"Keita! Keita!" I rapped my knuckles on the door to my son's bedroom. "Breakfast was ready twenty minutes ago. You're going to be late for school! If you miss the bus, you'll have to run again!"
"Just five more minutes…" His weary voice croaked back at me.
I heaved a sigh. Why did I even bother? That boy must have been up all night reading comics again. Well, I did my part. No sense in wasting another minute when I had other responsibilities to do. Heading into our quaint and cozy living room, I noticed the calendar book on the wall hadn't been torn to the next month yet.
As soon as I ripped the page off, the first of May greeted me like a slap on the face. I stood there with a hand pressed to my cheek. How time flew. My son recently turned fifteen in January, my husband Tetsu and I celebrated our sixteenth anniversary in February, and I became a 35 year old woman that same month.
My long, dark brown hair sprouted white strands now and then, and as I ran my finger through them, I worried there might be more. A dangerous cycle of stress, it seemed. I was still fit for my age, due in large part to an active lifestyle. But Tetsu… often remarked that I'd put on a little bit of weight.
I squeezed a bit of pudge on my stomach and frowned. Maybe I should cut back on snacking.
In the kitchen, the dinner I had painstakingly made for my teenage son was getting cold. I packed them into a bento box so that he could at least eat it at school. My foot tapped impatiently, waiting for Keita to come down. I was about to storm into his room when someone knocked on the front door.
"Coming!" I answered the door to a familiar bespectacled boy who was on the portly side.
"Good morning, Mrs. Kashiwagi." My son's childhood friend, Satoshi, bowed as he always did when coming to visit. He tilted to the side to peer behind me into the hallway that led to Keita's bedroom. "I'm guessing he's not up yet?"
"You guessed right. He asked for five more minutes… five minutes ago. Anyway, come on in! He should be scrambling to get dressed shortly." I smiled and stepped aside to let him in.
Satoshi bowed again on the way in, shedded his shoes in the foyer, and followed me into the living room where he took a seat on the couch. The boy waited patiently without so much as a fuss. Actually, not a boy anymore. Satoshi Maeda was eighteen now in the final year of high school, three years older than Keita.
Both of them had been friends since childhood. I watched them grow up together, and Satoshi had become like a second child to me, and I was like an aunt to him. In recent years, however, that familial sentiment waned. Whenever he was over to hang out with my son, I'd catch him sneaking glances at me. Someone his age in such a small town as ours, it was no mystery why.
"So, Satoshi." I turned around and his eyes snapped away from me as if I wouldn't notice. "Find yourself a girlfriend yet? Surely, you want to find some other company than that—" I raised my voice so he could hear. "Idiot son of mine!"
"Ah, well… The closest girl to my age at school is thirteen, and I'm not really interested in someone that young," Satoshi explained.
"That's Togetsumura for you." I poured some warm tea for Satoshi, and when I handed him the cup, he blushed a little red taking it from me.
Cute. Satoshi probably didn't have any real experience with women. Keita was closer in age to the oldest girl in school than he was to Satoshi. The school itself had every grade integrated because of how few students it served, with only three faculties: two instructors and a principal. But that was Togetsumura, the little town I grew up in, married, and had a child at.
Togetsumura was a town nestled in the southeastern hills of Kumamoto Prefecture, founded during the onset of the second World War. Back then, the military wanted to build a railroad to connect Kumamoto City to Miyazaki City, but they abandoned construction half-way through. Mine and Tetsu's family descended from civil servants of that project. The population had dwindled over the last few decades since, and we dropped under just 60 residents this year. Minus another if my son decided to go through with plans to move to a big city for school.
Who could blame him? There was no future in Togetsumura. Someone like Satoshi, who had no interest in leaving, was extremely rare.
"Maybe it's selfish of me, but I wish Keita would stay like you. Your parents must appreciate the company," I told Satoshi.
"Keita reads a lot of manga set in big cities. It's probably where he got the idea from. As for me, I kind of have my own reason." Satoshi adjusted his glasses nervously.
And the one who gave Keita all those manga was none other than the teenager sitting in my living room. Togetsumura was more to blame than Satoshi though. Keita's wanderlust had been a thing ever since he was a toddler. The urge to fly from the nest was going to come eventually, but it only came a few years sooner than I hoped.
A bedroom door burst open, followed by frantic footfalls rushing down the hall. Keita Kashiwagi, a short-haired boy with big bright eyes, his school uniform haphazardly thrown on, skidded into the living room in a hurry.
"Sorry, Toshi! Is it too late to catch the bus?" Keita asked, hoisting his empty bookbag over his shoulder.
"It actually left a few minutes ago." Satoshi rose from the couch, ready to leave.
"Aw, man. I don't want Mr. Uehara yelling in my ear again…" He groaned.
"You reap what you sow. Now get to running." I shoved the bento box into his hand and ushered them to the door.
"See ya later, mom!" My son took off as soon as he slipped on his shoes.
Satoshi bowed again before rushing to catch up.
When I closed the front door, another door behind me opened. My husband and love of my life, Tetsu Kashiwagi, emerged from our bedroom and dressed sloppily for work. His overalls weren't fully strapped, and his sunhat dragged along the floor because the string was stuck to one ankle.
"Mari, I think I lost my hat," Tetsu said.
I pointed to the floor and grinned. Embarrassed, he rubbed the back of his head and picked it up.
There was no man more honest to God than Tetsu. If a fly had flown into the house, he would sooner shoo it back outside than swat it. The world was a kinder place with him in it, and I knew no future without him. We met right here in Togetsumura, at the same school Keita attended. We were the same age, and our parents often came together for occasions. He confessed to liking me in our second year of high school, and we dated for two more years before tying the knot at nineteen. Tetsu and I were the only in-town marriage in the past two decades and very likely the last.
"Is it going to be another long day again?" I asked.
"Harvest season's right around the corner. Got a lot of things to get ready for on the terraces. I'm one of the few that survived last year's wave of firings. Hafta to be on my best if I don't want to be next on the chopping block." Tetsu sulked.
In the mountainous regions of Kumamoto, most of the farmlands were on cascading terraces. Farming was also among the few available jobs in a region as remote as Togetsumura, which Tetsu had to make an hour commute to work for. And he worked hard to provide for us. Neither of us made much. Farming didn't pay as well as it used to, and what little odd jobs I could pick up in town disappear year after year. Keita's desire to move to a big city would put a dent in our finances, too…
"I didn't get a chance to talk to Keita about transferring schools. I'm starting to think he pretends to oversleep to avoid me." I frowned.
Tetsu gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. "Sorry about leaving the talk to you. My schedule hasn't really given me the chance to. I don't want him to leave either, but it's what he wants. Supporting him is our responsibility. But if he's gone and it's just the two of us…"
I caught the insinuation in his voice right away and pinched his nose.
"No second child until Keita's at least off to university." I let go and smiled.
"Oh, that reminds me!" Tetsu went back into our bedroom and returned a moment later to give me an envelope.
"What is it?" I asked, opening it to find a small stack of ten-thousand Yen banknotes. "Tetsu…"
"I didn't steal it, if that's what you're thinking!" He put his hands in the air. "I've been setting aside some cash. Listen, if Keita really does get into a big city school, we'll need a way to keep in touch with him. Lord knows the payphones outside still work… Anyway, when you have time, go down to Maruyama's electronic store. Get us a smartphone I've been hearing about. Should be enough for two. I'd do it myself, I haven't found the time to."
Getting Keita a cellular phone really felt like we already accepted him leaving the nest. But I relented. Tetsu leaned in for a kiss, I pecked him on the lips, and sent my husband off. Outside, a white Kei pickup truck rolled up to our house with a couple of laborers sitting in the low dump bed. They scooted over to make room for him to hop in, and he continued waving until they were out of sight.
"I better get started on my day, too." I expelled a stale breath.
After freshening up, I left the house and stepped into the rural town that was Togetsumura. Hills and forests surrounded us from all sides, with a sky as blue as the ocean looming above. We were sandwiched on two foothills. A shallow canal ran through the town to catch rainwater and mountain streams. Dilapidated homes, abandoned and still occupied, were mostly inhabited by the elderly.
Framing the western edge of Togetsumura was the abandoned railroad track that stopped abruptly. Rusted rails and the stone ballast beneath them was all that remained. The town, much like the military's abandoned project, was destined to share the same fate.
As I made my way to Maruyama's, some of the residents getting an early start on their day greeted me from outside their homes. We all knew each other by name here. The elderly widower, Mr. Shiraishi, who lost his wife a few years ago to a disease that ravaged Togetsumura. The seamstress, Sakura Inoue, who personally tailored my wedding dress. Hamako Fukuhara, who lived with her adult daughter, Akemi.
I finally reached the only electronics store in town, if it could be called that. A weathered wooden board with the surname Maruyama was nailed above the door. His business operated within his own home, selling everything from phones, computers, to older devices like radios, and televisions.
"Maruyama? It's me, Marika!" I knocked on the door.
"The door's open!" Maruyama poked his head out from the window of his bedroom on the second floor. "I'll be right down."
When I entered, Maruyama was already coming down the stairs into his living room. Instead of furnishings that made a living room like coffee tables, couches, and rugs, there were rows of wire deck storage shelves. Electronics of all kinds had been piled on with little regard for a neat arrangement.
Haruki Maruyama was Togetsumura's resident techie. Of everyone living in this small town, he was the most in touch with modern technology. At least, that was what we believed. Ten years my senior, Maruyama was sort of a distant older brother figure to me and Tetsu growing up. His shoulder length hair was dyed brown, and he sported a sparse goatee with vain hopes of it getting thicker in the future. The man's fashion tended to skew western, and it showed in his khaki shorts and Hawaiian pattern t-shirt.
"So, did Tetsu lose another T.V. remote again?" Maruyama snickered.
"If only that was what I came for. No, I was hoping you had smartphones in stock?" I flashed two fingers.
"Smartphones? I'm pretty sure I have a selection. The latest generations have been getting expensive. Upwards of 150,000 Yen! Can you believe it?" He walked past me over to one shelf and started rummaging through boxes.
Meanwhile, my hands reached out to find purchase on an opposite shelf. I felt faint. Dizzy. Surely, that number had to be a joke. Tetsu barely made over 2,500,000 Yen last year. When I checked the envelope he had given me, I counted only seven banknotes of 10,000.
"We don't need the newest phones. Older and used smartphones are fine, too!" I explained hastily.
"Older and used, okay… How about these?" Maruyama pulled out two that had clearly seen use. "I think these are Chinese. Been out for a few years now. Jailbroken. Say 120,000 Yen for both, I'll set you up with a cheap three gigabyte data plan at 2,000 Yen on each for a total of 4,000, and call it a deal."
Jailbroken? Two for 120,000? 4,000 monthly plan? Gigabyte? I had zero idea what any of this meant, but that price seemed absurd for phones. What were they made of these days to cost so much? Maruyama could be scamming me, and I would be none the wiser. But we had known each other for years. He often gave me and Tetsu discounts.
"That's too steep for me… For the phones, can we do 70,000?" I asked nervously.
"I gotta make a living, you know? Oh, how about this! You pay me in installments. 24,000 today, and then another 24,000 every month for the next five months until the phones are paid off. After that, it's just paying the monthly plan of 4,000," Maruyama suggested.
"I can do that!" I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Perfect! Let me get the phones set up. I'll even take care of your data plan for you. I already do it for some of the other Togetsu residents," he said.
It took half an hour for Maruyama and another person over the phone to finish. Their conversation made little sense to me. Once they were done, I became the proud owner of a smartphone. And so would Keita.
The devices were like miniature flat-screen televisions in my hands. My only experience with phones were the bulky payphones on the side of the roads. These looked so alien. One was a lot less scratched up than the other. Keita would appreciate a cleaner phone, so I decided to use the older device. It had some scratches on the back, and the screen was a little tarnished, but these cosmetic damages didn't bother me at all.
Maruyama gave me a quick lesson on how to use them. He taught me where the power button was located, how to adjust volume, navigating the strange screen called 'home screen' and 'lock screen', and familiarizing me with things called 'applications'.
A peculiar application caught my attention. It seemed so out of place compared to the other apps like the calculator, weather, and notepad icons. This had two devilish horns above a golden halo and the letters 'NTL' underneath. Even stranger, the phone intended for Keita didn't have it. Only mine did.
"Is it something we can remove?" I asked.
"Yeah, apps can be uninstalled. Let's see…" Maruyama fiddled with the phone, but he grew more frustrated by the second. "Weird. There's no option to. It's probably nothing. Last person who owned this phone must've installed it and screwed something up. You can just ignore it." He handed it back to me. "Anyway, if you run into problems, you have the exact thing to ring me up with. I've already added my number to your phone, and they have each other's numbers."
I thanked Maruyama, but left his place still feeling ill. Even after paying off the phones' costs, we still had to pay a monthly fee thereafter. Still, I didn't want to go home later and tell Tetsu that his savings wasn't enough. I'd rather he think the money paid for both phones entirely. The work I did here and there in Togetsumura should be enough. With the remaining cash, I just needed to continue making regular payments.
Next stop, Himawari Shrine. The small temple was a short walk past the confines of the town. Moss-covered cobblestone led the way into the forest, where a workout awaited me in the form of winding stone stairs. Finally, the torii gate at the top welcomed me to the shrine proper. As a child, I remembered it being vibrant red. The gate had since faded into a dull orange, paint peeled off in some places, and scratch marks blemished the wood from wild animals climbing on it.
The other kids and I, when we were still going to school, used to come up here to play all the time. Sunflowers plants grew around the compound, giving the place its namesake. The flowers had yet to blossom, but come July, it was going to be quite the sight. Fallen leaves blanketed the stone floor, and they crunched underneath my feet as I walked towards the heiden, an offering hall. That and a toolshed were all that this shrine had to boast about. Himawari Shrine predated Togetsumura, and it would likely outlast this little town, too.
"Mr. Ono! I'm here to help out with the shrine!" I hollered.
The toolshed door creaked. A kindly middle-aged man with a slight hunch to his back stepped out holding two brooms.
"Perfect timing, Marika!" Mr. Ono smiled, then gestured into the toolshed. "I'll get started. Why don't you go and get changed first?"
Saburo Ono was the caretaker and priest of Himawari Shrine, as was his father and grandfather. A kannushi. He was here before I was even born. Scraggly and thinning hair topped his head, quickly receding into the crown. His dark tan and wrinkles proved a lifetime of service to the shrine.
I bowed to Mr. Ono and entered the toolshed he had come out from. The dusty interior was in the company of many tools, shelves, and furnishings for festivals and ceremonies. Opening the tall locker in the back revealed a rack of the red and white shrine maiden robes.
As I began shedding my clothes, something rustled outside on the other side of the wall. I put it to the back of my mind. They must be squirrels anyway.
I jumped to the sound of loud buzzing, only to realize it came from my pants. Specifically, from my phone. Maruyama had mentioned that this meant I received a notification of some kind. When I checked it, the NTL app icon had a red exclamation mark on one corner. I was told to ignore the app, but…
Curiosity got the better of me. I pressed the icon and was immediately asked to update the app. A whole page of words appeared on the screen, almost all of which looked like gibberish.
NTL 2.0 update. AI integration. Reworked points, shop, and reward threshold. Realtime balancing based on inflation. New tracking and Partner System. These were among the many things that came up as I scrolled through the list of changes. I just wanted to clear it and pressed the update at the bottom. A progress bar raced across the screen, then thanked me for updating.
I thought that was going to be the end of it until another menu popped up.
[Wear nothing underneath the shrine maiden robes.] +2,000pts
[Wear nothing at all.] +5,000pts
[Wear only underwear.] +3,000pts
[Random Choice for x2 points], [Reroll Choices -500pts], [Upgrade a Choice]
An invisible force hit me with whiplash. Just what kind of app was this? Some kind of game for perverts? There was no way I could choose any of these!
However, even as I thought that and vehemently refused to, a nipping sensation in the back of my head urged me to pick. Bristling excitement tickled me at the idea of at least wearing nothing under the robes.
But I couldn't. I wasn't that kind of woman. I had a loving family. Even if Mr. Ono didn't find out, I'd always know that I did. On the other hand…
My throbbing chest was beating louder and louder. My trembling finger hovered over the first choice until Mr. Ono called from outside.
"Marika, are you alright in there? Did something happen?" Mr. Ono asked.
"No, nothing! I'll be right out!" I shouted back.
I quickly changed into the undergarments and threw the robes on top. Mr. Ono was on the other side of the door when I came out, and he handed me a broom to start working. For half the morning, I helped sweep the grounds spotless, file some paperwork for the shrine, and conducted prayer with some elderly inhabitants who made their daily trek up here.
After finishing, Mr. Ono brought me some warm tea and paid me 1,000 Yen in a couple of coins. It realistically wasn't a lot for three hours of work, but I couldn't be picky in Togetsumura. I changed back into my clothes and parted ways with Himawari Shrine and Mr. Ono to head to my next job.
The town was made up of mostly elderly inhabitants. Many lived alone or with their spouses. Some had been getting on in age that they weren't able to properly care for themselves. Their adult children and grandchildren moved elsewhere to make a home in places that still had a future.
Mr. Shiraishi being one of them. I knocked on the door to his tiny house, and an 82 year old man came to answer it.
"Marika! I was wondering if you were coming today." Mr. Shiraishi flashed a smile that was missing all his teeth.
"Sorry." I returned a warm smile. "There was a lot more to clean up at Himawari Shrine."
"Saburo worked you to the bone again, huh? Come in, come in! Don't let me keep you outside." He stepped aside so I could enter.
Jiro Shiraishi was the eldest resident of Togetsumura. He was a short man dressed in a loose white tank top and pants. Sun spots dotted his bald head. Wrinkles pulled at his eyes and cheeks. His teeth had all but fallen out and never went to get dentures. The frail man might be getting on in the years, but he was surprisingly spry in the verbal department. Mentally sharp, too.
Him and a few others in town were my responsibility to look after. Since the nearest hospital was miles away, and the elderly here weren't exactly in the best financial straits for nursing homes, myself and the other adults took it upon ourselves to look after them every few days. There were fewer and fewer to take care of every year. I'd much rather have the extra burden than to see them go.
I got to work right away after putting on an apron. Mr. Shiraishi's place was a tiny and old-fashioned home. It only had three rooms: a bathroom, kitchen, and living room that doubled as his bedroom when the futon rolled out. Walls were mostly shoji screens, wooden latticed frames with paper panels glued on. Some shoji around the house were ripped and peeling off. They needed to be reapplied every now and then, but given the resident's age, he probably wasn't fit to do maintenance.
Which was where I came in. I patched up holes in the shoji, realigned tatami mats kicked out of place, cleaned dishes that had stacked up in the sink, and took out the trash. Mr. Shiraishi sat patiently on his back porch which faced out into the forest. Every now and then he tried to offer help, but I readily turned him down.
I was mopping the kitchen when my phone buzzed again. The NTL app again.
"How do I turn off notifications again? I'm sure Maruyama had taught me…" I sighed.
However, turning on the app brought me to a different menu. A cute angel mascot character in the chibi style showed up wagging her finger. She had a halo on her head, long blonde hair, white feathery wings, and a robe that covered every inch of her body. Text bubbles started appearing.
[This is your personal A.I. assistant in the NTL app! You can call me Saya. I noticed you missed your last round. Try not to do that, or you might face some consequences! If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask!]
"This is… Is it supposed to talk to me? Uhm, I do have a question," I said.
[Shoot, Marika. I'm here to help!]
The blood in my veins turned to ice.
"How do you know my name?" I asked anxiously.
[Because this is your phone, silly. Information like your name and phone number have been entered into this device. I have access to simple details like that. Is there anything else I can help you with?]
Some relief washed over me. It did make sense that an application in my phone had access to my name.
"I want to uninstall the NTL app. How do I do that?" I pressed the assistant.
[I'm afraid that isn't possible. Is there anything else I can help you with?]
We went back and forth for a little while, and I never got my answer. I received the same, 'I'm afraid that isn't possible.' from Saya over and over again.
"Marika? Can you roast some edamame and bring me a beer when you're done cleaning? Bring a can for yourself, too!" Mr. Shiraishi called from outside.
"Sure thing!" I shouted back, eager to take my mind off the app.
There was a bag of edamame in the fridge. I roasted them, still in their pods, on a skillet with a light seasoning of salt and pepper. When their skin was nice, crispy, and glistening from the oil, I dabbled cold chili sauce on them to finish.
"Here you are, just the way you like it." I came outside and handed him the bowl and a can of beer.
"Aw, still don't want to drink?" Mr. Shiraishi frowned.
"You know I'm not much of a drinker," I said.
"I swear, you all drink less with every generation." The elderly man waved a dismissive hand.
I tensed up, feeling my phone buzz. Saya appeared on the lock screen before I even had a chance to input the passcode.
[It's me! Since you've been having trouble making a choice, let me give you an easier round. How's this?]
[Give Mr. Shiraishi a massage.] +500pts
[Flash Mr. Shiraishi your breasts.] +750pts
[Let Mr. Shiraishi grope your chest.] +1,000 pts
[Random for x2 points], [Reroll -500pts], [Upgrade a Choice (3)]
My name made sense, but how did Saya know Mr. Shiraishi's name? I couldn't make any of these choices either! Especially not the latter two. Giving him a massage was innocent enough. Fine. Indulging in this NTL game a little shouldn't hurt.
"Mr. Shiraishi, would you like a massage?" I offered.
"Where did this come from so suddenly? Actually, I'm not going to refuse a massage from a pretty lady!" Mr. Shiraishi rolled his shoulders and urged me to begin.
I had to be careful not to put too much effort. Mr. Shiraishi was old, practically skin wrapped around bones. His shoulders, however, had some meat to them. I kneaded where possible, and every now and then he would sigh in delight.
"I hope I'm not being too selfish, but could you do my legs next? They've been aching something fierce lately," he said.
"No problem." I pulled up a low stool to sit in front of him and began to massage his calves and thighs.
There was more meat on the bones and made it easier to grab hold of. He leaned back and closed his eyes to enjoy the moment when I noticed a bulge on his crotch. Heat rose to my face. Mr. Shiraishi hadn't seemed to notice yet. I didn't want to make it awkward and continued the massage.
To my surprise, it continued growing. The elderly typically wore much lighter clothes less abrasive to their skin and easier to take off. Mr. Shiraishi was one such, and his pants made no effort to hide how large the bulge was growing.
Was that normal? Was someone of his age even capable of getting it up? He was bigger than my husband. I couldn't stop staring. So many more questions raced through my mind as I was unable to peel my gaze from it.
"What's wrong? You stopped— oh." Mr. Shiraishi opened his eyes, and I quickly stood up.
"I-I better get going. I have a few more houses to stop by," I said, quickly pleating my clothes and leaving.
Mr. Shiraishi called out to me, but I'd already left his house. I checked my phone, and the NTL app awarded me 500 points. For what, I wasn't sure. I didn't want to know. The only thing on my mind was that I'd have to see Mr. Shiraishi the next time I go over, and it would undoubtedly be awkward.