“I just want to do it perfectly. That’s for your sake, too. You want the money, don’t you? You want revenge on the Katsuragis, don’t you?”
“Yes. But I don’t want to dawdle.”
“We’re not dawdling. We’re just being careful. Because, after all, this is Katsutoshi Katsuragi.”
“When are you doing it?”
“Why are you being so impatient? There’s no need for haste. The ace of spades is in our hands. We’ll choose the right time and obtain the money in a secure way.”
Juri shook her head vigorously. Her shortly cropped hair went wild. “You might be having fun thinking of this as a game, but put yourself in my shoes, too. I don’t want this tension anymore. I want to be able to relax.”
Shouting those words, Juri rushed into the bedroom. Her reaction felt sudden to me. I understood her feelings, but I didn’t see why a wave of emotion had surged forth now.
When I went into the bedroom, Juri was lying prone on the bed. I sat down next to her and stroked her recently dyed hair. She’d been so bold in showing me her ’do, so what was with this change?
Juri’s hand came around to my back. I silently lay down on my side. Then my body covered hers.
“Hug me tight,” she murmured. “The only time we can be together is now.”
—
Indulging in sex was ridiculous. I understood that, but how had I come to think fondly of this girl who was using my armpit as a pillow?
The only time we can be together is now—that was true. After we successfully completed this game, we would never meet again. We couldn’t do something so dangerous. That had been my intention since the beginning.
But it bugged me now. Frankly speaking, I was starting to want to extend my time with her. It wasn’t just that. I was thinking of ways not to part with her even after scoring the ransom.
What’s gotten into you, Shunsuke Sakuma? You weren’t that kind of man.
The next morning when I woke up, Juri wasn’t next to me. Instead, the smell of coffee wafted through the air.
When I peeked from the bedroom doorway, Juri was going back and forth between the dining table and kitchen. There were already several dishes resting on top of the table.
I took the digital camera resting on the cabinet, and from the door’s gap, aimed it at her. It was right when she was carrying a tray. I pressed the shutter, making sure the flash wouldn’t go off. She didn’t notice. When I checked on the camera display, it was somewhat dim, but she was captured beautifully. I opened the cover right there and took out the memory card.
“Are you up?”
Juri approached, apparently having heard me sneaking around. I quickly returned the camera to the cabinet. The card remained gripped in my hand.
The door opened and Juri came in. I was standing right next to the door, so she looked surprised.
“What, were you up?”
“I just woke up. It looks like you prepared breakfast for me.”
“Because I’m a freeloader. I need to give back a little. And we’d get tired with just cream stew.”
When Juri turned her back to me, I seized the chance and slipped the card into the inner pocket of a jacket hung up nearby.
Ham, eggs, vegetable soup, toast, and coffee made up the menu. It wasn’t what you’d call cooking, but considering the contents of the refrigerator, she couldn’t have done any better.
“It’s like I’m a married man,” I tried and mumbled the words after taking a bite of toast.
“Why aren’t you married?”
“Well. Me, I want to know why people do get married. I can’t possibly swear to spend my entire life with someone I’m bound to get tired of.”
“But that person, at least, will stay by your side. No matter how ugly of an old man you become, you won’t be alone.”
“In exchange, no matter how ugly of an old woman she becomes, I have to stay by her side. And sooner or later, you’re alone. Whether you’re married or not, it’s the same.”
“But wouldn’t you have your kids? Even if your spouse passes away, your family would still be there.”
“Is that right? Look at me,” I pointed at my chest with my fork. “I have parents. But I’m living alone like this. I haven’t called them in years. Is a son like that family to his parents? It’s as good as not having me.”
“Even if you’re not home, they know you’re somewhere. Maybe your parents are satisfied with just that. Maybe they enjoy just imagining the kind of life you’re leading.”
I snorted and brought the coffee to my mouth. She looked at me as if to say, What’s so funny about that?
“I didn’t think you’d be telling me about the importance of family.”
Juri cast down her eyes. I’d poked her where it hurt.
I crushed the egg yolk and mixed it with the ham, then put it in my mouth.
“Why don’t you talk to your parents?” she asked, still facing down.
“I have no business with them—that’d be the most accurate way to put it. They’re just a nuisance to me. Sometimes I get a boring call about clerical stuff and once that bit is over, we have nothing left to discuss.”
“Where’s your family home?”
“It’s in Yokohama. Around Motomachi.”
“That’s a nice area.”
“Girls always say that. Walking around there on your boyfriend’s arm and being born and raised there are different things.”
“Do they have some kind of store?”
“My father was an ordinary white-collar worker. Nothing to do with the Motomachi shopping street at all.”
“Is your father still working?”
I shook my head. “Actually, he died. When I was in elementary school.”
“Oh…I see.”
“My parents got divorced. I was taken in by my father. But he died of illness so I was returned to my mother. At the time she was back at her family’s house, so I lived with them.”
That household ran a furniture store. It was a pretty famous store locally. My grandfather and grandmother were in good health and living with their oldest son’s family. So my mother and I had joined them. My mom helped with the shop and also handled the housework. I never felt unwanted there at the house my mother had been raised in. It wasn’t just my grandparents who were affectionate toward me, but also the eldest son and his wife. They had a daughter and son, and neither treated me like a freeloader.
“But I noticed eventually. It was a manufactured peace.”
“What do you mean?”
“In the end, my mom and I were just a nuisance for them. Of course we were. A divorced woman with a child living with them indefinitely, family or not, was a nuisance. In particular, I wasn’t related by blood to my aunt, so no wonder she was annoyed. She didn’t show it clearly on the surface, but you sense that sort of thing. When I really watched her, though, I saw that we weren’t the only ones she was two-faced with. My aunt was a rock-solid person who was also a gifted businesswoman. The one managing that store wasn’t really my uncle but my aunt. The employees trusted her more, too. That made her confident. She didn’t just stay behind the scenes and bossed around her husband and father-in-law. I don’t think my grandparents found it amusing. They were trying to find a way to reinstate their wobbly son. But this uncle of mine was really worthless. If he came across a bothersome situation, he hid behind his wife. It must have been frustrating for my grandparents, but they’d retired. If their daughter-in-law was maintaining the store, even if they hated it, they had to be civil. Thanks to all that, various vibes swirled in that big family.”
In concluding my lengthy response, I added, “Boring stuff.”