Nagi was flummoxed. Completely flummoxed.
“Nagi, can I talk to you? I want to ask you something about the Acsis account—”
Keigo walked toward her seat, a document in his hand, then suddenly stopped. He was looking at Saotome, who was next to Nagi.
“I’m sorry, Keigo…,” Nagi started.
Before she could say “Can we talk about it later?” Saotome interrupted.
“Would you mind asking her later?” she said more curtly than usual. “Ms. Yoroizuka is speaking with me right now.”
“Oh…I see. I’m sorry to have bothered you.”
Keigo quickly looked away and strode back to his seat. Saotome picked up where she had left off, smiling without a hint of discomfort.
For the past few days, Keigo and Saotome had been acting very strangely. It was clear they hadn’t managed to resolve their differences when they spoke alone in the president’s office. All Saotome would say was “Everything’s fine,” and Keigo kept telling her not to ask him about it. There was nothing she could do.
It was understandable that the atmosphere would be awkward. Saotome probably had feelings for Keigo.
If he doesn’t remember, that’s fine. But I…I was so happy when it happened…and it’s so hard now…
That’s what Saotome had said that day, quiet tears in her eyes. According to Keigo, they had gone out to dinner because she wanted his advice, but the fact that she’d asked him, rather than Nagi, who had known her much longer, suggested she was interested in him.
Nagi watched Saotome beside her, unable to shake off her worry.
“…Ms. Yoroizuka, can I talk to you?”
Saiga caught up with her that day as she was returning to the office from lunch. He glanced around to make sure no one else was nearby, then whispered, “Did something happen between those two?”
She knew immediately who he meant by those two. Unsurprisingly, Saiga seemed to have noticed the uneasy atmosphere within their team.
“Uh…well…kind of yes, kind of no…?”
She couldn’t very well tell him everything that had happened, so she answered vaguely.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, sounding exasperated. “I’m not interested in the details. It’s just so awkward—I wish you would do something about it.”
It was a natural request. The storm brewing between their team members was so fierce it even made bystanders like Nagi and Saiga uncomfortable. As she ruminated on the problem, a brilliant plan occurred to her.
“I just had a great idea! Will you help me out, Saiga?”
“What…? Me?”
“I can’t do it alone! I need you! Please!” she begged.
“…I should never have said anything,” he muttered reluctantly.
It was Friday night, and the bar was overflowing with office workers excited for the weekend. The place served creative food and drinks, and it was Nagi’s go-to spot.
“What a cool place!” Saotome said as they entered, instantly perking up.
“Right? Let’s stuff ourselves!” Nagi answered.
“Count me in! I’m so happy you invited me. Thank you!”
Saotome had immediately said yes that afternoon when Nagi asked her out to dinner. Feeling a pang of guilt at Saotome’s smile, Nagi glanced around the bar. To her relief, she quickly located two familiar faces at the counter. Evidently, Saiga had succeeded at inviting Keigo to the same bar.
“Wow! What a coincidence to see you two here!” she cried.
They turned around in unison.
“Oh, hello. How funny,” Saiga said, sounding like he’d planned the line in advance. Keigo, on the other hand, seemed surprised. His eyes went wide.
“Nagi? …And Saotome…”
When he noticed Saotome beside her, his expression darkened visibly. Saotome looked equally disappointed.
“Wh-what a perfect chance to all have a drink together,” Nagi suggested, as if to clear up the sudden awkwardness.
“Isn’t it strange that we’re on the same team but we’ve never had dinner together?” Nagi said.
Even after they’d moved to a private room and their drinks and food had been served, the conversation between the four of them was lagging horribly. Sensing that she was nearing the limits of her ability to carry the conversation alone, Nagi shot Saiga a silent plea for help. He shrugged and gave her a look that said “Good luck.” Figures.
“B-by the way,” she said to Saotome, who was silently eating sashimi next to her. “You know that Korean TV show you said you like? I watched it! I’d never seen a K-drama before, but it was really good!”
“You watched it?!” Saotome replied, her glum expression replaced by a happy smile. Gaining confidence from this positive response, Nagi went on.
“In fact, I enjoyed it so much, I told Keigo about it, and he said he liked it, too.”
Nagi was so wrapped up in her plan, she didn’t notice the emotion vanish from Saotome’s face.
“There’s a sequel, right? What’s it about?” Nagi asked.
“Ah-ha-ha, I’m sorry. I just started hating that show, so I don’t remember.”
Just now? What does that mean?
“But I wanted to ask you about something else, Ms. Yoroizuka,” Saotome continued, ignoring Nagi’s confused expression. “I was thinking of buying a Christmas makeup set this year. Which of these do you like?”
She held out her phone to show Nagi.
“Oh, those are so cute! I’d buy both of them!” Nagi exclaimed.
“I know, right?!” Saotome said, nodding enthusiastically. Keigo watched the two women totally absorbed in conversation, his chin in his palm.
“…By the way, Nagi,” he finally said.
“Huh?” she replied, looking up at him.
“My mom wants to have you over at our place for New Year’s Eve this year. She said she’s gonna get some crab from a friend.”
“Wow, crab?! That sounds amazing! We can heat up sake in the shells afterward!”
“Of course. I’ll buy a nice bottle and bring it over.”
As Nagi nodded happily, Saotome interjected.
“Ms. Yoroizuka! Do you want to go to that new tart shop by the office sometime? I’ve heard their tarts are delicious, with a ton of fruit!”
“Ooh, I’d love to! We have to go—”
“Nagi! There’s a new Japanese sake bar near my house. Wanna try it out with me?”
This time it was Keigo who interrupted. Just as Nagi started to nod, Saotome broke in again.
“She promised me first.”
“No way. Nagi likes alcohol better than sweets, so I bet she’d rather go with me.”
Caught in the middle of this escalating argument, Nagi was totally perplexed.
“Ms. Yoroizuka! You like sweets better, don’t you?”
“Nagi! You’re a drinker, right?!”
In the end, they both bore down on her at once. Driven against a wall, she curled up defensively in her seat.
“Um, I—I like them both…?”
“No fair!” they shouted in unison.
“Eek!” Nagi wailed. Maybe Saiga, who had been looking on dispassionately, would rescue her? But he merely shot her a glance and said, “…You’ll have to sort this one out yourself.” He then proceeded to bite down on a skewer of grilled meat. Her two other coworkers were now glaring at each other. Helpless to put a stop to it, Nagi hung her head.
“Thank you, please come again!” the waitress called after them as they left the bar.
Nagi was exhausted. Keigo and Saotome had continued fighting the entire time, resulting in a less than amicable mood. In one sense, it had been a lively evening, but Nagi seemed to have failed in her plan to reconcile the two of them. It was depressing.
“Ms. Yoroizuka, I’ve got to get up early. Do you mind if I head home?” Saiga asked.
“Of course not… Thank you for spending the evening with us… Good night…”
“…Good luck,” he said.
Her plight must have been dire enough to evoke pity even in him, because he glanced back sympathetically as he walked off. As she watched him go, she felt something soft settle against her back. She looked over her shoulder to find Saotome’s small face buried there.
“Are you okay, Saotome?”
“I’m sorry… I must be a little tipsy…”
She lifted her head unsteadily and looked up apologetically at Nagi.
“No worries at all! You can lean on me until you feel better.”
“Ha-ha… Thank you…”
Nagi squirmed internally at the full-on feminine charm she sensed in Saotome’s vulnerable smile. Unlike Nagi, Saotome must have very low alcohol tolerance if she was like this after only one drink.
“Be careful who you show that expression!” she said, smiling wryly as she stroked Saotome’s soft hair. Saotome pouted.
“…I only show it to you.”
“Ha-ha, you’re very cute.”
As she hugged Saotome’s small head soothingly, an idea hit her.
Was this her chance?
“Hey,” she called to Keigo, who was standing nearby. “I’m going to buy some water. Would you mind staying here with Saotome?”
“…Me?”
Nagi unwrapped her arm from Saotome and nudged her toward Keigo’s back.
“You can do this,” she whispered as she passed him on her way to a nearby convenience store.
I hope this helps them make up! Nagi prayed as she trotted toward the store. She didn’t have the faintest notion how much she would eventually come to regret that decision.