Every morning in Japan, the person leaving the house says ittekimasu — 'I'm going now.' The person staying behind responds itterasshai — 'Go and come back safely.' This is not casual. It is a ritual of care exchanged between people who share a life. The words acknowledge that a separation is happening, however brief, and that both parties wish for a safe return. In a world that rushes through goodbyes, this thirty-second ritual says: your leaving matters to me, and your return will be welcomed.

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