Chapter 6.3

When Toshio came back from a house call, he saw a familiar car stopped on the lot. Putting his examination bag down in the waiting room, he returned to his house to see, as expected, his wife Kyouko had returned home.

"What, you're back?"

At Toshio's voice, Kyouko who was sitting in the western style living room waved her hand flippantly.

"From tomorrow on is Obon, isn't it? I was told to come back."

Toshio blinked. "....By my mother?"

"By who else? Come back on the thirteeth, we've made plans, so don't think you can just come on the day of, she shrieked at me. ---By the way, what plans did you have for Obon?"

"You ask like you expect me to know? It's probably that you haven't been by lately, so she just wanted to see your face."

"Well isn't that just an honor," Kyouko sighed. "But, I'm not happy with this at all."

Me neither, Toshio answered in his thoughts.

"And somehow, I get the feeling her good humor was worse than usual."

"It's bad. Ever since Kanemasa moved in."

Oh really, Kyouko leaned her body forward. "They finally came in?"

"Aa. Just the day before yesterday. My mother was probably wanting them just stay away without moving in. Since then, she's been fault finding all over the place."

Oh no, said Kyouko throwing herself onto the couch and arching her white neck. She grumbled with a sigh to the ceiling. "I'm starting to want to go back to Mizobe."

"So go back."

"If I do that, she'll attack me on the phone."

Probably, Toshio mumbled. That Takae did not find Kyouko agreeable was something he knew, from hearing her say as much more than often enough. So, while it should have been fine to leave her as she was out in Mizobe, it seemed she didn't find that agreeable either. When Toshio had said, half in jest, that she could go back to her own family, why, how it would dishonor our family! Takae said, her face warping. She would certainly never allow something as indecent as a to be like a divorce, so she had said. So in the end, nothing was agreeable to her.

As the married couple let out a sigh, Takae herself entered the western style living room. She seemed fresh from the bath, in her nightwear.

"Oh, welcome back."

Yeah, Toshio said, averting his gaze. She prodded Kyouko, whose legs were exposed in her slovenly casual mini-skirt, in the elbow. Kyouko gave an aggravated sigh and corrected her seating posture.

"I have taken my bath first."

Sure, Toshio gave as a half-hearted response. With a composed expression, Takae took up post on one section of the couch. Just as he was thinking of escaping, the doorbell rang and he was saved.

"Now who might that be, at this hour?" Suppressing Takae whose brows had furrowed as she spoke, Toshio stood up.

"It's fine, I'll get it. It might be an emergency for me." So he said, swiftly making a brisk escape to the entryway.

In the entryway stood resident officer Takami with a grave expression. As soon as he saw Toshio's face he asked whether he'd seen Shimizu Megumi. Toshio tilted his head. Megumi was a girl who could be said to cause quite a fuss for him as a doctor but, maybe because it was summer vacation, she hadn't shown her face here for a while.

"What's wrong? Don't tell me something happened to Megumi-chan?"

"We haven't seen her. She set out at noon, and it seems she hasn't returned yet."

Toshio cast his eyes down to his wristwatch. Half past ten.

"....This late? No contact?"

"It seems not. In the evening she was seen climbing the slope to Kanemasa by somebody, but that's it."

"That's worrisome, isn't it."

Maybe this happened all the time in the city but in the village there weren't any girls out for a stroll at this hour. Even if she were hanging out in the neighborhood, she wouldn't have missed dinner and also given no phone call or contact.

"I hope nothing's happened. Was the fire brigade contacted?"

"I did. Lately wild dogs have been about, and with as many strange things as have been happening, Shimizu-san is becoming very pale. They're talking about searching the mountains for her a little bit."

"I'll go too," Toshio said, a voice from behind sounding out as he stepped out of the entryway.

"You must be joking!"

Looking back over his shoulder, he saw Takae, who had put on a summer haori, giving Takami a stern eye.

[TL/N: Haori - A type of Japanese cloth overcoat.

With his body turned so that Takae wouldn't see from behind him, he raised his hand in an apologetic gesture.

Forearm up, hand in front of the face as if doing a karate chop, often with a slight bow forward]

"There is no reason for you to do such a thing. --And you, Takami-san, what were you thinking?"

Takami stiffened his spine like a child be chastised for a prank.

"Toshio is the medical director of the Ozaki Clinic. He simply cannot vacate the premises so freely. In the first place, we never know when an emergency may arise. Everyone's lives are entrusted to him."

"Yes....., thank you." Takami bowed deeply.

"Setting aside that you have come to Toshio for direction, what is this talk of having him assist with searching the mountains! It is very troubling if you make use of the Ozakis at your convenience!"

"No, ma'am, that was not my intention. I was only asking a question. Then, please excuse me for the night." Takami bowed his neck, hurriedly lowering his head. He raised his face, seeing Toshio's bitter smile. With his body turned so that Takae wouldn't see from behind him, he raised his hand in an apologetic gesture. Takami understood, showing Toshio a faint smile.

"My, how rude of me. ---Then, if you'll excuse me."

Lowering his head to Takae once more, Takami quickly left the Ozaki household.