After the reading of the will, the tension in the room was palpable. My aunt was silent, staring at the table, while my uncles and cousins murmured among themselves, clearly satisfied with the distribution.
I decided there was no point in staying there any longer. I stood up, holding the letter in my hand.
—Where are you going? —Kenji asked in a mocking tone. Aren't you going to celebrate your new life as a farmer?
The others laughed.
—Do what you want with your money," I replied coolly. I will go.
I turned without waiting for an answer and walked out of the room, feeling their stares on me. I could still hear the whispers behind me, but I didn't bother to pay attention to them.
As I exited the building, the cool evening breeze greeted me. I stared at the envelope for a moment before slipping it into my coat pocket.
There was no point in opening it there.
I would read it at home.
I hailed a cab and gave him the address of my apartment. As the vehicle sped through the brightly lit streets of Tokyo, my mind kept wandering.
Why a farm?
What was Grandpa trying to tell me with this?
The cityscape blurred past the car window, reflecting the confusion in my mind.
Finally, the cab pulled up in front of my building. I paid the fare and walked up to my apartment in silence.
As I entered, I took off my coat and left it on the couch. I headed for the balcony, as I always did when I needed to think.
With a mixture of curiosity and anxiety, I unfolded the letter and began to read.
Dear Haruki,
If you are reading this letter, it means that I am no longer in this world. I am very sorry that you had to go through the reading of the will, but it was necessary. I know that, for you, it was not an easy time.
I want you to know that I could not leave you a fortune tainted by greed and ambition. My life was full of mistakes, and the money I accumulated was not always obtained in the most honorable way. Had I made you heir to that wealth, I would have betrayed my own feelings. But what I was able to leave you is something far more valuable: the Spring Charm farm.
Maybe now you don't understand why I'm leaving you a place like that. Let me explain a little.
Many years ago, before I became the man you all knew, I lived on that farm for a short time. It wasn't just another piece of land or property... it was a special place, one that only a few can find. There, I met people who welcomed me with kindness, who taught me things I never learned in the business world. However, I betrayed them. I made selfish decisions and, as punishment, the farm rejected me. The road that led to it disappeared, and the map that guided me turned white.
From that day on, I could never go back.
When I met you, Haruki, I understood the mistakes I had made in my youth. I knew I had to correct my past somehow, but the farm was no longer within my reach. I spent years searching for it, to no avail.
I could only find one clue: a key.
That key is inside the envelope you are holding in your hands. I know all this may sound like the ravings of an old man, but trust me... you will soon understand the truth.
Spring Charm Farm is not just a place. It is a test, a destiny that reveals itself only to those who are worthy of it. I cannot tell you more, for there are things you must discover for yourself. However, there is something you can do to begin your journey.
In the farm papers I left you, there is an address. It is a small plot of land where two old men live who have taken care of the place in my absence. In their home, you will find a box. Inside it is a journal with fragments of what I learned at the farm and a chest with some things that will be useful to you. But you must remember this:
You cannot read the diary or open the chest until you reach the village of Uke Mochi.
If you really want to know the truth, follow the path I have left for you. But please, Haruki... don't make the same mistakes I did.
Never forget your humility and your good heart.
Hiroshi Kiryuu
When I finished reading the letter, my hands were shaking slightly. I held it for a moment, observing my grandfather's firm but worn handwriting. His handwriting had always been neat, but in these lines I noticed a certain clumsiness, as if his body no longer had the same energy as before.
His words echoed in my mind.
"I could not leave you a fortune tainted by greed and ambition..."
"You can't read the diary or open the chest until you reach Uke Mochi village..."
"Spring Charm Farm is not simply a place. It is a test..."
What the hell did it all mean?
I put a hand to my head and sighed in frustration. Ever since I had walked into that room and listened to the reading of the will, everything had been a string of unpleasant surprises. But this...this was different.
My grandfather was not someone who spoke in riddles. He had always been a straightforward man, someone who got to the point without beating around the bush. In this letter, however, he seemed to want to tell me something without quite saying it.
I looked at the envelope and noticed that there was still something else inside.
I took the object out carefully and held it between my fingers.
It was a key.
There was nothing special about it: it was dark metal, cold to the touch, with an old and somewhat worn design.
What am I supposed to do with this...? -I muttered, looking at it skeptically.
My eyes returned to the letter.
"I spent years looking for it, to no avail. I could only find one clue: a key."
It was absurd, but a small part of me felt that my grandfather spoke with absolute certainty. As if he really believed that this key would lead me to that place he mentioned.
Spring Charm Farm.
A special place? A destination that only a few can find?
If it didn't come from my grandfather, I would have thought someone was trying to play a joke on me. But this...this was no joke.
I returned to the living room and left the letter and the key on the table. Then I lay back on the couch and closed my eyes, letting the exhaustion wash over me.
My grandfather had just died. My family despised me even more than usual. And now I had an enigma on my hands that seemed like something out of a fantasy story.
I felt exhausted.
But deep down, something inside me was beginning to change.
Maybe... just maybe...
This was the first time in a long time that I didn't know what to expect from the future.
And that somehow made my heart pound with an unfamiliar excitement.