Tanaka Noriaki's taut nerves had relaxed upon reaching the Nakajima house, and he fell asleep unwittingly in the bedroom arranged by Mrs. Nakajima.
He vaguely heard some voices in his drowsiness.
"Is he asleep?" Nakajima Toshihiko asked.
Mikko answered, "Yeah, he's out cold."
At that, Tanaka Noriaki prepared to get up.
"You go get the knife; I'll check on him again."
Hearing this, Tanaka Noriaki's face changed immediately. Hearing footsteps approaching, he hurriedly pretended to be asleep.
The couple's brief conversation gave him, skittish as a startled bird, endless room for imagination.
Why get a knife? Why check on him again? Were they making sure he was asleep?
Nakajima Toshihiko, tiptoeing gently, pushed the door open, saw that Tanaka Noriaki was still asleep, and prepared to leave. But just as he was about to close the door, he paused, then walked inside.
Tanaka Noriaki slowed his breath, stealthily approached, and a hand reached toward him.
"Snap!"
