Chapter 43 Section VII

I brought a change of clothes, took Mariko's hand and walked on the dark mountain road.When I arrived at the nursing center, there was still no one in the entrance. The shoe cabinets on both sides and the service desk with the curtains drawn were exactly the same as the first night I arrived. We walked to the dining room, found Ogihara who was cleaning the kitchen, and confirmed with him about borrowing the bathhouse. "Qianzhi, you haven't showered for a few days, right? You'll feel better after taking a shower." He said to Mariko. "Omurice, thank you." Mariko tilted her head and said intermittently.

I don't know if this is Mariko's acting skills, or because of emotional excitement.Then we went to Mr. Fujimoto again.He was processing the account books in the office, and when I was about to call him, Mariko whispered in my ear: "Tell him, we will take a stroll in the sanitation center later." Tell Mr. Fujimoto everything together. Mr. Fujimoto kept apologizing to me, still regarded the accident as his own fault, and then said to Mariko: "You look better, then I feel relieved." Mariko nodded in response, staring fixedly at Mr. Fujimoto, but seemed unable to think of what to say, and finally left without speaking.She said that she wanted to go to see her room first, and I followed her, and the two of them walked in the corridor.The patients had almost gone to bed, but we occasionally passed by some patients on crutches or in wheelchairs, and each time Mariko stopped and watched their backs leave.

Finally came to her room.We looked around, made sure no one was around, and quickly dodged into the room.I stood by the door and looked at her room, which was a size smaller than the room where the patient and his family lived (that is, the room where Chiori and I borrowed).Mariko asked me to wait, and then disappeared into the room in a flash. Five minutes later, she came back with a locked diary in her hand. "If I stay here for too long, I will start to feel sad again, let's go quickly! I planned to tidy it up, but it probably can't be helped now!" Mariko seemed to be explaining something, and then handed the diary to me , "After I'm gone, can you help me get rid of this?"

"Okay." I nodded. "I'm still writing a diary at this age, and it's still a locked book, you must think it's funny!" "No, I didn't think so." "Hey!" Mariko smiled shyly, "I won't tell you where you put the key. However, if you really want to open it, you can still open it, but I believe you won't." "I promise not to peek, I will find a place to burn it." "Actually, I didn't write anything shameful, but this is my private record after all, and I still don't want others to see it—let's leave!" After finishing speaking, Mariko turned off the light, opened the door and left—— Fortunately, no one was outside.

Next, Mariko handed over every part of the sanatorium.She stopped before each door, as if recalling the occupants inside, but missed knocking.Then there is the bathroom, recreation room, gymnasium for rehabilitation, the back door, and the vending machine. Everywhere she went, she stopped for a minute or so. There was only one place where she stayed for a long time.It was a room from which came the faint cry of a baby.At first she said to herself: "Shouldn't there be no one living here?" But then she thought about who lived in this room. "I'm sorry, I also know that this will never end." We walked for a while before Mariko bowed her head and said, ending the long tour.

It was just past nine-thirty. "Go to the bathhouse next. You're going to the big bathhouse, aren't you?" "Well, there is such a plan." "Well! I need about an hour. Your room should still be empty. If you wash first, hide there-I think you should wash faster than me. I will ask you to accompany me to a room later. place." "Would you like some beer?" "No! How can you invite minors to drink." Mariko smiled and walked into the women's bathhouse.