Masamichi hung his head, then stabbed the remaining piece of broccoli and boiled egg with his fork and took them to his mouth.
Hayakawa glanced around the room and said quietly, “This does bring back memories. There was a time in the past when I brought meals here for a few days before.”
“Huh?!”
Masamichi looked up in surprise. Hayakawa laughed mischievously and held up a forefinger in front of his lips.
“The previous owner of this shop was still alive then, and Mr. Tatsumi accepted a number of jobs for me. Please don’t tell Mr. Tatsumi I told you this, since I haven’t obtained his permission to mention it to you.”
Masamichi nodded vigorously, covering his mouth with his hand while making an effort to chew on the broccoli, which had a firm texture.
“Is that the time Shino said he took on work from you as an outsourcer?”
“It is indeed. The previous owner became ill, and Mr. Tatsumi said he wanted him to receive the best treatment without worrying about the cost…”
“Did Shino work for you to earn money to cover Daizou’s medical expenses?”
Masamichi stumbled over the words and almost bit his tongue, but Hayakawa nodded quietly. “He said he wanted to earn money quickly so Daizou and his wife could choose the treatment they wanted without any regrets. I took advantage of that.”
“I see. How did you find out about Shino in the first place?”
“That’s where the organization’s connections come in. The most sensitive information is what humans obtain and whisper to others. Of course, it’s necessary to choose who you include in your information network carefully since information isn’t any good if it’s only quick to obtain. It must be accurate.”
Hayakawa’s tone was relaxed, but he was making a strong point clear, and Masamichi didn’t know how to respond. He sensed that it was better not to press the matter further and decided to ask about something else.
“So you came here every day? Why?”
“Mr. Tatsumi became busy with his work, just as he is now, and began to worry about Daizou’s wife, Yoriko. So I visited her every day around the time she returned from visiting her husband at the hospital, and I brought dinner with me.”
“Ah.”
“Yoriko was a very kind person who always talked about her husband and Mr. Tatsumi. She said the gods and Buddha gave her a wonderful son. Yes, that’s what she always said.”
He didn’t mention any more details about what she’d said, but Masamichi could tell that Hayakawa’s time spent with Yoriko had been very warm and friendly.
“Daizou and Yoriko really loved Shino, didn’t they?”
“Yes, very much. And Mr. Tatsumi took great care of the couple, though he said he was only repaying his debt of gratitude to them for giving him a foothold to live in the human world.”
Hayakawa did a half-hearted impersonation of how Shino spoke and looked at Masamichi, making him laugh.
“You just reminded me of something I’ve always wondered. Why is it that he’s always like that? Do specters think they’re under a curse or something that would kill them if they admitted they loved someone?”
“That can’t be!”
Hayakawa also laughed, then suddenly his expression became serious.
“As a specter that became an apparition for a human being and began living and mingling with mortals, I think he must have experienced many conflicts. Perhaps it’s Mr. Tatsumi’s pride as a specter not to become too comfortable with humans and to deny love.”
Masamichi nodded seriously.
“Maybe you’re right.”
“However, although Mr. Tatsumi may speak with a cold air, he’s very concerned about you, Mr. Adachi. It’s—,” he started to say, but Masamichi shook his head.
“I’m not worthy of Shino’s love like Daizou and Yoriko were.”
“Mr. Adachi…”
“There’s nothing I can do for Shino—especially now. There isn’t a thing that I can do. All I am…is a burden to him. He probably thinks he lost out by making me his servant.”
Masamichi tried to incorporate a little whining into their small talk, but combined with the halting tone of his five-year-old mouth, it sounded awfully pathetic.
Hayakawa noticed Masamichi’s eyes starting to moisten and smoothly changed the subject.
“By the way, that cat brooch seems to be working well,” he pointed out, touching the accessory on Masamichi’s chest and smiling. “I can see that your complexion is improving day by day.”
“Yes! I was shocked when I heard that Kagiroi was continuing to steal my chi, but it’s reassuring to know that a cute brooch like this is preventing that. Please give my best to the practitioners who prepared this for me.”
“Will do. They’ll be happy to hear it. They put their hearts into it, praying that you would be in better health.”
“I really appreciate it. Gee… A lot of people are supporting me.”
“Human support goes around in cycles. You have to make sure to build up your energy so that one day, you’ll also be able to support someone. Now, please, eat more. I brought a sweet-potato dessert today.”
“Wow, dessert, even…?! Thank you.”
“I took one look at it and wanted to sample it myself. I also bought some to take home to my wife and daughter.”
Hayakawa smiled. He must have noticed Masamichi’s depression and bought the sweet to try to cheer him up.
This isn’t good. I can’t do anything now, so the least I can do is be strong and not keep Shino and Mr. Hayakawa worried about me.
Admonishing himself, Masamichi tried to sound cheerful. “I’m going to eat a lot of this!”
It was three days later when Shino came home after nine PM, earlier than usual.
Masamichi had been studying in his room. He heard the noise downstairs and hurried down the steep stairs to find Shino taking off his coat in the tea room.
“Welcome home!”
Shino glanced over at him, hung his coat over his arm, and went to his room, his strides long.
Masamichi had only been seeing Shino at breakfast lately, so if the specter was willing, he wanted to talk with him for a few minutes.
With that in mind, he tentatively went to Shino’s room.
Fortunately, the sliding door remained open, but the light was off.
“Shino? Can I come in for a minute…? Whoa!” he cried out when he peered inside and ran into the dark room.
Shino was still in the outfit he had come home in—a dark-gray turtleneck sweater and chinos—as he sprawled out on the tatami mat.
“Shino? Are you okay?!”
“Shut up. Don’t chirp like a bird in such a high pitch. It makes my headache worse,” he said in a moan, covering his eyes with one hand.
Masamichi sat down next to him and whispered, “I’m sorry. You don’t look well.”
“I’m exhausted.”
That gave Masamichi a jolt.
It was the first time that Shino had ever complained directly like that.
He must really be pooped—and it’s my fault.
“Sorry.”
Shino removed his hand from his face in reaction, and his bloodshot eyes looked up at Masamichi.