22. The Yukinoshita Family Also Knows How to Forgive
Escaping from what is called reality is often not just useful, but sometimes even necessary. This was said by the great English storyteller J.R.R. Tolkien. Judging by the sales of his books and the number of fans of the films based on them, he is not alone in this view. Personally, I wholeheartedly agree with him. Escaping the dreary, hopeless life into imaginary worlds is the only chance to preserve what little remains of one's mental health.
My new job required minimal mental effort. The GPS tells me where to go, and the electronic invoices on the work tablet tell me what and where to unload. The Isuzu Elf is much easier to drive and more comfortable than its distant relative, the Type 73, and the likelihood of an armed attack on the delivery truck in Chiba is almost zero.
I picked up imported fruits from a warehouse in the port and delivered them to wholesale buyers' bases. From there, they would be distributed to city stores and restaurants. Then, I would return and wait for a new shipment. I killed my free time with mobile games. I tried to immerse myself as deeply as possible in this artificial, imagined world of free-to-play fantasies, just to avoid the simple fact: no one was waiting for me at home.
I started smoking again, half a pack a day. I could have smoked more, but I received a reprimand and a fine for the smell of tobacco in the cabin. The rental contract for the apartment also prohibited smoking.
Yukino hadn't contacted me. I hadn't contacted her either. As we had grown used to, she continued to make every second rent payment. That meant things were going well for her, weren't they?
Her belongins were still in the same places where she had left them. I clung to the memories.
My mental state worsened. Nightmares and anxiety returned. I eventually went to see a doctor. He prescribed me expensive medications, most of which I couldn't take. These pills disrupt concentration, making it impossible to drive, and I don't know how else to make a living. Don't you think I should become a private detective, do you?
One of those cold, damp, unremarkable winter days, I was puffing on another cigarette near our warehouse when my boss called: "Hikigaya, there's some guy in a suit asking for you. Looks like a secretary or personal assistant. Come to the office."
I stubbed out the cigarette and headed toward new problems. If it was someone from Kuronaga-gumi, I hoped the security camera had caught their face clearly.
The man who introduced himself as Fujita did indeed resemble a secretary or personal assistant. When he asked me to spare a few minutes to talk with his boss, unpleasant premonitions started to form in my mind. And they had nothing to do with the yakuza.
My fears were confirmed when I saw a black Toyota Century with Tokyo plates parked nearby. Fujita opened the rear door for me. Inside sat my father-in-law, Nobuo Yukinoshita. I greeted him politely and climbed inside.
"So, where's your beloved Phantom?" I decided to start the conversation with the small talk I so disliked. Anything, just not the obvious main topic.
"I just came from Nagata-cho. I travel on official business by state-issued car; the British one is our family vehicle."
"Got it. Do you need something from me, Yukinoshita-san?"
"Yes, Hachiman. First of all, I want to say that Hoshino has stopped interfering with the company and the family. After that video, he got asked a lot of uncomfortable questions. He suggested we talk, and we reached a compromise. Now, our interests and his move towards legal business no longer overlap. I should thank you for stopping the attack on my reputation. But there's something preventing me from doing so wholeheartedly."
"Is Yukino still angry?"
"She still hasn't calmed down. I can't claim to fully understand your relationship, but she's definitely upset about something. If she's not immersed in work, she's probably thinking seriously about you."
"I can't say I'm so absorbed in my work that it could make me forget about Yukino, Yukinoshita-san."
"Stop calling your father-in-law by his last name. I'm not sure we'll ever be close; that's rare in our family. But at least we can try."
"I'll try, once Yukino and I fix our relationship."
"I hope that happens as soon as possible. I remember how happy you made my daughter in school. And judging by how quickly you got married after so many years apart, I believe you can do it again. I want Yukino to be happy. Try to make peace with her, son-in-law, before you both do something foolish."
"Of course, Yukinoshita-san."
I said my polite goodbyes to my father-in-law. For the rest of the day, I struggled not to get drunk out of my mind.
A few days later, I received a message from my wife. No words, just an address in the center and a time — tomorrow. A divorce lawyer? A family counselor? I didn't know this part of Chiba well enough to guess. I had neither the strength nor the desire to check.
I asked for a couple of hours off from work, changed from my overalls into a suit, and went where my wife had directed. To my surprise, it turned out to be an expensive private clinic.
In the lobby, Yukino was waiting for me. She had changed in the couple of months since we last saw each other. She had put on a little weight. The clinic… was everything okay with her?
Of course, she was fine! And I was an idiot. My wife must have read this on my face. But she didn't take advantage of the moment to deliver one of her trademark finishing blows. Instead, she came up to me and smiled.
"Hachiman, we're going to have a son."
I was forgiven. I was happy. We were inevitably facing new challenges ahead, but we would overcome them. We would manage. For ourselves and for our son. I hugged and kissed Yukino, ignoring propriety. No words were needed anymore. We looked into each other's eyes and understood each other perfectly. Enough drama for us. No more detective stories; they could turn too easily into a complete SNAFU.