The group head to the mountain. Togaridake, Saitama Prefecture. This is where the incident will take place. The incident will not be discovered until next morning.

 

The group head to the mountain.

Togaridake, Saitama Prefecture

This is where the incident will take place.

The incident will not be discovered until next morning.

“Did you read the proposal I had faxed to your office?”

Iwagishi, who was sitting in the passenger seat, turned back and looked behind him. The rattling sound from the chains mixed with the vibration of the car.

“As I said there, the lower part of the mountain is used as an area for vacation homes. The campground is locate further up, in the middle of a valley shaped in a wide basin. It looks like it was built in the middle of nowhere. Well, even though it's called a 'campground', it's really not that impressive. You'll understand when you see it, there are only ten small lodges. It's nothing special.”

Iwagishi's loud voice echoed in the car. The way it mingled with the constant rattle of chains was even more jarring.

Kazuo was crammed in the center of the back seat. It was a natural position for the bottom of the totem pole, but he still felt pitiful, sandwiched between a grumpy gigolo and a monkey-faced middle-ager. Not only that, but the gigolo was totally unconcerned with how little space they had and was lazily crossing his legs, leaving him even more cramped.

“But even though it's inconveniently located, it's quiet and the air is nice. Besides, it isn't that far from Tokyo – only about two hours.”

Iwagishi was still making noise. In the driver's seat next to him, Zaino silently drove with no expression on his face. Rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle... The car left the city and passed through a hilly area. There were no more rice fields, and they now passed through terraced fields and between rows of naked trees. The distant mountains were covered in bare white. Hoshizono didn't seem bothered by Iwagishi's loud voice or the sound of the chains and just enjoyed the view of the distant peaks. Perhaps he just wasn't bothered by those sorts of things, as he had a slight smile on his lips and was casually looking out the window. Sagashima sat with his arms crossed and a sullen expression on his face. His dry, greasy hair made him look dirty. Kazuo didn't want to get too close to him.

“The previous owner was an amateur who didn't know a thing about business; he was just a guy who loved mountains so much he quit his job and set up a campground.”

Even though nobody reacted, Iwagishi kept talking.

“I'm sure he hoped to capitalize on the outdoor living boom of the time, but there was no way he could get customers like that. As you'd expect, the business went into a slump, and our company bought it, land, buildings, and all. Our company also develops and operates plenty of resorts, so we have the know-how. So, we came up with various different ideas, consulted with some experts, and decided to rebuild it with a completely new concept.”

“And you say it's in... Saitama?”

Hoshizono suddenly asked a question.

“That's right. Togaridake, in the town of Ogano, Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture – right across the Sanzui River. Why do you ask?”

At Iwagishi's question, Hoshizono gave a smile.

“Ah, I was just thinking of my own strategy. Compared to Kiyosato and Karuizawa, Saitama doesn't have that good an image.”

“Haha, it's exactly as you say.”

Iwagishi didn't seem upset, smiling with good humor.

“Saitama and Chiba are unpopular with young people.”

“Yes, especially young women.”

Hoshizono pointed at the ceiling of the car. His every movement was theatrical.

“But, well, it's your jobs to come up with romantic ideas. They call it 'Tokyo Disneyland' to give it a big city image, even though the park is actually located in Chiba. I want you to think of things like that.”

“Like calling it 'Tokyo' even though it's in Saitama?”

“No, I don't think we'll need to go that far, but I hope that your influence, Mr. Hoshizono, can create a bright and romantic atmosphere which will appeal to young women.”

“Oh, I don't have that much influence...”

“Humble as always! Mr. Hoshizono is the idol of women across Japan.”

Iwagishi laughed. Kazuo wondered what they were so happy about. Ridiculous... He was getting tired of this. This old man was arrogant, comparing a few mountain lodges to Disneyland.

The car continued down the mountain road. Their surroundings were by now nothing but woods and rocks, and the houses that had been scattered here and there before were no longer in sight. Tall mountains rapidly approached.

“Is that the Chichibu Mountain Range?” asked Sagashima.

The way he pressed his face to the glass reminded Kazuo of the zoo.

“Yes, that steep mountain there is Mt. Shiao, and beyond that lies the Chichibu Mountain Range.”

Iwagishi pointed out the left hand window as he answered.

“I see. I thought it looked familiar... So, is that there Mt. Ryogami?”

“Yes. Mr. Sagashima, you're so well informed.”

“I've just been here before since there's a UFO base here.”

“A-A UFO base?”

Iwagishi looked like he'd been genuinely taken aback.

“That's right, last summer, we set up camp on the side of that mountain – that one there that's shaped like a beehive – and investigated. Over the past few years, an increasing number of people have reported seeing strange lights coming from the mountains in Chichibu, so we believe there's a possibility there's a forward base for UFOs.”

Sagashima spoke with a passion he'd never shown before – though he didn't sound any cheerier. In his case, rather than passion, it might have been more like his calling.

Kazuteru Sagashima. As a UFO researcher, he had a cult following in certain sectors. Kazuo had heard that he used to work for a TV production company, but he got hooked on the subject while making a special about UFOs and became a full-time researcher. He'd published books full of absurd claims like “It is rumored that NASA is hiding the remains of crashed UFOs and the corpses of aliens,” “The Nazis succeeded in developing a saucer-shaped bomber before the fall of the Third Reich,” and “In the territory of the former Soviet Union, remnants of the KGB have successfully developed weightless propulsion technology based on those of flying saucers.” Kazuo didn't really care, thinking he was just another crackpot. He'd certainly never expected to meet him in person. By the way, his name, 一輝, is read as “Kazuteru”, but since he was also active overseas, he used the more common reading of “Ikki” as a nickname that was easier for foreigners to pronounce. It was said that “Professor Ikki” was highly respected even among foreign UFO researchers. Though Kazuo didn't know about that.

“It was a fairly large scale investigation, and we used a lot of equipment – Radiation measurement, seismometers, electromagnetic readings, magnetic field line analyzers – I spent two weeks living in the camp collecting scientific data.”

“And did you manage to find the UFO base?”

Iwagishi may as well have just splashed water on Sagashima's passion.

“No, unfortunately, we weren't able to pinpoint its location. However, we were able to narrow down a general area based on eyewitness testimony, measured data, and geographical conditions. We're also planning to do even more in-depth research next summer.”

“I see... Mr. Sagashima, an article about that investigation was published in a weekly magazine, wasn't it?”

“That magazine?”

Sagashima's voice suddenly turned harsh.

“That article was disgraceful. It made a mockery of our investigation and acted like they'd disproved everything just because we weren't able to pinpoint the exact location of the base. Talking to them was a mistake.”

Iwagishi seemed distracted as he mumbled to himself.

“Well, I actually came up with the idea after reading that article, so I suppose it wasn't a total waste. Togaridake, a treasure trove of nature where the stars fall and the UFOs come. What do you think? We'd be happy if you could focus on and promote those aspects.”

He'd forcibly put them back on track.

“The previous owner gave the campground the rather bland name 'Togaridake Lodge Village', but I was thinking we could rename it 'Village of the Stars' after the beautiful stars. Or maybe 'UFO Town' – anything that will appeal to young people. Young people nowadays have money, and if we get them, they'll be the ones to start a boom.”

Iwagishi seemed happy with himself, but Sagashima had fallen back into silence and looked displeased. He didn't like when he spoke with passion, but Kazuo thought the way he sat in silence and glared resentfully was even scarier.

They climbed a winding mountain road of dirt. Occasionally, the car bounced, probably from hitting a rock.

“Look, that's the campground up ahead.”

Iwagishi was looking out the window. The group saw a few triangular roofs peeking out among the trees. They were luxurious looking, stylish log cabins. Hoshizono was looking at them curiously.

“There's a cold, snowy season coming up, so it'll be tough to get up here. Look, it appears everyone has already left. The people here probably just use this area for their summer resorts and have fled to their other homes for the winter. I wonder what the previous owner was thinking, building a campground in a place like this. He must have known it would be unprofitable to only have it open during the summer. It's hard to understand what amateurs think. It's impossible to run a resort unless there's a clear theme and a core attraction for the customers.”

Iwagishi's words had a clear undertone of “I'm the only man in Japan who could do this.” He continued to loudly talk for 30 more minutes, leaving Kazuo exhausted.

Eventually, just as the pain from the cramp in his butt was growing unbearable, their surroundings opened up into a snowy landscape. The uneven mountain road, the cliffs to one side, and the thickets on the other were all wearing white cotton hats. The vibrations under his butt also lightened up.

“Wow, it's really piled up.”

Iwagishi interrupted his own speech to express his admiration. The landscape was completely white and shaded as vividly as an ink painting. It looked like it went on forever. The car ran over the snow with a crunchy sensation. The snow piled up on the branches to the side fell with a gentle sound.

“The view's quite refreshing,” said Hoshizono, looking out the window with satisfaction.

“Is there really this much snow already? It's only the beginning of December.”

“I'm not certain, but I hear Chichibu is prone to abnormal weather. Really, running a campground up here, he must have been extremely drunk.”

Iwagishi sighed, and Zaino, who had been silent the entire time, appeared to be in shock.

“I had received a report from the Saitama branch that it had snowed, but I never expected this much.”

“Well, now we get to spend the night in a snowy cottage.”

Iwagishi seemed to be in high spirits and let loose a graceless laugh.

Then, Kazuo's vision suddenly expanded.

The forest blocking his view to the side suddenly ended, and he could see a wide area. The car gradually slowed down.

“Well, we're here,” said Iwagishi.

It looked like someone had taken a spoonful out of a huge cup of pudding. It had the air of a countryside elementary school playground on a snowy night, and was about the same size. To the left of the modest playground was a forest, and in front of them was the mountain. At the end of the flat expanse, the ground rose in a gentle curve to meet the mountain. There, too, trees formed a dense forest. On the right, a steep slope dropped down to form a cliff. In summary, they were in an open space on the mountain surrounded by forests and cliffs. The road, which appeared to have been deliberately extended from the lodges with great human effort, ended here. Kazuo's first impression was that it was a bit lonely. [See Fig. 1, Togaridake Lodge Village]

The buildings in the square gave off an impression of desolation. In the foreground was a large two-story wooden structure. You could be charitable and say it had a natural grain finish, but in fact, it just looked cheap, like it was made of naked planks hammered together. It sat sluggishly on stilts, crouching down like a hibernating turtle. Perhaps the rim was set so high to compensate for the possibility of heavy snow. Beyond the larger building, about ten smaller lodges were lined up. They stood on their carpet of snow, looking as damp and shabby as the cookie houses on a Christmas cake. The overall vibe of the area was a dreary ghost town.

The car came to a slow stop to the right of the large building.

“Thank you for putting up with the long journey. Welcome to Togaridake Lodge Village.”

Iwagishi opened the door and stepped out. They finally had a chance to stretch their legs. Sagashima got out of the car, and Kazuo quickly followed.

It was cold. He reflexively pulled his jacket tighter around him. The air was piercing. Even though it was only a 40 or 50 minute drive, the mountains and the city were different places. The sharp cold made him feel as though he were being bitten.

“Cold outside, eh?”

Iwagishi was still giving his exaggerated yells.

“When you come to a place like this, you realize that winter's already come!”

“What's that town down there?”

Hoshizono struck a pretentious pose as he extended a hand, a single finger pointed down the cliff. He was dressed like a male model and held the pose until he got his answer.

“Oh, that's Chichibu.”

Iwagishi looked cold, rubbing his square face with both palms. Far below them, beyond the mountain, the city of Chichibu spread out as though it had grown from the earth.

“Chichibu, where we changed trains?”

“Yes, it's quite close, but the cliffs on this side are steep. There's no road that way, so we had to go around to a local station on the other side. It's quite an inconvenience,” Iwagishi spat.

“Well, it's cold out here, so let's head inside already. That big building there is the administration building, so lets warm up in there for the time being.”

And with that, he started walking towards the two story building. Instantly, Zaino went behind the car and opened the trunk. Just as Kazuo was about to go back and help him unload their luggage:

“What's this?”

Iwagishi stopped and asked. He sounded upset.

“Zaino, why was the snow shoveled like this?

“Hm?”

Zaino also stopped and looked in the direction Iwagishi was indicating.

The large open space did, in fact, show signs of being shoveled. The snow had been cleared on the road they'd just come in on and in the space they'd parked. A path had been dug to the administration building, and two long, narrow paths broke off diagonally from it and ran under the eaves of the building. The two footpaths ran to the far end of the clearing, then stopped abruptly. It looked like someone had ridden a pair of gigantic unicycles towards the mountain. Using them as a reference, it could be seen that the lodges stood in two diagonal lines. The shoveled snow made two parallel paths along the lodges.

“I told the Saitama branch to take care of it.”

Zaino said so without changing his expression.

“Hmph, they cut corners. Who was in charge?”

“Branch Manager Nagayama.”

“He was sloppy. I don't care how long it is, he's never setting foot in headquarters again!”

An enraged Iwagishi stomped into the administration building. However, since the snow was only about 20 cm deep, they didn't really need to shovel at all. That's what Kazuo thought, at least. He wondered if Iwagishi wouldn't be satisfied unless the entire square was perfectly cleared. That kind of thing was extremely hard work. Although he'd never met anyone from the Saitama branch of Iwagishi's company, he couldn't help but feel sorry for them.

Hoshizono watched the exchange with indifference, then approached the car. He reached out for his bag.

“Ah, I'll get it.”

Kazuo grabbed the bag.

“No, I can carry my own things.”

“No, this is my job.”

With that, he snatched the bag away from Hoshizono's reach. He was obstinately taking out his frustrations in some small way.

“I see. I'm sorry.”

Hoshizono sounded a bit regretful as he turned to follow Iwagishi. Kazuo was a bit surprised. Hoshizono had just sounded... normal? He wasn't doing his usual dressed-up performance, but actually came across like he was trying to be nice. But as he walked towards the administration building, his lean, smart figure had the familiar cocky swagger of a man aware he was being watched by thousands of adoring fans. Must have just been his imagination.

Sagashima quickly dragged his own luggage next to the dazed Kazuo.

“You, take care of this too.”

Zaino, who he hadn't heard approach, emotionlessly addressed him. He shoved a large paper bag into his arms as though he were a baggage rack. Kazuo didn't even try to hide his annoyance.

Because the building was on stilts, the entrance to the administration building was on top of three stairs. Kazuo waddled up the stairs with two people's luggage and a paper bag in his arms. He opened the wooden door and stepped inside. The inside was just as lonely as the outside. You could call it the traditional mountain hut style, with wooden floors and walls and thick pillars. However, the boards were thin and felt flimsy, so it all felt insecure. The ceiling's exposed beams were colored amber and covered in soot, which didn't inspire confidence either. [See Fig. 2, Administration Building]

There was a counter immediately left from the entrance. That must have been where they served customers. A wooden kokeshi doll sat on the corner of the counter. It was a simple wooden carving, about 30 cm tall. It was hard to believe such a cute object fit Iwagishi's taste, so it had probably been left by the previous owner.

From there, a hallway led to the back of the building. Partway down, there was a small parlor, where Hoshizono and the others had gone. There were sofas arranged in a square, with a small table in the middle. The sofas were upholstered, and the table was another cheap looking assembly of boards. Against the large window on the wall was a TV with an indoor antenna, a rarity in this day and age. It had an actual dial to change channels. Kazuo wondered when it was made.

Hoshizono and Sagashima were sitting on the sofas, and Iwagishi huddled at their feet, lighting a stove. It was an old stove that gave off thick black smoke and an unpleasant smell of oil.

As Kazuo was putting everyone's bags on a sofa, Zaino followed behind him.

“Sir, we are running a bit behind schedule. We must hurry.”

“Oh, is it that late already? Darn it, this old stove isn't working...”

Iwagishi didn't even look up.

“It'll be dark soon, so go get to work on the generator.”

“Right away, sir.”

Zaino bowed, turned, and left with his silent, ninja-esque movements.

“I finally got it. It'll warm up soon, so please be patient for just a bit longer.”

Iwagishi stood up.

“I'm terribly sorry, but Zaino and I have to go back to the station. Ms. Kusabuki will be arriving on the evening train, so we'll need to pick her up. Oh, do you all know Akane Kusabuki?”

“Did you say Akane Kusabuki?”

Hoshizono asked, raising one eyebrow with theatrical exaggeration.

“Yes, I did. You know her?”

Iwagishi grinned, his fat lips curling vulgarly.

Hoshizono raised his index finger with a sharp movement.

“Of course. I'm sure Kazuo's heard of her, too. She's a popular female author. Of course, I've never read any of her works. There's no way a self-respecting young man could stand on the train reading works with titles like 'Happy Valentine's Love♡Strategy', 'Love Feels Like Rock 'n' Roll', 'Catching Hearts by the Sea', 'The Blowing Wind is the Color of a Maiden', etc. etc. She's a popular author enjoying tremendous support from the female student and office lady demographics. I once saw a bookstore with an entire shelf full of nothing but Akane Kusabuki paperbacks. They were bound in fanciful pink bindings, and only that section of the store was elaborately decorated.”

“Yes, we've also invited that author.”

Iwagishi's square face crumpled into a smug sneer.

“Ms. Kusabuki's extremely popular with young women, so if she and Mr. Hoshizono combine their powers, our success is guaranteed. Ah, compared to them, Mr. Sagashima comes across as a bit of an old troll.”

He followed up that comment with a cryptic bow. Luckily, Sagashima was looking out the window and ignoring them.

“Looking forward to it.”

Hoshizono crossed his legs pretentiously.

“I didn't expect I'd get to work with a famous novelist.”

“Have you heard? Apparently, Ms. Kusabuki is quite... charming.”

Iwagishi chuckled, but his eyes were dead. That was when Zaino crept back in.

“I apologize for the wait, Mr. President. I shall be with you in a moment.”

“How's the electricity?”

“Ah, the generator was unexpectedly troublesome... But I did exactly as you instructed me the other day, so it should work.”

Zaino flipped the switch on the wall, and instantly, the parlor was lit. Kazuo hadn't even realized that the sun had gone down.

“Yes, this will do fine. Then, gentlemen, I'll return in about an hour and a half, so please, make yourselves at home. You, Mr. Hoshizono's attendant.” 

“Yes?” 

Kazuo was already tired, anticipating some new order. Sure enough, Iwagishi spoke.

“We're in a hurry, so you make our guests coffee. The coffee is in that paper bag, and the kitchen is in the back. And we'll have dinner in the dining room afterwards, so turn on the stove and keep it warm.”

He barked orders as though he were talking to his own subordinate.

 

Previous Chapter                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Next Chapter