Aoi? What's up with this?
That box? What, is there something wrong with it?
You didn't throw it out?
No, I didn't...
Huh?
Actually, I did. Just yesterday.
Then what is it still doing here?
I definitely threw it in the rubbish.
Sorry, did you still need it for something?
I was about to ask you the same question.
How does a box that was supposed to be in the wastepaper basket end up back on top of the cupboard?
On the cupboard?
That cupboard over there?
Never mind.
Just stop leaving things lying around. You're making the room look a mess.
This room is clearly visible from outside. It's just shameful.
Hey, steady on. I'm telling you, I threw that box out.
Are you certain?
Besides that box, has anything else changed in this room?
What?
You can't mean... a thief...?!
It'd take one gutsy thief to break into a spy's house.
We don't have time to joke around. Get up and take a good look.
Doesn't look to me like anything's missing, though.
So it would appear. This is even worse than I first thought.
Worse? How so?
I'm led to conclude that this must be the work
of someone involved with the occupying forces.
You think they investigated this place?
It's a possibility.
This appears to be an ordinary box fresh from the confectioner's...
This
designed, if memory serves, to contain four manjuu and six kintsuba...
[Manjuu and Kintsuba are Japanese sweets.]
Um... I guess you're probably right about that?
I'm surprised you remember it that well.
Photographic memory.
Didn't you get the same training?
Sure I did! I just don't use it in everyday situations.
If you don't, then you'll never be able to count on it at critical moments!
How can you predict ahead of time what facts may turn out to be vitally important? You can't, can you?
All right, all right. Let's see... how big were the kintsuba?
Three centimeters thick, five centimeters wide
Approximate values
3 centimeters
4.5 centimeters
5 centimeters
and four point five centimeters tall.
That's incredible.
You really measure your food mentally while you're eating it?
No way. You're making all this up.
I have no need to lie about such things.
The hint of salt in the bean paste was just a little too strong.
The salt, you say?
A small amount of extra salt had been absorbed into the crust.
"Extra salt"? Compared to what?
Compared to the average kintsuba, of course.
The average...?! What are you talking about?
To make that kind of claim... you'd need to have sampled kintsuba from dozens of different shops!
Is it possible you like kintsuba?
So that's it. You're just rather fond of kintsuba.
And here you had me totally impressed.
Still, I'd never have expected that.
I always thought you didn't have much interest in food.
Well, I wouldn't call it my favourite food or anything, but most Japanese people tend to like sweets made with bean paste.
Don't get embarrassed about it.
Come to think of it, why did you buy the kintsuba in the first place?
You mean you ate them without thinking to ask?
Well, I'm asking now, aren't I?
You really are short a few clues, aren't you? Not that I haven't always thought that about you...
It was Natsume who brought us those.
Natsume?
I thought we'd agreed that he wouldn't come here personally except in emergencies.
We did, at that.
I thought something serious must have happened when he showed up,
but it turned out he just wanted some camera film developed.
That was what, four days ago?
Oh, here we go. Here's the list.
I developed those films myself.
There was nothing on them but landscape pictures.
Was that when he brought these things here?
He went on about "being grateful for our constant assistance" or something.
That's strange.
Well, the fact is that someone has moved a manjuu box.
And an empty box at that.
Should we take the box apart? There could be something hidden inside...
No, we'll look into that later.
Natsume should be coming round today as scheduled to pick up the photographs.
We can ask him for details then.
More importantly, who has had the opportunity to enter and leave this room in that time?
In the last four days? Let's see... Judge Bidelf... and someone from the Konan office.
You mean that exchange student from India?
Yeah, that one. Apart from that...
Furan is here! Sorry to keep you waiting!
Sorry to keep us waiting? What do you mean?
You should eat something soft so you're less hard on me!
It's still a little early for dinner.
Do you only expect me to come here on business? Is that all our relationship means to you?
Why are you both looking so surprised?
What's this?
Uh... that's...
Things will only get worse if she gets involved.
What have you been doing with that box?
Nothing, really.
Mr. Kazura, you should think before you speak.
Nobody in this world really does "nothing" with something.
When somebody says that, it's a sure sign there's a secret somewhere!
You're sharp!
The truth is, this box grows legs when darkness falls, and walks around on its own.
Aoi, are you a complete fool, or are you just taking me for one?
Of course not. That was just... a metaphor to help you understand the situation.
It's true, though, that this box seems to move from place to place when nobody's around to look at it.
We were wondering what causes that to happen.
Like, maybe a car passing by outside caused a vibration which made it resonate,
or maybe it started sliding due to static electricity...
What is it?
Never mind. It's nothing.
No, thank you. I'm just waiting for someone, so this is enough for me.
I'm really sorry for making you wait.
Don't worry about it. More importantly, how did it go?
They had another visitor.
And that same box was right in front of her while they were talking.
Oh, dear.
I only saw them through the window as I was passing by the shop, so I can't say just what they were doing.
This "other customer"... what kind of person was she?
A young girl in Chinese clothing.
I only saw her from behind, but I don't think it would be inaccurate to call her a child.
I see. But surely there's no problem with her hearing your conversation with Aoi and Kazura, if she's only a child?
No, we can't get careless.
Sending a child to gather information is a very old trick.
And even if nothing of the sort was going on,
wouldn't you rather people didn't realize we have ties to the owners of that studio?
That's a good point.
I'll go next time.
People in the neighborhood will start recognizing your face if you go there too often.
You're a memorable person, after all.
No.
Even if no-one remembered your face, Miss, you would be far more easily identified with those birthmarks of yours.
In other words...
these!
I suppose you're right. Who would ever have thought two spies would be so conspicuous?
I have to wonder what use we really are...
Oh! He was still here?
D-Don't get the wrong impression! We aren't spies at all! We were discussing a novel, that's all!
I mean, a real spy would never talk about being a spy, right? That wouldn't happen!
That was unsettling.
Anyway, when I searched... I meant to say, when I took a look inside the box, everything was the same as when I delivered it.
I'll go over there again later.
What if we telephoned them?
We could inform them over the telephone without that girl noticing, couldn't we?
Excuse me.
Summer flu? Here, have a handkerchief.
Thank you.
Someone must be spreading rumors about me.
Is that superstition common over here, too?
No, only among Japanese people.
Which means... the person talking about me must be Japanese!
Ah, that makes sense.
What part of that made sense?
Let's leave the wastepaper basket for later.
Approx. 4 meters
You wanted to put this lovely box in the wastepaper basket?
It's about four meters from the basket to the top of the cupboard, and this box managed to travel between the two.
Did you throw this box away already, then?
That's exactly what happened.
Even if we stayed here all day, we might not be able to solve this mystery. Let's go elsewhere for the time being.
It might start moving again if nobody's looking.
What kind of nonsense is that?
Just let it go, okay?
All right! I'll come with you!
It's possible the telephone could be wiretapped, so please choose your words carefully.
I'm aware of that.
Please don't mention the word "spy" at all.
I know!
Anyway, we need to let them know about that box as soon as possible.
But don't you think getting the box back would be a better idea?
In hindsight, it's a blessing in disguise that I forgot to tell them about the hidden compartment in that box.
It certainly is, after that mix-up with the films...
I don't think this has really shed light on anything.
Shikunshidou (First floor)
Full scheme!!
You're not wrong.
Not wrong at all.
Shall we take a little peek at it, then?
Furan.
Yes?
Get in there silently and confirm the situation, and don't let the box notice you.
Roger.
So is this supposed to be our entertainment until Natsume comes back?
I saw him pass by our window a little while ago.
He probably saw us talking with Furan and decided not to come in.
You think so?
I've thought for a while that you indulge her too much.
I hope you've noticed that yourself by now.
There's nothing suspicious about her behavior, is there?
That's not the point.
We have no idea how long our current lifestyle will last.
If you get attached to her now, it will make things harder later on.
I know.
Telephone!
I'll get it!
Hello.
Excuse me, who might you be?
Furan! Telephone! Now!
Oh dear, do I have a wrong number? Isn't this the Shikunshidou Photo Studio?
Oh! Yes, it is, it is!
I've never talked to anyone on the telephone before! I'm so excited!
Please don't hold back! Talk and talk as much as you like!
What's the matter?
We have a problem. It seems the girl you saw earlier picked up the phone.
Perhaps they asked her to mind the shop?
Hey, hey, say something!
Um... is there anyone in charge of the shop I can talk to?
If there is, please put them on, okay?
Put the monkey...?
We don't have monkeys here, but if you want, the owners are around.
A hound? There's a hound with you?
What's she saying?
Something about a monkey and a hound being there.
Perhaps she means Aoi and Kazura?
Anyway, if the studio owner is there, please let him speak into the microphone.
The rhino? You want a rhino now?
This isn't a zoo, you know.
Um, then please put the monkey or the hound on the line.
I have absolutely no idea what you are trying to say.
I'm calling on important business here!
Oh! I'm so sorry! I should fetch Mr. Aoi or Mr. Kazura then, shouldn't I?
Please wait a moment!
Hey, you two! There's someone on the phone!
She hung up.
I wonder if she really meant to call Aoi a monkey and Kazura a hound... What do you think?
Furan, when you hang the receiver on here, the connection gets terminated, you know.
Really?
And after she said she was calling on important business, too...
Who did?
Good question.
You didn't ask?
She didn't tell me!
Hmmm... It was someone who seemed to like animals a lot...
Well, the connection's been cut now, so it can't be helped. She'll probably call again.
You really think so?! Then I can answer it again!
You'll do no such thing!
But she sounded like such an interesting lady.
Maybe I should put a telephone in my shop, too. How much did it cost you?
How much was it, again? ...It was pretty expensive, that's all I know.
And after you've bought one, you also need to pay for every call.
Is that how it is?
Well, if you can afford one, with business as slow as yours, then I shouldn't have a problem paying for mine.
Are you saying you've already bought one?
To tell you the truth... yes, I've bought one.
So this "I've already bought it" and the "box walking" actually have quite a connection after all.
Whatever are you talking about?
Huh? You mean that's actually true?
Please think back to when Furan came in earlier.
She asked us "What have you been doing with that box?"
But we weren't talking about the box at that point.
When Furan entered the room, we were discussing our clients.
That's true, now that you mention it...
I didn't catch on either at that point, but when Furan went in to "confirm the situation" the pieces began to fit together.
I figured it out then, too.
How embarrassing.
Furan didn't recognize our wastepaper basket when she saw it.
In other words, she didn't realize that the box was meant to be thrown away.
I'm still not sure I follow. Please explain more clearly.
Furan, you didn't know the box had been thrown away, correct? You thought it had been simply moved around the room.
Of course! And I thought that if it wasn't sitting on the cupboard, there would be no way to see it from outside...
so I put it back up there.
Besides the two of us, the only person who can enter and leave this room freely is Furan.
I guess...
I don't understand. Why is it important that the box can be seen from outside?
Ask yourself this. Why does Furan come to our shop so often?
Because it happens to be on the way back from her shop.
She doesn't have to come in, though. She can simply walk past as usual,
and be reassured by seeing the box through the window.
What I'm trying to say is that something inside that box is pretty important to Furan.
Am I right?
Yes.
I see.
But what would make you do something like that? Besides, I'm certain that the box was empty.
That's why I told Aoi to throw it away.
Please explain yourself, clearly and honestly.
All right.
Well, it all started one morning. The weather was very chilly considering it was summer,
and the first thing I did that day was to-
Furan!
Well... three days ago,
I ate the last kintsuba out of that box.
What?!
There's still one left <3
Thank you for the food!
So it was you who ate it?!
Now, now. There's no point in getting annoyed, Kazura.
So, you ate it. What then?
The box was still kind of heavy, you see.
Even though it was supposed to be empty, it was a lot heavier than I thought it should be.
So I looked around... and found a secret compartment!
It had a false bottom? I see, so what happened then?
There was a thin, papery bag made of lead inside.
And in that bag there were some photo thingies, you know...
You mean "films", right?
No, the smaller ones. Really small!
A microfilm?
I may be an innocent little girl, but I couldn't resist something so secret!
I figured that this box must be an important hiding-place.
So I hid something of my own under the little lead bag, and put the box back in its place.
Sorry about that.
I see.
And that's why you wanted to be able to see the box when you walked past the shop.
I was totally surprised when I came by and the box wasn't in its usual place.
Can you imagine how I felt at that moment?!
Still, why would you hide something important in someone else's house?
At home, Mr. Chin has the house to himself all day, and in the evening when he leaves, I'm there all alone.
This is Mr. Chin, whom we met in episode 4.
He works really hard.
If a thief showed up, he could easily take all my savings.
That's why it's safer here, where there's always a strong young man around with time on his hands.
We don't even have banks in this era...
Are you sure you should be putting so much trust in us?
Why are you laughing like that?
In any case, you wouldn't be able to hide much of a fortune in that box.
You've got it all wrong! I used the box to hide a note saying where I put the money.
I hide bits of it in all sorts of places, and I kind of forget where I put it sometimes...
Should you really be telling us something like this?
It's fine! I've put my note somewhere else now!
When did you manage that?
Not... when you were alone in the room just now?
I understand now! So that's why you let Furan go in there on her own?
I reckoned that as long as Furan could make sure her treasure was safe,
she would be willing to tell us the reason behind all this.
Quite a game we've had to play today. But it was fun, wasn't it?
Still, that explanation doesn't resolve everything.
You're right! What was with that secret film, anyway?
Keen as always...
Oh! Telephone! Telephone!
The phone! <3
Shikunshidou Photo Studio, how may I help you?
This is Mr. Kamia. I asked you to develop some films for me four days ago.
Yes.
Right.
Kazura picked up.
That's good.
Thank you very much for the splendid gift you gave us on that occasion.
Judging by how you and Kazura behaved, neither of you had the slightest idea about the false bottom in the box, did you?
That's not true.
You're such a bad liar, you know.
When I looked inside, everything was as I'd left it, so how can you claim you knew?
You're referring to that other film?
Yes, I'm aware of it.
If you had mentioned it before, I would have had it prepared by today as well.
What is on that film?
But seriously, you really had no idea?
Wait a second. Did you say you took a look at the film?
Yep! But it hadn't been made into a picture yet.
You're saying it was undeveloped, and you took it out?
Of course I did! How else would I have known there was a film in there?
Hey, is something wrong? Aoi?
Well, if you opened it, I guess there's nothing we can do...
Poof~
Listen, Furan. If you let sunlight touch a film before it goes through a special process called "development", it'll ruin it.
Really?
I'm sorry... Just saying I didn't know any better doesn't feel good enough. Should I repay you for it?
No need. Forget about it.
Actually, with regard to that film...
We just found out that it's been accidentally exposed to sunlight.
Is that so?
Apparently it was exposed to bright light, which made the picture disappear.
Oh, what a relief.
That way, nobody can ever lay eyes on it.
I can only offer my deepest apologies...
What?
Really?
It's good that it disappeared, you say?
If you'll excuse my curiosity, what was the subject of the picture?
It's a secret.
The walking box