Episode 14: A Wavering Heart and a Quiet Screen

Market Clamor and Social Media Waves

Nighttime. Yuto sat on the edge of his bed, frozen with his smartphone gripped tightly in his hand.

The market had moved drastically today. Flashy headlines lined his news apps, and an endless stream of success reports flooded social media.

"Up +38,000 yen today alone!"
"Recurring investments are too slow. The aggressive ones are the ones who win."
"ETFs are the best! If you aren't moving right now, you're getting left behind."

Every time Yuto scrolled through the screen, he felt a deep, stirring restlessness in his chest.

Although the amount he had accumulated was growing bit by bit, compared to the flashy posts on social media, it felt as infinitesimally small as a single dot.

Putting his smartphone down, he turned his gaze toward the window. Hikappa was quiet today, as always. The exact same leaf shape as yesterday. The exact same glow.

Yuto snapped a photo and sent an email to Miona-sensei.

From: Yuto
Subject: I feel a bit restless today
Miona-sensei,
Good evening. Sending over today's photo of Hikappa.

The market was moving wildly today. Seeing so many people hitting massive results on social media honestly made me anxious.
I feel like I'm somehow being left behind.

I'm starting to doubt whether keeping things as they are is right for both Hikappa and my investments. Should I be moving much more aggressively after all?

A Two-Day Silence

He eagerly hoped for a quick reply from Miona-sensei, but it didn't come right away.

Yuto checked his phone over and over, thinking, "Miona-sensei is taking a while." However, watching the sensational market news and social media brags gradually quiet down over the next two days, he came to realize **just how desperately he had been seeking an instant response**.

On the evening of the second day, a notification chimed. Yuto took a deep breath and opened the screen.

From: Miona
Subject: Re: I feel a bit restless today
Dear Yuto,
Thank you for the email. And I'm so glad you shared your honest feelings with me.

Let me tell you one important thing.
On days when the market wavers, your heart wavers too.
That is completely natural. It isn't a bad thing, nor is it a sign of weakness.
And here is one more thing.

If you act when your heart is wavering, you will almost always make a mistake.

Social media only displays the polished successes. But what lies hidden right behind them are—

• People who bought in out of sheer panic
• People who broke their own rules
• People who just happened to get lucky by pure coincidence

That is the actual reality.
True growth only comes to those who continue quietly. Your photo from today shows Hikappa is in wonderful shape. Hikappa doesn't compare itself to others. It yields to the wind on stormy days, and waits patiently on rainy days.
Investing is exactly the same. Don't let yourself get swallowed by the waves; keep going while simply observing them from afar.
The fact that your heart wavered today is by no means a failure.
Being able to clearly notice that internal wavering all on your own—that itself is a massive step forward.

Choosing Stillness

By the time he finished reading the email, the restlessness in his chest had softened considerably.

Yuto slowly began writing his reply.

From: Yuto
Subject: Thank you very much
Miona-sensei,
Reading your email helped me calm down a lot.
Today, the words on social media felt like crashing waves. I felt like I was about to be pulled under, but now I feel like I've made it back to the shore safely.

I will keep going with both Hikappa and my investments steadily, without rushing. Thank you so much.

He tapped the send button and opened his investment app once more.

The numbers hadn't changed significantly.

Yet, for some reason, looking at that quiet screen brought him a deep sense of peace tonight.

Beside him, Hikappa glowed serenely, remaining right where it belonged, unchanged.