The Death of Sakuragi Hanamichi
Chapter 3: Interview
(6:05 p.m. Sakuragi Residence)
"Hello?" Yohei said loudly, hoping that they expected person was here. "Auntie, are you here?"
"Yohei? Is that you? Come in! Come in! You don't have to stand out there! You're always welcome in." The voice was a commanding, strong voice with nothing gentle about it except for the fact that it was a woman speaking.
The two boys came in- Hikoichi seemd like he had to control himself from making any outbursts about Sakuragi's house- and went towards the kitchen where the voice was coming from. Apparently, Mrs. Sakuragi knew exactly right when the high school students were coming in because right when they took one step into the kitchen, the lady leaped out of her chair and turned to the two startled boys. She was not expecting Hikoichi, though.
"Hello, Youhei. 'Nice to see you, again. How was the note boo- Oh! Who's this little guy over here?!"
Hikoichi looked like he was going to melt into a puddle of mush, but he then regained his composure. He bowed in a respectable manner and introduced himself.
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Sakuragi. Uh, is it okay if we interview yo-Mmk!" Yohei just had to clamp his hand over Hikoichi's stupid, big mouth before he caused more trouble than he should get into. Mrs. S* didn't seen to think so since she just smiled pleasantly and beckoned for both of them to sit.
"No, no. It's all right. You may sit and, I'll answer whatever question you throw at me. I'll need some practice when I go to work in a week."
"Work?"
Yohei elbowed Hikoichi in reply. He grabbed the shorter boy's head angrily as though he was gonna head-butt him for asking such an idiotic question. It was so stupid for him to ask such a question to a mother whose son just died! He was gonna clobber him! Instead, he just gave him a death- glare and stared at his face in such a way that Hikoichi couldn't help but turn into cold jelly.
"Quit asking her about her work..." was all that Yohei had to say to get the younger boy to back off.
Mrs. S seemed to find this highly amusing since she just giggled quite bubbly for a person who's son just died. In fact, it was hard to believe whether or not she really cared.
"It's all right. It's all right." She said reassuringly, "I'd love to talk about something. I haven't had a long talk to people I knew for a long time."
Her face seemed to time travel ten years to the future. The young-looking woman began to look old. Her calming face gave a homey touch to such a modest house. In short, she looked like a mother. A mother, in such a way, that you knew she was missing someone. It was the face of a woman waiting for her lover to come back from a battle in a war fought 20 years ago, a face that carried the wounds of knowledge that a person was lost and gone forever. That was her face.
The three sat at the chairs in front of the table in a triangular formation. Mrs. S was to the right of Hikoichi who was to the right of Yohei who was to the right of Mrs. Sakuragi.
"Okay then" Mrs. S said promptly and professionally, "Let's begin."
"Mrs. S" Yohei replied, "Does Hanamichi know any language other than Japanese?"
"No, there's no way. I would have known immediately. I could sense the knowledge of someone learning a new language a mile away."
"You hardly see him."
"But I can tell. Whether or not I've seen him I would have known."
"Then explain this." Yohei took out the Hanamichi's notebook and pushed it roughly her way. She picked up the notebook carefully like a well-mannered lady and opened it with a presence of poise with one hand.
"It's on the last page," Hikoichi directed. It seemed more like an order that a statement.
She opened it to see what was inside. The queer markings on the side definitely surprised her. It was obvious due to the sudden expression painted on her face was definitely one of shock.
" I see..." she said mysteriously, "I understand now."
"What is it?!" the boys cried out in unison.
"I'm surprised that he actually remembered. It's been such a long time since he last showed any sign of remembering."
"WHAT IS IT?!"the boys said again.
"Boys, it's not serious. It's just Arabic."
A few seconds passed.
"WHAT!!!!!!????????"
Mrs. S just smiled.
"Of course," Mrs. S said serenely, "You honestly didn't think I was completely Japanese did you? I'm actually part Arabic."
It was then that the two boys really took a good look at the victim's mother. How could they not notice the curly, dark brown hair? How did they never notice her round, wide eyes? How did they never think of that shapely nose. If they had paid very much attention to her looks, it was obvious that Mrs. S was not a full-blooded Japanese.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Yohei asked suddenly.
"You never asked," she replied, "I just assumed. It seemed as though I never should have done that."
"So that means," Hikoichi cried out in realization, "that Sakuragi-san is part Arabic!"
"Yup! And that's why you couldn't understand what it was. You see this is a childhood rhyme in a sense. It's actually a bit of a prayer-type thing."
"So why did he write it?"
"I have no idea."
"Mrs. S," Yohei said, "Was there anything different about the night before the murder happened?"
"Nothing much. I checked up on him in his room. He was sleeping as usual so I didn't do much. I got myself ready for bed and fell asleep. The only thing was that I had trouble sleeping, because of that stupid neighbor's cat. It was scratching on out house or something, because I could hear it. Is there anything else?"
"Nothing."
"Well then," Mrs. S said, standing up, "I'm gonna get ready for work tomorrow. You tell me who killed my Hana when you find out. I'm gonna tear them limb through limb until they cry like a little girl."
The two boys got ready to leave before Yohei asked one last question.
"Auntie?"
"Yes?"
"Why are you so different from a few hours ago?"
"I thought what he would say to me if he saw me. I thought he would rather see me smiling than crying. I consider pretending to move on as a last request to him. I'm not over it, and I probably won't until I find out who did it. Do your best. I'm rooting for you."
When they were about to open the front door to leave, she stopped them one more time to request one more thing.
"Come back tomorrow. By then, the reports from the autopsy would come and, I can tell you how he died exactly."
*I'm gonna call her Mrs. S now. It's so much easier this way.
Author's Note: I apologize for the lack of updating. I'm still waiting for torture ideas. Have fun figuring out how dun it.
And before I forget, Gyuumajo: what I meant was that when you mentioned that Hikoichi and Youhei looked, I thought that they looked more like cousins.
Bye for now!
Chapter 3: Interview
(6:05 p.m. Sakuragi Residence)
"Hello?" Yohei said loudly, hoping that they expected person was here. "Auntie, are you here?"
"Yohei? Is that you? Come in! Come in! You don't have to stand out there! You're always welcome in." The voice was a commanding, strong voice with nothing gentle about it except for the fact that it was a woman speaking.
The two boys came in- Hikoichi seemd like he had to control himself from making any outbursts about Sakuragi's house- and went towards the kitchen where the voice was coming from. Apparently, Mrs. Sakuragi knew exactly right when the high school students were coming in because right when they took one step into the kitchen, the lady leaped out of her chair and turned to the two startled boys. She was not expecting Hikoichi, though.
"Hello, Youhei. 'Nice to see you, again. How was the note boo- Oh! Who's this little guy over here?!"
Hikoichi looked like he was going to melt into a puddle of mush, but he then regained his composure. He bowed in a respectable manner and introduced himself.
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Sakuragi. Uh, is it okay if we interview yo-Mmk!" Yohei just had to clamp his hand over Hikoichi's stupid, big mouth before he caused more trouble than he should get into. Mrs. S* didn't seen to think so since she just smiled pleasantly and beckoned for both of them to sit.
"No, no. It's all right. You may sit and, I'll answer whatever question you throw at me. I'll need some practice when I go to work in a week."
"Work?"
Yohei elbowed Hikoichi in reply. He grabbed the shorter boy's head angrily as though he was gonna head-butt him for asking such an idiotic question. It was so stupid for him to ask such a question to a mother whose son just died! He was gonna clobber him! Instead, he just gave him a death- glare and stared at his face in such a way that Hikoichi couldn't help but turn into cold jelly.
"Quit asking her about her work..." was all that Yohei had to say to get the younger boy to back off.
Mrs. S seemed to find this highly amusing since she just giggled quite bubbly for a person who's son just died. In fact, it was hard to believe whether or not she really cared.
"It's all right. It's all right." She said reassuringly, "I'd love to talk about something. I haven't had a long talk to people I knew for a long time."
Her face seemed to time travel ten years to the future. The young-looking woman began to look old. Her calming face gave a homey touch to such a modest house. In short, she looked like a mother. A mother, in such a way, that you knew she was missing someone. It was the face of a woman waiting for her lover to come back from a battle in a war fought 20 years ago, a face that carried the wounds of knowledge that a person was lost and gone forever. That was her face.
The three sat at the chairs in front of the table in a triangular formation. Mrs. S was to the right of Hikoichi who was to the right of Yohei who was to the right of Mrs. Sakuragi.
"Okay then" Mrs. S said promptly and professionally, "Let's begin."
"Mrs. S" Yohei replied, "Does Hanamichi know any language other than Japanese?"
"No, there's no way. I would have known immediately. I could sense the knowledge of someone learning a new language a mile away."
"You hardly see him."
"But I can tell. Whether or not I've seen him I would have known."
"Then explain this." Yohei took out the Hanamichi's notebook and pushed it roughly her way. She picked up the notebook carefully like a well-mannered lady and opened it with a presence of poise with one hand.
"It's on the last page," Hikoichi directed. It seemed more like an order that a statement.
She opened it to see what was inside. The queer markings on the side definitely surprised her. It was obvious due to the sudden expression painted on her face was definitely one of shock.
" I see..." she said mysteriously, "I understand now."
"What is it?!" the boys cried out in unison.
"I'm surprised that he actually remembered. It's been such a long time since he last showed any sign of remembering."
"WHAT IS IT?!"the boys said again.
"Boys, it's not serious. It's just Arabic."
A few seconds passed.
"WHAT!!!!!!????????"
Mrs. S just smiled.
"Of course," Mrs. S said serenely, "You honestly didn't think I was completely Japanese did you? I'm actually part Arabic."
It was then that the two boys really took a good look at the victim's mother. How could they not notice the curly, dark brown hair? How did they never notice her round, wide eyes? How did they never think of that shapely nose. If they had paid very much attention to her looks, it was obvious that Mrs. S was not a full-blooded Japanese.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Yohei asked suddenly.
"You never asked," she replied, "I just assumed. It seemed as though I never should have done that."
"So that means," Hikoichi cried out in realization, "that Sakuragi-san is part Arabic!"
"Yup! And that's why you couldn't understand what it was. You see this is a childhood rhyme in a sense. It's actually a bit of a prayer-type thing."
"So why did he write it?"
"I have no idea."
"Mrs. S," Yohei said, "Was there anything different about the night before the murder happened?"
"Nothing much. I checked up on him in his room. He was sleeping as usual so I didn't do much. I got myself ready for bed and fell asleep. The only thing was that I had trouble sleeping, because of that stupid neighbor's cat. It was scratching on out house or something, because I could hear it. Is there anything else?"
"Nothing."
"Well then," Mrs. S said, standing up, "I'm gonna get ready for work tomorrow. You tell me who killed my Hana when you find out. I'm gonna tear them limb through limb until they cry like a little girl."
The two boys got ready to leave before Yohei asked one last question.
"Auntie?"
"Yes?"
"Why are you so different from a few hours ago?"
"I thought what he would say to me if he saw me. I thought he would rather see me smiling than crying. I consider pretending to move on as a last request to him. I'm not over it, and I probably won't until I find out who did it. Do your best. I'm rooting for you."
When they were about to open the front door to leave, she stopped them one more time to request one more thing.
"Come back tomorrow. By then, the reports from the autopsy would come and, I can tell you how he died exactly."
*I'm gonna call her Mrs. S now. It's so much easier this way.
Author's Note: I apologize for the lack of updating. I'm still waiting for torture ideas. Have fun figuring out how dun it.
And before I forget, Gyuumajo: what I meant was that when you mentioned that Hikoichi and Youhei looked, I thought that they looked more like cousins.
Bye for now!