Chapter 1: so near yet so far
It is a cold night at the start of winter. Everyone is lying in their warm, cozy beds or enjoying hot food with their families.
"Today, I'll finish this project and finally be free from this cursed contract."
A pale young man with raven-black hair—and some silver strands showing his stress—sits at his desk, working on something while shouting out loud about how he will have free will tomorrow.
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
There is a knock on the front door. The young man grumpily goes toward the front to check who is disturbing his work. He opens the gate to find an old woman who looks very angry.
"Ahh, Miss Yuzu. How can I help you?"
The old woman looks at the young boy, and her anger somewhat subsides. She hands a box to him.
"Hello, Kei. Son, I don't like disturbing you while you work, but could you not shout so loudly? My grandson wakes up with the slightest noise."
The old granny looks Kei up and down and sighs, starting to speak again.
"And by the way you're looking, you haven't had a proper meal for days. And those dark circles… Son, you're at an age when lecturing you would make me feel bad, so please, take care of yourself more."
Kei takes the box from her hands and looks at Granny Yuzu, remembering how his mother used to scold him about taking good care of himself. Feeling guilty, Kei speaks softly.
"Granny Yuzu, it's just that today is the last day I'll be working with the Shark Company. My contract will end after this last project. Sorry, I couldn't control the excitement and started yelling. I'll control myself and won't scream. And I don't mind listening to a lecture from Granny Yuzu."
Granny Yuzu looks at Kei, thinking about her own son and how he looked just like Kei when he was a similar age.
"It's fine, Kei. I'm very happy you'll be free from all the burden. By the way, the box I handed you has some fresh sushi in it. I made it today. Eat it while working. Good night, son."
Looking at Granny Yuzu, Kei bows.
"Thank you, Granny Yuzu. And good night."
Granny Yuzu watches Kei bow and starts to head toward her home. But after taking three or four steps, she hears a loud bang behind her. Confused, she looks back and sees Kei lying on the floor, unconscious.
She shouts. Her son comes running.
"Mother, what happened here?"
As he looks around, seeing Kei's body—which has started bleeding because his head hit the floor hard—he calls emergency services.
Granny Yuzu runs toward Kei. She puts a white cloth on his head to stop the bleeding, but the crimson-red blood flows; the more she tries to stop it, the more it comes out. Crying, she tries to help, but she can't. She is powerless.
If I just didn't go to Kei's house, maybe he wouldn't have lost consciousness. He wouldn't have hit his head against the door. He could've been working now, fine.
Filled with self-loathing, the granny tries to help Kei. Soon, a white ambulance arrives. The nurses, dressed in white clothes with masks, help Granny Yuzu, strap Kei to a stretcher, and take him to the hospital.
It is a cold morning, but the sunshine is warm; it gives a blanket of warmth to the world. Kids are playing, adults are going to work, and old people are taking sunbaths. Everything is peaceful—but not for everyone.
"Mr. Yamada, I have the results from your tests. I'm sorry to tell you that you have Stage 4 blood cancer. Because it is advanced, it is very difficult to cure completely, but it is treatable. We will start with chemotherapy and targeted medications to manage the disease. There are also clinical trials for new treatments that aren't fully approved yet, but they represent a very promising next step if you are open to them."
Kei looks at the doctor, helpless. He understands it's not the doctor's fault he has this problem, but for some reason, he wants to blame him. The human mind is strange; it tries to find comfort by shifting blame to others. But in this devastating situation, even shifting blame is just a momentary peace. It doesn't change what is happening or what will happen.
With a low, raspy voice, Kei speaks to the doctor.
"Doctor, I'd like one answer from you. How long do I have before I die? Even just an estimate will help."
The doctor looks at Kei with a grim expression. He looks at his files again and speaks.
"It is hard to be precise because blood cancer moves at different speeds in every patient. But looking at these files, the disease is very aggressive. If the new medications work, we might buy you a month or more. But if the current trend continues, I would advise you to get your affairs in order within the next week to ten days. I wish I could give you a different answer, but your body is under immense pressure right now."
Kei looks at the doctor with despair in his eyes, almost about to break down. He talks to the doctor in a broken, shaky voice.
"Co-co-could I borrow the hospital phone? I'd like to call my family."
The doctor comes beside Kei and takes the seat next to him. He puts his hand on Kei's shoulder, looking at him and talking in a soft tone, almost like a friend.
"It's okay, Kei. Take your time. What you're feeling right now is a natural response to an impossible situation. Your body is overwhelmed. Yes, you can use the hospital phone, and we can help you find the numbers if you need us to. If you're feeling lightheaded or like you can't catch your breath, try to focus on the sound of my voice. We are going to take this one step at a time. Who is the first person you want to call?"
Kei looks at the doctor and breaks down. He knows he should call his family. He knows he is wasting his time. He knows… but he doesn't understand what this situation is doing to him. The doctor feels like an outlet for his emotions.
"Doctor, is this truly the end? Am I dying? Will I never be able to see my family again?"
Kei cries, hugging the doctor tightly.
The doctor hugs Kei back, showing him empathy. He lets Kei cry. He knows he can't do much; the least he can do to help is take his anger, his sadness, his pain. He might not be able to take away the disease, but helping others is the reason he is a doctor today.
"It's okay, Kei. You're not losing to cancer. We'll try our best to cure you. I will truly do my best to help you. Cancer isn't invisible; it has its own weakness. We'll win this war, Kei."
Hearing the doctor, Kei can't help but cry more. His pale body, his raven-black hair, his face, his eyes—what are they without Kei being alive? Death is so close, so near.
If he only had one more year. Just six months. Just three months. Or even just one month.
He would sell his soul for it…