“Um… Kawasaki-san…”
Seeing that after his earnest apology, not only did her attitude not soften, but Rika Kawasaki seemed even more hostile—she didn’t even spare him another glance before turning away—Kaoru Hoshitani only felt a wave of helplessness and a throbbing headache.
His original intent was simple: he just wanted to maintain a relatively good, or at least a peaceful working relationship with her, since she was both the beloved granddaughter of the Kawasaki Family Izakaya owners and his colleague, and after all, they had to see each other every day.
His lips parted slightly, and he wanted to add a few more words to her retreating figure, or at least get a clear response.
But Rika Kawasaki’s tall, upright back exuded an unapproachable resolve.
Her steps never faltered, as if she hadn’t heard his weak call at all, and she disappeared behind the curtain leading to the Kitchen without so much as a backward glance.
[Forget it… There’s nothing I can do about this…]
Kaoru Hoshitani sighed inwardly, a little disappointed, and swallowed back the words he hadn’t spoken.
He even briefly considered whether he should try persuading his girlfriend, Aina Saiten, to personally apologize to Kawasaki-san, since the root of the problem lay in her openly hostile behavior.
But the moment the thought surfaced, he immediately pictured Aina’s undisguised wariness and hostility every time Kawasaki-san was mentioned.
Considering his girlfriend’s sensitive and stubborn feelings, as well as the potential for even bigger conflicts, he could only give up on the idea with resignation, unwilling to make matters worse.
Still, Kaoru Hoshitani spent the entire day secretly worrying that the tense situation between him and Kawasaki-san would affect the work atmosphere or even bring unnecessary trouble.
But as the day’s work drew to a close, he was surprised to find that aside from Kawasaki-san herself ignoring him and maintaining her icy attitude, nothing else negative happened at all.
With that realization, the weight that had been pressing on his heart finally lifted, and he couldn’t help but let out a quiet sigh of relief.
“Kaoru, it’s about time to get off work, right?”
Not wanting to spend too much time in the same space as that blonde woman, Aina Saiten had timed her arrival perfectly, showing up at the Kawasaki Family Izakaya just as her boyfriend Kaoru Hoshitani was about to finish his shift.
She poked her head in, quickly scanning the room.
Once she’d confirmed that the annoying presence was nowhere nearby, she softly called out to Kaoru Hoshitani, who was wiping down the last table.
“Mm, let’s go. Mr. Kawasaki, goodbye.”
Upon hearing his girlfriend’s voice, Kaoru Hoshitani looked up, a tired but gentle smile appearing on his face.
He carefully hung the rag by the sink, picked up his Canvas Backpack, and walked to the bar.
There, he gave a polite bow to Mr. Kawasaki, who was going over the Account Book, and bade him farewell.
Only then did Kaoru Hoshitani head to the door, naturally taking Aina Saiten’s outstretched hand.
Their fingers interlaced as they stepped side by side onto the Street, already cloaked in night, blending in with the sparse flow of people heading Home.
On the way, Aina Saiten keenly noticed that her boyfriend’s delicate and handsome profile was slightly furrowed.
Those always-smiling eyes seemed shrouded in a faint, lingering melancholy, as if some worry was weighing on his mind.
She unconsciously tightened her grip on his hand, turned her head, and asked softly and with concern,
“What’s wrong, Kaoru? Did something happen at work today? You don’t seem very happy.”
There was a trace of tension in her voice, afraid that the blonde woman had given Kaoru trouble.
“Sigh…”
At her question, Kaoru Hoshitani instinctively let out a soft sigh, so light it was like a feather landing on the ground.
But he quickly pulled himself together.
Not wanting his girlfriend to worry, he turned to her and forced a rather bright smile, deliberately adopting a cheerful tone as he said,
“It’s nothing, really. Maybe there were just a few more customers than usual today, so my feet are a bit sore from standing so long. I think I’m just a little tired, that’s all. I’ll be fine after some rest. Let’s hurry Home.”
As he spoke, he gave her hand a gentle shake.
Hearing his words, Aina Saiten couldn’t help but feel a pang in her heart.
Within that ache was a deep sense of powerlessness and heavy guilt.
She couldn’t help thinking, if only she were more capable, if her salary could fully support both of them, then Kaoru—who used to be so well-protected, so carefree—wouldn’t have to leave Home to do a job that required dealing with all sorts of people.
He should have been cared for more delicately.
But the harsh shackles of reality made it impossible for her to say something like, “If you’re too tired, Kaoru, just quit. I’ll support you,” no matter how romantic yet reckless it sounded.
The cold facts were right before her eyes: if they relied solely on her income, their life would become extremely difficult, and their quality of life would drop. She didn’t want Kaoru to suffer because of her.
As long as their financial situation remained tight, persuading Kaoru Hoshitani to quit would be a hollow gesture, doing nothing to solve their real problems—only dragging them back into the cycle of stress and arguments over money, possibly hurting their relationship.
But Aina Saiten hadn’t told Kaoru Hoshitani that she had already started actively searching and sending out resumes, preparing to change jobs in hopes of a better salary.
She thought that it would be soon enough to tell him once everything was settled, and she could give him a surprise.
If she told him now, with Kaoru’s cautious and easily worried nature, he would definitely object and try to stop her.
She could almost picture him slightly frowning those beautiful brows, and saying in a soft but firm voice:
“Huh? Why suddenly change jobs? Aina, isn’t your current job going pretty well? You’re already used to the environment. Changing jobs is risky—what if you can’t get used to the new place…?”
Words like that—she knew him too well.
But there was nothing to be done. After all, by common social standards and biological instincts, men tended to prefer stable and secure environments, disliking uncertainty and risk.
From a purely primal perspective, a stable and predictable environment was certainly more conducive to calmly raising and nurturing the next generation than one filled with change and risk.
That tendency was written in their genes.
After a day of hard work in the big city, the tired couple finally returned to their Home. After showering, they lay together on the bed.
In the Bedroom, only a single dim Bedside Lamp was lit, its warm yellow glow softly enveloping the two as they snuggled together, creating a tranquil and intimate atmosphere.
“Um… Aina, does your waist still hurt?”