Episode Sixty-Nine: I Promised You, Didn’t I?
This flight will shortly be arriving at Naha Airport.
At that announcement, the plane tilted, banking in a slow curve. Cracking open the window I’d kept closed the whole flight and peering down, an emerald-green sea and scattered islands spread out beneath us.
“Yui-san, look, the color of the sea is completely different!”
Completely forgetting, for a moment, that I was here for work, I turned to Yui-san. She leaned in slightly toward me to look out the window too, and smiled, gentle. “First time in Okinawa, Kanata?”
Between my father’s job transfers, I’d lived in all kinds of prefectures across Japan, but Okinawa really was a first.
If I’d gone to high school in Japan, maybe a school trip would have brought me here — but unfortunately, my three years of high school were spent in England, so I’ve never had much familiarity with Japan’s resort destinations.
I already knew our company’s flagship luxury resort brand had a property in Okinawa, but I never imagined, not in my wildest dreams, that I’d actually get to visit it myself.
And all of it, entirely thanks to becoming Yui-san’s secretary. So this is what people mean by “perks of the job.”
The new store, about to open, would be the second location in Okinawa.
Starting today, we’d be staying two nights at competitors’ hotels, and my job was to accompany Yui-san on her research.
Once we’d landed safely, I collected my heavy, clothes-packed suitcase.
She’d told me to dress casually, so everything inside was regular clothes. Today, too, I’d worn a white dress I’d bought new, specifically for this trip.
Just as she’d said — a suit would stick out badly at a resort — the flight to Okinawa was packed, wall to wall, with tourists.
Yui-san, naturally, wasn’t in a suit today either. A camisole layered under a white shirt, and the single-diamond necklace peeking out at her chest caught the light and swayed, faintly glittering, with every step.
“How many times have you been to Okinawa, Yui-san?”
I asked, sliding my suitcase across the smooth, polished airport floor.
“Four or five times, maybe. This is my first time coming since joining this company too, so I’ve never come privately.”
“I see. I thought maybe Japanese high schoolers came here on school trips.”
“Ah, some schools do that, yeah. Mine was in Australia, though.”
Australia, huh. Right, I’d completely forgotten — Yui-san went to that prestigious girls’ school. Which means school trips wouldn’t have been domestic, but overseas. Makes sense.
If there’s ever a chance for an overseas business trip, I speak English, so I should be able to actually be useful — but unfortunately, today didn’t look like it would offer much chance for that.
I walked along, glancing around the airport, curious.
Even though I was here for work, since it was my first time in Okinawa, I’d secretly done a thorough read-through of a travel guide beforehand — that much stays between us.
Yui-san’s kind, so I found myself hoping, a little, that she’d carve out at least some time on the way back for me to buy souvenirs.
I wanted to pick up purple sweet potato tarts at the airport for everyone in budget management, who’d been dealing with extra work since I left.
And sea grapes, soki soba, taco rice… if I got lucky, maybe I could even try some Okinawan specialties. If Yui-san knew I was thinking any of that, she’d probably sigh and say I’m not here to sightsee.
Even so, I was, admittedly, this giddy about today’s business trip.
*
Picking up the rental car we’d reserved in advance, Yui-san lifted my suitcase easily, like it was nothing, and loaded it into the compact car’s trunk.
“Sorry. This should really be my job, shouldn’t it. And, um, the driving too…”
Having the president drive instead of the secretary is, by any normal standard, backwards. Feeling guilty, I apologized, and Yui-san turned to me, surprised.
“Kanata, you have a license?”
“Sort of, yes. Got it in my senior year of college. It’s, um, a paper license, though…”
I’ve never once driven on an actual road since finishing driving school. I don’t even own a car, and the license itself basically just functions as an ID card at this point.
Watching me shrink, small, Yui-san laughed.
“Don’t worry about that. I’d never be able to relax with you driving, honestly. Just be yourself, as always.”
Saying that, Yui-san opened the passenger door for me, same as always. Some of the tension in my shoulders eased, and, prompted, I climbed in, saying “thank you.”
A beat behind, Yui-san climbed in too, and started the engine. A gust of lukewarm air blew out first, and then, a moment later, cool air from the AC hit my cheek, pleasant.
The car pulled out, easy, and I stared, glued to the window, drinking in the view outside.
“Hey, Yui-san. Even the plants in Okinawa are totally different from Tokyo, huh.”
Trees along the roadside stretched skyward, unmistakably tropical. In the endlessly blue, clear sky, oversized cumulonimbus clouds floated, looking nothing like Tokyo’s sky.
“You’ll be even more surprised once the ocean comes into view. Should be soon.”
Just as Yui-san said, a little while later, the view that burst into the car window caught my breath.
The shallow sea stretched endlessly in emerald green, white sand catching the sunlight, glittering.
“Wow, incredible… so beautiful.”
“The hotel we’re staying at on the second night has a private beach right nearby, so look forward to that.”
A private beach, huh. I wanted to walk on the sand. What would it feel like? My heart danced with anticipation.
Carrying me, giddy, the car headed toward our own company’s nearly-completed hotel, exactly as Yui-san had explained on the flight.
Stepping into the brand-new, spotless building, the entrance floor gleamed so polished it looked like it might reflect even my own face.
Ninety guest rooms total. Three different restaurants, remarkably.
A lounge where you could enjoy a drink with an ocean view, and a night pool too, apparently.
A wide range of partnered activities, and paid “Loyalty Members” could use the concierge service at no extra charge.
Exactly what you’d expect from a high-end luxury resort. Even a single chair carried an unmistakable air of quality.
After a brief meeting with the manager, Yui-san and I toured the guest rooms and facilities together, checking each one carefully, one by one.
I made sure to write down every single point Yui-san flagged, word for word, in my planner.
Watching her serious expression, so different from her usual self, fully in work mode — I found myself completely captivated.
The very first thing Yui-san did upon becoming president was unify the membership systems that had previously been split by hotel brand.
The mechanism where membership tier rises with usage frequency stayed the same, but the new system packed in plenty of member-friendly perks — even a business-hotel or restaurant-only member, with repeated use, could work their way up to the high-end luxury brand hotels.
This new membership system had landed remarkably well, boosting business-tier usage across the board, and the number of paid members eligible for one-tier-higher service had also kept climbing steadily, ever since two years ago.
Probably right here lay the reason she’d acquired my old company’s “Web Production Division.” By putting real effort into running the members-only site and developing the application, she’d strengthened member services — and now, in this third year, the phase had shifted from “increasing membership” to “increasing repeat visits and usage frequency.”
Toward that end, starting last fiscal year, they’d begun preparatory work for new store openings and renovations of existing locations, apparently maintaining continuous investment to keep customers from growing bored.
For this new store’s opening, they’d taken out a substantial loan from the parent company to fund capital investment. Anticipating inbound demand, and aiming to offer service that wouldn’t lose to foreign-capital hotels, they’d apparently newly hired several employees fluent in foreign languages too.
After round after round of deliberation, this was, in a sense, a management decision the whole company’s fate rode on — and Yui-san’s expression, touring the hotel, stayed serious throughout.
*
“…Well, I think we’ve seen plenty, let’s head to today’s hotel. You must be tired too, Kanata?”
After touring every last corner, Yui-san stretched, easy, and said it.
“I’m not tired, I’m fine.”
I’d spent the whole time watching you, so serious, so I wasn’t tired at all. Realizing every bit of that effort was for my sake too, something deep in my chest warmed.
All over again, I found myself thinking — Yui-san really is an incredible person. How much effort has she stacked up, all this time?
Only now, belatedly, did I feel real regret over those blank four years we’d spent apart. Why had I let go so easily of the hand of someone who’d thought of me this much, all along?
If, back then, I hadn’t run away — I stopped myself there. No point regretting something already past.
Right now, you’re beside me, and I’m beside you. That alone… is more than enough happiness.
*
After greeting the manager, we climbed back into the car. The evening sun poured through the window, lighting Yui-san’s profile. Beautiful, no matter when I look at her.
“Sorry for dragging you along. Must’ve been boring.”
As the car pulled out, Yui-san said it, apologetic. I scrambled to shake my head, side to side.
“That’s not true at all. Yui-san, working… you looked really cool.”
My voice went a little quiet toward the end. This is the honest truth. Genuinely, cool. Every time I watched that serious profile, my heart pounded, racing.
At that, Yui-san smiled, happy, glancing my way with just her eyes.
“Really? Did you… maybe fall for me all over again?”
“Ugh, I’m actually giving you a compliment, and you immediately have to tease me about it…”
Fall for you all over again — as if I ever stopped. I’ve loved you this whole time, since back then, without a single break.
If anything, the feeling just keeps growing, bigger and bigger. I keep falling deeper into you, endlessly, no limit in sight. …Not that I’d ever, ever say that out loud.
I kept my eyes on the ocean, catching the evening light, all the way to the hotel.
Starting today, two whole days sharing a room with Yui-san.
Last time I stayed at her place, I’d been drinking, so I hadn’t been especially nervous. But now, I’m… a little nervous.
I stole a glance at her profile. Even though I’m this hyperaware of her, Yui-san looks completely unchanged, as always. It felt, somehow, like I was the only one this in love, and that stung, just a little.
By the time we reached the hotel we’d be staying at, the sun had fully set, the whole area dim.
After parking and pulling the handbrake, Yui-san undid her seatbelt and suddenly gripped my hand, tight.
My already-tense heart gave an especially hard, sudden leap.
“…Starting today, we get to be together the whole time.”
Those deep black eyes looked straight at me. She took my hand and pressed her lips, gentle, fondly, against the back of it.
Feeling that soft touch, I was aware of heat gathering in my face.
“Yui-san, we’re still… on the clock…”
“It’s already past six. Work’s done for today.”
Her long fingers slid, smooth, between mine, her left hand gripping my hand tight. Why — something felt faintly off about that left hand, gripping mine. But unable to identify what that off feeling actually was, I looked back into her eyes.
Lately, Yui-san feels like she’s gone back to her college self. Because it’s written all over her face — I’m not letting you get away.
“…You said you wouldn’t do anything, didn’t you?”
Anxious, I double-checked, just in case, and Yui-san laughed, easy — “I said I wouldn’t.”
Really, though. Yui-san’s a liar. Not that I’m hoping for anything. But… honestly, right now, I’m regretting, just a little, booking a twin room.
“Well, let’s go. You must be tired today, so get some rest. There’s tomorrow too.”
Stepping out of the car, a lukewarm breeze brushed bare skin. Then, hand in hand with Yui-san, we headed toward the hotel.
“…What’s the plan for tomorrow?”
Swinging our joined hands idly, I asked, casual. I’d been told I only needed to accompany her, so aside from our own hotel’s manager, no other appointments had been set. So I hadn’t heard what Yui-san planned to do tomorrow.
Since the whole point was staying at competitor hotels, I figured maybe we’d spend the whole day at this one.
Yui-san smiled, bright, and peered into my face.
“Tomorrow is… an inspection of a partnered facility. Somewhere you love, Kanata.”
“Eh…?”
Startled, I stopped walking without meaning to and looked back into her eyes. A gentle breeze stirred Yui-san’s smooth black hair.
Somewhere I love. Only one place comes to mind. One of Okinawa’s most famous spots. Where the whale sharks are. It had been in the travel guide too. A full two-page spread came flooding back into my mind, the photo of that massive tank.
Since we’d come all the way to Okinawa, I’d wanted to go. But I’d been desperately holding back that urge to ask. Told myself — this is a work trip, I shouldn’t be selfish.
“Yui-san… really? Is it really okay?”
“I promised, didn’t I? That I’d take you to the aquarium. Sorry it took so long.”
Looking straight into my wavering eyes, Yui-san smiled — impossibly gentle.