The whole situation was just too ridiculous.
A key, a mysterious letter, and a random check showing up at his parents' grave?
'Is someone playing a prank on me? Where are the cameras?'
He walked in circles like a confused puppy, suddenly suspicious after spotting a bush that looked a little too big.
Walking low and slow like a spy, he crept behind it. Then—jumping out—he pointed sharply.
"Aha! Gotcha!"
Nothing.
Straightening up, he scratched his head and tapped his right foot on the ground.
"Come on, I know you're out there! Is this one of those prank shows where a beautiful lady suddenly confesses to me and tells me that she came from the future?"
He even peeked into a flowerpot, half-expecting a tiny camera to be nestled among the petals.
'Are they using drones? ' he muttered, tilting his head up.
But within seconds, his eyes ached.
'It burns!' he yelped, recoiling and rubbing his eyes like he just been hit with pepper spray.
Whoever planted this flower was a fucking jerk.
Calming a bit, he look at the items
'Maybe this thing is real?...'
'No, that's impossible.'
Even if his IQ had taken a nosedive from years of consuming junk food and gaming sessions, he wasn't that dense.
However, there was something in the back of his mind that kept telling him to check it out.
'Speaking of the letter,' his voice trailed off as he glanced back at the paper in his hands.
The series of numbers scribbled at the bottom caught his attention.
It wasn't just any random code—it looked like a GPS coordinate.
'I should check it out' he pulled out his phone.
His fingers, steady as ever when it comes to gadgets, tapped the numbers into the app.
It loaded, and he stared at the screen, blinking a few times.
'Wait... this is a bit far but not so far that it would be a hassle.'
The location was just outside Tokyo, and he had to ride a bus to get there.
But if he took the bullet train, he would arrive in an hour and a half.
'How much is the fare again?' he mused, glancing at the ticket app on his phone.
"Seventeen thousand yen... that's about 115 USD! This is daylight robbery!" he exclaimed, realizing just how high the cost of living in his country.
At this rate, his 50,000 yen would be gone in no time. (Change 150k to 50k)
'I really need to make money fast. Maybe trying this out isn't such a bad idea… It's not like I've got many options left.'
He turned slowly, facing the worn tombstone bathed in afternoon light.
"Mom, Dad," he said softly, his voice shaking a little but hopeful, "if you're really watching over me... if you had something to do with this... I promise, I'll figure out what it means. I won't let you down."
His fingers brushed the cold stone, tracing the faded letters .
A breeze stirred the leaves overhead, rustling softly, as if the trees were whispering back.
Swallowing hard, he straightened up, his eyes sharper now, more focused. If someone who knew him were here right now, they would think the old him came back.
'Alright. Time to see where this leads.'
But before he headed to the coordinates, there was somewhere else he needed to go first.
Twenty minutes later.
Luck stood outside the department store, feeling a bit nervous.
He never went to places like this since he started isolating himself, so the unfamiliar environment made his stomach tighten.
It was like the feeling of going to a mall for the first time and seeing an escalator, unsure of how to step on without tripping.
'It's just a store,' he told himself, but his palms were still sweaty .
The inside was a bit much for him-bright lights bouncing off the shiny floors and rows of perfectly arranged clothes.
Shoppers moved, picking up items, checking tags, and tossing things into their carts without a second thought.
They probably swiped their credit cards, believing they could afford it, only to regret the decision later.
He knew all too well about this pitfall because he was guilty of it himself.
Memories flooded back of the time he maxed out five credit card buying in-game
items.
The rush was intoxicating, but it didn't take long for reality to hit him hard.
Before he knew it, he was banned from getting another card, left with a mountain of debt.
'I need to get some T-shirts first,'
The few pieces that still fit in his apartment were practically falling apart-stretched-out collars, faded colors, and holes in places that couldn't be ignored.
Why bother with all of this?
The logic was pretty simple: he was heading to a place he knew nothing about, and there was no way he could avoid asking for help along the way.
If he looked weird or dirty, people would be less likely to take him seriously, let alone give him the time of day.
In the worst case, they might see him as an easy target and scam him. Looking decent wasn't just about appearances-it was about survival.
"Sir, you've been standing there for a long time. Some customers are waiting." One of the guards called him out, breaking his self-reflection.
When he turned around, he noticed people fidgeting and glaring at him, irritated that he was blocking the way with his big body.
'Shit,' His cheeks warmed with embarrassment. 'I forgot this is real life, not some anime where time stops when the MC has an internal monologue'
He darted out of the way and headed straight for the clothing section.
As he browsed through the racks, his fingers brushed against a type of fabric that was smooth to the touch.
It was a thick, durable cotton jersey. The material was simple and not too hot, making it an excellent choice for everyday wear.
Feeling satisfied with his selections, he grabbed two plain white T-shirts.
Then he moved on, picking out two pairs of pants—maroon, blue, black.
They weren't all that expensive—altogether. It only cost him about 5,000 yen.
"Now I need to get a bag," he rubbed his double chin as he walked to another section.
After some thought, he chose a simple gray travel bag lightweight and spacious enough for his new clothes and essentials.
Next, he headed to the hardware section, looking for something to serve as an emergency weapon.
If the inheritance turned out to be a scam, he needed to protect himself.
Among the options, the knives stood out: chef's knives, utility cutters, and hunting daggers.
Clutched in his hand was a small, sturdy folding knife that was surprisingly light
'This could work,'
Next, he spotted heavy-duty work gloves. While they might improve his grip, he decided against them.
'If it came to grappling, I could just use my weight,'
Rounding the corner, his eyes landed on a thick metal dog chain.
It was sturdy and could serve multiple purposes either as a makeshift weapon or to secure belongings.
Plus, it was less suspicious than a big knife.
'Good enough,' he tossed it into his travel bag.