The disappearance of the female president.
And the disappearance of the boy who had been severely bullied by her son—
The two dots never connected on the police investigation lines, and eventually, they came to be treated as separate cases with “no causal relationship.”
However, the media’s view was different.
Once the sins committed by Tetsuya and Yoko were exposed to the light of day, public opinion instantly turned into a beehive of commotion.
Regarding the missing boy, Kurokawa, a flurry of speculations flew around, ranging from the view of “suicide to escape relentless bullying” to “a cover-up by the Fujisaki Group fearing the exposure of a scandal.”
On the other hand, regarding the disappearance of the female president, Misako, unverified rumors flooded the internet, ranging from “a suicide theory driven by grief over her son’s atrocious acts” to occult-like rumors that “Kurokawa harbored a grudge and cursed her to death.”
What was most baffling was that no matter how many times the police analyzed the Fujisaki Trading security camera footage, it seemed as though she had “vanished like smoke,” and not a single trace could be grasped.
The baffling blank space became prime prey for breeding urban legends and cult-like conspiracy theories.
Information leaked from somewhere, and the incident ended up gracing wide-show programs day after day as “the greatest mystery of the Reiwa era.”
However, no matter how much investigative effort was exhausted, and no matter how desperately the media tried to expose the truth, no one ever found out the truth behind why the two of them vanished.
The century’s disappearance drama that thoroughly shook society.
Yet even that finally drew to a close when the police made a final judgment of “no foul play” under the reasoning that “the novelty took precedence, but there is no evidence to prove a crime.”
Disciplinary actions against related parties were ultimately limited to the scope of “bullying,” and the principal, vice principal, and homeroom teacher merely left the educational field in the form of voluntary retirement.
Because Tetsuya and Yoko, the parties involved, were minors, they avoided the worst-case scenario of having their real names reported.
Partly due to voluntary withdrawal, their personal information was protected as they were hidden from the public eye simply as “Juvenile A” and “Minor A.”
Nearly a month had passed since setting foot on the land of Hokkaido.
Now, I am sweating away purely as a worker at “Fujisaki Fisheries.”
The fishery site is a test of physical strength, but it strangely suited me.
Perhaps it was because as long as I kept my body moving, I could stay without thinking about unnecessary things.
Just once, out of sheer concern, I had lawyer Midorikawa investigate Yoko’s current situation.
If she is living happily, I will never get involved again.
But if she is unhappy, I will make whatever amends I can—such was my sentiment.
Now, driven out of high school and having lost everything, I painfully realized how arrogant and self-righteous my past self had been.
I wanted to apologize to Kurokawa and to Mom.
But the other party is no longer anywhere to be found.
The only thing left that weighed on my mind was Yoko.
Just paying settlement money didn’t mean I had atoned for my sins.
However, according to the information provided, unlike me, Yoko was taking refuge at a relative’s house while keeping her chin up and aiming to take a new high school entrance exam. That was the gist of it.
As for the baby, I had no qualification to ask about it, so I deliberately didn’t ask.
I understood at least this much: there was no longer a place for a man from my past like me to butt in.
With Mom disappearing, I understood deep in my bones just how cruel the treatment I inflicted on Kurokawa had been.
“I want to apologize to Kurokawa, and to Mom.”
The regret welling up from the depths of my chest will never reach them now that the two of them have “gone missing.”
“Tetsuya, have you gotten used to the work at all?”
Suddenly called out by Uncle Iwao—no, the president—I snapped back to reality.
“No, not yet. There’s just so much to remember.”
“Haha, before long your body will start moving on its own.”
At the warm words, I re-gripped the deck brush in my hand and vigorously splashed water onto the floor.
The work is by no means easy.
However, the people here at Fujisaki Fisheries do not pry into my past and treat me normally as a human being.
For me right now, having lost everything and been stripped bare—this overwhelmingly ordinary daily life felt painfully comfortable.