We've got a new chapter on our hands! In order to understand my translation decisions in this chapter, I'll need to explain something first, that being what an oni exactly is. Onis are typically translated as either ogres or demons, but neither suits them fully. Onis can be as brutish in action and appearance as ogres but are also tied directly to Hell in many stories, once you also add their unique characteristics, such as their penchant for alcohol and sometimes even protective status, it creates quite a different picture. That's why I'll keep oni untranslated, but do remember that onis are typically considered to be ogres, as that's the most common characterization of one in Japan as well. Also, I'll rewrite the preview here, for the sake of those who didn't read the previous post. Now, let's begin, shall we?
[In handwritten Kanji]
The insect-loving daughter does not appear to Man so much as a woman or as a demon.
I saw it. Hidden in the park's bushes...
A boy was playing alone. She came there, that woman...
"Let's go." The woman held out her hand to the boy.
"Let's go, together." The boy joined hands with the woman...
No, no, no. You can't go.
At that moment, I ended up seeing it... That person's eyes...
Those eyes... Scarlet red... just like blood...
"IS SOMEONE THERE?"
Metropolitan Police Department Unofficial Case Record A-11
"Oni"
Hospitals at dusk are so calm they bring me ear pain...
I stared at my leg. The white cast, which had only just been set, was already scribbled on everywhere.
At first, I believed it was just an ordinary kidnapping, but... I think back to the case that put me in this position.
Hardly a good memory, but an experience I will never forget.
I only had been working in the Police History Archival Office for a little more than 10 days.
My first case ended up with me being hospitalized with a broken leg.
Still, in that situation, I would say it's fortunate that I only suffered a broken bone. If it had been any worse, I might have lost my life.
Once discharged from the hospital, I'll be busy with reports and write-ups regarding this incident.
Before reaching that point, this might be a good time to clear my head.
In the past few days, I've been exposed to many things. Envy, jealousy, hatred, and various other negative emotions that human beings possess. I've learned that the smallest misalignment can pull people into darkness.
And, a little bit of hope... I was saddled with all of them, but my hand was not big enough.
When I close my eyes in this way, I can recall it vividly. What I saw that night...
That... that was, definitely...
[Fade to black]
The day after I was assigned to the Police History Archival Office. Mr. {Kogure} and I were stunned to find ourselves at our desks.
The chief of the Archival Office, Inspector {Ranko Indou}, is giving all her attention to the live horse race broadcast today. Does she even care to do her job?
"Sir, is this department really part of the police force? The Inspector doesn't seem to be doing her job at all, what is even going on?"
The diligent Mr. Kogure couldn't endure anymore and enquired with me.
"Indeed... Let's try asking the Inspector."
I walked up to the inspector, who was glued to the TV.
"Inspector, if possible, could you tell me what this department does...?"
After asking her, Inspector Indou glared at me as if to say, "What a tactless guy". It seems she's annoyed that I interrupted her horse race.
However, I won't be discouraged. First of all, I've done nothing wrong.
"Inspector, what are we supposed to do?"
I was assigned to this position, but I just can't seem to find anything to do.
I thought that the job of the Police History Archival Office would be to compile the history of the police, but the Inspector's demeanor suggests otherwise.
The shelves in the Office were filled with hundreds of files. However, the contents of these files were all incomprehensible and strange.
Even a cursory glance at the stories reveals only dubious things, such as "Turbo Granny", "Headless Rider", "Man-faced Dog", and other sightings that are at the level of children's gossip.
Although we had just recently experienced the mystery of the "Mr. Kokkuri Incident", we still weren't ready to accept everything that was here.
I've been asking the Inspector about what our job entails over and over since yesterday, but...
"...C'mon, no need to fret. For now, you need to feel at home." So she says, managing to deflect my question altogether.
Mr. Kogure and I were wasting time without finding what we should do.
I decided to---
⬢ >Try and pester the Inspector
>Make myself at home as she told me.
I'm sure everyone here wants to know what this place's about.
>Try and pester the Inspector
I decided to try to pester the Inspector.
"Inspector, what does the Police History Archival Office do?" I repeated the question I had asked so many times.
"You're persistent, hm? You wanna know that?"
"It's too soon."
"...Or not."
The Inspector looked at the Archival Office's door for a while and scratched her head before opening her mouth.
"Y'all've seen the files on the shelves, haven't you?"
"...What about them?" Mr. Kogure asked back with a suspecting stare.
"Don't you think those police reports are strange?"
Certainly, I wouldn't call them reports. They're just a collection of rumors. And rather silly ones at that.
"There're things in this world that cannot be explained by common sense. Well, you may not understand this yet, though. This department specializes in managing such cases. Of course, this is top secret, got it?"
"Things that cannot be explained by common sense... you say?" Mr. Kogure's expression changes like a litmus paper.
"That's not all. This is also the department that investigates such troublesome cases. But, y'see, it doesn't happen that often."
Is the Inspector serious? It's hard to believe that such a fake-sounding department actually exists."
If true, then we would have to constantly confront incidents that of "Mr. Kokkuri". That, at the very least, would be a living nightmare for Mr. Kogure.
"Hmm? What? You don't believe me? Well, alright. You'll find out soon enough..."
After ending her explanation, the Inspector put up her racing newspaper on her face and entered an afternoon nap.
"We're in trouble, sir..." Mr. Kogure looks at the napping Inspector and utters so at a complete loss.
"Honestly. What's wrong with this place..." I was bewildered, looking up at the slightly dirty ceiling.
[Phone rings]
As if to chastise us for spending the day doing nothing, the telephone bell on the desk began to ring.
The antique black phone makes the air tremble. "Hello, this is the Police History Archival Office."
"Lieutenant Kazami. How do you like your new workplace?"
From the receiver, the usual man's voice came through. He was the person that led us to the Archival Office, this mysterious man---
"You... who are you?"
"The same question again? Moreover, I was the one who asked a question first, wasn't I...?" The man said matter-of-factly.
It seems he's not planning on answering my questions.
"Let's cut to the chase. A child has been abducted."
"Abducted...!?" Hearing this word, Mr. Kogure turned his sharp gaze on me.
"Indeed. It's a kidnapping case. Accordingly, I want you to join the investigation."
"...Is it even possible for us to become part of this investigation?"
"You can ask for more details at the scene. Investigators are already gathering at the victim's house."
Once the man finished giving the address, he hung up the phone without waiting for my confirmation.
"...Sir, it was that man again, wasn't it?"
"Yeah. He said for us to join the investigation of a kidnapping case, but..." Is such a thing really possible?
"Did he give any other information?"
"I was told to ask at the scene for details." I doubt they would give me an honest answer even if I went to the site.
"Sir... Who could that man be?"
I was unable to answer that question. If I knew who that man was, I would have gone to him long ago with a complaint or two.
Mr. Kogure probably was aware of this. He didn't request a response from me.
"Sir, did this kidnapping case really happen?" This was another question I couldn't answer.
We can't find out the truth about the kidnapping and that man's goals just by waiting here. But what we can do now is---
I stood up and put on the suit that was hanging on the chair.
"At any rate, let's go there, Mr. Kogure. At least then we'll know if that man's words are true or not."
"Yessir! Souichirou Kogure, ready to accompany you anywhere!"
Before leaving the room, I gave a quick word to the napping inspector.
"Inspector. I'm going to go investigate a case. Is that all right?" Then, the Inspector waved her hand in a 'you're bothering me' manner. I guess that's more or less an OK sign.
"Well then, Lieutenant Kazami, leaving."
"Similarly, Sergeant Souichirou Kogure, going on the move!"
We saluted the Inspector, who was still sprawled out on the couch, and hurried toward the scene of the crime.
Just before closing the door to the Archival Office, I thought I heard the Inspector's voice, somewhat melancholic.
"...Good luck with your first job. Never lower your guard."
[Fade to black]
We used Mr. Kogure's private car to get to the crime scene.
In order to use a police car, we would need to submit a notice and have it accepted.
Thus, due to the time-consuming procedures, many people use their own cars or trains when traveling for investigations.
However, in the case of a kidnapping like this one, where we need to get to the scene as soon as possible, the usage request would need to be granted immediately.
...But, that doesn't mean we of the Archival Office won't fill in a formal investigation request.
Since we don't have the time to fill a usage request, which we knew wouldn't be accepted anyway, we chose to quietly go with Mr. Kogure's car.
Machida City, where the victim's house is located, is a suburban commuter town about an hour's drive from the Metropolitan Police Department.
"Sir, did you know there was a kidnapping case that happened in Machida?"
"No, I didn't. I guess they haven't gone public with the investigation yet."
Generally, the details of an investigation are not communicated to other departments. It's not uncommon for a member of the Metropolitan Police Department to be unaware of a case until it's announced by the media.
This is even more so regarding kidnapping cases, where public disclosure could result in the loss of human life.
For that reason alone, if this incident is indeed taking place, the man on the phone must be someone in a pretty high position.
"Sir, we're almost there." The view from the car window changed from clusters of office buildings to a lush suburban landscape.
The victim's home was located in a quiet residential area.
We parked our car in a vacant lot in the neighborhood and headed for the site.
Following the address given by the man on the phone, I arrived at a detached house, magnificent, but not to the extent of being called a mansion.
The nameplate read "Saitou". I looked around, but there was no sign of anyone who looked like an investigator.
Was that man's story a lie...?
A little nervous, I approached the front door.
"You two!" A man suddenly appeared from the shadow of a tree planted at the entrance.
"What's your business here?" The man shrugs, grabbing my arm.
The plainclothes officers were standing in a blind spot. They were hiding so that the perpetrator wouldn't know that investigators were gathering at the victim's house.
His words were true... We took out our police IDs and showed them to the plainclothes officer.
"We're police officers too. I'm Lieutenant Kazami. He is..."
"Sergeant Souichirou Kogure."
The plainclothes policeman instantly changed his attitude. He stood straight and steadfast, saluting crisply.
"Excuse my rudeness!"
"No, it's no issue. We were careless, too. ...Who, by the way, is the on-site commanding officer?"
"That would be Superintendent Innami." The plainclothes officer answers quickly, still saluting.
"Superintendent Innami... could you take me to him?" I need to meet the on-site commander at any rate.
"Yes! This way, please!" Thus, we were led into the Saitou house.
"Over there, that's {Superintendent Innami}." The plainclothes police officer pointed ahead to Inspector Innami. He's a detective from Investigative Division One, but this is the first time I've seen him face-to-face.
Investigative Division One is divided into 14 units, each of which has its own unique structure.
So it's not so surprising that I, who left Investigative Division One before a year elapsed, did not recognize his face.
Although we couldn't see it from the outside, there were many investigators inside the house. They looked at us suspiciously for our sudden appearance.
"Who are you people!?" We were bombarded by a weird, shrill, hysterical voice. Naturally, it was aimed at us.
He was a skinny man with a sharp glint in his eye. His cold expression and devious impression reminded me of a reptile. That was my first impression of Superintendent Innami.
Sitting opposite Superintendent Innami was a woman in her thirties. She was probably the victim's mother.
She seems very calm, even though her child was kidnapped...
I turned to face Superintendent Innami and saluted him. "I am Lieutenant Kazami. I have been instructed to assist the investigation in the capacity of the Police History Archival Office."
"Police History Archival Office, eh? Why don't I remember anything like that, huh!?" I knew this was coming.
"Oy, jurisdiction! Did you call these people!?" A timid-looking middle-aged man, who was wiping sweat off his face in a corner of the room, shook his head.
The detectives standing around us also replied, "We've never heard of them". Inspector Innami scowled at us.
"Well, I don't know about this Police History Archival Office, but we're the ones who've been assigned to this case. We don't need any more unnecessary voices!"
"B-but, Superintendent, sir! We've been instructed..." Mr. Kogure tried to persuade him.
"By whom!?"
"Eh...?"
"Who gave you these instructions!?"
"T-that's..." This is bad. There's no telling what will happen if we tell him we came here after hearing them from a mysterious man on the phone.
I decided to apologize and leave this place.
"Sorry. It seems we made a mistake. My apologies."
As we salute and try to escape, Inspector Innami's verbal abuse is hot on our heels.
"A mistake!? Are you making fun of me, you bastards!?"
"Kidnapping cases are delicate things, you hear me! Outsiders should leave! And don't show your faces to me ever again!"
I stopped Mr. Kogure from retorting. It was only natural for Innami to be angry. We're the ones who are at fault.
[Fade to black]
...However, what can we do now? A careless move would only put the victim in danger.
Now that we've been forced out of the scene, should we return to the Archival Office obediently...?
"What should we do now?" Mr. Kogure said in a timid voice that did not match his large frame.
"I'd like to complain to the man who directed us here, but I don't have his contact information... We may have to go back to the Archival Office and wait for further instructions..."
After I made such a negative proposal, I heard "You're Mr. Kazami, right? And that big guy must be Mr. Kogure."
The voice called me from behind. When I turned around, there stood a man with a strangely frivolous smile on his face.
Mr. Kogure steps forward as if to protect me. "Who are you!?"
"Jeez, have you already forgotten about me? I'm Doumyouji, Dou-myou-ji! We graduated from the police academy as {classmates}, remember?" The man who introduced himself as Doumyouji tapped Mr. Kogure on the shoulder as if he was an old {friend}.
"No, I don't. Show me your ID." Mr. Kogure uttered in a threatening tone.
He may not be able to handle ghost stories, but when it comes to human beings, there is no one more reliable.
The man, who introduced himself as Duomyouji, pulled out a police ID from the inside pocket of his suit and showed us its contents. The name {Akihiko Doumyouji} was written on it.
His rank is Sergeant. The photo is also his. There seems to be no doubt that he is a member of the police.
Doumyouji pointed to a nearby coffee shop as he continued to smile goofily.
"Let's have a little chat."
I was puzzled by the sudden invitation. Since he's here, he must be one of the investigators in this abduction case.
But what was he thinking inviting us, outsiders, to a coffee shop?
Whether to accept or decline Doumyouji's invitation---
>He's a suspicious man. Ignore him.
⬢ >I'm interested in his goals. Question him.
This man's not trustworthy, I want to see what happens if we decline him.
>He's a suspicious man. Ignore him.
He's quite dubious. We're probably better off not associating with him.
"Mr. Kogure, let's go."
"Y-yes, sir." We walk back to the car, ignoring the man who calls himself Doumyouji.
"Whaaat. I even brought a really good story with me. What a disappointment..." Doumyouji talked to himself, deliberately loud enough for us to hear.
"If we leave this as it is with Superintendent Innami, we'll never be able to save the {kidnap} victim, {Yuusuke Saitou}."
"---!?"
The moment I heard the word 'kidnap', I ended up turning my head to face him without thinking, seeing the grin he had while he spoke. This guy, what is he planning...?
"There's a coffee shop nearby. Is that place alright?" Without waiting for our reply, Doumyouji started walking.
Mr. Kogure and I had no choice but to follow, as if he was pulling our strings.
"Can I order a toasted sandwich?" Doumyouji, who was looking at the menu, looked up and asked.
"Why are you asking me?"
"Can't I get a treat?"
"Look here, you! Sir is above us in terms of rank! You need to show a little more respect..." Mr. Kogure tried to stand up, but I chided him before he could.
"I don't mind. Mr. Kogure, please order something. I'll be paying."
"M-mh, is that really okay, sir? ...Well, I'll accept your kind offer and order a strawberry parfait."
"Hehe, you always eat things that don't match you..." Doumyouji laughed with a smirk.
In response, Mr. Kogure excused himself with a slightly embarrassed look on his face, saying, "Sweet things help relieve fatigue".
"...Now then, Mr. Doumyouji, who exactly are you?" It was an odd feeling to ask a police officer like myself who he was.
"I'm a detective like you, 'sir'. I'm a subordinate of that snake-faced Superintendent Innami. For now at least..."
"Besides, I'm a fan of yours, 'sir'."
"...Fan?" This is the first time in my life that I've had a man or a woman call themselves my fan.
"I heard from a source about the "Mr. Kokkuri Case" at the Hanamine High School. It led to the Metropolitan Police Department releasing the most interesting case report ever."
"I thought the people from the MPD were all hard-headed, but... I was surprised to find out how interesting some of them are. I became a fan at once after hearing about you, 'sir'."
The waitress has just brought the dishes we ordered. She looked at me and Doumyouji with a puzzled expression on her face, perhaps having overheard what he had said.
Paying no heed to his surroundings, Doumyouji happily takes a bite of his toasted sandwich, saying, "Thank you for the meal".
He may seem frivolous at first glance, but I don't think he's lying.
"Then... What's your goal, Mr. Doumyouji?" I asked straight to the point.
Doumyouji put his toasted sandwich on the plate and responded with a serious face.
"I want to cooperate. For the sake of saving Yuusuke Saitou."
"Cooperate...?"
"I want you to personally investigate this case. If you help me, I'll tell you everything I know about the case." Doumyouji's eyes were as grave as a sword.
His faint, thoughtless smile had disappeared by now.
Even though we've been forced off the scene, the fact remains that there is an actual kidnapping going on. We want to do something about it, but...
"What do you think, Mr. Kogure?" Mr. Kogure, due to my sudden call, stopped chomping down on his parfait, choking on it a bit.
Then, wiping the cream from his mouth, he answered.
"As we are now, we don't have any clues related to this case. If we believe in his story, then I think this is a godsend."
There was a hint of hidden meaning in his words. I guess he feels the same way as I do. Under these circumstances, it's a little too good to be true.
But the fact remains that we have no way to join the investigation. After a brief period of hesitation, I answered.
"Understood. We'll help as much as we can. ...For the sake of saving the victim."
Doumyouji claps his hands in delight. "Thank goodness! I knew you would say so. Well then, let me give you an overview of the case---"
The incident's outline passes from Doumyouji's lips. As if he had practiced it many times, his tongue moves smoothly and without hesitation.
The abductee is Yuusuke Saitou (8). A second-year elementary schooler.
He lives with {Yukari Saitou}, his {mother}.
When I visited the Saitou house earlier, I saw a woman with a strangely calm expression on her face---I guess she was Yukari Saitou.
The incident occurred three days ago. The mother became suspicious when her son did not return from school after midnight and called the police.
Later, she received a phone call from a person who claimed to be the {kidnapper}, stating that they "had taken her child". The police determined that this was an abduction case and began the investigation.
Yukari Saitou owns a restaurant and is reasonably well off, she also says nobody holds a grudge against her.
Currently, the First Investigative Division is waiting at the Saitou's house in case a {ransom} demand is made, and are also looking for Yuusuke's whereabouts on the day of the kidnapping.
Doumyouji, who had been talking up a storm, bent forward and lowered his voice. "Here's the problem, sir..."
"I was canvassing around for sightings, you see... and I heard a strange rumor near where Yuusuke-kun was last seen..."
"A strange rumor...?" Mr. Kogure and I asked at the same time in return.
"A boy that was playing nearby said that he saw... an {oni}..."
"Huh...?" Just now, what did he say?
If I'm not mistaken, I think I heard "oni"...
"An oni, I tell you, an oni." Doumyouji repeated that same word again. I wonder if he read my mind from the expression on my face.
"O-oni...?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from cracking into falsetto.
As for the oni, is he talking about the ones from the old tales, those onis? With horns, wielding an iron club, and wearing tiger-patterned trousers, those onis...?
"Although I said oni, I don't mean the ones wearing tiger shorts, understand?"
Doumyouji saw through my childish idea and beat me to the punch.
"The oni took Yuusuke-kun by the hand and whisked him away... or so he said."
"Ha-ha-ha! Look what he's saying!" Mr. Kogure laughs so loudly at the serious Doumyouji that it echoes throughout the restaurant.
"I don't blame you for not believing me, but I don't think the boy told a {lie}."
Regardless of Mr. Kogure's laughter, Doumyouji's expression remained serious.
It seems that he isn't kidding around. Mr. Kogure must have noticed this. He looked apologetic, as if ashamed of having laughed.
Even for me, there is no way I can simply say, "Yes, I see".
However, I became more than a little interested in the word "oni" that he mentioned with such a serious look on his face.
"Um... Why do you think that witness boy called it an oni? Did it have any specific characteristics?" I enquired with Doumyouji to prompt a continuation.
"Let me see. It didn't seem to have horns, but they said it had a sickle as a weapon. And its eyes were as red as blood."
"...Red eyes... huh? But that alone can't be used to declare someone an oni..."
"Yeah, I think so too. However, that boy's panic wasn't normal... No matter how many times his parents told him he probably mistook it, he kept saying, 'That was an oni!' "
"I don't think someone could become that frightened after seeing a simple human being. ...Look, they say children can see things adults can't, don't they? Just maybe..."
Mr. Kogure's face began to turn pale, so I changed the subject. "Are there any other similar testimonies out there?"
"Nope. That's the only testimony in which the suspect's face was seen. There are several testimonies describing a woman taking Yuusuke-kun away by hand... But only this witness claimed the suspect to be an oni."
"A woman? This oni was a woman?"
"As I expected of you, sir. You hit the nail on the head. That's right. That oni seemed to be a woman."
"T-there's no chance he mistook her, you say!? Personally, that's totally unbelievable...!" Mr. Kogure glares at Doumyouji.
"Of course, that's usually what one would think. I reported it to Superintendent Innami, and sure enough..."
" 'That's just some kid's lie so he can stand out! Get rid of such a stupid testimony!' That's what he yelled at me. Hahaha"
That's a natural reaction. I, too, was scolded by the Chief during the Mr. Kokkuri case.
It's not uncommon to receive a lot of false eyewitness reports. When a bounty is offered for testimony, for example, the investigative team is often swayed by unreliable eyewitness testimonies.
It's part of a detective's repertoire to find the truth in such cases, but I wish people refrained from doing so if possible.
"It's just a hunch. Call it detective's intuition." He said jokingly, but his expression was as serious as ever.
"The boy who testified... his name's {Ryou Kobayashi}-kun, he was seriously scared...of the oni, of course. I don't believe he was lying."
"Superintendent Innami is a hard-headed, inflexible fellow. All he cares about is getting ahead in life. He won't take any oni-witnessing testimony seriously."
"Makes sense. I wouldn't take it seriously too." If they had to scrutinize each and every testimony of that sort, they wouldn't be able to go on investigating.
I can understand that. But, even so...
Whether or not the culprit is an "oni", the testimony stating they were a woman is worthy of further inquiry. I wonder what Superintendent Innami thought about that?
"I wanted to go ahead with the investigation along the 'oni' line but I couldn't proceed because Superintendent Innami assigned me to another case. Still, I don't feel good about ignoring the oni testimony..."
"So, you want us to, uh... investigate the oni. Is that correct?"
"You've saved me by settling this quickly. Just as you'd expect from you, sir. In the Mr. Kokkuri case, you guys didn't ignore the hard-to-believe facts and proceeded with the investigation, and I highly value that."
"Kobayashi-kun's testimony may not be very credible. But if something were to happen to Yuusuke-kun because I ignored it, I would have nothing but regrets."
Doumyouji bowed his head with his hands on the table. "Please, sir! Could you please investigate it yourself!?"
I had thought of him as a strangely frivolous man, but it seems I was wrong in that perception. He may be flippant in some ways, but his sense of justice in wanting to help the victim is genuine.
To be honest, in this day and age, it would be crazy to believe such an outlandish story about an oni kidnapping a child. But, what if there was some truth to that testimony...?
Even I'm not ready to believe in the existence of onis at this stage. However, all legitimate channels to participate in the investigation have been closed despite my wishes.
But, what we can do now is identify who the 'demon' that was witnessed by that boy is.
Then I wouldn't have any conflicts with Superintendent Innami, at least for the time being. From the start, there was no way I could easily join the official investigation.
We were just at a loss as to how to join the investigation, for that matter, Doumyouji's offer--- Is something we have no reason to refuse.
"Mr. Kogure. Is this alright with you?"
"Eh? I-I..." Mr. Kogure looked troubled by the sudden call.
Oni--- That word's unmistakably stuck in his head.
Still, Mr. Kogure thought for a moment, then clenched his fists and declared.
"O-of course! We will definitely arrest the abominable criminal who kidnapped Yuusuke-kun!"
No matter how scared he is, Mr. Kogure is still a detective. He knows when to be afraid and when not to run away. Doumyouji was relieved to know our decision.
"Thank goodness~. I was afraid you would refuse. Of course, I'll help you as much as I can. Please call me on my cell phone if you need anything."
He wrote his cell phone number on a coaster and presented it to me.
Well then, with this, our way to have a hand in this case has been settled. That's all well and good, but here comes the problem. Is there anything we can ask from Doumyouji while he's here?
What to Ask of Doumyouji
Doumyouji said he was assigned to another case. So, he likely doesn't have any more information.
If that's the case---
>There's nothing more I can ask.
>No, there's still something I should ask.
I feel like we can still get some more from him.
>No, there's still something I should ask.
What could I ask of Doumyouji...?
>Ask for more details about the situation. (Conclusion)
>An introduction to someone who knows more about the situation.
Considering the line we got before the questions, I don't think we'll get much of anything useful.
>An introduction to someone who knows more about the situation.
Who could I talk to obtain more clues...?
>The victim's mother. (Conclusion)
>Superintendent Innami.
There's no need to explain this choice.
>The victim's mother. (Conclusion)
"I'd like to try and meet with the victim's mother, however..." I attempted to request a meeting from Doumyouji.
Doumyouji groaned and said with a difficult face, "That's hard with Superintendent Innami stationed at the scene..."
Certainly, I don't think it'll be possible while that superintendent's there.
"But you can't proceed without hearing about the victim, right? ...Understood. If I find an opening where you can talk with her, I'll call you. Please wait here for the moment."
Having said that, Doumyouji stood up with a voucher in his hand.
"Ah, Mr. Doumyouji..."
"Don't worry, I'll be paying. That was what I was gonna do from the start." After paying the bill, Doumyouji walked away at a brisk pace.
"What's your impression, Mr. Kogure?"
"I thought he was a suspicious guy... but maybe he's not so bad after all."
"I guess so... To be honest, I was at a loss as to how we were going to join the investigation. He's an indispensable collaborator for us now."
But is it really enough just to wait for Doumyouji to contact me?
Mr. Kogure pecks at his strawberry parfait with a serious face.
I decide to---
>Investigate onis.
>Wait for Doumyouji's call.
Let's get a bigger understanding of onis, shall we?
>Investigate onis.
It's not in my nature to just sit around and wait. Let's use this time to find out about onis.
Presently, all my knowledge of onis has been accumulated from my childhood, when I had beans thrown at me and was exterminated by Momotarou.
[This is a reference to two oni-related children's games, the first is more of a tradition, where, during the Spring festival, a person pretends to be an oni and has beans (believed to have an oni-repulsing effect due to wordplay) thrown at them, the other a play-pretend reenactment of Momotarou's folk tale, a very famous Japanese hero]
We use many sayings related to oni in our daily lives, such as "a metal club to an oni (to make something strong even stronger)" and "a tear in the oni's eyes (even the hardest of hearts can be moved to tears)", but if you think about it, you realize again that you know basically zero stories about onis.
It would be good to know at least a little about onis for any future investigations.
I decided to ask a professional in that trade to teach me.
"Sir, who are you calling?"
"My brother. I think we should know more about onis and such beforehand."
"I see. This sort of knowledge would be in Mr. Kirisaki's area of expertise, wouldn't it?"
However, only a robotic female voice came through the cell phone.
---Unable to call due to being out of range or lack of power---
How weird. I wonder what's going on? At this hour, he should be at the university...
Suspicious, I continued by contacting the university's executive office.
<<Professor Kirisaki is attending a conference in the U.S. starting today.>> I didn't hear anything about that.
<<It will take a week before he returns.>> No wonder there was no signal. I appropriately thanked the clerk and hung up the phone.
"A swing and a miss, huh..." Shamefully, we're now stuck in limbo.
[Ring ring]
About time. My cell phone rang. The display showed what I had read just a while ago, Doumyouji's number.
"Sir, could you come to the victim's house? Superintendent Innami isn't here right now. You should be able to meet the mother!"
"Alright. We're going right away!"
"Mr. Kogure! It looks like we'll be able to meet with her!" I could not contain my excitement and rushed Mr. Kogure.
"Y-yes, sir! Understood!"
Mr. Kogure lifted the parfait cup and downed it in one gulp as if he were drinking beer.
[Fade to black]
Either way, see you next time!
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