Uncle Hikigaya is Forever Young [39]

At lunchtime, while eating with his father, Hikigaya Hachiman held his spoon absently, a sense of unreality still lingering in his heart.

"Dad, um, that Kirisu Mafuyu... onee-san, is she really going to teach at Sōbu High?"

Ryōhei, sitting across from him, casually took a mouthful of rice, completely missing the subtle shift in how Hachiman addressed her, and answered offhandedly, "We just interviewed at the same time. The result will probably come on Friday."

"Oh... could it be you’ll become my history teacher, Dad?" Imagining that awkward scenario, Hachiman felt complicated.

Having your parent as your teacher felt anything but relaxing.

"That's still far from certain," Ryōhei replied, "But with the recommendation from Teitan Junior High’s principal, my chances are somewhat better. Also, after I checked, the principal and the head of the department at Sōbu High are both Tokyo Gakugei alumni. Hopefully, they'll feel some camaraderie."

"In that case, congratulations in advance on your new job, Dad."

"Hmph! I still have to go work at the convenience store this afternoon! You're washing the dishes. But… Hachiman, you're pretty talkative today. Did something good happen?"

"N-no, nothing."

Hachiman lowered his head. Thankfully, his father didn't pry further.

Ever since leaving Mom, Dad had been cold towards any woman for quite some time.

But today, he'd seen Dad laughing and chatting with an older girl. Has Dad really gotten over Mom’s betrayal?

After all, even Grandma had been driven away before, cursed at with strange words like “shameless old witch!” or “old hag!” that Hachiman couldn't fully understand.

Hachiman’s first reaction was to feel genuinely happy for his father—he truly lived a hard life.

But, if he were being honest, he felt strangely conflicted too. Perhaps one day, he'd actually call another woman "Mom"?

The chūnibyō black-haired boy felt something strange in his chest.

It felt... a bit empty.

Ahhh.

Of course, he wasn't so gossipy as to imagine that Kirisu Mafuyu-oneesan had instantly become his stepmother candidate.

In his occasional fantasies, Dad would probably form a new family with a mature woman, wouldn’t he?

That onee-san was clearly way too young, only a few years older than himself at most!

Surely, Dad couldn't be chasing such a trendy idea!

Calling her "Oba-san" earlier was humiliating enough already.

Dad had seriously gone crazy for a moment there!

It felt like he’d somehow been taken advantage of... Yeah, that’s it.

In short, ever since Dad woke up that time, he seemed to have truly recovered from Mom's betrayal and restarted his life calmly and methodically.

But even though he’d moved on, Hachiman clearly understood just how deeply hurt his father had been.

The very personality of the father he'd known all his life had undergone subtle yet lasting changes.

Sometimes Dad was so composed that he felt like a stranger.

All those sudden failures in Dad’s life seemed completely forgotten now, never mentioned again.

Not even once had Dad complained about his circumstances in front of him or Komachi.

Grandma, Mom—none of them had ever been mentioned again... and Hachiman wasn't sure whether to feel comforted or... something else.

Recalling the family upheaval over the past half-year, Hachiman’s throat tightened slightly, making even this simple lunch feel difficult to swallow.

But looking at his father, who faced life’s challenges calmly, he forced himself to suppress the sudden wave of sadness.

Dad’s hiding everything inside, for Komachi and me. I can’t let him worry about me any further, he thought firmly.

Hachiman made up his mind: once he could earn money on his own, he’d definitely treat his strong, hardworking dad well.

"Oh right, Dad! My homeroom teacher called me this morning, saying she wants to come over tomorrow for a home visit. I told her you’re busy during the day, hoping to decline. But she said she could come in the evening... that is, whatever fits your schedule."

"Huh? Well… hmm. I have an evening shift tonight. Tomorrow evening, then! Around 6:30 should be fine," Ryōhei answered, slightly surprised but quickly decisive.

Sōbu High’s teachers really did seem responsible.

Meeting beforehand wasn't a bad idea anyway—after all, they might become colleagues soon.

God willing, this job would surely be his!

"Alright, I'll message her back after lunch," Hachiman said.

"What's your homeroom teacher's name again?"

"She introduced herself on the phone. Her name is Hiratsuka Shizuka."

...

After lunch, Ryōhei gave Hachiman a few instructions, reminding him to prepare dinner with Komachi in the evening.

Half an hour later, after a brief rest, Ryōhei changed into more casual clothes and headed for the convenience store.

Even half a day's wage couldn’t be forfeited; he'd make up tonight’s shift until ten.

It was yet another ordinary afternoon.

The job wasn't tiring; it just required patience, prolonged standing, and could be dreadfully boring when customers were scarce.

Maybe due to deepening economic stagnation and declining purchasing power, the number of customers had noticeably decreased lately.

Though subtle, compared to when he'd first started working here, the rush-hour crowds had thinned considerably.

Cheap products on display were becoming more numerous by the day.

Ironically, popularity peaked during weekly clearance sales.

Ryōhei himself often took advantage of his staff privileges during these sales to stock up at home.

He hadn’t seen Aoyama Nanami, that hardworking kid, for three weeks now. Ever since school began, her shifts had moved to evenings.

Ryōhei worked day shifts, just finishing up when school let out in the afternoon. By then, Nanami would only just be on her way to work.

Their schedules no longer overlapped—he hadn't seen her since the first day school started.

Thinking of that girl constantly chasing her dreams, Ryōhei couldn't help but suspect from her perpetually rushed appearance that she might actually be juggling more than two part-time jobs.

"Oh! Hikigaya-san, you're also working the evening shift today?"

Less than half an hour after school let out, Aoyama Nanami breezed into the somewhat empty store, her single ponytail bouncing energetically.

"Yeah, it’s been a while, Aoyama-san. Don’t overdo it," Ryōhei advised gently, noticing a faint sheen of sweat on the girl’s forehead.

"No worries! I’m used to it already, hehe. Um... Hikigaya-san, is your son’s leg better now?"

Nanami swiftly donned her uniform vest and cap, walking over to chat.

"Almost recovered. He’ll be able to go back to school next week."

Nanami had a good impression of this kind-hearted uncle, and a sudden thought flashed in her mind: Tonight’s shift will probably be more relaxing!

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This is a fan translation of 比企谷大叔永远年轻 by Stargazer All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!