[Liem brightens slightly when Minegishi agrees to keep lookout, straightening from his idle posture at the alley's mouth and brushing infinitesimal specks of road dust from his coat in preparation for his task. The younger man isn't wrong to judge him as being especially diligent, and although he may have oversold his confidence in his own abilities in an effort to get Minegishi to remain here, he still intends to find out as much information as he can.]
Perfectly. I'll be back in not too long, then.
[Straightening his hat, he emerges from the alley and heads a few doors down the street to the house in question, sliding a small notebook free from a coat pocket as he goes. Coming to the blue door, he knocks briskly and spends the next few seconds rifling for a writing implement as he waits for someone to answer. When the door opens, he has his notebook tucked against his chest and a pleasant, inquisitive expression on his face.
The man who answers his knock turns out to be roughly middle aged, with large spectacles perched on his nose and a complexion that suggests he doesn't get much sun. Well, Liem can relate. He introduces himself, gesturing down the road with the pencil in his hand, and flips his notebook open. Time to get to work.
From a few houses away, the conversation looks cordial enough. Liem does a lot of talking, gesturing now and then with his pencil to indicate some feature of the man's home. After a while he persuades him out onto the street with him so he can point out some detail of the house's facade, and then continues speaking with him right there on the front walk. As the man's cautious demeanour opens up and he begins to grow more animated, he looks increasingly like an excited owl in slightly aged housewear. Liem begins noting something down.
Then the man glances down the street in the other direction, toward Minegishi, and a wrinkle appears between his brows. Liem drags his attention back to himself, but the unease seeps back into his manner nonetheless. The answers he gives to Liem's questions become markedly more brisk. When he finally retreats back into his house with a flurry of nods and a hasty wave, Liem is left speaking to a closed door.
At that point, there's really nothing left to do but head back down the road to where he'd left his partner.]
no subject
Perfectly. I'll be back in not too long, then.
[Straightening his hat, he emerges from the alley and heads a few doors down the street to the house in question, sliding a small notebook free from a coat pocket as he goes. Coming to the blue door, he knocks briskly and spends the next few seconds rifling for a writing implement as he waits for someone to answer. When the door opens, he has his notebook tucked against his chest and a pleasant, inquisitive expression on his face.
The man who answers his knock turns out to be roughly middle aged, with large spectacles perched on his nose and a complexion that suggests he doesn't get much sun. Well, Liem can relate. He introduces himself, gesturing down the road with the pencil in his hand, and flips his notebook open. Time to get to work.
From a few houses away, the conversation looks cordial enough. Liem does a lot of talking, gesturing now and then with his pencil to indicate some feature of the man's home. After a while he persuades him out onto the street with him so he can point out some detail of the house's facade, and then continues speaking with him right there on the front walk. As the man's cautious demeanour opens up and he begins to grow more animated, he looks increasingly like an excited owl in slightly aged housewear. Liem begins noting something down.
Then the man glances down the street in the other direction, toward Minegishi, and a wrinkle appears between his brows. Liem drags his attention back to himself, but the unease seeps back into his manner nonetheless. The answers he gives to Liem's questions become markedly more brisk. When he finally retreats back into his house with a flurry of nods and a hasty wave, Liem is left speaking to a closed door.
At that point, there's really nothing left to do but head back down the road to where he'd left his partner.]
Hmm. Well, it certainly could have gone worse.