"Woof woof woof——"
The sound of dogs barking and chewing and swallowing coming from the window woke up the hungover Maijo Kyousuke.
Opening his somewhat dry eyes, Maijo Kyousuke sat up from his bare-walled room.
At this moment, I was extremely thirsty, and my throat felt like it was on fire.
He raised his head and looked at the white moonlight outside the narrow window above the house.
Maijo Kyousuke grabbed the watch next to him and took a look at it, and finally understood why he was so thirsty.
Because it was already nine o'clock in the evening on January 3, Showa 55 (1980).
After returning home after drinking with Uyama Hinideomi, I had been asleep in bed for more than ten hours!
Maijo Kyousuke put the watch on his wrist and filled it with water from the tap using a plastic bottle.
He flattened the bottle and poured the water down his throat.
The cold water quickly activated Maijo Kyousuke's dehydrated body and activated his brain.
At this time, Maijo Kyousuke suddenly realized that the sound of dogs barking and chewing coming from outside the window was a fatal event for him!
Because the house that Maijo Keisuke lives in is a dilapidated house in Adachi, the poorest district in Tokyo, with the street outside the door.
Because when the original person died, the money left to him was really pitiful.
In order to satisfy his hunger, Maijo Kyousuke could only snap up a lot of chicken, fish and beef from cheap supermarkets to prevent himself from starving.
It was winter, so in order to save electricity bills, Maijo Kyousuke put the food outside the window to ensure that it would not spoil.
Don’t feel embarrassed, Tokyo’s tiered electricity bills are the most expensive in the world!
The refrigerator in the original room was too old and consumed a terrible amount of electricity. Just turning it on, plus all the miscellaneous things, would cost Maijo Kyousuke nearly 10,000 yen more every month. Electricity bill!
Thinking of this, Maijo Kyousuke hurriedly opened the narrow window of the house and looked down. The scene in front of him almost made him faint!
Chicken, fish, and beef, which Maijo Kyousuke was usually reluctant to eat, were scattered everywhere.
The black bag containing food that he tied outside the window was bitten and dilapidated.
A little girl about seven or eight years old, wearing a red bread coat and a red cotton hat, squatting on the ground like a fire pole, was standing under her window holding a yellow and white Akita dog.
The Akita dog happily ate the food "fallen from the sky", while the little girl squatted aside and watched happily, without feeling that Maijo Keisuke was looking at them with terrifying eyes!
Although yesterday Uyama Hiideomi had promised Maijo Kyousuke to let the astrological killing magic participate in the selection of the Edogawa Ranpo Prize.
He even patted his chest and promised that the astrological killing magic must be shortlisted!
The two of them talked freely about their ideals and goals while drinking. They even talked about what kind of impact it would have on the Japanese mystery literary world after the publication of the astrological killing magic in the future!
But I forgot to talk about the most important thing.
That’s how to calculate Maijo Kyousuke’s royalties!
His royalties haven't been settled yet, and Kyousuke Maishiro can't survive just a few days with just a few coins in his pocket!
At this moment, seeing his food being eaten again, Maijo Kyousuke suddenly felt angry in his heart!
He picked up a baseball bat for self-defense and climbed out of the window:
"How dare you eat my food! I have to stew you today!"
The little girl heard the sound above her head and slowly raised her head.
What came into view was an extremely vicious face!
When the little girl saw Maijo Keisuke climbing out of the window with a baseball bat in his hand and a ferocious look on his face, he jumped up in fright and dropped the red hat on his head to the ground!
"Watson! Run!"
"Some scary people are coming to eat you!"
The little girl picked up the hat, shook off the snow stuck to it, put it back on her head, sniffed hard, pulled the Akita dog and ran away.
The Akita dog named "Watson" was also very humane. After hearing the little girl's words, he immediately picked up a piece of beef and followed Little Red Riding Hood!
"You stinky kid wearing Little Red Riding Hood! Stop! Don't run!"
Although Maijo Kyousuke was not a huge man, he was blinded by anger and the windows of this broken house were too narrow, so he was stuck by the windows for a while.
He could only watch helplessly as Little Red Riding Hood turned around and stuck out her tongue at him, then led the dog Watson and jumped away towards the distance.
When Maijo Kyousuke climbed out of the narrow window.
Little Red Riding Hood and Watson the dog have long disappeared!
"hateful!"
Maijo Keisuke poked the remaining food on the ground with a baseball bat.
I found that "Dog Watson" was so ruthless that he actually left teeth marks on every piece of meat!
In this case, these foods are designated as inedible.
Maijo Kyousuke was wearing thin clothes and standing alone on the street.
The biting cold wind blew by, making the hair on Mishiro Kyousuke's hair stand on end, but no matter how cold the weather was, it was not as cold as Mishiro Kyousuke's heart.
Money is at the bottom and food is in short supply!
Although he traveled to Tokyo, he was in a situation as if he had traveled to the end of the world.
Maijo Kyousuke looked at the food on the ground worriedly, knowing that if he didn't do something, he would face starving to death next!
Thinking of this, Maijo Kyousuke immediately ran back to the house.
I started rummaging through the suit that didn't fit me.
Although it is a bit too hasty to negotiate royalties with Uyama Hinodeomi now.
But at this moment, only Uyama Hinodeomi can help him!
If nothing else, there should have been an accident.
After searching every pocket of the suit, Maijo Kyousuke almost tore the suit into pieces, but he couldn't find Uyama Hinideomi's business card.
Thinking about it, I didn’t leave any contact information for Uyama Hinideomi yesterday.
Doesn’t that mean? Now no one can contact me or Uyama Hinodeomi?
Thinking of this, Maijo Kyousuke immediately dug out the newspaper at home and found Kodansha's phone number in the newspaper.
He put on his suit and ran to the phone booth about 500 meters away from his home, trying to contact Uyama Hinideomi.
However, it was the New Year's Day holiday, so all Kodansha employees were naturally off.
Maijo Kyousuke wasted fifty yen coins, only to get a desperate busy tone.
He touched the few coins in his pocket.
Maijo Kyousuke clenched his fists fiercely!
The fundamental reason why he ended up in this situation was the fault of Little Red Riding Hood with a runny nose and the heinous dog Watson!
Better not let yourself run into these two guys again!
Maijo Kyousuke angrily wrapped his clothes tightly and walked towards home...
