Chapter 41 The Alley (1) Since the last time [Midnight Subway...]
Two weeks have passed since the last "Midnight Subway" ghost story subsided.
Yokohama seems to have returned to its usual rhythm, but beneath the surface, the city is not as peaceful as it appears.
The atmosphere inside the Armed Detective Agency was peaceful.
Atsushi Nakajima and Kyoka Izumi went out on a simple escort mission, Doppo Kunikida was working on a new work schedule at his workstation, Akiko Yosano was organizing medical equipment in the medical room, and Ranpo Edogawa was comfortably enjoying his snack time on the sofa.
Dazai Osamu, unusually, did not skip work. Instead, he sat at his desk, yawning and seemingly lost in thought, occasionally glancing out the window with a thoughtful expression.
He was still concerned about Zhu Yi's matter; that sense of unease lingered in his intuition, forcing him to ponder the key to the incongruity.
Zhu Yi was discharged from the medical room of the Special Ability Department after about a week. He behaved the same as usual and there was no difference between him and others.
After being discharged from the hospital, he kept to himself and did nothing except express his gratitude to the Armed Detective Agency by phone. He was rarely seen going out, which made it difficult for Dazai Osamu to find a starting point for further investigation.
At the same time, it was precisely because of the other party's behavior that Dazai Osamu felt even more confused and suspicious.
Just as Dazai Osamu was pondering, there was a knock on the door of the Armed Detective Agency.
Kunikida Doppo put down his schedule, opened the door, and a haggard-looking middle-aged woman entered. She was dressed simply, had heavy eye bags, and was clutching a photograph tightly in her hand. She seemed a little nervous when she opened the door.
"Excuse me, is this the Armed Detective Agency? I... I want to ask you to help me find my son." The woman's voice was choked with sobs.
"This is the Armed Detective Agency, please come in."
"Excuse me." The woman bowed slightly.
Kunikida Doppo led the woman to the table and sofa, asked her to sit down, and poured her a cup of tea.
The woman didn't drink the tea; she looked down at the photo in her hand, appearing dejected, and then placed it on the table.
The photo shows a smiling boy of about seven or eight years old, and the background is a seemingly ordinary residential alleyway.
Kunikida Doppo said seriously, "What's wrong with your son? Tell us slowly, we'll help you with any difficulties you may be facing."
The woman's name is Ishishita Karin, and her son, Ishishita Taro, mysteriously disappeared a week ago.
"That afternoon, Taro said he was going to play in a nearby park with his classmates, but he hadn't returned by dinner time. We searched all the places he might have gone and asked all his classmates, but we still had no news."
“After the police were called, they checked the nearby surveillance footage and only saw him walk into an alley called Echo Lane near our house.” Ishishita Kaori’s voice trembled.
"Echo Lane?" Kunikida Doppo noted down the key words.
"It's the common name for that alley, because it's said that shouting there will produce strange echoes."
“But it’s just an ordinary alley! It connects two blocks and is a popular alleyway,” Ishishita Karin said excitedly. “However, the surveillance footage shows that Taro went into the alley and never came out again. The police and we have searched for him countless times!”
"The alley is not long, with walls and back doors of residents on both sides. There is nowhere to hide and no other exit!"
"He... just vanished into thin air." Ishishita Karin covered her face with her hands to hide her tears, sobbing silently. Dazai Osamu appeared beside her at some point, listening and kindly handing her a tissue.
"Thank you, I'm so sorry." Ishishita Karin wiped away her tears. "I'm so sorry for looking so disheveled."
“I understand how you feel about losing your son, Madam. It’s no offense; this is a mother’s worry for her son,” Kunikida Doppo comforted her.
The phrase "disappeared into thin air" struck a nerve with the Armed Detective Agency.
Having just experienced the last strange tale incident, they are particularly sensitive to such unusual words.
"Besides your son, have there been any similar incidents recently?" Dazai Osamu sat on the other sofa, picked up the photo and examined it closely.
Ishishita Karin thought for a moment: "It seems...it seems that a child from the next block also disappeared in a similar place a few days ago, but I'm not sure."
Edogawa Ranpo sat up straight, his emerald green eyes opening. Dazai Osamu handed the photo to him, and he picked it up, carefully looking at the alleyway in the background, and then at the address information provided by Ishishita Karin.
"Hmm, that's interesting." Edogawa Ranpo pushed up his glasses. "The alley itself might be fine, but the act of disappearing after walking in, combined with the alley's name, feels like it's triggered some kind of rule."
"Could it be..." Kunikida Doppo frowned, a bad thought creeping into his mind.
“This is no ordinary missing person case, Kunikida,” Edogawa Ranpo said.
Kunikida Doppo's expression turned serious: "I'll call the president."
After Kunikida Doppo explained the situation to Fukuzawa Yukichi over the phone, Fukuzawa Yukichi nodded on the other end of the line: "Accept the request. Kunikida, you will take the lead, with Dazai and Ranpo assisting. Once the child is found, ensure the child's safety as a priority."
"Yes, President!"
...
Meanwhile, in an ordinary rental apartment in Yokohama.
Zhu Yi stood by the window, gazing at the street below, silently observing everything around him.
He is currently using the legitimate identity generated by the system to temporarily rent this place. Zhu Yi's face is still a little pale, but his movements are no longer a problem.
Only those wine-red eyes became even more silent and indifferent.
The last time I cleansed the ghost stories, I gained a lot of ghost story points, but I spent a lot of time repairing my body and mind, and I have already consumed half of the ghost story points I earned.
001 is still asleep, slowly recovering by absorbing the remaining energy. He currently needs a new source, a faster and more efficient one.
On the system panel, the [Information Retrieval] function is running continuously, searching for the strange energy fluctuations of the recently summoned ghost stories in Yokohama.
Soon, a message caught his attention.
[System Alert: Fluctuations in the rules of supernatural tales related to the Dream Core have been detected in the eastern part of the port area. Related Events: 2 missing children.]
[Note: This fluctuation shares 37% similarity with the advanced supernatural tales of the "Memory Corridor" in the host's original world.]
That's enough.
The Armed Detective Agency has already begun its investigation.
Kunikida Doppo and Dazai Osamu arrived at the alley, led by Ishishita Karin.
The alley was indeed as the other person described: ordinary and narrow, with a cobblestone path, mottled walls on both sides, and a tightly closed back door. Even though it was a sunny day, sunlight only reached a small area at the entrance of the alley, making the deeper parts seem somewhat dark.
Dazai Osamu stood at the alley entrance, not going in immediately.
He first looked around and then looked into the depths of the alley.
"Did you sense something, Dazai?" Kunikida Doppo asked.
“It’s a very familiar smell,” Dazai Osamu said. “I’m sure you can smell it too, Kunikida-kun.”
Kunikida Doppo sniffed and frowned. The smell was indeed very similar to the smells they encountered when they came across ghost stories—a musty, indescribable odor.
"No Longer Human, no reaction." Kunikida Doppo immediately understood the meaning behind Dazai Osamu's words: if No Longer Human, no reaction, it meant that the alley itself was not a creation of supernatural abilities.
It seems like it's probably another ghost story.
Kunikida Doppo tried to walk into the alley, and everything was normal.
He tried walking to the end again, then turned back, but found nothing unusual.
“It seems that you can’t just go in and trigger the rules of the alley.” Edogawa Ranpo’s voice came from the alley entrance. He had followed us there at some point and was holding a crepe he had bought on the way. “It requires specific conditions, or… a specific key.”
His gaze swept over some blurry children's graffiti on the alley wall.
"The key?" Kunikida Doppo pressed.
"For example—a strong desire to [find something] or [go back to the past]? Or perhaps, a specific age. Maybe it's because they're carrying some kind of item that evokes childhood memories?" Edogawa Ranpo took a bite of his crepe and mumbled, "We need more information. Let's go investigate the other missing child."
Just as they were about to leave, Kunikida Doppo's phone rang.
He glanced at the caller ID and looked somewhat surprised—it was Zhu Yi calling.
“Mr. Kunikida, I apologize for bothering you.” Takeichi’s voice on the other end of the phone was still gentle, less weak than before, and with a hint of imperceptible calm: “I’ve recently sensed some unusual energy fluctuations in the eastern part of the port, somewhat similar to some strange tales I’ve encountered before. I’ve heard about the missing children there from the news. Is your company investigating any related disappearances?”
Kunikida Doppo's heart skipped a beat, and he exchanged a glance with Dazai Osamu and Edogawa Ranpo.
They had witnessed Zhu Yi's perceptive abilities.
“We are indeed investigating. Takeichi, your perception is very accurate.”
“If possible, I hope I can assist with the investigation.” Takeichi’s voice carried an appropriate earnestness: “I have a premonition…”
His voice lowered: "If it's another energy fluctuation caused by a ghost story, this time it will definitely be very dangerous. My experience might be of help."
“Of course, no charge.” Zhu Yi said in a light tone, “Who told you to be old acquaintances?”
Edogawa Ranpo and Dazai Osamu nodded.
“It’s good to involve him.” Edogawa Ranpo licked the cream from the corner of his mouth. “After all, he knows more about these kinds of things than we do. And the famous detective is also very interested in seeing how he encounters ghost stories.”
"Let him come to the detective agency to discuss this, Kunikida."
Kunikida Doppo hesitated for a moment before saying into the phone, "No problem, Takeichi-kun. We're on our way back to the Armed Detective Agency right now. If it's convenient for you, you can come over and we can discuss it further."
After hanging up the phone, Zhu Yi looked out the window, her wine-red eyes completely calm.
Then he frowned, rubbed his head, and showed a disapproving expression.
“I promise,” Takeichi said. “I will not hurt the child, nor will I hurt… well, our companions.”
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