“It’s done! thanks to you, Rentarō-san, I finished much faster than usual.”
Otoha beamed at me with her signature crescent-moon smile.
I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.
“A-Ah. I’ll bring the food to the table.”
Yeah… I don’t hate her face.
Her smile is actually pretty cute.
I do like seeing Otoha smile.
She pulled out a cotton placemat and set down a simple breakfast: rice, miso soup, pickles, and tamagoyaki [Japanese rolled omelet].
Considering she had woken up at five to make it, it was a rather humble spread.
All the dishes she called “cute” were slightly misshapen.
Despite all the effort she had put into scooping the rice, it looked carelessly fluffed into the bowl.
The tamagoyaki, too, was a little uneven, just like the plates.
And yet…
Though everything was slightly imperfect, once laid out together on the placemat, it created a strange sense of harmony.
Somehow, it felt right.
It was as if the misshapen pieces were balancing each other out, forming a quiet, natural order.
“Let’s eat.”
The food itself was the same.
The tamagoyaki was mildly flavored, while the miso soup was a bit stronger.
The balance of the two, paired with the fluffy rice, made each bite comforting.
The fresh pickles reset my palate with a refreshing crispness.
How should I put this…?
It’s… good.
There was a warmth to it—a steady, reassuring start to the day.
I didn’t hate it.
And because of that, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.
◇
The new workplace was nothing like the Tokyo headquarters.
Gone were the days of navigating the complex hierarchy of the massive corporate building, maneuvering through cutthroat negotiations.
Now, everything was contained on a single floor in a small branch office.
Instead of the tense murmur of multilingual business discussions, I heard cheerful conversations about the best local fishing spots.
It wasn’t just Otoha—this whole place seemed to move on a different timeline than me.
I was frustrated.
The work itself was easier.
I wasn’t constantly pressed for time, nor did I have to deal with high-stakes, last-minute deals.
Most people would be thrilled to earn the same salary for less stress.
But I was ambitious.
And the easier the work became, the more agitated I felt.
While I was wasting time here, my former colleagues overseas were honing their skills, widening the gap between us.
If I stayed in this lukewarm environment, my chances for promotion would only slip further away.
I had to close the contracts I needed for the project and get back to headquarters as soon as possible.
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