Chapter 87: Missing Person Notice
After seeing off the gangsters, Bai Wei continued to loiter around Yamada's booth, without doing much of anything.
He went to the courtyard and in the corner of the courtyard, he saw a small tombstone with no name written on it.
He proceeded to light incense sticks for the cat and the Yoshino household father and daughter, one after another.
Regarding the matter of the Yoshino family, since he had intervened once, it was unavoidable that he had some karmic connection. Neither morally nor logically could he simply wash his hands of it. Additionally, he truly was a cat lover, so he ought to pay his respects.
In the leisurely afternoon, he decided to stay here and assist in watching over the store. Many of the customers who came were female students, as there were several nearby high schools. Each school had a distinct uniform, but unfortunately, the lingering customs of this era remained in the Taisho period, and the iconic sailor uniform had not yet made its appearance, which was quite regrettable.
For him cannot openly and directly admire slender legs and stockings.
However, while minding the store, there were also some additional gains. Certain bolder girls would intentionally brush against Bai Wei's hand, both on the back and palm, when he handed them the traditional sweets. Witnessing the young man's slightly bewildered expression, they would delightfully run off, as if they had just consumed three pounds of honey, while playfully laughing with their companions.
Truly inexperienced.
By the time the clock struck three or four in the afternoon, the workers had finished moving the furniture, and Yamada finally had some free time. He repeatedly expressed his gratitude for Bai Wei's assistance, mentioning how Bai Wei had been a great help. Yamada felt compelled to treat Bai Wei to a meal at a traditional Japanese izakaya as a gesture of appreciation. However, Bai Wei gracefully declined the invitation.
As Yamada was about to close for the day, a slender middle-aged man approached the entrance. He had a frail physique, graying hair, and a weathered appearance that spoke of a conservative life filled with hardships. He wore reading glasses and his smiles lacked vigor, as if his body had been drained of vitality, leaving him with an air of exhaustion.
"Mr. Yamada, I have arrived. I hope I'm not disturbing you?"
"Mr. Sato, rest assured, I won't go back on my word. Your missing person notice can be posted here on this bulletin board. I've purposely kept it available for such purposes. From now on, if there are any neighborhood matters, feel free to post them here."
Yamada greeted a middle-aged man named Sato as he entered the door.
As Sato entered, exchanging a couple of pleasantries, he opened his briefcase and pulled out a stack of photocopies. He proceeded to post the missing person notice on the bulletin board of Yoshino's confectionery shop. Without lingering any further, he bowed to the two individuals and departed from Yoshino's confectionery shop.
Bai Wei's gaze fell upon the missing person notice.
Sato Daitake, now eighteen years old, stands approximately between one meter sixty and one meter eighty in height.
Six years ago, he left home and since then, there has been no trace of him. He has a red birthmark on his neck.
If I happen to come across this missing person notice, I will immediately contact the family.
If anyone knows the whereabouts of the individual, please dial the provided number to inform the contact person. A reward of five million will be given to those who can locate the missing person, with heartfelt gratitude guaranteed!
Contact Person: Sato Zaki, Contact Number: xxxxxxx
A blue question mark emerged on the missing person notice.
There seems to be something worth exploring behind this missing person notice; however, the information is too scarce to be understood at the moment.
Bai Wei squinted his eyes, pondering, "How did you come to know this Sato?"
"Mr. Sato, you know, when I was buying furniture, I happened to meet him. His posted missing person notice was not acknowledged and he was driven out by the store clerk. I couldn't stand by and intervened to mediate." Yamada replied, "After that, he found out that I owned a store and asked if he could post his missing person notice. I agreed, as I had already been considering having a bulletin board in the store. Perhaps someone might need assistance, so it would serve as a means of outreach."
Bai Wei praised, "Very well."
Yamada felt a little embarrassed and said, "I'm not like Mr. Bai, just an ordinary person; I can only do so much."
"Do you know anything about this Sato?"
"Well, I heard about him when I was working at a real estate company. He… is very wealthy, owning multiple properties. It is said that in his younger years, he was a formidable banker and made a fortune in international finance. Later, even his old houses appreciated in value due to the land."
Yamada, still in admiration, continued, "But he was too domineering and had no time for his family. He neglected his wife and children. After his wife had a car accident, he was constantly away on business and unaware of the situation. Then, at the funeral, his child made a scene and was slapped by him, which led to the child leaving home. At that time, the child was twelve years old, and it has been six years since then."
"Sounds like a typical family conflict," Bai Wei said, "Has this child still not been found?"
"No, the child has been found a long time ago," Yamada said in a lowered voice.
Bai Wei paused, "Found?"
Yamada sighed, "Yes, the child was found, but not intact. He fell from a cliff in the mountains, and his neck was broken upon impact. Afterwards, the body was torn apart by wild animals, leaving only partially preserved remains."
"Mr. Sato used his connections many years ago to mobilize the Metropolitan Police Department for a widespread search. Subsequently, near the whereabouts of Sato Daitake, they searched the mountains and found this corpse. Although the clothes were slightly off, the student ID, along with other identifying items, matched. The police unilaterally closed the case. However, Mr. Sato refused to admit it. He pointed at the remains, saying that it was not his child. In the following six years, he posted missing person notices everywhere."
Yamada looked at the missing person notice and sighed, "I believe he cannot accept the painful reality that his unintentional actions led the child down a path of no return. Overwhelmed with sorrow and fear of admitting it, he can only repeat this process in an attempt to alleviate his guilt."
"I also understand this feeling."
"I am luckier than him, at least I still have a chance for forgiveness, while he has nothing, only able to do something for self-comfort."
Speaking, Yamada also felt a bit moved. Saying that, he went to wash his face and headed to the bathroom. After a few minutes, when he returned, there was no one in the hall, and the missing person notice on the bulletin board had been taken down.
Yamada suddenly realized, slapping his forehead, "Oh dear, how foolish of me. I should have followed up just now!"
He had become Bai Wei's foremost devotee.
…
Bai Wei went straight to Yagyū's house, without immediately investigating the missing person notice.
The matters of others should always come after one's own, and there is nothing more important than spending time with family over a meal.
Bai Wei actually cares deeply about the dwindling bonds of family that remain.
However, he was unaware that there was an additional guest in his household.
After he knocked on the door, it was not his younger sister who greeted him, but Hokusinn Kichyō.
Gazing at the young lady with bright eyes, white teeth, and captivating charm, Bai Wei momentarily stepped back and glanced at the door plaque.
"You haven't made a mistake, I have come as a guest." Hokusinn Kichyō gracefully bowed and curtsied, saying, "Please allow me to introduce myself, Mr. Bai. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"How…how did you…" Bai Wei wanted to inquire, "How did you enter? Did my sister not use a rolling pin and dragging tactics to greet you?"
Stepping into the room, Bai Wei noticed that the courtyard lawn was quite disheveled. Although it was not meticulously maintained in the past, this level of disorder could not have been caused by mere wind. It appeared more like the result of several dozen huskies frolicking on the ground for an entire afternoon, evidently due to human activity.
Upon returning to the room, Yagyū Simozi appeared remarkably calm. She was the one who let Hokusinn Kichyō in, but she paid no attention to Hokusinn Kichyō's attempts to engage Bai Wei in various topics. Instead, she silently prepared a meal, her kitchen sword gleaming with a cold light. Occasionally, it reflected her sharp gaze, filled with murderous intent. When someone desires to kill, the eyes filled with killing intent cannot be concealed. What was even more bizarre was that she only stared intensely, without any other reaction.
Something is amiss, very amiss!
"Did you use a hypnotic app to suggest something to her?" Bai Wei asked solemnly.
"What is a hypnotic app?" Hokusinn Kichyō blinked innocently, her eyes filled with childlike curiosity.
"If it wasn't through hypnotic suggestion, how did you manage to do it?"
"What are you referring to?" Hokusinn replied tranquilly, feigning ignorance, with a gentle smile.
"You know what I'm talking about," Bai Wei glanced at her beautiful face, it's a miracle that your delicate nose hasn't been broken.
"Appeal to emotion, enlighten with reason?" Hokusinn Kichyō smiled as she held her cheeks. "I am just a guest, and I even brought a gift. There is no reason for my unobstructed visit, correct, Miss Yagyū?"
Yagyū Simozi remained silent, and the sound of slicing bones and cutting flesh on the chopping board grew louder.
She must be very angry now, she has never suffered such a big loss before in her life.
Just a courtesy visit, who would believe that?
Bai Wei's mouth twitched, he will not be deceived. The more beautiful a woman is, the more likely she is to deceive. No matter how innocent and pure Hokusinn Kichyō seems, it is certain that underneath lies darkness.
Before her awakening, she belonged to the category of a naturally foolish and innocent young girl. However, now she has already undergone a profound transformation, and her personality has undergone significant changes.
This is largely thanks to what I said to her on the tram.
How can I not control this contemptible mouth of mine?
Bai Wei, with his hand supporting his forehead, had only gone out for a leisurely stroll in the afternoon. However, upon returning home, he discovered that it had been ransacked. Now he felt particularly lost.
In his peripheral vision, Hokusinn Kichyō maintains a polite distance and sits upright with exemplary manners. There is nothing to be faulted in her etiquette. However, he can't shake the feeling that her fox tail is swaying back and forth, and her gaze carries a distinctly invasive nature.
In fact, Miss Hokusinn is also relishing in this situation, unabashedly flaunting the privileges of being the temporary victor.
In front of someone else's younger sister, engaging in tender and affectionate interactions with her older brother, this feeling is indescribably delightful, exhilarating, and satisfying.
The brain trembles, as if an electric current is flowing down the spine, rendering one unable to resist.
If not for Bai Wei's perplexed expression and his restrained resistance limited to mere courtesy, she even entertained the idea of attempting a knee pillow and ear cleaning.
Behold, this is your elder brother, now, he belongs to me!
Merely envisioning such a plot in secret, Miss Hokusinn already feels as if she has reached the pinnacle of her existence.
