7. Epiloge
The heat of the tropical night a few days ago has fallen silent.
The smell of rotting fish, a characteristic of the slum area, mixed with the humidity of the sea, is not so bother him tonight.
In Juliet's room in the slums, Adam listened what's going on in the next room.
"I wonder if Ikaru has already gone to sleep."
The lively TV sound that occasionally spilled out from the next bedroom had stopped without noticing.
Then, Juliet called out Adam.
"Hey, Adam, is that story still valid?"
"That story?"
"Have you already forgotten? The marriage proposal from Adam to me !"
A smiling girl. For a moment Adam frowned at her.
...but I feel like I said something worthy of that to Juliet.
Adam said,
"Well, I've been demoted and my salary has been halved, so I can't do it now. There's also Ikaru, and it costs extra money. Right now, we shouldn't make any noticeable moves either."
"What the hell, but I change my mind easily. Remember that."
To Juliett's words, Adam shrugged his shoulders and said,
"Instead, I'll look for an apartment on the east side of Daybreak Station where Julia and Ikaru can live. Even though it's the same slum, the security situation in the east and west is completely different.Especially if that child was a girl, good security is necessary.”
Juliet stuttered her words. It was because the bad memories that made her shudder came back, and she wanted to run away from this place as soon as possible.
"... Children are dangerous, even if they're not girls."
In the slums, the more merciless to the weaker . Even so, I can't give up on this city.
Looking down, she continues to stare at the scars that have piled up on her wrist. Adam gently stretched Juliet's hand over it. He pulls her hand and pulls her closer to him.
"I'm sorry. I only say nasty things. But We met in this city while we were alive. Julia said that we should change this city.I haven't forgotten that."
And I will protect you at the risk of my life.
Adam whispered in her ear and Juliet smiled with relief.
However,
"What about Ikaru?"
When Juliett asked, Adam said,
"I still don't know much about him. So..."
At that time, the ring tone of the cell phone rang out from Adam's jacket.
A late-night phone call always leads to an annoying and unreasonable incident. I can't seem to escape from that ringing tone for the time being.
Adam said to Juliett.
"Looks like another incident. I'm going. I may not be able to go home for a while, but be careful. Please take care of Ikaru."
"I know. Hey, Ikaru says she wants to grow her hair out.Would it be okay? I'm sure she'll become cuter than now. She's a girl, so I have to let her dress up."
Without answering, Adam waved her lightly and walked out the front door.
Juliett smiled and murmured.
"The lack of response means that you understand,don't you?"
A siren that sounded like a dog howling resounded in the city.
As Juliet watched Adam's back disappear into the back alleyway, she exhaled, and she locked the triple locks on her apartment door from top to bottom.
* * * *
As if the direction of the wind had changed, a pungent smell of rotten fish and a foul smell of burnt was blowing from the beach.
Arson, murder, and looting associated with the robbery. Poverty and abuse spread behind it...
Adam remembered the luxurious Evans Mansion, which shared the same sea as the slums.
That mansion is 'heaven' and the slums is 'hell'
However, the contents didn't change that much.
After he exhale from his mouth holding IQOS, Adam looked up at the sky. Small stars twinkle in the crevice of the smoke-filled sky.
The smell of popcorn from heated cigarettes which he hadn't noticed until now, hit his nostrils.
"I hate that smell"
Ikaru's words. Remembering those,Adam pulled his mouth away from his mouthpiece for a moment.
……but,
"Noisy. Get used to it."
He mutters lowly. Then Adam walked briskly down an alley where street children hung out toward the station.
The dark sky of the new moon.
Only the stars were shining brightly at night.
* *
Ikaru
"I'm calling you because I want to tell you about my sin."
"Goodbye, Ikaru."
"If possible, I wanted to love you."
― Night Call ―
～ Fin. ～
