What should I do?

An ordinary-looking coworker from my intake year had loudly invited me out to eat.

What should I do?

What should I do?

Even if he says, “Let’s all grab something to eat on the way home!” his voice is way too loud.

Looking at him more closely, he has a refreshing smile, but he’s probably only around 170 centimeters tall and gives off a very ordinary impression. Meanwhile, the section chief, who is already in a slightly bad mood over his mediocre ranking, is glaring sharply in our direction.

Talking with everyone had been really fun, and honestly, I wanted to go eat with them. But since I was participating as part of my workplace group, and with the section chief’s frightening stare on me…

“I’ll pass today. Sorry.”

“Come on, let’s go.”

“But the section chief…”

The section chief was watching us with cold eyes. There was no way I could just say, “I’ll be heading out first!” and leave with the male employees.

If he had only spoken to me a little more quietly and discreetly, maybe the section chief wouldn’t have noticed.

Then I might have been able to make up some excuse, say we were all splitting up at the bowling alley, and leave from there.

Do men just not notice things like that?

“Come on, it’ll be fine. Let’s go.”

“Hmm… no, I think I’ll pass after all. Your voice is too loud. The section chief is glaring at us.”

“Oh, I see. Then I guess it can’t be helped.”

“Yeah. See you.”

“Yeah, later.”

We both raised a hand in farewell.

Sigh. If someone invites me that loudly, there’s no way I can go. If it were anyone else, I’d turn them down immediately, but even though he’s from another department, he still works at the same company, so I felt a little sense of familiarity with him. I wonder if Sato-san is going? Since we finally got to know each other, I would’ve liked to talk with everyone a little more.

But I don’t have time to think about that. The section chief, wearing a face like a terrifying roof tile, has been staring at me this whole time.

That ordinary-looking coworker… huh? What was his name again?

Come to think of it, neither of us ever introduced ourselves.

He was a coworker from the same intake whom I hadn’t even known existed for an entire year in this huge company.

There was almost no chance we would ever meet again.

I guess that means we simply weren’t meant to have any connection.

“Hazuki-san, we’re leaving.”

“Y-Yes.”

I hurried over to the section chief, but in the end, the three of us from the same workplace decided to have dinner together on the way home.

The other female employee was fine, but eating with the section chief as a group of three…

The aura surrounding him created an atmosphere that made it extremely difficult to refuse.

The section chief strode ahead enthusiastically, while the two female employees trudged along behind him.

What a perfect picture we must have made!

Sigh. All I could do was sigh.

The next day, when I went to work, the section chief was happily recounting his heroic exploits from yesterday’s bowling tournament.

“Good morning.”

“Ah, Hazuki-san, good morning. Good work yesterday.”

“Good work yesterday. You really did great, Chief.”

“Oh, it wasn’t that impressive. If I’d used my own bowling ball, I could’ve scored even higher.”

“What? You have your own bowling ball?!”

If I stood there any longer, I would be trapped listening to him brag forever. After giving him a polite smile, I quickly went to my seat.

There were still more than thirty minutes before work officially began. I decided to hurry up and organize my tasks for the day.

“Hazuki-san, could you take these documents to Human Resources?”

“Yes. Are they urgent?”

After apparently finishing his long account of yesterday’s glorious achievements, the section chief gave me another task. I checked how urgently it needed to be done compared with the work I had already planned.

“Yes. If possible, I’d like you to deliver them to the HR section manager before the workday starts.”

“Understood. I’ll go now.”

“I’m counting on you.”

I had to hurry from our General Affairs Department on the fifth floor up one level.

Holding the envelope containing the documents the section chief had given me, I rushed out through the door.

Thud!

“Ah!”

“Whoa!”

I collided with someone, and the impact sent my back crashing into the wall. The documents slipped from my hands and fell to the floor.

“I’m sorry. Are you all right?”

“No, I’m sorry too. I rushed out without looking.”

I said that and raised my head…

What?!