Hiroshi

At exactly 6:30 a.m., Hiroshi's alarm clock rang.

He didn't even need to press the snooze button. With a practiced motion, he reached over, switched off the alarm, and swung his legs over the side of the bed in the same movement. A few seconds later, he had his glasses on and was already on his feet.

The first rays of the spring sun filtered through the window of his studio apartment, driving away the last traces of sleepiness. Hiroshi cracked the window open, letting the cool morning air drift inside before changing into his workout clothes.

He slipped into a pair of loose-fitting shorts, a comfortable T-shirt, and a headband that kept the dark strands of his hair out of his face. Then he picked up his sports watch, waiting for him as always on its charging dock, fastened it around his wrist, and was ready to go.

The weather was perfect for his morning run, so without another thought, he left his apartment at exactly 6:40.

He had been living here for over six years now. Right after graduating from university, he had been fortunate enough to find a job that paid well enough for him to afford an apartment in a surprisingly central part of Tokyo.

Over those six years, he had perfected his running route. He knew exactly which paths suited him best, where the gentle inclines began, and where he could keep a steady pace. He wasn't an especially ambitious athlete, but various studies had shown that regular exercise became important by the time you reached your mid-twenties. So he had made it a habit to go for a thirty-minute jog every morning before work.

Since he had no desire to break personal records or ever run a marathon, he followed the exact same route every day, maintaining the same pace, the same heart rate, and the same distance, just the way he liked it.

His route took him along well-kept sidewalks and past small parks where the first plum blossoms were already announcing the arrival of spring. Before long, the cherry blossoms would follow, painting the streets in soft shades of pink.

Hiroshi took a deep breath and felt a quiet sense of satisfaction settle in.

It was going to be a good day, just like yesterday, and most likely just like tomorrow.

When he returned home, his watch read exactly 7:10. He neatly placed his running shoes beside the front door before stepping into a cold shower. The icy water made him flinch for a brief moment, but that was exactly the point. An article had claimed that cold showers stimulated circulation and boosted the metabolism. Whether that was actually true, Hiroshi wasn't sure, but it certainly couldn't hurt.

While he showered, his rice cooker quietly went about its work.

Afterward, he filled a bowl with freshly cooked rice and placed a serving of miso soup beside it, which he prepared in batches every weekend so he wouldn't have to waste time cooking on weekday mornings.

Carrying his breakfast, he sat down at the small dining table. He propped his smartphone up in landscape mode and played a random video without paying much attention to it. Because he deliberately gave himself plenty of time every morning, he could enjoy breakfast at a relaxed pace, without rushing or feeling any stress.

At exactly 7:45, he left his apartment.

If traffic cooperated, which in Tokyo it nearly always did, he would arrive at the office at exactly 8:20. He had chosen that arrival time very deliberately. It was early enough to appear reliable, but not so early that it suggested excessive ambition. At the same time, he wasn't among the last to arrive either. It was the perfect balance, showing his supervisors that he was punctual, organized, and dependable without unnecessarily drawing attention to himself.

Before leaving, Hiroshi checked one last time that he had everything with him: his briefcase, phone, keys, and wallet. He had never forgotten anything before, but there was no harm in checking. Satisfied, he mentally ticked off the final item on his morning routine.

Even when searching for an apartment, he had made sure his commute would be as straightforward as possible. He only had to take a single subway line and could comfortably walk the rest of the way.

So he set off on the familiar eight-minute walk to the nearest station.

Like every morning, he took his place behind the second digital display, which announced that the next train would arrive in three minutes. After a few weeks of observation, he had realized that one of the train doors stopped at exactly that spot. The corresponding carriage was usually a little less crowded than the others and offered at least a small chance of getting a seat, even during the morning rush hour. And if not, that was perfectly fine too, since he only had a few stops to go.

When the train arrived, he allowed himself to be carried inside with the crowd. After a bit of maneuvering, he managed to claim a seat in one corner of the carriage.

Before sitting down, he glanced around to check if anyone might need the seat more, an elderly passenger, someone pregnant, or a person with an injury. As much as he appreciated having a seat, he knew others might need it more. Since no one appeared to, he sat down with quiet relief.

As the train slowly pulled away, Hiroshi watched the people around him, as he so often did.

Monday mornings rarely differed from one another. Many passengers stared blankly ahead, still half asleep. Some held steaming cups of coffee, while others silently looked at their phones or nodded off every few moments. Hardly anyone spoke, and only the steady rhythm of the train and the automated station announcements accompanied the beginning of another workday.

Hiroshi, on the other hand, couldn't help smiling to himself.

He liked Mondays, not because another workweek was beginning, but for a much simpler reason: today a new episode of his favorite anime would be released, and that also meant it was his weekly cheat day.

As the train rolled through Tokyo, he began imagining the evening ahead. After work, he would draw himself a long, hot bath, but before that, he would stop by the convenience store on the corner. There, he would pick up a pack of instant ramen, preferably something extra spicy with cheese, along with a cold beer, a bag of chips, and a small dessert. Maybe they would even have one of those crispy fried chicken pieces left.

The thought alone made him smile.

Normally, he stayed away from junk food. He paid close attention to eating a balanced diet and tried to keep his salt intake as low as possible. Only recently, he had read a health blog explaining that the World Health Organization recommended consuming no more than five grams of salt per day.

But this evening he would simply switch off, enjoy a cold beer, savor his ramen, and watch the newest episode of his favorite anime in peace.

The thought alone made his feet bounce with excitement.

Today, nothing could possibly ruin his mood.

Author's Note

Aww... my poor baby. He has no idea what's about to happen to his perfectly organized little life. 😭

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