Freesia 72

Freesia, Chapter 72 (Monthly Ikki, November 2008)


<1>
Chapter 72: Resignation

=Keiko.

=Oh, Hiroshi? What're you doing?


<2>
=...Nothing,
=Just thought it was awfully quiet...

=Really—?
=I don't think so.

=Shortly after the armistice, the government announced a plan to shorten the defense lines in favor of strengthening the combat fronts,
=However, the army has not shown support for these plans, and remain at odds with the other allied forces.

=Following the shortening of the defense lines, support for the cabinet has fallen sharply, and further actions may...


<3>
=See, it's only quiet around us.
=With everything else going on in the world—

=Yes, only around us.
=Not a buzzing fly or a ringing phone.

=All thanks to the reforms I carried out.

=Now even I am able to fit in with society.//There's no more need for lies and deception.
=The quietness is proof that all is well.

=We've struck a delicate balance between us and the world.
=Now we just need to quit this line of work when the time is right.


<4>
=In that sense, I think the quietness proves that the time has come
[paper]Letter of Resignation
=Therefore,

=I'll be submitting this today. That way,
=We can move on to the next step.

=What's the next step?

=First, we move to a different place.

=I believe there are more suitable environments out there for the three of us.
=Once we find a new place, we begin searching for work... There's no rush, now that we have the money.
=I'll get a job with flexible work times. That way we won't have to keep Mother in a facility.//You see? By taking these kinds of steps,//I can think about what needs to be accomplished in order to spend my time with Keiko and Mother more wisely.


<5>
=You'll be home by 9:00 again, right?
=I'm going to check on Mother, so I'll be a little late.

=I know—
=We haven't had curry in a while. You like curry, right Keiko?

=...Yeah.
=I'll be waiting.

=Like always.


<6>
WHIRRR


<7>
=What is this feeling...?


<8>
=Huff.

=Fuck—!
=I can't find that bracelet!
SPLASH

=Mom...


<9>
ZWUUSH

=No...
=YO-KO...
=It's YO-KO!

=What is it, I can't hear you!
=I can't hear anything!

=I'm coming over...


<10>
=Stop—!


<11>
WHAP

=...A dream.


<12>
=Hup.

=Gee...
=Filing causes the day to go by rather quickly...

=Now then.


<13>
[paper]Letter of Resignation

[bubble]SWUP

=What is this.

=This dirty little slip of paper.


<14>
=To give a concise explanation.
=I'm resigning from this agency.

=That sort of thing,
=Even a preschooler can tell from seeing this object.

=What I'm asking is, why are you trying to resign at a time like this?
=You're really clueless, aren't you.
=Do you even know what's going on with the agency? Do you only care about yourself?

=Yes.
=I only care about myself.

=Now's the time for me to quit. Don't you understand?
=This is the perfect timing. I can't have it any other way.


<15>
=Well... I understand how you would be upset about my actions.//But you see,
=Being lugged around by you is what enabled me to pull a stunt like this...

=So I do owe you a millimeter of gratitude, Ms. Higuchi.
=That's why I've brought the letter to you, and not the director. So you can save face.

=Moronic.
=I won't stop you from quitting.


<16>
=However, I'll only accept this resignation in one week's time. There's a lot of paperwork that still needs to be processed.
=You'll be held accountable for your duties until then.
[bubble]THUP

=That's all.

[bubble]GWISH

[x3]CLAT

=...That feeling again.
=And this one isn't just my mind...


<17>
=EEE—K
=I can't see in front of me.

=Damn—I shouldn't have tried to carry all this at once.
=Must recoup.
=TICK.

=Oh.
=Mr. Kano.

=Are you on late duty today?
=Thought you went home.

=I just submitted my resignation.
=To Ms. Higuchi.

=Huh?
=But my formal departure won't be for a week.


<18>
=S-So... What are you going to do?

=Not to worry.
=There are plenty of other job opportunities out there

=I see...

=Goodbye.

[x2]THUD

=So cold.
=First Mr. Mizoguchi, and now Mr. Kano... Everyone's gone now.


<19>
=Flower—
=Would you like a flower—

=1 bag of potatoes.//2 bags of carrots.
=500 grams of curry beef.
=4 tomatoes, 6 onions.
=Spinach, and...

=Next customer please—


<20>
=Finally home.
=Checking on Mother took longer than I anticipated.

=Now then...


<21>
=Oh... Look,//The guy from that room is back.


<22>
[x3]CLACK


<23>
=Oh, there he is.

=Captain... The man is back—

=Welcome ho—me.
=Geez—We've been waiting on you like, forever.


<24>
=Your office said you'd already gone home,
=We were sooo worried about you.

=Who are you?
=Why did you enter my room without invitation?

=We're from the police, you see...
=We conducted a search while the room was empty.

=Captain, lab work and sterilization's finished.
=Yup, thanks a lot.

=Sterilization? What sterilization?
=Excuse me—
=And what do you mean empty? Keiko must've been here.


<25>
=Yes... She was here, but...
=We carried her over to the station, so she's not here anymore.

=Do you recall a man named Suzuki...? Lived in the room next door? We got a call from his wife.

=We busted the guy on robbery last week.//He was acting real suspicious so we asked him a few questions.


<26>
=So you know, he spit the stuff about Ms. Keiko.//We entered the room like he told us,
=And that's how we found Ms. Keiko.

=Sure, we didn't have a warrant or anything, but...
=We did have the superintendent looking on...

=The superintendent was worried too,
=There were complaints about a stench coming from your room.

=I'm amazed you were able to continue living in this smell—
[bubble]CREAK..


<27>
=Did you get the stuff for the curry, Hiroshi—?
=I'm starving—


<28>
THUMP

=This feeling...