Bottleneck Part 1 Chapter 1

Part 1 Chapter 1

My body shivered from the cold.

I could hear the sound of water. But it was different from the sound of the waves that were echoing through my stomach earlier. The sound came continuously; it was cheerful. When I opened my eyes, there was a river flowing before me.

There was a bicycle path laid with asphalt on the embankment of the river. A few benches are placed there. It seemed I was lying on one of those benches.

I turned my head. Under the heavy and suffocating sky, a stream was rising and flowing fiercely. Across it, the absurdly large Jusco shopping center with its parking lot, and further away, buildings appeared faintly. It was a familiar landscape. The stream in front of the river is the Asanogawa River. And this place is Kanazawa City.

I looked at my hands. Despite the severe winter cold of Hokuriku, my hands felt numb, yet when I moved them, all ten fingers worked without any problems. A gray hoodie with a black windbreaker and stained white cargo pants. It was exactly the same attire for cold protection I had been wearing just a moment ago.

A familiar landscape, the same outfit. But…… I was definitely at Tojinbo. Knowing that spending this money would mean starving later, I still emptied my wallet to go mourn Suwa Nozomi. But why did I end up in Kanazawa?

What happened? I stomped my foot and felt a vibration in my body as my sneakers hit the asphalt. I felt all over my body, but nothing hurt. My wallet was still intact. In it was a return ticket to Kanazawa Station from Awara Onsen. The station at Awara Onsen is the closest to Tojinbo. This ticket is the remaining one-way portion of a round-trip ticket purchased at Kanazawa Station. That was all that was left in my wallet, and there I was, lying on a bench by the Asanogawa River in Kanazawa City…… The only thing that was clear was that this ticket was now useless.

Suddenly, I noticed a deep green stain between my thumb and index finger. It must have come from when I plucked the flower at the cliff.

I started to think about my situation. It's too strange to be a dream. It seems certain that I went to Tojinbo. Yet, I have no memory of coming back, but here I am in Kanazawa. That means, if this were to be considered a dream, then it implies that this moment is the dream.

The wind is blowing fiercely, and I, Sagano Ryou, am shivering in the cold. I must be dreaming.

There seems to be some confusion though. It’s like something doesn’t add up with this conclusion. But, gradually, I am starting to remember. I definitely lost my balance on the cliff due to a sudden dizziness... And there was a chilling feeling of floating in the air.

I remember up to that point. But, even though I fell, I didn’t die, and I am still alive. So, my memories don’t match up.

Wanting to know the time, I looked at my phone. The date displayed ‘December 3rd, 2005’.

“…….”

December 3rd is the day I went to Tojinbo. There’s no way I could be sleeping on a bench by the Asano River.

Suddenly, I realized. My phone had no service.

I know I’m on the outskirts, but I can’t imagine that I’m in a location without service when a Jasco is right around the corner.

I played around with my phone for a while, but the display wouldn’t change. It’s broken. Well, I guess it’s not that unaccountable. My phone is an old and cheap model.

Another gust of cold wind blew. The wind coming over the East Sea is so cold that if I stay by the riverbank like this, it feels like I'll freeze to death. Anyways, since I'm in Kanazawa, I should hurry home. I need to change into my school uniform.

I’m just glad I didn’t end up in the hospital. If I fulfill my role as a grieving younger sibling at the night vigil, my mother won't say anything, and I won't have to ask my father for medical expenses.

The Asanogawa River, which begins in the Mount Iwo mountain range in the eastern part of Kanazawa city, flows into Kanazawa along with the Saigawa River. While the Saigawa River flows directly into the East Sea, the Asanogawa River changes its name to the Onogawa River midway and is said to have a port at its mouth. However, I have never seen it.

I walked downstream along the Asanogawa River. The piercing winterwind, which always blows during this season, became unbearable, so I turned off the path and left the riverside. There were old apartment buildings and narrow single houses with corrugated iron roofs. Under the dreary sky, I merged from the narrow alley onto the main road I always traveled on. Even so, it was only a two-lane road. So, as I continued up to the gentle slope, the road passed between Kenrokuen Garden and Kanazawa Castle, leading toward the bustling Korinbo area, leading me to cross the road and head toward the mountain.

The road leading back to the residential area gently curved left and right. Two trucks passed right by me in quick succession..

Gradually, the appearance of the surrounding houses changed. Tiled roofs stood out, and I started to see houses with yards and gates. It wasn’t exactly luxurious, but it was a neighborhood where people lived with a certain level of comfort. Our house was in such a place. With its brick-colored roof and white exterior walls, the garage, which could barely fit two cars, was currently empty. I remembered my mother saying she wouldn’t be back until evening, but it seemed my father hadn’t come home yet either.

Or maybe my father didn’t know about this? That thought crossed my mind for a moment, but I quickly dismissed it as unlikely. It wasn’t worth debating which would be more humiliating for my mother: contacting my father by phone or losing face at the night vigil.

I turned the corner of the concrete wall and approached the front door …… and noticed something unfamiliar.

A bright orange scooter, more suited for summer than this cold winter, was parked neatly under the eaves with a U-lock secured to it. What an inconsiderate thing to do. Was it a visitor for the vigil? Did we have any relatives who would arrive before the family on such a conspicuously bright scooter? Or did my brother have someone who would mourn his death? The license plate read ‘Kanazawa City.’

I pulled my key out of my pocket.

“........”

The key went halfway into the lock but wouldn’t go any further. Forcing it might break the lock. Had they changed the lock? When did that happen? I had hurried home for the vigil, yet now I couldn’t even enter the house. This was strange, no matter how I looked at it. Although I’m someone who can accept most things with a shrug, odd events have been happening since earlier today. Could it be that the fall had affected me somehow? Even the nameplate was clearly ‘Sagono,’ in black stone.

I tilted my head in puzzlement. Despite several attempts, the door wouldn’t open. There was no other choice. Maybe there was an open window around the back. But first, knowing no one would be there, I knocked on the door as a joke.

“Yes, yes, I’m coming!”

To my surprise, an energetic voice responded.

While I was still in shock, the door opened, and a woman appeared. She wore a light pink turtleneck sweater and washed denim jeans. Her short hair was a chestnut brown, and she had a stick of Pocky in her mouth. She had lively eyes and well-groomed yet strong eyebrows that left a lasting impression of vigor.

Her features were neat but not stunningly beautiful. Though, her face seemed somehow familiar. She appeared to be around my age, maybe a bit older – not a high school student but likely not over twenty.

“Who are you?”

The answer that came back was anything but normal. The woman glanced at me, then, holding the Pocky that she had been nibbling on in her free hand, she said,

“I am a person who lives here in this home…… but who exactly are you?”

I’m usually someone who can let things slide.

However, a stranger sitting in our house claiming to live here was too much to simply accept. My suspicions were aroused. Could this be some new type of scam?

I answered cautiously, “I…… am a person who lives in this home. I don’t know anyone like you who lives here.”

The woman frowned.

“You…….”

Her eyes fixed on mine, a deep hazel in color. She then averted her gaze and said,

“Some new scam?”

She had stolen my line. The audacity was astounding.

“That’s supposed to be my line! What exactly are you doing in this empty house……”

“There’s no one here? I’m right here. Look, this is the house where the Sagano family lives, not yours.”

I glared with all the intensity I could muster.

“I am Sagano Ryo.”

Upon hearing this, the woman’s eyes widened dramatically, and she thrusted the Pocky she was holding in her left hand towards me, her movements exaggerated as if she were in a play.

“Bastard!”

I rarely get angry. To me, anger is just a way of asserting oneself, and if there’s nothing to assert, there’s no need to get angry. Even people who are just annoying and only good at playing tricks aren’t fun to deal with; they just fall away on their own. I don’t easily lose my temper in any situation.

But this time, I was taken aback. While it hit close to home, I was not, in fact, an illegitimate child.

“That’s you.”

“Um, me?”

The woman, without showing much agitation, took a bite of the Pocky, then stared into the air, lost in thought.

“Me? Is that so?”

Her attitude only heightened my wariness. Was this woman stalling for time with her evasive responses? Was she holding me at the doorway while her accomplices–burglars, perhaps–made their escape? I didn’t know anything particularly valuable, but the thought of any trouble at our house was disheartening.

“Don’t…….try to buy time.”

I began, but the woman interrupted, looking me straight in the eye with a cold, commanding tone.

“You. Name the members of this household.”

“Why should I—”

“Because I want to know what’s in your head.”

Even though I was taken aback, I knew it was unthinkable to reveal information about my home to someone who might be a thief. Yet, the woman seemed to have anticipated my reaction.

“Well, the nameplate on the doorpost does list the family members. Try saying it without looking.”

Indeed, as the woman mentioned, while the front door nameplate only said ‘Sagano,’ the gate listed all the family members. There was no point in hiding it. Feeling a vague sense of unease at the woman taking control of the conversation, I reluctantly answered.

“Sagano Akia, Hanae, Hajime, and Ryo. Four members. Except Hajime is no longer with us.”

“....... You got most of it right. So where do I fit in?”

“Why would you be part of that list?”

“You’re a high school student, aren’t you? But you’re as naive as a middle schooler. Thus, you must be a first year?”

I didn’t reply, but she was right.

The woman took a small bite of the snack.

“....... If you were really born to Sagano Akio and Hanae and are a high school freshman, that would make you my younger brother. But I don’t have a brother with dead fish eyes like yours. Moreover, you claim to have been living in this house. Normally, the thing to say would be, “Is your brain functioning properly?’”

“I don’t have a sister either. What I have to say to you is, ‘Stop this nonsense, or I’ll call the police.”

I spat out the words, struggling to suppress my rising anger. But then I realized that my statement had inadvertently confirmed her implication, and I mumbled,

“... I mean, a sister who was never born.”

“Eh?”

I was wary of the woman, and she made no move to step outside. Though not quite at a breaking point, the tension between us was palpable. Then, as if to ease that tension, she gave a slight, amused smile.

“I have one more question for you.”

She pointed to the scooter beside her, the cheerfully bright orange scooter.

“This scooter here. It’s not just any scooter. It’s not an ordinary item. In fact, it might not even be a scooter at all. …….Why do you think it’s not ordinary? Just say whatever comes to mind.”

I was getting fed up.

“What on earth are you talking about? Enough of this nonsense. I’m a busy person. Keep this up, and I’ll call the police.”

I needed to change into my school uniform and get ready before my parents returned. This was no time to be indulging a stranger’s ramblings. She might suddenly attack, so I took a step back and pulled my phone out of my pocket. But before I could even open my flip phone, I saw that she already had her phone out, open, and in her hand. It was orange, perhaps her favorite color. Only then did I realize that she had been keeping her height hand behind her back the entire time, holding the phone all along.

Narrowing her eyes, she spoke coldly.

“Look, you seem to think I’m an intruder, but to me, you come across as a dangerous person spouting nonsense. Based on what we’ve talked about so far, you get the gist don’t you? I thought about calling the authorities myself, but before involving anyone else, I propose we try to communicate. A simple Q&A. How about it?”

Her tone wasn’t one of anger. It was more like a quiet reprimand, questioning why I was so lacking in her understanding.

Indeed, our words were at odds with each other. Each of us was accusing the other of being a suspicious intruder in our home. That much, I could acknowledge.

“So, what do you say?”

The woman in front of me showed no signs of guilt. If she were part of a gang of burglars, could she really be this calm, acting as if she belonged here? I had never heard of a burglar boldly telling the homeowner, “I live here.”

And I had forgotten–my cell phone was currently broken.

It seemed I needed to have a conversation. However, the idea of a ‘simple Q&A’ was perplexing. What was she implying about the scooter?

…If she had a plan, fine, I’d go along with it. If it turned out she was just stalling, I’d deal with that later. I closed my phone and looked at the scooter.

An orange scooter with a U-lock and a Kanazawa City license plate. Not excessively dirty but not shiny either–an ordinary scooter by all appearances.

“This scooter…….”

The woman’s eyes smiled. Hazel eyes. They seemed familiar.

“The scooter?”

“The speed limiter is disabled, so it can go faster than other scooters.”

At that moment, she nodded with satisfaction.

“Okay! Good. I believe you, Sagano Ryo. It’s awkward to talk here. Come inside.”

With that, she swung the door wide open. Her demeanor had suddenly changed. She seemed to have let her guard down, but I had no reason to do the same.

“Don’t hesitate! Come in.”

“Why would I hesitate?”

As I stepped inside, she watched me closely.

“What was that question about? And…… shouldn’t you at least tell me your name?”

She put on a pair of striped fur slippers I had never seen before, even though they were from my own home. Then she placed her hand on her chest.

“Me? I’m Sagano Shiki. Well, it’s nice to meet you. …….until one of us is caught in a lie!”

So it was a jest after all?