I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 329 The Wish of Being Together as One Wing and Branch

"Do not!!"

"You are not her, you are not Minako!"

Faced with reality and exposed by his self-deception, the over-sixty-year-old corporate slave knelt on the ground in anguish, tears streaming from his tightly closed eyes.

No, you're not.

Minako was so understanding, so elegant and gentle; she was his former love!

Instead of the current situation, where one merely sees oneself as a retirement fund—

"Old man, what's wrong with you?"

Before the old woman could finish speaking, a figure stepped between the two of them.

"Stop, my 'future' self is too ugly."

"Ha, who do you think you are?"

The old woman looked at the girl in front of her: it was so familiar, because it was her face, the way she used to look.

"You dare to speak so arrogantly just because you have my face from when I was young?"

"What kind of supernatural monster are you? I'm calling the police right now—"

The moment the old woman took out her phone, the old man, Wu Xiong, who was kneeling and crying, was startled and immediately struggled to get up, raising his arm high.

A slap was slapped across the face.

Snapped,

The phone spun around and fell to the ground.

The old woman, whose fingers were completely empty, was stunned once again.

"you"

"Minako is not a monster!"

He roared with all his might, the white-haired old man seemingly using up all his strength.

"Go back, I want to stay with 'Minako'."

"Even if I die because of this, I will be willing."

"Mr. Takeo, please don't do this."

The girl in the church school uniform raised her hand, trying to stop the old man, but her arm once again passed through his cheek in vain.

"Oh, Ms. Minako, may I call you that?"

As the grief-stricken old man raised his hand, helplessly covering his face and weeping, the girl turned around and looked at 'herself'.

"Whatever you want,"

The old woman looked at the girl in front of her with a complicated expression.
His lips twitched a few times, but in the end he could only utter a curt sentence.

"As you can see, I am not human."

The girl in the church school uniform placed her hands on her chest, openly acknowledging her identity as a 'supernatural being'.

“I am the ‘Minako’ in Mr. Takeo’s memory.”

"I don't know what you've been through, what happened, or why you've ended up like this today."

"but--"

The girl stepped forward and extended her hand to the old woman.

“I love Mr. Takeo.”

?

Amid the old woman's shocked expression, the girl in her school uniform stepped forward once more.

"This sentiment, even if it is false, is still a 'treasure' that I cherish."

"Ms. Minako, are you willing to accept this?"

"No, is it recalling?"

Looking at the girl's outstretched hand, the old woman was surprised, fearful, and hesitant. After a few seconds, she trembled and reached out her hand.

Two hands clasped together, one wrinkled and real, the other fair and ethereal.

? !
In a flash,

Countless 'images' exploded in the old woman's mind.

"Mr. Takeo, do you know how to do this problem?"

"You don't? Then—"

"I teach you."

The girl's sly smile stunned the boy.

"Mr. Takeo,"

"If you put your hands in your pockets, you won't be able to react quickly enough in an emergency."

Walking along the path through the cherry blossom grove, the girl reached out and pulled the boy's right hand out of his pocket, holding it in her arms.

"That way, if we're in danger, I can pull you away, and you have to protect me too, okay?"

"Mr. Wu Xiong."

"Mr. Takeo."

"Minako! Will you go out with me?"

In the classroom, in front of the whole class, the boy, his face flushed, suddenly bent over and stretched out his right hand.

I swear I will love you for the rest of my life!

"We live and die together!"

"Oh oh oh~~"

"What a bold confession—"

Amidst the cheers of her classmates, the girl grasped the other person's outstretched hand.

"To share life and death?"

"I am willing."

"Bride, from this day forward, whether in poverty or wealth, in health or sickness, in success or failure, you are willing to support him, cherish him, share his joys and sorrows, and work together to create a healthy and happy family until the day you pass away."

"I am willing."

"Waaaaah~~ Ugh, I'm so envious!"

"You two actually made it all the way to the altar; unbelievable! I believe in love again."

The wedding scene, where the bride was dressed in a white wedding gown, was filled with the wailing and howling of her old classmates.

"Takeo, Minako, be happy!"

"Be happy!"

"You must be happy—"

"happiness?"

Tears streamed down the old woman's cheeks.
"This is me? These are the words I once said? These are all memories between me and old Takeo?"

When did we start to forget these things?
Is it that Takeo's chances of promotion are slim?

Is it a disagreement about the son's education?

Is it just the monotonous repetition of oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar every day?
still is
"I'm old and senile; I've forgotten what I once said and the promises I made."

As the old woman murmured, the girl in the church school uniform began to fade away;
"Be happy~~"

She should never have existed; she was merely a memory from the past.

Upon hearing the girl's final 'blessing,' the old woman Minako's face was filled with a mixture of desolation and shame.

Faced with reality, the two people who were once blessed by the whole class fell into the quarrels, disagreements, and curses of an ordinary family. In the end, after saying all the nasty things, they forgot each other.

That's right, the opposite of love is not hate.

Rather, it is forgetting.

Two people, a man and a woman, who seemed like complete strangers, passed each other every day, oblivious to one another.
wrong!

The old woman looked at the old man kneeling and weeping;

What changed was himself. Wu Xiong may not be smart or capable, but his feelings never changed.

"Mr. Takeo,"

The old woman squatted down and reached out to help the other person up.

吓？
But the old man instinctively flinched.
Since they had a huge fight that almost turned into a physical argument many years ago, they have been sleeping in separate rooms.
They never touched each other again; the other's attempts to help her up only made the old man instinctively back away.

"Huh? Sorry!"

The old man raised his palm and wiped his cheek.

"I didn't mean to dodge it, I...I just..."

While offering incoherent apologies, the old office worker Takeo stood up from the ground.

He didn't know what it was, but in his dreams he would recall the vows he made years ago, and the little things they had gone through together, and tears would silently soak his pillow.

"Two,"

Just as the two, who had spent most of their lives together, were looking at each other in silence, a voice suddenly rang out.

“I have already bestowed ‘miracles’ upon you, now it is time—”

call,

A gust of wind blew, and a figure dressed in a black suit and trousers, with a black trench coat and a black bowler hat appeared in front of the elderly couple. "The judgment has been made."

? !
"You are Takeo, run!!"

She instinctively raised her hand, trying to push the old man away, but the old woman had already reacted.

That former 'self' was created by this extraordinary being before me! And now that he has appeared, judging from his words, he wants to collect a reward!
This is only natural. Countless stories mention that you have to pay for what you want: just like the famous Japanese fairy tale "Urashima Taro", who was taken to the Dragon Palace and received hospitality from the Dragon King's daughter after saving a divine turtle in the Dragon Palace.

Before parting, the dragon girl gave him a jade box and warned him not to open it. When Taro returned home, he found that everyone he knew was gone.

He opened the box, and the white smoke that billowed out transformed Taro into an old man.

One day in the Dragon Palace is equivalent to a hundred years on Earth!

Now, the other party is demanding payment, and according to the nature of extraordinary beings:
"If you want a soul, take mine—"

"Do not!!"

The old man, Wu Xiong, pulled the old woman into his arms and looked at the mysterious man in the trench coat in front of him.

"Your Excellency, it was I who made the wish to you."

"Whatever the consequences, come at me. It has nothing to do with Minako!"

"Ah,"

The mysterious man, whose face was obscured, chuckled softly as he adjusted his top hat.

"It seems you've misunderstood,"

"I'm not the kind of little devil who steals souls."

As he spoke, the mysterious man raised a finger and pointed it at the two of them.

Despite the unusually slow movement, neither Takeo nor Minako moved an inch, helplessly watching the finger enlarge in their pupils.

Dying?

Well, at least the vow to live and die together has been fulfilled. X2
As death approached, the two elderly people miraculously calmed down, looked at each other, and embraced one another.

"Be happy."

Ten seconds

Half a minute

A few minutes later,

"We're not dead?"

The heartbeat so close to his face made Takeo open his eyes in confusion.

However, this look startled him greatly!

With her smooth short hair and fair skin, even wearing an old-fashioned long dress, she couldn't hide her youthful curves.

"Minako??"

"Takeo. Hey, hey, hey???"

Minako looked up and opened her eyes, her face full of surprise.

Because in front of her was a young man: she knew his face all too well, after all, they had lived together for decades.

"You, my hand, and—"

She raised her hand to her chest, and the unfamiliar firmness surprised Minako, but also brought her a sense of joy.

"We...we couldn't be..."

"Mom, what are those older brothers and sisters doing over there?"

Just as the two were searching the place, they heard children's voices coming from outside the park.

A child pointed at them, his innocent confusion shining under the streetlight; and a young woman beside them quickened her pace and spoke hurriedly.

"Xiao Zhi, don't look."

? !
"us,"

"Go home first."

"well--"

The two, who had suddenly become younger, were at a loss and hurriedly ran home.

Just as I was about to get home, an elderly neighbor who was taking a stroll came towards me.

"Wu Xiong. Oh? It's Wen Ye!"

Wenye is Wuxiong's son. Many years ago, he couldn't stand his parents' "cold war" and moved out.

Because of getting married and having children, they have become a new generation of corporate slaves.

"Ah, yeah."

The two hurried men gave a mumbled reply and walked past their old neighbor.

wrong!

Once the two had entered the house, the old neighbor suddenly realized what was happening.

That person was too young. It wasn't Wenye!

He looks more like a young Takeo, and the girl next to him is—Minako?

A chill ran from head to toe, and the old neighbor shivered as he pulled out his phone.

What?
Of course you should call the police!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Adachi Ward,
"So, that's your reason for coming to my door so late at night?"

Wearing his pajamas, You had a sour face; anyone could tell he was in a bad mood.

"I'm so sorry!"

Director Zhuya's familiar bow and apology perfectly demonstrated the basic abilities of an island nation politician.

"Our Extraordinary Countermeasures Department has just received two people, a man and a woman, who have had contact with extraordinary beings."

That's your problem—

Yu waved his hand.
"I'm the principal of the sorcery school, what does this have to do with me?"

Although it is forbidden to visit places associated with ghosts and spirits in Tokyo, this does not apply to those with extraordinary abilities; those who possess extraordinary powers are themselves extraordinary beings, and any disturbances they cause are not worth making a fuss about.

"No, no, no, Yu-kun."

There must be a reason why Director Zhuya dared to 'bother' You at this time.

"These two people are special; they've become young again!"

?

"Oh, interesting."

Upon hearing Director Zhu Ya's words, You raised her hand and wiped herself.

The ink flowed like water, turning the pajamas into black casual clothes; then the ink spread down to the floor, lifting the two of them and speeding away.

"Qiong, I'll go see what's going on. You go to sleep first."

Okay~~

The girl, who had also changed into pajamas, waved and headed upstairs to her bedroom.

Chiyoda Ward,

Metropolitan Police Department, underground laboratory.

"Are these the men and women who have 'rejuvenated'?"

Standing behind the one-way glass screen, You casually looked at the man and woman holding hands nervously sitting on the chair behind the glass.

At first glance, they look like a high school couple who were caught secretly checking into a hotel.

But a closer look reveals inconsistencies—

"really,"

Yu's 'interested' gaze swept over the two of them.

"Their souls are around sixty years old, but their bodies are sixteen. How interesting!"

"That's exactly right,"

Director Zhuya pushed up her non-prescription glasses. The appearance of these two people, unknown to ordinary people, had already caused a huge uproar in the elite circles of the island nation!
It was no less than losing a nuclear bomb.

Rejuvenation!!

If one can live, who would want to die?
Even if they now know of the existence of the underworld, it's questionable whether the souls of the powerful and wealthy can even survive until they reach it.

Besides, even if you manage to go to the underworld unscathed, you'll still have to start all over again, right?
Wealthy individuals invest hundreds of billions, trillions, or even millions of yuan annually in healthcare.
Isn't that all for the sake of immortality?
Two vivid examples have emerged: if Director Zhu Ya hadn't already built the Extraordinary Countermeasures Department into an impregnable fortress, with most of its extraordinary individuals loyal to him, the powerful and wealthy would already be rushing in to snatch people away.

The allure of eternal youth has been coveted by emperors and generals throughout history and across the world.

"Yu-kun, have you already made a breakthrough?"

Director Zhuya, who knew Yu's personality quite well, asked her a question, which earned her a nod.

"Isn't it obvious?"

He raised his hand, extended his finger, and pointed at the young men and women in the heavily guarded laboratory.

"The answer lies between their brows."

Both the boy and girl had a carp-shaped spindle pattern on their foreheads.

"What lucky guys! They actually received the blessing of the 'God of Fortune'."

mascot?

(End of this chapter)