This chapter although short, it has some very important significance to it, which is why I felt that it should be kept separate. Thank you so much! Enjoy! And next chapter will be up within a month!
CHAPTER - 10
Konomi walked out of the cabin with the offer letter in her hand, and called out the next person. She bid her goodbyes, and then the left the building, heading home. She had given Satoh her usual office time as the time she'll be free, but this way she had more time to clear her head before seeing him. And lord knew she needed some time to process the last 30 minutes. What in the world was Irie Yuki thinking? What does he want?
She clearly recognised the gleam in Irie Yuki's eyes when he had offered her the position of his secretary. He had come up with it on the spot, and he knew it was the solution to the problem, and he also knew that he was absolutely right. She knew that look, that shine in his eyes all too well.
It had often happened when Konomi and Yuki studied together. The usual teaching method, at times didn't work on her, and the fact that she would often space out looking at Yuki didn't help either. Yuki thus, often came up with creative ways to teach her. And whenever he thought up the perfect way, he used to have the same look as he did in the office earlier.
The million dollar question here is, what is the problem, to which Yuki thought the solution is to make her, the under qualified employee, his, the company head's, secretary? What is Yuki thinking of now?
Konomi was thinking of this as she reached her apartment. As soon as she entered, her father eyed her, looked confused but then returned to watching some comedy channel on the television. However, as always, her father merely watched the comedy channel, but wasn't laughing. He would sometimes smile on a husband-wife joke, but then that would be the night he wouldn't go to sleep, but simply pass out drunk, instead of his usual 4 bottles.
On holidays though, when she would spend all day with him doing menial chores like laundry, grocery shopping with him, or at least around him, he wouldn't drink as much, and would even invite her to drink with him. Suddenly realisation dawned on her, that she was only able to spend that much time with her father, with timely return homes, and the usual days odd because her boss was so generous, and the company she worked for was also of a small scale.
But with working as the secretary of the CEO of the internationally known and operational company, not only she'd be working late, and on her days off, she might even have to travel for days without even seeing her father. The new job that she was being offered paid her well, and promised her the life many would kill for, but at the price of leaving her father behind alone for days when he already feels so lonely? Her father is the reason why she works as hard she does.
Some more thinking, and then Konomi finally came to the conclusion that taking the new job was simply counterproductive to her requirement, Irie Yuki or no Irie Yuki. Up until now, in the back of her mind, she was thinking of accepting the offer because the money was good, and lord knows that they needed it. But the price was not and will never be her father. She'll take up multiple part time jobs, till she found something more permanent. Being away from her father when he needed her, was just not an option. Not at all.
She looked and it was already four, and she realised having come back just after lunchtime, she hadn't had anything to eat for lunch. But if she'd start cooking something now, she'll be late to meet Satoh-kun, she thought. Having the realisation that she was now jobless, somehow wasn't as scary as she had always imagined. She had thought this through, and she had her priorities straight in her head, she won't be earning much, but she will be fine. And with these thoughts she got ready and headed out to meet Satoh Tohru.