Martial Kim wasn’t the only one haunted by questions.
Even the experienced Professor Stone was dazing off into space in between his cooking. Like mentor, like apprentice, both of them cannot seem to let the curiosity of this case go as easy as releasing a balloon into the sky. Granted, the forensic chemist had experienced to multi-task, so his steaks may not be PERFECT they are JUST RIGHT.
Perhaps, he was thinking too deep by himself – he didn’t realize his protege was messing around behind him.
“JESUS! Kim! Do you not make a noise when you walk!?”
Blame his Inner Energy Skills, making him lighter than a feather.
“Forgive me, Teacher.” Martial Kim bowed, “I tried getting your attention, but you were occupied. I hope you do not mind if I—”
“I do mind. Now close those cupboards. Go on!”
Prof. Stone shook his head – but changed his mind when he realized what Martial Kim was doing. The young master had been opening ALL of his kitchen cupboards. He was staring at all the sauce bottles, pots and pans, stacks of plates, and other kitchen inventory and wares that were tucked inside the upper shelves.
“Teacher,” Martial Kim chanced to ask, “Where do you normally store dirty clothing?”
“... See that machine at your knees, the one with the big round glass eye. That’s what we call the washing machine.” A sigh and he put his cooking on low heat. Perhaps a short break from reality would do him some good as he joined his protege staring at his own washing machine.
Martial Kim tried to pull the faux glass cover open, but he didn’t realize there was a safety lock. All it took was for Prof. Stone giving the door a sharp tug, to bypass the lock. The young master could not resist shoving his head inside, as if checking the interior of a chimney for traps.
“How do you fit inside to wash clothing?”
“Very simple,” Prof. Stone tried not to laugh too hard, “We toss in dirty clothing inside, close the lid, and let the machine automatically wash it.”
“...Automatically!? Wi-without labour, or even servants?”
“Yeeeeeeeeeees,” Prof. Stone hummed with a coy grin. “Just one press of a button, and boom. Dirty clothes in, clean clothes out. To sum up, it fills up with water, dispenses soap at certain times, and it spins the clothing around to wash them.”
“F...Fascinating. Where can I acquire it?”
“Almost everywhere that sells appliance has them nowadays.”
“E-everywhere!?” Martial Kim gasped, just shocked by the convenience of AUTOMATED laundry; wished Moon Tavern had one! That would save everyone so much time and energy! “H-how difficult is it to procure one?”
“It’s affordable to any working family. In fact every house comes with their own washing machine, and a machine to dry things automatically. It’s as common as dinner plates and forks these days.”
--- Are these people in this world living in a technological miracle? Is EVERYTHING automated? ... If it is readily available and super convenient, then why has the victim not used it? Instead stuffing them into kitchen cupboards and the sink? A new style that I am not aware of, or something more?
“Teacher. Would you agree storing dirty clothing in cupboards be—“
“Crap! My steak, talk to you later. Out, out, ouuuut!” Prof. Stone ushered his protege out of the kitchen and tried to save the steaks from turning charred. “Go and keep Keekee company! Go on! Be a good lover boy!”
Prof. Stone reveled in the silence once more. This time he was more focused on his cooking as it was near the final stages of—
"TEACHER! TEACHER!"
"GOD-DAMN IT!" Professor Stone buckled from the sudden scream and his first instinct was to turn off the stove. Armed with his cooking tongues he raced out. "What happened? Please don't tell me you blew a lightbulb, Kim! I told you to stop playing with them!"
What the forensic chemist didn’t expect, was Martial Kim trying to escape the house! Why, he was carrying Keekee in his arms – as if rescuing her from a burning building!
"TEACHER! STAY BACK! IT IS DANGEROUS!"
"...This is my house, and you're telling me to stay back. What's the matter?"
"TIGER! TH-THERE IS A TIGER IN YOUR HOUSE! WE HAVE TO RUN! HURRY COME WITH US!"
"........................................"
A tiger in his house? Surely he would know whether or not a big violent cat would have broken into his own home. However, sweeping glance and he saw nothing like a wild animal pouncing and thrashing about. Even Keekee looked confused and shrugged back.
That was when Prof. Stone heard some noises around the corner. His gut sank deep into a hole. He then APPROACHED the danger!
[ROAAAAAAAAAAR! ROOOOOOOOOOOOAR! HIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!]
Prof. Stone stared down the tiger screaming in his living room. It thrashed at him as he gave a deadpan stare to its threats and warnings. A sigh, and he picked up the remote control. Click.
[ROAAAA—Residents reported strange sighting of red lights streaking across the sky earlier this afternoon, followed by an eerie humming. The police have yet to release a report, but rumours indicate—]
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Prof. Stone dropped his weapon of victory back onto the coffee table and celebrated with a pinch to his nose bridge.
Martial Kim staggered back, “T-Teacher. H-how did you slay the tiger? A-and without a sword!?”
“Keekee,” Prof. Stone mumbled, “You teach him. My steaks are calling me.” And stormed back into the kitchen to calm down. Only to poke his head out to add, “And please. Baby steps. Baaaby steps.”
A nod back and once Keekee was set back on the floor, she picked up the remote. She started to flip through channels, every flashing image making the young master’s eyes widen to cartoons, newscast, football, television drama, etc.
“Miss Keekee. H-how did you—”
“It’s called television, Kim! It’s a form of entertainment! Completely harmless!” Keekee tried to ease her friend and sat him back down, rubbing his back as if soothing a startled infant. “Uuuh. P-people in other places do recordings and then br-broadcast them on here, on the T.V. set. It’s not real—well not physically. It’s not like anything will jump out and...you know.”
“...Re...recordings? Like, the black lanterns you use, back in the camp where we first met? I-I remember, your Director captured a piece of my soul and seem to be toying with it in a small viewing hole. Something about cinnabar, or cinema.”
“Huh—Oh yes! Yes! Exactly! W-we have actors play out the scene, we record what they do, organize the scenes we clipped, and then have it play as a full moving picture story on T.V. Like a couple of shows going on right now, my team had a part in! I-it’s kind of like stage play, only we capture it and play it somewhere else – anytime, anywhere. N-no souls involved! Yeah! C-clear?”
--- Clear as mud, but this concept of moving pictures... Like, making a still image animated on a canvas? Fascinating.
Keekee tried to take it slow and steady to get the idea across. Every time she gently changed the channel, Martial Kim was introduced to a whole new world within the screen. World War 2 planes dog fighting in the sky, their loud RATATATATA machine guns spooking him; a black and white noir detective chasing a suspect through an alley, making Martial Kim wanting to help and chase along side; to even the appearance of a giant sci-fi spaceship diving into hyper speed towards the screen!
“MISS KEEKEE! WATCH OUT!”
No matter where he was, or what sort of complication the young master was in – Martial Kim was still a hero at heart. That is what Keekee admired about him. So she didn’t at all complained when he shielded her body with his – even against the S.S. Centerprize of the Cosmic Federacy.
“...It’s okay silly goose,” Keekee would stroke her hand through the back of the young master’s hair – feeling she was comforting a brave child. “Nothing is going to hurt me, not while you’re here. Hahah.”
--- Again, that name. Silly Goose. I wonder...should I ask?
Curiosity got the better of Martial Kim and his opened his mouth.
RING-RING-RING! RING-RING-RING!
"K-Kim! Again it's my phone, d-don't panic. Okay? We're good, we're good! Safe!" Keekee quickly switched to a peaceful kid show channel and rummaged into her purse to grab her phone before it spooked Martial Kim any further. "Hey, what's up?"
"Up?" Martial Kim pried his eyes from the colourful cartoons to glance up. "...Just the ceiling, what—"
"Uh-huh. Yeah?" Keekee continued the conversation on her phone, speaking to herself - well in Martial Kim's perspective that is. Her voice would lower into a hush as she walked to a corner, nodding and replying. "Can't this wait. I'm busy right now. Yeah, okay? Got to go, bye."
She ended the phone and turned around to—SQUEAK!
"God! Kim! Wh-when were you behind me like that!?"
"Miss Keekee, I really need to ask. Who are you talking to every time the device sings?"
"Huh?...Oh! Uh. This is a phone!" Keekee waved it about for her friend to see. "Did I mention it? I-I can't remember if I did, but essentially. I can talk to anyone."
"Anyone?"
"Yeah! Like a friend, my boss, whoever! Why, even Prof. Stone called me today - to take you to the crime scene remember?"
Martial Kim did recall the incident, "So, this...phone. You have one? Prof. Stone has one?"
"Almost everyone does really."
--- Oh? Everyone has a phone? And this device can call anyone, regardless of distance and timing...then.
Martial Kim asked, "How easy is it to obtain this phone?"
Keekee shrugged, guiding her friend back to sit down on the couch, "Anyone who could afford it. I mean, even the poorest of family would have at least a home phone, or a smartphone like this? I mean, even if they don't there's still public telephone booths."
--- Interesting. To think everyone have access to some sort of long distance communication, without a dove or messenger. Gods, the efficiency of this phone held in the hands of generals or even warring martial sects - unfettered coordination within minutes... In saying that, this also suggests someone like the victim would have the same level of communication technology. So convenient, yet why did she not use it to contact anyone to care for her child?
Keekee wasn't a mind reader, but somehow her next comment answered some question, "Yeah, if not a friend, phones are handy to call for help."
"I-is that so? Like reinforcements in a battle?"
"Wh-what? Oh no. More like police, paramedics, fire fighters—You know, that kind of emergency."
--- So even if the victim truly had no friends or family, she still had means to contact anyone professional enough to handle the matter. So why? Was she truly eager to end her life with her son... or perhaps...
"Miss Keekee, another question. If I were to disarm you of your phone, would you still be able to call anyone for help?"
"Eh." Keekee winced at the thought. "Phone still needs someone to press the buttons, you know to call someone. See, this dial pad? I still have to type in 9-1-1—N-no don't touch the numbers!—t-to get someone to help me. Even if I have say - you, on speed dial I need to still use the phone. Not like I can wave my hand in the air and voila it does it by itself - not yet anyway."
--- Was the victim ambushed in the middle of dinner? Her phone removed from reach? And everything was staged to look like a suicide?
"K-Kim. You okay. You look rather tense. Wh-why don't we just watch something else! As if you're into cartoons and—”
*Click* [ROAAAAAAAAAAAR! ROOOOOOOOOOOAR! HIIIIIIIIIISS!]
"TEACHER! TEACHER!"
Prof. Stone just got the steaks on a plate when he yelled, “KEEKEE! BABY STEPS!”
“EEP! I-I’M SORRYYYYYYYYYYY!”
When will Martial Kim ever return to his normal life, he wondered? This world, was just too much for him to stomach.
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