TC 10

EP10. ◇ Like Someone I Don’t Know

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As expected, the work of a professional is fast.

The man’s name was Saotome Kyōhei , 31 years old.

My wife is 38—seven years older than him.
He works at a major corporation.

They investigated, but the initial point of contact between the two still remains a mystery.

It had been over two months since I first spotted them together in a crowd in early March.
Now the calendar was turning to May, the wind carrying the fragrance of fresh greenery over the newly colored trees, lingering with the remnants of spring.

So far, the two of them had met about seven times.
There was no evidence of them renting a room.

> “They had only gone out on dates—simply enjoying each other’s company.”

In the photographs taken, my wife was radiant.
One single photograph squeezed my heart tight in its grasp.

It was at dusk, twilight, that hushed moment of the day.
In that quiet air, my wife was in the arms of the man.

He held her gently, wrapping her body with his coat as though to protect her, whispering something softly into her ear.

> “The atmosphere in that one frame seemed to flow with a serene stillness, so beautiful it moved me—yet at the same time, unbearable sadness welled up inside me.”

There was no mistaking that the woman in the photo was my wife.
And yet, she looked like both my wife and… someone I did not know.

> “I felt the urge, but decided firmly—I would not confront her about the man, not yet.”