“If Kuze-san is coming, that’s actually pretty rare.”
Minami-san made that comment while folding up her empty sandwich wrapper.
“…Is that so?”
“Yeah. It seems like she gets invited all the time, but she hardly ever joins.”
I nodded vaguely and took a sip of my half-empty tea.
I knew almost nothing about Kuze-san’s private life—what she did on her days off, or who she spent her time with. The only thing I did know was that she enjoyed reading.
Even so, I could remember every tiny detail about her.
The habit she had of slowly spinning a pen between her fingertips whenever she was deep in thought. The way she tilted her head just a fraction when listening to someone speak. The soft, gentle crinkle at the corners of her eyes when she laughed.
I had never mentioned a single one of these things to her.
In the first place, if she found out I was watching her that closely, she would undoubtedly be startled.
“Shiraishi-san, can you drink alcohol?”
Minami-san’s voice pulled my focus back to the present moment.
“I can drink. But I’m not particularly strong, so I can’t hold much.”
“Then make sure not to push yourself on Friday.”
“Yes. I’ll be careful.”
By the time lunch break came to an end, the topic of the dinner party had naturally faded away. We cleared away our containers and walked back to the main office floor side by side.
That afternoon, I had a meeting scheduled to review a new business proposal.
On my way to the conference room, I caught sight of Kuze-san walking toward me from the far end of the hallway.
…Ah, Kuze-san.
Just seeing her figure made a soft, soothing warmth spread deep within my chest.
Today, Kuze-san was wearing a navy-blue blouse paired with black trousers. Her long hair, which she usually left down, was gathered into a low ponytail today. At her ears, small silver earrings caught the light.
I had noticed it from the moment she sat down at her desk this morning.
It really suits her, I had thought.
Naturally, there was no way I could say that to her face, so I ended up giving her my usual standard greeting.
“Ah, Shiraishi-san.”
Noticing me, Kuze-san paused in her tracks.
“Are you on your way to a meeting?”
“Yes. A discussion with the sales department regarding the new business proposal.”
“I see. I happen to be heading to sales for another matter myself.”
She cast a fleeting glance at her wristwatch.
With that movement, her bound hair swayed gently behind her shoulder.
She’s so beautiful.
The moment the thought crossed my mind, I hurriedly averted my eyes.
“Sorry about earlier. It looks like we still won’t have time to talk about that book just yet.”
I hadn’t expected her to actually remember, so my reply lagged by a beat.
“Oh, please don’t worry about it at all. Work comes first.”
“Tell me about it next time we have a spare moment.”
“Yes. I’d love to.”
Kuze-san offered a soft smile and brushed past my side.
As she passed, a faint hint of perfume wafted through the air—not overly sweet, but a fresh, clean scent.
Taking a few steps forward, I quietly let out a breath.
…I’m so in love with her today, too.
Why can’t I get used to this, even though we face each other every single day?
I feel happy just by running into her, and if she speaks to me, that entire day becomes a little bit special. More than yesterday, and even more tomorrow—the things I love about her just keep adding up.
Yet, Kuze-san doesn’t have the slightest clue about my feelings.
And of course she doesn’t. I’m doing everything I can to make sure she never finds out.
Entering the conference room, two colleagues from the sales department were already seated. I exchanged quick greetings and sat down in an empty chair.
During work, focus strictly on work.
I had made that a rule for myself, and usually, it wasn’t particularly difficult to follow.
However, today felt a little different.
Even after the meeting started, Kuze-san’s words—”next time we have a spare moment”—lingered in the back of my mind.
Naturally, whenever I was asked for input, I could answer, and I stayed right on top of the discussion’s flow. Yet, in unguarded moments, I would catch myself remembering it again.
That gentle voice. The corners of her eyes when she smiled.
The way her tone softened just a fraction whenever she called my name.
Why is it that everything about the person you love stays etched so vividly in your memory?
When the meeting wrapped up and I was about to stand up, a female employee from the sales department called out to me.
“Shiraishi-san, you’re attending Friday’s dinner party, right?”
“Yes. Minami-san was kind enough to invite me.”
“Wonderful! I’m so glad we have more women coming.”
She smiled warmly. She was a glamorous woman with her shoulder-length hair styled in polished curls.
“I’m Sato from the sales department. This is our first time having a proper chat, isn’t it?”
“It is. I’m Shiraishi. It’s a pleasure to work with you.”
“Likewise! Ah, that reminds me—”
Sato-san’s voice perked up with excitement.
“It turns out Kuze-san is coming too!”
My head snapped up before I could stop myself.
“…She is?”
“Yes! I ran into her just a moment ago and asked, and she said her schedule was open.”
Sato-san continued happily, “Kuze-san rarely joins these things, so I’m really looking forward to it this time.”
At those words, I offered a small nod.
“I see. I’m looking forward to it as well.”
I intended to sound as natural as possible.
Yet, deep within my chest, something was quietly swelling.
On Friday, I would get to spend time in the same place as Kuze-san outside of strictly work settings.
I might get to discover a side of her that’s different from how she is in the office.
Just imagining it was enough to make my cheeks want to soften into a smile.
After parting ways with Sato-san, I pulled out my smartphone on my way back to the main floor.
Opening the calendar, I checked Friday’s date.
Nothing had actually happened yet. It was simply that we were both attending the exact same dinner party.
Even so, I carefully typed out a small note in the entry for that day: Dinner party.