I Planned My Escape Because I Knew Her Secret - Episode 29

I made the tea again and continued chatting at the counter.

“I think there are a lot of things we need to discuss, but we’re both tired today, right? I mean, I was working since 5 AM. Madoka, you came from far away and must be tired too, right? If we talk when we’re tired, we probably won’t come to a good conclusion. Tomorrow is our day off, so let’s take our time and think it over leisurely.”

“Yeah. Somehow, Masa-kun, you’ve changed a little.”

“My head is shaved, and I’ve gained weight.”

“Your appearance has changed a lot, but it’s not just the appearance; there’s a calmness? A composure? It’s like a different kind of composure.”

“Types of calmness? Don’t say difficult things.”

“Masakun, you were always calm and collected, but before, your calmness felt a bit distant, like you were just going through the motions without much interest. But when we were talking earlier, it felt like you were thoughtful and composed. It seemed like you were playing a bit of a game, and when I pushed a bit too hard in earnest, you gave in pretty quickly, right? You were probably thinking, ‘It’s better to admit defeat early here,’ weren’t you?”

“Yeah, that’s true. But, Madoka, you’ve changed too, you know. You didn’t used to speak so bluntly, and you’re way stronger than me now, and you have way too much presence.”

“Since I’m over 30 too. If a woman stays single and works until this age, she becomes strong.”

“That might be true.”

“Hehe. But I never thought I would be able to chat like this when I left home today.”

Madoka is holding the teacup with both hands, wearing a gentle expression.

“I never even thought for a second that Madoka would come, you know? I was doing the closing tasks and was so relaxed that I almost tried to run away because I was too scared.”

“That was quite a shock, you know? The moment they saw my face, they tried to run away.”

“By the way, how did you find me? I did a lot of things to escape.”

“Shizuoka?”

“Yeah, yeah. I went to Shizuoka once, then turned around and came to Okayama without using the highway.”

“Of course. I got a letter from Masa-kun’s parents, and at first, I searched for about a year in places like Shizuoka, Numazu, and Mishima. Then I thought about the Kanto region, but I figured Masa-kun probably wouldn’t go to Tokyo. He always hated going to Tokyo for business trips, right? So I considered Saitama and Chiba, but then I thought, would Masa-kun really leave such a clear trail on purpose? Doesn’t that seem a bit too obvious? That’s when I started to think maybe he went west instead of east. But since there wasn’t any solid information, I couldn’t use a

“That’s amazing… you really did well.”

“Hmm, well, if Masa-kun hadn’t gone missing in the first place, it wouldn’t matter now, would it? Anyway, I had a friend from school who got married and moved to Kurashiki. I asked her for help too, and in December, she sent me a photo via email showing Masa-kun working at this shop. When I asked her for more details, she said she saw someone who looked like him at a popular udon shop in Okayama. So, I flew to Okayama right away. I came to check on him once in December, you

“Huh? Seriously? I didn’t notice at all.”

“Yeah. Because if you noticed and ran away again, that would be bad, right? So, in December, I came just to confirm if it was really Masa-kun. When I got here, I first found Masa-kun’s car and was sure, but I really wanted to see him in person. So, I waited outside without going into the store, and after a while, he came out after the store closed, and I confirmed it was him. I was surprised. He had a shaved head, was wearing short sleeves and thin clothes even though it was winter, and he seemed to have a solid build. But even with the shaved head and the different build, I immediately recognized it was Masa-kun. No matter how much he changed, I was relieved to know I wouldn’t mistake him.”

Got it.

I was thinking something similar when I watched Madoka earlier too.

“After that, I immediately applied for resignation at the company and also proceeded with the cancellation procedures for the apartment. It was tough, you know? Because it was under Masa-kun’s name, it was difficult to cancel.”

“That’s true. Sorry, I hadn’t thought about that at all.”

“So, you see, I actually wanted to come to Okayama in January, but due to work commitments and the apartment lease cancellation, it took a bit longer. I finally finished organizing everything by the end of January, and that’s why I came today.”

“But you came today at a late hour, right? You weren’t waiting until closing time, were you?”

“Yeah. If we do it while the store is open, it would cause trouble for them, right? I was waiting for them to close.”

“Seriously, wait, what time did you come to Okayama today?”

I arrived at Okayama Station after 6 PM. I was planning to visit after closing time from the beginning.

“Oh, I see. So you weren’t waiting outside for that long, huh?”

“Yeah”

The last time I talked to Madoka was the night before the wedding, so it’s been four years and nine months since then.

Once I decided to accept Madoka, I was able to talk normally without being aware of the four years and nine months of gap.

We’re both grown adults now. We’ve probably gotten better at switching our feelings compared to the past.

Even though the content of our conversation was a delicate topic that pierced our hearts, both Madoka and I were talking a bit excitedly, as if we were sharing an interesting story. I think the nostalgia outweighed any hesitation we might have had. To be honest, it was fun talking.

In my opinion, the years since my escape and the environment here have helped to erase my anger towards Madoka, allowing me to reflect and apologize to her with genuine feelings.

After that, Madoka’s obsession and determination probably shattered the remnants of my stubbornness and pride.

Well, a man’s pride isn’t really that significant, and women have always been stronger in any era.