Moments later, the director returned. Takumi looked around, but he couldn't spot Luna anywhere near her. Before he could ask the latter any further questions, the director muttered, " Luna won't be coming to see you as she doesn't wish to be a hindrance to you."
Takumi was rather confused by the latter's wording and mumbled slightly facing her, " A hindrance?" " I don't understand. Could you be more direct?"
Sitting down at her desk, she answered Takumi's question looking somewhat sad, " Luna has been with me for six years now, and during those six long years, she has never desired anything for herself."
" She's such a sweet child. How could she ask me for anything?" Pausing for a moment, she continued, " I wish she could be more selfish, like most kids her age. Maybe then, she would open up more to her surroundings and the world around her."
The more the director spoke, the more confused Takumi got in the process. Stating subtly, the director uttered softly, " I was with Luna just now and she told me everything, including how you saved her life and how she wishes she could stay with you."
—
" Luna knows nowhere else but this orphanage." At the sound of these words from the director, Takumi asked, " What do you mean, Lady Claire?"
—-
" Are you trying to say that Luna is an orphan?"
—-
Nodding in response, the pieces in Takumi's mind started taking shape. Understanding why Luna was sad when he mentioned her parents and everything else beyond that. Remembering a phrase the director said earlier, Takumi asked yet again, " You mentioned earlier that Luna wishes to stay with me, didn't you?"
—
Nodding to the question, she uttered, " My little girl has always had a wish and if possible, I'd like for you to grant that wish, Hasegawa-San."
" Me?"
Lady Claire summarized Takumi Luna's childhood to the moment their life entangled in the string of fate to the recent events.
Facing Takumi with a strong gaze, she uttered, " Luna has been wishing for a family for the longest time and although I'd very much like for her to reside here with me forever, she deserves more possibilities and opportunities in life. If it's alright with you, I'd like to ask for a favor, Hasegawa-San?"
" Carry on!"
" I may have only known you for the past hour, but I can tell just by looking at you that you have noble sentiments amid that you care strongly for Luna, am I right?"
Takumi didn't respond, but his silence said it all. Lady Claire's question was answered straight away without the need for a response. Adding further, she uttered, " If I may be as selfish as to ask, can you adopt Luna as your daughter?"
" Can you take Luna away with you and give her a better life?"
—
" She may not say it, but I know as her mother that she'll be the happiest if she's with you. So, please, Hasegawa-San, could you adopt my baby girl?"
Listening to Lady Claire's request, Takumi didn't know what and how to respond. Of course, it would have been great if he could adopt Luna as he loves her a lot, just as she said, but things weren't so simple and Takumi knew it better than anyone.
After a moment of silence, Takumi opened his mouth to speak. The words that came out from them were, " Sorry, Lady Claire, but—---------"
Before Takumi could finish, Lady Claire interrupted him and said, " I know I'm asking for too much and it's alright if you decline my request, but could you think of Luna before declining?"
" I'm doing this as I know she'll be the happiest if she's with you. I can see in your eyes that you don't dislike her yourself, so why are you hesitating?"
—
" Could it be due to your parents?"
As if touching a soft spot, Takumi spoke yet again, " If possible, may I take some time to think about it?"
Helpless as to what to do, she nodded to Takumi's request and later added, " I won't pressure you in any way, Hasegawa-San. No matter what your final decision will be in the end, I sure hope it'll be in Luna's best interest."
" Yes, it will."
Walking away from Lady Claire's office, Takumi recalled his conversation with the director on his way home—---
'It would be my greatest joy in life if I could take Luna as my daughter and bring her home with me. Based on what the director told me, Luna would also like the same, but simply wishing for something isn't going to make it happen just because you want it.
I need to think rationally here and make the best decision for both of our interests in mind. My encounter with Luna was in no way a coincidence. I have always believed that nothing happens in life without a reason. I have never been wrong until now, so our meeting must have some kind of significance.'
Two days later after visiting Seaside Orphanage, Takumi came before his superior and asked the forwarded question without fright, " Sir, would it be possible for me to obtain a raise?"
" A raise?" The superior frowned his eyebrows before Takumi who uttered in response, " Sir, I wouldn't be asking for a raise like this normally, but I believe I deserve it for my excellent work protocol and ethic."
Frowning even further, he replied with just a word, " You deserve it, you say?"
" What do you even need a raise for?"
" I cannot tell you what I need it for, but it's extremely important, so could you please give me a raise on my salary?"
Hoping to gain a positive response, Takumi was disappointed when the latter's response came about.
" Sorry, Hasegawa, but I don't believe you deserve a raise as you've been doing a terrible job lately."
Disappointed and stunned, he asked his superior for clarification as to what he meant by his words. " What exactly do you mean, Sir?" " Where has my work been lacking?"
The superior didn't give out any accurate response to the question Takumi asked. All he said in return was, " Your performance has been mediocre. While your colleagues have been putting in the work, you have been slacking off more and more. You would leave work whenever you work and show up at whatever time you prefer. Besides that, you never put in any overtime like the rest of your colleagues."
" What do you think this place is for?" " If you don't intend to work and give it your all like everyone else in this company, then why are you here?"
—
" Based on my protext, analyze it and tell me yourself, do you think you deserve a raise?"
Reflecting upon his superior's words, he uttered, " It's our choice whether we want to take on any overtime. As for the time I leave the office, I don't see what's wrong with that. I leave at a normal hour and I've been performing well in my tasks, so I don't understand where the complaints could be coming from."
Irritated by Takumi's words, the superior said quite angrily, " Are you implying that I'm lying?"
" No, Sir, I didn't say that. What I said is that you might be mistaken, that's all."
" Mistaken?" " Is that so?"
" Ever since you were employed in this company, you have been doing nothing else but your tasks and never cared to lend assistance to any of your colleagues. I didn't say anything for years as your work ethic has been nothing but uptight, but this has to stop."
" Yes, working overtime is not mandatory, but have you ever wondered why your colleagues work overtime as they do?"
Takumi had no answer to the latter and let his superior carry on with his complaints.
" None of them wishes to work overtime, but when there's pending work, what is someone ought to do?"
" That's when overtime comes into play, do you understand?"
Sighing sadly, Takumi retorted, " Yes, I understand, Sir, and sorry for taking up your time."
Leaving his superior's office helplessly, he returned to his desk and carried on with his work.
Weeks passed in the blink of an eye, but Takumi had yet to come up with a solution. As a last attempt, he headed over to the bank to ask for a loan, but the results were rather unsatisfying.
Getting back home defeated, he lay on the couch. Trying to sleep due to his long day, he received a phone call from his mother who asked him to come home the following day.
As he hung up the phone, he went back to sleep without eating. As morning rose the following morning, he had nothing but toast for breakfast. He didn't have time for anything else besides that.
" Won't you be having lunch?" His colleague asked him as everyone had gone on to have lunch except for him.
Shuffling the documents before him, he replied, " I'm not hungry, you go on ahead."
" I'll go on ahead then! Don't take too long, okay!"
—
At Seaside Orphanage, the director watched as Luna was playing with the other kids. Harboring a happy and genuine smile, she then internally thought, " Hasegawa-San hadn't shown up here for the past month. Luna on the other hand has been enjoying herself and hadn't mentioned Hasegawa-San since the moment he came for her. I know that she's behaving as such so I don't worry. After all, it won't be the first time she's done this."
Noticing her standing on the side, Luna got her attention, " Mother, what are you doing there alone?" " Come and play with us!"
Staring at her daughter's somewhat happy face, she stepped forward to join them, " I'm coming."
Playing with her daughter and the other kids, she internally thought once more, " Have you given up on your wish, my lovely daughter? Are you satisfied with how things currently are?"
These were the questions she adamantly wanted to ask her daughter but she didn't dare ask those questions. " What are you thinking about, Mother?"
" Nothing." She nodded, " Let's keep playing!"
' Whatever it is you're doing, I hope you haven't forgotten that Luna is eagerly waiting for you.'