Chapter 61: The Vanished Man
Hikaru Hoshino ordered a few more skewers of grilled bird eggs, holding them in his hand to feed the cat while stroking its fur.
Stray cats will accept almost any food when hungry, including things that are harmful to them, so it's important to consider food toxicity when feeding. Salt can be consumed in small amounts without much issue, but one must remember to avoid foods that are explicitly toxic, such as onions and garlic.
Ai wanted to pet the cat as well, but Hikaru stopped her.
If he got scratched, it wasn't a big deal, but if Ai got scratched, that old geezer Saito would probably give him a few more "lessons."
The kitten must have been hungry for a long time; it finished eating rapidly, licked its paws, and then nimbly leaped onto the road, seemingly signaling for Hikaru and the others to follow.
The group followed the black cat, bypassing the roadside commercial area and circling a small apartment building constructed along the road—it was only the size of a single unit and just two stories high. Finally, they walked past a dilapidated concrete villa and ducked into the alleyway behind it.
Upon entering the alley, they saw an open iron gate on the left. Inside was a neglected little courtyard overgrown with weeds, making one feel like they'd step on an insect with every other stride.
"This place hasn't been lived in for a long time, has it? Why hasn't it been demolished yet?" Hikaru complained.
*Perhaps the original owner is still around and just doesn't return often; or perhaps the government hasn't found a company to renovate it yet. Either way, there's no rush to use it,* Aqua thought silently.
Miyazaki was just like this; he'd grown used to it after living here so long. It couldn't compare to the prosperity of Tokyo, but the slow pace was quite nice.
Among those present, he was the only one truly familiar with Miyazaki. Ruby, having spent most of her years in a hospital ward, was at most familiar with the hospital.
In the corner of the yard was an entrance with a series of steps spiraling down to an underground garage. The black cat took a leap and dived down first. Hikaru had Rin Futamichi lead the way with a flashlight, and the group followed closely behind.
There were no vehicles inside. The first thing that met their eyes was an iron frame bed, followed by a table beside it; other than that, there were no large objects.
The electrical wires had been pulled in from somewhere unknown. Hikaru turned on the light, and the basement instantly brightened, though the glare was so harsh it made him uncomfortable.
The bed was a mess, covered not only in human hair but also distinct cat fur—black, brown, and orange. Recalling Ishigami's personality, Hikaru suspected he might have a tendency toward animal cruelty, though this wasn't uncommon among antisocial personalities.
Meanwhile, the kitten crawled under the bed to sleep, completely unaware of the fate it might have faced.
*Foolish cat, wicked man.*
Hikaru investigated the room and quickly became certain that this was, without a doubt, Ishigami's stronghold.
In the corner sat a half-bucket of gasoline, with bear traps scattered nearby. On the table were several old mobile phones, hemp rope, firecrackers, and the cat mask seen in the videos.
This triggered Hikaru's memory of the time Ishigami lured him up the mountain, making his lip twitch.
Other items were strewn across the floor: a broken saw, several knives, and a rusty old shovel still caked with fresh soil. Judging by the arrangement, there should have been other tools nearby, but they had been taken.
"Has he switched careers to become a lumberjack?" Ruby asked curiously.
"Or he might be burying people," Aqua replied casually. "It looks like Ishigami is still on the mountain. Should we go up to find him?"
"No," Hikaru rejected the suggestion. "There are quite a few mountains nearby. We don't know which one he's on, and even if we go up, we might not run into him."
"We might as well wait here. He has to come back to sleep eventually."
Aqua thought about it and agreed, so the group prepared to make do here for the night.
However, the place was far too filthy. The adults were fine, but Ai found it hard to accept that the two children would have to roll around in this. She looked to Hikaru for help, who in turn looked to Rin Futamichi. Rin opened her backpack and, like a magician, produced three folding sleeping bags.
The children's problem was solved. As for the three adults, Ai leaned against a chair, while Hikaru, not being picky about his environment, sat directly on the bed. Rin stood guard at the door, ready to knock Ishigami unconscious the moment he returned.
"Thinking about the timing, isn't the festival coming up soon?" Hikaru suddenly spoke. "The town has been getting crowded lately, and the merchants are all preparing."
"Is it in four days, or five?" Ai counted on her fingers, unsure.
"Gotanda agreed on our behalf to perform on stage. Which songs are you planning to sing, Ai?" Hikaru looked expectant.
"*Idol* is still being adapted into a solo version, and there's no backing track," Ai said, looking distressed. "In that case, I can only sing *Racing into the Night*, and then maybe an old B-Komachi song."
"Interested in singing a new song?" Hikaru said out of the blue. "Actually, I've already sent the score for a new song to Saito. If all goes well, we should have the backing track recorded before the festival. Or more simply, I can have him find a band to perform live on-site."
Ai was startled.
"That's so sudden!" she looked at Hikaru huffily. "Hikaru, why are you always like this? You never give people enough time to prepare! We don't even have a recording studio this time—where am I supposed to practice?"
"There should be recording studios locally too." Hikaru lowered his head in thought. "Music needs aren't exclusive to big cities. Many famous bands actually started out in small towns. Between student music clubs, rookie underground idols, and buskers, there's no shortage of performance venues. We can just rent a Live House for a bit, right?"
"Next time, remember to give me more time!"
Though Ai grumbled at Hikaru, she still accepted the demanding task.
Rin Futamichi leaned against the main door like a pine tree, saying to the two still chatting inside, "If you're tired, you can rest first. I'll wake you if anything happens."
"No need," Hikaru declined. "The Ishigami matter is more important. Missing one night of sleep isn't a big deal."
"As for Ai..."
"I doubt she can sleep either."
Even though Ai's childhood wasn't great and her living conditions were poor, she had become quite particular after becoming an idol. Asking her to sit in a chair in her long skirt was one thing, but sleeping face-down on a dust-covered table would be difficult.
Thinking of this, Hikaru got up, took off his coat to spread it over Ai's table, then sat back on the bed and opened his phone to browse his emails.
To his disappointment, he didn't see the one he was looking for.
Since he had prepared a new song for Ai, he naturally had a new track for himself as well. However, Hikaru had commissioned the backing track to Xini Production; they were a massive company and worked far more efficiently than Saito.
Upon hearing that a new track would be performed at the festival, Takashi Kadomori immediately offered to send a band over.
He wondered where the band was now. Like Ai said, he needed to leave some time for rehearsal.
Hikaru propped his arms on his thighs and rested his head on his wrists, slowly closing his eyes.
In the end, even by the next morning, they still hadn't seen a sign of Shin'ichiro Ishigami.
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