TPMITWON Chapter 65: Okabe

The man was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and dark blue pants, looking like a hard worker who didn’t care much about his appearance.

“Yo! New kid!” the man greeted with a grin.

“Hello...” Souta tried to respond with a friendly smile, though it felt a bit awkward.

“Haha! No need to be so stiff, just relax!” said the bearded man with a chuckle. “My name is Okabe. Nice to meet you, new kid.”

The man extended his large, rough hand, a result of years of physical work.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Souta,” Souta replied as he shook the hand. Okabe’s grip felt strong and warm.

Okabe then glanced at Souta, who was sitting alone without any food or anything nearby. Okabe squinted suspiciously and asked, “Aren’t you bringing any lunch?”

“Ah... that,” Souta scratched the back of his neck, looking a bit shy. “I didn’t know there was a break like this. So, I didn’t bring anything.”

Okabe laughed softly, then immediately sat down next to Souta, leaning back against the wall casually.

“Classic beginner. I used to be like that too. But don’t worry,” Okabe said as he opened his lunchbox, which contained rice, an omelet, and pieces of smoked meat. “I brought extra today. If you don’t mind sharing half of an old man’s meal, let’s split it.”

Souta paused for a moment, then smiled slightly. “Thank you… I really appreciate it.”

“Well, we’ve all been the new kid at some point. Besides, working here is crazy enough without being hungry too,” Okabe said with a wide smile.

Night began to fall slowly, and amidst the fatigue and dust still clinging to their clothes, Souta felt a little lighter. He started to feel a bit more accepted.

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Okabe set aside some of his lunch into the lid of the lunchbox, scooping rice, omelet, and a piece of smoked meat into it. He handed it to Souta with a friendly smile.

“Here, eat up. Don’t be shy,” Okabe said in a light tone.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Okabe…” Souta said as he carefully accepted the lunch, as if he were afraid of dropping it.

Souta began to scoop the rice and omelet slowly. As soon as the taste of the omelet touched his tongue, Souta’s eyes widened slightly. It was soft, savory, and perfectly sweet and salty. Souta then tasted the warm, chewy piece of smoked meat—and a smile appeared on his face unconsciously. It was much better than Souta had expected.

Okabe observed Souta’s expression while chewing casually. “I can tell from your face that it’s good,” Okabe said with a small laugh.

Souta chuckled softly, a bit embarrassed. “Yeah… to be honest, it’s really delicious.”

The two men then ate together in a comfortable silence. The only sounds were the distant chatter of others and the clinking of utensils. The atmosphere felt warm, even though they were sitting on the hard floor under the dim stage lights.

A few minutes later, their dinner was finished. Souta covered his mouth with a tissue and looked at Okabe with sincere respect.

“Once again, thank you so much, Mr. Okabe.” Souta said with a thin smile.

“Ah, just call me Okabe, no need for ‘Mr.’, or I’ll think I’m some strict boss,” Okabe chuckled. “By the way… what do you think of Ayaka?”

The question slipped out casually, catching Souta a bit off guard. He needed a second to think of his answer.

“Hmm... Ayaka is quite nice?” Souta said, sounding a bit hesitant but still smiling.

“Quite nice, huh?” Okabe looked at Souta with a mischievous grin. “Weren’t you just ignored when you tried to greet and shake hands with Ayaka?”