Yu-Chara Theater: 'Every Time I Go Home, I Cry a Little'

There is a place I always stop by on my way home after visiting my parents' house.

A small takoyaki shop in front of the station.

It's been in the same spot forever, run by a classmate's mother all by herself.

"Hello."

"Oh my, if it isn't Misaki! You've grown into such a beauty. So, how old are you now?"

(That's the same line as six months ago.)

Misaki: "I'm the same age as Risa."

Oba-chan: "So, 29, right?"

Misaki: "No, I'm 30."

Oba-chan: "What!? You're that old already!? You were in your school uniform just the other day!"

Misaki: "How many years ago is that memory from? (laughs)"

The same exchange as always.

The same voice, the same atmosphere.

It relaxes my heart just a little bit.

Oba-chan: "So, let me ask you, when was the last time your heart skipped a beat?"

(Huh, should I answer seriously? Or make a joke?)

Misaki: "Maybe when I was still in high school."

Oba-chan: "Oh, that's news to me."

Misaki: "I was working part-time at this shop, you see."

Oba-chan: "Oh, was it that Yamada boy?"

Misaki: "... (Who is that?)"

Oba-chan: "You know, the kid who came every day. The one who wanted it with mayo but no sauce."

Misaki: "That's too much specific information, I have no idea who that is (laughs)."

Oba-chan: "You were definitely a little interested in him, weren't you?"

Misaki: "I was not, I was not!"

Oba-chan: "So, what happened next?"

Misaki: "...There was a time I forgot to put the octopus in. That's when my heart skipped a beat."

Oba-chan: "That's a 30-point story."

Misaki: "Hey, I haven't even gotten to the punchline yet!"

Oba-chan: "I can see it."

Misaki: "Actually, I got scared and told the truth. I told them I forgot the octopus."

Oba-chan: "That's right, you did."

Misaki: "I thought I was going to get yelled at so much."

Oba-chan: "But I just laughed and said, 'You're such a goof,' didn't I?"

Misaki: "That's what surprised me the most."

Oba-chan: "Anyone can make a mistake. But it's more important to be able to admit it properly."

Misaki: "...I almost cried back then."

Oba-chan: "I know. Your face was all scrunched up."

Misaki: "It wasn't that bad (laughs)."

Oba-chan: "But you know, it was from that moment on. You started doing things properly."

Misaki: "Is that so?"

Oba-chan: "That was the day I thought, 'This girl is going to be just fine.'"

The atmosphere of the past overlaps just a little.

Even though I'm smiling, there's a warmth deep in my chest.

Oba-chan: "Alright, the usual then."

The scent of takoyaki is there, just as it always is.

Misaki: "This is the taste."

Even though I've eaten it so many times,
it feels a little different when I eat it here.

Oba-chan: "It hasn't changed, has it?"

Misaki: "Yeah. It hasn't changed."

Oba-chan: "I try to keep it that way. So that when you come back, you can feel like you're home."

Misaki: "...I see."

Oba-chan: "Alright, come back again."

Misaki: "Yeah."

Even though it's a short conversation,
something deep inside my heart feels like it's unraveling.

Misaki: "I should get going now."

Oba-chan: "Take care. Bring me some good news next time."

Misaki: "I can't guarantee that (laughs)."

I leave the shop.

Even though I was just laughing,
the moment I touch the outside air, I become a little quiet.

On the way back to the station.

I suddenly realize.

At that shop, I can always return to my old self.

The self that doesn't have to be perfect.
The self that isn't trying so hard.
The self just as I am.

There is a place that accepts me even like that.

Just knowing that makes me feel like it's enough.

Before I knew it, tears were welling up a little.

It's not that I'm lonely, or sad.

It's just,

"Having a place to return to is a much stronger thing than I thought."

That's all I thought.

Misaki: "...I'll come again."

I whispered to myself and headed to the station.

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