Salaryman

Ten hours.

Ten hours of my life went down the drain for the sake of work. This does not even account for the time I took to commute home. This does not account for the time I took to make a quick detour to the convenience store to grab a quick snack. If I were to include those factors, I'd come to the conclusion that I just slaved away almost half my day.

Overworked, overstressed, and overwhelmed with feelings of uneasiness, I came to the realization that we toiled away our education, our livelihoods, for a promise.

A promise of stability and a sense of security. A man doesn't choose his career after college. That much is certain.

No.

He chooses a company.

In exchange for his devotion, the company looks after both him and his family. When ripe old age hits him, the company rewards his dedication with a nice pension.

Indeed, he chooses to throw away his liberties for a sense of security. Modern slavery if you will.

Such is the life of a salaryman.

The white-collared hero who sacrifices both body and mind unquestionably for the sake of his company. A paragon of modern Japan.

As I opened the front door of my apartment, hints of rosemary came across my senses. From the kitchen, I can hear a young woman singing to herself a pop song from the current Oricon charts. Around the corner a dog – a dachshund, to be exact – made a mad dash towards me, barking enthusiastically.

"Hikki! You're finally home!" My wife Yui emerged from the kitchen to give me a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"You're cooking?"

I took a good look at my wife. Though she is in her mid-twenties now, she doesn't look a day older than when I first met her in high school ten years ago. Other than her signature Chinese-style bun, with her beige turtleneck sweater, Yui looks just like her mother when I first met her.

"Yeah! We're having oven-fried rosemary chicken tonight!" Yui exclaimed enthusiastically. I raised a brow at that. With my wife's cooking skills, I wasn't completely enthused. There is a reason I've always opted to eat take-out instead.

"Do you need any help? Where is the recipe? Can I see it? Would you like me to take over?" I watched as my wife's face increasingly became inflamed as I continued my prodding.

"Hikki! Don't be so insensitive!" Yui pouted.

She's pretty cute when she's mad…

"Geez, we've been married for three years now! Have a little more faith!" She puffed.

"Ah, my bad. I just don't want to come home just to find it in ashes." I mused.

"Hey, don't worry! Yukinon has been helping me out recently! She comes by after her shift is over to give me lessons."

"Yukinoshita has been helping you out? That's good to hear."

"Yep!"

She began to make her way towards the kitchen before suddenly turning back to face me. "Oh! I almost forgot! Hikki, your bath is ready by the way. Go upstairs! Relax! Dinner will be ready soon!"

My wife returned to kitchen to finish up, leaving me in the hallway with Sable. After giving Sable a dose of affection, the dog proceeded into the kitchen. Surprisingly, even in his advanced age, Sable still has some spring in his step. I put my coat on the rack, loosened my tie, and made my way upstairs.

After my bath I entered the kitchen to find Yui setting the table with Sable quietly watching.

"Hikki! Come, come! Let's eat!" My wife pulled out my seat and ushered me to sit down. She has been in high spirits recently.

I looked down at the oven-fried rosemary chicken that lay on my plate. It certainly looked presentable and rather edible. I cut a small slice of the chicken breast as Yui looked at me rather expectantly and took a bite.

Tender, crispy and slightly juicy, the assertive flavor of rosemary complimented nicely with the texture of the breaded chicken.

Hey, this is actually pretty good! How the hell did Yui become decent at cooking!? Did Yukinoshita train her in the Room of Spirit and Time!?

"How...How is it?" Yui asked sheepishly.

"It's actually pretty good." I said matter-of-factly. I watched as a wave of relief wash over my wife's face.

"Really? That's good to hear."

"I'm surprised that you can actually cook something edible." I added.

"Hey! I've been working hard at this! I want to become a good wife for you, Hikki! I have to try..." Yui pouted. With eyes downcast, she smiled warmly as she pressed her right hand against her flat stomach.

"...I have to…"

After dinner, I quietly sat on the living room couch and passed my time away by reading a novel. The book was nothing special. It was just low-brow literature designed for consumption. Still, it took the edge of reality away. The realm of fantasy was a far better place to be in.

From behind, I felt two soft hands gently pressed on my scalp. Yui often likes to give me scalp massages after dinner. I felt as if some of my troubles eased away by her touch. She truly was a comforting presence. Although my wife may not be able to exude the natural comfiness of someone like Meguri-senpai, I felt at ease around her.

"How was work?" It was a question she would usually begin with.

"Same old stuff." I scoffed as I continued to read my novel. Her hands worked their way through my hair, firmly rubbing my scalp to-and-fro. Her firm, yet gentle touch eased some of my day's worth of tension and stress.

"They work me like a dog. Actually, I'm more like a raisin: soul-sucked and left to dry." I continued.

"Still, you're working so hard...you've always worked so hard for our sakes..." Her voice was warm, comforting and assuring. "I'm thankful for that...We're both thankful..."

I felt her hands suddenly stop.

"Yui?" I laid my book down on the adjacent coffee table and turned around to look at her. She had both her hands gently rubbing her belly.

"Hikki...What should we name him?"

"Or her. Don't be so sure of our child's gender, Yui. It's still too early to know."

To be honest, I'm hoping we have a girl. Just like my father before me, I'd like to have a daughter I can dote on. Yui, on the other hand, would love to have a son.

"I wouldn't know what to call our child. It's your call."

"Don't just leave something so important like this to me!" My wife shook her head rapidly left to right. "This is something we have to decide together."

"Ah, you're right."

"Would you like some coffee?" Yui asked, changing the subject. "I'm gonna go back to the kitchen to make some."

Actually, a cup of coffee sounds pretty good right about now.

"Sure. I'll take mine with sugar and condensed milk." It's no MAX COFFEE, but it'll have to do.

As my wife returned to the kitchen, I picked up my book and attempted to pick up where I left off. In the end, I couldn't focus on my reading. I had too much on my mind.

Would my child turn out okay?

Would I alone be able to support my family?

Would I have time to spend with my child?

Becoming a father was so foreign, so new, and completely overwhelming. I couldn't help but feel the fear and the uncertainty as it tugged away at my heart.

Still, as I heard my wife sang a popular tune as she prepared our coffee in the kitchen, that I thought to myself that maybe…

Maybe…

Maybe everything would be alright.

"Here Hikki."

My wife laid my cup on the coffee table as I broke out of my reverie. My eyes followed her as she took a seat next to my left with her mug in hand. I took a small sip of the coffee she prepared for me. It was sickeningly sweet with a thick consistency. After three years of marriage and a decade of dating, Yui is able to consistently craft my ideal cup of coffee.

"This is good." I paused to take another sip. "Thanks."

"I'm glad you like it." Yui replied as she laid her mug on the coffee table.

The fingers of her right hand gently circled the rim of her mug and she thoughtfully gazed into the pool of light brown. Afterwards, she grabbed a pillow that lay on the couch and leaned her body against mine; her head softly resting on my left shoulder. With slow, steady breaths, my wife's soft rhythms against my shoulder further eased my tensions.

"Ahhh...This is nice..." She mused elatedly.

"Yeah..."

I felt her right hand grab my left and pressed it against her midsection.

"I'm so excited Hikki. I can't wait." I can only nod in agreement. What else can I say?

Sable, the old dachshund who bridged us two together all those years ago, managed to hop on the couch and sprawled himself on both our laps.

"Aww Sable..." My wife gushed. She cheerfully petted the old boy's belly with age-old affection. I felt a smile creep upon my face. Despite my uneasiness, despite my stress, it is these short, sweet, serene, moments that make me think that maybe…

Maybe…

Maybe everything will be alright.

A/N: While working on the The Third Option (Ch. 10 will hopefully be released 2-4 weeks from now), I had several ideas for a HachiYui short running through my head. This is the end result of just one of them. If I ever have more ideas for HachiYui shorts, I'll probably just add them here.

Happy reading!