'3 kilometers is quite a walk,' he sighed to himself, leaning against a wall to catch his breath.
'I might just die before I reach the bank.'
He took a moment to regroup, glancing down at his phone to see exactly how much further he had to go.
The screen displayed a map, pinning the bank's location a few blocks away.
'Okay, just a short break. A few deep breaths and then I'm off—maybe I'll even jog a little to get my heart rate up. Or... not.'
With a final deep breath, he pushed off the wall and started moving again.
The more he walked, the more he realized just how out of shape he had become. The good genes he once boasted had all but vanished, leaving him feeling heavy and sluggish.
'I guess even an expensive hyper car would turn into junk if used improperly,' he joked, attempting to distract himself from the exhaustion.
When he arrived in front of the bank, his T-shirt was soaked with sweat, clinging to him like a second skin.
CLING!
The glass doors slid open, letting in a rush of cool air that provided a momentary break from the heat.
However, as he stepped inside, he felt the judgmental gazes of the guards and other customers.
It was as if their eyes were drilling into him, taking note of his disheveled appearance and sweaty shirt.
'Whatever,' he thought, straightening his shoulders. 'This is a public place, and I'm a customer just like anyone else. If they can't handle a little sweat, they should stick to online banking instead.'
Without a care in the world, he grabbed a number and sat down in a chair to wait for his turn.
As if on cue, the people around him immediately stood up and shuffled away, creating a wide gap of empty chairs.
'Nice, more space for me,'
He waited for his turn.
"No. 25," a female teller called, pulling him back to reality.
He walked up to the counter and said, "I want to cash this out,"
"Of course! Let me take a look." The teller looked up with a warm smile, her expression reassuring.
She took the check and examined it closely, her eyes scanning the details as she typed on her computer.
After a minute, she looked back at him.
"Would you like to withdraw the amount in cash or online?"
"Cash, please."
She nodded and began processing the transaction.
"Here you go—one hundred fifty thousand yen. Is there anything else I can help you with today?"
He took the money, holding it tightly in his hands as if it might slip away. "No, that's it. Thank you!"
Stepping away from the counter, he paused to catch his breath.
It was real. He could hardly believe it. The cash felt like a lifeline. And with this he was safe for a couple of days.
Then it hit him—if the check was real, maybe the inheritance was too.
It could be some kind of test set up by his grandfather to see if he was worthy of the money.
Sure, it sounded outrageous, but the world was full of eccentric people, and his supposed grandfather might just be one of them.
So, essentially, he had a 50-50 chance of striking it big if it was actually true.
And if he didn't try, he had a 100% chance of going broke and homeless again in a month or two.
'Okay, now what? Should I go back to my place and get some clothes first before traveling?'
He wondered—if this really was a test, there might be a time limit.