It's Friday, the day after the wedding where Sakai and I awkwardly part ways.
　It may be Golden Week, but we are always working.　

　I didn't expect Sakai to have someone else in mind.
　It must have been a very embarrassing coming out of the closet to make her face so red.
　She didn't tell me who it was after all, but the guy who has that much of a crush on her is a lucky guy.

　With that in mind, I left the convenience store with my purchased lunch in hand.
　I bought three rice balls and a cup of tea.
　Don't think the lineup was shabby.

　There is no such thing as a lunch break for a delivery person in the delivery business.
　Thus, the mainstream is the one that can eat with one hand while driving.

　Because it's easier and more efficient!
　I've increased the amount this time so that I don't growl in front of Amana.
　This should be fine.

''Hmm...?

　As I'm walking to the delivery truck parked in the convenience store parking lot, I see a familiar rear view.
　Because of the curiosity of not expecting to meet here, I call out to the person.

"Hello──Mr. Minami.
'　...Hello.

　The one who responded to my greeting with a slight shake of her shoulder was Amana's mother, Minami-san.
　She's wearing a suit as she goes to work.
　The first time I saw her in person was when we met for the first time and at a coffee shop after my shift, but I recognized her right away with her beautiful, shiny, dark brown hair, which was striking.

　And I still think she's beautiful.
　In fact, guys passing by the convenience store were glancing at her with sideways glances.
　But she's married with a child.

　But she returned my greeting without any wariness.
　I wondered for a moment why, but my doubts were soon put to rest.
　At any rate, it's because my first impression of him was 'a strange adult male who is friends with my daughter', which in a way is a bad start, and yet he broke the promise he made to himself a few days later.

　This makes me sound like a helpless scum, but I'm not trying to do anything out of spite.

　It's not surprising that a person with a remarkably low level of trust from Minami-san would say hello to you just because you passed him on the side of the road, and it certainly wouldn't be surprising if you were alarmed.
　I'd like to be friends with Amana-chan's mother, but that's hard to do when she's seen as an enemy.

　She's still staring at me like that.
　I can tell that she hates me so much.

I'm not going to be able to say that it's a good idea, but it's not a bad idea.
I can't help but wonder how you knew it was me just from my back, but yeah, I suppose.

　Eh.........isn't this a suspicious situation to call out to, itself?
　Do you think I'm a stalker?

I mean, we really met by coincidence... I don't even know Minami-san's workplace, let alone her job title...
Okay.

　When I appealed to her for lack of malice, Minami-san sighed dismissively and then let down her guard for the time being.
　Yes, I know it's pathetic, so.....

"So, what do you want?
'What?　I just saw someone I knew, so I said hello, not really...
..........

　When I answered frankly without thinking too much about it, Minami's gaze became even stronger.
　I can't stay like a needle stuck in me........

''I'm.......sorry.''
'Please don't speak to me in the first place, rather than apologize.
Yes, sir. You're right.

　Me, I keep apologizing to Mr. South.
　I might have to add 'I'm going to get my ass kicked' to the predictions for the future of my marriage that Sakai and I talked about yesterday.
　I don't know who the other guy is.

　Well, this is not the time to be thinking about that kind of nonsense.

'Besides, I warned you the other day to keep a close eye on your diet, what's with that lonely meal?
Ugh. Shh, you can't help it!　This is what delivery companies are for!
'That said, couldn't the lineup have been a little more nutritionally conscious?　Onigiri tastes like sea chicken, kelp and plum... there are no vegetables.
Guggi...

　I can't say anything back.
　So, but it's good sea chicken mayo!

What about you, Minami-san...?
'It's a blatant distraction. Well, I make lunches, but the reason I came to the convenience store is to buy a drink.

　Ah, yes.
　I'm completely defeated.
　If you think about it, since I have a child, I should have been able to take care of my nutrition.
　Even if it's a sour grapes, it's the most pathetic gaffe on record.

''Don't you cook for yourself, Hayakawa-san?
I've been so busy, I haven't grown at all from a food source.
Well it's not for me to interfere as an outsider, but wouldn't it be better for you to consider a career change?

　Mr. Minami gave me a look of pity.
　Apparently, not being able to even cook for oneself is pretty bad, even if you look at it objectively.

　However..........

It's not that I didn't think about it, but that doesn't mean it's not worthwhile.
Challenging?
When Amana-chan said to me, 'Thank you for your hard work,' I felt like I understood how Santa Claus felt, and it really encouraged me to work. It makes me happy to be thanked and appreciated for everything.

　At least, that's what I think.
　The deliveries are heavy and the long hours of driving are rare, but they're not supposed to be in vain.
　If you call it complacency or hypocrisy, that's all right, but it's much easier and friendlier than looking at it from such a perceptive point of view.

　Hearing my words, Minami-san stared at me closely and then let out a breath.....

'Are you really going to keep your promise to me?'
I do. And if it's a business relationship, it's not unusual for someone to thank me for delivering something.
M.....

　Oh, Mr. South choked on his words.
　I feel like I have to do that for a bit.

''──Hayakawa-san is........''
Hmm?
You don't think of me as a jerk, do you?
What?　

　He tilted his head at the question, wondering what it meant.

'Why should I think that?'
What?

　When I spoke my honest thoughts, Ms. Minami responded with a stunned response.

It's just a matter of doing what is natural for Amana-chan's mother to do, so it's out of line for us to feel bad for her, isn't it? In fact, it's me who is thought of as such.

　It's true that I can't receive Amana's healing because of my promise to Minami-san, but that's because I'm an outsider and I've made her uncomfortable.
　And yet, to feel estranged from her is just a scrappy idea that can't be resented.

''........''

　I wonder if she realized that my thoughts were realized by what I just said, and Minami-san was stunned as if she had missed her guess.
　The moment I was about to call out to her to see if she didn't need to return to the company soon.......



''Huh~?　Isn't that Minami-senpai~?
I wonder if she's meeting a guy during her lunch break?
I...

　A sarcastic sound of sarcastic voices mixed with contemptuous mockery jumped in from the side.