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墨書 Inktalez
The wind after the snow seeped into the bones, like a foreman urging the crowd of Fusheng to hurry along with a whip. The streets were filled with the sounds of hurried breaths, mixed with the rush of passing cars, honking horns, and the whistles of trams. It seemed that the warm winter snow had already begun to melt in the city, revealing the roads beneath. But if this snow was deeply embedded in one's heart, could it truly be melted away slowly by just a sunny day after the snowfall?
This question remained unanswered for Nishijo.
Sunlight poured into Nishijo's yard, filtering through the balcony into Sakuma's sleeping room. It seemed that part of the darkness inside had been chased away, and one could clearly see that just a few steps from where the sunlight fell stood a redwood cabinet. On it rested a group photo: Wen Liang smiling as he embraced Sakuma.
A line of small text recorded the date of this photograph, but countless days and nights had passed, and it seemed that a hand had gently moved it aside, replacing it with a black-and-white photo of Wen Liang in his final days.
The light stopped three steps to the right of Sakuma's bedding, perfectly positioned above the cabinet, making that memorial photo particularly striking.
Two years ago, Wen Liang and Sakuma, both employees of Inada Company, had gone on a business trip together to Giant Egg for client negotiations due to an unexpected arrangement.
"I'm sorry I'm late."
Sakuma, in a rush, didn’t even bother to fix his crooked tie as he stumbled in front of Wen Liang, his face filled with panic. However, this female colleague fell silent for half a minute after turning around.
Why does this person look so familiar?
Wen Liang thought he was momentarily dazed; the consistent curve of her bangs, her identical face, and those sharp eyebrows—how could his long-buried memories play such a trick on him after all these years?
"My name is Sakuma Fumio, nice to meet you."
Thinking that he might not recognize her, Sakuma quickly introduced herself while nervously rubbing her hands over her pants, clutching her briefcase.
"My name is Yamada Fumiyoshi, please take care of me."
Upon hearing this name, the hope that had ignited in Wen Liang's eyes felt doused with cold water. He forced a smile at this familiar stranger.
Fortunately, Sakuma had checked the weather beforehand and found a hotel at Giant Egg for them to stay in before they arrived.
"Sakuma? Why such an unusual name?"
Wen Liang looked at the guy bustling around, settling their luggage and ordering dinner, even running downstairs to fetch it himself, feeling puzzled.
However, Sakuma seemed just like the person she remembered—busy as a bee but unwilling to say a word. This made her hold back the questions she had intended to ask. After this initial interaction, Wen Liang cast a sidelong glance at the young man before her, clearly not satisfied. At the very least, she didn't like someone who was as silent as a clam; what would happen during tomorrow's meeting?
It was as if the blaring of car horns outside echoed the end of this nostalgic dream with Sakuma's startled exclamation.
The photograph illuminated by the bright sunlight was striking, and the figure that enveloped his head seemed to bring back memories of that day when his hands were red from the cold. Was that clothing... Nobu no Suke's?
Amidst the chaotic thoughts, Sakuma suddenly realized something more significant: he was in his mother-in-law's house. He hadn't truly ventured into the snow to accompany Wen Liang; instead, he had been transported here by some unknown divine force.
The scent of perfume on his hands jolted him back to reality, making him feel uncomfortable enough to lower his head. At least he could confirm: he was still alive and must have done something he shouldn't have.
Had he crossed a line? Sakuma knew he never used perfume. Did it have something to do with his junior, Keiko? A sudden wave of intense headache interrupted his thoughts as he turned to look at the open door of the room.
"Mother-in-law, I’m sorry for causing you trouble," Sakuma said, rubbing his head and forcing a smile as he noticed Nishijo approaching with a bowl of something in hand, her expression slightly stern.
"You always manage to create some trouble for others. Everyone understands your feelings, but why do you have to act like that? Look at what you've become now," Nishijo said bluntly, hinting that the funeral was over and thankfully he wasn't gravely injured; otherwise, they would have had to hold another one.
"I... I'm very sorry," Sakuma immediately realized that his actions that day had not gone unnoticed by his mother-in-law. He had almost caused a disaster himself and was taken aback as he accepted the bowl of medicine from her.
"What is this?"
"Take this fever medicine. You need to rest for the next few days, so don't move around too much. After you finish the medicine, tidy up the house."
Nishijo spoke slowly, as if she had just discovered something on her apron that had gathered dust. She didn't mention where the fever medicine had come from.
Halfway through drinking, Sakuma suddenly remembered something.
He recalled that ever since Wen Liang's father, his father-in-law, had passed away, they rarely kept such medicines in the house. When he visited before the funeral, he noticed an empty medicine box on the cabinet that he didn't know who had placed there. It stood out starkly in Nishijo's room. Where did this medicine come from?
"You’re right; Keiko bought it for you," Nishijo said, looking at Sakuma's reaction. It seemed she knew he would see this when he woke up, but Sakuma appeared to be in a daze from his high fever.
Perhaps he had forgotten that he had been holding Keiko's arm while talking about Wen Liang.
Feeling a slight poke from his mother-in-law, Sakuma's face turned red, and he didn't dare to respond.
"Keiko is a good girl, but you still have a bit to go," Nishijo remarked.
Sakuma was taken aback.
"What are you talking about, Mother-in-law? We're just... senior and junior students," he stammered.
Nishijo smiled slightly upon hearing this.
"You silly boy, what am I going to do with you?"
Sakuma was left speechless by her words, seemingly unaware of what had happened after he grabbed Keiko's arm. At least before waking up, his mind was filled with memories of him and Wen Liang.
The doorbell rang, and Nishijo got up to leave, reminding Sakuma to finish his medicine.
Sakuma gulped down the medicine in one go and immediately felt himself sweating all over. However, he sensed that his mother-in-law might have prepared many things for him to help with. He heard footsteps and voices but didn’t react; he simply waited for his mother-in-law to call him.
Meanwhile, Nobu no Suke was on his way to Osaka to visit his former classmate Sasaki Saburo. The night before, he had emailed him asking to investigate Yamada Fumiyoshi's past in hopes of finding a way forward for Sakuma.
Sasaki happily agreed to help with this matter, but several days had passed without any response.
"Nobu no Suke-senpai, do you really think this will work?"
Keiko looked on with a puzzled expression.
After her encounter with Nishijo last night, she recalled the phrase, "The old house has been moved here, and that place has become a small station on the Fusheng Electric Railway Line 6."
Would this investigation really yield results? Keiko glanced at the confident Nobu no Suke.
"It will definitely work. I believe my classmate can pull it off," he replied casually, a cigarette dangling from his lips. A mystery seemed to be unfolding under his unique methods, waiting to be unraveled.
At that moment, clouds began to gather in the clear sky of Fusheng, casting shadows over the sunlight that had been spilling onto the earth. It mirrored Sakuma's fragmented thoughts—what was the answer? Perhaps he himself could not say.
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