Chapter 4

Monday morning: the start of a new week.

Usually I dreaded Mondays. Waking up early on Monday never gets any easier, you just get used to how hard it is.

When I first started working, I used to say, 'let's work hard today’ into the mirror and 'I'm off' to an empty apartment. Those habits gradually disappeared as the daily grind wore me down.

I suppose even the most sincere attitude towards work and life will wear off bit by bit, day by day. Keeping your heart bright and positive was easy as a student, but a monumental achievement as a working adult.

I shaved, had a small breakfast, put on my shoes, and opened the door.

"I'm off," I said.

“Have a safe trip. I'll have dinner ready when you come back."

Sayaka waved slightly and smiled.

I closed the door, walked down the metal staircase, and got onto my silver bike.

The same breeze carrying the first hint of summer ruffled my hair, and I breathed it in. Had the morning air always tasted this sweet?

Somehow I felt more awake today.

When I got to school, Sayaka's desk was still empty. Her friends didn't seem to be concerned at all.

Did this strange lack of worry have something to do with God messing around with the cosmic laws?

Maybe there was some kind of 'cosmic dissonance', a term which I just made up. What I mean is that while the Sayaka in this world vanished in order to make space for the Sayaka from the parallel universe, the people who know her aren't worried because nothing happened to the Sayaka from this universe; her existence was simply not here for the time being.

But what would happen if these people saw the Sayaka in my apartment? How would this 'cosmic dissonance' deal with that contradiction?

I glanced at Tanaka Ayumi. She sat at her desk, chatting with the other students. Did she see me and Sayaka in the park? So far, Tanaka didn’t seem any different from before.

Homeroom began, and the day went on like it did before Sayaka appeared in my apartment.

Except there was one difference.

I wasn't going to eat a convenience store bento for lunch today. Sayaka had woken up early and made a bento for me.

When lunchtime came, I sat alone in the office. It wasn't that I disliked my colleagues or liked to eat alone; as a working adult there were few chances to eat lunch together because everyone was always busy. Plus most of us were so tired that we just wanted to eat in silence and look at our phones.

I opened the bento, and the rice was in a heart shape.

…

Anyway, it was a bento with grilled chicken and side dishes.

It was delicious.

The reasoning on the chicken was perfect, the egg rolls were just right, and the vegetables had been lightly steamed.

"Santo-sensei!"

A student came into the room. I nearly spat out the food in my mouth.

It was Tanaka Ayumi.

She wore her skirt a little too short and her top two buttons undone. She was the ace of our school’s swim team, and her body left no doubt that she was an athlete. Her hair was down to her shoulders and black.

My stomach sank. Ayumi never came alone to the office to find me. What did she want? Did she see me and Sayaka at the park?

"I need your help with this question."

She put a notebook on my desk. It was the homework I had assigned to her class this morning.

"You are supposed to do this on your own," I said.

"But I already tried, and I can't figure it out!"

"You are doing your homework during lunch?"

"I have club activities after school, and I don't have time to do it at home, so I'm doing it now."

I wanted to tell her that lunchtime was a time for students to relax so that they could pay attention in the afternoon, but she seemed to be responsible in her own way, so I didn’t reprimand her.

"Fine, which part do you not understand?"

"All of it."

“…”

“Sato-sensei?” She tilted her head.

"...were you not paying attention during the lesson?"

"I was, but I was also feeling really sleepy, you know?"

She said that without the slightest hint of guilt.

I sighed. I took out a copy of the textbook and explained key parts to her, leaving out any details that could be skipped.

This time, she seemed to understand.

"Ehh, it's actually quite simple."

"Yes, it is."

Tanaka Ayumi was the ace of the swim club, but her grades were at the bottom of the class. There were a few times in her first year when she was almost banned from participating in tournaments because she failed too many tests.

I felt relieved. It didn’t look like Tanaka’s cosmic dissonance was affected by what happened on Saturday.

"By the way, Sato-sensei..."

She sounded hesitant.

"What is it?"

"Well, uhm...have you seen Sayaka?"

I didn’t know what to say. This was the first time that anyone has shown concern about Sayaka, or even noticed that she was gone.

Tanaka had a vague look of worry on her face. I decided to be careful for now.

"Sato-sensei?"

"No, uhm...have you seen Sayaka?"

"It's so strange...Sayaka hasn't been coming to school for a while now, I thought it wasn't a big deal, and I forgot about it. But then over the weekend I suddenly remembered that I haven't seen Sayaka in a long time, so I got worried."

I sat in my chair, frozen.

“Can you tell me where you saw her last?" I asked.

"I definitely saw her two weeks ago at school, but...I think I saw her at the park on Saturday? I'm not sure. It might have been someone who kind of looked like her...ugh..."

Tanaka rubbed her eyes, and her legs seemed weak. I offered her a chair, and she sat down.

"I'm sorry. I just feel kind of dizzy whenever I try to think about it," she said.

"You've probably been working too much lately. Go see the nurse."

"Okay."

Tanaka stood, bowed, and left the office.

I glanced at the lunch Sayaka made me.

Of course I couldn't tell her that Sayaka was currently staying in my apartment. If rumors spread that female student was staying with me, I'd be in deep trouble.

In the first place the Sayaka at my place wasn't supposed to be in this world. Maybe that was why Tanaka felt dizzy when trying to recall her only memory of seeing the other Sayaka?

Cosmic dissonance. I should patent that term, if possible.

I was deep in my thoughts about Tanaka, Sayaka and cosmic dissonance, when the sliding of the faculty room interrupted me.

"Sato-sensei~ You are eating alone again?"

The person who came in was Miyazono Hina-sensei. She and I started working at this school around the same time even though she was one year younger than me. She said she graduated sooner because she took extra credits.

Since we were both newbies, we became friends and referred to each other by our first names even though we weren't going out.

"Hina-sensei, how was your break."

"Great," she grinned. She seemed to be quite energetic today, even though she was only a year younger than me. Somehow seeing her like this made me feel old.

Hina-sensei wore a light pink collared shirt that was tucked into a knee-length office skirt. Although it was a simple outfit, she somehow managed to make it a little erotic. Her breasts stretched the buttons of the shirt, and the way she tucked in her shirt emphasized her waist. She has a great figure, and I heard rumors that some of the male students were secretly in love with her.

She sat down in the chair next to mine. I could catch a whiff of her feminine scent radiating from her shining hair that reached her upper back.

"I saw Ayumi-chan leave the office; did she come to talk to you?"

"She was having some trouble with homework."

"Hmm? Is that so?"

"What do you mean?"

"I just think that you've been quite popular with the female students lately. A lot of them are asking if you have a girlfriend."

"Don't be ridiculous. It's just high school brats being childish."

"Sayaka and Ayumi are visiting you quite often during lunch time recently, hmm?"

"They both needed help with their homework. It's our job as educators to help them, even if it is during our lunch hour."

"So you really don't see them as potential love interests?"

"Are you stupid?"

"But in a few years these high school brats will be beautiful university students, you know? So it will be totally legal, if morally questionable."

"You - !"

"Ah-hahahaha~" Hina-sensei laughed. "I'm just teasing you! Of course you aren't going to enter a forbidden relationship with a student. I know you have that much integrity."

"Well, thank you for believing in me...I guess."

"Also, a job like this provides healthcare and a pension. You can't afford to lose this job, heh-heh~"

"Well...the same goes for you."

"I can just marry a rich man~"

"Gold digger."

"Heh-heh~"

I sighed. Hina-sensei could be a handful when she was energetic. At least there was no one else in the office to hear this conversation.

"Anyway, what did you do last weekend?" I asked.

"The same thing every other adult does over the weekend: absolutely nothing! I spent two whole days sleeping."

"That explains why you are so energetic today."

"And what about you?"

I gulped. I had to lie again.

“I just watched some movies and read some books."

"Ehh...so boring."

"I don't want to hear that from you of all people."

Hina and I were what people referred to as 'office best friends'. We were thick as thieves in the work place, but we never met up on weekends. There was a silent understanding that we saw enough of each other on weekdays, and on weekends we just wanted to be alone.

In the first place it would be weird for a man and a woman to meet up on weekends if they weren't romantically interested in each other.

However there was one thing Hina-sensei said that stuck with me: she mentioned Ayumi and Sayaka.

"Hina-sensei, you remember Sayaka, right?"

“Of course. Sayaka and Ayumi are best friends."

"When was the last time you saw Sayaka?"

"Hmm...I think about a week or two weeks ago? I can't really remember. She hasn't been coming to school lately."

"Aren't you worried?"

"Eh? Why should I be worried?"

“It’s nothing.”

Hina-sensei went back to her desk to prepare for her afternoon lessons.

Hina-sensei was still like all the other people — completely unconcerned about Sayaka even if they were conscious of the fact that they haven't seen her in over a week.

Which meant that the only one who showed concern so far was Sayaka's friend, Tanaka Ayumi.

Around 6pm, I left the office and went back home.

I wanted to talk to Sayaka about her friend, Tanaka Ayumi, but as soon as I entered the door, I got caught in her pace. She told me that the bath was ready. After the bath, she handed me a can of beer.

"Only one, okay?" she reminded me. To which I said, "Yes, yes," while I opened the can and enjoyed 330ml of pure goodness.

"Pwaahhh! This is what makes life worth living!" I said after the first gulp.

Sayaka was still cooking in the kitchen. She came over to put the dishes on the table.

"You really like beer this much?"

"You would know, shouldn't you? You were married to me in that other universe you came from."

"Hmm, that's true. But there are some slight differences between you and the other Seiji."

"Oh, how are we different?"

"You like to drink Asahi; the other Seiji stocks his fridge with Sapporo."

"Hmm, Sapporo isn't bad either. Any other differences?”

Sayaka pointed at my wrist.

“It’s just a small thing, but you wear a Seiko wristwatch. The other Seiji wears a Citizen.”

“Hmm…” Interesting. There were small differences, but none of them seemed signifiant. I was more impressed that Sayaka could notice these minute details.

"Speaking of which, Seiji. Are there any differences between me and the Sayaka from this world?"

I looked at the Sayaka sitting across the table. There were definitely some slight differences, but it was difficult to describe in words.

"I think you are a little more mature, I guess?"

"Ahahaha," Sayaka cracked with laughter. "Of course I'm more mature. I'm a year older than her!"

"I guess that's true."

I recalled what Hina-sensei told me. In two years these high school brats will be university students — proper adults in the eyes of both the law and society.

I looked at Sayaka, who was arranging the plates on the table. This version of Sayaka should be one year away from graduating high school. I wonder what she will look like as a university student...

"Seiji..."

I blinked. She was blushing.

"You're staring at me. What are you thinking about?”

She looked at me, her gaze penetrating my soul.

“Are you imagining what I would look like as a university student? Or do you prefer me in a high school uniform?"

"You little -"

Sayaka laughed, and handed me a pair of chopsticks before I could get mad at her.

“Itadakimasu."

"Itadakimasu..."

We began to eat. Today Sayaka had made ginger pork with a tuna salad and brown rice.

"Brown rice has more nutrition than white rice," Sayaka said. "It will help you lower your cholesterol."

"You make me sound like an old man..."

"And you should take better care of your body."

I couldn't argue against that, so I obediently ate the brown rice.

Is this what it is like to eat wholesome home cooked meals every day? There was a sincerity in the food that almost brought me to tears.

I ate the food without stopping, and it wasn't until after I was finished that I realized I had forgotten to talk about her about Tanaka Ayumi. That was how good her cooking was.

"Thanks for the meal," I said.

"It's delicious, isn't it?"

"M-hmm."

"Heh-heh~ I want you to eat nothing but my cooking. I want you to sit at work all day, and think about me."

"In other words you want me to think about you all the time."

"Exactly~ It's what every woman wants."

"Is that so?”

“Heh-heh~”

Afterwards, Sayaka washed the dishes. She insisted on doing it even though I offered to help. Afterwards, she sat down next to me in the living room, and we began to watch TV.

"Sayaka."

"Yes?"

She turned to me.

"There is something I need to talk to you about."

"Hmm?"

I told Sayaka about how the real her from this universe disappeared, and how no one seemed to be worried about her because of something I like to call ‘cosmic dissonance'. She seemed surprised to hear that since, as she said, God hadn't hold her about this.

"I guess God doesn't cheat cosmic laws very often, so there are consequences even God doesn't know about," she said.

I then told her about how her friend Tanaka Ayumi came to me today, and was the first person to express concern about her.

"Ayumi came to talk to you?!"

"Y-Yes..."

"But I thought Ayumi had promised not..."

"What did she promise?"

"It's nothing. Anyway, what exactly did she say?"

"She said she suddenly felt worried about you, and that she thinks she might have seen you at the park on Saturday."

"I see… So seeing the current me might disturb the cosmic dissonance that my disappearance has created. It would be a bad thing if everyone started worrying about me."

"Yes..."

"If everyone starts searching for me, then that would cause a lot of trouble for you."

"That's right."

"In that case, there is no other choice..."

"Exactly. You have to ask God to return you to — "

"We have to announce our marriage to the whole world and legitimize our relationship in this universe too!"

I chopped her on the head.

"Where did you get that idea??"

"Ehhh? That's the only way, isn't it? If everyone finds out that I'm living with you, then the only way to solve things is to get married, have children, and live happily until we die of old age — right?”

Ugh...I buried my face in my hands. This brat...

"I know you don't see me as a woman — yet .” She hugged my arm. "But give me enough time in the futon and I will — " Her face flushed red, " — please you."

I chopped her on the head again.

"No one will find out that you are living with me."

"But if what you said is true, then sooner or later the cosmic dissonance will dissolve, and — "

"We will cross that bridge when it comes to it. But I need to ask you: has God told you how you can go back to your universe?”

This was the most important question. So far Sayaka hadn't mentioned anything about a way to go back.

"Ehh..." she averted her eyes. "God only told me about the conditions for turning from a piece of bread back into a person, but didn't mention anything about a return trip..."

"So it's a one-way ticket?"

"I'm not sure, but there should be a way for me to go back, right?"

"Right..."

"Besides, I don't want to go back. I’m right where I want to be."

I looked at her. There was only one futon, and her uniform were the only clothes she had.

"Since you're going to stay here for a while, then I'll finish work early tomorrow, and we will do some shopping."

"We’re going on a date? Yay~“

There were hearts in her eyes.