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V10 Story I – Part 04

Being in the office felt as though time had come to a standstill.

The current atmosphere mirrored the hand submerged in the fish tank. It was like being inside a box of chocolates.

Pausing my cleaning duties, I gazed out the window. Outside, snow continued to fall, yet this room remained isolated from the changing seasons. The air in the office still carried a sweet fragrance.

As usual, Mayuzumi was lying down today, nestled amidst thin paper and ribbons. Her form resembled that of a body laid to rest in a coffin, the only distinction being her occasional nibbling on chocolate.

Several days had passed since our visit to Azuma’s house, but there had been no significant shift in our daily routine.

Today was just like any other day, peaceful but monotonous.

While picking up ribbons, I observed Mayuzumi. Nothing had changed from days prior.

It felt as though time had stopped, with everyday life proceeding without casting a shadow. The phantom hand had yet to disappear, but fortunately, there had been no contact from the strong-willed client.

Despite this, a lingering unease persisted. Thoughts of the decaying hand crossed my mind from time to time.

Approaching Mayuzumi, I picked up a red ribbon, winding it around my left hand before pulling it taut.

Mayuzumi remained silent. Suddenly, the memory of her sweet voice resurfaced.

“All we have to do is wait.”

“That was just a foretaste.”

Shaking my head, I distanced myself from Mayuzumi and retrieved my new cellphone from my pocket. I had a message. The sender was Saga Yusuke. Reading it, I nodded in agreement.

Subject: Tomorrow night.

Text: I want to eat oden. Can I come? I’ll buy the ingredients. Invite the people downstairs.

By people downstairs, he was likely referring to Aya and Nanami. They had been talking a lot recently.

Nanami was unaware of the incident. Yusuke’s straightforward exchanges with her brought him a sense of comfort. I replied affirmatively, then made plans to stop by the supermarket on my way home. I wondered if I had some mustard left.

Riiiiing!

The office phone rang, and Mayuzumi slowly opened her eyes. She sat up lazily but made no further move. Her milky palm gestured toward me.

“Odagiri-kun, can you pick it up?” she said sweetly.

I heaved a sigh. She was smiling. There was no escaping this duty. Steeling myself, I took the receiver and, with a deep breath, spoke.

“Thank you for waiting. This is the Mayuzumi Psychic Detective Agency.”

“Ah… Are you the one with not-so-beautiful hands?”

The dazed voice sounded familiar, bringing back memories of the decaying hand.

A bad feeling filled my chest. Trying to shake it off, I forced my mouth open.

“Azuma-san, right? I apologize for the other day. What business do you have today?”

“An apology, huh. So you did something rude to me? I didn’t notice. Well, that’s not important. If you’re sorry, then I accept the apology. Don’t mention it. I’m the one who should apologize.”

Azuma fell silent. Was he bowing on the other side of the receiver? His carefree tone eased the tension in me a bit. After a few seconds of silence, Azuma spoke again.

“So, what’s this about?”

“Um, you’re the one who called,” I said.

There was no reply. Azuma sounded bewildered. After a while of contemplation, he suddenly raised his voice.

“Oh, right. I remember now. Yeah. The cut flowers.”

“Cut flowers?”

“Piece of decors, I guess? Yeah, definitely cut flowers. But first, let’s talk about the phantom hand. Unfortunately, this is the only topic I can think of that might catch your interest.”

“About the phantom hand?”

Hearing ‘phantom hand,’ I braced myself. However, he didn’t continue. Instead, he went on with his usual incomprehensible words.

“I decided to show it to you guys. So, I want you to come, I guess? That’s only an excuse, though. I’m stumped. It would be odd if you didn’t come.”

“Odd? Stumped about what?”

“Are you worried about me? You’re a kind person. Hmm, but it’s still odd. So, I’ll be waiting.”

The call ended just like that. I stood stock still.

I looked over my shoulder and saw Mayuzumi nibbling on chocolate. She lay down and waved her toes, as if there had been no phone call at all. Green ribbons resembling vines swayed up and down.

“Mayu-san, it was a call from Azuma-san. He said…”

I conveyed the details of the call to Mayuzumi. Still, she didn’t react. I began to wonder if she was sleeping, when suddenly she opened her eyes. Her red lips moved languidly.

“I see. To sum it up, he wants us to come.”

“What do we do? There might be something wrong with the hand. I think we should go.”

“No, I’m not going. You can go alone if you want.”

Mayuzumi crunched a chocolate in the shape of cut flowers. She twisted her lips, crushing the petals.

Upon closer inspection, a red ribbon was entwined around her hand, adorning her wrist.

“Cut flowers. Décor. I wonder what’s odd and gotten him stumped.”

She smiled and closed her eyes. I waited for several seconds, but she never moved. I picked up the wrappers scattered at my feet and spread them out one by one on the desk. I contemplated whether to go or not and failed to reach a conclusion.

I thought back to Azuma’s dazed voice. Was he in danger? Shirayuki was far away, and I didn’t want to cause trouble for the people involved in the Hirugao incident. Above all, I didn’t feel any particular sense of urgency.

I felt both anxious and strangely relieved. Why?

I rose to my feet. I didn’t know what happened to the hand. I had to at least go and ask.

“Mayu-san, I…”

Thud.

When I turned around, something hit my face. Something folded.

It hurt quite a bit. I looked down at what fell into my hand. A newspaper. Mayuzumi rose again and shrugged her shoulders.

“If you’re worried, just go. It’s annoying having you just standing there. Your constant sighing will only feed molds. Oh, please take that garbage with you,” she said melodiously, then lay back down again.

I was about to put the newspaper in the trash can when I stopped. I decided to add it to the newspapers at home and take them out for recycling. I put it in my bag.

“I’m leaving, then, Mayu-san. I’ll just listen to what he has to say and come back soon. Please leave the empty chocolate boxes neatly stacked on the table.”

There was no response. With that, I left the room.

Snow was falling outside. Heavy clouds blanketed the leaden sky.

I left the apartment isolated from the seasons. And I headed for a room brighter than summer.

---

“Welcome… Oh, did you come alone? Where’s the girl?”

Opening the door, Azuma looked around. Seeing me covered in snow, he tilted his head in apparent confusion.

I explained that Mayuzumi wouldn’t come. He was visibly disappointed.

“Ah, what a bummer. I’m very disappointed. Things remain as unnatural as ever, then.”

“I apologize. I thought you could share what happened even without her. I’ll just come back, then.”

Mayuzumi’s presence was necessary. She was the chief.

The man’s eyes widened. Like a large dog, he vigorously shook his head left and right.

“What are you saying? You came all this way. I can’t just send you back. I’m not heartless. Since you’re here, please take a look. It’s cold outside anyway.” His tone was unusually polite.

Azuma pointed indoors. Behind him was a dim corridor. Bright light shone in the distance. The living room, probably.

Mulling over his words, I furrowed my brows. “What do you mean by ‘take a look’? Take a look at what?”

“I told you about the hand in the phone, right? It’s mysterious, strange, and somewhat wonderful.”

With the distant light behind him, Azuma smiled.

“The hand multiplied,” he said nonchalantly.