No, that's not what I meant.
I've seen you here before.
2001 once seemed far away, but now 2021 had passed.
We have arrived in the near future. We call it the "Reiwa Era."
We pass through daysthat resemble bad jokes.
Yet still, we cling onto hope.
Look who's here.
All dressed up.
- Adorable. - What's she doing?
That night, the girl in the cat costume disappeared.
She closed the doorand vanished from my sight.
BAR LIGHTHOUSE
Around the timemy writing career took off,
I had a few favorite cafes and bars.
- Where I, let's say, collected material. - Here you go.
I wrote everyday rotatingamong these bars and cafes.
Welcome.
When I could write no more, I took a look around.
I scanned for people who seemed troubled.
And then, I wrote my novelsbased on their struggles.
I never once imagined that I wouldget dragged into trouble myself.
Excuse me.
Chai tea, please.
Coming up.
- I'm off. - Good work.
Thank you for waiting.
Thank you.
Can I eat this?
That's inedible.
It's a stick of cinnamon.
Use it to mix the drink or soak it in to add flavor.
- Got it. - That's what it's for.
BAR LIGHTHOUSE
Your bar is named Lighthouse.
Yes. BAR Lighthouse.
Are you hiring right now?
I'm not sure.
We are fully staffed for lunchtime.
I see.
Is this your first time here?
Yes.
But you want to work for us.
Well, I'm new to Tokyo.
I don't even know how to find a job here.
How long have you been in Tokyo?
A month or so.
Right...
I can ask the owner. She should be in soon.
Oh, that'd be great.
-The owner of that bar -Morning.
- Is a woman named Kaoru. - Good morning.
- We are about the same age. - Hello there, sensei.
Are you hungover?
A cup of coffee please, Mito.
Yes, ma'am.
We've known each other for years,
but we still haven't toldeach other our real names.
Those are some tiny letters.
I'm too old to read your tiny writing.
Not that you've ever tried to.
What is this one about?
Well...
I have to write an essay.
An essay? Since when do you write those?
I don't usually take these on,
but the newly-hired editor wanted to come up with his own project.
Does it differ from writing a novel?
I don't have to tell a single truth in a novel.
That's not the case for essays.
Also, I'm pretty mundane.
It doesn't have to be out of the ordinary.
It would be interesting just to know what you do all day.
You think so?
If I were your fan, that is.
Excuse me.
They've been calling you sensei. What do you teach?
He isn't a schoolteacher.
It's just a nickname.
Well, he's a published author.
Seriously?
I'm not famous or anything.
What do you write?
Oh, well...
I write novels.
What have you published? What genre?
What genre?
- Oh, Ms. Kaoru. - Yes?
This boy wants to work here.
Really now?
We are fully staffed.
I agree.
I'm sorry.
Our finances are tight.
I see.
But the flavored rice shop close by has a "now hiring" sign on their door.
True!
It's next to the pharmacy.
Mito, mind drawing a map for him?
Yes, ma'am.
Just a moment.
-By the way, -This is the main intersection.
- Where's your girlfriend been? - This is BAR Lighthouse.
- And at this pharmacy... - And turn to the right?
- Did you two break up? - Behind this is the flavored rice shop.
Not really. We're just not in touch.
I last saw her on Halloween.
That's over three weeks ago.
I had overlapping deadlines around that time.
- Here. - Thanks.
Act like a responsible adult. Call her when you can and apologize.
Shibuya Station is jam-packed. I'll be late.
I didn't even notice this message she senton her way to the Halloween party.
And then she left.
Those meaningless words
were a perfect curtain callon our relationship.
Or so, I thought.
WINTER STORY
I figured out the killer.
It's the landlord's son.
Of course not.
You know, this reminds me of a real case.
The corpse abandonment case from a few years ago.
I don't remember that.
A man lived with a woman and she fell ill,
but he never took her to a hospital and she died.
If I remember correctly, she wasn't in the family registry
That man
lived with the woman's corpse up until his arrest.
I remember it now.
The man lived with the woman
for 30 years not knowing her background.
I wonder how it feels.
He knew her history.
It wasn't about her name or where she was born.
He took her at her word.
WINTER STORY
I HATE TO SAY THIS, BUT DID YOU KILL HER?
- Hello. - Welcome.
- A blended coffee, please. - All right.
Good work today.
Good work.
How is it going, sensei?
Do you really want to serialize this?
A one-off is hard enough. I can't come up with weekly material.
Come on. Don't be so negative.
I don't write essays.
I know this will be great. You have me after all.
- Here you are. - Thank you.
This is for the week.
Always appreciated.
Sensei.
Will I see your work in here?
- No... - Absolutely.
His essay serialization starts next month.
Is that right?
Essays?
All he does is loiter here and write creepy stories.
Creepy stories? I'm a mystery author.
That's why you need this project. The essays will humanize you.
Want to order food?
I'm okay.
I have to get medical treatment done.
What? Why? Is something the matter?
Well, it's for him.
His name is Nabeshima. He's a feral cat who lives in my neighborhood.
I think he's sick.
Don't bring it in here.
Let me take a look.
Poor thing.
There's discharge around his eyes.
This will take a few visits.
Really.
And you'll pay for its treatment?
Someone has to take care of him.
It may be a feral cat,
but I'm sure there are others who will care for it.
They won't.
They'll give him a name and feed him when they have time,
but they won't take care of him.
It's selfish, really.
Sawada,
you see yourself in this cat.
What?
Are you still together with your married girlfriend?
Well, yes.
I've been divorced four times.
All four times, my wives cheated on me.
Really?
But this is what I think.
For my wives, those forbidden love affairs must have been great romances.
How do you feel about that?
I heard a celebrity say this once.
Drink all you can while in this world.
None of us will live forever. So let's do whatever we want to do.
Someday, the unlimited drinks will come to an end.
Another cup, please.
We don't offer unlimited drinks here.
You don't offer half-price refills?
- Unfortunately, no. - Excuse me.
It's almost time for the appointment.
All done?
Yes.
- I'd like a receipt. - Of course.
Make it out to my company.
You only had one drink.
It's okay.
This is all for sensei to write for us.
Tell me if you need me to nudge him to write.
COTTON CANDY
BAR LIGHTHOUSE
There he is.
- Welcome, sensei. - Welcome.
- I got this on the way here. - What?
- Is that cotton candy? - What is it?
- What's this? - Let me see.
- Can I have some? - Go ahead.
- Me too. - I want some too.
Yay!
This is a lot of cotton candy.
What do you want to drink?
- Beer and... - All right.
- Fried rice, please. - Fukuo.
- Yes? - One fried rice.
Okay.
- What's that? - Ginkgo.
I collected them at the row of ginkgo trees by my work.
The ginkgo tree row, yes.
But Kaoru goes, "Thanks, Tani."
"You can crack the nuts yourself." How heartless.
I'm on her side.
Here you go.
It's a chore to crack ginkgo nut shells open.
If you are bringing them for us, I wish you'd crack them yourself.
It takes time to crack each one, you know?
- Let's toast. - All right.
- Cheers. - Cheers.
That's good.
This hits the spot.
Thanks for the wait.
- Here you go. - Wow!
You sure you don't want a proper meal?
This is good.
You never look like you enjoy the food.
It's good. I mean it.
Welcome.
Are you waiting for someone?
Well...
Take any seat.
Welcome.
She looks like a movie character.
What movie would she be in?
- Maybe Back to the Future? - I know what you mean.
I see.
Hey, sensei.
Have you had any offers for feature film adaptations?
One of my works might get a late-night drama adaptation.
- Really? Again? - Wow.
Great.
There's a young actor at my agency.
The president wants him to land a mature role.
Is there a good role for him?
I'd rather not.
A word from you is all it takes.
- Excuse me. - My opinion isn't that valued.
Is there a man here who is known as "sensei?"
That's him.
He's not a schoolteacher, though. He's an author.
It's just his nickname.
He hasn't had a hit either.
Where is she?
What?
The girl you are hiding.
What are you talking about?
Tell me where she is.
- Calm down. - Who are you talking about?
What?
Please, Miss.
Your girlfriend. Where is she?
She's my younger sister.
This is bad.
I'm very sorry about the way I acted earlier.
When did she last call you...
Please, eat.
And?
When were you last in touch with her?
About three weeks ago. On Halloween.
I called her about our grandmother's inheritance.
Inheritance?
My grandmother, who passed away in September, left a will.
We have grown distant, but we reconnected about a year ago.
She was quite wealthy.
I was curious about who will inherit her wealth.
She left every penny in my sister's name, including the apartment unit in Meguro.
Usually, the inheritance is split 50:50.
I was surprised when I heard that everything was left in my sister's name.
How much did she inherit?
Eighty million yen.
Wow! Eighty million yen?
Shocking, right?
But if that's your grandmother's wish, what can you do but accept it?
That's where it gets complicated.
Right before our grandmother's passing,
my sister visited frequently at her home and the hospital.
In her last moments,
my grandmother couldn't make sound judgments because of all the medication.
I wonder if she really intended to leave everything to her.
You mean to say
that your sister manipulated your grandmother.
I don't mean that.
I wanted to talk to her about it. We planned to meet on Halloween night.
But then...
She sent a message saying
that she'll be late because of the traffic at Shibuya Station.
I haven't heard from her since.
SHIBUYA STATION IS JAM-PACKED. I'LL BE LATE.
This is good.
Oh, that. A man named Tani picked them on the way here.
This is just between us, but he works by the famous
- Ginkgo tree row... - Are you
really worried about my sister?
I am.
I hate to say this, but you didn't kill her, did you?
How preposterous.
Like I told you, I haven't seen her since Halloween.
We fought over a trivial matter.
I haven't called her since. I thought she was upset with me.
Shouldn't you contact the police, rather than talk to me?
I already did.
But she took a voluntary leave from her work.
My messages are marked as read, so the police won't get involved.
Well, I'm sure she'll show up eventually.
Why don't you keep waiting for her...
That won't do.
I counted on the inheritance money. My house is already under renovation.
Renovation?
Ever since I was little, I've always dreamed
of baking pizzas in my backyard.
I got a pizza oven and a sunroof installed,
not to mention floor heating and a sauna.
The renovation is almost complete.
I need to collect the inheritance money from her as soon as possible.
If I recall correctly, you are a mystery writer, are you not?
I am.
Doesn't this happen in mystery novels?
A common-law wife, murdered.
I guess so.
When is a relationship considered a common-law marriage?
I believe after three years or so.
You two dated for five years.
She definitely counts as your common-law wife.
I guess so.
In that case, you can make the renovation payments
while we wait for her to come back.
What?
Do you have any cash on you?
Is your wallet in your pocket?
This will do for today.
This isn't right.
I'll see you again next week.
Please. The sooner you find her the better.
What's up with her?
Anyhow...
Yes!
Because
We forget everything
What a botherl need a shoulder to rely on
Words can't promise my love to you
You're preciousThat won't change
Feelings cannot be stopped
My body is in a rush
Just one moment may change my entire life
Don't fret, my heart
Let's put our feelings into action
It's ok if it's unvoiced
We'll draw nearer
And sing loudly
Na, na, na, na, na...
I want to gaze into your eyes
With feelings that are brand new
Yo
Do whatever it takes to get to know you
How far we can go
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, noYeah
Du, da, na, naNa, na, na, na, yeah
Na, na, na, na, na...
She would've told her friendsor at least opened up to them.
Were any of the other teachersclose with her?
I don't think so.
That's a lie.
She was really shaken.
I thought she had a more ordinary relationship.
Didn't you die?
Translated by Megumi Hunter