A new start with you

I wake up from the sofa and saw my watch, it was around 7:00AM, I left Himeno-san in her room again, even if she can talk now, she still needs a lot of rest. It was pretty late at the time we stopped talking and I take the sofa to sleep. I don’t think she can eat that much yet, so I left to buy some stuff from the convenience store, mostly to make myself a breakfast, a light one so Himeno-san could eat it too.

When I arrived I started to heat up the misso soup and the rice again, I put the kettle on to make green tea, and I started to cook some fish and make some egg rolls. When I entered the house again, Himeno-san had already come out of the room so both enjoyed our breakfast.

—I have to say, you really know how to cook, Ryoma-kun, I don’t think I can cook like this.

—Well, working in a coffee shop makes it easy, let me prove your cooking, so I can judge it.

—Sure.

When we both ended, Himeno-san was drinking his green tea with a smile while I was cleaning the dishes.

—You don’t need to, Ryoma-kun.

—Let me, please.

When I finished, I got ready to go.

—I’ll come back.

—No, don’t bother Ryoma-kun, I can handle this, I need to take care in quitting too.

—If you say so, but if you stop communicating again, I will come immediately.

—Yeah, thank you.

I was a little anxious and went to work, nothing out of the ordinary, it was a calm day, and I left for my house. When I came back my sister jumped in my arms hugging me in tears.

—Hey, gross…

I move my sister and enter the room.

—I’m back.

—Oh, have you come back from the house of Himeno?

—Eh?

I turned my head towards my sister and she just started whistling in a poor way.

—Yeah…

I sat down in front of the table.

—Your sister tell me everything, so… did you-

—Don’t finish that! I didn’t do anything like that!

—Hey, there’s nothing to be embarrassed, I remember when I met your mother and

—THAT’S NOT SOMETHING I WANT TO HEAR!

After eating I went to take a bath after a short rest, I was looking at the ceiling thinking about all that Himeno-san said to me. When I got up from my room I turned on the pc and saw a lot of messages.

I respond in the group chat that I was with Himeno-san, she was really sick so I take care of her, I wouldn’t play that day either, I say I was busy but in reality I wanted to talk with Himeno-san, and my friends knew it

“Is this the moment where you changed your friends for a girl?”

“Suuuuure bro, whatever you say”

“Hey c’mon! I need help for some challenges”

I laughed and I went to my bed, calling Himeno-san.

—Ryoma-kun, hey.

—How are you feeling?

—I’m still feeling weak. I managed to make myself something to eat. It was quite difficult to walk towards the convenience store, I feel relieved that they built it that close.

—Yeah, when I went to get the ingredients for breakfast I also felt relieved, that way I didn't have so much time in case you woke up.

—Yeah… about quitting, I talked with some old coworkers that lent me her phone, I forgot that I have them in my contact list, they told me they will help me, and that the guy in charge is going to be penalized for having a bad work environment.

—That’s great, then you don’t have to work for them, maybe you can work there after all.

—I don’t think so.

—What do you mean?

—The boss right now in charge will be the last one, due to all workers feeling like I am, they will not be employees to work on it, and without a boss, the enterprise will go broke.

—What? But isn’t that managed by more people than one boss?

—They company didn't receive that much help this last years, it was doomed to close anyway.

—I see, well, the sooner they get out of there, the better, that guy just wanted to squish as much as he could.

—yeah, I hope everyone receives payment like retirement or something for them to get other jobs.

—My old coworkers will take that, it will be better if they handle it all, that is just me quitting, I still will not go to work there tho.

—That’s good to hear.

—They even scolded me for not telling them sooner, I really had my mind on another planet…

—Well, it’s good that everything is going better now

—Yes… I’ll go to rest now, Ryoma-kun.

—It’s ok, take care.

—Ryoma-kun.

—Yes?

—Thank you.

The week could be like almost the same for the others, but for Himeno-san it was a new start, she went to the doctor to get a better diagnosis, and alongside her old coworkers the company got close down, giving everyone a rest and a payment like if they were retired, counting of course the time they got in the company.

Fortunately, Himeno-san's condition wasn’t bad, she managed to go through the hellish job during the last 4 years without evading the foods she needed, even though she didn’t rest very well. But due to stress and not eating well that week, she needed it to take aliment supplement pills.

We started to chat more this week. She told how everything was going, and what she was up to. She started to cook different recipes from a book she bought to pass time a long time ago, so she invited me to her place to taste it.

—Did you tell your aunt the situation?

—Yes, I talked to her a few days ago, she was furious, saying why I didn’t tell her and that she will visit me next week.

—I can’t blame her haha

—You’re right.

—My sister was crying when I got home too, she really cares about you.

—Yeah… she didn’t say anything strange to you, right?

—Like what?

I was dipping my sashimi in soy sauce.

—No, nothing…

—Damn, this is good.

—Really?!

—Yeah, you cut them perfectly, I feel like I’m eating in a restaurant.

—I’m glad you like it, oh, wait, prepare something for you.

Himeno-san left the room and brought two bentos boxes.

—I know you can’t be here that much, so I prepare this for you, for all you have done.

—Oh, Himeno-san, you didn’t need to.

—And stopped calling me that.

—Mmmh?

—I feel weird, I never told you but “san” is a bit too much, and you have done so much for me, call me Akari, yeah?

—I… I don’t know.

—What if I refer to you as Ryoma-san?

—No, impossible, rejected.

—See?

—Ok… Akari-san…

—No “san”

—Akari…-chan…

Himeno was doing some weird expression with her lips, like she was about to smile but she stopped, her cheeks got a bit red too.

—Yeah, Yukki-kun.

She gave me a full smile and I couldn’t help but get completely red. She laughed at me and I said my goodbyes as I went to the station smiling like an idiot.

At work, at the lunch break I opened the bento and put it in the microwave and started eating.

—Oh, Ryoma, that’s some nice bento, did you make it?

—No, I buy it.

—That’s some lies, there’s not this type of bento in the stores, I know you can cook but not like this.

—Hmm…

I was with my mouth full and looked at my coworker with a serious glance.

—Hey, c’mon… Oh! Did that girl give it to you?

—I don’t know what you are talking about?

Osuke-san came to the room and saw it.

—Oh, was it a present from Himeno?

—Yeah, Akari-chan give it to me as a present

—Hey, why Osuke san can… wait, Akari?

—Oh…

Osuke-san smiled at me and my coworker I bet was doing the same, both of them were touching my arm with her fingers.

—Tell us, tell us.

—So her name is Akarai Himeno, you never told me.

A bunch of other coworkers came into the room as well.

—What are you doing?

—Ryoma got a present from her girl.

—It’s not my girl.

—He started to call her by her first name.

—No way.

—Eh? Seriously, Ryoma?

—I wanted to hear more!

—Oh, c’mon give me a break…

And so the time went flying, we were in winter already, before I noticed, the streets were all white, and the coffee shop was crowded, we were taking orders like crazy and Osuke-san was really happy for the income, this time was the best, the payment was higher due to working more and having more customers, the only downside is that it was tiring sometimes, but it was fun.

I was at home until I received a message from Himeno-san before I went to sleep.

—Do you have plans for tomorrow? I want to go somewhere