Volume 4 Chapter 8 Workplace Lunch Break
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The lunch chime rings, signaling the start of the break.
But first, I have a job to do.
Many of the employees here get so hyper-focused on work that they treat eating as a total afterthought. You’re lucky if you see someone with an onigiri or a cup of noodles in hand; I’ve heard stories of people only realizing they’re starving right as they’re about to clock out for the day. It isn’t even that they’re buried in deadlines; they’re either just too lazy to step away or they’ve simply lost their sense of when to stop.
Watching them struggle must have been too much for the higher-ups, because the company eventually started a¹bento delivery service for anyone who wants in-or rather, for anyone who didn’t explicitly opt out. The cost is docked straight from our paychecks, but considering the quality and the portions, I’d say it’s a pretty reasonable deal.
I catch the delivery guy at the entrance, give him a quick thanks, and help Misato-san haul the boxes inside. We line the bento up on an empty desk and set out the chopsticks, instant miso soup packets, and the hot water kettle.
Apparently, this whole lunch routine started because of a suggestion from Mio. It wasn’t just for the sake of her own husband, though. Mio makes Mitsuhisa-san’s lunch herself. She already has his heart-and his stomach-hook, line, and sinker, so she didn’t need the service.
There’s a rumor going around that she actually did it to protect Mitsuhisa-san’s “lovingly-made wife’s bento” from scavenging colleagues like Chika, who were constantly eyeing his food out of hunger, mischief, or just plain old jealousy. Whatever the reason, the staff loves it. No matter the job, you can’t work if your tank is empty.
While the others dig in, I lay out my own meal. The delivery bento is a good deal, but mine is cheaper-plus, someone makes it specifically for me. Not that I’m demanding she do it, of course. Mio claims she just makes mine as a side-project while she’s doing Mitsuhisa-san’s. Even when he’s working from home, she makes excuses like “not wanting to lose her touch” just so she can keep sending them my way.
I’ve tried to offer her something in return-etiquette and all that-but she always tells me the debt is already paid.
It’s a whole system she’s mapped out. First, Maa-kun is “dispatched” to the Totsuka household. There, he helps with the chores and looks after the youngsters. This clears up Mio’s schedule so she can focus on meal prep, which means the Totsuka dinner table is always full.
Finally, the surplus is “paid out” to the Yashiro family as a²bento dividend. It’s not just the bento, either; she shares breakfast leftovers too. It saves me so much time in the kitchen and gives me more precious hours to spend with Maa-kun. He’s such an incredible son… I honestly don’t know what I did to deserve him.
”Itadakimasu,”
I whisper, offering a silent thanks to everyone involved before I start eating. It’s delicious. You can really tell she’s been through a culinary bootcamp with Haruko-san since she was a kid. Maa-kun always tells me, “Mom, your cooking is my favorite,” but I know I don’t stand a chance against her skills. I really need to work harder. It’s only a matter of time before he starts saying, “I love the food Suu-chan makes the best.”
”Akari-san, your lunch looks so good…”
Misato-san is hovering over my bento box while she opens her own. I’m sure hers is fine, but I guess the grass is always greener on the neighbor’s plate.
”Is that handmade?” Misato-san asked.
”Yeah… well, I didn’t actually make it myself,” I replied.
”Which means it’s Mio-senpai’s work?”
Misato-san nodded to herself, satisfied, as she stuffed a piece of fried chicken into her mouth. I mean, I can cook, but saying it now would just sound like a pathetic “me too.”
”Man, I wish I had a bento like that,” Misato-san sighed.
”Why not just make one?” I suggested.
”I’m a disaster in the kitchen…”
”What do you do for dinner at home then?”
”…I still live with my parents.”
”…”
I can’t really judge. I struggled like crazy when I first moved out for university. It’s terrifying to think where I’d be if Mio hadn’t written out those monthly survival recipes for me.
”If only I could find a guy who’s like a celebrity chef,” Misato-san mused.
”Is that your type?” I asked.
”If a guy like that asked me out, I’d say yes before he finished the sentence.”
Good looks, tall, charming, and he can cook? (But really, my ideal is someone with a solid career, a good listener, totally devoted, and someone I can count on when things get real,) she continued, rattling off requirements like a grocery list. (Oh, and I don’t care about looks. As long as he has a sense of cleanliness.)
(Note to self: When a woman says she “doesn’t care” about looks, she usually means her absolute floor is ‘conventionally attractive.’ Never take that at face value.)
Still, Misato-san has a lot of boxes to check. She’s cute and puts in the effort to be approachable, so I’m sure she’s popular enough. The funny thing is, I actually know someone who fits that description perfectly. And he’s very close by.
”…Just so we’re clear, Mitsuhisa-san is off-limits,” I warned.
”I know, I know! Making an enemy out of Mio-senpai is the last thing I’d ever do,” Misato-san promised.
Good. As long as she gets it. I’d hate for anything to mess with my best friends’ marriage, and I’ll pull those weeds the second I see them sprouting. Then again, I doubt anyone could actually get between those two. Mio practically glows with “I love him” energy, and Mitsuhisa-san is just as obsessed with her. It’s no wonder Suu-chan turned out the way she did, being raised in that environment.
”Besides, workplace romance just feels like a distraction. I’d never get anything done,” Misato-san added.
”I see…”
Love makes people crazy. For better or for worse. For now, it looks like the guys in this office don’t stand a chance. She’s being polite about it, but the subtext is clear: there isn’t a single man here worth her time.
”I wonder if there’s a promising guy out there somewhere… Oh!”
”?”
”…What about Maa-ku-“
”Absolutely not,” I snapped.
”I-it was a joke! Mostly!” she stammered.
”No.”
”…”
People are free to love whoever they want, but that is a hard “no.” I’m on Team Suu-chan, after all.
”S-so, putting that aside…”
”…”
”What about you, Akari-san?” Misato-san asked.
”…Me?”
”What’s your type? I mean… do you ever think about finding a boyfriend? Or getting marr-“
”Hmm…”
My chopsticks stop midway to my mouth.
I’ve been through a lot. There was a time when I couldn’t bring myself to trust men at all. But seeing how much Mitsuhisa-san treasures his wife, and being so busy with work… mostly, though, it’s because Maa-kun has been my constant source of strength. I think I’ve healed a lot. Even if a romantic relationship still feels like a bridge too far.
Even if I could get past that hurdle… I have thought about it. Sometimes, watching my best friends, I do feel a little pang of envy. But it’s just so complicated.
I can’t think as just a woman anymore; I think as a mother. Even if a man is “good” for me, would he be good for Maa-kun?
I’ve wondered if Maa-kun needs a father figure. It might be different if he were a girl, but he’s a boy. There are things about growing up as a man that I’m just guessing at, and that’s when having a father around would be a godsend. I’m grateful for everything Mitsuhisa-san does, but I still worry. Does Maa-kun need a father of his own, even if they aren’t blood-related? That makes me cautious. Overly cautious.
Plus, would a new person fit in with our neighbors? I’m not willing to gamble the perfect, fulfilling life we have now just to get “closer” to someone new. Between my age and the fact that I’m a single mom… it feels impossible.
”I don’t know. I guess if I met someone even more wonderful than Maa-kun, I’d consider it,” I said, giving her a vague answer to shut it down.
”But… as Maa-kun grows up, won’t that bar just get higher every single year?” Misato-san asked.
”Hehe… maybe so.”
So for now, my love life stays on the back burner. I would never, ever choose a man over a single minute of time with my son. At least until he leaves the nest…
…
”Wait, Akari-san?! Why do you look so depressed all of a sudden?!”
”I just… I got a little lonely thinking about the future…”
…I love you, Maa-kun.
—
Summary:
During a workplace lunch break, Akari reflects on the ‘Bento Dividend’ system managed by her friend Mio. The conversation shifts to romantic ideals as her colleague Misato discusses her high standards for a partner. This prompts Akari to internally confront her own hesitation toward dating, revealing the deep priority she places on her son’s well-being over her own loneliness.
—
Trivia:
- The mention of ‘Suu-chan’ and Maa-kun’s potential shift in affection hints at future childhood rivalry or developmental milestones.
- Akari’s ‘male distrust’ suggests a significant back-story event that shapes her current hyper-protective parenting style.
- Mio’s ‘excuses’ to keep making bento for Akari highlight a deep, non-transactional bond between the two families that Akari feels a need to rationalize through the ‘dividend’ system
—
Character Insight:
Akari and Misato showcase a mentor-like but casual dynamic. While Misato is open about her ‘delusional’ dating standards, Akari is deeply guarded. A key moment is Akari’s immediate shutdown of a joke about her son, showing the hard line between her social life and her role as a mother.
—
Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The chapter establishes the social and economic interdependence between the Yashiro and Totsuka families, framed almost like a corporate barter system (‘The Maa-kun Dividend’). This grounded, modern Japanese setting emphasizes domestic stability as a core value.
—
TL Notes:
The term ‘bridal training’ was adapted to ‘culinary bootcamp’ to better fit the modern US English setting while maintaining the implication of intensive preparation. The ‘Mokomichi’ reference was localized to ‘celebrity chef’ to preserve the nuance of Misato’s high standards.
—
Glossary:
Notes:
• Misato – Misato is a younger female colleague and junior trainer at Akari’s new company. She has a bright short bob and a cheerful personality. She lives with her parents, admits to being poor at cooking, and holds idealistic standards for a romantic partner. She admires Mio.
• Mitsuhisa – Mitsuhisa, 33, 184 cm, 71 kg, toned and reserved, is Mio’s husband and father of Suu‑chan, Fuu‑chan and Kyo‑chan. On modified childcare leave from his IT firm (invited by the President), he works from home. Protective and doting toward his children, he keeps a distant rapport with Akari, shares dark banter with former teammate Makoto, feels unsettled by his own influence, yet serves as a positive father‑figure for Akari’s son.
• Mio – 28‑year‑old pregnant gray‑clad Totsuka resident, baby‑faced with G‑cup curves. Former athlete turned teacher, cook, photographer; tech‑savvy “Love Guru” who mentors Makoto, Fuu‑chan, Kyo‑chan. Akari’s best friend, wife of Mitsuhisa, mother of Suu‑chan, protective of family, runs the ‘Bento Dividend’ system.
• Chika – A young girl in the Rose Class at Hinomori Kindergarten who gives Makoto Valentine’s chocolate. She has a mother who accompanies her.
• Totsuka – Totsuka Mio is the wife of Mitsuhisa Totsuka and mother of Suu-chan. She is a hardcore gamer, part of the neighbor family that supplies hand‑me‑down consoles to the protagonist’s household. Mio attends parent‑teacher conferences and worries about her daughter’s growing dependence on Makoto.
• Suu-chan – A refined young girl of the Sheep Class, exceptionally cute with soft skin and embodying ladylike grace, she enforces strict etiquette with childlike warmth, closely bonded to Makoto whom she holds to high grooming standards—yet she’s also a victim of hair-pulling by Togawa Masaki, revealing a tender vulnerability beneath her polished exterior.
• Haruko – An elderly grandmother with silver hair and sharp eyes, wearing a bold‑patterned kimono, is known as Haruko‑obachan. She is the eccentric mother of Mio and grandmother of Suu‑chan, staying at the Yashiro house on weekdays to aid Mio’s pregnancy, helping Mitsuhisa with housework and childcare, and is present for the twins’ arrival.
• Suu – A young girl in the Sheep Class and also a female student of the Rose Class, her cheeks streaked with mud as she crafts high‑quality dorodango; she is fiercely attached to Makoto, ends sentences with the particle “ssu”, and draws the obsessive, bullying gaze of Masaki.
• Akari – 28‑year‑old single mother, long dark‑brown hair, subtle makeup, poised and observant. Lives beside best friend Mio, drives a black light‑compact car, raises son Maa‑kun and cares for Makoto. After childcare leave she works IT for balance, prefers quiet home, feels guilty missing the party. Strict yet loving, polite, estranged from her parents, mischievous, monitors Makoto’s health via a status‑report network. Close friend of the Totsuka family, deeply devoted to Maa‑kun, yet distrusts men.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply