The Forgetful Detective Series Volume 2 Chapter 1 Part8

8

"What I'd first like to a.s.sert is the fact that an item's value is fluid, and in economics, there is no such thing as an eternally unchanging fixed price. Currency value is by no means absolute either… While two hundred million yen might sound like a fortune, if for say, j.a.pan's national power increased a hundredfold, then its relative value by exchange rate will fall to two million."

"Y-yes… I see."

I tried nodding, but the talks had suddenly gone into technical details, which I couldn't confirm the validity of. Meaning, if you changed currency when the exchange rate was one dollar to one hundred yen, then two hundred million yen would be two million dollars, but if one dollar was one yen, two million yen would become two million dollars, so relatively speaking, two hundred million yen and two million yen would have equivalent value in their times… so what?

"Only in theory, mind you."

"Which means… on the day you changed your pricing on that painting, there was such a great economic s.h.i.+ft—is that what you're trying to say?"

"No, not at all."

I asked in suspense but was evaded oh so easily. I thought it might be a segue into something serious, but it seemed it was a sort of joke to lighten the mood. I really could never get a read on that woman.

"Certainly, in that case, the two hundred million and two million yens I mentioned would mean precisely the same thing but… if the exchange rates showed a movement to that extent, it would be exceedingly hard to believe you would be unaware, as a citizen of j.a.pan."

"W-well, that's definitely true."

"If you really want to consider the possibility, I do think it's possible to look into the rates on that day but… should we?"

She sounded like she was trying to show consideration towards me. I was only trying to follow along with the conversation—no, it's true I had braced myself just in case it was such a global reason, so it's now like her joke completely missed the mark…

"No need. So what's the real reason?"

"Hey slow down there. I mean, if you really wanted to, any mystery, any curiosity could be explained in a single sentence, but that's not being the fastest, it's just being lazy. If I don't properly go through the proper procedures to unravel it, the root of the problem will remain in the end—Oyagiri-san, to you, this request isn't the sort where it's fine as long as you just know the answer, right?"

"About that…"

"From what I can tell, you see this as an unavoidable rite of pa.s.sage, before you can think about your next employment… in that case, you might get a little fed up with applying the formula, but I will be quite happy if you took it as part of the show only a detective can put on."

Well—she definitely had a point. It's not like I called Kyouko-san to learn the answer to a riddle or quiz. If it was simple curiosity or pure thirst for knowledge, there were surely other means. And yet—

"Are we good now? Then I'll be going on—all I'm saying is that an item's worth is relative. That's not limited to monetary value. For example, my white hair, it's something that stands out quite a bit in town… I can feel some stares even now. But if you gathered up a hundred similarly white-haired woman, its novelty will disperse like the mist. While it may sound odd that gathering will disperse—more so, if a black haired person partic.i.p.ated in those hundred, then surely that one would be showered with attention."

"The majority and minority… is that what you're getting at?"

It seemed we were still a long ways away from the main issue, but if she called it proper procedure, I couldn't let it slide by. If I didn't treat everything she said as necessary, I couldn't connect to the next point. I needn't be fully satisfied with her current explanation—it's a buildup to the next. Which means, I shouldn't simply listen to what she has to say, I need to do some thinking on my own part; I'm sure Kyouko-san's urging me to do so as well.

"Meaning… the price… and meaning can change based on the surrounding circ.u.mstance. Supply and demand, market principle… it's a world I've no connection do, but there certainly are people who buy paintings as an investment."

"Ahaha. If they did, I'm sure they'd be quite shocked to find their two hundred million became two million."

It would be more than a shock. But while Kyouko-san got to pa.s.sing by it without a glance, if I was a visitor, the very fact such a ma.s.sive price fluctuation had occurred would be reason enough for me to stare at that painting. A spirit of curiosity, or perhaps even a sense of schadenfreude to look over such an unfortunate piece.

And swift was heaven's vengeance.

"No, no, that's the normal way to look at it. You don't need to feel more guilty than necessary… a plummeting price gathers attention, and that attention rebounds it to the top again, those s.h.i.+fts in gravity occur here and there on the market."

Kyouko-san kindly followed through. While I was thankful, I couldn't let her pamper me.

"But Oyagiri-san. It's not as if anything of the sort happened at the museum, right? There was no sudden increase in visitors to the museum or anything like that– Which means, paradoxically, there was no grand news of a change in the market value of that painting."

"Yeah… that's what it would mean."

Even if that talk of currency rates was an exaggerated hypothetical… that day when I talked with Kyouko-san, the conversation also turned towards the background. If at that time, a truth that would drop the value of the painting came to light, it would surely have become the sort of ruckus the museum would have to take off for… there's no way a professional couldn't see what Kyouko-san could. Taking that into account, it seemed only appropriate to discard the theory that the painting's relative price changed because of a change in societal circ.u.mstance. If I had to nitpick, it could simply have not been made public—on a need-to-know basis—there may be some backroom reasons only the well informed had a grasp on, but I really can't think the Kyouko-san of that day could have had any knowledge of them.

Not recording any such confidential matters to memory was precisely why she was the forgetful detective… meaning, the two million-yen Kyouko-san appraised it for wasn't a relative judgment, but an absolute judgment.

She had judged it on nothing more than the painting itself.

"There's no guarantee on that one, Oyagiri-san."

"Really?"

"As I was saying… and I'll be repeating myself here, but making an absolute judgment of an item on its own merit is difficult. Even if you try to look with unclouded, unbiased eyes, an objective point of view isn't something one can consciously hold—that's the same for someone who doesn't carry on memories up to yesterday."

Observation is difficult, even for a pro detective, said Kyouko-san.

"And when it comes to appraisal, that adds another layer to it."

"Is that how it works… but as a matter of fact, you went and appraised it in the blink of an eye. Both when you said two hundred million and two million"

"It does seem that the way I stuck prices on them has become a base-line for you… it seems that's become your prejudice, please remember that. From what you could see, there was no change to the painting itself, was there?"

It sounded so shapeless when the forgetful detective told me to remember something but… what was she getting at?

"Then how about we digress and try thinking over whether my prices were accurate or not? When there was no change in the painting's background or its contents, would it really be possible for its pricing to change? In that case, it could just be my misapprehension… wouldn't that be possible?"

"But that would end up crumbling our major premise…"

There was never a mystery to begin with, she was making it sound like the punchline of a ghost story.

"This is a thought experiment. A round robin of possibilities. Just wrestle with it as a warm-up."

"A warm-up, is it…"

If she was building the groundwork for me to accept the truth of the matter, I really couldn't make light of it… my better judgment told me that doubting the person before my eyes would be rude, but come to think of it, looking over that point first was the best bet to make sure the major premise remained standing. Of course, if Kyouko-san wasn't the forgetful detective, this would be an unnecessary ha.s.sle, but… to 'Today's Kyouko-san', the women I met on those two days were both strangers, those were affairs she was unable to take part in, and she was, to the end, a third party.

"I simply don't think you had the necessity to tell a lie… that's how I see it."

"People do lie without a necessity."

"But would someone lie to a security guard they've coincidentally just met on the spot?"

"Isn't it possible a man who's just her type called out to her, so she got the urge to tease him? She said something profound-sounding like two hundred million yen to draw his attention?"

"I-I see."

She said a man who's just her type so plainly, it made my heart skip a beat, but that was definitely something of the 'teasing' variety. Perhaps she was returning the favor for my efforts to deceive with the 'I saw a charming woman and tried hitting on her' line.

"It's also possible you called out to me when I was genuinely enraptured by the painting as a form of art, so I brought the talks to money to cover up my embarra.s.sment… you see, if you wanted to throw something together, you can fabricate a reason like that as well."

"But, even if that was the case, that wouldn't make a reason for you to say a painting is two hundred million yen one day, and two million yen another."

"If they were both lies, that's within the range of allowance. When you mention two hundred yen first, it sounds like a relative trifle, but two million yen is still quite a bit, you know."

That was true. While I was sent a retirement pay I wasn't expecting, if this unforeseen incident never happened, two million was a number I never thought possible to see in my bank balance. To save that much money, a person would need to save up for months.

"Yes. If it were me, I'd do anything for two million."

"A-anything?"

That's also an amazing sense of values. It was undoubtedly the sort of sum one might bring up as a joke… taken the other ways, if I imagined having two million yen in debt, just imagining it would make me want to take flight.

"Ahaha. Right, right. If I wasn't the forgetful detective, but a competent swindler, perhaps I'd have done something like that. By calling the painting I initially valued at two hundred million yen the first time, two million the second, it might have stirred your urge to buy… sounds like a real bargain, right?"

Which means two million was also an exquisite price… it was a high sum, but if you took a loan, even a youngster like me could just barely obtain it.

"If you want to be thorough and hold everything in doubt, it's not a bad idea to delve into the possibility… so how about it?"

"Ah, no, perish the thought…"

When she made such a mischievous smile, I ended up thinking I wouldn't mind being deceived by her, but even retracting her smile from the equation, the possibility that was a scam was slim—the inst.i.tution I was in service to was a museum, not a gallery. Even if she instigated my urge to buy low, sell high, no matter how much of a bargain it was, I wouldn't even be able to negotiate a sale.

In contrast, since two hundred million and two million both sounded like a fortune, it was possible that was a lie Kyouko-san told based on her mood that day. Though in that case, that would mean there had to be another reason she started ignoring the painting she always stood entranced by before…

"Right. On the day I appraised it at two hundred million, I might have seen an exposé on a baseball player who makes two hundred million annually. On the two million day, perhaps I saw some infotainment on a high-cla.s.s mansion with a rent of two million yen. Led along by that, each time, I made a decision based on what I considered to be a fortune… and now that we've reached that point, Oyagiri-san. Are you satisfied with that explanation?"

"I'm…"

I wasn't satisfied, but I did think the logic checked out… if we worked under the supposition that Kyouko-san had a reason to lie, then the puzzle solving couldn't be any simpler. Even if the man my type part was a hazardous joke, she could have said something random to drive away the rude security guard who called out while she was enjoying the museum—reluctant as I was to admit it, that train of thought was plausible.

But in the end, that would only resolve the first half of the question I held—the problem solving I requested Kyouko-san for pertained to the latter half that followed. If I had to say, that was the part of higher relative importance. Even if Kyouko-san gave a purely absurd appraisal, that wouldn't provide the slightest explanation for old Wakui's violent outburst.

Of course, it was possible to think that Kyouko-san's appraisal, and old Wakui's destructive acts were irrelevant to one another… but the stars aligned to well for me to a.s.sume so without a basis.

Granted, since it wasn't the picture, but him himself with eccentricities, Hakui-kun could possibly be irrelevant…

"Then shall we place the piece's price aside for a moment, and discuss the events that followed? What became the direct cause of your loss of employment… it pains my heart when I imagine myself being made to stand in your shoes, but let's try to think not from your, but from Waku-san's position."

"Wakui-san's position… is it? I see…"

Even if she told me that, honestly I was disinclined, or rather, it was difficult for me to find a point in common with that rough-tempered old man, and imagining what was going through his head was beyond me.

But it wasn't as if I was reading a book—if Kyouko-san was the sort of great detective from the pages of a mystery novel, then now was the time to deduce taking the hard-to-measure inner thoughts of the characters into consideration. Short as I fell, I had to accompany her. Just what motive would lead a person to smash a painting displayed in a museum with his cane… just what did that old man want to accomplish?

"Yes. So let's try thinking about it. This is also just a thought experiment. Oyagiri-san, what would have to happen to impel you to destroy a piece of art hung up in a museum?"

That was a crazy question. Even if I had been fired, that wasn't the sort of thing a security guard should consider; but, if I had to force myself to think over it, well… I only had some hunches without any evidence.

"That old man was actually the painter who painted the work and… he was unsatisfied with the finished product, so unable to bear it was being displayed to the public, he impulsively smashed it, or something–"

I didn't have any evidence, but if I had to bring up something that sounded like a basis, when I think of how violence to such an extent was settled with just the firing of the guard on the site, it seemed plausible that the culprit and victim were the same individual. Like a potter who smashes his bowl into the ground because he hates how it turned out—if that old man was a famous painter, I could also see how he'd be acquainted with the curator.

Ignoring monetary appraisals, I have to wonder if the painter who should know its artistic value as a work of art more than anyone would really destroy it in such a fas.h.i.+on, but it was precisely because he was the artist that he had the qualification to destroy it—that logic did feel complete in and of itself.

No, if I had to speak conclusions, even if he was the very man who painted it, I doubt he had the right to destroy a piece being exhibited in a museum.

"Right you are. It might be good to probe into the possibility that Wakui-san was the painter… even if it wasn't his own painting, he might have the educational motive of smas.h.i.+ng the poor workmans.h.i.+p of one of his disciples, or perhaps it was an act of brutality out of jealousy that a detested rival's work was on display."

Brutality from jealousy, no matter how I looked at it, was too out of line with his age… but if we were talking possibilities, it wasn't impossible. Regardless of how I thought of the matter, at the very least, old Wakui didn't feel like the sort who took his own age into great consideration.

"But considering how he calmed a bit after you saw through the painting's intent- abiding our cute boy wonder's advice- as a landscape of the earth, it feels a little off to think he destroyed it because he didn't like the painting."

"Well… you have a point."

If he didn't like how the painting turned out, then no matter how I evaluated it, no matter what I thought was depicted, he wouldn't have cared… more so, if I showed a needless understanding, it might actually send him into a rage. While it really was just hand-me-down knowledge, when I showed I wasn't the knot-eyed amateur he thought I was, old Wakui stopped his rampage, which means…

"And while it works as a hypothesis, if Wakui-san was the painter, then I'm sure you'd have noticed—you've surely caught sight of the artist's name on the plate beside the painting more than enough times."

Sure enough. If the name written there was Wakui, I'm sure I'd have noticed… strictly speaking, I didn't record the artist's name to memory, but if that's what it was, I'd definitely notice.

"That being the case, that doesn't mean we can completely eliminate the possibility, so let's consider if Wakui-san was the painter, and that became the reason for his smas.h.i.+ng of the painting in question… but in that case, the timing is considerably peculiar."

"Timing… you say?"

"Yes. Why did his destructive behavior come out on that day? Judging by your story, the painting's been up for quite a while, right? And yet, why wasn't it right after it was put on display… but on that day?"

Come to think of it, that was a large hole in the theory. Whatever reason he might have, if he didn't like the painting being shown, then he could've just destroyed it when it was put on display. If he really was the artist, I doubt they'd exhibit a painting he detested to begin with—of course, the world works in strange ways, and doing work you're not pleased with happens now and again in every occupation.

Even so, the painting was on display even before I was stationed as security in that museum, so why come so far, so late in the game? I couldn't deny that feeling.

"Not long left on earth, he might have gotten the urge to take care of his last regrets, but Wakui-san sounded too vigorous for that."

It was hard to tell from her grinning mouth, but Kyouko-san calmly said something quite dark… not long left on earth, is it?

I had my suspicions since I first spoke to her, but now that I was sitting down, speaking face to face, but this person was just forming a gentle smile to play it off; the things she said were severe, and she didn't seem to ever be carried by feeling. Perhaps that was precisely why she could guess human feelings and thought but—I grew just a little curious as to why she was working as a detective. Did she have a desire to 'protect something' like I did…? Well, now wasn't the time to appraise Kyouko-san.

"Then let's put whether Wakui-san's real ident.i.ty was as the painter or not on hold, and pose the question of why he attacked at that timing. How does that sound, Oyagiri-san?"

"Sounds fine…"

It's not like that day was any special day—it was a normal weekday, and the museum hadn't held any particularly large event.

"This will be backtracking a bit, but are you sure it wasn't because… there was a change in the painting being exhibited? Meaning, he didn't have any dissatisfactions when it was displayed in its original state, but as time went on, something in the painting changed, and he couldn't contain his urge to smash it?"

It made some sense, but if I were to take on that perfectly logical supposition, then it would come to heads with the theory there was no actual change of two hundred million to two million (Kyouko-san's falsehood).

In the end, the painting would have to have changed—more than that, a change of two hundred million to two million hit the mark perfectly, or at least sounded appropriate.

"It's plenty possible there was some inadequacy in the display. In truth, it happens now and again with abstracts. Like the painting being put out upside-down through the museum's lack of knowledge, angering the artist."

"Yes… but as far as I remember, there was never a change in the painting's orientation. If there was any change like that, I'm sure I would know."

"Ufufu. The problems are going round and round. Is this what you call going around in circles?"

Kyouko-san seemed to be enjoying herself a bit… well, from the point of view of someone who had already reached the answer, perhaps my flailing was interesting to watch. You could call it in bad taste, but I was already aware she wasn't a person of perfect virtue.

"For example… you actually mentioned this one, Kyouko-san."

"Oh I did?"

"You did."

What a strange conversation.

"Maintenance requires a considerable cost, something like that. A painting is different from digital data, and they can't help but deteriorate with time. That might be a good thing in some cases, but it's quite a ha.s.sle to preserve artwork… so that museum might have…"

"What museum?"

"No, there's no way you couldn't figure that one out from the flow of the conversation… that museum failed to properly maintain a piece on display and, umm, the paint cracked, or came unstuck or… some heartless visitor doodled on it and ruined its worth. When the artist Wakui-san realized that, he was taken by rage… in that scenario, there would be some coherency with the timeframe."

"But, and I'm being incessant, but as far as you could see, there was no change in the painting, right?"

"That's right, but…"

But that's the opinion of a knot-eyed amateur. It's not like I could confirm if there were any minute nicks in the painting on display… I don't have the right eyes to spot the minute changes only a pro could tell.

"If you want to take it there, I'm not a professional on art either. Of course, observing things is my job, so I'd notice the sort of change that would turn two hundred million to two million, but I wouldn't be able to tell the slight changes that would need a magnifying gla.s.s or x-ray a.n.a.lysis to tell."

"I see."

"And you were in the same area, observing that painting all the while, right? In that case, even if you didn't notice a change in the painting, you could at least tell if someone scribbled on it or not, right?"

I could definitely guarantee that. It's not like I overlooked Hakui-kun when he took out a pencil before the painting… no one laid a hand on that painting until Wakui-san abused it. And if I had to give testimony as a security guard, I couldn't say that painting's management was particularly bad… even if there was an oversight in its preservation, the other paintings displayed in that area were in the same conditions. I haven't heard any talks of any of the other paintings being similarly smashed—it would be troubling if there were loads of such violent old men out there, and even if such an incident occurred, it might be likewise covered up, but…

"I wonder about that. If multiple pieces were damaged, I would really have to question the place's standing as a museum."

"That's right… that wasn't the sort of scandal that could be solved just by firing the guard on site."

In the first place, the coverup might not have been to conceal the scandal at the museum, but to cover for old Wakui, who had been driven to violence. I won't go as far as to say I was just dragged along for the ride because I happened to be there, but this matter was a personal matter brought up by old Wakui.

"How should I put it, the more theories we build up, the more these theories contradict one another… should we look at it more simply? Or should we dig a little deeper and divide up the possibilities?"

"No, with this, we have the important theories all roughly gathered up—it's enough. Good work, Oyagiri-san."

As I held my head, Kyouko-san offered her gently grat.i.tude. For a moment, I thought she was being sarcastic, but that didn't seem to be the case. Meaning, Kyouko-san had finished treading over the proper procedure for her deduction… the forgetful detective's detective ceremony had concluded. It was like I had done a good once-over on the peculiarities of the case.

I didn't feel any sense of achievement, rather, with my thoughts dragging on and on and over one another, I got the impression the puzzles and mysteries had multiplied.

"Y-you mean the right answer lies among the theories we've put out to this point? And by gathered up, you mean the options are gathered–"

"There is no right answer. Through our scrutinization, we have found them all to be false… there is no room for reexamination. In the words of a detective among detectives, who all detectives may admire, 'Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.' Apparently. Of course, there are some exceptions, and this is one of them."

"T-that so…"

If it's that aphorism, I knew it as well—after hearing my story, I thought Kyouko-san had immediately come to a watertight conclusion, but this meant that in that slight s.p.a.ce of time, she had concluded this many thoughts… Apparently, it wasn't just the request resolution speed that made her the fastest detective, her natural thought speed was also too fast… when all was said and done, in her 'ceremony', she lowered her pace to lead me along.

"B-but… let's say our discussion up to now served as process of elimination and wasn't completely pointless. I really have no idea what remains."

"More than a process of elimination, it was reductio ad absurdum. Whichever the case, it's a standard technique in detective novels—umm, then let's put it simply."

Saying that, Kyouko-san suddenly stood. And changing her position, she moved to the side of the table. At around a step back from where a waiter would take orders, she settled her position.

Putting her legs at shoulder width, she raised both hands over her head… what sort of pose was that? If I had to say, while I'd never been in that position myself, it was similar to the pose one took when having their belongings checked upon entering an area of high security. Regardless, it wasn't a posture one often took in daily life.

"W-what is it? That. Are you mimicking some sculpture?"

The museum I worked at centered around paintings, so the only sculptures they had were around the entrance, but… at the very least, they didn't strike such strange poses.

Though it wasn't crowded, it's not like we left the café for secret talks, so of course, Kyouko-san's actions attracted some eyes… not that she seemed to mind. Did she not pay attention to other peoples' eye?

When standing as a security guard, exerting a sense of presence is part of the job, but attracting so much attention is still embarra.s.sing… perhaps because she had the premise 'I'll forget it by tomorrow', she was able to numb her sense of shame.

"it's not a sculpture. I just thought you'd be able to see my full body better this way."

"Your body? Yes, I definitely can see all of you…"

Since she was lifting her hands up, I could see everything apart from her back… in that sense, much like the sculptures at the museum, Kyouko-san's (somewhat comical) posing did enter my eye from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

Her formal attire didn't particularly have much exposure, but without anything special being anywhere, her standing form looked somewhat sensual for some reason. Well, if a person just normally stood, I doubt they'd garner that much attention…

"And what about it? Umm, Kyouko-san, if possible, could you sit down already…"

"Have you noticed something?"

Completely ignoring my advice, Kyouko-san asked in a nonchalant face—as I failed to grasp the meaning of her question, "Have you noticed any large difference from when you talked to me in the museum?" she specified.

"Difference…"

Since her memories reset, wasn't she not supposed to have any change from the pa.s.sage of time? Of course, her hair would grow, and her nails would grow, such minute differences would surely come about… but it would be difficult to call those large changes.

"You don't get it? Take a good look."

"You want me to take a good look? I really don't get it, but is there really a difference? … Ah."

Under a circ.u.mstance where Kyouko-san would continue taking center stage in the shop if I didn't answer quick, my impatience jumbled my thoughts, but once it hit me, the answer was simple. Forget simple, it was the first thing I thought when I saw Kyouko-san in the café.

"Your… clothing?"

"Yes. That's right."

I presented it right when I thought the waiter might come to caution us, and it seemed my not-particularly unexpected answer was taken favorable, as Kyouko-san easily stopped posing and sat back in her chair. I pat my chest in relief.

And wait, if that's all it was, then instead of purposely showing her whole body, if she just normally asked from her seat, I think I'd have been able to answer much faster… even if you retracted her trait of forgetting everything by the day, she was a somewhat defenseless person.

It seemed dangerous, and a little fearful to watch.

That aside, her clothing… it wasn't just something limited to today, Kyouko-san was definitely fas.h.i.+onable, and even in the museum, I'd never seen her wear the same clothing twice. I often pondered how large of a closet she must have at her home but… what about it?

"Yes. Then this is the question, but why were you able to determine I was the same person when I was wearing different clothing?"

"Yes?"

"I mean, ninety percent of what you can see is completely different from how it was the last time you saw me. And yet, what basis do you have to identify me as the same person?"

Ninety percent of what I could see was different… sure enough, she was right about that. Thought it was quite extreme for a person to appear in different clothing each and every day like her.

"It's not like you're hiding your face or anything… there's also build, and when it comes to you, Kyouko-san, I think I could also judge based on hair color."

"Face, build, hair color… meaning the attachments it's not possible to remove, me myself. Regardless of whether the clothing I wear changes, I'm just me, you say."

"Of course?"

I didn't mean to say anything so Aesop, but that was the gist. The world would be so much easier if changing clothes was all it took to become a different person.

"But Oyagiri-san, you said it first, right? 'since I'm not wearing my uniform, is it hard to recognize me?' You asked… is your uniform an exception?"

"Yeah… well, when it comes to security guards, they're often recognized by their clothing. If they wear that, then anyone can give off security-guard-ish signals… it's not limited to guards, I'm sure uniforms ought to work like that in most cases."

"Yes. I'm sure. There are times the clothes one wears can define them—while I'm me no matter what I put on, for example, I'm on the job today, so I'm in formal wear, but when I'm off, I might possibly go all out and wear short shorts."

"S-short shorts, is it?"

I couldn't really imagine it. But what was she talking about? Wasn't she supposed to be giving hints to resolve it? Checking up on Kyouko-san's fas.h.i.+on was interesting enough as a topic, but I did think it wasn't fitting for work…

"You don't get it? Even if there's no change with me, by the clothes I wear, I can become various forms of myself… a so-called image change. On the contrary, if I always wore the same clothing, I might not be able to change for the better, but I'll preserve an immutable value. And this isn't something limited to humans, it's the same for art."

"The same… mn?"

I could see what she was getting at. But wasn't that theory already mentioned and denied? Even if the painting itself didn't change, the artist could have died or been someone else. By those sorts of surroundings, its marked value can face a relative change… to extend that even further, factors such as what other painters lived in the same period, what cultivated their style, and what circ.u.mstances the work was created under, those such background stories can also influence the price.

But if there was such a dramatic change in circ.u.mstance, I must conclude it would be difficult for me to remain unaware while I worked at a museum.

"But despite, that, you're a.s.serting there was some change in the background?"

"It's not the background. Nothing behind it, but perhaps up, down, left and right?"

At Kyouko-san's blanked-out answer, I tried to catch on… up and down? Left and right? Did she mean the other paintings displayed in the same area? Would that change its relative price?

No, left and right aside, there weren't any paintings exhibited above or below it… and I didn't hear about any paintings being swapped out in the area I was charged with.

"Kyouko-san, please quit putting on airs, I'm begging you, just tell me the answer already."

Pitiful as it was, I had to raise the white flag.

"Just what could have made the painting's price change—why did you frame the price at two hundred million one day and two million the next?"

"It was framed differently because it was framed differently."

"And I'm asking…"

"It was framed differently because it was framed differently."

As if to evade the question, Kyouko-came out with such a totality; I felt I might almost close in on her for it, but then she repeated the exact same words—her intonation changed.

It was framed differently… frame?

Then she wasn't dodging it as well?

It was just as she said, completely straight-forward… was that the answer to the riddle?

"To be a little more precise… the monetary value changed because the picture frame changed. The frame that borders it on all four sides."