[Yuji] Passion Volume 4
Kyle
The man had incredibly bad luck today. During his twelve-day stay in Italy, he had already been pickpocketed twice. Both times at the same station on the first two consecutive days.
In truth, he wasn't the type to be careless. He was so fond of making new friends that people around him would say, 'There's no one who likes people as much as he does.' He approached others with a mindset that he could make friends with anyone, even strangers. However, that didn't mean he would blindly accept every stranger who approached him.
Especially when someone approached using an obvious trick—like a group of people suddenly surrounding him while carrying newspapers or bouquets. He had once politely turned away a Gypsy girl who suddenly thrust a bouquet into his face, as if about to hit him, while slipping her hand into his pocket. He also managed to evade a group of adults and children who swarmed towards him by slipping away before they could surround him. But he let his guard down when a young man with a clean appearance came up to him to ask for directions.
Feeling sympathetic, he studied the map with the young man, who looked lost and confused, even though he didn't know the area well himself. After helping the young man and feeling pleased with himself, he realized that his wallet had gone along with the young man. It was like that. Similarly, he got pickpocketed again near the station the next day.
After that, the man became more cautious and decided to be wary of strangers while going about his business. He regretted how people's willingness to offer kindness to others with pure intentions could be diminished in this way.
After going back and forth between two cities and finally completing his business in Italy during those twelve days, he boarded a train, satisfied with the results. He could have taken a plane, but after finishing his work in Italy, he decided to give himself a week's vacation.
Just in time, a music festival was being held in Salzburg. He thought it would be nice to leisurely stop by Austria, stay for a few days, and then slowly return to his home country.
The train that departed just before 11 PM was scheduled to arrive in Salzburg around 4 AM. The man, who had barely managed to finish the busy schedule of the final day late at night, boarded the train feeling refreshed after completing his work, but he was exhausted. So, even when the person in the seat next to him struck up a friendly conversation, something he usually enjoyed so much that he would stay up all night talking, he could only manage about half an hour of conversation before he couldn't fight off the drowsiness and closed his eyes. He briefly thought about the fact that he hadn't booked a hotel, but he figured he could find one after he arrived.
He fell into a light sleep on the train as it gradually distanced itself from Venice, where pickpockets were rampant. Although he only slept for a short time, it was deep enough that it took considerable effort to wake up when someone shook him for a long time. His eyelids felt heavy, and it was only after several blinks that he could finally focus on the person in front of him.
It was the conductor. It seemed they were about to cross the border. Nodding at the conductor's request to see his passport, the man, still too drowsy to open his eyes fully, fumbled around his chest pocket. Suddenly, his eyes shot open. His sleepiness vanished completely. The item that should have been there was gone.
In front of the conductor, who was looking at him with a puzzled expression, he frantically turned out his empty inner pocket. All that came out was dust. He checked his other pockets as well, even though he had no recollection of putting anything in them, but they were just as empty. It wasn't as if something he had never placed there would magically appear.
