The next morning, as Yuri cleans her storeroom while chatting with her friend Miko, an old, dust-covered box tumbles from a high shelf and crashes to the floor. The sudden noise cuts her conversation short, and she quickly hangs up to investigate. The box is heavy and about 30 cm in size, its black surface coated with years of grime. As she kneels to pick it up, she notices it is locked with a rusty, old padlock. Her heart pounds furiously as she realizes with a jolt that this is no ordinary box—it belonged to her late husband. Her hands shake as she runs her fingers over the lock, the weight of the moment sinking in. The box holds secrets she can't access without the key, leaving her filled with a mix of anticipation and dread as she contemplates the memories and emotions it might contain.
Yuri carefully carried the locked box to her room, placing it on a shelf before sitting on the edge of her bed. Desperately, she searched every drawer and corner of the room for the key, but it was nowhere to be found. The lock was no ordinary one; it was designed to be impenetrable without its specific key. Frustration and exhaustion etched across her face, she took a deep breath, lifted the box once more, and stowed it away in the cupboard.
Later, as she stood in her kitchen making coffee, her mind churned with thoughts about how to open the box. An idea struck her—her friend, a skilled carpenter, might be able to help. Without hesitation, she picked up her phone and called him, hoping he could offer a solution to unlock the mysteries sealed within.
Yuri picked up the phone, her voice tense, “Hello, this is Yuri.”
The caller, Mr. Moo, responded warmly, “Oh, Yuri! How are you?”
Yuri hesitated before replying, “I have a box with a lock, but I don’t have the key to unlock it, and it was...”
Mr. Moo interrupted gently, “Okay, I understand. Bring it to my shop, and I’ll take a look at it.”
The call ended, and Yuri grabbed her car keys and drove to Mr. Moo’s shop. She was driven by an intense need to uncover what was inside the box.
At the shop, Mr. Moo greeted her with a concerned look. “Hey, Yuri, how are you?” He noticed her anxiety immediately.
Yuri placed the box on the workbench. “This is the box I was talking about.”
Mr. Moo’s expression shifted to recognition. “Calm down, Yuri. Why the rush?” He called his assistant to bring her some water, noticing how exhausted she looked.
As Mr. Moo examined the box closely, a smile crossed his face. “Ah, this box—Yohan ordered this special one for you. Didn’t he give you the key?”
Yuri’s eyes widened in shock. “No, he didn’t. When did he order this?”
Mr. Moo furrowed his brow, trying to recall. “Let me check the register.” He flipped through the pages, each turn making Yuri’s heart race faster. Finally, he looked up, his expression thoughtful.
“According to the register, Yohan ordered this box about a month before he... passed away. He specifically requested it be kept secure for a future surprise. I don’t have the key, but it looks like he might have intended for you to find it eventually.”
Yuri’s anxiety was replaced by a mix of sadness and curiosity. She needed to know what Yohan had left for her, and Mr. Moo’s revelation made her even more determined to uncover the box’s secrets.
Yuri clutched the box tightly, as if it were the most precious thing in the world. She looked at Mr. Moo with tear-filled eyes and asked, “Do you have a spare key for this box?”
Mr. Moo’s expression grew somber as he replied, “This is a special box, so the key is special too. I don’t have the key, and if we force it open, the box will break.”
Yuri’s heart sank. “Special key? What does that mean?”
Mr. Moo continued, “It means it doesn’t have a traditional key. When I made the box, Yohan specifically asked me not to design a conventional lock. He wanted to handle that himself. He knew a bit about mechanisms and wanted the lock to be his own creation.”
Yuri’s confusion deepened. “So, how am I supposed to open it?”
Mr. Moo sighed, reflecting on past conversations. “It’s not that the box can’t open. Yohan told me, ‘I didn’t make a key for this lock.’”
Yuri’s frustration grew. “Then how will it open?”
Mr. Moo sighed, reflecting on past conversations.
YOU ARE READING
Echoes of the Rain
RomanceIn a quiet corner of the city, where the relentless hum of life seemed to pause with each drop of rain, Yuri lived in a world of memories. It had been five years since Yohan had left, and yet, for Yuri, time had folded into an endless loop of days m...
