Starting Over as a Kindergartener to Fulfill My First Love! - Episode 00

“Hmm… is it already morning?”

My name is Takashi Isuzutaka, 49 years old, single.

Currently, I have been laid off and am an “unemployed” middle-aged man with no prospects.

I live with my elderly parents, but I feel incredibly guilty for not having married yet and not being able to show them my children.

Moreover, I am currently unemployed and a recluse…

I am the eldest son in a family of three siblings, and my younger brothers and sisters got married and had children a long time ago.

So, my parents have told me, “Don’t worry, there’s already an heir to the Isuzu family,” but since they are from the older generation, they must be very worried as parents about the fact that their eldest son, me, is not married yet.

According to the order of things, my parents will die first, and I’ll be left all alone.

As a parent, it’s natural to worry about your child’s future, but the reasons for that worry are just too sad.

I think I’m truly an unfilial child for making my parents feel that way.

It’s not like I’ve come this far because I’ve never wanted to get married.

In the past, there were women I dated. But…

But when the time came, my inherent “cowardly” nature came out, and I couldn’t bring myself to propose.

It’s been like that since long ago.

I had no confidence in myself at all.

When the time comes, he’s a man who can’t do anything.

So this time, I think my personality is the reason I was targeted for layoffs.

Due to my age, I was entrusted with the responsibility of being the site supervisor, but I couldn’t build a trusting relationship with my subordinates, couldn’t give proper instructions as a supervisor, and in the end, one of my subordinates got seriously injured while working.

I ended up taking on that responsibility, first being removed from my position as the person in charge, and a few years later, when the company’s performance started to decline, as if they had been waiting for it, I became one of the people targeted for layoffs.

At first, I was angry, but after calming down and thinking about it, I now realize that my past actions and words are the reasons it turned out this way, and I regret it.

Well, it’s a bit too late now…

“Ugh!! My head hurts…”

Recently, I often get headaches.

That’s quite a severe pain as well.

Before, I used to have headaches about once a month, but after retiring, they started occurring once a week, and recently, I have them once a day.

Is it some kind of serious illness?

Should I go to the hospital once?

But even if I go to the hospital, get treated, and recover, it doesn’t change my current life or existence.

In that case, wouldn’t it be easier to just die from this illness?

Wouldn’t it be better for your parents too, since they wouldn’t have to worry anymore?

I can’t help but think of myself as a “loser.”

Ding-dongーーーーーーー　Ding-dongーーーーーーー

“Yay!”

It seems someone came to the house, but it’s fine since Mom will handle it.

Besides, I don’t really want others to see me in my current state.

“Ryo~!! Come down here for a second~!!”

Huh, Mom, why are you calling me?

I don’t want to meet anyone… My head hurts too…

However, I couldn’t ignore my mother’s words in my current position, so I reluctantly went to the room where she was.

Then, there was a woman in the room whom I had seen before.

Shiho Kamata, a woman in her early sixties who is about a decade older than me, is also a senior from the elementary and middle schools I attended.

“Good morning, Takashi-kun.”

“G-Good morning, Shiho-san…”

Shiho-san was wearing mourning clothes. Is she going to a funeral now?

“Shiho-san, are you going to the funeral now?”

“That’s right. She was a senior when I was working as a kindergarten teacher, and I thought she might have been one of the teachers when Ryu-kun was in kindergarten, so I thought I should ask just in case…”

“Oh, is that so…? By the way, what is your name?”

“My name is Kaori Yamamoto, but do you know me, Takashi-kun?”

“Kaori Yamamoto…? Hmm, I don’t know her. Besides, that was many decades ago…”

I said that to Shiho-san in a curt manner, nodded, and then tried to return to my room.

Then, Shiho suddenly raised her voice.

“Ah!! Sorry, sorry, Tak-kun!! Yamamoto is my current name. My maiden name was Tsunetani Kaori!! But well, you probably don’t remember the old days, Tak-kun…”

“Kaori Tsunetani… Tsunetani Kaori… Tsune-chan…!?”

Ugh!! My head hurts…

This pain felt like a combination of the usual pain, the memories of Kaori Tsunetani, and the shock of her passing…

Ms. Kaori Tsunetani…

I remembered…

Or rather, why have I forgotten about it until now…

Tsune-chan…

Tsune-chan was my first love…