"Goodbye," you waved your hand: Chapter 5

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Extra: Birthday

Work had been piling up recently, and Seiichi had been coming home past midnight for days on end. He'd always known that his company had a reputation for overworking its employees, but as his position rose, this trait only became more pronounced. Was this some new kind of roundabout layoff strategy? He’d wondered, though quitting was out of the question. He had a thirty-year mortgage on his condo to think about. Life wasn’t as carefree as it used to be in his younger days.

He’d made an effort to clear up some of his tasks in advance, hoping that today he might finally get home at a decent hour. But just as he thought he was in the clear, his subordinate, Shioya, made a baffling blunder. Seiichi had to rush to the client’s office to clean up the mess, practically bowing so low he might as well have been licking the floor. That led to an impromptu dinner meeting to smooth things over as part of the apology.

By the time he returned to his condo, it was nearly one in the morning. In the elevator on the way up, he clicked his tongue in irritation. Tonight of all nights, he had really wanted to make it home before midnight. He found himself cursing his incompetent subordinate.

Yesterday had been his partner Keisuke's birthday. He had imagined taking him out for a delicious dinner somewhere nice, then spending the night together in a hotel room with a great view. But that wasn’t an option—they had a small child at home and couldn’t leave him alone.

Keisuke’s son, Takayuki, was adorable, but in moments like this, he could be a bit of a nuisance. Perhaps it was because Takayuki wasn't his own flesh and blood that Seiichi sometimes wished the boy would grow up and become independent already.

When he opened the front door, he found a dim light glowing in the hallway. The contrast made the bedroom seem especially bright.

"Kei..." he started to call out, then stopped. Keisuke lay sprawled on the bed, completely still. He’d fallen asleep mid-read, a magazine half-tucked under his body, glasses still on, his breath soft and steady. Keisuke always waited up for him but tended to doze off because he wasn’t good at staying up late.

Seiichi pulled out a hanger from the closet, draped his jacket over it, and retrieved a paper bag hidden at the back. He’d agonized over what to get Keisuke for his birthday. Everything he looked at made him want to give it all to him, but knowing how embarrassed Keisuke got over expensive gifts, Seiichi had reluctantly settled on a wallet. He'd noticed how worn-out Keisuke's current wallet had become.

He wanted to give it to him now, but waking him just to present the gift seemed cruel.

"Guess there's no rush. Besides, it's already past midnight anyway," he muttered to himself.

The frustration from his subordinate's blunder and the long day melted away as he watched Keisuke's sleeping face. Seiichi sat on the edge of the bed and gently touched those soft-looking lips. Keisuke’s eyes squeezed shut before fluttering open, his sleepy gaze locking onto Seiichi’s.

"Did I wake you?"

"...Welcome home," Keisuke mumbled with a drowsy smile. The expression was so endearing that Seiichi couldn’t resist stroking his cheek with his fingertip. Keisuke covered Seiichi’s hand with his own, gently caressing it before holding it tightly as his eyes began to close again.

"Kei... Keisuke," Seiichi called, but Keisuke’s eyes remained shut.

“...Happy birthday, Keisuke,” he whispered into his ear and kissed his cheek. As Keisuke held his left hand tightly, as if it were a precious treasure, Seiichi couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy toward his own hand. He knew Keisuke would probably laugh if he ever admitted that thought out loud. Smiling to himself, Seiichi used his free hand to loosen his tight tie just a little.

THE END

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