Shikama set a piece of paper on the table at KFC. It was a printout of the photo from before.
According to Shikama’s sources, the man’s name was Tadashi Endou. As I’d predicted, Endou’s acquaintance with Mizuo came through school: He was also in his third year, and the two of them were enrolled in the same research seminar in the Faculty of Law. Endou was regarded neither as a particularly outstanding student nor a particularly poor one. He’d had a girlfriend at one time, but they had since split up. The film he was shooting was his own original creation.
When I asked Shikama how he’d managed to procure such detailed information, Shikama explained that he’d approached Endou personally after class one day. I was thoroughly impressed. Here was a man who kept his promises and took no shortcuts to see his commitments upheld. It was in his nature. Years ago, when deciding what type of cigarettes to smoke, he’d purchased one pack of every major brand, taken them all home, and proceeded to dissect them in order to analyze the structural differences in design of each brand’s filter.
In the process of investigating Endou, Shikama had taken it upon himself to follow the man on several occasions, hoping to measure the frequency of his interactions with Mizuo. On a typical afternoon, Endou spent a while browsing the campus bookstore and other co-op facilities after class, then returned to his lodgings, which were situated near the Yoshida Shrine. Sometimes, he engaged in recreational activities with his filmmaking associates.
But just as Shikama was about to conclude that Endou lived a very dull and predictable life, he witnessed a most striking deviation.
One day, rather than heading home, Endou set out northward by bicycle on Shirakawa Street. This was a first, and Shikama was giddy with excitement about where it might lead.
He followed Endou up through the residential streets of Kamiikeda and on to Yamanaka Pass. It was here that a building quite familiar to Shikama made its ill-omened appearance—my very own little fortress. Endou pulled the brim of his hat down low and began riding back and forth over a small stretch of road a few meters away from the entrance to my lodgings.
Shikama retreated to the shadows of a nearby temple gate and continued his observation. After some time, yours truly casually sauntered out of the apartment. I then began to make my way downhill toward the Betto intersection.
Endou circled around to follow me. Shikama followed, too, such that Shikama was now tailing Endou, who was tailing me.
“We followed you into the video shop in Takano,” Shikama explained. “While you were carefully pouring over the newest releases, Endou was staring at you from the other side of the racks, and I was one rack farther back, staring at him.”
“Wh-wh…? What?”
So that was the source of the intense staring I’d felt from within the pink labyrinth. The perpetrators were Endou and Shikama.
“As to the issue of which particular videos you selected in order to quell your inner beast that evening… Well, I’ll leave that point unaddressed. As a gentleman, it is my duty to pretend I did not see. Though actually, I did see.”
“Please endeavor to stay a gentleman.”
“Your rental complete, we saw you walk into the donut shop at the Takano intersection,” Shikama continued. “I must say, though, you really don’t fit the demographic. That donut shop is trying very hard to cultivate a bright, trendy atmosphere of youth, and your patronage isn’t doing it any favors.”
“Can we get on with the report, please.”
“After that, you headed back to your lodgings. Endou followed you as far as the intersection at Kitashirakawa and then headed home himself. And that’s it.”
Shikama sat grinning from ear to ear. I lit up a cigarette and sipped on my coffee. It was evening, so there weren’t many other customers seated inside. In fact, there was only one: another male student with textbooks spread out across his table like Shikama, listening to music as he focused intently on his studies.
I contemplated the things I’d just heard. I hadn’t exactly been wronged, but I felt very displeased about the whole ordeal.
“What’s his angle?” I asked.
“Beats me,” replied Shikama. “Maybe he’s got a crush on you. Anyway, now that you know how it feels to be on the other end, maybe you’ll be less inclined to stalking.”
You’re one to talk, I thought.
Shikama glanced out the window at Shirakawa Street. I followed his eyes and saw that snow had begun to fall. Several college girls were walking down the sidewalk, looking up at the sky and chattering excitedly. I felt miserably certain we’d be seeing a white Christmas this year.
Shikama interrupted my thoughts. “There’s one thing that still bothers me, though.”
“What’s that?”
He paused, then said, “No, I’ll not say it yet. I don’t want to jump to any conclusions.”