The air in the small private room was gloomy. Neither Tsubaki nor Director Ayanokouji talked. Both of them were immersed in their thoughts. Tsubaki"s index finger traced a side of the rim of the saucer, her eyes looking into the depth of the teacup. She took a heavy breath before she cast her sight onto the woman"s face."What story did you hide from Mr. Gensai? And... why?" Her voice was a whisper in the silent room.
Director Ayanokouji looked conflicted. She repeatedly looked at Tsubaki before lowering her gaze to her hands. Tsubaki didn"t pressure her. She knew this woman was trying her best to gather her words.
"When..." Once she spoke, her the light in her eyes grew faint as she recalled the event happening years ago. "Mr. Gensai came to see me, it wasn"t the first time someone came for Hinata. When she was in the orphanage, besides the couple looking for adoption, two people came for her. I was still contemplating whether I should tell him or not... until I met you here."
Tsubaki knitted her brows, what Director Ayanokouji told her was something new. It was true that Akashi didn"t know about the people mentioned by the older woman.
"Could you tell me... who were these people?" Tsubaki asked carefully.
Director Ayanokouji nodded. She sighed heavily.
"Once, a woman came during the afternoon. It was when Hinata was in middle school. I remembered because she appeared sad when she was asking about Hinata and it was the first time someone came for her."
Director Ayanokouji paused, tracing back her memory. The matter happened more than a decade ago so even though she said she remembered, she still needed to think more of the minute details of it.
"The woman just asked about how Hinata was living," Director Ayanokouji added, she carefully looked at Tsubaki"s downhearted face. "So, I asked her if she was related to Hinata but she just smiled. Right before the children came back from school, she left while asking me to take care of Hinata."
"Did she give you her name?" Tsubaki quickly asked. She was intrigued by the woman"s appearance.
Director Ayanokouji shook her head. "She just came and left without leaving anything besides the request. I did think if she was Hinata"s biological mother but I couldn"t ask her."
Tsubaki bit her lower lip. It would be helpful if the said woman left any trace of her. At least, she could try finding her even with the smallest of hints.
"Then, another person came?" Tsubaki could feel the tips of her fingers turning cold. "You said there was more than one person came."
"It was a woman too," Director Ayanokouji swiftly answered Tsubaki. "I thought the woman came back but it was a different person. She asked about Hinata too but when I asked if she was interested to adopt her, she just smiled and left."
What?
"This woman too... came and left?" Tsubaki was confused. What were their purposes in doing so? "When did this woman come? Was it after the first woman came?"
"No! No!" Director Ayanokouji refuted the question. "The first woman came during the beginning of the year and... if I recall correctly, the second woman came a month after Hinata reported about she was being followed by an unfamiliar person. The visits happened in the same year."
Tsubaki almost stood up in fright. Her eyes widened as clear terror was evident on her face. Her lips quivered, she was unable to speak.
The second woman came... after the first kidnapping attempt?
"Did you... Did you ever think that... the women were involved in... the incident?" After much difficulty, Tsubaki asked her questions despite the stuttering. She was trying hard to keep herself calm.
"Mrs. Fuse, please drink first," Director Ayanokouji pushed the teacup towards Tsubaki, urging her to take a sip. "You look awful."
Tsubaki smiled weakly. When she took the cup, the cup almost tilted to one side because of her trembling fingers. Tsubaki quickly held it using both hands. She carefully drank the tea. After taking a few sips, her heart had calmed down for a bit. She placed the cup back on the saucer.
"I asked the patrols of our neighborhood..." Director Ayanokouji continued once she saw Tsubaki was fine. "They said they had never seen the women before so they denied the possibility. After all, only men were spotted in the van following Hinata. They had been keeping an eye out for any outsider so they were confident that the women had never appeared before."
"Did anything else happen?" Tsubaki closed her eyes for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. "Even the smallest thing?"
Director Ayanokouji shook her head. "Nothing happened until Hinata was admitted into the best high school in the area. Mr. Gensai has told you about the missing admission letter and her personal information, right?"
Tsubaki faintly nodded, her eyes grew distant.
"The first woman came again a few weeks after Hinata enrolled in the school."
Tsubaki"s lips parted slightly, reveling in the shock.
"The first woman?" Tsubaki frowned, she didn"t like how this was going. "She came back... after a few years?"
"Yes. But, this time... She didn"t come to the office. If I didn"t spot her, I"d never know that she came that day. She was... watching the children playing ball outside the house. Hinata was with them," Director Ayanokouji sighed. "I remembered her face because she has left quite an impression on me. And... as Hinata became older, I finally realized the woman has a resemblance to Hinata."
Thud!
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Tsubaki"s clutch fell on the floor. Her hands trembled terribly until she needed to link her hands together tightly in order to stop it. Director Ayanokouji"s last sentence echoed repeatedly inside her mind.
"So... It"s true?" Hot tears started br.i.m.m.i.n.g around her eyes. Tsubaki stared right into the older woman"s eyes. "She might be... our mother?"
Director Ayanokouji reluctantly nodded her head. She pursed her lips, didn"t know what to say when she saw the look on Tsubaki"s face.
"Then!" Tsubaki"s sudden outburst startled Director Ayanokouji. Tsubaki leaned over, almost standing before her. "What about the second woman? Did you see her face?"
"Unfortunately, I didn"t." Director Ayanokouji looked defeated. "She wore sungla.s.ses and covered her face with a scarf. So, I couldn"t see her face."
Tsubaki lowered her head in exhaustion. She pursed her lips, thinking back on what Director Ayanokouji had told her so far. The appearance of the two women was a mystery she needed to solve. If she knew their ident.i.ties, it might help her to get a closure on what happened 5 years ago.
If the first woman was indeed their biological mother, then who was the second woman? Were they related? If they were not, then... Who was she?