#44: Shall We Dance? / ep.1
“How are things going?”
“Explain yourself, Akazawa.”
“Kurumi-chan, are you listening?”
The moment she woke, Kurumi buried her phone in the pillow on her bed at home, fed up with the missed calls and messages from former division head Kosugi filling her notifications. Even her prominent tear bags, visible without make-up, drew into a scowl as she took a can of beer from the fridge.
Saturday. Nine in the morning.
The television she had left on the night before was reviewing the week’s entertainment news. After pointless stories of a young handsome actor’s marriage announcement and a veteran comedian’s divorce press conference, Mikoto’s bunny-girl appearance appeared on screen.
“You really did it, Mi-chan…”
Kurumi’s fist tightened hard enough that she nearly crushed the can.
Her scheme to release Mikoto’s scandal photograph while claiming it was Kotone had been destroyed by the bunny girl. Once the public knew Kurosu Mikoto, who looked exactly like Kotone, it would not hurt Kotone to spread the photographs online. In other words, her leverage against Mikoto no longer worked.
“It must have been Sanae’s idea. I’ll have the senior girls take care of her…”
Using her work tablet, Kurumi typed into the Secretarial Section’s private group chat. The moment she posted, Sanae Yanase bullied me. I’m so sad, abuse began pouring in.
“I get it. She’s so serious, it’s annoying. What is she, class rep?”
“She gets a little work done and thinks too highly of herself.”
“Shouldn’t we embarrass her at the next regular meeting?”
“Exactly. We were right not to tell her about it.”
Reliable seniors. Kurumi smiled with satisfaction.
The Secretarial Section largely organised the upcoming regular meeting. Its internal material contained the following:
Venue: Hotel Maverick, Grand Reception Hall
Overview: A dance and standing buffet party with prominent figures from various fields.
Even freshly awake, Kurumi’s capacity for malicious ideas worked perfectly well. Within seconds, she had devised a brilliant plan to legally remove both Yanase Sanae and Kurosu Mikoto from Hibiya Trading at once.
“So all I have to do is make them smear mud all over Hibiya’s name in front of lots of important people…”
Kurumi typed her malicious plan into the group chat. At work she deliberately typed at a crawl, but at home, with no one watching, her fingers moved quickly. She was in high spirits.
The replies came at once.
“Wow, Kurumi, that’s messed up. I’d never want you as an enemy.”
“Sounds good to me. I’m in.”
“Wholeheartedly agreed.”
“Anyway, Kurumi, do you really want Kosugi to come back that badly?”
The last line made her feel cold.
Kurumi hesitated briefly, then chose to write exactly what she thought.
“If Kosugi-kun doesn’t come back, I can’t hurt him myself, can I?”
The anger burning in Kurumi’s eyes was not directed at Mikoto. Nor at Sanae. The person she wanted revenge on even more than either of them was former division head Kosugi.
Crushing the beer can in her hand, Kurumi sent Kosugi a message from the phone buried in her pillow.
“Next week, I’ll hurt Mi-chan and Sanae for you. Come and watch, Kosugi-kun?”
“I’ll make a complete mess of them.”
Then she added the kiss-mark sticker she always used.
“Hehe. For my sake, die socially, Kosugi-kun.”
“A dance party!?”
Later that same day, at the Kyodo flat, Mikoto was waving a cat toy for Mimosa when Sanae’s sudden call made her eyes round, almost as round as Mimosa’s.
“Yes, that is what has happened. Ah, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be contacting you about this while you are on your day off. The dance party is for Hibiya’s prominent political and business figures—”
“C-calm down, Sanae-san. I cannot understand what you are saying.”
“I’m sorry. This is my failure. I cannot entirely conceal my agitation…”
Sanae was unmistakably flustered on the phone.
The situation was this.
Having been instructed by headquarters to dismantle the Secretarial Section, Sanae had been performing with astonishing versatility within that section. By swiftly dealing with task after task that the others assumed a General Affairs employee could never do, she had apparently succeeded in single-handedly destroying the Secretarial Section’s claim to superiority.
But naturally, the Secretarial Section would not find that amusing. No one wanted to lose entrenched privileges. The whole section had played at being friendly on the surface while plotting in secret to drive Sanae out.
“So the regular meeting is this dance party…”
“Yes. Officially, it is a dance and standing buffet, but in substance it is meant to build connections in politics and business. Think of it as a Hibiya-hosted social gathering. Put crudely, something like a high-society ball attended by celebrities.”
“High society…”
Mikoto’s ordinary-person imagination could not quite comprehend it. The best she could picture was a glittering gathering of heirs and heiresses in elaborate dress, eating, drinking, and dancing behind concealed true feelings. There would probably be caviar, foie gras, and truffles. And perhaps the non-drinking kind of cocktail—some soup solidified with gelatine or something—would be served. Her ideas were desperately limited.
“Are you taking part too, Sanae-san?”
“Not only me. You are taking part as well.”
“Me!?”
“Meow.”
At Mikoto’s near-scream, Mimosa immediately retreated. She left the living-room sofa where Mikoto sat and disappeared into Shandy’s bedroom, where Shandy had gone to sleep after finishing work.
A moment later, a voice rang out: “Ow!?”
“I’ll ask plainly. Kurosu-san, do you have experience with ballroom dancing?”
“Of course I don’t! The only dancing I can do is Bon dancing and Maim Maim! I can’t do this!”
“That is a problem… At this rate, I will not be able to crush the Secretarial Section’s advantage…”
“What about you, Sanae-san?”
“How could I possibly dance? I specialised in deep learning at university.”
Why was someone who had studied deep learning, a thoroughly scientific field, working in General Affairs at Hibiya? And what even is deep learning? A completely unrelated question arose in Mikoto’s mind alongside the sudden prospect of ballroom dancing.
“…Is she there with you?”
“She?”
“Your bartender girlfriend…”
“Hmm. She had only just fallen asleep. Mimosa is a naughty girl, isn’t she?”
Shandy emerged slowly from the bedroom, wearing a long T-shirt as pyjamas. Somehow sensing Mikoto’s predicament, Mimosa had literally beaten her awake. The queen had done good work.
More than that, Mikoto was concerned that Sanae’s voice had been breaking and catching now and then throughout the call. Perhaps she had caught a cold.
“Shandy-san, come here!”
“Fwaaah… What is it? A work call on a Saturday morning…”
Mikoto changed her phone to speaker mode. Sanae’s voice filled the living room.
“This is Yanase Sanae. Your—”
“I don’t deal with customers in private.”
“This woman…”
Shandy waved a hand dismissively, about to leave. She had declared Sanae an X, Y, G inside antiqua. Given Shandy’s habit of drawing a sharp line between people she liked and disliked, and between work and private life, this outcome was obvious.
“Shandy-san, we seem to be in quite a bit of trouble.”
“Sanae-san being in trouble does not make me troubled.”
“That may be… true, but!”
“I will be direct. Kurosu-san will be in danger!”
Shandy took a can of beer from the fridge, apparently intending it as a nightcap, and sat beside Mikoto with an utterly fed-up expression.
“May I hear the matter?”
A few minutes later, Shandy had listened to Sanae’s explanation while sipping her beer, and asked through a yawn:
“I mostly understand. Mikoto-san is needed at your company’s party, is that right?”
“Yes. To strengthen their connections with political and business figures, the Secretarial Section members have likely set their sights on Kurosu-san’s appearance, even though she is currently an internal employee. It is exactly the kind of thought those vulgar people would have.”
“Being beautiful is troublesome too, Mikoto.”
“Well, yes…”
For Mikoto, it was complicated. Being labelled a beautiful woman blessed with looks came with many benefits, but just as many drawbacks. The more she was singled out because she was beautiful, the more envy she drew from those around her, and the more her words and actions were constrained. Yet it was not a problem she could easily discuss with anyone.
“So then. Who will be Mikoto’s ballroom-dance partner?”
“At present, we do not know. Ordinarily, it would be one of the important men from political or business circles.”
“Then you cannot have my Mikoto. She will not attend the party. That concludes the conversation.”
Shandy pursed her lips and clung to Mikoto. Mikoto could easily guess why she was hanging on as if she would not let go.
“This is not the time to be jealous, Shandy-san.”
“Then would Mikoto be perfectly calm if I were held in someone else’s arms?”
“That…”
The instant she imagined it, an emotion nothing to be proud of slid out from the depths of her heart. Mikoto wanted to believe it could never happen, because Shandy endlessly whispered love to her. But Shandy habitually lied and made teasing, suggestive remarks. Mikoto could not help a small seed of doubt taking root.
“Well, I think you would make a beautiful picture dancing while a man held your hand. The hurdle for a handsome man good enough to match me would be very high, though.”
“You truly are confident.”
“Since you are the person this confident woman chose, please do not sell yourself short.”
Shandy lightly touched her lips to Mikoto’s. Deliberately making the kiss loud, she showed it off to Sanae through the phone.
“…So you will not cooperate?”
“I do not wish to. But if you insist, perhaps you will accept the conditions I set.”
“No conditions are necessary—”
Mikoto’s unfinished words were cut off by another long kiss. Shandy straddled her lap, taking away her words as if refusing to accept objection.
“…Needs must. What are your conditions?”
“Let me see. Toko-san for one night—”
“Please forget that this conversation ever happened.”
“I’m joking. Hehe.”
Shandy’s eyes immediately curved into crescents, as though pleased. She had apparently succeeded in her method of negotiation: deliberately acting uncooperative to extract a concession. Or perhaps she had merely wanted to rattle Sanae in retaliation.
“My condition is seeing your adorable side.”
“I do not understand what those words mean.”
“It is simple. You cannot dance at all, can you? I will teach you, so please show me your pathetic baby steps as you toddle about. I shall record a video and enjoy it with my drinks.”
“…”
“Shandy-san, your wording!”
Mikoto basically thought Shandy was kind. It was only that her kindness was roundabout, often accompanied by an intense sadistic streak. To people who did not understand her intentions, she came across as a woman with a catastrophically twisted character.
Mikoto hurried to translate.
“W-well? Shandy-san’s language is bad, but she is reasonable! I think she will properly help you! Right, Shandy-san!?”
“Hehe, who knows? Perhaps I only want to laugh at her.”
“Why would you say that!?”
“Because Mikoto agrees too easily. I am quite a possessive woman.”
Shandy’s arms tightened around her. Unlike bartender Shandy at antiqua, Shandy off duty was direct. She skilfully alternated between seeming indifferent and fiercely possessive. The more Mikoto learned, the less she understood her. The mystery she wore was an abyss.
“You really are…”
“May I take it that you have made up your mind?”
At Shandy’s smile, almost a declaration of victory, Sanae let out a sigh.
“…There is no time. Please. I need only the bare minimum of manners; teach me to dance.”
“I suppose it cannot be helped. Is that all right with you, Mikoto?”
Shandy seemed satisfied at Sanae’s subdued manner. Still, Mikoto felt she needed to caution Shandy, who was smiling with a triumphant look.
“It is fine, but do not bully Sanae-san too much.”
“Aww. Is that not allowed?”
“Not allowed.”
Mikoto flicked Shandy lightly on the forehead. Shandy reacted just as she had when Mimosa bit her — “Ow!?” — then curled up on Mikoto’s body. For all her adult air at antiqua, at the Kyodo flat she was exactly like a mischievous child.
“You have a difficult time too, Kurosu-san.”
“Is your situation not similar?”
“Well, it is. But that is exactly why… she is dear to me…”
“Huh.”
That was a spectacularly affectionate remark. Mikoto imagined that Sanae must be in a similarly compromising situation on her end.
A similar situation. The thought made Mikoto suddenly realise the truth behind Sanae’s voice growing high and breaking off unexpectedly over the phone.
Surely not…
“Sanae-san?”
“W-what is it…?”
“…No, nothing. I will end the call for now.”
“…Sorry.”
There was kindness in not prying. Mikoto promised herself that and ended the call.
But naturally, Shandy could not miss a subtlety that Mikoto herself had noticed.
“While on the phone, of all things. I would like people to focus on their work. Perhaps I ought to strike more boldly, like that?”
“P-please, spare me…”
“Hehe. I have no taste for putting on a display.”
She had just put their kissing on display, yet when Mikoto tried to complain, Shandy sealed her lips again. The taste of beer in Shandy’s saliva made Mikoto drunk twice over.
“…I am completely awake now. What shall we do about the rest?”
“Do not ask. You do not need to ask.”
“Then I shall tease you a little.”
“That is… not… something I mind!”
“Human beings are not only for losing themselves in debauchery, you know.”
Shandy gave her a smile full of sadistic delight.
Mikoto was still constantly being toyed with, still nowhere near Shandy’s equal. But she did not want to remain that way. One day, she would surely become an adult woman who could stand beside Shandy, someone who could make her eat those words. Amid her happy frustration, a new goal took root in Mikoto’s heart.
“Well then. Shall we begin the dance lesson? Shall we dance, Miss Mikoto?”
It was hardly surprising that Shandy could teach ballroom dancing. Someone like Shandy, who claimed to dislike herself but loved herself more than anyone and placed paramount importance on looking good, naturally ought to be able to dance.
“I’m bad at it. Is that all right?”
“It is because you are bad that you are dear.”