The Fantastic Duo
I am a superstar.
A superstar…
I stood in front of the mirror with my face flushed bright red, trying the self-hypnosis a few more times before finally going over to Luca and collapsing beside him. I couldn't take any more.
"Aboo!"
Slap!
"Ow."
Why are you hitting me…
"Daddy's hurt, Luca."
Having been slapped by Luca for reasons I couldn't begin to understand, I lay right down and stared up at the high ceiling. I needed a moment to gather my thoroughly rattled soul.
James had left saying he'd see me next time, but the truth was I needed to start moving soon—I had to deliver desserts to the cafe that afternoon.
After I quit my job, he had suggested shifting the delivery time from early morning to the afternoon, and I had readily agreed. That way I wouldn't feel rushed starting the night before.
I had asked whether the shop didn't need everything ready by dawn, but he said that for desserts, as long as the delivery was finished before the high-demand evening hours, it was fine.
Not many people go looking for super-sweet desserts first thing in the morning.
"…"
Something… when I was conceptualizing recipes for the recipe book, should time of day be a factor to consider as well?
They had said the recipe book would include photos that looked like they belonged on social media, and that the stories behind each recipe's creation would be the theme running through the whole book…
Of course the time of day would matter when deciding the overall atmosphere of the pages assigned to me.
If James's sandwiches suited morning and lunch better, then the desserts I wanted to make would suit the afternoon or evening far more than breakfast.
Should I make them more glamorous and sparkling? Or design recipes that fit the kinds of activities people did at those hours?
Since I would also film and upload videos of the desserts going into the recipe book for my own channel, thinking about the overall vibe would definitely help.
These were the first original recipes I was putting out…
It would be nice if something more me were infused into the image.
…But what even was a "me-like" image?
"I don't know, Luca. Our Luca just makes me think of sunshine or sunflowers."
"Eeeh!"
I poked the cheek of the baby who was beaming as if he understood me, then got up and decided to just get through today's work for now.
Ten days later.
A message came from Evan.
He was coordinating the presentation date and asking which times worked for me.
After a few exchanges, I received the confirmed date and time.
Evan also told me that a total of twelve authors would be participating that day, including me and James.
I raised one eyebrow at the larger-than-expected number, then remembered that each person would handle three or four recipes and roughly accepted it.
And…
After thinking it over for a moment, I passed the schedule on to Cassandra.
No matter how I looked at it, bringing a manager felt excessive, but since I had already said I would, I couldn't break the promise.
I also asked Evan whether it was all right to bring a companion, and he said it was fine without hesitation.
"…Ah!"
Then it suddenly hit me—Cassandra might have gone back to work and not have time during the day.
With a faintly hopeful heart, I texted her. Asking if that was the case. That it was fine if so—I could just take a taxi that day…
And the reply that came back almost immediately:
…Ah.
But our channel's revenue wasn't enough yet for her to quit her job.
When I asked if she was really okay, Cassandra told me she had found part-time work at an acquaintance's beauty salon. There was even a rest area where Charlie could do homework and play, so it had worked out well.
I see. I see.
I sent a message congratulating her on quitting, making sure it wasn't too late.
And then, on the day of the meeting at the publishing house.
I was so surprised my mouth fell slightly open.
Cassandra appearing in a pink suit was surprising enough, but even more surprising was the brand-new bright red SUV that had smoothly stopped in front of our house.
With a dazed expression, I asked,
"Cassandra, did you get a new car?"
"Yes! Seventy-two-month installment plan! I'll tell you about it on the way, so hop in first!"
With that, Cassandra opened the back door and the trunk for me.
"It's the car seat Charlie used. Glad I didn't throw it away."
"Yeah. Come on, Luca, shall we ride the vroom-vroom?"
"…"
I gently seated the child—whose voice had gone quiet the moment we stepped outside—into the car seat and buckled him in.
These days Luca cried if he couldn't see me for even a little while, so before the baby could fuss I quickly folded the stroller, loaded it into the trunk, came back, and climbed in.
The doors slid shut and the car started. Looking around the interior that still smelled of new car, I asked,
"Aren't you overdoing it a bit?"
"I pulled a few tricks before throwing in my resignation."
She explained that while she still had the status of an employee with seventeen years of service, she had signed a good contract with a dealer she'd known for a long time.
"No, but still…"
"Jun. Look at my face right now. How is it?"
Looking at Cassandra's face reflected in the rearview mirror, I hesitated a moment before giving my honest impression.
"You look really happy."
Cassandra laughed out loud.
"That's right! I am really happy! I think I can give myself this much of a gift. …And since I've already gone and done it, it's also motivation to work even harder!"
She said her previous car was already over ten years old, so she figured it was better for money to go out as installment payments on a new car instead of repair costs.
"And how should I put it—it's funny to attach meaning to everything, but when I drive this car I feel like I'm settling my past life and racing off anew. It's exciting. I feel ten years younger. Anyway, I really like it."
I readily agreed with this.
"If that's the case… then you can think of it as already having paid for the car. There aren't that many things that inject that much vitality into a life, after all."
It was a bit like mental gymnastics, but recalling the morning after Luca and I had moved into the villa, I could fully empathize with her words now.
While I was briefly immersed in those feelings from back then, Cassandra—who had been humming as she drove—spoke as if something had just occurred to her.
"Ah, and a car is important for appearances too. Even if you don't have a car, Jun, if your manager's car is of a certain level, it doesn't look bad to others."
"That makes sense. I hadn't thought that far."
Because first of all that manager had shown up in a pink suit… so maybe the car wasn't the issue.
Of course I might just be too old-fashioned. No—please let it really be that.
The car stopped smoothly at the light. While waiting for the signal to change, Cassandra brought up something else in a light voice.
"Jun, I've staked the end of my youth on our work right now."
"…What?"
The voice was light, but the topic was not light at all. Even so, Cassandra continued casually with a slight smile at my surprised reaction.
"Of course, challenges can be taken on anytime."
The light turned green and the car started smoothly again.
"In the period of my life when I can be most productive and function as a working professional, I'm going to put in one last effort to get on some kind of track. Of course I'm not saying this to put pressure on you. I just wanted you to know that's my mindset."
"…Yes. Actually I've been thinking lately that I really need to work hard too."
To the point that every morning I looked at myself in the mirror and brainwashed myself that I was a superstar.
Of course I didn't say that out loud, but I quietly nodded at Cassandra's following words.
"Jun. We say we work for our respective kids, but I think even now we need to be greedy for work we can call 'my career.'"
"If it's around here… Ah, I think I know where the publishing house is. But parking over that way…"
Even though it was a road she'd never been on, Cassandra found the way skillfully. Of course there was the navigation, but even so, her being a veteran driver showed in every little thing.
Come to think of it, even if I got a car, whether I could drive this well was another matter entirely.
I had gotten my license a few years ago just in case, but in the end I'd never had occasion to drive.
Would I have to start over with driving lessons…
…Or maybe, just maybe, if I bought a car through the Manito App?
It seemed like a pretty good idea. Points were still accumulating even now, and if I carefully saved them for a down payment before the Manito App disappeared…
Even if it was just for a few months of skilled driving ability, once the app's effect vanished there would be no problem driving afterward.
With a proud heart at the short-term future plan I'd suddenly made, I looked at Luca.
Luca, meeting my eyes, beamed.
"We're here. This is it."
Cassandra parked and opened the window to check the building.
Brown House Publishing was a brown brick building with a dignified charm, located right in the middle of Downtown.
"Shall we go down to the underground parking? Or…"
"The weather's nice, so shall we park on the street? There seems to be a spot up ahead."
We parked under a tree thick with green leaves and took out the stroller to put Luca in. The summer breeze at the end of June was still cool in the shade.
"Maybe because it's not humid, it's still bearable, right?"
Cassandra, who seemed to have had the same thought, beamed as she straightened her clothes.
From the street, her pink suit looked even pinker.
Cassandra walked ahead with a click-clack of heels, and Luca and I followed.
"Uung…"
"That's right, our Luca. Good boy."
I walked while turning the seat toward me and making eye contact with the baby from time to time. It would have been nice for him to look forward, but ever since the separation anxiety started, I had no choice but to face him like this.
Passing through the summer streets mixed with light green and deep green and entering the building, it became clear that this was a publishing house with thirty years of tradition.
First of all, the lobby felt more like a quaint old library than a company.
On either side of the mahogany staircase that fanned out from the center stood bookshelves and desks lined with books that had probably been published by this house over the years.
The smell of paper and ink, the yellow lighting illuminating every corner, and the thick carpet that muffled footsteps.
"There's a sign over there. It says recipe book presentation attendees should go to the third floor."
While waiting for the elevator with a few people who seemed headed to the same place as us, James appeared from behind.
Greeting James—who was bright-faced as always—I introduced Cassandra to him.
"This is my mana… my channel business partner. Since we'll be filming and uploading videos when the recipe book is published, she came along today."
Cassandra and James cheerfully shook hands and introduced themselves. Just looking at them, it seemed like the two would get along great.
"Oh, if I'd known you two were participating together, it would have been nice to come together today."
"Ah, actually Jun had suggested that to me, but I couldn't not stop by the barber shop on such a special day!"
James said, standing tall as if showing off his neatly slicked pomade and mustache.
"I see. Our Jun should take a page from that look."
"…Haha."
The two of them were getting along so well that I somehow felt my future self was going to be in trouble.