“Look, I’ve been telling you since last week. It’s really problematic when you spring stuff like this on me at the last second.”
“And I’m telling you, I’m already overwhelmed with the handovers. I don’t have the bandwidth for this. If you’re going to nag me that much, why don’t you just do it yourself?”
“…Sigh. Fine, fine. I get it.”
“…Huh? What’s with that sigh? I’m the one who wants to sigh here.”
“Eh, it’s nothing.”
“The way you say that is exactly what’s rubbing me the wrong way.”
“Who’s the one rubbing whom the wrong way? You’re always in a bad mood.”
“Excuse me?”
Here we go again.
Inukai and Saruwatari were at it again.
At this point, it would be an understatement to call their bickering a staple of the office atmosphere. I wondered how they managed to find so much fuel for their daily fires.
Every time the tone of their voices rose, the sound of keyboards clicking around them would subtly cease. I could feel the collective hesitation of everyone wondering if they should step in and stop the fight.
Fine… I’ll do it.
I snapped my laptop shut, let out a deep sigh, and pushed back my chair.
“Honestly, you two, enough—”
“Now, now, what’s going on, Inukai-chan, Saruwatari-chan? Something happen?”
It was Saeko who cut in.
Her voice was fluid, spirited, and bright, yet somehow not overbearing.
“I asked Inukai-san to prepare the materials for today’s appointment, but he says they’re not done yet.”
“I’ve been saying for a while now that I’m short-handed because of the handovers. I’m just saying it’s a problem when someone cuts in at the last minute and demands things.”
Strangely, the thorns in both their voices smoothed over the moment they faced Saeko.
Saeko tilted her head slightly as if thinking, then spoke.
“Hmm, I see. Well, let’s organize this. Let’s list out all the tasks first. I bet there are things we can automate or hand off to someone else. I’ll help you figure it out.”
She spoke of “how to solve it” while remaining empathetic to both sides. It was a gentle, constructive approach.
Under Saeko’s calm tone, the temperature of the heated Inukai and Saruwatari gradually cooled.
The entire office became quiet, as if it were finally catching its breath. Before I knew it, a few stray laughs even leaked out.
I felt bad for having to rely on Saeko to mediate such a petty fight… but at the same time, I was desperately grateful.
For someone like me, who struggled in these situations, Saeko’s social maneuvering seemed almost like a divine art.
Between appointments, I headed to the smoking room outside the office.
I inhaled the smoke and exhaled slowly.
The white plumes drifted upward, blending into the light of the fluorescent lamps.
The sliding door opened with a soft shhh, and Saeko walked in. She took a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from a small pouch. With practiced ease, she put a cigarette to her lips, lit it, and let a thin stream of smoke curl away.
“Thanks for earlier,” I said softly after exhaling.
“No worries,” Saeko replied, shaking her head.
“Stuff like that happened all the time at my last job, too. Everyone’s just busy and loses their composure. I’m happy if I could be of even a little help.”
She tapped the ash into the tray and gave me a faint smile.
“The new orders are progressing well, too. It’s a big help.”
“Mm. I’ve got three appointments this afternoon; I’ll bring them all in.”
“Such confidence,” I remarked.
Saeko grinned and took another drag.
In the week since Saeko arrived, we had gained five new clients. The company was undeniably moving in a positive direction.
A true turnaround. A savior.
To me, and to the company, that was what Saeko had become.
“Oh, by the way, you mentioned you have a housemate, right?”
“Ah, yeah. Sort of.”
“What led to you letting them live with you?”
Saeko asked, tilting her head as if she’d just remembered.
I gave a brief explanation of how it started—that I’d picked her up in the rain, and that she had been drifting from place to place.
I felt a bit hesitant to go into the more complicated details, so I stopped there.
As Saeko listened, she seemed to drift off, as if pondering something.
She puffed on her cigarette with a distant look in her eyes.
“…Saeko?”
“…Eh? …Ah, right. …I just felt like something similar happened to me. It reminded me of a certain someone.”
“In your case, wasn’t it less ‘picking them up’ and more ‘inviting them in’?”
“Ahaha, how cutting! Well, I guess it might have seemed that way back then.”
When I teased her, Saeko narrowed her eyes and laughed.
It was her usual, bright smile.
Tossing the short butt into the ashtray, Saeko waved her hand over her shoulder and said, “I’m off to do some sales,” as she exited the smoking room.
My walk home was much lighter than usual.
When I opened the front door, a wonderful smell greeted me. A nostalgic scent, like dashi soy sauce. Peeking into the kitchen, I saw Yuno stirring a pot.
“Welcome home. You’re a bit late today.”
“Things were a bit hectic. Smells great.”
“Oyakodon. Do you want the eggs soft-boiled?”
“Either way is fine.”
I intended for my reply to be curt, but Yuno just beamed and said, “Soft-boiled it is, then.”
We sat across from each other at the dining table.
As we ate the chicken and egg bowl, I talked aimlessly about how my day had gone.
When I mentioned Saeko, Yuno’s eyes widened. “Wow, there are some amazing people out there,” she said. It wasn’t a particularly grand story, but for some reason, it felt strangely pleasant.
“Oh, that’s right.”
Yuno said, remembering something while chewing her food.
“I found a part-time job.”
Yuno tilted her head and gave a sheepish smile.
Thump.
My heart hammered loudly in my chest.
“I see.”
“Yeah. I went for the interview today, and they hired me on the spot. Looks like I’ll be on the shift starting next week.”
“So…” Yuno suddenly looked down, a small smile playing on her lips. Her long eyelashes cast shadows over her eyes. Then, she added softly:
“I’ll find an apartment, and once I get my first paycheck, I’ll move out.”
My chopsticks, which had been moving steadily, stopped dead.
“…I understand.”
My throat felt raw, and I could only manage a response in a voice so small it was barely audible.
“Until the paycheck comes.”
About a month left, then.
The countdown had begun. When I thought of it that way, for some reason—I really don’t know why—my chest began to ache with a sharp, throbbing pain.
After finishing the post-dinner cleanup, I headed to the bathroom.
I turned the shower knob, and after a short delay, warm water began to pour down.
I worked the shampoo into my hair, lathered it up, and washed it slowly.
I’ll find an apartment, and once I get my first paycheck, I’ll move out.
Even then, Yuno’s words from earlier continued to race through my mind.
At that moment—
Behind me, I heard the clack of the door opening.
I stopped my soapy hands and slowly turned around.
“Eh?”
Slender, pale, white legs entered my field of vision.
Knees, thighs, the gentle curve of a waist.
My gaze naturally traveled upward. My eyes stopped involuntarily at the soft swell of her breasts and the pink tips.
There, standing completely naked was Yuno.