Episode 32: No-Overtime Day, and the Two of Us Who Can’t Go Home
Two days before the trade show.
I parked the car in the lot and cut the engine. Still a little time before the next visit. Hanamori, in the passenger seat, had her tablet open, checking materials.
“Oh, right, about that meeting from before.”
Hanamori spoke up, businesslike. I answered “Yeah” while looking at her profile.
“The client sent over some follow-up questions. I already fixed the materials.”
Hanamori, serious expression, eyes fixed on the screen. My gaze got pulled toward her eyes. Long eyelashes, slowly rising and falling.
Every time she blinked, my heart gave a hard thud.
“…Asami-san, are you listening?”
“Eh, ah, yeah. Listening.”
Our eyes met, and I looked away in a panic.
“So, about the numbers here, they got flagged in the last meeting, so—”
Hanamori kept explaining. My gaze drifted to her mouth again. Her lightly glossed pink lips changed shape with every word.
Opening, closing, opening again. It felt strangely sensual. Even though we’re just talking about work.
“Also, I wanted to confirm the delivery schedule too—”
Hanamori tilted her head slightly. The motion caught the pale line of her neck at the edge of my vision. My heart gave a hard thud.
Calm down. This is work. Listen properly.
But it was impossible. Hanamori’s voice wasn’t registering at all. Looking at her eyes made my heart race. Looking at her mouth made my heart race too.
Wherever I looked, my heart wouldn’t shut up.
“…Asami-san, you’ve been spacing out since earlier.”
Hanamori gave me a flat, narrow-eyed look. Pinned by that gaze, my heart jumped again.
“Don’t zone out, actually listen.”
A little exasperated, Hanamori let out a small sigh. Her lips loosened, just slightly.
Genuinely infuriating that I find even that cute.
“…I’m listening, properly.”
I forced the answer out. Hanamori muttered a doubtful “Really?” and turned back to the documents.
The enclosed space of the car.
A space that, not long ago, hadn’t meant anything to me.
Now, the presence beside me felt overwhelmingly concentrated. The scent of shampoo, the sweet peach perfume, mixing together, attacking my reason.
I’m an idiot, aren’t I?
Getting my own heart racing over every little thing, getting all giddy about it.
Genuinely, an idiot, hopeless.
That day was a no-overtime day. The only two left in the office were Hanamori and me.
I’d genuinely wanted to leave on time, but I wanted to push forward on trade show prep.
“Hanamori-san, it’s a no-overtime day, you can head home first. I’ll handle this.”
I said.
“No, I’ve got other stuff to do too. I’ll stay a bit longer.”
Hanamori answered curtly.
“Aren’t you the one who’s tired, Asami-san? You’ve yawned like five times already.”
“…You were watching?”
“You were yawning with your mouth wide open. Didn’t look like you were even trying to hide it.”
Hanamori said it coldly. Her icy treatment, same as ever.
“Well, let’s just do a bit more, then.”
“Okay.”
The two of us kept working in silence.
The quiet office, only the sound of typing.
Every so often, I found myself looking at Hanamori.
Her serious profile, her focused expression. Cute, I found myself thinking.
“I’m gonna run to the convenience store.”
About an hour later, Hanamori stood up.
“Ah.”
I stood up too, without meaning to.
“C-can I come too?”
The moment I said it, my heart lurched.
I’d stood up unconsciously and the words had just slipped out.
Hanamori turned around.
After a slightly surprised look, she gave me an annoyed side-eye.
“…Ehh? I mean, sure, whatever.”
“O-okay, together then.”
“Haah.”
Hanamori let out a deliberately exaggerated sigh. As she turned back around, I thought I saw the corner of her mouth lift, just slightly.
Just thought I did. That’s all.
We finished paying at the register and walked back toward the office. The night wind had picked up a little.
On the way back from the convenience store. Walking with our bags, Hanamori stuck a straw into her café au lait and took a sip.
“Asami-san, what’d you buy?”
“Um, coffee, and… some gummies.”
“You like gummies, huh.”
“Yeah. You?”
“Café au lait, and gummies too.”
“You like gummies too?”
“I like the firm, chewy kind more than the soft ones.”
“Eh, the firm kind? I’m firmly Team Soft.”
“The firm ones are more satisfying to chew, don’t you think?”
“But the soft ones have more of that juicy flavor, a gentler taste, I feel like.”
“The firm ones last longer, though.”
“But the soft ones spread flavor right away, so—”
“Haah. Guess our tastes really don’t match, Asami-san.”
Hanamori pursed her lips, shooting me a glare, then turned forward and gave a small laugh.
Idle conversation. The usual, trivial back-and-forth. Hanamori’s natural smile. Even something this small was fun.
Even the tiniest things, I find myself happy just to learn about Hanamori. Frustrating.
“…Ah, this café au lait’s really good. Want some, Asami-san?”
“Eh?”
Startled, I looked at Hanamori. She held out the café au lait, expressionless.
An alarm went off in my head. Am I an idiot.
Am I some middle school boy? Don’t make a thing of it. Stay composed.
“Ah, o-okay, then.”
I said, and drank from Hanamori’s café au lait. A pleasant sweetness, genuinely good.
“…You were just thinking ‘ehehe, an indirect kiss~,’ weren’t you.”
Hanamori smirked, saying it in a joking tone.
“N-n-not thinking that at all!”
“Really? It was leaking right out of your face.”
There she goes again, teasing me like this, without even meaning to.
Hanamori cackled and went to drink her café au lait too.
But her hand holding the straw, her mouth, seemed to hesitate for just a moment.
And Hanamori’s ears were red.
…My imagination? Yeah, probably just my imagination.
No, but.
They still looked red.
Getting redder by the second.
“…Guess not. Must just be the cold.”
I murmured it quietly.
“Hm, did you say something?”
“Nothing, nothing.”
Hanamori tilted her head, puzzled, and started walking again.
Watching her back, something in my chest ached. I took a deep breath, trying to cover for the strange hope rising in me.
“How’s it going with Asakura-san?”
Hanamori suddenly asked, coldly.
“Eh?”
My heart jumped.
“N-no, um… yeah, well…”
I mumbled, trailing off. What am I even saying.
“What’s that supposed to mean? So vague.”
Hanamori laughed, looking annoyed.
That cold, piercing look. Even that’s cute. Frustrating. Really frustrating.
“What about you, Hanamori-san, things seem to be going well with Tamura-san.”
“Yep. Suuuuper well.”
Hanamori smiled, faintly wicked.
“Might ask him out to dinner again soon.”
“Ah, sure. Sounds good.”
“What do you think would be good? Somewhere with drinks would be good, right? Tamura-san said he likes wine, so maybe a wine bar~. What do you think, Asami-san?”
“Ah, sure. Sounds good.”
Hanamori asked, deliberately. What is with this woman?
I was desperately trying to answer “Ah, sure, sounds good” with a straight face. Like some robot only programmed to say that.
Something deep in my chest throbbed with pain.
What is this feeling?
I don’t want this.
“…Hey, so.”
Before I knew it, I kept talking.
“Hm?”
“Um, that day of the year-end party.”
Hanamori’s feet seemed to stop, just slightly.
“…What about it?”
“Why’d you go home alone?”
“Why, what do you…?”
“No, I mean, Tamura-san was about to walk you home. It was your chance, and yet.”
Hanamori stopped dead in her tracks. Then looked away.
“…No particular reason?”
Her voice dropped a little lower.
“Actually, why do you even know that?”
“Ah… sorry. I heard it from Tamura-san.”
“…Why’d you ask him?”
Hanamori stared straight at me. Her gaze sharper than usual.
“Eh, ah, well… that’s…”
I got stuck on the words. Stammering. Falling apart.
Hanamori let out a small sigh and started walking again.
Back at the office for a while, a pattering sound started up outside.
“Ah, it’s raining.”
“It really is. Might be bad if we don’t hurry home.”
Hanamori looked out the window. Rain had started falling. Small drops at first, gradually growing heavier.
Rumble rumble rumble rumble.
Thunder. Hanamori flinched slightly.
That’s when I remembered Hanamori mentioning she wasn’t great with thunder.
I found myself thinking that gesture was cute.