Episode Fifty-Six: This Time, Let’s Both Beat Yui Up Properly
“Kanata-chan, long time no see! You’ve turned into such a grown woman while I wasn’t looking!”
Opening the front door, there stood Ritsu-san, that same nostalgic, lively voice and bright smile unchanged from back then. Yuuri stood right behind her.
“Ritsu-san, it’s been so long. Thank you for coming.”
Right after seeing Yui-san again, I’d decided, without hesitation, to go work at her company, and I’d told them exactly that, without wavering, at the HR interview held a few days later.
Which meant I’d be moving closer to the office, and when I complained to Yuuri about how much of a hassle packing was, she offered to help — and somewhere along the way, Ritsu-san had ended up coming too.
I’d heard afterward, surprisingly, that almost the entire Web Production Division had decided to move to the new company. Mitsuya-san included, of course.
No wonder, really — the salary offered at the interview came out thirty thousand yen higher than our current base pay.
The office, restless after the announcement, had gradually settled down, the handover of work wrapped up, and the transfer date got fixed in place, one thing after another, smooth as clockwork.
My apartment’s a one-bedroom, not exactly spacious, but I’ve lived here since junior year of college, so I’d accumulated a fair amount of stuff. The new place is a one-bedroom too, so I figured I’d use this as a chance to clear out clothes and books I didn’t need anymore.
I showed the two of them into the living room and poured iced tea into glasses. I’d been seeing Yuuri regularly, but I hadn’t seen Ritsu-san since that one time — four years, now.
“Ritsu-san, when did you get back to Tokyo?”
“Moved back at the end of March. Osaka was fun too, but I’ve got more friends here in Tokyo, so getting transferred back felt lucky. Ran into Yui again recently too, actually — heard about you, Kanata-chan, and I was genuinely shocked.”
Ritsu-san said it, laughing brightly. The length of her loosely curled hair was the same as always, but the bright color from her college days had settled into a calm, dark tone now. Her gentle, downturned eyes hadn’t changed at all, and a wave of nostalgia washed over me.
“I was shocked too. I never imagined I’d end up reuniting with Yui-san like this.”
Maybe there really is such a thing as fate, bringing people back together.
“Actually, about that — I wanted to ask you, Kanata… are you really sure it’s fine, deciding to work at your senior’s company? I mean, she hasn’t even broken off the engagement yet, has she? Doesn’t it hurt, being close to her like that?”
Sipping her iced tea, Yuuri suddenly let it slip out, quiet. Something in her expression made it clear she’d been struggling to bring it up, and I realized immediately — she was worried about me.
Before I could answer, Ritsu-san turned to Yuuri and spoke first.
“You can trust Yui on this. That idiot really changed, after Kanata-chan turned her down. She was a genuine wreck afterward, honestly hard to even look at… but she studied like crazy, worked herself half to death. Yui, of all people. You can trust her. It’s going to be fine.”
For all her usual sharp tongue, it’s clear Ritsu-san genuinely, deeply cares about Yui-san. Because in moments like this, she’s always the one defending her.
Not backing down, Yuuri cut back in.
“Ritsu-san. I’m worried Ichinose-senpai might hurt Kanata again. Kanata was genuinely wrecked too, after they split up, you know! As cute as she is, she never once dated anyone, still hung up on senpai this whole time, for years—”
Hearing Yuuri call me “cute” caught me off guard. I scrambled to grab her arm before she could work herself up any further. Realizing she’d thought of me that way this whole time left me a little embarrassed.
“U-um, Yuuri, calm down…”
Ritsu-san’s eyes went wide, startled. “No way.”
“Eh, not one? Kanata-chan, you’re saying you never dated anyone this whole time? Four whole years?”
“That’s right! Right, Kanata?”
“Eh, ah… yeah… that’s… true…”
No need to be that shocked about it… or is it strange? Also — Yuuri knew, this whole time, that I’d been carrying this torch for Yui-san…
I hadn’t been aware of it at all myself, but apparently I really am an easy read. Does it show on my face, in how I act? My cheeks went hot enough that I felt like they might actually let off steam.
“Poor thing, honestly… I get why Yuuri’s worried, now that I hear it.”
“Right!? If she ever makes Kanata cry again, even if you’re her best friend, Ritsu-san, I won’t forgive her.”
Yuuri slammed her iced tea glass down on the table and declared it, loud and proud. Having such good friends made me happy, but it also meant Yuuri knew I still loved Yui-san even now, and from the flow of the conversation, Ritsu-san had probably picked up on it too.
Embarrassed, I covered my reddened face with both hands.
“Okay. If, by some chance, that ever happens, this time, let’s both beat Yui up properly. Beat her senseless. For real.”
Gripping hands tight together, Ritsu-san and Yuuri sealed some ominous pact, and reconciled. I was supposed to be the actual party involved here, and yet somehow I’d been left completely behind.
Unable to bear it any longer, I wet my lips with iced tea, trying to change the subject, and said, weakly, to the two of them:
“Um… should we maybe get started on the packing…”
“Ah, sorry, forgot,” they said, together, in perfect unison, and, deflated, my shoulders slumped.
＊＊＊
After that, thanks to their help, the move wrapped up without a hitch, and before I knew it, the memorable first day of work had arrived.
Today only, dressed in a suit I wasn’t especially used to wearing, I walked the road toward the office. The weather was warm enough to already feel the edge of summer coming on. Good thing I’d brought a parasol.
Ever since that day I’d sulked about her not reaching out, Yui-san had started messaging me every single day.
Good morning, good night, what she’d had for dinner — nothing but small, harmless things, but knowing Yui-san carved out time, even in the middle of her busy schedule, to think of me and send those messages made me genuinely, deeply happy.
Last night too, a message had come from Yui-san.
“Looking forward to seeing you at the office tomorrow.”
No emoji, nothing decorative, always simple — but that’s fine. Because surely, I’m the only one. The only person that terrible-at-keeping-in-touch Yui-san sends a message to, every single day.
Starting today, our relationship is company president and employee. There’s no way we’ll get to talk casually at the office. Even so, I thought — if you’re there, even just at the edge of my vision, every single day, this working life is bound to be far more fun than before.
*
“Aozawa-chan, morning.”
“Good morning, Mitsuya-san.”
Visiting Yui-san’s company for the first time, the building turned out to be easily double the size of the one I’d worked in before. Apparently owned by the Ichinose Group, the office leases three whole floors of it. Other group companies occupy separate floors of the same building too.
After a brief explanation about the building, we were shown to wait in a conference room as large as a university lecture hall.
We’d been told in advance — nearly thirty of us, former Web Production Division employees, would be split up: production team members going to a newly established department, sales and admin staff assigned wherever suited them.
Today, after the entry ceremony, there’d be formal appointment notices. Orientation after that, with actual department placement coming later.
“Came here without a second thought once I heard about the raise, but I’m getting a little nervous now, honestly.”
“Yeah, me too…”
I’d decided to keep it quiet at the office that Yui-san and I already knew each other. It would only make things harder for her otherwise. Not that an ordinary employee gets many chances to talk to the president anyway.
Five minutes before the scheduled time, the conference room door opened. The room stirred, murmuring, the moment Yui-san appeared.
“That’s the president? Whoa, she’s gorgeous…”
Mitsuya-san murmured it, startled too. That’s right, isn’t she gorgeous — I felt a swell of pride, even though it had nothing to do with me.
I remembered being genuinely stunned too, the first time I met Yui-san. I love her in casual clothes, but she looks wonderful in a suit too. Thinking that, I followed her with my eyes as she stepped up to the podium.
Once she lifted her face, our eyes met, just once, I think — a small click. Yui-san smiled, soft, and took hold of the microphone.
＊＊＊
“They say heaven doesn’t give two gifts to one person, right? But apparently some people get two, even three. The world’s really unfair…”
Mitsuya-san said it with a sigh, rubbing at her shoulders, stiff from nerves and exhaustion.
The entry ceremony, the appointment notices, orientation — the whole day had flown by in a blink.
There’d been no time to actually talk with Yui-san, but when she handed me my appointment notice, she’d looked straight into my eyes and smiled, and that alone was more than enough to satisfy me today.
“Still, good thing we ended up in the same department again. Management.”
“Yeah. Glad it’s with you, Aozawa-chan.”
The manager of our old management team had apparently requested an internal transfer instead of moving to Yui-san’s company. Which meant Mitsuya-san and I were the only two assigned to the new management department.
I’d heard the job content wouldn’t change all that much. And checking the seating chart, our desks turned out to be right near the president’s office. I’d worried a little, about ending up on some different floor, but apparently the management-related departments were all clustered close to the president’s office — lucky, I thought.
The first day really had been exhausting, but my mood, overall, felt bright and clear.
Because starting tomorrow, I get to see Yui-san every single day.
Just that alone was enough to chase away whatever anxiety I had about what’s ahead.
My steps feel light. Gears that had stopped turning for four whole years — I had a feeling they were about to start moving again.