Nanbaka: The Ex

The Decision

Samon sat at his desk, filling out some paperwork to hand to the warden when someone knocked on his office door.

"Enter." Samon didn't look up from his paper.

Nuan slowly opened his office door, shutting it behind her. She looked like she had been crying, her eyes puffy and her nose red. Samon finally looked up at his distressed wife.

"Honey," he got out of his chair, "what happened?"

"Samon," Nuan sniffled, "we have to talk."

After a talk that led into the evening, Samon sat next to Nuan in tense silence. Nuan wiped the tears away as Samon leaned back in his seat.

"So, what do you want to do?" Samon took her hand, "I will follow your lead."

"No, that's not what I want," Nuan pulled her hand away, "I want---"

"My opinion, I know." Samon finished her sentence. "Babe, I know this is about us, but I don't care what the plan is, as long as it makes you happy. I will follow."

Nuan bit her lip anxiously before finally looking at her husband. "That offer, the one you told me about before I came here, is that still on the table."

Samon smiled and nodded his head. "It still stands. What did you have in mind?"

Momoko sat at her desk with Samon standing in front of her. She read over the papers silently, as Samon stood waiting with his hands behind his back, one of his hands fidgeting with his wedding band.

"You're serious about this?" Momoko placed the papers down, "this is a big decision."

"I am aware," Samon nodded, "but this is the best decision. I apologize for this, but this job has and always will be second."

Samon removed the pin from his jacket and placed it on her desk, "I will stay as supervisor, and do my job with the effort I always did for the next little bit. I just ask that this is not brought to anyone else's attention until I leave."

"I can do that." Momoko nodded. "Just bring the rest of your paperwork by the end of the day."

Samon closed the door of Momoko's office, and unfortunately for him, several guards sitting in the lobby area. Hajime notice Samon, who immediately avoided eye contact, he silently walked away to return to his building.

Fast forward a couple of weeks, and Nuan and Samon were up before sunrise. Nuan held Samon's hand as they waited for the warden, ready to hand her their keys.

"I hope a didn't keep you waiting." Momoko approached them.

"Not at all," Samon stood up from his seat, "here are the keys."

Samon placed both sets of keys in her hand. "We trust you'll give them to someone who can do the job as well as I could."

Momoko gave a sincere smile. "I won't allow this to be a goodbye, I will always welcome you back as staff or visitors."

"Thank you." Samon shook her hand with a smile. "And thank you for understanding."

Nuan took her husband's hand, and walked away, closing the door on the chapter of their life at Nanba together to open the door to a new chapter.

That same morning the supervisiors sat around the table waiting for the morning meeting to start. Momoko was the last to enter the room, the room became silent, only the footsteps of the warden's boots were heard as she slowly made her way to her seat at the head of the table.

"Today's meeting will be short. I have some unfortunate news," Momoko spoke up. "Supervisor Gokuu and Nurse Nuan will no longer be with us as of today. They turned their keys in early this morning."

She placed down their keys and name tags as evidence for the table. "As of now, Deputy Supervisor Hakki is now the supervisor for Building 5. If you have any questions, please report to my office as soon as possible. You may return to your buildings, that's all."

Momoko was last to arrive, but the first to leave, leaving the guards speechless and no room for questions.