Fic for ltgmars! (Part 3 of 5)
Fic for ltgmars (Part 3 of 5)
Back to Part 2
XI
“You know that I can see you, right?”
Ikuta looked up. Matsumoto was standing above him beside the bushes. A hint of annoyance was clearly heard in his voice. Looking at Ikuta’s bewildered expression, he tsked. Matsumoto put his hands on his hips, eyebrows furrowed. “For a detective, you’re not that good at hiding.”
Ikuta took a deep breath, beaten. Standing up, he quickly apologized, only feeling sorry that he was caught instead of stalking him. He had been trailing Matsumoto for two days, following him in his activities, and yet, he was captured red-handedly before long. Ikuta wondered what he should report to his co-workers when they came back. Well, he was a writer, not a spy!
So far, he hadn’t seen Nino anywhere near Matsumoto, and neither did Matsumoto make an effort to contact him. Ikuta had begun to wonder if he was wasting his time and whether they were wrong, but truthfully, watching Matsumoto was quite a fascinating activity.
The man was busy, Ikuta was sure of that. His schedule was packed with activities, right from the time the sun was rising until way past midnight. Ikuta didn’t know how Matsumoto could keep up with everything. Every evening after Matsumoto went inside his bedroom, Ikuta went home by practically dragging his feet, gathering all the strength he had left to collapse in his own bed, not in the car. He wouldn’t be able to wake up if not for Maru and Yasu screaming in his ears every morning.
To Ikuta’s relief, Matsumoto did not look as murderous as Ikuta thought he would be. In fact, he looked rather amused by the whole situation, and well, Ikuta couldn’t blame him. Aiba had insisted that Ikuta wear his safari outfits, stocking him with a telescope and a helmet covered with leaves. Yoko had personally painted his face with charcoal, ignoring Ikuta’s yells of protest. They told him that Matsumoto could probably spot his glow from afar, and the best way to cover it up was by doodling his skin with dark charcoal. Ikuta didn’t believe them, but he didn’t want to take a risk. At least he was dressed for battle.
As they were facing each other, Ikuta’s eyes scanned Matsumoto’s glamorous look, noting that they couldn’t be anymore different. Like before, the sea monster was wearing flamboyant clothing. This time, Ikuta had to narrow his eyes for it was an electric blue jersey with big flower prints, drawn all the way from his chest to back. Blinking, Ikuta suddenly felt grateful for his own outfit. At least it was not that flashy.
Matsumoto coughed, and Ikuta snapped back, trying hard not to look too ashamed. Focusing his eyes back on Matsumoto’s face, Ikuta was surprised to see the man raising his eyebrow, a small smile playing in his lips. “Did they force you to wear this?”
Ikuta grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
Matsumoto shook his head in pity. “Come on! Let’s have a drink.” Matsumoto jerked his head at the building on the corner of the street. “There’s a bar in the basement.”
He turned his back and began walking quickly, leading Ikuta down the stairs to a small pub with a big aquarium in the background and lightened by green lights that also served as the only source of light in the room.
Matsumoto took a seat on a long couch, gesturing Ikuta to sit in front of him.
“Do you own this place?” Ikuta chose to walk to the aquarium instead, watching the fishes, big and small, colorful and plain, swimming wildly to welcome Matsumoto.
Matsumoto nodded, ordering the waiter to bring them a bottle of whiskey with ice.
Ikuta took a seat. Crossing his hands nervously, he watched Matsumoto, pondering why he was taken here.
Matsumoto leaned back, speaking in a casual voice. “I’ve been thinking since you guys left.”
Ikuta snapped his eyes open, his heart was bursting with hope. Perhaps Matsumoto dragged him down here to tell the story of him and Nino. “And then?”
The waiter came back with the order, and Matsumoto went silent. As soon as the waiter was gone, he swirled his glass, speaking in a low tone, “I overheard you guys saying that Nino visited you after I had kicked him out. What did he want?”
“Well,” Ikuta sat, rubbing his hands together. “If I tell you the reason, by all means, it’s not for free. In return, I want to know why he wanted to see you.”
“It’s probably the same reason why he went to your place.” Matsumoto said coldly.
“Fine,” Ikuta growled. “Then tell me what your relationship with him is.”
Matsumoto scowled. He thought about the demand carefully before replying. “Fine, but tell me what he wanted from you first.”
Ikuta bowed his head, agreeing. He took a sip, letting the effect of the whiskey calmed him down a bit. For some unexplainable reason, he was always nervous when Matsumoto looked at him. Wiping his lip with his hands, Ikuta put his glass down, ready. He started explaining the progress that had been happening in the past week.
“Nino came to us on the night of the storm, asking us to search for the legendary sleeping dragon, as you may already know.” Ikuta took another sip, keeping his eyes firmly set on the man sitting in front of him.
Matsumoto swallowed his drink, his face remaining calm.
Ikuta was about to add that this past month had been the weirdest experience in his life but decided better. He proceeded by telling Matsumoto the most recent progress on the case. “I just know that he actually ordered someone to lead us to Sakamoto, and he also planned to ask that person to guide us to a man named Sakurai.”
Matsumoto widened his eyes; his expression was a mix between shock and something else. Loneliness? Regret? Ikuta tried to catch it, but the reaction was gone as soon as it appeared.
“Do you know him as well? This Sakurai?” Ikuta asked carefully, examining Matsumoto.
Matsumoto didn’t immediately respond; his expression was harsh. He turned his head to the back, fingers scanning the aquarium glass aimlessly. For a moment, the reflection of the water changed his eyes into blue-green, a deep blue-green that suited him more than his ordinary black eyes.
“We have known each other for quite a long time,” he finally whispered.
Ikuta took another sip. His eyes never left Matsumoto, amazed by the longing drawn in the man’s eyes. Matsumoto seemed to have a strong bond with Sakurai. With Nino too.
Matsumoto stood beside the aquarium with a painful expression in his face, haunted by his past. His hands pressed the glass, and the fish came around offering their greetings. Ikuta sat in silence, absorbing the view in front of him. Matsumoto had that effect on people. One of the fish flicked its tail, and Matsumoto recovered from his thoughts, allowing himself a little smile. “It is a story from a long time ago.”
“Did you know the dragon as well?” Ikuta blurted out, putting his glass down.
Matsumoto quickly looked back at him, glowering. His aura changed drastically from melancholic to anger. “What made you think so?”
Ikuta shrugged. “Nino told us that the dragon was a dear friend of his.”
Matsumoto moved swiftly, suddenly grabbing Ikuta’s collar. Ikuta choked. Matsumoto was stronger than he looked.
“He told you that the dragon was a dear friend of his?” Matsumoto’s eyes glistened a dangerous blue, his body shaking with fury. Ikuta could feel something rippling in Matsumoto’s body. He coughed, feeling the pressure of Matsumoto’s aura on him, drowning him and leaving him gasping for air. The fish behind him swam in panic as if they could also sense something. “It’s all lies! Lies! Nino is nothing but a liar!”
Ikuta grabbed Matsumoto’s arm, trying to push him away. “I only repeated what he said! Please, calm yourself down!”
The words seemed to strike Matsumoto. He let go of Ikuta and dropped himself down on the sofa. Ikuta coughed, loosening his button to get more air, trying to catch his breath. He watched Matsumoto grab the whiskey bottle, drinking it in big gulps. Putting the bottle down, Matsumoto wiped his chin harshly. “Damn it, I need something stronger than this to talk about him!”
When he saw that the man had calmed down a bit, Ikuta took back his seat, slowly taking the bottle away from Matsumoto’s hand. The man didn’t refuse and merely bowed his head down. Seeing his grief, Ikuta was sure that Matsumoto was still suffering from his past, tormented and hurt by what Nino had done to him. Whatever it was, Ikuta was certain that it was related to the dragon. “What happened?”
Matsumoto lifted up his head. For a moment, he said nothing, and Ikuta thought he wouldn’t say a word of explanation. However, Matsumoto suddenly shook his head, muttering rapidly as if he had been waiting his whole life to tell the story.
“We were perfect. We were perfect together, and he ruined it all. He betrayed us, sacrificed all of us for his own good. He broke our oath, the most powerful oath ever made, to gain more power for himself, and then, he couldn’t even control it. It was bound to happen when he took something that was not his. When he came to me, I knew the power had overwhelmed him. I knew even he couldn’t manage that much power. I know he was desperate for help.” Matsumoto paused for a while, his voice shaking when he went on. The sorrow in his eyes was almost too painful to watch. “I want to hate him. I told myself that I shouldn’t help him, but I can’t do that. We were together for so long, I can’t hate him. The only way to save him is by finding the sleeping dragon, but no one knows where he is, and if Nino can’t find him, we’re all doomed. ”
Ikuta gulped. Matsumoto bowed his head down, burying his face in his hands. After a moment of silence, Ikuta asked, feeling as startled as he sounded, “Who are we, Matsumoto?”
Matsumoto looked up. His eyes spoke the truth. “All of us. The earth is dying.”
XII
The journey to Okada’s house took longer than Aiba and Yoko expected. Yoko took the chance to tell Okada about everything that had happened: how Nino assigned them with an impossible task, how shocked they were when they heard the legend from Tokio, how Kokubun told them to search for Sakamoto, how different the fairytale from Sakamoto’s family was from the legend, how Matsumoto cast Nino away from his office, how Ikuta overheard Nino’s conversation with Kokubun in the alley, and how they took the decision to continue the investigation.
During the explanation, Okada stayed silent, merely smiling and nodding his head politely to their questions and refusing to answer anything that was related to Sakurai. He told them that they should ask the questions directly to his housemate though Sakurai probably wouldn’t answer them.
Looking through the window, Yoko wondered what kind of person this Sakurai was, silently thinking that he had to be a weird hermit for choosing to live in such a secluded place up on the mountain.
Meanwhile, Aiba was grateful that they had successfully persuaded Okada to take them. The road was steep and narrow, and Okada took many turns , making the way even more complicated to remember. Aiba inhaled a deep breath and opened his ears, listening to the whispering of the trees. It was nice to see them grow healthy here, to see them live without being affected by the malformations. Closing his eyes, Aiba could feel magic vibrating from the trees. The hotness feeling burned his skin, but it did well in giving energy to the trees. Aiba pondered about who had cast the magic, Okada or Sakurai? It seemed that no one else lived this high.
The sun set, and as the sky grew darker, Yoko expressed his worry about getting down from the mountain. Okada gave an understanding nod, telling them that they were welcome to stay the night. Aiba and Yoko quickly expressed their gratitude.
Yoko calculated the situation in secret. If Sakurai didn’t want to answer their questions that night, Yoko made a plan to try again the next day and then the next, prolonging their stay. Okada’s car was the only transportation to return down the mountain, because they had left their car for Ikuta. Yoko sincerely hoped their hosts were not cruel enough to kick them out of the house in the middle of the night.
The stars had already come out when they were arrived at Okada’s place, a small wooden hut surrounded by barns and farming areas. Okada stepped out of the car, picking up his milk cans in the back. Aiba and Yoko helped him, but Okada made a sign that they should go to the back to the house. They thought it was odd, but one word from Okada made them agree to stop assisting him. “Sakurai.”
Mouthing his thank you, Yoko walked slowly to the direction Okada pointed out, Aiba trailing closely behind.
A man was sitting by the side of the house, stretching his hands above a bonfire. The aroma of roasted mushroom was in the air, making their stomachs rumble with hunger. They hadn’t eaten anything since they left the market. Yoko accidentally stepped on a branch, and the man turned his head. He stood up from his wooden bench, narrowing his eyes. “Who are you?”
“They’re with me.” Okada suddenly showed up behind them. “Nino sent them here.”
Yoko widened his eyes in shock, quickly turning the story down. “No, no, we were not sent here by Nino. He wanted us to find you, that’s correct, but we are here by our own decision.”
Sakurai’s brows furrowed. He was a little taller than Okada. “It makes no different to me. Why did you bring them here?”
Okada shrugged carelessly. He sat near the bonfire. “Because I thought perhaps you wanted to talk to them. You talked to Nino before.”
Sakurai sighed. “Jun, that was years ago.”
“They need to stay the night. It’s already dark,” Okada reminded him.
“Fine,” Sakurai pouted, sitting back on the bench. “Sit down, we’ll talk.”
Okada scooted over, giving Aiba and Yoko a space, and they hurriedly sat before Sakurai changed his mind. Sakurai offered the mushrooms and a glass of milk to each of them. Yoko and Aiba hurriedly inserted the food into their mouth, too hungry to even think about their case. The case could wait until their stomachs were stuffed with warm food.
Sakurai and Okada silently ate beside them. Okada munched his food quietly, eyes wandering to the stars above them, but Sakurai’s eyes never left them, scanning them suspiciously from head to toe, eagerly waiting for them to finish the food.
“So,” Sakurai started the questioning as soon as Aiba drank the last drop of his milk, “what did Nino say to you?”
“Aiba and I work in an investigator office,” Yoko began, staring back at him. Their stomachs were full; it was time to talk about what brought them there. “One day, he came to our workplace, asking us to search for the dragon.”
“Still?” Sakurai chuckled.
Still? Aiba elbowed Yoko. Yoko nodded, understanding what Aiba meant. Did Nino actually try searching for the dragon before, and they were not his first victims? Did he assign Matsumoto and Sakurai with the same task a long time ago? Was it the reason why Matsumoto was so angry with Nino?
Aiba noticed that the smile didn’t really reach Sakurai’s eyes. If there was anything in his eyes, it was regret.
“Tell me, what have you found out so far?” Sakurai poked the wood with a stick, observing the bonfire.
“We were informed that there were a few versions about the legend, but in all versions, it is said that the dragon’s awakening is related to the earth’s apocalypse, whether he will save us or destroy us,” said Aiba.
Sakurai shook his head. His expression was grim. “Regardless of any version you want to believe, the dragon is not supposed to wake up now. Nino knows that best.”
“Then, why does he want to wake him up?”
Sakurai looked up from the fire, challenging them. “He never says anything about waking up the dragon, does he?”
“Well…” Aiba was lost of words. True, their client never said anything about waking up the dragon, but after gathering the information about the dragon, it only seemed natural for them to think that Nino wanted to wake him up. Otherwise, why would he even bother to search for him? No, no, on second thought, Ikuta told them that Nino already knew where the dragon slept. It was the reason why they went to Sakurai in the first place: to understand Nino’s purpose.
“We overheard him saying that he already knows where the dragon is, but he needs someone to open the place for him.” Aiba raised his head, facing Sakurai once again. “That’s why we came here. That’s what we wanted to ask you. What exactly is Nino trying to do? There must be a reason why he wanted us to find you.”
Sakurai look baffled to hear the information. His expression changed, from annoyed to astonishment. His eyes darted to his housemate’s face, speaking with a careful tone. “That’s unexpected. There is no one who can open the place now; Nino makes sure of that.”
“There must be a reason why he would suddenly do all of this,” Okada stated his opinion quietly.
There was a pause. Aiba and Yoko exchanged glances again, following Sakurai’s movement. Sakurai rubbed his lips, thoughtful. “What do you think?”
“If you and Matsumoto can’t understand what was going on in his mind, how can I?” Okada responded calmly.
“Wait,” Yoko stepped into the conversation, unable to contain his curiosity anymore. “You know Matsumoto too? Why didn’t you tell us about this?” He glared accusingly to Okada.
“It was not my part to explain.”
“But we have already met Matsumoto! Nino went to our place right after he had an argument with Matsumoto!”
Sakurai and Okada exchanged glances.
“I knew you’d be interested to hear their story.” Okada shrugged.
Sakurai stood up, eyes glistening red dangerously. “Don’t lie,” he warned them.
Yoko took a step back, surprised. When he looked again, Sakurai’s eyes had changed back to their previous color, brown. Yoko shook his head; he couldn’t help noticing how the trait was pretty similar to Nino’s, whose eyes often shimmered golden. “It’s not a lie. Sakamoto, one of Matsumoto’s employees told us about it, and Matsumoto didn’t deny it either. It happened several nights ago, when the storm happened.”
Hearing those words, Sakurai’s expression turned wary. “Swear to me on your first name.”
Yoko looked baffled. “I swear! We didn’t lie! That’s what’s truly happened! Why do I have to swear with my first name?”
Sakurai was bewildered. He took a few steps back, putting his hand on his mouth, looking even more troubled. He turned to the fire and kneeled in front of it, surrounding it with his hands. Sakurai closed his eyes and fire grew taller, blazing furiously into the sky, threatening them all with the crackling sounds. Sakurai took his time with the fire as the trees around them shook violently. Aiba could sense how worried they were. What creature was Sakurai?
Meanwhile, Okada still showed no reaction. He sipped his milk carefully from the bench, watching them all with careful eyes. Yoko almost envied his calmness.
After what seemed to be forever, Sakurai opened his eyes. The fire grew smaller again, and the trees finally stopped shaking. He spoke without turning his head from the fire, his tone serious. “Nino never saw Matsumoto after what had happened between us. Matsumoto swore that he would kill him if Nino ever showed his face before him again.”
Okada shook his head. “He can’t. You can’t kill each other.”
“And so we thought.” Sakurai smiled bitterly. “Yet Nino proved that wrong.”
Yoko came towards Sakurai, asking aggressively, “Did Nino kill someone? You said that he made sure no one can open the place where the dragon slept, and then you said he killed someone. Does it mean he killed the person who was supposed to open the place? Tell us, what is actually going on here? What happened between you?”
Sakurai rose up, allowing himself a little solemn smile. He put his hands on Yoko’s shoulders, holding him in his place. Aiba could almost see his mixed feelings. Half of Sakurai seemed to want to tell them the truth, while the other half wanted to keep the secret to his grave. When he opened his mouth, he stared right into Yoko’s eyes.
“This is not something that you should be concerned about. The fate that intertwines us -Matsumoto, Nino, and myself - is not a story that can be told in a night. It’s not a legend, it’s not a fairytale, it truly happened, and it certainly doesn’t end happily. Those of us who are involved wish to run away from it, as there is only misfortune that awaits us. Go home, and let me handle Nino. I don’t want to involve commoners in this situation for it’s a past beyond your level of understanding.”
Yoko was in a state of shock. This was not the kind of answer he had been expecting. Sure, he knew that the legend of the sleeping dragon was ‘beyond their level of understanding’, but somehow, he didn’t like the way Sakurai said it. There was kindness in Sakurai’s eyes, but his tone was firm. Sakurai was not used to being opposed, and he certainly wouldn’t like his advice to be refused. Yoko looked up at Aiba, pleading for help. After all, Aiba was the one who insisted that they should continue the investigation.
Aiba pushed Sakurai from Yoko, taking his friend back. “You may not want to involve us, but Nino already did! He involved us in whatever fate you shared together the night he came to ask for our help. He involved us more by leading us to Matsumoto and you! We have the right to know what happens. Please,” Aiba grabbed Sakurai’s hands, “you can’t just leave us clueless like this.”
It was Sakurai’s turn to look perplexed.
“They are right,” Okada pointed out quietly. “Nino knows he was not supposed to involve ordinary people in your fate. There must be a reason behind his actions.”
Sakurai sighed heavily. “Sometimes I think Nino doesn’t need a reason to act outside of the rules.”
“Still, you don’t think he did what Matsumoto accused him of doing”
“We have been together for such a long time that I want to believe him.” Sakurai turned his back, waving a hand at the fire. It died, leaving the burnt smell behind. “However, there are times when I believe Matsumoto was right, and I think too highly of Nino.”
Okada nodded. “Perhaps this is the time to find out the truth.”
Sakurai considered Okada’s advice carefully. He suddenly turned his back, walking to the house. “Let me think about it first. Take care of our guests for me.”
Aiba was about to call out to him, but Okada patted their back, leading them to the house. “Come. The problem has been going on for too many years; postponing it for a night won’t affect anything. You need to rest now.”
XIII
Okada gave them his bedroom, telling them that he would sleep in Sakurai’s room for the night. He passed them some clean pajamas and folded blankets and wished them goodnight, smiling calmly the entire time.
As soon as he left, Yoko sat on the chair. There was only one bed as Yoko didn’t need one. He took his lamp out of the bag harshly, not even bothering to take off his clothes. “Turn off the candle, will you?”
Aiba didn’t move. He stood by the window, staring blankly at the blankets. Absent-mindedly, he asked, “Yoko, do you think we really should stop investigating this case? Our client tricked us, so we don’t have to solve the case, right?”
“It’s too late now!” Yoko suddenly sat up. His lamp fell to the floor, clanking loudly. “I told you that we should’ve stopped before, but you didn’t want to listen! Now we’re stuck here, treated like kids by a stranger!”
Aiba was startled to see his friend’s unexpected reaction. “Yoko…”
Yoko went on as if he had been waiting a long time to vent his frustration. “I told you that we should’ve backed out when we had the chance! You are the one who refused to give up!”
“Yoko…” Aiba widened his eyes. “I thought you agreed to do this. I thought we made the decision together.”
“Do I have a choice? It’s two against one!”
“B-but you agreed with what Ikuta said. I remember that all of us had the same opinion. We want to know what we are actually being used for.”
Yoko groaned hoarsely. He picked up his lamp, cleaning it out nervously. “I-I just…I don’t know. Can we not talk about this now? I’m tired, and I want to sleep. Please, Aiba, let’s talk about this again tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
“Good.” Yoko turned his back to Aiba, changing into his real form and entered his lamp, closing its cap. “Night.”
“Night,” Aiba mumbled, changing his clothes into the pajamas Okada brought them. It was a little bit too short for him, but Aiba didn’t really pay attention as his mind was preoccupied with the words his friend had just said. Aiba took a deep sigh. He was such a bad friend. How could he not realize how Yoko had been feeling all along? Aiba scolded himself. He grabbed Yoko’s lamp, putting it on the bedside table beside the candle. He thought for a while, blowing the candle out before whispering, “I’m sorry.”
XIV
In the next city over, Ikuta was sleeping uneasily in his bed.
He was in the forest, sitting on a rock. The lights shimmered golden. There was someone with him. He felt his mouth move on its own, murmuring some words. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” that someone nodded his head firmly, “please.”
The scene changed, and he saw a short man smiling gently at him. There were tears in the corner of his eyes. “Take care of him for me, will you? Take care of everyone for me.”
The world shook violently, and the trees around him started to fall. The earth opened, and water started to surround his legs, trapping him, lifting him up and swirling him around, twisting his body. He opened his ears and heard a low growl, frustrated and mad. He closed his eyes; golden colors were playing in his eyelids.
He was in a field, and there were others beside him, running with him. A chuckle, a shout, someone clapping, someone hugged him from behind, wind sweeping through him, and he threw his head back, laughing.
There was a fire. Blazing, burning, drying the water from him. There was someone calling out to him, calling him to consciousness. There were tears in his face, but they were not his own.
The sky is crying, he thought as he looked above.
The earth is dying, he thought as he looked below.
There was a flash of wings, a sphere shone brightly, and playing cards were thrown into the air. The sphere changed into a dragon, curling his body in a cave, sleeping soundlessly.
He was sitting in a corner, surrounded by several people who were drunk. Someone smiled at him, “Do you want to join the game?”
He was walking down the street, taking a glance at a stranger. Inocchi.
There was someone laughing in his ears. “We will be together forever, won’t we?”
There were colors. Red, blue, green, golden, swirling and twisting in his head.
He looked below, and the ground started shaking again. The short man was standing in the distance, shaking his head in disappointment. “You’ve failed me.”
He ran towards the man, but the earth was falling apart, and he lost his grip, falling into the darkness, screaming. Nino’s voice echoed in his ears. “You are one of mine.”
Ikuta opened his eyes, coming around from the nightmare.
XV
Aiba woke up with eyes wide open, his fingers unconsciously clutching the sheets. He panted heavily, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He knew he just had a nightmare, but he couldn’t remember what it was about. There was Nino, throwing cards into thin air. There was Inocchi, congratulating him for joining his office. There were trees, bowing down to him, whispering their secrets. There were colors. Green and brown and orange spinning inside his head. Yellow and blue and red clashed into each other. There was white, there was fog, there was a dragon sleeping.
Aiba crossed his hands. Just like all dreams, the longer he was awake and the more he thought about it, the hazier the dream became.
He looked at the bedside table, listening to the snores coming from the lamp. Curious, he opened the cap and took a peek inside. Yoko was still sleeping peacefully, curled at the bottom. Aiba smiled. Yoko had to be exhausted. He didn’t like having people watching him sleep when he felt the most vulnerable, but he once said that Aiba was an exception. Yoko was such a good friend, Aiba thought as he gripped his shirt, feeling another tingle of guilt for dragging Yoko along.
He stood up to search for the door. Trying to sleep again when he felt like this was useless.
The door creaked, and Aiba jumped a little, but Yoko continued snoring. Aiba sighed. He slipped out of the room and started walking towards the front door, trying to be as quiet as he could manage.
When he was finally standing below the moon, Aiba took a deep breath. Being outdoors and listening to the sound of the trees calmed him down a bit, as it always did. A smile was plastered on his face as he walked towards the woods, ready to greet the trees. However, he stopped when he heard sounds of people talking from the back of the house. It had to be his hosts as there was no one else around the area.
For a moment, Aiba was tormented between eavesdropping on their conversation or heading to the trees as he originally planned; then he thought of Yoko and decided to change the direction. Yoko was right. It was time for them to say enough with the secret. They had the right to get at least a glimpse of truth.
It was their hosts indeed, busy talking near the leftover bonfire. He hid in the corner, listening carefully to what Okada and Sakurai were saying, his heart beating faster.
“…But it doesn’t make any sense!” Sakurai shouted furiously. He was walking in a circle, looking genuinely confused. “He was gone! No one can open the place anymore!”
Okada bit his lip. “Have you ever thought that Nino didn’t kill him?”
Sakurai turned his face to Okada. “I want to think so, but we couldn’t sense him anymore. One moment, we could still feel the flicker of his life, and the next second, he was gone. Time passed, and I have never sensed him again. What else could it mean? Even after such a long time I could still hear how the earth roared, could still feel how the ground was shaking furiously. When we arrived, we only found Nino kneeling on the ground, covering his bleeding eye socket. Something obviously happened there, and Nino refused to explain it.” Sakurai shuddered. “’He was gone. I made him gone’ was all he said. You were not there to see the way Nino smirked. He laughed as if he had lost his sanity. The day when we decided to go our separate ways was the worst day of my long life. We never had a fight before. I always thought we would be together forever.”
Aiba absorbed it all in a silence. Whatever the past was, as Sakurai had mentioned before, everyone who was involved still suffered from it. Aiba shuddered. What had he dragged himself into? What had he dragged his friends into?
Okada stood up, putting his arm on Sakurai’s shoulder. “You know this condition could not go on any longer. Two can’t replace four. The earth is dying.”
Sakurai sighed, setting his mouth into a grim line. “I know, but what can I do? On one side, Jun would never forgive Nino. On the other side, Nino refused to tell me what had happened. I made a decision not to choose anyone’s side, and it is that balance that has been keeping us alive all along. I can’t risk throwing the balance off.”
“If you don’t choose now, the earth will die. If you choose, there’s a possibility that the earth can be saved. The Nino you told me about always has a plan in mind.”
Sakurai turned his head. His face was still and hard. “What if I choose the wrong side? I’m not sure I can take that burden.”
“If Nino wants to destroy the earth, he’s been able to do that easily since a long time ago. He told them that he needs someone to open the place to the dragon, and you and I both know that there is only one person who is able to open it. You think he has died, yet Nino still hopes that he can reach out for the dragon.” Okada chose his words carefully. “Judging from his actions, I believe that he actually still lives.”
“There’s also a possibility that Nino has gone mad, just like Jun had always said. Each of us was assigned with one task and one task only. Doing two at once must have driven him insane.”
“It is possible, yes, but everything that you have told me was built on assumptions. You could be wrong.”
“Nino is the only one who knows the truth.”
“Then it’s time to ask him about what actually happened.”
Sakurai raised his voice slightly. “Do you think I never tried? No matter how many times I asked him, he wouldn’t explain it to me.”
Okada shrugged. “I think it will be different this time. He never wanted to open the forbidden place before.”
Sakurai groaned, burying his face in his hands.
Okada went on, laying a soft hand on Sakurai’s hand. “Remember what the old proverb says: All things will be all right in the end. If it’s not, then it’s not the end.”
Sakurai’s voice was beginning to sound hopeful. “Do you think I should try asking him again?”
“You can’t run away from this problem forever.”
Sakurai let out a chuckle. “I’ve been running away so long, so long that I forget I’m still running away.” His hand reached for Okada, touching his cheek gently. “Will you help me do this?”
“Yes.” Okada smiled. He spread out his arms to hug Sakurai tightly. “Do this for the earth you love so much. Do this for me. Do this so we can live longer together.”
Sakurai returned the hug, grabbing Okada even tighter. “I won’t be able to survive without you. Thank you. For everything.”
“No. Thank you for accompanying me to be a farmer.”
Sakurai let go of his arms, laughing. “This is not as bad as I imagine, but the sheep stink.”
Okada laughed as well. “You were speechless when I first told you that I want to own a farm.”
“Did I? It happened such a long time ago.” Sakurai turned his body around, preparing to go back to the house. Aiba quickly tried to hide himself, but it was too late; Sakurai and Okada had already caught up to him. They stopped dead.
Aiba stepped forward, offering them a nervous smile to hide his embarrassment. “I don’t mean to eavesdrop…I just want to go the forest and accidentally heard you speaking, so…”
“I’ve made a decision,” Sakurai cut him off. “We’ll go with you downtown tomorrow.”
“Eh?”
“Nino is there. There’s something I need to ask him.”
XVI
It was a cloudy afternoon when Ikuta suddenly bumped into Matsumoto in the street. The sky was grey, and the sun hadn’t been out seen since the morning. It was a good thing to have rain, but the weather looked unusual in Ikuta’s eyes. The sky looked like it was waiting for something to spill its water out, Ikuta thought bitterly. If it truly rained, he got a feeling that they would get another storm just like the one they had a few days ago, that very day when they first met Nino.
Ikuta paused to think about the dream he had the night before. Something told him that the dream was related to what Nino had done to him. After all, in the dream, he heard Nino’s voice once again, claiming that he was his. Ikuta shook his head and kept on walking.
He was about to get inside his car when he heard someone call his name from across the street. He turned around and saw Matsumoto walking towards him in surprisingly simply everyday clothes. As he stood up before Ikuta, Matsumoto stopped. He smiled nervously, but his eyes were looking down to his feet. “I’m sorry about yesterday.”
Ikuta licked his lips. “It’s okay.”
Matsumoto had kindly dropped him off at his apartment yesterday after he refused to talk more about Nino. Both of them were silent on the drive, too absorbed in their own thoughts. Matsumoto had been lost in his past, while Ikuta couldn’t stop wondering about the oath that Nino had broken. The act that started a cold war between him and Matsumoto, leading them all to the ending of the earth. What kind of mistake was so grievous that it could not be undone?
Ikuta returned his attention back to the present. He took a glance at the man in front of him. Matsumoto was looking at the sky above; his mouth was shaped into a grim line. He looked more tired than yesterday. Ikuta tilted his head, observing Matsumoto’s darker eye bags and messy hair, suddenly feeling lucky because at least he could sleep for a few hours despite the nightmare. Matsumoto looked like he had spent his night drinking all the alcohol in his house.
“There was a coffee shop I often go to not far from here.” Ikuta took the liberty to invite Matsumoto, seeing how the man hadn’t moved his feet after saying his sorry. “Do you want to come?”
Matsumoto wiped his face. “Okay.”
Ikuta led them down the street, unconsciously looking at Matsumoto with the corner of his eyes, making sure that he followed him. Ikuta opened his hands and felt a few drops of water. He observed the clouds. Finally, the rain started.
They arrived in front of the coffee shop, and Ikuta opened the door, greeting Morita and Miyake as he took a seat in the bar. It felt nice coming back to a place he knew so well as if none of the case had ever happened.
“Oi!” Miyake greeted him. Morita merely diverted his attention from his dishes for a moment to acknowledge Ikuta’s arrival.
Matsumoto took a seat next to him. His expression turned even gloomier.
“Guys, this is a friend of mine, Matsumoto. Matsumoto, this is Morita and Miyake, the owners of this shop.”
Matsumoto shook their hands. “I think I need your strongest coffee.”
Miyake nodded. His eyes found Ikuta’s, and Ikuta shook his head a little, trying not to be seen by Matsumoto. Don’t ask, long story.
Miyake smiled understandingly. “Coming, sir.”
Morita raised his head up, looking at the street. “It’s raining.”
Miyake grabbed a handful of coffee beans, replying absent-mindedly as he started to measure the beans. “About time, isn’t it?”
Ikuta turned his head, paying attention to the window as well. The rain was getting heavier. Water plummeted from the sky without giving time for people outside to prepare themselves. Seeing how it hit the window, Ikuta remembered his dream. He couldn’t help but commenting, “The sky is crying.”
Miyake let out a small chuckle at those words. “Why do you think the sky is crying?”
“Because the earth is dying,” Ikuta answered heavily.
“No,” Matsumoto shook his head. Ikuta gulped when he saw there were tears in Matsumoto’s eyes. “The earth has already died. We merely borrow the time to prolong our stay, but the due date is coming soon.”
The three men were left speechless. Ikuta wanted to reject the idea, but he decided otherwise as he saw Matsumoto’s eyes. There was some undeniable persistence in them. Loneliness, anger, regret, sadness, all mixed into one. His eyes changed back into blue, and with every tear that dropped, the sky outside let droplets of water fall in rhythm. Ikuta unconsciously spread his arms out to reach Matsumoto. Even when he was crying and looked troubled, Matsumoto still looked beautiful.
Before he was able to touch the man in front of him, the door suddenly banged open with a loud crash, and a man hurriedly entered the shop, soaked from head to toe. He took his hat off and squeezed it, watering the doormat.
“Oi, don’t wet it! Squeeze your hat somewhere else!” Miyake yelled his protests.
“Sorry, sorry!” The man bowed down, rubbing his head. He lifted his head up, and all of a sudden, he shrieked, “Ikuta!”
Before Ikuta could react, the man who called out to him suddenly flung his arms around him, knocking Matsumoto on his way towards him. With the corner of his eyes, Ikuta saw how Matsumoto quickly turned his head, trying to hide his tears. However, the man who hugged him didn’t seem to notice it.
Ikuta pushed the man back to see his face better, making sure that he identified the right person. “Inocchi?”
Ikuta was right; it was his boss who had been missing for a couple of weeks. Inocchi grinned widely, looking genuinely happy to see him. He pulled back, his pointed ears twitching a little. “There you are! I went to the office, but there’s no one there! I miss you all. Why didn’t you greet your boss when he’s back home?” Inocchi pretended to look hurt for a second, but soon he was all smiles again. He took the chair beside Ikuta’s. “Miyake, the usual, please!”
Morita shook his head, stopping his movement with the dishes. A smile escaped his lips. “Where have you been? We haven’t seen you in the longest time!”
“Do you miss me? Do you miss me?” Inocchi’s grin was getting wider. Dropping his wet coat down carelessly onto the floor, he shook Morita and Miyake’s hand firmly before he swung his head to face his sub-ordinate again. “Ikuta, where are Yoko and Aiba? I need to show them something.”
“Long story! More importantly, where have you been? So many things have happened since you left!”
“Oh, it is related to a case?” Inocchi raised up the coffee that Miyake put on his table, inhaling the aroma deeply. He gave Miyake two thumbs up. “Yours is still the most magical coffee in the realm!”
Miyake grinned sheepishly, giving back a thumbs up. “Of course it is!” He tilted his head to one side, pointing out a big golden tube that was slung on Inocchi’s back. “What is that on your back, Inocchi?”
“Oh,” Inocchi looked to his back, grabbing the tube and laying it down in front of him. He opened the lid with huge excitement, pulling out a big papyrus scroll from it while grinning like a kid who just got a birthday present. “It’s my certificate! This is what I wanted to show you!”
“Certificate? Certificate for what? Why do you need a certificate?”
Inocchi spread the scroll on the bar table, and the rest of them - save for Matsumoto - leaned their bodies forward in order to read it better. The certificate was written in curly script that was hard to understand. Ikuta tilted his head, reading it aloud with much difficulty. “In-ves-ti-ga-tor Cer-ti-fi-ca-te.”
“Investigator certificate?” Morita and Miyake echoed together, lifting their eyes up to demand an explanation.
Inocchi didn’t seem to notice all the confusion that reflected in his friends and subordinate’s eyes. He patted Ikuta’s back cheerfully, and another hand reached for Miyake’s shoulder. “Yes, I am now officially an investigator after finishing school! Our office can get a license now! Isn’t that great?”
Ikuta looked at his boss with amazed expression. “Do you mean that all this time our office hasn’t been official?” Though it was rather hard to believe, it explained why their office didn’t have a nameplate. It would also explain why Inocchi often went missing; it turned out that he went to school in secret. It had to be difficult, juggling school and work at the same time. Ikuta was impressed that Inocchi kept his hardships from them.
Inocchi coughed. “We don’t have to mention the past. The most important thing is now I have finally graduated from the school and become an official investigator!”
Morita shook his head while Miyake laughed out loud hearing Inocchi’s proud confession. “Well, congratulations, I guess.”
“Congratulations.” Ikuta gave him his most genuine smile. “Why didn’t you tell us about the school before? We could have supported you better if we knew!”
“Well,” Inocchi rubbed his head, grinning sheepishly, “it doesn’t matter really. You need to take care of the office.” While he spoke, Ikuta noticed how his attention was slowly but surely sidetracked. He took a peek behind Ikuta’s back, taking a sudden interest to Matsumoto. “And who’s your friend here? Why don’t you introduce us…Woah!” Inocchi suddenly let out a loud shout.
Ikuta was pushed back as his boss moved forward to take a closer look at Matsumoto, who hastily wiped his tears, turning his gaze away to the window. The rain had tapered off to a light drizzle.
Inocchi touched Matsumoto’s arm, his eyes never left Matsumoto’s face. “I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you are.”
Morita snickered, Ikuta choked, and Miyake quickly pulled Inocchi’s shirt. “That’s seriously the worst pick-up line I’ve ever heard.”
“I don’t mean it that way!” Inocchi defended. His ears turned red. “But, Ikuta’s friend here is glowing! He’s so precious. I don’t lie! I mean, you are precious too, Ikuta, of course, but your friend here is different.”
So Ikuta was not the only one who thought Matsumoto was beautiful. His boss also thought the same way. Ikuta coughed, not knowing how he was supposed to feel about it.
Matsumoto was smiling politely at Inocchi’s praises. He raised one of his eyebrows at Ikuta, and Ikuta answered the unspoken question. “Matsumoto, this is my boss, Inocchi. He’s the one who owns our investigative office.”
Inocchi grabbed Matsumoto’s hands without being offered, shaking them excitedly. “And you are…?”
“I own the aquarium in the next town over.”
“Oh!” Inocchi widened his eyes. “Sakamoto’s new boss? How’s Sakamoto doing?”
“Wait,” Ikuta grabbed Inocchi’s shoulder, “you know Sakamoto too?”
“There’s no magical creature around here that I don’t know!” Inocchi smiled proudly. “Then no wonder you are so glowing! So, tell me, how do you know each other?”
“Matsumoto is related to our case,” Ikuta answered halfheartedly. For some reason, he didn’t want to define Matsumoto as someone whom he met because of an investigation.
“Oh, what case?”
“Well…”
Matsumoto suddenly cut him off in a dignified voice. “Nino came to see me again this morning.”
Numbly surprised, Ikuta blurted out. “What did he want?”
“Nothing.” Matsumoto clenched his teeth. His hands gripped his pants nervously. “He just sat outside my window, reminiscing something. When I spotted him, I asked him to go, but he merely smiled. He threw his cards at me, saying that it is going to be over soon.”
“What’s going to be over soon?”
“What else?” Matsumoto shrugged, sounding distressed. “I only came here to tell you this. I need to go now.”
With those last words, Matsumoto laid down some money on the bar table and walked towards the door. Miyake rushed to offer him an umbrella, but Matsumoto refused it. He opened the door and looked above; his eyes were closed as if welcoming the water to soak his body. On second thought, of course Matsumoto would gladly let the water touch him. It must feel like coming home, Ikuta wondered. Matsumoto turned, bowing his head politely before heading out into the storm.
Watching his lonely back, Ikuta felt an unexplainable feeling of pity.
Inocchi approached him, expressing his concern. “What happened?”
Ikuta sighed. There were so many things he needed to explain to Inocchi. He was about to close the door when he suddenly heard another familiar voice calling him. Ikuta turned his head and spotted Aiba and Yoko, both trembling under the drizzle. A stranger was seen behind them.
On to Part 4
Back to Part 2
XI
“You know that I can see you, right?”
Ikuta looked up. Matsumoto was standing above him beside the bushes. A hint of annoyance was clearly heard in his voice. Looking at Ikuta’s bewildered expression, he tsked. Matsumoto put his hands on his hips, eyebrows furrowed. “For a detective, you’re not that good at hiding.”
Ikuta took a deep breath, beaten. Standing up, he quickly apologized, only feeling sorry that he was caught instead of stalking him. He had been trailing Matsumoto for two days, following him in his activities, and yet, he was captured red-handedly before long. Ikuta wondered what he should report to his co-workers when they came back. Well, he was a writer, not a spy!
So far, he hadn’t seen Nino anywhere near Matsumoto, and neither did Matsumoto make an effort to contact him. Ikuta had begun to wonder if he was wasting his time and whether they were wrong, but truthfully, watching Matsumoto was quite a fascinating activity.
The man was busy, Ikuta was sure of that. His schedule was packed with activities, right from the time the sun was rising until way past midnight. Ikuta didn’t know how Matsumoto could keep up with everything. Every evening after Matsumoto went inside his bedroom, Ikuta went home by practically dragging his feet, gathering all the strength he had left to collapse in his own bed, not in the car. He wouldn’t be able to wake up if not for Maru and Yasu screaming in his ears every morning.
To Ikuta’s relief, Matsumoto did not look as murderous as Ikuta thought he would be. In fact, he looked rather amused by the whole situation, and well, Ikuta couldn’t blame him. Aiba had insisted that Ikuta wear his safari outfits, stocking him with a telescope and a helmet covered with leaves. Yoko had personally painted his face with charcoal, ignoring Ikuta’s yells of protest. They told him that Matsumoto could probably spot his glow from afar, and the best way to cover it up was by doodling his skin with dark charcoal. Ikuta didn’t believe them, but he didn’t want to take a risk. At least he was dressed for battle.
As they were facing each other, Ikuta’s eyes scanned Matsumoto’s glamorous look, noting that they couldn’t be anymore different. Like before, the sea monster was wearing flamboyant clothing. This time, Ikuta had to narrow his eyes for it was an electric blue jersey with big flower prints, drawn all the way from his chest to back. Blinking, Ikuta suddenly felt grateful for his own outfit. At least it was not that flashy.
Matsumoto coughed, and Ikuta snapped back, trying hard not to look too ashamed. Focusing his eyes back on Matsumoto’s face, Ikuta was surprised to see the man raising his eyebrow, a small smile playing in his lips. “Did they force you to wear this?”
Ikuta grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
Matsumoto shook his head in pity. “Come on! Let’s have a drink.” Matsumoto jerked his head at the building on the corner of the street. “There’s a bar in the basement.”
He turned his back and began walking quickly, leading Ikuta down the stairs to a small pub with a big aquarium in the background and lightened by green lights that also served as the only source of light in the room.
Matsumoto took a seat on a long couch, gesturing Ikuta to sit in front of him.
“Do you own this place?” Ikuta chose to walk to the aquarium instead, watching the fishes, big and small, colorful and plain, swimming wildly to welcome Matsumoto.
Matsumoto nodded, ordering the waiter to bring them a bottle of whiskey with ice.
Ikuta took a seat. Crossing his hands nervously, he watched Matsumoto, pondering why he was taken here.
Matsumoto leaned back, speaking in a casual voice. “I’ve been thinking since you guys left.”
Ikuta snapped his eyes open, his heart was bursting with hope. Perhaps Matsumoto dragged him down here to tell the story of him and Nino. “And then?”
The waiter came back with the order, and Matsumoto went silent. As soon as the waiter was gone, he swirled his glass, speaking in a low tone, “I overheard you guys saying that Nino visited you after I had kicked him out. What did he want?”
“Well,” Ikuta sat, rubbing his hands together. “If I tell you the reason, by all means, it’s not for free. In return, I want to know why he wanted to see you.”
“It’s probably the same reason why he went to your place.” Matsumoto said coldly.
“Fine,” Ikuta growled. “Then tell me what your relationship with him is.”
Matsumoto scowled. He thought about the demand carefully before replying. “Fine, but tell me what he wanted from you first.”
Ikuta bowed his head, agreeing. He took a sip, letting the effect of the whiskey calmed him down a bit. For some unexplainable reason, he was always nervous when Matsumoto looked at him. Wiping his lip with his hands, Ikuta put his glass down, ready. He started explaining the progress that had been happening in the past week.
“Nino came to us on the night of the storm, asking us to search for the legendary sleeping dragon, as you may already know.” Ikuta took another sip, keeping his eyes firmly set on the man sitting in front of him.
Matsumoto swallowed his drink, his face remaining calm.
Ikuta was about to add that this past month had been the weirdest experience in his life but decided better. He proceeded by telling Matsumoto the most recent progress on the case. “I just know that he actually ordered someone to lead us to Sakamoto, and he also planned to ask that person to guide us to a man named Sakurai.”
Matsumoto widened his eyes; his expression was a mix between shock and something else. Loneliness? Regret? Ikuta tried to catch it, but the reaction was gone as soon as it appeared.
“Do you know him as well? This Sakurai?” Ikuta asked carefully, examining Matsumoto.
Matsumoto didn’t immediately respond; his expression was harsh. He turned his head to the back, fingers scanning the aquarium glass aimlessly. For a moment, the reflection of the water changed his eyes into blue-green, a deep blue-green that suited him more than his ordinary black eyes.
“We have known each other for quite a long time,” he finally whispered.
Ikuta took another sip. His eyes never left Matsumoto, amazed by the longing drawn in the man’s eyes. Matsumoto seemed to have a strong bond with Sakurai. With Nino too.
Matsumoto stood beside the aquarium with a painful expression in his face, haunted by his past. His hands pressed the glass, and the fish came around offering their greetings. Ikuta sat in silence, absorbing the view in front of him. Matsumoto had that effect on people. One of the fish flicked its tail, and Matsumoto recovered from his thoughts, allowing himself a little smile. “It is a story from a long time ago.”
“Did you know the dragon as well?” Ikuta blurted out, putting his glass down.
Matsumoto quickly looked back at him, glowering. His aura changed drastically from melancholic to anger. “What made you think so?”
Ikuta shrugged. “Nino told us that the dragon was a dear friend of his.”
Matsumoto moved swiftly, suddenly grabbing Ikuta’s collar. Ikuta choked. Matsumoto was stronger than he looked.
“He told you that the dragon was a dear friend of his?” Matsumoto’s eyes glistened a dangerous blue, his body shaking with fury. Ikuta could feel something rippling in Matsumoto’s body. He coughed, feeling the pressure of Matsumoto’s aura on him, drowning him and leaving him gasping for air. The fish behind him swam in panic as if they could also sense something. “It’s all lies! Lies! Nino is nothing but a liar!”
Ikuta grabbed Matsumoto’s arm, trying to push him away. “I only repeated what he said! Please, calm yourself down!”
The words seemed to strike Matsumoto. He let go of Ikuta and dropped himself down on the sofa. Ikuta coughed, loosening his button to get more air, trying to catch his breath. He watched Matsumoto grab the whiskey bottle, drinking it in big gulps. Putting the bottle down, Matsumoto wiped his chin harshly. “Damn it, I need something stronger than this to talk about him!”
When he saw that the man had calmed down a bit, Ikuta took back his seat, slowly taking the bottle away from Matsumoto’s hand. The man didn’t refuse and merely bowed his head down. Seeing his grief, Ikuta was sure that Matsumoto was still suffering from his past, tormented and hurt by what Nino had done to him. Whatever it was, Ikuta was certain that it was related to the dragon. “What happened?”
Matsumoto lifted up his head. For a moment, he said nothing, and Ikuta thought he wouldn’t say a word of explanation. However, Matsumoto suddenly shook his head, muttering rapidly as if he had been waiting his whole life to tell the story.
“We were perfect. We were perfect together, and he ruined it all. He betrayed us, sacrificed all of us for his own good. He broke our oath, the most powerful oath ever made, to gain more power for himself, and then, he couldn’t even control it. It was bound to happen when he took something that was not his. When he came to me, I knew the power had overwhelmed him. I knew even he couldn’t manage that much power. I know he was desperate for help.” Matsumoto paused for a while, his voice shaking when he went on. The sorrow in his eyes was almost too painful to watch. “I want to hate him. I told myself that I shouldn’t help him, but I can’t do that. We were together for so long, I can’t hate him. The only way to save him is by finding the sleeping dragon, but no one knows where he is, and if Nino can’t find him, we’re all doomed. ”
Ikuta gulped. Matsumoto bowed his head down, burying his face in his hands. After a moment of silence, Ikuta asked, feeling as startled as he sounded, “Who are we, Matsumoto?”
Matsumoto looked up. His eyes spoke the truth. “All of us. The earth is dying.”
XII
The journey to Okada’s house took longer than Aiba and Yoko expected. Yoko took the chance to tell Okada about everything that had happened: how Nino assigned them with an impossible task, how shocked they were when they heard the legend from Tokio, how Kokubun told them to search for Sakamoto, how different the fairytale from Sakamoto’s family was from the legend, how Matsumoto cast Nino away from his office, how Ikuta overheard Nino’s conversation with Kokubun in the alley, and how they took the decision to continue the investigation.
During the explanation, Okada stayed silent, merely smiling and nodding his head politely to their questions and refusing to answer anything that was related to Sakurai. He told them that they should ask the questions directly to his housemate though Sakurai probably wouldn’t answer them.
Looking through the window, Yoko wondered what kind of person this Sakurai was, silently thinking that he had to be a weird hermit for choosing to live in such a secluded place up on the mountain.
Meanwhile, Aiba was grateful that they had successfully persuaded Okada to take them. The road was steep and narrow, and Okada took many turns , making the way even more complicated to remember. Aiba inhaled a deep breath and opened his ears, listening to the whispering of the trees. It was nice to see them grow healthy here, to see them live without being affected by the malformations. Closing his eyes, Aiba could feel magic vibrating from the trees. The hotness feeling burned his skin, but it did well in giving energy to the trees. Aiba pondered about who had cast the magic, Okada or Sakurai? It seemed that no one else lived this high.
The sun set, and as the sky grew darker, Yoko expressed his worry about getting down from the mountain. Okada gave an understanding nod, telling them that they were welcome to stay the night. Aiba and Yoko quickly expressed their gratitude.
Yoko calculated the situation in secret. If Sakurai didn’t want to answer their questions that night, Yoko made a plan to try again the next day and then the next, prolonging their stay. Okada’s car was the only transportation to return down the mountain, because they had left their car for Ikuta. Yoko sincerely hoped their hosts were not cruel enough to kick them out of the house in the middle of the night.
The stars had already come out when they were arrived at Okada’s place, a small wooden hut surrounded by barns and farming areas. Okada stepped out of the car, picking up his milk cans in the back. Aiba and Yoko helped him, but Okada made a sign that they should go to the back to the house. They thought it was odd, but one word from Okada made them agree to stop assisting him. “Sakurai.”
Mouthing his thank you, Yoko walked slowly to the direction Okada pointed out, Aiba trailing closely behind.
A man was sitting by the side of the house, stretching his hands above a bonfire. The aroma of roasted mushroom was in the air, making their stomachs rumble with hunger. They hadn’t eaten anything since they left the market. Yoko accidentally stepped on a branch, and the man turned his head. He stood up from his wooden bench, narrowing his eyes. “Who are you?”
“They’re with me.” Okada suddenly showed up behind them. “Nino sent them here.”
Yoko widened his eyes in shock, quickly turning the story down. “No, no, we were not sent here by Nino. He wanted us to find you, that’s correct, but we are here by our own decision.”
Sakurai’s brows furrowed. He was a little taller than Okada. “It makes no different to me. Why did you bring them here?”
Okada shrugged carelessly. He sat near the bonfire. “Because I thought perhaps you wanted to talk to them. You talked to Nino before.”
Sakurai sighed. “Jun, that was years ago.”
“They need to stay the night. It’s already dark,” Okada reminded him.
“Fine,” Sakurai pouted, sitting back on the bench. “Sit down, we’ll talk.”
Okada scooted over, giving Aiba and Yoko a space, and they hurriedly sat before Sakurai changed his mind. Sakurai offered the mushrooms and a glass of milk to each of them. Yoko and Aiba hurriedly inserted the food into their mouth, too hungry to even think about their case. The case could wait until their stomachs were stuffed with warm food.
Sakurai and Okada silently ate beside them. Okada munched his food quietly, eyes wandering to the stars above them, but Sakurai’s eyes never left them, scanning them suspiciously from head to toe, eagerly waiting for them to finish the food.
“So,” Sakurai started the questioning as soon as Aiba drank the last drop of his milk, “what did Nino say to you?”
“Aiba and I work in an investigator office,” Yoko began, staring back at him. Their stomachs were full; it was time to talk about what brought them there. “One day, he came to our workplace, asking us to search for the dragon.”
“Still?” Sakurai chuckled.
Still? Aiba elbowed Yoko. Yoko nodded, understanding what Aiba meant. Did Nino actually try searching for the dragon before, and they were not his first victims? Did he assign Matsumoto and Sakurai with the same task a long time ago? Was it the reason why Matsumoto was so angry with Nino?
Aiba noticed that the smile didn’t really reach Sakurai’s eyes. If there was anything in his eyes, it was regret.
“Tell me, what have you found out so far?” Sakurai poked the wood with a stick, observing the bonfire.
“We were informed that there were a few versions about the legend, but in all versions, it is said that the dragon’s awakening is related to the earth’s apocalypse, whether he will save us or destroy us,” said Aiba.
Sakurai shook his head. His expression was grim. “Regardless of any version you want to believe, the dragon is not supposed to wake up now. Nino knows that best.”
“Then, why does he want to wake him up?”
Sakurai looked up from the fire, challenging them. “He never says anything about waking up the dragon, does he?”
“Well…” Aiba was lost of words. True, their client never said anything about waking up the dragon, but after gathering the information about the dragon, it only seemed natural for them to think that Nino wanted to wake him up. Otherwise, why would he even bother to search for him? No, no, on second thought, Ikuta told them that Nino already knew where the dragon slept. It was the reason why they went to Sakurai in the first place: to understand Nino’s purpose.
“We overheard him saying that he already knows where the dragon is, but he needs someone to open the place for him.” Aiba raised his head, facing Sakurai once again. “That’s why we came here. That’s what we wanted to ask you. What exactly is Nino trying to do? There must be a reason why he wanted us to find you.”
Sakurai look baffled to hear the information. His expression changed, from annoyed to astonishment. His eyes darted to his housemate’s face, speaking with a careful tone. “That’s unexpected. There is no one who can open the place now; Nino makes sure of that.”
“There must be a reason why he would suddenly do all of this,” Okada stated his opinion quietly.
There was a pause. Aiba and Yoko exchanged glances again, following Sakurai’s movement. Sakurai rubbed his lips, thoughtful. “What do you think?”
“If you and Matsumoto can’t understand what was going on in his mind, how can I?” Okada responded calmly.
“Wait,” Yoko stepped into the conversation, unable to contain his curiosity anymore. “You know Matsumoto too? Why didn’t you tell us about this?” He glared accusingly to Okada.
“It was not my part to explain.”
“But we have already met Matsumoto! Nino went to our place right after he had an argument with Matsumoto!”
Sakurai and Okada exchanged glances.
“I knew you’d be interested to hear their story.” Okada shrugged.
Sakurai stood up, eyes glistening red dangerously. “Don’t lie,” he warned them.
Yoko took a step back, surprised. When he looked again, Sakurai’s eyes had changed back to their previous color, brown. Yoko shook his head; he couldn’t help noticing how the trait was pretty similar to Nino’s, whose eyes often shimmered golden. “It’s not a lie. Sakamoto, one of Matsumoto’s employees told us about it, and Matsumoto didn’t deny it either. It happened several nights ago, when the storm happened.”
Hearing those words, Sakurai’s expression turned wary. “Swear to me on your first name.”
Yoko looked baffled. “I swear! We didn’t lie! That’s what’s truly happened! Why do I have to swear with my first name?”
Sakurai was bewildered. He took a few steps back, putting his hand on his mouth, looking even more troubled. He turned to the fire and kneeled in front of it, surrounding it with his hands. Sakurai closed his eyes and fire grew taller, blazing furiously into the sky, threatening them all with the crackling sounds. Sakurai took his time with the fire as the trees around them shook violently. Aiba could sense how worried they were. What creature was Sakurai?
Meanwhile, Okada still showed no reaction. He sipped his milk carefully from the bench, watching them all with careful eyes. Yoko almost envied his calmness.
After what seemed to be forever, Sakurai opened his eyes. The fire grew smaller again, and the trees finally stopped shaking. He spoke without turning his head from the fire, his tone serious. “Nino never saw Matsumoto after what had happened between us. Matsumoto swore that he would kill him if Nino ever showed his face before him again.”
Okada shook his head. “He can’t. You can’t kill each other.”
“And so we thought.” Sakurai smiled bitterly. “Yet Nino proved that wrong.”
Yoko came towards Sakurai, asking aggressively, “Did Nino kill someone? You said that he made sure no one can open the place where the dragon slept, and then you said he killed someone. Does it mean he killed the person who was supposed to open the place? Tell us, what is actually going on here? What happened between you?”
Sakurai rose up, allowing himself a little solemn smile. He put his hands on Yoko’s shoulders, holding him in his place. Aiba could almost see his mixed feelings. Half of Sakurai seemed to want to tell them the truth, while the other half wanted to keep the secret to his grave. When he opened his mouth, he stared right into Yoko’s eyes.
“This is not something that you should be concerned about. The fate that intertwines us -Matsumoto, Nino, and myself - is not a story that can be told in a night. It’s not a legend, it’s not a fairytale, it truly happened, and it certainly doesn’t end happily. Those of us who are involved wish to run away from it, as there is only misfortune that awaits us. Go home, and let me handle Nino. I don’t want to involve commoners in this situation for it’s a past beyond your level of understanding.”
Yoko was in a state of shock. This was not the kind of answer he had been expecting. Sure, he knew that the legend of the sleeping dragon was ‘beyond their level of understanding’, but somehow, he didn’t like the way Sakurai said it. There was kindness in Sakurai’s eyes, but his tone was firm. Sakurai was not used to being opposed, and he certainly wouldn’t like his advice to be refused. Yoko looked up at Aiba, pleading for help. After all, Aiba was the one who insisted that they should continue the investigation.
Aiba pushed Sakurai from Yoko, taking his friend back. “You may not want to involve us, but Nino already did! He involved us in whatever fate you shared together the night he came to ask for our help. He involved us more by leading us to Matsumoto and you! We have the right to know what happens. Please,” Aiba grabbed Sakurai’s hands, “you can’t just leave us clueless like this.”
It was Sakurai’s turn to look perplexed.
“They are right,” Okada pointed out quietly. “Nino knows he was not supposed to involve ordinary people in your fate. There must be a reason behind his actions.”
Sakurai sighed heavily. “Sometimes I think Nino doesn’t need a reason to act outside of the rules.”
“Still, you don’t think he did what Matsumoto accused him of doing”
“We have been together for such a long time that I want to believe him.” Sakurai turned his back, waving a hand at the fire. It died, leaving the burnt smell behind. “However, there are times when I believe Matsumoto was right, and I think too highly of Nino.”
Okada nodded. “Perhaps this is the time to find out the truth.”
Sakurai considered Okada’s advice carefully. He suddenly turned his back, walking to the house. “Let me think about it first. Take care of our guests for me.”
Aiba was about to call out to him, but Okada patted their back, leading them to the house. “Come. The problem has been going on for too many years; postponing it for a night won’t affect anything. You need to rest now.”
XIII
Okada gave them his bedroom, telling them that he would sleep in Sakurai’s room for the night. He passed them some clean pajamas and folded blankets and wished them goodnight, smiling calmly the entire time.
As soon as he left, Yoko sat on the chair. There was only one bed as Yoko didn’t need one. He took his lamp out of the bag harshly, not even bothering to take off his clothes. “Turn off the candle, will you?”
Aiba didn’t move. He stood by the window, staring blankly at the blankets. Absent-mindedly, he asked, “Yoko, do you think we really should stop investigating this case? Our client tricked us, so we don’t have to solve the case, right?”
“It’s too late now!” Yoko suddenly sat up. His lamp fell to the floor, clanking loudly. “I told you that we should’ve stopped before, but you didn’t want to listen! Now we’re stuck here, treated like kids by a stranger!”
Aiba was startled to see his friend’s unexpected reaction. “Yoko…”
Yoko went on as if he had been waiting a long time to vent his frustration. “I told you that we should’ve backed out when we had the chance! You are the one who refused to give up!”
“Yoko…” Aiba widened his eyes. “I thought you agreed to do this. I thought we made the decision together.”
“Do I have a choice? It’s two against one!”
“B-but you agreed with what Ikuta said. I remember that all of us had the same opinion. We want to know what we are actually being used for.”
Yoko groaned hoarsely. He picked up his lamp, cleaning it out nervously. “I-I just…I don’t know. Can we not talk about this now? I’m tired, and I want to sleep. Please, Aiba, let’s talk about this again tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
“Good.” Yoko turned his back to Aiba, changing into his real form and entered his lamp, closing its cap. “Night.”
“Night,” Aiba mumbled, changing his clothes into the pajamas Okada brought them. It was a little bit too short for him, but Aiba didn’t really pay attention as his mind was preoccupied with the words his friend had just said. Aiba took a deep sigh. He was such a bad friend. How could he not realize how Yoko had been feeling all along? Aiba scolded himself. He grabbed Yoko’s lamp, putting it on the bedside table beside the candle. He thought for a while, blowing the candle out before whispering, “I’m sorry.”
XIV
In the next city over, Ikuta was sleeping uneasily in his bed.
He was in the forest, sitting on a rock. The lights shimmered golden. There was someone with him. He felt his mouth move on its own, murmuring some words. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” that someone nodded his head firmly, “please.”
The scene changed, and he saw a short man smiling gently at him. There were tears in the corner of his eyes. “Take care of him for me, will you? Take care of everyone for me.”
The world shook violently, and the trees around him started to fall. The earth opened, and water started to surround his legs, trapping him, lifting him up and swirling him around, twisting his body. He opened his ears and heard a low growl, frustrated and mad. He closed his eyes; golden colors were playing in his eyelids.
He was in a field, and there were others beside him, running with him. A chuckle, a shout, someone clapping, someone hugged him from behind, wind sweeping through him, and he threw his head back, laughing.
There was a fire. Blazing, burning, drying the water from him. There was someone calling out to him, calling him to consciousness. There were tears in his face, but they were not his own.
The sky is crying, he thought as he looked above.
The earth is dying, he thought as he looked below.
There was a flash of wings, a sphere shone brightly, and playing cards were thrown into the air. The sphere changed into a dragon, curling his body in a cave, sleeping soundlessly.
He was sitting in a corner, surrounded by several people who were drunk. Someone smiled at him, “Do you want to join the game?”
He was walking down the street, taking a glance at a stranger. Inocchi.
There was someone laughing in his ears. “We will be together forever, won’t we?”
There were colors. Red, blue, green, golden, swirling and twisting in his head.
He looked below, and the ground started shaking again. The short man was standing in the distance, shaking his head in disappointment. “You’ve failed me.”
He ran towards the man, but the earth was falling apart, and he lost his grip, falling into the darkness, screaming. Nino’s voice echoed in his ears. “You are one of mine.”
Ikuta opened his eyes, coming around from the nightmare.
XV
Aiba woke up with eyes wide open, his fingers unconsciously clutching the sheets. He panted heavily, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He knew he just had a nightmare, but he couldn’t remember what it was about. There was Nino, throwing cards into thin air. There was Inocchi, congratulating him for joining his office. There were trees, bowing down to him, whispering their secrets. There were colors. Green and brown and orange spinning inside his head. Yellow and blue and red clashed into each other. There was white, there was fog, there was a dragon sleeping.
Aiba crossed his hands. Just like all dreams, the longer he was awake and the more he thought about it, the hazier the dream became.
He looked at the bedside table, listening to the snores coming from the lamp. Curious, he opened the cap and took a peek inside. Yoko was still sleeping peacefully, curled at the bottom. Aiba smiled. Yoko had to be exhausted. He didn’t like having people watching him sleep when he felt the most vulnerable, but he once said that Aiba was an exception. Yoko was such a good friend, Aiba thought as he gripped his shirt, feeling another tingle of guilt for dragging Yoko along.
He stood up to search for the door. Trying to sleep again when he felt like this was useless.
The door creaked, and Aiba jumped a little, but Yoko continued snoring. Aiba sighed. He slipped out of the room and started walking towards the front door, trying to be as quiet as he could manage.
When he was finally standing below the moon, Aiba took a deep breath. Being outdoors and listening to the sound of the trees calmed him down a bit, as it always did. A smile was plastered on his face as he walked towards the woods, ready to greet the trees. However, he stopped when he heard sounds of people talking from the back of the house. It had to be his hosts as there was no one else around the area.
For a moment, Aiba was tormented between eavesdropping on their conversation or heading to the trees as he originally planned; then he thought of Yoko and decided to change the direction. Yoko was right. It was time for them to say enough with the secret. They had the right to get at least a glimpse of truth.
It was their hosts indeed, busy talking near the leftover bonfire. He hid in the corner, listening carefully to what Okada and Sakurai were saying, his heart beating faster.
“…But it doesn’t make any sense!” Sakurai shouted furiously. He was walking in a circle, looking genuinely confused. “He was gone! No one can open the place anymore!”
Okada bit his lip. “Have you ever thought that Nino didn’t kill him?”
Sakurai turned his face to Okada. “I want to think so, but we couldn’t sense him anymore. One moment, we could still feel the flicker of his life, and the next second, he was gone. Time passed, and I have never sensed him again. What else could it mean? Even after such a long time I could still hear how the earth roared, could still feel how the ground was shaking furiously. When we arrived, we only found Nino kneeling on the ground, covering his bleeding eye socket. Something obviously happened there, and Nino refused to explain it.” Sakurai shuddered. “’He was gone. I made him gone’ was all he said. You were not there to see the way Nino smirked. He laughed as if he had lost his sanity. The day when we decided to go our separate ways was the worst day of my long life. We never had a fight before. I always thought we would be together forever.”
Aiba absorbed it all in a silence. Whatever the past was, as Sakurai had mentioned before, everyone who was involved still suffered from it. Aiba shuddered. What had he dragged himself into? What had he dragged his friends into?
Okada stood up, putting his arm on Sakurai’s shoulder. “You know this condition could not go on any longer. Two can’t replace four. The earth is dying.”
Sakurai sighed, setting his mouth into a grim line. “I know, but what can I do? On one side, Jun would never forgive Nino. On the other side, Nino refused to tell me what had happened. I made a decision not to choose anyone’s side, and it is that balance that has been keeping us alive all along. I can’t risk throwing the balance off.”
“If you don’t choose now, the earth will die. If you choose, there’s a possibility that the earth can be saved. The Nino you told me about always has a plan in mind.”
Sakurai turned his head. His face was still and hard. “What if I choose the wrong side? I’m not sure I can take that burden.”
“If Nino wants to destroy the earth, he’s been able to do that easily since a long time ago. He told them that he needs someone to open the place to the dragon, and you and I both know that there is only one person who is able to open it. You think he has died, yet Nino still hopes that he can reach out for the dragon.” Okada chose his words carefully. “Judging from his actions, I believe that he actually still lives.”
“There’s also a possibility that Nino has gone mad, just like Jun had always said. Each of us was assigned with one task and one task only. Doing two at once must have driven him insane.”
“It is possible, yes, but everything that you have told me was built on assumptions. You could be wrong.”
“Nino is the only one who knows the truth.”
“Then it’s time to ask him about what actually happened.”
Sakurai raised his voice slightly. “Do you think I never tried? No matter how many times I asked him, he wouldn’t explain it to me.”
Okada shrugged. “I think it will be different this time. He never wanted to open the forbidden place before.”
Sakurai groaned, burying his face in his hands.
Okada went on, laying a soft hand on Sakurai’s hand. “Remember what the old proverb says: All things will be all right in the end. If it’s not, then it’s not the end.”
Sakurai’s voice was beginning to sound hopeful. “Do you think I should try asking him again?”
“You can’t run away from this problem forever.”
Sakurai let out a chuckle. “I’ve been running away so long, so long that I forget I’m still running away.” His hand reached for Okada, touching his cheek gently. “Will you help me do this?”
“Yes.” Okada smiled. He spread out his arms to hug Sakurai tightly. “Do this for the earth you love so much. Do this for me. Do this so we can live longer together.”
Sakurai returned the hug, grabbing Okada even tighter. “I won’t be able to survive without you. Thank you. For everything.”
“No. Thank you for accompanying me to be a farmer.”
Sakurai let go of his arms, laughing. “This is not as bad as I imagine, but the sheep stink.”
Okada laughed as well. “You were speechless when I first told you that I want to own a farm.”
“Did I? It happened such a long time ago.” Sakurai turned his body around, preparing to go back to the house. Aiba quickly tried to hide himself, but it was too late; Sakurai and Okada had already caught up to him. They stopped dead.
Aiba stepped forward, offering them a nervous smile to hide his embarrassment. “I don’t mean to eavesdrop…I just want to go the forest and accidentally heard you speaking, so…”
“I’ve made a decision,” Sakurai cut him off. “We’ll go with you downtown tomorrow.”
“Eh?”
“Nino is there. There’s something I need to ask him.”
XVI
It was a cloudy afternoon when Ikuta suddenly bumped into Matsumoto in the street. The sky was grey, and the sun hadn’t been out seen since the morning. It was a good thing to have rain, but the weather looked unusual in Ikuta’s eyes. The sky looked like it was waiting for something to spill its water out, Ikuta thought bitterly. If it truly rained, he got a feeling that they would get another storm just like the one they had a few days ago, that very day when they first met Nino.
Ikuta paused to think about the dream he had the night before. Something told him that the dream was related to what Nino had done to him. After all, in the dream, he heard Nino’s voice once again, claiming that he was his. Ikuta shook his head and kept on walking.
He was about to get inside his car when he heard someone call his name from across the street. He turned around and saw Matsumoto walking towards him in surprisingly simply everyday clothes. As he stood up before Ikuta, Matsumoto stopped. He smiled nervously, but his eyes were looking down to his feet. “I’m sorry about yesterday.”
Ikuta licked his lips. “It’s okay.”
Matsumoto had kindly dropped him off at his apartment yesterday after he refused to talk more about Nino. Both of them were silent on the drive, too absorbed in their own thoughts. Matsumoto had been lost in his past, while Ikuta couldn’t stop wondering about the oath that Nino had broken. The act that started a cold war between him and Matsumoto, leading them all to the ending of the earth. What kind of mistake was so grievous that it could not be undone?
Ikuta returned his attention back to the present. He took a glance at the man in front of him. Matsumoto was looking at the sky above; his mouth was shaped into a grim line. He looked more tired than yesterday. Ikuta tilted his head, observing Matsumoto’s darker eye bags and messy hair, suddenly feeling lucky because at least he could sleep for a few hours despite the nightmare. Matsumoto looked like he had spent his night drinking all the alcohol in his house.
“There was a coffee shop I often go to not far from here.” Ikuta took the liberty to invite Matsumoto, seeing how the man hadn’t moved his feet after saying his sorry. “Do you want to come?”
Matsumoto wiped his face. “Okay.”
Ikuta led them down the street, unconsciously looking at Matsumoto with the corner of his eyes, making sure that he followed him. Ikuta opened his hands and felt a few drops of water. He observed the clouds. Finally, the rain started.
They arrived in front of the coffee shop, and Ikuta opened the door, greeting Morita and Miyake as he took a seat in the bar. It felt nice coming back to a place he knew so well as if none of the case had ever happened.
“Oi!” Miyake greeted him. Morita merely diverted his attention from his dishes for a moment to acknowledge Ikuta’s arrival.
Matsumoto took a seat next to him. His expression turned even gloomier.
“Guys, this is a friend of mine, Matsumoto. Matsumoto, this is Morita and Miyake, the owners of this shop.”
Matsumoto shook their hands. “I think I need your strongest coffee.”
Miyake nodded. His eyes found Ikuta’s, and Ikuta shook his head a little, trying not to be seen by Matsumoto. Don’t ask, long story.
Miyake smiled understandingly. “Coming, sir.”
Morita raised his head up, looking at the street. “It’s raining.”
Miyake grabbed a handful of coffee beans, replying absent-mindedly as he started to measure the beans. “About time, isn’t it?”
Ikuta turned his head, paying attention to the window as well. The rain was getting heavier. Water plummeted from the sky without giving time for people outside to prepare themselves. Seeing how it hit the window, Ikuta remembered his dream. He couldn’t help but commenting, “The sky is crying.”
Miyake let out a small chuckle at those words. “Why do you think the sky is crying?”
“Because the earth is dying,” Ikuta answered heavily.
“No,” Matsumoto shook his head. Ikuta gulped when he saw there were tears in Matsumoto’s eyes. “The earth has already died. We merely borrow the time to prolong our stay, but the due date is coming soon.”
The three men were left speechless. Ikuta wanted to reject the idea, but he decided otherwise as he saw Matsumoto’s eyes. There was some undeniable persistence in them. Loneliness, anger, regret, sadness, all mixed into one. His eyes changed back into blue, and with every tear that dropped, the sky outside let droplets of water fall in rhythm. Ikuta unconsciously spread his arms out to reach Matsumoto. Even when he was crying and looked troubled, Matsumoto still looked beautiful.
Before he was able to touch the man in front of him, the door suddenly banged open with a loud crash, and a man hurriedly entered the shop, soaked from head to toe. He took his hat off and squeezed it, watering the doormat.
“Oi, don’t wet it! Squeeze your hat somewhere else!” Miyake yelled his protests.
“Sorry, sorry!” The man bowed down, rubbing his head. He lifted his head up, and all of a sudden, he shrieked, “Ikuta!”
Before Ikuta could react, the man who called out to him suddenly flung his arms around him, knocking Matsumoto on his way towards him. With the corner of his eyes, Ikuta saw how Matsumoto quickly turned his head, trying to hide his tears. However, the man who hugged him didn’t seem to notice it.
Ikuta pushed the man back to see his face better, making sure that he identified the right person. “Inocchi?”
Ikuta was right; it was his boss who had been missing for a couple of weeks. Inocchi grinned widely, looking genuinely happy to see him. He pulled back, his pointed ears twitching a little. “There you are! I went to the office, but there’s no one there! I miss you all. Why didn’t you greet your boss when he’s back home?” Inocchi pretended to look hurt for a second, but soon he was all smiles again. He took the chair beside Ikuta’s. “Miyake, the usual, please!”
Morita shook his head, stopping his movement with the dishes. A smile escaped his lips. “Where have you been? We haven’t seen you in the longest time!”
“Do you miss me? Do you miss me?” Inocchi’s grin was getting wider. Dropping his wet coat down carelessly onto the floor, he shook Morita and Miyake’s hand firmly before he swung his head to face his sub-ordinate again. “Ikuta, where are Yoko and Aiba? I need to show them something.”
“Long story! More importantly, where have you been? So many things have happened since you left!”
“Oh, it is related to a case?” Inocchi raised up the coffee that Miyake put on his table, inhaling the aroma deeply. He gave Miyake two thumbs up. “Yours is still the most magical coffee in the realm!”
Miyake grinned sheepishly, giving back a thumbs up. “Of course it is!” He tilted his head to one side, pointing out a big golden tube that was slung on Inocchi’s back. “What is that on your back, Inocchi?”
“Oh,” Inocchi looked to his back, grabbing the tube and laying it down in front of him. He opened the lid with huge excitement, pulling out a big papyrus scroll from it while grinning like a kid who just got a birthday present. “It’s my certificate! This is what I wanted to show you!”
“Certificate? Certificate for what? Why do you need a certificate?”
Inocchi spread the scroll on the bar table, and the rest of them - save for Matsumoto - leaned their bodies forward in order to read it better. The certificate was written in curly script that was hard to understand. Ikuta tilted his head, reading it aloud with much difficulty. “In-ves-ti-ga-tor Cer-ti-fi-ca-te.”
“Investigator certificate?” Morita and Miyake echoed together, lifting their eyes up to demand an explanation.
Inocchi didn’t seem to notice all the confusion that reflected in his friends and subordinate’s eyes. He patted Ikuta’s back cheerfully, and another hand reached for Miyake’s shoulder. “Yes, I am now officially an investigator after finishing school! Our office can get a license now! Isn’t that great?”
Ikuta looked at his boss with amazed expression. “Do you mean that all this time our office hasn’t been official?” Though it was rather hard to believe, it explained why their office didn’t have a nameplate. It would also explain why Inocchi often went missing; it turned out that he went to school in secret. It had to be difficult, juggling school and work at the same time. Ikuta was impressed that Inocchi kept his hardships from them.
Inocchi coughed. “We don’t have to mention the past. The most important thing is now I have finally graduated from the school and become an official investigator!”
Morita shook his head while Miyake laughed out loud hearing Inocchi’s proud confession. “Well, congratulations, I guess.”
“Congratulations.” Ikuta gave him his most genuine smile. “Why didn’t you tell us about the school before? We could have supported you better if we knew!”
“Well,” Inocchi rubbed his head, grinning sheepishly, “it doesn’t matter really. You need to take care of the office.” While he spoke, Ikuta noticed how his attention was slowly but surely sidetracked. He took a peek behind Ikuta’s back, taking a sudden interest to Matsumoto. “And who’s your friend here? Why don’t you introduce us…Woah!” Inocchi suddenly let out a loud shout.
Ikuta was pushed back as his boss moved forward to take a closer look at Matsumoto, who hastily wiped his tears, turning his gaze away to the window. The rain had tapered off to a light drizzle.
Inocchi touched Matsumoto’s arm, his eyes never left Matsumoto’s face. “I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you are.”
Morita snickered, Ikuta choked, and Miyake quickly pulled Inocchi’s shirt. “That’s seriously the worst pick-up line I’ve ever heard.”
“I don’t mean it that way!” Inocchi defended. His ears turned red. “But, Ikuta’s friend here is glowing! He’s so precious. I don’t lie! I mean, you are precious too, Ikuta, of course, but your friend here is different.”
So Ikuta was not the only one who thought Matsumoto was beautiful. His boss also thought the same way. Ikuta coughed, not knowing how he was supposed to feel about it.
Matsumoto was smiling politely at Inocchi’s praises. He raised one of his eyebrows at Ikuta, and Ikuta answered the unspoken question. “Matsumoto, this is my boss, Inocchi. He’s the one who owns our investigative office.”
Inocchi grabbed Matsumoto’s hands without being offered, shaking them excitedly. “And you are…?”
“I own the aquarium in the next town over.”
“Oh!” Inocchi widened his eyes. “Sakamoto’s new boss? How’s Sakamoto doing?”
“Wait,” Ikuta grabbed Inocchi’s shoulder, “you know Sakamoto too?”
“There’s no magical creature around here that I don’t know!” Inocchi smiled proudly. “Then no wonder you are so glowing! So, tell me, how do you know each other?”
“Matsumoto is related to our case,” Ikuta answered halfheartedly. For some reason, he didn’t want to define Matsumoto as someone whom he met because of an investigation.
“Oh, what case?”
“Well…”
Matsumoto suddenly cut him off in a dignified voice. “Nino came to see me again this morning.”
Numbly surprised, Ikuta blurted out. “What did he want?”
“Nothing.” Matsumoto clenched his teeth. His hands gripped his pants nervously. “He just sat outside my window, reminiscing something. When I spotted him, I asked him to go, but he merely smiled. He threw his cards at me, saying that it is going to be over soon.”
“What’s going to be over soon?”
“What else?” Matsumoto shrugged, sounding distressed. “I only came here to tell you this. I need to go now.”
With those last words, Matsumoto laid down some money on the bar table and walked towards the door. Miyake rushed to offer him an umbrella, but Matsumoto refused it. He opened the door and looked above; his eyes were closed as if welcoming the water to soak his body. On second thought, of course Matsumoto would gladly let the water touch him. It must feel like coming home, Ikuta wondered. Matsumoto turned, bowing his head politely before heading out into the storm.
Watching his lonely back, Ikuta felt an unexplainable feeling of pity.
Inocchi approached him, expressing his concern. “What happened?”
Ikuta sighed. There were so many things he needed to explain to Inocchi. He was about to close the door when he suddenly heard another familiar voice calling him. Ikuta turned his head and spotted Aiba and Yoko, both trembling under the drizzle. A stranger was seen behind them.
On to Part 4