Chapter 14

The Awazashi Bridge connected the northern part of the island with the mainland. The four-kilometer, six-lane bridge saw a lot of traffic, even outside of rush hour.

“Are all these people going to work?” Tsukiko asked, sitting in the passenger seat. 

The truck didn’t have a clock, not something offered with the base model when it came out, but Kenji remembered departing at nine in the morning. It should already be after the morning rush hour.

They could see a large group of cars out of the front windshield. The traffic wasn’t crawling, no, but it was far from typical highway speeds. She looked up and around.

“What is it?” Kenji asked. 

He couldn’t see anything that might be interesting in the sky. If anything, the lack of clouds made it a hot summer day. His truck didn’t have air conditioning, forcing them to rely on the small fan attached to the dashboard.

“There are no mechs…”

“Mechs?”

“No giant nuclear lizards, either.”

“... Huh?”

“Why is it so crowded?”

Kenji didn’t understand what she was talking about, nor did he know the reason for the traffic. He rarely drove off the island, so he couldn’t give her a sure answer.

“Maybe people are heading out for the afternoon shift? I know some friends who worked on the mainland.”

If anything, a lot of his high school friends went to university and worked beyond the island’s borders. Kenji, on the other hand, didn’t go to university. He had a lot of things he did before he took up his apprenticeship.

From his home to the base of the bridge in Kurantoro took about half an hour, driving along the eastern coast. The crowd most likely came from the north-western road.

Tsukiko checked her phone.

“What hour did we promise again?”

“Twelve midday.”

“Will we arrive in time?”

Kenji checked his map application. “We’ll have ample time.”

After passing the bridge, they drove through a tunnel. Kenji checked his map, looking for the exit. The exit took them into a suburb on the city’s outskirts.

“We’ll be there earlier than promised. Should we grab some snacks?”

“Earlier?” Tsukiko asked, surprised. “After all that traffic, we’ll still arrive earlier?”

Tsukiko tried peeking at the estimated time remaining. They were just ten minutes from their destination, and they still had more than one and a half hours. A whole lot of time to kill.

“Do you always depart this early?”

“Well, I don’t want to accidentally piss off someone.” 

A happy person might be more willing to accept bargains. Besides, there might be someone else waiting for the items, ready to pounce once they knew Kenji didn't made it in time. He didn't want to risk losing his stuff to someone else. 

Kenji surveyed his surroundings for anything interesting. He had never visited this area before, and unfortunately, failed to find anything they could do to kill time.

“How about we stop by a convenience store?” Tsukiko asked, her eyes on one they had just passed.

Not something interesting, but better than nothing. Luckily, the residential area had a lot of them. It didn’t take long before they found an empty one they could hang around for a bit. The two got off the truck and entered the store. The automatic doors opened, and a cold breeze struck their heads. Kenji let out a sigh. Maybe it was time he considered a new truck.

“Welcome,” the cashier greeted, a bit confused at the sight of two people appearing and staying underneath the air conditioner.

They blocked the path and hogged the AC, not that anyone was there to complain. After satisfying themselves with the cold air, Kenji moved to the food aisle. Another staff member was using this chance to restock the shelves.

“Excuse us.”

“Ah, sorry. Please feel free to pick anything you like.”

They moved away, giving the two some space.

“Want some onigiri?”

“Sure.”

“Salmon?”

“Yep!”

“There’s no salmon.”

“Aww…” Tsukiko seemed a bit bummed out. “Why bother offering me then?”

“No reason,” Kenji answered. “How does teriyaki sound?”

Tsukiko nodded. Kenji picked the same flavor and headed to the drinks section. The store had an extensive collection, more than the average convenience store. From the most bitter black coffee to the sweetest Thai tea.

“What do you want?” Kenji asked. “You can’t drink coffee, right?”

Tsukiko pouted. “I’m no longer a child. What do you think I drank to get through overtime?”

“Energy drinks?”

“Well, that, but sometimes coffee as well.”

Kenji took a can of black coffee, showing it to her. The packaging proudly stated its zero sugar content. He saw Tsukiko’s eyes waver for just a second before she took it.

“I love black coffee! Nothing energizes you more than this stuff.”

Her voice shook, just slightly.

“As for me… Guess I’ll go with a latte.”

“Huh! A child’s choice!”

Amaya's voice echoed in his mind. “I’m still young, Tsukiko.”

The two went to the cashier together and paid for their items, then went to a small eat-in area near the windows.

“Does Amaya ever come on trips like this?” Tsukiko asked after finishing her onigiri.

“That girl is no fun. Even if I offer to take her somewhere interesting afterward, she still prefers to stay home.”

Today was Monday, so the cafe’s closed. The truck also had enough space for three people, albeit that might be a bit tight.

“Maybe she worries it'll be a waste of time?”

“No, it won't,” Kenji said, not even a glint of doubt in his eyes. 

The reason the antique shop remained in business was because he went out and found stuff. If looking around was a waste of time, then the antique shop would no longer exist.

“You sound so sure.”

“I am.”

“What if the entire listing is fake?” Tsukiko asked.

“Then there is nothing I can do about it,” he answered, unbothered.

He already did the research he could, including looking into the seller’s profile. Some sellers kept their information secret, while others didn’t mind keeping it public. In this seller’s case, Kenji knew that he worked in programming at a large company, and he created his account all the way back in 2015. He had a lot of friends and often posted his achievements.

That said, one thing did bother him.

In one of his pictures about a company event from a year ago, someone inside the image looked like Tsukiko. But it was a group photo, so naturally, their faces were a bit blurry. It could easily be someone else.

Kenji didn’t have enough facts to prove it, so he didn’t bring it up with Tsukiko.

Besides, it’s not like it’s her in the first place.

Her sister loved warning him about people with questionable characters. He probably got swayed by her words. Nothing ever went wrong, except that one time when the seller didn’t appear at the meetup point and couldn’t be contacted. Just one failure in a sea of success. No reason for him to get worried. Even if he suffered more failures, the profit from a single success would be enough for him to break even. No need to worry.

But still…

“Hmm? Is there something on my face?”

Kenji shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

For the next hour and fifteen minutes, they chatted about all sorts of things. They then continued toward their destination. It didn’t even take them five minutes before they found the place. A regular home in the middle of a residential area. But if the owner’s marketplace post was to be believed, this unremarkable building housed many remarkable items.

Kenji brought his truck to a stop, parking it in front of the gate. Before locking his truck, he made sure he didn’t block the road, while Tsukiko pushed the bell.

Someone came out of the house. Tsukiko tensed up when she saw him, and Kenji knew he had made a mistake.