Kazutaka and Ren were sitting on the floor of the R.V. Todo was watching them with a smile while Fuwa was making coffee for everyone.
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“Ren, let’s drink to you for swimming in winter. Here you go.”
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“Thank you.”
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“This one’s for you, Kazutaka-san. You’ve done well.”
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“Ah, thank you.”
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“Sorry, Todo-san. We don’t have any tea.”
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“It’s okay. Thank you.”
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After sipping his coffee, Ren gave a little sneeze. Kazutaka stretched out his arm to grab a blanket from the cot and placed it over Ren’s shoulders. It was only a small gesture but Ren was happy.
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How wonderful it would be, Ren thought, if I could spend every day feeling Kazutaka’s mellow warmth.
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The first few hours that he'd known him, Ren had thought Kazutaka was childlike and helpless. After a while, Ren had changed his opinion and thought Kazutaka was not as meek as he looked. It wasn’t that Kazutaka was weak but that Kazutaka's strength didn’t really show. The group had spent a long time with Kazutaka in the R.V. and on the ferry. Everyone had become fond of Kazutaka. It was only natural that Todo and Toshi, worrying about him, came back.
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Kazutaka didn’t look like anyone special, but a man like him was hard to come by, Ren thought. As Ren secured the attaché case again with a band, Ren secretly said thanks to the case.
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Thanks to this attaché case, I got to spend time with Kazutaka. Because I couldn’t cut the handcuffs or unlock the locks, I’ve been with him the whole time. I thank titanium and chromium for that.
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Ren even thanked the metal components.
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A comment had been uploaded by Bud to the jewelry site.
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It said that “The blue teardrop isn’t in Japan anymore.”
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That was all it said in English, but Kazutaka wouldn’t be a target of theft rings any more. Comments made by Bud were deemed to be true and credible by thieves. In the matter of an hour, there were several comments backing Bud’s statement.
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“Many pieces of tanzanite were sighted in Hong Kong. Reported by an appraiser.”
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“The amount of carats is uncertain, but the shape is the same as we have on our database. Very close resemblance.”
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“Reported by an informant: The blue teardrop in Hong Kong may have a French owner.”
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“Urgent! Rumor has it that the blue teardrop will be auctioned off in Hong Kong. Click the link for details.”
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Many jewelry people had uploaded information.
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“How do these people know? They're not directly involved, are they?”
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“It’s like a game to them. The participants are all enjoying this and thieves will make plans based on this information.”
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“Wow...”
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“I have a hunch that the real Teardrop of the Nile is not in Hong Kong.”
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“I thought Shīno had it with him.”
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“Someone is saying that the amount of carats is uncertain, right? I know the writer. His information is always reliable.”
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“Where is the real stuff then?”
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“The British Museum denied the theft publicly. I assume the jewelry is still being kept in a vault at the British Museum. I think that is most likely the situation. When the thieves make their moves based on information, the police can go after them. See? Read this comment. ‘Participants wanted for a Hong Kong auction.’ This one must be written by the authorities. The police sometimes catch thieves who take the bait.”
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“When there is a rumor that a famous piece of jewelry has been stolen, a lot of people become excited, huh?”
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“You can say that again. It’s like a sport for adults.”
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Ren, still fidgeting with the sensor key for the handcuffs, picked up Fuwa’s magazine and flipped through some pages.
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“It’s only a mineral...twenty billion yen for this... Um. There’s something wrong with all this.”
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Ren apparently was not interested in jewelry. Ren tilted his head and traced the English article with his finger.
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“See. It says here that ornaments such as the Teardrop of the Nile weren’t worth much in ancient times. Monetary value wasn’t important then. Those who wore them were shamans or oracles. Those ancient people thought that stones with mysterious colors harnessed spiritual power.”
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“In those days, nobody thought about selling gemstones for money, I suppose.”
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In the meantime, Fuwa and Ren were treating Kazutaka like a prince. They were feeding him sandwiches, wiping his mouth, etc. Kazutaka felt like a nobleman.
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“Fuwa-san, when is Bud coming back?”
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“I threatened to come and get him unless he comes back, so he should return before too long, but he didn’t specify when. Don’t worry. I’ll make him visit your students just as you asked.”
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“Thank you so much.”
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After the meal, Todo and Toshi left. They were going to catch the last flight home so that they could go back to work the next day. Fuwa left the room in order to see them off.
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Kazutaka felt self-conscious alone with Ren. Ren's attitude hadn't changed or anything. Kazutaka was beginning to regret that he had said, “I love you” to Ren. I shouldn’t have said that, Kazutaka thought to himself. Kazutaka was nervous and tense, wondering what Ren was thinking. Since Ren wasn't one to show his emotions, Kazutaka couldn’t tell.
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“Hey, Ren.”
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“What is it? Wanna take a bath? Need the toilet? Or would you like to go to sleep? I can cut the threads of your clothes, if you need to take them off.”
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Ren took out a pair of scissors and a utility knife. He'd need these tools to take off Kazutaka’s clothes.
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“I’ll just take a bath and change clothes when I get home.”
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“The commotion has subsided thanks to the comment posted by Bud. You should take a bath and refresh yourself. We can roll your shirt down to your left wrist. That way, you can leave your left hand and the attaché case out of the bathtub.”
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Judging from Ren’s casual demeanor, he might not even remember Kazutaka’s confession of love. Kazutaka felt his tension ease a little. He decided to ask Ren to help him bathe.
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Ren went into the bathroom. Kazutaka heard the hot water filling up the bathtub. Ren called to Kazutaka, letting him know that the bath was ready. Kazutaka walked into the bathroom, holding the attaché case against his chest. He took off his pants, socks, and underwear.
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Kazutaka then unbuttoned his shirt, pulled his right arm out of the sleeve, and pulled the shirt down to his left wrist. Ren helped him take off the T-shirt, leaving Kazutaka naked except for the shirt around his left wrist, which was handcuffed to the attaché case. Kazutaka was prepared for this but couldn’t help feeling embarrassed. He turned his back to Ren and stepped slowly into the bathtub.