Chapter 36 The Morning of the Day of Going to Work

The Morning of the Day of Going to Work

The morning after having a drink with my boss, I was awakened by the sound of an incoming call.

…Who on earth is it so early in the morning?

Looking at the clock, it was just after 6 a.m.

Feeling lethargic, I picked up my smartphone to see who it was and saw the name Mitsukasa Ari.

“…Mishi-san?”

Wondering what this was about, I pressed the call button.

“Hello?”

[Oh, Ucchi? Good morning! Sorry to call you so early?]

“That’s okay, but… what is it?”

[Ucchi, you’re starting work today, right?]

She must have asked my boss.

Come to think of it, I owed Mishi-san a lot and made her worry, so I should do something to apologize.

Thinking that I replied to Mishi-san.

“Yes, that’s right. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

[No, it’s okay! So, hey… What kind of food do you like, Ucchi?]

“Favorite food…?”

I asked back, surprised by the suddenly irrelevant question, but decided to answer, thinking that there was no deep meaning behind it.

“Well, croquettes and hamburgers? And I guess I also like fried rice and curry.”

[Un, I see… On the other hand, is there anything you don’t like?]

“I hate tomatoes.”

[Fufufu… Ucchi is so childish~~]

“Ugh….”

Now that she mentioned it, it might be a little childish to only like that kind of food.

Feeling a little embarrassed, I cleared my throat and tried to explain.

“W-well… To be honest, I like most things except tomatoes.”

[I see! That’s helpful, thanks!]

…What’s that helpful for?

Judging from the content of the conversation, she might be suggesting that we go out for dinner sometime.

That’s probably why she asked me about my likes and dislikes.

[Well, I have to get ready, so I’ll hang up! See you later, bye-bye~~]

“Oh yeah… see you later.”

She seemed busy and hung up right after saying that.

…What was that all about?

I tilted my head, but then I noticed that I had received a message.

The sender was... Yumeno-san.

It read, [Thanks for coming to the cafe yesterday. Next time, let’s go out for a drink, just the two of us. I look forward to working with you for a long time.]

It felt a little formal, but it was our first interaction, so I guess that’s normal.

Actually, what does “I look forward to working with you for a long time” mean? Well, whatever.

I replied with a noncommittal reply and slowly started to get ready for work.

“Okay, I think I’ve got everything ready.”

After finishing my preparations to a certain extent, I locked the door to my apartment and took the elevator downstairs.

When I reached the entrance, I saw a familiar face.

“Hana-chan?”

“Ah, brother-in-law… good morning.”

Since I had divorced Rina, Hana-chan was no longer my sister-in-law.

But she still called me brother-in-law.

I was happy about that. That’s why I felt comfortable.

“Good morning, what are you doing here?”

“I was waiting for you, brother-in-law.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Would you like to come with me part of the way?”

I was a little surprised by the sudden offer, but she had come all this way for someone like me, a stranger.

It would be a shame to turn her down, and I couldn’t think of any reason to refuse.

So I nodded honestly.

“Yeah, sure. Let’s go.”

“I’m glad you didn’t refuse….”

“Why did you think I would refuse?”

“Because I thought that since you divorced her, you no longer needed to have anything to do with me... So I hesitated to see you for the past few days.”

Hearing those words, I felt both happy and sorry.

Hana-chan had the same feelings I had.

Our relationship should have been nothing more than that of strangers since my divorce from Rina.

But I still wanted to be treated like her brother.

Even if it was selfish, that’s how I felt.

But I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

Hana-chan also wanted to maintain our brother-sister bond.

Hearing her speak so earnestly, I suddenly felt a strange affection for her and found myself stroking her head without even realizing it.

“Whoa…? B-brother-in-law…? What are you doing all of a sudden?”

“Oh, sorry! …Was that annoying?”

There’s no way a girl her age would be happy to be patted by a divorced man like me.

Thinking of that, I took my hand away and hastily apologized and asked her.

But she looked disappointed.

Pouting her cheeks, she muttered dissatisfiedly.

“I-It’s not that I hate it. I was just surprised because it was so sudden. So, you know... Y-you can keep petting me?”

“R-really…? Well, if you say so….”

Having unexpectedly gotten her permission, I started stroking her head again.

“Fufufu, it’s kind of ticklish, but I like it….”

With a red face, Hana-chan smiled shyly and looked happy.

At that moment, I felt something crawling up my spine.

A gaze…? Was someone watching us?

I turned in that direction, but no one was there.

Was I imagining things? No, I’m sure I felt it.

“Brother-in-law, what’s wrong?”

“Oh, no… nothing.”

“Is that so? Then let’s go soon?”

As she said that, Hana-chan wrapped her arm around mine.

I was startled when I felt something soft against me.

“W-wait, Hana-chan…?!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Well, that’s… your….”

“Yes?”

“Well, never mind.”

What a clichéd interaction. It’s like something out of a romantic comedy.

But somehow it didn’t bother me.

After regaining a sense of peace for the first time in a long time, I started walking with Hana-chan.

…But what was that gaze really?