The next morning, my phone vibrated with several notifications.
With my eyes still heavy with fatigue, I picked it up and slid my finger across the screen.
My face hardened as I read the messages.
[Notice from the Central Bank of Japan]
Dear customer, we have detected a block on all your bank accounts due to the update of Mr. Hiroshi Kiryuu's inheritance. For more information, please contact your financial advisor.
I frowned.
Lockout... What the hell did that mean?
I opened the banking app and tried to access my accounts, but the same message appeared on all of them:
"Access restricted. Check with your bank."
It couldn't be true.
I sat upright on the couch, feeling a shiver run down my spine. I tried to make a transfer. It failed. I tried withdrawing money from another account. It failed.
On impulse, I got up, grabbed my coat and left for the nearest coffee shop.
When I got there, I ordered a black coffee and pulled out my credit card.
The cashier swiped it through the terminal.
"Transaction denied."
—Could I try again? —I said calmly.
The clerk nodded and repeated the process.
Nothing.
—Sorry, young man, but your card has been blocked," said the teller, eyeing me cautiously. Would you like to try another one?
I didn't have another one.
I felt irritation begin to creep up on me, but I kept my composure.
—Don't worry," I replied, putting the card back in my wallet. It seems I forgot to transfer funds.
I left the coffee shop with a bitter feeling in my mouth.
So this was what my family had planned.
To completely block me out.
They hadn't left me a single yen.
My income came from managing some family businesses, but since I didn't have access to the main account, everything was frozen.
Come to think of it...
I pulled out my phone and checked the calendar.
"Rent payment: 2 days remaining."
Damn.
If I didn't pay the rent on time, I would have to leave my apartment.
At that instant, the image of my grandfather's letter, burned into my memory, came back with a vengeance.
The farm...
My jaw tightened.
I was not stupid. I knew all this was no mere coincidence.
My grandfather didn't leave me money because he knew what would happen.
He left me the farm because...
It was the one thing they couldn't take from me.
I closed my eyes and sighed with resignation.
It seemed I had no other choice.
If I wanted to survive...
I would have to find out what the hell Spring Charm farm was.
The next day, I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock. I had not slept well. My mind kept going over everything that had happened, trying to find a solution, but no matter how much I thought, I always came to the same conclusion.
I had no money.
I had no access to my accounts.
And in two days, I would lose my apartment.
I got up heavily and went to the bathroom. I looked in the mirror: I had dark circles under my eyes and a face that reflected exhaustion.
After taking a quick shower, I changed into comfortable clothes and headed to the living room. My grandfather's letter was still there, on the table, along with the key that had come inside the envelope.
I looked at it for a few seconds and then picked up my phone. I searched for information about "Spring Charm Farm," but found nothing. It didn't appear on maps or property records.
My brow furrowed.
It was as if it didn't exist.
If I really wanted to find answers, there was only one thing I could do.
I had to go to the address on the letter.
Outside, sunlight filtered through the Tokyo buildings. I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down.
—There's no point in staying here," I muttered.
I grabbed a backpack and stuffed inside the essentials: enough clothes for a few days, toiletries and my phone with its charger. I looked around my apartment one last time. I didn't know if I could go back.
Before leaving, I picked up the letter again and put it and the key away.
With each step I took towards the train station, uncertainty grew in my chest. I had no idea what I would find in that farmhouse.
But one thing was certain:
This trip would change my life forever.