Secret - Asami Nagi Wants to Focus
April, the office. Cherry blossoms in full bloom outside the window.
I’ve finally hit my fourth year — officially a mid-level employee now.
And yet, I, Asami Nagi, was at a total loss.
Because lately, I can’t focus on work at all.
The reason is—
“Good morniiing~”
Ah. There she is.
It’s that woman’s fault. Hanamori Chisa, now in her second year.
Wrapped in a feminine, pale pink blouse, flawless sweet makeup, a calculated smile, a saccharine, honeyed voice.
As calculating as ever.
Hanamori sits down at the desk diagonally across from mine. Our eyes meet, and she looks away instantly.
But from that point on, my eyes can’t stay on my computer anymore. I can feel my own gaze darting around restlessly.
A glance.
Checking email, she makes a slightly troubled face. Biting her lip lightly.
Another glance, another.
Typing, she tilts her head. The pale line of her neck peeks into view.
Glance, glance, glance.
Answering the phone, “Yes, understood,” in her sales-smile voice. Her pitch climbs two levels. Sweet. Her lowered lashes are long, the corners of her damp lips curl upward.
…Ngh. No good. I can’t take this anymore.
“Uwaaaghhh.”
I ruffle my own hair, letting out a small groan without meaning to. Sasaki-kun, at the next desk, gives me a wary look. From the outside, I probably look unhinged.
Better go make some coffee for now.
Deciding that, I fled to the break room.
Pouring coffee into the cup I’d just bought recently.
A deep caramel color, genuinely one of my favorites. This should calm me down.
Tk, tk, tk.
A familiar sound of heels.
A bad feeling creeps in. I turn around, and sure enough, it’s Hanamori.
Hanamori’s also holding a coffee cup. The same shape, wine red. Also something she bought recently.
“Good work out there.”
“…Ah, good work.”
“That company from yesterday’s meeting. Got an email, the contract’s confirmed starting next month.”
“Huh, nice, that’s great.”
Hanamori looks pleased with herself.
Just the two of us in the break room. But even so, anything not work-related instinctively drops to a whisper.
“That cup color really does suit you.”
“It kind of makes the coffee look tastier, doesn’t it.”
“Definitely better than that hot-pink cup you were agonizing over before. That weird design one.”
“Ugh, quiet. That one was cute in its own way.”
Hanamori said it, taking a sip of her café au lait.
“That movie I watched last night was good.”
“Eh, you actually watched the whole thing?”
“You fell asleep snoring, Asami-san. I watched it properly.”
Hanamori laughed softly. That smile is so cute it’s infuriating.
“Huh? I don’t snore.”
“You did. Went ‘fgooh.’”
“Did not.”
“Did too.”
I lean in a little closer to Hanamori and murmur, quietly.
“Anyway. You don’t have to keep the polite speech anymore, you know?”
“No good. We’re still senior and junior at the office, technically.”
“Yeah, well…”
“Someone would notice. Everyone at the office.”
Hanamori pouts, cheeks flushing.
That expression is so cute it takes my breath away. Her long lashes lowered, cheeks tinted faintly pink. This should be illegal.
“Anyway, kind of—”
Hanamori drifts closer.
She hooks a finger into my blouse sleeve, bringing her lips near my ear.
Hanamori’s peach perfume drifts over, faint and sweet.
“Isn’t dating in secret more exciting?”
She whispers it, quiet enough that no one else could hear. Her lips faintly brush my ear.
Her warm breath and sweet voice stimulate me down to my core. A shiver runs up my spine. I can feel my pulse racing faster and faster.
At the same time, Hanamori’s fingertips slide gently down from my sleeve to my wrist. A slow, deliberate motion, like she’s stroking my skin, teasing it.
“Wha—!? H-hey, wai—, stop—”
I’m in complete panic. Sweat breaking out everywhere.
Enjoying my reaction, Hanamori narrows her eyes slightly and smirks, mischievous.
This woman is deliberately provoking me. That’s exactly the calculating, unfair side of her that’s so infuriating.
But I can’t look away from that smile.
The distance between us closes naturally. Our eyes meet. Point-blank range.
Hanamori’s eyes are glossy, watching me with something like anticipation.
Bad. This is bad.
Without meaning to, I lean my face in, toward Hanamori’s lips—
Tk, tk, tk.
Footsteps from the hallway.
We both freeze at once.
Crap. Someone’s coming.
Hanamori’s eyes go wide. She lets go of my sleeve instantly.
“W-well, then—”
I hurry too, grabbing my coffee cup and fleeing the break room.
Practically running away.
My heart is still pounding hard.
The hand holding my coffee cup is trembling, faintly.
Back at my desk, I still can’t settle down at all.
Glancing over at Hanamori, her cheeks are still a little flushed too, eyes fixed on her computer screen.
—Yes. We’re secretly dating.
My girlfriend’s so calculating that, once again, I can’t focus on work at all today.
It’s Hanamori’s fault.
Entirely, completely Hanamori Chisa’s fault.