The Life I Chose

Thursday, March 21, 2013, Afternoon, Yukiko's POV

I stood at the Inaba train station, preparing to board the train and leave my hometown for the last time.

"Are you sure about this, Yukiko?" Chie said.

"I've made my decision, Chie," I said. "If I have to choose between staying here for the rest of my life and leaving forever... I choose to leave."

"But what about your parents?" Chie said.

"We've... discussed this," I said, "and they know that there's no changing my mind."

I stepped on the train.

"Well, this is goodbye," I said. "I'll stay in touch."

"Thank you," Chie said. "Take care of yourself, Yukiko."

As the train started to move, I waved to Chie, whose eyes were beginning to well up with tears, as were mine. The train whistle sounded... until it was cut off by my alarm clock beeping.

Monday, April 9 2018, Early Morning, Yukiko's POV

I opened my eyes and looked around. My dream of the past, a dream that was all too common for me, had ended, and I was back to reality, in the apartment I shared with my girlfriend, Shizuka Yagami.

As I got out of bed, I opened my curtains to let the morning sun in. The view from the window was hardly impressive, since it looked out onto the street and another nearby apartment complex owned by the same company that ran our building, but the light helped me wake up.

I then got dressed for work- a white button-down shirt with a navy blue waistcoat, skirt and neckerchief ensemble, as well as black pantyhose, the uniform of the office ladies at the Yamamoto Trading Company.

Yagami-san came out, wearing a charcoal gray skirt suit with a white button-down shirt. She was a rising star at the company, and while advancement was no easy feat, especially for a woman, her peers respected her.

"Good morning, Amagi-san," Yagami-san said.

"Good morning, Yagami-san," I said, bowing in greeting.

Yagami-san chuckled.

"We're not at the office, you know," Yagami-san said. "You don't have to be that polite."

"I know," I said. "I guess customer service is in my blood, or at last something I've done long enough for it to become second nature."

In order to fund my vocational school tuition, I had to work, and waitressing was a natural choice. I didn't have much trouble getting my job or doing well at it, and I had my parents to thank for giving me the practical experience. Of course, considering that they weren't happy about my career choice, to put it mildly, they'd still think of me as an ungrateful daughter no matter how often or how sincerely I thanked them.

"Anyway," I said, "let's just leave it at that, all right?"

"All right," Yagami-san said.

I wondered how Yagami-san felt about my decision. Perhaps she felt guilty for not stopping me from leaving, perhaps she believed I had done the right thing, or perhaps she simply felt it was my choice to make; I didn't feel like asking her, since the subject was an uncomfortable one for me. Nevertheless, Yagami-san understood what this decision meant for me, and was willing to talk about it as often- or as seldom- as I liked, so I appreciated her tact and empathy.

After having a quick breakfast, the two of us rode the subway to work, keeping an eye out for perverts who might grope us. It wasn't much of an exaggeration to say that there were more commuters passing through the station than there were people in the town of Inaba, and practically every single person in the former group was a stranger to us. I wondered if this was solely my problem, since I'd been a bit shy growing up, but Yagami-san could count the number of friends she had in this city on one hand.

Of course, my relative anonymity did have its advantages. A few of my male coworkers had asked me out, but only because I was a pretty face; my name meant nothing to them. I was not the heiress to an inn, the top student in my grade or the girl infamous for turning down every boy in the school, but just another office lady. The past was in the past, and there was no point dwelling on old memories or what might have been... or at least that was what I kept telling myself.

Morning

In the morning, we settled into our duties. Yagami-san went to her cubicle, and I went about serving coffee. Some would consider this sort of task beneath them, but I had ample experience as a waitress. Yagami-san, who'd also worked as a waitress in college, was of the belief that no honest job was beneath her.

I served Yagami-san her coffee, and she took a sip.

"Excellent coffee, Amagi-san," Yagami-san said.

"Thank you, Yagami-san," I said.

"I honestly think you're more talented than this," Yagami-san said. "If the higher-ups noticed this, you'd be on par with me, if not my boss."

"It can't be helped," I said. "Even if I was valedictorian at Yasogami, Yasogami's name doesn't mean much to college admissions boards, and my vocational school isn't nearly as prestigious as your alma mater. I won't be climbing far up the ladder here."

"Neither will I," Yagami-san said. "Hardly any women have broken through the glass ceiling here, and everyone from vice-president on up is male."

Mother described our inn as a bit of an anomaly in that the current manager, her predecessor and her presumed successor had all been female. While Grandmother had become manager after Grandfather's passing due to being the child of the manager before Grandfather, she fully deserved her position. By giving the position to a family member they knew could do a job, my great-grandparents had wisely bypassed the sexism that influenced many "fair" hiring decisions. The new CEO at our company was the son-in-law of his predecessor, whose daughter had no chance of ever replacing him, and I could only hope that he would do his job well enough to prove worthy of his responsibilities.

"Still," Yagami-san said, "seeing you around never fails to brighten up my day."

I smiled. Yagami-san was one of the few employees who said that in a way that didn't sound like sexual harassment.

"Thank you, ma'am," I said, bowing.

It was rather ironic that, after defying my parents and leaving Inaba, I ended up as a lowly office lady who took orders with a smile. Nevertheless, the work wasn't so bad, and I knew of one person I wouldn't mind serving.

After delivering my coffee, I went to the ladies' room. Once I'd finished and washed my hands, Morimoto-san, an office lady a few years my senior, stopped me.

"Do you have a moment, Amagi-san?" Morimoto-san said.

"I do, Morimoto-san," I said. "What do you need?"

"It's about my engagement," Morimoto-san said, "you know, to Section Chief Yano."

'Ah yes," I said. "Once again, congratulations."

Morimoto-san smiled gracefully and said "Thank you," but I had to wonder whether she would return the favor if I were to marry Yagami-san.

"I'll get to the point," Morimoto-san said. "My fiance and I are considering taking a trip to the Yasoinaba region, where his mother grew up. Do you know of any good places in the area?"

"There's a famous inn there," I said, "but it's on the verge of closing. The owners are getting old and can't keep running it. It might stay open long enough for your honeymoon, but I can't guarantee anything. "

"Well, hope springs eternal," Morimoto-san said. "The wedding's not for some time, so I suppose we can think things over and consider possible alternatives if that falls through."

"Good luck," I said.

"Thank you again, Amagi-san," Morimoto-san said.

Morimoto-san paused a moment.

"Ah, now I remember why I asked you," Morimoto-san said. "You had the same name as the inn's owners, didn't you?"

I froze, but then reflexively nodded. It was obvious enough that lying about it was an exercise in futility.

"Yes," I said. "F-Funny c-coincidence, r-right?"

"Right," Morimoto-san said. "When I started, one of my coworkers was named Morimoto, and everyone joked we were related. That stopped when she married Director Akasaka and married him. Now she's Akasaka-san, and I'll soon be Yano-san. I wonder what name you'll take on when you get married."

"Me too," I said.

I humored the soon-to-be-former Morimoto-san with polite conversation, until she let me get back to work. She'd been nothing less than polite, but somehow, the conversation had been emotionally draining.

Evening

When we got home, I started on dinner, since it was my turn to make the meal. After years of living by myself, or with Yagami-san, I'd gotten fairly good at cooking.

As we sat down to eat, Yagami-san passed me the business section of the newspaper and pointed at an article that was a few pages into the section, below the fold.

"Here," Yagami-san said. "You might want to see this."

I took a glance at the article, and the headline- "Amagi Inn Sold" said it all. Mother, who was getting on in years, sold the inn to a hotel chain and planned to retire, since they were unable to find anyone to manage the inn after them. While the new owners planned on using the building, they intended to rename the place. At press time, was no word on what ramifications the sale would have for the employees or how many would keep their jobs.

It was a bit like if one of my loved ones had been suffering from a terminal illness and had finally succumbed. The result was tragic, but not surprising, and the only thing I could not predict was the date the inn shut its doors.

"So the inn lasted longer than I thought," I said. "Still, Morimoto-san and her husband won't be honeymooning at the Amagi Inn... and they have me to thank for it."

"It's not your fault," Yagami-san said. "Your parents had to retire sooner or later, and they just so happened to choose now."

I shook my head.

"I knew this would- or at least could- happen when I was pondering whether to leave Inaba," I said, "and I did so anyway, depriving the inn of a successor and causing it to close. I can't pretend I didn't see this coming."

I finished reading the article within moments and put it aside, not wanting to look at it any longer. With this, it seemed as though the bridge I had crossed when I left Inaba had been burned away, leaving only ashes behind. The inn that I should have inherited and run was no more, and I was certain my parents would never forgive me. All I could do from here on out was move forward, at Yagami-san's side.

After dinner, I got a call from Chie, the only person from Inaba I still kept in contact with.

"Amagi speaking," I said.

"Hey, Yukiko, this is Chie," Chie said. "I just heard that your folks sold the inn."

"Yes, I saw the business section of the newspaper," I said. "I take it you heard that way, too?"

"Actually, I got it straight from the source," Chie said. "Your parents."

I was so shocked that I not only hesitated to respond, but nearly dropped my phone.

"Yukiko?" Chie said. "You still there?"

"I-I am," I said. "I'm just shocked that you actually talked to my parents after so long. You only knew them through me, after all."

"Well, I was pretty darn shocked myself when they came to the station and asked for me and asked me to put them in touch with you," Chie said, " I told them I'd call you and leave it up to you whether you'd get back to them."

"I... I don't know about this," I said. "It's been so long since we last spoke. Besides, my parents don't know about my relationship with Yagami-san."

Chie sighed as she considered her words carefully.

"I'll be honest; it'll probably be awkward, since they're still a bit mad about you leaving town," Chie said, "and it's anyone's guess how they'll react to you shacking up with your girlfriend."

"I honestly have no idea," I said, "but probably, not well."

From what I could tell, Chie wanted me to reconnect with my parents, but she wasn't giving me much reason to do so.

"Still," Chie said, "they're worried about you. If you'd like to talk with them, I can tell them to expect your call. If you'd rather not, I'll let them know how you're doing, and they'll leave you alone from here on out. You don't have to decide now, but you should probably do so soon, OK?"

I paused, thinking over my decision, and realized that there was only one decision that made sense to me. It was too late for me to take back my decision, but I'd spent too long running away from Inaba.

"I'll get in touch with them," I said. "Is their number the same as before?"

"Yep," Chie said. "Tonight's probably a bit soon, but Sunday would probably work well."

"Thank you," I said.

"Not a problem," Chie said. "Good luck with your folks; if things go out, maybe you could come and visit?"

"Let's take it one step at a time," I said, "but I would like to see Inaba- and you- again someday."

"Me too," Chie said.

We talked about Inaba for a while, and the conversation brought back good memories, not just my regrets.

Shortly before we retired to bed, I told Yagami-san about Chie's call.

"I think you should give them a call," Yagami-san said, "but let's hold off on telling them about us. Just because my parents were relatively understanding doesn't mean yours will be."

"I agree," I said. "There's no guarantee the initial conversation with them will even go well, considering I walked out of their lives."

"Even so, there's hope," Yagami-san said. "They reached out to you, remember?"

I nodded.

"You know, I never stopped thinking about my parents or the inn," I said. "Every time I heard someone call me by my surname, or I introduced myself as an 'Amagi,' I was reminded of what I'd left behind. In fact, Morimoto-san thought to ask me about the inn because of my surname."

"And I've been calling you 'Amagi-san' all this time," Yagami-san said. "Would you rather I stop?"

I shook my head.

"It's fine, Yagami-san," I said. "This is a decision I made on my own, and it's only fair that I bear the consequences. I'm still an Amagi, even if I rejected my birthright and my duty as the manager's only daughter."

"I understand," Yagami-san said. "If that's what you want, Amagi-san, I'm happy to oblige."

I smiled. My name wasn't just a symbol of the family legacy that I had left behind, but also was part of my bond with my girlfriend. Unlike others who presumed familiarity with me, Yagami-san had showed me respect and gradually got to know me. She praised my name and the meaning behind it as fitting for me. Hearing her call my name was always a lovely feeling.

"Still," I said, "if we can get married one day, I'd like to take your family name. 'Yukiko Yagami' has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

"It does," Yagami-san said with a smile.

My decision to leave Inaba had been a selfish one, and I had my share of regrets about it. Nevertheless, I had hope for the future- reconciling with my parents, doing well in my current job, and perhaps one day being able to marry Yagami-san. This was the life I chose for myself, and I never wanted to forget that.

Author's Notes

This is a day in Yukiko's life if she'd decided to leave Inaba. While Yukiko is worse off in most regards than she would have been if she'd stayed at the inn, her life isn't entirely bad.