Chapter 72
A week has passed since then.
Ryosaku visited Setsu's house, excited that he finally had the opportunity to reunite with Mieko, but also a little nervous.
Cycling past K Shrine, over a railroad crossing, past a community center and an abacus school, and then around the corner of a candy store and passing under a pedestrian bridge, Setsu's house, where Mieko once lived, comes into view.
Ryosaku eventually arrived at Mieko's nostalgic house, feeling the refreshing and pleasant autumn air all over his body and feeling the dragonflies whizzing over his head.
He parked his bicycle and casually looked towards the garden... and saw Setsu herself tending to the flowerbeds.
Ryosaku slowly approached Setsu-san, suppressing his excitement.
She seems to be squatting down and weeding.
He gently called out to her from behind.
"Um... I'm sorry. I'm Ryosaku Takada, and I'm sorry for bothering you the other night..."
Then, as soon as Setsu-san turned around and saw Ryosaku, she frowned and her face stiffened.
"...What did you come here for?"
These were the first words that came out of Setsu-san's mouth.
"Yes···?"
Ryosaku was momentarily confused by her unexpected words.
Setsu-san stands up and confronts Ryosaku, and then throws even harsher words at him.
"...When you came here the other day, you said, "I'm Mieko's friend." I won't let you say that you forgot....Yes, you said it clearly, right? "
"Oh... Yes, yes. That's what I said. I'm Mieko-san's old friend."
"I wonder if that's true. Honestly, I doubt it. You know, I tried calling Mieko after that, and she said she didn't know you at all... I wonder what that means?"
"Ah...um, Mieko-san said that? She herself."
"Tokiko said that, so there's no doubt about it. Are you even doubting my own daughter? She's an honest girl who has never lied to me. That's true. And for you, a stranger, to doubt that... it's an insult. There's no limit to how rude you are!"
"No... no, I didn't mean to do that..."
"Anyway, please take over now. And don't come here again. The name you gave yourself was "Ryosaku Takada", wasn't it? Even that, you must be using a fake name." It makes me wonder."
"......"
"Actually, the photo of Mieko that I gave you the other day...I don't have any more of it, and I want you to return the precious photo of Mieko from back then right now." But you have no intention of returning it anyway, right? I'm sorry. Please keep it. In return, if you ever misuse that photo for anything, I will report it to the police without hesitation. Please keep that in mind as well."
"That's not what I intend..."
"Anyway...please go home. Now, hurry up and go home! I'm busy. I don't have much free time to spend talking nonsense with you."
Ryosaku had no idea what was happening.
However... he realized that his chance to meet Mieko again was lost.
This time... this time, he himself felt that the situation was hopeless, and he left Setsu-san's house without knowing why.
