SWNOVELXO Chapter 26 - Old Dream
“…This… This is a dream.
Because… I can see the scenery inside my old home where I haven’t been back for years…
When was this…?
…That time…
When I got sick of becoming a chef, and had a fight with my father…
Afterwards, I continued to study in secret…
I passed the university entrance exam… The day I graduated from high school… I told him again.
I told my father that I would not become a chef and had no intention of taking over the house…
And… it was also a time of parting…
“Don’t screw with me!”
“Ouch! You always resort to punching—do something about it!”
“You bastard! How dare you speak to a parent like that!”
“Have YOU ever acted like a parent!? You never came to my sports festival! You never attended a parent-teacher conference! You never showed up for career counseling! You didn’t participate in home visits! You never took me out anywhere! What have YOU ever done for me!?”
“Who do you think provides for this lifestyle, you ungrateful brat!”
“Who asked you to raise me!? Besides—if a parent says that to their child, it’s over…!”
“Stop it! Both of you!”
“You shut up!”
“Don’t take it out on mom! It’s already bad enough! I can’t hang out with friends on the weekends, I’m forced to help at the shop without pay… Even though I’m trying my best, you never praise me… yet, if I make a tiny mistake, you shout and hit me…”
“Yuma…”
“That’s supposed to be normal!? I was raised that way! The world of cooking—is like that! I’ve grown up—being treated like that!”
“Then—I’ve had enough. If that’s the world, I’d rather back out…!”
“Tch! Then—get out! You coward! And—you better learn that the world isn’t so sweet!”
“Alright, I got it. I’ll leave, this damn house. Sorry, mom.”
“Yuma… please reconsider. Father, don’t speak like that…”
“I spoke the truth! I’m not wrong!”
“There you go… assuming you’re absolutely right… You’re the kind of person I hate. I won’t become like you…”
“… What a terrible dream…”
Yes… It was from that day… that I left home…
And… frustratingly, what my father said… was a little bit right.
For me, who had just graduated from high school, there was no place to live…
I had no money, and was lost… until my older sister came to my rescue.
At that time, my sister had graduated from junior college and was already working…
Pathetically, there was a part of me… who was counting on that.
My sister took me in, saying, “Stay here until you calm down.”
Dad said, “Until he cools off…”
“…That day never came, though…”
In the end, I remained dependent on my sister.
While going to university, I worked part-time jobs, sacrificing sleep…
I began to understand… a little bit of what my father was saying…
“But still… there was no need to speak like that… I think”
Of course, I had my faults too…
But there was no need to dismiss everything I said like that…
“… Sigh… Let’s stop this. I was just starting to feel good at the company”
That’s right…
Now, I have someone who acknowledges me.
Just yesterday—I decided not to wallow in self-pity…!
“Alright! Let’s get ready and head to the office!”
I switched my mood, and started preparing for the morning…
When I arrived at the office… today too—there was the sharp-looking Section Chief Matsuura.
No matter how many times I look, she’s beautiful…”.
“Good morning, Ma… Section Chief Matsuura.”
That was close… I almost slipped up…
“Oh, good morning, Mito-kun…”
Section Chief Matsuura also seems flustered…!
I can’t let personal matters spill into work… Keep it together, me.
“What shall we do this morning? Should I prioritize your instruction? Or should I focus on my own work and provide instruction in the afternoon?”
“Well…”
Then, a voice comes from behind me.
It’s…
“Mito-senpai!”
“Whoa!? Why are you hugging my arm…?”
“Mori, Morishima-san…?”
“Oh? You don’t seem too flustered. Good morning. Thanks for yesterday.”
“Wait, thank you…? I just bought you a juice…”
“Even so, it was a treat. You also accompanied me for a meal.”
“Eh…?”
“Oh—— Section Chief, good morning. Mito-senpai, please accompany me again, okay?”
“Hey, give me a break…”
Strange… I thought she would have lost interest after yesterday…
Especially since I didn’t do anything that would particularly raise her affection…
“Fufu, it can’t be helped. Well then, excuse me.”
With that, she leaves with a light step…
“Mi, Mito-kun…?”
When I turn around… Section Chief Matsuura is stuck in place with a shocked expression.
“Yes?”
“Did you… go for a meal with Morishima-san…?”
“Eh, yeah… well, just to a family restaurant though.”
“Why…?”
Huh? Something’s off?
It’s not the usual Section Chief Matsuura… she’s more like Reina…?
“She sort of ambushed me… I thought that since I’ll have to deal with colleagues from now on, I could go just once… of course, I’ll make sure it doesn’t interfere with my work.”
“I, I see… Well, as long as you complete your work properly, I don’t have any complaints.”
I knew it… She was worried that I might neglect my work because of my private life.
I need to be careful… Losing Section Chief Matsuura’s trust would be bad for a number of reasons.
“Yes, of course. I’ll work diligently without mixing personal life and work.”
“That’s… what I…”
“Hm?”
“No, it’s nothing. Please continue as we did yesterday.”
“So you’d like me to start your instruction in the afternoon. Understood, then I’ll excuse myself.”
As I’m about to return to my seat…
“Mi, Mito-kun.”
“Yes?”
“It’s okay for you to be friendly with your colleagues… like me…”
“What…?”
What does she mean?
When I turn around, Section Chief Matsuura is already walking away quickly.
Well… it’s all a bit confusing this morning…
When I arrive at my desk…
“Hey, I heard.”
“Sho… What I did with Morishima-san is nothing special, alright?”
“But you did go for a meal, didn’t you?”
“Well, yes… but that’s all. She was curious because she didn’t know what kind of person I was. We probably won’t have much to do with each other now.”
“…… You’re really… like that.”
“Like what?”
“No… never mind. If something troubles you, let me know, okay?”
“I don’t quite understand… but I’ll keep that in mind.”
…What’s up with everyone?
Did I do something strange?
…No good. I need to switch gears now.
I just decided to work hard this morning, didn’t I?
I shake off my stray thoughts and focus on my work…