Rest
1415 Words
In Tokyo, Minato District, Aoki Street Footbridge.
The night had already begun to fall, with only a faint streak of sunset lingering on the horizon. The streetlights along the road had turned on, and the colorful lights along the bridge flickered in dazzling patterns.
It was after work hours, and the footbridge was bustling with people. Men and women in suits and office skirts, their faces weary, moved in a steady stream. They jostled past one another like waves of black and white, slowly flowing in all directions.
From time to time, the honking of car horns could be heard from below, warning the cars ahead not to cut in.
Miyakawa carefully stepped up the stairs in her high heels, her gaze divided between watching her feet and following the figure of the man ahead of her. She found herself staring at his back, almost in a daze. Her foot slipped slightly, and the tip of her heel bumped against the stairs.
“Ah,” Miyakawa called out lightly, her eyes flashing with a moment of panic.
A hand grabbed her wrist. The skin was rough but warm and firm. With a gentle tug, her balance was restored.
“Be careful,” came a calm voice.
His voice had a kind of magic, immediately soothing her troubled heart.
“Sorry… I always worry you, North-kun,” Miyakawa lowered her head, embarrassed.
North looked at her with a touch of concern. His falling out with Miyakawa’s father didn’t bother him much, but for Miyakawa, it was different. No matter how things had played out today, she still had to go back to that house, back to her father.
North stood on the steps, waiting for her to catch up before they walked together. As they walked, he asked, “So, what will you do tonight? How are you going to get along with your father?”
“North… don’t worry about it…” Miyakawa said, her voice hesitant. “Anyway… at home… I usually just stay… in my room…”
Her eyes briefly showed a trace of discomfort, clearly unwilling to talk about her complicated family situation in front of him.
For some reason, Miyakawa didn’t want North to see this side of her.
Seeing her awkwardness, North realized it was best not to press further. Instead, his gaze shifted to the crowd of people flowing in all directions. Despite the bustle, his mood lightened—after all, the weekend was almost here. North whistled lightly, looking down at the congested traffic below the bridge.
“North-kun, you’re so relaxed,” Miyakawa laughed, amused by North’s rare display of lightheartedness. She had always seen him as serious, so the whistle seemed like a stark contrast.
However, the earlier scene—where North had clashed with her father—still lingered in her mind. She couldn’t shake the discomfort, and her heart ached as she tugged lightly on the corner of North’s jacket. “About the traffic accident case my father gave you... how do you plan to handle it?”
“Hmm… hmm,” North smiled slightly, then replied ambiguously, “Let’s not talk about work during off hours.”
Changing the subject was something North had mastered in his past life.
Miyakawa, feeling a little playful, almost reached out to pinch North’s arm. Halfway through the gesture, she stopped, unsure if it was too forward. Her hand froze, then quickly retracted as if shocked.
Miyakawa immediately realized she had made the atmosphere awkward. She simply walked silently beside North.
They reached the end of the footbridge, where the stairs split. One side led east, the other west.
“I’ll go this way. North, what about you?”
“I’m going the other way.”
“Alright then.”
“Goodbye,” North waved.
Miyakawa blinked, seemingly with something on her mind, and waved back, smiling. “See you on Monday.”
As she walked off, her figure in a blue dress gradually disappeared into the crowd. North slowly descended from the footbridge. This had been the first Friday since his rebirth—long, yet he was finally headed home. He felt exhausted, as if his whole body was about to fall apart, craving relaxation.
...
...
Tokyo, Shinjuku District, Kaishu Apartment.
In front of Room 507, a key turned in the lock with a crisp sound, and the door creaked open. The apartment was dark inside. North stood at the door for a moment, then, relying on memory, reached out and fumbled along the wall until he found a small raised button and pressed it.
"Click."
The lights flickered on.
Inside was a very small apartment. Beyond the narrow corridor was a “living room.” It was so small that it barely fit a table and a kotatsu, and it was questionable whether this could even be considered a “living room.” There was a bed on the floor and a pile of legal books scattered around, adding to the disordered look.
The entire apartment was less than 20 square meters, yet it managed to squeeze in a bathroom, a “living room,” and a gas stove. As for a bedroom, North didn’t see one. He guessed that the “living room” served as both the living and sleeping area.
This was the life of a “Tokyo drifter,” North thought with a slight intake of breath. Living in such cramped conditions felt a bit strange.
He placed his Gyudon from Yoshinoya on the table, along with the file for the traffic accident case.
He was starving after a long day. The need for nourishment was urgent.
He opened the takeout box, and the aroma of beef and sauce mixed together, making his mouth water. Inside, there was a soft-boiled egg with warm water still clinging to it. The vegetable box contained broccoli, carrots, and corn, their orange and green colors bright and appetizing.
Though it was just a standard fast-food meal, for someone hungry, it was a feast.
North quickly picked up his chopsticks and devoured the food. The beef, rich with sauce, hit the right balance of saltiness, and as he scooped up some rice, the dampness of the grains blended perfectly with the flavors of the meat. The fragrance of rice, meat, and salt mixed together, creating a sensation of pure pleasure.
It was bliss.
North felt a shiver of relaxation spread through his body, a light joy blooming from within.
As he ate, his thoughts inevitably drifted back to his current problems.
The first was the looming debt of five billion yen caused by the crisis at his law firm. The previous director, Eto, had disappeared after losing some critical documents. Everything about the situation was suspicious. Who were the creditors? What exactly did Eto lose? North hadn’t even begun to investigate yet. It would take time to uncover the truth, and there was no rush. This was something that had to be handled step by step.
As for the traffic accident case…
Though he hadn’t gone through the file yet, according to Konishi, it seemed pretty straightforward. The driver had crashed his luxury car on the highway, causing a severe rear-end collision. Thankfully, there were no casualties. The police had already determined the driver was fully at fault.
From Konishi’s explanation, the case seemed to have little chance of being overturned.
But the car involved was worth 120 million yen.
If there was a way to turn things around in this case…
North glanced at the brown file bag. There was a saying in music: the simpler the composition, the harder it is to perform. Without the embellishment of flashy techniques, the musician’s fundamental skills are laid bare before the audience.
Could there be a breakthrough in this case too? Even if it was just a one-percent chance?
What was he thinking? North quickly caught himself and stopped overthinking. It was finally off-duty time, and he needed to relax. He smiled as he gently tapped the soft-boiled egg against the table.
The shell cracked, and North carefully peeled off the pieces. Inside, the egg white and yolk were like jelly, floating in the shell. He sucked it in all at once, and the creamy egg white and yolk dissolved like soup.
So satisfying!
The only drawback was the drink straw—it was paper, not plastic.
Full and content, North rubbed his stomach and collapsed beneath the kotatsu, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
- Writer
