Otherside Picnic, Volume 2, page 17
“You shouldn’t look for too long. There’s Kunekunes in that waterlogged patch of grass down there.”
“Then, the place I first met you is... Over there, maybe?”
Those words caught my attention, and I looked up despite myself.
Toriko turned around, as if she’d known I would, and our eyes met. Come over here, she beckoned me. I got down from my seat, feeling somewhat less than amused, and trod over the grass to where Toriko was.
“Look. It’s around there, where the water stops, right?”
“I couldn’t say. It’s not like there were any landmarks.”
“There’s a place where the grass breaks, isn’t there? I think that’s the footpath where the corpse was. It must’ve been near there.”
“Hmm...?”
I squinted, still not convinced. “Remind me, how long has it been since the two of us first met again?” Toriko asked.
“It was in May, so... It hasn’t even been three months.”
I surprised myself, saying that. Three months? That couldn’t be right, could it?
“Just three months, huh...” Toriko’s whisper sounded bewildered, too. “Somehow, it feels like I’ve been with you way longer, Sorawo. It’s weird.”
“Y-Yeah.”
Starting to feel a little uneasy, I looked at Toriko. Her downcast eyes made her look unusually sorrowful.
“...Sorawo, why is it you come along with me anyway?”
“Huh?”
“You’re not even remotely interested in Satsuki, right? Yet you’re willing to come to this dangerous place with me, a person you didn’t meet all that long ago. Why is that?”
You gonna ask me that now, after all the close brushes with death we’ve been through together?
“...Well, I want to explore, too. I was drawn to the other world even before I met you, after all,” I said, and then, mumbling, added: “Besides, you know, we’re f... friends, and all.”
“Thanks. But...”
But? But what?
“I wonder if it’s okay for me to monopolize your attention like this.”
“...What do you mean?”
“I’ve been thinking about it ever since last time, with the cats. You seem to get along with Kozakura, and Akari, too. You worked hard to rescue the U.S. forces, and you were super high-strung when we were drinking in Naha. Normally, you’d interact with all sorts of other people, and it would expand your world, but if you’re with me, I worry I’d be stealing that potential from you.”
“No, that’s not true... I’m shy, so, if I’m being honest, I don’t want my world expanded too much.”
“Hmm, that’s definitely a real waste,” Toriko said, cutting me off. “I was that way a long time ago. For all this time, since I first met Satsuki, she was all that was important to me, you see. I had no interest in anyone else.”
“Hmm. Well, well.”
I gave a lazy response, but then it occurred to me.
“What about Kozakura-san? When did you get to know her?”
“After Satsuki disappeared. You know how Kozakura always is, right? She’s easy to get along with without having to keep up pretenses, so we became friends as we kept in contact. I had met her before then, too, but neither of us was interested in the other.”
As I listened, I gradually started to feel lonely. If I had met Toriko back then, it’s questionable whether she would have even noticed me.
“When Satsuki vanished, honestly, I had no idea what to do anymore. I was suddenly all alone—it was terrifying. It still is. Even though you and Kozakura are there for me. I’ve been frightened all this time, continually searching for Satsuki.”
Toriko hesitated for a bit before she continued. “Hey, Sorawo. Listen, if I were to vanish—”
“Stop it. We had a promise.”
“I won’t up and disappear on my own. But wandering around in this dangerous place, we never know what might happen.”
You’re not being fair, I thought. She was bringing up something we both knew, something we had an unspoken understanding about.
The wind formed ripples on the water in the marsh below. Even I couldn’t tell if there were glitches beneath the water from here.
As I was unable to speak, Toriko continued. “If I were to disappear, Sorawo, I worry you might end up like me. I’m the one who dragged you into searching for Satsuki, and I do sort of feel responsible for it. Sure, you may be shy, but I’ve seen you can talk to people... I think it would be good if you made other friends, too, you know?”
“I don’t need them.”
“The way things are going, I’m going to ruin your life, then leave it that way. I don’t want that.”
No. Toriko, you’re wrong.
I wanted to argue back, but my unreliable head was spinning uselessly, and not one clever retort came to me.
Toriko suddenly smiled, then turned around and started walking.
“Shall we? We’re leaving the car and heading back, right? I’m sure Kozakura’s worried.”
“Oh... Yeah.”
As Toriko walked back towards the AP-1, all I could do was follow her with my eyes, still unable to think of anything.
3
We passed between the totem poles and returned to the surface world. Compared to the somewhat blurry sunlight of the other world, the sunlight in the surface world was unrelenting, and it cast thick shadows on the ground. My shadow was chasing after Toriko’s shadow, which was in front of me; the fact that we weren’t side-by-side made me feel lonely.
When I looked up, there was a black car stopped in the yard. It was clearly a luxury car, and the body was polished to the point where you could probably see your face reflected in it.
I panicked, thinking that someone might have seen us come out of the gate, but when we approached it became apparent there was no one inside the vehicle.
“She’s got a guest,” Toriko murmured.
“The car looks expensive. Think they’re with the yakuza?” I said without any real thought.
“I think it’s pretty childish that you immediately associated an expensive car with the yakuza,” Toriko said plainly.
I had no retort.
“F-Fine, I’m sure I’m just a child.”
“That response is childish, too.”
“Urgh...”
Toriko’s sure in a bullying mood today...
While I was thinking about it, Toriko pulled out her smartphone, and started dialing.
“Oh, hey? We’re back, but I see you’ve got a visitor. Should we stay out of the house? ...Oh, sure. Okay. Gotcha. Yeah, I know. Later.” Toriko hung up, then turned to me. “She says we can come in. Just make sure we put our guns away.”
“Oh... I see.”
I took off the holster with the Makarov still in it, and stuffed it in my bag before we headed towards the house.
When we opened the door, a large pair of black shoes had been left at the entrance. Men’s shoes. Toriko and I looked at each other before taking off our own shoes and going inside. We could hear Kozakura’s voice from the doorway on the left side of the hall.
“We’re over here. Come on in.”
The door was always closed, so I hadn’t seen the inside of this particular room before. I peered in through the open door, seeing that it was a reception room with a carpet. Kozakura and an unfamiliar man were sitting across from one another at a set of sofas with a table in the middle.
The man turned towards us, stood, and bowed.
“I apologize for the intrusion.”
He was a tall man with long arms and legs. He had a thin face with sunken cheeks, and his long, curly hair was neatly set in place. His tailored three-piece suit looked expensive. He looked like he might be in his thirties, but the mature way in which he carried himself made it hard to be sure of his age.
“Oh, uh, hey...”
“Hello.”
I gave a bewildered nod of my head, while Toriko’s greeting was more neutral.
“Kozakura, who is this...?” I asked.
“I told you before, didn’t I? There’s a civilian organization that researches the other world. He’s from there.”
Following Kozakura’s introduction, the man produced a business card.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. You are Kamikoshi-sama and Nishina-sama, I believe? I have heard of you. I am Migiwa of the DS Lab.”
The card I was handed read: General Incorporated Foundation — DS Research Encouragement Association — Director — Ichirou Migiwa.
“Ohh, then the person who’s been buying the foreign objects we bring back from the other world is...”
“Yes, that is correct. I have come here today to pick up another,” Migiwa said, indicating the briefcase on the table.
“It’s the infinite seashell you brought in earlier, Sorawo-chan. Aren’t you glad? You can eat well now,” Kozakura said teasingly. There was a large paper bag at her feet. It didn’t look like a bunch of sweets she was going to give us to take back home... Maybe it was a bundle of bills? Kozakura always paid me in cash, after all.
“I am told that you two have traveled to the UBL and returned alive several times now. It is an honor to meet you.”
“Uh, thanks.” I gave a vague response, not sure what that was an abbreviation for.
“What’s UBL mean?” Toriko asked.
“Ultrablue Landscape—I believe you two call it the other world.”
A chill ran down my spine. Ultrablue. There was no way he wasn’t referring to that blue light.
“Okay, what’s DS short for?”
It took Migiwa a moment before he answered Toriko’s question this time.
“...Dark Science.”
“Dark Science?!” I couldn’t help but loudly parrot back. The Dark Science Research Encouragement Association? What was that supposed to be?
Toriko and I looked at one another. I was relieved to find she was just as confused as I was. If I was asked whether it sounded cool or not, I’m not sure what I would have answered.
Migiwa smiled wryly as he continued. “I know it has a slightly sinister ring to it. That was simply the naming sense of the times when it was founded, you see... It seems ‘dark science’ was meant to refer to the unknown areas of science.”
“When was it founded?”
“In the early nineties. Nowadays you might call it marginal science, trans-science, or non-traditional science.”
Honestly, none of those sounded all that different to me.
I grew wary. This guy wasn’t with a cult, was he? The moment someone started talking about “unknown fields of science,” you could more or less guarantee it was pseudoscience, and the large amounts of cash changing hands supported the idea there was something shady going on.
“Does Satsuki belong to the association, too?” Toriko asked in a low voice.
Migiwa nodded. “Yes. Satsuki Uruma-san is a guest researcher at the DS Lab. She headed into the other world, and brought back more objects than anyone had before. It is disappointing that she has vanished, and I am worried about her, too.” he said quietly. Toriko leaned in.
“I have a request. Could you take me to your lab? I want to find a hint about where Satsuki went.”
Seriously...?
Seeing the way that Toriko looked at Migiwa, as if clinging to him in desperation... I felt bitter.
Get it together, Toriko. What if this guy’s a cultist? Don’t you have any sense of danger? You’ll do anything to search for Satsuki-san?
“Well...”
Migiwa was hesitant, but Toriko kept pushing. “I didn’t find out Satsuki was working at a lab until just recently. Is there anything you can tell me, no matter how small?”
In a moment of realization, I raised my hand. The way things were going, Toriko was going to go there alone if she had to. “M-Me, too! I’ll go to the lab, too!” I cried out, my voice going shrill, and Toriko turned to look at me.
“You sure?”
“You bet I am.”
That I was thinking, Don’t ask me that, was apparent from my tone.
“Why are you mad?”
“I’m not mad.”
“...I guess I have no choice. I’ll go, too.”
It was my turn to be surprised upon hearing that. Toriko looked shocked, too.
Even though she’d volunteered on her own, Kozakura let out a weary sigh. “I can’t just hand over two idiots and pretend that whatever happens isn’t my problem. I’ll be coming along as a chaperone. All right?”
That last question was directed at Migiwa. “You are sure about this?”
Migiwa still seemed undecided, but Kozakura nodded. “Yeah. Let them see... where encounters of the fourth kind lead.”
There was a determination in Kozakura’s voice. Migiwa finally nodded, then turned back to Toriko and me. “Very well. I should have been the one to extend the invitation. Pardon my lack of consideration.”
“So, it’s okay?” Toriko asked.
“Yes. I would ask you all to accompany me.” Migiwa gave us a polite bow. Stealing a sidelong glance at Toriko as she nodded, her lips drawn taut, I couldn’t suppress a feeling of unease.
4
“Huh, is that a new car?” Kozakura said the moment we were outside.
“It is. A Mercedes AMG.”
“The S-class, right? You’re making bank.”
“It’s a company car.”
“It’s to your taste, though. You came here without a driver, too.”
That exchange between Kozakura and Migiwa was very frank. I could tell they had known each other for a while. Suddenly, a doubt arose in my mind. If the DS Lab was a cult, might Kozakura, who was close to Migiwa, be a follower...?
No, no. I shook my head, trying to dispel the irrational fear. It had been less than three months since I had first met Kozakura, but I had never detected that unique air of giddy restlessness that cultists had from this perpetual sourpuss.
When I realized I wanted to believe in Kozakura, I was perplexed. In my high school years, just the possibility of it would have been enough for me to distance myself.
Migiwa looked down at Kozakura with a smile. “I doubt the opportunity arises often, so would you like to try driving it?”
“You sure?”
“This is your driving we are talking about. I trust you.”
Migiwa pointed the smart key at the car to unlock it, then passed the key to Kozakura. She walked around to the driver’s seat, then cheerfully got in.
“Please, you two get in as well,” Migiwa urged us, and we got into the back seat. The seats were a whitish color, and felt so expensive as to be intimidating. Even the drink holder between the left and right seat seemed to sparkle with opulence.
“Wow, this sure is something, huh. Hey, Kozkaura, how much do you figure this car cost?” Toriko asked as she touched it all over.
“Hmm, twenty million yen?”
“T-Twenty...” As I gulped despite myself, Toriko started laughing.
“If we bring back, like, twenty foreign objects from the other world, we could buy one!”
“...You sure are optimistic, huh, Toriko.”
Migiwa got into the passenger seat and closed the door. When he turned back and looked at us over the seat, he spotted the large backpacks we were carrying.
“Would you like to put your luggage in the trunk?”
“We’re fine like this,” I said. Toriko nodded in agreement. The backpacks contained all the equipment we didn’t leave with the AP-1 earlier, as well as a change of clothes. It was a full set of equipment for exploring—which included a Makarov, and a disassembled assault rifle.
“You buckled up? We’re going,” said Kozakura, her seat leaned super far forward. It must have been hard for her to drive with her short stature, but unlike usual, she looked like she was having fun.
When the engine started, I felt an impressive vibration through my butt.
“Mmph,” Kozakura let out a weird noise as she stepped on the accelerator. The car rolled across the gravel, out of the yard, and onto the road, then began driving smoothly.
“How are you liking it?”
“It’s not bad.”
What was I to make of this relationship? It didn’t seem likely that they had been romantically involved in the past, or anything like that. This felt more like the bond between a parent and child, or a brother and sister.
Though, looking at it the opposite way, it was possible that her constant grumpiness was because the two of us didn’t get along, and this level of friendliness was normal for her...
As should have been apparent when she was allowed to take the wheel of a twenty-million-yen luxury sedan, Kozakura was a good driver. The engine sang as she effortlessly navigated Tokyo’s busy streets. I was surprised how fast she accelerated when the road was open in front of her and there was the opportunity to speed up. She was all hyped up, rather than being her usual lethargic self, so that worried me in other ways.
“I never knew you loved cars this much.” It seemed Toriko hadn’t known this side of her either.
“I haven’t ridden in one for a while,” Kozakura responded. “I had to let go of the one I had, too.”
“Why’s that?”
“Hmm? Driving on my own is boring.”
“Were you going for drives with someone else before?”
Just as Toriko asked that, the light turned green. When Kozakura stepped down on the accelerator without answering, Toriko and I were pressed back against our seats, letting out little screams.
After driving for forty minutes, we arrived at a glass-sided building in the business district near Tameike-sannou Station. This place was utterly foreign to me. My only impression of it was that the name Sannou, which meant “mountain king,” sounded strong. Also, since the name had Tameike in it, there was presumably a pond somewhere.
Across the road from the building, there was a massive stone torii gate and a wide set of stone stairs. It was apparently a large shrine, and I could see there was a copse of trees at the top of the stone stairs.
The car went into the building’s underground parking lot. Kozakura brought it to a stop in a corner where there was a row of luxury cars.
Once we all got out, Kozakura locked the vehicle and returned the key to Migiwa. “Yeah, it’s a good car. Thanks.”
