Oh, why me, why me?
Catching herself just before the murmur slipped out, Satsuki bit her lip.
Lately—or for the past four months, actually—she’d been in low spirits. She had to update her blog before the end of the day, but even booting up her computer seemed like too much work.
It was all because of Ryousuke, her husband.
“What brand would be best for the bassinet?”
For an expecting couple, it should have been a perfectly harmless subject.
However, Ryousuke had answered in an exasperated sigh: “I’m tired. Can’t this wait?” When Satsuki had opened the catalog anyway, he told her, “Just get whichever one you want,” a defeated look across his face.
“You do understand that you’re going to be a father, don’t you?”
She hadn’t meant to, but she’d found herself reproaching him.
However, his response had made her doubt what she was hearing.
“Going to be a what again? Of course I don’t.”
In that moment, her beloved husband had looked like an unfamiliar monster to her.
That had been late last night.
Now Satsuki was alone in their three-bedroom condo. Her unease had been growing by the day, and it weighed heavily on her. For what felt like the millionth time, she sighed.
It really didn’t look as if she was going to be able to post that update. The version of her all those people saw online needed to be happier than anyone else, and yet…
“I need a distraction.”
If she recalled, a café had just opened in front of the station. If all went well, she might be able to write her blog post on that. After all, once the baby came, she wouldn’t be able to just step out for tea anymore.
I would really rather go with Ryousuke, though.
Shaking off the haze that blanketed her heart, she put extra effort into getting ready. Selecting a brand-new cashmere dress and coat, she put on her favorite pair of pumps. Her lipstick was also a new color, just purchased.
When she left through the building’s front entrance, a shockingly red evening sun had dyed the sky in ominous shades, and an uncomfortable sense of déjà vu swept over her. The sunset seemed to be burning down the sky from the horizon. Hadn’t it been just like this when she’d wandered into that odd mansion?
“Huh?”
The next thing she knew, she’d lost her way again.
Up ahead was a tunnel overgrown with Japanese ivy, still green even in the dead of winter. If she kept going this way, she’d reach that European-style house and its peculiar residents.
No. I don’t want this.
She almost turned to go back on reflex, but she stopped herself.
Even if she tried to retrace her steps, she didn’t know how she’d gotten here. Once night fell, it was bound to get colder. She wanted to avoid getting too bad a chill, for her sake and her child’s. Paying a second visit to that house might be her only option…even if it meant seeing that boy again.
“Welcome. I’ve been expecting you.”
A voice that sounded a little like birdsong invited Satsuki into the study.
Languid sunset light tinted the whole room crimson. The boy’s white kimono had looked like a burial robe already, but now it even looked dyed with blood.
Naturally, she hadn’t come here on anyone’s invitation, but the moment Satsuki heard the boy speak, she felt certain she’d been summoned.
“Please, make yourself comfortable,” he said brightly, and in the blink of an eye, teacups appeared in front of them. Feeling as if she were acting out a script, Satsuki took a seat in one of the chairs.
The boy’s assistant sat in the remaining chair.
Although his facial features weren’t bad at all, the young man’s hair looked like he’d just rolled out of bed. That and his vague eyes dragged his first impression down to the level of “comedian.” He looked like someone who would take the hard route through life; it reminded Satsuki of her former lover.
“By the way, I’ve discovered who sent those malicious emails.” The unexpected voice was almost insolently cheerful.
Immediately, Satsuki’s temper flared. She stood up. “That’s enough! That matter is over and done wi—”
“Junya Sakuma. Your ex-fiancé.”
A piece of paper slid across the tablecloth to her: a copy of a newspaper article, dated four months ago.
A corpse was found hanging by the neck in an abandoned house in the city. It was reported to the police by a man and woman who’d entered the site as a test of courage. The corpse belonged to a man between twenty and thirty years of age, and death seemed to have occurred several days previously. No suicide note was found. Police are working to identify the individual and his exact cause of death, as well as to determine any motives.
“This corpse belonged to Junya,” the boy said impassively.
Satsuki just stood there frozen, speechless. How on earth had he identified him?
“Junya suffered from depression after dropping out of college, so he retreated to his parents’ house and seldom left. A few months ago, his parents forced him to leave their home, and overcome with negative thoughts about his future, he hanged himself.”
“It’s his own fault. What he’d done came back to haunt him. That’s all.”
“Do you really think so?” the boy pressed.
Satsuki blinked in an exaggerated way. “Yes, I do.”
She couldn’t hide the quiver in her voice. Trying to calm herself down, she picked up her teacup. The tea had been brewed so strong that it was almost the color of blood.
She probably shouldn’t drink it; the caffeine might harm the fetus. However, right now, she was desperate to divert her attention from the boy, even though she still needed to question him closely to find out exactly what and how much he knew about her.
Huh?
Something was reflected in the liquid’s surface: An old woman hanging by the neck above Satsuki, gazing down at her with hollow eyes. As soon as she saw it, Satsuki screamed and sprang to her feet.
Ka-thunk.
She’d dropped her teacup, and a red stain spread over the carpet like blood.
“Wh-what was that?!”
“My, whatever’s the matter? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
I need to get out of here, Satsuki thought. She had to run from this boy, right now. Her first mistake had been thinking she’d be able to leave this house without something happening to her.
“Oh, before you go, take a look at this photograph if you would.” The boy held out a smartphone.
For some inexplicable reason, she found herself looking at a photo filled with memories for her.
It had been taken during a seminar camping trip. They were cleaning up after a barbecue, and Junya was taking notes, his smartphone wedged between his shoulder and his ear, a soapy sponge in one hand. From what she remembered, the call had been from his part-time job. All he’d had to do was say he’d call them back, and yet… That awkwardness of his had been charming, and she remembered not being able to resist teasing him about it.