Canon's Diary

Wednesday, June 12.
I woke up at 6:30 this morning. When I opened the curtains, I was greeted by clear skies for the first time in a while. My smartwatch told me I’d slept for a full eight hours, and I felt refreshed. I was careful not to drink too much at last night’s dinner gathering, so I woke up without any trace of a hangover. After brushing my teeth, I took a shower. With the weather warming up, I often find myself sweating even after getting out of the shower, so I’ve made it a habit to cool my body with cold water just before stepping out. For breakfast, I had fried rice and miso soup.

I put on my shirt and headed to work. The morning air was still pleasantly cool, but I heard that next week even Kansai will see temperatures over 30°C—full-on summer. Seasons truly are shifting.

Last night’s dinner gathering was enjoyable. We visited a brand-new Japanese-style izakaya called Nagomi, located just outside Settsu-Tonda Station. The interior was fresh and clean, with a calming color scheme based on dark brown, warm lighting typical of an izakaya, a seasoned-looking owner, and a staff that moved with efficiency and care. Highballs and lemon sours were a very reasonable 180 yen on weekdays.
It was a small gathering of just the three members of our section, but we managed to talk about many things—our backgrounds, hobbies, past work struggles, and our hopes for the future of our newly established team. What made me especially happy was that none of us had to put on airs; we simply had relaxed, natural conversations.

This, I’ve realized recently, is a small but meaningful change in myself. I no longer feel the need to keep my guard up around others. In the past, when I was overly conscious of my illness, I think I unintentionally built a wall between myself and the people around me, afraid of being seen as “different.” But now, I can feel that wall dissolving.

This small shift might have a profound effect on my relationships going forward. I have that feeling—like something good is beginning.

Tonight, I have a tennis lesson. I’ve been overeating a bit lately, so to help with dieting, I’ve decided to stick to just cabbage soup for dinner on weekdays.