🔎 Week 9 | 京都寺町三条のホームズ ⚱

[Naphthalene]

Home Thread | week 8| week 10

Reading Schedule

Week	Chapter	From - To	Number of Pages
9	Ch4; 5-6	204-247 (78%)	44

JPDB Deck: Kyoto Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes – Prebuilt decks – jpdb

Discussion Guidelines

• Spoilers should always be hidden using spoiler blur.
• When discussing a specific section, please mention where you are in the book, ideally by chapter so people reading different versions have a clear point of reference.
• Feel free to read ahead if it’s exciting, but please refrain from spoiling ahead of the appropriate week.
• If you have a question about grammar, vocab, cultural things, etc - ask! That’s a welcome part of the discussion too, and other readers will be happy to help.

Are you reading along with us?

• Yes!
• I’m reading at my own pace
• I’m just here for the discussion

Character names

Kanji	Reading	Info
家頭 清貴	やがしら きよたか	ホームズ
家頭 武史	やがしら たけし	店長
家頭 誠司	やがしら せいじ	オーナー
真城 葵	ましろ あおい	Main character
上田	うえだ	Childhood friend of 店長, regular
美恵子	みえこ	Owner of the shop diagonally across, often comes to enjoy some coffee
克美	かつみ	Ex-boyfriend of 葵
早苗	さなえ	(former?) friend of 葵, currently dating 克美?
宮下 香織	みやした かおり	From the same school as 葵
梶原	かじわら	Family name relevant to this part

[Biblio]

I hope that the parts I think are in this chapter, are in this chapter and not chapter 5.
I’ll just wait for someone to finish.

[Naphthalene]

『百花繚乱』とか『禁忌果実』など、美しい作品も手掛けてます

Those titles bring to my mind images that aren’t necessarily 美しい Although, I guess the first one on its own would have been fine, it’s just the 禁忌 part that corrupts everything.

Edit: I should probably add the name to the table…
So far, I got (from memory) 倉科 (edit: we get his first name later, but probably not important), 綾子, 秋人, 春彦, oldest son is 冬 something. Ah, 冬樹.

Edit 2: also 柳原

[Naphthalene]

Okay, I’m done with this part and errr that was not what I expected. I hope it was indeed the two of them having an affair and not just 梶原 going “thanks for saving my life, just f*ck my wife as a reward, no protection needed”

At least, there was that:

タイプの違うイケメンの競演は、なかなか美味しい。

(plus ホームズ repeatedly agreeing that they are on a date)

[Belerith]

@Naphthalene

Somehow I had managed to forget about that detail, even though it also struck me as… um, questionable while reading.

It was presented so matter of fact, nothing special about this, too.

[shitsurei]

@Belerith

it also struck me as… um, questionable while reading

I just finished the chapter. I definitely got that vibe when it’s first revealed, but with the aquamarine meaning 自由, plus him being one of the two that went to console her when she ran off I’m assuming it’s more than “hey dude go at her if you want, I’ll look the other way”…

at least I hope…

[Naphthalene]

@shitsurei

“hey dude go at her if you want, I’ll look the other way”

I don’t really see how that’s better I guess it gives 綾子 marginally more freedom to refuse? But that’s offset by the fact that it’s going to mess with her feelings if she isn’t in on it (if she is in on it, we are back to the original scenario) and it doesn’t change that she is used as a reward…
The only thing that would work for me is if they did have an affair, 梶原 found out, but said “you know what, I’ll just pretend I didn’t see anything”. That also kinda works better with 自由, although, dude, it’s been 20 years, that ship has probably sailed a long time ago. I guess they could have just kept hiding it, but no one else noticed?

[shitsurei]

@Naphthalene

I don’t really see how that’s better

Yeah, fair

[Biblio]

@Naphthalene

I hope it was indeed the two of them having an affair and not just 梶原 going “thanks for saving my life, just f*ck my wife as a reward, no protection needed”

May I ask how you came to that idea in the first place? I went back and re-listened to the chapter, but nothing is giving me the ick in that direction. What am I missing?

[Naphthalene]

That’s the story behind the scroll the third son received (with the exception that the reason for giving the “reward” is different).

Edit: on a side note, when I reached that part, I thought it was why you put a popcorn eating gif, expecting comments about it

[Belerith]

I copied the relevant pages because I thought maybe reading leaves a different impression than listening along. This is where Holmes tells the two older brothers (and 葵) the meaning of the third scroll...

「春彦 さん への 絵 は、『 忠 盛 灯籠』 という 物語 です」
「ただ もり、 とう ろう？」
思わず ポツリ と 復唱 する 私。 なん の こと か さっぱり 分から ない。
「白河 法皇 が 愛妾・祇園女御 に 会う ため に 祇園 の 町 を 通っ て いる と、 前方 に 鬼 の よう な もの が 見え て、 法皇 は お供 の 平忠盛 に 討ち取る よう 命じ た ん です。 しかし、 忠盛 は その 正体 を 見定めよ う と 生け捕り に し た ところ、 それ は 祇園 の 老僧 だっ た ん です。
自分 の 勘違い で 老僧 を 殺め なく て 済ん だ の です。この 忠盛 の 思慮 深い 行動 に、 法皇 は 大層 感謝 し まし た。
ここ からは、 一説 に よる と なん です が、 この 出来事 の 褒美 に、 法皇 は 自分 が こよなく 寵愛 する 祇園女御 を 忠盛 に 与え、 そして 生まれ た のが 清盛 だ という 話 です」
ホームズ さん が そこ まで 話す と、 リビング が シン と 静まり返っ た。
え…… どういう こと？
「祇園女御 を 忠盛 に 与え、 って、 どういう こと です か？」
真顔 で 尋ね た 私 に、 ホームズ さん は 弱っ た よう に 苦笑 し た。
「…… つまり、 忠盛 と 祇園女御 が 一夜 を ともに する こと を 許し た ん です」
「は、 はい？ そ、 それ で 生まれ た のが 清盛 な ん です か？」
「史実 か どう か 分かり ませ ん が、 そんな 説 が ある という 話 です」
し、 信じ られ ない。
露骨 な 言い方 を する と、 自分 の 女 を、 部下 に『 一晩だけど、 一晩貸してやった』ってことだよね？梶原 先生 が この 絵 を 春彦 さん に 授け た という のは……。
「な、 なん だ よ、 それ じゃあ、 もしかして 春彦 は 親父 の 子 じゃ ない っていう のか？
だ と し たら、 一体 誰 の 子……」
秋 人 さん は そこ まで 言い かけ て、 言葉 を 詰まら せ た。
梶原 先生 を、 命 を 張っ て 守っ た 倉科 さん。 それ が 約 二十年 前 の こと。
もし、 倉科 さん が 人知れず 綾子 さん に 憧れ を 抱い て い た として、 その こと を 知っ て い た 梶原 先生 は、最大 の 感謝 の 証 に、 与え た の かも しれ ない。
倉科 さん に、 綾子 さん を……。 そうして 生まれ た のが、 春彦 さん。
梶原 先生 は、 倉科 さん の 子 を 自分 の 子 として 育て て い た って こと？
いろんな 意味 で、 ヒヤリ と 背筋 が 寒く なる 気 が し た。
「綾子 さん は、 どうしても 知ら れ たく なかっ た ん でしょ う。 忠盛 の 絵 を 見 ても 意味 が 分から ず に、 きっと 調べ た ん だ と 思い ます。 そこで 真相 を 知っ て、 気 が 動転 し た の かも しれ ませ ん」

望月麻衣. 京都寺町三条のホームズ ： 1 (双葉文庫) (S.210-212). 株式会社 双葉社. Kindle-Version.

The part that’s icky is, for me, mostly in 葵’s thoughts. The theory behind the scroll’s story is, of course, also a bit distrubing, but that can be explained away by the different mind set and morals of that time. Maybe 葵 is taking the story too literally and that’s not what Holmes - and the parties involved - meant and experienced. But 葵’s interpretation at least seems problematic to me.

[Naphthalene]

I had a quick look, but some bits seem to be missing somehow? (Like the end of 『一晩貸してやった』ってことだよね？, the next sentence starts after the first two kanji)

Anyway, the most relevant part is still in there @Biblio

@Belerith

もし、 倉科 さん が 人知れず 綾子 さん に 憧れ を 抱い て い た として、 その こと を 知っ て い た 梶原 先生 は、最大 の 感謝 の 証 に、 与え た の かも しれ ない。

与えた

Edit: to be fair, that interpretation is indeed from 葵, we don’t know what happened for real… but that’s also how I take the information we were provided.

[Biblio]

ah, I see. I did not interpret it in such a bad way… more of a “he knew about the affair but decided to not make a fuss” which also feels to fit the aquamarine ring. I don’t think that he actually gifted his wife to someone. I don’t think anyone knew that he knew until the painting & ring.

Edit: also, the popcorn was apparently for the next chapter.

Edit 2: I just watched the associated anime episode (3) and there, too, it seems more of an “allowing it to happen” rather than a “making it happen” kinda 与える.

[Naphthalene]

@Biblio

I don’t think anyone knew that he knew until the painting & ring.

But then, it doesn’t fit the story of the scroll… It fits better if he knew, confronted 倉科 about it and explicitly said he’ll pretend it never happened because he owes 倉科 his life or something, but that’s kinda far fetched. Wasn’t there a better scroll he could have found? At the very least, it gave both me and 葵 the wrong idea, if that’s the case.
(On a somewhat unrelated note, even in the best case scenario, I still feel like that 自由 ring is BS; it’s been 20 years…)

[Biblio]

Knowing what I know about Japanese society and divorce not being an option in certain higher circles because of scandal - she is finally free to do what she wants and he is basically saying “I know that you had an affair, and it’s fine. Please live freely from now on.”

But I find it fascinating that your interpretation didn’t even cross my mind. really shows how our own perception of the world colours our experience of the world (or in this case a book).

[shitsurei]

@Biblio

Knowing what I know about Japanese society

I definitely had to turn the American part of my brain off when, once again, we had a dead dude not talking to his children and giving them cryptic gifts that a third party had to come interpret.

Anyway.
I, admittedly need 葵 to explain what’s going on for me most of the time since I’m usually pretty shaky on the details until she explains it and was tired of all the scroll explanations so I kinda just only got the gist for that. So while reading I couldn’t decide if it was an affair where he looked the other way and now she should be 自由 to pursue those feelings, or if it was a one night “you can have at my wife for a night” “gift”. I kinda assumed the former, but with all this discussion I’m realizing it’s actually kinda vague, and conjecture in 葵’s thoughts. 葵 isn’t a big dummy or anything, but she isn’t ホームズ. Without going back to re-read, I guess it comes down to was the wife the gift, or was looking the other way the gift. And I’m not sure it explicitly says that out…

[polv]

@Naphthalene

与えた

It probably can also mean given/allowed after that fact, whatever 事情.

And so, it gives another meaning to 自由 onwards.

[Naphthalene]

@polv

It probably can also mean given/allowed after that fact, whatever 事情.

Do you mean literally? Because then no. The 与えた is modified by:

倉科 さん に、 綾子 さん を……。

But again, not to go again over the conversation of this thread, it’s just 葵 thought, we indeed don’t know the truth.

[Thubanshee]

@Naphthalene

与えた

(Just got through this part) that was exactly my reaction!! I was like, “giving” “your woman” to someone Let’s hope it’s just Aoi being a thoughtless teenager and mindlessly repeating what she’s heard others say or something…

@shitsurei

I definitely had to turn the American part of my brain off when, once again, we had a dead dude not talking to his children and giving them cryptic gifts that a third party had to come interpret.

This too. Why don’t they ever talkkkk (I mean, it would make less of an interesting story, but I’ll still be complaining)

I also had to pause and write angry comments in the margins a bit where Holmes interpreted the Hokusai story as “if you’re going to be an artist, at least be the best one”. To me, interpreting it as “stop having impostor syndrome, you’re already great” felt just as possible. I mean, considering Akihito’s personality, it seems less likely, but who knows what’s hiding behind his bluster…

@Naphthalene

At least, there was that:

タイプの違うイケメンの競演は、なかなか美味しい。

(plus ホームズ repeatedly agreeing that they are on a date)

Agree! That was cute and fun.

[MintTea]

I don’t think I like the dead dude. Either he decided to “give” his wife as a gift for saving him, or he sucks at communicating (well, that bit seems to be the case either way). It was a pretty specific scroll, one that’s probably not all that common, so unfortunately I got more of a “here’s my wife, have fun!” kind of vibe. At least I assume that there would be more fitting candidates if it were a “looking away” sort of deal? Although I want to believe that that isn’t what happened, because it’s just . And if it was an affair the way he went about revealing that to his son is just begging to be misunderstood. Seriously. Stop leaving cryptic gifts! If you’re incapable of talking to your family at least write a letter instead. The risk of being misunderstood is much lower that way.

@Biblio

also, the popcorn was apparently for the next chapter.