You, Past Your Expiration Date (Short Short)

This is takewoody.
Last week, the theme for the third 'Amano Writing Club' was 'A Woman Playing Guitar'.
After finishing one story on the spot, another idea came to mind,
and two 'Woman Playing Guitar' stories were created. The second one is a sequel.

The theme for the fourth 'Amano Writing Club' is 'You, Past Your Expiration Date'.

I wonder if I can write something this time too?
I'll put my brain into full gear and write whatever comes to mind.
I thought of the material for this piece right away, but the punchline is difficult.
Well then, please enjoy this impromptu short short.

◆ You, Past Your Expiration Date (Short Short) (906 characters)

Yui, happy birthday!

Thank you.

50 already, huh... time flies.
Even in this era of 100-year lifespans, we're at the halfway point.

How have you been lately?

What do you mean, how?

How about romance?

None at all.
Is there any demand for a 50-year-old single woman?
Past my expiration dateI feel like I've long since passed it.

Since I broke up with Takashi 10 years ago, I haven't had any encounters or romances at all.
I'm empty in both body and soul.
Was thatpast my expiration datemy last romance?

Why are you using such a mocking tone?
Past my expiration date—what is that supposed to mean?

It's like food that no one touches and just gets thrown away.

Isn't that just you trying to convince yourself by fitting into the phrasepast my expiration date? You actually want to fall in love, don't you?

Yeah, that might be true, but...

In this day and age, there's no such thing as an expiration date for love.
Sure, back in the day, it might have been common to think that 'a woman's happiness is to quit her job to get married' by 25.
If you missed that, you were called 'leftovers,' and
once you passed 30, you were even called an 'old maid'.

Perhaps the mocking phrase'You, past your expiration date'was born to berate people who couldn't get married.

But now, getting married and becoming a homemaker isn't everything.
It's an era where women's advancement and success in society are the norm.
There's a wide variety: women who work after marriage, single mothers who work,
and single women who work.

Besides, we live in an era where one in three couples gets divorced.
There are people who divorce and fall in love again, and people who fall in love without ever getting married.
Nowadays, love is free, and you can do it at any age.

You should only leave things untouched if they are meat that has passed its expiration date.

Hey, did you know?
There are even old men and women falling in love in nursing homes.

Oh, really?

There is no rule saying old people can't fall in love, right?
Instead of getting senile, they are becoming lively and energetic.
Whether that is good or bad, it is an increasingly aging society.

80-year-olds aren't just past their expiration date;
they have the momentum of having been revived after their expiration date.

It is like a matured smoked dish, the flavor just seeps out.
The more you chew, the tastier it is, but the dilemma is that there are few teeth left to chew with.
Being past your expiration date isn't something to just throw away.

Now, I am not a miserable woman past her expiration date,
but a lively woman in a nursing home.
There is still a long way to go!

The End

◆ Afterword

I was able to write this enjoyably by using my full imagination this time as well.
I hope you enjoy the world of fantasy and the world of the novel.

Since Amano-san provided two images of a woman and a man past their expiration dates,
I wrote two pieces.
This time is the woman version, and I will post the man version tomorrow.

Thank you for reading until the end.
See you later.

#AmanoWritingClub
#AmanoMitsuruProject
#ShortShort
#YouPastYourExpirationDate

◆ Next work: Posting tomorrow!

Part 2: "You, Past Your Expiration Date" - Man Version