Chapter 16: Business…what? (3)

‘Nothing… strange will happen, right?’

A sigh briefly escaped her, but Yuu had no other choice.

If she really felt awkward, she could avoid it for now.

But the CEO, meticulous in all her work, would surely check if she had met Reina.

If Yuu disobeyed the CEO and didn’t meet her…

…The aftermath would by no means be something Yuu could handle.

‘Right. Let’s go, let’s just…’

Yuu, after momentarily envisioning the future she had tried to escape, finally resigned herself to it.

…Right, just for a moment.

It’s just a normal, brief meeting between colleagues.

Even if it’s a little awkward, there won’t be any problems.

…The problem is that the awkwardness stems from her own actions.

But this isn’t particularly anyone’s fault, is it?

A few minutes later.

Yuu took a deep breath and opened the door to the overnight duty room, but…

The situation she had been worrying about didn’t occur at all.

“…She’s sleeping?”

Since Reina was such a quick-witted person, Yuu figured she’d have noticed her subtle avoidance long ago….

She had come up with all sorts of excuses, intending to persuade Reina somehow.

But the very person who was supposed to hear those excuses was sound asleep, oblivious to the world.

At this point, Yuu considered fleeing.

No, isn’t that right?

What the CEO said ended with, ‘Reina is there, so go to the overnight duty room.’

The proposition was perfectly fulfilled, so isn’t it okay to leave now?

Whatever the speaker’s intention was, what could she do?

If the CEO wasn’t satisfied with something, it was her own fault for coding it wrong.

(TL Note: “Coding wrong” is a metaphorical way Yuu thinks of the CEO giving unclear/exploitable instructions.)

…However, unfortunately.

Yuu… simply didn’t have the confidence to handle the aftermath of this either.

‘…Let’s wait a bit.’

Anyway, there was still time before the recording.

And if she went early, she’d just get nagged by the CEO, so it was better to arrive just in time if possible.

Besides, she couldn’t keep avoiding Reina forever…

She intended to clear up the misunderstanding that had arisen because of her, preferably within today.

If Reina didn’t wake up by the end… then there would be no choice.

“…D*mn, she’s pretty.”

Since her immediate task was postponed, her attention shifted elsewhere.

Usually, Reina’s default expression was a sharp gaze and a poker face.

Even knowing she was kind-hearted, Yuu sometimes felt crushed by her aura… an impression that could even seem fierce.

But seeing her sleeping with her eyes closed like this, her striking (lit. violent) appearance was further emphasized.

‘Should I look… just a little closer?’

Was it because curiosity was stirred by her colleague’s different side?

The moment Yuu, who had been quietly watching her sleep, moved closer as if possessed.

“Ummm…”

“Kyaat?!”

Reina, who suddenly let out a moan, abruptly pulled Yuu towards her.

“Uh, ueh…?”

By the time Yuu came to her senses, she was already…

Held tightly in Reina’s embrace.

‘Cl-close…’

Yuu’s eyes darted around.

She was already flustered by being suddenly laid down due to an unexpected sleeping habit.

But because Reina hugged her tightly, as if she were a doll…

She had ended up excessively close to a certain part.

(TL Note: “A certain part” refers to Reina’s chest.)

If it were the old Yuu, who had no particular thoughts, it might have been different.

But the very thing that had sparked those strange feelings was right before her eyes.

If her heart didn’t waver, would she be a Buddha, not a human?

But, she had to endure.

Having harbored improper, lewd thoughts about someone else’s body.

Far from apologizing, she couldn’t commit another wrong….

…

‘…Wrong?’

…Is there a wrong?

‘I definitely just intended to record and leave.’

‘As soon as I came to the company, didn’t the CEO send me to the overnight duty room?’

‘I went there nervously, but wasn’t Reina actually sleeping?’

‘I just tried to look a little closer, and she pulled me into an embrace of her own accord.’

Right, so.

It’s not like I’m doing anything bad.

Just for a little while, if I stay like this….

“…Ummm.”

Refreshing.

It felt like I’d had a really good sleep for the first time in a while.

Actually, I came because I was worried about being late, so I didn’t care much about the quality of sleep.

But now that I was here, the bed in the overnight duty room was surprisingly good.

I should use it often from now on.

…

However, something is strange.

Sleeping well was good, but there’s a strange sense of incongruity.

To be more precise…

Around my chest, it feels like something is wiggling….

“Oh, you’re… awake…?”

“…?”

…What the.

Why is she here?