Chapter 77: An unconscious childhood friend and a conscious me

I took a shower and stood in front of the sink. I've been doing strength training for years, so I've always had muscles, but since I've started working as a cleaner, I feel like I've gained muscles all over the place. It seems that cleaning work uses muscles that I never thought I'd use, and my thighs and back are starting to stand out.

"Just in case, you know, I should brush my teeth for good manners."

I brush my mouth carefully, and while I'm at it, I brush my tongue as well. I trimmed my hair and...stopped my hand there.

"I never cared about my appearance before."

My face, which used to be covered with stubble, is now clean and smooth. Even if I don't have a part-time job, I try to shave once every two days. For ten years, I thought I didn't want to meet people. Now I'm actively trying to meet people myself.

"It's normal, but...it's growing on me a bit."

When I was a recluse, Seika would call and text me every day, but I found it annoying and threw away my cell phone. After that, I had no way of contacting her, and she visited my house a few times, but I didn't even try to see her...

I put the can of hair conditioner I had in my hand back on the shelf and just lightly stroke it with my hand. During my stay in the "Village of Fate," I had called Seika to confirm our feelings for each other. At the time, I was just happy, but when I thought about it calmly, I realized...that I had no power or right to make her happy now.

I've been able to get a part-time job since I was a NEET, but now I'm just trying to make ends meet. No, I'm living with my parents and not paying rent or utilities. I can't even support myself on my own. I do have some money in the house, but it's not enough to pay for even a cheap apartment.

Seika probably doesn't even care about my income. In fact, with her income, the two of us should be able to live comfortably. She works at such a famous company that even I know about it. When I looked it up on the internet once, I was overwhelmed by the high starting salary.

"But I can't give up this part. Even if I can't make the same amount of money...I want to be paid enough to support the two of us."

One way is to become a full-time employee instead of a part-time worker. I was talking to the president once.

"Yoshio, if you want to be my employee, you're welcome. I can guarantee you two days off per week, except during the busiest times."

I was cut off at once.

"You'll be more stable if you get a full-time job because you'll have all kinds of insurance. However, if you want to do something else, you can work part-time. We've had people who wanted to be in a band, novelists, and manga artists at the same time."

For the time being, I was just hoping to get a part-time job, but I couldn't say anything back to the president's proposal.

"There's no need to rush, but you should at least decide what you want to do in the future. Of course, you can also say you want to continue working because you can't think of anything. Not everyone has a dream or a purpose. It's up to the individual to decide what they want to do as long as they have enough money to live day to day."

I just nodded.

"What do you want to do in the future...?"

I broke away from a decade of doing nothing and started working part-time. I was satisfied with that. I'm working harder than I did back then, and I feel more alive. But that's not good enough. I can't be satisfied here.

Even if I wanted to go out with Seika, I couldn't even afford a date. About half of the money I earn from my part-time job is saved to pay for the "Village of Fate". Whenever I look back at my money and current situation, I almost regret coming back here from that village, but I chose my own path. I don't want to say anything shameful now.

"That's what I wanted. It's a little late to regret my choice, isn't it?"

Ten years ago, there was something I was really aiming for. But I had a setback and stopped trying, and it would be impossible for me to get into that industry in this state. I don't hate the cleaning business. In fact, I even think it suits me.

If that's the case, then I should just bow to the boss and ask him to make me a full-time employee. But....I was about to start thinking about it again, so I washed my face with water, put on my usual going out clothes instead of my fancy...clothes, and headed for Seika's house.

...…

Standing in front of Seika's house, I was impressed by the fence that surrounded the property. It hadn't changed since the old days, but it was always magnificent. The white stucco walls are topped by a black tiled roof. It looked like a mansion from a period drama.

"I'm sure the village would love to have a stone wall like this in the end."

It's still a log fence, but for strength, I'd like to replace it with something more magnificent. Whenever I see a structure these days, I first think about whether or not it could be incorporated into the village. There is a wooden gate on the stucco wall, which is quite old-fashioned and looks as if it has a huge lock on the inside, but it actually has a keyhole and opens smoothly despite its appearance.

It used to be heavy and hard, but they remodeled it before. The door was unlocked, so I opened it and went inside. There was white gravel in the garden and in front of the entrance, giving it a perfect Japanese look. When I pressed the doorbell by the door, I immediately heard Seika's voice.

"Come in."

"Sorry to bother you."

When I opened the sliding door and entered the house, there was a dirt floor, and on the left was a kitchen with a cooking stove. There is a sense of a good old traditional house that does not betray its appearance, but in fact it was not like this in the past. There used to be a very ordinary kitchen, but it was remodeled to look like this.

There is a large shoebox on the right that can hold dozens of pairs of shoes. However, since only Seika and Grandma Okiku live there, more than four-fifths of it remains empty. There is a huge pillar in front of the house and a sunken fireplace in the back, surrounded by cushions.

Looking at it all, one might get the impression that it has remained unchanged for tens, maybe even hundreds of years, but this is all after the renovation. It used to be an ordinary living room.

In fact, the interior design of this old house was a combination of hobby and practical use for Seika's parents. They wanted to open an old house style cafe for a long time, so they took the plunge and remodeled their old house.

As a result, it became a quaint old house style, but unfortunately, right after it was completed, they were killed in a car accident. I was more used to the old style than this interior, so it still feels strange to me.

"Good, make yourself at home by the fireplace."

Seika peeks out from the room that was supposed to be a private room to welcome me. It is now her room. Incidentally, the room next to hers is Grandma Okiku's.

"Love you."

I sat down in front of the sunken fireplace. It certainly has a certain charm. Beyond the sunken fireplace, there were shoji screens, which opened to reveal a series of large glass windows. Beyond that, there was a pond with carp swimming in it, which Seika's parents had insisted on. It's certainly not bad. Just gazing out at it makes me feel as if I'm enjoying a luxury.

"It's really splendid, even the bathroom is so stylish."

Seika sat down in front of me with a wry smile. Unlike me, Seika wears proper clothes even at home. She's wearing a sleeveless black dress with a light cardigan over it. Underneath is a pair of shorts. I'm not a fashion expert, but I can at least understand that it looks good on her. I tried to think of something clever to say, but nothing came to mind. I need to work on my communication skills a little.

"This house is too big for just me and Grandma. I wouldn't mind if there were one or two more people here."

She stares at me with a meaningful expression on her face. She's playing with me, isn't she? I can see the smile on her face.

"If I get kicked out of the house, rent me a room."

"Oh, God. That's how you try to get away with it."

The casual exchange was pleasant. I'd like to keep chatting with her, but I think it's time to cut to the chase.

"So what is it that you want to talk to me about?"

"Um, well, I'm actually thinking about changing jobs...."

I was preparing myself for what kind of advice I was going to give, but she surprised me. I've been unemployed for a long time, and I've never had a full-time job. It means she's in a lot of trouble, right?

"Uh-huh. I don't think I can give you any advice since I've never worked before."

"Maybe I just need someone to listen to me complain."

"Well, go ahead. You may find that your thoughts become clearer as you talk to others. I'll listen to you as much as you want."

If that's the extent of it, I'll be happy to listen to it if it will lighten the burden on her heart.

"Thank you. I'm not dissatisfied with my current company at all, but there's something I've wanted to do for a long time, and I'm wondering if I should change jobs to study for it."

"It's a big company with stable performance and the income is not bad. Normally, I would think it's a waste of time."

"You're right. That's what I'm wondering too."

I feel like I want to encourage Seika to pursue her dreams. If I had a stable income, I could have said, "Don't worry about money, I'll support you," but as it is, financial support is impossible.

"I've got some money saved up, so if I don't get paid for a few years, I'm totally fine."

"Oh."

It was an unnecessary worry.

"May I ask what you'd like to try?"

When I asked her about it in the course of our conversation, she suddenly averted her gaze and fidgeted with her hands. What, is it really that difficult to say?

"You know…I wanted to make my fathers' dream come true."

"Does that mean you want to open an old-fashioned cafe in this house?"

"Yes."

Well, Seika was the one who was most excited when her parents told her about opening a cafe. She bragged about it to me. I'm going to work as a waitress, too," she said. The floor plan of the house is designed to be used as a cafe right now. With the right ingredients and supplies, she could be up and running within a month.

"I'm going to work at a café for a while while I go to school to get my cooking license. I can use my current contacts as suppliers, so I think I can make it."

"...I see."

What do you want me to say? You don't need to consult me, you're all set. Seika is a good cook, and she can handle socializing and taking care of people. She's also beautiful, so it's no surprise that she'll be the talk of the town when the restaurant opens. If I imagine Seika wearing a Japanese kimono and holding a tray to serve customers, I think...is possible.

"My grandma's a great cook and she's offering to help me."

"I think you should give it a try then. I'm sure she'll get mad at me for saying something like that, but I think it's going to be very successful."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I'll come by when I can."

The only problem is the location, but there is a national highway a short distance away, so traffic is not bad. There's also a bus stop nearby, so it's possible to come from the station. Recently, if a place has a good reputation, it will be talked about on the Internet, so I think I can handle that.

"Hey, there's one more thing I need to talk to you about."

"Oh, come on."

"I'd like to open a café in a year at the earliest, two years at the latest, and I was wondering, if it's not too much trouble, would you like to work here full-time?"

"...?"

A dumb voice leaks out unexpectedly. Let's see…I mean, I was wondering if I could get a job as a waiter when it opens in a few years.

"I don't think I have the manpower for it, and if we could run a cafe together, I'm sure we'd be happy every day."

If you are begged with moist eyes...your body will try to shake your head on its own. I held my ground and asked, "Can I think about it? She smiled shyly and said, "Yes, I'm in no hurry." I was about to leave, but there was something I really wanted to ask her, so after much deliberation, I mentioned....

"Seika, I want you to answer me honestly, you're not going to quit your job and start a cafe just to hire me out of pity, are you?"

It was a nice offer, but the first thing that came to my mind was this question. Seika had been kind and concerned about me. And, oddly enough, she still seemed to be in love with me. That's why I couldn't throw away this possibility. Seika's face, staring intently, smiles as if...troubled.

"I thought about it for a while, okay? But it's not that I want to offer Yoshio a stable job, it's more of a strategy to see if he'll join me at the cafe. That's the plan. I'm quite a calculating person."

She's joking but I think she probably meant it. She always had a tendency to act like that when she's trying to cover up her embarrassment.

"Also, it was a good time to quit the company. I can quit now without causing any trouble."

Seika toned down and sipped her tea. Her face looks somewhat sad.

"What's going on at the company?"

"...I didn't tell Yoshio because I didn't want you to worry, but there's been some persistent headhunting. It's going to be a problem for the company. So I thought it would be a good time to start my dream business, a cafe."

My heart palpitated as I heard Seika's confession. I just heard a similar story recently. I have a bad feeling about this, but it can't be true, can it? I'll ask her just in case.

"What kind of company invited you?"

"Let's see, a young CEO who's been on the rise lately? He was wearing some kind of expensive suit and looked kind of rude. He was eager to hit on me again and again, saying that he would give me preferential terms, but I don't think he was my type. And the name of the company is "Utopia," he said.

...No way, this is where it connects to my sister's story? It's too good to be a coincidence. No, but isn't there still a possibility that Utopia's company is doing something as extensive as that?

Recently, so many unbelievable things have happened around me that I'm starting to wonder if everything is not a coincidence and someone is behind the scenes. Can I just brush this off as a coincidence? It seems that a matter that is more troubling to me than the fact that there are more options for employment has arisen.