When Haruko arrived at Mr. Fukuda's home, she finally understood why her boss had asked her that question.
She was greeted by Mrs. Fukuda, who appeared to be just in her early thirties, radiating beauty and charm. Upon seeing Haruko, she welcomed her with a gentle smile.
After a brief introduction, Haruko was led into the living room, and her luggage was placed in an empty room.
"Let me prepare some tea," Mrs. Fukuda said, rising to her feet.
However, Mr. Fukuda eagerly interrupted her. "No need! Chuko, I can do it! Please, let me! I love making tea!"
With that, Mr. Fukuda jumped up, seemingly afraid that Mrs. Fukuda would take the tea-making task from him, and hurried into the kitchen.
"Oh dear... I'm sorry; little Goki really enjoys making tea," Mrs. Fukuda remarked apologetically.
Haruko nodded, perplexed, thinking it impressive that Mrs. Fukuda could refer to the serious Mr. Fukuda as "little Goki."
...It was only at dinner time that she truly witnessed Mrs. Fukuda's formidable presence.
"Chuko, let's talk this over! Put down the knife!"
"Huh? I just wanted to help chop some scallions..."
Haruko found it too awkward to ask why she had brought out a cleaver meant for butchering pumpkins.
"Just sit down; dinner is in our hands, Miss Haruko!" Influenced by his wife, Mr. Fukuda, now directly addressed her by her name with her consent.
Mrs. Fukuda nodded, a bit disappointed, before returning to the living room. Normally, Haruko would have felt sympathy for her, but she was still unnerved by the expensive non-stick pan that Mrs. Fukuda had ruined while frying an egg.
So that was why her boss had asked if she liked cooking... It seemed he had intended for her to help with the meals from the beginning. However, to be temporarily taken in by Mr. Fukuda had indeed helped her; before the school term started, she wanted to secure a part-time job. If she had been staying in a rented dorm, she would have had to haul her luggage everywhere.
"...I'm truly sorry for making you help with cooking on your first day," Mr. Fukuda said sincerely, though he couldn't resist speaking well of his wife: "Actually, Chuko is wonderful in every way, just not particularly skilled in the kitchen."
Haruko thought that "not particularly skilled" was a gross understatement, especially after seeing the leftover food in the fridge.
"Um, it's fine. I don't want to be a burden; let me handle the cooking!" For some reason, she didn't want to be idle, and of course, she wanted to repay Mr. Fukuda's kindness as much as possible.
"...Thank you so much, Miss Haruko," he replied, visibly relieved. "Generally, I manage well since my work schedule keeps my meals regular, but I dread to think what might happen if Chuko were to cook by herself..."
Mr. Fukuda shuddered, unable to continue. Haruko, perceptive as always, refrained from pressing further.
"Wow, this is delicious! Although we used the same ingredients, it tastes far better than the fried rice I made yesterday! Little Haruko is surely destined to earn a culinary license!"
Despite this, Haruko noticed that there was nothing in the fridge that could remotely be considered fried rice. If anything, there was nothing distinguishable from charcoal.
"It's all right; one day Chuko will make wonderful dishes too," Mr. Fukuda said, affectionately ruffling his wife's hair, leaving Haruko at a loss for words.
It wasn't that she was shocked by their intimacy; she was merely astounded by Mr. Fukuda's remarkable ability to tell such tall tales.
...Although she felt guilty for Mr. Fukuda, she needed to find a job quickly and move out.
In the following days, despite Mr. Fukuda's daily trips to school for work, he and Mrs. Fukuda enjoyed a pleasant time together. Mrs. Fukuda worked as an editor, spending most of her time at home organizing manuscripts, aside from occasional meetings at the office. When she learned Haruko was looking for a job, though a bit reluctant to see her go, she still offered her suggestions.
As Mr. Fukuda had said, Mrs. Fukuda was truly competent, aside from her culinary skills. After Haruko received her class schedule, she helped plan suitable times for part-time work.
"Hmm... under these circumstances, Friday has only half a day of classes, so you could work late into the night, and sleeping in on Saturday would be possible..."
"Indeed, Friday offers higher wages, but we also need to consider where you'll be living afterward..."
Haruko glanced at Mrs. Fukuda, who was pouting like a little puppy, ultimately saying nothing.
Haruko understood that Mrs. Fukuda wished for her to stay longer, but she didn't want to impose further; more importantly, she wanted to experience living alone.
"Ah—let's call it a day for now!"
After perusing over a hundred job ads, she felt exhausted. She glanced at the clock in the living room; it was almost five o'clock, and with Mr. Fukuda returning at six, she needed to go grocery shopping for dinner.
"I'm going out for a quick run, and I'll buy the ingredients for dinner. Mrs. Fukuda, is there anything you'd like to eat?"
Mrs. Fukuda pondered for a moment, shook her head, then, with an inspired expression, said, "I feel bad for constantly troubling Haruko with buying groceries and cooking, so how about I make dinner tonight?"
"...No, that's unnecessary! I absolutely love cooking." She took the wallet that Mrs. Fukuda offered her. Initially, Haruko wanted to share the cost, but after being stubbornly refused by both Mrs. Fukuda and Mr. Fukuda, she accepted graciously.
Once outside, Haruko didn't head towards her usual running route but instead ran toward a nearby river. She followed the small river until she was out of breath before finally stopping.
Running often alleviated her stress, especially when she felt dizzy and overwhelmed. After her run, the initial frustration from not having found a suitable job over the past few days dissipated slightly.
She checked her phone and realized she had run farther than she had intended; it was already ten past five. The sun, while still radiant, was beginning to set.
Watching the fiery clouds in the sky, she thought tomorrow would bring good weather. Just as she prepared to head towards the shopping district, something blue caught her eye.
"...It's not really the time for fires, is it?"
Haruko doubted whether the light she had seen was blue or red; all she knew was that it vanished behind a utility pole. Though she was pressed for time, something compelled her to approach the pole.
After checking the area around the pole and confirming that nothing was on fire, she felt relieved, only to notice an advertisement tacked onto the pole.
"...? Was this advertisement here earlier?"
She felt puzzled.
Now Hiring: Apartment Manager
Job Description: Clean the apartment and restock essentials.
Requirements: Respect residents' privacy.
Salary: Negotiable.
Benefits: Accommodation provided.
For more details, please contact: ◎◎◎―△△△―☆☆☆ Shinya
She meticulously reviewed the job details. So, as long as she cleaned and restocked essentials, she could enjoy free lodging? And she would even earn a salary?
Upon inspecting the logo on the advertisement, she realized it was not from a company she recognized. Given how excellent the offer seemed, it was likely already filled.
However, motivated by a sense of adventure, she dialed the number listed, and to her surprise, it was answered in under two seconds.
"Hello!!! Can you hear me?!"
Startled by the deep voice on the other end, Haruko pulled the phone slightly away from her ear.
"Hello! Yes, I can hear you. Is this Mr. Shinya?" She tried to remain polite to avoid mirroring the other person's shouting. "My name is Haruko Yamashita, and I'm calling to inquire about the apartment manager position."
"Oh, that..."
It seemed the person named Mr. Shinya only just remembered the ad, making her think he had already hired someone else. To her astonishment, after a brief pause, he replied, "So, Miss Yamashita, when can you come for an interview?"
"...Uh? An interview? I can come tomorrow! If that works for you!" The sudden request caught her off guard, but luckily, she had prepared her resume for job hunting.
"Then, I'll send you the address via text, and see you tomorrow."
"Uh, all right, see you tomorrow, Mr. Shinya..."
Before she could process it all, he hung up. But he hadn't mentioned when or where they would meet!
Confused, she glanced at her phone and then back at the advertisement on the utility pole, awkwardly taking a picture of the ad with her old and flashy phone that barely captured the text clearly.
Despite the various uncertainties, if all went smoothly, she had found a job! If that were the case, tonight she would treat herself to curry rice, accompanied by golden, crispy fried pork cutlet! To enhance her luck!
Ah, but only if the pork wasn't full price!