提案 (The Offer)


    Staring at himself in the mirror, Takuya took stock of his appearance for the first time in ages. Thanks to Mr. Takeda, he had enjoyed the first good shower in a long time. I nice hot shower was a rare treat. He usually did a fair job of keeping clean using public restrooms, only rarely splurging on a paid shower room in a manga cafe, or a PC room. Taking his time in a private bathroom like this, however, was a sorely missed luxury. Looking at his reflection, Takuya smiled, reminding himself that he cleaned up nicely.


    Wiping his chin, he enjoyed the sensation of the smooth skin, courtesy of the shaving kit loaned to him by the owner. After they had finished cleaning the restaurant from ceiling to floor, he had been planning to move on, but Mr. Takeda insisted that he stay, and even ordered some food to be delivered. He had made a point of allowing Takuya to use the bathroom in the attached apartment, meanwhile, his dusty traveling clothes were now in the washing machine. He was truly grateful for this chance to clean up, feeling more like himself than he had in months. He realized how much he missed the convenience of a typical Japanese bathroom.


    After cleaning himself up, he put on the clothing that Mr. Takeda had found for him to wear while his own clothing dried. A T-shirt, sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants. Of course, he always made sure he had a few pairs of clean underwear in the bottom of his bag. He realized that these items must have belonged to the former owner, the deceased father of the little girl, and he had to admit that it felt a bit awkward. Still, he felt grateful for the kindness, and was drawn to the strange family he had stumbled upon.


    While childish, the girl, Sayla, was not spoiled. He remembered once hearing someone say that you could not create a spoiled child only by showering them with love; you do it by indulging them with everything but love. Seeing this sweet young child, he felt that this might be true. Still, it hurt his heart to see the pain she was clearly still dealing with. The same went for the grandfather, Mr. Takeda.


    The man was obviously well-educated and distinguished. He held himself like a man who had lived a life of discipline and hard work, yet he treated Takuya with respect and generosity. While most people, even his own countrymen, looked down on him with suspicion or even disgust, he felt his heart tremble to have a complete stranger treat him like a regular person again, as though he had not already fallen from society.


    Takuya frowned as he looked into the mirror. His hair was still a mess, even after using the hairdryer, another luxury he had sorely missed. It was about time he trimmed it back again, but this certainly wasn’t the place for that. He wished he had some oil to keep it under control, but at least it was clean, if a bit shaggy and unkempt.


    He re-entered the restaurant directly through the doorway shared with the attached apartment and found Mr. Takeda and Seyla setting one of the larger tables with the food that had been delivered while he was getting cleaned up. The new arrival, Ah-kun, was in the kitchen, storing the groceries and supplies he had brought with him.


    This boy was another surprise. He introduced himself as Agbor, and had enthusiastically produced a business card when he was introduced to Takuya. This card was simple, the kind you could get printed at any stationary shop, with very little information printed on it.


    AGBOR


    Ooba Industries (Co.Ltd.)


    HP (090) 0311-XX28


    It was a very strange card. He couldn’t even tell if the name printed in English letters was a first name or a last name, and there was no address, or title, or even an email listed. He had never heard of the company, and it was impossible to tell what the young man who gave him the card did. Even his appearance was unusual. Agbor, or Ah-Kun, as he insisted that he be called, was a very dark-skinned boy of obvious African descent, though his Japanese was as fluent as any other youth of his age. He even had that accelerated, mix of staccato and slurred words that was common amongst the young people in the city. He introduced himself as twenty years old, but his smooth skin, shaved head, and large eyes made him look closer to fifteen.


    The old man seemed to trust him, however, and they spoke to each other and acted casually with a sense of familiarity that comes from a long relationship.


    “How is your boss treating you these days, Ah-kun?” Mr Takeda called out.


    “You know him. He’s busy with his empire. I hardly even see him these days.”


    “You should tell him to hire more people. He only has you.”


    “You know him, He doesn’t like letting strangers into his business. Trust issues.”


    Takuya caught Ah-kun giving him a wink, and a wide toothy grin. He wasn’t sure what that meant, or even who they were referring to, but he didn’t feel any hostility or even any concern from the young man over his presence in the restaurant. He was sure that Mr. Takeda must have explained who and what he was while he was showering, and he was sensitive to how people perceived him for a good reason.Stolen novel; please report.


    “Come! The food is ready. It’s late, and you must be starving.” Mr. Takeda motioned for Takuya to sit down at the table where places had been set for everyone.


    “Eel? That’s awesome! Lucky!” Ah-kun exclaimed when he saw the square lacquered boxes sitting on the table.


    “You ordered from the place in Suehirocho, right? That place is the best!”


    Takuya’s stomach growled loudly as he imagined what awaited under the lid of the box. Sayla laughed at his reaction, and Mr. Takeda smiled, then motioned for him to sit again. With a sheepish look, Takuya sat down. He slowly lifted the lid of the box, and the aroma of charcoal-grilled eel wafted out and dominated his senses. He couldn’t remember the last time he had eaten grilled eel. It had been years at least. Lifting the lid of the box, he took in the sight of the plump meat, covered in thick, sticky sauce, over a bed of perfectly cooked, premium rice. He closed his eyes and let the aroma fill his nose.


    “Thank you for the meal.” He said humbly, though his mouth was now salivating so much he feared he would spit while speaking.


    “Eat! This shop raises its own eels. You won’t find any fresher in Tokyo.”


    Raising his chopsticks, Takuya took a bite and was instantly overcome. The eel was cooked perfectly, and as promised, it was indeed very fresh. The sauce was sweet and salty, and the rice was cooked perfectly, with just the right amount of moisture to complement the texture of the meat.


    For a while, the room was silent, while they all dug into the delicious meal. Takuya savored every bite, but the box was emptied out before he even realized it.


    “Ah-kun, we are planning to open the restaurant again. Just a little, maybe a couple of days a week. Just until Sayla has to go back to school.”


    “Oh yeah, it’s summer vacation. Don’t you want to go traveling?” Ah-kun replied.


    “Well, we had thought about going to Los Angeles to visit Sayla’s mother, but it seems she is very busy with work, so she won’t be able to take off any time, and Sayla said she wanted to open the restaurant again.”


    The young man nodded, and then suddenly, his head stopped moving.


    “Wait. You don’t mean…”


    “He said to use you how we want.” Mr. Takeda said with an evil glint in his eyes.


    “Ahh! The betrayal! No way, I’m so busy already. How could he?”


    Takuya was amazed to see how the boy kept his smile, even when he was in obvious distress. He wasn’t sure exactly what was being discussed, but it appeared that Mr. Takeda had somehow enlisted Ah-kun’s cooperation for Sayla’s little project.


    “I can help with getting supplies and stuff, but I don’t know anything about working in a restaurant,” Ah-kun protested.


    “You can cook, though, right?” Mr. Takeda looked taken back.


    “Huh? No way. Nothing but instant ramen.”


    “But your father… He’s such an excellent cook.”


    “My dad only cooks that British crap. Besides, he never even taught me that. Thank goodness.”


    “Oh… I see. That is troubling.”


    Mr. Takeda crossed his arms and looked down at the table. Meanwhile, Takuya could feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He was being set up.


    “Mr. Miyabashi?”


    It had been so long since he had been addressed formally that he didn’t even respond.


    “Mr. Miyabayashi?” The old gentleman asked again in a patient voice.


    “Uh… yes?”


    “I know we have imposed on you far too much already, but you did mention you used to work in a restaurant before, correct?”


    “Uh, yes?”


    “What kind of restaurant was it?”


    Takuya clenched his jaw. This was a difficult topic for him, but he wasn’t entirely sure he was opposed to the direction the conversation was going in.


    “Well… I used to work in a typical Japanese diner. But I’ve also done part-time work in lots of other restaurants. I also would take jobs in places while I was living abroad.”


    “Oh! You lived overseas? Where did you go?” Mr. Takeda asked with genuine interest.


    “Lots of places, Estonia, Georgia, Spain, Egypt, Indonesia, India…”


    “Oh my! Quite a traveler, then. You worked as a chef in those places?”


    “No, nothing like that. I was just traveling. Sometimes, I’d make a bit of money working in a kitchen here or there. Washing dishes, or cleaning up. I… I never went to college. Working in restaurants is all I know. I don’t have any real skills.” He couldn’t raise his eyes, feeling ashamed in front of these people.


    “Mr. Miyabayashi. Please don’t say that. Everyone has a story. We all have value, as long as we can find a way to contribute. We don’t know each other, but I can tell, just by the way you have acted, that you are a man of generosity and kindness. That alone makes you a valuable member of society.”


    Takuya raised his eyes and saw Mr. Takeda smiling at him with a kind and gentle expression, the look he always imagined his parents might have given to him had he known them. Perhaps the man was very gifted at motivating, or controlling other people. He felt a strong desire to gain this man’s approval. Whatever the old man wanted, Takuya suddenly wanted to be part of it if possible.


    Then guilt gripped his heart again, filling his mind with doubt and regret. He couldn’t keep the conflict from his face, and the old man reacted to his struggle.


    “I don’t mean to tie you down. Just… Perhaps if you could help me out a bit for the next few weeks… If you have other plans, or obligations—“


    “No, it’s just…” Takuya cursed inwardly. He didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t tell if there was an opportunity for him here, perhaps something big, or not. But another part of him was afraid of what stopping here might mean.


    “Well, actually, I’m not the one in charge here. Maybe you should talk to the real boss of this place,” Mr. Takeda said, with a grin and a twinkle in his eye.


    Takuya looked up, confused. Mr. Takeda was not the owner? Who was in charge then? He wondered if this was a good time to excuse himself.


    “What do you think, Sayla? Would you like Mr. Miyabayashi to help with the restaurant?”


    Surprised, Takuya turned to look at the girl who was still attacking her lunch with a spoon. She stopped torturing the food and looked up at him with a slight frown and penetrating glare.


    “Uncle Takkun? Hmmm. Sayla doesn’t know. He can clean well, but isn’t he a customer? Can he even cook?”