Chapter 3: Tears of the Holy Mother

1

Founded in 1870, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the world’s largest art museums. It’s located in New York City on Fifth Avenue and rivals the likes of the Louvre and the Hermitage.

Although I’d been reluctant to take on my grandfather’s training regimen, I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to work as a certain person’s assistant here, even if it’s only for a short time. Such experience is hard to come by.

Kiyotaka nodded in satisfaction as he stood by the wall in the Met’s first-floor hall, looking at the older man who was giving a lecture.

“I trust that most of the young curators gathered here today know of Bernard Berenson. He was an art historian active in the early twentieth century as well as an incredibly skilled appraiser. This genius liked extravagance and wasn’t bound by common sense or morals. Supposedly, he told his colleagues, ‘I cannot explain how I can tell that something is a counterfeit. I can only describe it as a gut feeling.’ An appraiser who has this innate ability to spot forgeries is rare. Being able to instantly identify a fake can be considered something of a sixth sense. You can’t learn it through studying. You who are gathered here today are valuable people who possess that sixth sense. However, you must be careful, because sometimes, knowledge and common sense will impede your judgment. The world is uncertain—there are always new discoveries that defy common knowledge, and there are times we can only rely on the senses of the chosen ones. Please don’t forget to refine your senses of sight, touch, and smell just as much as, if not more than, your knowledge. That is all I have to say.” The man cleared his throat. “Ah, one more thing: I wish you a merry Christmas.” He smiled, remembering that the holiday was approaching.

The people in the hall gave him a round of applause. Though he’d addressed the audience as “young curators,” many of them were not young at all. But as the speaker would be celebrating his sixtieth birthday soon, perhaps they were young in his eyes.

Kiyotaka clapped too as he made his way to the front with a bottle of water for Thomas Hopkins, former curator at the Met and an influential figure in the art industry. The man was well versed in art museums all around the world.

“Thank you for your hard work,” Kiyotaka said, offering him the Evian water.

“Hmm...” Hopkins frowned and waved his hand. “I was drinking Evian before, but I’m not in the mood for soft water right now.”

Kiyotaka took another plastic bottle out of his bag. “I thought you might say that, so I also brought Contrex.”

“Oh!” Hopkins’s eyes lit up and he accepted the drink. “You really are prepared for everything. Japanese people are all meticulous, but you go above and beyond. Outstanding.” He drank the water.

“Thank you. My teacher has strong whims too, so I’m used to this. By the way, I also have Perrier, so let me know if you feel like drinking carbonated water.” He showed him the inside of his shoulder bag.

Hopkins laughed and said, “When Seiji was asking for places to accept you for training, I came forward out of curiosity. I wanted to see how much that precocious boy had grown up, but I didn’t expect you to be this good.”

“As an assistant?” Kiyotaka shrugged, putting the materials from the podium into his bag.

“That too. Thanks to you, my secretary can take a vacation in peace. But you really are blessed with talent as an appraiser despite your young age. Well, I knew that all along.”

They left the hall and walked down the corridor. The curators who’d been listening to Hopkins’s lecture greeted him as soon as they saw him, to which he responded with a wave of his hand. Since it was a Saturday in December, the museum was very crowded.

Hopkins chuckled at Kiyotaka, who was looking around enthusiastically. “Has it been a long time since you were last here?”

“Yes. The entrance is much nicer now.”

“Yeah, it’s been remodeled. Continuing from where I left off, you’re more mysterious than I thought.”

“Mysterious?”

“Yes. You have a very strong presence, but you’re capable of making it disappear. It seems like you’d have a hard time fitting in, but before I know it, you’ve assimilated. You’re a unique type of person; very elusive. The way you blend in despite standing out reminds me of a chameleon.”

“Another reptile...”

“What do you mean?”

“In Japan, someone often jokes that I’m a snake.”

There was a snicker behind them, and they stopped and turned around to see an Asian man with glasses and an amused look in his eyes. He was wearing a cream-colored jacket, a beige shirt, and beige chino pants. The natural outfit complemented his soft facial features.

“‘Snake’ describes Kiyotaka perfectly,” the man remarked.

“It’s been a while, Shiro Amamiya,” said Kiyotaka, smiling and taking a step forward.

“I cut ties with my dad after he got arrested, so I’m not Amamiya anymore. I’m using my mom’s surname now, so it’s Shiro Kikukawa. Good to see you.”

Shiro extended his hand without shame, and Kiyotaka accepted the handshake.

“I don’t blame you,” said Kiyotaka. “Manipulating people with drugs and brainwashing them into raising money is simply inhumane.”

“You don’t mince words. ‘Simply inhumane’? What about you, then, snake man?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you seem like you have it in you. You wouldn’t need drugs to brainwash and manipulate people.”

“I’ve done nothing of the sort. Isn’t brainwashing and controlling people what you do?” Kiyotaka tilted his head, still smiling.

A twisted grin appeared on Shiro’s face for a second before being replaced by his normal expression. “You really are funny. I’m thinking of going back to Japan soon, so I look forward to seeing you again.” He patted Kiyotaka’s shoulder and left.

Kiyotaka frowned as he watched the man walk away.

“Is he your business rival?” Hopkins asked.

The younger man forced a smile. “Is that what it looked like?”

“At first I thought you were rivals in love, but it seemed unlikely, so I went with business rivals.”

“Not quite.”

“Rivals in the same industry, then?”

“No...that’s someone else.” He thought of Ensho and shrugged slightly.

“He looks friendly at first glance, but he seems dangerous. You may have made a troublesome enemy.”

“Yes, I think so too,” Kiyotaka muttered.

“Well, now that work’s done, shall we go for a drink?”

“I have an interview with an art magazine, so it’ll have to be after that.”

“Oh, you still have work?” Hopkins slumped his shoulders.

“If we’re going to drink later, how about the Top of the Tower bar on the twenty-sixth floor of Beekman Tower Hotel?”

“Why there?”

“It has a great view, and there aren’t many tourists, so we can enjoy it in peace. And the gentleman you wanted to meet always goes there on Saturday nights.”

“You mean...the owner of that Chagall painting?”

“Yes, the owner of the painting you said you wanted to hang in the Met one day. He said he’d never let go of it, but now that he’s getting older, he’s thinking it might be better for his precious collection to be displayed in a museum rather than inherited by someone who doesn’t care about it. He also let it slip to his friends that he was willing to hear you out just once. If he meets you now, he might feel that it’s fate.”

“Do you think I can convince him?”

“I’m not sure, but it’s worth a shot. I think it’s good that another one of the world’s treasures has a chance of being seen by many people in a museum.”

“While we’re at it, do you think we can have your family’s celadon one day?”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Seiji told me that ‘I’ll think about it’ is how Kyoto people say ‘Not a chance,’” Hopkins said with a sideways glance.

Kiyotaka laughed without thinking. “Yes. It’s not that I don’t want it to go to a museum someday, but I have something in mind before that.”

“What is it?”

“It’s not at the stage where I can tell you yet.”

“I see.” Hopkins nodded. “Anyway, it’s almost the end of your term. You’ll be going back to Japan soon.”

Kiyotaka had been working as Hopkins’s assistant for almost two months.

“I should’ve gone with the maximum length of three months instead,” the older man continued. “How about an extension? New York’s a great place to spend Christmas. My wife would love to have you over.”

“I’m honored, but there’s someone I want to spend Christmas with.”

“Oh, that’s right. You really have grown up.”

“I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your wife.” Kiyotaka chuckled and looked at the corridor. Shiro was no longer anywhere to be seen.

2

“Oh, Holmes is coming back soon?” Kaori asked, sitting across from me and drinking her milk tea.

“Yeah.” I nodded and looked at the garden behind her. We were at the cafe-restaurant next to Kyoto Botanical Gardens, having come here for tea after finishing our classes at university.

Since it was December, the autumn leaves were all gone, and it looked a little sad. It didn’t seem like this place would get many visitors in winter, but the greenhouses were warm all year round, so the plants there were still lovely. The decorative lights were pretty impressive too.

“He’s in New York, right?”

“Yeah.” I drank my warm café au lait.

Last month, Holmes had left for New York. Even though he hadn’t been enthusiastic about the forced training, he had seemed really happy to be able to work under Thomas Hopkins, an influential figure in the art world who he respected.

“He said he’ll arrive in Japan on the fifteenth, and he’ll be back at Kura until the new year.”

“That’s great.”

“Yeah. And when I told my family that he’d be coming back, my mom and brother said they wanted to throw a welcome home party for him.” I gave an exasperated shrug.

Kaori burst out laughing. “They want to see him too, huh? Well, he’s a great guy, after all.”

“You say that, but you don’t even like talking to him.”

“Well, in my case, I haven’t gotten over the time he exposed my wrongdoing. If it weren’t for that incident, I might’ve thought he was a nice guy. Then again, he’s still not the type of person I like dealing with.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at her honesty.

“So what’d he say about the party?” she continued.

“I mentioned my mom’s idea and he seemed pretty appreciative, so we really are going to have a welcome home party at my house. It’s on the sixteenth, the day after he comes back to Japan.”

“Oh...but you’re not going to be alone together for your reunion. Are you disappointed?”

“Oh, no. I’m happy just to be able to see him, and I’m really glad he accepted my family’s invitation.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“But after that, he said, ‘Oh, but I’m nervous. I have to make sure they don’t find out that I’m black-hearted. I’ll need your help, Aoi.’”

Kaori blinked, looking genuinely surprised. “He tells you those kinds of things?”

“Um, yeah.”

He’s always said that he’s prone to revealing his true thoughts to me, but it feels like it’s been happening more often lately.

“That’s nice,” she said with a smile. “So you guys can spend Christmas together too, huh? Good for you.”

“Yeah.”

“Oh yeah, what’re you getting him?”

“Huh?”

“As a Christmas gift.”

“O-Oh!” I completely forgot about that!

“It must be hard to come up with presents for a guy like that.”

“Yeah, he’s too much of a connoisseur.”

“And the presents he gives you are amazing, right? He got you a Mucha lithograph and a Swiss bracelet watch as souvenirs from his travels, didn’t he?”

“Yeah...”

He’s also taken me to a lot of places and treated me to meals. There was the lunch at the Kibune river terrace (although the manager paid for that one), the dinner in Ponto-cho after seeing the Kaomise, and the dress, shoes, and necklace he gave me for my birthday. Just how much has he given me? I can’t keep being on the receiving end, I thought, letting out a small sigh as we continued to chat.

3

December 16th, 4 p.m.

At last, it was time for Holmes to come to my house. This was going to be his third visit. The first time was when he’d dropped by to look at my grandfather’s collection before going to Ueda’s cafe. The second was when he’d greeted my parents after we first started going out.

“I’m heading out now,” I said.

Since our house didn’t have room to park two cars, Holmes was coming by bus. I put on my shoes, intending to pick him up from the Shimogamo Shrine stop.

My mother came running from the kitchen. “Aoi, are you sure we should be having seasoned rice and croquettes for dinner? Are those really right for a welcome back party?”

“Yeah, that’s why I already made the croquettes.” All that was left was to fry them. Why was she questioning it now?

Even though the party was her idea in the first place, mom couldn’t decide what to make and told me to ask Holmes what he wanted. I tried asking him directly, but he predictably answered, “I’ll be happy with anything.”

Then I asked, “In that case, let’s make your favorite foods. Can you tell me three of them?”

He listed potato croquettes and seasoned rice with mixed ingredients. “My third favorite food depends on my mood, but I always like those two.”

His answer was surprising and at the same time suspicious.

“Are you choosing commoner dishes to be considerate?” I asked. My family wasn’t as rich as Holmes’s, but we could certainly afford nice sushi. Then again, it’d probably be hard for him to request that. Maybe my initial question had been a mistake. It would’ve been easy to buy sushi without asking him, and then he’d be happy too.

“Not at all,” he said. “I think you’d get those answers even if you asked my father or Mieko. They’re things people usually don’t make for themselves even if they like them. Meanwhile, things like hamburger steak can be eaten whenever you go to a Western restaurant. Everyone likes it when someone shares their seasoned or red rice with them.”

After his explanation, I finally understood. He’d told me before that he always ended up eating out or making simple dishes like stir fry or grilled fish. The Yagashira family usually didn’t eat together, so there was no reason to bother making seasoned rice or croquettes.

“Holmes said he likes them, so it’s fine.”

Realizing that the conversation with my mother had taken longer than expected, I decided to bike to the bus stop. The walk was a little more than ten minutes, but by bike, it took no time at all.

The winter wind was cold, but the sky was clear today and the sun’s rays were warm. I rode my bike leisurely...or so I’d like to say, but unfortunately, it was an old bike, and the squeaking was annoying. It was a gray school-designated model that my parents had bought for me when I’d started middle school.

Maybe it’s reaching the end of its life. I would’ve liked to get a new one with a cute design, but it would feel like a waste when this one still ran well enough. Besides, bicycles probably didn’t have life spans. It might just need maintenance.

I spaced out as I pedaled and suddenly realized that I’d passed a bus. I looked up and saw Holmes at the bus stop. He must have been on the one that had just gone by. He was wearing a jacket and jeans, and he waved when he saw me.

“Holmes!” I got off my bike and jogged over to him.

“Thank you for coming out here.”

“L-Long time no see...and welcome back.”

“I’m home, Aoi.”

I choked up at the sight of his smile. He was as stylish as ever, and he seemed more mature than he had been two months ago.

“Shall we go?” He reached for my bicycle’s handlebars as usual.

“Oh, sorry.”

“It’s fine; let me put my things in the basket,” he said, setting down a paper bag. It had a cute picture on it and an English logo.

I inadvertently stared at the bag, wondering if it was a souvenir from New York.

“Oh, these are brownies from Fat Witch Bakery. I know you can buy them here too, but they tasted good, so I brought some.”

“I’ve never had them before, so I’m looking forward to it. How was New York?”

“It was a great experience. No matter how many times I visit the Met, it continues to be a brilliant inspiration.”

“It’s one of the biggest museums in the world, right?”

“Yes. It’s so big that you can’t see everything in a day, so it’s better to narrow down what you want to see. And even though it’s full of amazing first-class pieces, you’re allowed to take pictures freely and even touch the sculptures.”

“Wow, really?”

“They might get upset if you go too far, but everyone touches Rodin’s sculptures. I did too. I’d like to go there with you one day.”

“Yes, let’s!” As I listened to him talk, I started getting excited about this museum I’d never been to before.

“I feel like working with Mr. Hopkins broadened my horizons even though I was only there for two months.”

Holmes had a broad perspective to begin with. If it’s expanded even more, that’s amazing. The owner’s goal was a success.

I thought Holmes was brilliant, but at the same time, the anxiety welled up within me again. I felt like I was being left behind since all I could do was my regular studying at university.

“How is school going?” he asked.

“I haven’t been progressing as much in specialized studies as I’d like...but I think it’s because I’m still starting out.”

“Yes, I think so too. You’re only nineteen, so I’m sure your world will keep expanding from here.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Thinking about it now, when I was nineteen, I really was a child even though I thought I was as grown-up as any adult.”

“I think I know what you mean.” I giggled.

The casual conversation made my anxiety fade away. It must’ve been because he understood how I was feeling and encouraged me.

“But what I really wanted to know about was your personal life at university,” he said.

“Huh?”

“Have any of the guys at school said to you, ‘Mashiro, do you want to get something to eat after class?’ or ‘I can call you by your first name, right? Wanna go for drinks, Aoi?’ or ‘I’m so interested in you, Aoi. Come to my place’?”

The extremely specific examples made me choke on my breath. “What is all of that? Why are your delusions about my relationships with men becoming more and more detailed?”

“Because a man who can win over his target is a man who’s good at closing the distance. Women don’t like to be approached out of the blue. I’m constantly worried whenever we’re apart.”

“You sure know a lot about approaching women.” I shot him a cold look.

This time, he was the one who choked. “It’s a common belief.”

“Come to think of it, there’s something I’ve always been curious about. You said before that you were so shocked by Izumi’s betrayal that you considered taking up priesthood but ended up going off the rails and ‘doing the complete opposite of what a priest would.’”

“Did I say that?”

“What exactly did you mean?”

“Well, it was the complete opposite of priesthood. I dyed my hair blond.”

“What? Really?”

Holmes had blond hair?!

“I’m just kidding,” he said, smiling. “At any rate, this is my third time going to your house. I still have butterflies in my stomach.”

He was clearly trying to change the subject, but since it seemed like he didn’t want to talk about it, I didn’t press him.

“You’re nervous? Really?”

“Yes. Do you want to touch my chest and see for yourself?” He grinned mischievously, making my heart skip a beat.

“N-No, I’m fine.”

“That’s too bad.”

“What?!”

We laughed as we walked, and when we came to a small church, I stopped and said, “My mom has been coming to this church a lot for her work as a district board member.”

The church had a white statue of Mary in its courtyard, and it was adjacent to a kindergarten called Holy Mother Kindergarten. The trees here still had their leaves even though it was December, so the greenery stood out quite a bit.

“Is she helping with a bazaar?”

“Yeah, and it looks like she’s going to sing gospels at the Christmas party.”

“Gospels...” He sounded intrigued.

“Yeah. Apparently, the parents of the kindergarten students formed a gospel group, and since they didn’t have enough members, they asked the district board members to join them. Mom was more interested in singing than doing the other board-related tasks, so she took the request.”

“That does sound fun.”

“Right? She acted like she was reluctant, but she’s been excited about going to rehearsals. She used to be in a choir club.”

We passed by the church as we talked.

“We’re here!” I said, opening the front door to my house.

“What? Again?” came my mother’s voice.

Surprised, we stopped in our tracks.

“Okay, I understand,” she continued. “I’ll go right now.”

It sounded like she was talking to someone on the phone in the living room. She had a habit of raising her voice when she was on the phone.

The living room door opened and she came out into the hallway. “Oh!” she exclaimed upon seeing us. She put on a smile and said, “Why, welcome, Kiyotaka.”

“Sorry to intrude. Thank you for having me here today.”

“I hear that you’re in training right now and you went to New York. That’s amazing. You’re working hard, aren’t you?” she said unnaturally quickly before turning to me. “Aoi, I’m going to the church for a bit. I’ll be back in time to make dinner.” She hurriedly put on her shoes.

Holmes and I exchanged glances.

“Did something happen, mom?”

“Is everything all right?”

She stopped and looked at us weakly. “Y-Yes, there’s a bit of an issue...”

“If there’s anything I can do to help, please don’t hesitate to ask,” Holmes said.

“To be honest, I was hoping I could ask you about it today. Oh, but that’s not the reason I invited you!”

Holmes nodded in understanding.

“You wanted to ask Holmes for help?” My eyes widened. “Did you get involved in some kind of trouble?”

My younger brother, Mutsuki, had apparently been eavesdropping. He poked his head out of the living room and said, “What? Really?”

“It’s not me who’s in trouble. Something strange has been happening at the church I’ve been going to...” My mother placed a hand on her cheek.

“Something strange?” my brother and I asked in unison.

“Yes, although I think it’s just a malicious prank. You see, the statue of Mary in the courtyard...has been shedding tears of blood,” she said with a strained smile. We all stiffened.

4

“But what do you mean, tears of blood?” I asked as we headed to the church in question.

My mother grimaced and said, “It’s exactly that. The statue of Mary at the church started shedding tears of blood. We weren’t going to tell anyone, but that’s what the phone call earlier was about. The statue was crying again.”

“Mom, that’s one of those occult phenomena,” my brother said excitedly, his eyes lighting up. He was at that age where he was interested in all things paranormal. “I saw it on Shocking News from Around the World. A statue of Mary in Italy was crying tears of blood.”

Holmes walked behind us, not saying anything as he listened to our conversation.

“Tears of blood?” I asked. “But why would someone play such a prank in the middle of the day?” Suddenly I realized something and turned back to look at Holmes. “I don’t think the statue was shedding tears of blood when Holmes and I passed by earlier. That means it had to have happened between then and now, right?”

“Aoi, from our vantage point, the statue’s face was blocked by the trees,” Holmes said smoothly. “We could only see from the neck downwards, so we wouldn’t have known if there were any tears of blood.”

I was at a loss for words. As always, he saw and remembered everything. Thinking about it now, I’d only seen the white silhouette of the statue. It felt like I’d seen the whole thing, but it was actually only from the neck down.

A few minutes later, we arrived at the Church of the Holy Mother. The main entrance was locked, so we entered through the back door. There were six women and a middle-aged Caucasian pastor in the courtyard.

“Oh, Mashiro!” A woman named Suzuki waved at us. She was around the same age as my mother and also served on the district board.

The other five women had that “young mom” vibe. They were probably the mothers of the kindergarten students.

“It happened again, Suzuki?” my mother asked, running up to the group.

Suzuki nodded with a grim expression and said, “Look.”

The statue of Mary had her palms together in front of her chest. There were brownish-red tears falling from her downcast eyes.

I gasped—this wasn’t just an occult prank. The sight was downright chilling. Even my brother, who had been excited this whole time, went pale. The pastor and the young mothers had grim looks on their faces too.

Holmes put on his white gloves and quickly made his way to the statue, taking a magnifying glass out of his inner pocket. He stared intently at it and said, “This appears to be real blood, though I don’t know what kind.”

“Um, Mashiro, who is this?” whispered Suzuki.

“O-Oh, right, he’s a detective named Holmes,” my mother said, still in shock.

“No, I’m not a detective,” Holmes calmly interjected. “I’m an appraiser-in-training.”

“This is my sister’s boyfriend who went to grad school at Kyoto U!” added my brother.

“Wow, Kyoto U!” exclaimed the others. Their looks of suspicion instantly became trusting. I was impressed by how much of an effect the school’s name had.

“First, we’ll have to determine whether this is human blood or animal blood,” Holmes said, taking out his phone and calling someone. “Yes, it’s me, Kiyotaka Yagashira. How are you, Komatsu?” Komatsu was a private detective we had met during a past incident. “Sorry to bother you, but I have a request. Yes, a work of art got blood on it because of a malicious prank, and I’d like to examine it. Could you send me a bloodstain sampling kit? By motorbike courier is fine. I’ll send you the address right now. Yes. Oh, I’ll have the blood analysis done by a friend of mine. Yes, thank you.”

He hung up, emailed Komatsu the church’s address, and put the phone to his ear again. This time, he spoke casually in a Kyoto accent.

“Yeah, it’s me, Yagashira. So, someone put blood on a work of art as a malicious prank, and I want to investigate it. Yeah, that’s right. I can get a bloodstain sampling kit, so can I send it to you to examine? Thanks, I’ll treat you next time. Huh? Sure, I suppose I could ask. I’m counting on you. See you.” He hung up again.

“Were you talking to Kohinata?” I asked.

“I’m surprised you knew.”

“He gave Kaori his business card.”

“Oh, is that what it was? He actually said, ‘I don’t need anything in return, but I want to go for a meal with you, me, Kaori, and Aoi.’ He seems busy this month, so it can wait until after the new year. Could you ask Kaori if she’s willing to come?”

“Oh, sure. No problem.”

The others looked at us, amazed.

Holmes noticed their stares and said, “I think the kit will be here within an hour,” putting his phone in his pocket.

Everyone seemed stunned by the turn of events.

“Allow me to introduce myself properly,” he continued. “My name is Kiyotaka Yagashira. Could you tell me when the statue first shed tears of blood?”

With that, his investigation began. The tears of blood were obviously man-made rather than supernatural, so it was possible there was a witness among the people there. Everyone exchanged looks, not knowing how to respond.

A very pretty woman with a trim appearance stepped forward and said, “My name is Risa Brown. I’m the wife of the pastor of this church. The first time the statue shed tears of blood was two weeks ago on Friday.” She was wearing simple clothes and had sleek black hair and a gentle smile. She looked very much like a devout Christian.

“Can you tell me about the circumstances at the time?” Holmes asked.

“Yes. On Friday morning at 8:30, I brought my daughter to Holy Mother Kindergarten next door and then came here. That was when I discovered the traces of a red liquid flowing from the statue’s eyes.”

The kindergarten was right next to the church, but there was a fence between them. Paired with the trees, they prevented people on the church side from seeing the kindergarten—which meant the reverse was probably true too.

“Where was the pastor at the time?”

“My husband had come to the chapel at 6 a.m., but he said there was nothing out of the ordinary when he arrived.”

“I see. That means the prank occurred in the early morning between 6 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Did you see anyone suspicious?” Holmes looked at the pastor.

“The church has stained glass windows, so I could not see outside. I was cleaning the chapel the whole time, so I don’t know,” said the pastor. He was fluent in Japanese, although his intonation was slightly off.

“Risa, what did you do when you saw the statue?”

“I went straight to the chapel to call for my husband. We both thought it was a prank, and he wiped the tears off.”

“Some may have thought that it could’ve been a miracle of God. Why did you immediately assume that it was a prank?” Holmes asked in a gentle tone.

Oh, I see. I folded my arms. I’m not Christian, so I’d assumed it was a prank right away, but it wouldn’t be strange for a believer to interpret it as a miracle. There might’ve been a reason they immediately thought it was a prank.

“Well...not long before, there was a TV special called Shocking News from Around the World that showed a statue of Mary shedding tears of blood. My husband and I were watching it and saying, ‘I hope people don’t vandalize the church’s statue with red marker after watching this,’ and then something really did happen,” Risa said hesitantly.

Holmes nodded in understanding. It was the same program that Mutsuki had mentioned watching. “Did you tell anyone about it?”

“I brought it up with Ito and Uchiyama from the gospel group since they were nearby in the kindergarten, but I asked them not to tell anyone else.”

“Do you belong to the gospel group too, Risa?”

“Yes, I’m the leader. The other members are Abe, Egawa, Ito, and Uchiyama. There are five of us in total.”

Abe, Egawa, Ito, Uchiyama. Coincidentally, those all start with vowels. The only one missing is “O.”

“Could you tell me about the second occurrence, then?”

One of the gospel group members, a quiet-looking woman, looked up and said, “The second time, it was spotted by me, Abe. A week ago, on Saturday, we were having a rehearsal at church, and I came late because I had something to do first. I arrived around 4 p.m., and when I looked at Mary, she was crying tears of blood...”

“What did you do?”

“I-I didn’t know it was the second time, and I couldn’t imagine it being a prank, so I thought it was a miracle from God. I fell to my knees and cried,” Abe said, lowering her gaze.

“You’re a devout Christian, I presume?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Are all of the members of the group Christians?” Holmes asked, looking around at the others.

“Not all of us, but I am too,” said a woman with medium-long hair, raising her hand. “Oh, I’m Ito.”

“I’m Uchiyama,” said an energetic-looking woman with short hair. “My two daughters go to Holy Mother Kindergarten, but we aren’t Christian.”

“Same,” added a brown-haired woman with a bright smile. “I send my kid to Holy Mother Kindergarten because it’s close, but I’m Buddhist. Oh, my name’s Egawa.”

So, Risa, Abe, and Ito were the Christian members of the gospel group. Uchiyama and Egawa weren’t, and neither were my mother or Suzuki, who had come from the district board.

“In other words, the incidents became public after Abe’s discovery, correct?” Holmes asked for confirmation.

The group nodded.

“But the only ones present at the time were the group members, Mashiro, and Suzuki, since we were rehearsing,” added Risa. “I asked them not to tell anyone.”

“Did you inform them that it was the second time it’d happened?”

“Yes.”

“So, who made the discovery today, the third time?”

“Me,” said Egawa, raising her hand. “We were practicing in the early afternoon today, and, like, we had a break at 3 p.m. I went outside and was totally shocked when I saw the statue.” She had a young way of talking.

“Did anyone see any suspicious persons? It doesn’t have to be from today,” Holmes asked.

They all exchanged looks again.

“No one stood out to me,” said one of the members.

“Yes, this is a quiet residential area, and since there’s a kindergarten, we’re rather sensitive to unfamiliar people but I can’t think of anyone...”

So no information on that front.

“In that case, have you heard of a similar prank happening to Mary statues at other churches?” Holmes continued.

“No, I have not.” The pastor shook his head.

“It’s not normal for someone to do such a thing three times. Why don’t you contact the police? Also, is it possible that someone has a grudge against the church?” Holmes asked quietly.

The pastor and Risa widened their eyes.

“A grudge against the church?! Perish the thought!”

“Oh, but there may be someone who’s irrationally angry at God because their life is unfair. I’d like to save them if possible, which is why I haven’t called the police,” said Risa, clasping her hands in front of her chest. Her form was beautiful and divine.

Abe and Ito, the other Christians, clasped their hands as well.

“It’ll be okay, Risa,” said Uchiyama, trying to cheer her up. “It won’t happen again.”

“Yeah, they’ll get bored eventually!” added Egawa.

Suddenly, a motorcycle stopped in front of the church and someone shouted, “Delivery! Is there a Yagashira here?”

“Thank you,” said Holmes, accepting the package. “I’d like to send something too. Could you give me a minute?”

He opened the box, which contained the bloodstain sampling kit he’d requested from Komatsu. It included a pair of rubber gloves, which he put on before opening an antibacterial bag—the kind you’d see at a hospital. He took out what looked like a special cotton swab and a sheet-like object, walked up to the statue, and skillfully collected a blood sample. He quickly put it into an airtight container, wrote the university’s address and his friend’s name on it, and went back to the deliveryman.

“Thank you very much.”

The man departed on his motorcycle with the package. The whole process had been smooth and efficient. Holmes always went directly for the solution rather than engaging in inconclusive debates.

“In a week, we’ll know if the blood came from a human or not as well as the blood type and whatnot. That should narrow down the possibilities quite a bit. Oh, and it may be a good idea to install a security camera on the outside wall of the church,” Holmes said, turning around to face us.

Once again, everyone looked stunned.

5

After collecting the sample and wiping off the remaining blood, we determined that there wasn’t anything else we could do that day and decided to head out.

On the way home, Holmes looked back at the church and tilted his head. “It’s certainly a strange church.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I can’t believe someone would do that to the statue.”

Holmes shook his head. “Oh, I don’t mean that. I’m referring to Risa and the fact that there’s a statue of Mary in the courtyard. Don’t you think it’s strange?”

This time, it was me tilting my head. “Um, how so?”

Holmes looked at my mother and brother, who had similarly confused looks on their faces, and his eyes widened. “Oh, I see. There must be many ordinary people who wouldn’t find it strange,” he murmured to himself, nodding.

I was still baffled and had no idea what he was talking about, but before I knew it, we had arrived at my house.

“Your boyfriend was amazing, Aoi!” exclaimed Suzuki the moment we entered the house. She had tagged along with us. “I’d expect no less from a Kyoto U graduate!”

“Really, I was surprised too,” said my mother, nodding fervently as she prepared tea.

My brother agreed. “Yeah, I was kind of overwhelmed too! You’re amazing, Holmes!”

The bizarre incident at the church seemed to have improved Holmes’s reputation even more.

“No, not at all,” he said, sitting at the dining table and shaking his head with a smile. His manners were as perfect as ever.

“Thanks to you, we’ll know what kind of blood it is, which should help us figure out more,” said Suzuki. “I wish such creepy things wouldn’t happen anymore, though.” She placed her hand on her chin and sighed.

“I don’t think it’ll happen again,” Holmes said quietly.

“Huh?” Everyone froze.

“Why do you think that?” asked my mother, placing the tea on the table.

Holmes shook his head lightly and said, “Oh, um, it’s just a hunch. Don’t mind me.”

“True, they say that what happens twice will happen thrice, but there are a lot of things that stop at three.” My mother exchanged looks with Suzuki. They seemed to accept his excuse.

“Could I ask you for more information on the church and the gospel group members?” Holmes asked.

“Huh?” Suzuki looked up. “What do you mean?”

“For example, the state of the church’s activities and how old the children are.”

“Oh, yes. The church has Sunday service. They also do volunteer work and hold bazaars sometimes. As you saw, it’s really small, so I’ve never seen a wedding held there.”

Holmes nodded.

“The moms in the gospel group are all young. Uchiyama has two children in the kindergarten, and I think the big sister is the oldest one there. I heard the gospel group was formed when Risa’s only daughter enrolled. You saw how pretty and elegant Risa was, right? A lot of people admire her because she’s like the Virgin Mary herself. I even heard that Abe and Ito became Christians because of her. She also seems to have a lot of other admirers who can’t join the group for various reasons.”

I nodded. I think I can understand that.

“Do you know what their husbands do for a living?”

“Abe’s husband works for a recycling company, Egawa’s family owns a beauty salon, Ito’s husband works for a printing company, and Uchiyama’s husband is a teacher.”

Leave it to a district board member to know all of that.

“A teacher?”

“Yes, at a middle school. Uchiyama has a teaching license too.”

“I see.” Holmes nodded and folded his arms.

“I should get going now,” Suzuki said, standing up. My mother left the room with her to see her off.

Once they were gone, I glanced at Holmes and said, “You think one of the gospel group members is the culprit, right?” Otherwise he wouldn’t have asked about their jobs.

“Not once, but three times, and in a place where outsiders can’t enter without drawing suspicion. It’s possible. Also, it could be anyone with a kid at the school, not just them.”

So he does suspect them. It’s true that outsiders would be really conspicuous there, and the church grounds have an atmosphere that makes you feel like you can’t go in unless there’s an event going on. Plus, the incidents happened in broad daylight—early morning and in the afternoon. If a stranger was harassing them, they’d probably do it in the middle of the night. It could be someone who’s confident that the statue’s face can’t be seen from outside.

As I folded my arms, deep in thought, my mother came back to the living room and said, “Let’s get ready for dinner now. You can just relax and eat, Kiyotaka.”

“Thank you.”

“Aoi, come help me,” she continued.

“Okay,” I said, standing up.

“Kiyotaka, why don’t you play games with Mutsuki while you wait?”

My brother, who had been playing video games on the TV, turned around excitedly and exclaimed, “Holmes, let’s have a match!”

“I haven’t played games in a long time, so please go easy on me.” Holmes cheerfully went over to the TV.

A little later, while in the kitchen, my mother and I heard Mutsuki shout, “Ahhh! You said to go easy on you, but you’re really good at this!” which made us laugh.

As we fried the croquettes, my mother said, “Don’t tell dad about what happened at the church. I don’t want him to worry.”

“Okay.” I nodded.

“Also, there’s something I want you to tell me. You and Kiyotaka started going out again last spring, right?”

“Y-Yes.”

“How far have you two gone? I won’t tell dad,” she asked quietly, looking at the oil.

My heart leaped. After a moment of silence, I whispered, “We...kissed.” My cheeks were burning.

“Is that all?” She looked at me, seeming slightly disappointed.

My cheeks got even hotter. “Th-That’s all. He was originally concerned because I was under eighteen anyway. Even though I’m nineteen now, he’s been so busy. I don’t think he plans on taking things further while he’s still in training...” I murmured.

My mother giggled. “What a good kid. There seems to be something out of the ordinary about him, though.”

“Yeah, you’re exactly right.”

He’s not ordinary. While this case had improved his reputation, it had also distanced him a bit from the “just a nice young man” impression my mother had had of him.

Before long, my grandmother returned from her outing and we finished cooking.

“Dinner’s ready!” my mother shouted.

“Ahh, I’m starving!” Mutsuki exclaimed, running to the dining table right away.

My father was busy at this time of year and came home late every day, so today it was just me, Mutsuki, my mother, my grandmother, and our guest.

“Even if dad wasn’t busy, he’d probably force himself to work overtime anyway. He feels too awkward about having his daughter’s boyfriend over,” my mother had said.

On the table, we had seasoned rice with mixed vegetables, potato croquettes, salad, braised chicken, rolled omelets, and steamed egg custard. It was a delicious-looking, homely meal.

Holmes, who had been washing his hands in the bathroom, looked surprised when he returned and saw the dining table. “This is an amazing feast. Seasoned rice, croquettes, braised chicken, rolled omelets, and even egg custard? They’re all my favorite foods.”

“When I heard that your favorites were seasoned rice and croquettes, I was sure that you’d like the others as well,” said my mother.

“Yes, I love them!” Holmes grinned, his eyes sparkling. He looked as happy as he did when encountering a beautiful antique, and it made me happy as well.

My mother laughed shyly.

“Holmes likes plain food, huh?” remarked Mutsuki.

“Yes, I’m touched because I’ve never seen so many of my favorite foods in one place before.”

“Okay, now you’re exaggerating,” I said. I appreciated the compliments, but they were embarrassing.

“Shall we eat?”

“Yeah!”

We gave thanks for the food and began eating.

“Mm, it really is good,” Holmes said, smiling fondly throughout the entire meal.

Seeing him like that made my mother and grandmother grin happily too. After dinner, we enjoyed the brownies that he’d brought from New York, which were rich and went perfectly with coffee.

Then, while we were putting away the dishes, my mother said to me in a quiet voice, “I think Kiyotaka is a good boy after all.”

“Huh?”

“Any boy who looks so happy when he eats is a good boy.” She chuckled and I felt my expression relax. “I might be jumping the gun here, but it’d be great if he became your husband. He’s very reliable.”

My eyes widened. “I-It really is too soon,” I squeaked.

My mother laughed and said, “Anyway, I don’t need help here, so go bring Kiyotaka some tea or coffee.” She patted me on the back.

“Okay, I will.”

I made coffee and headed to my room upstairs, where Holmes was waiting. Since the door was open, I peeked in and saw him sitting on the floor, leaning against my bed.

“Sorry for the wait. I made coffee, although it’s not as good as yours.” I placed the cups on the table.

“Thank you,” he said, taking one. “It’s delicious.”

“Thanks.” Relieved, I placed the tray on my desk.

“I see that you put the lithograph up,” he said, smiling and looking at the Mucha work.

I nodded. “It’s my treasure.”

“Oh, right,” he said, picking up the bag next to him. “I have your souvenir from New York. It’s only what you requested, though.” He took out a paper bag and handed it to me.

“Wow, thanks!”

The souvenir was stationery from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s gift shop. The New York-style notebooks and pens filled me with joy. This was what I had mentioned when Holmes had asked me what I wanted as a souvenir.

“Are you really satisfied with just this?” he asked.

“Yes, I love stationery, and—” I was about to explain that I’d feel uncomfortable receiving an expensive gift, but suddenly I remembered something. “Oh right, about Christmas...”

“Yes?”

“Can we spend it together?” I asked, fidgeting.

He nodded firmly. “Yes, of course.”

“And, um, about presents... You’ve already given me so much, so I don’t need one for Christmas.”

It was something I’d wanted to say for a while now. I had already received more gifts than I’d ever need, and I was sure that if I didn’t say it now, he’d get me another extravagant present.

Holmes froze. “You don’t want anything for Christmas?” He looked like he was in complete disbelief.

“Nope. I can’t accept anything else.”

“But what about my plan to get you something nice for Christmas in hopes that it’ll lead somewhere?” he mused with a straight face.

I coughed. “Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What are you talking about?”

“Well, I was just kidding. Won’t you feel sad without a gift, though? It’s the first Christmas we’re spending as a couple, you know?”

Put that way, he was right. It would be sad not to have something to remember our first Christmas by.

“How about we give each other something handmade, then?” I suggested, clapping my hands together at my good idea. That way, it won’t end up being too costly.

Holmes folded his arms and said, “Handmade? All right, I’ll think of something. But you know, I’d always assumed that women had a lot of materialistic desires. You’re different, aren’t you?”

I shrugged. “I-I mean, there are things I want, of course.”

I always want things like cute clothes, purses, and accessories. But since I’ve been working a lot, I can afford some new clothes myself now, and Holmes has given me so many things that were beyond my budget.

“Maybe it’s the same as having an appetite,” I murmured. “When you’re full, you’re satisfied.”

He laughed. “How philosophical.”

“No, it’s not that deep.”

We looked at each other and chuckled.

“Thank you for having me today. I’m sorry for staying so late.”

It was 8 p.m. when Holmes left my house. I stepped out to send him off.

“No, I should be the one apologizing. Everyone prevented you from leaving.”

The winter air was chilly. Our white breaths faded into the darkness of the night.

“I had a lot of fun, and the dinner was touching. Thank you.”

“I’m glad that you ate what I made.”

“Aoi...” He gently kissed me, making my chest tighten. “Thank you so much.”

Seeing his face up close made me dizzy. “Thank you too. You had to deal with that weird request,” I said, still flustered.

“Oh, right.” He clapped his hands. “If possible, could I get you to infiltrate the kindergarten and investigate what it’s like inside? Ideally, you would talk with the gospel group members about anything you can.”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

“For example, you could go under the pretense of helping out.”

“Oh, that might be possible. I’ll get mom to help me come up with a plan.”

“I’m counting on you.” He was about to start walking when he paused and said, “Oh, another thing. May I borrow your bicycle?” He looked at my bike, which I had left in its usual place outside.

“Huh?”

“It’s rather worn out, isn’t it?”

“Oh, yes. It makes creaking sounds.”

“The tires are worn down too. It’ll be dangerous to keep using it like that, so I’ll fix it for you.”

“You know how to fix bicycles?”

“Yes, I can handle that much. I grew up with my grandfather telling me to fix everything myself so that I could learn how things worked. I was only allowed to ask a repairman after I’d determined that it was beyond my abilities.”

“Wow, that’s the owner for you.”

“It might take ten or so days, though.”

“It’s okay. I can borrow my mom’s bike in the meantime, or my brother’s.”

“Good. In that case, I think I’ll go home on your bike today.”

“Go ahead. The key’s in the lock.”

“That’s careless, even if it’s on your own property,” he said, raising the seat.

“I don’t think anyone’s going to steal such a run-down bike.”

Having adjusted the seat to his liking, he turned to face me and said, “Well, have a good night, Aoi.”

“Yes, you too.”

He kissed me on the forehead, got on the bicycle, and pedaled away. The creaking echoed in the darkness. I stood in front of my house until the creaks could no longer be heard. The air was cold, but I was so happy that I didn’t feel it.

6

Several days later, once school was out for winter break, I found myself in a classroom at Holy Mother Kindergarten.

“The Glasritzen class will now begin,” said Risa, smiling as she stood in front of everyone at the table.

The young mothers were there as well as housewives and elderly people who lived in the neighborhood. I’d slipped in with them. After Holmes had assigned me my mission, I had decided to ask my mother for advice first.

“I want to investigate the kindergarten,” I’d said honestly.

“In that case, why don’t you attend one of their classes?”

My mother gave me a flyer from the school that presented various cultural and craft classes like beadwork, embroidery, knitting, and Glasritzen.

“Oh, they have events like this?”

The classes were taught by mothers at the kindergarten, and since they were teaching the other mothers and people from the neighborhood, the fee was very low. I had chosen the Glasritzen class because it was taught by Risa, and it appeared that I had made the right choice. The gospel group members—Abe, Egawa, Ito, and Uchiyama—were all in attendance.

However, I was missing a crucial piece of information: what was Glasritzen?

As if to answer my question, Risa placed a wine glass on the table. It was engraved with a decorative letter “R” and rose flowers.

“Wow!” everyone exclaimed, eyes lighting up at its beauty.

“This is Glasritzen, a European glass art,” Risa explained. “A tool with a diamond nib is used to draw designs like flowers, ribbons, and fruit on glass materials such as wine glasses, plates, and jewelry boxes. Since the patterns are all made by hand, they’re beautifully delicate. It’s said that the craft was once popular among upper-class women in England, but nuns have been known to make them diligently as well.”

“Ooh.” We all nodded.

I had seen engraved glass before, but it hadn’t seemed like something a layman could do. Glasritzen...how nice. I gazed fondly at it.

“Today, I’ll be teaching you how to make it. Please choose what you’d like to work with,” Risa said, laying out various wine glasses, cocktail glasses, and beer glasses.

Everyone excitedly chose their glass of choice, saying things like “I drink beer, so I’m going with that one” and “The cocktail glasses are lovely too.”

I think it has to be a wine glass for something like this, but I’m still underage, so I don’t drink alcohol. I recall Holmes liking wine, though. Suddenly, I realized something. Right, the handmade Christmas present... I had a few ideas in mind, but I should give him a wine glass with his initials on it! That sounds like it’d be really nice.

Even though I had originally come here for recon, I had found something that would make a good gift. I smiled as I picked up the glass. Killing two birds with one stone.

There were three steps to the process: deciding on a design, transferring it to the glass with chalk paper, and then carving it by gently stroking the glass using a special pen with a diamond nib. It was more fun than I had expected, and I found myself enraptured by Risa’s kind guidance.

“I have to step away for a bit, but please keep at it,” she said, leaving the hall.

Once she was gone, I inconspicuously looked around. Most of the people here were mothers of the kindergarten students. Everyone had been looking at Risa with sparkling eyes during the lesson. It was obvious that they all admired her.

“Risa is a wonderful person, huh?” I murmured as I worked on my glass.

The people near me nodded firmly.

“She really is,” said Ito.

“Yeah,” added Egawa. “It was her idea to hold these classes. I teach nail art on another day, and it’s like, she gives me a place where I can shine.”

“The kindergarten really feels like it’s been shining ever since Risa came,” said Uchiyama, nodding.

Abe, who was sitting nearby, murmured, “I came to Kyoto from Hokkaido after getting married. I didn’t have any friends here, my parents lived far away, and I wasn’t good at socializing, so I was raising my child all alone. But after coming here, Risa saved me. I don’t know what I would’ve done if it hadn’t been for her.” Tears welled up in her eyes.

This...feels like it goes beyond admiration. It’s as if she worships Risa.

Egawa laughed and said, “You’re normally so quiet, but, like, you get so fanatic about Risa.”

“I don’t think you should use that word here, Egawa,” interjected Uchiyama.

“Oops, you’re right. I just meant she was enthusiastic.”

Ito giggled and said, “Oh, Egawa. I know how Abe feels, though. Risa is like that person who everyone admires at an all-girls school. Even people of the same gender swoon over her.”

Now that I thought about it, Ito’s hair and clothes had a similar vibe to Risa’s. You could tell that she was copying her out of admiration.

Uchiyama gave Ito an exasperated look.

“Why did you join the gospel group, Uchiyama?” I asked, although it felt kind of awkward. I wanted to know why she’d joined despite not being Christian.

“I’m not Christian, but I like singing and I admire gospel music,” she answered shyly.

“Yeah, Uchiyama’s really good at singing, and since she studied overseas, her English pronunciation is seriously amazing,” said Egawa.

“You studied overseas?” I asked.

“I wouldn’t call it that. I was in Italy for a year, and since it was Italy, my English is nothing special.” Uchiyama smiled. “Risa’s English is the best. She even married internationally, after all.”

Listening to them made me even more impressed by Risa.

“Oh yeah, is it true that there was a weird poster in the church?” Egawa asked, leaning forward.

A poster? I blinked. Ito tilted her head in confusion too.

Meanwhile, the others continued the conversation:

“Yes, I heard that it didn’t really make sense.”

“What did it say?”

“‘Pay attention to the poetry of Thomas something,’ or something like that.”

“That’s kind of creepy, considering the tears of blood too,” Uchiyama muttered with a sigh, quietly enough that the others couldn’t hear.

After the Glasritzen class ended, I thanked Risa, picked up my belongings, and went to use the bathroom before leaving. When I entered the stall, I heard some noisy voices coming from the hallway.

“Hey, was Risa’s class today?”

“Sounds like it. All of her worshipers had sparkles in their eyes. It’s seriously gross.”

Huh? I stiffened at the shocking words.

“But like, hasn’t the atmosphere at the kindergarten gotten even worse lately? I don’t like how they make you feel like you’re inferior if you aren’t Christian.”

“Oh, I get what you mean. And Risa’s grandfather owns the kindergarten, right? She’s basically making herself queen.”

“Even Uchiyama from the gospel group was wondering if she had to convert. The others in the group are two Risa followers and Egawa, who’s young and carefree. Uchiyama’s the serious type, so it must be hard for her.”

“Sometimes it feels like pressure or unintentional bullying. It’s like if you’re not Christian, you’re not human.”

“Yeah. Well, aren’t they only pretending it’s unintentional? I felt like I saw that woman’s true nature the other day.”

“Oh? Tell me more.”

“There was a piece of paper on the church wall, and as soon as she saw it, she ran over with this really menacing look on her face, ripped it off the wall, and crumpled it into a ball. It was off-putting, like she was a different person.”

“What did the paper say?”

“I had no idea what any of it meant. All I remember is ‘something something, Thomas something.’”

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Heck if I know.”

The mothers laughed and walked away.

I was so stunned by the fact that overhearing this kind of gossip from a bathroom stall could actually happen in real life that I continued to sit on the toilet seat for a while, unable to move from my spot.

7

The next day, I went to work at Kura and told Holmes everything I had witnessed at the kindergarten.

“I’m just...so shocked about it all,” I admitted.

Some people admired Risa very much while others were saying bad things about her behind her back. I couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh as I went about dusting the shelves.

Holmes chuckled as he performed the inventory check, clipboard in hand. It had been a long time since we’d last worked together at Kura, but we were so accustomed to it that we easily fell into our usual routine.

“It’s only natural,” he said.

“Natural?”

“Yes. When someone is blindly supported, there will always be people who don’t think well of them.”

“Huh?”

“Just look at the Catholic Church. They have ardent followers all over the world, but there are countless people who criticize them as well. It’s the same with celebrities too. When someone has fans, they also have haters. It’s just the way the world works. If there are many people who openly adore and support Risa, there are bound to be people who don’t like what’s going on. It’s essentially the universe balancing itself,” he said matter-of-factly as he did his work.

I gaped at him. “That’s so harsh. Don’t you think it’s cruel that they’re gossiping about her?”

“Is it? I’d find it scarier if everyone supported her.”

I pouted, not knowing what to say. Holmes always seemed like he was looking at things from a holistic view, although he was right that it would be kind of scary if everyone at the kindergarten was as obsessed with Risa as those young mothers.

The world balancing itself, huh?

“Is it considered balanced if half of the people say good things about her and half of them say bad things?” I asked.

“No, it’s not actually half and half. For example, if forty percent of people support her, forty percent are neutral, and the remaining twenty percent say terrible things about her, I’d say that’s balanced. But since those twenty percent are so harsh, they tend to have more of an effect. And the neutral people tend to shift to one side or the other.”

“I see...” His words were as eye-opening as ever.

“Still, that was some good information you got. So, Abe and Ito are Risa’s blind followers, Uchiyama is being made to feel inferior, and Egawa is the carefree type.”

“Oh, yes.”

“I did some investigating on my end too—or rather, I had Komatsu do it. Risa’s maiden name is Takamiya, and her family is quite rich. She also went to Notre Dame from kindergarten until university.”

“Oh, Notre Dame.” It was a girls-only Christian school on Kitayama Street as well as Izumi’s alma mater. The university’s students were all so stylish and pretty that I wouldn’t feel comfortable setting foot on campus.

“As you said, Holy Mother Kindergarten appears to be owned by the Takamiya Group. Risa is likely involved in its management but not publicly. Perhaps that’s why she’s so enthusiastic about holding cultural classes,” he continued as he jotted down the inventory on his clipboard.

Oh, so those classes are for business purposes. In that case, Risa is more than just beautiful, enthusiastic, and kind.

“The church has a good reputation for its volunteer work, bazaars, and other services. Their stance seems to be ‘do good things even if they’re small.’”

I nodded in agreement. “Do you think the kindergarten is somehow connected to the tears of blood?”

“Let’s see... After the incident two weeks ago, it happened again within short periods of time. If the prank suddenly stopped, it’s highly likely the culprit was one of the group members we met, since they know a security camera has been installed and a blood sample was collected. However, if the statue of Mary were to shed tears of blood again, it would become likelier that the prank is being done by an outsider.”

“Good point.”

If the culprit is one of the group members, she would know she wouldn’t be able to get away with it anymore.

“I think we’ll be able to narrow it down when we receive the blood test results,” he said, tapping the clipboard with his pen.

If it turns out to be human blood, will the culprit have used their own blood for this? It was a decent amount, though—enough that you could tell they were tears of blood at a glance. It wasn’t an amount one could get by cutting their fingertip. Was it from self-harm? If not, we can narrow it down based on who would be able to procure that much human blood. But if it’s animal blood...did they kill an animal and harvest its blood to use for pranks? That would be horrible. Both possibilities are terrifying.

“Now, what I’m really curious about is the poster that sent Risa into a fit of rage. ‘Pay attention to the poetry of Thomas something,’ was it?” Holmes folded his arms and looked up at the ceiling.

“Is that the name of a poet?”

“Thomas Wyatt, Thomas More, Dylan Thomas, Thomas Moore...” he mumbled as he paced around the store. They were probably the names of poets. “Thomas...Murner.” He stopped. “I see. So that’s what it is.” He smiled, seeming to have figured something out.

Meanwhile, I didn’t have the slightest clue.

8

When Holmes notified us that the blood test results had come back, we gathered at the church again. The pastor was there as well as the gospel group members: Risa, Abe, Ito, Uchiyama, and Egawa. My mother and Suzuki, the district board members, were also standing in the chapel, looking nervous. Naturally, I was present too, and for some reason, even my little brother had shown up. Holmes was stopping by the university first, so he hadn’t arrived yet.

In the heavy atmosphere, Risa smiled cheerfully and said, “Since we’re all here, why don’t we practice singing until Kiyotaka comes?”

The group members all excitedly lined up in front of the cross for an impromptu rehearsal. Mutsuki and I awkwardly sat in the pews like spectators, not knowing where else to go. For once, I couldn’t help but feel glad that my brother was with me.

On Risa’s cue, the seven gospelers began to sing Oh Happy Day a cappella with claps and steps. Mutsuki and I exchanged looks of surprise. Their singing far exceeded our expectations. I felt bad for wondering what I was going to do if I couldn’t bear to listen to their amateur singing. The official group members were amazing, of course, but even my mother and Suzuki were singing quite well. They must have practiced a lot in this short period of time. I found myself a little moved by their vibrant performance.

When they finished, Mutsuki and I were about to applaud when we heard clapping from behind us. I turned around and saw Holmes, clapping with a smile on his face. The gospelers had been so absorbed in their singing that they hadn’t noticed his entry. Their eyes widened in surprise.

“Being able to hear such splendid music was an unexpected pleasant surprise,” he said. “When is the Christmas party where you’ll be performing for real?”

The group members didn’t hesitate to answer.

“It’s on Christmas Eve, of course.”

“Come and listen if you’d like.”

“Yes, please do. After the concert, we’re going to have a big party in the kindergarten hall.”

What? There’s no way Holmes would want to spend his Christmas Eve listening to gospel music and going to a party at the kindergarten hall.

“Yes, I think I will,” he said. “I’m sure Aoi would like to come with me too.”

What?!

“You don’t have to force yourself to go, Kiyotaka,” my mother said hurriedly.

“No, I want to see you in your moment of glory. Your singing voice was wonderful, after all.” He placed his hand on his chest and smiled at my mother.

Everyone gasped and blushed as if they’d been struck in the heart. Apparently, a Kyoto guy’s smile was effective against older women too.

But our Christmas... I looked at how happy my mother and brother were and changed my mind. Maybe this is for the best?

“A-Anyway, the test results came back, right?” asked Suzuki.

The cozy mood suddenly turned cold.

Right, we’re going to find out what that blood was.

“Yes,” replied Holmes, holding the papers. “It was determined that the tears were not human blood.”

It’s not human blood. I was a bit relieved, but animal blood wasn’t a good thing either.

“It may have been ceremonial in nature,” he continued. “The results say that it was sheep blood.”

The rest of us exchanged looks, not knowing how to feel.

“Let’s set aside the matter of the blood for now,” he added. “First, I’d like to ask Risa and the pastor something.”

The two of them looked at Holmes, confused.

“Um, yes, what is it?”

“Is this church Catholic or Protestant?”

Risa’s expression stiffened for a moment.

“I found it very strange,” he continued. “Generally, it’s Catholic churches that have statues of Mary. I’m not too knowledgeable about the subject, but I’ve heard they greatly respect Mary the Holy Mother, who conceived Jesus as a virgin. Protestant churches, however, do not have this so-called ‘Mary faith.’”

Most of us tilted our heads.

Why does that matter? Catholic or Protestant, it’s Christian either way, isn’t it?

“Catholic churches have priests, who I hear are not allowed to marry except in special cases. On the other hand, Protestant churches have pastors who are allowed to marry. This church looks Catholic but it has Protestant elements, which is rather curious.”

Everyone looked surprised. Risa put on a strained smile and said, “O-Our church is called the Church of the Holy Mother. We’re neither Catholic nor Protestant.”

“In other words, it’s a Christian ‘new religion,’ isn’t it?” Holmes asked pointedly.

“Wh-What’s wrong with that?!” exclaimed Abe.

Everyone turned around in shock to look at Abe, who was being uncharacteristically loud.

“You make it sound like it’s evil! The church—Pastor Brown and Risa are wonderful people who have saved the lives of many. Sometimes they even work themselves to the bone for us. I won’t let you ignore their good deeds and talk about them that way!” she continued, teary-eyed.

Risa smiled gently and said, “Thank you, Abe. I will explain.”

“No, I’ll do it,” said the pastor, stepping forward. “I used to be a priest of the Catholic church. I offered everything I had to God. But one day, I met Risa at church, and I’ll never forget the shock I felt. I thought I’d met Mary herself. She was shocked too, and we fell in love at first sight. I was uncontrollably drawn to her. I knew it was forbidden, but I wanted so badly to make her my wife. As a rule, Catholic priests can’t get married. But just as I believed in and loved God, I also loved Risa—and I made the decision to leave the Catholic church. I am a traitor.” He placed a hand on his chest. “After that, I started an English conversation class for mothers and children. During these classes, I could not help but preach the teachings of God. I talked to Risa, and we decided to start our own church without regard for denominations. That was our Church of the Holy Mother.” He looked up at the altar.

Risa, who was standing next to him, nodded. “Yes, we wanted to contribute to our community in any way we could, no matter how insignificant, as long as we could make people happy.”

I didn’t know how others would feel about that, but at the very least, I found the couple admirable.

Holmes nodded and said, “Yes, I’m aware. Sorry, I went ahead and researched this church. It was originally abandoned and about to be demolished alongside the adjacent kindergarten, but Risa asked her grandfather to have it repaired, didn’t she? She also put a lot of effort into revitalizing the school. She didn’t charge a high monthly fee, she interacted with the local community through cultural classes, and she was passionate about volunteer work. I agree with Abe that she’s a wonderful person.”

Everyone’s tense expressions relaxed.

“However, there’s a reason Abe reacted so strongly,” he continued. “Some of the people who knew about the church’s circumstances started gossiping about ‘the shady new religion,’ didn’t they?” he asked gently.

Abe flinched.

Huh?

“It was very frustrating for her, because she had seen how wonderful the church was. And then someone played a prank on the statue of Mary. Risa had only told Uchiyama and Ito about it, but since you can’t stop people from talking, Abe found out too.”

Bewildered, I asked, “What does this mean? Were the tears of blood a prank by an outsider?”

“I believe that only the first incident was. Risa said that the first time, it was a red liquid, but real blood isn’t red when it’s applied to a stone surface. Also, the first time was in the early morning while the second and third were in the afternoon. The first was probably done by someone who saw Shocking News from Around the World. Perhaps they were jealous of Risa. However, because of that incident, Abe watched the TV special as well, either from a recording or online. I took a look at the program too, and in response to Mary shedding tears of blood, the Italian priest had cried in joy and said, ‘It’s a miracle of God. Our church was chosen.’ That was when Abe thought the tears of blood could be a miracle—that the Church of the Holy Mother was chosen by God.”

Abe trembled, her eyes wide.

“When I asked you about the tears of blood, you said, ‘I thought it was a miracle of God, fell to my knees, and cried.’ You wanted to take revenge on the people who’d mocked the church for being illegitimate, didn’t you?” he asked in a calm tone.

Everyone stood still. Abe’s lips trembled but she didn’t say anything.

“Did Risa perhaps realize that you’d done it?” he continued.

“Huh?”

“That would be why she got so worked up about removing the poster. I believe it said, ‘Pay attention to the poetry of Thomas Murner.’ Am I wrong?”

Risa bit her lip and lowered her gaze.

“Who’s Thomas Murner?” asked Egawa.

“A satirical poet from the start of the sixteenth century.”

He proceeded to recite one of Murner’s poems:

The plan was deceitful and wicked.

To make the Holy Mother weep with varnish under her eyes,

And so deceive the pious.

Dr. Stefan is behind her, cunningly preaching melodiously through a tube.

Later, many people will assert

That everything they heard was the voice of Mary,

Even though it was Dr. Stefan all along.

“In other words, the poster was a roundabout accusation that the tears of blood were a trick to gain followers. When Risa saw it, she panicked and disposed of it. I suspect that the person who put it up was...you, Uchiyama.” Holmes looked at the woman.

Uchiyama looked down in resignation. “Yes. I thought that the tears were Risa’s doing because she wanted to make this into a miracle church chosen by God. I still didn’t think she’d go that far, though, so I put the paper up to test her, knowing she was the only one knowledgeable enough to understand what it meant. When she got mad and took it down, I thought, ‘So it really was her.’ But I guess I was wrong. She was covering for Abe.” She sighed deeply.

Abe clenched her eyes shut and then broke down into tears. “Waaaaaah! I’m so sorry, Pastor Brown and Risa! I’m so stupid and shallow. Even God must’ve run out of patience for me,” she wailed, hands on the floor.

Risa hugged her and said, tears streaming down her face, “Abe! Thank you for caring so much about our church. God will always love us, no matter what.”

The pastor knelt down in front of Abe and said, “She’s right, Abe. Everyone makes foolish mistakes. God and Mary will save all of the lost lambs. They will always love us.”

“Pastor Brown...” Abe cried again, her body trembling.

Holmes nodded and said, “Yes, I think so too. People are foolish, shallow, selfish, and quick to lose their way. God knows his lambs very well, so no matter what mistakes they make, He will never abandon them. That includes Abe...as well as Pastor Brown and Risa, who still feel guilty for ‘betraying’ the Catholic church.” He gave them a gentle look.

Risa and the pastor widened their eyes, seemingly lost for words.

“Strangely, even though human beings are selfish, they can forgive the sins of others while never forgiving their own,” he continued. “Pastor Brown and Risa, please, forgive yourselves.” He placed a hand on his chest, speaking as if he were a high-ranking monk.

The two of them burst into tears.

He’s right. By sticking to their love, they went against their teachings, literally bearing a huge cross on their shoulders. They could never forgive themselves, so instead, they tried to forgive the sins of others. People really are contradictory—they can be selfish yet selfless at the same time.

“You’re...right,” said Risa, smiling through her tears. “God will forgive us.”

Holmes nodded. “Yes, He forgives everyone.”

The other members of the group started crying too.

“Abe, where did you get the sheep’s blood from?”

“My family often eats jingisukan,” Abe replied. It was a grilled mutton dish popular in Hokkaido. “So we buy a lot of lamb meat, and...like Yagashira said, I thought sheep’s blood would have a ceremonial feel to it,” she muttered, looking down.

“Jingisukan...”

Everyone blinked, then struggled not to laugh.

“Oh right, you’re from Hokkaido.”

“I can’t believe the blood came from jingisukan.”

I was sincerely relieved, but at the same time, I didn’t know if it was appropriate to laugh in this situation. Either way, the case was settled for now.

Risa stared reverently at Holmes and asked, “Yagashira, you’re Christian, right?”

“No.” He shook his head.

“Huh?” Everyone froze in confusion. “You’re not?”

Apparently, the way he had spoken made them think he was a devout Christian. They all widened their eyes at the unexpected answer.

“I’m not. I go to funerals and memorial services at Buddhist temples, I go to weddings and festivals at Shinto shrines, and on Christmas, I sometimes go to churches for the lights and hymns. I’m a very secular, completely ordinary Japanese person,” he admitted without shame.

Everyone exchanged looks, and this time, they went ahead and burst out laughing.

“Do you mind that I’m like this?” he asked.

“No, of course not.”

“The church welcomes everyone whether they be Buddhist, Shinto, or neutral like you. Everyone is free to visit.”

“I see, so I’m considered neutral.”

The chapel was engulfed in laughter.

Uchiyama smiled gently and said, “Risa, I’m...not going to become Christian, but I admire this church’s activities and I’ll help you with what I can.”

“Yeah, me too!” added Egawa.

“Thank you,” said Risa. “Well, I guess this case is closed. Now, let’s focus on making the Christmas concert a success.”

“Yeah!” everyone shouted.

They went back to rehearsing. Holmes and I quietly left the chapel to avoid being a nuisance.

Mary’s tears of blood were neither a work of the occult nor a miracle from God—they were the work of a human. Just as the culprit had admitted, I thought it was a very foolish and shallow act. It definitely wasn’t good. But now that the truth had come to light, it felt like things were moving in a better direction.

“‘Adversity strengthens the foundations,’ huh?” I murmured.

“Perhaps. I think it’s always for the best when dirty secrets are brought into the open. At any rate, I’m looking forward to the Christmas concert,” Holmes said, holding my hand.

“Yeah... Are you sure you want to come here on Christmas Eve, though?”

“Do you not want to?”

“It’s not that. Mom seemed happy, and the gospels were nice...”

“Yes, I’m looking forward to the gospels, and since your mom is performing, I’ll be able to meet your dad too, right? I don’t want to miss such a valuable chance to interact with your family.”

My chest was filled with warmth. “Thank you.”

“No, thank you.”

We held each other’s hands tightly, and I looked up at the night sky where the stars were twinkling brightly.

9

It was now December 24th. The Church of the Holy Mother’s Christmas concert was scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. We arrived at the chapel at 4:30 p.m., and the sky was already dark. The church was beautifully decorated with sparkling lights.

“It’s been a while, dad,” Holmes said, bowing cheerfully to my father.

My very “normal” father, a rather quiet man of medium build, shrugged weakly and said, “Thanks for taking care of Aoi, I guess. It looks like you helped my wife this time too.”

“No, I didn’t do anything in particular.” Holmes shook his head.

“That’s not true, dad! Holmes is amazing!” Mutsuki shouted, eyes gleaming.

It looks like Holmes has gained another blind follower like Rikyu.

Before long, the pastor came and gave his introductory greetings. We applauded and the gospel group members came out. They stood in a row in front of the cross, all wearing black dresses. With her beautifully done makeup, arranged hair, and stylish dress, even my usually plain mother looked like a star, which made me feel kind of happy to see. My father and brother, who had secured front-row seats in their eagerness, looked even more nervous than she did.

The concert began with famous gospels like I Will Follow Him, Joyful, Joyful, and Oh Happy Day. Everyone was overwhelmed by the group’s performance, which exceeded all expectations. A generous round of applause followed every song.

I overheard some people in the audience saying things like:

“Hey, was our gospel group always this good?”

“They’re amazing.”

The concert was a huge success, and afterwards, everyone went to the large hall in the kindergarten. There was going to be a big party with a lot of games and a potluck dinner provided by the mothers. Everyone left the chapel excitedly, adults and children alike.

“There’s going to be a gift exchange too,” said one of the party staff. “Those who brought handmade gifts, please put them in the big box at the entrance.”

“Oh,” Holmes said, looking at me. “That’s right. I brought your fixed bike with me, Aoi.”

“Wow, really?”

“It’s over here.” He walked to the parking area and pushed the bicycle forward.

“Huh?”

The bicycle was cute and shiny, with a deep red frame and a stylish wicker basket.

“Holmes! Did you buy me a new bike?” I squeaked.

Oh no. I did think my old gray bike was tacky and worn out, but I didn’t expect him to buy me a new one.

I was happy, but bicycles were pretty expensive. Even though I didn’t like my old one, it was still usable, so this felt like a waste. My hesitation took precedence over my joy.

Holmes shook his head. “No, I didn’t.”

“Huh?”

“I gave your bike a makeover. I replaced the basket, changed the rubber grips with brown ones, filed down the whole frame, and repainted it red. Oh, I also fixed the brakes and chain, of course, and cleaned them. I thought that if I did a good job, I could make it my handmade Christmas present,” he said with a grin.

I was too shocked to say anything.

“I couldn’t do it as well as a professional, though. Someone like Ensho would’ve been able to do a perfect job.” He frowned, as if offended by the name he had just uttered.

Oh, Holmes. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t say that. You really are amazing. I never expected you to turn that old bike into something so cute.” My nose twitched and tears spilled from my eyes. I felt so happy and warm. “I-I’m really happy, Holmes. Thank you.” I bowed, unable to stop crying.

He grabbed my wrist and pulled me into a close hug. “This really is dangerous, Aoi. You’re always so unfair,” he said as he held me so tightly that I thought he’d be able to hear the sound of my madly beating heart.

You’re the one who’s unfair in everything you do, Holmes.

Suddenly, I heard children’s voices coming from behind us.

“Wow, they’re hugging!”

“Mama! There’s a lovey-dovey couple!”

We froze, looked at each other, and giggled before fleeing back into the church. There was no one left in the chapel. The stained glass windows were illuminated by the many candles, making for a beautiful, fantastical scene. The silence made it hard to believe how lively it had been here earlier.

“The mothers from the kindergarten all loved it,” I murmured as we sat down on the pew.

Even the bad-mouthers must’ve been applauding.

Holmes nodded. “Yes, when people are moved, they can’t hide it.”

I looked at him and said, “Thank you for everything, Holmes. My mom and the others were really happy that you solved the mystery and came to the concert today.”

“I’m glad. Has my worth gone up?”

“It’s skyrocketing.”

“Your dad wouldn’t make eye contact with me, though.” He slumped his shoulders, disappointed.

I giggled. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sorry you had to spend Christmas at my family’s event.”

“What are you talking about? I’m the one who’s always getting you caught up in my family’s affairs.”

“Those are fun, though.”

“Yes, I feel the same way.” He smiled gently, making my heart skip a beat.

“Oh right, I made you a Christmas present. I’ll give it to you now since we’re in the church.” I rummaged through my tote bag, took out the gift-wrapped box, and gave it to him.

“Thank you. May I open it?”

“G-Go ahead.”

He carefully untied the ribbon and opened the box, revealing a wine glass with a decorative letter “K” and roses engraved on it.

“Huh? This is Glasritzen, isn’t it? Did you make this?”

“Yes. But I’m only an amateur, so it’s embarrassingly clumsy.”

“No, it’s wonderful! I’m really happy. Thank you.” He grinned, looking genuinely pleased.

“Th-That’s good. I actually considered making it ‘H’ for Holmes or ‘KY’ for Kiyotaka Yagashira, but neither of those would’ve been good ideas.” The letter H was typically associated with perverted things, while KY was a common abbreviation for “kuuki yomenai”—someone who can’t take a hint.

“Having those initials sure complicates things.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I actually have a present for you too,” he continued.

“You mean the bicycle, right?”

“No, something else. I’m sorry for breaking our ‘handmade present’ promise, but please take this.” He handed me a small box.

“Huh?” My heart raced. “Thank you. Can I open it?”

“Yes, of course.”

I anxiously opened the box, revealing a ring with a small flower on it. I recognized the flower as an aoi flower—in other words, it matched the necklace he’d given me for my birthday one year.

“Oh, why are you always so unfair? Stop making me cry!” I said, rubbing my eyes.

“I should be the one asking you to stop getting me worked up.” He placed a hand on his forehead.

“Huh?”

“Never mind. Anyway, this is my way of being sneaky, so you don’t have to worry about it. It’s bug repellent.”

“Bug repellent?”

“It’s to keep other men from approaching you,” he said, touching my hair.

My heart throbbed. “You really are unfair.” My face felt so hot that I couldn’t help but look down.

The chapel fell silent. Holmes gazed at the cross with a fond smile and said quietly, “Your mom and the gospel group members praised me a lot. I was happy, but at the same time, it pained my heart. I’m not such a great person, so it felt like I was being overvalued.”

I slowly looked up at him. Everyone had been whispering that he was like a messenger of God.

“Since we’re at church on a holy night, I should take this opportunity to repent,” he added.

“Huh? Repent?”

“For my sins and acts of folly.”

“Oh. In that case, I want to repent too,” I said with a sigh.

“You do?” He blinked, surprised.

“Yes.” I nodded, clasped my hands together, and closed my eyes. “I was once a selfish sinner who tried to sell my late grandfather’s treasure without permission. Holmes stopped me—and maybe I would’ve given up and gone home even if he hadn’t—but I still can’t forgive myself for trying to do that, and my heart still aches. Tonight, I repent for my sin.”

Saying it out loud made me feel considerably better, but I still ended up crying. As I held my fingers to the corners of my eyes, Holmes wiped my tears with a handkerchief.

“I’m so jealous of your ex,” he said.

“Huh?”

“I wish you would care about me enough to commit a crime for me.”

“I-It’s not like that. When I think about it now, it feels like I was just doing it for my own ego.” I shrugged. I care about Holmes so much more—so much that he can’t even be compared to my ex.

“I’m going to make an honest confession too. All this time, I’ve been avoiding talking to you about my past, but I feel that I have to tell you, even if you end up hating me.”

His words made my heart beat faster, but for a different reason this time. Holmes had said that after Izumi betrayed him, he could no longer trust women and lived a life that was “the complete opposite” of a priest’s. Just what did he mean by that?

Holmes sighed. “After that...falling apart with Izumi, I became sort of twisted. I chose a woman who had a boyfriend and got closer to her,” he said, not looking in my direction.

When he says he “got closer to her,” he probably means in the adult way.

I silently awaited his next words.

“I was really shocked that I’d lost my girlfriend, who I’d treasured in my own way, to a man she’d met on a group date of all things. I was blind to my own shortcomings, and perhaps I wanted some sort of revenge. That said, I never actually dated the woman I got close to. I imitated seduction techniques, and when I saw how easily she fell for me despite having a boyfriend, I became even more distrustful and disillusioned. It’s terrible, isn’t it?”

It was terrible, in many ways.

“In reality, I’m a black-hearted, dirty man—a far cry from a Christian.” He sighed.

I couldn’t say anything in response to his past, which he was revealing to me for the first time.

“Sorry, I really am the lowest of the low,” he continued. “I sometimes wonder if I’m worthy of you.”

After a moment of silence, I said, “But that means you aren’t committing anything like adultery, right?”

“Adultery?! N-No, of course I’m not. I reformed myself after I started going out with you. But you’re disillusioned after hearing my story, aren’t you?”

“No, um, how do I put this... It was within the scope of my imagination,” I mumbled.

“What?!” He looked up at me.

“I was worried that you might’ve been having an affair or something. Older women tend to like you, you’re black-hearted, and you have a lot of opportunities to meet rich people, so I thought you might’ve been manipulating rich married women. I didn’t know what I’d do if you said you had a lot of affairs...”

He dropped his forehead onto the pew in front of us with a thud.

“Holmes?”

“You’re as harsh as ever, Aoi. Since I’m black-hearted, you thought I was having affairs with several rich married women?” He chuckled as he remained slumped over, seeming genuinely amused.

“S-Sorry. But I wasn’t that far off, was I?”

“You’re right. I didn’t have an actual affair, but your guess wasn’t too far off the mark.” He looked up. “What would you have done if I had had several affairs like you thought?”

I didn’t know what to say. What would I have done?

“I’d be shocked, but like I confessed just now, I’m a sinner too, so...” I smiled feebly.

Holmes pulled me towards him by the shoulder, and before I knew it, he was hugging me tightly.

“I’m realizing again that I’ll never be able to win against you, Aoi.”

“That’s not true.”

“No, it is,” he said, reverting to his Kyoto accent. “You look straight at me for everything I am, not averting your eyes from any side of me. I really can’t get enough of it. So, thank you. I was a terrible person, but I want to take good care of you.” He tightened his hold on me.

Amid the flickering candlelight, we heard a beautiful hymn coming from the direction of the kindergarten. We gently pressed our foreheads together and whispered words of love to each other as if they were prayers. It was a sweet, precious Holy Night.