Chapter 8: Toudou Tsuyoshi and Tanaka Haru’s Reset
After finishing the company visit, I resumed my part-time job at the Western-style restaurant on the regular weekend. I silently process the shrimp in front of me. I wash them under running water and split them down the middle with a specialized pair of scissors.
I like the prep work for cooking. I can think about all sorts of things while moving my hands.
Plus, it’s interesting to see the gradual improvement in my processing techniques.
The chef next to me, who is preparing the doria, starts talking to me. His daughter is next to him, preparing the salad. It’s time for the bustle of lunch to give way to preparations for the evening.
“Wow, Toudou-kun is really diligent, you know~ Even our employees can’t do it this quickly.”
“Thank you very much.”
“I feel like the atmosphere around you has changed somehow. Your hairstyle looks nice too. In that case, you could take him to a mixer, right? Toudou-kun, don’t you have any cool male friends?”
“Hey! Don’t say weird things to Toudou-kun!”
“Ahaha, just joking, just joking. Since Toudou-kun is younger but seems quite mature, you know?”
“Hmm, male friends, huh……. Igarashi-kun is quite the ladies’ man. But a mixer?”
“Oh, you made a new friend! That’s great, Toudou-kun!”
“He’s a good person. He really loves Sasaki-san.”
“You don’t know about mixers, huh…….Well, I’ll teach you, as the mature woman I am.”
“No, no, you haven’t changed at all. You have entrance exams this year, so just focus on that. You don’t really need to work part-time.”
“No way, this is my breath of fresh air.”
Casual chit-chat during work. I couldn’t do this kind of thing before, as I was too focused on the job. I didn’t know what to talk about.
I realized that communication is all about accumulation.
From this unremarkable exchange, I can feel the deep bond between the chef and his daughter.
But there are still many unfamiliar things. For example, I’ve been getting praised by others a lot lately.
In elementary school, if I couldn’t do something, I was just made to keep trying until I could. Even if I succeeded, I was never praised. In middle school, I was just yelled at all the time. So this is a very strange sensation.
I hear footsteps coming from the hall. That sound is… Tanaka.
“Chef, I’ve finished cleaning up! What should I do next?”
Tanaka is energetic as always. Just seeing that makes me happy.
“Oh, the prep work is further along than I thought. … How about you clock out a little early today? Ah, Toudou-kun, you can head out early too.”
“Understood! Hehe, yes!”
The chef is an incredibly kind person. But I have a vague memory of him being ruthless when his daughter’s incident happened.
At that time, what I sensed from the chef was his deep love for his daughter. Even with a knife pointed at him, he didn’t change expression at all – it was clear he was from a different world.
His muscular arms are covered in scars. He looks just like a manga character I recently read about – a gruff, tanned cafe owner with a shaven head and a muscular build. I wonder if I could win in hand-to-hand combat against this chef? Even on my side, I don’t think I’d come out unscathed. … Someday I’d like to hear his old stories.
This chef, when he first met me, heaved a heavy sigh. At the time I thought I must have said something weird again. But that was just my mistaken assumption. With a kind yet sorrowful gaze, the chef said [This is a place where there won’t be any adults trying to take advantage of you – you can relax here.]
“He is a strange person. He is a very likable individual.
“Hmm, then I’ll be taking my leave first. Well then–“
“Hehehe, be sure to be cozy with Tanaka-san!”
“Hey, don’t tease me!”
We were being warmly seen off by the chef and his daughter as we exited the kitchen.
“Let’s go to Shirogane Park and have a juice today.”
“Is it a bit far, is that okay?”
Shirogane Park is a small park behind the slope of the shopping district. It’s about a ten-minute walk from here.
“It’s fine, I’d like to take a leisurely walk for once.”
“That’s true.”
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Unlike at school, seeing Tanaka in casual clothes again after a long time feels a bit awkward. Even though I’ve been working part-time for a while, it’s a fresh feeling. …I don’t think I’m that different from the old me. There’s no difference in my feelings towards Tanaka.
“Working part-time is tiring, huh~ But it’s fun, so it’s good. Oh, by the way, did Michiba find her bag?”
“Ah, yes, we did, but I’m not sure how to explain it…”
“Huh?”
That day, after Michiba quietly shed tears, the four of us had tea at a nearby cafe. It was just a single drink, but it was a very fulfilling time.
I found Michiba’s tears to be strange. Sadness brings out tears.
Hanazono, Tanaka, Michiba, and Sasami must have all cried because they were sad.
But Michiba’s tears were different. It’s hard to describe, but they were tears that washed the heart, pleasant to behold.
Afterwards, Tanaka’s younger brother came to pick her up, and Hanazono and I decided to see Michiba home. And at the ticket gate, Shimafuji was waiting, holding Michiba’s bag…
“Uh, my… acquaintance found Michiba’s bag and phone…”
“…Huh? Toudou’s acquaintance? Oh, a girl? Well, that’s great the bag was found!”
“I’m not sure how to explain it. Shimafuji is a former classmate from elementary school, and he’s a guy. But that’s beside the point.”
Clutching Michiba’s adorable bag under his arm, Shimafuji handed over the phone. For some reason, his face was flushed, and he averted his gaze from Michiba and Hanazono.
Apparently, he had witnessed Michiba being robbed of her bag and was about to try and stop the thief, but Michiba had already run off. After she left, he intimidated her classmate and took the bag, then chased after Michiba.
When Michiba finished running, he tried to return the bag, but he was too shy to talk to a girl and didn’t know what to do.
And then, he ran into me on the way and hid, startled.
…It’s a bit confusing. Can he really handle guarding Eri? Is he a bit of a simpleton? I’ve read about this kind of thing in novels. Is this what they call a “muscle-brained” person?
“So it wasn’t a girl. Well, whatever!”
“Hmm, let’s just leave Shimafuji be. Michiba said she wants to treat us all to her restaurant’s food next time. Let’s coordinate our schedules and go together.”
“Okay, sounds good!”
Michiba is going to be alright. She must have found something.
Yesterday, I went to the old classroom. Along with visiting Sasaki-san and Igarashi-kun, I wanted to check on Michiba.
Michiba was studying alone. I didn’t sense any strange tension from her. During a study break, she stretched and closed her textbook, and some girls from the class started chatting with her. It was just casual conversation, but there was a very natural atmosphere. I could see a smile on her face that seemed truly carefree.
The sense of loneliness, anxiety, and sadness that I had felt from her before was gone. And I remember feeling something stirring in my own soul.
Tanaka lightly poked my chest as we walked.
“It’s all thanks to you, Toudou!”
“Me?”
“Michiba-san was able to reset her heart. By interacting with you, various emotions have settled down, I think.”
“Is that how it works?”
“Yeah, I’m sure of it.”
Tanaka’s strong words sink into my chest. I see, so I was able to guide Michiba in a good direction. That makes me very happy.
…Tanaka keeps gazing at me. Why is that?
“T-Tanaka? What’s wrong? It’s a bit embarrassing, even for you.”
“Ah, sorry. Hehe, but don’t you see? Michiba-san is moving in a good direction because of you! Isn’t that great?”
That’s true. Tanaka, who knew the old me, should understand how difficult that must have been. I could only hurt people. And yet, I was able to be a help to Michiba.
“–You know, Toudou has low self-esteem. He’s good at studying and sports, but the most wonderful thing about him is… his pure and kind heart. That’s why everyone is drawn to him–“
The pain in my chest that I had tried to forget rises up again. I’m not that kind of person. I’m the one who hurt Tanaka.
“B-But, I was mocked by everyone. To be honest, I sometimes worry that if Tanaka and Hanazono are with me, they’ll be made fun of too. …I think I’ve grown a little. But I still can’t shake my poor communication skills. When talking to unfamiliar students, I get so tense. I don’t feel like I can get along well with my coworkers. –I’m an awkward person.”
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