Story III

This occurred a while in the past.

The cat spoke to 4 women.

The cat realized what had occurred to the one lady who disappeared.

Cats are clever animals, and it thought that the lady was not alive.

The cat talked and performed with the women and decided them to be immensely hideous.

The cat was not human, however it has by no means killed anybody.

The cat knew that killing people was a horrifying factor.

The cat scorned the women who buried the lacking lady.

The cat puzzled if she might play with the women sometime.

Cats are cats. They’re merciless creatures.

The cat was keen to play with them.

Lastly, the time got here.

The cat rejoiced in anticipation of the joyous event.

So, with nice enthusiasm, the cat determined to go and catch Kotori.

Who might blame it for that?

In any case, cats are cats.

“You’re proper, Odagiri-kun. I am lazy. Not doing what I don’t wish to do is my creed. I gained’t deny that. However that’s no cause to chastise me.”

Mayuzumi turned her again to me crossly. A black determine moved on the sofa. Her costume was raveled, the hem of her skirt unfold huge like a crow’s wings. I sat down on the sofa throughout from her and let loose a sigh.

“I’m not chastising you. Simply please at the least do what you mentioned you’d do.”

“I already did, so what are you complaining about?”

“Solely as a result of I reminded you about it.”

Mayuzumi didn’t reply. She simply lay there and gave a small shrug.

This was the results of my complaining to Mayuzumi concerning the doghouse. She had been grumpy since yesterday after contacting an acquaintance. Watching her, I let loose a sigh.

It doesn’t matter what occurred, Mayuzumi would by no means change. She lived her life nonetheless she wished.

However my frustration solely grew. I had no time to be coping with her fickleness.

“Is it attainable that the fox is again?” I requested.

Mayuzumi nonetheless didn’t reply.

However seconds later, she regarded over. “Hmm? Did you say one thing?”

“Is it attainable that the fox is again from the spirit world?” I mentioned firmly.

Mayuzumi was silent. She grabbed her cup, and he or she picked up a bit of chocolate. Pink rose-shaped sweet adorned her slender fingers.

She dunked the chocolate into the cup, and stirred it with a golden spoon.

“No,” she declared flatly, sipping her drink.

I frowned. It didn’t make any sense.

Every little thing that occurred up to now pointed to the return of the fox.

Mayuzumi shook her head. “Solely Mayuzumi Azaka can stroll within the depths of the spirit world. Solely me. I’m a unprecedented esper, and within the phrases of the cat, a monster. The spirit world is my playground. For others, it’s simply hell.”

Mayuzumi sipped her cup once more. She crossed her legs and put her chin in her hand. The rose anklet mounted round her ankle swayed, glinting purple in opposition to the sunshine.

“There isn’t a method for him to return from there. And there’s no esper who can carry him again. The fox is probably going concerned within the earlier case, however solely not directly. I imagine Aya-kun’s physique restored itself as a result of her psyche returned. Nonetheless, it’s attainable that the fox’s potential leaked into this world, which in flip, had an impact on her.”

Mayuzumi sighed and shook her head once more. She appeared very irritated.

She was neither frightened nor panicking, simply irritated.

“Imitations are all the time hideous, particularly if the unique is hideous too.”

“…An imitation?” I requested.

Mayuzumi all of a sudden went quiet. Her giant eyes narrowed for a second.

She turned absolutely to face me, and mentioned, “Sure, an imitation. I’ve a query for you.” Her voice took on a critical notice. “Suppose the fox had returned. What would you do to him?” she requested matter-of-factly.

Her phrases chilled my bones.

I balled my fingers into fists. I understood what she meant by that query. I’d been asking myself the identical factor again and again for the previous a number of days after parting methods with Aya. My chest started to ache once more. I might not maintain his existence within the depths of my reminiscence.

Again then, I decided to kill the fox. However I failed. I couldn’t do it.

What does the present me wish to do to him?

“Again then, I wished to kill the fox,” I answered.

I attempted to recall the craze I felt then, however it was gone and by no means got here again. My hatred and concern of him, nonetheless, remained.

I couldn’t settle for his return. However each time I considered him being within the spirit world, I felt suffocated. Imagining how he should really feel trapped in there made me wish to scream out loud. The feelings that crammed my coronary heart couldn’t be described. They have been contradictory.

I hated the fox. I feared the fox. Killing him wouldn’t be sufficient.

However I…

What was I attempting to determine?

I shook my head and stopped my ideas from working. I unwrapped the bandage on my palm and rewrapped it for no cause. Mayuzumi didn’t say something. She simply lay again down, not even urgent me for a solution.

Proper as she closed her eyes, there was a hoop.

It was the telephone. Opening her eyes, she lifted her physique up and leapt gracefully. She picked up the receiver and pressed it to her ear.

“Sure, Mayuzumi Psychic Detective Company. Oh, it’s you. What’s mistaken? Isn’t the case over?” Mayuzumi requested softly.

A flustered voice got here again from the opposite finish of the telephone.

“Feels like some critical hassle. However I don’t know the place she went or why she disappeared. Thus far, there’s no signal of her round me.”

The caller’s voice intensified, then progressively softened till trailing off. Mayuzumi, who had pulled her face away from the telephone, pressed it to her as soon as extra.

“I do know you guys don’t care if she goes loopy or disappears. It’s silly to start out making a fuss now simply because it might turn out to be a legal responsibility challenge for the hospital. You’ll most likely deal with her equally as Saori-kun anyway: lacking. Am I mistaken? So relax—they hung up.”

Mayuzumi put the telephone down and circled. The nook of her mouth lifted.

“A name from Reisen Women’ Academy,” she mentioned. “Kotori-kun has disappeared from the hospital.”

“She did?” I couldn’t imagine it.

I pictured her frightened.

Mayuzumi nodded gravely. “She was admitted to a university-affiliated hospital after struggling a psychological breakdown. However that hospital doesn’t concentrate on psychiatric care. She was staying in a basic ward, and he or she snuck out just a few days in the past behind the nurses’ again, with none assist. The cameras confirmed her leaving.”

She placed on a white negligee and a cardigan and left.

Since she was to remain within the hospital for the long run, she was allowed to put on plain garments, which backfired. She apparently blended in with the common guests. Her whereabouts have been nonetheless unknown.

“I don’t assume she might have simply disappeared like that. Somebody’s hiding her.”

A woman appeared in my thoughts.

An outlandish determine in a cat masks regarded us and gave a deep curtsy.

“See you quickly.”

Thunk.

My ears caught a peculiar sound. Seconds later, I noticed that it was mail dropped into the letterbox.

I bought up and went to examine. There was an envelope in entrance of the door. I flung open the door with out bothering to select it up, and as quickly as I lifted my head, I noticed the supply man. His eyes widened in shock, and he gave a nod. Mayuzumi discovered direct mails annoying, so she had the mailbox on the bottom flooring eliminated. The deliveryman regarded perplexed. He appeared to know nothing. I thanked him and watched him go, then turned again and picked up the envelope.

The plain white envelope was marked with the condo quantity and the identify of the recipient. The identify of the sender was written on the again in purple crayon.

From: the fox.

My womb stirred. However one thing apart from concern crammed my chest. I grabbed my trembling fingers. I carried the envelope fastidiously in order to not crush it and confirmed it to Mayuzumi.

“Mayu-san. I discovered this on the door.”

“Thanks. Hmm…”

Mayuzumi forged me a sidelong look. She took the envelope and opened it. A letter slipped out, along with one thing else. It regarded like a cookie. It hit Mayuzumi’s knee and rolled on the ground. As she opened the letter, a candy scent wafted by the air. Pink fluttered down from inside.

Pink petals.

The paper was stuffed with phrases written in crayon.

Mayuzumi learn the primary sentence.

“The story resumes.”

Her purple lips twisted softly. She tapped the letter and gave a small chortle.

“I see. How silly.”

I took the letter and skim the phrases written crookedly on objective. The kid in my stomach laughed once more. A chill crawled up my backbone. However it was a unique feeling from concern. One thing was speeding up my throat.

“Hahahaha.” The urge to scream become laughter. “I get it now.”

It was certainly silly.

“The story resumes.

As soon as upon a time, there was a pitiful princess.

She was trapped by flowers, ready for assist for a very long time.

Like Sleeping Magnificence, who spent 100 years asleep.

Like Rapunzel, held captive by a witch.

She has been ready alone for a protracted, very long time.

Would anybody assist her?”

What do you assume, pricey reader?

I crushed the letter in my hand and tossed it away. Mayuzumi was holding one other sheet of paper. It bore easy, typewritten phrases. A map was additionally hooked up.

A white card got here to thoughts. This one regarded similar to the one which the fox despatched.

I now understood what Mayuzumi meant by imitation.

“It’s the place the place Kotori-kun is being held,” Mayuzumi mentioned. “Coming all the best way to Nago Metropolis, huh? How very considerate of her. The letter may be very roundabout, however principally if we name the police, she’s useless. This fox positive is a worrywart.”

Mayuzumi’s lips twisted in a sneer. I noticed nothing mistaken together with her response.

This was just like the fox, however there was a vital distinction.

There have been flaws within the manufacturing. A letter despatched conventionally, speaking an excessive amount of concerning the premise. The fox would have clearly specified each single element that he wished us to discern on our personal.