Episode Seven

“Amami-senpai, did something happen yesterday?”

I was addressed like that just as I’d finished checking my morning emails.
Looking up from the screen, I saw a woman with long hair standing there, the sort who might attend a university around Aoyama.
It was Momono-chan, a junior colleague. She’d only joined the company this past April.
She whispered to me, as if speaking in secret.

“You seem rather distracted since this morning.”

　I stiffened.

“Oh, really? I think you’re imagining things.”

“Surely not, Senpai—”

Momono-chan suddenly clapped her hand over her mouth.

“No, no, Senpai! That’s far too soon, whatever the case!”

“Eh?”

“Please don’t, Senpai! Don’t resign to get married! That would be so sad!　If you leave, who’s going to teach me the ropes?”

“That’s not it!”

I blurted out. What on earth was she talking about?

“It’s a misunderstanding, I tell you. I’ve absolutely no intention of quitting my job.”

“Eh?”

Momono-chan’s eyes widened.

“So you’re both working? With our schedules, that must be pretty tough. Is your partner the type who’ll properly do the housework?”

“I said it’s not that! Honestly, it’s nothing like that!”

“Oh, is that so? Sorry, I just assumed you’d found someone wonderful.”

“Found someone wonderful?”

Somehow, that girl’s face popped into my mind.
Shinomori Ibara.
The overly pretty, soft-spoken high school girl with dark circles under her eyes.
　…No, no, no.
At least make it Aki-san, my brain. Even setting aside the whole same-sex thing, Ibara is ridiculous. She’s a high school girl.

“No, no, no, not at all. Still single as ever.”

“With someone like you, I’d think you’d find someone easily… Well, you’re busy at the moment, aren’t you?”

“Exactly. No time for that sort of thing.”

“Me too, I’m swamped with work and idol fandom activities. I’ve absolutely no time for boyfriends or anything like that.”

Come to think of it, Momono-chan is apparently a fan of a certain female idol unit.
Her fandom is hardcore; I hear countless male colleagues have been denied outright with just the line, “I’ve got a live (or stream) that day.”

“What was that idol group called again?”

“It’s ‘Charles’. Oh, right, listen to this, Senpai. Something really shocking happened a little while ago, and before I knew it, I’d been bawling my eyes out for about five hours—”

“Right, right, I’ll hear about it another time. Let’s get on with work, shall we?”

When it came to her favourite idol, Momono-chan just wouldn’t stop.
With people around watching, and if we kept chatting like this, we’d end up working overtime again.
Shaking off Momono-chan, who looked like she had more to say, I got back to my work.

　†

So, I was plodding away at my work like that.
But the sunny mood didn’t last long. First thing in the afternoon, Shindo-san came over to my desk again.
Ugh. More extra assignments, I thought.
Seeing my disgruntled expression, Shindo-san waved his hands dismissively.

“Don’t get so worked up. It is an assignment… but as Yamauchi-san’s assistant.”

“Yamauchi-san’s⁉︎”

I couldn’t help but latch onto that, because Yamauchi-san is our company’s ace designer.
She’s handled the packaging design for several blockbuster products. With her innovative yet solid work ethic, she’s a highly regarded senior colleague both inside and outside the company.

“Exactly. We’ve got a bulk order from a major client, and she’ll handle the main part, but it seems she can’t manage it alone. Seeing a veteran’s work up close will be educational too.”

Indeed, being her assistant would offer plenty to learn. It was also a chance to observe the work of a senior I respected.
Still, it meant adding extra meetings, concept development, and miscellaneous tasks to my current workload.
Even so, refusing wasn’t an option.

“Understood. I’d be delighted to work with her.”

“Right then. I’ll pass it on to Yamauchi-kun. Anyway, I reckon there’ll be a meeting with the client soon, so you can start getting involved from there.”

“Yes!”

“Do your best. I have high expectations of you.”

Shindo-san returned to his desk.
　Expectations. I couldn’t tell if Shindo-san’s words just now were genuine or not. It might have been just a perfunctory remark to manage his subordinate’s motivation.
Well, but in the end, I suppose I’m just simple-minded at heart.

“…Right then, I’ll give it my best shot.”

I sat back down in my chair, stretched my body, and did some stretches.
My arms cracked loudly. It felt like they cracked a bit too much.
　Right then. If more tasks are piled on from here, I’ll have to push forward with the work I’ve got on my plate.

†

Well, just because I’ve psyched myself up doesn’t mean my hands suddenly get faster.
In the end, I ended up working overtime that day too.
I left the office just before eight. Then it was thirty minutes rocking on the train.
Stepping out of the station, a beautiful full moon floated in the dark sky.

“Hmm, well done today, me…”

I cracked my neck, and it made an ominously loud popping sound.
I was startled by how loud it was.

My arms, my neck… I’m really feeling it…

Maybe I should go for an aromatherapy massage or something.
But the places around here are hard to book, and they’re quite pricey. For a young woman in her third year of working life, it’s a bit of a stretch.
　Pondering what to do, I bought a sandwich and tea at the convenience store.
I’m reasonably good at cooking, having picked it up during uni. Still, the thought of cutting ingredients, cooking rice, preparing dinner, eating, then washing up at this hour… it made me feel like I might lose my mind. No way. Long live convenience stores.
I breathed in the crisp air and walked along the night road.
My usual route home.
　But halfway, my feet stopped.
Two minutes’ walk from the station.
At the edge between the station area and the residential neighbourhood stands a smart little house with a blue roof.
On the front, one large window and one wooden door.
A small wooden tag hanging from the door handle reads ‘Open’.
No shop name is written anywhere. No common blackboard sign either. At first glance, it looks just like an ordinary detached house.
　But this is a coffee shop. I know it.
Coffee Shop Sereno.
The high, clear voice I heard at dawn still echoes.

──If you came again, I’d be happy. Really, really happy.

Orange light spilled from the front window.
Is Ibara really here again today?
Is she waiting for me?

“No, no, no!”

Thump! I banged my head on a nearby street tree. Bloody hell, that hurt.
Calm down, me. Keep your cool.
Looking back, I wasn’t in my right mind yesterday.
A girl I’d never met before called out to me, I followed her along without a second thought, and ended up sleeping soundly on a sofa in a coffee shop.
Unbelievable.
I was far too careless.
　Besides, it’s doubtful whether Ibara was even waiting for me. Perhaps it was just an excuse to get me into the shop, some elaborate publicity stunt. That seems more plausible, if anything.
So ignoring it is the right call. Go home, eat a bland ham cutlet sandwich with lukewarm rooibos tea, and sleep. That’s the sensible thing.
　But, what if.
What if, just in case, by some chance, Ibara really was waiting for me?
What if she was sitting right here in this café, waiting patiently for the wind chime to ring?
Then I—
………….
……Ah.

“Hang on, come to think of it, did I actually pay for my coffee…?”

That’s right. I don’t remember paying.
After all, I fell asleep before settling the bill, and woke up to find it was morning.
Not only that, I used ingredients for breakfast, and I’d actually fallen asleep inside the shop.
　Wait, does that make me a diner-and-dash offender?
I suppose Ibara might have paid for me. Even so, I used the shop’s facilities for a night’s stay and consumed breakfast ingredients.
No matter how much Ibara insisted it was fine, shouldn’t I have at least said something to Aki-san, the owner and guardian?
Isn’t that the bare minimum of manners expected of a working adult…?

“Hmmmm…!”

No, that’s not it.
This has absolutely nothing to do with that schoolgirl.
It’s not because I was charmed by her face or anything like that.
It’s simply that, as a decent citizen, I can’t become a diner-and-dash offender…!
After agonising over it, I pulled the door handle.
Chirring.
The wind chime sounded.