Chapter 21: 21

Chapter 21: Is it a kidnap or a theft?

“When did you notice the toilet is missing?” Tanimoto asked. They had moved from the corridor behind the toilet to the narrow hallway in front of the toilet.

“Last night, when I was locking the doors and windows, I noticed someone was using the toilet so I couldn’t say goodnight to Satoshi-san,” Ayano explained.

“Oh, Satoshi-san is the ghost that lives in this toilet, right?” Tanimoto said perfunctorily.

Takato saw his reaction and realized that he was not used to the fact that human and ghost coexist in the Rainy Mansion yet.

Tanimoto: “Ayano-san. Do you usually greet Satoshi-san goodnight before you go to sleep?”

Ayano: “Yes. Unless when there is someone inside the toilet.”

“I understand.” Tanimoto nodded while trying to remain calm. “Then last night the toilet bowl was still here considering someone was using the toilet at that time.”

Ayano immediately interrupted him. “But you can’t say for sure. Maybe it was the perpetrator committing the crime.”

Tanimoto: “The perpetrator…”

Ayano: “Yes. The person who kidnapped Satoshi-san.”

“Hmm. If the perpetrator know that Satoshi-san lives here, then you can say it is a kidnap. Otherwise, it is a toilet bowl theft. Practically speaking, this is a toilet bowl theft,” Tanimoto repeated his words because he couldn’t bring himself to admit that it was a kidnap. “How many people know about that ghost named Satoshi-san living here?”

“I think most of the residents didn’t know. Satoshi-san is a unique person after all. Even I myself can only see him through the window.” Ayano pointed to the small window at the back of the toilet.

Tanimoto: “Why you can only see him from there?”

Ayano: “Satoshi-san told me before maybe it was because he didn’t really want other people to see him. When someone enter the toilet through the door, he would feel self-conscious and that person won’t be able to see him. If you peek through the window, then you can catch him off guard, and that is why you can see him.”

Takato: “Well, I only found out about him yesterday.”

Tanimoto: “He always stays in the toilet. Maybe he is a hikikomori [1].”

Ayano: “If someone else had noticed him, I think they would spread the story around. So far, I haven’t heard anything so I think no one else know about him.”

A while later, Nobuko came after hearing the toilet bowl was missing. She stood next to Ayano and breathed out a sigh. “This is going to be troublesome. We plan to hold a wake for Tatsuo-san here today. This toilet is the newest among all the toilets inside the mansion. I was planning to use this toilet for guest use.”

A toilet with male ghost for guest use? Takato thought silently. It seemed Nobuko and the other housekeepers didn’t know about Satoshi either.

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Even so, Takato felt that the topic of concern among the residents here were quite eccentric considering there was a murder case going on and also the bizarre case of toilet bowl theft that happened in the mansion. Ever since he moved out from the mansion, he felt it was more noticeable. Although the housekeepers were not a member of Sudo family, it seemed their common perception had been influenced by the original residents of the Rainy Mansion after living here for some time.

Nobuko: “The toilet was the latest model. Maybe someone was pressed for money so they steal the toilet to sell it away?”

Tanimoto: “That is unlikely. Although it is a latest model, I don’t think a person could sell away a toilet bowl.”

Ayano crouched down and gaze intently at the bared drainage pipe. Suddenly, she turned around and said, “Tanimoto-san.”

Tanimoto was surprised to hear she called his name all of a sudden. Takato saw his expression and realized that the guy seemed to have feelings towards Ayano.

Of course, Ayano was not going to say flirtatious words to him. Instead, she stood up while saying, “I think this case might be related to the incident yesterday.”

Ayano was quite tall, so when she stood next to Tanimoto there was not much different in their heights. Perhaps Tanimoto was feeling self-conscious, he slowly took a step back to avoid Ayano.

Ayano: “If the perpetrator knew about Satoshi-san right from the beginning, then they might have stolen the toilet bowl to prevent him from revealing something.”

“Prevent a toilet bowl from revealing something,” Tanimoto said in a low voice and chuckled.

However, Ayano was unconcerned about his reaction and continued with her deduction. “Don’t you think it is strange that a toilet bowl from the toilet near the staircase would be stolen right after a potential murder case happened on the rooftop? Maybe the murderer realized that Satoshi-san might have heard or saw something.”

Tanimoto leaned forward and asked excitedly, “Does it mean that Satoshi-san know the truth about the incident yesterday?”

“Yes. But Satoshi-san most probably didn’t realize it because he is an absent-minded person.” Ayano looked at the toilet sans the toilet bowl and felt a headache. “Honestly, I didn’t expect Satoshi-san is a toilet bowl-bound spirit. I thought he was a toilet-bound ghost.”

Then Tanimoto gave an absurd reply, “Oh. Does it mean Satoshi-san came from the toilet factory?”

Takato spontaneously imagined a row of white color Western style toilet bowls moving through the belt conveyor in a factory and each of them had a Satoshi sitting on the toilet lid with a smile on his face. “It’s like a mass production of trouble…” he muttered to himself.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind them. “Maybe the ghost is attached to the toilet bowl simply because he is happy to see a latest model toilet.”

Takato turned around and saw Shun. He asked, “Will someone be that happy just because of a latest model toilet?”

“If it was me, I’d be very happy.” Surprisingly, Shun gave a childish answer.

Takato saw Ayano looking at Shun with a slight smile on her face. It annoyed him but he tried hard not to show his irritation on his face.

[1] Hikikomori: Acute social withdrawal.

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