That man... The jewelry store guy. I always saw him talking to people outside his shop at the intersection. I remembered him well because I used to help with deliveries near there. But is he really the killer?
He's definitely connected to that monster's corpse. Is that building his too? And why did the priest say I was the killer? Did that rumor come from him? I didn't know anything. But I felt like I had to keep investigating.
Things I need to do:
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Change my appearance. So I don't get caught. -- DONE!
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Find the culprit.
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Get the book back. Old Man Kumi's keepsake.
The clothes problem was solved. Now, shelter and food. I have to solve those two while looking for the killer... I can't get food from the same places anymore. My usual begging spots are full of people who know my face. Even if I changed my clothes and didn't talk much, they might recognize me. I shouldn't go back to my usual spots. So I need a way to get food besides begging.
What about a place to sleep? Honestly, I don't want to live the same way nearby. Should I go to the treasure spot, "The Gutter Hole"? Or the air-raid shelter at the foot of the mountain? Or the ruins near there? There's a rumor that ghosts appear in the ruins. Honestly, it's scary and I don't want to go. And the air-raid shelter feels even creepier.
As I thought about it, my stomach growled. Oh no. Come to think of it, I haven't eaten for almost half a day. A long time ago, I got malnutrition and it was terrible. Even if I feel sick, by the time I realize it's really bad, it's already too late. Old Man Kumi saved me back then. With food, too. He taught me how important muscle training and getting sunlight was.
Looking back, almost everything I know, Old Man Kumi taught me. Gratitude welled up inside me. Tears spilled over, but crying won't help. What should I do? Maybe I shouldn't beg anymore. But I didn't know any other way to get food, so I was stuck.
Right. Old Man Kumi's acquaintance. There was an old handyman at the foot of the mountain! First, I'll find him and try to negotiate.
"The Old Handyman." A skinny Asian old man who looked like human skin stretched over a skeleton. Age unknown. Maybe around 70. His skin was burned incredibly dark by the sun. His expression was always gloomy, like he was cursing the world. That was my impression of him. Old Man Kumi called him "Old Man Skeleton." I had seen them talking a few times, but the old handyman was incredibly silent. I'd never talked to him. An old man who doesn't have a mouth for anything but necessary words...
I hurried on foot toward the south end of the Dark District. I found the old man on the street near a parking lot of a southern supermarket, holding cleaning tools. He was probably going to clean the rundown shopping street nearby. He regularly cleans a few spots. He looked as unapproachable as ever. Like he'd ignore anything I said. What if he rejects me or ignores me? It's scary. My stomach started to hurt a little.
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"U-um..." Ignored. "Um, hey!" Ignored. "Excuse me!!"
I raised my voice and stood right in front of him. He raised one eyebrow. "Huh?" he said. He looked like he was going to curse me if it was a stupid story. What should I do? Should I tell the truth? I'd never seen any adult talk to this old man except Old Man Kumi. I'll just say it.
"Um, I'm an acquaintance of Old Man Kumi." "..." "Uhh..." "We're going over there."
When I brought up Kumi's name, the old man pointed to a nearby house and started moving. I followed him. It seemed to be his house. The unkempt yard was overgrown with weeds, but it was sunny and warm. There was a tattered white table, and we sat down.
"What happened to him..." "He died. Did you know?" "Yeah... And?" "Well, I was chased by a man near Kumi's tent where he was killed. That guy might be involved. I don't know if the police will protect me if I go to them." "Impossible. The police here don't protect anything. They might deal with what happens right in front of them, but that's it. Chased, you say? What kind of guy..." "A guy I see around the jewelry store at the central intersection. Wears nice clothes." "...That guy. Don't report anything. Just stay quiet and you'll be fine." "But he chased me, and he was telling his buddies about what I looked like!" "...Why? What did you do."
I flinched. The old man glared at me with muddy eyes that looked full of hatred. I told him everything. That I went into the building behind where Kumi was killed and found a mummy of a monster. That I made a noise, the guy came in, pulled a knife, and chased me.
"Listen. That guy is probably a kidnapper. I've seen him with kidnappers many times." "A kidnapper..." "Forget everything and live. You changed your appearance a bit. Then they won't search forever just for you. Get away from here, keep your mouth shut, and live."
This conversation is over. The Old Handyman stood up. "Wait, why did Old Man Kumi have to be killed? He wasn't kidnapped, right? Kidnappers don't target homeless old men, right?" "I don't know the circumstances. Sometimes they kidnap, sometimes they kill. Besides, where's Kumi's body? But Kumi has plenty of reasons to be killed."
Reasons to be killed? First I'd heard of it. Old Man Skeleton wouldn't answer any more questions about it. "If you're bringing trouble, go home. Don't drag me into this." His gloomy face twisted with even more displeasure.
"Wait! What about that monster's corpse? What the hell was that!" "I don't know. Maybe a devil..." "A devil?" "This city, kid... it's a city where devils live. I won't tell anyone about today. Don't ever come back here."
After that, he just kept telling me to go home. I had no choice but to leave. But the first thing I thought when I left his house was: Where am I supposed to go home to!?
As I walked away from his house at a loss, a lady from the nearby fish shop spoke to me. She wanted the old man to hurry up and pick up a broken fridge from her shop. I told her I didn't know him and wasn't close to him. She looked exasperated, like, "You can't even do that?"
"Yeah, I'm just feeling a little down," I said. She seemed to understand. Maybe everyone knows what it's like to feel down. I decided to ask her something. "Um, there's a rumor I'm curious about." "Hm, what is it?" "That this is a city where devils live..."
The fishmonger lady's atmosphere changed. I thought she was a good-natured, plump lady, but her eyes turned cold like a snake's. "Who did you hear that from?" "Eh, why?" "No, it's no big deal." "I want to know."
She looked uninterested in the topic. "Listen. You're not a stranger here, right? If that old man put that rumor in your head, you shouldn't believe it." "...It wasn't him." "Either way, don't believe anything he says."
When I asked what she meant, she said it was just between us. "It's famous among the old folks. That old man is crazy in the head." From my point of view, almost everyone in this city is crazy! I wanted to scream, but I didn't have the energy.