Chereads / The Wonders of Life / Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: The Meaning of Friendship

Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: The Meaning of Friendship

" What do you mean?" Takumi asked his colleague, harboring a confusing tone. " Aren't we already acquainted?"

" Not like that." He muttered in response before adding almost immediately, " I'm speaking of friendship and a simple acquaintance."

Hearing his train of thoughts, Takumi uttered in response, " We're more than acquainted enough as it is. I don't see the need to extend that."

Saunji was disappointed by the result as he wasn't expecting such a cold response from his colleague. After being silent for more than a minute, Saunji spoke again and said in a bitter tone, " You don't seem to like the word 'Friendship' very much, do you?"

The silent treatment responded in itself to Saunji's question who retorted, " No matter what you say, I want to be better acquainted with you. I don't want to be just a colleague who you see at work and nothing else, so, would you please reconsider?"

Saying jokingly, Takumi spoke and said, " I presume that if I don't give in, I'm not going home, correct?"

" You got it!" He nodded to confirm Takumi's answer to the question.

Sighing deeply, he uttered once more, " I don't understand—----"

?

" There are so many agreeable people you could befriend in this company, so why are you insisting so much on befriending a boring and unpleasant person like me?"

Wanting to know the reason for Saunji's insistence on getting acquainted, Takumi forwarded his question to him, but the response he got to that question he asked was, " Our colleagues aren't that interesting, except for you."

?

" You may appear aloof and uninterested in most things, especially your entourage, but I believe you're giving more than you're letting on. What I mean is the one everyone sees isn't the true you, not your true self."

" The one I'd like to know through this friendship is the real Takumi Hasegawa and not the one before me who's exuberant and cold."

" The real me?" Takumi laughed sarcastically before adding, " What nonsense are you spouting?"

Retorting to the sarcastic laugh, Saunji said, " If what I'm saying truly is nonsense, then you won't find it all that ridiculous that we get better acquainted with each other, right?"

Giving in to him, Takumi uttered in a slight tone, " I don't know what game you're playing, but fine."

Saunji was happy and grinned slightly. Takumi added in a sarcastic tone, " I wish you luck in finding the real me, friend."

Although Takumi had just referred to him by the word he was so eager to hear, Saunji didn't seem all that happy to hear it. Getting out of his way so he could pass, Saunji uttered in a happy tone, " See you tomorrow, Hasegawa!"

When Takumi got home from work, he sat in the dining room as he enjoyed a copious dinner. Thinking back about Saunji's words, Takumi uttered bitterly, " You'd like to be friends with me, but I've long lost the meaning of that word, Saunji."

The following day, when Takumi exited his house, he was stunned when he found a familiar presence standing there.

" Good morning, Hasegawa!" The familiar presence waved at him joyfully. Takumi froze for a moment before asking the familiar presence, " What is it that you're doing at my house?"

" What do you mean, Hasegawa?" He asked as he approached by a few steps. " Did you forget already?"

Remembering yesterday's events, Saunji uttered, " We're no longer mere acquaintances, so it's okay for me to come to fetch you for work and even come visit you on weekends."

Frowning his eyebrows in exasperation, he said, " Aren't you forgetting something here, Saunji?"

" What am I forgetting?"

" I have a car so why would I need you to fetch me for work already?"

Realizing that what Takumi brought forth made quite sense, he said, " You're right, Hasegawa. There's no need for two cars if we're heading in the same direction, is there?"

" I'll be making sure to take notes for next time." He concluded his sentence harboring a slight grin from the corner of the mouth.

" This is not the point." Uttered Takumi in annoyance.

Walking past him, Takumi entered his car and drove off from his house soon after. Saunji did the same and followed him closely.

When they reached the company, Takumi hurried to his cubicle. As for Saunji, he was watching in amusement.

After an hour of working, Takumi stopped for a moment to take a glance at something. Grabbing his phone, he looked at the picture of Luna he clicked the day he went to the Seaside Orphanage to finalize things with the adoption process.

" I wonder how Luna's doing. Does she miss me?"

While mumbling those words, he didn't realize that someone was listening to his rambling. When the person listening to his rambling asked," Luna? Who's that?" Takumi looked shocked.

The one listening to him as he rambled those words was none other than Saunji, his colleague. As Saunji asked the latter for the second time," Who's Luna and why should she be missing you?"

Looking annoyed that he was being listened to, he said in response," This doesn't concern you. Go back to your cubicle and get some work done."

Returning his focus to his work, Saunji had no choice but to leave the matter aside and returned to his cubicle to continue working on the pending work he had left to do.

Hours passed in the blink of an eye and when lunch hour came, Saunji wanted to grab the opportunity to continue their impending conversation that was left unfinished, but unfortunately for him, Takumi left before he had the chance to strike him with any related questions.

Looking for him, he found him in the corridor attending a phone call. Attempting to leave so Takumi could attend his call in peace, Saunji ironically heard," Do you think they'll let me adopt her? Do I stand a chance?"

" Adoption?"

As Takumi's call concluded a few minutes later, he wasn't all that surprised this time to see Saunji tailing him. He was used to it by now, so the surprise effect was reversed.

Approaching him, he asked," Did you want something, Saunji?"

Hesitating, he said," Just now, you were speaking of adoption.--------- Are you thinking of adopting a kid?"

" And, is that kid, Luna, whom you were mumbling about earlier?"

Saunji asked his questions, but just as he grasped the courage to ask them, he knew deep down he wouldn't receive an answer to his interrogations as Takumi Hasegawa wasn't one to speak of his personal life to anyone, including his colleagues.

Walking past him, Takumi stopped and glanced for a moment toward Saunji, he uttered the words the latter was eager to hear," Yes. The answer to your earliest question is yes."

Saunji was too dumbfounded to react. However, when he did react, all he said was," What?"

Takumi could hear him from afar and for a moment, he even grinned a little as he continued his walk toward the company's cafeteria.

Several days later, much to Saunji's delight, Takumi wasn't avoiding him as much as he did before. They talked more and shared more. Takumi even told him about his intention to adopt Luna as his daughter.

Another week went by in the blink of an eye. At the Seaside Orphanage, Lady Claire alongside other sisters met with the judge to discuss Luna's adoption.

" Sir, based on Takumi Hasegawa's file and disposition, he's a great fit for the adoption. Luna will have everything a child needs, let alone an education and everything else beyond that." Lady Claire expressed herself with much clarity in her words and intonation.

While the discussion over Luna's adoption was going on in full swing, elsewhere at G Consortium, during Lunch hour—-------------------

" Hey, Hasegawa, why aren't you eating your food?" Saunji asked the latter, who had yet to touch the food in front of him. " What's on your mind?"

Putting the fork down, he looked over at his friend, and with a grim expression, he uttered the following," Today, my life will be decided."

Saunji was kind of confused by the words he employed a moment ago and asked," What do you mean?"

Retorting to the question, he said," Today, the trial over Luna's adoption is being held, and I don't know what's going to result from it."

" Do you think they might not give her to you?" " Do you think they might refuse you for the adoption? Is that why you're so down?"

Asking numerous questions at once, the answer to all these questions only led to a single word, and Takumi confirmed it with a nod.

Retorting, Saunji uttered to his friend the following," Why are you down because of that?"

Lifting his head to look at him, Saunji continued," In my opinion, you'll be granted the adoption head-on. You have everything in your favor, like a good job with a good income. What else do you lack?"

At the sound of the question, Takumi uttered," I'm not a family man and that could be a valid reason they could refuse me."

"They'll refuse you because you're not married? Nonsense!" "That won't be a decisive factor, believe me! Luna's adoption will be granted to you, so cheer up and don't lose hope."

Seeing Saunji's sudden sight of behavior he never knew about, Takumi grinned slightly from the corner of his mouth. Seeing this, Saunji asked, "Why are you smiling nonchalantly? Did I say something funny?"

Nodding, Takumi uttered, "Thank you!"

—---" What did you say?"

" Thank you!" He repeated and continued," I feel a lot better after venting my feelings with you, so thank you."

Grinning slightly, he said, "That is what friends do for each other. Whenever the other is feeling down, someone is there to listen and make them feel better, and vice versa. That is the true meaning of friendship."

"The true meaning of friendship?"