Chapter 19: 19

Chapter 19: Shichinin bishaku

“Chizuru-san might have fell into shichinin bishaku—”

Takato stood in front of the pond in the hill and looked at the water surface. His face was reflected in the muddy water. There were indeed no signs of living things, but some black plastic bags were hanging from the edges of the pond – maybe it flew from a nearby field.

Even the plastic won’t melt, Takato thought to himself. The pond was so dirty. He couldn’t even remember why they called it shichinin bishaku.

Takato thought maybe this pond was only used as a convenient reason whenever someone disappeared in a troublesome way. When he looked closely, it was really just a shallow pond.

The last time he came here with Ayano, there were having small talk when he confessed to her that he had inadvertently agreed to the marriage arrangement made by Sokichi. That was when she pushed him into the pond.

Takato felt nostalgic as he recalled the brilliant time of his life. He felt Ayano was no longer interested in him and treated him dryly. Because of the environment in which she grew up in, Ayano was very sensitive towards affection. Takato believed that she would no longer accept him once she felt he had betrayed her.

Back then when he was having a quarrel with Sokichi, his mind was full of thoughts about the possibility that Ayano was his aunt. He believed that that was the reason why Sokichi was adamant to push him into marrying someone else. He was not thinking straight and agreed to the arrangement on the spur of the moment during the heated argument. He really regretted bickering with Sokichi’s ghost like the way he used to quarrel with him when he was still alive.

Maybe this is what they say we should respect Buddha.[1]

While he was immersed in his thought, he heard someone called his name and poked at his back. It made him lost his balance and almost fell into the pond. Luckily, he managed to grab a branch of a nearby mulberry tree. He held onto the branch and found his balance. Then he turned around and saw Shun standing behind him.

Shun: “… What are you doing?”

Takato: “You’re the one who pushed me! Are you trying to kill me?”

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Shun glanced at the muddy water before saying, “I think it would be difficult to kill someone by pushing them into this pond.”

“Weren’t we told when we were young that we would melt and die if we fall into this pond?” Takato said without thinking.

Shun calmly replied, “That was because the adult didn’t want the children to come here. But it seems it is true that there is no living thing in this pond. Not even a frog. Maybe because the environment is bad.”

Takato wanted to explain that he also didn’t really believe in those rumors but decided to forget it because it was too troublesome.

“The police want to talk with you. Let’s go back,” Shun said before turning towards the mansion.

Takato: “Shun, do you know about the ghost inside the toilet?”

Shun: “I know that Ayano has been avoiding using the toilet. But I can’t see ghost.”

Hearing his answer, Takato realized that Shun had been paying attention to Ayano closely. And while he was distracted with his thoughts, Shun had went back and left him behind.

Hmm. He always does things at his own pace without paying attention to other people.

Takato stood on the hill and looked down at the Rainy Mansion surrounded by a cluster of old trees. Perhaps it was just his imagination but he felt the surrounding of the building looked a little brighter.

[1] It is a reference to a line in a controversial Ultraman movie released in Thai in 1974: “Anyone who don’t respect Buddha should die.” Wiki. 

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