abcnovels
Chapter 43: Trade
Chapter 43: Trade
Chapter 43: Trade
I continued to eat my curry as I recalled what I said, constantly thinking if I went too far. At the same time, I felt that was fine. The producer’s response was okay, so I shouldn’t be worried. I warned myself in my heart as I nibbled on a piece of Fukujinzuke1.
Right now, I’m enjoying my lunch break in the cafeteria. The Sumire TV studio has a cafeteria open for general public and a staff canteen for staff only, with the latter usually used by staffs and TV stars. Obviously, I too use the staff canteen. With just 300 to 500 yen, you can get food that can fill your stomach, so I’m quite thankful for it. The food is also not bad, it’s pretty delicious, but the meat they serve is huge. I heard that advertising revenue is declining, but I could only think that they’re using nothing but expensive ingredients in the cafeteria. I wonder if they’re being peppered questions about cost reduction or whatnot. Honestly, it’s quite a luxury.
As I thought of that, I took out my smartphone.
I opened the messaging app and sent a message to King Leo.
[There should be a boy named Saeki in your middle school years. One that was said to be absent from school from the second year. Tell me his address if you know. Rough estimate of the location is fine. If you don’t know, can you ask your former classmates?]
Pretty sure they’re also in a lunch break, so his reply should come quickly.
Spaced out looking at the hallway as I drank my cup of water, the notification sound rings.
[Saeki? Ya looking for him?]
[Yeah. Do you know about his address and first name?]
[It was Saeki Yuuta or something. Idk his address. Never hung out with him anyways. Ah, but I remembered. He got a little sister the same age as Rio. Might know each other.]
[You think Rio knows where she lives? Go ask.]
I smiled bitterly, remembering this guy can’t do formal language at all. I get that he’s a delinquent hence his brash language, but I don’t think he’s actually a bad kid. Compared to Gondou who’s a lost cause, King Leo is just slightly deviated from the norm. I’m sure there’s still a saving grace for the boy. Being young sure is easy.
Along with such old-fashioned way of thinking, another message arrived. It’s King Leo again.
[Soz Nakamoto-san. Rio said she ain’t gonna say it for free.]
[What do you mean?]
[Said you were looking for someone yesterday too so she’s in a bad mood or sth so she wants something back.]
[Can you persuade her?]
[Nope. She’s turned on her spoiled mode and shit. Can’t talk to her like this. This is what bein an Aniki is all about. You get it right?]
[Nope, I’m an only child so I don’t get you.]
[Then just imagine a little sister. Anyways, can’t do it.]
For now, I understand that I can’t rely on King Leo at the moment.
I sent him a message saying [Good work] and went on to contact Rio.
[Have you heard from King Leo? Why aren’t you helping? I just wanna know the address. Tell me where Saeki’s house is.]
[What’s it to me?]
The reply was short. I can imagine Rio sending that message sullenly.
[You’ve asked me for two days now. You think I’m a handyman? Isn’t it about time I get paid for what I do?]
I don’t mind paying her back in some form, and I’m also feeling bad for asking her for help a lot.
[I get it]
[Rly?]
[I’ll pay you back sometimes, so lend me your help one more time. Saeki might be the one behind the cloning incident. I really have to meet him.]
[Depends on the payback]
A bunch of trouble this child.
[What do you want?]
[I wanna go to your house]
The answer’s an obvious no, I replied.
[Why not? I just have to keep it a secret, right?]
[You’re saying you’re gonna hold the fact that you can tell someone about it? I’m not gonna tell you my address.]
[Then I’m not gonna tell you Saeki’s address]
Touché, Rio. But you’re too weak to pressure. That’s the type of person you are.
[You just gotta do what I tell you to do. Tell me what you know.]
[You sure you wanna say that? I’m not gonna tell you.]
Huh, that doesn’t work…Is she immune to it now? Did she get a shot of vaccination or something?
I stared at the screen wondering what kind of vaccine would cure a masochistic fathercon while Rio continuously sends me messages.
[I went looking for that Ootsuki Ayako girl yesterday, right? Does she like you?]
[Huh?]
[I get her, we’re the same kind anyways.]
Maybe a direct order doesn’t work because she’s in an interrogation mode. That’s scary.
[What do you call it, a girl’s intuition?]
[Nah I saw that her phone’s standby screen is a peeping photo of you]
Let me rephrase that. Ayako-chan is the one that’s scary. When the hell did she take that picture…
[Did you cheat with a lot of other girls? You get sticky with a lot of other people’s children?]
[That girl was someone on a homestay, wasn’t it?]
[And that Ootsuki girl is someone you know from long ago, right? I asked the girl myself]
Why do I feel like I’m getting attacked? I feel like that time when I was getting surrounded by an Orcish Army.
[I’m the only one who’s different from those girls, right? That’s not fair. Tell me your address, and if you do, you’ll have Saeki’s home address]
A sixteen years old high school girl is going to come to the apartment where another teenage girl is also being sheltered. This is too dangerous.
[Not gonna happen. Can’t tell you what I can’t tell you.]
[Why? Even after all I said?]
[Forget it, I won’t be asking you. I’ll do it myself.]
[Eeh? You’re gonna give up?]
[I can’t be following your whims.]
I’m not playing around here, I said, irritated.
[Are you angry?]
[My lunch break is going to waste. Bye]
[Wait, you’re gonna end the conversation? You’re angry, aren’t you?]
I know Ayako-chan’s address. If it’s school district, Saeki shouldn’t live that far away from the area. I won’t be able to search today since I have work until late, but it’s a day off tomorrow. If I spend my day off searching around, I should be able to find it quickly. Besides, it should be easy if I just ask the neighborhood a.k.a. Ayako-chan’s guardian the shopkeeper. They might just give a straight answer since they might have seen Saeki’s parents from parent-teacher’s meeting at school.
Asking them one by one all the way to the station might take some time, but…playing detectives in my off day, huh. It’s such a chore. Thinking thus, I put my phone on the table.
Right after that, the notification rings again.
[You’ve got mail!]
It’s probably Rio again. Thinking she’s probably not done complaining, I tapped on the screen, and after a while, the white window switched to the colorful SNS screen. Thinking ahead of what abuse she might hurl at me, I noticed that the message wasn’t something I expected it to be.
[I’m sorry]
It was a modest, simple apology. A link was pasted underneath the message. Thinking it’s probably yet another selfie, I pressed on it and what appeared was what I thought it would be; a picture of her exposing her white skin with her shirt lifted up, while her cheek showed a trace of tears.
[You should really stop this. I’m not gonna be happy receiving it anyways]
Her sending me this after a light quarrel would only make me feel even more guilty. She should try to make up with words instead.
[Will you forgive me?]
[I told you I wasn’t angry in the first place. It’s my bad too, Maybe I was upset cus I was hungry so I end up saying it harshly]
[Rly?]
[Really, so stop doing this already. Even if you don’t show me your skin, I won’t abandon you.]
[I don’t get it]
What don’t you get? I questioned as I tilt my head.
[Men likes these kinds of pictures, right? Am I wrong? Why do you not need it?]
[Of course not. Even if it’s true, I don’t think men needs them all the time, especially risky times around now]
[Mom usually make up with her boyfriend like this though]
[And did her boyfriend forgive her?]
[Yeah]
…The girl’s situation at home is ruining her methods of approaching the opposite gender. Did all this happen because she’s trying to imitate her mother? This is horrible.
[We need to talk at some point. There’s a lot I need to teach you]
[You’ll meet me?]
[In due time]
I ended up sending her my address.
[Listen, if you want to come over, you have got to contact me beforehand. Also, don’t come alone. Bring your brother. If you do that, you can come and play]
[Yeah, I promise. Thanks]
[…So, you’re gonna tell me Saeki’s address, right?]
[Hold on, I’ll ask Kana]
[Kana is Saeki’s little sister?]
[Yep yep]
Several minutes later, I got Saeki’s information through the mail. When I confirmed it through the maps, it’s about 800 meters east of Ayako-chan’s house. Despite living so closely, Ayako-chan never got to know Saeki’s first name or his address…is he that low-profile?