Chloe et Emma (クロエマ)

I need…

I need somewhere…

A secluded spot…

Somewhere out of sight…

Well, I'll get going then.

What is it? Is something the matter, Simon?

Chloe, someone's there.

I don't want any trouble. I'll leave right away.

I'm terribly sorry.

So…

Should I report her or something?

I suppose.

What now?

I'm scared… She's creeping me out.

-Chloe. -Emma.

-Chloe et Emma. -Chloe et Emma.

TEN DAYS LATER

Welcome to Shingetsu Nathan's Hall of Divination.

HALL OF DIVINATION READ YOUR FORTUNE

Soar, dragon!

SOAR, DRAGON!

CONSULTING THE STARS…

TODAY'S FORTUNE - THINGS WILL GO DOWNHILL BE PROACTIVE

I'm sorry.

I'm the one who owes you an apology. I was zoned out.

PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT SERVICE CENTER

Say…

Isn't this fried piroshki the new item from the convenience store?

I've been wanting to try one.

Is it new?

It costs less than 200 yen, right?

Wait, 150 yen? Really, and it's this big?

Yes, that's about how much it cost.

And it's piroshki, so it's stuffed with juicy, meaty filling.

It's fried, meaning it's high in calories and will power you through the entire day.

It's just the food for someone seeking employment.

I'll buy the same thing for lunch.

Say…

Would you like to join me for lunch?

I was just thinking about eating at a park nearby.

A park? I'm sold.

Delicious.

To tell you the truth, I bought it because I thought it was curry bread.

What? That's not remotely the same thing. Are you okay?

Right, it's an entirely different food.

Recently…

I started to let go of the small things. I simply don't care anymore.

I can relate. That's how I felt when I lost my job.

Is it a common thing to feel?

I'm Emma.

And I'm Konagaya.

Brown. That's my lucky color.

Lucky color? What's that, fortune-telling?

Yes. I recently met a fortune teller, and she read my fortune.

I've been into fortune-telling lately too.

That might be another thing we unemployed folks have in common.

Like Shingetsu Nathan.

That's who I was watching when we bumped shoulders.

He used to be all over TV.

His catchphrase "Soar, dragon!" was really popular at school.

I came across a fortune teller by pure luck.

And I didn't plan for her to read my fortune or anything.

Honestly, I didn't expect her predictions to come true.

But they did. I was surprised.

Really now. What sort of predictions were they?

Well… Can I get into it?

Sure.

That night, I was looking for somewhere to sleep on the streets.

I found someone's porch that seemed secluded,

and I laid down, thinking I found a perfect spot.

I had reached my limit. I was dead tired.

That's when the resident found me. Needless to say, she was shocked.

I don't want any trouble.

I'll leave right away.

I'm terribly sorry.

In a panic, I apologized and took off,

but then, my stomach started to hurt out of the blue.

What now?

I'm scared… She's creeping me out.

I'm sorry to impose, but…

could I please use your restroom?

It would be such a big help.

-What? -What?

Thank you very much. You saved me.

You'll freeze sleeping outside like that.

Right.

I poured some warm tea. Would you like a cup?

Could I?

Thank you so much.

Please enjoy these cookies too.

You made my day.

Thank you.

Scrumptious.

I baked them myself.

Those are the leftovers. Sorry there aren't many.

I used whole wheat flour. It's crunchy, isn't it?

Yes, it's sure to keep me full. I love it.

That's what makes you happy?

It's tasty too.

To start, why is a young woman like you trying to sleeping outside?

To tell you the truth, I've been staying at Internet cafés.

But I'm running out of money and the prices go up on weekends.

I was desperately trying to pinch pennies.

Wait, what?

Are you a runaway? Or do you not have a home?

No. I was living with my ex, but he's getting married.

His fiancée is expecting.

Sheesh.

I used to live with my mother,

but when I was 27, she got sick and passed away.

My ex-boyfriend, whom I was working with,

asked if I wanted to move in with him.

Wait, do you guys still work together?

Well, the company went bankrupt.

Apparently, the girl he got pregnant lined up another job for him.

Not only that, her parents are helping with the down payment on a house.

That's the realistic option, I guess.

I went to the unemployment center,

but I can't register an address since I don't have a permanent place.

So my job hunt hit a wall.

You're cooked.

Indeed I am.

If you lived with your ex for a long time,

can't you sue him and the woman for compensation?

I don't want to take it that far…

He helped me in my time of need, after all.

Did your ex pay all the rent and living expenses?

No, we split them evenly.

Then you guys were on equal ground.

Not in the slightest.

If I made him mad, he could have kicked me out.

You were walking on eggshells around him,

but in the end, you still got kicked out.

What am I supposed to do now?

All I do is look up fortune reading on the internet.

It's the only thing that gives me hope at this stage.

Chloe, why don't you read her fortune?

What?

Are you a fortune teller?

It's nothing that impressive.

It's just a hobby of mine.

It's more than a mere hobby.

Then please.

I don't care if it's inaccurate.

I just need hope.

Fortune-telling can accurately predict your past and present.

These things are set in stone.

But reading the future is a different story.

Why, you ask? Why do you think that is?

Well…

Your actions determine your future.

The future isn't set in stone.

If that's okay with you, then I'll read your fortune.

What is this room?

My mediation room. Isn't it relaxing in here?

Here.

Please write down your name and birthday.

Yes.

SHO EMMA JUNE 15TH, 1995

Emma… Yoi?

It's Sho Emma.

"Sho Emma?"

Don't call me that. It sounds like "shame."

You're 30 years old.

We're around the same age.

Mind taking a few steps back?

Oh,

mon…

Dieu!

She said I'd get caught up in some incident in the near future.

An incident?

An incident with a fire. Apparently, something to do with fire.

But she said this incident would steer me in the right direction.

It doesn't make any sense, does it?

Not really.

I then had to pay her the consultation fee, 1,000 yen.

What?

That was a big 1,000 yen for me.

But she allowed me to spend a night.

Only for tonight, you hear me?

Could I really?

This guest house is equipped with a shower.

Please wash up before you get in the bed.

Yes.

I'm going back to the main house.

Are you set up? Any other questions?

No. Thank you so much.

I'm happy for you.

Yes, you guys saved me.

Remember, you're only staying one night, Sho Emma.

I understand.

Sho Emma?

"Emma" is my surname, and "Sho" is my name.

Thank you, for everything from the cookies to tea,

then the restroom and a night under your roof.

We live in a dangerous world.

Remember when an unhoused woman was murdered at a bus stop?

And recently, a woman was murdered in Okutama.

The last I heard, the killer is still on the run.

Simon, thank you for cleaning up. Sorry to keep you till late.