Diary of a Defective Human ADMD Episode 9: 'The Day My Brain Got Congested Choosing a Gift'

Episode 9: 'The Day My Brain Got Congested Choosing a Gift'

It seems Saeki-san's birthday is coming up.
I've been restless ever since I heard.
I thought, 'I want to give her something.'
But I had absolutely no idea what I should give her.

Stationery?
A handkerchief?
Bonsai seeds? (That's the department manager's thing.)

I walked into a variety store.
In my brain, a mysterious word association game had begun: 'Saeki-san = pickled plum = Japanese style = rice bowl?'
But I felt like giving her a rice bowl would be too heavy.
My hands, and my feelings, aren't that heavy yet.

I wandered around the store and realized an hour had passed.
What I picked up was a small memo pad.
The cover said, 'The sky was beautiful today, wasn't it?'
...Wait, that's the line I accidentally sent to the department manager.

But somehow, I felt that was perfect.
I felt like I could hand over my 'defects' in a way that we could both laugh at a little.

When I had it wrapped and was choosing a ribbon,
I chose 'yellow'.
Because Saeki-san once said, 'Yellow is such an energizing color, isn't it?'

The next day, I gave her the memo pad.
My hands were shaking.
I couldn't even speak.
But Saeki-san accepted it.

'Thank you. This is so like you, Mondo-kun.'
She said that and smiled at me.

I couldn't say anything.
But in my heart, I made a small wish.
I hope Saeki-san writes down many of her own 'beautiful skies' in this memo pad.

Mondo Aida's new work
'Linne' has been released. If you want to feel cozy during the long autumn nights, click below.