Episode 4: "You're Not Going Home Yet?"

"See you tomorrow!"

"Have a good night!"

As the end-of-day chime echoed through the factory, voices from my coworkers gradually faded into the distance.

It was 5:30 p.m.

I had been with the company for only three weeks.

As a few machines shut down for the day, the factory became much quieter than I had imagined.

The fact that I had begun noticing little changes like that probably meant I was finally starting to relax.

Even the large clock hanging in the center of the factory somehow seemed less tense.

...

Before leaving, I stood once more in front of the mold I had made that day.

I really messed this one up...

As I stared at my failed work, my senior coworker smiled and said,

"Don't worry so much. If you could do everything perfectly from day one, we'd be out of a job."

"But... I feel terrible."

"I remember feeling exactly the same way. It's been a long time."

He grinned.

"Don't lose that feeling. It'll serve you well."

With that, he headed off for a cigarette.

Don't worry, he had said.

Easy for him to say.

I was being paid to do this.

Of course I worried.

The only thing that gave me a little comfort was what the factory manager had told me.

"It can still be fixed."

...

Time to go home.

As I looked away from the mold and reached for my work jacket, I noticed a small light still glowing in the back of the factory.

Is that Yuji?

It was.

Yuji was about five years older than I was.

I'd heard he had joined the company straight out of high school, so he already had nearly ten years of experience.

With his athletic build and easygoing personality, he was exactly the kind of senior everyone admired.

"Sugitani, you're not going home yet?"

I walked over and called out.

Yuji looked up and smiled.

"Nah."

He lifted a small metal part into the light.

"I feel like there's still a better shape hiding in here."

To me, it already looked perfect—

almost like a piece of jewelry.

But apparently,

it wasn't good enough for him.

The strange thing was,

he didn't look frustrated.

He simply looked...

thoughtful.

Studying it.

Searching.

Even someone as inexperienced as I was could tell that Yuji carried himself differently from everyone else.

Maybe it was because he handled some of the company's biggest customers.

There was a kind of energy that seemed to radiate from him.

Without taking his eyes off the part, he suddenly asked,

"Wasn't it a tough choice? A university graduate working at a factory like ours?"

"Huh?... No."

I smiled.

"I actually enjoy coming to work."

He laughed.

"You enjoy it? That's impressive."

"When I first started, all the senior guys looked like demons."

"I thought every day was rough."

We both laughed.

It was the first real conversation I'd had with him,

and somehow,

it made me happy.

"I'll do my best!"

"Sorry to interrupt."

"Have a good evening!"

I hurried toward the lockers.

On my way out,

I glanced back one last time.

Yuji had already leaned deep into the machine,

carefully setting the part in place.

Have a good night.

I whispered the words silently in my heart

as I walked out of the factory.

I walked home more slowly than usual,

thinking once again

about why I had made that mistake today.