Frank
Hello, this is Frank.
I would like to share with you the synopsis and a preview of my short mystery story “Sunset Beat.” I hope you’ll enjoy reading it.
【Synopsis】
This is the fourth installment in the anthology “A Touch of Mystery.”
Atsushi Kimari, a young police sergeant, visits an old friend from his university seminar group who is hospitalized in Osaka. On his way back to Nagano, Kimari encounters trouble aboard a ski tour bus. The night after the skiers arrive at the resort, one of the tourists is found murdered at the hotel. As suspects emerge during the investigation, Kimari discovers a new lead. The truth is finally revealed at a post-trip get-together.
This short story is approximately 22,115 characters long. Enjoy the witty and intriguing world of Frank☆World.
【Preview】
Ⅰ
I jumped out of the Cessna.
A free fall from 4,000 meters. The sudden exit left my mind completely blank. The intense air resistance blocked all thought.
“Whooosh—!”
The roar of the wind pounded my ears. A sea of clouds spread out beneath me. In just a minute, I had already dropped over 200 kilometers per hour. I plunged through the cloud layer—
And suddenly, a jungle appeared below. But only for a moment. A massive anaconda lay in wait, mouth wide open.
“No way…”
Now at 1,200 meters above ground. Time to deploy the parachute.
“Open—!”
But… nothing. The main canopy didn’t open. Neither did the reserve.
“Total malfunction!”
This is bad… Am I really going to be eaten by that snake?
“Oh no… Help me—!”
Suddenly, the wind’s noise stopped. I saw a figure below, about to be swallowed by the snake before me. Was it a man or a woman? I couldn’t tell. I couldn’t see a parachute either. They were falling even faster than me.
Suddenly, my fall slowed and my body jolted upward.
Looking up, I saw a large parachute had opened above, filling the sky.
I was saved.
But what about that person?
The clouds blocked my view.
I reached out with both hands to part the clouds and looked again—
*
Kimari felt warmth on his left knee and woke up in the hospital break room.
“…Mister? Hey, mister!”
When he opened his eyes, a boy of about five was shaking his left knee.
“Are you practicing swimming?”
The boy’s runny nose was about to drip onto Kimari’s knee.
Still lying on his back, Kimari stared at the dim ceiling.
What a bizarre dream.
His throat was parched, and his body too exhausted to move. Losing interest in Kimari’s lack of response, the child walked away with a smug remark.
“You’ll never make it to the Olympics. Super gross!”
Atsushi Kimari, age 25.
After graduating from a university in Nagano, he joined the local P Prefectural Police.
He spent six months at the police academy, learning knowledge and practical skills. After graduation, he trained thoroughly at a police box. He was later assigned to the Violent Crimes Division at the Ikaruga Police Station, which covers the famous N Hot Springs ski area. Last year, he passed the promotion exam and became a sergeant.
A week earlier, Kimari received a call from the boss of Aoyagi, a former university seminar mate.
Aoyagi had collapsed during a meeting at a major electronics manufacturer in Osaka.
The boss, finding Kimari’s contact information at the top of Aoyagi’s address book, reached out.
Aoyagi was taken to a general hospital and diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Aoyagi had returned to Kansai after graduation and found a job, but within a month, tragedy struck.
On April 25, 2005—the day of the devastating JR Fukuchiyama Line derailment—he lost both parents.
Since then, with no close relatives, he had lived alone. Though compensated by JR and not financially troubled, he suffered from PTSD and often missed work.
Back in the hospital room, Aoyagi was reading a book, trying to hide his face.
“What’s that?” Kimari asked.
“Matsuyama Mirror,” he replied.
Aoyagi, a former member of the university’s rakugo (comic storytelling) club, considered classical rakugo his Bible.
Lowering the book, he looked at Kimari with unfocused eyes.
“Thanks for coming all the way from Nagano.”
“No need for formalities,” Kimari replied, awkwardly glancing out the window.
“I’ll bring something you like next time. Got any requests?”
Aoyagi quickly said, “Ah—” but then stared at the ceiling, unable to think of anything.
“…Not sure I’ll be alive by then.”
His voice was faint.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course you’ll still be alive.”
Aoyagi’s eyes darkened, and he pulled the blanket over his mouth.
After five o’clock, the setting sun burned red in the sky.
Kimari imagined the detective division’s desk area back at the Ikaruga Station as overlaid with that same sunset.
His friend’s accident, the murders and robberies in the district, the derailment that took Aoyagi’s parents…
All had happened just days after the evening sun lit up that part of the office.
—Let’s hope nothing bad happens again.
Kimari prayed as he looked at the business district bathed in twilight.
“Time to go.”
To hide his embarrassment, he spoke curtly.
As Kimari stood up, Aoyagi encouraged him from behind with silent support.
“Next time you come to Osaka, bring some good tofu. Cold, please.”
That hopeful request was the best parting gift Kimari could have received.
—Aoyagi, hang in there.
With that silent thought, Kimari left the hospital.
(To be continued)
You can read the rest of the story at the link below (Japanese version):
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新品価格 |
If you’re interested in an English version of this novel, I’d love to hear from you! Please contact me at: contact＠frankyoshida.com (Note: To avoid spam, the “@” symbol is written in uppercase. Be sure to replace it with a lowercase “@” when sending your message.)
Your interest will help me decide whether to publish it as a Kindle edition.
Thank you for reading today.
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