[Novel] To be continued—Chapter 3 — The Place Where I Could Lay Down My Armor—

March 2026 — Sanur, Bali

Leaving behind Japan's lingering chill, I stepped into the warm tropical air.

"My twenty-eighth visit..."

I was home again.

Back in Japan, I was always wearing invisible armor.

I was the serious Rio—the one who stood up against injustice, fought for what was right, and looked after everyone at work.

People saw me as the dependable senior who could handle anything.

But inside, my heart was slowly wearing away.

The moment I arrived on this island, that version of me quietly disappeared.

I laughed with the local people.

I chatted about nothing in particular.

And somehow, without even noticing, the weight on my shoulders began to lift.

Bali was the only place where I could breathe as the real Rio—the woman no one in Japan ever truly saw.

Even after visiting so many times, I always felt an overwhelming sadness whenever it was time to leave.

I didn't want to feel that way again.

So a few months before this trip, I changed my flight and extended my stay by a day and a half.

In just ten days, Nyepi would begin.

A day of complete silence, when the island comes to a standstill and even electricity disappears.

Someday, I wanted to stay and gaze at the star-filled sky without a single sound around me.

But I was still an office worker.

Before that peaceful silence arrived, I would once again have to return to the noise of Japan.

By then, I had almost completely regained the ability to walk.

The pain had not disappeared entirely, but I could once again feel the earth beneath my own feet with every step I took across this island.

That alone was enough to make me grateful.

Yet the feelings smoldering inside my heart continued to grow stronger.

The price I had paid for standing up for what I believed was far greater than I had ever imagined.

I had reached my limit.

The thought of spending the rest of my career in that workplace filled me with dread.

I wanted my life to change.

I wanted to walk my own path—with these very feet.

It had been six months since my last visit to Bali.

The day before I left Japan, I made one small decision.

To try something completely new.

Yoga.

Pilates.

Until then, I had always thought of them as elegant fitness classes that had nothing to do with me.

But I wanted to help my recovering body grow stronger.

So I made a reservation.

Then I realized something.

I didn't own a single piece of workout wear.

After searching through my suitcase, I packed a pair of gray leggings with a denim-like pattern.

They weren't even meant to be worn on their own.

They were underwear.

Looking back, I couldn't have dressed any less fashionably if I had tried.

"There is absolutely no chance of a romance starting dressed like this," I laughed to myself.

At the time, I had no idea.

The leggings I joked would never lead to love had, in their own small way, delayed the hands of fate—just a little.

The following day, I visited a spa I had found on Google Maps.

By then, I had already learned that online reviews and the quality of a massage did not always go hand in hand.

So I went without expecting too much.

"Rio-san, today you have a ninety-minute massage."

The woman greeted me in Japanese.

I was genuinely surprised.

There were far fewer local people who spoke Japanese these days.

"Hello! Your Japanese is wonderful!"

She smiled shyly.

"Just a little."

The moment her hands touched my shoulders, I knew.

This was more than a massage.

There was kindness in her fingertips.

It was as if she could hear what my body had been trying to say all along.

Without my telling her anything, she found every place where the pain had settled.

Later, she told me that she was also a massage instructor.

"I'm so glad I chose this place."

Before long, it had become my favorite spa in Bali.

There was another young therapist there as well.

She didn't speak Japanese, but her gentle smile and thoughtful nature spoke more than words ever could.

It took no time at all for the three of us to become friends.

Without hesitation, I decided that every spa treatment during this trip would be here.

Day Four.

After my usual swim in the infinity pool on the fifth floor, I rinsed my swimsuit and hung it on the balcony to dry.

The exercise wasn't for fitness.

It was simply my favorite ritual before enjoying an ice-cold bottle of Bintang by the pool.

Just then—

Ping.

The cheerful notification sound from WhatsApp echoed through the room.

"What?"

I looked at my phone.

My Pilates lesson for the following day had been canceled.

But as I continued reading, I saw another message.

If I could come at 10:00 a.m., one hour earlier than my original reservation, the lesson would still be available.

By then, I had already moved to my favorite hotel.

I had been looking forward to taking my time over its wonderful breakfast.

Fresh watermelon.

A warm bombolone.

For a brief moment, I could almost taste them.

Still...

It was a chance I didn't want to miss.

So I replied that I would take the 10:00 a.m. lesson instead.

Day Five.

The morning sunlight felt soft against my skin.

It was finally time for my very first Pilates lesson.

The studio was only a five-minute walk from my hotel.

"Selamat pagi!"

As I stepped inside, I was greeted by a bright, open studio surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass.

Natural light poured into the room.

Everything felt calm.

Everything felt new.

Only one thing made me want to disappear.

My leggings.

Standing beside a blonde woman who moved gracefully through each pose, I became painfully aware of how awkward and out of place I felt.

It wasn't just my clothes.

It was my lack of confidence.

My fragile body.

The version of myself I had been trying so hard to rebuild.

Without realizing it, I found myself facing every insecurity I had carried with me.

Then—

I heard the sound of the studio door beginning to open.

A quiet sound.

A simple sound.

One that would gently change the course of my life forever.

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