The Case Files of Jeweler Richard

When I was making royal milk tea in the kitchen while humming, Richard came to get teacakes. Even though the cabinet was packed to full capacity, it was all thanks to my storage skills that there wasn’t an avalanche of sweets spilling out when you opened the door. It was pretty much a box-packing puzzle.

“I put the ones close to their expiration dates near the front. Take the ones that are easy to get.”

“I know. Be that as it may, you seem happy on Saturdays lately.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes.”

There is no doubt about it, Richard continued. Nothing less can be expected for that discerning eye. It wasn’t like I loved yakiniku that much, but it was fun to eat while having a noisy good time with Hase-senpai. It was only at those times that I felt like I was a middle schooler again.

“Oh, well, it’s that happenstance thing, I guess? How did you know?”

“Your face is even less unguarded than usual. You should watch your steps.”

Yes, I will be careful, I said, taking care, and then the doorbell rang. Someone had come to the store. I should prepare the royal milk tea. I was trying to take out the milk carton from the fridge when I overdid it and slammed my knee into the storage cabinet. An avalanche of pretty boxes of sweets fell with a clatter. Crap. Did I stuff a little too much in? Let’s get rid of the evidence immediately.

When I was on my hands and knees picking up the candy boxes, I sensed that a customer has come into the store.

“Welcome. I am the owner, Richard. May I assist you?”

“Ah…hello. Oh, man. I didn’t expect this place to have so few people.”

The voice sounded familiar.

Was it—Hase-senpai? No, it might be someone else. The tone of their voice was somewhat down.

I started returning the spilled boxes of sweets to the cabinet as quickly as possible, but it was so thoughtlessly packed that I couldn’t just put them back in. There was nowhere in this narrow kitchen I could place them temporarily. The owner of the voice that sounded like Hase-senpai continued to speak.

“I’m here to discuss a purchase, can you take a look? It’s an opal.”

“…We are not a store that specializes in purchasing. Are you fine with that?”

“If you can just take a look at it for me.”

Purchase? Didn’t he come to buy something?

Prompted by Richard to sit down, the customer seemed to have sat down on a sofa. It was time to serve tea, and I knew that Richard was stalling, but that was out of the question right now. There were still cookie boxes lying at my feet. Hurry up!

“This seems to be a fire opal.”

“Yes, yes that’s right. In fact, it’s something I inherited from my grandmother.”

“I see.”

Richard indicated that he was listening, and the customer began to spout forth a torrent of speech.

“My grandma wasn’t very strong, and she passed away when I was in my second year of high school, but left behind this memento for me. She told me that she received it a long time ago for some reason and asked me to return it to the owner of this opal if possible. So, I went through a lot, and I’ve tracked down the owner, who was living far away, but this time they said, ‘Please, I want you to have it.’ …I was happy, but I’m a bit at a loss. I don’t know anything about gemstones.”

“That is quite an interesting series of events. I apologize for prying, but where exactly does the owner live?”

“In Kobe, but I won’t say more than that. It’s a strange story, isn’t it.”

Haha, I heard bright laughter.

I felt strange. Like there was a white roller slowly painting over the wall in my mind little by little, starting from the edge. The core of my body contorted. I felt strangely dizzy. Grandmother’s memento? Please, I want you to have it?

Wasn’t that what I told him before?

Grandma was complicated in many ways, so I haven’t even told my university friends about her. I thought it was okay to tell Senpai because he was a sincere and faithful person. I had no doubts about that.

So why?

I see, Richard, in a somewhat reservedly formal and gentle voice, took in his words.

“If it has such a strong connection to you, I think it would be better to keep it with you.”

The fact of the matter was that it was Richard who led me to the rightful owner of Grandma’s ring. The customer laughed loudly.

“That’s something I wouldn’t expect a businessman to say. It’s fine. About how much is it worth?”

“I cannot tell you anything right away. This is not a store that specializes in purchasing.”

“I’ve heard you have eyes that can be trusted.”

“If you don’t mind, may I ask the name of the person who referred you?”

“…I think there’s a problem of personal information there.”

“I am very sorry.”

My heart was beating in a strange way. Was this what they called arrhythmia? The tea. I had to serve the tea. My job was to serve tea after all. The tea. My hands were shaking so hard that I couldn’t move them, and my legs were like sticks. What’s wrong with me I have to serve the tea what am I doing.

By the time I had prepared cups for two, the customer had put away his opal and left the store. His last words were to compliment Richard’s looks.

You’re very handsome, but is this really a store that sells gemstones?

The worst. I was the worst. I didn’t need to check the security cameras to know that it was probably Hase-senpai who came in just now. If I was going to regret leaving the kitchen or not leaving, I should have just left.

When I brought out the tea tray way too late, Richard got up from his sofa and received it. I wondered if my legs looked too unsteady.

“…I’m sorry for being late.”

“Please be a little quicker next time.”

I will, I groaned in response, and Richard didn’t say anything more than that. He probably, no, he definitely noticed it. The fact that I had some sort of relationship with that customer. He even confirmed Kobe. He wasn’t the thickheaded type like me. I didn’t think anyone else had that kind of experience other than me. But, he had a creed as a businessman.

Don’t ask the other person what you think they don’t want to be asked about.

Thank you. I was truly thankful. I was so thankful that I wanted to die. I felt like there was sludge stuck in my throat and it won’t come out. It was irritating. I could tell him everything if he just asked. That was selfish. Wasn’t this just me wanting to be free of responsibility? But what can I say? Should I say, “That was my senpai, who was telling the Kobe story I told him before as his own life story for some reason, and I was so shocked that my hands were trembling too much for me to be able to make tea, sorry?”

Why did he do this? What was the reason for it?

“…”

I stood for a while in the neat and tidy kitchen where there was nothing to put away. Today was Saturday. I could see Senpai. If I didn’t understand something, I should just ask. If Senpai really was at the ticket gate today again.

I didn’t think it would be better if he wasn’t there.

But, even if he was, what should I say?