Chapter 211 - Superstition 1 {1 Solo} (1-2 New Developments)
The two who remained spent some time after that wandering along the Sekihoku Main Line near the Jomon Tunnel, reflecting on the hardships of the tako-beya laborers of the past. Takagaki seemed to be expanding his imagery for writing his book, but then he suddenly said,
"Shall we try going inside the tunnel for a bit?"
"No, wouldn't that be bad? It's a narrow single-track tunnel, so there's a risk we won't be able to avoid a train if one comes in?"
Takeshita, partly because he wasn't keen on the idea, warned him by asserting the danger of an accident, but Takagaki didn't seem to intend to listen.
"There shouldn't be any trains running here at this time, so it'll be fine."
"There are freight trains that you can't tell from the timetable, too." Takeshita still urged him to stop.
"I'm not planning to go deep! If we just go about 50m in from the entrance, if a train approaches, we'll be fine whether it comes from the front or the back, right? Or are you afraid of ghosts?"
Takagaki's argument was that even if they could likely turn back if one came from the front, it seemed dangerous no matter how you thought about it if one came from behind. However, having been told this much, it also concerned Takeshita's pride as a man, so,
"It can't be helped, I understand... Just a little bit, then," he said, half-exasperated, and the two entered from the entrance of the Jomon Tunnel.
Long ago (1970), it was said that during repair work after an earthquake caused the bricks of the tunnel wall to collapse, a skeletal remains of a whole body, believed to be a tako-beya laborer used as a human pillar, were found inside, though the clear truth of this cannot be confirmed now (Author's Note: I think it's highly likely to be true).
What is certain is that this tunnel of about 500m and the tracks around it are products of blood and sweat, redeemed by many sacrifices. That is an undeniable historical fact. And currently, the walls are not brick but completely covered in concrete. Fluorescent lights are installed at regular intervals on those walls, so it's not completely pitch black if the switch is on. However, combined with the legends of this tunnel, it remains eerie nonetheless.
Walking fearfully, at a point probably more than 30m in, they suddenly saw a human-like shadow ahead. At first, they thought it was a JR maintenance worker and feared they would be scolded for trespassing, but the figure seemed to be walking slowly without saying anything. Because of the darkness, it was hard to tell which way it was walking, but eventually, they realized it was approaching them.
Takagaki, who was in the lead watching the situation, let out a cry of "Ah!" Takeshita also immediately let out a loud voice of "Eh!", the kind he usually wouldn't make. This was because by the time the figure was faintly visible, it did not look like the kind of clothing a person of the "present" would wear.
To be honest, Takeshita felt like running all the way to the exit, but his legs wouldn't move as he wanted, and to put it exaggeratedly, he stood frozen, unable to do anything but stare at the shadow approaching from the front. It was a strange thing, but after the initial loud cry, the two spoke in their usual tones.
"What is that?" Takagaki strained his eyes in the darkness, but Takeshita said,
"I think it's a person, but that's not modern clothing," while feigning composure and observing, even deciding to confirm its identity now that it had come to this.
And the person who approached was, as they had seen from a distance, a man wearing work clothes in a clearly pre-war style, with gaiters wrapped around his ankles, worn out and stained with mud, the kind often seen in black-and-white films. The two recognized again that he was not a human living in the same era, and at the same time, they were certain of his identity. However, they didn't know what to say at this stage, or rather, their voices might have already stopped coming out at that point, but the two remained silent and observed the other's movements.
However, the other person also didn't change the expression on his mud-stained face at all, and while staring intently at the two, he approached to a distance of about 2m and then confronted them across that distance for a while. They weren't sure how long that time lasted, but it felt like a terrifyingly long time. But suddenly, the man relaxed his expression, and although they couldn't clearly understand the one thing he said, the two recognized only that their consciousness was rapidly fading as the figure vanished from before their eyes.
"—ey! Hey! Oh, you're awake! Takeshita-san, are you okay?"
Feeling his upper body being shaken strongly, Takeshita finally woke up.
The one shaking him was Takagaki, and he could recognize Takagaki's expression changing from one of great worry to one of relief.
"...Taka... Takagaki-san? We just entered the tunnel..."
When Takeshita falteringly confirmed his memories up to that point, Takagaki nodded silently. And Takeshita finally understood that he was now sitting in the driver's seat of the car and Takagaki was in the passenger seat. He had no memory at all from when his consciousness flew in that tunnel until this parking space.
"Was that... a tako-beya laborer?" Takeshita asked, with an expression that was likely still pale, though he couldn't tell himself.
"I'm not sure, but from that appearance, probably so... I don't think it was a being of this world... I too had hardly believed in psychic phenomena until just now, but to be honest, I was surprised... Such things really happen... Well, I knew this was that kind of place, but it's also true that I had an assumption somewhere that it was a kind of superstition. But still... I guess you don't know until you actually experience it yourself." Having said that much, Takagaki said nothing further.
"I too had heard many ghost stories about this place, but I originally didn't believe in psychic phenomena. Man, that was a terrifying experience." Takeshita also spoke his honest impressions while feeling a slight trembling in his body.
However, Takagaki was becoming unexpectedly mellow at this point. Takeshita didn't understand the reason and said hesitantly,
"Takagaki-san, aren't you scared? It's pathetic for a forty-year-old man to say this, but..."
"Takeshita-san. Do you remember that man saying something back then?"
Takeshita was taken aback by the unexpected words.
"He certainly said something..." While saying that, he tried desperately to remember. And finally, he came up with one answer.
"It's faint, but... 'The rest... I leave to you'? Or something like that, I think."
He spoke with an uncertain tone, but Takagaki said,
"Ah! I think he probably said that too. Since our opinions match, that must be it. This might just be my own assumption, but didn't that ghost entrust it to us? 'Don't let people meet the same fate as us.' and 'Work for that purpose.'"
"That kind of interpretation might be quite possible," Takeshita said, showing a certain level of understanding of Takagaki's statement, but then added self-deprecatingly,
"But for me, the fear comes first, and I can't even think that far. Takagaki-san, you've really been through some scenes as a freelancer."
"That's not it. I was surprised and terrified at first too!" The veteran freelance journalist laughed heartily, but then said with a serious face,
"But you know... this might be a worn-out expression that feels late now, but I always think 'living humans are the scariest.' That's why, if you think about it, a mere harmless ghost isn't that scary! Besides, he seems to be... in a position to support us? He's like a guardian spirit, isn't he?"
"I see. That might certainly be true." Takeshita nodded deeply.
The words "living humans are the scariest" uttered from Takagaki's mouth might have been an overly cliché expression for a writer. However, considering the path Takagaki had walked from starting as a Tozai Shinbun reporter, leaving Tozai Shinbun, and then as a freelance journalist, Takeshita felt that it was precisely in those unoriginal words that a compelling weight resided.
"That's why we don't have time to be afraid, and we just have to think about continuing to do the work we should do for that ghost! And in that, there's the matter of how to cover the people left behind in the current social remotes. We should just understand what happened earlier as something that reconfirmed that." Takagaki's words resonated strongly with Takeshita.
"That aside, it's also true that I'm frozen to the core in many ways, so let's get out of these mountains to the coast and go eat some hot seafood ramen!" Takagaki suddenly changed the subject with a refreshed expression, suggested what to eat for lunch, and lightly tapped Takeshita on the shoulder.
"Right! An army marches on its stomach. Everything starts with a meal!" Takeshita also wore a heartfelt smile, fastened his seatbelt, and started the car engine. Then he released the handbrake and shifted from neutral into first gear. At the same time,
"Also, I just decided on the title for the Jomon Tunnel book! I'm going to call it 'Remote Grave Marker.' What do you think?" Takagaki asked for his opinion.
"I see! Isn't that good? I'll get permission for the title from Nishida-san and Sawai-san, so leave that to me." Takeshita said and lightly stepped on the accelerator.
"Is that so! That's encouraging. I'm counting on you, Takeshita!" It was the first time Takagaki had addressed him without an honorific, but strangely, the happiness won out.
"Yeah. Please write to your heart's content with peace of mind! But if I tell Nishida-san and Yoshimura that this happened after we parted, they'll think I've lost my mind. Should I keep quiet?" When asked that, Takagaki replied,
"At least those two will believe you, won't they? From an outsider's perspective, I think that's the kind of relationship you have. So just say it normally."
"Hmm. I wonder... But as you said, there's no point in worrying about it now. Let's do as you say, Takagaki-san!" Takeshita shouted lightly while being energetic, and the car accelerated, kicking up gravel.
Foreshadowing
As of '95, Takamiya, a veteran JR driver, testified to Nishida, whom he met at Yusen, that the Jomon Tunnel psychic phenomena are actually still occurring, not just stories from the past.
Meian 27, latter part
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n5921df/48/
Meanwhile, Nishida and Yoshimura's car followed the Engaru Station car carrying Boss and the others as far as the Ikutahara urban area. Then, after parting ways with the Engaru Station car, which proceeded along Route 242 toward Ikutahara Station to drop off Chief Priest Matsuno at Koan-ji, they sped up along Route 242 toward Kitami. However, while climbing toward Kanehana Pass, the border with Rubeshibe Town, a contact came to Nishida's cell phone. The caller was Imada-kenji, whom they were supposed to meet, saying that his pregnant wife had gone into labor before he left for work, so he wanted to postpone today's meeting until tomorrow or later if possible.
"The schedule's gone all wrong... Now I've got this awkward amount of time. It's not quite enough to just relax at home." Nishida didn't hide his "unlucky" attitude, but Yoshimura said,
"In that case, since it's this cold, how about we go into an onsen and warm up before work?"
"Onsen? You mean a day-trip bath? Well, I guess you could say it's within working hours..." Originally, they were going straight to the Kitami Branch of the Kushiro District Public Prosecutors Office, so if they were in an onsen, it would overlap with working hours, but since that was completely open, you could also say it was outside working hours. There was also a sense that since it was a sudden cancellation, no one would blame them for using the freed-up time as they pleased.
"Right. I'm sure that Hotel Shochikubai in Onneyu Onsen does day-trip bathing and should lend out towels and yukata. It's a memory from when we stayed there seven years ago to take Oshima's fingerprints. Isn't it fine? It's a cancellation due to the other party's convenience."
Since the fingerprints of Oshima provided by Takagaki didn't match the blood seal of Kuwano Kinya, they had stayed at Hotel Shochikubai with Oshima and his supporters to obtain Oshima's fingerprints in front of them for final confirmation, and it seemed to be information he had obtained then.
"I see... Well, let's try going there." Nishida eventually accepted the proposal.
"In the glove compartment, there's a towel from Hotel Shochikubai that I got from that old man in front of Kanehana Station when the car interior got soaked by a sudden wind and rain in June. I'm sure the phone number is on it. Just in case, let's check if they're still doing it before we go."
"But wasn't that a Kitami (Regional Headquarters) car back then?" To Nishida's question,
"The towel was like new, so I've been using it in my own car since then, so luckily we should be able to find the number. The cell signal should reach from here, right?" he answered.
This story of Yoshimura's was from this past June, when they stopped by Boss's place from Engaru Station and were returning to Kitami, and they noticed that the name of Onodera Michitoshi, the true identity of Oshima Kaiji, was listed as a deceased person in a booklet distributed at this year's naval mine accident memorial ceremony. Just before that, the car interior had been soaked by a sudden rainstorm, and when they parked in front of Kanehana Station to wipe the interior and wet items, the old man from the "Jinsei Gekijo" example appeared and had handed them a towel.
"You specifically stuffed that towel into your own car?" Nishida was surprised that Yoshimura was unexpectedly careful with things, but he immediately found the towel in the glove compartment and tried calling the phone number written on it.
However, the place he reached was Hotel "Yunotsato" in the same Onneyu Onsen, not Hotel Shochikubai. He thought maybe the name had changed, but the person on the phone told Nishida, "Hotel Shochikubai is properly separate." Nishida compared the number written on the towel with the number he had dialed, and after confirming they matched,
"Hey! If you look closely at this, it's not Hotel Shochikubai, it's 'Onsen Ryokan Yumoto Shochikubai'! The area code is the same, but isn't it something else? The place I just called said it was Hotel Yunotsato. They said the name hadn't changed and Hotel Shochikubai is properly separate!" he complained to his subordinate. (Author's Note: Foreshadowing mentioned later)
"Eh? But the area code is the same, the name Shochikubai is the same, and if it's related to onsen, only that Hotel Shochikubai in Onneyu Onsen comes to mind... Isn't it just about Hotel Shochikubai? Was the formal name Hotel Shochikubai?" It was a doting-like reply, but the person himself seemed to have no malice at all.
"Either way, the phone number doesn't match, so it must be different. Enough! I'll look it up myself." With a parting shot, Nishida searched on his phone. As expected, the formal name was "Hotel Shochikubai," though the words Onneyu Onsen were attached. The phone number was 0157-□□-1126.
"It was different after all! Even so, I wonder which inn this towel belongs to." Nishida grumbled while calling the correct front desk number, and it seemed they did indeed allow day-trip bathing and had rental bath sets available.
"Only the part about day-trip bathing and bath sets was correct in your story." Nishida said sarcastically after finishing the conversation.
"See? I had a clear memory of that part." Yoshimura praised his own memory, ignoring the sarcasm.
"Whatever... Anyway, we have time, so let's go warm up our chilled bodies slowly." Nishida half-envied Yoshimura's lightheartedness, and his mind was beginning to turn completely toward the onsen.
The car safely crossed Kanehana Pass, entered Rubeshibe Town from Ikutahara Town, and reached the settlement in the Kanehana district. Then,
"Since we're here, shall we stop by the memorial monument too?" Yoshimura suggested while slowing down the car.
"Memorial monument?" Nishida asked in a suspicious tone.
"You know? The memorial for the victims of tako-beya labor in Kanehana (formal name is 'Jomon Tunnel Construction Martyr Memorial'). It's along the highway." he explained.
"Ah. That memorial... I suppose... We visited the Remote Grave Marker today, so let's stop here and offer a prayer too. As a way of marking a point..." Immediately after Nishida agreed, a long, thin white sign saying "Jomon Tunnel Construction Martyr Memorial Entrance" came into the view of the windshield.
"The parking space on the opposite lane is narrow, so it's bad if we don't face toward Engaru to park. In that case, it's better to park in front of Kanehana Station and walk, right? It's not much of a distance." Nishida proposed.
"Right. This is my private car, so I'd hate for it to be hit. Let's do that!" Yoshimura said as he went slightly past the memorial entrance and turned left into the side road toward Kanehana Station.
Foreshadowing
The incident of stopping by Kanehana Station after the rainstorm, encountering the old man playing "Jinsei Gekijo" on a radio-cassette player again, and receiving a towel is described in the latter half of Meijitsu 14.
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n5921df/91/
Also, there was a video of a memorial service at the Kanwa Jizo Statue, which is actually erected on the Rubeshibe side of the Jomon Tunnel, so I'll post it. It says JR holds a memorial ceremony every year in late June (In this novel, a separate grave marker was set on the Ikutahara side, but in reality, it only exists on the Rubeshibe side. Also, this Jizo statue is in a completely different place from the memorial monument (about 1 km from the Jomon Tunnel toward Rubeshibe)).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAiVy_C7Lbo
*