“What? You’re coming, too?!”
It was the day after I missed Sayu at the office, causing a huge panic.
When Issa came to pick up his little sister, I explained that I’d taken time off work because I wanted to support Sayu on her journey home. Initially, he looked shocked.
Even from my perspective, that was completely understandable.
I was intruding on another family’s affairs. Just because I’d let her stay at my house didn’t mean I was in any position to meet her mother at their family home—that was preposterous.
However, precisely because of the role I’d played in Sayu’s life, there were some things I felt I had to do.
“I want to be there to support her and give her the courage she needs. And”—I figured I should start by conveying my thoughts on the matter to Issa—“since Sayu lived at my place the longest while she was gone, I feel a responsibility to provide an explanation to her mother.”
I suspected it would give Sayu’s mother some peace of mind to hear how her daughter had spent her time while she was living with me, as well as how diligent she’d been.
Issa silently listened to what I said, and then, after a few seconds of hesitation, he cast a glance at Sayu.
“If I’m being frank, Mr. Yoshida, I am a little hesitant to inconvenience you like this, and what’s more, I doubt our mother will believe your account…” Issa stopped there and looked at me, a weak smile on his face. “But in terms of Sayu’s mental well-being, I think it would be a great help,” he finished, opening the rear door of his car for me.
“Thank you very much,” I said, bowing slightly. Issa shook his head.
“I should be the one thanking you,” he replied.
“Can you tell me the flight number, then?” I said, taking my phone out of my pocket. “As long as I can get a ticket, I don’t care where they seat me.” These days, I almost always bought such tickets online.
Since the plane was leaving the same day, I needed to be quick to avoid it filling up.
Issa, now seated in front, looked over his shoulder as he buckled up and shook his head again, smiling gently.
“Oh, there’s no need for that,” he said, whipping out his smartphone and tapping on the screen a few times. Then he brought it to his ear.
“Hello there. Can you reserve an extra ticket for today’s flight? Yes, on the same reservation. I’d like the closest possible seat. All right, that’s all. Thanks.”
After this brief exchange, he hung up.
“We’ll have a seat ready for you.”
“Um… Who was that?” I asked with a wry smile, though I felt I already knew.
“My secretary, of course.”
“Of course…”
“Yes, you caught me. I’m abusing my power as a CEO,” he said breezily. He then started the car.
Seeing this, I voiced the first question that popped into my head.
“Do you not have a driver…even though you’re a CEO?”
Issa couldn’t suppress his laughter at my blunt question, and he turned around to look at me in the back seat.
“I usually do, but this isn’t a company car. Today I’m out on family business.”
“Ah, that’s true…”
It made sense. No matter how big a company Issa ran, taking a family member back home had nothing to do with work.
I flushed with embarrassment, thinking about what a silly question I’d asked.
CEOs of large corporations did have drivers and secretaries, but that didn’t mean they were stuck to them like glue. I must have been reading too much manga or something.
“Sorry. Thank you very much for taking care of my ticket.”
“It’s fine,” Issa replied, completely unfazed. “Consider it a gesture of thanks for everything you’ve done.”
He looked at Sayu and me in turn before continuing. “Let’s head straight to the airport. We should be able to pick up your ticket there and board the plane for Hokkaido…and then we can travel the rest of the way by car.”
After reeling off these plans in a single breath, Issa exhaled.
“It’ll be a fairly long trip. Prepare yourselves,” he said before grinning and stepping on the gas pedal.
The deep rumble of the engine shook my insides for a moment. Then with a fwoosh…all the noise and shaking suddenly ceased.
I never imagined that one day I’d find myself riding in a powerful executive’s luxury car on the way to visit his family.
“Mr. Yoshida.”
Just as the car slowly pulled out onto the road, Sayu turned to look at me.
“Are you really…coming with me?” she asked, cocking her head. It seemed like she still hadn’t accepted it as reality, and her expression made it hard to gauge her enthusiasm.
In the face of her gaze, with its mix of expectation and unease, I found myself unable to answer her directly.
“I mean…the car’s already moving,” I replied.
I heard Issa burst out laughing in the driver’s seat. “Should I stop?”
“No, it’s fine! Please keep going.”
Issa chuckled. He was definitely teasing me.
I could feel my face growing hot again as I turned back toward Sayu. “I told you I’d take care of you, right until the end.”
At that, a relieved smile came to her face.
“I see… So you really are coming along,” Sayu whispered, as if turning the idea over in her mind. Then, after a few energetic nods, she announced, “Yeah. I think I feel braver already.”
I watched her say this out of the corner of my eye, then let out a small sigh.
That’s right.
I’m on my way to her family home.
Much like Sayu, I’d been distancing myself this whole time—thinking about it all like it was happening to someone else.
It wasn’t until I’d gotten Issa’s consent and the car started moving that it finally began to feel real.
“…All right, then,” I mumbled to myself in a voice so quiet that nobody else could hear it.
I was going to support Sayu right up until the very end so that she could return home without any problems. That was why I was doing this.
Determined not to let my resolve waver, I clenched my fists, breathed deeply…
…and, unusual as it was for me, psyched myself up for the coming journey.