Episode 7: "Beneath the Cherry Blossoms Behind the Factory"

Every lunchtime,

Shinji Takahashi would make his way to an old bench behind the factory.

Ever since he was a child,

talking to people had never come easily.

He had always wished he could.

He simply couldn't.

Nowadays,

someone like him might be given a diagnosis,

a name that would help people understand.

But when Shinji was growing up,

neither he nor his parents had anything like that.

They simply struggled,

wondering why he couldn't do what everyone else seemed to do so naturally.

Looking back,

it was almost heartbreaking.

And yet,

if God hadn't given him one gift,

perhaps life would have been much harder.

Shinji had an extraordinary talent.

He could lose himself completely in his work.

Making things

was what he had been born to do.

When he was working,

the voices around him disappeared.

His coworkers knew that.

No one interrupted him.

So, even now,

as he quietly opened his lunch by himself,

no one came over.

If only talking during lunch were as easy...

Lately,

he had begun to think that people often misunderstood him.

His eyes drifted toward the cherry tree behind the factory.

It'll bloom soon.

The buds were beginning to blush pink.

He found himself imagining

how beautiful it would look

when every branch was covered with blossoms.

...

Suddenly,

he heard voices approaching.

"Want to go somewhere this weekend?"

"Sure! Where should we go?"

Two young women from the factory.

Their cheerful conversation floated through the air.

I'd better finish eating.

The unexpected visitors startled him.

His body tensed before he even realized it.

The two women came around the corner.

They must have already known he was there,

because they simply continued talking

and sat down on the bench beside his.

"But the forecast says it's going to rain this weekend."

One of them glanced at her phone.

"That's a shame."

"The cherry blossoms are just about to be at their best."

I couldn't agree more.

He answered silently,

inside his own heart.

Are you two new employees?

He wished he could ask.

But the words never came.

To him,

starting a conversation felt like standing at the foot of a mountain

far too high to climb.

It's better not to force it.

This is who I am.

He quietly accepted it

and took another bite of his lunch.

Then...

"Um..."

"You're Takahashi, aren't you?"

"Huh?"

He almost choked.

"Oh...

Yes."

"The factory manager was talking about your welding."

"He said you're amazing."

The two women turned toward him,

their eyes shining with curiosity.

"You know how he almost never praises anyone."

"So when he spoke about you like that..."

"We both wanted to meet you."

...

Shinji felt the heat rush to his face.

He knew he was blushing.

"Th-thank you."

"I should get going."

He stood up,

thinking that retreat was his only option.

But before he could leave,

one of them called out.

"Next week we're having a cherry blossom party here after work."

"Everyone's invited."

"They told us to make sure we asked as many people as possible."

"Please come if you can!"

"Yeah!"

"We'd really love to have you there."

...

"Senpai?"

"Oh..."

"Okay."

"If I can..."

"We'll be waiting!"

They answered before he had even finished speaking,

laughing brightly together.

Shinji hurried away,

almost as though he were running.

Behind him,

he could still hear

their cheerful voices.

And beyond them,

he could already see

the cherry trees

in full bloom.