"Hello?"


    "Yoko-san, how did the stock price turn out?"


    "Just as you said. I''m sorry for doubting you."


    "It''s okay. Nobody believes such incredible stories without any doubt."


    "But still, I''m sorry. Can I ask who you really are?"


    "Isn''t it enough if I''m just a strange advisor named Imada?"


    "Well... An advisor, huh. But how on earth can you do such things? Do you know the hidden side of the world?"


    "Well, yes. Both the hidden and the visible sides."


    "You really are an amazing person."


    "Am I an amazing person?" Imada said, wearing a big smile on the other end of the phone. He had never been called an amazing person in his life before, especially by a beautiful woman like Yoko. It made him feel as if he were floating on air.


    "Yes! You''re amazing!" Yoko exclaimed, her voice full of sincerity.


    Imada''s face lit up with joy as he laughed happily.


    "You''re my savior," Yoko said solemnly.


    "So, you''ve decided not to end your life, then."


    "No, because I have a strong ally now. Can we meet again?"


    "That''s good to hear. Of course, we can meet."


    The two of them agreed on a meeting time and ended the call. Yoko applied makeup, donned a stylish skirt, and placed the tablet in her handbag before leaving her apartment. She felt entirely different from the day before; her heart was light.


    In haste, she entered the upscale hotel near the station she had visited the day before and spotted Imada in the lounge.


    "Imada-san," she said, offering a smile and waving her hand as if greeting a boyfriend. Where had her thoughts of despair from the previous day gone? Imada shyly waved back from his seat at the lounge table. As Yoko confidently approached him in her high heels, she seemed like a movie star in Imada''s eyes.


    "Yoko, would you like something to drink?"


    "I''ll have an iced coffee," Yoko replied, glancing at what appeared to be an iced coffee in Imada''s hand. Sitting across from him, she seemed vibrant, her eyes sparkling in a way that made her look like an entirely different person compared to just the day before. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    "What should I do from now on?"


    "First, invest in low-performing stocks before their prices go up," Imada said, enthusiasm filling his voice. He was eager to help this beautiful woman.


    "I see. But I don''t have any money. Could you lend me some?"


    "According to the rules, I can''t do that."


    "Rules…" Yoko sighed, her expression falling.


    "Don''t worry, Yoko-san. I can still offer you advice," Imada reassured her, his heart sinking at the sight of her sadness.


    "I trust you..."


    Yoko''s saddened eyes were captivating in their own way. In that moment, Imada felt a surge of what seemed like oxytocin, the happiness hormone, flooding his brain. It was as if he had fallen in love with Yoko right then and there. An ethereal aura seemed to surround her, as if flower petals were fluttering around her in a scene straight out of an anime.


    "Please trust me. There''s nothing to worry about, as long as you follow my advice," Imada said, his tone earnest.


    "But even if you tell me to buy stocks, I can''t do that without money," Yoko pointed out, her expression growing even more anxious.


    "That''s precisely why you should listen to me," Imada insisted.


    "Alright, I''ll listen," Yoko replied, locking eyes with Imada, her expression serious. "You can take the ring you''re wearing to a pawn shop and use it as collateral to borrow money," Imada explained.


    "But this ring... it''s a keepsake from my mother," Yoko said, her voice tinged with sadness.


    "I understand your reluctance," Imada responded, his tone apologetic.


    "Then, Imada-san, can''t you lend me the money, using the ring as collateral? You know better than anyone how I could turn a profit in the stock market," Yoko suggested.


    "You have a point. But according to the rules, I can''t do that."


    "Who on earth devised such rules? They must be strange. I just can''t understand it," Yoko sighed.


    "It''s not a person who created the rules. It''s AI—Artificial Intelligence," Imada clarified.


    "AI? Artificial Intelligence?" Yoko wondered.


    "That''s not important right now. Please open a securities account online as soon as possible. Once you have the funds, transfer them from your bank account to the new account."


    "It feels a bit overwhelming," Yoko said.


    "Don''t worry. As long as you have the tablet I gave you, everything will work out." Yoko left her iced coffee untouched on the table. Taking Imada''s advice to heart, she stood up. She planned to head straight to the pawnshop and the bank from there.


    "I can trust you, right?" Yoko looked at Imada, her discomfort still palpable.


    "Yes, you can trust me," Imada responded, his tone sincere.


    "I''ll hold onto this tablet of yours for the time being," Yoko said, bowing slightly before swiftly exiting the lobby. Imada was left captivated by the allure of Yoko''s retreating figure.


    A few days later, Yoko transferred 2 million yen from her bank account to her new securities account online. She hadn''t expected that her mother''s keepsake ring would allow her to borrow such a substantial sum. In her heart, she felt as though her mother was looking out for her from beyond. For Yoko, the outcome of this stock investment was a matter of life and death. Her emotional state had shifted significantly since her meeting with Imada; where once she''d felt a sense of possibility, she now found herself awash in anxiety. Following Imada''s advice, she''d made all the necessary preparations. Now, all that remained was to select three companies to invest in and execute the trades come the following Monday.


    During her free moments, Yoko found her thoughts drifting to her late parents. After a prolonged absence, she decided it was time to visit their graves in the neighboring town. The journey was just a 10-minute train ride, but lately, her mood hadn''t been conducive to such visits. On her way, she stopped at a flower shop to buy a small bunch of flowers. Once at the cemetery, she placed the fresh flowers beside the tombstone. With a ladle, she gently poured water over the stone, then closed her eyes and clasped her hands together, offering a silent prayer.