Ms. Nagamoto's chisel paused mid-stroke. She turned, eyes narrowing at us like we were door-to-door salesmen.
"…What do you people want? A sculpture? If you're here for that, leave. I don't take cheap commissions."
Issac scratched the back of his head nervously.
"Uh… no, ma'am. We're not here for statues. We came to… ask about your daughter. We're her… friends."
Her expression hardened instantly. The air turned colder.
"I don't have a daughter. Leave."
She waved her hand dismissively, shooing us away like stray cats.
That's when Cupp stood up, adjusting his hoodie with fake confidence. His voice cut sharper than usual:
"…Your daughter's corpse still hasn't been found, has it?"
The chisel dropped from Ms. Nagamoto's hand and clattered against the porch.
Elena gasped softly, her form flickering faintly beside Issac.
Shin squinted at Cupp, suspicion gleaming in his eyes.
"…How the hell do you know that, ramen thief?"
Cupp shrugged, looking away. "Just a hunch. Call it… divine intuition."
Elena and Shin weren't buying it. He stepped forward.
"Then… can we at least have permission to check her grave? Please."
For a long moment, Ms. Nagamoto stared at him, her hands trembling ever so slightly. Finally, she exhaled deeply, voice breaking.
"…Her grave is in Yanaka Cemetery. But you won't find her there. Not her real body, anyway."
She looked straight at Elena's fading figure, as if she could see her all along.
"What's buried there is only an imitation. A figure I carved from sakura wood to comfort myself… because her body was never recovered."
The tools slipped from her hands, and her stern facade cracked into desperation.
Her knees hit the floor as she whispered,
"Please… find my daughter. Bring her back to me… I beg you."
The gang went dead silent. Even Cupp, usually ready with a snark, looked down guiltily.
Issac clenched his fists, stepping forward with uncharacteristic determination.
"Then… I promise. We'll find her. We'll bring your daughter back, no matter what it takes."
Elena's translucent form wavered beside him, tears glistening in her eyes. She reached out—her hand ghostly and trembling—and clasped Issac's. Shin, a little awkward, placed his hand over theirs, and even Cupp sighed and joined in, muttering,
"…Fine, I'll tag along too. Don't expect free labor though."
For the first time since they arrived, Ms. Nagamoto's stern eyes softened. She rose slowly and nodded.
"You may dig her grave. There is something… inside. Things the police returned to me when they closed her case. Items that still hold pieces of her memories."
Her gaze shifted across the room, landing on Aiko.
"…Wait. Aren't you my new tenant in Tokyo?"
Aiko nearly choked on her tea. "Eh?! Ah—yes, I… I am! I just came along because I needed to deliver the finalized contract to you." She fumbled in her bag, pulling out papers and a small envelope. "Also, um… a few of the installment payments you requested…"
The entire gang turned their heads toward her in sync.
Issac deadpanned.
"…Wait. You seriously tagged along on a cursed road trip into the mountains… for paperwork?"
Cupp clasped his chest dramatically. "Love makes one reckless! And she was meant to be here, Issac, can't you see fate at work?!"
Shin smirked. "Yeah, fate of your ramen debt catching up to you, maybe."
Elena, still holding Issac's hand, tilted her head innocently.
"…What's a 'tenant'?"
Issac sighed. "It's basically… the reason our car is now a moving circus."
The Mother End…
"Thanks for reading chapter 7"