Chapter 164 - Name and Reality 87 {115 Solo} (273-274, 277-278 Takeshita's Inference of Motohashi's Psychology 7)
"First, 'Kanpo no Majiwari' is, as Kuboyama-san just briefly explained, a term based on an ancient Chinese story. It's a term based on the deep friendship since childhood between Kanchu and Hoshukuga, who were politicians in ancient China."
While saying this, he took back the memo he had scribbled on from Kuboyama, wrote the names "Kanchu" and "Hoshukuga" in kanji on the back, and placed it on the table so it was easy for the two to see.
"They took the 'first' kanji of Kanchu and Hoshukuga's names and lined them up to represent the relationship between the two, who were deeply bound by friendship since childhood, as 'Kanpo no Majiwari.' Most likely, Motohashi-san chose that name after careful consideration, based on his feelings for the bonds with Kuroda-san and his other childhood friends. It seems like a name completely unrelated to a yakuza office, but it was probably a non-negotiable naming unique to Motohashi-san, who had such knowledge and valued his relationships with old friends."
As he spoke, he circled the "Kan" of Kanchu and the "Ho" of Hoshukuga and explained.
"I understand that much, but the problem is why he changed it to this name, right? You have to tell me that."
Kuboyama questioned Takeshita as if he were a detective. Takeshita didn't let himself be rushed and spoke at his own pace.
"As a premise for how I came to speculate it was this name, I first mentioned why he was initially so particular about such a grand name as 'Kanpo.' However, conversely, it's quite strange that he changed the name so easily just because he was complained to a bit by Kuboyama-san at a drinking party... although he probably didn't intend to change it to this for real, even if it was half in jest. I repeat, I don't think he would go out of his way to give a group name using such kanji that look like 'abalone' (T/N: 'Ho' in Kanpo is the same character for abalone) with such casual thoughts..."
He presented his doubt in a way that aligned with the impression Kuboyama had held at the time.
"Just that doesn't make me understand why this name came up!"
On the other hand, Kuroda also spoke as if he were losing his patience, looking back and forth between the paper and Takeshita. Kuboyama nodded in agreement.
"Well, please calm down."
Takeshita thought about teasing them a bit while suppressing a smirk, but reconsidered that he didn't have enough time for a long explanation.
"This morning, I heard from Kuboyama-san about the background of the group's name and the episode with Motohashi-san. Furthermore, from the afternoon, Kuroda-san joined in, and being with you two, I came to know Motohashi-san's upbringing, childhood, personality, and way of thinking more deeply... or rather, it was just scratching the surface, so it might be very rude to say I understood him from that, but I understood to some extent and realized it anew."
"So, why did you understand!"
Kuboyama was quite irritated, perhaps wanting to know the reason quickly. He didn't hide his personality, which was a typical example of being impatient, or "irachi" as they say in Kansai.
Takeshita made a gesture as if to say "now, now" and replied.
"In the flow of Kuroda-san providing Motohashi-san with leftover sweet buns from his family's shop, Motohashi-san called Kuroda-san 'Tadano' and Kuroda-san called Motohashi-san 'Fuku,' right? It was a naming that came from the story of Kuroda-san handing over the buns saying, 'They're just (tadano) leftovers,' so don't hesitate, and Motohashi-san happily accepting them saying, 'There's luck (fuku) in leftovers.' Even after becoming a yakuza, I heard from Kuboyama-san that he liked to use the phrase 'There's luck in leftovers' in front of Kuboyama-san. Needless to say, it was a huge help for Motohashi-san, who was in a difficult situation at the time, and even considering the episode that is the origin of 'Kanpo no Majiwari,' I think the name 'Kanpo Group' was a naming filled with gratitude particularly toward Kuroda-san, not just a bond with an old friend."
"That's fine and all, but even hearing that much, I still don't see the reason it became this name at all..."
Kuroda was just tilting his head. Kuboyama was the same as ever, irritated that the answer wasn't yet visible, and was clicking his tongue, likely unconsciously. He probably had no ill intent, but it wasn't the attitude of someone asking a person for something. A bit of his former yakuza nature had probably come out.
*
"Then, I'll give you the conclusion. Why did Motohashi-san so easily change the name 'Kanpo,' which he cherished so much, just for that occasion, and at a drinking party at that? In addition, why did Motohashi-san seem not to mind it at the time, even while saying it was 'childish' or 'lacked education or class'? I thought about the reason. Furthermore, Kuboyama-san, who saw the new name, apparently had a good impression of it, saying it was 'as if a group of elite gokudou (T/N: yakuza) had gathered,' right?"
"But that's not the conclusion yet!"
Kuboyama immediately retorted to Takeshita, who was still being pretentious, but Takeshita ignored him and stated the background of his self-assured theory.
"I thought that because there was no fundamental difference between the new group name and 'Kanpo,' he was able to change it to that name on the spot, even though it wasn't a name he liked and he had no intention of actually changing it."
"Takeshita-han has too many tedious phrasings! You have that in common with Aniki... Since you're so sharp, it's obnoxious."
Kuboyama spoke as if he were exasperated, so Takeshita remembered being told something like that by Yoshimura before, but he deliberately didn't react.
"What finally became the hint were the expressions 'There's luck in leftovers' and 'elite gathering.' In addition to that, I speculated that he probably didn't intend to change the essence or background of the term he cherished, 'Kanpo no Majiwari.' Then, one conclusion came out. That was this name, the 'Kibanaka' Group."
He said that and pointed to the name written on the paper.
He added at length.
"Honestly, the order was Nakakiba, but in the sense of 'a gathering of gokudou comrades with fangs (kiba),' the order felt better reversed, so I simply did that. Also, putting the character for 'fang' first felt somehow cooler or something... Making it all kun-yomi (T/N: Japanese reading of kanji) was just because it sounded better. Kibanaka wasn't necessarily the best, but I thought the on-yomi (T/N: Chinese reading of kanji) 'Gachuu' was even more of a 'this isn't it.'"
"The problem is where that name 'Kibanaka' came from, right? I can't see it from your explanation just now!"
Both Kuboyama and Kuroda looked at the characters for Kibanaka again, not hiding an atmosphere that suggested they couldn't possibly be convinced, but in response, Takeshita turned over the piece of paper to the side where Kibanaka wasn't written and resumed his explanation based on that.
"'Kanpo' is, as I explained earlier, just a listing of the head parts of Kanchu and Hoshukuga, simply picked out for clarity to represent the relationship between the two. This part I circled here."
Takeshita pointed to the part he had written earlier.
"Conversely, if you understand the origin, the naming itself has no fundamental meaning. Motohashi-san must have understood that well. What was important to Motohashi-san was the episode of 'Kanpo no Majiwari,' not the selection of those two kanji. That's where the phrase 'There's luck in leftovers' becomes meaningful. The respective names that weren't used in 'Kanpo no Majiwari'..."
As he started to say that, the two also seemed to finally understand the reason Takeshita had reasoned that way, and Kuroda shouted.
"I see! He chose the 'Naka' from Kanchu and the 'Kiba' from Hoshukuga, which were the leftovers not used in 'Kanpo'!"
Takeshita nodded deeply at that statement.
"Yes! Of the respective parts of the two names not used in 'Kanpo no Majiwari,' 'Naka' and 'Shukuga,' he had to use 'Naka,' so to make it a name that Kuboyama-san would like—and it's very rude to say this, but to put it badly, a name that a yakuza would like, a name that sounds truly bad—he chose the word 'Kiba' (fang) from within Shukuga, changed the order, and lined them up 'hit-or-miss.' As a result, the 'guesswork' happened to be right, that's what it is. And for Motohashi-san, although it was a 'childish' naming, in the sense that he could choose from the leftovers that had 'luck' without damaging the essence of the term 'Kanpo no Majiwari,' it wasn't such a bad naming... As an idea, he could put more of a twist on it than 'Kanpo Group,' and he might have been quite satisfied. Isn't that the reason he seemed not to mind it while complaining?"
Having said that proudly, he glanced toward Kuboyama.
"Since Aniki didn't teach me the origin of 'Kibanaka' at all, I completely forgot the name..."
Kuboyama lamented that way while showing a refreshed expression now that a long-standing concern was resolved, but Takeshita said,
"Isn't that just like Motohashi-san? He must have been watching with a smirk."
Takeshita himself smirked.
Meanwhile, Kuroda asked as if to check Takeshita's expression closely.
"The inference until just now was quite something, but this one was even more interesting... Takeshita-san, you were actually aware that there was both 'basis' and 'logic,' weren't you?"
"Well... that might not be the case."
If one only took the way he said it, it was a bit non-committal, but because he had actually hit the mark, it was a way of speaking full of sufficient conviction.
"But, listening to your inferences all this time until now, I was satisfied just with the 'persuasiveness' regarding what kind of thoughts and ideas Yukio had when he took those actions and words, and wrote this kind of letter. But more than that, it's jumped far beyond that, and I've become convinced once again that 'it was undoubtedly the truth'! No, it's really something!"
Kuroda praised him unreservedly.
"I'm honored by your praise."
Takeshita said that and joked a bit, but immediately followed up on Kuroda's statement and dared to affirm it head-on.
"But, although I say so myself, by guessing 'Kibanaka' correctly, I've certainly become quite confident that my own thoughts about Motohashi-san so far have actually hit the core."
Then, Kuroda expressed it by involving the story of 'The Adventure of Silver Blaze' to Takeshita, who had replied that way.
"In other words, what the 'sheep' were for Holmes, 'Kibanaka' was for you now."
In response, Takeshita said,
"I see, so that's how you put it..."
He seemed impressed for a moment, but so as not to cut the flow of the conversation, he replied playfully, also playing on the name of the Kibanaka Group.
"However, in contrast to the 'sheep' that suffered wounds for Holmes, for me, it was a 'wolf' with fangs (kiba)."
"Even so, the eel bone that had been stuck in my throat for years, Takeshita-han! Thanks to you, it's been cleanly removed now. But it was the Kibanaka Group... well, if I didn't remember it properly, it's not a name that comes out easily..."
To the deeply moved Kuboyama, Takeshita said,
"By the way... how about this? Putting that calligraphy piece into Motohashi-san's urn, which has become empty. ...Ah. That said, with that size, it probably won't fit unless you buy a larger urn."
As he spoke, he looked up toward the kamidana (T/N: household Shinto altar) in the room, where the calligraphy piece that Motohashi was said to have written, "Kanpo no Majiwari," was displayed.
"Put that in?"
Kuboyama asked back with a stern face for a change.
"Yes. Even if the innocent 'soul' being buried in Hinako-san's grave was the intended essence, it seems better to put something in for him rather than keeping an empty urn... As I said earlier, the evidence probably won't be returned... I think it's okay to give him a direct memento now, even if it was Motohashi-san's memento from when he was alive... After all, he did pay for his crimes in the end... Motohashi-san might not approve of it, but I feel like it's fairer for those around him to decide whether to forgive him or not, rather than the person himself."
Takeshita felt it was natural now that it was okay to do at least that much, even if it went against the person's own wishes.
"Honestly, it's a pity for me to let go of that, but if it's for Aniki's sake, it can't be helped... In that case, I certainly have to buy a new urn too..."
At Takeshita's statement, Kuboyama showed a sad expression for another moment, but immediately changed it to a smile and answered Takeshita. Just then, Kuroda spoke up.
"Instead of that calligraphy piece, you should display a different calligraphy piece here!"
"A different calligraphy piece?"
When Kuboyama asked back, not understanding the intent of that statement, Kuroda answered.
"Yeah! You should have someone with good handwriting or even a calligrapher write the name 'Kibanaka,' which Takeshita-san reproduced for you just now, on a calligraphy piece and display it here."
Receiving this specific proposal, Takeshita also added.
"I see! Speaking of which, in the letter Motohashi-san wrote to Kuboyama-san before his execution, it seemed that if Kuboyama-san hadn't washed his hands of the yakuza life, there was a 'plan to switch to being Motohashi-san's subordinate.' That means, if Motohashi-san hadn't been expelled and had started his own group... In other words, if two 'ifs' had continued. It wouldn't have been strange for Kuboyama-san to have actually joined Motohashi-san's group as a subordinate. Of course, even if that was impossible in reality. Even if the possibility of it actually becoming the name Kibanaka Group was almost zero, it's a name that Motohashi-san went out of his way to consider just for Kuboyama-san, even if it was half in jest. For Motohashi-san and Kuboyama-san, you could say it was a phantom... a group where you could have run wild together. If so, wouldn't it be very meaningful for Kuboyama-san, who admires Motohashi-san, to display that phantom group name as a calligraphy piece over there? In a sense, isn't it a term that fits much better than 'Kanpo no Majiwari,' which has no direct relation to Kuboyama-san?"
Whether this persuasion by Takeshita and Kuroda was successful, Kuboyama seemed to feel better and spoke cheerfully.
"Certainly, I'm starting to feel that 'Kibanaka' is better to place on the kamidana! And 'Kanpo no Majiwari,' which values long-standing associations, certainly seems to suit Hinako-han's grave."
"Yeah, that's good!"
Almost at the same time Kuroda said that and clapped his hands, Kuboyama's cell phone rang, and it seemed he received a call that Shinjo's car was ready.
"Well then, shall we go down at just the right time!"
While saying that to the two, Kuboyama hurriedly put away his cell phone, and Kuroda and Takeshita also got ready. Takeshita in particular confirmed that he had put the evidence back firmly into the plastic bag before leaving the office of Senda Finance.
*
Outside, it was still raining hard, but since they could get in directly from the entrance with a roof, they didn't get wet in the rain, and the car first headed toward Takeshita's hotel. That said, since it was a distance that wouldn't even take two minutes by car, the car was brought to the hotel entrance in no time.
Just before getting out of the car and closing the door, Takeshita bowed deeply to the two in the back seat.
"Thank you very much for today. It's thanks to your cooperation that we were able to find what Motohashi-san was trying to give us so quickly."
"No, no, we're the ones who are grateful for various things."
After Kuroda replied politely like that, Kuboyama said, peering in from the window on the opposite side.
"I'm counting on you for the rest!"
"Leave that to me! I'll take responsibility for processing it."
Takeshita also replied strongly, then closed the door quietly in contrast and disappeared into the lobby through the automatic doors.
*
Takeshita, who received the key card he had left at the hotel front desk, was waiting for the elevator at the elevator hall to return to his room.
Then, a total of three men arrived: a man who seemed to be in his early 50s to late 40s, likely older than Takeshita, and two men in their 30s. They were probably the two men's superior, but that man who seemed to be the senior appeared to Takeshita to be already quite "wasted," even though it was only a bit past 8 o'clock.
Then, he suddenly approached Takeshita with unsteady steps and spoke with a flushed face, scattering alcohol-smelling breath.
"Hey kid, you doing good!"
Takeshita thought, "I've been caught by a troublesome guy," including being called "kid" by someone who was at most ten years older, but he gave a half-hearted reply.
"Yeah, I guess."
Then, he seemed to speak with a mouth that wasn't moving very well, saying something to the effect of, "I came here on a business trip from Tokyo, but Osaka women are cold-hearted."
As expected, the man who seemed to be his subordinate approached, pulled the superior away, and bowed his head many times, saying apologetically,
"I'm sorry. He wasn't really paid attention to by the young girls at the cabaret club, and even though he's not strong with alcohol, he got sulky and forced himself to drink..."
"It's fine, I don't mind."
Takeshita waved his hand in front of his face.
They all got into the elevator that had come down; Takeshita pressed the 10th floor, and the group of three pressed the 5th floor, and the elevator began to rise quietly. Then, the man who was in a bad mood from drinking spoke again.
"Osaka is called a city of 'eat-till-you-drop' or a city of 'humanity,' but 'eat-till-you-drop' aside, 'humanity' is clearly thin."
He seemed to still be grumbling about not being paid much attention to at the cabaret club, and while the subordinate held the superior as if embracing him, he moved only his mouth to apologize again with a "Sorry," but the superior didn't even notice that and was asked by Takeshita, who was looking up from below,
"You think so too, don't you, kid?"
In response to that, he answered flatly and directly.
"I don't really know if it's a city of humanity. But I can say this for sure. ...It was a city of thick friendship."
Naturally, the drunkard didn't understand the meaning and made an expression like "Huh?", but even if the opponent had been sober, he couldn't possibly have understood the intent of that statement. Just then, the elevator arrived at the 5th floor, so the drunken guest was pulled away by his subordinates and got off without understanding the meaning.
Takeshita immediately pressed the "Close" button after confirming that, and the elevator began to rise again. At that time, what was crossing Takeshita's mind was Kuroda's attitude when Kuboyama had praised Takeshita in connection with the itako at the Senda Finance office.
It was the scene where, when Takeshita was about to point something out in response to Kuboyama's statement, Kuroda suddenly cut in, agreed with Kuboyama's talk, and emphasized Takeshita's "victory in reading" Motohashi.
Actually, at that time, if Kuroda hadn't entered the conversation, Takeshita had intended to deny Kuboyama's idea. This was because, although Kuboyama had quoted Motohashi's "denial of itako" in his diary, Takeshita speculated that it probably wasn't Motohashi's true heart.
There was, of course, a basis for that. First, when Motohashi was heading to Kitami to murder Sada Minoru, he had intended to visit Mount Osore first. However, he had given up due to the worsening weather. But even after he started his return journey, he thought about visiting Mount Osore and seemed strangely particular about Mount Osore.
In fact, when he stopped by on his way back from Kitami, he had even stayed overnight for the purpose of postponing it by one day due to bad weather, trying to visit Mount Osore.
Certainly, he seemed particular about Hakkouda as well as Mount Osore at first glance, but looking at it comprehensively, Hakkouda was just an "incidental" visit, and Takeshita had taken it as a way of writing that implicitly suggested Mount Osore had a special meaning, though he didn't intend it.
However, when he actually visited Mount Osore, Motohashi's prior research was insufficient, and the itako were not there. At this time, Motohashi dismissed the itako's kuchiyose (T/N: summoning of spirits) as unscientific and wrote, "I thought I'd show them up, but it's a pity."
However, Takeshita felt it was quite forced from a common-sense perspective that Mount Osore wouldn't leave his mind on both the way there and the way back just for the sake of showing up the itako.
From what he had heard from Kuroda in the car toward Kobe about Motohashi's personality since he was a child, he was undoubtedly the type who hated to lose and didn't want to show his weaknesses much. One could say he was the type to talk tough. Also, when Shibatani Hinako died, Kuroda had witnessed him holding back tears from the shadows.
Considering that point, it's not such a forced idea to see that "showing up the itako" itself was actually "talking tough." In other words, he didn't go to "show them up," but rather, there was a possibility that he intended to have the itako perform some kind of kuchiyose.
However, because the itako weren't there... no, naturally, even if they had been there, Takeshita didn't think he would have written the truth, but he reasoned that he might have put that kind of tough talk into writing, whether intentionally or unconsciously.
At that time, Motohashi was in the middle of a flow of killing people as ordered by Takigawa, and this journey was the way there and back. No matter how much it was Motohashi, he couldn't have been in a mentally good state.
At such a time, it wouldn't be so strange even if he sought some kind of "salvation" in the itako's kuchiyose. Needless to say, the target of the summoning of the dead would have been Hinako. And Kuroda, who had known Motohashi since they were children, probably instantly sensed Motohashi's true feelings upon seeing the diary.
Certainly, Kuroda himself had recognized things like his feelings for Hinako for a long time, and Takeshita had already made it public to the two of them just a moment ago. However, regarding that matter of the itako, if he had intended to ask for a summoning of Hinako, there is no room for doubt that an interpretation would emerge that it was simply far more womanish and miserable an expression of emotion for a yakuza... or rather, as a man (of course, it's not necessarily limited to a negative interpretation).
Therefore, when Takeshita was about to argue against the story Kuboyama brought up, Kuroda feared that Takeshita would speak the truth and wanted to keep the memory of the "strong older brother figure" for Kuboyama as it was in him, or he wanted to maintain Motohashi's tough talk in the diary for the dead Motohashi, or both, and Kuroda instantly sealed Takeshita's words. That's what he speculated. And Takeshita also sensed Kuroda's heart and suppressed his true opinion at the last second.
"Perhaps that thing about 'if you keep up a lie, it becomes the truth' wasn't just a hint for solving the code..."
Takeshita, who stepped out onto the floor where his room was as the elevator doors opened, was thinking about the words (hint) for deciphering the letter Motohashi had written before his execution, which could be called a will addressed to Kuboyama.
Motohashi had written as a hint, "A lie that one keeps up until the end for the sake of others also leads to sincerity (Makoto = meaning truth, sincerity, or integrity)." But if those words weren't just 'appropriately' fabricated words to make Kuboyama decipher it, but were perhaps words brought about by some experience he had with Kuroda or his old friends, then Kuroda's sudden behavior was fully understandable.
That said, he could no longer confirm that point with Kuroda, and since Takeshita himself had no intention of doing so, there was no point in saying it now.
"Revealing everything isn't always the right thing to do."
Takeshita told himself that and softly inserted the key card into the door of his room.