, silent, as if hesitating for something. "what happened to you?" "Well, ah, it's okay to tell you the phone number." She raised her head slightly, looked at me and said, "But, I have a boyfriend. So, um, even if you call me, I don't think I can do anything come out." "Ah..." I stood still.It's not because she didn't expect it to happen like this, but because she didn't expect her to speak so plainly. "Ah, I don't mean anything else, as long as you treat me as an ordinary friend and meet me." "Sorry. I'm not good at dealing with feelings." She put the handkerchief back in her bag and handed it to me. "This, I can't accept it. I appreciate your kindness." "No, you don't have to pay me back. Please accept it." "But……" "It's really okay. Besides, I can't use a handkerchief with a pattern like this." "Is that so... Then, I'll take it as a souvenir." She put the bag in her bag. We went on again, but my heart was so heavy.My first love ended so easily. "May I ask you something?" After passing the ticket gate at the station, I said, "I don't know the person you're dating, do I?" Yoko looked overwhelmed, but didn't seem very surprised.She probably also expected that I had already noticed it. She nodded without saying a word, pursing her lips tightly. "Yeah, I knew it." I sighed. "Do you want to meet later today?" "Well. After she finishes her work." "Yeah." I had no other questions to ask, and I didn't intend to torture her. We stopped before the stairs to the platform.She and I have to take different trams. "Well, take care," I said. "Yeah." She nodded and walked up the stairs.The tram seemed to have just entered the station, and when I walked onto the platform, she was nowhere to be seen. I went to the set meal restaurant to finish dinner before going home.My father bought yakitori from the supermarket and served it with beer.He had already drank three bottles of wine. I glanced at the wine bottle, went to the kitchen, took a glass, went back to the living room, sat in front of my father and asked him, "Can I have a drink?" Father's eyes widened in surprise. "What are you doing, you are still a high school student, stop joking." I thought to myself: "Why do people who don't work well say that about me." But I kept silent.The nighttime baseball game was on, so I looked away. After a while, I noticed my father was pouring beer.Looking back, he poured beer into my glass.I thanked my father and downed the beer.The cool taste and just the right amount of bitterness spread in the mouth.That wasn't the first time I drank beer. "Did something unpleasant happen?" Dad asked me. "No, no. But what happened to you, Dad?" "Nothing. I just drink when I feel like it." "me too." Looking back now, it was a funny scene.Both of us father and son are drinking because we can't forget the woman who left us. Then the alcohol probably played a role, and I fell asleep.After that, I slowly came back to my senses because I heard a certain sound.After waking up for a while, I realized that it was the sound of the entrance door. At that time, it was past twelve o'clock in the morning, and my father was nowhere to be seen. I ran to the kitchen in surprise, opened the door of the counter, and saw that the kitchen knife was gone. My heart beat faster, my whole body was hot, but my armpits were sweating coldly, and I couldn't help shivering. I hurriedly changed clothes and left the house.In my pocket is the wages I just received today.As soon as I reached the main road, I immediately flagged down a taxi.It was the first time I took a taxi alone.After I told the destination, the taxi driver showed a surprised expression.Probably because a high school student actually went to places he shouldn't go at night.But he didn't. I got off in front of the station and walked the same way I did that night.Roadside stalls selling oden are also open. I walked to the same place as before, looked up at the late-night coffee shop, and sure enough, I saw my father's figure on the other side of the window.He kept staring at the entrance of the building opposite.That posture was like a stone statue, motionless. Unfortunately, there were no cars parked nearby, so I had to walk across the road and hide in the alley.There were traces of urine and vomit in the alley, and there was a foul smell. From time to time, people would come out of that building in groups of three and four, but there was no sign of Zhimozi. After more than thirty minutes like this, Zhimozi finally came out.She was alone, in a modest one-piece dress, as if heading home. She was walking on the opposite sidewalk.Just when I didn't know what to do, someone suddenly passed in front of the alley. I poked my head out cautiously, and at this time my father was following behind Zhimozi. -------------------------------- Note: