直
じき · jiki · JLPT N3 · na-adj
immediately
⏱️ jiki sounds like jiffy: done in a jiffy = soon, shortly
直 means straight or direct. Read じき, it is time taken straight, with no detour between now and the event, so it means soon or right away. Often heard as もうじき (any moment now). The jiki-jiffy sound match carries the meaning.
直 — 十 ten + 目 eye + 乚 hidden line
Originally depicted an eye (目) looking straight along a vertical line, suggesting a direct, unswerving gaze. The form combines 目 'eye' with strokes indicating straightness. From this came the meanings 'straight,' 'upright,' and by extension 'honest' or 'direct.'