Chapter 111
Ryosaku is unable to accept the sad reality of Mieko's death, and even though he calmly accepts it in his mind, his heart does not allow him to accept it...he is in such a fluctuating state of mind.
From that day onwards, for a week afterwards, he thought about it day and night, even in the midst of his studies.
He then expressed his gratitude for the letter that Mieko's mother, Tokiko, had sent him, because it had been written with so much heart.
He was moved to tears by the message towards the end of the letter, in which Tokiko acknowledged him as her "son-in-law" and cared enough about him to welcome him into the family... And while feeling sorry for her, he once again resolved to go on a journey to find "traces of Mieko."
On the day that Ryosaku was reunited with Mieko, Tokiko had insulted and abused him in front of Mieko, and even grabbed him roughly by the collar and hair, forcing him to apologize to Mieko by kneeling down.
Perhaps deep in his heart Ryosaku had secretly harbored ill feelings of resentment and hatred towards Tokiko.
However, Ryosaku's current state of mind...his feelings towards Tokiko were the complete opposite.
If Tokiko still resented Ryosaku and hated him like the plague, would she have gone out of her way to inform him of Mieko's death and even enclosed her final message...?
And the photograph that was enclosed with the "final message" from that day...a precious photograph of Mieko, showing her grown-up, adorable self on the day when Ryosaku last met her, he wondered if Tokiko would ever give it to him.
...There's no need to think about it anymore.
And there's no need to doubt it.
Even if someone other than Ryosaku is not the person involved, any kind-hearted person who knows their circumstances will understand that the contents of Tokiko's letter are the "truth."
Ryosaku also understands this a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand times.
Even though he had received this precious and loving message that told the "truth" about Mieko, he still stubbornly persisted and persistently tried to find out the "truth" of the matter.
What could his true intention be...?
Needless to say, this was nothing more than "to completely convince Ryosaku himself."
For him to accept Mieko's death and start moving forward again, he needed a definitive ''evidence'' or ''testimony'' like a ''detonator'' or a ''stimulant'' for that.
In order to find the address written on the note by Mieko's father, Isao, he first purchased a residential map of K City, Saitama Prefecture, where Mieko last lived, in order to find the location.
In the modern Reiwa era, when there was no Internet, smartphones, or navigation systems, it was extremely difficult to reach an unfamiliar destination.
The reason Ryosaku decided to head to K City in his own car may be because he wanted to relive the experience together with the Mieko living inside him, of the town where Mieko lived, the people's lives, and the surrounding environment where she lived.
Ryosaku wanted to find out how Mieko lived, cried, laughed...and in what kind of environment she waited patiently for him.
A taxi has a driver.
Alone with Mieko, who lives inside him, Ryosaku plans to spend time immersed in memories and sentimentality, searching for traces of Mieko, and ultimately, to come to a complete understanding of himself.
...And at the end of his journey to trace the memories of the two of them, or what could be called his "journey to connect with Mieko," Ryosaku found new "joy" and "emotions" waiting for him.
