‘I see. That’s a long way to come for someone else and it’s difficult to start a new life in a foreign country. It can’t have been easy, job hunting here.’

Osaki thought of all the job interviews. It wasn’t just the language that was different, it was the use of facial expressions, the manners and formality, not to mention the customs. The feedback he’d had from those few potential employers who’d bothered to give any was that he was too uptight and direct for them. That wasn’t even limited to positions where he might have come into contact with the public. Corporations were looking for ‘team players’ or ‘good communicators’ and ‘inspiring colleagues who understood how to bond with their peers’. It hadn’t mattered that he’d been willing to work as many hours as he could get, or for minimum wage, or to perform tasks well below the expectations he’d had on getting his degree in systems management.

‘Japanese and Scottish cultures are different,’ he said simply.

‘I’m sure they are,’ Maclure said. ‘So how are things between you and your wife now?’

‘She is dissatisfied. There is another man who is providing her with comfort.’

‘In an intimate way?’ Maclure asked gently.

Osaki nodded.

‘So you’ve been unable to get a job, you’re away from your home and family, and your wife is having an affair. That’s a lot for anyone to deal with and it doesn’t sound to me as if you’ve failed. It seems to me that you’ve been very brave and need extra time and support to adjust to life here.’

The door opened yet again, and Vicki entered carrying a tray with two mugs of coffee and a plate of biscuits. Maclure gave her a tense smile.

‘Thanks, Vicki. That’ll be fine on the table. Perhaps try knocking first, just in case it’s a bad moment.’

Vicki gave a slight sigh before issuing a curt apology and exiting.

‘She’s new,’ Maclure commented. ‘It can be a strange place to work until you’re familiar with it. So tell me what effect it’s having on you, this perception of failure.’

‘Not perception. It is real. If I go home, my parents will know I have failed them, too. They told me not to come. They said Kylie was wrong for me. I told them I knew better. I was rude to my parents. I have no right to take my deficiency back to them.’

‘That’s a big burden to be carrying and I understand there are cultural differences that I may be less then adequately equipped to advise on, but I can say that most parents forgive quickly and easily. Love makes us want nothing but the best, even in the worst circumstances. Have you tried talking to your family about what’s happening?’