Chapter Text
"I just want you to obtain happiness like any normal girl would, and live until you turn really old. That's…enough for me…"
A gentle nudge prompts her awake, the touch warm against her cold skin. Kochou Shinobu stirs, vaguely aware of the finger prodding her left cheek. It takes a minute to compose herself and recognize her surroundings, feeling a painfully familiar ache throughout her upper body. Shinobu sits up, stretching her arms and straightening her back. Her once organized reports are now scattered haphazardly and her laptop displays a black screen. Reflected is her pale appearance—eyes dark, hair strewn, and shoulders inwards.
"Shinobu-san," a friendly voice calls, tinged with worry. "Are you alright? You look exhausted."
A genuine smile is difficult to exhibit given her current circumstances, but Shinobu wears one anyway. "Mei-san, I'm fine. I couldn't sleep well, that's all. April often has me restless."
Unconvinced, Mei, Ichiro, and Kiyoko—her fellow graduate students—exchange an uncertain look. "Shinobu-san," says Ichiro, his eyebrows furrowed, "I think it'll be better if you go home and take a nap."
"Yes, yes," Mei fervently nods. "Don't you have dinner with your in-laws today, too? It would be better if you rest before that."
Shinobu softens at their concerns. "Napping won't do much, unfortunately." She tucks a strand of her behind her ear. "I struggle to sleep during every spring season, riddled with recurring dreams and nightmares for the most part. I'm surprised I even dozed off," she humorously adds. Though, her attempts at loosening the atmosphere go stale as Mei and Ichiro do not laugh along. Only Kiyoko offers a grin.
"Do you often remember these dreams and nightmares, Shinobu-san?" asks Kiyoko, curiosity written all over her face.
Shinobu stills and she thinks. "Not entirely," she confirms. "I wake up with a distant recollection of words I cannot repeat and people I cannot distinguish. The feelings linger, but those fade given the lack of context." She notices the attentive expressions on Mei, Ichiro, and Kiyoko, and suddenly feels silly for over-sharing. She cheerily continues, "But it's fine! I've managed to get by with medications and other solutions, so no need to worry."
Kiyoko twists a strand of her wavy hair. "Shinobu-san, perhaps these recurring dreams of yours are some form of déjà vu," she theorizes, her eyes wide and hands spread in sincerity. "Have you ever considered seeking help from someone with psychic abilities?"
"A shaman?" Mei suggests.
"Of that sort," Kiyoko nods. "Recently, I watched a news interview with the eldest man in all of Japan. He was born in the early 1900s and is over one hundred years old. Apparently, the men of his lineage used to have these psychic abilities that helped them see bits and pieces of the future."
Ichiro snorts. "Sounds like a typical scam."
Kiyoko pays him no attention as she carries on. "His name is Ubuyashiki Kiriya, and he lives in the countryside. I believe their foresight business has been closed for over fifty years, but he mentioned he's willing to help anyone who stops by for free."
Shinobu tilts her head, having listened to Kiyoko's every word with careful consideration. "What a tempting offer."
Kiyoko clasps her hands together. "I think it's worth a try, Shinobu-san! Whether or not he's helpful, you won't be losing much anyway."
"Except time," protests Ichiro. He turns his laptop around, presenting the route from their university to the Ubuyashiki Mansion. "It takes four hours to get there by car."
"That's not a terrible drive. I'll keep Ubuyashiki in mind," Shinobu says as a concluding note. She gathers her reports, laptop, and materials, strategically tucking them into her bag to ensure everything stays neat in the lawless space. "Thank you, Mei-san, Kiyoko-san, and Ichiro-san. I'll see everyone tomorrow?"
"Of course," Mei replies, waving. "Rest well, Shinobu-san."
Shinobu quietly closes the door behind her, leaving her friends inside the cozy study room. She lets out a small exhale before stepping down the hallway of the all-too-familiar pharmacology building. When she exits and finds herself standing under the warm sun, Kiyoko's words echo in her ears. Apparently, the men of his lineage used to have these psychic abilities that helped them see bits and pieces of the future.
"Odd," she mumbles to herself, almost in amusement. What a familiar name.
Brushing aside any thoughts of her unfortunate spring circumstances and the elderly Ubuyashiki man, Shinobu leaves the pharmacology building behind and retraces the path back to her parked car. There are bigger things to worry about, now that she has given up on her studies for the day. Bigger things, as in the formal dinner with her in-laws on a Thursday evening at a Western restaurant to celebrate an engagement she's finally come to accept.
Shinobu revs the engine and ponders on what to wear.
ʚɞ
"Shinazugawa-san."
At the mention of his name, Shinazugawa Sanehiro looks up at Shinobu. His typically ruffled hair has been slicked back with gel, exposing his forehead. Though his scars remain fierce, his eyes are rather passive, perhaps even anxious.
"Kochou," he greets, nodding. "You look…well-put."
"I could say the same for you," Shinobu retorts, eyeing his suit. "Nee-san has done a wonder in making you presentable."
A vein throbs in Sanehiro's forehead at Shinobu's teasing jab, but he maintains his composure. "You're paying for your own dinner."
"Sanehiro-san, Shinobu-chan," Kochou Kanae chides, placing a hand atop Sanehiro's. The both of them catch wind of Kanae's tone and shrink into their seats. Shinobu can poke fun at Sanehiro whenever she wants, but tonight is an exception; not when the Kochou's and the Shinazugawa's are formally meeting for the first time in light of Kanae and Sanehiro's engagement.
Halfway through the dinner, Shinobu excuses herself for a breath of fresh air. The minimal hours of sleep has her struggling to stay focused, instead pushing her thoughts to wander as she spaces out. When she steps outside of the Western restaurant, a cool breeze causes the scent of wisteria to cloud her senses. She turns to the right and sees a large wisteria tree blowing gently with the wind.
There was once a time when Kanae had asked her to pursue marriage.
"Shinobu, leave…maybe you're better off…turn really old…"
Shinobu frowns, failing to recall her older sister's pleads. What exactly had that conversation been about? Kanae had been lying in her arms, for a reason Shinobu cannot remember. As she watches the wisteria sway, a different thought ripens.
Was this a memory or a dream?
Shinobu-san, perhaps these recurring dreams of yours are some form of déjà vu.
Or maybe, déjà vu?
Shinobu pulls out her phone, thinking back to Kiyoko's suggestion. She searches up Ubuyashiki Kiriya and reads an article summarizing his recent interview. The eldest man in Japan, having lived for more than a century and a witness of some of the most horrific events including his family's death, with the ability to gaze into the future—the last of his lineage to possess this ability, for the generations after were born without such foresight.
She finds the address to the Ubuyashiki Mansion online and pastes it into the map application, generating a route from her house. Ichiro had been correct; as the mansion sits in the countryside, if road conditions are ideal, it would take her a little over four hours to drive there. It's worth treating this visit as a weekend trip, considering the length of travel Shinobu would have to endure to meet Ubuyashiki.
With a heavy sigh, Shinobu turns off her phone and gazes at the wisteria tree again. Is it worth taking the time to visit an elderly man who may or may not offer a solution to her persistent problem? Nine years have passed since she began experiencing these vivid dreams and nightmares that blur by the time she regains consciousness. At this time, these hindrances have become a part of her daily life and routine.
Besides, Shinobu couldn't possibly dedicate an entire weekend to resolving her sleeping issues when her thesis draft is due soon. She can revisit the idea of seeking Ubuyashiki's wisdom next year, after she graduates from her Ph.D.
"But Ubuyashiki is an elderly man," she mutters to herself. Who's to say Ubuyashiki Kiriya would be alive by the time she graduates?
Shinobu plays with the hem of her sleeve and contemplates the choices she could act upon. And she decides, after a moment of hesitation, to venture down to the countryside where the Ubuyashiki Mansion stands.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow, after her lab, she will find the eldest man in Japan.