Chapter 148 - Name and Reality 71 {99 Solo} (236-238: Appearance of Kuroda, also known as Tadano)
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It is a well-known fact among those of a certain age and older that the current Yokohama DeNA BayStars were formerly the Taiyou Whales, a team owned by the fishery company Maruha Nichiro.
On the other hand, extremely few people know that for the first year of the team's establishment in 1950, their home ground was Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, or that from 1953 to 1954, they merged with the then-Shochiku Robins to become the Taiyou Shochiku Robins in 1953, and the following year as the Youshou Robins, they played their home games at Osaka Stadium.
The Taiyou Whales had moved their franchise at a dizzying pace: Shimonoseki City, Osaka City, and Kawasaki City.
Then, in 1978, they moved to their current franchise at Yokohama Stadium, changed their official name to the Yokohama Taiyou Whales, and took on the character of a citizens' team for Yokohama.
In 1993, they removed the corporate name and changed their name to the Yokohama BayStars. After that, the parent company moved to TBS in 2002, and at the end of 2011, the parent company became DeNA, leading to the present day.
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"Is that so? I certainly didn't know that such a thing had happened."
Takeshita wasn't a particularly big baseball fan, but he naturally had basic knowledge of professional baseball for his generation. However, even for someone like Takeshita, Kuboyama's story was something he had never heard before.
"And since my family home was near Osaka Stadium, my old man became a fan when they moved there. Then I, who was born after that, naturally became a fan as well. As for Kuroda-han, I think the reason he became a fan was because a relative was a Whales team official or something. When we first met, the Whales hadn't won a championship since 1960, so we were licking each other's wounds. Even so, Kuroda-han was already at an age where he was aware of things, but since I was born in Showa 30 (1955), I didn't understand anything about baseball at the time. I only vaguely remember my old man being happy about something back then, and I only knew about it as a record, so it was even more miserable for me... However, I remember the two of us grumbling like a habit, saying 'It's better than Hanshin!' Hanshin hadn't become number one in Japan until later in '85, but we had not only won the league in '60 but had also become number one in Japan."
Takeshita also understood the circumstances deeply as Kuboyama spoke somewhat proudly at this moment.
"I see."
Afterward, they headed from Senda Finance in Minami to Kawachinagano in a Mercedes driven by a young man named Shinjo, who worked directly under Kuboyama. Before getting into the car, Takeshita tried to give a progress report to Nishida, but he seemed unable to answer, so Takeshita left a message to that effect on his voicemail.
And on the way to Kawachinagano, Kuboyama talked a lot about himself, his background, and his relationship with Motohashi.
There were no particular problems in his family, but he had fallen behind and become a delinquent after a long hospitalization in middle school, and was picked up by the yakuza. Then, after being released from prison for attempted murder, he had obtained a job at Senda Finance through Motohashi's efforts, distinguished himself in debt collection, and reached his current position.
It seemed he had thought about marriage, but considering his criminal record, he felt sorry for any potential children and had remained single. As for his relationships with women, from what Takeshita heard, he seemed to be quite active, but Takeshita wasn't particularly interested and just let it slide. Motohashi wasn't a woman-hater, but he was the type to date one woman for a long time, yet he apparently never married.
Also, Kuboyama said he believed Motohashi wanted to hide the name Kuroda very much, as he never used it in the body of his letters to him or in the cipher, instead using the nickname "Tadano," which was only understood by a very few people. He said that even if Takeshita and Nishida appeared, he had initially intended not to let them meet him directly.
However, since Takeshita had asked about things Kuboyama knew nothing about, he realized that Motohashi had considered it necessary for them to meet Kuroda himself, and he had mentioned "letting them meet for now." But he confessed that even at that point, he was still half-doubting whether it was okay to let them meet directly. He said that it was only after Takeshita's explanation of the cipher in the letter addressed to them that he became convinced that Motohashi undoubtedly wanted Takeshita and the others to meet Kuroda.
Kuboyama had no way of knowing how much Takeshita and the others had been involved with Motohashi during the interrogation, but he asked Takeshita if Motohashi had trusted them quite a bit through the interrogation.
However, when he heard that the time Takeshita and the others had actually spoken to him was less than five hours in total, he didn't hide his attitude of disbelief rather than surprise. Then, perhaps becoming a bit grumpy, he fell silent for a while and spat out words as if disappointed, intended as a monologue that Takeshita wasn't supposed to hear, but which was actually audible.
"He had less trust in me than in guys of that level..."
The meaning wasn't immediately and clearly understood. However, Takeshita wondered in the car if it was because he felt a kind of jealousy, sensing that Motohashi wanted Takeshita and the others, who were outsiders, to easily meet Kuroda—whose name he had thoroughly hidden as a nickname even when telling Kuboyama. After all, to Kuboyama, Motohashi was a man he had fallen for.
In this way, after about forty minutes of driving, they entered Kawachinagano City. It was a city with a population of over 120,000 in 2000 (Author's note: about 106,000 as of 2016). Because it was an area with a long history, there were many temples and shrines, and the area was also the territory of the Kusunoki clan, including Kusunoki Masashige. It is also known as a city blessed with National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties.
Although it is within Osaka Prefecture, it is also very rich in nature. On the other hand, it also has the aspect of being a bedroom community for Osaka City and Sakai City, and can be called a municipality where the city and nature are fused.
And since it was just before noon, they decided to have lunch before heading to Kuroda's shop. None of the three had anything particular they wanted to eat, so they entered a soba shop they happened to see, and Takeshita enjoyed tempura soba.
After taking a breather, they left the shop, and Kuboyama had the car stop near the shopping district near Kawachinagano Station on the Nankai Railway.
"This is it! It's probably better if I don't go, so I'll leave it to you, Takeshita-han."
At that statement, Takeshita looked along the sidewalk and saw the target, "Kuroda Bakery." To be honest, he had imagined a small shop, but it was a larger shop than he had expected. From the outside, he could catch glimpses through the window of about three staff members or craftsmen wearing tall white hats, the kind often worn by bakers and chefs, moving around inside the shop.
He had heard from Kuboyama that the shop was closed on weekdays and should be open on Sundays, and although he was a bit anxious, it was open as he had said. There are probably many families who have a simple breakfast, lunch, or brunch with bread on Sundays.
Even though he was the second generation, considering the age from being Motohashi's classmate and the time of the complete spread of bread culture in Japan, it seemed safe to view it as a fairly long-established shop. Since it was just after noon, there seemed to be quite a few customers.
"Is Kuroda-san among those people I can see?"
When he asked Kuboyama that, he answered.
"No, as far as I can see from here, he's not... He's probably in the kitchen or workshop in the back?"
Hearing that, Takeshita said.
"Understood. Then I'll go and ask the staff."
He got out of the car and stepped into the shop through the automatic door.
"Welcome."
He asked the young female clerk who greeted him.
"Excuse me, is the owner, Kuroda-san, here?"
"Um... He's in the factory in the back."
Since she looked at Takeshita quite suspiciously, he presented his business card and tried to convince her.
"I'd like to interview him for a bit."
She took it and stared at it for a while, but perhaps because he had even produced a business card in the name of a newspaper reporter, she said.
"Understood... I'll go and ask."
The female clerk disappeared into the back.
In the meantime, Takeshita looked around the shop, and there was even a small cafe space where several female customers were eating sweet bread while drinking coffee or tea. They were probably having a light meal instead of lunch, given the time. The shop itself was neat and tidy, there seemed to be a wide variety of bread, and customers who seemed to be locals were coming in constantly.
Before long, the clerk returned and told him apologetically.
"I'm sorry... He says he's never heard of a newspaper company in Hokkaido and hasn't received any prior notice, so he won't see you..."
"Eh? Is that so... That's a problem..."
Takeshita hadn't expected to be refused even after producing a business card, so he hesitated for a moment about what to do, but he couldn't just stand there in the shop forever, so he decided to return to the car for now.
"What happened? Wasn't he there?"
As soon as he returned to the car, Kuboyama asked about the situation.
"No, it seems he was there, but it seems he was told to convey that he 'won't see anyone who hasn't made an appointment'..."
He could only reply thus. As soon as he heard that, Kuboyama slowly raised his hips while bending his upper body.
"Can't be helped... I'll go and talk to him for a bit."
He got out of the car.
As for Takeshita, as far as he had heard about the history between Kuroda and Kuboyama earlier, he was inwardly nervous that it might actually make the situation worse. He thought it would be better to give up for today and come back after making contact.
Because of that, Takeshita followed Kuboyama, who had entered the shop first. Then, he was already telling the female clerk something, and she was about to disappear into the back again.
"Kuboyama-san, what did you say?"
"Oh, I just told her to tell him that Kuboyama has come."
He answered the worried Takeshita without any sign of guilt.
"But weren't you told 'don't come again'?"
"Takeshita-han, you're surprisingly foolish. It's certain that he wouldn't see even you today, right? In that case, there's more of a possibility that a man who was told 'don't come to see me!' would come to see him, and he'd come out to complain, right?"
Takeshita felt an indescribable feeling about whether he should follow this thorough positivity or not, but it didn't even take thirty seconds for him to realize that Kuboyama's method was the correct one.
"Come to the back outside the shop for a bit."
The man who came out from the back and told the two of them in a low voice, as if suppressing his anger in front of the customers and employees, was completely dressed as a baker, but his face was quite stern—in a sense, a strong-looking middle-aged man who seemed to be in his fifties, even more intimidating than Kuboyama. If he were wearing different clothes, he would be like the stubborn owner of a ramen shop. The two followed Kuroda, passed through a small parking space next to the shop, and went around to the back of the shop, which was completely invisible from the street.
Then suddenly, he said.
"I should have told you 'never come again' back then!"
He didn't raise his voice, but with his Kawachi dialect at the forefront, he made his stern face even scarier and brought his face close to Kuboyama first, and then to Takeshita alternately.
"Kuroda-han! I am well aware of that, but today I've brought someone I absolutely must have you meet, Kuroda-han. Could you at least forgive me just for today?"
When Kuboyama bowed his head politely, unlike his usual self, the man glared at Takeshita.
"Is it you? The one who was saying he was a newspaper reporter earlier?"
Takeshita, who had been backing off a bit, also remembered his days as a detective and felt he couldn't flinch at this level.
"Yes. I apologize for earlier. My name is Takeshita, a reporter for the Hokkaido Shinpo."
He tried to take out his business card again to hand it over.
However, as if brushing it aside, he confirmed with Kuboyama.
"Coming with a newspaper reporter means it's about Yukio (Motohashi), doesn't it?"
"Yes. Of course it is."
As Kuboyama said that, Takeshita also said.
"I've come from Hokkaido because there's something I'd definitely like to ask you."
But before he could finish listening, the man shouted as if he couldn't hold back anymore.
"My ties with the dead Yukio are completely severed! That guy betrayed me and my old friends! Do you guys have any idea how much I wished for his innocence! Just being a yakuza was barely enough to keep associating with him, and then he goes and kills all those people!"
As he had heard from Kuboyama, it seems that Motohashi's reversal of his claim of innocence and his confession is being felt as a considerable act of betrayal. It's obvious that causing him any more anger won't lead to anything good. Takeshita said one thing.
"I understand. However, there are about two points I'd like to confirm, and if you could give me an answer to those, I'll leave immediately, so could you please cooperate?"
"What is it! Those things you want to hear!"
To be honest, Takeshita was a bit relieved because he had thought he might be refused even that.
"I was told by Motohashi-san to ask about the truth of the incidents he committed. He also said the keywords are Rokkou and Hinako."
He conveyed it succinctly.
"The truth? Rokkou and Hinako?"
From Kuroda's tone, Takeshita was momentarily disappointed, wondering if he didn't know, but then he was asked in a different tone than before.
"When were you told to ask such a thing?"
"Actually, just the other day, a letter arrived from Motohashi-san, who was executed."
Before he could finish, he said.
"The other day!? What's going on!"
He clearly showed signs of being shaken.
"Kuroda-han. Regarding that, actually, I ended up being entrusted with a letter from Aniki immediately after his execution, and as per Aniki's instructions, I sent it to these people after the end of September this year. I came to greet you five years ago, but I was turned away so brilliantly..."
When Kuboyama explained the circumstances, he said.
"...Ah, that's right..."
Saying so, he folded his arms as if thinking for a while and turned his back to the two of them. But then he suddenly turned around.
"Truth or whatever, I believed in his innocence all along, and that was betrayed, so I'm the one who wants to be told! ...However, Hinako is a childhood friend, a woman who was in elementary and middle school with me and Yukio, and I think Rokkou refers to the Rokkou Boyo Boen in Kobe, where she is resting..."
He began to speak.