I started reading again—for the first time in years, maybe even over a decade.

I went to Kinokuniya and picked up a few books I had already read, along with a few I had been curious about for a long time.

At this point, it would be hard to say that I’ve regained a reading habit. It feels as if the “muscle” needed to read text has weakened; even when I follow the sentences, there are many moments where I can’t quite grasp what’s happening.

And yet, somehow, I find myself enjoying even that.

I’ve also been spending time on things like buying a stand light I’d been meaning to get, or browsing flower stands—naturally drifting toward things that are, in a way, the opposite of efficiency.

Maybe that’s exactly what I need right now.

Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say that I’m drawn to things that don’t require being labeled as necessary or unnecessary.

I’m not sure if it’s because of that, but my physical condition has been very good. So good that I almost wonder if surgery is really necessary—but it probably is. The schedule for readmission and surgery has been set, and I’m preparing myself to face it properly.

It’s not something I look forward to, but I’ll face it—without running away, and above all, as lightly as I can.