Chapter 68
"···Excuse me."
When Ryosaku knocked on the wooden sliding door while calling out to the person inside the house, he thought he heard a faint reply from inside.
However, even after waiting for a while, the person who was supposed to be inside did not come out.
During that time, he searched for the four wooden tags that had previously hung on the front wall and had written the names of the four people who had once lived in this house.
...But he can't find it anywhere.
As Ryosaku was doing this, a figure approached from inside the house, blocking the light.
Through the frosted glass, he could see a small figure changing into outdoor shoes in the entryway.
The person who opened the door was...a woman.
She was a very old woman with white hair.
"···Who are you?"
The woman who answered in an elegant voice was an old woman with a wrinkled face, but she was a melancholy old woman who made one think that she must have been truly beautiful when she was younger.
She seems to be wary of the sudden visitor at night.
Ryosaku thought.
(This person must be Mieko's grandmother... Setsu Yamada. Tokiko-san's... in other words, Mieko's mother's mother.)
"...Good evening, sorry for interrupting you all of a sudden. My name is Ryosaku Takada. I'm a friend of Mieko Minegishi, who was here before..."
"Eh...? Mieko's...?"
As soon as Ryosaku mentioned Mieko's name, the old woman's expression softened.
"I see. You're Mieko's friend... So, what's the relationship between you and Mieko?"
"Yes, actually, I was an upperclassman when Mieko-san attended K Elementary School, and although we were far apart in age, I got along very well with Mieko-san. "
"Well... that's right. You... you must have taken great care of Mieko."
"Eh...yeah."
At this moment, the first thing that came to mind from Ryosaku's memory was that day...the last time he saw Mieko, that day, the moment of that sinful act when he coldly pushed her away, and even more... Mieko's burning red eyes were staring at him.
The gloomy memory of that moment suddenly came back to him...and he couldn't confidently and clearly claim that he "loved" Mieko, so he ended up giving a vague answer.
"Ah...umm, you're Mieko-san's grandma, no, you're her grandmother, right...?"
"Yes, that's right. My name is Setsu Yamada. Nice to meet you, Ryosaku-san. Mieko is my cute granddaughter. And of course, her sister Kaori too. She's been better than when she was here. She has also grown quite a bit taller. She was a small and cute little girl back then, but her appearance has completely changed since then. I have always been with Tokiko's husband...in other words, Mieko's father. I used to live with Mr. Isao, but... Apparently, I don't like living in a city near Tokyo...just the other day, I started living here in my old house. "
"By the way, Setsu-san, where is Mieko-san now...?"
"Oh. Didn't you hear from Mieko...? It's K City, Saitama Prefecture. You see, it's a town that's been famous for manufacturing castings for a long time. Mr. Isao is an employee of Hokkaido Beer Co., Ltd. there. Right now, Mieko and the others are living in the official residence there...in the employee dormitory."
After hearing that much, Ryosaku couldn't help but want to see Mieko's face...that adorable figure.
I heard that she has grown quite tall, but I wonder how she has grown...?
So Ryosaku decided to ask the old woman.
"Setsu-san...I have a request to make..."
"Hey, Ryosaku-san. Tell me anything."
"Mieko-san's photo... maybe you have one...? Of her when she was here."
"Yeah. I think it's in there somewhere. Just wait, I'll go look for it."
After saying that, Setsu-san disappeared into the back of the house.
While she brought the photos, Ryosaku casually took a look around the inside of the house.
When you enter through that sliding door with frosted glass, you will see the concrete floor of the narrow entrance where Ryosaku is currently standing.
On the dirt floor is the empty box that contained the rice cooker.
"A magical rice cooker that prevents rice from sticking! " was printed on it.
To his left, he could see a narrow Japanese-style room about six tatami mats in size, and to his right, an even narrower kitchen.
There was a wooden passageway in the middle...with a toilet in the back, and Ryosaku could see a glimpse of what appeared to be a study room where Mieko and her sisters used to spend their time.
Eventually, Setsu-san came back from the back room, and she handed Ryosaku an envelope and said,
"...The photo in this envelope is the only photo I have of my precious Mieko.
As for the photos of Mieko from those days...actually, there aren't many left in our family. But Ryosaku-san, you were Mieko's dear friend, right? "
"Yes...yes."
"Good. Well, I'll give it to you. In return, please cherish it. Next time I see Isao-san and the others, I'll get them a different photo."
"Thank you, Setsu-san! I...I don't know how to thank you..."
"It's okay. Besides, I have to go to a meeting at the community center. This community gathering is really troublesome. I'll call Mieko and let her know about you later." So, please take that photo with you today as a souvenir. Please come back later."
"Yes. I will definitely visit. Thank you very much!"
"Please be careful when you return home. Now then..."
Ryosaku felt like a dream.
(It's been a while since I last saw Mieko-chan.
Besides, Setsu-san will even contact Mieko-chan, right? It was worth it for me to be patient and wait. ...I'm sure Mieko-chan is looking forward to meeting me...! )
Filled with hope, Ryosaku rushes home with an envelope containing Mieko's precious photo in his heart, feeling frustrated that it's taking so long to get there.
