Whispers in the Winter Wind

After a few days had gone by since Yasushi's conversation with Jamie, the moment arrived for him to share the outcome.

Yasushi's parents, along with Jingliu and Xinyi's parents, held the leadership positions for the project, overseeing its direction and implementation. However, they were not the originators of the endeavor. Instead, a collective of individuals who were deeply invested in advancing quantum technology and artificial intelligence initiated the project. These early supporters pooled their resources and provided the initial funding.

Subsequently, the project's leaders assembled a team of the world's most brilliant minds and employed them to work on their ambitious goals. Thus far, these initial benefactors have expressed immense satisfaction with the advances made in quantum technology and AI.

Within the next few years, the project is scheduled to be unveiled to the public, marking the culmination of their efforts. This public reveal would also serve to recoup the substantial investments that were made.

While the financial aspect is certainly a key driver of the project, the individuals involved also perceive their work as a contribution to the overall progress and advancement of humanity.

+-+

Yasushi approached Jamie's door and gave a gentle knock. Almost immediately, he heard a voice call out, inviting him to come in. Stepping inside, Yasushi found Jamie seated in his chair, deeply engrossed in examining numerous documents displayed on his quantum watch.

Jamie's head snapped up as he noticed Yasushi's presence in the room. His demeanor brightened instantly. "Yasushi! Did they finally give us an answer?" he exclaimed, his voice a mix of curiosity and nervous anticipation.

"Yes, they did," Yasushi responded, making his way over to the front of Jamie's desk. "I had an extensive conversation with my parents. They, in turn, spoke with the project's leadership, and just a few hours ago, they reached a final decision."

"So...what is it?" Jamie questioned, his nervousness obvious as he fidgeted slightly.

Yasushi's face remained unreadable as he reached into his coat pocket and retrieved a letter. He then carefully placed the letter on Jamie's desk. Jamie quickly snatched it up, eagerly opened it, and began to read its contents.

Yasushi remained standing, his gaze fixed on Jamie, who was intently reading the letter he had just given him. Jamie's eyes moved rapidly across the page, and upon finishing, he released a small, frustrated sigh before leaning back in his chair.

"...Thanks," Jamie muttered, then flicked the piece of paper onto the desk with a slight gesture of dismissal. "So, I get a month, huh? Even after all the help I provided...ugh, you gotta hate those old fogeys," he stated, his voice still laced with frustration.

Yasushi responded with a gentle, understanding smile. "Would you believe me if I said they initially only wanted to grant you a week? My persistent badgering ultimately got them to agree to a month, and well...I might have unintentionally let out some of my ki when I became furious with them, which finally pushed them to concede."

Jamie's jaw dropped, and he stared at Yasushi in stunned silence for a few seconds, before erupting into uncontrollable laughter.

After a few moments, Jamie finally composed himself, his laughter subsiding as he looked back at Yasushi. "Seriously? You used your ki? What happened to them? I'm assuming your parents were there as well?" he questioned, a wide grin spreading across his face.

Yasushi sighed, a slight feeling of shame washing over him as he recalled the events of a few hours prior.

He had attended the small meeting alongside his parents, determined to advocate for Jamie's situation. Days before, he had spoken with his parents, and they had been supportive of helping him, as they all worked at the same institution. Having their backing, he knew, would smooth things over and make the process easier for everyone involved.

To make a long story short, the higher-ups had been rather dismissive after Yasushi and his parents had explained Jamie's situation. When Yasushi attempted to speak with them, they also brushed him off, displaying a similar lack of concern.

The individuals who provided the funding were unaware of the existence of the supernatural, and when they managed to anger Yasushi...he quietly lost his temper.

He had involuntarily released a portion of his ki, using it to subtly intimidate them. Yasushi then proceeded to speak to them in a composed and normal tone, but with his ki permeating the room, it caused everyone present to stiffen, even his parents, despite the fact that he wasn't intentionally directing the ki towards them.

The higher-ups were visibly terrified, although they were unsure of the cause, but it did make them take Yasushi much more seriously. In the end, they conceded and granted Jamie a month instead of the week that they had originally proposed.

Yasushi felt ashamed for using his ki in such a manner. He recognized that he had essentially used his power to force the weaker individuals to submit, a practice he had engaged in frequently in his previous life before being reincarnated into this world.

However, he also justified his actions by believing that it was acceptable this time, because he was not doing it for his own benefit, but for the sake of his friend.

"Yeah, I did, so you got your month, are you happy?" Yasushi asked, a small grin forming on his face as he looked at Jamie, who grinned back in response.

"Hell yeah, man," Jamie exclaimed, before getting up and enthusiastically fist-bumping Yasushi.

Jamie chuckled once more, then remarked, "But man...I would have loved to have been there and seen their faces. Did they even ask what that was all about?"

"Nah, they were too damn scared to really do much of anything for like a full minute until I pulled back my ki. I felt bad about it since I unintentionally hit my parents with it as well, but they said they were fine and even laughed at how stiff the higher-ups were. It's quite clear that no one here really likes them, and we're simply accepting their money," Yasushi replied, offering an awkward smile.

"Serves them right," Jamie responded, shaking his head in disapproval. "Assholes like that will just take advantage of people whenever they feel like it, purely for their own personal gain. We're putting limits on these things and won't make exceptions for them if we can help it."

Yasushi nodded in agreement. He was well aware that all the scientists and researchers working there shared this sentiment. They understood that the wealthy and greedy would seek to exploit the quantum technology they were developing for their own personal advantages.

The two friends continued their conversation for a while longer, with Yasushi asking whether Jamie intended to stay with his cousin for the entire month, to which Jamie confirmed. They then moved on to discussing a variety of random, everyday topics before eventually parting ways to resume their respective responsibilities.

In just a few days, Jamie would be absent for a full month straight, which meant that the rest of the team would need to step up their efforts, as they would be losing a prodigy for an entire month.

However, the rest of the team agreed that Jamie deserved the break, even if they were unaware of the specific reasons for it. He had consistently contributed a significant amount to the project and had rarely taken breaks, even when they were required of him.

+-+

Later that day, Yasushi made his way to his father's office, where he found both of his parents and Xinyi's parents present.

"Oh, hey Yasushi, did you need something?" his father asked, looking up from his work.

"Oh, no, I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to clock out for the day, since I've completed all of my tasks. I also wanted to ask if you needed me to pick anything up, as I'll be stopping by your house since I promised Himari I would play with her for a bit," he explained.

Both sets of parents glanced at the clock and saw that Yasushi had only two minutes left in his workday, and they shrugged in response.

Normally, when an individual finishes their assigned tasks for the day, they would assist others, but since it was nearing the end of the day, most people were less concerned about that.

Additionally, considering that Yasushi consistently assists everyone else in addition to completing his own job, they didn't feel the need to complain about him leaving two minutes early.

"Oh, beer!" Yuji exclaimed, before being smacked on the head by Kohana, his wife.

"We have enough of that at home," Kohana said sternly, glaring at her husband.

Xingyu Cheng, Xinyi's father, then spoke up, "Would you mind buying this for me, Yasushi? I'm personally running low on it." He then handed Yasushi a small note.

Yasushi looked at the note and found a list of three different brands of candy, but Xingyu wanted him to buy them in large quantities, which surprised him. He hadn't thought that Xingyu had a sweet tooth, but he had just learned something new about him.

"Sure thing, anything else?" Yasushi said, looking at his mother and Yaqi Cheng, Xinyi's step-mother.

The rest of them shook their heads, and before Yasushi left, Xingyu gave him some money to purchase everything on the list. Then, Yasushi departed from the office.

+-+

Not long after leaving the office, Yasushi arrived at the shared home of his parents, Xinyi, and Jingliu. He found Himari there, being looked after by Yinhaie, who had brought along her daughter, Yue.

"I'm... oh, hey Yinhaie, I'm here to drop off some stuff," Yasushi announced, drawing their attention.

Upon noticing him, Himari and Yue immediately expressed their desire to be with him. Himari waddled over to him and hugged his leg, while the little girl, Yue, stretched her arms out towards him from Yinhaie's arms, causing her mother to chuckle at her eagerness.

"Let me put these things down first," Yasushi said, before a staff member approached and took the items from him. "Thank you," he said, before picking Himari up. "I came to play just like I promised. What do you want to do?" he asked, before walking over to Yinhaie and Yue.

Himari didn't respond verbally, instead, she rested her head on Yasushi's chest and closed her eyes, appearing to drift off to sleep.

"She really is attached to you, just like your own children. I heard from Lady Kohana that she asks a lot about when they'll visit you again, after you all part ways," Yinhaie teased, before handing Yue over to him.

Just like Himari, Yue let out a soft, cute baby sigh and rested her head against Yasushi's shoulder, closing her eyes, seemingly falling asleep as well.

"Seems like I'm just an oversized and walking bed to them," Yasushi remarked, chuckling quietly, which made Yinhaie laugh in response.

"Looks like they don't want to play but simply want to be near their father," she remarked, gazing at Yasushi with a longing expression.

Yasushi smiled back, understanding the look Yinhaie was giving him. He wasn't oblivious to her feelings, but he was also deeply in love with Jingliu. So, while he was happy to help Yinhaie get pregnant with Yue, he didn't want to betray Jingliu's trust.

The two of them walked to the kitchen to get Yasushi some food, while casually chatting about nothing in particular.

For some strange reason, he didn't see Nandini there, and when he tried to sense her ki, he couldn't detect it either. So he asked Yinhaie about it, to which she chuckled at him.

"Remember, we're in your parent's home, not ours... those two are just in our home," she told him, making Yasushi feel foolish.

"Right..." he replied, realizing his mistake, but he couldn't smack himself in the head since he was carrying both Himari and Yue.

Yasushi sat there, watching over his little sister and daughter while Yinhaie prepared some food for him. It wasn't anything extravagant, but he was quite hungry after working all day and running some errands before coming there.

After a short while, Yinhaie had made four sandwiches for him, and Yasushi devoured them with a voracious appetite, almost like a vacuum cleaner, as they disappeared in just under two minutes.

"Tough day?" Yinhaie asked, amused by the speed with which he had consumed his food.

"Apart from what happened with Jamie, it was standard, but that did stress me out a bit," he admitted, then took a drink. Yasushi proceeded to tell her about the events that had taken place with Jamie, and concluded by saying, "At least he'll have some time with his cousin."

Yinhaie suddenly fell silent, which made Yasushi look at her with concern. However, he didn't immediately ask her anything, as she seemed lost in deep thought. Finally, she looked up and said, "After everything that's happened... two years ago, before I got pregnant, I looked into who my biological parents were."

Yasushi was shocked by this revelation, but it also made sense to him. He knew that Yinhaie didn't know much about her biological parents because she had been abandoned at a young age and had forgotten about them as she adapted to her new life as a member of Jingliu's household.

Yinhaie, with her eyes still focused on the table, said, "It seems my parents passed away when I was nineteen years old, in a car accident. A drunk driver caused the crash. But I discovered more later on; it turns out, I had a sister. They had another daughter, and thankfully by that time, they were in a much more secure financial situation and were able to raise her. She was six years old when they all died."

She went on to say, "The reason I did all of this research was because I knew I would be pregnant with your child after you graduated, and I wanted to bring that chapter in my life to a close. It did take quite some time, but Master Liang Yang agreed to assist me, and we were able to find these details about them. We attempted to reach out to their extended family, but it was clear that they had no desire for any association with me, so we decided not to pursue it any further."

Yasushi, while holding both Himari and Yue, reached across the table and took Yinhaie's hand, and she smiled as she returned a gentle squeeze.

Yinhaie, after a moment of reflection, stated, "Thank you for listening. It was a sad conclusion to that part of my life, but at the very least, I now know what happened to them. I can move forward and refocus on my present life. I have my family and my daughter to concentrate on now," she said, giving his hand another gentle squeeze before releasing it.

Yinhaie then walked over to him and carefully took Yue from Yasushi, who had unexpectedly fallen asleep. Before returning to her seat, she said, "I know that you'll likely see all of this as being my doing, and that you didn't cause it in any way, but I would still like to say that you influenced it considerably, so thank you again, Yasushi."

After Yinhaie sat down, both she and Yasushi remained silent for a time. However, they soon shifted to other topics, with an unspoken understanding that they should leave the previous conversation as it was, and try to lighten the atmosphere once more.

Yinhaie had come to terms with her past and was content with the current state of her life, a fact that Yasushi had to acknowledge and respect.

+-+

"I've actually been observing you ever since you took over my body," the original Yasushi began. "I was also aware that I had died, so I didn't really attempt to reclaim control, as it was impossible. That woman, or should we say, goddess, warned you about it, and Jamie also warned you about me, but those were just carefully crafted situations on my part, designed to make them think that so you would be aware of my continued existence."

The original Yasushi continued, "From the time you were still living as you did in your old life, brooding, untrusting, and angry — to when you began accepting my — our parents as your own, and then Furuya helping you open up a little more, I witnessed it all."

He offered a sad smile and said, "I won't ramble on about it, so I'll simply say that I am content to leave now. Over all these years, I've watched you grow and develop, and I am happy to leave everything to you now. Considering the path you're pursuing with the world, I believe it's alright for me to leave."

Yasushi, unable to formulate a response, simply stared at the ground.

The original Yasushi chuckled softly and said, "Don't become sad now. You barely knew I was even alive until a couple of years ago. Everyone is aware that you are essentially 'me,' so my disappearing won't make any real difference to them. I stayed far longer than I should have, for my own well-being. If I had left immediately after I died, I would have already been reincarnated in another world. Anyway, this is where our paths diverge, Jack."

The original Yasushi then stood up and positioned himself directly in front of Yasushi, smiling at him. "Look after your children, love your fiancé and future wife. Take care of your friends, and live your life without regrets. You've changed greatly from who you were in your first life to who you are now. Don't allow my departure to burden you. I give you my full blessings."

With that, the original Yasushi turned around and walked toward the edge of the place they stood, a long drop down to the forest below.

The original Yasushi, after a pause, stated, "Your mind, my friend, is like this water. When it is disturbed, it becomes difficult to see clearly. But when you allow it to settle, the answer becomes clear." He then continued, "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, which is why it is called the present."

The original Yasushi looked back at Yasushi one final time and smiled. "Goodbye," he said, "please live your life to the best of your ability," before his form began to transform into bright golden dust. He slowly disintegrated, with a smile still visible on his face.

Yasushi, also known as Jack, remained seated, staring at the space where the original had been standing. He felt a mix of emotions, along with a sense of emptiness. Yet, at the same time, a new fire was ignited within him.

Although he and the original had barely spoken, he felt responsible for all of this. He knew that he had to live his life to the fullest for himself, and for the original as well.

Yasushi finally stood up and sighed softly. His surroundings began to slowly fade away, much like the original Yasushi had done. Everything around him transformed into bright golden dust and started to dissipate.

As the golden dust reached Yasushi, he too began to turn into the same substance. Yasushi closed his eyes. He had the distinct sensation that a part of his life had come to an end, and that a new one was about to begin.

He knew that he would still encounter numerous challenges in the future, but with the people he had by his side, he was confident that he would be able to overcome them.

"Thank you, Yasushi," he whispered, as he faded from that place for the last time.