49

Ashi sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I appreciate it, really, but I don’t have time for a break. This report is due by noon, and I still have so much left to do.”

“All the more reason to step back for a second.” Riku nudged the cup closer. “Overworking yourself won’t make you any faster. Trust me, your brain will function better if you relax a little.”

Ashi hesitated, then finally picked up the cup, letting the warmth seep into her fingers. She took a small sip and exhaled. “Alright, you win. Thanks, Nagi-san. You’re too kind.”

Riku smirked. “Don’t mention it. By the way, what exactly are you working on?”

Ashi shifted in her chair. “It’s this market analysis report, but it’s taking way longer than I expected. I still have another report to finish too, but this one is eating up all my time.”

Riku leaned over slightly, his eyes scanning the document on her monitor. “Hmm… send it to me. I’ll take care of it.”

Ashi’s head snapped toward him. “Huh? But you already have so much on your plate! You’re handling the company’s future, managing investors, and a many other things. This would be way too much!”

Riku laughed lightly. “Come on, Nicawa-san. It’s not as hard as you think. Besides—” He leaned back, resting a hand on his hip. “—a company is nothing without its employees. I don’t want my people getting overwhelmed with work.”

He paused, then added with a knowing smirk, “A wise man once said, ‘If you wanna fly high, you gotta take good care of your wings. And for a company, its employees are its wings.’”

Ashi, impressed by his thought, felt her face turn a tiny bit red under her eyes. She raised an eyebrow, suppressing a smile. “Which wise man said that?”

Riku scratched his cheek sheepishly. “Uh… well, I don’t actually know.”

Ashi burst into laughter, shaking her head. “Unbelievable. You just made that up, didn’t you?”

“Maybe,” Riku admitted with a grin. “But it still makes sense, right?”

Ashi took another sip of her coffee, her laughter still lingering in the air.

The hum of office chatter filled the air as employees scattered toward the cafeteria for their lunch break. The scent of freshly brewed coffee and sizzling snacks drifted through the corridors, mixing with the usual workday buzz.

"Nicawa-san, wanna join me in the cafeteria? Lunch is on me today," he offered smoothly, tilting his head slightly.

Ashi barely looked up as she adjusted the two tiffin boxes in her hands. "Thanks, but I brought my lunch with me," she replied, her tone polite but firm.

Riku arched a brow. "You can still eat it in the cafeteria, you know. No harm in a change of scenery."

"I appricate your invitation Nagi-san, but I already have plans," Ashi said with a small bow before walking away.

Riku’s smirk faltered as his gaze drifted to the two tiffin boxes she carried. Two? He narrowed his eyes slightly. Does she eat that much? But she doesn’t look like someone who'd have such a big appetite…

Curiosity got the better of him, and without much thought, he found himself trailing behind her.

A cool breeze swept across the open rooftop as Ashi pushed open the door. The city stretched beyond the railing, its buildings glimmering under the midday sun.

She spotted Haari already there, leaning against the railing, staring up at the sky with a distant look in his eyes.

"Kichiro-san, you’re already here?" Ashi called out.

Haari blinked, pulled out of his thoughts. He turned to her, his usual laid-back expression in place. "Huh? Oh, Nicawa-san. Yeah, guess I got here a little early."

"Did I take too long?"she walked over.

"Nah, I just got here too," rubbing the back of his neck.

"That’s good to hear." Ashi smiled before handing him one of the tiffin boxes.

From behind the half-open rooftop door, Riku watched silently, his brows furrowing slightly. The rooftop? Why come all the way here?

Unaware of her silent observer, Ashi sat down on the bench while Haari placed his tiffin on his lap and opened the lid. His eyes widened at the sight before him.

"Huh? What’s all this?" he asked, surprised.

Ashi tilted her head. "You don’t like it?"

"No, I do! But… why go all out? Is today something special?" Haari asked, looking up at her.

A soft smile played on Ashi’s lips. "Yeah… today’s my grandma’s birthday. I made this for all of us in celebration."

"All of us?" Haari repeated, glancing at her.

"Yeah, I also packed tiffins for Habi-san and Densi-san. They said they’d eat in the cafeteria."

Haari looked down at the neatly packed food inside. His tiffin was filled with smoked salmon wraps, cheese croquettes, and a few small dishes arranged neatly. Ashi’s own tiffin had fruit jelly cubes and dahi kebab bites, their colors vibrant under the sunlight.

A small chuckle escaped Haari as he closed his tiffin momentarily. "Then… happy birthday to your grandma."

Ashi smiled, her expression soft and genuine. "Thanks."

From his hidden spot near the door, Riku’s lips pressed into a thin line. He had invited Ashi to lunch, only to be turned down—again. But watching her now, sitting so comfortably with Haari, sharing something she had put effort into…

So that’s why she brought two tiffins.

The rooftop echoed with quiet laughter as Ashi and Haari enjoyed their meal, completely unaware of the silent gaze that had lingered on them moments ago.

"Alright, time to dig in," he said, picking up a smoked salmon wrap and taking a big bite.

The very next second—

"Kh—!" Haari choked, his eyes widening as an unexpected heat exploded in his mouth. His throat burned, his tongue tingled, and he desperately looked around for his water bottle.

But it was nowhere to be found.

Ashi, startled, quickly grabbed her own bottle and held it out. "Here, drink this!"

Haari took it without hesitation, gulping down the water as if his life depended on it. He wiped his mouth and exhaled. "Phew… Thanks, Nicawa-san. That was close."

Ashi blinked. "Take it easy, Kichiro-san."

"Take it easy?" Haari gave her a deadpan look. "It's so spicy! What did you put in this? Lava?!"

Ashi frowned, confused. "No way! I made them carefully… I don't think they be spicy?"

Haari, still recovering, glanced at Ashi’s tiffin and spotted the jelly cubes. Without thinking, he snatched one and popped it into his mouth.

"Mmm… Now I feel better."

Ashi narrowed her eyes. "Hey! Those are mine!"

Ignoring her glare, Haari leaned back against the bench, looking victorious.

Ashi huffed, then curiously took a bite of the smoked salmon wrap from Haari’s tiffin.

"Let me see if it's really that spicy—"

The moment she bit into it, her face froze.

Then—

"Waah—! It really is spicy!" Ashi gasped, her face instantly turning red. She grabbed the water bottle from Haari’s hand and drank without thinking.

Only after swallowing did she realize something.

She had just drunk from the same bottle Haari had.

For a split second, her eyes widened slightly, and a faint blush dusted her cheeks. And looked at Haari, who was already distracted by his food again.

Meanwhile, from a short distance away, Riku watched everything.

His grip on the door handle tightened slightly. He had invited Ashi for lunch, only to be turned down again—but here she was, casually sharing food and drinks with Haari. She never acted this comfortably around him.

Why is she so different around him ?

Back at the bench, Ashi licked her lips, still tasting the spice.

"Kichiro-san, can I have one more?" she asked.

"What? Didn’t you just say it’s too spicy?" Haari blinked.

"Yeah, but… I liked it."

Haari smirked. "Alright, let’s trade then."

"Huh?" Ashi tilted her head.

"I’ll give you another salmon wrap if you give me your jelly cubes," Haari proposed with a cheeky grin.

Ashi immediately hugged her tiffin. "No, I'm not giving you mine jelly cubes, I personaly packed them for myself."

"Then I’m not giving you my salmon wraps too."

"But I made them!" Ashi argued.

"Yeah, but now I own them," Haari said smugly.

Ashi pouted, staring at her tiffin like it would somehow solve her problem. Then, after a second, she sighed. "Fine. How about this—I’ll give you my dahi kebabs, and you give me your salmon wraps?"

"Hmm…" Haari pretended to think before nodding. "Deal."

Both of them picked food from each other’s tiffins and took a bite at the same time.

And both of them instantly regretted it.

Their faces turned red from the spice, their eyes watering.

Haari immediately reached for the water bottle—but Ashi had already taken it first!

With no other option, Haari quickly snatched another jelly cube from Ashi’s tiffin and shoved it into his mouth.

Ashi noticed.

"KICHIRO-SAN! WHY DID YOU TAKE MY JELLY CUBES?!" she shouted, her voice echoing across the rooftop.

Haari, still cooling down his burning mouth, shot back, "I CAN’T HELP IT! MY MOUTH WAS ON FIRE!"

Ashi glared at him. "YOU COULD’VE WAITED!"

"I WAS DYING!"

Riku, still standing near the entrance, clenched his jaw and looked away.

He was sure of it now.

Haari isn’t just some coworker to Ashi.

And that realization bothered him more than anything.

As the office hours came to an end, Haari was talking to Ane.

“Alright, that should do it. Thanks for the help,” Haari said, stretching his arms after finishing his work.

“It’s no big deal,” Ane replied with a smile. “I was done with my work early and had nothing to do at home. Helping you was a good way to kill some time, Kichiro-senpai.”

Haari chuckled. “Glad to be of service, I guess.”

Ane hesitated for a moment before speaking again. “How about a drink?”

“Hm? A drink?” Haari raised an eyebrow. “Yane-san, you drink?”

“Not really, but today I just want to try,” Ane said, resting her chin on her hand. “I heard people say a few drinks help you relax. And honestly, I feel a bit drained today, so why not?”

Haari scratched his head. “I don’t know.”

“Oh, come on, one drink won’t hurt. Just one, senpai,” Ane said, flashing a mischievous grin.

Haari sighed, knowing there was no way she’d take no for an answer. “Fine. But Just one.”

That’s when Ashi, just about to leave, caught sight of them through the glass window outside the building. Ane was laughing, walking close beside Haari, her hand lightly tapping his arm as she spoke. Haari didn’t seem to mind.

A strange tightness gripped Ashi’s chest. She wasn’t sure why, but watching him with another girl like that—it made something inside her feel unsettled.

“Bring me the strongest drink you have!” Ane said with enthusiasm.

Haari, who was already browsing for something mild, gave her a doubtful look. “Are you sure? That’s probably not a good idea for a first-time drinker.”

“What’s the fun in playing it safe? If I’m going to do this, might as well go all in,” Ane smirked.

Haari sighed. “Alright, I’ll just have a normal one.”

“You’re no fun,” Ane pouted. “It’s on me today, so order whatever you want.”

“I appreciate it, but I’m sticking to something light,” Haari said firmly.

A few minutes later, their drinks arrived. Haari took a casual sip of his mild cocktail, while Ane eagerly grabbed her glass and took her first sip of the strong drink. The moment the liquid hit her tongue, her expression changed drastically.

“Urgh—” She coughed, eyes widening in shock. “It’s so bitter! It burns! My throat—my whole insides are on fire!”

Haari laughed, shaking his head. “I told you to start with something lighter.”

Ane’s eyes suddenly gleamed with excitement. “But… if just one sip feels this strong, what happens if I drink the whole thing?”

Haari’s face tensed. “I really don’t think that’s a good ide—”