Full-length Novel [Three Cold Deaths, One Warmth] Vol. 23 (Final)

Epilogue (Final Chapter)

A single slab of black pine, which must be well over a hundred years old, emits a dull, ebony-colored glow. In the dimly lit space, illuminated only by minimal lighting that makes one's footing uncertain, the boundary line that should stretch in a straight line melts into the darkness, and its existence cannot be confirmed without touching it.

On the counter, the dazzling light of spotlights falling at equal intervals spread ripples of pale white gradation.
A glass of single malt sits quietly in the center.
The ice ball shimmering inside the cylinder, less than 10 cm in diameter, looked like a new planet drifting in an amber universe.

◆

The senior sitting next to me listened to my story without moving a muscle, staring straight ahead, with a cigarette held between the fingers of one hand and the other hand resting on a glass containing Jack Daniel's.
When the long cigarette ash fell into the ashtray directly below without making a sound, the senior finally opened his mouth.
"Is that old man a 'Grim Reaper' or something?"

Knowing who is going to die... the only thing I can think of is a Grim Reaper...
Muttering such a joke-like line with a straight face, the senior took a gulp of Jack Daniel's and smoked the shortened cigarette. He showed no particular reaction to the fact that it was an event in my dream.
I don't know if he believed my story or if he was just humoring me. But for me, that didn't matter.

"If he were a Grim Reaper, it was a very good disguise. No matter how you look at it, he just looked like an ordinary old man you could find anywhere."
"Was it really enough just to be by the side of that 'dying person'?"

◆

The rules were quite simple.
Go to the designated place at the date and time specified by the Grim Reaper old man, and meet the designated person. That's all.
Just by doing that, I could receive 1 million yen as a reward for each person.
If I wished, I could specify the attributes of the person, and if it was a type of person I didn't want to meet, I could cancel or change it.
However, in those cases, the reward would be halved.

I was told that the purpose was to heal the soul of that 'dying person'.
I couldn't believe that I could heal people, let alone heal someone who was about to die. But the Grim Reaper old man gave me his word that I would be fine.

To say 'heal' has various meanings. It's an event in a dream anyway. Let's not think about it too deeply.
I replied that I understood without asking any particular questions.

"There are a few things I want you to observe.
One is that you must not interfere with the death of the person you are meeting. You must not try to help or save them. Although the time of death varies, the 'death' of the other party is already decided.
Also, I want you to decide for yourself how to approach the person you are meeting. I will not specify it. However, I will provide you with information that may be useful in advance, so please feel free to use it.
And, you may tell one lie. For example, it is not a problem to use a method of approach such as hiding your real name or real profession and pretending to be someone else. Things like the so-called character settings that derive from that are also included in the 'one' lie.
However, stacking two or more unrelated lies is a violation."

I see, it seems like a job cut out for me.
Whether I actually have the ability to make someone who is about to die look forward is still unknown, but when it comes to fully embodying a role and acting it out, that is actually my specialty.
"First, I would like you to meet three people. Not all at once. One by one. How about it?"

Blinded by the reward amount, I had no reason to refuse.
If I could receive that amount of money, the fishiness of it being an event in a dream was a trivial problem.
When I answered that I understood, I was given instructions for the first person on the spot.

Then it's a deal. The date is three days from now.
The person was a blind old woman living in a certain mansion.

◆

Except for placing the glass of Jack Daniel's on the table, putting the lit cigarette in the ashtray, and crossing his arms firmly in front of his chest, the senior was listening to my story with all body movements stopped, just like before.

I let out a small sigh and drank the remaining single malt in the glass in one gulp. Unlike before, when I rolled it in my mouth as if licking it, the entire path from the back of my throat through the esophagus to my stomach was scorched in a straight line, like the tire tracks of a DeLorean attempting a time slip.

"Three people to meet, so three roles."

Finally, the senior opened his mouth.
And, as if to say he was convinced, he nodded his head up and down several times.
I nodded once, small and silently.

"So, you actually met them?"
"When I went to the designated place on the designated day as instructed by the old Grim Reaper, the person I was supposed to meet was truly there. And I met them, talked to them, and parted ways. That is all."
"Truly, just that..."
I couldn't tell if the senior's voice, muttering that, was meant to urge me to continue the story or if it was just a monologue.
"When I returned home, caught my breath, and crawled into bed, the old Grim Reaper visited my dream again. Without any seasonal greetings or small talk, he thanked me for the work and told me that the payment had been transferred to the designated account.
Saying he would visit again when the next request was decided, the old Grim Reaper left my dream in just a few seconds."

The next day, while still half-doubting, I went to the bank and updated my passbook, and the payment had indeed been transferred. The name was anonymous, and the amount was exactly one million yen. They had even kindly covered the transfer fee.
After that, just as the old Grim Reaper had said during our first contact, there were two more job requests.
"Before coming here, I transferred two million yen to my ex-wife's account. As 'alimony' that also included child support for my daughter. I contacted her, but of course, she didn't believe me. She knows I don't have that kind of money. Tomorrow, she will likely go to the bank half-doubting, and she will be surprised. Just like I was."

"Hmm? Two million yen?"
I closed my eyes with a small bitter smile and tucked my chin.
"Actually, I failed the last job."
"Failed?"
The senior had forgotten to even touch his Jack Daniel's or his cigarette.
Unexpectedly, it seemed he was quite deeply engrossed in my story. Even so, I couldn't tell if he truly believed it or if he was just enjoying a tall tale at a bar.
"I just finished the last job this morning. I just met the third 'dying person.' But, I failed."

The senior drank a sip of Jack Daniel's without saying a word.
And after a while, he furrowed his brow just a little.
Perhaps he realized, albeit belatedly, that the Jack Daniel's he had just sipped had become diluted. The clear ice ball had become so small that it would roll around if he lifted the glass even slightly.

"What do you mean by failed?"
"It's a simple story. I prevented the death of the third person I met."
"Prevented it?"
"I stopped them right before they were about to jump off the roof in front of me."
"Why?"
I shook my head left and right without saying anything.

◆

The senior and I each ordered our third single malt and Jack Daniel's. And we continued to drink in silence.
I changed brands again. It was a Scotch distilled in the southern Highlands, with a soft sweetness and a smooth body. It was perfect for savoring slowly without any snacks.
After a while, the familiar comfort returned with the drunkenness coursing through my body.

I took another cigarette out of the worn-out shoulder bag my ex-wife had given me as my first birthday present and lit it.
I inhaled slowly and exhaled slowly.
I expanded my lungs slowly and let them return to normal slowly.
Naturally, my face softened.
When I closed my eyes gently, I was finally able to enjoy the chaos woven by the scent of whiskey and tobacco spreading in my mouth.

"What happens if you break the rules?"
"The contract ends at that point. I was told that a sanction would be imposed."
"A sanction?"
"It seems it is 'physical death'."
The senior remained silent, his mouth pressed into a firm line.

"I don't know how that is carried out.
But if it is a 'death' where my life is physically taken, rather than a conceptual death like people forgetting my memory or my information being deleted from records around the world, then I don't mind that.
If my heart stops and all vital activities cease, I don't care if the cause is illness, an accident, or murder.
Anything but suicide.
I'm a bit scared of methods that are too painful, but if my insurance money reaches my ex-wife and daughter, I can't ask for more."

By preventing the third death, the amount I had set for myself as 'alimony' ended up falling short. That said, I didn't feel like repeating the same thing again.
In the first place, a sanction awaits me for breaking the rules. Physical death. There is no chance for redemption. That is why I hurriedly transferred the rewards I had earned so far to my wife's account.

When I had almost given up, thinking this was the end, I remembered that before I met the old Grim Reaper, I had first thought of my own life insurance.
That I had considered suicide as a way to get a lump sum.

And I realized that the problem I had been forced to abandon at that time had already disappeared. Having been subjected to a 'physical sanction,' I am now in a state where I can obtain a 'death without suspicion of suicide'.

However, no sooner had I breathed a sigh of relief than another question crossed my mind.
Is it possible for my ex-wife to receive my insurance money even if the divorce is finalized? Should I have changed the beneficiary to my daughter?
No, the divorce papers are still in my hands. The divorce has not been finalized.

"So, I have a request for you, senior."
Saying that, I slid the divorce papers in front of me to the side and presented them to the senior.
The senior took a cigarette that had been on the counter and lit it with his Zippo.
"I was supposed to fill it out and submit it, but I probably don't have time anymore. Besides, looking at it again, since it's a divorce by mutual consent, a witness is also required. The two of us alone cannot finalize it. I could only think of you, senior."
"In other words, you want me to be a witness and submit it to the municipal office?"
"A power of attorney is not required to submit divorce papers. I'm sorry, but could you do this for me?"

The senior did not move for a while, holding his glass.
"In that case, wouldn't it be better if these divorce papers were not submitted?"
Indeed, it's not that I hadn't considered that possibility.
"But I think it's better to have the ties cut so that no strange suspicions are raised. If my 'ex-wife' is not eligible to receive the insurance money, then it can't be helped. What I fear is when my death is considered unnatural. Since the method of sanction is unknown, that risk cannot be zero. It's fine if it's judged as suicide, though."
"If the divorce is not finalized, might suspicious eyes turn toward your wife?"

I nodded silently.
The senior downed the Jack Daniel's that still had about half left in one gulp.
And he placed his left hand open on top of the divorce papers.
"I understand. As for me, I'll manage somehow."
"Thank you."
"Then, can I ask one last thing?"
"Go ahead."
"Are the Grim Reaper's rules only those three you mentioned earlier?"

Do not prevent the other party's death.
Decide for yourself how to approach the other party.
There is only one lie you are allowed to tell the other party.

I repeated the Grim Reaper's rules that I had told the senior earlier, carefully counting them by raising my fingers one by one.
"In the first place, is it okay to confide this story to others?"
Saying that, the senior pointed his index finger at his own chest.
"You're sharp. There was one more rule the old Grim Reaper told me at the beginning."

When I lifted the glass containing the single malt, the clinking sound of the ice ball rolling echoed more loudly than I had imagined, wandering around the area. I couldn't laugh at the senior for this.
Wasn't I the same, getting lost in the story?
After waiting for the faint lingering tone to be absorbed into the darkness, I opened my mouth.
"As you guessed, it is 'tell no one'."

You must not tell anyone.

Like an international student practicing Japanese, my senior muttered slowly and carefully.
The tone of his voice was exactly like the old Grim Reaper who had spoken those lines in my dream.
In an instant, a chill ran through my entire body.
To be able to reproduce it this well just from an image—even though he has long since retired from the stage, he is still an actor after all. I glanced at him, and my senior was staring at his empty glass of Jack Daniel's with a cool expression.

“If you happen to reveal this story to someone, it’s the same as the other rules.”
“Physical death, huh.”
“For me, it doesn’t matter if one more sanction is added at this point.”
I crushed my shortened cigarette in the ashtray.
Then, I put the last remaining cigarette in my mouth and lit it.
“I am sorry for dragging you into this.”
It is compensation for making you feel unpleasant.
Saying that, I called the bartender and paid for my senior’s tab as well.
“This is the first and last time I will treat you, Senior.”

◆

The spring night was chilly, incomparable to the warmth of the day.
If I had the Oakland Athletics cap that I gave to a certain girl this morning, I might have been able to ward off this cold a little more, but what’s gone is gone.

If a day comes when we can meet again on the other side, I will need to bow my head and apologize to everyone.
The real me is not a detective good at finding people・・・・・・・・・, nor am I the husband of a conscientious nurse・・・・・・・・・. Of course, I am not an unconventional middle school teacher・・・・・・・・・ either.

I look forward to imagining the expression she will show tomorrow morning, but it is a pity that I have no way to confirm it.
Come to think of it, I cannot even say “I’m sorry” to her.

It seems I will have to get her to forgive me by telling her my boastful stories properly.

◆　◆　◆

Strange coincidences do happen.
I let out a small sigh while looking at the divorce papers I received from him.
I never imagined I would end up with an acquaintance.

Even so, I was glad I specified the partner for the first job. I didn’t know if such a thing was possible under the rules, but with the thought that it wouldn’t hurt to try, I requested that the partner’s attribute be “someone experienced in this work.”
It was a real shame that the reward was halved, but thanks to that, I succeeded in grasping the flow of the work without any errors.

It is also a major harvest that I was able to prove that the story of the Grim Reaper is not some nasty joke・・・・・・・・・.

Now, let’s hurry.
I don’t have time to slowly waste away.
My work has a long way to go from here. It’s different from him, who was able to finish in three times. Even without that, because I requested such a rare case for my first partner, I am already slightly behind my own expectations.
I must go home as soon as possible, fall asleep, and wait for the next instructions in my dream.

◆

After the junior’s back・・・・・, with a faded shoulder bag slung across it, disappeared beyond the door, within the time it took for the second hand of the clock to make one full rotation, I filled in the necessary information in the witness section of the divorce papers.

Perhaps, whether the divorce is finalized or not, his insurance money will go to his ex-wife unless the beneficiary is changed. In that sense, this act of mine has no real・・ meaning. However, what is important is not the truth. It is whether it becomes a “healing” for him.
Yes. If I do not fulfill my mission, it will not be my reward.

Suddenly, a question popped into my head.
He said earlier that he failed his last job.
However, he only “stopped the other person from jumping off the roof.”
That does not necessarily mean a failure of the job. Just by that, it cannot be concluded that he interfered with the other person’s “predestined death.”

This is because we have not been told the clear time or cause of death of the target by the Grim Reaper.

At that moment, two loud sounds were heard in succession from outside the shop.
Both sounded very similar to sounds I had heard in my father’s countryside long ago.
A sound like the scream of a beast echoing through a slaughterhouse・・・・・・.
And then, a sound like dynamite planted in a quarry exploding・・.

Good grief, I can’t tell which sanction this is.
Is it because he interfered with a death, or is it because he spoke about it to others?
Well, it doesn’t matter which.
I suppressed my impatient feelings and stood up quietly.

(End)