Living Together: Ironing and Failing as a Girlfriend

Hello! This is Hii-san.

It has been almost a year since we started living together.
In that time, I ironed for the first time.

────Maybe I am a failure as a girlfriend.

“I’m getting an award at work today.”
My boyfriend said this on a weekday morning.

And the shirt he pulled out was────
terriblywrinkled.
Fold wrinkles, storage wrinkles, mysterious wrinkles...

“You’re getting an award... and you’re going in that?”
“Yeah, well, it’s the only clean shirt I have.”
“What about your suit jacket for the ceremony?”
“I might wear it, I might not.”

That’s bad. Really bad.
I hurriedly grabbed the edges of the shirt and pulled them taut,
but those superficial tugs
couldn't possibly erase the countless wrinkles etched into it...

I scrambled to search the corner of the room.
I pulled out theironcovered in a thin layer of dust,
filled the water tank, and plugged it in.

“If I don’t hurry, he’s going to be late...!”

The iron is designed so the light turns off when it’s heated.
The time I spent staring at that orange light
felt strangely longer than usual.

“A man with a wrinkle-free shirt is a married man.
Because his wife irons for him every day.”
I heard this saying when I was little, maybe in a drama or something.

Thinking about it now, it’s quite sexist.
In today’s world, with all the talk about the Basic Act for a Gender-Equal Society,
it’s probably an outdated way of thinking.

But the images from when you were little
inevitably remain deep in your roots.

I didn’t want to think about it anymore. With that single thought,
I pressed the iron, which had heated up as the light went out,
against his shirt.

Stubborn wrinkles. They wouldn't go away easily.
Even though I set the temperature to [High] and used the steam.

Plus, shirts have so many parts that are hard to iron,
like the shoulders and the sleeves.
For someone inexperienced like me, it was quite a challenge.

I wish I had practiced more.
If I had been used to ironing his shirts daily,
I wouldn't have had to panic this morning.
I really am a failure as a girlfriend...

"Wow! The wrinkles are gone! Amazing!!"

My boyfriend shouts that first thing in the morning. It's disturbing the neighbors.
The shirt has only just been ironed,
but he's in a rush and tries to put it on immediately.

"The shirt might be hot, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine.Thank you"

That one phrase. Just those few words.
They carried more than enough weight for me.

When he actually puts it on, there are still a few wrinkles,
but compared to how it was at first, it's not a problem at all.

Ironing doesn't have to be perfect.
Wrinkles will form anyway once you wear it.
Even so, a little bit of ironing
makes clothes look so much better.

Couldn't the same thing be said
about human relationships?

My boyfriend and I.
While big fights have decreased recently,
we still have some minor arguments, or something like them.
Neither of us is completely free of dissatisfaction.

Even so, because we have consideration for each other
and gratitude in our daily lives,
we can move forward supporting each other as a team.
That's how it feels.

My boyfriend muttered under his breath,
"Thanks. You're just like a mother."

Huh?Mother??

"You're a lifesaver... my mother."

I don't remember giving birth to you!
I might be failing as a girlfriend if I'm being labeled as a mother instead.

...I guess I'll keep doing my best with the ironing.

The only household chore I'm actually good at is...
Only when I suddenly feel motivated about once a year🔥
Cleaning extremely detailed spots.
(I usually show this off outside the house, like at school or work.)

What are the household chores you are good or bad at?
Please let me know in the comments🌿

That's all from Hee-san *˙︶˙*)ﾉ"See you later