Chapter 18 Everyone Has Their Own Circumstances

Everyone Has Their Own Circumstances

There were no classes during the summer, so I concentrated on part-time work.

I had to work to make ends meet.

But thanks to that, I was able to have a little leeway in my life and I was able to save some money.

But I have no time to do anything but work.

If I had money, I could travel, but I didn’t really have that luxury, so if I didn’t work part-time, all I could do was sit at home and study.

So I got in touch with my friends from college. Some of them went home to their parents for the summer, while others, like me, did not go home to their parents but worked part-time. So I would find friends who were bored like me and occasionally invite them to get together and hang out and eat.

In other words, that’s the typical life of a poor student living alone.

As a poor student, my parents started to send me food.

I received a box of canned food, instant food, and other food packed in a cardboard box once each in July and August, and when I immediately contacted my parents to thank them, “Thank you! It really helps!” They warned me, “Eat it carefully!”.

After all, the most important thing is to have your family at home.

I met Iroha-san often, even during the summer vacation.

Thankfully, she would often contact me and say, “I made too many side dishes,” and I would visit her at her house, or she would bring them to my house. Sometimes she invited other friends, but often it was just the two of us.

By the way, I took her to the yakiniku restaurant we promised to go to and treated her to a delicious meal.

We kept ordering kalbi until Iroha-san gave up and said, “I can’t eat anymore.” In the end, we were both full, so I drove Iroha-san home dizzy as we walked. “For a while, just the smell of meat made me throw up.” So maybe we went a little too far.

But that kind of thing is fun.

Is this a college student’s way of getting off the hook?

I can’t drink a🬀cohol because I’m not 20 yet, but I think it’s only possible to eat and make a fuss like that when you’re still a student.

And then Iroha-san confessed to me.

It wasn’t a love confession, but a family situation.

Before the Obon holiday, she invited me over as usual, saying, “I made a lot of tempura; would you like to come over and eat?” So I bought her a Mont Blanc cake, her favorite, as a souvenir, and went over. After dinner, we had Mont Blanc for dessert, and while we were talking, we started talking about, “Why don’t you go home for the Obon holidays?”.

I hadn’t planned on going back to my hometown for a while because of what happened with Chika, but I wondered if there was a reason why Iroha-san didn’t go home either.

“I’m not planning on going back for the Obon or New Year holidays for a while.”

“Really? But won’t your family be worried?”

“Yes. I think I’m worrying them.”

I guess she has some reason for not wanting to go back to her parents’ house, just like me.

Un.

But I wonder if it’s okay to ask.

In my case, I don’t really like being asked.

It’s pathetic if I say I don’t want to see my ex-girlfriend who broke up with me because she cheated on me, and it’s also awkward that I don’t want to see my friends and acquaintances because I came out of my hometown like I was running away in the night.

“Taichi-kun, you don’t want to go back to your parents’ house either, right? Is your family not doing well?”

“No, my family is fine. My mom contacts me all the time, and my sister sends me messages sometimes. I don’t really have much contact with my dad. It’s been like this since I’ve been in my hometown.”

“So, is there another reason?”

“Yes, I think so. It’s more like my hometown than my parents’ house. Iroha-san seems to have some kind of situation as well.”

“Yeah, in my case, things aren’t going well with my family. Taichi-kun, can you listen to my story?”

“Sure, if you don’t mind telling me.”

“Thanks. It’s really embarrassing.”

Iroha-san’s happy smile from her first bite of Mont Blanc disappeared, and then she told me about the situation at home with a lonely and serious expression on her face.

“My father, grandfather, and grandmother were against my going to college. My mother was the only one who supported me.”

“Un.”

“Taichi-kun pointed this out to me before, but old ways of thinking are still very much present in my hometown, and my father and grandfather have feudalistic ways of thinking. That’s why they say, ‘Women don’t need to go to college. Their role is to get married and produce an heir.’”

“How can I put it….”

“Isn’t that strange these days? But it’s not just my family; it’s the whole neighborhood. Even when I was in high school, not only my family but also my relatives and neighbors often told me, ‘Get an arranged marriage or get a job and find a husband quickly.’ It’s natural for them. They really believe that ‘A woman’s happiness is to get married early and have children, and nothing else.’”

“It seems that the old values are more deeply rooted than I expected.”

“Yes, but my dream is to be a teacher. So, I don’t want to think about marriage yet.”

“Ah, so that’s why you were upset when I told you before that you would make a good wife. I didn’t know there was a reason for that, so I’m sorry for saying something so carelessly.”

“Un. It’s true that at first I was depressed by Taichi’s words, thinking, ‘Will the subject of marriage follow me wherever I go?’ But Taichi-kun didn’t say that I should get married right away; it was something for the future. I understood that right away, so I was able to move on quickly.”

“I hope that’s the case, but I’m sorry. I should’ve been more careful with what I said.”

“Well, Taichi-kun, you didn’t do anything wrong, so please don’t worry about it. After that, I was really shocked when you pointed out the male chauvinism in my family. I had always thought that I hated and rejected those old values, but it was only when Taichi-kun pointed it out that I realized that I had acquired those habits. I was shocked at myself, but listening to Taichi-kun’s story made me aware of it and wanted to change. So I’m very grateful to Taichi-kun, and I wanted you to hear my family’s story as well.”

“It’s not like I had any big ideas. I just wanted to be friends with Iroha-san as equals.”

“Ufufu, you’re right. I feel the same way now.”

“So how did you manage to go to college when your family was against it?”

“My mother helped me and persuaded my father. But only if it was a national university. My mother guided me well, and I was able to continue even under those conditions, so I’m very grateful.”

“I see. That’s similar to me. When I told my father that I wanted to go to a university outside my prefecture, he said the same thing, ‘as long as it was a national university.’ On the surface, it was for financial reasons, but I think he probably thought it was impossible for me anyway.”

“I think my father probably thought the same thing. I think he also thought that since it was a national university, he wouldn’t be embarrassed if people found out.”

“But, even though you were allowed to continue your studies and got into a national university, you still don’t want to go back home?”

“This is what hurts my head the most. After I got into college, they started saying things like, ‘You’ve already gotten into college and you’re satisfied, right? Just quit college and get an arranged marriage.’ And not only my father but also my grandparents. So my mother told me, ‘You better not go back for a while. If you show any weakness, you won’t be able to go back to college.’ So I can’t go back to my parents’ house yet.”

“That’s amazing….”

“Yes. Thanks to her, I don’t have any problems because of her. My mother, who is in charge of the household finances, gives me a lot of financial support, and now that I’m getting used to life here, it’s easier than when I was at home, and now I can concentrate on my studies at college, so I’m more than satisfied.”

“You have a much harder situation than me….”

“When I was in high school, I was worried every day because I didn’t know if I would be able to go to college for sure, even though I was studying for the entrance exam.”

“That’s right… I wish you good luck! Let’s keep working hard, get your teaching certificate, and become great teachers!”

“Yeah. Not just me, but Taichi-kun too, okay?”

“That’s right… I’m in danger if I don’t try harder.”

“Yeah, that’s right.” Fufufu.

“Huh? Aren’t you being harder on me than usual? Normally, you’d say something like, ‘No way! Taichi’s doing a great job now!’ as a polite gesture, right?”

“Taichi is my friend. No need to be shy.”

“I see.”

Well, that’s fine.

I’ll try my best, too.