[CH.13] Welcome Party (Part 4)
In the back seat of a taxi, alone with Manager Mimasaka...
Even though the driver is here, it doesn't feel like it in the truest sense.
Glancing over, I catch a glimpse of the manager's beautifully sculpted small face.
She's still as beautiful as ever... When she's doing fieldwork, she ties her dark hair back, but I guess she lets it down when she returns to the office. I wonder if she has a preference for it.
The glimpse of her beautiful bare legs from under her women's suit is amazing.
I like black stocking too, but I guess she doesn't wear them much during fieldwork. What a waste.
"What is it?"
"N-nothing."
Oh no, she noticed that I was looking.
"I'm sorry for making you feel awkward during your welcome party."
"No, it's not like that."
"You seemed used to drinking parties, but were there a lot when you were in the Design and Research Department?"
"I didn't really participate much."
"But you were proactive in ordering drinks and calling taxis in advance... Are you surprisingly good at this?"
"Haha... It's just a coincidence."
I can't say that when I was at the Tokyo headquarters, I often organized events like writers' gatherings and was surprisingly skilled at it. It was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot from having writers of various ages and genres participate.
I won't be able to participate for a while now that I'm in Hamayama.
"Thank you, Hanamura-kun."
"Huh?"
"For what you did at the welcome party. You stopped that drunk guy from bothering me, right?"
"You... heard that?"
"Hehe, I was surprised that you got such high praise. Thanks to you, everyone feels more comfortable around you."
"I-is that so?"
"Well, there's the fact that Nishina and I are your fellow new recruits... But Kuhou, in the beginning, was always just drinking oolong tea, right?"
It's true, after that exchange, Kuhou-san started drinking shochu. Did she start drinking because she felt comfortable around us?
"Everyone is a bit cautious around men... So please don't worry too much."
"I understand. If a man suddenly shows up in a workplace with only women, it must be confusing."
"Yeah, but it seems like everyone's guard came down faster than I expected. Maybe because there was a common ground."
"Haha, I'm glad to hear that. So, did the manager's guard come down too?"
"Hehe, who knows?"
I was told something seductive, and my face got a little warm.
Oh no, I might get too embarrassed to speak properly. I need to change the topic.
"Oh, driver. Could you please drop this person off at their house first?"
"Sure."
"Hanamura-kun, are you planning to escort me to my house...? Is that your ulterior motive?"
"N-no, it's not like that!"
"You still have a long way to go. The junior should get off first. Please drop off at the other address first. And... I'll be the one paying."
"Alright."
Ah, I messed up. Treating her as a woman is important, but Manager Mimasaka is still my boss. I should have avoided anything that might damage her reputation.
"It's a welcome party for you... Why are you paying?"
"I-I'm sorry."
"Hehe, but your consideration is admirable. It's appreciated."
Oh, being told that by the manager makes my heart race. She's probably teasing me a bit.
As long as I stay calm, there shouldn't be any problem.
"Look ahead and do your best. You'll be fine."
...What's this feeling? It's like déjà vu.
"Manager, have we met before, when I was younger?"
"What are you talking about? Do you think it's a fateful reunion?"
"Hahaha."
"What's with that half-smile? Well, I'm from Hamayama too, so we might have crossed paths."
If someone as beautiful as the manager had met me when I was a child, I wouldn't have forgotten, but it's probably just a childhood memory for both of us.
"We're almost there."
The driver dropped us off at the closest convenience store. I wanted to buy some drinks.
"Hmm, Hanamura-kun, you live around here?"
"There are convenience stores and supermarkets nearby, and it's a quiet place."
"I might buy some alcohol at the convenience store too."
"You didn't have enough to drink?"
"I'm starting to feel like having a little more."
Manager Mimasaka leans in closer.
"Shall we continue drinking at your place, Hanamura-kun?"
She lowers her gaze from below, and the petite manager knows how to captivate with her charm. It seems like she understands the kind of gestures that make a man's heart skip a beat.
Avoiding eye contact, I look down toward her white neckline. It's as if the thought of how beautiful it goes down to her collarbone is about to pop into my mind.
If I were to invite her to my place like this, there might be a chance for something more. Such impure thoughts surface.
At home... At my home...
"N-no, that's not possible."
"Huh? Oh... I see."
The taxi arrives at the nearest convenience store.
"Manager, thank you for covering the taxi fare."
"I was just joking... but when you reject it so naturally, it doesn't sit well with me..."
"Um... Manager?"
"It's nothing! Goodnight! Make sure you don't arrive late."
"Yes! Thank you for today!"
I bow my head firmly until the sound of the taxi driving away can no longer be heard.
"I feel like I've done something regrettable..."
There's a hint of disappointment in my mind, but I decide to buy a sports drink from the convenience store and head home.
When I return home and open the door...
"I'm home, Fia."
I have a tapestry of the main heroine from my own work, "Court Slow Life," hanging on the wall just beyond the entrance.
She always welcomes me back home. She's the best heroine.
My room is filled with posters and tapestries lining the walls.
I'm not really a hardcore otaku. I've never been to Comiket, and I hardly ever buy anime Blu-rays.
"But I definitely want to hang posters of my own work."
This is a necessity as a light novel author known as "Okome Takashi"!
I have to put up the ones they've made for me, it would be rude not to!
"But there's no way I can show this room to Manager Mimasaka..."
That would mean certain death.
"I wonder if there will ever be a day when I can invite her to my place..."
But I can't stop now. My work as an author is no longer just my own problem.
I have to keep going.
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