《Kiraina Otoko》 CH 1 As a side note, I will keep certain terms in the original Japanese because I think it sounds better. I assume many people already know the meanings of these words, but I will still give the English definition for those that don¡¯t. ¤µ¤ó san ¨C Mister/Miss ¾ý kun ¨C somewhat less polite than san and used to address someone younger or same age as speaker ÏÈÝ… senpai & ááÝ… kouhai ¨C senior and junior (either at school/work/etc) depending on the context, I¡¯ll either use the Japanese term or the English I will also keep the order of their names Last Name First Name as in the original Japanese. It just sounds and flows better to me. Chihiro¡¯s inner monologue/inner thoughts will be italicized. The novel also focuses on Mukai being referred to as ¥­¥ã¥ê¥¢’ñÓÃ. Directly translated it means ¡°mid-career hire¡± but the deeper meaning is that he¡¯s not a new university graduate hire (like Chihiro was when he joined the company). So therefore, he has more experience and was scouted. Without any further ado, here¡¯s Chapter 1 of Kiraina Otoko by Anzai Rika. Ah, I give up. ¡°I look forward to working with you all.¡± Being faced with a refreshing smile, Chihiro was quick to judge the newcomer. On an early morning at the end of May, the two standing in the office facing Chihiro were his senior in the Product Development Department and the newly hired recruit. The man that was to be Chihiro¡¯s new coworker. ¡°I¡¯m Mukai Shinya.¡± Standing right in front of him, Mukai was just a little bit taller than Chihiro. Chihiro was also reasonably tall, however, Mukai had a high stature and was the type that looked even taller due to his larger build. He gave off the impression that he played rugby or something of the sort. While observing Mukai¡¯s sturdy figure, Chihiro felt slightly hostile. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t say such things out loud. So with a radiant smile, he responded, ¡°Looking forward to working with you. I¡¯m Minami Chihiro in charge of Sales Promotions. I¡¯ll give you this for now.¡± Mukai accepted his business card gracefully. Although he was not the flashy type, there was a masculine charm in his hidden double eyelid. The suit he was wearing looked like an off the shelf Japan-made suit, but it was altered to fit him precisely. His short hair was also styled in a casual manner. He was quite a fashionable person. Chihiro was also someone who paid attention to his outward appearance. So, that much he understood. And as for his talents, well, he was HR-certified. Last month, Chihiro had happened to hear that a mid-career hire was supposedly coming. ¡°You do a great job working on your own, but you¡¯ll reach your limit eventually. I¡¯ve been continuously talking with HR to find a mid-career recruit, and I finally got contacted by the agent telling me that they were introduced to an S rank candidate.¡± The director of the Development Department cheerfully patted Chihiro on the back and said, ¡°Good for you!¡± Chihiro was not very happy. He had heard from some of his fellow female HR employees that the newcomer was a same year graduate as them. Naturally his work history hadn¡¯t leaked, but it sounded like his academic background was on a similar level to Chihiro¡¯s. Chihiro, who hated to lose to others, suddenly felt his competitiveness surge. ¡°Mukai-kun, your business cards are ready, so later on can you come to the General Affairs Office to pick them up? There are also various papers you have to sign. Anything else, you can ask Minami.¡± ¡°Understood. Thank you very much.¡± His senior left and Mukai once more turned to Chihiro. ¡°Minami-san, which desk is mine?¡± Hesitating for a second, Chihiro finally answered him frankly. Doesn¡¯t matter what your work experience is, I¡¯m the senpai in this company. Be that as it may, Mukai was a mid-career hire with outstanding talents. Acting condescending on the other hand was uncool. ¡°I think you already heard but Mukai-kun and I are essentially the only two working in the Sales Promotion Department. I made an island out of the four unused desks, but if it bothers your work, please tell me. We can change the layout.¡± One corner of the Product Development Department was divided by a simple partition and a tall houseplant. Up until now, Chihiro was using the four empty desks. He cleared up one desk for Mukai¡¯s arrival, but he left the layout the same way. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine here.¡± Despite his aggressive appearance, Mukai had a soft demeanor. Sitting at his desk, he curiously looked around the office with keen interest. He didn¡¯t seem like an obstinate person. ¡°It seems that until now, Minami-san alone has been in charge of all things related to Sales Promotion.¡± Chihiro had unconsciously developed a sense of rivalry, but it seemed that Mukai had no intention of competing. Or, what if from the start he didn¡¯t even think of me as a worthy rival, Chihiro thought to himself suspiciously. Chihiro¡¯s personality was really terrible. ¡°I¡¯m impressed. It¡¯s challenging even for teams working together for things such as new sales promotion projects.¡± Being flattered so suddenly, Chihiro felt a bit taken aback. Moreover, it seemed like Mukai hadn¡¯t even done it on purpose. ¡°Not at all, after suddenly being told that I would be selling our company¡¯s products directly, not knowing what¡¯s what, I somehow made it this far.¡± In order to not let his hateful nature leak out, Chihiro replied modestly with a pleasant smile. NITTA, the present company Chihiro joined right after graduating, is the top manufacturer for control related equipment. They manufacture all sorts of sensors and safety devices for factories, and their main output is security-related products intended for general consumers. For better or worse, it¡¯s a reliable top-ranking company that¡¯s popular for students. However, the culture is outdated. Management hates taking risks, and the products made for general consumers are through a third-party manufacturer. But, since Chihiro joined the company, things are changing little by little. ¡°The security products other companies have supplied us have been a hit across the board. From now on, it¡¯s likely that general interest in security products will also continue to increase. We tested some in-house goods and the response was fairly good.¡± Not surprisingly, the in-house manufactured goods¡¯ profit ratio was high. Taking this as an opportunity, the company created their own brand and became a new business. ¡°As the underling in Development, my job was communicating with Promotion Companies. I was then told that this was just right for me, and I became the manager of Sales Promotions. By the time I noticed, it was like being exiled to an island alone.¡± Be that as it may, he was content with this position. At any rate, as it was his first office job, and he was just fumbling around. As long as you do your work adequately, no one says anything. Approaching five years since he joined the company, while his colleagues went through various difficulties, Chihiro had been passing his time carefree with no one above to press down on him and no one below him to guide. The quality of comfort in a workplace greatly impacts human relations. If possible, he wanted to get along well with the mid-career-hire that suddenly appeared. ¡°I¡¯ll introduce Hata-san at the meeting in the afternoon, but he¡¯s someone from the Promotional Company who¡¯s taught me a lot. Since Mukai-kun is also here now, it¡¯s very reassuring.¡± While listening to Chihiro explain things, Mukai also chimed in with a remark here and there. ¡°This is our company¡¯s organization chart, but am I understanding correctly that the one responsible for approving all things related to sales promotions is the Chief Marketing Executive?¡± Mukai pointed the tablet at Chihiro. It was an organization with a hierarchy that put the Executive Officer as the head, but the name was displayed as the manager. ¡°Our direct supervisor is the Product Development Manager.¡± ¡°Who is in charge of the promotional budget then?¡± ¡°That would be the Product Development Manager I think. It depends on the scale, but if you don¡¯t discuss it at the regular meeting, it¡¯s likely a large budget won¡¯t be granted.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Taking the tablet back, Mukai continued to stare at the organizational chart in deep thought. It seems like this carefree job is going to become more strict from now on, Chihiro thought to himself while feeling dejected. He wanted to get along with Mukai, but a man that¡¯s excessively capable was a nuisance. ¡°I¡¯m being summoned to General Affairs, so I will leave momentarily.¡± Mukai stood up after checking the time on his smartwatch. ¡°Ah, okay. See you.¡± ¡°Minami-san,¡± While fixing the knot on his tie, Mukai turned to face Chihiro again. ¡°When I heard that I would be forming a two-person team with someone of the same age, I was honestly a bit on guard. But I¡¯m glad that Minami-san seems like someone easy to work with. I still lack a lot of experience, so I don¡¯t know how much help I¡¯ll be, but I will do my best to support you. I look forward to working with you.¡± Chihiro, who was listening absentmindedly, became flustered when Mukai bowed his head courteously. ¡°Same here, great to be working with you.¡± Responding all flustered, Mukai laughed. He looked friendlier with the corner of his eyes scrunching down. ¡°Well then, I¡¯m off.¡± Unintentionally leaving a favorable impression, Mukai once more bowed lightly and left through the partition. Watching his retreating figure, Chihiro let out a sigh of relief. Sure enough, he¡¯s really good. Any mistakes are all mine. I¡¯ll be posting twice a week on Mondays & Fridays. So look forward to it. CH 2 ¡°Ya ya ya, hello hello hello~!¡± Hata made an appearance with a lively greeting. Since it was Mukai¡¯s first day at work, all the young people in the Product Development Department went out for lunch to a cafe. Upon returning, they immediately headed to the meeting room. It was not long before the door opened, and Mukai stood up to greet the manager of the Promotional Company. ¡°Hello, pleasure to make your acquaintance. I¡¯m Mukai from Sales Promotion.¡± Mukai¡¯s smooth greeting was one tone lighter. It seemed that depending on who the other party was, Mukai subtly adjusted his temperament. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you~~¡± Dragging out the end of his sentences was Hata¡¯s habit. After they exchanged names, Hata sat down in his usual seat. His exact age was uncertain, but he was probably around 42 or 43 years old. His bright hair, no tie, and striped shirt style was truly that of a person in the advertisement business. ¡°Mukai-san¡¯s name, I know it well.¡± Grabbing two cans of the self-serve coffee laid out in the meeting room, Mukai handed one to Hata, who accepted it with a thanks and promptly tore off the pull tab. ¡°My name?¡± Similarly opening his canned coffee, Mukai stared in wonder. This was news to Chihiro, too. ¡°When I heard from Minami-san that there¡¯s a new person coming, I kept thinking that your name sounded familiar. At the time it didn¡¯t ring a bell though. You¡¯re Mukai Shinya from R University, correct? Nowadays it¡¯s common, but seven years ago it was unparalleled in the SNS marketing circle. A student from R University launching a business became the talk of the town, didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Ah, that story?¡± Mukai laughed awkwardly. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it the forerunner of student-run business entrepreneurships?¡± ¡°I wonder.¡± ¡°Is this about the company that Mukai-kun launched? Amazing.¡± Surprised, Chihiro unconsciously remarked. To Mukai¡¯s modest ¡®Not at all,¡¯ Hata glibly praised him, ¡°It is amazing!¡± ¡°I remembered just from your name. But that company got sold off to E&F as soon as it started making money, didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I was surprised that such a big agency reached out to me, but their conditions were good and my friend was also enthusiastic about it. I was also considering studying abroad at that time so the timing was just right.¡± ¡°Where did you study abroad?¡± Hata eagerly questioned him. ¡°The United States. I went there intending to study Information Science but it turned out I did not have the talent for engineering. So instead I dabbled a little in Marketing Analytics and then came back.¡± Finally learning about Mukai¡¯s career history that had made him so curious, Chihiro could see why the agency had regarded him as an S-rank personnel. Although, Mukai did not have even an ounce of arrogance in his manner of speech. Was that also a factor of being S-rank? ¡°Minami-kun is also pretty good, you know.¡± As Chihiro was listening to Mukai¡¯s story and feeling discouraged, Hata subtly praised him, too. ¡°What do you mean by pretty good? That¡¯s quite a deceptive way to say it.¡± Having known each other for many years, they tended to make lighthearted jokes with each other. ¡°Something like snatching up only the favorable opportunities and everything is a piece of cake afterwards~?¡± Hata teased half-jokingly. I¡¯m aware that I¡¯m superficial. ¡°But actually he¡¯s quite earnest, you know. We¡¯ve been working together for three years now. He¡¯s quick-witted and can handle anything skillfully. If he joined my company as a planner, he could easily become a project leader.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a smooth-talker, Hata-san.¡± ¡°No no, I really mean it~¡± ¡°It might seem like we¡¯re complementing each other, but the one who taught me the basics of Sales Promotions is Hata-san.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡± Hata retorted, deliberately smug. Mukai laughed discreetly. ¡°You two have a great relationship.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it was just us two doing everything. Now that Mukai-san is here, it¡¯s very reassuring.~¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to live up to your expectations.¡± Mukai gave the smooth-talking Hata a diplomatic smile. Today was mostly an introductory meeting. They chatted for a while and after confirming the future schedule, the meeting ended. ???? ¡°That Mukai-kun, he seems amicable, but if you make him your enemy, he¡¯s the troublesome type.¡± While watching the elevator floor display, Hata whispered in Chihiro¡¯s ear. Mukai was once again called down to the General Affairs Office, so it was just Chihiro sending off Hata in the elevator hall. ¡°Is that so?¡± There was their age difference, and in many ways, Hata was like a relative to Chihiro, giving him advice. ¡°This is just a rumor I heard, but there¡¯s a story that some people tried to get in Mukai¡¯s way. However the tables were turned on them and Mukai¡¯s retaliation was so brutal, they were all spooked. Don¡¯t be fooled by that gentle demeanor and don¡¯t underestimate him.~¡± His advice was directed at Chihiro¡¯s competitive personality. Knowing that, Chihiro obediently nodded, ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s a reliable person if you get on his good side.¡± Hata laughed and tapped Chihiro on the shoulder. ¡°Besides, since it¡¯s Mukai-kun, he¡¯s gonna get some company experience here and soon after get a job somewhere else. At most, probably three years?¡± Chihiro had heard that in Hata¡¯s business world, exceptional people didn¡¯t stay in one place for too long. It seems that even for Hata, his current company was his fourth one. Is that so? He won¡¯t be here for that long then. Chihiro suddenly felt at ease. ¡°Well then, see you later! Good work today~¡± The elevator doors opened with a soft sound, and Hata, returning to his good mood, said his goodbyes. ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± The elevator doors closed. While sorting through all the information he just heard, Chihiro returned to the office floor. Working in a position where he¡¯s compared to a capable man was depressing. Nevertheless, it was more sensible to not stir up any trouble. Fortunately, Mukai didn¡¯t seem to have any annoying habits. As long as they got along well, it wouldn¡¯t be exhausting to work together. ¡°Minami-san¡± Walking while in deep thought, he heard his name being called from the front of the Product Development Floor. Looking over, he saw one of his fellow colleagues from HR approaching. Nanase was wearing a pantsuit and holding a paper gift bag. ¡°Are you going out now?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve constantly been running errands.¡± Nanase pouted in dissatisfaction. She was the one who had initially told Chihiro about Mukai. They were friends that met up outside of work now and then. ¡°Do you wanna grab a meal the day after tomorrow?¡± Chihiro lowered his voice a little and at his invitation, the ends of her beautifully painted lips lifted up. ¡°Message me later.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± They talked a little in whispers and before drawing any attention to themselves, they said their goodbyes and casually separated. Nanase headed towards the elevator hall, and Chihiro found himself watching her retreating figure. Because her limbs were slender and long, Nanase looked really good in a pantsuit. Her bust and hips were somewhat on the smaller side but she had a nice shape¡ª not that he knew yet what it would feel like. Nanase was by far the most beautiful out of all her colleagues. She had also attended a first-rate university. If he dated her, he would definitely have something to boast about. It was about half a year ago that they started hanging out- going to movies and drinking at wine bars- just the two of them. On the way back from a class reunion, it just so happened that out of all the members, they were the only two that had the same route home. They decide to go out for some tea before returning home. From then on, they¡¯d take turns inviting each other out. Both sides were probably thinking that it was fortunate they ended up at the same company, otherwise, who knows if they would be meeting like this. After finding a job, Chihiro had gotten too busy and broke it off with the girl he had been dating since university. Having gotten tired of her complaints of ¡®Why don¡¯t you call me?¡¯ and ¡®I¡¯m lonely,¡¯ Chihiro ended up asking her to break it off. Since then, he had been flying solo the whole time. During his student days, he had almost always had a girlfriend. After getting a job, the number of encounters decreased sharply. Becoming a working member of society meant that his days off were precious. Spending those days with a long-time girlfriend was one thing, but having to build a relationship with a new person took too much energy. So, by the time he realized, he¡¯d been single for quite a long time, and he¡¯d completely gotten used to the working life. Whenever Chihiro would find himself thinking that having a girlfriend would be fun, Nanase was always the first person that came to mind. Working at the same company was also not really a problem. But even so, it was still troublesome. Meeting occasionally and enjoying the not-quite-lovers-relationship was just right. Nanase probably thought the same way. ¡°Minami-san¡± ¡°Ah, did you take care of everything?¡± Upon returning to his desk while absorbed in his thoughts, Mukai had also come back from the General Affairs Office. ¡°I had prepared myself, but the pile of documents is no joke.¡± Mukai¡¯s desk was piled high with various company documents and forms- Employee¡¯s Manual, Bookkeeping Guide, Company Rules, and other such things. ¡°It feels like I did a whole year¡¯s worth of writing in just one day.¡± Finding Mukai¡¯s fed-up grumbling unusual, Chihiro let out a laugh. ¡°Culture shock? Our company is somewhat old-fashioned.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good experience. This is the first time I saw a letter of appointment so I felt oddly moved. Ah, so this is the famous letter of appointment, it¡¯s printed out and handed over.¡± ¡°For staff changes, too, they¡¯ll hand out a notice of personnel change at the morning assembly.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Mukai¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Then, you¡¯ll be presented with a formal letter and receive it formally with both hands.¡± ¡°Haa¡­¡± Chihiro laughed out loud at Mukai¡¯s lifeless response. ¡°In the spirit of ¡®old-fashioned,¡¯ wanna grab a drink after work?¡± Taking Hata¡¯s advice about not making an enemy out of Mukai, Chihiro, thinking he¡¯d be turned down, invited him out for drinks. He used a manner of speech and gesture like the businessmen used in old dramas on TV. ¡°That sounds good.¡± Unexpectedly, Mukai readily agreed. ¡°Do you like sake? If you¡¯re interested, I¡¯ll introduce you to my usual spot.¡± Moreover, he was rather assertive. Although he hesitated, Chihiro decided that getting along well with Mukai was more of an advantage. That night, Chihiro joined Mukai at his favorite restaurant. Chihiro guessed that Mukai¡¯s favorite spot would be an elegant bar or something like a sushi bar. ¡°Sorry it¡¯s so cramped.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s really lively, huh.¡± Surprisingly, the place Mukai brought him to was an oden shop located in the underground passage. ¡°It¡¯s because the octopus and saezuri here are superb.¡± Chihiro could just about make out a man in a brownish-suit crowding the counter, a young girl, and a couple that looked like they were students. It seemed like the restaurant was affordable and delicious. In the middle of the counter was a big partition that had different kinds of oden submerged neatly in a broth. There were a la carte skewered dishes, and the fragrant scents of roasting squid and yakitori tempted your appetite. ¡°What was saezuri again?¡± ¡°Whale tongue. It¡¯s springy and tasty.¡± ¡°Ah! It¡¯s delicious!¡± The tender octopus was garnished with miso and mustard- this too was a masterpiece. The piercing taste of the oden and daikon was divine. Contrary to the shabbiness of the restaurant, the dashi used in the broth was of the highest quality and made from several kinds of seafood. ¡°You make it look so appetizing, Minami-san.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cuz it¡¯s so good.¡± Mukai¡¯s sake cup was filled to the brim. It seemed like he was quite the drinker. ¡°You can really hold your alcohol, huh.¡± ¡°It¡¯s genetic. My relatives run a winery and my parents are both heavy drinkers. How about you, Minami-san? Are you the kind that shows it on their face?¡± ¡°Ah, am I red?¡± ¡°Just a little. It¡¯s cute.¡± ¡°¡­cute he says.¡± Chihiro could sense that Mukai was casually trying to shorten the distance between them as colleagues of the same age. Well he¡¯s not a bad guy, Chihiro thought to himself while rubbing his cheeks. ¡°About the Sales Department meeting the day after tomorrow¡­¡± After having his fill of the mochi kinchaku and saezuri that Mukai had recommended, it was time to talk business. ¡°This is about the regular meetings?¡± ¡°Uh huh. The Sales Department meets once a month and basically each department presents their business reports. The Section Chief is in charge of compiling the data on the goods produced in-house, so it¡¯s mostly just about being present at the meeting.¡± Honestly, it made no sense to have the meetings when you could just read the reports. ¡°You think it¡¯s pointless, right?¡± ¡°No, since I haven¡¯t attended one yet, I don¡¯t know.¡± Anticipating his question, Mukai gave a wry smile. ¡°So then, our task at hand is the exhibition for the month after next?¡± ¡°Mhm. Crime Prevention Fair.¡± Focusing on the growing demand for home security cameras and alarm devices, NITTA has been developing products mostly targeted at young women living on their own. The products are lightweight and easy to install. Thanks to their stylish design, they had received more orders at last year¡¯s fair than they had expected. ¡°Hata-san is in charge of setting up the exhibition, so it¡¯s not particularly difficult.¡± At Chihiro¡¯s casual remark, Mukai paused for a moment and then replied, ¡°I see.¡± Chihiro felt a chill for a moment, wondering if it was appropriate to be so passive about their work. ¡°This year the company added color variations, right? I thought they were good choices.¡± ¡°Yeah, the natural color is especially popular.¡± Chihiro was relieved the conversation changed course. ¡°The accent color, too. The designer has really good taste. I kind of want it in my home as well. Speaking of which, Minami-san, do you live alone?¡± ¡°In an extremely small apartment.¡± ¡°Same as me.¡± Hearing Mukai referring to himself in a less formal way felt somewhat fresh.1 The conversation naturally shifted to talk about their personal lives. They even found a common interest: they were both fans of the same international SF movie. The conversation got livelier as they talked about the completion of a trilogy series. ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering nonstop why did it have to end like that, you know.¡± ¡°I was really looking forward to 7,¡± at Chihiro¡¯s grumbling, Mukai also had a faraway look in his eyes. The inside of the restaurant was hot and they were both wearing dress shirts. He¡¯d assumed that Mukai worked out, but his body was even more fit than he¡¯d imagined. As the night went on, the number of customers increased, and Mukai, asked by a customer to make some room, had squeezed in closer to Chihiro. By the time they decided to call it a night and leave the restaurant, the distance between them had shrunk considerably. ¡°Next time, please let me know your favorite spot, Minami-san.¡± ¡°Roger that~¡± While Mukai was perfectly sober, Chihiro was tipsy and in a good mood. ¡°Truly adorable.¡± Mukai absentmindedly muttered as he left the restaurant. ¡°Hm?¡± Chihiro hadn¡¯t heard clearly, but since Mukai was smiling pleasantly at him, he returned a smile. ¡°Minami-san¡­ah Chihiro, was it?¡± ¡°Hm? Mhm, Minami Chihiro. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just thought your name suits you well.¡± ¡°Haha, what da heck.¡± Mukai had taken care of the bill. In response to Chihiro¡¯s ¡®Is it enough?¡¯ Mukai had accepted only two bills from him. ¡°Well then, have a good night.¡± ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± Since they were going in different directions, they parted in front of the restaurant. Chihiro headed towards the stairs that led up and out of the underground center. As he walked up the stairs, for some reason, he looked over and saw that Mukai was watching him leave as if seeing him off. He raised his hand lightly, nodded, and started walking towards the metro ticket gate. He was courteous in all situations, or rather, he was an upright man. Of course, he probably does his job perfectly, too. Chihiro¡¯s disheartening feelings towards having to get along with a talented colleague that appeared out of nowhere did not dissipate. Nevertheless, feeling that he could make it work somehow, Chihiro enthusiastically went up the stairs. CH 3 ¡°It seems that there will be no rain today,¡± the newscaster was seemingly worried about the crop yield in the morning weather forecast. Right now, the only ones that were thankful about low rainfall were the manufacturing employees. Drinking his vegetable juice pack at the convenience store eat-in counter, Chihiro was absentmindedly watching the sky that looked like it was about to rain at any given moment. On weekdays, he usually had a foldable umbrella in his work bag, but on weekends he always ended up forgetting about it. There was only a 30% chance of precipitation today, but if it did end up raining, it seemed like it would be light rainfall. While checking the weather radar app on his phone, Chihiro thought to himself offhandedly, ¡°I¡¯m like this now, too.¡± Even though it was a Sunday, he had no motivation. He had finished most of his chores, dropped off his dry-cleaning, and had extra time leftover. So now he was at a convenience store, resting his chin on his hands. Last week, the second day of the Crime Prevention Fair Exhibition had ended. During just those two days, inquiries about their products came in nonstop, and even the Sales Department was shocked, wondering what happened. Mukai had been in charge of the exhibition. The booth preparations and other various arrangements had already been completed under Hata¡¯s initiative. Afterwards, Mukai took over while Hata naturally went around to assist. ¡°Mid-career recruitment isn¡¯t just talk, huh?¡± Having heard that kind of opinion, Chihiro had mixed feelings. What Mukai did wasn¡¯t really anything all that special or shocking. He didn¡¯t even have the time for it. He just polished everything little by little, got approval from Sales, and managed a few business SNS accounts. ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s a pro at social media.¡± Hata had said it like that, but Mukai¡¯s explanation was that he just happened to post the right content at the right time, nothing else. Chihiro had also seen him create a simple promotional video. As expected he¡¯s proficient, Chihiro was impressed. But somehow or other it seemed that Mukai¡¯s personal account had also been linked. However, the details remain unknown. ¡°There¡¯s probably a reason or use for it, but even if you ask him, he won¡¯t tell you.¡± Mukai was courteous as always, calling Chihiro ¡®Senpai,¡¯ and treating him in a friendly manner. On the surface, Chihiro put on a superficial attitude, putting in a nice comment like, ¡°We¡¯re saved thanks to you,¡± while he could barely remain calm on the inside. Ever since he was young, he was the type that was good at anything he tried, so he never had any reason to feel inferior to others. Occasionally, when he¡¯d fail at something, he¡¯d feel frustration and want to win by any means possible. He was aware of this personality trait of his and even thought it was quite childish. Which was precisely why Mukai¡¯s existence alone was depressing. At least outside of work he wanted a change of mood. But his friends were all busy with their own things and he currently had no girlfriend either. He thought about moving forward with his relationship with Nanase, but even she seemed to be busy these days constantly rejecting his invitations to hang out. Moreover, it was honestly hurting his pride. Checking the time, it was already past 2 o¡¯clock. Even if he went home now, there was nothing to do there. At times like this, the best thing to do was exercise, but the gym Chihiro frequented was busy on Sunday afternoons. So that was a no-go, too. Should I go see a movie, taking his phone out to check for movie showtimes, Chihiro noticed a reminder. Occasionally, the General Affairs Department holds a seminar as part of their company training. Like most of the other employees, Chihiro usually ignored it. But Mukai had seemed interested, remarking, ¡°There are even employee benefits like this.¡± At that time, Chihiro had somehow ended up setting a reminder for the same seminar Mukai was checking out. The seminar was titled ¡°Open Innovation by Public & Private Sectors,¡± and the flyer displayed the faces of various older gentlemen. Chihiro had set the reminder for the seminar but had forgotten about it. The venue was located in a business complex that wasn¡¯t too far from where Chihiro was currently at. It also had a shopping area so it was the perfect place to kill some time. The place was pretty big, too, so there was a low chance that he would bump into Mukai. Looking up at the sky, the clouds had parted and it seemed like even the rain would wait. I¡¯ll go check it out and if it¡¯s boring, I¡¯ll just leave half-way, Chihiro thought to himself as he crushed the juice pack and got up to leave. And there, he saw something he didn¡¯t want to see. ???? The high rise business building the seminar was taking place in had the commerce area located on the middle floors. The offices and meeting rooms that were located on the upper floors could be accessed by service elevators. Despite it being a weekend, the elevator hall was full of men and women in business suits. They were all of different ages, and even though some of the younger people were dressed somewhat casually, they still wore leather shoes. Meanwhile, Chihiro, who had come dressed in jeans and sneakers, stuck out like a sore thumb. Right as he debated leaving, he suddenly noticed a tall man looking over at him. ¡°Minami-san¡± Ah, just as Chihiro thought to himself, Mukai approached him. He was wearing a grey shirt and no tie. His coat was draped over his arm. His elegant business-casual style was truly appropriate for the place, and once again, Chihiro felt his own student-like getup embarrassing. On top of that, Mukai was there with someone. Nanase. He was startled when he realized. ¡°Minami-san, you came to the seminar, too?¡± ¡°Ah, no, I¡¯m just doing some shopping. I got off on the wrong floor.¡± Nanase was also visibly agitated. Naturally so, since Chihiro had invited her out today but she had turned him down saying she didn¡¯t feel well. ¡°Oh, you came together with Nanase-san?¡± Chihiro pretended like he had just noticed. His pride wouldn¡¯t let him show his anger on his face. However, no person would be able to let it go as if nothing at all had happened. ¡°When did you two become so close?¡± Chihiro asked particularly cheerfully. ¡°No, we just met by chance.¡± Mukai replied, having noticed nothing. ¡°When I stopped by the General Affairs Office to ask the lecturer a question, I happened to bump into Nanase-san. Since she was also attending the seminar, she proposed we go together.¡± ¡°Hm, I see.¡± Chihiro gave Nanase a knowing look. Nanase awkwardly averted her gaze. It was obvious that Nanase accompanied Mukai with that kind of intention. Realizing that, Chihiro felt an indescribable annoyance and fell into silence. At the unnatural silence, Mukai looked from one to the other with a confused expression. ¡°Bye then.¡± Hearing the clunking sound of the elevator arriving, Chihiro turned around to leave. It¡¯s not like he and Nanase were dating anyways. It¡¯s just that, under a tacit understanding, they were enjoying a more-than-friends-but-less-than-lovers relationship. Even so, the humiliation of losing to someone like Mukai made him feel sick. Above all, the fact that Nanase lied to him about not feeling well enough to meet hurt his pride the most. It¡¯s not that he had never been dumped before by his previous girlfriends. But back then, Chihiro had also gotten bored of the relationship or found another girl who caught his attention. This was the first time he experienced this kind of slap to the face and he was in shock. The escalator was steadily moving down. As he descended from the flock of suit-clad people, to the high-brand fashion floor, down to the bustling casual shops, Chihiro felt like his worth was also plummeting. He became furious with Mukai for making him feel like this. Mukai had probably seen through Chihiro and Nanase¡¯s relationship. His eyes had widened and showed a slightly bewildered expression. That almost sympathetic expression on his face further irritated Chihiro. I¡¯m gonna submit a transfer request. While blindly weaving through the crowd of people, Chihiro made a sudden decision. At least half of his fellow colleagues had already experienced reassignment. He was rather comfortable with his current position so he hadn¡¯t planned on requesting a transfer, but he had always thought that maybe at some point he would. Even though he was not yet due for any promotions, transfering would be advantageous for strengthening personal connections within the company. This was a good opportunity. Timing-wise, his request would probably be accepted if he sent it in. I¡¯ll discuss it at the next career interview. While reflecting on it, his mood cleared a little, and he finally slowed down his walking speed. As he exited the building, a few small raindrops were falling, but it held out until he reached the station. ???? Be that as it may, he had to get along with Mukai for the time being. On Monday, Chihiro put his feelings behind him and went to work. ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡°Morning. How was the seminar yesterday?¡± Returning a greeting to Mukai who was always the first one in, Chihiro inquired offhandedly. Mukai, also acting like nothing happened, replied, ¡°It was tolerable.¡± More than two months had passed since he started working with Mukai. While Chihiro treated him as a coworker, Mukai still treated Chihiro as a superior. If one were to say it¡¯s awkward, it was indeed awkward, but Mukai¡¯s whole existence was uncomfortable for Chihiro, so he just decided to not think too deeply about it. ¡°Mukai-kun, you really are diligent, huh. I should follow suit, too.¡± ¡°Would you like to go together next time, Minami-san?¡± Sure enough, Mukai was not a bad person. Chihiro didn¡¯t know what happened afterwards with Nanase, but even after guessing the delicate situation between himself and Nanase , Mukai was acting as if he hadn¡¯t noticed anything at all. Maybe he was secretly amused on the inside, but he was considerate enough to not show it. ¡°Uh huh, invite me next time.¡± ¡°Is it really okay?¡± He had just said it to be polite, but Mukai had a strangely positive response. ¡°Depends on the topic though.¡± ¡°I will invite you! Seeing Minami-san in casual clothes, you looked really young, I was surprised.¡± Mukai narrowed his eyes as if just remembering. ¡°Letting your hair down also really suits you.¡± At Mukai¡¯s strange compliments, Chihiro bitterly thought to himself, I wonder if he¡¯s being nice because of the Nanase incident. Admittedly, Mukai was more of a catch and had nothing to worry about, the self-abasing thought crossed Chihiro¡¯s mind. No matter how deep he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t think of anything positive. Chihiro changed his train of thought. ¡°About today¡¯s meeting with the Development Department¡­¡± Upon arriving at his desk, Mukai, who was sat next to him, turned the tablet display to Chihiro. ¡°I¡¯ve compiled the questionnaire from the previous exhibition, and I¡¯ll submit this.¡± ¡°Mn, understood.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll get a reply today for the request I put together with the feedback, so let¡¯s decide on a course of action for the next sales promotion ahead of time.¡± Chihiro was finally getting a little bit used to Mukai¡¯s working speed. Up until now, matters that took two round trips to resolve, Mukai would handle in just one trip. He¡¯d also cut down on time by informing everyone on the spot about the final decisions. As a result, the other departments also responded much faster to all matters concerning Mukai. ¡°You¡¯ve already looked over this, right? Thank you very much,¡± Mukai pointed at the pamphlet that was on his desk. He had handed it over to Chihiro earlier, asking for his input on the materials to be used for the new product development. Chihiro had left some comments on sticky notes and stuck them on the pamphlet. ¡°I don¡¯t think my opinion will be of much use though.¡± Chihiro was getting fed up with his own self-deprecating behavior. ¡°That¡¯s not the case at all.¡± Mukai gently peeled the sticky note off. He was the only one who actually valued Chihiro¡¯s opinion. Mukai was Sales Promotion. Everyone around them saw it that way. For their indoor security cameras and alarm devices, several prototypes were to be made to enhance the interior design. In addition, they were to manufacture and sell a series of keychain-alarms for cell phone use and other self-protection goods. The test sales should finish before the year is out, and the plan was to start the EC store promotion in the spring. ¡ª¡ª¡ªI¡¯m handing it all over to you, so do as you like. Thinking that it would be nice if he could say that outloud, Chihiro focused on doing his part unperturbed. ???? Between meetings, discussions, and sample checks at the factories, summer passed by in a flash. ¡°It seems the rooftop garden restaurant by the station is closing after this week,¡± in the last week of August, after a simple meeting with the younger employees of the Product Development Department, Mukai made a suggestion. ¡°Why don¡¯t we all go?¡± ¡°Oh, that sounds great!¡± In both the Product Development Department and Sales, Mukai had become someone that everyone looked up to. ¡°Let¡¯s go!~¡± ¡°Come to think of it, I¡¯ve never been to a beer garden before.¡± ¡°Minami-san, you¡¯ll come too, right?¡± Mukai went out of his way to check with Chihiro. ¡°Ah¡­Yeah, sure. I guess I¡¯ll come.¡± He hesitated for a moment, but not wanting to dampen everyone¡¯s mood, he agreed. He was reluctant to go, even though originally he was the type that didn¡¯t mind going out drinking with a large group of people. Previously, it was Chihiro that would call out to his colleagues and take the initiative to invite everyone out. He¡¯d even be the one to make all the arrangements. But ever since the day of the seminar, hating the idea of seeing Nanase, he stopped attending his colleagues¡¯ get togethers. Mukai, too, had invited him out for drinks after work a couple times, but he¡¯d make up excuses to refuse. Although he was still kind of curious as to what had happened between Nanase and Mukai, since then, he had ceased all contact with Nanase and decided he had nothing to do with her anymore. That day, they finished work early and everyone headed to the beer garden by the station. The beer garden was popular for its all-you- can-drink craft beer and wide variety of food, such as roast beef and authentic sausages that were cut on the spot. At the end of the summer, the roof of the station building was enjoying its last excitement. It wasn¡¯t really windy, and though it was humid, it was the perfect kind of weather for drinking beer. ¡°This is the second time I¡¯m drinking with you, Minami-san.¡± Mukai said, casually sitting down next to Chihiro. ¡°Sorry for always turning down your invites.¡± Chihiro had a bit of a guilty conscience for always turning him down. ¡°I apologize, too, for always inviting you when the timing was off.¡± Mukai had no worries. However, recently Chihiro had doubts whether that was really the case. Mukai was very perceptive and sharp. He probably realized that Chihiro was conflicted. Maybe he was trying to win Chihiro over because he didn¡¯t like being hated? Or maybe deep down, he was actually ridiculing him. You¡¯re going to get exhausted reading too much into everything like this, Chihiro thought to himself as he loosened the collar of his dress shirt. Mukai, who was sat next to him, for some reason, averted his eyes in a fluster. ¡°What¡¯s with you, Minami, you¡¯re so quiet today!¡± After chatting with everyone for a while, the Product Development leader sitting across from them, suddenly noticing them, asked half-jokingly. Whenever Mukai was there, Chihiro would unconsciously clam up. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I think I¡¯m just a little unwell from the summer heat.¡± ¡°Then you have to eat!¡± One of the girls from Product Development that was sitting across from Mukai put some roast beef on a plate and placed it right in front of Chihiro. Yanagawa was two years Chihiro¡¯s junior and was a very considerate and caring girl. Incidentally, both her and Nanase had attended the same university. He¡¯d heard from Nanase once that because of that, they often had girls-only gatherings. ¡°You know, about Mukai-kun, I wonder if he has a girlfriend.¡± Just as Mukai had left his seat, Chihiro, feigning interest, quietly asked Yanagawa. After all, he was still curious about what happened between him and Nanase. Even if he didn¡¯t ask about them directly, he could guess from Yanagawa¡¯s reaction since she knew them both. However, Yanagawa gave a completely unexpected reply. ¡°Aah~ Mukai-san? It seems that guy has no interest in women.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± There was no one around the two of them as most people got up to go wash their hands or get more food. Even so, Yanagawa lowered her voice. ¡°The other day, when I went out for lunch, we met by chance. I casually asked him if he had a girlfriend and that was how he responded.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Who knows. I don¡¯t know either,¡± Yanagawa shrugged. Just as Chihiro was thinking to himself that maybe Mukai was not interested in dating currently because he was busy at work, Yanagawa got a strange expression on her face. ¡°I was just making idle talk, but he retorted with, ¡®How are you asking such private things these days?¡¯ and it was so awkward.¡± Mukai was highly respected in both sales, product development, and even here. On top of being really good at his job, he always had a gentle manner about him and was easy to get along with. Chihiro thought that everyone had a favorable opinion about him. But, it seemed that Yanagawa was a bit different. ¡°At first glance, Mukai-san seems like a friendly person, but once the camera is off, there¡¯s an intimidating part to him. If he was originally a strict person, I would just think that he is that kind of person. But if you look at him closely, he¡¯s the kind of person whose eyes are never smiling. I¡¯m not really good with those kinds of people.¡± ¡°Oh really¡­? I see.¡± While listening to Yanagawa talk, Chihiro tilted his head at the information he just heard. Yanagawa¡¯s opinion of Mukai was unexpected. But more than that¡­ He had no interest in women¡­? Chihiro didn¡¯t understand the nuance, but Yanagawa didn¡¯t seem to be able to figure it out either. Chihiro thought it reasonable that Mukai probably meant that he just wanted to focus on work right now. But Yanagawa didn¡¯t seem to think so, and Mukai was someone who spoke quite straightforwardly. If taken literally then, Chihiro thought to himself. ¡­.that guy, was he gay? Right as Chihiro startled himself with that revelation, Mukai returned to his seat. ¡°Minami-san, if you¡¯d like, please eat this.¡± ¡°Ah, thanks.¡± Mukai smiled pleasantly as he placed a plate of beautifully arranged salami and olives in front of Chihiro. Chihiro felt shaken for no reason. Yanagawa turned to talk to the girl in the next seat who came back from the buffet area. The Product Development leader and other coworkers had also gone to get more food or went out for a smoke. ¡°About the summer heat fatigue, are you alright?¡± Chihiro felt a little flustered now that it was just the two of them talking. Even though at work it was mostly just the two of them, Chihiro didn¡¯t see the point in panicking now. He forced a smile. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. The weather¡¯s cooling down anyways.¡± ¡°But you look like you¡¯ve lost some weight.¡± Mukai said while closely observing Chihiro¡¯s body. Chihiro suddenly felt a chill on his nape. ¡°Your shoulders are getting thinner.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Please eat this, too, if you¡¯d like.¡± Mukai placed an olive and cheese skewer on Chihiro¡¯s plate. ¡°They also have wine. Should I bring you some?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll go get it myself.¡± Chihiro unconsciously touched his unbuttoned collar. This time, Mukai didn¡¯t avert his eyes. He started at Chihiro¡¯s fingertips nonchalantly. It was at that moment that Chihiro realized. ¡ª¡ª¡ªIs Mukai perhaps looking at me ¡°in that sense¡±? CH 4 So far, Chihiro tried not to be too conscious of Mukai even when they were occupying the same space. Despite having drawn the attention of a perfect and capable man, it still made him feel inferior. But whenever he thought to himself ¡®what if?¡¯ and snuck a glance at Mukai, he realized that Mukai was often looking in his direction. When Chihiro was absentmindedly drinking coffee in the break room, or when he was stopped by his boss and they stood in the hall chatting, Mukai would be staring at Chihiro from a short distance away. Even so, Chihiro was still skeptical. It was obvious that he was being watched, but there must be a different reason for it. It was bothering him, but it wasn¡¯t like he could just ask him directly, ¡®Why are you watching me?¡¯ If Mukai replied with ¡®What are you talking about?¡¯ it would be over for him. As he contemplated whether he was just being conceited or not, the standards for the new products had been decided, and the sales promotion schedule was released. Before realizing, it had already turned into autumn. ¡°Ah, damn it.¡± That day, while receiving the deliveries from the print shop, Chihiro involuntarily raised his voice. ¡°Suzuki-san is off today and tomorrow.¡± He usually asked the part-time student to take care of the invitations for the store. He had forgotten that he had requested the days off due to an emergency. ¡°I wanted to have it done by tomorrow, should I do it now¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a hand.¡± Mukai rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt and sat down in the seat diagonally across from Chihiro. It was already past closing time and even the lights were dimmed on the other side of the office. ¡°Then, can I ask you to seal these?¡± Chihiro wanted to turn his offer down but that would have felt too unnatural. He spread the invitations and envelopes on the desk. ¡°Regarding the promotions for the EC store, I apologize for being so pushy with it.¡± As soon as they divided the tasks and got down to it, Mukai earnestly apologized. It was about today¡¯s meeting with the Sales Department. ¡°You weren¡¯t particularly pushy or anything. Aside from Kishino-san, everyone else was pretty optimistic.¡± Any objections to the promotional development proposed by Mukai were mainly a matter of budget, and Mukai had silenced them by providing detailed cost-effective data. There seemed to be some people in the Sales Department that found Mukai a nuisance but beyond that, no one wanted to make an enemy out of him. With each passing day, Mukai¡¯s presence spread more and more around the company, while Chihiro felt like his own reason for being was fading. I want to transfer to another department ASAP. Competing when you¡¯re at a disadvantage will only consume you, Chihiro thought while eagerly waiting for the next career interview. ¡°Even so, I was prepared to wait a while for them to make a decision, but it¡¯s even longer than I expected,¡± Mukai said in a subtle tone of disgust and admiration. At that, Chihiro unintentionally let out a laugh. ¡°That¡¯s corporate culture for you.¡± That was the flip side of reliable and stable. Whenever Chihiro laughed, Mukai blinked. This was also something that Chihiro had noticed recently. Mukai would always blink when Chihiro laughed. He himself was probably not even aware of it. And once again, at that kind of reaction from Mukai, Chihiro would feel uneasy. ¡°Is it gonna be much longer?¡± An employee from the Development Department peeked out from behind the office plant. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, just a bit longer.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll only turn off the lights over here. I¡¯ll be heading out first!~¡± It was just past eight p.m., but with no people in the office, it felt like it was the middle of the night. The sound of rustling paper, creaking chairs, and other trivial noises that normally went unnoticed lingered in Chihiro¡¯s ears. ¡°Ah!¡± Wanting to finish work quickly, Chihiro tried to take out a bundle of papers from the bag and ended up getting a paper cut. ¡°Are you alright?¡± A sharp pain shot through his finger and blood immediately started to ooze out. He quickly put his finger to his mouth so that it wouldn¡¯t bleed all over the papers. ¡°Sorry, can you hand me a tissue?¡± ¡°Here,¡± Mukai grabbed a tissue from the tissue box that was on top of the steel rack. Chihiro tried to suppress the blood with the tissue, but it was too thin and soon enough the tissue was dyed red. It seemed like he cut himself deeper than he initially thought. ¡°You probably don¡¯t have a band-aid or something?¡± ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± The desk that Mukai mainly used was the one that was next to Chihiro¡¯s. Mukai, who was sitting diagonally across from Chihiro, got up and came around. Chihiro felt nervous for no reason at Mukai coming so close right next to him. ¡°The other day, Miki-san was troubled by a blister on her foot, so I dropped by the convenience store and got some band-aids. The rest should be here somewhere¡­¡± Mukai opened the drawer and started searching. As he was searching, the tray with all the writing utensils shifted and Chihiro noticed some sticky notes with memos under it. There were many sheets piled up, and the reason they looked familiar to Chihiro was because these were the sticky notes he had written. Chihiro had received the oval shaped sticky notes as a complimentary gift. He had used them to write his thoughts on the sample products and any messages from their vendors, and then had passed them over to Mukai. That distinctive shape¡­ there¡¯s no mistake, these are all mine. It wasn¡¯t just one sticky note, but quite a lot had accumulated. Why are there so many, why in this kind of place¡­.? Just as Chihiro tried to look more closely, Mukai suddenly grabbed his wrist. ¡°¡­¡± Mukai was staring at Chihiro in silence. Chihiro felt his back reflexively stiffen. ¡°I found it.¡± Mukai closed the drawer with his other hand. The yellow and blue sticky notes disappeared from Chihiro¡¯s field of vision. ¡°Th-thanks¡­.¡± Mukai took off the tissue and wrapped his finger in the band-aid. Chihiro¡¯s heartbeat sped up at the movement of their touching hands and fingers. ¡°Sorry, thanks,¡± Chihiro said deliberately lightly and sat back down in his seat. He couldn¡¯t get the sticky notes in the drawer out of his head. They were just memos. Something he hastily wrote and then you would throw away after reading. Why were they there, as if hidden¡­. Mukai slowly returned to his previous spot. The chair creaked and when Chihiro raised his head to say something, Mukai suddenly let out a sigh. Chihiro was startled. Their eyes met and Mukai smiled bitterly. Seeing Mukai¡¯s chagrined expression as if asking ¡®Have you finally figured it out?¡¯ Chihiro¡¯s heart pounded violently. ¡°Did it stop? The bleeding.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah. Thanks.¡± There was a hint of resignation in his weak tone of voice. Mukai let out a small sigh at Chihiro¡¯s shrill voice. His eyes were slightly trembling. At that reaction that didn¡¯t seem like Mukai, Chihiro felt a strange feeling welling up bit by bit. It seems like Mukai likes me after all. Surprise and bewilderment, and then this tingling, exhilarating feeling. Which was, if you could find the closest word for it- a feeling of triumph. ¡°I¡¯ll finish up the rest.¡± Mukai lowered his eyes and said vacantly. It had a nuance of, ¡®you probably find it unpleasant, working just the two of us.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s fine. Plus I¡¯m the one that¡¯s receiving your help.¡± Hearing Chihiro reply in the same way as before, Mukai blinked. ¡°Let¡¯s wrap this up quickly.¡± He could tell that Mukai was relieved. His attitude alone could stir up Mukai¡¯s emotions. He was still half in doubt, but at least it didn¡¯t seem like Mukai was teasing him or playing a joke on him. Chihiro¡¯s head was a mess. It¡¯s a lie. But what if ¡­? No way¡­ Anyways, it felt really weird. ???? Relationships were something that could change from even the slightest thing. It might seem conceited, but the instant that Chihiro realized that Mukai might be interested in him, a sense of satisfaction was born in him. ¡°Minami-san, has something good happened recently~¡± When Hata asked him that, Chihiro felt himself blush deep down. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°You just seem to be in a really good mood. Well, not that you¡¯re in a bad mood at other times.¡± After the meeting with the Sales Department, they were on their way to the meeting room to have a briefing session for the promotional work. Mukai was following along a few feet back while talking with Hata¡¯s junior that had joined them. About a month had passed since that night they worked overtime. On the surface, nothing had changed in particular, but whenever Chihiro interacted with Mukai, he couldn¡¯t help but observe him carefully, wondering whether Mukai really did like him. Mukai, who had noticed, would smile faintly. And every time Chihiro touched the sweetness of self-deprecation in that bitter smile that was saying ¡®That¡¯s right,¡¯ he would be surprised. It really is true. While surprised, he relished in the victory. Feeling victorious about such a thing, even he felt that it was childish. But when Hata had pointed out that he seemed to be in a good mood, he felt embarrassed. ¡°The EC store is also doing well. Perhaps, do you have a good feeling about the assessment for the second half of the year?¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Chihiro laughed it off to deceive him, but he had a good feeling about the transfer request he put in at yesterday¡¯s career interview. In February, the company had their annual staff reassignment, so if all turned out well, there should be an unofficial announcement released before the year was out. ¡°Then once again, I look forward to working with you.¡± Arriving in the meeting room, Chihiro greeted Hata¡¯s junior before sitting down in his seat. Hata¡¯s junior, who had just joined the company this year, had tensely handed out his business card and introduced himself as Niwa Kensuke. He was of a small stature and seemed meek, but Hata had a high opinion of him saying he had guts. ¡°As you may have heard from Hata-san, the actual leader of this project is Mukai-kun. So please think of me as a backup.¡± Chihiro said with a smile. The promotion this time was in line with the full-scale operation of the EC store. Mukai had made the presentation and gotten approval for the budget. Mukai had taken the lead in everything, but Chihiro was made the leader. He felt conflicted about it, but they had no choice but to divide the work evenly. ¡°To be able to work together with Mukai-san, it¡¯s really an honor.¡± Niwa said, full of emotion. ¡°This guy, it seems like during his school days he once participated in a special-event club that Mukai-san was doing when he was also a student.¡± ¡°But Mukai-san was no longer there when I joined.¡± Niwa said with a feeling of deep regret and crinkled his eyes. ¡°To be able to meet like this, I¡¯m really happy.¡± ¡°Same here.¡± Like someone who was used to these kinds of situations, Mukai responded very simply. ¡°Well, shall we start then?¡± The briefing session went smoothly, but Chihiro felt a slight sense of alienation. Niwa seemed to be quite enamored with Mukai. He was trying to not show it, but his fan temperament couldn¡¯t be hidden in his speech and conduct. On the one hand, while it was funny to see, it was also annoying. Frankly, it wasn¡¯t all that entertaining. ¡°If no one has any plans after this, shall we go out for drinks? There¡¯s a restaurant close by that a friend introduced me to.¡± After the briefing ended, Hata made a lighthearted suggestion. Niwa was looking at Mukai with eyes full of expectation. Mukai automatically glanced at Chihiro. ¡°That sounds good. Let¡¯s go.¡± While Niwa was gazing at Mukai passionately, Mukai cared only about Chihiro¡¯s response. He wasn¡¯t really in the mood, but this was after all, the first get-together with Niwa. He was someone that would be working together with them for the time being. So Chihiro accepted the invite with good grace. ¡°Then let¡¯s meet in the lobby.¡± The two parted by the elevator, and Chihiro and Mukai returned to the office for the time being. ¡°Ah, Minami-kun.¡± Just as he was about to head to the lobby after getting ready to leave, the head of HR, who he had just had his career interview with the other day, called out his name. ¡°About yesterday¡¯s matter, I sent it to upper management.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. I appreciate your support.¡± It was a brief exchange of words in passing, but Mukai had sharp ears and turned to glance at Chihiro. He was concerned about yesterday¡¯s matter. Chihiro feigned ignorance and headed towards the lobby. Mukai was always conscious of him in some way. While it made him feel smug, on the other hand, Chihiro couldn¡¯t help but also be suspicious. Why me? From Chihiro¡¯s point of view, Mukai was a much more impressive man than him. Even if he was really gay, Chihiro couldn¡¯t understand how a man of Mukai¡¯s standing could like someone like him. Sure he was fairly popular with women, but if he was compared to Mukai, most women would choose Mukai. That¡¯s how it was with Nanase. Remembering the shock of seeing them on the day of the seminar, Chihiro once again got a vague feeling of loathing. At the restaurant bar that Hata invited them to, Niwa was full of admiration and asked Mukai about anything and everything, responding to his every move. ¡°¡®Mukai-san Mukai-san,¡¯ you should have a little restraint!¡± Hata admonished Niwa with a strained laugh. Niwa turned bright red and apologized but soon after, he was eagerly questioning Mukai once more. Mukai seemed to be accustomed to it and was casually responding, while also making conversation with Hata and Chihiro. For the first time in a long time, Chihiro remembered the expression ¡®gracious host.¡¯ Chihiro secretly thought to himself that he must have a good sense of balance. Chihiro also often heard that the atmosphere of the party or get-together was totally different when he was attending. Though that was only when it was him and his friends getting together. Mukai would definitely be able to handle business dinners with his superiors. Truly, nothing was impossible for Mukai. Despite all that, why does he like me? Chihiro¡¯s thoughts once again circled the same topic. Hata took it upon himself to pay the bill, and he and Niwa, parting with the two, were headed back to the office. After seeing the taxi carrying Hata and Niwa disappear out of sight, Chihiro glanced at his watch. It was still eight o¡¯clock. If this was their normal routine, Chihiro would have invited Mukai out for another drink, but he was hesitating. ¡°If you¡¯d like, why don¡¯t we go drinking for a bit longer?¡± As if seeing through Chihiro¡¯s hesitation, Mukai invited him. Startled, as Chihiro looked at Mukai, he was looking back at Chihiro with a slightly defiant look. ¡°Even if I invite you, I can never get the timing right.¡± It was true that every time he had asked, Chihiro had made up some perfunctory excuse and declined, but at Mukai¡¯s teasing tone, he was miffed. ¡°If Mukai-kun has no business to take care of, then I¡¯m in.¡± ¡°Even if I did, I wouldn¡¯t let the chance to drink together with Minami-san pass.¡± ¡°Ha? Wh-what the.¡± Hearing something so unexpected, Chihiro was startled and his voice cracked. He was annoyed at Mukai¡¯s chuckle, but there was nothing in the way that he laughed that seemed like he was ridiculing Chihiro. If anything, it honestly came across as if he was happy to be able to go drinking with Chihiro. It felt strange. ¡°Is there any place you want to go?¡± As if not wanting Chihiro to change his mind, Mukai promptly started walking, and Chihiro hurriedly followed along. ¡°Not really, anywhere is fine.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll choose a place near here.¡± For some reason, every time Mukai referred to himself using a more cocky pronoun1, Chihiro would startle. Chihiro pretended to be as calm as possible. ¡°Should we go here?¡± Mukai stopped in front of a restaurant they were passing by. The chic wooden door was accented by an iron doorknob. The concrete wall was cut into a long narrow strip, and only a portion of the inside of the restaurant was visible. It seemed like a bar. ¡°Welcome!¡± The inside of the restaurant was much deeper than it seemed. The older men and women sitting at the counter were quietly drinking wine. ¡°Just us two.¡± The waiter informed them that tables were also available, but after confirming that the counter would be preferable, Mukai naturally led Chihiro deeper into the restaurant. ¡°What do you want to drink?¡± As they sat down side by side at the counter, Mukai gazed at the beautifully displayed bottles and glasses. ¡°It seems like whiskey is their specialty.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about brand names.¡± ¡°Is it okay if I choose something?¡± Mukai consulted with the bartender and even ordered Chihiro¡¯s drink for him. The role that he took when he went on dates with women, having it done by Mukai, made him feel somewhat restless. ¡±It¡¯s better to hold back a little. Minami-san, you¡¯re a lightweight, aren¡¯t you?¡± After drinking for a while and talking about work, Mukai anxiously placed the plate of snacks in front of Chihiro. ¡°Do you want some water? Is carbonated water fine?¡± Getting the water menu, ordering seconds, Mukai did everything. He¡¯d tidy up the fallen shells of the nuts right away. When Chihiro would think to himself that he needed to wipe his hand, Mukai would naturally place a napkin next to him. It didn¡¯t feel intrusive, but instead, that he seemed to take pleasure in taking care of others. ¡°Mukai-kun, you¡¯re really attentive, huh?¡± ¡°Not really. Aah, but I am the type that wants to take care of the person I like.¡± Startled at the phrase person I like, Chihiro turned to look at Mukai. He was leaning with his elbow on the counter, head propped up, and staring back. Meeting his smiling gaze head on, Chihiro felt like he was being made fun of and got annoyed. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± After irritably taking a mouthful of whiskey, Mukai being a busybody once again, suggested he drink more water. ¡°Mukai-kun, are you dating anyone?¡± He tried this form of attack as retaliation for being made fun of. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Mukai answered plainly. ¡°Minami-san?¡± ¡°Nope, unfortunately.¡± For a moment he hesitated, but he answered truthfully. The strange mood between him and Nanase had already become clear, and lying was too shameless. Mukai¡¯s eyes were faintly shining. ¡°¡­Well then, since we¡¯re fellow singles, why don¡¯t we go drinking together occasionally?¡± Mukai grabbed his glass and said offhandedly. But, Chihiro noticed the fingertips that were holding the glass were full of force. ¡°Sounds good.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Next time I¡¯ll invite you.¡± Mukai suddenly laughed. His eyes were knowing, doubting that Chihiro had any intention to invite him. ¡°I will also invite you.¡± It felt as if Mukai was saying he wouldn¡¯t let him get away. Chihiro felt a chill. The fact that he didn¡¯t find that unpleasant was probably because he was already drunk before even realizing. ¡°Am I red?¡± He was suddenly feeling self-conscious about being drunk. ¡°I can¡¯t tell because it¡¯s too dark in here.¡± As he rubbed his cheek, Mukai let out a chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re really good at drinking, Mukai-kun. I¡¯m jealous.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to get drunk though. Back during my school years, I¡¯d be the one to apologize on behalf of my drunk friends making a scene. Taking my dead-drunk friends home. I only got the short end of the stick.¡± Chihiro let out a laugh at Mukai¡¯s strange lamenting. As if drawn in, Mukai also laughed with him. ¡°Hey, do you think it¡¯s okay to drink a highball?¡± Finally feeling completely at ease, Chihiro asked the question he had a hard time voicing. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Because, it might be seen as unconventional.¡± Chihiro felt pressured by the concern that good whiskey should be enjoyed either straight or on the rocks, and adding water also depended on the brand. Mukai laughed, ¡°That¡¯s definitely not the case.¡± Mukai immediately signaled to the bartender. ¡°Should I also order some more smoked cheese?¡± ¡°Uh huh.¡± Chihiro gazed at Mukai who was ordering a highball on his behalf, and drunkenly thought to himself that having someone else take the lead was nice. ¡°That reminds me, Minami-san, earlier you said something about the career interview. What was that about?¡± Mukai asked as if just remembering. It hasn¡¯t been long since Mukai started working here, so he was not yet eligible to transfer. It seemed like he was curious about earlier today when Chihiro was talking to HR in the hallway. ¡°All sorts of things depending on the department. Asking if there has been any power harassment from the bosses or if anyone has been coerced into doing unreasonable tasks and such. And if there was, they would do an investigation.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Hiding the fact that he submitted a transfer request, Chihiro roughly explained to Mukai, and he listened with rapt attention. Mukai was good at listening to people. Just like that, the conversation turned to talk about work, and then complaints about the blockbuster sci-fi movie series they had previously criticized together, and time passed while they were laughing. After having switched to highballs, drinking became easier, and before Chihiro noticed, he had drunk quite a lot. ¡°We have work tomorrow, so shall we get going soon?¡± At Mukai¡¯s suggestion, Chihiro looked at his wrist watch and was surprised to see that three hours had passed. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Exiting the restaurant, his legs suddenly wobbled. As usual, Mukai had gotten the check, and when Chihiro had held up the money like playing cards asking if he had enough, Mukai had laughed and grabbed a few bills from him. In a perfectly good mood, he headed towards the station as Mukai told him to walk straight. ¡°Mukai-kun, you¡¯re really reliable~¡± ¡°I have a responsibility since I let you drink too much. It would have been good if I had you drinking highballs from the start.¡± He said the second part to himself, and then apologized. ¡°Saying it like that, kinda pisses me off. Aren¡¯t you looking down on me because you¡¯re a strong drinker?¡± Completely letting his guard down around Mukai and talking like he was picking a fight, Mukai let out a laugh. ¡°I am not. I was only thinking that Minami-san was a little stronger. I¡¯m a heavy drinker and I don¡¯t really know my limits.¡± ¡°Sounds nice, being good at drinking.¡± They were knowingly going back and forth pointlessly, but this kind of uncomplicated and frank conversation was precisely why he got along well with Mukai. He could barely feel any sensation in his legs and was having fun feeling breezy. ¡°I want to take you home, but I¡¯ll restrain myself.¡± ¡°Hm? Aah, thanks.¡± Before long, they arrived at the taxi stand in front of the station. There was still time until the last train, but looking at Chihiro¡¯s state, it seemed that Mukai concluded a taxi was the safer choice. ¡°This, please drink it when you arrive home.¡± After Chihiro got into the backseat, Mukai handed him a convenience store bag. On the way to the station, Mukai had asked him to wait for a moment and entered a convenience store. It was to buy this? Chihiro peeked inside the bag and saw hangover medicine and a hydrating drink. Before he could say thank you, the taxi had already driven off. ¡ª¡ª¡°I want to take you home, but I¡¯ll restrain myself.¡± He finally understood what Mukai had meant just now. Chihiro put the convenience bag on his lap and sat up properly. The neon lights outside the window were floating by. He hadn¡¯t told him clearly yet, but it seemed more and more certain that Mukai had feelings for him. Chihiro still had a lot of doubts and was confused as to how to handle it. But whatever, at any rate I¡¯m transferring soon, and it¡¯s not like Mukai is that serious about me anyways. After ultimately coming to that difficult conclusion, Chihiro leaned back in his seat. CH 5 When Chihiro was in middle school, he joined the track and field club. The track and field club had both boys and girls practicing together, and so because of that, there was an unwritten rule: dating within the club is prohibited. In that club, there was a girl in the same grade who was exceptionally beautiful and was part of the medium-to- long-distance runners group. One of Chihiro¡¯s closest friends ended up falling for the girl, and for all three years of middle school, he held onto that one-sided crush. Although the girl knew that confessing was not allowed, she still manipulated his friend. She would act coquettish or flaunt the fact that she got along well with other boys. Occasionally, she would put on a sweet face. And oftentimes, she would act selfish and test his friend¡¯s feelings. Whenever Chihiro had noticed that, he¡¯d warn his friend over and over to stop, but his friend would always insist, ¡°She can be a bit selfish, but she¡¯s really a good girl.¡± No matter how you looked at it, he was seeing her through rose-tinted glasses. Even though Chihiro had completely forgotten about that old event, the reason he had suddenly recalled it was because he realized that he himself was acting like that girl. ¡ª¡ªA girl with such a rotten personality, you¡¯re too good for her. Even though he had said that to his friend, he was acting the same way now. ¡°Mukai-kun, can I ask Niwa-kun to take care of this?¡± As soon as Chihiro called out to him, Mukai, who had been busily leafing through some documents, raised his head. This year the overtime dragged on. October came, and they once again got used to wearing their suits. ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°This. Niwa-kun seemed like he wanted to do it, so I said okay.¡± Mukai had a troubled expression on his face. But soon enough, he agreed with a reluctant, ¡°Understood.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie that Niwa wanted to handle the data processing for the publication. Enthusiastic about working with his idol Mukai Shinya, Niwa kept trying to contact him and take on all sorts of difficult tasks. Hata had apologized to Chihiro with a wry smile, but Chihiro was not particularly concerned about it now. Niwa¡¯s idol, Mukai Shinya, was interested in him. Chihiro¡¯s friend back in middle school had been the medium-to-long-distance record holder. He was a bit of a celebrity in the track and field world in that region, so whenever it was Valentine¡¯s Day season, he would receive cutely wrapped gifts even from girls from other schools. But even so, he would be used by classmates that only had their good-looks going for them. They¡¯d ask him to do the cleaning in their stead or help out with keeping records. Chihiro couldn¡¯t figure out what was so good about that girl, and even now he couldn¡¯t understand his friend¡¯s feelings. But, he did start to kind of understand the feelings of the girl that had toyed with his friend. She was always the scorekeeper at their matches. Even though the boys and girls never competed with each other directly, there might have been some mixed feelings. A classmate who could easily make it through to the prefectural tournament, but in the field of love, he wasn¡¯t able to win at all because he wasn¡¯t even able to participate in the match. He could not deny (her) selfishness. Chiriro was able to picture the convoluted feelings now. Mukai too was overlooking Chihiro¡¯s selfish behavior. There may be some restraint due to their difference in position, but Mukai was a man that originally said what should be said to anyone. He had seen Mukai arguing with the Product Development and Sales teams many times. It was true that he had a soft demeanor, but he could be quite aggressive and definitely not one to back down. But only towards Chihiro did his tolerance level of ¡®it can¡¯t be helped¡¯ become wider. Naturally, Chihiro too, tried to refrain from unsavory matters, but he wanted to draw out Mukai¡¯s concession from trivial things. He couldn¡¯t help but feel good that Mukai would treat only him sweetly. His friend had quit the club and confessed to the girl. Ultimately, he was rejected and decided to move on, but for some reason, the girl had looked more hurt, and that had left a lasting impression on Chihiro. Every time Mukai conceded and indulged Chihiro, he felt a sense of superiority along with a prick of pain. What could that mean? ¡°Oh right, there was a phone call earlier.¡± When Mukai had stepped out for a moment, Chihiro had taken a memo from the factory. ¡°Thank you.¡± Taking the sticky note memo, Mukai confirmed it and then put it in his drawer. ¡°You¡¯re not throwing it out?¡± The distance between him and Mukai had certainly shrunk, and these days, he had even taken to making these sort of almost-jokes. Mukai, aware that Chihiro was watching him, closed the drawer, ¡°It¡¯s my collection.¡± ¡°Weird hobby.¡± And the more the distance shrank, the more the relationship took on a precarious balance. ¡°Hata-san sent a demo of the promotional video, have you checked it out?¡± ¡°Mhm. I don¡¯t really have any input, so you can decide how to reply to it.¡± Answering him insincerely, Chihiro picked up his suit jacket that was on his chair. Mukai said nothing even to that kind of half hearted reply. ¡°Wakita-san called for me, so I¡¯m gonna step out for a bit.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget we have a briefing session at 3 o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll head to the meeting room after I¡¯m back!¡± It was true that he¡¯d been called by a senior employee in the Sales Department, but while it actually wasn¡¯t that urgent, Chihiro deliberately put his jacket on hurriedly. Even if he wasn¡¯t here, the promotional work that Mukai was in charge of would progress smoothly. Both the test sales and website advertisements were well received, and the sales target had also been set. It was also scheduled to be included in the mid-to-long-term business plan for the next fiscal year. If the company can establish a foothold for its own brand, it will also focus on advertising. Everyone acknowledged that Mukai would be the center of it all. ¡°Just by having created a brand under the NITTA name, he would be able to get a contract with any agency. He¡¯ll probably only be working with you for a little while longer, Minami-san~¡± That¡¯s what Hata had said a little while ago. ¡°Niwa also mentioned that, and so he¡¯s been sticking to Mukai-san¡¯s work saying he wanted to absorb a lot of things while he¡¯s still around.¡± As usual, Niwa had been proactive in his Mukai-san Mukai-san and so he was entrusted with the assistant-like duties for Mukai. Chihiro was stuck doing the simple data checks and dealing with any troubles. ¡°I might also be transferring next year.¡± ¡°Aa, it¡¯s almost time for that?¡± Hata let out a regretful sigh. ¡°We¡¯ve been working together for a long while now, it¡¯ll be lonely.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not decided yet though.¡± While laughing at Hata¡¯s hastiness, on the inside, Chihiro was mentally half-way facing his next destination. Due to issues with the number of personnel, Chihiro was assuming that his transfer destination would be the second division of sales overseas. It was supposed to be confidential information, but recently, a senpai in the second division had been casually calling out to him asking him if he was available to come help them out. That same day, after finishing up writing the meeting papers he was asked to do, Chihiro dropped by the meeting room a bit later than the scheduled time. ¡°Hata-san?¡± Chihiro hadn¡¯t needed to knock as the door was already half open. ¡°Ah, Minami-san¡± ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Hata and Niwa were standing staring at the cellphone screen. And there was no trace of Mukai. ¡°Where¡¯s Mukai-kun?¡± ¡°He just went to the Sales Department. It¡¯s a bit of a difficult situation.¡± Niwa answered in Hata¡¯s stead. Chihiro knew there was trouble from his flustered speech. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°There¡¯s news that Garden Securities is going to release security-related products,¡± Hata said as he turned his phone in Chihiro¡¯s direction. Chihiro saw the logo of a security company on the phone¡¯s screen. It seemed like it was a PDF document used for a conference. ¡°Mukai-san said that according to an acquaintance, there seemed to be development in that direction, and although he couldn¡¯t reveal the source, the information was reliable.¡± Upon closer inspection, it seemed that the documents were a record of the proceedings. The record mentioned that since their security contracts for private residences were favorable, they developed security products that make use of their knowledge so far. ¡°This¡­ it¡¯s exactly like our company¡¯s, isn¡¯t it?¡± Hata muttered in bewilderment. ¡°How is this possible?!¡± Niwa grabbed his head exaggeratedly. If it was a rival company, the sales and material management departments for instance would have noticed, but the security company was in a totally different field. Thinking that far, Chihiro was startled. Mukai had shown him a new method that could predict new products and services by quantifying the number of advertisements placed on different media and their trends. So Chihiro was in charge of the data management as instructed. Every day, he would input the numbers from the same website into an analysis spreadsheet program that Mukai had created. The repetitive job of inputting the data of business jargon he barely even understood quickly became a force of habit. No one on the team had scrutinized the data, so he had accumulated a few day¡¯s worth of data and then entered it into the program. Chihiro had a bad feeling and checked his own phone. Looking at the last update date, it had been neglected for more than three weeks. But, the page showed that someone else had inspected the account. When he went to update, he saw there was data in the number columns that should have been blank. The data that Chihiro had neglected, someone was inputting it on his behalf. At the same time, the word CAUTION was flashing on and off in red letters in the top right corner. The only people who could access this page were the project members, and the one who had an M as the viewer profile was Mukai. No way, Chihiro suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck. Did they fail to catch the important information because of his neglect in inputting the analysis data¡­? ¡°I¡¯m sorry to keep you waiting.¡± With a bustle of multiple footsteps, Mukai and some sales employees entered the meeting room. ¡°We just got the information. As expected, they are planning a large-scale promotion for house-hold security products. The preparations for year-end television commercials and advertisements in the train stations have also been completed.¡± Mukai reported the information to Hata and Niwa in a stiff voice. ¡°It¡¯s the worst possible timing,¡± The senior from sales that came along with Mukai groaned as he folded his arms. ¡°Depending on the circumstances, we might need to have a talk with the production management department.¡± ¡°The section chief is currently in the middle of a business trip, but as soon as we get in contact with him, we¡¯ll discuss remedial measures.¡± It seemed that Mukai brought in a salesperson who was related to promotions for that purpose. Seeing Chihiro with his phone in his hand, a complex emotion swam in Mukai¡¯s eyes. So it really was like that, Chihiro was stunned. ¡°This is beyond anyone¡¯s control. It is no one¡¯s fault.¡± At the grave mood, the sales senior employee patted Mukai on the shoulder as if encouraging him. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s switch it up. Once in a while, unfortunate things like this happen during this time, but a new chance will arrive afterwards.¡± In order to prevent that ¡®unfortunate thing¡¯ from happening, Mukai had taken proper countermeasures. If Chihiro hadn¡¯t been lazy, they would have been able to catch the news much earlier. No, it¡¯s the same either way. What difference would it have made to find out three weeks early? Thinking about it, Chihiro knew it was an excuse. Self-preservation and regret, feelings of guilt, and above all, intense self-loathing made Chihiro¡¯s breathing turn shallow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but until a course of action has been decided, please give us more time,¡± Mukai bowed his head and said to Hata and Niwa. While watching the scene in a daze, with no logical reason, Chihiro once again remembered his friend from middle school. His friend had quit the club, confessed, gotten rejected, and had drawn a line on his feelings. At that time, it was Chihiro who called the girl at the request of his friend. He waited a little further away, thinking that it would be better if he stopped him. But his friend came back with a strangely refreshed look and said, ¡°I was rejected after all.¡± ¡°She said she would date me if I say what her best time is in the 1500 meters, but I refused.¡± Having no way of knowing that, his friend smiled bitterly. Even though she was the one that had rejected him, Chihiro recalled the girl¡¯s hurt expression at this point. While Chihiro did think it was terrible that his friend didn¡¯t even know the best time of the girl he was interested in, nevertheless, he was unable to sympathize with the girl who was toying around with a guy that liked her. One was as bad as the other, and after that, Chihiro had cut off all contact with that friend. He felt something bitter welling up in his throat. He had been cutting corners, unconcerned, since he would be transferring soon anyways. He had felt a strange sense of victory that Mukai had let it all go. Because Mukai was sweet only to him. He would never be demanding with him. And this was the result of him acting like a stupid middle schooler. CH 6 Even though NITTA was well-known in the business world, for a long time they had focused only on contract manufacturing. They were no match for the famous Garden Securities that had notoriety as a security company. Furthermore, they had paired with a major distributor and even their budget scale was on another level. ¡°We will get more publicity about the entire personal security system through Garden Securities¡¯ promotions, and we will go in the direction of that trend.¡± After a hurried discussion, Mukai decided on a big change of course. They made as many amendments as they could, set forth a precise target, and adjusted the publication time for the most profitable period. Hata and Mukai worked together to deal with it, and Niwa frantically supported them, doing all he could to help out. During that time, Chihiro could do almost nothing. Somehow, these several years, even though he had been responsible for the sales promotion department all on his own, looking at the situation now, he was keenly aware of how complacent he had become in the position of a client and done nothing. Insufficient study was his specialty. ???? A month had passed in the blink of an eye, and by the next month, the matter was almost settled. The initial sales target was not met, and the production management department was forced to make changes to their system. The salvation was that the early adjustment was successful, and the damage was kept to a minimum. And then, Mukai decided to resign. When Chihiro heard that Mukai wanted to take responsibility for not being able to raise enough profit to match the promotion cost, he felt his blood run cold. ¡°It seems that the sales subcommittee felt that the external factors were too great this time and they sympathized with the situation. Most of HR also decided to let this matter pass, you know.¡± By the time Chihiro heard this from a senior in sales, it was just before their extended year-end vacation. He had finished his lunch quickly, and on his way back to the office, a senior that he chatted with often called out to him. This was the first time he heard about Mukai resigning. ¡°You haven¡¯t heard anything?¡± Even though it was Chihiro whose complexion changed, the senior was the one that was more surprised. He saw Mukai at work every day and yet he didn¡¯t know anything about this. Day after day, they were busy and had no time to talk slowly, but even so, Chihiro thought he should have said a word or two if he was thinking about resigning. ¡°Mukai-kun¡± That day, Mukai was out of the office for half the day. As soon as Chihiro noticed Mukai had returned, he instinctively called out to him. ¡°I heard about your resignation plans today from Nishihashi-san in sales.¡± Mukai¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was planning to talk to you about it by tomorrow.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to get results even though I was a mid-career-hire. It¡¯s natural that I should quit.¡± Mukai replied indifferently. ¡°I apologize for the inconvenience my sudden resignation will cause. But I will make sure to settle this problem and take responsibility for it.¡± ¡°Can we talk for a minute?¡± Mukai hesitated for a moment, but when Chihiro headed for the meeting room, he silently followed. ¡°It¡¯s my fault, isn¡¯t it?¡± When it was just the two of them in the small room, Chihiro was unable to hold back and finally broke the ice. ¡°I skipped out on inputting the analysis data and we were too late in receiving the information about Garden Securities, right?¡± It had been weighing on his mind this whole time, but he hadn¡¯t been able to confirm it directly. Mukai was silent, but that in itself was an answer. Filled with self-loathing, Chihiro couldn¡¯t take it anymore and hung his head. ¡°Apologizing at this stage won¡¯t change anything but,¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Minami-san.¡± Chihiro felt that Mukai was smiling gently. ¡°It¡¯s true that if we had noticed it much faster, we could have settled the matter without the clumsy retreat, but that included is my responsibility.¡± ¡°Why? I¡¯m the one at fault. If anyone should quit because of this matter, it should be me.¡± ¡°What are you going to do if you quit, Minami-san?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Unconsciously lifting his head, he met Mukai¡¯s gaze straight on. Leaning on the long table, Mukai loosened his tie and took a deep breath. ¡°I have a number of new jobs lined up, but for you, there is no place where you can move to with better treatment than here.¡± Chihiro wasn¡¯t able to understand the meaning of those words right away. ¡°For someone like Minami-san, it would be sensible to stay and be protected by the company you joined as a new graduate.¡±1 The corner of Mukai¡¯s lips lifted tightly. At his cynical smile, Chihiro realized he was being looked down on and his face burned with anger. Mukai¡¯s eyes were full of defiance. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m still the one that should take responsibility after all. It¡¯s ridiculous to not say what you should say just because you fell in love. It¡¯s natural that I should accept the consequences of mixing public and private matters.¡± Fell in love¡­ being told clearly, Chihiro was taken aback. Mukai laughed scornfully and gave Chihiro a look that was saying As if you didn¡¯t already know. Being glared at by those intense eyes, Chihiro felt a chill on the back of his neck. ¡°I¡¯m gay, and someone like you, Minami-san, is exactly my type. From a long time ago, I¡¯ve always been weak to yapping puppies with bad personalities.¡± ¡°What¡­are you saying¡­¡± Chihiro flinched at Mukai¡¯s harsh words. Mukai, who had always been gentle and easygoing. Mukai got up from the long table he was leaning on. The table¡¯s legs made a loud bang. ¡°A pushover and petty, and even though you can¡¯t really do much work, your conceitedness is insanely cute. When I realized I fell for you, I worried about each and every little thing¡­and before I noticed it, I was truly in too deep.¡± As Mukai approached him, Chihiro instinctively took a step back. ¡°¡­Well, I can¡¯t do much work either.¡± The corner of Mukai¡¯s lips twisted and he laughed. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m that bad?¡± Before Chihiro could respond, Mukai grabbed his arm. Not allowing him to run away, Mukai grabbed Chihiro¡¯s chin with his other hand. Just as he thought huh, he was kissed. Chihiro¡¯s face was slanted sideways and Mukai pressed his lips against Chihiro¡¯s. Just as he opened his mouth from the shock, Mukai¡¯s tongue pressed in. Mukai¡¯s hand that was holding his arm was full of strength, and he pulled Chihiro towards himself. While his thoughts were a mess, unable to make heads or tails of the situation, his tongue was forcefully sucked and drawn into Mukai¡¯s mouth. Mukai nipped his tongue playfully and licked his lips. Shaken up by the intense kiss, Chihiro wasn¡¯t even able to resist and let himself be kissed. ¡°Nn©¥©¥¡± It became difficult to breathe, and he tried to push Mukai¡¯s hand away. But Mukai did not budge. He grabbed the back of Chihiro¡¯s head and sucked on his tongue even more forcefully. ¡°©¥©¥s, ¡­¡­Nn¡± Just as it had begun, the kiss ended abruptly. With a wet sound, Mukai¡¯s lips separated from his. A thread of saliva wet his lips. Chihiro¡¯s heart was thumping violently. He was refusing to let his brain acknowledge what had just happened. ¡°Wha©¥©¥ what¡­¡± Mukai moved away. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to him. Chihiro shook his head and wiped his mouth with his fist. He had been looking at Mukai with arrogance, knowing full well that he liked him. Having seen through that, this was Mukai¡¯s retaliation. He felt all his emotions boiling up in his chest. Anger, shame, and self-loathing seemed to have taken over. ¡°I won¡¯t apologize.¡± Mukai declared and put the handkerchief back into his pocket. He pierced Chihiro with a challenging look. Chihiro¡¯s legs had become unsteady from the shock and anger of being kissed forcibly, but he somehow managed to plant his feet firmly on the ground. After hearing that Mukai had no intention of apologizing, Chihiro regained his composure. ¡°¡­¡­.I¡¯ll apologize.¡± The lump that he had been harboring in his chest this whole time leaked out on its own. Mukai raised his eyebrows in surprise. ¡°I¡¯ll apologize to you. I willfully started a one-sided rivalry, and then willfully felt defeated¡­and willfully¡­twisted things. In the end, I became obsessive about the things Mukai pointed out and cut corners on the things I shouldn¡¯t have.¡± The reason he had dropped the ¡®kun¡¯ and called him just Mukai, was because he was resolute in apologizing from the heart. This is my bad habit, Chihiro plucked up his courage and looked at Mukai without averting his eyes. Enough about being a sore loser, as soon as he knew he wouldn¡¯t win, he¡¯d run away. He was always aware of that trait of his. This is my defeat. It wasn¡¯t a matter of to whom, but he had lost completely. He had struggled to admit it, but now that he had said it outloud, he actually felt relieved. Mukai watched Chihiro silently for a while, and in the end his shoulders dropped as if losing all strength. He attempted to say something but stopped and then dropped his gaze as if in deep thought. ¡°It was a short time, but thank you for everything.¡± After a little while, Mukai muttered a few words. ¡°Well then, goodbye.¡± Mukai fixed his suit collar and straightened his back. He grabbed the meeting room doorknob and as he was about to leave, he casually looked back at Chihiro. Chihiro reflexively braced himself. ¡°Minami-san, you¡¯re an easy target for a sadist gay man like me, so you should be careful.¡± He gave the surprised Chihiro a slight smile and left the room. CH 7 The New Year started, and at the end of January, Mukai resigned from the company on good terms. A new employee was assigned to the Sales Promotion Department, scheduled to start in the spring, so Chihiro¡¯s plan to transfer to a different department fell through. Hata remained in charge, but Chihiro heard that Niwa was transferred somewhere else. ¡°Well it can¡¯t be helped. The employee turnover rate is high in this industry.¡± Hata said in his usual good mood. They restarted the improvements on the EC store that Mukai had worked on launching, and Chihiro proactively started attending internal and external company study groups. Up until now, he had always thought that doing your work quickly and succinctly was the most important. Put in minimum effort and get the maximum return. It was okay to not have the most successful career; he wanted a decent position that was just enough to be comfortable in. Miyashita-san from Sales Section 1 or Toono-san from Corporate Planning Office. There was no harm in having future executive candidates and management remember your face and name. He thought of such a thing unconsciously. ©¥©¥¡°For someone like Minami-san, it would be sensible to stay and be protected by the company you joined as a new graduate.¡± It was frustrating, but what Mukai had said was true. But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to defiantly say, ¡°So what?¡± At the end of April, the fresh recruit was assigned to sales promotions. Ochi was taciturn and difficult to deal with because of his introverted personality, but Chihiro guided him patiently. ¡°I thought as a senpai, you would be more indifferent, Minami-san. It¡¯s unexpected.¡± Because Chihiro was not the type to show immediate results, even if he made arrangements in advance, something would hold him back. Hata was oddly impressed by how he had devised a way to prevent Ochi from shrinking into himself and also to not cause any trouble for Hata himself. ¡°The atmosphere has changed considerably now that you¡¯ve got yourself a kouhai.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. After all, I¡¯m also growing up a little.¡± Going along with Hata, Chihiro gave a wry smile. If I¡¯ve changed, it¡¯s not because I got a kouhai. ???? The planning and development for their company¡¯s in-house manufacturing was finally stabilized, and an EC division was established in the Sales Department. The marketing campaign was left to Ochi, and Chihiro was invited to meetings in the Product Development department. Analyzing the questionnaires conducted as part of sales promotion, creating materials, and giving feedback. As Chihiro was gradually finding the fun in work, by the time he noticed, spring came around once again. ¡°Minami-san, since joining the company, it seems you haven¡¯t transferred even once?¡± On their way back to the office, Ochi asked suddenly after the conversation had turned to talking about the past year. ¡°Yeah that¡¯s right. The timing was bad.¡± ¡°This doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re planning to go soon, does it? If you leave, Minami-san, I¡¯ll be uneasy so please stay a little longer, okay?¡± ¡°Even if you ask me that¡­company employees just follow orders.¡± At some point, he was able to talk and laugh like this with a kouhai that had once been reluctant to talk and unable to open up his heart. ¡°Minami-san¡± As he was waiting for the elevator with Ochi, someone called out to him from behind. It was Nanase. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Nanase was striking in her stylish pantsuit outfit, and Ochi, as if entranced, gave a slight bow. ¡°Sorry for not attending the farewell party.¡± Nanase was resigning at the end of the month. Chihiro had heard that she was planning to work at some place in the beauty industry, but he wasn¡¯t really familiar with it. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped that you had the business trip. If you feel bad, how about a private farewell party?¡± ¡°Then, should we go have lunch with Ochi, too?¡± ¡°No thank you, I must decline.¡± Ochi waved his hands around flustered. ¡°I¡¯ll return to the office first, so take your time, Senpai!¡± Since it was their midday break period, the two decided to go to the cafe next to the company. ¡°You know, it¡¯s been bothering me this whole time, but I wanted to say sorry about that time.¡± While eating lunch, they updated each other on what¡¯s been happening in their lives, and then Nanase broached the subject with some difficulty. ¡°You might have already forgotten, Minami-kun, but I did something really rude to you back when Mukai-san came in between, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°You did.¡± In the past, Chihiro would have acted as if he had completely forgotten about it, but he just smiled bitterly. ¡°To be honest, I was pretty depressed about it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Nanase bowed her head slightly. ¡°It¡¯s been bothering me all along. I¡¯m truly sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not really something you have to apologize this much for. It¡¯s not like we were dating or anything.¡± ¡°Yeah, that is true I guess. ¡­¡­.I was rejected by Mukai-kun, you know.¡± Nanase shrugged. ¡°Is that so?¡± Chihiro had been enjoying their vague relationship back then, but he was surprised to hear that her feelings for Mukai were that strong. ¡°There was zero romantic interest, and that time was the only time we went anywhere together. Even so, I really fell for him. Doing something like confessing¡­I haven¡¯t done that since middle school.¡± Nanase took a sip of water from her glass in embarrassment. ¡°But the weird thing is, after gathering my courage to confess and then being rejected, I felt really refreshed, you know.¡± Nanase did indeed look more lively than before. ¡°Mukai-kun has a cool vibe, but he was really kind in his rejection and kind of like full of sincerity? That¡¯s why at that time I was sad, but afterwards I was gradually filled with energy.¡± Just by looking at her, he could tell that she wasn¡¯t just putting up a show of courage. Moreover, what Nanase was saying, Chihiro himself had also suddenly understood it. They parted ways with a promise of meeting again even though they both knew it wouldn¡¯t be kept. On his way back to the office, for some reason or other, Chihiro looked up at the sky. The sunlight had softened completely, and the trees lining the promenade were swaying their fresh leaves. I wonder how Mukai is doing these days. It was also during this season that Mukai had joined their company. If he asked Hata, he¡¯d know immediately about what Mukai was up to, but he deliberately didn¡¯t ask, and whenever Hata was about to gossip, he¡¯d casually change the topic. Despite all that, from time to time, he¡¯d end up thinking about Mukai. They had worked together for less than a year, but Mukai had certainly left an impact on Chihiro. ©¥©¥¡°A pushover and petty, and even though you can¡¯t really do much work, your conceitedness is insanely cute.¡± When Mukai had looked down on him back then, he had felt humiliated and frustrated. Even now, he still felt hurt from those words. On the other hand, it was a necessary and deserved criticism for him. Can¡¯t do much work and become conceited©¥©¥it really was like that. Of course, he also couldn¡¯t forget how he was forcefully kissed at that time. He was angry at being forced against his will, and it was something unforgivable, but if he thought about his attitude that led up to that moment, he knew that it was wrong to arbitrarily pretend to be a victim. Moreover, in all honesty, with the passing of time, Chihiro felt strangely agitated. There was not even an ounce of affection in that one-sided kiss. If anything, it felt like retaliation against Chihiro who was doing nothing and acting conceited about being favored. Even so, there was passion there, and even now, Chihiro was burning with that heat. When he had been in front of him, Chihiro couldn¡¯t honestly admit it, but along with the feelings of hate, he had just as many feelings of admiration towards Mukai. We¡¯ll probably never meet again, thinking about Mukai, he suddenly sobered up. You can be proactive in anything you do. That¡¯s enough. He had thought that, but shortly the next year, he met Mukai once again. CH 8 ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Minami-san.¡± The business card Mukai held out was simple at first glance, but upon receiving it, it had a unique texture. It was light like handmade washi, yet thick. The company name was engraved to stand out, and only the name Mukai Shinya was printed in a distinct font. ¡°You look well.¡± It had been approximately two years. Mukai was wearing a light grey suit with a deep red tie. His hair had grown out a little. ¡°You do, too, Mukai-san.¡± Chihiro had turned tense from nervousness, but he tried to dispel any suspicion and smiled as naturally as he could. In the meeting room at NITTA, Chihiro exchanged business cards with Mukai who was standing next to Hata. Ochi was next to Chihiro and he also took out his business card and exchanged greetings with Mukai. There were two titles on Mukai¡¯s business card: A Works Assistant Representative and Director. ¡°Thank you for your help in the past. I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d be able to meet again like this.¡± ¡°Same here. I was surprised to hear from you, Hata-san. Once again, I will be in your care.¡± The way Mukai spoke was free and easy. Chihiro fondly recalled how Mukai¡¯s tone would subtly change depending on the person he spoke to. Even so, Chihiro felt flustered inside, thinking that just a slight change in hairstyle would give such a different impression. In the past it was styled in a clean, short cut that showed his forehead. Now though, his bangs were thick and had a completely stylish feel to it. ¡°For all three of us to be able to meet again like this, I¡¯m also very happy!¡± Hata said, full of pleasantries and grinned. Mukai was working at a promotional company that was run by a close friend. Hata had supposed that it was actually a joint business. On their company website, ¡°Corporate Advertising, Sales Promotion, Strategic Planning, & Consulting¡± were listed, and they also included various corporate projects in their achievements section. This time, they were requested to work on the branding and promotions for NITTA¡¯s EC Store. Hata¡¯s company was in charge of the events and exhibitions, so knowing that that kind of stuff was Mukai¡¯s strong suit, he had introduced Mukai with a mischievous look. It was just Mukai and Ochi who were meeting for the first time, but that night, they all went to an izakaya to deepen their friendship. At the four person table, Mukai was sitting in front of Chihiro. The Mukai he had thought he wouldn¡¯t meet ever again was right in front of his eyes, chatting pleasantly as always. When he smiled, the corners of his eyes would droop. Had Mukai always laughed like this? Chihiro thought it was strangely refreshing. ???? ¡°Minami-san¡± Since they had work the next day, they decided to disband early. Although Chihiro should have parted with the three who were heading in different directions at the ticket gate, as he was headed to the platform, he felt a tap on his shoulder from behind. It was Mukai. ¡°Eh!¡± Surprised, he let out his voice. Mukai, who seemed to have chased after him, was panting lightly. Chihiro was confused, wondering if Mukai had come after him to give him something he may have left behind. ¡°Do you have a moment?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, yes.¡± The coming and going of people in the main passageway was too busy, so Mukai moved towards the edge. ¡°I apologize for being so sudden. I hesitated a bit but I thought I should say something after all.¡± Mukai locked eyes with Chihiro and blinked. Chihiro unconsciously smiled at the nostalgic habit. Whenever Mukai had looked at Chihiro head on, he had occasionally blinked like this. It was probably a habit that he himself was not even aware of. Even though Chihiro had smiled, Mukai had a perplexed expression for a moment, but then, as if drawn in, he smiled faintly. They both remembered the conversation and kiss from that time. Feeling familiarity and awkwardness at the same time, Chihiro unintentionally averted his eyes. ¡°Minami-san¡± Mukai¡¯s voice had turned stiff. ¡°I did something rude to you last time, and I haven¡¯t properly apologized. I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s in such a place, but please let me apologize formally.¡± So that¡¯s why he chased me down, Chihiro thought surprised. ¡°I¡¯m truly very sorry.¡± ¡°No!¡± As Mukai was about to bow his head, Chihiro shook his head, flustered. ¡°Please stop. Besides, I was plenty rude, too.¡± Thinking back on his behavior, Chihiro couldn¡¯t bear the embarrassment. ¡°I said some cruel words to you, Minami-san.¡± ¡°¡®It would be sensible to stay and be protected by the company you joined as a new graduate,¡¯ that one? ¡®¡­even though you can¡¯t really do much work, you¡¯re conceited.¡¯¡± Word by word, he couldn¡¯t forget. Mukai¡¯s expression stiffened. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You were right, anyway.¡± Chihiro smiled as lightly as possible. ¡°To be honest, I was angry and depressed about it at the time. But I¡¯m glad you said it.¡± ¡°©¥©¥I wanted to hurt your feelings in the end. Saying such cruel things, I¡¯ve been regretting it this whole time.¡± Chihiro didn¡¯t expect to hear such honest words from Mukai. ¡°It¡¯s because I acted unfairly first. It is I who should apologize. I¡¯m very sorry.¡± Chihiro apologized as sincerely as he could. Mukai once again blinked dazzlingly. ¡°When I received the invitation from Hata-san, I was pretty hesitant. I thought you probably hated me, Minami-san.¡± ¡°That kind of thing¡­¡± It was true that it made him recoil, but if anything, the thought that he would never see Mukai again made his heart race. ¡°I was surprised, but I think it¡¯s reassuring that we can rely on your help, Mukai-san. Since I¡¯m familiar with your style of work.¡± Mukai¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°¡­Thank you for putting it that way, Minami-san. I swear to absolutely never do such a thing again. So please rest assured.¡± The last part was said in a low voice, and Chihiro nodded, enduring his embarrassment. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Besides, I have a steady partner right now.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± For a moment, he didn¡¯t understand the meaning. ¡°Ah, aah. Is that so?¡± Enlightened by Mukai¡¯s embarrassed expression, Chihiro¡¯s voice rose sharply in surprise. ¡°He¡¯s the president of the company I¡¯m at. That¡¯s why, now more than ever, I won¡¯t mix business with private matters anymore.¡± Knowing that he was being reminded that there was nothing to worry about since he now had a boyfriend, Chihiro quickly gave an ¡°Understood¡± and smiled. For some reason, he felt uneasy. ¡°Well then, sorry for holding you back.¡± Mukai finished the conversation. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± Mukai bowed his head slightly, turned around and left. In the past, whenever they¡¯d part like this, Mukai would never leave first- not before Chihiro made the first step to leave. He suddenly remembered such a thing. After seeing off that well-postured retreating figure, Chihiro also started walking. Mukai has a boyfriend¡­ While he understood that Mukai had talked to Chihiro in private to reassure him, he felt like he was thrown away since Mukai no longer had any interest in him. Normally, he should have felt relieved, but Chihiro felt his feelings wither away all of a sudden. It seemed that in the corner of his heart, there was a despicable thought leftover- he wanted to continue to relish the feeling of being superior to a man that liked him. Cut it out! Chihiro admonished his immature self. ???? The fact that they had requested Mukai¡¯s company to be in charge of the EC Store promotions had become a popular topic of conversation in the Sales Department. Chihiro had secretly worried that Mukai would be sidelined, but when he had resigned, there were many people who had sympathized with how Mukai left the company, and if anything, the news now was received rather favorably. There were even some people who had expressly cheered him on saying, ¡°If it goes well this time, it¡¯ll be a continuation of last time¡¯s work! So hang in there.¡± That day, Chihiro headed to Mukai¡¯s office for the first time. The company was located on one floor of a business tower that was directly linked to the station. It was always Mukai that had come to their company, so this was the first time Chihiro visited here. He had some errands to run nearby, so he came by to deliver samples and some materials. After confirming the inscribed logo of A Works on the company name plates that were lined up near the information desk, Chihiro headed to the elevator hall. It was cold in the morning, and he had seen sleet falling while inside the train, but the heating was working well in the business tower. He got on the high-rise elevator and arrived on the 28th floor in just a matter of seconds. There was no reception desk, but the company name plate was fixed on the light-blue wall and light was shining on it. As expected, it was stylish. As he took off his jacket and draped it over his arm, a man suddenly came out from the office. He was dressed lightly, wearing a loose-fitting turtleneck sweater and cargo pants, and he was holding a laptop under his arms. With headphones hanging around his neck, he looked like an engineer trying to change his workspace for a change of pace. ¡°Excuse me, but are you perhaps Minami-san?¡± Their eyes met and the man called out to Chihiro amiably. ¡°Ah, yes. I have an appointment with Mukai-san.¡± He was surprised the man had guessed his name correctly, but he assumed he must have known the visitor schedule. ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± The man picked up the reception phone that was there. ¡°Hey, is Mukai there? Mhm, there¡¯s a visitor.¡± Chihiro felt strangely impressed at the casual speech and thought to himself that it really was a young company. ¡°Uh huh, got it!¡± After saying a word or two, the man hung up the phone and faced Chihiro again. He seemed about the same age as Chihiro, but due to his casual clothes, he looked younger. He was rather beautiful. His light hair looked good with his caramel-colored sweater. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting. This way please.¡± Chihiro thought that without a doubt he would be made to wait there, but the man started walking on ahead. Flustered, he followed after and was led to a room at the end of the hall. ¡°Pardon me.¡± The inside was bigger than he had imagined. It seemed like a room used for meetings with clients. There were three groups of moveable tables and chairs, each with a large monitor. The carpet and walls were light-blue, and the chairs were a yellow and green that complemented the blue. ¡°Mukai will be here soon, so please sit here and wait a moment.¡± The man pulled out the chair from the table closest to them. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± As Chihiro sat down, the man was standing and grinning at him. Perhaps ¡­ for some reason Chihiro had a hunch. ¡°I don¡¯t have a business card right now, but I¡¯m Isaki.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m Minami.¡± He quickly reached inside his suit pocket to get a business card when the man called Isaki cheerfully replied, ¡°I know a lot about Minami-san. It seems Shinya was in your care in the past.¡± Shinya¡­ hearing Isaki using Mukai¡¯s first name, Chihiro was taken aback. It must be him after all. ¡°It was a short time, but I received a lot of guidance from Mukai-san.¡± Chihiro stood up to hand over his business card, and Isaki accepted it elegantly. ¡°Thank you.¡± His fingers were slender and his nails were shining as if they had been polished. Seeing him up close, he really was a beautiful man. Even though he wasn¡¯t at all feminine, was it because of the fineness of his skin or his refined eyebrows that Chihiro wanted to use the expression of ¡°a beauty.¡± ¡°I heard a lot about you, Minami-san, from Shinya.¡± It wasn¡¯t a sarcastic remark, and he spoke very casually, but there was intention in the way he said Shinya. It wasn¡¯t to the degree of a ploy either, but it was a sign saying ¡®I know.¡¯ Chihiro felt so embarrassed, he couldn¡¯t look him in the eyes. ¡°Such as, he caused quite a lot of trouble.¡± ¡°Not at all! I¡¯m the one that was at fault.¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± While they were talking, there was a knock on the door and Mukai appeared. He had taken off his suit jacket and was wearing a V-neck sweater. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± Isaki gave a slight bow and left the room. As he brushed past, Isaki and Mukai smiled naturally at each other. It seemed so intimate. The balance of Mukai¡¯s sturdy physique and Isaki¡¯s slim one was also well matched. They look good together, the thought suddenly crossed Chihiro¡¯s mind. ¡°Uhm, is Isaki-san perhaps the president of this company?¡± After Isaki had left, Chihiro lowered his voice and asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Mukai widened his eyes for a moment and then immediately nodded. ¡°I¡¯m often surprised by his appearance, but he¡¯s the one who founded this company. This year is the seventh year.¡± Chihiro had no doubt that it was true- he was Mukai¡¯s lover after all. When he first learned that Mukai had a partner, he honestly found it a little dull. But, upon seeing Isaki in person, those feelings instantly vanished. Back when he realized that Mukai had feelings for him, he was suspicious and wondered ¡®Why me?¡¯ but with Isaki, he could accept it. ¡°I¡¯ve known him since our school days, so it¡¯s been a long time. When he started this place, too, I helped out a little bit. And then after I left NITTA, he asked me to come help out here.¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± If you put Mukai and Isaki next to each other, they would no doubt stand out. While imagining the two of them in their school days, Chihiro changed his line of thought, taking out the samples. ¡°The new line-up has these three varieties, and the color variation and sizes are mentioned here. This is the actual color.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The crime prevention series for individual consumers, which had competed with major security companies, had grown to the extent that it was treated as one item in the sales subcommittees¡¯ transactions. ¡°It¡¯s growing steadily, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°There was an incident last year where a fan broke into an actress¡¯s home, wasn¡¯t there? Due to that, the media picked it up and started recommending the products to women living alone. The fact that the products¡¯ design was attractive and easy for women to install on their own was an advantage, so it expanded.¡± When Chihiro showed him the materials he had prepared for the internal meeting, Mukai put his finger to his mouth and stared at the tablet screen with great interest. ¡°Did you make these materials, Minami-san?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I also compiled the questionnaires from the campaign, would you like to see those as well?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll send those later by email.¡± In the past, he had thought that making these kinds of materials was nothing but a tedious task. He still thought it was tedious now, but he had come to find a little sense of purpose in it. ¡°The data is easy to understand.¡± Mukai muttered. It seemed like he was praised, so Chihiro felt happy. ¡°You know, sometimes I look over and study the presentation materials you made while you were working for us, Mukai-san.¡± ¡°Mine?¡± Mukai raised his head in surprise. ¡°The secret of the budget-acquisition presentation was also in the materials.¡± Chihiro made it seem like he was joking, but the fact that he had been earnestly studying was true. He had only stopped by to drop off the samples and materials, so he felt bad taking up more time. Chihiro hurriedly got up. ¡°Minami-san¡± Mukai, who had come to see him off at the elevators, suddenly called out his name. ¡°I¡¯m glad that I get to work with you again, Minami-san.¡± At Mukai¡¯s overly serious tone of voice, Chihiro unconsciously stood up straighter. ¡°©¥©¥I am, too.¡± You can make the most of your failures, but to be able to redo something like this was rare. They smiled at each other through their eyes, and Chihiro once more promised himself that he would work hard. As his elevator reached the first floor and he made his way to the entrance, Chihiro ran into Isaki who was coming back with a convenience store bag in hand. ¡°Are you leaving already?¡± Isaki, who was wearing a down coat and scarf, was especially noticeable amongst the crowd of business suits. ¡°Thank you very much for coming all the way here to bring the materials.¡± ¡°Not at all, thank you for your time.¡± Perhaps it was because of the cold, but Isaki¡¯s cheeks had turned red, and it made his features all the more alluring. They exchanged a simple greeting and as Chihiro passed by him, he smelled a nice soft fragrance. Without thinking, he glanced back over his shoulder and saw that Isaki was also looking over at him. Surprised, he awkwardly bowed and Isaki returned a bow while letting out a chuckle. He made even such an ordinary gesture look elegant. He was a mysterious person that had Chihiro thinking ¡°He¡¯s really beautiful¡± every time he saw him. Isaki headed for the elevator hall and left. ©¥©¥For Mukai, only someone on that level would suit him. Recalling that Mukai had said that they knew each other since their school days, Chihiro wondered if while he and Mukai were working together, Mukai had wanted a little bit of excitement from the long-term relationship. If that was the case, he could understand. Isaki knew about Chihiro. Perhaps, Mukai had told him about everything. Something like that wouldn¡¯t be enough to shake their relationship. ¡°So cold.¡± Stepping out of the well-heated building, the biting wind blew at him. The passageway that led to the station concourse was exposed to the wind. Chihiro tucked his chin into his coat¡¯s collar and hurriedly headed to the ticket gate. ???? They received several measure plans for the promotions, discussed them with the sales department¡¯s EC division, and then formally signed a contract with A Works. The person in charge was Chihiro, and Mukai was A Works¡¯ director. Originally, there was no need for Mukai to participate in such a small matter, but it seemed he also wanted a do-over from last time, and so he decided to take charge. Once the preparations for the promotions started, they were in contact almost daily and met up several times a week. And Chihiro, now in the position of a client, got to see just how outstanding Mukai was; even more so than when they were just colleagues. He had known that Mukai was quick to deliver a response, but it wasn¡¯t just quick, it was also efficient. Because he was adept at coordinating communication, he got along well with the headstrong employees, and due to his quick and accurate decisions, the cooperation of the other members went smoothly. Above all, he was supposed to be handling a number of other projects at the same time, but Chihiro was amazed at how it didn¡¯t feel that way at all. ¡°Someone who can work so well is really cool, aren¡¯t they?¡± Ochi, who was present at the briefing session, let out a sigh. ¡°Indeed. Well, we can¡¯t really follow his example.¡± ¡°Eh? But Minami-san, aren¡¯t you also really capable?¡± It didn¡¯t seem like flattery, but Chihiro burst out laughing. ¡°Your statement just now, perfect score. Since communicating harmoniously with your coworker is also work.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious though.¡± If Mukai also thought that he had matured a little bit, it would make him happy. Though he didn¡¯t really feel confident. But I¡¯m just going to do my best. That day, Mukai came to deliver the promotional video, and they checked it over together on the conference room monitor. The store¡¯s UI was also to be completely changed, so Chihiro asked to see a sample, and by the time they finished everything, it had turned pitch black outside. ¡°It¡¯s already this late?¡± Each department was relatively settled down in February. Looking at the time, it was just a little past eight o¡¯clock, but it was quiet in both the conference room and outside. ¡°It¡¯s gotten cold, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Chihiro thought to adjust the thermometer and turn up the heat, but all they had left to do was clean up and go home. ¡°Ah¨C ow.¡± He went to pick up the binder but managed to graze his finger on the edge. His finger tingled with a sharp pain. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I just cut my finger a little.¡± Blood was dripping down from Chihiro¡¯s index finger. As he reflexively put his finger to his mouth, Chihiro suddenly jolted. This same situation had happened before. He and Mukai had been working over time, just like now. And he had cut his finger on a piece of paper. That time was the first time that he had suspected that Mukai seemed to have special feelings for him. Remembering himself from that time, drunk on the feeling of victory, his embarrassment flared up and he felt like running away. ¡°Use this please.¡± Mukai took out a tissue from his pocket. ¡°Thank you.¡± As he was about to take the tissue, blood from his finger tip dripped down onto the desk. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Chihiro¡¯s cheek became hot as his hand was grabbed in a hurry. ¡°This must hurt, right? It happens to me sometimes, too.¡± Chihiro¡¯s heart was about to capsize as Mukai was pressing the tissue onto his finger. He also felt shaken at the fact that Mukai had referred to himself in a less formal way1, and then he felt even more shaken for having felt shaken by such a thing. ¡°©¥©¥Thank you.¡± Noticing that Chihiro¡¯s body had gone all stiff, Mukai made a face as if saying shit and let go of Chihiro¡¯s hand. ¡°No, that¡­¡± Even though Mukai had no such intentions, he had interpreted Chihiro¡¯s reaction as if he was on guard. Chihiro wanted to refute but he couldn¡¯t think of a good follow up. Chihiro squeezed the tissue on his finger. Luckily, the bleeding stopped right away. ¡°I¡¯ll throw it out.¡± Mukai threw out the tissue and while he was at it, also cleaned up the desk. ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡± Mukai had his phone in his hand and stepped out of the conference room. He seemed to have noticed that someone had contacted him and was talking to them. Since it was quiet all around, he could hear Mukai¡¯s voice coming through the door. He was giving instructions to whatever he had just heard. Chihiro wasn¡¯t sure who the person on the other end of the phone was, but he imagined it to be Isaki. Even though he had only seen Isaki the one time when he had gone over to Mukai¡¯s office, he suddenly came to his mind. The delicate and beautiful skin, the pretty eyebrows and bright hair color¡­if he stood next to Mukai, they were a perfect match. Isaki gets touched by Mukai. And, with those beautiful fingers, he also gets to touch Mukai as much as he wants. Up until now, Chihiro had never had any interest in other people¡¯s love affairs. So why was he imagining it? In what ways does Mukai touch Isaki, and in what ways is he touched, I wonder. What about kissing? Embracing? Sex? Chihiro was shocked at himself for getting excited while thinking about same-sex intercourse, and then felt upset and guilty for shamelessly imagining such a thing on his own. And yet, he would find himself thinking about it again. And imagining it. ¡­Am I perhaps¡­falling in love with Mukai? No way. Even though he tried to deny it, the thought once again resurfaced in his head. He never imagined that the memory of being forcibly kissed back then would torment him even until now. That ferocious tongue had entered his mouth and had violently ravaged his tongue. His tongue was sucked, caressed, and his head was so numb that he hadn¡¯t been able to think of anything. He had been so surprised at the sudden attack that he couldn¡¯t put up any resistance, but more than anything, that was the first time he had ever been kissed that intensely and overwhelmed completely. I wonder if Mukai kisses his lover more roughly. Or is he gentle? He had been insulted back then and full of anger, but if he thought about it, he hadn¡¯t felt any disgust at all. ¡°Minami-san¡± Mukai had finished up his call and came back in. Chihiro had been absentmindedly deep in thought and was so surprised at his name being called, he had almost dropped his phone. ¡°It seems that Isaki is in the area and said he¡¯d pick us up, so would you like a ride to the station, Minami-san?¡± Chihiro¡¯s instinctive thought was immediately ¡®Nope.¡¯ I don¡¯t want to see it©¥©¥I don¡¯t want to see Mukai with his lover. Chihiro was shocked by the strong feeling of refusal. ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡± Mukai said as a matter of fact and started getting his things ready. Chihiro was close to giving some excuse such as he still had leftover work to finish. But he took the plunge and responded with, ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll take you up on the kind offer.¡± He wanted to deny the reality that he might be falling for Mukai. I just admire him, respect him, and have some feelings of guilt about what happened two years ago. There¡¯s no way I have feelings for someone of the same-sex. There is absolutely no way. But, once he had clearly recognized his feelings, he could no longer ignore them. And somewhere along the line, he had already noticed it. ¡°It¡¯s cold, isn¡¯t it.¡± Mukai said as he propped up his coat¡¯s collar and they exited the building. The long coat looked annoyingly good on him. ¡°You¡¯ve changed your hairstyle, right?¡± Upon their reunion, that was the most surprising thing. He had known that Mukai paid attention to what he wore, but he had thought that it was more on the lines of earning the trust of his colleagues than anything else. It had a slightly different nuance than that of Isaki, who kept his nails beautifully polished. ¡°Isaki¡¯s friend is a hair stylist. I was their practice partner. Just a bit longer and they almost changed my haircolor, too.¡± Mukai smiled wryly. As expected, it was Isaki¡¯s influence, Chihiro gave a small smile in reply. ¡°Ah, he¡¯s here.¡± Before long, a sleek sedan pulled up, flashing its lights. It was too dark outside, so Chihiro couldn¡¯t tell what car model it was, but the shape was distinctive, and it gave off a feeling that it was precisely Isaki¡¯s car. ¡°Thank you for taking the trouble of dropping me off.¡± ¡°No problem, since it¡¯s on the way.¡± Chihiro sat down in the backseat and Mukai naturally got into the passenger seat. ¡°Good work.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Their short back and forth exchange made it apparent that they had been together for a long time. Isaki reached out towards Mukai who had put on his seatbelt. Even though he was just fixing the seat belt that had twisted around, Chihiro reflexively looked away. ¡ª ¡°Thank you very much.¡± They had reached the station in no time at all. Chihiro got out of the car and then watched it leave. It made a turn in the roundabout and then the tail light finally disappeared in the distance. His body felt heavy. He was extremely exhausted. He finally knew why he felt so emotionally overwhelmed. He had one-sided feelings for a man that had a partner he shared his public and private life with. It was the first time that Chihiro had feelings for someone of the same sex, so he felt distressed. But thinking about it, even when he liked someone of the opposite sex, it had never thrown his heart into such disorder. Not even once. They would both become aware of each other, meet up a few times just the two of them, and when it felt right, they¡¯d start dating. It was always like that. So he had never experienced having one-sided feelings for someone. As he headed for the station, he stopped walking after taking two steps. His breath melted in the cold air. The hand in his pocket was cold. He unconsciously turned around and looked in the direction the car had disappeared in. Isaki¡¯s hand that had fixed the twisted seat belt came back to his mind. They¡¯ve been together since their school days¡­that¡¯s a long time. The thing with him was probably just a momentary impulse. Chihiro found it ridiculous thinking back at how he felt it was strange but nice when he wondered why Mukai was interested in someone like him. Like an idiot, Chihiro laughed at how stupid it was and felt a lump at the back of his throat. They had only worked together and aside from that, he knew nothing about Mukai. The only things Chihiro knew were fragments of his career history, that he was a fan of old sci-fi movies, he was unhappy with the latest trilogy, his family was good at drinking, he was gay, a sadist apparently, and that he had a long-term partner. And that partner was a gorgeous, beautiful person that had the ability to start a company and make it successful. So why was he so attracted to a person he had no chance with and only knew superficial things about? He wondered if it was because he had been so strongly shaken by having his weakest traits be exposed by Mukai. The renewal and promotions for the EC Store would start next month. After that, this project would finish. Even if they requested an extension, there would be no need for Mukai, the director, to be involved. How many more times would they be able to meet then? He felt a sharp pain in his chest. Back when Mukai had resigned, he had also thought to himself that they wouldn¡¯t be able to meet anymore. But it hadn¡¯t felt so painful as now. Mukai let him experience a lot of emotions he hadn¡¯t known before. Most of them hadn¡¯t been pleasant, but they were all precious to him. After taking a deep breath, Chihiro started walking slowly. These feelings too, after time passes, will become precious things. ¡ª That night, Chihiro had a dream. It was an erotic dream of Isaki and Mukai on a bed, but at some point, Isaki had turned into himself. He was drunk on Mukai¡¯s passionate kiss, and was aroused by their skin sticking to each other. Saliva and sweat, their breathing, the vivid erotic dream. He opened his eyes. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± His sheets had become damp from sweat, and the echo of the dream lingered in the air. His whole body felt hot, and he kicked off his blanket. He closed his eyes and carelessly extended his hand to his aroused body. He tried his best to not think of anything at all and just take care of his body¡¯s normal physiological response. In his dream, Mukai had called him ¡®Chihiro.¡¯ ¡°Unbelievable.¡± Mumbling, he laughed to himself. It was a dream because it was unbelievable. The part where Mukai is talking about his new boyfriend & mentions he¡¯s the company president. And then that he wouldn¡¯t mix business and private life? That really confused me and I read it over and over and over trying to understand if I¡¯m misunderstanding something, because it¡¯s the opposite?? Dating the company president IS mixing those two? I have no idea. So if you¡¯re confused, I am too. ^^;; CH 9 The much awaited renewal of the EC Store and its promotions finally started in March. Although the two of them hadn¡¯t put it into words, they were both working hard on this project as a do-over of their failure two years ago. That¡¯s why, as soon as the first sales from the Sales Department¡¯s EC division came in, Chihiro immediately forwarded it to Mukai. He got a phone call without delay. ¡°I saw the report just now. It¡¯s looking great.¡± At the time, Chihiro was in the convention center¡¯s parking lot. It was the first day of the Crime Prevention Fair that took place each year, and he had just finished the preparations to bring in the merchandise. ¡°Thank you very much. Thanks to A Works, we got off to a strong start.¡± The proceeds greatly exceeded the EC division¡¯s initial target, and they got tons of inquiries from all directions. After careful preparations, he had felt the response, but actually seeing the numbers was what made him feel a sense of accomplishment all the more. Chihiro was also happy that Mukai was pleased with the response. ¡°You¡¯ll receive an official report from the manager at EC as well.¡± ¡°By the way, the exhibition starts today, right? If it¡¯s not a bother, I would like to drop by for a little bit. Is that alright?¡± They thanked each others¡¯ efforts for a while, and then as Chihiro checked the time on his wrist watch, feeling reluctant to hang up, Mukai had asked that unexpected question. ¡°I have some business close by today. It¡¯s a bit rude to say while I¡¯m on the way, but might as well.¡± ¡°Yes, if that¡¯s the case, absolutely please drop by.¡± Chihiro¡¯s voice bounced. His heart was throbbing in delight. He had been thinking what if they wouldn¡¯t have a chance to see each other again. Once the promotions started, there would be no need to meet with Mukai, and even if Hata proposed they celebrate, there was a high probability that their schedules wouldn¡¯t line up. Also, the unofficial announcement for Chihiro¡¯s transfer had already gone out. He would be in charge of a newly established Public Relations Management Department and move up a rank. He had been thinking that it would be nice to have one final proper goodbye, so this was a golden opportunity. Just the thought of seeing Mukai made his heart rate suddenly speed up. After putting the rest of the equipment into the station wagon, Chihiro headed for the venue. The jacket for the exhibition was the same no matter how he adjusted it, but he still stopped in front of the mirror on the hallway wall to fix his cuffs. I want to see him soon. I wonder when he¡¯ll get here. His impatience was increasing and he regretted not asking Mukai around what time he¡¯d arrive. He could have also asked him to get lunch together while he was at it. Thinking that far, Chihiro suddenly stopped in his tracks. Dammit. He had been so happy to hear that Mukai was coming that he hadn¡¯t been thinking clearly. Should I call him and ask now? The surrounding area near the venue¡¯s entrance was full of people hauling in merchandise and equipment. Chihiro scooted behind a pillar so he wouldn¡¯t be in people¡¯s way and took out his phone. But he hesitated. Mukai was probably in his office at this time, busy with morning meetings or checking his schedule. Even if he didn¡¯t have any work, interrupting him would be troublesome. To begin with, Mukai was already taking time out of his busy schedule to drop by, so Chihiro hesitated again. He regretted not having asked him when he had called but it was too late. Maybe if he had some free time after he arrived, they could stop by a coffee shop for a little bit, Chihiro consoled himself and joined the wave of people into the venue hall. ¡°Minami-san¡± Just as he was approaching the perfectly set-up NITTA booth, and saw Hata and Ochi opening up a bundle of flyers, he sped up, about to go lend a hand, when someone tapped his shoulder from behind. ¡°Eh, eeeh??¡± He was so surprised, he let out a wild screech. Luckily, their surroundings were already loud so no one paid attention, but the person who had tapped his shoulder went wide eyed. ¡°Mu-Mukai-san?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for scaring you.¡± Mukai was also surprised at Chihiro¡¯s reaction. Chihiro was so embarrassed, his cheeks heated up. ¡°I didn¡¯t mention it just now. I was already close by.¡± ¡°Ah, is-is that so¡­¡± It was too sudden and he wasn¡¯t mentally prepared. Mukai was neatly dressed in a suit as usual, and it seemed like he had come by car because he had nothing else in his hands. ¡°The booth set-up, was that planned by Hata-san?¡± ¡°No, this time it was me.¡± Arriving in front of the NITTA booth, Chihiro was a little nervous being asked that by Mukai. He was entirely used to exhibitions by now, and these days it was Chihiro who was completely in charge. He had made various introductory plans for the EC site this time as well. ¡°Ah, Mukai-san¡± ¡°Thank you for taking the trouble to come all the way here.¡± ¡°I had some business nearby,¡± Mukai cheerfully greeted Hata and Ochi and casually inspected the booth. Now that Mukai was no longer part of the group, even if he had any reservations, he probably wouldn¡¯t voice them, Chihiro thought to himself and felt anxious. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°It looks good.¡± Mukai answered briefly to Chihiro, who was about to ask if he had noticed anything. ¡°Very good.¡± Mukai, who had been carefully inspecting the booth, turned to face Chihiro. The moment their eyes met, Chihiro felt a sting in his chest. ¡°It¡¯s very well thought out. It¡¯s been very informative.¡± Chihiro knew that he wasn¡¯t just throwing out empty compliments. He also knew that he wasn¡¯t just talking about the booth itself. The moment he felt that he had been acknowledged, his whole body became hot and let out a slight tremble. Something hot was welling up in the back of his throat. ©¥©¥Mukai acknowledged my work. ¡°Excuse me for a bit.¡± Unable to endure the flood of tears, Chihiro bowed his head to no one in particular and walked away. He quickly walked through the bustle of people. He was unbearably happy. And at the same time, unbearably sad. He didn¡¯t know what to do with this love that had grown beyond control. Now that their contact through work was gone, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to see Mukai anymore, maybe the feelings would end up disappearing eventually. He wished he could at least confess his feelings, but he couldn¡¯t do something like that to Mukai who already had a partner. He was acquainted with Isaki so it was all the more reason he couldn¡¯t do that. He walked towards smaller and smaller crowds of people, and before he realized, he had ended up in a deserted hall. There was a half-open door nearby, and when he peeked in, he saw evenly spaced out kitchen counters and sinks. It seemed like a room used for cooking class or cooking events. He wanted to calm down so he walked into the room and leaned on the wall while taking deep breaths. The tears he was trying to hold back were about to burst out. Chihiro hung his head and squeezed his eyes shut. Doing his best to reign in his emotions, he took deep breath after deep breath, and finally he calmed down just a little. Everyone was probably surprised by his sudden leaving. They were probably worried about his condition. I should go back, he got up from the wall and took one more deep breath. As he left the room, he took his phone out from his jumper and upon checking it, just as he thought, he had received a message from Hata asking if he was alright. After typing a quick reply, he lifted his head and saw a tall man walking towards him from the end of the hallway. ¡°Mukai-san¡± Worried that he was already leaving, Chihiro called out to him. Upon noticing Chihiro, Mukai half ran towards him. ¡°Minami-san, are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Realizing that Mukai had come searching for him, Chihiro was startled. ¡°S-sorry! I¡¯m alright.¡± ¡°Your eyes are red.¡± Mukai was staring at him worriedly. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m really alright.¡± ¡°You must be exhausted?¡± ¡°Eeh, I guess¡­¡± Chihiro replied vaguely, evading the question and gave him a smile showing he was alright. ¡°I heard that you will be transferring soon, Minami-san.¡± Walking back towards the venue together, Mukai started talking. ¡°Ochi-san seemed dejected about it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still just an unofficial announcement though.¡± ¡°Then, it seems that we won¡¯t meet anymore.¡± Mukai mumbled quietly. We won¡¯t meet anymore¡­ Chihiro unconsciously stopped walking. Mukai, who was one step ahead, turned around and looked at Chihiro. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mukai grabbed Chihiro¡¯s arm in a fluster. ¡°Are you alright? Your complexion¡­¡± ¡°I¡­¡± When Mukai had grabbed his arm, Chihiro felt like his breath would stop. He was overwhelmed with emotion, and the moment he uttered a word, the rest burst out. ¡°I like you, Mukai-san.¡± Mukai¡¯s hand that was holding Chihiro¡¯s arm jolted. He was speechless from the shock. ¡°So-sorry, saying this so suddenly. I don¡¯t n-need anything like a reply. I feel bad for Isaki-san, and I never planned on saying anything, but I thought if I don¡¯t, I won¡¯t be able to move fo-forward.¡± He felt his temple throbbing crazily. While impulsively confessing, Nanase¡¯s laughing face saying ¡®I was dumped but I felt good¡¯ came to mind. Summoning the courage to confess, being rejected, being sad about it as much as is needed- only by doing that can you get back on your feet. Then you can move on. I want to move on. Mukai let go of Chihiro¡¯s arm and stood there dumbfounded. Chihiro faced him properly. ¡°I¡¯m glad I got to work together again with you, Mukai-san. Since we probably won¡¯t meet again, I wanted to s-say it.¡± His trembling voice was unsightly. But he didn¡¯t care about how he looked. ¡°I, I¡¯ve fallen for you, Mukai-san.¡± He raised his voice and said it clearly. Mukai was staring at Chihiro wordlessly. He was at a loss on how to reply. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chihiro apologized. ¡°I suppose doing something like this is an inconvenience, but thank you for listening.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± As he was about to leave, Mukai grabbed his shoulder. ¡°Minami-san!¡± Being stopped so intensely, Chihiro was shocked and looked over his shoulder. Mukai walked around to face him properly. ¡°©¥©¥I¡¯m just confirming but, you¡¯re straight, aren¡¯t you?¡± He was asking him so earnestly, and Chihiro stared back at Mukai. ¡°You¡¯ve never dated a man before, have you?¡± ¡°Just because I¡¯m straight and never dated a man, I can¡¯t like you?¡± Mukai¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to Isaki-san, and I really had no intention to say anything because it¡¯s troublesome. But¡± ¡°Isaki-san is©¥©¥¡± ¡°A long-term relationship, right?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve just been stuck together since our school days. But it¡¯s not like that with Isaki¡­¡± Mukai still couldn¡¯t believe it, and he paused for a moment while looking at Chihiro. ¡°When I was first asked about this job from Hata-san, even though I could have refused, I wanted to see you one more time no matter what, and I couldn¡¯t hold those emotions back. So, I asked Isaki to keep me in check. I thought that if I pretended to have a boyfriend, you would feel relieved, and I could also save myself.¡± ¡°©¥©¥Eh?¡± ¡°Isaki is just a friend and right now, my work partner. Just that.¡± His voice became restless and his gaze was anxious, unable to calm down. This was the first time he ever saw Mukai look this troubled. Chihiro felt just as frantic. ¡°Li, lies¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying, right?¡± ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s a lie. No, it¡¯s not a lie.¡± Eh? Which is it? Chihiro¡¯s mind was going around and around in confusion. Mukai grabbed both of his shoulders. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Mukai took a deep breath. He bent forward a little and looked straight into Chihiro¡¯s eyes. ¡°The lie is that Isaki and I are dating. What isn¡¯t a lie is that I haven¡¯t been able to forget about you.¡± Chihiro was so surprised, his brain stopped working. ¡°I wonder why. After I quit the company, I found myself thinking of you even more than when we were working together, and no matter what, I couldn¡¯t get you out of my mind. That¡¯s why I wanted to see you once more. After we met again, I still couldn¡¯t stop thinking about you, ¡­I was tormented.¡± Flabbergasted, Chihiro could do nothing but stare at Mukai¡¯s face. ¡°I also thought I was probably inconveniencing you. But I couldn¡¯t give up, so by any means possible¡­even as a friend, I wanted to see you again. I was even lectured by Isaki.¡± ¡°©¥©¥lies¡­¡± Like an idiot, that was the only thing he could say. ¡°It¡¯s not a lie.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­not a lie¡­.¡± Chihiro stared intently at Mukai, wondering if this was really true. Mukai, who was also somewhat dazed, stared at Chihiro. Bit by bit, Chihiro was overwhelmed with emotions and felt choked up. ¡°I¡¯m happy.¡± He couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say. Mukai¡¯s eyes widened, and then he laughed as if all the strength in his body left him. ¡°I am, too.¡± As the two of them were staring at each other in a daze, Chihiro¡¯s phone started ringing in his pocket. He was startled. ¡°It¡¯s Hata-san.¡± Finally coming to his senses, Chihiro answered the phone, and the two of them started walking back towards the venue. His footsteps felt like he was floating, and nothing felt real. But it was real. ¡°Can we meet today?¡± Mukai next to him asked, and Chihiro nodded with all his might. CH 10 Mukai said he would come again towards the end of the exhibit and left extremely reluctantly. Chihiro was also reluctant to part with him, but if he continued to be this absentminded, he would definitely make some sort of mistake. So he did his best to put Mukai out of his mind and focused on the exhibition. But, every time there was a lull in the wave of people visiting their booth, he would end up checking the time. I want to see him soon. I want to meet and talk. This was the first time since he was born that he felt so attracted to someone, and it surprised him. As promised, Mukai returned just a little before the exhibition¡¯s closing time. The moment Chihiro noticed Mukai¡¯s appearance at the entrance of the venue, he felt overwhelmed with emotion, and even though he had just started cleaning up, he ended up standing still. Mukai, too, the moment their eyes met, he stopped in his tracks for a moment, and then approached with a ferocious brisk pace. In the relaxed atmosphere of the venue, Mukai¡¯s fierce almost-run surprised the people passing by and they all turned around to take a second look. Chihiro unconsciously let out a small laugh. While chuckling, his heart was soaring. Right now, at this moment, they were both feeling the same way. He still couldn¡¯t believe it. But it was real. ¡°Good work today.¡± Mukai was slightly out of breath. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a hand.¡± He joined in the clean-up. Hata and Ochi were surprised at the sudden appearance of Mukai. ¡°Also, would it be alright if I borrowed Minami-san after this?¡± Having been asked that by Mukai, both Hata and Ochi¡¯s eyes went wide and they both quickly readily consented. ¡°Yes yes.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± It was a given for Hata, but Ochi had also heard the details of the disaster from before. It seemed they both thought that Mukai and Chihiro had wanted to celebrate their success this time, just the two of them. The party of four disbanded, and Mukai and Chihiro walked side-by-side and exchanged glances. In any case, they wanted to talk. After leaving the venue, they jumped into the first cheap izakaya that caught their eye. It was still early so the restaurant was empty, and they were led to a six-person booth. ¡°Uh¡± ¡°Uhm¡± A short curtain with the restaurant¡¯s logo was hanging down on the side of the aisle seat. It was almost like they had their own private room. They faced each other and the moment their eyes met, they both felt incredibly embarrassed. They wanted to confirm their feelings more properly, but just by looking at each other, no further words were needed. ¡°For the time being, let¡¯s drink something.¡± Mukai grabbed the tablet used for the menu and promptly ordered his and Chihiro¡¯s share. And just like that, the weird tension melted away. ¡°Minami-san¡± Mukai straightened himself and Chihiro, going along, fixed his posture. ¡°Will you go out with me?¡± ¡°Yes!!¡± He was asked so directly, without any preamble, Chihiro also ended up nodding his head immediately. If this was in the past, he would have probably put on airs and acted self-important. But he didn¡¯t care to act so stupidly anymore. ¡°I¡¯m very, very, very happy.¡± Hearing Chihiro blurt out all his overflowing emotions, Mukai stared at him in amazement. ¡°Minami-san¡­¡± Surprisingly, Mukai was hesitating, as if searching for what to say. And then he let out a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s me that should be saying that. Up until yesterday, all I could think about was how I¡¯d be able to see you again, something Izaki would yell at me about if he found out. I was agonizing over how to stop all this.¡± Mukai¡¯s voice and gaze turned sentimental, and Chihiro unconsciously put his elbows on the table and covered his face with both hands. ¡°Oh my god.¡± He was so embarrassed. But so happy. ¡°I will treasure you, Minami-san.¡± Mukai said, as if taking an oath. Chihiro lifted his face from his hands. He was absolutely flushed red. ¡°I¡¯m super happy.¡± Mukai laughed out loud. ¡°I am, too, you know.¡± This kind of thing actually exists, Chihiro wanted to savor this miracle over and over. The waiter came over pushing a wagon with their food and drinks. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about work today.¡± Mukai said in a small voice. ¡°There are a lot of other things I want to talk about.¡± The two of them didn¡¯t really know much about each other. There were so many things they wanted to ask and talk about. That night, Chihiro talked with Mukai all the way until morning. Afterwards, he wondered what they talked about so much, but he couldn¡¯t even remember. In any case, they couldn¡¯t get over their shock at the fact that they both liked each other, and neither felt like parting ways just yet. After the izakaya, they changed locations to an overnight cafe, and after that, they took a nap in a rental space. In the morning, they once again went to a cafe to have breakfast, and they talked the whole time. When they finally had to go their separate ways, hidden at the edge of the station where people wouldn¡¯t see them, Mukai bravely asked Chihiro if he could kiss him. Instead, Chihiro closed the distance and kissed Mukai on the lips. ???? He was extremely embarrassed, but also happy, and even though he had to almost pull an all-nighter on the second day of the exhibition, Chihiro was full of energy, and every time he let his mind wander for a moment, he would break out into a smile. They both had to work, so until the weekend, they could only talk on the phone. They arranged to meet on Friday night. That day, as soon as they met up, they talked the whole time. Neither of them wanted to part no matter what, so Mukai asked Chihiro if he wanted to come to his house, and Chihiro followed along. This was the first time Chihiro had ever felt so strongly about being together with someone, and he was shocked at himself for being so delirious. ¡°Come in.¡± Mukai¡¯s place was a quiet apartment that was a little ways away from the station. ¡°It¡¯s big.¡± Previously, when Chihiro had mentioned he lived alone in a small apartment, Mukai had said that he did too. ¡°Is that so? But besides this area, there¡¯s just the bedroom.¡± ¡°My place is a studio apartment, you know. Our ideas of ¡®small¡¯ are different.¡± From the outside, Chihiro had thought it looked like a luxurious apartment, but the interior was also very elaborate. ¡°Please have a seat. Would you like to drink some more?¡± The L-shaped sofa was glossy and strangely textured and had a wide seat. Instead of a television, he had a projector and speakers were embedded into the wall. The wall was also a mosaic pattern. ¡°Sorry it¡¯s messy. It¡¯s usually a bit more organized than this.¡± ¡°No, I actually think it¡¯s better this way. It¡¯s kind of calming.¡± It certainly felt full of life. There was a pile of clothes on the back of the couch, and the table was also stacked full of random things. On the contrary, Chihiro felt relieved to see that Mukai had not planned on having any visitors at all. He was happy to be able to step into Mukai¡¯s private life, and that just like him, he knew Mukai hadn¡¯t wanted to part and brought him here. ¡°I see there are no snacks¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll bring some.¡± Enjoying cheap snacks and canned beer like this in the comfort of your own place was relaxing. ¡°Heh heh.¡± Chihiro laughed, enjoying himself, and Mukai also laughed along with him. ¡°Should we watch something?¡± Mukai turned the projector on and grabbed the remote. Chihiro felt excited just by being together. He could tell that Mukai felt the same from the atmosphere, and it made him happy. ¡°What do you usually like watching?¡± ¡°At this time, I usually watch the news.¡± ¡°I also watch sports news.¡± It was refreshing watching his usual programs on such a big screen. Even though it was his first time here, sitting side-by-side was comfortable and relaxing, and he felt completely at home. ???? Neither knew who started it, but they exchanged kisses very naturally. Their lips parted, they stared at each other intimately, and once again kissed. Even though it was just light kissing, Chihiro¡¯s heart was pounding unbelievably loudly. Love was amazing. With a kiss like this, just by thinking about it, his heart would beat uncontrollably. ¡°Uhm¡± Also, the fluttering of his heart felt nice. ¡°Can I call you Shinya?¡± Looking extremely embarrassed, Mukai blinked and instead of a reply, he said, ¡°Chihiro.¡± ¡°Uwah¡­¡± Chihiro unconsciously rubbed his cheek and Mukai let out a chuckle. ¡°That habit of yours is indeed cute.¡± ¡°Habit?¡± ¡°Whenever you turn red, you always rub your cheeks.¡± ¡°Eh, really?¡± Chihiro hadn¡¯t noticed at all that he did that. Surprised, he unconsciously touched his cheek with the palm of his hand and was surprised to realize that it was true. ¡°But Mukai-sa¡­Shinya, you also blink a lot, you know. As a habit.¡± ¡°I do?¡± ¡°Like this.¡± Chihiro imitated his usual habit, and Mukai was surprised as if he hadn¡¯t been aware of it before. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right.¡± Chihiro laughed at his realization, and Mukai reflexively blinked, realized he did it again and laughed out loud. In the intimate atmosphere, Chihiro felt comfortable and leaned against Mukai. ¡°Look, I ¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of you.¡± ¡°Mn.¡± Those earnest words touched his heart. Mukai approached his face gently and kissed him again. His cheeks and ears both felt hot. Although it¡¯s been a while since he¡¯d done this, up until his school days, Chihiro had always had a girlfriend. It¡¯s not that he was full of experience, but for his cheeks to burn like this from just a kiss was unbelievable. Moreover, he hadn¡¯t felt this discomposed even when he had his first kiss. So this must be love, Chihiro was completely dumbfounded by his body¡¯s autonomic nervous system¡¯s rebellion. From his heart that was pounding harder and harder, to his red-hot cheeks and ears that seemed to be feverish, his whole body was letting him know. He was truly in love. Love was seriously no joke. And this elated feeling was amazing. They took turns kissing, and Chihiro stuck out his tongue several times. When his tongue slipped into Mukai¡¯s mouth, Mukai¡¯s hand stroked Chihiro¡¯s hair as if searching. His fingers reached behind his ears, and Mukai held Chihiro¡¯s head in place. ¡°©¥©¥¡± After letting Chihiro¡¯s tongue play to his heart¡¯s content, Mukai¡¯s tongue started to move slowly. Chihiro trembled as their tongues wound around each other. ¡°Nn¡­.mnnn¡­.¡± Mukai is a really good kisser, Chihiro felt that more than ever because he wasn¡¯t used to being led. As Mukai sucked on his tongue and playfully bit his lips, Chihiro¡¯s whole body became hot. Through Mukai¡¯s kisses, he also discovered that there was pleasure at the very edge of pain. ¡°¡­Chihiro,¡± His low voice was filled with passion. ¡°So cute.¡± Mukai¡¯s husky voice was mixed with arousal, and it in turn aroused Chihiro. ¡°Chihiro¡± Mukai touched the dazed Chihiro¡¯s cheek. Even though he wasn¡¯t pushed down, Chihiro naturally fell on his back. Mukai leaned over, as if pressing him down. Something that up until now, he had always been the one to do, was now being done to him. Chihiro felt a sort of perverted pleasure at the thought, and his breathing became more shallow. ¡°©¥©¥Can I?¡± He had taken his suit jacket off and loosened his tie. His finger paused in the knot. Having turned into the role of the one being asked for permission, Chihiro felt bewildered. ¡°Ah, no wait!¡± Mukai seemed to pull away, and Chihiro grabbed his hand in a fluster. ¡°It¡¯s not that©¥©¥ it¡¯s just, I¡¯m not used to being led. I¡­don¡¯t hate it.¡± Mukai stared at Chihiro intently, trying to figure out if what he said was the truth. Chihiro extended his hand and took off his own tie. The swishing sound of the material could be heard, and Mukai, too, took his own tie off. He grabbed the tie Chihiro was holding, and he threw them both over the back of the couch, the two ties entangled. Chihiro was suddenly aware that he was about to do it with a man. ¡°Uhm,¡± His throat was dry and his voice hoarse. ¡°I, I¡¯m not used to it, or should I say, it¡¯s my first time. Can I leave it to you?¡± Mukai¡¯s eyes widened just a little, and then he nodded in earnest. ¡°Just tell me to stop if you don¡¯t like it. I¡¯ll do my best to stop.¡± Chihiro found his ¡®I¡¯ll do my best to stop¡¯ phrase amusing and laughed, to which Mukai also laughed softly. Mukai took his hand and kissed the tips of his fingers. He took off Chihiro¡¯s shirt and undershirt, and caressed him just a little below his collarbones. ¡°You have a beauty mark. Here.¡± ¡°Ah¡± Chihiro couldn¡¯t bear Mukai¡¯s intense gaze. After dropping a kiss on Chihiro¡¯s lips, Mukai¡¯s tongue slid down his body, tasting his neck and then collarbones. They had already kissed passionately many times now, but this would be Chihiro¡¯s first time having sex. And aftering having his nipples played with gently, by the time Mukai was done licking one side, Chihiro was already painfully hard. ¡°Ah, ah¡± Enveloped by a sense of security at the fact that Mukai was skilled and he could leave it all to him, Chihiro¡¯s strange nervousness melted away. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful, Chihiro.¡± ¡°That¡¯s, the first, time I¡­ heard such a thing.¡± As if enjoying the feeling, Mukai¡¯s palm slid all over his skin. There was a fine line between Chihiro feeling ticklish and aroused, and his breathing sped up. ¡°The light¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Make it a bit darker in here¡± It was too bright in the room and he was embarrassed. But having said that, it made him even more embarrassed. Mukai regretfully grabbed the remote and lowered the brightness. ¡°A bit more.¡± ¡°This much?¡± ¡°Nothing¡¯s changed.¡± As a man, Chihiro could very well understand the feeling of wanting to look, but being in the position of the one that was being looked at, he honestly wanted the lights completely off. ¡°Please.¡± In the end, Mukai was weak to Chihiro, and he turned off all the lights, including even the orange-glowing nightlight. ¡°Sorry.¡± As an apology, he put his arms around Mukai¡¯s neck and lifted his head up to give him a kiss. Instantly, Mukai stuck his tongue in his mouth. Being kissed so passionately, and in the obscene situation of being pushed down by another man, Chihiro felt his arousal grow. ???? The erection in his pants was painful. Mukai¡¯s hand unfastened Chihiro¡¯s belt and loosened his front. Mukai signaled for him to lift his waist. He hesitated for a split moment, but then cooperated in getting his clothes off. He was stripped of his underwear and slacks, and he was completely naked. Mukai had turned off the light for him, but the projector¡¯s screen was relatively bright from Chihiro¡¯s perspective. ¡°You undress too, Shinya.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Why? Unfair.¡± Chihiro pulled on the hem of his shirt, and Mukai had no choice but to take off his top. Chihiro stretched out his hand, reaching for Mukai¡¯s belt, but Mukai quickly pulled back. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything, Chihiro.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Mukai pulled Chihiro¡¯s hands away from his belt, as if troubled. ¡°Because otherwise I might act rashly.¡± ¡°Rashly?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to do anything reckless to you, Chihiro.¡± ¡°Ah, ©¥©¥ are you, gonna put it in?¡± Chihiro had done some light research, but there were many cases in which men had non-penetrative sex, so he refrained from thinking about it too much. But realizing that sure enough, he would be in that position, and all the same they were going to do it, Chihiro suddenly felt a bit shaken. ¡°I won¡¯t do it today.¡± Mukai said while brushing Chihiro¡¯s bangs. ¡°Today¡­?¡± ¡°I want to do it someday.¡± Being told so clearly, Chihiro felt flustered. ¡°Do you hate it?¡± ¡°©¥©¥ it¡¯s not that I hate it¡­.¡± When he imagined it, he reflexively thought it was impossible, but there was no feeling of disgust. And back when he had thought that Mukai and Isaki were dating, he had had that dream of the two, the one where Isaki, being held by Mukai, had turned into himself. He might have been wishing for it, unconsciously. He wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°I won¡¯t do anything that you hate, Chihiro.¡± ¡°I know.¡± That, he could fully believe. Chihiro held out his hands with the comfort of being able to leave everything to Mukai. Mukai leaned over him. His uncovered skin sticking to Chihiro felt good. They started kissing again, and this time, Chihiro¡¯s whole body was explored. He was kissed in reachable places and in not so reachable places. He was kissed and tasted everywhere. It was embarrassing and strange at first, but with Mukai¡¯s actions becoming more and more passionate, Chihiro lost himself in the pleasure. ¡°Ah, ah¡­.¡± Mukai was skilled with his mouth, and before Chihiro could even try to hold back, he came. As soon as he thought it felt good, his perineum was licked, and he was invaded even further inside. Before he could even be shocked that he was licked in such a place, he found himself becoming aroused again. ¡°Chihiro¡± ¡°Uu, Ah¡­.. wh-, at¡­.?¡± Mukai informed him that he had three beauty marks on the back of his thigh. At some point in time, the projector had switched inputs, and the blank white screen was considerably bright. ¡°Ah, aaah©¥©¥ nnhhg¡­.¡± For a moment, Chihiro almost regained his senses when he was put in a pose where the moles on the back of his thigh could be easily found. ¡°Ah!,¡­.nngh¡± He was being pried open with a tongue. Unbelievable. It felt devastatingly good. His voice came out on its own, and he arched his back. ¡°Ah, aaa, ¡­.st-¡­.ah¡± Shocked, his legs kicked the air. Mukai lightly held his legs down, and slowly crept up. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°nn©¥©¥ ah¡­..¡± Mukai¡¯s lips were wet and they looked extremely obscene. He was so captivated by that, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to the finger being inserted. ¡°I¡¯m hopeless, but Chihiro, it seems like you¡¯re about to cum.¡± Mukai¡¯s finger grazed the inside. ¡°©¥©¥It-, ¡­¡± He was being fucked so thouroughly, Chihiro closed his eyes. ¡°It feels, kind of, strange¡­¡± There was certainly a pleasurable feeling. When he squeezed his eyes shut, he felt his insides throbbing even more. His breathing became wet, and a strange voice leaked out. ¡°©¥©¥Cute.¡± Mukai leaned over and kissed him. Though he had felt a bit uncomfortable being called ¡®cute,¡¯ at some point, he came to accept it as a matter of course. Chihiro naturally wrapped his arms around Mukai¡¯s neck. Their sweaty skin and breathing became one and it felt unbearably good. ¡°©¥©¥Will you do it?¡± Even though he had thought it was impossible, both his indecision and reasoning flew out the window. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Is it okay?¡± Chihiro was half prepared, but hearing the immediate refusal, he was surprised. ¡°I won¡¯t do it today. I promised you, didn¡¯t I?¡± But to stop here, Chihiro quietly stretched out his hand, reaching for Mukai¡¯s crotch. He could feel his stiffness through the fabric. As a man, he could understand the pain of holding back. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­with doing it though.¡± ¡°Not today.¡± Mukai insisted stubbornly. ¡°©¥©¥¡± Confused by the fact that he was getting excited just by holding onto that thick and heavy object, Chihiro gulped. ¡°Can I use my hand?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Mukai whispered hesitatingly. Chihiro unfastened Mukai¡¯s pants, and breathlessly grabbed him. It was hot and dripping, and Chihiro unconsciously held his breath. Mukai¡¯s finger in the meantime was exploring Chihiro. While kissing, their hands intersected, each getting the other off. ¡°Ah,©¥©¥ nnn, uu¡­¡­.Nghh¡± They kissed and fervently pleasured each other, and were filled to the brim with feelings. Chihiro, feeling gradually bolder, slowly moved his hand up and down, tracing the length with his finger, and searched for Mukai¡¯s favorite rhythm. ¡°Chihiro¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Mukai was frowning, as if trying to endure the pain, and at his expression, Chihiro felt his core tremble. ©¥©¥ He wants me. ¡°Shinya¡± Chihiro leaned on his elbows, raising half his body, and brought his lips to Mukai¡¯s ear. ¡°Let¡¯s do it. ¡­I want to.¡± Having put it into words, he felt his desire grow even more. Mukai raised his head in surprise when he realized that Chihiro was sincere. ¡°I want to do it because I love you.¡± Mukai suddenly held his breath at the words that slipped out. I want to do it because I love you©¥©¥ there was no simpler wish than this. ¡°Is it¡­ really alright?¡± Chihiro faltered for a moment at Mukai¡¯s ravenous energy, but then he nodded. ¡°Chihiro¡± Chihiro once more found himself on his back, and Mukai slowly opened his legs. The cum from just now was dripping from his stomach and thighs. Mukai¡¯s finger easily slipped back in. ¡°©¥©¥ ngh¡± ¡°Breathe. Slowly¡­are you okay?¡± It felt uncomfortable, but it didn¡¯t hurt. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Mukai cautiously drove his finger in deeper. ¡°Muka¡­, Shinya, ngh, aah¡­¡± He thrust his middle finger all the way to the base and crooked it in an L shape. ¡°Ah, ah, ©¥©¥ah¡± A strange, itchy-like feeling was building up, and Chihiro¡¯s feeble voice leaked out. ¡°Aau¡­.ngh, haa, aah¡­.¡± Even though it was his own body, he couldn¡¯t tell what was happening with his body. ¡°This is your sweet spot, Chihiro.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± With Mukai whispering in his ears, Chihiro¡¯s cheeks grew hot at the pleasure he was experiencing for the first time. ¡°Ah, ah, ah¡± His legs opened on their own, and his waist felt like it was floating. It felt unbearably good. Every time Mukai¡¯s finger rubbed on Chihiro¡¯s ¡®sweet spot,¡¯ he felt like he was going to cry. ¡°Haah, haaa,¡­¡± Drunk with ecstasy, Mukai¡¯s fervent voice saying his name echoed in Chihiro¡¯s ear. Mukai removed his finger, and Chihiro¡¯s hips shook involuntarily. ¡°Is it ready now?¡± At the same time that Chihiro voiced his question, barely at his wit¡¯s end, Mukai lined himself up. Chihiro felt scared. But he also wanted this. ¡°Ngh©¥©¥¡± As if unable to wait any longer, Mukai pushed himself in considerably. He was big. He lifted Chihiro¡¯s legs and lowered his waist even further. ¡°Haaa©¥©¥¡± Chihiro grabbed his hands tightly, feeling as if Mukai was going to thrust all the way in in one go, but Mukai endured with all his might and went in slowly. ¡°Haa,,,,ngh,,,haaa¡­¡± Chihiro could barely breathe from the pressure. He endured it solely by clinging onto Mukai¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Aah¡­ngh¡± Mukai had reached all the way in, and Chihiro somehow opened his eyes. His tears were falling softly, and Mukai leaned over and wiped them away with his fingertip. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Mukai touched his lips lightly. ¡°Chihiro¡± His voice was overflowing with emotions, and Chihiro somehow managed a small smile. It wasn¡¯t as painful as he had expected, but it did feel very strange. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°It¡¯s o-kay¡­¡± Letting out his voice, he felt his body loosening up. At the same time, the strange discomfort also alleviated, and it became easier. Mukai rocked his body as if to test it. ¡°©¥©¥¡­Shinya¡­ngh,,,Ha,ah¡­¡± He was rocked bit by bit, and his body remembered the pleasure it had felt when Mukai¡¯s finger had rubbed him earlier. ¡°Uuhh¡­ngh¡­¡± He was spread wide and drilled into. ¡°Chihiro¡­ngh¡± Mukai thrust in deep, and Chihiro raised his voice. The pleasurable feeling was overflowing from the inside. ¡°¡­.Aah..ngh,,ah, ah¡± Mukai grabbed Chihiro¡¯s right hand. He placed a kiss on the back of his hand. At the same time, his movements got faster, deeper. ¡°Chihiro, Chihiro¡± ¡°Shi,¡­n¡­Shinya¡­¡± Mukai¡¯s powerful thrusting lurched Chihiro. Deep, then shallow, his movements alternated, and Chihiro tried his best to follow along. ¡°Chihiro¡± I love you, those words brushed against Chihiro¡¯s ears. It brought him to his climax. ¡°Ah, ah, ah¡± Something hot was overflowing inside, and at that feeling, Chihiro came, too. It felt good. ¡°Haah¡­¡± After a moment of blankness, Mukai suddenly hugged him as if overcome with emotion. Completely out of breath, Chihiro, too, put his arms around Mukai. ¡°Chihiro, Chihiro©¥©¥¡± Mukai whispered I love you, and Chihiro couldn¡¯t have been more satisfied. This was the first time I ever wrote (well translated) anything nsfw and WOW it was difficult! I hope it sounded at least a little bit okay! I was crying the whole time translating it but I got through it! One more chapter left of the main story!! CH 11 This chapter is very short! Hope you all enjoyed. Friday I will start posting the extras. There are a total of 7 extras, so look forward to them. ¡°Really?¡± Lifting his beautifully shaped eyebrows, Isaki inclined his head in doubt. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Really really? You¡¯re not just acting along because Shinya begged you to?¡± ¡°Why would Chihiro have to do such a thing?¡± Next to Chihiro, Mukai folded his arms exasperatedly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do anything of that sort, you know.¡± Isaki¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment at Mukai¡¯s natural use of ¡®Chihiro.¡¯ ¡°Is that so? I was really surprised! But I¡¯m really glad.¡± Finally looking like he accepted it, Isaki turned to Chihiro and grinned at him. ¡°Take good care of Shinya.¡± A month had passed, and Chihiro had been spending every day off he had at Mukai¡¯s place. He was shocked beyond his imagination by his lover¡¯s nature to spoil and pamper him. ¡°I tend to get really carried away, so it¡¯s best you don¡¯t rile me up.¡± Mukai was so caring and cherishing that he would unintentionally declare such a thing. ¡°Shinya, you called yourself a sadist before, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just when the talk is about the bedroom. You know that I like making someone like you, who is a little bit selfish, cry, don¡¯t you?¡± Hearing something like that said so calmly and nonchalantly, Chihiro¡¯s face had turned red. He was completely used to sex now and was continuously discovering new sides to himself that he hadn¡¯t known before. Sometimes, he was faced with mixed feelings, but he immediately thought ¡®whatever¡¯ and let himself go with the flow. So far, the relationship was progressing extremely well. Chihiro had left some of his loungewear in the closet in the bedroom, and yesterday, too, they met up after work and then returned together to the apartment. At that time, Mukai had asked him if it would be alright if Isaki dropped by the next day for some documents. ¡°It¡¯s not anything urgent, but when Isaki heard that I was dating you, he was so shocked, he didn¡¯t really believe it.¡± Taking the opportunity while running some errands, Isaki wanted to see Chihiro, so Chihiro had made his way to the front entrance hallway. ¡°Sorry to drop by so early in the morning.¡± Isaki smiled wryly at Mukai who handed him the documents with a look that said ¡®Leave already.¡¯ ¡°But I really am glad. It was the first time I saw Shinya crying about how he couldn¡¯t give up even though it was impossible and how he couldn¡¯t forget you no matter what. Even I was hurt seeing him so miserable, having fallen in love with a straight guy. Minami-san, if you have any complaints, come discuss with me, okay? Also, please take care of Shinya for many years to come.¡± Mukai was annoyed at Isaki¡¯s half-joking speech. ¡°Bye-bye~¡± Chihiro waved goodbye and Isaki left. ¡°Sorry, he¡¯s so annoying and loud.¡± Mukai locked the front door and turned around. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± He may have said it in a joking way, but Chihiro knew that Isaki was actually worried and came by to see the situation. Remembering Isaki¡¯s relieved and happy expression, Chihiro thought he was a really good friend, and found himself smiling naturally. He reached for Mukai and linked their hands together, and Mukai squeezed his hand back in delight. ¡°Hey, I i think I wanna drink some coffee~¡± For his lover that welcomed his self-indulgence, Chihiro voiced his petty little request, and thought to himself that he really was crazy about his boyfriend. ¡°Chihiro¡± Mukai leaned down slightly, while Chihiro tiptoed to meet him halfway in a kiss. The End.