"Going out?"
Setsuna had asked if he wanted to go shopping with her. With the New Year holidays ending, shops had just reopened, and she thought it would be nice to stroll around together.
Normally, Haruto would have agreed without hesitation. He had no particular plans, and accompanying her out would have been a pleasant way to spend the day.
But not this time.
Suppressing the urge to glance at the drawer where his lottery ticket lay hidden, Haruto sat quietly in his room and gave it some thought.
"These days… I don't really feel like going out. If you'd like, maybe Sekai can go with you instead?"
"Did something happen?"
She hadn't expected his refusal. Setsuna stared at him, trying to read some clue from his expression.
"It's nothing serious. I just… don't want to go out for a while."
Turning his gaze toward the window, where fine snowflakes drifted down, he fell silent for a moment before returning his eyes to the girl in front of him. His expression remained calm, almost unreadable.
"It's about my new book. Some ideas came to me. Once I've worked them out, I'll have time to go out with you again."
"…I see."
Though her heart sank a little, hearing it was related to his writing, Setsuna nodded in understanding. She decided to give him space and instead made plans to go out with Sekai.
As he watched her figure disappear through the door, Haruto lifted a hand to his temple, a faintly helpless look on his face.
It wasn't the best excuse, but thankfully, she accepted it.
And her consideration didn't leave him unmoved. He felt the weight of it.
But he couldn't tell her the truth... not yet. Once everything was settled, once he had bought the house, then he could reveal it as a surprise. That would be the best way.
For the next two days, he remained almost entirely at his desk, pouring his thoughts into a new document, jotting down the fragments of inspiration that had come to him. He didn't step outside even once.
When Setsuna came to visit, she found him with disheveled hair and weary eyes, his focus unbroken as he typed away. She tried to persuade him to rest, but he only waved her off silently before turning back to his screen.
Fortunately, he had stocked up on plenty of groceries beforehand. Even though the New Year had just passed, there was more than enough for a week. With a little extra shopping help from Setsuna, he had no reason to leave the house until the appointed day.
"He really hasn't gone outside for five whole days?"
At a café on January 6th, Setsuna told Sekai about it as they sat together over desserts... one with a chocolate parfait, the other with cream puffs. Sekai's eyes widened.
"Yeah. He's been glued to his desk, saying he's in some kind of… inspiration phase. If he stops, it'll be hard to get back into that state, so he wants to keep going while it lasts."
"Wow… I don't really get it, but it sounds impressive."
Sekai didn't quite understand what a "creative phase" meant, but she understood the part about losing momentum. The thought of Haruto working tirelessly in his room made her feelings complicated.
At their age, most people weren't even thinking about the future yet. At best, they picked up a part-time job for pocket money. But Haruto already had clear plans for his life and had already earned his first fortune.
She couldn't tell if it was frustration or envy, but something stirred inside her too. A restless desire to prove her own worth.
"Then maybe we should do something too," Sekai suggested, looking at her friend.
"…Do something?"
"Yeah. We should start figuring out our own lives. Which path to take, how we're going to walk it. We're already in high school once college comes around, it'll be too late to only start then."
It was the end of their first year of high school, and Sekai had finally begun thinking about her future.
"I've already decided, remember? I told you when you came over to my place," Setsuna replied.
"Ah.. right…" Sekai scratched her cheek, realizing she was the only one without a clear direction.
"So… are you planning to stay with Haruto?"
"…Yeah."
"Then I'll work hard too. I'll stick around, no matter what. I'll be the lightbulb you two just can't get rid of!"
It was a bold declaration but was that really a goal to aspire to?
Setsuna gave her a wry look, but seeing her friend so full of energy, she didn't want to dampen her spirits. Instead, she quietly scooped up a spoonful of whipped cream from her parfait and slipped it into her mouth.
Meanwhile, back in his room, Haruto sat at his desk, utterly drained. His head throbbed, his thoughts muddled from exhaustion.
"Haah…"
Letting out a long sigh, Haruto slowly stood up, saved his work, and wandered to his bed. He collapsed onto the mattress, covering his eyes with one hand.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow I will finally be able to redeem it.
As his eyelids grew heavy and he drifted toward sleep, a sudden thought jolted him awake.
Security.
He felt none. Going alone to handle this… he couldn't shake the unease gnawing at him. After a long silence, he sat up again, reached for his phone, and dialed Mari.
"Mari-san, are you back in Tokyo?"
"I've been back for a while now. What's wrong?"
"Tomorrow… do you have time? I need your help with something. Is that okay?"
Mari was at the office, working through paperwork. She paused, tucking her pen into the files, giving her full attention to Haruto's unexpected call.
"Is it something important?"
"Not… not exactly… No, it is important. If I try to do it alone, it'll be really difficult. That's why I want to ask you to come with me."
"I see. I don't mind, but does it absolutely have to be tomorrow?"
She still had work to finish. She could be fully free the day after tomorrow. But if it was urgent, she might be able to take leave.
"It has to be tomorrow. If I wait any longer… I don't think I can hold out."
"Hold out?"
The phrasing made Mari frown. Something about his tone felt off, serious. The word "hold out" made her tighten up, and her expression turned grave.
"…All right. I'll request leave tomorrow and go with you."
"Thank you. Really."
"It's nothing. What time?"
"Nine in the morning. Let's meet at..."
They arranged a time and place before hanging up.
Haruto lay back on his bed again, grateful for how easily she had agreed. Closing his eyes, he finally allowed himself to rest.
When he woke, it was seven in the morning... two hours before their meeting.
He rose quietly, changed clothes, checked a few contacts, then stepped into the bathroom to wash up. The water cleared his drowsiness, and he felt somewhat refreshed.
From his closet he chose an outfit, set a mask on the table, then went to check the fridge. There were still some ingredients left.
He prepared a simple breakfast, then opened a drawer. From inside, he pulled out the lottery ticket, carefully tucked it into his wallet, and slipped it into his inner pocket. The weight of it pressed against him, a constant reminder. Mask in hand, he left his apartment.
When he arrived at the meeting spot, it was only 8:36. Not long before nine.
"Twenty minutes left. If I head over now, it should take about half an hour... just right."
He took a deep breath. His nerves kept rising, like the first time he had ever traveled far from home, stepping into an unknown place... half anticipation, half fear.
He pressed his lips together, gazed at the sky overhead, then back down at the pavement tiles under his feet. His heart wouldn't calm down.
By 8:50, he got a message from Mari saying she had arrived.
He stood and spotted her immediately, her tall figure impossible to miss in the crowd.
Coffee-colored coat, black high-neck sweater, slim washed jeans an elegant city look that drew eyes naturally.
"The mask?" she remarked.
"Yeah. Thanks for coming, Mari-san."
"It's fine. But… what exactly are we doing that's so urgent?"
"You'll see soon enough. I might need you to use your position as an editor of Sakura Publishing to help me."
"Sakura's editor…?"
"Please, just follow me."
Haruto avoided explaining. With his mask on, he walked beside Mari through the streets. She glanced at him, wondering why he was acting so strangely today, so secretive.
Was it a mistake agreeing to come?
After half an hour, they arrived at the lottery headquarters. Inside, under Mari's puzzled, almost startled gaze, Haruto walked straight to the reception desk.
"Can I help you?" the receptionist asked.
"Prize redemption."
He handed Mari his phone, camera already on.
A flicker of realization crossed her face. She accepted the phone, struck by how cautious he was. But the next words nearly made her drop it.
"One billion."
Her hand shook violently. She almost lost her grip on the phone, staring wide-eyed at Haruto.
The receptionist froze as well, suddenly tense.
"I… understand. Please wait a moment."
She immediately called higher-ups. After a brief exchange, Haruto and Mari were ushered into a private meeting room.
Once alone, Mari's composure cracked.
"One billion?"
"One billion."
Silence followed. Then three officials entered two middle-aged, one younger. They spoke with Haruto, double-checked the ticket, confirmed its authenticity, then turned to Mari.
"And this is…?"
"I'm a writer. She's my editor. She came with me today to redeem it."
The officials exchanged a glance, then smiled politely. They handed the ticket back, had a check written with a long string of digits, and passed it to Haruto.
From there, staff escorted them to the bank to complete the redemption. By noon, Haruto and Mari stepped outside, the process complete.
"Congratulations," one of the lottery executives said, shaking Haruto's hand before leaving.
Haruto let out the breath he'd been holding. He exchanged a polite handshake and watched the man depart.
That left just Haruto and Mari, standing in the street, staring at each other in silence.
~~~~~~~~~~
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