I Planned My Escape Because I Knew Her Secret - Episode 44

It has been exactly ten years since I moved to Okayama and started training to become a udon master.

Five years after marrying Madoka, we are both 37 years old, and our daughter Seika is 2 years old.

For a while after Seika was born and until Madoka’s health returned, it was tough taking care of both Madoka and Seika while working at the store and dealing with the move, but I was always healed by Seika’s angelic sleeping face, and I managed to get through it all.

By the way, regarding the move, the landlord, having heard about Madoka’s pregnancy, suggested another property he owned, saying, “There’s a family-oriented apartment available nearby. How about it?” So, Madoka and I planned to view it before the birth and move after the baby was born.

The new apartment is a 2LDK and is in the same neighborhood as our current apartment and store, just a five-minute walk from the store. It was a convenient property for our family, and we gradually moved in ourselves.

Also, regarding work, Madoka returned four months after giving birth, and during work hours, Yuko-san and the proprietress helped take care of the newborn Seika.

Specifically, the home of the chefs on the second floor of Narita-an turned into something like a daycare during business hours.

In the morning, while I go to work as usual and prepare for the opening, Madoka, who arrives late, takes Seika to the second floor of the shop, leaves Seika with the landlady, and then helps with the opening preparations. After that, Yuko-san comes before noon and takes over from the landlady, who then participates in the lunch rush. During this time, whenever Madoka has a free moment, she sneaks away to the second floor to breastfeed Seika. On days when Madoka has a day off, she and Yuko-san switch roles, with Madoka taking care of Seika and Yuko-san’s son

In this way, with the help of many proprietresses, both Madoka and I were able to devote ourselves to our work at the shop while raising our children.

And recently, Seika has gradually started to speak words, and not only me and Madoka, but also the landlady and Yuuko-san, as well as the boss, seem to think of him as family, and he has been growing up happily and healthily, being very well-loved by everyone.

Madoka and I were spending fulfilling days, feeling joy in Seika’s growth.

Now, in July, exactly ten years have passed since I started my smooth-sailing life in Okayama.

The day before the regular closing day, while I was tidying up after closing, the boss said to me, “Masaki, I have something I want to discuss, so could you bring Madoka and the others to the shop tomorrow?”

Since there was a somewhat serious atmosphere, I thought there might be a serious discussion, so I replied, “Then I’ll drop by in the morning. Is around 10 o’clock okay?” and ended up listening to the boss’s story.

At night, after returning home, I talked about it with Madoka, and we lightly discussed what the serious talk from the boss could be, but we had no clue.

The next morning, when I went to the shop with Madoka and Seika, the master and the landlady were already waiting and sitting across from each other at a table in the dining area.

The master took a sip of the tea the proprietress had brewed for him and then began to speak.

“Sorry for bothering you on your day off. So, what I wanted to talk about is, I was thinking we could discuss the future.”

“Are you asking about the future?”

“Yeah. Masaki, how many years has it been since you started training here?”

“It’s been exactly ten years.”

“When you came to our place, you were 27, so now you’re 37, right?”

“Yes, both Madoka and I have turned 37.”

The fact that you’re bringing up such a serious topic means it’s something like a division of the business or something similar, right?

“I opened this shop when I was over 40, and it had been over 20 years since I started training at Meiko’s family home. They say your 40s are the prime of your working life, but it was quite tough.”

“Yes, I understand. It’s the customer business, after all.”

“Yeah. I’ve been working non-stop from morning till night. I have to earn money to feed both this guy and Yuko. Yuko is also in a period where she has to prepare for high school entrance exams.”

As I began to feel a sense of roundaboutness, as if I could see the story but not quite, the innkeeper interjected.

“Hey Dad, the conversation has gone off track and Masaki-kun is getting worried.”

“Ah, sorry. The thing is, Masaki, are you going to take over this shop?”

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

Madoka must have thought it was a different story too, as their foolish voices overlapped.

“Me and Meiko are both almost 60 now. When I think about the future of the shop, there’s no one else but you, right?”

“Wait a minute. Are you and the landlady both planning to retire?”

“No, no, it’s not retirement. We’re just leaving the management of the shop to Masaki and Madoka-chan, and we’re going to help out at the shop as relaxed owners. It’s not retirement, it’s just a leisurely life.”

“Both of you, you were planning to become independent and open your own shops in the future, right? How about taking over this shop as successors instead of going independent? (What do you think?)”

The master and the landlady both said they would leave Narita-an to the two of us.

As someone who had trained under the two of them for ten years, it was a very honorable story.

However, owning our own shop is not just my dream but also Madoka’s, so it’s not something I can decide on my own.

“To put it simply, it’s like being the president of the company. The responsibility will be heavy, but if it’s Masaki, it should be fine. Besides, I’m still the owner, so if there’s any trouble, I’ll help out, and I’ll continue to take care of Seika-chan during business hours just like before.”

What is Yuko saying?

“Yuko says she would feel relieved if Masaki-kun took over.”

“Is that so… but don’t you think my skills as a craftsman are still lacking?”

Because it was such a sudden topic, I couldn’t help but get scared and vent my frustrations. Madoka, who was holding Seika next to me, let out a “mmph” and pushed me hard with her elbow.

Huh? What? I thought, and when I turned to Madoka, I was scolded with, “Have more confidence. You’ve been training for ten years, right?”

“That’s right, just as Madoka-chan said. As a udon master, you’re already more than qualified. There’s nothing more for me to teach you, so have more confidence.”

“Are you serious?”

“Seriously”

“Well, it’s not like I’m saying you have to decide right here and now. Just talk it over together.”

That day, at the chef’s request, I went into the kitchen alone, made the noodles, prepared boiled noodles, and the five of us ate them without any toppings.

The master and the landlady who ate the udon I made said, “No matter what anyone says, Masaki’s udon is Narita-an’s udon. We can’t imagine anyone else succeeding Masaki.”

By the way, Seika, who is already weaned, also loves udon, but it seems she can immediately tell if the noodles were bought from a supermarket, and even if she puts them in her mouth, she spits them out. However, when it comes to noodles made in the shop, she changes her expression and keeps munching away.

After the meal, saying, “We’ll discuss it thoroughly and decide together,” the head chef and the proprietress went up to their home on the second floor.

Since Madoka said she would clean up the dishes, I took Seika and held her while organizing my feelings before consulting with Madoka.

To be honest, until now, I felt that the idea of becoming independent and owning my own shop was something far in the future, and even if I were to become independent, I didn’t have any concrete vision or plan. I just had this vague feeling that “since I’ve become a udon chef, I should eventually own my own shop.”

Moreover, working as an employee under the master and the proprietress was easy, and I had the anxiety of thinking, “Am I really fit to be the second generation?” When I was the manager of the family restaurant, I didn’t have such pressure or anxiety, but I think the signboard of Narita-an felt heavy to me.

While I was thinking about such things, Seika, saying “papa,” started tapping my head lightly, looking very cheerful.

Since Madoka, who had finished tidying up, brewed some new tea and returned, I decided to ask for her opinion.

“What does Madoka think?”

“Are you talking about inheriting this place?”

“Yeah”

“It’s a grateful story, isn’t it? More than anything, it means they recognize Masa-kun’s skills.”

“Yeah, that’s right. I liked making udon and I liked this shop, so I was just having fun working here. But then suddenly being recognized and hearing about the successor, it just feels kind of…”

“Are you anxious?”

“Am I feeling anxious…? I’m anxious too, but it’s so sudden that I can’t prepare myself.”

“But, weren’t you training all this time with the goal of owning a shop?”

“Hmm…”

“I used to be the manager at a family restaurant, so it’s the same thing, right? Just because you’re the second generation, the owner is still the boss, so it’s like being a hired manager.”

“I think that’s a bit different. There are family restaurants everywhere, and there are dozens or even hundreds of managers, so there were plenty of people who could take my place. But at Narita-an, when I become the second generation, there won’t be anyone to take my place until the third generation is ready. Plus, the weight of the signboard is completely different, right? I could never do anything to tarnish the faces of the masters and proprietresses who built this place.”

“That’s true, but, hmm…”

“No, I’m not saying I don’t want to take over, okay? I just thought it would be a bit further down the line, whether it’s to become independent or to inherit.”

“Then when will you be able to make that decision? Will you be able to make it with time?”

“When you put it that way, I can’t really answer…”

“Masakun, you disappeared on the day of the wedding, and the day after we reunited, you told me you wanted to get married. I thought you were more impulsive, but what’s going on this time? This doesn’t seem like you at all.”

“Of course, I can’t do reckless things like when I was young because I’m married and have a wife and daughter. Plus, thinking that the boss and the madam have expectations of me puts pressure on me. To be honest, I thought the boss and the madam took me in as a hobby and let me do as I pleased, so I never really thought they expected me to be the successor.”

While soothing Seika and speaking honestly, I felt Madoka’s intense gaze and suddenly shifted my gaze from Seika to Madoka.

Madoka was staring at me with cold eyes, and when our eyes met, I felt a shiver down my spine.

“Wh-what’s wrong?”

“I’ve been listening to you, and it’s really pathetic.”

“Eh…?”

“The master and the proprietress have recognized you, you know? They said they would entrust the Narita-an signboard, which they have worked so hard to build up to this point, to you. I don’t want to see Masa-kun, who says he lacks determination or confidence, unable to respond to their feelings.”

“Yeah, I know, but…”

Madoka is probably angry at my incompetence.

“Think about it carefully, okay? Taking over the shop wasn’t something we ever brought up ourselves, and we never mentioned it until the head chef and the others brought it up this time. But the conditions are definitely better than starting our own shop from scratch, you know? Do you understand that properly?”

“I understand that much. There’s no need to build a new store and set up equipment, and with a new store, you have to start by attracting new customers, but here we have plenty of regulars, and there’s no need to recruit and train employees from scratch. The store’s reputation is so good that it’s considered a popular place in Okayama.”

“That’s right. As a former family restaurant manager, you should understand that much. The savings we’ve been setting aside for independence can be used for something else now, and it only brings us benefits, right? Plus, both Seika and I love Narita-an’s udon, you know? If Masa-kun doesn’t take over, it will eventually come to an end. We want to keep enjoying Narita-an’s udon and share it with our customers, and at the same time, we want to fulfill our dream of having our own restaurant with Masa-kun. I think that’s an amazing thing, don’t you?”

“I’m not saying I don’t want to take over or anything, okay? I’m just freaking out because it’s too sudden.”

“So, you’re planning to take over the shop, right?”

“Ah, of course. But seriously, why are you so worked up? It’s super scary.”

Saying that, I jokingly asked Seika, “Mom is scary today, isn’t she?” and Seika, with a huff, patted my forehead repeatedly. Even Seika got mad at me.

“See, Seika understands too. Daddy is angry because he’s being a coward and it’s pathetic.”

Hmm

Madoka used to be serious, elegant, and kind, but after working at the company, coming to Okayama, and then giving birth to Seika, she has become more resilient, or rather, more composed. Now, she often scolds me like this, giving me a kick in the rear.

I think that after getting married, working, and having children, she has developed strength as a wife and a mother. Moreover, since she has been working under the proprietress for a long time, she is also acquiring the toughness of a businesswoman like her.

I realize that I lack that kind of aspect myself, so it might be just right for me.

The next morning, Madoka, who usually comes to work at 6 AM, came to the shop with me before 5 AM, and together we bowed our heads to the master, saying, “Please allow us to take over the business.”

The captain, grinning broadly, repeatedly patted my shoulder while saying, “Oh! I see!”

Just because I’ve become the second generation, the head chef and the proprietress are still very much active, and retiring is still a way off, so nothing will change immediately. We don’t announce to the customers every time the owner changes, and at most, I just greet the part-timers and part-time workers with, “I’ve become the second generation. I look forward to your continued support,” so outwardly, nothing has changed.

However, strangely enough, my mindset began to change. I started to feel a constant sense of responsibility, became more actively involved in things I used to leave to others, and began to express my opinions to the boss and the proprietress. Madoka was the same, and she was even more proactive in sharing various opinions than I was.

The landlady looked at us and said with a smile, “Such good kids have come to our place. It was worth taking care of them for ten years.”

The week after deciding to become the second generation of Narita-an.

After finishing work and coming home, I immediately put Seika in the bath, and while I’m at it, I soak in the tub myself to relieve my fatigue.

After feeling refreshed, I got out of the bath, dried Seika’s body, asked Madoka to help with changing clothes, then put on my own clothes. After that, I sat at the dining table and had dinner with Madoka.

Since I always come home late, they let Seika eat first, and Madoka waits for me every night. Ever since Madoka came to Okayama and started living with us, they’ve been doing that.

In the past few days since deciding to become the second generation, I have found myself reminiscing about my married life with Madoka.

“After all, the reason I was recognized as the second generation wasn’t just because of my own strength, but also because Madoka was there.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Even if I train alone for ten years, the leaders wouldn’t say, ‘The only successor is Masaki,’ right?”

“That’s not true.”

“Yeah, it was probably because Madoka, the reliable one, was here. I’ll ask the landlady next time.”

“Please stop. Even the landlady can’t just say ‘no’ when asked something like that. Even if it’s a lie, it puts her in a difficult position to say ‘yes’.”

“Huh? You were complaining about me being so cowardly, but now you’re the one who’s being so timid? That’s not like you, Karen-sama.”

When I jokingly teased her by calling her “Lady Karen,” Madoka’s expression changed.

“Wow, Masa-kun, you’re being so mean today. Tomorrow’s a day off, so how about I listen to your story thoroughly tonight? I haven’t heard your cute little cries in a while, you know?”

Damn it.

I accidentally flipped Hualien’s switch.

“Please, go easy on me.”

“What should I do?” Hehehe

Epilogue, the end.