Three Days of Happiness

171
it however you want.”
“Understood. I will interpret it freely. Very much so.”
“Don’t need to tell me every little thing.”
I went back to the apartment, sorted out the pictures for the day,
got ready for bed, responded to Miyagi’s “good night” with the
same, and just as I went to turn off the light, I called her name.
“Miyagi.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“Why’d you lie?”
Miyagi looked up at my face and blinked.
“I’m not entirely sure what you mean.”
“Let me make it a little simpler, then. ...Was my lifespan really
300,000 yen?”
In the moonlight that night, I could sense a change in the color of
Miyagi’s eyes.
“Of course it is,” she answered. “I’m sorry to say, but your worth
simply isn’t very much. I would have thought you’d accepted this
some time ago.”
“Well, I did. Until last night,” I said.
Miyagi seemed to guess what my belief was.
“Did my substitute tell you something?”, she asked mixed with a
sigh.
“He just told me to check that with you, that’s all. Didn’t tell me
anything more concrete than that.”
“Yes, well, 300,000 yen is 300,000 yen.” She continued to feign