The Beautiful Kuudere Woman Who Always Reads Books While Standing Next to Me at the Laundromat Turns Out to Be the Vice President of One of Our Clients
The meeting room at TechFrontier was filled with a pleasant atmosphere and a sense of accomplishment. The interim report on the new personnel system design project, which Tsukishima san and I had been working on, had been successfully completed.
However, we had only just begun to analyze the current situation and determine the direction we wanted to take, and we had not yet reached a complete agreement with the staff on the ground.
In the presence of my superior, Takahashi, the department head, Tsukishima san delivered the main presentation, and TechFrontier’s president, Igarashi, remained in a good mood throughout.
“That’s interesting ! It’s logical, but you’ve also taken the time to understand our company’s culture ! Alright, let’s move forward with this !”
At the president’s enthusiastic approval, I let out a sigh of relief. Tsukishima san, sitting next to me, also relaxed her usually stoic expression just a little.
“Minato kun, you did well. You beautifully articulated Tsukishima san’s vision.”
Takahashi san also said this with satisfaction and lightly patted my shoulder. Just as we had overcome a major hurdle and a sigh of relief spread through the conference room,
“We did it ! Tsukishima san ! Minato san ! Let’s go out for a celebration with the whole project team ! Let’s have a blast !”
The one who spoke up was, of course, Tanaka Jun from the Human Resources Department. Her ability to read the atmosphere and liven things up is, in a way, genius.
“That’s a great idea ! Let’s do it ! I’ll set up the venue !”
The president immediately agreed, and Takahashi san, the department head, also smiled and said, “Absolutely. It’s a great opportunity to build camaraderie.” And so, without any input from me, the social gathering between the company and the client was decided in no time.
◆
A few weeks later, the celebration took place in a private room at a stylish dining bar.
About 20 members from both companies gathered, and the lively party began with President Igarashi’s toast. Perhaps aiming to expand future business, not only the department managers but also the general manager and directors were present.
The important people from both companies gathered at one end of the table, leaving me and Tsukishima-san sitting at the farthest seats, diagonally across from each other.
Surrounded by people of different ages, Tsukishima san sat there with a blank expression, as if to hide her true feelings. She occasionally nodded or smiled politely, but it seemed as though she was thinking, “This is just part of the job.”
Amidst the noisy commotion, I made eye contact with her several times.
When I raised my glass to my lips, and when I looked up at the sound of laughter around me,
Every time our eyes met, we felt as if we were accomplices, as if time had stopped for a moment. Then, without either of us initiating it, we both looked away awkwardly. Each time, my heart skipped a beat, not from the alcohol, but for a different reason.
“Hey, Minato san. How have you been lately?”
Tanaka san, who was drunk, asked with a smirk.
“W…what do you mean?”
“During the meeting, you occasionally make eye contact with Tsukishima san, right? What does that mean?”
“Well, there’s no particular meaning…”
“I see…oh, by the way, thank you for participating in the street party the other day, even though it was sudden. How was it?”
“Well…nothing special. I just had dinner with Tsukishima san and went home. I did get her contact info from the organizers, though…”
When I said that, Tanaka san exclaimed, “Eh !? You got Tsukishima san’s contact info !?”
“Yeah, but what’s the big deal…?”
“Tsukishima san said she exchanged contact info with someone she was interested in…eh, does that mean it was you, Minato san?”
Damn it ! If I give Tanaka san the information, she’ll compare it with Tsukishima san’s testimony and verify it !
“Ah, no…I think it’s someone else…ah…ahaha…”
Someone she’s interested in? No, there’s a possibility that Tanaka san is exaggerating…
◆
In the end, during the two-and-a-half-hour banquet, she and I never exchanged a single word.
President Igarashi and our company’s executives went to the after-party separately. Entertainment upon entertainment. I think I’ll leave these tedious matters to the executives.
The others are still gathered in front of the store, but Tsukishima san isn’t there. She didn’t get into the taxi with the executives, so she must have gone home early.
I say, “Excuse me.” and slowly start walking toward the station.
In the end, I didn’t get to talk to Tsukishima san….
Watching her from afar, she was still amazing, beautiful, and yet…she felt like a distant presence.
With that slightly sentimental mood, I stopped at the red light at the intersection.
From behind, I heard a voice that was unfamiliar yet somehow familiar, oddly drawn-out and sweet.
“Minato san.”
I turned around in surprise.
Standing there was Tsukishima san. Her cheeks were slightly red, and her large eyes were a little droopy, as if they weren’t focused. She looked quite drunk, which was unimaginable from her usual self, and I was speechless for a moment.
“Tsukishima san !? Are you okay !?”
As I rushed over in concern, she took a wobbly step toward me and grabbed the sleeve of my jacket with a childlike lack of strength.
“…Minato san, I’ve got you.”
Her voice was completely the same as the one I heard at the laundromat.
“I won’t forgive you if you don’t come to the after-party.”
“But I was going to go home…I thought you were going home too…”
“Never mind, let’s go. Just you and me.”
She held onto my sleeve and looked up at me with teary eyes.
“I didn’t get to talk to Minato san at all at the party tonight. It was boring. Let’s go ! Minato san !”
The last part was said in a slightly sulky, yet sweet voice that reached my ears.
At that moment, the rational thinking of the consultant within me completely shut down.
What is this…destructive power?
The face of the vice president, more professional than anyone else at the company. The face of the intellectual, mysterious bookworm at the laundromat. And now, in front of me, was just a drunk girl, slightly lonely, clinging to me.
The gap was so great that I no longer had the option to resist.
“…Alright. I get it. Where are we going?”
When I said that, as if giving up, Tsukishima san’s expression brightened like a flower blooming.
“Hmm. This way.”
“Do you have a place in mind?”
“No, not really. We’ll just walk toward my place and go into any store that catches our eye. It doesn’t have to be an izakaya; a ramen shop or a chain gyudon restaurant is fine too.”
“Is there such a thing as a second gathering?”
“Well, it can only be done with someone going in the same direction as me.”
She shifted her hand from my sleeve to my arm, wrapping it around it. Then, as if her earlier unsteady footsteps were a lie, she walked with surprisingly steady steps, pulling me along.
The heat of her small body through my arm. The sweet scent of alcohol and her own fragrance brushing past my nose.
I let her lead me by the arm, stepping into an after-party where I had no idea where we were going or what we would talk about.
My chest was filled with anticipation, anxiety, and an uncontrollable sense of excitement.
Maigetsu