Kindle app told me that I’ve been reading for eight days straight and to keep the momentum going, so here I am writing my thoughts about the second book I read with Kikkie. May You Have Delicious Meals almost didn’t make it to my reading list because it brings back many things I’d rather forget but here we are.
The book has three significant characters who heavily reminded me of the characters from the Jdrama I Will Not Work Overtime, Period! for some reason – Nitani, Oshio, and Ashikawa. Nitani is your regular dependable coworker that doesn’t say much, unapologetically lives on cup noodles, and resentful of so many things. Oshio is competent but not fierce, and more often than not sees the wrong things in situations that are perfectly normal for the majority but does too little about it. And then there’s Ashikawa… that sweet, fragile colleague Ashikawa… (mmm ayoko na lang mag-talk! 😅) The story is unfolded in their alternating POVs which made me a little bit confused because what do you mean we’re playing guessing games here?
If you’re in corporate, I’m sure every character in this book would resonate with you. So much so that you’d start changing their names in your head with the colleague’s name that represents it the most. It starts with the boss asking all of them to join him for a lunch out, and even though a lot of them are reluctant, everyone starts filing out because yeah, who says no to the boss? But of course, Cup Noodle Boy Nitani has other plans, and Fuji gladly joins him with his own home-made bento. Bringing food to work saves so much time, money, and energy – I used to do this especially when I worked graveyard because convenience store food was starting to take its toll on my body (hello my old friend UTI, LOL). But never would you hear me say stop eating convenience store food because that Lucky Me La Paz Batchoy Noodles and Fried Chicken with Rice from Uncle John’s hit different when the first half of your day was consumed on meetings that could’ve very well been emails.
After-work drinks are essential – they serve as transition rituals, kinda like the switch-off button from work mode to personal mode. Most importantly, they are the avenue for social decompression, giving you the chance to vent, rant, or laugh with colleagues who perfectly understand your work-related or even coworker-related stress and even come up with the idea to gang-up with said coworker because they irritate every fiber of your being because of mere incompetence. Because while going home to rest and relax after hours of working overtime is logical, sisig with cold beer sound more appealing especially when said overtime is meant to cover for someone else’s absences. Hear me out on this, and also because I feel for Oshio: it’s one thing to put in extra hours for your own deadlines, but another thing entirely to be working on someone else’s tasks. That kind of overtime doesn’t just drain your body. It drains your spirit, too. It builds a quiet resentment that lingers, because deep down you know you’re paying the price for someone else’s irresponsibility.
But how does one ever make up for such incompetence? Of course, by bringing food to the office like Ashikawa does. Spend your work nights and weekends creating elaborate cakes and pastries and bring them to the office. After all, it is your hobby and also an apology rolled into one. Never mind that your coworkers are staying longer hours to clean up your unfinished work. Never mind that your boss excuses your repeated absences because you’re still scarred by your previous toxic workplace. Your colleagues are endlessly understanding, anyway, and your boss is on your side. Sure, not everyone loves cake because some might even quietly dispose of it when no one’s watching. But the gesture? It’s supposed to count for something.
And have you ever wondered why you don’t enjoy company-paid dinners most of the time? It’s because they are not really about you. It’s about the budget and the fact that the company wants to tell you, “Look, we’re treating you, we care, we’re a family here.” Luckily, I worked in a company that brought us to Korean bbqs that serve high-quality meat and exceptional side dishes.
🌸 Mood Match
May You Have Delicious Meals is a book for corporate survivors—especially if you’ve ever side-eyed free dinners, lived on convenience food, or carried overtime resentment.
🌙 Emotional Aftertaste
Reading it felt like holding a mirror to office life: both validating and frustrating, amusing yet uncomfortably real.
📚 Shelf/Heart Space
I wouldn’t call it a comforting read, but it lingers like after-work beer—refreshing in the moment, with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
See you on the next chapter!
