Chapter 99: Sequel: Farewells and New Beginnings
I woke up after a good night's sleep and got some breakfast—rice, miso soup, natto, hot spring-boiled eggs, grilled fish, and some salad. I also picked up a plate on which individual pieces of seaweed were piled up.
It wasn't anything fancy, but it was a nice and hearty breakfast. I didn't necessarily want to scream about how delicious each dish was, but I enjoyed it and I knew I'd start my day in a good mood.
Yep, that's how a proper Japanese breakfast ought to be.
I felt like the smell of the hot springs had stuck to the eggs somewhat, but that could've been my imagination. For all I knew, they were store-bought, and they hadn't been boiled in this particular hot spring at all.
Anyway, after I'd finished my meal, I had a short morning bath to warm up my body. Just like the previous day, there wasn't a single young girl in sight, but I didn't mind—I'd long since given up on that.
"Shouta! Stop running down the stairs!"
Or so I thought. After I'd finished with my bath and was walking down the corridor, I suddenly heard the voice of a young woman. Sadly, she obviously had a kid.
The voice had come from the upper floors. In the next moment, I spotted a ten-year-old boy dashing down the stairs.
How lively.
As he grew up, he'd start minding others' eyes and stop enjoying himself like that. So have at it now, kid!
It was the same at the pool. Kids jumped in, but adults worried so much about how others would view them that they entered the water as quietly as possible. Even if no one was looking at them, most adults became incapable of doing anything that could be perceived as "weird."
Another good example was the kid's menu at restaurants. As a child, I'd obviously whined and thought that only babies could want those things, but as an adult, I realized what an attractive option it was. The portion wasn't so huge that you couldn't finish it, and in most cases, the dishes had a bit of everything. They even came with a complimentary dessert. All that for a super cheap price! And yet, I was completely incapable of ordering it for myself. I mean, what if the waiter thinks I'm ridiculous and silently mocks me for it?
I always wished the kid's menu had a more neutral name instead. If it was also served on a normal plate instead of some colorful childish one, adults could also order it without feeling ashamed.
A noise pulled me out of my thoughts, and I looked up to see the kid flying down the last flight of stairs.
Kid! Who told you to jump?!
If I left him alone, he'd get badly hurt—or even die in the worst-case scenario—so I stepped forward and caught the flying kid midair.
I usually cast magic spells to kill monsters, so most people pictured me as a backliner, but I was actually better than Layla with a sword. My physical abilities were pretty damn good. Catching a single kid was no big deal to me.
To be honest, I did cheat a little by enhancing myself with magic. If I were to arm wrestle with Layla with no magic at all, she'd probably beat me. As a former guy, it was a bit pathetic to admit, but it was what it was.
Anyway, I'd caught the kid without any issue. I slowly put him down.
"Are you all right?" I asked. "It's good to be lively, but you have to be more careful."
"O-Okay..." he answered, his head bobbing up and down like a puppet and his face bright red.
A cold? Nah, who am I kidding? As a former man, I totally know what he's thinking. He looked no older than ten, so he was obviously a bit precocious. Already at the age to discover love?I left the precocious brat behind and started walking toward my room once more.
"Poor kid. He ended up diving right into Ellize's chest when she was wearing nothing but a thin yukata... And she was just out of the bath too. He'll never get over it..." Yamoto whispered.
"Profeta, you're overthinking this," I said.
It's not my fault if that kid develops weird preferences, okay?! I saved him, so don't make it sound like I'm the one to blame!
"He only saw me for a few seconds. He'll forget me just as quickly as we met," I added.
"I'm afraid those few seconds will impact him for the rest of his life..."
I'm sure he'll be just fine. Probably. And even if he isn't, it's still not my fault!
◇
A dozen minutes had gone by since we'd checked out of the ryokan, and neither of us had said a word since we'd gotten in Yamoto's car.
I looked at the scenery outside the window, desperately trying to think of what to say to break the silence when Yamoto spoke:
"Ellize. The rift... You should close it up as soon as possible."
I thought she might say that, and I agreed—that thing needed to go. I'd reached the same conclusion myself.
I'd ended up in Fiori and Yamoto in Japan because of it. And, long before us, malice had found its way into Fiori because of it, giving birth to a tragedy that spanned a thousand years.
Besides, when I thought of Giappon, a country that was obviously modeled after Japan, I could only assume that other transmigrators had existed in the past. The fact that their presence hadn't left a wide impact on Fiori's history was only a coincidence. Well, perhaps they'd had some influence, but the destruction caused by the witch and her monsters had erased it.
Either way, that world was finally at peace. There was no telling what another transmigrator's presence could bring. To prevent the worst, I needed to close the rift.
It also meant that I wouldn't be able to come here anymore, and I'd never see Yamoto again.
This would be our second—and last—farewell. We'd never meet again in this lifetime, or in death. Closing the rift also meant that her soul wouldn't return to Fiori when she died.
"I know, but—" I started.
"It's fine," Yamoto cut me off.
She stopped the car on the roadside and turned to face me. Her expression was calm and gentle, yet resolute. She'd made up her mind. I could see it in her eyes: she'd stay here. Instead of returning to Fiori as Profeta, she'd keep living here, on Earth, as Yamoto Tamaki.
Yesterday, she'd started a sentence she hadn't finished.
"That will probably be our first and last..."
I didn't need her to finish it to know what she meant. This was our first and last chance to spend time together. That was why she'd asked for an entire day of my time, and why I'd so gladly accepted.
"My role in Fiori is over," she said. "And I'm satisfied. I bore witness to the end of the tragedy, and I was granted a new life. I even got to see you again. That's more than enough. Even if I can never go back, I'm plenty happy."
"Profeta..."
"Profeta is dead, Ellize. I'm human now, and my name is Yamoto Tamaki," she declared with a smile.
She seemed so secure in her decision that I didn't dare say anything more.
Yamoto looked something up on her phone and pointed the screen at me. It was a thread full of people sharing where they'd seen me. Some were obviously looking for me.
"Take a look," she said. "You stand out far too much. You're even going around resuscitating people and saving children from fires... We have a saying here that goes 'People will talk.' These stupid stalkers haven't caused any issues yet, but they will. It's only a matter of time before someone breaks into your old apartment and finds the rift. What do you think will happen then? You need to close it before it gets to that."
Yamoto opened her car door. We were in front of my old place. I'd told her where I used to live when I described the rift and she'd given me a ride. We both went up to my old room, which was now vacant. I walked to the rift and stood still.
"Profeta— No, Miss Yamoto... This is farewell."
"It is..."
As soon as I touched the rift, it'd truly be the end. I'd be back in Fiori and would ask Alfrea to seal the rift. I'd never see Japan or Yamoto again.
Getting Alfrea to undo the seal temporarily wasn't impossible, but I felt like doing that would only make things harder for Yamoto. She'd decided to build a life for herself here, and I wanted to respect that.
She...hadn't asked me to take her to Fiori or to bring Alfrea to see her one last time. I was sure that she wanted to, and she must've known that I could make that wish come true—it wouldn't even cost anyone anything. Yet she hadn't asked.
That wasn't because she didn't miss Alfrea. I believe she was afraid that if she did see her, her resolve would shatter. She was afraid she'd give up on her current family and friends to go back to Fiori. And so, Yamoto couldn't bring herself to ask.
If I kept going back and forth and she cracked because of me, I wouldn't forgive myself. That's why I'd decided I wouldn't visit anymore.
This was the end.
"Don't worry about me, Ellize. My life is much fuller here. I didn't live on the other side—not really. I just...didn't die for a thousand years. But all I did was sit there, unable to do anything but observe. Everything is different now. I'm truly alive. So don't worry about me. Go live your life to the fullest."
Yamoto's smile was bright as she extended her hand to me. I shook it and nodded.
"You're not living inside of a story anymore. The eternal tragedy of the scattering flowers has ended, and not even I can predict what awaits beyond the happy ending—you and the others will build the future with your own hands. Just know I'll always be praying for your happiness."
"I'll be doing the same, Miss Yamoto. Please be happy."
We hugged briefly, then I turned my back to her. I headed to the rift, put up my barrier, and jumped into the light without looking back.
As the light enveloped me, I said goodbye inside my heart—to Yamoto Tamaki, to Japan, to Earth, and to the lingering attachment I had for this world.
Goodbye, and thank you...
...
This really isn't like me.
All right, I'm done with the heavy atmosphere! This is over. Time for a bath!
◇
After Ellize disappeared, Yamoto looked at the rift for a while. Then, she walked away resolutely, as if to shake off any regrets and attachments she had left.
That world would be fine. With Ellize there, they'd overcome whatever life threw at them in the future. Yamoto believed that from the bottom of her heart.
She decided she wouldn't think about them anymore. She'd focus on finding happiness here, in the world she now called home.
She took out her phone and rang up one of the people she'd come to love.
"Hello, mom? Did you see my message yesterday? Yeah, I stayed at a ryokan with a friend. She just left, so I'll be coming home now. Do you need me to pick up anything on the way? No? Okay, I'm heading straight home, then. See you in a bit."
She hung up, a smile on her face. She'd lived for over a thousand years, yet, here she was, calling a woman who'd barely lived a few dozen years "mom."
Still, she wasn't Profeta—she was Yamoto Tamaki, a regular girl. She would be allowed to fully embrace the mundane happiness of having a family, right?
I'll take them on a trip next time, she thought. I have more than enough money saved up.
Yamoto still had regrets and fears, but she wouldn't let them stop her from moving forward. Her future was brimming with hope, she was convinced of that. She wasn't the lonely turtle trudging toward a future she couldn't envision anymore. She was a young woman ready to live her life in this world to the fullest.
"Still...I'm pretty sure that she's also a transmigrator," Yamoto whispered. "Well, she didn't seem to want to talk about it, so I'll let her keep her secret."
Yamoto sauntered through the busy streets, enjoying the soft breeze that made her hair sway gently, and soon disappeared into the crowd.
(2k word count)
A/n:I've been reading this book like for a year now and it's still making me tear up, as they say, "Every story has an ending",
So yeah this has been a wonderful journey and thank you for y'all for sticking here with me. I hope y'all have a nice day.
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