The Lying Counselor’s Eloquent Reasoning - Chapter 29
“D-Doctor… Naoharu was arrested by the police this morning.”
On the following day, when Tomomi entered the Takahiko Uroma Counseling Room as per routine, she overheard this conversation. Tomomi was startled. What in the world was going on with the arrest?
“Oh, Mrs. Kikuchi, I read about your son on the news today. How unfortunate.” Uroma replied nonchalantly. In contrast to the pale face of Nobuko, Uroma kept his composure.
What do you mean it is on the news? Tomomi rushed to retrieve her phone from her pocket and checked the portal site for today’s news.
The site’s top page read, “Illegal Uploader ‘Fragile God’ Surrenders Himself. Arrested”.
There was a headline stating that a man named Kikuchi Naoharu had been arrested for violating copyright law. Apparently, he had been habitually uploading the contents of magazines prior to their official release date to the Internet, and was raking in advertising revenue from it…
“Doctor! Why is Naoharu the one who has to be arrested! I don’t understand!”
“It’s because Naoharu was doing something illegal, isn’t it?”
“That’s not true! Naoharu turned himself in! He went all the way to the police to get himself arrested! If he hadn’t done that, he wouldn’t have been arrested!”
“That’s right. I’m positive that Naoharu couldn’t withstand the guilt anymore. I wonder if there was a trigger that caused him to suddenly have a complete change of heart.”
“There’s no such thing! It’s likely because of that strange sugar cube you gave me! Because of that, Naoharu??”
“I wonder if he has been reborn as a beautiful Naoharu. And thanks to that, he repented of his sins… I see, that’s a cause for celebration. Mrs. Kikuchi.”
Hahahaha, Uroma laughed merrily. “Don’t be silly!” Nobuko glared at him, her face turning red.
“What celebration! No mother would be happy to see her own son arrested!”
“Isn’t that so? Yesterday, didn’t you told me yourself? You said that you were concerned by your son’s violence. That son has gone away from home, leaving the police to take care of him for a while. In other words, you won’t be bothered by his violence for the time being. Isn’t that a congratulations story?”
“Don’t be absurd!” Nobuko was now on the verge of tears. “He has severe asthma, he can’t live by himself! That’s why he needs me, his mother, to be there for him all the time! And yet, I can’t believe we’ll be separated…”
“Are you still saying stuff like that, Mrs. Kikuchi?”
Suddenly, Uroma’s cloudy eyes flashed coldly.
“From what you told me yesterday, I didn’t think he was asthmatic to the degree that he couldn’t live on his own.”
“What are you talking about? I’ve already explained it to you.”
“Yes. You told me. You mentioned that he has been suffering from asthma since he was a child. That means he had asthmatic bronchitis, right?”
“Yeah… yeah, well…”
“Actually, asthmatic bronchitis often goes away when people grow into adults.”
“I-I don’t know that!”
“Well, sure you do. Even as an adult, there are many cases where the disease persists without being cured. However, you also told me that he was taking two different medications. It was a strange explanation indeed. I don’t know why you only mentioned the name of the medication. How could that be the only medication used by an asthmatic who is too severe to live on his own? Wouldn’t the names of bronchodilators, steroids, and other inhaled medications usually come up first? They are absolutely essential for asthma patients.”
“Ah…”
Nobuko seemed to be flabbergasted by Uroma’s words.
“I-Inhalent, he used to have them! I just forgot to mention that since he doesn’t use them that much these days!”
“I see. So Naoharu’s condition is much better than it used to be, isn’t it? That he can live without inhalant.”
“That is not true! Naoharu still has severe asthma!”
“But actually, what you said afterwards was also very peculiar.”
“What I said afterwards?”
“Afterwards, you said this. You subsequently commented that Naoharu occasionally drinks alcohol. To tell you the truth, this is inconceivable for a person with severe asthma who cannot live alone. In most cases, alcohol worsens asthma. Regardless if you have a slight trace of asthma or if you have severe asthma, the first thing your doctor will do is stop you. Don’t ever drink alcohol.”
“I-Is that really…”
That certainly seemed to be a new discovery for Nobuko.