A Story of How I Went to Commit Suicide, but Ended Up at a Mysterious House and Got Pampered by a Motherly Beauty - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

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Hanging myself on an unowned mountain. This was the suicide method I devised to cause the least trouble to others. Hanging, surprisingly, was a fairly common method. All it required was a sturdy support and something to strangle the neck, making it possible almost anywhere.

The initial cost was just a strong rope, far more economical than charcoal-burning suicide. The question was where to do it. My room was out of the question. It was a rental, and it would trouble the landlord. Places with people around were obviously not good, so my attention naturally turned to rural areas with fewer people.

I learned that some mountains in rural areas had no owners. I set my sights on one of those. Hanging myself on a mountain owned by someone could lead to my body being found during a patrol, causing trouble to others. But on an unowned mountain, deep in a rural area where no one ventured… I figured it was unlikely anyone would find me.

Even if they did, it would be far in the future. With these thoughts, I selected the mountain where I would die. A nameless mountain, with no resources to gather or appeal for hiking. No owner, no nearby villages… A place no one visited. I was walking toward it.

“…Good, no houses or people.”

I confirmed this as I walked. There were no signs of people, not even houses to serve as bases. Well, I could see some in the distance, but that was it. There weren’t even rice fields nearby. This place probably used to be farmland long ago.

Thanks to depopulation and aging, it’s convenient for a suicide like me.

“This is it, right…?”

I stopped and looked ahead, where dense trees blocked my view. The land sloped upward, forming a hill. This was the mountain I chose for my suicide. With no hikers or caretakers, there was no maintained entrance. I had to climb from what couldn’t even be called an entrance.

“Alright, let’s go.”

I began climbing the mountain, scrambling upward.

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“Haa, haa…! Maybe I’m out of shape…!”

Several hours had passed since I started climbing. I was breathing heavily. I was so used to walking on paved asphalt, so I never imagined an unmaintained path would be this tough.

There wasn’t even a path to speak of. Hard protruding soil, twisted tree roots, moss-covered rocks—all appeared suddenly, making walking incredibly difficult. But this clearly showed that hardly anyone came here.

For someone like me, who wanted to die quietly without bothering others, this wasn’t something to avoid. That said, it was undeniably grueling. Should I have exercised a bit more? But I didn’t have the luxury for that… I was busy with preparations.

Feeling these nagging thoughts, I continued climbing. If there were a nice view, maybe climbing would be motivating, but the dense trees blocked everything. The thick foliage easily disoriented me. Even if someone told me to descend now, I couldn’t do it without getting lost.

Well, since I came to die, descending wasn’t on my mind at all. It was getting warmer outside, with some people switching from long sleeves to short, but this mountain was cool, almost chilly, even. I rubbed my skin, exposed to the cold air. The high humidity made the air feel heavy, weighing on my heart.

So this is what an unmaintained mountain feels like.

It was indeed an unsettling, dangerous place. Maybe great for animals, though.Dying alone here…Felt a bit scary. But this was my inevitable fate, a fitting end for someone like me.

“…Time to pick a spot.”

Lost in thought while climbing, I had gone deep enough. This area was unlikely to catch anyone’s eye.

Is there a branch strong enough to hold a person’s weight without breaking?

I looked around, but all I saw were thin, twisted branches. These might snap, leaving me half-alive. I wanted to die, not suffer. As I searched for a tree with sturdy branches…

“…Fog?”

A thick white mist suddenly enveloped my vision. Probably because of the high altitude. This was a dense fog. I could see a few meters ahead, but beyond ten meters, nothing.

Unsteady footing on an unmaintained path could be dangerous. I was out of breath, so I decided to rest. Leaning against a thin tree, I sat down. I had brought water, so I rummaged through my backpack, grabbed a bottle, and drank to soothe my throat.

“…I’ll move when the fog clears.”

All I need is a tree with a thick branch. Easy.

As I sat there, my eyelids grew heavy. My body must be exhausted.

…Maybe I’ll sleep a bit.

A bear could show up, but… That’d be fine too. I came here to die, after all. With those thoughts, my consciousness sank into darkness.

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“Hah…”

I woke up to the cold. Rubbing my arms, I looked around with still-sleepy eyes. No bears, apparently. I was relieved and disappointed at the same time. The fog seemed to have cleared considerably. I could see the ground clearly and far ahead.

This should be safe for walking without slipping.

“Ugh, my back…”

Sleeping without lying down properly made my back ache terribly. I stretched hard, took a deep breath, and started walking.

I hope I find a suitable tree soon…

As I walked…

“Hm…?”

The fog cleared rapidly. No, that was not quite right. It dissipated, almost unnaturally. There was no strong wind, yet it vanished quickly. My eyes widened at the strange phenomenon, but…

“Hmm…?”

Something even stranger happened, making my eyes widen further. Before me stood an impossibly grand mansion.

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