If you were a student, then today was the start of the first weekend after a long, long summer vacation and the start of a second semester. In other words, it was a normal weekend for an adult like me.
It was the early afternoon of the first Saturday in the first week of September, and I was in a café near the station. It was a trendy café that had recently opened, and its pancakes were popular among young women. Apparently, they were “Instagram-worthy.”
“Oh, wow! These look so good!” Komatsu-san squealed in delight from the seat across from me. As soon as the pancakes were placed on the table, she took out her smartphone in a fluid motion and took a ton of pictures with her camera app.
I watched the whole scene in silence. As I thought about how I wanted to hurry up and eat and that it was such a waste that the whipped cream was going to melt, I read the mood and looked on without saying a word. I tried not to make myself stand out and get in the way of her pictures, but eventually, it seemed that she picked up on the unnatural vibes I was giving off.
“Oh. I’m sorry to keep you waiting,” Komatsu-san apologized.
Hmm. It’s not like I was upset about her snapping pictures of her food, and I feel a bit bad that I made her feel guilty and rush because I wasn’t taking any pictures... Still, I’m not going to take pictures just to go along with her. I could have probably killed time by pretending to take pictures, but... I didn’t want to mess something up and have her think “Huh? Why are you taking pictures that way?” There are probably things like special apps and special ways to take these pictures, after all...
“No, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”
“Are you not on Instagram, Chief Orihara?”
“N-No.”
“Huh, why not?” she said with a really surprised look on her face.
“I-I don’t really have a reason.”
I really don’t. It’s not like I have a strong motive not to have one or some policy against it. I just don’t do it because I don’t have any reason to.
People who don’t participate in social media are the minority lately, though. Times have changed to where you’re asked more why you don’t do it than why you do do it... Well, I totally missed the boat on it. Even if I started now, I’m not sure if I’d be ready or who I should ask about what. Well, strictly speaking, I don’t avoid it entirely. I do use Twitter a little to follow the official accounts of games I like and the accounts of Let’s Players who play those games. Still, I haven’t tweeted even once, and I just look at other people’s tweets. That’s why I’m kind of reluctant to say, “I’m on social media.”
“By the way...we’re not at the office, so it’s a little strange being called ‘Chief.’”
“Oh, that’s right. In that case, I’ll say Orihara-san,” Komatsu-san said with a friendly smile. We then dug into our “Instagram-worthy” pancakes.
From the presentation, it was clear that all of the work went into how the pancakes looked, but they actually tasted pretty good once you tried them. However, as someone close to their thirties, I couldn’t help being concerned about how many calories were in them and thinking about how I’d have to work off what I’d eaten.
Komatsu-san was my junior at work. Ever since she’d joined our company as a contract employee, I’d been in a kind of mentor position for her. She looked like a modern-day adult woman; she looked gorgeous in office casual wear. She was bright and outgoing, knew a lot about current trends, and gave you the impression that she had totally been an extrovert when she was in school. I’m proud to say that I formed a pretty good relationship with her as her superior working in the same department. However, recently that changed...for the better, and not the worse.
If I were to leave out a bunch of details and give a rough description of what had happened... It was like a television drama about the struggles of a wage slave, titled “Orihara Hime of Middle Management.” The project that Komatsu-san had submitted as a contract employee was in danger of being stolen by her superior, so I fought to stop such tyranny. In the end, everything worked out because of the very original twist that an old janitor I was friends with was actually the chairman of our company. Since then, Komatsu-san had become really attached to me.
“That was delicious. This really was a good choice!” Komatsu-san said after she finished eating. She sounded like she was really enjoying herself. “I’d been really curious about this place recently, but I’ve never had an opportunity to come here. I’m glad I could come here with you, Orihara-san.”
“Thank you for inviting me.”
“No, thank you very much for accompanying me.”
I smiled as we talked, but to be honest, I had complicated feelings about this. I’ll be frank: I was the kind of person who only likes to see coworkers when I’m working, and I liked to keep my work and my private life separate. It’s like... I didn’t want to be reminded of work on my days off. Also, I didn’t want my work to be affected by any disputes that I had with coworkers during my private time. The only company drinking parties I kind of participated in were the year-end party and New Year’s party, and I definitely didn’t go to any after-parties. Even after I got subordinates at work, I’d never asked them out myself. So, I never would have thought that I’d be asked out to lunch by my junior. When she asked me to go drinking, I tried to play it off by saying I’m not really good with alcohol, but she then insisted that we do lunch.
Junior coworkers these days sure are something. I mean, it’s not like I hate this. Personally, I like Komatsu-san, so it’s not a burden to have lunch together like this. In fact, I’m having a pretty good time. Still... I have this strange feeling in my heart about meeting someone from my office on my day off. Well, I don’t have any particular plans, and it seems like Momota-kun had stuff to do today anyway... He didn’t tell me the specifics, but it looks like his father told him “Stay home today.”
I wonder what he has to do? I have no idea what it could be.
“You look really different in casual clothes, Orihara-san,” Komatsu-san said to me as I was thinking about Momota-kun. “It’s so refreshing since I’ve only seen you in a plain business suit... Oh, I’m sorry. I called your business suit plain...”
“Ha ha. That’s fine.” It didn’t make me mad or depressed. Choosing an outfit is a pain, so I wore a business suit every day. I was already prepared for people to think I’m plain.
“But I’m really surprised. When you called out to me at the station, I was like ‘Who’s this beautiful woman?!’ You weren’t wearing glasses, your hair was silky and straight and not done up, and you were so cute you looked like a different person.”
“H-Hey, you’re flattering me too much!” I was embarrassed, but Komatsu-san got a slightly serious look on her face and stared at me.
“Orihara-san, do you really not have a boyfriend?”
“N-No, I don’t. I told you before, didn’t I?”
“Really? I don’t know... This feels like the kind of style that a woman with a boyfriend would have.”
“...”