Yuu-2

On the second floor of MOL Burger, at a seat in a dimly lit corner.

In that inconspicuous little spot, a pet.i.te girl sat with her shoulders hunched.

“Excuse me, have I kept you waiting?” I walked over, waving brightly.

In response, she shook her head sharply twice or thrice. She was peering at us with wide eyes.

“Um, this is Haruma-san, who agreed to lend his a.s.sistance with my investigation. And this is my friend Anna-san.”

“…Mhmm.” With a withdrawn response that would put a tortoise to shame, Kusaoka-san took a seat as politely as he possibly could.

Then there was Anna-san.

A fellow first year student, she was the youngest of three sisters. She was a Gemini and her blood type was B, not the sort of combination one would imagine befits someone engaged in handicrafts, but there you have it. She lived with her parents, who used a loaned car. She never fell behind with her tax repayments. Her receipts and bonds were minor. However, her parents had strict control over her. She owed thirty-six thousand four hundred yen to my finances. Her dimples were her most charming feature.

Today, however, her dimples had vanished into thin air, replaced by a cold sweat. “Er, um, Yuu-chan… I’m just wondering why you called me here…”

“There is something I want to ask you, if you may.”

Anna-san had readily responded to my summons, even during a busy time slot in the evening. It was no exaggeration to call her my soul sister.

“You are aware that plenty of my friends have gone missing lately, aren’t you? Anna-san, I was wondering if you got along well with Shia-san. Is there nothing you can tell me? Anything you know will do.”

“…Um, you know, the three of us—Shia, Maria and I—we usually, well, last Sunday we were hanging out…” After taking a seat next to me, Anna-san merely stared intently at her shaking fingertips. It was almost as if her shaking could generate electricity. Such a convenient body would sell for quite a lot of money. “That’s why I tried asking Maria about Shia on the phone.”

“Go on.”

“But something terrible must have happened to Maria, because she sounded so shaken earlier…”

“Ah, poor thing. By the way, why do you bring that up now?”

“Oh, no reason!” She shook her head frantically. How adorable she was, just like a small rabbit.

When it comes to human relationships, the three F’s are a necessity: Flatter, frighten and follow. Only then can communication be sustained. An extremely weak-willed and timid person like me has only ever resorted to flattery, however.

“Anna-san, you’re so cute. You can do it!”

As I cheered her on smilingly, Anna-san’s lips trembled to such an extent that her chin threatened to unhinge.

One of the reasons I had asked Kusaoka-san to lend me his a.s.sistance was so that he could pressure the person I was questioning if she happened to resist, but it seemed that she was willing to tell all without him having to do anything. Oh my, did that mean I had no need of him? In a sense, sharing s.p.a.ce with a worthless male is already something of a nominal fee or charge, is it not?

“…It’s not a big deal, so tell us everything you’ve realised, okay?” Kusaoka-san said curtly across the table, not wasting a moment.

The ideal girl, both beautiful and kind. He must be inspired to show off his best side to such a wonderful girl. Somehow, I cannot look down on someone who takes actions with savings and stockpiling in mind.

“I-I wasn’t really planning this or anything, but I heard something once from Shia,” Anna-san spoke up, her face still taut. “She said she was suffering because she was paying back Yuu-chan’s intere-”

“Oh, dear me.”

In my carelessness, I spilt my cup on the table.

The coffee, a searing hot, blackish brew that resembled despair, flew out of the cup and spread across the floor.

“I’m terribly sorry! I’m so glad you didn’t make fun of me, Anna-san. That could have caused a large burn.”

“R-Right…”

“Now then, what just happened? I’m a rather jumpy person, so when I hear my name spoken out of turn, my hand might shake from surprise.” I cast a sideway glance at Kusaoka-san.

“Th-The tiles sure are dirty…”

There was an air of “Oh, dearie me!” about him as he diligently set about wiping the floor. It seemed he wasn’t listening to the conversation. That was a relief. I only disclose my finance information to a limited number of people. That I am able to control my clients’ information so thoroughly is proof of my excellent business practices.

“…I-I’m so sorry! I’m really sorry!” Anna-san’s head flopped up and down in a surprisingly doll-like motion. It was the kind of action that made me think she had a long life ahead of her. “Er, um… Shia was worried about someone! Someone somewhere! She owed that person money and was in trouble over it!”

“That’s quite a dilemma.” I smiled gently. I do hope that people in need can swiftly turn a new leaf after they fail to observe the golden rule of humanity—that of returning borrowed money.

“So then I wondered if Shia had reached out to another loan shark.”

“—Another loan shark, you say?”

I shot up to my feet in an instant, and then, being the calm and collected person that I am, I immediately cooled down. Instead, I clenched my hands into steely fists under the table.

I had predicted they would surface one day. By they, I mean a rival company.

Go-getters reap ample profit, but it is a fact of life that they will be overtaken as soon as they let their guard slip. There was a significant possibility that my missing clients had been taken in and persuaded of the inevitable by their finance business.

I had to thoroughly nip the problem in the bud and establish military rule.

“Anna-san! Do tell me more!” I leaned forward, unable to restrain myself.

“R-Really! I have no idea! Stop, really…!”

“It’s okay. There are no scary people here.”

“Oooooh…”

Much as I attempted to soothe her, Anna-san still seemed as if she was about to cry. She was like a girl on the receiving end of violent extortions from a demon from h.e.l.l.

At times like these, there are people who can so easily say things like, “Talk to your parents,” or “Call the police,” as if they knew all about it. On the other hand, they could laugh and say, “These things happen. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

That is a truly horrible thing to say, in my opinion.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Are people aware of just how many victims have been hurt by those knowing words?

They are gripped with weakness and cultivated by fear; their very will is under someone else’s control. Their hearts are tainted with despair. Who can make a proper a.s.sessment of the situation under those circ.u.mstances? As far as those base individuals are concerned, individual strength alone is insufficient to contend with the situation. That is why they are driven to seek outside a.s.sistance.

As I mulled on those thoughts, I realised: Anna-san really could stand to be a little stronger.

Because she is a valued friend of mine, the words fear and control do not exist between us. This kind of dynamic is rather common among friendships.