The real identity of the popular fashion model MIRA is Suzumori-senpai.

This is a great find for me, as I have not been the kind of man in my youth who was passionate about fashion magazines. So, I had zero knowledge of such information about MIRA.

When I first greeted her the day I came to work for the company, I found her to be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen before. An angelic Onee-san. On the other hand, Inaba had realized who she was from the first moment she saw her. I remembered it vividly. She was about to say her name out loud, and as a result, Suzumori-senpai grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the hallway. Now it all started to make sense.

On the way home I kept thinking about it a lot, so I couldn’t help but Google MIRA. The search results came up with many pictures and articles about the young Suzumori-senpai who was nicknamed MIRA at the time. The information I found was really valuable, including many pictures in swimsuits in rather arousing poses. And inevitably, I had started to save such photos on my PC. In addition to the information I found, I was amazed at how a little makeup and a different hairstyle can radically change a person’s appearance.

The most amazing thing about all this is… How did Suzumori-senpai manage to blend into society without anyone noticing her? Or is Inaba a master at recognizing faces and was she able to figure out MIRA’s true identity just after her first encounter with her?

This only fuels the great mystery behind the great and perfect Suzumori-senpai.

[Returning to the memento after having discovered the truth]

—Kazama-kun, more wine!

—Umm… Suzumori-senpai, are you so sure you want to finish such expensive wine in one night…?

—I can’t go without drinking!

—Yes ma’am!!!

Trying to reason with my Senpai right now is useless. I might get hurt because she might be daring enough to break the wine bottle on my head.

Suzumori-senpai held her glass with her right hand, while proceeding to pour more wine with her left hand somewhat shakily.

Once the clear glass was overflowing with the ruby liquid, the drunken Onee-san took a big sip.

—It washhh~~ So delicious~~!

After seeing this sight of Suzumori-senpai, it was impossible not to see my cute Kouhai’s face reflected on it. She looks just like Inami when she’s drinking her sake. I seriously question whether it’s normal for female employees in our company to have such resistance to alcohol. Could it be some sort of corporate culture?

Tonight had all the makings of a fun and enjoyable dinner. The ground beef, carpaccio style salad, rice and cream cheese… All these delicious dishes were lined up on the table. A big feast together with expensive wine sounded like a very romantic dinner, right? But unfortunately, it’s not… I can’t concentrate at all, for even concentrating on eating right now feels next to impossible…

—You’re a complete jerk! You have no finesse, Kazama-kun! Pacing around women’s rooms and going through their personal things, you’re a lustful man!

—Yes… Sorry for being perverted…

And that’s precisely the reason why Suzumori-senpai is very hurt, due to me discovering her past. And as much as she was drunk, it didn’t improve her mood one bit. In fact, everything became more tense. I wonder if her face is red because she’s drunk, or because she’s angry, or possibly for both reasons. And of course… Because she’s embarrassed…

Seeing her holding her flushed face with both hands and waving her feet with her slippers on fit the word “moe” very well, although she wouldn’t like to hear myself say that.

—You don’t have to act like that, it’s not like I’ve seen you naked.

—Ugh… I would have rather had you seen me naked.

—Really? That means if we forget everything that happened now, you could show me your naked body.

—Do you want to die that badly, Kazama-kun?

—Uugh….

Your transition from being a moe woman to a scary woman sure is amazing Senpai…

I can understand that Suzumori-senpai had reasons for no one to know her past, she has every right to be angry about this unfortunate discovery on my part. But the last thing I want now is for her to hate me.

On the other hand, I am very curious as to why she doesn’t want anyone to know that she used to be a very popular magazine model. I guess I have no choice but to stick my feet in the mud.

—Um, Suzumori-senpai, can I ask you a question?

At my question, Suzumori-senpai, who had a piece of duck meat inside her mouth, shook her head. Her manners are impeccable, she doesn’t want to risk opening her mouth while eating.

Because of that gesture, it’s not entirely clear to me whether I have permission to ask her my question, but I won’t risk asking her twice, so I’ll just say it.

—The reason Suzumori-senpai wants to hide the fact that she was a popular magazine model isn’t just because she’s embarrassed, right?

—Ugh!

Suzumori-senpai’s expression was such that she even stopped her mouth movements, and her long eyelashes swayed gracefully. She must have thought that she could no longer evade reality. So, she proceeded to swallow her food to answer my question.

—Why do you think so?

—Hmm… Nothing in particular. It’s just, the reaction you just had now was very different from the last time.

—Last time…? Was it during lunchtime with Fukahiro?

—Yes.

It was at that time where Inaba was trying to tell Inami who Suzumori-senpai really was.

—I don’t want to overthink things. But it seems that Suzumori-senpai feels great fear when it comes to MIRA. And to her bad luck, Inaba was one of the millions of girls who read fashion magazines, and she recognized her the first time she saw her when we entered the company.

I don’t know if I’m right, but those are the conclusions I’ve come to after seeing Suzumori-senpai’s behavior with Inaba.

—And the times I’ve seen you try to stop Inaba from talking, it’s like watching a wild animal trying to carry off its prey so that no one else will touch it.

—Could you stop saying things like I’m some kind of murderer?

—I don’t even think of you as a serial killer. But you can’t deny to me that you’ve stopped Inaba from talking about your past.

—….You’re right.

Suzumori-senpai remained silent. Though to say speechless is not a term I would use. She does seem to be thinking about the things she just heard from me, or how distressing all those situations might have been. It’s very hard to come to a conclusion about her thoughts, or the feelings my Senpai may be experiencing.

Although if I think about it, I think I may have gone overboard forcing Suzumori-senpai to talk about a topic that makes her uncomfortable.

—Hahaha… I’m sorry. I think I’ve gone too far with this. Um, Suzumori-senpai, if you don’t want to talk about this, you can say so, or ignore it altogether.

—…Unfair.

—Eh…?

—You’ve gone so far trying to get to the conclusion of an issue at hand, that now you’re trying to escape at the last minute? You’re so boring.

How come… Suzumori-senpai gets to look so cute with her eyebrows furrowed and her cheeks puffed out. She’s 100 times more adorable than cute having that expression.

But I can’t waste any time admiring my perfect Onee-san.

—Umm… Does that mean you’re going to tell me your secret?

—I just… I don’t know if I should tell you… — she answered as her face turned slightly red from the alcohol.

She wants to tell me the truth, but she may not feel ready for it. She was busy fiddling with her soft-looking, shiny black hair, her big eyes darting from side to side as if trying to escape my gaze.

She picked up her wine glass and continued to swirl it around as if deciding what her next move would be. At first glance it may seem like a futile act, but it is a rather reassuring gesture to me, as I am willing to wait as long as it takes.

—I’ll tell you, but… Could you listen to my story without laughing?

It looks like it was worth the wait.

I honestly have no intention of mocking or laughing about what my Senpai wishes to tell me, after all, she is about to confide something important and personal to me. I would be rude to make fun of her.

The next thing she did was to gulp a glass full of water and straightened her posture as if trying to convey seriousness to the matter and at the end she turned around while staring at me.

—The reason why it bothers me and why I try so hard to hide it is… It’s because I want people to appreciate me as Suzumori Kyouka and not as MIRA.

—What do you mean by that?

—I’ve tried so hard to get the results I want in my own way. The fact that I’m in the position I’m in and the job I have is because I prepared myself and studied hard… If I remained MIRA, people would think that I didn’t get my achievements because of my skills, but because I was just a pretty face. And that made me sad sometimes.

—…I see.

I felt that I somehow understood what my Senpai meant. If Inami or anyone else finds out about her past, they may perceive her as MIRA, the popular magazine model instead of Suzumori Kyouka, the spectacular businesswoman.

She is very afraid that her past will bring down everything she has built around the working world.

—And that’s why you stopped Inaba from telling Inami about who you really are.

—Basically. — she replied while smiling bitterly. — When I first saw Fukahiro and she called me by that name, I felt as if my heart would stop.

—Yes, I remember it very well, even though she’s a girl who doesn’t care about anything or anyone, it was interesting to me that she addressed you that way.

—Umm, you can imagine the shock I felt.

—So, you joined a black company with an average number of employees because it’s easier to work in a place where no one knows you?

—It makes me feel a little bad that you put it that way… But you’re right. I’ve interned and interviewed at many different companies, and that was the only one that didn’t know anything about my past.

—I see…

As expected, In the company we’re in, you don’t have time to follow youth trends or have free time to do any other activities. You are constantly being bombarded by too much work.

For once, ignorance is bliss in our company. I personally didn’t know it either that well, I’ve heard Inaba say her name a couple of times, but I hadn’t given it any thought until now.

—That means our company might not be as bad as it seems.

—Hmm? Why?

—Because they hired Suzumori-senpai without knowing that she was MIRA, a popular magazine model, right? Doesn’t that mean that they hired you because of your skills and knowledge?

—…

—Right?

Before I knew it, the gleam had disappeared from Suzumori-senpai’s eyes.

—…When I started at the company, I was quite happy that I was hired without anyone knowing anything about my past. After a week of being with the company, the boss invited me for a drink. And that’s when he told me, he hired me because I was pretty, and I could be successful in sales.

Suzumori-senpai was shrugging her shoulders as she looked at the night sky through her window.

—….

I think I will take back my previous words. Our company is not as good as I thought.

—It was a bad joke….

—Yes… I think the same thing.

Tears started to appear in Suzumori-senpai’s eyes. She was very hurt by remembering what she had to live through in her early days at the company.

—It’s so unfair, I was so excited about my job, about starting a new life, about proving how capable and bold I could be, and… I only get the job because I’m pretty. And you know what’s the worst of it all, Kazama-kun…? I… I just wanted to work as a designer…

Suzumori-senpai proceeded to grip the spoon in her hand tightly, and took a mouthful of minced meat. She may be angry, but she looks like a hamster with food in her cheek pouches, so I’m finding it hard to take her seriously though.

—I was so depressed back then… I really thought it was the only company that hired me for my expertise. But it was no different than any other company where I was getting job offers…

—You don’t have to keep holding on to the past… The blacker a company is, the less it looks out for the safety and importance of its employees, don’t you think?

—I don’t know. If we did, you and I would be in better company.

—Maybe.

We both sighed at the same time, and proceeded to take a sip of wine as if we were in sync.

—Um, Suzumori-senpai.

—Hm?

—Have you ever thought about leaving the company?

I was very curious to know what would happen to my Senpai. In my case, I only joined the company because of the heat of the moment in my youth.

—In my case, I don’t have a great career or an enviable education. So, any company I can go to is as good as any other.

Therefore, I have not minded having a reciprocal attitude towards the jobs I am usually given, the overtime or the hostile environment in which I face daily in that dreadful company. But Suzumori-senpai’s case is different.

She was full of motivation and hopes to live up to the expectations of the company that hired her.

However, the reality was very different. They intend to use her as if she were just a pretty face to attract more customers. Not to mention that she risks losing important years of her life dedicating herself in a place that will not have adequate pay.

Instead of Suzumori-senpai working in a place that cannot help her evolve as a professional, she should be in one where her years of experience and intelligence will be well paid.

—Considering the long experience you have, you might find…

—I have no intention of resigning. — Suzumori-senpai replied while staring me straight in the eyes.

Her response was immediate and without a hint of hesitation.

—Yes, I admit it’s frustrating to be nagged and harassed all the time, but I’m not going to let myself be bent! I’ll let them know what kind of woman those mediocre clerks are working with!

Suzumori-senpai’s impetus and good humor make an appearance again, and now she seemed more passionate than before. Despite her calm appearance, she hates losing more than anyone else in the company, after all, she is our ideal boss.

To compensate for the lack of knowledge, she must have continued to dedicate herself to becoming an employee that everyone would recognize.

And there is no need to imagine it. Suzumori-senpai’s current state is a reflection of that.

—Hahaha.

—Kazama-kun?

I couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculous words I quoted in my brain. Although my Senpai misunderstood my reaction, causing her to change her expression to that of a nervous person.

—This is horrible. Surely you must be thinking that I’m a drunk girl who’s just excited and talking nonsense.

—I don’t, in fact, I think you have good reason to feel this way and act the way you do about your past.

—So why did you laugh?

—Well… I think the boss had a very keen eye in having hired Suzumori-senpai. Since it’s clear that you possess more guts than anyone else in the office. No matter how others perceive you. You continue to hold the company-wide sales record for your efforts. For that alone, I think you are better than any of us.

I thought it was beautiful to see the slight flicker of her beautiful eyes staring after hearing my words. Could it be that Suzumori-senpai can’t be honest with herself? Or does she just want to be admired?

—You may be somewhat right… But you know what? I don’t think anyone in the company waited for me to do things too.

—Haha.

—Now why are you laughing?

—Nothing in particular, I find it amazing that even you are aware of your achievements.

—…You idiot! Don’t make fun of your Senpai!

—Hahaha.

This is the version of my Onee-san that I wish to see. That of a girl happy and embarrassed to realize how valuable she is.

I should be more careful with what I say though, all the food in front of us may get used to being thrown at my face.

—I really don’t know what kind of thinking the bosses must have about you. But…

—But…?

—None of us in the office have ever had the thought crossed our minds that you got your job because you used to be a famous model or because you’ve been promoted since you’re someone beautiful and with a great style of dressing.

—!!!

I continue not knowing why Suzumori-senpai is red. I wish she hadn’t drunk so much wine, so I could determine why.

She remained silent and just listened to the things I had to tell her. I want to let you know that we are grateful for all the effort you have made during all these years, and for having dedicated your time in training me and not losing your faith in me. There are many more examples like those, that it becomes an endless list.

—I know that Suzumori-senpai likes to drink coffee in the mornings before work to be in the best possible mood in front of everyone, and I also know that you don’t like to work overtime because you don’t want it to be a rule to be enforced among all employees.

Although there are still a few of us who stay late in the office, but at least most of us always leave early.

—And unlike other bosses, you use a strict attitude to help us grow in the work environment, not to instill terror.

When I was a newcomer in the company, I received a lot of reprimands and advice from my Senpai. Thanks to her, I was able to change my attitude and become more responsible.

—It is because of you that I can now proudly say that I am a member of the society who works hard to give back something that can be of interest to everyone. And well… It’s the least I could be despite all the problems caused.

—Problems? What do you mean?

—Well… It’s because I was the one who grabbed all of Suzumori-senpai’s attention. — I replied with a triumphant expression on my face.

—Huh…

It seems that Suzumori-senpai got a clear memory of us back then, which caused a small murmur to come out of her mouth. Just seeing that reaction was quite a treat for me.

However, the sense of accomplishment gradually faded and the feeling of embarrassment prevailed.

—Silly… — Suzumori-senpai said with a serious expression on her face.

Crap, did I say something wrong? I was very naive and narcissistic to think that it would calm things down with her. Now how do I go about resolving this?

—Come here.

—What’s wrong?

What’s wrong, why is Suzumori-senpai calling me so suddenly? If I’m being honest, I don’t want to approach her, the expression on her face, along with her frown and tight lips, is clearly more of anger than embarrassment.

But since I had no choice to refuse, I had no choice but to get up from the chair, go around the table and stand in front of her.

I feel like I’m about to panic…

—Hey, Kazama-kun…

—…Yes.

—Would you pretend to be drunk?

—….Hmm? Why do you say that?

—It’s because you’re such a charming Kouhai~~~

—Hueeeh!

My voice became shaky unexpectedly because my Senpai, who was sitting quietly, jumped towards me energetically and hugged me.

—Susususu… Suzumori-senpai…!

So, she wasn’t angry, she was just holding back her joy until this moment. The hug turned out to be so passionate that if I didn’t put all my strength into my legs, we would both fall on the ground.

Ah~~~~ the tiredness and stress of everyday life would be gone in the blink of an eye…

I didn’t even have time to say those very words. Since the upper body temperature of this beautiful lady’s upper body were pressed on my chest. Moreover, the citrus freshness of her hair and skin had taken over my consciousness even more than usual.

I don’t even have time to shout, “That’s my line.” That’s how the temperature of the beautiful lady’s upper body, the fresh citrus scent of her hair and skin dominated my consciousness, even more than usual.

As my Senpai hugged me tighter and pressed her large breasts to my body, the urge to shout to her “I want you right now!” took more and more momentum in my head. But it would be a very inappropriate thing to say, so I simply bit my tongue and refrained from saying what I feel.

—Wow, it seems that my Senpai has become quite a nice girl.

—Eeeh~~~~? What’s wrong with me wanting to hug my Kouhai who just told me the nicest things in the world very tightly?

—You can’t expect me not to have strange thoughts when my Senpai right now looks more like a beautiful Onee-san.

—Huh? Kazama-kun, do you think of me as a beautiful Onee-san?

—I bet you’re still bitter about what I said before!

—What does this tell you~? — Suzumori-senpai replied while sticking closer to me.

If she continues to hug me like that, I have no choice but to admit defeat. I am no match for my Senpai… No matter how hard I try to keep up with her. She will always be one step ahead of me.

—Thank you, Kazama-kun. Today has been the best day off I’ve ever had.

—Um…



—Hmph! Kazama-kun, how long are you going to keep being shy?

—Huh! You can’t expect me not to feel embarrassed if you keep hugging me like that!

—Hahaha!!!! You’re red in the face and you’re so cute….

I don’t know if she’s really happy or drunk, but the extra stage of hugging continued for a while after this. This has definitely been the best day off I’ve had in years.

After a sumptuous dinner and an extra stage of hugs. I was on my way to the train station after leaving my Senpai’s apartment.

Usually, I would complain about the heat and humidity of a summer night, but after spending so much time in an air-conditioned room, this environment is perfect for breaking down the alcohol that is currently coursing through my body.

And the fact that Suzumori-senpai is walking beside me makes it even better.

—Eh?! So you hit him?!

As if remembering the old days, Suzumori-senpai was laughing out loud. I guess this is the meaning of not feeling guilty for your actions. And the reason why I exclaimed like that is because she was telling me about the time she quit her job as a model.

The dark alleys and the dim light from the street lamps conveyed my reluctant expression towards the anecdote being narrated by my senpai.

—I don’t think punching a producer in the face is such a wise thing to do…

—Just to clarify, I didn’t hit him for no reason.

—Then why did you hit him?

—You see… It’s just that he proposed me to have a pillow night… — She answered whispering in my ear.

—…Oooh….

The reason why was so unexpectedly graphic that it left me speechless.

Pillow night. It’s a tactic that producers often use with models or actresses to engage in sexual relations so that the woman has an advantage in her work in terms of getting better job offers.

The entertainment industry is something spectacular, but there are a lot of disgusting things going on behind the curtains huh?

—If I’m honest with you. I thought those kinds of stories were an exaggeration used by publishers to attract more people to buy their magazines.

—Yes. I guess not all stories are true, but I don’t doubt that there are a few that are true. I never thought I’d be a part of that.

—Still, you took a big risk. Since you punched your boss in the face.

—I did it because he was so insistent!

The expression of disgust that Suzumori-senpai had put on her face made it clear what kind of person she had to deal with.

—One day when I was called to his offices in Tokyo, he made me one last proposal. He promised to bring me to fame and give me everything I asked for if I agreed to be his mistress.

—I’m sorry to hear that….

—Ugh~~……! I get chills just remembering that~~~….! — she said as she rubbed her hands repeatedly on her slender arms.

I thought it was a world where beautiful women benefited, but it turns out there are also the perverted producers who abuse these women.

I have no doubt that a beautiful woman has to endure many hardships.

—Even when I rejected his proposal many times, he continued to harass me. On one occasion he proposed to take me to a hotel, he wanted to show me how compatible our bodies were. So, I had no choice but to hit him.

—I see, so that’s what it was about. In that case, you acted very well.

—Exactly! Now do you understand why I did it?! That guy was a pig. It was even recorded by one of the guys on set that day. I think I have the recording saved somewhere.

Wow, Suzumori-senpai really is a fabulous woman. At first, I felt admiration for the kind of hardworking woman she is in the office. But now, that image of her has completely changed in my head.

She’s definitely a woman to be admired!

—And once he was lying on the floor, I told him; “Don’t expect a woman to give you her first time if you constantly harass her!”

—Huh?! Your first time…?!

My reaction was so silly and stupid after hearing Suzumori-senpai say that she hasn’t had her first time yet… But you must admit that it’s something very shocking.

—Huh?

It took Suzumori-senpai 3 seconds to realize how big of a blunder she had made. Her face started to burn a deep red color at the same time as her eyes widened.

So, this is the face of an Onee-san when she has reached her maximum level of embarrassment.

—Umm… Suzumori-senpai…

When I tried to reason with her, she quickly approached me and held me by both my shoulders firmly and started shaking me with all her might.

Instead of being a tender scene, it turns out to be pitiful.

—It’s not true! What I said is not true! It’s all a lie! Forget what you just heard!

—Don’t worry! I’m a private guy, so I won’t tell anyone. I swear I’ll take your secret about how sexually inexperienced you are to my grave!

—Idiot~~~! Don’t you dare try to take that information to your grave, I JUST WANT YOU TO FORGET IT!

Standing under a blinking traffic light on a deserted street, my Senpai tries to stop me from being able to continue to remember the strong statements she said a moment ago. But you know what?

There’s no way I’m going to get to do that.

I’m dying to ask her; “Hey Senpai, would you like to experience it now?”. But that would just be another thing that I’m going to take to my grave tonight.