Officers Matsumoto and Megure went off to their tasks, leaving Shuichi Hayashi with little to do. He returned to the izakaya alone to prepare for opening.
At just past 5:40, the izakaya's door burst open. Yukiko Fujimine stumbled in, gasping for breath.
"Hayashi, Hayashi! Something's happened by the river!"
"I know," Shuichi said calmly, looking up. "The victim was Ms. Nishikawa. She was strangled into unconsciousness and thrown into the river to drown."
"What? It was Ms. Nishikawa?" Yukiko's eyes widened in shock. "She… she was in the shop just yesterday…"
"She was likely killed after leaving the izakaya last night," Shuichi said. "Didn't you see the body?"
"When I passed by, all I saw was the police tape. The body had already been taken away," Yukiko said, her expression dimming. "She was fine yesterday… how could this happen so suddenly?"
"The world's unpredictable—fortune and misfortune come without warning," Shuichi said, offering comfort. "All we can do is cherish the people close to us while we're still here."
Yukiko nodded in agreement, but her expression turned peculiar. "If you understand that, why do you keep picking on me?"
"Picking on you?" Shuichi blinked, caught off guard. "I've been good to you, haven't I? I got you a job here at the izakaya and even asked Mr. Murakami to make you vice-class president."
"You only did that so I'd work for you!" Yukiko huffed. "Can't you treat me a little nicer, like you do with Glasses Girl?"
"Sorry, no can do," Shuichi said, shaking his head immediately.
"Why not?" Yukiko frowned, puzzled. "Am I not as good as Glasses Girl? Am I less likable?"
"It's not about you," Shuichi said bluntly. "In my eyes, people are ranked by closeness. Eri and Kogoro are like family—my closest kin, my brothers-in-arms."
"And me?" Yukiko asked, curiosity piqued.
"You? You're just a step above a stranger," Shuichi said after a moment's thought. "Somewhere between a classmate and a friend, I guess."
"Between a classmate and a friend…" Yukiko froze, her face darkening with indignation. "I don't even count as a friend?!"
"We've known each other for, what, five days?" Shuichi said matter-of-factly. "We barely know each other. Of course we're not friends yet."
"That's nonsense! Real friendship doesn't depend on how long you've known someone," Yukiko shot back. "Haven't you heard of 'friends at first sight'? If you click, you're friends."
"Do we click?" Shuichi countered, raising an eyebrow.
"W-Well…" Yukiko's cheeks flushed. "How would I know?"
"Then we don't click," Shuichi said, spreading his hands. "So I'm not wrong—we're not friends."
"Ugh…" Yukiko blinked, wanting to argue they did click but too embarrassed to say it. Her face cycled through shades of red and green in frustration.
Seeing her flustered, Shuichi chuckled inwardly and decided to ease up. "Look, I only said that to remind you—don't be fooled by so-called 'friends.' Sometimes you think you click, but they're just saying what you want to hear. One misstep, and you're duped."
"That's still better than you constantly getting under my skin," Yukiko muttered, pouting. But curiosity got the better of her. "So, do I count as a friend or not?"
"Barely," Shuichi nodded. As Yukiko's face lit up with joy, he added, "But just a regular friend. Compared to Eri, you're still…" He held up his right hand, forming a "C" with his thumb and index finger.
"Just this close?" Yukiko asked, beaming.
"Yep, just that close," Shuichi nodded. "But in that tiny gap… there's an entire universe."
"What?!"
Yukiko froze, stunned. Seeing the smirk on Shuichi's face, she realized she'd been teased again.
"You… you're picking on me again!"
"Come on, help out," Shuichi said, waving her over. "Once Eri and Kogoro get back, we'll eat and open for business."
…
Just before 6:00, Kogoro Mouri burst into the izakaya, stammering in a panic. "Sh-Shuichi, the r-river…"
"There was an incident, I know," Shuichi said with a sigh. "The victim was Ms. Nishikawa—the one who gave you ten thousand yen last night."
"What? It was Ms. Nishikawa?" Kogoro's face turned ashen. "Shuichi, I heard if you owe a dead person money, their ghost will come after you… Ms. Nishikawa… she won't come for me tonight, will she?"
The Japanese were steeped in superstition, worshipping gods, Buddhas, demons, and ghosts alike, even concocting tales of eight million deities.
Shuichi didn't buy into it, but seeing Kogoro's rattled state, he knew his friend would be on edge for days without some reassurance.
With that in mind, Shuichi stepped into the storage room. Moments later, he returned with an envelope labeled with Ms. Nishikawa's name.
"Here's the ten thousand yen she gave you last night," he said, handing it to Kogoro. "Burn it, and when Ms. Nishikawa receives it, she won't come looking."
Kogoro, who trusted Shuichi implicitly, took the envelope without question, grabbed a lighter, and headed outside.
"You're really letting him burn ten thousand yen?" Yukiko asked, astonished.
"Last night's money's already mixed in with the rest—there's a dozen ten-thousand-yen notes. How would I know which was hers?" Shuichi said, exasperated. "That envelope's just got a blank piece of paper. It'll put Kogoro's mind at ease."
"Tch, you're even scamming the dead," Yukiko said, her face full of mock disdain.
"The dead need peace, not money," Shuichi replied.
Just then, Eri Kisaki's voice roared from outside. "Kogoro, you idiot! Who told you to burn paper in front of the izakaya?!"
"W-Wait, I can't?" Kogoro stammered.
"Burning paper at the door? What if customers see and get the wrong idea?" Eri snapped. "Burn it at the crossroads—that's where Ms. Nishikawa can receive it."
Kogoro hurriedly grabbed the smoldering envelope and dashed toward the intersection.
Eri shook her head in exasperation as she watched him go, then stepped into the izakaya.
As she entered, Yukiko's teasing voice rang out. "No way, Glasses Girl. You read all those books, and you're still this superstitious?"
(End of Chapter)