Kazuo searches in the snow. The weather gets worse. Traffic from the lower part of the street is blocked. The group is stranded at the Lodge Village.

 

Kazuo searches in the snow.

The weather gets worse.

 

Traffic from the lower part of the street is blocked.

 

The group is stranded at the Lodge Village.

“KYAA!”

“Are you alright!?”

“...I slipped and fell. It hurts so bad...”

“Here, give me your hand.”

“Ah, I'm sorry about this...”

“Wow, Miss Asako, you look like a snowman!” 

“Mr. Sugishita, you're awful...”

He lifted Asako's tiny body out of the snow puddle. It felt good getting to hold her soft hand, even if it was through a glove. He also took the opportunity to help brush the snow from her jacket. Asako didn't show any signs of displeasure and let him do as he wanted.

The search had been unexpectedly pleasant. Just as Kazuo was about to leave as ordered by Hoshizono, Asako offered to accompany him. Of course, he had no reason to refuse. On the contrary, he welcomed it.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. I'm sorry, I'm just slowing you down.”

“Not at all, it's so slippery out here that – er, let's keep going.”

He urged Asako to keep walking.

The wind hit them both with a furious howl. It was frighteningly rough on their skin and nearly knocked them over. Cold air assailed them from the front, from the sides, and dug into their feet. The chill nearly froze their cheeks solid.

“Where are we going?” Asako asked, hunching her shoulders together and leaning forward to fight the wind. With her wool hat all the way over her ears, she looked like a Hokkaido girl.

“For now, let's go to the site of the avalanche Zaino mentioned.”

Kazuo had to shout over the roar of the wind. The two of them were descending the mountain path that connected the lodge village to the bottom of the mountain. The tracks left by the cars had long since been smoothed out by the wind. Here and there lay snowdrifts, where the snow had hardened into small white mountains. The wind blew against them and their feet stuck in the snow, making it difficult even to just to walk.

“That avalanche could have been a lie.”

When Kazuo said that, Asako's small eyes blinked. Her eyelashes were longer than they looked.

“It was a lie?”

“Yeah. Ms. Kusabuki was pretty heavily insinuating that Zaino was the culprit – it's also possible that he wanted to delay the reporting of the body for some reason and made up that story about the avalanche.”

“I see... I hadn't thought of that. You're pretty smart, Mr. Sugishita.”

“That's not true, anyone could have thought of that.”

Secretly, Kazuo felt on top of the world. In actuality, Hoshizono had whispered that in his ear before he left. He couldn't rule out the possibility, so he had to check if the avalanche was real while he was out. However, he didn't see the need to explain all that to Asako. He thought it would be a real shame to lose out on the perks he got by not explaining.

“More importantly, Miss Asako...”

As they kept walking, Kazuo slowly opened his mouth.

“Weren't you afraid to come out with me? For all you know, I could be the culprit.”

“Mr. Sugishita?”

Asako tilted her head without breaking her staggering pace.

“It would be a lie to say I hadn't considered the possibility, but even if you are the one who killed Mr. Iwagishi, if you kill me here, you'll be caught immediately. I told Ms. Akane I was going out with you before we left.”

“Haha, so I guess you took precautions.”

“It's not like that. I did say that, but I don't exactly plan on being killed by you. I figure you have no motive – we met for the first time just the other day, and we barely know each other.”

“You never know. Even though I look like this, I might secretly be a raging maniac who'd happily kill any cute girl I see.”

“Are you, Mr. Sugishita?”

Asako gave a loud belly laugh.

“If that were the case, you'd go after Miss Yumi or Miss Mikiko before me. More importantly, did Mr. Iwagishi look like a cute girl to you?”

“Nah, that's different. I'm a maniac who doesn't mind also going after dirty old men.”

“There's no one on Earth with that wide a strike zone!”

Asako giggled again. She showed no signs of wariness. He wasn't sure if she just had a naturally trusting personality, but he was at least glad she didn't consider him a threat.

“Well, all jokes aside, what do you think, Miss Asako? Do you think the killer is among us?”

“What do I think?”

Asako's face suddenly fell.

“I don't know if one of us did this or not... It still doesn't feel real, and I can't make myself accept it... What do you think, Mr. Sugishita?”

Asako asked with clear, honest eyes, but Kazuo couldn't tell if she was lying. Even though it was daytime, there was a heavy blanket of clouds above them and the path before them was dim. Stumbling, staggering, and slipping, they made their way onward in silence.

And, after less than 20 minutes, they arrived. The mountain road ended a bit after a sharp curve. The narrow street was completely blocked by a small mountain of snow.

“Wow, incredible...” Kazuo mumbled.

Asako sighed as well and looked up at the mountain to their right. A V-shaped valley appeared to have been carved into it, with the lower tip covered in the asphalt of the road. The snow piled up on the edge must have all fallen at once. The mountain surface covered a wide area, and it appeared that a considerable amount of snow had fallen from the cliff on the left. It certainly looked like a small avalanche.

“I don't think a car could pass through this,” said Kazuo.

“Look, isn't that the spot where Mr. Zaino's car got stuck?”

Asako pointed to a spot on the snow mound. There were traces where something had hit the snowy wall and broken the snow around it. It appeared that the entire vehicle had gotten stuck, and there were marks where tire chains had spun in place many times. Beyond it lay the mountainous mound of snow, which would probably be impossible to pass without a snowplow.

“I wonder what happening on the other side.”

“Then let's take a look.”

Kazuo stepped over the tire tracks and tried to climb the mountain. But it was just loose snow with no handholds, so it fell apart in his hands. Asako gave him a boost from below, and Kazuo, half buried in the snow, struggled to the top of the snowy slope, falling on his stomach.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I'm fine.”

“Please be careful. It'd be a disaster if you were to fall into that mass of snow...”

“It's fine, I can see the other side from here.”

When he arched his upper body as though doing a push-up, he could see the road on the far side of the snowy mountain. There were no further obstacles, and the mountain road gently descended. He felt a sudden urge to climb over the hill and run away with Asako. If they got on that road, they could descend to the town at the foot of the mountain. But thinking about it, he wasn't sure what he was running away from. Like Asako, Kazuo didn't think he'd ever done anything to make someone want to murder him. And they had a long way to go. In this cold and wind, if they didn't do things properly, they'd be dead. Their rescuers would come in a few hours, so it wouldn't have made that much of a difference if they got out now. After thinking it over again, Kazuo spoke.

“It's clear on that side. If they manage to get rid of this snow mountain, cars can come through.”

“But it's a pretty big mountain...”

“Yeah, but if they just bring a snowplow or an excavator, it'll go easily.”

Still lying on his stomach, Kazuo looked up. The wind sent the snow swirling in the air. It wasn't an elegant sight, like flower petals on the wind. Cold masses like frozen arrowheads came roaring at them. The mountain weather could change at a moment's notice. Kazuo flopped down and slid back down the mound.

“If we keep wandering around out here like this, we're going to get lost.”

“I agree. Let's go back.”

The snow was getting heavier and the wind was getting stronger. Powder snow covered Asako's white hat until it sparkled.

They just kept walking through that white haze, step after step after step. As new snow accumulated under their feet, they no longer had to worry about slipping, but visibility got worse and worse. The wind was strong, the snow was freezing, and they were going uphill. Kazuo took Asako's hand as they walked, this time without any thoughts. It wasn't that he was trying to keep her from falling so much as it was that he was starting to lose his own balance. If they supported each other, they'd both have an easier time walking.

The white before them kept expanding.

The mountain road before them, the trees in the forest, and the distant mountain peaks all grew hazy in the snowstorm. Everything was pure white. Kazuo and Asako's breaths mixed into the blizzard before them.

After they'd been walking for a while, Asako suddenly said something.

“Ms. Akane praised you, Mr. Sugishita.”

“Eh?”

He turned around, but Asako's black eyes were fixed intently on the road ahead.

“I told Ms. Akane the story you told me last night.”

Asako just tossed the words into the ether.

“You said that even if it caused you trouble now, you wanted to follow the president for the rest of your life.”

“I think 'rest of my life' is a bit much...”

Kazuo's quiet voice was swallowed by the wind.

“Ms. Akane said that nowadays, young people often change jobs the moment they find something they don't like. But Mr. Sugishita is a real tough man's man, which is rare.”

He waited for Asako to continue, but it appeared she was done. Confused, Kazuo suddenly felt the warmth of Asako's delicate hand inside her glove. It wasn't that he was embarrassed to be praised. He was embarrassed that Asako had talked about him. If she did that, it meant she didn't find him a total bore. If she didn't care about him, she wouldn't have remembered anything to tell... Kazuo might have been overthinking things, but he couldn't help but get a bit flustered. They didn't exchange another word until they returned to the lodge village.

The lodge village was also smothered in white.

The blizzard had fallen atop the administration building, the lodges, and the mountain above them.

“Just to be sure, let's take a look around the area in case something happened. If any marks get erased by the snow, that'll be trouble.”

So saying, Asako removed her gloved hand from Kazuo's. Kazuo thought she looked a bit embarrassed, but that might have been wishful thinking.

They circled the perimeter of the lodges.

The cliff to their right began sharply, and the shadow of the city could be vaguely seen below. In the distance, the town clung to the ground, reduced to a vague outline by the blizzard.

“If it's that far, I don't think they could have snuck off in the middle of the night.”

Asako blocked the wind with her arm. It seemed she was still clinging to the possibility of an outside culprit.

“This cliff is probably impossible to climb,” Kazuo responded.

They walked along the cliff until they arrived at the slope of the mountain rising before them. The flat, level plain of the lodge village suddenly shot up into a wall of mountain, as though plucked up by the will of a god. The area was densely forested. The underbrush looked totally untouched, and the area was unevenly covered in snow.

“I don't think anyone could have come here either.”

“There don't appear to be any traces, either.”

They walked along the slope. There were no signs of anyone hiding in the thickets.

It was the same along the left side of the campground. Snow had fallen along the ground below the trees, and there were no signs of anyone having walked on it. Through the gaps in the trees they could see a river. Although it wasn't very wide, its banks were surrounded by sharp rocks, and the current flowed rapidly. A river that ran beside a campsite... in the summer, it would be a pleasant sight, but right now, he'd rather it not. Snowflakes fell and melted into the cold-looking water. Just looking at it gave him chills.

“This way's no good either.”

Asako looked confused.

“Yeah, I don't think anyone would have gone out of their way to cross a river in this weather.”

With this, it was almost certain that the culprit who killed Iwagishi was someone on the inside.

“We should go.”

Kazuo headed towards the lodges. Asako followed him absently, still looking puzzled.

The lodges were just shadows through the pure white field. Standing out there, exposed to the blizzard, was a person, smoking in the snow. They were near Iwagishi's lodge.

“Who is that?” Asako asked, voice full of suspicion.

“What are they doing near Iwagishi's lodge?”

“Suspicious.”

The two of them kicked up snow as they approached the figure. When they got near, Sagashima, who had been crouching down, looked up at them. His hair was unkempt from the wind, and snow had piled atop his head. Sagashima's monkey face showed them a creepy smile.

“Oh, it's just you two. How was it? What's the situation down there?”

“Yes, well, as Mr. Zaino said, it's covered in snow...” Kazuo began.

“...What are you doing here, Sagashima?”

“Nothing weird, I was just collecting snow.”

Sagashima's lips twisted into another grin as he raised a small test tube to eye level. Inside was snow that was mostly turned to sleet.

“And what are you going to do with that?”

“Ah, there are many cases of UFO landing sites and crop circles containing large amounts of radiation unthinkable from their natural states, so I'm planning to take this home and analyze it later.”

Sagashima stood on the site where the crop circle had once been. The mysterious circular pattern had been covered in new snow and was no longer clear.

“Um, do you always carry that with you?” Asako timidly asked, pointing to the test tube.

“Ah, yeah, I usually carry simple investigative equipment with me. Oh, by the way, do either of you have a camera? I forgot mine, and no one else here has one. I want to take a picture of this thing before it disappears.”

Sagashima looked down at the faint circle that remained under his feet. Kazuo and Asako looked at each other, then shook their heads.

“I see. Well, nothing doing.”

Sagashima bent down again and took another test tube from his pocket. He'd completely lost interest in them and went right back to collecting snow. Kazuo and Asako exchanged another look. Wow, this old man's really something.

Kazuo started walking away from Sagashima.

“Just in case, let's check out the empty lodges. Someone might be hiding in them.”

“Well, it's certainly possible.”

With Asako's agreement, the two of them went around checking all the unused lodges.

There were two empty lodges at the back of the left path, and one at the back of the right – but none of them bore any signs of recent use. They didn't even have stoves, and they were as cold inside as outside.

As they shut the door of the third lodge...

“It's useless.”

Asako summed it all up. The theory that the culprit had come from outside appeared conclusively disproven. There were no signs of anyone having come from the outside, since there were no suspicious tire tracks or footprints on the road. Asako was smart, she must have already come to that conclusion. But she was afraid to say it out loud.

“I guess so.”

Kazuo said that as he looked up at the thick clouds. The sky that continued to blow snow down on them was getting dark.

“But what if the culprit is hiding out in someone's lodge?”

“Even if they are, we can't just go looking for them. Besides, that would make the lodge's owner an accomplice.”

“I guess you're right.”

Kazuo and Asako trudged down the left path towards the administration building. On the way, they could barely make out Sagashima, still looking at the crop circle.

Returning through the back door and entering the dining room, they found Mikiko alone, standing by the window. Asako called out to her as she took off her jacket in front of the stove.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh, just looking outside.”

Her lips were painted a heavy pearl pink.

“It's almost evening, so I was wondering if anyone was coming to pick us up yet.”

“I think it's still a little early. If it were that easy, we'd already be in Ikebukuro by now,” said Asako.

“That's fine, I don't mind waiting. Even if I'm just sitting around waiting, there's something exciting about wondering if it'll come now or later.”

Mikiko went back to staring out the window at the falling snowstorm.

As Asako held her wet gloves over the stove, a scream came from the other side of the door.

“IYAAAAH! Someone! Hurry, come quick!”

It was Yumi's voice. She sounded desperate. Kazuo and Asako ran out of the dining room as a unit, with Mikiko pulling up the rear.

Kazuo wondered if something had happened. He hadn't expected there to be another murder...

“No, no, no, this can't be happening!”

Yumi's voice echoed from the parlor.

“What happened?”

When Kazuo and the others ran into the parlor, they saw Yumi making a fuss in front of the TV by the window.

“Look, this is bad! It's in Chichibu!”

Oh yeah, there was a TV there. Between the stargazing last night and the murder, nobody had bothered to turn it on until now.

The TV screen was shining bright. What it showed was a town covered in a blizzard. A young man in baggy clothes spoke frantically into a microphone.

“As you can see, the transportation network has been completely paralyzed. Cars have been brought to a standstill – almost nobody is out walking. It's very dangerous as – objects are blown away. Even I, standing here, feel as though I'll be blown over any moment – According to Saitama Kotsu and Seibu Kanko Bus – all bus services are suspended...”

The raging snowstorm bent the man's body diagonally.

“It's really coming down hard...”

Asako had a hand over her mouth.

“I'm calling everyone over. Miss Mikiko, help me out.”

“Ah, right.”

Mikiko, her face stiff, ran after Asako.

“Ah, this old TV can't display anything properly.”

Yumi was impatiently fiddling with the antenna in the shape of a dragonfly's wings attached to the TV. The display vibrated and the audio was cutting out, either due to the poor weather conditions or the poor reception of indoor antennas in general.

“– This just in from Seibu-Chichibu Station, owned by Seibu Railway – At around 3:20 P.M., there was an accident in which strong winds cut a power transmission line – The accident has brought train services to a complete halt. There are currently no problems with the service between Ikebukuro and Hannō – However, there is currently no timetable as to when service is expected to be restor–d. According to an announcement by Seibu Railway – power lines have been severed at six locations thus far...”

Even in the unstable image, they could see a yellow train stuck in place behind him.

“It's a real mess down there.”

Kazuo sat down on a sofa and stared at the TV, unable to look away. Yumi was still angrily jiggling the antenna.

“...At the scene of the accident in Hamachi, where an elderly man lies trapped beneath a collapsed house, awaiting rescue – Rescue operations are currently underway in cooperation with local fire and police. Due to the strong winds, cranes and other large vehicles are not being used – Two hours since the collapse, and the concerns about the elderly man's safety have been raised–”

“The city center's task force suffered damage today as a result of extreme weather conditions – have requested disaster relief from the SDF. Current damage in Saitama Prefecture is centered on Chichibu city and surrounding areas–”

“Lightning struck a transformer at the substation, resulting in a power outage affecting 3,800 households – Chichibu Municipal Hospital – unable to provide sufficient emergency power–”

Every moment showed them a new scene of devastation.

“Incredible. They'll need more than a snowplow to deal with that.”

When he heard a voice behind him, Kazuo looked over his shoulder to see Akane. Her eyes were wide.

“It's a miracle this place is as intact as it is.”

Behind her, the rest of the guests stood in a line.

Hoshizono crossed his arms and spoke in a downcast voice.

“Looks like we shouldn't expect to be rescued any time soon.”

“Can't they send a helicopter or something?” asked Mikiko.

“I don't think they can fly in this wind.” Zaino was as emotionless as ever.

Akane was gloomy.

“It's doubtful whether the search and rescue teams even know we're here. Communications must be in shambles.”

Sagashima scratched his dry hair.

“I don't think we can go off on our own, either.”

“It's already dark out, so it'd be especially dangerous,” Hoshizono replied.

Akane stepped in, too.

“Besides, what are you going to do outside in weather like this?”

“Ahgh, you said we only had to wait until this evening!”

Yumi angrily shook the antenna.

“The low-pressure system – passing here, and a mass of cold air from the continent is heading towards – a typical winter pressure distribution. However, at this time of year – While rare, the Japan Meteorological Agency has confirmed this is a normal weather pattern –”

The sound from the TV had almost totally degraded into static, making a harsh noise. Akane stepped through the gap between the sofas.

“That's really annoying.”

She listlessly turned off the TV. Instantly, the parlor was cast into an oppressive silence. It was so quiet the air seemed to weigh on their skin.

Hoshizono spoke so quietly he seemed afraid of breaking the silence.

“We'll just have to wait until it clears up.”

“Don't see any other options,” said Akane.

Zaino spoke in a measured voice.

“In that case, we have enough fuel, but food will be a problem. We were only planning to stay a single night.”

“I'll do something with what's in the storage room.”

Asako didn't sound very confident. Sagashima looked uneasy.

“So it's a siege then.”

Yumi was indignant.

“Why? Didn't you say we'd be rescued this evening? I can't believe this!”

She screamed hysterically. Though nobody said so, her selfishness was what was unbelievable.

“You saw the situation. There's nothing we can do, so we have no choice but to wait.”

At Akane's firm declaration, Yumi looked on the verge of tears, but she shut her mouth. Mikiko bit her lip with a similar expression. Akane ran a hand through her hair.

“Well, let's just take things slowly. This is going to be a battle of endurance. Like he said, it's a siege.”

Together with the murderer...? Though nobody said it out loud, the heavy atmosphere in the room clearly communicated everyone's fears.

“Well, let's try and think positive,” said Hoshizono in an obvious attempt to raise the room's spirits.

“There are plenty of people back in Tokyo who know we're here. By now, they should have panicked and called the Saitama police and fire departments. The weather is forecast to improve tomorrow, so salvation may come for us sooner than we expect.”

“Okay, then, let's just take it easy.”

Kazuo tried to help set the mood, but he was completely ignored. It seemed everyone had received a bigger shock than he'd expected. It was understandable. They'd been patient for today because they believed rescue would come in the evening. In fact, Kazuo himself had fallen into a state of total hopelessness.

“Ah, in that case, the stove in my lodge is running low on gas,” said Akane.

“There wasn't really much there to begin with, but I didn't say anything because I wasn't planning to still be here today.”

“My apologies.”

Perhaps Zaino remembered the role he was supposed to be playing, as he bowed low.

“It was ordered to ensure everything was stocked for you, but... There is fuel in storage, so allow me to refill it for you.”

“Nah, it's fine, I'll do it myself. Just tell me where it is.”

“No, I shall do it.”

“It's no problem. Where is it?”

“Ah, it is in the storage room across from staff room. Do you know where that is?”

“Don't worry, I'll find it myself.”

Akane's refusal was gentle but firm. Zaino seemed a bit put off by her rejection.

“I see. Well then, do as you will.”

“Girl, help me.”

Akane left, taking Asako with her. Maybe Akane was still suspicious of Zaino.

Zaino, who had lost a bit of face, seemed to be trying to make up for it.

“Ah, come to think of it, I don't think we have enough in the generator, either. Mr. Sugishita, could you lend me a hand?”

“Sure, it's fine.”

“Just put the fuel in the generator. If the power goes out in the middle of the night, it will cause trouble.”

“Right.”

Reluctantly, Kazuo stood up. Even at a time like this, he was still the lackey.

Zaino opened the sliding door the the storage room across from the parlor. He pulled out two large plastic tanks.

“Is this... kerosene?”

“Gasoline.”

Zaino's face was cold as he gave a short answer. Kazuo couldn't feel the slightest bit of charm from him.

He followed Zaino, dragging the heavy tanks behind him. The stairs to the basement were near the front entrance. The basement was cold, damp, and smelled musty. It felt like he was a character in a foreign movie, walking into a catacomb. He asked himself if it was okay to go to a place like this alone with Zaino, and a faint anxiety sprouted in his chest. To distract himself from his fear, he began deliberately bumping the plastic tanks against the stairs as he walked. The sound echoed and Zaino glared back at him.

The basement was horribly dark, with exposed concrete walls. There was a cylinder of propane gas near the wall, and a huge cylindrical metal tube in the back, which appeared to be an electric water heater. The generator was right in front of it. A machine the height of a man, it looked like an intricate interweaving of iron pipes around a car engine and made a low hum. Zaino crouched in front of it and quickly, efficiently fiddled with the bottom of the machine. Then, suddenly, he seamlessly stood and turned back.

“Mr. Sugishita.”

His tone was emotionless. Kazuo was a bit startled.

“Yes-”

“Are you laughing at me?”

“...What?”

“Listen to me. I've been working under the president since yesterday, but back at the company, I'm used to having over 30 subordinates. You're a businessman, so you probably already understand that the deputy director of accounting at Yamakanmuri is a position of high social status. It's a position different from a common employee who works as an errand boy.”

“Right...”

“And this is the only time I'll ever do something like serving as a caretaker to a place like this. I've only been assigned this role because the president trusts me so much. So I don't want you taking me lightly. Don't forget that.”

“Uh-huh...”

Zaino, having said his piece, went back to work. Kazuo had no idea what had just happened. Apparently the work he'd been doing since yesterday had hurt Zaino's self-esteem, but it was hard not to get upset when someone suddenly vented all their frustrations on you. The incident must have gotten to him; Kazuo didn't think he was the type to let his pride get the best of him like that. Whether it was Zaino, Akane, or (obviously) Sagashima, everyone in that campground was a bit strange. Just don't lose your cool, nothing good will come of it, Kazuo desperately reminded himself.

 

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