Jin carefully closed his notebook, placing it on the desk, and began to walk around his home, pacing back and forth. Soon, the familiar surroundings grew monotonous, prompting him to check on his beloved cat, Muse. Yes, our dear protagonist was quite the literary enthusiast, deeply engrossed in writing poetry and all things artistic. Oh, how the poor cat must endure his creative whims...
As Jin entered the room, he spotted Muse sprawled out lazily in a sunbeam, stretching and yawning. The moment he walked in, the cat greeted him with a melodious sound—a symphony that instantly soothed Jin's restless mind. He truly cherished his feline companion, who had been by his side through thick and thin. Jin had discovered Muse when he was just six years old, abandoned next to a trash bin, soaked by the rain. He had taken the little creature in, nurturing it ever since, feeling an uncanny connection between them.
With gentle affection, he patted Muse and began to play, using a small beam of light from a toy he had bought at the market. The cat joyfully chased after it, pouncing and frolicking around the room with unbridled energy.
As he wandered about his home, Jin eventually felt content enough to rest his weary legs. He paused at the door of one of the rooms, which was firmly shut, as if something fierce lurked inside, waiting to pounce. With a deep sigh, Jin turned away and made his way to his own room, which overlooked the narrow alleyways of his childhood. The large balcony was adorned with climbing plants that reached upwards along the walls.
A smile spread across his face as he admired the beauty of nature; he had a profound love for the simplicity of it all. But suddenly, a loud noise shattered his tranquil moment. He suppressed his irritation and turned to locate the source of the ruckus. As he had anticipated, it was one of the neighborhood troublemakers causing a commotion. Jin quickly retreated into his room, locking the door behind him, preparing himself for a long night ahead. Tomorrow held great significance—his medical college examination awaited him. Yes, Jin was a dedicated student, acutely aware that education was his only path forward after the family support he had once relied on had disappeared... but let's set that aside for now. He had to endure the challenges of today.
Uncharacteristically, Jin possessed an extraordinary intellect paired with a well-proportioned physique. He refused to squander his time on trivial pursuits; instead, he devoted himself to building a strong body at the gym. After his workouts, he would return home, take a refreshing shower, prepare his lunch, and savor it with a touch of simplicity, seeking to make the most of every moment in his life. This was the routine he had established: waking up, showering, hitting the gym, returning for lunch, and showering again. Ah, the beauty of simplicity in his daily life.
Today, Jin picked up his notebook and began to write:
"Life appears sweet when adorned in its simple attire; wherever you go, you will encounter both the ordinary and the grotesque—an existence filled with luxury juxtaposed against the lurking shadow of poverty. There are eyes filled with envy and others that lack concern, as life offers individuals work with meager rewards or leaves them wandering aimlessly, devoid of income, shelter, or sanity. Pray tell, how can one's mind remain intact after enduring such hardships? The mind is indeed a fragile thing; if it shatters once, it is nearly impossible to restore, even with the ineffective methods of modern medicine.
I have faced tribulations as well, ones that were not trivial in their essence; they were strange, cloaked in mystery, preventing my understanding, even with my sharp intellect. No matter how closely I examined the situation, I found no evidence to guide my comprehension. After the evidence I had seen, I could dig no deeper. You might think me emotionally numb, but in reality, madness almost overwhelms me. I began searching tirelessly, moving back and forth, striving to uncover the bitter truth behind that painful incident gnawing at my bones, as if a worm were crawling beneath my skin."
With a heavy heart, Jin turned off the lights and climbed into bed, pulling the blanket tightly around him as he surrendered to sleep.
On the following morning, he made his way to university to take his exam. As is often the case, the test proved to be straightforward, requiring only half an hour of his time. He submitted his paper to the invigilator and walked under the envious gazes of his peers, their expressions a mix of disbelief and a myriad of emotions.
After the exam, he sought solace in one of the parks in the city of Mori, where the warm sunlight caressed his handsome face. The gentle breeze tousled his hair, and the fragrant blooms filled the air with delightful scents.
As he reveled in the pleasant ambiance, his gaze fell upon a group of men gathered in a corner of the park, near some dilapidated, poorly constructed shops that had seen better days. Suddenly, his eyes widened in frenzied recognition. He had spotted a symbol—a cursed emblem he had seen fourteen years ago on the knife at the crime scene. Yes, back then, he had been just a child, but his mind had been extraordinary, sharp beyond his years. He had taken that knife before the police arrived and hidden it from them.
The symbol was a black droplet against a white background, adorned with a flickering lightning motif, with a sparkling letter "D" beneath it!
It was a fleeting glimpse, but he knew without a doubt that he had seen it. He couldn't shake the image from his mind, for the nerves in his eyes were more developed than those of an average person. He attributed this to the sharpness of his intellect, believing that every nerve—both cerebral and spinal—was extraordinary as well!
This symbol triggered memories of bitter days spent searching for hidden clues, but now, right before his eyes, lay one of those clues, alive and tangible!
"Haha!"
Indeed, as the saying goes, if you seek something fervently, it will elude you; let it go, and it will come to you...
Now, he could not remain still until he uncovered what this dark future held, as ominous as his past...