Yasushi stared straight ahead, his lips pursed in a slight frown. He was back in that place again — the location where he had encountered the "original" Yasushi before his own rebirth. Although his consciousness was now in control of the body, he could still recall the original Yasushi's final words. The original had declared that he would observe, and once content, he would make another choice.
Yasushi had never completely grasped what the original meant by that statement. He chose not to overthink it, choosing instead to concentrate on living as ordinary a life as possible. Nonetheless, the presence of the original Yasushi remained a persistent element of his existence, a silent, unseen watcher. From the instant the current Yasushi's soul had taken possession — an occurrence directly linked to the original's fragility and inevitable death at birth — this shared existence had begun.
It was not until much later, during his college life, that Yasushi became completely aware of the truth. This realization didn't initially demand a significant amount of his focus; the demands of daily life left little opportunity to contemplate something so unusual.
Yasushi crossed his arms, his expression unreadable as he surveyed the forest that extended below him. The treetop covering was like a huge, stitched blanket, broken only by occasional openings where beams of sunlight descended through.
Above, the sky was a calm, endless blue, punctuated here and there by a few slowly moving clouds. Behind him, a solitary log rested on the grass, just large enough to function as a temporary seat. Around it was a meadow that seemed to stretch out endlessly, its green surface unbroken except for subtle paths where the wind had swept across.
He recognized this place. He had been present here before, during those moments when he had confronted the piece of himself that people referred to as his "original" soul. That encounter had taken place in the period following his supposed death during the Banquet of the Gods.
Now, however, he found himself here again without any clear explanation. Was this another summoning by the original Yasushi, or something different altogether? He could only guess.
"So… are you going to speak, or am I merely conversing with myself here?" Yasushi asked aloud, his words reaching through the stillness. No answer came, not even the slightest murmur to show awareness of his presence. His shoulders lowered slightly as he exhaled, accepting the quiet.
At least he wasn't under pressure of time. He was probably still asleep in his bed, the night far from over. Whatever had brought him to this place didn't seem interested in disrupting his actual responsibilities — work or anything else.
Yasushi stopped abruptly, sensing something stir in the space behind him. He turned quickly, his actions driven by instinct, and his vision landed on a person in the distance. It was unmistakable — it was himself. The original Yasushi stood still in the middle of the meadow, his expression unreadable, his focus locked on him.
Despite the distance that separated them, Yasushi saw the other version of himself clearly, as if there were no space between them. The connection between them felt unexplainable, pulling at him.
He took a step forward, intending to close the gap, but the moment his foot touched the ground, the world seemed to buckle around him. The surroundings warped, becoming disjointed, throwing his balance into disorder.
"It's not time," the original Yasushi spoke, the words resounding in every direction. The voice possessed an undeniable force, persistent in its clarity.
Yasushi tried to respond, but the ground beneath him gave way. He felt himself falling, disoriented and powerless against the pull. It wasn't his choice to leave; the original version of him was pushing him away, forcing him back.
His place wasn't here, not yet. This wasn't the moment to remain in this strange in-between space, not until the final moment when their meeting would have significance.
The sensation overwhelmed him as his body descended, and his awareness faded. His surroundings vanished, leaving him no choice but to accept the pull.
+-+
February had arrived, marking two months since Christmas and the visit with his grandparents on his father's side. Yasushi had returned to his typical schedule — work, caring for his children, and the usual flow of life. Although uneventful, he occasionally found his thoughts returning to the strange encounter with the original Yasushi.
It hadn't happened again in the time since, causing him to wonder when the next "moment" might occur. With only the original's silent observation and eventual decision as his guide, Yasushi lacked any clear sense of when it would happen. The uncertainty nibbled at the corners of his mind but never fully took over.
"This should work," Yasushi remarked, glancing toward Carol, his coworker for the day.
"Hmm... what if we turn it up a bit more? We're in a bigger room now. I'll walk to the other end and check if it's loud enough, alright?" Carol suggested.
Yasushi nodded in agreement without hesitation.
Carol walked across the seemingly endless room. The ceiling stretched far above her, its height dwarfing that of any standard space, and the width of the room seemed just as vast. Yasushi had attached the newest quantum microphone to himself and kept an eye on her as she moved down the distance on one of the hoverboards they had carefully engineered.
This updated model provided improved handling and included several modifications based on Yasushi's feedback, which he had offered while helping to refine the design. Even Carlo, who usually struggled with anything requiring balance, had managed to quickly learn how to use it. The only challenge involved was mastering how to stay upright for a short time.
Carol reached the other side after what felt like a long period, her appearance becoming little more than a dot in Yasushi's view. A quick text appeared on his phone, letting him know she was ready. Yasushi cleared his throat and adjusted the volume on his device before speaking into the microphone with an unassuming tone.
"Carol."
When Yasushi spoke, his words erupted with a booming intensity that echoed all around. He jerked back instinctively, surprised by the sheer volume. A faint twitch of amusement appeared as he spotted Carol, positioned far off in the distance, clutching at her ears and yelling in discomfort.
The sight was unexpected, although it proved their point that they had underestimated the raw power of the device. Carol had clearly heard his voice without any issue, but the experience seemed far from pleasant. After a brief moment of enduring the noise, she zipped back toward him on her hoverboard, her actions determined as she skidded to a stop close by.
"We have to lower that volume," she muttered, pressing her hands against her ears with visible annoyance. "What the hell was that? My ears are still ringing!" Her expression changed, narrowing with suspicion as she looked at him. "And how are you just standing here like it's nothing?"
Yasushi shrugged, keeping his tone casual as he replied, "I used ki to shield my hearing. Didn't think it'd be that loud, though."
Carol expressed her dissatisfaction with a grumble. The logic behind Yasushi's answer left her unable to formulate a counterargument. She possessed personal knowledge of the supernatural, having encountered several individuals with such abilities during her time working at this location.
Despite this awareness, Carol had never actively pursued learning magic or ki, citing a lack of interest in such practices.
"I wish I learned it now," she lamented, her voice laced with annoyance. "Ugh... we have to keep going, don't we?" Her gaze, already heavy with fatigue, turned toward Yasushi as she voiced the question.
Yasushi responded with a suggestion, "You could always use these," He presented a pair of quantum earmuffs.
Carol stared at the devices in a state of disbelief before snatching them away with a sudden movement. Her irritation was clearly conveyed in her question, "Why didn't you offer these earlier!?"
"You never asked," Yasushi replied simply.
Carol lightly struck his shoulder, an action that produced a chuckle from Yasushi. "Anyway, let's continue and mess more with the volume," he proposed. Carol reluctantly agreed while simultaneously casting a suspicious glance in his direction.
+-+
Several hours later, their work concluded. Yasushi, however, did not proceed directly home. Instead, he made his way to Jamie's laboratory, where he met with Jamie.
Jamie was positioned against his desk, his attention absorbed by a document displayed on his watch. This watch, a device that was part of a personal project he was currently pursuing, was similar in appearance to the advanced technology seen in science fiction films and games.
The watch projected a blue, game-like interface that floated in front of him, allowing him to read the documents he had converted. The process of converting his extensive collection of documents into this format was somewhat time-consuming. Nevertheless, Jamie considered it a worthwhile endeavor.
He finally looked up from his watch, a smile forming on his face. "Oh, hey, Yasushi, you made it. How about we go out and eat and talk about it?" Jamie suggested.
"Sure, why not? But I'll eat light, since I want to eat home-cooked food," Yasushi responded.
Jamie chuckled at his reply. "Alright, Mr. I-Have-Two-Kids-With-Two-Different-Women," Jamie teased.
Yasushi reacted with a roll of his eyes.
Yasushi agreed, and they left their workplace, making their way to a nearby bar to have a meal and drinks. They chose to walk to the bar, with the intention of walking back to their vehicles later. They placed their orders, selecting food and non-alcoholic beverages, as they could not consume alcohol due to the need to drive home afterwards.
Once they were seated at their chosen spot, Yasushi asked, "So, what did you want to talk about? Most of the time, it's serious when you say it."
Jamie paused, then sighed, before speaking. "Actually… it's pretty serious, so I would like your full attention." He saw Yasushi nod in acknowledgment, and he continued. "Remember the time I was out because of a family emergency?"
"Yeah. They're alright now, right?" Yasushi asked. Jamie hesitated before responding.
"No… my cousin got better for a bit, but now it's getting worse. I wasn't explicitly told, but I heard it's a form of cancer," he admitted, his face showing his discomfort with the information.
Cancer. The mere mention of the word carried a weight, immediately signaling a grave situation. Yasushi was aware that some forms of cancer could be cured, yet the diagnosis was never a light matter.
Yasushi waited for Jamie to continue, and Jamie resumed speaking. "It's terminal, unfortunately. I cannot get time off either for some reason. I was hoping to ask you to help me in some way… if possible, I mean. Your parents, along with Xinyi and Jingliu's, are the leads in this project, so…"
"So if I ask them, there might be a chance they listen?" Yasushi stated, picking up on Jamie's implication. "To be honest, yes, they are the leads, but they do not have the final say in how these things operate. But, I am willing to help," Yasushi replied, which clearly brought relief to Jamie.
"That's all I ask for — and yes, I'll understand if the final answer is no. I just want to be with them. They were basically my rock when I was still a dysfunctional teenager before being brought here. You know what people called me, right?" Jamie asked, a bitter smile forming on his face.
"A lot of things come to mind. Genius, weirdo, creep, brainiac — you accumulated quite the collection of nicknames. Which one are you referring to specifically?" Yasushi responded, a slight smile playing on his lips. This prompted a snort of amusement from Jamie.
Precisely as if timed, their meals were brought to their table. They both expressed their gratitude to the server. They then turned their attention to the food. Yasushi's portion was intentionally small, knowing he would have a larger meal waiting for him at home. Jamie, on the other hand, intended this to be his complete dinner.
A comfortable silence settled between them as they ate. After a few moments, Jamie spoke, his voice thoughtful. "Yeah, I've heard those before. And honestly, I'll admit I was a bit of a weirdo back then. But I've had several people invest time in helping me improve my social skills. Looking back, I can acknowledge that some of the difficulties were my own doing."
Yasushi sighed gently before replying, "It's just as much the fault of others who didn't make an effort to understand you when you were younger. Understanding is a mutual process, it requires effort from both sides. Because many people were dismissive of you back then, certain habits formed. Thankfully, those have been addressed."
"That is true... but even so, I believe I still need to dedicate more time to personal growth," Jamie responded, their conversation continuing uninterrupted as they ate.
Their discussion moved from one subject to another with an easygoing quality as they ate their meal. Much of their talk returned to their shared work, a good portion concerned Jamie's cousin, and then digressed to other subjects of lesser importance, such as personal hobbies or interesting sights they had recently encountered.
Finally, they concluded their brief meeting, and they left the bar, returning to their respective places of work. They walked to their own vehicles and drove away on their own. Yasushi rode his motorbike through the long tunnel, with Jamie ahead of him in his car.
'Cancer… I find myself questioning if we will ever discover a universal cure for all forms of this illness given our current research? If that theory comes to light, the one which suggests that pharmaceutical companies across the globe are intentionally causing fatalities by hiding the fact that a cure has existed for some time… will they also try to harm us?' Yasushi reflected.
Yasushi shook his head, choosing to dismiss the thought from his mind. Regardless of the truth of the matter, he would discover the answer in the future. Perhaps he could pose the question to one of the gods, or even to Nandini, but for the time being, he would concentrate on the present moment.
They eventually exited the tunnel, and they went their separate ways. Yasushi found himself feeling concerned for Jamie's cousin, but he also had his own responsibilities to attend to. He needed to ask his parents about granting Jamie some time off from work.
"I have no way of knowing what they will decide, but I certainly hope they will approve," he spoke quietly to himself as he rode his motorbike through the streets of London at night.