Mizuki's words echoed in my mind in slow motion. Her father wanted to give his inheritance to someone else. It was clear there was something fishy going on. I shook my head, as if trying to accept this absurdity. "Okay, what else did you learn? Who is this 'someone else'?" In my mind, the words 'someone else' grew like a dark shadow, then suddenly, like a villain at the end of a thrilling series, I began to see a silhouette in the final episode.
Mizuki took a deep breath. Her eyes were fixed on the void, as if there was a picture on the wall that only she could see. "I heard that... Ren. He's also of the same mind as my father. He doesn't want the inheritance to pass to you. My father is using some of his connections to help him."
It felt like a punch to the gut. Ren... He was my childhood friend, my dream, my shadow. It couldn't be. The feelings I had for Ren after all that time we spent in the orphanage would prevent me from standing against him. I owed him something. This was illogical. "Ren? Why? He... he was my friend."
Mizuki shook her head with a bitter smile. "People change, Takashi. Especially when something this big is at stake. Besides... back then, you couldn't exactly call him a 'friend,' could you? As you said, he was like a 'ghost who chased away ghosts.'"
She was right. Ren had always been an enigma. But why wouldn't he want me to get the inheritance? The only answer that came to mind was that it had something to do with his own family, with my mother and father. Maybe Ren was also a part of this family secret. Maybe the 'detective' games we played as children in the orphanage were coming true, and Ren was now taking on the role of the "bad guy." A voice inside me whispered, "Who taught him this?" Why would he want to take on this role? What could a ghost gain from money? It never crossed my mind that ghosts could use money.
"So... why isn't he talking to me? If he doesn't want me to have it, he should just tell me. Why is he so afraid of me? He was always a person who faced problems head-on." Maybe he was planning to have a dramatic conversation with me, saying "You shouldn't get the inheritance, Takashi!", then slowly turn his back and walk into a storm. Just like in a movie... Ren must have a real reason.
Mizuki shrugged. "I don't know that either. Maybe he has his own reasons. Or... he wants something different from you."
As soon as she finished her words, Mizuki's phone rang. Her father's name was on the screen. She rolled her eyes. "Ah, here we go again. My advice to you, Takashi, is to improve yourself. For example, don't just listen to my whispers with those sharp ears of yours, pay attention to your surroundings. Otherwise, this absurdity will never leave you alone." For a moment I wondered if Mizuki's father was saying, "Where are you, my daughter, you'll be late for dinner?" like a caring father. Who knows? My elf ears weren't good enough to hear that.
As she walked away, bringing the phone to her ear, I heard her mumble, "Dad... yes, we're just leaving school now. What is it?"
I was left alone. The city lights danced in my eyes. Tokyo was crowded and bustling as always. But a storm was raging inside me. Ren... My father... My mother... Everything was like pieces of a puzzle, and as the pieces began to fit together, I saw how dark the picture was. It felt like I was trying to build the most complicated IKEA cabinet in the world, and the instructions were only half-there.