Chapter 7: A Veil of Boundless Constraint

Chapter 7: A Veil of Boundless Constraint

✿———✦———✿

“With every eventide that falleth upon the world, I feel as though the sun and the earth wage a silent war, leaving me but a forgotten shadow betwixt their strife.”

The darkness of night had already veiled the city of Kobe as I stepped out of the office. The clock upon my wrist showed 11:20 PM—far later than I had hoped. Once again, I returned home late.

Chinatsu’s face flickers in my mind unbidden, I thought. I know well she must be worried by now. Whenever I returned home at such an hour, guilt would slowly seep into my heart—yet my duties as CTO could not simply be abandoned.

“Kazu, what do you think about the transition effect in this episode? I think there’s a slight lag at the seventeenth frame,” Yorishiro said. He is my childhood friend and the finest programmer ever employed at this company. He was not merely a colleague but a companion from elementary school all the way through university. Often did we work together into the late hours, speaking of algorithms and animation.

I nodded gently, though my thoughts drifted afar. “Aye, mayhap we must adjust the render pipeline somewhat there. I shall look over it anon.”

Beside him walked Yukifuyu, hands tucked casually into the pockets of her jacket. She was an intern who had joined naught but three weeks ago, yet her talent had far surpassed expectation. Though young, she possessed a keen understanding of animation design. She assisted Yorishiro with coding, and her skill was truly commendable.

Yorishiro turned to her with praise. “Thanks for your help earlier, Yukifuyu. Without you, I’d still be stuck on that bug.”

Yukifuyu offered a small smile, as though such feats were ordinary to her. “I–I’m glad I could help, Yorishiro-san… I learned a lot from you all, really.”

“Anyway. I’m gonna be honest, the animation from that other studio is terrible this time,” Yorishiro continued, switching topics to industry gossip.

“Right? I knew you’d notice too, Yorishiro-san! You must be one of the fans of that series,” Yukifuyu replied enthusiastically.

“I read the manga as well. If I were working there, I’d remake the final scene… or perhaps the entire disappointing storyline.”

“E–Ehehe. You’d be called the God of Time in that fandom if you really changed it like that!”

I turned toward them. “God of Time? Thou meanest an entity who may alter time and fate itself. ’Tis a strange title,” I murmured.

“It’s not strange!” they both answered at once, continuing their lively conversation.

I merely listened from behind, my mind wandering back to Chinatsu. Ever since Yukifuyu joined, I had oft returned home late—not solely due to work, but because we frequently held meetings at restaurants or at Yorishiro’s home. Though I knew Chinatsu might feel troubled, I had no intent of hurting her. All was for the sake of our grand project: Taiyoutenshi.

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Three weeks had passed since Yukifuyu’s arrival, and my life had grown busier than ever. I spent nearly all my time with her and Yorishiro.

“Let’s work at my place again tomorrow, Kazu. It’s more relaxed—we can watch the rendered scenes while having dinner,” Yorishiro suggested one night. I often agreed, for working in a more casual environment helped clear the mind. And Yukifuyu, of course, always joined us as an essential part of the team.

One night at Yorishiro’s house, after hours spent on coding, I felt my phone vibrate. A message from Chinatsu appeared on the screen:

“Kazu, what time you comin home tonight? I’ve been waitin'.”

I drew a long breath. It was nearly midnight. Guilt gnawed at me. I replied quickly:

“Forgive me, Chinatsu. I shall not be done for another hour or two. Pray rest first; I shall return quietly.”

As I returned to work, my gaze drifted to Yukifuyu. She was sketching costume designs with deep concentration. Her pencil strokes curved downward, tilting more and more as though sliding off a cliff. I could not restrain a quiet laugh.

She looked up, startled. “Um… K-Kazuaki-san? Why’re you laughing?” she asked defensively, her nervous smile betraying her embarrassment.

“Ah, ’tis naught,” I replied swiftly, pretending to return to my code though my eyes remained upon her slanted notes.

She soon noticed her own writing and flushed bright red. “Ah… yeah, I guess this needs revision, hehe. Did I drink too much coffee?”

“Mayhap thou shouldst rest a moment, Yukifuyu,” I said, struggling not to laugh.

✿———✦———✿

The next morning, I found Chinatsu already awake, preparing tea. Her eyes held worry.

“Sorry I came home late again,” I said, sitting at the kitchen table.

Chinatsu offered a small smile that did not reach her eyes. “Ain’t no problem… I know you’re busy, Kazu. I just hope you ain’t pushin' yourself too hard.”

“I shall attempt to manage my time better. When Taiyoutenshi is complete, things shall calm.”

She poured tea into my cup and leaned on the table. “Mm-hmm… I just don’t get it sometimes. Your job’s that heavy till I barely see you at home?”

“Indeed, there is much to be done ere the launch of this great project.”

Her eyebrow lifted slightly. “Uh-huh. Your team must be real close, huh? Close enough to forget the time?”

I nodded again, oblivious to the storm brewing in her heart. “Aye, we labor diligently. Each member doth their utmost.”

“Hmmm… yeah, I get it.” She sipped her tea, giving me a sideways look. “Specially when you’re always up talkin' late at night… prob’ly discussin' ideas or somethin', huh?”

“Truly. Discussions oft grow lengthy when ensuring every detail is right.”

Chinatsu sighed softly. “Yeah. Makes sense. Must be real fun at the studio. Real comfortin', maybe?”

“Comforting?” I furrowed my brow. “Nay, ’tis not like that, Chinatsu. The labor is simply heavy. We oft speak until midnight—that is all…”

She bit her lip, her tone sharpening. “Mm-hmm… sure. It’s just… the house gets real quiet, you stay longer at work… and you ain’t exactly alone there, right?”

“Aye, the team works diligently. Especially those who oft work closely with me—like Yorishiro and Yukifuyu.”

She stared at me before clicking her tongue. “Y–Yukifuyu again—ah, I mean… sounds like your team’s real nice. So you ain’t lonely there, huh?”

At last, I recognized the jealousy hidden in her eyes. “Forgive me, Chinatsu. I did not mean to leave thee alone. When this project ends, I shall be home more oft.”

“Yeah, well… then hurry up and finish it, Kazu,” she muttered. “’Cause I ain’t like them, y’know? I can’t just wait for you anytime.”

✿———✦———✿

When I arrived at the apartment a few days later, it was 11:20 PM. The lights were off, but I saw Chinatsu fast asleep on the sofa, hugging a pillow.

I sat beside her and touched her shoulder gently. “Chinatsu… I hath returned home.”

She slowly opened her eyes. “You’re late again, huh?” she whispered.

“Forgive me. This project devoureth more time than I had foreseen.”

Chinatsu straightened herself. “I know you’re busy, Kazu… but lately I feel like we’re gettin’ farther apart. Every time you come home, it feels like there’s somethin’ you ain’t tellin’ me.”

“’Tis naught but work, dear Chinatsu. Yukifuyu oft labors with me and Yorishiro, yet there lies naught between her and I. Thou knowest this, dost thou not?”

She sighed, a trace of doubt remaining. “I wanna believe ya, Kazu… but sometimes it feels like there’s a wall between us.”

I reached for her hand. “No wall standeth between us, Chinatsu. I remain here—with thee. Thou art the most precious soul in my life.”

Suddenly, I caught sight of something tucked under the other sofa. Chinatsu noticed immediately and tried to block my view, guiding me toward the bedroom. “C’mon, let’s just go to the room first!”

But I stopped her. “Fear not—I shall not be wrathful. Simply show me.”

Nervously, she pulled out the object. It was my laptop—its screen cracked.

“Worry not,” I said gently. “Such things may yet be mended.”

As a CTO, this was a simple task. I retrieved a spare screen and began the repair. Chinatsu stood close, watching every motion. As I focused, I noticed her hair was messy from sleep. I reached over and gently brushed a few strands aside.

“Thy hair hath grown a little untamed,” I murmured.

Chinatsu froze, a faint blush touching her cheeks. “It ain’t messy… it’s fine,” she muttered, avoiding eye contact.

When I finally secured the last screw, the new screen fit perfectly.

“Pray, let it not suffer damage again,” I said, turning toward her.

Chinatsu nodded softly, her smile gentler now. “O-Okay…”

We sat in a comfortable silence. Perhaps, I thought, the distance isn’t as wide as I feared.