Friday, 03/30/2001, 7:51 a.m.
It was morning in Domino City.
The sun had begun to rise high in a blue sky filled with white clouds.
Traffic was light. There were few pedestrians in sight.
Out on the street, in front of an old and rundown building, Shin and Mrs. Osako were loading several boxes and belongings into a battered light blue Nissan Datsun 720 pickup truck.
An elderly man with a stern appearance and short graying hair, dressed in gray farm clothes, sat behind the wheel of the truck with an unlit cigar in his mouth. The radio was on, broadcasting a baseball game commentary at high volume.
"…We've reached the top of the sixth inning here at the Tokyo Dome. The Yomiuri Giants lead 3-2 over the Hanshin Tigers in this Central League matchup. Masumi Kuwata remains on the mound, showing good control tonight. He gets ready for the first pitch… Fastball inside, called strike! Takashi Toritani is in the batter's box, waiting for the next pitch. Kuwata gets the sign, throws… Line drive to right field! Suzuki runs back… and catches it in the warning track! One out for the Giants in this sixth inning…"
While Shin, dressed entirely in black, was loading more boxes into the back of the truck, Mrs. Osako, wearing casual white clothes with pink floral patterns, walked up to the driver's window and spoke in a warm tone. Her expression showed gratitude.
"It's almost everything, Dad."
The old man nodded at his daughter while placing the cigar in his pocket. He then replied curtly. His gaze wandered to the rearview mirror, toward his grandson Shin.
"I'll start the engine."
Once everything was loaded into the truck, the three of them headed northeast. Mrs. Osako sat in the passenger seat and Shin was in the back of the truck, next to their belongings...
Minutes passed between the commentary on the radio, the road, and the silence of the occupants...
"…We're in the eighth inning now, and the score remains tight: the Yomiuri Giants are still ahead 3-2 over the Hanshin Tigers. Now on the mound is Kazuhiro Sasaki, called from the bullpen to face the top of the Tigers' order—…"
Turning off the radio and without taking his eyes off the road, the old man spoke to his daughter with a worried tone. His expression was serious.
"This world's getting worse by the day, Yumi. Since when do they expel kids from school for stopping a rape...? Haaa... I'm getting old. Back in my day they gave you a medal for something like that, you know? Hell! If it had been me, I swear those punks wouldn't have just a few broken bones! Ha! By holy Buddha, I swear it! Shameless bastards...!"
Yumiko listened in silence to her father's tirade. Though her mouth smiled and she nodded at every word, her eyes showed sadness and deep concern. Her gaze kept drifting between the road and the rearview mirror, toward Shin in the back, leaning against the glass with his back to her. Meanwhile, the old man added sharply:
"At least those bastards will pay for what they did now. Humph! As they should! Yes, sir! Eh, and Yumi? Don't worry so much about Shin, alright? He's a strong kid, he'll get through it. We'll be there to help him out. In the meantime, you two can stay at the house as long as you like. Hahaha! Your mother will be delighted to have you both! No doubt! She's been organizing everything all morning for your arrival!"
Lowering her head with an uncomfortable expression, Yumiko nodded. Her eyes were red, and her fists clenched around her seatbelt.
"Thanks, Dad. Really, thank you."
Smiling faintly, the old man reached over to pull his daughter into a half-hug. Kissing her forehead, he spoke with a trembling tone. His eyes never left the road, despite their redness.
"You don't have to thank us for anything, kid. We'll always be here for you, little Yumi."
Meanwhile, Shin watched everything from the back of the truck with evident curiosity. There was a strange glint in his eyes. A whisper escaped his lips.
"Damn it… First school, then the landlord kicking us out of the apartment. Just our luck… Haaa…"
With a sigh, Shin turned his gaze away from the inside of the vehicle. The view of Domino City greeted him once more.
Closing his eyes, Shin entered the blank space. Instead of sitting like in the truck, he stood on an indistinguishable surface.
There was nothing there but infinite whiteness.
Shin murmured with a shake of his head, his expression calm.
"She hasn't returned yet… There are many things I need to know before doing something that ruins my future knowledge, assuming everything isn't already screwed… Exit."
The whiteness vanished, giving way once more to the back of the truck and a new view of Domino City.
Shin remained with his eyes closed, dozing off. A second earlier or later, shouting was heard from inside the vehicle.
Shin opened his eyes abruptly. His expression turned alarmed as he looked toward the interior of the truck.
There, Shin's grandfather was yelling at his daughter sharply.
"…You wouldn't be in this situation if that useless Osako had been a real man! Ha! That coward!"
Visibly shaken, Mrs. Osako didn't remain silent and yelled back. Her expression looked fierce.
"Dad! I won't let you talk about him like that! Gakuto only wanted the best for—!"
With his face tense, the old man gritted his teeth and interrupted her at once. His hands clenched the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white, and he shouted:
"The best?! Ha! A real man doesn't kill himself and leave his wife and teenage son bankrupt, alone and abandoned! He was a damn coward! Oh yes, the great businessman, what an achievement—!"
This time it was Yumiko who interrupted her father. Tears streamed down her face as she spoke, her expression swinging between rage and pain.
"Enough, Dad! Don't say another word! Just... stop already... Shin is back there. Don't stain his memory of his father, please... please don't say more."
Looking into the rearview mirror, the old man's eyes met Shin's. Shin watched them with a confused expression on his face. A grimace of regret crossed the old man's features before twisting again into anger. His daughter cried beside him with her head in her hands. The old man kept his eyes on the road. His body trembled. He spoke again with force.
"Is that what you want Shin to learn? To give up in the face of any little crisis in life...? How's Shin going to overcome the big ones, then...? No! I won't stop! A real man never gives up the fight! He needs courage! The world can fall on him, he can be trampled on, he can be a fool and a hardhead, but a real man never gives up, and that… that's even more important when it comes to his family! Unforgivable! If Shin wants to be someone in life, then he must not be like his irresponsible and useless father!"
AN/One chapter per day. 100 power stones today means one extra chapter the next day. Each chapter is made up of four acts, plus a prologue and an epilogue, and finally a special act — each ranging from 800 to 2000 words. Leave a comment and report any issues below. You can buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/s/8e7c3d4725