Episode 19: This Woman’s Trash-Talking Skills Are Uselessly Over-Leveled
A few days later, at the morning meeting.
“For next month’s business trip: Tamura, Asami, Hanamori. You three, please.”
The sales manager announced the trip assignments.
This regional trip was for a major deal, a big contract for the new service.
The client was a well-known name in the industry, and landing this would be a huge step toward this quarter’s sales targets.
Looking at the lineup, it made sense.
First, Hanamori. Her first year, so this doubled as training, getting hands-on experience watching a major deal unfold.
And Tamura-san. Top of the department in close rate and deal-closing ability. Indispensable for a make-or-break pitch like this. Those two picks made total sense.
…And then, me.
The official reason was probably “senior overseeing Hanamori’s OJT.” But the real reason was almost certainly the company not wanting to send a man and woman alone together on an overnight trip.
Hanamori especially is a person of interest, given her well-known habit of fawning all over Tamura-san. Sending me along, another woman, was clearly meant to head off any weird rumors.
(Hanamori’s definitely going to complain about this later.)
I gave a wry laugh to myself. “I wanted it to just be me and Tamura-san,” or “Please call in sick that day.”
I could already see it coming.
In the sales car.
“Ugh. Why does Asami-san have to come on the trip? I wanted it to just be me and Tamura-san.”
Hanamori said it, deliberately loud.
And there it is.
So on-the-nose it was almost refreshing. How many times has this happened now? I could probably compile a Hanamori Greatest Hits collection at this point.
“Hey, could you not say that so disappointedly right in front of the person?”
“Asami-san, could you fake being sick that day? Like, a sudden stomachache.”
“Excuse me?”
Called that one too.
A wry laugh slipped out despite myself. An exasperated sound.
“There’s no way I could do that, it’s work. And with a major client, no less.”
“It’s literally just one phone call, ‘my stomach hurts.’ Should be easy if you can act.”
Joking or serious, I couldn’t tell. Hanamori shrugged, cackling.
“This isn’t a game. If I bail on a deal this important, do you know how much trouble that’d cause the company?”
“I know, but. With Asami-san there, I won’t get to talk to Tamura-san alone the whole trip, and that’s such a waste.”
“Ah, yes, yes. Tamura-san again.”
“Yep yep. Such a good chance to get closer to him, and Asami-san being there is gonna kill it.”
Hanamori smiled brightly. Corners of her mouth firmly up, eyes not smiling at all.
That’s the face she makes when she’s plotting something bad.
“…Haah.”
A small sigh escaped me.
Honestly, this girl.
Guess she really does like Tamura-san. Getting treated this explicitly as an obstacle put me in a weirdly complicated mood.
But if I got worked up about it here, it’d feel like losing.
Time to be the adult and turn the teasing back on her.
“Alright, alright. Guess I’ll have to go on this trip in tip-top shape, then. Perfect health management.”
“Huh?”
“So that Hanamori-san doesn’t end up alone with Tamura-san alone, I’ll just stick to you the whole time. Morning to night, glued together.”
I said it playfully, meanly, on purpose, and Hanamori’s face went red for a second.
“Wha— what’s with that, all of a sudden? Gross. Absolutely not.”
Instant reply. Exactly the reaction I expected. My mouth curled up.
“I’ll go on this trip out of spite and get in the way of you and Tamura-san as much as possible.”
“Please, seriously, stop.”
“Ohh~? Hanamori-san’s face is red. Could it be you’re flustered?”
Hanamori shot me a glare.
But after a moment of apparent thought, she smirked.
A bad feeling washed over me.
“So that means… we’d be bathing together too, right?”
“Eh…”
“I mean, if it’s morning to night, glued together, right?”
I froze without meaning to.
For one instant, just one instant, a strange image flashed through my head.
Hanamori leaned in from the passenger seat, closing the distance. Close.
“Hm? What’s wrong? You froze up.”
“N-no…”
“Did you maybe imagine something weird just now?”
“I didn’t.”
“Really? Then why’s your face red?”
“It’s not red.”
“It’s the big communal bath. Where everyone bathes together. What were you imagining, Asami-san?”
“So I said, nothing—”
I tried desperately to deny it, but Hanamori was grinning ear to ear.
“…Asami-san, you really are a pervert, huh.”
“I’m not a pervert!”
“But you were clearly frozen, thinking about something. Obviously.”
“…Shut up.”
I turned away without meaning to. My face was hot.
“It’s literally just bathing normally with a coworker. What exactly were you picturing? Tell me.”
“I wasn’t picturing anything! You’re the one enjoying calling me a pervert, Hanamori-san.”
“I’m just saying normal things, that’s all~”
Hanamori shot back, cool as anything.
“…Ugh, forget it…”
I could feel my face turning redder by the second. I covered it with both hands without thinking.
Seeing that, Hanamori burst out cackling.
And kept piling it on.
“Ah, and if we’re sharing a room, I’ll get to see you sleep too, Asami-san. If you snore or grind your teeth, maybe I’ll report it to the whole office Monday morning.”
“I don’t do that!”
“Really? You were drooling in your chair during lunch break the other day, though.”
“I was not drooling!”
My face was burning. I’d meant to tease her, and the tables had completely turned.
“Hm, your face is red, Asami-san. Could it be you’re flustered~?”
She threw my own line right back at me.
“I’m not flustered.”
“But you’re red~. Cute.”
“Not cute!”
I raised my voice without meaning to, and Hanamori burst out cackling again.
“I win.”
“Excuse me?”
“You really are weak to this, huh, Asami-san?”
“…You have a genuinely terrible personality, you know that?”
“Takes one to know one.”
She shot back with a bright smile. Total, complete defeat.
“…Forget it. Forget what I said earlier.”
“Ehh, no way. You’re the one who brought it up first. Morning to night, glued together the whole trip, right?”
“Ugh…”
“Can’t wait for the trip.”
She said it in a flat, deadpan monotone. I was stuck for words. I’d started this myself, couldn’t exactly take it back now.
Hanamori narrowed her eyes, giggling, and kept going.
“Asami-san, you’re really bad at teasing and trash-talking, huh?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, I barely say anything back and you go bright red.”
Hanamori laughed again. That laugh, for some reason, sounded strangely cute.
“…I’m just not as black-hearted as you, Hanamori-san.”
I shot back, looking away, mustering what dignity I had left.
“Ahaha, that’s such a sore-loser thing to say.”
“It’s not sore-loser.”
“It’s totally sore-loser. But, you know, that’s kind of cute too.”
She said it breezily, and my heart skipped.
“…Okay, we’re done with this conversation.”
“Yep yep. Looking forward to it, Asami-san.”
Hanamori wore a triumphant smile.
Total, complete defeat.
I wanted to believe my racing heart was just from frustration.
But Hanamori’s laughing profile looked, somehow, strangely dazzling.
Lately, I’ve started to notice, I actually enjoy these stretches of time in the car, just the two of us trading jokes like this.
Bantering back and forth, laughing, getting teased back.
Whatever else is going on, these pointless little exchanges have started to feel comfortable.
Just a little, no, actually quite a lot, I found myself hoping this stretch of time would just keep going.