Dr. Irie finished his explanation with the final slide. As soon the lights in the meeting turned back on, he was applauded by every auditor in the conference room.
Auditor A: “Marvelous, absolutely marvelous! To tell you the truth, I had my doubts on this Hinamizawa Syndrome research. I expected that even if there was progress, it would be one of painstaking ones which take ten years for it advance three steps forward and yet two steps back later.”
Auditor B: “Yet, you managed to uncover this much in such a short time! This is all due to Director Irie’s diligence and leadership!”
Irie: “No, no. I could never have done this without the help of my brilliant staff members and Takano-san.”
Takano: “Don’t flatter yourself. *chuckle chuckle* Director Irie is a genius in the field of neurology. His past accomplishments and achievements shows that he was the leading doctor in that medical field.”
Auditor A: “You’ve got that right! Not many doctors as young as you have such vast experience in operating on human brains as you do!”
Tomitake: “Congratulations, Lieutenant Colonel Irie. Thanks to you, I can go back to tell Tokyo with my head held up high.”
Irie: “I am very happy that I am able to give you such a great gift to take back to Tokyo. Oh and…please refrain from calling me ‘Lt. Col.’ I still can’t get used to it. …Well, to say it bluntly, they way you pronounce it sounds like you are calling me ‘Lisa’”
Tomitake: “Ahahaha! Yeah, it does sound like a girl’s name, doesn’t it?”
Takano: “*chuckle chuckle* But Jirou-san, you were also a big help too. Jirou-san was able to secure funding for our research during the time we couldn’t produce much feasible results. Without that, we would never have had the results we have in front of us today.”
Tomitake: “Oh, …Hahahahaha…! But, the results shown today are spectacular indeed. Not only did you find the culprit causing the Hinamizawa Syndrome, but you also provided a clear path how to conduct future research. We will definitely be eager to hear the progress of this research when we come here on the next audits. And armed with these results, Tokyo will never be so stingy about cutting back on funding.”
Takano: “*chuckle chuckle* The coffee that everyone is drinking right now was in danger of being scrapped due to lack of funds, right Jirou-san?”
All: “Dwa-hahahahahaha!”
Auditor A: “Tomitake-kun, make sure you tell Tokyo about the progress we have seen and heard today. These guys need to get funding to hold their own achievement party.”
Auditor B: “They’ve been whipped all these times. Now they need to be showered with candy.”
Irie: “Hahahahaha, It would be best if those candies were in the form funds.”
All: “Uwa-hahahahahaha!”
The routine audit soon dispersed amidst a cheerful mood. Some of the auditors were members from the National Institute. They eagerly began to ask questions to Irie about his accomplishments.
Tomitake: “Congratulations, Takano-san. While I can’t say it in front of everyone, all these achievements are all thanks to your efforts.”
Takano: “*chuckle* Thank you, Jirou-san.”
Only Takano and Tomitake were the only ones present in this room that new that men pulled strings to select puppets to create the Irie Research Facility. …Hence, Tomitake was the only one who knew about the hardships that Takano had to go through for this achievement.
Takano: “But this is just the start line. The enemy that I’ve been looking for has come up to the same stage as mine, that’s all. It’s what we do from here that’s critical. And I can already foresee the fun and excitement that lies ahead.”
Tomitake: “Ahahahaha. And, I’ve just received a message where it seems that Manager Nakagawa wants you to come over to Tokyo to give them a personal presentation on this accomplishment. The Alphabet Board also would like you to come and meet them as well. Everyone wants to hear about this directly from you.”
Takano: “Oh my, perhaps they assumed that Jirou-san won’t be able to provide a detailed explanation?”
Tomitake: “Oh, ahahahaha! I, I don’t think so…! I...I’m sure they just wanted to see if the rumor about a beautiful young researcher is true or not. Ahahahaha…!”
Takano: “Oh, Jirou-san. *chuckle chuckle chuckle*”
Staff: “Excuse me, Major Takano. Theirs is a phone call for you from Tokyo.”
Takano: “Hello. This is Takano speaking.”
Koizumi: “Hey-, how are you doing-?!”
Takano: “M...Mr. Koizumi!! I am very honored to receive a call from you…!”
Koizumi: “Wahahaha! I heard that my Miyo-chan was able to make a significant breakthrough, so I just had to call!”
Takano: “Thank you…!! Yes, thanks to your help sir, we’ve been able to accomplish the first step in identifying the microbe that causes the Hinamizawa Syndrome.”
Koizumi: “Umm-hmm, umm-hmm! That’s great, really great-!! You did it Miyo-chan. Takano-kun must be definitely proud of you up from heaven!”
Takano: “No, no sir. My grandfather was researching this beyond the scope of finding the cause of the Hinamizawa Syndrome. My grandfather’s work was to show that human thoughts, religions, and instincts are actually controlled by parasitic agents in our body. Only when that is proven shall my grandfather’s work be looked back as a grand achievement. *chuckle chuckle* Can you just imagine how the world will react once they find out that all human thought, religion, and instincts are all caused by a parasite! *chuckle chuckle* The world will be in chaos!”
Koizumi: “Wahahahaha. That’ll show them-!! I can already see how those religious big shots will react when they learn that what they’ve told for thousands of years were all because of a parasite!! Please show me that dream Miyo-chan! I will refuse my entry to heaven until I’ve seen you accomplish that my dear.”
Takano: “Oh don’t say such a thing, sir. But please look forward to it. I will definitely spread shock throughout the world with this research. And when that happens, everyone in the world will acknowledge how great my grandfather was as they read through his work that he left behind. …Only then will I can say that I have repaid my duty to my grandfather.”
Koizumi: “…I’m so envious of Takano-kun. To tell you that truth dear, I didn’t want all this money. I’m more than willing to throw half of these things away. I always wanted a grandchild like you who is willing to carry on the legacy of his or her grandparents.”
Takano: “Thank you very much. Those words means a lot to me.”
Koizumi: “Oh, and grandpa Koizumi has a present for you, my dear. I sent a nice bottle of wine to you, Miyo-chan, to celebrate this occasion. I didn’t know your address, so I had it addressed to the clinic. However, it seems there’s some difficulty importing that over here, but when it does arrive, I want you to gather all the people that have helped you in this accomplishment and throw a nice party for yourselves.”
Takano: “A wine, sir? Gee, seeing that it’s coming from grandpa Koizumi, I wonder what kind of expensive wine you bought for me!”
Koizumi: “Oh, it’s not that kind of expensive wine. Don’t you remember Miyo-chan? Takano-kun used to keep a bottle of wine that he wouldn’t never dare to open.”
…Takano realizes it immediately…
That’s right. My grandfather kept one bottle of wine that he never opened. I don’t know if he bought that or someone gave him that bottle, but he always kept it safe, vowing never to open it until his research was acknowledged. I was too young to remember what kind of wine that was, but Mr. Koizumi would know which brand it was…
…He went through all the lengths to find the same bottle of wine on this special occasion.
…Takano felt a warmness in her heart which she had not felt in a very long time.
Takano: “Thank you…. Grandpa Koizumi.”
Koizumi: “Umm-hmm! Yep, hearing you call me grandpa makes me feel better again-! I could never get used to Miyo-chan calling me Mr. Koizumi like a politician! Wahahahaha!”
I almost laughed too as I recalled Tomitake and Irie going over a similar exchange a few moments ago.
Takano: “Well, if you prefer me calling you ‘grandpa,’ I won’t mind calling you that with the exception of when people are around. *chuckle chuckle*”
Koizumi: “Oh, I want Miyo-chan to call me that way in front of everyone instead! Wahahaha”
I wonder how old he will be this year. Well, so long as he can laugh so heartedly, I’m sure his passing has yet to come. …I guess the old saying of something has longevity is true.
Koizumi: “Both me and Takano-kun really wished that such a child like Miyo-chan was really a part of our family. We really do…”
…My grandfather had his own family, of course. But as he put all of his life’s work into research, he became estranged from his wife and children. Even though their marriage was intact, they lived apart and technically “separated.” I never saw his family when I was a child growing up under him. …I only met them when my grandfather committed suicide.
During his latter years, my grandfather was in psychological despair, and began to look at his own life in cynicism. His condition grew worse over time, and was shocked to learn his own dementia. He lived in constant fear that his conscious would degrade into oblivion. Hence…he killed himself by jumping off the roof of the hospital. Only my name was written on his suicide note. None was written for his own family.
But, only after his death, did his own family come over to collect his belongings and fortune. They despised me as the thought that I was going to get his estate. They began to assemble a legal team to prove that they were the rightful heirs to his fortune. Just looking at how beastly these people are disgusted me, and I quickly backed down. All I asked for in exchange was to get everything that he left behind in his study room.
Those idiots do not understand the value of my grandfather’s work. So they were happy to strike a deal out of court. They were able to get rid of “useless papers” and “disgusting jars of human organs.” At the same time they got what they wanted – my forfeiture of my right to his estate.
These disgusting creatures never came to my grandfather’s aid when he was alive. Yet they came like hyenas after his death ransacking his estate. I would never let them put their hands on my grandfather’s research. Hence, I was able to protect my grandfather’s soul from their tainted hands….
Koizumi: “Okay. Well I don’t want to bother you by talking too long on the phone, so I’d better go now. If you have anything you need, just remember to call your ol’ grandpa Koizumi. I’d do anything for my dear Miyo-chan!”
Takano: “Thank you grandpa Koizumi. Miyo’s gonna work more harder!”