【Novel】To be continued～Chapter 4 — Rewriting an Unfinished Life～

March 2026 — From Ubud to Kuta, and Back Home

It was the morning of the seventh day of my stay.

In just two days, I would be flying back to Japan.

Even though I had extended my trip by changing my ticket, time still seemed to pass far too quickly whenever I was in Bali.

During my first Pilates class two days earlier, I had noticed the beautiful workout wear worn by some of the students.

When I asked about it, I was told there was only one specialty shop in Ubud.

Well, then...

I had no choice but to go.

I hired a driver and left Sanur behind.

After searching for the shop on Google Maps, I finally arrived.

"Hello!"

The timing could not have been more perfect.

With Nyepi, Bali's Day of Silence, just around the corner, the entire store was holding a special sale.

I immediately began browsing through the racks.

Then I found it.

"This one..."

I tried it on.

The fit was perfect.

A white design with vivid blue patterns.

I fell in love with it at first sight.

From Ubud, the car continued toward Kuta.

At one of Bali's large supermarkets, I filled my basket with souvenirs for my family.

And of course, I couldn't leave without buying my favorite body cream.

After paying at the register, one of the staff members smiled and began speaking rapidly in Indonesian while pointing toward the other side of the store.

"...?"

Despite all my years of traveling to Bali, I couldn't understand a word.

From her gestures, I guessed she wanted me to go to the customer service counter.

The supermarket was overflowing with people preparing for Nyepi.

After weaving my way through the crowds, I finally reached the counter.

It turned out they were holding a lucky draw.

I handed over my receipt.

They encouraged me to pick one.

Not quite like the lottery games I knew in Japan—but after a little guidance, I gave it a try.

Then...

I won.

A luxurious bottle of body cream wrapped in elegant packaging.

Actually, I've always been surprisingly lucky when it comes to prize draws.

Carefully placing my unexpected gift into my bag, I walked back to the car with a smile.

We made one last stop at a popular local warung before returning to the hotel.

That evening, after unpacking my shopping, it was time for a cold Bintang beer.

Homemade dishes from the warung covered the table—seared tuna, oversized meatballs, tomato and avocado salad, green beans with sesame dressing.

Their gentle flavors, together with the cold beer, quietly restored both my body and my spirit.

On my final day, I treated myself to one last relaxing spa near the hotel.

Then, before I knew it, it was time to leave.

As always, I found myself wishing I could stay just a little longer.

"I'll be back."

With that silent promise to the island, I boarded my flight home.

A few days later—

My ordinary life returned.

Gray skies.

Cold asphalt.

Work.

"I can breathe in Bali."

"In Japan, I can barely breathe at all."

As the crowded train carried me toward the office, I realized something.

The feelings I had tried so hard to keep locked away were beginning to overflow.

Projected sales: zero.

Customers: zero.

Products: none.

There was nothing.

And yet...

Deep within my heart, a small flame continued to burn.

I knew my ideas were still incomplete.

I knew I had no real plan.

Even so, after days of research and hesitation, I submitted my business registration online.

The confirmation screen appeared.

Its quiet glow reminded me of the stars above Bali.

Silent.

Sharp.

Full of possibility.

Around that same time, an article written by a blogger living in Bali caught my attention.

Almost on a whim, I signed up for a horoscope reading.

I never imagined how deeply it would move me.

The report felt less like someone predicting my future...

...and more like quietly confirming the truths I had been carrying inside all along.

The stars were not telling me what to do.

They were simply waiting for me to choose.

The moment I understood that, something inside me began to move.

Before I knew it, my hand was reaching for the ticket I had already booked for May.

I still had one paid vacation day left.

The old me would have let it go unused.

In fact, I had done exactly that for years.

But ever since the day I lost the ability to walk, something inside me had changed.

Time does not come back.

If I had the right to use that day for myself, then I would.

Without a moment's hesitation, I changed my departure date.

Just one day and a half earlier.

That was all.

Yet somehow, it felt like so much more.

Each journey allowed me to leave behind the responsibilities I carried in Japan...

...and breathe as my true self in Bali.

I didn't know what awaited me at the end of those journeys.

But for the first time in a long while, I found myself looking toward the future instead of merely enduring the present.

Around that time, another quiet change began to take shape.

Little by little, I started becoming the person I had always been beneath the armor.

No one had asked me to do it.

There was no promise that it would ever earn money.

I simply wanted to write.

To put my own thoughts into words.

That was the very first step.

It didn't matter if what I created was unfinished.

It didn't matter if no one knew my name.

Within the pages of note, I had quietly begun rewriting the story of my life.

One word at a time.

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