Spring had arrived.
From his days of quiet freedom, Haruto had returned once again to the rhythm of school life. Yet in his heart, there lingered a strange dissonance. Especially at the moment he put on his uniform and stepped through the school gates, surrounded by the familiar crowd of students, the feeling struck him sharply.
It's strange… it's only been less than a month, and yet it feels like I can't go back to who I was. Who would have thought life could change so much, so suddenly?
By midday, unable to settle himself in the classroom, Haruto wandered instead to the Astronomy Club room.
There, by the window, stood Koharu, her small frame leaning slightly forward as she peered through the telescope. She was gazing at something beyond, her focus sharp and delicate.
Haruto walked to her side, close enough to catch the faint scent of her hair. Following her line of sight, he looked out at the campus beyond the glass, a swell of complicated emotions rising inside him.
Koharu, who had been staring at the leaves of a tree for some time, finally shifted her gaze toward him. Her soft eyes narrowed slightly, reading his mood.
"Feeling proud of yourself?" she asked gently.
"...A little, I suppose." Haruto let out a faint smile, though his tone carried weight. "I can't deny it. Somewhere inside, there's a kind of pride I never had before. But at the same time, it feels like the milestones in my life have all turned blurry. I've never been the sort of person with unshakable resolve… so now, faced with all this, it's hard not to waver."
Retracting his gaze from the window, Haruto turned toward the desk and sat down in the chair. His eyes lingered for a moment on Koharu, who was still standing by the window, before he slowly closed his own.
The astronomy club room was utterly silent. Only the two of them were there; most students were still in class. Especially at noon, it was rare to see anyone wandering around the club building.
"This should be something that makes me happy," Haruto said softly, "but instead it's turned into nothing but confusion. I've wondered if maybe I should just give up on my goal, settle into a simple, peaceful life… but then I worry about how others would judge me, meddling in my affairs."
"You don't want to keep moving forward anymore?" Koharu asked.
"A quiet life, free of surprises… maybe that's already enough."
One billion yen. That was more than enough to live peacefully without worry. And with all the Bitcoin he'd already purchased, in time another ten, even twenty billion yen would follow.
Haruto opened his eyes and looked at the girl before him. Then he closed them again.
He spread his arms. A moment later, warmth slipped into his embrace. His hands gently encircled the body now resting against him, and when he tilted his head slightly downward, he caught the faint fragrance rising from her soft, flowing hair.
"Since a very long time ago," he murmured, "I've had one dream. A house on the edge of a seaside cliff, facing the vast blue ocean. Every morning I'd sit at my desk with a book, reading leisurely in the sunlight. Then, by late morning, I'd walk to the cliff, let the sea wind wash over me, and listen to the waves…"
"Now you can make that dream real," Koharu whispered.
"Yes, I could. But that life feels too ideal. When I think about it, I realize it was just a dream from long ago. Now, even if I can have it, I don't feel much joy anymore."
A home facing the sea, where spring never ends.
Holding the girl in his arms, Haruto closed his eyes again, his expression subdued.
_ _ _ _
"Tell me," Haruto asked later that evening, "how do you feel about your work right now?"
The sudden shift in topic left Mai momentarily startled. "That's a strange question to bring up so suddenly."
It was after school, and Haruto was sitting across from her at the dining table in the living room. Setsuna had already come home too, but she was curled up on the sofa, quietly watching television.
"It's already this late," Mai said after a pause. "Why don't I prepare dinner first? Whatever you want to talk about, we can discuss it afterward."
"You're right."
Haruto fell silent. Mai rose, heading to the kitchen to start dinner. Haruto, meanwhile, leaned against the wall and simply watched her move about, his thoughts running deep.
Setsuna didn't ask what he wanted to talk to her mother about. She kept her eyes on the television, listening to the canned laughter from the screen, her face calm and unreadable as always. Haruto waited quietly.
After dinner, Setsuna went to bathe, leaving Haruto and Mai alone in the living room.
"Work?" Mai asked first, her eyes settling on him.
"Something like that," Haruto admitted. "I wanted to ask… would you be interested in running your own business? Something like a restaurant, an izakaya, or maybe a convenience store?"
"You're thinking of opening a shop?" she asked, studying him carefully.
"I've been earning royalties," Haruto explained. "The money just sits there, unused. I thought it would be better to invest it in something... maybe a business."
"But the kinds of shops you mentioned…" Mai's expression softened into one of quiet exasperation.
"What's wrong?"
"They're some of the easiest businesses to lose money on. Restaurants, izakayas, convenience stores they fail all the time."
She studied his face, noticing that he didn't look upset or discouraged. That gave her room to continue.
"Starting a business is always risky," she said gently. "There's no need for you to gamble with your future like that."
Haruto understood. She didn't want him to rush into an unfamiliar industry recklessly, risking everything without thought.
"I see what you mean." he said quietly.
"Right now, we're living steadily. Starting a business is too great a risk. It's something we can't afford."
"Mm."
Her words were more like advice than a lecture, and Haruto listened in silence. Seeing that he wasn't resisting, Mai felt some relief.
At their current pace, with both families' income combined, they could probably own a home in Tokyo in two or three years. But if Haruto jumped into business carelessly…
Her heart wavered. She couldn't be sure their savings could withstand such a loss. If he were twenty-five, already an adult, she might consider it. But as a high schooler? Even if she were the one managing it, she still had no confidence.
_ _ _ _
Three days later, on a Saturday morning, Haruto arranged to meet Mari at his so-called "café." She found him seated on the sofa in the living room, sipping coffee with a calm, almost luxurious air. A flicker of envy passed through her eyes.
"Want a cup?" Haruto asked.
"That would be nice, thank you."
He poured her one and set it before her.
"Thanks."
"How does it taste?"
"Hmm… honestly, it tastes about the same as the coffee at the office."
"Probably because it's instant," Haruto admitted.
Mari fell silent, then set the cup back on the table with a faint smile. She looked across at him.
"So? Why did you invite me here today?"
"I've been conflicted. I thought about opening a convenience store, but I don't really know how to run one. I don't have the time either. But if I don't do that, I don't know what else to pursue."
"A convenience store?"
"Should I turn this place into one?"
He glanced around, then looked back at her, waiting for her opinion.
"Here? This building?"
"Mm."
"It's so out of the way. and it's huge. And with its size… honestly, if you turned it into a café, it'd probably be more popular."
"A café, huh? That does sound interesting, but I don't know how to make coffee."
"Neither do I."
The two of them exchanged glances, falling into a brief silence before each picked up their coffee cups and took small sips. Haruto's eyes drifted toward Mari again.
"Then… what if I turned it into a bookstore instead?"
"A bookstore?"
"Yeah. The first floor could be a café, the second a bookstore, and the third my private living space. What do you think?"
"It sounds nice, but who's going to run it?"
Mari noticed Haruto looking at her and immediately waved her hands to reject the idea. She'd just gotten a promotion at work; there was no way she'd quit now.
"Don't look at me. I'm happy with my job and I have no reason to quit."
"That's a shame. What about Machida-san?"
"Her? Unless you hand the whole place over to her, I doubt she'd agree."
"Too bad. But what if… I rented the place out to you two? Would you be interested?"
"Rent? To me and Sonoko?"
Mari blinked in surprise. Their lease was indeed ending soon, and with rising costs everywhere, she'd been nervous about the renewal. The offer sparked a flicker of interest she couldn't hide.
Haruto, idly thinking of how much unused space he had here, had decided he might as well use it to generate a little extra income. Seeing Mari's reaction, he began to seriously consider the idea.
"Interested?" he asked again.
"How much… per month?"
Mari studied the young man in front of her. He didn't look like he was joking, so she decided to ask.
"How much are you paying now?"
"Three hundred thousand yen a month."
"For both of you?"
"Yeah. We split it. About 150,000 yen each."
"Here, you could use the place however you like. I'll cover utilities. 100,000 yen per person per month. Interested?"
A place this close to the subway, in such good condition, for only 100,000 yen? It was practically a miracle.
Mari's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at the boy, then at the building, then back at him, pointing with her finger as if to make sure she'd heard right.
"100,000?"
"100,000."
"Seriously?"
"It's just sitting empty. If you're interested, take it. You can even use the rooftop for barbecues. Just… stay out of my bedroom, and no other men allowed here. Any problem with that?"
"Rent, deposit and other expenses…"
"You've helped me a lot, Mari-neesan. Consider this my thanks. No extra fees... just don't intentionally damage anything."
"Wait a moment!"
Mari quickly took out her phone from her pocket and immediately called her roommate, Sonoko Machida.
"Sonoko! Hey, I have something to discuss with you..."
About an hour later, Mari and Haruto were still chatting about his writing and whether he should keep submitting to Sakura Publishing when the doorbell rang.
Ding-dong—
"Machida-san?"
"Probably. I'll check."
Mari hurried downstairs to find Sonoko standing at the door.
"Is it true?" were Sonoko's first words when the door opened.
"It's true. Come in."
Sonoko tilted her head back, taking in the three-story building before stepping inside. She glanced at the tasteful interior, then at Mari, who guided her up to the second floor. There, Sonoko saw Haruto sitting on the sofa, sipping coffee.
Her expression grew complicated as she looked from Haruto to Mari.
"Isn't that… Miyamizu-kun?"
"This is his property. He thought it was a waste to leave it empty and offered to rent it to me. But there are more rooms than I need, so I wanted to ask you if you're interested."
"Miyamizu-kun's property? This place?"
Sonoko was clearly surprised. Mari hadn't mentioned Haruto's lottery winnings, which explained her shock.
Haruto, pleased that Mari had kept his secret, felt even more inclined to trust her. Renting to her seemed like the right choice.
"Want to look around first?"
"Mari, you've seen it already?"
"I have."
"Then show me around first."
Mari led Sonoko through the house again... second floor, third floor, even the rooftop. Everything seemed to fit Sonoko's tastes perfectly, and when she stepped out onto the rooftop, she couldn't help but let out a delighted cry.
"Whooo-hooo!!"
"This is amazing! I'm in love with this place!"