Episode 98: I Might Never Be Able to Beat Kanata, Even If It Takes Me a Lifetime

Tomorrow marks the end of the year-end and New Year holidays. The night before work resumes.

I lifted the lid from the pot bubbling away on the dining table. As pure white steam rose towards the ceiling, the aroma of chicken broth spread through the air.

The Kiritanpo hotpot set with Hinai chicken, a gift from Ritsu-san, came with most ingredients included.
　Thinking I might just manage to cook this myself, I confidently declared, “Yui-san, you can just sit down,” but once I started preparing it, I wasn’t entirely sure if I was doing it right.

Yui-san watched me struggling, staring intently at the enclosed instructions, looking concerned. She offered several times, “Shall I help?” but I stubbornly refused.

　I’m not particularly adept at household chores in general, but if I’m going to live with Yui-san from now on, I feel I must overcome my weaknesses one by one.

“Hey, Yui-san… is this actually turning out alright…?”

Unable to shake my unease, I asked. Yui-san promptly peered into the pot.

“Mm, it’s spot on. It reminds me of when I was treated to this at Ritsu’s family home years ago.”

　I breathed a sigh of relief. Yui-san, sitting opposite me at the table, was smiling happily.

“It looks delicious. Thank you for making it.”

“If you want to thank anyone, thank Ritsu-san. This comes with the soup and everything.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that Kanata made it. I’m really happy.”

Hearing that made me feel I had to try even harder.
　Scratching my cheek to hide my embarrassment, Yui-san smiled at me again.

January marked the start of the fourth quarter. This was the final phase of the ‘promised three years’. The mere thought of it made me feel a sense of urgency.

The strategic groundwork Yui-san had laid in management had borne significant fruit this year, the third year.
　Judging by the results accumulated up to the third quarter, this period is progressing smoothly, still on track to safely achieve the promised target figures.

Then, surely, no one would complain. No one would doubt Yui-san’s management skills. After all, financial statements don’t lie.

To gain recognition for her abilities as a manager. She needed to prove through results that she didn’t need to rely on Kitakami-san.
　That was the only way Yui-san could choose to live freely.

I truly respect that effort.

Yui-san was far, far more remarkable than I had imagined.
Though in private, she’s like a wolf, ready to pounce on me at the slightest opportunity…

I stuff my cheeks with the chewy kiritanpo. Mmm, delicious. My thoughts drift to Akita, a place I’ve never visited. I picture the pure white snow piled high enough to reach the rooftops.

I recall how last autumn, we talked about taking a holiday and travelling somewhere once we got through this term.

I want to visit all sorts of places. Just the two of us.
I believe we can make anything happen. Because from now on, we have all the time in the world together.

＊＊＊

And then the next day. My first day back at work this year.

　Leaving home much earlier than usual that morning, I carried paper gift bags in both hands as I walked from the flat to the office.

I’d bought tea and biscuits as gifts to give to the Budget Management Section members.

According to what Yui-san told me yesterday over hotpot, the happy news is that Manager Yamazato is expecting her second baby. I heard she’s due to start maternity leave before summer this year.

It’s still confidential, but apparently there’s been some friction. It’s about who will serve as the ‘sub-manager’ to fill in for Manager Yamazato during her absence.

Surprisingly, both Mitsuya-san and Seno-san have declined, and persuading them is proving difficult. No matter how many meetings they’ve had, neither seems willing to budge.

　I can imagine why Seno-san declined, but Mitsuya-san was a bit of a surprise. Having worked with both, I feel either would be acceptable, even if their approaches to work differ.

While pondering this, I realised I’d already arrived at the office.

This morning, the president will deliver a “New Year’s Address” to all employees first thing. For that, we must prepare the broadcasting equipment in the main conference room.

　Head office staff would gather in this room, while others would join online or via announcement.
After clocking in, I promptly carried the broadcast cameras into the conference room and began setting up.
As I erected the tripod and prepared the camera, I noticed Yui-san entering the room.

Her light grey suit made my heart skip a beat. The necklace I’d given her glinted at her neckline. With her long legs, Yui looked particularly good in this kind of trouser suit.

“Ah, Yui, you’re just in time. Could you step up to the podium for a moment? I need to check the camera angle.”

As I said this, peering at the monitor, she suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around me from behind. Her arms encircling my body gently moved to rest on my stomach.

“Um… Yui-san?”

“Hmm?”

“Honestly… What if someone comes in? This isn’t right. Please let go.”

“It’s this time of day. No one’s coming. A little won’t hurt, will it? I just thought we hadn’t had our morning hug yet.”

She nuzzled against my neck, breathing deeply.
I don’t wear perfume, and I use unscented fabric softener, so I shouldn’t smell as lovely as she does. Yet Yui-san always says my scent is “calming”.

Yui-san, who’ll happily seek physical contact even in places where anyone could turn up at any moment, is bold and fearless. She’s got nerves of steel, or something.

“Yui, really. At this rate, I won’t get anything done.”

“Just three more minutes. Please.”

Yui is incredibly indulgent towards me, and I’m quite aware that I’m equally indulgent towards her.
Precisely because I’m aware, I think I need to rein myself in occasionally. The president’s office is one thing, but in a meeting room, you never know when someone might see us.

I spun around in her arms, and Yui’s eyes widened. I stretched up slightly and pressed my lips against hers for just an instant.
Startled by the suddenness, her arms relaxed, and I slipped free.

“Three minutes? I can’t wait that long. You’ll just have to make do with that. Now, Yui-san, take the stage. I’ll do the camera check.”

Pointing towards the podium with a smug look, I saw Yui-san, who’d been staring blankly, suddenly break into a smile.

“…I might never beat you, Kanata, even if I spent my whole life trying.”

What nerve! It’s always me getting led around by Yui-san.
But this time, it seems I’ve won. Hands on my hips, I gave her a broad smile.

＊＊＊

After exchanging New Year greetings, I returned to the president’s office.
Yui-san was scheduled to visit the parent company in the afternoon to make the rounds, then head straight home afterwards.
Oh dear. Because Kitakami-san should be there too. Naturally, Yui-san would end up seeing him.

Ever since I mentioned being summoned by Kitakami-san, Yui-san has been utterly meticulous about not even hinting at his existence, presumably thinking I worry about him.

　Even those pale blue paper bags piled up in Yui-san’s closet had vanished without a trace by the time I noticed.
Instead, when I saw the accessories Ritsu-san was wearing after so long had suddenly become so extravagant, I nearly burst out laughing.

　When Ritsu noticed my reaction, she cheerfully declared, “My grandmother back home always said, ‘You can never go wrong taking what you can get’,” looking rather pleased with herself.

The items themselves aren’t to blame, and that brand’s accessories are rather lovely, aren’t they?
They suited Ritsu perfectly, so I reckon it’s far better they ended up in the hands of someone who’d make good use of them than remain tucked away in a wardrobe.

　That sort of thing — how our surroundings gradually change bit by bit. But since then, Kitakami-san has been eerily still, not making a single move.

He hasn’t shown his face at the office, nor have any emails arrived addressed to me. It felt somehow like the calm before the storm, and I couldn’t help but find it unsettling.

After seeing Yui-san off in the afternoon, I headed to the Budget Management Department desk with the souvenir tea and biscuits in hand.

　Though everyone had been present this morning, only a new girl who’d transferred over in autumn remained at the desks.

Noticing me approaching with the gift bag in hand, she turned towards me.
Through the lenses of her black-rimmed glasses, her almond-shaped eyes, framed by long lashes, fixed on me as if sizing me up. Her bob cut, trimmed just above her shoulders, was jet black. Her features were slightly youthful, and she gave off no hint of flamboyance.

“Ah, nice to meet you. I’m the secretary…”

“I know. You’re Aosawa-san, right? My predecessor.”

Her voice rang out, crisp and cold as ice, low and composed.

“I’m Arimura. Pleased to meet you. I transferred over from the accounting department in the autumn. I’ve heard about you, Aosawa-san. You’re the returnee, brilliant, promoted to the president’s secretary within just a few months of joining, right? Thanks to your chair becoming vacant, I got assigned to the department I wanted. That’s a relief. But don’t get too big for your boots just because you’re clever and cute. I may be younger, but we joined the company the same year. We’re practically peers.”

She rattled it off in one breath, and I thought, Blimey, this girl’s going to be a pain to deal with… and felt myself pull back a little.
Did she have an issue with me? I almost gave a wry smile, but managed to pull myself together and cleared my throat.

“Er… where is everyone else?”

“Manager Yamazato is in a meeting with the HR Director. Mitsuya-san and Seno-san are probably on the roof.”

It didn’t seem like the kind of atmosphere where I could casually ask, “Fancy a biscuit?”
“Thanks for letting me know,” I said, then made my escape. What on earth was that just now? That was a shock…

　Heading for the rooftop as instructed, she spotted the familiar figures beneath the winter sky. The dry air carried wisps of cigarette smoke that dissolved into the air.
Beside Mitsuya-san, Seno-san stood rubbing her arms, looking cold.

“Mitsuya-san, Seno-san, thank you for your hard work today.”

“Oh, it’s you, Aosawa-chan. What’s up?”

Mitsuya-san turned towards me, cigarette dangling from her mouth. From behind her, Seno-san peered out.

“I went home for the New Year, so I thought I’d bring back some souvenirs. I stopped by your desks earlier, but…”

I couldn’t bring myself to say it was because Arimura-san had been so prickly that I couldn’t hand them over, so I stammered instead. Seno-san chuckled.

“Thanks for the souvenirs. I’ll pass them round to everyone.”

Saying that, Seno-san thoughtfully took the paper bag containing my souvenirs.

“It’s freezing, so I’ll head back first. You two, take your time~”

I gave a slight bow to Seno-san, who waved flutteringly. Glancing briefly at Mitsuya-san, I saw her leaning his back against the rooftop safety railing, exhaling a puff of white breath.

“…That new girl, Arimura-chan, she’s got quite the attitude, didn’t she?”

With a cigarette in her mouth, Mitsuya-san grinned, so I shrugged.

“I get the feeling she really dislikes me… Did I do something?”

“She’s just on edge, trying not to be compared to Aosawa-chan. Seems she’s quite conscious of it.”

“Oh… Is that so?”

No real harm done, so it’s fine, I suppose.
　More importantly, I had something I wanted to ask. Switching gears, I blurted out, “Speaking of which…”

“I heard about Manager Yamazato’s maternity leave from the president. Honestly, I was surprised you turned down the assistant manager role, Mitsuya-san.”

“Well, I thought Seno-san was better suited for it. But Seno-san, despite appearances, is quite stubborn. She just wouldn’t say yes. We need to decide quickly; Manager Yamazato must be worried.”

　I was dumbfounded. I never expected Mitsuya-san to say something like “Seno-san is the better fit”.
These two were supposed to be like cats and dogs.

“I see. Knowing Manager Yamazato, I’m sure she’ll understand…”

“Was the president worried too, perhaps?”

“…Well, yes. Budget Management is a crucial department, after all.”

“Oh dear, what shall I do?”

Mitsuya-san stared blankly as smoke curled up into the cold sky and vanished.

“There’s still time, you know. You can take your time thinking about it, can’t you?”

A bitterly cold wind whistled across the rooftop. As I muttered this, rubbing my hands together, Mitsuya-san smiled.

“You’ll catch a cold, Aosawa-chan. You should head back now. I’ll have one more smoke before I go. Thanks for the souvenir.”

“Yes. Please don’t catch a cold either, Mitsuya-san.”

Mitsuya-san’s slanted eyes showed no hesitation; to me, she seemed calm.
Somehow, it felt like Mitsuya-san and Seno-san had grown much closer while I was away. Perhaps I needn’t have worried so much.

　This is how relationships constantly reshape themselves as you get to know each other, isn’t it?

Just like it was with me and Yui-san.

Chewing over these thoughts, I left the rooftop behind.

——Incidentally, this is just an aside… but I only found out much, much later that their relationship wasn’t what I’d imagined it to be.