Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093094088809262/episodes/16818622170267171136
A week has passed since then.
I thought it would look suspicious if I didn’t go home very often, so I decided to alternate between days when I stayed at the office and days when I went home.
On the days I go home, I leave Yua chan at the office or at Aira’s house.
Now I owe Aira a considerable debt, but…oh well.
In the meantime, Yua chan and Aira had become good friends.
The break room of the office.
The smell of cigarettes wafts thinly in the air, playing cards are scattered on the desk, and Aira is grinning as she approaches Yua chan.
[Illustration.]
https://kakuyomu.jp/users/tanakamatao01/news/16818622170306659898
“…Fufufu…Yua…the joker’s on the right, am I right? Trust your sister.” she whispers.
Yua chan nodded honestly and drew the left card…it was a joker.
“Hahahahahaha, you’re still a brat, you know, there’s a huge difference in life experience.”
A 20 year old woman laughs loudly at her 11 year old opponent.
Her red hair is shaking and the hem of her flashy band T-shirt is bouncing a little, as if she is proud of winning a fight with a child.
“….So childish.”
“Senpai, you don’t understand. I’m just giving Yua a lesson in the harshness of life.”
“….No, I’m calling that unprofessional.”
When Aira puffed out her cheeks a little, Yua chan retorted as if imitating her, “…Right is the joker.”
“….Kukuku. I can’t believe she’s doing the same thing back…you’re still a kid ! Your sister sees everything, you know? You used the same strategy…but you actually reversed the pattern ! I read through it !”
Aira confidently draws the right card, and it’s another joker.
“W-what the hell !?”
I laughed and Aira glared at me with a miffed look on her face.
The usual hustle and bustle of the office at lunchtime has calmed down a bit, and the sound of a copy machine echoes in the distance.
Amidst all this, the sound of two people playing cards was strangely heartwarming, and I couldn’t help but relax my mouth.
Then I heard the boss’s low voice coming from the hallway a short distance away.
As Aira and I quietly approach to see what is going on, we see the detective standing near the entrance.
He is well-dressed in a suit, and his sharp eyes are fixed on the president behind his round glasses.
The young detective, who seems to be a rookie, stands a little behind him with a tense look on his face.
Hiding in the shadows to avoid detection, he eavesdrops on the conversation under his breath.
“…Well, Yamamoto san, you’re busy as ever. Raising only problematic children.”
“…..Don’t talk bad about my employees.”
“Hahaha, you think you’re some kind of president, boss of scum?”
“What’d you want?”
“Well, I have an appointment with one of your employees, Yamasaka san. He said he was taking care of a relative’s child and would be happy to introduce her to us…. However, it was difficult to arrange a time for me to visit him at his home. So I wanted to talk to him directly.”
The tone of his voice was unpleasant, as if he could see right through everything.
I hear the sound of the boss clicking his tongue.
“I’m sorry, but Yamasaka is out.”
“I see. Then may I wait inside?”
“I can’t have someone who isn’t a customer inside the office.”
“Please give me a break, Yamamoto san. Do you really understand your position? I can take the whole company with me if I have to.”
“Do you have a warrant?”
“No, I don’t have one with me today. If you want, I can bring it to you anytime.”
I can’t cause any more trouble for the boss.
I gave Aira a look and instructed her to bring Yua chan and I advanced in front of the cops.
The boss turned around with a surprised look on his face.
He was about to say, “You, why…” but the cop spoke up first.
“Oh my〜, Yamasaka san ! You’re here ! Just in time ! I wanted to talk to you !”
The way he spread his hands in a bland voice sent a shiver down my spine.
Bowing to the boss, I said, “I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you. I’ll take care of the rest on my own.”
The boss was about to say something, but swallowed his words and backed away, saying only, “Call me right away if you need anything.”
“Well, I’m glad to see you. I almost went to the police station with a warrant.”
“….I have no intention of running away.”
“Were you aware that you were being chased?”
“…Let’s talk outside.”
“We don’t mind.”
At that time, Aira came with Yua chan.
Yua chan stood behind Aira and looked up at me anxiously.
“Thanks Aira. You wait here.” I said, and Aira shook her head.
“I’ll go with you.”
The cop’s eyes shift to Aira, and he grins.
“Oh? Is that beautiful lady over there by any chance, Sasagamine san? Well, well, it’s been years since we’ve met like this.”
“…It’s been a long time. Shindo san.”
“I can’t believe you’re working in a place like this…your grandfather must be crying in heaven.”
“You’re the one who killed Grandpa.”
“…..”
Is he Aira’s acquaintance?
Who the hell is this cop?
“If you know what’s going on, then by all means, please be present. It would make the conversation go more smoothly.”
And with that, we headed for a coffee shop frequented by the office.
◇
When I stepped into the coffee shop, the air was heavy with the aroma of coffee and cigarette smoke.
Even though it was a weekday afternoon, the store was almost full. Unfamiliar men were sitting around the tables, spreading newspapers and puffing on cigarettes.
Their gazes glanced at me, and cold sweat beaded on my back.
This is…we’re surrounded.
Me, Yua chan, and Aira are lined up next to each other at one of the empty tables, and two detectives sit down across from us.
The veteran cop pushes up his round glasses with his fingers and leans back comfortably.
The newbie looks a little nervous and pulls out a notebook.
“I knew this was the place. Well, I heard that the people working here are former employees. I thought if we were going to have a discussion, we would do it here.”
Would you go this far for one girl?
That’s unusual. What the hell is he thinking?
“….So what? What do you want to talk about?”
“No, it’s nothing complicated. That child is your relative’s child, isn’t it? First of all, can you tell me the name of that relative?”
“…I don’t want to tell you.”
“You don’t want to? If you don’t want to tell me…then, let’s change it to a question. Is that child Ito Yua chan?”
I knew it.
Lying here is pointless.
“….She is.”
“…Are you related to Ito san?”
“….No.”
The cop gave a small smile.
“I see. Then you were lying to us.”
Aira sits silently without changing a single expression, as if she knew everything.
“….What do you want to do in the end? Are you asking me to return Yua chan to that house? You don’t even know what she went through in that house…”
“I do know. I know. It was a problem. The child consultation centre had him listed as a person to watch out for.”
“Then…”
“But that doesn’t mean it’s okay for people like you to kidnap children. And that’s what’s happening. This is from that father.”
With that, he slid a copy of the missing person’s report onto the table.
That son of a bitch…he turned to the police.
A murderous intent welled up in me, and my fists naturally almost clenched.
”…You have a hell of a look on your face. We knew what was going on, and we weren’t going to let her go home just like that. So, to the facility.”
At that moment, Yua raised her voice.
“…No !”
All eyes in the store were on us at once.
She did not pull away, but looked straight at the cop.
“I know exactly how you feel, young lady. I’m sure your current life is a very comfortable place for you. I know that you are afraid of institutions, and I know that you are afraid of people, even more so when they are your age. So attending elementary school must be difficult for you now. Still, there is no way to completely sever family ties in Japan. Whether you slap a letter of insulation on them, put them up for adoption, or separate their family registers, there is no law that completely severs the parent-child relationship.”
Yua chan’s eyes filled with tears and her lips trembled.
”Well…once a parent dies, it doesn’t matter if they are related or not, does it?”
“That’s true. But he’s alive.”
Aira sighs and quietly opens her mouth.
“…You still can only do things that way. My grandpa died defending you because of the resentment you caused him that way.”
“Yes, that’s right. That’s why I will stick to who I am. Until the day I die.”
“You mean you want me to put Yua chan in an institution?”
“I think that would be the best thing to do, actually. But if you try to take her away, I don’t know what you’ll do. So let’s negotiate. We, too, have to move when it comes to the abduction of a girl. So, on paper, she is in an institution. As for the father, he can be thrown in jail at any time with my help, and we can come up with a convincing reason why the child cannot be returned.”
“…What do I get in return?”
“…I want you to betray President Yamamoto.”
The cop grinned and his eyes lit up behind his round glasses.
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