The Case of the Salaryman and His Beautiful Boss - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Joining the Drinking Party

Translator: Newton

Editor: TipToe

 

I’d think that after finishing work, Noboru would be there waiting for me.

 

But then Ono-kun went up and spoke to me instead.

 

“Ah! Mizuto-san!”

 

“Ono-kun, you seem happy. What’s up?”

 

This was the guy that got told off that one time.

 

His name was… Ono Osamu-kun, wasn’t it? 

 

“Of course! You’re joining us, after all!”

 

“Hm? Is this about the drinking party?”

 

“Yep! Pleased to meet ya!”

 

“Eh? Um…”

 

“S-sorry! Am I being a nuisance?”

 

…This was important, too.

I’d likely be training Ono-kun, too.

 

“No, not at all. Care to show me around?”

 

“Of course!”

 

Oh? Why was he so happy about this? For now, I’d better send Noboru an e-mail.

 

And so, while walking, we struck up a conversation.

 

“I really admire you, Mizuto-san!”

 

“Huh? Me?”

 

“Yes! You always do your work coolly and calmly, you don’t mess up, and you always show your true colors despite what others may think.”

 

…Who the hell was this cool person he was talking about?

 

I was a troublesome bother to deal with… And it’s just because I want to go home quickly that I… Ah, right. If I don’t speak, it might end up biting me in the back.

 

“I’m really bad at talking to people. Others probably think I’m boring.”

 

“Not at all! Everyone wants to talk to you! You don’t get angry, and you explain stuff about work thoroughly.”

 

“I-is that so?”

 

I mean, I guess I did try not to do things to others that I didn’t want done to me, but…

 

“Yes! But it’d be rude to intrude on you… And it takes a lot of courage to invite people out… And Yokoyama-san told me that you never go to these kinds of things….”

 

“Really…”

 

Noboru, that ass… He went off and said something. No… That was my bad.

 

“But I’m glad that you’re coming this time.”

 

“Ah… Well, I can’t go every time this happens, but I do plan on coming occasionally. I hope you’ll have me.”

 

“Same here!”

 

And so we arrived at the area we’d reserved.

 

A collection of people, from first-years to fifth-years at the company, had gathered there.

 

Our department was one with a relatively high amount of young people.

 

It was established the year I joined the company.

 

…Also, it’d be pretty awkward if our bosses were here.

 

“Everyone! Mizuto-san’s here!”

 

“Oi, oi…”

 

“Ah! It really is him!”

 

“It’s him! The impregnable Mizuto-san!”

 

“Ono! How’d you get him here?!”

 

“Come over here!”

 

…Were they welcoming me?

 

I hadn’t interacted with them at all, though…

 

I sat at the center of the room for the time being.

 

A bunch of people then began asking questions.

 

“What’s going on?”

 

“What happened?!”

 

“Mizuto-san, why are you…”

 

“Uh, well… I thought coming once in a while would be nice. Sorry to intrude, but I hope we can get along.”

 

“Of course! I’ve wanted to thank you!”

 

“I’m so glad! Thanks for everything!”

 

“Huh?”

 

…From what I’ve been hearing…

 

It seems like I’ve been a good help to them.

 

Sometimes, I corrected mistakes in their work.

 

Sometimes, I helped out the tea servers.

 

I helped out with transporting and creating documents too.

 

I thought that was a normal thing to do, but…

 

“Not at all! There’s others that are all talk and never help out anyway!”

 

“The kind of people that say ‘hey, where’s the tea’ all stuck up like!”

 

“R-really…?”

 

“See, Mizuto-san? It’s just like I said!”

 

“Haha…”

 

It’s just like Ono-kun said.

 

It seems like I’ve been a bit too people-pleasing.

 

I’d heard such things before, but as I thought, I still couldn’t get used to them. I was a little worn out… Time to take a short break.

 

“Sorry, but I’ll step out for a bit and get some fresh air. I’m still not used to this kind of thing, you see.”

 

“Ah, alright! Go ahead!”

 

“Ah, thanks.”

 

I took a step outside and got some fresh air.

 

“Phew… So that’s what they thought of me, huh…”

 

How lame of me… I was too much of a people-pleaser that I thought that people were avoiding me.

 

However, I was the one avoiding them, in the end…

 

Could I make myself useful, if even a little?

 

“Feels like there are lots to think about…”

 

Afterward, I went back in and switched seats so I could drink a little, alone.

 

Thankfully, people were content to leave me be.

 

“Hm… This kind of thing is good, once in a while.”

 

Just as I thought that, something happened…

 

“Ah, Mizuto-senpai!”

 

“M-Morishima-san?!”

 

“Eh?! Why are you here? I should’ve come earlier!”

 

As she said that, she sat down next to me like it was nothing.

 

“Uh, well… I guess I had a change of heart?”

 

“Oh, I see! I’m glad you came, though!”

 

“O-oh…”

 

Man, I’ve never talked to a girl in a place like this before.

I had no idea what to do… it’s been like this since college.

I could only nod my head as she talked…

 

“And then, and then…!”

 

… I’m so tired… Incredible… How long was she going to keep talking?

But it was kind of pitiful of me…

At that moment, the mood changed.

 

“Eh?”

 

“Is that…?”

 

“Chief Matsuura?”

 

“No way?!”

 

…It was her.

 

Chief Matsuura, who always had a cold expression on her face, was here.

Noboru was behind her for some reason…

And just like that, she walked up to me.

 

“Can I sit beside you?”

 

“Eh? O-okay.”

 

“Mu! We’re in the middle of a conversation, you know?!”

 

“Oh dear, are you upset?”

 

And that brings us to now.

 

…That’s right. That’s how it came to this.

 

“Mizuto-kun, are you listening?”

 

“Mizuto-san! Are you listening?”

 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m listening…”

 

“Mizuto-senpai, pick one. Me or Chief?”

 

“I’m… not in a position to choose.”

 

“That’s right, Morishima-san. Don’t trouble him.”

 

“You’re the one troubling him, aren’t you, though? Having your boss here means you have to be considerate, and so he must be tired out….”

 

“R-really…? Mizuto-kun…?”

 

“N-no… Not at all….”

 

“Phew… ahem. See? He said so.”

 

“Of course he would say that, wouldn’t he? Mizuto-senpai’s considerate, and he can’t read the mood, in the good sort of way.”

 

“Indeed… We’re on the same page, at least with regards to the latter.”

 

How long was this going to continue?

 

I had no experience with stuff like this, so I didn’t know what to do.

 

I just wanna go home…