Chapter 6.1

The phone rang, and Ohkawa interrupted his conversation with the bunch drinking sake at the counter to pick it up. The caller was the fire brigade's chief, Yasumori Tokujirou. 

"Ah---Ohkawa-san. Do you know Shimizu-san from Shimo-Sotoba's daughter?"

Yeah, Ohkawa nodded. There wasn't any special connection between himself and Shimizu but the daughter was about the same age as Ohkawa's second son, so he wasn't completely unfamiliar. 

"Well, it seems the girl hasn't returned home yet, you see."

"Heh?" Ohkawa raised a brow and looked up at the shop clock. It was going on nine thirty. It was well past the hours on their sign board but the heavy drinkers had stayed at the shop, and he'd still failed to close up shop. "That's strange. Even this late."

"Mm. It is. It seems she went up into the western mountains. With everything going on recently, with all the dangerous, her parents are worried. I thought I might search the mountains, but."

Ohkawa grimaced. Ohkawa was a member of the fire brigade, but he was the squad leader for the community of Sotoba. Having to go flush out a girl from Kami-Sotoba wasn't something he was exactly thankful for the chance to do. And thanks to the heavy drinkers he'd yet to eat anything that evening, making it all the less appealing. 

"Anyway, I wonder if she didn't just go to hang out. Like, she's on a date and lost track of time. I mean, I'm not saying I don't wanna do it or anything but, that kid can be a careless one like that sometimes, I just think."

"Boss Matsuo said that too," said Tokujirou with an audibly bitter smile. Matsuo Seiji was the quad leader for Shimo-Sotoba. "Well, think of how her parents feel and do it as a favor to me. Incidentally, could I have you bring by three cases of beer to the station, I wonder. It'll be my treat."

Ohkawa grinned. That was a very Tokujirou-like way to mind him. 

"Understood. --Then, at the station."

As he hanged up the phone, the customers at the counter looked upon Ohkawa with great interested. "Did someone go missing? Who?"

Bracing herself as she asked was Itou Ikumi. She could be called a regular but, she only drank on other customer's generosity and never paid in her own cash. 

"The Shimizu-san's house's daughter. Girl called Megumi."

Oh my, cried Ikumi in what could have been heard as a cheer. Ohkawa snorted through his nose, turning towards the second floor and calling up. "Oi, Atsushi! C'mere a sec!"

Taking enough time to be frustrating, his son leisurely came down. 

"Don't drag your ass. We're doin' a mountain hunt."

"I've got to go too?"

Don't fuss and whine, Ohkawa shouted. Compared to his second son and his daughter,  he was an embarrassment of a son but there was no denying he was his oldest boy. Some day he'd inherit the shop, and he'd probably inherit his job at the fire brigade too. Thinking as much, Ohkawa was sure to have his son accompany him when workers were needed. 

What's wrong, said his daughter Yuzue poking her face out from the living room. When he said that Megumi was gone, she made a complicated expression. His second son Yutaka popped his face out, looking worried.

"Should I go too?"

There's no need, Ohkawa had started to say when he thought twice. If they were going to be combing the mountains, then the more people the better, probably. "That's right. Get ready. Put on long sleeves and gloves. We'll be going into the mountains after all."

Mm, said Yutaka hurrying up to the second floor. Ohkawa shouted at Atsushi who stood there sulkingly.

"You're coming too, so hurry and get ready! And three cases of beer. We're delivering 'em to the station!"