“I’m home.”
“Welcome home, dear.”
Masaomi-san had mentioned he would be finished early today, but he returned nearly an hour sooner than expected.
As soon as he stepped through the door, Mayumi-san approached him with her usual grace and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. Seeing the two of them so affectionate didn't exactly make me envious, but it did make me want to see Sara-san as soon as possible.
Two more days… I hoped I could see her tomorrow.
“Good work today, Takanashi-kun.”
“Good work, Masaomi-san.”
“Dear, it looks like Takanashi-san has finished the Document Filing,” Mayumi-san said.
“Oh, that was fast. To be honest, given the volume I assigned, I didn't think it could be finished within the week.”
“I believe everything is in order, but please look it over to be sure,” I said.
I wanted him to confirm the work now; if any corrections were needed, I could spend tomorrow handling them. If no revisions were necessary, I hoped there might be something else for me to do.
“I see. Well, we have some time before dinner, so let’s check it now.”
“Yes, please.”
Masaomi-san handed his Bag to Mayumi-san, turned back toward the Entrance, and began heading toward the Annex. I followed him, and we moved into the auxiliary building.
When we opened the office door, Masaomi-san, who had stepped inside first, let out a soft, impressed murmur. I followed him up, and he walked over to the shelves, slowly scanning them from top to bottom. Occasionally, he pulled out a file to inspect the contents.
“Heh, this is organized quite thoroughly. Hmm… what’s this number?”
“I’ve assigned the same number to related documents. It should make it easier to pull them all at once when needed, and it’ll help keep things from getting scattered if they’re used in the future.”
Considering the disaster I had first encountered here, there was a high probability the files would end up a mess again. I had done it specifically in anticipation of the day they would need reorganizing.
“Ah, that’s truly helpful. I simply don't have the luxury of tidying up, so I often have to leave it to my wife. Honestly, I didn't think you would go this far. Thank you, truly.”
“No, I’m the one who should be thanking you for the work. About tomorrow…”
“Yes, tomorrow is fine. You should take a good rest—”
“Actually, do you have anything else for me? Even if it’s just for half a day…”
Masaomi-san closed his eyes as if considering the request. After a moment, he nodded and looked back at me.
“It’s not exactly work, but since you’ve done so much for me, why don't we just talk for a bit tomorrow? I’ve been busy and haven't really been able to make time for us. By the way, you mentioned you’ve memorized some of the department names?”
“Eh, yes. I’ve picked up the names of the departments that had a lot of paperwork.”
“Even if you don't know every single one, the documents you handled this time belong primarily to the departments I oversee. In other words, you’ve already grasped the core of my area of the business.”
I see. It hadn't been a conscious effort, but after checking those names day after day, they had eventually stuck.
“It won't be labor, per se, but would you accompany me tomorrow? I’ll still pay you the scheduled amount, of course.”
“I’m sorry, I feel like I’ve forced your hand by asking for more work…”
It wasn't a real job; it was just a conversation Masaomi-san had come up with because I had been so insistent on working. I felt a pang of guilt.
“Hmm? No, no, don't misunderstand. To begin with, I gave you an amount of work that I fully intended to be impossible to finish in time. That’s why I didn't tell you to finish everything when I hired you. But you exceeded my expectations and got through it all, so if anyone should feel apologetic, it’s me.”
Since he put it that way, I decided to graciously accept. When I nodded, Masaomi-san returned the gesture with a smile.
And so, the Satsukawa Family Part-time Job effectively came to an end today.
“Ahhh, even this fun School Trip only has two days left…”
We had just finished Breakfast and were walking down the hall toward our rooms when Yuri suddenly let out a sigh.
“We still have two full days, so don't start sounding so gloomy first thing in the morning,” Natsumi chided.
“But really, it feels more like only two days. Why do fun things always end so fast?”
It was true that fun times felt fleeting. Whether someone felt like there were "still" two days or "only" two days was purely a matter of perspective.
However, I was certain that Sara, who was currently walking beside me in silence, was firmly in the "I want to go home now" camp. She had seemed a bit drained since her phone call last night… or rather, she seemed lost in thought.
I hadn't noticed anything particularly unusual while she was actually talking to Takanashi-kun, but her behavior had been a bit off ever since she hung up.
“Sara, is something on your mind? You said it was nothing last night, but I can’t exactly ignore it anymore.”
“Yeah, Satsukawa-san has been acting weird since last night,” Yuri added.
“Is it that you can’t see Takanashi-kun and the loneliness has finally become painful?”
“That has been the case since the first day,” Sara replied.
She was clearly listening; when we spoke to her, she reacted and answered. That was why I had let it slide last night, but if she was still like this today, I had to press her.
“Ahaha, even Satsukawa-san makes jokes like that now.”
“Yeah, it makes me happy because it feels like we’ve actually become close friends.”
“No, I wasn't particularly joking…”
“““……”””
What a foolish question. I knew that being together had become so natural for the two of them that being apart was genuinely difficult. If it hadn't been for the School Trip and Takanashi-kun’s own persuasion, Sara would never have chosen to be away from him for a week. In that sense, her claim that it had been painful since day one probably wasn't a joke at all.
I mean, if they can't be apart for even a week… shouldn't they just get married already? Both sets of parents basically gave their approval, and there are next to no obstacles. If Takanashi-kun proposed, Sara would say yes in a heartbeat.
Wait, aren't all the conditions already met?
“A-Anyway, you’re worried about something, right?” Natsumi asked, steering the conversation back.
“It’s not just Natsumi; we’re all worried. If it’s something we can help with, we’ll listen.”
“I mean, it’s about Takanashi-kun, right?”
Pulling themselves together, the three girls moved forward as if the previous awkward exchange hadn't happened. When asked about Takanashi-kun, Sara gave a simple, honest nod. Well, that wasn't hard to guess.
“……It’s about the phone call last night,” Sara began, speaking dispassionately. She apparently intended to tell us what was bothering her.
“No, to be precise, I had been concerned since around the day before yesterday, but I could sense signs of fatigue in Kazunari-san. It seemed he had been staying up late recently, but seeing how tired he was, I began to suspect it wasn't just from a lack of sleep…”
Sharp. Very sharp.
I knew she was sensitive to any change in Takanashi-kun, but to think she sensed it just through a phone call… From what I had heard while eavesdropping, there hadn't been any obvious signs of exhaustion.
Of course, I knew the circumstances—and I’d received an additional report from Tachibana-kun—so I knew exactly why Takanashi-kun was struggling with his part-time job. It wasn't surprising at all that he was exhausted, but for her to pick up on it so easily…
Well, I suppose that was just how much she cared for him. She was always watching him, even from afar.
“I-Is that so? I didn't really notice anything unusual.”
“Yeah, he seemed the same as always to me,” Yuri said.
“Could it be your imagination? Or maybe you’re just worrying too much?”
To someone who didn't know about Sara’s Kazunari-san Check Skill, the idea that she was just imagining things was a natural conclusion. But when it came to Takanashi-kun, her instincts were never wrong.
“No, unfortunately, I confirmed it wasn't my imagination during last night’s call. Now I’m just worried about how exhausted Kazunari-san actually is.”
The concern was written all over her face. Since I knew the reason, I couldn't say a word… but it looked like hiding the truth completely was going to be difficult, Takanashi-kun.
“Hmm, but a little tiredness is normal.”
“If you’re that worried, why don't you just demand the truth from him?” Yuri suggested.
It was a very unnecessary remark. If Sara did that, there was no way Takanashi-kun could keep his secret. He was working so hard for her sake, so I felt I should try to follow up.
“…No, I cannot do that.”
“…Why not?”
Surprisingly, Sara seemed reluctant to press him. This caught me off guard, and the question slipped out before I could stop it.
“Kazunari-san and I promised each other not to keep secrets. Therefore, if I were to ask, Kazunari-san might be at a loss for an answer.”
“That might be true, but then what’s the point of the promise if he’s hiding things?”
“I believe in Kazunari-san. Even if he is doing something right now, he will surely tell me about it later. Therefore, I will simply wait for that time.”
““““…………””””
Everyone, myself included, fell silent.
Sara’s expression held an unwavering determination to trust him. She didn't use uncertain words like "I think" or "probably." She simply, completely, trusted Takanashi-kun. I realized then that my concern had been unnecessary.
“That’s… that’s incredible,” Yuri whispered.
“Yeah… the people I know who are dating look like they’re just playing house compared to this.”
“Truly. But if that’s the case, what are you actually worried about, Satsukawa-san?”
“I was worried about Kazunari-san’s physical health. I know he is tired, and I only hope he does not push himself too hard… Kazunari-san is a man of great resolve; once he decides to do something, he will work himself to the bone to see it through. That is my only concern.”
I see. It was so like Sara. She wasn't worried about being kept in the dark; she was purely, unselfishly worried about his well-being.
As someone who had caught a glimpse of the profound bond between them, I felt a renewed resolve to make this Surprise Birthday Party a total success.