The Morning Glow Burns with Youth

Episode 4: The Decision, and a New Path

A freezing night in 1953.

Inside the tiny six-tatami apartment, rumors of layoffs and an eerie silence—the constant fear of losing his job at any moment—hung heavily in the air.

Seiichi sat on the cold tatami, staring down at his thick, soot-stained hands.

In an era without a social safety net, losing a job was directly linked to starvation and death.

If he was laid off, he would leave Yumi on the streets. His body was stiff with terror of the future.

At that moment, Yumi, sitting beside him, quietly reached out with both hands from under her apron.

Her rough hands were swollen red and painfully cracked from the freezing water and winter cold.

No longer hiding them, Yumi took Seiichi’s large, oil-stained hand and squeezed it tightly in both of her own.

"Seiichi, look at my hands. They are alive.""

"Even if we get covered in mud, as long as the two of us work, we won't starve. I don't care if we have to live on nothing but gruel.""

From Yumi's rough skin, a raw, powerful warmth seeped into Seiichi's stiff palm.

"More than anything, I was sad. Watching you come home every day with a dark face, blaming yourself for the war-iron you made... that was the most painful thing for me.""

"So please, make them. Not tools designed to hurt someone, but things that make everyone who uses them smile.""

Yumi looked into Seiichi’s eyes, holding back her tears as she smiled gently.

"Someday, let that electric rice cooker you make cook delicious rice, and ease these hands of mine just a little. Let me be the first to hear bright music on a radio you created in the morning, okay?""

True "response"—and a fierce, resolute will to live—returned to Seiichi’s fingertips.

He stopped fearing others' evaluation and the massive uncertainties of the times. He made up his mind to take a step forward for the sake of Yumi right in front of him.

"Yes, I promise. I will no longer forge iron meant to hurt people. To warm those hands of yours that wash the rice in freezing water every day, I will make an electric rice cooker with these hands of mine, no matter what.""

2026, the veranda of his family's traditional Japanese house.

Having finished listening to his grandfather’s story, Ayumu stared at his own ten fingers for a long while.

His fingertips—the very ones that had run away from truly holding Misaki’s hand out of fear of getting hurt.

"...I want to find that 'warmth of another person' outside of my smartphone screen, together with Misaki.""

"Grandpa, I'm going to go see Misaki!""

Just as Ayumu stood up with sudden vigor, the sliding paper door of the tatami room opened.

His grandmother, Yumi, stepped forward with a gentle smile and tapped him softly on the shoulder.

"Don't keep Misaki-chan waiting, Ayumu.""

"Grandpa was so incredibly clumsy back then, with no money and no job, standing in pitch darkness...""

Yumi touched Ayumu's cheek with her wrinkled, yet warm hand.

"But he held onto these rough hands of mine tighter than anyone else in the world. That's why we are alive and happy here today. Go quickly, and hold her hand tight.""

"Yeah. Thank you, Grandma, Grandpa!""

Pushing his smartphone deep into his pocket, Ayumu slipped on his sandals and sprinted out of the house at full speed.

The station plaza.

In the orange light of the late afternoon, Misaki stood alone, staring somewhat lonely at her smartphone.

Her fingertips drifted aimlessly over the cold screen as she gazed at the message Ayumu had left on read.

"Misaki!"

Out of breath, Ayumu ran up and stopped in front of her. Panting heavily, he threw away his polished, uncomplicated persona completely.

"Sorry I'm late! And... I'm so sorry for leaving you on read. Actually, I failed another job interview. I didn't want to show you my pathetic self, so I ran away.""

"I can't visualize how I'm supposed to live in the future at all. I was scared of making you anxious, and scared of becoming a burden because I have my hands full. So I just acted cool on purpose.""

Misaki stared in astonishment at Ayumu as he exposed his true feelings, clumsy but completely honest.

Tears slowly began to spill from her eyes.

"I... I don't want us to just end on a lukewarm 'take it easy.' I'm done keeping a safe distance to avoid getting hurt.""

"The future is scary, and reality is messy... but I want to hold your hand properly, and carry half of your worries. Let's think about the future together.""

Ayumu took a step forward, and clasped Misaki's cold right hand tightly with both of his own.

A true warmth—and the slightly trembling but genuine temperature of Ayumu’s hand—traveled into Misaki's fingertips.

Weeping, Misaki squeezed his large hand back, tighter than she ever had before.

Their clumsy, true feelings and raw warmth.

A true "warmth of another person" that could never be found in a world of sliding over flat screens was firmly tied between them in the twilight plaza.

📖 Next: Epilogue：https://note.com/ttukumoo/n/n49cc6e16e201
📖Previous Chapter:https://note.com/ttukumoo/n/n8603b09df746
🌐 Original Japaneseher:https://note.com/juicy_laelia8513/n/n0b2c94b113d2

"Thank you so much for reading to the very end!"💗