“Are you hurt anywhere, Eko-chan? Are you okay?”
Oz had gotten out of the armor with Echo’s help, and as he asked the question, his face was flooded with guilt. Echo, who had regained her composure, looked around, making sure there was no one except Oz and herself in the room, then retorted, “It’s Echo.”
At that routine exchange, Oz finally smiled. The two of them sat down in some of the chairs lined up along the dressing room wall.
Neither of them spoke right away. However, it was obvious that they were both wondering the same thing about each other.
Boldly, Echo opened her mouth:
“Why are you here, Oz-sama?”
“Why are you here, Eko-chan?”
Their voices overlapped perfectly. Once again, they fell silent.
How should Echo explain this? Echo thought, and thought, and thought.
“Echo is, um…working part-time.”
Even she thought it sounded fishy. At Echo’s words, Oz seemed dubious. “Hmm?”
Echo knew he wouldn’t buy it, Echo thought, but, unexpectedly, Oz spoke a little happily:
“Huh! That makes two of us, then.”
This time, it was Echo’s turn to say, “Huh?” In spite of herself, she stared back at Oz.
Part-time job. Work. Earning money.
As a son of one of the four great dukedoms, there was no way Oz needed to do any of those things. Everyone knew that. Oz must have sensed the obvious doubt in Echo’s mind. He gave a faint, wry smile, scratching the tip of his nose with a finger.
“Right, a part-time job. I wanted to earn some money on my own.”
Echo watched Oz, wordlessly. Oz looked up at the ceiling; he seemed a little embarrassed.
“Break referred me to this place. I don’t know anything about this sort of thing, so…”
“Xerxes Break…” Echo murmured.
“—Yeah. There was no one else I could talk to about it.”
“What about Gilbert-sama?”
Echo gave the name of Oz’s valet, but immediately thought she hadn’t really needed to ask. Echo knew Gilbert, too. If Oz had said he wanted to earn money on his own, that master-focused, worrywart Gilbert would only have objected.
As Echo had guessed, Oz said, “Gil doesn’t know.”
“I see.” Echo nodded.
She understood Oz’s story. However, there was something that still didn’t make sense to her. Oz had never been pressed for money in his life. What had made him want to earn it on his own?
Echo wanted to ask, but she hadn’t told him her own real reasons, and she was hesitant about one-sidedly asking him questions.
When Echo fell silent, Oz let his gaze wander through space for a short while. Then, smiling, he looked at Echo.
“Things you buy with your own money mean more, I think. It’s like…they’re the real thing.”
—The real thing.
Echo didn’t know what Oz’s “real thing” meant. However, from the sound of his words, she realized it was something important. “…You’re right,” she answered, simply, and she didn’t ask him anything else.
As Oz spoke, he folded his hands on top of his head.
“Still, that was a surprise. I never thought I’d meet you here, Eko-chan.”
Then, suddenly, he put his face very near Echo’s and beamed.
In spite of herself, Echo shrank back, freezing up. Oz continued, looking right at Echo:
“Aren’t coincidences like this great?”
“……Echo doesn’t really…”
As Echo answered, she averted her eyes slightly. She was blushing faintly.
“You know. The way it feels a little like fate.”
At Oz’s words, after a short pause, Echo spoke softly. “…No, it doesn’t.”
“You think?” Oz gave a light smile. For some reason, it made an emotion like irritation, or maybe chagrin, well up inside Echo, and she looked at him steadily, glaring. Oz said, “What’s the matter, Eko-chan?” His voice was easygoing, and his expression was curious.
Just as Echo put more force into her glare, there was a click, and the door of the dressing room opened.
“Oh, Oz-kun and Eiko-chan. Slacking? That’s no good.”
A voice that held the hint of a smile spoke, and the head server entered the dressing room. The woman was holding a big cardboard carton in her arms. Oz and Echo sprang to their feet, ducking their heads in apology. “We’re sorry.” Gesturing with her hand, the head server told them it was fine to sit down.
“If you don’t rest a bit while you work, you’ll never last. —I mean, really, you’re both new hires, and you got hit with this event right off the bat.”
“Eiko couldn’t agree more.”
Echo nodded decisively. However, in contrast, with a smile that practically shone, Oz shook his head.
“No, it’s not like that at all. I’m seriously moved!”
““Moved?”” Echo and the head server simultaneously cocked their heads.
Oz spoke with an expression that was innocence itself:
“I never thought working would be so much fun. ‘A job,’ huh… Everyone’s so lucky! They get to go to ‘jobs’ every day, don’t they!”
His excited tone would have made more sense if he’d said “party” instead of “job.” There wasn’t a shred of deceit mixed in with his words.
However, precisely because that was true, Echo fell silent. With a complicated expression on her face, she shot a glance at the head server. Giving a slightly forced smile, the head server murmured, “You’re very well-bred, aren’t you.” Echo wondered if she should attempt to smooth things over for Oz somehow.
Oz kept talking, still wearing that sparkling smile:
“And besides, all the servers who work here are beautiful ladies.”
Instantly, as if the remark had gone straight to her heart, the head server blushed. In a regretful voice, she said:
“If you’d like, Oz-kun, you can work here forever, but—”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I, um…”
“I know. The owner told me.”
Oz looked apologetic, and the head server giggled.
In a whisper, Oz told Echo, “Apparently Break is friends with the salon’s owner.” Friends with Break: That alone was enough to explain to Echo why this weird event dubbed “the Sport of the Masks” was held at a salon that had traditions and status.
It meant that like attracted like, and eccentrics attracted eccentrics.
“All right,” the head server said, as if to change the mood. She held out the cardboard carton.
“It’s about time for a costume change, you know. Here you go. This one’s brand-new; it just arrived.”
The head server explained that it was a full-body, cartoon-character costume. This reminded Echo of the poisonous horned frog costume, and her mood turned gloomy.
However, Oz’s eyes sparkled, and he ran up to the head server.
Taking the cardboard carton, he pulled out the folded costume and gave a little cheer.
“Whoa! Eko-chan, look, look!”
Oz turned to Echo, holding up the costume’s head and letting the folded body unfurl.
At his excited voice, Echo looked at it as if she was looking at something dangerous. She averted her face slightly, peeking at it out of the corner of narrowed eyes.
And then.
?!
In an instant, her eyes widened almost aggressively, and she stared at the costume as if drawn to it, clinging to it.
Her lips trembled slightly, and she spoke. Her voice wasn’t all that loud, but it was filled with excitement.
“That’s…Jyanta-san…”
What had appeared was the mascot character that was currently all the rage in Reveil, popular with men and women, young and old—a Jyanta-kun costume.
Involuntarily, Echo stood up from her chair with a clatter. Oz was holding the costume up in front of him, and it blocked his view, so he couldn’t see Echo. However, he must have sensed that something i
n the atmosphere was different. “Eko-chan…?” he called.
Standing beside Oz, the head server noticed the change in Echo and smiled mischievously.
“Want to wear it, Eiko-chan?”
Echo wasn’t able to answer that question right away.
· 10:15 PM
The second day of the undercover investigation is over.
The target failed to appear today as well.
Instead (?), encountered an unexpected person. That person explained why he was at the infiltration site, but much of his explanation was unclear. However, didn’t think it would be all right to pry, so did not inquire closely.
Today, was busy covering for him. It was touch-and-go at first, but near the end of the work day, no longer needed to cover for him. Apparently the agreement was that he was only working at the salon “for today,” and when it was time to leave work, he seemed to regret it: “Just when I’d finally learned the job…”
……also a bit sorry.
3
There was a bright moon that night.
Echo was Vincent’s valet, and her room in the Nightray manor was in a place that really had to be called a “garret.” There was a plain, lonely-looking bed, and a handheld lantern on the floor. The light from the lantern dimly illuminated the room.
It was a dreary space with barely any furniture, but Echo had never minded.
Echo was lying on her bed, on her stomach, with her diary open on top of the cushion she used as a pillow. One of Echo’s hands held a pencil.
“Echo is also a bit sorry…”
Echo murmured the last line of the entry she’d written on a new page, as if tracing it.
“………”
Her eyes, which had been focused on the diary, slid slightly to the side. They came to rest on a single photograph that had been placed right next to the diary. The photo was turned facedown, and it wasn’t possible to see what was in it.
As she looked at the back of the photograph, Echo’s expression was as emotionless and inorganic as always.
“—Haaah.”
With a little sigh, Echo closed the diary firmly. She laid the photograph on top of it, set both beside her bed, then rolled over, lying on her back with her head on the cushion. She folded her hands on her stomach. Her eyes, which were looking straight up, were fixed on the skylight in the ceiling.
She could see the moon, shining brightly.
“…Today was rough all day again.”
Muttering to herself dispassionately, she thought back over the day. Inwardly, Echo murmured softly:
Maybe Echo did want to wear the Jyanta-san costume, too.
The words that had been spoken to her in the dressing room rose in her mind: “Want to wear it, Eiko-chan?”
“Want to wear it, Eiko-chan?”
When the head server spoke to her, mischievously, Echo froze up. Silent, speechless, her expression was as composed as a doll’s, but her internal conflict seemed to steal into it. For a little while, silence reigned in the dressing room, and Oz called her name, puzzled: “Eko-chan?”
“………No, thank you. I won’t wear it,” Echo answered.
When the head server smiled a bit regretfully, Oz happily declared, “All right, I’ll wear it!” He began energetically pulling on the Jyanta-kun costume.
Echo watched him, steadily. Her inorganic expression didn’t betray the slightest emotion; only her eyes held a tiny, sparkling glow.
Finally, having gotten into the costume, Oz spread his arms wide and spun around once in front of Echo.
There it was: an unmistakable, life-sized, walking Jyanta-kun.
“……………ooh…”
Faintly, ever so faintly, a cry of admiration escaped Echo.
“Whaddaya think, Eko-chan?! Does it look good on me?”
Full-body costumes didn’t “look good” on anyone, but Oz asked the question in high spirits. The head server was applauding: “Yes, yes it does.” Echo’s eyebrows twitched, and she balled both her hands into tight fists. She hadn’t replied, and Oz tilted his head in confusion: “???”
Echo’s eyes were downcast, and a low voice issued from her lips:
“…………lite.”
““Huh?””
Unable to catch what Echo had said, Oz and the head server spoke at the same time. Echo’s head came up sharply; she pointed straight at Oz and spoke:
“No ‘whaddaya.’ Jyanta-san’s speech is much more polite. Get it right, please.”
She sounded detached, but there was an overwhelming force in her words.
Overawed, Oz said, “H-he does,” just to show he’d been listening. There was a short, bewildered silence, but then he cleared his throat, just once. Raising his round, fingerless, stuffed animal–like hand up high:
“Why, hello there! I’m Jyanta-kun, and I’ve come to see Eko-chan!”
Then, briskly, he held out a hand to Echo.
…But Echo didn’t react.
Then, a single word slipped from her mouth. It was soft, yet somehow fervent.
“—Jyanta-san.”
As if the murmur had told him he passed, Oz struck a mighty muscle pose. The head server, who’d been watching them cheerfully, spoke as if to set things back on track:
“Okay, let’s have you get out there and work like mad. Oh, you can stay in that uniform, Eiko-chan. That costume’s really tough on adults, you know…”
This was certainly good news, but Echo just stood there, dazed.
Looking at her, the head server laughed and added:
“I imagine it’s going to be hard for Oz-kun to serve customers in a full-body costume like that, so could you go along and cover fo—”
“Understood-I’ll-cover-for-him.”
Before the head server could finish saying “cover for him?” Echo answered her all in one breath.
She was really raring to go. Echo took the stuffed animal hand that had been held out to her:
“Come on, Jyanta-san. Let’s go.”
Tugging the costume’s hand, she began to walk smartly out of the dressing room. Her enthusiasm was so great that Oz and the head server were taken aback. Reaching the door, Echo put her hand on the knob. Then the head server spoke to her, merrily:
“Eiko-chan, you like Jyanta-kun, don’t you.”
Echo stopped dead, one hand on the doorknob.
Standing just like that, with her face to the door, without turning around, Echo said:
“………Not particularly.”
Her ears had gone bright red.
Then Echo opened the door and left the dressing room at a brisk pace. From behind her, the head server called, “Ah—Oz-kun, watch your head,” and then there was a dull whunk. When Echo turned, the Jyanta-kun costume’s head seemed to have struck the door, and it was just about to fall off.
Hastily, Oz caught it with one hand.
“If it falls, it’ll get dirty.”
“Whew,” Oz exhaled, and then smiled at her.
“Oh, yes—”
Responding a little apologetically, Echo looked down, abruptly seeming to realize something.
Her hand had caught Jyanta-kun’s hand and was pulling it. Through the cloth of the costume, she could feel Oz’s hand.
Suddenly, her heart beat faster.
Even she didn’t know why. It wasn’t the first time she’d pulled Oz along by the hand like this. She’d done the same thing at the Saint Bridget’s Day festival. When they’d chased the fireworks that shot into the sky.
And yet why was it that right now, just pulling Oz’s hand—and with the cloth of a full-body costume between their hands, at that—made her heart pound? When she stayed still, looking down at their linked hands, Oz called to her, as though to check on her: “Eko-chan?”
With a start, Echo shook her head.
“It’s nothing. …Let’s go. We have work to do.”
Speaking as if to remind herself, Echo tugged on Oz’s hand. They went out into the corridor and began walking.
<
br /> They were still holding hands.
It was only the second time…
She’d heard that if you had the same dream three times, it would come true. However, so far, she’d only had it twice.
Even so, it had come true.
Oz had appeared, right before her eyes. In a place, and in a situation, where she’d never have expected to meet him.
That’s why, Echo thought. Because she hadn’t been the least bit mentally prepared. Because it had caught her off guard.
That must be it. That’s why. I’m still a little startled. That’s all.
She tried to convince herself that it could be nothing else.
—The fact that her heart was still beating fast.
“You want to take a photograph?”
A guest room known as the Purple Room, on the second floor of Silver Moon Garden. Oz, still in his costume and standing in front of some guests, an elderly couple, cocked his head in bewilderment at the sudden request. Echo, who was waiting beside Oz, shot a glance at the wall.
There was the sign with the message, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM MAKING UNREASONABLE DEMANDS OF THE SERVERS.
Registering Echo’s gaze, the elderly husband nodded.
“We do understand what’s written on the sign. If you can’t do it, please tell us so. Only, you see, our grandchildren love Jyanta-kun. They’d be thrilled if we showed them a photograph of that costume.”
“I see,” Echo responded, and looked down. The elderly couple said that, just before they came to the salon, they’d been to pick up a camera that had been out for repairs. They had it in their leather satchel now.
From inside the costume’s mask, Oz looked at Echo.
“If it’s okay, I’d like to help them out…”
Echo thought hard for a little while, then answered, “Echo also thinks it’s all right.” Simply taking a photograph shouldn’t count as an unreasonable demand. Thanking them again and again, the elderly couple eagerly took the camera out of their large leather satchel and began to get ready.
In the arrangement they chose, the elderly couple was seated companionably at the table while Jyanta-kun stood behind them with his hands on their shoulders.
They left the task of working the camera to Echo. Echo had never used a camera before and wasn’t at all confident, but the elderly husband showed her what to do, and she managed, with difficulty. She had no idea whether she’d gotten a good picture. When she’d finished, the elderly couple thanked her again.
PandoraHearts ~Caucus Race~, Vol. 3 Page 16