Chapter 6: April 8, 2024 - The Beginning of the ‘Final’ Year

>> Susumu Seba, Representative of Risestone Production

After finishing the greeting at the house across the street, Yo-san and I returned to the entrance of his own home.

"Seba-san, thank you for accompanying me to greet the neighbors. I'm sorry it became overtime work."

Yo-san said as he took off his shoes.

"Not at all. If this old man can be of use to his employer, I will do anything."

"You're joking again..."

Yo-san tried to step up onto the agari-kamachi (the raised floor at the entrance), but stepped back down, turned around, and bowed deeply to me.

"Seba-san, thank you truly, not just for today, but for everything until now. It is thanks to you that I was able to make it to this day."

From an outsider's perspective, it must look like a strange scene.

Two people with an age difference like a grandfather and grandson are bowing to each other and talking about an employer-employee relationship. It's a funny story.

In fact, it is funny. Even if I told anyone about what happened from when we first met until now, no one would believe me.

 * * *

I was working at a securities firm as a clerk.

An elementary school student was standing at the counter, clutching a number ticket.

Holding a thick file of documents, he said with a straight face, "I want to improve the efficiency of my diversified investment with this."

...What is with this kid? I thought.

Apparently, he had proper permission from his parents.

But when I actually talked to him about transaction history, it was like talking to a seasoned analyst.

Furthermore, he said, "Would you enter into an employment relationship with me?"

...This time in a different meaning, what is with this kid? I thought.

The knowledge and wisdom he spoke of were astonishing, and he seemed to be well-versed not only in investment but also in mobile app development.

Since I was close to sixty, I decided to board this interesting ship as a post-retirement job.

Just when I thought he was studying something else very hard, he suddenly said he was going to study abroad at a music school in Germany.

When I asked, "Is there a purpose?" he said with a serious look, "I have a mission I want to fulfill, even if it costs my life."

I thought it was just the nonsense of a young person, but he really left Japan.

Instructions for transactions and business arrived by email every day.

And after about two and a half years, he became the youngest winner of the Charles-sur International Conducting Competition, a gateway for young conductors, became a person of the moment, and returned to Okazaki.

And he said he wanted to take the entrance exam for a public high school with no music department.

I don't understand.

However, I realized something.

Being with him never bores me. What an honor it is to be shown a view of a path no one else is walking, even after passing sixty.

The construction and purchase of this house also seem to have a purpose related to that "mission."

This young man will surely continue to show this old man something that makes him feel young again.

"Yo-san, please raise your head. I am the one who should be thanking you. Thank you for using someone like me. Please continue to show me a new world."

"Seba-san... thank you. I look forward to working with you tomorrow as well. The details for tomorrow are as written in the email."

"Understood. Then, I will take my leave for today."

"Thank you very much. Please be careful driving at night."

In the twilight just after sunset, I started my car from the parking space in front of the entrance.

 * * *

After Seba left, Yo washed his face and went to the living room.

Keeping the floor lights off, he turned on the light of the large desk by the window, sat in the chair, leaned back heavily, and crossed his arms behind his head while exhaling a long breath.

He closed his eyes as if thinking about something.

One minute, two minutes...

He opened his eyes, returned the chair to its position, and opened the drawer at the bottom right of the desk.

Inside, there was a worn-out, tattered notebook... and "a book floating and glowing yellow."

Yo took out the tattered notebook and flipped through it.

Tags were attached in order, "2018", "2019"... all the way to "2026".

Yo opened the page for 2020.

• COVID-19 Pandemic

--> Game Market Stocks

--> On-demand Service Market Stocks

--> Solar Power Industry

He looked for a moment at the items written in a scribbled handwriting, as if jotting down memories.

All of them had checkmarks on the right side.

• April 12, 2020, 14:31. Hit-and-run accident at Higashi-Okazaki Station intersection. Mito, right femur damage.

On the right side of that, "PREVENTED!!" was written in red, circled round and round.

After glancing at it lightly, Yo opened the page for 2024.

• April 8, 2024. Yahagi-Kita High School Entrance Ceremony.

He put a checkmark on the right side.

He closed the notebook and put it back in its original place.

Then, he took out the "book floating and glowing yellow."

On the cover of the book, "The Tome of Distorted Fate" was written in large Japanese characters.

When he turned the thick cover, there was an explanatory note at the beginning, written not in ink but in letters that looked like scorched traces.

"A distortion created by defying fate and directly affecting a human lifespan shall return to the user."

When he looked down, a dividing line extended vertically from there, and sandwiching it, scorched letters and numbers were written.

"April 12, 2020. Aftereffects of traffic accident: Not Occurred. Mito Kawai: +623 Days"

"Yo Ishigami: -623 Days"

He put the book away and closed the drawer.

He clasped his hands on the desk, tightened his mouth, and muttered.

"I finally made it this far. ...It starts from here. I only have one chance. This year, I will definitely go to the Nationals—."