In Troubled Waters... – Epilogue

Wednesday, 05/02/2001, 9:24 p.m.

Inside the bar.

The wall clock read 9:21 p.m.

A smell of clear soup and cold oolong tea permeated the place.

The atmosphere was mostly silent, except for a few snores from drunks or the night traffic coming from outside.

In sight, aside from a couple of men sprawled and unconscious either on the floor or in the seats, there were no other customers.

Mrs. Kosaka was in the kitchen preparing the soup and tea, her face showing signs of exhaustion.

Meanwhile, Shin was cleaning the tables with an old rag and a red plastic bucket filled with water that smelled of chemicals. His gaze darted briefly toward the outside of the bar. After each glance, small enigmatic smiles twisted his lips.

Between kicking the drunks out of the bar, washing the dishes, and taking out the trash, several minutes passed...

Leaving the bar, now dressed in his dark blue uniform and with his backpack slung over one shoulder, Shin glanced sideways at a male figure leaning against the wall of the laundromat next to the bar, his face indistinguishable in the darkness of the night. A briefcase lay on the ground near his feet.

Looking away from the man, Shin kept walking until he reached the sidewalk across from the establishment. A voice came from the man's direction, its tone serious and faltering.

"W-wait a moment, kid."

But Shin kept walking, his expression calm as he observed the man from the corner of his eye.

Then, the man stepped forward and emerged from the darkness, briefcase in hand. His figure became visible as he raised his voice.

"I said wait!"

It was Nishimura, and his appearance was a mess. His hair was disheveled, and his suit was completely unkempt. In his right hand, he carried a nearly empty glass flask. His expression was one of desperation.

Shin stopped and turned his head to look at Nishimura, his face expressionless.

Meanwhile, Nishimura walked until he was just a couple of meters from Shin, his steps unsteady and his eyes bloodshot. Then, he spoke in a desperate tone, his breath reeking of alcohol.

"You already know, don't you, son? How? When did y—?"

Shin interrupted Nishimura on the spot. His expression showed confusion.

"Was there a problem with my service, sir? Maybe it's best you come back tomorrow and talk it over with my boss, okay? It's late, and I'm in a hurry. My mother's waiting at home. Huh? Uh... you don't look too well, sir. You should go home. Want me to call a—?"

Before Shin could finish speaking, Nishimura grabbed him by the shoulders and shouted with a distorted face, shaking him.

"It's me, son! I'm your father!"

With a frightened expression, Shin pulled away from Nishimura's grip and then spoke, clearly annoyed.

"My father? What kind of sick joke is that? My father's dead, you damn drunk. Now get away from me or I'll call the police. You hear me? Keep your distance."

With a face twisted in irritation, Shin turned around, but he had barely taken a step when a trembling hand rested on his left shoulder. Nishimura's pleading voice reached his ear weakly, between sobs.

"I-it's really me, Shin. I'm your father, I-I swear. It's me, son..."

Shin pulled away from Nishimura's grip again and then took several steps to put distance between them. His face showed a grimace of fury.

Meanwhile, a crowd of passersby had begun to gather nearby.

At that moment, a short, fat old man, dressed in plain white clothes, approached Shin and asked without taking his eyes off Nishimura, his expression cautious. Nishimura remained still, his face downcast.

"Everything okay, kid? Is this drunk giving you trouble? I can—"

But then Shin shouted in a furious voice, his eyes fixed on Nishimura with hatred.

"You lying bastard! Shut up! Just shut up already! How dare you?! How do y—? My father is dead! I go to his grave every month! I've never seen you in my life! Fraud! Leave me alone! Stay away from me! You're not my father!"

With a devastated expression and his body trembling, Nishimura clutched his briefcase, turned around, and walked away through the crowd behind him. His face was covered in tears, and his nose wouldn't stop running. With a pained gesture, he brought his hand from the flask to his chest and then kept walking, staggering.

The crowd watched and murmured, before resuming their movement on the sidewalk a couple of minutes later.

Meanwhile, Shin watched Nishimura's back as he walked away into the night of Domino City, his expression calm. After closing his eyes for a moment, he walked off in the opposite direction with a faint smile on his lips.

A dark blot emerged from Shin's shadow, blinked swiftly from shadow to shadow, and then vanished into the darkness.