"Everyone, turn to page 64. Today we will..."
At Homitsu High School, the homeroom teacher, 'Madoka', read from the well-worn textbook.
Below, the students were either daydreaming or openly playing on their phones... only a few were diligently listening and taking notes. Everyone was already used to this.
Although the average high school advancement rate in Tokyo was 69.6%, of which the advancement rate of private high schools was 98%, concentrating the descendants of more than half of the island nation's elite, as a public school that was 'averaged out', the situation could be imagined.
It was very much in the spirit of 'Kobe and I combined for 83 points'.
While reading from the book, Teacher Madoka's gaze swept over the back row by the window.
Akiyoshi Yuu, who was supposed to be a 'good student', seemed very absent-minded recently?
That's right. His parents had passed away, he was suspected of being bullied, and he had been interviewed by the police... even an adult couldn't withstand such repeated blows. I hope he can pull himself together.
While teaching, this thought flashed through the teacher's mind.
However, the real situation was—
Akiyoshi Yuu was not immersed in 'melancholy', but was controlling a paper clone to practice ninjutsu.
"Ah... Mom, it's me."
In a 1980s 'ikkodate' in Itabashi Ward,
a somewhat hoarse voice came from the phone on the round embroidered tablecloth from the last century.
"Hmm? My voice sounds off? It might be because my throat is a little uncomfortable."
The middle-aged man's words on the other end of the phone,
were laced with a bit of shame and anxiety.
"It's like this, I embezzled the company's money. The prosecutor's office is coming down tomorrow. If I can't pay back the money before then, I'll be fired."
"It's not much, not much... can you help me prepare 2 million?"
"Okay, Mom, I'll pay you back!"
"Yes, I'll have my subordinate come and get it. Please give it to him."
Not long after,
a knock came from outside.
"Excuse me."
The old-fashioned wooden door was pushed open, and a young man in a suit and tie, with a three-seven parted hairstyle and exuding the aura of a 'corporate slave', stood outside with a smile.
"You must be Senior Inoue's mother, right?"
"Yes, I've come for 'that matter'."
After hearing the young man's words, an elderly woman with a stooped figure in the room tremblingly took out an envelope.
2 million yen, not a lot, but definitely not a small amount! But for her son's future, the white-haired, thin-cheeked old woman did not hesitate to take it out and hand it to him, while unable to help but ask.
"Is my son... okay?"
To the old woman's question, the visitor just bowed and nodded, saying words that were all too familiar.
"Yes, please rest assured, I will definitely give it to the senior."
The envelope was exchanged between two hands, one young, rosy, and strong, the other old, dry, and wrinkled.
"Goodbye."
With the money in hand, the young man smiled and nodded, even thoughtfully closing the door for her.
Too easy to trick!
The young man who had turned around had an irrepressible smile on his face.
The AI-synthesized voice was enough to pass for real, and on social networks, one could easily find a person's detailed information.
With just a few words, it was simple to get money from these old men and women.
Easier than selling drugs~~
"I'm just helping the country get the 'pension' flowing."
Maybe it won't be long before I can become an executive in the organization, or even... become a person above others?
Laughing and muttering to himself, the young man pushed open the gate of the courtyard and ran into an old man walking his dog.
"Woof, woof, woof~~!!"
The Shar-Pei the old man was walking roared at the young man, startling him.
"Ah, sorry."
Pulling the leash in his hand, the elderly man spoke apologetically.
"It's probably because you just came out of the Inoue house, and my dog thought you were a thief."
"Ah, how could that be..."
The young man with a briefcase quickly waved his hand in denial. Although he wasn't a thief, his profession wasn't one that could see the light of day either.
"I know, you're a salesman."
"But it's completely useless to sell to the Inoue house."
?
"Why is that?"
Having just made a sum of money, the young man in the suit didn't mind chatting with this old man.
"Sigh, because Mrs. Inoue has already 'died alone'."
"Died alone?!"
The young man in the suit was stunned.
The so-called 'dying alone' was a... natural phenomenon in the island nation.
In short, with the aging population and the impact of the declining birthrate, a large number of elderly people are left unattended, and no one discovers when they die at home. It is often not until community workers come to the door that they find the already decomposed or dissolved bodies.
Elderly people with almost no social interaction are privately called 'without connections'. Subsequently, the elderly who die under this circumstance are called 'dying alone'.
"Sigh."
The old man walking his dog was quite talkative, and his body was quite sturdy.
"Mrs. Inoue's husband died early, and her only son works outside and doesn't come home."
"She had a rather reclusive personality. When she was discovered last month, her body had already started to dissolve... so pitiful."
??!!
"Woof, woof, woof~~~"
The Shar-Pei at his feet kept roaring at the young man with the briefcase, interrupting the old man's words.
"It seems Arashi-maru must have smelled the... scent on you. I'll be going now."
After speaking, the old man left with his beloved dog.
And the middle-aged man who was stunned in place had a gloomy face.
"Weirdo."
"I just got money from that Mrs. Inoue. What's this about her dying alone last month?"
Although he said so, a knot had formed in the middle-aged man's heart. He simply opened his briefcase and took out the envelope full of ten-thousand-yen bills....
?!
There were no banknotes in the envelope, it was empty!
As dry and wrinkled as the old woman's hand.
A chill ran up his spine and into his brain, making the young man's body sway.
Impossible!
How could it be... just now...
He turned his head abruptly, his gaze passing over the wall, and what came into view was:
A 'For Rent' advertisement posted on the wall, and through the floor-to-ceiling window, he could see an empty room!
"Huff, huff, huff, huff~~"
Stumbling and running to the park, he took off his suit and put his briefcase on the side.
The young man, sitting on a bench, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and his three-seven parted hairstyle was all stuck together.
He took out his phone and reported the situation to the 'company'. Soon, a response came from the other side.
"Ah, indeed."
"The people living there are all dead."
The member of the 'company' in charge of intelligence laughed and said heartlessly.
"Sorry, sorry, I made a mistake."
"But... but, I really received the money!"
The young man's face turned ugly, and he tightened his collar. Although the sun was bright above and he was drenched in sweat, he felt an inexplicable chill.
"Although when I checked later, the money and the person were gone."
"Oh, oh, how scary~~"
The 'colleague' on the other end of the phone just answered perfunctorily.
"Then that's it. If there's new work, I'll notify you."
After speaking, the other party hung up the phone directly.
...
"What the hell..."
Putting down his phone, the young man's face became even uglier.
Could it be... he was hallucinating?
Beep, beep, beep.
At that moment, the phone rang with an incoming call.
He picked it up and saw that the caller ID showed:
'Inoue'?
Does our organization... no, does the company have anyone with this surname?
His thumb swiped over the answer key, and he put the phone to his ear.
"Hello, hello."
"Is my son... okay?"
An old voice sounded in his ear, making the young man suddenly stand up.
This is?!
The voice of that old woman just now!
His thumb pressed hard on the red hang-up button, and the young man, covered in a cold sweat, had his pupils contract violently.
Impossible, impossible, this world... is all about science!
That's it for today.
The young man, his mind in a mess, picked up his suit and briefcase and headed for his apartment.
...
Hmm?
Arriving in front of his apartment, there was... a letter? stuck in the door.
He picked up the envelope and glanced at the sender's name on it. The young man was stunned.
Inoue—
Rip, rip, rip.
Boundless terror came over him, and he subconsciously tore the envelope to pieces.
Quickly taking out his key and opening the door, the young man rushed into the apartment. The familiar environment gave him a sense of security, and he leaned against the door and began to pant.
A ghost?
An evil spirit?
Or what...
Ding-dong.
The doorbell suddenly rang in his ear.
The young man, who was already in a state of panic, trembled all over and his eyes drifted to the side.
On the doorbell monitor, a stooped figure was vaguely visible, and the constantly repeated sentence.
"Is my son... okay?"
Bang!
He rushed into the kitchen.
He took out a hammer and smashed the doorbell display.
Before the young man could catch his breath, the landline in the living room rang automatically:
"Is my son... okay?"
He rushed over and pulled out the phone line, but the old, questioning voice continued to ring from outside the door, just like the other's whisper when they handed over the money.
"Is my son... okay?"
"Ahhhhhhh!"
"I beg you, let me go—!!"
...
Edogawa Ward.
As one of the three areas with the lowest income in Tokyo.
This place, like Adachi Ward and Itabashi Ward, was a complete 'countryside' in the eyes of Tokyo people.
If someone asked you which ward you were from, and you answered these places, even the island nation people with excellent expression management, although their facial expressions would not change, would not be able to help but slander in their hearts: what kind of town person dares to call themselves a resident of Tokyo?
The residents who lived here could only praise the fresh air, beautiful scenery, and the like~~
In an 'ikkodate' that was also from the 1980s, a middle-aged to elderly man with graying hair and a cigarette was watching TV.
Ding, ding, ding.
The mobile landline rang.
He picked up the phone, and the voice on the other end was actually:
"Son?"
"What are you doing? You haven't contacted home for a long time. I'm worried about you!"
The middle-aged to elderly man put down the cigarette in his familiar voice, and at the same time, the weak words on the other side also made him realize that something was wrong.
"What's wrong with your voice? You sound very weak?"
"Yeah, because I'm sick."
A weak reply came from the other end of the phone.
"Cough, let's not talk about this first. It's like this, I didn't tell you before."
"Actually, I was fired by the company a long time ago."
Living in Tokyo is not easy.
Countless young people from the island nation want to come to Tokyo to pursue their 'dreams'. Even the locals are flocking to the 'core six wards'.
However, 'Minato Ward', which is number one in the economy, 'Chuo Ward', which is full of large companies, 'Chiyoda', where countless bureaucrats gather, and 'Bunkyo Ward', which is densely populated with schools, or 'Shinjuku' and 'Shibuya', which are for eating, drinking, and having fun. How are these places that ordinary people can afford?
"Because I had no money, I got involved in fraud..."
Hearing his son's weak words, the middle-aged to elderly man suddenly stood up.
"Fraud?!"
"What are you doing, you foolish boy! How much did you get scammed out of?"
"To take advantage of someone's misfortune, damn it! If you're short on money, you should discuss it with me—"
"No, Dad."
The voice on the other end of the phone became weaker.
"I'm sorry... it wasn't me who was scammed. I'm the one who scammed..."
criminal!
The next second,
an old voice suddenly came from the phone.
"Is my son... okay?"
???
"Hey, foolish boy!"
"Are you okay? Answer me—"
From the hanging receiver came the anxious voice of the old father from afar. However, the young man, who was hanging in the room with the phone cord wrapped around his neck, had already lost the strength to answer.