Chapter Twelve — Excuses

Cicadas had been screaming from the cherry tree behind the factory since early morning.

Another sweltering day was on the way, and the heavy summer heat seemed to settle over the employees like a blanket of exhaustion.

On days like this, the last thing you want to do is rush your work.

The man thinking such carefree thoughts was Keisuke Sano.

He worked for a while, then reached for his water bottle. Then he worked a little more before reaching for it again.

His efficiency hadn't improved at all, and it was already approaching eleven o'clock.

This is bad. At this pace, there's no way I'll finish in time.

I already told Yuji I could do it, but honestly, the customers are the crazy ones for demanding an impossible deadline in the first place...

Just as he began constructing a convenient excuse in his head, a loud noise echoed from a nearby workstation.

“What the hell are you doing?”

It was Sugitani's voice.

And he was furious.

“...”

“This isn't like you. Why would you do something like this?”

What's going on?

Yuji's angry? That's unusual.

Who's he talking to?

Several employees looked up in surprise. One of them even lifted his welding mask to see what was happening.

“If you don't say anything, how am I supposed to understand?”

“I'm sorry.”

A woman's voice? Senior Tsubaki?

“Come with me.”

Sugitani lightly tapped Tsubaki on the shoulder and pointed toward the meeting room.

As he passed Keisuke's workbench, his expression was unusually cold.

Tsubaki's workstation rattled with the sounds of hurried cleaning, and a moment later, she followed him into the meeting room.

---

“So, what happened?”

The moment she entered, Sugitani repeated the same question.

“...I lost my temper.”

“With the product?”

“No.”

She lowered her eyes.

“With myself.”

“When you're angry with yourself, you damage the product?”

“...No. But it can't be fixed anymore.”

“...”

“But I'm sorry for upsetting you.”

“Mita.”

Sugitani leaned back in his chair and folded his thick arms across his chest.

“What exactly have you been doing for the last ten years?”

He continued.

“You made a mistake while making a product. You got angry. Then you hit it with a hammer.”

He stared directly at her.

“And your explanation is that you weren't trying to do anything wrong. You were just angry at yourself.”

He paused.

“Is that really the kind of person you are?”

“...Yes.”

“Admitting it doesn't make it okay. Don't you understand why I'm angry?”

“...”

Tears filled Tsubaki's eyes, but she pressed her lips tightly together.

She's just like my daughter.

The thought crossed Sugitani's mind.

His daughter, Kana, never admitted she was wrong.

For a moment, the two of them overlapped.

“No matter what happened, you don't hit the product.”

His voice became calmer.

“You're right. That piece requires the welding to be done in a very specific order. Once you make a mistake, it might be impossible to repair.”

He pointed toward the workshop.

“But you made the mistake. Didn't you?”

“What exactly were you trying to accomplish?”

He didn't wait for an answer.

“Did you think that if you got angry and sulked, nobody would criticize you?”

“Did you want everyone to think your anger proved how difficult this job is?”

“No!”

“Then what was that attitude?”

“You wouldn't understand!”

The words burst out of her.

“You have no idea what it's like to be someone who can't do it!”

“You think crying is going to solve this?”

Only then did Tsubaki realize tears were running down her face.

That only made her angrier.

“I wouldn't understand?”

Sugitani's voice rose.

“Then tell me this. What do you know about me?”

“...”

“Stop acting like a spoiled child!”

More tears spilled down her cheeks.

---

In the end, Tsubaki knew he was right.

A few minutes later, Sugitani left the room looking utterly disappointed.

Alone at last, she gradually began to calm down.

Why did I make such a simple mistake?

The anger started rising again.

But this time, she was able to recognize the moment her mind began going blank.

Don't go back out there with a tear-stained face.

What good is crying?

A little while later, Tsubaki hurried into the restroom.

---

Meanwhile, Keisuke casually observed Yuji's face as he returned to the workshop.

He looks like a demon.

Keisuke took a drink from his bottle of water and looked down at the piece in front of him.

Can I really finish this by five?

He tightened his sweaty fingers around the welding torch.

But who's going to be the one to admit it can't be done?