A Cop's Eyes by Gaku Yakumaru Page A

wake up.
    Masayuki turned over the tarp and went inside. He turned on the flashlight. He poured a drink into his cup and downed it.
    â€œNaka … I respect you. You’ve been living like this for ten years. Alone … Might be beyond me … If I keep living like this, I might start not wanting to live at all … Because I’m weak … Hey, say something.”
    Masayuki turned the light toward the sleeping bag.
    He felt something was amiss and moved close to Naka’s face. The area around his mouth was stained red.
    The moment Masayuki saw that, his heart started beating furiously. “Naka, Naka, what’s wrong!”
    He shook Naka’s body. The old man let out an agonized moan. In an instant, Masayuki sobered up.
    While he waited sitting on a bench in the hospital hallway, a doctor approached him. Masayuki stood and bowed.
    â€œAre you family?” the doctor asked.
    â€œNo, I’m not,” Masayuki replied.
    â€œCould you contact his relatives, then?”
    â€œI don’t know them at all. Is Naka that sick?”
    â€œIt’s terminal lung cancer. How did he ever ignore it for so long? Unfortunately, there’s nothing that can be done at thispoint. All we can do now is take measures to reduce his suffering …” the doctor told Masayuki and left.
    Masayuki weakly sank onto the bench and hung his head.
    â€œYou’re lucky. You can eat nutritious stuff while you’re here,” Masayuki said to Naka, who was in bed.
    Two days after being brought to the hospital in an ambulance, Naka had regained consciousness. According to the doctor, however, he was still in an unpredictable state.
    â€œMasa, I know you’ve got work to do, so don’t be visiting every day,” Naka said with a gentle smile.
    â€œI’m getting it done all right. More importantly, I never asked till now but … do you have family?”
    â€œFamily … Nope, I was always alone,” Naka answered with a lonely little laugh.
    â€œI see.”
    What would happen when Naka died? With no one but Masayuki the wiser, would he be given a quiet pauper’s burial?
    Masayuki almost sighed, but did his best to stifle it.
    He heard a knock and turned around. The door opened and Natsume entered.
    â€œHow are you?” he asked, approaching Naka’s bed.
    â€œPretty good. When I’m discharged, make me
hittsumi
again.”
    â€œI thought you’d say that, so I cooked some.” Natsume hoisted up the plastic bag in his hand. “I’ve checked with the nurse.”
    â€œBut it’s probably cold. I can go microwave it somewhere,” Masayuki offered.
    â€œNo need. I know many people at this hospital, so I borrowed their kitchen and made this just now.”
    So that was it—Masayuki understood when he heard Natsume’s explanation.
    The homeless Naka had been treated quite cordially since being admitted. Perhaps Natsume had put in a word with thehospital.
    Extracting a large plastic bowl from his bag, Natsume placed it in front of Naka. When he opened it, steam came rising out. Natsume pulled up a folding chair and sat next to Masayuki.
    Natsume watched with delight as Naka ate the
hittsumi
. When the old man finished, the detective turned to Masayuki and said, “I’d like to speak with him, just the two of us.”
    â€œIn that case …” Masayuki stood up.
    â€œIt’s okay. Masa, stay,” Naka begged, exchanging looks with Natsume. “Please.”
    Hearing this, the detective closed his eyes. He seemed to be thinking over something. When he opened his eyes, he looked at Naka and asked, “Are you sure?”
    â€œYup … Please.”
    â€œI understand … We found out who murdered Mr. Aizawa—”
    â€œOh?! You mean … you caught those guys?” Masayuki, surprised, turned to look at Natsume, who sat down next