The House in Which Nightmares Dwell Epilogue

[touchturnfly]

Epilogue

Hirota happened to see Mai inside the train.

"... ... Hey, Taniyama-san."

It was an evening on a weekday. Mai was hanging onto a strap among a big crowd of people.

"Ah, Hirota-san."

After her surprise, Mai smiled.

"Are you going home now?"

"Yeah, well. ... ... How about you?"

"I'm going to my part-time work after this."

"From now on?"

The twilight flowed in from outside the windows. The neon signs were turned on in the light indigo sky.

"I have school on weekdays, so I can only work in the evenings."

"So it's not only in the weekends?"

"At first it was like that though. When I'm not there, the chief will quickly turn away the clients, because of his egoism."

When Mai wryly smiled after she said that, the train entered Shibuya Station.

"... ... Well then."

Mai said and got off the train. Hirota followed after her.

"-- Huh?"

A disappointed Hirota answered Mai who turned over to look at him in curiosity:

"I'll see you off until you reach the office. The vicinity of Dougenzaka probably doesn't feel nice at night."

"But it's close to the station."

"Anyhow, I'll take you there."

"Well, okay... ..."

'Come to think of it,' Mai said as she left the ticket gate.

"Agawa-san moved out in the end, didn't she?"

"Seems to be that way."

Hirota nodded. Sometime after the case he received a letter of thanks. Moreover, she mentioned her new address. It seemed like they didn't feel like living in that house anymore after all.

On the postcard it was written that they were living in a rented house again. From the contents of the letter he wasn't able to discern whether Midori wrote it with a bitter smile, or if she wrote it without any additional thoughts.

"Midori-san consulted with us. She asked whether the house would be a bother to anyone if she sold it. We said it was fine. She really is an honest person, huh."

'Is that so?' Hirota thought. That seemed very much like Midori would do.

"Because of that she told Nakai that she wanted her to introduce a lawyer to her."

"Huh."

Hirota wryly smiled at Mai.

"It seems she'll make the lawyer say that it was inexcusable to conceal that the incident happened, and complain against the realtor. And eventually the realtor will have to buy it. She's bold despite outward appearances."

Mai laughed lightly.

Shibuya in the evening was overflowing with people. It had the air of an amusement quarter rather than a shopping district.

Hirota grimaced. It wasn't a place for a young girl to loiter around. When he told this to Saki, she made fun of him saying, 'How old-fashioned.'

"Why don't you take a more decent part-time job?"

Hirota suddenly said to Mai out of concern. Mai slightly frowned.

"So it wasn't decent after all, I guess."

"I guess everyone would say they're doing a hard part-time job."

"That's true. But, I am a self-supporting student. The hourly wage is quite good. And the conditions aren't bad."

"With a superior like that?"

"Well, that's true, but with the exception of cases, it's fine to do homework in the office. To a self-supporting student it's a very sweet part-time job."

"I don’t appreciate that a young girl like you who goes on cases. It must be dangerous."

"That’s more or less the case. But a compensation is paid for that work."

"Not to mention you work at night and sleep over."

"It's not like we're playing around at night. It's all work and work."

"You're probably pulling all-nighters with two men. Because the Agawa mother and daughter were there just recently, it's fine, but if it's on investigation in empty houses... ..."

Mai suddenly burst into laughter.

"No way. What kind of worries do you have?"

"No, it's because they're guys."

"And then, Hirota-san is the type who becomes a womanizer."

"It's unthinkable... ... that I would."

Mai glanced at Hirota.

"I think Naru and Lin-san would say they're the same. Although if it were mostly Naru I think he would vilify me."

Hirota was astonished. Certainly he sensed that to suspect a person without a reason would mean that he was looking down on a person's character.

"But I don't appreciate it."

"Geez."

Hirota looked at a sulky Mai.

"The places you go to for cases are probably places of death. Is it necessary for you to enter a place with remains of the dead people and unsightly emotions, and dare to involve yourself in a tragic incident?"

These are places of deaths in regret. From what’s generally said as well as what Naru said, those who died completing their natural lifespan and lived a fulfilled life, will not become ghosts.

"Isn't it painful to see only things like that? ... ... That’s why I can't really approve of it."

Mai made an extremely serious face and listened.

"Wouldn't it be okay if a young girl like you didn't do this?"

When Hirota said that Mai took a light breath. 'I don't understand it very well but,' she said in advance, and smiled. "There are many kinds of people, right? Among the dead people as well as among the living. Their hearts of their last moment remain here. They hate, and mourn."

"You’ll do it even if you understand that?"

Mai nodded.

"Well, that's because those are emotions that can be found anywhere. No one shows it on the surface, and even now someone may be hating a person in the same way, or be mourning their fate.”

"... ... That's right."

"Certainly, it is painful. Sometimes I think 'I definitely want to quit,' but ... ... it's an emotion that no one shows on the surface, so although I often have the feeling of wanting to quit having anything to do with this, I sense they go unobserved. And I feel that I get used to it even though it can’t be seen, and forget about it."

Hirota gazed at Mai. Mai smiled a little and looked over the wave of people that flowed over the hill.

"When I hurriedly see people who only seem happy and bored, I feel like I end up thinking whether it isn’t those people's reality. I think I forget that people like that actually have plenty of things to be bitter and sad about. .... ... Besides."

Mai made an innocent face appropriate for her age. No matter how cheerful she looked like, she also had her own sorrows after all.

"When I have it rough I want someone to pity me. It's not unpleasant to be sympathized with. Because it's a very gentle feeling."

"... ... Is that so."

"It must have hurt so much that your feelings remained? You must have felt sad, right? -- I can't do anything, but I want to pity them. Because at the very least I want to say that your pain is also my pain."

Hirota merely nodded. It also seemed like a sentiment seeming of a girl, but it wasn't an unpleasant state of mind.

"You are... ..."

Mai tilted her head and looked up when Hirota broke off mid-sentence. Hirota blushed somewhat. Having opened his mouth by accident, Hirota was about to say something that he felt considerably awkward about.

"... ... You probably want to say that I'm simple, right? Go ahead."

"No... ... It's not like that."

"It's fine. I get it."

"No, it's... ... not like that... ... You're a, good girl... ... Is what I wanted to say."

Hirota realized he blushed down to his neck.

After Mai stared blankly at him, she blushed a little. She reproachfully looked at Hirota.

"Please don't say that while feeling awkward. You even make me feel awkward."

"... ... I apologize."

"Hirota-san, you're actually not popular with women, aren't you?"

"-- Ha?"

Not following the abrupt topic, Hirota reflexively looked back at Mai.

"You have to be a little more shameless. Because girls like the bold types."

"... ... Ah, really... ..."

Mai struck Hirota's arm with a slap.

"Besides, girls aren't happy if you call them a 'good girl'. ... ... Make sure to practise these things."

'What kind of practice,' Hirota thought as he nodded for the time being.

"The foundation is good, so you ought to do your best."

"-- Huh?"

Mai laughed in amazement at Hirota who made a puzzled face.

"But you’re a guy with a chiselled face? You’re a handsome man who looks a little half-Japanese, so after that it’s a problem of dedication.”

-- Is that so? a dumbfounded Hirota thought. Unfortunately, that was the first time someone said such a thing to his face.

"-- Well, thank you very much."

Mai leaped up and crossed over the ramp of the entrance of the side of the building. They had arrived at the building in which the office was located.

'Bye,' After she waved her hand, Mai thrust a finger at Hirota.

"By the way, if you don't fix that stubbornness of yours, it's hopeless. Because stubborn men aren't fashionable these days."

"Ah, ... ... Yeah."

"Particularly, when you stop nagging without hearing the other side of the story, you'll be exhausted of compliments by Saki-san."

After inadvertently nodding yes, Hirota came to his sense in a flash.

"Why did you mention Nakai-kun?"

"Don't be shy, don't be shy. ... ... Do your best."

"-- Hey!"

Mai waved her hand intermittently and ran towards the escalator in a small sprint.

After seeing her off with his jaw dropped, Hirota wryly smiled.

-- Geez, he's no match for that young lady.

---

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