４．Ｓａｔｕｒｄａｙ Ｍａｒｃｈ ２３， ２０１９
文字数 3,418文字
〈Choice〉 had been lying face down on the desk for quite some time. Meanwhile, Maruta was looking at the clock on his smartphone. It took an hour, indeed, before she looked up again.
The children had somehow disappeared. Maruta and Kira waited patiently and silently, not raising any particular topic.
"You hadn't left yet." After waking up, 〈Choice〉's first words were.
"We've been here the whole time." Maruta said as if nothing had happened.
〈Choice〉 did not want to sit up. A strange silence covered the three of them. There was no longer any tension there; The air was light and dry.
"If," said Maruta. "You're concerned about that half-naked video still being up, don't worry. I am sure you can tell the court and they will erase it. Especially if it's a video of a minor."
Maruta intentionally avoided sexual topics. During the hour that 〈Choice〉 was silent, he kept thinking about what he should say to her. Digging up the events that broke her heart only gives the impression of a man peering through a peephole. Maruta had concluded this a few dozen minutes before she woke up.
"At any rate," Maruta stood up. "I am grateful for the very informative talk. I really don't like this kind of Network Marketing approach, but I'll give you this. There is no way you won't use it, please take it home with you."
Walking around the desk, Maruta approached 〈Choice〉.
She did not refuse when he placed the sandy detergent container in her lap. Maruta then went on to say.
"That's a gift, if you can call it a gift. If you say it is just something sold around, it will be no more than that. However, I want to clarify one thing. That is in no way compensation for the information I received from you. The word 'My heart' may sound exaggerated. If I had to say something about it, I would say, 'What is between the two of us and you right now'. The three of us met today, and what we found between us and you happened to be that familiar product. No one will know if it means anything in particular. Don't take it too seriously. Someday we will meet again somewhere. I have no proof, but I have a hunch that we will."
"Thank you." 〈Choice〉 said, and staggered out with the item in her arms, looking as if she were about to fall over. The two of them watched intently until her thin back was out of sight in the houses.
"You are mostly right, Kira-san." Maruta said, turning the key.
"What is it?" Kira's face, turned sideways in the passenger seat, is, as usual, like a fish on land.
"In other words, the reason why she uploaded that half-naked video was exactly as you said."
"Oh, yes."
"Since she herself spoke with such vigor, there is no doubt about it. She was viciously sexually assaulted by a man in her grade near the end of high school. And during the graduation season, probably around March 2016, she uploaded that video. In a delirious state of mind, unable to think of her future. I couldn't ask for the exact date that was uploaded, but well, we got the general month, which is good."
"It must have been hard time for Choice." Kira said, staring at the windshield.
"Yes, because she wouldn't have had the presence of mind to think about going on to higher education or finding a job."
The children had somehow disappeared. Maruta and Kira waited patiently and silently, not raising any particular topic.
"You hadn't left yet." After waking up, 〈Choice〉's first words were.
"We've been here the whole time." Maruta said as if nothing had happened.
〈Choice〉 did not want to sit up. A strange silence covered the three of them. There was no longer any tension there; The air was light and dry.
"If," said Maruta. "You're concerned about that half-naked video still being up, don't worry. I am sure you can tell the court and they will erase it. Especially if it's a video of a minor."
Maruta intentionally avoided sexual topics. During the hour that 〈Choice〉 was silent, he kept thinking about what he should say to her. Digging up the events that broke her heart only gives the impression of a man peering through a peephole. Maruta had concluded this a few dozen minutes before she woke up.
"At any rate," Maruta stood up. "I am grateful for the very informative talk. I really don't like this kind of Network Marketing approach, but I'll give you this. There is no way you won't use it, please take it home with you."
Walking around the desk, Maruta approached 〈Choice〉.
She did not refuse when he placed the sandy detergent container in her lap. Maruta then went on to say.
"That's a gift, if you can call it a gift. If you say it is just something sold around, it will be no more than that. However, I want to clarify one thing. That is in no way compensation for the information I received from you. The word 'My heart' may sound exaggerated. If I had to say something about it, I would say, 'What is between the two of us and you right now'. The three of us met today, and what we found between us and you happened to be that familiar product. No one will know if it means anything in particular. Don't take it too seriously. Someday we will meet again somewhere. I have no proof, but I have a hunch that we will."
"Thank you." 〈Choice〉 said, and staggered out with the item in her arms, looking as if she were about to fall over. The two of them watched intently until her thin back was out of sight in the houses.
"You are mostly right, Kira-san." Maruta said, turning the key.
"What is it?" Kira's face, turned sideways in the passenger seat, is, as usual, like a fish on land.
"In other words, the reason why she uploaded that half-naked video was exactly as you said."
"Oh, yes."
"Since she herself spoke with such vigor, there is no doubt about it. She was viciously sexually assaulted by a man in her grade near the end of high school. And during the graduation season, probably around March 2016, she uploaded that video. In a delirious state of mind, unable to think of her future. I couldn't ask for the exact date that was uploaded, but well, we got the general month, which is good."
"It must have been hard time for Choice." Kira said, staring at the windshield.
"Yes, because she wouldn't have had the presence of mind to think about going on to higher education or finding a job."
