Ai stared at Anna, utterly confused.
Anna opened her mouth as though she were about to explain, but no words came out. Instead, she slowly crouched down beside Ai and lowered her voice. "I don't know him myself. Grandpa Kaiser is talking to him right now. I think he's the son of one of Grandpa's friends."
Ai slowly rubbed her forehead, trying to make sense of the explanation. Anna continued, "Although… he does seem somewhat familiar to me." She paused, then gave Ai a gentle look. "Anyway, go take a shower and come downstairs, okay? And don't push yourself too hard."
Ai nodded quietly.
Anna straightened up, brushing her clothes as she rose. Before leaving, she turned towards Ai, winked, and disappeared down the corridor.
Ai remained seated, staring into the distance. The news had only left her with more questions. Who was this visitor, and why did Anna find him familiar? She sat there for a while, lost in thought, until a few minutes had passed.
After freshening up, Ai made her way downstairs. She was heading towards the veranda, where Kaiser and his visitor were sitting. As she approached the staircase, she slowed her pace and cautiously peeked towards them. From where she stood, she couldn't make out the visitor's face. All she could see was his back.
Taking support from the wall, she carefully descended the stairs. By the time she reached the final step, Kaiser had already noticed her.
"Ah, Ki, there you are!" he called, turning towards her. "Are you feeling any better? Anyway, come here and sit with us. I'd like you to meet someone."
Ai walked towards the sofas, pulling out a chair for herself.
"This is Arthur," Kaiser introduced him. "He's the son of a very good friend of mine, Antonio."
He glanced at Ai, who was still standing beside the chair. "Well? Why are you just standing there? Come and sit."
Arthur turned towards her with a pleasant smile. He waited until she had settled into her seat before greeting her.
"You look quite pale," he remarked. "As white as a sheet."
Kaiser took another look at Ai, his expression turning concerned. "He's right. Are you alright, kid?"
"Yeah, I think I have a little fever," Ai replied.
"Then you should go and get some rest, kid."
"No, it's not that bad. Don't worry about me. Please, continue."
"Are you sure?"
Ai gave a small nod.
Kaiser seemed reluctant, but eventually continued the conversation. "Anyway, where were we? Ah, right. Have you ever visited your father's grave since… everything happened?"
Arthur shook his head. "No. I've never seen it since that incident."
"And your mother was never found after the war either…" Kaiser sighed. "Oh, you poor child. I'm sorry for your loss."
"No, no. Please don't apologise. It wasn't your fault to begin with…"
The conversation came to an abrupt halt. For a few seconds, neither of them spoke. A quiet silence settled over the veranda, broken only by the distant sounds coming from the kitchen.
"Grandpa! Could you come here for a second?" Anna suddenly called out.
"Coming!" Kaiser replied.
He pushed himself up from his seat and excused himself before heading towards the kitchen, leaving Ai and Arthur alone.
For a few moments, the two sat in silence. Neither seemed particularly eager to break it. Arthur eventually turned towards her.
"Is it bad? Your fever, I mean?"
"No, no. I'm alright."
Arthur leaned forward slightly, his expression still pleasant, though his next question carried a different sort of curiosity.
"Did worrying about Kanna make you this sick?"
Ai froze.
Arthur's question had caught her completely off guard. The moment his words reached her ears, the little colour that remained in her face seemed to drain away. She stared at him, struggling to comprehend how he could possibly know about Kanna. After a brief moment, she managed to collect herself and speak, though her voice betrayed her nervousness.
"H-how… d-do you know that?"
Arthur's smile remained unchanged. He regarded her for a moment before answering, his tone almost casual.
"That's rather unnecessary, isn't it? You seem quite frightened. I wish I could simply tell you not to worry, that I'm not your enemy, but…" He paused, tilting his head slightly. "I'm not entirely sure about that myself."
"W-what do you mean? Not sure…?"
Ai's breathing grew heavier. She struggled to finish her sentence, each breath interrupting the words before they could leave her mouth.
"Now, now. Don't push yourself," Arthur said, leaning back slightly. "It's not as though worrying will change your fate. Just answer one question of mine. After that, I can tell you whether we're enemies or allies."
Sweat had begun to cover Ai's face. She could feel her uneasiness growing with every passing second, yet Arthur seemed perfectly composed. He continued to look at her with that same faint smile.
"So, tell me…" he began. "How much do you know?"
Ai stared at him, confusion and fear mixing in her expression.
"K-know? What? What are you talking about…?"
"Listen, girl. Stop getting confused and answer me directly." His voice remained calm, but there was a noticeable firmness beneath it. "How much do you know about Ballyhilin? About what's going on here? And don't tell me you know nothing. I know you have at least some suspicions."
Ai frowned.
For a few seconds, she said nothing. Her eyes lowered as she tried to gather her thoughts and make sense of the situation. Arthur waited without interrupting her. The silence stretched on, and nearly a minute passed before Ai finally began to speak.
"I noticed… something. There's something wrong with the people here."
Arthur's expression shifted with interest.
"Not that there's anything particularly visible," Ai continued. "At first glance, everything seems normal. They talk and behave just like ordinary people. But when you pay closer attention, things start to feel… strange. It's as though they're all acting. As if they're hiding something."
She paused, searching for the right words.
"It's difficult to explain, but sometimes they seem like hollow shells, just walking around and talking. As though there's nothing behind their expressions. Not everyone, of course, but most of the people I've encountered seem that way."
"Acting?" Arthur repeated. "Even I didn't know that. What exactly do you mean?"
"I mean that they're hiding their actual selves. Something about them doesn't feel genuine."
Arthur listened carefully before asking, "So, what does it seem like to you?"
Ai looked at him for a moment.
"Do you know about this?"
"Not completely," he replied. "But I know enough."
Ai fell silent again, then continued.
"It seems to me that people are simply behaving this way because they're hiding who they really are."
Arthur leaned back slightly. "That might make sense if it were only one or two people, wouldn't it? But this is happening on a much larger scale. What do you think is behind it?"
Ai took a moment to consider his question.
"I don't think they're aware of one another's involvement. But I also don't think they're acting entirely independently. There has to be something connecting them. Something they all have in common." She paused briefly before adding, "And perhaps there's some kind of structure behind it. Something that keeps them from knowing about each other's involvement, even though they're all part of the same thing."
For the first time, Arthur's smile widened noticeably.
"Impressive," he said.
He extended his hand towards her.
"I think we can become friends now."
Ai glanced at his outstretched hand, then back at his face. Her expression was still uncertain, but the fear that had gripped her moments ago had begun to fade.
"The name's Arthur Doyle," he introduced himself.
Ai looked at him in confusion, unsure how quickly their conversation had taken such a turn. Before she could respond, however, footsteps approached from behind.
"Oh! It seems you've become friends with Arthur already."
Kaiser had returned.
He looked between the two of them, his expression suggesting that he expected Ai to accept the offered handshake. Ai glanced at him briefly before turning back towards Arthur. After a moment's hesitation, she reached out and shook his hand.
"Ai Kurokawa," she said.
Arthur grinned.
He released her hand and rose from the sofa, turning towards Kaiser.
"I have to leave now, Uncle."
"Already?" Kaiser asked, slightly surprised.
"Yeah. I've got some work to take care of."
"Oh? Is it important?"
"Quite."
Kaiser sighed lightly, accepting that there was little point in asking him to stay. "Well, then, I suppose it can't be helped. Come visit again sometime. It was nice talking to you."
"Likewise, Uncle. I'll see you again. Bye!"
Arthur raised his hand in farewell before turning towards Ai. His expression carried the same familiar grin as before.
"Bye, then. I'll see you at the park…"
He leaned slightly towards her and lowered his voice.
"The day after tomorrow."
Ai looked up at him, but Arthur had already begun walking away.
She remained seated, watching him leave with a bewildered expression. The conversation had taken so many unexpected turns that she could barely make sense of what had just happened.
A few moments ago, she had been speaking to a complete stranger.
And now, somehow, they had become friends.
Chapter ends
To be continued