Ch. 2- Slice of Life Mamoru

Setting: Tokyo, Japan

Mamoru Saito had always been a happy-go-lucky kind of guy. The kind of person whose smile could brighten a room, whose laughter was infectious, and whose optimism was unwavering—the perfect protagonist for a slice-of-life drama.

He was the kind of man who took the good with the bad, brushing off life's little inconveniences with a chuckle and a shrug. His love for adventure and history had led him to a career as an archeologist, a profession where he could unearth the past and preserve its stories.

Yes, Mamoru Saito was full of life and love.

That is... until one fateful day, when everything changed forever.

---

"Mom! I'm running late for my excavation trip!" Mamoru called out as he slung his backpack over his shoulder, grabbing his suitcase.

His mother, a frail but kind-hearted woman, stood in the kitchen with an apron on, her silver hair tucked neatly behind her ears. Her hands trembled slightly as she held a cup of tea.

"Okay, honey, have fun digging up dino-sours," she replied with a teasing smile.

Mamoru groaned, rolling his eyes. "Mom, we've been over this a million times! I'm an archeologist, not a paleontologist! And it's dinosaurs, not dino-sours."

She giggled at his frustration. "Oh, you know my mind isn't what it used to be, honey. Forgive me."

Mamoru sighed, stepping forward and pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I know, Mom. I still love you, but I really gotta go before I miss my flight!"

She nodded, but as he turned to leave, her expression changed. Her lips quivered slightly, and her eyes brimmed with tears. She reached out, fingers trembling, as if she wanted to hold onto him just a little longer.

Mamoru, in his rush, didn't notice. He rushed out of the house, a piece of toast in his mouth, waving as he hurried toward the waiting taxi.

His mother stood at the door, watching.

A single tear rolled down her cheek as she whispered, "I'll always love you."

---

~Several days later~

Location:Archeology Site, Mexico

The sun hung low over the excavation site, its orange hues painting the desert sands. Mamoru wiped the sweat from his brow, marveling at the discovery before him.

A large cave entrance, partially hidden behind the shifting dunes.

His team gathered around, murmuring in curiosity. The walls of the cave were lined with strange, ancient carvings, symbols unlike anything they'd encountered before.

One of the senior researchers, Dr. Carmona, squinted at the markings. "I don't recognize these. It doesn't match the Mayan or Aztec cultures."

Mamoru ran his fingers over the carvings. They felt warm to the touch.

"Maybe it's something older?" he suggested.

The team, cautious of potential dangers, decided to return to camp before nightfall.

But Mamoru couldn't shake the feeling that this cave was calling to him.

---

That night, as the desert winds whistled through the tents, Mamoru lay awake, tossing and turning.

Then his phone rang.

"Hey, what's up, Lupe?" he answered groggily. "We should be wrapping things up in a few days."

But there was something off about Lupe's voice.

"Mamoru… I have bad news."

His body froze.

---

A young Mamoru, no older than six, sat on the wooden floor of his family's small but cozy apartment. His chubby hands gripped a colorful book, flipping through its pages with fascination.

His mother sat beside him, her silver hair still streaked with its youthful black strands. She was wearing a worn, but lovingly knitted sweater, a cup of tea steaming on the table.

"And this, sweetie, is an ammonite," she said, pointing at an image of a fossil.

Mamoru's eyes lit up. "Mom! It looks like a magic spiral!"

She chuckled, ruffling his messy hair. "It does, doesn't it? Fossils tell the story of life long before us. And if you listen closely… maybe you can still hear them whispering their secrets."

His eyes widened. He pressed his tiny ear to the book.

His mother laughed. "Oh, sweetheart, you're precious."

It was a simple moment. But it was everything.

---

A bright summer day. Mamoru was ten. His hands were covered in dirt, his knees scraped from climbing a rocky hill near the school playground.

He had spent all afternoon digging, convinced he'd find dinosaur bones.

And then, finally—

Something hard beneath his fingers.

He pulled it free, dusting off the dirt to reveal…

A rusted old coin.

It wasn't ancient. It wasn't valuable. But to ten-year-old Mamoru?

It was a treasure.

He raced home, bursting into the apartment with wild excitement. "Mom! Mom! Look! I found something!"

His mother turned from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. She gasped in dramatic excitement. "Oh my! An ancient relic! Tell me, young explorer, where did you unearth this?"

Mamoru puffed out his chest. "On an expedition! The Hill of Hidden Mysteries!"

She knelt, examining the coin with playful seriousness. "I see… this is no ordinary find. This coin must have been lost by a traveler long ago, carrying a secret message!"

His eyes shone with wonder. "Really?!"

She winked. "That's for you to find out, my little archeologist."

That day, he vowed he would spend his life uncovering hidden stories.

---

Seventeen-year-old Mamoru sat by his grandmother's bedside, holding her frail hand. The hospital room smelled of disinfectant and something heavier—the weight of fading life.

His mother stood beside him, her hands gripping the rosary she always carried, whispering a silent prayer.

Mamoru forced a smile. "Grandma, when you get better, I'll take you to see the sea fossils. The ones you always wanted to see."

His grandmother's cloudy eyes twinkled. "Oh, my sweet boy. I'd like that very much."

But they both knew the truth.

The next morning, she was gone.

His mother cried. Mamoru did not.

Not because he wasn't heartbroken, but because he had to be strong for her.

That night, he whispered to himself: "When I grow up, I'll make her proud. I'll discover something so amazing that she'll hear about it in heaven."

---

Mamoru leaned against the counter of the convenience store, exhausted. The clock blinked 3:17 AM.

He rubbed his eyes, forcing himself to stay awake. After his shift, he had an exam in the morning. After the exam, another shift.

Being a broke student in Tokyo was hard. But he never let it dampen his spirit.

When customers came in, he smiled, joked, and laughed, keeping his energy up.

At sunrise, he rushed to campus, coffee in one hand, notes in the other.

He aced his exam that morning.

Later that evening, his mother called.

"Mamoru, are you eating enough? You sound tired."

He grinned, leaning against his dorm window, looking out at the glowing city skyline. "Mom, I'm living the dream."

And in many ways, he was.

---

The day he received his diploma, Mamoru found his mother standing at the front of the crowd, beaming with pride.

She was older now, her silver hair framing her face, but her eyes shone with unwavering love.

She held out a small package. "A gift for my scholar."

Inside was a watch. An old, antique one.

"Mom… this is Dad's, isn't it?" Mamoru whispered.

She nodded. "He would have been so proud of you."

Mamoru hugged her tightly, whispering into her hair. "I promise I'll do great things."

---

His chest ached. The memories flooded back as he gripped his phone.

"It's your mom… she passed away a few hours ago."

Silence.

The words did not feel real.

"We tried to call you, but we couldn't get through."

Mamoru sat up, his breath shallow.

"No… no, that's not possible. I just talked to her a few days ago."

Tears spilled down his face before he could even process them.

Lupe spoke again, his voice somber. "The funeral is in three days."

Mamoru's throat felt tight. "Okay… I'll be there."

As the call ended, a hollow emptiness filled his chest.

He sat in the darkness, gripping his phone. The weight of regret crashed over him.

Why didn't I stay a little longer?

Why didn't I notice how weak she looked?

Why did I rush off like she was just another part of my schedule?

His vision blurred as tears fell freely.

---

Unable to sleep, Mamoru stepped out of his tent. The desert night was cold, the sky stretching endlessly above him.

Then—

A blinding white beam shot down from the heavens, crashing near the cave.

The ground trembled beneath his feet.

Mamoru's heart pounded. What the hell was that?

He hesitated. Should he wake the others? Call someone?

But something inside him urged him forward.

"By the time someone gets here, it'll be too late. What if someone's hurt? I can't stay back here if someones in danger!"

His instincts overpowered his grief. He grabbed a flashlight and made his way toward the cave entrance, the place that had haunted his thoughts all day.

As he stepped inside, the air shifted. It was warmer, almost comforting.

Then—

A voice.

Soft at first, almost like a whisper riding the wind.

"I can tell you're in a lot of pain."

Mamoru froze. His flashlight flickered.

"I can make it all better."

The voice was everywhere, yet nowhere.

"All you have to do… is become my vessel."

The cave was suddenly bathed in light.

Mamoru shielded his eyes, but his body was frozen in place.

Before him, a glowing figure emerged, towering and divine. It was unlike anything he had ever seen—neither human nor entirely celestial.

Its form shimmered, its features shifting like liquid energy.

Mamoru's breath came in ragged gasps. His mind screamed to run, but something deeper inside him refused to resist.

The voice spoke again, and this time, it was inside him.

"Your heart is burdened. You ache with loss. Let me take it away. Let me give you something greater."

Mamoru felt his sorrow rising, but instead of breaking him, it flowed outward, dissolving into the warmth of the light.

A peace like he had never known enveloped him.

He didn't question it.

Didn't fight it.

He accepted it.

---

From the cave, a pillar of radiant energy shot into the sky, illuminating the desert for miles.

Mamoru stepped out, his body glowing with the same ethereal light.

His grief? Gone.

His pain? A distant memory.

A new purpose filled his heart.

A smile spread across his face.