The Tsundere-Type Office Lady Witnesses an Encounter

"...Sigh..."

Lately, all I seem to do is sigh.

Today is Wednesday, the middle of the week—the halfway point. By Thursday or Friday, I can tell myself we're almost there and keep going, but around Wednesday is when working adults tend to feel gloomy.

I bet a lot of people can relate.

"Seira, what's wrong? You've been so full of energy lately."

"Miki-san..."

Miki-san was the senior coworker I'd gotten close enough to that she now called me by my first name.

At work, everyone in my year trusted her as a capable senior... Well, at work, anyway... I thought so too...

Maybe it was because I'd learned a side of her I never wanted to know, but I couldn't help seeing her in a strange light. Still, Miki-san was a good person.

"Well, the boss is a pain, and it's hard to stay motivated in the middle of the week, right?"

"That's true..."

That wasn't why I was so down, though... Of course I couldn't tell her.

"But hey, let's go to 'the party' again this weekend, okay?"

"...Yes."

My heart gave a sharp pang.

I knew she was inviting me out of kindness, but that word was hard to hear right now.

I watched Miki-san head off with a smile to talk to another coworker, then opened my phone.

After making sure no one was around... I opened the memo app.

There, along with the surname "Katari"... was an address.

(I'm the worst... I know it's a crime, and yet...)

That day—

The day I'd found Masato-kun and followed him all the way home like a stalker.

Ever since then, something heavy had taken root in my heart.

What had I even wanted to do by finding out his address?

That weekend, I was so distracted I couldn't focus on anything... I just stared at the address I'd written down on my phone and did nothing.

Of course, I thought about deleting it.

I should erase the information I'd obtained through this criminal act immediately, then go back to seeing Masato-kun with a bright smile.

That's what I thought.

He was such a nice kid. If I casually asked, "I think I saw someone who looked like you heading toward the park the other day. Do you live around there?" I'm sure he'd answer.

But... I couldn't do it.

The ugly part of me clung to this information, unwilling to let it go.

The first personal information I'd ever learned about him.

Until now, we'd been nothing more or less than a staff member and a regular customer. We weren't the kind of people who could be anything more.

I didn't even know his real name. If I told anyone around me that I liked him, all I'd get was pity.

...I'd let myself believe that this might be able to change that.

By pretending it was a coincidence.

If I could meet him in his private life at some point...

Just thinking about it made my heart leap.

I was a hopeless piece of trash.

But I had nothing else to cling to.

To break out of this relationship—this situation where I was so insignificant he wouldn't even give me a second thought—and get closer to my angel...

I thought I'd have to cross a line I shouldn't.

...Sigh.

I sighed again.

In the end, I hadn't used it for anything. Not yet, anyway.

I couldn't bring myself to delete it, but I didn't do anything with it, either.

I was a hopeless piece of trash, and a coward on top of that.

I really was beyond saving.

"You're sighing again!"

"Eep?!"

"W-what's got you so flustered?"

Miki-san had come back over without me noticing.

If she saw my phone screen now, my life would be over!

I hurriedly hid the screen.

"Even I wouldn't just snoop through your phone~. So, what is it? A guy?"

"N-no..."

"Huh? Then did you buy a photo book of Masato-kun or something?!"

"What does that even mean...?"

A photo book of a bar waiter?

Did those even exist?

...Anyway, at least she hadn't found out what was in my memo.

Judging by the way she was acting, Miki-san was planning to go to that bar again on Friday.

She'd obviously invite me, too... I thought.

What kind of face should I make when I saw Masato-kun?

If my feelings showed on my face, she'd get suspicious... and I wasn't sure I could face him as if everything were normal right now.

As I fretted over it, Miki-san gave me a puzzled look and started heading back to her desk. So I decided to ask the one thing I was curious about. Just to confirm, of course.

The basics of being a working adult are to communicate, confirm, and consult, after all.

"By the way, how much does that photo book of Masato-kun's cost?"

"How would I know?"

"Dammit, why am I the only one stuck working overtime? That boss..."

In the end, I was given one excuse after another and ordered to work overtime—the only person in my department. Now I was on my way home.

I finished up quickly, so it didn't get all that late, but it was still a waste of effort.

"I'll go home early, play some games, and go to bed..."

I checked my watch. It was seven p.m.

Even though summer was approaching, it was already quite dark by seven.

Despite that, the area in front of the station was brightly lit by streetlamps and the lights from nearby buildings.

(Oh, right... I meant to buy some toner and moisturizer...)

When I got near the station, I remembered that I was almost out of my skincare products.

Luckily, there was a fairly large drugstore near the station, so I'd buy some there.

I decided to alter my route a little and head for the drugstore.

I put my phone away and looked up.

—That's when it happened.

...Huh?

Right in front of the drugstore.

Amid the crowd of people heading for the station.

A boy was handing a handkerchief to a girl wearing a mask.

If that were all I saw, I'd just think they were a couple or something.

The boy was wearing a uniform I recognized.

His hairstyle was different from usual, but love let me recognize him.

"Masato-kun...?"

The words escaped me.

Of course, my voice wasn't loud enough to reach them. It was so quiet the station-front clamor easily swallowed it up.

Even so, my mouth stayed open, unable to close.

I didn't recognize the girl at all.

She looked like she was crying.

It felt like I'd stumbled into a scene from a story.

The people, the sounds, the whole world seemed to disappear, leaving only the two of them vivid in my mind.

It was just like...

A scene where a prince and princess meet. The prince's kindness touches the princess, melting her heart.

What about me?

A black emotion began to rage inside me.

Who was I, watching this encounter from the sidelines?

A nobody, just watching the main heroine meet him and feeling jealous?

A supporting character who falls for the hero all alone, only for readers to call her a nuisance?

—No.

No, no, no, no, no.

I... I, I, I, I!!!!

I should be the one with Masato-kun—!!!

...Ugh.

I felt sick and braced my hands on my knees.

Lately, I've done nothing but get swept up in these ugly feelings.

But... but I don't want to give him up.

I clutched the area around my pounding heart and looked at the girl, still standing there dazed.

She was wearing a mask.

Her face was wrecked with tears... Her hair was a mess, and her clothes were dirty in places, as if she'd been crawling on the ground.

Honestly, she was in no state to be called cute.

(If she's like this, even I could—!)

...Ugh, cough, cough...

I could be good enough, too! But the moment I thought that, I felt sick at how utterly disgusting I was.

I was ugly. Truly ugly.

A nobody jealous of the heroine.

A disgusting wretch who deserved that role.

I forced my trembling legs to move and went after Masato-kun.

I didn't care anymore that I had work tomorrow or that I had shopping to do.

When I got to the shop and went to the reception desk, an employee I'd never seen before greeted me.

"Welcome, my lady. Is this your first time here?"

"No..."

"I see! Is there anyone you'd like to request?"

"...Masato-kun."

"Oh! You must be the lady who requests Masato all the time!"

Ah... Over something like this.

Something like this was enough to soothe my heart.

Just thinking that I was the only one at this shop who had Masato-kun all to myself made my heart tremble with joy.

"Yes, that's right."

"You're in luck, my lady! Masato wasn't supposed to be working today, but he happens to be on shift. It'll take a little while, so please wait. I'll show you to your seat."

It hadn't been a coincidence, though.

But if I said that, they'd definitely be put off, so I followed without a word.

I was shown to a seat, and a glass for alcohol was set down in front of me.

I'd come here on impulse, but what should I say?

Who was that girl he was with earlier?

No, asking like that would give away that I'd been watching.

Does he have a girlfriend?

...Given the nature of this place, he'd probably say he didn't even if he did. But if, by some chance, he told me he did, I didn't know what I'd do. Better not ask.

As I sat there without being able to sort out my thoughts, he came over.

His slicked-back hair suited him, too.

The contrast between his earnest demeanor and the assertive look of his slicked-back hair made my heart skip.

"Good evening, Seira-san. Thanks for coming again."

"...Yes."

It really had been him earlier. I'd thought there was a one-in-a-billion chance I'd mistaken someone else for him, but that clearly wasn't the case.

There was no way I could mistake Masato-kun for someone else.

"I was surprised, though. You said you only came in on Fridays, Seira-san."

"...I saw you going into this shop from outside..."

That was only half a lie. I'd been watching from outside much earlier.

Ever since you were being kind to that girl...

The black feelings surfaced again.

"Oh, I see! I was just doing a little shopping! I wasn't supposed to be working today, so I'm in my uniform! It's kind of embarrassing, actually..."

You just went shopping? That's not true, is it? You were doing something with that girl. Who was she?

Why won't you tell me?

My emotions bubbled up, boiling over.

I couldn't control the ugly person I was.

"It's okay... You can say whatever you want here without holding back. I don't know what happened to you, Seira-san, but... I actually like listening to you, just like always."

"...!"

His kindness cooled my boiling emotions.

At the same time—the fact that I'd stalked him twisted my feelings out of shape.

I'd been jealous of a girl, and even stalked someone as kind as him.

I was reminded all over again what a truly awful person I was.

"I'm... sorry..."

Had I always been this emotionally unstable?

I couldn't hold back my tears.

"I'm sorry... I'm really sorry...! I...!"

I stalked you.

I saw what happened today, too.

I can't say it.

If you hated me, I'd die.

I can't say it.

A hand rubbed my back.

"It's okay. I don't know what happened... but I'm sure you haven't done anything wrong, Seira-san. You're a good person."

Suddenly—

My emotions began to accelerate inside me.

Regret that I'd done something I shouldn't have.

And my feelings for him, the fact that I loved him so much I couldn't help myself, mixed together and exploded.

I let my weight rest against him.

Just for now, let me lean on you.

"It's okay, Seira-san. I know you're a kind person."

"...I'm sorry...! I'm the worst woman!"

Ah, I was the worst.

Truly the worst.

Because right now...

One answer had appeared in my mind.

A selfish answer with no hope of redemption.

It's Masato-kun's fault...

You, who made me fall so deeply in love with you and drove me crazy.

Ah, I hate this.

Blaming Masato-kun with this hopelessly selfish attempt to shift the blame.

I wrapped my arms around him from behind.

I pulled him close, holding him fast.

My mind quivered with a heady pleasure.

All I felt now was the possessive desire to make Masato-kun mine and utterly ruin him.

I tightened my arms and hugged him.

Right, I should apologize first.

I'm sorry, Masato-kun.

I'll never, ever let you go.