He woke up rather peacefully. The remnants of his dream still lingered, threatening to lull him back to sleep.
He was living a decadent life, sponging off a sex worker without doing any labor outside of housework. As ashamed as he was to admit it, he liked this life; after all, he had lived driven by his hatred so far. By no means did he regret the painful path he walked, but ordinary peace like this was nice.
“Up and at ’em…” Jinya forcibly kept his consciousness from slumbering again and got up. It was time to prepare breakfast.
“Thanks for the meal. Your food’s always delicious, Jin-san.”
Ever the voracious eater, Aoba enjoyed two servings of rice with her breakfast, then sipped her after-meal tea. A healthy appetite was a good thing, and watching her eat was satisfying enough to make the effort of cooking worthwhile. He thanked her, then washed the bowls in the sink. They chatted afterward like they always did.
He had grown accustomed to his freeloader life, as embarrassing as that was to admit. He would miss it.
“Is something up?” Aoba asked.
“Yeah…” He had an answer to what he would do at the end of his journey now. His lingering regrets were gone, and so was his reason for staying. “I’m thinking it’s about time I left the Dove District.”
Her expression stiffened for a moment, and he could tell she wasn’t acting. She was genuinely flustered. “Huh? You’re…leaving?”
“I am. My objective is complete, and I have others waiting for my return. Also, I don’t want to impose on you any longer than I have to.”
“I…I see.”
“Thanks for all the help you’ve given me, Aoba. I mean it.”
She had taken him, a stranger, out of the rain and given him a place to stay. He never learned what she was hiding from him, but whatever her reasons may have been, he was still grateful to her.
“That’s a shame, but I guess it can’t be helped. Are you leaving soon?”
“I want to say my goodbyes to a few people before I go. I’ll leave after that.” He reached for Yarai’s sword bag. The Dove District was almost empty by now, so it would no longer be a problem if he walked around with it. The only place he had to visit was Sakuraba Milk Hall, specifically to see the manager and Hotaru. He wanted to say his goodbyes properly, since it would be his last time seeing them.
“You’ll come back, though, right…?” Aoba’s voice was weak, like a child left behind by parents. Her sudden change bewildered him. She noticed his reaction and quickly tried to smooth things over. “Er, I’m not trying to stop you from leaving or anything like that. It’s just that it’d kind of suck if you left today and never came back, you know…?”
“I’m planning to come back tonight, at least. I’ll be leaving tomorrow. That is, if me staying another night is all right with you.”
“Why, but of course, sir!” Aoba answered with good humor and pep. Her earlier flustered manner was now completely hidden. She likely wouldn’t answer even if he pressed her on what was bothering her.
“Thank you. I’ll be heading out, then.”
“All right, take care. Don’t stay out too late.” She saw him out with a superficial smile.
The two of them were undoubtedly on good terms, but they both kept each other at arm’s length. They were not close enough to divulge their secrets, but he couldn’t help but wonder something after having spent so much time with her.
Aoba still remained in the Dove District. That meant she’d come this far without confronting whatever her lingering regret was. Such a young girl was frozen in her tracks by whatever it was she couldn’t leave behind. Jinya wasn’t so cold as to not feel anything for her. But as vexing as it was, he couldn’t offer her a hand.
“No point even thinking about it,” he murmured to himself, then shook his thoughts free from his mind.
No matter what he wanted, his confrontation with her would only come when she was ready. Until then, he could only wait.
“Looks like rain…”
The skies were cloudy, as though reflecting Aoba’s heart.
He passed by a number of eateries and soba restaurants, a photo studio facing the street, a bathhouse near the center of the district, and the brothel called Ichikawa. Not a single soul was to be found anywhere. The brothels were all quiet, and because it was still daytime, the pink neon signs weren’t lit. The Dove District was deserted. All that remained were the carcasses of moths under street lamps.
The barren streets brought out some sadness in him, but he felt it was wrong to mourn what was gone. Rather than cling to what was and ruin its last moments, one should let the dream end as what it was—a dream.
That was why he set foot into Sakuraba Milk Hall.
“Ah, nice to see you.” The manager greeted him from the bar counter with a warm smile. He had been polishing glasses, presumably because he had nothing better to do. There were no customers or waitresses to be found.
“Single malt whiskey if you have any, two fingers. Any brand is fine.”
“Any brand, huh? Then I think I’ll bring out some special stuff I’ve been saving, seeing as you’re our regular and all.”
“I appreciate it. How about sharing a drink with me?”
“I’d love to.”
The manager set two glasses onto the counter and poured the amber fluid out. The ice in the glasses cracked sharply as it melted.
Come to think of it, the manager had mentioned that he loved the sound of ice cracking before. He said it sounded like the ring of a bell. Jinya hadn’t agreed with the example then, but he saw what the man meant now.