[Serialized Novel] The "Fragile Items Deposit Counter" is Here (Episode 3)

“Huh?! This is...”

When I timidly opened the lid, a faint scent of the sea wafted out, and at the same time, a woman's mechanical voice could be heard.

“This is the Fragile Items Deposit Counter. Please place a fragile item that fits the mold and come back within one month.
We promise to repair whatever is entrusted to us, along with the 'connections' that the object holds, and return it to you.
Please note that there are cases where the counter may not be found, so we ask for your understanding.
This time, it has been set up in Shodoshima, Kagawa Prefecture.”

“Huh... wha...?”

The mysterious voice was heard no more after that.

“What is this...?! A fragile... counter...?”

Looking around, there was nothing particularly unusual. Since nothing happened even after a while, I timidly took a closer look at the box.

“What could this mark be...?”

The engraving of a crossed hammer and wrench felt like something I had seen somewhere before, but I couldn't recall where. Looking inside, there was something like a mold made of urethane.

“Ah...”

I recognized that shape.
I hurriedly brought the squirrel figurine from the display shelf. After fitting the broken pieces back into place and pressing it into the urethane, it fit perfectly, just as I had thought.
It was a gift Kyohei had given me when we first started dating, knowing that I liked old small items often called vintage or collectibles.

“I thought you might like this, Haruru. Our eyes met at the shop.”

Kyohei handed it to me, looking embarrassed.
The squirrel was made of pottery, and its tail was covered in some kind of fur. It had large, round eyes, and was holding something like a nut in its front paws.
I didn't know which country it was from or how old it was, but I felt sure it must have been cherished by someone.
I decided I would take good care of it too. When I greeted it and told it to get along with me, I felt like it gave a little squeak and smiled. Of course, I knew it was just my imagination.

Then, the other day, it suddenly broke.
I didn't remember dropping it, but the nut part had cleanly separated and was lying on the floor before I knew it.
I had liked it, but after Kyohei and I lost contact, it became painful to look at, so I had hidden it behind a vase on my display shelf.
That's why I had always wondered how it had broken.

"When you came before...? Fumi-san, is this your second time?"

"Yeah. Last August. I looked for the 'Fragile Item Deposit Counter,' but I couldn't find it... Apparently, that sort of thing happens sometimes."

"Come to think of it, the voice from the box might have mentioned that..."

"But this time, I came determined to find it. Maybe last time, somewhere in my heart, I was afraid of finding it..."

Fumi stared at her own wooden box.

"Hey, Haru-chan, are you just here for the day? Did you come by car? Or on foot?"

"I'm here for the day. I plan to catch the last ferry to Himeji Port at 7:30 PM, and I left my big luggage at the hotel. I don't drive, so I can't use a car... I figured I'd take a bus or taxi once I arrived."

"I'm planning to head back today too! I've booked the same last ferry..."

After saying that, Kazumi clapped her hands in front of her face with an "Ah!"

"...Hey! I just thought of something... If you'd like, why don't we go in my car? Let's look for it together!"

"Huh?!"

I was surprised by this unexpected proposal.

"My car is a bit old, but it runs perfectly fine! So, what do you say?"

"U-um..."

It was certainly a place I'd never been to before, so I felt it would be reassuring, but I'm usually quite shy around new people. Honestly, getting into a car with someone I'd just met was unthinkable.
However, Kazumi had an atmosphere that seemed to draw people in, and I felt like she wasn't lying.
I felt like I heard a voice from deep within my heart saying that I would regret it if I turned down this invitation.

"Um... well... then, I'll take you up on your offer..."

"Wow!! I'm so happy! That's such a relief!"

This was something I would never normally do. It felt like a moment of weakness, but I felt like it might be okay to go along with that "weakness" for once.

"Then, I'll pay for the gas."

As I went to take out my wallet, Fumi waved her hands frantically.

"No, no! I filled up the tank in Himeji. I'm planning on a day trip, and I won't be filling it up on the island anyway."

"Then... I'll treat you to lunch."

"Oh... you don't have to..."

"It might make me feel better about getting a ride..."



"...Yeah, I see! Then I'll 'take you up on that offer'!"

Fumi laughed. Caught up in her carefree smile, I laughed too.

Even though I said I was going to look for it, I honestly had no idea where I should go.
In the first place, I knew that if I told anyone that a counter had suddenly appeared somewhere on Shodoshima, and that it could fix things you'd received from someone special—along with the 'connections' they represent—they would either laugh at me or be genuinely worried about my mental health.
That's why I hadn't consulted anyone about this.
I was just happy to be able to talk about the 'Fragile Item Deposit Counter' with Fumi.

"I'm sure it's at some tourist spot, you know."

Fumi placed her hand on her forehead, mimicking the way a detective in a drama might ponder something.

"Why do you think that?"

"Because if it appeared in someone's bathroom or storage shed, you'd never find it, right? I don't get the feeling it's that mean-spirited."

"…Is that all?"

"Yep, that's all! Other than that, I just kind of have a feeling, that's all!"

I smiled, thinking that was just like Fumi. Then, I immediately realized we had only just met, and smiled again.
For some reason, it didn't feel like the first time I had met Fumi.

At first, I was frantically searching my mind for topics to talk about, as I always do, wondering what I should say... but I soon realized that worry was unnecessary.
Fumi was free-spirited; she would suddenly fall silent, lean against the railing to look at the scenery, or start talking about something that had just popped into her head.
So, I didn't feel the need to force myself to fill the gaps with conversation.
I felt like my usual self—who keeps talking because I'm afraid of silence, ends up blurting out weird things and regretting it, or goes home exhausted and drained despite having had a good time—was ridiculous.

Fumi worked for a company in Tokyo that handled miscellaneous goods and apparel, and since it was a store I liked and visited often as a fan of such items, I told her so, and Fumi was delighted.
Fumi said she was married and lived in Tokyo with her husband.

"What I brought is this, you see."

Fumi opened the lid of the wooden box.
Inside was a demitasse cup with a golden-yellow sun painted on it.
The sun had a face, and its unique expression with large, almond-shaped eyes looking sideways was striking. It looked like a vintage piece.

"Wow... it's so cute...!"

Looking closely, there was a crack at the base of the thin handle.

"Right? It's actually quite old; it's a piece of Scandinavian tableware called Arabia. I brought it from my parents' house when I started living on my own."

Arabia is a manufacturer I also like and admire.
Fumi didn't say anything more about the cup.
When I showed her my squirrel figurine, she said,

"What is this? It's incredibly cute! I'd love to have something like this at my shop..."

She observed it with a quite serious expression.



As we talked about each other, time flew by, and in the end, we barely went inside the ship.
Feeling that the scenery had changed from the atmosphere of the open sea, I looked in the direction we were heading and saw something that looked like Shodoshima appearing ahead, and an announcement played saying we would arrive soon.

"Hey, let's watch them dock! No matter how many times I see it, it's interesting and I love it. The guy catches the rope thrown from the ship and hooks it onto that thing they always have at ports, you know, that round stake-like thing."

"Oh, I want to see that too!"

The ferry drew closer and closer to the port.
A gate made of vermilion steel frames came into view. It was the same one that was at Himeji Port, welcoming people to the island like a torii gate.
Right next to it was something that looked like a pure Japanese-style watchtower from the Edo period. It seemed to be the symbol of the Fukuda Port Terminal, located in the northeast of Shodoshima.


The island was approaching rapidly, and I, having ridden a ferry for the first time, felt a little worried, wondering if it would crash into the port at such a speed. But of course, that didn't happen; the staff moved briskly and efficiently, and it docked in the blink of an eye.
When I saw the rope being hooked onto the rotating machine, Fumi said,

"Oh right! I have to go back to the car!"

as if she had just remembered.

"But they said in the announcement earlier not to go down to the cars until the ship stops..."

When I said that, Fumi replied,

"I know, but last time, everyone was super fast!"

When we hurried down, most of the passengers were already in their cars, which were lined up in four rows on the ship's deck.

"That's it! That yellow car!"

Kazumi pointed to a light car about two rows ahead. If the car in front didn't move, the ones behind would be stuck.
We rushed to the car. Kazumi hopped into the driver's seat, gathered up the sunglasses and other items scattered on the passenger seat, and tossed them into the back.

"Go ahead!"

"O-oh, excuse me!"

I scrambled into the car as well.

( Continued in Episode 4 )

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