PROLOGUE

"Alright. Oh, no problem. Haven't dropped it off yet, luckily."

Ryoji Kaji wiped off the wound on the back of his hand and adjusted the shoulder holding his phone to his ear. It wasn't bleeding anymore, so he squeezed the slightly blood-soaked gauze to the sink and turned on the faucet. Rivulets of red, clearly visible even in the dark, were washed away in a second.

"I guess. Yeah. Ah, it's fine. The cargo was cooperative. Thanks for asking."

Cooperative was one way of putting it. Kaji eyed the wound on the back of his hand ruefully. Said cargo had put up quite a fight, but in the end, Kaji was able to overpower him handily. He grabbed some tissues and began to wipe the sink. Not like he could actually hide the traces of his presence from a dedicated investigator like this. It was more of a silly habit he had. A byproduct of his particular occupation. He had to shrug again to adjust the phone, because his motion almost made it slip off.

"It's nothing serious, right?" The voice on the phone sounded half-angry, half-dumbfounded. "I mean, not serious serious. Yeah. Figured."

Kaji put the used tissue in the toilet and flushed. By the time everything disappeared, the voice had also stopped. He nodded to the mirror, though there was no one to see the gesture.

"That's good to hear. Yeah. Later, then. Kaji out."

He slipped his phone into the pocket and clicked his tongue. It would be a lie if he didn't feel slightly annoyed to know that he went to this trouble for nothing. He didn't place much significance on the reason why. There wouldn't be any lasting effects in the long run, or so he thought.

He opened the folding door. The afternoon sun was heating up the place, the air turning stale and stuffy behind windows closed and locked by the departed residents. From the spotless sink that was a testament to the character of its manager came a harsh yet sweet scent of detergent, amplified by the hot air. And other smells came with it too, smells that even that of the detergent couldn't completely overpower. The smells of the inhabitants of this house, fused into the dark corners of the walls and the ceiling and the sliding door papers. The smell of life going on.

There was nothing special about it, but somehow it engulfed Kaji in feelings he could not explain. A mish-mash lump of conflicting emotions that felt like longing and disgust, that simultaneously attracted and repulsed him. He stood still at the threshold between the bathroom and the kitchen pondering this for a while, then shook his head and moved his feet again. He suddenly wanted to smoke, but he'd have to wait for that. He didn't want to leave his mark in this place. Or contribute his own scent to the mix. Half crossing the kitchen to the icebox between the table and the refrigerator, he knelt and undid the plastic lock. Before he could proceed the whole box shook from side to side and the lid exploded off. The would-be kidnap victim jumped up from inside, raised his head, and was mortified after finding his would-be abductor. Kaji flashed his easygoing smirk to the distrustful beady eyes.

"I'm afraid the onsen trip is canceled, little friend."

"Wark!"

The creature's beady black eyes were so animated and full of emotions, more than Kaji often saw in many people's eyes in his business. He couldn't resist a bitter smile at that thought. What an interesting choice of pet Katsuragi made. "I was told one of your roommates was seriously injured during today's operation."

The penguin tilted his head. Whether he understood what was spoken to him or not, the spy wasn't sure. For a moment, Kaji thought about patting his head as people often did to dogs and cats, but recalled what happened earlier and stopped. Instead he shook his head and stood up.

"Bye, then. Have a good day. Say hello to Katsuragi, if you will."