I swore to myself to work in moderation after my body almost collapsed with fatigue. I only program whenever I feel like it, and don't set any strict schedule to myself. The only schedule that I followed was drawing one fan art of my favorite anime characters everyday.
It's been a month since I work in moderation. I have another problem though. Some of the companies I worked on as a freelancer reached out to me for another project, quoting high payment if I did it. It seems like I overdid it.
Thankfully I already wrote that I only worked solo, and have no intention for working any group project. I have an inkling some company might reach out to me, asking me to work in their big project. Those kind of project is usually done by a group, and I don't have a reason to do that.
I work too fast for them, and I don't want to drag my job long enough as it bothers me.
Even with my restriction, some companies are reaching out to me because they are satisfied with my work. The projects they want me to finish are small or medium ones that only needs a solo programmer to finish, so I accept them because I don't have a reason to refuse.
They are also additional income, and I can just relax and take my time. Unlike waiting for my coworkers if I work in a group, as a solo freelancer I can just set my own time and finish it whenever I want.
So I accept them without thinking so much about it. My entire attention is on my hobbies right now. I haven't been writing lately because I can't think of anything interesting to write, and drawing fan art is so fun. It helps me relax my mind as I imagine my favorite characters and draw what I am imagining into my canvas.
*Ring Ring*
A ring interrupts my focus on my drawing, and the clear image in my mind disappears after I hear my phone ringing. I take my phone and look at it, my annoyance quickly vanishing after realizing who is calling me.
"Oh, Okaasan. Why did you call?"
["Oh, Tsukiko-chan. You forgot what month is this?"]
Month? I know it's the middle of October right now so... ah, right...
["We have a bountiful harvest of sweet potatoes this season. So I just want to know if you want any? It has been six years since we see you, so I am sure you miss the taste of your favorite, right?"]
I do like sweet potatoes. When boiled, they are soft and very tasty. Though my Mom is right. I haven't visited them since I lived here. They sometimes visit me in the city just to deliver their harvest to me, helping me out sometimes with my food expenses even though they need it the most.
I couldn't find the time to visit them in the past because of my work. Sometimes I felt so frustrated when Holidays came because our boss wouldn't let us celebrate with our families, and even threatening us with pay cuts if we didn't attend. We couldn't do anything about that because the company was always right. Those at the top could dictate whatever happens to their employees. Company loyalty was a thing in our culture after all.
Now, I don't have to worry about that. This month is a good way to harvest sweet potatoes. It's still mid-autumn, and sweet potatoes tastes heavenly at this month.
"No need. I have a lot of free time recently, so I think I can visit home some time this week."
A brief silence occurs in our call, and it makes me a bit nervous when I can't hear my Mom for a moment. Thankfully, before I can speak once more, she responds.
["That sounds wonderful! Then, we have to celebrate it! When are you returning?"]
"I think I can visit this Wednesday, but it is..."
["Wonderful! I'll make your favorite doroyaki pancake when you come back!"]
"No, Okaasan, you don't have to... and she is gone."
Even as I sigh, I think it doesn't matter. Mom is going to make my favorite pastry, and thinking about it is making me drool.
It's been six years since I saw home. Now with the idea presented to me, images of my hometown flashes in my mind. The vast paddy fields, our farmlands full of vegetables, the occasional foxes and other animals popping up in our yard, the sounds of cicadas and birds as morning comes, and many more.
It is making me feel nostalgic, and a sense of longing to my hometown. Thoughts of my hobbies vanished from my mind as they were replaced with visions of my father, my brother, and my mother smiling at me as they welcomed me back to our home.
"... Right, I have to buy something for them. I think there are some shops out there that can... wait, what about the Shop?"
An idea comes to my mind, and I quickly act on it before my thoughts changes into something irrelevant and forget about it.
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Teller confirmed that I could do it. I can buy products or services from this Shop for the others. Of course, the bill will fall on me because I am the one buying it even if it's for the sake of others.
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Which is fine by me. I will use my own wealth to make my family happy too. It's not just there to make things easier for me, even if my main reason why I'm even living in the city is to have an easy life.
With Teller's assurance, I feel at ease as I browse through their catalogue.
What I want to buy is something different first. I saved up 2 million yen during this month. My programming gig helps me with my income, and I am close to finishing some of my solo medium scale projects. Most of the solo projects that normally take weeks can be done by me in a single week, so I got a lot of money this month.
Without hesitation, I choose to buy physical enhancements to my parents and Yuji. Each physical body enhancement costs 100,000 Yen, so I buy three enhancements each for them.
As for the remaining money, those will be money I will use to treat my parents to something good in the real world. I think I will stay with them for a week, which means we will have a lot of time catch up and have our bonding time.
Mom and Dad are growing old, so I want to make things easier for them by improving their physical body. I won't tell them I did it. I think it will be unbelievable if they learn that I can improve their bodies with a mysterious Shop that only I can enter.
I'm still contemplating when I will tell them about this. I don't think now is a good time.
Anyway, with all of this done, next is listing what I want to buy for my parents. Mom likes inarizushi, so a special inarizushi set sounds a good souvenir for her. I think my Dad is looking for a new truck, so I think I can buy a replacement for it with my current money. As for Yuji, he likes farming so something like farming tools or seed might make him ecstatic.
I continue listing up stuff within my mind as I tell the Teller what I want to buy tomorrow. New clothes, new shoes, new accessories, they allow preorders so I tell her to do so, and deliver them to me after I arrive at Sapporo.
With all the preparations done, the only thing I have to do before my trip back to Hokkaido is to finish up my work here. I will be inactive on the internet during my stay in my hometown, so announcing it in my internet accounts must be done.
After returning to the real world, I tell my friends from Zekovia's Server that I will be visiting my parents in my hometown and will be inactive for more than a week. After that, I also put that in my profiles on my 1gaka, TechSeek, and Syosetsu accounts. I haven't been writing for awhile now, but I still want to tell those who are waiting for my next story that I will be inactive for some time. I just feel it is right to do so.
After that, I spend the remaining time on this day finishing all the projects that are nearing their deadlines. There are three small projects like that which I quickly finish after an all nighter.
People normally will worry about having a headache when they sleep and have to wake up for an appointment early in the morning, but my very first power prevents me from worrying about that. I can wake up always feeling well-rested. It's one of my most useful power personally for me.
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I only slept three hours before my alarm woke me up. I took my time ordering my breakfast through the Shop, washing myself, and then choosing casual outfit before leaving my apartment room. I visit the landlord first to tell her that I will be gone for more than a week, and paid my rent in advance before leaving.
This is the first time I leave my room since I resigned from my work. I have been so immersed with my newfound freedom that I spent most of it within my room. I think I should start going outside once more and having some physical activities other than staying in my room. I should do that when I get back to this city.
For now, I have to go to the nearest station. The next train to Sapporo will be there in 6:57 AM so I have to get there as soon as possible. Fortunately, I am leaving near the main road. Just a single straight walk and I'm already on the depot where I can wait for a bus to commute.
Nearest station will take me twenty minutes to get. It's just my luck that when I arrive at the waiting shed, there is already a bus going to the route where the nearest station is located. I walk straight to that bus and take my seat on the middle.
Traffic this early in the morning is scarce surprisingly. It didn't take long before I arrive at my destination. I still have twenty minutes before the train arrives, so after paying for my ticket, I wait in one of the chairs and spend my time in my phone.
I check my Orderly account and see people from Zekovia's Server being understanding and telling me to take a rest occasionally and have fun. Then I check my emails, and find that I got my payment from those three projects last night just recently.
"Hey... do you know about the Stock Wizard?"
"Of course I do! Isn't that the anonymous stock buyer who managed to earn a lot of money?"
I hear two men talking about something interesting as they sit just besides me. Both of them are looking at each other and seems to be conversing without regards to their surroundings. It feels interesting so I strain my ears, focusing on what they are talking about while I wait for the train.
"Yes, that person is becoming popular in the forums. I heard some companies are trying to reach out to them."
"That's obvious. The Stock Wizard have a 90% success rate in their investments. Buying stocks and selling them at their peak, or simply investing and then pulling out when the time comes. No one knows how the Stock Wizard is doing it!"
90% success rate in investment? Isn't that higher than my hypothetical 70%?
"Most experts in our forums are saying to follow the Stock Wizard's lead. If they pull back from an investment, many will also do so."
"But wait... isn't the Stock Wizard anonymous? How can they track that master?"
"Here, let me tell you a secret."
The man leans closer to his friend and whispers to his ears. I don't know what he is saying.
But it doesn't matter. Their conversation is pretty interesting.
I search about this Stock Wizard and nothing is coming up on Woogle, so it might be something only those from the stock market community knows.
I haven't joined any stock market community. I just want to earn money with my talent. It's not like I need to talk to other people who dabbles in this kind of business. I already have the talent to understand it, so I felt it was a waste of time.
Who is the Stock Wizard though?
They sound pretty decent if they have a 90% success rate in their investment. If there is a chance, I want to know who they are.
It takes a few minutes before the train arrives. It will be a long sixteen hour ride to Sapporo, so I have a lot of time to kill. I think I will spend it drawing some stuff in my phone. There are paint tool apps in mobile too, I think?
After taking a seat, I spend my time in my phone killing some time by drawing a fan art with the paint tool I find at Woogle Play Store. I am sitting besides the window, and other than sitting or using my phone, I can also wait for the tray cart to arrive. My first time in shinkansen serves refreshments and boxed bentos. This is the same train I take that time, so I hope the service is the same.
Such thoughts ran through my mind as the train started to move, starting my journey back to my home.