Pathway to Japanese Literature

—This is a foreign story—

"Guh-ack!
"Guh-ack!
"Gag-gag-gag-gag-gag!"

The sound of retching came from the entrance—no sooner had that thought formed than the nurse,

“Doctor… Doctor… An emergency patient…”

While shouting this, she staggered out from the pharmacy.
Dr. Ordesol Parpon looked up.
He placed the novel he had been reading to kill time before dinner face-down on his drum-like belly, ran a hand smoothly over his splendidly bald head, and let out a tremendous yawn.

“Aah. Uhahfuhafuhafuhafit… So… What on earth… Seems he’s retching… Though it’s not yet cholera season…”

While muttering these words to himself, the patient had already taken the lead ahead of the nurse, coming to a halt at the entrance of the examination room; but upon seeing this figure, even the seasoned old physician Dr. Parpon inadvertently dropped his half-read novel and rose from his armchair.

The patient had his freshly cropped hair neatly parted down the middle, dressed in a dignified frock coat with striped trousers—attire befitting formal occasions—yet his face bore a ceramic-pale complexion, eyebrows standing vertically erect, bloodshot eyes drawn so tightly toward the bridge of his nose they nearly met.
The lower half of his face was firmly pressed down with a white handkerchief, making its condition unclear, but the terror of that visage was such that it couldn’t possibly belong to a human being.
With chaotic blue veins spreading across his face like Satan’s death mask or Medusa’s severed head, he inched closer and closer toward the doctor’s chair, groping blindly as he advanced.

Dr. Parpon, who had risen from his chair, trembled violently at the knees from sheer terror.
In a manner befitting "self-preservation being the first law of life," he tried to flee toward the door of the adjacent operating room, but the patient—still wild-eyed—seemed to notice this and raised a hand to stop him, rendering even that impossible.
And before he knew it, guided wordlessly by the patient’s pointing gesture, he found himself plopped back into his armchair in wide-eyed astonishment.

Seeing this, the patient appeared relieved.
With one arm dangling ghost-like, he staggered unsteadily up to Dr. Parpon and swayed his head in a semblance of a bow.
Then he removed the handkerchief covering his nose and lower face, revealing a horrifyingly large mouth gaping open like a hippopotamus's maw. Rolling his eyes wildly as if trying to say something, suddenly—

"Augh-augh-augh-augh-augh..."

No sooner had he emitted that strange cry than he appeared struck by violent nausea once more,

"Gag-gag-gag.
Hurk-hurk-hurk-hurk!"

he let out a deafening cacophony.
He pressed a handkerchief firmly around his mouth and began sweating profusely from his forehead like a waterfall.

Dr. Parpon stared fixedly at that face, momentarily dumbfounded, but soon seeming to grasp the situation as he exhaled a long breath through his nostrils.
Having finally regained color in his face, he rubbed it vigorously with his palm before clutching his stomach and bursting into laughter.

“Ahahahahaha!
“I see now indeed!
“Finally understood!
“Your jaw’s been dislocated… Hence this nausea!”

The patient nodded desperately through his agony – again and again and again.
Dr. Parpon nodded along in rhythm.

“I see, I see! Ahahahahaha!”
“Well… You gave me quite a fright!”
“Never in my career have I seen anyone develop such violent nausea.”
“Ahahaha—oh!”
“No—that was improper of me.”
“My apologies for laughing.”
“Now take your seat… Go on, sit down…”

The nurse who had been standing blankly behind the patient since earlier finally seemed relieved at this moment and, with a small sigh, placed a chair against the patient’s hips.

“Now…
“Come a bit closer this way.”
“You are an extremely fortunate person.”
“When it comes to jaw-setting surgery—if I may be so bold—I consider myself the foremost expert in the world… Oh no.”
“I’m not joking.”
“I’ll show you the proof right this instant.”
“Because I possess my own splendid secret technique… Now…”
“Rest assured and come a bit closer this way.”
“There there… Now take the handkerchief.”
“Hey, hey… What are you doing standing there dazed? …Bring the tea for our guest immediately.”
“…Bring the tea for our guest immediately.”
“Bring the hot tea immediately… Then the gargle water too… Put in a bit more salt… Yeah… Make sure you bring it right away!”

Having said this and scolded the nurse, Dr. Parpon—now with a completely changed, triumphant expression—rolled up the sleeves of his white examination gown to his biceps. Thrusting his thumbs mercilessly into both sides of the patient’s slimy drool-covered lips and forcefully gripping the jawbones with both hands, he glared into the patient’s wildly opened eyes before bellowing in a voice that reverberated through the room.

“……What kind of fool are you?
“……Dressed in such splendid formal attire, what possessed you to do something as idiotic as dislocating your jaw…… Hah…… You utter fool, you blundering idiot!”

Upon hearing this, the patient rolled his bloodshot white eyes wildly.
Though already shocked beyond measure, he grew even paler as he glared back at the doctor, his tongue tip quivering as if trying to speak—but before he could utter a word, the old doctor shouted "Hah!" and jerked upward with all his strength on the lower jaw gripped in both hands... CLANK... as the patient's molars crashed together with an audible snap.
No sooner had this happened than the next instant, the patient—having covered his perfectly closed mouth with a handkerchief—kept his eyes shut as though on the verge of fainting, tears streaming down his face.

“Ahahahaha. How are you feeling now?… The nausea has subsided, hasn’t it? When anyone dislocates their jaw, it exerts pressure on the muscles at the base of the tongue similar to that of a tongue depressor, causing some degree of nausea, you see. But yours being this violent is quite rare… Truly… Hah-hah-hah-hah…”

As the old doctor returned from washing his hands in the corner of the room while saying this, the patient finally opened his eyes and looked around the space before him. Then, using the saline water the nurse had brought, he gingerly gargled and drank a cup of hot tea as instructed. Having finally seemed to compose himself, he wiped around his mouth and slowly raised his face.

What met the eye was not only a complete disappearance of his earlier terrifying visage but rather that of an approachable twenty-two- or twenty-three-year-old handsome youth—his well-proportioned features instantly revealing considerable refinement—yet still bearing traces of shock from having just been berated by the old doctor, his eyes opened wide in bewilderment as he mouthed silent words. Leaning back in his chair with an air of triumph, the old doctor looked down at that face.

“Hahahaha.”
“Oh no.”
“A dislocated jaw isn’t life-threatening, but it’s surprisingly painful, you know.”
“Moreover, once it dislocates, it becomes prone to dislocating again, so from now on you must be extremely careful.”
“For instance, you must take care when doing things like yawning widely or sneezing.”
“While I don’t know what exactly caused it to dislocate this time, you must take particular care should you ever do anything similar again.”
“Making your jaw perform the same motion as when it previously dislocated will often cause it to slip out again without any trouble at all... Though of course, if you casually hold your jaw with one hand, you’ll be perfectly fine... Hahaha... Now then... How about another cup of tea...”

“Y... yes...”

The young man finally began to bow his head in response but, swallowing the saliva in his mouth, licked his lips as if still afraid to speak and glanced around the area.
And then, upon realizing there was no one else in the room, he looked at the doctor’s face once more with a puzzled expression and timidly moved his lips.

“I... will never... encounter such circumstances... and dislocate my jaw again.”

“Hah... I see... So you encountered some ruffian then...”

“No, it is not such a carefree matter.”

“...Then perhaps a big yawn—”

“No, no. It was neither a yawn nor a sneeze nor anything of the sort.”

“Hoho. That is curious indeed.”
“According to my experience thus far, jaw dislocations are typically caused by yawning, sneezing, uproarious laughter, or fights—beyond that, perhaps rugby matches, boxing bouts, automobile collisions, or train crashes... Yet none of those apply here... I see... This suggests some exceptionally unusual cause for your jaw dislocation... In that case...”

The young man seemed to grow only more astonished the longer the old doctor interrogated him in this manner.
In the end, he kept his mouth firmly shut while staring wide-eyed at the other’s face—eyes rounded into perfect circles—forcing the old doctor to once again contort his features while rubbing his hands over them.

“In that case… what exactly caused you to dislocate your jaw so…”

However, the young man suddenly stopped responding.
He continued blinking fixedly with large, deliberate flutters of his eyelids, but eventually ventured a timid question as though wary of something.

“Oh… So you… aren’t aware of what’s happened since this morning…”

“Haa… Of course I’ve no inkling what sort of matter… For that matter, I do believe this is the first time I’ve had the pleasure of seeing your face…”

“Oh… So you haven’t seen my photograph in this morning’s newspaper either…”

“Haa… Of course I haven’t seen it…”
“Originally, I haven’t once looked at newspapers in about ten years now.”
“You see, newspapers these days only report on society’s corruption and depravity, so being made to feel every day as though time-honored virtues and customs are being swept away is most unpleasant.”
“So I resolutely decided not to read them anymore.”
“So...”

“Just a moment, please.”

The young man raised a hand and interrupted the old doctor’s torrent of eloquence just as it was about to burst forth.

“But… you must have at least heard people’s rumors about it… the ‘Nameless Child Trial’ that’s been such a sensation lately…”

“…However, I haven’t yet heard such rumors. In truth, I’m merely keeping my practice’s signboard up until my son returns from studying abroad, so I don’t make any house calls whatsoever. Opportunities for worldly rumors to reach my ears are exceedingly rare, but…”

“Oh… So when you scolded me earlier… and said ‘You big idiot! You utter fool dislocating your jaw in formal wear!’… What on earth was that about…?”

“Ah-hah-hah-hah!”
“Oh, that?”
“Ah-hah-hah-hah!”

And the old doctor burst out laughing before even hearing half of it.
He clutched his stomach, leaned back, and continued laughing while shaking his entire body uncontrollably from the very core.

“Ah-hah-hah-hah!”
“It’s nothing at all.”
“Wah-hah-hah-hah!”

When he saw that, the young man’s expression shifted from mere bewilderment to one of genuine unease.
And then, as if haunted, he spoke in fragments while trembling his lips.

“When I... heard those words of yours... I thought... you already knew not just about my circumstances... but even about that unprecedented bizarre incident that had just occurred to me... I felt as if a nail had been driven through my chest... But I was indeed the utter idiot and complete fool you declared me to be...”

“Ahahahaha!
“No.
“That must have been terrible for you.”
“Hah-hah-hah!”
“I said it without any particular thought... To tell the truth, that’s my secret technique for resetting jaws, you see.”

“Oh... So scolding patients is your secret technique for resetting jaws...”

“That’s correct.
“In short, it’s nothing at all, you see.
“When healing any patient with a dislocated jaw, if they think ‘Now my jaw will be reset,’ they involuntarily tense their jaw muscles.
“In that case, it won’t go back smoothly, so you say something to startle them—in that brief moment when they forget about their jaw—then swiftly set it with a sharp motion.
“This may be a crude comparison, but it’s the same when pushing in a hernia: even if you tell patients not to mind their buttocks, the moment your finger touches the hernia, they’ll inevitably tighten their sphincter muscles.
“So you distract them with absurd chatter about the weather—while they’re puzzling over your nonsense and looking out the window—then press it in. Before they know it, everything slips right into place without fuss.
“This secret technique comes from decades of experience... I wasn’t insulting you at all... Please don’t take offense...”

“No… It’s not that…”

As he said this, the young man let out a long, trembling deep breath that seemed genuinely impressed.

“Oh… I see… In that case, there’s nothing strange about it… But the fact is that I dislocated my jaw in the district court courtroom just over there, and moreover, it happened mere moments ago—so when I thought you might have already heard about it… I was quite startled…”

“Whaaat?!”

This time, the doctor seemed to be startled in reverse, gulping down his saliva as his eyes widened.

“In that court… and in the courtroom at that… your jaw was dislocated…?”

As he spoke, he leaned forward as if thoroughly seized by curiosity.
Then the young man too suddenly seemed to grow uneasy, nodding while wiping his face all over with a handkerchief.

“That’s right… I—the long-standing lawsuit I was involved in was finally settled just moments ago, and at that very instant, my jaw came dislocated… No… It wasn’t just me.”
“I assure you, anyone in the world who found themselves facing the same fate as mine would have undoubtedly dislocated their jaw upon encountering such an event.”

“Haah—!”

The doctor grew increasingly flustered.
While blinking his small eyes rapidly, he leaned forward so far that he nearly slipped off the edge of his chair.

“Whaaat?!”
“That is truly a bizarre story indeed.”
“A courtroom, much like a church, should be one of the most solemn and quiet places on earth... But could there really be a situation where someone’s jaw gets dislocated in such a place?”

“Certainly…”

The young man answered in a resolute tone.

“...I myself am the greatest proof... Though I imagine such a thing rarely occurs...”

“I see... For future reference, I would very much like to inquire about that... as it may prove useful for treatment purposes...”

When told this by the old doctor, the young man turned crimson red up to the roots of his ears once more and hung his head.
He then cast flickering glances up at the doctor’s face from beneath lowered eyelids, but soon fluttered his eyes sorrowfully.

“Yes.
“Actually, I too wish to speak with you about this matter.”
“I would like to seek your appropriate judgment on the matter... but... if it were to leak out that I have spoken of this to you, it would cause me great trouble.”
“The Halskain family—her family—and the Ignoran family—my family—if it becomes known that the shameful secret entwined between us has leaked from my mouth...”

“No… There’s no need to worry about that.”
“There’s absolutely no need whatsoever!”

As he spoke, the old doctor—seemingly having grown agitated without realizing it—clenched his fists and began rhythmically rapping both knees.

"I must absolutely insist you have no cause for such concern."
"A physician's practice would hardly endure were they to prattle carelessly about their patients' secrets elsewhere, you understand."

When the young man heard this, he seemed to finally feel relieved.
Unfolding his crossed arms and taking one deep breath, he looked directly at the doctor and said resolutely.

“Well then, I shall tell you.”
“In truth, the reason I dislocated my jaw was because I was so utterly dumbfounded.”

“Whaaat?! You’re telling me you dislocated your jaw… out of sheer astonishment…?”

“That’s correct. I’ve often heard the proverb ‘so shocked you’re left speechless,’ but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine being so dumbfounded that one’s jaw could dislocate—so I carelessly let mine slip out.”

“Heh heh… And what kind of story might that be…”

“Yes. When I consider it now—this ridiculous incident that’s so infuriating even to recount—but Doctor, I wonder if you might be busy at present?”

“No, no.
“I am only busy during the mornings.
“Evenings are relatively quiet, so I don’t mind in the least.”

“Indeed… Well then… I suppose I’ll give you a brief summary of how it happened.”

The young man took a sip of the tea the nurse had brought there.
And then, while his ears turned red as if embarrassed and with his head mostly bowed, he began to speak haltingly.

(1)

“...Since you seem unaware of anything, I shall explain everything from the beginning—there has recently been a major scandal in this town called the ‘Nameless Child Trial’.”

“This ‘Nameless Child Trial’ is a terrifying, unfathomable case without a single precedent in the entire history of global jurisprudence—yet Remiya Halskain, the heroine of this affair, is nothing more than a well-bred young lady herself, devoid of any inherent horror or mystery. One might even say it is precisely her excessively feminine appearance and oversoft heart that have spawned this incident’s terrors and enigmas.”

You may already be aware that Remiya’s parents belonged to an affluent family—the Halskains—an elderly couple residing deep in the mountains some ten ri from this town, and that she was their only daughter. As with all such cases in society, the old couple’s doting on Remiya defied ordinary measure.
According to town gossip, they spoiled her beyond reason—had they been able, they would have filled rubber gardens with mercury ponds! It was said they wished to appoint Lord Jesus himself as her tutor and the Virgin Mary as her governess. Whether their efforts bore fruit became evident as Remiya grew: she developed a beauty no brush could capture and a heart of such unimpeachable meekness it defied description.
And so, amidst her parents’ boundless pride, she reached the bloom of seventeen—this being exactly three years ago now.

“Remiya was truly an angel incarnate, without equal in this world. Her heart appeared so gentle it might have been ignorant of the very word ‘no’—not only had she never once disobeyed her parents since birth, but her mastery of feminine arts and crafts went without saying. From earliest consciousness, she had never missed her daily morning and evening prayers nor her Sunday visits to that austere Catholic church with its interminable sermons and rituals—so much so that the elderly Bishop showered her with praise as ‘a model for all daughters,’ establishing her as the very embodiment of pious devotion.”

That the Halskain old couple’s pride in their daughter escalated into such foolish parental euphoria went without saying.
Even a champion racehorse that won first place daily would not have been treated with such care as she was rumored to receive—but in this matter too, the more the elderly couple became aware of their dwindling years with each passing day... and the higher Remiya’s reputation soared by the hour... the more urgently they wished to select a worthy son-in-law and entrust both their daughter and property to him at the earliest opportunity.
Their fervent wish to enter heaven with peace of mind naturally followed society’s common patterns—but given that Remiya’s beauty and the scale of her inheritance were extraordinary even by worldly standards, such concerns too must have deviated far beyond the norm.
From before Remiya had even reached marriageable age, they had spread their nets wide and exhausted every possible means in their search—but when it actually came to finding one, securing a suitable son-in-law for their only daughter proved unexpectedly elusive, or so it was said.
"...Particularly as these parents’ demands were extravagant beyond measure—seeking a man possessing both appearance and character equal to or surpassing their daughter’s—such a being could not possibly exist in this present world."
"First of all, given that not a single young man known to the Halskain elderly couple failed to send Miss Remiya a love letter, it’s utterly exasperating."
"There were even those who, with such audacity, took direct action—standing at the entrance of Halskain Villa with bouquets in hand—only to be driven off by old Halskain brandishing his cane, scrambling away in disarray; such was the state of affairs."

However, there was one... no, just two young men who neither sent bouquets nor love letters to Miss Remiya.
They were the sons of old Mr. Halskain’s deceased brother—Remiya’s cousins, the Ignoran brothers… that is to say, we were none other than those two.

(2)

We brothers had originally been childhood friends with our cousin Remiya, but after certain circumstances arose—soon after our entire family moved to the capital—we lost our parents to an epidemic and became orphans adrift in a distant land.
However, as there remained a small amount of property, we relied on that to continue our studies amicably until finally, in the spring of the year before last, we both completed the curriculum at the Commercial University. Thus we came to this town immediately to seek employment.
Needless to say, both of us brothers knew Remiya's reputation all too well—yet that we neither sent her a single letter nor paid any visits... this matter indeed concealed a truly dreadful reason.

“……Merely stating that much would not make you understand… What could I possibly conceal? We, the brothers Alma and Machira, have been twins since birth. Though I emerged second and therefore by convention temporarily assume the title of elder brother, we are in truth perfect duplicates—from our voices and sleeping patterns to academic records and necktie preferences—not a hair’s breadth differs between myself and my younger brother Machira. The only difference is that Machira is just a tad more hot-headed than I am, so no one who sees us could possibly tell us apart. As we faced each other debating, we’d often end up feeling as though we were attacking ourselves—a most peculiar sensation—and bursting into laughter simultaneously. Therefore, if we were to catch even a single glimpse of Remiya, both of us would undoubtedly end up becoming utterly infatuated. And we would inevitably start a fierce fight that would utterly destroy our long-standing friendship. Moreover, even if one of us were to lose and concede Remiya, the other would later disguise himself as the victor, seize an opportunity to abduct her, or kill the other and claim self-defense—a matter of no difficulty whatsoever. Thus, from the very beginning, we understood perfectly that this would ultimately plunge Remiya into the most wretched and terrifying predicament imaginable.”

“We... therefore... made a pact from the very beginning not to even dream of our cousin Remiya.”
“Of course we would not send letters even to Remiya’s parents’ uncles and aunts, and we resolved not to let them know our whereabouts.”
“And so we brothers made a firm pact—to seek out twin daughters who resembled us so closely that even a minor mix-up would be blameless, and hold our wedding ceremonies together on the same day in the same place…”

"But Doctor... the world doesn’t go as one wishes, does it? Our brothers’ pact ended up causing precisely the opposite result. The reason I say this is none other than... The elderly uncle and aunt searched with the same fervor I mentioned earlier, scouring everywhere for prospective bridegrooms, yet they simply couldn’t find any young man who met their expectations. Before long, a year passed like a dream until Remiya turned eighteen—the very bloom of marriageable age. Convinced their lifespans had undoubtedly been shortened by a full year, they remained in unbearable anxiety—devoting every spare moment to huddling together as a couple, racking their brains over strategies for finding a son-in-law—when either the uncle or aunt (though neither could say which first noticed) happened to recall us brothers."

It seems that was when my uncle and aunt first noticed that we brothers, despite being such close relatives… and despite both of us having been Remiya’s childhood friends… had never once sent her a letter… nor even informed them of our whereabouts after graduating from school.
And at the same time, they perceived—all too keenly—both our considerate intentions and the closeness of our fraternal bond, such that their admiration reportedly became something utterly extraordinary.
The two of them, their eyes simultaneously brimming with tears, exchanged glances,

“If only they weren’t twins...”
“Dear,”

“Hmm.”
“If only there were one young man named Almachira…”

Later, Remiya had recounted that they had let out a very long sigh while uttering those same words.

According to Remiya’s account, from then on, the uncle and aunt did nothing but repeat that very complaint over and over, grumbling incessantly.

“Wouldn’t one of them just get hit by a car already…”

It’s said they even made such terrible backbiting remarks…

“Which of them do you like—Alma or Machira?”

It is said they had asked Remiya this question not merely once or twice.
But Remiya would always turn bright red,

“Whichever you prefer… I cannot say…”

It is said she answered thus, and this was indeed true—it was her parents who were mistaken for asking such a trivial thing.
"The matter of which between me and my brother was preferable was something even God couldn’t determine…"

But such might be the grumbling nature of the elderly, I suppose.
The uncle and aunt had come to profoundly feel—the more they thought about it thereafter—that there were no suitable candidates for their daughter’s husband other than the two of us.
It goes without saying that such feelings of the elderly uncle and aunt likely contained weariness from having exhausted every means in their fruitless search—but might there not be at least some minor flaw in one of them, even one as insignificant as could be pricked by a cormorant’s feather?
"If such a flaw existed, they intended to seize upon it and disqualify one of us—so they had us brothers thoroughly investigated—but the more they investigated, the more muddled the reports became, until it became utterly impossible to discern which was which."
...Moreover, the more they heard such reports, the more clearly both brothers appeared as the very youths they had imagined for their daughter's husband—so tormented did the elderly couple become that they could not sleep a wink at night. ...They could not bring themselves to employ cruel methods like dice-rolling or tarot-like divination to select one from the pair, not while invoking the name of the God their daughter worshipped; yet neither could they countenance some rustic competition wagering their daughter as in old tales. ...Even were they to somehow conveniently choose one through favorable circumstances, there remained no way to console the forsaken brother—might this not be a sign that God intended their daughter Remiya to live unmarried all her days?... Such anxieties surged forth one after another, until their torment grew truly extraordinary.
And so, consumed solely by this matter, the elderly couple’s eye sockets darkened before their very eyes, their skin sagged at every corner, and their weakness compounded until, in the early autumn of the year before last, both—afflicted by a mere shift in the seasons—departed this world for heaven in quick succession.
Moreover, both of them—until their dying moments—looked around at the faces of the relatives gathered by their bedside,

“Please somehow choose a son-in-law for our daughter from between Alma and Machira.”
“For this is God’s divine will…”

“We entrust ourselves to your wisdom.”
“We entrust our daughter’s future to you.”

they repeated their final wishes while breathing their last.

(3)

Needless to say, Remiya grieved over having shortened her own parents’ lifespans—but more than anything, those truly perplexed were the surviving relatives.
In all the world, there existed no will as troublesome as this one—for what was fundamentally impossible would remain eternally impossible, no matter how many wise men might gather.
However, even so—for they could not possibly leave such a vast fortune and a marriageable only daughter unattended—the relatives’ meeting convened after the uncle and aunt’s funeral had reached deadlock time and again, reversed course repeatedly, until at last, at the impasse of deliberation, someone proposed this:

“...Rather than this, wouldn’t it be quicker to boldly summon both Alma and Machira and have them meet Remiya at the same time? Then having the three hold earnest discussions and settle on a method to choose one from the two—how might that work? If we third parties were to select as in previous talks, inconveniences would arise regardless of our choice, easily leading to an improper situation. But should the three reach mutual agreement, wouldn’t it be neither unfair nor immoral? There’d be no grounds for suspicion whatsoever. Even if the Ignoran brothers have seemingly become unreachable lately—truth be told, as they’re the closest kin to the deceased couple—wouldn’t informing them of the Halskain family’s misfortune now be only proper? Would it not be most fitting to have Miss Remiya offer condolences?”

...and...

Upon hearing this, all the relatives rejoiced as if they had encountered a rescue ship.
They could hardly wait for the words to end,

“Why, that’s a splendid idea!”

“Why hadn’t we noticed that until now?”

“The deceased couple would have no objections to this either.”

“That’s absolutely perfect… I agree wholeheartedly!”

And so, it was immediately passed as a unanimous resolution.

The dangerous fate we brothers had anticipated had now, through the deaths of our uncle and aunt in this manner, come surging forth as an unforeseen reality before our very eyes.
Under the pretext of being “the Halskain family’s closest relatives,” Remiya and we brothers were forcibly dragged out by the relatives’ council representatives and compelled to exchange long-overdue greetings before the Halskain family altar—with but a single glance, we had already been irrevocably bound to our absolute fate.
We had been made to become eternal enemies to each other and forced to embark on competing for a single woman.
And from then on, all three of them had to live in separate rooms of the Halskain residence, sleep apart at night, spend their days glaring at each other in a single chamber, and three times daily swallow exotic delicacies from land and sea whose taste and scent they could no longer discern.

The terror and torment of that period could not possibly lie within an outsider’s imagination.
We brothers knew each other’s feelings all too well.
Since the other’s heart mirrored one’s own perfectly, there remained no means of resolution.
We could neither kill each other nor flee.
As for Remiya herself—though she pierced both their hearts with a lover’s acuity—she became ensnared in suffering unparalleled in this world, finding no recourse with either brother. Thus all three existed in such a state—unable even to converse about their future, let alone plan it… as though living souls cast into hell itself.

Above all, Remiya—perhaps tormented to death by the dream-like yet terrifying reality of two lovers with identical appearance and identical heart and form glaring at each other before her very eyes—had become so emaciated and haggard within less than a week after the funeral that it pained others to look at her.
And so she collapsed into her sickbed and came to receive visits from doctors, but weakened to the point where not only food but even medicine wouldn’t pass her throat—if left unattended, she would undoubtedly soon follow her parents… The fate of being driven to the afterlife while tormented by the phantoms of us two in the same manner had become clearly visible.

“I shall leave my fortune to both of you.”
“That alone remains my humble consideration.”
“Please think of this fortune as me, divide it equally between you both, and use it as you please.”

She had even come to blurt out such things in a half-dreaming state.

(4)

When I heard this report from the doctor, I could no longer endure it.
Having thus made a grave resolution, I donned travel clothes so that no one would notice and was quietly attempting to slip out through the back door while clutching my hat and overcoat—when my brother, having apparently heard the same report from the physician and arrived at the same idea, had similarly dressed himself in travel attire and was about to depart—so that we unexpectedly collided with each other before the rear gate.

They had no choice but to stop in their tracks, exchanging bitter smiles that seemed on the verge of tears. And so, in silence, they returned to the inner garden of the Halskain residence and sat side by side on the lawn before the pond—but when they finally spoke to each other after so long, it emerged that my younger brother had likewise intended to mail a letter declaring “complete relinquishment” and vanish into obscurity… “We cannot idly watch as the Halskain lineage is thus devoured for our sake and perishes without a trace... Moreover, to divide the vast fortune left behind between us two is utterly unbearable—if becoming wealthy means leaving Remiya to die, it would be better to choose death in one decisive act...” my brother exclaimed with bloodshot eyes.

As I looked at my brother’s face like that, my chest swelled with emotion.
Having thus restored a friendship greater than ever before, we sat upon that lawn—clasping hands with knees pressed together—as we discussed various solutions. Yet no matter how much we restored our friendship, selecting a son-in-law for House Halskain remained impossible, leaving us no choice but to jointly abandon Remiya to her fate.

The two of us there once again repeated our sighs countless times, but amidst this, my younger brother Machira—appearing to have thought of something—tore off a page from his notebook and began writing. When I saw this, I too—having perceived my brother's intention—tore a page from my notebook and began scribbling with a pencil in the same manner. But upon exchanging our completed writings and simultaneously reading them aloud, we found—to our mutual astonishment—that both contained precisely the same proposal.

(1) Both men shall temporarily name themselves Almachira and simultaneously become Remiya's husbands.
However, they were to take turns staying at the Halskain residence each week to fulfill their duties as heirs.

(2) They were to make Sundays a rest day and have Remiya go to church.
At the same time, the two men were to meet at their original boardinghouse, report to each other about the week’s events, and spend that night at the boardinghouse.

(3) If Remiya were to bear a child, they were to count back 280 days from the day of birth—the one who had been present at the Halskain residence during that week would become the legitimate husband and formally marry Remiya, the common-law wife.
Having determined this to be divine will and thus unavoidable, the one who loses in love shall never again show themselves before the Halskain couple.
They were to make a promise here and now that would leave absolutely no lingering grudges.

(4) They were to explain to Remiya that there was absolutely no other way to save all three lives simultaneously, and if she consented, have two lots prepared for them to draw.

(5) If Remiya did not consent, they were to take out pistols and aim at each other before her eyes.
If she remained silent even then, they were to pull their triggers on the count of one, two, three—End—

Though differing only slightly in wording, never could they have imagined their thoughts would align so completely even in such extremity—so astonished were they that their lips turned pale.
And trembling anew at fate’s terror, they stood side by side and knocked on Remiya’s sickroom door.

When they handed the torn notebook pages they had each written to Remiya’s emaciated hands, Remiya’s eyes were already filled with tears before she had even finished reading them completely. After carefully stacking the two pieces of paper and placing them beneath her pillow, she took our hands and made us clasp them firmly over her chest.

“Please don’t die, both of you.”
“……Please get along……”

As she spoke, her emaciated cheeks flushed crimson, and she burrowed into the white quilt.

Remyia began recovering so remarkably from the very next day that the doctors were astonished.
And then by the first week, with a face so radiant it seemed transformed from before, beautifully made up, she joined us at the same dining table—but the sheer delight and deliciousness of that meal defied all description for all eternity.

At that very table, the two of us drew lots from Remiya’s hand to determine who would take the hat and overcoat first, but as the result holds no relevance to this story’s plot, I shall omit it here.

(5)

The three of them were thereafter able to steadfastly keep their promise without falling ill even once.
And so we brothers came to enjoy our Sundays together in a far more amusing manner than when we were at school, while on the other hand, Remiya too appeared to be quite satisfied.
Thanks to both of us being named Almachira, Remiya seemed not to feel even a shred of having two husbands, serving us with utmost fairness and sincere devotion—so we brothers found ourselves repeatedly admiring our own ingenious plan anew.
Thus, both of us alternately indulged in the joys of married life and the carefree ease of bachelorhood, while Remiya, for her part, believing such happiness and contentment must surely stem from God’s special providence, never failed to offer prayers of gratitude each time she attended church.

However, such peaceful days for the three of us did not last very long.
Not even half a year had passed before it was discovered that Remiya had already become pregnant.
And as soon as this became clear, we brothers began to be assailed by anxiety and a sense of pressure akin to the approach of a boat race day.

From then on, not only did it become foolish for them to enjoy Sundays together—they even lost the mental composure to exchange words. Above all, I had donations made to Remiya’s regular Catholic church, had the elderly bishop—who held the rank of bishop—pray for divine favor, had numerous midwives examine Remiya and calculate the due date—only to be chilled to the bone by their estimates—then again found myself colliding with the other Almachira at the entrance of a renowned fortune-teller’s house, retreating in blushing embarrassment… In short, I kept repeating every conceivable triviality—selecting only the most absurd—yet even as I did so, Remiya’s belly mercilessly swelled outward until it seemed the baby might come bursting forth at any moment.

Needless to say, we became increasingly absorbed in this.

While engaged in a tug-of-war with the diary,

"...If it's born today, that'd be disastrous."

While counting days on my fingers and growing pale—finally passing through my younger brother's week to enter my own—that fleeting joy... only to immediately feel the terror of that same week passing without incident.

Though sharing identical thoughts, my younger brother too—sitting wide-eyed in our boardinghouse's darkness while rigidly counting clock seconds—I, lying awake beside him, could perceive this with crystalline clarity.

And so it came to pass that on that Tuesday in late October last year—a full month past the due date—Remyia finally gave birth to a jewel-like baby boy... But consider this... When we counted back the promised two hundred eighty days from that day... How astonishingly, that date fell neither within my week nor my younger brother's domain... but rather coincided exactly with a Sunday when Remyia had gone to church and we two were resting at our boardinghouse—does this not beggar belief?
...We established the 280-day period based on the standard pregnancy duration for women found in physicians' texts, but who could have imagined it would lead to such an ironic outcome?
……Even if this were God’s divine will… could such a cruel… decision truly be anything but the whim of some mischievous imp?

Thanks to this, the fate of us three once again reached a complete impasse.

However, this impasse differed entirely in nature from the previous deadlock that had allowed for restraint or compromise.

The child—a boy bearing strong resemblance to his mother—was truly adorable and plumply rounded, but for some reason soon after birth refused to be held by anyone except his mother, so Remyia became utterly enraptured and doted on him.
When we saw that, we were immediately filled with the impulse to pick him up and nuzzle our cheeks against his, but since it still hadn’t been determined whose child he was, there was nothing we could do.
If either of us were to carelessly reach out a hand first, it felt as though a duel would break out on the spot.
Thus, we brothers—now thoroughly desperate—soon resolved to engage a top-tier lawyer in this town and file simultaneous lawsuits from both sides, seeking an all-or-nothing verdict.

However, the person who took charge as presiding officer of this trial was Chief Judge Teroru Wig—renowned in these circles as an eminent jurist—but given the case's sensitive nature, having all involved parties swear an oath to keep the trial's contents absolutely confidential, when proceedings commenced to hear both claims, my lawyer attempted to assert our prearranged "elder brother's rights" and suppress Machira's claims, whereas the opposing counsel refused to yield an inch, insisting with expert explanations that "distinguishing between elder and younger twins should be impossible. Recognizing whichever twin was born second as the elder brother amounts to superstitious discrimination, as medically speaking there exists no means to distinguish which is elder or younger." This led to the proposal of taking blood samples from both potential fathers for comparative study with the baby’s blood—whereby whichever man’s blood proved closer would be recognized as the true parent—but when they proceeded to draw and examine our blood, it turned out to be identically matched in type and category, with every last reaction to the baby’s serum proving uniform throughout......Then, as both parties agreed to determine parentage through fingerprint similarity instead, they had them examined—only to find the brothers’ prints differed entirely in pattern, while the infant’s fingerprints took completely divergent forms; thus this method too became invalid.

Thus the judges and lawyers, and even the specially convened jurors for this trial plunged to rock-bottom deadlock, while all the while the baby continued growing steadily without anyone having given it a name.
Before long—though it remained unclear through what channel—the secret of this trial gradually became public knowledge, until various newspapers began competing to sensationalize the matter.
For how this trial would conclude was destined to leave a major record in global judicial history... Moreover, since indefinitely postponing the case or reaching a settlement between both parties was deemed utterly impossible, it seemed only natural that newspapers would sensationalize it as their top headline, casting aside all ethical considerations.

(6)

When Judge Teroru Wig saw this situation before him, he seemed to resolve to comprehensively assume responsibility for the entire accumulated deadlock, embarking on a tremendous effort. As evidence of this, his beard appeared to grow whiter with nearly every trial session—yet simultaneously, Judge Wig seemed to have firmly steeled his resolve, staking his very reputation on resolving this case. Having researched proper parent-child identification methods from every conceivable angle, he appeared to have finally conceived what could be called the ultimate last resort—whereupon it was decided to reconvene the court and deliver a final verdict. Specifically, Judge Wig had issued dozens of notices approximately one week prior, summoning not only both counsels and us two brothers along with twelve jurors, but also Remyia and her child, relatives from both the Halskain and Ignoran families, household-affiliated clergy members, teachers, physicians—and furthermore over a dozen eminent scholars from local universities specializing in medicine, law, philosophy, literature, zoology and other natural sciences—all ordered to assemble by three o'clock that afternoon in Courtroom Number One of the district court. Moreover, what intention Judge Wig could have had in convening such a diverse multitude in Courtroom Number One... this matter remained entirely unclear until the trial day itself, lying beyond even the speculative reach of both counsels' first-rate intellects.

When this matter leaked out to society as usual, the extraordinary nature of its reputation was truly unparalleled.
The commotion stirred by assertions that "Chief Judge Teroru Wig will surely resolve this intractable case today" appeared genuinely monumental—according to morning papers' accounts, all first-class seats on trains arriving in town had been sold out since yesterday due to overwhelming demand... When I attempted to reach the courthouse punctually this afternoon and arrived at the opposite street corner, not only did the crowds render my carriage immobile, but I found myself on the verge of being encircled by sharp-eyed newspaper reporters. In my panic, I hastily reversed the carriage and ultimately came scrambling through the kitchen entrance of the detention house adjoining your residence.

However, when I finally managed to stand in Courtroom No. 1 through such struggles, I found myself even more overwhelmed. Before me stretched an imposing array of judges—from the chief judge and associate judges down to lawyers and clerks—their judicial robes creating a constellation twice their usual number... Add to this twelve jurors, professors attending as expert witnesses, specially invited judges from various regions, plus Halskain and Ignoran family relatives and household members in formal attire so resplendent that even that vast courtroom held not an inch to spare... With ordinary spectators and press personnel entirely excluded, the atmosphere seemed to attain unprecedented solemnity... And there at the center, we brothers—sandwiched between Remiya cradling her peacefully sleeping infant and the slumbering child itself—had settled ourselves in diminished postures.

Well then... After all attendees had concluded their oath to maintain secrecy regarding the trial’s contents amid this tense atmosphere, and once the clerk had finished reciting the case’s proceedings to date, Judge Wig slowly rose to the podium. Clearing his throat once or twice, he commenced the following address:

“This court shall now elucidate the final method of resolution for this case.

This case fundamentally constitutes supernatural litigation arising from twin brothers Alma and Machira’s observance of laws beyond laws and morals beyond morals regarding their romantic involvement with Remiya—the sole scion of the Halskain family—being a matter of utmost peculiarity and inscrutability that modern legal frameworks, scientific knowledge, or common sense could never adjudicate in perpetuity.

Therefore, I maintain that in seeking resolution, there exists no recourse but to await natural settlement through divine providence—wholly immeasurable by modern legal frameworks, scientific knowledge, or common sense.”

“Now then... The natural resolution methods through Providence that this court speaks of are limited to precisely two types.
“The first—as anyone might anticipate—would be to indefinitely postpone this trial.
“This approach entails awaiting resolution through either the demise of one father or Remiya’s departure via new romantic entanglements. Yet such means cannot be sanctioned by law, morality, or common sense in any regard.
“Should Remiya’s male child remain perpetually nameless, every manner of social complication would inevitably arise. Thus this factor alone compels expeditious resolution of the matter.
“The very reason this court now advocates what shall be termed the second resolution method—and seeks concurrence from this assembly—lies herein.”

“The so-called second resolution method that this court refers to is none other than this.”
“Namely, it is a method that applies the ‘spiritual intuition’ common to all living beings.”

“As for this ‘spiritual intuition’ in living beings, it appears that even today, no consolidated research has been conducted among scientists.”
“However, since its existence is undeniably acknowledged—not limited to scholars alone—even ordinary people, should they but open their eyes, can recognize manifestations of ‘spiritual intuition’ in every corner of the earth.”

In plants, roots—devoid of eyes, noses, or mouths—steadily extended toward the fertilizer beyond a thin wall. Or consider how vines—similarly lacking sensory organs—swiftly stretched their tendrils toward any available support; though we knew not how, one could not help but recognize that within the entire biological world existed a spiritual intuition surpassing human senses. When observing how the branches of forest trees maintained fixed intervals to avoid ever rubbing against each other, or witnessing rhizomes budding forth before spring arrived—with each observation of creation’s subtle workings—one found oneself compelled to affirm the existence of a certain great ‘spiritual intuition’ transcending human perception.

Moreover, when it comes to animals, these manifestations become all the more likely to capture our human attention—so much so that even listing only the most striking examples would prove nearly endless. For instance: turkeys conceal their chicks upon sensing a hawk approaching beyond the mountains; camels freeze upon sensing lions beyond the horizon ahead.
Spiders, confident of clear skies tomorrow, spread their webs amidst wind and rain; leeches, while submerged in water, continuously predict changes in the weather.
Furthermore, to enumerate each instance—such as horses distinguishing a rider’s skill at a single glance, or cats choosing those fond of them to rub against—would prove too cumbersome.
In other words, we humans—through excessive reliance on the functions of our five senses—have caused the degeneration of this innate spiritual intuition’s operation, such that the lower the organism, the more developed this spiritual intuition becomes—a fact that could readily be acknowledged even when comparing so-called civilized people with savages.

Moreover, this very principle that "the lower the organism, the more developed the spiritual intuition"—being none other than the foundational principle upon which this court intends to base its so-called second method, which it has adopted and seeks to apply to this trial to render a final verdict—shall serve as our evidentiary cornerstone.

Namely, the male child born of Remiya attending this court remains an infant who cannot yet distinguish east from west.
Moreover, according to this court’s investigations, from shortly after birth the infant has exhibited a behavioral pattern: while remaining gentle and sleeping peacefully when held in its mother’s arms, conversely, it bursts into inconsolable weeping whenever others attempt to take it into their arms.
This can be recognized as daily evidence attesting to how remarkably acute its spiritual intuition for distinguishing its true parent is.

“This court is convinced that Remiya’s child will similarly distinguish his true father through this spiritual intuition—that should anyone other than his actual father between Alma and Machira attempt to hold him, he would immediately begin crying; conversely, should his true father hold him, he would immediately cease crying—

However... as this method relies upon what might be termed extrasensory or extrascientific principles, this court has been prepared from the outset that it may not escape accusations of contrived interpretation.”

“Therefore, this court does not intend to impose this method upon this courtroom by official authority at this very moment. It is precisely because this court believes there exists no other means to conclusively determine this case besides this method that we dared to disregard any inconvenience and sought such a large attendance. Namely, this court has convened in this courtroom all esteemed jurors representing modern common sense; all expert witnesses representing scientific knowledge; and all gentlemen and ladies possessing even minimal authority to comment on the domestic affairs of both the Halskain and Ignoran households—so that we might explain the ‘inescapable necessity compelling the employment of such resolution methods,’ and only after obtaining full approval through your fair and impartial judgment does this court intend to adopt this resolution approach.”

“and is one who desires to conclusively determine this unprecedented trial.”

(7)

The collective sigh that government officials and common citizens throughout the hall exhaled in unison when this address concluded was nearly strong enough to blow each other away.
And when that sigh had subsided, Judge Wig’s call for dissenters to rise could only be answered by a renewed whirlwind of sighs.

We brothers advanced side by side through that tension-filled atmosphere before the chief judge, drawing lots with fingers trembling under fate's urgency to determine our testing order—but when through some twist of fortune the first lot fell to my younger brother, I was utterly crestfallen.
...The baby was now sleeping peacefully—if one were to gently pick it up, perhaps it wouldn't notice.
Because I thought that just when it would be my turn to hold it next, the child might wake up and begin whimpering... In that moment, I deeply regretted not having protested this trial method's unfairness earlier—but with no time left now—I endured the blood surging hotly to my head and kept my eyes fixed unwaveringly on what my younger brother was doing.

However, the result turned out to be something entirely unexpected.
To my utter astonishment and beyond all expectation, a conclusion so dumbfounding emerged that I failed to notice my own jaw had dislocated.

The mortal younger brother Machira, utterly unaware such an outcome might occur and brimming with confidence after drawing the first lot, swaggered through the stifling gaze of the entire assembly to approach Remiya’s side. He attempted to gingerly lift the peacefully sleeping infant, but in the very moment his hands seemed to graze—or perhaps not yet touch—the child’s body, the infant appeared to awaken at once. Arching its back like a drawn bow, it burst into fiery wails.

“Waaah.
“Waaah.”
“Waaah-waaah-waaah…”
How should I describe my younger brother’s expression at that moment?
Is that what they mean by a countenance whose soul has burst?
Still having let the baby slip from Remiya’s lap, he spun unsteadily like a punctured airship before collapsing onto the floor in a crumpled heap.

As my younger brother’s body was carried out amidst the commotion filling the hall, my vision became obscured by tears of joy.
Without even wiping away those tears, I threw myself at Remiya in a frenzy and shamelessly showered her with kisses before picking up the baby—now drowsily beginning to sleep again—and holding it tightly.

"There there now! It’s Daddy! Daddy’s here!"

As I rocked it while trying to press my cheek against its face—the infant suddenly began kicking wildly across my vest with shocking force before erupting into scorching wails and convulsions.

“Waaah!”
“Waaah!”
“Waaah.”
“Waaah.”
“Waaah-waaah-waaah.”
“Waaah-waaah-waaah.”

I stood frozen like a stick, still holding the baby.
Overwhelmed by the extremity of it all, as I turned to look at Remyia’s face amidst the ear-splitting uproar of the courtroom… what in the world was this…
Was there not Remyia, having fallen onto the courtroom floor, the beautiful face contorted as she clutched at empty air and writhed in agony?

Moreover, at the same time, from behind,

“Ah… Oh God… Grant me forgiveness…”

Hearing this strange voice, I instinctively turned toward its source to see—at the far wall of the spectator seats—an elderly man in black clothes nearly fainting, with people seated on either side supporting him. ……And when I looked closely at that face—wasn’t that the bishop of the Catholic church Remyia attended every Sunday? The very elderly clergyman who had prayed for my divine protection……?

……Ah……
……What a dreadful arrangement by heaven this is.
……What an appropriate natural resolution this is.
......And then again... what a splendid Inspiration Trial this is.

……Remyia was indeed not resting even on Sundays…….

……I have no recollection whatsoever of where I dropped the infant I had been holding.
I only recall staggering out of the courtroom in a dreamlike daze, walking back along the very path I had come by earlier, and arriving straight at the Doctor’s office—or so it seems to me.

(8)

......No... truly... never in my wildest dreams until this very day had I imagined I would encounter such a dreadful, absurd ordeal.

……I could no longer tell whether this heartbreak was a good or bad thing.
……Is this what they call heartbreak? I found myself overcome by such a strange and grotesque feeling that I couldn’t even tell whether it was or not.
That is why I have confessed such a secret and now seek your judgment, Doctor.

Doctor... what on earth should I do from now on...?

……Who on earth should be recognized as that child’s true father……as Remyia’s legitimate husband……?

………………………………………………………………

As he kept speaking, the young man Alma finally raised his face.
Wiping away his flowing sweat and looking up at Dr. Parpon's face, he blinked several times in rapid succession - only to dislocate his jaw once more with a sickening crunch, the very jaw that had just been reset moments before.

Dr. Parpon's jaw had come loose without anyone noticing…