Ch. 59 - Mood swings.

Whenever im cooking in the kitchen, my thoughts tend to be goal oriented and usually wouldn't wonder off, I knew that I had to concentrate and be calm in order to be productive and efficient. After all, many things other than cooking rest on my shoulders. I make sure everyone is working right, the stations are clean and the dishes are washed. Since we are short on staff, and as my father's deputy chef, second in command. I must be able to carry such burdens, and be a model of an hardworking person in front of my colleagues. But today, the intense atmosphere in the kitchen is getting denser as I am in a cloudy mood. My grip over the utensils and pans are tighter than usual, I wasn't even careful when placing down bottles and bowls. I was banging them onto the desk, creating a distracting sound. My eyes are sharply fixated and I was quite.

"He seems to be upset about something." Fuyuko says to Kazuo. "You should talk to him, and figure out what's wrong." She added. Kazuo looks at her bewildered.

"Why me?" He says. Seemingly terrified to approach his moody friend.

"Aren't you worried? I've seen him like that before when we still live in Kawasaki. Don't be scared, if there's anyone here he'd talk to calmly about it, its you." She tries to convince Kazuo, but he wouldn't do it.

"Why don't you do it?" Kazuo replied.

"I thought you are his bestfriend!?" She told him.

"Exactly!" He replied. Fuyuko starred at him silently.

"I know him more than everybody does, if he's like that, it means he is troubled and stressed about something. His thoughts is flooded in an tremendously intense self doubt, he gets sudden mood swings, a short temper and irrationally overthinking about negativity make up scenarios. And he is pouring out all of his anger inside his personal space, of you ever dare encroach on him while he's in that state, then you're in for a whole week of his coldness. He'll literally divert his anger to you." He told her. Fuyuko looked at Akagi worried, she turned back at Kazuo and said.

"Well shouldn't we do something? Something horrible must've happened to him to make him upset like that!" She declared. Kazuo pats her on the shoulders, trying to reassure her.

"Listen, Masahiko is alot different now than he is when he was in Kawasaki." He told her.

"He'd prefer to be left alone and solve his problems by himself. He sees relying on someone or seeking help to someone as a sign of weakness and vulnerability, which reminded him so much of the betrayal he had in Kawasaki." He then scoffs and went back on cooking, leaving Fuyuko without saying anything else. She look at Akagi, and wonders how different his life could've been if he decide to stay or remain oblivious to Misaki's betrayal.

*sighs* "What have you done, Misaki."

She softly murmured before getting back at her own work. Akagi continues to whip meals after meals, not minding the fatigue he is starting to feel from cooking several dishes without leaving to take a break. Whispering menacingly to himself as he stares grimly in the food his cooking. His mind is so preoccupied with the thoughts that makes him stressed, he couldn't stop it from encroaching his head. And everyday it seems to be a much stronger grip on him, he already doesn't have much time for himself and was unable to make any new artwork, he worries he might lose touch with it. He has alot of things to do, just thinking about the busy schedules he had ahead, makes him stress. His father entrusted him the whole kitchen for today and went with his mom. He didn't why or where, but not wanting to disappoint his father for a second time. After failing to convince Sarah to with work them. He agreed, this isn't the first time he manage the restaurant. But the pressure and burden isn't always easy on his shoulders. Suddenly he heard his phone ringing from his pocket.

*Phone ringtone playing in the background : Rick Ashley - Never gonna give you up.*

Kazuo looks at him.

"Really? You're gonna make me hear that song?" He looks at his phone. Its a phone call from his father. "Excuse me for a moment." He said before walking upstairs to his father's office, in contrast to noises coming from the kitchen, its quite there and he wouldn't be disturb. Akagi went inside his father's office and took the phone call.

"Hello." He said.

Masao : "Son, how are you doing?"

Masahiko : "Everything's fine, dad."

He could hear his father's excessive breathing from the other side.

"What happened?" He worryingly asked.

"Son, I've got great news!" Masao exclaimed.

Akagi : "What it is?"

Masao : "You're gonna have a little brother now!"

He excitedly said. My jaw dropped upon hearing the news.

"Oh really? Is mom pregnant?" I asked.

"Yes, after sevral years, your mom and I finally did it."

He proudly said. I could hear how happy he is. I'm happy for them, I was smiling without realizing it.

Akagi : "Congratulations, dad."

Masao : "Son, your mother is pregnant now. I have to take care of her, so expect that I wouldn't be able to work as much. I would still manage our investments at home. Can I count on you to run the restaurant by yourself?" He worryingly asked.

(Run the restaurant by myself...)

To have such a position of sole authority, and the fact that my father trusts me, knowing im qualified enough makes me feel proud and outstanding.

"Of course!"

I said. I feel appreciated that he recognizes my ability and efforts. We talked a little bit further before the call ended. I look around in his office and sat down of his chair. It feels like I am sitting on a throne I inherited from my father. I feel unrestrained, I feel powerful. But I now have to handle all the burdens and responsibilities of all gains and loses. I have to work longer and harder if I were to remain worthy of such a job. My father showed me kindness, I want to repay his kindness by proving myself, that I am indeed his eldest son that he can be proud of. It reinvigorated me and now that I knew where he went to with mom, I felt relieved that he is not just giving all the work to me without any good reason.

I came down stairs a energeticly and I was humming without noticing. I was in a much better mood now that I've been enlightened with the good news. Im quite happy to hear that im gonna be a big brother! Im glad its not a baby sister...

"What got you upset earlier?" Kazuo asked. After seeing me calmer than before. "Oh, well...my father scolded me last night." Kazuo turned his head to me looking perplexed.

"He scolded at you?" He asked me shocked.

"Yeah, why are you so surprised?"

He looks at me and said.

"Well, I haven't really hear you quarrel or act hostile against each other. So it's quite shocking to know that he at scolds you." I chuckled at his statement before replying.

"Hey, my father and I have a normal father and son dynamic. We argue on alot of different occasions, but it those were just simply disagreements that wouldn't cause problems for us in the future. And we don't tend to bring up feuds and hate to work. What happens in our home, stays in our home." He nods upon hearing it. "Can I ask you why?" "Well, I failed to recuit the girl I promised to bring yesterday. And he disappointed about it." Kazuo looks at me perflexed. "I dont mean to judge your father poorly, but isn't that kind a shallow reason?" He asked. I look at him and responded.

"Well, I was the reason why two of our former waitresses quit. I promised to bring new recuits but I still couldn't fulfill it." He smirked at me and asked.

"Why did they quit? What did you do?"

"Well, they asked me to go out on a date but I regected them. I guess they took it personally and left."

I bursts out laughing after what Akagi said. I was in a bit of disbelief but surprised to hear it.

Akagi always maintains a stoic, composed, focused and mature posture all the time. He always follows his father's orders and doesn't complain even though he works hard all the time. I was intimidated by his work ethics and his discipline to keep his body in good shape. But I was also worried about it, and it was such a relief to know he is allowed to freely speak his mind and act differently whenever he's at home. He is just the same as everybody else, I thought he was still restrained and living his life in fear and servitude, as he used to with his aunt.

"Seriously dude, you don't have to be cold all the time."

"Hey, I wasn't cold to them when I rejected their invite. I was polite when I did it." He said.

"Yeah, yeah, tell that to your voice while looking at your eyes in the mirror." I told him.

Hours past and as we serve the last customer, I ordered them to close for the day and clean the kitchen. I look through the glass window and it was already early evening, alot of people are still outside in the streets and avenues of the city, but we're already closing. We're already exhausted from hours of serving alot of customers. That's why my father is eager to find new recruits and for us to participate in it. So that we would be able to lighten our work with more hands on deck and we would be able to have a group of different shift so we can stay open for much longer. After I clean the kitchen, I turned off all the electrical appliances and watch my friends leave for today.