A Free Mind

I'm with Jason in the ramen restaurant, it's getting late, and so far, I haven't found anything that could help me to stop the dog demon curse.

“So tell me a little about you,” I talk with a false smile, I feel like I'm on a date.

“I like dogs, ants, giraffes, elephants, dogs, and sometimes cats,” he sounds like he doesn't care about anything.

“But I mean things about your family or about yourself, something that can help me to stop that demon's curse.”

“My name is Yamamoto Yasuno, I'm 19 years old, that's it.”

“I see, but tell me more about you, maybe your story, because your name and age won't be any help.”

“I don't have any story, I live only in the present, and I let my destiny decide what's on my future.”

“So if you die tomorrow, then you won't care because that was your destiny?”

“Yep, if that's what destiny wants, then it happens,” he seems confident, is hard to talk to him.

“If you think destiny might decide everything, then that means our encounter was also destiny. So if I know you better, then the dog demon will disappear because that's what destiny wants,” I hope whatever I said works.

“Girl with hair that looks like chocolate, I think you are right, I will tell you what it might be the answer. I don't like spicy ramen.”

I tried to not yell, but I'm angry, “You already told me that you don't like it and it didn't work before, I need another answer!”

“No one needs an answer in this world, you just need to be free and have a free mind, that's what my Grandpa told me.”

I can't stand him, but maybe there's an opportunity, “Oh so you are close to your Grandpa?”

“Yep, I was, he died some months ago.”

“I'm sorry to hear that, do you live with your parents?”

“No I'm all alone, I only had my grandpa, but now that he's gone, I don't have anyone.”

It's getting late, but at least he's telling me something that might be relevant.

“Did something happened to your parents?” I ask him.

“I don't want to talk about them,” for the first time, I see Jason sad.

“Well talk me about your grandpa, or why you lived with him.”

“My grandpa was the only person that ever loved me, he raised me since I was a child, and he taught me how to live.”

“He was the only one who cared about you.”

“Yep, my grandpa told me that life is boring, but there are some fun things in life. We might feel like we are slaves of something like a job or even society, but what we all have is a mind where we all can be free to think whatever we want. And even if life is not what we expected, at least we can be free inside our minds so we can feel free outside and enjoy the few good things in life.”

“I see, so your grandpa was someone optimistic, maybe a dreamer.”

“And he was free, so I always try to be like him, just taking things at my own pace, enjoying everything I can.”

Maybe that's why he is kind of different, but I still need to find anything that he would never wish.

I think I will mention his parents, maybe he's a little open now that he talked about his grandfather, “Sorry for asking again, but where are your parents?”

“They are dead to me, I don't care about them!” he's angry.

“Mind if I ask you why?” I don't think he will tell me.

“I already told you that not, but I will tell you something. My grandpa was the greatest person alive, but when he was dying, my mother never visited him, I was his only company, if it wasn't for me, he would have died alone.

My grandpa told me that he didn't mind, but I know he missed my mother.”

“She never visited you even in bad times.”

“Yep, my mother just abandoned him just like she did with me. I remember she visited me a few times when I was a child, but sometimes she just didn't come. As a child, I used to wanted to be with her, but I couldn't, and one day she just stopped coming.”

“Why your mother visited you only a few times?” I ask hoping he answers, he said he wouldn't talk, but maybe the anger would make him talk more.

“You see, she was a television star, a young one, but she got in love with my dad, a businessman from America.

unfortunately, she wasn't supposed to date someone, much less to have a child because of a contract, so she avoided the public eye, while she was pregnant saying she was sick until she gave birth. She gave me to his father so no one would know about me.”

“That's awful, because of her career she didn't raise you.”

“Yep, but it doesn't end there, she did visit me, as I said before, sometimes with my father, but after some time, my dad stopped coming because they got into a fight or something. I stopped seeing my dad, and my mom visited me less and less.”

“That's why your mother stopped visiting you?”

“Nop, well in part, but no, she married again, and because her contract ended she could say to the media that she is happily married. Now she even has some kids, she just left me aside.”

“You had a lonely childhood where you never felt loved by any of your parents.”

“At least I had my grandpa, but my mom never visited him even when he was dying, so I would never forgive her.”

It seems that Jason's or Yamamoto's life has been tough, but I think I have an idea of something he would never wish.

I don't think he would like to hear what I'm going to say, “Sorry to tell you this, but I think one of the things that you would never wish is to see your mother again.”

“Of course not! I would never see that witch again!” He's is pissed.

“I understand, and to be honest, I want to stop the curse of that demon, but if it's something too hard to wish, then I won't mind if you don't do it.”

“That's why I won't wish for that, it's hard for me to want to see that woman, I hate her! I prefer to wish for spicy ramen!”

“But, maybe one part of you still wants to see her, at the end of the day she is your mother, but—” Jason suddenly interrupts me.

“I wanted her when I was a child! now I don't want anything to do with her. She abandoned my grandpa and me!” he's now crying with some anger on his face.

I continue talking, “As I was saying, but I won't ask you for that. if you wish to see her again I think you should do it not because you miss her, instead wish to face her, to tell her how you felt, to ask her why she didn't saw the last days of your grandpa, tell her your feelings.”

Jason starts to calm down, “you know what chocolate hair girl? I think you're right! maybe it's time to face that witch and tell her how I feel.”

He suddenly gets up and gets out of the restaurant without paying or anything even though I gave him some money earlier.

I wished Pakya that the ramen gets paid because I didn't want to spend any money, then I go to my home. When I arrive my father yells at me, “Where were you? Did you got a boyfriend or something!? you were suspiciously late.”

“It was nothing dad, I was at Kanako's house,” I lied because he would make more questions. I sneak to my room, and I'm worried that Jason didn't make the wish and scaped.

That night I have another weird dream. In the dream, I see a little boy who is playing alone in his room, he has a brother, but he ignores the kid. The kid grows and is still alone by himself until he died, it looks like all his life was full of loneliness.

Maybe it was my imagination, but the brother looked like a younger version of Shinichiro. I don't understand what exactly happened, but it was another tragic dream. Because of that weird dream, I think the dog's curse ended.

The next day before going with Shinichiro, I read a rumor online that a famous actress was coming to town. I also realize that the clouds are now white or gray, before the clouds were purple, green, and orange, but it turns out that it was Jason's wish for some reason.

Now I go with Shinichiro to see what else he knows about the demons. There's only one demon left without counting Pakya.