Seventeen by Hideo Yokoyama

Author:Hideo Yokoyama [Yokoyama, Hideo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Quercus
Published: 2018-02-08T00:00:00+00:00

23

Yuuki was staring up at the ceiling, yellow-stained from years of cigarette smoke. Or perhaps not … it could have been his vision that was tinted.

He realized that he was lying on one of the newsroom sofas. He recalled collapsing on it the previous night – well, the sky had already started to lighten, so he must have been drinking until around four … or was it closer to five?

He’d been dreaming. About Anzai. He’d gone to visit him at the hospital, but the bed had been empty. There was graffiti on the wall: Liar! In the dream, Yuuki had decided that the message was directed at him, because he’d broken their promise to climb Tsuitate. Anzai was missing from his bed because he’d set out by himself to Mount Tanigawa.

‘Are you ready to get up?’

Chizuko Yorita’s smiling face swam into focus above him. Her long hair hung down, almost brushing Yuuki’s nose.

‘Um … Yes. What time is it?’

‘It’s already ten. Do you want something to drink?’

‘No, thanks.’

‘Some water?’

‘No, I’m fine.’

Yuuki waited for Chizuko to move away before sitting up. He noticed that there was a light cotton blanket over him. He had no memory of dropping by the night-shift room last night, so it must have been Chizuko who had put it there.

He turned to look across the room. Todoroki’s desk was unoccupied. Not surprising. It was still early. In fact, the only people here right now in this great, sprawling room were Chizuko and himself, and staff from the cleaning company.

‘How’s Nodai doing in the baseball?’ Yuuki asked. The TV was on, but it was too far away for him to make out the score.

‘They’ve got a huge lead,’ Chizuko replied cheerfully. She twirled her duster like a cheerleader’s pom-pom.

The first game of the day in the Koshien tournament was the second-round match for Nodai Niko High School: the local team whose player had lost his father on Flight 123.

‘What about Hanazawa?’

Chizuko paused from wiping down the desk top.

‘It looks like he’s gone home. He wasn’t in the on-call room.’

‘I see. Thanks.’

As Yuuki pondered this, another question occurred to him.

‘Yorita?’

‘Yes?’

‘Is it true you’re being transferred in the autumn? You’re going to one of the branch offices?’

‘Oh, you heard?’

Chizuko suddenly looked radiant.

‘Yes. The Maebashi office, isn’t it?’

‘Right. I’m so excited!’

‘How old are you?’

‘What …!’

‘You might as well get used to it. They’re going to be asking you the same thing over and over. After all, you are going to be the first ever female reporter at the North Kanto Times .’

‘I’m not the first. There’s Hirata-san in the arts and culture section.’

‘That’s not reporting. More like hostessing,’ said Yuuki dismissively. ‘If you’re going to be a reporter, then do it properly. They’re only going to pamper you in the beginning. They’ll get tired of it after a while.’

The charming smile disappeared.

‘Ri— right.’

Yuuki got up from the sofa. He knew he reeked of sweat. The cold air from the air conditioner hadn’t reached his part of the room yet.

‘Yuuki-san?’ Chizuko gave a quick bow.

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