NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 19 - Drinking Party
Sure… I was waiting for Noboru after work…
Then… Ono-kun started talking to me.
“Ah! Mito-san!”
“Ono-kun, what’s up? You seem happy…”
This is the second-year guy who was scolded the other day.
I believe… his name was Mamoru Ono?
“Yes! Mito-san, you’re participating too, right?”
“Hmm? …Are you talking about the drinking party?”
“Yes! I will guide you, please!”
“Eh? No…”
“I-I’m sorry! Is it a trouble?”
…This is also important.
Probably, I’ll be mentoring Ono-kun too…
“No, it’s not a problem. Can you guide me?”
“Of course!”
Hmm? Why is he so happy?
Anyway, I’ll send a mail to Noboru.
Then, I listen to his story while walking.
“Mito-san is my aspiration!”
“Huh? Me…?”
“Yes! You’re always calm and collected at work, you don’t make mistakes, and you don’t care about other’s opinions, you just stick to being yourself…”
…Who is that? This cool guy?
I just find it troublesome and difficult… and also, I just want to go home early…
I see… Not talking could lead to such misunderstandings.
“I’m just not good at talking to people. It must be boring for the other person.”
“That’s not true at all! Everyone wants to talk to you! Mito-san doesn’t yell, and you explain the work carefully.”
“Is that so?”
Indeed, I’ve been trying not to do things that I found unpleasant when they were done to me…
“Yes! Just that, we thought it would be rude to bother you… It took courage to invite you… Yokoyama-san said you never invite us…”
“I see…”
That Noboru… he should have said something.
No… it’s my fault.
“But, it’s good. Because like this, you’ve come.”
“Yeah… I can’t come every time, but I plan to join once in a while. Please take care of me.”
“Yes! The same goes for me!”
And then, we arrived at the reserved restaurant.
There, members from the first to fifth years were gathered.
Our department has a lot of relatively young people.
It was newly established the year I joined.
…And it would be hard to work if there were senior people.
“Everyone! Mito-san has come!”
“Hey, hey…”
“Ah! It’s true!”
“It’s Mito-san! The impregnable!”
“Ono! How did you manage to invite him!?”
“Let’s go this way!”
…Am I being welcomed?
Even though I haven’t done anything for you guys…
For now, I was made to sit around the middle.
Then, men and women alike start asking questions.
“What happened?”
“What’s going on!?”
“Mito-san coming…”
“Well, I thought it would be nice once in a while. I hope it’s okay to join you guys.”
“Of course! We wanted to thank you!”
“We’re happy! Thank you always!”
“Huh?”
…From what I gathered…
It seems like I’ve been helping them.
Sometimes, I corrected their work mistakes…
Sometimes, I helped them make tea…
I helped carry documents, helped make them…
I thought those things were normal…
“It’s not like that! There are people who are all talk and don’t help!”
“And those who arrogantly ask if the tea is ready yet!”
“Really…?”
“See! I told you, Mito-san!”
“Ha…Ha…”
Ono-kun is right.
It seems I’ve been overly modest…
Despite what I heard… the fact remains that this is all new to me.
I’m a bit tired… maybe I should take a breather.
“Excuse me, I’ll step outside for a bit. I need some fresh air. I’m not really used to all this.”
“Ah, sure! Go ahead!”
“Thanks.”
I go outside and feel the cool night air.
“Hmm… So that’s how they see me…”
How lame… I assumed I was being avoided because I was being too modest.
Instead, it was me who was avoiding them…
Maybe… I’m actually helping?
“Hmm… It’s making me think…”
After that, I returned inside, but I changed seats to sip my drink alone.
Fortunately, everyone seemed to respect my space.
“Yep… this is nice. Maybe I could do this once in a while…”
Just when I thought that, something unexpected happened.
“Ah– It’s Mito-senpai!”
“Morishima-san?”
“Eh!? Why are you here? I wish you had come earlier!”
She says this and naturally sits next to me.
“Well, I guess… a change of heart?”
“Heeh! Really!? But I’m glad!”
“Is that so…”
This is not good… I’m not used to talking to women in these situations.
I have no idea how to act… It’s probably the first time since college.
All I could do was nod along with her conversation…
“And then, you see!”
…I’m tired… How long will she talk?
But it’s pitiful to ignore her…
Then, the atmosphere changed…
“Huh?”
“Is that…?”
“Section Chief Matsuura…?”
“No way!?”
…That’s true.
The always stern-faced Section Chief Matsuura is here.
And for some reason, Noboru is behind him…
And then they walk towards me.
“Can I sit next to you?”
“Eh? Ye-yes.”
“Ugh! I was talking to him, you know?”
“Oh, do you have a problem with that?”
And that’s how I got here…
…Yeah, that’s right. That’s how it ended up like this.
“Mito-kun? Are you listening?”
“Mito-san! Are you listening!?”
“Yeah yeah, I’m listening…”
“Mito-senpai, who will you choose, me or the Section Chief?”
“Choose? Neither of you are objects, you know.”
“That’s right, Morishima-san. Don’t trouble Mito-kun.”
“The one who’s troubling him is the Section Chief, right? It’s stressful when a superior is around, you know?”
“Is that… so, Mito-kun…?”
“No, it’s not like that.”
“Phew… Cough… See, Mito-kun is saying the same.”
“Of course he would say that, wouldn’t he? Mito-senpai is kind and he’s the kind of guy who doesn’t read the room in a good way.”
“That’s right… I agree with the last part.”
How long will this continue…?
I’ve never experienced this, I don’t know what to do…
I– want to go home….