Decisions and Life

"I've got a job offer."

"Eh? Ugh—khau... khau... Cough! cough!"

"Hold on! Here, take this water. Are you okay?"

Is this surprising? I mean, yeah, when I think about it. You can't even call it a job—it's more like a con-artist business.No, maybe it can be classified as an acting job, right?

"It's okay. Please continue. Where? When? What's the salary?"

Oh F**k! How could I forget to make something up?

…

...

...

These moments make me realize I'm not just a human but an idiot sandwich! What should I tell her now? Which believable story can I think of? Hold on... I think—

"Hey, tell me, Adachi-san. Why are you so silent?"

"Stop, Kaori-chan. I'm thinking. Please be patient."

"Huh! What are you thinking?"

Story! Story! That's what I'm thinking! It's difficult to come up with one these days with everyone having the attention span of a goldfish.

"Okay, okay. I'm telling you. So, um... You know I went to the grocery store to buy some eggs."

But wait! Where are they? Let me remember... Oh! Maybe they got crushed while Miyamoto-san was trying to kidnap me. Man, thinking about that makes my neck ache. It still hurts.

"So, while I was coming home, I decided to go to the park."

"Park? Why? For what reason?"

Yeah, right, for what reason.

"P-Pollution, you see. Climate change and global warming are showing their effects. It's so suffocating these days."

"Okay, then what happened next?"

"So, as I was heading to the park, I saw a woman in her thirties lying on the ground, crying in pain. Her labor had started. So, I immediately called an ambulance. They thought I was her husband, and even though she was unconscious, she held my hand tightly. The ambulance took us to the nearest hospital, and it took several hours for the operation to complete. When the child was delivered, and her husband and sister arrived, they turned out to be big-shots. They offered me a job as thanks."

Kaori's eyes brimmed with pride, as if her child had just won a gold medal in the Olympics.

"But why didn't you call me and inform me sooner?"

Ah! Stupid! My hands were tied. How would I call you? I didn't even have my phone.

"My mind was such a mess at the time that I just forgot to call you. I'm so sorry about that."

Pat my head! Such a good story I've created (Stolen actually)! My goodness! Arigato, Godai-san! Arigato, Rumiko Takahashi-san!

"Yeah, you're right! I'm so proud of you, Adachi. Tell me, tell me fast! What is the job?" she asked, shaking with excitement.

"You won't believe me, Kaori. It's a high-level management position with almost double the salary of the previous one."

"Wooaaahh! Hold on, then why are we having noodles right now? Let's go to a fancy restaurant and celebrate this day. Let's hurry. It's already so late!"

I don't want to tell her that I didn't want to do that job.

Her excitement made me flutter. Pondering over how to break the news, I opened my mouth: "But I don't want to take that offer."

Shocked and amazed, she asked hastily, "Why? What's the problem?"

"Because the job is in Hokkaido."

A few hours earlier, just after we sealed the deal, he told me that if I wanted the job, I had to come to Hokkaido where he lived.

That one sentence alone made me rethink my answer. After seeing Kaori, my answer was clear.

"I will reject the offer. I don't want to go. I don't want to leave you."

Leaving you is never an option.

I know very well how much she loves me, and how much I love her. Also, I believe no physical distance can take our love away. Yet still... I feel a sense of uneasiness in my heart.

"No, Adachi-san. You should go. Opportunities like these don't always come."

I was tired of hearing it. But... I...

"Yes! I will go. Please take care of yourself."

She wrapped me in her arms. Her warmth made my body shiver a little. The sensation of her touch made me forget all my pain, all tiredness, all agony, all fear, everything.

In that brief moment of heat, my lips met hers, trying to savor the taste.

Even though I know that feeling and I've tasted it a hundred times before, every time it still feels equally special. Maybe that's some evil trick of the God of Love!

We stayed like that for an hour before going to sleep.

The next morning came a little early for us, as we had not packed anything at all. So, the first thing after waking up was to pack my stuff and clothes. Kana-san would be coming soon.

I packed only two bags worth of clothes, which we both carried to the ground floor through the lift.

She had told me she would be in front of the building by 7 o'clock.

As we reached the apartment gate, I noticed her car approaching.

I immediately asked the guard to open the gate.

The car stopped in front of me. The driver, dressed in a bodyguard outfit, stepped out and opened the door of the backseat. Kana-san made her striking entrance with her usual grace, looking like the boss of a gang of thugs. Dressed in a black single-button blazer and trousers, she looked stunning. [Her image in the comments.]

Before I could speak, Kaori greeted her with a smile.

Still tense about the made-up story from last night, I immediately wanted to control the conversation before any beans were spilled. "Hello, Kana-san. Good morning! How are you doing? This is my girlfriend, Kaori, that I told you about."