Hearing that, Shoji’s throat felt dry. ‘What about Yoko? Where is she now? Is she with the other residents?’

‘She’s completely disappeared. Some people saw a young woman matching her description buying a bus ticket to Tokyo on the day of the fire.’

Should he feel relieved? The organisation had let her go, as promised, but … ‘She wouldn’t leave without me.’

Uncle Hidetoshi tilted his head. ‘Are you sure? Even after the fire? Where else would she go?’

No, Yoko wouldn’t just abandon him, no matter how intimidated she was. This had to be a misunderstanding — unless she had gone to Tokyo to find him.

‘If she’s smart, she won’t have remained in Akakawa,’ Uncle Hidetoshi continued. ‘And you shouldn’t either.’

Shoji weighed up his options. If Yoko were in Tokyo, there was no question. That should be where he went next. Furthermore, Tokyo was a big city. If he was careful, the company wouldn’t know if he tried to get in touch with her.

‘As for your previous workplace, everything is gone,’ Uncle Hidetoshi said. ‘The shop was sold and razed to the ground a few days ago. What’s left is an empty plot of land. I asked around about what kind of establishment it was and got a curious mix of answers. Some said it was a tearoom, a few others said it was an illegal bar. Others said it was an exclusive members’ club. One person told me it was run by an underground prostitution ring. Whatever used to be there was definitely seedy.’

Shoji kept quiet, trying to digest it all.

Uncle Hidetoshi tapped his shoulder. ‘Are you okay?’

‘Erm …’ Shoji had wanted to say he was fine, but what came from his mouth was nothing more than a mumble.

‘Here’s an idea. Why don’t you take this as an opportunity to explore a new place? Osaka, Yokohama, or Nagoya. I’ve got friends in those cities. They can help you settle in. You can start afresh. Anywhere is fine, as long as it’s a place you’re unfamiliar with. Why not escape the dreary winter and go to Okinawa? No one would guess you’d go there.’

Shoji shook his head. ‘I can’t do that. I’ve got to find Yoko. If she’s gone to Tokyo, then I’ll follow her there.’

Uncle Hidetoshi frowned. After a while, he took an envelope from his jacket and handed it to Shoji.

‘What is this?’ Shoji asked.

‘Some money. It’s not much, but you should be able to buy a train ticket to Tokyo and have enough to tide you over for a while.’ Uncle Hidetoshi let out a sigh. ‘Maybe this isn’t such a terrible idea. After all, Tokyo is a massive city. You should be fine if you don’t go back to places you used to visit. If you must, do it discreetly. Keep a low profile.’

Shoji returned the envelope. ‘I appreciate your help, but you’ve done more than enough.’

‘It’s not a lot of money, and you need it now.’