Natsumi looked at the physicist with amazement. “That’s your idea of fun?”
Several more teams marched past. When the parade first started, there had been fewer teams and their costumes had been less elaborate. Now, with every passing year, there were more teams and their costumes were ever more magnificent and extravagant.
“The next team’s the last one. It’s time for Team Kikuno!” said Natsumi, after consulting the program.
They could hear music in the distance. The applause and cheers seemed to be even louder than before.
It wasn’t long before they caught sight of a large object coming toward them. Straining for a look, Natsumi was startled to see a ship — or rather, a large float decked out to look like an old wooden sailing ship. A number of pirates stood on the deck.
The ship was followed by a giant map showing the location of the hidden treasure, and the map was followed in turn by a number of treasure chests. The lids of the chests had been flung open and they were overflowing with jewels and gold coins. People in pirate costumes were by turns pushing the treasure chests and dancing around them.
No sooner had the ship come to a stop in the middle of the intersection than the pirates started fighting one another, both on and around it. They must have rehearsed exhaustively, because the whole thing went like clockwork. The noise of the treasure chests crashing against one another was tremendous.
Once the skirmish was over, the pirates resumed the parade. Some of them were clearly out of breath.
After the pirates passed by, an enormous blue inflatable appeared to the accompaniment of music. It was the theme song of the parade, and the composer was none other than Naoki Niikura.
“What the heck is that?” Yukawa asked. “That monster frog thing?”
Natsumi bristled. The professor was referring to the giant inflatable.
“It may look like a frog, but it’s actually an imaginary creature. The things that look like eyeballs are its ears, while the things that look like nostrils are its eyes. It’s a PR mascot specially created for this parade. Its name is Kikunon. For the last four years, it’s been the grand finale of the parade.”
“Huh. Kikunon, you said? Inflating that must be quite a task,” Yukawa said, sounding rather unimpressed.
The inflatable was about thirty feet in length. Since it was full of helium, it was lighter than air. Several people were marching underneath, holding guy ropes attached to its body to prevent it from floating away.
“Well, that’s it for this year.” Natsumi climbed down from her stool, keeping her eyes on the inflatable as it disappeared into the distance. When she checked the time on the screen of her phone, she saw it was a little after three.
“It will be about two hours before they announce the results. I wonder who’ll win this year. You saw all the floats, Professor. Which one did you like best?”
Yukawa started fiddling with his phone. Natsumi guessed he was looking over the video footage he had taken.
“They were all great. For me, personally, I liked Heidi, a Girl of the Alps best.”
“Heidi, a Girl of the Alps? A team did that?”
“They’d made this giant swing. I was impressed. I mean, you need guts to climb on something like that.”
Natsumi frowned and tilted her head to one side. She couldn’t really picture it.
She was about to ask the professor for a better description, when her phone started to vibrate. The number of Namiki-ya’s landline appeared on the screen.
“Hello,” she said.
“Natsumi, where are you? Right now, I mean?” Machiko asked.
“Let me see... We’re at the intersection on Fourth. The parade’s just finished.”
“In that case, can you get back here as fast as you can? We’re in trouble.”
“Why? What’s happened?” Natsumi felt a sudden surge of fear.
“One of our customers has been taken ill.” Machiko’s reply took her completely by surprise.
“A customer?”
“Yes, that lady who came in at the last minute. The plump one.”
Natsumi remembered her. “Oh, the woman who ordered the fried oysters?”
“That’s the one. She had her lunch, went to the bathroom — and then didn’t come out for ages. When she did, she said she had an awful stomachache.”
“You think she got a bad oyster?”
“They’d all been properly cooked, so, no, I don’t think it was that. Anyway, we thought she should go to the hospital. Your father drove her there.”
“How terrible.”
“Can you get back as fast as you can? I want to go to the hospital to see how she’s getting on, but there’s a stew I need to slow-cook on the stove for this evening.”
“Okay.”
Natsumi ended the call and explained the situation to Yukawa. He blinked behind his glasses.
“That’s not good. You’d better get going. I’ll bring both stools around to the restaurant later.”
“Really? Thanks, that’s so kind of you. Catch you later, then.” Natsumi dashed off.
Machiko was ready to leave by the time Natsumi got to the restaurant. “Any new developments?” Natsumi asked.
“I’ve no idea,” said her mother, “but I’m going to go to the hospital, anyway. The gas is on, so just leave the casserole in, okay? Oh and, sorry, but while you’re at it, could you finish the washing up?”
Then she left.
There was a big pile of dirty dishes and cooking utensils in the kitchen. Natsumi sighed and reached for her apron, which was hanging on the wall.
Two hours later, Yutaro and Machiko returned. They both looked rather gloomy, so Natsumi assumed the news was bad. When she inquired, however, Machiko told her that it hadn’t been anything serious.
“The lady was moaning and groaning all the time your father was driving her to the hospital, but she started to feel better soon after. By the time I got to the hospital, she’d already seen the doctor and was quite relaxed about the whole thing. She just felt out of sorts, that’s all. She apologized for the trouble she caused us.”
“Well, that’s good news. I was worried it might be food poisoning.”
“Tell me about it. I wonder what was wrong with her, though.” Machiko waggled her head from side to side.
“I didn’t recognize her face. Does she come here often?”
“No,” said Machiko, shaking her head. “I think it was her first time here. Your father says he hasn’t seen her before, either.”
“What’s her name?”
“Yamada, she said,” murmured Yutaro. “Anyway, thank goodness it was nothing serious.” He went into the kitchen. The whole episode must have been pretty nerve-racking for him. He seemed quite shattered.
A text came to Natsumi’s phone. It was from Yukawa. He was asking how things were.
She sent him a reply: Everything’s fine.
They opened the restaurant at half past five. Natsumi was just switching the sign around from CLOSED to OPEN, when she heard a voice behind her. “Perhaps I’m a bit too early?” Yukawa was standing there, holding the two stools.
“Your timing’s perfect. Thanks for bringing back the stools.” She slid open the door and gestured for Yukawa to go in. “After you.”
“Good to hear that your customer was okay in the end,” he said, as he sat himself down.
“Oh, tell me about it. I was terrified that the health and safety people were going to be jumping all over us.”
“Food poisoning is a matter of life and death for a restaurant,” Yukawa said, then he raised a finger. “I’ll start with a beer. Then I’ll have—”
“The takiawase, right? Got it.” Natsumi placed a cool towel on the table in front of him and went into the back of the restaurant.