The Lying Counselor’s Eloquent Reasoning - Chapter 61
After getting into Ryuichi’s car with Uroma, Tomomi accompanied them to the mountain road where the black cat was allegedly run over and killed. Even though it was a work-related task, it was really unpleasant to be searching for the carcass of a black cat that had apparently been lifeless for more than a month.
Furthermore, the man in the white coat who was riding with him was humming “Flohwalzer” in the middle of the way to the scene. No matter how many times it was repeated, it left a bad taste. Tomomi was annoyed and tried to complain about it from the passenger seat, but Uroma in the back seat simply replied with a nonchalant look on his face, “Well, the second verse of this song is spot on for today’s situation”. The song’s second verse? Curious by it, she checked her phone right away and learned that the second verse was of a cat sent flying after being trampled. Rather, the cat was evidently dead in the song. It’s saying goodbye to the other side of the sky. She wondered why the lyrics were written in such a dreadful manner. Tomomi was even more dismayed than Uroma’s poor taste.
Eventually, the car driven by Ryuichi arrived at a curve in the mountain road where the accident was said to have taken place. The three of them stepped out of the car and examined the situation. There were indeed tire marks on the road surface as if the driver had braked abruptly.
“Wow, a month has passed since the accident, and yet these things still exist.”
Tomomi was a little incredulous.
“Well, if there aren’t that many cars on the road, these things can remain for a long time.”
Uroma answered as he popped a mint tablet into his mouth. After confirming with Ryuichi that this was indeed the scene of the accident, he leaned over the guardrail and looked down at the forest below. That’s where the cat’s carcass must have fallen. Imitating Uroma, Tomomi too glanced towards the forest. The forest was so densely surrounded by trees that it was impossible to find the carcass of a single cat from above. Also, the place was practically a cliff, so descending directly from here to look for it seemed unfeasible.
“It looks like we’ll have to return to the base of the mountain and walk up the path to find it.” Uroma said, then suddenly pulled out a rod-like object from the pocket of his white coat and thrust it into the ground right next to the guardrail. A flag with an illustration of a black cat was attached to it.
“If there’s a marker like this here, it should be easy to find from below.”
Why did he carry something like that in his pocket… Although she couldn’t help but ponder the question, she opted not to think about it, as it wasn’t the first time that something from the pocket of this man’s lab coat had been exceptionally timely. At any rate, the three of them left the scene by car, exited the car at a suitable spot at the foot of the mountain, and walked up the narrow mountain path that seemed to be a hiking trail back to the scene. From there, it might have been about two kilometers to the flagged accident site. The path was rather steep and rough, with rocks lying on the ground in many spots. One of them immediately turned pale and eventually halted in the middle of the path.
“Dr. Uroma… you’re not physically active at all…”
Before Tomomi’s eyes was a man in a white coat, leaning against a boulder on the side of the path and breathing on his shoulder. The three of them were surrounded by a wooded area, dimly lit, and the road was covered with numerous crispy dead leaves that had newly fallen from the branches of the trees.
“Ha… Ha… What foolish things are you saying? I’m not the kind of guy who slumps over something like this.”
With sweat beading on his forehead and a pale face, Uroma was ready to start again, but after wobbling along for about 20 meters, he came to a halt. How physically weak is this person for climbing a mere mountain path…? Tomomi was dumbfounded. Ryuichi, too, had a puzzled look on his face.
“Doctor, if it’s too strenuous, you don’t have to push yourself to come along any further. Mr. Akiyama and I will search for the carcass of the cat.”
“Oh, so you’re just going to leave me behind?”
“Leave you behind, I don’t mean that??”
“Well, that’s fine. If that’s what you think, go ahead. I don’t mind at all. By all means. Don’t worry about me, you two can move on and be nice to each other! Come on!”
The man coughed, raised his voice, and sulked with all his remaining energy. Why is this man such a hassle?
“I’ll do that then. You take a good rest here, doctor, and join us later.”
For the time being, Tomomi did as she was told, dumped the Uroma on the spot, and went on ahead with Ryuichi.
The two of them continued along the mountain path until they came to a point just below the flag.
“Let’s look for it separately from here.”
“Right.”
Tomomi broke away from Ryuichi, walked off the mountain path into the forest, and searched the area around her feet. It was still dark, but the grass was not that thick, and there was only a carpet of fallen leaves. It looked like a dead animal like a cat could be found somehow. However, Tomomi didn’t really want to be met by such a thing.
It was then. At the base of a tree, Tomomi spotted something large and black lying on the ground. What is it, a trunk of a fallen tree? Since it was dark, she couldn’t see properly, so she quickly approached the object and saw that it was??
“Aaah!”
The moment she realized what it was, Tomomi screamed. It was obviously??a human corpse! Yes, lying in an L-shaped at the base of the tree, it was wearing what resembled a tattered white dress, the skin as dry as beef jerky and stuck to the limbs revealing the shape of bones.
“What’s going on?”
Ryuichi immediately rushed over to her.
“Ah, Mr. Akiyama! Look, it’s a corpse of a human!”
“Eh??”
Ryuichi promptly looked in the direction that Tomomi had pointed. Then he opened his eyes wide in shock.
“That’s right! We have to report this to the police at once!”
Tomomi hurriedly pulled her phone out of her pocket with trembling hands. Just as she was about to dial the police, Ryuichi abruptly knocked the phone to the ground.
“Stop it! Don’t you dare mention this to the police!”
Looking at him, she noticed that his face was bright red and he seemed to be in a rage.
“W-Why? A person is dead there? If we don’t call the police right away??”
“No! That’s not a person! It’s a cat!”
“Eh?”
“It’s a cat! It was supposed to be a cat I ran over! It wasn’t a person!”
“M-Mr. Akiyama, what are you saying??”
“Just shut up!”
As soon as Ryuichi yelled that, he hunched over Tomomi and strangled her!
“S-Stop…”
Tomomi struggled desperately, but Ryuichi’s strength was too strong and she was unable to break free of his arms. Her breath hitched and she gradually lost consciousness…
But then.
“Okay, the violence ends there?”
When she thought she heard such a voice, Tomomi was suddenly assaulted by tremendous pain. The pain seemed to be caused by the electric shocks transmitted through Ryuichi’s arm. She could also hear a dizzying sound.
“Aaah!”
“Argh!”
Both Tomomi and Ryuichi shrieked and collapsed on the spot.