VR10Beta Volume 1

VR10Beta Volume1 (English Translation) by Shinji Kei

Chapter 1: The Appearance of Imada

 Yoko opened the mailbox and, as usual, removed the advertisement flyers. As she was about to close the mailbox, she noticed a small scrap of paper underneath. On it was a handwritten message, accompanied by a phone number: "I'll help you. Get in touch." Puzzled, she sighed and shook her head, wondering who could have left such a cryptic note. Back in her apartment, Yoko tossed the flyers into the trash bin and flopped down on her bed. Her body felt drained, her days spent in a seemingly endless loop of staring at her dark ceiling.

 The recession had led many to lose their jobs, casting a pall over society. Yoko was among those impacted, though she had been feeling disheartened long before the economic downturn. While friends were getting married, she had entered her thirties without a boyfriend, often finding herself alone. Joblessness, mounting debt, and a spiraling depression were slowly eroding her will to live. With her parents already gone, and no one left to mourn her passing, thoughts of suicide grew ever more compelling.

 "I'm going to die. Nothing matters anymore. Continuing to live would only prolong my suffering," she said, staring at the ceiling. For a moment, she felt a temporary lift in her spirits, as if worries were pointless for someone who was about to die. "I won't even repay the money," she tried to sound stronger. Just then, Yoko remembered the mysterious note. Getting up from her bed, she retrieved the note from the trash bin and examined it once more. It still read, "I'll help you. Get in touch." The handwriting was elegant, not the sort of thing one would expect from a childish prank. While Yoko didn't dare hope, she found herself wondering what kind of help the note was offering. If it was someone from a financial institution, they should have mentioned the company name. It made no sense for someone to write something like this as a joke. Though she briefly felt that they might really help her, she reached for her sleeping pills and drifted off to sleep.

 The next afternoon, Yoko resolved that it would be her final day. She filled her bathtub with water and prepared a knife to cut her wrists. "Mom, Dad, thank you for raising me. I'm coming to join you," she murmured, as if relaying her decision to her late parents. Just as she felt ready, the words on that scrap of paper flashed back into her mind. Under normal circumstances, she would have dismissed a note like that. Now, curiosity got the better of her. "Why not make the call?" she thought.

 "Hello? " 

"Hello, is this Yoko-san?" answered a man's voice.

"How did you know it was me?" 

"I've been waiting for your call. You need help, don't you?" 

The man's tone was devoid of warmth, his words lacking sincerity, making her question his intentions.

"Enough of this strange joke. I don't need help. Why are you doing this?"

"If you didn't need help, you wouldn't have called, would you?" 

Irritated, Yoko felt like the man had invaded her thoughts.

"I'm hanging up now. I just wanted to know who you were. You're from a financial company, right?"

"Financial company?" 

"You must have investigated my debts."

"I know about your debts, but I'm not from a financial institution." 

"Then what do you want?" 

"You're planning to die, aren't you?" 

"What?"

Yoko hadn't told anyone about her suicide plans, nor did she have anyone to confide in. Believing that nobody knew, she was stunned when confronted with the reality that someone else knew.

 "You're planning to die, aren't you? I know from my investigation," said the man on the other end.

"Are you from the police or something? Investigation?" 

Yoko's thoughts were in turmoil, but she tried to hold it together.

"You've been searching for suicide methods online."

His words hit the mark. Filled with dread, Yoko couldn't help but gasp.

"You're a creep! I'm reporting this to the police!"

"Would someone offering help be considered a creep?"

"You're just spewing nonsense, you freak!"

"Don't throw your life away," he urged. 

Drained emotionally, Yoko found herself weeping on the other end of the line.

"Let's meet. Right now."

"Who on earth are you?" 

"I'll tell you when we meet. My name is Imada." 

"But..." 

Before Yoko could finish her thought, he rattled off a time and place for the meeting and then hung up. Yoko sat in silence for a while but finally made up her mind. She got dressed, applied some makeup, and tucked the note into her handbag. Though meeting a stranger was a cause for concern, it was a busy location near the station, so her fear wasn't overwhelming. No, there was no need for someone who was about to die to feel fear.

 "Yoko-san." 

She turned toward the voice and saw a tall, young man with striking features. He had an allure that even Yoko, consumed with her thoughts of death, found hard to ignore. His well-groomed hair seemed to lessen some of Yoko's apprehensions.

 "I am Imada. Do I look like a pervert?" said the man.

"..."

"Never mind. Please follow me. I am staying at a nearby hotel."

"Huh, we are going to a hotel?"

Yoko hesitated, her eyebrows furrowing. Could this man actually be a pervert?

"Is something bothering you? This isn't the place to discuss life-or-death matters."

Yoko made up her mind. She found it peculiar for a woman in her thirties, prepared for death, to be overly cautious. The destination was a luxury hotel in front of the station. Imada got the key from the front desk and led Yoko to the 24th floor. Once inside the room, she noticed a luxurious sofa and took a seat as Imada suggested.

"Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thank you."

Imada took a tablet out of his bag, turned it on, and placed it on the table in front of the sofa. Opening an app, he turned the tablet toward Yoko.

"Do you know what this is?"

Yoko glanced at the screen and saw graphs and numbers.

The end of Part 1