Continuing from "Poison (Middle Part) 1/3"
https://www.pixiv.net/novel/show.php?id=12839030
2: Would You Prefer Not to Be Katy?
It was 7:30 PM. I arrived at the west exit of the station. Kyoko was sitting on a stone bench surrounding a roadside tree near the entrance of the underground east-west passageway.
She was wearing a thin Chester coat that revealed her slim silhouette. With round sunglasses on, she looked just like a celebrity trying to maintain a low profile.
As for myself, remembering how out of place I’d felt last time in my sukajan jacket, I had opted for an in-offensive duffel coat. My parents had bought it for me last year right around the time I stopped growing.
Kyoko motioned me over, and I sat beside her. The coldness of the stone seeped through my denim straight to my backside… or so I thought, but it felt strangely warm.
Looking closer, I saw two canned coffees sitting next to Kyoko. Apparently, she’d been using them to keep warm until just moments ago—the kind of meticulous attentiveness you'd expect from a feudal retainer.
"Could you grab one?" Kyoko said, eyeing the cans. Since they were the same brand, I picked one up. A pleasant warmth slowly transferred to my hand.
Then Kyoko said, "Thank you," and held out her hand. Without thinking, I handed her the can.
"Have one yourself," she said, leaving me to pick up the remaining can.
It was cold. A cold drink. The moment I realized this, Kyoko lightly tapped her can against mine and said, "Cheers."
"Hey."
What was the point of this childish harassment?
Blocking my glaring eyes with her sunglasses, Kyoko said, "You just died."
"What are you talking about?"
"It's a poison cup puzzle."
"A poison cup?"
"You chose the cup with the poison yourself. We both drank at the same time, and only you died."
Apparently, she was treating the cold canned coffee as the poison. But they looked like identical cans. Picking the loser had been pure coincidence.
"It was just a fluke," I said. Kyoko let out a small laugh.
"No. Put them back down."
At her prompt, I placed the can back where it was. Kyoko did the same.
"Would you grab one?"
This time, I picked up the cold one she had just put down. I went to hand it to her, but before I could, she picked up the warm one and tapped it against the can in my hand.
"Cheers."
It was a completely natural movement. If this had been the first time, I would have popped the tab and taken a sip without a second thought—assuming it hadn't been freezing, anyway. And real poison wouldn't come with such an obvious giveaway like temperature.
I stood there dumbfounded as Kyoko began drinking her canned coffee.
"A poison cup puzzle, huh?"
"Yeah. We don't know what kind of gathering this is, so we have to be careful. A club that drinks poison… Things like this could actually happen. Let's stay on our guard."
After finishing our warm and cold canned coffees, we headed toward our destination. Walking side by side, we entered an arcade shopping street in an area called Houkan-cho, not far from the west exit.
Compared to the bustling east exit, this side had the atmosphere of an old neighborhood. Despite it being the year-end season, foot traffic was sparse. We weren't hassled by any drunk people like last time, and soon we spotted the sign for our destination bar.
The sign seemed to have its neon lights blown out, remaining dark. Around the corner of the sign was a flight of stairs leading down into the basement.
We exchanged glances, and I took the lead, starting down. At the end of the gloom, a small electric light illuminated a door.
A faded paper sign reading "Store For Rent" was plastered on it. It looked like it had been in this state for quite a while.
Were we really in the right place? Feeling uneasy, I gave the door a few sharp knocks. From inside, I heard a sound like a lock being clicked open.
There was someone on the other side.
Hesitantly, I twisted the handle, and the door swung inward. Standing in the entrance of the dim interior was that masked figure. Black patterns rippled around the edges of a white face. The pattern looked subtly different from the one I'd seen last time.
《Welcome.》
A voice filtered through a voice changer came from beneath the mask. Beneath the mask was a heavy cloak, making it hard to make out any details of their physique.
《Please take this.》
The mask smoothly thrust both hands forward. A brief glimpse beneath the cloak revealed what looked like a black suit. Resting on its palms were two masks, one gold and one silver—masks that covered only the upper half of the face. The eyeholes were open, surrounded by floral-like decorations. I felt like I had seen something like this in a movie or somewhere before. It had a distinctly aristocratic aesthetic.
《It is a rule that all participants wear these masks. Given the nature of our gathering, I must ask that you refrain from prying into who anyone else is.》
Kyoko and I exchanged glances before I picked up the gold mask. Kyoko took the silver one. Instead of elastic, they were held on by strings meant to be tied around the back of the head.
"Is this alright?" Kyoko asked, taking off her sunglasses and lifting her masked face.
《That is fine.》
"But you know what my bare face looks like, while I don't know yours. Isn't that a bit unfair?"
The mask didn't seem the least bit shaken by Kyoko's words; it simply shook its head.
《My face holds little meaning.》
Peering deep through the eyeholes of the mask were dead, lightless black pupils.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Without answering, the mask turned and headed further into the shop, saying, 《Right this way. Everyone has arrived.》 With no other choice, we followed. I looked at the back of the mask as it walked away; the back of its head was covered in black cloth, hiding even its hairstyle.
The interior was larger than I expected. There was a counter on the right, and on the left side, a large table covered with a black tablecloth. It looked like several four-seater tables pushed together.
The counter was empty, but six men and women were seated at the table.
All of them wore masks similar to ours, though each was a different color. Their gazes, directed from behind their masks, converged on us.
As I gave a slight bow, the mask pointed toward the back of the shop and said, 《The coat rack is over there.》 The interior was well-heated. Kyoko and I hung our coats on the hangers as told.
Looking back at the table, the mask stood before the seats on the counter side and said, 《Please take these seats.》 Two seats were vacant at the far left end of the table from the counter's perspective.
Kyoko and I pulled out our chairs and sat down. In front of each person on the table lay a single white coaster.
《As it is time, we shall begin tonight's gathering of drinking poison.》
At the mask's words, scattered applause broke out.
《Normally we dispense with formalities and dive right in, but since we have four new participants tonight, allow me to briefly explain the purpose of our gathering.》
The mask gave the table a few sharp taps with its fist. It was wearing white gloves. The sound brought the applause to a halt.
《Rule 1: Never speak of this gathering to those who do not share our interests.》
《Rule 2: Participants shall decide of their own free will whether or not to ingest what is provided.》
《Rule 3: Participants pre-consent that they shall bear sole responsibility for any situation that may befall them as a result of what is provided.》
《Rule 4: Do not pry into the true identity of the host.》
The final rule seemed to be a standard punchline; a few veterans shook with suppressed laughter.
《And of course, as the masks you wear indicate, I ask that you participants likewise refrain from prying into who anyone else is.》
The mask then gestured with both hands toward us and the two people sitting directly opposite us.
《Now, regarding the four individuals who joined us through introduction—ah, we shall omit who introduced whom here as well. Since meaningful conversation is impossible if everyone remains nameless, we have assigned names to each of you here. These are titles meant solely for this gathering, so I ask for your forgiveness should a name not be to your liking. Now, as for you, sir.》
The mask pointed its right hand at a man.
《You are Capricornus. And the person beside you is Pisces.》
The woman called Pisces curled her lips into a grin beneath her mask and whispered to the man beside her, "Capricornus and Pisces, huh." They seemed to be a pair.
《And you…》
The mask turned left, addressing Kyoko.
《…are Taurus. And you beside them are Gemini.》
I was Gemini, and Kyoko was Taurus. Gemini and Taurus. Neither of them matched our actual astrological birth signs.
《As you have likely noticed, we assign names in the order of the 12 signs of the zodiac. When a member leaves, a new participant fills the vacant number. There are four other participants today. Let us introduce everyone, including yourselves.》
The mask began calling out names sequentially from its right side.
《First, to my right, Aries.》
A large young man wearing a green mask gave a slight bow. He was Aries.
《And Capricornus, Pisces.》
The man called Capricornus looked quite young—maybe a college student. He seemed nervous and fidgety. The woman called Pisces was smiling impudently and waving her hand lazily. They represented Capricorn and Pisces, respectively.
《The two across from me are Virgo and the gathering's most senior member, Scorpius.》
Sitting across from us on the counter side were a middle-aged woman in red radiating a bewitching aura called Virgo, and a burly, suit-clad elderly man called Scorpius. Virgo and Scorpio, respectively.
《And moving to the left side, from the far end, Gemini, Taurus, and finally, right beside me, another long-standing participant, Libra.》
I was Gemini, Kyoko was Taurus, and the man called Libra was Libra. He was thin and completely bald. The pathetic look of him didn't suit the aristocratic mask at all. Yet, with the composure of a veteran, he gave a slow, respectful bow.
《Tonight's session opens with these eight individuals. Since four members are absent today, including our new faces, for the time being, there are no vacant numbers.》
True to the titles based on the 12 signs of the zodiac, twelve people seemed to be the maximum capacity.
"Hey, what's your name?"
An unceremonious voice called out toward the mask. It was the woman labeled Pisces.
Perhaps reacting to the rookie's impolite attitude, the man called the most senior member, Scorpius, let out a dry cough.
Suddenly, Kyoko leaned in close and whispered in my ear.
*(That woman, Pisces. I feel like I've seen her before.)*
Hearing that, I looked at her face across the table, but perhaps because the mask covering half of her face changed her impression so much, I couldn't quite place it. I felt like her voice sounded familiar too, and tried rummaging through my memories, but nothing came clear.
《You may all call me the Host, but in accordance with your titles, calling me Zodiac is also acceptable.》
Zodiac—referring to the path of the 12 signs of the zodiac. Makes sense, I thought. But it also carried an ominous ring to it. Wasn't that the name used by a real American serial killer? I was sure I'd seen it in a true-crime reenactment drama.
"Then I suppose it's alright if we don't call you Katy, Mr. Zodiac."
Kyoko spoke up. Katy was the English name for the constellation Cetus. I watched intently to see how the mask would react, but it merely said, 《Indeed,》 and gave a slight nod.
Seeming displeased that someone other than herself was acting bold, Pisces glared in our direction.
《I will bring your drinks now, please wait a moment.》
Zodiac walked over toward the counter.
Kyoko leaned in close and whispered again.
*(Hey, those three—the gentleman, the madam, and that cool-looking person over there—they look like regulars.)*
By the "cool-looking person," she presumably meant the bald guy called Libra. Glancing sideways, I saw the madam whispering something closely with the gentleman next to her.
*(Yeah.)*
*(Those three names are listed right in a row, aren't they?)*
*(Let's see… the madam is Virgo, the bald guy is Libra, and the gentleman is Scorpius, right? Virgo, Libra, Scorpio. That's the sequence of the zodiac. Maybe they're founding members.)*
*(Even though he's the most senior member, that gentleman is Scorpius, the 8th house. Do you think they started assigning names midway through?)*
When she put it that way, it made sense. Pondering the implications sent a slight shiver down my spine.
*(Does that mean the people with lower numbers in between are gone?)*
*(At a glance, it looks like three regulars are grouped together, but the madam at the 6th house, Virgo, and the cool guy at the 7th house, Libra, likely have a full cycle gap between them and the gentleman at the 8th house.)*
*(I see. So everyone in between has vacated their seats at some point too.)*
*(I wonder what cycle we're on now?)*
Kyoko smiled playfully, but I was in no mood to laugh. What did such a high turnover rate actually imply…?
《I have a question for our four new participants.》
Zodiac said this while lining up glasses on the counter.
《Just what is poison?》
"Something harmful to the human body," Pisces said.
《Indeed. A good answer. The key point is "to the human body." For example, alcohol used for sterilization is harmless to humans, but harmful to bacteria and insects. Going back far into antiquity, life on Earth originally consisted of anaerobic organisms that lived in oxygen-free environments. With the rise of oxygen concentration in the seas, many species went extinct. To them, oxygen was a poison. Eventually, out of that mass extinction, life forms tolerant to this poison called oxygen emerged and began using it as an energy source. Today, oxygen is indispensable to humans. Things that are nothing to us may be harmful to other organisms. It cannot be defined without anchoring it to a subject. In other words, only by establishing the definition of "to the human body" can we speak of poison. Of course, you can shift the subject each time—to mice, to cats, and so on.》
I listened, thinking it made sense, but beside me, Kyoko rested her cheek on her hand, pretending to be casual while intently watching Zodiac's hands.
《Then, can we say that oxygen is not a poison to humans?》
Zodiac spoke as if asking himself.
《No. Pure oxygen is harmful even to the human body. Inhaling high concentrations of oxygen can cause oxygen toxicity, leading to impaired consciousness and respiratory distress. It is only at a concentration of 21% in the atmosphere that it has no effect on the human body. What about water? You might think water is completely harmless, but ingesting large amounts of it will also cause toxic symptoms. It lowers the concentration of sodium ions in the blood, causing headaches, vomiting, convulsions, and respiratory distress, which can lead to death. In essence, any substance entering the human body possesses biological activity and can become a poison. The important thing is the quantity. This is the same for medicine. You might think poison and medicine are exact opposites. But fundamentally, there is no clear distinction between poison and medicine. Both are substances that, upon entering the human body, affect biological activity. Even medicines with beneficial effects for the human body can cause harm as side effects. Furthermore, substances prescribed as medicine always have a strict dosage; exceeding this increases the risk of poisoning and side effects. Conversely, Aconitum—better known in Japan as monkshood or torikabuto…》
At that, Zodiac brought a plate over from the counter. Inside the plate placed on the table were several dried, reddish-black plant fragments.
《This is known as a poisonous plant and is familiar from dramas dealing with poisoning cases and the like. Torikabuto contains a substance called aconitine. When ingested, it opens sodium channels in nerve cells and inhibits the activity of a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. This weakens signals in the neural circuitry, causing respiratory distress and organ failure, ultimately leading to death. However, torikabuto is also known as bushi and is utilized as a crude herbal medicine in Kampo. The aconitine component is detoxified through hydrolysis. People in ancient times learned this through experience, soaking it in salt water and applying heat processing to make it edible. The suppression of neurotransmitters by aconitine's action can, for instance, calm individuals in a state of dangerous agitation. In Kampo, this bushi is also used as a cardiac stimulant. Thus, poison and medicine are two sides of the same coin.》
Zodiac invited everyone, saying, 《Please, give it a try.》
《This is edible salted bushi.》
I remembered eating shiobushi once at my grandfather's house in the countryside. But after being told all about respiratory distress and organ failure, I couldn't quite bring myself to…
As I hesitated, regulars like the gentleman and madam casually reached out and picked some up. After sniffing them, they popped them into their mouths.
"Ah, I see," the bald man said while chewing.
The gentleman remarked, "I prefer Kankyo Bushito, mixed with ginger."
Pisces and her companion Capricornus also seemed to eat theirs with apprehension. Left behind, Kyoko and I exchanged glances before picking up a piece of the salted bushi ourselves.
When I put it in my mouth, a spiciness spread, and my tongue went slightly numb. It wasn't particularly unpleasant. *Ah, right, this is what it tastes like,* I remembered. Kyoko frowned and stuck out the tip of her small tongue—an unusually cute gesture to witness.
《Incidentally, there are people in the world with the surname Dokushima, written with the characters for "poison" and "island," but reading poison as "busu" comes from torikabuto's bushi. It just goes to show how representative a poison it was in Japan.》
Zodiac brought a tray over from the counter. On the tray sat eight glasses filled with liquid. The tray itself was placed right onto the table.
《You have likely heard of the drug cocaine. It uses an ingredient extracted from the leaves of the coca tree, a plant native to South America. South American Indians have chewed coca leaves since ancient times for effects such as fatigue recovery. Eventually, the Spaniards who conquered the Inca Empire brought coca leaves back to Europe, inventing a drink called Vin Mariani mixed with wine. This was also imported to America, causing a craze, but with the Prohibition era at the end of the 19th century, distribution became difficult. Therefore, a pharmacist named John Pemberton developed a non-alcoholic beverage using coca leaf ingredients. Mixed with extracts from cola tree nuts…》