Chapter 14: 1st world problems.

I look over my freshly written lease documents to make sure there is no errors and unclear wording within it. After reading through my work two times and changing things that were unclear, I was satisfied with my work. After saving and printing it, I get to my feet and stretch while suppressing a yawn.

‘Even if all my sexual frustration is gone, it doesn’t change the fact that I didn’t get much sleep last night. I guess trying to go into “work” mode with inadequate sleep was a bad idea. Oh well, time for more coffee.’

Dear readers, I can feel there is a misunderstanding on route to your current location, so in order to head it off, I will provide to you understanding. First I have never had a “real” job in my life. I have had several “internships” and my current stint as the landlord of this place counts as “self-employment” so the government still considers me “unemployed”. Since I have never worked at an actual job, I cannot claim unemployment benefits, even though I am unemployed.

Then how I can have a “work” mode, even if I have never “worked” a day in my life? Well to be honest, how I obtained this “work” mode is a tale from my high school period, but nobody really cares about my past right? So to avoid the tedium of a story within a story (storyception), I will just give you the TL: DR; this mode is a relic from my past that is still has its uses.

If you want to know my past, plead your case to the author as to why he should make a side story about it, and why it is important to the story. If you manage to persuade him, then well done you might finally get a glance into my personal history, but I digress.

Where was I? Ah yes. I was trying to head off a misunderstanding. Now that I’m looking at what I’ve already said, I think I provided enough understanding to avoid it, so back to the story.

I look around the table for my coffee cup until I realize that I had washed it with the other dishes and I didn’t prepare myself another cup and that is probably why I’m tired after using my “work” mode.

While I just returned to the story, I must break away once more to bring something that might make you shit bricks when it comes to your attention and it probably will have future plot relevance. Some of you may have noticed an oddity within my drinking habits and thought that can’t be right and others who noticed but thought nothing of it. Then there are those who just read the story and enjoyed it, not attempting to look any deeper.

Yes, I have only been drinking coffee, and vast quantities of it with little to no ill effects. How this little fact will tie into the story will remain my little secret for now and without further ado, back to the story.

Abandoning the futility I was engaged in, I went to the kitchen and opened the cabinet. Sitting right in front was my coffee cup. It was the last thing I was washing when John came by.

‘Futility, your name is Search.’

I take down my cup and prepare a cup of extra sweet coffee. I’m not talking about 5 or 10 sugars but 17 sugars. After taking a sip to confirm its sweetness, I gulp it down. The sugar in the coffee provides my body a spike of energy while the caffeine brings my flagging consciousness back to full alertness.

‘Now that my mind is awake again, what do I have to do?’

O: ‘I think we should go see James again about our lease documents, that way he can have a look at them.’

‘That’s a good idea, and then we can go see Jess at the restaurant and I will have a chance to talk to our prospective Father-in-law about the lease.’

O: ‘That sounds like a plan, Master.’

‘Ho-kay, time to get cleaned up, but fist one more cup of coffee.’

After drinking two more cups of coffee, I head upstairs and go “clean” myself up.

After getting out of the shower, I look at my face in the mirror.

‘As I thought, shaving makes me look way younger than I really am.’

People say that I have a baby face, and so I try to hide it with some facial hair which sometimes gives me an ‘unkempt’ look when I don’t maintain it. Even then my looks are only slightly above average. Only females who dislike high quality food (hot guys, either beautiful or cool) would probably go for me, and even then I would be their 3rd or 4th choice, hence why my bad habit developed, but I digress.

There only two things “off” about me. The first is that I am nearly blind in my left eye. How did it happen? Not a clue, I think I was born with it because it has been like that as long as I can remember. The second thing is that my left eye is a pale green while my right is hazel. I have perfect vision in my right eye by the way.

How come nobody has said anything about it when I’m out and about? That is simple, I wear a corrective colored contact lens that brings my left eye’s sight back to a useable level and changes its color to hazel. They are also able to breathe so I am able to wear them for 24 hours without them drying out my eye. However since they are custom made especially for me, it costs quite a lot for a month’s supply.

‘Ah that reminds me.’

I look into my box of contacts and find only three left.

‘Damn. It seems that finals week along with everything else that has happened the last few days has caused me to forget to place my next order. If it takes a week to make them, that means I will have to go without them for at least four days. I knew I was forgetting something important.’

“Something else to do today I guess.” I say to nobody in particular.

*Knock Knock*

“Onii-chan, we have a guest. They are still outside, so should I let them in?” Zash asks through the door.

“Did they ring the doorbell twice?”

“Non.” Zash replies instantly.

“Did you ask them for their name?”

“He said his name was Jonathan, and he sounds a lot like the old man who taught me how to fist bump.”

O: ‘So Father-in-law’s name is Jonathan?’

‘If that is indeed Jess’ father, then that saves me some time.’

“Zash.”

“Hai?”

“Let him in and bring him to the kitchen. Tell him that I will be down in a few minutes.”

“Hai~” Zash’s footsteps slow retreat into the distance.

O: ‘I wonder what would cause Father-in-law to come all this way. Maybe he wants to look over the lease documents before he signs them? He is going to be the one paying for it after all.’

‘Maybe.’

I exit the bathroom and enter my bedroom. I quickly don on my “finery” Basically it is the suit I use for formal occasions such as lease signing and what not. Yet another “string” that I wasn’t able to remove, oh well. I walk downstairs into the living room and pick up the copy of the lease I printed earlier and brought it with me into the kitchen where Jonathan was waiting.

“Good day.” I say as I enter the kitchen.

Jonathan turns his head and looks at me.

“Ah! You must be Robert’s younger brother, do you know when Robert will be down? I need to talk to him.”

‘Does shaving really make that much of a difference?’

“Pardon me for asking, but what do you need to speak to him about?”

“I don’t mind at all. I need to speak to him about leasing one of his empty apartments for my daughter and about my daughter in general.”

“I see. What makes you think I am not Robert?”

“That’s easy, you look too young and you have mismatching eyes, both of Robert’s are hazel.”

‘I knew I forgot to do something when I left the bathroom! Oh well.’

“Here are the lease documents my “brother” wrote up this morning. You can read through it while I go get him.”

“Thank you. Oh before you go, can I ask you a question?”

“I do not see why not?”

“Are you single? If so are you looking for a girlfriend?”

“Yes and I am, but I am straight so old men aren’t my thing.”

“I see Robert’s sense of humor runs in the family, but I wasn’t talking about myself. My granddaughter needs someone to break her out of her shell, and if your older brother can do it for my daughter then maybe you can do it for my granddaughter?”

“I see. I will think on it.” I turn and leave the kitchen.

“I’m looking forward to a favorable answer.” He calls out as I leave.

‘Did that just happen?’

L: ‘If you are talking about “if you were just mistaken for your younger brother and presented an opportunity to date his granddaughter” then yes.’

‘Why is my life like a roller coaster, with all its ups, down, twists and turns?’

L: ‘You know what they say, “Life is like a highway, and your going ride it.”’

‘Mada mada dane.’

I go back upstairs and enter the bathroom. After washing my hands and inserting the contact lens, I make sure it was properly in place. Satisfied that it was, I return to the kitchen.

“You’ve returned? Where is Robert?” Jonathan asks as I enter the kitchen for a second time.

I turn to face him and see recognition dawn on his face.

“Ah Robert. I almost mistook you for your younger brother. Your both wearing the same clothes, are you going somewhere together?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

“I see, I see. Well then I won’t keep you that long.”

“Don’t worry, he a more patient than I am so he probably wouldn’t mind waiting a couple more hours. Coffee?”

“Sure.”

“How do you want it?”

“With milk and three sugars”

“Sure thing.”

I open the refrigerator and find that it was mostly empty. Only a gallon of milk remained inside and it was only half full. I take it out and place it on the counter. Closing the door, I walk to the cabinet and take out the box of sugar. It was empty… Unperturbed I throw away the empty box and go open the door to the pantry. It was completely bare save for a small bag of rice in the top shelf and a box of sugar which I take.

‘I really need to go shopping today, otherwise there will be nothing to eat left in the house. So many things left to do today still…’

M: ‘At least you won’t have a lack of things to do.’

‘That reminds me, I also need to take out the trash today.’

I return to the counter and take down another cup, as mine was already on the counter. I pour coffee into both cups and prepare Jonathan’s first and mine second. I place his coffee in front of him and sit directing across facing him. I slowly sip at my coffee as I wait for him to start.

“You probably already know why I’m here.” He says as he puts down his cup.

“Somewhat. My “brother” told me you wanted to talk about renting an apartment for your daughter, and to talk about your daughter in general.”

“That is correct.”

“So shall we talk about business or pleasure first?” I ask.

“What an interesting turn of phrase.”

“It is always a pleasure to find out more about Jessica-sempai, but I’m afraid I’m getting off topic.”

“Ah yes. Shall we talk about business first then?”

“Of course, after all business before pleasure and all that.”

“Ha! Well said. How I’ve been reading through the lease documents your brother said you drafted, and while I personally cannot find anything wrong, I want a lawyer I know to take a look at them to see if there is any problems.”

“What a coincidence, I was going to take it to a lawyer I knew as well to see if I did it correctly.”

“It seems we are of similar opinion then.” Jonathan said while smiling.

“Imagine the irony if the lawyers we both know happens to be the same person.” I say keeping a straight face.

“I doubt that the world is that small.”

“You never know.”

“I guess that concludes the “business” portion of our conversation then?”

“Seems so.”

“Then shall we move on to the “pleasure” part of our conversation?”

“As long as you don’t attack me, I’m okay with that.”

“Ha Ha, very funny.”

“So what about Jessica-sempai do you want to talk about?”

“When Jessica came in today, she was practically glowing. She had a smile on her lips and she was humming while she worked. She was even kind to the male customers and managed to join a conversation that the staff was having and even complimented and joked around with them.”

“I don’t see a problem with that. It seems to me that she is simply enjoying her work life.”

“That’s not the problem. The problem is the “gap” is too wide!”

“The gap?”

“Yesterday, she was working silently, only talked to her daughter, and was cut with everyone including the staff when she was required to speak, otherwise she gave everyone the cold shoulder.”

“That is quite a gap.”

“Yes, so please tell me. What did you do to return my daughter to how she was before…” He breaks off.

“She was betrayed?”

“She talked to you about it?”

“No, I don’t know the specifics but from the clues I’ve gathered I can hazard a few guesses as to what happened but it is not my place to ask. If Jessica-sempai wants me to know then she can tell me herself, so please don't tell me. As for what I did to restore your daughter to how she was before, I am not sure. All I did was be truthful and gave her my first time.”

“I see. Wait. Your first time?”

“Yes, before Jessica-sempai, I knew no other women.”

“Then how did you get your son?”

“I adopted him, I found him abandoned one day, so I brought him home with me and raised him as my own.”

“I see. So you have a bigger heart than I gave you credit for. I guess Alice was wrong as well.”

“Wrong about what, if I may ask?”

“Alice thought you were a playboy who was only trying to get into her mother’s pants in order to add to your “already banged” list.”

“I see. If Jessica-sempai wants to keep our relationship at a purely physical one, then I am fine with that but…”

“But?”

“I am already ready to take her hand in marriage as long as it is she who desires it. So please Father-in-law, do not press her into marrying me. I want her desire to be with me to come from her own will, only then will it truly open up to me. Mine is already hers for the taking, she but needs to ask.”

“What about your promise to her daughter?”

“You mean my promise to take her home with me, if her feelings don’t change in two years?”

“Yes, that.”

“From the beginning I knew she wasn’t interested in me. She may be good at acting, but I’m the better actor. (Besides my bad habit didn’t proc) So when she told me if I ordered the ‘combo I could take the server home with me free of charge,’ I figured she meant that if I tried to ‘take’ her mother into my family, I would need to take her as my daughter and not leave her behind. Now, I had no clue who her mother was, so I asked for her age. Since she was 16, her mother must have been around 34-38, if she had Alice-san early in life. Since she was trying to make others misunderstand while judging my intentions, so in return I made others misunderstand my answer. Of course it wasn’t until she called Jessica-sempai “Mom” that everything clicked for me.”

“So her own act ended up being her undoing.”

“Yes.”

“So Alice was right about being seen through.” Jonathan said to himself.

“Hmm?”

“It’s nothing. What are you planning on doing now?” He asks.

I finish my coffee and place the cup on the table before I reply.

“I need to take these loan documents to my lawyer friend so he can fix any mistakes, then I need to go shopping because there is no more food in the house, I also need to show your daughter and granddaughter the available apartments, and get the lease signed, notarized and submitted to the property places. Oh and I need to take out the trash.”

“Quite a bit then. I’ll tell ya what. I’ll give you a lift to the place the lawyer I know runs, and you can go from there?”

“Sure. What’s the worst that can happen?”

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