I Can't Call Your Name

At exactly six o'clock, Kaito arrived at Naomi's café. The morning shift was wrapping up, and the evening staff was starting to take over.

Kaito briefly locked eyes with Misaki as she left. They exchanged a tense glance before she headed home, and he stepped inside to put on his apron and start work.

Naomi's café had a dual concept: a cozy boutique café in the morning, serving breakfast and coffee, and a lively bar at night, offering drinks.

All the staff were women, making Kaito feel out of place. Nervous but determined, he worked quickly, rushing to help whenever his name was called and making sure not to mess up.

As the night wore on and closing time neared, the crowd began to thin. That's when a middle-aged man walked in, his wrinkled suit and loosened tie showing signs of a long day.

He slumped onto a stool at the bar and mumbled, "Young man, can I get some sake?"

Kaito quickly served him, watching as the man stared blankly ahead, downing glass after glass. At one point, Kaito struggled to keep up as he refilled the man's drink.

When Kaito reached to refill yet another empty glass, Naomi returned from her cigarette break and suddenly placed her hand over the glass.

"What are you doing here?!" she snapped, her voice sharp and her brows furrowed.

The man looked up at Naomi, his guilty expression revealing that they were familiar with each other.

Understanding this, Kaito quietly stepped back, giving them space and watching the exchange from his place.

"I said, what the hell are you doing here?" she asked again, her voice tense.

The man sighed and began explaining, sounding regretful.

"I'm leaving Tokyo tomorrow for good. I just wanted to see my daughter before—."

Naomi quickly interrupted, "You have no right to do that!"

She continued, "And you're going to show up in this drunk, miserable face? If you'd ever thought about your family, you wouldn't have done that stupid thing!"

Naomi's tension was rising with every second, and she was doing everything she could to stop herself from punching him in the face.

Kaito stood frozen, shocked, as the man briefly checked himself over, then paused, giving Naomi a look that seemed to silently acknowledge her frustration.

He pulled out a sleek business credit card from his pocket and placed it on the table. It was clear this wasn't the kind used by ordinary people.

"At least give her this. She refused to stay with her mother. Let her use this until she gets her life together."

Without a word, Naomi swiftly swiped the it off the table with a quick motion. "I'll take care of my niece. Don't worry about this."

"I'm aware of my mistake, and I'm paying for it in the harshest way possible. But she has done nothing wrong, and I don't want her to suffer because of me," he said, his voice breaking.

"She's already suffering," Naomi retorted, cutting him off. "You didn't just betray her love and trust. You've turned her into someone who hates all men. Because of you, she might never trust anyone again..."

Misaki's father's face crumpled as the weight of Naomi's words sank in. Overcome with emotion, tears welled up in his eyes.

Not wanting to make things worse, he stood with difficulty, pulled out money for the drink, and placed it on the table. Without a word, he walked toward the door. Naomi called after him.

"Do her a favor and disappear from her life. If she never sees you again, maybe she'll forget the trauma. Who knows, when someone truly loves her, she might give them a chance instead of pushing them away."

Kaito, still processing everything that had just happened, felt deeply affected by Naomi's final words, just as much as her father.

He replayed everything that had happened with Misaki in his mind, and self-loathing crept in again. All he'd done was remind her of her father. He watched him leave, anger etched on his face.

His nerves were frayed, and without thinking, he gripped the glass too tightly, causing it to shatter in his hand.

Naomi spun around at the sound of the breaking glass, her patience already worn thin. "Do you have no control over your hands?!" she snapped.

Naomi was about to scold him when she noticed the blood trickling from Kaito's hand. She grabbed a cloth from the drawer and wrapped it around his wound.

Kaito, eyes blurry with emotion, bent down to collect the glass shards from the floor, but she stopped him halfway.

"Okay, just go home. Your shift's over," she said, pulling 5,000 yen from the cash register and handing it to him.

"Here, use this to fix your bike."

Overwhelmed and consumed by self-hate, Kaito accepted without protest. He slipped the money into his pocket and, wordlessly, made his way to the door.

Before leaving, he felt a wave of guilt and said, "I'm sorry for my—"

"Alright, fine, good night!"

As Kaito walked home, he saw Misaki's father struggling to walk along the sidewalk. He followed him for a moment, watching him with accusatory eyes.

He didn't notice the curb in front of him and tripped, falling to the ground, his head hitting hard the pavement.

For a brief moment, Kaito's anger made him freeze, but then his sense of compassion took over. He rushed to his side.

"Sir, are you okay?" he asked, helping him sit up on the side.

"Should I call a taxi for you?"

Despite everything, he was still Misaki's father, and at least he could do this much, he thought.

Misaki's father rubbed his head before answering, "It's a hassle, but…"

"No hassle at all, sir," Kaito interrupted quickly, pulling out his phone and requesting a taxi through the app.

"It should be here soon. I'll go now," he said, starting to get up, but he grabbed his arm.

"Sit for a bit," he said.

"Young man," he added, looking at Kaito, "I felt the hate in your eyes while we were talking inside."

Kaito suddenly felt embarrassed and didn't know what to say.

"Oh, really? I didn't notice. I'm just a bit tense today..." He looked away with an awkward smile.

"No, don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming you. I deserve it."

He paused for a moment before adding, "I think you're a friend of my daughter?"

Kaito was still tense, unsure of what was coming next. "I wouldn't put it like that, but we're in the same class, I guess."

"Great," he said, his voice steady. "Then I'd like to ask you a favor. Starting tomorrow, I won't be able to be a father to my daughter anymore. She needs someone to look out for her... someone I can trust to keep her safe."

Kaito still struggled to grasp the situation when he placed a hand on his shoulder, his tone unexpectedly gentle, almost pitying.

"I don't know you, and this might seem rude, but you seem like a good person. Otherwise, Naomi wouldn't have let you stay with her. Since you're in the same class as my daughter, can you look after her?"

Kaito stood frozen, unsure what to say, feeling both ashamed and torn. He stared off into space for a while before muttering, "Y-yes, I'll do my best."

Misaki's father seemed relieved, a bittersweet smile on his face.

"Thank you," he said sincerely.

As the taxi approached, he added, "Maybe it's not my place, but let me give you one piece of advice. Don't make the same mistake I did. Never look at another woman the way you look at the one you love. Even for a moment, that mistake could cost you a lifetime."

Kaito found it hard to feel sorry for him, but he knew the man in front of him was totally right. He listened carefully, making a point to remember the advice.

"Definitely," Kaito replied, watching as Misaki's father turned and waved without looking back, his tears hidden.

After the taxi drove away, Kaito walked home, his shoulders heavy, as if carrying the weight of the day. He was lost in deep thought.

When he returned home, he was surprised to find Misaki washing the dishes. "Uh, your turn starts tomorrow," he mumbled, his voice tired.

Kaito sat on the couch, his gaze lingering on Misaki. In her everyday clothes and with her hair tied up in a bun, she looked just like a cute housewife.

"Tonight or tomorrow morning... what's the difference?"

When she turned around, she caught him watching her with sparkling eyes. Kaito quickly looked away, embarrassed.

Misaki checked her outfit, making sure nothing was out of place, then shot him a slightly tense look.

"You've probably washed enough dishes today," she said.

"Yeah, of course," Kaito mumbled.

Misaki chuckled softly while continuing to wash the dishes. Looking at her, Kaito seemed to forget all the tense moments and the unlucky day he'd had.