What are you talking about? [Feature Novel] 18

The two left the NHK building and stepped into the elevator. Enomoto pressed the F1 button without hesitation.
“Are we not going back to headquarters?”
To Miyashita’s question, Enomoto replied while watching the display as they gradually descended to the first floor.
“We don’t have that kind of time. Don’t you agree?”
To Miyashita, Enomoto’s back looked larger than usual. That’s right, they had no time to spare. They had to identify the cause as soon as possible. They had yet to obtain any confirmation that it was a drug, nor any confirmation that it was a virus. Miyashita looked ahead.
“Yes, you’re right.”

＊

As Enomoto had said, the back alleys during the day were not as bustling as they were at night. In such a quiet back alley, the sound of throat singing could be heard from somewhere. Perhaps that, too, was just an ordinary part of daily life here.
However, the purpose this time was not the Princess. It was the search for new refugees.

“Shall we split up?” Miyashita asked.
Enomoto looked around.
“Yes, that would be better.”
“Understood. I’ll send a message if I find anything.”
“Ah, please do.”
The two went their separate ways as usual.

Today was Thursday, though it was a holiday. The voices of children could be heard from time to time.
As Enomoto walked aimlessly, he found children gathered in a small vacant lot in the back alley. The children were sitting in a circle in front of a woman. Perhaps they were their parents, but a few adults were also standing behind the children.
The woman seemed to be telling something to the crowd. Enomoto became curious and approached.

What he heard was some kind of story reading. Was it a volunteer reading session? The woman continued reading without even noticing Enomoto.

“...and pulled it out quickly! ‘Wow! Listen, that’s amazing!’ The children were overjoyed. Listen said, ‘Hehe, what are you talking about?’ and went back to his house. And then, Listen became a small hero in the town. His big ears are always ready to listen to someone’s story. The end.”
The woman smiled gently. She had a very calm and kind voice. Her expressive and modulated way of speaking was so enchanting that one couldn’t help but listen intently. It was truly a professional reading. Enomoto, no exception, was captivated by her voice.
Voices like “Listen is amazing!” and “I want to hear more!” rose here and there from the surrounding children, followed by applause.

“Well then, shall we make the next one a picture book?” The children were delighted by the woman’s suggestion.
“Hey, hey, what story is the picture book about?” a boy asked in a slightly loud voice.
“This one is a story about Chikurin. How about it? Do you want to hear it?”
The children each chimed in with “We want to hear it!”
So the next one was a picture book reading. But what was Chikurin? Listen, from earlier, was also a name he had heard for the first time. Enomoto asked the person next to him in a low voice.

“What exactly was that story just now?”
The person he asked tilted their head in confusion.
“Hmm... it was a very good reading, but I have no idea what the content was...” they said with a bitter smile.
“Are Listen and Chikurin some kind of characters?”
“Monsters of the back alley? It seems so. It sounds like a little made-up story, but the children say they really exist. They say the big sister who tells the stories isn’t lying.”
“They seem to believe in that lady... or perhaps it’s that phase children go through where they can see things,” they said, smiling a bit awkwardly.
“Indeed, that might be a phase they go through,” Enomoto said, playing along while suspecting the case of No. 874.

The symptom of virus No. 874 is ‘the spreading of delusions.’ It was highly possible that she was using the guise of a reading session, which appeared to be a form of volunteer work, to camouflage it. And if the children were infected and showing symptoms, it wouldn’t be strange to think they were seeing monsters due to their delusions.
While Enomoto was enchanted by the woman’s voice, he watched for an opportunity to make contact with her.

NextTo be continued