A World with "Shoulder Tapping" - A Story of Starting Over in a Parallel World Where Practitioners Have Had a Makeover
The sound of pulling down the shutter was lighter than I had expected.
Clatter, clank. And with that, my year was over.
It was a small shop I had opened with borrowed money. I had trained for a long time, and I had confidence that I was reasonably good—no, actually, better than anyone else—at "loosening people up."
But running a shop, I suppose, wasn't just about that. Rent, utilities, and repayment dates came around in order every month, and customers rarely came. There were customers who favored me, but it wasn't profitable, and I had to dip into the savings I had prepared. I reached my limit in a year. In one year, it was over.
I looked around the shop one last time. It was empty, and I could clearly see the favorite white wood wallpaper I had splurged on.
I took down the frame of the qualification certificate that had been hanging on the wall. There was a thin layer of dust on the back. It's strange, I thought, since I kept the shop clean. I traced it with my finger and brushed it off. Before I knew it, I was hugging the frame tightly to my chest.
...Ugh. I'm about to get sentimental.
I hurriedly put it in a paper bag. Now is not the time for that. I turned off the lights, opened the door, and stepped outside. The moment I did, the air changed. I felt as if a breeze had just passed through. What is this feeling?
I left the shop and walked down the familiar street. It should have been the usual scenery of a familiar street. But then, the town felt somehow strange.
At a cafe across the street, a woman was having her shoulders loosened by a young man on the terrace. She had her eyes closed and looked comfortable. I wondered if it was her son. That's nice, I thought, filial piety. ...Or so I thought, but the man's hand movements were professional, no matter how you looked at them. The way he pressed the base of her neck was not that of an amateur. ...Wait?
I walked a little further. On a park bench, on a bench in the station square, someone was resting their shoulders as if it were the most natural thing in the world. There was someone rubbing, and someone being rubbed, and no one around them paid it any mind. ...It didn't feel like family.
Oh, could it be Shoulder Tapping Day or something? ...No way, that can't be it.
I was exhausted today. Thinking about it would only make me tired, so I headed to the bus stop. My luggage was heavy, my legs felt like lead, my head was full of what to do next, and the face of the banker I met during the day kept flickering in my mind. "You'll be fine, Ms. Ishikawa, let's work hard together." ...I wonder what part of me looked fine. But he was a banker who had been with me ever since I opened the shop. We parted ways with a promise to meet at the branch tomorrow.
Then, a bus arrived. And it was a strange bus I had never seen before.
It was an orange bus wrapped with "Shoulder Tapping" all over the body. An illustration of a smiling person gently placing their hands on someone's shoulders. When I got on, the same advertisement was hanging from the ceiling inside the bus.
For a practitioner, this isn't someone else's business. What is this? What on earth is this? I sat in an empty seat, and before I knew it, I had accessed the link in the advertisement.
I naturally clicked on "Register as a practitioner." I entered my name. Oh, is this identity verification?
The instructions said to take photos of my face from three angles. Front, right profile, left profile. ...It's a bit awkward to take selfies on a moving bus. But the evening bus was empty, and there was no one nearby. Okay. Front. Right profile. Left profile. It was good that there was no shutter sound, perhaps because it was in an app.
They take the three angles quite seriously, don't they? I feel a mix of relief and uncertainty about whether it's a bit strict.
Then, I was told to take a picture of my qualification certificate. I took the one I had just taken down with the frame out of the paper bag and snapped a photo. I ended up taking it with the frame, and for a moment, I wondered if the frame was necessary.
I got home and set my bags down in the entryway. I rubbed my own shoulders. Just as I was finally taking a breather, having brewed the herbal tea gifted to me by a loyal customer, my smartphone rang.
Identity verification complete.
The clock read six in the evening. Outside the window, the sky had already faded into a beautiful twilight color.
The scenery I had seen on my way home suddenly came back to me. The relaxed face of the woman on the terrace. The casual, easygoing vibe of the people on the benches.
I want to loosen someone's shoulders, too. Yeah.
Even though I had just closed up shop, that feeling was remarkably clear. My fingers felt a little itchy. Since I had finally finished the setup, I quietly toggled my status to 'active.' Online, accepting reservations.
And then, a request came in immediately.
It was in the shopping district area, within walking distance. I felt a little nervous, and a little excited. Still, I didn't expect a request to come in so quickly for a newcomer. The screen showed a little bit about the customer. Over twenty uses.
Oh, a veteran. ...Wait? Has this service been around for a while? Was I just unaware of it? Twenty times—that's quite a regular customer, isn't it?
While I was thinking, I was already putting on my shoes.
In the open space of the shopping district, an elderly woman was sitting neatly on a wooden chair, waiting. She was completely used to how to expose her shoulders and how to relax her muscles.
Hello. I'm Satsuki, the one you called. It's a pleasure to meet you.
Yes, yes, nice to meet you too.
It was hot during the day, but it's getting chilly at night, isn't it?
It really is... Ah, right there. That spot feels good.
I'll work on your lower back a little, too.
You're good, dear. I thought you were a newcomer.
I used to run a shop. Only for a year, though... but my training was quite long. Hehe.
While laughing it off, I asked about something that had been bothering me.
Um, has this service been around for a while?
Oh? Let's see. Maybe since about half a year ago?
Half a year. I see.
I didn't know. For half a year. I feel like I spent that whole half year just staring at my finances. Had I really been facing my customers?
The grandmother's shoulders were stiff, but they were good shoulders. They felt like the shoulders of someone who had lived a long life. By the time I finished, the sun had completely set, yet for some reason, my whole body felt warm and glowing.
That felt so good. You're skilled! I'll ask for you again.
Saying that, the grandmother headed home. When I realized it, my own shoulders had loosened up, too. The sun had completely set. I turned my status to OFF.
The next morning, I woke up and went to the bank. I need to make a concrete plan for my repayments.
I called for the bank clerk in charge at the counter. A familiar face walked toward me. But somehow, I felt like something was different from usual.
"Um... excuse me, customer, about the repayment..."
"Yes, I intend to do my best. It might be little by little, but..."
"Excuse me, but... we don't seem to have any such transaction on record here."
"Eh?"
"Eh?"
"No, um, I have a debt. ...Eh?"
"...Could you perhaps be mistaken and meant another bank?"
What are you saying? We met just yesterday, and ever since I opened my business... I started to say, but closed my mouth.
The woman on the terrace across the way. The park bench. A service that seems to have existed for half a year. And, the debt that vanished.
...Ah.
I sort of started to understand. This place, perhaps, is a shoulder-width ahead, or maybe shifted, from the world I was in. No, could that really happen? I think to myself, but still.
I gave the bank clerk a wry smile and left the bank. I didn't feel like being afraid, and of course, I couldn't feel angry either. After all, I have no debt. And, I have "Shoulder Tapping" in my hands. The thing I am best at. The thing I am better at than anyone else in the world.
When I returned home, there was one notification. It was a review from the grandmother from yesterday.
"The best! 👍"
Five stars. That grandmother, a thumbs-up mark. What is this gap? I let out a small laugh.
When I saw that, for some reason, a single tear fell. Even though not a single drop came out when I closed my shop. ...No, why now, here? I felt a bit strange myself and laughed, "Ahahaha." How long has it been since I laughed this much?
I still don't really understand. About this world, about the debt that disappeared, everything.
But, I don't want to waste this chance.
...And just as I was starting to get sentimental, my stomach growled.
Today, I'll make sure to eat a meal before I start.
――――――
(Bonus)
Satsuki's story is fictional. But the "Shoulder Tapping" service she registered for really exists.
It is a service where you can call a certified practitioner to a small public space, like a park bench or a rest area in a shopping district, to have your shoulders, neck, or lower back massaged. It's for those times when you don't need to go all the way to a shop, but just want a little relief right here.
I hope this can also be a place where someone like Satsuki, who says "relaxing people is what I'm best at," can take one more step forward.
Shoulder Tapping https://k-tataki.click