Beyond The Bad End - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Haru’s POV

Ever since middle school, I always wanted to take over our store in the future.

Even though all of my friends were into soccer and video games, I didn’t go outside and play with them, instead I always stayed at the store to help my parents.

I watched my father in the kitchen all the time, wrapping dumplings, shumai, and preparing other dishes. My mother and my grandmother would always help my father in the kitchen as well. I sometimes helped my father to prepare the ingredients as well.

The regulars at our shop called me ‘Harubo’, they always treated me kindly.

I even told my teachers at school that I want to become a chef someday when I grow up.

However, my parents were really against it.

When I was in grade school, they allowed me to help out at the store without any fuss, but when I entered middle school, they started telling me to take my studies seriously and consider going to college instead of helping out at the store all the time.

Because I couldn’t agree with what my parents said, I tried to persuade them with the help of my grandparents. In the end, I was allowed to help out in the store as long as I managed to maintain my grades, which was at least in the top ten of my grade, and promise them that I would go to college after high school.

At that time, my father told me.

‘I started my culinary career right after I graduated from middle school. Then your mom married me right after I graduate from high school. Neither me nor your mom have ever attended college. I have confidence in my ability to make delicious fried rice and dumplings, but other than that, I have nothing. In this world, education and common sense are more important than fried rice. We don’t have any of those two things, so we know how important they are.’

After listening to what my father told me, I decided to take my studies seriously. I needed to get at least top ten in my grades to help out at the store after all. Then, I ended up ranked within the top ten in my grade for the regular exams.

I didn’t study at all in grade school, but since then, I began to study hard at the subjects I was weak at. I even sacrificed my sleep time to study all night.

My parents didn’t thought that it would be possible for me to achieve top ten in my grade.

In other words, they were trying to force me to give up helping at the store.

However, I managed to get rank seventh in the midterm exam and rank third in the final exam.

My parents were still not happy about it, but my grandfather backed me up and allowed me to help out at the store.

Little by little, I finally started to learn how to cook.

In my first year of middle school, all I was only allowed to make fried dishes, but in my second year, I was able to consistently get the top score in my class tests. Therefore, I began to learn how to cook simple stir-fried dishes with a wok, and on weekdays, I was even entrusted with cooking the staffs’ meals.

Since then, all I did every day were just studying at school and working at the shop.

To keep my parents from complaining, I always took my studies seriously at school, I even studied at the shop whenever I got the chance.

Maki and I would at least chat whenever we saw each other, but I was really into my studies and cooking.

In my third year of middle school, my mother gave me another condition.

I should help Maki study during the weekdays and I was only allowed to help out at the restaurant during the weekends.

Maki’s grades were not very good then. Saki-san told my mother that she was worried Maki might be depressed because of the impact of her parents’ divorce. Instead of getting a tutor for Maki, my mother suggested that I could help Maki with her studies.

By the time I was in my third year of middle school, I was allowed to make fried rice at the restaurant, I was really happy about it, it was such a joyful time for me. However, I was forced to reduce my hours helping out at the restaurant so that I could help Maki with her studies.

I was quite annoyed by it at first, but one day when I was helping Maki with her studies, she told me,

‘Thank you Haru-kun, you are the only one I can rely on.’

My feelings for her began to resurface, and before I knew it, all my annoyed feelings helping Maki with her studies had disappeared. I began to cherish the time I spent with her.

The New Year’s Day was approaching. It was time to prepare for the high school entrance exam.

While studying together on the kotatsu in my room, Maki suddenly told me her anxiety about high school life.

‘Do you think I will be okay in high school without you, Haru-kun?’

‘I can’t say for sure.’

‘Haru-kun, do you have any anxiety?’

‘I don’t think I have any anxiety. Even if I go to high school, I don’t think my everyday routine will change, I will still be busy with my studies and helping out at the restaurant. I don’t think I will have any time to hang out with friends, so I don’t think it will matter which high school do I go.’

‘Haru-kun, you’re so strong…’

‘I don’t think I’m strong.’

Maki stopped studying, looked down, and fell silent for a while.

I didn’t know what to say to Maki.

‘I’m going to make some coffee for us.’

I got up and went to the kitchen to prepare coffee for us.

When I return to my room, Maki was still sitting there, daydreaming.

I put the coffee down in front of Maki and then sat down on the kotatsu across her.

‘Haru-kun, I have something to tell you.’

‘Eh? What is it, all of the sudden?’

‘I have something really important to tell you Haru-kun. So please listen to me.’

‘Okay.’

As I sat across Maki, staring at her face, she began to clear her throat before speaking.