The morning of day four. The weather improves. The case is over.

 

The morning of day four.

The weather improves.

The case is over.

It was a bright and sunny morning.

The sky visible out the window was a pale blue that looked like it went on forever.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky, as though yesterday's blizzard had all been a practical joke.

The snow-capped peaks formed a gently sloping ridge, their white tops blending with the deep blue of the sky. Their silver slopes sparkled in the morning sun, and under the gentle light, it was hard to believe they were looking at Chichibu and not a distant European scene. The bright white branches of the nearby trees didn't move at all, for there wasn't the slightest breeze.

Last night... They'd tied up Hoshizono, who'd been knocked unconscious, with a rope and thrown him in the basement. Sagashima kept watch in front of the door. Kazuo was sure he was still diligently keeping at it, reading that foreign book.

Yumi and Mikiko both clung to him and refused to let go. Even when Sagashima complained that they were interrupting his reading, they stuck to him like headache cream.

Akane was holed back up in her lodge, working on her manuscript. As soon as the case was solved, she went right back to work... that woman's workaholism wasn't to be taken lightly.

And Kazuo... was looking out at a world painted silver through the second floor window.

“I still can't believe he was the culprit.”

“I know.”

Asako was standing next to him. Dressed in a puffy sweater, she looked like a marshmallow fairy in the calm morning sunlight.

“We only knew each other for a short time, so I'm not that shocked, but I was surprised... If anything, I'm disappointed in myself that I couldn't see the sort of man he really was.”

When Kazuo's face fell, Asako smiled at him.

“Besides, I'm probably going to have to quit the company... If the talent I was charged with managing caused an incident of this scale, I'll probably be charged with failure to supervise.”

“Even though nothing that happened here was your fault, it'll be difficult to stay there.”

“Yeah. Plus, it turns out the president... wasn't the man I thought he was. I don't like to judge other people's personal lives, but this incident's really cost me my enthusiasm for the company.”

“What are you going to do now?”

“I'll think about that later.”

Kazuo stretched dramatically, as though banishing his last remaining barriers.

“But your detective work was amazing. You saw through such a complicated case.”

“Ms. Akane did half the work, I just helped her and offered a few of my own ideas.”

“Don't lie to the man, that was all you,” Akane suddenly called out from behind them.

“Ah, ma'am-”

Asako tried to approach her.

“Just ignore me, young'uns.”

Akane raised a hand to stop her.

“I've got something else to be doing, and I'll be out of your hair in a moment, so don't be shy. Just pretend I'm not here,” she said teasingly.

“No~! Stop teasing us, ma'am!”

Kazuo watched with confusion as Asako's face turned red.

“Well, girl, note.”

“Ma'am.”

As usual, the pad was suddenly in her hand.

“I want to write a new mystery novel for Kisouha. It'll be my first mystery, so I'll make it an impactful story with lots of high-tech gadgets and surprising tricks.

“Gadgets like radios and cell phones?” Kazuo joked. Akane grinned at him.

“High-tech machines, cutting edge, ahead of their time. Well, I suppose real life cases aren't like that... Oh, and one more note, girl.”

“Ma'am.”

“When we get home, I'm going to finish off our most urgent work and then take a break. I'll go on a solo trip across India, I've wanted to go there for a while now. You never know when you'll die, after all.”

Akane muttered that last bit as though to herself. Kazuo wondered if the incident had given that workaholic writer something to think about, too.

“Come on, then, let's complete that last step and take a well-earned rest.”

Having said what she came there for, Akane patted her back in an old man-esuqe gesture and walked away.

If her boss was taking time to go on a solo trip, then of course, that meant Asako would also be on vacation. Kazuo was excited. The question of how he could ask this quick-witted girl on a date chased all concerns of his looming unemployment from his mind. He probably shouldn't go inviting her to a bar...

Asako, whether she knew what he was thinking or not, silently gazed out the window at the wintry landscape.

Kazuo stood next to her and shared in the sparkling view for a moment.

“There's one thing that still bothers me. He told me he had a dream – or rather, a goal. That's why he became a talent, why he debased and humiliated himself for money.”

“What was his goal?”

“He wanted to exonerate someone who was falsely accused of a murder that took place out in the country a long time ago. It's kind of sad to think that now the case will never be solved.”

Perhaps the reason he'd become the president's lover was to get a bit closer to his goal.

Asako kept staring out the window.

“But, if you think about his true nature, don't you think that could have been a lie? It was just a way to draw you into his confidence.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

Kazuo nodded, remembering Hoshizono's demonic visage as he hurled abuse at Asako. Certainly, it was hard to imagine someone like that doing anything for someone else.

“Well... maybe you're right.”

Kazuo said it again. He was trying to convince himself.

“It'll be easier if you just think of it like that. There's no need for you to be burdened by an issue like that, Mr. Sugishita. Besides, someone else's unfulfilled dream is a thing that never existed in the first place.”

Asako looked a bit lonely. She smiled as though she were embarrassed by her own words and suddenly spoke up.

“Well, I'll do my best to make my dream come true.”

“And what is your dream?”

“It's a secret.”

“You're so stingy! Come on, tell me.”

“Nope! I won't tell you.”

Asako turned away from him. Kazuo grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her back.

 “Come on, tell me.”

“I don't want to.”

“Then give me a hint.”

“No hints.”

“Come on, just a little one.”

“No! Not even a little one!”

Their eyes met.

A feeling of intimacy flowed between them.

Kazuo's face grew serious.

“Thank you. I do appreciate what you did back there. If you hadn't been there, I don't know what would have happened...” he whispered.

Asako accepted him with a similarly serious expression.

“No, it... it was nothing.”

Her voice trembled a bit.

The trembling of her lips was lovely.

He stared into Asako's eyes.

Asako seemed a bit intimidated, but she met and accepted his gaze.

They stood staring at each other in silence.

And then, as though he were being drawn in, he grew closer to her small lips...

“Ah-”

Her loud voice drove him back. His face, which had been so close to hers, nearly hit her shoulder. Her dark eyes widened as she looked outside.

“W-What is it?”

“Don't you hear that?”

“What?”

“Listen, I think that's a helicopter. Ah! There it is! I see it, over there!”

“Where? Where?”

“Look, a bit to the right of that pointy mountain.”

She pointed through the glass with a slender finger.

It was definitely a helicopter.

The machine, shining in the morning sun, flew high above the mountains.

“It's true, help has finally arrived.”

“Finally...”

Asako gazed intently at the helicopter.

With a resounding roar, the glittering aircraft was heading straight for them. The sunlight shone off the round glass of the cockpit as it drew closer.

For a moment, Asako's eyes caught a glimpse of the reflection from the glass. It was faint, like the twinkling of a star in the sky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The author would like to pay respects to two major inspirations for this work:

Seventy Five Crows by Michio Tsuzuki

The Name of the Sky by Kanji Hayashi

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author:

Jun Kurachi was born in Shizuoka Prefecture in 1962. In 1994, he debuted as “Jun Kurachi” with “I Don't Want to Go Out on Sunday Night”. In 1997, he was nominated for the Long Story category in the 50^th annual Mystery Writers Association of Japan Awards for “Murders in the Mountain Lodges Beneath the Shooting Stars” (the book you just read). In 2001, he won the first place Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan Award for “Heaven in a Jar”. “Cream Puff Panic” is scheduled to be published by Kodansha Bunko in September 2017.

(Translator's note: it was.)

 

 

 

 

About the Translators:

Mitsuda Madoy can't go out in the mountains because he was terrible circulation and would start losing fingers in seconds. Instead, he stays inside all day, translating mystery novels and streaming at https://www.twitch.tv/mitsudamadoy

cosmiicnana comes to us from a foreign star to rant about handsome men. They also stream at https://www.twitch.tv/cosmiicnana

 

 

 

 

 

 

This translation comes with thanks to our patron,

ISAAC WARD

 

 

 

 

 

 

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