Coin Chocolate Toss_Episode 4

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🪙 4.0 grams

Tuesday, February 10th

The sound of a restrained alarm.

In her thin-walled apartment, the alarm went off quietly that day so as not to be heard by the neighbors in the next room. The time was 4:20. For once, Sachiko had placed her smartphone within arm's reach. Hearing the sound of the alarm, Sachiko reached out smoothly and stopped it.

There was, of course, a reason why Sachiko was waking up early even though she didn't have work. It was for the mission of checking whether the newspaper had been misdelivered.

To wake up early this morning, Sachiko had gone to bed at 10:00 PM last night. While she felt sulky, thinking she had nothing to do anyway, it was also true that she was a little excited, thinking the newspaper might be misdelivered. Since it had been misdelivered three times in a row, it wouldn't be strange for there to be a fourth time.

Because of the cup ramen she had eaten all at once in the evening, she was full that day and ended up getting by on just one meal. While thinking it was a good thing that she had stopped obsessing over Satoru's affair and the divorce, Sachiko was worried that her interest in food had waned over the past week. Sachiko loved to eat, and she also believed that appetite was a barometer of health.

Above all, Sachiko firmly believed that people are made by what they eat. She felt so strongly that food changes people that she wished she could add "If your food changes, your heart will change" before William James' famous quote: "If your heart changes, your actions will change. If your actions change, your habits will change. If your habits change, your personality will change. If your personality changes, your life will change."

Having lived her life valuing food so much, Sachiko hung her head, feeling pathetic for neglecting her meals just because her mental state had deteriorated a little.

She felt like her skin was getting rougher, too. Sachiko knew well that she had to somehow return her life to its previous standard before she used up all her "beauty savings." However, the fact that her mental state was so poor was having an effect. She wanted to solve the problem quickly, but it wasn't a problem that could be solved overnight.

At the very least, she would eat something delicious and healthy today, no matter what.

She felt relieved as her mind gradually cleared and she regained her composure. She felt that if she had stayed at home, she wouldn't have been able to think like this. She felt that by distancing herself from Satoru, she was able to be calm.

Even when thinking calmly, to be honest, she didn't know what the truth was regarding Satoru's affair. Was it true that he was being threatened, was he actually having an affair for a long time, or was he a philanderer to begin with? Now, the happy days they spent together just felt like an illusion.

Sachiko even felt that the phrase "obligatory sex" coming out of Satoru's mouth was sadder than the fact that he had cheated on her.

Although Sachiko hadn't included having children in her life plan, she had a prejudice that having a family and wanting children was a healthy and natural thing. Perhaps that was due to Sachiko's family environment.

Sachiko had grown up without any hardships. She never hated living with her parents; in fact, she had spent happy days there. Sachiko was clearly blessed.

While thinking she wasn't good with men, Sachiko had a desire in the corner of her mind to build a family like the one she grew up in. The symbol of happiness was right in front of her, and she had been unconsciously seeking it. Even though she thought it was something she couldn't achieve, meeting Satoru brought that suppressed desire to the surface.

Sachiko was now regretting, albeit late, that she had placed child-rearing at the destination of her marriage. Pregnancy had become the goal of her married life to the point where it was called "obligatory sex." She knew that there were couples who didn't want children and people who had difficulty getting pregnant for various reasons, but Sachiko hadn't been able to grasp that as something that applied to her. Three years into marriage, Sachiko was feeling impatient about not getting pregnant. However, she didn't want to think deeply about the reasons why she couldn't have children, so she didn't properly investigate the cause. She clung to folk remedies and unreliable internet information, started being particular about food, became obsessed with lifestyle habits, tracked her basal body temperature, and researched and actively ate foods that were said to make it easier to get pregnant. She took supplements and forced Satoru to take them as well.

That continued for a year. She couldn't bring herself to start fertility treatment. She was afraid to think that there might be a problem with either her or Satoru.

I remembered a senior colleague at my part-time job jokingly saying, 'I didn't have sex for my third child. I'm like the Virgin Mary.' At first, I didn't understand what she meant, but it turned out to be in vitro fertilization.

It's not an unusual story, but Sachiko didn't know how to respond when she heard it.

Sachiko wanted to conceive naturally if possible, and since she had just turned 30, she also wanted to remain optimistic and not rush things.
She thought she would be able to get pregnant eventually.

Although she said that out loud, Sachiko realized deep down that might not have been the case. As a result, she felt that she had been too fixated on various things even back then.

Perhaps her desperation looked pathetic to Satoru, Sachiko sighed.

'Obligatory sex'

She couldn't help but feel that these mere eight characters encapsulated Satoru's thoughts on trying to conceive. Perhaps Yumi Sato had just said it on her own, and it wasn't actually Satoru's words.

Already skeptical of everything Satoru said, Sachiko could no longer say for sure that he wouldn't say such a thing. She could feel her trust in Satoru crumbling away.

Come to think of it, she remembered Satoru repeatedly saying, 'Even if it's just the two of us, it's fun with you, Sachiko.'
That might have been his true feelings, but at the time, Sachiko felt like Satoru was trying to deflect her desperation, so she couldn't accept it honestly.

The cynical Sachiko of today views those words with even more skepticism. She even thinks it might have been Satoru's resistance to the idea of trying to conceive. She starts to wonder if there was distance between their hearts, and if their hearts had drifted apart, she begins to have unsettling thoughts about whether he would easily cheat on her.

I'm not calm at all. I still can't reach a conclusion.
Sachiko let out a sigh.

More than anything, checking the newspaper is the most important thing right now.
Confirming whether the mysterious misdelivered newspaper has arrived is today's biggest mission.

She can think about things with Satoru after that.

As she lay on the futon with her eyes open for a while, there was a clatter as the newspaper was delivered. Sachiko kicked off the futon with vigor.

The room is warm again today thanks to the electric fan heater. Too lazy to even drape the futon over her shoulders, Sachiko headed to the entrance in her pajamas and took the newspaper out of the mailbox.
First, she checked the date.

Monday, December 22, Reiwa X

As expected, it's a misdelivery, Sachiko thought, pumping her fist in the air. With this, she can time travel. Sachiko's heart leaped. She felt no fear at all. She felt more like, 'Whatever happens, happens.'

She even felt as if this misdelivery was trying to tell her something. Sachiko puffed out her chest, thinking that she was the protagonist of her own life. She felt so emboldened that she could do anything. It was what you call being invincible.

Looking back, all the dates on the misdelivered newspapers so far were days Sachiko didn't want to revisit, days that were extremely unpleasant for her.
This meant that if she time-traveled, she might be able to change something, and Sachiko began to harbor that expectation.

Monday, December 22

On that day, Sachiko suddenly quit the job where she had been working part-time.

The part-time job where Sachiko worked was filled with very kind people, making it a wonderful environment for her. It was only one station away from her home, and she could even walk there if she wanted.

The working hours were also perfect, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The job duties mainly involved document organization and data entry, which were Sachiko's strengths, so it suited her well. She occasionally handled phone calls, but it was mostly just taking messages, and there were few complaints to deal with, making it a truly comfortable workplace for Sachiko.

Except for the presence of one employee.

Tanaka, an employee in the neighboring section. He was an incredibly unpleasant man.

He would hit on any woman he saw, regardless of whether they were employees or part-timers. If he were simply highly communicative, that would be one thing, but that wasn't the case. Although he was in sales, he was often in the office and didn't seem to do much field work. He was a plain-looking man with no particularly distinctive features, but he was incredibly sloppy, to the point where you wouldn't think he was in sales, with his shirt hem often hanging out of his trousers. He wore black-rimmed glasses, but they didn't seem to fit well, and he had a noticeable habit of constantly pushing them up the bridge of his nose with his right hand.

His performance was always at the bottom, and Sachiko often wondered why this man hadn't been fired yet.

Curious about why Tanaka wasn't fired, Sachiko asked Miho Hayashi, a senior part-timer, about him once. "Why isn't Tanaka-san ever fired?"

Miho Hayashi made a face that said, 'Oh, him.' "Tanaka-san? He's a nepotism hire. Rumor has it he's the son of an executive at our main client company or something. That's why he does whatever he wants. They say he couldn't get into his parents' company because he's incompetent, too. It's a real nuisance. You should be careful too, Usui-san. There was a girl before who Tanaka-san took a liking to, and she ended up having to quit after she turned him down."

Miho looked as if she had bitten into a bitter bug.

"Wait, is that story true? That's terrible, Tanaka-san. I can't believe someone would be forced to quit. That's awful. Well, I'm fine, though. I'm married." Sachiko, following Miho's lead, also made a face as if she had bitten into a bitter bug.

"I hope so. Well, let sleeping dogs lie, as they say." Sachiko couldn't help but burst out laughing at Miho's advice.

Tanaka was truly a troublesome man who not only didn't do his work but also constantly got in the way.

He wouldn't help the male employees at all, but he would take the initiative to try and help the female employees and part-timers. If it were actual help, it would be fine, but he was just a nuisance. He would touch people unnecessarily and offer a lot of unsolicited advice. Since she never touched him, no 'curse' befell her, but Sachiko always wished he would just stop.

As for his advice, it was all half-baked knowledge and completely useless. At first, people would believe it was sound advice and follow it, only for mistakes to occur, leaving everyone in confusion. Once you understood Tanaka's character, you wouldn't believe a word he said, so it wasn't a problem, but because he could look like a nice guy at first, he caused unnecessary trouble.

Even when there were incidents that clearly looked like sexual or power harassment, everyone was in a situation where they couldn't speak up for fear of being 'cursed' by the 'curse god.' Seeing this, the section manager would try to find opportunities to assign work to Tanaka and pull him away from the female employees and part-timers.

Watching this, Sachiko felt that the section manager must have it tough, too.

From around December, Tanaka's sexual harassment toward Sachiko escalated. It seems it was a bad idea for Sachiko to wear a knit top that showed off her body lines one day. Sachiko often chose to wear clothes that highlighted her figure, but that was to maintain her style, and she was not at all conscious of attracting men. She was just wearing what she liked.

Being friendly and treating everyone equally was just how she was; it didn't mean she liked Tanaka at all. It was just common sense as a working professional.

Yet, for some reason, Tanaka seemed to think Sachiko was interested in him. Tanaka's thought process was designed to suit his own convenience.

December, just before Christmas. Perhaps wanting to avoid spending Christmas alone, the single Tanaka began to approach Sachiko more aggressively. You would think it would be faster for him to meet an unmarried woman on a matching app than to approach the married Sachiko, but Tanaka was dense about those things too. Or rather, perhaps Tanaka, who was bad with machines, couldn't use a matching app. At first, Sachiko brushed him off as usual, but Tanaka, with his genius-level misunderstanding that Sachiko couldn't be proactive because she was married, became even more obsessed with her. No matter how much she avoided him, he would find an opening to approach her. And so, the coming December 22nd arrived.

The section manager bought a box of Christmas-exclusive chocolates. When he suggested we eat them for our 3 o'clock snack, everyone got excited.
A limited-edition box of chocolates from a popular specialty shop.

Around 14:40, Sachiko was alone in the pantry, brewing coffee to enjoy with the chocolates.

Sachiko loves chocolate very much.
Of course, she also loved the chocolates from the shop the manager bought them from, but unfortunately, Sachiko had never been lucky enough to eat their Christmas-exclusive items before.

This is because that shop always has a long line during the Christmas season. Sachiko, who doesn't like waiting in long lines, would look at the queue out of the corner of her eye and feel envious, but she had never been able to get her hands on their Christmas-exclusive products.

While brewing coffee in the pantry, Sachiko imagined the taste of the chocolate.
Saliva welled up in her mouth, and strangely, she felt as if she could already taste the chocolate.

Just then, footsteps approached the pantry.
Sachiko thought Hayashi had come to help her carry the coffee.

“Hayashi-san, thank you.”
When Sachiko turned around, it was Tanaka who was standing there.
Tanaka, who had a clingy personality, had been waiting for the moment Sachiko was alone.

Once he confirmed Sachiko was alone, Tanaka suddenly hugged her.
Then, he whispered in her ear, “We’re finally alone together.”

Feeling extreme disgust, Sachiko screamed, “Aaaah!” and shoved Tanaka away. Then, without thinking, she slapped him across the face. At that moment, Tanaka’s black-rimmed glasses, which were always sliding down his nose, flew off with force and clattered all the way out of the pantry.

Suddenly slapped, a furious Tanaka grabbed Sachiko’s knit sweater. Tanaka’s right hand was trembling violently.

As Sachiko stared at Tanaka’s right hand, she found herself thinking about unnecessary things, like how her sweater would get stretched out and that it was one of her favorites. Because of this, her escape was delayed by a split second. Expecting to be hit, Sachiko squeezed her eyes shut.

Then, from somewhere, she heard Hayashi’s voice sounding flustered, asking, “What’s wrong?” Hayashi, who had truly come to help carry the coffee, had heard Sachiko’s scream and rushed into the pantry in a panic.

As Hayashi tried to enter the pantry, she stepped on Tanaka’s glasses, which had fallen in the hallway in front of the pantry.
There was a crunching sound, and the frame of Tanaka’s glasses buckled.

“Huh?! What was that?”
Flustered after stepping on Tanaka’s glasses, Hayashi bent down and reached toward her feet to check what she had stepped on. She picked up the crushed glasses that had been under her shoe.

“Glasses? Why are these here?”
With Tanaka’s crushed glasses in her hand, Hayashi tilted her head. Tanaka glanced at the glasses in Hayashi’s hand, snatched them away, and hurried out of the pantry.

To Sachiko, it looked as if there was a halo shining behind Hayashi’s back.
“Mother Mary.”
Sachiko whispered involuntarily.

In the end, Sachiko missed out on eating the high-end chocolates she had been looking forward to that day.

After she was nearly assaulted by Tanaka, she returned to the office to find that Tanaka had already been telling the manager all sorts of lies.
Everyone in the workplace knew Tanaka was at fault, but they also knew that if they spoke up, the sparks would fly onto them.

It hurts everyone’s heart to see bullying and look the other way. Sachiko felt she understood the feelings of those who couldn't speak up. It was understandable that they couldn't say anything. Some had families, and everyone had a livelihood to protect. Fortunately, Sachiko was a part-time worker, and her husband worked as a full-time employee. It wasn't as if she would be destitute if she quit this job.

Hayashi came to Sachiko’s side, looking worried.
“Should I explain what happened?”
She was truly supporting Sachiko’s feelings like Mother Mary. However, she couldn't let Mother Mary become Tanaka’s next target. Sachiko began to think that if it meant never having to see Tanaka’s face again, that would be fine.

Not wanting to cause any worry, Sachiko smiled weakly and said, “I’m fine. I’m sorry for worrying you. I touched a vengeful spirit. I had a really intense encounter.” Then, she packed her things right there to resign.

While packing her necessities into the paper bag that the manager’s high-end chocolates had come in, Sachiko glanced at Tanaka. She had considered coming back to the office to clean up, but she didn't want to see Tanaka’s face ever again. She wiped her desk clean with a rag and packed all her personal belongings into the paper bag. Sachiko confirmed that a clear, red slap mark remained on Tanaka’s left cheek.

Clutching the rag she had used to wipe the desk, Sachiko walked with a sharp, rhythmic click of her heels over to Tanaka.
“Your left cheek is red, you should put something cold on it.”
She slammed the rag she had been clutching onto Tanaka’s desk.

Sachiko’s best attempt at resistance.

The worst day ever.
She had intended to talk to Satoru about it when she got home, but it turned out he was working overtime that day due to year-end deadlines.

Reluctant to burden Satoru, who had come home exhausted, Sachiko waited until the next morning to tell him about quitting.
Satoru was genuinely worried for her.
“It’s the end of the year, so you should take it easy,” Satoru said, and Sachiko felt comforted by his gentle smile.

Tuesday, February 10th

Sachiko thought about how she could return to that worst day of her life.

If there was something she could do, would it be to take revenge on Tanaka?
Sachiko’s resentment toward Tanaka grew, as she felt she wouldn’t have had to quit her job if he hadn’t hugged her in the breakroom.

Although Sachiko started looking for work at the beginning of the year, she couldn’t find a company as good as that one.
“If you rush, you won’t find a good place, so just take your time looking.”
Since Satoru encouraged her so kindly, she shifted her mindset to look for a job slowly until around spring, but it was true that, aside from Tanaka, she had lingering attachments to that company.
There was no doubt that Sachiko regretted not just dealing with Tanaka casually and letting that incident slide.

However, the word 'revenge' stuck in Sachiko’s mind.

She had been raised to believe that retaliation produces nothing. Even if she returned resentment with resentment, she didn’t think it would make her feel any better.

But then, why was the newspaper delivered to the wrong house again today? Sachiko wondered as she stared at the paper. Perhaps there was no meaning in it at all.
Even while thinking that, Sachiko couldn’t help but feel like there was some meaning, and more than that, she wanted to find meaning in it.

Sachiko hesitated. Should she time-slip, or not? She had thought 'whatever happens, happens,' but now that she was in a situation where she could actually make anything happen, she found herself hesitating. Sachiko thought that if this were Rie, she would go for it without a second thought.

At times like that, Sachiko took something black out of her shoulder bag.
A homemade blackjack.

She had made it a few years ago after seeing how to do it on YouTube or Twitter. You fill a thick high-sock with loose change and tie it tightly just above the coins.
When swung, the centrifugal force and the weight of the coins make it a weapon capable of even shattering a car window.

A simple weapon that doesn’t violate the Swords and Firearms Control Law.
Plus, it’s a two-for-one deal, as you can use the coins when you’re short on money.

Around the time Sachiko made the blackjack, the news was filled daily with reports of people going on rampages with knives on Shinkansen trains or men suddenly swinging kitchen knives at bus stops.
The perpetrators who were dominating the news every day had no grudge against their victims; it was completely indiscriminate.

The media fanned the flames, claiming we lived in an era where it wouldn’t be strange to get caught up in an incident anytime, anywhere.

Sachiko was already afraid of walking down the street at night. After watching that news constantly, she started to feel afraid of going out even during the day.

Worried about her, Satoru suggested they make a homemade blackjack as a charm. Sachiko bought thick black high-socks and exchanged a 10,000-yen bill for coins at the bank.

She started filling the brand-new high-sock with coins. 'It’s better if it’s practical, right?' she thought, packing in plenty of 500-yen and 100-yen coins. She added 1-yen and 5-yen coins just in case.

Finally, Satoru added five pieces of coin-shaped chocolate he had bought somewhere.

“Why did you put coin chocolate in there? Won’t it break?”
Sachiko asked Satoru.

“It’s a good-luck charm so that nothing happens that would cause it to break. Besides, Sachiko, you always say you’re hungry right away. If we put this coin chocolate in here, it can be emergency food.”
Saying that, Satoru smiled like a mischievous child. Wrinkles formed at the corners of his eyes. Seeing that smile made Sachiko’s heart tighten. She loved that crinkly smile of his so much.

“Also, whenever you’re worried about something, let’s use this coin chocolate to flip a coin and decide.”
“How?”
When Sachiko asked, Satoru took the coin chocolate he had just put in out of the sock and held it in his hand.
Then, he made a fist with his thumb tucked inside and placed the coin chocolate on top of his bent index finger. He flicked the coin chocolate with his thumb. The coin chocolate spun through the air.

The coin chocolate reached its peak and fell straight back down.
Satoru caught it in his left palm and quickly covered it with his right.

“If it’s heads and not broken, proceed without hesitation. The chocolate will be your energy source. If it’s tails or broken, wait a bit. Don’t move forward, just have a break with the chocolate.”
“So, in the end, I’m eating the chocolate.”
As Sachiko laughed, Satoru opened his right palm.

“It’s heads,” Satoru said.
“Proceed without hesitation!!”
Sachiko snatched the coin chocolate from Satoru’s palm, peeled off the foil, and popped it into her mouth.

“Oh, man. If you don’t check properly to see if it’s broken, that’s what happens, Sachiko. You’re such a glutton.”
Satoru laughed crinkly again, and the two of them looked at each other and giggled.

From that day on, the handmade blackjack came in handy whenever they suddenly wanted a drink from a vending machine, when they were at the register and just needed 10 more yen to avoid breaking a 10,000-yen bill, when they suddenly craved a beer during a night walk, when they got hungry while waiting in line at a new bakery, or when they couldn’t decide between yakiniku or sushi.

The blackjack never served as a weapon. It was just a wallet and emergency rations. Sachiko would make small change and put it in, and buy coin chocolates and put them in.

Sachiko opened the handmade blackjack she had taken out of her shoulder bag. She took out one of the four coin chocolates inside. She always kept five in there, but she had eaten one when she left the house. For some reason, the blackjack felt lighter than usual, but perhaps that was because she had eaten the coin chocolate.

Sachiko couldn’t toss the coin chocolate as well as Satoru, so she just tossed the coin she had pinched out toward the ceiling. When she threw it in a place different from usual, she couldn’t gauge the strength well.

The coin chocolate danced through the air with vigor, hit the low ceiling with a clink, and then plummeted. Sachiko hurriedly caught the coin chocolate with both hands. She carefully placed her left hand underneath and opened her right hand.

—Heads.

“Proceed without hesitation?”
Sachiko muttered to herself, then slowly peeled the foil off the coin chocolate. It wasn’t broken, just as she thought. It was definitely a sign to “proceed without hesitation.”

Sachiko popped the coin chocolate into her mouth.

Chocolate after such a long time. Milk chocolate. The chocolate was slowly, gently sweet.
Sachiko felt like having coffee. Not coffee from a can or a plastic bottle, but coffee properly ground from beans.

Having woken up too early, Sachiko placed the newspaper by her pillow and fell back asleep.

🪙

When she woke up, Sachiko drank some hot water. She made a poached egg in the hot water left in the aluminum udon pot and placed it on the bread she had bought.
She opened a small, single-use mayonnaise packet, drizzled the mayonnaise over the poached egg, folded the bread in half, and took a big bite. The egg yolk oozed out and mingled with the mayonnaise.

The soft bread wrapped around the marriage of egg and mayonnaise like a down comforter. Her mouth was filled with a fluffy, creamy sensation. The rich umami of the egg and the saltiness of the mayonnaise combined with the sweetness of the bread to make it incredibly delicious.

“Mmm.”

The moment Sachiko opened her mouth, the yolk spilled out from the gap in the bread. Sachiko hurriedly blocked the yolk with her mouth, and to avoid spilling her precious energy source, she bit down on the bread and ate it clean. After finishing her meal and rinsing the aluminum pot, Sachiko put on a light disguise.

She put on a mask and even tried wearing sunglasses.

She looked completely suspicious, but she felt it would be a problem if someone she knew saw her. Besides, she didn’t know what would happen if she ran into herself.

After all, Sachiko had only just experienced her first time slip yesterday. She had never experienced it in her life before, nor had she ever met anyone who had. She had never even seen a how-to book on time slipping.

She even worried about what would happen if she ran into herself, like in movies where one of them might disappear. She wanted to chide herself for having such an overactive imagination, but she figured it was better to be safe than sorry.

Sachiko decided to act as stealthily as possible. The risks involved were just too unclear.

However, while she had thought about the dangers of time slipping, she hadn't thought about how to get revenge on Tanaka. Besides, Sachiko wasn't even sure if she wanted to go through with the revenge itself.

For now, she was determined to at least take this misdelivered newspaper to her former workplace.

It was about a 20-minute train ride from here. Sachiko wondered if she would even be able to board the train in the first place. Still, she didn't know what would happen, so she decided to follow the coin chocolate's decision.

With her shoulder bag in hand, Sachiko opened the old front door. She tucked the newspaper into her shoulder bag so she wouldn't drop it. If she dropped it, there was a possibility she might lose consciousness again and return to the original date.

After leaving the house, she first checked the date on her mobile phone.

December 22nd (Mon)

It seemed she could time slip even with the newspaper in her shoulder bag. Sachiko felt relieved and let out a sigh of relief.

Sachiko headed toward the station. She didn't know anyone in particular around here, but she couldn't help but tense up.

The shopping street on the way to the station was completely in a Christmas mood, and seeing the Christmas decorations that should have ended over two months ago felt strange and out of place. She felt that Christmas decorations at this time of year seemed out of season, but Sachiko smiled slightly behind her mask, realizing that she was the one who was out of touch.

When she held her IC card over the station ticket gate, it opened without any issues. Sachiko was relieved that she was able to get through without a problem.
She felt people glancing at her, but that was likely due to her suspicious appearance with a mask and sunglasses.

The train car was sparsely populated. Sachiko, who had been worried about what would happen if it were a packed train like the other day, was relieved by the empty car. She didn't want to have another unpleasant experience like that. Sachiko stood near the entrance so she could escape immediately if anything happened.

The scenery outside the window raced by and disappeared. It was scenery she usually wouldn't think twice about, but for some reason, she felt deeply moved today.
Even though both December and February are in the same winter season, the air felt somehow different.
The air in February has a quiet stillness, but the air in December is festive and restless. If she breathed it in, she felt like her body would float away like helium gas.

Passing through the ticket gate of the station she was used to getting off at, Sachiko headed toward her workplace. The street trees along the way were waiting for the night's illumination, their bodies wrapped in light bulbs that were not yet lit.
They would look beautiful when lit up, but the illuminations in the daytime looked somewhat silly and comical.

Every shop was filled with a Christmas mood. If it weren't for this situation, I'd be enjoying the Christmas spirit, Sachiko thought, as she glanced around while heading toward her workplace.

As she got closer to her workplace, Sachiko's pace quickened. She bumped into someone coming toward her.
"Excuse me." "Oh, no, I'm sorry, it's my fault."
They both bowed to each other and walked off in opposite directions.

The time was 14:31. It was just about the time Sachiko would be thinking about making some coffee. She had to hurry.

Slightly out of breath, Sachiko arrived at the company. She entered the building.
She was nervous that the security guard might call out to her, but the guard didn't seem to notice Sachiko as she passed by.

In fact, she felt it was strange that no one greeted her even when she got on the elevator. The people riding it were acquaintances. They were on friendly enough terms to at least exchange greetings.

While feeling a sense of unease, Sachiko greeted the passengers in the elevator to avoid looking out of place. However, the passengers in the elevator ignored her completely, as if they couldn't see her at all.

Tilting her head, Sachiko looked at the mirror inside the elevator. Peering into the mirror, she couldn't hide her surprise. To her shock, her reflection was not there.

Sachiko wondered if she had become an invisible person, but she shook her head, thinking that couldn't be the case. On her way here, she had bumped into people. She had even exchanged words, however briefly. Without a doubt, Sachiko had a physical presence.

When she first time-traveled, Tsukimata from the Yozuki Newspaper could see Sachiko. Yet, it seemed there were people who couldn't see her, just like in this moment. She wasn't even reflected in the mirror. She felt like a ghost. Is she a living spirit? I wonder, Sachiko thought to herself.

Sachiko formed a hypothesis here.
Perhaps, at the time-travel destination, she is visible to those who don't recognize her, but invisible to those who have recognized her before.

While she was thinking about this, the elevator arrived at the floor where the office was located.
Sachiko got off the elevator and hurried straight to the pantry. When she arrived, a dry clattering sound echoed.

Before Sachiko's eyes were Tanaka's glasses. From across the hallway, Maria-sama came running over at a trot. To Sachiko, it already looked like there was a halo around Hayashi.

Maria-sama did not notice Sachiko at all. Sachiko and Maria-sama came into close proximity. Even though Maria-sama's face came within inches of her, Maria-sama did not notice Sachiko at all.

It was then that Sachiko realized her hypothesis was correct. As she thought, she is invisible to those who know her.

Maria-sama stepped on Tanaka's glasses lying on the floor, crushing them. At that moment, Maria-sama noticed Tanaka and the Sachiko of December 22nd inside the pantry. Tanaka snatched the glasses from Maria-sama's hand and hurriedly left the pantry.

She hadn't intended to retaliate, but in the end, Sachiko couldn't do anything and just stood there frozen. Why did I come here, she wondered, her shoulders slumping. Even if she didn't retaliate, she could have at least saved her past self, she thought. She just stood there, and the events of December 22nd ended by replaying right before her eyes.

Maria-sama asked the Sachiko of December 22nd what had happened, and the Sachiko of December 22nd explained the situation.
"That sounds terrible. Are you okay?" Maria-sama asked, concerned for the Sachiko of December 22nd.
The Sachiko of December 22nd replied, "I'm fine."
The hands of the Sachiko of December 22nd were trembling slightly.

That's right. I was scared, Sachiko remembered, recalling her feelings from December 22nd.

Anger began to well up within her. I didn't do anything wrong. It's all Tanaka's fault. The emotions she thought she had kept suppressed all this time surged up as she watched her trembling self.

Retaliate against Tanaka!!

Sachiko entered the office before the Sachiko of December 22nd. She looked around, but as expected, no one noticed her. Sachiko had become completely invisible. That said, her reason told her that she couldn't just do whatever she wanted.

It is common knowledge in time travel that you don't know what will happen if you change history significantly. If she recalled correctly, both Doc and Doraemon said as much. Honestly, Sachiko thought it wouldn't be so bad to change such a miserable future, but she had no idea what an invisible person could actually do.

While Sachiko was lost in thought, Tanaka was busy telling the section chief nothing but lies. It was all nonsense.
He claimed that Sachiko had flirted with him, that he was troubled because work was being pushed onto him, that he received extra complaints because she handled phone calls poorly, and that her data entry was always wrong.

Even though no one believed him, he continued to speak with a serious face as if it were the truth. He probably couldn't wear his crushed glasses, after all. Without his glasses, Tanaka's face had no distinguishing features, and honestly, Sachiko thought that if she met him outside of work without his glasses, she would never recognize him. On Tanaka's cheek, the mark of the slap Sachiko had given him was raised and red.

Without even noticing that the Sachiko of December 22nd had returned to the office with Maria-sama, Tanaka was in the middle of telling his 221st lie. The section chief glanced at the Sachiko of December 22nd and nodded with a grimace.
The Sachiko of December 22nd nodded while sighing.

Seeing that expression on the Sachiko of December 22nd, Tanaka smirked slightly. Disgusting, Sachiko thought.

When Tanaka finished speaking, he returned to his seat looking satisfied. Sachiko did not miss that opportunity. Sachiko stood behind Tanaka's seat. Tanaka pulled out his chair.
At that moment, Sachiko pulled Tanaka's chair back just a little bit more. Tanaka misjudged the distance between himself and the chair.

And just like that, he landed hard on his bottom on the floor. There was a loud thud, and Tanaka flipped over clumsily like a frog. With that same momentum, he then hit his head hard against the leg of the chair.

“Ouch!!”

Tanaka’s loud voice echoed through the office, and everyone turned their attention to him. Tanaka’s face turned bright red all at once. His face was so red that it was impossible to tell from his expression alone whether he was angry or embarrassed. Thanks to that, the handprint on his left cheek faded.
Holding his lower back, Tanaka said, “Ow, ow, ow... I’m fine, everyone, please go back to work,” and as he checked the position of his chair to sit down again.

Sachiko took that opportunity to pull Tanaka’s chair back again.

Tanaka, the butt-bump returns.
Tanaka hit his butt hard again, exactly the same way as before, and hit his head again too. He let out the same “Ouch!” and those around him started to giggle.
This time, Sachiko could see Tanaka’s face turning red with embarrassment.

Thinking that a third time would be too cruel, Sachiko finished her modest revenge and left the office.

As she left, she checked the expression of the Sachiko from December 22nd, and saw her giggling. Surely, with this, she wouldn’t be slamming any rags around. The Sachiko of December 22nd must have thought that God had punished Tanaka. Sachiko felt a sense of relief, thinking that even if one were to quit a company, slamming a rag down while doing so was in poor taste.

Sachiko left the company with a light heart.

Satisfied, Sachiko began to think that she might as well enjoy the Christmas mood before heading home.
After all, she had intended to eat something delicious today. Regardless of whether it was healthy or not, she would buy the high-end chocolate she had missed out on and take it home. She had all the time in the world, probably, and Sachiko’s feet naturally headed toward the chocolate shop.

The chocolate shop the section chief had bought from was located halfway between the office and the station. Sachiko walked along, gazing at the illuminations before they began to light up. After walking for a while, she saw the chocolate shop she was aiming for. A long line.

Sachiko joined the end of the line.

A handsome male clerk wearing an apron walked along the side of the long line, calling out, “It’s a 30 to 40-minute wait.”
When a young girl waiting in front of Sachiko asked, “Can I buy the limited edition chocolate box?”, the handsome clerk replied refreshingly, “Yes, you can. We still have plenty in stock.”

Sachiko cast a slightly cynical look at the handsome clerk, wondering if this long line wasn’t just about the taste of the chocolate, but then she remembered that the chocolate she had eaten before was incredibly delicious and apologized to the handsome clerk in her heart.

The girl in front of her was a bit short and had a cute face, looking every bit like an office lady. Sachiko, who loved cute things, felt like a bit of a creepy old man as she watched the young girl being fashionable, and she instinctively dropped her gaze to the ground.

“Hello?”

The girl in front of her suddenly answered her phone in a loud voice. Sachiko had no hobby of listening to other people’s phone conversations, but the girl’s voice was so loud that the content of the conversation entered Sachiko’s ears on its own.

“Oh, Rina? It’s Yumi. You know, I was scheduled to work today, but it looks like work is going to run late, so I don’t think I can make it. Yumi, can you cover for me? ...Thanks. You’re a lifesaver. ...Yeah. I’ll work the 24th and 25th. I already told the company that I have plans for Eve and Christmas. So I have to do my real job properly today. It’s a waste not to work on Christmas. It’s the best time to make money, after all. Besides, just working normally is such a drag. But just being a hostess is a bit boring and lacks stimulation. Isn’t it thrilling and fun to go after a married man you met normally and then dump him in the end? It’s like, other people’s things look more delicious, you know... Huh?! It’s not bad taste. Yumi is a really good girl. Because in the end, everyone falls for Yumi. Men are idiots, you know, not knowing when they’ll be dumped by Yumi... Huh? Now? Actually, there’s this guy I’m targeting. He seems kind and looks like he cherishes his wife. But when I told him I was troubled by a stalker, he got worried. It’s obviously a lie, though.”
The cute woman was giggling while talking about something not so cute.

“And you know, work is going to run late today too. So, I’m thinking of telling him to take me home because I’m scared of the stalker once I’m done. It’s my usual pattern. For now, I’ll just take him home, slip him some sleeping pills, strip him, and take some photos, and that should be enough. After that, I can do whatever I want with him... Oh, sorry. I know you’re busy. Well then, thanks for today.”
Saying that, Yumi hung up the phone.

It was a story she felt like she had heard somewhere before. It was extremely unpleasant and sickening. Sachiko shuddered at the thought that such things were happening on a daily basis in the world.

It was unpleasant to be in line behind this woman, but Sachiko gave up, thinking she had already waited this long.

You really can’t tell what people are like by their appearance, Sachiko thought, glancing at the woman in front of her. She didn’t look flashy at all; she was just a cute, ordinary girl who could be anywhere. A girl who looked like she had been stamped out of an office lady mold, like she had just stepped out of a fashion magazine. She didn’t look like a hostess to Sachiko, but she must transform when night falls.

Even so, Sachiko wondered if she wasn’t embarrassed to be talking in a voice loud enough for everyone around to hear. If anything, it was a loud voice that seemed to want to be heard.
To Yumi, that conversation might have been a heroic tale, a way of asserting dominance. Sachiko wondered what kind of dominance it was, or if she was trying to say that she was a cut above the rest of them.

The line moved steadily. It was a long queue, but thanks to the extra staff brought in for the Christmas rush, they were handling it efficiently.

Because she didn't have to stay in the same spot for long, and because she reached the register in about 27 minutes despite being told it would take 40, Sachiko felt like she had finished her shopping very quickly.

Sachiko bought a box costing over 10,000 yen.

Inside the beautiful packaging, there were chocolates with various glittering finishes. It was just like a jewelry box, and Sachiko's heart skipped a beat. She had missed out on eating them at the office, but thinking about it now, it would have been impossible to choose just one from this box. She even thought it might have been a good thing she missed out. Thanks to that, she could choose the chocolates she wanted to eat today.

Yumi, who had been standing in front of her, also bought a large box of chocolates. Yumi made another phone call.

Hello?

She started speaking in a calm tone, quite different from how she had been just a moment ago. Sachiko was impressed by her ability to switch personas, thinking, 'So she can talk like that too.'

Oh, is this Mr. Usui? It's Sato. I was able to safely buy the limited edition chocolate box that the president asked for. I'm heading back to the office now. Oh, and also, I'm going to be working late today. I'm scared about that stalker issue I consulted you about a little while ago. Would you mind giving me some advice or perhaps walking me home on your way back? I'm sorry to ask when it's so late... Oh, thank you! You're really so reliable, Mr. Usui. Thank you so much, as always. Well then, goodbye.
Yumi hung up the phone. Sachiko couldn't believe her ears.

The woman who had called herself Yumi on the phone just now had referred to herself as Sato. Moreover, the person on the other end was Usui. The content of the conversation matched perfectly with the events Satoru had described regarding Yumi Sato.

The heartbeat that had been skipping along in Sachiko's chest suddenly began to race as if it had been attacked by something.

Could it be that this woman is Satoru's affair partner, Sato? Was the person on the phone Satoru? Is it possible that such a coincidence exists, that she would encounter her here of all places after time-slipping?

Sachiko's agitation spread throughout her entire body. Her whole body was pounding as if it were pulsing. Could it be that the purpose of this time slip isn't revenge on Tanaka, but to prevent Satoru's affair? Sachiko's breathing became ragged. The humidity under her mask increased.

Sachiko stared intently at Yumi Sato, who was still in front of her. Up until now, Satoru had never shown Sachiko a photo of Yumi Sato. Sachiko stared hard at Yumi Sato, looking for anything that might identify her as Yumi Sato, but of course, there was no such thing.

Even though she had been in a good mood, she started to feel sick again, and Sachiko's head began to spin.

Whether this woman is Yumi Sato or not can be determined by following her. Yumi Sato said she was heading back to the office now.
If the place Yumi Sato is returning to is the same company as Satoru's, it is almost certain that she is Satoru's affair partner, Yumi Sato.

Besides, if Yumi Sato is indeed Yumi Sato, then based on the conversation just now and what she had said before, Satoru's excuses would be correct. It would make sense that he didn't remember if he had been drugged with sleeping pills. If it can be confirmed that Yumi Sato is Yumi Sato, it could also be grounds for Sachiko to forgive Satoru.

Sachiko changed her mindset and followed Yumi Sato.
This was her first time tailing someone in her life. Sachiko's heart was pounding.

She followed behind Yumi Sato, but suddenly felt anxious. If she acted too much like she was tailing her, she might get caught. Besides, with her mask and sunglasses, she looked suspicious enough as it was. She couldn't afford to let her get away.

To get to Satoru's company, one must take the train. Since they were going to the station together, she felt it would be safer to just keep her distance and walk.

After that, Sachiko followed Yumi Sato while keeping a reasonable distance and confirmed that it was the same company as Satoru's.

Yumi Sato was definitely Yumi Sato.

If she could just wait for Satoru and somehow stop him, she might be able to prevent the affair.
If she recalled correctly, Satoru had said that after receiving a consultation about a stalker and dropping Yumi Sato off, he had his photo taken at Yumi Sato's home.

That must be today.
Even though she didn't know what time Satoru's work would end, Sachiko decided to wait for him here. She was convinced that this was the reason she had time-slipped.

Waiting under the winter sky in front of Satoru's office building was, honestly, painful. Sachiko decided to go into a cafe across from Satoru's office building for the time being.

With a steaming, fragrant cup of coffee in front of her, Sachiko felt it was a shame that she couldn't eat the high-end chocolates she had been looking forward to, even though she was drinking delicious coffee.
She could have ordered a cake, but the high-end chocolates were waiting. She decided to bite the bullet and skip the cake, taking a sip of her coffee instead.

However, beside Sachiko sat a box of high-end chocolates, worth 10,000 yen and looking like jewelry. Even though she knew it was a delusion, Sachiko could hear the glittering chocolates in the box calling out to her.

As she gazed out the window, Sachiko checked the contents of the box, pretending as if it were not a box of chocolates. It is generally frowned upon to eat food brought from outside in a restaurant. Sachiko pretended that the box was a jewelry box.

Inside the box, beautifully decorated, glossy, and alluring chocolates were neatly arranged. Hearing a phantom voice from somewhere saying, "Eat me, eat me," Sachiko picked up just one of them. Then, she secretly placed it on her coffee saucer.

With an indifferent expression, as if nothing had happened, Sachiko closed the lid of the box and put it back into her paper bag.

She had chosen a round chocolate. It was a shade between dark and milk chocolate.
On top of the chocolate was a swirling decoration made of chocolate.
Sachiko took a bite, eating only half of it. The chocolate melted softly from the heat in her mouth.

As the chocolate melted, the scent of high-quality cacao wafted from her mouth to her nose. Inside was a praline cream. The soft cream and chocolate intertwined, wrapping her mouth in happiness.

Sachiko washed it down with black coffee. A moment of bliss. Sachiko couldn't help herself and popped the remaining half of the chocolate into her mouth.

It was past 18:00.
Satoru's work probably wouldn't be finished yet. He had said he was busy today, and Yumi Sato had also mentioned on the phone that work would run late.

Sachiko killed time at a nearby bookstore. It was past 19:30. Since she didn't know when he would come out, Sachiko decided to wait in front of Satoru's building.

After 21:00, Satoru and Yumi Sato came out of the building.
"Mr. Usui, I'm sorry. I know you're busy, but I asked you to take me home."
Sachiko saw Yumi Sato tilting her head and bowing in a contrived manner.

"No, it's fine. Thanks to you working hard today, we finished the work early. Besides, if you're being stalked, you can't work with peace of mind, right? Let's get this resolved quickly."
It was the usual Satoru. The normally kind Satoru.

"Thank you."
There was no particularly suspicious atmosphere in their conversation.

Sachiko called out to them.
"Satoru!!"
Satoru didn't react. Instead, Yumi Sato reacted to Sachiko's voice.

"Huh? I feel like I've seen this person somewhere... Oh, it's the person who was at the chocolate shop. I thought they were suspicious because they were wearing a mask and sunglasses. Huh? Could it be that they've been following me?"
Yumi Sato frowned.

"Oh, but just now this person said 'Satoru,' but Mr. Usui, do you know them?"
Yumi Sato looked at Satoru.

"Hmm? What are you talking about?"
Satoru asked Yumi Sato, looking bewildered.
"Huh? Mr. Usui, what are you talking about? I'm talking about this person."
Yumi Sato pointed rudely at Sachiko.

"There's no one there."
This time, Satoru frowned.

Oh, Sachiko screamed in her heart. Satoru couldn't see her. She had forgotten something fatal. Along with the chocolate, the information regarding time travel had melted away from Sachiko's memory.

Sachiko slumped her shoulders in spite of herself. What am I doing, coming all this way, she thought. Her bangs hung limply over her face.

Seeing the dejected Sachiko, Yumi Sato's face turned pale. Ashen-faced.
"Huh? A ghost? Huh? That's scary. Mr. Usui, let's go home quickly."
Saying that, Yumi Sato hurriedly pulled Satoru's hand, quickly caught a taxi on the street, and shoved Satoru into it. The taxi drove off as if running away from Sachiko.

Sachiko collapsed to her knees.

She couldn't do anything. If anything, hadn't she just made them get into the taxi faster? She had given Yumi Sato extra time. Sachiko bit her lower lip.

Naturally, Sachiko didn't know where Yumi Sato lived. Unable to do anything, Sachiko had no choice but to get on the train and trudge back to Rie's apartment. In the end, nothing had changed. She hadn't been able to change anything.

Perhaps fate cannot be changed even if you travel through time.

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