The Lying Counselor’s Eloquent Reasoning - Chapter 18
“Has that kindergarten been running for a long time?”
“No, it was built only three years ago. I’ve been bothered by the kids’ voices ever since.”
“Were there any objections to the construction by the local residents?”
“Eh? W-Well, no… I mean I guess there was?”
When Uroma posed the question, Tetsuo once again unnaturally slurred his words in reply. There was never any opposition… Tomomi guessed instantly.
“Now, one last question. Mr. Ishikawa, have you ever exchanged opinions with your neighbors regarding the noise issue of that kindergarten?”
“No, such a thing doesn’t take place…. of course it does!”
Once again, Tetsuo provided a cryptic answer. I don’t think so, Tomomi thought.
“I see. I understand perfectly. I can comprehend how severe the mental anguish you are experiencing may be.”
“Oh, really! Can you write a medical report for me!”
“No, that’s impossible.”
“What the hell!”
“You don’t have PTSD, Mr. Ishikawa. Perhaps you are suffering from auditory hyperesthesia.”
Hahaha, Uroma remarked with a light laugh.
“Auditory hyperesthesia? You’ve got to be kidding me! Are you trying to tell me that my ears are damaged! Those kids’ voices are noisy! Noise is a form of a public nuisance! A social problem!”
“Yes. In other words, it’s a question of what extent the noise should be classified as public nuisance.”
“The extent?”
“Mr. Ishikawa, take a good look at this screen.”
Uroma said, pointing at the monitor of his laptop. The display showed an aerial view of the kindergarten and its surrounding buildings from above. It was one of the features of the online map service.
“Hey, what’s this? Why are all these pictures on your laptop? Is this a work of a spy satellite? Did you honestly steal data from a secret spy agency in this instant?”
“No, this is standard information that anyone can access.”
Nowadays, how can you accuse of spying on aerial photos that are available to the whole world via map services? He was indeed 76 years old. His conception was too anachronistic.
“Okay, Mr. Ishikawa, take a good look at this. What do you see around the Hoshiyume Sakura Kindergarten?”
“What do you mean, as shown on the map?”
“That’s right. The kindergarten is adjacent to a large apartment building, a small apartment, and a private house across the street. That means that the surrounding area is full of private homes… There are private homes all around, see?” Uroma dared to repeat and emphasize that part. “So, where do you live, Mr. Ishikawa?”
“Oh, right here.”
Tetsuo gestured to a spot on the display. Looking at the place, he found that it was – to his surprise – a private house.
“Wow. Is this the location of your house? Then the noise impact from the kindergarten ought to be less than the people residing here, right?” Uroma said, indicating his apartment house and the apartment building alternately. Certainly so. Tetsuo’s private house was one street away from the kindergarten, as opposed to the apartments and condominiums.
“And yet, these people experience no stress whatsoever from the noise coming from the kindergarten??”
“W-Why do you assume that! Of course they’re feeling it! The kids are making so much noise!”
“Not at all. The fact that you’ve come to me implies that.” Uroma’s eyes flashed sharply. “Please think about it. If the sound of children’s voices coming from the kindergarten is truly a public nuisance level, as you said, the residents of this condominium and apartment building would not keep silent. They would have started some form of protest. And even you, who lives close by, must have been involved in the movement to get people to agree with you through the circular. All you had to do was join the big wave. Numbers are strengths. If all the residents in the area protested together, the kindergarten would be forced to take some measures. Therefore, the noise problem could have been solved more rapidly and efficiently, couldn’t it? If the noise was truly on public nuisance level that is.”
“Ugh…”
When Uroma questioned him methodically, Tetsuo was seemingly stumped for a reply. His face suggested that he had been hit on a sore spot.
“In the end, that’s why you came to a suspicious person like me all by yourself. If the noise from the kindergarten was really that horrendous, your wife would have been the first one to understand. Next, your neighbors would have been on your side. That means that you didn’t have to come to this place. You wouldn’t have needed to be here. To put it bluntly, this is a hole-in-the-wall counseling room where only those who are helpless and in a dead-end state of mind can enter. It’s like a hidden hot spring for those who know about it.”
“Would you say that about yourself?”
As anticipated, Tetsuo seemed to be somewhat disappointed. Tomomi concurred with him. She wondered what his perception of business was.