4
Ogami had visited Sumika's house countless times during the two years they interacted, but thinking about it, he hadn't been let inside the house even a single time. Similarly, Sumika never went into Ogami's house. Even on days off when Kujirai wasn't present, neither one invited the other to their house, always using spaces like the community center or the rest area at the supermarket.
For Sumika's part, she probably wanted to avoid her performance as a Sakura spilling into her private spaces. Ogami also had no thoughts of wanting to actively introduce his parents to acquaintances, and didn't want adults to overly suspect his relationship with Sumika. So he actually found a relationship that kept their houses off-limits to be desirable.
Still, he did know that Sumika had a sister a few years younger than her. When he went to pick up Sumika in the morning on weekdays, frequently he would bump into a girl who looked exactly as if Sumika's growth had been rolled back a couple of years. When she saw Ogami, she always gave him a bluntly displeased look. Maybe she felt like he was taking her big sister away, or maybe she saw through the twisted relationship between them.
Sumika had often said that her sister had a similar name to her, so her father was always getting their names mixed up even after all these years.
"I mean, why give sisters such similar names? It's bad enough as it is that we look the same."
So when Sumika, who should have been dead, showed up in front of Ogami wearing a familiar-looking uniform, his sense of reason quickly told him that she wasn't some sort of ghost. Upon closer inspection, while she did resemble Sumika, he spotted slight differences in the details of her face.
Even then, it took some time for him to regain presence of mind. During that time, she looked up at him with the exact same displeased face as back then.
Approaching it with a calm mind, you could certainly argue this was a convenient situation. He had come to check with Sumika's parents, but if her little sister was here, she would be easier to talk with. She was close to him in age, and there was less that could get in the way.
Trying to remember the little sister's name, Ogami tried rearranging the syllables of "Sumika" in his head. On his third try, he arrived at a combination that seemed like the correct one.
"Kasumi... wasn't it?"
Her expression clearly conveyed that her wariness had gone up a level.
"Who would you be?"
It was a stiff and tense voice, but something about the shape of it felt just like Sumika's.
"I'm a friend of your sister," Ogami answered. Then he corrected himself: "Ex-friend."
"Ex-friend," Kasumi repeated. "Well then, that means you're of no relevance now."
With that, she turned and walked away as if to say there was nothing more to talk about. Ogami went after her. When he tried to stand next to her, she increased her pace.
"Do you have some business?", Kasumi asked with resignation, seeing that Ogami would keep tagging along.
"I want to talk to you about your sister."
"She died half a year ago. It was suicide. Is that all?"
"Don't you have anything to explain there?"
Kasumi came to a stop and glared at Ogami.
"I know who my sister associated with better than anyone. And someone like you..."
After saying that, she suddenly started to stare at Ogami's face as if realizing something.
"You remember?", Ogami prompted.
Kasumi timidly asked: "Ogami?"
"Right. I'm Masaki Ogami, who came to pick up your sister all the time back when you were in elementary school."
Instantly, her attitude did a complete 180.
"You should have said that up front!" She walked over to Ogami and took a look at him from various angles, a smile on her face. "Wow, how did I not realize?"
That reaction disturbed Ogami somewhat. Because even if Kasumi remembered Ogami, he expected the reaction to that name coming up wouldn't have been a positive one. Had seven years of time shaved away the antagonism from her memory, or was he mistaken from the start to think she disliked him?
"I forgot something at school, and was just on my way to go get it," Kasumi said, pointing at her uniform. "Do you mind if we walk and talk?"
Ogami said he was fine with that.
She seemed to be headed for the train station. She was evidently attending the same high school Sumika had - the one Ogami would have gone to as well, had nothing happened. He remembered the look of the uniform, with its mainly gray color scheme.
"Ogami, you feel so much grown-up compared to back then," Kasumi remarked with admiration.
"That's because I grew up," Ogami replied. "You've gotten pretty big yourself. What year are you in?"
"I'm a third-year. I'm graduating soon."
"I see," said Ogami. He didn't have any impressions beyond that. He had no strong memories of high school whatsoever. He could barely even remember what he was doing around this time in his third year.
"I guess there's no point talking about me," Kasumi noted tactfully. "You said you wanted to talk about my sister. How much do you know?"
"Hardly anything. I got a call from an old acquaintance, who told me only the fact that Sumika had taken her own life. Didn't seem to feel like telling me a single thing more."
"That's... rather strange," Kasumi replied, her head tilting to the side. Her shoulder-length hair shook gently along with that motion. "Aside from relatives, only a small handful of people should know about her death. How could word have gotten out?"
"I guess that's just how these things go," Ogami supposed. His tone of voice dropped as he continued. "Incidentally, I know these kinds of question might be uncomfortable, but..."
"Please don't worry about it," Kasumi interrupted. "It's already happened; I don't think anything of it."
"Then I'll get straight to the point. Do you have any inkling of why your sister... did what she did?"
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't," Kasumi answered after thinking it over for a while. "She'd always been mentally unstable in ways, but around spring last year, she apparently became terribly aggressive, causing trouble for those around her. Though she didn't display that sort of behavior to me."
Always mentally unstable in ways. Becoming aggressive, causing others trouble. It sounded like they were talking about a completely different person from the Sumika that Ogami knew. But people will change after seven years. Ogami himself was a far cry from the person he had been then.
This was a good start. Yet doubts remained.
Soon, the two arrived at the train station. There was no one around in the building, so small that it felt more like a storage room. There weren't even station workers. According to the time table, it was still about 10 minutes until the next train. Sitting on a plastic bench faded in color, the two continued their conversation.
Ogami indicated his Handcuff to her. "So this thing didn't do its job, then?"
"Yes. I hate to say it, but it wasn't any use at all. Bracelets strictly only analyze and give detailed reports about suicide risk; it's not as if they'll directly prevent a suicide. Of course, you could also say what "didn't do its job" was us, her family and friends who should have supported her..." After saying this much, she realized the thorniness of her remarks and hastily appended, "Oh, no, I don't mean you, Ogami. You've been far away for a while, right?"
"Yeah, far away. Last time I met her was seven years ago."
Kasumi seemed relieved hearing that. Actually, maybe she'd be happier if he told her they hadn't really been friends to begin with. But the circumstances around that were much too complicated to explain here and now.
"Then you knew my sister at the best time. Please, keep her that way in your memory."
Ogami nodded. Though in reality, he wanted to forget even that if he could.
"You said earlier it was half a year ago."
"Yes. At the end of August last year."
"Did she leave anything like a suicide note?"
"As far as I know, there wasn't anything of the sort. Maybe it was a spontaneous suicide, with no time to afford for a note. So even we aren't aware of any clear motive. Still, she was confused enough as it was, and maybe that caused even her friends to desert her. So maybe she got fed up with everything, herself included."
Ogami felt a sudden urge to ask what method of suicide Sumika had chosen. But thinking about it, it made no real difference whether she had jumped, hung herself, or what. Sumika's body was already gone from this world.
He had learned plenty of what he needed to know. Sumika Takasago was dead with no room for doubt, and he could see nothing unnatural about her death. An emotionally frail woman had driven herself to death - end of story.
"Thanks for talking with me," Ogami said gratefully.
"It's no problem. I'm glad to answer a request from you, Ogami."
An automatic message played announcing the train's arrival, and Kasumi stood up from the bench. Ogami followed her up to the platform, then saw her off from there.
Just before boarding the train, Kasumi turned around and said, "Ogami."
"I was happy to meet you after so long. Well then, I hope to see you again sometime."
Before Ogami could say anything back, the door shut, and she waved from behind the glass window.
Once the train left, Ogami walked to the edge of the platform and lit a cigarette. Vivid images popped up one after another in his mind, undesired as they may have been. If me and Sumika's relationship had gone on just a little longer, we would've surely walked to the train station together, just like I did with Kasumi today, and taken the same train to high school. And in exchange for that slight extension, I would've experienced a far greater pain than the one I experienced seven years ago.
With Sumika gone, he'd thought the Town of Sakura was safe now. Kujirai had surely left town long ago. He wasn't the type to have an attachment to his hometown, and this place was far too small for a guy on his scale.
Besides, Ogami didn't feel as threatened by Kujirai as he was by Sumika. Even if he encountered him again by some chance, he felt confident that it wouldn't disturb him as badly as it would to encounter Sumika. Ultimately, maybe Kujirai just wasn't as important to him as her.
So he had felt relieved. But meeting Kasumi Takasago had attacked Ogami's weak points even more directly than meeting Sumika herself would. Supposing Ogami met Sumika while she was still alive, the real Sumika would at least deny the "what if" Sumika he subconsciously painted in his mind. But Kasumi Takasago was that "what if," in the flesh. A higher-purity Sumika Takasago than the real thing, you could say.
He dropped his cigarette to the ground and put it out with his foot. Nothing productive would come of soaking in his devastation here. Now that he'd gotten reliable information from a relative of Sumika's, there was no more reason to stay in this town.
Returning to the parking lot, he went right into the nearby supermarket, bought a sandwich and mineral water, and had a light meal in the rest area. He realized he hadn't eaten a thing since this morning, but didn't feel that hungry considering. The sandwich had a perfectly fine flavor and bite to it, yet it felt like he was eating it with someone else's mouth. It's like I've gone back to three years ago, Ogami thought. Back when I was first struggling to live away from my hometown, this is how everything tasted in my mouth.
Once done eating, he left the supermarket and got in the car. Reclining the seat, he closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.
Sumika is dead. I don't have anything to fear now, do I?
The image of Kasumi waving at him behind the train window arose behind his eyelids.
Ogami. I was happy to meet you after so long. Well then, I hope to see you again sometime.
Instantly, he could feel his heart stirring - and becoming fragile.
It would seem she'd broken through all the defenses I'd built up over these long years in a single instant.
But there's no need to be afraid of her. I'll leave the Town of Sakura, never to come back, and my relations with her will end here.
I should get back to the apartment quickly and resume my work, he thought. These days, it's me who's in the business of deceiving people; I'm a predator who feeds on the pure. It's not a commendable job, but I can do it better than anyone. And while I might not be rich per se, it earns me a decent income, and I live leisurely without having to break a sweat.
When I get home, I'll take a shower, have a little more whiskey than usual, sleep soundly, and tackle work with a renewed vigor starting tomorrow. Setting his heart on this, Ogami stepped on the gas pedal, and left the Town of Sakura behind.
By the time he got back to the apartment, dawn was beginning to break. Dragging along his exhausted body, he ducked through the entrance door, stuffed a piled-up bundle of mail from his mailbox under one arm, and headed back to his room.
As he sunk his body into the living room sofa drinking whiskey, and the soft morning sun began to shine in, he noticed an envelope with an unfamiliar color among the mail he'd tossed onto the floor. It was a large, light-pink envelope that brought to mind washi paper, and "Important" was written in red on the front.
Right now, there couldn't exist anything more important to me than Sumika's death. Despite thinking this, he had a look at it anyway. Inside the envelope was a booklet and a few documents.
The heading on the first document read: "Notification of Prompter Selection."
We are writing to inform you that after strict examination, you have been selected as a prompter.
In the center of the notice was a thick black rectangle, and Ogami's vision was drawn toward it.
Inside that rectangle was the name "Kasumi Takasago."
*
The following week, Ogami stood once more in the Town of Sakura to which he'd expected to never return. This time, he had no need to park at the supermarket. The day before, he'd taken care of the paperwork to move into that old wooden apartment building on the edge of town.
For at least the next few months, he would be living in that apartment. Spring wouldn't come to the town for another two months, so the harsh cold would continue until the end of March. Considering that, he probably should have chosen someplace better to live, but when he made the decision to return, he prioritized getting a room in that apartment above all else. No other options came to mind.
Staying at his parents' house for a while was also a possibility, but he desired a solitary place where he wouldn't be distracted to serve as his base of operations. Living with his parents would mean being constantly exposed to people who knew his old weaknesses, and that would be a major impediment to acting out the role of a brand new person as Kasumi's prompter. There was also the issue of his old house being too physically close to Kasumi's. When building favorable relationships with others, excessive closeness can often do more harm than good. In that respect, the old apartment was in good position relative to her house.
After carrying a suitcase full of clothes and daily necessities into his room and checking that there were no problems with the electricity or water, he went to the home improvement store and assembled the bare minimum of furniture. After carrying in a futon, a refrigerator, an oil heater, and a fold-up table, that alone had filled up his living space.
Oh well, Ogami thought. Compared to the first room he rented after high school, at least this one had the major benefit of having a shower. That place felt more accurate to refer to as a prison cell than a residence.
After preparing everything for his life in the Town of Sakura, Ogami went on a walk to the train station. It was around the time Kasumi would get home from school. He'd intended to wait in the station building, but the train seemingly arrived sooner than expected, and he spotted Kasumi before the station even came into view. When he raised up his hand, Kasumi noticed him right away and ran over.
Kasumi slipped in front of Ogami and started to fall, but Ogami grabbed her arm firmly. Despite the heavy coat she was wearing, her body felt worryingly light.
"Thank you very much," Kasumi said with an embarrassed laugh.
Ogami found himself subconsciously searching her voice, expressions, and actions for signs of putting on a performance. Despite knowing there was not a single reason for her to be acting.
"It's been a week," Kasumi remarked in a lively voice. "I wondered if you'd already left."
"Circumstances changed. I decided I'd stay in this town a while. So I wanted to come greet you."
"I see. You know, I kind of had that feeling."
"You had a feeling?"
"Yes. And I also thought, it'd be nice if I was right."
"Why did you think I'd stay in town?"
"Err..." She hesitated a little. "Um, could it be you want to look into my sister a little more?"
For a moment, Ogami was at a loss for how to reply. He figured she would ask about the reason for his stay, and he'd talk his way through it. But if she was going to provide that for him, no way would he pass it up.
"Yeah. I actually -"
But before he could speak, Kasumi cut him off in a low voice.
"You also felt something was off about my sister's suicide, didn't you?"
Endeavoring not to let his surprise show on his face, Ogami questioned her back. "What are your thoughts?"
"Well..." After a short silence, she began to speak, choosing her words carefully. "It's true my sister was an emotionally unstable person, but she was also conscious of that fact. It was sort of like she could force a resolution to the problems that arose from her frail heart by way of her intelligence. She'd give herself counseling, in a way. And that really did work for her for a long time. For both good and ill, she tended to keep things inside, so even if she had a problem she couldn't handle by herself, she wouldn't lash out at others, but take the time to confront it. I respected that about her. Yet a few months before her death, she started attacking those around her, seeming like a totally different person. Isn't it only natural for me to think that there was something abnormal that happened to her?" After saying this all at once, she concluded, attentive to Ogami's reaction: "Wasn't it thoughts like that which brought you back here, Ogami?"
"I can't say anything for sure just yet," Ogami replied. "It's just, I want to ask all sorts of people about your sister. You, of course, but also people she was friends with. I know it might be pointless, but it's seeming like I can't be satisfied unless I do that. So I want your assistance."
"As long as it's no trouble for you," Ogami tacked on at the end. But he knew from the start that she would accept. That's what him being chosen as a Sakura meant. What Sumika and Kujirai had been to Ogami, now Ogami was to Kasumi.
"Oh, no, no trouble at all!" Kasumi hastily shook her head. "Just tell me if there's anything I can do. And to tell the truth, there's lots I want to ask you as well. So whatever your reasons, I'm glad you're staying in town."
"Thanks," Ogami said. A bit later, he'd realize that his tone was somewhat similar to Sumika and Kujirai's.
Seems like I'm adopting to the role of a Sakura already.
He had spent all seven years since his middle school graduation trying to get away from Sakura. By spurning all affection and good will and not showing anyone weakness, he thoroughly removed any gaps for a prompter to wedge themselves in. He protected himself by suspecting that anyone being kind to him, without exception, was a prompter. He did research into how the System detected suicide risk, and sought out ways to put on the guise of a healthy mind. (He even considered living without a Handcuff, but figured that might just further draw the System's attention.)
However, he hadn't even dreamed that he would one day become a prompter himself. The shock brought by that light-pink envelope had been equal to, if not greater than, that of Sumika's death.
Even Ogami himself didn't know why a person like him had been chosen to be Kasumi's Sakura. She had only the slightest familiarity with him; he should have been nobody beyond "her sister's friend." Surely there were plenty of candidates who were closer with her. And yet why had he been chosen?
Ogami theorized that perhaps the nature of her problems was such that they were harder to deal with the closer you were. Some problems are like that, certainly. So maybe she had issues that were hard to talk about except with someone who just barely rose above "I don't know them." If a mandatory requirement for Kasumi Takasago's Sakura was a lack of intimacy, all he could say was, ah, I can see how I'm suited.
Another possibility: maybe she has a misunderstanding about who I am. Maybe Sumika pretended to be fond of me even in private to maintain the consistency of her Sakura act, and young Kasumi took that at face value, marking me into her heart as a sort of big brother figure alongside her sister.
If you tried to force an explanation, there are also kinds you could make sound plausible. But in reality, things probably weren't that simple. The computations the System's advanced intellect performs to select Sakura likely can't be understood by a human brain. Even if you got it to explain everything neatly from step one, you'd probably just be at a loss.
The same thing could be said of the processes that judged Kasumi to be at high risk of suicide. It's fair to think her sister's suicide was an influence, but the System doesn't necessarily think the same way humans do.
The one and only thing Ogami knew right now was that he had been chosen as Kasumi Takasago's Sakura.
What did that mean to him?
For instance, via this role, he could rescue a girl akin to "another Sumika" from the threat of suicide. Or instead, he could gain the trust of a girl akin to "another Sumika" to then betray it, making her experience the same pain he had.
A pseudo-revenge. Needless to say, there'd be no meaning to it. Kasumi wasn't Sumika. Getting revenge on her wouldn't prove anything. Not only that, it would mean putting himself on the same level as the people he had detested the most.
Yet a woman spoke, a faceless voice. What are you so afraid of?
The only way I can conquer that fear is by using Kasumi Takasago. Ogami was convinced of this. Although she was sinless, by carrying out this ritual, time could finally resume for me after it stopped that winter seven years ago.
It'll be simple. I'm a skilled Sakura who's deceived countless people before becoming Kasumi's. I've dealt with plenty of young women, even. Going from text-only communication to meeting face-to-face would change the flavor a bit, but my target is a girl not even age 20, and as a bonus, I've got the System's approval. Even if I'm not able to work miracles like Sumika and Kujirai, I'm confident I can do much better than your average Sakura.
I'll get revenge, with Kasumi Takasago standing in for Sumika. That must be what I've come back to this town to do, Ogami thought.
He didn't care one bit what happened to her after that.
On the way back, Kasumi asked Ogami if he'd like to look at her sister's room.
"You won't have to worry about bumping into my parents. I'm by myself tonight."
"Are they on a trip or something?", Ogami asked.
"No. Since my sister died, both my mother and father have been doing a lot of volunteer work. For suicide prevention, you see. You know, talking with people about their troubles over the phone. Apparently a lot of people who need support like that call late at night. So the real work begins after everyone's gone to sleep."
How ironic is that, Ogami thought to himself. As a result of them nobly volunteering to prevent more tragedies like the one that befell their daughter, they were going to overlook the danger their other daughter was in.
Then again, perhaps it wasn't unreasonable. As far as he could tell just having a normal chat with her, Kasumi didn't seem at all like someone who would kill herself.
"You must get lonely always being left by yourself."
"It is lonely. That's why I'm bringing you home."
Ogami was able to crack a natural smile at her joke. He felt a bit like he was overworking his underused face muscles, but he'd get used to it soon. Because he'd had that sort of smile around Sumika all the time back then.
As they neared Kasumi's house, Ogami nonchalantly glanced around. If any neighbors noticed his return and brought it up to his parents, it would be troublesome. But there was no sign of anyone nearby. Aside from their footsteps crunching into the snow, he didn't even hear any noises worth mentioning as noises.
Kasumi opened the door and turned on the lights inside. The entryway was more cramped than not, yet had a nice clean atmosphere; Ogami had seen this far into the house many times in the past.
But once he removed his shoes and took a step down the hallway, that was unknown territory. Sumika had never invited him beyond this point back then.
Immediately after climbing the dark stairs, there was a room, which Kasumi guided him into. He knew that it was Sumika's former room without having to be told. Because she had sometimes called to Ogami while poking her head out of that room's window.
It was a room you could believe a mature girl lived in, with a unified palette of calm colors. Everything was orderly, as if it had all been cleaned just last night. Atop a rug colored a deep blue in the center was a small table and a floor chair, where Ogami was made to sit. After turning on the heater, Kasumi said she would make him coffee and left the room.
For a while, Ogami looked up at the blue-gray pendant light hanging from the ceiling, having nothing else to do. He heard a dog elsewhere in the housing district give a quick bark twice, but even that was quickly swallowed up by silence. The heater began emitting warm air, and the room was filled with a nostalgic scent, a mix of winter air and oil.
I'm in a place that was once holy ground to me, Ogami mused. But that reality didn't elicit any form of interest from him. If the girl who had made these grounds holy were there, well, of course that would change things. But she had long since left this room, and now her sister was carrying on with a different life. Sumika's presence was now little more than a lingering scent.
Soon, Kasumi returned. Putting mugs of coffee on the table, she sat cross-legged across from Ogami. Asking if he needed sugar or milk, Ogami replied that he did not. She didn't put anything in her coffee either, and took just a sip before putting it back on the table.
Ogami broke the ice. "Did your sister live on her own after graduating high school?"
"Yes, though her college was close enough to commute from here. Our parents half-forced her to start living on her own, knowing her tendency to seclude herself. She came back here every weekend without fail, and even I often visited her at her apartment, so it didn't especially feel like she was living alone."
Kasumi then told him the name of the college Sumika was going to. It was just about the best one you could attend that was within commuting distance of the Town of Sakura.
"Of course, living independently didn't do much to improve my sister's introverted nature. Perhaps you could even say it worsened, without her having to mind her family being around. But she gained more opportunities to interact with others when she took up acting around autumn of her first year, and acquired some level of interest in the outside world."
"Acting?", Ogami repeated back to her on impulse.
"Yes, I'm sure anyone who knows my sister would be surprised," Kasumi said with a slight smile. "It seemed to me that ever since she started going to college, she had more time than she knew what to do with. I suggested that she try joining a club or something, but she didn't appear to show interest in any activities. I imagine you're aware, Ogami, but she was a somewhat dull person, with no hobbies to speak of. But I felt that there had to be at least one thing she liked, and she simply wasn't aware what it was. So, hoping to find a way of motivating her, I asked if there was anything she'd particularly enjoyed doing in the past. And she told me an anecdote from middle school. She spoke nostalgically about doing a play for the culture festival, and happening to end up with an important role, and it being rather fun for her."
This came as a surprise to Ogami. He clearly remembered Kujirai having a passion for acting, but he'd seen Sumika as carrying out her role more disinterestedly.
"I promptly suggested she try joining an acting club in that case. But she shook her head, saying with disappointment that said club didn't seem like it would agree with her. Apparently, she had already gone and observed the acting club at her college. So I invited her to look for active acting troupes nearby. Though of course, at that point my goal was just to get her out of her shell, so I wasn't actually thinking she should join an acting troupe."
"Which is to say, Sumika was the eager one?"
"That's correct. As we gathered information about acting troupes, she began showing surprising reactions. She zealously watched videos that troupes had put online, and openly spoke her thoughts about what seemed appealing or worrying about each troupe. She truly hadn't shown that much open interest in something in a very long time. And in the end, she auditioned for a troupe known for their high level of talent, and got accepted in one try."
After breathlessly saying all this, Kasumi drank some coffee to moisten her throat.
"Your sister," said Ogami, "was always skilled at acting."
"That's right," Kasumi said, beaming as if she herself had been complimented. Of course, she didn't pick up on the sarcasm behind Ogami's words. "Even after joining the troupe, she seemed to largely prefer behind-the-scenes work, yet her talents were highly regarded even by long-time members. She didn't like to go out in front of people by nature, so up to the end, she never pushed for a starring role."
"But she got on well with those around her?"
"Yes. As she continued working with the troupe, she slowly regained some extroversion. Of course, that was limited to dealing with people in the troupe, but it was major progress for her. Our parents were openly delighted. Although personally speaking, I felt a bit of sadness as well. Since I'd practically had my sister to myself until then."
"You were always friendly with your sister, huh."
"Even if perhaps it was a one-sided attachment," she remarked with a lonesome tone. "My very suggestion to join an acting troupe came from my desire to bring back the best of my sister. But the result was that she became distanced from me bit by bit."
"As if the troupe was taking your sister away, right?"
"But it was me who recommended it, after all, so I just reaped what I sowed. That said, if it had just stopped at that, I could've looked at it as a happily-ending story of sisters becoming independent."
Kasumi took a pause there.
"The problem was that the relationships between my sister and the troupe members advanced faster, and became deeper and more complex, than I could have ever imagined. Eventually, she found herself in a vortex of serious trouble. No, not just in a vortex..."
Kasumi fell silent, staring at her hands as if lost in thought.
"I can't exactly speak about the rest myself. Or maybe more accurately, there wouldn't be much point if it came out of my mouth. Suffice to say, there were messes within the troupe. But as of now, it's unclear whether they were related to my sister's death. The end."
It was an oddly half-baked ending. Ogami felt as if the very heart of what she'd been telling him was within that abridged section. But he wanted to avoid damaging her impression of him by forcing her to talk about something she didn't want to. On top of that, he didn't actually have that big an interest.
"Thank you. I'll ask your sister's other acquaintances about the rest."
"I think that would be best," Kasumi agreed, sounding relieved. "I'll contact the troupe leader tomorrow. That would probably get you the most information about their internal affairs. I'll also try speaking with the troupe members who were close with my sister."
"That's a big help. Would it be okay if I got your contact info, too?"
"Mine? Yes, gladly."
Kasumi held out the Handcuff on her wrist toward Ogami. Ogami did the same, and with a light touch, they exchanged contact information.
After coming down the stairs and returning to the entryway, Kasumi spoke.
"Your house is just nearby, right? I'll escort you there."
Ogami shook his head. "Actually, because of some slight circumstances, my parents don't even know I've come back. I'm renting a nearby apartment for now."
He then verbally explained where the apartment was. That apartment had apparently left an impression on Kasumi as well, as she understood immediately from his simple description. She didn't inquire at all into the so-called "slight circumstances."
"And you're staying there alone?"
"Of course."
"Then is it all right if I come visit sometime?"
"It's a cramped, cold, and empty room, but if you don't mind that, you're welcome to."
"I'm glad," said Kasumi. "I have quite some time on my hands until graduation. It's boring to sit around the house, and I don't like school much either. Since I can't go visit my sister in her apartment anymore, I was thinking it might be nice to have a refuge to take its place."
"You know, it might be an excellent place for a refuge."
"I look forward to it. I'll contact you once I get in touch with the troupe leader."
Ogami thanked her again and left Kasumi's house. Until the moment the door shut, she was giving a little wave with her hand near her shoulder.
After passing the gate, Ogami turned around and looked up toward the window of Kasumi's room. The curtains were closed, but he saw a faint light leaking out.
The plan's going almost too well, Ogami thought. It feels like I've gotten way closer to Kasumi in just these scant few hours. We were alike in the sense of having an unparalleled attachment to Sumika, so if I could make good use of that commonality, I might be able to easily win her trust. Just by pretending to seek the truth behind Sumika's suicide, not even doing anything special, I'd secured a connection with Kasumi. At this rate, maybe I'd achieve my goal and be back to life as usual in a month.
Talk about an easy-to-handle target.
I'll bet that's how she saw me back then, too.