Kouhei seems to have asked Gondo to investigate something.
Gondo, surprisingly, was an avid tea drinker.
“From your speech, actions, and appearance, I assumed you were a coffee person.”
“My family ran a coffee shop.”
“Even so, shouldn’t that make you a coffee person?”
“It’s a coffee shop where the coffee is bad and the tea is delicious. My father, who prefers tea, apparently deliberately brews bad coffee.”
Is this man’s eccentricity and rebellious spirit inherited from his father?
“I’m sorry for having you arrange for bodyguards.”
“It’s no problem. My junior karate club members are thrilled to have found a good part-time job for their winter break.”
Gondo is a journalist who specializes in conflict reporting and is a karate black belt. He used his connections to find work for Fumiyo and the others to protect them.
I’m an OB from the American football club, but if I were to recruit for part-time work, I’d likely be disliked even by my juniors.
I’m truly grateful to Gondo for his help.
“I’ll bring some tea and cookies for Airi too. Tell me what happened later, okay?”
Fumiyo said, picking up the tray and heading upstairs.
“So, how did it go?”
“I don’t want to speak ill of Kanata’s father, but frankly, Shohei Amakake is trash. He was violent and rough, not to mention reckless and unplanned. It’s nothing short of a miracle he didn’t get a criminal record; everyone who knew him said the same thing. He’s actually had run-ins with the police, though no charges were filed.”
“…I see.”
My father became a person in a vegetative state due to reckless driving.
It was fortunate that it was a self-inflicted accident. Such a person is undoubtedly trash.
“However, after his miraculous recovery from the vegetative state, he changed. He became well-liked, humorous, but also calm and intelligent, according to reputation. Those who knew him before and after the accident said he might have had a change in perspective after his major accident…”
“What did Gondo think?”
“I’m naturally suspicious. I’ve seen all sorts of people in my line of work. It’s true that people can change. Hopeless individuals can, as if reborn, start their lives anew… it’s not an unheard-of story, and I’ve seen it happen. A miraculous recovery from a major accident is certainly enough of a catalyst for change. However… in Shohei-san’s case, it’s not like he changed, but rather he *became* a different person. This is just my hunch, of course.”
“Gondo, who investigates thoroughly when he feels suspicious, what did he do next?”
“I went to the local university that Shohei Amakake attended. There, I found something interesting. Information that seemed to corroborate my hunch. Take a look at this.”
Gondo rummaged through his bag with his short, sturdy fingers and pulled out some documents.
“This is a report written by Shohei Amakake when he was a university student, and this is a norito written as the chief priest of Amakake Shrine.”
“…It looks like the handwriting of two different people.”
“Doesn’t it? I even consulted a handwriting analysis expert, just to be sure. The result was zero matching points. What’s puzzling is that the expert said the characters written by the chief priest Amakake were refined and clearly the work of someone skilled in calligraphy. However, according to my research, Shohei Amakake never studied calligraphy, not even penmanship. Does Kanata know anything?”
…The framework of my hypothesis is starting to take shape. Gondo is indeed competent.
“Gondo, please wait a moment.”
I went to my study and brought back some of my father’s letters.
I showed Gondo the letters, which were old and discolored.
“This is a letter my father wrote to his grandmother after he awoke from his coma.”
“The handwriting is poor. It does resemble his handwriting from his student days, though…”
“Yes, it’s similar. But doesn’t it look like he’s *trying* to imitate it?”
“Are you saying that someone who writes well deliberately imitated poor handwriting to write this?”
“…Yes, that’s what I think.”
“Kanata, if you know something, tell me. We’re accomplices now, aren’t we?”
“This isn’t something that can be published as an article. There’s no benefit for a journalist like Gondo to know.”
Gondo leaned forward on the sofa.
“Kanata, the reason I became a journalist wasn’t for some noble ‘right to know.’ I want to know for myself! What interests me right now isn’t the major scandal brewing in the political and financial worlds but Shohei Amakake’s footsteps!”
“…Alright. But I promise you won’t tell anyone. Even if it were published, no one would believe it.”
I decided to tell Gondo the situation.
“…It’s hard to believe. But… I believe you.”
“I think it would be more logical to assume I’ve gone mad?”
“It’s incredible, but considering how meticulously Kanata is preparing for his revenge, I don’t think he’s lost his sanity. And it aligns with the other document.”
“The other document?”
“Here.”
Gondo handed me a yellowed envelope.
“…This! It’s Dad’s medical chart! How did you get it!?”
“Don’t ask me how I obtained it. But this is undoubtedly Shohei Amakake’s medical chart.”
This is Gondo going overboard in action. I can’t believe he managed to get it.
“…Complete brain death. The possibility of consciousness recovery… is virtually zero.”
“The doctor didn’t write zero out of professional courtesy. Shohei Amakake survived from this state. Logically, it’s impossible. Furthermore, the Shohei Amakake who recovered became a different person… And here’s another fact: his handwriting changed before and after the accident, and he initially tried to mimic his handwriting. What Kanata is saying sounds far-fetched, but it fits the events. I investigate based on my intuition and hunches, but I also place importance on factual corroboration. That’s why I believe you. I’ll borrow this letter, okay? I’ll show it to a specialist to see if someone tried to imitate handwriting.”
“…Thank you, Gondo.”
“We’re accomplices, don’t worry about it… Planet Terra, far, far away? I wonder how we could get there. Honestly, I’m more curious about that than any political or financial scandal. No matter how big the case, a corruption case is just a corruption case. There are plenty of those in politics and business, but the situation Kanata’s son is in is on a different level entirely.”
“It might truly be a story from another dimension. The stars say so.”
“I thought Kanata was a realist, but he’s surprisingly romantic.”
I am a realist. I’m just stating what I see.
“The stars Kanata saw from the laboratory window don’t match this world. None of the constellations that should be there are present.”
Gondo expressed surprise.
“You’re interested in constellations? That’s what I find surprising.”
“I’m not particularly interested. I can memorize them if I intend to. If you’ve had a dream many times, even an idiot can figure out how to compare the night sky and find their position.”
“You’re showing off your genius brain so casually, you annoying guy. It’s no wonder Kanata is disliked. Capable people with bad personalities have always been disliked.”
“So, I guess you and I are a team of a disliked person and a cynic?”
Gondo grinned, twisting his thick, tarako-like lips.
“I won’t deny I’m cynical. Kanata, how are you feeling? Can you handle the journey?”
“I get occasional sharp pains, but I can travel. Where are we going?”
“Kyoto. Shohei Amakake had many friends, but his closest friend was a shrine priest. His name is Moriya Mononobe, an old man, do you know him?”
“He’s visited our house a few times. He must have been friends with my father for nearly half a century. He might know something.”
“I thought so too. Investigation is my domain, but given the circumstances, I thought you might want to come along.”
“Yes, what I need to do is investigate the path that leads there. Revenge and reforming the world are just secondary pursuits.”
“Alright, the sooner the better. Let’s leave tomorrow morning.”
“Understood. Let’s go, to Kyoto!”
…My theory that my father, Shohei Amakake, was an alien from planet Terra was not mistaken.
My father came from another world, and my son has embarked on a journey to another world.
Then I should be able to do it too. Me, as the son of Shohei and the father of Kanata, can do the same!
I will definitely find a way to go to the world Kanata Amakake lives in, to the planet Terra far, far away.
…And this time, I will fulfill my duty as a father.
It’s gotten quite warm, hasn’t it.
