It doesn’t matter how late you’re drinking in a bar or how hungover you are the next day. You must always come to work as long as the company exists.

—Senpai, I’m sorry for the inconvenience I caused you last night.

—….

The expression Inami had on her face today was very different from the pale, drunken girl I last saw before she lost consciousness. She’s still the same lively girl who conveys a warmth that reaches out to heal your shattered soul.

Without a doubt, she’s the same old Inami Nagisa.

—Last night you were about to die, how come you are so cheerful today?

—Huh? Senpai, aren’t you one of those who would feel better if you drank a lot of water and slept through the night too?

—…

Inami’s power of recovery after a night of drinking is really scary… Although, it would be more appropriate to say that she has an out-of-the-ordinary ability to break down alcohol. When I think back to my student days, I used to get a bad hangover after a night of drinking. It would affect me so much that I couldn’t get enough strength to attend classes the next day.

Inami, who has an iron liver, would have a better chance of being a successful boxer than being the slave of a company like this.

—Hey, Masato-senpai, where are we going drinking today?

—Don’t you know what a ‘rest day’ is?

—Hmph!

Inami pursed her lips. Her expression is terrifyingly cute.

There’s no point in playing along with an alcoholic monster like herself. For now, I’ll focus on saving my energy so I can work overtime today.

—Hey, Inami, now that I remember…

—Yes? — she replied as she leaned forward

—Have I ever made you a ridiculous “promise” in the past…?

The words Inami said to me last night near the hotel, and the serious expression on her face, replayed vividly in my brain.

‘……You promised.’

It couldn’t be helped that I didn’t remember about the promise I once made to her. I was so curious to know what kind of a promise it was, that even last night I kept dreaming about it. And when I woke up in the morning, the first thing my eyes saw when I saw the ceiling were those words that appeared floating in the air like an illusion.

I guess it’s inevitable to be curious, right? After all, if I made a promise, it’s natural for me to want to know what it was. Could it be that I propositioned her for sex the second to last time I was drunk? Or maybe I accepted her invitation to go to a hotel while she was busy finishing a job that had a short deadline?

As much as I thought about it, I couldn’t remember. Therefore, I have no choice but to listen to Inami’s version. This is very important to me, this just makes me look like a jerk and irresponsible for forgetting. Above all… I’m abusing poor Inami, who is a victim.

—A promise…? Ah~~

—What do you mean by “Ah~~”?

—Nothing important really, you can forget about it.

—Huh?

What does Inami mean by that? More importantly, why did her expression change so suddenly? The sweet and kind look she had before I asked her this question changed to a colder and more serious tone.

—It’s something silly, never mind – Inami answered with her usual happy expression.

—…Huh.

—Hahahaha, Senpai’s expression is really funny~.

—You can’t expect me to just forget it after the way you said it yesterday! And especially with such a shocking request like that!

—Hmm… Since you put it like that, I’m also kind of curious, why did I say that yesterday?

—I’m the one who wants to know! You can’t leave me in the dark here!

—I’m sorry, I drank too much alcohol that I forgot. — Inami replied while sticking out her tongue and placing her fist on her head.

—That can’t be! You have to remember, Inami!

I grabbed Inami by the shoulders and started shaking her… I know this won’t do any good, but at least I hope that her neurons collide with each other and perform some function in her brain. This is outrageous, I feel like one of those old men who sexually harass young girls, does this mean that as soon as I get drunk, I’m usually a sex monster?

—Hehehehe, I love it when Masato-senpai touches me!

—Don’t get distracted! I want you to remember that promise. And don’t try to hug me in the middle of a fight, you idiot!

—No!

How I wish I could open this girl’s brain and examine what’s in there. Maybe she’s hiding something she doesn’t want to tell me.

—As usual, you two get along so well early on.

For a moment I thought Inaba was talking to us. But the pinch on my cheek that I later experienced made it clear that it wasn’t her.

—Ohh? What rude vocabulary you have, is that how you talk to your Senpai?

—I’m… I’m very sorry…

When I apologized to the person in front of me, her face changed from an angry expression to a cheerful one as she pressed her fingers to her lips.

And as expected, that made me a little nervous, since after all, those same fingers now holding her lips, until a moment ago had touched my cheek for a few seconds.

—Good morning, Suzumori-senpai.

—Good morning. I don’t think excessive physical contact during work is good.

—Yes! You’re right! I’ll just hug Masato-senpai after work!

—I’m going to kill you.

Suzumori Kyouka stared at us with a smile on her face. She is two years older than me, and a very trusted leader in the company.

Today she looks like she is working inside the office. She is wearing a blouse with a loose silhouette, a tight skirt with a cinched waist, thin bracelet heels adorning her ankles. Her uncut long shiny black hair that she lets fall down her shoulders and back. Simple, but with a great style that draws everyone’s attention to her every detail. Even I, who am not so interested in fashion, think she has a good taste when it comes to dressing. There is no doubt in my mind that she has a high level of fashionista knowledge. She is a very beautiful woman in every way.

Even the Starbucks coffee in her hand makes the synonym for professional woman fit her very well.

—Oh, Kyouka-senpai drinks coffee from that famous coffee shop… I wonder if I should also start drinking that coffee to look more professional.

—Don’t even bother, because you won’t be even if you start from scratch.

—Hm, good reasoning, Masato-senpai…. Although I’d like to know the opinion of the woman who has more experience and is a level above you.

—Shu… Shut up!

—Haha! That’s a good answer, Nagisa-chan.

Tch… Damn Suzumori-senpai, don’t encourage her behavior… Then I’ll be the one who has to suffer her annoying taunts…

But Inami’s response seemed to please her very much, for after laughing, she opened her purse and handed Inami an object.

—Here you go, Nagisa-chan, a gift card so you can go to Starbucks, it’s your reward for giving a good answer.

—Wow! Are you sure, Kyouka-senpai?

—Yes. Now you can drink delicious coffee tomorrow.

—Of course! When I leave home, it’ll be the first place I go!



Inami is now not only one of those who delights not only with sake, but also with a glass of coffee. This girl never ceases to amaze me. And it is precisely that honest joy that makes her popular with men and women of all ages.

—Fufu, Masato-senpai, what do you think of this?

—Suzumori-senpai. You shouldn’t spoil this girl… She’s starting to scare me.

—Huh? But, Kazama-kun, you’re the nicest person to Nagisa-chan in this office.

—…..

—If Kyouka-senpai says so, it’s because it must be true then.

—Inami… Do you want to advance your death date so much?

—I’m sorry, I’m sorry. — said Inami as she clasped her hands together in laughter.

Her power of persuasion is powerless because it’s obvious that she’s not taking it seriously.

—Don’t worry, Kazama-kun. The more brazen the Kouhai is, the more charming they are.

—Umm… Really? I have my doubts…

—Trust me. The first Kouhai I had was a bit cheeky, but at the same time…

—…And that Kouhai was me, right?

—Do you still doubt it?

So, she wasn’t kidding, I’m the first kouhai and last kouhai that Suzumori-senpai had… Hmm, I think this is starting to go to my head a lot. Not to mention that it makes me feel very special, and makes me have somewhat erotic thoughts at the same time.

—Masato-senpai, I’m so excited to hear you say; “You’re the first Kouhai I ever had!”

—Shu… Shut up! You should respect your senpai more!

—Kazama-kun, don’t be so hard on your Kouhai. You should show more compassion and tuck her under your arm.

It’s very easy to say, but it turns out that my Kouhai is a girl that the more I tuck her in, the more she wants to climb on my shoulders. I need a break…

—Masato-senpai, where are you going?

—I’m going to get a coffee from the vending machine.

This is useless, I can’t find a way to ask Inami to explain to me what happened in the past, and what was the promise I made to her. There is no way I can question her properly.

I feel that if I push too hard, I might end up making her cry, or worse, hurt her…