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Interlude 2, Chapter 5-13: Sakura’s Friend Emi, Encountering a Mysterious Man in the Houjou Family’s Former House Site
Interlude 2, Chapter 5-13: Sakura’s Friend Emi, Encountering a Mysterious Man in the Houjou Family’s Former House Site
Interlude 2, Chapter 5-13: Sakura’s Friend Emi, Encountering a Mysterious Man in the Houjou Family’s Former House Site
Translator: Yukkuri Oniisan
Editor: SoChintzy
Hmm… hmm, ah this area is so nostalgic. Maybe I can stop over for a bit.?(Emi)
A black kei-car travelled down a two-lane road, but then turned and entered a country road. The bent down ears of rice that were ready to be harvested painted a beautiful golden color by the side of the road.
?Ooh! As expected, this season is beautiful. The feeling from the Japanese fields! Even though this is the prefectural capital……?(Emi)
Hahaha, Emi made a feeble laugh. She was just on the way back from a tea party, or otherwise known as a complaining convention, with her fellow mothers of her child’s kindergarten schoolmates. She choose this road to enjoy the scenery and also to visit the Houjou Family’s former house site.
?Let me see, the Houjou Family’s house is a vacant plot of land as ever…… Eh??(Emi)
Certainly the Houjou Family’s former house site was still a vacant plot like usual without any changes.
However, somehow there was a car parked at that location and a tent being set up as well.
If she observed carefully, she could see several luggages piled up next to the car.
?Eh? Eeeh? What is this??(Emi)
Emi stopped the car in front of the Houjou Family’s former house site and with a clank, she exited the car. Her hand was clutching her smartphone, already set to make a call to 110. Yuuji should learn a thing or two from her wariness. Well, this is the strength of a mother.
?Excuse me, is anyone there? This is the property of my friend.?(Emi)
?Ah, I am sorry for being suspicious.?(Gunji)
A cool voice answered Emi’s timid shout. It was as if the voice was deliberately made to calm other people.
One man exited from the tent.
His age was perhaps around 50, but he wore a neat suit. Rather than calling his hair grizzled white, it was better to refer it as a lack of black hair. He had pointed metal framed glasses that increased his impression of neatness. It stuck out like a sore thumb.
If she observed carefully, on his back was a big rucksack. On his feet were sneakers for walking. It was as if he was a New Yorker of a previous era.
?I am Gunji who serves as Sakura Flores-san’s attorney. I have permission to enter the Houjou Family property from Sakura Flores-san.?
The man called himself a suspicious person without being panicked.
However, Sakura’s friend Emi couldn’t just believe him.
Naturally.
?Ah, hello Sakura, how are you? Hm, so I was like, going to Sakura’s house, but there is this strange ojii-san on the vacant land……?(Emi)
?????????????????
?Ah, Sakura-san. Yes, this is Gunji. Yes, yes. About the matter? Your friend is beside me…… Yes, I understand. Then, I have already sent the email several days ago and have settled the matter with the water, gas, and electricity company. Yes. Then, I had also mentioned it in the mail, about the police’s missing person search, please consider whether or not to submit it to them. If he is missing for 7 years, then it is possible to do various legal procedures even in Yuuji-san’s absence. Of course we can cancel it if he returns to this place. Yes, yes. Then I will give it back to Emi-san. Emi-san, I am sorry, since I am using it for matters unrelated to you, I will reimburse the call charge.?(Gunji)
?Ah, Sakura, sorry, I will call you later! Gunji-sensei, the call charge is alright to me! I am sorry to be suspicious of you.?(Emi)
?Ah, no, I don’t mind it. Of course you will think of me as a suspicious person. Perhaps I should greet the neighbors……?(Gunji)
Emi finally understood the mysterious person’s true identity after making a call to Sakura, in addition to the suspicious person conversation with Sakura. While giving a deep bow, she apologized for her rudeness. Although in this case, Emi’s conduct was natural.
?Then…… What are Lawyer-sensei doing in such a garb? Furthermore, this tent and this cardboard……?(Emi)
Although the identity of the man was cleared, it didn’t mean that she understood everything. Looking at her surroundings, Emi began to ask questions one after another.
?Ah about that. Are you aware that it seems the Houjou Yuuji-san is in another world??(Gunji)
?Yes, I am the one who informed Sakura about this and I also watched over the bulletin board…… Eh??(Emi)
The serious looking man in his 50’s wearing a suit was asking about the facts
Furthermore, the tent and the mountain of cardboard located at the house’s former site.
In accordance with the bad road conditions, a SUV manufactured domestically had been heavily modified into an armored vehicle.
Then, a large rucksack that he hadn’t set down even until now.
Somehow or another, Emi could guess the reason why that man was in this place.
?I have heard that Yuuji-san, the house site including the gate and the hedge and the house itself had been transported to another world. Then, I began questioning, would objects placed in this place be transported to another world? The result is the objects are still in this place even after several days passed. Next I am thinking that it might need a presence of a person or it will be a failure, so I am staying in this place to test this.?(Gunji)
Just like what Emi had guessed. This man called Gunji, believed that Yuuji went into another world and was examining what conditions needed to travel to another world.
?Umm…… When you said you were staying in this place, does that mean that Gunji-san wants to go to another world??(Emi)
Large rucksack in his back and sneakers on his feet. Just by seeing this, she could half-guess the answer, but Emi still asked further.
?The result is that I couldn’t go to another world. Even though I have tried staying numerous times in this place. Then, I thought about trying to stay on the same day when Yuuji-san seemed to be transported to another world and also the day before and the day after .?(Gunji)
?Say, I think that’s okay, but…… Um…… What about your family??(Emi)
In front of a man with an appearance of someone who overflowing with common-sense, although his conduct was lacking in common sense instead, Emi didn’t have her usual sprightliness.
?It’s alright. My son is already a working man, and my wife has already passed away.?(Gunji)
Gunji spoke while casting down his sight towards the ground with a hint of loneliness.
?No, umm, you avert your eyes when lying right??(Emi)
However, Emi didn’t get deceived. A mother is strong.
?Isn’t this alright? My son is already independent, I have finished all my work. I want to go. Another world. It’s been my dream since olden times.?(Gunji)
As expected, this is Gunji’s true intention.
However, it seems to be a fact that the people or objects couldn’t go to another world from the Houjou Family’s former house site.
Alright, I will post this is in the verification thread, was what Emi decided.
But it seems that this woman is already too late.
No, it seems that Emi and Gunji are already too late.