First Boyfriend (Part One)

When people enter a new environment, such as a school or workplace, they may occasionally experience a degree of playful teasing soon after their arrival. Koji was just like everyone else. At age twenty-one, he embarked on a new adventure as a night guardsman for a property management company.

Based in Tokyo, STARTS is a well-established company that was founded 90 years ago. They manage a diverse portfolio of properties, encompassing apartments, office buildings, and an expanding number of nursing homes and elderly housing facilities in response to Japan's declining birth rates and aging population. A committed team of guards oversees the company's property security system, which was developed more than 20 years ago.

The company always has an abundance of staff, with people eagerly vying for employment opportunities. This is because they have a strong belief in matching individuals with the most suitable roles, allowing them to fully utilize their unique qualities, talents, and positive attributes.

STARTS' company motto is “People are everything, the heart is all.” There is a belief that when individuals find themselves in the perfect position, they wholeheartedly commit to their work and pour their passion into every endeavor.

Koji had always been a thoughtful and compassionate individual. He yearned to dedicate his life to assisting others, and stumbling upon this position at the security office was precisely the opportunity he had been seeking. He accepted the chance to work the night shift as the newest addition to the team. As the night fell, a steady stream of calls would come in from the senior facility just a couple of miles away. It seemed that the residents, in their moments of vulnerability, would find themselves in various predicaments - from accidental falls to locking themselves out of their apartments or even experiencing medical emergencies.

Everything was quiet tonight except for his girlfriend Ai's incessant texts. Koji was captivated by her, yet acknowledged that she could be quite needy at times. Ai lived with her mother in the neighboring town and had recently celebrated her 18th birthday. She didn’t have many friends during her childhood, and her mother, who single-handedly raised her after her husband abandoned them for another woman, was her sole source of support. Koji was her first boyfriend and she adored lavishing him with her affection. Often, she lovingly baked him a batch of cookies or presented him with a delightful assortment of hand-crafted chocolates. She went above and beyond, making sure to prepare a delicious bento meal for him on the nights he had to work.

As the evening unfolded, Koji sat down at his desk to savor another delicious meal lovingly prepared by Ai. Just as he was about to fully immerse himself in the experience, a text message from her interrupted the tranquility. It said, "Have you had your meal?"

He contemplated disregarding the message, yet he understood that she would persistently pester him if he chose not to reply. Indeed, she possessed the remarkable ability to inundate him with a barrage of messages throughout the day. If he dedicated all his time to answering her text messages, he would never accomplish anything. This frustrated him immensely.

He grabbed his phone and quickly typed, "I just sat down to eat. It looks delicious, thank  you again.” He set his phone aside and grasped his chopsticks, choosing a meticulously sliced portion of tamagoyaki. The delectable treat melted effortlessly in his mouth, leaving behind a burst of exquisite flavor. Just as he was about to grab another piece, his phone suddenly lit up with another text message. This time, Ai wanted to know if he wanted to try a new restaurant this weekend.

Without a word, he carried on, exploring the assortment of delicacies in his bento lunchbox. True to form, Ai fired off yet another text message. This time, it was a Yelp link for the restaurant she had been thinking about. However, Koji remained silent and carried on with his meal. Soon another message arrived, showcasing a captivating array of delectable dishes available at the restaurant. After that, an image of Ai looking downcast appeared on his phone screen, accompanied by another message: "Why won't you respond to me? Don’t you want to go to this restaurant with me?”

In a fit of frustration, Koji forcefully set his chopsticks down on his desk and swiftly reached for his phone to type out a response. However, something suddenly caused him to jump from his chair. With a sudden force, his senpai Hiroshi's hand made contact with his back, accompanied by a stern command to cease his idle behavior and get back to work!

(To be continued)